Harry Potter DVDs Being Pulled By Morons
It looks like the folks at Warner Bros are taking a page from the Disney playbook. It’s been announced that as of December, you won’t be able to buy copies of Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. On February of 2007, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire disappears too.
Our friends over at Cinematical give us this:
Why are they doing this? I imagine they want little Harry all to themselves, kept under lock and key, only to be brought out for super-special occasions. Actually, it’s a fairly common move (Disney does it all the time), and seeing as this is a non-Potter holiday season, Warners wants to beef up sales and, potentially, start building hype for what’s sure to be a plethora of special edition, HD or Blue-Ray DVDs to follow.
You know… I just don’t like this. Yes, it seems to make sense from a business point of view… but there just seems to be something inheritantly wrong with making it difficult for your fans to get your stuff.
The Harry Potter fans (of which I’m not one) have made JK Rowling and WB a LOT of money. More than the net worth of some countries. And how are they saying “thank you” to those devoted Potter fans? By saying “Screw you… you can only have these when we say you can have them”. I find something very disrespectful and wrong with that.
Your thoughts?
42 Comments, Comment or Ping
Henrik
Artist do not owe anything to the people who enjoyed their work and paid them money for it.
Jul 28th, 2006
uxking
As John has said many times before, Hollywood is a business. If DVD sales for these movies have dropped to minuscule levels, it makes sense (from a business stand point) to pull these now and come back in a few years with a heavy ad campaign to re-energize sales. Most fans have already purchased the movies and in a few years may be persuaded into purchasing a newer, extra feature rich DVD.
Jul 28th, 2006
Kristina
I hate when Disney did that shit. I had to go on Amamzon.com to hunt down a Beauty and the Beast DVD after Disney put it into their fucking “vault” and I couldn’t get it in the store anymore.
Jul 28th, 2006
Stuart @ Cinemablend
Yes, “moratorium”. Double-dipping by any other name…
Just like the “new” directors cut of Blade Runner they’re releasing later this year.
It’s *exactly* the same as the last version put on moratorium 3 years ago. And oh yeah, they also announced a lot quieter that the 4 disc collectors edition is FINALLY being released in summer 2007, six months later.
And calling Harry Potter “art” just made me spray milk out my nose.
Jul 28th, 2006
Matt
I could care less about what Harry Potter is doing, but I can see the frustration in “vaulting” movies. You can’t hide the fact, though, that all companies are making a large percentage of their revenues from DVD sales. “Vaulting” is just one method companies use to increase revenues. They use 2-disc sets, bonus features, “making of” discs, etc. When’s the last time you opted to buy the “extended super bonus extra 2-disc set” of a movie you already have? I did last Christmas for Office Space (I got a coffee mug and stapler) and Pulp Fiction (a little book about the movie). “vaulting” is just one more trick up their sleeves to make more money … can you blame them? That’s what they do … make money.
Jul 28th, 2006
Geoff
I’m sure they will rerelease them everytime a new one comes out on DVD. And they will probably have some stupid edition name tacked on to make it sound special like “The Hogwarts Edition” or “The Prefect Edition”. Maybe they will only release them in boxed sets for a while, so you can either buy the latest film single or in a boxed set with the rest?
I’m still waiting to buy a copy of Fletch on DVD. They pulled it some time ago. Before they released the Back to the Future boxed set, you could buy 2 and 3 but not 1.
Jul 28th, 2006
Arethusa
Well, since I’ve never been stupid enough to buy the “extended super-bonus 2 disc set” of a movie I already own-if I want the extended I wait for it, eg LOTR, and don’t waste cash on the “triple deluxe multi-large 10 disc set” this doesn’t irk me beyond observing the unfettered greed of corporate exexs.
Jul 28th, 2006
Arethusa
*execs. damn computer always making me look bad.
Jul 28th, 2006
boomslang
All that this market manipulation does is make “piracy” morally defensible. In a just world, if a copyright holder refuses to exercise the copyright by selling on-demand to willing buyers, the copyright would be de facto abandoned and the material should immediately fall into the public domain.
While I respect the greedy self-interest of the studios, in granting copyrights, the public enjoys a reciprocal right to lawfully purchase the material from the holder as the public demands. Any other, limited-purchasing arrangement on behalf of the copyright holder is racketeering and/or extortion.
Jul 28th, 2006
Ed R
Not a Harry Potter Fan?! I KNEW you had no taste!
;)
I’m wondering if the HD or Blu-Ray versions will be available. If they make those unavailable lots of people ( with taste , children, or both ) are going to be all bent out of shape.
Jul 28th, 2006
Matt
The only reason I bought the “super special freaking awesome holy shit 2-disc/stapler/coffee mug edition” of Office Space is because I work in that type office and have to put up with all the stupid bull shit our office does. Hawaiin shirt day? hell no … let’s try bring a clapper to meetings so that we can be extra loud when someone gets an award or has a birthday. For those of you who don’t know what a clapper is … it’s a piece of plastic shaped like two hands that you swing in the air to “substitute” you clapping your hands together (because we’re too lazy). I hate my office.
