Why Wait for the DVD?

I saw 40 of the top 100 highest-grossing movies in 2008 according to http://www.the-movie-times.com/. I realize that's almost a new movie every week. I didn't see them all in the theater though, some I saved for DVD. Some of the most disappointing movies I saw in 2008 were the ones I saved for DVD. Perhaps I subconsciously knew that would be the case and that the blow would be lessened by free in-store rentals (when exchanging my Blockbuster Online mailers). Or perhaps I set myself up to be disappointed by being subconsciously suspect. Maybe no movie can achieve greatness when viewed for the first time on the small screen. Or maybe there are some good reasons to wait for certain movies to come out on DVD (in response to my earlier "Why Go to the Movies?" post):

1. Subtitles - Perfect for fast-talking comedies and foreign films. My wife insists on watching all movies with the subtitles on, a feature previously unavailable on VHS and in theaters. Rather than distracting from the picture (as some would argue), she believes it enhances the story because you never miss muffled bits of dialogue and some subtitle tracks identify sound effects you might not otherwise notice. I just think it's beneficial for copying long quotes and song lyrics sometimes. On our old DVD player, you could watch a movie on the lowest speed for fast-forward and the subtitles would still show, so if a movie got too boring or loud, you drop out the sound and watch in half the time.

2. Director's Commentaries - Perfect for intricately plotted thrillers and film classics. I can't say that I've ever watched a movie for the first time with the commentary track on, but I know a lot of people who will watch the same rental back to back at home, and a commentary would sure improve the second viewing to me. A couple of times, I've rented movies I had already seen in theaters just to see if a particular scene gets explained on the DVD commentary. I mentioned in a previous post that I hesitate to even purchase a DVD without a director's commentary. It's easily the best way to get repeat viewings out of your home video library.

3. Unlimited Bathroom Breaks - Perfect for epic dramas and the avant-garde. I'm not one of those teeny boppers that watched Titanic13.5 times in the theater and I don't understand how some did. I was really hoping that The Dark Knight would become the new, overlong box office record-holder, but truth be told, I had to get up to go to the bathroom in both movies. I rarely take care of business at the theater because I hate to miss even a minute of that pricey screen time. Being able to treat a movie like a book is nice however. Back in the days of VHS, I had no problem stopping a movie at any point because I knew I could come back in five minutes, five days, or five years and the tape would start up at the exact spot I left off. Now I know some DVD players will remember that stuff, but not my last one. If only the current Tivo/DVR generation knew how hard we had it before they were born!