Weekly RoundUp 3/15/05 (1 Viewer)

No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; "I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!"
–Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible (The Incredibles – 2004)


We're a couple of swells.
We stop at the best hotels.
But we prefer the country far away from the city smells.

–Fred Astaire as Don Hewes; Judy Garland as Hannah Brown (Easter Parade – 1948)

I shall never forget the weekend Laura died. A silver sun burned through the sky like a huge magnifying glass. It was the hottest Sunday in my recollection. I felt as if I were the only human being left in New York... I had just begun Laura's story when another of those detectives came to see me. I had him wait.
–Clifton Webb as Waldo Lydecker (Laura – 1944)



The Weekly RoundUp

TITLEAmazonBestBuyCrcCityTargetCostcoDigEyes**Alfie (2004)$20.96$19.99$17.99$19.99$19.99$20.95Bad Girls from Mars$10.49$12.99---$9.49Bandwagon SE$18.89$22.99$19.99--$19.98Being Ron Jeremy$10.49$14.99$12.99--$10.98Bells Are Ringing$13.98$14.99$15.99--$13.98Brigadoon$13.98$14.99$15.99--$13.98Call Northside 777$13.48$9.99$12.99--$9.95Classic Musicals Collection$41.94$49.99$49.99--$42.98Dead Birds$22.46$22.99$24.97--$18.95Easter Parade SE$18.89$22.99$19.99$15.99-$19.98End of the Century: Ramones$17.39$11.99$17.99--$12.98Farscape 3 Starburst 3$17.49$15.99$17.99--$15.98Finian’s Rainbow$13.98$14.99$15.99--$13.98A Fond Kiss$25.18$24.99$22.99--$17.98Gospel of John$22.49$24.99$22.99--$20.98High Roller: Stu Unger Story$17.98$14.99$15.99--$19.95Hogan’s Heroes: Season 1$27.29$27.99$24.99-$27.99$28.98**The Incredibles$17.99$15.99$14.99$15.99$19.49$20.95La Femme Nikita: Season 2$69.99$79.99$99.99--$73.95Laura$10.49-$12.99--$9.98Laurel & Hardy: Collection 2$13.99$14.99$17.99--$12.49L’Eclisse (CC)$29.96$34.99$34.99--$28.95Lucky 13$23.38$19.99$19.99--$19.95Miss Congeniality Deluxe Ed.$17.49$19.99$17.99$19.99-$20.99Nascar (IMAX Experience)$13.99$17.99$15.99--$13.98Panic in the Streets$13.48$9.99$12.99--$9.95Starsky & Hutch: Season 3$34.96$37.99$39.99$34.99-$36.95Star Trek: First Contact CE$13.99$14.99$12.99--$13.95Strange Frequency 2$22.49$19.99$19.99--$17.49Sword of Doom (CC)$22.46$24.99$22.99--$20.95Toolbox Murders SE$24.28$24.99$19.99--$16.98What the Bleep Do We Know?$20.99$19.99$24.99$19.99-$21.95Young Torless (CC) $22.46$24.99$22.99--$20.95

DigEyes = DigitalEyes.net This is another one week experiment. Please leave feedback on your thoughts about the inclusion of DigitalEyes in the grid.

(CC) = New Criterion Collection release this week.

Titles included in the Collections listed in the above grid:

Classic Musicals Collection: Brigadoon, Easter Parade, Band Wagon, Bells Are Ringing, Finian’s Rainbow.

Laurel & Hardy Collection 2: Way Out West, Block Heads, Chickens Come Home.

Standard disclaimer: All prices are taken from the websites of each chain, or from their printed advertisements, the Sunday of the week of release (so as to catch any week-of-release sale prices). All prices are subject to change by each chain. Prices and inventory in-store may or may not match the website price. If a price is marked "$_N/A_" in the grid, it means that this title is not shown as available on that chain's website or perhaps in their ads...but it COULD still be in-stores!

