Tuesday, August 15, 2006

The DVD Collection

Confession time. At the risk of increasing my geek factor ("what, higher?" I hear the crowds roar), I want to discuss DVD's. Not just which ones I like, although I will throw that in. I want to understand why people own the DVD's that they do. And that is where the confession will come in - but all in good time.

DVD's bring several benefits over the good old video cassette. The picture quality is better, and with many you get all sorts of fancy dancy surround sound. I haven't gone and reconstructed my house to include a mini ciniplex (try saying that with a mouthful of Saos), but I do have a modest surround system and a rather bog standard 51cm CRT tv. However these are not my focus today.

DVD's also bring the 'Extra'. This is where the geek in me gets excited, and where we get to some confessing. The decision on whether I will buy a DVD (and I think this is my point) ultimately depends on my core criteria - in descending order - being:

  1. Did I love his movie enough to want to watch it over, even several times?
  2. Do I want to share this movie with friends, at the risk of earning their gratitude or owing them possibly several hours of their lives back?
  3. What are the extras?

Now the existence of extras is often a difference maker for me.

I own the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions. Now I am hardly Robinson Crusoe on that island, but this movie is such a visual experience, not to mention my favourite story of all time - see, geek factor already rising - plus it has soooo many extras, that I just had to own it. I own Firefly and Serenity, and love the extras on those disks. I have The Name of the Rose - the Dutch version no less, because it is the only version that has the full 2 hour 'making of' documentary included. That geeky enough for you?

Here is my first problem - I haven't even watched half the extras on these damn things. To be honest, my interest in how much latex it took to make the orcs into orcs is of peripheral interest to me - perhaps enough to justify about 3 minutes of my life. And all the crap about how they did the CG is just blah blah blah. So why the extra obsession?

There are of course exceptions, where the movie is the key. I own Princess Bride, but it doesn't have any extras (probably because it is 18 years old and thus before they thought of these things). I own the Big Blue - in fact 2 versions, with nary an extra in sight, again probably for the same reason.

However I have a sneaking suspicion that deep down there is something in me that likes the fact that I can sit there and tell people that I have the Dutch Name of the Rose, and why. That to not own the LoTR EE's would be a denial of my id. I suspect that some people have a number of DVD's in their collections just because they are the ones that give you cred. Of course, I'm not like that - I only have about 25 DVD's, so that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Anyone have any thoughts? Pretend that I haven't scared you all off, please...

23 Comments:

At 11:58 am, Blogger Thursday's Child said...

Oh dear lord. The DUTCH Name of the Rose? You just earned your nerd credentials with interest, my boy.

I personally think the EE LoTR DVDs are essential to own - not so much for the extras, but for what they add to the story. I am not suggesting watching all 12 hours of them in one sitting though - your butt hurts for days.

 
At 12:00 pm, Blogger WJ said...

I should clarify that the movie is in English, and the Dutch subtitles are off by default...

that helps a lot, doesn't it...

 
At 12:14 pm, Blogger Original Mel said...

I also own Firefly and Serenity, as well as Buffy and Angel (all seasons) and this geek has watched all extras contained on all those DVDs (which total about 79 DVDs, each with at least one extra). Yes, I am a geek. Don't tell anyone.

My only beef with DVDs is that when you hire them from the video store you don't get previews. I lurve previews. I have even started renting videos instead of DVDs simply for preview viewage. They're almost as good as the taped copy of Top Gun my ex had which was recorded in about 1989 and had all the advertisements in pristine condition...

 
At 12:14 pm, Blogger mushroom said...

"I haven't gone and reconstructed my house to include a mini ciniplex (try saying that with a mouthful of Saos).."

You werent playing that game again WJ?

 
At 12:19 pm, Blogger WJ said...

no shroom, I went to a good school and have never played any games involving Sao's or any other bikkies for that matter...

 
At 1:28 pm, Blogger Thursday's Child said...

