The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, February 8, 2011'- 5 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycomTuesday, February 8, 2011 -5 Delving into distribution H ollywood studios have computer, TV, video game con- an immense amount sole or mobile phone, is easy to of control over their use and plentiful. products. In contrast to televi- Instant Netflix streaming sion programming, the eco- allowed me to watch "Empire nomic value Records," "Jarhead" and three of a motion old Tom Cruise movies on my picture itself Xbox last Wednesday, so there's - not adver- no denying that it's perfect for tisements or those who can't get enough of merchandis- the past. But is it a legitimate ing or cul- release medium for new home tural impact, , video releases? but the rev- ANKUR The studios don't think so, enue it gen- SOHONI because they simply just don't erates purely make enough money off the as entertain- deal. And they aren't risking ment, through ticket sales and it - actual new home video movie rentals - is something releases are only available via its creators are hesitant to give Netflix's physical distribu- up. Amid viewers' technological tion branch. And even then, shift from physical home video they're constrained by a stu- distribution to digital video dio-imposed 28-day window distribution, the studios are between the store release and thus eager to capitalize on new Netflix release. The reason? The services and stay ahead of the marginal revenue from a single consumer. Netflix rental just isn't high In my adolescent obsession, enough to grab their immediate I accumulated a list of every partnership. movie - yes, every movie - I That partnership is much had ever seen, in order of prefer- more common in on-demand ence, and started a home video digital services that avoid sub- collection from number one scriptions but instead charge onwards. Each movie was an per rental - cable, satellite and event, the type of thing I would some newer Internet-based build up all day towards - even services like CinemaNow and if I couldn't recreate the theatri- VUDU (which are partnered cal experience, I could recreate with Best Buy and Wal-Mart, the spirit of it in my outlook. respectively) are among these. At a certain point, I stopped Both offer brand-new releases collecting DVDs. And when Blu- at about five dollars per rental. ray became the next generation format of choice, even though Ihad the capability to play the DVDs discs, I limited myself to only a fade, few purchases, and even fewer * * * rentals. It wasn't so much that I wasn't interested in watching forever movies at home. The shift in my thinking simply mirrored the shift in the collective: I evolved to desire'a qinker, smoother r,.- All of these sevics are home videa sxperience. The ,-Air.:advancedditHefi own righr-but effort of a trip to Blockbuster or one has to examine the poten- the price of a DVD became too tial effects of the trend. The great; as we get lazier, so do our type of distribution that ulti- activities change. mately wins out will be based This shift has perfectly posi- on which brings the studios tioned cable services like Com- the greatest revenue. But how cast and satellite providers to might the evolution of digital allow subscribers to rent films distribution change the face of directly through the On Demand movies in general? function on their cable boxes, It's likely that you have, in often at the same time as their some form, experienced early physical home video release. - albeit already wide-scale Such distribution allows for low - forays into digital distribu- marginal-cost production com- tion. It's inevitable that these pared to the DVD rentals of old will become, probably very ("old" being represented by your soon, more than a service for friendly neighborhood Block- the tech-savvy, and expand to buster store). become main distributors of Netflix also has one of the high-quality home video. most popular digital rental Beyond the commercial services. Its instant streaming concerns, there are underlying function, which allows sub- social effects of the impending scribers to build up a queue of shift in home video; for years, digital titles to watch on their See SOHONI, Page 6 for more information call 734/615-6449 The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Presents the 31st Distinguished Senior Faculty Lecture Cut Copy gets in the zone Outback-bred band has no rules, is just right on new release By CHLOE STACHOWIAK Daily Arts Writer Let's face it: There's just some- thing cool about Australia. Be it the tourist- packed dance clubs thump- * ing with bass or Cut Copy the sandy white beaches on Zonoscope Travel Channel Modular programs, our perspective of the island is drenched in a sum- mery, effortless appeal. Even the 2000 Olsen Twins movie "Our Lips Are Sealed" - with its jet skis, yacht parties and shirtless blonde surfer dudes - depicts an enticing portrayal of the country, in a preteen kind of way. With the release of their album Zonoscope, the Melbourne natives of Cut Copy have granted our culture yet another gift from the outback. An intoxicating blend of disco beats, breezy guitars and electronic melodies, the album captures Australian coolnesswith an '80s pop touch. It's a vibrant fusion of modern . and retro sounds, perfect for both loung- ing under a beach umbrella or as the background music of a Molly Ringwald prom scene. Pounding steadily with drums and synthesizer, Zonoscope's first track "Need You Now" opens the album with strength and style. The solid rhythm is layered with clapping hands, twinkling key- boards and airy background vocals, creating six lively min- utes of electronic ecstasy. Nearly everything about the track is alluring, leaving the listener long- ing for more of its pulsating beats long afterthe end. "Take Me Over" is as catchy as its preceding track but shakes up the techno currents with surfer flair. As the peppy guitar part plays behind the animated elec- tronic melodies, it's easy to fall prisoner to the song's energy. Even the vocals of lead singer Dan Whitford are trancelike, as they inundate the song with a rich, steady smoothness. While most of the tracks bounce between '80s rock and techno, some have a more sur- prising presence on the album. "Where I'm Going" is one of these: Between its organ parts and crooning falsetto vocals, See CUT COPY, Page 6 'Dead Space' scarier second time By TEDDY PAPES But the protagonist's luck Daily Arts Writer hasn't changed much, and it's out of the frying pan and into the fire The last time we saw protago- for Mr. Clarke. The game's open- nist Isaac Clarke was at the end of ing moments feature a hospital "Dead Space" when he was being attendant who tries to help Isaac attacked by his out of his straight jacket, only to alien-infested have his own head split open by girlfriend. an alien and his body mutated Needless to Dead Space 2 into a deadly blade-ridden dop- say, the out- pelganger. come looked PlayStation 3, As Isaac runs down the hail quite grim. As Xbox and PC past all the "Necromorphs" - the beginning E . human-alien hybrids - with his of the video arms in his straight jacket, an game's sequel, immense feeling of helplessness "Dead Space 2," can attest, it turns takes over. Even after he compiles out that he is still alive. an arsenal of weapons, that feel- ing me rest of At t hard t: rifying Gr weapo equipp down t Necroi the con anages to pervade for the of enemies make entering new the game. areas a daunting task. times, "Dead Space 2" is All the old enemies from "Dead o play because it is so ter- Space" return, but a few new ones . Even with high-powered greatly improve the dynamic of the gameplay. The Stalkers are Necromorphs who are extreme- eat ame la lyfas"t ""and hunt in packs. They appear in labyrinth-like rooms OK game. and are very adept at hiding from view - they will quickly jump over boxes in the far corners of the room, and occasionally utter nry, Isaac never seems guttural sounds as an unsettling ed enough to safely take reminder that they are waiting for the ever-imminent wave of Isaac in the dark. Fighting them is morphs. Limited ammo and like fighting a pack of velocirap- nstant fear of large swarms See DEAD SPACE, Page 6 Tuesday, February 8, 2011 Rackham Amphitheater 4:10 PM LSA p 4 4 4