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		Hollywood milking DVD buyers with multiple editions. Your dog wants six different Kill Bill releases (boston.com)		182
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15264 clicks; posted to Main » on 27 Apr 2004 at 6:44 PM | Favorite | share:

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ColForbin		2004-04-27 07:10:49 PM

The Lord of the Rings was a different situation, they announced ahead of time that there'd be a 4-disc version coming out. I think they did that with Black Hawk Down also.

Then there are movies like Office Space where there are endless rumors that a new, extra-full edition will be coming out, but nothing's happened yet.

Anyway, keep an eye on sites like DVDFile (the forums section too), Home Theater Forum, DVDTalk, Rate That Commentary, DVD Town. That way you can find out if there's a new edition coming out or rumored (DVD Talk has a post in the forums devoted to rumored and confirmed rereleases), and whether the new editions are worth getting at all. Actually, maybe just keep an eye on that one rereleases thread, that would be much easier.

Personally, I was all excited to hear about the Fargo rerelease (reading the Fargo story reminded me of it), but a little disappointed that the commentary track is from the cinematographer. I mean, maybe it's great or something, but you're probably going to hear technical details there, not the kind of thing you'd get if the Coen Brothers or some actors did the track.

Ok, rambling now...

waitaminute...		2004-04-27 07:10:53 PM

Do the six different editions include the re-edited one film version he just did for Cannes (or is it Sundance)? The article doesn't mention that.

waitaminute...		2004-04-27 07:12:15 PM

I'm still not sure which version of Army of Darkness to get.

Cubansaltyballs		2004-04-27 07:12:48 PM

So I bought Blow instead, for $12

Jeez, and I remember just a few years ago an eight-ball was like $85 bucks. Talk about a buyers market

jonasborg		2004-04-27 07:12:49 PM

aaaaaay, onepcwiz,

SHHHHHHHH!!!

I forget what eight was for		2004-04-27 07:12:53 PM

Cubansaltyballs
/hold on, there's someone knocking at my door

teh funny

f-bomber		2004-04-27 07:13:36 PM

Step 1.
Get cool ISP that has a very fast usenet server for customer use

Step 2.
Buy a dvd burner and blank dvd's

Step 3.
browse alt.bina....

/hehe

badasscat		2004-04-27 07:13:55 PM

See, this is why you use Netflix. Rent all the new movies for a flat fee, even the marginally good ones because who cares, it's a flat fee. That way you get to see everything. Wait until the movie studio loses interest in the movies you really love. *Then* buy the DVD. In the meantime you use Netflix to watch them as many times as you want.

Simple, painless, and will actually save you money in the long run along with allowing you to actually watch more movies.

ColForbin		2004-04-27 07:14:18 PM

how can you complain about the kill bill dvds and ignore that they have already screwed everyone who saw it in the theaters. They took a 3 hour movie - cut it in 2 - beefed up the credits on the second one to make it longer and got everybody to pay twice to see one movie at the theater.

Don't forget the editing that they had to do to get an R rating. I feel cheated just from the fact that the MPAA thinks the public can handle a black and white fight scene but not a color one.

wingnutzero		2004-04-27 07:14:39 PM

I like to use a little trick called

1) renting the first edition, then
2) if I like it, wait for the inevitable special edition to come out and buy it then.

lynxplus		2004-04-27 07:14:40 PM

Unrelated...

Can anyone verify if this is in fact a nipple I am seeing on homepage of www.cnn.com?

Ishkur		2004-04-27 07:15:06 PM

They should just call them what they really are.

the first release is the "Break Even Edition."

The second release is the "Profit Edition."

The third release is the "Finance the Studio's Next Project Edition".

And the fourth release is the "Holy shiat Are You Still Buying These Edition."

But eventually it's not even going to come to that. Like software, Directors are going to feel a need to continuously tinker with their movies to improve them. So the movie isn't actually the movie. They're already doing this with "Directors Cuts", supposedly representing the true vision, without the sticky fingers of studio marketers getting in the way. What was that movie out last year that had two endings? Where you waited until after the credits rolled to see an alternate ending?

