Yarr

Last night, a rite of passage. For the first time, I watched a proper pirated movie, by which I mean, old-skool video camera in the auditorium stylee. It’s a brand new film that is not yet available for rental, and going to the cinema just isn’t an option right now.

I was pleasantly surprised, actually. Though the colours were a little washed out and the sound quality a little impaired, it didn’t significantly detract from the experience. There were no incidents where the guy in front stood up to go to the toilet, and though the camera was a little shaky at first, it settled down after a minute or two. The image was of a very respectable resolution and quality, not like those guilt trailers would have you believe. I was very comfortable, had ample legroom, and the temperature in the auditorium was just right.

Many argue that if we don’t support the industry and their prices, then entertainment as we know it will collapse. It will happen overnight, and one day we will wake up to find that big-budget movies have left, and our only choice will be to watch home movies on YouTube. To which I say bollocks, because if people want something badly enough then they’ll be willing to pay for it, and if they aren’t willing to pay for it then they clearly don’t care. In my opinion, special effects are just garnish, and I’d actually quite like to see a level playing field, where cinema isn’t dominated by those with the deepest pockets. I also believe that these things happen in cycles, and the disappearance of the movie (or record) industry would be succeeded by the establishment of a modest new one.