Japanese DVDs, Blu-Rays, and Blade Runner

If you live in Japan you pretty much know you are already being cheated by super inflated prices to buy a Japanese DVD or Blu-Ray version of an American, Hollywood movie. I don’t need to rehash this part.

Sometimes though I just give in and by them based on the convenience of how quickly I can buy it, take it home immediately and watch it. It’s a lot quicker than ordering from Ebay. I’m a videophile that really loves movies and somehow buying the Japanese versions of American movies just doesn’t feel authentic to me, it feels quite stupid to be honest. Is it just me or does anyone else here not like having Japanese kana written on the spine of the case and Japanese written all over the back? Somehow when I buy my super ultra collector’s edition of whatever, I really feel as though sometimes I have some type of collector’s item in my hands (somewhat like a good quality comic book). In Japan I just don’t get that collector’s feeling like if I wanted to sell the item in the future who the hell would want to buy it from me?

My best movies I own on DVD come from the Criterion Collection, have a shit load of special features and are out of print. Editions of these movies will never be released this good ever again. That includes Michael Bay’s “The Rock”, John Woo’s “The Killer” & “Hard-Boiled”, and “Robocop”. On Ebay the Woo movies can sell for quite a bit. I was one of the people willing to dish out the money to get them. Others I was lucky to buy new retail in America.

OK so here’s what else I’m not liking about Japanese versions of US movies. Cut backs on extras and overpricing. Recently Warner Bros has a special sell going on in Japan where you can buy most of their Blu-Ray library for ¥2500 each. For Japan that’s cheap, but in the US most of these same movies can be bought for under $25. I was considering buying "Blade Runner” in Japan. Before I made that buy though I researched it online to see if America has a better version though. It does and for a cheaper price too. Here now is a price and special features comparison between the two countries. This comparison is the epitome of how I feel about buying movies in Japan. Check this.

The US Blu-Ray of Blade Runner is 5-Disc!

The Japan Blu-Ray is only 2-Disc. Additionally you can buy the 3rd disc seperate for the price of another movie, more money spent. And disc 4 & 5 they don’t even have.

5-Disc US version $27.99 3-Disc in Japan ￥4,707 total (About $45).

Which one do you think is the better deal? Thank goodness for PS3 at times like this so I have the right to choose where I want to buy from.