It's a day of the week ending in "y", and that means there's a new case of MoviePass mucking things up. So a few days ago they tried launching a plan in which subscribers could only choose from two movies daily, and the uproar over that was such that they scrapped that plan. So they've come up with something new that they hope will stop users from canceling the service...well, or at least TRYING to cancel the service.
Today MoviePass began their new $9.95 plan that allows users to see three movies per month, a far cry from the unlimited access they had just a few short weeks ago. However there is a new restriction thrown into the mix, in that only a select group of six movies will be made available each day. Here's the official statement to go along with the launch of the new plan:
“As we transition to the new subscription plan, we want to share more details about our service moving forward as part of our commitment to keep you fully informed. For the time being, we will be limiting the films and showtimes that are available to members each day. During this transition period, MoviePass will offer up to six films to choose from daily, including a selection of major studio first-run films and independent releases. In addition, showtime availability may be limited depending on the popularity of those films on the app that particular day.
While the films and showtimes available in the app will change daily, the schedule of available film selections will be published at least a week in advance on the MoviePass website so members can plan ahead for the films they want to see.”
So a few things: I actually don't think this is the worst idea in the world, at least not if MoviePass keeps its options diverse. Today for instance you can check out a blockbuster like The Meg while also the acclaimed Jaden Smith indie Skate Kitchen. That's a good start. I also appreciate that MoviePass is being open with their subscribers about their difficulties now, rather than blowing smoke up their asses like they were for weeks. That said, these are still pretty drastic changes to the service and they arrive without really giving anybody a heads up about them, which is why you see the rapid exodus of subscribers. Finally, it looks like this is just a trial, hence their use of the word "transition", and further limitations could be right around the corner.
What do you think? Is this new idea by MoviePass enough to keep you around? This latest stumbling comes on the same day that AMC announced their AMC Stubs A-List subscriber plan has already hit 260,000 users in only 7 weeks, about 4% of their total attendance in the U.S. That's incredible, and is likely to punch MoviePass right where it hurts.
