The most annoying thing...
 

about DVDs is re-releases.
So I read today that the 6th Day (Arnold) will be re-released as a two disc set. The second DVD will have new scenes, additional commentary, and all that fancy stuff.

What's the problem you ask? I already own the 6th Day on DVD!
Why can't the companies hold off on making "regular editions" if they plan on making a "special edition?"

Either that, or they just shouldn't do it until an anniversary (5 year minimum, 10 year average) comes along.

Now I have to go out and spend another $25 in addition to the $20 I already spent on the 6th Day regular edition... and then I'll have two copies of the movie. Why can't I just trade in my old 6th Day to the company, send them $5, and get the new one?

Argh! Re-releases suck.

I agree completely...it's a major pain. I own the "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" DVD...the plain old boring one with virtually nothing in terms of extra features. Apparently, now, there's a Special Edition out. Sonovab*tch!

I get your point on this Hyper. Just a way for companies to reel you in and suck some more money out of you. This one however(6th Day) is a bad call to be releasing it this late in the game. I mean it hit DVD a few months back, and they should've released the 2-disc back then, not now.

Same with Almost Famous. The Bootleg Cut comes out here in a few weeks, and for someone that has already purchased the regular released disc, they're not going to want to buy the movie all over again.

American Pie 2 is being released in four different versions... Full Frame and Widescreen Rated, and Full Frame and Widescreen Unrated.

Here's an idea...if you guys can think of any other instances of re-releases of movies on dvd to post your comments here. I'm going to write a story on this.

Thanks!!

Come on guys!! Need some input here. I am probably going to use quotes from this thread to help out with the story so if you could be so helpful in contributing I would appreciate it. :D

Well, I guess the moral of the story would be "patience is a virtue." The practice is a tad shady, but it's not something I can bring myself to actually complain about, seeing as how it's common practice. In my opinion, they'd be perfectly legit if they'd just issue some kind of warning: yes, this is a DVD...and be warned: we've got a better one planned.

As I'm sure you realize, you're not the first person to notice this and be annoyed by it. DVD enthusiasts have been complaining about it for the last couple years, and even Ebert's partner Roeper had a little rant against such practices on their TV show in recent months in one of his "parting shot"s.

The example Roeper used on TV was The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps. A "Collector's Edition" was originally released in December of 2000, with a very few supplemental materials. In May of 2001, another "Collector's Edition" was released with an "Uncensored Director's Cut" and many more suuplements, including commentary tracks, music videos, featurettes and screen tests not included in the first so-caled "Collector's Edition". The retail price for each was $26.98.

Universal seems especially prone to this. They did a similar thing with their hit The Mummy. After originally releasing the movie on DVD as a "Collector's Edition", they returned in 2001 with an "Ultimate Edition", a 2-disc set with a new wealth of extra materials, asking for another $29.98.

Criterion/Voyager has revisted a couple titles that got only barebones releases by the Studios. Buena Vista released editions of Armageddon and Rushmore that basically only had the trailers by way of supplements. BV licensed the films to Criterion, who then created deluxe editions for both films, a 2-disc set for Armageddon and hours of supplements for Rushmore.


I actually don't mind this too much (though it can be frustrating at times). Not that I approve of this gouging by the Studios, but if you're up-to-date on good websites, most of these later editions are known to be coming (or at least strongly rumored) before the lesser editions hit the shelves. They don't exactly shout it out and they sure aren't going to put a "warning" sticker on their products, but more than 75% of the time these multiple editions of the same film are known. And for a movie I love, in the long run I don't mind paying twice to get what I want.

I knew a Special Edition of Rushmore was being readied by Criterion when the movie-only disc came out, but I loved the movie so much I went right out and bought it anyway. Yes, I could have waited, but I didn't want to. And if Beuna Vista hadn't released the movie at all and I had to wait for the deluxe edition while a cruddy VHS pan-and-scan version was available at Blockbuster, I would have gone nuts and been much angrier than paying twice for a movie I love. This way I could have a good letterboxed transfer while waiting for all those wonderful extras to be completed and released by Criterion. But had this been a movie I was less passionate about but still liked enough to buy (only once), I would have waited the extra months for the Criterion disc.

So, mainly I say 'buyer beware'. Being informed this won't happen to you as much and you can make the decision to pay twice or wait.

I heard The Usual Suspects will be re-released sometime soon, with lots of special features that the one that is out right now lacks. Of course, TUS is one of my favorite movies so I have it on DVD, and then if it comes out again I'll need to get that.. very annoying.

Well thats just like the SuperBit's that they're releasing here in a few weeks. Most people have one of those movies on regular disc, and if they want this one...they'll have to buy it again.