$_"LP" means the advertisement says "Low Price", and $_"HP" means the advertisement says "Hot Price". Use of either of these in the Roundup grid indicates that I could not locate a definite price for the item, and the ad is all I have to go on. Retailers use these phrases in advertisements so that they do not violate MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) agreements with the studios. Doing so can cost them thousands or even millions of dollars in co-op advertising funds.

I only include the titles I feel like including (or the ones Dave tells me he's looking for ;o)). In fact, the titles are pretty much the ones I'm personally interested in, with few exceptions. I don't get paid for this, and I don't have time to devote to doing every DVD. So, please don't complain. If there is a title not included in the Roundup that you want to see, just look it up yourself, and be nice enough to post and share the results with everyone...like Dave & I do!

Note that Circuit City does not guarantee their sale prices in Hawaii. Also note that I cannot include Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club prices in the standard Roundup: they set prices at individual stores based on nearby competition, so there is not a way I can say here what price you'll find at YOUR local Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club location. When it comes to Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club prices mentioned at all, just remember that "Your Mileage May Vary".


**BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL! The Incredibles AND Alfie are available in both OAR and MAR versions...get the correct one.

--Amazon is still featuring free shipping on orders over $25. Restrictions apply.

--Best Buy is offering a free lithograph with its copies of The Incredibles. Free 11” by 14” lithograph. Instantly, for Reward Zone Program members exclusively at Best Buy. $24.99 value. Minimum 100 per store. No rainchecks. In-store only. Limit one lithograph per household. Not good in conjunction with any other coupons or offers. Valid only at best Buy stores in the USA. Valid on in-stock items only. No dealers. Offer valid 3/15 through 3/26/05.

--Best Buy is also offering TRIPLE Reward Zones points with the purchase of Alfie. Offer valid 3/13 through 3/19/05

--Included in many copies, it seems, of Miss Congeniality Deluxe Edition is a bonus on-pack movie ticket to Miss Congeniality 2 (up to $12 value) in theaters Thursday, March 24. The bonus movie ticket is in the flyers for BB, CC & K-Mart. At Best Buy, minimum 8 per store. No rainchecks.

--Circuit City is offering a FREE “The Incredibles” kid-size basketball with the purchase of The Incredibles on DVD. In-store only. While supplies last. Minimum 30 per store.

--The marketing geniuses at Target knocked heads and came up with quite a promotional tie-in this week. Buy the DVD of The Incredibles at Target and get a FREE four-pack (16.9 ounce) Market Pantry sparkling water! Coupon on DVD. Quantity limited. No rain checks. I advise everyone who’s interested to be at their local Target when it opens Tuesday or you know you’re gonna miss out.

--K-Mart is offering with the purchase of The Incredibles DVD at their store (no price listed) a FREE one Oral-B Stages toothbrush (up to ($2.99) instantly. Another marketing break-through, but while its hard-to-tell from the small photo in the flyer, I believe the toothbrushes may have characters from The Incredibles on them. Offer expires March 19, 2005. USA only. Void where prohibited. See coupon for complete details. While supplies last.

--Coconuts has one of its usual useless (in terms of new releases) flyers out this Sunday. The only two new releases listed are The Incredibles and Alfie. No price is listed for either…although they do promote their FREE T-shirt with the purchase of The Incredibles. While supplies last! Coconuts DOES advertise NEW DVD RELEASES $15.99 each with the purchase of any regular price DVD $9.99 and up. On sale 3/13 through 3/16/05.Select titles. Sale items excluded. But, they do NOT tell you what the “select titles” are.

--Sears is also listing The Incredibles in its weekly flyer (Low Price). They are giving away with its purchase a FREE The Incredibles FM radio (a $9.99 value). Limit one per customer. 50 per store. Offer good through 3/26/05. While quantities last. See store for details.

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DigitalEyes.net is our guest on-line source in this week’s RoundUp. For the past few weeks, I’ve been asking, to anyone who reads the RoundUp, the following question:

If YOU were putting together the Weekly RoundUp...what sources would you find most useful in determining your DVD-buying patterns?

