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X-Men Origins Wolverine Leak - FBI is on the Job
An early copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine has leaked out on the net with unfinished effects and missing reshoots and final edits, and the studios are eager to squash this fast.
Frankly they are about 70 hours too late in a 72 hour situation. Its out there and they can shut down the sites, but its already out - like an Ebola Monkey. But the FBI has been called in to track down the source and sure as Lindsay Lohan’s next drink, there will be someone paying a big price for this.
BBC reports:
The Hugh Jackman film was downloaded an estimated several 100,000 times from file sharing websites on Tuesday.20th Century Fox confirmed the copy had now been removed and the FBI informed.
The studio behind Wolverine stated: “The source of the initial leak and any subsequent postings will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The courts have handed down significant criminal sentences for such acts” the studio noted.
The studio is reacting as expected, with cause and concern saying that people will pre-judge the film for its early cut lack of editing and missing effects. There is logic there, but what they are really hoping for is that these people don’t resist the urge to go opening weekend to the film.
Its both really. They are concerned that this early version (which lacks reshoots and much of the Deadpool content) will reflect on the movie.
I know lots of our International Friends are indifferent on movie piracy so I imagine there are plenty out there who have already downloaded it. I am not judging you weak spined scruples free bastards, just sayin you shouldnt. I am not going to go afterschool special on ya, but it is stealing. Kay?
The important thing is that they are focusing their legal attention on the person who originally stole the copy and the torrent sites posting it. Arresting a bunch of movie fans watching crappy copies of unfinished films and video camera recorded movies is not going to accomplish anything. They have to focus on the enablers instead of making an example out of someone looking for a free ride.
Would you believe a review of an early edit and incomplete movie? Or will you go see it anyways?
Or would you avoid the copy entirely?
Edit This is not a forum to find links to the illegal copy online, nor is it a place to tell people where to get it. Please keep the discussion about the topic, not contributing TO the situation.
Thanks!
A friend of mine is already downloading it, tried to stop her because it’s just wrong! It’s wrong to steal somebody’s movie that they worked in for months and months. It’s just selfish, like wait another month.
It’s not even the final cut!
i agree, this movie has been in the works for a while now, waiting another month isnt gonna kill ya
Would you read half a book and then try to make a judgment on it?? Why would anybody (except for the editor people) WANT to see an unfinished movie?? It’s certain to ruin it for them if they ever DO see the finished version??
And when it comes to stealing, there are no gray areas.
tricia,
agreed
ya……….it’s wrong…….
Lame…lame..lame…not a movie high on my list, but I can wait a month or so….
I SAW IT
And i guarantee you…There will be absolutely no deadpool sequels.
TRUST ME.
Gambit pwns all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you cant judge the scenes w/ deadpool b/c they did some re-shoots fot the film which involved deadpool and they werent in the leaked print
No.
He gets pwnd really badly
Id tell you but then id spoil it for everyone
Forget this movie, if you want to see a real wolverine movie watch Hulk VS. That’s the way wolverine should be. What do I know, maybe people like a watered down, kid friendly version.
I went right to a site to get the details on it. I could have downloaded it, but when I read it was unfinished I chose not to. It was clearly explained by the poster about the unfinished effects and all.
And everyone shouting “DON’T DOWNLOAD! IT’S STEALING!” should chill out a little. The internet exists and shouting those things is plain annoying.
People are smart enough to know that they shouldn’t regard this as the final film, and the ones who aren’t don’t really matter.
Doesn’t the FBI have some national security situation to worry about? Why the waste of resources?
The current president hasn’t fabricated any weapons of mass destruction for them to worry about, so they have time on their hands.
And ranking one broken law over another just gives permission for laws to be broken. It is ignorant to assume that because there are “bigger” crimes that they should ignore this one.
Actually Rodney there is still terrorism prevalent around the world as well as plenty of murders going on around this country. For you to compare the illegal file sharing of some random summer movie to the countless other far more horrible crimes is pathetic.
Wow AndyS.. still presuming.
I didn’t compare downloading to terrorism, but considering the FBI is called in to address a crime, then they will do so. They don’t ignore smaller crimes just because they think there are bigger ones that deserve their attention.
