Piracy is fast reaching the point where it affects nearly every single Internet user in some way or another. Often the attempts to curb the illegal downloading of copyrighted materials threaten to spill over and affect other aspects of our online lives, much like the recent debate regarding SOPA and PIPA.

For film-makers the impact is often negative, but with a change of perspective the Internet can suddenly be the catalyst for success, spring-boarding a film from obscurity to fame in record time. Best of all, film-makers are actually able to make money by sharing their creations for free.

Welcome to VODO.

Magic People, VODO People

VODO works in a similar way to crowd-funding services like Kickstarter, except the funding process almost works entirely in reverse. For film-makers VODO appeals because once the film has been made it can be shared and distributed (via BitTorrent, nonetheless) and promoted by VODO. There are no physical distribution or packaging costs and the retailer doesn’t take a slice of the pie either.

Instead the film is presented to the Internet for free. Once a user has downloaded and enjoyed the film then the option to donate is heavily encouraged. Like many crowd-funding ventures, there are opportunities to donate larger amounts in exchange for extras like signed DVDs, audio commentary and so on.

The service turns the idea of piracy on its head, and places faith in the downloading public to donate. Donation amounts can be as little or as much as you like, and the film-makers are guaranteed to see more greenbacks than if you spent a similar amount on a physical DVD. Without further ado, let’s see what quality films reside on this excellent service.

Snowblind (2010) [IMDB]

The product of a group of German 70s and 80s grindhouse enthusiasts, Snowblind is a film for anyone who enjoys graphic novel adaptations, cowboys and motorbikes. Talent was sourced from the US, Britain, Australia, Ireland and South Africa to make this a truly international effort.

The film is highly stylized in typical graphic novel fashion, and takes the usual grainy visuals and atmosphere and does something a bit different with it. Snowblind was entirely privately funded on virtually no budget. It won “Best International Picture” at Belfast’s 2010 Yellow Fever International Film Festival.

The Tunnel (2011) [IMDB]

Shakey-cam films can either turn out tense, gripping and watchable (The Blair Witch Project) or cliched, boring and nausea-inducing (Cloverfield, anyone?). The Tunnel is yet another shakey-cam “found footage” film which, in my opinion, is worth the slog. Set in Sydney, Australia, a journalist and her team venture into a network of disused underground tunnels in search of a story only to discover that the story is coming for them.

The acting is a bit ropey in places, but the film does manage to pull some convincing characters and dialogue out of the hat when it matters. The Tunnel has won a variety of awards and is available in a selection of formats over at the official website.

Exhibit A (2007) [IMDB]

Straight from the Eden Lake school of horror, Exhibit A tells the tale of a British family disintegrating under financial pressure through the eyes of the family video camera. That’s right, it’s technically another shakey-cam though this is certainly not your average horror film.

The camera eventually becomes “Exhibit A”, and captures the slow disintegration of a family unit that’s painful to watch, but impossible to look away. The film was shot in only 18 days and the actors did all of their own (convincing) camera work.

A Grain of Sand (2009) [IMDB]

In 1972 British-national Brendan Grimshaw gave up his successful career editing major African newspapers in order to buy Moyenne Island for £10,000. Since then he and his friend Rene Lafortune have planted 16,000 trees, built 4.8KM of nature trails and built up a population of 109 giant land tortoises.

Experience Brendan’s paradise in this documentary which uncovers his last 30 years of effort. Brendan is now in his 80s and concerned about the future of Moyenne Island which has accrued a value of around £28 million (€34m).

The Yes Men Fix The World: P2P Extended Edition (2010) [IMDB]

Gonzo journalism lives on in the form of The Yes Men who stop at nothing to get their point heard and message conveyed. This special P2P edition of the film contains additional footage of the duo impersonating the United States Chamber of Commerce, who are now suing them for doing so. This footage cannot be released on DVD, so the only way it’ll be seen is if you download it.

Join the pair as they expose inequalities the world over including flagrant profiteering from Hurricane Katrina and other high-profile, highly-entertaining and very clever political stunts.

Conclusion

There are so many films to choose from on VODO, and you can easily donate using PayPal, Visa or Mastercard. Browse, download, give what you like and reap the benefits – not only are you helping out film-makers, but also proving that file sharing can be used for far more than just piracy.

Best bit? Most torrents are well-seeded so download speeds are generally very high.

Any films on this list you like? Any on VODO you’d like to recommend? What do you think of the payment model? Have your say in the comments!

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Watch TV shows and movies from Hulu without leaving the comfort of your couch. If you’ve got an XBMC media center you’d be silly to not install this plugin (assuming you live in the US: Hulu is still blocked in all other countries).

A couple weeks ago I discovered that Boxee on the desktop is dead. I was disappointed, but was thrilled to discover that XBMC is not only a capable replacement but better than Boxee once you collect some amazing add-ons. What I didn’t get working right away was Hulu. So I used the Hulu desktop for that, despite its many faults. No longer. Thanks to a very quick and capable plugin from the Bluecop repository, I now have full access to Hulu from within XBMC. I can even turn off ads if I want, although I don’t think I will.

Using Hulu In XBMC

Load this plugin and you can start browsing immediately. Not sure where to start? Click “Popular“.

From here you can pick to browse popular shows, episodes or movies. Pull up popular shows and you’ll see a pretty great example of Hulu’s selection:

I know: this looks pixelated. It looks much better on a TV screen, if that matters.

Anyway, you can pick a show you want to watch and you’ll see the free episodes available, typically about six.

