A TOUR OF HMV SWINDON
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- A trip to Swindon to purchase some bargains in the latest HMV sale. This is an old style HMV store and well worth a visit if you're ever in the area (or passing by on the M4!). Similarities to the fabulous FOPP branch in Covent Garden as it also boasts an amazing stock of 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD, not to mention vinyl LP's, equipment and CD's. Towards the end of this video I show you everything I purchased which should have cost much more than it did but that 25% off sale made everything simply too irresistable.
This is the start of what I hope will be a RUclipsr tag whereby other film reviewers will get into their own local branch and upload their own videos. I've already asked a few fellow reviewers to do something and others have kindly volunteered. Let me know if you would also like to be tagged and I'll do that in a future video. So far here are the links to the list of people tagged as detailed in this video:
PlaytendoGuy (Pete)
/ @playtendoguy
ElectricGeek (Andy)
/ @electricgeek
UPDATE: Andy's HMV Ayr video is here: • STORE TOUR OF HMV AYR ...
Klassic Reviews
/ @klassicreviews
Mondo Chelloveck Movies (John)
/ @mondochelloveckmovies
Euphoria Pictures (Keith)
/ @millerman9991
Double Bill Movies (Trevor)
/ @doublebillmovies
Blu-ray Baz / channel
Jonathangorsephotography.com / @theflyingaudiophile
Chrissyboy / @chrissyboy7047
Since uploading this video we're getting more volunteers to shoot their local stores:
1) LeShark75 - www.youtube.co... is going to see if he can do the Manchester store which should be exciting to see for those of us who have never visited.
2) Pro Physical media / @prophysicalmedia is going to try to do the Bristol branch which I must have visited but not for at least 25 years!
3) 4K Michelin Star Movies / @4kmichelinstarmovies is local to the Watford store another one I haven't seen.
![GEEK TIMË [OFFICIAL AUDIO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ry-6RvkH880/mqdefault.jpg)
Good heaven it brings tears to my eyes to see physical stores alive and kicking like this. Here in Norway there is only two shops left. In my town of Trondheim the last one closed a couple of years ago. And yes, Collateral is a brilliant piece of movie. I think it deserves more praise than what it got so far. Tom Cruise as a villain...👍
We need to keep these HMV and FOPP stores alive and thriving Morten. Our shopping centres are desolate places in some towns now and HMV is one shop that can attract people in. When they're in town they spend in other shops too and also often get something to eat. Without HMV that will be another nail in the coffin for high street stores.
Collateral is certainly one of Tom Cruise's best roles. The two of them together (i.e. Jamie Foxx) were dynamite. I hope the 4K is a little better than people have been complaining about but it all comes down to what it looked like when it was shot
John.
That's giving me nice Sun Coast vibes (found in the States)... I'm glad that stores like this are still alive and well.
Only in the USA and the UK it seems but fortunately over here there are still quite a lot of them. John.
Thanks John. Great to see you doing this. Things are grim here. The seamstress ordered 1500 pounds of bathroom tile to be deposited in the ‘home theater’. She’s out of control. She’s promised that the room will be mine by March. She did not mention a year😂
You're going to have to take control of the situation there Rob as it's clearly getting serious now. Put your foot down with a firm hand and get her on that sewing machine!!! We're hoping to get builders in soon but that's already been delayed, The garage is the first job anyway but we've decided on how to try to get the home cinema sorted which will hopefully be a lot easier and a lot less expensive. John.
That HMV store looks like heaven. We don't have stores like that anymore here in The Netherlands..
Sounds like a good excuse to plan a trip to England sometime soon to me Johan. Swindon isn't the nicest town in the country but in the centre of London there's FOPP which is stacked to the rafters so that should probably be the first port of call. John.
I miss the old days when Fame was still in the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam :(
@@SjoerdBSUFC I get the impression 'Fame' was a video store Sjoerd. I'd have liked to have seen it but it seems that it's just the UK that still has such stores in the form of HMV and FOPP and to a lesser extent the USA. It's all much more disparate in the US of course but over here we're tightly packed in and so the market is still there... just about! John.
@@moviecollector5920 fame was like HMV, really great for both film and music enthusiasts :)
@@SjoerdBSUFC I'd have loved to have visited. But if there's not a market for such a store in a thriving city like Amsterdam then what chance is there anywhere in Holland or The Netherlands? It's such a shame. John.
I saw this. The camera angles nearly made me spill my sauce. Majestic
Well I hope you didn't get any down your shirt Andrew! John.
Every time I see HMV I’m blown away! I really wish we had them here in the USA.
I'm told that there are some good home movie and music stores dotted around the USA but unlike over here where we're over populated and all contained within a small land mass, everyone is so disparate in the US so I expect that's the reason we still have enough support for stores like this... just! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yeah that’s correct. There’s stores but nowhere near what an HMV offers.
@@JoshRazauskas Well if this all takes off and people find it interesting maybe some RUclipsrs over in America will show us their local music and video stores. There have got to be some good ones. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yeah that’ d be fun
Great review my friend, i used to live in Wootton Bassett as a young teen back in 1978 to 1986 so i know Swindon very well and the hmv store years later.
It's the second time I've been there David. I was so impressed when I first visited that I decided that I needed to return to see if I could shoot a little video. Job done. Nothing much else in Swindon other than Primark (which is the main draw for any town centre these days), but just that one store makes a visit there worthwhile. John.
Hi John! Thanks for this video and any work put in to get it done! We love and miss these stores here as you know and soon it will be nostalgia lol perhaps ray davies will write a song about it someday haha (nostalgia right up his alley ) and I think of him here because when you mentioned the vinyl and records well my mind travelled back and here my son is collecting albums and such to play on his new record player he has in his room right now so man i'm getting confused as I type... I guess these tours have that sad/happy effect on me here in my middle age... Love Saturday Night Fever John as we alluded to Siskel and Ebert I believe it was the late Gene Siskel's favorite film if memory serves me... maybe not hahahah my best to you guys over there Cheers D in BC
I fear it's going to be difficult for shops over here for the next couple of years and perhaps longer so we all need to make sure we support HMV as it's the only chain selling music and video left. Business tax has just been increased by 6% so that's not going to go well because a reduction of 4% was required but I won't go into all that on here as most of us are a little angry with what has happened (to say the least!). It's great that records are back. There's something about having a tangible product that you can watch spinning around on a deck with something physical ploughing its way through the grooves to produce music in such wonderful fidelity. Now if only Kodak would get that new Super 8 camera on the market maybe we would see a bit of a resurgence of real film in the home too. John.
