Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

I agree with the bolded statement above.

I seek out smaller, more obscure movies, and I was still disappointed by a number of them. I've gotten to a point where I feel like there's only 1 or 2 really good movies a year. It's much easier for someone to say Transformers 2 is great, where I say nothing is great. The more I see, the more disappointed I become.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

If your tastes are so far out of the mainstream, then your opinion doesn't help create a working model on how people as a whole behave in regards to blockbuster movies.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

But the point is that people who watch more obscure films are often less satisfied than those that watch blockbusters. If the only data point is Netflix ratings, how is that an accurate depiction, if you presume that a lot of people who watch more obscure titles don't use Netflix?

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

One problem with using Netflix for this article is that a film with zero votes is given a score of 2 1/2 stars, and it takes a lot of votes to move the user score one way or another. In other words, very obscure movies often have a mediocre rating simply because not enough people have rated them.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

:hscratch:

Revenge of the Fallen is rated just a shade over two stars on Netflix. And most of the posted reviews rate it one star.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

That's probably the rating they show you based on your reviews of other movies. Here's what it looks like for me:

http://i45.tinypic.com/34qplox.jpg

It's rated 3.8/5 overall, but the 1/5 is a guess as to what I would rate it based on my other ratings.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are your tastes if Netflix doesn't have anything that would interest you?

I'm not saying Netflix should be the sole measure, but a big reason I use Netflix is because I can get more obscure titles that I wouldn't be able to get at Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, which are unfortunately the only real rental choices where I live. For that matter, not everyone lives near a Chinatown where they can go pick up imports or have easy access to them. I think that's a big reason for Netflix's success.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Hey hipster.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

You do realize you can buy movies online, as well as rent them? You don't need to live near a Chinatown to get Chinese imports.

That said, Netflix does have a good variety of films, but whether or not it has a lot of obscure titles depends on how you define "obscure." Netflix isn't likely to have anything that wasn't released in the US by a major distributor.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Could that be due to unrealistic expectations, maybe?

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Netflix has a huge amount of obscure/foreign/independent DVDs...I am surprised people can't find anything they want to rent there.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Greencine.com is much better than netflix for renting obscure stuff.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Agreed. It's all Region 1, so you won't find everything available in the world, but there's a ton there.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Most of the DVDs I watch/buy are R2 and R3.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

European R2, or Japan R2, or both?

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

Japan

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

The newest theatre in Omaha has variable pricing (not in the sense that The Bus is talking about though). There are 5 screens at the theatre. There are 2 levels of seating for each screen. The lowest level (and closest to the screen) is the cheapest (at $7 for matinees, cheap is not the best word to use). The upper level is $1 more per ticket, but you have access to the food service. Waiters will bring you food on dishes and drinks in glasses. The 5th screen has 2 different levels of seating, with the lower level being the food service. The upper level is $5 more than the middle ticket, but you get a $5 food voucher to use on booze or concessions. You also get access to the "VIP" lounge w/ bar. All seats are assigned and all three levels have increasingly nicer seating.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

So you are a perfect example of the niche consumer that's mentioned in the article.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

I think that was his point. The article refers to the tastes of niche consumers, but then uses Netflix's catalog for reference, which doesn't have the obscure titles that niche consumers watch.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

It's just that the world in 1939 and 1997 were so different, making comparisons in grosses very difficult. Hell, times have changed a lot from 1997 to 2009. Think of a world without Facebook!

In 1939, TV was in the fetus stage of its life cycle and PCs were non-existent. The radio and phonograph were the only forms of technological entertainment in the home. Of course people would flock to their local movie theatres since the choices were so much more limited back then.

I notice that in both lists, both unadjusted and adjusted, the vast majority of the top movies of all time are escapist fare, often set in different time periods with plenty of fantasy, sci-fi, animation, and otherworldy settings. The biggest movies serve as an escape from the mundane nature of our everyday lives and audiences will flock to those the most.

Re: Ever-increasing choice and the modern blockbuster
 

What I think you meant to say was "I see Supr already done did it."