Disney Not to Caption/Subtitle All Movies in rental DVD?

Don’t be surprised by the above headline. Disney’s “marketing decision” to not to included closed captioning or subtitles for the deaf in the rental DVD of a popular 3D animation movie, “UP“, could either be a sign of things to come or just a dumb-ass decision made by the new people at the Disney video distribution. Edward Runyon of Thumpaflash has more details. He strongly suggested calling, not emailing, the Disney people to tell them the error of their ways. Let’s see if Disney try to worm its way out of violating the ADA of 1990 based on a “marketing decision”.

Kenneth Samson sent an email to the heads of Disney and Pixar, thinking the CEO of the Decade could become a barbarian at Disney’s gate over a bang-up job?

Why do I think it could be a sign of things to come, you ask? Here’s why. Disney is one of the major movie studios considering a strategic move to force people to buy DVD instead of renting the DVD first.

My visits to the Blockbuster stores tell me a different story: rows of used or returned and new DVDs on the display shelves waiting to be purchased by passing customers rather spending time looking at the rental shelves. Big Lots stores sell these numerous DVD titles at bargain price – the price of a rental DVD.

You know there are some movies that are not worth watching few times. And there are way more movies that are not worth watching few or several times than movies that are. Hence why there are more used or returned DVDs at the video retailers like Blockbuster. Though, if you’re a girl who’s a “Twilight” film fan, that’s a different story – bordering an undying obsession for this overrated, overhyped actor instead of the story (come to think of it: which is more important to you – the character or the actor?). Fans buying up “Twilight” DVD simply because of that actor, not because of the adaption of which the novel is based on.

In my experience, several years ago, I learned that watching a favorite movie several times has actually lessened my appeal and interest in it over the time, to the point of being bored with it. From this, I realized it’s better to watch a favorite movie every once in a while or whenever the right mood for it strike nicely for me, a good way to maintain my appeal and interest in a favorite movie. For example, every December since late 1980s, I watch my favorite Christmas-themed movie only once, the Dan Ackroyd-Eddie Murphy classic, “Trading Places”.

That being said, I think Disney’s “marketing decision” over no captions for “UP” DVD is simply dumb(ass). Forcing people to buy caption-supported DVDs before the no captioned-DVD rental versions few weeks later is a whole other matter.

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