There's nothing that upsets me as much as paying for the same movie twice. Or fifteen times, in case you happen to be a Star Wars fan like me.
One of the most abhorrent practices by studios today is to rush out a film to capitalize on a wave of popularity only to releases a "special" or "deluxe" edition a few months down the road. The more popular the film (or series) the more likely you are to find multiple editions of the same movie.
Case in point: Avatar. The 3-D spectacular is one of the main reasons you should upgrade to a Blu-Ray player (or Blu-Ray 3-D if you're a huge fan). Yet what was the decision on this visually stunning film? Release a bare-bones, movie-only edition and then, about seven months later, put out a three-disc edition decked out with features including an extended edition of the film.
I'm sure there are people who are just fine owning a movie without any bells and whistles. Yet I bet you there are a lot more people who snapped up the first release and then shelled out again to get the extra features. Me? I wait until the special edition.
There's a reason behind this madness –– studios realize they can double their money on hot properties. How many people rushed out to buy the theatrical edition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-Ray, knowing full well that the extended edition was coming down the pipeline? I had to convince my own father to refrain from buying six movies instead of three. I love LOTR, but it made me angry knowing that so many people were going to get gouged in this deal.
It happens with any popular series: the Harry Potter films keep upgrading to "Ultimate Editions" and you just know that now that the final film has been released, there's going to be a massive box set somewhere in the near future. And as I mentioned earlier, Star Wars fans have been repeatedly subjected to a myriad of editions (though, sadly, the only copy of the "original" version I have is on VHS) and I guarantee that a 3D release is in the works.
It's one thing to release a 25th or 50th Anniversary Edition of a film - heck, I know that when (eventually) they release Kill Bill in the much-discussed Whole Bloody Affair edition, I will be first in line... but it's been over seven years since the original was released -– not six months.
It wouldn't even bother me so much if they released these editions at the same time. That way, if all you want is the movie, knock yourself out. If you want the features, you can have the extra disc too. A lot of the newer releases seem to be going the route of standard version on DVD, special edition version on Blu-Ray (recent example: Sucker Punch) but often what you get with a Blu-Ray special edition is the DVD and digital copy and sometimes more extra features. While I'm not a fan of this practice either, at least they release these versions at the same time.
It seems not even good TV is exempt. I bought season one of The Walking Dead because I love the graphic novel and zombies in general. Yet I was shocked and a bit perturbed when a new 3-disc special edition showed up soon after my purchase. As much as I like it, I'm not going to jump in these waters again. Had I known about it before, I probably would have waited. As it stands, I'll keep my regular edition.
While I don't think studios will eliminate this practice, you can do something about it: namely, stop supporting this habit. If all you care about is the movie - then I absolve you of any wrongdoing. There are people who could care less about commentaries, making-of segments and interviews. Yet when it come down to it, the type of films that most often fall into this trap also have the most rabid fan base. So I say to you rabid fans: restrain yourself. Patience is the key. You're only continuing this vicious cycle if you rush out and buy the first edition and then rush out and buy the special edition.
If enough people can hold back, maybe, just maybe, Hollywood might get the message. Will it happen overnight? Will it ever truly stop? I vote no on both counts -– but if studios think they can get away with it, rest assured, they'll keep doing it.
Chris Kavan never double dips with chips, either. He is the community manager for FilmCrave.com, leader in new DVD releases.
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