Customer Reviews

Pocket Guide to Collecting Movies on DVD: Building an Essential Movie Collection-With Information on the Best DVD Extras, Supplements and Special Features-and the Best DVDs for Kids

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a really good book, and I do recommend it. This, and the Video Hound's Guide to DVDs series are the only ones I've found that describe and rate both the movie and the DVD, as most movie review books really only give capsule reviews of the movie and ignore the DVD extras. This book has in-depth reviews of 134 good movies and their DVD editions, whereas the Video Hound guides try to give a capsule review on a much larger set of DVDs. I think the reviews in this book are very good, and the information about DVD extras are even better.

However, there's one thing that I really didn't like about this book: It doesn't list any identifying information about the DVD, like the studio catalog number and / or UPC number. A number of the titles reviewed in this book have had several releases, and even though the review will mention which version to buy (at least by which studio released it), it's not always easy to pick it out of the review. They really should, at the very least, clearly list the catalog and UPC number of the versions they are reviewing at the beginning of the review (with recommended version if there is one), and ideally also use this information when they are comparing features of different releases of a title.

With all these "Special Edition" "Extended Version" and "Director's Cut" DVD's floating around, this cheap little book is worth the money to anyone building a library of DVDs. What's on the three-disk Fellowship of the Rings that isn't on the original DVD release? Which version of Casablanca has the interview with the writers? Which 80-dollar "Special Edition" of the movie is the same old DVD but in a fancy box with a poster? The writers of this pocket guide have watched all the supplemental material and can tell you what's there. They're not afraid to tell you what's worthwhile and what's drivel. As a screenwriter and an author (Crafty Screenwriting), I like to watch my DVDs over and over. I'm glad I've added this book to my library.

Normally, I would read DVD reviews found in the internet (as they are up-dated on a regular basis) as I collect both NTSC & PAL versions. However, I did pick up this book out of curiosity (probably due to the low price). Can't say that it's really outstanding but it is useful to some extend. The obvious advantage is its small size, thus you could bring it anyway & read it during your leisure.

For those serious DVD collectors, then this is a must buy. For me now, not only I'm colleting DVD movies but also any interesting DVD books!

I've been a film junkie all my life. And every year I avidly read every review and buy every book (of reviews) that I can lay my hands on. I consider myself such a serious fan of film that I read so many reviews I end up being a critic of critics. Vincent Canby and Janet Maslin (both from The New York Times) always won the award for the two people I could totally trust. I must now double that list and add Alida Brill and Steven Scheuer to that small circle of respected critical resources. This pocket guide puts an end to the silly idea of a collection of quickly created paragraph reviews (like just about every other dvd book) and instead focuses serious attention and commentary on about 180 must see movies. And it explains, quite thoroughly, why you will need to add quite a few titles to your collection. In their review of the classis "Do The Right Thing" they start by telling the truth: "this film grabs you by the first frame." And to that I must add THIS book (The Pocket Guide) grabs you on the first page. If you are a fan of film, buy a front row seat to this book and sign up for one-click shopping on Amazon and other sites... because your DVD collection is about to grow much bigger... and smartly so.

This is an excellent book for younger collectors who may not know about classic films. Also, I think it would make a good gift this holiday season, especially for those folks getting a new DVD player. The book was fun to read with lots of good information on collecting DVDs.

This is an amazing book, full of the information you really need and can see when you get a DVD of your favorite movie, but beyond that, the reviews of the actual movies are tremendous--fun, intelligent, and full of movie history.
I can't wait for their next book. With many of the great movie reviewers gone, thank heavens for this team, to amuse and inform us about the movies! Pauline Kael, meet the Wine Couple.
Bravo.

This is an essential book for anyone who has ever thought about buying a DVD. Ever since I bought my DVD player I had no idea where to even begin my DVD collection. This book has certainly pointed me in the right direction to begin creating the ultimate DVD library for myself and my son. It is eloquently written and easy to understand. The write-ups on the DVD extras and special features are particularly informative. Definitely a must have!

This book illustrates all the necessities to obtaining the best home movie collection. It is wonderful and a must have for everyone.

THIS IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE AND WELL-WRITTEN GUIDE TO DVD MOVIES, A MUST FOR ANY COLLECTOR.
THANK YOU TO THE AUTHORS FOR THEIR STIMULATING STUDY.