In a world where one company single-handedly created the online DVD rental industry, what happens when they turn against their own customers? Netflix has announced the cancellation of its Profiles feature. This means no more separate rental queues for different people in a household. Since the announcement, it took less than 24 hours for SaveNetflixProfiles.com to launch, bloggers are furious, and the real hardcore fans are absolutely livid. Who will triumph, and who will break?
posted on Jun 19, 2008 - View this thread

Wholphin: DVD Magazine of rare and unseen videos Delightful and unexpected collections of videos. There's a lot here. Let me show you a few of the videos that caught my eye: The Country, a short animated film based on a whimsical poem by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. The Strongest Man Drink all Day The Crying Game (AKA The Competition, Take 1) (with surprise ending)
posted on Jun 16, 2008 - View this thread

The Chroma Upsampling Error. This incredibly detailed explanation of a common bug in DVD players will likely either bore you to tears or be gripping and utterly fascinating.
posted on May 13, 2008 - View this thread

Has Blu-ray won the war? Toshiba has halted production of HD-DVD players and recorders. This on top of announcements by Netflix, Walmart, and Warner Bros. to not support the HD-DVD format. (It was less than a year ago that Walmart seemed to crown HD-DVD as their format of choice.) Now we can all break down and buy a Blu-ray player. Or can we?
posted on Feb 16, 2008 - View this thread

When it comes to home theaters, I thought I'd seen it all. But nothing's come close to this. First, I'm going to try to describe the sheer magnitude of Jeremy Kipnis' theater. His Stewart Snowmatte laboratory-grade screen is the biggest I've ever seen in a home, and in the back of the theater, there's a Sony ultra-high-resolution (4,096-by-2,160) SRX-S110 digital projector. I'm looking everywhere, jotting down questions, and Kipnis sounds almost giddy talking about his theater's capabilities. He refers to his baby, the Kipnis Studio Standard (KSS), as "The Greatest Show on Earth." And from the looks of it, he may be right. I should hope so, it cost six million dollars.
posted on Feb 14, 2008 - View this thread

Ace In The Hole. The best movie about a reporter ever?
posted on Dec 16, 2007 - View this thread

Love American Style Season One Volume One is coming to DVD on November 20th. The series ran on ABC-TV from 1969-1974, was nominated for an emmy for best comedy series (won for music) and often featured pilots that had been turned down by the networks. Some would later be picked up after airing on Love American Style; two such shows were Happy Days and Wait til Your Father Gets Home. The original theme song was performed by the Cowsills, here is their live version years later. As a kid, I actually hoped my dating life might be fun and humorous like the show, no such luck.
posted on Oct 26, 2007 - View this thread

Darren Aronofsky has posted a bootleg commentary for his film The Fountain (the one with Hugh Jackman in a bubble with a tree flying through space) since the film company decided the actual dvd itself didn't need one. The direct mp3 download is here (16mg) [via].
posted on Sep 17, 2007 - View this thread

In Yeah, Right! Spike Jonze takes the skateboarding montage to a whole new level. Check out Living Board. Invisible Boards. Slow motion introduction. Owen Wilson.
posted on Jul 8, 2007 - View this thread

Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 rejoice! Three of MST3K's writer/characters — Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy — have started a new venture: The Film Crew.
posted on Jun 28, 2007 - View this thread

Twin Peaks season 2 DVD is almost here ... finally! That leaves precious few days to get prepared: bone up on cast and crew details, argue about theories, click your way through the townsfolk, obsess over every itty bitty blessed detail, buy a "best friends" necklace, keep the faith about the deleted scenes, see whether it makes any more sense in German than English, put a poster on your wall that will give you nightmares, explore the Lodges, watch very bad things happen to Jenna Elfman, walk with Coop through the Black Lodge (part 2), blow the rest of the day reading stuff. For the truly ambitious, book a room in scenic Snoqualmie and watch the entire series there.
posted on Mar 23, 2007 - View this thread

The Criterion Contraption: Matthew Dessem is going to watch every last DVD in the Criterion Collection and blog about it. Illuminating and knowledgable film writing. You can start, if you wish, with the entry on my favorite film, The Passion of Joan of Arc, or pick from the complete index.
posted on Mar 19, 2007 - View this thread

If anyone can put together a kick-ass concert DVD, it's Trent Reznor. For your consideration: Nine Inch Nail's upcoming "Beside You In Time," which will be released in HD-DVD, Blu-Ray and some format from the late-90's they are referring to as simply DVD (this is apparently the first music DVD ever to be released on all three formats). View the trailer and some clips here in 1080P (if you're computer and eyes can handle it). Or, if you're lucky enough to live in one of the chosen cities, attend a screening.
posted on Jan 26, 2007 - View this thread

