Matrix Special Edition Cancelled 237
An anonymous reader writes "According to The Digital Bits, the recently announced Matrix Special Edition has been cancelled. Rumor is that it was cancelled by the Wachowski brothers in hopes of coming out with a Super Collectors Special Edition later."
No Official Reason? (Score:5, Insightful)
From the studio article in the same article: "Warner Home Video will not be releasing the previously announced The Matrix Special Edition double-disc DVD. In a shift in strategy to broaden The Matrix fan base prior to the May 15 theatrical release of the highly anticipated sequel The Matrix Reloaded, Warner Home Video will reprice The Matrix DVD to $19.99 SRP on April 29."
There's your official reason right there, and it's reasonable. If Warner released an expensive special edition now, it would push the standard Matrix DVD farther back on the shelves. The special edition would sell well, undoubtedly, but only already-dedicated fans would be willing to pay a steep price. With Warner's new strategy, stores will promote the newly-discounted standard DVD, and newbies will be that much more encouraged to get into the film -- and subsequently more likely to head to theaters for the sequel. Makes good sense from a marketing point of view.
Also, the article doesn't say that the SE has been killed forever -- indeed, it implies that a special edition of some kind will come out when Warner thinks the time is right.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2, Insightful)
fans get the special edition
new comers get the (cheaper) normal edition
don't see how NOT releasing the special edition is a better option, because then you're just depriving the fans.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2, Interesting)
If they released both, they'd have two products competing for shelf-space needlessly.
Daniel
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:3, Insightful)
If they released both, they'd have two products competing for shelf-space needlessly.
Oh, you mean products competing for shelf space like Warcraft III and the Warcraft III Collector's Edition? Or do you mean more like Windows XP Home vs Windows XP Pro? Hang on, maybe you mean it would be two competing products like 4-cylinder vs 6-cylinder models of the same automobile? Or perhaps the way Sony's top-of-the-line A/V equipment competes with its entry-level versions?
It sure is a good thing that companies don't sell differently graded versions of the same product -- imagine the confusion if Coca-Cola began selling 12oz, 20oz, and 2L units of its beverages! The large 'fan' size would push the smaller 'newbie' drinks off the shelf! And even if the smaller sizes did get shelf space, they'd be competing with each other due to the similarity of their sizes. All the consumers would just get fed up of trying to decipher the options in front of them and end up leaving the store with a few 40s of Olde English instead.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:5, Insightful)
Car dealerships don't have hundreds of models like places that sell movies have hundreds of movies.
Coke is a firmly entrenched product. In many places it isn't even competing with more than one other company. The campus I attend school at is exlusively Coke. This isn't a situation they can pull with the Matrix DVDs.
Your Warcraft example doesn't really hold up either. At most times there are no more than a few dozen titles that are being pushed by retail outlets. Again, many fewer titles to compete for marketshare than in the movie section.
Or maybe you do see the Matrix as being that important as to be on the same level. What WB seems to be trying to accomplish here is ensuring greater sales for the super Matrix edition later by teasing people in with the entry level. Newbies who bought the Matrix normal edition and fell in love probably wouldn't be willing to go out the next day and get the super version. Give them a few months to dig on the normal version AND a new movie - you've not only sold a basic copy, but a super copy as well to the same person.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2)
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:5, Insightful)
"Milking the franchise via special edition DVD's" has been a hot topic lately. Lots of people feel burned when they buy a DVD, only to have a new DVD a few months later that contains bonus footage.
It's possible that the Wachao..uh...however-you-spell-their-name Brothers has concerns about this release tainting a future and potentially more lucrative release.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2)
That, or they plan on going all Lucas-like, and eventually selling fifteen different versions of the same movie throughout the next decade, never at the same time.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:4, Funny)
Bless you.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2)
don't see how NOT releasing the special edition is a better option, because then you're just depriving the fans.
You've obviously never purchased a product that says "New and Improved!" or "New Packaging, same great taste!" before. And you call yourself a consumer?
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2)
Also, now that the last two movies are almost out, most people know a 3-movie single release edition is just around the corner, and will wait a while and spend their money on THAT. In the mean-time, the cheaper regular edition will do to catch them up on the plot.
Slightly better Star Wars films? (Score:2, Funny)
I agree -- Episode II is indeed slightly better than Episode I, but both are essentially alike.
Re:No Official Reason? (Score:2)
What? No Matrix 1.5? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What? No Matrix 1.5? (Score:2)
Re:What? No Matrix 1.5? (Score:2)
So don't panic, there's going to be a DVD to spend your money on before reloaded comes out this summer.
