IGN FilmForce Weekend Shopping Guide: Return of the Jedi Edition
IGN's FilmForce Weekend Shopping Guide for May 3, 2002 was a Return of the Jedi edition. Here is what the column was and how to find it.
In this article
Here's the short answer: the IGN FilmForce Weekend Shopping Guide was a weekend column from IGN Staff that steered readers toward things to buy. [1]
The Return of the Jedi edition is dated May 3, 2002. [1] This article walks through that edition, so you can see what the column suggested and how it framed each pick.
The column spotlighted things you didn't even know you wanted, and it was written for people who had just been paid. [1] For a casual shopper, that meant a weekend list of fresh ideas to spend a paycheck on.
Keep reading for the Return of the Jedi picks and what each one offered a weekend shopper.
How did the column pitch its picks to readers?
The column pitched its picks as a weekend shopping steer. It starts with a scene most readers will recognize: it's the weekend, and you've just been paid. [1] For a closer look, read IGN FilmForce Weekend Shopping Guide.
The opening says the paycheck is burning a hole in your pocket, then asks what a pop culture geek should do about it. That framing puts the money in your hands and makes the picks a practical answer to the question. [1]
The column says its goal is to steer you toward the right place to spend that money. It calls itself a spotlight on things you didn't even know you wanted, so the picks read as ideas rather than a sales pitch. [1]
The audience is the pop culture geek, so the picks lean toward film and fan goods. The Star Wars: Attack of the Clones books show the range: one is a visual dictionary of characters and props, and the other looks inside the vehicles. [1]
If you like knowing how things work, the column points you to Incredible Cross Sections, which reveals the inner workings of the ships. For a movie night, it suggests a special edition re-release of Jerry Maguire as a weekend rewatch. [1]
When did this entry run, and when was the page last updated?
The column ran on May 3, 2002. Its heading reads IGN FilmForce Weekend Shopping Guide 5/3/02: Return of the Jedi, so the date is part of the title itself. [1]
The page you find today carries a later stamp. It shows an update on June 17, 2012, at 2:20pm UTC. That tells you when the page was last changed, not when the column was first published. [1]
Why the date matters for shopping
The two Star Wars books it recommends are each listed at $19.99 SRP, and the Jerry Maguire DVD at $27.95 SRP. [1]
Those figures are the list prices from that year.
How do you find the Return of the Jedi releases today?
Search "Return of the Jedi" on the studio's website and on the large retailers you already use. That shows the current home-video editions, which matters more than any pick from an old column, since what's on shelves changes over time.
Start on the home-video pages of each site. Several listings may cover the same film, so you'll need to tell them apart. A standard disc and a special collector's set can appear side by side under nearly identical titles.
Open each matching listing and read its release date and format before you add anything to your cart. Two listings can look alike but be different editions, different disc formats, or re-releases with different dates. Keep the one that matches the edition you want.
Confirm the price on the retailer's own page right before you buy. Prices change, and a number from a search snippet or an old article may be out of date by the time you click through. Compare final prices for the same edition so you're comparing like with like.
A simple routine:
- Search the exact title on two or three sites.
- Open each matching listing and read its release date and format.
- Keep the listing that matches the edition you want.
- Check the current price on that listing's page.
Where should you go next with this column?
The Return of the Jedi entry is best read as a snapshot. The column's pitch was simple: the weekend is here, the paycheck is in, and the money is burning a hole in your pocket. [1]
That context matters when you look at these picks today. They reflect the tastes and prices of their time, so treat the entry as a window into early-2000s fan shopping. Use it for ideas, then find the current editions on your own. For a closer look, read How to Use Old Holiday Buying Guides Without Overpaying.
For how the column organized its entries, read the pillar overview on the Black Books edition next. It explains the format, which will make this entry easier to read.