Dragnet (1987) - October 30, 2018

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by Cliff

Well then I guess the main question becomes, "What is overpriced?"

Is it overpriced to pay the exact same amount for an HD version of Dragnet with a handful of extras as you would have paid for a standard definition version of the DVD with no extras 20 years ago? Is it overpriced to see a movie only 1 time in a theater for $15 but be asked to pay $25 to own one forever? What, exactly, do you think you're paying for?

First of all, I haven't went to the movies since Fury Road. But even before that I've rarely went to the movies because it doesn't make sense to pay 10-15 bucks to see something only once. It's something I've realized since I've gotten older.

Look... there's a reason Shout! doesn't announce extras until right up to the release... They're doing everything in their power to pack that disc as full as possible given their budget and resources. They're not trying to shortchange customers and fans. If all your choices are based on price ratio to content and less bonus content means they shouldn't be able to charge as much... maybe Shout! should start charging by the special feature. Maybe a title like ROADHOUSE, which is LOADED with features and spread over 2 discs should cost $40, not $30. A double feature disc should be $50. That way, you pay for what you get. If you think they're gouging you on a title like Dragnet, then maybe you're screwing them on a title like Species.

Bless their hearts that they go all out of their way to make me happy when they go out and get interviews with the key grips and and assistant cameramen. Because they rarely get the stars of the movies their selling unless it's a low budget horror movie or something. They do what they do to get paid. They don't give a s__t about me. I appreciate that they've decided to play this game how they think it will benefit them. And I'll do what I think benefits me.

Screw them on Species? Uh, that's another re-release. Most people that were going to buy it bought it the first time. If it would have been 35 bucks I most likely would have picked up the cheaper release or whatever.

I don't recall saying that much about extras before this post. I'm saying I don't want to pay 30 bucks on re-releases.

The way I see it (and more people would probably do better to consider this), when I pay $25-$30 for a Shout! title- a few are going to be light on features while a few are going to be overstuffed with special features but it all balances in the end. Maybe try to support a company like Shout!, not because of their success or failure on one title, but because of what they're trying to accomplish across their entire catalog of releases. If you like a movie... buy that movie and then you maybe get more movies you want. Some will be better values than others, but you'll make out OK in the end.

My main point was to say that I'm not so willing to play 30 bucks for blu rays that already have cheaper releases. It's almost like you ignored what I was saying just because you wanted to go on rant. In fact, many of the releases that I said that I was going to get (Dragnet, Single White Female, Valley Girl and The Blue Dahlia) are the releases that are going to be 30 bucks and likely will NOT have a lot of extras. But I'm going to get them because they don't have any other releases. I don't know why you felt the need to try and make this about extras with me.

And I often see "most people can't just afford to pay 30 bucks for every movie they like" - so then maybe this isn't the hobby for them? Owning movies isn't a right. The studios are not obligated to sell you a movie for whatever low price you want to pay. At a certainly threshold, they will simply stop (and HAVE stopped) playing along. I would rather have 1000 people willing to pay $50 per disc than 50,000 willing to pay $1 each because those 1,000 people are always going to be far more reliable and enthusiastic. They're a dependable customer base. Those 50,000 will, in large part, drop off over time because it's not something they're invested in. They're the dumpster divers at Wal-Mart who buy things not because they love it, but because it's so cheap they don't feel it.

And I'm not obligated to pay 30 bucks for movies that have already been released.

Most of these titles are re-releases or titles that I can live without having on HD. I'm not as picky as many. I can live with a 3/5 transfer at a cheaper price. I support Scream up to a point, but I have my limits like I'm sure most people do.