You're right the HMV (and CEX) are pretty much the only things worth visiting in Swindon town centre. The UHD section is really good and bigger than the Fopp in Covent Garden.
Shame I didn't see you in there Simon. Hopefully I'll get along there again one day. Quite right about the 4K section being more extensive than FOPP which is bit of a welcome surprise. FOPP has more of just about everything else but that little Swindon store is a bit of a hidden gem. John.
@@moviecollector5920 been buying physical (music and video) media there since I was a kid. I always visit when I'm back visiting family.
In fact was there last week as I was visiting the folks and picked up Heat, The Fifth Element, Evil Dead 2 and Angel Heart on the 2 for £30 deal.
@@simonlee6761 And that's the type of custom they need Simon. If only everyone was prepared to spend a little on music and video and then there would be more stores around and in smaller towns too. John.
Thanks for taking us along!
You're welcome Dunn. Good fun shooting these type of videos. John.
Great stuff, John. I've been following your channel since pretty much the beginning - didn't expect to see you in my hometown HMV! My go-to shop when I visit the town centre in Swindon, which is at least once or twice a week. It's smaller than it was - I worked there in 2002, back when it was three floors. Still a fine store.
HMV in Swindon must be a part of why the town centre is still successful James - a small part - but having a Primark is probably the big reason. All the other major names may have gone but Primark is the one the ladies primarily head for now. For us chaps it's HMV! John.
I can volunteer to do a walk around Bristol branch if you like mate, I love this idea of everyone sharing what their local branches are like 💚
Oh yes, the Bristol branch would be great to include. We've also had a volunteer for Manchester so things are progressing. I'll include you in the next update to say you're going to try to get something of Bristol. Even just a few exterior and window shots is worthwhile and I'll then link into your video. Good luck. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I have an order on its way so when I go and pick it up I will take a few exterior shots and both bottom and top floors of the interior 💚 glad to be a part of this 👍🏼
@@prophysicalmedia I haven't been to Bristol for about 25 years so it's going to be lovely to see a part of it again. I'm not too far away now so you may succeed in getting me back there as I really enjoy visiting the HMV's around the country. John.
HMV online are doing 2 for £24. Picked up Alien and Jaws. Top films. That shop takes us back to the 90's. Great days
They were doing 2 for £20 about a month ago and occasionally do a 3 for £30 so it's worth checking every so often. If you're not on their email list then it's worth adding your address. John.
Nice video John and great timing as I'm sat here feeling sorry for myself full of a bloody cold, thanks for the pick me up. I'll try and grab some footage of the Manchester HMV branch the next time I'm in.
Oh yes, I'd like to see the Manchester HMV. Will you upload it to your channel as it will be a little different to your more usual type of video? It might still be of interest to your regular viewers and add even more variety than you already have. John.
I will do John, if anything so you can see it buddy.
@@LeShark75 Excellent! Thank you.
Looking forward to watching this in full, thank you, John.
I think it turned out pretty well Boss so I hope you like it. John.
Great video John and thanks very much for the mention! 😃👍 I think this is a great idea and I'm looking forward to doing my video. I managed to pick up some 4K's in Black Friday sale which I'll showcase and discuss in my video but I'm actually going into Ayr to film the store footage this afternoon so wish me luck!
Some great pick ups also John 👍I'm a big fan of collateral and the 4K is grainy as hell but I believe Mann filmed it digitally with high exposure to capture all the natural light in the night time scenes to give it a really realistic and gritty feel. He did this with Miami Vice also. I don't think people were particularly enamoured with it as it resulted in a lot of noise but I actually thought the 4K was a nice presentation keeping the filming technique in mind. Definitely not one for grain haters though!
If you're going to buy anything in HMV Andy then do that first before any filming as the staff will then know you're not a time waster and in fact a supporter of the business. Even if you can just get some exterior shots and through the windows it will be nice to see.
As for 'Collateral', if it was shot on video then what we're looking at is video noise which makes sense. I suppose it was a cost saving exercise to use video but it may also have been to do with the low light levels they wanted to shoot in because film is much more sensitive than video, even back when Collateral was shot. Low light and film rarely work well together as it results in more prominent film grain so the results might have been even worse. Whatever, it's an interesting movie to look at from that perspective so I may do a quick review video or just include it at the end of another movie review.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Mission accomplished!👍 I took your advice and made my purchase first and then asked the question. They were very supportive and allowed me to film away. They only asked that I always let them know first so that they can ensure the shop is presenting well first. The guy in store told me that they have a new digital marketing manager who is very keen for them to interact with creators on youtube, social media etc so hopefully that will filter down to all the stores soon. I'll start putting the video together tonight and hopefully publish on Sunday or Monday night John. I'll tag you and of course plug you and the idea. I really hope you get a good response for this. Keen to see the other channels videos too 👍
Re. Collateral, I didn't know that about film being more sensitive to low light and of course you're absolutely right... digital noise sorry as opposed to grain, though I'm assuming 'grain haters' would also hate digital noise! lol You should definitely include it in one of your videos. I for one would certainly appreciate your insight into the filming process and I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the movie. I think it's one of Tom Cruise's best performances 👌
@@ElectricGeek Brilliant! And brilliant that HMV have now got a digital marketing manager so this little collaboration among us RUclipsrs could be a very welcome start for him without having to do anything. There's no rush to get anything up so take your time and maybe leave it overnight once you think it's finished because quite often something can occur to you when you walk away for a while. That's how I usually operate anyway. I'll get a sort of update video out once a couple of people have videos up so maybe I'll have a look at Collateral to include a brief overview of that. When I reviewed Dune I thought all the grain in that was video noise owing to the generally low light levels but I was wrong and it had been transferred to film and back again to make it look like film. I think that messed up the image quality somewhat but what do I know?!?
