Caveat Emptor - at the video store
Yes, let the buyer beware. Especially when most of the cheap Blu-Rays and DVDs you can find at the local discount store are also available on Netflix and Hulu. (But who am I to talk? I have almost 500 videos in my cabinet, and still like to that that DVD case to have, hold and caress.)
No, the point of this week's State of the Art is to poke a little fun at the packaging of our favorite videos. For example:
Beware of unnecessary adjectives and descriptors.
Is there any part of a movie that isn't described as simply "New" that has old footage? Does it have to be described as "All New" to reassure us they're not sneaking old stuff into the flick? I know this: If the "All New" movie, "Honey 3" has old material, I'm getting a refund. (Unless, of course, it has flashbacks to the Jessica Alba original!)
Moving on to the "Complete" 4-File Collection of "The Hunger Games": What exactly would constitute an "Incomplete" set? One or more movies missing? Or maybe all four movies, but only portions of each? At any rate, thank goodness this is described as "Complete" (because if one minute of Jennifer Lawrence is missing, they'll be hearing from me)!
Examine closely those TV series box sets.
Conversely, the adjective "Complete" is very important when it comes to TV series season box sets. If you want the "complete" first season of "Supergirl," no worries. You can rest assured you'll get all 20 episodes.
However, "Doctor Who" fans, take note: You'll need to purchase two sets to get a complete collection of all Season Nine episodes. (Or, as described in England, all "Series Nine" episodes. If a "season" is a "series" in England, what do you call the entire series over there? The topic for another blog posting perhaps...)
Direct-to-Video can be daunting.
Don't be fooled by these clever re-packagings of direct-to-video sequels/prequels. These aren't the classic Disney films of yesteryear. They're actually hastily animated and produced double features, designed to round out ill-conceived and unnecessary trilogies. Of course, when it comes to quieting down the kids to give frazzled parents a break from household mayhem, these videos can't be beat!
Enjoy those store exclusives ... for a price.
"Captain America: Civil War" is a big video release this month. Another recent development is the "store exclusives: features on the video you can get only by buying the store version.
In this case, for a five measly bucks more, you can get all the Target features (which, like all the other features, you'll watch only once, if at all). Save the fiver, and buy the regular version on the right. (I picked it up myself, and still would have even if it was available on Netflix and Hulu. Spider-Man is awesome in this movie!)
Only five bucks?
Speaking of five bucks: If a video costs only five bucks, and many are available on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc., is it worth buying? Short answer: Hell, yeah!
If you have a collector's mentality like me, there's no better way of adding to your extensive video collection and impressing your friends! Wan-Mart and Target have good selections, but for the best, logon to Amazon.com. (Where, by the way, you can buy Anticipation for only $3.99. Sorry, had to get a plug in here somewhere!)
And finally: Watch out for blatant false advertising!
This is especially disappointing, since this was a wholesome, uplifting show from my youth. Notice how the box set on the right is billed as "The Ninth and Final Season." Well, gang, with this season, the show was renamed "Little House: A New Beginning." But who would buy a DVD called that? Even at fifteen bucks.
Hey, just sayin'!
