Letters to the Editor
Xrandadu Hutman
Published Letters: 2688 Editor's Choice: 52
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Lackluster Video
[Read the article: Why Blockbuster is gaining on Netflix]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Wow! What's the difference?!"
Unless Blockbuster starts offering unlimited movies for $1 a month, I'm sticking with Netflix.
(1) Blockbuster puts out badly edited movies with no indication they're edited. Blockbuster is as bad as Wal-Mart in this regard. If you want to see an original version of Peter Jackson's brilliant gore-fest "Dead Alive" you'll never find it at Blockbuster. You'll find one with almost all the extreme parts chopped out, though. (I saw such a version once and it was a completely different viewing experience....needless to say, to its detriment.)
(2) Blockbuster is the whole reason I started using Netflix to begin with. Blockbuster insults its viewers' taste and intelligence at every store, stocking rows and rows of crappy romantic comedies and other garbage while carrying only a thin, anemic section of classics, foreign films and documentaries (and even those contain lowest-common-denominator choices). Netflix has just about everything I've ever typed into it (with a few exceptions, like "Billy Liar"). I get the sense that Netflix is run by at least a few movie lovers, while Blockbuster leaves the impression of being entirely run by accountants.
(3) Netflix invented the whole online-movie-queue interface, and it works well. Their mailer set-up is also brilliant. I have only had Netflix for about a year but I've seen a lot of movies and the mailings always have a fast turnaround. I've only received a couple of scratched or wrong discs, and the interface for reporting these problems seems to be highly functional. I have a lot of friends who have been loyal Netflix customers for several years. I have about 6 "friends" on Netflix whose queues and ratings I can look at and send messages to. Netflix has never done me wrong and customer loyalty counts for something. Blockbuster has a whole history of screwing its customers. No way am I going to jump ship to those bean-counters just because they're playing business hardball for market share. Screw them and their "edited for moral virtue" approach to movies.
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When even Bush is "disappointed," you know it's over
[Read the article: Craig: No love from the president]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Of course, the real disappointment is that the guy was so stupid as to get caught. Any closeted supergay Republican neocon warmonger worth his salt knows enough to hire an expensive male prostitute like Jeff Gannon/Guckert than to risk being caught using the airport glory hole.
The real story here is: Exactly how many high-powered Republicans with wives and families, preaching about the immorality of homosexuality and legislating against it (as Craig has), are in fact pining to pucker up for penises at every opportunity?
We already know of some, like Mark Foley. And then there's Bush's good chum and religious adviser Ted Haggard. There also seems to be evidence that Dennis Hastert was quite the lover of men, and Karl Rove is considered to be one of the White House's best-kept supergay secrets (possibly one of Jeff Gannon's top clients, especially considered Gannon's frequent late-night visits to the White House).
Even the pro-Bush reporters and pundits apparently have a taste for man-flesh. Matt Drudge, floater of libelous stories fed to him by Republican operatives, is a homosexual, and there are reasons to believe that WSJ's James Taranto and even Rush Limbaugh (he of the bottle of Viagra while visiting the Dominican Republic) lean toward the well-oiled boys.
What is going on here?
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Caitnan (last post) is a shill who works for Blockbuster marketing!
[Read the article: Why Blockbuster is gaining on Netflix]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Check this out:
"I switched from Netflix to Blockbuster about 1 year ago. I was getting extremely annoyed with Netflix for delaying movie shipments. It was clear that after a few months of service in which they were able to provide a very fast turn around, they suddenly were unable to do so. At first I would get on average 6 movies each week (with 3 per agreement). When I increased to 5 per the service slowed way down. So I tried Blockbuster. Pretty much they had comparable service. Sometimes annoying, sometimes not. I was thinking of switching back to Netflix when Blockbuster came out with the return to store for free rentals plan. Blockbuster is on my beaten path - right next to a grocery I frequent about 10 minutes from home. No special trips necessary to return DVDs because I include this errarnd with others. I keep my que filled with the more obscure titles and get newer titles from the store. It costs approximately $24 per month and we easily get 8 movies a week. Yes sometimes there are mix ups but no more than I had with Netflix. Out local store is pretty nice too. I don't love Blockbuster but I didn't love Netflix either. And we are getting better value for our money with Blockbuster."
If that isn't written by a Blockbuster marketing employee, then I don't know what is!
Evidence: If you click "read caitnan's other letters" at the bottom, you get.....nothing!
Are you going to tell me that this lurker with a Salon feedback account, who has never written anything in response to ANY Salon article, is now suddenly completely verbose and enthusiastic when discussing the issue of Blockbuster vs. Netflix???
This writer is full of shite. "I was getting extremely annoyed with Netflix for delaying movie shipments."
Um, yeah, so you were renting 6 movies a week and things got a little slow? Seriously, who watched 6 movies a week? Even a family with kids can't keep that kind of pace.
Everybody, you have just witnessed a SHILL - FOR - BLOCKBUSTER in action.
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Sorry Caitnan
[Read the article: Why Blockbuster is gaining on Netflix]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I swear your post read like it was written by Blockbuster PR.
I have read many articles detailing that large companies like Blockbuster do employ PR firms to trawl message boards and write things intended to sway public opinion in their favor.
No way to prove it one way or the other.