SF Signal: Pitch Black DVD: Caveat Emptor!

Pitch Black DVD: Caveat Emptor!

For anyone wanting to take advantage of the "Pitch Black" DVD offer of a free movie ticket to the new Chronicle of Riddick movie, please be aware the coupon is only valid in "participating theaters."

Normally, this would be fine but the catch is the list of theaters (and the website to check) are inside the DVD case. Since most stores won't allow returns once your DVD is opened, if the free ticket is part of your purchase decision, like it was for me, and you find out that your favorite theatre is not part of their "network," you're pretty much SoL unless you want to drive out of your way to see a movie.

So what's the point of all this? Well, I think it's pretty lame how they promoted this. If they truly had the consumer in mind, they would have thought this through more and provided the theater listing/website on the outside of the packaging. Just so noone is caught by surprise as I was, here's the website to check whether you have a theater local to you to take advantage of this offer: Hollywood Movie Money before you go out to buy the DVD.

i'm thinking they didn't want to plaster the list of theatres all over the outside of the box. however, they might have said (or maybe they DID?) in small print on the promo sticker 'see inside or www.pitchblack.com for participating theatres'.

good movie, by the way. i'd give it 4.5 stars. i haven't seen this director's cut, though.

Posted by Kevin on Saturday June 12, 2004 at 7:51 AM

The question is: Did you buy it for the "free ticket" or for the movie itself? And to follow that up - would you have bought the DVD without the possible "free ticket"?

Posted by Tim on Saturday June 12, 2004 at 4:59 PM

Update: they accepted my coupon but it wasn't nearly as sweet as I thought it would be because Kevin only paid five measely dollars for the show -- guess I should've gone to a later show.

Posted by Peter on Sunday June 13, 2004 at 9:02 PM