Looks like Disney has a new marketing strategy up its sleeve.If you love movies like Benji: the Hunted, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken and Mail to the Chief then pay attention because you’ll need to know about the Disney Movie Club if you ever want to get your hands on those particular titles. Perhaps even more.For the scoop, read the full story… In a move that is surely not going to be popular among a wide selection of fans, Disney has chosen to release selected titles on DVD such as the before mentioned Benji: the Hunted, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken and Mail to the Chief – EXCLUSIVELY in its own video club. Working a lot like Columbia House or any other kind of mail order, customers will be able to choose from a wide selection of titles at discounts if they promise to buy more later.From Disney Insider –It seems like everyone has one – that favorite movie, perhaps seen once in childhood, that we can never find again. The DVD revolution has brought a lot of those lesser-known classics back into the light of day, but there are still a few impossible-to-find holdouts. Well, if you’ve been desperately searching for a fondly remembered Disney flick, you may be in luck – the Disney Movie Club has announced a new series of DVD releases dubbed the Exclusives. These are family movies that have never before been released on DVD, mostly live-action. Read on and discover if the first wave of releases will include your must-have movie! “The titles selected to be the first of the Exclusives collection are somewhat varied, in an effort to appeal to the broad taste of DMC members,” explains John Flynn, Executive Director of the Disney Movie Club. “The first three releases really do offer something for everyone – adorable animals, heartwarming drama, and sidesplitting comedy. They are: • “Benji the Hunted,” the classic tale of one of America’s favorite canine heroes. • “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken,” a story of a courageous young runaway who fulfills her dream of joining the circus by diving horses from a platform into a pool of water. When a tragic accident leaves her blind at the height of her career, her determination leads to great triumph. • “Mail to the Chief,” a fun tale of a middle-school student who gives advice to a person he meets on the Internet with the screen name “Average Joe.” Only later does he discover this individual is none other than the President of the United States. How were they chosen? According to John, it all comes down to consumer demand. “We log thousands of title requests each year. People request even the most obscure films and television shows. We even get requests for sequels to films that have never been created, such as ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘Dumbo 2’!” He adds, “If there is any potential audience for a given title, we do our best to make it available.” The Disney Movie Club will continue to rummage through the vaults and release films that have previously been unavailable on DVD. John hints that there are quite a few ’60s comedies that might be in the works for upcoming releases, but he won’t give us more specifics – we’ll just have to wait and see. How do you get these flicks? They’re only available to Disney Movie Club members – one of the perks of joining the club. Here’s the scoop: visit DisneyMovieClub.com to sign up, then choose three of their Disney DVDs for free; shipping and processing is free. By joining, you agree to purchase five more titles over the next two years at regular Club prices, which start at $19.95. When you’ve done that, you become a VIP member and get added goodies like free gifts. And, of course, when the next batch of lost treasures appears on DVD, Disney Movie Club members will be the ones getting to say, “OH! That movie! I love that one! I never thought I’d see it again …” Tempted to join? well hold your horses. Like with just about everything, there is a catch. This one being that the club is only open to residents of the United States. Yup, Canadians and the rest of the world get shafted again. Thanks a lot Mickey! There is always eBay, but with such a limited means of distribution, I doubt there will be many copies of select titles to go around.