Are you a paying Hulu Plus user? Be sure to log in and get access to complete seasons for a staggering number of shows. You can do this in the settings, where you can also configure the advertising options:

That’s right, this plugin gives you total freedom to customize when and whether you see advertisements. Remember, if Hulu is to remain free it’s vital that people watch the ads, so use this feature wisely or you might end up ruining the fun for everyone.

Installing The Hulu Plugin

Do you want to check this plugin out? There’s only a few steps you need to follow.

• First of all, on your XBMC computer, download the ZIP file of the Bluecop Repo.
• Next, open up XBMC and head to the settings, then to the “Add-Ons” section. Pick the option to add a plugin via a ZIP file, then browse to the ZIP file you downloaded.
• Finally, head to the “Add Add-Ons” section of the settings menu. You’ll find “Hulu” under “Video“. You may need to restart XBMC before it shows up, so don’t panic if you don’t see it. Install Hulu and enjoy your newfound television-related happiness.

Joyful outbursts of laughter, similar to those of a a child with a new video game console at Christmas, are an acceptable reaction but by no means mandatory. Enjoy the free TV shows.

Conclusion – Adding To Favorites

Want quick access to your favorite shows? You can add them to your XBMC favorites easily: just right-click or press “C”  on any show and you can add the show to your XBMC favorites. This means you’ll have a quick shortcut to to your show, though where this shortcut lives depends on your XBMC theme.

So, is this plugin useful for you? As always I’d be happy to hear from you, and to hear of any other add-ons I need to check out. I learn a lot from you guys.

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stufftowatch_logo.png?323f2c" alt="" />A while ago we featured a couple of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-classic-disney-animated-wartime-propaganda-cartoons-stuff-watch/">historically important Disney animations commissioned during the Second World War in the form of propaganda. Today we’re losing the cutesy animation and diving in with real footage of some of the most politically motivated films ever made.

Propaganda is a by-product of nearly every war or major conflict, and acts as a concentrated effort by the government to influence, calm and control. The Second World War saw propaganda make the jump from posters and radio broadcasts to the moving image, in film form. Let’s take a look at some of those films.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/wwf_prelude_to_war">Why We Fight: Prelude to War (1943)

Directed by Frank Capra and produced by the US Army’s own Special Services Division, Why We Fight: A Prelude to War tells the story (as of 1943) of the Second World War in 7 documentary-style films beginning with the 1931 invasion of China by Japanese forces.

As the name suggests, the film was designed to inform (and probably justify) to the American public the country’s involvement in WWII. The film was also a direct retaliation to Nazi propaganda film “Triumph of the Will” which also appears further down this list.

style="text-align: center;"> width="580" height="326" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9Tf2r8P214A?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

href="http://www.archive.org/details/BattleshipPotemkin">Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Slightly early to be considered a WWII film but way too important and highly-regarded to leave out, Battleship Potemkin (original Russian: Bronenosets Potyomkin) tells the story of the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Potemkin rose up and rebelled against their on-board Tsarist officers.

Considered to be one of the most influential propaganda films ever made, Battleship Potempkin was named the greatest film of all time at the Brussels World Fair in 1958 and is now available completely href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-places-to-get-free-legal-concert-recordings/">free of charge from the Internet Archive.

style="text-align: center;"> width="580" height="435" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bh2SuJrEjwM?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

href="http://www.archive.org/details/Lbines-RetroVisionTheaterPresentsBonVoyage1944618">Bon Voyage (1944)

A French propaganda film produced towards the end of the Second World War, Bon Voyage tells the tale of a British RAF pilot who was shot down and managed to escape over French occupied territory. The film was produced in French, and the version below is accompanied with English subtitles.

The film was directed by one of cinema’s greats, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-classic-alfred-hitchcock-movies-download-stream-free/">Alfred Hitchcock. Being a Hitchcock production (with some help from the British Ministry of Information) the director managed to stamp his unique approach on the film, making it a must for fans of his work.

style="text-align: center;"> width="580" height="435" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="cachebusting" value="true" /> name="flashvars" value="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':['format=Thumbnail?.jpg',{'autoPlay':false,'url':'Lbines-RetroVisionTheaterPresentsBonVoyage1944618_512kb.mp4'}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/Lbines-RetroVisionTheaterPresentsBonVoyage1944618/','scaling':'fit','provider':'h264streaming','showCaptions':true},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':true,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true}},'h264streaming':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.pseudostreaming-3.2.1.swf'},'captions':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.captions-3.2.0.swf','captionTarget':'content'},'content':{'display':'block','url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.content-3.2.0.swf','bottom':26,'left':0,'width':550,'height':50,'backgroundGradient':'none','backgroundColor':'transparent','textDecoration':'outline','border':0,'style':{'body':{'fontSize':'14','fontFamily':'Arial','textAlign':'center','fontWeight':'bold','color':'#ffffff'}}}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" /> name="src" value="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" /> width="580" height="435" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" cachebusting="true" flashvars="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':['format=Thumbnail?.jpg',{'autoPlay':false,'url':'Lbines-RetroVisionTheaterPresentsBonVoyage1944618_512kb.mp4'}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/Lbines-RetroVisionTheaterPresentsBonVoyage1944618/','scaling':'fit','provider':'h264streaming','showCaptions':true},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':true,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true}},'h264streaming':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.pseudostreaming-3.2.1.swf'},'captions':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.captions-3.2.0.swf','captionTarget':'content'},'content':{'display':'block','url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.content-3.2.0.swf','bottom':26,'left':0,'width':550,'height':50,'backgroundGradient':'none','backgroundColor':'transparent','textDecoration':'outline','border':0,'style':{'body':{'fontSize':'14','fontFamily':'Arial','textAlign':'center','fontWeight':'bold','color':'#ffffff'}}}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" />

href="http://www.nfb.ca/film/Churchills_Island">Churchill’s Island (1941)

Produced by the National Film Board of Canada (and currently hosted on their website), Churchill’s Island is a 1941 film chronicling the defense of the British Isles and the lengths taken to preserve the country’s freedom.

