1) CNN puts tabloid news on their front page for the same reason we get shitty sequels to movies: it sells. While you have a high opinion of CNN as the world’s news source, their TV ratings are lagging behind Fox News. Fox News does sensational garbage news, so CNN feels like they need to follow suit. They’re not in it for objectivity or integrity, they’re in it for the money (viewers/clickers = higher ad rates = profit). Journalism is (nearly) dead in this country. BBC and CBC are awesome. The BBC has a great daily podcast that reminds me what “news” is supposed to sound like.

2) I will be among the first in line to buy my copy of the POPGOW DVD. Just let me know where the line forms.

3) Cell phones in theaters. Look, as much as this stresses you out, a ban will not work. For at least 2 reasons:

- Some people legitimately need to be on call for various things. Doctors, parents, managers of critical systems that have to be on call 24/7, etc. They certainly do NOT have the right to have the ringer on or to have the conversation in the theater, but these folks might need to be contacted no matter where they are.

- Cell phones are the most visible culprit today, but there are any number of other gadgets that can be disruptive. Will you ban pagers, iPods, PDAs, palm top computers, GPS navigation systems, walkie talkies, yada yada yada? All of these devices (and more) can be used to be disruptive and can be concealed on your person. The problem is the behavior (the disruption) and not the device.

The last few movies I attended didn’t have any issues with cell phones as there were at least 3 warnings to put your phone on vibrate (which I observed several people doing). This is common courtesy. The theater should just kick out disruptive people. The experience Alfie described above was the appropriate (if a bit extreme) way of handling it. I hate the little fuckers talking on their phones or text messaging or laser pointing too. Just kick them out. If the theater won’t kick them out, demand a refund. You’re paying for the *experience* of going to the movie. If it isn’t a pleasant experience, the theater failed.

4) The DVD Civil War is about dominance in the market place and trying to recoup enormous Research and Development costs. Sony and Toshiba will keep swinging until someone tips the scale. I think they’re fighting over scraps anyway. HD looks great, but it’s not so compelling that people will take the gamble you describe in the podcast (spend money on the loser technology just to turn around and buy it all again). Current DVD technology will do just fine until this mess has run its course.

5) Office Space is a classic. It’s quoted and referred to everywhere.

6) The Justice League Movie news is pretty discouraging, but I’m not sure it will do well any way. I think too many people will see this as a “me too” response to X-Men. If you had a movie with just Superman and Batman, I think that could work. I just don’t know that there’s that much interest in the other characters. But then again Spiderman 3 was shit and people came out in droves.

7) You and Serena are right. Unrated DVDs are among the biggest ploys in DVD sales. It’s pathetic, but we keep buying them. Who would be able to resist Mean Girls, the unrated version! ;)

Keep up the quality podcasts. I never miss a one.

They tried to ban cell phones from schools here and people lost their mind over it and it went out the window faster than Doug firing nini nini maweanie out the back door to chase wild coyotes in the yard.

Its a fine idea but it wont happen.

The only problem i can see is that theatres won’t enforce this policy. All the ones i frequent are understaffed and only employ underpaid students. The same people who would hate to have their phone taken off them.

i just can’t see how a check in could work….. 200 hundred plus people checking in their phone and then que up to pick it up aafter the film? meanwhile you have the next lot of 200 people waiting to go into the next session? i just think that is way to much of a potential headache…i think there is an easier solution….zero tolerance…your phone rings you are kicked out. whether or not you thought it was off. have big ass sign at the door…IF YOUR PHONE GOES OFF DURING THE SCREENING YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE WITH NO REFUNDS.

i just think it would be impossible to check that 200 plus people have phones on them before each screening…..

but you are not playing the bad guy here at all.

…same goes for laser pointers…when matrix reloaded came out I went to a saturday matinee opening weekend. it was packed out and during the trailers someone kept laser pointering the screen.

all of a sudden the trailers stopped the lights came up and a guy stood up and said “i am the manager of this cinema and I have taken the day off to come and enjoy this film. if the person with the laser pointer doesn’t turn it in right now we will not run the film. i will give it back at films end but hand it in now”

and this little kid about twelve years old eventually got up after the crowd made it quite clear there would be blood handed it in and the crowd erupte din applause. it was at the height of laser point mania but it was a great moment…too bad it was all down hill from there with the terrible film….half an hour into it it could have done with some laser pointing..piece of shit film but anyway……