Allow half-star user ratings in Netflix

The Netflix Rating Granulizer for Greasemonkey does exactly that. Install this extension in your browser, and you'll be able to assign ratings with half a star. I used it to give The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 3.5 stars. It's better than OK, but I didn't really like it.

LikeMinds alpha

I have rated over 3000 titles on Netflix.com. I use Netflix as my main repository of movie ratings. I like to know how I rated a movie, in case someone asks me. Sometimes I can't remember if I've seen a movie, or if I liked it enough to see it again, so I refer to my Netflix rating. Having to refer to Netflix is inconvenient sometimes. I don't want to have to start over from scratch with ratings on every movie Web site. What if I quit Netflix? What's going to happen to all those ratings? Now I can keep them. The LikeMinds Web app allows you to take your Netflix ratings with you, or move them from one Web site to another. Right now, you can export ratings from Amazon, Blockbuster, Flixster, Imdb, Movielens, Netflix, RottenTomatoes, and Yahoo, and import to Amazon, Blockbuster, Movielens, Netflix, and RottenTomatoes. They will be adding others.

It took about 10 minutes for my 3030 ratings to be imported from Netflix into LikeMinds.com. It took about a minute to download them to a file on my laptop.

It's in alpha at the moment, so they are looking for feedback on problems or features and are quick to respond. Let me know if you use it, and what your experience is.

Netflix as Christmas gift

Netflix has been around for 12 years. I can hardly believe it was already seven years old when I joined in 2004. However, there are still folks out there who have never joined. I was at the doctor's office a few weeks ago, and was shocked that my nurse didn't know how Netflix worked. I reckon alot of you never considered trying Netflix until someone gave you a gift subscription. So, if you got Netflix for Christmas, and you are a total newbie, please leave a comment. I'd love to meet you. Tell us what you think.

Leonard Maltin's app on sale

The Leonard Maltin iPhone/iPod Touch app I posted about is on sale at the iTunes store for $2.99, down from $4.99. It's based on his paperback movie guide. I reckon the price drop is because of how slow the search feature is. Also, you can't find things by keyword. You have to know the exact title or name, or at least the beginning letters. If you search for movie titles containing the word "Henry", you'll get Henry V, but not The Private Life of Henry VIII.

Even with these problems, I still love and recommend the app. Get it while it's on sale, and you'll get free updates when they fix these problems.

Netflix recommends I watch Wings of Desire (1987), and predicts that I will give it 3.9 stars, based on my feelings for Nosferatu the Vampyre (with Bruno Ganz), Downfall (a great movie also starring Bruno Ganz) and Big(!). The problem is I've already seen it. I rented it from Netflix in 2006 and rated it 3 stars. I guess it went out of print and then a new edition was made, but the rating I gave it in 2006 didn't transfer from that edition to this. I don't remember exactly why I gave it a lower rating. Should I re-rate it 3 stars, in total disagreement with what Netflix knows about me? Or trust Netflix? I feel bad for disagreeing with the Netflix prediction of my rating, because they spent a million dollars to improve their recommendations.

Two things of note: I love Bruno Ganz, as an actor, and I rate every movie I've seen on Netflix.com.

Best Movie guide on the iPhone and iPod Touch

I am thrilled to learn from a comment left here by Ken, that Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide is now available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. I bought mine from the App Store for $4.99, which is a third of what the book costs.

The advantages of it over other applications is that you don't have to be connected to the Internet to look up movie details. You get plot summaries, star ratings, cast and director. You can search the database by title, cast, or director to get filmographies. I do this all the time when I'm out with friends. We'll be talking about movies and they ask me what other movies has an actor been in? What other movies has someone directed? They think I'm the movie expert, and I keep them impressed by using Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide.

Another advantage is that you can create your own custom lists or add to Favorites or Movies to See which you can backup online. There's also a button to add movies to your Netflix queue (requires an Internet connection).

I've been waiting for this ever since I gave up my Palm T|X. A good movie guide was the only thing I missed about that Palm. I left a note on Leonard Maltin's Web site, asking that they make an app for the iPhone. I reckon I wasn't the only one who wanted it. Now my iPod Touch is complete.

If you don't have iTunes or an iPhone, check out the developer's Web site for screenshots and more info.

P.S. No one paid me or gave me anything to write this review.

One Month free trial cards from Netflix--October 2009 edition

It's time again for the ONE MONTH FREE TRIAL CARDS from Netflix. Act fast, because these single-use codes are available on a first-come basis. They expire October 31, 2009. Go to Netflix.com/tellafriend and enter one of these codes:

M216083727415
M256053727795
M226043727745
M246053727735

You are welcome to post your unused codes in the comments.

Fine print says: Cannot be combined with any other offer. Current and previous members and their households are ineligible. Netflix will bill you at the completion of the free trial unless you cancel prior to the end of the free trial. Netflix is a month-to-month subscription that you can cancel at any time. No refunds or credits for partial monthly subscription periods. Please visit Netflix.com/TermsOfUse for complete fine print. Netflix reserves the right to change terms and conditions any time they feel like it, and since I don't work for Netflix, nor do I represent them, I have no right to speak for them, and you're at your own risk. You should check out their site and not take my word for it.

1001 movies available at Netflix

You thought I was over my obsession with the 1001 movies you must see before you die. Not so fast. I found that Netflix Community user Knaldskalle has posted the list with links to Netflix where the titles are available on DVD, so you can quickly add them to your queue. That represents much work, for which I am grateful. I'm still stuck at having seen only 992 of the 1001 (2002) edition, but I've found sources for two of the remaining 9, so there's hope.