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WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

post #1 of 44
5/29/09 at 3:13pm
Thread Starter 
10 NEW-TO-BLU-RAY RELEASES!

$350 Million in Combined Box Office Sales

Starring Halle Berry, Colin Farrell, Christian Bale,
Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, Nicole Kidman,
Kevin Costner, Jessica Biel and more.

September 8 from Warner Home Video

Burbank, Calif, May 29, 2009 – On September 8, Warner Home Video will release 10 new Blu-ray titles. The titles being released are Catwoman, Creepshow, Dead Calm, Freddy vs. Jason, The New World Extended Cut, Over the Top, The Postman, Snakes on a Plane, Sphere And Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). Each will be available for $28.99 SRP.

About the Films

Catwoman:
Patience Philips is dead – and more alive than ever. Murdered after she learns the secret behind a cosmetic firm’s anti-aging cream, she’s revived and empowered by mystical felines. Now she’s on the slinky prowl for adventure and revenge. Academy Award® winner Halle Berry (Actress in a Leading Role, Monster’s Ball) plays the sleek, whip-cracking feline fatale, Benjamin Bratt is a cop torn between romance and duty and Sharon Stone is an ice-blooded supermodel with something to hide in a kicky and stylish Catwoman. With catlike grace, a knack for landing on her feet, a passion for sushi and a loathing for dogs, Berry unsheathes action with attitude.

Creepshow:
Two macabre masters - writer Stephen King and director George A. Romero - conjure up five shocking yarns, each a virtuoso exercise in the ghouls-and-gags style of classic '50s horror comics. A murdered man emerges from the grave for Father's Day cake. A meteor's ooze makes everything ... grow. A professor selects his wife as a snack for a crated creature. A scheming husband plants two lovers up to their necks in terror. A malevolent millionaire with an insect phobia becomes the prey of a cockroach army. Add the spirited performances of a fine cast (Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, E.G. Marshall and King himself) and the ghoulish makeup wizardry of Tom Savini. Let the Creepshow begin.

Dead Calm:
Take an ocean voyage of full-masted fright with Dead Calm. Thriller specialist Philip Noyce (Patriot Games, The Saint) directs three splendid actors – Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane – in riveting performances. Joe and Rae Ingham (Neill and Kidman) do the right thing and rescue the half-delirious sole survivor (Zane) of a crippled schooner. But soon the stranger will plunge the unwary pair into an intense battle of cat and mouse. And life or death.

Freddy vs. Jason:
The slicer versus the slasher? Two titans of terror going at it mano-a-machete? They’re gonna kill each other a lot! The horror (and wicked fun) begins when Freddy realizes he can’t haunt dreams because folks no longer fear him. So he enlists Jason to do a little killing on his behalf on Elm Street. Presto, the fear is back – and so is Freddy. One problem: Jason isn’t about to stop offing people. And another: Freddy isn’t about to let Jason rule Elm Street. This means war. Freddy Vs. Jason. Winner kills all.

The New World Extended Cut:
Powhatan tribal people stare in wonder as three ships approach shore. It’s a story every schoolchild knows; the story of Capt. John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher). Now, as told by filmmaker Terrence Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) in this extended version with more than 30 minutes of footage unseen in theaters – it’s a story you never imagined. Working in part from first-hand histories and adding his extraordinary sense of image and human drama, Malick crafts a visceral, spellbinding tale of the Jamestown settlement, of cultures connecting and of deadly consequences when connections fray. Christian Bale and Christopher Plummer also star.

Over the Top:
Rocky and Rambo star Sylvester Stallone gives fans another reason to stand up and cheer. He stars as hard-luck big-rig trucker Lincoln Hawk and takes us under the glaring Las Vegas lights for all the boisterous action of the World Armwrestling Championship in Over the Top (co-scripted by Stallone).
Relying on wits and willpower, Hawk tries to rebuild his life by capturing the first-place prize money – and the love of the son (David Mendenhall) he abandoned years earlier into the keeping of his rich, ruthless father-in-law (Robert Loggia). He matches muscles with some of the game’s gargantuan greats – and grips you tightly with a rousing finale in crowd-pleasing Rocky style.

