[Once A Villain]

First of all, let it be known that I collect the Criterion Collection DVDs. I have every release so far, including all the out of print titles. I'm not sure how many that is, but the spine number on my most recent says 305 (some of the numbers prior to 305 haven't come out yet though). So, it's important to me to have the entire collection I guess. At the same time, however, I keep wondering when the value of all of them will plummet to nothing. I mean, I assume that in the coming years HD DVD will take over, and then will DVDs have any real value?

The DVD in question is called Salo: The 120 Days of Sodom by the famous filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini (who also made, oddly enough, one of the greatest religious films ever with The Gospel According to St. Matthew). It's quite a repulsive film, but it also went out of print after a short release, and not many people bought it because...well...it's disturbing. It's a commentary on Fascism and Nazis and all that awful stuff, but it's still too much. Basically 18 teenagers are selected by wealthy, crazy people to come to a mansion and be subjected to torture, rape, eating feces, etc. And all of this, my friends, is worth $700 or more to collectors.

Quite frankly, aside from its place in the Criterion Collection, this DVD isn't worth nearly so much to me. I was barely able to sit through the film once, and I doubt I'll ever try again. Still, selling it would deprive me of a single part in my otherwise complete 305 DVD collection. I could always fill that spot with the bootleg Facets version, but it wouldn't be the same. Argh...decisions, decisions. I just have this awful feeling that sometime in the future, perhaps soon, these DVDs will plummet in value and I'll lose the chance to make a $680 profit off a disgusting movie. What shall I do? Here's the cover, but I'm sure this will just make most of you say, "Sell it! Sell it now! Cleanse your soul!"

[smashing]

If you're that serious in having a collection, my suggestion would be to keep it, and ignore whatever kinda profit you could potentially get out of it. What's the point of selling it away, only to realise later that having a whole collection of Criterion Collections DVDs give you more satisfaction?

I have a few friends who sold their cameras away whenever the price turn to their favour, only to realise later that having every single camera in the series gave them much more enjoyment than taking pictures out of them. So in the end, they have to went to trying to reacquire the camera they'd sold (from other sellers of course) at a higher price.

So, if you don't really need to recoup the cash for some urgent need, keep it. You never know when you'll regret owning it.

Anyway, I think a complete collection would fetch much more than one with one or two missing titles!

[Kolzig]

Yeah, I think you should keep it. Only if you are in a very deep financial troubles, then you might need to sell it.

Salo is the most disturbing movie I have ever seen, most likely I will never watch it again. I don't like to make myself feel ill.

[Ninth]

Unless you have a great need for money, which doesn't seem to be the case, don't sell it.
I found Salo too disgusting to be really powerful, but it's still a classic, and has some great parts.

[Orange Brat]

Even though the movie is garbage and a poser when it comes to being labeled a classic(classic for what?), I'd keep it given you're a collector and have all the rest. What's the point in having a complete collection if you're missing the most valued one? The value will stay and probably increase unless they re-release it one day. They have done that before, so maybe one day. Last time I checked, it was $300-400...had no idea it was up to $700.

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by Orange Brat

Even though the movie is garbage and a poser when it comes to being labeled a classic(classic for what?).

It's a classic, no matter whether you like it or not.

[Orange Brat]

Yeah, classic garbage. Only, among a select few is it a classic. One of the few things I'd ever consider for banning and burning.

[natalia]

I'd definitely keep it since you're a collector. I've never seen it myself, but read about it on another forum I belong to. Always makes my stomach feel weird even just reading descriptions of it.

Wouldn't it feel weird if that were the one DVD you replaced with a bootleg version? Kinda like the feeling of one false tooth in a mouth full of beautiful, perfect teeth.

(Although I know how you feel about not keeping it -- I bought and read American Psycho, and just tossed it from my house because it made me feel dirty just reading it.)

[Ninth]

Originally Posted by Orange Brat

Yeah, classic garbage. Only, among a select few is it a classic. One of the few things I'd ever consider for banning and burning.

I dunno, seems to me like a lot of people consider it a great movie. And a lot of others, like me, don't particulary like it but find it very impressive, a kind of disgusting masterpiece.

[Once A Villain]

Originally Posted by Ninth

It's a classic, no matter whether you like it or not.

Heh, I could almost make this my signature for a few days, but I suppose I won't. What you said is true, and it was stated very matter of factly. Salo is a classic, but it's probably the most polarizing classic in existence. I agree with you that it was too repulsive to actually get its point across as well as a more subtle version would have. At the same time, however, I understand the film's importance in film history, though Pasolini did make other, better films.

[Terabin]

How soon will our current DVDs be outdated? I've bought maybe 10 DVDs this summer, spending more than I should have probably (because my income is 0), and I'm wondering if I should just stop if the "new thing" is going to be coming out in the next couple years. Thoughts?

Oh, and keep the collection intact.

[smashing]

Originally Posted by Terabin

How soon will our current DVDs be outdated? I've bought maybe 10 DVDs this summer, spending more than I should have probably (because my income is 0), and I'm wondering if I should just stop if the "new thing" is going to be coming out in the next couple years. Thoughts?

Oh, and keep the collection intact.

Optical technology have yet to be fully utilise, so it's not likely that another radically different technology is going to totally replace DVD and CD.

Frankly, I won't be worried that DVD would be outdated anytime soon. If anything were to go, it should be CDs. Come to think of it, CD have a surprisingly long life-span of 20+ years, and there's no sign of it coming to an end. To think that CD have already outlived the lifespan of a record, casettes, MD and LD...