Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Conflicted about the Blu-ray Alien Box Set

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 10-27-2010, 10:48 AM:

I'm a fan of the first two Alien movies, so it's a natural to want to have them on Blu-ray. Unfortunately, Fox has seen to it to box all four movies together and price it at $100 ($90 on Amazon). That's a lot of money for two good movies! [Smile]

The reviews I've read of the box set make me want to pick it up, but paying what amounts to $45 per movie sets a pricing threshold that I am reluctant to cross. I've found it on sale this week for $80 at Ultimate Electronics, so that's a little better, but that's still $40 per movie, and I've never paid that much for a movie before. #3 and #4 are basically $10 catalog titles that I wouldn't buy even for $10, so that still puts the effective price of the other two movies at $30 each in my mind.

Netflix isn't showing any availability for getting the discs (probably because they don't want to spend that kind of coin either), so that option isn't available either.

The other alternative I have is to order from Amazon UK, with the end price being about $57 shipped. That's better, but I'm concerned with any substantial differences in the UK version. I don't care about the labeling on the discs, but I do care that they didn't replace any subtitles or captions, like they did with the Bourne UK box set (instead of "Paris, France" shown at the bottom of the screen as it was in the theater, they used the subtitling to enable different language replacement, which wasn't something I wanted to see in the movie itself).

It's ridiculous for the UK set to be so much cheaper than the US set, especially if the packaging and contents are not substantially different. I know that the UK packaging is accordion-fold instead of Digibook, but I don't consider that to be a difference that justifies the price delta.

I guess I should just quit being cheap and pick up the set locally, reward Fox for doing such a good job on the set (as to encourage such efforts for US releases in the future), and not complain, but the price forces me to hesitate.

Does anyone have either the US or UK box set, and can push me off the fence about this?

Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 10-27-2010, 02:02 PM:

Scott - the way catalog title prices seem to drop substantially soon after release (you can get Evil Dead for $9.99 already) I would suggest watching Amazon. I'll bet the Alien set hits $49.99 as a lightning deal or even a blu-ray set of the week sometime before or soon after the holidays.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-27-2010, 03:25 PM:

DO NOT BUY THE BOX SET! If you do, you are telling studios that you like being raped in the ass and they will continue to do it. Also, I have heard that the discs are stored in a paperboard sleeve, so they may come pre-scratched. Again we get slipshod packaging that strays from the norm for unnecessary reasons.

Wait for the first two movies to be released by themselves. The studio knows that everyone likes the first two and that most people hate the last two. The box set is the ONLY way they'll be able to sell the last two. Once the sales slow, then the first two will be released by themselves to lap up the money they know they are missing out on.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-27-2010, 05:19 PM:

quote: Joe Redifer
DO NOT BUY THE BOX SET! If you do, you are telling studios that you like being raped in the ass and they will continue to do it.

Since Phil's no longer here: "HUBBA HUBBA" [sex]

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 10-27-2010, 06:48 PM:

I am afraid I will have to differ with Joe because I agree with all of the professional opinion by critics including Robert Harris who had praised Fox's effort regarding the four movies and the packaging. Unlike Joe who had commented without seeing the product, I can qualify myself with my opinion because I did buy the set. I do not have a problem with the 3rd and 4th films although they are not as good as the first two, they are still both very entertaining films. No joe, I do not feel I was screwed by Fox for buying the ALIEN boxset [Smile]

After spending a couple of hours last night watching parts of all four movies and some of the special production features, the set is superb and worth having.

-Claude

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-27-2010, 07:44 PM:

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
No joe, I do not feel I was screwed by Fox for buying the ALIEN boxset

That's because you find parts 3 and 4 "very entertaining". And if that's the case, the box set is right for you. I'd still rather it be in a plastic blue case, though. This paper shit has got to end.

Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 10-27-2010, 07:48 PM:

The DVD boxset had incredible special features! Claude,do you know if they produced much in the way of new features and how does Aliens look with the complete new restoration?
The new BTTF set looks great with some nice new stuff but they left the lousy old Q&A commentary track.
Apocalypse Now complete Dossier Bluray is Excellent also!

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 10-27-2010, 10:49 PM:

quote:
The reviews I've read of the box set make me want to pick it up,

What makes you want to pick them up? The movies on blu ray or the special features?

If it is the features you want, well you have no choice but to but the box set.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 10-28-2010, 01:03 AM:

Joe,

The packaging is very sturdy and and I was impressed with it. If I had a choice between a plastic blue case and the package the ALIENS disc came in, I would still go with what I got with the discs. My discs were all scratch free and I do not feel there is any danger of accidently damaging the discs when I remove them from the hard paper sleeve.

Victor,

As far as I can tell, all of the special features that were on the DVD set were all ported over to the Blu-Ray along with a lot of new stuff that were created specially for Blu-Ray. Although expensive, if you enjoy the ALIENS films, the new BD set is worth the investment. As I had said, I watched only a few scenes from all four films and the picture quality and the sound is awesome and so much better than the DVD and laserdisc. The special features does not appear to be in HD but the picture quality is not bad..

By the way, next week will be aonther expensive week with THE SOUND OF MUSIC, TOY STORY 3, THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI, WHITE CHRISTMAS, THE PACIFIC and CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG.

I did not get BACK TO THE FUTURE but I did get APOCALYPSE NOW in the 3 disc special edition and you are correct, it is excellent.

-Claude

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-28-2010, 12:13 PM:

quote: Scott
paying what amounts to $45 per movie sets....

You can justify it anyway you want to but it's actually $22.50 per movie based on Amazon pricing. I suppose I would (or will) be the same way if Lucasfilms releases the original Indiana Jones trilogy as a boxset along with the (gag) 4th one. I already have the (gag) 4th one on Bluray, but I certainly wouldn't want to have to buy it again.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 05-11-2011, 05:01 AM:

They just released the individual blu rays.

I might pick up the Alien BR as that is the only title I don't have in any format.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-11-2011, 04:16 PM:

I bought the individual Alien and Aliens yesterday. $15 each. I am so, so, so glad that I waited.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 05-11-2011, 10:12 PM:

I agree Joe. Only the first two movies were actually any good.