Wednesday, July 24, 2013

This Week in DVD and Instant Watching

The good news there isn't anything akin to last week's "42" fiasco that will rile me up. I needn't worry about having my heart broken again because Redbox has been denied a hot new release.

The bad news is that there aren't any hot new releases this week. I'd like to think it's because all the studios are getting out of the way of "The Jack Benny Program," they aren't on that big Mill Creek collection, they're not part of those few dozen episodes in syndication on Antenna TV, and they weren't in the package that was sold to PBS stations a few years ago. Presumably they also weren't on CBN back in the 1980s. I think that about covers it.

It's Jack Benny, ergo it's worth getting. I could try to say more about this one, but I don't have the set yet, and I happen to know someone who wrote a fine review.

Really, I'm almost glad nothing else interesting is coming to DVD or streaming this week because I want to focus on that set. But I have to admit even though there is already way more on Netflix than I can watch, I still get disappointed when I look at the new releases and don't see anything that interests me.

Company head honcho Reed Hastings specifically mentioned long-form documentaries and stand-up comedy as areas Netflix is looking to explore as it expands its original programming slate. Hmm, sounds like it's getting more blatant about challenging HBO. I'll say again that I admire many of Netflix's moves so far, but honestly I wish they could just go back to trying acquire everything that's already been made.

In Hulu news, I tried to watch it today, and it crashed my Roku as it does every other time I try to watch it. So I put Netflix on again and had a good laugh at Hulu's expense...until I remembered I'm paying for Hulu, too.

(NOTE: Edited to include the link to that "fine review" I mentioned. Oh, that must have seemed like such a tease until I actually linked to it...)

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