BLU-RAY NEWS TAGGED "NATE BOSS"

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You’re Still Doing It Wrong: More Blu-ray Blunders!



Mon Apr 02, 2012 at 05:50 PM ET
Tags: Nate Boss, High-Def Retailing, Industry Trends (all tags)

Straight Talk with Nate Boss

It’s been over a year since we last checked in to take the studios to task for the questionable decisions and practices that can drive fans mad. We thought it was time to check back and see how they're doing.

The Blu-ray format is still plugging along, just like before, with increased market share to boot, but while some issues have been addressed, there are a growing number of new problems and bugaboos that are a bit less than forgivable. That, and I’ve grown a bit crankier since we last had one of these chats. Thankfully, some of the most annoying issues (lossless tracks on dubs but not native tracks, aspect ratio failures, so on) haven’t been a big issue since the last article.

Of course, if everything were improved, this article wouldn’t exist, now, would it?





So, here’s another list of flat out blunders that the studios are committing, once again proving that pobody’s nerfect. Just as before, hardware concerns are not addressed here, only flaws with the discs, the content itself, and the companies behind it all. Their decision making process will be thrown under the bus time and time again, but the "why isn't this title on Blu-ray yet?" question will not be addressed here.

Surprise! Exclusive distribution failures - This growing trend is getting increasingly troublesome, as more and more discs hit a single chain's shelving units. The problem here is the fact that these releases are not getting the publicity they need to be beneficial to the stores paying to get the exclusive rights, and even the potential buyers. First, who has the time to go to Best Buy and Wal-Mart and Target every Tuesday to see if a title gets slipped on the shelves unannounced? It seems as though the exclusively distributed titles are getting no momentum because there is rarely a press release, or even a notification in a weekly circular that they even exist. Worse yet, there's rarely an endcap position or dedicated area for those browsing for exclusive goodies. They're often just thrown on the shelf, or even just left in a box in the back stock room.

There are so many flaws currently with this system, I would normally need an entire article to lay them out, but here's the nitty gritty: even with stores that have computer systems that inform you of stock available in a store, exclusive titles are frequently not found in the customer-searchable database. The employees of these stores are not educated or instructed to point consumers towards them. Regularly, titles that bow a month early in an exclusive deal don't have this information posted online, making in-store pick-up or even online stock verification impossible. Throw in absolute incompetence of companies like Best Buy throwing the already released 'Casino Jack' in their exclusive display last year in the place of 'Casino Royale, often stocking a dismally low supply of any title, and it becomes almost like a quest to find these titles. Heck, I went to four local Super Wal-Mart stores last year looking for 'A Fish Called Wanda' when it first was released in the exclusive window, to no avail. With so many titles seemingly being leaked out weekly, one needs to be online checking nearly every day for updates when looking for these little gems, and that's bloody ridiculous. These exclusive windows hurt future sales when a release goes wide, as well, due to most online stores, like Amazon, sorting a week's worth of releases by sales rank, and those diehards who must, must, must get a title immediately will have already bought the title, burying it in the ranks from prospective buyers. In the days of ten to twenty Blu-ray releases a week, that wouldn't be so major, but we've had some weeks with upwards of seventy discs recently!

MSRP failures - I don't want to hear anyone telling me that MSRP doesn't matter, because it does. Online stores base their prices on this base number, while non-big-box stores often use that price as their bad, as well. Now, I think it's absolutely foolish to pay MSRP for a Blu-ray…unless it's out of print and you stumble across it, but there are more issues here than the inflated, inconsistent pricing we're seeing lately. Sony Pictures Classics regularly inflates their products by forcing their obscure titles into combo packs, making films like 'Barney's Version' or 'Winter in Wartime' price prohibitive for a number of reasons. Obscurities shouldn't carry new release pricing. I'm sorry. If a film made a total of fifty bucks theatrically, it shouldn't have a higher MSRP when it hits disc. It should be at catalog price, because, lets face it, audiences have already said they don't want to pay a lot to see it, so why not lure some potential buyers in with an attractive price? Nearly every studio is guilty of this. There's a reason the bargain bin titles move in mass quantity. There's a reason why most chain stores stock those Echo Bridge four film feature packs. People see the price and jump. People see a $29.99 sticker price (down from $40.99 list) on 'Jack and Jill,' and they're not as likely to buy it as they are two $15 titles, or even three $10 films.

'Jack and Jill' - The mere existence of this film is a travesty, but the fact that it got not one but two Blu-ray releases (standard and combo editions) says a lot about Sony. Apparently they think we're all diaper wearing, drooling idiots, and I can't speak for everyone, but I know for a fact that I'm not an idiot, nor do I drool.

Catalog support, or the lack thereof - For years, Paramount and Disney released virtually nothing in terms of back catalog. Universal dried up for a while, and MGM went through a period where nothing was released, then only store exclusives came out. Believe it or not, there may be that one consumer on the fence, not willing to adopt Blu-ray until his or her favorite film, 'Leprechaun in the Hood' is released on the format. Even if some titles are destined to only be available in multi-packs for added potential viability, studios need to stop being stingy and release the guilty pleasures, the forgotten treasures, and the absolute obscurities. At times, a week's worth of discs look like nothing but boring, safe bets, rather than interesting, bizarre fare. We need variety. We need the catalog titles we've been waiting for, or even the films we've forgotten to time, to come out and tempt us into making a purchase. It's hard to say a release of 'Night at the Roxbury' would fail if it's not even given a chance! With more studios licensing their lesser fare to other distributors willing to expand their catalog, hopefully this situation is remedied soon enough. Too many years of cinema, too few catalog releases each month to bridge that gap!

Inept packaging - Is quality control now a foreign idea? I was reading the back of one of the Phase 4 triple features the other day, and had to laugh when the synopsis for 'JCVD' was cut off mid-sentence, mid-synopsis, despite there being plenty of empty, unused room beneath the plot to finish it. All too often we come across titles with incorrect specifications or extras that didn't quite make it to the disc. Additionally, it isn't too hard to list all the subtitle and dub options put on each disc, and one would think those reliant on those tracks would be more apt to buy titles that advertised language compatibility than those that just mention the primary languages spoken in North America. I just think it's ridiculous that companies tease or blatantly lie to us, telling us we're getting something that we're not. While Echo Bridge Home Entertainment regularly discourages users from buying their product by featuring inaccurate tech specs (that make the discs look less flattering, even!), I think Tokyo Shock deserves the most shame here, since they apparently can't even count. When 'Tokyo Gore Police' hit Blu-ray, the package said it was a two disc set. Yet, there's only one disc in the package, no matter where you buy it, so it leaves a foul taste in your mouth, that you got less than what you paid for. We reviewers regularly spell check, or at the very least know how to spell in the first place. We don't list content that doesn't exist on a disc. Studios should try doing the same.

Missed opportunities, also known as product tie-ins - Universal did the right thing by releasing the 'American Pie' films on Blu-ray right before the theatrical bow of 'American Reunion.' It gets fans amped up for a new film, is a perfect way to advertise (getting people to pay you money for you to sell them on a new product?! Score!!!), and sells product, both old and new. It's smart, rational thinking, right? So why isn't this a more consistent trend? If a studio greenlights a sequel or tie-in film, they should start prepping a disc for the existing product, especially if it doesn't already exist. Warner has done this with their expansive collection of Clint Eastwood films…yet they didn't release a single title to tie-in with 'J. Edgar. It's almost insulting when a film hits theaters with no tie-in goodies, making consumers hope that there will be a box set or collection, and then when it hits Blu-ray, its associated titles are still nowhere to be found.

Announcement teases, delays, and flat out lies - I'm still all broken up about not being able to buy 'Ishtar' on Blu-ray after it was announced early last year. I'm utterly devastated that the few copies that leaked out found their way to eBay to the tune of two to three hundred dollars a pop…mostly because I paid four hundred. I'm of course kidding, I wouldn't pay ten bucks for 'Ishtar,' rare or otherwise, and I'm not all that sad that it got delayed, but it's yet another example of a studio's failure. Yet, all seven fans of the film are probably disappointed, or at the very least, now a little short in the pocketbook. But 'Ishtar' isn't alone: every year a few titles get announced, then unceremoniously pulled, leaving consumers confused as to its whereabouts when release day comes. It's the only thing worse than not seeing any news on your favorite films at all, having that carrot at the end of the stick constantly dangling in front of you.

007 is coming…to rip you off - Yay, we're finally getting all the Bond films in 2012! They're going to be in an awesome mega-pack, that is seemingly priced fairly! One of the most anticipated sets is finally coming! In all the hoopla for this title, there have been a few major sticking points not mentioned, and they have me a little sour on the deal already. See, eBay is being flooded with thirteen film sets of James Bond, and has been for months, due to the fact that MGM did not announce standalone editions available at the same time, or even a month or two down the line. What if someone only wants 'Goldeneye?' Or the vastly underrated 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service?' If the studio does not announce individual releases to coincide with the box set in the coming months, then I'm sure more than a few consumers who already bought Bond are going to be pissed. After the steelbooks went exclusive before disappearing, after the changes in volume box sets, and a double dip mixed in for good measure, a hell of a lot of money has been spent on 007 Blu-ray to date, and if it was all for naught, then MGM has some 'splainin' to do!

'Harry Potter' plans to do the same! - With the seven million disc set of 'Harry Potter' coming soon, there is another foul taste left in my mouth, due to a very consumer unfriendly move. After releasing the first six films in mega-collector's editions (or Ultimate Editions, or Ultimate Collector's Editions, or whatever), with exclusive bonus discs, the final two films aren't getting this treatment. The exclusive discs for those two films will be found in the Wizard Collection. Now, I don't want to be a stick in the mud, but this means people who bought the triple dip (Blu-ray, then combo, then Ultimate) releases of 'Harry Potter' just got conned for more reasons than the lack of continuity in those already expensive sets. Day and date, Warner. That's the only way to save face on this one. That, or not releasing sets with five hundred dollar MSRPs. Remember: only idiots like Anakin Skywalker call something "wizard." While there is still time for the seventh and eighth films to get their standalone mega-versions, it appears to be unlikely.

Universal's disdain for America - Yeah, I probably won't earn any points with the studio for saying this, but what is the deal with this studio and the way it deliberately ignores the American market? Countless titles hit the numerous countries in Europe that are making Blu-rays, with no word on American counterparts. Why should we wait and hope that the 100th anniversary crap will bring us the titles available to Europeans for over two years already? Why should we be punished for being impatient and importing the oft-barebones releases, only to see an American release get announced a week later? Why can't Universal actually release Blu-ray product at the same clip they did HD DVD, with the same enthusiasm and daring, where even obscurities had a chance?

The shameless double-cross - This one is dedicated to Universal, as well. Does it count as a blunder, or just the most manipulative marketing ever? In my eyes, the way the studio handled 'Dazed and Confused' is just shady. Not everyone keeps track of Blu-rays coming soon online, and very few stores have valuable lists or charts to inform their customers. By releasing a self-distributed edition of this fan-favorite film just months before the Criterion Collection release, (and you know Universal had prior knowledge of this date), they conned quite a few uneducated customers out of their money. Worse still, with the painfully awful MSRP vs what was on the disc, there have been times the loaded edition has been cheaper than the stilted one!!! That makes no bloody sense. Too much, too fast, plain and simple. A year or so down the line, it's easier to swallow either an upgrade to Criterion, or if the Criterion came first, a low price alternative. It seems Universal learned their lesson on this one, in regards to 'Being John Malkovich,' though.

The vague, mysterious double dip conundrum - You know what really burns? When you buy a movie, after holding out for some time, only to have it see a superior release drop the next week. It's really insulting, honestly, and sometimes, even if you keep track of upcoming releases religiously, it can still happen. See: 'The French Connection.' There was no word that this release would be a remaster, to fix the odd color-timing concerns created by the director. The funny thing is, this wasn't even the only title in this exclusive wave to silently upgrade an existing release, with no forewarning to potential buyers of the originals. Upgrades are great, but it's nice to know they're coming. It's even nicer when they aren't buried as store exclusives for retailers that have repeatedly proven themselves to be incompetent in advertising their wares.

