I try not to toot my own horn when I've done something great, yet I still do (because I have low self-esteem and a short man complex), but I really try not to be arrogant about it or steal anyone's thunder. I’m a firm believer that one person can make a difference for the masses, no matter how slight or grand. While I’d like to think this blog makes a difference in some people’s lives, I can't be sure, as comments are rarely left on how much we rock or suck. But, the site does have over 6200 hits, which good or bad, says it’s at least being viewed, if only once. That being said, let’s get to the point of this post.
There’s only been a few times in my life (both business and personal) where I’ve taken direct credit for a change I felt could have a wide-spread impact for the better. The first being when After Dark's 8 Films to Die For hit DVD back in 2007. At the time, I was working for an entertainment store, and when I noticed that they had been placed on our rental section by movie title alone, I immediately e-mailed our corporate office and told them that they should be merchandised together, in order to maximize exposure and sales. So, within a day, a ADH (After Dark Horrorfest) prefix was added to the title, so they would now be in the same area. This change took place not only in my store, but in 145 others, so I felt pretty proud of myself, plus, as a fan, I could now steer customers to one location for their bloodletting needs. This carried over to subsequent year’s ADH releases as well, and a similar strategy was used with the Ghost House Underground series. So, a big pat on the back for me, as it's possibly my only claim to fame, other than my notorious goatee, in working for the same company for 10 years.
Some of the After Dark Films, courtesy of Canadian Ebayer havstrength16:
Another story of my greatness (yes, the reek of arrogance) happened most recently, when I purchased the re-release of the movie House 2: The Second Story by Image Entertainment (under their Midnight Madness banner). I already had a copy of the first movie, but both Anchor Bay discs went out-of-print several months ago, and were fetching way more than what they retailed at, so I waited on the Image disc, which was priced around a 10 spot. Before opening it, I noticed it said 1.33:1 fullscreen, whereas the Anchor Bay release was widescreen. So, I cross-referenced several websites, with a couple confirming the fullscreen presentation (Family Video and DVD Empire), but most, including Amazon, saying widescreen. Having product in-hand, I knew otherwise, so I e-mailed Amazon, and within a few days, the correction was made. The same thing happened with Image's re-release of the first movie too, and I'm sure some of the others, but why widescreen wasn't the choice is beyond me (who watches fullscreen anymore if given an option?). So, I e-mailed them directly several weeks ago, but have yet to get a response. Knowing Amazon's customer frequency, and me considering them a very reliable source of information, I just really felt the need to point out the correction. Not to mention, as a customer, I'd be pretty pissed off if I bought something that was misrepresented, and had to spend the time and money to return it. While I’ll never know what the actual impact or customer savings is (I’d like to think it’s huge), I still give myself a pat on the back for my tireless efforts and attention to detail.
Needless to say, I returned the fullscreen copy to the store I purchased it from, and spent a little more on Amazon to get the OOP widescreen version, which as I write, is hovering around 10 bucks plus shipping (damn, even less than what I paid). So, if you’re in the market for this title, steer away from Image’s release (pictured on the left), even though it does have the original (better) artwork, and pick up Anchor Bay's while it's still reasonably priced.
I’ve also read that the recent Blu Ray releases Image acquired from Anchor Bay (Hills Have Eyes and Hellraiser 2) are just upscales from A.B.’s previous masters. Shame on you, Image, you’ve had a great run thus far, and we horror fans expect much more from you, but can only hope you use these mistakes for the wiser, and aren’t headed over Echo's Bridge. (If you didn't get that last poke, Echo Bridge Home Ent. has botched several titles they acquired from Miramax's catalog. Lame humor, I know, but maybe at least one person will chuckle as I did in my head when writing it).
Other titles recently re-issued under Image's Midnight Madness Series from Anchor Bay’s catalog are Slugs, The Stuff, Return to Horror High, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Initiation, Vineyard, and Blu Ray versions of Hellraiser and Children of the Corn.
Sep 28, 2011
Small Successes in the Video Industry aka The Power of One, My Two Cents, and Toot My Own Horn
Sep 26, 2011
The Unknown (2007)--SRS Cinema
Normally, when I see the SRS Cinema label, I think of shitty, low-budget movies that don’t deserve a 2nd look (other than the early Eric Stanze stuff), but at some point during a horror convention, I picked up a movie called The Unknown (probably bought on the cheap), touted under the SRS Cinema Grindhouse label. What’s different in this and the regular label, shit, I don’t know, but the movie wasn’t half bad.
