PinoyDVD: The Pinoy Digital Video & Devices Community
DVD Forum => General DVD Discussion => Topic started by: firewired on Jan 22, 2009 at 04:20 PM
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I received confirmation that Warner Home Video will be closing their local subsidiary office late next month in line with a global reorganization to streamline operations and cut cost. WHV Korea and WHV Hongkong were the first to go last year. Others will follow in the next few months.
Rest assured that Warner is NOT exiting the Philippine market as far as its DVD products are concerned though a period of disruption is expected. As such, new title releases for the 1st quarter are unlikely and it doesn't look like Blu-ray will be happening anytime soon.
Moving forward, a local licensee will likely take over Warner's distribution (ala Magna and Viva) sometime this year though it's not clear if this will impact the number of releases that will be available or if current price points will be affected.
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:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
Will this affect the quality of the packaging of subsequent releases?
And how will this affect their pricing?
:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
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This is a very sad development. I'm among the members here old enough to remember when all we had available for home video were pirated videocassettes. Warner Home Video was the very first company that came in and offered Filipinos original products. One of the very first shops to offer their videocassettes was Blooming Rose in the former Virra Mall. For a market that was exclusively pirated, these tapes were rather expensive, but were of very good quality. Far better than what Magnavision, Solar and Viva offered when they subsequently entered the original videocassette industry. I still have my very first Warner Home Video purchase: a Betamax copy of Dr. No.
Through the years, Warner maintained the higher quality of their products relative to their competition. One only needs to check the various complaints regarding missing special features and lousy packaging directed at R3 DVDs released by Magnavision and Viva. While Warner also had a few DVD releases that did not meet the high standards of the PinoyDVD "elite" (most recently the picture quality of The Dark Knight, a problem that was universal, not just on R3), their hits far outnumbered their misses. They were the only company to offer completely imported products in the recent years.
This is the end of an era. I do hope that whichever company picks up distribution rights to the Warner catalog can continue to offer us the same quality we've learned to expect from Warner DVD releases - the gold standard for Philippine R3 releases.
Best of luck to all the Warner Home Video Philippines employees who will be losing their jobs in this particularly harsh job climate.
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Hope it will not affect the quantity of releases (once the local partner takes over) especially when it comes to TV Series, where Warner is the most consistent in releasing them.
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Sad news indeed.
I'm also wondering if the Warner sales reps in Astro shops will be affected? Kawawa naman sila if ever.
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Through the years, Warner maintained the higher quality of their products relative to their competition. One only needs to check the various complaints regarding missing special features and lousy packaging directed at R3 DVDs released by Magnavision and Viva. While Warner also had a few DVD releases that did not meet the high standards of the PinoyDVD "elite" (most recently the picture quality of The Dark Knight, a problem that was universal, not just on R3), their hits far outnumbered their misses. They were the only company to offer completely imported products in the recent years.
Hope it will not affect the quantity of releases (once the local partner takes over) especially when it comes to TV Series, where Warner is the most consistent in releasing them.
Well said. Warner video packaging being released here mirrors that in the U.S. Not 'crappy' looking.
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Sad news for Warner's operation here in the Philippines.
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We've been working closely with WHV for several years now and they've always been very, very supportive of PinoyDVD. Extremely professional bunch and really quality-oriented with regard to their releases. The sales and marketing groups were constantly querying us for feedback and visiting the forum for our collective insights on DVD. I remember attending a meeting once where printouts of various posts were part of the reference material for the discussion.
They will definitely be missed.
From what I've heard, Warner has a global HR policy on closures/shutdowns. As for the promo girls, they're apparently hired through a third-party staffing agency and will probably be redeployed into other accounts.
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i wonder, will warner pull all existing products in stores once they close shop?
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It's possible that all unpaid stock will be returned to Warner's warehouse for cataloging/processing/evaluation. When the new licensee takes over, these will logically form part of their inventory. Unfrotunately, the way I understand it, there's no guarantee that the same price points will be maintained when the titles are re-released to retailers.
