My Sound off on the Sound off that my eloquent compadre Valkor has expressed his thoughts concerning the suggestion of releasing theatrical DVD’s immediately after, or simultaneously during first week’s run,  a movie theater release.  This apparently has become a major worry for the media industry.

In a quick recap, Disney CEO, Robert Iger, envisioned a future where the release of DVD would take place while the movie is still in theaters.  As a result of his “suggestion”, he’s created ripples across Wall St., Hollywood, and various other industries.  Though its just “talking”, the possibility of immediate DVD release can, in fact, happen and consequently, stifle movie theaters across North America. 

Ok, enough professional talk.  What do I think?  Like everything else I think about, I have mixed emotions about the possibility of immediate DVD release.  In one hand, I like the idea of not getting up, getting dress, spending a ton of cash, and getting annoyed by every cell phone, every mouth, and every hormone driven teenager.  I, as I’m sure we all do, like to kick back, relax, pop on the big screen T.V., rock the surround, enjoy a nice home cooked meal (or take out), and actually enjoy the movie.  I don’t know, my geriatric side seems to like this.  On the other hand, getting geared up with the cool jeans, hot timberlands, going to the theater, watching all the hotties in their tighties, playing video games before the movie, watching trailers for the upcoming kick ass movies, sitting in the perfect spot to look down at a chicks blouse, ordering some really good nachos supreme.  These are just a few of my favorite things.  This is my perverted side wanting to go out and have some fun.  So basically I’m on the fence about this whole topic. 

Regardless of what I think, the bottom line is that you cannot stop change.  You can slow it down, give it a detour, go around it, but there is no way in God’s green & blue Earth you can stop the way life changes.  As it stands, it seems we’re heading for a media outlet where everything is accessible at a click of a button.  We’ve come a long way from paying 5 cents at a movie theater back in the 20’s and 30’s.  Entertainment has evolved over the years introducing the first television, first radio, first computer, first cell phone, cable T.V. 

Today, we’re surrounded by technology.  Once there was a time where typewriters and hardcopy memos were the staple we thought it would never go away.  Now, offices are driven by desktops, laptops, and email.  What happened to the typewriter?  GONE!  Once, families used to sit by the radio and listen to their, once-a-week, adventure program.  Now, we’re bombarded by 1,000 channels on satellite radio.  Once there were televisions sets that weighed 200 pounds.  Now, you can hold a television set in the palm of your hands.  Once, there were only 3 channels on television.  Now, digital cable gives you a 1,000 channels, PLUS On-Demand. You get the picture.

A perfect example of a facet of theater going extinct is the Drive-In movie.  Yup, this was the hot spot to be in back in 50’s through the early 80’s.  Adults, teenagers, kids of all ages loved going to the drive-in.  Mind you, it wasn’t state of the art video technology, futuristic sound (geez, it was a faded giant screen with an off-center movie, and a walkman speaker in a box clipped onto your window), but everyone loved it.  When theaters started to get popular, and eventually the introduction of the video cassette recorder (for those who are ignorant of history, also known as VCR), the drive-in slowly dwindled to empty lots with abandoned concession stands.  It wasn’t until recently drive-in theaters started making a comeback in the Midwest and is slowly migrating to the coasts.  Now, drive-in theaters have become a place of nostalgia where older families take their young’ins to experience a taste of the past. 

It is in my opinion that the current movie theater will experience this same downfall.  I think entertainment is steadily migrating towards a one-touch, home based, media where the consumer will be able to see, hear, even smell everything at the touch of a button. 

Is simultaneous release of a movie DVD a good idea?  As much as it pains me to say this, I think it’s a good idea.  Though it may hurt the movie theater industry, I think in the bigger picture, it’s the key that’s needed to achieve that one-touch home movie we’re all looking for.  Perhaps there’s a median that can be discovered between the theaters and the movie industry.  Perhaps a grace of time can be granted before DVD distribution.  Who knows what will happen.  Maybe the movie theater will turn out like the timeless drive-in.  I have a feeling the theater will be gone, but not for long.