Tuesday, August 23, 2005

DVD Etiquette

WARNING: If you do not have HBO or cable and like me, watch many shows when they come out on DVD, like let’s just say SIX FEET FREAKING UNDER, and you do not want to know how they turn out, do not read the following.

No really, don’t read it. Even though it’s already been spoiled all over the place, I’m going to spoil it one more time just because I’m so darn cranky now.

Nate died, I heard.

I also knew before watching that his wife went missing, I knew that Brenda was a sex addict, and that her brother was in love with her, I knew that Ruth got married, I knew pretty much every significant plot point before it happened. Same with Sex and the City and The Sopranos by the way. Carrie ends up with Big? Hey thanks. Ralphie gets his head packed into a bowling bag? Good to know. Only because all these shows are so well-written and acted do I bother to put them on my Netflix queue.

But I think there need to be some ground rules. For the most part, it seems as though most film critics would never give away a film’s ending without giving the reader warning. Why this rule does not seem to apply to television series that have great numbers of rental dollars in their future, I do not know. The Times yesterday had a huge article about the end of 6FU, which, even if I had chosen not to read it, had the spoiler right in the title, and as we speak, Terry Gross is on Fresh Air interviewing Alan Ball, the creator of the show, with the teaser about Nate’s death right at the top, before I had a chance to decide if I wanted to listen or not. Is there some difference between giving away the secrets of TV and the movies? What would that be?

I might propose a time limit after which most people would have seen something, like maybe after twenty-five years say, it’s okay to mention that Tony dies at the end of West Side Story, or that Norman Bates had issues with his mother? How about that?

Okay, I’m done beefing for today. I’m coldy and tired and I know some of you people who I adore have blogged about this, and I still adore you but… cut it out! Or give me a heads up. Either one.

7 comments:

Teodoro Callate said...

Tony dies? DOH! I had just rented that. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

Mistah Kurtz He Dead said...

E.T. doesn't really die, though.

Anonymous said...

I misjudged. Apparently it should be a fifty year rule. I'm so sorry, T. I guess you didn't know it's based on Romeo and Juliet? Crap, have I given that away too?

Ken Foster said...

Now I feel awful for posting "NATE'S DEAD" on my blog. I hope I didn't also spoil March of the Penguins...

Mistah Kurtz He Dead said...

...and that chick from The Crying Game...

Anonymous said...

Aw, I'm sorry Ken, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Does one of the penguins die?

Ken Foster said...

I'm not going to say.