By your logic, if I want to commit petty crimes, I should first arrange for my local law enforcement to be preoccupied with some criminal act of historical measure.
That way I can do as I please without concern of getting caught.
The FBI has large numbers of branches that deal with different kinds of federal crime. And computer crime is one branch, they don’t hunt imaginary terrorists or made up weapons, they hunt down hackers and pirated movies. It’s not like the whole FBI is one this one case. So this is a big case they have to worry about and is not a waste of resources, like you.
I have to admit I have downloaded movies from the net, but I hold to a sted-fast rule that the film has to be at least 7 years old. Original copyright law was 7 years and then into public domain. Walt Disney had them change the law to 70 years (can’t piss off the corporate mouse) so they could milk the public.
As for Wolverine. I want the Theater experience, and I hope they catch the bastard who leaked this out
Copyright law needed to be changed, not to satisfy the Mouse, but with the advancement of technology and the entertainment industry as a whole.
At the onset of theater, it might have taken 7 years before the masses all had the chance to see it, now we are watching movies before they even come out.
Wait… are we living in Spaceballs the movie!?!
Hi
I think that people would download it just to check out the movie. This means they really are interested in this movie and will go see it in the theaters. They’re just curious on what to expect.
Everyone who knows about this illegal file also knows this isn’t the final cut, without the reshoots, without the completed cgi, without more deadpool, without more action, …
Most of them see it as a “Making of”
They that don’t see it that way and watched it wouldn’t go see it in the theaters.
Yes, it is illegal!
Yes, you shouldn’t download it!
Yes, the one that put this on the net should be punished!
But NO, this will not influence the box office.
Cheerz
I agree, I don’t think this would hurt the box office numbers, I still intend to see it once it is finished. but word of mouth can do a lot of damage. it runs at about an hour and fourty-six minutes, but didn’t really feel like it, and if it to still bethe same, but only with an additional ten minutes of deadpool? or something like that, I pray for the future of this franchise.
just bring back Singer
YES!!!! give the rights back to marvel and let them do it right.
STOP.
Just…no.
Those people get paid MILLIONS for ACTING.
They get Oscars and Academy awards, we know who won the Oscars but we dont know who invented chemotherapy
Thye get millions for dressing up like Wolverine but soldiers and doctors get shit
So I dont wanna hear that im stealing from them, I pay taxes to keep people in hospitals alive by providing money for bandaids or dialisis machines not to make Hugh Jackman richer, but he gets my money anyways, so I can watch his shit illegally as many times as i want
And its not as bad because Im watchign this movie 4 times when it comes out in the movies anyways
Amen…
-begins slow clap-
Dear Hazmat. Please give me all your stuff that you’ve bought and invested in with your hard earned money.
BFF
Gutpunch.
gutpunch,
LOL
Hazzy, this affects the smaller folsk involed, the CREW members who busted their ass to get this thing made. This has no affect on Hugh, but it damn sure impacts the lower folks on the food chain.
Kristina, those smaller folk got paid regardless of the film’s outcome as well.
The only thing this would hurt in the big picture is boxoffice and perhaps is the editor/director, who’s name could be tied to a project hailed as crappy because they never saw his work finished work.
The gaffer and craft services will still get a job if this flops for whatever reason.
the under the line folks still get paid
Kris
Yeah, those guys are ACTUALLY WORKING…i dont know how much they get paid so i cant comment on that, but theyre going to get paid nonetheless, they got paid for this movie MONTHS ago before this got leaked
Im not saying acting is easy, or else id be making millions, im sayign that its disgusting to see someone play football for a living and get more money then a doctor
Gutpunch
Youve obviously completely missed my point.
Even though I already saw it i KNOW im going to see it in the big screen like 5 times, nothing compares to watching it in the movie theater
So really, Im going to pay for this movie 5 times more then you are, even though I illegally downloaded it.
If you think im asking Ryan Reynolds to get all of his “hard earned” lifes earnings and give them to me, then you need to read my comment again
And sorry about calling out the Jackman like that Kris lol I forgot how much you like him (notasmuchasilikegwyneth)
Hazmat,
you sound like obama and his gang of demmys… listen.. don’t be and ignorant fool holmes!… if you’re not happy working at Burger King castle… go get a degree… have a blasty, and do what you want… you’ld be pissed if you created the most delicious burger one day while at work at BK castle, and somebody comes up and snatches up your meat… you’ld be like.. “what the crap guy!”… so don’t front, it’s not right to do, doesn’t matter if you’re going to be sleeping in the theater, it’s not right… btw, you just admitted to watching it illegally, the IP addresses are saved to the webhost when making comments…. happy watching hombre!
