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The crappy DVD packaging thread...

post #1 of 71
12/14/04 at 9:46pm
Thread Starter 
So I go to the post office today, and yay, my "Ultimate" Matrix DVD set is there. I go home and open that sucker up, only to find 4 of the discs scratched, one of them scratched to the point of being unplayable. The package was sealed and obviously not opened before(I bought it from Amazon.com if anyone cares, not that it's their fault)...
So what's my point? I am sick of shit packaging on DVDs, even snapper cases are preferable to cases that actually damage the DVD(s).

What DVDs you own have the worst packaging? I don't mean ugly cover art(but you can go that way if you want), I mean packaging that might look great but is a little bit less than functional.

My picks, in addition to the Matrix set...

-The "Book of the Dead edition" Evil Dead. Looks kind of cool sitting on my shelf, but god forbid I actually watch the fucking movie, that cardboard sleeve that holds the disc isn't exactly user friendly(I've ended up putting it into a CD jewel case).
-The Pearl Harbor 4 disc Vista Series. A great special edition of a sub-par movie, but the packaging can go suck donkey balls. The thing is thicker than two slim 2-disc keepcases side by side, yet the discs themselves are in the same damn cardboard sleeves as the Evil Dead case. The big difference here? They have little tabs that make it a pain just to open the damn disc destroyers. In addition to that, all the extra space in the packaging is devoted to little knick-knacks like postcards and stuff I would never actually want. I should send the studio hate mail on those damn postcards.
-The Alien Quadrilogy. Fantastic set, too bad you need a whole table free in order to fold it all the way out. This is probably the least annoying of the ones I'm mentioning, but when I spend this money on a set, It should be easy to open and pop a disc in the player.
-The "special" packaging for Total Recall and Basic Instinct. Useless, and not really clever either. I had watched this Basic Instinct DVD a total of maybe 1 time, before I decided to get rid of it in favor of the keepcase that was released soon after(gee thanks Artisan). What do you know, it was already scratched.

As you may be able to tell, I'm anal about my DVDs. I'm extremely careful with them, but what's it matter? I used to have a total collector mentality, but that's going away fast thanks to crap like this. Sorry if I'm repeating a thread guys...
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post #2 of 71
12/14/04 at 10:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nexus-6-[U
The "special" packaging for Total Recall and Basic Instinct[/U]. Useless, and not really clever either. I had watched this Basic Instinct DVD a total of maybe 1 time, before I decided to get rid of it in favor of the keepcase that was released soon after(gee thanks Artisan). What do you know, it was already scratched.
Seconded. I nice idea, but poorly done. And my Basic Instinct case was broken when I got it, so I was quite disappointed in that.
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post #3 of 71
12/14/04 at 10:47pm
Quantum Leap: Season 1 package.

Bleck on it, bleck I say!
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post #4 of 71
12/15/04 at 12:01am
The Star Wars Special Edition packaging is shit. The silver cover fell apart as soon as I took it off and I had to throw it away. The black packaging underneath is decent but I really liked the silver look.
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post #5 of 71
12/15/04 at 12:36am
I agree with the Total Recall Special Limited Edition packaging. Crap. Complete crap.
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post #6 of 71
12/15/04 at 2:31am
It's more about the art, but I can't fuckin stand the box art for the Bourne movies! It is so obviously photoshopped and cheesy. Hell, the picture on the cover of Supremacy isn't even in the movie. He's never running in a t-shirt carrying a Sig. What the hell?

And despite its hugeness, ya gotta admit that Alien Quadrilogy looks pretty sweet all unfolded.

LATER
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post #7 of 71
12/15/04 at 4:24am
The cover art for Collateral and The Pianist piss me off. Both had alternate, great possibilities for cover art which were ruined by trying to cram in all the faces and action.

As for actually less than functional DVD's, I was screwed on my Alien 3 Special Edition twice (the one that comes with the Alien Quadrilogy, but I special ordered it alone). The first one I got had a broken plastic piece inside from the whole thing you place the second disc in. Also, the glue was terribly applied so it basically came off any time you wanted.

So, I ordered another one and picked up after I had been in Greece for a month on vacation. I put in the second disc when I get home and the menu is constantly freezing. I can barely get it to play. And about 20 minutes into the featurettes, the disc would no longer play and it would never work again. I took out the disc and looked at it for any damage, and saw what looked like tar stuck onto it. The Suncoast employee told me that apparently it was badly applied paint that was meant for the other side of the disc.
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post #8 of 71
12/15/04 at 4:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whitey Powers, Jive Homicide Det.
Well with Collateral I'm glad they didn't go with the Tom Cruise only cover which would have been stupid. Only thing is I don't think they came to the realization that Jamie Foxx should be on the cover, but were probably told that he should because of his likelihood to be nominated for awards. I could of course do without the fucking quotes. Then also Collateral has those lame fucking snaps on the case.
I love profile shots on DVD covers. I think the simplest ones are the best.

