To Those Calling Retailers for LORD OF THE RINGS: Please Stop! (2 Viewers)

[Brian Vaughan]

I don't know if the reasons are the same in the movie business (I suspect they are not), but I can tell you why we hate people breaking street dates in the publishing industry (I work for a house in NYC). Actually, it is 2 reasons, 1. Reporting to the NYT, USA Today, etc..Whenever people sell a particular title early, those sales are not reported in the first week of sales for a book. Therefore, the book may not place as high on one of the Bestseller lists in the print media. These lists are extremely important as far as future sales go and the overall sales health of a particular title/author. It probably won't hurt someone like Stephen King (like it won't do much to LOTR's placement in the DVD Bestseller lists) but it can do a lot of damage to a smaller novel. 2. If one of the mom and pop stores begins selling a title before the on-sale date they will not neccesarily do any damage to one of the big chains (like B&N), but if one of the chains finds out, then they get mad at us for not cracking down on the smaller stores. Trust me, you do not want one of the big chains mad at you. They wield a lot of power when it comes to the distribution of your books.

Anyway, though you might find the publishing angle interesting.

Cheers, Brian

 

[John P Grosskopf]

Hmm, meethinks we are going in circles here, because that is my belief is well; it is not a right or priviledge, and I don't expect or ask for it.

That may be so, but again I am counter to the attitude that it is a benefit (for reasons previously stated) to get a title before street date even though it has happened to me and was beyond my control.

I have to agree with Ron in so much that we should not be sharing street date breaking retailers with other embers of the forum; but I agree for reasons different than his.

Ron tells us receiving pre-street date releases is a benefit not to be spoiled.

I say receiving pre-street date releases is a detriment to all consumers and retailers, for both the reasons I have stated previously and the added reasons of Mr. Vaughan.

As long as there is a "pre-street date market," breaking street dates will occur.

But again, getting everyone to play by the rules is all but impossible. I simply lament that many people seem to have no problem with accepting that premise without question, or worse yet, accept it because they themselves benefit.

 

[Chris Shelly]

A friend of mine called me and informed me that he found a copy. It sounds to me like many retailers are breaking street date now.

Any possibility that New Line will authorize retailers to distrubute early? Back in 94 or 95 I was working at a Suncoast Video. A few days before Jurrasic Park release many stores including the large chains started selling it early. We had people coming in canceling the pre-orders because we would not sell it. Finely the next day we got a fax authorizing us to sell it early and by that afternoon everyone was selling it.

Chris

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Hey, I work for New Line and even I can't get an early copy! In fact, employee demand is so great that they might even be short-handed. So I'm buying mine (in Ohio, where I'll be in town for a wedding) at Best Buy.

How's that for irony? (I am going to get the 4-disc set through work though)

 

[Sean Bryan]

You guys spending $25-$30 to get it a week early: is it really worth it?

Silly question. Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.
I'd have stepped over my own mother to get this DVD early!
Thankfully, all I had to do was ride a train into NYC and take a walk up "porn ave".

 

[Peter Kim]

This whole issue seems terribly silly to me. While I've never been lucky to get a dvd earlier than the official release date, I won't begrudge anyone their ability to do so. I don't feel a need to control every one else's life. I have too much lack of control in my own to worry about.

And I cannot fathom why a studio would have trouble letting out a few early copies, especially to propagate good word of mouth. Don't studios sanction sneak previews of their product at the theaters as one avenue of marketing? I don't see the harm in a handful of retailers breaking date to ratchet up the frenzy for great product. It's done for a slew of other products in other industries (i.e., latest cell phones, latest fashion, every single tech toy, etc.), ultimately for the benefit of the producer more than the consumer.

They still have a 'porn ave' in NYC? Last time I was there in '00, the whole city seemed so sanitized compared to the images that I've been accustomed to from the media. And my visit to Boston later that year...what the hell happened to the gritty part of metropolis? It seemed cleaner than the boondocks of Wisconsin.

 

[Derek Baker]

Like someone said back a few posts go - why does the studio ship the product soooo early???

If the studio shipped a few days before the street date there wouldn't be this problem. Please...if i'm missing something here - let me know.

 

[Justin Pledger]

How ridiculous is all this! I don't see anyone who received their copy of the LOTR early complaining about breaking street dates - it seems to be those who didn't who are the most vocal about this issue. And I have to say thatthe level of hypocrisy on display here, as well as the sermonising, is unbelievable. Sour grapes doesn't do what's going on here justice!!

And John, I am assuming that in future you will send back any releases you get early with a letter to your supplier informing them that you do not want to encourage a practice you so clearly disapprove of? Or that you will use only those suppliers who do not break street dates? I am hoping that this is the case or else your argument sounds rather hollow. And as for being beyond your control?? Uh...why didn't you send them back as I have asked above? I am of course assuming that if you saw a copy of LOTR in your local store tomorrow you would pick it up, take it to the cashier and not actually buy it but demand that it be placed back into the stockroom until 6th August? You can lament all you like but until you practice what you preach I don't think it's fair to judge others.

