The HTF 2003 DVD Challenge (1 Viewer)

[MarkHarrison]

You can count me out for 2003 because I already did it (almost) for 2002! I got laid-off Nov 2, 2001, so not having much money to buy new movies and plenty of free time, I decided to go back and get the most bang for my buck. I still need to watch both Rear Window and Taxi Driver (first time viewing each!!!) and watch the last 6 Babylon 5 episodes and I'm done (not counting any I might get for Christmas). I've watched the movies, listened to all the commentaries and watched (almost) every bonus feature. It would have been everything, but I couldn't work my way through the thousands of pages of text on The Abyss (original treatment, final script and something else). Given a better interface, I would have tried. I even went through all my children's DVDs. Since I still don't have a DVD-ROM, I was able to skip those extras.
For those of you who are in for the challenge for 2003, beware! While I feel I've certainly gotten my money out of my movies now, I can honestly say it sucked some of the fun out of the whole DVD experience. Rather than being excited to be watching a movie, I found myself obsessing over how much 'work' each movie would be. How many commentaries, how long are the features, how much, how many, how long, etc. There were movies I wanted to watch again, but I had 'the list' gnawing at me.
So for 2003, I have my own personal challenge. I plan to watch what I want, when I want, if I want. I'll check out the commentaries. If they're boring, I'll turn them off. If a special feature is putting me to sleep, I'll go to sleep and put the disc away. If I don't want to watch some boring extra, I won't! If I don't want to watch some new movie we picked up for the 5 year old, I won't (although he has some great movies ). Although I don't regret doing it, my new challenge is to simply enjoy the movies and any extras that interest me. After all, that's why I bought them.
I'd love to see monthly progress reports from anyone taking the challenge. And for those still reading, I finally got a new job in May.

 

[Neil White]

Nope, count me out too. Over 500 discs and MANY unwatched so far. But the real reason is work and family. As much as I enjoy movies and HT, the family comes first.

Good luck to those who try.

Happy Holidays.

N

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Count me out!!

Besides the fact that if I accepted the Challenge I wouldn't have any time to work, I'd probably wear my gear out!!

I am, after all, trying to save some of the life of my equipment for those Star Wars Original Trilogy DVDs (If they come out before I'm in my grave, that is!)

 

[streeter]

Sounds interesting, but I'll stick to my original 2003 challenge: Not buying as many DVDs in the first place. I'm at 600 so that's a little too much for me. I don't buy as much as I used to since I started renting on-line.

 

[David Lambert]

It's a good thing you get all your discs free for providing HTF with the wrapup each week. If you're actually going out and buying discs, you're getting jobbed.

Are you being funny? I don't get free discs for doing the Weekly Roundup (wrapup? WRAPUP?!?! What the heck's THAT? :p) ).


I *do* get the occassional free disc for performing reviews for TVShowsOnDVD.com (link in signature), but there are less of those than you might think. I must be getting "jobbed", cuz I pay a heck of a lot for my collection!

That's what might lead me to give up the Roundup sooner or later. But you can read up on that in this week's Roundup thread.

 

[Artur Meinild]

I would love to join the challenge, but I think it will be impossible for me. Altough I only have about 150 DVD's, I'm still too busy with other things to really believe I can make it. I know for sure there will be many days each week I will not be able to watch a single DVD. But I would like to give it a try anyway, see how much I can dig through...

 

[Chad A Wright]

I'm putting my official HTF Challenge Update in my signature.

 

[Joel Vardy]

Not likely for me since there are almost 1200 titles available in my house (similar to some other responses here). These have been collected since the beginning of '98 and this year already saw a marked reduction in new purchases. A better challenge would be to drastically reduce the buying of new titles (to less than 20-30 for instance)and catch up on all the unwatched ones.

From what I can see 2003 will be far less likely to produce 'must have' new titles.

Joel

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Good lord.....
I'll never get finished.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Oh yeah, participants... be sure to reserve a place in this thread to put a list of films you have watched (you can link to your post in your sig).
You guys with 1000 DVDs... maybe you can start another thread with a "five year plan" hehehe

 

[Joe Fisher]

Rob,

Can I use the link to my DVD Aficianado that will state when each title was viewed last. Or would you prefer that I post my results directly here in this thread.

Joe

 

[Rob Lutter]

Joe, either is fine.

 

[John Bryant]

I would take it up, if the extras were eliminated. Any chance on this?

Also, do I have to watch my girlfriend's movies?

 

[Michael Bailey]

Its mathematically impossible for me even under ideal conditions. I figured I have ~1700hrs of free time/year. I currently have 884 titles with not too many TV series. Even if they are only two hours each and I buy no more titles in 2003 (not likely) watching all DVDs again (with some the first time) will optimistically require 1768hrs.

 

[Joe Fisher]

---Statement Deleted---

 

[Zane Charron]

maybe you can start another thread with a "five year plan" hehehe

No doubt

 

[Rain]

This is a fun idea, but if I rewatched all my DVDs plus the extras, I would not have time to watch anything else in 2003.

Considering some of the upcoming 2003 releases, I think I'll have to pass.

 

[Jason Cald****]

I am in i have about 120 or so, and buy most the new big releases each week.

It will make it easier since i am getting seperates and a new svs sub though to rewatch everything.

 

[Joe Fisher]

After stating that I was going to drop out, I took a better look a most of my collection today. Realised that about 35-40% of my collection is mostly bare bones discs will little or no extras. I have about 40 titles(9%) that would or could take more then 4-5 hours to go through.

So I am throwing my hat back into the ring.

Good Luck To Us All

Joe

 

[Dave Moritz]

I am up for the challange as I only have 98 dvd titles so far. Should we also make this more interesting and add laserdisc titles as well ? This is no problem for myself as I do not think I would have more than 40 laserdiscs. But for others that could be interesting
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and have a Happy New Year.