Monty Python's free web video increased DVD sales by 23,000 percent

Someday I'll have to buy the full DVD set of Flying Circus. I had them all on VHS, but I never watch any of my old tapes anymore and all that stuff is boxed up. I just can't bring myself to throw it all away. Maybe they'll release the entire series on a couple Blu Ray discs or something.

 

I remember watching the video on their youtube channel:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OGqX-tkDXEk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OGqX-tkDXEk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

They actually searched youtube to see what people were watching and based on that, chose which clips to upload.

 

I think Monty Python has enough of a cult following to where they can just say "we have dvd's!" and they'll sell.

*EDIT* : Oh, and I'd like to add, I still don't get the humor... lol.

 

I have it all on DVD. Well....most of it. I've got the Flying Circus box set, Holy Grail. The rest is on tape. I'll buy the rest one of these days. Brilliant stuff.

 

But their last box set was released months ago and the Holy Grail on Blu Ray doesn't come out til April. So the sudden increase in sales is the result of something else.

 

That's my point. They could've just put up some silly site that had some skit begging people to buy and the viral marketing would've worked. I don't think the reason they sold that many was wholly because they "gave it away free". I think it just brought it to the forefront again. For example, when a new Spiderman or Batman or "sequalized" movie comes out, why do you all of a sudden see the previous parts of the series prominently displayed at Walmart and Best Buy? Because they'll sell due to the publicity of the new one even though they're old. I wonder if there's a percentage increase in the number sold with a sequel coming out in comparison to the days before the new sequel was announced? Hmmm. But I've been wrong before, too.

 

I think I read somewhere that John Cleese is really into the online thing. I think he has a podcast (that charges for the download) and he twitters, among other things.