Guess what's going to happen in the future: yup. Because so much is filmed, and something like 75 feet of film is cut for every foot kept, Directors and editors can easily string together as many movies as they want, each scene being slightly different, from different angles, with different music, tempo, mood, atmosphere. Films that are shot digitally are infinitely mutable. And they can keep rereleasing them in theatres every 3 months.... naming them after software: version 1. version 2. version 3.5....

They can even make multiple films of the same story, each one being from a particular character's point of view. Seriously, if you thought movies were just a 1.5 hour escapist romp....they're about to get a hell of a lot more comprehensive. It's because stand alone movies just don't make as much money anymore. FRANCHISES are the new hotness. It's not enough to just enjoy the flick, eat your popcorn and go home. Hell no. They've got to be incredible world. Full-on, immersive environments where you'll spend your waking free time pouring over and studing character traits, bios, and plights. Multiple movies, with large story arcs occurring over several parts. Serial sagas with dozens of characters and tons of loose ends. With this, they nab all the merchandising tie-ins, satisfy the insatiable appetites of all the fanboys and their pet webpages who dote on it, and cash in bigtime.

ummm...yeah, or something.

jonasborg		2004-04-27 07:15:31 PM

If so, its the biggest nipple ever.

WizardX		2004-04-27 07:15:54 PM

You know, I think the big thing to remember is that the state of the art in DVDs \ home video is always advancing, and sometimes Studios release new versions of movies because they can release a better version.

Someone brought up the Alien series. It's one of Fox's most popular franchises, and has a load of fans. So they release the original 4-disc boxset. And it sells like hotcakes, and is one of the best box sets of the time.

Then, about three years later, the bar on DVD box sets has been raised. And Alien fans have been asking for certain things, like having the original theatrical version of Aliens or getting to see Fincher's rough cut of Alien. Plus mastering is always getting better and better. So Fox releases a new Alien set - which is as technically impressive today as the original set was three years ago.

I don't see a problem with that.

Ditto with the Lord of the Rings releases. New Line was very up-front with the marketing of them, never made any attempt to hide that there'd be two releases of each movie. And even then, after Fellowship did it, only an utter and complete idiot would try to claim they were "tricked" into buying the theatrical Two Towers DVD.

And there's also the matter there that Jackson considers both versions of the movies to be valid, and wants to make sure the theatrical cuts are available alongside the extended versions.

On the other hand, when a studio openly plots to screw people over, like in the case of Kill Bill, that's something else. They haven't made it very well-known what they're doing with the movies, and a lot of people ARE going to be tricked.

Of course, it may also be backfiring. I know a lot of people with multi-region players that are simply ordering an overseas version of the movie - especially the Japanese box set, which has the uncut version of the movie and a huge slew of goodies. (A T Shirt, a miniature Hottori sword, even a little Kubrick toy of Uma in the jump suit)

muck1969		2004-04-27 07:16:53 PM

I've been telling people not to buy any of the Matrix movies because they're gonna come out with a director's cut limited edition boxed set. Ditto for LOTR.

Death_Toll		2004-04-27 07:17:27 PM

Big nipples own

tarvuz		2004-04-27 07:19:18 PM

Maybe Quentin will make enough $ to get his face reconstructed.

lynxplus		2004-04-27 07:20:27 PM

It was verified.... It is indeed not a nipple but the baby sucking it's thumb, but cmon it really really looks like a big nip.

JedMcKnight		2004-04-27 07:20:58 PM

SpinStopper		2004-04-27 07:21:35 PM

I still like the last paragraph of the article best:

"With the "Kill Bill Vol. 1" disc selling so well on its debut day, the studios probably believe they have a green light to continue abusing their customers -- "Hey, no one's making them buy those DVDs," they probably reason. Yet it seems only a matter of time before the public's love of DVDs is poisoned with anger at the studios for exploiting that love for more and more money."

For all of those here defending this practice, how many of you have been outraged by George Lucas doing the same thing for years with Star Wars on VHS, DVD, Theater Releases, etc.?

