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Do you have a lot of blind buys that you regret buying?

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Do you have a lot of blind buys that you regret buying?

Old 11-07-05, 06:18 PM
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Do you have a lot of blind buys that you regret buying?

Over the years, I've bought a few blind buys, in general I've been pretty happy. But the ones I don't like have really pissed me off.

I'd say around 30% of the blind buys I regret.
Old 11-07-05, 06:40 PM
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I do regret quite a few:XXX,Anger management,Van helsing and the Time Machine, all come to mind. But for every crappy movie I bought, I would not have seen alot of my now favorite movies/tvshows if I hadn't blind bought them. (equilibrium, brotherhood of the wolf,shaun of the dead, 24, Arrested devlopment). Alot of times you are gonna get suckerd into buying crap based on a cool cover alone, but I still think blind buys are great.
Old 11-07-05, 07:02 PM
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Not at all. Probably close to half of what I buy is blind buys. I'm still selective about them, though, so I end up happy with them about 99% of the time. Most of what I blind buy is not recent movies--if it isn't good enough for me to see at the theater (which I still prefer to watching at home) then it's not good enough for me to buy sight onseen.
Old 11-07-05, 07:40 PM
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Michael Moore's The Awful Truth.

Sold it on ebay after watching one disk with commentary. Contradicted himself way too much and didn't like his close-mindedness. Thought he was a total moron. (And this was when I was more of a liberal!)
Old 11-07-05, 07:40 PM
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2 come to mind quickly...Van Helsing and League of Extraordinary Gents. Still haven't finished either of them.
Old 11-07-05, 07:41 PM
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Yay .. another blind buy thread!

Originally Posted by Y2J850
But for every crappy movie I bought, I would not have seen alot of my now favorite movies/tvshows if I hadn't blind bought them.
Well put.

I'd chalk my experiences down as the "art of blind buying". I would like to know as little as possible about a movie before seeing it, but as I rarely go to the cinema anymore - there's an inherent problem. So, I've isolated my choices down to online imput, who the director/writer/actor (in that order) is and patience.

Foreign movies are difficult to rent, so online advice (without extensive reviews) is usually needed. Now that I have a fairly decent range of films on DVD, I have had very good luck picking off good films sticking with the director/writer combo, though the number drops when I stick to actor. Some times it helps. Lastly, where I used to fail .. I just ran out an bought everything that I thought I would like without seeing it first. If I can I will rent R1 releases and then return later and pick up the best release possible - whether it be an import or otherwise. Patience may no seem to fit into the blind buy argument in total, but it's prevented more than just a few bad eggs. For instance, I thought I'd totally dig Unleashed with the strengths of Jet Li, Bob Hoskins and Besson (writer) and I was totally wrong. Oh well. At least I didn't give into temptation seeing as it had been out for months overseas before it's R1 release.

In all, so far, so good. I'd say I have about a 85/15 success rate - with what I'd say half of the 15 being terrible movies. I haven't given it up, just needed to get smarter about it.
Old 11-07-05, 07:58 PM
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I have several I regret and they're gathering dust in anticipation of heading for the local pawn shop......to be traded for some movies that I KNOW I like before I bring 'em home!
Old 11-07-05, 07:59 PM
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I generally find something good in every blind buy. Only one truly awful film comes to mind, Valentine. Used for $5. So I'm not out much, but damn that was a bad movie.
Old 11-07-05, 08:26 PM
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Not that many, actually, and most have been very cheap DVDs so I didn't feel so bad - especially when I dumped them on Blockbuster last year.

Just about the only non-budget title I regretted was Monster's Ball which I bought the week it came out at Best Buy during their opening day sale. I bought it at 430pm, and by 9pm I had it listed on eBay.
Old 11-07-05, 08:44 PM
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Nope, I love all my blind buys.
Old 11-07-05, 08:47 PM
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A few. Criterion's The Rock, Moulin Rouge!, Ocean's Eleven, Glengarry Glen Ross.

I'm still trying to decide whether A Polish Vampire in Burbank was worth it.
Old 11-07-05, 08:55 PM
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I'd say about 20% of my DVD collections (out of 359) have been Blind Buys and I don't regret any of them. I always knew enough about the movies beforehand that I would like them. Only a couple disappointed me like Big Fish, Dracula, and Donnie Darko but that's because they are all so hyped. I had bigger expectations with those than I did with movies that I wasn't expecting greatness from like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Old 11-07-05, 11:09 PM
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I used to, until Netflix rolled around, and now I just "blind rent", as it's not nearly as expensive.

Either that, or movies that I'm on the fence about, I'll just ask for for Christmas or Birthday presents. That way, if it ends up sucking, at least I didn't pay for it. Somehow, that makes all the difference.
Old 11-07-05, 11:34 PM
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Mr. 3000 and Daredevil! I bought Daredevil because of liking comics and Mr. 3000 because of my love for sports movies, but both were terrible! Watched it once, now it's gathering dust!
Old 11-07-05, 11:42 PM
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Hong Kong 1941. Damn you, Wal-mart $4.88 bin...
Old 11-07-05, 11:55 PM
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Success rate is around 90/10 - and the 10% weren't bad flicks, just movies I wouldn't want to watch numerous times (such as Kinsey ... terrific film, would not repeat watch). That's mainly because I do a little research before I blind buy by checking databases and asking those around me. Don't do that nearly as much for movies in theaters.
Old 11-08-05, 12:06 AM
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I trade away the movies I buy that I end up not liking.
Old 11-08-05, 12:08 AM
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I really can't think of any off hand that I regret buying.
Old 11-08-05, 12:55 AM
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No, I sell the one's I do not like and replace them. So I never really regret it - try to keep cost low on blind buys.
Old 11-08-05, 02:48 AM
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I have some that I think of turning back time, and putting them back on the shelf. But that is the risk you run of BB's. Of course there have been some gems.
Old 11-08-05, 10:04 AM
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They way I look at it is a new dvd is almost always cheaper than actually going to the Movies for 2, so since I rarely go to the movies anymore, I see it as better than going to see a movie I dislike. And having purchased it, I can always trade or sell it to recoup my costs.
Old 11-08-05, 10:56 AM
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I make educated blind buys. If it's a movie I think I like and if it has good ratings at imdb, I go ahead with the purchase.
Old 11-08-05, 11:00 AM
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So what's the difference between a bad blind buy and going to see a movie in the theatre that sucks and you walk out on? Not much IMO.
Old 11-08-05, 11:14 AM
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Most of the Japanese horror movies everyone raves about. Ringu, Ju-On, Old Boy, etc. I just can't get in to them. The American versions I like though.
Old 11-08-05, 11:17 AM
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Only a handful. Out of the last ~30 or so blind buys, I plan on getting rid of one, maybe two of them. I actually find that I have more to get rid of that I bought and just no longer enjoy after a few years.

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