The Postman:
In 2013 there are no highways, no I-ways, no dreams of a better tomorrow, only scattered survivors across what was once the United States. Into this apocalyptic wasteland comes an enigmatic drifter with a mule, a knack for Shakespeare and something yet undiscovered: the power to inspire hope.

Two-time Academy Award® winner (Directing and Best Picture, Dances with Wolves) Kevin Costner directs and plays a wayfarer in a world where might makes right – but destined to lead a heroic rebellion where right makes right. Sweeping battle scenes, breathtaking wilderness vistas and touching moments of personal triumphs combine to ensure The Postman delivers.

Snakes on a Plane:
A red-eye 747 flight out of Hawaii swooshes along at 30,000 feet toward L.A. Suddenly, there’s no pilot. Later, there’s no co-pilot. There are, however, snakes – hissing, slithering, attacking, venomous snakes. A crime boss has subverted security and planted the reptiles in order to bring the plane down, along with a witness slated to testify against the mobster in L.A. Can the FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) guarding the witness rally what’s left of the crew and passengers for a reptilian rumble in the jumbo? Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy fight.

Sphere:
Excitement runs deep when U.S. officials find and isolate a huge spacecraft that plunged into the Pacific – 300 years earlier. What is the craft’s origin? Can there still be living intelligence aboard? Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone and Samuel L. Jackson lead an underwater expedition to the mysterious object in this suspenseful adventure directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and based on Michael Crichton’s novel. Step aboard for a new dimension in thrills – and prepare to come face to face with unnamable terror as near as your own thoughts!


Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003):
Get help! That’s a good idea when carefree friends traveling the back roads of Texas run into trouble. So they ask for assistance at an eerie, ramshackle farmhouse. That’s a bad idea – one that cranks up the whirring, ripping terror of this fear-choked re-imagining of the cult fave The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Producer Michael Bay (Transformers), director Marcus Nispel (2009’s Friday the 13th) and their filmmaking team bring edgy contemporary style to a gory frightmare. Jessica Biel leads the cast of road trippers who must battle the spinning steel of monstrous Leatherface. Join them for a savage game of hide and shriek.

SEPTEMBER BLU-RAY CATALOG BUILDERS
Street Date: 9/8/09
BD SRP: $28.99

Catwoman
Genre: Action
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 104 min

Creepshow
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 min

Dead Calm
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 96 min

Freddy vs. Jason
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 min

The New World Extended Cut
Genre: Drama/Adventure
Rating: NR
Runtime: 172 min

Over The Top
Genre: Action
Rating: PG
Runtime: 93 min

Postman, The
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Runtime: 177 min

Snakes on a Plane
Genre: Action, Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 105 min

Sphere
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 134 min

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Runtime: 98 min
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post #2 of 44
5/29/09 at 6:19pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

The only one of those that really jumps out @ me is The New World, which should be a reference BD, as some footage was shot in 65mm.
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post #3 of 44
5/29/09 at 6:39pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Any word on extras? I'm hoping the extra scenes from CREEPSHOW are going to finally be released.
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post #4 of 44
5/29/09 at 11:19pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

This is a list - not one of which I would care to own on Blu-Ray. And this is why Blu-Ray is not growing. What is the matter with these studios - Warners has amazing films, many of which would be of much more interest to collectors than these - only a few of these are going to appeal to the masses anyway (not that there are masses for Blu-Ray), so why not appeal to the core buyers and give them some great films? I guess I'll wait for the next ten and hope for the best. Meanwhile, I'll give my dough to Fox and Columbia.
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post #5 of 44
5/30/09 at 4:11am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

I'll pick up FREDDY VS. JASON, being a fan of F13 and all. I do agree with Billy that this is a mind-boggling list of titles overall, except that I think there are enough hardcore fans who'll buy this title, I'd think.
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post #6 of 44
5/30/09 at 4:25am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

'The New World' is the only one I'll be buying. Otherwise, this list does nothing for me. As others have said, Warner have so many top catalog titles, it's puzzling why they are sitting on them for so long while they release mediocre titles that will do little or nothing to tempt more people to invest in Blu-ray.
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post #7 of 44
5/30/09 at 5:13am
Thread Starter 

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Bruce,

Usually, it's a matter of format penetration.

