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May 27, 2008
Capturing A Critic In Your DVR
It seems kind of obvious, but I was immediately rocked by this New York Times story about Tivo making a deal which will allow users to sign up to have the picks of a Chicago Trib TV critic automatically downloaded to their Tivos.
What struck me immediately was... how much would someone pay to have Roger Ebert's 15 or 20 or 30 movie picks a month automatically downloaded to their DVR? But really, regardless of payment, what a great way, using delivery services you already pay for, to get a direct experience based on the taste of tastemakers in whom you really believe!
Sign me up for Scorsese's Top 10 movies from across the DirecTV line-up next month!
This idea matches up magnificently with a project like Cinetic's problematic but interesting effort to find some kind of outlet for a couple hundred indies and foreign language films a year - ridiculously overstated in the story as the 3600 submissions to Sundance each year – enhanced by taste guides who you can choose each month. (The problem remains about how to monetize all this free delivery.)
I don’t know about you, but I have many friends and acquaintances who want to know what I recommend for their NetFlix queues or to watch on TV. For them, it is a chance to have my taste – for those who like it – work for them. And for me, it would be a wonderful opportunity to dig into what’s available, pushing myself to make the best possible choices for someone looking for my input.
The Olivier/Oberon Wuthering Heights is on TCM Thursday morning at 10 on TCM. Badlands is on Hi-Def at 1:30p tomorrow on HDNet Movies. Have you seen the film that launched David Gordon Green and the KY film movement… George Washington is on IFC on Saturday at 2:35. You want some macho? Fight Club is on Cinemax HD on Sunday at 11a.
You get the idea. And those were the easy choices.
Now imagine that I – or whomever – has a few different options inside these options. You want HD only? You want Classics? Action? Foreign?
The second biggest problem with The Long Tail and the movie world is that narrowing distribution is actually a part of getting people to ultimately sit down and have the experience if you want anything beyond the most marketed and already best loved movies to be viewed. (The biggest problem is $s.)
It’s a critics’ dream to be able to directly effect what your readers sit down to watch. It probably works for a lot of movie lovers too. And technically, it is quite doable, as viable as an individual making something available on iTunes.
Cool.
Posted by poland at May 27, 2008 11:14 PM
Comments
These picks are mine and all times are CENTRAL!
Coming up at 4:10 am on THRILLER MAX is INTERNAL AFFAIRS! Spend the morning enjoying an over the top villian role by Richard Gere and Laurie Metcalf playing a lesbian cop for some reason. Good times all-around.
Afterwards at 6:30 am on RETROPLEX... the MANHATTAN PROJECT! Get ready for this weekends SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE by watching one of Cynthia Nixon's (as well as Doctor James Wilson himself... Robert Sean Leonard billed as "Robert Leonard") as the girlfriend of Christopher Collet's character. Who just happens to build one of the strongest ever nuclear bombs via high-yeld weapons grade plutonium. Only available at the secret lab in which his mom's boyfriend -- John Lithgow -- happens to work. Richard Jenkins and John Mahoney co-star.
Follow that up with SOAPDISH at 8:30 on HBO. It's a whacky movie about Soap Operas that Momma Walker is hysterical in.
Take a restroom break and return to your couch at 10:40am to watch an overlooked but awesome stop-motion animation film... James and the Giant Peach on STARZ KIDS. A film with more heart than the close to entire Dreamworks Animated slate... combined.
Go get yourself some lunch and return at 1:05 pm to watch a truly great film... HOFFA on ENCORE MYSTERY. If you have never seen HOFFA. Make sure you do. It is worth your time.
After you realize that you are spending all day on the couch doing nothing. You can flip over to THE KARATE KID, PART TWO on AMC! There may be commercials, but there may also be Daniel LaRusso chopping down blocks of ice with his bare-hands depending if it was cut for time or not.
Wrap up your diner, return to the couch, and watch Running Scared on... hold on a minute. This is not the awesomeness that is the 1986 RUNNING SCARED. This is another CAMERON BRIGHT film. So... scratch that... and watch IDIOCRACY on HBO COMEDY at 7pm. Enjoy Not Sure and his hijinks in a future world that has a drink... with electrolytes.
Give yourself some time to check email, return text messages, and make phone calls, then turn to FOX MOVIE CHANNEL at 9 pm to watch the DIRECTOR'S CUT of the ABYSS.
Finally... at 12:40... finish your day by watching Lea Thompson and Victoria Jackson in a film that would never ever get green-lit today... CASUAL SEX! Also enjoy a rather decent performance from one Andrew Clay.
That has been your recommendations for Wednesday, May 28th, 2008. Here's the recommendation for Thursday: LOST! Good day.
Posted by: IOIOIOI ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 28, 2008 01:31 AM
It's a great idea. And perhaps one that will be able to maintain a position for film critics. And, what with technology the way it is going, instead of just having a recommended list, why not provide a review of the film after the film? You know, like Lorenzo Semple Jr. and Marcia Nasatir on The Reel Geezers. It would be better to have someone on screen discussing the film rather than, in this age, having to actually read it. I remember the BBC did a great season in the 1980s when the great Derek Malcolm (formerly of The Guardian), would introduce a double bill... succinct, informative and most likely provocative.
Posted by: The Pope at May 28, 2008 03:40 AM
I am personally a fan of being introduced to a movie. Whether it be by the director/star or a critic. It adds a nice touch.
...moving on...
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at May 28, 2008 05:05 AM
I had a film studies prof who every monday morning would take out that week's tv guide and provide recommendations for movies - he'd normally give about 15 a week, and I really did see some films that I never would have watched otherwise. I always appreciated that he did that.
Posted by: Exigence at May 28, 2008 07:37 AM
I would love something like this - I believe the function of a guide will soon be way more important than classic networks/stations. It's all about what you watch, not which station you watch it on anymore.
And wouldn't it be funny to see critics play such a key role in the future of TV - despite all the talk about how they don't influence movie grosses anymore, etc... We'd end up with stations desperately trying to fight for critics, just to get more viewers for their product.
Posted by: ThatAutGuy at May 28, 2008 10:44 AM
In a Netflix/DVR age I seem to Not have a problem of WHAT to watch, but trying to find the TIME to watch everything I have in my DVR or my Netfix Que...I often hear about a movie(or a television show) and just slap it in my que...I guess that is why I have a list of over 200 movies..I used to get annoyed when I would go through the effort to rent a movie to only find out it was terrible, but with netflix...I have definately chilled out.
Posted by: Bennett at May 28, 2008 03:09 PM
"Have you seen the film that launched David Gordon Green and the KY film movement…"
What? Deep Throat? Didn't know Green had a hand in that one...
Posted by: Hallick at May 28, 2008 05:25 PM
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