Walmart Focuses on Fluffy

With the second quarter off to a slow start in terms of new releases, Walmart applied a few special promotions to some of the lower-profile titles for the April 9 titles.

For Comedy Central’s Gabriel Iglesias: Aloha Fluffy, Walmart paired the DVD with a previous Iglesias DVD, I’m Not Fat … I’m Fluffy, for $14.96. The standalone DVD was $12.96. The DVD also came with a Vudu digital copy.

Walmart also offered a Vudu copy with Magnolia’s The Sorcerer and the White Snake DVD and Blu-ray.

For Arc Entertainment’s Ring the Bell, Walmart tossed in a bonus CD of Christian songs, all for $9.96.

Target had exclusive availability of two Universal TV DVDs: Necessary Roughness: Season Two and Fairly Legal: Season Two, at $19.99 each, with a $5 savings if both were purchased at the same time.

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The Enduring Influence of Roger Ebert

Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert: Two Thumbs Up in Heaven

Anyone who considers themselves a film critic at any level would be lying if they said they weren’t in some way influenced by Roger Ebert, who passed away April 4 at age 70 after a long bout with cancer.

For many people, Ebert defined the art of film criticism and took it to a new level because of all the people he was able to reach. Beginning as a critic for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967, Ebert’s columns were syndicated to hundreds of newspapers and formed the basis for dozens of books. One of my favorites was Ebert’s Movie Glossary, a handy guide to clichés, plot contrivances and other observations that were commonplace in movies. (He would even invite readers to submit their own entries, the best of which were published in subsequent editions).

An Ebert review was part criticism, part essay, and their true value was not just that he was offering an opinion, but the way he could succinctly lay out the reasons for why he came to the conclusions he did. Not that everyone, including myself, wouldn’t disagree with him on at least a semi-regular basis, but at least he would make an argument. He could be serious, he could be funny, but he was rarely uninteresting.

According to RottenTomatoes.com, Ebert agreed with the Tomatometer 77% of the time, a statistic based on 7,202 reviews of his posted on the site.

Ebert’s influence as a critic became so great that he became a pop culture institution unto himself.

In 1970, he collaborated with director Russ Meyer on the screenplay for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, an ‘X’-rated spoof not only of the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls, but of Hollywood in general. The film became a cult hit, eventually earning a DVD release in 2006 from Fox.

Ebert’s immense popularity as a critic was undoubtedly spurred by the revolutionary idea in 1975 to pair him with another Chicago critic, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, to talk about the movies on television. By the 1980s, “Siskel & Ebert” was a weekly institution, and their style of giving films “two thumbs up” or “two thumbs down” had entered the lexicon. I was a regular viewer, curious about which new movies were worth my time, and keenly interested in seeing how my views on a film aligned with theirs.

Personally, I tended to prefer Siskel, who seemed to take a working-class approach to movies in contrast to Ebert’s more erudite nature. That wasn’t just a casual observation. While Siskel would spend his non-critic days covering Chicago Bulls championships for Chicago TV stations, Ebert would host film festivals and lecture students with frame-by-frame examinations of classic movies.

It wouldn’t be unfair to label Ebert a film historian, either, and those not fortunate enough to hear him speak in person could always pick up one of the movies for which he recorded a commentary for the DVD (most of which have carried over to the Blu-ray version of said films).

Naturally, he recorded a commentary for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, but his commentaries are also available on Casablanca (DVD and Blu-ray from Warner), Citizen Kane (DVD and Blu-ray from Warner), Dark City (DVD and Blu-ray from Warner), Crumb (DVD and Blu-ray from Criterion), and 1959’s Floating Weeds (on DVD from Criterion).

It wasn’t unheard of for a bad Ebert review to earn the wrath of a filmmaker or two. The 1998 Godzilla remake from Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich took delight in presenting the buffoonish New York mayor and his assistant as thinly veiled Ebert and Siskel parodies, after the duo had mocked Stargate and Independence Day on their show. (Similarly, famed critic Pauline Kael’s harsh reviews of the “Star Wars” movies inspired George Lucas to name a villain in 1988’s Willow after her.)

