Going to the cinema is not an experience everyone enjoys. While there are some very strict no smoking rules to ensure you don't get stuck sat next to someone puffing away on a cigar, things aren't exactly on the up and up when it comes to pleasant cinema-going experiences. The tickets and food are more expensive than ever, there always seems to be a guy next to you filming snippets on his phone for no good reason, and then there are the inevitable talkers, bratty kids and texters. It's enough to make you want to stay at home and wait for whatever movie you're there to see to hit Netflix or Blockbuster.
Well, the wealthy need wait no more. What if you could pay $20,000 to watch movies that are currently in theatres from the comfort of your own home? Prima Cinema Inc. is proposing a service that would bring movie fanatics the same titles as theatre-goers but in their home. However, with a base price of $20,000, the service isn't going to be cheap. Yes, you heard that right, that's a base price. Aside from the $20,000 it's going to cost to buy into the service, you'll be charged $500 for every movie you watch.
While it might seem completely bonkers, the LA-based company has approximately $5 million in backing from the venture arm of Best Buy and General Electric's Universal Picture. They hope to start delivering movies to customers as soon as a year from now.
Charging people a premium to watch first-run movies at home might seem like a great idea, but such a huge asking price is probably going to hurt Prima Cinema's adoption rate. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company wants to be in 250,000 living rooms by 2015. However, we can't imagine there's a quarter of a million people willing to pay $500 per month, on top of an initial $20,000 payment for Prima's 'digital delivery system.' Going to the movies is bad, but it's not that bad.
