comment #1

p.Vice says ...

This already happened to music. DVD stores will continue to exist in similar fashion to record stores, serving the buffs and die-hards while the rest of the world starts watching movies on their iPods.

comment #2

wayne76 says ...

Why would you want anything to do with the galumphs serving the checkout line, Jeff?

comment #3

storymark says ...

I will only watch a movie on my iPod as a very last resort, and never for the first time. I'll throw old favorites on there, so I can watch particular scenes when I'm trapped somewhere, but that's it.

comment #4

jse33 says ...

Hmmm, $15 for heavily compressed video, resulting in a shitty picture, to watch on my laptop? Nah, I'll stick with Blu-ray, thank you very much. Nothing beats 1080p with lossless audio. True movie fans care about the quality of their movies. Fuck this teenage ipod crowd. Who watches movies on a 3" screen?

comment #5

actionman says ...

I hate the idea of watching stuff on ipods and cell phones. A portable dvd player is my limit.

comment #6

BlueBomm says ...

The days of only being able to watch downloaded movies on your laptop or iPod are... well, I was going to say "over," but they never even existed! With just a little investigation and research, and after purchasing a few simple adapters, pretty much any consumer can watch this content on their television, just as they would with a DVD. And the quality is essentially equal... you can even download HD movies.

Plus, I'm sure Apple (and everybody else) are quickly, quickly developing consumer-friendly technology to get these files from your computer to your TV with just the transfer of an external hard drive, or a little pen drive, or whatever it will be.

Anyway... point being, it should be obvious isn't an "iPod or television" conversation. It's actually probably more about what Wells alluded to in his write-up-- what's the community going to be like?

I think it might be awesome for film fans. And if the studios have success here, imagine the possibilities-- they could, in theory, offer up their entire libraries for download, as there would be no packaging/production to take into consideration. So everything we've pined for on DVD could-- COULD, I'm not saying this will happen-- be made suddenly, totally available. Wouldn't that be an incredible windfall for obscure, high-minded movie watchers? It could change the whole cultural dialogue of movies...

I mean, you know... maybe.

comment #7

David Ehrlich says ...

yeah, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, as stories like this make pundits so wont to do. the studios are essentially attempting to make sure that their product can reach every consumer in every conceivable fashion - it's a business plan that embraces All forms of distribution rather than hoping to eliminate any. blu-ray, downloads, and (for a time) DVD will all co-exist, with each consumer picking their own poison. all three modes - particularly the physical ones at the moment - are so insanely profitable that they ain't going anywhere. the only victims will be rental chains and small (and dearly beloved) video outlets like kim's in nyc. as for me... the awesome paramount news that THERE WILL BE BLOOD will be on blu-ray as soon as june 3 is reason enough for me to be totally ambivalent about this entire issue, as the films i want to see are going to be available to be seen in whatever format i choose for a long while yet.

comment #8

JeffGP says ...

Also, basically, I could go live IN the grand canyon (with an internet connection), or in the middle of fucking nowhere away from all of the galumphs, and get movies that I would never be able to ever see if I lived in a not "Top 10" market. I could also watch them on my GIGANTIC flat-screen TV ordered from AMAZON, thus contributing to the utter destruction of conversing with the "check out guys." A crying shame.

comment #9

T. S. Idiot says ...

Aren't we forgetting about Apple TV?

comment #10

Jay T. says ...

I always order all of my DVDs on amazon.com anyway... so whatever.

What I really don't get is the idea of watching ANYTHING on an ipod... if you can't watch it on your couch at home, then read a damn book.

comment #11

Howlingman says ...

I remember back in my day (late 80s) living in a small town and only being able to read about the cool films that never played the local cineplex. I wanted to see Drugstore Cowboy, Wild at Heart, My Own Private Idaho, Do The Right Thing (and so on) I had to drive an hour one of two directions. The window for home video was even longer -- always for rent, rarely for purchase.

Point is, damn kids today are spoiled. Lucky that there's such a small window between theatrical and video, luckier to have so many options in viewing and ultimately, day and date is one of those things I wish was available to me 20 years ago. It will change the market, and DVDs could very well go the way of Laserdisc (though I doubt it -- only people under 30 seem to get and like downloading), but ultimately if it's about giving the audience as many options as possible, is a good thing.

