Lend Me Your Ear Buds

This November 2007 article from the L.A. Times reported on the first full-length feature film to be released exclusively to iTunes and the Web. "Purple Violets," by Edward Burns was the film, which could be downloaded for $14.99 and played on your iPod, computer screen or television. Obviously, there were some benefits to this online-only release. The main benefit, of course, was the wide range of people who had immediate access to the film. Burns' previous films were premiered to limited audiences in New York and Los Angeles, but this film was premiered to the entire world simultaneously on the Internet. Furthermore, by allowing these people to download the film to their iPods, they could take it anywhere and spread the film to others easier than it could be spread on movie screens. However, I still feel there is something to be said for the timeless experience of seeing a fantastic movie on the big screen. Even watching a DVD in your own home doesn't compare to the experience you receive with the surround sound and giant wide screen at the multiplex. While online releases certainly aren't going away, I also trust that releases to movie theaters also won't end either.