Home Media Magazine - October 7-13, 2007 - (Page 38) NEWS Universal Debuts U-Shop Continued from page 1 www.homemediamagazine.com tools from films, with each new release featuring a different set of items for sale. “Where we can go with this will really depend on the creative community,” Graffeo said. “We’re a studio, and our core will be entertainment content.” Collins added: “For the first time you have Universal really going out and taking advantage of the format. Obviously, they’re just scratching the surface.” Graffeo stressed that Universal isn’t looking at the U-Shop concept as a big money maker, but rather as a higher level of interaction for the HD DVD format. “We’re not a retailer, and we don’t want to upset our retailers, either,” Graffeo said. Universal is aware of a couple issues that must be addressed. One is working with other HD DVD providers to be sure the same experiences can be offered by other studios. “It’s almost like when DVD started,” Graffeo said. “We didn’t have DVD production groups.” The other issue is not forcing retail product placements during the movie-watching experience. “What we’ve heard loud and clear is [consumers] don’t want to be forced into anything,” Collins said. Graffeo and Collins both seemed excited about the future possibilities for the interactive, high-def format. Downloadable subtitles for every language? Digitally altered product placements different from the theatrical release? A different movie experience every time you watch? “This is just the beginning,” Graffeo said. “In one year we’re able to do this … which is a testament to the technology.” JUST ANNOUNCED A Weekly Product Update * Superbad STREET DATE Hatchet BOX OFFICE (MILLIONS) Masters of Horror: Dream Cruise TITLE PREBOOK GENRE PRICE Superbad 12/4 11/1 $119.2 Comedy DVD $28.95, BD $43.95 Sony Pictures. 2007. Jonah Hill, Michael Cera. Three high-school misfits search for booze and someone to take their virginity before heading to college. In addition to rated and unrated single-disc versions, and the two-disc Blu-ray, a two-DVD set ($34.95) and a UMD ($24.94) are available. Hatchet 12/18 11/15 Limited Horror DVD $26.97 Starz/Anchor Bay. 2007. Joel David Moore, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab. A tourist group in the New Orleans swamps uncovers the remnants of a horrific event, with deadly consequences. Features cameos by slasher icons Robert Englund, Kane Hodder and Tony Todd. Jerome Bixby’s The Man From Earth 11/13 10/11 DTV Sci-Fi DVD $26.97 Starz/Anchor Bay. 2007. John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford. Based on the last screenplay by acclaimed science-fiction writer Jerome Bixby (the original “Star Trek” series), the film follows the story of a man who’s been alive since the dawn of mankind. Includes two commentaries and four featurettes. Masters of Horror: Norio Tsurata’s Dream 11/13 10/11 Cable Horror DVD $14.98 Gallery Effect a Mixed Bag Continued from page 1 downsizing, but thus far the local store shows no signs of shuttering. “We have to see what happens, but it is all just talk right now,” she said. That sentiment was shared at Videoland in Tustin, Calif., which operates two stores within a few miles of Hollywood Video and Blockbuster. The store manager said she hoped the closures will increase business. Ed Woo, analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, reiterated a previous projection that Gallery will file for bankruptcy this year, resulting in the closure of at least 1,000 stores. He said Gallery’s extensions on outstanding interest payments to lenders expired Sept. 30, which technically allowed creditors to seize control of the company. Carrie Dieterich, VP of marketing and industry relations with the Entertainment Merchants Association, doesn’t see the Gallery closures resulting in a resurgence for independent video stores. “I would assume anytime you are in an area where some of the competition goes away, it is probably a good thing,” she said. “Overall, it depends where [the retailer] gets their customer and where those Movie Gallery customers go.” Ian Leshin, DVD buyer for Newbury Comics, a 27-store music and DVD chain in New England, said the closures underscore the fickle nature of movie rentals. “It is more indicative of a problem that’s been around as opposed to some herald of a new issue of the independent rental business,” Leshin said. “I never like to see a store close when they’re not our direct competitor. I think it is just part of this trend of moving away from rental.” He said Gallery typically priced sellthrough