Directors slam $30 early release home video offer

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Big-name Hollywood action flick directors including James Cameron and Michael Bay have come out guns-ablazing against a plan by studios to make new release movies available to rent in homes just two months after debuting in theaters.

They slammed the offering, being made available starting Thursday to DirecTV subscribers for $30, because it could cannibalize movie ticket sales at a time theater owners are upgrading movie houses with new digital and 3-D equipment.

The directors signed an open letter saying the new offering could "irrevocably harm" the film industry and lead to more theater closings.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EARLY_HOME_MOVIES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[hlthe2b]

1. May not be popular, but I agree with Cameron...

We are going to lose lots of movie theaters in the next few years and this will only hasten that move that I find unfortunate.

[markpkessinger]

3. I agree.

This is a problem not unlike what the recording industry is facing, where the traditional funding mechanism is disappearing, and the one replacing it doesn't generate the necessary revenue to support the creation of material (i.e., movies, music).

[ixion]

4. The problem both the recording and film industries have is that they're corrupt

and they exploit the artists (granted paying a few well) for their own gains.

You're not going to get any sympathy from me for these industries that have done so much to tarnish their respective arts.

[markpkessinger]

11. The industry has its problems, no doubt . . .

. . . But that doesn't change the fact that, particularly with regard to making movies, it's an extraordinarily expensive undertaking. Investors won't put up the money if there isn't a likelihood of making a profit.

[Javaman]

16. Movie theaters are essentially dead.

3D was the last desperate attempt to keep them on life support.

We see bad crap over budgeted high on FX low on stories to try an get people in seats.

this has been the trend for the last 10 years.

the old model of movie distribution is completely outdated.

Don't get me wrong, I worked in the movie biz for years as a cinematographer. I love going to the movies, to me, it was like going to church. But it's getting harder and harder to compete with "home theaters" that just about offer the same type of movie going experience the theater does.

My easy prediction will be this: in 5 years virtually all multiplexes will be dead. Instant release to "home video" will be the norm.

Frankly, the smart model to use would be for the studio's to work out a deal with netflix or the like, to charge for new releases during the first month of it's premiere. Then after that time, goes into it's regular on demand or mail order dvd afterward.

People are waiting for them now to go to dvd or netflix before the watch, so what difference would it make.

And the "must see it now" crowd will still have the option of watching the movie when it first comes out.

Revival theaters and "independent" theaters will thrive, because people still enjoy going out to the movies. And, generally speaking those types of movies tend to be better written, directed and acted.

We are at the very end of an long era I'm saddened to say. Things changes.

Frankly, this is no different that the music industry having to embrace on line downloading of music from pay sites.

[NashVegas]

18. Yeah, And Music Is So Fantastic Now! Such a Unifying Force in Culture!

Which is why the movie industry is fighting tooth and claw. They now have direct evidence of the effect it has on industry when control of distribution is wrested from content creators and their investors by electronics manufacturers and internet providers.

[Javaman]

21. It's going that way regardless if the industry wants it or not.

What the DGA needs to do, is start working out agreements with netflix and amazon for percentages.

The various distribution arms for major movies will be dinosaurs in a few years and will be replaced by distribution "agents" if no DGA agreement is worked out.

The day of the true independent film producer/director is coming.

But then again, there will be the ever elusive chase of finding backing for any project.

So true indenpendant filmmaking may stay they way it is. LOL

How that will shake out is anyones guess, but since AMC, Bravo, HBO, etc seem to be the new content producers for now, it seems like they will be doing the bankrolling.

Perhaps they will cut the deals directly with the dvd subscription outfits.

Which, sadly, might lead to a new type of lock out and may revert to a type of studio system again. Distribution-wise anyway.

The next big merger will be one of the old studios, cable channels and networks, with one of the dvd subscript corps. Like Warner or HBO buying up netflix.

That would be a very interesting thing to behold.

[hlthe2b]

22. And,I still think we've lost something with the demise of

big, extensively stocked,knowledgeable staffed, "record" stores. Maybe I'm a dinosaur in this instance, but I really think that there could have been a model that incorporated the best of all--digital and traditional sales models--if only greed hadn't so overtaken the business at the expense of both artists and consumers.

