DVD Library

[Sue Dyer]

Try ebay, especially "items ending within the hour with no bids catagory". I got Michael Moore Bowling for Columbine dvd for £1.50 + face value postage which was cheaper than I could rent it.

[jimadept]

There's a weekly news magazine in Spain which does the same, slightly less well-known DVDs usually, but still very cheap and always with English and Spanish soundtrack. The weekend newspapers also do special offers but usually you have to pay extra for the optional DVD, 4 or 5 euros or so.

Jim

[rich_sipe]

We purchased DVD's for our rental and then we copied all of them. We placed the copies in the DVD library and the originals we have locked in a closet in the rental that the guests can not get to. This way if they do walk away with the DVD it is a copied one and so illegal and we can just make another copy of the DVD and restock the library. If we were to put the originals down there right away and someone took one then we would be in the same place with our archive copy down there. We took digital pictures of all of the dvds and made labels that look just like the originals but say PROPERTY OF EAGLE CREST GETAWAY on them. I don't think that is illegal but if it is we can just pull the ones down from the upstairs closet.

[A-two]

Try ebay, especially "items ending within the hour with no bids catagory". I got Michael Moore Bowling for Columbine dvd for £1.50 + face value postage which was cheaper than I could rent it.

This raises an interesting topic. What movies do you have in your collection and do you know what your guests enjoy most?

No offense meant, but personally, I wouldn't put a film like Bowling for Columbine in a vacation rental, it's too depressing. I've just started adding DVDs this year, and picked up Gangs of New York (good film and relevant to our area), also some for the kids - Babar, Lord of The Rings etc. For the grown ups, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon seemed OK, so I snapped them up cheaply on Ebay, then I bought Sabrina as a "bin end" from the local Walmart, oooops....that was a mistake - what a lousy film even with Harrison Ford, I'm embarrased to have it there!

I will definitely be picking up a copy of "Sideways" as soon as it comes out next week because we are right in the middle of wine country, so especially relevant, but apart from that, I can't seem to find good comedy - something that all the family can enjoy that hasn't been played to death on the movie channels.

What are your suggestions for "must have" vacation rental movies?

Joanna

[Hanorah]

You can also buy ex rental videos and dvd's at reasonable prices from Block Buster. We have bought loads and the quality is very good. We had one exception where the quality was poor and they replaced with another with no problems.

[Sue Dyer]

My "Columbine" was for home.
For the cottage I have my previously mentioned collection of Tom Hanks stuff. Big is a really good family film.
Other favourites would be
Field of Dreams (Costner)
Groundhog Day (Bill Murray)
3 Amigo's (Steve Martin)
Early Wood Allen movies

I also find my collection of TV comedy videos popular as they can be dipped in and out of. Father Ted, Hancock, Steptoe. We've a few football clip compliation videos - Danny Baker, Gaffs & own Goals etc. There is also a series of videos about the local area "Hidden Northumberland" etc which I guessed might be useful for guests.

[Alan Knighting]

Sue,

I haven't seen Bowling for Columbine but on reading a review I wasn't attracted. To quote "The sheer pointlessness of some segments of the film is simply bewildering." Do you think I should try it regardless.

Alan

[Sue Dyer]

Alan, I'm not sure...

I'd seen farenheit 9/11 first few days on release and wanted to back track. I'm not sure the arguments in "Bowling" are as developed and certainly no conclusions reached. The info about Canada v U.S for crime figures is certainly interesting.

Obviously comparing gun deaths in the UK, France, Germany to the U.S is pretty usless without a percentage for populations so that argument failed.

Just like the thing couple of days after I'd bought off ebay it was on Sky Movies (free!) Watchable but only if it cost you nothing.

My "Dude where's my country" hardback just arrived from ebay today so I'll start that tonight.

There's a gentle fun movie on Sky (free) at the moment called "A Mighty Wind" a spinal tap spoof documentary re 3 folk acts from the 60's. Look out for that one.

[vrooje]

I enjoyed Bowling for Columbine immensely, though that probably has something to do with the fact that I'm from the US and my husband is Canadian, so a lot of the time we were just nodding our heads as in "yes, he's totally correct." There was a conclusion in the movie, it just wasn't something Michael Moore kept shoving in our faces the way he did in Fahrenheit 9/11.

I also regard Fahrenheit 9/11 as much more politicized and the facts within it as much more biased, even though I probably voted the same way Moore did.

But, agreed, it's good that Sue keeps these things at home and not in the rental property! They are both depressing (yet funny) and politicized, but worth watching, too.

[sazzleevans]

I think my first few films for the apartment will be Big Fish, then Shirley Valentine, Lord of the Rings and Bridget Jones 1 and 2?

Sarah

[Sue Dyer]

Sarah, I haven't seen Bridget Jones II, as I heard some less than flattering reviews.
I do know the guy in the movie who plays the camp hairdresser (Trevor Fox -he's also in the stage show of Billy Elliot) so I'd like to see it just to see him if nothing else. You must have liked it though???

[sazzleevans]

The second Bridgend Jones was very funny indeed. It leaves you with the same feeling as the first...its very funny and a real stress buster!!

You must rent it!!!

I must add that I took on board one of your suggestions after drinking more than two glasses of wine. I ordered the paper bags you can print on. When my partner asked what I was doing I said I was ordering him a present.....

I am not crafy at all....now I am thinking how to use 10 white paper bags and my partner keeps checking the post for his present.

Sarah

[Sue Dyer]

ha!! you'll have to sell them on ebay.

I'll look out for Bridget II on Sky. I read the book but I'm not keen at all on Colin Firth

[vrooje]

*gasp* not keen on Colin Firth? Blasphemy!

[Fraise]

*gasp* not keen on Colin Firth? Blasphemy!

...and double blasphemy!!!!Even Huge Grant scrubs up well!!

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