The destruction of the second hand market - When Hollywood Video went down the tubes, a number of discs saw their values drop from near the twenty dollar range to the barely two bucks market, the reason being that they had an overabundance of Sony titles that weren't big hits, and they went for dirt cheap when the store was in its 99 cent portion of the clearance. That was a few years ago, and it seems that Blockbuster and its numerous closings is once again decimating the value of discs you paid full price for just months before. The massive excess of discs flooding the market has forced sites like eBay to respond by adding category sorts in their movie listings, asking sellers if they're selling former rentals or not. That it came to that is a sign that there's a problem. I shouldn't be able to land a copy of 'Cowboys and Aliens' for five dollars just a month after it came out, yet that happened. Studios need to buy back that product, and destroy it, because all they're doing by allowing Blockbuster to sell discs for 99 cents or $1.99 is hurting everyone who bought the titles when they first came out. It's no secret that studios buy back poor selling titles and destroy them, which is why the massive influx of Warner titles at Big Lots stores a few years back was such a shock (the lawsuit that followed these doomed discs that escaped the shredder was a tad less shocking). While I'm all for cheap Blu-rays, I don't see where bottoming out the market helps anyone.

Hey studios: DVD packaging sucks! - MGM tinkered with combo packs in both Blu-ray and DVD packaging, and that was nice, since both were offered. However, sadly, there are times when Blu-ray owners have to have a big bulky box, or nothing at all. Some of the Ultimate Collector's Edition releases from Warner Bros are in DVD sized boxes (when they aren't in wide packs), while a number of FUNimation titles, both live action and animated, find themselves standing out among the crowd. Look, it's bad enough stores stock these titles in the DVD section due to the package, where buyers are scared off due to the price (and the fact that, often times, DVD only editions do not exist!), but this also means Blu-ray buyers won't see them. I want my copy of 'Zebraman 2' to fit in with the rest of my collection, but outside of buying a printer and finding a quality custom cover, that won't ever happen. Continuity is great, studios, especially when we build or space our storage units for Blu-ray height cases…

Crappy box art equals crappy sales - Speaking of packaging failures…This is not an issue limited to Blu-ray; however, it is an issue that does directly affect it. A lot of catalog titles lately have some of the most hideous box art imaginable, as if a Photoshop first timer designed a new cover to make a film look more dated than any previous artwork ever could. With all the cutting edge programs and experts out there looking for work, you'd think studios would have a few artists employed making their product look fresh, especially with the massive amount of assets they have in hand with their publicity art. 'Jagged Edge' is a crime, as are some other samples. You can, in fact, polish a turd.

Disc-based Digital Copies - Not everyone likes the idea of UltraViolet, but I think it's a step in the right direction. See, there's no reason that we should be seeing all these mega-multi-disc sets, when a piece of paper is all that is needed. One, it cuts down on weight, meaning shipping product is cheaper, a benefit to the studio, on top of needing less expensive packaging. Two, what are users to do once they redeem a disc based code? Have an empty slot in the package, meaning they can't sell it later? Keep a worthless disc in the package? There's no winning! It's bad enough packages have the inclusion of a Digital Copy plastered on the artwork, rather than on the removable slipcover for limited editions. Let's get everyone on board and make this simple and uniform. DVD+Digital Copy combo discs aren't a bad alternative, either. Disney really needs to make up their mind on this, as no one is fooled into thinking they're getting more with the redundant, unnecessary filler discs.

Double dip failures - I could sum up this note with four words: 'Predator,' 'The Third Man.'. But, really, what fun is that. I'd rather rant and rave about studios like Fox/MGM releasing Digibooks of titles after standalone editions, on movies where remastering is necessary, with no changes. I'd rather rail studios like Warner Bros for releasing anniversary editions where the only thing changed is the artwork and the price. If a film is going to be put in a digibook, that should be the first release, a limited edition version for the fans who have to have it, with regular packaging coming down the line soon after. It shouldn't be a forced double dip with nothing to gain. That's just shameful, preying on the OCD. At the very least, add a DVD, make it a combo pack, and while we're at it, let's make studios realize that a giant sticker on the front with the word REMASTERED would require some swallowing of pride, but would remove confusion and create sales and consumer confidence.

The more things change, the more they remain the same - On a related note to double dip failures, you know what really sucks? When a studio announces a new release date for an existing disc, and it turns out to be the same damn product with new art, instead of new technical aspects. This happened with 'The Italian Job,' which got a superior transfer in Germany, with 'Dreamgirls,' which axed a disc, added a slipcover, and left the lossy audio, and even 'The Mission Impossible' trilogy, where Hong Kong got the same looking set with an audio upgrade, but America got the same old discs (and even one less, removing the bonus disc off of the third film in the set!). It's bad enough that sometimes techs change without any clear or obvious designation on the package (see: 'The Descent' or 'The Fugitive'), where consumers are required to know a UPC code, which is beyond ridiculous. It's deceitful, in the worst of ways.

The Lyin' King - Disney really torqued my gears with how they handled the 'Lion King' releases. Originally, the plan was to have the two sequel releases be available only in the trilogy box set release…you know, the one in the really cheap drum. That was all well and good, and was a way to get consumers to feel they actually got something for the high price…until paperwork included on titles that came out on the same day revealed the individual releases of the two sequels coming in three or so months from the initial street date. Buyers got conned into paying more than they would have, thinking there was only one way to get these films, and the studio advertised this as the only way to get them as well, only to turn around and stick it to anyone who set aside sixty to seventy bucks for the mother lode. Hooray, we're stuck with hideously ugly packaging now, too! This is more shameful than it is a blunder.

Short pre-release windows…confusion ensues - You know what I like? I like having at least two months notice that something is coming out. This allows me to properly allocate money for it by seeing what else comes out on that date, and gives me time to make tough decisions if I have to make a title one that I'll wait on and get down the line. I'm sure lots of other people out there reading this are the same way. What I don't like is when a studio just dumps a title with two or three weeks notice, after either prolonged vagueness concerning its release (see: 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3D'), or no word at all, like the amount of publicity 'My Week With Marilyn' saw or 'The Artist' will see over the next four weeks. Give the titles time on the preorder charts. Get people salivating. No window, be it infinitely minuscule or gigantic, will prevent pirates or bootlegging assholes from illegally downloading or ripping the films. They've often had them since weeks before the theatrical bows. Let's not let the jerks ruin the anticipation.

Planned obsolescence - Oh goody, speaking of 'Dark of the Moon'… Real quick quiz: name the highest grossing film of 2009. A hint: it's the highest grossing film of all time, not counting inflation. Now, name the franchise that was the second highest grossing in both 2009 and 2011. If you said 'Avatar' and 'Transformers,' you win! Now, what do these two films have in common? The studios release them in barebones standalone editions, teasing mega-releases to follow. They know fans will buy them twice. They'd buy them ten times. They're impatient, and the hype machine is in full effect. Sadly, even with the announcement that these initial discs would be skimped and sold short, they sold like hotcakes, ensuring gullible consumers will be duped into buying the same crap twice a year the next time a mega-blockbuster happens. Quite frankly, twice in a year is just unfair.

Miramax, and its apparent lack of worth - When the Miramax library was bought and split up through a number of distributors, something bad happened: the non-film company apparently had no concerns for the value of their property. By licensing out titles to companies that would then make titles that aren’t even worth the $5.00 price point that they garnered upon release, future releases were instantly screwed. Echo Bridge isn’t releasing many films individually, so now they’re worth less than $2.50 a piece due to $9.99 quadruple features, or $15.00 sextuple features (which aren't as erotic as they sound). Even Lionsgate is guilty, as their $14.99 and $19.99 list prices are hardly a guide, with Black Friday featuring a number at four or five bucks, and regular sales around the six to seven dollar mark for the prestige titles in the library on the week of release. Throw in the fact that even some of the Lionsgate titles aren’t even worth that price (sloppy discs, folks. Sloppy, ugly discs), and an entirely valuable property is now worth little more than pond scum. And guess what? There is little way of knowing whether your favorite films will come out as standalone releases, as parts of multi-packs exclusively, or even by who. It's a gigantic mess, that could have been handled with actual grace and dignity.

Troma, and how it's apparently worth less than even Miramax - I absolutely love Lloyd Kaufman. The man is a hilarious writer and shrewd businessman responsible for some of the most tasteless cinema out there. However, when it comes to Blu-ray, I hate Kaufman and Troma. Due to the costs of Blu-ray production versus the low sales for the product that was released, when I asked the owner of the company on Twitter if we'd ever see more titles from them, like the much anticipated 'Toxic Avenger' films, I was told it was not likely to happen. Lots of other companies have seen their unviable product released on Blu-ray. Sony has Image release their lesser titles. 20th Century Fox has tapped Anchor Bay for their less-than-gems. Why can't/won't Kaufman reach some kind of deal with another company willing to release this product if they are unwilling? The trash/cult film market isn't being ignored on Blu-ray, even if one of the greatest distributors of the genre is holding out.





Wal-Mart editions of major blockbusters: ensuring that second tier titles are never to be found - Long title, perhaps, but it’s the damn truth. I like the idea behind Wal-Mart releasing single disc versions of films from distributors releasing sets only as combo packs. They have distinctly different art (like the bridge in the background of 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' or a full body shot of Jim Carrey for 'Mister Popper’s Penguins') to help set them apart on the secondhand market, they cost five bucks less than regular price movies, and they give consumers a choice. The problem is, with numerous slots given to the combo sets and then these exclusives, there’s less room for the second tier new releases, the 3D editions of films, or the odd catalog fare that comes out every week. Simply put, by giving us more choice on the big titles, we’re getting less choice on what to spend our high def dollar on.

BD-Live: no benefits, only hassles - It's about time studios recognize that this waste of disc space has become this generation's DVD-Rom feature, and kill it. I don't know anyone who ever uses this function, let alone regularly. There haven't been any live screenings in exactly how long? If anything, BD-Live does nothing but burden us. On Universal discs, it forces us to watch pre-menu trailers, randomly loaded, and springs an annoying Ticker at us. On new releases, loading the disc can take forever due to the amount of users accessing the servers on pre-load screens, sometimes creating up to a ten minute delay. It's time for this old dog to be put out to pasture. If there were a regular stream of content exclusive to this service, I'd shut my mouth, but with three to four actual uses a year, despite the sheer numbers of disc with this capability, it's a massive boondoggle.

The proliferation of auto-play - Older WB discs were a major pain in the butt, with the auto-start making the film play with no prompts, meaning you had to pause or restart the film once you set up the settings you wanted, which you had to do for any disc with lossless, as lossy was the default track. When Warner moved away from this method, it was a glorious day. Sadly, though, Anchor Bay catalog titles, some random MGM releases, and now Universal are all employing this strategy. The problem is, now they're more annoying than ever. With Universal, you can pause the film, pop up the menu, and browse through the extras, and all is well. However, if you play an extra, the film starts back up again, as it doesn't remember it was paused. The disc isn't smart enough to realize you're watching extras, and the menu is so big you can't watch the film, despite it popping back up when you finish each feature, meaning it doesn't want you to watch the movie or the extras. It wants you to get mad and throw the disc against a wall and test the durability of Blu-ray.

Packaging failures - Universal (again…) sure loves to be user unfriendly. When they released the 'Back to the Future' series on Blu-ray, they created quite the uproar, with the stacked digipak cases and their lack of instructions on disc removal. Some broke the cases; others snapped the discs in half. Throw in the fact that the case often distorts itself to a diagonal state, and it has to be the worst packaging ever. No studio should ever have to release official directions showing consumers how to properly utilize their packaging. If it isn't obvious and easy…it shouldn't be put to use. Now, Universal isn't guilty of the next crime, but many others are. Slop. There's no excuse for what Sony did to the bonus disc in the new 'Underworld' box set, or how numerous companies throw discs into the package, loose, in paper sleeves, rather than in proper trays. Heck, even Yash Raj Films did this with the release of 'Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year,' a Bollywood release from the UK. It's acceptable to do this as a store exclusive, where the product is often already packed for mass consumption, the bonus tossed in, but not acceptable for wide release. Not one bit.