Ebert and Siskel (whose name came first on their show because he won a coin flip) weren’t above poking fun at themselves, either, as evidenced by their numerous appearances on late-night talk shows, or the episode of “The Critic” called “Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice” (readily available on DVD from Sony Pictures) in which they play themselves in animated form, splitting up only to be drawn back together.

Siskel’s death due to complications from a brain tumor in 1999 was one of the first times I can remember being not just shocked by a celebrity death, but also disappointed for the loss. Ebert tried out a revolving door of replacements until settling on his Sun-Times colleague, Richard Roeper. And while Roeper grew into the role, and is one of the country’s top critics now, “Ebert & Roeper” seemed more a show about a master and an apprentice, rather than the clash of equals that “Siskel & Ebert” had been.

Soon after, Ebert would experience his own cancer diagnosis, spurring a decade-long decline that forced him out of the spotlight. Robbed of his ability to speak, but not to write, he kept on in earnest, turning more toward the Internet and Twitter (something of a twist, I suppose, given how much online ubiquity has dampened the impact of the individual critic). These last few years of Ebert’s career were marked by a variety of bizarre, nonsensical statements and reviews that would leave me scratching my head wondering if we had watched the same film. Whether this had something to do with his cancer I couldn’t say, but I was always a bit saddened that the Roger Ebert “of old” seemed to be gone.

Still, that should not diminish an enduring legacy fueled by a love of going to the movies, and a spirit that lives on in each of us who drew inspiration from his efforts to spread the gospel of film to the world.

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'Joe' Preorders at Walmart

Walmart's 'G.I. Joe' preorder

Walmart’s program to offer in-store preorders of recent theatrical and television hits has expanded to the point where the placeholder cases for several different titles are taking up entire segments of a store’s home entertainment shelf.

Among the latest batch available for preorder is Paramount’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which just hit theaters a week earlier. No release date was listed on the display, but the preorder includes home delivery of both Retaliation and its predecessor, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, on either DVD ($19.96) or Blu-ray ($24.96) upon Retaliation’s eventual release date. The deal includes exclusive Vudu content for Reitaliation, plus instant streaming access to Rise of Cobra and Retaliation on Vudu two weeks before its street date.

Walmart is also taking preorders for the just concluded third season of Anchor Bay’s “The Walking Dead,” with the DVD ($34.96) and Blu-ray ($42.96) expected in August. The deal includes exclusive Vudu content and instant streaming access to season-three episodes, plus a CD soundtrack.

Also available for preorder is Anchor Bay’s Spartacus: War of the Damned, the concluding chapter of the Starz series, coming in September on DVD for $26.96 and Blu-ray for $32.96. The preorder includes instant Vudu access to the season, plus the first episode of “Da Vinci’s Demons” starting April 15.

Finally, Walmart offers a preorder of the True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray for $34.96, in advance of its May 21 street date. The Vudu tie-in includes the entire fourth season and the first episode of the fifth.

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Walmart's Exclusive Sequels

The latest batch of titles available exclusively at Walmart includes a couple of direct-to-video sequels and an international hit making its way stateside.

On the sequel front, the most notable is Return to Nim’s Island, the DVD ($12.96) and Blu-ray ($14.96) of which arrived on Walmart shelves March 19 from Arc Entertainment (it’s slated for wide release May 21). Starring Bindi Irwin (daughter of the late Steve Irwin, a.k.a. The Crocodile Hunter), Return is a follow-up to a 2008 theatrical film that starred Jodie Foster, but with a whole new cast. It aired on the Hallmark Channel March 15.

Another Walmart exclusive, which streeted March 26, is A Turtle’s Tale 2 ($12.96 DVD), from Gaiam Vivendi, a sequel to a 2010 Belgian film.