Who here has JP movies in the box set??? It's crazy to issue a box set on the first two movies if the third one isn't out yet. Now they're coming out with another box set. It's just crazy.

Office Space is also being re-released as a special edition, I believe.

If there is any bareboned disc don't buy it! There will probably be a SE soon.

If you've already got it and theres a SE coming out. Voila:

www.switchouse.com

great trading service!

I was stupid enough to buy "Jurassic Park" on DVD a month or two ago. I should've just waited awhile (would've been worth it) and bougt the 3-movie set that's likely to come out at some point in the near future. As for "The Usual Suspects:" I have the DVD from awhile back, and it's actually pretty good. It's got a full-movie commentary option, which is really enjoyable.

I don't mind it as much when there is some time between the original release and an SE release. Weird Science, for example. That movie came out on a barebones DVD some time ago. If the rumored Special Edition DVD with a bunch of extras comes out within the next year, it won't bother me that I've bought it twice because I got good use out of my barebones copy over the time that it was the only release.

But when they do it just a few months (or even weeks) after the initial release, that can be very annoying. Of course, like a lot of people, I know that when I see a relatively barebones release that I should probably wait to see if there is a special edition soon unless, like Holden said, it's a movie that I just have to have even in a movie-only release (especially since the extras are just gravy to me anyway. I have plenty of barebones discs that I find perfectly fulfilling because it was the movie that I wanted. And there are some discs I own that I haven't even checked out the extras on yet).

But it does seem like the studios spend too much time releasing material that is already out there and not quite enough time releasing material that hasn't had a release yet (though the studios are catching up on many older releases).

I just saw the specs for the Vista Series of Tombstone. That makes me very very mad. I got Tombstone last year, and was mad there was no features on it, but I got used to it, and now they're coming out with a Vista Series for it. ARGH...

Almost have enough for a story...

To be fair in regards to Tombstone in particular, it was released in the earliest waves of DVD, back in 1997. This is MUCH different than more deluxe editions coming out within six or nine months of a barebones release, as has happened repeatedly in the past couple years.

You should be happy that they're finally revisiting a title you like, not be frustrated that they wanted to be sure and get it out on the market as early as possible when DVD was just beginning to heat up and go mainstream. Four years between the editions is hardly a design to steal more money from fans of the film, is it?

The Vista Series Special Edition is Disney's new banner for special editions. Disney was one of the Studios notorious for a lack of DVD supplements. Thay are now changing that image, and one of the first films they chose is Tombstone (The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are the others). I think that's a positive, not a negative.

To me, this is a different issue entirely and not fodder for your derision. But as the kids say, whatEVER...!

That's true. I just got a little peaved, but I'm better now. :)

Special Editions boil down to one thing...more money. All the studios I've worked with have said they will never completely do away with SE because after every DVD edition that is released, the film gains a broader fan base. Plus, the studios are trying to please everyone who wants Standard, everyone who wants Letterbox, everyone who wants Commentaries...etc. In about 4 to 5 years the studios will catch on that if they did it right the first time, everyone will be happy, but in the end they will lose millions in re-releases. Plus, as the technology for special features expands, the studios will continue re-releases just to add these new features to pre-existing films. It's a vicious cycle, but a profitable one for everyone involved, except the consumers.

I think that saturday night live sketch with the willy wonka special edition dvd was hilarious, too many movies are like that, havnt bought usual suspects yet, but i will once the new special edition comes out. The thing is that whenever a sequel comes out the first movies get special editions and all kinds of crap, i.e. the mummy and jurrasic park. I just bought my friend the SOTL DVD for his birthday, what kind of idiot am i gonna look like when they relase a brand new version when Red Dragon comes out?

BTW: anyone know about pulp fiction on dvd out yet, or special editon with three hours of extra footage coming out soon?

You might know something that I don't, but Manhunter (the movie version of Harris' Red Dragon) has already been released on DVD in two separate editions.

I have Pulp Fiction on DVD, and yeah, it is very bare of special features. I don't know of any re-release, but if there will be I'm sure someone on here will know about it.

My boss has Manhunter, the 2 disc, and said that just getting the single disc version is worth about as much as the 2 disc, simply because the 2 disc has the directors version(which hasn't been given a cleanup so the picture and sound is fuzzy).

I have Pulp Fiction as well, and I get along just fine with it. :D

Pulp Fiction SE is projected for a January 2002 release. Last I heard it was a two disc release, but they were thinking off a dual layer - double sided disc possibility.

Yes! buying that first day it comes out! keep me informed:)