Amazon Lets You Watch The Unwatchable

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ou may think that by now, nearly 20 years after the invention of the DVD, every movie and TV show ever made would be available to buy or rent, but you’d be sorely mistaken. There are still thousands of films and countless TV shows that until now never saw the laser light of a DVD player, and probably never would have, were it not for Amazon’s “Never Before on DVD” store.

In May Amazon began letting its customers order made-on-demand (MOD) DVDs of movies and TV shows, following in the footsteps of Warner Brothers, which launched a similar program in 2009.

The beauty of the Amazon store is, of course, getting access to things like the complete series of Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot (the current top seller in the MOD store) or the film The Legend of Billie Jean (the #3 MOD seller) starring Christian Slater and Helen Slater (no relation). Before the launch of Amazon’s MOD store, you’d have to settle for a prehistoric VHS tape, or a bootleg DVD that was probably transferred from VHS.

The downside of the MODs is that the digital transfers have been done with no remastering, so if you’re expecting a hi-def picture you’re bound to be disappointed. Also the prices are not always that great. The Legend of Billie Jean sells for $18.83, which is pretty pricey considering that all you get is a DVD-R in a laser-printed jacket. Johnny Sokko, on the other hand, is a steal at $24.47 for the 7-DVD set.

But if the movie or show you loved all those years ago isn’t available on DVD officially, Amazon’s store is the next best thing.