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

Netflix cake

Netflix, originally uploaded by Simflips.

For my next birthday, someone should bake me this cake.

Easier to get help from Netflix

Netflix has upgraded their online Help Center to make it easier to navigate. Now it takes just 3 clicks to get to their customer service phone number, and it's available 24/7. I don't know how long it's been since they stopped having limited hours, but I only noticed it a short while ago. They must have finally decided you Luddites out there were going to refuse to be content with a Web robot handling all your issues.

They gave me a 6-digit reference number to use when I call, which I blocked out, because I don't know if you can use it to get my account information.

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!

Summer blockbuster cartoons

I love the summer time, when I can see a new Hollywood blockbuster every week, especially the plethora of animated films with which we've been blessed. Last week, I gasped in wonder at the beauty of Ratatouille. Last night, I laughed out loud at Live Free or Die Hard.

I wonder if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will allow 20th Century Fox to enter Die Hard in the animated category for the Oscars. According to their definition of an animated film, I think it qualifies: "animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture’s running time."

Netflix at CurrentCodes.com

Keep an eye on CurrentCodes.com for special deals from Netflix. CurrentCodes.com is a Web site with a full-time staff whose only job is to collect and post promotional codes for over a thousand retailers. They accept submissions, too, so if you learn of any promo codes, share them.

Now you can drag and drop movies in your queue

Netflix has made it possible for you to change the position of your movies in your queue just by dragging and dropping them. You have to put your pointer over the movie until it turns into a little grippy-hand. Then you can click and drag the movie to a new queue position. Or you can still sort them by changing the movie's number and clicking the "update your queue" button.

I'm glad that the Netflix Web site announced this new feature, instead of waiting for us to figure it out.

AFI 100 Years...100 Movies...10th Anniversary Edition

The American Film Institute has come out with an updated list of the greatest American movies of the last 100 years, for the tenth anniversary of the first list, and I've already seen all of them! It's a very good list, better than the one they did in 1996. I recommend it as a minimum for every Netflix member. Netflix has a link to the AFI list, but it's broken at the moment; perhaps because they are working on the new list. :)

UPDATE - the link is working again, and the Netflix site has been updated with the latest AFI 100 Great Movies. Four on the list are not available on DVD.

Listology is looking for a site-admin

One of my favorite Web sites in the WHOLE WORLD was created by a really nice guy who, after running it himself for a few years, wants to find "an active administrator, someone who will respond to feature requests, strive to keep the site up-to-date, give it a shiny new web 2.0 look, etc"

Listology is a repository of user-generated lists. Right now, the site is pretty plain-text, which is one of its appeals. It loads fast and is easy to update. It's also very Netflix-friendly. It's the home of the Netflix Tracker, where I keep track of all the movies I get from Netflix and what distribution center they come from. Listology is also where I share my Netflix Queue with the world. Listology is a great place to go if you are looking for ideas for your queue.

Netflix's IP neighbors

Using myIPneighbors.com, the Reverse IP Domain Check DNS Tool, you can see which domains besides Netflix.com point to the same IP address. The IP address of Netflix is 208.75.76.17.

Official Netflix blog launched

Netflix has finally launched an official blog, but with a unique focus. Instead of being about the company, or the rental experience, or about movies, The Netflix Community blog is devoted only to the Community features of Netflix (Friends, Profiles, custom lists, etc) and we who use them. It's where you can go to discover new features or changes to existing ones, and give feedback.

Unlike Hacking Netflix, or this blog, the Netflix Community blog is written by folks who work for Netflix, "by the team that is building the social elements of the Netflix site," so it's the horse's mouth.


Via Hacking Netflix

100% Similarity

Unredeemed gift cards

Did you know you can check your Netflix account to see if the gift subscriptions you have given away have been redeemed? I gave one to a family member at Christmas, and they only just now redeemed it. I was afraid he would never activate it. What could I do if he didn't? One possibility is that I could use it myself. Netflix lets me know the code number for every gift subscription I buy.

I wonder how many subscriptions never get used, or end up on eBay?

My family member was able to use his gift subscription in conjunction with the one month trial card I gave him, so it will be months before he has to decide whether to pay for the service. He signed up for the trial period first, of course, and then added the gift later. He already has 5 profiles for himself and his family.

Action films to watch if you're going to be the next Punisher

The Seven-Ups (1973) is one of the movies watched by Thomas Jane, the actor who played The Punisher, in order to get himself psyched up for the character. After extensive preparation for the role, he is disappointed to announce he will not be playing the next Punisher, if there is ever a sequel. So if you want to prepare to take his place (good luck to you), here are some of the other titles he watched:

"Leon the Professional, Oldboy, The Seven-Ups (GREAT flick), Point Blank, Escape from NY, The Driver, Magnum Force, The Mechanic, The Great Silence, Sexy Beast, Nighthawks, Cry Vengeance (check it out), Road Warrior, Man on Fire, Outlaw Josey Wales, Rocky (think about it), Serpico, etc"

Netflix one month trial cards--UPDATED

Instead of just emailing me with a special code for a one month trial, to share with my friends and family, I received a snail-mail from Netflix yesterday, which contains two one month trial cards to give out. The mailer looks like a regular red Netflix envelope, except a bit smaller, and made of card stock. Each trial card has a unique identification number, and is made of laminated cardstock. If you got one of these in the mail, could you send me a scan, so I can post it here? (My scanner is on loan to a friend, so I can't bring you a photo of this.)

UPDATE: HackingNetflix has posted a photo. Thanks Mike!

I beat Ebert!!

As of June 12, 2005 Roger Ebert has seen 943 of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

As of April 24, 2007, I have seen 944.

In other news, Roger Ebert's 9th Annual Overlooked Film Festival (aka Ebertfest) started in Champaign, Illinois today, and I'm sad that I can't be there. Ebert is being a trooper and showing up, despite his health problems.


P.S. I couldn't have done it without Netflix. I have 39 left in my Netflix queue.

