Charmed & Smallville @14.99 Each, Walmart (1 Viewer)

[smithb]

Jeff,

After posting last night I watched around the first 15 minutes of Smallville on the computer...up to the point where Clark falls on his face in front of Lana. Just to get the flavor of the show. I have to say I was kind of mesmerized during the meteror shower scene, especially for a TV show. When all was said and done, I turned it off and said to myself "dang-it, hooked-line-and-sinker in 15 minutes flat". I actually can't wait to rewatch on the big screen.

Normally, I would be off to Walmart this morning, but I already stated to the wife no more DVD buying this year...only just a few weeks ago. I kind of snuck in "Brisco County" with an HP Laserjet purchase from Amazon (wife felt guilty after breaking our old one of 7 years). I picked up "Smallville" with some loose change I had hanging around in my wallet. Somehow the idea of saying "honey I'm home" with 4 more seasons of "Smallville" under my arms just woudn't cut it.

Actually, she wouldn't really care, but a man's word has gotta mean something sometimes, doesn't it? I mean...it's a principle thing isn't it? Or should I just admit what they all think anyways and just buy them now and just use one of the old lines "did I say that?" or "you thought I was serious?". Nope, I gotta stand by my word on this one. After all it's not like it is June or anything, I only have three more weeks to the new year. I'll let you know how I did tomorrow.

Actually, I'm kind of hoping this is the new "Stargate" for Walmart. They were price reduced and hung around our stores for several months. A few seasons still available almost a year later. So on January 1st they will all be mine.

What I really like from what I've seen so far is that I'me sure Diane will like this one too. For other reasons (primarily fund raising efforts), she hasn't been watching any TV in the evenings for quite sometime. While this has given me a chance to watch a lot of old b/w shows (she hates b/w having been born 8 years after me), she seems to be warming up to the idea of watching TV a few days a week in the evenings again. I'm sure she will like this show.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smithb

Jeff,

After posting last night I watched around the first 15 minutes of Smallville on the computer...up to the point where Clark falls on his face in front of Lana. Just to get the flavor of the show. I have to say I was kind of mesmerized during the meteror shower scene, especially for a TV show. When all was said and done, I turned it off and said to myself "dang-it, hooked-line-and-sinker in 15 minutes flat". I actually can't wait to rewatch on the big screen.

I have to say the first 15 minutes really grabbed me too. It was a spectacular opening to the series. I'm sure you and your wife will love the show, Brad. Sorry I got you sucked in, LOL.

Jeff is correct about the casting. That's what makes this show work early on. That original group is really good, and it stays that way until they bring in Durance (in S4), whom I just can't warm to at all. But other than that, I have no complaints about the cast.

This is literally the only show from the past decade that I've really gotten into at all. And that was because I've always been a big Superman fan and I felt this show was pretty solid in it's portrayal of a young Clark Kent early on.


Gary "I know how you feel about trying to stick to your word, Brad" O.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I enjoyed it too but I quickly became disenchanted with the series because of the "kryptonite monster of the week" plot. This eventually changed, but it kind of ruined the television series for me.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Brad,

Glad your early impressions are good for this show. I figured you would like it. As for the current Walmart prices, you're probably right that they'll still be there down the road for that price. I knew for me, that I would pick up S1-5 for that price since I liked the show.

"Your word is your bond"....can't argue with that one. As a single guy, I have to say it in the mirror

Mark is right about the "Kryptonite monster of the week". So far, it's not been an issue for me since I like the characters in the story and I guess they had to put villans in there to keep the scripts active. There's enough "quieter" stories, imo, like the ep "Stray" where I like the show.

That's another one that Gary and I have in common...this is only the 2nd show since '00 that I've liked. However, that's spoken in the unknown zone for me since I haven't seen hardly any shows since the mid 90's on network TV. I see the promos during NFL games, but nothing that's on FOX or CBS has jumped out at me in a long time. I don't watch the minor networks so I never see their promos. It all works out better for me since I wouldn't allot any time for a new series with all of the sports and DVD's on the shelf.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

I would suggest that if anyone is going to buy these sets at any Walmart store that you might want to buy them before Christmas. I say this because Walmart doesn't make a habit at selling discounted dvd sets over the long haul. They usually rotate their $15 DVD sets every 2-3 weeks.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

You got that right. Buy when you see it as it may be gone in a few weeks at Walmart

 

[smithb]

They must not always do that because the Stargate Sg-1's have been at our local Walmart's for over a year at $15. Granted after all that time they only have two episodes left, but for many months you get most of them. But I will have to wait and see.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Well, yeah, they always do that. With Stargate SG1, Walmart has been rotating different seasons at different times during the year.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

cajun, also, on the Smallville sets, those prices will go up to around $30, if they decide to keep those sets as well, it happened about a month ago, if I'm not mistaken. Walmart's pricing strategy is a bit strange.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Smallville:

Brad, update: I'm already halfway thru S2. I've never gone this pace with any TV/DVD set. Amazing

 

[smithb]

Thanks for the update Jeff. I'm holding off until the week after Christmas to fit it in the rotation. I'm currently watching "Man with a Camera" and "Wagon Train" season 1. MWAC should be done by then. I do want to try it out some more so I can still get into the current sales of it at Walmart if it is a keeper (which I'm assuming at this point it will be).

 

[Jeff Willis]

Originally Posted by smithb ">[/url]

Thanks for the update Jeff. I'm holding off until the week after Christmas to fit it in the rotation. I'm currently watching "Man with a Camera" and "Wagon Train" season 1. MWAC should be done by then. I do want to try it out some more so I can still get into the current sales of it at Walmart if it is a keeper (which I'm assuming at this point it will be).[/QUOTE]Smallville:

I just finished up S2 last night. S2 was great but I preferred S1 slightly better than S2. Still good though and I'll probably start S3 this weekend. This will easily set my series viewing record on DVD for speed thru a show. It's funny, I have chided my nephew for "marathoning" though a couple of TV/DVD sets. Now I have to get the "business" from him at Christmas, and as an added irony, Smallville is the show that he tried to get me to check out a couple of years ago on DVD

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Jeff Willis

Your viewing rotation is sure under control compared to mine I lost count of the # of "in progress" shows on my list. I think it's somewhere around 50 shows.

Not really, I'm as bad as most and maybe even worse since I like to preview an episode whenever I get a new series. That makes me somewhere around 10% complete with what I have started.

What I try to do now is at least complete short series (1 season) before moving on to something else or adding something to the rotation. With so few episodes it is hard to get restarted again later on. For multi-season series it can be nice to take a break every once in a while.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Originally Posted by smithb

Not really, I'm as bad as most and maybe even worse since I like to preview an episode whenever I get a new series. That makes me somewhere around 10% complete with what I have started.

What I try to do now is at least complete short series (1 season) before moving on to something else or adding something to the rotation. With so few episodes it is hard to get restarted again later on. For multi-season series it can be nice to take a break every once in a while.

I like your "preview" approach. I might try doing that with the shows that are being packed at the North Pole

I usually try to keep my TV/DVD viewing list somewhat "balanced", keeping the # of un-viewed season sets of my shows close together. If I have, say, 3-4 seasons of a show un-viewed, I'll usually pick that show vs a show that has 1 season remaining to be watched. But with some shows, I go through the sets faster. I ran out of "Perry Mason" fast. As for "Smallville", unless this show takes a "left turn" in S3-5, I'll be done with S5 by Jan 1.

I think I see a difference in the show in S2 vs S1 so far but it's still "clicking" for me.