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Oscar Win Boosts Hurt Locker Blu-ray Sales
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Posted March 11, 2010 06:36 AM by Juan Calonge
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  UK Sales of The Hurt Locker have surged following the film's victory at the 82nd Academy Awards. HMV -the UK & Ireland's leading DVD and Blu-ray retailer- reports that disc sales of the film at stores and online have more than tripled since Monday compared to the same period a week before. Of those purchases, 40% are being made on Blu-ray. This is one of the highest ratios for any film release in the UK since the format was launched.
Rudy Osorio, Head of DVD at HMV comments: "The Hurt Locker barely took a million [pounds] at the box office when it first came out over a year ago - in fact it's one of the lowest-grossing best picture winners of all time, so there's clearly a huge amount of people that haven't seen this fantastic film yet. DVD sales were therefore always going to surge following its Oscar success as people rush to see it - but it's great to see that so many of them are doing so on Blu-ray, so that they can enjoy its amazing visual and sound effects in the spectacular high definition quality that it deserves."
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Source: All Media Scotland |
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Iceman713713
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Mar 11, 2010
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It was a great movie, glad it won! |
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spidey3
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Mar 11, 2010
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Yes good for Americans... not sure about the rest,just a solid movie.
Avatar should have won that very easily (yes i know about script,plot,bla bla)
It's easily the highlight of the year and a movie that will be remembered for 2010... |
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Rainman208
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Mar 11, 2010
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Not surprising but to me it was just an ok movie. For me 2009 belonged to Star Trek. |
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sapphire_nick
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Mar 11, 2010
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Really don't get the fuss about this. I made a blind buy in Jan and was really looking forward to it, but I seriously can only say that it was "okay" in fact, I lost interest towards the end. |
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RadThad
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Mar 11, 2010
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So so glad Avatar didn't win |
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bhayden25
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Mar 11, 2010
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The thing with The Hurt Locker is that most people who havent seen it don't realize how long it stays with you after you see it. |
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davidthenikonuser
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Mar 11, 2010
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I'm with sapphire_nick, it was ok and I to was getting bored by the end of the movie. As for staying with you for a long time after you have seen it, well for me that was about an hour or so. If you have not seen the movie it's worth one watch. |
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Dr. Skill
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Mar 11, 2010
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One of the most forgettable movies ever made. A movie that nobody cared about up to the point where the announcement that it goes against Avatar for the Oscar was made. Immediately following that announcement the ratings for this movie exploded.
The whole thing only proves the incredible power media has over a certain group of people here. The fact that a movie as insignificant and unsuccessful(with the public up to the point where people were told the movie is fantastic) as The Hurt Locker can win an Oscar raises a lot of questions.
As for the increase in bluray sales for this movie...of course it happened. Think of all the people that cannot decide for themselves, the people that wait for somebody to decide for them. Well the decision was made. Go buy it, sheep. NOW! |
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Mr. Cinema
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Mar 11, 2010
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The Hurt Locker was an Iraq war movie released in the middle of Summer 2009 and mixed in with all the Summer blockbusters. Do you really think it was going to do well at the box office under those conditions? Summit did a horrible job of marketing this film. Its widest release was at a whopping 535 theaters. That's it! It got a crappy, limited run. The general public had no idea it was even out. Blame Summit's marketing for that one, not the "sheep". The academy proved that box office DOES NOT MATTER. If they like a movie, they'll vote for it.
It should have been forgotten by everyone and swept under the rug. But it still managed to win all the Major Guild awards and beating Avatar head to head in all of them, sans the SAG award, which neither won. David beat Goliath...again. |
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South Park
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Mar 11, 2010
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Who does not understand the story and the message of AVATAR? Probably those who are too busy doing what the cooperation does in the movie: killing our mother, the earth. Of course, the movie is a technological sensation, a revolution in visual effects and sound. But personally I believe that it is the story, which is most important. The movie teaches us to respect nature, the energy and connection that makes our world whole. The movie displays the transformation of a man who knows war and sorrow into a man who learns to appreciate the gift of life. Do some of you out there not see the implication that history repeats itself? Do you not see that the killing of indigenous populations and precious secrets of nature that could hold the key of healing has happened before e.g. with the American Native population, happens right now in the Amazon, and happened not long ago in China where a dam was more important than people and their lives, culture, and beliefs? Will you ever understand? |
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Lincoln6Echo
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Mar 11, 2010
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I think you all are missing the point here, re: marketing and distribution. All the major studios turned it down. Katherine Bigelow and the writer, who was the EOD enbed, begged and pleaded for a studio to market and distribute the film, but none wanted to.
Picture a scenario like this:
Katherine: "Hey we have a really good pro-soldier war movie here set during the Iraq War in 2004.
Major studios: "Not interested, we're only interested in shit like "Redacted" by our buddy Mark Cuban."
Katherine: "OK...we'll go Indy, and in the end we'll have the last laugh at the Oscars."
