IMDB history

This was brought to my attention via Listology: a fascinating look at the story behind the creation of IMDB (the Internet Movie Database), THE essential movie resource on the Web. I didn't know this, but it's been on the Web since 1993. I first visited it in 1995. It's now owned by Amazon, but it was started by a British movie fan-geek.

Over 2,600 DVDs to Rent!

See Netflix the way it was in 1999 via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about how much times have changed since then.

It's not wacky

Motley Fool's POST OF THE DAY "It's Still About the Cost" By Newsman August 4, 2004 says how Blockbuster is helping to grow Netflix's business:

Marketing Blockbuster's subscription plans validates and raises awareness of this business model, meaning Netflix spends less of its marketing time convincing customers that it's not a wacky way of renting movies.

Why the long wait for new releases?

They're more expensive to Netflix, therefore it's not as profitable for them to have alot of copies of new releases (defined as less than a year old).

From the San Jose Mercury News via Siliconvalley.com
By Mary Anne Ostrom

Netflix is a hit with consumers, but as its subscriber base grows, the most common complaint is the wait for the hottest movies.

Under revenue-sharing agreements with most of the top studios, Netflix pays on average $1.40 to the studios each time a new release is mailed to a Netflix user. But those deals typically expire after a year, which means Netflix enjoys a much higher profit margin when users request older films or those released through independent studios with less expensive sharing arrangements. Netflix said new releases are seldom recommended for fear of disappointing users if there is a wait. Hastings says, ``Creating the demand gets a better margin. This is integral to the formula.''

Netflix Chief Stresses Service

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Aug. 04, 2004
By Paul Bond

THR: You have suggested that your business model is having an impact on the movie distribution business.

Hastings: The smaller the film, the bigger impact we have. Look at "Whale Rider," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "The Hulk." They all came out together, and we got "Whale Rider" to do as much as the other two. Talk to Miramax about what we did for "Capturing the Friedmans." According to VidTrack, we doubled the rental business.

THR: Are movies becoming DVDs now that might not have been without Netflix?

Hastings. I'll give you an example. The Oscar-nominated documentary "Daughter From Danang" wasn't going to get on DVD. We said, "that's nuts. This is a good film. We'll commit to a high buy level." So the studio put it on DVD.

A Better Explanation

Henry Farrell inquires into why he and his wife might pay more for a Netflix movie rental on average than a rental from a brick and mortar video store. He concludes that he is irrational.

However, Jonathan Wilde has A Better Explanation

Movie lists galore!

If you want to see what's in my Netflix queue, or lists of movies I've seen, I have a profile at listology.com. I go by the name RosieCotton. You can use Listology.com to make your own lists. It's free, very easy, and you can interact with a fun community of fellow movie fans.

Harvard Study Finds "Ratings Creep"

I knew there was a creep in there somewhere.

Study Finds “Ratings Creep”: Movie Ratings Categories Contain More Violence, Sex, Profanity than Decade Ago

Kimberly Thompson, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at HSPH and Director of the Kids Risk Project said, “The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today’s movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago.”

Blockbuster is revamping its late-fee policy to lure back customers

By Bruce Mohl, Boston Globe Staff | August 1, 2004

It's the late fees, stupid.
In Boston the company has cut late fees dramatically and is running an amnesty for customers with late-fee balances. Nationally, the Dallas chain has launched a monthly movie pass program that eliminates the fees and it is getting ready to roll out an Internet-based subscription service that does the same.

More gone from my queue

I rented more Hollywood Videos Saturday. I got State and Main, Elephant, Bus 174 and Evil Dead, just so I could use the coupons. They all were on my Netflix queue at one time or another. I went into the store looking for entirely different movies, but had to settle for those.

Just so you'll know I have a life outside of movies: Took a walk in the Arboretum with my dog and a friend Friday night. Saturday, I went to Hanging Rock State Park with friends for a hike. Sunday, went to church and lunch afterwards with friends and did a little shopping.

