Ever bought a DVD without having seen the film first?

[NexusSheep]

I do it all the time. I have over 30 DVDs that I purchased 'blind'. For example, prior to purchasing Traffic and Fight Club, I had never seen those films. But I have no regrets, as far as those titles are concerned.

Can't say the same about 15 Minutes, unfortunately. It wasn't that bad, but Bob De Niro was wasted.

I guess most people wouldn't risk spending £15-20 on a disc, when they had never seen the film in question. Fair enough. I must be in the minority. :eek:

[PaulaB]

I have to admit I have done that with several

10th Kingdom,swapped for the Lion King 2
Chocolat, I read the book didn't like the film so swapped for Pitch Black, which I hadn't watched but liked
Unbreakable
Sixth Sense
Emperor's New Groove
I have ordered Moulin Rouge
Shrek
Atlantis
and a few others I tend to look at a film, and decide to see it if I like it if so I keep it if not I trade it.

[pythons]

I do it a fair bit, if I fancy the look of a movie, or hear about a movie I've never seen!

I havent been burned too many times yet! :)

[Alanok]

Originally posted by NexusSheep
Fair enough. I must be in the minority. :eek:

Your probably not mate. 50% of the film's I purchase are bought 'blind' and I would bet alot of people buy film's without seeing them first. looking at reviews can give you a general feel and quality of the movie.

The main reason I buy a dvd without seeing the film is I have either heard good things, sound interesting or too good a price to turn down. Anyway if I don't like the movie then it's trade time in the dvd classifieds.

[Paul490]

I have bought quite a few of my DVDs without watching them first. I have been burned occasionally though. The worst example for me was Apocalypse Now.

Most of the films I bought "blind" have been good.

[NexusSheep]

Originally posted by Alanok


Your probably not mate. 50% of the film's I purchase are bought 'blind' and I would bet alot of people buy film's without seeing them first. looking at reviews can give you a general feel and quality of the movie.

The main reason I buy a dvd without seeing the film is I have either heard good things, sound interesting or too good a price to turn down. Anyway if I don't like the movie then it's trade time in the dvd classifieds.

Yeah, I always read a few reviews at the IMDb, as well as DVDTimes. And I subscribe to DVD Review, which is a great mag.

[danielod]

Have done it quite a few times, with films like:

Americain Beauty
Fight Club
American Pie

But havent done it since I bourght traffic without haveing seen it and hated it.

Dan

[mjb1975]

yep - do that all the time. IMO it's the best way to check out stuff you'd otherwise miss out on. For example, I'd never seen a Kevin Smith movie but was intrigued - I bought them all from DV-Depot and are now part of my 'permanents'!

There are plenty of other examples of this too in my collection.

If I don't like them, I'll flog em on Ebay...

[jroadley]

This is the whole reason for DVD, I do buy alot of films "blind" but with the forums you can easily sell/trade any discs not to your liking.

Also mentioned earlier, reviews from sites/mags/papers can give you some impression. However these reviews are only suppose to help you - it is up to you to make the final decision.

I've enjoyed films and had the ****** ripped out of me, but hey its my decision ;)

[Madm@tt]

Nearly all (around 85-90%) of my DVDs are bought blind... I just cross my fingers... E.G. Today I bought Any Given Sunday (only read I review - know nothing else).

The only DVD I've swapped was Chicken Run (R2) and I saw that at the cinema! - Must've been drunk... Anyway I swapped that for a "blindly" bought copy of the (terrific) Martin Scorsese Film: Bringing out the dead...

Generally I stay away from the cinema - those damn kids allways messing things up- so I read reviews from repected critics (Roger Ebert) and look at threads here. Of course if I like the director (ie Oliver Stone for AGS) or an actor in a leading role (Al Pacino) I'll get it whatever.

So there you go...

PS

Also mentioned earlier, reviews from sites/mags/papers can give you some impression. However these reviews are only suppose to help you - it is up to you to make the final decision. This sums it up...
No - I mean it, reviews spoil films by summorising(sp?).:)

[splobber]

I buy all new releases without ever seeing them first. If I don't like it I just sell it on. I lose a couple of quid by doing so, but it still works out cheaper than renting. :)

[charlie angel]

All the time - latest purchases have included Final Fantasy because I thought it looked interesting, Princess Mononoke because it looked interesting & Sullivan's Travels because it looked, er, interesting.

