OK, Once more, with feeling. We have this fucking question like every six weeks on this damn board, I swear to Og.
** NO. Blockbuster does not, and Wal-Mart does not, and has never, censored, edited, or otherwise tampered with feature films.** Blockbuster had (past tense), Wal-Mart has, and many small independent mom-n-pop stores have a “family friendly” policy against stocking NC-17, X or titles which were never submitted to the MPAA. Knowing that this is a huge part of the rental market, STUDIOS will often put out two versions of a movie - the original, often called “Unrated”, and an "R"ish version, called “Rated”. The choice of which, or both, to buy, is up to the retailer.
At Blockbuster, back when they only carried the Rated version, would put this in the same size and typeface on the tape rental box in three different places, like this:
SEXY VIOLENT MOVIE, A - RATED
Now, on Blockbuster Online, both versions are available, and clearly marked. I don’t know if the Unrated are available in stores or not.
Roger Ebert may have suggested you watch some obscure sexy foreign film at the theater because your local Blockbuster was unlikely to carry the theatrical version and smaller stores might not stock it at all. But if he suggested that Blockbuster itself has anything to do with the editing process, he was either lying or mistaken.
How can that be? They can’t go through every video tape and cut, blur and/or bleep out the naughty bits.
At worst what they would do is buy the edited version of a film if it is available from the distribution company. But I gotta tell ya, I rented Requium For A Dream from them a few years back. It wasn’t edited in any way. I’d be hard-pressed to find a major studior release that had more “objectional material” in it than that movie.
And, just to make sure all bases are covered, I did, at one time, repair a lot of video tapes, instead of sending them back to corporate. That means that the little blip and jump you saw in that copy of The Little Mermaid wasn’t me editing out Ariel fellating a starfish, but the crunched bit of videotape where the last customer’s machine ate it. It’s either that or, as I mentioned upthread, not having The Little Mermaid for over ten years because no, even I can’t purchase a film they’re not selling.
They still don’t carry straight up pornography, no. But they do now carry Kids, for example, which they wouldn’t stock while I worked there.
Siam Sam, do you have a cite that when Ebert said “the company” he was referring to Blockbuster, or is “the company” Universal or MGM or whoever holds the video distribution rights? (Viacom complicates matters, as it at one time owned Blockbuster, but I don’t think it does anymore.)
No, not straight off I don’t. But I’ve read just about every word Ebert has written, and I know he has mentioned this. Others, too. However, if Blockbusters does not do this, then I am glad.
Back when Hollywood Video had a similar policy to Blockbuster’s, I inadvertently rented Requiem for a Dream from them. It’d be pretty obvious if the version you rented was modified, because the director apparently insisted that the modified movie’s title screen say, “EDITED VERSION” in very large letters beneath the title.
I’m sure that Blockbuster and Hollywood never edited videos themselves. Rather, they let their policy be known to the studios, which in turn caused the studios to create edited versions of their own movies for Blockbuster to stock so as to keep the revenue stream flowing. Evidently, the lack of interest in edited versions and the surge in public demand for “director’s cut” versions has caused Blockbuster and Hollywood to loosen up.
Either the studios edit the movie to satisfy Wal Mart or Wal Mart edits the movie. In either case the movie is edited to satisfy Wal Mart there is a difference but to my mind not much of a difference.
This is why I joined Netflix at their cheapest rate. 2 movies a month for about $6.00. If I keep the damned thing for a month before I find time to watch it, no biggie. I just don’t get the next movie.
Hmmm. Googling “Blockbuster Ebert censors” – without the quotation marks – brings up a host of references to the practice and Ebert’s comments both. Seems he’s addressed this mostly in his Answer Man column; can’t call them up if very far in the past.
We always used to rent from a locally-owned video store. Been customers there for nearly 20 years, since I was a kid.
I did not know I owed them money because I didn’t know we had returned a movie late but even so, it usually would have been paid the very next time we rented from them. Through some freak coincidence, nearly twelve months passed without us using my card to rent again - every time we rented during that year, somehow we ended up using Mr Cazzle’s card.