And yes Hazzy, I do like Hugh. A LOT. A babe and a nice guy.
wtf does obama have to do with this….and the burger analogy is wrong, pirating movies isnt that cut and dry….its more like putting all ur work into a dream burger…having that burger replicated and passed out all over the world to millions of people who buy it, and then having maybe a quarter of those people steal a cheap knockoff of the burger…thats it, stop comparing it to petty theft its not that simple
I work fixing electronics like computers and DVDs…and i signed up for the Marine Corps and theyre paying for my law school (AIU)
…So there goes your Burger theory
And I hope youre not relating this to the stimulus packaga Obama came up with, which in my opinion is a GREAT idea…The stimulus package is awesome…I just dont like what he did with Guantanamo what with releasing all those terrorists…but the rest hes doing perfectly
From what I can read, the burger analogy worked perfectly with you guys, you got the point…. and lol… apparently we’re talking about obama now… cmon, he’s taxing peeps who make over 250k… that ain’t cool, so peeps like us that make > 250k have to pick up the tab for those who are too afraid to make a change in their lives. When someone says, “what does it matter, actors make millions anyway!” well… they did the work to get there gang, dont break on the peeps who know how to make money work for them and use what they have. Do you get the point? It’s certainly not ok to pirate music or movies… and i don’t know why peeps are still music sharing… There are sites available where you can buy songs for $.09 per song. I love you, go see fast and furious tonight.
I streamed it, didn’t down load it, and I’m still going to go see it on the big screen, and I hope to GOD that they “fix” it. but that’s just me, I knew that they would take some liberties with the story; fine. But at least read a god damn comic about the characters that you want to have in the movie. it is hard to keep the two seperate, but if I only knew about wolverine from the movies, then its really really good, but the nerd in me reads comics and is really dissappointed. There is a lot of potiential in the movie, it can really go either-way. I wish I never saw it, i’m so glad I saw it. and of course, stay til the end of the credits. GOD FOR GIVE ME!!!!
All i can say is haha.
Saying that i did not and don’t plan to download it.
Going to see it in the theaters. But i must admit the stuff I’m hearing about is making me feel glum about seeing the theatrical release.
it make me more curious to see if the theatrical will be different/better/worse. I am still there opening day.
I saw it and I thought it was HOT! and it wasn’t even the completed version BUT I will definitely see it in theaters. Maybe even twice.
i streamed it and my initial reaction was positive, but as i listened to others opinions i realized some of the flaws of the film that i originally didn’t catch. will i see it when i come out in theaters? probably but maybe not at midnight like i usually do. sorry fox, maybe you should keep a better watch of your stuff so stuff like this doesn’t happen.
You listened to people criticizing an unfinished movie about its flaws? Do you realize how silly that sounds. That’s like telling a painter that his unfinished painting isn’t that good.
hahaha yea I agree with Gutpunch. Preeeeetty stupid Eric.
“I know lots of our International Friends are indifferent on movie piracy”
Wtf did you mean by that? And/or who is implicated in your ‘international’ friends? I’m pretty sure people are just as indifferent domestically as internationally.
Exhale Brendan, if you have been around this site for more than a week you would see quite frequently we refer to fans/readers of the Movie Blog by the affectionate title “International Friends”
This came from former Audio Edition host Doug Nagy’s trademark introduction.
It just means “our readers” without trying to be pompous by calling you “fans”
I watched it and I gotta say It was pretty good. I’ll still watch it in the theaters opening night and buy it on blu ray when released. I feel like it completely lives up to the xmen franchise and I went into it knowing that a few bits were going to show missing fx shots, it didn’t take away from the story at all most of the shots were scenery shots anyway. the lack of the extra shoots, hey thats extra incentive to watch it at the theaters.
this thing may not have spread so fast if sites like CHUD hadn’t posted it all over the net. Truthfully I didn’t even know it was out in the wild till I saw that news story, the story only accomplished the further spreading of it.
