Quote:
Originally Posted by GoodToGo
I have been looking at the recent slew of Blu-Ray releases and have been shaking my head. In the recent state of economy, I am surprised the studios will resort to such tactics:
1) Releasing movies that target a very limited audience. I saw the other day the release of Street Fighter: Extreme Edition, Amusement and Pink Panther. If they expect to turn any kind of profit from that kind of release, then they really need to put down the pipe. Where are the movies that everyone wants? Star Wars, LOTR, Gladiator, BraveHeart, the list goes on.
2) Transformer's Extended edition was announced just recently. LOTR will not be extended edition. Do they really think people will double dip the movie just for a few extras? I for one will not and I am still decently well off.
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As for point one -- you have to understand that the studios cannot survive making only youth-oriented blockbusters. The industry would collapse. You need a varied diet -- romance films, slapstic comedies, dramas, family films, etc. My wife and her parents loved The Pink Panther. It did suprisingly well at the box office after being mothballed for over a year. Audiences dug it. *shrug* Accept it and move on. As for Street Fighter --- look, I'll tell you a story Walt Disney once told a reporter. He said, [paraphraising here] "You don't need to appeal to the majority of the people. The population is so big, you only need to appeal to a small percentage of them, and you'll be successful beyond the dreams of Midas." The people who made Street Fighter knew it wasn't going to be a smash -- they just wanted it to make a profit by appealing to people to played Street Fighter. And you know what? The film did make money, and apparently will continue to do so.
As for point two -- I'm not sure what your point is, but yes, there are people who will turn out to buy a version of Transformers with more footage and extras. They will do the same for The Lord of the Rings. I imagine they would do the same for the Sesame Street film "Follow That Bird". If people like something, some of them will pay again for more of the same. That's basic economics. That's why sequels are made. An Extended Edition is much cheaper than a sequel and you maximize the profit potential of your home video property.
Hope this helps you out.