Don't you hate getting fucked when you buy dvds?

[Guest EQ]

Most people will say that you don't need to bother getting the updated DVD with the new special features or whatever it has, but it's still the principle of it.  

 

The studios obviously do it on purpose.  It sucks.

[Guest Ozymandias]

What in the blue-hell are you talking about?

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Cletus the Bloody, Viva La Poop is referring to when distributors put out a "first edition" of the movie that is either barebones or has very few special features, then release a "special edition" a few months later with a bunch of special features.

 

Although that's annoying, it really doesn't bother me as much as barebones discs in the first place.  Call me spoiled, but I see no point in a DVD without special features.  I say this because DVDs are so expensive... I was browsing Suncoast today and found a bunch of "cult" releases that were barebones, probably not even anamorphic widescreen/Dolby Digital 5.1 that were retailing in the $25-$30 range! That's just a straight rip-off...

[Guest Ozymandias]

Ah. Well then I whole heartedly agree. Luckily I only got into DVD's in November so I didn't have early barebones ones.

But I wouldn't bother buying one now without good extras anyway. It's not worth the money just for better picture. My VCR still works fine, after all.

[Guest EQ]

Exactly... I got burned badly with 'The Rock'.  I got the barebones version when it came out, and then they released the loaded special edition... that hurt.  That was a great movie by the way.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

It's total crap...I got Memento a few months back...and now that they've milked that for all they can they release a two disk set with a ton of extras.

 

These guys are brilliant...they did it with records, 8 tracks, cassetts, and cds...they keep selling you the same thing over and over again...and every time you upgrade it costs more and more.

 

And they do the same thing from VHS, to DVD, to Special Edition DVD.

 

Money grubbing wankers.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

My VCR still works fine, after all.

Exactly, I actually still have to use my VCR a lot for renting, because Hollywood Video is getting slowly better with new releases, but they still have a pretty crappy DVD selection.  Blockbuster's is a lot better, but even if I didn't disagree with their forced censorship, destruction, and other negative business practices, they are still not good enough that VHS is outdone rental wise.  It's getting close though...

 

Then of course, there's the long way DVD-R units have to come down in price before they can touch VCRs for recording off TV.  Just think, in 10 years, I can record Celebrity Boxing 42 onto a DVD-R in 16:9-enhanced-anamorphic widescreen quality!

[Guest EQ]

It happens all the times with games too... that's equally annoying.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

It happens all the times with games too... that's equally annoying.

Do you mean board games or video games? How does it happen with either? Do you mean like "Atari Classics" collections of older video games?

[Guest]

Cletus the Bloody, Viva La Poop is referring to when distributors put out a "first edition" of the movie that is either barebones or has very few special features, then release a "special edition" a few months later with a bunch of special features.

 

Although that's annoying, it really doesn't bother me as much as barebones discs in the first place.  Call me spoiled, but I see no point in a DVD without special features.  I say this because DVDs are so expensive... I was browsing Suncoast today and found a bunch of "cult" releases that were barebones, probably not even anamorphic widescreen/Dolby Digital 5.1 that were retailing in the $25-$30 range! That's just a straight rip-off...

Seriously... try Wal-Mart... I picked up like Spaceballs for 7 bucks, Wishmaster 1 & 2 for 10 bucks.  You can find some good deals there.  Best Buy is also good for cult stuff... I saw the Toxic Avenger for 14... and Flesh Gordon for only like 20.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Games, specifically PC Games. You know, like the Game of the Year Editions with extra stuff and not to mention numerous add on packs.

[Guest]

if your patient, and don't buy the dvd the day it comes out, you'll never get fucked, all you have to do is wait for the special edition.  It's not that hard.

 

--Rob

[Guest areacode212]

The problem is, they don't always release a special edition, so you're stuck with the "do I buy this now, or wait for a SE that may never come?" dilemma. Stores should let you trade up for them!

 

As for PC games, this has been covered over in the Video Games folder, but most of the stuff in "Game of the Year" editions can be downloaded free (I'm thinking specifically of Unreal Tournament and No One Lives Forever, though the new single-player mission in the NOLF GOTY pack is still GOTY-exclusive ). And nobody's forcing you to buy the expansion packs...if game companies come out with something that lets you extend the life of your game, I don't have a problem with it. Game developers can't always include every feature that they want in the original game, due to deadlines, budget, whatever, so they work on an expansion pack.

[Guest El Satanico]

Suncoast? Damn man don't you know that any "mall store" is horribly overpriced on movies and CDs. Hell if you don't have a Best Buy type store in your area try Amazon.com or Ebay both will usually be much cheaper then those shitty "mall stores".

 

You have to take into account what the movie is when deciding to wait for a better edition. Unless there is something special about the movie or there is a large audience for the movie then good chances are that they won't rerelease a better edition. Take for example MGM's Midnight Movies they are basically bare bones but all the movies are ones that are very unlikely to ever get a better edition.

[Guest]

It's total crap...I got Memento a few months back...and now that they've milked that for all they can they release a two disk set with a ton of extras.

Same thing with Memento here. I bought the DVD the day it was released and it had NOTHING in the way of special features. And now this. Fuckers..

[Guest razazteca]

any "mall store" is horribly overpriced on movies and CDs

 

so true, I was looking at the martial arts section and found Jet Li's Deadly China Hero for $25, when on Amazon has a used copy for $9

 

 

if your patient, and don't buy the dvd the day it comes out,

 

but on the 1st day the new releases are usually on sale, I found Wrestlemania 18 for $19 then today at FYE it was $35!!!

