Nope, not one of these “Why are they in the shops already?” whinges, but a complaint about the way DVD Easter eggs are marketed.

For the unitiated, DVD Easter eggs are hidden extras concealed within the menus (or “interactive menus”, as they called when a low-extra disc is trying to sound exciting). They have evolved from computer software Easter Eggs, which typically produced an amusing message or a photo of the programmers if a certain key combination was used.

I have no problem with Easter eggs per se; indeed, some are little gems. But what irritates me is when they are cited on the DVD box as a selling point.

Includes original trailer, commentary by the director, interactive menus and three Easter eggs!

The whole point of Easter eggs is that they are frivolous and hidden. If the contents are worthy of being a selling point – i.e., I’m paying for them – then they should be easily accessible and not concealed on the third language setup screen. If they are proper Easter eggs, they should be for fun only and not advertised!