John.
Its good to hear that HMV is in the good hands now.They not just keeping alive existing stores but expanding and opening new stores too.While in many countries physical media stores extinct for years
It's fabulous to have great stores like this around Romualds. The only reason we visited Swindon was to buy some discs in HMV but of course once you're in a town centre you always go into other shops. Having stores like this is a win, win for high streets all over Britain - and Belfast in Northern Ireland which I hope we'll all see for ourselves soon via other RUclipsr videos.
John.
Long time since I was in a hmv.....they closed down in Ireland year's ago.... Great job John 👍
The single branch remains in Belfast Roy. Hopefully Keith will get to that one and shoot some video for us. John.
Should do update on this , In USA Getting harder to find new releases . Keep up good work
I recently did a video of the original HMV store on Oxford Street in the West End of London Russell. That only re-opened late last year so actually made the national news over here. HMV opened in that very store originally in 1921. John.
Great vid John. I picked up An American Werewolf In London and Casablanca recently both on 4k, haven’t got around to watching them yet.
I'd have liked to get American Werewolf In London Danny but I only finally purchased the Blu-ray a year or two ago so I didn't fancy watching it again already. John.
Thank you John. Your videos are always a good time 👍. Would love to hear your thoughts on the 4k disc of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Heard its a bit of a stinker. But, your take on it would be great to listen to.
Keith at Euphoria Pictures spoke about Planes, Trains & Automobiles and he was really rather angry about it. Apparently it has a bit of a waxy look denoting that a little too much image noise reduction has been applied. Not everyone will mind that but for those of us who like to feel we're watching a film rather than a computer game, it can be a bit of a downer. It's a good movie but not one I feel I want to watch over and over again so I've never actually purchased it on any format. John.
HMV just reopened in Dublin today John. Happy it’s back.
I was wondering when it would open so this is very welcome news. Who ever would have thunk it? John.
A real store…wow! Looking forward to the white suit.
I'm practicing my fanciest dance moves right now Gary.
@@moviecollector5920 I’m embarrassed to say, but I actually danced on a lit dance floor and I couldn’t dance, but that where the girls were…ah the 70’s.
@@garyharper2943 I think we were all pretty much the same back then Gary but now we're a little more mature we're the greatest dancers in the world!
Another good video John thanks for sharing much appreciated 👍🏻
You're welcome Ron. I do enjoy making these movie store tour videos. John.
Found this after actually going to the Newcastle HMV (Eldon Square shopping center) yesterday but as I was carrying too much I didn't get any photos/video. However I did buy a Blu Ray of Taste the Blood of Dracula to go with the late printing (on LPP) 4ooft that Derann released and the shop seemed well equipped, stocked and frequented with customers.
I wonder if that's the one that John of Mondo Chelloveck Movies frequents Brian. Was there an area covered with movie posters because one of the chaps who works there (Steven 'Monkey' Mason) put that together and it looked really good in a video John did a year or so ago? As for Taste The Blood Of Dracula, I haven't seen that in over 40 years. I think it was the first Hammer Dracula I ever saw as a child and can remember the resurrection scene to this day. Good to know the HMV seemed to be doing well. We were in the Bath store again last weekend and that was rather busy too with many of them seeming to spend quite a lot of money. All good for the future I hope.
John.
This looks like a fantastic shop. I hope to visit the U.K. sometime and pick up some unique 4k movies - I already import enough as it is. Here in Seattle we have the largest video store worldwide, which primarily focuses on rentals and is a fantastic place to find obscure gems. But it'd be nice to have more places to buy movies - wish we had something like an HMV over here.
If you ever fly into London Ryan then FOPP is an HMV offshoot right in the centre just up from Piccadilly Circus. I did a full video on that one in March last year so take a look at that. It's the most successful music and video store in the UK. I hope the Cinerama cinema is still thriving in Seattle and if so maybe I'll see you there one day.
John.
Love seeing the vids from.hmv I go to the one in Manchester and bury they are good stores aswell
I'm quite excited Mark because someone has volunteered to shoot a video of the Manchester HMV so that should be really interesting. I'm not likely to ever get there myself in the future but you never know. John.
Great vid as ever John. 👏🏻👏🏻
I've just had a look at it on our telly Zephyr and it looks rather nice. I decided to stick this one up in 4K which was a bit of a waste of time but I was curious to see if there was a perceptible difference... I think there was, but that was because it didn't look quite as good as previous similar videos I've uploaded in HD. You can't win 'em all! John.
Thanks John.
Ah, things are back to normal once more. First again Cheekster, well done. John.
Long live physical media !
Hear, hear!
It's a shame that where I come from (Canada) all HMVs closed down years ago.
Great to see there are still stores around though!
It's always a treat seeing stores with many physical movies!
HMV is owned by Sunrise Records now Raymond which I think is actually a Canadian company. So if things continue to go well over here you just never know. The population is a bit more crammed in here though (to say the least!) so it's probably easier to justify having physical shops that it is in the Americas where everyone is so much more spread out. John.
@@moviecollector5920 There are some sunrise record stores in Canada (as well as FYE) but they are few and far between. They are still pretty cool though!
@@raymonddavis9277 I wonder why they don't adopt the famous HMV name. There may be some legal reason as HMV went bust four or five years ago but you'd think there'd be a way around it. John.
Thanks for the tour. A review of the 4K transfer of Saturday Night Fever would be very welcome as I've seen talk of that being terrible. Too late for me as the film is a favourite of mine and I've already bought it but it would be cool to get your opinion. I haven't watched the disc yet but don't own many 4K films so can't judge how good or bad it is. Thanks👍🍺🍺
Don't get too concerned about people saying the 4K of Saturday Night Fever is terrible because my recollection is that it wasn't brilliant at the cinema. I think I saw it on re-release about 1980 but I do have one of the Super 8 cut down releases of it and although it looks nice it doesn't have the definition of other movies shot on 35mm... better than some perhaps but not as good as most. John.
