Since when did Warner go bilingual on the Canadian covers? (1 Viewer)

[ChristianB]

Well, after all, DVDs are simply "packaged goods"...

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Well I've got a bone to pick with WB...


I just bought the BETTE DAVIS V.2 Box Set tonight, and upon opening it up found the new Baby Jane S.E. to have French text splashed all over it - they even had to restate "Edition Speciale" right next to the Special Edition heading on the banner!

I'm really upset about this after having paid for and opened the entire box.

There was no mention or indication anywhere on the outer packaging. So now I'm weary to buy any more sets from WB without importing...

If the studios don't cut this out, I'm gonna start buying less product.

It's not fair that we have to be subject to this sort of thing.

Everyone in the world knows what movie it is they're purchasing, there's no need to ruin covers with translated titles and text. It's in poor taste.

And worse - don't hide them inside an otherwise English-only box set!!!

That's not fair to consumers like myself who normally try to avoid these. I simply wouldn;t have purchased the set at this time.

Now I'm stuck and have little choice..

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

PS - Could we please keep track of all WB releases which use bilingual covers here in Canada, in a specific thread?

It would be a helpful resource for people like myself who are opposed to the practice, but mostly support releases almost exclusively from the studio.

I want to be able to avoid issues and surprises like I had tonight, in future.

 

[Douglas R]

Just received the WB 'Films of Faith' boxset and found each title had bilingual covers. I'll be obtaining all WB boxsets from USA in future.

 

[Will_B]

Warner Home Video Canada's edition of the comedy "These Girls" has a reversible cover. That's a new release from May, so maybe reversible is how they're doing it now. The disc itself had the title twice, but the cover was reversible.

 

[Cees Alons]

That's an enormous step forward!
Is Warner alone in this development?


Cees

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Has any seen the Ford-Wayne set yet?

I was really looking forward to picking it up this week, but no more flat purchases from me with this new practice...

Can anyone instill some confidence in me that the new Ford-Wayne Collection is okay?

*sigh*

 

[Jeremy Brupaste]

How's this: my latest order from a well-known American e-tailer just shipped. On four movies, it cost $35 LESS than if I had bought them here in Canada, and that's including shipping. Let's see now...I get the movies I want...packaged in English only...at MAJORLY reduced prices?

Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

The only downside is if you're compulsive as I am and the box arrives with dinged corners or scracthes. :/

I think I'm just gonna have to take a few road trips up to New York State every couple of months for my DVD purchasing from now on.

It's too bad because I was always first in line at the store for Warners classic film releases and anticipated (and still do) their box sets for months in advance. But unfortunately I guess my purchasing habbits will have to be rethinked...

Why at this point in the DVD timeline would a company make such a decision though?

I really wish someone from their marketing division would post in this thread to at least set us straight and clarify if we are making any false jusgements or just don't understand. Because I really don't.

And I find it very frustrating.. especially since WB was the one company you could always trust for class and integrity when it came to the desings of their cover art.


I can't justifiably say that anymore when they feel the need to go so far as to squeeze obvious headings such as: "EDITION SPECIALE" right next to "SPECIAL EDITION" on the top banner.

At the very least = REVERSE COVER ARTWORK PLEASE!!!!

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!


I honestly prefer snapper cases to this crap!!!!

 

[Jeremy Brupaste]

It's probably especially infuriating for this practice to start up at Warner Brothers, because more often than not in the past few years, when they released a classic film it featured the original poster art. Slapping French on these works of art is, to me, like drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa. I always thought Warner's did this because they placed a certain value on their history, but I guess (as far as Canada goes) that's just not true.

Regardless, their decision has been made, but like I said above, importing these days can save you a bundle. And Marco...as far as receiving banged-up copies goes, I've been very lucky. Only once in four years did something get fairly crushed, and I was sent a replacement copy immediately.

 

[Rob W]

It is misguided to blame the studios as the culprit for the bilingual covers - they are being forced into it by the retailers who do not want to deal with double inventory. An awful lot of power rests with a very few large retailers who completely dominate the market in both the United States and Canada.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

But its not like they don't already have alternative covers printed up for distribution in the States... so why isolate a portion of consumers rather than just shipping an equal percentage of English/French packages and allowing us the option to choose.

It's funny because Disney does this, and to date if you check any local retailer in Quebec, even the ones which cater to a mostly French clientelle, one month after release and you will not find a single English language cover available anymore because they've all been scooped up right away. But there will still be the bilingual covers lingering on shelves for months past release.

I really don't think the retailers have any impact over this, I don't see how it matters to them one way or another. Here in Montreal, unlike many retailers in the US that Ive come accross (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc), we mostly deal in specialty shops that cater specifically to home video sales.

I think fewer people shop at Future Shop or Wal-Mart for their movies in this city as they offer a minor selection. Yet we have MANY chain retailers devoted specifically to DVD, and these places are usually fairly well knowledged in what they deal.

I can't imagine any of them requesting French language covers from the studios, and if that were the case, why is it that only a select number of studios takes part in this practice?

As far as I know, we don't get the same from Sony/MGM, Columbia, Paramount... so why WB and Fox all of a sudden?

If anything, I would have thought it would have to do with some provincial sales regulation or some silly law passed by the govt here. But I'd really like to hear it from the studios themselves.

I hope the next WB chat that was mentioned last week happens soon, because this is something that I'm going to definitely bring up.

It really makes DVD buiying a hassle!

 

[Cees Alons]

If the mono-lingual covers are there in principle, then isn't it the dealers you basically have to blame? Surely they could order the other version if they wanted to?