Walmart also has exclusive distribution of Sony Pictures’ Adventures in Zambezia ($12.96 DVD, $17.96 Blu-ray/DVD combo), a South African animated film featuring the voices of Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum, among others. It also streeted March 26.

Turning to promotions at other retailers, Target offered season two of Showtime's "The Borgias" with two episodes of season seven of "Dexter," while Best Buy touted $8 in movie cash for tickets to see Jurassic Park 3D with the purchase of any "Jurassic Park" Blu-ray.

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The Biz of 'Les Mis'

Target's 'Les Misérables' Deluxe Edition

The same week Warner sends The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to shelves (March 19), Universal is bringing two of its better-known titles to disc on a Friday (March 22).

There’s the comedy This Is 40, but the one attracting the retail buzz is the movie adaptation of musical Les Misérables.

Target is pulling out the stops with its exclusive special edition of the Les Misérables Blu-ray combo pack, offering variable covers, a bonus disc with 40 minutes of additional extras, as well as collectible cards and a booklet, all for $24.99 — just $2 more than the standard Blu-ray combo.

Best Buy offers the Les Misérables Blu-ray combo pack in an exclusive steelbook case for $19.99.

That’s not the only steelbook offered by Best Buy for the week. The chain also has Sony Pictures’ Zero Dark Thirty as a Blu-ray combo with steelbook packaging and a Medal of Honor: Warfighter Zero Dark Thirty map pack for $22.99.

Turning back to The Hobbit, Best Buy offered exclusive Gollum box art on the Blu-ray combo pack, which included an exclusive 30-minute documentary, A Hobbit’s Tale Part 1: The Journey Begins.

Walmart offered The Hobbit Blu-ray in exclusive booklet packaging, while Target packed on an exclusive Bilbo Baggins Lego figurine.

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Walmart Offers Variants

With several good new releases March 12, such as DreamWorks’ Rise of the Guardians and Fox’s Life of Pi, most retailers chose to promote the titles without adding any store-specific goodies.

Among the few retailer exclusives offered for the week, Walmart had a bare-bones DVD edition of Rise of the Guardians with no extras for $14.96. The regular DVD comes with a commentary, some featurettes and wind-up hopping Easter Eggs.

Walmart also has a version of the Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away DVD from Paramount with special box art.

Best Buy offered $10 toward the Life of Pi e-book with the purchase of the 3D Blu-ray (priced at $27.99). Best Buy also affered $6 instant savings with the purchase of any two of new DIsney Blu-ray two-movie packs for Brother Bear, Mulan or The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

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Eyeing 'The Hobbit'

Major retailers promoting preorders of upcoming hits alongside the new releases is becoming commonplace.

The latest blockbuster to receive the preorder blitz is Warner Home Video’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which arrives on DVD and Blu-ray Disc March 19.

Best Buy is offering the Blu-ray combo pack of the film with an exclusive documentary, A Hobbit’s Tale Part 1: The Journey Begins. For a $14.99 deposit, fans can reserve a copy of the Blu-ray and have instant access to the exclusive documentary via Best Buy’s CinemaNow streaming service.

Walmart’s preorder of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey includes a 3D lenticular card of Bilbo or Gandalf, the Blu-ray in Walmart-exclusive 64-page booklet packaging, and instant viewing of the film online via Vudu.

Walmart also has a preorder for the History Channel’s The Bible miniseries on DVD ($29.96) and Blu-ray ($34.96) April 2 from Fox. The title, which includes Vudu access on street date, is touted as a Walmart exclusive.

In addition, Walmart preorders for the Blu-ray combo pack of Universal’s Les Misérables (March 22) tout an exclusive bonus soundtrack CD.

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'Twilight's' Last Gleaming

Best Buy's 'Twilight Saga' collection

The fifth and final “Twilight” film is giving retailers plenty of reasons to help the franchise go out with a bang. As it is, the Saturday, March 2, release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 easily overshadows all the other new releases for the week.