Oops...don't buy this! - I have a lot of love for FUNimation. They put out a quality product at a low price, especially compared to other anime Blu-ray distributors. They have a wealth of famous franchises, and the amount of key players hitting Blu-ray is admirable. However, they made a dire, dire mistake in 2011: 'Dragon Ball Z.' This world famous series, in its unedited, lengthy as hell form, came too soon after another DVD release of the show. It came while the 'Dragon Ball Z: Kai' series hadn't even finished yet. There just wasn't enough money or interest to go around, and the first two releases of the show, titled 'Level 1.1' and 'Level 1.2,' which comprised the first season of the show, sold so poorly that the distributor canceled the series, including two already announced releases ('Level 2.1' and 'Level 2.2'). Striking while the iron is hot is one thing, but over-saturating a market and causing a backlash is another. After a tease, we have two worthless releases, and an even bigger question mark about the series than before!

Loaded? - You know what would have been really, really nice? If Summit Entertainment would have made the technical discrepancies between their movie only and loaded edition discs more obvious, or, dare say, non-existent. I mean, we all can look for variations in artwork, but how many times have we ever thought to verify that the specs aren't changed? How often does a store even stock both editions to compare? This mess gave me another reason to dislike 'Red,' as if the hackneyed film needed any help alienating its audience. Of course, I personally solved this problem by refusing to buy discs from said company, kinda my own way of not supporting a company that makes such awful decisions, or in many cases, awful films (a certain film series springs to mind...).

User unfriendliness - Look, it's nice that only a few studios are giving us the generic promotions for the format preaching to the choir, in, what, the sixth year of the format? It's good that we're seeing some forward progress. That said, there are a lot of changes still needing to be made. Disney is one of the only studios that have pre-menu content down pat, as booting a disc prompts you to skip all the mumbo jumbo on screen. You don't have to guess how to bypass the ads, it tells you exactly how to do it. I like that. Additionally, more and more menus are a pain in the ass to navigate due to unclear cursors or annoying pop-ups that have to be cancelled and closed, rather than disappearing on their own with the press of a direction button. Studios need to make the effort to not annoy consumers. Television releases need to go "next gen" by including season modes, or other user friendly features, as there have been some (like the release of 'Wolverine and the X-Men') that can induce an unnatural baldness from frustrated hair-pulling.

Out of print, because I said so, damn it! - A few studios announce openly that they're putting discs in "moratorium," due to a bigger, better release coming soon, so as to not choke store shelves, allowing existing product to sell without auto-replenishing. Disney is open about their vault system, while Warner informs of us of upcoming mega-releases long in advance. Not only does this ramp up anticipation, it prevents regretful double dips. Now...not every studio is as open and honest as Disney or Warner, as titles fall out of print all the time for no announced reason, with no time window given to make a last grab (to even battle the scalpers!) before prices go crazy. Paramount, I can't even begin to wrap my head around a studio that would discontinue 'Zodiac', as no excuse from the studio justifies this move. Bad sales can be blamed on consumer unfriendly price points and a cache of HD DVD leftovers that further made the price discrepancy an insurmountable barrier. FUNimation lets titles fade from stock without a word, get expensive on the second hand market, and then save us all with their low priced second pressings. Sony lets digibooks go out of print (ahem, 'Silverado'), with no alternative, making prices go crazy. There's no reason obscure catalog titles should average $40 to $80 on eBay, and letting us know before a title slips into oblivion sure as hell would help cripple the scalper market.

Twilight Time - I'm sorry, but what the hell?!? I like the idea of an independent company licensing titles we might not see on Blu-ray, in limited 3,000 copy print runs, especially for obscurer titles unlikely to even sell that many in a year. It's great to see these titles hit the market. However, it's not all that great an idea when titles consumers would actually want go this route. Horror titles sell well on Blu-ray, so the way 'Fright Night' got sold out and hit the hundred dollar mark, timed right around the release of the remake is just confusing. Now we find out that 'As Good as it Gets' will be handled this same way? A multiple Academy Award winning film not even twenty years old gets the shaft, while 'It Could Happen to You' gets not only a standalone regular release, but also the inclusion in a double feature two pack? Is something backwards here? A good idea turns ugly real fast when handled wrong. A premium for super obscure titles not-likely to get real releases? Great! An instant shortage-inducing choke point on distribution of fan favorite films? Shenanigans!

Now, Blu-ray 3D has its own massive set of failures, and I decided to throw all these concerns together, because, seriously, it has been botched from the start.

Continuity - Some studios release 3D Blu-rays in combo packs with 2D editions. Others put the 2D and 3D on the same disc. Exclusive editions have been exclusively one disc, opening the door for questions on whether a release will play in both formats. How hard is it to get the studios together to act in uniform? Honest to goodness, there is nothing wrong with 3D+2D on the same disc. Nothing. Some of the best looking, most impressive discs on the sub-format feature both editions, and extras to boot! Why can't Sony stick to one way or another? Why do some studios release clear packaging (which create interesting 3D layers), while others use slipcovers to fancy up the package (in an attempt to make a title look worth the price point)? Removing confusion from the equation would only instill consumer confidence, and that's not a bad thing!

3D disc pricing - Image Entertainment has it right, as they have priced their IMAX 3D discs (that are both 3D and 2D capable) at the same MSRP as previously released editions of the same titles, and have gone so far as to discontinue many 2D only versions/not make 2D standalone editions even available, so as to remove any confusion and add value to a release. No one else has this down. Sony cuts out extras, and charges extra. Most studios throw in a bonus 3D disc, and up the MSRP five to ten bucks, often giving us eighteen different ways to view a film (despite the desire to only see one). Now, it may seem somewhat fair to charge a premium, but keep in mind that any store stocking 3D content is doing so at numbers very close to MSRP, while regular 2D discs see a considerable discount from MSRP. Best Buy holds customers hostage, knowing full well that they have the best stock on these titles, including exclusive titles that they have limited stock and high prices on.

Missed opportunities - If a movie hits theaters in 3D, it should hit Blu-ray in 3D. This should not be so difficult to understand. We shouldn't have to research Region compatibility and pay hefty importing prices for content to run on our expensive television sets. See this list of 3D movies? Any release listed herein that has seen a 2D release in the last two years is a travesty. Additionally, the amount of films here not even seeing any progress is somewhat scary. Studios want to complain about losing money, yet there are plenty of examples of them just throwing away potential sales and giving consumers the middle finger.

'Scar' - When this title hit Blu-ray in America, it did so in anaglyph 3D, not stereoscopic...in the midst of Blu-ray 3D titles being released from most every company. It's available in Germany (from Sony), but is Region B locked. This is a double fail.

Value dumps - I'd like for a reader to point out where exactly studios benefit from this particular point. When a Blu-ray 3D title is released in a multi-disc set (3D, 2D, DVD, so on), is it fair to say that money is being given away? Scalpers regularly hit eBay weeks in advance of 3D split disc releases, selling the 3D disc by its lonesome, then the 2D disc, and the DVD, and the numbers being pulled exceed the going price of the disc. Studios sell one SKU, yet the product is covering up to three different potential buyers. How is this good business? By splitting 2D and 3D feature film discs, the market on these titles drops due to the flood on the secondhand market for partially complete versions. Resell value drops for those who blind bought and regretted it. I don't see any gain here. Do you?

Now it's your turn.

Do you think any of these issues can be fixed, or that progress is being made towards them? Disagree entirely? Point it out in our forum!

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High-Def Digest's Nate Boss Shares His Blu-ray Predictions for 2011

Fri Dec 10, 2010 at 01:40 PM ET
Tags: Nate Boss, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Predicting the Future with Nate Noss

What fun is it waiting for news to happen, and reporting it? With all the sensationalism in the media, it seems more fun to create news than report it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to stick my neck out and make some predictions, some bold, some brazen, some fairly safe, and others that may seem outright ridiculous, concerning the direction Blu-ray is headed in 2011, from studio decisions to actual disc functionality.

Please note, the comments and predictions in this article are not official confirmations or declinations concerning Blu-rays. No studio has been solicited for information, no rep or retailer consulted. That would make these a bit less like predictions and a bit more like news stories. Any opinions in this article are solely my own, and I would easily bet that many will disagree with the future that I have seen after eating that tainted sour cream and onion potato chip.

You still with us? If so, check out the Blu-ray predictions for 2011, from HDD's very own Nostra-dumb-ass!

This will be the year of the crappy catalog title, also known as the year of Ishtar
Yeah, I'm among those upset that titles like 'Lawrence of Arabia,' teased since the first trailers of upcoming Blu-rays, are still nowhere in sight, while bona fide disasters like the reviled 'Ishtar' are being fast tracked. This may very well be the theme for 2011 on Blu-ray, where shlock and shit rule the day. 2010 was full of huge names getting releases, and we really can't expect that kind of output every year, particularly when titles like 'King Kong (1933)' went completely under the radar! So, dearest Blu-ray fanatics, I do hope you enjoy 'Santa's Slay,' 'Howard the Duck,' 'Alone in the Dark,' 'Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever,' 'Son of the Mask,' 'Battlefield Earth,' 'The Village,' 'Bio-Dome,' 'Ed,' 'Beautician & the Beast,' 'Private Parts,' 'Vanilla Sky,' 'Just Married,' 'Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle,' 'The Cat in the Hat,' '8 Crazy Nights,' 'Richie Rich,' 'The Flintstones,' ' Wild Wild West,' the 'Deuce Bigalo' "films," and 'Little Nicky.' We're already getting 'Barb Wire,' so really, it's not too much of a stretch to think this may be a garbage year for the most part. Just be thankful 'Spice World' is so far off the radar it may as well have been destroyed.

BD-Live may actually give us a few real exclusive features this year
Now this is one of the most risky guesses on here, since, really, BD-Live has been a bane to Blu-ray. The promise of added features has been used so sparingly that this promise really looks like a bold faced lie right about now. One time community screenings with people involved with a film, all that does is force a day of release purchase, and down the road, bam, worthless. Giving me new trailers in front of a menu rather than old ones locked to a disc screws up load times for people, and I'd rather have none at all. I will go so far as to say that there will be a good use finally here, not just a silly flash game, but I have no idea what as of yet. Perhaps we'll get more cool stuff like with 'Survival of the Dead,', downloadable commentaries that integrate themselves into the rest of the menu. Maybe an entire plethora of extras where we can customize what features we want on a disc. That'd be great.

The first new release title to hit a 66 percent share
It's big news whenever, on week of release, a new day and date title has its Blu-ray release outsell the DVD, creating a 50 percent or greater share of its sales. This was, long ago, considered a very important number, to show the number of Blu-ray consumers and what the purchasing pattern was, how much pull this new format had. But 50 percent is so last year. I want to venture a guess as to the first time we'll see a Blu-ray new release take a 66 percent share or greater, outselling DVD by a margin of 2:1.

I don't think it will happen in 2011, but it will in 2012. That means 'Conan,' 'Transformers 3: The Dark of the Moon,' 'Captain America: The First Avenger,' 'Cowboys and Aliens,' 'Green Lantern,' 'X-Men: The New Class,' 'Thor,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,' or even 'Drive Angry 3D' ('Drive...Angry...3D!!!') will pass that magic number. I know, not too daring a guess, but I don't see it happening.

Studios will start to re-release more titles based on their shared stars or writer/directors
On DVD, there are countless box sets themed by director or a particular actor. Some are in digipaks, some in slim cases in a little box (the excellently priced Fox 3 film actor packs, for example), while others are massive box sets. We're not seeing too much of that on Blu-ray, save for some random two pack pairings. This will change. As more and more titles are released, expect to see more sets like the Action pack or the Family pack, only with the same actor as the shared theme, at a reasonable MSRP. Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, they're all fine candidates for a first wave, with huge filmographies already on Blu-ray. Imagine a box set of 'Snatch,' 'Seven Years in Tibet,' and 'The Devil's Own' or 'A River Runs Through It' (or even all four) for $15 per movie MSRP. What about 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' 'Michael Clayton,' and 'Syriana' (or in the ideal world, 'The Good German')? 'The Number 23''The Majestic,' and 'Yes Man?'

