Ebert in cahoots with Blockbuster?!!...no, derision of BB, part II (1 Viewer)

[Peter Kim]

From Ebert's Sun-Times Answer Man column:

Q. Re widescreen DVDs: I work for Blockbuster and the company did indeed make the decision to stock only pan-and-scan DVDs for rent. Apparently, they would rather cater to the public's ignorance than try to educate them to the benefits of letterboxing. I have tried on numerous occasions to explain wide screen to customers, with some success. The visual example on the ''Die Hard'' DVD changes a lot of minds. Some DVDs have both pan-and-scan and widescreen versions available and I have changed customers' minds by telling them to watch five minutes of one version and then five minutes of another. All it takes is a little effort to educate the customer.

Toby Schmidt, Dayton, N.J.

A. True, but Blockbuster has made a corporate decision that casts a pall over the emerging DVD market. The majority of DVD users want letterboxing, which is why most DVDs have been widescreen or offered both formats. Now Blockbuster has asked manufacturers to supply DVDs in the pan-and-scan format. and does not carry letterboxed DVDs in many of its stores. This takes me back to a day years ago when I had one of the founders of Blockbuster in my home and was proudly showing off a letterboxed laserdisk. To my disbelief, he did not understand the format and I had to explain it to him. He was a retailer, not a movie lover. The company follows in the same tradition.

I have to ask - what the hell was Ebert thinking by inviting the founder of BB to his house?

But, back to topic...the last line says it all. BB is here to serve themselves and not the movie lover. It's the bottom line, stupid. That's understandable.

However, to underestimate the impact of this business strategy on the viability of OAR gives birth to OAR's demise.

Not trying to beat a dead horse here...but, until Pan & Scan is vanquished, the fight must remain forceful and consistent. Don't think for an instant that BB and the other giants have retreated based on one loss.

Just because we won back the soul of Willie Wonka, does that mean the war is over? Are YOU going to let things slide until your favorite title comes up for the chopping block?

 

[TonyD]

your header is confusing obviously ebert was trying to show "one" of the founders of BB the benifits of widescreen.not thee founder. maybe the person was simply a friend of ebert's.

"Contemptuous or jeering laughter; ridicule.

A state of being derided: The proposal was held in derision by members of the board.

An object of ridicule; a laughingstock."

that is the definition of derision so are you trying to continue to ridicule BB. are you saying ebert's not in cahoots with blockbuster?

sorry it's not easy for me to figure things out sometimes.

 

[Peter Kim]

The tone of header was meant to be sarcastic. The addendum, "...no, derision of BB, part II" was meant to clear this up. After reading Ebert for the last 15-20 years, I've always known Ebert to be the champion of film and the antagonist of manipulators. In this case, P & S and all those who propagate this format.

The tone of Ebert's answer was one of derision. He has ridiculed BB in the past, and anyone else who supports P&S.

 

[Adam_WM]

Where on the Die Hard DVD is the comparison example?

 

[Scott Shanks]

Just because we won back the soul of Willie Wonka, does that mean the war is over?

What? Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? . . . Hell no! And it ain't over now! Cause when the goin' gets tough . . . the tough get goin'. Who's with me? Let's go! Yeeeaaah!

 

[Adam_WM]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

The Germans? Please... please tell me you were kidding.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Germans? Please... please tell me you were kidding.

Adam,

Scott is quoting a famous John Belushi line from the film Animal House. BTW, it's one of my favorite lines from the movie.

 

[Wayne McRae]

That's John Belushi,from Animal House.He just failed history

 

[bill lopez]

It seems we lost the WONKA war. Yes we got the petition to get the widescreen, but when it came to buying the widescreen we didn't produce. I didn't see the widescreen Wonka hit the Top 10 sales chart. And now one movie studio is re-releaseing widescreen dvds in Pan&Scan.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The Germans? Please... please tell me you were kidding.

Forget it. He's rolling.
Regards,

 

[Dick]

Bill - the cards were stacked against us with WW. The full screen edition hit the market many weeks before the widescreen version, so the latter was not on the shelves at all while all the impulse buyers and new release buyers and those buying to satisfy their children's demands were out there plunking down their twenty bucks. Further, even discount chains that generally carry widescreen editions stocked up on what was available - the full screen edition. Timing does make a difference, and I think Warner Bros understands this, otherwise the up-coming WATERSHIP DOWN (while not really a kid film) would probably be pan and scan.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

Nice misleading header...

 

[Peter Kim]

Kyle, are you reading and understanding the header? Or at least reflect on it for more than a second? Obviously, by the way you wrote your last comment, you seem to understand the concept of sarcasm and derision. Apparently, nuance is lost here.

If you're saying I baited you into reading this thread, which I think you are, that's untrue. I can see your attempt at nuance - thanks for levelling the insinuation against me.

 

[streeter]

Roger Ebert is obviously not happy at all with Blockbuster... but his co-host Richard Roeper is. There are "Richard Roeper recommends..." shelfliners at Blockbuster stores.

 

[Frank_W]

Nice misleading header...

Have to agree as well.

Anyway, I still love Ebert ..... :now hides away:

 

[Brian_J]

I have to ask - what the hell was Ebert thinking by inviting the founder of BB to his house?

Maybe they are friends or maybe friends of a friend and anyway so the hell what? You don't have friends you disagree with on fundamental things?

Brian

 

[Peter Kim]

Has there been a final outcome on the petition against BB's corporate policy of P&S only when dual formats released?

Maybe they are friends or maybe friends of a friend and anyway so the hell what?

Question was asked rhetorically...I really didn't expect anyone to know the answer. Or attack me for pointing out the irony. Nuance, folks, nuance. And if you don't care, there are plenty of other threads you can comment on. Can we stick to the spirit of Ebert's quote instead of thread farting?

 

[Adam_WM]

My apologies for missing the Germans joke. Haven't seen Animal House all the way through. It's on the "to-do" list.

 

[Sean Moon]

On the subject, yet off at the same time, this is another great quote from Ebert on the same answer man

Q. I recently rented the film ''Bully'' by Larry Clark, and was played for a fool. On the box it was given an R rating, even though I knew it had been rated NC-17. Yet there was no disclaimer on the box stating that it had been altered from the original. I went home to watch it and sure enough before the movie began there was a title screen explaining that the version I had rented was not the version the director intended to be seen! I was unable to return the film for a refund--nor would anyone else who made the same mistake! How could they market this film without a written disclaimer stating it had been altered, and why can't they carry the original ''Director's Cut'' as well?

Kevin Young, Whitman, Mass.

A. You did not name the video store. If it was Blockbuster, the chain refuses to handle NC-17 movies, insisting that R-rated versions be supplied. Blockbuster thus dictates both format and content. Imagine the outcry if a book store stocked only the Reader's Digest Condensed Book versions of a novel, and quietly removed all the offensive parts.

I love his response to that.

 

[Seth Paxton]

I just want to acknowledge Ken's great follow up post.
The Belushi line is great, but using that follow up line is classic after all the confusion especially.
If only Adam had just said "Germans?"