It’s an historic event, the release of a movie that involves a major Hollywood name like Steven Soderbergh.  His latest film Bubble is being released to three different formats all at the same time.  It might have happened with some little known indie flick already but never one that went into nationwide release like Bubble.  Even though it is an art house film, probably wouldn’t have made any waves were it not for the unique approach to its release. 

Soderbergh is an Oscar winning directory who is no stranger to innovation.  His film credits include Traffic, Erin Brockovich and Sex, Lies and Videotape.  He shoots his movies with an HD digital camera and has entered into an agreement to make six films with an independent studio called 2929. 

The big story here is that this release is probably being scrutinized deeply by Hollywood.  It could be the way that Hollywood films do business in the future whether they like it or not.  The major studios felt threatened by TV way back in the 50’s, but not until the last few years has a variation of those fears finally come to pass.  People still want movies but statistics show they want to see them on their own terms.  DVD releases of major films now make more money than the film’s box office.  According to Hollywood Reporter in 2004 theaters generated $9.5 billion.  But DVD / VHS raked in about $26 billion.

According to Roger Ebert:

“Everything about the film – its casting, its filming, its release – is daring and innovative.” 

The film is about ordinary people who work in a doll factory in Ohio, but there is also a murder to make all that talking and doll making interesting.  Ebert gives it a four out of four star rating.