If you’re anything like me then there’s a lot of stuff you want and while you may have enough money to buy it, you like things such as buying food, keeping a roof over your head, putting gas in the tank, so you don’t go around buying every little thing you want. But every once in a while it’s nice to splurge. Save up for a bit. Wait for a special occasion. Or both. It was my birthday recently and I got some spending cash for turning 35 and as an adult I went and bought a bunch of cool stuff, because I’m an adult.
My wife and I went to Best Buy and I told myself I would buy stuff I wanted, but I would spend wisely. So I kept my phone out with the Amazon app up and compared prices each time. So what did I buy from Best Buy that was the best deal? Keep reading and find out.
First I got myself a copy of The Martian because Anne had never watched it, though she read the book. I could’ve sworn I already owned this movie but a few weeks ago I went to grab it off my shelf and lo and behold, it wasn’t there. Both of us remember seeing it but it must have been in our imagination. The good news is that there’s a new(ish) version of the movie out. It’s called The Martian Extended Edition and while it’s been out since 2016, it’s still carried in stores AND Best Buy has a nifty steelbook version of it for $17.99 (a dollar cheaper than Amazon). It’s also the same price as the non-steelbook edition. If you’re interested at all in owning this film, AND you don’t already have it, there’s no better time to pick it up.
The next movie I picked up was a movie that had come out this past April. The Grease 40th Anniversary edition Blu-ray. This movie won’t need to be purchased at Best Buy as it was only a penny less than Amazon, but since I was there and it was in my sweaty palms, I thought, why not? For $11.99 this edition comes in a faux yearbook with a tiny pamphlet stuck to the inside of it that just features pictures of the movie. It comes with a Blu-ray and DVD disc with the original movie and special features on both. This is important to point out as there are times where a DVD copy that comes with a Blu-ray will only have the movie on it. Another very important feature of this copy is that it features the original sound mix. Back in the late 90’s Paramount tried to revamp the sounds and ended up making it worse. It sounded off. But this is the first time that the original recordings are available on Blu-ray. Hell, even most DVD copies probably have the messed up sound of the “remixed” soundtrack. If you’re a fan of this film, get this copy. It’s cheap and it wasn’t ruined by bad editing.
If you’re a fan of my podcast Future Flicks with Billiam, you may remember me talking about a movie called The Belko Experiment back in 2017. This film is basically Battle Royal but in an office building. When I purchased this at Best Buy it was $7.99 on Blu-ray. The price has since risen two bucks, but Amazon still has it for the lower price. Also Best Buy has a low price guarantee if you’re willing to go through the hassle to get your two bucks back. This is a fun movie with a scattering of B-list actors that you’ll at least recognize a handful of. It’s a new take on an old idea and I believe it’s well worth the price for a nice movie night in. If you have HBO Now you can stream it for free. It’s available to rent from Amazon, iTunes, Google, etc, but it’s five dollars. It’s only a 3 dollar difference to own it, so go balls-to-the-wall and get this film in your collection.
Do you remember a little movie back in 2016 starring Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Adam Devine, and Aubrey Plaza? Yes, I’m talking about the dumb comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. If you like dumb modern comedies then there’s no better deal for you. When I bought this it was about $6.50 but, at least for the next week, it’s on sale for $4.99. Blu-rays this cheap are a great way to fill out a fledgling collection. Even if you don’t have Blu-ray, it comes with a DVD copy AND the DVD only copy is $9.99. So why buy that one at all? This is a great deal to act on soon and the good news is, you know if this is your kind of movie or not. So either you pick up a new movie that will be at least mildly entertaining, or you have films like this and you save six bucks.
The next film in my haul is a lot like The Belko Experiment in the sense that it’s now cheaper on Amazon. When I got it at best buy it was somewhere around six bucks but now it’s gone up to $7.99. Amazon however still has it for the low low price of $6.60. What movie am I talking about? Life starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, and Hiroyuki Sanada. A nice Sci-Fi Horror/Thriller from 2017 about a group of astronauts trapped in a space station with an unknown alien life form that could kill them all and make it back to Earth if they don’t stop it. This film was directed by Daniel Espinosa who also directed Safe House with Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington. So you should know what to expect out of this movie. Something fun and exciting that never made big waves when it came out, but is more than worth a view.
The final movie in my haul is one I’m embarrassed I didn’t already own. Just like The Martian I was certain I owned it. It was only when I walked to the shelf to pick it up that I realized I never bought it. That film is called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This film is the same price in both Best Buy and Amazon so you don’t actually have to leave your house to get it. The question is, if you don’t already own it, which edition do you want. This one took me a while to decide on because I bought the bare bones Blu-ray for $12.99 and I’m a person that LOVES collectors editions. I know they’re made just to get more money out of me and I don’t care. I love fancy looking things. I love stupid little extras. But here’s my reasoning on why you should wait. J.K. Rowling confirmed on Twitter that there will be five movies in the franchise. You bet your ass that after the final movie comes out they will release some ultimate box set. So here’s what I’m going to do. When the fourth film comes out, I’m going to start saving. Putting money aside in a jar. Pocket change. That’s all. So however long it takes for the final movie to come out, I’ll have a nice sum saved up. THEN when the Huge Ultimate Collectors Extended Edition comes out, I’ll buy it quicker than Snarfkris would buy a new set of He-Man action figures. Until then, I’ll get the bare bones versions so I can at least watch them before that fateful day arrives.
So there you go, my first movie haul. Maybe one day I’ll turn this into a YouTube video. But for now, I’ll do what I do best. Write. Any questions? Never hesitate to hit me up by commenting here or emailing me at BilliamReviews@gmail.com. Or hit me on on twitter (@BilliamSWN) or Instagram (@BilliamSWN). Did you like what you just read? Well good, because I’ll be doing more in the future. Until then, remember, no matter where life takes you, no matter what your week has in store. Just take some time to catch a flick.
And just for fun, here’s a judging cat. It’s my cat judging my wife as she takes pictures of movies for this very blog.
