Last Netflix DVD

John Patrick/Beasley Media

One last Netflix DVD.

Seemed like the thing to do at the time. Signing up to receive movies from NETFLIX. Signing up to get them on DVD. We were already subscribing, and they had begun to stream movies, but the streaming movies couldn’t hold a candle to the selection available with DVD’s. After a movie had been released in the theatres, when it became available for watching at home, the best ones were still on DVD, not streaming.

So that’s what we did, and we did it for a long time, so long, that I began to think that I was one of the last people on the planet still getting DVD’s.

Movie Nights

We had movie night, we had movie nights during COVID, but, during COVID the streaming choices began to improve dramatically. We were asking to fewer and fewer DVD’s.

I never bothered to cancel the DVD service. By the way, they love people like me. Pay for the service and then never use the service. Here’s the other thing, COVID decimated Hollywood and for the longest time, no new movies were being released. If they weren’t released, then they wouldn’t have come to DVD. Yep, there were some movies that during COVID bypassed the theaters, but by this time, when released, they were available to stream. Remember?

Discontinuing Service

So that brings us too today. A couple of months ago, NETFLIX announced that they would be shuttering the DVD subscription model. The business model they pioneered. They also announced that when the day came to shut it down, customers who were still on the DVD plan, and I came to find out there were still about a million of us, could KEEP the final order of DVD’s.

So, here’s the thing. The DVD plan we were on was one disc at a time. We’d order one, it would come, we’d watch it, or not, and then send it back and order another. Some folks had plans that allowed them to order several discs at once, we were not on that plan.

So, when the time came last week to place the final order, I was a little unsure as to how they would handle me. Could I order more than one disc? After all, they’re just trying to clean out the warehouse. So, here’s what I did. I made sure the first DVD I ordered was the one I really wanted. Skyfall, the James Bond movie with Daniel Craig. I ordered some more. Being a 12-year-old, I ordered two more Bond movies…Goldfinger and No Time to Die. I also ordered It’s a Wonderful Life in the hopes of showing it to my morning show partner, Mary Liz, who has NEVER seen it.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 16: Daniel Craig arrives at the "Skyfall" Australian premiere at the State Theatre on November 16, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

In the end, I got one. I guess because that was my plan. So, I got Skyfall.

We still have a DVD player; I have no idea if I’ll ever watch it.

I think the lesson to be learned from this exercise is that there’s a good chance today’s format for anything will NOT be the final format. It might not even be around two years from now.

Just something to keep in mind.

29 Movies That Turn 40 in 2023

When looking at the movies that turn 40 in 2023, one thing is very clear: 1983 kind of ruled!

In 1983, a holiday classic was born with A Christmas Story. Meanwhile, a star was born in Tom Cruise thanks to Risky Business. Women started cutting up their sweatshirts thanks to Flashdance, and a new sex symbol was born thanks to that gold bikini in Return of the Jedi. We also said hello to a little friend (Scarface), gave our daughter the shot (Terms of Endearment) and were gagged with a spoon (Valley Girl.)

Here are 29 movies that turn 40 in 2023. Even the biggest cynic would agree that 1983 at the movies was totally tubular.