When MoviePass first launched, it was a disruptive force in the movie industry. It seemed like such a ridiculous notion at the time, to be allowed to see unlimited movies in the theater for a low monthly subscription price. And while the service eventually crashed and burned–co-founder Stacy Spikes compared the company’s fall to the Hindenburg disaster–it certainly changed the way people see films. The theater chains themselves began subscription services, the most notable of which is AMC’s A-List service.
So when the story of MoviePass is written, it will be noted for that revolutionary idea. However, it’ll also be remembered for its latest plan to gain notoriety, which is a terrifying nightmare of an experience, if it works anything like Spikes claimed at a relaunch event.
Relaunching this summer, MoviePass 2.0–which Spikes has dubbed it, even though this feels like at least the 20th reinvention of the service–will include a tiered pricing program (there are no details) that will target smaller independent and art house theaters, according to Variety. While that seems interesting, if not vague, what comes next drifts into downright creepy territory.
The new MoviePass will also allow users to earn “credits” for free movies by watching advertisements. In a way, it sounds almost as if MoviePass is using the freemium model, on top of its subscription pricing. Per the New York Post, the new system will assign different credit values to different movies. Higher-profile movies at prime times will cost most credits. You can offset that by watching ads to earn credits, on top of your subscription. But that’s where it begins to raise alarms.
To make sure you are actually watching the ads, Spikes claims the service will track user eye movement. If you look away from the app, the ad will pause and not begin playing again until you make eye contact. “What it does is it basically creates a transaction between you and the brand,” he said.
Using your phone’s camera to track your eyeball movement while using the app does not sound like the best way to endear yourself to an audience repeatedly burned by your service. Perhaps, when all the details and pricing are available it will make some kind of sense and Spikes does have a grand plan that will help the service thrive. Based solely on what’s been presented to the public at this point, though, it doesn’t sound very promising.
That said, Spikes added that the eyeball-tracking ad program will be something users can opt out of, and the facial detection information will not be shared on the cloud. Even still, positioning this as a good thing seems like such a bizarre move for MoviePass. Currently, two of the hottest button topics in regards to advertising are tracking cookies and ads following you across social media platforms. Introducing yet another way to track how you consume advertising and essentially playing the role of commercial cop to make sure you’re 100% engaged the entire time, doesn’t sound very appealing.
Then again, it sounds like something Spikes, himself, would adore. The co-founder, who bought the company back out of bankruptcy last year, said, “I love product placement in movies… I love the cars, I love the watches, I love the clothes. I’m that person that sometimes has a notepad and I’m writing down, ‘Is that Hugo Boss?'”
Firstly, it’s hard to believe that person actually exists, and if they do, they might be missing out on the point of going to the movies entirely. Still, if Spikes is being genuine when he says his love of corporate branding popping up in movies is unmatched, it explains why he thinks this new eye-tracking advertisement system seems so appealing. He loves being advertised to and doesn’t mind staring at them.
However, there’s a large portion of the world, people who watch most of their TV shows on streaming or a DVR while skipping over commercials, that might not be so infatuated with the idea of a corporation selling us things endlessly (unless it’s happening at the Super Bowl, of course). In that case, a system where you allow an app to track your facial movement in exchange for movie credits, even though you’re already paying for a subscription service to see movies, sounds like a nightmare.
Here’s hoping MoviePass 2.0 is actually worthwhile when it launches. As previously said, it revolutionized moviegoing not too long ago. Since then, though, it’s been left in the dust, and this attempt to enter the fray once again sounds shortsighted at best, and dystopian at worst.