One of the reasons I waited 2 days before talking about this.
At this point, if people are going to download it, they will. It won’t be because of my post.
downloading is wrong end of story. there is no justification for it.
It’s free, there is your justification.
Andy S,
you forgot its also stealing which is a crime
So if I take your stuff that’s justified because it cost me nothing as well?
Just how hard do you try to just make up stuff you already know is inaccurate just to upset people?
rodney,
was your comment directed at me? sorry for asking but im a little off today lol
No, it was aimed at AndyS trying to say that because the illegal download was free that it was justifiable and not illegal anymore.
“It’s free, there is your justification.”
words can not describe how much you fail!
Didn’t download it. Not going to. Not even gunna give it a chance in theaters. But I’ve been seeing things about Gambit being gay in the film?? What’s that about? Not that I have anything against homosexuals but.. Gambit? Since when? Or is this just a steaming pile o’ bullshit?
I am sure Gambit is not gay in the movie. But a guy who is smooth talking charmer and wears purple? There is going to be haters and insecure children who want to slap that label on him.
Gambit isn’t gay, he’s french. There is a subtle difference.
if he was gay they wouldn’t even show that clip in theaters because loads of kids will be watching it.
It makes me sick and it’s absolutely pathetic to think that people can judge a film by watching it on a computer screen or i pod screen, let alone a work print that isn’t even completed yet. Assholes…
Size doesn’t matter
And my computer screen is 3 feet away and is 24″ Looks the same as my 42″ which is 10 feet away.
However I do in part agree that you cannot judge a finished product by its earlier edits. You can get an idea, and might spoil stuff, but its not done.
I have an HD TV and stream all my files to Ps3, so I didn’t judge it by watching it on small screen. I know deep down that downloading movies bad but I can’t stop LOL. I still hit a theatre when something comes out though because seeing it in the theatre is something special it’s huge. I mean look at when they rereleased star wars 10 years ago on the big screen, people still saw it for a reason, because it was the big screen big sound people like being immersed in all of that. It’s the same reason I’ll go watch a good movie reguarless of if I’ve downloaded it or not.
It’s like when the Dark Knight was pirated when it first came out and the person who did taunted the movie studio cause he got away with it. But why would you download it? Pretty much most of those download sites are full or spyware and adware and not to mention this new April 1st worm thats out there.I prefer the movie theater opposed to sitting at a desk or having to hold up my iPod in my hand to watch a movie. Plus it’s more fun when you go with friends.
agreed
April1st worm turned out to be a hoax, but yes, most of those sites have adult advertisers who like to do nothing more than put spyware on your computer.
But, downloaded media is hardly limited to your ipod or computer screen. There are dozens of ways to effectively view the content. That isn’t the point.
I heard the story yesterday, hopefully they get it offline so the box office is better
The success of Taken has pretty much nipped that theory about pirating movies affecting box office in the butt. The film had been online for months and out on DVD in many countries way before it opened in the US and yet it still sits on the top ten list after more than two months out there.
true, a taken screener was online a whole 6 months before it even came to US theatres
My expectations were low, but overall were exceeded, though Deadpool fans are likely to be pretty disappointed. I was also surprised by the “suprise cameo,” even if his appearance doesnt make total sense. By the way, I didnt even download it, it was posted in multiple places in a streaming video format.
Everyone cries out about downloading, but most folks I know STREAM their stuff because, at least from what I understand, watching a stream is impossible to prosecute. A stream is akin to watching a movie uploaded on Youtube. You can go after the person who put it there, but the people who watch that stream are immune. They don’t directly steal the material, but they sure get to enjoy the spoils. People who downloaded it are reporting that they received threatening emails from Fox demanding they erase the file from their computers. The folks who streamed it got no such emails. STREAMING is the real problem, as people see it as an easy way to get their flicks without fear of legal woes.
The only thing different about streaming is proof.
Downloads can be tracked, but are no less illegal.
What you are doing is acquiring and viewing materials without paying for them.
Streaming illegal content doesnt change anything, and the site streaming it can’t even hide behind the gray area of saying they hosted a link, not the product. They are MORE liable for copyright infringement.
Bottom line is, streaming or downloading is still the same, both morally and legally.
