High prices on the long tail

There is a curious phenomenon running through the DVD market on Amazon these days. At the end of the long tail DVDs with meager popularity demand huge prices.

Matinee, that lovable coming of age story set during the Cuban Missile Crisis and chock full of movie palace nostalgia sells for between $50 and $110 these days.

But even it must bow before the pricing juggernaut that is Cinema Europe - The Other Hollywood a six hour documentary about silent film in Europe. It starts at $289 and only goes up. Of course even this is tiny before the titan of expensive DVDs the Criterion Edition of Salo. It starts around $400 and climbs into the $2500+ stratosphere.

I like to think that these prices reflect their cultural importance. Thus an Oscar nominated crowd pleaser, but culturally insignificant film, like Mannequin starts at $7. However I really don’t think that’s it. There’s something about the passionate audience for these movies that drives up the price. I wonder if theatrical releases might see these kind of price fluctuations some day.