Post #257,976
6/7/06 12:06:00 PM
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Why Netflix will be around for a while
[link|http://news.com.com/What+Netflix+could+teach+Hollywood/2100-1026_3-6080834.html?tag=nefd.top|http://news.com.com/...html?tag=nefd.top] Its return from oblivion is a nice illustration of a brainteaser I have been giving my friends since I visited Netflix in Silicon Valley last month. Out of the 60,000 titles in Netflix's inventory, I ask, how many do you think are rented at least once on a typical day?
The most common answers have been around 1,000, which sounds reasonable enough. Americans tend to flock to the same small group of movies, just as they flock to the same candy bars and cars, right?
Well, the actual answer is 35,000 to 40,000. That's right: every day, almost two of every three movies ever put onto DVD are rented by a Netflix customer. "Americans' tastes are really broad," says Reed Hastings, Netflix's chief executive. So, while the studios spend their energy promoting bland blockbusters aimed at everyone, Netflix has been catering to what people really want--and helping to keep Hollywood profitable in the process. Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #257,981
6/7/06 12:32:56 PM
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Makes sense
Unless you update your preferences pretty often, your list is more likely to contain older movies you've always wanted to see, but all you see on the shelf is new releases. Their system should theoretically show acutal preference un-weighted by release date.
===
Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats].
[link|http://DocHope.com|http://DocHope.com]
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Post #257,983
6/7/06 1:02:58 PM
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Right.
I've got tons of things in there, like the Kurosawa films, that would never be found anywhere else. We will occasionally add a new release in at the top (this week it's Sin City) just for variety, but the new films are far and away the smallest portion of our queue.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #257,985
6/7/06 2:00:27 PM
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So you're the reason it takes forever to get Kurosawa flicks
Got my son interested in taking Japanese in HS via watching Kurosawa flicks. We've watched Seven Samarai, Hidden Fortress, Rash\ufffd\ufffdmon, and Yojimbo. Only one that we didn't like was Yojimbo.
Any other Kurosawa flicks worth getting in the queue for?
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Post #257,990
6/7/06 2:18:55 PM
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I've only watched 7 Samurai so far
I have to ration them out or my wife will balk.
One of the neat things you can do with Netflix, though, is queue up a theme or series, like 7 Samurai, then the Clint Eastwood take on it (I forget the name), and so on.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #257,993
6/7/06 2:23:48 PM
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We don't have Netflix, we have Blockbuster Online
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Post #257,994
6/7/06 2:26:22 PM
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Actually, I have Amy online...
...I just make a request and she makes it happen. :-)
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Post #257,996
6/7/06 2:34:34 PM
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:-*
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Post #258,009
6/7/06 3:32:46 PM
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Heathen.
Yojimbo is great.
What do you guys like about his films? That will help me decide which ones would be right for you. I'm surprised that you liked the others and not Yojimbo.
When somebody asks you to trade your freedoms for security, it isn't your security they're talking about.
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Post #258,022
6/7/06 4:00:37 PM
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My son likes the Samarai aspect...
...weapons, swords, etc... I like the refreshing viewpoint. I've been thinking of checking out Ikuru, but it's probably not one my son would like.
Ok, it wasn't Yojimbo I was thinking of - that one was pretty good. The one I didn't list, is the one that we didn't like - Sanjuro. A bit too contrived on the way the drama played out - the planning seemed to meander and not make that much difference in the end. Too much bumbling going on for my taste.
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Post #258,026
6/7/06 4:23:01 PM
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Re: My son likes the Samarai aspect...
Hmm... As far as Samurai films go, that's pretty much all the Kurosawa films I've seen. His other stuff is good too, but if your son is into the samurai aspect of it, he won't be too happy with Kurosawa's other stuff.
Another series that your son might get into is the "Samurai" series of films about [link|http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0047444/|Miyamoto Musashi], who is historically considered the greatest warrior ever to live in Japan. He's the guy who either invented or perfected the "two swords" technique, a technique he never used in a duel because he felt it made fighting too easy.
Actually, just about anything starring Toshiro Mifune is a good bet for samurai-style action. Not ANYTHING, after all Akahige and Picture Bride wouldn't really count for that. Still, you get the idea.
When somebody asks you to trade your freedoms for security, it isn't your security they're talking about.
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Post #258,069
6/7/06 10:29:53 PM
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I haven't seen many Samurai films at all...
... but one I have seen is Ame Ageru ("When The Rain Lifts"). I guess it's more a period drama with a Ronin, but what are your thoughts on it? I quite liked it.
Wade.
"Insert crowbar. Apply force."
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Post #258,071
6/7/06 10:34:01 PM
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Haven't seen that one.
I think my favorite "samurai" film is "The Twilight Samurai" - mainly because it puts such a human face on the main character.
When somebody asks you to trade your freedoms for security, it isn't your security they're talking about.
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