1. The movie only reached the theatres less than two weeks ago.
2. It’s not out on DVD yet.
3. It’s not likely to be out on DVD for another 3-6 months.
4. The DVD must be an illegal copy.
5. How much will the screenplay writers get from this ‘purchase’?
6. At what stage is it right to buy a pirated movie?

The last question obviously doesn’t need answering because it’s a case of never, ever, should you buy such unlicensed property. Anyway, Halle Berry isn’t in this latest movie in the franchise.

After asking other film fans for comment, some believe that if it’s a big movie that’s made oceans of profit for the stars, the crew and the studio, then it’s okay to buy a cheap copy because the stars already have enough money and after all, DVDs are expensive, especially if you want Blu-ray quality in these credit crunch times.

I can see why people would hold that point of view, but who decides the cut-off point between the screenwriter getting paid for his work and not getting paid via cheap copies? How well does the movie have to do at the cinema before it’s okay to rip off the movie?

I thought that the governments and industry had managed to find funds to source and control piracy – how wrong I was. A quick ‘Google’ search shows so many hits for torrents of movies being released not this week, but in a month’s time.

It’s theft whatever way you look at it, but the consumer who is willing to pay $5 for a recent movie rather than $20 at the theatre is a difficult force to control

These thefts cost us all money. Go check out these piracy information websites:

United States – http://www.mpaa.org/piracy.asp
UK – http://www.piracyisacrime.com/
Australia – http://www.mipi.com.au/

What is your government doing?

This YouTube video is an official anti piracy comment. Unfortunately, despite what it says, people do steal handbags, televisions and cars.

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In the UK alone, the box office sales have been a few pounds under $67million.

Asda (Walmart’s UK joint venture) claims to have sold 300,000 units on Monday, which equates to:

• 10 copies a second and
• the DVD being in 15% of baskets.

Look out the US because you have the double deluxe version out on 16th December 2008.

It’s more a question of who isn’t getting it for Christmas?

Finally, the DVD we’ve all (well most of us) have been waiting for; the release of the Mamma Mia! movie on DVD.

Release dates vary around the world; in Australia it’s been available since 6th November, which may explain why there are so many copies available for free, out there on the internet and down the high street in those (cheating) cheap DVD sales where none of the artists, especially the screenplay writer, gets any money; royalties. Someone even had the cheek to use the contact page to offer me a copy a month ago!

I would guess the screenplay will be available online very soon as someone uses their DVD to scribe the script by use of their play and pause buttons. If you’re the first to do this or if you see a copy, please send me the link.

For a legitimate copy, the UK is releasing a single DVD whereas in the US the Mamma Mia! DVD is available as a two disk special edition.

I just have to decide whether to get one sent over from the UK or fly over and pick one up. With international postage expenditure the cost will be about the same, but with flying I could get it two or three days earlier.

DVD content:

Single-disc features
• Sing-along
• “The Name of the Game” deleted musical number
• Feature commentary with director Phyllida Lloyd

Two-disc special edition features:

The widescreen single-disc includes a bonus disc which includes:
• Deleted scenes
• Outtakes
• The Making of Mamma Mia! featurette
• Anatomy of a Musical Number: “Lay All Your Love on Me”
• Becoming a Singer featurette
• Behind the scenes with Amanda
• On Location in Greece featurette
• A Look Inside Mamma Mia! featurette
• “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” music video
• Björn Ulvaeus cameo

Many favourite websites are also listing a Mamma Mia gift set DVD. It all comes in a nice flashy box with a hardback journal for a few dollars/pounds more.

Please add your own reviews within the comments section.

The bottom line: buy it and wear it out. It’ll be a top seller and top of DVD charts all over the world. It’s still running at my local cinema complex, after all this time. I might just go and see it again on the big screen before I get the DVD for the small screen.

It could be the most given Christmas present of 2008!