Do you still buy films?

[dreamdead]

I was thinking about this question in the age of Amazon digital downloads, and how seldom I go out of my way to physically purchase media anymore. Beyond an occasional Criterion film that excites me (this summer's watch of Shoah, for instance), the last two films I've physically purchased have been A Touch of Sin and Before Midnight, with the latter going all the way back to December/January.

Do you feel the marketplace and/or desire to physically own film decreasing? Has your interest remained steady?

[Dukefrukem]

Interest is always steady. It peaked in college when I got up into the 600+ title range. But then I realized how silly that was- sold and donated most of them to local library. Blu-ray has made purchasing physical medium still relevant. The audio and picture quality remains unmatched.

[D_Davis]

The only films I buy in physical form are Tsui Hark films.

[Spinal]

I do not buy films anymore.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I do not buy films anymore.

Same.

I used to be a rewatching fiend. No more.

[Gizmo]

All those family/kid films my girls keep wanting.

[Spun Lepton]

I rarely buy physical media for movies any more. But, if I see a movie I love on Blu-Ray for a decent price, I'll probably pick it up. Last two purchases were Evil Dead 2 and the 90's Gamera trilogy. I own maybe ten Blu-Rays and a dozen or so horror DVDs.

[Mysterious Dude]

Haven't bought a DVD since 2008. I think it was I'm Not Scared (which is now streaming on Netflix).

[Dukefrukem]

The real question is; No one on MC seems to buy physical media anymore, should Duke continue to post the weekly release threads?

[Lazlo]

I've been steadily building up a Blu-Ray collection of favorites and classics and I have a rather large number. There's no great rhyme or reason on which ones I get. Last year around this time I stocked up on my favorites from 2012 but I haven't done that this year with 2013's. I was also on a mission to get all of the Disney animated canon but that's tapered off.

My theory is that Blu-Ray will be the last, best physical medium where you aren't reliant on an Internet connection and a subscription or subject to whatever licensing agreement your streaming service strikes. I could be wrong, I've heard rumblings of a 4K-capable Blu-Ray. And in less than ten years everything will be 4K or UHD or whatever they decide to call it. But it's not a terrible library to have built.

[Irish]

I bought all my old favorites years ago and sold almost all of the last year. I didn't see the point.

Also got burnt out on the double dipping, re-releases, and format change. No way I'm going to buy and re-buy the same movies over and over again.

These days, a lot of the stuff I owned is available on Netflix or Hulu, so it makes buying hardcopies even more pointless.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I only buy stuff for my sons. Haven't purchased a film for myself in years. Sold all of my DVDs after ripping them to my hard drive (have one bin left for a garage sale this weekend, and anything that doesn't sell is getting donated). I'm just not interested in putting that kind of money into a collection anymore. Renting at $2/piece is far more economical and intelligent for me.

The real question is; No one on MC seems to buy physical media anymore, should Duke continue to post the weekly release threads?

I use them to keep up with new releases for rental purposes, so I would be disappointed if you quit. Also I know quite a few people on here still buy, as evidenced by the Criterion sale thread.

[bac0n]

Netflix Instant has killed my desire to buy movies. I used to buy on average one DVD/month. I bought two blu-rays last year.

[Spun Lepton]

The real question is; No one on MC seems to buy physical media anymore, should Duke continue to post the weekly release threads?

Yes, please. I almost always look at those threads.

[Skitch]

Blu-ray has made purchasing physical medium still relevant. The audio and picture quality remains unmatched.

This. My buying nearly stopped since I got Netflix streaming...and kids. Its rare that I have the house to myself to watch a booming loud blu-ray. But even renting stuff on Vudu (which claims 7.1)...the audio quality isn't even close to a physical media blu. I still buy some stuff on blu...but knowing its just going to sit on my shelf has curbed a lot of it.

[Morris Schæffer]

I don't buy loads of blurays, but i will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Digital media bores me.

[Skitch]

Digital media can be a lot of fun, but I don't trust its reliability.

[TGM]

Similar to a lot of people here, I used to buy a whole lot, still have a huge collection, but about a couple years ago, after realizing how little I tend to rewatch movies at home anymore, I kinda stopped for the most part. Since 2012, I think I've bought a total of 5 movies, some of which I haven't even put on yet.

[Watashi]

I can't remember the last time I sat down and rewatched a movie. It's probably been years.

[Winston*]

I think I've watched more films at the cinema over the last year than I have on DVD. Also haven't bought one in forever.

Still buy books at a rate much faster than I read them though.

[megladon8]

I still buy movies on almost a weekly basis. Do not have good enough internet to handle Netflix or any other kind of stream/downloading, so it's really the only option since rental doesn't exist anymore.

I like collecting movies.

[Rowland]

I still buy too many of them, but they are either films I really adore, or I find them for a cheap enough price to think "you know what, I liked this movie more than the $10 lunch I had the other day, so fuck it."

[Morris Schæffer]

I'm definitely done with dvd though.

[Michael Scrutchin]

I still buy my all-time favorites on Blu-ray as they're released (like Double Indemnity and Touch of Evil last week). Collection is still under 100 and will probably stay that way. I no longer feel the need to have a massive physical movie library with everything I've ever liked at my fingertips. Just my all-time favorites.

[baby doll]

I watch movies on Betamax.