dvd

Five Ways VHS Tapes Still Rock

Linsey Knerl — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:31:39 +0000

Friends of mine have barely gotten over the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD war, and I’m still stuck back in the 80’s (remember when Betamax was struggling to be on top?) It’s not that I don’t appreciate the finer points of DVD’s. I just still love certain irreplaceable features of good ol’ VHS tape.

1. They are kid-proof. There’s less chance of a freak-out if my 3-year-old toddles in with my VHS copy of Rumble in the Bronx than if he starts using my DVD version of Rounders as a coaster. It’s not that I like one movie better. There’s simply a durability with VHS that DVD hasn’t been able to provide me. And you can tell me to keep my kids away from my DVD collection – but you obviously know little about the mobility of a toddler. While it is possible for a faulty VHS player to unravel the tape or a misplaced stack of Magnetix to erase the video, the tape usually outlasts the DVD, hands-down.

2. They are cheap. The frugal in me can’t part with $16-25 for a movie, no matter how good it is. Even with the recent Blockbuster deal , I know that I won’t get my money’s worth in encore viewings of even my most coveted movies. While I may only review my copy of Office Space once or twice a year, the kids will watch and rewatch Elf a few times a month (and even more during the holidays.) It’s good to know that I can pick up a few new favorites at a garage sale, Goodwill, or Ebay for 25 cents to a buck anytime we need some variety. (And if the movie is faulty or generally stinks, I’m only out some pocket change.)

3. They offer some variety. If you are a fan of foreign or hard-to-find indie films, sometimes DVD will fail you. I have been in search of certain Japanese subtitled films with no luck – until I tried VHS. They are out there, but good luck finding some on the newest medium.

4. They are virtually maintenance-free. Clean my VHS tapes? Are you kidding? I don’t even clean my 4-head VCR. Since picking up a VCR for around $5 on Craiglist or a yard sale is pretty easy to do, I rarely do anything to prolong my player’s life. Maybe I’m lazy, or maybe I’ve discovered that my time is worth much more. Compare that to the 4 or so DVD players that I’ve replaced due to the laser function going out. (It doesn’t matter how high-quality I’ve gone with a house that’s fairly dusty due to location, the reader on a top-of-the-line model seems to only last a bit longer.)

5. They are all mine. What do I love best about my extensive VHS collection? No one seems to want to borrow them. I have some great titles, but they just aren’t appealing enough in format for them to wander off permanently. I love sharing with my friends, but can someone please tell me when I’m going to get my DVD copy of X-Men back?

I’ve finally come to terms that there will be fewer new VHS versions produced, and many stores have quit carrying them altogether. But for all the reasons I’ve come to love VHS, it’s worth it to continue (at least while the kids live here.)

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

7 tips to avoid watching a crappy movie.

Paul Michael — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:59:36 +0000

How many of you do your research before you rent a movie or go to the cinema? I usually read a bunch of reviews and ask friends. Sometimes I’ll see a movie without reading any reviews, but those ones are usually adorned with independent film awards. Which makes me wonder…why did I just waste my time on one of the worst movies ever made?

It’s something that happens to me once in a blue moon. I’ll go to my local RedBox armed with the two or three movies that I want. If my first choice is not available, my second usually is. But this time, all three of my choices were unavailable.

That left me staring at the screen like a dog being shown a card trick, leaving my movie-viewing choice in the hands of the marketers. Trained professionals, like myself, who only show something in its best possible light. They produce the movie trailers that make the most rancid film seem like a genuinely good romp. They include stellar reviews on the front cover, but upon closer examination you see that the review came from the Podunk Weekly Gazette.

With this in mind, I decided to forget the fake reviews and phony trailers I had seen and go for actors I really liked. That’s how I arrived at my choice – Strange Wilderness. And after 10 minutes of exhausting, mind-numbingly bad ‘comedy’ I decided to stop the film and check out the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s arguably the best place to check, as it combines all reviews and gives an average score.

The average score for Strange Wilderness – 0% .

I ejected the movie and threw it back into the DVD case with disdain. I then drove to my local library and decided to rent a movie that I already knew had excellent reviews; City Of God – average score 92% (94% from the top critics). I wasn’t disappointed, it’s a fantastic movie and one I’ll see again.

