Big news to anyone who knows me:
I now have a DVD player. Let the collective fireworks begin.
I have a friend to thank for giving it to me - but he knows who he is, and he has already been thanked!!
I'm gonna go home tonight and set it up.
And then I'm gonna join Netflix ...
And then I'm gonna be so happy ...
And then my life'll be complete ....
I know so many of you have been literally stunned into either silence or over-use of question marks when you discover that all this time I have never upgraded from my VCR. ("You, of all people, don't have a DVD player?????????" Etc.)
So now ... rubbing hands together excitedly ... I have one!!
Hmmm ... maybe the first movie I see should be this one?
Posted by sheila!!!
[[i'm excited for you! : ) ]]
Posted by: amelie at July 11, 2006 4:39 PMThree cheers for Sheila! Welcome to 1997! There are so many good movies on Netflix, I can't tell you where to start.
Posted by: Tainted Bill at July 11, 2006 5:07 PMbill - "welcome to 1997"
hahahahahahahahahaha I am howling!
I know. It's pathetic.
So I just go to Netflix and sign up? And then - DVDs start coming? That's how it goes, right??
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 5:10 PMPretty much, you can also make a huge list of the order you want the DVDs sent to you in. Where you live, you should get any new movies two days after you send in the old ones. If you sign up tonight, they'll probably ship your first pick tomorrow.
Posted by: Tainted Bill at July 11, 2006 5:18 PMWhat an amazing service. Seriously - I know everyone is so "over it" now - because you've all been doing it for years - but I'm still amazed by it.
I'll sign up tonight.
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 5:19 PMYou are going to love it. And if you're like me you'll be buying DVDs like they were candy for the next couple of months.
If I may make some recommendations, I'd recommend this DVD release of Casablanca. This 2 disc release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind is excellent as well. Both of those have really great extras. Lawrence of Arabia looks amazing on DVD. To Catch A Thief I think looks good as well.
I use Netflix, the 2 disc at a time plan. I generally average about 2 movies a week due to the turnaround. It's really easy to use.
Posted by: dorkafork at July 11, 2006 5:25 PMcan I say WOO
and HOO
for you!
and the other two words I have for you are
AUDIO
COMMENTARY
they are just the easter egg, the yummy melty hazlenut praline melty centre, the pulsing nuclear heart that makes a movie/series episode, live and live and live!
so is that really your first dvd?
(is a little bit like - 'what are his intentions and whats the balance of his bank account'
ps - dont misplace the remote!
Congratulations! FYI - I had quite a bit of trouble with DVD picture quality until I got component video cables (the ones that have three separate cables for red, blue and green). Your TV and DVD player both need to have the component inputs - most recent machines do have them. I think the cables cost around $12 - $15 - it was well worth it.
Also FYI - Blockbuster does offer an alternative service to Netflix. I switched over to it a while back - they're a little slower to get the movies to you, but they do offer the added benefit of throwing in some free in-store rentals...
Posted by: miker at July 11, 2006 5:34 PMalso is something nice perverse and a bit 'who needs it!' with the techno delay.
only just got dvd player 6mnths ago, and that was because it was thrown in with a semi-acoustic steel string guitar(important info - its blue)bargains all round!
You'll notice the change in picture quality immediately, but if you watch part of a movie on tape and then hook up the DVD player and watch the same movie, you'll be amazed.
The audio commentaries tend to be filled with great trivia.
And one last thing, I'd also recommend Netflixing Firefly just because now you can, and it's a great show. I am so excited for you.
Posted by: dorkafork at July 11, 2006 5:37 PMCongrats, Sheila!
Posted by: Nightfly at July 11, 2006 5:40 PMoh so agree with dorkafork
'firefly'
and 'serendipity'
and ...oh what tha ...just go nuts and get the whole 'buffy' series.
will keep you amused and delighted for ..a little while at least.
A DVD player AND netflix? Careful or you won't leave home!
Seriously though, soon you'll wonder how you lived without them.
Posted by: Dan at July 11, 2006 6:02 PMSo exciting! We first got a DVD player for Lord of the Rings, otherwise I'd probably still be resisting. I still don't have a cell phone, though!
Posted by: Harriet at July 11, 2006 6:07 PMYou should embrace technology in your early movie watching.
Posted by: Cullen at July 11, 2006 6:25 PMDVD watching, rather.
Posted by: Cullen at July 11, 2006 6:26 PMOh man, cullen - totally!!!
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 6:48 PMDan - weird how that happens, huh? Member my MANIA about my iPod, oh - 2 months ago? Now I literally can't believe I went so long without one.
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 6:54 PMYou guys are all awesome, by the way - with your support and your suggestions. I will be sure to keep everyone up to date with the absolutely FAScinating journey that will be Me and my DVD player.
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 6:55 PM"...and the seas boiled, and the skies fell. Judgement Day."
-Winston Zedmore, Ghostbusters.
Posted by: Wutzizname at July 11, 2006 6:59 PMLuke...join the Dark Side or you'll be forced to star in Corvette Summer.
Posted by: Tainted Bill at July 11, 2006 7:02 PMhahaha! Yes, Corvette Summer!! classic!
Posted by: mere at July 11, 2006 7:21 PMi wonder if Orphan Train is available on DVD.