Tin Foil Hat		2004-04-27 07:21:45 PM

I used to have over 1000 DVDs. then one day i just got fed up with it all. first, the space they take up. second, i hate being a consumer sucker. So I've been putting them up on ebay 5 at a time and copying them, 2 DVD-R per movie, splitting at the layer switch and sticking the extras on disc 2. No loss at all.

Now I have a small little box with three drawers that right now holds several hundreds discs in tyvek envelopes.

It's uncool to be a collector of consumer products. You may as well be collecting commemorative plates. Sucker.

DigitallyEnhanced		2004-04-27 07:22:22 PM

I generally only buy one version of a movie and leave it at that, the LotR being the exception.

I'm wanting a copy of the original Batman and Matrix moves something awful, but I have a feeling new ones will be out sometime to replace the ones out now (in cardboard packaging).

mabell_yah		2004-04-27 07:22:35 PM

Picking on Kill Bill is a bit of a cheap shot. Everyone knows it was originally conceived as a single film and it will eventually be released on DVD that way. The author did me a favor by explaining the studios plans for Kill Bill, so I know how long I should wait for the version I want. Fark the studios that don't publicize their release schedules.

LOTR released 3 versions of each film to date (don't forget the gift set version), and went to great lengths to advertize the release schedule. The only surprise left is the inevitable jumbo super nothing-on-the-cutting-room-floor buns-of-steel 30-hour restored version.

The worst offender is Terminator 2. By buying the "Ultimate Edition" I knew I couldn't get Farked by an inferior subsequent edition. Doh! They should have called it "The Ultimate Edition So Far".

Firefly4F4		2004-04-27 07:22:36 PM

I forget what eight was for
Why does anyone buy a DVD?

How many times can you watch the damn thing?

1) Because some of us really do watch those movies over and over and over again... and some TV shows too (if you can't figure out which one in particular I'm talking about, you're st00p1d.)

2) I picked up True Lies the other day in the $10 bin at a local store. An extremely decent movie that I like watching. I could either go to blockbuster and spend 5 bucks to rent it for a limited time, or the 10 and watch it whenever I want, however many times I want.

PS: Movie marathons are fun when you have a 5-disk DVD changer. They probably have ubber-changers now that can change 100, but 5 * 2.5 hours per movie == 12.5 hours which I don't have to move is fine by me.

JC22		2004-04-27 07:23:09 PM

Real simple. Make sure you know what editions are coming out. Most studios are fair enough to post this.

But most of all...stop BUYING them. I mean if you KEEP BUYING another edition and another, then they are going to keep making them.

You can also ask the stores or check the forums to see what is coming out.

Also, I only buy a new edition if the picture or sound is better and extra footage is added. Otherwise, behind the scenes, etc aren't worth it. I got the movie to watch the movie.

Again, we as consumers have to complain and stop buying newer editions.

Quatsch		2004-04-27 07:24:14 PM

Man...I wish it were a nipple...baby might choke on it though

lynxplus		2004-04-27 07:26:57 PM

LMAO@Quatsch - He looks like he is gently kissing the bottom of it.

Shiftless		2004-04-27 07:27:11 PM

netflix.com

gfm		2004-04-27 07:28:05 PM

All I ask and care about is that the movie on DVD is a pretty good transfer and is widescreen. Director's commentaries are almost always masturbatory and dull. "Featurettes" are boring and useless.

So, this trend doesn't bother me much.... If I buy a movie on DVD and a new version comes out the next week with tons of extras I'm not even interested in, so what?

ColForbin		2004-04-27 07:29:15 PM

waitaminute...:
I'm still not sure which version of Army of Darkness to get.

