Piracy. It really is everywhere.

[The Curmudgeon]

Piracy has always been a factor in movies and music. Trips to markets etc weren't complete without seeing some wideboy trying to flog white-sleeved videos of the latest film, or CD's with covers that looked like they'd been in a washing machine. It was sick, it was wrong - but it was life.

Nowadays, though - is it me, or is piracy more accepted and widespread than ever before? We won't dwell on the "accepted" piracy of "Oh, I just downloaded it onto my MP3 player" and stick with movie piracy. Honestly, how BAD is the situation nowadays?

Maybe I hang around in the wrong circles (or maybe the wrong circles hang around with The Curmudgeon) but I've lost count of the conversations I've had that run along the lines of..

"Saw V For Vendetta last night."
"Oh. Did you go to the cinema?"
"Nah. My mate gave me a copy."

It's always someone's mate. Or someone's dad, or a shady brother or uncle. It's not happening on the marketstalls, with comedy Del Boy characters scooping up their suitcases and running when they see the police. It's happening in people's houses with people we all know. I've been given LISTS of movies that "a friend of a friend" can get at a fiver a throw, all "great quality."

And yet, if you protest, if you say you don't buy pirate movies, YOU'RE looked on as the one in the wrong, the pompous snob, the do-gooder. From people who obviously don't appreciate anything they watch enough to just buy the fucking real thing.

"Oh, it's too expensive to go to the pictures", I get told. Oh yeah? A boat is expensive, you can't afford that, but do you go out and steal one? 'Cos that's what you're doing with the films.

"I don't want to wait for it to come out on DVD." The waiting time now between cinema to DVD is the shortest its ever been. Movies can be bought within a few months (Hell, if you have a region one player you can get brand new movies from the likes of Canada when they're still at the cinema in the UK. That's how much we suck). So scrub that little excuse from your list.

"Well they should lower DVD Prices." Really? Have you SEEN high street DVD prices lately? There's sales and price crashes every single week (Charlie and The Chocolate Factory 2 disc for £5.99?! Wasn't that in the cinema about four months ago?) We live in an age where DVD's are the cheapest they've ever been. Hell, VHS was NEVER this cheap in its heyday.

"What's the difference in buying a copy and buying a real one from ebay? The movie makers aren't making the money from THAT sale." Yes, but the money has already BEEN made. There has been a sale, money has been paid for that product somewhere down the line. Plus it's REAL, not some crappy copied tat.

And yet, what do you do? Report them? No, because, again - it's people you know. So we just have to hold our heads high, walk away from the theft and the ignorance, and pay money for genuine products that WE love and appreciate. That's how it's done in The Fortress.

[InvisibleWolfMan]

Hi.

I'm gonna be bold and say that I've at least copied a few films here and there over the years. My reasoning? I was a poor student with limited funds. However, I will also say that with the way I've been feeling lately...I've noticed guilt.

Yes. Guilt.

Guilt enough to go and purchase any film that I had copied for my very own. That may not justify the reason of copying, but now that I own a legit at at least feel I gave back. And some films I've purchased while they've still been higher priced, my little way of giving just a bit more back to those companies who DO deserve the right to recieve some kind of profit.

I'll go further and say that has nothing to do with those "PRIACY. IT'S AGAINST THE LAW." ads that are seemingly forced upon us now. It has to do with the fact I'd rather own original packaging, original artwork...something that personalizes that item for me.

I also wish some people would realize that releasing the original versions of their films (my finger is pointed squarely at you, Mr. Lucas)it would severly cut down the priacy of the Original Star Wars Trilogy. Literally thousands (which will eventually add up to millions) are being lost all because Georgie can't admit his films were limited to the technology of the time...and that many fans LOVE those films for just that reason. I'd rather pay you, Mr. Lucas, than some back alley dealer to have a nice, crispy looking print (doesn't have to be perfect, but above VHS quality) of the SW Trilogy I hold so dear to my heart.

Many cult films and shows have (and are still) suffering the fate of priacy and those people who have wised up and found a way to release their materials have always beaten the pirates down to no sale on their inferior product. Take note, Mr. Lucas...take NOTE.

[The Curmudgeon]

Oh yeah, I should probably note that I DO own a few copies of my own, enough to get called "hypocrite" when I begin my rants.

BUT, and there's a but, they're all unavailable on DVD. You see, I collect all comic book/superhero movies/TV shows/serials and what have you, so the likes of, say, The Phantom 1940's serial isn't available on commercially owned DVD. So it's to ebay I must turn.

I had the 1940's Batman serials on pirate DVD, but got rid of them when they released them officially, as I would do if they got around to releasing the likes of Steel, the Justice League pilot movie and, ack, Howard The Duck. Can't see it happening though.

World of a difference between that and just getting a pirate rip of Narnia or something. My consience is clear - as should yours be, Wolf.

[Ben]

I am being truly honest when I say this: I have never copied a film in my life. I usually get my DVDs on Amazon or Ebay because they're so much cheaper than at the store.

However, when there is a DVD I want that happens to be out of print, I do not get a pirated copy. I contact someone deep within the Hollywood archives, have him pull out the film I want and copy it onto a real disc (with the original artwork of course), and he sends it to me via mail, along with a fifty dollar charge. Perfectly legal, though highly expensive.