3d titles don't get a lookin now and don't have any bluray tv titles i could see when I last went 1 week ago. Its a miracle this place is still in business
I don't think many of us are particularly interested in 3D at the moment Geoff but it will come back again, it always does. The last fad was the longest lasting of all time which is a good indication that this time it was more or less right. I still can't watch 3D for long periods of time so feature films are a stretch too far. I always enjoyed it when you have five or ten minute sequences though. Best 3D of all was LCD Omnimax - I could watch that all day!
John.
In India the physical media is completely dead. I dont think there is any store left, nor movies Indian movies releases physical media..seeing these videos makes me happy
I'm surprised that a movie loving nation such as India, with its own thriving film industry, isn't selling discs. Surely there must be some companies somewhere issuing physical media? If not, there's got to be a business opportunity there for someone... if you fancy a challenge Rahul! John.
We used to have a huge HMV here in the Metro Atlanta area across the pond. Now I don't think we have any brick and mortar stores like it anywhere. I miss His Master's Voice.
Let's all hope for a comeback Henri. Today the UK, tomorrow the world! John.
I miss HMV dearly - the flagship store in Toronto was 3 floors and always busy. I wish they would come back in Canada even if small stores.
HMV is now owned by Sunrise Records of the USA so you never know Mandeep. It all depends on how sales of records continue or whether they tail off a little. Home movie discs are less profitable but an important sideline to keep stores viable. John.
@@moviecollector5920 We do have some Sunrise locations in Canada, however, it's just not the same as His Masters Voice.
@@TheBanwait8 It may change Mandeep. Sunrise have been making changes to HMV over here but they're all still carrying a fair stock of video discs. If their resurgence continues then it's possible some of those changes could be applied to the Canadian stores. First thing I'd do is change the name as 'HMV' is historic. Well, it is over here anyway.
John.
I feel like places like this could demo 5.1 surround sound using high quality headphones and a badass 4k oled tv. Would only take a few minutes per customer. I feel like 99% of people don't know about 4k movies and their high quality sound. Hell I would try a demo like that if they had it.
There's a lot that could be done but staff cost so much now that's it's almost impossible for a lot of branches to keep up with all the existing jobs. In days gone by there were a lot more people manning the stores but that's probably a major reason why they went out of business and Sunrise Records stepped in to rescue them for the good of all mankind! John.
Thank you for the tour. Here in the United States, I find it interesting to see how Blu-rays are distributed and sold abroad. However, those rating emblems plastered all over the Blu-rays are very annoying and distract from the cover art. Glad I don't have to deal with that. Just a minor quibble.
Virgin megastore was great for dvd and bluray. Could spend hours In there. Shame it shut down
At least HMV/FOPP have survived Geoff so all is not lost. As for the certifications on the inlays Crow, a few people have mentioned they have trouble with them but most of us don't even see them. The German ones are over the top though so I know where you're coming from. I much preferred the original certifications when we had U, A, AA and X. Shame people couldn't fathom out what they meant though!
John.
Very nice tour and store.
Thanks Craig. I'm sure the staff in the Swindon HMV are going to be pleased to see all the positive feedback they've received. John.
I remember the one on Oxford Rd in London remember the tower records on Piccadilly Circus
There were two on Oxford Street, the original store (which was still standing but with a squat shot in it last time I was there) and the massive newer store east of Oxford Circus which is now a Sports Direct I think. All the music and video stores have gone in the West End now apart from FOPP just off Shaftesbury Avenue at the Cambridge Circus end. That is a great store so all is not lost.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 yes I remember them be 2 and there was the virgin megastore
@@neiltaylor6645 A Virgin Megastore at either end Neil. We used to spend a lot of time in all those stores and Tower Records at Piccadilly Circus too. Longer ago than that the only movie store was Portland Films on Shaftesbury Avenue but that got killed soon after VHS started making inroads. John.
Hi John, Good to meet you, thanks for the video, enjoyed it. HMV your tour was great, Swindon shop was full cramped full of movies, if I was in there, be in there for hours browsing and buying, usually like that in CEX. We here in the Isle Of Man used to have HMV then it all all closed down , we all felt absolutely gutted!, nobody wanted it to go. Great big toy shop in it's place now, it's good for toys of course, but I'd rather HMV. I like the original TV series of Star Trek but none of the ones after. Cheers for the review. Jamie :)
This Star Trek: Discovery is really good so far Jamie. We're currently watching episode 2 of series 3 (but just stopped for a cuppa') and it's pretty terrific. A bit more brutal than what we came to know in earlier series and each series is one complete saga than a single story in each episode. It works well.
HMV may return if they continue to do well. I have concerns though with the new communist government here now, but I won't go into it on here!
John.
I really enjoyed the War of the Worlds in 4k. I hope we’ll get Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) somewhere in the near future.
The image quality of The War of the Worlds isn't very good though. It was almost like watching an old Super 8 print in here which I rather enjoyed, but I will try to find out why it's not exactly the best 4K cine to video transfer we've seen. I suspect a rather sub-standard 35mm Technicolor print had to be used as the master. We'll see.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Well, what I noticed was a lot of difference in quality between scenes; and of course there’s quite the usage of stock footage in this movie, which has its own visual quality. Still, it’s the best version of the movie that I’ve seen, personally.
@@Piece-O-Pie I think they did the right thing to remove the wires suspending the spaceship models but not everyone is going to agree with me on that one. It was clearly a difficult bit of animation to carry out when the wires were hiding in smoke as they appeared slightly a few times. The acting is as dreadful as I remember but I suppose the film makers were going for an almost cartoon like, comic book approach, so I may be being a little unfair there. John.
Nice to see Hmv again, wish it was still existing in my country
They've been doing well lately Gabriel so let's all hope for a return to world domination! John.
