Yeah. She pretty much nails this one correctly. Ride the hype way off the theatre showings for the DVDs in time for Christmas internet audience, methinks. Mind you, the DVDs need to break outside the Browncoat boundaries for Universal really.

gossi | December 08, 11:45 CET

That's why everybody should buy 10 copies each, so that they can spread them around to their family and friends as Christmas presents.

Sadly, the Region2-DVD will not be out before Christmas, so I'll have to find some other excuse to give these things to all my friends. I suppose a belated Valentine's Day-gift or something :)

[wcip]Angel | December 08, 13:04 CET

That's a really good article in the edumacative sense. Thanks, I enjoyed reading it.

giles (yes, it is my real name) | December 08, 13:55 CET

"Why did Serenity go to DVD so quickly?"

Well duh. Because it's so awesome the world couldn't wait any longer, of course. ;-)

Niels van Eekelen | December 08, 15:01 CET

I think the reason for the quick big-screen to DVD turnaround is a helluva lot simpler than all that.

Serenity the movie was originally set to be a summer release in theatres. I have no doubt Universal had planned at that time for the DVD to be a Christmas release.

When the movie wasn't the blockbuster everyone had hoped for they decided to go with the original plan of a Christmas release to ride on the coattails of the marketing they'd already put together for the theatrical release.

IMHO, of course.

ShelaghC | December 08, 18:56 CET

Well, it was originally planned to be spring (April)... As far as I know, the December 20th date was penciled in for the DVD before it even hit theatres in the US, although I doubt anybody would officially confirm that.

Either way, I wouldn't take it as a hit against the movie really - it marks a shift in the business towards faster DVD releases (which is pissing theatre owners off).

gossi | December 08, 19:10 CET

Either way, I wouldn't take it as a hit against the movie really - it marks a shift in the business towards faster DVD releases (which is pissing theatre owners off).

Sorry - I didn't mean to sound like I was slamming the movie (which I loved and saw many times!). I was just pointing out the reality of the theatrical sitch.

ShelaghC | December 08, 19:56 CET

ShelaghC - don't worry about it, I didn't think you were slamming the movie :)

gossi | December 08, 20:20 CET

Yeah, that's gossi's job! <- Very obviously a joke.

zeitgeist | December 08, 21:39 CET

"FlickChick: Serenity did come to DVD especially quickly for a major studio release: Roughly seven weeks separate the Sept. 30, 2005, theatrical opening and the Dec. 20 DVD release date."

Actually, Sept 30 to Dec 20 is more like 11 1/2 weeks.

Edited to add: I notice the article has been corrected, so... nevermind!

[ edited by Hjermsted on 2005-12-10 01:15 ]

Hjermsted | December 09, 02:48 CET

It's not just pissing off theater owners, it's kind of pissing me off, gossi.

While it's great that the BDM will be on shelves before Christmas--and I cannot wait to own a copy more legal than my totally legal copy--I savor the moviegoing experience. It's great to see films on a big screen, in the way that they were meant to be seen. The fact that people just don't give a damn about that anymore saddens me...hell, I'm still mourning the lack of drive-in theaters (thank God we have some here).

Movies going to DVD so quickly kind of burns people who hadn't yet learned of the film. They didn't really get a chance to see them presented properly. Money be damned. It should be about the art, people.

*sigh*

UnpluggedCrazy | December 09, 05:57 CET

Serenity is hitting the second-run theaters here this weekend. The PDX Browncoats are heading to the Kennedy School Theater to see it tomorrow night where we will be lounging on comfy sofa chairs, scarfing down pizza and drinking good beer while we watch Mal kick some Alliance ass!

If anyone in the Portland Oregon area wants to go with us, email me. Contact info is in my profile.

[ edited by electricspacegirl on 2005-12-09 06:13 ]

electricspacegirl | December 09, 08:10 CET

I wanna go! I'm not in Portland, but I love the Kennedy School theater.

IrrationaliTV | December 09, 08:39 CET

UnpluggedCrazy, the issues generating the decline in theatre business is obvious - DVD players, high quality home TVs, surround sound, mobile phones in cinemas, and of course: puffy jackets in cinemas. (Translation: Puffy Jackets is my term for Those Who Hung Around Arcades In The Late 90s Drinking Cheap Cider Texting Their Mates On Their Mobile Phones. They have now migrating to Running Around Theatres During Showings).

Plus, you know, people might have to drive - or shock horror walk to a theatre. Effort!

I'm liking the fact the person who wrote this article unfortunately can't count.

gossi | December 09, 11:12 CET

Ha I always have to walk to the theathre. The last time I saw Serenity it started raining. Anything for the cause!

eddy | December 09, 22:37 CET

TamaraC, have you been there? Where do you live?

electricspacegirl | December 09, 23:12 CET

I live in Southern California, electricspacegirl. I grew up in Oregon, though and have been to the Kennedy school many times.

IrrationaliTV | December 10, 00:45 CET

TamaraC, email me please. :)

electricspacegirl | December 10, 02:36 CET