Netflix vs. Blockbuster Online DVD Rentals: Comments?

12/20/04 | lowbridge

[lowbridge]

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[N. Theknow]

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[weegee]

The Sadist "deluxe" edition (on Image Entertainment) has commentary by the cinematographer if I recall. And lousy cover art:

The SW disc has no commentary tracks (not even from Ray Dennis Steckler, who could still issue his own edition of the films since they are public domain).

I don't know about the Monkey In My Hatband song. I think it does but I am not as familiar with that song as I am Konga Joe (which I heard long before I ever saw the film).

There are a number of DVD releases of the Choppers.

I know that the SW DVD of High School Caesar omits the rocking title song (so I probably STILL have to get the low budget Alpha Video DVD which has a lesser quality transfer).

I don't know about that actress. I haven't made it through The Nasty Rabbit. I picked up that film for the 60s spy thing as much as getting Arch Hall's songs. Not that I am a big fan or anything (I'd rank The Sadist the best followed by The Choppers, I haven't seen Eggah yet). Just it was easy to collect up the films cheaply and I am a cult film geek.

[lowbridge]

Ray Dennis Steckler, who could still issue his own edition of the films since they are public domain.

His films are available for sale on DVD with him on the commentary tracks :-) (Thrill Killers, Rat Pfink a boo boo, Incredibly Strange Creatures..., etc.)

I don't know about the Monkey In My Hatband song. I think it does but I am not as familiar with that song as I am Konga Joe (which I heard long before I ever saw the film).

"Come on Baby, let's cruise the scene,
and'a be long gone from'a Bowling Green.
Monkey's in my hatband,
I can do a handstand,
got plenty money in my ol'bluejeans,
be long gone from'a Bowling Green".

Arch sings it, the whole song, while sitting on the back of the truck at Moose's junkyard.

I don't know about that actress.

In any case, here's a little trivia tidbit about Nancy Czar: She was an Olympics Ice Skater. In 1961 she missed the plane that was taking her team to Europe. The plane crashed, killing all on board:

http://www.vesperis.com/skate/1961/articles.html

Nancy Czar seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. No one seems to know where she is, what happened to her.

I haven't made it through The Nasty Rabbit. I picked up that film for the 60s spy thing as much as getting Arch Hall's songs.

VERY boring film. That and Deadwood76. It pained me to sell my copy of Wild Guitar, Eegah, The Choppers. But selling Nasty Rabbit, I had no qualms.

Not that I am a big fan or anything (I'd rank The Sadist the best followed by The Choppers, I haven't seen Eggah yet).

He sings a few songs in Eegah but theres one I think he also sang in Wild Guitar: "Valerie" (I dont have a copy of Wild Guitar handy since I sold mine, so I cant recall). Also look for a cameo appearance in Eegah by Ray Dennis Steckler.

Another trivia tidbit: Ray Dennis Steckler recalled the time that they were filming Eegah on some desert land out in Palm Springs. Some guy drove up, and asked Ray what were they doing there on HIS property. Cant recall what Ray said he told the guy, some BS story, but it was obvious they were filming on the guys property without his permission. The guy said something along the lines of "Its alright. I did the same in my earlier years." and drove off. Arch Hall (Senior) said to Ray: "You know who that was? That was Harpo Marx."

I am a cult film geek.

Me too as you can tell :-)

[Dashing Dasher]

I agree with Neb52...
Netflix has always had movies that I cannot find elsewhere...
They arrive in two days or less - I live close to a distribution center - I assume.

I've been VERY happy with my Netflix experience.

my $.02

[lowbridge]

Netflix has always had movies that I cannot find elsewhere...

To be fair, there are a some movies that are available on Blockbuster but not from Netflix.

[xm177e2]

Netflix has always had movies that I cannot find elsewhere...

I've used a similar deal with the local video store, but their selection is puny (DVD pickup and return is done manually rather than through the mail), so I'm almost through with them. I've looked at Netflix's catalog, and it's awesome. If I had more free time, I would sign up with them next.

I would choose Netflix over Blockbuster because BB is always on the hustle to mess up its customers with "late fees" and whatnot. Why bother with a company that's trying to sc--- you?

[weegee]

I have the Rat Pfink DVD but thought that the commentary/interview cuts could have used a livelier delivery. Also, he put out a recent VHS tape of Rat Pfink with other bonus footage (including a brief, blink and you'll miss it clip of myself). The most crucial footage is some 8mm footage of Ron Haydock performing in concert as Rat Pfink on a flat bed truck at a grocery store (non-synched sound plays over this promotional footage).

Thrill Killers just came out. I think it is a stronger film than Rat Pfink which I got mostly for the music clips (which are basically promo films inserted in a film).

I also want to get the Lemon Grove Kids films. Truth be told I think that the Steckler films should have been issued as double features.

[weegee]

When I exhaust many of my Netflix choices, I may sign up with Nicheflix for a couple months. They rent import DVDs (PAL, non-region1, etc.). Slower turn around on getting rentals but still far cheaper than buying all those discs.

