From: snopes%club33@stlth.enet.dec.com (snopes)
Subject: 'Beast' laser put off due to fear of piracy
Organization: Will work for food, but not for DEC.
Date:  6 OCT 92 22:13:46    



                'Beast' laser put off due to fear of piracy

   While VCR owners will thrill to Walt Disney Home Video's "Beauty and the
Beast" this fall, finicky laserdisc afficionados will have to be content with
the unfinished "Beauty and the Beast: A Work in Progress," in a move calculated
to thwart overseas piracy of the instant animation classic.
   Laser dealers are unofficially being told by Disney that the theatrical
version of "Beauty" will make its laser debut in September 1993, a move the
studio would not confirm, stating that as yet there are no plans for a lser
release of the theatrical "Beast."
   The $49.95 double-disc "Work in Progress" substitutes an occasional
black-and-white pencil drawing for color images.  The title, released
simultaneous with the cassette, also features previously unreleased
behind-the-scenes footage.  It goes on moratorium April 2.
   The Oct. 30 theatrical video lists for $24.99.
   Laser dealers are up in arms over the move by Buena Vista Home Video, which
distributes the Walt Disney Home Video line.  "This is in no way intended to
slight the laser community," said David DelGrosso, executive vp of Image
Entertainment, Buena Vista's laser distributor.
   BVHV apparently is concerned about maintaining the integrity of its
international videocassette release of "Beast," scheduled for Fall 1993.  The
NTSC laserdiscs, which produce near-perfect video copies, could be used to
pirate cassettes to Japan.
   But that's small comfort to domestic laser dealers, whose customers have
been clamoring for the title.
   "If they're going to put it out next September, they might as well keep the
disc they're putting out now, because most people will likely wait for the
complete version," said Harold Shoemaker, a sales clerk at Lezermania in West
Hollywood.
   "It makes it very difficult to merchandise programming that is not complete.
It's like trying to sell a pair of pants with one leg," he added.
   DelGrosso said that reaction could only be from a person who hasn't seen
"Work in Progress."
   "I think it will satisfy the collector, but not the people with kids who
just want to have the new Disney title for them to watch," said Kevin
VanDenbrink, manager of Dave's Video Place in Sherman Oaks.
   "The bottom line is the 'unifinished' footage is not a significant portion
of the running time.  The differences will hardly offend any young children who
want to see this movie," DelGrosso said.  "The laser fan is usually the
collector.  If they wanted to see the movie they could just watch the tape."
   But Shoemaker said it hurts laser's credibility to miss out on a hot title
that video enthusiasts can enjoy.
   "We've been fighting for 10 years to become a part of the home entertainment
industry," he said.  "It's going to create a great deal of ill will with the
general laser buying public."
   "This is disappointing, because we're sure it would have done as well as
'Fantasia,' which was our biggest seller ever," said VanDenbrink.
   With more than 50,000 units in preorders on "Work in Progress," sales are
strong, but nowhere close to "Fantasia," which shipped more than 200,000 units
day-and-date with the video release last fall, and DelGrosso said the label
never expected them to be.
   "'Fantasia' was unique in that it had enormous appeal to both kids and
grownups."  "Work in Progress'" sales, which he expects to continue growing as
street date approaches, qualify it as a laser success in today's economic
environment, he said.
   Laser dealers were generally uncomplimentary when it came to discussing
Disney's release strategy as they're still waiting to get "101 Dalmatians," a
Spring video release, on disc.  "The Great Mouse Detective," another '92
cassette release, also remains unavailable on disc.
   As yet no release date has been announced.

+------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
|                        |"It's conceivable that sometimes when people       |
| David P. Mikkelson     | criticize the president for syntax lapses, when   |
| Digital Equipment Corp | he's -- particularly when he's tired, that this   |
| Culver City, CA  USA   | kind of verbal problem can be a form of dyslexia."|
|                        |                                                   |
|       (snopes)         | -Burton Lee (President Bush's personal physician) | 
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Newsgroups: rec.video.releases