The studios would rather see huge sales on big titles rather than
smaller ones on a format that has not yet reached its zenith.

Look back on the DVD format which launched in 1997. It took
many years before the studios really began releasing their biggest
titles to a format that took a few years to mature and penetrate
into consumer homes.
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post #8 of 44
5/30/09 at 8:40am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyFeldman
This is a list - not one of which I would care to own on Blu-Ray. And this is why Blu-Ray is not growing. What is the matter with these studios - Warners has amazing films, many of which would be of much more interest to collectors than these - only a few of these are going to appeal to the masses anyway (not that there are masses for Blu-Ray), so why not appeal to the core buyers and give them some great films? I guess I'll wait for the next ten and hope for the best. Meanwhile, I'll give my dough to Fox and Columbia.
A few thoughts about your comment.

1. Blu-ray is growing just fine.

2. I suspect Warner has sales data backing up their release of these particular 10 titles. Even a crappy film from the 1990s is gonna sale way more copies than the best films of the 1960s, just by way of public awareness.

3. Warner has, and will continue, to release many, many titles that a forum like this embraces. In just the last couple months they've released the Batman films, Robin Hood (1991), Quo Vadis, An American in Paris, Gigi, 2010, American History X, Falling Down and True Romance. In upcoming months they got Woodstock, Grumpy Old Men, the Ninja Turtles films, Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Contact, and more.
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post #9 of 44
5/30/09 at 8:45am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

But they're not going to see huge sales on any of the titles on that list - at least that is my belief, and I think that's the point people in this thread are trying to make. I totally understand why they'd put out older blockbuster titles before catalog stuff, but this list isn't about that - in fact, I don't know what it's about, but, as Bruce Morrison points out, it is not going to help get people to Blu-Ray - while there are certainly films in the Warners catalog that would - beloved films and I'm not talking about really arcane stuff, I'm talking about films like Time After Time - they have a new master, it's beloved by a lot of people, so why not films like that instead of the ones on this list? The two Warners titles coming that will do the most to help this format are The Wizard Of Oz and Gone With The Wind, presuming they are top-notch presentations.

And what sort of sales data can Warners have on films like Sphere? A critical and box-office failure (grossing 36 million in the US on an 80 million budget)? Or The Postman - think they've got good sales data on that? US gross 17 million on an 80 million budget - reviled by most audiences and critics, and considered by some to be an all-time stinker? Yeah, if I were a studio that one would be at the top of my list. And let's not forget the classic Menahem Golan film, Over The Top - maybe one of the lowest-grossing Sylvester Stallone films ever (17 million in the US). But why stop there? How about the blockbuster Catwoman (gross of 40 million on a 100 million budget - total disaster critically, box-office, and gets one of the lowest ratings I've ever seen on the imdb (and that's something). I'm not trying to belittle these films, just show why this list is not going to produce any huge sales numbers - and if that's what studios are looking for, then why waste a ten-film release like this, when they are sitting on really good films that would get better sales than stuff like The Postman, Catwoman, Over The Top, and Sphere. The fear, of course, is that these titles will not do well and then they'll release less, not more.
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post #10 of 44
5/30/09 at 8:59am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Shite
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post #11 of 44
5/30/09 at 10:13am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyFeldman
And what sort of sales data can Warners have on films like Sphere? A critical and box-office failure (grossing 36 million in the US on an 80 million budget)? Or The Postman - think they've got good sales data on that? US gross 17 million on an 80 million budget - reviled by most audiences and critics, and considered by some to be an all-time stinker? Yeah, if I were a studio that one would be at the top of my list. And let's not forget the classic Menahem Golan film, Over The Top - maybe one of the lowest-grossing Sylvester Stallone films ever (17 million in the US). But why stop there? How about the blockbuster Catwoman (gross of 40 million on a 100 million budget - total disaster critically, box-office, and gets one of the lowest ratings I've ever seen on the imdb (and that's something). I'm not trying to belittle these films, just show why this list is not going to produce any huge sales numbers - and if that's what studios are looking for, then why waste a ten-film release like this, when they are sitting on really good films that would get better sales than stuff like The Postman, Catwoman, Over The Top, and Sphere. The fear, of course, is that these titles will not do well and then they'll release less, not more.
Bill, none of those numbers are Home Video sales numbers. And the budget for these releases is surely less, and more streamlined, than something like The Wizard of Oz. Lower budget = lower required sales to make it worthy of release. If the last wave of 10 is any indication, the only difference between the current DVD and the new BD of these type of catalog titles is the movie being in HD. All extras (if any) are simply ported over. That's relatively inexpensive. And surely the HD master on these are ready to go in most instances and is not demanding a significant investment. The majority of these are likely BD25s as well.

