Cashing in as audiences catch up
Repackaging the DVD of a popular movie to hype an upcoming sequel is nothing new, but it’s no longer enough to tack on a preview and throw in a ticket to see the new movie. The strategy has come to involve production of elaborate “collector’s editions” that not only include deleted footage and the requisite preview but add new interviews and even specially produced short films.
“It is being smart from a studio perspective where you collaborate with the theatrical group on releasing a new film and the home entertainment group,” says Marc Rashba, vice president of catalog marketing for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. On April 19 Sony will release “XXX (Uncensored Unrated Director’s Cut)” ($25), which includes eight minutes of additional unrated footage not seen in the theatrical version of the 2002 hit, a complete scene from the upcoming “XXX: State of the Union” and a short, “The Death of Xander,” that bridges the old and new film, which opens April 29.
“Two years ago if you were to put a sneak peek [of the sequel] on your DVD you needed to give yourself a big advance window in front of the movie so the DVD had a certain shelf life. It was important to people to have the sneak, but once the movie came out, it was an old joke: You didn’t need to see a sneak peek.”
To build shelf life into the special editions, “not only do they put the sneak peeks on,” Rashba says, “they really load up on the [extras] and make the DVDs stand up so they last over time and are not specific to just the movie opening.”
Two weeks before the opening of “Be Cool” this past Friday, MGM released a special two-disc collector’s edition ($30) of the 1995 original “Get Shorty,” complete with several new comprehensive documentaries and a deleted scene that featured now-hot Ben Stiller as a cocky young director.
“We are in a franchise era where if there is $20-[million] to $30-million worth of media noise around a franchise for a theatrical property,” says Alex Carloss, senior vice president of marketing for MGM Home Entertainment, “it stands to reason that other products like DVDs will benefit from that noise. So we obviously see it as a huge opportunity to remind people of other movies.”
Even movies the studio in question isn’t releasing. “Last year we used Paramount’s release of ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ to sell 400,000 units of the 1962 original,” Carloss says. “And with Martin Scorsese’s Oscar nominations for ‘The Aviator,’ we used that noise about Martin Scorsese to time the 25th anniversary edition of ‘Raging Bull.’ ”
Hitting the stores today is DreamWorks’ special edition ($27) of its 2002 horror hit, “The Ring.” The sequel, “The Ring Two,” opens in theaters March 18.
The big calling card on the special edition -- the original DVD sold 6 million copies -- is a new 15-minute film “The Rings,” which serves as a bridge between the two films. The last scene of “The Rings” leads into the opening scene of the sequel.
“We found that there are two different audiences” for “The Ring,” says Kelly Sooter, head of domestic marketing for DreamWorks Home Entertainment. “There is the hard-core fan who loves the film and probably bought the DVD when it came out, and because the content [of the special edition] is more relevant to the new movie ... they want be the first one to get a peek.
“Secondly, you have people who missed the first one and ... want to see what they missed.”
Because there is a definite connection between the two “‘Ring” features -- as well as the return of cast members including Naomi Watts and David Dorfman -- “we felt we could come up with a bridge that would be a natural tie,” Sooter says.
Jonathan Liebesman, who helmed the 2003 horror film “Darkness Falls,” directed “Rings,” which stars Ryan Merriman and Emily VanCamp of “The Ring Two.”
A fan of the original, Liebesman knew that “Ring” scribe Ehren Kruger had written a treatment for “Rings” that chronicled the week after Merriman’s character, a high school student, had watched the videotape that leads to the person’s death within seven days unless they get someone else to see it.
Taking Kruger’s treatment, Liebesman added the plot point that high school cliques had formed around viewing the tape -- the thrill being the rush to get someone to watch the tape before your week is up.
The film chronicles Merriman’s video diary of his week and his panicked attempts to get one of his classmates to watch the tape.
After DreamWorks approved his idea, Liebesman had to have a script completed within two days; filming began a week later. “It took 10 days to edit and get the effects done,” Liebesman says.
“It was one of those intense experiences which was really, really cool.”
And the end result is a 15-minute thrill ride that has enough chills to stand on its own.
Sooter says there were discussions about screening “The Rings” in theaters before “The Ring Two,” but it is too long. They are hoping to screen the short at film festivals.
Other special editions arriving soon on DVD:
“Miss Congeniality” deluxe edition (March 15 from Warner Home Video ($25) 10 days before the release of “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.” The DVD includes the obligatory preview of the new film, a movie ticket, additional scenes from the original and a beauty queen quiz hosted by costar William Shatner.
“Amityville Horror” special edition will be released April 5 from MGM ($40). The four-disc set includes all three “Amityville” films and an extra disc of documentaries and other special features. The new “Amityville Horror” opens April 15
Also new this week:
“Ladder 49” (Touchstone, $27) Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta headline director Jay Russell’s old-fashioned drama about the workaday lives of a squad of Baltimore firemen. Above-average extras include a behind-the-scenes documentary, a deconstruction of the opening fire sequence and congenial and informative commentary from Russell.
“Stage Beauty” (Lions Gate, $28): Billy Crudup and Claire Danes star in this handsomely produced historical romance set in England in the 17th century, a time when only men were allowed to act on stage, playing the roles of both sexes. The extras on the DVD add little to the viewing experience.
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DVD sales
Restored ‘Bambi’ brings in the dough
The big news last week was a 63-year-old animated movie from Walt Disney. The newly restored and remastered “Bambi” collectors’ edition DVD sold more than 3 million copies in its first week. Another new release, Fox’s remake of “Flight of the Phoenix,” sold about 1.4 million units. Numbers were not available for two other new DVDs: “Exorcist: The Beginning” and “The SpongeBob SquarePants’ Movie.” As of Feb. 27, the rankings below represent data compiled from a variety of major retailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Blockbuster and Circuit City.
*--* 1. “Saw” (wide) 2. “The Notebook” 3. “Ray” (wide) 4. “Shark Tale” (wide) 5. “Taxi” (wide) 6. “Napoleon Dynamite” 7. “I (heart) Huckabees” 8. “The Grudge” 9. “Shall We Dance?” (wide) 10. “Alien vs. Predator” (wide)
Source: dvdexclusive.com
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