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price is really not much of a concern in my case, since the worst case scenario in terms of pricing would probably be the 750-895 ceilings adopted by magna/viva. what really worries me is the eventual downgrade in terms of quality and packaging of subsequent dvd releases down the line if the new licensee opts to produce the discs locally. lagot na, ang pangit na sigurado ng watchmen pag labas ng dvd.
question: does this move/shutdown include warner music philippines?
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Just waited sir firewired to post the news here. Thanks sir!
It was the saddest day in the office! i still remember when HR representatives from Asia Pacific came over and annouced the shocking news. Kinabukasan, lahat ng tao walang kibo. walang ingay at halos walang nagsasalita.
Most of the employees of WHV were very kind, humble and down to earth. They will surely be missed.
:'(
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:'(
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Truly shocking news... panu nyan yung remaining Harry Potter releases and other Batman movies? Ma-O.C. pa naman ako sa continuity. Sana there would not be a downgrade on quality. Truly sad news. :-(
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Sayang naman... Majority of my titles here are from Warner more or less 50%. Well, while supplies last, I guess we have to grab na what we want to grab.
Sana lang ma replace na ung Superman disc 1 defect ko noh bago sila mag alsa balutan... :(
My GREATEST FEAR: Since 'this company' is the one who distribute Warner's sister studio New Line Cinema's movies, SANA LANG HINDI Concorde's C Interactive ung makakakuha ng distribution license. By my reckoning, possible tong mangyari... Hopefully mali ako... ???
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Damn!
Sad news.
'yung R3 release pa naman nila parang R1 'yung quality.
Stay strong Warner Home Video Philippines employees. Hirap pa naman mag-hanap ng work today.
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Are they shutting down only here or even some in Asia? It is really hard to do business in a country where piracy is legal and widely accepted.
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sad news indeed. :(
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It's no wonder they had slashed down the prices of their boxsets so drastically (ie Sopranos for 499). Talagang going-out-of-business and dating...
Wonder how it will affect PinoyDVD.biz. Will all their WB stocks be pulled out first, and restocked by the new distributor?
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My GREATEST FEAR: Since 'this company' is the one who distribute Warner's sister studio New Line Cinema's movies, SANA LANG HINDI Concorde's C Interactive ung makakakuha ng distribution license. By my reckoning, possible tong mangyari... Hopefully mali ako... ???
This is also a genuine concern of mine, due to the company's previous relationship with Warner. During the transition from VHS to VCD, D'Concorde actually was the company that was releasing WARNER VCDs into the local market! I know this since I bought FRIENDS VCDs (before they were released on DVD even on R1) that were PAL-formatted, and had them replaced with NTSC versions at the D'Concorde office in Timog. I still have these VCDs, and they have a "Distributed in the Philippines by D'Concorde Recording Group" sticker on the back panel.
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I received confirmation that Warner Home Video will be closing their local subsidiary office late next month in line with a GLOBAL REORGANIZATION to STREAMLINE OPERATIONS and CUT COST.
Just a thought...this might be more of a "repackaging" on how films will be distributed from now on. Maybe next time, no more dvd's...DIGITAL FILES na ang ibebenta?
It all falls into place...
GLOBAL REORGANIZATION - naturally, a move from hard copy to soft copy of films would really have a global reorganization of some sort. Lets not forget, we are in the DIGITAL era.
STREAMLINE OPERATIONS - this will be greatly affected as well, since they will have to find a way to legally distribute films in digital files, without it being copied or shared, just like buying an original dvd for yourself at present. Alot of movie files downloaded from torrents are ripped from either DVD, HDD or BD as sources. Eliminating these "hard copies" would really give them control on the streamlining/distribution of the DIGITAL files.
CUT COST - by distributing digital files, you cut cost by not using raw materials for the disc and packaging as well. Lower overhead expenses globally.
