Beating A Dead Horse

In a previous post I wrote about how, if given the choice between two DVDs, I always want the 'special' edition. Between extra features, deleted scenes, documentaries about the real story which inspired the movie and alternate endings, the chance to see something different from what everyone else saw at the theater is too enticing to pass up. I simply can't stand to not know what makes that DVD so damn special, even though I have been burned enough that I ought to know by now that the answer is usually not a damn thing. All that being said, despite my love of special editions, even I have my limits. At some point I'm simply not interested in owning another copy of a movie, I don't care how many special new features they promise to bring to the table.

This came up because recently I have been seeing a commercial for another release of the "Star Wars" franchise. This time it is all six movies in a one box-set, on Blu-ray, high definition and featuring several never-before-seen extras. This leads to the obvious question I've got to ask - just how many copies of "Star Wars" do they think people need? My brother-in-law is a big fan of the franchise, but I don't think even he will be ponying up for this one. Like a lot of fans of the franchise he's already got the movies on VHS, DVD and the special DVD re-release when they added all the new CGI special effects. I can't imagine he's going back for the Blu-ray editions. At some point, even the most die-hard fan is going to say enough is enough.

[Sidebar: I will say this for George Lucas - he has tremendous willpower. Every time they re-release this franchise they throw something new on the features, even if in this case it's a grainy, 10-second clip from "The Empire Strikes Back" which makes Han Solo look like kind of a dick. You just know some guy working for LucasFilm told George to put that out with the last round of "upgrades", but he didn't. Lucas is very good about keeping something in the reserves and letting it out like a slow drip. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be new.]

Disney is, of course, the best at the re-release game. Because not only do they just keep releasing the exact same movie without even bothering to update it, they go the extra step of limiting how long it will be released, which adds an extra level of want to the equation. Oh sure, there isn't anything new on this latest release of "Lion King", but you'd better buy it anyway, because who knows when the next time they'll feel like letting people buy it? By then your Blu-ray player may be obsolete. Which do you think is going to be cheaper - a new DVD now or an entire new video system in a couple of years? And try explaining 'limited-release' to your four year-old when she asks why you can't just go buy a new copy of her favorite Disney movie that she watched so much she burned a hole through the DVD. Even if you think it's stupid, you're going to cave and they know it. (I tell you, that mouse is evil.)

My sister was wondering just how many times one movie could be re-released. I feel like the obvious answer is they will keep doing this until people stop paying for them. I mean, I understand the loyalty of fanboys, but there has to be a limit to how many times LucasFilm can go back to the same well, doesn't there? I feel like I would be more understanding if studios were just adapting to new technology, but that isn't the case. The movies are already out on Blu-ray and as clear as they are going to get. This is a money grab, plain and simple. I'd say it was up to the nerds of the world to unite against this, but given the amount of people who go to Comic-Con in Star Wars costumes which cost more than my truck I know that is a losing proposition. The best option is for some other movie franchise (preferably one that the "Star Wars" crew can't stand) to start doing this, then hope the "Star Wars" nerds start complaining about it and come out of their fog long enough to see the hypocrisy of it all. In other words: Help me, Harry Potter. You're my only hope.