I hear what you are saying Archie, and I don't have any reason to doubt Dan -- even though I don't know him. However:
1) I don't doubt you took WB posters directly from video stores, I labeled that one as a FACT. Did you happen to personally take a BR? Do you remember which variant it was?
2) Is there any confirmation that WB wasn't just using extra stock as opposed to printing extra runs months/years later? Later studio restrikes are somewhat common (Star Wars, Raiders, etc...), but they are usually identifiable as such.
3) Even if the studio printed them, they wouldn't have printed all three styles... how could we ever know which was reprinted? All three of these posters show up as folded in original theater collections... I don't think the potential that 1 style might have had an extra studio run should invalidate the whole lot, do you?
4) Even if the studio printed them, are they not still original posters? They were printed by the studio using the original plates, no? See my Dracula Has Risen From the Grave question below...
5) Finally, I never claimed "if you can't prove it, then it shouldn't be mentioned". I agree, that would be a ridiculous stance. However, I do claim, "if you can't prove it, you can't prove it." Until definitive evidence comes out, these stories can be considered as part of the balance of evidence, but they don't and shouldn't prove or disprove anything by themselves.
As of right now, the fact that Bruce sold 70+ 1-sheets for this title does seem a bit high, but I wouldn't say the market is flooded with them. Star Wars, Raiders, BTTF, all have way more sales. And I don't think you can simply point to the other size posters (30x40, 40x60, etc...) being few and far between as proof of an over printed 1-sheet. The NSS were the only ones printing these sizes and they were phased out entirely less than 3 years later. I mean how many 40x60s do you see for Raiders vs. the 1-sheets? The studios only printed 1-sheets, and you've already mentioned studio posters seem to be more prevalent for most 80s posters, especially rolled ones.
Once again, nothing seems particularly fishy about this poster -- even if a few extra copies entered the market via video/cable outlets. Just watch out for bootlegs, which right now are confirmed in the studio style.
1. I was just providing some background, not arguing the point. I did not take a BR - my collecting started a bit later, but BR was my first have-to-have (along with the Star Wars Style A)... I had BR on my radar for over 20 years before I pulled the trigger, mainly because I was waiting for a 30x40 and never felt rush to purchase a one sheet because there were always a ton available on the Bay (far more than Star Wars A, Raiders and other such titles).
2. That was always my assumption, but Dan's story specifically mentioned that these were additional printing and not excess stock that was sitting around - it's the main reason that I remember Dan's story.
The studio re-strikes are a bit of a different animal than what we are talking about with BR. Everyone knows about the Star Wars/Raider re-strikes, but I thought that I would mention some less well known examples. Paramount ran a promo one summer where ticket buyer could order one of 4 titles (
The Hunt for Red October was one,
Lame Ducks was another - it was shelved and then released much later as
Brain Donors and I don't recall the others).
3. Exactly my point, how can we know what was reprinted and what wasn't. We may very well never know what's what with these posters and the easiest way to not have to worry about it is to avoid it in the first place.
4. That's where definitions and debates come into play. It's a grey area, much like Mondos, where everyone has their own opinion.
5. Part of the reason that I tend to believe Dan's story is that it helped explain what I was already seeing in the marketplace. For years on eBay, BR one sheets were far more prevalent than other '80s titles.
BTW, is anyone surprised that we are seeing bootlegs from Asia?
