Yes, you heard right. Free. Legal. Downloads. How? Through the magic of the public domian! Copyrights expire eventually, right? So as long as you’re willing to wait 75 years, you’ll be able to download today’s hottest movies for free! But for the time being, there are over 100 free, classic movies in the public domain set for downloading here.
“In comments made at the Morgan Stanley Small Cap conference last week, Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy says he doesn’t think Amazon.com will expand its video rental market into the US because the retailer’s infrastructure wouldn’t work to its advantage with video rentals. He also sees the window between theatrical and DVD releases shortening, which is a Good Thing.” From the article: “The price of entry is much higher now than it was in the past, both in terms of the cost of locating warehouses and just the mere fact that Netflix and Blockbuster are both considerably larger now. McCarthy then said that Amazon is in the classic make-versus-buy dilemma, noting that the company can either start from scratch or try to acquire service through either an acquisition or partnership.”
Join the discussion at Slashdot.
The current battle between Microsoft and DivX is explored in an article by MercuryNews.com. DivX offers its free software package for download at their website. The DivX package takes up little space on your hardrive and is easy to install. Because of the software’s ability to allow users to watch DivX video, thus encrypted files, studios associate it with pirating which fuels Microsoft’s frustration with the software.
This week’s edition of Newsweek contains an article about the current struggle of Blockbuster titled, Rewinding a Video Giant. Once a movie rental behemoth, Blockbuster has been under attack over the last several years. First DVDs began taking the place of VHS and people started to buy rather than rent movies. Then online movie rental services like Netflix began to chip away at Blockbuster’s business. Now customers can rent movies with the simple push of a button through video-on-demand on their home TVs. Blockbuster’s efforts to compete include the end of late fees; but despite these efforts, urging customers to “be kind and rewind” has become the least of Blockbuster’s concerns.
The selection of Netflix’s pre-viewed movie sale option began with a collection of second-rate movies that weren’t worth the original $10.99 they cost. Fortunately, Netflix has substantially beefed up its collection since then, now offering such hits as The Incredibles, House of Flying Daggers, Anchorman and Closer. Even better, the pre-viewed movies now only cost $9.99, a dollar cheaper than before. All movies come in a DVD case with original artwork. With 100% guaranteed quality and playability, Netflix’s pre-viewed DVD sale option is a welcomed addition to the online movie rental behemoth.
Are you sitting at home with absolutely nothing to do? It’s time you get and entertain yourself! With eGuide.com, simply type in a zip code and this search engine will find the closest movie theaters to you. You can even purchase tickets online and select specific theaters to place on your “myFavorites†page. In addition to this convenient movie theater guide, eGuide will search local events and TV listings as well so you can remain perpetually entertained!
An article at ChicagoBusiness.com reports on the McDonalds DVD experiment. According to the article, the service is being initiated in 185 McDonalds locations in Minnesota and 172 in Wyoming. Contrary to my initial impression, the service seems to be catering toward regular folks grabbing a bite to eat and planning their evening’s cinematic festivities. The service is kiosk-based, each kiosk containing the top 40 or 50 DVDs, updated weekly with new releases. The service costs $1/day/DVD, and there is no late fee or return date. If you rent the DVD for 25 strait days, you’ve already shelled out $25, so Mayor McCheese says you can just keep it.
Hi there- Double-oh Steven here with some weekend editor’s choice movie picks. Put a few of these babies to the top of your queue right now, and you’ll be in cinema heaven by Saturday.
Action Movies
New Release Pick: Troy. Not the finest bit of cinema you’ll ever see, but Brad Pitt… Whew! A plausible retelling of the classics set down by Homer and Virgil, complete with the Face that Launched 1000 ships. Orlando Bloom costars as the prissy Paris.
Oldie but Goodie: Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I believe there is a special edition of this out available at Netflix. No movie since has been quite this awesome. Every action sequence is amazing, the special effects still hold up today, and the T-1000 is bad ass. Hasta la Vista, baby.
Required Reading: The Four Musketeers (1975). Set the bar for Pirates of the Caribbean. Slapstick comedy meets great swashbuckling choreography with an all-star cast. For a musketeer double feature, try The Three Musketeers (1973), too.
Romantic Comedies
New Release Pick: Hitch. Everybody loves Will Smith, whether you want to admit it or not. If you’re in the mood for a light and funny movie, why not this one? This one is Man Approved as well, thanks to the versatility of the Fresh Prince.
Oldie but Goodie: Pretty Woman. Ridiculous, but great, movie. The best thing about it is guys continue watching long after they realize that Julia Roberts isn’t going to get naked.