No, I dont THINK SO…Theres this website that shows only the links and theyre completely legal. Its like a search and you see where you can find the movies/songs/whatever…they dont actually have it though they just show you the link
But theyre legal…You can google them i forgot their name…I actually think I heard about it here in TMB a while back…
Then explain why these sites that are only offering links get shut down all the time?
Yes, there is a gray area of the law that says they are only offering links, not the offending product.
It’s still illegal to have copyright materials you didn’t pay for, so downloading it is still against copyright law.
Well this one seemed to be…out of the ordinary..I guess theres something special about this one because there were posts about it everywhere
Yeah I dont know man, all I know is that there this website thats like..100% legal…not an uploading site..just a search site
“It’s still illegal to have copyright materials you didn’t pay for, so downloading it is still against copyright law.”
But this website didnt download anything…they just said “hey, heres the website to get the illegal movies”
Heres the thing. Im not FOR illegal downloading, I think that since theyre overpaid, I dont really care. They get overpaid so theres really no reason for me to get worked up about it. But i do agree with the “stealing is stealing” part…its not right…but these guys dont deserve 100 mil….
I THINK there should be a salary cap for actors
Having said that…I think that if I tell you “Rodney theres a gun under your desk and your aunut is hiding on the 10th floor hoping you wont find her” And you kill her, then its your fault and its also my fault for assisting a murderer…the same thing applies with stealing, this is theft and telling people were to find drugs or illegal things is illegal too, i think this is very simple and logical..makes total sense…I just dont think it applies with movies because I dont like how football players and actors get overpaid while people in Africa are drinking piss
So these people are as guilty as the people that watched the movie
Well not really, theyre guilty for assisting them, which isnt as bad, but close
Rodney, I really want your thoughts on this issue because I’m geniunely confused on this.
Yes, the streamers are looking at material garnered through illegal means. Agree 100% on that, but is looking at it the same as possessing it? Let’s say for example, a guy burns a DVD of this Wolverine movie right now and calls some friends over to watch it. Who should go to jail: the guy who downloaded it and burned it or the ones who just watched it? Should they all get equal jail time, or is one crime worse than the other? All the PSAs I’ve seen on piracy are aimed at downloading, which leads many to think that streaming is an ok alternative. What do you think?
I don’t think of it any different than if you had a file on a dvd or on your computer.
When you buy a hardcopy of a movie, you then own the “rights” to repeat viewing and ownership of that copy, however you do not have the right to reproduce and redistribute the copy.
This is important to remember that this is the key to illegal downloads. You do not have the right to ownership of the copy or repeat personal viewings.
So downloading a copy, or streaming (which is just downloading and watching at the same time) is still the same issue.
Kristina, downloading the movie isn’t the crime, distributing it forward is, that’s why torrent sites are targeted because you are distributing it while you download. So if the guy burning the DVD just watches it he should be fine but the minute he gives it away he’s committing crime.
Gutpunch, you are incorrect.
Downloading the movie is still part distributing, but you are receiving it. In part you are distributing it because of the torrent technology.
But it is two different crimes you are referring to, both of which are illegal.
Acquiring copyright material without paying for it is a violation of the copyright. Distributing it to others (sharing on P2P, making hardcopies to sell etc) is also a violation of the copyright.
Its like saying its ok to buy stolen goods from a fence, as long as you don’t try to give it to someone else.
To be honest I’d be worried if no one was downloading it. Lack of interest is a killer for any product too.
I must admit I’m kind of anticipating that this movie is going to be bad. Jackman hasn’t exactly made great or profitable movies in his career other than the X-men series. His career choices haven’t be that good. Bad luck? Or bad agent?
Also Fox hasn’t the greatest track record of late with franchise movies. But I’ll still catch it, but at a half priced matinee.
It is what it is. If it was an INDY movie, i’d be all in arms about hoping people would have the decency to not download it and to see the original.
But lets face it. It’s FOX. They aren’t really the role models for screaming about people to be decent and morale about things. They tried to screw over Watchmen, they screwed over Iron Man 2 by not allowing Blunt to be the Black Widow. They screw over lots of people on a daily basis.
