Film Movement is a DVD-of-the-month club that releases independent films on DVD to members the same date they are released in the art house circuit. It costs $20 a month or $160 for a year, the DVDs are yours to keep, and shipping is free.
This is, to me, as clever as CD Baby, and as easy as Netflix or iTunes Music Service. You drop $20 on a chance you’ll see a great movie – that would be six grande mochas at Starbucks ($3.53×6 = $21.18) and you get something tangible to keep.
It’s also clever in that they release the DVD on the day of theatrical release which means that trying to get to a showing of a film that might only be in town for one weekend isn’t such a big deal.
I suppose that the big studios think would lose money by letting people buy the DVD instead of buying a theater ticket first, then a DVD six months later, and they might. But they are sitting on a dying beast anyhow, so who knows.
I’d sure rather get a DVD of a first run film in the mail the week it opens, than traipse down to a theater, stand in line, and watch it there.