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We have arrived at a momentous landmark in movie history, believe it or not: Steven Soderbergh's new movie "Bubble" (which Roger Ebert calls a masterpiece) opens today -- simultaneously in Landmark Theaters and on HDNet, both of which are owned by Mark Cuban. The film is available through Time-Warner, Charter and Adelphia cable companies, and DirecTV and DishNetwork satellite. Then, on Tuesday (January 31), it comes out on DVD.
It's an experiment in day-and-date "simultaneous delivery," allowing people to decide for themselves how they'd most like to watch the movie, billed as "Another Steven Soderbergh Experience": a murder mystery set in a small town doll factory. Soderbergh, the director of "sex, lies and videotape," "Traffic," "Out of Sight," "Erin Brockovich," "Ocean's Eleven" and many others, has made a deal to direct six low-budget films for release in this way. Some say it'll never work. Others say it's the future of the entertainment industry.
Terry Gross, of "Fresh Air," has an interview with Mark Cuban on the National Public Radio web site:
In collapsing the months-long release window into a matter of days, Cuban says consumers will have more choice in how content is delivered, which may result in higher overall sales. In answering critics who have decried the day-and-date approach as the death knell of the theater experience, Cuban has compared the approach to the NBA, in which sold-out games are also aired live on television.On the film's official web site, Soderbergh explains that he wants to make he films "site-specific" -- set, shot, and cast in real communities that you don't usually see in movies.
Someday, we may look back on this as a turning point in movie history, like the first nickelodeon or the launch of HBO or the availability of movies on home video formats (Beta, VHS, LaserDisc, DVD).
Incidentally, the clean, abstract/surreal design of the poster, the site, and even the trailer, are beautifully done. It's creepy, funny, haunting -- and makes me want to see the movie.
