Question about why recent films have only dvd-releases here

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Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
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The Netherlands
I doubt anyone knows, because who knows why filmcompanies do what they do, but I'll ask anyway.
All the recent films (Mercy, A Good Marriage and now Cell) are only released on dvd here (Netherlands). They appear at the same time as they are released in the US, but there is never a blu-ray. They're never expensive (Cell is 10 euro here), but my preference is blu-ray.
Do they do this in the US too: a dvd when it's just premiered and a blu-ray later, or does the blu-ray appear right away?

I can understand from smaller films like Mercy or A Good Marriage that they have more limited appeal (the blu-ray market is still smaller than the dvd market here, it often appears to me), but isn't Cell a major release with big stars? I expected at least Cell to get a blu-ray.
The Mist and the Carrie remake did get blu-rays here, but after that they go to dvd only - is this the same in the US? And what is it like in other countries?

The dvd's are bare bones, no extras whatsoever, but that is quite common here: the smaller companies that release the smaller films don't seem to ever want to pay for the extras.
Also, sadly Big Driver wasn't released at all here.

Also, Haven the first season was on blu-ray here (looked beautiful), but after that they only appear on dvd (they do have extras though in this case). So maybe they just don't sell enough on blu-ray or there is some other reason...
Under the Dome on the other hand has all three seasons on blu-ray, although so far I only have the first season and it's one of the rare blu-rays I know that doesn't look so good, I was rather disappointed with the image quality.
 
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Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Sorry, no clue. I wonder if it is that most people still buy DVD's while the minority took the next step up to blu-rays? Blu-ray units are pretty cheap now that the bloom is off the lily but I'm still a dvd holdout.

I suppose you're right. Why do you stick to dvd? Is it because you'll have to buy new equipment to play blu-ray and have to invest in that?
 

Senor_Biggles

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Sep 13, 2015
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I’m not sure about Mercy, but I’m pretty sure that a A Good Marriage went straight to DVD/Streaming in the UK. Actually, before reading this thread I had assumed that A Good Marriage was a TV movie because I associate it with Big Driver and that’s a TV movie (right?).


There was a time when movies got released in the US long time before they made it over here, and back in those days a lot of stuff ended up going straight to video (showing my age now), but that’s changed a lot. Now if a movie has any small buzz about it will make it will usually make it to the cinema here, even on a limited run. The Mist got a limited release here after doing less than stellar business in the US. I haven’t seen A Good Marriage but I would guess that it must have tanked pretty badly in the US to have been buried over here.
 

mal

content
Jun 23, 2007
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I suppose you're right. Why do you stick to dvd? Is it because you'll have to buy new equipment to play blu-ray and have to invest in that?
Yeah...that's part of it. I guess I'm getting tired/suspicious of the constant change and reinvestment (video, dvd, Blu-ray, digital file; vinyl, 8-track, cassette, cd, digital file). I have seen Blu-ray quality but it's not enough of a jaw dropping improvement to urge me to pursue it further.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I’m not sure about Mercy, but I’m pretty sure that a A Good Marriage went straight to DVD/Streaming in the UK. Actually, before reading this thread I had assumed that A Good Marriage was a TV movie because I associate it with Big Driver and that’s a TV movie (right?).

Big Driver is a tv-movie that aired on Lifetime in the US. Being a tv-movie or mini-series never prevented a King adaptation to be released on dvd here though, I think basically all of them got a release here, Big Driver being the first to not have had one (so far). I'm expecting it to at least turn op on tv at a certain point here.

A Good Marriage was an independent movie, so I think that means that no big studio had anything to do with it. But it was for theatres, yes, not tv.
 
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Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Yeah...that's part of it. I guess I'm getting tired/suspicious of the constant change and reinvestment (video, dvd, Blu-ray, digital file; vinyl, 8-track, cassette, cd, digital file). I have seen Blu-ray quality but it's not enough of a jaw dropping improvement to urge me to pursue it further.

For me it is. I bought Cell on dvd for lack of a blu-ray release, and it is a huge step down. I thought the film was especially beautifully shot and used really great looking locations, so if ever there is a blu-ray I may even upgrade.

It strongly depends on which dvd though. The dvd's from the distributors in my country (who basically distribute the smaller and less successful films) often look worse than those that are directly distributed by the big Hollywood studios (Paramount, Warner Bros,20th Century Fox, Columbia, TriStar, Sony, Disney etc.).

The dvd of Cell here only says: package, design and summary by Three Line Pictures, so probably that is also the distributor? A Good Marriage is from the same.
 

Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Did Cell and A Good Marriage actually play in cinemas in the US? I mean apart from festival screenings?

I was really surprised Cell didn't play here, because 1408 did. Is it purely based on poor reception from test screenings that they decide not to put it out in cinemas - even though it has major stars?
 
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