People Who Buy Lots Of DVDs But Don't Actually Like Movies

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It's probably just snobbishness on my part (it is just snobbishness on my part, honestly) but I get this little sinking feeling whenever I see the words 'PEARL HARBOR' in the middle of a shelf of hundreds of the things. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THESE PEOPLE AND WHERE ARE THEY GETTING SO MUCH MONEY. IT MAKES NO SENSE.

maybe it's just me.

― tom west (thomp), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

guilty. although i would not buy Pearl Harbour. i have bought City Of God and acquired Human Nature some months ago but have not yet managed to sit down and watch either. watching movies is something i seem to consider a chore as much as a fun pastime - i tend to do it by accident, for example last night i just flipped the tv on and instantly became engrossed by Castaway having never seen it before - this i did not expect or plan for but i kind of enjoyed it and enjoyed the spontaneity.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"...But Don't Actually Like The Same Movies I Like" - yes, well, tough luck. :)

A lot of it is present-giving.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I work with a guy who does this. He is always leaving copies of dvd's on my desk for me to watch, he has hundreds of them but his taste sux big time

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Another potential factor -

When CDs came in the records that got the big push were often those (eg Dire Straits) that "showed off the potential of the medium" etc etc. Similarly if you have a swanky new flat screen TV you want something to show on it which has a lot of mega SFX. I have a poxy tiny TV and blockbusters look laughable on it so I do not buy these films.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

that's the con of DVD - you need a decent TV and sound support to watch them on, otherwise what's the point of 'perfect picture quality' etc. - all these extra features is nice on paper but drains even more of your time and energy in digesting it all.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

whole world to thread

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

DVDs have far from perfect picture quality anyway... arrgh jagged edges grainy pictures MPEG2 DIE DIE DIE. etc.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

this is true, i couldn't think of anything good to say about them tho

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:43 (twenty-one years ago)

DVD is actually a horrible horrible format all round i have decided. roll on integrated broadband/TVs that let you download 3gb+ packages with perfect digital picture, sound and all the trimmings as you want them (with optional updates over time) for a reasonable price.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I have about 60-70 DVDs, and now I have a good tele (and soon to have a good chair to sit in too!) I've been watching at least one a day and will probably continue to do so. My brother has about 800 (eight hundred!) DVDs and all he does is make lists.

I do not own Pearl Harbour.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm constantly shocked by how many people are BUYING dvds as opposed to merely RENTING them. I mean, christ, have the joy of renting a movie is that you can wash yr hands of it afterwards. No evidence. No Body of Evidence. (has that been released on DVD yet?)

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that I know of, but Basic Instinct has a very flash box (my other brother owns it! - he has like 70 DVDs too).

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Perks of working in the AV library = 400+ DVDs to 'rent' for free!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

um, "have" should be "half."
ILX has killed my brain.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

He does have a point, I see Tico Tico's point too but in fairness DVDs have become a sort of accessory, as Tico hints at to your TV or whatever. The new medium has given life to the idea of having a collection of films again, it's swanky and new and scene selection etc seems cool. I own about 4 dvds, fatboy slim on brighton beach, the office series 1 + series 2, brasseye, and jam.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm the opposite of this thread: People Who Profess to Like Film But Don't Actually Own Any DVDs. I have one videotape -- The Birds -- which someone gave me a while ago. But I've never understood why people would want to watch a movie more than a couple of times.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

It used to be that people had no chance of seeing a movie on their own terms. You had to make time for the movie or miss out. Maybe if it was a hit it would wind its way back to a repertory theatre (do those still exist?), or if it wasn't a hit, you might accidentally see it on the late, late show on TV.
You people are spoiled and lazy with your movies-on-demand and your fancy pocket telephoning machines and your microwave ovens and your fancy-ass electoral system.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

what's the criteria you require to own a movie? I personally don't spend nearly enough time watching film, and am far more likely to head to the local art house than go vid rentin'.

― El Santo Claus (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Interesting question, El Santo. I don't know, to be honest. I own Taxi Driver but hate it, for example - it was a gift.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

My formerly-hippy family didn't get a VCR until I was in my early teens (we didn't even have TV til I was like 9 or something), so I've always sort of enjoyed the fleetingness of films. Like, it's on and then it's over. End of story (unless you get action figures!).

But there are movies I enjoy watching over and over again (like maybe once every two years) that over the years I've come to own on video, mostly because they're hard to find for rent. Like Marx Bros movies.
Actually that's about it for movies that I own. Three Marx Bros. Aside from various others that I've accidentally acquired through gifts, promos, or outright theft. But those ones don't count.

xpost I used to own Taxi Driver too! I loved it when I was 17, and then lent to a girl a few years later and never got it back.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Nick - Interesting question, El Santo. I don't know, to be honest. I own Taxi Driver but hate it, for example - it was a gift.

Huck - xpost I used to own Taxi Driver too! I loved it when I was 17, and then lent to a girl a few years later and never got it back.

