Netflix fan out of the closet?

Dear Netflix Fan:

A few weeks back you had participated in a Netflix survey and had
shared some comments about Netflix that we would like to include in our
library of testimonials. In exchange for the permission to use this
testimonial you will receive three months of free membership to your current
Netflix subscription plan.

We would also appreciate if you could include a picture of you/your
family that could be used with the testimonial.

If you are interested, here are the 3 things you need to do:

1. Read the "Release Agreement" below.
2. Reply to this email and acknowledge your acceptance
3. Attach a digital picture of you/your family to the email

Please also include your name and the email address that you use with
your Netflix Service so we can credit your account for 3 months of free
service.

Your account will be credited after we receive your pictures and
acceptance to the Release Agreement (below).

Rifftrax, from one of the guys behind MST3K

Even though Rifftrax is a Blockbuster Online affiliate, I think they would be a great tool for Netflix users, too. As they say:

RiffTrax.com, is an innovative new site featuring the hilarious DVD commentaries of Michael J. Nelson, head writer and star of the legendary Mystery Science Theater 3000!

Do you feel that some of the movies coming out of Hollywood are just, well, missing something? At RiffTrax, you can download Mike's running commentaries and listen to them along with your favorite, and not so favorite DVDs. It's like watching a movie with your funniest friend. And it's easy to do. Just check out our FAQ; more than likely, you have the tools to do it already.

Don't just sit back and take whatever Hollywood throws at you. Transform the DVD experience with RiffTrax. It's the most fun you'll ever
have at the movies.

Via Listology

Netflix vanity plates available in North Carolina

You'd think I would be the one to have the personalized license plate for Netflix in North Carolina, but I do not. If you want it, it's available.

So also is nflxfan. Do you have a Netflix vanity plate for your state? If so, I'd like to see it. Send me a photo or link in the comments. Thanks.

New Netflix drop point in Raleigh, NC

Via the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer:

"If you rent DVDs online instead of at the store, you may have noticed your films are getting to you sooner.

Return address labels on some Netflix movies direct DVDs to a Raleigh address. Blockbuster Online customers might send some of their returns to Holly Springs.

But neither company has opened a distribution center here.

Instead, Netflix now has a Raleigh drop point, where all of the DVDs for the Triangle are collected and then shipped en masse to the big distribution center in Greensboro.

Blockbuster, on the other hand, has supplemented its 35 distribution centers nationwide with the inventories of about 1,000 of its retail stores.

If you order a movie online and the store in Holly Springs can get it to you faster than the distribution center in Charlotte, the employees there ship it out, said spokesman Randy Hargrove."

Spike Lee movies underrated on Netflix?

Jim says: "Having just finished and enjoyed Inside Man, it occurred to me I've been neglecting Spike Lee's work of late. So I was checking out his Netflix page to see what I should rent next, when I was struck by how low his ratings seem. I guess they aren't too bad, but no movies crack four stars, and quite a few seem to hover between two and three. And Inside Man gets the best mark?"

However, I think: "Netflix displays the red stars you see according to how you rate. "People who rate like you" are giving him those ratings. When I look at his page, I see only two 2-star movies, the rest are 3, 3.5 or 4. I'm going to blog about this and see if anyone else sees it any differently."

Click on the photo to see a screen capture of my view of Spike Lee's page on Netflix.

Cheaper than Netflix

I just rented two movies for 54 cents, including tax, from Family Video, in High Point, NC. I drove by there tonight and noticed the store for the first time. Because of Netflix, I don't bother with video stores except for titles still available only on VHS, or if I need a specific title immediately.

This store gave me my first two DVD rentals for 50% off, which were regularly $1.00 for 5 nights. The first 30 days of my new membership, all my rentals are half off. The associate offered to give me a tour of the store. They rent kids' (limit 3) and educational videos for free. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, all new release rentals, about $2.50-3.50 for two or three nights, come with a free rental from the "almost new" section.

The downside is that it's still a video store, which means driving to and fro, and the location is about 15 miles from my home. The selection is well-organized, but still limited, so I didn't find any hard-to-find or out-of-print titles.

Still, because of the great customer service and low prices, when I can't wait for Netflix, I'll remember Family Video.

Not Starring

Not Starring is a database of "your favorite stars, and the roles they didn't get."

One of my greatest disappointments is that Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He would have been brilliant. Way better than Viggo Mortensen. I guess Mr. Lewis had no desire to be richer and famouser.