And what snapper case are you talking about? I got the two disc one (which seems like a waste since I only see four featurettes listed on the back, and apparently the Mann commentary I read about on IGN isn't on this disc) and it's a regular plastic case.
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post #9 of 71
12/15/04 at 9:56am
The "plastic wrap" used on the Collector's Editions of the Star Trek films annoys me to no end because invariably when removing the security tape I end up stretching or tearing the plastic.
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post #10 of 71
12/15/04 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whitey Powers, Jive Homicide Det.
Snaps refering to the regular dvd amaray cases that have little clasps on the side that you have to snap open to open the case. Pretty much every Paramount and maybe MGM dvd I've bought in the last year has been like that.
Universal has been doing this as well. My 21 Grams DVD has them. I recently picked up Jurassic Park which also had the damn snaps. I don't know how many times I've gone to open a case, just to realize I had two little snap things on the side that I had to open first. Talk about annoying.
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post #11 of 71
12/15/04 at 3:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whitey Powers, Jive Homicide Det.
Nothing's wrong with my silver cover.
Then I just got screwed. As soon as I took the plastic off the cover just fell off in pieces. I'm guessing it was defective glue or something.
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post #12 of 71
12/15/04 at 4:25pm
My metal sleeve for T2 Extreme is slightly bowed, which makes it a pain to remove the amaray case inside. Also, it's a bitch to stick in between the other dvds on my shelf. My SE7EN slipcase has one of those stupid pieces of security tape on the fucking cardboard, which makes it impossible to remove without tearing up the cardboard. I hate those fucking pieces of tape, and I really despise when they have to put 3 of them on the fucking amaray cases.
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post #13 of 71
12/15/04 at 5:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zombiekilla2002
My metal sleeve for T2 Extreme is slightly bowed, which makes it a pain to remove the amaray case inside.
I have the same problem. Actually, when I took it out the first time, the plastic on the spine caught on the metal and ripped it. I guess they tried to fix the problem of the original T2-UE (where the DVD came out too easily), but they failed miserably.
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post #14 of 71
12/15/04 at 5:25pm
The box for Star Trek: Generations is complete ass! It looks wrinkled and melted. And it's not just mine, it is every one that I have seen.

And it wasn't necessary to put that movie in that fat box either, a double hinged box would have worked much better.
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post #15 of 71
12/15/04 at 5:44pm
Since we're on the subject of the Star Trek CE's, let me say how I think it's hilarious Paramount is re-releasing collections of all the movies every time they release a new CE.

Back on topic, I hate pretty much all of the Fox fold out sets. With my 24 SEASON ONE set in particular, the discs always fall off the hub and the plastic holders rip away from the cardboard too easily. I've never understood the problem people have with security stickers, though. I think I ripped a small piece of foil off a cardboard sleeve ONCE.
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post #16 of 71
12/15/04 at 5:55pm
How about E.T.'s crappy packaging with no title on the spine? What faces out alongside all the rest of your titles? The fold of the two halves, some trees, a little bit of the moon...bullshit. I wish it could borrow a slipcase from one of those unnecessary slipcase movies like...oh, almost everything else.
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post #17 of 71
12/15/04 at 5:58pm
That stupid E.T. packaging was one of the ways I justified purchasing that Collectors Edition Box Set.
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post #18 of 71
12/15/04 at 6:10pm
Funny thing is, I bought E.T. used for 5 bucks and thought that it was missing the slip cover. THen I realized that it was supposed to look that way. The hell?

My copy of "The Stand" has another melted looking cover.
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post #19 of 71
12/15/04 at 6:12pm
the special edition of memento is a pain. it's a cool idea, but the little paperclip got lost in a day and it's hard to get the cardboard pieces in and out of the slipcover without bending and scraping the shit out of it.
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post #20 of 71
12/15/04 at 6:32pm
What kills me about DVDs, but this goes for CDs and Videogame packaging as well - is when you buy it from the store, the damn thing seems to be in about 15 layers of wrapping. You open the outside one, then sometimes have to open the inner one (like Walmart putting an extra layer of wrap on), and once that's done you have that damn piece of tape on top (the one that has the title) that supposedly peels off easily...but first you have to struggling to find an edge to grip, then more often than not it comes off in pieces so it take you forever to get it off and you pray it doesn't warp the packaging.


