A quick word regarding the famous “Digital Copy” ploy

The scenario: You find a couple good deals on Amazon — $10 each for Blu-ray copies of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’ You order them. You get them. And… sweet! Each film comes with a “Digital Copy.”

The problem: The “Digital Copy” on both films has EXPIRED. In fact, the ‘Scott Pilgrim’ code expired on April 30, 2011. That’s less than SIX MONTHS after the Blu-ray was released. Thanks, Universal Pictures.

The movie studios’ strategy: Give consumers incentive to buy films when they’re first released on Blu-ray.

Why it’s messed up: Because the studios are often still advertising the “Digital Copy” aspect well after they release the films on Blu-ray, which is obviously misleading. Actually, I’d call it false advertising.

A recommended solution: Why not just make available the “Digital Copy” in a select amount of Blu-ray releases with no expiration date? Then, once they’re gone, they’re gone. No horrendous advertising and no upset customers who can’t redeem their codes.

In the meantime: Give upset customers codes that work in place of their expired codes. Seems like a smart business decision to me.

Please don’t mess this up

Today started like any other day as I crawled out of bed, had some Frosted Flakes, and got on my laptop to check out the same web sites I go to all the time. Over an hour later and I can’t remember how I stumbled over it, but there is apparently a Naked Gun 4 in the works. Even though Leslie Nielsen is over 80-years-old. Even though O.J. Simpson is serving time in Lovelock, Nevada. Even though the last movie in the (best) series (ever) came in 1994.

IMDb has this. This “script review” is from March. And this is from July, but it says Naked Gun 4 is benefitting from a tax credit.

Dear Hollywood, please do not mess up my favorite film series (and three of my favorite movies ever). I want to go to a theater in late 2010 with my dad and brother and laugh as hysterically as I have the other 20 times I’ve watched each movie. I want more lines like these:

“It’s fourth and fifteen and you’re looking at a full court press.”

“It’s a topsy-turvy world, and maybe the problems of two people don’t amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans!”

“That’s the red light district. I wonder why Savage is hanging around down there.”
“Sex, Frank?”
“Uh, no, not right now, Ed.”

“This is Frank Drebin, Police Squad. Throw down your guns, and come on out with your hands up. Or come on out, then throw down your guns, whichever way you wanna do it. Just remember the two key elements here: one, guns to be thrown down; two, come on out!”

“Dyslexia for cure found.”

“With a mustache, about 6-foot-3.”
“Awfully big mustache.”

Hollywood, I can forgive you for every sequel I’ve paid 10 dollars to see that has been awful — as long as this is done right. Please don’t mess this up.

For better or worse, Paranormal Activity delivers…

Paranormal Activity
Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures
86 minutes/Rated R

It was 5 am and I was still awake. MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” had pundits arguing about nonsense when I finally thought, “I never should have seen that movie.” It was the first time in my life I’d thought that about a movie that was actually pretty close to cinematic genius. “Paranormal Activity,” despite the numerous comparisons, is easily better than “The Blair Witch Project.” And for the first time since being a kid, I was scared in a movie theater. Edge of my seat, emotionally frightened.

As the crowd braced themselves during the previews, it was obvious this wasn’t going to be another Hollywood torture porn film (“Saw 16″ coming October 2019). It opens with a young couple investing in some video camera gear, which ends up filming the couple every night as they try to sleep. Eventually, the demon haunting Katie makes loud noises, crawls into bed with the unsuspecting couple, and takes over Katie’s body. It’s all much more mind-blowing on the screen than in text (meaning don’t just read the Wikipedia summary, wusses).

And then, with everyone in the theater truly testing just how well their deodorant works, the screen goes black, leaving everyone to finally catch their breath. Except the four people I saw leave during the film. All of it goes down in a mere hour and a half. With just $11,000, director and writer Oren Peli made a truly scary movie for those who don’t get scared. Thanks, I guess.

8/10