The film won the very first Academy Award for href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/geeky-documentaries-6-fascinating-films-hardware-software-space-stuff-watch/">Documentary Short Subject, earning the recently created Canadian film board their first Oscar. The film is regarded as historically important today thanks to the fantastic original footage that provides a moving, visual record of war on this highly fortified island.

style="text-align: center;"> width="580" height="435" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LQ38NLAMUi0?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

href="http://www.archive.org/details/TriumphOfTheWillgermanTriumphDesWillens">Triumph of the Will (1935)

Regarded as one of the most important, well-produced and innovative films of all time, Triumph of the Will is a propaganda film straight out of Nazi Germany shortly before the country went to war. Commissioned and overseen by Adolf Hitler himself (look for his name in the opening credits), the film re-imagines Germany as a great power and sets Hitler as the great leader who will take the country to dizzying new heights.

Produced by female director Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will won awards in the US, Sweden and France amongst others and is still regarded by many as a highly influential film, even today.

style="text-align: center;"> width="580" height="435" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BBfYncHshJc?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

href="http://www.archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.20363">The True Glory (1945)

A joint production between the US Office of War Information and Britain’s Ministry of Information, The True Glory documents the Allied victory on the western front from several different perspectives. The film makes use of fairly innovative href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/fps/">first-person camera angles and voice-over techniques to deliver several different perspectives on the struggle.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1945.

style="text-align: center;"> href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwGtWEF2SE0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwGtWEF2SE0

Conclusion

These films provide unprecedented visual reminders of a world at war, a dictatorship taking hold of its people, the effort to safeguard a homeland and even the relief felt around the world once the Second World War was declared over. If you know of any other films that have historical punch like these then don’t hesitate to share them in the comments.

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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/web-apps-find-abandoned-places-old-ghost-towns/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/abandoned-150x150.png?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="abandoned" title="abandoned" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">4 Great Websites to Find Abandoned Places & Old Ghost Towns

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stufftowatch_logo.png?323f2c" alt="" />A thrilling and well-filmed shootout can define a film, and a film chock full of thrilling, quality shootouts can define a genre. Every year a new flurry of action href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-best-sites-for-movie-trailers/">movies make it into cinemas, but how many make it into the hall of fame?

Today’s Stuff to Watch takes a look at the action movie genre and features a few of the juiciest shootout scenes ever captured on film. Of course there’s no way I can include every quality shootout, so be sure to add your own in the comments underneath this article. Let’s lock and load!

Heat (1995) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277/">IMDB]

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/heat.jpg?323f2c" alt="" />

Every time I think of this movie I can’t help but remember how gripped I was the first time I watched this scene. Of course the whole film is a quality production – but this particular scene sticks in your mind, has spawned countless references and even inspired a virtually identical mission in Rockstar Games’ href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/gta-muo-selection-great-resources-grand-theft-auto-aficionado/">GTA4.

Without a doubt a “must-see” action film, Heat stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro but doesn’t rely on high profile actors to sell the movie. Take a look at the clip below; it sells itself.

style="text-align: left;">Watch: href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqT1lCqQyh0">Heat Downtown Shootout Scene @ YouTube (Embedding disabled on all uploaded videos of this scene, sorry!)

Hard Boiled (1992) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104684/">IMDB]

It should come as no surprise that John Woo knows how to make a good action film, and with Chow Yun-Fat in a lead roll then you know the body count will be high. The plot’s as loose as it needs to be, but provides the perfect set-up: world’s toughest cop teams up with an undercover agent to take down mob boss and uh… people get shot.

Hard Boiled is often hailed as one of the grittiest, bloodiest and most violent films of its kind and this point is demonstrated excellently in the clip below. If this looks good then you’ll be delighted to hear that the film is full of sequences like this.

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4OPyoJgV_YY?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

A Better Tomorrow (1986) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092263/">IMDB]

Another John Woo film (and not the last either), A Better Tomorrow tells the tale of an ex-gangster trying to break ties with his gang whilst reconciling with his brother. The fact that his brother is in the police force means they’re both well trained in the ass-kicking department, and that’s all the set-up you need for an action flick.

The following scene is the kind of gory, all-guns-blazing bloodbath that made John Woo a “household” name.

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UcJb6vtHWV4?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

A Better Tomorrow Part 2 (1987) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094357/">IMDB]

Remember that tough cop and his ex-gangster brother? Well this time round they’re teaming up with a restaurant owner and (in true action movie style) they’re out for revenge. There’s the plot over with – can you guess what comes next?

Here’s one of those typical over-the-top sequences action films have become so well-known for, except this one’s tinged with John Woo’s brutality and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-neat-movies-youtube-cool-visual-special-effects/">special effects department!

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_NU6dnnM36Y?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

The Killer (1989) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097202/">IMDB]

The Killer is a tale of remorse and double-crossings as a retired hitman undertakes one last job in order to care for his girlfriend and repay a debt he owes (not your usual debt, either).

My only criticism of this particular scene is that the bad guy with the incendiary shotgun ammo only fires one round. Now that’s not much of a criticism, but then again this is another John Woo and it’s hard to complain about ferocious gunplay.