Studios will double dip on older Blu-rays, with some actually having an upgrade in video or audio quality
I don't see Fox doing this so much, but Warner, Sony, Paramount, and Lionsgate all have plenty of older titles in serious need of some sprucing up (and not with the DNR tool). 'Saw' and 'Crash' are the obvious choices, due to their mixed qualities, though the equally needy 'First Blood' probably won't see a re-release for a few years, even if it deserves it. If 'Punisher: War Zone' wasn't so awful, 'The Punisher' would also have been a target. As is, I bet Lionsgate wants to forget those. 'House of Flying Daggers' would be nice, and is easily the best film that would elicit the most repurchases in the lot of early garbage Sony titles. Paramount seems to think putting new cover art on ugly discs is all they need to do, and perhaps they'll realize that while that may confuse and fool some consumers, it only makes them lose points, and actually do the right thing for 'The Italian Job (2003)' or 'Dreamgirls'. Warner may even realize that musicals like 'The Phantom of the Opera (2004)' need lossless audio. Who knows? That would depend on them caring about catalog titles, and they make it obvious these days that they don't.

All that talk of there being no further 'Avatar' rereleases until the retail 3D version will be undermined by James Cameron's quest for more money, because apparently Avatar is the greatest...film...ever. That sound you hear will be my head banging against my desk until I damage my brain enough to actually enjoy this excessive poor man's Dances with Smurfs.

Leslie Nielsen lives on in our hearts, minds, Blu-ray players
This may seem kind of harsh and/or cold blooded, but the death of a celebrity often brings about a rush from those who can make money from the passing. Nielsen's death is one of biggest celebrity passings of 2010, and having happened so late in the year, it still can upset those of us who were fans of his work in film that spanned six decades. That also means he'll be that much more of a hot, sellable property. Nielsen's filmography has seen very little action on Blu-ray domestically, with very few of the more memorable titles available. Even the 'Mel Brooks Collection' passed on giving us 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It,' though I don't really blame Fox for that one. It seems that most of the Nielsen films already out on Blu are the worst in his filmography (though we do have 'Creepshow' and 'Forbidden Planet'). 2010 would have been a good time for a 30th anniversary release of 'Airplane!,' and since that didn't happen, expect either this title or the 'Naked Gun' series to arrive on Blu-ray. Yes, that would require Paramount to actually release a catalog title or two (or three or four), but even they may make an exception to their release strategy to bring us some of the many Nielsen films in their library.

Sports releases will become more prevalent (will also become more 3D-y)
Image recently released the first entire series of a sports championship tournament, while the WWE and UFC have both put out a few entire events on Blu-ray. MLB? They're still doing the World Series films, but with the upcoming Ultimate Jordan release actually having entire games from the GOAT, perhaps they'll finally bring us some of the most classic games in history (2004 ALCS, anyone?). Hockey? No one in America seems to care, and Blu-ray will continue to ignore it, as well. The Super Bowl may finally see a Blu-ray release, and if I may be so brave, the big game, or a compilation of select footage from the playoffs will find its way to Blu-ray 3D. 3D sports have their channel(s), and they will have their Blu-rays, as well.

Universal will continue their stance against offering a trade-in program
Disney did it, despite not having a hand in the competing HD DVD format. Warner has done it, again and again, with their Red2Blu and DVD2Blu programs. Universal? Not a snowball's chance in hell will they ever offer up their catalog of Blu-rays for an exchange program to help get their Blu-ray releases out there to consumers, so they can be inundated with annoying tickers and BD-Live updated pre-menu trailers. Oh, and perhaps the films, too. Considering their hefty slate of HD DVD releases in a short period of time (and the super low price point they often fetch now) versus their reluctance to release Blu-rays, it seems this is one studio who only has one foot in the door. The way they treat their catalog, I hope the other foot is above a Mega Shark tank. The fact that we'll see two Mega Shark films on Blu-ray before we see nearly hundreds of HD DVD ports is just ridiculous. More on 'Mega Shark' later...

The year of John Cusack (not to be confused with the year of the crappy catalog title)
John Cusack is awesome. Under-appreciated, funny, and always being rained on in his films. That will not change. What will change, though, is the fact that we'll see a few films from this talented actor on Blu-ray in 2011, and I don't mean 'Martian Child,' 'cuz that's just mean. 'Must Love Dogs,' 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,' 'High Fidelity,' 'Pushing Tin,' and 'Eight Men Out' are my predictions for the upcoming year, meaning, sadly, 'Grosse Point Blank' won't find its way on the format (one prediction I'd love to see proven wrong!). Respect the Cusack.

Wal-Mart will continue its drive to bring cheaper discs to shelves...at your cost
Low prices are great...but not when you end up getting less for it. The non-digibook release of 'The Exorcist' forgoes an entire cut of the film, and I'm quite sure it still sold quite well. With more upcoming massively expensive releases from Warner Bros (like 'Citizen Kane' or 'Ben Hur'), expect to see Wallyworld (or even Target) bringing out skimped versions at low price points, as an alternative to high costs and horribly bulky boxes, but expect to have more digibooks released in Amaray cases, more combo releases being forgone for less money, and a few more multi-disc sets missing a few discs. The retail giant is all about price point, not value per dollar, so this seems inevitable.

Fox continues to make questionable TV on Blu-ray decisions
The here one season, gone the next "strategy" that Fox employs on their TV on Blu-ray releases has confounded and angered consumers, but Fox will make more confusing and outright ridiculous decisions on their TV releases. After releasing two standard def upconverts for 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' they won't release season six on Blu-ray, which is, ironically, the first season filmed in high def. Why make this bold statement? They've shown they don't know what they're doing when it comes to television, so this is just about par for the course. And yes, I'm still pretty sore about 'Burn Notice,' why do you ask?

The Artisan catalog will bring some buried goodies to Blu-ray
Man, wouldn't it be great if we got Blu-ray releases of 'The Boys From Brazil' (not the awful UK import), 'The Limey,' 'Suicide Kings,' 'Thinner,' 'Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,' 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' or 'On Golden Pond?' I think so, and with Lionsgate constantly pushing their inexpensive waves of Blu-rays every other month, expect to see a few of these hit Blu-ray in 2011. The Artisan catalog isn't exactly full of untapped wealth, as most of the great titles are already on Blu-ray, but this one still has a few damn good films waiting to be rediscovered, especially since many never got DVD rereleases, with the only copies being long, long out of print or just utterly horrible releases.

The death of the Sapphire Series
I have to wonder, will Paramount issue any more of their greatest films under this moniker, after the negative publicity associated with every other release? My bet is no. Their unreleased Academy Award Best Picture winners are not of the home video bestseller ilk ('Wings,' 'Going My Way,' 'The Greatest Show on Earth,' 'Ordinary People,' 'Terms of Endearment'), while 'The Godfather Part III' will probably see its first standalone release as a simple dump title. They blew through their greatest modern releases way too fast for this to be a viable line, and don't have the goods to keep it up as being a best of the best elite collection. So, hopefully, that means there may also be no Paramount recalls in 2011. Fingers crossed.

Tartan will release more titles, enough to rival the Shaw Brothers and Dragon Dynasty lines of Asian cinema.
With the purchase of Tartan and release of a few titles (The Vengeance Trilogy, '9 Songs'), Tartan has made a very minor splash on Blu-ray in the states. There are some releases in Europe ('Paranoid Park,' 'A Tale of Two Sisters') that need to find their way here, fast, and one of those (Sisters) should happen in 2011, alongside a few of the other Tartan Asia Extreme titles. This line needs to prove it's more than just Park Chan-Wook and hardcore sex on Blu-ray, and it has one hell of an awesome stable of quirky, entertaining titles to do it.

'Mega Shark vs Crocasaurus' (vs Steve Urkel) will be utterly awesome on Blu-ray. This isn't as much a prediction as a statement of fact. Hopefully the next sequel has Mega Shark vs Wolverine, Darth Vader, or Seth Rogen.

Star Wars will fail to meet expectations, because they were impossible to meet from the start
This is in line with the DVD releases of the pivotal sci-fi films, that pissed off fans by not offering original cuts of the films. That will happen yet again. If it doesn't, and by some miracle we get the original versions, again they'll have way inferior audio compared to the new editions that insert Gungans on Bespin (just wait...). It's inevitable. That said, even the spruced up new excessive editions will fail to truly impress. It's 'Lord of the Rings' syndrome.

Lower price points will be adopted for catalog titles. One studio will drop new release MSRP's
Warner is starting to announce 19.99 MSRP catalog titles, and Universal just announced some with a 14.99 list. Lionsgate was the first big studio to push 19.99 suggested retail price, and they'll be one of the strongest pushers of 14.99 or less, as they're by far the most preemptive price dropper. Universal big release catalogs are suggested at 26.99, and that too will drop even further. That $10 shelf at some stores will soon turn into a bin. Meanwhile, Lionsgate or Anchor Bay will push new releases at 29.99, and not just the obscure ones that few people would buy anyways.

Universal will continue to offer films on BD-Live to stream instead of actually giving them Blu-ray releases
Replicating discs is expensive, apparently, and so is programming menus and designing cover art. Universal seems to be pushing the ability to download their films instead of buying them, going so far as to stream the newest season of 'The Office' to purchasers of the sixth season.

Paramount will continue to offer less catalog titles than nearly any other studio
I know, real daring prediction there, but Paramount needs to be called out for the fact that they're sitting on tons of titles, and are only releasing the huge names at a slow clip, instead of giving consumers choices on some of their favorite smaller films. Heaven forbid we actually get the big budget sequels to titles already released on Blu-ray in America, when they've been out in other countries for years ('Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life,' anyone?). Their focus seems solely on the latest and greatest, giving no credence to the titles that have kept them in business all these years, and I don't see that changing in 2011.

Disney will continue to offer less catalog titles (at catalog pricing) than any other studio, and instead focus on DVD bundles
Paramount doesn't give us anything, and Disney instead kind of insults us, rereleasing catalog and former new release titles in combo packs, rather than giving us titles we don't already have. They did a wave in 2010, are doing another in early 2011, and this will be their theme for the year, giving Blu-ray haters ammunition by saying that even one of the big boys has to bundle DVDs to try to sell discs, on every title they release. Really, did we need a second SKU for 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua,' when non-Platinum/Diamond animated titles like The Rescuers, Three Caballeros, and 'Aladdin' just sit and rot?

MGM will re-release more Blu-rays with bundled DVDs than they will release new catalog titles
See above. The only difference? Disney is doing DVD packaging on only their Diamond Collection titles, while MGM is reissuing their back catalog in both DVD and Blu-ray packaging. Even stranger, they're putting out titles with new packaging that already were packaged with a bonus DVD. They're even splitting up box sets solely to put DVD copies in with each title. Why? It helps one realize why this studio is in such financial troubles. Who knows, we may see those 007 films...no, not the ones that haven't been released, but the ones already out, now with a bonus DVD from 1998! Yes! Watch out, folks, as 'The Battle of Britain,' 'The Usual Suspects,' the 'Robocop' sequels, 'Rescue Dawn,' 'The Amityville Horror (1979),' 'Lions for Lambs,' and 'Hannibal' all get redipped for no point. Seriously, four films I originally listed got DVD repacks under the radar, and I had to rewrite this. That shows you how no one, not consumers, or retailers, care for this release "strategy."

More previously released Criterion on DVD titles will hit Blu-ray
The most enticing Criterion Collection Blu-ray releases so far, in my eyes, have been the back catalog titles, previously released on DVD. They may not sell as well on Blu-ray, due to many Criterion owners already having them (particularly the big names), but there will be quite a few great releases from the Collection in 2011. If I had to pick ten (from spine #1-300)?
'The Hidden Fortress'
'The Lord of the Flies'
'Great Expectations'
'The Ruling Class'
'Onibaba'
'Short Cuts'
'Salo: Or the 120 Days of Sodom'
'La Strada'
'Hoop Dreams'
and 'Straw Dogs' (which is currently out of print, making it my most daring prediction, but with the remake in the works, this feels almost natural, based off studio publicity. And it's a damn good film, too, a highlight in this prestigious collection!)

Filmyard will finally enter the fray with the Miramax catalog they bought from Disney
And they won't release 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Jackie Brown' in 2011.

