Netflix

As long as we recognize Lucas is washed up and most TV sucks, we'll all get along fine.
Leisher
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Post by Leisher »

Netflix is currently advertising that they got the rights to stream The Blair Witch Project like it's a huge deal.

Are they aware how much that movie sucked, and how pissed off it made audiences?
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Post by GORDON »

I think you are remembering that wrong. It polarized audiences, and made a shitload of money.
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Leisher
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Post by Leisher »

<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/n-IMAPSkMOs?hl=en_US& ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/n-IMAPSkMOs?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

It was critically acclaimed...until audiences saw it.

It also made a ton of money, but I attribute that to it being the first of its kind. There were people who saw it who honestly thought the found footage angle was real. I wish I was kidding.

The proof is beyond the numbers for that film. For example: It still gets mocked throughout pop culture.

Further, two sequels were immediately green lit. The first bombed and was critically panned. The second was dropped, and never even got made.

Ditto for the two video games they made based on the movie.

The Matthew Broderick Godzilla made a fuckton of money in its first weekend, breaking records. However, that film isn't seen as a success, but exhibit A is how badly Hollywood can fuck up an existing property.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Vince
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Post by Vince »

Leisher wrote:Further, two sequels were immediately green lit. The first bombed and was critically panned. The second was dropped, and never even got made.
I actually liked the sequel better than the first Blair Witch. I read that the original idea was to do more of a mocumentary. But the comparisons to The Last Broadcast made them change directions and just release the movie as the raw footage. I don't know if that's true, but I hope it is. Otherwise these guys just suck really, really bad.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
Leisher
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Post by Leisher »

I read that the original idea was to do more of a mocumentary. But the comparisons to The Last Broadcast made them change directions and just release the movie as the raw footage.


That's not how it went down.

They knew what they were doing from the start.

Their marketing campaign was brilliant. Not taking that away from them.

The movie? Not so much.

I don't think the movie was awful, and in fact, believe parts of it were smart. However, they weren't the first folks to do found footage, and their movie did draaaaaaaaaaagggggggg on for the majority of time on screen. It was 90 minutes of cursing and snot for a payoff shot that lasted two seconds?

They needed an element of danger throughout the film to explain the snot and the cursing. Random noises and people getting lost in a forest doesn't equal horror.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
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Post by Vince »

Leisher wrote:Their marketing campaign was brilliant. Not taking that away from them.

The movie? Not so much.
I agree 100%. The web site was about10x creepier than the movie ended up being.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
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Post by Malcolm »

The second was dropped, and never even got made.

In development hell. Not officially dead.
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Post by TheCatt »

Image
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Post by Leisher »

Can I go somewhere and plug in shows I actually watch to create a list like that?
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

Leisher wrote:Can I go somewhere and plug in shows I actually watch to create a list like that?
There really should fucking be an app for that.
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Post by GORDON »

Is Hulu in the same league as the other two?

Netflix streaming is $8 a month, and that's practically free. Amazon Prime is "free" when you pay for amazon prime shipping, which almost everyone I know already does, so it is essentially "free" as an added gift with something else that already has value.

With Hulu plus you pay for it and STILL get commercials, and last I heard none of it was HD.
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Post by Leisher »

which almost everyone I know already does,


I do not. Explain to me why I would. I'm not being sarcastic, I've just never signed up for it or researched it. Why would I need it?
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
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Post by TheCatt »

Leisher wrote:
which almost everyone I know already does,
I do not. Explain to me why I would. I'm not being sarcastic, I've just never signed up for it or researched it. Why would I need it?
We've had Amazon Prime for a few years now. the first year was free. We order tons of stuff off of Amazon. Prime means lots of fast shipping for presents, households items, consoles to resell, etc. so you get them fast. The video is a mild bonus, but needs more content.

The no minimum order size, and no weight limit stuff are nice.

That, and every time they are late, you get a free month of Prime.
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Post by GORDON »

Last I heard it was $70/year, and it got you free shipping on almost everything they sell. Yes, they had "super saver" shipping once with most orders over $30, but do they even do that any more? With the free "super saver" shipping they would basically fill your order when they had time... I remember waiting a couple weeks on some orders. Amazon Prime shipping is usually 2-day, for free.

To me, just for the christmas shopping in October/November, that was worth the cost of $70/year. Then they started their streaming service, and made it free to amazon prime peeps, and that was just like a free gift they added for free. AND..... when they first started the streaming service, they often had blu-rays that you ordered available immediately on their streaming service. Order the blu ray, pay for it, leave the computer, turn on amazon streaming in your living room, and the movie you just bought is there right now to watch. I am not sure if they still do this.

So, I didn't know you didn't have it. I retract my statement.

Here's the official amazon perks page. There is also a lot of kindle stuff I don't personally use.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200444160
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Post by Vince »

Leisher wrote:
which almost everyone I know already does,
I do not. Explain to me why I would. I'm not being sarcastic, I've just never signed up for it or researched it. Why would I need it?
I have it and like it. We're in the process of getting rid of the TV side of Uverse now and streaming everything we watch if possible. Should be able to cut a good % of that bill out by doing that.

Honestly, if you don't order a lot from Amazon I'm not sure it would be worth it for you. Especially if you still use regular cable with a DVR.

There are a number of free movies every month. Some pretty old. Some maybe a couple of years. I'll usually flip it on when I have time to watch something, but need something other than the recorded shows me and the wife both watch. Watched Galaxy Quest and The Avengers (Marvel) in the last 2 or 3 weeks.

But I consider the streaming a good supplement to our new non-cable life.
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Post by GORDON »

GORDON wrote:Last I heard it was $70/year, and it got you free shipping on almost everything they sell. Yes, they had "super saver" shipping once with most orders over $30, but do they even do that any more? With the free "super saver" shipping they would basically fill your order when they had time... I remember waiting a couple weeks on some orders. Amazon Prime shipping is usually 2-day, for free.
Coincidentally, just after we had this conversation Amazon bumped the price of Prime up to $99/year. Considering there is also the "free" shipping, Amazon Prime video streaming alone is worth that $8.50 per month. And I think for all of us here, $8.50 per month isn't even a blip in our monthly budgets, so. I think it's still worth it at $100.
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Leisher
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Post by Leisher »

"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
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Post by Malcolm »

Update: Nemecek has posted a rebuttal of the original report, saying he never stated there were ongoing talks about a new Trek series on Netflix. Apparently there have been “overtures” in the past, but as far as he knows nothing is happening right now.

?
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Post by Leisher »

Google it. Everyone is talking about this story, but as of right now, it's "rumors".

With Hollywood, rumors mean either wild speculation or there is something going on that nobody is publicly discussing.

We've past the wild speculation part as people are confirming at least one conversation has taken place.

This could make a lot of sense for Paramount, and I'd do two series, not just one. Sign the deal with Netflix, but also sell the syndication rights. Syndication gets the episodes one per week six months after Netflix puts the show online. Netflix gets a percentage of the Syndication fees.

For the first series, you use the actual crew. Have 10 episodes written and ready to be shot when the next movie begins. It's a short season, but it won't take long to shoot.

For the second series, just make it TNG in this new universe.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
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Post by Leisher »

Signed Adam Sandler to a four picture deal.

Between this and the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon sequel that several theater chains refuse to show, Netflix is rapidly making itself a player.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
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