You want the Boomstick edition. This has everything. Other versions were disc 1 of it, or disc 2 of it (the theatrical version or the director's cut). The original limited edition is the same as the Boomstick edition, but is out of print now.

lynxplus		2004-04-27 07:30:07 PM

My 2 on the topic is. Don't be mad that the industry is making money on the inevitable impulsion that is inherent in the American consumer. /ethnocentricity

Jeffy Jeff		2004-04-27 07:30:43 PM

Call me crazy but when I buy a DVD I just want to be able to own the movie. I don't care about the "27 hours of commentary", etc. "Director's cuts" sometimes interest me, but not enough to re-purchase the movie. I buy probably 80% of my movies from my company's internal buy-and-sell website. I'm cheap now that I'm old (35).

Hollywood farks the fark out of consumers BECAUSE CONSUMERS WANT TO BE FARKED AND WILLINGLY PARTICIPATE IN THEIR OWN FARKING. Don't be such a farky fark, consumers!

rickythepenguin		2004-04-27 07:31:28 PM

An extremely decent movie that I like watching.

"extremely decent"? Is that better or worse than oh, "extraordinarily average", or "unusually mediocre"?

gfm		2004-04-27 07:31:47 PM

I love to buy a movie. Then the extended version. Then the deluxe edition. Then the deluxe director's cut edition. And then ultimately the Superbit edition.

Yeah nothing like paying $15 to see a movie in the theater (popcorn etc) and then paying $20 for movie, $40 for extended, $70 for deluxe and $120 for the directors cut then the superbit for another $25.

And who exactly is holding the gun to your head and making you buy all that crap? This whole argument is another facet of modern Americans being unable to take responsibility for their own actions. The director/studio isn't forcing you to spend all that money, you're doing it of your own free will.

JPFuzz		2004-04-27 07:32:33 PM

A fool and his money are soon parted.

If you feel like you were robbed by the movie industry then it's your own fault. Last I knew, movie retailers have not resorted to coercion or sales by gun-point to peddle their wares.

Guard your wallet wisely, exercise patience, and buy the appropriate version that suites you best.

fluffybelly		2004-04-27 07:32:44 PM

Has anyone else noticed that some new dvds (for example- Lost in Translation and Old School)are released without card inserts listing the scene selections?
Of course, they might be included in the "new super-duper" editions that are sure to come out, but, somehow, I can't help but feel ripped off.

lynxplus		2004-04-27 07:33:06 PM

I agree with Jeffy, i buy the DVD for the movie itself not for any of the fluff. Unless of course it's a great movie then I might throw another 20 at it.

Cat F Cat F		2004-04-27 07:33:22 PM

Army of Darkness has to be the worst offender for multiple versions of the same movie. At least five versions. I stopped paying attention a while back though.

i_drank_what		2004-04-27 07:35:28 PM

Army of Darkness??? Aye, you get what you pay for. Crap............

Lehk		2004-04-27 07:36:01 PM

flucto

Well yes, they're screwing us blind. But at least they pack them with commercials that we can't bypass.

Well maybe You can't skip them, just get the *ahem* XviD version instead, Alot cheaper and no commercials >:)

trigonman3		2004-04-27 07:36:36 PM

some of my repeats:

Monty Python & Holy Grail: VHS, Criterion LaserDisc, 1st DVD, 2nd DVD (special?), 3rd DVD (where the packaging specifically said they weren't going to ever make another edition).

Star Wars regular & unleaded editions: VHS fullscreen, VHS widescreen, laserdiscs (including Ep1 from Japan), offsite archival backup of 456 Trilogy on DVD, 1 & 2 on DVD, et cetera, ad nauseam. George pwns my sorry ass on this. Oh, and a Chinese offsite archival backup on DVD from a reputable vendor under the bridge.

I have "The City on the Edge of Forever" on Beta videotape. Bought it for collector value only, as I expect never to own a Beta player.

Also have several Star Trek movies on DIVX (not the codec; this is the time-limited competitor to DVD that was out several years ago), also bought for collector value just as the format was dying. 2 copies of X-Files movies on DIVX.

Better off Dead on several VHS tapes & DVD.

Just about every Star Trek TOS & half the TNG eps on VHS, then got them on DVD when those came out. Not to mention my tapes of the Sci-Fi Channel's digitally enhanced TOS with commentary from Nimoy & Shatner.

