Film Geek

Now for something completely different.

We've come a long way from the time when the film industry had to respond to the advent of commercial television by turning to bigger sets, more lavish productions, Cinemascope, Panavision, etc.

And, remember when television stations went off the air shortly after midnight?

Well, my friends, get ready for another revolutionary change in the way entertainment fare is consumed.

'Bubble' hits theaters, TV, DVD on same day
By Gary Gentile, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — If you live in New Jersey, Virginia or Nevada and want to see the new Steven Soderbergh film Bubble in a theater, pack your bags. It won't be showing in those or more than a dozen other states.

Steven Soderbergh directed "Bubble," which will release on DVD and cable the day it hits theaters.

The country's largest theater chains are snubbing the film because they object to it being sold on DVD and shown on cable TV the same day it debuts in a handful of theaters owned by the same company that produced the movie.

"Bubble" isn't the first film to be released this way. But the combination of a high-profile director and the backing of maverick billionaires Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban have studios and theater owners paying close attention this time.

"It's the biggest threat to the viability of the cinema industry today," John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, said of the so-called "day and date" release strategy.

The move comes as new technology is giving consumers faster access to music, movies, TV shows and other content via multiple devices, including laptop computers, portable video screens, even cellphones. Theater owners have faced challenges from technology before, most notably television and the VCR. But this is the first time major studios have contemplated releasing films in competing formats at the same time.

Expect to see a lot more of this type of simultaneous multi-format distribution. The market will embrace it and studios will respond to their customers.

Consumer empowerment. Ain't it grand?