Wish we had a store like this near me. Closest thing is Target and Bes Buy and they have shrunk their movie sections down to a single aisle and sometimes a single end cap
HMV is owned by Sunrise Records and I think they also own one of the chains in the USA. We're a denser population here and just as fanatical about film so the UK is better placed to have music and movie stores. Even Germany no longer has them which is a bit of a surprise but they're a much larger land mass and more spread out than us. John.
collateral was bad when i watched it on my set up however after watching it on my oled its perfect good video
I think Collateral was one of the earlier movies to be shot on video Chris so that's probably why it's caused some consternation. Thankfully video cameras are much better these days but Collateral has the sort of atmosphere where a slightly muted picture should work well, so it will be interesting to see. John.
Hi John, I usually order off Amazon, laziness really, lately I have started to travel to HMV in Darlington County Durham, not as big as this store, it sure is nice when you can physically pick film's up off the shelf rather than looking at a picture on a website, watched a couple of 4K film's recently, Home Alone and Gremlins, nice transfers, guaranteed to put you in the Christmas vibe, Pulp Fiction, Highlander and Wayne's World are arriving today, also watched Terminator 2 on 4K, wish I hadn't, one of the worst 4K transfers out there, I'd luv a review and your thought's on the transfer but please don't purchase it, see if you can borrow it, booked up to watch Avatar: The Way of Water when it's released, hope it was worth the wait.
Well done James. It's only but us supporting physical media stores (i.e. HMV and FOPP) that they will survive. Records must be the big thing to keep the alive but over the years of the pandemic I've found myself using the HMV web store far more often than I used to. Even if a product costs slightly more than somewhere else it surely must help the physical stores more than purchasing from a business that is solely based on the web. I don't like all the 'Exclusive to...' releasing when it comes to special editions and steelbooks though. Zavvi seem to get most of those but they no longer have shops in our shopping centres so I try not to support them as a result
I haven't seen Terminator 2 on 4K disc but I have seen the Predator Blu-ray which went through the same process to remove any trace of film grain. This was because a 3D release was planned and to get the best 3D I'm pretty sure they need to remove everything but the things the viewer is supposed to be looking at. As a novelty it might be fun to watch great classic films in 3D but there is no way I would ever replace the original film with something like that myself. Others don't agree and that's fine but I've lived through many 3D fads so far and I understand the fun it can be. I have seen the best possible 3D which is Omnimax with LCD glasses and after that nothing else comes close.
I won't be seeing the new Avatar film. I never managed to generate any enthusiasm to see the original after seeing the trailer which put me off and still does to this day. Funny how I never liked computer animation right from day one. Computer generated effects are a different matter but animation, ugh!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Totally get where you are coming from John, at the end of the day you really can't beat real actor's in a real environment, T2 minimal CGI which work's well, very well.
@@jamessiddle7389 Back in those days computer generated images were used sparingly and as a result they made an impact. That's what's gone wrong today as movies are being made because all the special effects considered impossible years ago can be achieved - to a fashhion - in a computer today. If you've ever watched any of these animators actually doing that work, it's an absolute bore!
John.
I have been to the Leicester branch a year ago whilst visiting the city and it was huge, maybe a flagship store. Perhaps you could go to that one as I remember it being excellent and came out with my wallet £60 lighter!!
Leicester's a bit of a long way from me here but hopefully a fellow RUclips disc reviewer will volunteer. I suppose it depends on how widespread the word goes really. John.
John, do you think you'll look at the Columbia Classics 4k collections? I would be curious to see what you think with your experience. I just got volume 3, didn't have a look yet, but volume 1 was great (I didn't really fancy the films in vol 2, have most on dvd and am content with that).
I wanted to get volume 1 Sjoerd but couldn't afford it so I missed out there. I haven't fancied the two follow ups. I've been trying to find a 4K of Lawrence of Arabia since then though but to no avail. People keep telling me they think the transfer of that one is about the best they've seen but I've answered all of them to let them know that it bloody well should be because it was a 65mm shoot! However, I have the Blu-ray which was a shrink down from the 4K master file and that is quite poor in places compared to other 70mm releases of the period so perhaps new work has been done and it's been improved. I hope so.
@@moviecollector5920 I really loved the 4k of Lawrence of Arabia, that film is just so great. My main reason for getting the box set. Especially the first desert scenes are so sharp it's ridiculous. Reminded me of the 4k of 2001, which as you've pointed out in one of your first videos was amazing as well.
@@SjoerdBSUFC One day I'll find a 4K copy of Lawrence of Arabia. It's strange that it's completely disappeared from the market without ever having made an appearance in HMV stores. I can't understand why that would be as there's money to be made by releasing it properly. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I agree, out of all the films in the Columbia Classics collections, I think, reading comments etc. that this would definitely sell well as an individual release.
Sir, thanks again for the video. Movie stores in Britain are amazing. England qualified from their group in World Cup. Nice! Anyway, about Jurassic World: Dominion, I hope you watch the extended edition and the short film: Battle at Big Rock. It would be nice to hear about special features where everything is NOT cgi, but much more.
I didn't know England had progressed to the knockout stages Lauri so thank you for that. I used to love all things football (payed until I was far too old) but years ago it was established that a World Cup was fixed before the first ball had been kicked and as a result of that investigative documentary, I instinctively knew who the chosen winner was and I was right. I could never watch again and I haven't since. That was in the 1990's. The good news is that because everyone now knows that FIFA is corrupt they are less likely to rig a major competition for fear of being caught. So enjoy the tournament where hopefully, the best team will win.
I'll watch the third Jurassic World film shortly and see what I think. If there's enough there to warrant talking about it in a review video then I'll start putting everything together. I thought the second film, 'Fallen Kingdom' was really good but others didn't agree with me. It would be boring if we all agreed about every film so that's just as it should be.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Fallen Kingdom is my favourite, also The Dark Knight Rises, but so many times I hear that those are bad... well... Ofcourse Batman and Jurassic Park are "best ones" but I really enjoyed those two.
@@laurihasko2153 I'm with you on every point there Lauri.