Oh well....just my 2 cents! I could be wrong you know... :P
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This is also a genuine concern of mine, due to the company's previous relationship with Warner. During the transition from VHS to VCD, D'Concorde actually was the company that was releasing WARNER VCDs into the local market! I know this since I bought FRIENDS VCDs (before they were released on DVD even on R1) that were PAL-formatted, and had them replaced with NTSC versions at the D'Concorde office in Timog. I still have these VCDs, and they have a "Distributed in the Philippines by D'Concorde Recording Group" sticker on the back panel.
Which begs the question: After all these years, does C-Interactive even have a clue that there's such a thing called "The Internet" and a group called "PinoyDVD"?
I'm serious. Unlike every other media distribution outlet out there that have heard of us, I have never heard of any feedback that C-Interactive even knows there's an... Internet. I'm serious.
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:'(
very sad news indeed.
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I was told that Magna will be taking over it's distribution? Still unconfirmed though...
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Which do you prefer to release Warner: Magnavision or Viva?
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Which do you prefer to release Warner: Magnavision or Viva?
I vote Viva! ;D
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Which do you prefer to release Warner: Magnavision or Viva?
VIVA has a better packaging and video quality than Magna as far as I'm concerned which also goes to say that it doesn't mean they will do justice once they took over as Warner's distributor. I'm referring to their 20th Century Fox releases which is quite impressive. But their other releases leaves a lot to be desired.
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If Magna takes over, one question is will it means that Warner's all imported policy could end?
Magna does have a better record of releasing 'most' movies and TV Series, Viva is erratic...
Viva discount faster than Magna.
I am neutral to both... Maybe Magna on account, that it releases more films and giftsets...
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what about getting WB's releases on time or earlier? magna and viva both release their movies later than their R1 counterparts. :(
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There's actually a third party bidding for Warner's distribution rights. From what I heard, it isn't C Interactive. In a way, we can all heave a collective sigh of relief. :)
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"Plunging DVD sales threaten to reduce profit for studio owners Time Warner Inc.,Walt Disney Co.,Viacom Inc. and News Corp., and may force them to write down the value of movies, analysts said."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a5OzGGqsCQ54&refer=home
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There's actually a third party bidding for Warner's distribution rights. From what I heard, it isn't C Interactive. In a way, we can all heave a collective sigh of relief. :)
Not yet. What if it's Solar, that the worst of all. Not even C Interactive (which track record had improved) is that bad. Actually, I prefer Magna because of their track record of releasing most films - not just blockbusters...
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Looks like the one significant thing that may change is the "all import" policy of Warner. Since Asia will now be handled by various 3rd party affiliates, localization of replication and packaging is a very real possibility.
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Looks like the one significant thing that may change is the "all import" policy of Warner. Since Asia will now be handled by various 3rd party affiliates, localization of replication and packaging is a very real possibility.
:(
i guess them releasing imports these last few years was a sign of what had come today - from downsizing employees to permanently closing down.
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From what I gathered, what is happening today is caused by a global economic meltdown. For example, one CBC report revealed that shipping has dropped by more than 90 percent, where it now costs only US$2,800 a day to charter a ship (from US$200,000). And various manufacturing firms that make disks and appliances are experiencing major losses. I think Businessweek reported that we are looking at a major, structural change and not a business cycle, where economies may contract and remain small permanently while unemployment remains high.
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I just saw this thread today and am SHOCKED!!!! Warner pulling out????? this is such a huge blow to DVD collectors...I hope to God that C interactive doesnt get the rights....
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It's not C Interactive. I'm almost sure about that.
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Is having a Superman poster at Magna's office a sign? ::)
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It's not C Interactive. I'm almost sure about that.
Thanks for that sir Firewired..at least i can start relaxing a bit now... :)
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Is having a Superman poster at Magna's office a sign? ::)
Apparently yes.