Jul 28th, 2006
hi
does it really matter, i would think most people who wants them have them by now
Jul 28th, 2006
Varun
This is redonkulous
Jul 28th, 2006
Jagmir
Does W.B. care about ‘Potter’ fans? Hell NO.
What a wretched pit of vipers.
Jul 28th, 2006
chark hammis
Everyone who wants the Harry potter movie for any consequence to their DVD collection already has it. The Potter movies are stacked up at used DVD sellers and are deeply discounted at retailers. Pulling them from the shelves doesn’t hurt anybody- especially when you’ve got 4-6 months to pick one up before they’re “gone”.
Plus, with new technology coming down the pike… does it matter?
Jul 28th, 2006
Greg
If one of my kids breaks one of my Harry Potter DVD’s, I guess I’ll just have to pirate a new copy…instead of simply buying a new one, which I would be more than happy to do. They can’t pull a stunt like this and continue to bitch about piracy!
Jul 28th, 2006
hi
They will probably be rereleased in the summer anyways when the new movie is released
Jul 28th, 2006
HeroStew.com
I HATE WHEN DISNEY OR ANY COMPANY DOES THIS!!!!
To me it is a big F YOU to their fans. Let me see. So if you have 3 year old now. Who later wants to own these films when they are like 7 or 8. You will have to say. Sorry kid. Mommy and Daddy can’t afford to pay $80 per movie on eBay :(
Jul 28th, 2006
Bryson J.
I guess I’m happy I got all the Harry Potter DVD’s now. I love the Potter movies and I’m not buying the same movies again, so Fuck Off WB
Jul 28th, 2006
darren seeley
I also think pulling DVDs off the shelves is a silly idea. As far as “sales increase” what about other titles? All titles, after a certian amount of time, don’t fly off the shelves as much as they used to, and I don’t see these movies being yanked. Sometime. somwhere, someone will (as mentioned above with Disney’s B & B) need another copy because the last one got ruined for some reason. Accidents do happen.
I’m not the biggest Potter fan. But I don’t give a Hogwart. If I wanted a Harry Potter DVD dammit, I should go out and get one when I damn well want. What will tick me off more is some studios double dip films with “special collector’s editions” and like Crimson Tide, there’s like one or two minutes of shit and no extras. All it is (and Con-Air SE too) is slick packaging.
As for Blu-Ray, I wouldn’t pull DVDs for that. Not until the players come out.
If that.
Yes, it’s business. Big deal. Here’s a bit of biz advice for you : If the consumer is pissed, and rebels by not paying money for that product anymore, what difference does that make? Who profits by having THIER products to meet supply and demand? What if the Potter film loses the novelty? [okay it won’t happen right now, but still…]
Jul 28th, 2006
HeroStew.com
Blu-Ray…BAH!!!!
The only people this will screw will be new parents who want to buy it for their coming of age kids, the Potter audience, and won’t be able to.
Like said above….GOOD WAY TO ENCOURAGE PIRACY!
About as dumb as Lucas not wanting to cash in on all that bootleg money for the Holiday Special and just release it at $10 a DVD.
Jul 28th, 2006
Darth_Xanther
If it was any other movie set I would be soundly pissed off. However, I couldn’t care less what they do with the Harry potter movie or books for that matter.
Jul 28th, 2006
HeroStew.com
Problem is. It starts with one, then starts to go with others.
Jul 28th, 2006
JohnIan
We’re in different circles Stuart. The “Blade Runner” releases were well known at the places I haunt.
The initial report was a two disc set. Disc one holding the remastered director’s cut and disc two holding various extras - that were exclusive to that edition. Later next year, a three disc version (not four) was coming out, brimming with extras; much like the treatment Romero’s “Dawn Of The Dead” received. There was no secret here, it was told right off the bat, better version on the way.
The moratorium makes sense here. Next year, the new edition “The Final Cut” is getting a theatrical release first - then later released in the box set. They want to create some buzz for it. The same would be if you owned a studio; would you want your movie to air on TV first then have people pay to see in theaters? Doesn’t really work well.
I’m gonna guess like with the director’s cut of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” CGI enhancements and additional restored footage. It will carry all three versions of the feature.
The last moratorium was dumb, I’ll give you that. But the studio was planning to release a speical edition and got caught in heavy legal issue. Another party owns the cut footage and was giving grief selling it. And there you go.
And the topic. Fuck Warners! I hate when they do that kind of shit. This is pure greed. Shame on them.
Jul 28th, 2006
bret
I think you guys are missing something vital. Harry Potter Fans already have every DVD twice over. You still have rental outlets you can get the movie. You can always download it legally and or illegally. I agree this is a dumb idea, but it really isnt THAT big of a deal. But this raises a great question, right now in US law we are not allowed to make back up copies of the movies we purchase, so essentially they are pulling these movies from the shelf, if yours breaks you cannot buy another copy. Had we been able to make a backup it wouldnt be a issue. This really is stupid, it wont help sales and it doesnt glamorize the movie at all. They do it to act like people give a shit if the movie is in the so called Vault.
