2014: The year the DVD enters adulthood

DarthDimi

Sometimes I regret having bought a more expensive edition of a film. It often involves getting an extra disc full of bonus material I couldn't care less about. In my earliest days of DVD collecting I was very much a completist, trying to get my hands on that one edition that comes with the most content. But I grew tired of bonus features very fast. I've since gotten more selective about those things. If it's a Hitchcock, Kubrick, Bond, Star Wars, Star Trek ... product, I aim for the fully loaded ones. If it's *just* a movie, I really only need the movie.

Some content is clearly produced for the sake of making the 'special edition' more attractive (and more expensive). Unfortunately a lot of making of features are boring as hell. If only they were all in the quality range of the 'Inside' documentaries that came with the Bond DVDs. And as for deleted scenes... Clearly there's a reason why they were deleted. ;-) Very often I find them uninteresting, tedious to watch even. Only rarely am I actually interested in seeing what material got cut and why.

Then there's the 'unrated' or 'uncut' version. In many cases those words are stamped on a horror DVD. It involves a nipple or some blood that got cut to assure PG13 or something. Naturally I want to watch a horror film 'full option'. Some filmmakers are stupid enough to announce, even before the theatrical release, that the DVD will contain added footage of gore or sex. Why then would I even bother to go to the theatre to see the film? Chances are the uncut DVD will be cheaper too.

And of course I get suckered into buying the same movie more than once too. When CR got released as a double disc edition, I bought it. Couldn't have waited one day longer to see one of my favourite Bond films again. Some time later we got the 3 disc edition, which I bought too - of course. But that's Bond. I wouldn't hesitate a moment. Peter Jackson pulled this trick too. The first release of The Hobbit came with only the theatrical cut. An extended cut was released half a year later. I bought that one too. George Lucas has suckered me several times. I bought the special edition video tapes of Star Wars in the 90s, upgraded to the DVDs as soon as they became available. But then we got the release of the original theatrical versions with, also in the box, the special editions - again. I have bought the same films three times so to speak, albeit on two different formats and in two different aspect ratio's, plus a fourth time but in a different version.

The one film I have most copies of, often received for free, is Romero's Night Of The Living Dead. But since that film is basically public domain, anyone can 'sell' it as a bonus disc. The other winner is Blade Runner. The original domestic cut, the original international cut, the director's cut and the final cut, plus the work print, all in one box. And prior to said box' release, I had already bought the final cut on DVD. And I have seen all cuts multiple times. But then I love Blade Runner. And I must admit I love to see different DVD versions of the same film in my collection, provided I love the film of course. Same with books; I'm still proud of my four versions of Dracula. ;-)

RogueAgent

Wow that long hey! I remember when they first appeared all those years ago! I thought they would never take off! 8-} And yet now they say DVD sales are falling! So what will be the next big temporary format? Although Blu Ray sales have risen.

DarthDimi

BR seems to be doing well but DVD's are still a lot cheaper. I think many people don't mind the fewer options a DVD offers or the slightly lower quality when one considers the prize. 30 dollars for a BR when the single disc DVD edition is sold for 8? Do the math! ;-)

chrisisall

I bought a BR player specifically because Logan's Run, 2010 & Westworld had really crappy DVD releases. The BR versions are absolutely stellar. DVD is a fine medium, but care must be taken with the transfer. A mediocre BR transfer is as good as a pristine top-of-the-line DVD transfer.
Now it's just hunt & peck adding certain films to my BR collection. Superman looks totally stunning. TLD & LTK already looked fine on DVD, but even better on BR.
But the bulk of my movies will remain exclusively DVD to the day I expire, I expect.
Oh, an the very first two DVD's I bought were Jackie Chan's Who Am I? and Mission Impossible 2 in early 2001. Both look great to this day!

DarthDimi

I have a big issue with my region 2 copies of the James Bond SE DVDs. I like to sit through the end titles and then switch to the extras. BUT, if I wait a few seconds too long, I get page after page after page of text in various languages and I can neither scroll through them nor interrupt them to get to the menu! Unless I want to sit through 10 minutes or so of nothing but text, I have to unplug my DVD player completely and then 'reboot' it. It's silly but still faster.