Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.

*sigh*

This sort of report makes me sick. I'm running it because (A) Vern knows what he's talking about, and I consider it worth your attention and (B) maybe there's a chance we can do something about this. I almost wish I did run a mom and pop type video store so I could try to buy some of these inventory titles. I mean... wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's AICN's favorite outlaw, Vern, to explain...

Dear fellas,

I know there are much bigger things going on in the world, but let's not let this one slide under our noses. Your friendly neighborhood corporate behemoth, Blockbuster Video, is right now eliminating 25% of its vhs inventory in order to make room for more dvds.

Here's a story from an industry web sight, chock full of numbers and what not: http://www.videobusiness.com/news/091001_blockbuster_accelerates_dvd_conversion.asp

At first glance this might seem good, or at least okay. After all most of us Cinema devotees these days are advocates of the crisp, clear, multi-angle digital versatile type format, both for porn and even for mainstream titles. But what the story doesn't mention is what Blockbuster is doing with their vhs titles.

These videos are not being sold off to independent video stores. They are not being sold to Blockbuster customers. They are not even being donated to charity. Blockbuster has specifically asked their stores to THROW AWAY or DESTROY them.

Keep in mind that we are not talking about the two hundred extra copies of the Wedding Planner that rent out every night - we are talking about the older titles that rent less often, many of them no doubt out of print and never available on dvd. Think of all the weird martial arts movies in ludicrous porn-sized boxes. The obscure independent comedies or low budget horrors or cult favorite type pictures that are no longer readily available. This is a market that isn't important to Blockbuster and their film-illiterate renters, so they have every right to abandon it. But they'll be DAMNED if they're gonna do anything that might help some small time schmo somewhere to satisfy that market, even if it means losing the profit they would make from selling the videos to collectors.

So you will not be able to rent these videos, and you will not be able to buy them. They will not be sold as charity for Red Cross, or donated to shelters for homeless teens and AIDS clinics. Blockbuster feels that a better idea would be for them to rot away in landfills. (How long does it take for an old Lee Marvin video to decompose, I wonder?)

I have heard from Blockbuster managers disgusted by this move, and afraid for their jobs for even talking about it. Please Harry, look into this. At the very least, call up your local blockbuster and ask them if they are going to be selling the vhs films they are cutting down on.

I urge all Ain't It Cool Newsies to write or call the blockbuster corporate offices, and to keep an eye on their local blockbuster dumpsters. It is your duty, as true lovers of the films of Cinema, to liberate these videos.

your friend,

Vern

P.S. You nerds were right about that hobbit movie though, that one looks PRETTY fuckin great.

What a lot of people don't realize is that video rights are slippery things. There are titles that are on tape that haven't made deals for DVD release, stuff that only came out once, stuff that may not even exist anymore in a useable negative. Did you know that Kathryn Bigelow's great B-vampire movie NEAR DARK is officially "lost" now? That's what I've been hearing lately. We're talking about a film that was made in '87, and it's allegedly already been allowed to simply deteriorate. If that's true, that means that those video copies out there are the only record left. How many other films is that true for? How many films are you never going to be given a chance to see? If MISS CONGENIALITY is your thing, great... go with God. I wish you well. But I want to know that I'm still going to be able to get obscure Shaw Brothers titles or anime compilations or lousy werewolf knockoffs. I want to know that if Blockbuster isn't going to keep these films stocked, they'll allow someone else the choice to stock them. Destroying the movies... there's something profoundly wrong with that.

We'll keep our eyes on this one and let you know...

"Moriarty" out.