Posted by Darren Gross on January 28, 2002 at 06:12:28:
In Reply to: Re: HODS on DVD posted by Richard Holt on January 25, 2002 at 22:09:32:
Hi Brian.
I agree wholeheartedly with you and your sisters comments are virtually identical to the ones that we've been given during the many, many times we've broached the restorations with them.
The big problem is that they only want to sell big titles that will sell a million units so they can bring in the big profits. What seems to totally escape them is: okay, so you only sell 10K or 15K of a library title and only end up profiting by the low thousands- so what? Release 20-40 of those over the year (ala MGM's midnight movies) and you end up bringing in an extra half a million or more, plus you revitalize the masters in the library in the process so that they're ready for HDTV.
Total myopic, coporate stupidity. Tell me, what is the point on having the largest, most impressive film library in the world if you do absolutely nothing with it? Sure TV broadcasts bring in money, but there are hundreds of films that haven't been shown on Tv in decades.
Combine that with the contradictory decisions that have Warner paying money to outside companies to license titles they don't own (like Nightbreed, Masters of the Universe, and all the Rhino releases) and you've got a pretty irritating situation that has all cinephiles extremely annoyed. It's like having a friend who complains about having no money, while he's got a stack of hundreds on his desk.."oh, those? I COULD spend those, but then I'd have to pick them up...and put them in my wallet...you know..it's not worth it.."
Where's the Looney Tunes or That's Entertainment films on DVD. Yeah, THOSE won't sell. Uh, huh.
Rant over, ;-)
Darren