Now I won’t download the rough cut anyway, but i’m also not going to see Wolverine in the opening few weeks. Maybe i’ll go see it at a Drive-In to help boost their business up if it’s showing with something else i might not have gone seen normally.
So basically all i’m saying is this. Theft of prints = THEFT, so don’t support it folks. FOX = SCUM so don’t support them either. DRIVE-IN’s = Something you should support. Take a break from the multi-plex, and take some friends out to enjoy a nice night at a drive-in.
how did they screw iron man 2 by not casting blunt?
Stormlight, so because this came from a studio that you have personal feelings about then its ok?
If you LIKED the studio, you would be upset by this?
That’s called hypocrisy. You change your moral stand because of your own perception on FOX.
They didn’t try to “screw over Watchmen”. They still owned the rights legally. The WB went ahead and made the movie while someone else still owned the rights to it. How is this Fox’s fault?
And they didnt screw over Iron Man 2. Blunt screwed herself. She signed on with another movie that was filming at the same time and they asked that she honour her contract. Again.. Not Fox’s fault.
If you were running Fox Studio’s you would do EXACTLY the same thing and be barking that it’s your legal right to persue these things.
You want to not support anything Fox does because you let your own pereceptions of situations change facts.
And Fox is irrelevant, because if you support a movie with an actor that EVER appeared in a non-Fox movie you are boosting their popularity, therefore increasing their appeal and likelyhood that Fox (just as likely as any studio) will benefit from hiring that star.
So no matter what you do, you are supporting Fox.
I saw numerous copies of the movie on pirate sites and opted not to touch it, mainly because it is a working cut. I watch movies like that for the action and special effects, why would I want to see a version where all the glitter and boom is missing?
even if i did had the movie, i wouldnt watch it wen it’s not a complete draft. i’ll watch it AFTER i watch Wolverine at the opening night on IMAX
i dont think i would have gone to see this at the theatres anyway, at best i would have sneeked in to xmen after watching star trek or terminator 4
I must admit i would have downloaded it if it was the complete theatrical release. But since its not ill go see it in theaters.
I love it when stuff like this happens. The Movie industry can go screw itself, same with the RIAA.
I love it when a someone who would go out of his way to get a movie he WANTS to see say things like “the movie industry can go screw itself”
Guess with that screwed movie industry there will be lots of movies for you to watch huh? Obviously you care about the movie industry as long as it can keep providing you with stuff you want to watch and things you want to steal.
Love ignorant people who just take and never excpect they should give. Guess the world owes you right?
Fox needs to let this go! It isn’t the final cut of the movie so it doesn’t matter. Being a film student I think this is kind of cool being able to see a work-print copy. However, for just average movie fans I can’t imagine this being all that interesting or worth the download. I think Fox is upset because they do not have enough confidence in the movie making cash at the box office and so they are having a cow. If they have a great final product there is nothing to worry about this film will make bank. Another poster on this page mentioned Taken and I must point out that not just a DVD screener was available prior to the US Theatrical release but also a European Blu-Ray extended cut. I guess what I am trying to say is that the movie is getting publicity and if people care enough about it to waste bandwith streaming or downloading X-Men Origins then there is a good chance that the majority of the downloaders will go see the movie when it comes out in a month. I for one am REALLY looking forward to the finished product. The final point I want to make is that this was obviously an inside job. Whoever uploaded the film to the internet works for Fox or was on staff during the making of the movie so Fox needs to take care of business at home before they start barking at the websites hosting the leaked work-print.
Fox does NOT have to let this go. If they don’t enforce their copy rights, then why bother having them.
They NEED to punish the thief for stealing their property and leaking it out to the net. They HAVE TO punish them or else they are publicly stating that they don’t mind if people steal their stuff off their sets and spread it around.
And I am certain that there is something being done about security on the production facilities and sets.
if someone steals from you and you dont do shit about it and let them get away w/ it, then they are gonna do it again and again, just like if you pirate a film and the studio doesnt do shit, then you’re gonna keep at it b/c you know you can get away w/ it, so of course they should do something about it
There used to be a day and age where some studios would take a WIP and have something called a ‘test screening’. Audiences are handed out cards where they would be polled and/or write brief comments.
They still do this from time to time today I’m sure.
I always wonder how some people can be so clear-cut about downloading. It isn’t always bad. It isn’t always acceptable. I can think of a few exceptions.