Now as far as marketing goes? Sure, it wasn't advertised on regular TV with trailers and TV spots like every major film does, but it WAS advertiised on...don't snear...Fox News. They were on it way before the film was even done. I remember seeing stuff about it before it was even filmed. However, I knew it was going to get a limited release, because it was an Indy film, but aren't a lot of Indy films highley critically regarded. But with only limited initial viewership? It's only after they win awards that they become popular.
In the past, the Academy has always nominated and awarded films that no one has really seen, just so that they can push home video sales and/or theater tickets if the movie is still in theaters. So this time, Hurt Locker was just one of those that falls into this category, somewhat, but was more of a mainstream movie, ala Black Hawk Down, rather than an artsy film like any typical Cannes Film Festival movie.
Now as for the comment about the opening scene where the Guy Pearce character got killed, in the commentary, they say that it isn't the debris that kills you, it's the concusion wave that does the most damage. And as for the latter explosion you're talking about, I'm not sure which one you're referring to. The bomb vest dude at the end or what? If that's the case, Jeremy's character was much farther way when that went off. And I'd say that bomb vest wasn't nearly as powerful as the IED that killed the Guy Pearce character. In other words, the two bombs were apples and oranges. |
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Xtreem813
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Mar 11, 2010
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Excellent, blu-ray's making a significant dent again. Let's hope that more blu-ray sales mean more studios will put more time into their releases. Congrats Hurt Locker and Bigelow.
I saw Hurt Locker in theaters the summer it came out after I heard lots of buzz around festivals. The film was intense for me and I love that in movies. If you can keep my riveted and on the edge of my seat then that's saying something. I have a brother who served two years over there so maybe it's personal but friends of mine also agree that it's an amazing movie. It's amazing for all the reasons that great movies are; it's simple in terms of plot, deep in terms of character, and draws you into the film, making you feel things without trying to shove it down your throat (Avatar.) I was riveted from beginning to end with the exception of the one kind of ridiculous scene near the end.
The reason why interest and ratings suddenly went up was because there was no marketing for this movie. The only reason I knew about it was because I was following festival coverage. Obviously you're going to attract an audience that might love the movie if they actually know it exists. These conspiracy theories are idiotic. The oscar bump is always true in that more people now know it exists and might be interested. You have a pretty cynical view if you think that people only like it because it was nominated or because it won.
If you want to blame anything, it's the new voting system they devised. Personally, I love it. It allows voters to rank the movies nominated in the order they prefer. So even if Hurt Locker isn't #1 on most people's list, as long as it's high on everyone's list then it wins. This gives much more of a consensus of opinions. Otherwise you end up with a system where critics who love multiple movies can only chose 1 and similar movies can't possibly win because they split votes; similar to elections with third parties here in America.
Up In The Air was my personal favorite of the year but that doesn't diminish anything from Hurt Locker. Up In The Air, Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds were all perfectly deserving of BP (in fact, I would have been happy with anything but Avatar or Blind Side winning.) I rarely like any movies that win BP at the oscars, in fact most of the time I dislike the movies that win. I can completely see the merit in this winning though and I understand all the backlash all of sudden just because it won. It happens every year. More people see it so more people might love it, but you also get people who don't love it. Some of the best movies ever made are not universally loved and the ones that are usually aren't great.
Let's talk about how great it is that the blu-ray is selling at such a high rate and how a Best Picture win boosts sales because that's what the story is about.
P.S. Success or greatness doesn't equal the money it made |
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H-BOMB
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Mar 11, 2010
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There were 2 movies that should have garnered Best Picture, one did, The Hurt Locker and the other was Inglourious Basterds. Movies like The Hurt Locker cannot be judged on one viewing, you need to watch it at least 2 times before giving your opinion, it is frigging intense and engrossing to say the least. On the other hand, movies like Avatar, you need to watch once and you can formalate an opinion because they are more based on action and less on depth. So, for you simpletons out there, just because a movie has outstanding special effects does not make it better or if more people go watch it either. I did not know about The Hurt Locker until I read about it on Blu-ray.com and I am glad I bought it. Like I said before, The Hurt Locker and Inglouriuos Basterds were both much better than Avatar. |
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t0nythebeat
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Mar 11, 2010
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District 9 should have won. But I did like The Hurt Locker!
Precious or Up in the Air would be my other choices |
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Minimejer05
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Mar 11, 2010
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Very good news for Hurt Locker. |
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popcornninja
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Mar 11, 2010
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I'm so glad The Hurt Locker won. I thought this was a great "no bs" type of movie. It was an intense ride and showed how war affects different characters. I wouldn't have minded if District 9, Inglorious Basterds, or Up in the Air won though they were all great movies.
I was very glad also that Avatar did not win much, other than technical awards (which it did deserve). I don't understand how that movie was even nominated for Best Picture, it was great to look at but the characters were so one dimensional and over the top. |
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Sith
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Mar 11, 2010
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Already watched it 3 times and looking forward to the 4th...Very deserving of Best Picture..Best movie in my opinion since There Will Be Blood |
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