For those who manage to grab an early copy - good luck to you I say and enjoy it - that's what this hobby and a passion for films is all about. I couldn't wait to get LOTR on DVD and the excitement and anticipation married to the chase only adds to my love of this great format!

 

[Peter Kim]

I simply lament that many people seem to have no problem with accepting that premise without question, or worse yet, accept it because they themselves benefit.

John, bottom line is that you did receive an early copy of LOTR and didn't return it. Silence is tacit approval,...silence is acquiescence.
Again, we're talking of a monumentally miniscule societal transgression of breaking dvd release date. But when applied to history's greatest injustices, your record of non-action in response to your highly vaunted moral code has allowed those said injustices to occur as much as anything else.

 

[John P Grosskopf]

Quote:

I am judging a practice, not individuals. It is for the individual to decide if it applies to him/her for their own reaons. As far as practicing what I preach, I answered that above.

 

[Seth Paxton]

It's about fair play and creating a retail environment that allows the big chains, online retailers, and corner Mom & Pops stores to stay in business and thrive.

So what part of "big chains have more leverage to get what they demand out of a studio" and "big chains get product much cheaper due to volume" have to do with fair play?

It's the benefits of being big which big companies leverage for all it's worth. If being small means getting kicked around in these areas BUT ALSO being able to stay below the radar in a transgression like this, isn't that also about utilizing your company's size to benefit yourself?

Maybe a good way to get small stores from breaking dates would be to treat them THE SAME as big chains. But then, that's not going to happen, is it?

To me it's laughable that the big chains complain about what the small stores are able to get away with, while they themselves utilize their size difference for their own benefit in an attempt to dominate the market.

I have an idea for the big chains. To get the extra money to the studios for policing the smaller stores, how about they pay the same amounts for product as the smaller stores? Then this extra income can be spent going after the small street breakers. Oh, and they also have to give up their death grip of threats regarding what product gets sold/shipped, such as the whole P&S vs W/S thing. And they would have to stop breaking street dates themselves.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I also drive through red lights (slowly) if there is no one else on the road and it is late at night. Ooooooo!
One time, before I was 21 years old...I drank beer! Ooooo!
I'm the devil!

 

[John P Grosskopf]

I'm the devil!

If you say so.
It's not that anyone of us has broken rules that I am talking about (me included). It's the easy way we accept this as normal and partke of it when it suits our purposes (no matter how major or minor).

 

[Chris Shelly]

If memory serves LOTR should ship today or tomorrow at the latest to arrive at our houses by Tuesday. Since I did not get any e-mail about LOTR shipping yet this is making me nervous about getting on Tuesday.

Chris

 

[Josh Simpson]

Hey Chris. I hear ya on possibly not getting it on Tuesday. I thought about preordering this, but thought "oh well, I can be sure, well 98% sure to have this in my hands if I just go buy it on release day. Good luck on getting it on Tuesday. I bet you will though.

 

[Richard Harvey]

I don't forsee a problem getting this on Tuesday for those who didn't preorder. This title will be stocked to the ceilings in most superstores. I had a bigger issue getting the Goonies, and was lucky to get one of the 4 copies ordered by my local Best Buy on street date. I then saw people here in agony for over a week waiting for retailers to restock because no one estimated demand for such an old catalog title.

Rich

 

[Chris Shelly]

I checked all my older e-mail messages all my other movies have shipped on a Thursday. I mostly use Priority Mail and get them on Monday or Tuesday. Its about 50/50 on each day but I have never got a movie after release date unless I ordered it on release date.

I pre-ordered mine from a reputable online source and I believe they would have shipped today if they had it. This really does not affect my relationship with this online company. The fault is probably on New Line for not sending it out to all the online companies early. I see nothing wrong with the online companies mailing them a few days early so the customers get them on street date. If you live close and get a day or two early I see no crime in it. These online companies buy enough DVD's from the studios to warrant this type of practice. A week early though is pushing it.

Chris

 

[Joseph Young]

As for me, I've got tons of office work, homework, finals studying and a date over the weekend, plenty to distract me until I amble in, stress-free, on Tuesday and pick this title up the old-fashioned way.

Joseph

 

[David Von Pein]

I don't understand why possessing a DVD a day or a few days ahead is such a big deal. Is it THAT important? Who cares....we know we'll get 'em on street date anyway. Never have understood why people search high and low in order to buy a title just a little ahead of time.
DVD patience is a major virtue!!

 

[Marshall Alsup]

Man, I can't believe the arguement going on in this thread. Gimme a break. If somebody gets FOTR early I say to them HELL YEAH! I wish I was one of them frankly. I dont see this as a big deal at all.

I don't understand why possessing a DVD a day or a few days ahead is such a big deal. Is it THAT important? Who cares....we know we'll get 'em on street date anyway. Never have understood why people search high and low in order to buy a title just a little ahead of time.

Normally I could agree with this, but perhaps you haven't heard: THIS IS FOTR MAN!!
-Marshall