P.P.S. I am using only the 2002 edition of the book.

ShatnerVision

William Shatner has an online video show, which he calls ShatnerVision on LiveVideo.com. In the current episode, he admits he "likes to attract stares at airports by flipping open his cell phone and talking into it like a 23rd century communicator." That is too funny.

Via Cinematical

Netflix brings movies out of obscurity

First, I noticed a new movie called Numb on the Netflix new releases page, in the Sci-Fi & Fantasy genre. I like Sci-Fi very much, so clicked through. No one on Netflix has reviewed it yet, and it's been rated only 26 times. That's an obscure movie. I decided to check Numb on IMDB to see if I could learn more. (Can you believe there have been five movies in the last six years named "Numb"?). I scrolled down. Didn't recognize any of the cast or crew. It's done zero at the boxoffice. There's only two user reviews. But at the bottom, a teaser for the Moviemeter (tm) showed that this movie is climbing rapidly out of obscurity at a rate of 37% since last week.

Wanna know why?

I think it's because it's on Netflix's New Releases page. Since the movie was released on DVD a year ago, on April 2, 2006, its highest rank on IMDB was 39,429 on April 23, 2006. It went down to 74259 on Jan 7, 2007. This year, its average rank was 55,269, until this week. Since Netflix has offered the title, its rank has risen to 33,144.

What do you think?

Free cartoons

I love animated short films. LOVE them. Lurv them. Anyway, here's a bunch of clips hosted by the UCLA Animation Workshop.

New Netflix discussion group

One of my Netflix Friends has started Netflix_Cinemajig, a new discussion group for Netflix subscribers who like anything out of the mainstream. You can read the Netflix_Cinemajig archives , or join the group and post your own reviews. It's a "fun, active, diverse" group who like to "discuss movies, directors, actors and anything else film-related," who also "play daily movie-related games to jog the mind, relieve that workday boredom and most of all, remember our love for the movies."

Netflix's most profitable fan

I know I should be ashamed of myself, but it took me 18 days to return my latest Netflix. I am on the 3-out plan, and so far this month, I have rented only three movies from Netflix. I returned two today. Contrast that to February, in which I got eight movies from Netflix.

What's the deal with Carmike?

I have a bad feeling about the Carmike theater in Greensboro. I think it's the management. I have never forgiven them for ruining a movie for me. I was there to see a small film the same night that a much larger film (think Spiderman) was opening, and my film started a bit sooner than the other. Instead of making folks line up to wait to be seated, they allowed a bunch to gather in the lobby, blocking the ticket taker so those of us who should be seated right away couldn't get through. I spoke to the security guard about it, and he referred me to the manager, who shrugged her shoulders as if to say "What do you want me to do about it?" I suggested she use her staff to corral the crowd. She refused, so I requested a ticket refund and did not return to that theatre for years after. I only reluctantly go there now. If I have any choice of venues, I will do whatever I can to avoid going to Carmike.

On the plus side, Carmike is an early adopter of digital technology, but what good does it do to have great technology, if the theatre management doesn't take responsibility for what happens to the guests?

Now the Consolidated franchise has moved into town. Both the Consolidated theatres and Carmike charge over $8 for an evening show, but I'll drive further and pay slightly more to go to the Consolidated instead, because they are clean, well-staffed, organized. I have never missed a movie because of poor crowd management, even if I arrive at the last second.


I've never gone to the movies to be stepped on. I go to hear the laughter, or sighs, or surprise, to share the experience, to remember. If I saw Norbit at home on DVD, I would give it two stars, but in a theatre full of people, it gets a bonus star for surrounding me with laughter.

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.

The Jacket

I bought a used Netflix jacket on eBay, and whenever I wear it, I attract alot of attention. I don't know if it's officially licensed merchandise or not. It's not well designed, because the embroidered Netflix logo is hidden by the hood hanging in the back. But it's Netflix red, so I think it's beautiful.

When they see my jacket, people I had no idea were Netflix subscribers come up to me to tell me how much they love Netflix, like they have no idea what a fan I am. I thought I was famous for being a Netflix evangelist here in my real life, so how could there be folks who don't already know I love Netflix? How could I know people who joined Netflix without finding out about it from me first? I must be slacking off. :)

I especially love wearing my jacket when I go to theaters, which is twice a week. I want movie fans and theater staff to know that Netflix is not a threat to my movie attendance, but rather increases my love of movies.

AMC Theatres Best Picture showcase

If you haven't seen all of the Oscar nominated films, now is your chance. AMC Theatres is having a marathon of all the best pictures on February 24. For $30, you can watch all five films back to back in one day, with free large popcorn and large drink and a collectible pass. You can come and go as you please all day, and you get free refills on popcorn and drink.

Babel 11:00 a.m.
The Queen 1:45 p.m.
The Departed 3:45 p.m.
Letters From Iwo Jima 7:00 p.m.
Little Miss Sunshine 9:45 p.m.

Go to the Oscar Showcase Web site to find out if a theatre near you is participating. The closest to me is Charlotte, NC, but I've already seen all the films.

Awarding winning animation

Guy 101 won the British Academy award for best animated short. You can watch it here. It may never be available on Netflix, so this might be your only chance to see it.

Top and bottom ten of 2006

Of the movies I have seen which came out in 2006, these are my best and least best lists. I didn't see any real stinkers, but the least best movies were the ones that made me regret spending the money to see them in the theatre, which is what I did for all of these movies. I think you should see all the movies on the Best list, and avoid the least best, or at least wait for the video.

Best:

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Water (2005)
Queen, The (2006)
Children of Men (2006)
Facing the Giants (2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Babel (2006)
The Prestige (2006)

Least best:

Black Dahlia (2006)
Cars (2006)
Hollywoodland (2006)
Let's Go to Prison (2006)
One Night With The King (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006)
You, Me and Dupree (2006)
Poseidon (2006)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

Rumors of my Netflix addiction are greatly exaggerated

Some folks are addicted to Netflix. Thank goodness I'm not that bad. I can understand why some people become addicts, because Netflix makes it too easy. For example, before Netflix, I rented maybe two movies a month, and went to the theatre about once a month. Now I'm renting three a week and going to the theatre twice a week.