Jul 28th, 2006
Drewbacca
A) Who gives a shit? Harry Potter movies suck anyway.
B) Most people who want them would have them by now; right?
~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com
Jul 28th, 2006
JohnIan
I been thinking about my last comment.
I’m guessing here, but I’d like to correct myself; three disc set for “Blade Runner”.
There are four different versions: Theatrical, European, Director’s Cut and now Final Cut. I think the Director’s Cut won’t be included in the box set. You have to buy it separately. But by that time, gone from the stores - moratorium. So yeah, I’m now going to buy that single disc release. The retail price is going to be 19.98, but Wal-Mart should have that for about twelve bucks.
Jul 29th, 2006
A.J.
Even if they put these in the “moratorium”, I think that there will be enough copies to go around. This only concerns Region 1 discs, right?
Warner is the best DVD studio (and Criterion of course) at the moment , so I’m willing to give them some slack. They are constantly putting out great DVD releases with great quality and decent price. They even abandoned those awful snapper cases.
Jul 29th, 2006
Stuart @ Cinemablend
The 4 disc set has three versions Johnlan.
- Theatrical Cut
- Director’s Cut
- Ridley’s “Almost Work Print” International Cut
- Extras
The European cut you talk about is the Final Cut.
I’m a massive Blade Runner fan so have known about it for ages, but only because of raking for info.
And A.J. I wouldn’t count on it.
Jul 29th, 2006
HeroStew.com
HAHAHA. I love Blade Runner and did not know about all the different versions or this boxset. I am glad we went off topic a bit. Now I want to go that 4 disc set.
Jul 29th, 2006
bret
Harry Potter movies DO NOT SUCK!!!
Jul 29th, 2006
JohnIan
Actually no.
There is a NEW edition of “Blade Runner” coming to theaters next year entitled, “The Final Cut”.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=328205
Different from the theatrical, European, and Director’s.
The word I’ve been getting is a three disc set. Same deal as Superman, 14 disc box set that’s been reduced to now to eight. See late update - 7/27/06.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/
Jul 29th, 2006
Chark Hammis
Are Bret and I the only voices of reason here? There’s 2.6 billion copies of Harry Potter out there. No one will be paying $80 on ebay to get a copy. It’s not like when they pull them, used DVDs are gone and every kid in the universe is going to break them. If you have concerns, go buy another copy now for $9.99 or less.
You will all be fine while dusty copies of Harry Potter chill on the shelves.
Jul 29th, 2006
Mattias L T Cedervall
They’re damn fools!! :-/ I haven’t bought the movies yet.
Jul 30th, 2006
alfie
goblet of fire is the only film worth a damn .. the first three are absolutely awful……
Jul 30th, 2006
HeroStew.com
This thread has reached that point where people will post just to argue or be contrary.
Simply put. People above, who don’t like Potter movies, won’t care until it’s a movie they like. When their copy of a movie they own is damaged, and they have to hunt for a perfect used copy, or pay high dollar on eBay or some place else. Then they might cry foul.
The ‘voice of reason’ is: If studios start doing this more and more, then eventually it will happen to a movie YOU like. So better to try and stop this habbit sooner then later.
Jul 30th, 2006
Chark Hammis
I buy my movies when they come out and realize there will be plenty of copies out in the world I can get. I promise, I won’t get upset.
Jul 30th, 2006
HeroStew.com
HAHAHAHAH! If I see some one shooting up a Mcdonalds cause Star Wars went on moratorium….its on you (j/k)
Funny thing is. I dont even like Harry Potter!
Jul 30th, 2006
jodie bevan
what a load of crap takin freakin dvds of da shelfs i dont see dem takin any other dvds of da shelfs stuff u wb
i luv harry potter but still wont pay like 80 pound 4 da dvd
Aug 6th, 2006
Carrie
This whole ‘vaulting’ deal has always pissed me off. Whenever I see a commercial saying, “[insert Disney movie title here] is being released from the Disney vault! Go buy it in the next ten seconds before the greedy bastards lock it away again!” I get extremely annoyed. Even though I have no intention of buying whatever cartoon they’re releasing, it’s still something I hate to see being done. What if your three-year-old daughter has just seen Beauty and the Beast at a friend’s house and wants the DVD for herself so bad she’ll cry? (I know it’s not right to give into a child’s pleas just because they cry, but what harm is it going to cause if she gets a Disney movie?) And the stupid morons have locked it away again, so you have to go buy some less-than-satifactory pirated edition for twice the price! It’s not right.
It’ll probably be only six months or so that these Harry Potter DVDs are locked away because I know the new movie comes out in July 2007, but I still don’t understand what kind of marketing this is? They’re basically shouting at us to find our own way to get access to the movie. And unfortunately for them, that usually means pirating. So, I must ask, what kind of mechanism is this?
Sep 30th, 2006
Tommy Bazzano
More than likely they will re-release extended editions before too long. That’s probably why they are shelving them right now.
Oct 19th, 2006
mrumrici
Not in the Darks no more?
hydrocodone bitartate
Dec 28th, 2006
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