February 2011

Am trying Netflix's $7.99 "streaming only" plan and had a discouraging experience. Despite disclaimers for "hard language" the print of Hopscotch (1980) is a bowdlerized TV version. Knew something was up when Ned Beattie used "freaking" as a swear word--no one did that in '80--but then his voice said "son of a gun" while his lips were saying something else. Stopped watching and jotted an "online review" to alert viewers to the family-friendly remix, in the course of which I learned that the software doesn't allow you to use the word "Netflix"! Substituted "N-----x" but have no confidence my caveat will see the light of day (it takes a couple of days for approval and haven't checked back).

Earlier I noticed they are using a pan and scan version of Lynch's Dune but not the Alan Smithee TV cut, at least. By way of balance, the "foreign" selections are pretty good--haven't noticed any strange edits.