See SiCKO Now! On The Internet
5 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // June 15th, 2007 // 9:28 am
Why wait until June 29 to decide whether the hype is….hype. Ad Age is reporting this morning that Michael Moore’s new documentary has been pirated and is now widely available for download on the web on sites like BitTorrent, as well as peer to peer content sites like www.thepiratebay.org and blogspot. Although if it was available on BitTorrent, that no longer seems to be the case.
Last week, Moore said he stashed a copy of “Sicko” in Canada, in case the US government tried to impound the film over an apparently unauthorized trip to Cuba made during its filming. As it turns out, the hard part won’t be getting the film released, but getting audiences to pay to see it now that it’s available for free.
As AdAge reports, if the breach is as wide as it appears - and the AdAge reporter claims to have downloaded a copy and watched it late Thursday night with ease - Moore, and his distributor, The Weinstein Company, have a every film maker’s worst marketing nightmare on their hands - how to persuade people to go to the theater to see a show that’s available free on the Internet. (Officials at the Weinstein Company were unavailable for comment late Thursday evening, the mag writes.)
Finally, AdAge notes that pirating SiCKO is one way to seek revenge on Moore. One pirate link reportedly encourages potential downloaders to view the film online saying, “Watch this free copy and keep $ out of that fat f-cks hands.”
EEJ
You can also find just about every movie out in theaters right now by searching the torrent engines.
It doesn’t seem to have hurt Spiderman, Pirates of the Carribean, or any of the other big movies that have come out recently. If I’m not mistaken, new industry records are still being set….
The problem Michael Moore will have with his movie is not piracy, but rather that this isn’t the type of movie people want to go to a theater to see. His movies are definitely DVD fodder, although that’s not a bad thing if it gets people to watch the movie. I guess it depends on whether or not he is truly in this to inform the public, or just to make gobs of money…..
John Mack
I predict that this will have little effect on his box office stats. There are still considerable Americans who prefer to go out and watch a movie and who don’t have the time to download movies form the Internet for viewing on a small screen!
BTW, how long did it take you to download? How big was the image? Was the quality good enough to burn a DVD (and how long does that take?) and does it look good on your TV?
John
what's good for the goose..
I’m sure it won’t bother him.
He is all for inventors not getting paid, because everything should be “free.” I’m sure he will keep investing in new movies even though he will personally lose millions of dollars because of piracy and conterfeit DVDs. In fact, I’m kind of surprised that he is even charging any money at all for people to have access to his intellectual property since apparently in Michael’s world innovation happens without profit.
You know, kind of like how new innovations in health care are just going to magically happen when the government sets all of the prices and dictates how and when you will be able to access that innovation.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy…
Dr. Remulac
Quick, someone get that fat-ass some Accomplia from Mexico!
johnnie-o
keep it coming michael, fast and loose..politicians can’t stand it. I say get a grip and listen to what the people, who elected you are thinking and saying…………………………………..