Now, I understand that they are in business to make money, and that it’s not worth their while to pay someone to call everyone who owes them money and ask for it to be paid, or to send out letters to do the same, but I was still deeply offended to receive a letter from a collection agency regarding a debt I had no idea existed. The letter accompanying the letter of demand pointed out that video stores here are under no legal obligation to inform you that you have a debt to them before trying to collect it via other means, and that’s all well and good, but I wonder if it was really worth selling my tiny debt to a collection agency when a 25 cent phone call could have both netted them the money owed AND kept me as a customer. I returned a movie late, I genuinely owed them money, and the debt was nearly a year old - all my fault - but I didn’t know about it, and had they brought it to my attention it would have been paid instantly. There was no need to bring a collections agency in. They got their money, but cost themselves all our future rentals, and because we’ve told other people it’s been bad word-of-mouth for them.
We no long have a Blockbuster in town, but back when we did they were the only video store that’s ever sent me a reminder notice about outstanding late fees, less than a week after they were incurred (and I went right down and paid them). The other independently owned video store lets late fees sit for years without attempting to collect.
If you were contacted by a collection agency for a bill, you should have paid the collection agency instead of the original company.
If you had two separate bills at the original company (let’s say, a hospital) then they likely applied the payment to the OTHER bill, meaning you still owe the collection agency.
If you only had one bill and the original company didn’t report the payment to the collection agency, as far as your credit is concerned, you still owe the money. You need to send the collection agency proof that you paid the SAME bill to the original creditor and perhaps even call the original creditor and ask if they have notified the collection agency that you paid their bill.
The collection agency gets a fee or a percentage of the debt it collects, assuming they didn’t buy the debt. Sometimes the original creditor is bad about reporting payments to a collection agency, either because their system is set up poorly, or intentionally, to put off the amount of money they have to pay the collection agency. The latter is usually only done by small companies who feel that they shouldn’t really have to pay for the services of a collection agency but should reap the rewards.
You did no “good deed” by paying your bill. And truthfully, your generosity aside, they probably would have preferred you just paid your bill on time, so that they didn’t have to pay a collection agency to come after you for the balance. I wonder if your donation was more than the fee they had to pay the collection agency (which it seems they haven’t done yet).
Sorry for the hijack—
Phlosphr, usually even collection agencies don’t report bad debt under a certain amount. Some will report anything but 2 of the 3 collection agencies I’ve worked for actually will not report a debt lower than $50.
I’ve never had a letter about a late fee from the Blockbuster in our town.
The only time I hear about late fees is when I’ve gone to rent a dvd and they scan my card and say, “Did you know there’s a $$ charge a movie you rented that came back late?” They then give the option of paying the late fee then and there, or paying a percentage of it.
This is a much friendlier option, but seeing that the video store (currently the only one in our town) has gone through many name changes/owners over the years, with the same staff remaining on, I wouldn’t be surprised if this courtesy was left over from the previous video store incarnation.
You agree to pay for a service. You understand the terms of that service including return times and late fees, and then complain that Blockbuster tries to collect their money? Maybe you aren’t smart enough to rent movies. Ironic, isn’t it, that someone may just not be bright enough to rent a copy of Deuce Bigalow.
I realize this is off topic, but I don’t rent from Blockbuster (or anywhere for that matter), and I’m curious. Blockbuster no longer has the “no late fee” policy?
If I don’t pay my gas & electric on time, as a courtesy it’s added to my next bill. After 2 months of slacking I can expect to flip on a light switch and get no results.
Blockbuster can’t cut off your electric. But they most certainly can go after you to collect a debt. You were indebted to them and you dropped the ball. Don’t get all indignant that they actually want to collect the money from you. They are in business to make money. In fact, if anything, they should be mad at YOU because a cut of what you owed them thanks to your carelessness is now in the hands of the debt collector.
No, they haven’t dropped the policy; however, after a period of time they will charge you for the full cost of the movie if you still haven’t returned it. Some people think this equates to a late fee. Also, some stores (such as independently owned franchises) never adopted the “no late fees” policy.
And truthfully, your generosity aside, they probably would have preferred you just paid your bill on time, so that they didn’t have to pay a collection agency to come after you for the balance. I wonder if your donation was more than the fee they had to pay the collection agency (which it seems they haven’t done yet).