Searching the DVD Bargain Bin

One of the things I loved to do as a kid (and budding movie-lover) was searching the VHS bargain bins of the various discount stores (K-Mart, Zayre, Wal-Mart, Target, etc) for movies. Now video bargains are more available than ever thanks to the Internet (and a tanking DVD market), but also more in need of curating given the sheer breadth of the selection at consumers' fingertips. I thought I'd highlight a few films that I recommend at some good prices. Of course, prices may vary and are subject to change (and often will change, so double-check).

Selections after the jump.

Unless otherwise noted, click on the pictures to take you to the place to buy.

Deliverance - Amazon has the 2007 Blu-Ray release of this John Boorman classic at $8.49, and free 2-day shipping if you're a Prime subscriber. It comes with a Boorman commentary track and some other extras. A later release is out at a price that I feel is not justified by the additions.

No Country For Old Men - As I write this Amazon has the Blu-ray of the Coen Brothers' Best Picture winner at $5.00, roughly a dollar more than it would cost you to stream the thing in HD. The Coens don't seem to have much love for film commentaries, so I wouldn't be holding your breath for any great special editions down the road that have anything more than fluff.

The Lost Boys - It is the DVD version, not the Blu-Ray, but at $3 for the two-disc special edition, it's hard to argue with the price here, especially for the extras. You can click the picture above and follow it to the Blu-ray version for a little more than $8 if you prefer (or stream it as part of your Prime package if you're a subscriber - but you won't get any extras).

Real Genius - If you were a child in the early to mid 80s, there's a decent chance you remember when Val Kilmer was a budding comedy star. Martha Coolidge's Real Genius hasn't held up 100% in the humor department, but it is still a fairly entertaining little comedy (and is an example of a completely different approach to the military than more modern films that I hope to write more about soon). At $6.75, the DVD is nicely priced and less than it would cost you to download the SD version (and half the price of an HD download). I'm not aware of a Blu-ray release of this one.

Explorers - Staying in the 1980s and favorites as a kid, while it is above $10, the Warner Archive is offering a modest sale on Explorers at $14.20 as I write this. Get it here. It's actually better than the Amazon price (for a Region 1 DVD). This is great nostalgia for kids of the 80s and this Joe Dante film features early performances from River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke as kids that try to build their own spaceship (with surprising results).

Rolling Thunder - I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the Blu-ray of Rolling Thunder is available for $13.49 on Amazon. Remiss because I just bought it at that price (and what sparked this post, really). If you get free Amazon shipping, it's the best deal I've found. Click on the above picture to get it from Amazon, or if you prefer another vendor, Target also has it at $13.59 here.

Speaking of Target, it looks like they have some good in-store only deals right now on Blu-ray titles such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($4) and Evil Dead 2 ($4) and also on DVD titles such as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles ($4), Goonies ($4), Gremlins ($4) and numerous others at that sale $4 price point. If you're looking to stock up on some cheap DVDs for your collection, it seems you may want to stop by Target this week.

Semi-Tough/Gator - A Burt Reynolds double-feature on DVD, including Burt Reynolds starring in and directing Gator, the sequel to White Lightning (which unfortunately is not available as cheaply as it should be). At under $5 on Amazon, this is worth a purchase for big Burt Reynolds fans (and, admit it, you are a Burt Reynolds fan).

Not to be so heavy on Amazon selections (I did check, they usually had the better prices), Overstock has the underrated Wonder Boys at under $6 here. 

I'll see if I can dig deeper and find even better bargains down the road. If I do, I'll try to post them.