Emerald City Video Podcast

It's really more of a spiritual sequel...

Are the kids getting into tapes because of Taylor Swift?

What is “second screen” content?

Will Killers of the Flower Moon ever get a physical release?

Is there a need for movie takedown posts? Not critical reviews but social media that just s***s on other peoples work.

What did you call your video tape player back in the day? VHS player? VCR? Tape Machine?

Russ and Zach delve into these questions and of course, much much more in this special extended episode of the Emerald City Video Podcast.

In this episode Russ Burlingame and Zach Roberts chat about the drawbacks of streaming media, the fact that directors are getting angry about how their films look on streaming apps, award-winning director of The Godfather not being able to find a home for his new film and so much more.

Part two of this episode will be dropping this week, so listen up kids!

Just some of the stories we’re chatting about, some of these we’ll get to in part 2:

Killers flower moon no physical media release date

https://www.joblo.com/is-killers-of-the-flower-moon-not-coming-to-blu-ray-after-all/

Rewinder Cars!

https://thenewswheel.com/videocassette-vehicles-remember-vhs-tape-rewinder-cars/

Roku adding ads through HDMI

https://www.lowpass.cc/p/roku-hdmi-ad-insertion-patent

Did You See (and Hear) That? Why Home Viewing Can Be Dark and Inaudible

https://filmmakermagazine.com/125430-home-viewing-problems-audio-video-streaming/

Filmmaker of Immaculate disappointed in color and lighting of different streaming outlets.

https://x.com/michaelmohan/status/1795305441674875374?s=46&t=oCX7LFzPAI6SZTIz1OcNpw

Coppola can’t find distributor

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/megalopolis-francis-ford-coppola-challenges-distribution-1235867556/

Can’t do this with digital media.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/wamjkjchtq11edw6/?mibextid=xCPwDs

Seinfeld thinks movies aren’t culturally relevant anymore

https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/jerry-seinfeld-says-the-movie-business-is-over-plugs-his-new-movie.php

Young listeners are pressing play on cassette tapes

https://thehustle.co/news/young-listeners-are-pressing-play-on-cassette-tapes

The Criterion Collection is sold to new owner, along with Janus Films

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/criterion-janus-films-sell-indian-paintbrush-steven-rales-1236011122/

Are the kids getting into tapes because of Taylor Swift?

What is “second screen” content?

Will Killers of the Flower Moon ever get a physical release?

Is there a need for movie takedown posts? Not critical reviews but social media that just s***s on other peoples work.

What did you call your video tape player back in the day? VHS player? VCR? Tape Machine?

Russ and Zach delve into these questions and of course, much much more in this special extended episode of the Emerald City Video Podcast.

Emerald City Video is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this episode Russ Burlingame and I chat about the drawbacks of streaming media, the fact that directors are getting angry about how their films look on streaming apps, award-winning director of The Godfather not being able to find a home for his new film and so much more.

Part two of this episode will be dropping this week, so listen up kids!

Just some of the stories we’re chatting about, some of these we’ll get to in part 2:

Killers flower moon no physical media release date

https://www.joblo.com/is-killers-of-the-flower-moon-not-coming-to-blu-ray-after-all/

Rewinder Cars!

https://thenewswheel.com/videocassette-vehicles-remember-vhs-tape-rewinder-cars/

Roku adding ads through HDMI

https://www.lowpass.cc/p/roku-hdmi-ad-insertion-patent

Did You See (and Hear) That? Why Home Viewing Can Be Dark and Inaudible

https://filmmakermagazine.com/125430-home-viewing-problems-audio-video-streaming/

Filmmaker of Immaculate disappointed in color and lighting of different streaming outlets.

https://x.com/michaelmohan/status/1795305441674875374?s=46&t=oCX7LFzPAI6SZTIz1OcNpw

Coppola can’t find distributor

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/megalopolis-francis-ford-coppola-challenges-distribution-1235867556/

Can’t do this with digital media.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/wamjkjchtq11edw6/?mibextid=xCPwDs

Seinfeld thinks movies aren’t culturally relevant anymore

https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/jerry-seinfeld-says-the-movie-business-is-over-plugs-his-new-movie.php

Young listeners are pressing play on cassette tapes

https://thehustle.co/news/young-listeners-are-pressing-play-on-cassette-tapes

The Criterion Collection is sold to new owner, along with Janus Films

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/criterion-janus-films-sell-indian-paintbrush-steven-rales-1236011122/

In this episode of the ECV podcast, Zach goes on several rants about sex in biographical movies, Russ talks about the likely consolidation of streaming services and we both hope that the end of Disney Movie Club means that we’ll see more physical media coming out.

