Some cinema chains in America are boycotting Steven Soderbergh’s new film (director of Traffic, Ocean’s Eleven and Erin Brockovich) Bubble because the movie is opening in cinemas and being released on DVD and via the internet on the exact same day (via Boing Boing.)
The reason why the cinemas are boycotting the film is because the industry claims that it is eating into their financial margin. World to cinemas, your business model is changing!!! The sooner you realise this, the better. To say that a film being released on DVD and via the Internet is going to affect your margins is a tad misleading. Cinemas don’t make their money from ticket receipts, but from the huge margins they put on refreshments. Ever wonder what the point of that song ‘Let’s all go to the lobby and get ourselves some treats’ was? Well now you know.
What this really illustrates is that lot of cinemas completely misunderstand their customers. I don’t think that making films available on DVD or via the Internet is going to have a huge impact on cinemas. Do I really want to pay €25 for a film I don’t really want to see or watch a movie on my 12″ Laptop screen? The majority of people will still watch it in the cinema.
However what cinemas should really take note of is choice. I don’t want to be subjected to the same mindless Hollywood garbage week in, week out. Cinema chains like Cineworld (formerly UGC) in ireland are realising this and showing niche movies. Their competitors should take note and encourage the practice. Let’s face it if it’s the week of the St. Patrick’s Day Festival would a cinema make more money by showing the latest Paul Walker or Vin Diesel film, or rake in the customers by hosting an Irish film festival? Hmm classics like I Went Down, Intermission, The Commitments, etc or XXX and The Fast and the Furious? I wonder what people would choose 