I was told today at (an undisclosed branch of) Odyssey that they would be pulling out their Warner inventory next week, and the DVDs would be returned the following week by the new Warner distributor... Magnavision.
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^ Yes, I was in Astro (undisclosed branch) kanina lang speaking to (the Warner rep)
She said that Magna will distribute Warner DVD's.
All Warner DVD's will be pulled out within the month. :(
kawawa talaga yung mga Warner employee's, they will have to look for new jobs if Magna does not hire them.
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Apparently yes.
I was told today at (an undisclosed branch of) Odyssey that they would be pulling out their Warner inventory next week, and the DVDs would be returned the following week by the new Warner distributor... Magnavision.
Many thanks Mr. Hankey for the confirmation.
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The good thing is that Magna has the best track record of releasing all genre of films from classics to new releases. I guess the 'all import' policy will go out the window...but if it means we get classics at 199 or so, I am all for it...
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di man lang isinale 'yung ibang almost new titles ng warner bago i-pull out like get smart, etc.
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My only problem w/ this is Magna would most likely apply their current pricing scheme than adopt that of Warner's.
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At this point, im just really really happy that Magna has been confirmed to take over distributing..i know ther might be a little downside, but we should all look at the brightside and be thankful na hindi C-Interactive ang mag distribute ;D ;D ;D ;D
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pag ibinalik ba ulit yung mga warner stocks ng magna same price scheme pa rin ba?
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No word on new pricing, and more importantly, no official word yet on Magna's appointment. But hey, if there's smoke... ;D
That said, we're meeting with them on Thursday so I'll try to coax more information out of their sales/marketing people.
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No word on new pricing, and more importantly, no official word yet on Magna's appointment. But hey, if there's smoke... ;D
That said, we're meeting with them on Thursday so I'll try to coax more information out of their sales/marketing people.
thanks for the update sir..hopefully u can update all of us Thursday with any new info...
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Warner already pulled out their dvds in Robinson Metro East.
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Confirmed. Yesterday, Warner officially appointed Magnavision to be its licensed distributor in the Philippines. No details yet, but they hope to have Warner releases back in stores by May.
In the meantime, we suggested that they consider Warner DVD cases for all Magnavision releases. ;D
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In the meantime, we suggested that they consider Warner DVD cases for all Magnavision releases. ;D
Great Suggestion! sir ;D
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The Good: Magnavision has a proven track record of releasing most DVD, good or bad. Mainstream or Niche. They also stock most video shops unlike Viva where some titles (like the more recent TV series Lost S4, Samantha Who, etc) are limited to very few stores.
The Bad: One less distributor means less competi-tion (Wow, censored pala word na ito!) - although copyrighted works doesn't allow direct compe***on, Warner's had lead the way in discounting older titles before.
The Ugly: I am expecting Magnavision to dump the all import policy, so TV Series might come in locally pressed DVD9 (not bad) but one less disc than other region (bad). The aforementioned cases that stinks (the cases from CDRKing which cost around p7 are better). And thin DVD covers than shows marks around the central DVD nub (the counterfeit version print paper are better and double-side print pa - No, I am not encouraging pirated stuff, just saying Magnavision's paper $ucks big time (Sorry, can't find a better word).
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just saying Magnavision's paper $ucks big time (Sorry, can't find a better word).
well, lets hope Magnavision improves and follows Warner's suite...
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Carrying over from the Warner relationship, it looks like there'll be closer collaboration between PinoyDVD and Magna now. Based on yesterday's meeting, we can look forward to some exclusive promos specifically developed for PinoyDVD members.
Magna also showed us exclusive merchandise that made us drool.
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Carrying over from the Warner relationship, it looks like there'll be closer collaboration between PinoyDVD and Magna now. Based on yesterday's meeting, we can look forward to some exclusive promos specifically developed for PinoyDVD members.
Magna also showed us exclusive merchandise that made us drool.
