DVD & Video Guide Update
Monday, January 28, 2008
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If you’re like me, the DVD & Video Guide by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter is THE GUIDE for movies. For as long as I can remember, I have used the guide, and I buy it every year.
Well this year it’s not available! One of our readers, Ed, was able to contact Mick Martin.
Here is what Mick wrote:
“Hello Ed – Random House surprised us on 9/11/06 by deciding not to publish “The DVD & Video Guide” anymore. Their rationale was that “people can get the same information on the internet.” We disagree and are trying to get it published by Sterling Publications, which owns Barnes and Noble. We’ve been “on the hook” for eight months now, but we’re not giving up! — Mick”
Ed is going to email him again and see what we fans can do.
Thanks, Ed! Stay tuned for more information.
Related Entries:
- Compare Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide to The DVD & Video Guide by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter
- Help us Get the DVD & Video Guide Published Again
- Review: VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever Guide
- Where in the World are Mick Martin and Marsha Porter?
- The Geekscribe Guide to Getting Wifely Approval to Buy DVD’s
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19 Responses to “DVD & Video Guide Update”
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Langston says:
January 30th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Appreciate the update and I hope the get a publisher in the very near future.
Jim says:
January 30th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Please start a petition so that Mick Martin and Marsha Potter can continue to publish their magnificent annual movie guide.
I’ll sign it in a heartbeat.
F. Shawn Martin says:
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I was,also,disappointed this movie guide was no longer available.
I was buying the Martin & Porter guide every year.
Terry says:
March 4th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I buy the Mick and Marsha video guide every year. How can the publisher suppose people are just going to get up and use the computer when it is rasier to have the book right next to you? That is extremly crazy thinking.
Jo Ann says:
May 8th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Thank you so much for finding out what happened to DVD & Video guide. I have been looking everywhere for the 2008 edition!!!!! Please let me know if the new publisher will take it over and also let me know if I can do anything to help. I bought that book every year and will really miss not having it. I agree that Leonard’s book is not very good. Have you looked at Video Hound’s Golden Movie Retriever? Thank you again for tracking down the reason we can’t get the DVD & Video guide.
Scott says:
November 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Wow, I always buy at least 7 at Xmas time for all my family and friends. I have been looking all over and this is the first note I have seen about this. Any updates yet as to Barnes and Noble Publishing?
Don McKenzie says:
December 7th, 2008 at 6:53 am
The guide had no rival. Real reviews with insights that allowed
your own personal taste to be the final judge. I was so dependent on the info, so it is a big loss.
Jerry Beck says:
February 1st, 2009 at 8:33 pm
No wonder publishers are losing money. Many of us bought these guides every year.
Random House made a major mistake when they elected to stop publishing this Guide
Jorge says:
September 4th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I’ve been highly disappointed that this is out of print. I can’t stand Leonard Maltin because he has always been so pretentious and ridiculous. I left the following at Random House’s site:
I arrived at your website after searching for The DVD & Video Guide at stores and then online. I understand you’ve ceased publication of the DVD & Video Guide by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter because movie reviews can be found online. I think this is a big mistake. I keep a copy of this book on my entertainment center so it’s ready any time I need it. I can certainly get what I want a whole lot faster than waiting for my pc to boot. Not only that but this was very well written from the perspective of people who love movies and can talk about them intelligently. Leonard Maltin still puts out a book but it is far inferior. He’s way too smarmy and pretentious. I won’t buy that. Please publish again what was once THE BEST guide for short and sweet movie reviews that let you know what a movie was about and if it was worth watching.
Rachel says:
September 11th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I love this Book they got to start publishing it again. I have been looking all over for it I did not know it’s not around anymore that stinks.
MALENA GARCIA GIL says:
September 18th, 2009 at 2:37 am
my son and I have been buying this catalog for some years now, and have not found it lately, we really miss it and hope it will come out again.. it is really magnificent, and useful. please, please we need it.
Fran says:
October 18th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
This is terrible. I wanted to buy updated copies of this guide for all my “movie night” friends!! It was the best guide around. Thank you for the site so that I now know what happened. Someone made terrible decision in letting this book get away.
Fran says:
October 18th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
This is terrible. I wanted to buy updated copies of this guide for all my “movie night” friends!! It was the best guide around. Thank you for the site so that I now know what happened. Someone made terrible decision in letting this book get away.
Jackie says:
October 25th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I have not been able to find updated copies of this guide and now I know why. This was the best guide to movies-I have a copy at home and a copy at work. Anytime someone has a question about a movie we reach for this book. I am very sorry to learn that it is not being published anymore…
Elaine says:
December 11th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
This is the best DVD & Movie guide ever. I can’t believe it has gone by the wayside. Please start to publish this guide again. We play trivia a lot in my house, and this is the guide we use for the correct answers. Mick Martin & Marsha Porter are the best.
Marsha says:
December 24th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
This is the QUINTESSENTIAL guide for movie geeks!!!
BRING IT BACK!!!
Where can one write to wake up the idiot publishers who nixed their involvement?
Clarissa says:
January 30th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I skipped buying my video guide last year and was very upset when I couldn’t find the DVD & Video Guide 2009 by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter. Using Leonard Maltin’s Move Guide instead is difficult because he has a very limited Cast Index and Director Index. But what is most annoying about his book is that he does not list the entries in proper alphabetical order. Two examples are listing the movie “Isadora” before “I Saw What You Did,” and listing the movie “Going My Way” before “Go West Young Man.” That is not the way one uses a dictionary!!! I sure hope that the Martin/Porter guide starts up again.
Anne Pickett says:
February 1st, 2010 at 11:59 am
I am still hopeful every year to find the Martin/Porter guide. So far no luck. Have tried Maltin’s guide – it is AWFUL! I have sent an e-mail to Random House. Anything else I can do? Here’s hoping.
Tim says:
April 6th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Message I sent Balletine Books/Random House…The DVD & Video Guides by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter.
I love the DVD & Movie Guides by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter. What can be done is make two editions, a new one featuring movies from 2000-2009, and an edition of classic movies, including the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and movies made before those decades. The reason being is, it would be too thick for a full updated version, so two editions, would be great. I use the guide everyday, and currently using the 2007 edition for a project I am working on. I use the internet as well and various movie websites, but this book is a quick lifesaver when I need information in a hurry, and would love to see a new edition very soon, and would be even cooler if it contained on some pages photos of random movie posters (b/w) of some movie that is a big blockbuster, something like what a dictionary has. Please Ballintine Books/Random House, bring back everybody’s favorite DVD & Video Guide for 2010/11. You may have to go with the two edition version approach, different covers and titles to get it done. I would buy both for sure, whatever the MSPR price is. Thanks. -Tim