Anyone else a completist?
 

A big problem lately in my dvd collecting has been my rather irritating completist attitude... Even if I don't enjoy a sequal or a certain season of a show I feel the need to have it anyway so I can have the complete "story" as it were... A recent example is Once Upon A Time in Mexico, I diden't really like the film but felt I needed it to complete my El Mariachi/Desparado/ trilogy... Another harsher example is Enterprise. I LOVE Star Trek but I diden't like Enterprise yet something inside me keeps saying that I need it... Anyone else have this problem?

My sights are set very modestly; I'm a Michael Mann completist (I don't have Crime Story yet; only features). If The Keep is released, I'll get it.

No, not really the obsessive/compulsive type.*Examples: I'm perfectly content owning <i>only</i> the <i>Nightmare on Elm Street</i> movies that I actually like, don't have any desire to own <i>Beverly Hills Cop III</i>, and was able to stop buying <i>X Files</i> after Season Five.

There's so much good stuff out there on DVD that I'll never be able to get all the ones that appeal to me - so why would I spend my money on ones that I don't <i>really</i> want?

Ooh ooh! That's me! I'm a completist!

My problem is that I try to complete everything. One day I got all the 'Best Picture' Nominees for 2001. Now I need less than 90 DVD's to own them all. Ouch. Even sadder, I'm trying for the Actng Nods as well. And the Criterion collection, and Film Noir... And... etc.

I was for awhile w/ CDs when they first became popular. Before long I realized my collection was full of a bunch of junk I only marginally liked. Now I usually just buy what I'm interested in, if that happens to be a complete collection so be it. I still have to resist the urge occasionally though ;)

Yes and no. I won't run out and grab something on release day just because it's the next part of a series, but I'll usually grab a box set of movies if the price is around what I would be willing to pay for just the ones I wanted (for example the box sets of Matrix, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th). As for season sets, yeah.. I'm somewhat a completist. Out of around 225 season sets on DVD that I own, I can probably count on one hand the number of series that have sets available that I do not yet own. Oz (need 2 more seasons, but waiting to find them used), Twilight Zone (waiting on the next DDD sale for season 5), Farscape (going to watch season 1 before I buy any more of them) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (debating on whether or not to take one of the 3 Chosen One collections from my store).

As a matter of fact, there's really only one series that has seasons still available that I will not buy, and that's Ren & Stimpy. The first set has everything I want, everything after it really sucked.

I personally am a Jennifer Connelly completist. Weird, I know. But I have every movie she has available on DVD with the exception of one, and that's "Of Love And Shadows" which looks just god awful. I've resisted, though I'm sure I'll pick it up some time in the future.

But here's her list of movies according to IMDB, and the ones in bold are ones I own, and the ones in italics are not available on DVD to my knowledge:

Dark Water (2005)
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Hulk (2003)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
"The $treet" (2000) TV Series
Pollock (2000)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Waking the Dead (2000/I)
Dark City (1998)
Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
Far Harbor (1996)
Mulholland Falls (1996)
Higher Learning (1995)
Of Love and Shadows (1994)
The Heart of Justice (1993) (TV)
The Rocketeer (1991)
Career Opportunities (1991)
The Hot Spot (1990/I)
Some Girls (1988)
Étoile (1988)
Labyrinth (1986)
Seven Minutes in Heaven (1985)
Phenomena (1985)
The Valley (1985) (V)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Maybe a little OCD?

If it's a TV series that like but not necessarily like all the seasons, I'll buy them anyway because usually there's at least few good episodes in it and I like to have the complete set. Other stuff that has sequels that I flat out know are dreck, I won't even bother with. The Blade Trilogy for example, I'm perfectly happy owning just the first one. :)

I tend to be a bit of a completist.

Yeah...mostly with directors, though I'll usually pick up any sequels to movies that I own. So yes on both counts. Mainly with directors, though. I have a list of 30 directors or so, all of whom I'm attempting to complete collections of (mainly the greats, Kubrick, Bergman, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, etc etc).

-JP

I used to be until there were so many DVD releases that I had to start avoiding movies that I kinda like. I planned on getting the entire Halloween series of flicks but decided to quit after III since I never got into 4-9. The last thing that I bought out of "completion-ism" is Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (I genuinely hate this movie, nothing against those who like it). I got it only because I found it dirt cheap at a used DVD place. I must admit, though, that I bought Beyond Re-Animator to complete that trilogy as a blind buy. Had I seen it first, I would have stopped at Bride of ReAnimator.

no. if something sucks I don't want it. damn the completion of a set.