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/megvxCzqLhA?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

Boondock Saints (1999) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144117/">IMDB]

The most recent film on the list, Boondock Saints is a tale of two brothers, the mafia and an FBI agent who begins to question right and wrong. The clip below is a thrilling and gory clash, but this isn’t your usual movie shoot-out.

Instead we’re treated to a slightly less orthodox firefight, recalled and narrated by Willem “and then there was a firefight!” Dafoe.

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gd3Sl7P0IOA?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

The Wild Bunch (1969) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065214/">IMDB]

No list is complete without this tour-de-force, and no action fan is complete until they’ve watched this movie. Set at a time when the American “wild west” was disappearing, a group of outlaws are hot on the heels of one last big score.

This particular scene is actually the final shootout, so if you’ve not seen the film then you might want to skip it for now. If you have seen the film then I doubt you’ll be able to resist clicking play in the video below.

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KJMxGFco57Y?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

Conclusion

I’m very sorry I didn’t include your favourite shoot-out scene on this list (or maybe I did), but with so many to choose from it was tough to narrow it down to these few. Please leave your favourite scenes, films and recommendations in the comments below this article.In case you’ve missed Stuff to Watch recently, here are the last few entries:

• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-gold-original-fenslerfilm-gi-joe-parodies-stuff-watch/">Internet Gold: The Original Fenslerfilm G.I. Joe Parodies
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-hilariously-bad-movie-trailers-stuff-watch/">8 Hilariously Bad Movie Trailers
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-free-online-christmas-films-festive-enjoyment-stuff-watch/">7 Free Online Christmas Films

Did you like these clips? Have you seen the films? Any favourite writers, directors or actors? Chat below!

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-logo.jpg?323f2c" alt="" />It might be a Photoshop tutorial on one hand and Rebecca Black on the other, but you shouldn’t be shy to admit that there have been times you have looped a YouTube video and watched it umpteen times. You might have clicked that ‘Replay’ button a dozen times? Or was it more?

That Replay button sure took a beating and all because YouTube does not provide a natural, human-friendly way to loop a streaming video. The above two needs aside, I do like to loop a few videos myself…mostly when I am trying to learn something or a hummable song. So, I usually sit back – pick one of the ways described below – and put the videos in a continuous loop till I switch them off.

You can too. Just try them all once and then pick the one you like.

href="http://endlessvideo.com/">Endless YouTube

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop01.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="274" />

Endless YouTube allows you to set a YouTube to loop a specific number of times. Plus, with this service you can also loop a part of a YouTube video rather than the entire one. The easiest way to use the site is to alter the YouTube URL in the address bar. For e.g. if you’re watching the The Dark Knight trailer at “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx2rhzcIVxo” you can watch it endlessly at “http://www.endlessyoutube.com/watch?v= bx2rhzcIVxo “.

You can also go directly to the site and paste the video ID code in the box provided. You can set the part which you want to loop with the two time boxes. (See href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/endlessyoutube-loop-youtube-video/">Directory mention)

href="http://www.infinitelooper.com/">Infinite Looper

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop02.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="460" />

You can use the handy bookmarklet or just copy-paste the YouTube video URL in the box provided. You can also use the blue slider to a point in the video to loop only that section. This web service is among the simplest to use.

href="http://playinurtubez.com/">PlayinUrTubez

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop03.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="327" />

PlayerTubez comes with a stylish interface. The site is ‘specialized’ for YouTube playlists. Of course, you can use it to play single videos too. You can enter a user’s name and get all his hosted videos as a playlist. The web app has quite a few controls like a feature to play the highest quality video first and to hide the unplayable videos from the playlist. All the remaining default features of YouTube are also available. You can search for videos from here and also connect to the video page on YouTube. (See href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/playinurtubez-play-youtube-videos-in-a-loop/">Directory mention)

href="http://www.tubereplay.com/">TubeReplay

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop04.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="240" />

Take a YouTube URL, paste it into the box and hit Replay. The video keeps on looping till you shut it off. You can also try the links to the two looping ideas given on the site which turn your monitor into a fireplace and an aquarium. (See href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tubereplay-auto-replays-youtube/">Directory mention)

href="http://www.youtuberepeater.com/">YouTube Repeater

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop06.png?323f2c" alt="" width="573" height="592" />

The site looks a bit crowded, but you don’t have to visit the site to use its YouTube looping tool. You simply insert ‘repeater’ between ‘youtube’ and ‘.com’ then press Enter. Your video starts playing in a loop. You can also loop a portion of a video by fixing the start and end points. Launch the mini-player if you want the looping video to play in unobtrusively in the background.

Loop YouTube Videos with Chrome Extensions

href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lnkdbjbjpnpjeciipoaflmpcddinpjjp">SmartVideo for YouTube

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop08.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="295" />

The Chrome extension’s primary purpose is to improve YouTube play by controlling the way it is buffered. You can set your preferences so that the extension’s ‘smart buffer’ kicks in. One of the features included is that you can set videos to loop. This extension supports embedded HTML5 videos as well as YouTube videos.

href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gfllkgkeiciklnenppokkgkmbjnoeodn">YouTube Looper

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop09.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="217" />

This Chrome extension for YouTube adds a simple ‘Loop this’ button to on the YouTube toolbar. Click on the button to make the videos play continuously.

Loop YouTube Videos with Firefox Add-ons

href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-auto-replay-11636/">YouTube Auto Replay

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/youtube-loop10.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="179" />

Hit the Replay button to loop the entire video or specify the time to watch a section of it in a continuous loop. This Firefox add-on helps you to loop a YouTube video without a hassle.

