Let's Go out to E-Movies

by Scott Bass for Digital Living Today

With the recent proliferation of broadband delivery options, in addition to online success stories about short film sites like AtomFilms http://www.atomfilms.com and iFilm http://www.ifilm.com, more people are getting excited about and interested in online movies. Sure, in the past, we’ve had to contend with poor data compression, low bit rates and abysmal selection, but the picture looks better-as evidenced by the increasing number of sites offering full-length streaming content. So nuke a bowl of Jiffy Pop and join us on a little tour of what’s playing on the Net-there’s no need to show an ID and admission is free!

At LikeTelevision (http://www.liketelevision.com), you’ll find classic TV episodes, current weather, and exclusive musical performances, as well as more than a hundred full-length films. The categories range from comedy to horror to documentary, and my all-time favorite genre, cult classics! (“Wild Women of Wongo” is a must-see).

The motto at MovieFlix (http://www.movieflix.com) is that “someday we’ll all watch movies this way.” You’ll find a diverse mix of Indy films and classics like 1977’s sci-fi shocker “Suspiria” (starring Jessica Harper) and 1963’s “Blood Feast” which was probably the goriest movie ever made at the time of its release.

CinemaPop (http://www.cinemapop.com) has a stunning user interface and a unique proposition. They’re confident that you’ll enjoy their 250+ free films that they’re banking on you paying to see their premium content for $4.95 a month. Considering the quality of the streaming video, and the overall site, they just might succeed.

MeTV (http://www.metv.com) offers music videos, extreme sports, TV previews, and even cooler than all of that… 150 full-length independent and public domain films, all for free-everything from “Godzilla” to “Bruce Lee” and more recent instant cult classics like “Miami Beach Cops” and “Wild Passion.”

Let’s not forget the kids! Over at Rumpus (http://www.rumpus.com) you’ll find “Herschel Hopper, New York Rabbit,” the first ever full-length animated feature online! The movie features gorgeous animation, a hilarious soundtrack, and narration by none other than ex-NYC mayor Ed Koch! Note: Rumpus will release their second feature-length production for kids, “The Day I Saved America,” on November 21, 2000.

As the name would imply, Westerns.com (http://www.westerns.com) offers 107 Western flicks. The bit rates aren’t that hot, but something tells me that to a hardcore fan, the chance to see classics like “Border Feud” and “Honor of the Range” will be hard to pass up at any resolution.

Next time you feel like kicking back to watch a movie and complain that “nothing’s on,” remember that online something is always on.

***DLT Tip: If you are an aspiring filmmaker, CinemaNow (http://www.cinemanow.com) is a great resource to hone your craft. Of interest to everyone is their showcase of on-demand movies, available in bit rates up to a blazing 700 Kbps. Plus, they offer some recent releases like “The Stoned Age” (a rewrite of “Dazed and Confused”) and “Doom Generation” starring Rose McGowan.