Why is The Cabin in the Woods Going Straight to DVD Here?

I wish I knew.

Yesterday, Roadshow announced that both The Cabin in the Woods and Chernobyl Diaries were to go straight to DVD in Australia and New Zealand. While I'm neither here nor there on the latter, The Cabin in the Woods is a film I've heard much chatter about from the blogosphere, and yet, after these few weeks I've been able to avoid spoilers. As far as I know, Cabin was a hit, despite the fact it stayed on the unreleased shelf for quite some time. Now, I know that I rant about how shit it is living in NZ and not getting movies at the same time as everyone else a lot. Bear with me. Here's a moment where I struggle to see the logic behind why they'd decide to not give Cabin a theatrical release.

Aussie and Kiwi actors in Cabin - not enough to secure a theatrical release

Let's start with reasons why it would be a good idea to release Cabin in cinemas in Australia and NZ:
-Because it would make, you know, money.
-It stars Anna Hutchison, who is a Kiwi actress, currently starring a Kiwi program that is on Kiwi TV's every Tuesday night.
-It stars Chris Hemsworth, an Australian actor, who has also made a name for himself being a beefcake who likes yelling at things and getting hit by Natalie Portman's car.
-It is written by Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed The Avengers. Just one of the biggest cinematic events of the year.
-And that movie broke opening day records in both Aussie and NZ.
-People generally like horror movies, even more so if you see them in a dark cinema.
-It went on wide release in the US. That's usually enough.
-Apparently, it is very good.
-In fact, it has become the surprise hit of the year.

But oh no, that's not enough. What could possibly make them turn against that? Here's the thinking that probably went behind this madness:
-Oh, never mind about New Zealand and Australia. All they do there is ride around on their Kiwi's and Kangaroo's to the supermarket.
-It came out in Iceland, Lithuania and Croatia. That's enough of an international audience.
-We release every other horror straight to DVD. Just coz this one is actually good doesn't mean it is an exception to the rule.
-And...that's all I have.

Just another horror movie made on a production line?

Okay, so I'm still gonna get to see it on DVD. To be honest, since I barely ever go to the cinemas, it doesn't really affect me. But it affects the outlook on the movie - when people are buying stock for their DVD stores (and they're usually the people who don't have a clue about films), they won't have a cinema release to look back on, and they're most likely to see it as just another straight-to-DVD horror. It is unlikely that people who live here have heard of the film, and thanks to not having a cinema release they're likely to pass it by. So what they're doing is digging themselves the exact same hole that somehow allows them to release shitty horror movies like they never happened...even when they get something that went wide, has quite a few fans and actually made money from a cinematic release, they have to go by the same rules. Sorry, Roadshow, it just doesn't add up. All you're going to achieve by releasing it straight-to-DVD is:
-Degrading it to the quality of all your other crap.
-Sending people to watch it online. You're practically demanding it.
-Losing money.
-Losing credibility.
-Did I mention, losing money?

You can try cover it up with your fake claims that you're going to release it on DVD next week. It still gives it that horrid 'straight-to-DVD' label. And this is from the writer/director of The Avengers, for God's sake.

This got a theatrical release in NZ, so what about Cabin?

To round out this rant, I'm going to outline some movies that got a theatrical release in the past 12 months that would have been better going straight-to-DVD, just so you realise how stupid this decision is:
-I Don't Know How She Does It
-Streetdance 2
-Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
-Man on a Ledge
-Shark Night
-The Darkest Hour
-The Beaver
-The Thing
-Something Borrowed
-Priest
-Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
-Country Strong
-Chalet Girl
-...plus many more...

If those movies could have a theatrical release here, then why can't The Cabin in the Woods? I just don't understand it. At all. Do you?