I used to have 500 in my queue, but that was in 2004. Now it's down to 55. See? I'm getting better. I have it under control. I promise I'll stop once I've watched 62 more movies. Besides, now is not a good time to quit Netflix, when I'm so close to finishing the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

I just use Netflix to relax at the end of a hard day. If you knew what a hard life I've had, you'd use Netflix too. I'm certainly not as bad as these pathetic people who post comments on Hacking Netflix.

If I didn't have this blog about Netflix, I could easily give it up, no problem.

My similiarity is different from yours

Beano is a longtime Netflix Fan friend. He says he's my number one Netflix Friend, at 82% similarity. The problem is, on my Netflix Friends page, I have no friends with that level of similarity. The highest on my end is 77%. I think Netflix is figuring similarity based on different factors for Beano and me. It could be a ratio of ratings in common to movies in common, or something like that. How does Netflix calculate similarity? To find the answer, I plugged the word "similarity" into the Netflix Help Center Quick search:

Q: What does the Friends “% Similarity” number mean?
A: Based on the movies you and your Friends have watched and rated, Netflix calculates the similarity in how you rate, and the movies you select.

The calculation takes into consideration many factors, including the relative number of movies each of you have seen and for which you overlap (for instance, if you’ve rated 20 movies and overlap on them all, that is “more similar” than if you’ve rated 2000 movies and only overlap on 20), as well as the obscurity of the overlapping titles (if you both like the same rare film, that is “more similar” than if you both like a top 10 movie).

Based on these factors, you can accurately compare yourself to each of your Friends. This value will change over time as one or both of you rate more movies, and as the overlapping movies you’ve seen increases.

Netflix blanket part of charity auction: UPDATED

You can bid for a Netflix blanket which comes in a a Sundance swag bag donated by Billy Baldwin to support the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. The swag bag contains other goodies too.

UPDATE: There's another charity auction by Six Degrees for a Sundance swag bag signed by Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick which contains a one-year Netflix subscription.

My new Netflix profile nickname

Hey y'all, I lied. I just tried to change my profile from RosieCotton to NetflixFan, and it worked! I could swear I'd tried it before, and it wouldn't let me use the word "Netflix" in my nickname.

Oldest Netflix queue possible

Although commenters Vince, Dave, Christopher have all been members since 1999, I'm afraid I can't declare a winner to the "oldest queue" contest, but I can say that the oldest Netflix membership you can have is from September 1999, which is when Netflix rolled out the Marquee plan, the first version of the subscription model. That was the first Netflix deal which involved having a queue. It wasn't until 2000 that they did away with the a la carte rental option and the Marquee plan went unlimited. I think that's when Netflix As We Know It began. They had just a few hundred thousand members, and only 7000 titles. 97% of us have joined since then. I can't believe it took me so many years to become a convert!

If you Google "Netflix Profile", you might run across a link to DW from MO, who has has been a Netflix member since Sept 1999, has rated 3305 movies, and written 230 reviews.

Even though Google indexes them, it looks like the Netflix Profile links aren't really public. I had to sign into my Netflix account to see FW from Garland, TX, aka spindaddydad.

Longest Netflix turnaround?

Netflix Fan Elmer Gantry says he lives in Northeast Tennessee, and he has to wait 12 days for his Netflix discs to arrive. That's just wrong. I suspect that somewhere between his mailbox and Netflix, someone is "borrowing" them.

Linking to your Netflix profile page

In soliciting links to whoever has the oldest Netflix membership, I failed to point out how to link to your profile page in order to share it with others, without having to give away account information.

There is a link on the Browse menu, which is on the right side of your Netflix member home page, under guides, called "your reviews and lists." Clicking on that will take you to the version of your profile which you can edit. To get to the version the public can see, click on "public" in your profile's privacy settings, and then click on "view page." That's the link I want you to post in the comments, if you have a long-running membership.

Longest Netflix membership?

When I blogged about my three-year anniversary with Netflix, tedder commented that they've been a member since April 2000. Can you beat that? I'd love to know who has had the longest continuous membership with Netflix. It's probably someone who works for them. If you've been a member since before April 2000, send me a link to your Netflix profile page to prove it. Thanks!

Blockbuster Total Access problems

Blogger Wesley Novack has been experiencing Blockbuster Total Access problems. He says the stores aren't returning DVDs immediately, so that he's had to wait a week for Blockbuster Online to check them in, contrary to what they promise.

Happy Netflix anniversary to me!

I have been a member of Netflix for three years! I joined in January 2004 and never quit. Netflix has sent me 544 titles, which is an average of 15 titles per month. My plan has been mostly 3-out. I took a brief foray into the 5-out and 8-out plans, in 2005, but I got way behind in watching them.

I've rated over 2,200 titles, but written only 11 reviews on Netflix. Here's a link to my Netflix Profile page, where you can see my reviews and lists. My profile nickname is RosieCotton. They wouldn't let me be Netflix Fan. Go figure.

I've seen 923 of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

Because Netflix provides me with so much entertainment at such a great price, I quit cable in 2004. So this is also my Happy No-Cable anniversary day!

Netflix return envelopes on eBay

If you live in the Houston, TX area, and you don't own a black marker, you can buy some Netflix return envelopes on eBay in order to avoid sending your returns to a far distant Netflix distribution center.

Defeat long-distance Netflix returns

If you have a Netflix return envelope with a far-away distribution center address on it, you don't have to return your disc there. You can simply mark out that address with a black marker, leaving nothing but the words "nearest Netflix distribution center" and the Postal Service will drop it in the local Netflix bin to be picked up by the Netflix truck. This will speed up your turnaround times.

This advice came to me via Netflix Fan Elmer Gantry, who received it from a Netflix customer service rep.

