lesterlong

I was on another message board where a poster was bragging about their DVD collection. Somewhere over 1100 DVDs. So I click on the link to check out the collection. Its guzzlefish so it breaks down the by director, genre, and so forth. Well the first thing that catches my eye is Top Director: Joel Schumacher. Ok, I liked 2 of his films let's keep going Top Actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ok I've got to stop here's my point. Would you rather have a collection with over 1100 DVDs with your top director being Joel Schumacher or less than half that with your top director being Alfred Hitchcock? I guess its all a just a matter of taste but I remember I used to envy people with big collections now I just envy people with bigger Criterion collections.

atari2600

first of all you cant judge another persons collections based on your likes and dislikes. its an opinion. 2nd im all about quality. i have under 100 and i wouldnt trade my collection for some collections that have 2000 dvds in them (assuming we shared no dvds in common and that i couldnt sell those dvds).

Yakuza Bengoshi

Don't worry lesterlong, we all think your collection is great. That big collection can't hold a candle to your small, but quality collection. Don't sweat it, 'cause you da man, LL.

JimRochester

I've always been a quality over quantity collector. Quality is very subjective, but if I didn't particularly like a film, or don't find much replay value once having seen it, I trade it for something else. I enjoy dramas but they have far less replay value for me than Action/Adventure. Others prefer Criterions, but I've never heard of most of them. No one's right or wrong. It's their money.

pro-bassoonist

lesterlong:

I am entirely with you on this one. I would rather have a collection (smaller) with the films I believe are more significant and hold some value over a larger number filled with the most recent Hollywood mish mash.
With this said, also agree with the above statement that my opinion should not be taken into consideration when another collection is evaluated (that's why it is a "personal" collection).

There are a few members on this board though that absolutely fit my criteria of "notable collectors"-FilmFanSea is one of them. I also like Mdm66, Helliosphan, etc.....I would also mentioin Gutwrencher....but he scares me with his horror dvds.

I also believe that your colleciton is quite good though lacking on the Euro genre front!!

lesterlong

Why thank you. Though I must bow before the great collection of Suburban Hipster.

NobleRabbit

Well, if he likes the movies, which I would assume he does, there shouldn't be a problem with his collection.

Walter Neff

Maybe people with gigantic DVD collections just have very low thresholds for what they consider quality entertainment. Hell, someone must be buying those "Swimfan" and "Hollywood Ending" DVDs.

fumanstan

What's wrong with having Arnold as top actor (13 and counting on guzzlefish)

DVDho78DTS

Quality of the movie/DVD of course. However, just because you have a bunch of Criterions doesn't mean you have better taste. One can appreciate a film for its place in history but it doesn't mean they have to own it. People look for different things when purchasing films. Some buy to have a film library (very few), others buy for historical achievements & advances for the film industry (art pictures), others for quality films with good replay value, and those just to be entertained.

I'm not gonna keep 2001: A Space Odyssey in my collection because I know I wouldn't watch it again. I watched it twice & enjoyed it, understand its place in history/why it's considered great, but it ain't a film I think of first to watch over and over again. I believe 2001 is Das Monkey's favorite film and respect him for that, but it doesn't mean I'd look down on him if he didn't own it (that would be illogical though).

I think what separates film buffs from the rest is that they have seen tons of films, understand historic significance of particular films, & have a general sense of what makes a film good. The people you have to worry about are not those that have Gigli or Showgirls in their collection but those that think they are good films. It's one thing to be entertained by them it's another to think they are quality films under the genre they represent.

phephron

How about both?
I have a reasonably large collection, but a lot of the films I got very inexpensively ($5 -$7) when all the DVD stores were giving those great - spend $15 and get a $10 off coupon - Some of them are movies that I like watching over and over again, but others are just shy of ... (oh - I got the whole TROMA collection on that great deal where all the DVD's could be had for about $20 which included shipping). It is too difficult to sell them or auction them for me, so I keep them.
Now I would definitely feel differently if the theme posed were more on the side of - How much of your collection would you be devastated if the whole collection were destroyed, stolen, etc.? I probably only have about 30 - 40 that would fit in that category.
Paul

gutwrencher

thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me...

it's the nunsploitation that usually pisses of the gals.