Best Buy will sell many more "exclusive" releases
Want Big Daddy, Mr Deeds, any WWE release, any DC animated universe title with the bonus figurines, 'The Last Airbender 3D' or the stereoscopic release of 'My Bloody Valentine 3D?' You have to go to Best Buy. They know they have us by the marbles, and they're going to continue to tighten their grip, nabbing more and more catalog titles for sale only in their stores. That said, they will also stock less of each, causing scalpers to make each title unavailable to the general public. Why stock less? Keep reading on the chain's "focus" on Blu-ray below...

Best Buy will take a smaller market share of the Blu-ray pie
I recently walked into the only local Best Buy within 90 miles, and what I saw made me pretty angry: the Blu-rays were no longer right in the middle of the store with the DVD racks. Instead, they were in a far back corner, tucked away. In their place? Mindless third party accessories that this joint buys for a buck and sells for fifteen or twenty. It's bloody shameful. Best Buy, you were the number one seller of Blu-ray titles in America, but apparently you'd rather be the number one seller of protective iPhone sleeves. Just remember: iPhone sleeve buyers don't buy up to ten in a week, or even two in a year, you bloody jackasses. Please, keep giving me reason to not step foot in your store.

Wal-Mart and Target will increase their Blu-ray stock
Keeping with the ebb and flow, these huge retail chains have been seeing their Blu-ray shelf space increase dramatically in the last few years, and it will continue, due to the fact that they don't place their movies next to the bathrooms and washer driers. Wal-Mart will even carry a few 3D releases, and not just ones that are in Disney combo packs.

The end of the 3D player exclusive disc, meaning the end of scalpers getting $200 to $500 for single films
Avatar 3D is already setting some auspicious records, selling for an average of over $400 on Ebay. It's insane. The Shrek 1-3 pack is fetching $200, while some early vouchers and hard copies of 'How to Train Your Dragon 3D' went as high as $250. Whoever thought 3D was cheap, was insane, as long as the majority of the catalog is locked to a consumer electronics company, or no longer in print, part of an obsoleted starter pack. In late 2011, we may see the end of these ridiculous situations, though existing exclusive discs may still take time to hit the format. Just wait, though, for the 'Toy Story' trilogy to be tied in with a brand, first, and remind us why we hate the greedy bastards on eBay.

Disney will find another annoying way to brand an existing product
Do you like Disney Files? What about Disney 3D? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you're feeding into the propaganda the mouse-ears company is pushing on the masses, by branding anything with their name. What will they rebrand next? Whatever new gimmick that's packed in with Blu-rays, that's what.

Criterion will not (and I repeat, will not) release a Blu-ray 3D release
This one should be obvious, right? The almost snobby collection is about film, not about fancy presentations, and I don't see this changing anytime soon.

Two more titles already released Criterion films on Blu-ray will go out of print
We already have a few Criterion Blu-rays that are no longer made, all three due to Studio Canal withdrawing the distribution rights, so that they can release their own lesser releases, so this wouldn't be a first. However, it would still sting and cause a run on a title, particularly if it is a popular one. Since I'm not privy to the contract lengths Criterion has with each film owner, I cannot begin to speculate what titles may go out of print, but, realistically, this could, and probably will, happen.

'The Fantastic Mr. Fox' and other Wes Anderson films will wander onto Criterion Blu-ray, confused what their purpose in life is
I was wondering when Criterion would release 'The Darjeeling Limited' due to the fact that they had every other Wes Anderson film in their catalog with the pickup of 'Bottle Rocket.' I thought the film being owned by Fox was an issue, but apparently not. Guess who owns 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox?' That's right. Fox owns 'Fox.' While 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,' 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' or especially 'Rushmore' seem to be more obvious releases on Blu-ray, I would go so far as to believe that if we don't see 'Fox' in 2011, we may at least hear it announced. Fingers crossed, but until then, check out this amazing little film, if you haven't already!

No Eclipse
I really wish I were referring to the Twilight Saga here, but I'm instead talking about one of Criterion's sub-lines, the Eclipse series, that compiles numerous themed films (by era or by director), with a great low MSRP. So far, in almost two years of releasing Blu-ray, Criterion has not once even hinted at bringing any of their Eclipse sets to Blu-ray, and I'd go so far as to say they won't.

Lastly, no set of predictions is complete without offering a portent as to what I foresee of the release schedule in 2011!

15 Predictions on what catalog films are hitting Blu-ray in 2011
'Touch of Evil'
'Vertigo' (the only Hitchcock release for the year!)
'Any Which Way You Can'
'Night of the Living Dead'
'Trigun'
'Blood Simple'
'Jersey Girl'
'Ghostbusters 2'
'Tristan & Isolde'
'Superman III' and 'IV'
'The Exorcist' sequels/prequels
'Thirst'
'Hook'
'3 Extremes'
'Garfield' and 'Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties'

15 Predictions on what catalog films are not hitting Blu-ray in 2011
'8MM'
'The Weather Man'
'Matchstick Men'
'Leaving Las Vegas'
'Rumblefish'
'Raising Arizona' (I'm a Nic Cage fan, can you tell? I just don't see these coming any time soon.)
'Hamlet 2'
'Shopgirl'
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'
'Team America: World Police'
'Bewitched'
'The Ace Ventura films'
'The Wicker Man'
'Chairman of the Board'
'Cool as Ice' (and this is a shame, as I really, really want this on Blu-ray. "Words of wisdom...drop that zero, and get with the hero!

What say you? Is this foreseer of Blu-ray discs and events to come full of wisdom, or full of something else? Visit our forums and contribute your own predictions for Blu-ray and 2011, sane or insane, logical or illogical, we want to hear what you think is going to happen!

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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High-Def Digest Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Blu-rays for the Hard to Shop For Movie Fanatic (You Won't See Another Gift Guide Like This ANYWHERE!)

Wed Nov 24, 2010 at 01:24 PM ET
Tags: HDD Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gift Guide 2010, High-Def Retailing, Nate Boss (all tags)

by Nate Boss

Every year around the holidays, there’s always that one person who’s impossible to shop for. I know, since I’m usually him. He buys everything he wants, leaving family or friends no avenue to find gifts for him, other than the quick and easy gift card route that can feel a bit impersonal. 


When shopping for the Blu-ray fanatic in your lives (yes, this article is aimed at the families of Blu-ray owners more than Blu-ray owners themselves), you have a few easy options. You can scan their DVD collections, see what titles they have not upgraded, and provide them with a movie they already own, in some capacity. You can ask them months in advance what titles they want, but really don’t want to pay the current rate for. You can even look into importing a favorite of theirs that they may not know about (region coding providing, of course. I do not advise consumers shop on foreign websites unless they have a guide to region coding handy, or a giftee who happens to be region free). Or you can use this guide, a compendium of random, obscure, or otherwise forgotten USA releases that can easily be found (online through Amazon, or, in some cases, in stores), and sometimes even cheaply acquired.



Sometimes it’s the effort that counts, and when you’re buying for a guy who already has a thousand some odd discs (guilty!), the effort may be more appreciated than the actual gift itself. If your family member or friend is anything like me, and is difficult to shop for, here are some suggestions as to what may be conversation starters at the very, very least. A listing of titles already forgotten by most consumers, and possibly time itself. Please note, due to the fact that music and comedy tastes vary far too much, concert and stand-up comedy Blu-rays are not included in this article. And no, even though they are the kings of obscure, I cannot and will not recommend titles like 'Puppies and Kittens,' 'Pregnancy Massage Therapy,' 'Learn to Count,' or 'Lower Learning.' That's just mean.

The Heavy Hitters:

Skip ahead if you're not willing to spend at least $50 on a single release. 'The Third Man' (Criterion Collection release) - The first Criterion title to go out-of-print on Blu-ray, this Carol Reed directed post-war Vienna noir classic is one of the few titles already released by multiple distributors on this new format, with varying results. It may be cheaper and easier to acquire the StudioCanal Collection edition, but that isn't exactly a gift worthy of a "thank you." A heftier load of extras, and vastly superior presentation qualities make the Criterion release a great gift, especially since it cannot be found in stores these days, and fetches a pretty penny on Amazon's third party system, or on Ebay.

'Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade' - Easily among the top ten hardest-to-find Blu-ray titles on the market, 'Jin-Roh' is one of those titles that rarely pops up on Ebay or Amazon, but can possibly be found in an obscure retailer's stock, particularly if they specialize in used media. In other words: it's highly possible the difficult giftee on your list doesn't own this anime release. If you see it, buy it; you may never find it again in stores. This same strategy applies to the Blu-ray releases of 'Freedom,' 'Yukikaze,' 'Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise,' and 'SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next.'

'UFC: The Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights' - This six disc set was released in December, 2009, and quickly went out-of-print, though Anchor Bay has rereleased the set again this month at a significantly lowered MSRP, in a standard case that just doesn't feel quite heavy enough to be six single sided discs. With 26 hours worth of fights, as well as five episodes of the ultimate countdown show (a Blu-ray exclusive), this set is a fight fan's dream come true, even if the video quality varies greatly from fight to fight (as it is not presented in chronological order). While many fans prefer entire events, this set is a great introduction to MMA and the history of the greatest promotion the event has ever had!

'Vengeance Trilogy' - Park Chan-Wook's hard hitting varying tales of vengeance are an absolute must own, especially with these fully loaded Blu-rays (which includes the alternate version to the third film in the set), housed in a metal tin case. Debate all you will over which film is best: 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,' 'Oldboy,' or 'Lady Vengeance,' but be sure that this set from Korea's answer to Quentin Tarantino finds a way into your friend or family member's collection.

'Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut' - Remember the uproar when Best Buy put out ridiculously low priced shelf tags for this box set, then didn't have any stock across the country? Those who waited it out hoping to get a price match eventually got nothing, while those who jumped on the sub-$30 price point Amazon.com posted lucked out and got the release right before it went out of print and out of stock. This release integrates the cartoon 'Tales of the Black Freighter' into the main film, features different extras, and even includes the Blu-ray release of the motion comic. While WB often puts its larger box sets back into print without any fanfare down the road, those wanting to see the closest adaptation of the comic books will have to plunk down some serious coin for this awesome release.

The Criterion Collection:

With the two yearly 50% off sales at Barnes & Noble, many Blu-ray fans may already have a massive load of these discs from the art house distributor. Still, much like Pokemon, hardcore collectors gotta catch 'em all! Some of the past releases in particular worth gifting include: 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' - Nicholas Roeg's science fiction tale of alienation starring rocker David Bowie is a curiosity and an acquired taste, to be sure, but is also a film that has as many flashes of brilliance as it does failure. Is he truly an alien, or an insane human? Does it matter? Watch it for Bowie's superb performance, and pick it up if you see it, as this release has gone out-of-print, and may be the next Criterion to skyrocket in price.

'The Seventh Seal' - Ingmar Bergman's dark and brooding analysis of life and death is iconic, legendary, and truly awesome. This is a fact, not just an opinion. Europe's brush with the black plague centuries ago doesn't have a better film capturing the time, or those living in a time where dying is the only escape. Perhaps best known for the scenes portraying Max von Sydow challenging Death to a chess game, this classic is an absolute must own, one of Sweden's crown gems.

'Kagemusha' - Akira Kurosawa. Need I say more? This Criterion release marked the first domestic release of the famed director's work on Blu-ray, and it may well be the least known, considering the others are the legendary 'Seven Samurai,' 'Sanjuro'/'Yojimbo,' and the botched release of 'Ran.' Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, 'Kagemusha' represents one of the last samurai films from the late great.

'Bottle Rocket' - Everyone has to start somewhere, and for Wes Anderson and the Wilson brothers (Luke and Owen), that place was 1996's 'Bottle Rocket,' a remake of the 1992 short of the same name. Amateur in effort, and lacking the fun hooks and polish that make his later films memorable, this quirky crime caper holds a special place in the hearts of Anderson's devoted followers. If you see the recent release of'The Darjeeling Limited' in your giftee's collection, and not this (or vice-versa), this Christmas challenge just got simple.

Magnolia Titles:

I know, it's a little odd to include an entire studio in this article, but many of the releases from this company have gone under the radar, despite being excellent films, and since they often aren't found at major retail stores, these goodies are cheap and easy alternatives to the new releases flooding stores. The best known release on the format from this company is easily 'Let the Right One In,' which was remade recently as 'Let Me In,' however, the issue concerning the subtitles and the difficulty in finding the fixed discs makes it difficult to recommend here.