A coincidence???

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, I am the girl that Huck 'lent' it to. It didn't get him laid.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Oddly, I think I thought it would.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Odd boy.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Had it been Magnolia you might've got lucky.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Happiness was also a bad date movie.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

very true. see also, Leaving Las Vegas

― El Santo Claus (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

(So who's going to start a "movies that won't get you laid" thread?)

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Baise Moi has worked for me, frighteningly.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Movies & Music That Will NOT Get You Laid

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

hee hee hee. Once again, The Onion comes thru

Harsh Light Of Morning Falls On One-Night Stand's DVD Collection
MILWAUKEE, WI—The harsh light of morning fell on the terrible DVD collection of Marc Koenig Monday, when Traci Pearle discovered it upon waking up from their one-night stand.
"It was a wild night, and from what I can recall, I had a great time with Marc," said Pearle, 25. "But I wonder if I would've felt the same way had I known the guy is the proud owner of Rollerball..."

― Kingfishee (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

is it the original James Caan Rollerball or the other one, with those other people in it?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

From the photo in the article, it's the one that features Paul Heyman as the announcer.

― Kingfishee (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

i do not own a dvd player. i believe it is an almighty con.
i like to record films off the telly.

― pete s, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Like the Dirty Dozen and Kojak meets the Ant People?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I could not watch more than an hour of Pearl Harbour. Does it improve after they bomb the harbour? Who lives or dies or shags who?

― C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

i enjoy commentary tracks far too much. those attached to certain flicks can be far more entertaining than the actual flicks themselves, if done right.

for example, Cannibal! The Musical had most of its stars sitting around in a living room, getting progressively drunker. At one point, two of them start wrestling, and another wanders into the kitchen to call a cab to take them to a strip club.

― Kingfishee (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i enjoy commentary tracks far too much.

This reminds me that I need to restart Commentary Conundra updates on Do You See?. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell getting high for The Thing is a wonder.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

holy shit, really? that's excellent. was this during the filming, or the commentary?

― Kingfishee (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

the creative director at a place i used to work is one of the people described.
he just buys dvds. he doesn't even know what he owns¡ twice i've been the recipient of his doubles (when he's accidentally purchased a movie only to discover he already has it). seven + dr.stranglove.

― dyson (dyson), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Good doubles to have!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

was this during the filming, or the commentary?

The commentary.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

i think the advent of dvd has just increased the ability of some "cinephiles" to be unrepentent trainspotting consumer fetishists. it's annoying as hell especially when people speak of movie's being "finally restored" for dvd. these are the same people who have their own websites where they review "classic movies" and declare every one "transcendent."

i guess im not opposed to commentaries makingofs etc. in principle but what ever happened to watching the goddam film? it seems to be so passé now.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:36 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm so sick of everyone having such "great taste" which means everyone has the same taste

grrrrr sorry

― amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I so rarely even look at extra featutes. The onyl ones I've really watched are the LOTR ones.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I so rarely even look at extra featutes.

you should. How High even had the special section where you could "hunt the stash" on the DVDs menues. When you found it, you got a special message from Method Man & Redman entreating you to "smoke it up now" or somesuch.

― Kingfishee (Kingfish), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I read that as "massage from Method Man & redman" and was about to run to the bathroom.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

the best thing about dvds in my opinion isn't picture quality but sound

vhs sound used to drive me crazy!

I've got my player hooked up to my stereo system and it has improved my home viewing experience far more than the better picture

but it is interesting that dvds are such a consumer- (as opposed to renter-) friendly format, I don't think anyone realized this would happen

― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I have no time to watch any of my movies and my TV is too small. I have taken to watching them in the corner of my laptop monitor while doing other stuff in the foreground sometimes, but lately since I have to re-rip my entire music collection (I have no time to listen to my music either) the drive is occupied and so all my Xmas gifts are just sitting there looking kind of sad. They're certainly not lonely though. I have a shitload of films. I need to sell some. Maybe I'll do that tonight.

― TOMBOT, Tuesday, 30 December 2003 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah vhs sound aieeeeeeee

i hated it when the tape was kind of old and warped and you hear that weeeAAAAAweeeeAAAweeeAAA grind when you put it in and all through generally the first 10 minutes or so.

god thinking about that is making me appreciate dvd.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 30 December 2003 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Comedy DVDs are ace for extras and commentaries. The Black Books DVDs have some great outtakes and the commentary track on series 1, similar to Cannibal the Musical above, has the cast sitting about drunkenly hanging shit on each other for their outfits etc. You can hear clanking glasses and smokes being lit and whatnot. Great stuff.

I buy DVDs when i know I am going to watch them over and over. So mine are mostly TV series (futurama, black books, young ones, blackadder etc) and the few movies I'll watch a lot such as Donnie Darko and Grosse Pointe Blank. I'm no cinema nerd, and I care not a jot :)

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 01:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I buy a lot of DVDs that I take forever watching. It's hard to get psyched about watching a Godard film, greatness of not.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 01:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I buy a lot of DVDs that I take forever watching. It's hard to get psyched about watching a Godard film, greatness or not.