Now get off my lawn.

comment #12

murdocdv says ...

Movies bought on iTunes can be watched on iPods, iPhones, any laptop or desktop computer, and on your HD TV with Apple TV (BlueBoom, Apple has already solved this problem). The quality is identical to a DVD now. You can rent 720p movies on Apple TV, though you can't buy anything in HD yet. What changed today is that now movies to buy come from everyone, and the same day as physical DVD. Rentals are still 30 days from release to DVD/Digital Buy.

Jeff, if you want to stand inline with low thread count bubbas so that you get the latest insights on Alvin and the Chipmunks, by all means enjoy yourself! Also, it's kind of incredible how close minded you are being here. You realize the community is right here, online in spots like these and others all over the web. There is no "community" at my local Blockbuster, the only video rental store in a 5 mile radius around my house.

comment #13

BlueBomm says ...

Ahh, AppleTV. Got it. Well, I'll also say that I hope Apple doesn't corner the entire market on this thing... But yeah, the technology is clearly here. Cool.

comment #14

bdboudreaux says ...

Man this makes me really conflicted and not because of Jeff's lack of community thing. Murdocdv is speaking the truth when he says places like this are where you find the real film community, rather than your average video store or best buy. True places like Kims or Lazer Blazer are totally different experiences but not everyone has those types of meccas. Plus Kim's is incredibly over priced. No my conflict has to do with should I or shouldn't I buy a blu ray. At first I was waiting out the Hd dvd war. As that dragged on the I started to say, "well to hell with both of them, downloadable HD isn't too far." Then over the last few weeks, I started thinking "hmm maybe I should get one of them fancy Blu rays" and almost had myself convinced. Now, I don't know. My instincts say that this is another step towards buy 1080P video. Thoughts?

comment #15

The Pope says ...

It's hilarious. For all his hard-ass posturing, where he berates people for not sticking with their career until the grave, for all his grandstanding about Zodiac (which I adored) and men being men in pictures about men, Mr. Jeffrey Wells is a whinger. And more hilariously, for a man who spends so much time around and hence, is dependent upon technology, he is a ludite.

comment #16

DavidF says ...

Even without BluRay, are the people buying DVDs really the same people who like watching 2-hour movies on a 2" screen??

It's a bit sad that "buffs" are becoming the people who have a basic understanding of these things. iPods are wonderfully convenient to listen to but you don't have to be an audiophile to understand how inferior MP3s are to CDs, vinyl or anything else on a proper stereo system.

The more I watch people buy 50" plasmas, the less I'm concerned that iPods will become the next wave of movie watching.

comment #17

Howlingman says ...

The only sense of "community" I've ever had when it comes to movie watching in any format, are the folks at the still great Bloor Cinema in Toronto, and Suspect Video down the street from it.

comment #18

CinemaPhreek says ...

To: Those in the Techno-Geek Bubble
From: The Outside World
RE: Reality Check

All one has to do is look at the hard numbers for iTunes downloads and realize this isn't going to do nothing but give tech and entertainment journalist something to squawk about until the next Big Thing.

The average person, to say nothing of the average home theater owner/cinephile, is going to stick to DVD or Blu-Ray for the foreseeable future. There's too much electronic crap that must be purchased and fucked around with for the vast majority to want to do it. Congrats to you and your college roommate for hooking up the whatsit to the thingdad and running it with a doowackle in order to get the movie on the TV.

Most of us are going to do without the $600 in extra equipment plus $15 per film fee and stick to Netflix or $4 at Hollywood Video. And that's only if we want to see it release week. After that, the damn thing will be $6 in a few months anyway.

Not to mention, the whole thing is going to collapse soon as they give On Demand day-and-date as well. Because nothing is easier than simply hitting that "buy" button on the cable box remote...

comment #19

Josh Massey says ...

Hasn't this already happened thanks to Netflix? I used to go to video stores three or four times a week, but I haven't set foot in one in at least five years.

Oh, and I admit I did put "Rocky" on my iPod - it's good to watch, or just listen to, while working out.

comment #20

DavidF says ...

