Ladies? Love Steelbooks?

[digitalbabe]

Hi All,

I originally started a discussion in the Steelbook Junkies Social Group, but per the suggestion of another member am adding a thread here.

So, I occasionally am jokingly reminded that "we" SB Chicks are in the minority. As a 15+ year member of the distribution industry, avid movie fan/collector I find this type of chat interesting. So, I thought I'd start this discussion as a way to connect online with other female collectors.

About Me: Early 30's, committed relationship, 70+ BD Steelbooks, live in USA, movie nut.

How about you? Why do you love Steels? What got you into them, and what are your favorites? How many do you have, yadda yadda?

And yes, if you're a dude, feel free to stop by too-we won't make you watch the Spanish Steelbook of "Twilight" until your eyes bleed. If "Wreck" is around, he'll catch my joke

[mikeyt912]

Well i'm not a lady but i do LOOOOOVE Steelbooks!!

[benzgrl]

Hey digitalbabe! Boy, am I glad I caught you and you started this thread! You have no idea how I've been trying to connect with other gals on this site. Everytime I try to start a thread trying to connect w/ other girls, the thread gets closed. I was actually thinking of starting a new social group for the women of Blu-ray.com since there are so few of us and frankly I'm tired of the enormous amount of sexist comments on this site... Ok, yeah, that's another topic.

I do love Steelbooks although I'm not a die-hard collector, I only have a handful, usually only buy ones of movies I really like. I got interested in Steels thanks to this site! Why else? Lol!

Yeah, I really do love this site and appreciate the people keeping it up. I'm a movie nut too! In NYC!

I was going to post in your Steelbook Social Group thread as I am a little shy, but what the heck! We need more chicks on this site seriously!

[digitalbabe]

@Mike-LOL

@Benzgrl-thanks for stopping by! Feel free to share some details about your collection and why you collect

[MaCruz]

I'll let LeAnn know about this thread

[kaliraver]

Well, I love the ladies and SteelBooks, woot woot It wouldn't hurt to have more female friends on here

[digitalbabe]

LOL-you guys are too much. MaCruz-just saw your HT Gallery pics today (I think)-I was in the "Steelbook Display" thread I too am on the hunt on how to get the ever growing Steel collection under control.

[Wreck]

But digibabe ... I sooooo want to watch a Twilight steel!!!! Or perhaps Sex In The City?

[tilallr1]

Oops, read the survey and clicked. Didn't read your post. So you can scratch 1 from the 0-10 Steelie section. Sorry.

[digitalbabe]

@Wreck-haha! Yeah yeah yeah, I don't own S&C, but I hear that brunette is cute

@Til-no worries

[MaCruz]

Originally Posted by digitalbabe

LOL-you guys are too much. MaCruz-just saw your HT Gallery pics today (I think)-I was in the "Steelbook Display" thread I too am on the hunt on how to get the ever growing Steel collection under control.

I haven't bought any for a few weeks... Well wait I'm getting Casino Royale today in the mail.

But that's it until they have Avatar or something like that.

[MacLover]

Originally Posted by Wreck

Or perhaps Sex In The City?

Sex and the City.

Not a lady but I do love steels as well, shame there aren't more online although I can see why they aren't.

[Thwip]

Originally Posted by benzgrl

...frankly I'm tired of the enormous amount of sexist comments on this site...

In the few years I have been visiting this site, and in the brief months that I have begun commenting...I have never really noted any "sexist comments". Especially here in the Steelbook thread. I hope your experience changes as you (like I), begin to post more often.

PS - I'm a guy

[benzgrl]

Originally Posted by Thwip

In the few years I have been visiting this site, and in the brief months that I have begun commenting...I have never really noted any "sexist comments". Especially here in the Steelbook thread. I hope your experience changes as you (like I), begin to post more often.

PS - I'm a guy

No, not on the Steel boards , but I've seen quiet a number (I've been on here a year) and I'm not talking about the "Women We Love" threads which are great and more appreciation threads, but mostly in the Discussion boards. Stuff like "women are like this or like that..." or "do this or that to her" or "they can't or aren't blah, blah, blah..." or body part talk, etc.

No biggie, I've never had to report anything that really got out of hand that eventually didn't get taken care of by the Mods. It's just a disparity of proportion of number of women on here compared to men; if more women were on here it'd balance the discussions more and I think not be as easy for certain things to be said.

Just my two cents, but back to the topic! I really want more "chick flicks" on Steel!

[Uniquely]

I'm a lady. 40ish. Been with my partner Tami for ten years on the 20th of this month.

I have one steel book. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre on DVD. Found it at Best Buy in the $5 bin and picked it up because it is one of Tami's all time favorite movies. Oh and I have one video game, Pefect Dark Zero. I think steel books are nice, but I have no intertest in collecting them.

