When buying, what's more important: the movie inside, or the packaging?

[Packerfan75]

Originally Posted by PLG1962

Let's just say on average a movie is 90 mins long would you spend that time or more looking at the cover
If movies just came in a cd case with no cover I would still buy movies I wanted
There is an old saying don't judge a book by its cover

Of course not but we do like things we buy to look the way we want them to. We need clothes but buy more on looks than need. Same for the color of our cars and even toothbrushes. It's just something we're used to. We may never really spend time looking at it but when we buy it, we feel better knowing it looks how we want it to. That's why there's so much variety for everything out there.
Looks aren't everything but they are something to us.

[DavePS3]

For me... it's the film itself. Sure a crappy looking cover can leave me kinda flat but since all my BD's are on the shelves like books (spine out) I really don't care. Slipcovers... I throw them out. I know that'll make many cringe with horror but yeah, I toss those things. That said, I'm not crazy about the cardboard covers instead of the blue plastic and I will often cut the cardboard ones down and place them into the blue plastic covers for simplicity and consistancy of appearance on the shelves. Since I'm not re-selling the discs, I don't really give a poop!

[stuartalex]

There's only one thing that I rate when buying a movie and that's the movie itself.
Covers make no difference whatsoever.
Gimmick packaging may be a consideration if there are multiple versions of any one release but even the worst packaging or artwork would not stop me buying a movie I want

[blonde_devil]

I guess it depends on what you are buying it for. It isn't unheard of for someone to buy a movie they hate because they collect movies and want the collector edition packaging. For me, it is the movie. They could come in a plain brown case with the movie name written on it for me and I would be happy. That's one of the reasons I don't buy steelbooks - it isn't worth it to me to spend extra for packaging. Now don't get me wrong - there have been times where I spent the extra( I have the Walmart Interstellar on preorder) but those are few and far between and if I didn't like Interstellar, I wouldn't be ordering it.

[Mr. Cinema]

The movie is the most important. On this website?

#1 packaging
#2 packaging
#3 packaging


#150 the movie

[Suntory_Times]

Obviously the packaging, blu-rays like my tv are just for show.

[Mystic]

The movie. Nuff' said.

[That'sAllFolks]

I compromise. The stuff I really like, I do care about the packaging. I have multiple copies of many movies because of exclusives, steelbooks, digibooks, etc.

OTOH, I've also condensed my collection by buying 3/4 packs. I don't really like them, but you can't beat the price over the individual releases. I prefer the individual releases, but I've gotten some 3packs for $5, and that's what it would cost to buy each individual movie. So do what's right for you and don't worry about what others think. I'm all about price for most stuff, but there is a subset of my collection I really like and I will invest in the better release.

[murphywmm]

It's all about the movie for me. Slipcovers, steelbooks, digibooks and all other packaging mean nothing if the movie is no good. I would never buy multiple copies of one movie just for packaging - there's just too many good movies out there to justify it - but many people do.

[RebelPrince1986]

Movie. All of my covers are either Steelbooks or custom and in the clear Criterion cases, so a movie typically goes straight to it's custom case when I open it. The studio artwork is either sold or recycled, so it really doesn't matter to me what it looks like.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by DavePS3

For me... it's the film itself. Sure a crappy looking cover can leave me kinda flat but since all my BD's are on the shelves like books (spine out) I really don't care. Slipcovers... I throw them out. I know that'll make many cringe with horror but yeah, I toss those things. That said, I'm not crazy about the cardboard covers instead of the blue plastic and I will often cut the cardboard ones down and place them into the blue plastic covers for simplicity and consistancy of appearance on the shelves. Since I'm not re-selling the discs, I don't really give a poop!

Believe or not but there are some people who will refuse to buy blu-rays, if they didn't have a slipcover, and get mad if you mentioned it to them.

[cricepng]

My short response is movie (and value) before packaging as you can always print a cover and put it in an empty case.

Bit why would anyone want every single best picture winner and title in AFI's top 100 list? That's as bad as people buy every Criterion title just because it is being distributed as part of the Criterion Collection. Buy movies you want to watch and will enjoy. I have fourteen best picture winners in my collection with only a handful that I still want to buy. As for AFI's list, I have 22 titles and about fifteen I'd be interested in adding to my collection. Build a collection that you will enjoy, not one that serves no other purpose than to make others think you have a noteworthy collection.

[octagon]

Collecting AFI 100 titles has actually been a lot of fun. Many of them are movies I would have bought anyway and focusing on the list nudged me toward picking up a lot of films I've really enjoyed (both as blind buys or films I had seen years ago and didn't really appreciate then) that I might have otherwise skipped.

[The Great Owl]

The movies are nice, and the packaging is nice, but what really get my pulse racing are the stickers on the slipcovers. I sure do love those stickers.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

The movie is what is most important, of course.

That said, if the same movie comes in more than one type of packaging, I'll go for the version that I'm most interested in. For instance, when Big Hero 6 came out recently, Target had an exclusive steelbook, and that was the version that I went for.

If the movie is only available in one type of packaging, then I'll buy it. If I really hate that packaging, I'll probably print up a custom cover for a regular Blu-ray case and go that route.

[GumballRally]

Easily the movie itself. I can definitely geek out on nice packaging and do go for steelbooks and digis on favorite titles, but lackluster packaging..*cough* Minority Report *cough*..won't keep me from buying and enjoying the movie.

I love the idea of doing custom covers for less than stellar packages...but alas no printer in my cro-magnon setup :P

[jvonl]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The movies are nice, and the packaging is nice, but what really get my pulse racing are the stickers on the slipcovers. I sure do love those stickers.

And that makes this thread worth it...

[OneWayFilms]

When my friends and family come over, we just like to sit down and stair at the box art of each film. We remark at how nicely they photo-shopped certain people, and how sharp and clear the font is in the titles.

For special editions, we might even turn the box around and look at the back and read about the special features. But this is only for special editions.

Once, I caught my wife watching the actual movie. I scolded her for only liking blurays for the movie itself and ignoring the real director's intent, which was the box art.

She felt bad and saw that I was right. She turned it off and we just sat there holding the box in our hands, admiring it for about 20 minutes.

[tallrichard]

I buy varied styles of packaging, whether is be Digibook (my fav) or Steelbook or standard case with or without slipcovers, I like most of them.

I LOVE Ultimate Collector's Editions of movies though I do not have room for too many of them in my home...

I do not collect box sets or multi-disc packages where it is not by one specific actor or director, like the John Wayne Box Set. My one exception to that so far was the Olive Film's Film Noir set.

My most HATED packaging, is the 4 movie on 2 Disc Warner issues...

[Pirate King]

Hmmmm... do I want to watch the movie? or look at a box? Hmmmm.