Taeng's Rant: Into Dumb Ass-ness, A Movie Buff's Nightmare

So, the latest JJ Abrams trek epic INTO DARKNESS was recently released on DVD and Blu-ray and for a movie fanatic, it is a LIVING NIGHTMARE.

When I say fanatic, I am talking about the people who love the special packaging like the Steelbooks (and there are several, globally), the figures & replica starships and the glorious behind-the-scenes material. I love this stuff but I admit I'm not a die-hard for it...unless its concerning DIE HARD.

Truth be told, I wasn't a fan of INTO DARKNESS as far as the Khan angle goes, but the rest of it was pretty cool. Loved the Dreadnaught U.S,S,  Vengeance. But I was just reading up on the release and what the various outlets like Target and Best Buy were going to offer. It wasn't until I read the reviews on the blu-ray release that I found out what a RETARDED thing Paramount did and it basically screwed the fans.

What happened was what I would call a blatant disregard for the Trek fandom as well as a ploy to make more money by making fans hunt for the material that should've been included in the first place. Now I'm sure the plan seemed sound to Paramount or whomever was in charge of marketing stuff, but in the end it only served to irritate those in-the-know.

Here's the deal:
The release of INTO DARKNESS had a set amount of featurettes available on all versions, no matter where you bought it. This material amounted to about 40+ minutes.
Both Amazon & Walmart had what I would call complimentary releases. Walmart has a steelbook edition that comes with a small scale replica of the U.S.S. Vengeance while Amazon has a 1:1 replica of a phaser plus a small scale U.S.S. Enterprise.No super-duper content, just toys.

Best Buy had a special all-black/large print slipcover and 30 minutes of exclusive bonus content via download (yeecch).

Target also had a custom slipcover but also a custom cover that was basically the same as the slipcover and 30 minutes of exclusive content on a bonus disc. The kicker is that you had to buy the 3D version. Ouch!

iTunes' version of the movie included an audio commentary that was not on any other format, blu-ray or otherwise.

So, if you just blindly bought the DVD or Blu or combo and thought you had the complete package (barring any differing cover/slipcovers or steelbook editions), you would be sorely mistaken. The ones that will hurt the most are the completist movie/Trek buffs...they'll end up buying multiple versions of the movie just to get all the features. Features that should've been included in, at the very least, a Deluxe Limited Edition w/Spock ears...or something.
Oh but wait, there's a little bit more: Apparently, the Best Buys in Canada not only get the custom slipcover but also that exclusive 30 minutes of material...COMES ON A BONUS 3RD DISC so you wouldn't have to download it via Cinema Now like us in the States.

I'm betting Canucks with eBay accounts are selling this baby for a premium right now.








Why, Paramount? Why mess with the fans of one of your biggest (if not THE biggest) franchises? Is this in any way fair at all to them?
I say NO.
If this is how Paramount is going to do business, then they shouldn't be surprised that their titles slow or stop selling. They'd better understand that the ones who shell out their hard-earned money for their product shouldn't be treated like this.
Its just so bad that they could turn out a decent Friday the 13th Collection for that franchise's fans, but skimp on another franchise. Where are your heads, people????