I also think the fact that a good number of these are New Line titles (4 of them) is partly to "blame". The HD masters were probably prepared when New Line was still its own entity, and since New Line generally has less titles to choose from, you get these for their "budget" releases.
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post #12 of 44
5/30/09 at 10:28am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Nope these titles won't attract many to BD.

Being staples in the $2 bargain-bins, these titles won't sell anymore on DVD so why not repackage these turds on a shiny new format to grab a quick buck off of 'em.
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post #13 of 44
5/30/09 at 10:33am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon Conway
Bill, none of those numbers are Home Video sales numbers. And the budget for these releases is surely less, and more streamlined, than something like The Wizard of Oz. Lower budget = lower required sales to make it worthy of release. If the last wave of 10 is any indication, the only difference between the current DVD and the new BD of these type of catalog titles is the movie being in HD. All extras (if any) are simply ported over. That's relatively inexpensive. And surely the HD master on these are ready to go in most instances and is not demanding a significant investment. The majority of these are likely BD25s as well.

I also think the fact that a good number of these are New Line titles (4 of them) is partly to "blame". The HD masters were probably prepared when New Line was still its own entity, and since New Line generally has less titles to choose from, you get these for their "budget" releases.

We can agree to disagree on this. The fact is that Warners has plenty of HD masters on recent DVD titles and there are many of those titles that would be of much more interest than anything on this list. I'm not talking about expensive things - I'm talking about stuff they're sitting on that would appeal to more people, especially people into Blu-Ray, than the titles on this particular list.
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post #14 of 44
5/30/09 at 10:33am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

I like that they call them "Catalog Builders". I guess that's a euphemism for bargain bin fillers, which I look forward to. Same comment I've made when other studios release such batches: these are to fill the "bins" so people will see that BD doesn't have to be expensive.

Snakes on a Plane should look great on BD, the DVD is quite good. The New World too. I would probably get those when they're $10-15.
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post #15 of 44
5/31/09 at 1:03am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

I posted this in another thread, but I'm going to be really sore if the R2 DVD extras on CREEPSHOW don't turn up here (and yes, I know another studio paid for them).
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post #16 of 44
5/31/09 at 2:07am
Thread Starter 

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Personally, I don't think we can any longer say that the selection
of titles out there are hindering the growth of Blu-ray.

Despite the fact that some of the biggest studio blockbusters still
have not been released to Blu-ray (and won't be for the near future),
there are thousands of great titles out there ranging from new releases
(which really drive the format) to some terrific catalog fare.

I don't think there is anybody abstaining from purchasing Blu-ray
because the selection of titles are poor.

Thus far, Warner has done a pretty damn good job with their catalog
releases. I looked at the 25 titles I upgraded from HD-DVD and I am
very happy with the film choices they have made to release on BD.

And their choice to release obscure fare is also a good one when
you consider that it gives hope that one of your smaller favorites
will get released right away rather than 10 years from now when
the studio has exhausted their library.

It seems the studios are repeating the same release timeline that
they did with DVD. As one Paramount executive told me early on
in the DVD format, "We don't put all our eggs in one basket."
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post #17 of 44
5/31/09 at 3:39am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
I don't think there is anybody abstaining from purchasing Blu-ray
because the selection of titles are poor.

Ron, I can see what you're saying with the rest of your post, but I know people who haven't gotten into Blu-ray specifically because they feel the selection is wanting. Or more specifically, although there are a few scattered titles here and there they'd like, it's not enough to sway them off the fence.