Netflix Fan wins (and loses) Instant Watching lottery

Hacking Netflix has instructions for how to enter the Netflix Instant Watching lottery. I followed the instructions just for fun, and I "won"! I clicked on the help link on the Netflix home page and searched for "instant watching". I clicked on one of the questions, and it contained a link to instant watching, where I saw the Netflix WatchNow home page which told me I could "start now". So I clicked on Start Now, and got the above message.

Only a few members can try this method each day, so some unlucky person must have been robbed of a chance to watch Netflix movies on his PC tonight, because of me.

Ironic, isn't it?

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Depending on your tolerance for weirdness and violence, you must see Pan's Labyrinth, a strange combination of war movie, fantasy, and political statement. It's about a young girl who lives in Spain in 1944, right after the Fascists won the civil war, who discovers a fantasy world. It's a great movie. But, please, parents, don't take your kids. This is not a kids' movie. Pan's Labyrinth is a dark fantasy, but not dark like Lord of the Rings dark. I mean dark like Schindler's List-dark.

Watch Netflix Now: movie downloads come to Netflix

Hacking NetFlix reveals Netflix's new "Watch Now" movie download feature.

Good news: for no additional cost, you can watch Netflix movies on your PC.

Bad news: you can watch Netflix movies ONLY on your Windows PC.

More bad news: only a select few subscribers can see the "Watch Now" tab on their Netflix home page.

Check out Hacking Netflix's video demo of the new feature.

Read the official press release from Netflix.

P.S. The Netflix Fan blog is written on a Mac, so I'm shut out of watching anything now.

Netflix 1, Blockbuster 0

Matt put Netflix and Blockbuster's Total Access to the test, and Netflix won. He asks:

Is Blockbuster counting on their "return it immediately" policy to build slack-time into their distribution center chain? Is this an effort to cut costs - fewer nationwide distribution centers with less inventory, and fewer monthly DVDs to customers to keep costs low and profits high? Or am I overreacting less than week into my Blockbuster free trial?

Via Matt on Marketing

Netflix Dictionary: Netflux

Heidi Miller, of the Talk It Up! blog, has coined the word Netflux to describe the lag time between returning and receiving your Netflix envelopes. Netflux can occur on a weeknight or weekend. Depending on the turnaround time for your distribution center, you might wait days for your next titles to arrive.

Some people fill the gap by going to a bricks and mortar store for videos, some use other online subscription services, or do without. I find Netflux intolerable, so instead of increasing my Netflix plan, I use other online DVD subscription services to fill in the gaps between Netflix days. I've used Greencine, Nicheflix, Blockbuster Online, Video Library, and currently, SilverScreenArchive. If Netflux occurs on weekends, I like to see movies on the big screen with family and friends. (Unlike most Netflix subscribers, weekends are not a big time for me to watch my DVDs. I use DVDs as a substitute for weeknight TV.)

What do you do during Netflux?

Via Hacking NetFlix

Netflix Customer Service Number on auction

Some clown on eBay is trying to make money from disgruntled Netflix customers by auctioning the Netflix Customer Service Number for a starting bid of one dollar. Auction ends January 11, 2007. He has "1000 available."

I'll be a chump and give you a couple of numbers for free: 1-800-585-8131 and 800-715-2120.

I can't believe something like this isn't prohibited by eBay's terms of service.

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.

Shatner DVD club quits

The William Shatner Sci-Fi DVD of the month club, operated by FullTurn Media DVD Clubs, is calling it quits. If you are a current subscriber, you'll get all your remaining DVDs in your final package.

I think they failed because they underestimated their customers' taste. The movies were mostly crap.

Can't see Netflix previews on Mac OS X?

A friend of mine asked me why he can't play Netflix previews in Firefox on Mac OS X. I discovered the reason is that the previews are in Windows Media Player format, which is no longer recommended for Mac OS X users. Microsoft offers instead a free program called Flip4Mac, which allows you to play Windows Media movies in Quicktime. It installs a plugin for Safari or whatever other browser you have on your Mac. I've been able to get it to work in Safari, Firefox 1.5, Camino 1.0, and Opera 9.1. Safari opens the movies in an embedded player on the same page. Firefox and Camino open an embedded player in a new window, but Opera requires you to open Quicktime.

Night at the Museum (2006) review

I went with my nephews to see Night at the Museum (2006) this week. They are 13, 15, and 17, and they loved it! It is a terrific family action-adventure movie in the tradition of Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. It's about a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History who discovers that all the exhibits come to life at night. It is a very clean movie which manages to be funny and exciting also. I like it because it isn't trying to be cynical or sophisticated, but instead expresses old-fashioned values in the context of a good time.

Spiritually Significant Films™ on Netflix

The Arts and Faith Top 100 Spiritually Significant Films™ list links each title to Netflix with an "add to queue" button.

The list constitutes a wide range of movies, covering many different themes and subjects. As I look over it, I think, what do all these unique movies have in common? What are "spiritually significant" films? Without a doubt, every one of the movies will make you think.

Netflix Fan's lists on List of Bests

Criticker vs Netflix

Criticker claims to be "the best Movie Recommendation Engine and Community on the Internet!" When asked if they would be trying for the NetflixPrize, their answer was "NO ! We won’t take part...if someone ever tries to submit our algorithm, it won’t do him and Netflix any good - because Netflix won’t be able to use it.

To get our algorithm they would need to buy Criticker, but it won’t be a 1 million [dollar] bargain."

Have you tried Criticker? If so, how does it compare to Netflix?

Netflix gift certificates

I have given a Netflix gift certificate this Christmas. Have you?

I see them on eBay sometimes, but I'm afraid to take a chance on it turning out to be a scam.

Finally got some Netflix Schwag

After years of being gratuitously accused of shilling by commenters here and elsewhere, all without any actual recompense from Netflix, an insider contact at Netflix finally sent me some Netflix schwag, to thank me for all I've done. Sweet. I received a red Netflix-logo t-shirt, a black Netflix-logo hat, and a couple feet of red Netflix-logo stickers.

