Ktrek wrote:BUT Mr. Toad there are already TONS and I mean TONS of sites out there with info about DVDs outside of Disney but nobody covered or covers Disney like UD.
In UD's defense, they only cover
reviews of non-Disney DVDs, and beyond the Upcoming Releases schedule, don't regularly post news regarding new DVDs the way sites like DVDActive or DVDTimes post news.
And in my experience, nobody does reviews like UD. Where else have you seen reviews that actually provide all of the following:
1. A bit of pre-history/backstory regarding the DVD/Movie/TV Show at hand?
2. A thorough listing of information such as episode summaries, cast and directors/producers/writers, air dates, runtimes, DVD specs, and related reviews?
3. A sizable supply of pertinent screen caps from both the movie/show and its bonus features/menus? With witty little text to boot!
4. An equal amount of time spent on the DVD and the movie, not necessarily weighing one over the other?
5. An honest assessment of the DVD without trying to cater to one crowd (DVD enthusiasts) or the other (Disney enthusiasts).
Most every other site I go to never seems to fulfill all those factors, and some of the most prolific DVD-reviewing sites seem to think their only purpose is to shill their opinion of the film and throw in a few haphazard "The DVD comes with this and that, they're good, but not toog ood" comments and call it a day. If I were to pick a non-UD DVD site that actually comes close as well as rise above UD's standards for reviews, it'd have to be TheDigitalBits, especially some of Bill Hunt's comprehensive reviews (such as the droolworthy
Blade Runner: Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition). DVDVerdict is another that comes close. I also enjoy HTF, but they are more tech-based. Also, UD is probably the only one where the Disney reviews are actually written by people who like Disney, and aren't doing it because they lost a bit among the pool of reviewers. It's sad to read non-Disney sites cover Disney DVDs, because half the time they're either badmouthing what Disney has become or they're constantly saying, "This stuff really is for kids now...".
The way I've always seen it is that the UD-quality and style of reviews is now (and thankfully) extended to non-UD material, resulting in pleasing a more general audience. Because as great as our hardcore Disney audience is, the entire world doesn't revolve around Disney, and UD can't survive on the paltry materials that Disney decides to stock on store shelves. I won't say that the UD style of reviewing is some exclusive template, as every review from every site all have a basic "give overview of movie, talk about DVD, say if it's worth it or not". But UD seems to be one of the few that will go the extra mile and make sure to discuss every (or nearly every) aspect of the DVD and movie, and not just limit themselves to one or two viewings followed by a quick review with easily written soundbites like "The extras here are fairly promotional in nature and not worth more than one viewing" or "This film has never looked better, the transfer is gorgeous".
It always seems odd to me that people complain about the smaller amount of Disney coverage, when half the time, they're complaining about what Disney is offering in the first place. The forums are riddled with pro-or-anti-this-and-that-and-everything-else, that when a review does come up for something Disney, hardly anyone makes note of it. There's probably only two or three regular posters who actually make a point to go to "Review Feedback" and offer their feedback. Otherwise, most everyone seems to take the reviews for granted. They expect UD to get on doing review after review, ask when such-and-such will be posted, but there's hardly any talk about them once they're done. The only exception seems to be the Platinums and the Treasures, which is understandable, but is an extremely limited output from Disney, and if UD were to just cover those since other material (like Disney channel fare or even some of the vintage cartoon season sets) might not be deemed "worthy", then the site would go under faster than anyone could say "Yakazumayakayaka."
Luke wrote:Kevin, there have been other comments to similar effect (not often as articulate and well-reasoned as yours) and you can probably easily find a post in Feedback with a more detailed response from me. But here goes another try...
Well, we do have this entire thread regarding the topic at hand which has a lot of great and lengthy discussion about non-Disney material on a decidedly Disney site.:
Non-Disney movie content on UD.com
Pluto Region1 actually wrote a wonderful rant regarding people's complaints about non-Disney material:
On July 27, 2007, Pluto Region1 wrote:[rant]This is a business for Luke (as well as an obvious labor of love, but love don't pay the bills) – the DVD reviews drive the website and if there's no good Disney content, then he has to expand. I'd rather have a sister site than NO UD…. Think of it that way. As has been stated, the co-mingling of the sites is temporary and he needs UD to drive traffic to the new site. You guys, for the most part (unless you are a regular donor), use this website and forum FOR FREE – so let's have some understanding and appreciation for this site being here in the first place, instead of all this criticism about what content you want to see. It is a lot of work to run a website like this, in fact, its a full-time job. You guys have been complaining about this site and what you want to see on it like you are in a restaurant ordering from a waiter. Frankly I find it disgusting. He doesn't work for you. He's got this website to run AND he's starting a new one – he's burning the candle at both ends. Your demands are demands on HIS time and let's not forget that. Where is your gratitude? You should all quit bellyaching and appreciate that the site is still here. [/end of rant]
I bow down to my pirate goddess.
And she brings up a very good point, there may be a time when UD will no longer be running regularly, when it will shut down and become a part of internet history like the long-running and recently shut down DVDJournal. After 10 years, it decided to end its run, citing several factors.
Luke wrote:And I think that while it's true lots of people find this site looking for Disney information, very few of them are completely oblivious and opposed to non-Disney entertainment (or apt to label dismiss it as "all kinds of crap").
Which is sad, really. It's rather disturbing how messianic the Disney product has become among some people, as if watching or discussing anything else would be sacrilege. There's a lot of great movies and films out there, in both the live-action and animation departments. It always pains me to read people readily dismiss any of them just because they don't bear the Disney name.
Ktrek wrote:I mean do you really believe that people come here to a supposed Disney website to hear your latest opinion and review of a non-Disney item? I really doubt it.
I don't know about anyone else, but I found that a rather rude thing to ask. After all, does Barrie Maxwell think his opinion is the only one that matters for his Classic Coming Attractions column? Does Stuart Galbraith expect readers to only read his reviews at DVDTalk? People that read reviews are first and foremost interested in the product being reviewed, and if the reviewer's opinion helps, that's good. But it's a bit naff to think that a reviewer is writing for his audience/fans, and not for the product at hand. Especially on the internet where anyone and everyone is a reviewer, but not everyone has the capacity to build DVD reviewing sites.
Scaps
You are correct.
