Last month, we noted that Purple Violets, an indie film by director Ed Burns, would be making its debut on the iTunes Store, making it the first feature-length film to be launched exclusively in the online store. The official release happened yesterday, and the film will cost you $12.99 to download (iTunes link). It’s a romantic comedy starring Burns, Patrick Wilson, Selma Blair, and Debra Messing, and if that’s not enough to get you queuing up, well, I don’t really have anything else for you.
More to the point, this is a significant move for the film industry, which has been fighting tooth-and-nail to hold onto their conventional model of business. Have they learned nothing from the music industry? Just last week, Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman admitted that the record labels were misguided in their attempts to fight the future. While I don’t think that digital downloads will do away with going to the movie theaters, it is a significant challenge in the realm of home rentals and purchasing. Rumors of iTunes rentals have been swirling for some time; I’d be unsurprised to see those popping up in the next year, and I doubt that this is the last premiere iTunes will be seeing.
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I just saw Beowulf in 3D IMAX. When a digital download on a home system can do THAT, THEN I might say going to the theater is dead.