Servers, Hackers, and Code In The Movies: Netflix queue fodder for geeks

Via Slashdot:

The Top 20 Movie Hackers

The Top Ten Movie Servers

Things code doesn't do in real life

Calvaire (2005)

Usually in a horror movie, there's a moral to the story. For example, don't dress like a hoochie and walk alone through dark tunnels at night, or don't have premarital sex in a cabin in the woods, or don't get off the Interstate through Texas. However, in Calvaire, the moral seems to be, "don't be a wedding singer" or "don't take a roadtrip in a van with a bad alternator." Of course, Marc Stevens does exactly that, and he gets into some trouble with the French version of rednecks. The suspense got to me at one point: I had to turn it off and come back to it later. However, compared to the fate of American horror victims, Mr. Stevens gets off easy.

I received a free screener copy of this movie as part of the Netflix VIP program at Palm Pictures.

Japanese movie news

Hoga Central is an English-language site written by Japanese people and devoted to contemporary Japanese cinema:

"We hope that our site will help the international fans discover about wide range of recent Japanese movies, in addition to the classics samurai films and art-oriented movies, We also hope that journalists and researchers can utilize this site to have a better understanding about what movies Japanese people enjoy on a real-time basis, not just limited to the ones that are released overseas."

Also contains helpful links to other Asian film news and shopping.

Netflix name decoder

Because of the X, Netflix makes for some interesting acronyms. Click on the image to decode your own name.

Counting Netflix: in which Google thinks I'm a hacker

Inspired by this item on Hacking NetFlix, about how Netflix Has 70,000 Titles, Blockbuster 60,000, I decided to see if I could count the number of titles displayed on Netflix's Web site using an advanced Google search.

This is the search I attempted: allinurl: MovieDisplay -rss site:netflix.com 1..10000000

The words MovieDisplay appear in the url for every movie. I didn't want RSS feeds, because that results in duplication, and I restricted the site to Netflix.com because Netflix movies are linked on hundreds of thousands of sites. I restricted results to include numbers one through ten million, because I thought that would help find only those movies with a movie id. I changed my search preferences to include all languages, and removed filtering. Surprisingly, that doubled the results!

Google will let me see only one page of the more than 85 thousand results of this search. If I try to go further, I get an error message which says I'm acting like spyware. Click on the following photo to read the message:

I decided to eliminate the 1..10000000, and lost ten thousand results, but now Google no longer thinks I'm a virus. A quick scan of the results shows they are all specific movie titles on the Netflix site. There are 75,400 titles on Netflix.com. See if you can duplicate my results and let me know if you get a different number.

Update: I've repeated the search, and now I can't get more than 75,200 results.

Netflix changes advertising policy

Anonymous Source says Netflix will be phasing out banner advertisements on its Web site over the next few months, because they aren't worth it.

Conspiracy Theorist Source says, maybe the reason Blockbuster is collecting Netflix mailer flaps is to see who is paying Netflix for advertising.

I'm not the only one who sees sneaky motives behind Blockbuster's actions.

24 Films Guaranteed to make you feel Christmassy - Advent DVD Guide

A very interesting list of films from alt-flix.co.uk designed to enhance the Christmas mood. Not all are Christmas films, but all have something special, or maybe just snow. The site links to the Amazon UK site, but these films are available on Netflix, too.

Top Ten, er, Eleven Ways to Spell Netflix

I have decided that these are the top ten most popular (mis)spellings of NETFLIX. The numbers in parentheses are the Google hits:

1. Netflix (2,100,000)
2. NFLX (303,000)
3. Net Flix (43,600)
4. Netflicks (22,900)
5. Netfix (16,400)
6. Nexflix (619)
7. Net Flicks (610)
8. Nextflix (216)
9. Netflixx (72)
10. Netfilx (23)
11. Nets Flicks (22)

Update: I added Netflixx at #9, suggested by Davis Freeberg.

My Google preferences are set on strict filtering and English-only results.

Netflix is a "green company"

WorldChanging: Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future: What Netflix Tells Us About a Bright Green Future

"Netflix is a product-service system for DVDs. By signing up for the service, you are able to rent movies you want to see, without having to own them. So far, so good, and much like a traditional video store. However, Netflix goes one better on sustainability terms, by letting users order movies online and delivering the DVDs via the regular postal mail. Now I'm sure they made the decision to do this based entirely on cost savings, but as it turns out, there are real sustainability savings involved as well: by not having a store to which I drive to get the videos, the planet is spared the impacts of a retail outlet, as well as all those trips back and forth, each of which uses (though I haven't run the numbers, I'm sure this is true) far more fuel and generates far more pollution than do the daily rounds of the local mail carrier (who is, after all, making the trip anyway)."

Nicheflix going out of business sale

I am very sad to report that, as I suspected, both Nicheflix and Nicheflix a la carte are going out of business. Friday December 22nd will be the last day films will be shipped out. Their going-out-of-business sale is a fantastic opportunity to get rare, out-of-print, non-region one collectible titles on DVD. Check out their store on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Foreign-Region

Mystery writer reviews movies on Netflix

Quite serendipitously, I discovered that William Mize shares his profile on Netflix, so you can see his reviews and favorites.

Via WilliamMize.com

Netflix on 60 Minutes

Here are two links to Reed Hasting's appearance on 60 Minutes:

Netflix on CBSNews.com

Netflix on 60Minutes.com

Because of Netflix, I do not watch TV any more, so I tend to forget about stories like this.

When I say I don't watch TV, I mean, erm, I don't watch TV. I do not have cable. I have zero channels. I might hook up the rabbit ears if humans were about to land on Mars, but otherwise, all I see on my TV is snow, unless I'm watching a DVD or VHS.

Thanks to Mike G.

Blockbuster Video collecting Netflix subscriber info

Blockbuster Online has a new gimmick to get you to switch from Netflix. You can bring the "tear-off address flaps of your Netflix rental envelopes" to Blockbuster Video and use them like coupons for "free" rentals. I say "free," because you pay for the time, the gas, and the video, if you don't return it on time. The promotion runs from now until December 21.