Then sometimes, the DVD inside is jammed in tight behind that little piece of plastic keeping it in place and you kind of have to half-force the damn thing out and you see the disc start to warp a bit and visions of it cracking in half fill your head.


This was a bit off topic...but I needed to vent.
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post #21 of 71
12/15/04 at 6:40pm
I tell you, all that pain-in-the-butt security is going to drive people to piracy!
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post #22 of 71
12/15/04 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zeroplate
the special edition of memento is a pain. it's a cool idea, but the little paperclip got lost in a day and it's hard to get the cardboard pieces in and out of the slipcover without bending and scraping the shit out of it.
I ditched that plastic piece of crap the day I bought it. A real metal one helps the asthetics.
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post #23 of 71
12/16/04 at 12:51am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by M.I.A.
I have the same problem. Actually, when I took it out the first time, the plastic on the spine caught on the metal and ripped it. I guess they tried to fix the problem of the original T2-UE (where the DVD came out too easily), but they failed miserably.
The same thing happened to me too. Those bastards. It ripped right when I opened it. I was rather pissed and chunked the metal sleeve(the previous T2 sleeve was a lot cooler anyway in my opinion, even though the disc fell out). Usually I keep that kind of stuff, but it's getting out of hand.
DVD's are about as gimmicky now as comic books were in the early 90's, and look what that did.

Yes, those little snaps on the sides of the cases are terrible. Are they on double discs as well? I've only seen them on singles so far. At least you can get replacement amaray cases for them if they're really bothering you. Still, it's a shame you have to do that.

Another thing I hate... Wal-mart. I don't know about how this is in your neck of the woods, but walmart puts these "things" on boxed sets now(well they have been for a while, maybe 6 months) that absolutely crush the boxes. it's a security thing, with wires or strings coming off of it that wraps around the packaging. The thing is, it's wound wayyy too tight, and digs deep into the box. I know where I WON'T be buying Simpsons season 5 from.

Yet another thing I hate... Lots of people either don't like the box art for their DVDs, or don't like snapper cases. I agree with them. So web sites were started that carried "alternate" box art that usually looked MUCH better than what was released. What a great idea, you can just print them out and pop 'em into an amaray case. So what do the studios do? Instead of hiring these talented graphic designers, or stopping with snap cases... they have the sites shut down. How lame.
I mean on one hand bootleggers could conceivably use these printouts to give their product a more "official" and professional look. But really, I've yet to see a bootleg that looked as good as some of these. Oh well...
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post #24 of 71
12/16/04 at 3:44pm
Nexus, I didn't know that there were sites that posted fan made DVD Covers, so I ran a search on Google, and this one seems to have some interesting ones...

http://www.spleenworld.com/

It sucks that Fox made him take down all covers of their movies.

I'm debating putting that 12 Monkeys Cover on mine.
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post #25 of 71
12/16/04 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by M.I.A.
Nexus, I didn't know that there were sites that posted fan made DVD Covers, so I ran a search on Google, and this one seems to have some interesting ones...

http://www.spleenworld.com/

I'm debating putting that 12 Monkeys Cover on mine.
That site is no good, in all honesty. The covers are very low-res. I've been a part of the DVD custom cover community for quite some time. It's still around, but a little more underground these days.
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post #26 of 71
12/16/04 at 6:26pm
The original Frighteners dvd had a pretty cool cover with a ghosty thing pushing through a wall, but then at some point, of course to include a blurb mentioning LOTR, Universal re-released it with a picture of Michael J. Fox and acouple of his ghost buddies. It's too bad that they changed it in the first place, but besides that the "new" cover looks like it had been run through a broken xerox machine about 10 times only to be colored in by a visually challenged orangutan with a few busted crayons. It just looks "off".

The Ghost in the Shell 2 cover is horrendous, as is the cover for the recently released over here Infernal Affairs. ICK! ACK! URK!

I like wacky packaging but after a while practicality takes over, like with the Matrix set witht he bust. Too bulky. I's also like to chime in and say the Total Recall/Basic Instinct SE packages were pretty lame. I hate the spongy thing that the discs sit on. I haven't replace my copies yet though with the later releases in the regular cases though.

The packaging for the Sliders set seems kinda silly to me. Different, but silly.
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post #27 of 71
12/16/04 at 6:32pm
[QUOTE=Nexus-6]puts these "things" on boxed sets now(well they have been for a while, maybe 6 months) that absolutely crush the boxes. it's a security thing, with wires or strings coming off of it that wraps around the packaging. The thing is, it's wound wayyy too tight, and digs deep into the box. [QUOTE]
Ahh spider-wraps.. When I was a manager at CompUSA we used those also. If you don't know how to put them on (or just don't give a shit), you can crush a box. The magnetic sensor is hidden inside the middle. It helps people from tearing off (or cutting out) the sensor on the box. Good for stores, bad for collectors..
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post #28 of 71
12/28/04 at 6:52am
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the DAY OF THE DEAD 2 Disk cardboard case.