Netflix is dead. ...or so claims Robert Scoble (others disagree). Wal-Mart couldn't do it, Amazon couldn't do it; has Verisign produced a Netflix killer?
posted on Jan 11, 2007 - View this thread

Ever wonder if that DVD commentary might put you to sleep? Well, wonder no more. Learn about the first, the worst, and find out what other people think are the best. Vote for your favorites, and add your own reviews. "The definitive commentary track database" is at your service. Link courtesy of Whedonesque.
posted on Aug 31, 2006 - View this thread

CleanFlicks closes up shop and liquidates as Hollywood wins content-rights battle. Should a rental store have the right to remove offensive material before renting the DVD out to its customers?
posted on Jul 31, 2006 - View this thread

The Room: The Movie. Triple-threat (actor/writer/director) Tommy Wiseau made his cinematic debut in 2003 with the The Room (see trailer and various scenes), "a blend between a softcore porn flick and a Tennessee Williams stageplay." Wiseau ("who's not just one of the most unusual looking and sounding-with an unidentifiable Eastern European accent-leading men ever to grace the screen, but a narcissist nonpareil whose movie makes Vincent Gallo's "The Brown Bunny" seem the apotheosis of cinematic self-restraint...may be something of a first: A movie that prompts most of its viewers to ask for their money back-before even 30 minutes have passed." - Variety), allegedly raised $6 million outside Hollywood to cover production and marketing costs of the self-described "black comedy about love, passion, betrayal and lies" (see various rough dress rehersals). Audience members, including comedian David Cross, have been "marveling at the bizarre editing, bad bluescreen, uncomfortably explicit sex scenes and, of course, the enigma of Wiseau himself" as the film played monthly for years in Los Angeles. Available on DVD, diehard "roomies" swear by the theatrical experience, shout out their own commentary, hurl spoons at the screen and singalong to the soundtrack. Some call it "The Rocky Horror of the New Millenium" and stage "Room" parties. If you look at the marketing campaign or survived a screening you might see The Room as "a seminar on how NOT to make a movie." [Inspired by Boing Boing]
posted on Jun 1, 2006 - View this thread

Hoth Hell Freezes Over. The madness of King George subsides.
posted on May 4, 2006 - View this thread

Einstein TOR DVD is a mostly animated feature film from the early 1920s, long thought to be lost, featuring animation from the incredible Max Fleischer (who is responsible for the seriously cool Superman animated cartoons). For $15, looks like a must-have for animation buffs and science geeks.
posted on Apr 21, 2006 - View this thread

A guide to Japanese female exploitation films of the 70’s on DVD
posted on Apr 11, 2006 - View this thread

It's still about the means of production, you see — but in the overdeveloped world, at least, it's not about the production of goods and services anymore. Today's virtual revolutionary is happy to leave all that to capitalists. The virtual revolutionary wants to control the production of meaning — representations of herself and her world as she wants them to seem. Or be. Or whatever. That's all she asks.
Or, rather, takes.
Thomas de Zengotita welcomes the big world of the small screen. Peter Bogdanovich, instead, still mourns that last picture show.
posted on Mar 26, 2006 - View this thread

"It is nothing less than a generation-defining event.... It is this era’s 2001: A Space Odyssey." Even as the second, shorter cut of Terrence Malick's Pocahontas epic is slinking out of theaters, The New World is dividing and confounding critics, audiences, and bloggers: "The New World is my new religion." - "The New World separates the wheat from chaff." - "The first necessary film of this young year." The Village Voice's J. Hoberman observes the growing cult, Dave Kehr of the New York Times weighs in and gets testy. Matt Zoller Seitz responds. In the meantime, Malick is reportedly preparing a third, longer cut for the DVD.
posted on Mar 14, 2006 - View this thread

"The fundamental goal of Oboe is to make all your music available to you on all devices." DVD Jon is onboard. Michael Robertson is behind the project. MP3Tunes has become an MP3Beamer.
via
posted on Dec 7, 2005 - View this thread

New startup Peerflix is starting to generate press attention as a clearinghouse for peer-to-peer DVD trades; it's being called "eBay meets Netflix". With an idea that obvious, you'd think someone would have thought of it before, and they had - it was called WebSwap, but it didn't last that long...
posted on Oct 24, 2005 - View this thread