titles higher than Newbury, which he said also carried, a deeper selection of various titles. “But I don’t think displaced customers from there will automatically gravitate to us,” Leshin said. Todd Zaganiacz, president of the National Entertainment Buying Group, which consists of about 300 independent video retailers, expects membership to rise. “Anytime any store closes, neighboring stores typically see a bump in business,” Zaganiacz said. He said Netflix and Blockbuster Total Access will be the primary beneficiaries, especially in underserved areas more than a 20-minute drive from a chain. The closures, he said, will put another nail in the perception of the rental industry. “Losing a major chain will only drop what percentage of rental business is done, opening the door for 800-pound gorillas like Wal-Mart and Best Buy to bully studios with more clout and aggressive deals that erode rental on all levels,” he said. Christine Kim, owner of Get Reel Video in Brooklyn, N.Y., insulated her business against Hollywood Video and Blockbuster by favoring arthouse fare and niche DVD titles. Her strategy, she said, has resulted in earnings growth thus far. Indeed, Kim welcomed the prospect of increased traffic should the local Hollywood Video close its doors. Starz/Anchor Bay. 2007. Daniel Gillies, Ryo Ishibashi. Director Norio Tsurata’s (Premonition) Dream Cruise tells of a lawyer who, despite his fear of the ocean, embarks on a nightmarish boat trip to be near a client’s wife. Includes a commentary track, making-of featurette and a DVD-ROM script. RFK Must Die: The Assassination of 11/20 10/15 DTV Documentary DVD $19.98 Dokument. 2007. Filmmaker Shane O’Sullivan explores the events around Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1968, using archival footage and interviews to conclude that the gunman may not have acted alone. Somebody Help Me 11/13 10/16 DTV Thriller DVD $24.99 Vivendi Visual/Codeblack. 2006. Omarion Grandberry, Marques Houston, Jessica Szohr. A group of friends vacationing in the woods becomes mysteriously killed off one by one. Includes a making-of featurette and a gag reel. The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom 11/27 10/23 DTV Animated DVD $19.98 Universal. 2007. Voices of Cuba Gooding Jr., Sandra Oh. Littlefoot and his friends guide two goofy new dinosaur friends, Loofah and Doofah. Features new original songs. I Am Cuba: The Ultimate Edition 11/20 10/31 Re-release Drama DVD $44.95 DATE CHANGE. New Yorker/Milestone. 1964. Director Mikhail Kalatozov shoots four intertwining stories set in Cuba at the time of Fidel Castro’s communist revolution. Includes an interview with director Martin Scorsese, and documentaries on Kalatozov and the film. Naked Boys Singing! 12/4 11/6 DTV Comedy DVD $22.95 TLA. 2007. Ten singing, naked men perform in this adaptation of the off-Broadway play Naked Boys Singing! Includes the making-of featurette “Nuts & Bolts.” A Perfect Day 12/11 11/8 TV Family DVD $24.96 Sony Pictures. 2006. Rob Lowe, Christopher Lloyd. Based on a novel by Richard Paul Evans, the film tells of a family man and successful author who is told by a mysterious stranger he has only 40 days to live, causing him to re-evaluate his life and devote it to his family. Pan’s Labyrinth 12/26 11/20 Re-release Drama BD, HD DVD $35.99 New Line. 2006. Director Guillermo del Toro’s tale of a girl at a military outpost in fascist 1940s Spain who finds comfort in fantastical creatures to escape her grim surroundings. Among many special features, the Blu-ray has enhanced visual commentary while the HD DVD has Web-connected features. Intimate Affairs (aka Investigating Sex) 12/26 11/27 DTV Comedy DVD $24.98 Universal/Screen Media. 2001. Dermot Mulroney, Terrence Howard, Neve Campbell, Nick Nolte. A scholar enlists two beautiful assistants to help him conduct an investigation into the mystery of sex. Saving Sarah Cain 1/8/08 12/12 DTV Drama DVD $22.98 Fox. 2007. Elliott Gould, Tess Harper. A successful woman travels to Amish country to attend her sister’s funeral, only to find she’s now the legal guardian to her five Amish nieces and nephews. Includes deleted scenes and a making-of featurette. Scenes of a Sexual Nature 1/15/08 12/20 DTV Comedy DVD $27.98 Thinkfilm. 2006. Ewan McGregor, Eileen Atkins, Hugh Bonneville. Set in one afternoon in London, the film explores the sexual details of seven couples. * In order of box office, then prebook date Home Media Magazine October 7–13, 2007 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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