This is not going to work, because Netflix subscribers hate making the trip to the store twice for the same movie, the limited selection, and due dates.

This promotion is a way for Blockbuster to find out exactly which of you are Netflix subscribers, so they can spam you. Netflix isn't going to sell their membership mailing list to Blockbuster, so Blockbuster is going to get you to volunteer the information.


Via PRN news press release.

Nicheflix disappoints

I'm disappointed with Nicheflix. They are an online subscription rental service, modeled after Netflix, which specializes in multi-region DVDs. I rejoined three months ago in order to rent the British DVD release of the Farscape TV series, season five, but I quit them. Nicheflix lets you add movies to a queue, and the queue shows the status, whether long wait, short wait, or even "out of stock." Well, I added Panic in Needle Park, which was available, but then it became out of stock. Unrelated to that, they sent me an email telling me that they are selling some surplus DVDs on eBay. Much to my chagrin, they were selling Panic in Needle Park on eBay, even though it is in my queue as out of stock! Even though I contacted the eBay seller ID about it, they never replied. I contacted Nicheflix directly. They never replied. Therefore, I am posting this.

My feeling is that they are pulling out of the subscription rental business by selling off their stock. Well, if they are going to do that, they shouldn't be accepting any more subscriptions. They took my money under false pretenses.

Nicheflix has another store, called Nicheflix a la carte, where you can do short-term rentals of individual DVDs for a fee. That store seems to be growing. They are still adding more titles to their inventory, although much more slowly than at first. They don't have Panic in Needle Park.

Thank your mail carrier

The Postal Service will deliver 20 billion cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

On average, the Postal Service processes 670 million pieces of mail every day. On the peak holiday mailing day, Dec. 18, that volume will increase to 900 million pieces of mail. On that day alone.

On average, Netflix ships 1.4 million DVDs each day.

According to my calculations, Netflix makes up .2%, that's two-tenths of one percent, of the average daily volume of mail. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

We have an amazingly efficient, inexpensive postal system, and I want to thank you postal workers for bringing me my Netflix every day.

Review indie films

I love Indie film, so I've signed up for this Palm Pictures Netflix VIP Program, in which I will receive screener DVDs of films which I may or may not choose to review here. If you're a Netflix user who is interested in reviewing indie films, too, send an email with your name and address and links to 3 recent indie film reviews to erik.martin [at] palmpictures.com.

Queue progress update: a big milestone

I started watching the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, in May 2004, having already seen about 200 titles in the book.
Now I've seen 904.
I passed 801 in June.
I'm watching them in chronological order, so I'm in the 1990's now.
I have 78 of them in my Netflix queue.
I own 7 which I haven't watched yet.
Which leaves 12 missing titles, which I will have to beg, borrow, or steal from somewhere. I especially need to find sources for Hanyo (1960) and Deseret (1995) . If you can help me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Hobbit rights-owner backs Jackson for prequel

Saul Zaentz owns all the movie rights to the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.

Zaentz says, "It will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson. ... Next year The Hobbit rights will fall back to my company. I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios: to get his profit share on the Rings trilogy he had to sue New Line. With us, in contrast, he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation."

READ MORE:

Peter Jackson not making the Hobbit

I just found out via TheOneRing.net™, that Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, will not be making the Hobbit prequel. This is terribly disappointing. I don't know who else I would trust with this movie, since he did such a great job with LOTR. I'm a huge LOTR fan, but I'm afraid the Hobbit would stink without our beloved PJ at the helm.

Things for which I'm thankful

My loving God and savior Jesus
My loving Family
Freedom
Health
American citizenship
Independence
Material provisions
Material comfort
Safety
My education
etc, etc, etc, and of course,
Netflix

Blockbuster 1, Netflix 0

I'm very sorry to say that Netflix does NOT have Bela Tarr's movie Satantango, but Blockbuster Online DOES.

As soon as I found out that it was being released, I put in a request for Netflix to carry it. Boo Netflix.

My Classic Movie Test Results

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Weinsteins buy Video store chain

With their deal to rent their movies exclusively through Blockbuster Video and Blockbuster Online, the Weinsteins have effectively bought themselves a video store chain. They're deliberately excluding Netflix. What is this, Weinstein vs. Hastings ego arm-wrestling? Honk if this angers you.

via Video Business Online

Rentcaddy update

Time to give another plug to the Rentcaddy. I've already mentioned it about three times on this blog, but since Carl is still loving it, I'm posting his follow-up review.

Carl writes:

It's been a little over a year since I reviewed the Rentcaddy, and I thought I'd give an update.

A year later, I'm still using my Rentcaddy. I've hauled it with me to conventions and on vacation. It's held up incredibly well and looks practically brand-new. I don't really have anything new to say about the product... just that a year later, I'm still using it and I think it was money very well spent.

Mmm. One thing I realized that I had missed in my earlier review. The pockets to hold the sleeves are bigger than the pockets to hold the discs... they're specifically designed for the purpose. I'm still separating the sleeve and disc into their own pockets. (You may recall that I questioned why one would want to do this.) It makes it easy to immediately see which disc is out or where I'm supposed to put the disc I've got in my hand. I don't use the retainer-flap over the disc, even when I'm traveling... it's just too much bother. I've only once dumped a disc on the floor. Just have to remember not to invert it.

If you'll recall, I bought one for my mom last Christmas. I see it on her coffee table regularly, and asked her how she liked it the other day (which is what made me think to write this). She loves it. Not only does it keep all discs and return envelopes organized, it keeps them looking neat and tidy on the coffee table.

I can heartily recommend the Rentcaddy as a Christmas gift for friends and family on Netflix. (Or one of those other rental services, if they must.)

The rentcaddy folks have given me absolutely zero incentives to plug their merchandise.

Silly Movie Survey: my answers

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 movies on this list, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 240 movies on this list. Put your score in header and re-post.

