Thursday, April 13, 2006
Wal-Mart Economics
Here's a post for some of my regulars. I'm glad I actually got an email saying that I'm that first page read, while they're drinking their morning cup of joe. Take that, CNN.
My friend Mario convinced me to take a late night trip out to the Super Wal-Mart, so that I could help advise him on his cheap DVD movie purchases. Hint, we were looking for the best Zombie Bang for the Buck, and when it comes to zombies, there's no better place to find them at then at the fluorescent hell that is a Super-Walmart.
Oh, and I also was there to debate with him whether or not he should impulse by the new season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. My answer: Fuck yes.
And then I spotted something.
Something intriguing.
Something that screamed bargain, but also made all the tiny little gears in my head start spinning backwards.
A DVD bundle of George Lucas' THX and The Wachowski Bros.' The Matrix, for $7.50.
This is interesting, because if you hunt for just the matrix, without THX 1198, it retails for $10.00.
How can two movies sell for cheaper and still be profitable when they sell for less than one movie?
Mario's theory was the Occam's Razor
"It's West Virginia, man. People are going to see the Matrix for $7.50, and then go...THX? More like WTF? The very fact that the title has numbers and letters, but isn't a sequel is probably enough to make most of the Wal-Mart shoppers back away slowly."
Can you tell that Mario and I have a strong common bond of hating the archetypical west Virginian, in all his Ford Truck glory? (as a side note, I have yet to meet the archetype, which is good for me and the people I've met.)
My theory is far more sinister. I think having worked with a conspiracy theorist once-upon-a-time, as they say, I suspect something is rotten in the state of Wal-Mart.
This conspiracy theory involves the machinations of one George Lucas. After earning the title "Batshit Insane" and "Star Wars Enemy #1", and creating such "splinter factions", such as Han Shot First, he needed a way to regain the public's love, and Luke Skywalker's angsty teen years doesn't look like that will be the key.
Lucas needed a way to circulate films that have his name attached to them that are actually good.
And popular opinion is ruling those tend to be his older films. So in summary, I'm assuming George Lucas is subsidizing Wal-Mart to bundle his older films to other box office boomers. Look for Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom to be bundled with "Saw 2" very, very soon.
Technorati Tags:star wars, George Lucas, Wal-Mart, conspiracy, DVD,
My friend Mario convinced me to take a late night trip out to the Super Wal-Mart, so that I could help advise him on his cheap DVD movie purchases. Hint, we were looking for the best Zombie Bang for the Buck, and when it comes to zombies, there's no better place to find them at then at the fluorescent hell that is a Super-Walmart.
Oh, and I also was there to debate with him whether or not he should impulse by the new season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. My answer: Fuck yes.
And then I spotted something.
Something intriguing.
Something that screamed bargain, but also made all the tiny little gears in my head start spinning backwards.
A DVD bundle of George Lucas' THX and The Wachowski Bros.' The Matrix, for $7.50.
This is interesting, because if you hunt for just the matrix, without THX 1198, it retails for $10.00.
How can two movies sell for cheaper and still be profitable when they sell for less than one movie?
Mario's theory was the Occam's Razor
"It's West Virginia, man. People are going to see the Matrix for $7.50, and then go...THX? More like WTF? The very fact that the title has numbers and letters, but isn't a sequel is probably enough to make most of the Wal-Mart shoppers back away slowly."
Can you tell that Mario and I have a strong common bond of hating the archetypical west Virginian, in all his Ford Truck glory? (as a side note, I have yet to meet the archetype, which is good for me and the people I've met.)
My theory is far more sinister. I think having worked with a conspiracy theorist once-upon-a-time, as they say, I suspect something is rotten in the state of Wal-Mart.
This conspiracy theory involves the machinations of one George Lucas. After earning the title "Batshit Insane" and "Star Wars Enemy #1", and creating such "splinter factions", such as Han Shot First, he needed a way to regain the public's love, and Luke Skywalker's angsty teen years doesn't look like that will be the key.
Lucas needed a way to circulate films that have his name attached to them that are actually good.
And popular opinion is ruling those tend to be his older films. So in summary, I'm assuming George Lucas is subsidizing Wal-Mart to bundle his older films to other box office boomers. Look for Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom to be bundled with "Saw 2" very, very soon.
Technorati Tags:star wars, George Lucas, Wal-Mart, conspiracy, DVD,
# posted by Chris Wilson : 1:02:00 AM
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