Comments on: Fringe Benefits from the Decline of DVD

By: Michael J. Anderson

Michael J. Anderson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:08:52 +0000

What a bizarre series of comments on this piece! I am with Rob, and Netflix, on this one: VOD is the next wave. Why? Ease. What’s so hard to get about this? If consumers are given the opportunity to choose many, many more titles to be downloaded and viewed directly on their television set (or as it stands now, on-line, which by the way Suzidoll, my mother, resident of rural, small-town America does through her Netflix account… maybe their CEO does know what he’s talking about after all) why wouldn’t this work? DVD extras? Extras appeal to a small number of collectors who are more interested in seeing the same film over and over, and learning everything they can about a relatively small number of films. Home video is for these people, certainly. However, there is also a second kind of collector, a camp that both Rob and I belong to, who spends their time seeking out new experiences. VOD works for us. And it also works for the much more common, non-collector movie fan who wants to see something new and good. Choices are a great thing… as is ease.

By: suzidoll

suzidoll — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:02:56 +0000

I think tech geeks don’t understand that most people do not want to spend their leisure time installing yet another program, or hooking up yet another bit of junk to watch a movie that they can eventually see by merely turning on cable TV and finding the right channel. (See the latest Youtube CNN satire about Sony’s latest gadget. It’s fictional, of course, and completely foul-mouthed, but the point is so true.) And, most of us who spend their work days in front of a computer don’t want to spend their evenings in front of one watching a movie. I can’t think of anything less satisfying. And, Screen Digest and the CEO of Netflix ought to get out of their offices and visit the small towns and rural areas across the country, where people still sit on their porches in the evenings and actually visit each other — get this, by going outside their houses. What a concept. The day they waste time with VOD or any related service will be a cold one in hell.

By: filmlover

filmlover — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:38:12 +0000

I find myself disagreeing completely that VOD will be the future…at least not for a decade or more. I had cable for a great many years and satellite for the last several, and never once have I gone for VOD. I like my physical media – DVDs, Blu-rays – and don’t think I ever want to watch a movie over my computer. And digital downloading, though greatly hyped, barely does anything. And now with internet caps a possibility…

I also disagree with the phrase that Blu-ray has barely made a dent in the missing DVD revenue. There have been several circumstances lately of new titles where Blu has been 20% of the sales. That may not seem like much until you factor in that out of, say, $100 million, that would be $20 million…money the studio likes to get. That’s quote a jump from about two years ago when it was only about 1% of the media market. Don’t forget, it is still fairly young. DVDs didn’t catch on right away with everybody. I think Blu-ray will continue to grow and grow.

By: R. Emmet Sweeney

R. Emmet Sweeney — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:08:25 +0000

jbl – that’s why I think Blu-Ray will become an item more for collectors, and VOD for everyone else.

Mike – Flash Point has jumped a few notches on my to-see list. Very excited.

Al – I’m just talking about general trends, not personal preferences. I don’t own a Blu-Ray player myself (or an HDTV, for that matter)

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:59:34 +0000

This post may make your jaw drop.

Your technology is about ten times more sophisticated than mine.

I too just made a purchase of several old movies from an outlet specializing in the older stuff. I spent $25. My choices were: Robin and the Seven Hoods, Hollywood Party, The Great Lie and The Jolson Story. They are all used VHS videos.

The last time I counted, which was two years ago, I had 1,500 VHS videos and 40 DVDs. Obviously, I have more now.

My computer is ten years old. It was given to me by an editor for one of the small papers I write for.

There are many things I can’t do on it (although I can submit stories I wrote).

I can’t access the film clips featured in the Morlocks’ columns.

I certainly can’t access movies by computer.

I can’t even join in on your Bulletin Board discussions. Every time I try, it rejects me. And I can’t make corrections on your data base entries (and some of them really need corrected). Again I get rejected. I don’t know why.

This may seem very primitive to you but it satisfies me.

Olivia De Haviland made a movie I have never seen.

It was titled To Each His Own.

By: jbl

jbl — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:55:32 +0000

So tell me about all the extras you get with a downloaded movie — anything like what comes on a lot of DVDs?

I thought not.

By: Mike Lyon

Mike Lyon — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:49:44 +0000

“Flash Point” is the money Yip/Yen collaboration, and the final fight in that outing ranks very very highly on a hypothetical list I would make of best fight scenes of all time. Just stunning! It also features ostensibly the best story of any of Yip’s films (which, to be fair, is a little like talking about the best story in a Jackie Chan-directed picture, but I digress).

I’m behind you 100% on the Greengrass School of Editing; imagine my pants-shitting terror when not only did Bond decide to follow suit, the Broccolis hired Greengrass’ editor Rick Pearson to edit “Quantum of Solace”! The retarded-ADD-kid-on-speed ethos of this movement is killing the Western action picture, one jump cut at a time. And the actors clearly don’t have to be trained martial artists; one need look no further than Chan-wook Park’s “Oldboy” for a truly visceral fight scene devoid of stuntmen – and that particular brawl clocks in at a whopping zero edits…