Amazon launches Prime Video Cinema to watch new theatrical releases at home
In one of my other blogs
I track movie boxoffice quite closely. This will be a year unlike any I’ve analyzed to date.
Movie studios know that, and one of the things that is happening is that works which would just be available in the theatres for some time are being made available to home viewing much more quickly.
Some of them will go to the subsers (subscription services), especially Disney+, ahead of time, at no additional cost.
Others are being made available for home rental…the popular price point seems to be $19.95 for 48 hours.
That may seem like a lot of money at first compared to a movie ticket, but if you have at least two people watching (and they don’t have a way to know that), it’s actually in the ballpark…er, cineplex. 😉
Let’s say you would have paid eight dollars per ticket…that’s $16 right there. Then, you have the cost of driving your car or taking public transit (unless you can walk to your theatre…then you have wear and tear on your shoes). There might be parking costs. Many people buy concessions, which could easily amount to $2 per person.
Amazon has now launched a hub for those movies:
Prime Video Cinema (at AmazonSmile: benefit a non-profit of your choice by shopping*)
At the time of writing, there are four:
- Onward
- The Invisible Man
- Emma
- The Hunt
Two of these, of course, are based on public domain (out of copyright protection) books…The Invisible Man (H.G. Wells…although th trailer doesn’t make it seem very faithful) and Emma by Jane Austen. Maybe read the book first, then watch…if you don’t have the book now, you can download it as a free e-book! I’m hoping to put out some basics of e-books for people who haven’t been using them this weekend.
I’d expect more movies to be added in the future, if this is a successful model, and to see the prices reduced for a movie after it has been out for a while or on special sales. If this does work, it may continue to be an option in the future, even after people start seeing movies in theatres in big numbers again. My favorite way to watch a movie now is in VR (Virtual Reality), and I assume that would work with this as well.
What do you think? Is this something you’ll do? Feel free to let me and my readers know by commenting on this post.
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* I am linking to the same thing at the regular Amazon site, and at AmazonSmile. When you shop at AmazonSmile, half a percent of your purchase price on eligible items goes to a non-profit you choose. It will feel just like shopping at Amazon: you’ll be using your same account. The one thing for you that is different is that you pick a non-profit the first time you go (which you can change whenever you want)…and the good feeling you’ll get. 
Shop ’til you help!
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog. To support this or other organizations, begin your Amazon shopping from a link on their sites: Amazon.com (Smile.Amazon.com)
I Love My Kindle 
March 23, 2020 at 10:42 am |
Thanks Bufo for all you do. Hanging out just south of now creepy Seattle.😷
March 29, 2020 at 8:15 pm |
Thanks for writing, Karen!
I’m in San Francisco Bay Area, and we are also deeply affected. There was a news report that a hospital in this greater are had the situation of more than half of its census (patients) were either positive for the novel coronavirus or were “PUIs” (Persons Under Investigation), who were suspected of having it, but it wasn’t verified yet.
I’m grateful that what I do feels particularly valuable in this situation. I genuinely feel like I’m making a difference by helping those who help others more directly.