WakkoWarner		2004-04-27 07:41:32 PM

So? eBay your old DVD when you buy the new one if it bugs you so much. There are better things to complain about.

- A.P.

psychoace		2004-04-27 07:42:59 PM

I don't see how people seem offended by the 6 kill bill releases (american cause there is also jap version that has all the black and white fighting scenes in color which i have :). it is easy to explain all of it. People are so damn impatient that they throw out a clean almost barebones version first because it dosn't take 2 days to produce these things. You have directors and editors working on these documentarys and shiat. Then you get the special edition for vol 1 and 2 this is for people that might want one without the other or would be good as xmas gifts. Then there is the boxed special edition of both. Then there is the tarrintino collection which includes resivior dogs pulp fiction ect. So all the releases are to subdue all the picky people in the world not to force you to buy 6 copies of the same movie

nofunk		2004-04-27 07:45:15 PM

As anybody with decent HD cable/satellite and a capable TV knows, DVDs are a dead medium already - they are so clearly (literally) surpassed by an HD picture it's really sad. I can barely stand to watch my DVDs now, and my set, at 1280x768, isn't even reaching into the high HD picture range (1920x1080).

The difference between HD 720 or higher and DVD is truly dramatic. It's all about figuring out whether blu-ray or HD-DVD is the Next Thing now (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/wces04/report.html) Link from the digital bits just because they are kewl.

-nofunk

ColForbin		2004-04-27 07:47:38 PM

See, I'm in the camp that loves the extras. Commentaries, deleted scenes, documentaries... love 'em. Sometimes they can be crappy, so you have to do your research to find out (or just use Netflix.)

I can completely understand the group that only cares about the movie, though. The extras aren't everyone's cup of tea.

One thing nobody's mentioned is the completely useless rereleases that don't even add decent extras, but are just a marketing ploy. I think when Men In Black 2 was about to come out, they re-released a "Deluxe" Men In Black DVD. It was identical to the earlier version, except in new packaging, and it had a short little Men In Black 2 preview on it.

bludstone		2004-04-27 07:48:37 PM

jonasborg

That would be a criterion dvd of fear and loathing.

3 commentary tracks, DD track, DTS track.

Probably my favorite dvd ever :)

ChickenFriedMonkey		2004-04-27 07:49:10 PM

I really don't understand why people are pissed about this. Not flaming, I just don't understand.
You want a particular movie, so you get whatever edition they're selling at the time. Then a newer edition comes out. Why do you need that one too? Before that edition came out, you were happy with your old edition. But as soon as the new one comes out, you have to have it? And you're pissed about them releasing it? I seriously don't understand.

bludstone		2004-04-27 07:51:20 PM

nofunk

I just got HDTV this weekend. And I own 300 DVDs.

It was a fairly engaging.

Im going to be getting HBO and CINEMAX in HD now >_<

Misogynecologist		2004-04-27 07:51:37 PM

You guys are all a bunch of pussies.

Back in the olden days, I'd blow $150 on a Special Edition Laserdisc like T2, for instance (Well ok I bought it on sale for cheap--but it was $150 upon release). Today, you get the $15 movie only edition, and then maybe the $29 special edition later (that you all know is coming in the first place). So you either wait...or buy both...and it doesn't come anywhere near the dough I was dropping on Laserdiscs back in the mid '90s.

I paid $85 for the same Robocop cut on Laserdisc that Criterion put on on DVD back in '99 for $30. The new MGM edition will probably be another $25 or so and it doesn't come near what I paid for the Laserdisc.

And--if anyone remembers how LOOOOOOOONG it took for LDs to come out...all of this complaining is nonsense. Put this in perspective.........whimps.

Xoc		2004-04-27 07:51:58 PM

But eventually people will learn, and there will be a backlash. I refuse to buy any DVD that might have a "super duper" version that will come out later. By the time the "super duper" version comes out, I'm so bored of the movie since it's been on HBO every day of the week, I never buy it. So I'm balancing those idiots who have to buy every version.

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