Are there any rare DVDs? (1 Viewer)

[Larry Geller]

The Golden Age Of Rock & Roll--This 5-disc boxed set (each in its own snapper & then in a cardboard box) was heavily advertised in full page ads back in 1999 when it was supposed to come out, but it was pulled on day of release, apparently due to music rights issues. I got mine thru Amazon (which accidentally let a few copies escape), but I have never seen this collection reviewed anywhere, or ever mentioned again since then. It is a 10-part clip compilation (2 parts per DVD) hosted by John Sebastian (who introduces each clip on camera, that I remember seeing on cable a few years previously. Most clips are live, some lip-synched, & most seem to be taken from Beat Club, Monterrey Pop (possibly why it was withdrawn), & American TV appearances. If you're a classic rock or oldies fan this set is absolutely mind-blowing! I'm curious if anyone out there has, or has even SEEN, a copy of this?
Also, I have a copy of Giant & the print quality is kind of fuzzy, but I thought that it withdrawn due to some of the extras not being authorized (like Jane Withers' home movies of James Dean), so I'm holding on to my copy for dear life!

 

[Eric Huffstutler]

Larry Geller said:

I got mine thru Amazon (which accidentally let a
few copies escape)

The same thing happened with the title I mentioned A Star Is Born. Warner ran into a glitch similar to the Matrix fiasco and pulled it the day before street. Unfortunately (fortunate for those who got them) some were shipped early for people to have by street.
Of course the title finally did come out without a hitch about a year later.
This was back in the day when people were more concerned with glitches than P&S. Each year as DVD progresses comes a new set of complaints.
Remember the days when we were satisfied with non-Anamprphic P&S flippers that "may" include a trailer...ohhhh...aahhhh!

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Salo seems to be the current "Holy Grail" for DVD collectors, but Criterion's Robocop and This is Spinal Tap are also quite tough to come by. (TIST much moreso than Robocop, apparently.)
I wonder when CC's Brazil will go OOP?
Also, Universal's Legend: CE is VERY rare. The only people who've seen it work for Universal.

 

[Brad_W]

I'd kill my grandma to own Criterion's Salo on DVD.

 

[Scott W.]

Texas Chainsaw massacre is out-of-print. I cant find it anywhere.

Scott

 

[RicP]

I sold a Criterion Salo for $250...should have waited.
AmI the only one here that owns the alternate ending Little Shop of Horrors and the Original Sculpture - Devil's Advocate? There's got to be more of you out there...
I also have all of the OOP Criterions with the exception of Salo (obviously) and 400 Blows, and The Killer.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

I've got the original Devil's Advocate -- I even found another one back in '99 when the first edition went out of print and my copy developed DVD Rot.

There's a really weird authoring/design glitch on the deleted scenes, which doesn't let you switch between the original soundtrack and the director's commentary, which is all you're allowed to listen to.

 

[Brad Vautrinot]

Companies that are now releasing such films as SALO and 400 BLOWS may have better quality transfers, are inexpensive, and are readily available but they lack the one magic word anywhere on their product - CRITERION. And, this is what makes the originals so sought after by collectors regardless of the film content itself.

As an incorrigible collector of many things I was frustrated early on during the laserdisc days as I couldn't afford to buy every Criterion LD that was issued, especially those in the $100 to $150. price range. With the advent of DVD I resolved to buy the more affordable DVD Criterion releases and felt I could obtain them all. So far, I have. Whenever a new Criterion DVD is released, I jump on it and this has been the key to my having them all. My only regret was SALO. I purchased this in a local B & M store when it was first released for half-price. They had around 15 copies that weren't selling, hence the sale. If I'd only known.

Of course, this won't help anyone starting out collecting DVD's. All I can suggest is that if people see a DVD that are interested in, buy it and don't procrastinate. I have all the AB ltd. ed. tins except HEATHERS (including the two different CANDY tins). Why? I waited too long. Never again.

