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1/24/06 Bootleg Movies


Minis On The Edge

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Do you feel Bootleg movies are really hurting the Movie industry? Have you ever "watched" a bootleg movie? Did you like it?

I was at the Gas station and a guy was trying to sell me movies that has not come out yet and are still in the Movie Theater. I have "watched" a couple bootleg copies (I did not purchase them and was at someone elses house) and I don't like them because I saw and heard the audience in the background. I do think it hurts the industry. What's your thoughts? Have you ever been tempted to get/watch one?

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I don't know how big a problem bootleg movies are for the movie industry - but I do feel that the many many people it takes to put out a movie all deserve to be paid for thier work - from the Writers, Director, Editor, Costumers, Composers, Actors, Extras, Camera operators, Sound editors, Set decorators to the construction crews - they all do a job and I wouldn't like it very much if I was doing a job and felt like it wasn't appreciated by the audience I was doing for. That having been said I only know one person who bought a bootleg movie of one of the Star Wars episodes... that one purchase I know didn't hurt the industry he's an avid collector - saw the movie himself in the theater at least a half dozen times, but he's a bit over the top in wanting every version. In that instance I dont' think it hurt the movie industry since it didn't take way from him seeing the picture repeatedly in the theater, owning the DVD versions (plural) etc. However I know there are several sellers on Ebay who are selling home burned DVD's of movies that are both in and out of print - if these guys are making a living at it (and it appears they are cause they do a lot of business) then how can it not hurt the industry?

For myself I have no interrest in watching a bootleg film. I like the theater experience and the price of DVD's are such that they're really affordable - usually $15-$20 for a new release. When I'm watching a movie I want it to absorb me, transport me and be an emotional experience where it's funny, scarey, sad, or romantic so I want the best quality picture and sound I can get. It's the main reason I haven't bought a bootleg version of The Halloween Tree which really cheeses me off because Cartoon Network produce it on VHS but has never released it on DVD :angry: and it isn't Halloween without watching the Halloween Tree. So I'll keep writing letters and asking why a RayBradbury classic isn't being produced for the public until like Mad Monster Party someone brings it back legally on DVD.

-David B)

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You know David, you brought up a good point too. I know that when I bought Ella Enchanted off of ebay, my copy was a bootleg. I also bought the batman collection (The 90s version) on ebay and each of those were also bootleg. I recently tried one more time on ebay to buy the batman movie (the first one with the joker one it from the 90s) and it was in Janpanese though he did not mention this on his auctions. I did get it to play in english with Japanese sub tiltles but because of those experiances, I don't think I'll buy another movie there.

So far each person eventually was booted off ebay after so many complaints but it is a shame to even have to experiance this. I want to get the 1996 version of Jane Eyre because I love that movie. I am not too in a rush to buy it online because either it cost too much or the cheaper ones may be fake copies.

While on the subject of fakes, have anyone every been approached to buy any fakes (watches, purses shoes etc.)

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Ive watched a bootleg movie before, the first lord of the rings, (fellowship of the ring). My husband bought it from someone where he went to university. It was not good quality and people were talking. I dont think it hurt the indrustry because we have since bought all of the 4 disc sets for ourselves and others that were not bootleg. I would not however buy a bootleg movie myself. Movies are so inexpensive to purchase, it does not make sence. My husband and i are huge movie fans, and i especally wanted the behind the scenes footage.

As for purses and such, i would never support that, alot of the money goes to support realy bad people. Drugs, weapons and other horrible things people do.

Jenn

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In one of my elementary schools one of the staff was making money on the side selling bootleg DVDs (sad commentary on the lousy salaries school staff get paid in our county/ state) and although I understood why he was doing it I wouldn't buy from him and told him I thought he was stealing from the copyright holders.

We had a discussion elsewhere on this forum that touched on this subject. I have very strong feelings on protecting an individual's right to their own intellectual property.

I have never been approached to buy fake anything that I know of, but I wouldn't buy anything from someone on the street, so to speak, not because what they're selling might be fake, but that it might be stolen.