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
() Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
() Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 7

(x) The Princess Bride
() AnchorMan: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
() Saw II
() White Noise
() White Oleander
() Anger Management
() 50 First Dates
() The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total: 4

(x) Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
() American Pie
() American Pie 2
() American Wedding
() American Pie Band Camp
Total: 2

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
() The Wedding Singer
() Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total: 7

(x) Finding Nemo
(x)Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
()White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
()13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
Total: 6

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
() Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
() Along Came Polly
() Deep Impact
() KingPin
() Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG
Total: 5

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
() The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber
Total: 2

() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
() Practical Magic
(x)Chicago
() Ghost Ship
() From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) The Secret Window
(x ) I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
() The Whole Ten Yards
Total: 4

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
(x) Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
() Ten Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
( ) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
() Sixteen Candles CLASSIC
( ) Remember the Titans
(x) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
(x) The Mask
() Son Of The Mask
Total: 5

() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Slevin
() Ocean's Eleven
() Ocean's Twelve
(x) Identity
() Lone Star
() Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
() Predator II
() The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(x) Curious George
Total: 4

(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
() Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
(x) Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
() Maid in Manhattan
() Frailty
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
() Rush Hour 2
Total: 7

() Best Bet
() How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
() She's All That
(x) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
() Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
() The Terminator 3
Total: 9

(x) X-Men
(x) X2
(x) X3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
() Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) the little mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
() Reign of Fire
() The Skulls
() Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total: 10

() Swimfan
() Miracle on 34th street
() Old School
(x) The Notebook
() K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old-virgin
Total: 2


(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total: 6

() Love and Basketball
() Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
() Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(x) Highlander
() Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
(x) Three Amigos
Total: 3

() The Jacket
(x) Kung Fu Hustle
(x) Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
(x) Monster
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
() Willard
Total: 6

() High Tension
() Club Dread
(x) Hulk
(x) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicals Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days later
(x) Orgazmo
() Phantasm
(x) Underworld
Total: 7

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
() Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
(x) the Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave
() The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
(x) Army of Darkness
Total: 5

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) StarwarsEp. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
() Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
() Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total: 6

(x) the Matrix
(x) the Matrix Reloaded
() the Matrix Revolutions
(x) Animatrix
(x) Evil Dead
(x) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal
Total: 8

Grand Total: 115!

This survey came from a drunk Laura on MySpace via HackingNetflix.

Chat with other Netflix Fans right here

Thanks to Chat Creator, I have added a chatbox to this blog. It's easy to use and anonymous. You can chat about Netflix or find Netflix Friends. Let me know how you like it.



I'm going to add this to the sidebar of this blog, too, so you can chat anytime.

In the Mood

I remember how I was back in the day, browsing the aisles at the video store, asking, "what am I in the mood for?"

But since I've had Netflix, I don't care what mood I'm in. I watch whatever shows up in the mailbox.

What about you? Do you organize your queue around your moods? Or do you watch whatever comes next? Or do you have an agenda?

Netflix and the bell curve

Average ratings
Originally uploaded by igrigorik.

igrigorik has posted several interesting graphs of Netflix users' ratings data on Flickr. This one shows that 3.8 is the average rating given to titles on Netflix.

In Other News: Local CW affiliate holding open auditions for on air talent

WCWG CW 20 will hold it’s first open auditions Saturday October 28, 2006 at Hanes Mall located at 3320 SILAS CREEK PKWY, WINSTON-SALEM, NC from 11am to 1pm on the first floor below the food court. Please bring your resume and a demo tape if you have one. You may also submit your resume and audition tape to: WCWG C/O Talent Search 622-G Guilford College Rd. Greensboro, NC 27409. Acceptable tape formats include: VHS, DVD, and DVC Pro.


50 candidates will be selected; their videos will be posted on WCWG20.com and the top five to receive the most votes will go on local radio stations to display their talents and two candidates will be eliminated. The remaining three will shoot another video demo and the one that receives the most interest will become the station's new on-air personality.

Somebody at Netflix reads this blog!

Netflix employee Wesley Miaw has blogged a nice, thoughtful response, entitled A Netflix blog?, to my earlier post regarding Why no corporate blog for Netflix? Bottom line is that his is not a Netflix blog, but rather, the personal blog of someone who works at Netflix. I must say that all of the employees I linked to in that post are blogging as private individuals, not as representatives of Netflix. I apologize if that distinction is not clear.

I've since updated it to include Eric David, Advertising Production Specialist.

NOTE: Keep in mind that since these are all personal blogs, please do not direct Netflix customer service inquiries to them.

The Dipstick Guide to Movies

The Dipstick Guide to Movies
Originally uploaded to Flickr by aroid.

Aroid says:

The Dipstick will guide you. But like with the Mets, you gotta believe, and read the instructions.

First stick the dipstick into a Netflix envelope and take a reading.

"Full" means "Everything is illuminated", so don't "Curb your enthusiasm". Sit back and enjoy.

"Empty" means you had better make "The Great Escape" from this turkey. Move on, don't torture yourself, start over.

Netflix comedy

Mark Day has made a video warning the nation of a plot to use your Netflix queues for homeland security.

Another queue milestone

For the first time since I joined Netflix in January 2004, my queue has dipped below 100 titles!! I haven't had to add anything in a long while, since I'm working on the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. I haven't put anything in my queue unless it's in that book. I have seen 881 of the 1001, which leaves 120. I have 97 in my Netflix queue. I own 12 which I haven't watched yet. I'm still looking for 11 of them. I have just 16 to watch before I'm done with every movie through 1990.

Netflix origami

Cool Netflix art found on Flickr

Netflix crane
Originally uploaded to Flickr by William Stiteler.