These days you can get your self-published book printed on-demand, anything you want on a single t-shirt or mug, and a CD pressed of the indie band that only three people have heard of. Seems like the only medium that's missing is movies, but oops, now we've got that too. IndieFlix accepts masters from independent filmmakers, puts the title up for rating and discussion, and lets people order DVDs full of movie that would be hard to come by otherwise. Filmmakers get a third of each sale to put towards their next work of genius.
posted on Oct 14, 2005 - View this thread

Region 4 Vs The World "Well I for one have had enough. I have a voice and it’s time that it was heard." Frustrated film fan in Australia reports on their dvd scene.
posted on Sep 20, 2005 - View this thread

Okay, I admit it. I have a DVD player, and I even have a TV ... that I watch! I didn't find myself buying many DVDs though, until I discovered that I could waste my money buying TV shows on DVD, finding the ones I like usually through word of (mostly analog, sometimes digital) mouth. When deciding whether or not to Netflix and/or buy Smallville, I came across DVD Verdict, and I found the site's conceit--to present each review of a particular DVD as one would present evidence in a trial, then deliver a verdict--to be charming rather than annoying. Chalk it up to generally good and entertaining writing, and very in-depth DVD reviews. Oh, the site's authors like Smallville. But then their motto is "truth, justice, and the digital way"...when it's not "making the jump from heroin to digital smoother since 1999".
posted on Sep 18, 2005 - View this thread

Finally, someone does archives right. The entire New Yorker collection, all the way back, for less than 2.5¢ an issue
posted on Sep 14, 2005 - View this thread

"Disposable" digital video cameras. Now available at CVS drugstores in the US, from the same company that last year introduced disposable digital cameras. The video is processed onto DVD at the store in an hour. But at $43 ($30 purchase plus $12.99 for processing) for 20 minutes of footage, is it really worth it? Walt Mossberg says, "Meh."
posted on Jun 8, 2005 - View this thread

Vive la Revolution. Are DVD Copy Protection technologies now illegal in France? (via techdirt).
posted on Apr 25, 2005 - View this thread

Movie to release DVD within FOUR DAYS of theatrical release : This is of interest as a shift in marketing strategy that could be highly significant. Consider the implications.
posted on Feb 10, 2005 - View this thread

Supercomputer-on-a-chip microprocessor design revealed on heels of report that third generation DVDs may implement an holographic storage technique.
posted on Feb 7, 2005 - View this thread

HBO's Deadwood is quite possibly the best television show ever produced. Not only is it amazingly gripping stuff, it's also meticulously researched. (Pretty easy to do when the entire city is a registered historic landmark.)
Sure, we all know that Wild Bill and Calamity Jane were real people. As it turns out, though, almost every main character in the show (and many minor ones) had a real life counterpart, as did many of the events.
Deadwood notables EB Farnum, Reverend H W Smith, Seth Bullock and his partner Sol Star, Colorado Charlie Utter, Al Swerengen with his Gem Saloon, and the crosseyed gambler Jack McCall all lived and breathed in one of America's most storied cities.
posted on Dec 10, 2004 - View this thread

An odd category for this DVD. I was searching for a favorite film of mine, The Hebrew Hammer, when I noticed that Overstock.com had filed it under the wrong category. This made me chuckle and I hope it makes you smile too. Happy two days before thanksgiving everyone!
posted on Nov 23, 2004 - View this thread

dvdloc8, the "Internet DVD Database", a cool little work-in-progress thing I found via doom9.
posted on Oct 28, 2004 - View this thread

Star Wars: The Changes compares screen shots of the original movies with the special edition releases and the new DVD.
posted on Oct 22, 2004 - View this thread

Collect art films on DVD? You probably already know of DVD Talk (and their forums). But What about Criterion Forums, a place to discuss boutique dvd labels (not just Criterion, but Kino, Anchor Bay, Blue Underground, Plexi, and others), as well as trade and purchase used titles from other collectors/ members? (You'll see more categories in the forums once you register.)
posted on Sep 6, 2004 - View this thread

Wizard People, Dear Reader is a bizarre re-reading (or, if you're Tim Burton, a re-imagining) of Harry Potter and the philosophers stone (or sorcerers stone for our friends across the pond). Basically you download it, burn it to CD and play it while watching the DVD. A new art form, a childish gimmick or somewhere inbetween? Everybody will have a copy soon, so get busy with the download (courtesy of the ever vigilant Talking Tina at Sissyfight.com).
posted on Jun 8, 2004 - View this thread

