Old Movies on Blu-Ray

I recently upgraded to a hi-def TV and a blu-ray player. I've thus been using Netflix to rent blu-rays of old movies like The Graduate, Young Frankenstein, and North by Northwest. However, I've been disappointed in Netflix's selection of blu-rays. The company makes perfectly clear that they are devoting their resources to streaming. Well, I tried out the streaming service on my TV, and I have to say, it doesn't compare to blu-ray. Also, I really like commentaries and extra features, stuff you don't get with streaming. So I'm stuck. I've been a Netflix member since 2002. The other services that do DVD by mail, Blockbuster and Greencine, don't have appreciably better blu-ray selections. Here are some movies available on blu-ray that Netflix doesn't carry:

Noroious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946)
The Night of the Hunter (C. Laughton, 1955)
Sweet Smell of Success (A. Mackendrick, 1957)
The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
Charade (Stanley Donen, 1963)
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
Broadcast News (James L. Brooks, 1987)
Yi Yi (A One and a Two...) (Edward Yang, 2000)
The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, 2007)

If there was a better blu-ray/dvd by mail service out there, I would use it. Until then, I would encourage Netflix users reading this to call Netflix Customer Service to request the above titles: 1-888-811-1933.

Netflix has succeeded in killing off most of the independent video stores around the country. If one survives near you, by all means give them your business. Here are my favorite Puget Sound area video stores:

Scarecrow Video, Seattle.
Stadium Video, Tacoma.
Film is Truth, Bellingham
Rainy Day Records and Video, Olympia.

Once video stores are gone, they're unlikely to come back. I've always loved video stores; I've spent time in all the above stores just browsing for fun.

By the way, I called each of the above stores to see if they had Charade on blu-ray. Only Scarecrow had it. Please support Scarecrow, Seattle.