IMDb is "beta testing" a new link: "Rent it at blockbuster.com"

It's my impression/observation that this just debuted in the last few days.

It's right below the poster graphic in the left column, along with the "watch it now" button and the "buy it at Amazon" button.

So far, it looks like those buttons are only added when they can lead you to content, at Amazon or hulu. But the "rent it at blockbuster.com" button seems to be showing up for lots of stuff that Blockbuster does not stock.

Anyone else noticing this?

Tags: imdb, online rental, rent it at blockbuster

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Permalink Reply by ewd76 on July 2, 2009 at 11:07am: But the "rent it at blockbuster.com" button seems to be showing up for lots of stuff that Blockbuster does not stock.

That's funny, but I didn't notice because my use for IMDB is generally limited to trolling the message boards of recently deceased celebrities.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by I'm Not a Turnip on July 2, 2009 at 2:48pm: I love the Netflix "Add to Queue" button on Rotten Tomatoes and wish more sites would add it. Wouldn't you know, the two sites I use most often for research, Yahoo Movies & IMDB, are only linking to Lackluster.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Johnny on July 2, 2009 at 3:20pm: This doesn't let you add directly to queue, but does next best thing. If you use Firefox browser, the Greasemonkey script "The Movie Dude" ( or several similar scripts), let you jump between several movie sites for a particular movie. I.E. if you see a movie you like on IMDB, you can click on a Netflix link (or Rotten Tomatoes or >Metacritic, ...) to go directly to the Netflix page for that movie, where you can easily add it. Or vice versa from NEtflix to IMDB and others.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by I'm Not a Turnip on July 2, 2009 at 3:30pm: That sounds like something I would use - thanks for the tip!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Snorii on July 3, 2009 at 9:50am: I love Greasemonkey. (and Greasefire); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knaldskalle on July 10, 2009 at 6:18pm: Greasefire added, thanks!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by D._ on July 3, 2009 at 2:59am: I noticed it yesterday. I haven't been on the site for ages but when I saw the blkbuster button & not a Netflix one it slightly irritated me.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by beeswax on July 3, 2009 at 5:49am: it slightly irritated me

It doesn't seem like the smartest move Amazon's ever made ... but I guess they do consider themselves to be "in competition" with NF, since they now have a pay-as-you-go version of "instant watch." (Amazon owns IMDb, in case anyone didn't know that.)

But the irritating aspect (to me) is that the "blockbuster.com" link is on EVERYTHING. Including stuff that has never even been on vhs, much less made it to dvd yet. Makes it completely worthless to me -- as opposed to the semi-worthlessness that would naturally arise from the fact that I don't rent at BB -- since it doesn't pleasantly clue you in on the availability of any titles.

It seems extraordinarily inept, even if I were inclined to rent from BB. When I look up extremely unavailable U.S. tv series James at 15, I'm taken to a page telling me Blockbuster doesn't carry "James at 16." When I look up an almost-as-rare French tv version of The Adventures of Tintin, I'm shown 4 movies starring the American dog Rin Tin Tin.

Why get someone to click the link on the IMDb page for a rare spaghetti western, only to tell them there are no matches ("0 results") for the title?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by D._ on July 3, 2009 at 6:59am: (Amazon owns IMDb, in case anyone didn't know that.)
I didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me. And now that you mention it, it seems like a cheap way to get you to click on a link other than Netflix. Maybe they figure you'll just look around the site for something else and possibly get another customer for blubberbuster.
btw, I thought blockbuster online renting was on the brink of destruction. Would this be an attempt to revive it? I don't know... I've been out of the news loop for a few weeks now.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by beeswax on July 3, 2009 at 7:09am: Maybe they figure you'll just look around the site for something else

I'm sure that's the "logic" behind the decision.

But I think they're bound to make people cranky with the links to nowhere, when we've become used to the "watch now" and "buy it at Amazon" links only being added when they lead to actual destinations.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by D._ on July 3, 2009 at 7:29am: Lol... the first definition of logic on Dictionary.com : 1. the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference.

I think they failed the logic test :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by The Real Uncle Bob on July 4, 2009 at 7:26am: Amazon bought the db eleven years ago, at which point I, and many other unpaid writers, stopped submitting reviews and content, while Col Needham (who assembled the db from various Usenet-posted movie-related lists), and his various volunteer staffers were all made shareholders in what many had assumed to be a purely not-for-profit venture.; ▶ Reply to This