Guarantee that those TG Maverick copies at CEX were purchased as new and CEX are flipping them for a profit. They pull the same scalps on games and games consoles. We looked for switch not long after they launched and CEX was the only store in town with and almost £70 increase above the RRP.
That's business though Martyn and if people are prepared to pay for something then that's a sign that the business has got the price right. I don't like paying over the odds for something though, I don't suppose any of us do, but there are times when we can get caught. John.
Very nice store. I hope they don’t turn it into one of the new Retro stores as it will lose so much of the media
I know what you mean Paul but this one seems to be doing well enough as it is. Swindon is still a fairly busy town centre. If you fancy getting some shots of your local HMV and a tag sometime just let me know. I ask permission to shoot video in these stores after I've handed over a wadge of cash which usually makes them realize I'm not a complete nutter! Well, that's a matter of opinion I suppose. John.
Great tour
Thanks Steffy. I enjoy doing these movie store tours. John.
I miss HMV here in Canada
Many people have told me the same thing Carlos. Keep hoping for a return though. John.
By you saying that you needed to watch Jurassic World Dominion to see if it’s just “another load of tosh” I have finally found out what tosh means 😂 Also I think you will see that yes, yes it is another load of tosh
Thanks Chris, you gave me a good laugh there. I do enjoy a load of tosh providing it's served up well and doesn't take itself too seriously. The previous two films succeeded so I'm hopeful. John.
0:09 What is Pound stretcher? A torture rack for your cash?
I hadn't even noticed that store to the right of HMV. Poundstretcher sells just about everything for the home at lower prices than normal. Quite often, much lower than normal. I haven't been in one for a few years now so it may have changed a bit but I used to head into them to track down Ovaltine which is getting quite elusive here in the UK but thankfully Lidl still sell it at an affordable price (unlike the mainstream supermarkets who bleed us dry!).
John.
Also I would like to hear your opinion about Disney+ series, Andor. I think that it is first Star Wars seri made for adults. I am now in episode 6. It is a fantastic world.
I'm going through Star Trek Discovery right now but I think you've seen that in this HMV video. I haven't tried any of the new Star Wars series but I might do sometime in the future, particularly if more people start to tell me they're good. So far I haven't really heard much and your mention of Andor being good may actually be the first comment in that regard. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Well, Rotten Tomatoes critics give 96 % but anyway I think it is a first SW serie for adults. I am also a big fan of Star Trek. Than you for the answers sir and have a good day.
These stores could really use some carpet and dim lighting like the FNAC stores in France.
I didn't know France still have stores like HMV so thank for you updating us there. Others had told me there was nothing left in France. John.
@@moviecollector5920 FNAC stores are still alive and well despite digital media and piracy. They also sell books, cameras, PCs etc, that probably helps... Germany has Saturn and Media Markt which are even bigger but not the same cozy atmosphere.
@@m3gAnac0nda At least something has survived and where there's life, there's hope. John.
Damn! Can you please tell them, we need stores like these over here in Germany, too?! 😇✌️
Edit: Oh, and regarding Star Trek... I really liked "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds". It's maybe something for you, too... ;)
When you consider what a massive market Germany is and has been for decades for physical media, it's amazing that there's apparently nothing left. Even Super 8 distributors released exclusive films to the German market in the 1970's and 1980's because the market was so big. Really strange. John.
@@moviecollector5920 yeah, I don't know, why we haven't got something similar over here. We got only something like Mediamarkt or Saturn, where you can buy kitchen stuff, washing machines, TVs and they have a few shelves of CDs and Blu Rays... 😞🤷
@@TheRealSchnitti Germany is almost as movie mad as the UK but I suppose you're so spread out compared to us so the less dense population makes it harder to have these stores. Still, I would have thought a few major cities would have had something. John.
I'm not sure i could bring myself to visit the shopping area of Swindon even for the HMV, much prefer Reading or Newbury which are my closest stores.
For my sins I did visit Swindon on a Saturday afternoon. Was surprised how many were shopping. Cex usually has some good sales tbough
I know exactly what you mean Clive because if I didn't know that HMV wasn't a great store then we wouldn't have visited Swindon on Monday but I wanted to buy a few discs and also ask if I could shoot some video of the store for this attempt to get some other RUclipsrs into their local stores to do the same. John.
Cool
Thanks Victor. John.
A video for what's wrong with Star Trek V would.actually be longer than the movie itself. 😉😉😉
Fair point. Maybe I should re-think that! John.
Hello, is it possible that you would go to 3D IMAX to watch Avatar 2? It would be interesting to hear your opinion about 3D in 2022 and does IMAX change anything in it. Also CGI and well a whole spectacle. I have heard that it is a visual masterpiece.
I never actually saw the original film Lauri as it's just not my cup of tea. Computer animation doesn't appeal to me, particularly when it's things that look like elves flying around. It won't be IMAX though so don't be fooled. I did see Gravity in 3D at the BFI IMAX. Terrible image quality and difficult to watch as the glasses were just polarized cheapo rubbish. The way to do 3D is with liquid crystal glasses as originally demonstrated with genuine IMAX and OMNIMAX. The latter I could have watched all day. I hope the video projection of this new Avatar film is 4K but I'm pretty sure that up to now these faux IMAX 3D releases have been 2K. Might be one to wait for a Blu-ray 3D release.
John.
Star Trek Discovery has “wokery” 😂 Didn’t realize it until he said it but it’s true. I only saw season 1 of the show and thought it was amazing. Different from other Star Trek shows but you can tell the makers have a passion for the franchise and put their hearts into it.
I have to look away occasionally Peter but the show is so good that I'm able to deal with it. We watched episode 2 of season 3 last night and I think that's the best single episode so far. Absolutely brilliant with a great ending to it. Hope they don't mess it up with episode 3 though! John.
Thanks for the comments. Cannot agree about ST Discovery. To me, as someone who watched and liked, Star Trek from 1966, Star Trek Discovery was unwatchable.
