#136: VidAngel.com - Edited Movies Done Right!

I like movies (duh, name of blog). They make me laugh, they make me cry, and they usually make Diane fall asleep.

As a kid, my parents wanted me and my siblings to watch movies which they felt were appropriate and would not be offensive due to bad language, sexual content, or extreme violence. In fact, my mom even wrote an Ensign article about good media choices back in 2001 (way to go, mom!). As a result, I still try to watch movies that are generally wholesome and family friendly.

However, sometimes I am tempted to watch something that I know I shouldn't (particularly, something that is rated-R or PG-13 that obviously should be rated R). In the past, I would usually just miss out on these movies or read about their plots on Wikipedia so I would at least have some idea what they were about (here's looking at you Elysium).

Good Will Hunting in Space

Well, last year I stumbled across vidangel.com, a fantastic website that allows me to watch edited digital movies through YouTube or Google Play. VidAngel is particularly awesome because it is 100% legal (unlike buying a copy of an edited movie) and has a partnership with Google. The video below can describe it much better than I can, but let me just say that I have been particularly pleased with the service. My favorite part is that you can customize the filter--you get to choose which swear words, types of sexual content or violence that you are comfortable with.

VidAngel is currently in private beta mode, but if you use the link above, you can give it a try (plus, I get a free movie if you watch one). Through VidAngel, you can watch newly released movies for $2 in HD (after the buy-back credit--again, see video below).

 You can also follow what the company is currently up to on their blog.

Check it out!