20 most worthless pieces of junk: #12 -- bargain DVDs
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Shopping
Let's face it: An outstanding film DVD can't hold a candle to an outstanding album. When you own a favorite piece of music, you may not tire of it after thousands of listens, whereas even the best films on DVD lose their sheen after maybe six plays. That is, unless you're trying to memorize every splinter of dialogue from "The Big Lebowski."This is why bargain DVDs, even if you pay just a dollar for them, represent nothing more than stealth, dust-gathering clutter slabs. Almost always, the novelty of seeing Sarah Jessica Parker or Brad Pitt in their first motion picture roles wears off after five minutes-and that's if you've landed a title with at least some curiosity factor.
As the Chicago Tribune's DVD critic for two years, I saw all manner of budget dreck cross my desk. That included everything from 1940s "lost classic" movies (usually, these were lost in 1942 because no one bothered to look them up again) to repackaged B movies with "bonus features." These usually amounted to nothing more than the trailer and a still photo gallery with lame-o captions.
To borrow a cliché from the compact disc world, budget DVDs can make sense if repurposed as drink coasters or Frisbees, but that's about it. When cleaning the basement, you must promise yourself, if you spot one, not to give in to the siren cries of the Great Hoarding God. Box them up, take them to a local thrift store ... and don't even hang them from you car rear view, lest the cop that pulls you over begins to wonder about your bad taste as well as your traffic violation.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-09-2009 @ 7:51AM
Cliff Corson said...
there are often times when "bargin" dvd's can be found of older movies or TV shows that wouldn't normally be found elsewhere.
Also some "bargin" dvd's are of movies that have been out for quite a while and no longer have to make money for a particular company but are still popular.
If I were looking to add an older movie to my collection would I want to pay $20 to add it or if I fild it for $5?
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7-09-2009 @ 9:04AM
TurnOfftheBoobTube said...
Run-of-the-mill budget DVD productions are usually of movies and programs that are in the Public Domain (copyright expired). The production quality is very poor (the source materials from aging or badly worn film stock and no one is going to bother with digital and audio restoration). Sometimes two versions exist, an example being, a couple of lousy budget versions of the musical "'Till the Clouds Roll By" with blurred color, cut scenes, and muggy sound, while the MGM/UA version, complete, uncut and restored with bonus features is the version to have but will be twice the price of the budget version. I'm still waiting for Criterion or some other enterprising group to rescue Sophia Loren's Oscar-Winning performance in "Two Women" from the horrible budget DVD versions that exist today.
Still, for the film community, some of these titles, budget DVD production notwithstanding, are invaluable - it could be some less than four-star B movie gem that has a cult-following. I think it goes back to that adage, one man's trash is another man's tresaure.
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7-13-2009 @ 4:58PM
orange said...
This list is awful for the most part I could argue that budget DVD's are one of the best investments in a bad economy where you may need to stay home and watch flicks, or invite friends over to watch. So - if you get rid of your DVD collection and say .... go to the movie theater and spend 14.95 then go out to eat for 24.95 which is the better deal? Many items on the list here are exactly what very frugal folk DO NEED in a bad economy. EG maybe an ab-roller with some dumbells someone could use instead of paying for a health club. An Iron is exactly what a frugal person needs to make dress clothes look good for interviews instead of paying for the dry cleaners.
Awful - AWFUL list.
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7-13-2009 @ 8:41PM
porsche said...
A dollar DVD is junk? Come on, now. It costs five bucks to rent one from Blockbuster. Even if you watch it once and throw it away, it's still a bargain. Then again, they're free at the library.
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7-15-2009 @ 12:24PM
Dototy said...
Start your own DVD rental. Lots of classics available. No cable, use these as a substitute.
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7-17-2009 @ 8:51PM
Sharyn said...
I LOVE cheap DVDs. I score "Mysterious Island" for $5. My 9 years old son was amazed at the special effects for 1950-something. The movie gets a few plays a month. The writer who made the comment about watching a DVD or blowing like $40 for a night out at the movies was RIGHT ON! When you get tired of watching those DVDs, give it a second life....donate it to your local public library or your local school (Classic movies, BBC specials, A&E compilations). Or swap with friends (a friend from church gave us over 60 DVDs). MANY people will get to enjoy them and in this economy, we need all the free and cheap entertainment we can get.
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7-15-2009 @ 4:07PM
PointSpecial said...
Depends how much you deem as being "bargain." I got Office Space from Target a few months ago for $5. That movie is quoted weekly, if not more frequently in my own office space and also at home. I would have paid more for it eventually... I just got it at a great price.
If a $1 bargain DVD is junk, then what about a regular DVD for $15 or $20? They're the same length, generally, and even if the expensive one is a hot item, does it have 20x the value?
I mean, you could rent the DVD at a Redbox for a buck just the same... really calls into question the whole idea of buying DVDs at all!
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7-16-2009 @ 2:46PM
Daniel said...
Love this series, Lou. Keep it up.
The CT should've kept you, in my mind.
Drop me a line.
@dan360man
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7-22-2009 @ 6:34PM
BlanceD said...
I gotta agree with Lou.
The $1 or $5 DVD is only a bargain if you watch the movie. How many times, honestly, does anyone (over the age of 18) watch a DVD before tiring of it? And once you get tired of it, what do you do with it? You store, clean and move the DVD, expending valuable time, energy and storage space on what was most likely an impulse, bargain buy.
Try streaming video. It streamlines your life, your shelves and leaves your wallet intact.
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