Iron Sky - Space Nazi Steampunk

[LavCat]

Your library has every obscure movie available for loan on the DVD release date? That's incredible. I wish my library was like that.

Every obscure movie on the release date? Perhaps not. Most popular movies on the release date, yes. Not sure how obscure is obscure, but I found 28,369 titles on DVD and 380 titles on Blu-ray. Many of those exist in multiple copies. As a disclaimer these numbers also include TV shows. Plus some older movies are only in VHS. I didn't look for those.

Admittedly one of my favorite movies is a foreign film from Canada. That -- unfortunately, the library does not have. The DVD was never released for sale in the US.

Patrons who are into obscurely obscure movies get them through interlibrary loan.

[DeeBye]

Every obscure movie on the release date? Perhaps not. Most popular movies on the release date, yes.

See, that's my point. I want to see those really awesome obscure movies as soon as I can. I'd really love to throw money at people to allow me to see them, but most of the time I have to resort to Bittorrent or miss out entirely. It's really easy to buy popular movies on the release dates, so that part is a non-issue.

Here's another example. I posted a thread in May 2009 about a glorious film called Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus. It was a straight-to-DVD movie, but I never actually saw it in any of the dozen or so of the movie stores I frequently shop at until at least a year later. Again, it turned up in a bargain bin way after the actual DVD release date for $5.

So to satisfy my movie tastes, I almost have to rely on Bittorrent or just not see them at all. It's not a matter of not wanting to pay for them - with all of the movies I have talked about I would have gleefully paid whatever it cost to get them in actual DVD/Blu-Ray form just as soon as I could. I just never actually saw them for sale in any local store.

[Mavfin]

It's not a matter of not wanting to pay for them - with all of the movies I have talked about I would have gleefully paid whatever it cost to get them in actual DVD/Blu-Ray form just as soon as I could. I just never actually saw them for sale in any local store.

I have this issue with music sometimes. Sometimes an artist decides to force you to buy the album to get the one good song, or doesn't put it up electronically at all for a while. I'm happy to pay for the song legitimately if it's out there, and 99% are, but, I'm not going to buy an album of filler to get the song I want, or go buy (again) a whole physical CD to get one song.

[LavCat]

Every obscure movie on the release date? Perhaps not. Most popular movies on the release date, yes.

See, that's my point. I want to see those really awesome obscure movies as soon as I can. I'd really love to throw money at people to allow me to see them, but most of the time I have to resort to Bittorrent or miss out entirely. It's really easy to buy popular movies on the release dates, so that part is a non-issue.

Here's another example. I posted a thread in May 2009 about a glorious film called Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus. It was a straight-to-DVD movie, but I never actually saw it in any of the dozen or so of the movie stores I frequently shop at until at least a year later. Again, it turned up in a bargain bin way after the actual DVD release date for $5.

So to satisfy my movie tastes, I almost have to rely on Bittorrent or just not see them at all. It's not a matter of not wanting to pay for them - with all of the movies I have talked about I would have gleefully paid whatever it cost to get them in actual DVD/Blu-Ray form just as soon as I could. I just never actually saw them for sale in any local store.

"Warning: contains scenes of creature violence." Why, yes, of course our library has Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus. You mean yours dosen't? It's even checked in.

Myself, I brought home the new Blu-ray of Heavenly Creatures. Different strokes for different folks.

[DeeBye]

"Warning: contains scenes of creature violence." Why, yes, of course our library has Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus. You mean yours dosen't? It's even checked in.

Myself, I brought home the new Blu-ray of Heavenly Creatures. Different strokes for different folks.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

[LavCat]

"Warning: contains scenes of creature violence." Why, yes, of course our library has Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus. You mean yours dosen't? It's even checked in.

Myself, I brought home the new Blu-ray of Heavenly Creatures. Different strokes for different folks.

I'm not sure what you mean by this.

No hidden meaning. I didn't really expect our library to have Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus but we do. If your library does not have Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus or other movies that you like, you should request that they purchase them for their collection. That's what libraries are for.

[RiotInferno]

Asylum, the folks behind the 'Mega X vs Giant Y' franchise, have most of their catalog on Netflix instant streaming. It's always a good time, but rarely a good movie.

I'm just waiting for Sharktopus!

[Tal]

you should request that they purchase them for their collection. That's what libraries are for.

Depends on the library system actually. My own library system is having a heavy debate on precisely this subject. Some of my colleagues want us to purchase everything that a patron requests. Others, like myself, feel that in this day and age of limited funds we need to be prudent with our purchases and only purchase those materials that pass our selection guidelines. (Must have good reviews, be well written, etc).

Looking at the critical reviews, the audience reviews and the domestic gross I can see that my library would not have purchased Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

[Kevin]

Looking at the critical reviews, the audience reviews and the domestic gross I can see that my library would not have purchased Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

Which honestly I think is fine because unlike DeeBye I feel that one just didn't live up to it's potential cheese level. I tend to agree with many of his reviews but that film I had to force myself to finish, it was so close to being a fun bad movie but it just didn't make it for me.

