Feds vow to lash movie pirates, but does it matter?
Ottawa has reacted to the pressure brought to bear simultaneously by “The Governator” Arnold Schwarzenegger and the big movie studios, by promising stiffer penalties for anyone caught video taping a movie in a theatre. So what?
Ottawa has reacted to the pressure brought to bear simultaneously by "The Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger and the big movie studios, by promising stiffer penalties for anyone caught video taping a movie in a theatre. So what?
Personally, I don’t download movies illegally from the net. The politically correct reason I would cite is that I’m so opposed to the practice for ethical/legal reasons. However the truth is I can’t be bothered. Parents of young children don’t have a lot of spare time for diversions like movies, especially if it requires finding a movie online, then going through what is often a multi-hour download process, to then watch it on a tiny computer screen.
But let’s just say for second that I was ethically okay with all of the above and actually had the time to do it. If it turned out that what I had downloaded was a copy some guy made of the latest blockbuster by whipping out his handycam just as the trailers finished, man would I be ticked off! Have you ever seen what this stuff looks and sounds like?
Maybe I’m just too much of a movie purist, but I want great picture and wake-up-the-neighbours surround sound when I sit down in front of the TV. So I can’t imagine putting up with shaky picture, bad black levels, crappy stereo sound and other defects that are the hallmark of camcorder bootlegs. For this reason alone, I just don’t buy the studios’ argument that stronger measures are needed to combat this practice.
Am I alone on this? Would you – c’mon be honest – go to the trouble of getting your hands on a sub-standard version of a movie just so you could avoid the price of admission at your local theatre? Either way, tell us why you make the choice you make.
The cost of a theatre ticket – $10.00. The cost of a large popcorn, and a large pop – $11.00 WTF!!!
No wonder Canadians are pirating movies! The cost to actually visit a theatre is too high for an adult who has bills to pay. Of course years ago when I was a kid and didn't have debt up the ying-yang I could afford to go to the movies once week. Nowadays it's maybe twice a year!
To rent a movie at Blockbuster – $6.00
The cost of popcorn and pop bought at the local supermarket – $3.50
Even the rental of a movie is astronomical! Can you now see why Canadians are pirating?
The cost of popcorn and pop bought at the local supermarket – $3.50
The cost of a pirated movie downloaded from the internet – 10 seconds to click and a day to wait.
Do the math America!
As a family of 5, 3 children aged 8-11, and a night shifter, I find it difficult to finding time or the extra cash to take the family to movies. My children prefer to sit at home and watch a movie (even if it a purchased previously viewed, we have no pirated movies, just Blockbuster specials), have their popcorn and juice sprawled all over the floor in comfort than having to sit silent (any with kids knows how close to impossible that is) and disturb others. As a night shifter, I hardly get to watch a full movie without falling asleep, even on my nights off. It is a waste of $135.00 or more for my family to go out. Yes, we do go out, twice a year (Christmas and summer vacations), but they are specially selected and all have to agree on the movie, which is getting more difficult as the 2 oldest are girls and not very interested in action movies, like their Mom. We prefer to sprawl or cuddle, yes, you can 5 on a love seat to watch a movie. A much more pleasurable experience all around. Blockbuster has major sales often during the year, – get 4 for $20.00 (as earlier this summer) – buy one get the other 1/2 price, that is when I stock up on my movies. They may be older movies, the kids may have seen them at friends houses, or I have waited for them to come down in price. Does not really matter, we get to watch them when we want, how ever often we want. Thank you
All the above comments have lots of merrit I can agree with most but the most commen is cost of going to the theatre. As long as we pay the money they will not lower the price…we have control. Besides, what I do with my CD/DVD after I buy it should be none of their buisness. What is the first law of computers…Back it up, right. Next thing they will try is make it law we all have to buy a CD/DVD to feed the rich. As I said we have the power to lower prices….Don"t buy " It " for a while then the price will go down.
Im all for the free movies. Obviuosly it must be easy to make a buck on the crap movies that they put out these days or why would they still make them? 90% of the movies produced arent worth the film their produced on. Wake up hollywood your just like the music industry that makes a cd with one good song on it and that being the trailer for it. Time to get your crap together and make some quality movies.