I try to tell them just to buy a Blu-ray player anyway -- they can still play their existing DVD collection and have them upconverted on the new machine, and still have the luxury of adding those few BDs they do want!
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post #18 of 44
5/31/09 at 7:21am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

They won't be doing much "catalog building" with a $28.99 MSRP...

5-6 months ago, I was regularly buying BD catalog titles for under $15 at retail. Now that there's less competition (no more CC, Virgin Megastore, Borders getting out of media, Target scaling back on their media advertising and farming online sales to Amazon) prices have risen to this ridiculously high level. Best Buy and Amazon are in virtual lock-step with their advertised sale prices.

Although I can see and appreciate the difference, the average consumer is not going to pony up $25-$30 for a BD version of "Over the Top" when a perfectly serviceable version is available on DVD for under $5 in the bargain bins. And, every time a studio cheats and produces a Blu-ray disc from an old MPEG-2 transfer (The Graduate, Silence of the Lambs, etc.), it only reinforces the notion that there is not enough difference between the two formats to justify the additional cost. If this keeps up, BD will go the way of the LaserDisc. It's almost like these companies forgot how they helped make DVD such an unprecedented success -- Lots of titles at great sell-though prices.
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post #19 of 44
5/31/09 at 8:53am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by pitchman
It's almost like these companies forgot how they helped make DVD such an unprecedented success -- Lots of titles at great sell-though prices.
I think more consumers have forgotten that DVD didn't start out cheap. People are remembering the glory days when DVDs were loss leaders and cost $15 but that wasn't two and a half years into the format. Two years into DVD, you paid the same or more than you will pay for an average Blu-ray today. And that's in 1999 dollars too.
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post #20 of 44
5/31/09 at 9:48am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi
Ron, I can see what you're saying with the rest of your post, but I know people who haven't gotten into Blu-ray specifically because they feel the selection is wanting. Or more specifically, although there are a few scattered titles here and there they'd like, it's not enough to sway them off the fence.

I try to tell them just to buy a Blu-ray player anyway -- they can still play their existing DVD collection and have them upconverted on the new machine, and still have the luxury of adding those few BDs they do want!

While there may be "thousands" of titles on Blu-Ray, I have been scouring stores to purchase titles that interest me - as well as amazon and region frees from other countries. I have now purchased maybe sixty Blu-Rays. And there is NOTHING else out there for me right now, so lists like this irk me and in my opinion they will ultimately irk Warner Bros when they see the sales figures. I can rest easy that maybe they'll rethink the next batch.
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post #21 of 44
5/31/09 at 10:14am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyFeldman
While there may be "thousands" of titles on Blu-Ray, I have been scouring stores to purchase titles that interest me - as well as amazon and region frees from other countries. I have now purchased maybe sixty Blu-Rays. And there is NOTHING else out there for me right now, so lists like this irk me and in my opinion they will ultimately irk Warner Bros when they see the sales figures. I can rest easy that maybe they'll rethink the next batch.


Don't get your hopes up too much, since this Sept batch seems to be Warners 2nd wave of Bargain Bin fodder.

Wave 1 came out last month:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...il-2009-a.html
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post #22 of 44
5/31/09 at 10:56am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Oh, I see.

Well, maybe two dreary batches' sales figures will give them a clue. If not, they can rest easy that I won't be purchasing anything of theirs.
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post #23 of 44
5/31/09 at 11:01am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

I suppose lists like these can be frustrating to people waiting for "quality" favorites. Especially if you've been waiting for a title that came out long ago on DVD and never got an update ("Contact" comes to mind, one of the first DVDs I bought, and I think one of the first DVDs). Could these titles be mainly intended to fill out the BD rental market, where people are a bit less picky than when buying?
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post #24 of 44
5/31/09 at 11:03am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisR
I think more consumers have forgotten that DVD didn't start out cheap. People are remembering the glory days when DVDs were loss leaders and cost $15 but that wasn't two and a half years into the format. Two years into DVD, you paid the same or more than you will pay for an average Blu-ray today. And that's in 1999 dollars too.
If you do the math, today's BDs are, at worst, slightly better deals cost-wise (with the added bonus of being better, period, in PQ and SQ). Frequently, they are much better deals when on sale. I still have a few dozen USED SD DVDs on my shelf with the price sticker from the video store on them that were more expensive in 2001/2 (when I started buying DVDs) than about 60% of my BDs.
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post #25 of 44
5/31/09 at 11:43am

