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Gaming Netflix Ratings?

Posted by kdawson on from the stadium-seated-astroturf dept.

Nom du Keyboard writes "Not for the first time, I've noticed a new film that hasn't yet even reached the theaters, yet has hundreds of positive votes and/or reviews recorded on Netflix. This time the movie is Inkheart. For a movie that doesn't even hit the theaters until January 23, it already has 428 votes and a rating of 4.3 (out of 5) on Netflix. Seems more than a bit fraudulent to me. Also, it has a review that doesn't even review the movie, but instead says the books are great, therefore the movie should be too. Does the word 'shills' come to mind? With millions spent to promote a movie, are a few hundred of that going to phony voters? Or have that many people actually seen the film and just can't wait to rush home and log onto Netflix to vote? Just what is Netflix's responsibility here to provide honest ratings?"

15 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Not to disagree with your conspiracy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    But it isn't rare for there to be advanced screenings of a movie a week or two in advance of the public release date.

    I wonder if we'll ever see movie cinemas with terminals or similar at them that let you rate a movie as you walk out after seeing it.

    1. Re:Not to disagree with your conspiracy... by LatencyKills · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Back in college I somehow ended up screening a number of films before release (I think the process was something like a guy on campus asking if I'd like free tickets to a new movie). Before the movie there would be a quick spiel about the film not yet being released and that our feedback was very important, then they'd show the film, then they'd hand out a sheet of questions for us to answer. I recall that I saw Fletch 2 that way, and that the ending I saw in the screening was very different from the one I saw later in the theater. I also remember seeing a Judge Reinhold movie to wretched that everyone trashed it on the sheets, and I don't think it even came out in the theaters. It might have been released direct to video.

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  2. Not released? by Seriph · · Score: 5, Informative

    Maybe not released yet in the US, but there is a world beyond the US borders and the film has been released places there. It's actually quite a good film based on an interesting idea.

    1. Re:Not released? by aitikin · · Score: 5, Informative

      Seriph brings up a perfect point. IMDB seems to back that information up fairly well.

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      "Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
    2. Re:Not released? by retyurecvb · · Score: 5, Informative

      Doesn't Netflix only service the U.S. though?

    3. Re:Not released? by Monsieur_F · · Score: 5, Informative

      From imdb
      Release dates for Inkheart (2008)
      Country : Date
      Germany : 11 December 2008
      UK : 12 December 2008
      Brazil : 25 December 2008
      Iceland : 26 December 2008

      --
      McCartney fans pay bus tickets. [...] Lennon fans too, with discretion.
    4. Re:Not released? by diskis · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Piratebay services also the U.S.

      If the movie is out somewhere, there is a torrent of it.

  3. I've seen it by Colin+Smith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait. I must be lying because it isn't released yet... Or... Perhaps the world extends beyond American borders. What, Americans make up only 5% of the world population? (10% by body mass)

     

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    Deleted
    1. Re:I've seen it by novakyu · · Score: 5, Funny

      Every country has McDonald's, a biological warfare arm of the U.S. military. No marines needed—we can get them with high cholesterol, wherever they are.

  4. already out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    kdawson is a drama queen.

    Release:
    Germany 11 December 2008
    UK 12 December 2008
    Brazil 25 December 2008
    Iceland 26 December 2008

  5. This sort of thing is everywhere by AndrewStephens · · Score: 5, Funny

    This happens everywhere. Why, even this very comment was modded to +2 before I even made it. You can't trust anyone these days.

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    sheep.horse - does not contain information on sheep or horses.
  6. Maybe YOU'RE the Shill by DavidD_CA · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Getting a link to a movie on Slashdot. How much did they pay you for that?

    Seriously, even if the movie hadn't been released anywhere, there are still plenty of opportunities to see it. Producers hold previews all the time, and it wouldn't surprise me if they modernized things by encouraging those previewers to post their comments right at the theatre lobby.

    This happens on Amazon.Com quite often, with products that are not yet released. Do I consider it fraud? Not necessarily. Once the masses weigh in, the law of averages will too.

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    -David
  7. Not only that, but... by hummassa · · Score: 5, Informative

    Inkheart is in the theatres here in Brasil for the last three weeks.
    Maybe it just didn't hit the theatres in the OP's city/state/country??

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    It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
  8. Re:US Only? by hab136 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had thought Netflix was a US only service. 400+ reviews for a film that's only been released overseas seems quite a lot - I guess Governor Palin has reignited the legendary American love of travel and curiosity about foreign countries.

    Russia put up a big, big movie screen so Alaskans can watch from their house.

  9. Re:behold by corsec67 · · Score: 5, Informative

    dd/mm/yy

    That is the worst way to write dates. You can't tell 2010 and 1910 apart, and if you try to sort a bunch of files named by date, in your scheme the dates are all mixed up.

    You want big-endian, and 4 digit years:

    YYYY/MM/DD.

    The ISO agrees

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