The New Indiana Jones Movie Buying-Fiasco

For those of you who know me, and are a facebook friend or a Twitter follower, the past few days were pretty emotional. In short, me and my friend Tim Racine got caught up in Indiana Jones fever. We went a little overboard, got a little excited, and we crashed. Hard.

We started out with a simple plan. Pick up a DVD copy of the new Indian Jones film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, sit down, and enjoy the ‘action packed thrill ride’. (their words, not mine).

Let’s just say our emotions got the best of us. Both before and after seeing the movie.

What you’ll read below is the blow-by-blow of these incredibly intense 24 hours of Indie. It’s a mix of our twitter comments (which also double as facebook status messages) and repliess from various friends, as well as to each other.

Maybe you can learn from our incredible folly: my extra comments in red

(Some time Tuesday afternoon)
Joe Avella: Shit! Circuit City had only full screen versions of the new Indiana Jones. Not wide screen?!? Apparently you can’t ‘buy by the case’ either.

Tim Racine: Just bought the new Indiana Jones movie on HDDVD! I’m calling in sick for the whole week now!

Tim Racine: Clerk at Best Buy: “Sir, you cannot buy ALL our copies of the new Indiana Jones movie.” Come on, dude! Give me a break!

Joe Avella: Why does every one laugh when I ask ‘Give me every copy of Indiana Jones in this store, please.’ What’s so funny about passion? I guess I thought they were laughing to discourage me from buying so many copies there’d be none left for them…

Tim Racine: Fact: Walgreen’s WILL let you purchase 45 copies of the new Indiana Jones movie, BUT you have to fill out a lot of paperwork.

Joe Avella: me 5 minutes ago: Look kid, I don’t care who’s birthday it is. I grabbed all 17 copies of Indiana Jones fair and square. Quit crying! got in a fight with this kid’s dad. He ripped my left ear pretty bad. 18 stitches.

Joe Avella: Sweet! Since I bought every DVD of Indiana Jones at Best Buy, they’re giving, me the display! It’s a life size Indie! Off to Walmart…

Tim Racine:
Wait! Which Best Buy? I went to one earlier and I was turned away!

Joe Avella:
Evenston! I took the day off too. I’m heading into Skokie. Can you get to Oak Park by 3? I read on the Indiana Jones chat board the Walmart there is putting out a new case at 4pm. You should get there early. (The Walmart on Branson Ave, that is…)

Tim Racine:
Great! They know me there (I made a brief appearance this morning), so I’ve got an in.

Joe Avella:
perfect!

Joe Avella: @youngamerican did you get the new Indiana Jones flick on DVD today?

Joe Avella: I’m currently waiting in line at Walmart in Skokie…

Joe Avella: If you’re looking to buy an Indian Jones DVD in Skokie today: Don’t bother. I just purchased every copy!

Jim King:
Boy South Park really got it wrong with that Indiana Jones episode last week. I’m with Butters, I thought it was good. So what if there were ailens or scenes didn’t make sense.

Joe Avella:
Shh! i haven’t seen it yet!

Jim King:
I doubt I spoiled anything. Oh and tell Short Round to step on it and get over here so we can watch dem Crystal Skulls

Joe Avella: Woo hoo! I got 78 copies of Indian Jones on DVD, and counting! Can’t wait to watch it tonight. Hope it’s as good as Raiders!

Ismael Moustafa:
This is a joke, right? should have been my first clue. Me and Ismael have pretty similar tastes. At this point I was too high on the buy to follow up with a correct inquiry. Instead I said:

Joe Avella:
? I’m such a moron!

Tim Racine:
What’s Raiders?

Joe Avella:
..of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones. The first one. With Nazis.

Tim Racine:
Haven’t seen it. Is it good?

Joe Avella:
Yeah, it’s OK.

Tim Racine:
Did that just come out a few years ago? I would imagine that I would have heard something about an old Indiana Jones movie.