Sure some of the pirated movies are terrible quality, but as mentioned, there are plenty of sites that have dvd streaming video which are great. 13 bucks to go see a movie i could watch from the comfort of my own home without the loudmouth on his cell phone, i'd say pirated movies are the way to go.
i can believe it hurts the film industry i will not believe it hurts the music industry.. whta most don't know is the music industry never made alot of money with cd's (the band i mena) they make their money on tour. What i hate is paying money and taking time to go to cinema or buying the movie and realize it was not worth buying it. I watch torrent movie. if they did a good job i buy it if not get better. And i am also tired of blaming canada, the people who download it are not all from canada. they are from around the world. if the movie is good enough i will buy it like very season of simpsons. but why waste money on a movie i kinda like? no sense. If a painter is not known or good enough he don't make money. and with the 2.5 million sales at box office i don't see why they need more. people are staving and hollywood wants more??? give me a break!!!
Why do canadians download illegal media??? How bout with the rising cost of gas and everything it's just easier to stay at home and "steal" a movie. Maybe if I lived in Alberta and made more I could afford to go to a movie or buy a CD every once in a while. Before you accuse us of pirating you got to think maybe we all dont make $25000+ a year.
I don't see a lot of movies in the theatre – the last one I saw was Spiderman 3 & that was only so I could go out with my friends (I had been away at university). And yeah, the price of tickets is ridiculous. I'm sorry, but I'm paying my own way through university, and so I don't have a lot of extra cash to spend. So, yeah I download movies that look interesting, but I don't want to have to go the movies to watch, or wait for it to come out on video. But I still buy DVDs (I have all 7 seasons of Buffy, all 5 of Angel, the extended editions of LotR, and many more) – it's just most of the movies that have come out are crap. Why would I want to waste my money on something that's been remade by current stars, or is a halfassed sequel??? So I download it, and if I actually really like it, I'll probably go out and buy it. Same thing with music.
we all know the facts ,the hollywood is puting out crap and riping us off but they think were are stupid and can't see what they are doing what a bunch of ##### holes the ##### morins the music industry look at what they give us ##### crap
most can't sing without the use of specal audio equipment and editing. Hell I can make my own cd on my computer for a few dollars and they expect us to whach to there #### crap on music vidios which I find is the bigest load of #### piece of ####crap i have ever seen ,if I wanted to see a bunch of sluts who can't sing I will go whach a porn movie for #### sakes but to be fair there might be a good song once every 5 years ,a it just a load of ##### crap the buch of #### losers.
A few things of note:
I work in the film industry. I might have worked on one maybe two movies that I thought were good.
I refuse to download CAMs. Crap quality. DVD-Rips are my minimum standard.
I still go to theatres, but I'm selective. King Kong is a good example. It loses the effect when viewed on a 2.5 inch screen.
I buy DVDs, but if it costs more than $10 then forget it. That is the standard value I have placed on all releases.
Simon Cohen has some great points in regards to quality and ethics however, like many of his colleagues, he appears to be missing the bigger picture. As a country we are bowing to the whims of another. I think we should pressure the US government to stop movie downloading in the US as opposed to them pressuring us to stop filming them. Let's turn the tables. We are no longer the problem … it's you.
Pirated to me is wrong. The way things are right now are wrong , but I do agree that it is redicoulous to have to pay so much to enjoy a night out at the theatres so that people who already are richer than us can make even more money. think about the average joe who works 5 to 6 days a week , really making a difference as a nurse, a plumber , or any other common job. They aren't even CLOSE to making what the movie industry does yet you want them to fork out more cash to see a movie.
I can see why people pivate films , and i dont think making a new law will help any ..it will only make people more bitter. Lowering costs of DVD's or going to the theatre could help but i think what really needs to be done is a makeover. I think its PATHETIC that we are complaining about all the effort it takes to go see a movie in theatres. Besides the cost , it just sounds to me that we are getting just as greedy as hollywood in that we can't be bothered to get up off the couch and soulize with society a bit more.
The odds are against us , yes its nice to have a movie for free, yes its more comfortable to watch it in your own home , and yes hollywood does not need any more money ..but I think a theatre full of random people with many different lifestyles and beliefs who have come to see the same movie beats all of that.
Hey General :)
I'm not convinced that "bowing to the whims of another" is the greater issue. The US asks us to do things and vice versa. I don't mind that Canada is siding with the US over copyright enforcement, after all, it is the law and we would expect the same of them. What I think is ridiculous is the time and effort spent trying to control camcording of movies in theatres. I dispute the fact that this is the major source of illegal copies, I also dispute that this is taking more money out of studios' pockets than other copying methods like DVD-ripping. As I mention in the post, I find it hard to believe that any potential movie-goer would find one of these camcorded movies to be a satisfying alternative to seeing a movie in a theatre or waiting for a rip.
yes I understand, but I usually download movies after i've seen them in theatres, and before they are released…. for example, i saw harry potter 5 THREE times, and then downloaded it for pleasure…
as for ripped DVDs, ill download it, see if i like it, then buy it!
if i do keep the download, i wouild never sell them for my own profit!! its only for my eyes.
