2013 Annual Report

I'm wearing my Netflix sweatshirt, which I got on eBay, while I blog this. Time for my annual report. In 2013, this is how I consumed movies:

 I saw 123 movies in 2013:

Netflix DVD: 70
Theater: 39
Netflix Instant: 6
Other Internet: 5
Redbox: 2



This is the lowest number since before Netflix. I must admit, I'm not including many hours of television I got through Netflix Instant. I don't count those toward my movie totals. My viewing might have increased if I tracked those hours.

I've seen 999 of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 2002 edition. The book has been revised many times, so the complete list from all editions now has 1,153 titles on it. The newest edition has 28 titles I haven't seen, so there's a big difference among editions. I'm wondering if I should try to complete all editions, or is that a fool's errand? I'm getting my stats from the new iPhone app for the book, 1001 Movies Before You Die. You can also see them on Icheckmovies.com, which is the only list-tracking site I use now. I still have my stuff on Listology.com, but I'm not updating it.

I'm still keeping the DVD plan and the Instant plan, until I can afford a faster Internet connection. I'm currently using Freedompop.com for my Internet, and even on their best plan, I experience only 1-2 Mbps. I need an external antenna. My house is a Faraday cage, apparently. I've heard they throttle streaming users. Oh well. It's slightly better and cheaper than DSL or cable, except when it rains.

Shout-out to Reed Hastings and the Netflix crew for a job well done. Thank you.

How many movies did you get from Netflix in 2007?

I saw only 263 movies in 2007. It was a slow year. The year before, I saw 473. This is how 2007 breaks down:

Netflix sent me 106 movies,

SilverScreenArchive sent me 65,

Classicflix sent me 2,

I saw 67 in a theatre, on the big screen,

and 23 from other sources, like eBay, Amazon, a dollar store, or Redbox, Video Review.

I managed to avoid Blockbuster and Hollywood Video entirely.

Thank you, Netflix!

Progress report on the 1001 Movies

It's been three months since I last reported on my quest to see all of the titles in Stephen Jay Schneider's book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the 2002 edition. I started in 2004, having seen about 200 of them, and now I have seen 978.

Netflix sent me 595 of them.

Of the 23 remaining, eight are in my Netflix Queue. I have three from Netflix at home. I bought two on eBay. One I have to rent at the video store. One I have to watch at the UNC Chapel Hill library. The final eight are unavailable on home video, or if available, in a foreign language without English subtitles.

I'm going through the book in chronological order, and I just finished the decade of the Nineties.

If you're working on the same list, please let me know how far along you are. I haven't heard of anyone who has completed the list yet. You can track, share, and compare your progress on the fourth edition (2006) of the book at Lists of bests.

Netflix coffee cup on eBay

Next in the "I've been fired!" series on eBay is a Red, Black and Stainless Netflix logo Coffee Cup

ex-Netflix employee selling goodies on eBay

This guy worked for Netflix, and got a bunch of good schwag that he plans to sell on eBay, starting with this Netflix "What's in your queue? hat
He says:

I was unceremoniously let go from my manager job of 4 years at Netflix and now my wife say's all my Netflix memorabilia must exit our house. Up for auction is this fine red beanie hat that I received at one of our annual manager meetings in Park City, Utah. It is embroidered with “what’s in your queue?" It was never worn and is from a smoke free and soon to be up for sale home. Look for other Netflix items that I will have posted soon. I will end the auction early if someone will pay off my house :) Thanks for looking. Good Luck. If bidding goes over $1000, I will include the Chuck E. Cheese basketball used as a the head model :)

The location of the hat is Olive Branch, Mississipi, which is 3 hours away from Jackson, MS, the location of the only distribution center I know of in Mississippi. However, Olive Branch is just over the border from Memphis, Tennessee. The guy says he was a manager. I reckon that means a distribution center manager. I don't have an address for a DC in Memphis, but I believe there is one.

The lucky guy went to Park City (where the Sundance film festival is, and Netflix has staff attending the fest every year). What a great job, if your staff meetings take place at a film festival!

Netflix ads for sale on eBay

At first, I was excited to see this auction for "Casino Royale 007 Trade Ad for Netflix" on eBay Express, because I thought it was the original advertisement artwork, but imagine my disappointment when I saw that the auction is for the ad on the Netflix envelope flap. I already have several. Netflix must have mailed out millions of them. An example of one man's trash is another man's treasure, if it sells. The "Buy It Now" price is $.99, but shipping is an outrageous $5.00, since it cost Netflix just $.39 to send it to the seller. The same seller has an ad for Deja Vu for sale also.

My Yearly stats

I saw 473 movies last year.
Of those, 65 movies were in the theatre, so the rest were on DVD or VHS (no TV).
163 were from Netflix.
42 were from Blockbuster Online.
73 were from SilverScreenArchive.
The rest were from other sources, like eBay, Amazon, Facets, Nicheflix, Public Library, or a friend.

I have seen 914 of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

I Feel So Used

You know I'm on a quest to see all of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. There are still several I haven't seen which aren't available through Netflix. In fact, I've learned that some titles have never even been released on video in any format. I'm on a scavenger hunt to find these videos anywhere, using eBay,Amazon, Facets Multimedia, Nicheflix a la carte, etc.

My friend Jim, creator of Listology, has made a tool which is helping me track these titles on Amazon. It's called I Feel So Used: Tracking Used Amazon Products. I enter the ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) for each product I'm seeking, and his Web site keeps track of the price as it changes. As soon as it falls to where I can afford it, I click through and add it to my shopping cart, and Jim makes a little money. Smiles all around.