The last DVD I got from the archives was the hilariously stupid "Night of the Lepus", which is about a bunch of giant rabbits eating and dismembering a bunch of townspeople. The sad part is that it actually had a fairly well known cast, including Deforrest Kelley from Star Trek. NOTL is worthless as a horror film, but it's one hell of a comedy.

Now fifty dollars is quite the amount of money to pay for any DVD, especially something as stupid as Night of the Lepus, and that's why I rarely order from the archives anymore. But I still don't participate in pirating. I saw that The Curmudgeon was talking about becoming the "do-gooder" in a circle of friends when refusing to pirate. This, I have found, is an unjustified consequence that comes with buying all my DVDs.

By all rights I should copy my DVDs. I should save a lot of money, I mean, I've paid for every DVD I own, and that's no small number. It's not really that pirating bothers me, I burn cds all the time, it's just that I like artwork, I like to be able to say "I worked hard for the money that paid for this DVD", and (maybe a little strange) I like the sound that the shrinkwrap makes when you rip it off the DVD.

[The Curmudgeon]

Ooooh, I don't burn CD's either. I have over 1100 of the damn things and I've never bought a copy yet. Well, actually that's not true - some dodgy bastard sold me a copy on ebay but that went right in the bin. Harrrumph.

Ma, that is so cool that you know someone in "the biz" that can make you legit pressings of movies. Fifty bucks is steep, but it's still pretty cool.

Thing is, I really have no choice with some things, even if I knew the guy you do. I mean, how do I go about getting the Nick Fury TV movie starring The Hoff? Or the JLA TV movie, or The Spirit TV movie? Copies from ebay is the ONLY way.

[anonymousloser]

Couldn't agree more. What really does bother me about it is how pirates, like you were discussing, insist on elaborately justifying their behavior, saying that they're 'sticking it to the man' or whatever. I especially like the generic, pointless defense that the 'companies are just greedy'. Really? And you, who wants to get movies and cds for free, are not greedy? Huh. If they would just admit that they're thieves and say that they're fine with this aspect of themselves I wouldn't mind too much. I'd still be opposed to it, but the elaborate self justifying bullshit really drives me nuts.

I will admit, however, I do have a few pirate DVDs, but like with your ones they're things that aren't available domestically, and I'll certainly replace them with legitimate ones if they're ever released.

[Stevie]

Definitely still have my VHS copy of Howard The Duck. But just wait until it comes to DVD.

[The Curmudgeon]

Anonymous - Welcome to The Fortress. Say hello to Anonymousloser everyone...

Stevie - I wouldn't hold my breath for a DVD release of Howard. I think George Lucas likes to pretend it never happened. But nyah, he can "eat beak".

[InvisibleWolfMan]

The Curmudgeon,
I think the problem with HOWARD THE DUCK being released is that Georgie actually wants to digitally redo the character! Seriously! Amongst some disc I've burned of stuff I needed to keep from my computer is a small audio clip of Lucas actually mentioning it is what he'd like to do.

Obivously, his friend who directed the film feels otherwise...hence the "no release date" for the DVD.

[The Curmudgeon]

Then that's settled, then. George Lucas is to be assassinated.

[InvisibleWolfMan]

Hi.

You know, you might be doing the world a favor. Any man who moans and complains how his childhood is destroyed when Sony releases THE THREE STOOGES in color instead of original B&W yet digitally destroys his own films ought to be put out of his flannel misery....

[hackersanonymous]

I read your comments on piracy and Mr. Beard with interest.

I feel I'm in The Curmudgeon's camp here, with regards to copied discs. I won't give them house room. Why not?

Firstly, there's the economics.. Why in the name of all holy Hell should I pay some morally destitute pondlife £5 for a 20P disc, and a cover done on an inkjet printer in draft mode? Total cost of this fine production, 30p. So I'm down £4.70, not to mention my self-worth.

Next up, there's the quality. I don't wish to sound like the "piracy=bad" adverts they play at the pictures (with the guy who jumps out of his seat like he just got 500V up his browneye), but the simple fact is that when I have tried (loaned) copies of films that I simply wouldn't pay 1p for (such as The Pacifier - egads!), the experience has been less than stellar.

Call me crazy, but to me the notion that an audio track should run in direct synch to the video track isn't really a luxury item. With copies, it almost always is.

Have people grown to care so little about their entertainment standards that second or third rate piss-poor reproductions are the norm? It'd certainly explain why the TV companies get away with so many reality TV shows..


As for Mr. Beard's fiddling with the original Star Wars trilogy... I could almost see the point if he used CGI to iron out any particularly bad effects, but the simple fact is that he has gone OTT, seemingly under the impression that a bit of empty scenery on screen simply isn't good enough...

George - fiddle about all you like, but if you're going to bring out the entire series on one boxset once the next-gen disc format has been established, then please, please, please - use DVD/HD/BlueRay branching to allow the fans to watch the version THEY want to watch. It's been possible for years - look at Terminator 2, where you have three versions of the one film on one DVD.


Just my 2p worth...