I always notice that discs are listed a 39.99$ and then listed as 40 or 50% off...does anyone really expect people to pay 40$ for an HD disc or are they just marking them up so they can look like there always on sale?

I don't know about "always on sale" but so many things are marked this way, not just HD movies.

Consumer electronics always have a "list price" that is really high, too. I guess it puts a perception in a customer's mind that the retailer is competitive (even when they are not).

So far between buying used, buying at Target, or buying during BB $20 Off sale, I've managed to not pay more than $19.99 for any disc.

I refuse to pay more.

Yes I have also managed to get most of my HD movies for way less than $40. The most I ever paid was $30 and that was for MI:III right after I got my HD DVD player.

There are two prices companies give.

MSRP= Manufacture Suggested Retail Price, this is the price that they offcially quote, and usually early buyers pay this price

then

RRP= Recomended Retail Price, this is not publicly released, this is what the manufacturer tells retailers to sell the product for.
The do this to fool consumers that they are somehow getting a deal, its pretty sick in my opinion. But most people by now should be wise to it. You already know the list price of a car is BS, you should assume the same for most consumer products, especially fast paced products like technology.

I think Japan is the only country where movies are sold at MSRP.