Now Showing on a DVD Near You

Hey, nice of y`all to drop by...

Soysauce - One thing that Kaka said holds true: there is no sanctity in the theatre as such. Its all a matter of taste. I dont much care for the multiplex, I like the old fashioned big theatres but thats going the way of the dodo and for now the best way to make money is through the multiplex and the attendant deluge of prints. As you point out, in the future, as bigscreen tvs and surround sound become more popular, DVDs might be the way to go. For now, its just the smaller movies. The rest remains to be seen. Thank you for reading.

Aman - thanks for coming by. While you and SS above have different ideas about the feasibility of Bollywood, I think the release of Rang de Basanti in the recent past shows that the idea with Bollywood in the future would be to hit first and fast and cheap. If you can add some special features in your DVD [its amazing how little thought is given to dvd design for bollywood movies] and release it simultaneously in markets most affected by piracy, I think it is feasible. But Bollywood definitely needs more help from local govts, etc. As for mediocrity and the Bollywood incest mela... I know what you mean.

Manny - Well, soderbergh also directed Traffic, Ocean`s Eleven and Twelve, Erin Brokovich, Out of Sight and personally I think sex,lies and videotape was very entertaining too. I`m sure you might have come across one of the above in between installments of the Lord of the Rings. He`s just one of those crazy workaholic geniuses who are incredibly prolific. He also produces movies like Infidelity [the Diane Lane/Richard Gere movie? C`mon, you know that one], Criminal, The Jacket... crazy little movies that blow your mind. I love him. Thanks for reading.

Burpie - Thanks! Yeah, I gave myself the night off from moralizing. Anyway, it would have been a case of casting stones and my glass house can`t take it. Ever since I got Netflix, the quality of my life has improved considerably. Long live chaddi and baniyan! As I said above, the world is changing and Shyamalan can throw as many hissy fits as he wants to but in the end he works for the audience that makes his multi million dollar movies possible and if we want to see it in our bathroom, then he`ll either make it possible or apply for a job at the local Gujju da Dukaan.

Ams, well written piece. I particularly like the way you (deliberately?) steered clear of the ``moral`` argument of IPR protection while talking about piracy. Though a valid iddue, it would have diluted your point considerably.

It`s completely silly to delay DVD editions of a movie till a point that all interest in the film has died down. I completely agree with Soderbergh here. Why should I trudge all the way to a cinema theatre, find parking, shell out obscene multiplex ticket rates, buy overpriced popcorn, not enjoy alcoholic beverages (except in Calcutta, bless you!) or sit in my chaddi-baniyan while I enjoy the latest blockbuster?

Going to the cinema is an experience that rivals taking the kids to the zoo these days (and costs about as much too). You can`t do it every weekend. Renting DVDs is so much easier.

Amrita Ji,

A good thought provoking article. Are you in the TV or the movie industry?

I`ll admit to being a low-brow and have never seen a Soderbergh masterpiece. NOw that you have warned, I`ll try to steer clear of the master even if he were handing free DVDs at Costco. I hate pretentious buggers. By contrast, the Lord of the Rings movies in the theatre were a joy to watch and had far more value than the costlier DVDs on high definition TV. Actually I buy the DVDs, if I like a movie.

I do not support piracy, because it is just plain theft of somebody`s property. Hamzad is a very persuasive debater and I have to be careful here. I do not steal, burglarize or pick pockets because I hate others to steal my property or money. That the victims have enough or too much money and stolen goods help the consumers is not too convincing. Kaka can easily afford to buy a new car every weekend, but it is annoying to call a taxi after a day`s work. It will be maddening for Kaka to play pocket billiards instead of heading home in his new car, that he bought just last Sunday. Moreover the greedy rich auto dealership will soon go under because Kaka and Hamzad are the only buyers at dealership and car thieves have very low overheads. What willl kaka do then?

The other argument that piracy is well entrenched and can not be fought is a good one and does present a problem. One way to solve piracy is for the movie producers to have enforcement licenses from a hanging judge type of magistrate. They can slug it out with the pirates without involving the taxpayer. Meanwhile sod Soderbergh.

nothing can beat the experience of watching a well made movie in the theatre, the whole experience of watching say lord of the rings is lost on dvd. sorderberg`s ideas can definately work for bollywood. let the customer decide which way he/she wants to watch a movie.
hamzaad has a point that about the stars raking in all the moolah which in turn encourages mediocrity. in bollywood, star kids/beauty queens/ models etc, become actors bec of the huge money involved and the movie goer has to bear terrible acting and watch some real ugly duckings [star kids ]. talented ppl dont get a chance.

I imagine those who continue to go to theaters are singles or couples who like the cinema experience. An evening out at the movies could set a couple with 2 kids 50 - 75 bucks back counting in parking and overpriced popcorn & soda. A DVD disc on the other hand costs less than $20.
While there is a valid argument to be made that DVD release would reduce theater attendance, reality may not be as simple. The interrugnum between theatrical and video rental release has shrunk from 4 months to 2 and, apparently, even to zero. Demand for DVDs spikes initially and falls off exponentially in a matter of a few weeks or even days. It`s possible that earlier DVD release would sustain that demand and increase revenue OVERALL. A revenue sharing arrangement as Cuban & co have worked out with theaters may end up benefiting everyone. We`ll have to wait & see.
Ultimately tho, it`s the greed of theater owners who stick it to you in every way possible that has seen a decline in moviegoing. Plus it doesn`t help that you can have your own big screen and state-of-the art audio system at home for under $10K. Most people would rather wait for DVDs than go to a theater.
The situation with indian movies is completely different since piracy is endemic there and revenue is mostly from theaters.

thanks saminoo....

supersize - thank you. i hope so too :)

Enjoyable article, Amrita. Let`s have more.