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

I guess I'm the only one who thinks any of those titles would probably sell better than any of the classics we all want released.
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post #26 of 44
5/31/09 at 12:19pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

You think Catwoman, Over the Top, The Postman, etc would outsell titles like Heat, Contact, the Exorcist, Excalibur The Man Who Would be King, The Iron Giant, Once Upon a Time in America, Mean Streets, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Wind and the Lion? Really?

Sad if true.
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post #27 of 44
5/31/09 at 1:03pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_K
You think Catwoman, Over the Top, The Postman, etc would outsell titles like Heat, Contact, the Exorcist, Excalibur The Man Who Would be King, The Iron Giant, Once Upon a Time in America, Mean Streets, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Wind and the Lion? Really?

Sad if true.
I guarantee all 10 of these titles would outsell The Wind and the Lion and The Man Who Would Be King. I'd be willing to bet that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) will outsell all the titles you mentioned.

Of course, Heat, Contact and The Exorcist have all been confirmed as coming as well. This isn't an either/or situation, IMO.
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post #28 of 44
5/31/09 at 1:19pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon Conway
I guarantee all 10 of these titles would outsell The Wind and the Lion and The Man Who Would Be King.

You can guarantee this.........how exactly?

Quote:
I'd be willing to bet that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) will outsell all the titles you mentioned.

probably

Quote:
Of course, Heat, Contact and The Exorcist have all been confirmed as coming as well.

"confirmed as coming" means little to me in this day and age. Until I see it sitting on a shelf it's all just vapor-ware.

Quote:
This isn't an either/or situation, IMO.

Where did I say it was? My post was in response to the one above.
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post #29 of 44
5/31/09 at 2:18pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_K
You think Catwoman, Over the Top, The Postman, etc would outsell titles like Heat, Contact, the Exorcist, Excalibur The Man Who Would be King, The Iron Giant, Once Upon a Time in America, Mean Streets, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Wind and the Lion? Really?

Sad if true.

I honestly do and I agree it's sad. As I mentioned in the Archives thread, when stuff like BOOM TOWN and EASTER PARADE are going for $2 it's hard to see a title like that being sold (and selling well) for $30 on Blu. I'm sure THE EXORCIST and THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES would be big sellers with men but I think something like OVER THE TOP would appeal to the same people. I remember TBS having that series "Movies For Guys Who Like Movies" where it seemed TOP was playing every week. It seems that title has had a pretty big cult following over the years. I'm sure THE POSTMAN and CATWOMAN would appeal to that same "cult" crowd.

It doesn't make sense but there has to be a reason as to why Warner picked these titles. I'm sure they don't want to lose money and I'm sure they don't want Blu to fail so they must honestly think CATWOMAN is going to sell. They must think horror fans are going to pick up CREEPSHOW over THE BODY SNATCHER.
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post #30 of 44
5/31/09 at 3:18pm

Re: WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009

But this type of discussion has gone on forever, ever since there has been home video of all formats: "Why release 'X' when 'Y' didn't sell, and 'Z' would do so much better business?!"

Bottom line is, nobody can be 100% sure either way all of the time. Do I think 1945's THE BODY SNATCHER would sell better than CREEPSHOW? No, absolutely not -- But what's the difference? It all came out on VHS.... on LD.... on DVD .... I guess eventually we'll see the same with Blu-ray. I think most titles on this new list here are poor choices overall, but every now and then this approach helps us get catalog titles we wouldn't have expected.

(By the way, Michael, it's ironic you mentioned THE BODY SNATCHER because I wrote something about it being on TCM over at CHFB... check that thread out over there, in the "Golden Age" section).
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Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming Video and Digital Downloads › Blu-ray › WHV Press Release: 10 New-To-Blu-Ray Releases September 8 2009