― TEH ONE AN ONLEY DEANN GULBAREY (deangulberry), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 01:52 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i found myself buying faster than i could watch, but i have gotten my act together, watching two a day until i am all caught up... at the worst, i had 40 some dvds that i hadnt put into the dvd player, but i am lowering thet number quite a bit over winter break

― todd swiss (eliti), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm a huge cinema fan, but own maybe 15 films; I don't see this number increasing exponentially. There are some films that I do want to watch over and over (I figure if you watch a $20 disc 4 or 5 times you've justified its purchase price), but I rent a lot as well. Bonus material I don't care about unless I really like the film, and in that case I'm usually riveted to it. With "The Birds" there was a ton of it, and yet I wanted more, more! As far as picture quality, it's far better than VHS, and better than LD as well. I had an excellent quality LD player, and my cheapo DVD player cuts it (although I won't go so far as to say it blows it out of the water or anything.) I'm a hifi purist, so I don't want my big TV and video stand between my speakers, so I don't have the audio going through my hifi. If I ever have a ton of money to burn I can imagine hanging a nice flat-screen on the wall between the speakers and then doing the audio thing. No interest in surround. I doubt I ever will.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 02:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I've got no interest in surround either but I highly reccomend you try running your player through your speakers. you will never look back.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 05:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Embarassingly, I'm getting quite a few DVDs that I haven't watched. My TV is small and has this piercing sound that gives me a headache. Once I get a new 27-30" TV, I can start watching them again.

Currently unwatched on my desk

Firefly - the complete series
La Strada
By Brakhage
Buffy Season 5
28 Days Later
Cruel Intentions
Schizopolis
My Life To Live
Le Cercle Rouge
Naked Lunch
Friday Night
Tokyo Story

(um, yeah, wholesale+lots of credit=all the Criterions I normally can't afford)

I fear this makes me one of the cinephile consumerists that Amateurist speaks of, but there aren't many other options around here. I promise not to start a review site about the transcendency of Cruel Intentions.

(Except for the Buffy-Selma Blair kiss.)

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 05:48 (twenty-one years ago)

My own unwatched list grows...but that always means there's something new to see.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i end up buying because of the lack of quality renting places around. i would rather buy a movie on dvd with the proper aspect ratio than get it on vhs or drive an hour to get to a good renting place. so criterion gets my money and i am rarely disappointed

― todd swiss (eliti), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

miloauckerman - there's a dvd for schizopolis¿¿¿ and you have it¡¡¡
you are surely a god. please, please tell me what extras are on it. thank you.

― dyson (dyson), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=199

― dean gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:19 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a Criterion edition

- two commentaries (Soderbergh interviewing Soderbergh, and then one with multiple people - producers, actors, etc.)
-"Maximum Busy Muscle" (a documentary on the making of Schizopolis, I think)
-trailer

Either it or Naked Lunch is next.

(xpost - should have reloaded before typing)

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm currious to hear soderbergh explain the thing (if he bothers)

― dyson (dyson), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The Criterion Collection website depresses the living shit out of me every time I visit it. They let Hard Boiled and Spinal Tap go out of print and they still have "Chasing Amy" and "Armageddon." I mean all of Kevin Smith's films and they pick "Chasing Amy." I'm betting "High and Low" goes out of print within a month or two in fact, just because it's the one Kurosawa they have that I really want.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw the box set of 5 Hitchcock films is going out of print, so I just snapped it up.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously, why oh why are The Killer and Hard Boiled out of print? It makes no sense.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought they got reissued on another company's label? At least, that's the version of The Killer I have, and it's got the Woo commentary. *shrug*

I am with TOMBOT on the need to get High and Low immediately, why the hell have I kept delaying. Only time I saw it was in 1992 and I still remember almost everything about it vividly.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 20:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I have to think in the case of Criterion (who put out the Hitch box I cited above) they must have considered how making the production runs 'limited' must impact sales and demand. Since most of the titles they release have 'classic' status, you would assume they'd continue to sell, albeit not wildly, for quite some time. Does calling a title limited edition increase sales?

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

this is the deal with criterion--most all of the movies they release are licensed from studios/distribution companies/whatever, and these licenses are inevitably time-bound. they can't afford to lease the rights to every film they've ever put out for eternity! it's just bizness.

(& i believe "armageddon" and "chasing amy" are their big cash cows, which allow them to release the less popular stuff)

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:44 (twenty-one years ago)

tom they don't "let" stuff go out of print, their rights to the films in question expire for reasons not under their control.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 1 January 2004 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

also the sales of that "armageddon" dvd probably allowed them to release half of the stuff you're interested in.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 1 January 2004 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

haha i wish i had read s1utsky's post, i just repeated him word for word basically. yay s1utsky.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 1 January 2004 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

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