Re:What? No Matrix 1.5? (Score:5, Funny)
They had though of releasing both versions (Score:5, Funny)
Re:They had though of releasing both versions (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:They had though of releasing both versions (Score:2)
I'm not saying that Lucas wasn't pulling a milk, but the SE tapes are significantly better than the ones that came before.
Re:They had though of releasing both versions (Score:2)
Re:They had though of releasing both versions (Score:2)
And remove what must, must, must be the worst line in the entire Star Wars Saga:
Say it with me...
"Now -- THIS -- is podracing!"
*shudder*
unfortunately i cant show you what it is (Score:3, Funny)
Re:unfortunately i cant show you what it is (Score:3, Funny)
I heard that they cancelled the new release because not enough of the testers were taking the right pill that came with it.
Reason. (Score:3, Funny)
I know what was behind this: (Score:2)
Jealous? That does not compute!
Re:I know what was behind this: (Score:2)
Hmmm... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:3, Insightful)
It's all about gouging the customers for an extra $40. I can't tell you how many people I know didn't realize that a LoTR:FoTR special edition was going to be released in November. They rushed out and bought the theatrical release and then bought the special edtion later for the extra footage. Of course the theatrical release will sit on a shelf collecting dust, but the studio got their extra $20 so who cares right?
Re:Hmmm... (Score:2)
Now George Lucas on the other hand...:p
Re:Hmmm... (Score:2)
The costs of media (Score:2)
Movie + popcorn for two: $30
Soundtrack of funky movie music: $15
DVD of movie at Costco: $18
DVD+super special extras ("Lord of the Rings + Two towers + bookends + STING!"): $45
We're up to $115-ish so far, wonder why the industry's so big?
Re:The costs of media (Score:2)
I don't wonder one bit. I just wish they would announce plans to release "special edition" DVD's to begin with so those of us that are cost concious can save a few bucks and get what we actually want. Of course that'd probably be considered the same as stealing $40 billion from the industry and we certainly can't have that.
Good grief I'm in a bad mood today =(
Your friends (and you) are to blame - not New Line (Score:4, Insightful)
sweettooth, what more did you expect from New Line? An Uruk-Hai warrior standing at every store bashing you on the head whilst shouting "longer version out in November" if you tried to buy the standard release?
Don't any of your friends who are so DVD-crazy that they buy films as soon as they are released read any film or home video magazines that would have spelt it out for them in big letters? Don't they have a friend (such as yourself) who would tell them to hold their horses until the super-duper version comes out?
In short, sweettooth, what the hell did New Line do wrong except keep their customers well informed and is it their fault that nobody in your inner circle knew what practically everyone else who cared managed to find out?
Yeah, New Line. Real SOBs for telling you just what they're going to do and then actually doing it...
Sheesh. Some people.
Re:Your friends (and you) are to blame - not New L (Score:2, Troll)
I'm not saying that newline was evil, or that they even did anything wrong. However the majority of movie studios don't mention the fact that they have plans on releasing multiple versions of a movie. In the case of newline you had to know where to look to find out that there was a special edition of the movie to be released on in November.
Finally, with FoTR you have to remember that a LOT of people rushed out to buy this movie that wouldn't normally rush out to buy a movie. These types of people aren't going to be aware of all of the home video sources, or care for the most part.
Re:Your friends (and you) are to blame - not New L (Score:2)
Tom Bombadil vs Saruman (Score:2)
The "extended" edition isn't for the average person, it's for the /. uber-geek audience, or people who can recite the books word-for-word, and have arguments about whether Tom Bombadil could kick Saruman's ass.
Hell, we'd never even consider arguing over this one. Tom Bombadil would kick Saruman's ass all over the Old Forest and down the Barrow ...
Err...
Maybe it's better if I just shut up before I get labelled :-)
Cheers,
Toby Haynes
Re:Your friends (and you) are to blame - not New L (Score:2, Interesting)
I must whole-heartedly disagree. Most of my friends are non-geeks who, after seeing the extended version, remarked that the additional footage made scenes in TTT more understandable. Particularly the 'gifting' scene where Galadriel hands out many items that just suddenly appear in the second movie or have special properties (the cloaks) that cause the viewer to think the scene makes no sense.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Informative)
It was 2 discs, and none of the stuff on his disc of extras can be found anywhere on your 4 disc set. So, if one really wants the "ultimate" version of the film, with both cuts and all the extras, both sets are needed. But one has little cause for surprise or complaint, since New Line announced this strategy months before the DVD release and one could find all the versions listed at DVD retailers' web sites for a very long time.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Informative)
Too bad I'll never be able to watch Bruce Campbell in any movie or TV show and not think: "Well maybe I didn't pronounce every exact syllable, but yeah, I said your damn words..."
