I just found out that Blockbuster has rolled out its rent-by-mail program for DVDs, taking on NetFlix, Wal-Mart, and GreenCine.

Link here...this is in addition to their in-store program.

It's cheaper than Netflix and includes two free in-store rentals per month.

Testing:

• Their inventory includes Sunrise -- Netflix does not (GreenCine does). However, I'm not sure it's the same edition as GC.
• GC has the Movies Begin series -- BB and NF do not.
• GC has Ordet and Day of Wrath-- BB and NF do not.

SO, Greencine still wins on the selection, but BB beats NF at pricing! I'm going to try the free trial. If they can meet or beat Netflix's turn-around time--so-long Netflix!

One more thing: Using the 'promotional code' COOPER gets you an additional two free weeks and lowers the costs to $17.99!

Oops .... one black mark for BB: NF has Vanya on 42nd Street; BB does not.

Same for A Man Escaped and Lady Snowblood, Pelle the Conqueror, Throne of Blood, and others.

Next installment:

I sent an e-mail to Blockbuster, listing some films (including all the ones above) that I want them to carry but which they do not list in their inventory. Here's the response I received:

"Approved MPAA ratings"? That might rule out a number of Criterion films, if they are old or foreign or whatever and have never been rated.

Shantih wrote:
: I may be out of touch with American classification: but I was under the
: impression that you got an NR to avoid proper classification, and so therefore it
: can't really count as an 'approved' rating, can it?

That is my impression, yeah, in which case it can't really be said that such films "get" a Not Rated rating, since it isn't really a rating in the first place.

Then again, you sometimes get weird cases like Requiem for a Dream (2000), which is currently listed on the books as "Rating Surrendered" and was released to theatres without a rating -- I believe the film was given an NC-17 before the rating was taken back, but why and how, exactly, the rating was taken back is beyond me. An R-rated version of the film was eventually released on video, just so Blockbuster could stock a copy, I believe.

I'm assuming that means no NC17 or X-rated films...

FWIW, Wal-Mart also has a DVD-by-mail service also, with a free 30-day trial. So I'm going to be flooded with discs this month, from NetFlix, GreenCine, Blockbuster, and Wal-Mart.

I think I'll write my experience up and publish it on my website--heck, I should sell it to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

So far:

Delivery: expecting Netflix to win (2-3 day turnaround for me)
Selection: expecting Greencine to win (especially the hard-to-finds)
Inventory: expecting Netflix to win (more likely to get the disc you want)
Price: expecting Blockbuster to win (much more bang for the buck)
Website: Two way tie: Blockbuster/GreenCine. GreenCine allows you to make and share lists, which is very cool. Blockbuster allows you to see if your local store has a title in stock. They also allow you to ignore sections (such as sports or TV series) if you're not interested. Why don't any of these sites allow you to drag-and-drop to rearrange your queue!?!?!
Extras: expecting Blockbuster to win (2 in-store rentals included!). GreenCine gets a big "F" here for carrying porno.

At this point my recommendation is Blockbuster if you're price-sensitive, NetFlix overall, GreenCine if you MUST HAVE those hard-to-gets (and don't mind patronizing a porn distributor). However, Blockbuster and GreenCine also get good marks for responsive customer service (ever try e-mailing NetFlix?).

Of course, Blockbuster is owned by evil-empire Viacom (which has porn and nasty connections like MTV). GC and NetFlix are independent, and Wal-Mart is, well, evil-empire Wal-Mart.

What about us poorer cousins across the pond?
I've recently signed up with Screen Select which seems to stock pretty much every DVD I can throw at it for a very fair monthly fee of £14.99, 3 DVDs at a time, no late fees. Any other services in the U.K. we should know about?

I think Blockbuster UK do one here as well, and IIRC there's one advertised (or something on the Empire site)

Matt