- Kevin ALSO managed to explain what went wrong with Buena Vista’s proposed distribution of the Clerks DVD. Again, we totally forgot we were dealing with DISNEY here. Check THIS out:
See, basically, the DVD is supposed to be a DVD version of what was on the laserdisc we did, oh so many moons ago. However, that laserdisc was released by Image. The DVD was to be release by Buena Vista. And someone at Buena Vista deemed the commentary (particularly what was discussed about ‘snowballing’) objectionable for them to release. So now we have to find a third party distributor to release it.
Story of my life lately.
If you have qualms about this, contact the good folks at Buena Vista Home Video. It’s odd, considering they DID release the film on video, and while it doesn’t contain our commentary track, the film itself contains a discussion on ‘snowballing’.
Weird. Antsy. Disney.
We’re CONFUSED, considering, as Kev says, the film’s got this stuff in it to begin with — Hell, the term is DEFINED in the film. Anyway, we don’t like the idea of a third party picking up the DVD – In fact, we dunno how or if it’ll even happen. So, we wanna take a shot at getting Buena Vista to reconsider their position on relesing the DVD. It’s not too late! So, if you like, cut this text below, Click HERE, change the subject to other, enter your e-mail, and paste the the following into the text box over at Disney’s site. Be sure to put your name at the bottom, and send it along (We know it’s confusing, so if we find a better, more direct e-mail method, we’ll post it):
I am sending you this email to express my disappointment in Buena Vista’s decision to not release the Clerks DVD due to what is, undoubtedly, a very small bit of possibly offensive content residing on a commentary track. Clerks is a favorite film of mine and I am very excited at the prospect of owning a copy including all special content and insight offered by the film’s creators. Reduction of that content via censorship diminishes the value of the commentary and reduces the true viewpoints of independent filmmakers like Kevin Smith.
May I suggest that the DVD be released as is, but with a warning label advising prospective owners as to questionable content and allowing each owner to make his or her personal decision as to what is or is not offensive. Other suggestions are to shepherd the DVD to another distributor, allowing Buena Vista a share of the profit while preserving the integrity of the commentary; or to briefly mask the offensive commentary while retaining the bulk of the content.
Considering sales of Clerks in the VHS format, total suspension of the DVD format does not make financial sense.
I am a big fan of this film and hearing the news of its release cancellation ruined my day. Please reconsider your stance on this issue and make Clerks available on DVD to the public. Let the fans that enjoy this type of entertainment decide the value of the commentary. This will, in turn, continue broad fan appeal and support for future Miramax releases that provide a breath of fresh creativity in the movie industry.
I look forward to owning Clerks on DVD in the near future and appreciate Buena Vista’s efforts in bringing it to this medium. Thanks for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME/E-MAIL HERE
On Behalf of News Askew’s “Save Clerks” DVD Petition
http://www.newsaskew.com
Feel free to use the letter above OR, better yet, write your own, but REMEMBER: Don’t yell, swear, or be crude in any way. Just send them a kind note requesting that they release the Clerks DVD in so many words. Intelligent, coherent e-mails are more effective and accepted than those that insult. Also, if you know of a site that may want to join the cause, feel free to inform them. Good luck, and we’ll keep you posted on Buena Vista’s response. We CAN make a difference!
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