[shoju]

I just have to say, I watched a couple of terrible terrible TERRIBLE ScyFy movies this weekend.

Piranachonda

and

Sharktopus

Piranchonda was worse, if only because the idea of a piranha / anaconda hybrid beast roaming around Hawaii was just.... too much suspension of belief. Neither species is found in Hawaii. a change of setting alone to south America (Brazil is tropical with beaches, and both are found there) would have fixed that, though the rest of the story was terrible.

Sharktopus, was interesting. it tried really hard to be a "good" bad movie.

I dont' know if either are "library" worthy though.

[LavCat]

you should request that they purchase them for their collection. That's what libraries are for.

Depends on the library system actually. My own library system is having a heavy debate on precisely this subject. Some of my colleagues want us to purchase everything that a patron requests. Others, like myself, feel that in this day and age of limited funds we need to be prudent with our purchases and only purchase those materials that pass our selection guidelines. (Must have good reviews, be well written, etc).

Looking at the critical reviews, the audience reviews and the domestic gross I can see that my library would not have purchased Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.

I'm not sure on this. I see both points of view. However basing selection guidelines on quality sounds like a form of censorship. Which would leave patrons like DeeBye out in the cold...assuming libraries in Canada are heated.

I checked today: not only did we acquire Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus at release, the DVD circulates...a lot. As recently as this month.

[Tal]

I'm not sure on this. I see both points of view. However basing selection guidelines on quality sounds like a form of censorship. Which would leave patrons like DeeBye out in the cold...assuming libraries in Canada are heated.

I checked today: not only did we acquire Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus at release, the DVD circulates...a lot. As recently as this month.

I've heard the censorship by exclusion argument before and I don't buy it. Censorship usually carries a heavy moral emphasis. We're utilizing selection criteria that libraries have used for decades and only purchase materials that get good reviews from critics. We tend to also weigh heavily on customer feedback (eg a movie that was critically panned but did well commercially) in making the decisions. My own book was purchased after it received glowing reviews from two separate library journals - and I work for the library.

We're in a heavily conservative county with a leadership that has questioned the need for a library at all. Purchasing within our posted guidelines is a must to keep ourselves under the radar.

[kandrathe]

you should request that they purchase them for their collection. That's what libraries are for.

Really? I always thought of a library as the curator of knowledge. I'm not likely to be able to go to the local popular book seller and find tables of statistical data for the past 100 years, or scan through microfiche of every newspaper. There is pressure on libraries to attract constituency, and justify their existence through popular acclaim (and thereby legislative support). It is nice that they can participate and then document the popular culture, but I would see that as a distraction from their real value and purpose. Or, as my colleagues frequently tell me, "I don't use it all that often, but I'm glad it's there when I need it."

[LavCat]

you should request that they purchase them for their collection. That's what libraries are for.

Really? I always thought of a library as the curator of knowledge. I'm not likely to be able to go to the local popular book seller and find tables of statistical data for the past 100 years, or scan through microfiche of every newspaper. There is pressure on libraries to attract constituency, and justify their existence through popular acclaim (and thereby legislative support). It is nice that they can participate and then document the popular culture, but I would see that as a distraction from their real value and purpose. Or, as my colleagues frequently tell me, "I don't use it all that often, but I'm glad it's there when I need it."

You describe a different world.

[kandrathe]

You describe a different world.

I get that a lot. I live near Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average. We bring ours to the public library on Saturday mornings for story time and to return/check out the classics in literature that we can't fit on our own shelves at home. Our librarians are stoic, but possess a vast store of politeness. They are asked regularly the dumbest questions on God's green earth.

Maybe things are more hellacious in those forsaken cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul...

[Tal]

Our librarians are stoic, but possess a vast store of politeness. They are asked regularly the dumbest questions on God's green earth.

My personal favorite, while wearing a name badge clearly identifying me as an employee whilst standing behind a desk labelled 'Information' is

"Do you work here?"

[Kevin]

Our librarians are stoic, but possess a vast store of politeness. They are asked regularly the dumbest questions on God's green earth.

My personal favorite, while wearing a name badge clearly identifying me as an employee whilst standing behind a desk labelled 'Information' is

"Do you work here?"

To be fair maybe they were used to university libraries where crazy IT people ended up behind the desks at various times. Several years ago when I was still working T2 support, I was working on one of the computer systems behind the information desk, wearing my name badge, that while it did say Information Technology under my name could easily be overlooked as that was pretty small compared to the name and the large university logo that was on all employee name badges. I had patrons ask me questions and I had to refer them to the actual librarians, but at a quick glance I looked like I belonged there. Of course since I had been a student worker in the library for a few years I actually was able to answer some of the questions I got. But I did get a few "Do you work here" questions too.

I also think the "Excuse me, do you work here?" is comfortable way for some people to start a conversation with a stranger in a place of business. I tend to go with the, "Hi, can you help me?" myself, but different strokes for different folks.

[shoju]

I wish I had a bright yellow shirt I could wear at work that says:

"Yes, I work here."

"NO, I can't help you"

It would make repairing things and dealing with my job a lot easier.