Zach recommends Anthony Hopkins’ One Life, it’s still in theaters some places but definitely worth a stream when it comes out. Zach does not recommend Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon which is tediously long and oddly boringly shot. It seems that Phoenix just stayed in his Joker character for most of the film.

As always be back here by noon on the fifth day for more Emerald City Video Podcast.

This episode of the ECV Podcast we hit play the news of the last month. Chatting about teens learning the difficulties of opening cd’s (at least they don’t have to deal with the old BJ’s long plastic security holders), thereally cool new Evil Dead VHS (yeah that’s right, VHS) and much much more. Listen here or watch over on YouTube.

We’re going to start doing more physical media open boxings and discussions as we get them. Check out the one that Zach did over on his TikTok. Have any recommendations of what we should cover?

Show Notes:

Teens have problems opening CD’s ‘I shouldn’t feel this old’: Tween Swifties learn how to open ‘1989’ CD

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/taylo r-swift-1989-cd-tween-swifties/

WB shelves John Cena Movie - Coyote Vs ACME

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-cena-coyote-vs-acme-movie-shelved-1235643235/

Wil E Coyote sends a message 

https://twitter.com/thecolbyday/status/1723026345607786859

Creatives cancel meetings with WB

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/coyote-vs-acme-wb-warners-canceled-reversal-shop-film-1235645372/

Addendum to this: Brian Duffield in particular told his management he will no longer meet with WB - https://comicbook.com/movies/news/no-one-will-save-you-director-brian-duffield-says-he-wont-even-talk-to-warner-bros/

And saved - https://comicbook.com/movies/news/coyote-vs-acme-reportedly-being-shopped-to-distributors-instead-of-shelved-after-internet-outrage/

BTS Cast member videos https://imgur.com/gallery/LJf2nhq

Music: https://imgur.com/gallery/7sSh72s

Evil Dead VHS release

https://collider.com/evil-dead-2-vhs-release-date-images/

Netflix’s DVD.com short documentaries

Disney+ and Hulu to combine

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23952835/disney-plus-hulu-combined-app-q4-2023-earnings?recip_id=427800&lyt_id=427800

‘Reinventing history’: Experts warn the end of physical media will give tech giants even greater control - Experts say a future ruled by streaming and digital content poses a serious threat of censorship

https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/reinventing-history-experts-warn-end-physical-media-tech-giants-greater-control

Holiday guide for Physical media collectors

https://creepycatalog.com/black-friday-2023-online-sale-guide-for-physical-media-collectors/

This episode of the ECV Podcast we hit play the news of the last month. Chatting about teens learning the difficulties of opening cd’s (at least they don’t have to deal with the old BJ’s long plastic security holders), thereally cool new Evil Dead VHS (yeah that’s right, VHS) and much much more. Listen here or watch over on YouTube.

We’re going to start doing more physical media open boxings and discussions as we get them. Check out the one that Zach did over on his TikTok. Have any recommendations of what we should cover?

Show Notes:

Teens have problems opening CD’s ‘I shouldn’t feel this old’: Tween Swifties learn how to open ‘1989’ CD

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/taylo r-swift-1989-cd-tween-swifties/

WB shelves John Cena Movie - Coyote Vs ACME

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/john-cena-coyote-vs-acme-movie-shelved-1235643235/

Wil E Coyote sends a message 

https://twitter.com/thecolbyday/status/1723026345607786859

Creatives cancel meetings with WB

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/coyote-vs-acme-wb-warners-canceled-reversal-shop-film-1235645372/

Addendum to this: Brian Duffield in particular told his management he will no longer meet with WB - https://comicbook.com/movies/news/no-one-will-save-you-director-brian-duffield-says-he-wont-even-talk-to-warner-bros/

And saved - https://comicbook.com/movies/news/coyote-vs-acme-reportedly-being-shopped-to-distributors-instead-of-shelved-after-internet-outrage/

