On movies that are classic but heavy...

I was reading an opinion piece in a local newspaper, and I couldn't help smiling at myself while reading it. The writer laments on his failed attempt to aspire to movies like Rashomon that are classic but heavy. His vanity was boosted by netflix that doesn't impose due dates on DVD rentals and no late fees, though the carrying cost, in the form of monthly subscription cost, can get hefty, should he decide to keep it for long. It turns out, this writer has kept it for more than a year now, and the DVDs keep starring back at him from the dusty shelf. According to the writer too, he's not alone, based on some (unscientific) online poll.

I too have this issue sometimes, even though I watch classics and old movies all the time. I don't normally "waste" my netflix rentals, and my turnaround time is always 1-2 days. (Netflix probably loses money on regulars like me who are heavy users, but faithful.) But I would procrastinate with DVDs that are from library. Afterall, if I don't watch it, I'll just return it, and borrow it again. There's no penalty to it.

I've noticed that I've been treating the Watch-it-now queue in netflix like I treat the library DVDs. Afterall, it doesn't cost me anything. And they will always be available at a later date anyways.

That leads me to ponder on the wisdom of how economics can modify human behavior; or rather, human behavior is often adjusted to suit economic needs. I bet if I had not needed to pay for the netflix monthly, I would have treated it the same way. I've been thinking too, that if my masters program has not been this expensive (even if my employer is paying for it), and that I need grades of B+ or above in order to get reimbursed, I might not have that diligent to the class.

Humans, humans... We can be quite vain.