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RangerLady23
Lorien
Nov 8 2013, 6:04pm
Post #1 of 32
(1335 views)
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Disappointing DVD
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So I saw on the main menu of our little forum, the headline story of everyone's disappointment over the EE of AUJ. I can feel their pain.
I bought mine at Wal-Mart, the only place I could find it and get it home and guess what? No features, none of the stuff promised on the box, and certainly no nine hours of footage behind the scenes.
Very disappointed in Warner Brothers for their lackluster release also.
No displays in store, no commercial spots on Tv or web, nothing.
Come on guys, you're supposed to be living up to big memories of LotR. So far you aren't even looking in the trilogy's direction, much less rising to it's level.
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Lindele
Gondor
Nov 8 2013, 6:09pm
Post #2 of 32
(771 views)
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Why is everyone having such a hard time with this?
If you want the normal EE with all of the special features why not just buy it on Amazon? It's not only the cheapest place but they ship incredibly fast...at least for people in the US...
I had the AUJ EE on the day it was released, ordered from Amazon...and the quality is AT LEAST that of the LOTR EEs, with the only major difference being that there are nearly 3 more hours of documentaries than the LOTR EEs had.
I don't know what ridiculous edition Wal-mart has but I sure wouldn't get it from there.
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Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea
Nov 8 2013, 6:10pm
Post #3 of 32
(702 views)
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You bought Walmart's stripped down version.
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The full set is anything but disappointing. It's stunning, in fact.
"All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible."
- T.E. Lawrence
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Long Hammer
The Shire
Nov 8 2013, 6:12pm
Post #4 of 32
(672 views)
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I bought the blu-ray EE. It was obvious on the packaging that the DVDs were a 2 disc set, but the blu-ray was the one stating 9 hours of extras. Hoping when I get home that I am not deceived. I am not expecting to, I think the DVD version in the one missing all the stuff
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Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea
Nov 8 2013, 6:14pm
Post #5 of 32
(657 views)
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Yes, fear not - only the DVD from Walmart is stripped down.
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I also bought my Blu-ray from there. It has everything. You can relax. 
"All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible."
- T.E. Lawrence
(This post was edited by Aragorn the Elfstone on Nov 8 2013, 6:15pm)
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Valinor
Nov 8 2013, 6:25pm
Post #7 of 32
(646 views)
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I long ago pre-ordered the 5-DVD set from Amazon, and not only did it arrive on time, it actually arrived on Monday evening, a day early. And I have been loving it ever since. I do feel bad, however, for those who have had problems, either with the digital downloads or the physical versions.
'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'
The Hall of Fire
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Magpie
Immortal
Nov 8 2013, 6:40pm
Post #8 of 32
(617 views)
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some of us (me) is not making The Hobbit a big part of their lives and wasn't overly concerned with planning ahead
some of us (me) are not willing to pay shipping and handling and will have to (without Amazon Prime) unless we buy even *more* from Amazon
some of us (me) remember what it was like to be able to walk into a store and buy something like this with no problem and often at highly discounted prices
so... some of us (me) just tried to do the same this week
some of us (you?) can say we took a chance and paid a price and I won't disagree with you. I am so completely ambivalent about The Hobbit AUJ as a movie (that surprises even me but it's true) I wasn't sure I wanted to buy it. Impulsively I said, 'do it'. But if WB wants to make it so hard to buy that I can't make it an impulse buy then I got lots of other media to occupy myself with.
I will likely get the DVD at some point. I'm doing okay till that moment arrives. WB (et. al.) seems to be the loser on this proposition... not me.
I am really glad I didn't buy the 2-disc version. I had it in my hands till my brain screamed... something about this price feels wrong... and I looked further at the package. If I had bought that and discovered my mistake *after* I opened up, thus making it impossible to return, I would have been royally pissed.
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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Elskidor
Rohan
Nov 8 2013, 6:41pm
Post #9 of 32
(596 views)
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Same day delivery and sometimes a day early. The real EE does have over 9 hours of extras, I'm still watching on it all.
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Oin K
Rivendell
Nov 8 2013, 6:47pm
Post #10 of 32
(569 views)
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Does the AUJ:EE have more than one commentary?
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The many different commentary tracks were my favorite aspect of the LOTR:EEs.
"The Naugrim were ever, as they still remain, short and squat in stature; they were deep-breasted, strong in the arm, and stout in the leg, and their snouts were long. Indeed this strangeness they have that no Man nor Elf has ever seen a snoutless Dwarf - unless he were rhinoplasted in mockery, and would then be more like to die of shame than of many other hurts that to us would seem more deadly. For the Naugrim have snouts from the beginning of their lives, male and female alike..." (History of Middle Earth, volume 11, The War of the Truffles, p. 205)
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Lindele
Gondor
Nov 8 2013, 6:51pm
Post #11 of 32
(593 views)
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unfortunately we don't live in the same world that we did ten years ago...video stores are on their way out.