'District 13 Collection' - Hardcore Parkour! The extreme sport, which has a great visual flare due to the extreme stunts on display, is the highlight of this film two pack, featuring the original film ('District B13') and the too-similar sequel ('District 13: Ultimatum'). A great price on two fun films for the action junkie in all of us, these popcorn movies are sure to bring applause and awe.

'Bronson' - A look at one of the world's most infamous prisoners, 'Bronson' features future megastar Tom Hardy in a career defining role as the violence-prone psychopath. Accessible to those who don't even know who Michael Peterson is, and to those who follow the Free Bronson cause, this borderline anarchist look at a borderline anarchist is a must see!

'The War Within' - And speaking of must see films, the already forgotten 'The War Within' is sure to push some buttons in viewers, considering the viewpoints portrayed within, as this film follows a would-be suicide bomber after his sleeper cell fails, and he is on the lam, debating whether he should still follow through with his mission. It's not often we get a film this good, on a subject this extreme. Just be sure to not gift this title to anyone who has had a terrorist attack change their life. Just show foresight on this one.

'World's Fastest Indian' - A feel-good story if ever there were one, this biopic starring Anthony Hopkins is an absolute hit. Titled 'Burt Munro' in many countries, after the man who set a landspeed record portrayed in the film, this title is as infectious as Hopkins (as Munro)'s personality is to everyone he meets within. A great pick up for obscure sports fans, or racing fanatics.

'World's Greatest Dad' - A feel-awful story if ever there were one, this film represents the polar opposite reaction of 'World's Fastest Indian.' Robin Williams shines in his dramatic role (where he often does), as a father who forges a diary of his deceased son, who was an absolute disgusting human being, bringing with it unpredictable results. Foul mouthed and borderline offensive, yet strangely hilarious, this one is for the dark comedy fan in your life. Bonus points if they live in Seattle! Emerald City residents should recognize many Greenlake locales throughout the film!

Other suggestions: 'Splinter,' 'The Eclipse,' 'Eden Log,' 'The Great Buck Howard,' and 'Two Lovers.'

Horror:

This genre's fans are known for loving the most obscure, random titles possible, due to their originality, and there is an absolute glut of the titles on the format, with more and more coming each year, many of which aren't hitting stores.

'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' - Before Michael Rooker's career went all 'Mallrats,' it had a few bits of awesome sprinkled in for good measure, the best possibly being this dramatization of Henry Lee Lucas and his crimes. This may be one of the best unknown horror films ever made, seemingly forgotten by time, and left for new generations of fans to stumble upon. If your friend or family member is big on horror, but doesn't have 'Henry,' it's time to change that.

The 'Puppet Master' Films: 'Puppet Master' and 'Puppet Master: Axis of Evil' are the very definition of cult films. These stories of puppets brought to life, who terrorize their victims in odd ways are certainly curiosities, and definitely arrived on Blu-ray with a whimper, due to their delayed release to further push the limited edition box set. 'Axis of Evil' is a real stinker, but horror fanatics usually don't care so much about things like that.

'Ichi the Killer' and 'Versus' - Tokyo Shock didn't earn any fans when they kept delaying and delaying their first releases, which are among the best in their catalog. They also didn't earn any favors with the "mixed" quality of their first two Blu-ray titles. However, these two completely over-the-top horror goodies are superb fun, the first being an exercise in Sado-Massochism, the second one of the weirdest zombie films ever made. Since most fans gave up on these releases ever being released, they may make for a great smile on Christmas morning. Besides, nothing says Christmas quite like buckets of blood!

'Dead Snow' - Speaking of Christmas, this Norwegian horror-comedy only has snow in common with the holiday, as a legion of Nazi soldiers, frozen to death and turned into zombies, stalk and slaughter a group of vacationing students. It's dark, unrelenting, and absolutely disgusting, a great nod to genre fans. To quote the poster, "Ein Zwei Die!"

'Shadow: Dead Riot' - Shlock horror, but horror none-the-less, this horror flick mixes female prison drama (with loads of nudity) with supernatural army tension. The result? A Tony Todd led exploitation film that features low production values, nudity, bad acting, nudity, serial killer spirits, nudity, and nudity. Yep, a guilty pleasure, but one that isn't found in stores, and can be found dirt cheap. A supplementary buy.

Other suggestions: 'Audition,' 'Death Note Collection,' 'Red Riding Trilogy,' 'Hardware,' 'The Breed,' 'I Sell the Dead,' 'Stuck,' and 'Plague Town.'

Blue Underground:

I couldn't just pick one Blue Underground title for the horror shopping suggestions, especially since these titles, most of which are classics, are so influential on the genre. I can't run down every title in the catalog, but of particular note: 'Bad Boy Bubby' - Oh, man, oh man. It's hard to put this film in words. An absolutely crazy acid trip of a film, with a break-out performance by Nicholas Hope, disturbing visuals, unsettling scenery, and a look at the world through the eyes of a man who is truly insane. Hope is absolutely amazing in this messed up film that defies convention and logic. Buy two copies: one for your giftee, and one for yourself, and marvel at the transformation into "Pop."

'The Stendhal Syndrome' - No list of obscurities would be complete without mentioning the works of Dario Argento, one of Italy's masters of horror. This film has extreme content, with themes of kidnapping, torture, and rape, but it also is a damn fine giallo film with promising acting, superb locations, and a constant sense of despair. It's not for everyone, but it's possibly the best Argento film on Blu-ray in the states.

'The Crazies' - Before the 2010 film of the same name made me want to never watch a horror remake ever again in my life, this 1973 George Romero flick contrasted visuals we're familiar with, against themes we're not. Groups of men in hazmat suits gathering civilians into camps, eliminating the stragglers, as a chemical outbreak causes the infected to go insane. A film with tons of symbolism, that puts the remake to absolute damn shame. If your giftee (or you) own the remake, and not the original, change that. Immediately.

'The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue' - A different kind of zombie movie. A creepy, odd, yet strangely entertaining horror flick. A hard-to-find Blu-ray title, that is stocked as frequently as '3 Mo' Divas.' With the current trendiness of the undead, digging into the past of the walkers can yield a ton of enjoyment, and this obscure flick is definitely worthy of a blind buy. It may not be the best zombie flick on Blu-ray from Blue Underground, but it is the most unique.

Other suggestions: the entire catalog, including 'Django,' 'City of the Living Dead,' 'The New York Ripper,' 'Uncle Sam,' 'The Toolbox Murders,' 'Vampyres,' 'The Prowler,' 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage,' and 'Dead & Buried.'

Adult-Themed Films:

Blu-ray isn't just for television shows and movies. There are some adult-themed titles that also double as films, and numerous more that are nothing more than pornographic content. I cannot recommend buying a family member (eek!) porn, but for the friends with bizarre tastes

'Caligula' - If you haven't heard of 'Caligula,' then chances are it isn't for you. This infamous Penthouse co-production, starring Malcolm McDowell, Peter O'Toole, and Helen Mirren (yes, that Helen Mirren), is scatterbrained, nonsensical, foul, sometimes hilarious, and occasionally erotic. This is definitely not your traditional Christmas gift!

'In the Realm of the Senses' - The most extreme Criterion Collection title available on Blu-ray (though some may argue for the recently released 'Antichrist'), this Japanese drama wasn't even screened uncensored (or allowed to be processed) in its own country of origin! It portrays non-simulated sexual content, and an actual story behind it (heaven forbid!). At the very least, this is a way to give a Criterion fan another spine number in their collection.

'9 Songs' - I reviewed it, and I hated it. That doesn't mean you or your giftee will feel the same, though. '9 Songs' is a journey through a couple and their relationship, emotional and sexual, through the course of a short period of time. It's oddly balanced, with more sex than, you know, talking, and even more concert-going than either. This title is only known due to the way it treats two people like puppets. Fornicating, naked puppets.

'The Story of O' - S&M. Kinky, right? What about domination? 'The Story of O,' based on the French novel Histoire d'O, delves into a level of kink that none of the other films here do, thought it does so with a level of class that none of the others do. This may be the film of this group best viewed with a significant other, and as such, the easiest and most recommended to be gifted this holiday season.

Other suggestions: Not going to happen.

The Classics:

How are these obscure, you ask? Try finding them on the second hand market. Try finding them in stores, even! These historical films are truly representative of the best of cinema, yet they aren't the most well-known releases on the format, despite deserving to be.

'Battleship Potemkin' - Public domain has never been so awesome. Sergei Eisenstein's silent classic from 1925, depicting a mutiny against the regime in 1905, was a huge stepping stone in the history of cinema, particularly for the use of montage. There are few Russian films on Blu-ray, and even fewer good ones. This one? Greatness. A must for any collector with even a hint of classic cinema in their collection.

'Gigi' and 'An American in Paris' - This pair of Best Picture Academy Award winners, released concurrently, have many similarities, but its their differences that make both so enjoyable. These musical tales of love and romance can sweep you off your feet, or set you in a mood of deep sorrow, but most definitely they will stay with you for long after you finish viewing them. Both can be found relatively cheap new, due to their relatively low MSRPs, and there are even rumblings of some golden Academy Award slipcovers on the horizon...after Christmas, sadly.

'It's a Wonderful Life' - Much like 'The Seventh Seal,' this film and its iconic idea have been parodied and homaged to death, and for good reason, as this truly is one of the greats. What's truly bizarre about this release is the fact that, a year after its release, there hasn't been a single real sale on it, or a price drop in the aftermarket. There is no glut of available product (as none of the buyers are turning into sellers), another indication that people are satisfied, both with the film, and the disc. In a few years, this one may see a price drop, but it will never be in the bottom third of the pricing barrel for the entire format.

'Akira' - The revolutionary anime, the one that just so happens to be the first anime most people stateside ever saw, is a revolutionary Blu-ray, the first to feature a 192kHz audio track. The first pressing, with an artbook and slipbox, is among the rarer titles on the format, while the version currently found on shelves is identical in disc content, just without the added goodies. An absolute must own title, regardless of tastes, this is one disc that will elicit a huge thank you from any home theater enthusiast.

Other suggestions: 'The African Queen,' 'That's Entertainment!,' 'Doctor Zhivago,' 'A Star is Born,' 'The Diary of Anne Frank,' 'Pride and Prejudice,' and 'Gojira.'

Inexpensive Anime and Animation:

While I listed a few Anime titles in the expensive section of this article, there are plenty of Anime and animated titles that deserve attention, yet have faded to obscurity, most likely due to stores not stocking them.

'Tekkon Kinkreet' and 'Paprika' - These two anime releases, distributed by Sony, may have recently seen an MSRP drop (to 24.98, making sale prices even less!), but they never were widespread, treated by most retail stores like the most independent of features. 'Paprika' is a trip if ever there were one, but a satisfying one, while 'Tekkonkinkreet' is a bizarre journey through things we'll never see or understand fully. Great deals, great discs, almost great films. Pretty sound purchases for Anime lovers.

'Escaflowne: The Movie' - I've been to many stores, seeking out Blu-ray titles, and not once, not once have I seen this film on any shelf. 'Escaflowne' is a somewhat classic film, even if it will never be considered a top tier title, that has a nice hook and some very engaging action sequences. The price hasn't dropped beneath a twenty spot in its year of release, and doesn't figure to any time soon. Considering stores are less than likely to stock it with every passing day, this title can be considered hard to find, because good luck finding it. If you can, just buy it.

'G.I. Joe: The Movie' - Go Joe! Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release of the 'Joe' film has gone so far under the radar it may as well be underground at this point. The cartoon classic film, which features former wrassler Sergeant Slaughter, and a changing of the guard, as it were, is both ridiculously fun and stupid, at the same time. Sure, a poisonous snake through (through!) the heart should kill, but so should fighting on the Statue of Liberty. It appears likely we'll never see the entire animated series on Blu-ray, and the live action movie is hardly any compensation, so this may be the closest we ever get!