Oh Mel. The previews. I lurve the previews.....

And no WJ, it helps not one whit.

 
At 4:46 pm, Blogger WJ said...

I'm just not sure whether Good Morning Vietnam is strictly historically accurate, Georgia...

 
At 5:01 pm, Blogger Mex said...

what is a DVD?

 
At 5:03 pm, Blogger WJ said...

a Digital Venerial Disease - something you get if you spend too long hanging around with fingers...

 
At 5:04 pm, Blogger WJ said...

oh, and I have watched all the LoTR EE's in a day. actually about 11 hours and a bit, from memory.

yep, sore butt.

 
At 5:11 pm, Blogger WJ said...

I could tell you that I cry every time I watch the Enzo scene (if you have seen it you will know) in The Big Blue, but then I would be accused of being a poof...

as if having 2 pugs isn't hard enough to overcome....

 
At 5:11 pm, Blogger Thursday's Child said...

Show off.

 
At 5:12 pm, Blogger WJ said...

it isn't very often that that is seen as showing off, more like getting something off one's chest.

and having waay to much time on one's hands

 
At 1:57 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

aww I love Firefly, I wish it had not been cancelled... I think I actually liked it better than Buffy *sacrelicious gasp*

I only really own one DVD, that is Legally Blonde, however MrBelle buys them by the truckload so technically I spose I have lots. We only just bought a multi-region player so we can watch them all, and yesterday I became the proud owner of a LaZBoy recliner!

It is the awesomest thing ever! It rocks when it is not reclining, and one of the armrests flips up to reveal a handy section which incorporates a cup holder and a couple of places for remotes & such.

 
At 8:12 am, Blogger Thursday's Child said...

Oh SB, tell me you are not becoming trailer trash...

And WJ, the show off bit was for knowing exactly how long the EE's are.

I would never mock you for crying at the Enzo scene.

 
At 8:59 am, Blogger welcome to wallyworld said...

"Withnail & I" - that's my idea of entertainment. "Lord of the Rings" bored me rigid.

 
At 3:24 pm, Blogger killerrabbit said...

I also have Firefly, Buffy, and Angel by the box load. But I have also been busily purchasing tv on DVD that is played at stupid times here in Aus. Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Deadwood, Battlestar Galatica. I know I am a nerd...but at least I don't have to watch too many reality tv shows now.

 
At 3:29 pm, Blogger WJ said...

see, now that is not the sign of a nerd, rabbit, more the sign of a hot chick, at least IMHO.

a desire to avoid reality, including of the tv variety, along with a liking of all things Whedon and Sci Fi are definitely virtues.

Here is one for you all - I just received my 3 Disc Collectors Edition of Spaced from the UK. Its gonna be a party in Camperdown TONIGHT!

 
At 3:33 pm, Blogger actonb said...

Spaced rocked!
Can I crash at yours on friday night???

 
At 3:42 pm, Blogger killerrabbit said...

Spaced! I heart Spaced! sooo jealous of your Spaced party. Is it season one?

 
At 3:46 pm, Blogger WJ said...

so glad you asked rabbit.

it just may happen to be seasons 1 and 2, along with a whole disk of extras including a feature length doc on the making of and lots of commentaries...

 
At 4:24 pm, Blogger WJ said...

this is by far the most exciting thing I have to report for several days now...

[cue deafening violins]

 
At 10:03 am, Blogger Original Mel said...

WJ, getting new DVDs is cetainly something very exciting to be shared amongst bloggers. Not sad at all. Neither is spending $150 on new CDs ordered over the internet, and getting excited when the mail arrives at work each day in case they have arrived, only to feel disappointed that the fuckers haven't turned up yet and gorging on work supplied biscuits to ease the pain.

At least, I hear it is. Certainly hasn't happened to me. No, no, I am a Hip Young Thing and would never do anything so daggy... It happened to a friend. Not even a friend. A girl I met once through a friend of a friend. I swear.

 

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