Moving into the new house shortly, and this time instead of picking up premium channels I'm gonna go with a subscription to one of the online movie rental services.

While Netflix is probably the obvious choice, I'm seriously considering Greencine.

I like their focus on foreign, indie and arthouse films(hell, they even have a copy of Eraserhead on DVD, available only through Lynch), and from reading through the forums it appears that they actually communicate with their members and take their suggestions and requests. They've also added reviews, lists, and recommendations to the site, features I'm all for that Netflix is missing.

Unfortunately, while the Greencine catalog is very wide, it is not deep. They might have that obscure film, but they've probably only got a couple copies at most. As a result, it appears to be hit or miss whether you actually receive the movie you want to rent; most members set up a large queue of movies they'd like to see and then just watch whatever happens to be delivered.

Additionally, as they are west coast based without any distribution centers, shipping can take longer for those on the wrong side of the country.

If you are or were a member of either Greencine or Netflix, mind sharing yer experiences with em?

10:42 AM | 4

RX-7 for sale!

03:02 PM | 1

When the zombies/giant ants/mushroom people take over, how long til the electricity fails?

Yeah, so that already made the rounds about a week ago. While I'm at it, Bush/Zombie Reagan 2004!

10:21 AM | 0

Audience: Are there any american actors or directors you'd like to work with?
Takashi Miike (via translator): Yes. I think I'd most like to work with Christopher Walken. I'd like to have Christopher Walken twist out of a vagina.

10:23 AM | 1

Ya know, pseudoscience and a few incredibly campy moments aside, The Day After Tomorrow wasn't really all that bad. Course, I'm always a sucker for a good ol' fashioned apocalypse romp.

Any way you look at it, Roland Emmerich has surely been at the helm of a lot worse.

Saturday: Watching Holy Grail on the big(medium)screen, surrounded by hardcore fans, was a blast. Nothing quite like an entire audience yelling out "Jesus Christ!" in unison.

Sunday: Lurking in Suburbia, built around the 2002 Esquire article Things a Man Should Never Do After the Age of 30 was my introduction to CineVegas 2004. A decent film, but not entirely novel or insightful, unfortunate as I turn 30 next year.

12:38 PM | 0

Hey look, Boris Thinky is whoring for hits! Maybe he should give a gmail account to the one who comes up with the best contest idea.

While we're on the topic of whoring, I was lucky enough to be sent a couple tins of his superputty. Quality stuff, since receiving it I've never been more successful in life. Plus, the packaging beats the hell out of a plastic egg.

09:11 PM | 3

Tropicana Cinema, formerly an Arthouse Theatre, formerly a Dollar Theater, formerly a Latino Cinema, and currently a Dollar Theater with plans to be oh so much more will be hosting two showings of Monty Python and the Holy Grail this weekend, Friday at 11something* and Saturday at midnight. I believe I'll be gathering the forces for a Saturday night viewing.
[thanks for the heads up, Rob!]

*11:00 or 11:30, I forget. One of those. Call 450-3737 if you want the exact time.

12:40 PM | 0

CineVegas starts this weekend.

I'd completely spaced it. Printing out the catalog now and will order tickets tonight. For those who live somewhere where they show these kinds of movies regularly...any recommendations? So far it looks like I'll be taking off the afternoon of Wednesday the 16th to see Takeshi's Zatoichi, possibly followed by Eraserhead and Gozu, but aside from that I have no clue what else I'll be seeing.

10:27 AM | 2

Street theatre, MMORPG style. [thanks, Josh]

Playing City of Heroes a couple times a week now. Surprisingly fun, and friendly to the player that can only throw in an hour or two here and there. Look for me on the Guardian server as Mr Flummox or Kid Cuttlefish.

11:46 AM | 11