It’s somewhat of an Amityville style house-possession story, where three friends (Linda, Jake, and Adrien) try to find help for a wrecked car, but end up getting trapped by a house’s evil clutches. Adrien starts acting weird, eating maggots, and having visions of killing (and eventually acting on it), while Jake and Linda try to find their way back to the car, but things happen, and they end up stuck at the house. Yeah, it’s low budget, with some crappy dialog and effects, but still very watchable, and Linda’s thonged bottom looked pretty nice too.
But, there were some really retarded parts that detracted from the story. 1) Some dude comes out of a closet, has a wound on his face and a gun in-hand, writes his thoughts on a piece of paper for Jake to see, then goes upstairs and blows his brains out, 2) The apparition scenes of the old, blurry-faced man telling Adrien to kill everyone, 3) The shaky dude in the attic who had chains around his head, which for a moment was kind of cool, but then seemed irrelevant and unnecessary, and 4) The "Water this Way" markings which helped Jake find the lake. This phrase was conveniently subtitled to ensure we knew what it said, as if we couldn’t read them, and it wasn’t even a pivotal plot piece, so I'm not sure why they wanted to make it a point.
I didn’t hate it, but it's not one I would recommend either, as there’s nothing really noteworthy to take away from it. It's just a mediocre b-movie, and trust me, I've seen worse, but I wouldn't mind watching it again somewhere down the line. The coverart is very simple, yet seemingly effective for a movie of it's caliber, and it has reversible artwork for another SRS Grindhouse movie, Scarred. Smart idea for a small company, not only to promote another movie, but to help keep costs and supplies down. While both discs are available on Netflix, I encourage you to check out Eric Stanze’s Scrapbook and China White Serpentine instead. And, if you like those, check out Deadwood Park and his newest one, Ratline, which were bigger budget projects not released under the SRS tent.
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OVERALL RATING--2.5-- |
Sep 23, 2011
Warner's plan to kill the video rental store
As featured in Home Media Magazine:
Retail and distribution sources say Warner Home Video is set to impose for the first time a 28-day delay on new releases to video stores beginning Nov. 1.
The embargo would include new releases Crazy, Stupid, Love Nov. 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 Nov. 11, among others.
It remains unclear whether Warner, beginning in January, would impose a planned 60-day embargo on new release titles to all rental channels or just kiosks such as Redbox and Blockbuster Express.
“Some of the Warner reps have called our key customers to let them know about this upcoming change,” said a distributor who wished to remain anonymous. “They have all been consistent with their message.”
The move underscores parent Time Warner and Warner Home Video’s mandate to protect higher-margin sellthrough of DVDs and Blu-ray Disc and transactional video-on-demand from lower-margin rental options.
A Warner representative did not comment by press time.
Now, my thoughts:
The 28-day window was initially set up to benefit brick and mortar stores, more specifically, Blockbuster, the biggest rental chain. And, although a breath of life was blown back into Big Blue, financial woes continued, so more stores closed, causing the public to react by seeking their entertainment elsewhere, and enabling Family Video to move in and gobble up market share. But, if Warner imposes the 28-day window to retail stores as well, then that's another nail in the coffin for the rental industry.
Warner has always been very vocal about rental cannibalizing sell-through, but they should be able to work cohesively, since not everyone wants to spend $15 or more on a movie if they're not sure if it's a keeper. Now, I love the option to rent, and I'm all for cheap rentals, but I tend to scoff at kiosks and their limited selections and title availability. But, I know there's little loyalty to any one rentailer, because it's about the best value and what's most convenient for the customer. Sure, I rent from brick and mortar stores, but also from Redbox and Netflix. Which one I choose when, boils down to what I want to see, when I want to see it, how much money I have, and which one is closer...or open.
My heart aches for the demise of the rental store, as it was a safe haven as a kid and young adult, and until a few months ago, I spent 10 years working in it. I hate that big studios continue to run the industry and run over everyone in their path, but I truly believe that once the smoke clears, Mom and Pop stores shall rise again. Sure, it's all about convenience and our "I want it now" mentality, but as Hollywood continues to disappoint, and indies and international markets bring us the newest ideas and angles, those who choose to weather the storm will triumph.
This isn't the first time I've expressed my distaste for Warner's ways (remember Is Warner Brothers' the Devil?), and I'm sure it won't be the last, since for them, it's never what's in the customer's best interest, but rather who's pockets at the top aren't fat enough. Since I wrote that post, my friend, Kim, no longer works for them (damn downsizing), and Blue Underground, Severin, Troma, Cult Epics, and Synapse/Impulse Pictures got tired of the bureaucracy, and have sought distribution elsewhere, several going to CAV, headed by Jay Douglas, formerly of Ryko/ADA. See, there is life after Warner (and probably a more lucrative one).
So, please support your local rental stores (and even Big Blue), and don't give in to corporate bullying and bullshit.