Posted by: mere at July 11, 2006 7:22 PMmere - i can't stop laughing ....
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 8:37 PMUhm - mere?
It's a video tape, though. But still.
Uhm ... wow.
Posted by: red at July 11, 2006 8:49 PMUh, you got nothin' on your Amazon wish list and I'm almost a week overdue for my birthday present to ya... Please update accordingly
Posted by: JFH at July 11, 2006 9:58 PMWhat??? Just a normal DVD player, no high-def HD-DVD or Blu-ray?
Just kidding. You getting a DVD player is a great relief to me. As has been said, if anyone should have a DVD player, it is you.
Four words for you: Land of the Lost. Yeah, it is on DVD. Me, I'm now inspired to finally watch my box set of Victory at Sea. Then Kids in the Hall. Then Arrested Development seasons one and two, which I've only watched about five or six times each. Seriously. And they still crack me up.
Anyway, enjoy to the fullest.
Posted by: Jay at July 11, 2006 10:20 PMLet's spread the Corvette Summer love, everyone. I emailed Sheila this afternoon as I was watching it about how it was more wonderful than I remember.
My favorite scene is from right after the car is stolen from Danny Bonaduce while he was getting Cokes for everyone. Mark Hamill is sitting at a table stewing, a cup of Coke sitting in front of him. Then this maniacal look crosses face, almost as weird as the "That's impossible!" look from Empire. He crushes the Coke in his hand, yelling, "I didn't want Cokes! I'm not even thirsty!"
I might have to rip that scene and post it on YouTube.
Posted by: Mark at July 11, 2006 11:23 PMI have no idea on earth why this thread got me thinking about The Journey of Natty Gann, but it did, and now I want to go rent it, because I haven't seen it in 20 years, and I want to rent Corvette Summer too, because I've never seen it, and congrats on your DVD player!
audio commentary can be addictive. sometimes it's great and informative, sometimes it's more like "i was eating donuts right before this take and you can see some crumbs on my chin," but that kind of info can be fascinating as well, depending on who it's coming from.
Posted by: Erik at July 12, 2006 3:38 AMWell, I actually have seen DVDs before - on my laptop!! :) So I know alllll about the audio commentary. My favorite ones so far:
-- Jack Nicholson and the director, during Something's gotta give
-- Peter Bogdonavich's commentary during Bringing Up Baby
-- Roger Ebert (get well soon, dude!!) doing the commentary for that Casablanca DVD that is linked to above - seriously - it is a KICK ASS commentary.
The problem with my laptop is that sometimes it overheats when I've played movies- and it's just a pain in my ass.
Now I can have a DVD player on my damn television like everybody else!!
Posted by: red at July 12, 2006 6:50 AMMark - I am literally shaking with laughter. IT HURTS.
I MUST see this film again.
Posted by: red at July 12, 2006 6:50 AMI agree about Firefly (and the Firefly movie Serenity), but you're going to want to buy those. Everyone ends up buying them, and you're not going to want to wait the 3-5 days to get the next episodes.
Netflix is great.
Posted by: sarahk at July 12, 2006 7:26 AMMark - I loved what you said in your email to me - and yes, I will quote it:
//it is so delicious. Chock full of bygone
relics of the 70s...gas station attendants, the metric system, littering. //
hahahahahaha The metric system and littering!
Seriously - must see this movie ASAP
Posted by: red at July 12, 2006 8:25 AMCongrats!
I have three words for you:
Manhattan
Murder
Mystery
:)
Posted by: Alex Nunez at July 12, 2006 11:06 AMFirefly and Arrested Development, absolutely you'll want to own them. Let me make my pitch for two other series I discovered via DVD: Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. Both come from a brilliant guy named Bryan Fuller. Wonderfalls is especially great and tragically short - only 13 episodes, of which only four ever aired.
Posted by: miker at July 12, 2006 12:05 PMCongrats, Sheila!
I had one for a few years, which died - and I went a year or so without. I bought another a couple of months back, mainly so I could watch the first four seasons of "24"...
...which, in a burst I could only describe as "Sheila-like", I did. 96 episodes in just under four weeks.
You're gonna love it!
Posted by: mitch at July 12, 2006 12:23 PMA couple of suggestions not yet suggested -
I, Claudius (Which I sometimes still pronounce "Clavv-divvs")
Caddyshack (Pretty good extras, including a half-hour featurette interviewing many of the principals)
I have very few DVDs myself so I can't say much more.
Posted by: Nightfly at July 12, 2006 2:17 PMHoly cow, mitch. 4 seasons if "24" in 4 weeks is mighty impressive.
Posted by: Alex Nunez at July 12, 2006 2:41 PMI've been telling so many people about that scene that I HAD to rip it and put it up. Here it is:
Click
I still maintain that 'This is Spinal Tap' has the greatest audio commentary track ever recorded.
Posted by: Independent George at July 12, 2006 4:57 PMKiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. Get it. Love it.
Posted by: Carl V. at July 12, 2006 5:32 PMI looking to trade one big red paper clip upto an 8-track player is you have one...
Posted by: "dave" at July 13, 2006 12:31 PMOne of my favorite things about Netflix is revisiting old TV (Homicide) and seeing new shows - like The Wire which I highly recommend.
Posted by: Dan at July 13, 2006 3:40 PM