As perhaps further evidence that the golden age of DVD is over, 20th Century Fox has announced that their upcoming slate of DVDs—including The Wrestler, Marley & Me, Bride Wars, Notorious, The Day The Earth Stood Still and Slumdog Millionaire—will be sold to rental companies like Blockbuster and Redbox in editions that contain only the movie and some trailers, but with no commentaries, deleted scenes or other special features. This follows a trend among major studios to release recent box office hits in single-disc and double-disc editions, with the double-disc edition containing nearly all the bonus goodies. But Fox's new policy creates a new distinction, between the moderately frilly single-disc editions you can buy in stores and the completely frill-free version available for rent. Is this an effort to drive more consumers to buy? (Or is it an acknowledgment that even though DVD watchers think they want special features, hardly anyone ever watches them?)
More on the story—including some independent video stores' plans to buy copies outside the usual channels—here.