Many thanks for the update sir firewired. Now you are making my bones chill to that exclusive merchandise. Hoping that the price is reasonable enough though.
Just an observation and suggestion sir, since most if not all sales are happening at Astro's, and since Magna now seems to be the biggest distributor here, how about fulfilling the PDVD discount card for Astro? with collaboration with Magna? (is this possible at all?) A 10% OFF will be a great help for most DVD enthusiasts.
Just to share....I only buy at Astro when on-sale or with some exclusive's, however most if not all of my purchases are made with Odyssey since I have a loyalty card with 10% discount on all items. This will at least invite more customers to buy and patronize buying DVD's at Astro.
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A plan for a PinoyDVD card idea is on the table as well though we're trying to figure out how to generalize benefits across all retailers. Unlike other retail segments, the video industry works very differently. Honoring discounts on PinoyDVD.biz won't be a problem, but traditional retail outlets are another story.
Also, we have to look for other merchants to tie-up with.
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The Good: Magnavision has a proven track record of releasing most DVD, good or bad. Mainstream or Niche. They also stock most video shops unlike Viva where some titles (like the more recent TV series Lost S4, Samantha Who, etc) are limited to very few stores.
The Bad: One less distributor means less competi-tion (Wow, censored pala word na ito!) - although copyrighted works doesn't allow direct compe***on, Warner's had lead the way in discounting older titles before.
The Ugly: I am expecting Magnavision to dump the all import policy, so TV Series might come in locally pressed DVD9 (not bad) but one less disc than other region (bad). The aforementioned cases that stinks (the cases from CDRKing which cost around p7 are better). And thin DVD covers than shows marks around the central DVD nub (the counterfeit version print paper are better and double-side print pa - No, I am not encouraging pirated stuff, just saying Magnavision's paper $ucks big time (Sorry, can't find a better word).
But the good news is that the long-awaited BD titles of Warner just might see the light of day in the local market since Magna already has "experience" with distributing the BD titles of Sony and Paramount (Universal titles will most likely be coming out next with Magna also holding the Philippine rights to Universal Home Video). Even better, the nice thing with BD titles is that it will be "all import" by default because the Philippines is in the same region (region A) as the US (and don't forget that Paramount and Warner BD's are region-free) so it just makes more sense to import the BD titles straight from the US as it would be cheaper for Magna that way (and of course there's no local BD replication facility and probably won't be for a long time :P)
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Yesterday, Warner officially appointed Magnavision to be its licensed distributor in the Philippines. No details yet, but they hope to have Warner releases back in stores by May.
I was told today that the pulled out Warner inventory will be back in stores tomorrow. Is this true, firewired?
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read a thread that Body of Lies will be Magna's 1st dvd for Warner...any chance PQ will be good ? or would it be best to get R1 or bluray?
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This is pretty a sad news. Luckily, I bought Happy Feet DVD.
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i saw WARNER dvds again at SM LIPA. Haven't been to Manila stores lately, hope they've restocked already. I want to buy SUPERNATURAL season 3 and PUSHING DAISIES.
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sad news and a big blow to warner dvd fans. i am a fan of warner due to the quality of their releases, may it be a regular dvd or gift sets.
it was warner's 300 giftset that made me start my dvd collection.
i hope the quality wont go down when other takes over. :-\
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I'm new here. When will Warner's previous dvds be released by Magnavision? :'( I am desperately searching for Harry Potter dvds since I haven't been able to buy the 4th and 5th movie yet. I have already been to MOA. Still no luck. Thanks!
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I was saddened when I heard about this. So I bought every single Warner DVDs I want. :)
It's officially confirmed. Magna bought WHV!! Yehey. Next week, there will be new releases. From time to time, box sets will be releases. We can go back to collecting again!!
The new releases was supposed to release this week but was pushed back to next week. Dunno why.
OK. Let's hope for the best in Warner.
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madami pa man ding nilalabas na magagandang movies ang warner. :(
say no to piracy. ;D