BTS Cast member videos https://imgur.com/gallery/LJf2nhq

Music: https://imgur.com/gallery/7sSh72s

Evil Dead VHS release

https://collider.com/evil-dead-2-vhs-release-date-images/

Netflix’s DVD.com short documentaries

Disney+ and Hulu to combine

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23952835/disney-plus-hulu-combined-app-q4-2023-earnings?recip_id=427800&lyt_id=427800

‘Reinventing history’: Experts warn the end of physical media will give tech giants even greater control - Experts say a future ruled by streaming and digital content poses a serious threat of censorship

https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/reinventing-history-experts-warn-end-physical-media-tech-giants-greater-control

Holiday guide for Physical media collectors

https://creepycatalog.com/black-friday-2023-online-sale-guide-for-physical-media-collectors/

Thank you for reading Emerald City Video. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Originally released on October 18 on Substack.

Well, this was supposed to be a short, well-planned out episode of the Emerald City Video podcast… but I guess that you all know us better than we do. We went longer than expected.

This week/month we start a new series of newsy discussions on the state of physical media. This is the Emerald City Video Podcast after all, we started this whole thing based off of working at video rental stores obsessed with movies that we could hold in our hands.

The past month has had it’s ups and downs when it comes to movies in a tangible form - Netflix ditched its DVD rental site but at the same time we’ve seen the largest number of discs be made ever. It’s an odd time for the Luddite movie appreciator.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/2023-set-to-break-the-record-for-most-dvd-releases-ever-but-theres-a-catch

According to the report, the total number of titles released in 2023 is on pace to be over 28,000 -- that's more than 5,000 more than last year...which is the current record-holder for the most titles ever released on disc. The number of titles has been creeping upwards since 2016, with  the pandemic marking a big increase. Looking at a chart included in the story, it appears the high water mark for official releases was 2006, just prior to the release of the Blu-ray format. The numbers crept downward after that, before suddenly getting markedly higher beginning in 2021. 

Well, I won’t tease too much of the episode here, other than to say physical is here to stay.

The links we mention in the show are below. I do apologize for not really reading that one oped well enough to see what they were going for. You’ll understand what I’m talking about when we get to it.

We’re now uploading every episode of ECV on YouTube with video - whether you like looking at our ugly mugs or not.

Subscribe now

Netflix to open its own physical stores and restaurants

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/netflix-ending-dvds-warning-film-1234831403/

https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/netflix-permanent-store-restaurant-launch-2025-1235756145/

Collectors say "there is an absolute need for physical media" as Best Buy halts in-store sales

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/collectors-say-there-is-an-absolute-need-for-physical-media-as-best-buy-halts-in-store-sales/

Walmart discontinuing physical games 

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/walmart-discontinuing-physical-games-media-xbox-2024/

Walmart is reportedly going to stop carrying physical games for select platforms next year. Over the last decade or so, we have seen a major rise in digital content. 

Physical media and censorship - oped

https://www.michigansthumb.com/opinion/article/internet-unforeseen-medium-orwell-bradbury-s-18414808.php

Physical books and media are something protected not only by law but also by history. Government seizures of physical property, especially books, are forever associated with regimes like Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia, to the point where any attempt by the government or other powerful group to take them would immediately be met with hostility, even if one political party or another didn't agree with what it had to say.

On the internet, however, if someone wants to edit a Wikipedia article or change someone's name in the credits of a movie (like they did with Elliot Page's name on Netflix in the credits of "Inception") they don't have to take anything. They just have to quietly alter it and nobody will be able to do a thing about it. It won't be seen as totalitarian or taking away people's freedoms or rewriting history.

The Digital-Only Era Is Here, and I’m Ready For It

https://www.ign.com/articles/the-digital-only-era-is-here-and-im-ready-for-it

But rather than lament its passing, it helped clarify my priorities. Which games do I want to own? And which games do I only want to own physically? This kind of thinking makes the games I do go out and purchase physical editions of that much more special, and my collection of physical media isn’t just “stuff I like” but “stuff I love.”

Pete Davidson Is Hoping to Make Money by Collecting Thousands of Sealed VHS Tapes: ‘It’s My GameStop'

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/alex-ocho/pete-davidson-money-vhs-tapes

20 secs into video - TLDR got really high, realized that they might become profitable. 

Well, this was supposed to be a short, well-planned out episode of the Emerald City Video podcast… but I guess that you all know us better than we do. We went longer than expected.

