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The Classic Sci-FI Ultimate Collection (1 Viewer)

James@R

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What's funny is that they included a sticker promoting the bonus disc that read, "While Supplies Last". They could've just as easily been referring to the collection itself! :D
 

William Miller

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I think the minimum 6 per store is just a gimmick to make sure you rush in and buy it. I went to my local Best Buy on Saturday morning and asked them how many they had in the back for Tuesday and their computer showed 43 on hand. Why it was that unusual number, I do not know but I am confident that there will be ample copies on Tuesday. How long they will last after that is anybody's guess.
 

Richard_Gregory

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Living in the UK, I asked a pal in the US to preorder it for me way back in August, and the thing still hasn't shipped - and now it's gone from "pre-order" to "backordered 1-2 weeks"

WTF are best Buy playing at?

It's dreadful to take stuff away from folks who preordered just to fill the stores.
 

Johnny Angell

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Mine was shipped on the 15th and still hasn't arrived. Yesterday it was in TN. Itr's some comibination of UPS and USPS, I hate that.
 

Richard_Gregory

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Yes, Best Buy ship from their mailorder warehouse to the nearest Best Buy store via UPS, and then ship from there to the final address using USPS apparently. I guess they have some corporate freight deal with UPS.

I am guessing that (it sounds bizarre) that people who used Ground delivery actually had their sets mailed out earlier, because they take longer to deliver.

If they'd sent out the Next Day orders on Friday, the sets would have arrived before the official release date, and studios usually don't like that, although it seems to happen a lot with online stores.

And Best Buy broke the "rule" anyway, with some stores putting the sets out on the shelves early, as well.

It has now changed to "usually ships in 1 day". Apparently, it goes to "backorder" status when the stock indicators are in the process of updating, because during that they cannot give a firm indication of delivery dates.

You think you got problems. Cos it;s a dumb Best Buy only, I had to get a pal in the States buy a copy for me via mail order and ask them to send it to me in the UK...sheesh!
 

Eric Huffstutler

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I think that everyone should be simply grateful that they are coming.

Apparently it is a Best Buy exclusive and selling faster then expected so there will be back-ordering involved along the way.

I ordered mine fairly early on - as soon as I found out it would be an exclusive knowing supply would be limited. Mine shipped out already and we'll see how fast I get mine.

There is a store in town but about 30 mile round trip to get there and with gas prices, rather order online. I have PLENTY of un-viewed DVDs in my collection to tie me over until the set arrives. The movies have been around for years - nothing new except to DVD. I'm not that impatient ;)
 

pitchman

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I purchased a copy this morning right after the local store opened. Although I didn't count, I am guessing they had about 10 copies on the new release rack and I managed to snag one one of the few that had a BG bonus disc. I am really looking forward to viewing this set tonight!
htf_images_smilies_banana.gif
 

Richard_Gregory

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My US pal ordered my copy using the Second Day option, and it arrived in his mail this morning. He's made sure all the discs are there and is currently in the Post Office sending it winging it's way across the Atlantic to me in the UK.

I'm not sure that this is going to be a limited edition (the edition with the BG bonus disc maybe); it's still marked as usually processing in one day, so it's still in stock. This seems to indicate they have filled all the backorders with some to spare.

Though I don't think waiting is a good idea. If it goes on backorder and Universal decide to be awkward, you might never get a copy.

Nice one Universal releasing this, but I have to say, I don't feel all that grateful for them doing a store exclusive. Which most people, sensibly, don't like. I never could see what they get out of it; free publicity/ads by Best Buy maybe, but on the other hand, they cut down the potential market. People do like using Amazon or specialists like DVDPacific.

I wouldn't have minded if Best Buy shipped internationally, but they don't.

At least it wasn't WalMart! Shudder.
 

Eric Peterson

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The one question that nobody has asked is "How long will this remain a BB exclusive?"

To the best of my knowledge, there are no titles that have remained exclusive. Yes, there have been plenty of bonus discs, and other paraphernalia packed in that has remained exclusive, but full movies? My gut feeling is that this will be similar to the Target exclusives last year (Mogambo & 3 Godfathers) and a full release will come in the second quarter of next year.

Either way, I just picked up my copy at BB and eagerly look forward to revisiting "Tarantula" and viewing the other titles for the first time.
 

Johnny Angell

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I really doubt they ship UPS to the nearest store and and the store uses the postal service. I think that would add to the overhead quite a bit to have store employees having to mail packages. Not to mention the delay.

I've had other merchants use a combination of UPS and USPS. I think its an actual service offered by UPS and USPS.
 

Bert Greene

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I picked up my copy at Best Buy a short while ago. The store had about a dozen on the shelf. But, I was rather annoyed that the store didn't have ANY copies of the other two Universal sets, the "Inner Sanctum" and "Karloff" ones. I was planning on grabbing all three. Anyway, looking forward to the sci-fi items. These films used to be after-school staples for me, and I haven't seen them in a long time (never did buy the VHS releases from a decade ago, which I considered too pricey at the time).
 

RickER

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They had the other 2 you wanted at my BB Bert. I dont remember what section they had it in. Strange where they put stuff. Found Frankenstein Unbound in Drama today.
 

Bob Cashill

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The Best Buy on 5th/44th in Manhattan had about 12 in stock, under New Releases, not Sci-Fi. Specs indicate that SHRINKING MAN is anamorphic 1:78; the rest are full-frame. I haven't had time to check them yet but unless something has gone terribly wrong in QC it's a steal at $19.99 for three discs.

EDIT: Each title comes with its theatrical trailer. MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS, on its own disc, has no chapter stops. They looked solid--about as solid as 50-year-old movies that don't appear to have undergone significant restoration can look--but my 27" TV is forgiving.
 

Craig Beam

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I've only had a chance to briefly check The Incredible Shrinking Man, but it is definitely very grainy... it is, on the other hand, in anamorphic widescreen. On the same disc (#2 of 3) is Monolith Monsters, which looks pristine by comparison.
 

JPCinema

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All (except Incredible Shrinking Man) look sharp and pristine. Ironically the weakest of the bunch is the anamorphic "Man"
 

JayHM

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There seems to be some conflicting information here and at dvdtalk that I hope someone can definitively clear up. Is "The Incredible Shrinking Man"...

a) an anamorphic transfer of the film in its correct widescreen aspect ratio (no cropping)?

OR

b) a transfer of a movie that was composed for Academy ratio and has been cropped at the top and bottom to create a widescreen version?

OR

c) a pan-and-scan transfer of a widescreen film that has been cropped at the top and bottom to create a fake widescreen version that is actually cropped on all sides?


And are the others open-matte or pan-and-scan?
 

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