For tv shows - I live in Australia. For most shows, we get them half a year to a full year later than the US, and usually at some obscure time (The American office is being shown at about midnight here, which i can’t fathom… They only just showing some of season 4, and out of order on alternating weeks). I don’t feel as bad about that because it was always going to be a free service, on tv. The difference would be I guess in cutting in on their commercial-break ad revenue, but most tv networks have gotten on board with the idea of offering shows online and making their ad revenue from their websites. Fox now offers every single episode of the Simpsons, even the new ones, free, streaming, online. Their dvd sales are still excellent, even though people have seen the episodes like a billion times.
As for me, I always always rewatch the show when it FINALLY arrives on Australian tv.
The other example I can think of is foreign-language films, where the film is never actually released with an english subtitled version (domestically or internationally). When I’m not being offered any legal way for me to see a movie (imports don’t help when the film doesn’t have subs), then I’m not going to feel bad about downloading user-made subbed versions of foreign films.
Other than that, I don’t really see the point of downloading popular, easily obtainable movies. If you want a free alternative, borrow the dvd (for FREE!) from your local library. My local libraries do this, and they have heaps of great movies new and old. I’m guessing MOST libraries do this now. Its FREE, and you don’t have to feel guilty.
Mladen…..
I agree with you there also, I live in a country where everything is heavily cencorsced or simply just not released.
Region coding on DVD’s drives me crazy, four hours south I am in Australia and here I am in Asia. Makes DVD ownership a somewhat annoying and pointless experience.
I wish there was a decent place to buy movies and TV with a decent and timly selection. If itunes got their crap together that would be brilliant.
Except rights holders and governments make it so difficult for ease of delivery of content to the net.
Yay for all your justifying and rationalizing.
All of which has NO application to this situation.
And all the examples you gave can be solved by buying a dvd. Even foreign dvd’s can be played in multiregion dvd players found at any electronics store.
But you just want to rationalize so that you don’t have to pay for those.
Hey Cisco.
You should definately invest in a region-less dvd player. Absolutely worth it.
Rodney, try reading the post.
If you bothered to do that, you’d realise that NEITHER of the examples can be solved by buying a dvd.
A foreign-language film without subtitles is essentially worthless to attempt to watch. There ARE languages other than english.
A tv show is already being offered for free. My country just lags behind yours. Try waiting a year for a show that everyone else has gotten to see (for free), and get back to me then.
I don’t claim that either of those examples justifies watching some popular easily obtainable (in a few weeks anyway) film like Wolverine. But I do believe there ARE exceptions to ‘all-downloads-are-bad’.
By the way, last time you watched a free-to-air tv show, YOU didn’t pay for it either.
Your examples simply circumvent lack of convenience. Any foreign language film on DVD will have language options, otherwise downloading a file online wont change that.
Buying dvd’s from another country is easy. But it costs money. You just cant get the show that aired 2 nights ago.
TV Shows are not offered for free. They are on TV networks that you have to pay a cable or some other service to get. Part of those service provider licenses (and advertising) go to pay for the programming. If no one has TV services they can’t make the shows.
There are also exceptions you can rationalize for running a red light, but its still against the law, and you can still get nicked for it.
I don’t watch “free to air” shows. I haven’t had a television with an antenae in 15 years.
Those stations that DO offer free to air signals also have arrangements with their subsidiary networks to have a certain amount of advertising space segmented for local advertising and they make a portion of the profit from local businesses that they get to keep.
This is what makes it worthwhile for them to broadcast locally. If they didnt have local advertisers, they wouldnt broadcast. And as of June none of them will be broadcasting analog in Canada anyways.
“Your examples simply circumvent lack of convenience. Any foreign language film on DVD will have language options, otherwise downloading a file online wont change that.”
Again, still not true in a lot of cases, especially if we’re talking about films released before dvd era. VHS didn’t have optional subs.
Many of the companies behind these films have folded and the films will never be re-released, in dvd or any other format. And there are still many films being released in Asia etc with no subtitles at all, usually the smaller scale flicks, some anime etc.
“TV Shows are not offered for free. They are on TV networks that you have to pay a cable or some other service to get. Part of those service provider licenses (and advertising) go to pay for the programming.”
