My husband and I are DVD enthusiasts nuts. Between us we have approaching 1,500 DVDs. My husband has more than me, but I’m not doing too badly considering I got into them when I came to Canada five years ago. In fact I got into them when I met him. Our collection includes TV shows as well as films (movies), however altogether we have more than most small DVD stores.
I used quite a few of mine in my popular post – Calling All Movie Buffs. We hardly watch any TV – Poker, baseball and some American football, the Footie is about it. If we like a show, we simply wait for it to be released on DVD. Then we can watch it without advert interruptions or waiting a week for the next episode and risking missing one. Of course, we’re always behind in TV show times, but it never matters. It’s perfect.
Recall the first addictive series of 24? When the world was introduced to Jack Bauer, terrorist-seeker-and-destoyer? We were addicted. We watched the entire series on DVD in about 10 days. Then we lent it to our neighbours. They watched it in seven days. We were impressed.
I love going to the cinema – I love the atmosphere – and some films are just made for the big screen. Even if you are going to get the DVD you need to see them on the big screen first. The Lord of The Rings Trilogy is just one example, Spiderman, I and II. Spiderman I we watched on IMAX, which of course was amazing. Pretty sure you can think of many many more.
But with DVDs, we have complete control. We can pause it whenever we want to, go back watch/discuss a particular scene (useful for spotting goofs or bad cuts) and enjoy the experience at our leisure. This has really helped my film watching experience. Of course, it helps being married to a man who has very catholic movie tastes and a mind like a steel trap for trivia… though he doesn’t watch slasher films, horror films and doesn’t like obnoxiously arty films.
And of course, being childfree means we can pretty watch films whenever we want. This evening we watched LA Confidential, which we haven’t seen in a while. Great performances by Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce.
We look forward to new DVD releases that we have on our wish-lists and, while Christmas is an excuse to buy them for each other, we usually just buy them and save them for later. One Christmas one of my presents was a complete box set of Alfred Hitchcock films – of which the 39 Steps, I Confess, North By North West, and Rear Window are still some of my all time favourites.
I thought I’d list the DVD’s that are on our current wish-lists and which will soon be swelling our collection and keeping us busy during the winter months. Yes there are some collectors items here, but hey, got to have the set! Enjoy – and if you’ve seen any of them (shows or films/movies) love ‘em or hate ‘em, you’re welcome to leave a comment.
- Miami Vice (2006)
- Star Wars – The Original Trilogy – Episodes IV through VI
- CSI Season 6
- Saturday Night Live Season 1 (unlike many in North America I didn’t grow up on this show)
- Columbo Season 6&7
- Midsommer Murders
- Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol 4
- A Touch of Frost 9&10 and 11&12
- The Sopranos Season 6 Part 1
- King Kong Deluxe Extended Edition
- Alias Season 5
- 24 Season 5
- M15 Volume 5 (aka Spooks in the UK)
- The Simpsons Season 9
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
The first two seasons of 24 I watched over the air, but for the last three seasons I disciplined myself into downloading all 24 eps and then watching all 18 hours back to back on weekends. Season 5 was good but seemed to drag in the middle a bit.
Do you have the Star Wras Original Original Trilogy? My Star Wars collection now consists of the OOT editions on PAL and NTSC DVD, the 2005 remasters on DVD, the 1997 remasters on NTSC LaserDisc and the original definitive THX LaserDisc box set. I also still have the early 1990s remasters on PAL VHS.
I only have two TV shows on DVD. The fantastic Bbuffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Batman Begins in IMAX was awesome. Superman Returns too though the action was so fast in places it was hard to keep up with Supes on the huge screen.
DVDs arriving soon in my mailbox, incidentally from DVDBoxOFfice in Canada, are Superman Returns Special Edition and Superman II – The Richard Donner Cut. Really looking forward to Superman II -RDC. I’m curious to see if Donner has aligned the ending to fit in better with Superman Returns.
I’m so jealous of the both you britgirl and mosh *sigh* beloved isn’t into vids – yet.
@Mosh. We don’t have the Original Original Star Wars Trilogy. We have the SE DVD box and the Original THX Widescreen Laserdisc Set. And we’ll be getting the Original WS DVD.
We also have Superman I&II but the original DVD’s. We’d like to get the RDC of Superman II as well, but that might be a little later. Talking about Star Wars has got me wanting to watch it. So… Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope SE (i.e. Han doesn’t shoot first version) is going to be our film choice for tonight
P.S – Mosh… going to watch Casino Royale next week
@TT – Whaatt? You’ve got to do something about that, lol. If you lived nearer… I’d invite you over for a movie night
I thought we had a good DVD selection but it seems we have a way to go to catch up with you! I agree with the comment about needing to see certain films in the cinema first. I’m a Lord of the Rings nut and was drooling at the prospect of the movies. I had to buy the basic DVD as each came out and then I bought the extended editions as well.
2. We have Episodes I, II, III, IV, V, VI, Making of, Attack of the Clones … hehe. We got to see Episode III in London’s Leicester Square Odeon. It was full of Star Wars fans. The whole theatre cheered when the music started and then complete silence for the rest of the film … bliss!
5. Columbo – The best detective ever! ;o)
6. Barnaby – A close second.
Yeah I also agree, some movies have to been enjoyed in a big theatre with an appreciating crowd. I made a special effort to see Episode I at Mann’s Chinese, kind of like a pilgrimage
I remember seeing Jurassic Park at the Empire Leicester Square. Several kids were giggling during the scene just before the T-Rex makes its appearance, then… thump! and the whole cinema went quiet. Awesome. My other favorite “thump” momemt was during T2, I watched the version with CDS (pre DObly Digital/DTS digital audio) sound in Odeon Leicester Square.
@Rhea – yes, the LOTR was amazing. I had only read the Hobbit, but my husband knew the Trilogy extremely well and we did exactly that when each of the DVd’s came out… As for Star Wars… Fantastic!
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@Mosh – Agree, when I’m watching a film in the cinema, I find an appreciative crowd really makes all the difference especially when they’ve been waiting for ages for the film to come out. The Lord of the Rings had that kind of atmosphere as well. Many had been waiting eagerly for the release of the films – and I think Peter Jackson did an amazing job – right Rhea? I still don’t know how he managed to capture the books so well…
Update I just re-read your comment – 18 hours back-to back??! Did you sleep?
I am impressed.
I’m becoming a DVD enthusiast as well. I’m waiting for the box set of “Get Smart” to be delivered to me. I have every episode of “Sanford and Son”, and two more seasons to buy of “Good Times”. Recently, I brought the movie Rocky (because every boxer should have that film in their collection — smile). Every time I go into a DVD store I see something else I just have to have.
@Hillari – “Get Smart” is on our wish-list as well! I hear they are releasing the whole run. Do you have “Raging Bull?” I have a lot of DeNiro’s films, and I have “Raging Bull” – which is arguably his most intense performance – and very highly rated. I look forward to deciding for myself when I finally get around to watching it.
Definitely! Peter Jackson did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the books. As any hardcore fan will say, there were bits that they wished were included but there is a heck of a lot of material to choose from. His casting was inspired and I believe that he must have peeked inside my head for the set designs as they were exactly as I had imagined when reading the book.