Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

MPAA Ruins Own Films As Anti-Piracy Measure

Posted by Hemos on from the if-i-can't-have-it-no-one-will dept.

WCityMike writes "Steve Kraus, a Chicago film projectionist, noted in this week's Movie Answer Man column that movie studios are quite purposefully putting 'large reddish brown spots that flash in the middle of the picture, usually placed in a light area' in order to ruin computer-compressed pirated copies of films. Among recent films that feature these spots are 'Ali,' 'Behind Enemy Lines,' '28 Days Later,' 'Freddy vs. Jason' and 'Underworld.' (I guess they had to destroy the movies in order to save them ... )"

14 of 732 comments (clear)

  1. someone had to say it... by Transient0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    They've been doing this for years. It's a simple plan: make movies so bad no one will want to copy them.

    --
    lysergically yours
    1. Re:someone had to say it... by Skyshadow · · Score: 5, Funny
      Hey, it worked for Metallica. How many people do you honestly think kept a copy of St. Anger on their hard drive?

      I have 100 gigs of space, and I still wouldn't spare three megs of my valuable diskspace for that piece of crapola....

      --
      Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
    2. Re:someone had to say it... by jeffy124 · · Score: 5, Funny

      either bad movies or bad names that no one can pronounce, thus leading to lack of ticket sales. i could just see how such a box-office scene would play out:

      moviegoer: two for jigly please
      pimply-faced-kid: wha?
      m: gigy.
      p: huh?
      m: zhe-he
      p: i beg your pardon?
      m: ah screw it, two for seabiscuit!

      --
      The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
    3. Re:someone had to say it... by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 5, Funny

      3 megs for a full record?

      It's a new lossy compression method. You rip one track, and include a text file that says, "... And a lot more of the same ..."

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
  2. Go red dots! by lunarscape · · Score: 5, Funny

    The red dots were the best part of some of those movies.

    1. Re:Go red dots! by Gzip+Christ · · Score: 5, Funny
      The red dots were the best part of some of those movies.
      You corporate whore! I, for one, am appalled by this overly aggressive product placement by 7UP.


      --------
      The fake Gzip Christ isn't not user number ~0xA6CA7

  3. solution? by micronix1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    they should blast the audience with emp energy. take out cell phones and cameras alike. no cameras = no piracy. maybe they can even make one for loud annoying kids.

    1. Re:solution? by killmenow · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, the couple in the back having sex is placed there by the MPAA. They figure, if you can video tape people having sex with your handi-cam, you won't bother with the movie...

  4. Celluloid Crap by hirschma · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've been saying for years that the big studios are just flinging shit onto film. Now we have more direct evidence :)

  5. It's not anti-piracy... by The_Rippa · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's just Tyler Durden messing around again. Look closely and you'll find it's a penis.

  6. The solution to everything by zaphod.nu · · Score: 5, Funny

    And in other news the MPAA will require people to duct tape their eyelids closed before entering the cinema. A MPAA spokesperson was quoted saying:
    - "In order to produce decent movies we have to make sure noone sees them".

  7. Prior art! by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somewhere just beyond the asteroid belt, Jupiter is on the phone to its lawyer...

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  8. Re:Try this one... by UrgleHoth · · Score: 5, Funny

    lose conciousness from chronic brain death

    I suppose no one can rightfully argue with you on the point that death is chronic.

    --

    Dogma - "let's just say we'd like to avoid any empirical entanglements."
  9. You misspelled... by DrMorpheus · · Score: 5, Funny
    So it's now some "garage art" movement.
    You misspelled "garbage"...
    --
    Debunking the "59 Deceits"