Weekly RoundUp 6-22-2010 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

[COLOR= rgb(255,0,0)]The Features[/COLOR]



– Matt Damon (Green Zone – 2010)


– Jay Baruchel & Alice Eve (She's Out of My League – 2009)


–Helen Mirren & James McAvoy (The Last Station – 2009)


–Romy Schneider (Le Combat dans L'ile– 1962)


–Anne Heche & Thomas Jane (Hung: Season 1– 2009)


[COLOR= rgb(255,0,0)]The Prices[/COLOR]

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon




[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]SD-DVD TITLE [/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]Amazon[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]BestBuy[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]Target[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]Costco[/COLOR]



Avatar - Last Airbender Complete Book One CE

$26.99

$49.99







Bluebeard (2010)

$21.49

$24.99







Checkmate: Complete Series

$79.98

$89.99







Close-Up (CC)

$37.49

$34.99







Death Race 2000 (1975)

$16.49

$14.99







Entourage: Season 6

$25.99

$22.99

$22.99

$25.79



The Good Guy

$20.49

$24.99







Green Zone

$18.99

$17.99

$17.99

$18.99



Hard Four

$17.99

$14.99







Hung: Season 1

$25.99

$22.99

$24.99





Jack and the Beanstalk (2010)

$14.98

$12.99







The Last Station

$18.99

$19.99



$18.49



Le Combat Dans L'ile (1962)

$22.49

$24.99







Red Desert (CC)

$37.49

$34.99







Remember Me

$18.99

$19.99

$19.99

$17.99



Riverworld

$14.99

$14.99







She's Out of My League

$18.99

$19.99

$17.99

$18.99



A Star is Born DE

$15.99

Tom & Jerry (Deluxe Anniversary Collection)

$19.99

$24.99







Wolf Moon

$18.49

$24.99

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon





[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]BLU-RAY TITLE [/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]Amazon[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]BestBuy[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]Target[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(255,255,255)]Costco[/COLOR]



Afro Samurai - Complete Murder Sessions

$35.99

$29.99







Bourne Trilogy (w/ Flipper BD/DVD Discs)

$48.99

$59.99







Close-Up (CC)

$34.49

$34.99







Death Race 2000 (1975)

$23.99

$24.99







Entourage: Season 6

$24.99

$26.99

$29.99

$31.79



Green Zone

$24.99

$26.99

$24.99

$25.99



Hung: Season 1

$34.99

$26.99

$29.99





The Last Station

$34.95

$23.99



$21.99



Red Desert (CC)

$29.49

$29.99







Remember Me

$23.99

$26.99

$25.99

$24.99



Riverworld

$18.99

$19.99







She's Out of My League

$25.99

$26.99

$25.99

$26.99



A Star is Born SE

$23.99

$29.99







Tromeo & Juliet

$18.99

$19.99

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon





3-D BLU-RAY TITLE

Amazon

BestBuy

Target

Costco



Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Blu-ray 3-D)

$27.99

$34.99












(CC) after a title = New release in the Criterion Collection.



[COLOR= rgb(255,0,0)]The Disclaimer[/COLOR]




[COLOR= rgb(0,0,0)]Standard disclaimer: All prices are taken from the websites of each chain, or from their printed Sunday advertisements. All prices are subject to change by each chain. Prices and inventory in-store may or may not match the website price.

I, obviously, cannot include EVERY title released in a given week in the RoundUp[/COLOR]. The titles included are those that I am interested in...as well as those which I consider will be of interest to a majority of consumers (and sometimes I’ll miss one!). I don't get paid for this, and I don't have the time to list every DVD. So, please don't complain! If there is a title not included in the [COLOR= rgb(255,0,0)]RoundUp[/COLOR] that you want to see, PLEASE just look it up yourself, and be nice enough to post and share the results with everyone!

Note that I cannot include Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club prices in the [COLOR= rgb(255,0,0)]RoundUp[/COLOR]. They set prices at individual stores based on nearby competition, so there is no way I can say here what price you'll find at YOUR local Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club location. And, Circuit City is still out of business...even in Hawaii (where they NEVER guaranteed their prices anyway).







