Posted: Apr 25th 2003, 11:27 pm
OK... here comes a five alarm rant.
<deep breath>
Warner Borothers bugs the hell out of me. Well, most studios bug me, but the WB has managed to stay right up there as the studio that baffles me the most and downright pisses me off.
The last chat at the HTF was no different; the suits arrived, and the first question got under my skin...
Joy. 'Tis great to be a fan.
"Animaniacs" seemed like a natural choice for DVD (though I'd prefer "Freakaziod" myself), but again, "not at this time". Who knows? Maybe they're tracking sales. Maybe they really will release box sets of oddball titles.
It's obvious cult and genre shows are not in favor. From A&E? Yeah. Not WB.. Marvel Comics properties are all over the movie screens, but properties such as "The Flash" are ignored. While "Firefly", the interesting sci-fi series mauled by Fox execs, will be released on disc, "Birds of Prey" won't. But absolutely you can get "Dawson's Creek", "Felicity" and "Smallville" on disc.
Meaning, if it will sell in bulk in a Wal Mart, Target, and Costco, we'll make it. No problem.
The bottom line is the suits at Warners, and other studios as well, obviously work on a different level of interest than fans. Easy answers are ignored, while safer, more potentially profitable releases are planned (No offense, but how does everything from the Olsen Twins to Saved by the Bell get released, but a critically acclaimed series like Relativity gets passed over, and MSCL has to go through the circles of Hell to see the light of day???). And forget the idea of limited editions (unless you're Ross Rojek) for titles that may not have crossover appeal, eve if it makes sense to you and I.
So, I'm going to be 40 before I can get all of the Batrman Animated series on disc, and that's unacceptable, thank you very much. Give it to Rhino for a full release. Hopefully, I'll be a wee bit younger when the Batman S.E. is unleashed, but I'm not holding my breath for either a release (since they're obviously waiting to tie it in with a fifth film that won't happen) or that will be "special". A commentary and web access does not make a DVD special. Solid content does. Look at "The Matrix Revisted". THAT'S a special, behind the scenes disc. Episode I's "The Beginning" ranks up there as well.
Look, I recognize Warner's good releases of both new and catalog titles. They do make some quality discs, stubborn as they are. but when it comes to their genre titles and their animated series, they're blind to what could be, beyond appealing to kid scene.
But hey - why am I not surprised? It's not just them. Lucas isn't planning to release the Original Trilogy of Star Wars (his "drafts" - arrogance relabeled as art); Disney has a ten year schedule for some of their biggest titles, AND they put titles on moratorium, and then there's full-screen only releases, because statistics tell studios that we don't like those black bars. Not that they asked me, mind you.
So I'll just keep in mind those golden words that cover all the bases; "at this time", and wait until the studios wake up, or Hell freezes like a snow cone. Your milage may vary.
[/rant]
Gary
<deep breath>
Warner Borothers bugs the hell out of me. Well, most studios bug me, but the WB has managed to stay right up there as the studio that baffles me the most and downright pisses me off.
The last chat at the HTF was no different; the suits arrived, and the first question got under my skin...
Okay, the key words there are at this time. WB could change their plans during a single staff meeting, but it's the sheer concept they're comfortable with that's mind-numbing; it's going to take forever to get the entire series on disc (if they're planning to do just that). They released the show in it's entirety on VHS (through Columbia House), but the digital edition will come four episodes at a time, maybe four times a year, at fifteen bucks a pop.[HTF Member] Hi, thanks for being here tonight. Are there plans for the Animated Batman to come in sets rather than the individual releases with only a few episodes? Thanks!
[Warner] No plans for season sets on Animated Batman at this time.
Joy. 'Tis great to be a fan.
"Animaniacs" seemed like a natural choice for DVD (though I'd prefer "Freakaziod" myself), but again, "not at this time". Who knows? Maybe they're tracking sales. Maybe they really will release box sets of oddball titles.
It's obvious cult and genre shows are not in favor. From A&E? Yeah. Not WB.. Marvel Comics properties are all over the movie screens, but properties such as "The Flash" are ignored. While "Firefly", the interesting sci-fi series mauled by Fox execs, will be released on disc, "Birds of Prey" won't. But absolutely you can get "Dawson's Creek", "Felicity" and "Smallville" on disc.
Meaning, if it will sell in bulk in a Wal Mart, Target, and Costco, we'll make it. No problem.
The bottom line is the suits at Warners, and other studios as well, obviously work on a different level of interest than fans. Easy answers are ignored, while safer, more potentially profitable releases are planned (No offense, but how does everything from the Olsen Twins to Saved by the Bell get released, but a critically acclaimed series like Relativity gets passed over, and MSCL has to go through the circles of Hell to see the light of day???). And forget the idea of limited editions (unless you're Ross Rojek) for titles that may not have crossover appeal, eve if it makes sense to you and I.
So, I'm going to be 40 before I can get all of the Batrman Animated series on disc, and that's unacceptable, thank you very much. Give it to Rhino for a full release. Hopefully, I'll be a wee bit younger when the Batman S.E. is unleashed, but I'm not holding my breath for either a release (since they're obviously waiting to tie it in with a fifth film that won't happen) or that will be "special". A commentary and web access does not make a DVD special. Solid content does. Look at "The Matrix Revisted". THAT'S a special, behind the scenes disc. Episode I's "The Beginning" ranks up there as well.
Look, I recognize Warner's good releases of both new and catalog titles. They do make some quality discs, stubborn as they are. but when it comes to their genre titles and their animated series, they're blind to what could be, beyond appealing to kid scene.
But hey - why am I not surprised? It's not just them. Lucas isn't planning to release the Original Trilogy of Star Wars (his "drafts" - arrogance relabeled as art); Disney has a ten year schedule for some of their biggest titles, AND they put titles on moratorium, and then there's full-screen only releases, because statistics tell studios that we don't like those black bars. Not that they asked me, mind you.
So I'll just keep in mind those golden words that cover all the bases; "at this time", and wait until the studios wake up, or Hell freezes like a snow cone. Your milage may vary.
[/rant]
Gary