The Lansing State Journal has put together a list of 5 marked-up retail categories to be aware of when you’re making purchasing decisions, most of which you hopefully already know. If you can’t find wholesale sources or DIY replacements, then at least make sure you do a lot of comparison shopping to get the best deal.
movies
Take A Peek Inside A Netflix Mailing Facility
By 4.7.09
You might want to hum a little of the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood theme song music as you click over to Boston.com to view these photos of what goes down at a Netflix facility. We like how they all wear red tees—they’re like Netflix elves merrily providing DVDs to the nation. (Maybe they just did it for photo day, though.)
Fake April Fools' Day Product Sparks Demand For Real Version
By 4.2.09
Of all companies, ThinkGeek should know that you never taunt a sci-fi nerd with something movie related unless it really exists. Yesterday the company revealed its annual page of fake products to trick customers, including squeezable bacon spread and a “Unicorn Chaser” soft drink. The best product of all, however, was this Tauntaun sleeping bag (check out the tiny lightsaber on the zipper pull!), which sparked so much demand that the company is looking into selling it for real.
Movie Distributor Doesn't Care For Blogosphere, Says To Ignore It
By 4.1.09
Magnolia Pictures, the company behind the botched US release of the DVD of Let The Right One In, isn’t backing down from its claim that the new simplified subtitles are just fine. In fact, this internal communication from a Magnolia rep to a Canadian distributor shows just how little they care about how their core fans feel.
US Distributor Of 'Let The Right One In' Says They'll Fix Subtitles, But No Exchanges
By 3.25.09
After Icons of Fright pointed out that the US DVD and Blu-ray release of Let The Right One In shipped with oversimplified subtitles instead of the ones in the theatrical release, The Digital Bits contacted distributor Magnet Films to ask what was going on. Magnet responded that they’ll release an updated version clearly marked as having the theatrical subtitles, but they won’t exchange any current discs.
Dumbed Down Subtitles Ruin US Release Of 'Let The Right One In'
By 3.24.09
What if you started to watch Let The Right One In, a highly acclaimed foreign film from last year, and you discovered the US release had been renamed Open Up!? That’s sort of the experience consumers are having when watching the new release of the movie on DVD and Blu-ray. At some point between the theatrical release and the DVD release, the distributor replaced the original, nuanced English subtitles with dumbed-down ones.
Is Borders Shrinking Its CD And DVD Sections?
By 3.23.09
We received this tip from an alleged Borders employee today. According to this person, if you saw some yellow discount tags of 30% off DVDs and CDs in your local Borders store this weekend, it’s a sign that they’re closing out those sections except for top sellers. Expect to see much steeper discounts in the coming weeks. The full tip is copied below.
$1 Popcorn and Drinks On Stimulus Night At Movie Theater Chain
By 3.5.09
Carmike Cinemas, which operates 2,276 screens in 36 states has declared Tuesdays “stimulus night” and will be offering $1 popcorn and drinks.
Verizon Wireless Sues "Velveteen Rabbit" Telemarketers
By 2.26.09
Hooray for Verizon Wireless! Wait, what? The cellular carrier has just filed a lawsuit against Feature Films For Families for illegally telemarketing. Specifically, they’re accusing the company of using an auto-dialer to cold call hundreds of thousands of Verizon Wireless customers earlier this month, which is illegal according to NJ state laws (where the suit was filed) and the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
Blockbuster Reduces Total Access Benefits, Disguises Change As "No More Due Dates!"
By 2.25.09
Blockbuster’s Total Access subscription service—their bid for relevance in the Netflix era—used to ship the next movie in your queue as soon as you dropped it off at a Blockbuster store in exchange for a free rental. Now the next movie won’t ship until you return that free store rental—in other words, now it will count as the next movie in your queue. Of course, in Blockbuster marketing-speak, that’s considered a great new benefit.
This 'Velveteen Rabbit' Teaches You The Triumph Of Love. Also Of Telemarketing.
By 2.18.09
Oh no, someone’s gone and made a terrible looking half-animated, half-live action, religious-on-the-down-low version of this beloved children’s book. That’s bad enough, but then they decided to direct-market it to households by cold calling strangers and offering them a “producer’s guarantee” that if they don’t like it, they can purchase other movies from FamilyTV.com for $4 each. Update: Here’s how the company producing the film is sneaking past the Do Not Call rules.
Fandango & Regal Play Blame Game For Missing Tickets
By 2.16.09
After waiting in line ~10 minutes I swipe my credit card only to get the following message “Tickets cannot be found, please try another machine.” After trying several other machines, I quickly realize that nobody can find their tickets.
TWC Apologizes For Botched 1-Cent-Movie Weekend, Offers Coupons
By 2.15.09
We totally exceeded the number by 3-times the amount. It was hugely successful. But a lot of people used it at peak times, which overloaded the system. For any inconvenience we caused for customers, we do apologize.
Time Warner Cable's 1 Cent Movie Weekend Just Annoys Customers Even More
By 2.15.09
Update: TWC says sorry, offers coupons to affected customers.
The Poverty-Stricken Masses Are Flocking To Libraries
By 1.11.09
Why waste precious cash at Borders and Barnes & Noble when you can go to the library for free? It’s a simple question that is causing traffic local libraries to spike as flocks of new patrons register for library cards. We’ve praised libraries before, but it takes a depressing recession to convince people that yes, even they could use an extra buck in their wallet.
Was George Bailey Just A Subprime Lender?
By 12.24.08
It’s A Wonderful Life is a heartwarming classic film — but it now seems to have wrecked our economy. Whoops!
Bottom Falls Out Of Movie Market
By 12.15.08
Look for next year’s movie release schedule to be full of remakes and easy-bets. I spoke with a Hollywood actor who said that the bottom has completely fallen out of the movie market.
$1 Netflix Price Hike For Blu-Ray Access
By 10.10.08
Netflix will be start charging you $1 more per month to offset the costs of Blu-Ray movies, starting November 5. You have to opt-in to the Blu-Ray access, and the $1 surcharge, by going to “your account” and “add Blu-Ray access.” If you don’t already have Blu-Ray access on your account, then your membership price stays the same. Sounds like they needed to invent a way to make more money and this fee, admittedly small, seemed the best way to go about it. Copy of the email they sent subscribers, inside.