[COLOR= rgb(255,0,0)]The Specials[/COLOR]



--Another week of transition for the RoundUp. Just as we have seen the addition over the years of the HD formats (HD-DVD & Blu-ray) and the coming & going of various retailers (Circuit City & Sams Club), this week brings the addition of a separate section for 3-D Blu-ray titles. I don't know how populated it will be in coming weeks, but it seems like it amounts to a different format so we'll give it its own section...at least for now.







--It has happened again that BestBuy.com is showing some better prices on new releases than the BB flyer. Such as: Entourage: Season 6 on DVD for $18.99! Also, on Blu-ray, Entourage: Season 6 $24.99, Green Zone $24.99, Remember Me $23.99. If these titles are of interest to you, try in-store pick-up at your local store using the on-line price.



--Best Buy has a FREE $5 GIFTCARD if you buy BOTH Entourage: Season 6 AND Hung: Season 1 together on either DVD [COLOR= rgb(0,0,255)]or Blu-ray[/COLOR]. Products must be purchased on same receipt. Giftcards good towards future purchases. Online offer may vary.

[COLOR= rgb(0,0,255)]--Best Buy has a number of these "Mega Movie Multi-Packs for sale this week with prices ranging from $9.99 to $14.99.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= rgb(0,0,255)]--Best Buy has the following Blu-ray titles on sale this week:

$9.99: The Aviator, Hancock, Punisher

$12.99: Point Break, Napoleon Dynamite, Silence of the Lambs

$14.99: State of Play, Law Abiding Citizen, Pandorium[/COLOR]

--Best Buy Odds and Ends: A list of "hot" DVDs for $4.99 apiece.

--No special deals listed this week by Target.

--Target Odds and Ends: None to report.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Best Buy on sale DVD items:

$4.99 each:
Watchmen
Shoot'em Up
Traitor
Super Troopers
Beerfest
T2


$9.99 each (Movie multi-packs):
Lethal Weapon 1-4
Matrix 1-3, Animatrix
War movies
Shyamalan movies


$10.99 each (Movie multi-packs):
Dirty Harry movies
Batman 1-4
Ocean's 11-13


$14.99 each (Movie multi-packs):
American Pie 1-3 movies
Tom Hanks movies (3)


[COLOR= #00f]Blu-ray:[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #00f]$9.99 each:
The Aviator
Hancock
The Punisher[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #00f]$12.99 each:
Point Break
Napolean Dynamite
Silence of the Lambs[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #00f]$14.99 each:
State of Play
Law Abiding Citizen
Unrecognizable cover for me[/COLOR]


[COLOR= #00f]$29.99 each:
Twilight
New Moon[/COLOR]


---------


Target on sale DVD items:


No catalogue titles on sale this week.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Unrecognizable cover for me

Pandorum, reviewed here.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I don't understand listing Blu-ray 3D as a separate format. If the 3D BD disc is inserted into a legacy BD player and/or viewed on a legacy 2D display it plays back just fine -- just in 2D mode. How does this differ from an anamorphically-enhanced DVD? If a"16:9" enhanced DVD is played on a legacy 4:3 display, the player can downconvert it to be compatible with that display. It's the same concept and I never saw anamorphically-enhanced DVDs treated as though they were a different format.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Thanks Mike and Patrick for another roundup, and to Michael for the assist She's Out of My League and Death Race 2000 are on my list, but not at these prices. Will wait for a sale.

 

[EricSchulz]

Wow...another quiet "catch-up" week.


And a Happy Father's Day to Mike and all the HTF dads out there!

 

[RickER]

Originally Posted by Adam Gregorich She's Out of My League and Death Race 2000 are on my list, but not at these prices. Will wait for a sale.

Adam, i have Death Race 2000 (on Blu) coming to me from Deep Discount, for under $16. Its on sale, and part of the 25% off thing. But that ends today, so hurry if that price is good for you.


Thanks guys for the Round UP, nothing other than Death Race 2000 for me. And Happy Fathers Day to everyone too.

 

[TommyJD]

Best Buy has Bruce Springsteen's London Calling Blu on sale for $17.99.I'll be getting that this week.