The "red army of Netflix" enlists another fan

Steve Svekis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is a recent convert to Netflix fandom. Read more about what got him to make the switch. Bottom line? He hasn't "stepped into a video-rental store since."

If you can't see 1001, how about 50?

Perhaps I should re-name this blog after the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, since that's my current obsession, but there is no way I could meet my goal of seeing them all without my beloved Netflix. However, if you despair of seeing all 1001, or you have a short time to live (my condolences), the Sunday Mail has come up with a shorter list of only 50 Films You Must See Before You Die...according to "experts" of course. I have posted my checklist on Listology, where you can see that I have only nine more to go before I'm free to shuffle off this mortal coil (not that I intend to, of course).

Idaho has a new Netflix distribution center

Faithful reader Tourneyman1 says folks in Idaho had been getting DVDs from the Salem, Oregon distribution center with two days mailing times. Starting Jun 26 he's been getting them from a new Boise, Idaho shipping facility with one day delivery.

I've posted the address for the Boise facility on the list of Netflix distribution centers.

Fabulous photos of Netflix headquarters

Mike K of Hacking Netflix went to California and brought back some fabulous photos of the Netflix headquarters. He's not a spy, so all of the photos are legal. They wouldn't let him take any photos of the distribution center {sadness}. I guess that's why they won't invite me out there. They're afraid I would be all over that DC with my nano-spy-camera, giving away their secrets, like I have no self-control or anything. Anyway, head on over to Zoomr to see the collection.

It's been saved

Netflix says :

For titles that haven't been released on DVD yet or for which the release date is unknown, we offer the option to save them in the "Saved" section of your Queue.

Sometimes a title will disappear from your regular queue and show up in your Saved section. This could be because it goes out of print, or all the copies get broken or missing, or whoever holds the rights to it stops dealing with Netflix, etc. There are all sorts of reasons. Don't give up. I have seen them come out with a new edition shortly after.

I'm in the Eighties now

I'm using Netflix in my quest to see the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. I have put the movies in my queue in chronological order, and I have just started working on films made in the 1980's. I have already seen 816 of the 1001, and I have 147 in my queue.

New Blockbuster Online beta site

Chase of GeeksHideout blog pointed me to the beta for the revamping of the Blockbuster Online site.

Netflix domain name up for sale on eBay

Netflix.us is on auction at eBay with a starting bid of $500.00. The sellers claim it is worth ten times that. I wonder. It's worth nothing, if Netflix shuts them down. Seller is brand-spanking-new servo_webfx, with a feedback of six, and claims to be in Colorado.

Hacking Netflix interviews Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

Or, Mike K. talks to Reed H.

Mike got Reed to answer a couple of our questions, but I still ain't got no satisfaction. I'll translate for you. When Mike asks why doesn't Netflix reveal the formula behind "throttling," Reed basically answers that as long as happy customers outnumber unhappy ones, they don't have to tell you anything. He says it's a balancing act between protecting a trade secret, and giving subscribers "a sense of straight-forwardness."

You can read it all here.

You can bet Netflix will win

The online sports betting site, bodog, is taking bets on the outcome of the Netflix vs. Blockbuster Online patent lawsuit.

Netflix queue fodder from twofifty.org

If you are looking for movies to add to your Netflix queue, The Internet Movie Database is one of the best places to start, other than Netflix.com of course. IMDB maintains a list of the top 250 movies as voted by their users. I have seen 223 of them, but the list changes as the popularity of the films changes. As time passes, some drop off and others are added. I keep track of how many I've seen using a site called twofifty.org, which automatically updates the list as it changes. You can easily check off the ones you've seen with a single click. You can post comments on the movies, share your list on your blog, and check out the statistics on various movies.

Blockbuster Online promo code

Someone using the email address blockbustervideoonline at yahoo posted this one month free trial promo code on the netflix_complaints Yahoo! group:

No risk or obigation. Compare it side by side with Netflix.

www.blockbuster.com/trial

Promo Code: 40037

If you've never used Blockbuster Online, you should try it out. In some areas, the shipping is not as fast as Netflix, because they do not have as many distribution centers, and their selection is a little different. They don't always ship in queue order. Sometimes they ship from a video store. Although not as good as Netflix, they are a good alternative.

Skeleton climbing the Netflix building

P1010017
Originally uploaded by ~YYY.

I have no idea why.