# Why bother with token movie releases?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bother-with-token-movie-releases/437562>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 14, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bother-with-token-movie-releases/437562 "2008-02-14T04:20:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bother-with-token-movie-releases/437562/1 "2008-02-14T04:20:54Z")

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While looking in the Paris Hilton and unreleased movie threads, it suprised me to notice how many films get released in a handful of theaters. (I’m referring more to B movies than art flicks.) I wondered why release them at all? The expenses in printing and shipping films, releasing publicity materials, and other expenses must be much higher than straight to DVD releases–and few of these films are any higher in quality. And with only a handful of theaters showing them, the hopes of recouping anything substantive are zilch. Why do moviemakers bother then?

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**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bother-with-token-movie-releases/437562/2 "2008-02-14T04:44:02Z")

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Maybe the guy who owns whatever chain gives them a chance is the filmmaker’s uncle?

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**Author:** ![Aioua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@Aioua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aioua)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bother-with-token-movie-releases/437562/3 "2008-02-14T04:46:59Z")

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Well, quick guess.

They make a _little_ bit more money that way. Or, err, lose less.  
At least, that’s the gamble.

Ah, capitalism!

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-bother-with-token-movie-releases/437562/4 "2008-02-14T04:59:42Z")

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[Zyzzyx Road](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zyzzyx_Road) is an infamous example - it was released to a very limited showing in the US (one theater, only a handful of paying viewers, 6 day showing) to allow the filmmakers to adhere to certain Screen Actors Guild rules. The filmmakers got to pay their actors less because the film was technically shown in the US; the producers were doing that film just to get one film credit on their records and move on to other films. They’re selling the rights to foreign markets and now expect they may do a domestic DVD release because of the Internet infamy their film has received.

So I suspect that’s why - the films are given tiny US releases to adhere to SAG rules so that they don’t have to pay the actors as much, and so they can still have a chance at getting a home video distribution deal if they think they can make money domestically in that fashion.