More entertainment industry jackassery

According to this story in the L.A. Times, M. Night Shymalan is not a big fan of the growing demand for simultaneous theater and DVD releases.

"I came here to tell you that what you do is something sacred. Nobody has benefited more from DVD sales than me. I bought my house on DVD sales from 'The Sixth Sense.' But take away my house. That's not why I do what I do."

"If I can't make movies for theaters, I don't want to make movies," Shyamalan told The Times. "I hope this is a very bad idea that goes away."

Mark Cuban has been campaigning for simultanious releases for a while now, and the idea makes sense. Like the music industry though Hollywood is too afraid of losing the "sure thing" to take a small risk that offers significant rewards. Look at the resistance to release movies on videotape in the 1980s, legal digital downloads of music, and Tivo. The entertainment industry has fought every single one, and each one has (or soon will) made them richer than they could imagine. Sometimes I wonder why we fight so hard to keep them from shooting themselves in the foot by passing their anti-technology legislation and wrapping everything in layers of DRM. Maybe it'd be for the best to let them try it their way, and when that fails miserably step in and do it right.

Also, what do you think Shymalan bought with the profits of his last fim? I'm guessing something that costs between a lottery ticket and a bootleg movie.

Link from Paul Kedrosky

Technorati Tags: movie music MPAA RIAA technology business

Posted by Mark Allen on Monday, October 31, 2005