[Davester]

The godfather bs :D
end of days and i know what you did last summer :(
and go:)

[Aardvark]

My 'bought blind' films, and 'would I have bought them if I'd seen them first?':

Pitch Black: Yes (even better on second viewing).
Deep Rising: Yes (trashy fun!).
Existenz: No.
Gladiator: Yes.
Antz: Yes.
A Bug's Life: YES!
Men In Black: Yes.
Alien Resurrection: NO!
The Thirteenth Floor: Yes.
The Truman Show: Yes.
Frenzy: Yes.
Trouble With Harry: No (well, yes, but only because I'm collecting Hitch!).
Young And Innocent: Yes.
The Paradine Case: No (see above).
Shadow Of A Doubt: Yes.


So that's a hit rate of about 80%.

[RichB]

I have many times with HK DVDs, and a few R1 discs when I first bought my player

[Joe Pasquale]

Loads! Been most impressed with 'Bottle Rocket', 'Rushmore', 'Clockwork Orange' and 'Brazil'.

However I wish I never got 'Doc Hollywood' LOL ;) for $3USD so not so bad. Also 'The Matrix' was a big disappointment, definately wouldn't have bought that crap if I'd seen it before. :(

[Spikey]

I always buy blind.

Can't stand the cinema, only go if I have free tickets.

If you work out the real cost of going to the flicks it's cheaper to buy the film first. If you've got a half decent home set-up your wasting your money. Why spend several grand equiping your home to go to a cinema that has *********** uncomfortable seats, *********** awful sound and *********** annoying people you wouldn't let into you house and if you like the film you have to pay for it again anyway!

If you don't like it, as splobber said, you can sell it and minimise your loss, try that at a cinema.

No brainer I think you'll agree.

[AndyWilson]

I think a large majority of my 250 odd DVDs were bought unseen, and I can count the amount I've traded or sold on the fingers of one hand..

..if you've got a partner it's cheaper than the cinema, and in this part of the country there's considerably more choice on DVD!!!

[Robby]

Like everyone else here the majority of films i own have been bought blind and i haven't been stung once. I had my reservations about Mystery Men when i first got it but i now regard it as a classic.

When you think about it everyone who visits these forums regularly has to be pretty nuts about movies and i don't care how dedicated you are you are never going to see all the films you're interested in in the cinema. DVD is an excellent format for us fans and buffs who simply must see a film now. And to echo what Spikey said if your going to spend in the region of £15 - 20 by going to the cinema it has got to be worth taking that gamble and going for DVD. If you like it great you can keep it if you didn't there are PLENTY of people out there who will take it off your hands.

GOD BLESS the DVD classified forum. :D

I love going to the cinema but only for films that are gonna have that WOW factor on the really big screen.

So since having DVD and being able to import movies from the world i would say i have bought/watched a heck of a lot more movies than i would have done if i hadn't bought a DVD player.

Besides buying blind is half the fun.:D

[mikegray]

I must have bought at least half of my DVDs unseen, even box sets like The Godfather... currently I've got Taxi Driver on the way, Shrek, Requiem For A Dream and a few others that I haven't seen before. Worst case scenario you can usually trade 'em on.

Looking at my shelf in front of me, there's Heathers, Halloween, Godfather, One Night @ McCools, Traffik, and a good few others... so no, you're certainly not alone.

[Gromit]

Almost all my discs are bought unseen. I NEVER used to do this with VHS though but with DVDs and a decent system it's worth it. If you really dislike it you can sell it on.

[jpor]

First film I bought blind was 'Galaxy Quest', and it was great having a film at that time which was just being played on the cinemas over here.

[ggrant]

God Yeah, the last 4 discs i have come across i havent seen before, in fact make that 6. :)

[APPRIA40WR]

Ever bought a DVD without having seen the film first?


Loads of times!

DVD <u>is</u> my cinema

[Jimmyboy]

I buy "blind" all the time.

Just looking at the last 6 DVDs I've brought & only 1 out of 6 I've seen before buying, (StarWars:TPM) which funny enough turned out to be the weakest title out of the 6.
The other 5 were "blind" buys, my next 4 pre-orders are also "blind" buys. It just works out cheaper than checking the film out at the cinema, the down side is you never leave the house, but what you gonna do ?.:rolleyes: :D

[Tristan H]

I'd say that almost 30-40% of my collection consists of films that I had never seen. DVD opens up the opportunity to see films that I would otherwise never have the opportunity of seeing.