I do see a lot of the typical locker room macho talk; women can't drive type crapola, but it doesn't usually bother me unless they are malicious about it.

[OpFeRmEtZgER]

I´m a dude and yea i love steelbooks!
Got 48 atm.
Not in the collection are Harry Potter movies which i despise...
&also no Bond movies.

[digitalbabe]

Hi All,

Here are my $3, $6 or $10 (not .02 for sure!)-get a bowl of popcorn and your Universal Remote, it's a long one....

Texas Chainsaw Massacre-I love it! I don't collect SD or Game Steels, and am not generally a Horror fan (except old school stuff) and some Psychological Thriller flicks. My mom whom I unfortunately lost over the last 2years, and was very close to, LOVED gore and splatter (again, defying the odds there-which may be where I got it from), so no doubt, she would have loved that. The original TCM was one of her favorites, along with The Gruesome Twosome, Suspiria, and more recently Wrong Turn, Hills Have Eyes, etc etc. Others I am forgetting, but for her, though, the more disgusting, the better!

Personally I'd love to see a Rosemary's Baby, Burnt Offerings and a set of Alien Steelbooks (as I made no secret of on the Futureshop Forum;0), as well as others, of course. I would have liked to have seen a decent transfer of Silence of the Lambs (sorry it stunk, IMO)and Steelbook, as well as Shawshank Redemption, Heat, Manhunter, LOTR(hopefully Germany's do NOT end up being Ironpacks or Star Metal Paks-bah!).

Regarding the sexist issue with regards to women and HT, Electronics, Movies, etc-this has been studied and turned upside down over the years and is much more complex and imo not linear.

From my own experience, I think there 'generally' is an assumption by both sexes, that women are not interested in movies and home theater/electronics, as much as guys are (fortunately, nonsense, as the studios have found out and are asking for feedback from us). As more women have become more confident over the years in speaking up about this, there is evidence to suggest the contrary.

And conversely, women are 'generally' not comfortable asking questions or stating opinions on these topics, because they are trying to outrun this stereotype, if they truly are into these two things, or don't want anyone to come at them with the "Need some help little lady" (Seriously, who wants that-it's 2010, not 1910, LOL). Sometimes I end up helping the sales staff

I also think generally guys are more outspoken when it comes to most topics as in most cultures they are expected to be more aggressive and domineering. So when a woman speaks up, it can-for some-appear atypical. But I don't care about any of that nonsense-if you're knowledgeable, or have a question, feel free to speak up-not a single person has every answer, but we may have some interesting discussions in here.

If you click on my own collection for instance, you'll see a lot of different movies (and it is a joint collection, so it's VERY varied). My tastes in films/shows is ecclectic and I'm happy to discuss romance, sex, thrillers, action flicks, "guilty pleasures", "end of the world flicks", or whatever else (I don't like to assume people of any sex are 'speaking down to me' unless they actually are).

Yes I have Twilight (WRECK;p), but truthfully the film does not appeal to me for its stellar acting (obviously), but more for the general timeless romance and protection of the two central characters of each other. I really don't care what sex they are. It could be two Dudes or two Chicks, and I'd find it as romantic because of their commitment to each other. And the Vampire theme is sexy to me, as it is to my partner-and well Kristen Stewart is kind of cute in an odd way True Blood BD was a gift to my partner who loves vamps, and I absolutely loved it. Jason Stackhouse is THE MAN for his assumed sexual prowess, which is just funny!;P And well..."Dawn" who they sadly killed off, was nothing to caugh at, either:P

And please assume all of the above regarding the proverbial battle of the sexes to be "general" assumptions and expections" imposed mostly by society and other factors-I am not interested in boxing anyone into categories, as I don't appreciate being boxed in either-I am speaking strictly based on general comments heard in person and online over the years.

This thread is not about debating whether or not ALL guys, or ALL women are this way, so I just ask that we don't let it degenerate into that.

I've had many conversations at retail stores, conferences, industry events, and threads with others who (because of the subject matter tend to be guys by default), are surprised that I am this involved, BECAUSE I am a woman.

My partner and I are regular customers at and have our own rep at a leading AV retailer, and have owned quite a bit of equipment. The day we purchase d our first 103" Screen and Projector years ago, and all the bells and whistles that came with it, I thought my partner was going to die, but once we sat down and blew the neighbors out of their chairs with the set up, she was happy Though my older brother (47) is as macho as it gets, and very well versed in HT (though sometimes he says I am more macho than him, especially if we catch each other fawning over the same actress, despite of my 'girliness' LOL), I research and buy my own HT Equipment and tell him after to bust his cojones (sp). Like anything else, I believe it has more to do with your desire to learn, and nothing whatsoever to do with your sex.

