When the 'Bubble' Bursts

The release of Stephen Soderbergh's new film Bubble upsets the traditional distribution model for movies. He released it simultaneously in theatres, on cable pay per view, and on DVD much to the chagrin of theater owners. Movie houses are afraid that this new method of distribution will leave them out in the cold as people will opt to watch films at home instead of at the cinema. They may be right, but can they really stop this progression? Their sister industry- music, saw itself "Napsterized" as people cut through the mediaries as soon as they were given the tools to do so. The recording industry lost money and credibility with consumers by trying to hang on to their power. Soderbergh's model may not be the solution, but at least he gains some credibility with fans for giving them a choice.