 

[David Lambert]

Yeah, I have a 1st print of Devil's Advocate...bought it off of eBay. From a lawyer, no less!
Everyone has left off The Alien Legacy, the "bonus" disc that buyers of the Alien DVD box set could mail-in for "while supplies lasted", but was effectively depleted by the time the offer expired at (I think it was) the end of 1998. Or was it '99?
I have a copy of that one, too. A fellow HTFer sent it to me, asking no payment for it. I couldn't cheat the poor fellow, so I alerted him to the value of the item and sent him some money for it (I think it was $50; I don't recall). He was grateful. I enjoyed it, although I wouldn't recommend paying $50 for it, frankly. Including the value of it's rarity, I rate it worth $35 if you're just wanting it to see the behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the first movie. This OUGHT to be a documentary included along with any 5-Star rerelease of Alien, though, so I expect the purchasing will be due to rarity.
Finally, for a possible NEW rare-and-collectible item shipping this coming Tuesday, click here!

 

[Ernesto Santos]

The Live Entertainment Platoon DVD contains an audio commentary by Capt. Dale Dye that I don't believe is present on the MGM version. I think this is what makes it collectable. I cannot verify the contents of the MGM version but I can for the Live issue since I am staring at it right now as I hold it in my lucky hands.

 

[Marque D]

I'm a bit confused, some of you say that certain movies are out of production and some say that they are being pulled. By pulled, do you mean that retailers are asked to literally take them off shelves or are they just supposed to sell out when ever?

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Every so often I find a Criterion Robocop in the bin at FYE and Sam Goody here in Connecticut. Guess it's not exactly "rare" yet in some parts!

 

[paul o'donnell]

As far as I know, Its Salo all the way for most valuable disc.
Rare ones I have are:
Platoon (Live Version) *My First EVER DVD* so I couldn't sell it even when I knew about the MGM disc
Halloween 2-Disc (not that rare now as both discs are available seperately - grrrr Anchor Bay)
Robocop Criterion and SOTL Criterion

 

[rutger_s]

The Live Entertainment Platoon DVD contains an audio commentary by Capt. Dale Dye that I don't believe is present on the MGM version. I think this is what makes it collectable. I cannot verify the contents of the MGM version but I can for the Live issue since I am staring at it right now as I hold it in my lucky hands.

The MGM Special Edition DVD does have this audio commentary. In fact, it has everything from the Pioneer Special Edition laserdisc, including the photos from the coffee table book viewable via DVD menus.

The only thing that differs from the Live version and MGM special edition is that Live's DVD is presented in letterbox widescreen with a "sticker" THX certification.

 

[Andrea W]

Akira SE Tin

 

[alan halvorson]

Thank God for laser disc! I own many of these OOP things, including Criterion's Salo, The Killer, This is Spinal Tap and 400 Blows on LD and, since I don't watch them very often and since there's nothing the dvd has over the LD (in fact, The Killer has a bit more supplementary material than the dvd), I am not compelled to spend the big bucks for the dvds. I have sold all three copies of The Killer dvd I have owned, and spent what I received for just one for the LD versions of the above OOP Criterions, and had money to spare.

 

[dpippel]

AmI the only one here that owns the alternate ending Little Shop of Horrors...

I've got this one, although it's opened and viewed multiple times. At one point I was tempted to eBay it but decided to keep the disc instead.

DP

 

[Michael Taylor]

I don't know how much it's worth, but Anchor Bay only released 15,000 copies of the Night of the Living Dead 30th Anniversary Edition. A number that low certainly seems to make it rare.

According to Criterion, they only had 4 months remaining on their This Is Spinal Tap license when they released it on DVD. They just did it because they thought it would be nice to have it out on DVD. I don't know how many they pressed in 4 months, but I wonder where that places TIST on the rareness scale. Talk about a small window of opportunity!

 

[RicP]

Doug,
I'm the same way...thought about Ebaying LSOH but thought better of it and decided to keep it for me.
As far as Spinal Tap - Criterion goes, that's one of my favorite discs ever, I don't think you could offer me enough $$ for it.
Well, ok you probably could, but it would take a lot...I love this disc.

 

[Doug Pyle]

Ric,

I couldn't sell my Little Shop of Horrors, either. It is one of my most-watched DVDs. I agree with director Oz' commentary on how the film should have ended. At least re-shooting the ending gave him a better performance from James Belushi than the other actor who played the same salesman originally.

Some day that rare DVD will give me a heart attack, though. I gave away the now plentiful version without the original ending. When I look for the alternate ending, it is buried so deep in the menu that I fret I gave away the wrong one! I hate it when that happens.

(Are we gloating?)