Do this web services, extensions, and add-ons seem like overkill for what is a simple task? Well, you could always use your mouse to replay the video again and again. But ask anyone who likes to watch an instructional video or a specific part of it again and again, and he will disagree. So, tell us if you can make use of these tools to loop YouTube videos. Which is your favorite href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/youtube/">YouTube trick?

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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/download-videos-youtube-playlist/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/intro-150x150.png?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="intro.png" title="intro.png" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">How To Download All Videos From A YouTube Playlist

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/chrome-browser-addons-youtube-viewing-experience/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/image34-150x150.png?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="image.png" title="image.png" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">Two Chrome Browser Add-ons For A Better YouTube Viewing Experience

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-ways-control-youtube-video-volume/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/volume-youtube-150x150.jpg?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="volume-youtube" title="volume-youtube" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">3 Different Ways To Control The YouTube Video Volume

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-logo.jpg?323f2c" alt="" />It might be a Photoshop tutorial on one hand and Rebecca Black on the other, but you shouldn’t be shy to admit that there have been times you have looped a YouTube video and watched it umpteen times. You might have clicked that ‘Replay’ button a dozen times? Or was it more?

That Replay button sure took a beating and all because YouTube does not provide a natural, human-friendly way to loop a streaming video. The above two needs aside, I do like to loop a few videos myself…mostly when I am trying to learn something or a hummable song. So, I usually sit back – pick one of the ways described below – and put the videos in a continuous loop till I switch them off.

You can too. Just try them all once and then pick the one you like.

href="http://endlessvideo.com/">Endless YouTube

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop01.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="274" />

Endless YouTube allows you to set a YouTube to loop a specific number of times. Plus, with this service you can also loop a part of a YouTube video rather than the entire one. The easiest way to use the site is to alter the YouTube URL in the address bar. For e.g. if you’re watching the The Dark Knight trailer at “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx2rhzcIVxo” you can watch it endlessly at “http://www.endlessyoutube.com/watch?v= bx2rhzcIVxo “.

You can also go directly to the site and paste the video ID code in the box provided. You can set the part which you want to loop with the two time boxes. (See href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/endlessyoutube-loop-youtube-video/">Directory mention)

href="http://www.infinitelooper.com/">Infinite Looper

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop02.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="460" />

You can use the handy bookmarklet or just copy-paste the YouTube video URL in the box provided. You can also use the blue slider to a point in the video to loop only that section. This web service is among the simplest to use.

href="http://playinurtubez.com/">PlayinUrTubez

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop03.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="327" />

PlayerTubez comes with a stylish interface. The site is ‘specialized’ for YouTube playlists. Of course, you can use it to play single videos too. You can enter a user’s name and get all his hosted videos as a playlist. The web app has quite a few controls like a feature to play the highest quality video first and to hide the unplayable videos from the playlist. All the remaining default features of YouTube are also available. You can search for videos from here and also connect to the video page on YouTube. (See href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/playinurtubez-play-youtube-videos-in-a-loop/">Directory mention)

href="http://www.tubereplay.com/">TubeReplay

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop04.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="240" />

Take a YouTube URL, paste it into the box and hit Replay. The video keeps on looping till you shut it off. You can also try the links to the two looping ideas given on the site which turn your monitor into a fireplace and an aquarium. (See href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tubereplay-auto-replays-youtube/">Directory mention)

href="http://www.youtuberepeater.com/">YouTube Repeater

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop06.png?323f2c" alt="" width="573" height="592" />

The site looks a bit crowded, but you don’t have to visit the site to use its YouTube looping tool. You simply insert ‘repeater’ between ‘youtube’ and ‘.com’ then press Enter. Your video starts playing in a loop. You can also loop a portion of a video by fixing the start and end points. Launch the mini-player if you want the looping video to play in unobtrusively in the background.

Loop YouTube Videos with Chrome Extensions

href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lnkdbjbjpnpjeciipoaflmpcddinpjjp">SmartVideo for YouTube

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop08.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="295" />

The Chrome extension’s primary purpose is to improve YouTube play by controlling the way it is buffered. You can set your preferences so that the extension’s ‘smart buffer’ kicks in. One of the features included is that you can set videos to loop. This extension supports embedded HTML5 videos as well as YouTube videos.

href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gfllkgkeiciklnenppokkgkmbjnoeodn">YouTube Looper

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/youtube-loop09.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="217" />

This Chrome extension for YouTube adds a simple ‘Loop this’ button to on the YouTube toolbar. Click on the button to make the videos play continuously.

Loop YouTube Videos with Firefox Add-ons

href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-auto-replay-11636/">YouTube Auto Replay

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/youtube-loop10.png?323f2c" alt="" width="580" height="179" />

Hit the Replay button to loop the entire video or specify the time to watch a section of it in a continuous loop. This Firefox add-on helps you to loop a YouTube video without a hassle.

Do this web services, extensions, and add-ons seem like overkill for what is a simple task? Well, you could always use your mouse to replay the video again and again. But ask anyone who likes to watch an instructional video or a specific part of it again and again, and he will disagree. So, tell us if you can make use of these tools to loop YouTube videos. Which is your favorite href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/youtube/">YouTube trick?

