By Paul Katz
The temperature is on the rise in Manhattan, Mr. Softee is making regular stops on my corner and flip-flop-clad feet are standard on the streets. Yep, summer is almost here. Another sure sign? Last Friday’s opening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine marked the start of the summer movie season.
But for some Web-savvy cinephiles, summer began several weeks ago. On April Fool’s Day last month, the bigwigs at 20th Century Fox didn’t find anything amusing about the leak of a full-length — albeit unfinished — copy of Wolverine on the Internet.
The uproar was massive. Fox chief Tom Rothman denounced the theft and promised full retribution under the law. FoxNews.com contributor Roger Friedman parted ways with the company after a review in which he noted that downloading the film was “easier than going out in the rain.”
Yet, in this case, access didn’t trump experience: The opening weekend of Wolverine earned the film almost $90 million at the box office. Iconoculture often focuses on the appeal of access and simplicity for Net users, but clearly techie fanboys and girls happily put down the laptop and ventured out in droves to the theater to share a communal experience.
For many, the home-theater cave simply can’t compare to the buzz of the crowd, the taste of theater popcorn or even the stickiness of the cineplex floor. Corporations must keep in mind that, for customers, experience itself is a key factor in consuming, from entertainment and travel to dining and shopping.
Now, excuse me — I’d best go get in line for Star Trek before all the other geeks get there.