@@daviddorward7684 It's probably the wokery aspects which creep in occasionally David. I can understand that but the rest of the show is so good perhaps give it another try and hide behind a cushion during those rare, cringeworthy scenes. John.
salut vous avais un super magasin mous ici en france mo a pas belle vidèo comme toujour
Salutations Alain. Je ne pense pas que vous ayez quelque chose comme ça en France maintenant, ce qui est une honte terrible. Cependant, l'Angleterre n'est que de l'autre côté de la Manche, ou à travers l'Eurotunnel! John.
😊😊😊😊😊😊
Glad you like iut Jeanette. Swindon isn't the nicest town in England but it's got one of the best HMV's so well worth visiting. CEX just along from HMV isn't too bad either. John.
i will ask if i can film in my Watford store
I've never been to that store so it will be great to see it. Even if you can just get a few exterior shots and through the windows. I'll put you in the text file to mention you're going to try to get into the Watford branch in the next update and also add to the description of this one. And remember, if you want to tag anyone else please go ahead and then let me know.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Great I will certainly ask I a 4k click and collect to pick up soon I will see if I get a few minutes of footage for you, also I wanted to send you something based on your video from the other day. is that ok ?.
@@4Kmichelinstarmovies You don't need to send me anything but you'll find my email on bfcc.biz if you want a chat sometime. I'm the only John on the BFCC site by the way.
It was great to walk around the store with you, John! Do you have a vinyl record player?
We saw first 1 and a half season of Star Trek Discovery about two years ago. It is quite enjoyable.
I still have the same Technics record deck that I purchased when 17 years old Dmitri. They sell for quite a lot of money these days which seems rather odd but it's all back in fashion now.
We watched episode 2 of season 3 of Star Trek Discovery last night and it's probably the best episode so far. The production quality is quite unbelievable. No wonder cinema is dying when we're able to watch this sort of quality on streaming services.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Precisely so, John. Vinyl's reappeared in fashion and just few years ago record companies world wide sold much more vinyl's than CD's - for the first time in many decades.
The production value of Star Trek Discovery is indeed astonishing!
If as a result of this streaming evolution, theaters will be left only for more exceptional presentations, then their quality might rise. I do not believe the art itself will ever die - I don't think that is possible.
It scares me what all those artistic AI can do. It cancels out so many professions at once, lots of software. We are pretty much at the point, when we do not really need Photoshop or its equivalent - only perhaps a sharpening tool for photographs. What do architects, designers, photographers, models, etc. have to forward to in the next decade? And, universities keep producing more and more specialists each year all around the world. Limitations of legislature will not be able to fix the issue either. People say: "Well, new professions will appear." I say, with these tools, no one will need academic education to successfully freelance. Gifted high school kids will be able to compete with professionals. A lot of surprises like that are waiting for us in the future.
But on a positive note, holidays are upon us! And I am really grateful to life for meeting you and Susie! Are you preparing gifts and decorations already?
Dmitri
@@dmitripopov8570 I'm still too busy to think about Christmas but even when I've been at my busiest during the motoring documentary production years I still had most of Christmas day off. That was the only day of the year I did have any time off though but I take the whole day off now and as I'm a little burned out as a result of it all, I'm not able to do the really long days day after day, so I'm not spending every waking hour editing or generally working on the latest production.
I can understand what you''re saying about software taking over what were once skillful jobs. I was in IT network support for many years and the systems we supplied to the users were extremely complicated. The funny thing was that many users thought their young child would be able to do the job which they certainly would not be able to do. But managers tended to start thinking like this and those of us with the skills were considered less and less important. Terrible errors were made as a result of that ignorance. I expect the same sort of thing is going on all over the world in other occupations right now.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Hello John! Looking at the quality of your work it comes as no surprise at all that you get burned out from the process. You definitely deserve great holidays and time off work.
Random scenario about Artistic AI: take a doodle of a 5 year old, which looks like a giraffe, ask AI to present it as an architectural model in a style of some amazing current architect... add properties: hyper-realistic view, true to life. Somebody will gobble it up no matter if the author is 15 years old or older. So what should that original architect do if it took him years or decades to develop his technique and style, and it takes months to come up with every new design for each client? It took this kid less than one day to create a proof of concept. With simple command and same command entries, he can ask AI to create views from sides, above, two-point perspective, one point perspective, etc. If that child has enough capital, he can hire a freelance architect to turn this concept art into a blue print, or perhaps AutoCAD and/or ArchiCAD can do it already automatically - I don't know. Then, he can hire an engineer to calculate the pressure areas, forces involved and the rest of it. If the hired specialists work quickly, then entire polished and highly professional projects - with blue prints and proof of concept can be done in a week. Yes, child is not investing almost any creativity into this process, and yet, the final result will look like a professional work of a world leading architect and will cost only a fracture of his paycheck. A few new versions of the AI later and this process will be polished to the extreme.
...same goes for models, photographers, artists and designers of any kind. What are we going to do with all the educated and experienced specialists?
I don't have an answer, John. Only a big concern.
Dmitri
@@dmitripopov8570 I hadn't considered any of that Dmitri. You've got me thinking now because with eight billion people on the planet, what are they all going to be doing to earn a living. Perhaps the WEF has been thinking along the same lines and hence the push for worldwide communism but a communism of a new kind. Pretty frightening. John.
I couldnt even finish watching Jurassic World Dominion it was that bad
I found the second Jurassic Park film difficult at first but now I'm able to get through it unscathed. It will be interesting to see how I get on with this third Jurassic World film. John.
@@moviecollector5920 you might need some scotch.
@@purefoldnz3070 I've never drunk whisky. Can't stand the stuff. But there are a few cocktails I'm rather partial to... Have you ever tried a properly made Zombie, a Sloe Comfortable Screw Up Against The Wall, or best of all, a Juliana Blue?
@@moviecollector5920 none of those but any stiff drink will help trust me. A zombie sounds great hahaha
@@purefoldnz3070 Give a Zombie a try if you can: 1 measure of Dark Rum, 1 measure of White Rum and 1 measure of Golden Rum plus a half measure of Apricot Brandy, the juice of a freshly squeezed lime and a few measures of pineapple juice. It's a taste of Christmas. But don't make it as strong as some bars do or else you won't see Christmas!