If you’ve missed ‘em, there’s been a fair amount of discussion in the last couple weeks’ RoundUps if you’d like to go back and see what’s already been discussed.

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And now a word from our sponsor….

If anyone who reads the RoundUp is not aware of this, running the HTF is not free for Parker and Ron. That is why there is advertising throughout the forum and there has been the occasional membership fund drive. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you folks of all the reasons we benefit from keeping the USS HTF afloat. But, you might not be aware…THERE IS AN EASY WAY FOR YOU TO HELP!

According to Ron & Parker, many members enter the HTF through the index page or by clicking their own shortcut directly into a favorite forum. If members would simply link to the Portal Page when they start their visit to the HTF, that act alone would bring revenue to the forum. While it would also be nice if you wanted to click on some of the advertisers’ links and check out their deals and sales (that form of “window shopping” would bring even more revenue to the forum), the simple act of landing on the portal page registers a “hit” or “impression” that creates revenue for the HTF.

I was unaware of this until recently and have since changed my desktop shortcuts on the different computers I use to link to the Portal Page. I bet doing that over the past week or so has resulted in several dozen more “hits” from me alone. And, I thought I would pass along my newly-gained knowledge to anyone else who might not know the score.

So, if you want to help out, its easy…and will help keep the HTF in business.

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The latest markdowns according to DavisDVD:

EFFECTIVE: March 15, 2005 (Studio/Titles/New SRP)

None to report this week.

Circuit City on sale DVD items:

$17.99 each:
Ray
Shark Tale

$14.99:
Finding Nemo

$11.99 each:
Shrek 2
Mary Poppins
Monsters, Inc.
A Bug's Life

2 for $10:
Double Jeopardy
Kiss the Girls
Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker
Juice
The American President
Lethal Weapon 4
Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil
Enemy at the Gates
Fatal Attraction
You've Got Mail
Before Sunrise
Little Nicky
House Party
Tin Cup
Death to Smoochy
The Peacemaker
...And Justice For All
Harlem Nights
Lethal Weapon
The Score

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Best Buy on sale DVD items:

$15.99:
Shark's Tale

$14.99:
Shrek 2

$12.99 each:
A Bug's Life
Monsters, Inc
Finding Nemo

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Target on sale DVD items:

$39.99:
I Love Lucy season 3

$29.99:
Golden Girls season 1

$27.99 each:
Macgyver season 1
Fresh Prince season 1
The Brady Bunch season 1
Wonder Woman season 2
Dukes of Hazzard season 2

$10 each:
The Cat in the Hat
Groundhog Day
Dazed & Confused
Saving Private Ryan
Thirteen
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
X-Men 1.5

Don't waste any time!

Incredibles for me, not much else interesting....

incredibles, with a basketball or a litho or a radio or a toothbrush or a four-pack (16.9 ounce) Market Pantry sparkling water?
oh and first contact.
oh and laura.

Just The Incredibles and Laura for me this week. Both great movies!

I'll be getting the Incredibles and Mary Poppins.I'll also use the $3 off coupon for Bambi to pick a copy for my sister up at Toys R' Us which I think is supposed to $15.99 this week.

Thanks a lot Mike and Patrick

Thanks Mike. Another huge week!

The Incredibles
Easter Parade
Laura
Hogan's Heroes
Star Trek: First Contact
Miss Congeniality

although those last two are dependent on verifying improved picture quality over the previous releases.

This was also rumored to be the release date for Star Trek: The Animated Series, but obviously that didn't come to pass. :frowning:

Mike, thanks for listing Digital Eyes this week. It's nice to know someone listens to me. Sometimes I feel like I'm typing to myself here.

Just Incredibles this week, which is good because the next couple weeks are going to be big for me.