 

It seems that the current trend by the distributors is putting out Special Editions with free movie tickets for the sequals, this was done for The Mummy and MIB

[Guest]

I do agree that it's kind of annoying, I don't really care that much. It's usually pretty obvious when a movie will be released twice, if you pay attention to the details of the first disc. When I saw the original Memento DVD, I KNEW there would be a special edition later, same with the upcoming Black Hawk Down DVD.

 

The thing is, I've been collecting movies since I was 12, and back then, the best you could hope for was a decent fullframe version of any film. Widescreen was only a thing hardcore collectors knew about. Now, thanks to DVD, I can get pretty much every movie widescreen, and the majority in 5.1 or at least Dolby Surround. This is especially cool for me, since I really like the older horror/sci-fi stuff. So if I occasionally have to buy a second version of a film I really like, I don't complain. It could be worse. There could be no DVD, and I'd be stuck with full frame VHS.

[Guest EQ]

I was referring to console games b/c I don't play too many PC games.

 

For example... I bought Silent Hill 2 for PS2... then they release it on the XBOX with like 4 more gameplay hours and another side character... (or something like that)

 

And if anyone read up on what Konami is doing with MGS2, I'm really pissed about that.  They're releasing it again with a SHITLOAD of extra crap.

 

The fact is, sometimes you see it coming (Memento), sometimes you don't (Men In Black).  It still sucks that the studios blatantly screw the fans over.

 

...Just wait till Lucas starts releasing the Old Star Wars films on DVD...

[Guest Human Fly]

I had the same Memento problem as well. I'm just going to take my old version to some place that buys used DVDs. I figure I'll get 5 bucks or so, but whatever. Lately they have been announcing when SEs will be coming out, or you can read articles where it's hinted at that a double dip will occur.

[Guest]

If you have the older Men in Black DVD, there is no real point in buying the new one that came out. It has the same features (less then the limited edition) and was only re-released to hype up Men in Black II.

[Guest TheDames7]

Hmm...where shall I begin?  

 

Well, I got fucked with the Die Hard Trilogy, Armaggedon, American Pie, Sixth Sense, Scream 2, MIB (recently), Notting Hill, Patch Adams, Liar Liar & Usual Suspects.  Note....most of them are Universal releases so, FUCK UNIVERSAL.  I've repurchased a few of these after selling the barebones version.

 

I've been sorta careful lately though...I straight up don't even buy Universal anymore unless I really have to.  I mean, Mummy, I knew the Ultimate Edition was going to come out...and I had a feeling Mummy Returns was going to have an UE when Scorp King was released, but they're saving that ass ramming for later, I bet, so until then, NO MUMMY MOVIES.  I still haven't bought Fast & Furious cuz of that..and damn Universal for making 8 different American Pies & 4 AP2's.  I'm sure that will get an UE eventually.  

 

Oh, fuck them.

 

Dames

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Notting Hill...?????

 

Duuuuude...

 

ah Screw it...I'm too tired to make a joke about this...my need of sleep has gotten you off the hook...

[Guest TheDames7]

Yeah, well....I'm an emotional bitch.

 

Dames

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Suncoast? Damn man don't you know that any "mall store" is horribly overpriced on movies and CDs. Hell if you don't have a Best Buy type store in your area try Amazon.com or Ebay both will usually be much cheaper then those shitty "mall stores".

Yea, I realize that Suncoast is ultra-expensive because of the code of the mall store, but I have no easy way to Best Buy (although you're right... last time I was there I had a choice between Rats and Mummy Raider... it was seriously a tough decision), and I don't have a credit card so I can't use Amazon.com for much else other than whoring a wish list.

 

Not to mention, there's something about a physical store, and actually browsing, you can find a lot of stuff.  Even though it was over-priced because of it being at Suncoast, I found a Something Weird double feature release (which I couldn't buy at the time, not having money, and now, unfortunately, forgot the name so I'll have to research it... a Swedish monster film, with a big furry monster... I'd love to use it in a future column) that I never would've even known existed if I had just used Amazon.com.  Amazon.com does have good prices, and is good if you know what you're looking for, but I'd say 80% of the time in music and movies I don't have a specific goal in mind but to enjoy the end result of an impulse buy, which explains how I always get suckered into titles like Demonicus and Vengeance of the Dead

[Guest Human Fly]

If you buy movies alot get the Suncoast card (I think they call it the replay card). If you go to buy a movie as soon as it comes out it won't be that more expensive then Best Buy if more expensive at all and all the replay points you get make it cheaper. The other day I picked up "From Hell", "Memento SE", and "Vanilla Sky" for only $19.05 after I used my replay points.

[Guest]

evenflow, you do not need a cc to order from amazon, you can send them money orders, I used to.

 

--Rob

[Guest TheDames7]

I'm a member of replay and I've chalked up TONS of points.  I got the Jurassic Park Trilogy & Rush Hour 2 for free.  Paid 5 bucks for the Oz box set.

 

Dames

[Guest]

I found a guy at a local flea market who sells brand new DVD's for $15(Cdn) each. He mostly only has mainstream, current stuff, but at $15 a pop, it's a great deal. Just today I picked up Ocean's Eleven, Sexy Beast and Truman Show for $45. They burned my hands they were so hot.

 

P.S. Notting Hill and Patch Adams? Eww!

[Guest TheDames7]

Out of 130 DVD's, there has to be some movies people deem crap, no?

 

Dames

[Guest]

I'm sure there are people who would deem my whole collection crap.