If that's true, I wonder if we're at the right address blaming the studios.


Cees

 

[Jeremy Brupaste]

I reckon the "blame" is split pretty evenly between retailers, studios and the rabid pro-bilingualists in the country. They're all scumbags, out to please everyone and nobody with no regard to aesthetics, design principles or, dare I say, freedom of choice.

I have zero problem denying a Canadian retailer out of the money I spend on DVDs. When I realized they have a huge say in whether bilingual covers are made or not, I went out and told them (managers and other higher-ups) at least a dozen times that I don't support them because of this. Nobody cared.

Keep in mind - in a bad month I'll usually spend $500 on DVDs; in a good month $250. It's not small change we're talking about. While I realize the average sheep don't care a jot about bilingual covers, I DO, and I hardly think I'm the only madman in the country who thinks and does exactly the same as myself.

Moving on...I seriously, seriously doubt that an American representative of Warner Brothers would be aware that we have bliingual covers in Canada, so bringing it up in the next WB chat here would be useless. CALL, WRITE, PESTER the guilty parties here in Canada, that's what will either get change or have you labelled as - ha ha - a troublemaker. Like myself.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

I have to say, that unless you're speaking of a small portion of the PQ hardcore pro-Francophone seperatist population here in QC, I believe this is a fallacy.

I've yet to come accross any one consumer who felt this way about their DVD titles and Id doubt any exist.

I have however, come accross many French speaking customers, who feel the exact same way as we do! I've seen it on local forums, through aqquaintances, classmates, etc.

Simply because, people do not appreciate revisionist art in any forum.

Be it their record sleeves, film poster art, DVD covers, etc.

These are sentimental pieces that reflect much more than marketing for home video sales...


I expect the exact same when I purchase a foreign film, that the DVDs not be retitled and dumbed down to an American audience.

People are not stupid, especially those interested in buying these classic movies. They are not the typical candidate for Friday night Blockbuster rentals. People obviously know what they are buying before hand and are familiar with the product.

So renaming an English movie: "Qu'est Jamais Arrivé au Jane de Bébé?" is not going to get more French people to buy the DVD!!

It's just going to unnecessarily piss of a small faction of the consumer base, i.e. the type of people that frequent forums like this!

 

[Cees Alons]

Marco,

That's an interesting argument.

Basically, you're saying: OK, a Canadian movie has to be bi-lingual (just like Belgian movies), to cater to the whole population of that country. Same for VHS or DVD versions of those movies.

But there isn't a good reason to change US-movies, or their video versions that way (or the titles and/or the artwork).

Fair enough an a good point!

(And I understand that this doesn't apply to either adding French subtitles and/or a French dubbed language track, which doesn't harm the movie for others.)

I also think (still) that reversible (or replaceable) cover art would be a much neater solution than what they are doing now.


Cees

 

[Jeremy Brupaste]

Oh, of course I'm talking about a small portion of the people in Quebec. And I can't imagine any of them are happy about sharing a DVD cover with English on it!

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Jeremy, I don't think that the group would cross-over to film enthusiasts or dedicated DVD consumers though. Because these people seem to share our views.

When I mentioned that "group" of the population, it was unrelated to DVD at all.

I'm only pointing this out to say -- I've yet to actually come accross anybody in this city/province actually complain that a US English made film has been released to DVD with an English cover/title. I've yet to hear or read about a complaint or request for DVDs to be retitled.

Perhaps there is some ultra conservative lobbyist in the PQ that don't like it though???

Who knows... it would be nice if WB could shed some light on the subject because I'm genuinely curious.


Cees, I agree that reversable covers would be the most effective, quick and simple fix to this issue.

But yes, when I purchase an Asian or European film, etc. - I do expect the same. I expect the title to reflect that of the actual film, upon release. I don't need it to be falsely translated. I'm intelligent enough to appreciate foreign cinema, I can understand movie titles.

Case in point: Les Tripletes De Belleville.

In Canada, there were several versions released with the option of both English and French. I bought the French package, because that is the version which is authentic.

I will no longer buy DVDs which compromise artwork or revise movie titles due to bilingualism. It's unnecessary and unappreciated.

I just wish it were any other studio than Warner Bros. jumping on this bandwagon. Because than it would be so much easier to ignore...

 

[ChristianB]

This whole bilingual packaging issue has been on-going since Feb of 2002 when Hardball was released from Paramount. DVDs are nothing more than packaged goods and are bound by the same laws for other packaged goods. Simply put, if the DVD has a French language track, then the DVD has to have bilingual packaging (Marco, do all the DVDs in the Bette Davis box set have bilingual packaging?). As we all reside in Canada, we have to put up with packaging laws on the products we buy - regardless of what they are. Practically everything has both English and French on it. Haven't you seen video games lately? The manufacturers have to shrinkwrap a bilingual sleeve to the box and include a French booklet (instant garbage). As I mentioned before, this is such a waste! I even noticed PC games are getting bilingual packaging too - why exactly? not sure...as there's no French language. Oh well. Thank god the exchange rate is fantastic!

Can anyone else confirm that Warner is releasing reversable covers on their DVD releases?

Christian

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Christian, it was just Baby Jane that was subjected to this mess.

I'm still trying to track down an alternate cover to replace the compromised artwork on my copy now. I think it's ridiculous, French track or not.

A simple sticker on top of the shrinkwrap would do just fine as an indicator.

Seems like it would be a more efficient and cheaper process for the studios as well.