John.
Oh you're a brave man getting Picard Season Two, I reckon that's the worst Star Trek that I've ever seen. I look forward to your review someday when you've recovered from it.
I'm glad I don't have a good HMV near me, if I had it would cost me a fortune, and that's ignoring all the discs. Actually, seeing all those 4K titles etc was enlightening, it's only when you see a wall of titles like that that you realise how many releases in that supposedly 'niche' format there have been. Most people I know haven't even upgraded to Blu-ray. Most went from DVD straight to streaming.
The big problem was in the name 'Blu-ray' Ian because it sounded like something technical and complicated that only youngsters would comprehend. Call it 'HD DVD' and everyone would have known what it was but that was killed off to the detriment of the whole home movie market and future. 4K UHD has generated interest in home movie discs again and it seems that the name Blu-ray is no longer the mythical format that worked by fairy dust that it once was. Recent figures have confirmed the market has grown a little in recent years so there may be life in the old dog yet.
As for the Picard series, there's a third series which suggests the second one did okay. Everyone told me the first series was a disappointment but I certainly didn't find it so. I'd watch anything with Patrick Stewart in it though, even the X-Men... then again, maybe not!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yes I went with HD-DVD, have a few discs in the loft, still think it was the better format but it was who owned the content (the studios and the deals they were making) that swung it. Hate format wars. After VHS/ Betamax etc you'd think they would have learned their lesson. Mind you, I suppose all these upstart/ rival streaming platforms are just another kind of format war, can't imagine they will all still be around in a few years time.
@@iansmith6166 Streaming channels appear to be good value but I've avoided them as I can see what will happen in the end just as you've suggested. I don't like having regular debits taken out of my bank account every month either and do my best to avoid them wherever possible. John.
John, have you seen the new trailer for Indiana Jones 5? It was released about an hour ago. It's quite generic, I think. It looks like pretty much every other trailer we've seen for the last 15 years. The formula they're using got old a long time ago. Now it's just downright obnoxious. I can't say I'm very impressed by what I saw. I mean, Harrison Ford is here, so it _looks_ like Indiana Jones, but it still doesn't really _feel_ like Indiana Jones. Once again, I see they couldn't resist the urge to ruin the colour palette by splashing orange and teal all over the place, and the title is incredibly low effort. I mean, did we really need to see Indy chasing a subway train on horseback? I rather think we didn't. It appears the producers failed to learn their lesson from the last movie. Indiana Jones and sci-fi don't mix.
I think fatigue has finally set in for a considerable portion of the audience. They are now coming to realise what I did so many years ago. Hollywood is creatively bankrupt and hates our guts. So why do they keep paying for the product? Just so they can complain about it and write a bad review? Well they're still supporting the industry by giving it money. Just stop giving them money, people! Just stop doing it! We could tank these woke corporations if people would just stop supporting them, either directly by not buying their crap, or indirectly by not talking about their crap. Just last week, Disney lost $100 million when their latest woke animated movie flopped. If we could get that to happen right across the board for years on end, we could put them out of business.
i haven't seen the new Indiana Jones trailer but don't be put off by a trailer because many great films have had poor trailers in the past. I really liked the last Indiana Jones even if the ending was a bit silly. The major Los Angeles studios are pandering to the Twitterati so given what's happened there it's possible things may start to change soon. I don't get the impression cinema is doing too well lately apart from Top Gun: Maverick so what you're suggesting seems to be happening without any particular effort from the world population. It's terribly sad to see cinemas struggling though but it was probably inevitable from when low quality video projection was foisted on them. Adding all the minority group bits and pieces has just helped to keep some more people away.
John.
All these modern action films look like crappy video games. Films looked better in the 1980s.
@@simonfilmfan4899 I don't disagree with you there Simon but to be fair, most youngsters have grown up with computer games and there's a bit of a crossover between computer game graphics and computer animation for the movies. What us oldies consider to look fake has been real life to many under a certain age and some cgi that we'd consider unacceptable is getting approved because of the target audience of most action adventure movies now. There's also the proliferation of video projection whereas we used to enjoy real film. There's no doubting the best video projectors are excellent but film has a more natural, realistic look and used to be projected on enormous screens to help that illusion of reality. Video still has a harsh look most of the time and I haven't quite fathomed out why that is yet. John.
@@simonfilmfan4899 You know they are literally using game engines and giant wrap-around LED screens to create virtual sets. Virtual production, they call it. ILM have been using it extensively with their crappy Mandalorian show. No wonder everything looks fake and feels simulated. It quite literally is.
@@moviecollector5920 Well I'm not a fan at all. I'll keep watching my collection from the 30s to the 90s. Less PC as well. 😂
Star Trek was always woke, people just chat about it online nowadays so we talk about it more.
Star Trek is a great television series and has spawned some wonderful films Rob but analyze the sort of regime they're all living under and it's not particularly appealing... unless anyone fancies living in the Soviet Union I suppose. John.
Thanks, interesting video from Canada (Toronto). I cannot agree with you about the most recent Star Trek. Drivel. Full of Wokery and poor writing IMHO.
The wokery nonsense would certainly put a lot of people off David and if the rest of the production weren't so good then I'd be among them. Look past all that and there's a hugely entertaining series in there. We just watched episode 2 of season 3 and we both think it may be the best episode of Discovery we've seen so far. John.
@@moviecollector5920 OK will take another look at Discovery.
@@daviddorward7684 Stick with it a while if you can David because the characters are all so interesting in this one. That's not always been the case but they're usually all pretty good. Voyager took a while to get sorted out but Discovery pretty much had it from episode 1. Michelle Yeoh is proving to be so interesting as her nasty alter ego that I find I'm looking forward to each episode now.
John.
I heard they dropped an atomic bomb on Swindon. About 15 quid's worth of damage.
Yes, thanks for that Brad. It may not be the nicest looking town in England but it does have a very good HMV. And a Primark too so it's actually a shopping centre that's well placed to survive the coming storm.
John.