The action-comedy "Tower Heist" with Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller may not get a screen in Lubbock when it opens on November 4.
The studio releasing the film, Universal, which is owned by cable company Comcast, wants to release the movie for Video on Demand three weeks after it hits screens. That has a number of theater groups, including Cinemark, promising not to show it.
Cinemark owns both Movies 16 and Tinseltown USA here in Lubbock, and it is the third largest theater chain in the country.
This experiment with VOD has been long in gestation. Studios see an opportunity to charge a premium price for allowing viewers to watch major releases from the comfort of their homes. Recently, four studios entered into a deal with DirectTV to make certain films available through VOD 60 days after their theatrical launch for $29.99. That's perhaps not unreasonable, since many theatrical releases now go to DVD and Blu-ray about 90 days after release.
But three weeks is pretty short timing. Theater managers hate the idea because it's bound to keep viewers at home, waiting out the VOD option and passing up the price of the movie tickets, and more importantly, concession items, which is where the real money is made.
Cinemark will refuse to show prints of "Tower Heist" should Universal go forward with this plan. That's a lot of screens, and the studio can't think that would all get made up from VOD.
A number of other smaller theater groups are joining Cinemark in this boycott, including Regency, Emagine and Galaxy, which all have theaters in Texas.
This might be an opportunity for the Stars & Stripes Drive-in on the Clovis Highway to capitalize, being the only place and town to see the movie.
We'll see if Universal folds. Reps have stressed this is only an experiment.
But I'm curious: do you value the theater experience, or would you prefer to wait a few weeks to see a new movie at home?