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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/download-videos-youtube-playlist/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/intro-150x150.png?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="intro.png" title="intro.png" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">How To Download All Videos From A YouTube Playlist

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/chrome-browser-addons-youtube-viewing-experience/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/image34-150x150.png?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="image.png" title="image.png" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">Two Chrome Browser Add-ons For A Better YouTube Viewing Experience

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-ways-control-youtube-video-volume/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/volume-youtube-150x150.jpg?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="volume-youtube" title="volume-youtube" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">3 Different Ways To Control The YouTube Video Volume

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stufftowatch_logo.png" alt="christmas films" />It’s December already, and that means href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/50-tools-and-resources-for-christmas-gift-ideas/">Christmas is just around the corner. What better way of getting in the mood than sitting back and enjoying some festive fluff once you’ve decked the halls and wrapped the presents?

This week’s article features a healthy mix of classic and obscure, featuring both href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-amazing-short-films-free-software/">short films and full movies for your enjoyment. Along with the usual helpings of sugar-coated Christmas tales there are a few alternative productions to shock and awe.

So whip out the Christmas booze, reach for the mince pies and feast your eyes on this lot.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/Scrooge_1935">Scrooge (1935) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026972/">IMDB]

Because no list of Christmas films is complete without an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Christmas Carol, here’s 3! This one in particular isn’t the oldest production, but the first “talkie” version of the story produced.

Each different version of Dickens’ classic tale tells the story in its own way, and this classic black and white version starring href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382957/">Seymour Hicks is no different. There’s less emphasis on Tiny Tim than we see in other versions, and the ghosts are interpreted somewhat differently too.

If you’re a massive fan of this heartwarming Christmas tale then you definitely won’t want to miss this version.

width="500" height="395" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="cachebusting" value="true" /> name="flashvars" value="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':['format=Thumbnail?.jpg',{'autoPlay':false,'url':'Scrooge_1935_512kb.mp4'}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/Scrooge_1935/','scaling':'fit','provider':'h264streaming','showCaptions':true},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':true,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true}},'h264streaming':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.pseudostreaming-3.2.1.swf'},'captions':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.captions-3.2.0.swf','captionTarget':'content'},'content':{'display':'block','url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.content-3.2.0.swf','bottom':26,'left':0,'width':500,'height':50,'backgroundGradient':'none','backgroundColor':'transparent','textDecoration':'outline','border':0,'style':{'body':{'fontSize':'14','fontFamily':'Arial','textAlign':'center','fontWeight':'bold','color':'#ffffff'}}}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" /> name="src" value="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" /> width="500" height="395" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" cachebusting="true" flashvars="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':['format=Thumbnail?.jpg',{'autoPlay':false,'url':'Scrooge_1935_512kb.mp4'}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/Scrooge_1935/','scaling':'fit','provider':'h264streaming','showCaptions':true},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':true,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true}},'h264streaming':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.pseudostreaming-3.2.1.swf'},'captions':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.captions-3.2.0.swf','captionTarget':'content'},'content':{'display':'block','url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.content-3.2.0.swf','bottom':26,'left':0,'width':500,'height':50,'backgroundGradient':'none','backgroundColor':'transparent','textDecoration':'outline','border':0,'style':{'body':{'fontSize':'14','fontFamily':'Arial','textAlign':'center','fontWeight':'bold','color':'#ffffff'}}}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" />

href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ka1l_bugs-bunnychristmas-carol_fun">Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol (1979) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154263/">IMDB]

The second version of A Christmas Carol on this list comes from no other than Warner Bros and stars one of the most famous rabbits to ever grace television. Unlike Scrooge above, this isn’t a feature length film and comes in at a rather short 8 minutes due to the fact that it made up a small part of Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales.

It’s definitely worth a watch, particularly if you have young children who have little experience with the href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/where-to-watch-old-classic-cartoon-tv-shows-online/">wonderful world of Warner Bros and their animated line-up. It’s also great to watch if (like me) you remember seeing this episode as a child and (like me) want to pretend you’re 9 again.

style="text-align: center;"> src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x1ka1l" width="500" height="375" frameborder="0">

href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xp6uw">Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085936/">IMDB]

Last Christmas film, I promise! Up next href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-classic-disney-animated-wartime-propaganda-cartoons-stuff-watch/">it’s Disney and their take on Dickens’ tale – and who better to lead the pack than Mickey himself. The lead mouse predictably takes on the role of Bob Cratchit whilst Scrooge McDuck plays a fairly mean Ebenezer Scrooge.

Goofy, Jiminy Cricket and Willie the Giant each take on roles as the various ghosts that appear  in the story, and there are plenty of other Disney favourites to spot too. This particular adaptation runs for 26 minutes and that places it well and truly in the “short film” category – enjoy!

style="text-align: center;"> src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xp6uw" width="500" height="375" frameborder="0">

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDR9zULPcFk">The Junky’s Christmas (1993) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125812/">IMDB]

The first of a very odd bunch of festive films, The Junky’s Christmas was originally a story written by William S. Burroughs around 1989 and was later adapted into a short but wonderful claymation film in 1993. This production is narrated by Burroughs himself, and even stars him briefly in the film’s live action intro.

What at first appears to be a dark and macabre take on the holiday season gradually lightens, eventually adhering to the “spirit of Christmas” ethos seen in so many yuletide motion pictures. The href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/15-coolest-stop-motion-videos-youtube/">stop motion, narration and fantastic ending make this a must-see (though I wouldn’t recommend it for the little ones).

style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr"> width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fDR9zULPcFk?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

href="http://www.archive.org/details/SantaClausversusTheDevil">Santa Claus (Conquers The Devil href="http://www.archive.org/details/SantaClausversusTheDevil">) (1960) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053241/">IMDB]

This rather crazy Christmas film has its origins in Mexico where it was produced and released in 1959 before being dubbed for American audiences a year later. The result? A near-psychotic rollercoaster ride of insanity that probably hasn’t aged too well.