[Michael Brooke]

I think I'm buying blind more now than I used to - when I did a survey a year or so ago I found that something like 80% of my collection was made up of films I'd already seen, but the pendulum's swinging seriously in the other direction now.

Earlier this year I subscribed to the complete Russian Cinema Council collection - 120 DVDs, most of which I haven't seen, and many of which I've never even heard of! But the overall quality threshold is gratifyingly high - I'm just watching the ridiculously enjoyable <I>The Tale of Tsar Saltan</I> at the moment, complete with rhyming English subtitles!

[inquisitor]

I bought the following films totally blind, and all are still in my collection right now:

Chasing Amy (R1, Criterion)
Angela's Ashes (R2)
Ghostbusters (R2)
This Is Spinal Tap (R2, MGM)
Three Kings (R2)

I've done well, I think.

[Bapapapa]

Originally posted by inquisitor
I bought the following films totally blind, and all are still in my collection right now:

Ghostbusters (R2)


:eek:

I buy blind all the time. I liek living dangerously.

:cool:

[Scottola]

I buy blind all the time on R1, as I don't get to the cinema often and it keeps me on the 'scene'. If a film is not to my liking it can be traded or sold afterwards and work out cheaper than going to the cinema anyway.

My best blind buy has to be Shaolin Soccer on R3. I absolutely love this film and I don't even like football.

[sbooth]

Have done for quite a lot of films. Some of them were ones i wanted to see at the cinema but never got round too it and generally got good reviews anyway. Anyway below are some of those blind dvd's that i loved

Fight Club
American Pie
Gladiator
Pitch Black (well i had it before it was even on here!)
Traffic
Cast Away
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

All top notch IMHO

[The Boogerman]

Me too.

After having Crouching Tiger ruined at the cinema by kids not realising that it was a foreign language film and being bored and talking, phoning each other, going to the toilet repeatedly (this is rear right). AND two twenty something males getting bored ang spitting unpopped popcorn (rear left). I'd rather enjoy at home, than endure at the cinema. (I would add that this made my mind up about not watching at a particular cinema rather than stopping going altogether).
I happily buy films without seeing them. Generally I base my decision on the same criterion that I would if I was going to the cinema, but as has been said before if you are watching with someone else (or consider repeat viewings) then sensible DVD buying (ie buying at the best price) is a very sensible alternative - plus you've got something to show at the end of it.

[Bolch]

I think I've got about 50 that I've not previously seen.

I've just bought/ordered Animal and Legally Blonde as I wanted to see these at the cinema but for the price of the cinema nowadays I thought I may aswell buy the R1 instead !

[tinder]

Earlier this year I subscribed to the complete Russian Cinema Council collection - 120 DVDs, most of which I haven't seen, and many of which I've never even heard of!


....what a guy!

[01keith]

That's a coicedence, I just received Swordfish this morning and watched it and thought it was excellent. I ordered it blind because my brother told me it was good.

WOOF!:D

[RoboCop4]

I often buy DVDs 'blind', based on either a good review, or something that I missed on the cinema. However, as many of them don't live up to expectations and end up on my trade list (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26022), I'm trying to cut down on this practice....

[Henry]

Ever bought a DVD without having seen the film first?

Almost everyday. At least half of my collection are of films I haven't seen before. Many of these are established 'classics' but I also buy loads of films I've never heard of before, based on recommendations, the IMDB and, of course, the DVD Times reviews. I've discovered many gems this way and it's very rare that I'm stuck with something that I really dislike.

[George vader]

Film I bought blind and I'm glad I did...
Almost famous
American Movie
Amores Peres
Bowfinger
Dish, The
Election
Hannibal
O' Brother where Art Thou?
Rushmore
Sleepy Hollow
Traffic
Waiting For Guffman


Films I wish I hadn't.......
Audition
Magnolia
Being John Malkowich

[puddleduck]

I only tend to buy stuff I haven't seen on DVD.

Not having a goldfish-type memory, I remember films pretty well, so wouldn't buy something on DVD if I'd recently seen it in the cinema.

[Narshty]

Somewhere in the region of 2/3's to 3/4's of my collection was bought blind - around 75.

I generally only buy older films blind, because their reputation and the kind of following they have accumulated is generally a dead cert indicator of whether I'll like it or not. Modern films haven't had time to build a solid distinction, and it's just too risky for me, even if I can punt them on at a fraction of the price, I'd rather pay the £2 or so to see them at the Prince Charles Cinema.