Movie Enthusiast: The true cost (aka how much have you paid?) (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Let me try GOLDFINGER:

VHS
VHS letterbox (part of a boxed set of Bond titles)
letterboxed laserdisc (Connery Collection I)
DVD (snapper case)
DVD Special Edition
DVD Ultimate Edition

Naturally I will have the BD when it becomes available.

 

[ErichH]

Good subject, and yes The studio holy grail is not first weekend these days.

A title like Blade Runner

Theater 2 times
Tape rental ? times
Sat Rental - probably
Flipper DC
2006 Remaster
5 Disk BD

OK, I'm lite compared to the guys who purchased tape copies, LD, import.

What's funny is when the studio makes a release of a title and announces the future SE, Ultra, whatever right along with the basic and it sells through the roof in spite of the coming 2nd gen. LOTR ring a bell?

We bite, they love it.

 

[Ric Easton]

Hey if you're gonna list theater viewings then Star Wars passes the 10 mark before I ever got it on video!

 

[Jeff_HR]

This is a hardcore renter's question. If they watch a film more than once or twice, it is a Landmark event!

I too have purchased a number of titles in all if not most of the Formats. And I will watch my favorite films DOZENS if not HUNDREDS of times, because it gives me pleasure & because I don't CARE what other people think about HOW MANY times I watch a film.

 

[Viper]

It's expensive to be sure. Video games, computers, and movies have always been my thing though. I'll never understand people that collect unusable, pointless stuff like stamps, beanies, or baseball cards. I spend my money on things I can actually use, even if I only watch them once or twice.

T2 and Rambo would probably be the titles I've bought the most times, but I'm not even close to the expense someone else listed. One thing that's kind of sickening though is when you pickup an old title on DVD then see a BD release announcement for it. :frowning:

Around June '06, I still had nearly 1200 tapes and a couple hundred DVDs. I've upgraded over 700 to DVD, dumped 150 or so, and I've got just over 300 left. I intend to upgrade those to DVD/BD if available, only keeping the tapes that never got DVD release. I figure there'll be 25 or so left. :frowning:

 

[Brian-W]

Amen.

 

[Keith Paynter]

You're not really a hardcore collector unless you date yourself back to include 8mm/S8 or even 16mm home prints! I spent countless years in my youth watching 8mm Blackhawks of Laurel and Hardy shorts and features, and even Castle/Universal digest prints of Abbott & Costello & Marx Bros. films, and even Fox's digest print of Star Wars, long before it became available on home video.

I have 8 - count 'em, 8 - versions of my all time favorite public domain film, Lon Chaney's original Phantom Of The Opera in my collection:

1 - VHS (silent, all b&w)
1 - Laserdisc (Image/Blackhawk 1929/1925 double disc)
1 - DVD (Image special edition - slowed down, saturated tinting)
1 - DVD (2-disc Photoplay SE w/Scott MacQueen commentary)
1 - DVD (Griggs-Moviedrome release/Lee Erwin organ score/color BM)
1 - S8 sound Griggs-Moviedrome print, as above
1 - 16mm sound Griggs-Moviedrome print, as above
1 - 16mm sound Blackhawk print/Gaylord Carter score/color BM (as per LD)

I've also got a direct 16mm to camcorder/VHS copy of the complete B&W Griggs-Moviedrome version w/Erwin score, and have created a hybrid on DVD using the better visual quality of the Image/Blackhawk LD and the GM/Lee Erwin score to get a better version of this film (both are projected at 24fps, and all professional release DVDs deviate from this speed). Erwin's score is my preferred version, miles ahead of Carter's.

So make that TEN. But it's not complete until I get a 16mm copy of the original 1925 show-at-home print.

Hence the Avatar.

Obsessive? Let's talk...

 

[Brian-W]

That's impressive. I'd be lying if I didn't say I didn't give serious consideration to acquiring Little Rascals/Our Gang film prints and pay for my own transfers.