'Samurai Champloo: The Complete Collection' - Now this one is tough, for two reasons: 1- the Blu-ray got murdered by DNR. 2- Amazon.com lists two editions of the Blu-ray, with a supposedly upcoming released branded with VC. Anime fans will recognize these initials as being Viridian Collection, a term used on discounted anime box set releases. But that's March, and we're talking December, and, for good measure, an incredibly credible source inside FUNimation informed me that this upcoming release is a repackage, not a remaster. 'Samurai Champloo' is a great series, even if it doesn't come close to measuring up to the director's past works, and is beyond entertaining, making it a great gift, for youths or adults alike.

Other suggestions: 'Afro Samurai: The Complete Murder Sessions,' 'Full Metal Panic? - FUMOFFU: The Complete Series,' 'Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder,' 'Donkey X,' and 'Dragon Hunters.'

Troma:

Lloyd Kaufman's company is a fan favorite series of random shlock cinema, and their Blu-ray catalog is currently brief, but full of goodies. These are for fans of extreme films, who aren't easily offended by the perverse or extreme. The titles look and sound quite poor, but they may still be a big step up from their respective DVD releases.

'Poultreygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead' - An indictment of the American fast food franchises as much as it is a parody, this absolutely fowl (get it?) Tromaville instant classic is part-musical, part-romance, and part-zomedy...chicken zomedy, but zomedy nonetheless. One of the best films made by the label, with huge replay value, and tons of laughs and shock value. Definitely a great pick up for comedy or horror fanatics, even if it is a typically awful Troma disc, low on quality, but loaded to the brim with extras.

'Tromeo and Juliet' - Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo + Juliet' may sell a thousand times more copies than this twisted take on the star cross'd lovers, but even for all its originality, it doesn't hold a candle to the Troma take on Shakespeare, which is about as punk as any film based off the bard's works ever will be. Also, it features far more lesbianism than even ol' Bill ever would have written into his works. Well worth a watch, and it makes for a nice gag gift, if nothing else.

'Dark Nature' - This isn't your traditional Troma title. There's no Tromaville in sight. Sadly. Instead, it's a twisted semi-horror tale that doesn't quite take off, rolling the credits before there's any significant or enjoyable sequence. 'Dark Nature' is a cheapie title, and a good add to a real horror collection, but it's for the most hardcore of horror fans only.

'Class of Nuke 'Em High' - Troma's take on American business and their immoral, illegal actions as well as a take on the wild youth culture (a theme perfected in 'Battle Royale'), this horror comedy revolves around the negative effects that nuclear waste exposure has on the students of Tromaville's high school. The results are predictable only in that they're the typical Troma random insanity.

Special Interest:

Not all titles are easy to group into a genre. Some films defy genre, completely, though few reinvent the wheel. These titles are from groupings that will appeal to a specific group of people, and possibly few else; however, they deserve some attention for the risks they take, or the messages and themes they portray.

'Hounddog' - Remember when this film hit the news circuit, due to the fact that it features the rape of a child, played by Dakota Fanning? Once it faded from the news channels, it faded into obscurity, dumped on home video, and again onto Blu-ray, virtually unknown to most consumers. This is not a fun film. It's difficult, to say the very least. Not even the constant allusions and references to the works of Elvis can make this one an easy, enjoyable viewing. It's almost guaranteed that your gift recipient doesn't have this title.

Roger Corman Classics - While I'm not a big fan of the price points these titles have been fetching, this collection of Corman produced films ('Forbidden World,' 'Galaxy of Terror,' 'Rock 'N' Roll High School,' 'Death Race 2000,' 'Piranha,' 'Humanoids from the Deep,' and 'StarCrash') is the perfect B-movie fodder that ages gracefully, rather than horribly. These oddball films are high on character, and replay value, and equally high on price. Film fans should light up at the addition of these genre films to their collections.

'Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter' - One of the worst looking and sounding Blu-rays on the market, this MVD release is all kinds of terrible. Yet, at the same time, it's quite hilarious, in a "what the hell did I just see" sort of way. It's incredibly stupid, so poorly made that it makes high school movies look like the work of an auteur. Yet, it's also quite awesome, in a blasphemous way. The power of Christ impales you...err...compels you to buy this Blu-ray. If Jesus is the reason for the season, 'Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter' is....well...it's something else!

'It Might Get Loud' - A new look at a music documentary, featuring Jack White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page, each representing a particular era of the history of the electric guitar. The end result is beyond fascinating, even if there is very little time with the three jamming together. Music fans, regardless of taste, should find something to enjoy here, with the honest look at the participants and their nostalgic looks at their origins.

Other suggestions: 'Tommy,' 'Gunnin' for That #1 Spot,' 'The Final Countdown,' 'Eyeborgs,' 'Inglorious Bastards,' 'Company,' and 'He Was a Quiet Man.'

Drama:

A flair for the dramatic, have you (or your gift recipient)? Then check out some of these little gems, that were seemingly forgotten the moment they were released.

'A River Runs Through It' - Brad Pitt, back in the days when the ladies would melt at the sight of the hunk, in a role where his shirt finds its way off his back on a few occasions. Yeah, this is one for the ladies, in that regard, but this tale of a family, and their shared love for fishing paralleling their relationship with each other, is an absolutely fabulous character study. A digibook release from Sony that hasn't seen a single price drop, that was never readily found in stores, this one has something for almost everyone.

'The Counterfeiters' - A stunning tale from the concentration camps, this WW2 film about the prisoners who got better treatment than the rest, in return for their work in creating counterfeit bills of the Nazi's enemies is a fascinating, gripping story, though it makes for a difficult watch for some, due to the horrible conditions, even for these pampered prisoners. Ethics in the face of sure death make for wonderful human dramas, and this one has as much a moral question as any other film on the format.

'Go' - Forgotten after it hit theaters and then DVD, this flick is already forgotten again, after its Blu-ray release. With its memorable soundtrack, and a really fresh young cast, this converging storyline flick was a bit ahead of its time. An inexpensive catalog title, 'Go' is a great supplementary gift, a "go with" title, for sure.

'Five Minutes of Heaven' - If you had a chance to take revenge against a man who killed your brother before your very eyes, would you be deterred by the presence of cameras, as they prepare for a face-to-face confrontation? This dramatic thriller, starring Liam Neeson, has it where it counts, and has plenty of it. It's very well made, and thought out, and a wonderful look at the way we change the lives of those around us, as well as ourselves.

Other suggestions: 'Tell No One,' 'Disgrace,' 'Hamlet,' 'Becket,' 'The Baader Meinhof Complex,' 'The Stoning of Soraya M.,' 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' and 'The Horseman.'

Store Exclusives:

If you want to buy, or buy for someone, a title not currently owned, the easiest route may be with the least available titles, and store exclusives are a good definition of such. There are numerous store exclusives, though these may be among the best known, due to the fact that there are no known release dates for other retailers or chains.

'Legendary,' an amateur wrestling themed film, starring WWE's John Cena, can be found at Best Buy stores (as well as numerous WWE events and compilations set for release in February, as well as 'The John Cena Experience'), along with 'The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!,' a foul and uncensored spin-off from the canceled animation program. Wal-Mart stores have a few exclusives of their own, with two classic animation series getting new films, in 'Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes,' and 'Scooby Doo: Camp Scare,' as well as the pilot episode for 'The Jensen Project,' a show that wasn't picked up, making it an odd artifact. Target has sole distribution on Tim Allen's directorial film, 'Crazy on the Outside,' which he also stars in.

Other Random Suggestions:

No matter how many themed lists I include, there will always be titles left out in the cold that deserve some attention here. The best of the rest of the forgotten and obscure.

'Universal Soldier: Regeneration'' - The second coming of the direct-to-video action feature, starring post-'JCVD' Jean-Claude Van Damme and briefly starring Dolph Lundgren, this actioner is beyond good. Given some better production values (budget), and it would have been one of the all time greats. Scary thought, that. I went into the film expecting another junk release, and got blown out of the water. Many will judge this book by its cover, but don't let it stop you.

'Franklyn' - Nihlistic future full of intrigue meets modern tale of mental health. 'Franklyn' is a hard to forget film, with its superb themes and casting, and a (somewhat) predictable twist that gives the film a bit of replay value. A good buy for sci-fi films, due to the dystopia portrayed within, while also a nice dramatic piece.

'Outlander'' - Futuristic hunter gets stuck in Iron Age. Futuristic hunter brings devastating monster along for the ride, unknowingly. Iron Age viking clan screwed. That about sums up 'Outlander,' in as few words as possible, but this actioner is well worth the watch, a mix of past and future that adds a nice twist to a tired genre full of failures ('Pathfinder,' all eyes on you).

'The Order' - Religious drama/horror. 'The Exorcist'' and 'The Omen' made the sub-genre watchable. 'The Order' makes it...convoluted. Still, this Heath Ledger film, about some lesser known Catholic belief (sin eaters), is an interesting, odd, sometimes frustrating feature. This one goes well for fans of either series mentioned above, or Ledger fans, as there is no other reason this film, of all films, got a Blu-ray release this year. And it's dirt cheap right now, too.

'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' - This internet mini-series, created during the writer's strike, is all kinds of win. Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day bring down the house in this humorous musical blog, the brainchild of Joss Whedon. It's short, sweet, and makes the rumored sequel that much more anticipated. Buy it for the music, the story, or the originality. Just buy it for yourself and anyone else who hasn't seen it.

'War, Inc.'/'The Contract'/'The Proposition'/'Immortal' - This set of First Look Pictures Blu-ray releases has a nice package, great price, and, well, mixed values in terms of films included. 'The Proposition' is a great western, and is worthy of a buy by its lonesome (in the original release or recent combo release), and 'War Inc' is as close to a 'Grosse Point Blank' sequel as we'll ever see. 'The Contract?' Painful, but who knows, maybe your giftee is a masochist. 'Immortal?' Odd, to say the least. It's a great bargain for the set on Amazon, and a rip off at Best Buy. Take that as a hint.

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The Biggest Blu-ray Blunders, and Why They Have to Stop!

Fri Aug 27, 2010 at 01:30 PM ET
Tags: Nate Boss, Industry Trends, High-Def Retailing (all tags)

Straight Talk with Nate Boss

Blu-ray has been on the market for over four years now, and the usual growing pains have mostly come and gone. Yet some studios are still making mistakes that simply should not happen, mistakes that are easy to correct, or avoid altogether.

Here is a list of flat out blunders that studios commit, to show that no company has the perfect business model quite yet. Please note that player issues are not touched upon here, unless it is a problem caused by a spec on a disc itself. Player compatibility and playback issues are a whole other beast.

Television support - Are you a fan of 'Burn Notice' 'Prison Break,' or 'How I Met Your Mother?' What about 'Rescue Me,' 'Nip/Tuck,' or 'Damages?' Surely, if you are, you picked up the releases of these shows when they hit Blu-ray, but then something happened. The next season appeared, and it was DVD only. Suddenly your collection is DVD, DVD, Blu-ray, DVD. That's pretty freaking hideous. That's the boat you're stuck in, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Poor sales have caused studios to axe certain television releases from the Blu-ray schedule, leaving single seasons of a show available, with none of their companion pieces. This doesn't exactly make consumers happy, studios. If you commit to putting a show on Blu-ray, you need to follow through. Who knows, maybe your MSRP was too high and you doomed your own release. Maybe you created a hideously ugly release ('Burn Notice: The Complete Second Season,' I'm lookin' at you!), or simply overestimated your target audience's interest in the show. Just remember one thing, studios: you released previous seasons on DVD, and now you're putting out a show, but not starting from the beginning. Consumers may be more interested in a purchase if you release the whole show up to that point (if possible).

Has this problem been fixed? No. Fox and Sony have made some serious blunders in this regard by not even making announcements, leaving fans totally hanging. It seems only Universal is on the ball when it comes to television shows, bringing us each successive release, regardless of sales. I can't imagine the second, third, and fourth seasons of 'Heroes' sold all that well (especially considering ratings and word of mouth), but Universal still did fans a solid. Now they just have to go back and give us all of the previous seasons of 'The Office!'

