Audience options for seeing the new documentary "Misery Loves Comedy:" paying about $13 to see it at a small theater soon, paying about $7 to stream it on Amazon or iTunes now, or paying zero dollars to stream one of the myriad pirated copies on YouTube.
While the film itself is about the comedy business, the business of the film illustrates the fractured, frightening distribution models facing art house theater, indie filmmakers, their distributors, and their audiences. A relatively new juggernaut on the indie distribution scene is A24. Its string of critical hits includes "Locke," "Enemy," "Spring Breakers," "Ex Machina," and "The Spectacular Now" which was also a big commercial hit.
How are they navigating early on-demand releases but still getting moviegoers into seats?
Guest:
Dominic Patten, Legal Editor at the entertainment industry news website, Deadline
Greg Laemmle, President, Laemmle Theatre chain