Quote:
Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan
Did we appreciate what we got more in pre-digital days than in today's world of Internet streaming?
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No and saying we did in this particular instance I think is maybe a use of that sort of cliche "virtue message for a simpler time" but here it misses the mark.
For example, and I don't know if you remember or not, but think back to those "VHS days" for a moment. It was a huge PITA. There was that weird release window where a movie wouldn't come out to VHS for YEARS after it's release.
I tried to order a copy of The Crow from Tower Records and it was like a $400 video tape because Hollywood put a strangehold on their releases until they'd be able to put a single movie out on some special display kiosk to rape the buying public even further.
I wish I could explain the specifics of their leverage for pulling nonsense like that back then, but all I recall was that it had something to do with the general public not being able to buy a release during a rental window. And if you wanted a "for rental copy only" it was going cost you hundreds. It was like all studios treated their movies the way that Disney did with their animation - they'd get this periodic releases as marketed as some big deal for a limited time instead of just being widely available.
So no, I understand the rosy colored lens, but back then pop culture media (music, movies, all of it) was a consumer-rape-fest of controlled availability, re-releases of the same stuff, repacks, timed release windows, etc. It sucked.