Low Budget Movies

[blas87]

Lately it seems my local Family Video has nothing but these lower budget movies with no-name actors, crappy "special effects", crappy acting (there are people on Days of our Lives who can act better than these people), weird storylines, and overall cheaply made crap. Summer's Moon is a BIG example here, as is Beauty and the Beast, A Dark Tale.

It'd be one thing if it was one of those films by Rodriguez, those exploitation films, intended to look cheap.

Now, before anyone bashes me, we have rented lower budget films before with some halfway decent nobody actors (Blood Creek is one of them, that movie about the skiiers who get stuck on the lift is another) with some actual good storylines and decent effects, scenery, whatnot, some even much better than the bigger budget A-list actor movies.

It's just getting irritating that it seems we're still waiting forever for much more anticipated movies that we didn't catch in theaters (or they are all sold out), and our only options are these horrid movies.......or we could try Redbox, which is usually a no-go either, or we can order movies off OnDemand, which costs $5 or more a pop and bf's parents tend to freak over that. I myself don't have that last option because I only have basic cable.

[telecom_goddess]

I have one word for you....

NETFLIX.

It rules. And a lot of lower budget films can be good if they are done well. Edward Burns is wrapping up a movie he wrote and directed, and it's his lowest budget yet, it's called Newlyweds. I'm interested to see how it turns out.

[ExRetailDrone]

Unfortunately the video places like Family Video have their hands tied by the production companies with this one. They can't put out videos to rent until the street date, otherwise they'll get into big trouble. Just like any retail outlet would if they put out said movies for sale before the street date. If all that's street dated for a particular week is low budget crap, then sadly that's all the new items that will be available.

I do know what you mean, though. It seems like Family Video is getting bombarded with lower budget movies that just look awful! I don't know what some production companies are thinking even making this junk. Since I used to work there, I was able to take home movies before their street dates for free to be able to watch them and be knowledgeable of them when asked by customers, so I was able to see some of the lower budget nonsense for free. Some were really entertaining, but most were just horrible and sometimes painful to sit through. Even I couldn't bring myself to take home Birdemic, for free or otherwise The previews were painful enough.

It's also the off-time for DVD releases. It's coming up to the time of year where all of the big, new movies will be coming out in theatres, just in time for them to be released on DVD for the holidays. Right now not a lot of big-budget, well-known movies are coming up for DVD release, so there's even more low-budget crap being seen new on the shelves. It's really all about business and profit.

[blas87]

I understand how the system works, I'd never be demanding that movies come out sooner and rules be broken. Although it would be nice if there were more options.

I'm glad there's another Family Video person on here. I enjoy renting there, everyone that works there is friendly and I think they are the world better than Lackluster, but my only issue is those awful movies.

Even some lower budget movies I used to enjoy like those After Dark Horrorfest movies are just junk nowadays. I didn't even rent a single one the last cycle, they all looked so cheap and stupid.

[ExRetailDrone]

Yeah, I've always enjoyed my experiences as a customer at Family Video, and working there was a pleasure as well. Not too many sucktastic customers and for the most part my coworkers were awesome! I had friends who worked at Blockbuster years ago, and that's pretty much the only good I can say about my handful of experiences at that place. Ugh.

There have been some horrid looking movies that I've seen while getting them prepared to rent. Some looked amusing - I have this love of bad horror flicks when done right - but a lot of them were just painfully low-budget and many looked like Syfy Originals. Just sad. I think I actually did watch one of the Syfy originals months back called Stonehenge Apocalypse. It was bad but not horrible and I was able to laugh at it at least. Dying God on the other hand -.-

[insertNameHere]

I like netflix for the fact I live in the sticks, and it is literally 10miles to the grocery store/ nearest red box, so with gas prices. it costs me about $3-5 in gas to drive up to get the movie and back home and hope I'm going that way before it is due back or spend another $3-5 on gas depending if I can steal my brother civic or need to drive my truck. So it disappoint to drive all the way there and find nothing good that is new

I forget the name of the video place in my college town, it was amazing they had a huge selection of the most random stuff which is why we went there more often than blockbuster.... cheaper too i think.

One of the best low budget movies I have seen is "army of darkness"

[telecom_goddess]

I remember back in the 1980s when video stores were starting, and they were independent, before the big chains took over. What a wonder that was. Now Blockbuster and Hollywood video stores are disappearing, and it's difficult to find a video store anymore, because the wave of the future is netflix. They are really pushing their streaming also...and I think ultimately that will be what we end up with, is streaming rather than renting dvds even.

Redbox is interesting cause it's no commitment really but you only have a 1 day to return it and I like the flexibility that netflix gives you in returning stuff.

netflix is a genius idea.....and the person who invented the concept is probably stinking rich by now.

[Andara Bledin]

Now Blockbuster and Hollywood video stores are disappearing, and it's difficult to find a video store anymore, because the wave of the future is netflix. They are really pushing their streaming also...and I think ultimately that will be what we end up with, is streaming rather than renting dvds even.

Netfilx knew that before they even set up their DVD shop; thus the name, Netflix. It's to represent that all of us watch now junkies get our shows over the Internet. They really positioned themselves wonderfully.

^-.-^

[blas87]

Netflix isn't very practical for me because I don't rent a lot of movies here at home. It'd be more practical for my bf, since he usually rents the movies and we watch them at his place.

[Andara Bledin]

I've consumed entire series through their streaming option. The only thing I really miss with it is the option for subtitles, which I understand they're working on. We get DVDs haphazardly... my list will last us for years.

^-.-^

[AdminAssistant]

Netflix has an option that is just instant streaming that is, what, $8/month? My plan, with instant streaming and 2 DVDs at a time is only $15/month.

[Ginger Tea]

With inflation, the cost of living and other factors going up, a low budget film of 2011 probably costs the same as a big budget movie of the 80's* and low budget movies of the 80's were done on a shoestring and alot showed, now we are getting youtube shorts with better production values than birdemic, hell the ammount Linkara spent on props for his Lord Vice story line probably cost more than birdemic.

*Purely as this movie cost $1 million then and this other one $1 million now, as $1 million 80's money is alot more compared to 2011's $1 million.

[telecom_goddess]

Netflix has an option that is just instant streaming that is, what, $8/month? My plan, with instant streaming and 2 DVDs at a time is only $15/month.

I have the one just below that, streaming and 1 dvd at a time and blue ray option....love it. The instant que is growing by the day.