[Javaman]

23. I agree...

I miss the hours I would spend in record stores going through the new vinyl. :)

The whole concept of rushing home and putting a new record on the turn table and setting the needle just so.

Sitting back and taking in the experience.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. I can get them off BitTorrent a week after launch date

Not sure this move would make much of a difference.

[AllTooEasy]

6. Takes you that long?

[Cronus Protagonist]

12. I prefer the best copies

Some of the pan and scan movie theater shoots are too poor to bother with...

[Earth_First]

5. $54 for a family of four to view a 3D movie or $30 for a month of unlimited viewing at home...

Sorry your $196 million dollar production may only gross $210 in the theatres...

[JI7]

7. what if theaters cut ticket costs ? don't they make a lot of money on food anyways ?

[LanternWaste]

10. Theater chains do not make money off ticket sales...

Theater chains do not make money off ticket sales, only on concession sales.

[JI7]

13. so maybe cutting ticket prices might be a good idea

and offer more variety of foods.

people will go thinking the tickets aren't much but end up being tempted by the food and spend more.

[customerserviceguy]

8. I used to like watching movies in theatres, but

it's become such a pain in the butt. Parking at the local multiplex is beyond challenging, and even if I do get in, there are seat-kicking kids for any sort of animated film, and texting young people in front of me in others. I just got a 40 inch high-def TV, and the home theatre experience is really starting to look good these days. Netflix with a Roku box is only eight bucks a month, but my lady and I would pay another $20-25 a month to get new releases to watch.

[christx30]

15. I haven't

seen a movie in the theater since The Dark Knight. I have two small kids, so it is darn near impossible to find time and a babysitter so I can go.
And the last thing I want to do is fight the crowd and ear with horrible prices at the box office and trying to hide food in my wife's purse or coat so I don't have to pay $5 for a soda.
To heck with the studios. I want to watch my movie at home asap.

[trud]

9. I used to enjoy going to movie theaters

until they turned into crowds of barbarians. The last straw for me was being threatened by someone who wanted my seat. I'm happy to report that that theater went out of business a year or two later.

Back in the day, people in theaters were courteous, it was safe, and there were ushers to keep things that way, although it was extremely rare for them to have to do anything other than ask people to not talk loudly.

[MickeyFinne]

14. I used to enjoy going to movies

until I was subjected to countless shameless commercials for crap products or crap sitcoms on tv. I don't watch tv and don't care to pay $10+ per movie ticket so that I can sit and watch ads about stuff I purposely choose not to purchase or watch in the first place. So, I don't go to the movies anymore. I suppose I could just get there as the movie is starting, but then I'd be relegated to a seat that is not to my choosing. Wow. I'm sounding like a crabby, entitled, self-important goon!

[Javaman]

17. I bring a book to read...

LOL

I actually do and you would be surprised at the looks I get.

I hate all that commercial crap and useless blather they foist upon me prior to the previews.

And I'm always amused at the asshole who either forgets or totally ignores the plea to turn off the cell phone and starts either fumbling to turn it off or just starts talking in a loud voice as if this idiot is at home.

The only time I go to the theater now is just before the Academy Awards to catch the noms. Other than that, I don't go to the movies all year. And this is from someone who grew up on saturday mats, half price tuesdays and friday premieres.

I worked in the film industry for a very long time. Love, loved movies.

But sadly, I just can't take the rudeness of the crowds anymore.

[NashVegas]

19. We Don't Need 3D, HD, etc

We need good movies. We need great movies.

[Dappleganger]

20. Our favorite theater has $5 Sundays...

and quite often there are coupons out there for drinks/snacks (or we sneak in our own). While there's a considerable amount of garbage out there (we watch the garbage at home on Netflix, hehe), there are some movies which are definitely worth seeing in the theater on the big screen and with their big sounds.

Also, if I'm going to pay $30 in one pop to watch it on our own tv, I want a BD disc with digital copy, no something which expires.

[cbdo2007]

24. It's time that these directors band together and open up their own studio.

Seriously, James Cameron has hundreds of Millions of $$$ and he should team up with some of the other big name producers out there, so the only movies that are released the cheap way are shitty movies.

I'm sure he's got the connections, the $$$, and the drive to make it work...so I'm not sure why he allows himself to be treated like sh*t by anybody.