Apr 16 2009 Everyone Keeps Renting 'Crash'

In another upset win, the Chicago Tribune is reporting Crash, the 2005 Academy Award-winning film, is the most queued and received film in the NetFlix catalog:

[S]ince its DVD debut in September 2005, "Crash" has remained Netflix's No. 1 rented movie—much to the delight and confusion of its director, Paul Haggis.

"I just assumed it was some sort of anomaly," Haggis told the Tribune recently. "I have no idea why anyone went to the movie in the first place, let alone rent it. It was a little independent film, and when people started to see it, I was amazed."

But "Crash's" reign at Netflix is no anomaly, says spokesman Steve Swasey, just hard numbers. More customers have put the movie in their queues and received it, on a weekly basis, than any other film. ( Carol Stream is home to one of Netflix's distribution hubs.)

"It's been out so long, it adds to the demand for people wanting to see it," Swasey said.

Too bad there's no data for how many times a Netflix-received movie has spurred the reaction, "God, I guess I did queue this up at some point. Why did I think I wanted to see this? Because it won an Oscar? Put that back in the mailbox; I need that final disc of Six Feet Under." I bet Crash is ranking pretty high in that category too.

(via Cinematical)

Jan 30 2008 'Crash' Coming to TV, So What Else Could?

Riding off the high of a three-year-old Best Picture Oscar Win, it's been announced that the ensemble melodrama Crash will be coming to Starz as an original series. So I started thinking, what other Oscar winners could we cash in for a probably-terrible television series, and what would they be like? This is as far as I got:

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - The king is back--and he wants the fellowship to rent an apartment! Ut oh!

Forrest Gump (1994) - It's like Quantum Leap with an idiot, with Forrest time traveling to cause famous events in history. And Bubba is Al.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - All of the current Hannibal-related movies are broken up into half-hour shows, and a laugh-track is added.

Dances with Wolves (1990) - A reality show in which Kevin Costner competes against other celebrities to create the best dance possible with a wolf partner.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989) - Cash Cab, but they'll only pick up white contestants.

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) - Retitled Kramer vs. Cramer, Michael Richards and Mad Money's Jim Cramer compete in weekly verbal and physical sparring.

The French Connection (1971) - Gene Hackman joins host Chuck Woolery in the search for love abroad.

The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) - Just some people singing or dancing, maybe lifting things? I don't think it matters. With a name like The Greatest Show on Earth, who's not going to watch?

Any other Best Pictures you think would make a good television series?