Why is the no (crappy) widescreen version of McClintock on DVD???
 

Also, just checked my Genius Entertainment "Golden Movie Classics" DVD for McLintock, which looks to be in Widescreen, although a little worse for wear:
http://img263.echo.cx/img263/1779/cap0010wy.th.jpg

http://img272.echo.cx/img272/4400/cap0029mp.th.jpg

http://img272.echo.cx/img272/3463/cap0038bs.th.jpg

http://img272.echo.cx/img272/4480/cap0044wz.th.jpg

http://img272.echo.cx/img272/1686/cap0052ai.th.jpg

http://img272.echo.cx/img272/7752/cap0065uj.th.jpg



Here's two links on Amazon for it:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg.../-/B0006JC4UO/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg.../-/B0002OSN8U/

Ok, this is a hot button for me. I see statements like this all the time, and it's just plain ignorant.

No, it doesn't cost them $1 apiece to press. It probably costs a fraction of that. A few cents would be my guess. There are a LOT more costs involved in production than the cost of pressing the disc. You have to buy the keepcases. You have to print the cover. You have to pay someone to design the cover. You have to pay the salaries of everyone involved in production. You have to pay the salaries of the sales people, the customer service reps, the rent, the phone bills, the electricity. You have to pay the licensing fee for the disc. There are a boatload of costs incurred that have nothing to do with physically pressing the disc.

Not to mention, the studio isn't getting $14.98, or $19.98. They're selling wholesale, and seeing a small percentage of that. I don't know what it is in dvd, but I know the standard wholesale discount for books and comics is between 55% and 65%.

The fact of the matter is, good DVD's can be produced, sold, and profited from...for $15-20. It's been done time and time again. To argue that, by pushing MSRP below $35, we're somehow degrading the quality of the average DVD release is, in my opinion, quite absurd. If it weren't possible for a company to make a profit producing quality releases and selling them for under $25, then it wouldn't happen so frequently. The fact that the laziness of companies happens to coincide with an overall drop in prices is mere correlation, not causation.

I'm with Erik 110%. DVD is a thriving format for one reason, and one reason only: it's affordable. It appeals to all classes. The lower-middle class can go out and purchase Pooh's Heffalump Movie for their elementary-school kid if they want to. Laser Disc did exactly what some in this thread are asking for: kept prices high across the board. What happened? That format went down the drain quicker than you can say, "oh look DVD's are cheaper."

I think some people here (Robert in particular) are asking for DVD to be something other than a mass-market product, when it simply isn't. You're asking for Coca Cola to be Dom Pérignon. You're asking for Ford to be Boeing. Not every DVD release has to get Criterion-like treatment. In fact, it's an absurd expectation for one to hold. Expecting companies to charge $34.99 for "Clue" or "God Has a Rap Sheet," simply so they'll be able to give it a 2-disc release with commentaries and a pristine transfer, is unreasonable. In fact, I'd venture to say that they'd lose more money doing that than they would by doing what Erik is asking for (creating a moderate release of these niche titles, and charging a reasonable $12.99-17.99 price).

-JP

DVDs can contain both Coca Cola and Dom Pérignon. A DVD is just a container, like a bottle. When you pay a premium for Dom Pérignon, it's not because the price of the container, but what the container holds.

Not at all. You see, it's not a matter of the product, it's a matter of the marketing. DVD's will never, ever be Dom Pérignon...regardless of "what's in the bottle." Ever. Even Criterion is the equivilant of buying a soft drink for $12 at a baseball game. DVD's, like soft drinks, are made for mass-market appeal. They're made to be sold to people of all walks of life and income-levels. They're marketed at the lower class as well as the upper-middle class. Dom Pérignon, on the other hand, is priced (like most early Laser Disc and VHS releases) for a certain type of buyer. You'll never see a Dom Pérignon vending machine, because it's not focused on selling to a mass market. Mass-marketing is the most fundamental goal of DVD, and the reason for it's success. Therefore, expecting it to be a lavish item (in price, mind you) is simply contradictory to the entire appeal of DVD. Consequently, claiming that the decrease in quality is due to the moderate price levels that have driven DVD sales for years is just plain silly...and I'll say it again: a matter of correlation, not causation.

-JP

its about 40 percent markup between studio cost and msrp

Jay: I just got the Genius DVD edition of McLintock! you've posted about. While it is indeed a widescreen print, it is also cut by approximately 15-17 minutes. In total, the Genius DVD runs 110 min., while the Delta P&S DVD clocks in at 125 min.

Yes, I have that DVD as well. Looks like maybe the print was taken from a television source, that needed to edit it down to a 2 hour showing (including commericals). But, of course, that's just a guess on my part...

I have read all the posts, and just had to join to put in my 2 cents.

I have 3 films on my must have list. One of them is, obviously, McLintock! One of the others is The High and the Mighty. The High and the Mighty is coming out, WS, on August 2005, for 19.95. No problem, I'll buy it. Because I have spent 15 years looking for a WS print of McLintock!, I wouldn't quibble about the price. 20.00, 30.00, name your price, I'LL BUY IT! It isn't about the price to me. It's the film.

In my Laserdisc days, I would happily pay the price Criterion charged, because I knew I would get top quality.

If you want the movie, pay the price. If you don't want the movie, DON!T BUY IT!

Racer

Great news for all of us John Wayne Fans. The BatJac, Restored Directors version of McLintock! will be released on October the 11, 2005. Retail is 14.99. Widescreen, full length etc. If you want it, get yours while they last.

Racer

Cool

For disc details and cover art, see Cameron's post #59 at the link below:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showpos...9&postcount=59