[kittymyrib]

NetFlix gave 100% of its political contributions to Democrats. Cross it off your Buy Red List.

[rwfromkansas]

Both seem like rip-offs. It is ridiculous to spend almost 20 bucks a month. Drop it down to 10 and I would sign up since I do like the movies...

On the plus side, Blockbuster is smart to get rid of late fees in their physical stores.

[tortoise]

I've been using Netflix for years and love it. The deepest movie collection I've ever seen, and the turnaround is extremely fast. Well worth it, and a lifestyle shift once you become accustomed to it (like Tivo).

There is a possibility that Blockbuster is as good, but I strongly doubt it is better.

[rwfromkansas]

I also like that you can rent tv DVD's in Blockbuster's physical stores as well. There are some shows I would like to sometimes watch again, but I could not justify buying the entire DVD set.

[tortoise]

Once, we sent a movie back that never reached Netflix for whatever reason. Another time, they sent a movie to us that never reached us. As far as I can tell, we've never been charged for either one.

I did some of their systems design very early on in the companies history (yet one more case of a company I worked at that I could have made a killing on if I'd stayed), and am familiar with basic statistics at that time.

Generally speaking, the loss rate was far higher than you might imagine, the average lifespan of a DVD being around ten trips at that time. Consequently, a high loss rate was built into their cost model up front, though they've minimized it to the extent possible and they probably do much better today. If you only lost two DVDs out of three hundred, they came out way ahead on you. We personally have probably lost a dozen or so over the years either coming or going. This is both expected and normal from the standpoint of Netflix.

They do look for statistical anomalies in individual subscribers that might suggest fraud, but the noise floor is quite high. I don't know what the numbers might look like today for typical "breakage", but they won't charge you anything if the occasional DVD gets lost in the mail because it is assumed that this will happen and is buried in their pricing model. If you make a habit of "losing" DVDs, they'll probably just cancel your subscription, or maybe send the postal inspector snooping.

[tortoise]

NetFlix gave 100% of its political contributions to Democrats. Cross it off your Buy Red List.

There's a shocker. NetFlix is pretty much a Birkenstock company, end-to-end.

[SuziQ]

About a year ago, I noticed that when we sent a movie back, it got logged on to our account the next day, and the new movie arrived the day after that. I was wondering why it was so fast. I hadn't even noticed the change of address on the return envelope. Then I read an article in the newspaper that they had opened a distribution facility in the 'Boston area'. I checked the envelope and realized it was just over in Worcester, less than 6 miles from me!

We have enjoyed the service tremendously, and they have made money on us from time to time when we get busy and just are not able to watch the movies. But we're doing ok because we are from the first group of subscribers and we still get FOUR movies at a time! ;o) Our kids are downstairs watching Oceans Eleven as I type this!

[weegee]

CBS/MTV/Viacom's Blockbuster is hardly a paragon of virtue.

[lowbridge]

Both seem like rip-offs. It is ridiculous to spend almost 20 bucks a month.

It's a big cost saver. I used to spend more than 20 a month on rentals alone.

And then there are all those thousands of movies that I'd like to see but cant because my local video rental store does not carry the title. There's just so many movies that the local video store can have. Yeah, they'll have the latest release of Spiderman 2 on DVD, or any other latest NEW Hollywood release, but, with a few exceptions, they wont carry old (by old, I mean anything from the 1920's to the 1990's) films that are being re-released on DVD.

As a result, if there is a film on DVD I REALLY want to see, I will have to go through the expense of buying it. Something that can cost me anywhere from 10 bucks to 25 bucks per DVD

I cannot afford to buy every movie, every tv show I want to see, which is quite frustrating. This 20 a month service has made it possible and affordable for me to see all the movies I want.

[rwfromkansas]

"I used to spend more than 20 a month on rentals alone."

Well, it definitely would be worth it for you...for me, it isn't, at least not right now. You are definitely right that they will have the movies that the local store doesn't have.

But, then again, I am your typical poor college student.

[lowbridge]

Got the following email from blockbuster:

__________________________

Our New Year's Resolution: Lower rates and improved service in 2005!

Lower rates guaranteed through 2005!

As of Dec. 22, 2004*, pay only $14.99 a month plus applicable tax to enjoy up to three DVDs out at a time. This low rate is guaranteed not to increase through Jan. 31, 2006, as long as you keep your membership in good standing.

More movies!

Choose from more than 30,000 titles in our expanded DVD library.

More shipping centers!

Get your movies faster! We've more than doubled the number of shipping centers serving the country - 23 by the end of January - with more to come!

*Price effective for current BLOCKBUSTER Online members on their first monthly billing date following 12/22/04.

__________________________

NOW they're REALLY competing with netflix. First they lowered their price to 17.49 (which in turn forced Netflix to drop their price to 17.99), and dropping that even further to 14.99 and increased their library to over 30 thousand movies (Netflix once bragged of over 25 thousand, while BB could brag of only 25 thousand). And doubling their number of distribution centers.

Now if they could only do something about their lousy website. Man, does my computer drag ever so slowly on their site. TOO MUCH java script all over the damn place.