Heading out

I just want to let you readers (all 2 of you) that I am heading to the family's house for Sukkot. Be there about till the 2nd of Oct. Remember to check out these Netflix blogs. Unlike this one, they are full of USEFUL information. See you soon!

* Netflix Community Blog
* Hacking Netflix
* Netflix Fan
* Netflix CEO blog

New Releases for this week

The stand-outs IMHO

Black Book

The TV Set

and for sheer mindless laughing:
Knocked Up (good luck getting this one not on long wait)

Serious perks for Netflix Managers

Being a salaried employee with Netflix seems pretty sweet. I wonder how much toe your average joe envelope stuffer gets to dip in the pool of perks. Business Week has a great "behind the scenes" look at Netflix HR model.

Hastings pays his people lavishly, gives them unlimited vacations, and lets them structure their own compensation packages. In return, he expects ultra-high performance. His 400 salaried employees are expected to do the jobs of three or four people...

Netflix, which hands out salaries that are typically much higher than what is customary in Silicon Valley, is unabashed in its we-pay-above-market swagger. "We're unafraid to pay high," says Hastings....

When it comes to paychecks, Netflix is arguably going where no public company has gone before. Employees are free to choose annually how much of their compensation they want in cash vs. stock. "Take as much vacation as you want." Last year, engineering manager Aroon Ramadoss took off five weeks to go to Europe with his girlfriend. He plans on taking another extended vacation next year in Brazil.

Yom Kippur

*this post was pre-blogged

Anniversary of the first Cannes Film Festival

On this day in 1946 the first Cannes Film Festival is held.

This years winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days has not been released on DVD yet but you can still save it to your queue. Matter of fact, if you check out my list of upcoming movies you will find links to almost all the movies released this year that are in Netflix's data base for saving, but not available yet.

The Trailer for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Netflix moves blog link: 3 people notice

Just kidding. It seems that Netflix moved the link to the Community Blog to the bottom of the page. For some reason this has angered enough blog readers that Michael felt it necessary to address it LOL. Ok maybe angered is the wrong word. Mike uses the term grumble. Follow the link if you feel the need to throw your hallowed opinion on the fire. You have to give it to Netflix. I can't think of another company their size that would humor and address the concerns of fans over the moving of a link. I admire their desire to include the customer in the redesign, but at some point I think too many chefs spoil the soup.

Butch and Kid get it started

Today in 1900 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid commit their first robbery together.
BFFs 4 EVR

Check out the classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring a pre-pasta sauce Newman and Redford.

New Releases this week

Those that I dragged and dropped to the top of my queue:

Severance


Brooklyn Rules

Queue inspiration

On this day in 1955 Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita is published in Paris. Check out director Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film version of Vladimir Nabokov's novel.

It is also Oliver Stone's B-day. My fav of his: Wall Street....Greed is good.

Hacking Netflix busts open the "Watch it now" limit

Hacking Netflix has a great scoop on the limits of the "Watch it now" feature on Netflix. Seems the movie industry allows only 8 licenses. Which means don't use your account to show your mom how it works on her computer LOL.

Netflix rolls out the new friends features

The Netflix Community Blog has info on the latest incarnation of the friends feature. In the comments there seems to be two camps: those that are gung-ho about and those with various levels of privacy concern. My opinion weighs in on the whatever side. I don't have any friends, as you can see from the lack of comments on this blog LOL. So the changes and features do not really impact me. In all honesty, I find the whole thing nothing more than a strange voyeuristic experiment. Many claim that they find movie ideas from peeping tom their neighbors queue, but I have my doubts. That being said, whatever Netflix wants to do with their community is up to them. If the friends section stagnates from privacy concerns then it will be changed. If it blossoms then those introverted renters will have to withdrawl to the shadows like the rest of us geeks.

New Releases for 9/12

My picks:
Snow Cake


Even Money

Missouri subscribers get a new center

Looks like renters in Missouri may get their movies a little faster, the Missourian is reporting that Netflix just opened a new distribution center in Columbia.

From an unmarked, tin-sided building on an unassuming industrial street, the world’s largest online movie retailer has quietly opened shop in north Columbia.

Nothing but sadness today

One conehead turns 60

I believe the plubar broke and the birth spasm began for the life giver of Jane Curtin this day in 1947.

Conesheads or

Saturday Night Live: Live from New York: The First 5 Years

Both a fitting addition to the queue if you are a fan.

Becky finishes 1001

Becky over at Netflix Fan has finished the amazing feat of watching all the movies in Stephen Jay Schneider's book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. My hat is tipped in the direction of North Carolina. There is now way I would ever have the gumption to finish a task that huge. BTW it took her three years to do.

Netfix down

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Must be upgrading the new software in the friends features. My guess it will not be out long.

Netflix rolls out the fan-boy nuclear option

Michael over at the netflix community blog updated the masses on the new FLAG A REVIEW OR AVATAR option. I can see this going bad.

Make sure your avatar is something non-offensive:

If a reviewer is flagged as having objectionable nicknames or avatars, their name and image is automatically reset. If this happens to you, and you are CERTAIN there is nothing objectionable going on, go ahead and put the same photo and nickname back. But if it gets flagged AGAIN, you could lose your account and have to deal with customer service to deal with the situation.

And don't piss off the fan-boys with a bad review of the movie they love and have covered their mom's basement with posters of:

And as you may have assumed, getting your reviews flagged in various ways really can reduce your influence score, and thus your rank as a reviewer, if that matters to you.

I think I am just going to play it save and remove all my reviews.

New Releases for 9/4/07

Looks like a pretty weak selection. The few that strike my fancy:

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

I'm Reed Fish

R.I.P. Steve Irwin

Rest in peace you crikey lad. One year ago today, you showed kids all around the world why nature is best observed from afar.

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

Top 10 lists back up

Just checked and all my lists are back. Go Netflix

Richard the Lionheart

Richard I of England (Richard "the Lionheart") is crowned on this day in 1189. Putting the Academy Award winning The Lion in Winter starring Peter O'Toole in my queue.

Update: All top ten lists are now gone. LOL.

Top Ten lists missing

I went to go add a few movies to one of my lists and guess what? It was gone. Strangely only 2 out of the 5 lists are missing. Seems I am not the only one.

From the comments on the Netflix community blog

chawk said...

...Suddenly, today, all my lists have disappeared. Friends are gone also but there is a notice on the page that they will return. I notice that other members still have their lists. Does this mean that mine are gone forever?

Michael from netflix has this:

you're the second person to mention missing lists. must be some odd glitch, but no - they are not gone forever. they're probably not going to appear for a day or so

Looks like the roll out of the new features has its bugs.

Happy Birthday Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin turns 68 today. If you are looking for a few queue fillers to celebrate the occasion , try a few of my favorites: I Heart Huckabees and her academy award nominated Nashville.

BTW here is that infamous video from the set of I heart Huckabees


Also on this day in 1972 Bobby Fischer beat Russian Boris Spassky to becomes the world chess champion. Perfect inspiration for the day: Searching for Bobby Fischer