We saw so many documentaries at South By Southwest Film & TV Festival this year, but MOVIEPASS, MOVIECRASH was one of the very best, and brought a lot of discussion with festivalgoers absolutely missing the movie subscription. MoviePass never made its way to Canada, unfortunately, and this documentary more than wonderfully covers the subject.
About: “MoviePass, MovieCrash” chronicles the origin story, meteoric rise and stranger-than-fiction implosion of the theatrical movie subscription app, MoviePass, as told through the eyes of the visionary co-founders. The film details the unique challenges they faced in building the pop culture phenomenon, only to eventually find themselves cast aside, watching from the sidelines, as new executives seized control and havoc ensued.
Jason’s Reaction: What starts out as somewhat of a love letter to a movie subscription program becomes something much deeper and more of an investigation into someone who does have a really good idea. I don’t think the MoviePass idea will ever really take off again as this did inspire theatre chains to adopt their own monthly subscription programs. MOVIEPASS, MOVIECRASH is a lively, spirited documentary with a positive spin on the material. I am forever a fan of founder Stacy Spikes, who really had a vision with the MoviePass idea and at the very least, followed it through. His interviews in this doc are a highlight and really show his passion. Had it been a program where movie prices were low, was user friendly and also had a way to earn money on the usual advertising and data collection support, this could have been something that would have revolutionized moviegoing. The movie is even more timely now with all of the issues cinemas face and are struggling to stay afloat in this economy. This is a terrific documentary that will be on HBO later in the year (and hopefully in Canada on Crave)!
