Caveat Emptor, Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Double-Dip

Chief Justice Mike Jackson

May 27th, 2002

As you might have seen during the May 23rd, 2002 update, a letter writer wrote to us complaining about the practice among some studios of "double dipping" (releasing a new DVD edition of a film that's been released previously). Apparently, he has unlimited funding and can purchase every release, both new and double-dipped, that comes waltzing into his local buying establishments. He was growing tired of buying the same movies more than once, and blamed the studios and DVD Verdict (ostensibly for giving positive reviews of releases that were later re-released) for his buying decisions.

In his rhetoric, symptomatic of the United States' postmodern somebody-else-is-responsible-for-my-actions mentality, he raised some interesting issues. Is DVD Verdict complicit in a nefarious scheme to fleece hapless consumers? (I won't bother addressing that one; clueful readers know that a reviewer's job is to review discs, and give positive or negative reviews based on their merit.) Should the studios be expected to give a heads-up that a double-dip is imminent? Should the studios double-dip at all? I don't think those questions are the real issue. The real issue is the role you, the buyer, plays.

There's a phrase that dominates the consumer arena and has done so since Roman times, since it's in Latin and that's what they spoke: caveat emptor. In English, that's "let the buyer beware." Fortunately in the U.S. and in other civilized countries, consumer rights laws protect the consumer from poisoned breakfast cereal or automobiles with exploding tires. However, what a governing body cannot regulate is the intelligence of the consumer. Or, in less threatening tones, the savviness of the consumer. It's the consumer's responsibility that he or she make sensible, informed buying decisions. Fortunately, Mother Internet makes informed decisions idiot-proof. (Though, like Douglas Adams said, as soon as you make something idiot-proof, the world invents better idiots, as the Internet proves every day.) DVD Verdict tries to help as much as we can. If a double dip is announced, we try to point that out in our reviews. If it's possible, we raise that thought. There are many other sites that report DVD news and rumors; my favorite is The Digital Bits.

I like to think of myself as a smart consumer. My family didn't have much when I was growing up, so I learned the value of a dollar and how to be happy with what you have. I consider my DVD purchases carefully, though I do occasionally make some impulse blind purchases (and they've worked out for me, for the most part). Many, many films that I love and/or respect are not part of my collection, because I expect that they'll be re-released in better editions down the road. In the past, that premonition has served me quite well; I waited to buy Terminator 2 and Seven, and the second DVD releases were everything I hoped for. I'm still waiting for GoodFellas and Dances With Wolves, and the future (I hope) will hold something good. On the flip side, there have been double-dips of films that I love that I have not purchased. Case in point: Memento. I have the original release, and it serves me just fine.

I have a few questions I ask myself about every DVD purchase that help with the buy-now-or-wait decision. Maybe they'll help you too.

• How long ago was the DVD released? Contrary to popular opinion, most double-dips are of pre-1999 DVD releases, when the studios were still getting the hang of DVD. Most double-dips of newer films are announced (or at least rumored) prior to the release of the first DVD version. Keep your ear to the ground on newer releases. For example, it's already been rumored that Ridley Scott is working on a special edition of Black Hawk Down. It might be worth keeping the credit card in your wallet on the upcoming release.

• Check the studio that released the disc. Paramount only double-dips Star Trek movies. Buena Vista rarely double-dips, except with Disney animated films or cult classics (like Pulp Fiction and The Crow). If it's an action movie from Columbia TriStar, or any sort of blockbuster from Universal, it's a good bet you'll see a different (and negligibly better) DVD release down the road. If it was directed by Sam Raimi, stars Bruce Campbell, and the video rights are owned by Anchor Bay, resign yourself to multiple purchases.

• If it's bare-bones now, is it likely the filmmakers or studio will see any value in re-releasing the title with a better edition? Were the audio and video lousy on the original release? Does the film have any cult standing? Has the director discovered his or her love of the DVD format? Was the disc a "flipper," or non-anamorphic? If you can answer yes to any of those questions, a double-dip might be in the future.

• Do you buy to have a collection, or to have movies on your shelf you want to watch? Gauge the movie's worth to you as a film lover. If it's bare-bones now, will you want to buy a newer disc in the future, or will the current edition give you sufficient enjoyment?

• Why do you want the movie? If it's for enjoyment/appreciation, will the current release meet that goal? If it's for the home theater experience, will it give you the kick-ass features you want? If you want to know about the making of the film, will the current features keep you satisfied?