Once in a huge city I was unfamiliar with I was driving a colleague to try to find a deceased family member's house in a neighborhood that had, in my friend's words, "run down" from what she remembered; and she finally had me to stop to ask directions of "the gentleman" who was headed toward my car with a handful of baggies; before he got too close I called out to him that we only wanted directions to an address and he actually stopped where he was and told us; as I drove on my friend asked why I hadn't let him come to the car and our other friend in the car finally stopped laughing long enough to tell her, because he thought we were there to buy crack! and I had stopped him from trying :angry:

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Any time people are ripped off it hurts that industry. It's prolly even worse in the music industry with ripped discs. I used to post on Sarah Brightman's forum, until it became inane, heck Sarah don't even post there anymore, it's interesting to hear from the artist and producer (Frank Peterson-who also no longer posts there) what kind of impact bootlegs do have. There was a while there that CD's were cheaper than cassettes, why not? They're cheaper to make, then people started burning and sharing them. And the price sky rocketed again, to where I was as an early adopter. As for films, it does seem like the movie industry is replying. There are lots of good films in the dump bins, I've got a tons of dics for around 5 bucks, including U2 Rattle and Hum, a great film with some amazing performances.

I have only bought 1 bootleg, and I did know it was at the time. That was Corvette Summer. My legitimately bought VHS tape (something like 30 bucks) was so deteriorated you couldn't watch it, and it had only been played 2 or 3 times. I contact MGM and asked about a DVD release. I was told the probability of a disc was something less than zero. Givne that the studio stated there was not going to be a disc and my tape was history I went ahead and bough a copy disc. Looks like a decent VHS tape, with some weird digital artifacts, but very watchable. Of course 6 months after getting that it was anounced that Warner (who have released a number of MGM films on DVD) were releasing a real version of Corvette Summer on disc. Bought it the day it came out.

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I myself have never gotten a bootleg copy of a movie. I have watched a bootleg copy at a friends house and I didnt think the quality of the movie was very good too much noise background. So in my opinion I rather wait till the movie comes out and purchase it fair and square. I dont see how its hurting the industry seeing bootleg copies arent very good.

Lyn

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Hi Tracy and all,

Yea I'm hessitant to buy movies off of Ebay - I've found that pretty much any movie that's available I can get by going to Deep Discount DVD

I Hate having to pay special fees or money up front for our local stores to special order in a movie I want so I got to DeepDiscount and get it usually for a little bit less and with no shipping or handling charges. Walmart sometimes has a better price but not always and I can get any old film (I love the old B&W movies) as long as it's still in print.

I've never been approached to by fakes of any kind - that I know of - Where I live now is fairly rural and there are very few people who will approach you to sell anything.. except maybe tamales now and then. Where I lived before was different but folks would mostly try to sell jewelry.. very used jewelry with no brand names and often no markings, basically they'd sell any old piece of junk to get their next fix but most weren't with it enough to try to sell knock-offs.

I sure am glad I moved! :angry:

-David

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Boy, do I ever lead a sheltered life! I had no idea people were copying movies while still in theatres. No-one has ever approached me to buy one but it's unlikely that I would. Amazon.ca is one of my most favorite places to shop for movies.

My DH had a friend many years ago who bought a beautiful new home and supported his wife and 3 kids on what he sold out of his trunk. The monies he had made from doing that he gambled at the racetrack. That is until he was caught and ended up losing everything.

Wendy

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Nope, can't say that I've ever watched a bootlegged movie! I don't have the patience to sit through something that isn't that great to watch anyway. We usually buy movies from our local Family Video when they go on sale. I can usually pick up a movie for under $10 and in pretty decent shape too despite having been rented out a bizillion times! B)

I wouldn't buy anything off the street! That's what TJ Maxx and WalMart are for!! :angry:

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I've never watched a bootleg movie, but my dd when deployed to Iraq (I think she has also been to Kuwait and Ubeckistan?) said they would rent movies buy movies from some of the locals and would get back to their tents and laugh their heads off, because some of the movies were so bad, heads in the way and even in one it ended half way because apparently the people got caught and had to run with the camera in hand and until she told me about that I wasn't aware people were brave (stupid?) enough to try something like that.

I knowingly wouldn't buy bootleg products.

Peggi

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