'Zombieland' director speaks of piracy, gets angry via Twitter

[bobo66]

From the director of Zombieland, done as a series of tweets.

Quote:My two tweet plea (five if you include my three angry tweets to individuals) began after I read tweet upon tweet for hours, days, weeks, in which people mentioned (or often, bragged) openly about having just watched Zombieland at home for free. I largely shrugged this piracy off as inevitable, but it never felt good to read the tweets. Then I saw the 60 Minutes episode on piracy. And then I read an article about the sheer numbers of downloads of Zombieland in particular. Rightly or wrongly, I felt burned. For the record, I may have been over-dramatic, in my emotional state, in suggesting that downloading could kill Zombieland 2. It could. In our case, the greater hope/expectation is that it won’t. The movie has done very well.

Quote:No, I don’t believe that 1 download = 1 lost ticket sale or 1 lost DVD sale. Certainly, there are many people who both contribute to a movie’s legitimate B.O. and also download the movie… including, it turns out, the people I singled out on Twitter. There are also many people who download movies who would never pay to see those same movies in any format regardless. But I do believe that there is a significant, non-trivial population of people who might have (in an ideal world with no piracy) paid to see Zombieland, either in theaters or on DVD, but instead chose to watch it for free, because it was easy and didn’t cost them anything.

Quote:No, I don’t subscribe to the Robin Hood argument, which claims that rich, greedy Hollywood studios/actors/writers/etc. have enough $ and don’t need more. Nor do I subscribe to the argument that examines positive correlations between downloads and box office and concludes that popularity in the one (downloads) is somehow causing the popularity in the other (box office). Correlation does not imply causality.

Quote:Some might argue that an ideal world *should* allow unlimited piracy of copyrighted material. I disagree. And I agree with the reasoning behind copyright law. Copyright law grants the owner of a copyright a window of time within which he/she can make money off the copyright. I hate to say it, but people making money off art, even a lot of money, is a good thing. It’s America. It’s capitalism. Copyright law is important because it provides financial incentive for artists to set aside other pursuits and devote entire careers to creating and innovating. Movies. Books. Videogames. Songs. These things bring us joy. And joy is worth paying for.

Source.

Rhett Reese Twitter Account: http://twitter.com/RhettReese

My own editorializing:

Not from the article, but from his twitter account and interesting:

Quote:Zombieland currently the most pirated movie on bit torrent. Over one million downloads and counting.

Quote:Beyond depressing. This greatly affects the likelihood of a Zombieland 2.

From Box Office Mojo:

Production Budget: $23.6 million

Worldwide Box office (in very limited world release): $84,833,925

Would you care to bet if there will be a Zombieland 2?

Help piss off a director further: https://thepiratebay.org/search/zombieland/0/7/0

[44gambit44]

you know the fact that movies intend to deliver a specifically selected message to anyone who watches it indicates that even if people are pirating industry is profiting.

[Criminogenic]

Does everyone here agree or disagree with his this director's reasoning?

[rambam1776]

I'm of the opinion that most films these days SUCK. I don't even bother with downloads of most of them since they look so bad. I've downloaded a few just to confirm my opinion - and been happy I didn't waste the cash going to see them or buying the worthless DVD. Hell, if Netflix didn't have lots of documentaries and alternative titles, i wouldn't bother with THAT.

In THIS case, however, I watched a cam of Zombieland, liked what I saw, and went out to see the movie. If it wasn't for the pirated cam, i wouldn't have paid to see it properly. If Hollywood wants to sell more tickets and DVDs, then they need to (a) stop making so much SHIT, and (b) include a lot more special features and so forth to make the DVDs worth the cash. I am *NOT* wasting $15-35 bucks on the DVD of ANYTHING unless there is some very compelling reason to do so.

[knockknock]

Quote:No, I don’t subscribe to the Robin Hood argument, which claims that rich, greedy Hollywood studios/actors/writers/etc. have enough $ and don’t need more..

Ruben Fleischer can go fork himself. Wether or not they make a sequel has nothing to do with piracy, it has everything to do with how much money they think they will be able to make by expanding the series.

The film grossed $60.8 million in 17 days. Ruben Fleischer can cry himself to sleep at night on his large piles of cash while he contemplates the horrors of piracy.

[Timeout]

Who wants to put money on "Zombieland 2" being downloaded just the same as "Zombieland".

VIVA LA PIRATES!

https://thepiratebay.org/search/zombieland/0/7/0

[Adapa]

Because it was downloaded so much he won't do a sequel?

So, he will do something new instead of a formulaic rehash (of what is a decent original movie)?

We should be so lucky.

[Blue Bird]

Best Selling Author Actively Pirating His Own Book -- Finds It Helps Sales Tremendously

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/2008012...3359.shtml

[res2216]

(25th November 2009 10:01)Blue Bird Wrote:  Best Selling Author Actively Pirating His Own Book -- Finds It Helps Sales Tremendously

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/2008012...3359.shtml

That works if you read your deal with the publisher carefully. Otherwise they can sue the author of the book for pirating it.

[nVeve]

Do these people not understand me watching it first on tpb makes me buy the over priced blu-ray of this movie. i hate going to the movies and me downloading and watching a movie makes me either want to buy it or just delete it and wish i never seen it. Zombieland was a great movie in my book and i can't wait to get the blu-ray and can't wait to see part 2


PS.. Better be SO meny bonus thing on the Blu-Ray.. other wise U just plainly Suck. cause truth be told 70 percent of all blu-Ray is way over priced.


EDIT


LOL theres no way Zombieland was the most pirate movie... it was a good movie not close to that good. this is him trying to get media attention. u know what after just reading that. Screw U i'll Get the Blu-Ray Version but i'm Not going to Tell U How