But honestly you will probably still save more with Amazon (including shipping) because store prices are almost always higher.
I guess I am a little tired of hearing people complain about WB on here...it seems that no matter what they do, literally, people still find things to be unhappy about. Are expectations that high?
Not only did they give us these movies (even if you don't like them), but they gave PJ totally creative freedom, that becomes more and more obvious every day.
Plus, they are doing remarkably well with consistency to LOTR in the home entertainment dept...did they have to give us the appendices part 7-12? did they have to do it in the same style and look that New Line did LOTR in a decade ago? did they have to give us extended editions? If we get complete recordings of the score down the road then there will be literally nothing that we had on LOTR that we don't have the option to have now.
What more do people want?
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Avandel
Half-elven
Nov 8 2013, 7:08pm
Post #12 of 32
(578 views)
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but they gave PJ totally creative freedom, that becomes more and more obvious every day.
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Gotta agree there, too many articles out re the movie industry clamping down - PJ, IMO, seems to have been given a wide latitude, and with the MGM mess and delays and logistics can only be grateful that WB seems to have kept a relatively hands-off approach, as much as is possible when they are paying the bills.
And WB had to be involved with the recent fan event, which I think was a huge, wonderful success - and the technology WORKED around the world, which was great.
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Jim
Rivendell
Nov 8 2013, 7:23pm
Post #13 of 32
(542 views)
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but compared to New Line when the Lord of the Rings came out, WB whole marketing strategy particularly with the release of the EE onto DVDs in unacceptable. They've had plenty of time to get it out onto market and advertise it in good time for a November 5th release date. I'm not going to order from Amazon because it is out of stock and I just want the convenience of walking into a high street store and purchasing it myself with it in hand. Why is that so difficult for WB to do?
Ever since these Hobbit movies got up and running, their whole strategy in trying to appease fans and non-fans alike to the movies has been really bizarre. New Line made these guys look like a bunch of amateurs in comparison
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Lindele
Gondor
Nov 8 2013, 7:33pm
Post #14 of 32
(523 views)
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So the EE DVDs are a little bit harder to find than the Blu-rays...
I'm sure that ten years ago the VHS versions of LOTR EE were a bit harder to find than the DVDs.
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Nov 8 2013, 7:54pm
Post #15 of 32
(473 views)
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Sorry. Only the one commentary track.
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The many different commentary tracks were my favorite aspect of the LOTR:EEs.
Just the one with Jackson, Walsh and Boyens. Sorry.
'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring
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Jim
Rivendell
Nov 8 2013, 7:56pm
Post #16 of 32
(476 views)
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about the technology, perhaps I should bite the bullet and start getting a blu-ray player BUT I feel I'm not ready to switch over to blu rays yet. I want that 5 DVD box set, it would go perfect alongside my LotR EE DVDs
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Pousette
Rivendell
Nov 8 2013, 7:57pm
Post #17 of 32
(490 views)
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They didn't "give" us these three movies, and
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...their interest is simply to get as much out of the consumers as possible - which in itself is both understandable and totally fine.
Problem is, that the only thing that gets more and more obvious is that they really don't think that pleasing the ringers is profitable. They are happy to invest in and market the movie, as long as they don't have to spend any extra time or money on quality geek products. Which is really sad, because it probably would pay off, in the long run. Tolkien geeks will keep on being born, even if these movies don't become classics in their own right.
And of course they (mostly) let PJ keep doing his thing. The 'Hobbit' movies will bring in dragon hoards of money for them, even if all three films would get a cool reception from critics and fans. Even if Jar Jar Binks would be in it. On a bunny sled,
I don't think people have high expectations on WB, but we still have to make the fair comparison of these products, to the ones released by New Line ten years ago. Our disappointment shouldn't come as a surprise to WB. They just don't care. So there's really no need to defend them.
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Lindele
Gondor
Nov 8 2013, 8:04pm
Post #18 of 32
(468 views)
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This is exactly what I am talking about. The Ringers are never satisfied but give me one reason why they shouldn't be?
We still have Weta and all of the wonderful 'geeky' collectibles...we still have the Noble Collection...We have EEs that are carbon copies of the format LOTR had ten years ago...we have the Chronicle books which are beautiful...What more do you want? Am I missing something?
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Lindele
Gondor
Nov 8 2013, 8:05pm
Post #19 of 32
(457 views)
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to buy the DVD version for that very same reason, even though I switched to Blu-ray about 8 years ago...Those DVD versions sure are beautiful.