Businessweek interview with Reed Hastings

Q. How serious is the threat from Blockbuster now?
A. ...we certainly do take the Blockbuster threat seriously. The difference is that we've got five years of experience. We're shipping nearly a million movies a day, so we've got tremendous operational perfection in what we do. We've had a lot of practice at it. We have overnight delivery to nearly 90% of our subscribers.
Q. ...is Netflix worth the extra $2?
A: Netflix is worth the extra $2 because the service has consistent overnight service to 90% of our subscribers, we have great recommendations, we've got a well-developed and mature site, and the service works extremely well. All people have to do is ask their friends who are using Netflix to see that. We think consumers will prefer the service that is well developed and mature at a slight price premium, which is $22.

Friday movie update

I went over to the dark side last night. I went to the Hollywood Video store. I had coupons: .99 each for five-day rentals and I could rent three movies per coupon. They expire tomorrow. I had to use one! I rented Hellboy, Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, and Bubba Ho-Tep. Hellboy was the only one not on my Netflix queue. I wanted to get Before Sunrise, so I could see Before Sunset this weekend, but I was distracted by the "New Releases" before I got that far. I'll be returning Hellboy and Aileen tonight.

Aileen was very disturbing. I pitied her far more than I would have pitied a male serial killer. The movie portrayed her as a product of her upbringing, rather than a monster. She even says in the movie that she was not "special enough" to qualify as a true serial killer.

Hellboy is a demon, raised by humans, who goes straight. He becomes a superhero, working for the FBI. That unconventional premise, and a quirkie sense of humor, keep it from being an ordinary superhero movie.

That's funny. I just noticed the coincidence that I viewed two movies about demons in the same evening.

Investors Sue Netflix Over Churn Rate

This sounds to me like a bunch of money-grubbing lawyers trying to exploit Netflix's success on behalf of greedy speculators, but you can read all about it yourself. Investors as a class are suing Netflix for "material misrepresentations to the market which had the effect of artificially inflating the market price." Good grief. You can join the class if you qualify.

Greencine sets new record

Greencine ships from San Francisco. I live in Greensboro, NC. I just received today, Wednesday, July 28, a disc they shipped at 6 PM on Monday, July 26. That's a record. They've taken a week to get here, in the past. However, there were two discs shipped that day, and I received only one.

Live in Pennsylvania? Want to work for Netflix?

Volt Services is a temp agency with an office in Pottstown, PA. They're advertising for an "operations associate" to work in the Phoenixville, PA Netflix distribution center. This job was posted July 6.

Intertitle-o-Rama

Intertitle-o-Rama Y'all know I'm on a silent film kick right now, don't you? It's all part of my quest to see the best movies of the 20th Century. I've already seen about 80 of them, all made before 1929, via Netflix. Here's a site that provides quotes, some bizarre, some hilarious, from the intertitles of silent films. The intertitles are the text-filled screens that periodically interrupt the action to tell you the dialog or give you some narration.

Googlism for: Netflix

Just for fun, I went to Googlism to find out what Google thinks of Netflix. Here's a sample:

netflix is a trailer park
netflix is growing
netflix is the best game in town
netflix is slow
netflix is a flat
netflix is one of our sponsors here at movies for guys
netflix is older
netflix is well positioned to capture at least some of the action
netflix is probably the godfather of all the online dvd rental sites
netflix is basically the biggest and best and has also been around the longest
netflix is agnostic about delivery channel

Canadian Netflix-clone is Today's Featured Competitor: VhqOnline.ca

VhqOnline.ca: Rent DVDs online in Canada - Free Trial!

Canadian Netflix Clone. Ships from Toronto and Vancouver. Good for you, eh?

7/27/04 Update: here's a link to a blog entry about more Canadian Netflixes.

Custom Printing Example: Netflix

Custom Printing - OnTheMark - Commercial & Professional Printing Services These guys print (or used to print) the clever red mailing envelopes for Netflix. According to Reed Hastings, they tried out hundreds of different designs before they came up with the patented one they use now.

All your base...

...are belong to us...