The thing is BEAUTIFUL since Bub's head has to be removed from the velcro to open the case, the problem is the velcro is really low on the image. So when you grab his face to pull open the case youre pulling from the top and you run the risk of ripping it off.

Thats why whenever someone tries to open it I run and do it myself or if someone wants to borrow it I give them a "How To Open Day of the Dead" crash course.

And it doesnt have a little sleeve for the booklet that comes with it which has to be my favorite insert ever. It looks like a little blood stained notebook with sketches and info from the shoot.

Awesome cover, 50% good packaging.

But if you take care of it, it is easily one of the best looking DVD's out there.
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post #29 of 71
12/28/04 at 9:42am
The WB TV DVDs get my vote for crappy packaging.

For those who've never seen one, they come in a book-like case with digipack-style disk holders on each page. This slides into a thick card outer case.

Now, the problem with this is, each time you open a page of the book thing, the spine gets creased, and a different section gets creased each time you open a new page. The Freaks and Geeks set solved this easily by having the spine move independantly from the pages, but WB haven't adopted this, so people who buy their stuff have no choice but to mangle their packaging the first time they use it.

Not only that, but the front cover is on the wrong side. You know how the front cover is usually on your right as you take DVDs off the shelf? Not with these. For what reason I don't know, I thought it might have been a printing error or something the first time I saw them, but there the standard for almost every WB TV show on DVD. So if you were to put it on the shelf as you would other stuff, you'd have the creased, mangled side facing out. Not a big deal if you just turn it around on the shelf, but it's realy weird and pointless to reverse the covers.

Lastly, the disc holders alternate between 'Baby's Grip' during transit, where at least one dsc will be flying around loose in the case when it arrives, and 'Vice Grip' when you need to get a disk out, where it'll bend backwards when you try to take it out.

If they're insistant on gonig the book-style route, they should just adopt the Freaks and Geeks design, or just switch entirely to digipacks.
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post #30 of 71
12/30/04 at 10:39pm
I hate security stickers with a fucking passion. Especially when you get DVDs for Christmas and well-meaning family members try to help you out by peeling them off...and end up ripping the plastic of the case itself half off. Goddamn that's annoying.
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post #31 of 71
12/30/04 at 10:52pm
Quote:
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the DAY OF THE DEAD 2 Disk cardboard case.

The thing is BEAUTIFUL since Bub's head has to be removed from the velcro to open the case, the problem is the velcro is really low on the image. So when you grab his face to pull open the case youre pulling from the top and you run the risk of ripping it off.
My problem with the Day case is that when I have the DVD next to it out and then try to slide it back in, I always forget about that flap and end up jamming it with the other DVD case.
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post #32 of 71
1/2/05 at 2:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by M.I.A.
Universal has been doing this as well. My 21 Grams DVD has them. I recently picked up Jurassic Park which also had the damn snaps. I don't know how many times I've gone to open a case, just to realize I had two little snap things on the side that I had to open first. Talk about annoying.
I'm glad that I'm not the only person who finds those latches to be useless irritations.
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post #33 of 71
1/3/05 at 12:45am
Is there even a reason for the latches? I can kind of see for security reasons, but besides that it's all blank.
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post #34 of 71
1/3/05 at 3:38am
When talking about DVD packaging problems I recall two things: Needing over an hour to get the Gollum bust out of the Two Towers Gift Edition and second getting the inner package out of the Schindler's List box or whatever you want to call it.
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post #35 of 71
1/3/05 at 11:30pm
Holy Cheese this is bad art

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post #36 of 71
1/11/05 at 2:58pm
Bought the GHOST IN THE SHELL special edition today. HOLY SHIT.

Now, I usually love clear plastic slip cases, but this ridiculous! The plastic slip case is wholly unnessecary, but it's also impossible to remove! And impossible to get back on! They seriously must if glued the slipcase on over the inner packaging, cause there's no way a small Asian child could get that plastic case on by himself.
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post #37 of 71
1/11/05 at 6:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werbal_Kint
Bought the GHOST IN THE SHELL special edition today. HOLY SHIT.