Why no corporate blog for Netflix? Updated 10-26-06

Mike at Hacking Netflix and I have often wondered why Netflix doesn't have a corporate blog. The closest they came was when their in-house movie critic James Rocchi had one. This story about Wal-Mart getting into trouble with a blog , by disguising it as a fan blog, makes me glad Netflix hasn't done that. People used to think Mike's blog or my blog were corporate blogs, but that's not the case. Mike gets alot of information from Netflix contacts he has, but he's not on the payroll, as far as I know. I'm glad that Netflix is obviously sharing information with Hacking Netflix, but not making him their mouthpiece, so he retains some credibility, and they aren't directly risking potential damage to their image by association with him.

A quick search reveals that Netflix is not forbidding employees from publicly acknowledging online where they work. I wonder if they have a policy governing employees speaking for the company. Here are some:

Robert Fagen
Michael Rubin
Neil Hunt
Wesley Miaw
Eric David

That's just five out of hundreds of employees. Surely, there must be more? Do you know of any others?

UPDATE: I've added Advertising Production Specialist Eric David to the list. 10-26-06 I must say that all of these employees are blogging as private individuals, not as representatives of Netflix. I apologize if that distinction is not clear. 10-26-06

Now I've seen everything

When I joined Netflix in January of 2004, I was so excited, that I quickly filled up my queue to the limit of 500 titles.* Since then, I have been tracking my Netflix history using a program called Netflix Freak, and as of today, I have watched 500 DVDs from Netflix. If I hadn't added any new titles in the last years, I would have emptied my queue today.**


*because of the Profiles feature, you are no longer limited to 500 total, just 500 per profile. If you want a longer queue, add a profile.

**My queue has 100 items in it today, not counting the saved section.

"Wings of Desire" flying East

Although Netflix has been doing this for at least two weeks, this is the first time it's happened to me. In my usual email from Netflix, telling me that my next movie has shipped, they had the courtesy to tell me that the title wasn't available at my local (Greensboro, NC) shipping center, so it is coming from San Jose, CA, and I can expect it in three business days.

Replacement for damaged disc is shipping today

I know Netflix says they will ship replacement discs "as soon as possible," and some of you have complained that they don't ship replacements until after you return the damaged disc. That's not always the case. In my experience, Netflix ships replacement discs even before I return the damaged ones. Here's a screen-grab of my queue as proof:

You can click on the photo for a larger view.

My Netflix Friends page

If you are Looking for Netflix Friends, check the comments on this post. You can leave your email address as an open invitation to make a Netflix Friend. New addresses are being added all the time.

A Full House of Netflix

a full house
Originally uploaded to Flickr by aroid on 30 Sep '06, 2.22pm EDT.

Flickr-user aroid calls it a "once in a lifetime event" when "8 Netflixes arrived on the same day."

Titles bumped from Queue to "Saved" means Out of Print

I've just had two titles bumped from my Netflix Queue to my Netflix Saved section, suddenly, and with no explanation. One is Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother, and the other is Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer (20th Anniversary). The titles have gone OOP [out of print]. All About My Mother is on Amazon.com for $20-49.95 and Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer (20th Anniversary) is there for $16-22.

What does it mean for something to go out of print? Well, books and DVDs are manufactured, just like shoes and toilet paper. When a publisher or movie distributer decides to sell copies, they hire a printer to do a job for them, known as a print run. They order a certain number of discs or books, based on how many they think they can sell, based on pre-orders from stores and customers. A run can be hundreds or thousands of copies. If they succeed in selling all of their copies, they are done. The Book or DVD is now "out of print." You are not aware of this until all the copies are gone from the stores.

Netflix buys many copies. Each copy lasts through maybe a dozen rental cycles before it wears out. When all of Netflix's copies wear out, they order more from the distributor. If there is a second print run or third print run, we're in luck. However, if the distributor doesn't do another print run, Netflix has no control over that. Netflix isn't about to go to eBay or Amazon or Blockbuster to buy more copies, because that would not be cost-effective.

Going out of print doesn't mean that there are no more copies anywhere. It means that the manufacturer has sold all the copies that were made. You can still find copies at your local retail or rental store, or online at other stores or rental outlets, but the price might go up as collectors and speculators take advantage of the shortage.

Neil and Linda

Neil and Linda are working their way through the list of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, posting reviews of them on their blog as they go. Since they started in July, Neil has seen 72 and Linda, 75. They have a lovely blog on which they have listed all the movies by decade or genre, and linked them to Amazon.co.uk, where available. Since they are in the U.K., they don't have the benefit of using the enormous selection at Netflix, but it's a great idea for a blog. I've been able to see 861 of the movies on the list, of which, I rented about 450 from Netflix.

2-25-07 update: I just discovered that Neil and Linda have deleted their blog. Sorry about that.

The Weekly Blurb

The Weekly Blurb is a movie review site where EVERY MOVIE gets a rave review!!! Find out about Surprise Hits of the Year!!! Listen to Blurbcasts about Powerful and Important Masterpieces!!!! Discover Staggering works of Pure Genius!!!! IF YOU LOVE MOVIES, THIS IS A MUST-SEE BLOG!!!!!!

P.S. Whoever does the blurbcasts for this site sure sounds familiar.

New Netflix Widget

John Forsythe has created a nifty new Netflix Widget for displaying your queue on your blog. You can use your RSS feed to display only movies you have at home or the whole queue, but that would be huge. You'll need to know how to place html code in your blog template, but he makes it real easy. I'm going to display mine in my sidebar. He has a great feature that if you click on the Advanced button, you can customize how it displays to automatically match the style of your blog.

Netflix and strawberries

I think this is purty.

Originally uploaded to Flickr by _Blue_.

Oops! I lied.

Back in July, I answered a Netflix customer survey. I thought it was routine and that it would never be read by a human being. At the end of the survey was a place for comments, so I freely told them how I love Netflix so much that I started a fan blog. Of course, this excited them very much, so they sent me the request for my testimonial which I posted on August 30.

After thinking about it for a long time, I have since decided not to give Netflix my testimonial.

The reason is that I value my privacy. I'm afraid that Netflix would connect my name and face to this blog, which on the plus side, would generate alot of traffic, but then I wouldn't feel like I was blogging for myself any more, but for Netflix.