So, what does this all mean? Here’s my check-list to avoid renting a big bad dud.

1) Do your homework. Rotten Tomatoes is a great resource, anything that gets over 60% is considered worth your time and money. If it gets below that, check out the top critics rating. If they give it a much higher score, it's probably still worth a look.

2) Don’t trust the trailers. If you’ve seen a great trailer and think ‘that looks great’ then you may be seeing all the best parts of the movie condensed into 2 minutes. Comedies are notorious for this.

3) Read reviews carefully. If a known entity, like a well-known newspaper or reviewer (Ebert) says something like “Best Movie Of The Year” then it’s probably a safe bet it’s a good flick. If you see words like “Outstanding” or “A Must See” then look a little closer to see where that quote came from. If you haven’t heard of the person, publication or website, forget it. And if there are multiple quotes that all come from the same place, that’s also a warning sign.

4) Star power and box office numbers don’t mean anything. City Of God did around $8 million total, and has no stars – but it’s an amazing movie. Legally Blonde 2 took in $90 million and stars Reece Witherspoon – Average score 38%.

5) Known entities don’t mean a guaranteed hit. In my case, Strange Wilderness was a mix of stars I liked and a production company I knew well (Happy Madison). I figured it would contain a laugh or two. I was wrong.

6) Ask your mates. They’re your friends because (usually) you have lots in common. Chances are, if they liked the movie you will too.

7) Don’t be afraid to walk away empty handed. If the movies you want aren’t in, and nothing looks good, there’s no need to settle. Dig out one of your favorite movies from home, that’s a sure thing.

Hopefully, this advice will help you avoid those movie landmines. And remember, RedBox offers free rentals (see my article here ) and the library is a great resource.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Free movie rental from Hollywood Video

Paul Michael — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:54:49 +0000

This deal is about as simple as they get. So grab a bag or two of your favorite popcorn, browse through the aisles of your local Hollywood Video and pick up a video rental on the house.

So, what's the catch? Well, there is one but it's a tiny one. All you have to do is sign up for the Hollywood Video newsletter, no big deal, and you get your coupon.

Any restrictions? None that I can see. This was on my coupon:

This coupon is a one-time offer and is good for one free New Release DVD or Hollywood Film Library® movie rental.

The only slight niggle I had was installing the coupon printer, I'm no big fan of extra software. But it's a small gripe for a free movie. Enjoy.

This deal is about as simple as they get. So grab a bag or two of your favorite popcorn, browse through the aisles of your local Hollywood Video and pick up a video rental on the house.

So, what's the catch? Well, there is one but it's a tiny one. All you have to do is sign up for the Hollywood Video newsletter, no big deal, and you get your coupon.

Any restrictions? None that I can see. This was on my coupon:

This coupon is a one-time offer and is good for one free New Release DVD or Hollywood Film Library® movie rental.

The only slight niggle I had was installing the coupon printer, I'm no big fan of extra software. But it's a small gripe for a free movie. Enjoy.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Is this the weirdest freebie ever?

Paul Michael — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:01:56 +0000

Anyone who knows me knows I'm no fan of WalMart. Aside from their horrific treatment of workers and the impact they have on the economy, their stores just suck all the energy out of me. Which is why I don't go there. But a friend told me today of a WalMart Exclusive DVD that made me laugh out loud. Seriously, this one is a killer. It's the Clueless Whatever! Widescreen Edition DVD with, wait for it, FREE TRANSFORMERS BEACH BALL!

I had to stop and think about that one (after I stopped laughing). Why have these two seemingly unrelated movies been thrown together? And not just that, but two completely different target audiences as well. As someone in advertising, I was clueless (pardon my pun).

Why Clueless and Transformers?

Why Transformers and a beach ball?

Why bother with a Widescreen edition of Clueless (it's hardly Blade Runner or Apocalypto)?

So I sat down and scratched my head some more, pulling the few remaining hairs out of my noggin. And then it hit me. It's supposed to bring two completely opposed target audiences together, right? No, that can't be it. Hang on, I have it...the movie is called Clueless, the promotion should be clueless! Bravo, wonderful idea WalMart. That's why you're the leader of retail. With that in mind I have some more DVD promotions for you. My treat, use them as you see fit.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: