Stinky Pizza Lady

Scored some free movie tickets to the premiere of Inside Man, starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen & Jodie Foster which is directed by Spike Lee.Of course I got there late, so all six of us, sat at odd locations, including the front row (which should come with a voucher for a free neck massage after the screening, to recover).

It's funny, but I haven't been to the movies in quite a while. First of all, no really awesome movies have come out that deserved my attention. Also the whole movie experience is not all it's cracked up to be. Apart from not sitting together, having to share a movie with complete strangers (some stranger than others) has lost most of its appeal. Take for instance the neighbor of my buddy, who decided to bring some stinky pizza to stuff her face during the movie. Why not bring your BBQ in and really treat yourself to a little fillet mignon. Well, considering popcorn hovers around $20 for a box that can be used after to hold everything in your small apartment (Ikea, because with the price of the popcorn, you can't afford anything else) when you move in July.

What is the option? Home theatre is the real threat here. For a little over $1,200 you can buy a really good projector such as the InFocus Screenplay 4805 (Read the reviews of this and many others here.). At the latest CompTia, I spoke to BenQ about the availability of their PE5120 and was told that a new version is coming soon that will surpass it, and the InFocus. Once you have picked your projector, you simply hook up your DVD player or computer to it and watch movies on your wall (A screen is recommended, but not mandatory). You get the best seat in the house, you can bring your own popcorn and you can have refreshments in sizes that are not designed for a herd of cattle. Since DVDs are around $30, or previously viewed at Blockbuster are from $5 - $16.99, it's cheaper to buy it than spend all that money to sit next to pizza lady.

We now get to the sensitive subject of finding movies on the net that are still in theatres. Whatever your view on this is, it just goes to show that there is a war between the big movie and music companies over content. Did you know it is illegal to backup a DVD you own? I have kids, and backing up their DVDs is crucial, since I want them to survive! I want to be able to watch a movie I bought on a number of devices, such as an iPod, my Palm, or my laptop. Even TV shows can easily be found on the net, or purchased on iTunes. For the few brave shows that have put their shows available as a download, their ratings for TV shot up!

The world is changing, and content is changing. Old school corporations have lost touch with their clients. We no longer buy CDs, we buy MP3s. I want to be able to choose which shows I want to have archived on a recorder and download them off the net and cancel my Satellite bill. I am willing to pay at least as much as my satellite bill for this.

All this to say that habits are changing. Sure I will go to a few more free premieres of movies and hope that I can sit with my wife, and not break my neck, but I prefer to watch content in the comfort of my own little theatre.

The revolution is starting! We want our content and we want it NOW!