Straight-to-video is generally shorthand for cheesier-than-Taco-topping. And more often than not, it means a zero chance of a tetchy studio making their bread back.
But the times they are a-changin’ and there’s now big bucks to be made in putting a film Straight To Disc (STD – stop sniggering) and studios are beginning to cash in.
Universal recently shoved their weight behind American Pie: Band Camp, which they’re hoping will prove more lucrative as a Straight To Disc film, without the promotional hustle required for a cinematic release.
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Indeed, The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that the cost of printing and advertising a movie alone stands at an average of $34.4 million. The light-bulbs first flickered when Tinseltown realised just how many animated follow-ups rake in the readies when they bypass the big screen.
“There’s nothing like walking into a theatre,” says Luis Guzmán, star of Carlito’s Way: Rise To Power, which will be released Straight To Disc later this year, “but technology has made it possible to have a home theatre system that's just as good as going to the movies.”
Wait. Does this mean Steven Seagal is cool again?
