Happy May Day everyone! A sort of holiday celebrated on college campuses the way most things are celebrated on college campuses-with binge drinking. Think of it as New Year’s Day but in the spring. Netflix is celebrating by removing over 2,000 titles from its ever shrinking movie rolls. Classic titles like Cleopatra and less classic ones like Barb Wire will already be gone by the time you log in today. You can check out the whole list here.
In a statement for the online magazine Mashable, Netflix communication director Joris Evers explained:
“Netflix is a dynamic service, we constantly update the TV shows and movies that are available to our members. We will add more than 500 titles May 1, but we also have titles expiring, this ebb and flow happens all the time. We are selective about what’s available to watch on Netflix. We often license TV shows and movies on an exclusive basis, so we can provide a unique experience. We’ll forego, or choose not renew, titles that aren’t watched enough. We always use our knowledge about what our members love to watch to decide what’s available on Netflix. Our goal is to be an expert programmer, offering a mix that delights our members, rather than trying to be a broad distributor.”
Though I often complain about what is available to watch instantly on Netflix, I am not that upset over the departure of a portion of their content. It should help to clean out my bloated Instant Queue. At the beginning of each month I search through the recently added section to fill my instant queue with a large selection of things I “may” watch: documentaries I never got to see, feature films I was unwilling to pay for or rent but I would watch for free if beamed directly into my home. The Instant Queue taunts me and shines a light on two things: first, that I believe I will enjoy far more programs than I will, and second, that I would actually have time to view all of these programs without breaking my leg or catching the flu.
On May 24th, Netflix will silence many critics when it launches all 13 episodes of the triumphant return of Arrested Development. The show that
broadcast television could not wait to cancel returns after a seven year hiatus. Finally someone was able to SOB and I can taste the happy already! It seems only fitting that the show that made me believe in television again will help many believe in Netflix once more. So fire up the Cornballer, put on your cut offs and eat a whole thing of candy beans!