Ams,

Great informative article!

Scoutie - thanks for coming by. :)

amrita,

kaka thought he was the only unplugged chowkie to get published recently, now that you have joined the ranks, but with a good article for a change, he`s getting all jealous

For Kaka -

Amrita appreciates Kaka`s coolth in his utopian vision of perfection in art while he ignores the fact that his ``local trend and little industry`` increasingly affect the lives of more and more people around the world than any other art form. Kaka seems unaware that the world does not always look for artistic merit in what it takes to heart. The artistic value of Speilberg`s Jurassic Park and Govinda`s Aankhein are both in severe doubt but each has been called an important movie.

One man`s art is another`s trash and as hard as it may be for Kaka to fathom, in a world where there is even a market for Mithun da`s movies, it is not up to him or Amrita to decide what should be made and what should be allowed to die. That is where lovely little repressive idaologies like fascism end up because art if always the first thing to be censored.

Also for example, when Hong Kong was making truly awful slasher movie, Amrita wouldnt have minded if they`d fallen off the face of the earth but as kaka might be aware, that would have crushed a man called Tarantino who liked them fine. now perhaps Kaka doesnt care for Tarantino either but Amrita really likes him and if Hong Kong slashers leads to a Kill Bill or two, Amrita for one will not argue.

As much as Amrita doesnt care for fat cat exhibitors, she really has a problem with fat cat extortionists and gangsters running off prints of other peeps` work and making mucho moolah. While Amrita has contributed to their pocket money in the past, Amrita would much rather deck them one in the gonads. Soderbergh;s ideas lead to a kick in their collective gonads and that makes Amrita a very happy girl. Yay Soderbergh!

shobs - why dont u go rain on someone else`s parade? grr.
but seriously, thats where the distribution network and the law comes in. bollywood piracy has ties to the underworld and you might not know it but there`s a definite Bombay-Pakistan-Europe nexus which means big bucks for some shady pockets. With prices of DVDs and VCDs going down like nobody`s business, I think its entirely possible that Bollywood can do something about it. But yeah, I dont think this is going to become the industry standard overnight... but the smaller movies, like the cineplex hits that sometimes fail to reach a larger audience should look into it imo.

Mantolives - thank you.

yeah, go ahead, ravage our only source of sasti-entertainment! :@

on a serious note, the idea of simultaneous release might help Hollywood mend some of its wounds, but I don`t think it`s gonna work for Bollywood. Even in Pakistan, you can find smuggled unedited alpha versions of movies months before their actual release date. And these too at a fraction of the cost a `legally relased` DVD would bear. Who`s gonna take the stakes for a progressive cinema, when they get the entertainment it`s meant for anyway?

A nicely written piece-

`Amrita would like to ask Kaka what Kaka feels about the anonymous crew of the movie industry`

This has already been answered.. in #1

..Indeed, the light-person and the set-decorator and the ordinary wage-earner loses out if the industry suffers. But really should we care for an economic trend so local and so fleeting?

`but Kaka misses the fact that
1. Amrita likes Soderbergh`s ideas
2. Soderbergh would basically replace the pirates and offer the same service legally AND THE CONSUMER WOULD STILL BENEFIT`

1. Why? Why do you like his idea? What `problem` do you think this solves? Why is this `problem` so dear to your heart? Why have you slid yourself in this position of caring? (These questions really are addressed to your overall tendency of slipping into `reporting` and `documenting` issues which are kinda cool to have a decent opinion about.. but extremely dumb when you do decide to make the argument).

2. Oooo, are we really worried about the legality of things? You want a cutie-pa2tie solution that rescues the lovey-dovey status quo without violating huggybear laws? Do we also like Soderbergh AS AN ACTIVIST, since he is also a preferred director? His actions are good, because his directing is good?

DO YOU SEE THE ARGUMENT OF TOO MUCH MONEY IN THE INDUSTRY SPAWNING MEDIOCRITY?

Amrita would like to ask Kaka what Kaka feels about the anonymous crew of the movie industry - the grips, the spotboys, the assistants, the tens of thousands globally who are in danger of losing their livelihood coz movie making is no longer profitable for the fat cats who cut their check.

Amrita admits to Kaka -
1. Amrita`s wallet loves piracy
2. Amrita couldnt care less about cinema exhibitors ...
but Kaka misses the fact that
1. Amrita likes Soderbergh`s ideas
2. Soderbergh would basically replace the pirates and offer the same service legally AND THE CONSUMER WOULD STILL BENEFIT
... so Amrita suggests Kaka should learn to read.

finally Amrita would like to thank Kaka for visiting her in the fishy tank. Amrita appreciates the business.