Happy Father's Day.

 

[TravisR]

I'll pick up Entourage: Season Six at some point. She's Out Of My League has some laughs and is worth a rental if you didn''t seen it in the theater.


Thanks for the prices, guys!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus

I don't understand listing Blu-ray 3D as a separate format. If the 3D BD disc is inserted into a legacy BD player and/or viewed on a legacy 2D display it plays back just fine -- just in 2D mode. How does this differ from an anamorphically-enhanced DVD? If a"16:9" enhanced DVD is played on a legacy 4:3 display, the player can downconvert it to be compatible with that display. It's the same concept and I never saw anamorphically-enhanced DVDs treated as though they were a different format.

I'm more than willing to listen to any discussion on this topic.


I just figured the 3-D was a completely different format than 2D Blu-ray.


Yes, a 3D BD will play back just fine in a standard BD player...but, then again, so will a standard DVD. Yet I don't want to lump BD and DVD discs together.


That...and there is a DVD version, standard Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs all for sale.

 

[David Glen]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon




I'm more than willing to listen to any discussion on this topic.


I just figured the 3-D was a completely different format than 2D Blu-ray.


Yes, a 3D BD will play back just fine in a standard BD player...but, then again, so will a standard DVD. Yet I don't want to lump BD and DVD discs together.


That...and there is a DVD version, standard Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs all for sale.

Personally, I would list it in the regular BD section. The same way that you would call out something that was multiple disc, or a CE, or whatever. It's still a BD, it just happens to be a special edition/feature one.


Also, there's bound to be releases that aren't available separately, so you might end up listing them in 2 places.


That said, I don't think it's all that important of an issue.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

The difference is that a BD *won't* play on a DVD player ... because it *is* a new format.
A 3D Blu-ray still provides an uncompromised 2D presentation on any Blu-ray player, so it's *not* a new format. It provides for an enhanced presentation of a movie with the appropriate hardware.


Example: When pre-recorded VHS tapes went from linear audio stereo tracks to "HI-FI audio" they were not considered a new format. A VHS HI-FI machine was required in order to obtain the (almost CD quality) audio from the included HI-FI track (along with, ideally, pro-logic equipped audio receivers); but linear audio tracks were always still available on the VHS tapes so they would still play in any VHS player.

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon


I just figured the 3-D was a completely different format than 2D Blu-ray.


Yes, a 3D BD will play back just fine in a standard BD player...but, then again, so will a standard DVD. Yet I don't want to lump BD and DVD discs together.

 

[Mike Frezon]

You make a good case, Joseph.


Do we figure that from here on in, all 3-D Blu-ray releases will be the ONLY BD releases for that particular title? Or, do we think there will be separate Blu-ray releases for 2D and 3D?

 

[pitchman]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon

Do we figure that from here on in, all 3-D Blu-ray releases will be the ONLY BD releases for that particular title? Or, do we think there will be separate Blu-ray releases for 2D and 3D?

What I can see (but hope doesn't) happen, is that "special edition" Blu-ray sets eventually come out only in a single 3D-Bluray edition. I'm thinking specifically of something like the (inevitable) Avatar "special edition". Would I like to see it again in 3D? Sure. Do I have the necessary hardware to make that happen? Um...no. Am I likely to acquire the necessary hardware anytime soon, if ever? Unlikely. Do I want to pay a $10-15 premium for an additional feature I can most likely never access? Not really. Do studios stand to make more money on 3D Blu-ray releases? Absolutely... Especially if that is the only version they offer. So, as much as I may want to see all those nifty "making of" supplements for Avatar, IF I am forced to buy a 3D Blu-ray edition to get there, I may not.


I can't say I blame studios if they go this route. I'm sure it is more cost effective for them to produce and market only one special edition set. But, if they force me to pay extra for a feature I do not want, I am likely to resist. I have to think that the market share of 3D Blu-ray equipped households will be very small (less than 5%) for a long time to come. I bought a new HD-TV about a year-and-a-half ago and do not plan on buying another one just to get 3D. I just don't see there being anywhere near enough 3D content to make it a cost effective investment.