Quirky, Lesser-known Gem: Amelie. OK, maybe it’s not little-known, but it is in French, so it qualifies. Bizarre and delightful film with plenty of accordion. Plus, Audree Tautou is oddly hot in this.
Dramas!
New Release Pick: Closer. Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, and Jude Law doing dirty things to one another. Need I say more? What, yes? Ok. It’s also got stunning characterization and a heart-wrenching plot of love and betrayal.
Old Stand-by: American History X. Really heavy material here, portrayed expertly be Ed Norton. Hate, fear, race, and survival play across this bleak-yet-hopeful glimpse of America.
Maybe You Didn’t See This In The Theaters but You Should Have: 25th Hour. Spike Lee directs a great cast in this compelling drama. Characters are remarkably human. Ed Norton plays a drug dealer on his last free night before going to jail for his crimes.
Comedy:
New Release Pick: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Bill Murray nails the roll of a washed up Jacque Cousteau out for revenge in a world that seems only 80% reality. Art design in this picture is remarkable, and the comedy is spot-on perfect. Jeff Goldblum is hilarious.
Remember This One?: Wayne’s World. Party time. Excellent. Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey are absolutely hysterical. Of course you’ve seen it, but when was the last time you’ve seen it? “Wait up guys, I fell on my keys!â€Â
It Came From Outer Space: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. This movie brilliantly spoofs all of 1950s sci-fi movies, complete with awful dialogue and terrible special effects. “But Skeleton… how will I find this ‘Atmospherium?’†“That’s for you to know! It’s not my problem! I sleep now!â€Â
Science Fiction/Fantasy
New Release Pick: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. This highly stylized movie feels like its torn right from the pages of early 20th century Pulp fiction. Robots, genetic experiments, lasers, and plenty of high-flying action. Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow star.
Classic: Bladerunner, the Director’s Cut. Probably the best Sci-fi Movie of all time. If you haven’t seen it, you must. If you have seen it, see it again. Something new comes up in each viewing. Is Deckard a replicant? Make sure you get the Director’s Cut.
Great but Lesser-known: Enemy Mine. A human and an Alien, locked in galactic war, crash land on an inhospitable planet and must survive together. A remarkable showing by Dennis Quaid and Lou Gosset Jr., who for the most part, are the only characters on screen.
Children and Family:
New Release Pick: The Incredibles. This movie is… incredible. Sorry… The animation is great, the story is even better. Wonderful action and a few great family moments. Five stars! Queue it up immediately, if not sooner.
Oldie but Goodie: Disney’s Robin Hood. Fun animation and a classic story. The songs are still great even today, and the action will mesmerize children of all ages. Oodilaley!
Little-known Gem: Chuck Jones Classics: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi/Yankee Doodle Cricket double feature. Two of Chuck Jones’s finest cartoons. Orson Welles lends his voice to Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a tale of an intrepid mongoose who saves a British family from deadly cobras. Yankee Doodle Cricket is another classic that all children should see.
Horror:
New Release Pick: Dawn of the Dead. This big budget remake is more exciting and more terrifying than the original. Leading the pack of next-generation Zombie movies, Dawn of the Dead is both critically acclaimed and singled out by fans of the genre as a Zombie stand out.
Classic: The Shining. Cinematically, this movie is basically perfect. Chilling story, and knock out performances from Jack Nickolson and Shelly Duvall. One of Stanley Kubrick’s finest films, it will go down in Horror History. Here’s Johnny!
Required Reading: The Twilight Zone Volume 1. A mammoth collection of chilling tales. May seem tame by today’s standards, but when that twist ending comes and the twangy guitar kicks in- goose bump city.
Vampire Movies:
For those who love the creatures of the night, here are some excellent Vampire Movies.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The quintessential Dracula.
Interview with the Vampire: Hands down, the best Vampire movie ever made. All star cast.
Underworld. Great action and plenty of Vampire Violence.
From Dusk till Dawn. Quentin Tarnentino writes and co-stars in this wacky Vampire movie.
Queue up, pop some popcorn, and enjoy these fine films this weekend, with friends, family, loved ones, or all by your lonesome.
The DVD Revolution is upon us! Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer of movies, has officially stated that it will cease sales of video after 2005. That’s right. DVD killed the video star. VHS has officially gone the way of the 8-Track cassette. We knew it would happen one day. Full article here.
The DVD rental service GreenCine, which focuses on rare, foreign, documentary, and other movies that are not of the main stream, also focuses on buidling a community, they say. GreenCine encourages user feedback and cinematic discourse on their message boards. Check it out to see what the buzz is about.