Disney WWII-era propaganda An interview with Dave Bossert, the producer of a limited-edition two-DVD set of propaganda films produced by the Disney animation studio between 1941 and 1946--many of these shorts, including Donald Duck's Der Fuehrer's Face, were previously available only as nth-generation bootlegs because of their stereotypes and politically sensitive subject matter. (Also included in the collection is the previously extremely rare feature-length 1943 animated film Victory Through Air Power, designed to convince the American public that the only way to win the war was investment in long-range bombers.) [more inside]
posted on May 24, 2004 - View this thread

Star Wars Trilogy DVD Commentaries Leaked . Five three-ish minute clips of Lucas-audio leakery! w00t! I can't wait til September!
posted on Apr 1, 2004 - View this thread

Feds rule that DVD X Copy is now illegal. What will become of other DVD burning software? The MPAA considers a major victory, but are the people who may use it legitimately getting the shaft, or will we see an increase in recovery outfits?
posted on Feb 22, 2004 - View this thread

...The Rolling Stones released their Four Flicks DVD in Canada on an exclusive distribution basis, limiting availability of the Four Flicks DVD to only one retailer, thereby excluding HMV and all other retailers from making this product available to their consumers....HMV responded by indicating that if its consumers were not good enough to have access to the Rolling Stones new product in HMV stores, then the Rolling Stones were not worthy of having ANY of its products in HMV’s stores...HMV would now like to solicit your opinion as it decides its next steps with regards to its position...
posted on Feb 10, 2004 - View this thread

Have a region free DVD player? Just love movies? DVD Beaver reviews DVDs and compares releases from different countries so you can be sure you're getting the best print/audio available.
posted on Feb 8, 2004 - View this thread

The Exorcist Experience: U.S. soldier pops The Exorcist into his portable DVD player and discovers that he's right there, where the opening scenes were filmed. Now the Army (and movie director William Friedkin) plan to back an Exorcist-themed tourist attraction. Admission will be $2 or $5 with a kabob lunch.
posted on Feb 3, 2004 - View this thread

Bon air! Nuit d`fête! More than likely, if you're of a certain age (I won't pretend to know the exact one) and live in the U.S., you know the theme song in English, at least. It's Green Acres, which came out on DVD on Jan. 13, and will hit TV Land this spring, after years of being hard to find and in bad condition when you could find it. Its reputation has been bolstered over time by praise from, among others, Matt Groening (see No. 50), who has reportedly called it one of the primary inspirations for "The Simpsons." Have you rented any old TV shows on DVD, ones you can't necessarily catch on cable or syndication, and reconsidered your opinion of them? Do shows that seemed modern at the time now seem backdated, or vice versa, or more influential than you might have guessed?
posted on Jan 28, 2004 - View this thread

The Spook Who Sat By The Door, a movie pitched and marketed as blaxploitation, was a low budget political science fiction thriller about black revolution in urban black America based upon the novel written by Sam Greenlee. It was withdrawn two weeks after its release in 1973, ostensibly at the behest of the FBI. Some remember it fondly, while others revile it in recollection. Thirty-one years later, it has been released on DVD. Sam Greenlee's an interesting man--another book of his, Baghdad Blues, is evidently an autobiographical novel based upon his first hand experience of the 1958 Baath coup in Iraq. Side notes: Researching this post led me to the intriguing Chicken Bones. And here is Elvis Mitchell's take on The Marginalization of Black Action Films.
posted on Jan 20, 2004 - View this thread

DVD File is reporting that Michael J. Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame will be providing audio commentary for an upcoming re-release of Reefer Madness. Will this mark the first time a DVD commentator openly mocks the film?
posted on Dec 19, 2003 - View this thread

Fox is considering renewing Family Guy. "As many as 35 new episodes could premiere in January 2005, according to the Fox spokesperson, which would mark the first time a canceled series has been revived on the strength of its DVD sales and syndication ratings. "
posted on Nov 19, 2003 - View this thread

You thought web standards were bad, how about PC, DVD and Recorder standards too? Well, the FCC has officially mandated that vendors making devices such as dvd players, recorders, pc's, must include (by July 1, 2005) copy-protection mechanisms which will prevent sharing of most digitally broadcast content. Broadcasters will have the option of adding a 'flag' to data streams which will prevent users from sharing digital content ala mp3's. Yes, there will be ways around this;yes, old systems will still work (maybe), but in the end, the FCC has just established a new technological standard which will end up in all of our new computers, dvd players, tivos, post 2005. Want to do something about it? Sorry. Too late.
posted on Nov 5, 2003 - View this thread

Groundbreaking music videos (quicktime req'd) courtesy of Palm Picture's exciting new Director's Label. The first collections are courtesy of Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry & Chris Cunningham.
posted on Oct 14, 2003 - View this thread