As far as listing 3D Blu-ray separately in the RoundUp, I don't have any problem with it. But, I can't imagine a week where there will ever be more than a few titles listed in the section. The only way that may possibly change is if there is such a huge groundswell of support for the format and the necessary hardware, that the studios go back and create pseudo 3D versions of catalog titles (akin to colorizing old black & white films)...which I'm sure, in the end, opens up a whole new can of worms!

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon

You make a good case, Joseph.


Do we figure that from here on in, all 3-D Blu-ray releases will be the ONLY BD releases for that particular title? Or, do we think there will be separate Blu-ray releases for 2D and 3D?

I would think that eventually there would only be one release of a 3D movie to BD. Unless, that is, it turns out that the derived 2D presentation is somehow compromised. But that's not supposed to be the case based on the approved 3D spec.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Joseph Bolus


One Disc DVD

Two Disc DVD

DVD/BD Combo Pack (Two Disc)

One Disc BD

One Disc 3D BD


And that's not including the the UMD version and the various DVD and BD versions with attached promotional items: "Bonus Books" and "Magic Umbrellas."


And with that confusion comes pricing problems for retailers and customers alike. Like Gary says, I don't want to be paying more for a 3D BD release that's not of any use to me. But we digress...


Based on what I'm reading here at the HTF and on what I saw this weekend in the trailers before Toy Story 3, it sure looks like 3D is here to stay at the cinema and in HT...but I'm not sure if the home video industry has really figured out their approach to the marketing of the new technology.

Heck, based on the hit & miss nature of these DVD/BD combo packs, I think many studios are still trying to figure out how to market Blu-ray. I already feel like the pricing grids above are incomplete when I don't list the combo packs in both grids. Because while I know people who buy combo packs because they like the versatility that having a "bonus" DVD of a film gives them (for many different reasons--many of them involving kids)...I also know people who have yet to go Blu who buy the combo packs because they know the day is coming and they want to be ready when it arrives.
I guess my bottom-line here is there ain't no easy answers.

 

[MikeDE]

I wanted to pick up A Star Is Born, but this morning the websites for Best Buy, Target and WalMart all say it is not sold in stores, only online. If this is really the case, it seems rather odd.


Mike

 

[SAhmed]

I had the same problem when "The Man With No Name Trilogy" came out at the start of June but because it was an absolute must have I drove down to my local Best Buy irrespective and found that they had the one copy (still a little weird but...). I haven't bought it yet (waiting on the Criterion sale next month at Barnes And Noble to see if I get a better deal) but the same situation exists for "A Christmas Tale" where the BB online inventory does not show it in stock but I can, for fact, go to the exact location and pickup the two copies that they have on their shelves!


Bottom line is that you may get "lucky" - either way I don't expect they will have many copies of "A Star Is Born" in stock.


Regards,

 

[MikeDE]

WalMart had the DVD but not BD of Star Is Born, and Best Buy had neither one. I sprung for the BD at Barnes and Noble, but lesson learned. Next time I'll pre-order if it's a classic release, even a major one.


Mike

 

[John Swarce]

Originally Posted by SAhmed

I had the same problem when "The Man With No Name Trilogy" came out at the start of June but because it was an absolute must have I drove down to my local Best Buy irrespective and found that they had the one copy (still a little weird but...). I haven't bought it yet (waiting on the Criterion sale next month at Barnes And Noble to see if I get a better deal) but the same situation exists for "A Christmas Tale" where the BB online inventory does not show it in stock but I can, for fact, go to the exact location and pickup the two copies that they have on their shelves!


Bottom line is that you may get "lucky" - either way I don't expect they will have many copies of "A Star Is Born" in stock.


Regards,

One of the quirks of the Best Buy on-line inventory system is if there are less than 3 copies of an item, the system will show it as "unavailable". It's best to check your store personally, or give them a call to double check on availability.


Mike: Put me in the list of people that think the 3D Blu-rays should be listed with the regular Blu-rays. Maybe list them at the end of the grid or in a different color for the title. Less work for you each week, too!


--John