Early Fox/MGM catalog pricing - Lately, MGM and Fox have been one of the best studios in terms of pricing their catalog titles, with many topping out at 19.99, including DVD copies of the film. This may be an attempt to make good for the way early titles like 'Hoosiers' or 'Behind Enemy Lines' debuted with an MSRP of $39.99 (!), the standard price point for new releases from many studios, for years. This helped propagate the theory that upgrading to Blu-ray would be too damn expensive, and surely scared off some consumers in the format war years.

Has this problem been fixed? Yes, amazingly so.

Paramount says sayonara to Blu-ray - With every major studio releasing titles on Blu-ray these days, it's funny to look back and see those that held out for the longest time, with Universal single-handedly keeping a competitor format alive for a few years, and the Criterion Collection sitting out the format war altogether. Paramount struck possibly the only major blow to Blu-ray during these formative years, going from releasing on both formats to HD DVD only...until HD DVD folded. Released titles went out of print (with a few reaching insane price points...imagine spending $80 on 'Shooter,' or 'We Were Soldiers' nowadays), and even with Paramount back in the fold for some time now, they still haven't 100% caught up on titles they released on “the other format” (though they are damn, damn close).

Has this problem been fixed? Almost.

Missing Supplement packages - Film collectors often buy and re-buy titles, sometimes solely to get new, extensive extras. Some are amazingly deep, while others obviously are thrown together by a blind editor working in part with a publicist. DVD editions of films are often two or three discs, so that they can get the entire package of goodies to the customer, yet with Blu-ray, many times this extra content disappears, often so the studio can use a smaller (less expensive) disc. 'The Thing' and 'Man on Fire' are just two examples of when the studios decided to go it on the cheap, and MGM/Fox's recent wave of DVD/Blu-ray combo packs don't fix this issue. To listen to a commentary, one shouldn't have to put in the DVD. This is just getting rid of old stock, allowing them to skimp out on the Blu-ray editions, and sets a dangerous precedent moving forward. Imagine two generations from now, the same damn 1997 DVD being put in releases so we can see a damn theatrical trailer. One could also single out the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy in this issue, as they recycled old as hell DVDs for the second discs for each film, but since those discs are 100% extras, this isn't as major an issue.

Has this issue been fixed? No, in fact, this is one matter that has gone from a minor nuisance to a major pain within the last year. Packing a DVD in a release for bonus value/portability is great, but it is not a way to not have to put extras on the Blu-ray. It's just tacky. A bonus DVD should be exactly that, not a portion of the release to be relied on to get the full experience.

Early upconverts - Full disclosure is a great thing, particularly when throwing down the money for a complete series on Blu-ray, yet early FUNimation anime titles did not clearly indicate on the packaging if they were truly HD, or merely HD upconverts. Additionally, many of the early anime series releases were quite poor in video quality (and featured large discrepancies between audio quality between the native track and the dub mixes).

Has this problem been fixed? Yes. FUNimation now labels their releases “Native HD” or “Upconvert” in the technical specs section of the packaging, and includes lossless mixes on both the English and Japanese mixes. Additionally, the upconverts seem to be improving dramatically in quality.

BD-Live - Remember when DVD-rom compatibility was touted as such a great feature on DVD releases? The way BD-Live is going, it's already on the same path to obsolescence. There was a big to-do concerning player profiles, and compatibility by not having a finalized spec, but those who bought players that could “do it all” ended up getting a massive headache. Pre-menu load screens have doubled in many cases (with Universal releases sometimes having three load screens before a menu, which is utterly ridiculous), and the attempts to download trailers pre-menu have created massive issues with users not being able to play the movie they just bought/rented.

Has this problem been fixed? A resounding no. In fact, this issue is only getting worse. It seems less than 5% of all releases with BD-Live have any film exclusive content (sharing bookmarks does not count, folks. No one gives a rat's ass about that), while “enhanced” tracks through BD-Live, like Sony's MovieIQ, are a real pain, and are nowhere near as entertaining as traditional trivia tracks. Every week consumers are having problems with their new releases, and more and more have to disconnect their player from the internet to even get to menus.

Pre-menu trailers and menu issues - Don't you hate buying a release, then having to sit through, or manually skip, up to six trailers before you hit the menu? Isn't it great when they don't allow you to just skip them all with the touch of the top menu button? Fox gave way to James Cameron, and didn't put any trailers before 'Avatar,' but lately more and more garbage precedes the content we pay for.

Additionally, Warner Brothers has received all kinds of hell for having their films play without prompting a menu, often defaulting to a lossy mix if both lossy and lossless were available (a problem that Alliance also perpetuates to this day). Now, they've gone in the exact opposite direction: tons of pre-menu trailers, but no auto-play (thankfully), and a lossless default. Instead of giving consumers what they want, one set of problems was traded for another.

Has this problem been fixed? No. It's only getting worse. A single pre-menu trailer with no “top menu” skipping isn't a big deal, but lately Lionsgate has been more than aggressive when it comes to this practice, and Sony isn't backing down, either. All these trailers are found in the menu, anyways, so it should be our choice whether we want to watch them, not mandated. We don't pay to get advertisements shoved down our throats, studios!

Disc cramming - The audio and video qualities of a disc are directly linked to how much other content is on said disc. A BD25 may be enough for a film with a lossless track to still shine, but throw in four commentaries and three hours of extra features, even in standard def, and chances are the quality of the release will suffer. Yes, this new format can hold more per disc, but that doesn't mean that the quality won't suffer when content is force fed onto the release.

Has this problem been fixed? No. Many studios have listened to consumers and reviewers, and give films ample space to breathe on a disc. However, some discs still get put out that could have been so much better. I have no doubt in my mind that the egregious banding in 'Batman: Under the Red Hood' wouldn't have been an issue at all if the film were on a BD50 disc, and while titles from Troma, or the Roger Corman classics line from Shout! Factory may not have the visual and audio potential mainstream films do, they have way too much content on a BD25 to not affect quality.

Proper Region Code marking - Wouldn't it be nice if all it took was a glance at the back of a package to see whether you could play a disc? Importing would be so much easier, wouldn't it? That isn't the case. Companies like Paramount don't even use the symbols, others (mostly small distributors that don't know any better, or Alliance out of Canada) use the old DVD coding, which is ass backwards, and some mess up even more than that. Fox has a habit of putting the Region A (no B or C) insignia on their domestic releases, even if they're Region A/B/C, even if the Fox releases of these titles from other countries (like 'Kalifornia' in Germany, or 'Elektra' in Hong Kong) are marked properly.

Has this problem been fixed? Somewhat. FUNimation, Disney, and Sony are always on the money with their code marking, but the ones making the mistakes aren't fixing it. In fact, there have been over fifty Alliance releases now, that are exclusive to them, and they still put the Region 1 marking on packaging.

Proper aspect ratio - Speaking of Alliance...there are few things worse than a film being released in its improper aspect ratio. 'Se7en' is meant to be a 2.35:1 film, not a 1.78:1, made from a movie-channel transfer altered to fit modern big screen televisions. 'Gulliver's Travels' was made in 1.33:1, and by no means should the top and bottom of the image be chopped off so that it fits a newer television screen better.

Has this problem been fixed? It isn't a big enough issue that “a fix” is all that possible. In the old days of DVD (man, how time flies), releases would come on a flipper, for widescreen and (improper) fullscreen editions, or even get two editions, so consumers would have to keep an eye out (some not marked properly on the front cover, creating a massive mess). Now, less and less DVDs come out in the wrong ratio. People are learning, but some studios never will. Some are limited to what they get, but if it isn't right, don't release it at all. Doing so only does the format, and the consumer, a disservice.

Language issues - This issue is a two-parter. Disney made a terrible mistake with their 'Ultimate Force of Four' titles, by giving each film a lossless dub mix, while giving the authentic language mixes lossy only. In the case of 'The Legend of Drunken Master,' there is no sign of the Cantonese track anywhere.

Additionally, Canada is a wonderful place. When importing titles from up north, there are these small differences that cannot be missed. For example, the way most packages have bi-lingual writing on them, both French and English, due to the country being dual-languaged. That's fine and dandy, but when a country is bi-lingual, so, too, should be the releases. Some titles (such as 'Killshot' or 'The Tournament') don't have a French dub, or subtitles, or even French writing on the packaging, while others (most particularly 'Amelie' and the 'Millenium' films (you know, 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' 'The Girl Who Played with Fire,' and 'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest'), have no English options, dub or sub, due to rights issues being split in the country. The thought that a dual-language country needs to split distribution rights based off language compatibility is a joke, if anything, especially when the second releases of these titles, you guessed it, often still have their French options, as well as English.

Has this problem been fixed? Kind of. 'Amelie' is getting another release (yep, folks, a double-dip) that is supposed to correct the language barrier issues, and even include supplements. That said, the 'Millennium Trilogy' films are new releases, so that just goes to show how little effort is being put out by a certain company. As for the 'Ultimate Force of Four' films, and other titles that give priority to dubs, there is no fix in sight.

Forced double-dips - Re-releasing a film after it has been on the market for years, with an upgraded transfer, better audio, or a metric ton of new extras is fine and dandy. What isn't acceptable, though, is releasing films exclusively in box sets, coupled with titles that have already been released. The big stinker here? Sony. There's no way in hell a fan of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' didn't pick up 'House of Flying Daggers' and 'Curse of the Golden Flower' when they were released, but Sony decided that in the USA, 'Tiger' should only be available in a box set with the two other films. Other countries got the release by its lonesome (including a Steelbook in the UK), and only very recently did 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' get a standalone release.

Has this problem been fixed? In the case of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' yes. However, this has happened before, and will happen again.

Where in the world is 007 - Bond, James Bond has found his way on Blu-ray, somewhat, with the two newer features, as well as about half of the catalog. The titles have been put in three packs, ten packs, and an eleven pack, and individually have been priced to move. That's great, and all, but what about 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service,' or 'Goldeneye?' Why are we getting double dips on the 'Rocky' films, or niche horror titles and obscurities, instead of helping fans complete their collections?

Has this problem been fixed? No, and it may never be. However, when/if it finally does find some closure, look forward to the forced double-dip issue, having to buy all the films in one box set, as MGM tries to shovel its way out of the sinkhole they created for themselves financially.

Paramount recalls - What better way to instill consumer confidence than to make them send back every disc they ever purchase? That may be Paramount's new strategy. Hey, they're creating jobs by having to man the phone desks for calls fielding return issues, in this tough economy! 'Iron Man' got a recall, and it didn't affect its street date, but both 'Gladiator' and 'Saving Private Ryan' have had mass recalls after street date. Does “Sapphire Series” mean “you'll get a better disc in a year” series? What about all the consumers who aren't aware of these recalls? Congrats, you just got boned.

Has this problem been fixed? No. Sure, Warner had a similar issue on 'Matrix: Revolutions,' and Disney fixed some framing issues with 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl,' but they aren't constant repeat offenders. Paramount must have laid off their entire quality-control branch.

3D bundle exclusives - Did you plop down nearly three thousand on a fancy new 3D set up for your home? If so, do you like the few family films so much that you watch them over, and over, and over, and over? If the studios and manufacturers get their way, you will end up watching 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' or 'Monster House' thirty-nine times, while you wait for the 'Shrek' films, 'Monsters vs Aliens,' or 'How to Train Your Dragon' to be available to purchase in stores without buying a television or $350 starter set. This new sub-format is being crippled from the start, by forcing consumers to pick or choose their setup based on what movie they like more rather than what player, driving the second hand market for titles (on Ebay, for example) to sky high rates, a poacher's dream, just for a handful of payola. This is one of 3D Blu-ray's biggest hurdle right now.

Has this problem been fixed? A resounding no, and it's only getting worse. At least with store exclusives, consumers could help out their fellow high-def viewer. Here, everyone loses. We have the upcoming 'A Christmas Carol' to look forward to...in November. 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' won't be on home video for probably another half a year. 'Avatar?' Yeah, chances are some hardware manufacturer will get that as an exclusive. Congrats, you just spent three thousand bucks to watch children's films, and only a couple of them.

Of course, there have been more blunders than these, though this list is just what bothers me. Stop button issues, lingering timelines that distract one from the film, and wasted technological investments (PocketBlu, seriously?) are all problems, and there are most certainly more issues than these. Do you feel there's an omission in this article, or something about Blu-ray discs that is bugging the hell out of you? Let us know in the forums!

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