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Magpie
Immortal
Nov 8 2013, 8:19pm
Post #20 of 32
(449 views)
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I guess I am a little tired of hearing people complain about WB on here...it seems that no matter what they do, literally, people still find things to be unhappy about. Are expectations that high?
I don't think that's me. Perhaps it's hard to keep track of people and what they say and think but I am not impossible to please and I have not made numerous posts about what I'm unhappy about. So, if you got an issue with that, I don't feel like I'm the person you should be scolding.
I'm not even unhappy about the DVD. If that wasn't clear in my post, I'll clarify it now. I'm just saying I can't buy it on impulse and that's because of how this is being marketed/handled. I'm not bothered. WB is out money. How is stating that "finding something to be unhappy about"? And why are people who explain what their situation is being judged at all?
I will admit to being an old fart and old farts have a tendency to think things back in the day were better. But dang, back in the day when you could buy what you want when you wanted it without paying an extra $10 for 'Shipping and Handling" and waiting a week (or more to get it) *was* better. (and store prices, on the week of release, were always very competitive to online prices.) If people today are happy with the current situation, great. I don't think it's better, though.
As far as WB, though... it is my experience they have badly bungled quite a few things once become tied up in the Middle-earth franchise going back to "Something is Coming" fiasco of December 2009. (Searching my post history will reveal a few posts during that time where I took WB to task quite severely.)
It's just because I don't think I'm impossible to please, because I've pleaded for a more balanced approach to criticism (from either end of the parameter of 'like this' vs 'don't like this'), because I often advocate for understanding the give and take of filmmaking decisions, and because I think I'm fairly temperate in when and how I express displeasure that I feel like - every once in a while - I get to say something critical about something.
I honestly don't care - at this moment - whether I have the EE in my hands or not. It's going on my Christmas wish list and I bet I'll get it from someone and I can wait. Waiting doesn't make me unhappy. Being scolded for not being like you kind of makes me unhappy.
But WB is not a good marketer. I say that from the perspective of being a savvy consumer and being in the profession of working in marketing.
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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jtarkey
Rohan
Nov 8 2013, 9:23pm
Post #21 of 32
(423 views)
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But I don't think WB does a great job with marketing in general.
http://www.movies.com/movie-news/man-of-steel-blu-ray-hobbit-error/14067
There's an article from yesterday about how WB just randomly stuck a special feature from The Hobbit on the Man of Steel blu-ray. The article DOES go on to say the other special features were impressive, but that doesn't hide the mistake.
I don't think we should have to be grateful for everything a studio puts out. We're the ones paying for it, and they're the ones making the money.
While I don't think WB is doing such a horrible job to warrant intense backlash, I do think they are doing a much lesser job than New Line.
"You're love of the halflings leaf has clearly slowed your mind"
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patrickk
Rohan
Nov 8 2013, 9:27pm
Post #22 of 32
(382 views)
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...it arrived on Friday from Amazon (so watched it last night) but paid top dollar for postage though. Must be first in first served as I ordered mine months ago and so came reasaonably quickly.
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dave_lf
Gondor
Nov 8 2013, 9:39pm
Post #23 of 32
(374 views)
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They can't quite read our minds yet
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Same day delivery and sometimes a day early. The real EE does have over 9 hours of extras, I'm still watching on it all.
A day early on a same-day delivery would be pretty amazing. 
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Avandel
Half-elven
Nov 8 2013, 11:24pm
Post #24 of 32
(328 views)
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"I don't think we should have to be grateful for everything a studio puts out. We're the ones paying for it, and they're the ones making the money"
Just like I'm not grateful a company puts up an online site, which isn't so much for me as it's cheaper than providing a living person to provide customer service. And wanting a well-packaged, clearly understandable product isn't any different than me being irritated that "gallon" of juice I buy is now packaged slightly less than an actual gallon ):
As for the AUJ BluRay I just bought, I'm happy, but a little informative companion booklet inside would have been nice, as opposed to advertisements - printing those evidently no problem.
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pulpfiction16
Rivendell
Nov 9 2013, 10:53am
Post #25 of 32
(230 views)
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Internet delivery is considered more convenient these days. You can pre-order in advance, and most of the time (that is the drawback, screw ups do happen) it gets there the day of. That is more convenient than travelling to pick it up .. and hell, probably speaks in part to why so many stores have been shuttered up as a result of Amazon taking over.
Also keep in mind, New Line was releasing their DVD's at the height of the home media market. Currently, it's on the decline, and it's becoming less and less profitable to companies. That isn't to say it isn't profitable, but, they're certainly seeing less return on investment.
Just saying that these events aren't occurring in a bubble and I'm sure were New Line proper still around, I'm sure there would've been minor differences in their strategy this time around to adjust for the changing times. Hell, maybe if New Line were as fantastic as everyone made them out to be they wouldn't've been nearly bankrupted and bought out :D
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