I am not a true completist, but sort of. I have some Steven Spielberg films, and Ridley Scott films, my 2 favorite directors. I had to own the Rocky box set, the Die Hard films, the Rambo films, I have all the Married With Children sets, the Beavis and Butthead dvd's, and all the Austin Powers dvds, and the 2 Weekend At Bernie's movies, and all the Crocodile Dundee films. Other than that, I don't think I am that bad.

I try not to be, but sometimes I do complete a movie series. Case in point: I loathe Batman & Robin, but I own the 2-disc to go along with the others. I didn't purchase them together either. But it was a free CH selection.

I'm going to start trying to just buy the boxed set if there's a title in there I don't like. I own the Nightmare on Elm Street, Amityville Horror, and Friday the 13th sets. I don't love all of those movies, but the sets are nice.

Same - did it with X-Files. Will eventually do it with Friends and Seinfeld. HOWEVER, I did NOT and WILL not do it with Ren & Stimpy.

I have Grease 2, but not the first one, so no.

I used to be very bad about wanting to have all the movies in a series, everything by a certain director, etc. I've gotten much better about it lately though. I've just recently gotten the new releases of Batman and Batman Returns, I'm contemplating Batman Forever but I will not own Batman and Robin.

As far as TV series, if it's something that I really care about, I will own every release despite a decline in quality (Simpsons, etc.), but there are some things that I'm content owning just the first season for now. I probably would not be able to own a season in the middle of a series and nothing else though.

For some things. I'm a sucker for the Fox numbered Film Noir series. They have all been blind buys for me but I'm digging them so I keep going. I was in a similar boat with the Fox Studio classics but have lost momentum on those.

The only thing that I am absolute completist for are Orson Welles films. I own most of his films on DVD or LD and am only missing a couple.

Yes, I do this. I'm sure I'm partially OCD.

I don't feel the need to get all the sequels to a particular film series, but if I have, say, the first and the third in a series, I have to get the second one.

Nah. I don't like watching movies I don't like.

= J

I've been a comic book collector since childhood, and completism is pretty synonymous with that. As far as collecting DVDs go, I've tempered it a bit, but not altogether. For example, I completely resisted buying any "Die Hard" movies beyond the first one (the only one I like), but was totally drawn into buying the "Alien" megaset, despite the fact that getting the first two alone were options.

JiM T

Since I'm building a library, this attitude you speak of is an essential tool. I am a completist when it comes to certian genres or directors. Bava, Argento, nunsploitation and others remain a huge focal point and must be complete for the library to function properly as far as research goes.

Nope. Just buy the movies I like enough to rewatch repeatedly in future years.

Right now just seasons of BTVS,Angel, Nip/Tuck and anything Joaquin Phoenix or Nicole Kidman is in

Unfortunately I am a complete complitist. Especially with tv series - even if I do not enjoy the new seasons released. If I bought the ones I really enjoyed I would only have 1-3 of the seasons. Totally unacceptable.

I'm a completist when it comes to tv series. If I start getting a show on dvd I have to eventually get the whole set. Though if I buy a season and after I start watching it I find that I don't much like it anymore and can't even get through that one season let alone wanting to get the next season then I'll sell it on ebay or something. That way I don't have an incomplete series staring me in the face.

It's the same way with say the Harry Potter movies...even if I find that I don't much like the other movies they make for books 5-7 I'll probably get them on dvd just to have the whole set. But I'm a huge Harry Potter fan in general so that probably helps.

And with the Disney Animated classics. I really want to get all of them on dvd if I can. Even the sequels. Though I think there might be some that I don't like and might not get. Example in point...Home on the Range...terrible movie. Don't want to get it. So I'm probably not a complete completist, but I do want most of the Disney classics.

But when it comes to other movies I'm not so much a completist. If I don't like a movie than I won't get it on dvd. Or if I get it as a blind buy and I don't like it then I'll sell it to gamestop or something. Won't keep it in my collection if I don't like it.


tabbi <3

I'm not, totally. It comes down to this: if I hate half or more of a series, I won't buy it. A good example would be the Burton/Schumacher "Batman" series. I dislike half of them so I initially only bought the first two. When the new box set came out I got it as a gift but that's a case where I wouldn't mind not owning a complete set. The same goes for the "Superman" films, I only own the first two because I hate the last two, but once again I'll probalby end up with that massive 14-disc "Superman" box set. On the other hand, if it's something that I like the majority of, I'll pick up the few that I don't like to be complete. There are a handful of Bond movies that I hate but I like most of them so I would rather own the ones I hate than have a nearly-complete collection, but if I hated like 17 of the Bond films I would only buy the 3 I liked. The same goes for directors. I bought most of Spielberg's movies because I liked them but I bought "Always", "1941" and "Hook" just because I was 3 movies away from being complete.