I read the comments and see ppl saying that the torrents have bad quality?? If you download one thats already out on DVD, chances are its DVD rippede and its EXCELLENT quality!! :D
Personally … I do not download movies from internet.
I like my PC, and will NOT expose it to any kinda dangerous viruses. Many, many, many movie files, they're containing them !! Think twice then …
In addition – I preffer QUALITY of viewing & listening the movies. This is a reason, why I will never BUY a pirated copies of the hits. They're NOT @ the right technical quality level, and NOT giving me ANY pleasure of enertainment, at all. Dump it !!
Some people are doing it … instead of punishing them, I am trying to understand them !! Not every families are O.K. financially, of buying tickets to their kids, and forget completelly about buying them tickets to experience live theatres, for axample.
This "show-business" is a sick business, money squizing business even from the poorest people – washing their brains at the same time with emphasizing & gloryfying the money making lifestyle of the f…ing "STARS".
So what is that ?? It is a pure example of the mental classic [catch22]
Big companies to squizz every penny from everybody's pockets, trying these days to BEND the existing International Copyright Law, to work in their favor.
Basically, so far – you are breaking it, when you are making any money profit, from playing or distributing audio-visual GOODS to the public.
I understand that, and I am supporting existing Copyright Law that way !!
Hollywoood woke up too late with …. because internet and computing moved farther, and too fast, that they could even immagin, and thinking of it.
Big movie makers, they didn't invest a broken penny in internet and computing field development, but they want NOW make the profit, restricting ANY kind of files downloading as a potential "business HAZZARD" calling them "ILLEGAL", and calling internet users "the criminals" of "stealing".
Give me a BREAK !!
I hope that law makers in Canada, will see that side of the loonie as well, and they will continue to protect the public, from being called potential criminals.
Sincerely yours,
Canadian – Das~Boot
Yes, I would. The price of my going to a movie could go towards my internet bill. Why not pay the stars less and the workers more. They do just as much work.
I know how it is watching movies from a camcorder to dvd….it sucks, u might as well go to the theaters for that trouble of going to a shop, or street vendor, finding a movie for 4 dollars, and going home, and half the time it wont work, or its some other movie. But people in the industry should realise that, many pirate copies out there are from an insider who has the source. The films are already close to the quality of regular dvds, sometimes the same, but occasionally you might get that message at the top and bottom screen "Test viewing only : Properties of blah blah blah"…." So….before they think that Camcorder in a theater is no.1 method to steal, they better check their employees first.
Ha, if you download movies off the internet, you might as well chalk that up to trying to teach your grampa how to play halo 3. DOWNLOADING IS A THING OF THE PAST, IF YOU ARE STILL DOWNLOADING MOVIES WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, there are direct link websites and you have to wait all of three seconds to watch a movie that just came into the theatre, THESE SITES ARE WICKED , PLUS THEY ARE SWEET QUALITY, i have my projector hooked up to MY computer and a 80 inch 300$ screen from future shop, lets just say for 1500 bucks i have my own personal movie theatre and I DONT FEEL ONE BIT SORRY THAT LINDSEY LOHAN WOULDNT BE ABLE TO BUY 10,000$ PRADA PURSES, WHATEVER. DIRECTLINK SITES ARE 1000000 TO 1 SHITTY DOWNLOAD CHECK OUT http://WWW.FREEMOVIEMANIA.COM, IM ONLY GOING TO GIVE UP 1 SITE, THE REST IS UP TO YOU TO FIGURE OUT. PEACE.
DIRECT LINK WEBSITES, http://WWW.FREEMOVIEMANIA.BLOGSPOT.COM, CHECK IT OUT, NO DOWNLOADTIME, NO VIRUSES, JUST DIRECT LINKS, I AM ONLY GOING TO LET OUT 1 SITE , THERE ARE HUNDREDS(BUT YOU CAN FIGURE THAT 1 OUT), BUT DONT WASTE YOUR TIME DOWNLOADING, ITS A THING OF THE PAST. READ MY LAT POST BELOW, PEACE.
THE WORLD IS CHAOS, PEOPLE DIEING FROM LEGAL MUSHROOMS AND THEIR GOING TO TELL ME ITS ILLEGAL TO DOWNLOAD A FREAKIN MOVIE, PRIORITIES, PEOPLE, THATS WHY THE WORLD IS THE WAY IT IS TODAY, BECAUSE ALL ANYONE CARES ABOUT IS MONEY.