Raulito: @joeavella why are you buying so many dvds? Again. Should have stopped and thought at this point. I don’t even know this guy!

Joe Avella: @raulito i’m a big indie fan! I missed it in the theaters, so I’m gearing up to watch it tonight! Can’t have too many copies, right?! total moron! pay attention!

Joe Avella: Card maxed out?!?!?! looking for ATM in Des Plaines near Blockbuster. Shit! Please don’t sell out of Indiana Jones DVDs!

Tim Racine: If the new Indiana Jones movie is as good as the number of copies of it I own, it will be 162 good (One hundred sixty too good!)!!!

Joe Avella: Heading home after a fruitful day of shopping. Can’t wait to watch Indiana Jones!

Joe Avella: There’s something so gratifying about buying 148 copies of the new Indiana Jones DVD.

Sommer Austin:
Are you going to burn them in a giant bonfire? Now THAT would be gratifying. What a strange comment, I thought.

Ismael Moustafa:
Does that bring you and Tim to a total of 310 copies? Ha ha. joke’s on me, right?

THE NEXT DAY
(I won’t get into the details of the film or my thoughts of it in general. I think it’s pretty clear from my comments below. When I awoke in the morning, I was in a daze much like a hang over. I stepped out into my living room to see boxes of Indiana Jones DVDs on the floor. The reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Next thing I knew I was back at work. I don’t even remember the commute.)

Joe Avella: Watched Indiana Jones last night. Horrible. I can’t believe i bought 148 copies of that POS on DVD (and 27 on Blu-Ray). just horrible.

Ishymoose: @joeavella can i have one?

Joe Avella: @IshyMoose you can have the 24 blu-Ray discs. I broke a few in a fit of rage. (FYI Blu-ray is a very durable technology) Yeah, I cut my hand pretty bad too.

Tim Racine: New Indiana Jones movie: I don’t get it… if the movie wasn’t going to be good, why was I allowed to buy 162 copies? What a world!

Joe Avella: @TimRacine Exactly. Would have it killed any 1 of the 23 store clerks I encountered yesterday to be like ‘yo, it stinks.’ Insane.

Joe Avella: If anyone wants to buy a copy of the new Indiana Jones movie, I’ve got a lot for sale. DVD or Blu-Ray. I’m so depressed.

Neil Arsenty: @joeavella Hey…. what the hell?? Who bought all the new Indy movie DVDs in the ENTIRE CITY??

Joe Avella: @neilarsenty Dude, I got plenty of copies for sale. How many cases do you need?

Joe Avella: Why didn’t you tell me Indiana Jones is a bad movie? You knew I spent all day buying copies. Why didn’t you say something?! Some “friends” I was very upset and desperate. I apologize for this comment. It was wrong of me. I have no excuse.

Jim King:
I thought the third act clipped along pretty well. Watch Battlefield Earth and Skulls will seem better

Tim Racine: New Indiana Jones movie: I accidentally opened all the copies I bought yesterday; NONE OF THEM ARE ANY GOOD! Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

Joe Avella: New Indiana Jones movie: In a fit of rage, I accidentally burned all my receipts! Now I can’t even get store credit! I’m ruined! I was pissed.

Tim Racine: New Indiana Jones Movie Buying-Fiasco Lesson: Sometimes Hollywood goes too highbrow and ruins what could have been a great film.

Joe Avella:
Agreed. They also get a little generous with the CGI sometimes.

Tim Racine:
What CGI? In the new Indiana Jones movie?

Joe Avella:
Yeah. It’s hard to pick up on. I took a CGI class in college, so I kind of know what to look for. It’s my fault really…

Joe Avella: I really took a bath with these Indie DVDs. I am now accepting charitable donations…

And that was the end of it. In retrospect I should have used my head and not let marketing schemes get the best of me. If you’ve known me a few years, you probably remember the melt down I had after buying 77 copies of Ghost Rider. I swore it would never happen again, but…

You live and you learn, I guess.

Joe