One, Larry Aydlette has changed addresses AGAIN! Yes, yes I know, we're all shocked and stunned. He's now on tumbler which confuses me with it's notes and reblogging thingys instead of comments and links, but you know Larry, he likes to roll with the changes. His new address (for probably, oh, let's say the next three weeks) is here.
Two, I got the e-mail everyone who's ever ordered a Criterion from Amazon gets about the now available instant Criterion viewing online for only $3.99. Anyone tried it yet. Netflix instant viewing is quite lacking in my opinion (no letterboxing, sketchy picture quality, etc) and I was wondering if this is the same or better. If you've tried it, let me know. Thanks.
That is all.
23 comments:
Re: Netflix instant viewing-- seriously? Is it that bad? I haven't used it yet, but that's distressing to hear.
It's really not. Yes, some of the titles are pan & scan--- but not all of them. And, so long as you're plugged in to an internet connection (it gets screwy via wireless) it's DVD quality.
And it's all the movies that Netflix acquired through the Starz package that are pan & scan, so you know which ones to stay away from. Not to mention, the service has some films that never got a proper DVD release.
Brian, it's not awful but a lot of it is pan and scan in my experience. Maybe Ryan and I aren't watching the same exploitation womens priso... uh, foreign films.
I use it anyway though. Hey, if I want to see a movie NOW I'm going to use it. Plus it's great for screengrabs. The titles are building slowly but not fast enough, at least not the good ones.
It's okay, but clearly Ryan and I feel differently about it.
Suddenly Larry disappeared from Facebook as well.
As far as the Netflix instant viewing goes, some films have been in 16 x 9 format. I've been limiting myself to English language films that seem less crucial than watching them on my television. The ones I saw in pan and scan I figured were a trade off, as I would probably not be able to see them any other way. I saw A Time for Killing which was partially shot by Roger Corman, but completed and signed by Phil Karlson that way, last night.
Yeah. I'm with Greg on the bad luck watching Netflix on my laptop (which I try NOT to do, but sometimes you find yourself in tight spaces... ya feel me???).
I tried to watch some horror film recently and the audio was off by a few clicks of a second. Nope. Can't watch that. Course... I could just have a ghetto laptop.
Also. I have real difficulty watching movies on my laptop b/c I can't get comfortable! When I watch a movie on my TV, I lay on the ground or lounge on the couch. I can't get so cozy with a laptop.
Suddenly Larry disappeared from Facebook as well.
Give it a month or two, he'll disappear from tumbler as well. But that's Larry and that's why we love him.
I try to view the less important stuff on Netflix instant viewing too so maybe that's why I'm getting all the crappy pan and scan low quality stuff.
Fox, that exactly how I am with Laptops. I end up watching at a desk because lying down just makes it too difficult. I mean, I can manage and everything, but all the same, it's not an ideal viewing environment.
Being computer illiterate, I've never been able to get the instant viewing to work on my computer. I use the box from Roku, which is excellent. Yeah, the service isn't perfect, but it is in its infancy. And it is, really, just a stellar addition to what you already pay for with your postage queue. I have some complaints, but I can't complain about having hundreds of movies (nearly 300 in my instant queue) available at the push of a button. On the television, they're virtually indistinguishable from the DVD counterpart.
But the whole pan & scan thing is just unacceptable.
Ryan, I haven't seen anything on Roku but it does seem like a better alternative than watching it on the computer. Much better in fact. I might have to get one.
It's definitely worth the 100 bucks, if only for the money you save on your postage queue. Some titles are pan and scan, but not all.
You're definitely gonna wanna make sure that you have a television within reasonable distance of your router, though, because it's buggy as hell over wireless.
Also, thanks for the cool Do The Right Thing banner-- a great shot from a great film.
Larry always has the coolest stuff, and I'm already impressed by the format of his new blog. That said, I hope this doesn't mean the abandonment of the Frankenheimer stuff-- I was really enjoying that, and hoped he might extend it a bit.
You're definitely gonna wanna make sure that you have a television within reasonable distance of your router, though, because it's buggy as hell over wireless.
The television is nowhere near the router so... I'll wait. Unfortunately.
Brian, thanks. I was pleased with that banner myself.
And as to Larry abandoning something (like the Frankenheimer posts) because he's decided to move on to something else... one word: Aaaarrrrggghhhhh!!!
And here's another thing . . . Tell Me in the Sunlight is getting a DVD release next week. No joke.
Steve Cochran's magnum opus! How does that get a release when so many classics are still waiting for one?
I watched my first film from an online source: Amazon.com. It was really just fine. We just bought a Mac with a 24" monitor, so I think this will be happening more often.
Yes, we have a 24" inch Mac too in the house (2 macs, 2 pcs) and the purchased movies from i-movies look great! But the streaming ones from Netflix are the ones I'm underwhelmed with. I'll go with the Amazon ones like you did.
Oh, that Frankenheimer stuff really wasn't that interesting. But thanks, fellas.
It's just good knowing I can always go back to the Welcome to LA archives and check it out whenever I want. Thank God you archived everything.
Yes, God must be praised for computer back-up! Without it, we'd be no better than the beasts God made us better than.
I also thank God for making my cat so adorable. And I don't even believe, so when I think of God, I just imagine I'm thanking you.
You are welcome, my son.
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