Let me make one thing clear – this isn’t a particularly good film, but if you like bad films (especially bad Christmas films) then this live action screamer in which Santa must fight a demon sent to earth by none other than Satan will bring the house down.

This film was used by Mike Nelson and company for the TV series Mystery Science Theatre 3000, where it features a comedy narrative which might make the experience less painful.

width="500" height="395" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="cachebusting" value="true" /> name="flashvars" value="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':['format=Thumbnail?.jpg',{'autoPlay':false,'url':'SantaClaus_1_512kb.mp4'}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/SantaClausversusTheDevil/','scaling':'fit','provider':'h264streaming','showCaptions':true},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':true,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true}},'h264streaming':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.pseudostreaming-3.2.1.swf'},'captions':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.captions-3.2.0.swf','captionTarget':'content'},'content':{'display':'block','url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.content-3.2.0.swf','bottom':26,'left':0,'width':500,'height':50,'backgroundGradient':'none','backgroundColor':'transparent','textDecoration':'outline','border':0,'style':{'body':{'fontSize':'14','fontFamily':'Arial','textAlign':'center','fontWeight':'bold','color':'#ffffff'}}}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" /> name="src" value="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" /> width="500" height="395" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" cachebusting="true" flashvars="config={'key':'#$aa4baff94a9bdcafce8','playlist':['format=Thumbnail?.jpg',{'autoPlay':false,'url':'SantaClaus_1_512kb.mp4'}],'clip':{'autoPlay':true,'baseUrl':'http://www.archive.org/download/SantaClausversusTheDevil/','scaling':'fit','provider':'h264streaming','showCaptions':true},'canvas':{'backgroundColor':'#000000','backgroundGradient':'none'},'plugins':{'controls':{'playlist':false,'fullscreen':true,'height':26,'backgroundColor':'#000000','autoHide':{'fullscreenOnly':true}},'h264streaming':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.pseudostreaming-3.2.1.swf'},'captions':{'url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.captions-3.2.0.swf','captionTarget':'content'},'content':{'display':'block','url':'http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.content-3.2.0.swf','bottom':26,'left':0,'width':500,'height':50,'backgroundGradient':'none','backgroundColor':'transparent','textDecoration':'outline','border':0,'style':{'body':{'fontSize':'14','fontFamily':'Arial','textAlign':'center','fontWeight':'bold','color':'#ffffff'}}}},'contextMenu':[{},'-','Flowplayer v3.2.1']}" />

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEumP828D4">Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058548/">IMDB]

My, hasn’t Santa been busy? First the devil, and now 4 years later – martians! This one isn’t Mexican, however, and bares very little resemblance to the film above (other than the fact that it too is considered to be a bad film).

The plot really isn’t worth going into, this film regularly makes it onto “worst movies ever” lists and is consistently in IMDB’s bottom-100 films for good reason. You’ll probably know already if you can stomach this nauseating mix of sci-fi and Christmas, but if you think you need some help this one was also tackled on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

style="text-align: center;"> width="500" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TkEumP828D4?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nR3Xwr1HGY">Bloody Mary Christmas (2010) [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1806817/">IMDB]

A particularly obscure short film, this Italian production takes Christmas Eve and turns it on its head in one of the most alternative festive productions ever made. The film is subtitled in English, and with a running time of around 24 minutes it’s fairly easy-going even if you hate reading subtitles.

Bloody Mary Christmas tells the tale of Alex, a boy sent to live with his ruthless aunt and uncle who he considers to have forgotten the real values in life. This year Alex asks Santa for a different kind of Christmas, and it appears his wish comes true at the stroke of midnight as an armed mysterious figure shows up uninvited.

This is one far-out festive short film, you have been warned!

style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr"> width="500" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2nR3Xwr1HGY?fs=1&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

Conclusion

Christmas films don’t always have to be mushy tales of holiday kindness, though as Santa Claus Conquers The Martians demonstrates – it’s not overly advisable to stray too far from the usual formula. If you have any favourite Christmas films then please share them with us in the comments below.

Do you like any of the films on this list? Do you know any other Christmas films that are available online? Share the yuletide love in the comments section below.

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stufftowatch_logo.png" alt="film noir classics"/>Welcome one and all to a new regular feature here at MakeUseOf, crudely titled “Stuff to Watch”. Each week I’ll be delivering a visual-dose of moving images, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-amazing-short-films-free-software/">internet-related film-making and little known gems that are available href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-3-best-sites-to-watch-your-favorite-classic-tv-movies-for-free/">free online for your perusal.

First up it’s the seedy, moody and highly stylized world of film noir, the catch-all term for the crime, drama and suspense ridden world of 1940s film-making. On this list you’ll find 6 black-and-white releases, each with their own heady doses of femme fatales, hardened crime fighters and deserted alleyways.

