How to get DVDs for cheap

I'm going to take a break from my usual Thursday blog to start the first of many in a series on buying DVDs for cheap.

Ever wanted to start a great DVD collection? Or already have a good collection and want to make it bigger and better? Then look no further than this How to guide. Each week I'll be going through one to two places that you can look to buy DVDs.

Things to consider first while shopping:

*Do NOT be ashsamed to buy "Previously Viewed" or Used DVDs from stores. Its better to pay 1/3 the price and have a 100% store gurantee that it works than pay the full price.

*If it's a TV series you're looking for don't be afraid to buy different seasons at different stores. (Thats how I was able to get the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for $60, a $180 dollar value)

*Get the club card. Places like FYE and Suncoast have member cards that run from $20 to $25 and get you 10% off.

WAL-MART

While it pains me to actually tell people to buy formthing from wal-mart, it is still a good place to find a great deal on movies.

Wal-mart has 2 for $10 bins, that typically have decent to great titles in them ( at the expense of the special features but you're still getting the actualy feature). Wal-mart also carries a lot of NEW DVDs for in between $10 and $15. They also have new releases for about $10 sometimes too(typically just indies though).

Target

Target has great prices on DVDs, especially TV seasons.

I was in Target recently and they have a lot of TV shows with the first two seasons bundled to gether for $20 a piece.

The DVDs are also very moderatley priced, this store should always be considered if you're on a movie shopping spree.



By using all of these tips that I've learned over the years I've had the money to buy all the movies I wanted and still have enough left over to do other things.

This Friday.

The only new release coming out this Friday is the Street Fighter movie, and I don't know anyone (even street fighter fans) that want to see it.


HOWEVER

The Wrestler is opening at the Cobb here in Tuscaloosa, and I encourage all of you to go and see it.

2/24 DVD Releases

The shortest list for this month easily.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley - Words cannot express how terrible this movie is.
VERDICT: SKIP IT, destroy it if your friend buys it

Sex Drive - I never saw the movie, but it does look pretty funny.
VERDICT: RENT IT


And I do think it goes without saying how displeased I was that Slumdog swept the Oscars.

Appatow's Funny People

Now I think Judd Appatow has delivered some of the better comedy movies of recent years to the screen, and I think he'll do it again this summer.

You can view the trailer here.

My ONLY complaint is that like a lot of trailers it seems to give away far too much.

But this movie gets good props because:

• It's not Sandler's typical role (by that I mean stupid)
• It uses a song by The Postal Service in the trailer
• I like Seth Rogan/Appatow
  

2/20 Theatrical Releases

Only two new movies this week, to some people it means no trip to the theater at all (at least not to see a new movie).

Fired Up - There are really only so many ways that you can change the plot to the "Teenage Boys want to have Sex" genre, though this one is trying its hardest. This movie will be garbage.

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail - Having never seen a Tyler Perry movie or play before, though not new to the idea of what they are, this movie looks promising. Coming from a town very densely populated with Tyler Perry's typical demographic, I'm quite certain I could understand all the jokes.

If you want my pick for a new movie to see, I'd go with Madea, but if you haven't seen Friday the 13th, I'd go with that first.

Haiku Review warrants Haiku reply

In case you haven't read the Crimson White's Friday the 13th Haiku review, here it is.

Crimson White reviews
Summarize the plots too much
Even in poems

Slasher movies rule
Nudity is required
Jason did "rape" them

The deaths were awesome
Did we see the same movie?
Flaming sleeping bag

The crowd applauded
When I saw it at midnight
That includes me too

I love horror films
Don't review what you won't like
It throws people off

Oscar Predictions

With the Academy Awards Sunday I thought I'd go ahead and make a few predictions.

If a title appears in BOLD it is what I would like to see win.

If a title appears in ITALICS it is what I think is going to win.

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
(Paramount and Warner Bros.) A Kennedy/Marshall Production; Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
"Frost/Nixon"
(Universal) A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
and Working Title Production; Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
"Milk"
(Focus Features) A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production; Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
"The Reader"
(The Weinstein Company) A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production; Nominees to be determined
"Slumdog Millionaire"
(Fox Searchlight) A Celador Films Production; Christian Colson, Producer

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
Stephen Daldry for "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
David Fincher for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Ron Howard for "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Gus Van Sant for "Milk" (Focus Features)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
(Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
"Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics); Written by Courtney Hunt
"Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax); Written by Mike Leigh
"In Bruges" (Focus Features); Written by Martin McDonagh
"Milk" (Focus Features); Written by Dustin Lance Black
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney); Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon; Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
"Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
"Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton