Double Indemnity / Touch of Evil Blu-rays - 4/15 (1 Viewer)

[bigshot]

The problem for me is that the studios are marketing blu-rays with all sorts of add-ons that I don't care about. I don't need Gene Kelly branded umbrellas or Casablanca shot glasses. I don't need a bunch of talking head documentaries or commentary tracks made by people who weren't even born when the movie was released. I don't care about lenticular covers or slip cases. I don't want a bunch of loosely related material on standard definition DVDs bundled in.

I want the movie on blu-ray. That is all. I'll pay a reasonable price for that, but I won't pay a premium price for a bunch of stuff I never asked for or wanted.

 

[Persianimmortal]

I'm certainly right there with you in regards to doing away with extras...but keep it hush-hush, because we'll be murdered by the other forum members for even daring to suggest it!

However even without the extras, I really can't see classic movies with a sales potential in the handful of thousands being released for $10 or less and making a decent profit.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm certainly right there with you in regards to doing away with extras...but keep it hush-hush, because we'll be murdered by the other forum members for even daring to suggest it!

However even without the extras, I really can't see classic movies with a sales potential in the handful of thousands being released for $10 or less and making a decent profit.

You must have us mixed up with some other forum you frequent, as we don't allow such murders around here.

 

[Persianimmortal]

You don't scare me with your veiled threats Robert!

 

[Jari K]

I don't need a bunch of talking head documentaries or commentary tracks made by people who weren't even born when the movie was released.

Yes, but I do. I'm a movie buff and documentaries and audio commentaries (and e.g. deleted scenes) gives me information and insight about these different films. I'm sure there are plenty of digital/streaming services where you can "just watch the film" (obviously not all films are included, though) in good HD quality.

If you hate the extras, I believe you're in the wrong place.

Ps. Let's keep it hush hush, but I do know one outfit that releases expensive Blu-ray titles and often without any real extras. And even the price is high.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes, but I do. I'm a movie buff and documentaries and audio commentaries (and e.g. deleted scenes) gives me information and insight about these different films. I'm sure there are plenty of digital/streaming services where you can "just watch the film" (obviously not all films are included, though) in good HD quality.

If you hate the extras, I believe you're in the wrong place.

Ps. Let's keep it hush hush, but I do know one outfit that releases expensive Blu-ray titles and often without any real extras. And even the price is high.

Which outfit you're talking about?

 

[Mark VH]

Which outfit you're talking about?

I'd guess Olive.

 

[JoHud]

I'd guess Olive.

No, sounds like he means TT (which I disagree with)

 

[bigshot]

I'm certainly right there with you in regards to doing away with extras...but keep it hush-hush, because we'll be murdered by the other forum members for even daring to suggest it!

Commentary and documentaries might be OK if they were put together by the filmmakers themselves, but I can get better historical background from books and the internet. In all of the supplements I've schlogged through I can only think of a handful that were made for the home video release that were actually worth the effort... the effects/stunt info on Safety Last, the short doc on The Innocents, Bakshi's commentary on Wizards... Other than those, the only supplements I can think of that were good were documentaries that already existed that were repurposed as supplements.

 

[davidHartzog]

I find the director commentaries generally very good, Frankenheimer, for example.

 

[Robert Crawford]

No, sounds like he means TT (which I disagree with)

If so, I disagree with him too as I have several TT releases with bonus features I valued.

 

[bigshot]

If people don't want to pay a lot for an older film that they probably already bought on DVD and VHS and LD, it seems logical to me to cut costs of production so you can lower your price point. The first thing to cut is supplements that people watch once and never want to watch again.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Most catalog titles released by the major studios do not have any new bonus features. If they still have rights to previously released content they include that and go on their merry way. Its because they DON'T add new content that they can sell for as little (yes, little) as $19.95 MSRP.Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Jari K]

The first thing to cut is supplements that people watch once and never want to watch again.

So you're saying that it's these different "extras" that are holding back many Blu-ray releases? This is like a serious question. Drop the extras and the floodgates will be open?

I don't see any connection with extras vs price vs releasing schedule. If you want "just a film", there are many streaming/DL/etc options and several HD channels. One of the main points with physical media is that different extras are included on the disc. I see no reason why we should go back in time with bare bones releases with high prices. Blu-ray disc holds 25-50gb and for a reason.

It's interesting how people see these extras. For many they're more like PR or just "something" that is thrown to the disc. Some even are annoyed that they're on the disc, even when they don't obviously have to watch them. For many they're a great way to learn history and learn about the film, filmmakers and their craft, etc. I mean many of these people are actually film historians and scholars, or relatives/close friends/co-workers of the director/actor etc. It's also interesting if some people feel that you can't "trust" them or that they're proving us just nonsense information.

For me the best "extras" are recording valuable film history for the future generations. It's actually a bit sad that some filmmakers or actors refuse to give any interviews or audio commentaries for the extras. I do understand some of the reasons why (especially in today's world, where media is often out of control), but still.

 

[bigshot]

So you're saying that it's these different "extras" that are holding back many Blu-ray releases? This is like a serious question. Drop the extras and the floodgates will be open?

On a back catalog title that doesn't require a lot of restoration, the supplements can cost more than the transfer of film itself. Studios think that people expect packaging and they won't take the risk if they think sales won't support it. That's why the license out to third party companies who do stripped down releases. These companies probably have to charge more because of up front licensing fees and sales guarantees. It doesn't have to be that way.

 

[bigshot]

As you point out, in a lot of cases, the studios already have an HD master they use for streaming. In these cases the cost of slapping it on a disk and releasing it are minimal.

 

[TravisR]

Are studios even doing that many new supplements for catalog titles anymore? Not that I'm keeping a list but it seems to me that the vast majority of catalog titles use the already existing special features that were made a decade ago for DVDs. Independents (like Criterion or Scream Factory) still go the extra mile but I can't even think of the last studio catalog title that had any major new special features.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

In these cases the cost of slapping it on a disk and releasing it are minimal.

That depends on how they want to sell it. If it's an archive-type mail order only release, then yes. If it's for retail, the costs are many times higher.