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WHV Press Release: The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary UCE (DVD/Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

dvdirv

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The solution I am looking forward to is buying a single Blu-ray edition of WIZARD OF OZ from a UK vendor.

Of course, I'm assuming that the UK will have a single edition in addition to the deluxe version.
 

Ronald Epstein

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If those sets drop to $45 again, let us know.

That might be the only reason I could justify buying the boxed sets.
 

Paul Arnette

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Another thing I don't understand about these box o'junk sets is why they don't include the disc(s) in a keepcase. At least that way if you decided to pay the high prices, you could at least fit the keepcase on your shelf with your other movies.
 

Mike Frezon

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The Woodstock UCE does include a standard BD case for the discs. :emoji_thumbsup: Hopefully that's a trend (although I still want disc-only sets).

 

Matthew Marino

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Honestly, I haven't even read the special features. If they only release some silly overpriced box with watches and other junk I don't want, then I have zero interest in this release.
 

Paul Arnette

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Mike, thanks. That's good to know. Woodstock has been off my radar every since it was announced in the box o'junk only format. ;) I wonder if that keepcase is what Wal-Mart appears to have gotten as an exclusive of sorts?
 

Mike Frezon

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I would bet so. I wonder if it's really the other way around and the keepcase is available inside the UCE packaging because Wal-Mart wrangled that exclusive.

I HATE retailer exclusives...but it makes sense for Wal-Mart to arrange to have cheaper (read: more "accessible") versions of these titles for their customers (when they are otherwise non-available). If true, they seem to "get" what WB does not.
 

Robert Crawford

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I'm hearing rumors of a one disc BR release of "The Wizard of Oz".

Has anybody seen an updated press release from Warner?





Crawdaddy
 

Aaron Silverman

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Were the 5-disc sans-tchotchkes Blade Runner sets such poor sellers that WB won't consider a similar release for these other classics? Doesn't everybody and his brother own one of those Blade Runner sets?
 

Ronald Epstein

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If it were announced we would have the Press Release.

However, unless this decision was made over the last day or two,
there is certainly no indication of it up on Amazon which usually has
a jump on posting artwork and specs prior to any announcement.

I am going to be at the studio next week. I can certainly inquire
about it. I do hope the information you are hearing is accurate.
 

Stephen_J_H

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As someone who bought the BR briefcase and thought it was cool, I actually have to agree with you. One of the coolest things about picking up The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure 2-disc SEs from 2006ish was picking up the standard Amaray case and wondering WTF was making it so heavy, only to open it and be pleasantly surprised by an envelope containing minature reproduction lobby cards. That brought back memories of when I would actually see lobby cards taped to the windows in the lobby. As cool as the BR briefcase was, lobby cards and press books are 100x better, which is why I love the HTWWW BD. That, and the Smilebox presentation.
 

Ethan Riley

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I don't really care about the WOZ Box o'Junk. I just like making fun of it! It's funny to say it over and over: "Box O'Junk! Box O'Junk!" No, I won't buy it--I'll wait until it comes out in a simpler format. But for now I get to make fun of the BOX O'JUNK over and over! Hehehhee.......... box o'junk!
 

Douglas R

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There seems to be an assumption here that these expensive box sets don't sell, but Warner Bros must surely be given credit for knowing their business far better than forum posters who are not privy to sales figures, market research etc. Presumably Casablanca met sales expectations or they wouldn't be doing the same for Wizard of Oz. And to keep calling them "boxes o' junk" is silly and insulting.
 

Paul_Scott

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The impression I get is that the Box O' Junk models (and to be honest, I prefer the "Box O' Crap" moniker, myself) are in place now BECAUSE the typical low cost simple case releases were not selling in sufficent quantity to justify themselves.
I'm blaming/mocking Warner, but it's more likely they are doing what they feel they have to with respect to (these) catalog titles. They need to see an X $ amount return, and they realize they won't get it from selling a lower cost version in higher volumes...because the high volumes don't exist. My ire at Warner is more frustration that the catalog appreciating base still isn't here for this format.
Anyone know how many units were moved for Quo Vadis, Gigi, and American In Paris?
 

ahollis

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This must be the fourth or fifth DVD release of The Wizard of Oz and it is also the 70th anniversary release, of course WB is going to make this special and the only way to do that is add what some people think is interesting trinkets. I for one am like the other poster and enjoyed the re-production of the original theatre program in the last box. I also like the re-production of the the Life Magazine that was in Woodstock.

I can over look the trinkets to get this on Blu-ray and also the copies of the many different silent Oz films and the John Ritter film. If you look at it, there will be about 6 films in the set. But I don't need a watch, just the films.
 

TravisR

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Sure and at 3 or 4 times the cost of the regular release, they can sell alot less copies and still have a profitable release. However, it stands to reason that if they released a regular and box set that they'd be able to make more money because they'd sell to both the hardcore and casual fans.
 

RobertR

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Aren't you assuming that businesses always make correct marketing decisions? Take New Coke, for example. Surely Coca Cola had access to the same sort of "sales figures, market research etc." you tout Warners as having, yet the product didn't sell. Why is that, if marketing decisions are as infallible as you suggest?
 

Paul Arnette

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Personally, I hope it sticks as it is as good a way as any to let Warner know 'how I really feel' about them.
 

Paul_Scott

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That depends.
Lets say that out of 100 people who would be inclined to purchase this title on this format (as opposed to the people who have no interest in the title whatsoever), there are XX people who will buy it no matter what the cost, XX people who will buy it ONLY if they can get it cheap enough, and XX people who may possibly be swayed into purchasing a more expensive edition- if that is all that is available in a certain season.
I think for an 'evergreen' title like this (and GWTW, etc) that the last category is the largest and, in a holiday season especially, you can sway a good % of that subset into purchasing a bloated, Box O' Junk edition-If that is the only choice they have. If they did release a concurrent low price bare bones edition, it would absolutely cannibalize sales of the higher priced edition. They would have to sell 3 (maybe 3.5) 'basic' releases to equal the same revenue return on every 1 of the Box O' Junk sets.
Given how small the pool of catalog buyers on Blu-ray is, it wouldn't take many sales to exhaust the whole audience for this release.

Even though I acknowledge this is probably the rationale for these Box O' Junk releases, I think Warner has other options to mitigate the central problem (not a large enough base to adequetely support these releases).
How about instead of an $80 Box O' Junk Version vs a $30 'basic' release, they make a truly limited number of the $80 versions...making them honestly collectable, and then have a $50 version (that could hit a $30 price point with typical street discounts) that fits the needs of most collectors better- i.e. better shelf/form factor, no trinkets just a classy, compact case design.

After three years I still think the best HD release so far in terms of balancing a higher cost with a feeling of semi-luxuriousness in packaging is Sonys Close Encounters set. I hold this thing in my hands and it feels substantial, it looks classy, and just as important- it doesn't hog space on the shelf or require it's own special storage solution.
Blade Runner is easily a better value release while it matches for excellence of presentation of content- but I think Warner got burned on how they priced this for what they offered (especially in the basic edition) and that is another reason we aren't seeing a dual release for WoO.

I sympathize with the situation Warner (and other studios) may be in with this format...but I just think there are more reasonable options available than what they seem to be limiting themselves, and us, to.
 

Ethan Riley

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Ah, but I do my small part in letting WB know that I find the "Box O'Junk" release to be silly and insulting, simply because it's the only option available. It's insulting because how dare they think I'm such a fan geek that I'd actually want all that fan-crap in my house? I just want the movie, not more junk. I will wait. And in the meantime, to be silly and insulting is actually my goal in life--
 

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