Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007 - (Page 16)

COMMENTARY www.homemediamagazine.com THE BUZZ BY ERIK GRUENWEDEL, SENIOR EDITOR Adult Goes to War hile pundits on both sides of the political aisle last week spun comments about possible U.S. troop reductions in Iraq, Hollywood continued to churn out content on the conflict. Director Brian De Palma last month made the rounds at the Venice Film Festival with his new film, Redacted, which underscores the horrors armed conflict can wreak on communities caught in the crosshairs. The film, which reportedly is based on the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the killing of her family members by U.S. soldiers, is scheduled to be released in 2008 simultaneously in theaters (Mark Cuban’s Landmark Theatres), on DVD (from Magnolia) and on the Internet (HDNet). Initial screenings in the United States caught the ire W [BILL O’ REILLY] SAID DE PALMA’S FILM DID A DISSERVICE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE U.S. ARMY IN IRAQ. HE SAID THE DIRECTOR OF ‘SCARFACE’ HAD A RIGHT TO MAKE THE MOVIE SPOKEN LIKE A FREE-MARKET ENTHUSIAST. of conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly, who said De Palma’s film did a disservice to the men and women of the U.S. Army in Iraq. He said the director of Scarface had a right to make the movie, and Cuban had a right to distribute it. He also said the consumer had a right not to watch. Spoken like a free-market enthusiast. I wonder what he might think about Coming Home, a new feature-length, direct-to-DVD released this week. The fictional account follows Brian Parsons, an Erik Gruenwedel’s e-mail address is egruenwedel@questex.com Army reservist who gets called back to Iraq, leaving behind his girlfriend, Sarah, and best friend, Jimmy, whom he entrusts to look after her. The film features poignant moments and explosive battle scenes. It also contains 10 hardcore safe-sex scenes, hence the three-hour running time. Needless to say, delegating your girlfriend’s loneliness to your buddy (especially a porn star) might not be the best decision. Distributed by Wicked Pictures and directed by award-winner Brad Armstrong, who helped shape Jenna Jameson’s career, Coming Home is not Courage Under Fire or even very good. Then again, it’s not misogynistic or horrific. It’s just consentual sex. READERS’ FORUM I The following letter is in response to Stephanie Prange’s editorial “DVD Continues to Spin on Top” (HM Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2007), in which she said the high-definition formats haven’t yet proven themselves over DVD. T H E Y SAI D I T “WE BELIEVE THAT A MAJORITY [90% OF MOVIE GALLERY DEFECTIONS] LIKELY WILL GO ELSEWHERE AND BECOME BLOCKBUSTER CUSTOMERS.” Michael Pachter, media analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities Consumer’s Two Cents on HD Discs I just read your editorial “DVD Continues to Spin on Top.” I could not agree with you more. As a consumer, I have no interest in upgrading. First off, there is no single format. What you said about having to buy some movies in one format, others in another, was right on target. Secondly, I think people who buy these HD discs are people with money to spend. I am a person of limited means, but I have a pretty healthy collection. I buy my TV shows new, and most movies previously viewed or used. I am not going to jump into HD without a clear winner. Once I have the player, the discs will cost me almost as much as some of my TV DVD sets. Richard Abelow San Jose, Calif. I The following letter is in response to Billy Gil’s editorial “Repackaging Blues” (HM Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2007), in which he said studios have gone a bit far with repurposing old titles, such as multidisc sets of forgotten films, and re-releases of newer films. is getting placement at retail, which drives consumers to the Internet, taking potential revenue out of the stores. We often deal with limited SKUs, substantial slotting fees, accounts that mandate that anything older than three years is unlikely to be carried, and a general lack of interest in the value of anything other than a current film that has studio backing. As much as I might love a movie, the latest re-re-rerelease offers little to compel me to buy what is essentially the same movie again. And each time it’s released, it’s a SKU that doesn’t go to something not previously available that might appeal to one of us aging Boomers (with expendable income). All one needs to do is look at Trans World, the last bastion of the mega-music/video retailers. While their DVD sales increased 7% over the past year, their increased margins came from high-margin catalog fare. This is often the sort of product I’m talking about, where there is limited competition for sales and no need to discount. Smart marketing on their part. And while there are still some other incredibly savvy retailers out there, I wish there were more, for the boomer in all of us. Arny Schorr President, S’more Entertainment Inc. Sherman Oaks, Calif. I The following is a general letter: “IT STANDS TO REASON THE PROBABILITY YOU’LL RUN INTO A SCHEDULE ISSUE IS LESS WITH HD DVD. THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALREADY IN PLACE [FOR HD DVD].” Alan E. Bell, EVP and CTO of Paramount Pictures, at the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo We Want to Hear From You! Please send letters to: Editor, Home Media Magazine 201 East Sandpointe Ave., Suite 500 Santa Ana, CA 92707 E-mail: HomeMediaMagazine@questex.com Fax: 714.338.6712 Include name, business address (city and state) and telephone number. Letters are subject to editing. Remember the Boomers I read your “Repackaging Blues” article with great interest, but I think it goes much deeper than the studios need and desire to keep reformatting previous releases, making them bigger, grander … and ever less pertinent to the realities of the marketplace. There are myriad great releases from independent companies every month where there is built-in consumer awareness, such as films, concerts, TV series and specials. Baby Boomers, of which I am a member, have a great passion for the films, TV and music we grew up with. And there are more than 75 million of us in the United States (about 25% of the total population). The difficulty for those companies that offer such fare Long Live VHS I have yet to have a customer ask for either HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc. I purchased a few Blu-ray Discs when they started but have not put any out for rental and have stopped purchasing them. But, on the other hand, I am still doing almost 30% VHS rental. With more than 40,000 VHS and DVDs in stock, my customers don’t seem to be purchasing any of the newer equipment. Bob Rich Bob Rich Video North Miami, Fla. Join Us Online: www.homemediamagazine.com Visit our Web site to participate in discussion boards and weekly polls on the latest industry issues. 16 Home Media Magazine September 16–22, 2007 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.homemediamagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007

Contents News Commentary TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Christian Entertainment Review

Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007

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