[Chuck West]

I figured a subject like this needed its own thread.

It looks like the concept of simultaneous theater and pay-per-view releases may start with Transformers on 7/3. Pricey at $49.99, but if the price comes down with time... look out theaters.

http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=news&id=10826

If you’ve been reading the front page, you know that Hollywood has been considering a variety of options to firm up box office revenue and thwart the looming threat of piracy. One of the most controversial is the “premiere” day-and-date release which would see major blockbusters available for cable PPV purchase prices in the $30-$50 range on the same day they come out in theaters. With so many eschewing the increasingly **** theatrical experience for a night at home with the fam and the 50-inch HDTV/surround sound system they just dropped a few grand for, studios are desperate to get their hooks back into this most lucrative of moviegoers. And since a lot of having a pimp home theater is about showing it off to friends and acquaintances, what could be more “hip” than getting a must-see title at home where you don’t have to consider going all Hostel on the group of snotty punks two rows ahead who can’t stop texting for 90 minutes?

The only question is which title is going to kick off this experiment, and the answer isn’t that surprising. It appears that Michael Bay’s Transformers will claim the mantle. According to techie site Uberpulse.com, the film will debut on July 3 on cable PPV for the upper-range price of $49. The story’s short on details beyond that, so I can’t tell you for sure that it will only be “cable” PPV, as opposed to PPV across cable and satellite systems. Still, either scenario would be a groundbreaker, and studios will be watching the returns and response very closely. Also watching will be theater execs, who are appropriately scared at being dealt another blow to their shrinking revenue.

But even if there are snafus (and the one I’m rooting for is a simple labeling mistake to result in Transformers: The Movie being shown instead for the first several thousand orders or so. I believe Justin’s money is on TransAmerica.), this idea will continue to move forward. All these gatekeepers are more panicked by the loss of control than any short-term revenue hits. They’ve been spoiled by nearly a century of being able to dictate how the consumer can buy content, for what price, and how they will be allowed to enjoy their content. Now with the Internet as the great equalizer, that horse is long gone, and it’s going to be a long, messy negotiation between consumers and movie and music studios as to how things are going to be from here. There’s no magical silver bullet that will turn back the clock, and as the music industry is learning the hard way right now, you either get down or lay down.

http://www.uberpulse.com/us/2007/06/...box_office.php

UberPulse has learned that, for the first time in Hollywood's history, a local studio, namely Paramount, will release next month's live-action Transformers movie, on cable pay-per-view, the same day it premiere's in US theatres, on July 3rd. But don't hold your breath... the price tag for that special night might deter more than one: $49!


At this price, it makes sense to watch a blockbuster at home instead of going to the theatres, only if you have a really nice home theatre system and invite lots of family and friends. And that's exactly how Hollywood is trying to convince the theatres: that those people, who owns such home theatre systems, are not going to the cinemas anyway.

We have also learned that movie theatres are very reluctant to release that content as they have the right on it for the first six months it is released a.k.a the first window of exclusivity... But the writing is on the wall. So expect more experiments like this one, more often... cheaper... until the death of theatres!

[TravisR]

$50? Ha! Even if I was a theater-phobe, there's no way that I couldn't wait four months and save $35 and actually own the movie. Plus, I bet the entire movie will have some logo/bug on the bottom of the screen to 'fight' piracy. Unless you have a family of four that can't live without getting junk food, that's a laughable price to charge for a movie.

[Matt^Brown]

I think the price is pretty good. I have a family of four and after cokes and popcorn I spend at least $50. The added bonus of having my system and bathroom makes things even better. Also I pay $50 for fights all the time so I don't think they will have a hard time getting people to except that number.

[Greg_S_H]

I guess HD is a given, but what about OAR? It's hard to find an HD movie shown in the proper aspect ratio.

[ThomasC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg_S_H

I guess HD is a given, but what about OAR? It's hard to find an HD movie shown in the proper aspect ratio.

None of Michael Bay's DVDs are offered in pan-and-scan. Let's hope he didn't back down for pay-per-view.

[Greg_S_H]

They usually crop them to 1.78. I haven't watched any Bay films on HDTV, so I don't know if his are subject to that or not.

[Quentin]

I'm not sure I buy this story at all. This 'story' is the only notice of such a thing I've seen anywhere.

[Chris]

If this happens, I would 100% buy. Taking my wife and two kids to a theater anymore is over $50 easy.

(two adult tickets = $19, two kids tickets $12, four drinks $11, popcorn, candy, dogs..$15+)

Yeah, I'd snap at this. Plus, I wouldn't annoy other people with our 7/6 year old who would love to see this.

[Malcolm R]

What TravisR said. No way in hell I'd pay $50 for single viewing of a film I can own for $15 and watch over and over again by Thanksgiving.




.

[Chuck West]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quentin

I'm not sure I buy this story at all. This 'story' is the only notice of such a thing I've seen anywhere.

Dated May 26th:

http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=16122


With all of the continual changes in the world of video, distribution, the Internet, DVD and entertainment, I suppose that it was inevitable that we actually discuss the possibility of major motion pictures being shown in your own living room home theater on the SAME DAY as they open across the nation! That's right, according to the folks at Entertainment Weekly (great story by Nicole Sperling), Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, had spoken with major film studios about offering movies on pay-per-view the SAME DAY they hit theaters. They would likely cost between $30-50 (think about this though, if you get 4-5 people to chip in, it's the same price as in theaters), but remember that you don't have to leave your house, park, buy overpriced nachos or have to deal with cellular phones, people who talk and morons in general (unless you are that very moron, in which case, this won't help you much).

Of course, theater owners are "up in arms" about this possibility, but according to EW, 5 of the 6 major studios have already partnered with Comcast to test a separate system in two cities that allows viewers to watch movies on pay-per-view the same day as the DVD hits stores (Sony didn't participate). I personally LIKE this idea. In fact, I think it's inevitable, but more importantly for smaller films, a great opportunity. I imagine that all those people whose cities were not chosen to feature "indie" films like PAN'S LABYRINTH, WAITRESS or LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, would surely have checked them out if they could simply sit down and watch them at home. Of course, I'd always want to keep seeing the "blockbusters" on the big screen (i.e. TRANSFORMERS), but does it really matter if you check out a film like DISTURBIA at home or in the theaters? Probably not. Anyway, that's my 3 cents, what think you?

[Holadem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm R

What TravisR said. No way in hell I'd pay $50 for single viewing of a film I can own for $15 and watch over and over again by Thanksgiving.

Some guy sitting alone in his apt isn't the target audience for this. Families are. I can also picture getting a bunch of friends together in a good HT for this.

I don't think this is gonna go mainstream any time soon, but it works within a very specific (and rare) set of circumstances, and I think a Transformers release on July 4th fits within that. I can easily see BBQ hosts opting for this later in the evening. Heck, if only as a means to placate the kids while the grown ups chill on the porch or something .

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H