This week/month we start a new series of newsy discussions on the state of physical media. This is the Emerald City Video Podcast after all, we started this whole thing based off of working at video rental stores obsessed with movies that we could hold in our hands.

The past month has had it’s ups and downs when it comes to movies in a tangible form - Netflix ditched its DVD rental site but at the same time we’ve seen the largest number of discs be made ever. It’s an odd time for the Luddite movie appreciator.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/2023-set-to-break-the-record-for-most-dvd-releases-ever-but-theres-a-catch

According to the report, the total number of titles released in 2023 is on pace to be over 28,000 -- that's more than 5,000 more than last year...which is the current record-holder for the most titles ever released on disc. The number of titles has been creeping upwards since 2016, with  the pandemic marking a big increase. Looking at a chart included in the story, it appears the high water mark for official releases was 2006, just prior to the release of the Blu-ray format. The numbers crept downward after that, before suddenly getting markedly higher beginning in 2021. 

Well, I won’t tease too much of the episode here, other than to say physical is here to stay.

The links we mention in the show are below. I do apologize for not really reading that one oped well enough to see what they were going for. You’ll understand what I’m talking about when we get to it.

We’re now uploading every episode of ECV on YouTube with video - whether you like looking at our ugly mugs or not.

Netflix to open its own physical stores and restaurants

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/netflix-ending-dvds-warning-film-1234831403/

https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/netflix-permanent-store-restaurant-launch-2025-1235756145/

Collectors say "there is an absolute need for physical media" as Best Buy halts in-store sales

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/collectors-say-there-is-an-absolute-need-for-physical-media-as-best-buy-halts-in-store-sales/

Walmart discontinuing physical games 

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/walmart-discontinuing-physical-games-media-xbox-2024/

Walmart is reportedly going to stop carrying physical games for select platforms next year. Over the last decade or so, we have seen a major rise in digital content. 

Physical media and censorship - oped

https://www.michigansthumb.com/opinion/article/internet-unforeseen-medium-orwell-bradbury-s-18414808.php

Physical books and media are something protected not only by law but also by history. Government seizures of physical property, especially books, are forever associated with regimes like Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia, to the point where any attempt by the government or other powerful group to take them would immediately be met with hostility, even if one political party or another didn't agree with what it had to say.

On the internet, however, if someone wants to edit a Wikipedia article or change someone's name in the credits of a movie (like they did with Elliot Page's name on Netflix in the credits of "Inception") they don't have to take anything. They just have to quietly alter it and nobody will be able to do a thing about it. It won't be seen as totalitarian or taking away people's freedoms or rewriting history.

The Digital-Only Era Is Here, and I’m Ready For It

https://www.ign.com/articles/the-digital-only-era-is-here-and-im-ready-for-it

But rather than lament its passing, it helped clarify my priorities. Which games do I want to own? And which games do I only want to own physically? This kind of thinking makes the games I do go out and purchase physical editions of that much more special, and my collection of physical media isn’t just “stuff I like” but “stuff I love.”

Pete Davidson Is Hoping to Make Money by Collecting Thousands of Sealed VHS Tapes: ‘It’s My GameStop'

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/alex-ocho/pete-davidson-money-vhs-tapes

20 secs into video - TLDR got really high, realized that they might become profitable. 

Russ and I chat about the now-on-streaming WB movie “The Flash” which the time of recording our conversation, the film was still was puttering around theaters.

The film by all measures was unfortunately a financial bomb. Disney’s Elemental and Scream 6 both are almost certainly going to gross more than the $220 million WB film. But, both Russ and I hate the internet’s obsession with budgets and profits when talking about movies so let’s talk about the MOVIE.

[SPOILERS]

Ugh. Russ and I disagree a bit on the level of bad, (listen to the episode for more on that) but I found the movie dreadful as a whole and in its parts.

The only interesting new character was killed off, the CG ranged from passable to downright offensive to the legacy of the characters it was trying to honor, other Barry tried desperately to be funny but was truly just… terrible. I could go on, but we did… in the episode.

My main issue with The Flash, and Justice League for that matter was the waste of potential. Bringing back Keaton’s Batman was a fantastic idea but throwing away its possibilities in this script was just depressing. All the ideas that were good in this film are ones that likely will never return as they have this weight around their neck.

Anyway, listen to Russ and I chat about the film and we’ll have another episode - the back half of this conversation coming soon where we discuss other issues in movies and TV.