Wildo1966

Hello All, last night I saw the commercial for Black X-mas and they mentioned Blockbuster has the Unrated version and it is a exclusive...Is this true? If so will it only be available for rent or can we purchase it? Sounds like a good store exclusive to me!

Rypro 525

The wiensteins bought exlusive rental rights, but you can buy it anywhere (including the unrated version)

matome

Yep, Blockbuster has exclusive rental rights to the weinstein movies, apparently starting with the upcoming Bobby movie. Netflix does have Black Christmas unrated though.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/...insteins_x.htm

DealMan

It's my understanding that Blockbuster has has exclusive rental rights Weinstein titles for several months now, including films such as The Protector, School for Scoundrels, Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, etc.

cerial442

Netflix has those.

Wildo1966

Not sure if this true but.....I found the Unrated Black X-mas at my local Walmart this morning, I noticed the rated R version was full screen, it did not appear there was a R rated widescreen version in stock....

matome

I believe you can only get widescreen on the Unrated version and vice versa. At least that's what all the websites indicate.

Peep

True. Blockbuster has exclusive rental rights, meaning that they are the only company buying from the Weinstein's specifically for the purpose of rental, which involves price breaks and profit-sharing. But, like Rypro 525 correctly pointed out, anybody (including Netflix) can buy them and offer them for rental.

So, Blockbuster can advertise that they have an exclusive, and bring foot traffic into their store, but other companies can stock the same titles. I'm not sure who it hurts more - the mom & pop stores or the bigger chain renters.

nodeerforamonth

Any truth to the rumors that they had to change the title to "African-American X-mas"?

Wildo1966

I have to say the Blockbuster TV ad was very misleading...I was convinced I had to buy it at Blockbuster and pay they extremely high price to get the Unrated....IMO I would never purchase a dvd from them, especially now..

EdTheRipper

I was at Hollywood Video this morning and there was a customer who was absolutely irate when she found out she couldn't rent this there.

Living Dead

If you like the remake, do yourselves a HUGE favor and watch the original if you haven't already.

matome

Just watched the unrated version and there was an opening screen with big letters saying "THIS DVD FOR SALE ONLY"

DeputyDave

I thought the Blockbuster Exclusive only meant that for the first week you could only rent it at BB and the 2nd week, anywhere.

whotony

the deal is any genius/weinstein dvd will be available as a sanctioned/official rental from blockbuster exclusively for 3 years.

there is 7-10 titles currently bbv excl.
bobby is the next one, hannibal rising soon to come.

as pointed out, anyone can buy the dvd from any retail and rent that out to their customers.

Alan Smithee

What fucking hypocrites- they won't carry an NC-17 rated movie, but they will carry 'unrated' versions.

matome

Yeah, that's pretty laughable. Guess it's OK to see people's eyes getting ripped out and eaten rather than something like The Dreamers.

FILMCZY

No truth to that rumor at all. I was in New York this past week and the Blockbuster store I was in had:

"Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss X-mas"

FILMCZY

Because "unrated" and "NC-17" are not the same thing. The MPAA has trademarked "NC-17" but not "unrated". You can release a movie unrated without the god-given blessing of the MPAA. However Blockbuster will request film edits for films with extreme violence (just look what they did to "Murder Set Pieces") and too much "thrusting" ("Where the Truth Lies.")

ThatGuamGuy

That's true, but if a movie is released unrated in theaters, it has exactly the same effect, because noone under the age of 18 will be admitted.

And generally a movie is released unrated to avoid getting an NC-17 (though, obviously, there has also been a recent trend of just adding back in random footage and slapping an "unrated" tag on it).

whotony

what evidence is there that bbv had these movies re cut for rental.

im_ryandick

does anyone know if the HD-DVD will be unrated?

matome

It will be the R-rated version, coming on 5/8.

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/blackchristmas2006.html

The Monkees

It's too bad, cause now Bob Clark has died and only one day after this movie was released.

R.I.P.

Giles

that's not always the case, there is no law that a studio HAS to submit it films to the MPAA, while it's a plus, some smaller studios don't have the money to submit all it's films for the MPAA for classification/distribution - there might be nothing of NC-17 content, but it's a monetary cost effective reason some films go out unrated.