I might go to the local big box place to get my cheap DVDs when they come out, but THIS, Jeff, is where I come for community. It's a bit weird that the purveyor of a site like HE would think that there is still a community of film geeks at DVD stores.

As a fellow Torontonian I just wanted to echo what Howlingman said. That "community" is already gone at Blockbuster and most big movieplexes. (Besides - we're talking retail: Do people BUY their DVDs at Blockbuster? I guess some do...)

It's indie cinemas and cool, local indie video shops where there is still that grass roots thing going on. The same is true for music, books and just about anything else you can think of.

So, instead, we have our community (Rather obviously) on the Internet. Welcome to the future.

comment #21

BlueBomm says ...

Come on, guy... Have you even read all the comments on here? Imagine trying to be around you when people were inventing fire.

"Uhh, seriously, other cavemen? Why bother? I got like ten blankets at home. Geeks."

Also, that hook-up shit costs like 200 dollars. How much is a Blu-ray player, again? Downloadable movies IS the next big thing, and I think it could really use the support of major film fans (whoops, I mean, "major cinema phreeks"). There's a ton of potential here.

I'm not a technophile by any means, but just take like a ten-second time out from your embarrassing, goofball "common man" platform and consider the potential benefits of downloadable movies.

Honestly, try it. For ten seconds.

comment #22

BlueBomm says ...

Sorry... the above was directed at CinemaPhreek.

comment #23

mjn says ...

Both trades just weighed in on Speed Racer.

Variety: mixed/positive (kids will love it, but too long)
THR: negative (although great effects)

comment #24

scooterzz says ...

doesn't it seem that this announcement would have been better kept under wraps until after the sag contract is worked out?
it seems this could potentially muddy those waters...
i must be missing something here.....

comment #25

breadlymoore says ...

"I'm not a technophile by any means, but just take like a ten-second time out from your embarrassing, goofball "common man" platform and consider the potential benefits of downloadable movies."

Quit being a puss and just state your case. What are the benefits?

Ease of storage? ...and then the CPU crashes. Try to squeeze "redos" out of iTunes.

Quality? Not for ten more years, at the least. 96% of America, 80% of the world doesn't have the tools to properly deploy feature-film downloads.

Value? Go fuck yourself. Once (if?) downloading becomes the norm, the studios will have no problem making the price absurd, like Blu-rays are now.

So what's the upside?

Right now, I enjoy "owning" my media more than ever. Actually, I've gone back to CDs, as strange as that is. Why allow the studios such control over the use of your purchases? I buy = I use. I don't ask twice.

comment #26

BlueBomm says ...

I stated my case, man! Access! More content! More and better movies! I'm not talking about the technology itself, I'm talking about what it brings. This is the problem-- you guys aren't using your imagination or the part of your brains that truly love movies on this stuff.

This could also completely change how independent films are marketed and buzzed about. Can't get a distributor to release your not-commercial-enough first film, even on DVD? This way, you can afford to kinda do it yourself, in high quality.

I mean... Already, completely removed from of iTunes (and obviously this enters very murky "legal" waters), downloading-- just through person-to-person sites-- has opened a floodgate of rare and otherwise not-easy-to-see films. Anxious to watch a decent copy of Song of the South? Wishing you could see Skidoo (a site favorite here, for some funny reason) within the next two hours? You can!

And now think what would happen if the studios grab the reigns on this concept, cleaning up their ENTIRE LIBRARY of films just enough to make them watchable and available, and without having to worry about printing, shipping and selling a ton of DVDs... and it's like getting the keys to the kingdom. The download market is completely different from that of all previously-known home video markets, and it could be-- could be-- phenomenal for people like us who just want to see a nice version of Chimes at Midnight.

Am I still being a puss? Is this making any sense?

comment #27

BlueBomm says ...

"Reins," that is. Not "Reigns." Dang, I hate that...

comment #28

rr3333 says ...

Who rents in the stores anymore? It's netlfix or blockbuster online, for the most part.

BTW: Jeff only hangs with the good looking clerks (who look just like Adrian Brody) when he goes to the local West Coast Video.

comment #29

Jay T. says ...

On another note, I have to say, downloading content via Amazon Unbox on my HD Tivo is so much easier than the Apple/ipod route. Still, though, I never rent movies this way even though it's easy, I just prefer netflix because it's a better deal overall.

comment #30

Chris Willman says ...