Now, I usually love clear plastic slip cases, but this ridiculous! The plastic slip case is wholly unnessecary, but it's also impossible to remove! And impossible to get back on! They seriously must if glued the slipcase on over the inner packaging, cause there's no way a small Asian child could get that plastic case on by himself.
Seeing as my cover had a bit of warpage at the top, I thought this was just my copy...apparently it's not.

As cool at the slipcase makes the package look, I very much hope whoever created that impractical piece of shit meets up with the Wrath of Khan earwig.
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post #38 of 71
1/11/05 at 8:13pm
I can't stand the package for DVD version of the Dune miniseries. It's supposed to open like a book, but every time I turn one of the sections inside, it creases part of the spine. It also doesn't hold DVDs in very well, so they all end up falling out if I pick it up. The whole package is kind of warped....and from what I've seen, it's not just mine - it's a pretty common flaw.

I hate it when DVDs come with a piece of paper with some information about how great the movie is glued to the back or inserted between the DVD and the wrapper. My LotR EE DVDs all had this, and my Moulin Rouge DVD has it. It's worse on Moulin Rouge because it's actually glued on - I'm afraid that if I try to rip it off, it'll tear the packaging.
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post #39 of 71
1/12/05 at 12:59am
With the Star Trek Generations DVD, I think the packaging is fucked because they were all recalled in order to replace the cover art, as it had a misprint on the back. So if you have a hundred guys in a sweatshop working madly to replace the covers, I can see where a problem may arise.
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post #40 of 71
1/12/05 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werbal_Kint
Bought the GHOST IN THE SHELL special edition today. HOLY SHIT.

Now, I usually love clear plastic slip cases, but this ridiculous! The plastic slip case is wholly unnessecary, but it's also impossible to remove! And impossible to get back on! They seriously must if glued the slipcase on over the inner packaging, cause there's no way a small Asian child could get that plastic case on by himself.
I would currently like to retract my previous statement, in light of the fact that the DVD, in the immortal words of Castor Troy, "fits like a condom" once you take the poster out.

I'd also like to go on record, that after watching the bonuses first, I was wondering why this needed to be two discs.....until I saw the film, which has been remastered to Superbit levels of audio and visual greatness.

Add in just snazzy presentation in general, and this definitely was worth the purchase.

Anyways...that's a bit off topic.
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post #41 of 71
1/13/05 at 5:28am
The Fact some movies get super 2 disk version ie Bounce while great movies get nothing
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post #42 of 71
1/13/05 at 11:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by IdhrenethMeril

I hate it when DVDs come with a piece of paper with some information about how great the movie is glued to the back or inserted between the DVD and the wrapper. My LotR EE DVDs all had this, and my Moulin Rouge DVD has it. It's worse on Moulin Rouge because it's actually glued on - I'm afraid that if I try to rip it off, it'll tear the packaging.

You won't. It's actually more like a gum than a glue. It comes off easily and more important, clean. Go ahead and peel 'em off.
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post #43 of 71
1/13/05 at 12:25pm
A little piece of the plastic circle that holds the disc broke off my LOTR: Return of the King: EE dvd. So everytime I open the thing, the 1st disc either drops, or has come off center, which makes me shriek like a little girl thinking the dvd maybe scratched. I'm currently working on the situation to fix it.
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post #44 of 71
1/13/05 at 12:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by XTheCrovvX
I would currently like to retract my previous statement, in light of the fact that the DVD, in the immortal words of Castor Troy, "fits like a condom" once you take the poster out.
Mine still has issues.
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post #45 of 71
1/13/05 at 12:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SAIRUS
A little piece of the plastic circle that holds the disc broke off my LOTR: Return of the King: EE dvd. So everytime I open the thing, the 1st disc either drops, or has come off center, which makes me shriek like a little girl thinking the dvd maybe scratched. I'm currently working on the situation to fix it.
One of my other DVD's has that problem. I just took a two pieces of scotch tape (one at the top, one at the bottom) and it holds it in pretty good.
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post #46 of 71
1/13/05 at 4:24pm
My ROTK EE packaging gets stuck everytime I put the thing into the slipcover portioni of the packaging. I have to practically put my entire hand into the slipcover to dislodge the damn thing!
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post #47 of 71
1/24/05 at 12:20pm


I don't think I have to tell you what is wrong with this cover.
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post #48 of 71
1/24/05 at 12:21pm
Scrubs: Season 1
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post #49 of 71
1/24/05 at 9:09pm
Uh Oh...Whats wrong with the Scrubs Season 1 packaging? Im looking forward to that bunch of goodness.
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post #50 of 71
1/24/05 at 9:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werbal_Kint

"Schwartz had warned Anook what had happened to Flick. Anook never thought it would happen here. Not like this."
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