d the special pricing program offered by MGM Home Entertainment here on the movie "Hannibal" allowed them to stock more copies of the title, and will also allow them to generate more revenues from sell-through.
Theresa Daniels, manager, McMaken Super Market's McVideo, Brookville, Ohio, said she was able to purchase twice as many copies of the movie as she usually does -- she bought 30 VHS copies instead of 12 to 15 -- so that she was able to keep the movie in stock during busy rental periods.
MGM made the movie available on VHS for a flat price of $45 per copy during the rental window, rather than using traditional "copy-depth" pricing programs in which retailers have to purchase high volumes of titles to receive significant discounts. The movie was the biggest theatrical hit to be offered at a flat price since the studios launched the copy-depth programs several years ago.
ENCINO, Calif. -- Consumers continued to rent movies at a record pace after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the Video Software Dealers Association here. Total U.S. spending for VHS and DVD rentals for the week ending Sept. 23 was $114.5 million, up 26% over the same period a year earlier, the VSDA reported. In the preceding week, rental spending totaled $156 million, an increase of 30% over the year-ago results.
The VSDA reported that several titles related to the alleged prophet Nostradamus were unusually popular, as were such terrorist-themed movies as 1999's "The Siege" from Fox Home Video, Beverly Hills, Calif., and 1993's "Under Siege" from Warner, Burbank, Calif. Fox's 1996 hit "Independence Day" also has been a strong renter since the tragedies.
DALLAS -- Blockbuster said last week that it would begin placing signage by terrorist-themed movies and games to provide guidance for customers.
"We have been faced with a dilemma," said John Antioco, chairman and chief executive of the video rental chain. "On the one hand, we know that there is heightened sensitivity to terrorist themes right now. On the other hand, we do not want to pull product from our stores."
The signage will remain in place through the end of the year and will focus on new movies and games.