Yea...i'm somewhat of a completist. If i had my way (or the funds) i'd find a way to complete everything i have, but i do what i can. I'm more of a completist when it comes to tv shows on dvd.

For me, it depends on what director or TV show I'm interested in.
The Sandbaggers - *yes* I'm a completist
Miami Vice - bought the first 2 seasons, might get season 3; probably won't get seasons 4 & 5

Yeah, I guess you could say that I am a completist when it comes to certain directors. If I find that I have a few films by a director that I like, then I will try to get the rest of them, whether they are any good or not. I try to rationalize this by saying that having all of them gives me insight into the art of a director as I can trace his evolution over the years.

I do the same thing with CD's too. I have to have every CD put out by the artists I like (excluding greatest hits), because I want to see the evolution of an artist. It gives the album/film more meaning when you view it within the context of the artist's career. Or so I like to think.

Oh yeah, and I actually have lists typed up on Microsoft Word with the complete discography of filmography of an artist in chronological order. Whenever I get a new CD or DVD, I go into the specific list and put the ones I have in red font. Yeah, I'm really anal.

Nah. Which explains why I only have 123 DVD titles after 6+ years of collecting.

To a degree - Yes and No. If I really enjoyed the first and third movies of a trilogy, then I will want to own the second film to connect parts A and C. If it is a series of films that don't necessarily have a "flowing" storyline, then the completist element isn't there (a la Star Trek movies).

Also, I don't keep movies that only interest me to a minimal degree because of a completist element. However, I will purchase movies as blind buys because of these elements - such as an actor/actress, screenplay writer, director (major weakness), etc. Whether they stay in the ole' collection is based on how much it entertaines me and garnishes repeat viewings.

No.

For TV shows, I buy my favorite seasons of my favorite shows.

For movies, I buy my favorite movies.

I do have a lot of OCD tendencies. I very much understand the thought process behind being a completist. In fact, I understand it so much that I was able to overcome it. Having OCD sucks. But at least people who have OCD are usually smart enough to realize what's going on.

It's easy to give in to OCD. But that usually just feeds it. And things that get fed tend to grow.

Try not feeding it. You'll save a ton of money. And you won't have to watch DVDs that you hate.

i bought five of the six movies on dvd of the lone wolf and cub movie series.....
i didnt buy the other movie in the series because i found out that it didnt have good reviews

That's how I am as well. If a boxed set contains a movie I don't like, but I do enjoy the rest, I'll purchase the set. Other than that, I won't get sequels if I won't watch them.

My money could be put to better uses.

Well if I marginally enjoyed the films like Jurassic Park III or Alien Ressurrection, then I'll usually get the movie at a cheap price or get the entire set. But if it's a movie that's painfully bad (i.e. Batman & Robin, Superman IV, etc.) then I'll avoid them and get the individual titles I liked. Though usually if the film is part of some sort of larger "arc" like Star Wars or The Godfather, I will get the entire set.

I'm a wannabe completist, but my discretionary income won't allow it, so my collection is incredibly complete in some areas and woefully inadequate in others.

I had that many in my first year (1998) of collecting. I remember when there were only 300 dvds to choose from. :) I constantly have to stop myself from buying so-so dvds because I can get them for $5 or less. I keep remembering when it was normal for me to spend $19.99 for a good movie. I have some collections that I purchase without thinking about it, Hellraiser, Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, Sea-Creature, Mutant, Alien-like movies I love even when they are 'bad'. I do tend to get them used because I can wait and since I make my own custom cases I don't care what condition the box is in or if they are sold without. I do control myself with the 'Presented in IMAX' collection, I only have the nature or history documentries. Part of the fun of collection is finding a series that is outstanding. One of the best I have found is the 'Walking with Dinosaures' collection from BBC. Great, great series. I only have around a dozen 'Criterion' and never gave the entire collection a thought. I do have thoughts of collecting the works of a particular actor or actress or director but I'm more of a 'shot gun' and go with the flow. I do complete my TV series (Sci-Fi) but I have several Season 1s that I will not continue and will end up trading them.