Exactly. Constantin rakes in money from a movie with the greatest form of viral advertising ever, but then decides to shoot themselves in the foot by blocking it.

Old media has absolutely no understanding of the internet. What idiots.

Stoopid is as stoopid does.

I don't think it's just up to Constantin, although it somehow doesn't surprise me when Americans are supposedly upset when a European film company doesn't understand how to make money with nazi-themed Internet meme. I find this sort of ironic in many ways.

Constantin wasn't necessarily just interested in making money with Untergang, it's meant as a historical document of sorts. Also from what I know the Jewish groups have been upset with the viral videos so I can understand the decision to pull the videos.

I'm with the people saying we need to download and save as many of these parodies as we can before they're all gone. As many as we can. It's possible using the magic of websites like Keepvid. Perhaps we can start a collective website dedicated to nothing but the Hitler/Der Untergang meme. We cannot let it die so freely, though.

Looks like there may be a stay of execution in the wind: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/tec...ml?autostart=1

I just think it's funny that a company can't get it through its head that once a meme starts, its damned hard to stop it. Mind you Contstantin's PR depratment could acutally be exteremely clever in using this as a way of promoting the company.

Note the date of the takedown orders.:hmmm:

If Youtube is taking this stuff down on the grounds of copyright infringement, they either don't care or need better lawyers.

If I weren't so sure I'd go to jail for it again, I could represent this case quite easily. Copyright law doesn't really extend to parodies, as numerous suits against spoof-makers have proven. While the "Downfall" parodies do use original footage, they are clearly intended as humorous re-interpretation.

Anybody ever read the FBI warning at the beginning of a rented or purchased movie? That's what this is about. The film is being reproduced in part without consent. It's a bunk argument because it doesn't take into account the fact that Youtube does not offer compensation, but I'd bet a hundred bucks that the lawyers are stretching it to make it sound like the film is being illegally reproduced for "entertainment purposes", which under the actual legal definition of the term, requires profitability or a significant economic harm to be demonstrated before it means anything. Total nonsense, but they're not looking for justice, they're looking for a settlement and a paycheck.

*******ing lawyers! Is it any wonder that everyone hates them?

Ahhh, the Hitler fascination(s) continue.
(In general)

I doubt that will abate even with the next generation. Unfortunately someone who orders the mass murder of millions is going to be fascinating for some.

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/4...umbnailiz3.jpg

Indeed, but...
interests me slightly why Stalin for instance, who killed a lot, and i stress a lot more people does not get the same sort of "attention", if i can word it like that.
One reason is probably because Stalin was part of the "big four".
The fact that he was an even more brutal psychopath than his adversary (debatable – psychos rarely come in degrees), that he murdered and eliminated more of his own than his enemies, that he gave a “corporate blanket” to his troops to do as they please in German lands, that he very nearly succeeded in debasing all the East European countries, Poland above all, through his systematic elimination of the “ intelligencia”, is conveniently forgotten. He won. He saved the day.
Hitler ? he was just a baddy, a crappy one too, he lost.
The answer is pretty easy. Hitler lost the war, Stalin didn't.

I have to say, I liked the film but I can live without the parodies. First of all I haven't found any of them funny and second I can understand why they might upset people.

I hope the German film industry keeps it's bar high and focuses on making quality films.