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Topic: What must I do to enjoy INCEPTION?

Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-24-2011 09:19 PM

I saw this movie in a theatre and I enjoyed it. I looked forward to a DVD version to find out how they made the movie. Unfortunately, I rented it from Netflix. I believe they must be offering a DVD which was specifically "made for rental." There was absolutely no behind-the-scenes material. Okay, maybe since I wasn't willing to BUY the movie then I don't deserve to know anything about how it was shot.

But wait! The DVD I rented from Netflix had several minutes of non-skippable ads at the beginning. I couldn't use the "Menu" or "Top Menu" or "Next" buttons. Worse, they even disabled the "Stop" button during the ads! All I could do was scan through the ads at fast-foward speed. It was a VHS-style experience... and it was rubbish.

By the time the movie started I already didn't care. I watched it for 5 minutes and then let it play for another 15 minutes while I wasn't paying attention. Then I returned it to Netflix. Boo, Warner Brothers! Boo!

There is NO WAY I will buy this movie now, no matter how the non-rental disc might be different.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 02-24-2011 11:09 PM

Greg,

It is now a common practice by Warner Brothers and Fox to release only the movie along with some promotional materials on Blu -Ray and DVDs. When I choose to rent a movie, I do not care if there are no bonus features because I am only interested in watching the movie and I have no problem with discs that do have them. Even if a disc had them, I seldom take the time to watch them unless there are something interesting like the documentary about film editing on the BULITT Blu Ray I wached last night or the History of the Technicolor process on the ROBIN HOOD BD starring Errol Flynn.

-Claude

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 02-24-2011 11:23 PM

quote: Greg Anderson
I looked forward to a DVD version to find out how they made the movie. Unfortunately, I rented it from Netflix. I believe they must be offering a DVD which was specifically "made for rental." There was absolutely no behind-the-scenes material.

Warner Home Video does this with all their rental Blu-ray discs. I run into the same problem when I rent Warner Bros. movies on Blu-ray from our local Hastings store.

And yes, those discs are very aggravating. A WHV executive's legs wouldn't work anymore either if he came anywhere near me after I had just tolerated one of their rental Blu-ray discs.

At least with a freaking VHS tape you could fast forward past all the ads and have the movie cued up to its start point. You can't do that with any Warner Home Video rental Blu-ray.

This is basically the studio's way of trying to twist the customer's arm into buying the retail version of the Blu-ray disc. It sort of has the reverse result with me. I usually don't bother buying the disc and don't rent the stupid thing either. I just wait for the movie to show up on HBO.

I did buy Inception on Blu-ray, but overall I'm buying a lot fewer movies from Warner Bros. than I did before.

One other complaint about those Warner Bros. rental Blu-ray discs, they look nearly identical to the DVD versions. The other day I rented The Town from Hastings. I was standing in line at the register when I looked at the disc and saw a tiny DVD logo on it. The staff people mixed some DVD versions in with the Blu-ray discs, despite Blu-ray having a separate section in the store! I went back and grabbed a correct Blu-ray version and then complained to the cashier about the stocking situation.

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
When I choose to rent a movie, I do not care if there are no bonus features because I am only interested in watching the movie and I have no problem with discs that do have them.

Actually, I prefer it if the rental disc does have all the features of the retail version. I rarely "blind buy" movies; I only buy movies I know have plenty of repeat viewing potential. Typically I either see the movie in the theater or rent it first before I buy a copy to add to my collection of discs. The rental is a test drive. If Warner Bros. wants to give me a shitty test drive experience with their Blu-ray discs they're going to get a lot less money from me.

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Kurt Zupin
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 989
From: Maricopa, Arizona
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 02-25-2011 12:18 PM

With all the issues that can be going on at any time, the fact that you guys get so pissed off because of some ad on a RENTAL blu-ray or DVD is crazy. Big freaking deal, if you don't want the ad or the theft warning. Then buy the damn movie, oh wait your sticking it to them because your not going to rent it or buy it because the studio is trying to screw the consumer. Greg I don't know how an ad that you had to fast forward could make you so upset at a movie that you couldn't watch it. Sounds like you might be a little high strung. If you don't want to watch the ad, get up go the bathroom or go to the kitchen and fix yourself a nice cold glass of tea or what ever you want to drink and chill out. Its not the end of the world that WB doesn't have a skip feature on their Blu-Rays

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Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-25-2011 02:12 PM

Oh, yes, I'm the one who's high strung here at Film-Tech. [Roll Eyes]

We've been conditioned to tolerate "forced" material on DVDs where certain buttons on the remote are specifically disabled by the disc. But this thing with Inception was over-the-top.

quote: Kurt Zupin
With all the issues that can be going on at any time...

Um... this thread isn't about "all the issues that can be going on" right now. What are you talking about? Egypt? Wisconsin? Unemployment numbers? Well, this is the wrong web site for that stuff. This is, however, a web site about showmanship and giving the customer a good time when they're paying for entertainment.

quote: Kurt Zupin
If you don't want to watch the ad, get up go the bathroom or go to the kitchen and fix yourself a nice cold glass of tea or what ever you want to drink and chill out.

As I said, this particulat set of ads was over-the-top. In the time it would take to let them all play, everyone in the house (and a few invited guests) would all have to use the bathroom consecutively. I just don't want this to become the norm for rented discs. You'd have to put the DVD in the player at the same time you start pre-heating the oven for the pizza in order to get the timing right. Are you really saying that's okay with you?

What's next? If I download a single song from iTunes should I be "punished" for not buying the whole album? Should I be forced to listen to an ad for other songs each time I attempt to listen to the one I bought? Whenever I re-open a 2-liter bottle of Sprite should I be forced to read an ad for Diet Coke before I'm allowed to pour?

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 02-25-2011 05:30 PM

Claude, getting back to Memento, I heard there was a version of it on BluRay that has it happening in 'forward' order. I'm not sure if that's true though but it may be worth looking into.

I know someone also who has 2 prints of Pulp Fiction. One is in its original form and the other he has cut into sequential order.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 02-25-2011 06:48 PM

The new Memento does not offer a chronological viewing option. It's the same as the old Blu-ray, just with more extras. It might have a new transfer. It's extreme double-dipping as the previous Blu-ray was in no way bad.

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System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 03-06-2012 09:27 AM

It has been 374 days since the last post.

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Jeff Kane
Film Handler

Posts: 74
From: corpus christi, tx
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 03-06-2012 09:27 AM

quote: Kurt Zupin
If you don't want to watch the ad, get up go the bathroom or go to the kitchen and fix yourself a nice cold glass of tea or what ever you want to drink and chill out. Its not the end of the world that WB doesn't have a skip feature on their Blu-Rays

[rant]
My media player. I own it. Even on a VHS it was possible to fast forward. That some asshat middle management puke can decide to lock out the controls on a device I own? Drives me batshit. If I had the address of the person in question I might go buy up a bunch of ex-rental discs, bag 'em up with some readily available organic bovine-produced waste fuel, ship them to said fuckwit, and thus express my opinion.

The irony? If I download the content illegally I don't deal with any of that crap. If I rip the disc I can eliminate all that. If I play by the rules? I'm penalized. Hollywood has a very twisted view of the value of their content and the level of control they deserve over my life in their drive to protect and profit from it. But that's not news to anyone. See DCI and all that mess. Even when THEY fuck it up for the exhibitors, they still expect the people who got 'em where they are to clean up their mess.

[/rant]

[EDIT: Damn, I missed the 2011 on the date. Apologies y'all!]

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