Re:Hmmm... (Score:2)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:2)
But oh lord... I own way too many copies of Evil Dead 1.
Only try to realise the truth: ... (Score:3, Funny)
Dilution (Score:2, Insightful)
Don't worry (Score:3, Funny)
Super Collectors Special Edition (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Super Collectors Special Edition (Score:5, Funny)
You mean Unloaded, not Cancelled. (Score:5, Funny)
Why bother? I'm waiting for the ... (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, what would be really cool... (Score:2)
They could put in some bonus video clips, pics, backgrounds, audio clips, Matrix-themed browser, etc.
DVD's and Movies with Sequels (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:DVD's and Movies with Sequels (Score:2)
Moved to archive: (Score:5, Informative)
When asked for comment... (Score:5, Funny)
I believe he pronounces it: (Score:2)
Not to mention... (Score:5, Insightful)
Noooooo! (Score:5, Funny)
At least we'll have the Platinum Edition, Superbit Edition, Limited Edition, Full Screen Edition, Widescreen Edition, Platinum Series Exteneded Edition, Collector's Edition, Boomstick Edition, Box Set, Unrated Edition, Criterion Edition, Ultimate Edition, 20th Anniversary Edition (in 20 years), Director's Cut, Deluxe Edition and of course this Super Collectors Special Edition to buy and enjoy!
My god I'm stick of DVD editions.
Re:Noooooo! (Score:2)
Re:Noooooo! (Score:2)
And "Special Edition Longhorn (Build 4008)"
Re:Noooooo! (Score:2)
Re:Noooooo! (Score:2)
The reason why... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The reason why... (Score:2)
Very Nice Move (Score:5, Insightful)
rather than trying to milk us for both the Special Edition and then (surprise!) the Super Collectors Special Edition.
The theater release schedule is terrific as well.
The Wachowski brothers are going to have a huge and satisfied fan base simply by doing the opposite of whatever this guy [starwars.com] has done.
Re:Very Nice Move (Score:2)
>He is not "milking us" with DVDs now, just to hit us up for better ones later
#1, Sure he is. You bought them NOW didn't you? So who is stupid? You will buy the ones that come out later I'm sure. But first he's still got to re-release the first 3 movies in the theater again once or twice. Then comes the boxed set, the director's cut boxed set, and the silver anniversary 12 DVD Special Edition of all the movies nestled inside a plastic Millenium Falcon, including a 7 hour George Lucas Life Story and an interview where he interviews himself. What do you want to bet on it?
#2 IMAX
#3 Doh, Ask me how many different copies of Empire Strikes Back I own.
Go ahead and disagree with my but don't do it like 15 year old.
Re:Very Nice Move (Score:2)
Ah, the Lucas gambit (Score:5, Insightful)
This is how it works:
Who are the customers? Die hard fans, and relatives who have no idea what to get someone for xmas/birthday but remember that they liked the film when it was on at the cinema. Don't get me wrong, I thought The Matrix was a good film, but it was never a cultural revolution, it was always a franchise.
Re:Ah, the Lucas gambit (Score:2)
They cancelled, not announced, another version. They're consolidating rather than incrementally updating and releasing.
Ad-dot (Score:3, Funny)
DVD Crock ! (Score:5, Insightful)
You pay the price to see the movie big-screen and then they can fleece you later on with the same movie on DVD that has *EXTRA FEATURES*
Later on, there's a super-extended *Directors Cut* version.
The bad side of this digital-age is obvious - overpriced, over-sold, over exagerated, redundant.
The good side is not so obvious and rarely seen these days - pure quality and value for money.
This quality is out there, but my god, you have to wade through 90% of crap to find it.
Re:DVD Crock ! (Score:5, Insightful)
How is that fleecing you? You don't need to buy the Special Edition, the Collectors Edition, and the Boxed Set when it's released.
I don't get the whole "how dare they think of offering a product that I dont need" attitude.
You dont want it? Dont buy it. What's the rub?
Re:DVD Crock ! (Score:2)
Here's why it sucks:
and the worst... drumroll
I hate unneeded product as much as those wasted AOL cd's that keep littering my mailbox.
Re:DVD Crock ! (Score:5, Funny)
And how is this any different from posting on Slashdot?