These films have been hand-picked from the Internet Archive, and are available for both streaming and downloading to watch as you please.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/TooLateForTears">Too Late For Tears [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041968/">IMDB] (1949)

A lonely highway, a speeding car and the sudden acquisition of $60,000 is all it takes to push some people to the edge, as this 1949 classic starring href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0779507/">Lizabeth Scott (as Jane Palmer) demonstrates. Jane’s husband is keen to turn the money over to the police, but she resists and before long a mysterious character shows up to claim the cash. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/too_late_for_tears.jpg" alt="film noir classics" width="535" height="568" /> /> With a life of luxury in her sights, Jane proves her worth as a femme fatale. This film tackles the issue of money and its impact on relationships and personalities in typical film noir fashion. With Jane and her husband on opposite sides of the fence, tragedy is unavoidable in this tense and highly watchable piece of cinema.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/doa_1949">D.O.A. [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042369/">IMDB] (1950)

Directed by href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005789/">Rudolph Maté, who is considered by many a master of the film noir genre, D.O.A. features one of the most iconic intro sequences in the history of film. The opening shots introduce the main character – Frank Bigelow (played by href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639529/">Edmond O’Brien) – as he walks in to a police station to report his own murder. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/doa.jpg" alt="noir classics" width="580" height="453" /> /> Unnervingly the police appear to already be expecting him, as he tells them that he has been poisoned and only has a short time to live. The rest of the movie is spent following Frank in his quest to find out who his killer is and why he is wanted on the slab. If you’ve never watched a film noir before, this one provides a gripping introduction to the genre from one of the finest film makers of the time.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/He_Walked_by_Night_1948">He Walked By Night [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040427/">IMDB] (1948)

An example of an early film using experimental storytelling techniques, He Walked By Night is presented in a semi-documentary style and hit cinemas with the tagline “From the homicide files of the Los Angeles police”. In the dead of night a lone gunman shoots and kills an LAPD officer, prompting an epic manhunt in pursuit of the killer. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hewalkedbynight.jpg" alt="noir classics" width="400" height="300" /> /> The film itself is based on the href="http://www.epinions.com/content_3817054340">real-life events of Erwin “Machine Gun” Walker, who evaded the death penalty by claiming insanity on death row. In true film noir style, He Walked By Night was the first feature-length production to use the Los Angeles underground sewer and storm drain systems as mood-defining backdrops. Gritty!

href="http://www.archive.org/details/Quicksand_clear">Quicksand [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042869/">IMDB] (1950)

Starring the renowned href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001682/">Mickey Rooney, Quicksand begins with an auto mechanic borrowing a paltry $20 from his employee’s cash register to woo a waitress with expensive tastes. This small and seemingly inconsequential act sets the ball rolling for what is a rollercoaster ride of events the mechanic could not have prepared for. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/quicksand.jpg" alt="noir classics" width="462" height="386" /> /> As Rooney’s character attempts to put right his wrongdoings, his circumstances become worse and each attempt to get out of trouble backfires. A series of unfortunate events that leave the viewer feeling for the mechanic and gripped to their seats, Quicksand delivers a heady blow of film noir complete with grimy settings and a tense finale.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/Detour">Detour [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037638/">IMDB] (1945)

Detour delivers a steady dose of ever-increasing peril in a similar way as Quicksand (above). When hitchhiker Al Roberts decides to href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/travel/">travel from New York City to Los Angeles in pursuit of his singer girlfriend Sue, he accepts a lift from a man who suffers an accident and dies. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/detour_1945.jpg" alt="noir classics" width="580" height="453" /> /> Fearing for his freedom, and how the police will react, Al takes on the identity of the dead man and continues his journey. Along the way he encounters a woman who is wise to his plan and uses Al’s unfortunate situation against him.

href="http://www.archive.org/details/impact">Impact [ href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041503/">IMDB] (1949)

Walter Williams is a successful businessman who has recently purchased three factories in Denver. As he prepares to travel his wife claims to be feeling unwell and cannot travel with him to Colorado, instead opting to travel with her cousin – except the cousin turns out to be Walter’s wife’s lover, and instead the two plot to kill the businessman. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/impact.jpg" alt="film noir classics" width="580" height="452" /> /> I’m not going to divulge any more as this is a film that’s full of twists and turns that simply has to be watched. What else can be said about a film with the tagline: “Wanted by two women! One for Love! One for Murder!”?

Conclusion

They just don’t make them like they used to do they? If you’ve enjoyed this small dose of classic film, don’t forget to check out href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-classic-alfred-hitchcock-movies-download-stream-free/">our Hitchcock collection and of course href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-bonechilling-classic-horror-films-legally-download-stream-free/">the horror section too! If you have any of your own recommendations from the genre then don’t forget to add them in the comments below.

Have you any favorites on this list? Do you love film noir? Leave a comment!

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/polls.jpg" alt="" title="STATIC POLLS" />Last week we asked you all to tell us href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fast-type-makeuseof-poll/">how fast you type. Most readers claimed they could type (composing, not transcribing) at 60-69 WPM. Now, while there was largely a regular bell curve to explain all the other typing speeds, there were a surprising amount of people who can type at 150+ WPM. Let’s just say we’re impressed!

Out of 300 total votes, the statistics are as follows: 14% type at 60-69 WPM; 14% type at 70-79 WPM; 11% type at 30-39 WPM; 11% type at 40-49 WPM; 10% type at 50-59 WPM; 9% type at 80-89 WPM; 8% type at 20-29 WPM; 6% type at 150+ WPM; 6% type at 90-99 WPM; 4% type at below 20 WPM; 4% type at 100-109 WPM; while all ranges between 110-149 WPM received less than 2% votes each.

Full results and this week’s poll after the jump.

We’re very surprised to see so many MakeUseOf readers who can type at over 150 words per minute!

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/How-Fast-Do-You-Type.png" alt="" title="How Fast Do You Type"/>

This week’s href="http://www.makeuseof.com/service/polls/">poll question is: How Long Has It Been Since You Wore A Watch?

Geeks, teens and twenty-somethings mostly ditched their watches as soon as they got their first mobile phone. But these days even watch-lovers and old folk are finally leaving their watches at home. When did you stop wearing a watch? Or do you still wear one?

For the sake of the poll, include fob-watches and other single-purpose timekeeping devices as watches.