UPDATE: Pay $60 to see Tower Heist at home? HA! No!

UPDATE: If you were looking forward to paying for TOWER HEIST at home or looking forward to see the results of this little project, then I’m sorry to say that you won’t be getting the chance. Universal has abandoned plans to release the film through VOD at 59.99. The studio released this official statement:

“Universal Pictures today announced that in response to a request from theater owners, it has decided to delay its planned premium home video on demand (PVOD) experiment. Universal continues to believe that the theater experience and a PVOD window are business models that can coincide and thrive and we look forward to working with our partners in exhibition to find a way to experiment in this area in the future.”

Sorry to throw my opinion in the subject line. I know I don’t know if you’ll pay $60 to see any movie in the comfort of your own home.

While it is awesome to think that we could opt to stay on the couch and watch the latest flick to come out, $60 is a little steep I say. So why the hell am I even bringing this subject up?

Well, Universal has teamed up with partner company, Comcast to bring Brett Ratner’s TOWER HEIST to cable customers in Atlanta and Portland, Oregon. Universal is wondering what sort of dent this will make in the box office during the first go around in these markets. It sounds like a trial and error sort of idea. Again though, $59.99 to see something like TOWER HEIST? Plus they aren’t offering it until three weeks after the film releases in theaters. If they wanted to see results, why wouldn’t they find a more anticipated movie and debut it three weeks before it releases in theaters?

I enjoy the movie going experience myself. While there are nights I’d rather stay at home, it’s not worth an extravagant amount of money. It’s also the only time I indulge in over-buttering my popcorn.

If the results are good, expect to see more studios and cable providers pairing up to come up with the best bang for your buck. I don’t really see it going over too well personally.

Source: LA Times

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