At Best Buy, fans can get a copy of the Breaking Dawn — Part 2 Blu-ray with an exclusive collectible locket key chain for $22.99 (the Blu-ray without the locket was $19.99, while the DVD was $16.99; all versions include a digital copy and UltraViolet). Best Buy also offers a special Blu-ray collection of all five “Twilight” films with digital copy and exclusive packaging for $44.99.

Target offers a three-DVD special edition of Part 2 for $22.99, with the regular DVD at $16.99 and the Blu-ray at $22.99. Target’s edition includes more than 50 minutes of exclusive video content. Target is also re-promoting its Part 1 DVD gift set that includes a flower prop from the wedding scene.

Walmart offers both parts of “Breaking Dawn” together in one case on DVD ($22.96 online price) or Blu-ray ($24.96).

Among non-"Twilight" promotions, the title with the most attention was Unviersal's Barbie in The Pink Shoes, the latest in a series of direct-to-video animated adventures starring Barbie. Target offered a free doll with purchase of the movie or a $17.99 Barbie in The Pink Shoes doll.

Walmart offered the Barbie in The Pink Shoes DVD packed with a plush bunny. Walmart also had Warner's new Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon DVD with two hours of exclusive bonus footage.

In addition, Walmart offered a preorder of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD March 19 from Warner, for $29.96, which includes a 3D lenticular card of Bilbo or Gandalf, the Blu-ray in Walmart-exclusive 64-page booklet packaging, and instant viewing of the film online via Vudu.

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Game of Exclusives

Best Buy's 'Game of Thrones' season 2 packaging

HBO’s new boxed set of Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season gave a few retailers a good excuse to make it the focus of their weekly promotions.

Best Buy offered the Blu-ray combo pack with two exclusive covers, one featuring a kraken for the House of Greyjoy, the other a lion to represent the Lannisters.

Target’s version of the Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray includes an exclusive bonus disc with four featurettes and a 20-minute interview with author George R.R. Martin, who wrote the books from which the show is adapted.

In addition, Target offered an exclusive Blu-ray combo pack version of Argo with special box art and 30 minutes of additional content in the form of three “From the Argo Files” featurettes.

Walmart is taking preorders for the March 12 release of Fox’s Life of Pi Blu-ray for $24.96, offering instant access of the film on Vudu.

Best Buy offered a $10 gift card with purchase of two select Blu-rays.

 

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Smoking Out Exclusives

With several big titles hitting shelves Feb. 12, most of the exclusives centered on some of the smaller titles.

The most notable is Target’s bonus disc with DVDs and Blu-rays of Lionsgate’s Weeds: Season Eight. The disc includes three featurettes, including “The Seeds of ‘Weeds,’” “Where’s Celia?” and “It’s Time for the End: Closing ‘Weeds.’”

Best Buy offered exclusives on three new releases for the week. The chain offered an exclusive 3D Blu-ray combo pack version of Universal’s Silent Hill: Revelation for $27.99 ($5 more than the standard Blu-ray combo), an exclusive Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of Asylum’s Rise of the Zombies (for $9.99), and exclusive content on the DVD of WCW: The Best of Monday Nitro, a pro-wrestling compilation from WWE.

Walmart offered DVD and Blu-ray versions of Skyfall without extras, but offered the extras-laden BD/DVD combo pack at a discounted price lower than the single-disc Blu-ray, which kind of defeats the point of offering a stripped-down lower-cost alternative.

Walmart also has an exclusive DVD of notorious box office flop The Oogieloves: The Big Balloon Adventure, for $12.96.

In addition, Walmart is taking preorders for the DVD ($14.96) and Blu-ray ($18.96) of Rise of the Guardians, offering home delivery of the discs, plus immediate access to the film through Vudu, an $8 off coupon for a theatrical ticket to see The Croods, and exclusive online Croods content.

Walmart also has a DVD of a new animated The Jungle Book, from Phase 4, with a Baloo figurine.

 

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