It's kind of shocking that most of the commenters here seem to think this has to do with watching movies on an iPod.

I don't have an AppleTV unit yet for watching downloaded movies, but only because I already bought a PS3 for Blu-Ray, and the rumor is that that will soon be set up to download films in much the same way, so I'm trying to limit my boxes.

comment #31

BurmaShave says ...

Must I really be the firs to link this?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0

It's such a sadness.

comment #32

A.H. says ...

My response to that Lynch video:

Now, if you're making a movie with a consumer video camera, you'll never in a trillion years have made a film. You'll think you've made a film, but you'll be cheating. It's such a sadness. You think you've made a film on your fucking video camera? Get real.

comment #33

MickTravis says ...

Uhhhh, "Blue Velvet." "Eraserhead." I think he knows what a film is. He's earned the slack to experiment a bit.

comment #34

Baron von Lego says ...

"There's too much electronic crap that must be purchased and fucked around with for the vast majority to want to do it. Congrats to you and your college roommate for hooking up the whatsit to the thingdad and running it with a doowackle in order to get the movie on the TV."

Yep, it's mighty hard connecting the S video cable straight from my TV to my Macbook to output the AV content I watch. I just don't know how I deal with all that hassle.

comment #35

thasos says ...

You're not supposed to watch a movie on your iPod. You're supposed to hook your iPod up to the tv and watch it.

This is great. Fuck not finding what I want and fuck the checkout guys as well.

comment #36

Josh Massey says ...

"He's earned the slack to experiment a bit."

After Inland Empire, he might have lost it.

(Although I'll torture myself with 10 more Inlands if it eventually turns up another Mulholland Dr.).

comment #37

bluefugue says ...

I find it funny how many people equate "watching movies online" with "watching movies on a 2 inch iPod screen." I wonder if all of these folks considered watching movies on a standard-def TV to be an abomination unto God and Man. The image quality here is for the most part equal or better. There are some compression artifacts here and there but it's not like you're staring at a postage stamp... most people would probably watch these films on their computer monitor or routed to their TV.

I lose patience with self-styled cinephiles who take inordinate pride in their exacting standards for perfect presentation of every movie. Yes, in an ideal world, every movie would be projected for us in a pristine print with perfect light levels etc. etc. Meanwhile, some of us live in the real world, and convenience and accessibility are factors. A lower-quality image (and by "lower quality" I mean the sort of image you might have seen on a VHS tape or a TV broadcast of a film) still allows you to perceive and enjoy things like composition, acting, writing, sound design, lighting, and so on. You do not need to be sitting in an Imax theater with a wraparound 70mm image swamping your peripheral vision in order to experience cinema.

I didn't feel like some kind of abominable philistine when, years ago, I rented movies on VHS. And I don't feel like one now when I watch them over the Internet on my computer. Is it the ideal way to watch a movie? No. A lot of things in life aren't ideal.

comment #38

mutinyco says ...

Dumb-asses. That Lynch video is a mash-up taken from footage on the Inland Empire DVD. He didn't make that clip.

Furthermore, two things are being confused. There's a difference between content created directly for the web and watching a theatrical movie on the web. And it's ironic that people keep pointing to that video to make a point because Inland Empire started off as a series of web shorts Lynch created for his own website.

comment #39

storymark says ...

"Yes, in an ideal world, every movie would be projected for us in a pristine print with perfect light levels etc. etc. Meanwhile, some of us live in the real world, and convenience and accessibility are factors....Is it the ideal way to watch a movie? No. A lot of things in life aren't ideal."

I live in the real world, too. And a occasional trip to the store or mailbox, and the oh so cumbersome chore of putting a disk in a player, are well worth the added quality.

Sure, a lot of things aren't ideal - but why actually choose something that isn't ideal? Is not leaving the couch truely that important to you?

comment #40

Alan Cerny says ...

Until there's no other options, I'm sticking with physical media. Believe in your fantasy all you want, but I like owning my movies. And you can spout that "You can own your download!" bullshit all day to me, but I just don't buy it. It'll be pay-to-play with those people if they can get it. It's Divx all over again.

comment #41

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