Five movies I want added to Hulu
Last week, I discussed five television shows that I would like added to Hulu, the online video-streaming service backed by NBC and Fox. Now it's time we shift our attention to film to find five classics that Hulu needs to add to its movies page.
Granted, movies are different. You need to invest more time if you want to watch some of your favorite films, and they don't have the ongoing sweep of a long television series. But there is a market for streaming movies online and because they are currently free on Hulu, users can start a film today and finish it tomorrow or skip to their favorite part of a film without much trouble.
But Hulu's current catalog of films is unsatisfactory. In fact, the majority of movies it now offers are titles that performed poorly at the box office. It's in desperate need of change.
Citizen Kane
No list of movies can be complete without mentioning Citizen Kane. Released in 1941, Citizen Kane was the first feature film directed by Orson Welles and is widely considered by film pundits the greatest movie of all time.
Although it doesn't top my list, I simply don't see how any film-streaming service can exist without Citizen Kane. It is a classic. It belongs on Hulu. And just in case the site's managers need justification for such a move, it should be noted that Citizen Kane is one of the most studied films in history. Film classes will jump at the chance to have easy access to the movie and since skipping from one point to another is easy with video streams, I'm sure it would make for a great (and simple) teaching tool for professors.
The Godfather
Say what you will about the Mafia and its glorification in film, but The Godfather is one of the greatest films ever made. And I'd love to see it on Hulu.
Adding The Godfather to Hulu lends the site's movie page credibility, a harder edge (which wouldn't be a bad thing), and the ability to open its doors to millions across the globe who would love to watch gangster films. The Godfather is one of the most celebrated films in history. It belongs on Hulu.
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is another classic gangster film that would lend the same credibility to Hulu as The Godfather. Much like The Godfather, it's one of the most respected films of the past few decades.
In order for Hulu to truly bring value to its movies page, it needs to add a movie like Goodfellas. There are so many memorable moments from the film that it would probably be a success if the site only offered the best clips from the movie. Goodfellas has become a cult classic thanks to those scenes and that's exactly what Hulu needs right now to coax more people to the movies page.
The Shawshank Redemption
The prison film The Shawshank Redemption tops the user-generated list of the best movies of all time on IMDb. And although it's a long movie, it's an ideal film to add to Hulu.
Adding The Shawshank Redemption would transform Hulu's movie page. Undoubtedly, film schools and film buffs alike would study the film and take the chance to use the stream to quickly and effectively find their favorite scenes. And considering moviegoers have voted it the best of all time, isn't that enough justification to add it to Hulu?
The Dark Knight
The 2008 Batman blockbuster, The Dark Knight, should be added to Hulu as soon as possible. If that happens, Hulu could finally prove to its users (and especially its critics) that it too can start offering movies as they're made available on DVD and Blu-ray.
And that's precisely why it needs to be added to Hulu. Right now, the service is filled with old, barely known films that generally fail to captivate audiences. If The Dark Knight could make its way to the service, it would immediately show that Hulu is capable of offering major titles within a reasonable amount of time since its release. I think it would make Hulu's movie page more relevant.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
No offense, but I don't think Hulu has that much influence over the wedding industry.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1869898
Not only can a class justify the purchase of a $15 DVD, a teacher would be irresponsible to introduce all the potential risks and failure points of not having the movie on hand to play... a failed or slow internet connection (or jack, or cable, or NIC, or configuration, or login) would not only cause a technical difficulty, but the new technology would do so in a way that an organization's AV techs might not even be familiar with or able to support - and even if they were, might have to resign to a simple "well... internet is acting up today!".
A site like this is great for home use, for entertainment - when you don't need to DEPEND on the content. When you do - what is that adage - a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?
maybe after the MPAA has verified that every household in america has legally purchased two copies *and* the batman box set (purchased at the full retail price, of course) you will be able to see the dark night on line for $30 a viewing, but for the foreseeable future the dark knight will cost everyone big bucks to see, hear, or even think about.
Citizen Kane - Turner (Warner Bros) and there is a dispute over this with Orson Welles's estate
The Godfather (I, II, & III) - Paramount
Goodfellas - Warner Bros
The Shawshank Redemption - Castle Rock (Warner Bros)
The Dark Knight - Warner Bros
Now why would any of these studios give Hulu, which is owned by NBC Universal and Fox, them rights to distribute their films? Why would they help out a competitor?
Now if you mentioned these movies, then your idea would make sense:
Star Wars (all of them) - 20th Century Fox
Scarface - Universal Pictures
Get the picture?
They'd be shooting themselves in the foot by offering new releases online for free, before even TV stations are able to circulate them.
Having said that, though, I use Hulu ALL THE TIME, since I don't own a TV...many of the movies I've watched on there are [surprisingly] decent films that I would have not even known about if it weren't for Hulu.
(And is it too much to ask for major blockbusters that were released in the 2000-2005 range? I don't think so...I wish they had more such titles.)
I understand that there's quite a backlog to make available, but making new releases available should be a priority.
I really don't want to watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington again :(
- by yanchineseguy January 21, 2009 10:33 AM PST
- Umm... What's with the Twitter logo?
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