If things were to happen the way they are supposed to happen, then Sony would do us right and release "Rare Treasures" as a separate DVD box set for all of us fans who bought the sets as they came out.
Then, after several more months, they would release a box set of the "1960's Feature Films," thus completing our 3 Stooges DVD collections. I don't understand why they would do anything else. It makes no sense to me to offer things like this only in a "Complete" box set.
Also, we must remember that these are not your standard bonus features. Standard bonus features are usually commentaries, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stuff. No! This is not that kind of fare. These are full length Short Subject and Feature Films. They need to get wise and get the "Rare Treasures" DVD set out there, normally.
I guarantee that if "Rare Treasures" was released in the same manner as Volumes 1-8, that it would be a HUGE success.
They need to wise up to this fact.
I agree that it would be a huge success with more serious Stooge fans and collectors, but with the general public, maybe not so much. For us, it's a no-brainer "what took them so long" release. But for the average person who's not a dyed-in-the-wool Stooge scholar, you have essentially one (relatively obscure) feature film with the "classic" lineup of the Stooges (Moe, Larry and the original Curly), made when Curly was past his prime and featuring the Stooges playing different characters who aren't really a team in the traditional sense. Then you have the past-their-prime
Have Rocket, Will Travel with Curly-Joe, and a bunch of solo shorts with Shemp Howard and Joe Besser, which the average person who's not a diehard Stooge collector has probably never seen, with Moe, Larry and Curly nowhere in sight.
I don't think it would sell anywhere near the same league as the eight volumes of Stooge shorts they've released, and I think they know it. In fact, if you follow this argument to its logical conclusion, pretty much the only people who would really be interested in these bonus DVDs are the same people who already bought all eight volumes of Stooge shorts. And those who resisted the temptation to buy them as they were released, figuring a set like this would follow.
They'll follow the money. Business-wise, it would make the most sense to offer the bonus stuff separately. But it wouldn't surprise me if it doesn't happen until a year or so down the road -- like the
Keaton Plus bonus DVD which was initially only available as part of
The Art Of Buster Keaton box set. Of course, that wasn't Sony, so who knows.