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Obligatory PVP link for multiple DVD versions (Score:5, Funny)
Click here [pvponline.com]
The brothers made a good move (Score:3, Insightful)
Opinions may vary on what franchise is best, or whether or not this was a good move for the current fan base, but in the end it will all work out. The Matrix fanatics who are complaining and freaking out about the announcement will still be the first ones in the line to purchase the special editions next spring.
Re:The brothers made a good move (Score:2)
It is tough for a non-franchise fan to get into the all movie hoopla if they haven't seen where the franchise originated, especially if they have to spend $50 for a special edition for a movie they aren't even sure they will like.
Ummmmmm, isn't that what Blockbuster and the like are for? So that you *don't* have to buy movies you may not like?
Hang on! (Score:2)
The Matrix is stupid (Score:2)
Also while you are at it, the fluid in my battery cell could need to be changed, I think I made a boo boo in the real world.
Super Collectors Special Edition? (Score:4, Funny)
Man, I can't wait.
Doc
Matrix Box Set (Score:2)
This makes room for a delux Box set later with DTS sound. A SE disc now just waters that option down later.
Don't be hasty (Score:2, Interesting)
If anything, waiting a little while longer for a box-set or other version would permit the adding in of other featurettes and options that make the purchase of a different disc a little more logical. I, for one, wouldn't mind getting a matrix set with the animatrix reels in there as well (http://www.theanimatrix.com/ [theanimatrix.com]).
I'm no apologist for the big production houses that screw over hungry consumers like ourselves, but I do like to see REAL content added from version to version.
Re:Don't be hasty (Score:2)
Everybody knows already... (Score:2)
The later versions will change uot the simple DVD scene selection menu for a pentagon system where you can select versions of the movie with varying amounts of action, intrigue, sex, technology, and agents. Also, if you hit certain combos or finish the movie in a certain amount of time, you unlock secret versions.
Re:Everybody knows already... (Score:2)
It's all a publicity/hype stunt... (Score:2, Insightful)
You mean I'm not gonna get screwed? (Score:2, Funny)
I barely avoided buying both releases of LOTR Fellowship, only by 'borrowing' the first two disk set from family and 'forgetting' to return it until the four-disk came out. (come to think of it, I may still have the first set..)
I've worn out the Matrix on VHS, and I 've been waiting to rebuy it on DVD, but I KNEW that a special edition would come out as soon as I bought it.
Now, it's close enough that I can just wait and buy the whole box set. For once, I'll come out ahead in this game.
Neo must be tampering with the Matrix...
Re:You mean I'm not gonna get screwed? (Score:2)
The song and dance about "New, NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE" basically comes down to 3 to 5 deleated shots and some stills.
The LOTR EE release, on the other hand, was an excellent reason to double dip. None of the extra content from the first release was on the EE.
That's it! (Score:2, Funny)
The anime influence is too much (Score:2)
Sheesh, first the Animatrix, now this!
Super Collectors Special Edition? Why not just call it "Supa Mega Nova Haipa Pawa Burasto DVD"??
Very Pro-This. (Score:2)
After three "special edition"s, I do not intend to ever buy Lord of the Rings on DVD. As for the Animatrix, I'll probably just buy the DVD and download it to watch. Or maybe just download it to watch.
Re:Fine with me! (Score:3, Interesting)
They're already getting paid to shoot scenese. Then they want MORE money if some of those scenes are used in the bonus features. My, isn't that an interesting economical perspective.
steve
Re:Fine with me! (Score:5, Interesting)
A lot of actors have realized that folks really like ... deleted scenes."
On the "UHF" DVD, during the deleted scenes section, Al says several times that, basically, there's a reason that the scenes were deleted. In some instances, it might be interesting to know what was going through the director's mind (or at least getting hints about it), but I think in most cases, Al is right - watch the movie, the deleted scenes aren't in it for a reason.
Re:Fine with me! (Score:2)
If you read the Terminator 2 book, they cut out a lot of footage as well, a lot of it being in the future with the resistance mucking about setting up the Terminator to go back. As for all the footage in T2 that wasn't produced or cut, most if it seems to be the basis of Terminator 3.
Re:Fine with me! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Fine with me! (Score:3, Interesting)
Why not rent or borrow it? (Score:2)
Do that and you'll be just as clued up/well-informed as anyone else walking in to see the second movie.
Or, you could stick to your "won't bother watching any of them now" strategy. Which, to be frank, is rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
You could, like, rent it.... (Score:5, Funny)
DG