I think traditionally guys tend to want to spend their money on electronics, cars, etc etc, and women on clothes, hair, home goods,etc. But personally our household is not "typical" at all-I had a 50" Flatscreen in our bedroom several years ago, and another in the Livingroom, and if I suggest one more time that we redo the surround sound set up, or upgrade to 3D in the foreseeable future, I think my partner will kill me-even after 11 years!

Regarding Steels, there've been instances, where I purchased Steels for the artwork as well. I am 1/2 German, so I am able through family to get most any German Steelbook I'd like to have. And sometimes they end up being relatively cheap, so if I like the art, I may pick it up anyway. I don't chase 30 versions of the same movie around the globe, but I have some dups if the price/art was appealing/art was different.

If there are requests for a general "Chicks that Love Blu-Ray" (not Steelbooks), I'll be happy to start one for general women-centered BD chatter.

Next, to be sure we cover everyone, we can have a "Hot Dudes on Blu-Ray" and a "Hot Chicks on Blu-Ray", though I am almost certain there was one of the latter already

Clearly, by being a big time movie nut (1600+ movies in our collection), regular film festival attendee, a member of the media distribution industry, , having studied business for many years, and being pretty well educated on HT, movies and the entertainment industry as a whole, I don't fit any of those silly "stereotypes", so I decided to start this thread to chat with other women who enjoy Steelbooks (considered 'rare' but is it as 'rare' as the Ironman or IAL Steel?.

If you're a guy of course you're welcomed ( I, too, visit all threads, regardless of who started them).

;P

I have a huge sense of humor regarding this whole topic but obviously believe in respect and equality, among the sexes,and people in general. But I am also confident in terms of being transparent in sharing my thoughts on the topic. So feel free to do the same.

I'd like to keep the thread light in chatter about Steelbooks, but if you do have a related but off-topic question you'd like to ask me, feel free to PM me if you feel it's not appropriate for the thread. And I am not easily offended, so as long as you respect me, I am happy to answer any questions.

Lastly, I am a moderator in another large movie discussion group-I know there are women who are uncomfortable chiming in, because of many assumptions-yet there are many out there who study, make or enjoy films and HT. Please do say "hello" and chime in if you're "lurking" We definitely need more women's voices in home entertainment-and not just regarding "Chick Flicks".

Have a good night everyone!

DB

[digitalbabe]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I'm a lady. 40ish. Been with my partner Tami for ten years on the 20th of this month.

I have one steel book. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre on DVD. Found it at Best Buy in the $5 bin and picked it up because it is one of Tami's all time favorite movies. Oh and I have one video game, Pefect Dark Zero. I think steel books are nice, but I have no intertest in collecting them.

I do see a lot of the typical locker room macho talk; women can't drive type crapola, but it doesn't usually bother me unless they are malicious about it.

@ Everyone-thanks for your comments so far!

@ Robin-congratulations on your anniversary this month!

[digitalbabe]

Originally Posted by OpFeRmEtZgER

I´m a dude and yea i love steelbooks!
Got 48 atm.
Not in the collection are Harry Potter movies which i despise...
&also no Bond movies.

Hey Opfer-just curious-do you hate the HP Steels, or the films themselves?

DB

[benzgrl]

Hi again DB - thanks for sharing your love of different genre of films (very sorry to hear about your loss of your Mom), and I agree with what you said about the generalizations people have and understand the reasonings behind those generalizations. I'm the ONLY one in my circle of girlfriends and even guy friends that is into HT, let alone Steelbooks! They think I'm nuts! So I get it.

Again, I love checking out this site and appreciate those that keep it up and all the resources it provides, as well as members who've helped me out and have turned out to be some of the most real cool and respectful people.

The only bit disturbing thing I saw on these boards was that if some of the stuff that was said on here of women were said about gay persons or of a certain race, they would never get away with it! But I noticed when directed towards women, no one makes a big deal, it's like free reign. And again, I think it's because there is a real imbalance of number of members male to female.

So my earlier mention of maybe starting a Women Blu-ray social group was to help us unite and on the similar lines as you said to hear more female voices in entertainment, and to help expose more of them to HT, Blu-ray and possibly Steels!

A new member I dealt with on the trade forum recently (turned out to be a Mom and wife whose husband is currently in Iraq) was totally into Blus and HT and she told me she noticed no women were on these boards and chimed in that in her family she's the one that loves to do the research and buy the HT equipment and not her husband! Lol!

As far as my love for movies - I guess I'm a peculiar contrast - I love Star Wars, most Sci-Fi, but I also love period films, I recently saw The Young Victoria and absolutely loved it (saw it twice)! I saw Avatar twice too. I'm a bit more restrictive as far as collecting, I buy only the Blus are really like and will watch over and over again.

Btw, I have no problem with being the "little girl that needs help" and any guy can assist/teach me more about HT/Electronics!