Thanks, pesky. I figured it would be the retread-narrative issue...it worked my nerves a fair bit, definitely (although I have to admit I've never seen Fern Gully--now that I read the synopsis I'd say I definitely agree. Wow.) Maybe it's just my wish to rationalize that made me able to see how the retreads were reborn by the particular plot structure, with the interaction of actual hard science (represented by Sigourney Weaver, one of my favorite actors -- gotta give him credit for putting an older woman in a position of rational authority rather than a man--means a lot to me as I enter menopause) rather than fairies, and a multinational/multiplanetary corporation that's above the law. The story that's most cited so far in reviews I've read is Dances with Wolves, and I can really agree on that one as well, with small twists. Despite the retreadness, I found myself thinking that Cameron is simply, undeniably, a brilliant guy and I wanted to thank him for doing what he did. Every aspect of the world is so completely thought out, and the technology so significant that I decided that criticizing the dramaturgy would be meanspirited, ungenerous, would be demanding too much of just one person (that's just me, and I'm realizing my opinions are colored by nearing 50 rather than being an insistent young critic as I was earlier). Of course Cameron is arrogant, etc. but he has *inarguably* moved film ahead drastically by his passionate imagination.

I love Netflix also. We have the unlimited two at a time plan. They have a plan that's $5, but there's a limit of two DVD's for the month. Ours is like Jodi's. We can get as many as we want during the month. The only restriction is that we can't have more than two at home at a time. The shipping is fast. Usually I send a movie off & they receive it & ship a new one in 1-2 days. If we watch both movies on a weekend & send them back on Mon. we have two new ones in plenty of time for the next weekend. Our plan is $14/month. We sometimes watch two movies on a Sat. night. If we were renting or using pay per view on the cable that would be close to $10, so I think the Netflix is a pretty good deal. We been subscribing for a year & it's been a really good experience. I also like that you can add movies to your que before they're released. It will just add it with a note of when it's expected to be released on DVD. There is no extra postage; all fees are included in your monthly charge. It's a really great service. We also rent movies sometimes from Redbox. At $1/night, it's pretty good if you're just not in the mood for one of the Netflix movies you have. Redbox seems pretty popular & movies vary per location. You can go online to reserve them, but it's a little hit-or-miss. Still a good deal if they have something you want. We got one that was scratched & I went online & reported it on their website. Within a couple of days they had removed the charge from our debit card. There are a lot of websites where you can get coupons. I just found some for $1 off two cans of Progresso soup. Wal-Mart price is $1.25/can. That leaves me with a final price of $0.75/can. These are manufacturers' coupons so they should be good anywhere. Couponmom.com is a good site. You can also buy coupons on ebay. The seller charges a small fee to clip them. Like with most things, you have to check the details. If it's a lot of coupons for something you only use occasionally & the expiration date is close, it may not be worth even the small clipping fee. Be sure to check the expiration date & make sure to see that it's a manufacturer coupon or one that's good in a store you have nearby. If you're looking to save money, I've found that buying bread at the bakery thrift store is a good way to do that. I like Nature's Own, which is nearly $3/loaf even in Wal-Mart. My thrift store usually has it for $1.80 buy one get one free, so I get it for around $0.90/loaf.

Thanks Erica, That info from the Wall Street Journal does seem to clinch my decision. We always seem to like the weird unpopular movies so sounds like Netflix is best for us. (Hope this isn't a payoff by Netflix to the Journal for a good article LOL). Along with the fact that I love the website for Netflix. It is so thorough and makes it easy to get ideas along with tracking my own activity. But the good news is that since there is no longterm contract with Netflix, I can quit anytime if one of the others does improve their inventory and Netflix doesn't lower their price. I see lower prices in the future, competition is good. STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I have no association with Netflix other than as a new customer. --Alice

I like a series and for some reason feel compelled to keep watching this one. It is funny in its ABSURDITY. I certainly hope there is NOTHING real about it. The chemical use alone tells the tale IMHO. To live as these people do ya have to be HIGH, otherwise saner heads would prevail and better choices would be made.