I like to think that my library of titles is well balanced...and pound for pound a solid collection, with my main attraction and true love being horror. it's fun trying to fit in all the ones I need, though expensive. except for a few titles here and there...I think it's pretty decent. I've also never been concerned with the # of titles....but the titles themselves. it's the selection that I'm proud of. there will always be someone with more, so trying to be king of "the most" is worthless. it's not a competition....it's a personal hobby. and sharing titles within this forum is a good education. everyone contributes to being an influence. I'm thankful to those who have help build my collection....pro-basoonist included. now, bring on more imports!!!!

woofman

I agree that quality vs quantity is subjective, but I know what you mean. I myself am VERY selective as to what I buy, and I watch what I buy over and over again. I've been collecting since DVDs first hit the shelves and I still have under 100 to this day.

Wizdar

Looks like I’m gonna be in the minority here.

A typical DVD is worth about as much as going to the movies, without the screaming brats and sticky soda on the floor.

If you have to be discriminating because of funds (or lack of), then of course you’ll want to be selective. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

I’ve been collecting since the format first came out, so I’ve got more than a couple discs. If anybody can see a pattern in my collection, it’s only a coincidence. I’d like to say I lean towards SF/fantasy, but the figures wouldn’t support this. I also have a wife with her own tastes.

Could some responses be the case of guys with little ones (collections, of course!) claiming theirs is better because of quality?

Having a fairly large one (collection, of course!), I can go for quality or cheap thrills. There’s nothing wrong with balance.

[Checking to see if I’ve got Gigli or Showgirls in my collection… ]

MasterCXtreme

I'd rather have a gold ring instead of a big pile of shit.

pro-bassoonist

right on brother.....

cross

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

ChrisHicks

I never go to the movies anymore. I just wait and buy whatever I wanted to see when it hits DVD. if you look at my collection I have a few duds. quite a few actually. I'm not the least bit embarassed by any movie I own. many people build collections to show sophistication or something to that effect. I build mine for enjoyment and pure stupidity for my lack of taste.

atari2600

agreed!

Kerborus

Both.

I want quality but I like the large quantity I have too.

I love having a film library that I can reference and I love when company is over and they say 'do you have?' and I respond without thinking 'but of course...'


At the same time, I want high quality films. I don't think that having Ah-nold as your top actor says anything. Who knows who it would be in my collection - but my collection is not static - I tend to collect in spurts - I'm going after DeNiro this month and Pacino next month. It may weigh the collection.

purplechoe

ok people get your nose out of lestrlongs behind and smell the roses. This guy is being judgmental of a perosn because he has a lot of Arnlod movies, but this same elitist has movies like: The World is Not Enough, Windtalkers, Whole Nine Yards, Where the Heart is, Vertical Limit, The Thomas Crown Affair, There's Something About Mary, Swordfish, etc, etc... Get over yourself. For the record my collection is bigger and better than yours.

Yakuza Bengoshi

Yes, but for every movie like this he also has a Can't Hardly Wait, Charlie's Angels, Happy Gilmore, Laura Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, Road Trip, etc. etc. . .

Don't worry though, we like your collection too.

BigPete

If you gave me a choice between my 10 favorite movies of all time or 100 movies I mildly enjoyed, then naturally I'd pick my favorites. If, however, you gave me a choice between my 10 favorite movies of all time or my 10 favorite movies of all time plus 90 other mildly entertaining films, then of course I will take the 100. Anyone who wouldn't opt for the same has some deep issues.

Movies are a means to an end, not an end themselves.

Johnny Zhivago

I'll give my standard response here... As long as you have nice gear (16X9, nice player, nice 5.1 setup) then go crazy, whatever floats your boat (quality is subjective, to a point)... Otherwise, 500 of those DVDs are money better spent on your home theater gear. Owning a 16X9 and nice hardware is hella more enjoyable than watching 1000 DVDs on a 27" 4X3 with pro-logic, for this viewer.

I've been collecting for 4 years and have a DVD count of ~ 225. But I DO have the gear to enjoy them on... And THAT is priority one IMHO. YMMV of course...

And here I thought this was another extras vs transfer thread... (extras schmextras)

spartanstew

I consider myself quality only. For example, I have about 100 DVD's currently. I spent a few hours a day over a period of a couple of weeks this summer going through every DVD that was listed on dvdprofiler and setting up my wishlist. The end result was a wishlist that has about 100 DVD's on it. In other words, if someone told me that I could own every DVD that I wanted tomorrow, my total collection would only be a little over 200 DVD's. Does this mean that people with more than 200 are going for quantity over quality? No, it just means that there's a larger number of quality movies ITO. I just happen to be more selective about what movies I'd want to own on DVD. Mostly I want to own action type movies that look good on a big screen and sound great in 5.1. I only own a couple of comedies as I can usually catch those on TV and don't own any TV series either.


Stew