The GARTHOG at HOME

  Going to movies is so expensive these days, so a little while back I decided to download movies off of the internet and then watch them from home. I even watch brand new movies that a just released in theaters. Lot's of people have a problem with this because of core beliefs that they are somehow "stealing" something someone else has worked hard to "sell"...Or that they are breaking the law by viewing shared files with their friends and family.

 But in the past year, I have seen "THE BLIND SIDE", "THE INFORMANT", "PRECIOUS", "CRAZY HEART", "2012", "AVATAR", "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY" and a gazillion other movies just days after their release and I have not set foot in a movie theater! I can't begin to tell you how much money I would have spent traveling to, pay for, and eating at these movies...how about $35.00 EACH! ...If you add up the admission price ( times 2, for my girlfriend ), that's $9.50 plus $9.50= $19.00, then add popcorn ($4.50 x 2 )= $9.00, then soda ($3.50 x 2)=$7.00, that adds up to $35.00 per movie! Now don't forget the gas to get there, people on their cell phones in the theater, obnoxious people in the theater and in the end YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN LIKE THE MOVIE...NO REFUNDS!

   Now don't get me wrong, nothing can beat the actual movie-going experience, especially if the movie is in 3-D, but the advantages of watching them from home usually outweighs the tradition of going there personally... You don't have to get dressed up; if you smoke (tobacco or weed) HAVE AT IT!; You can grab food straight from the fridge;If you drink beer then GO FOR IT!; If you don't like the movie then just cut it of (you didn't pay for it anyway), or if you get drowsy and want to watch it later just put it on "pause"; The family also wins because they can watch movie ( both brand new and old) just by downloading it (for free!) and burning it on a blank DVD disc, or just watching it on the computer...add surround sound to the computer audio and the experience it GREAT!...ADD ALL THE MONEY UP TO TAKE THE WHOLE FAMILY TO THE SHOW!...I watched GRAND TORINO (Clint Eastwood) on my computer with surround sound and LOVED IT, and was still in my bathrobe, so was my girlfriend.

  As for breaking the law, LimeWire is shared files, Ringtones are shared files, Itunes, Lauchcast, Yahoo Music and so many others are shared files, so the law is ambiguous as to what is legal and illegal. I look at it like this, I can watch all the movies I want, BUT I CAN'S SELL THEM FOR A PROFIT!....That would violate federal copyright laws and I can be arrested on the spot and thrown into the federal pen. Not to mention any civil suits that may ensue. But there is no law stopping me from sharing the files with my friends (NOT SELLING), both at home and all over the the world wide web...at least not yet...

   Finally, the quality of the movies downloaded off the internet is not always good, in fact it is often poor quality. At the show you can laugh and cry with total strangers and the quality of the visuals is ALWAYS SUPERIOR THAN WATCHING IT AT HOME.  So, depending on how bad you want quality sound and visuals, you might want pay for the movie-going experience. But most of the time, this simply wasn't the case...."THIS IS IT" you can watch at home, "AVATAR" you definitely watch at the show and "LEGION" you want your money back!...oops, that's right....NO REFUNDS!

   If you want some tips on how to burn movies, tv shows, brand new software and music ( both old and new) at home just let me know...I have all the DISNEY MOVIES and a whole collection of "Sanford and Son" episodes...this knowledge is PRICELESS...

                               I'll be in touch.....

                                              THE GARTHOG