Can anyone confirm the $15.99 Toys R Us price on Bambi? (That'd be $12.99 with the coupon from the Incredibles, right?) Assuming my tax refund comes in this week, I'll be getting:

The Incredibles
Mary Poppins
Bambi
Star Trek: First Contact SE

Hopefully I'll be able to grab the CC and TRU ads and just get everything PM'd at Best Buy so I can get that lithograph.

Thanks Mike for your hard work every week! (even if I've been too poor the last few months to really take advantage of it )

Well I will be getting the Incrediables...since that pretty much the only new title that intresting. Of course I go and buy Mary Poppins SE for twenty two weeks ago and it on sale this week for ten.

Have a good day Mike, and please avoid any talking grasshoppers who sound like John Doe from Se7en (sorry for the bad Pixar joke).

I'll pick up The Incredibles as a blind buy (I think I am the only person in America who has not seen it!), and possibly Laura, depending on my spending mood at the time.

Nope! Haven't seen a TRU flyer this week. Anyone else who CAN?!

I basically either like films (enough to buy and rewatch), or don't like films (enough to ever see again). Miss Congeniality is certainly not on my top 200 film list, but it's good enough to rewatch, and any film I'm going to buy and rewatch is worth an upgrade for improved picture quality. This is my hobby, and dvds are cheap enough that I'm certainly willing to rebuy any dvd I like well enough to own in the first place if there's an improved version (defined by me as either deleted scenes, extended cut, or improved picture quality). Then again, there are thousands of dvds that I wouldn't buy for 1 cent even if the dvds were the greatest quality ever.

I know your feelings on PQ...my question was about the film itself. I didn't think it had gotten good reviews....and I haven't seen it. Maybe now with the george kaplan seal of approval I'll give it a go sometime when my own "to watch" list gets a little shorter!

AND, I now have my TRU flyer! They have NO PRICE listed next to The Incredibles in their ad. But, they DO say "SAVE $4". I think most of their Disney titles are $19.99 at TRU, but I can't be sure. Bambi is also pictured in the ad and IS listed at $19.99

Ugh...

Incredibles
Farscape
First Contact

And a Price Match on Mary Poppins. Bought mine for $13.99 last week at Wal Mart. Now it's on sale for $11.99.

Thanks Mike. Great job as usual.

The Fox Noirs will find their way into my house.

Classic Musicals are under strong consideration. I am not a fan of musicals, but WB product is first rate and I support them whenever I am able.

I will NOT be buying Laurel & Hardy Volume 2 despite the fact I am a huge L&H fan. Per Michael Elliott's review, Hallmark has put out yet another shoddy DVD. Supporting R1 releases of L&H is one thing, throwing money down the drain is another.

Steve

I agree, Mike. The benefit of your list each week is it saves us from (A). buying the paper or (B). driving around like mad fools on Tuesdays. I can just as easy hit the link in My Favorites to dvdpricesearch if I think anything is too high in the B&M's (which seems to be rare on new releases anymore, once you figure in shipping).

Anyway, what I thought was going to be a small week turned into a large one:

Incredibles
Laura
ST: First Contact (cheaper than I thought)
Sword of Doom (ditto, and there's been some good reviews on it, so it's a blind buy for me)
Mary Poppins - Or wait three more weeks and they'll pay me to get it!

I am buying the Incredibles this week...I am also buying the Incredibles not once, not twice, not three times, but 4.

1 for myself, then 2 more because I owe some friends of mine some money and that's how they want to be repaid...the last copy is going to be sent to my girlfriend.

Thanks for the roundup Mike and Patrick.

Just the Incredibles & Hogans Heroes for me.

Mike,

Regarding the round-up, I agree that the original might be the best. I can only speak for myself, but not having Laser's Edge on this week (one of the sites I use) is no problem, I just look it up myself. And adding Digital Eyes is fine, but I have no intention of using them, so it doesn't matter to me.

Regarding Miss Congeniality, it's a comedy that I found pleasant and funny. Nothing earthshattering, but there are lots of modern comedies that I find neither pleasant nor funny, so when I do find a modern comedy I like, I certainly buy it.