I don’t know how tv is handled in the US, but its free in Australia. We do have payed options, but not many people take them up.
“There are also exceptions you can rationalize for running a red light, but its still against the law, and you can still get nicked for it.”
Just because something is against the law doesn’t mean that its unjustifiable. I’m sure you and I could make a list of many unjust laws. More if we look through history.
Getting nicked and being morally justified are two different things.
“Those stations that DO offer free to air signals also have arrangements with their subsidiary networks to have a certain amount of advertising space segmented for local advertising and they make a portion of the profit from local businesses that they get to keep.”
True. Thats why I’m all for tv networks offering their shows online, while making their ad revenue through their own website with banners or short clips before/after/while the episode screens, whatever. As I said, Fox is doing this with Simpsons, and its awesome.
“And as of June none of them will be broadcasting analog in Canada anyways.”
I’m not talking about analog. We have free-to-air digital tv here in Aus. Analog is ending next month for us too. You can buy a set-top box for your existing tv or buy a new tv with already built in digital, but connection to that digital tv network is free. Is it not the same there?
If you want a free alternative, borrow the dvd (for FREE!) from your local library. My local libraries do this, and they have heaps of great movies new and old. I’m guessing MOST libraries do this now. Its FREE, and you don’t have to feel guilty.
You even feel less guilty if you couldn’t stand watching Momma Mia! for more than fifteen minutes. Eject the DVD, and return it.
In my area, my library has a 7 day rental for all movies so if one were to find a gem that was missed in the theaters, it may give me an incentive to buy a copy at the store.
Of course, there’s still late charges, and for new DVD films such as Slumdog Millionare, being there at the right time.
Darren, eject the dvd, draw penises on all of the dvd sleeve pages, then return it. It IS from a library after all.
Mladen
I don’t draw penises. Vaginas, maybe. And only on the inside.
I found the leaked copy on a site and I checked it see if it was legit. I saw maybe 2 minutes of footage, which did not have finished effects with no sound. There is also a chunk of it missing near the end, from what I read from some sites. Not worth watching in my opinion, wait till opening weekend.
Rodney for all we know Fox could have leaked it themselves to generate more buzz. This wouldn’t be the first time nor do I think it will be the last. I think this is actually going to help their box-office numbers to be honest. Lets just for the sake of argument go by the book and subscribe to what you are saying. Even if they catch the employee or employees responsible for the leak it has already been downloaded, streamed, burned and sold on street corners for $5.00 a copy so unless Fox is able to physically remove every existing copy of the work-print from the world there is nothing to be gained by continuing to pursue the guilty. Again it was a work-print NOT the final theatrical cut. I would be all for Fox going nuts if what is online is what we will all see in theaters in a month. However, what we have online is nothing more than an incomplete rough draft. It’s like a film professor showing it to his students during an editing lesson. It doesn’t make the uploader right but whats done is done and I think Wolverine & Fox will benefit from this more than they will be harmed.
As far as I understand it, the point behind pursuing the sources of the original leak is not to STOP the spread, but to warn anybody else who tries to do something similar with other films down the track. Remains to be seen whether it’ll work as a deterrent.
There is something to be gained.
People working for Fox will hesitate to try and sneak properties off the production facilities knowing their lives will be ruined harshly for what they think is an innocent prank or some claim to 5 minutes of fame.
What is online is a rough cut, but who’s saying two weeks before the release the same guy couldnt get his hands on a perfect copy and its all out. Then its ok to arrest him?
They are setting the example that its NOT ok, and they will not tolerate internal deceit.
They got lucky, and they will take a stand on this. If you were in charge of Fox, you would do the same thing.
if fox leaked the footage to generate buzz then why is fox having the fbi investigate?
Well first off if they didn’t have the FBI investigating wouldnt that look pretty obvious? I do however highly doubt it was leaked by them. I could careless who leaked it, I’m just glad it was. :)
That’s the weakest justification for downloading a movie I’ve ever heard. The did it on purpose? Really? And what purpose was that exactly?
I know people want shit for free because they can and bitch and moan over spending 10-15 bucks for a DVD but to fool themselves in to thinking that these companies do this on purpose to do what exactly is a new angle for me. Good luck with that.
Well I’m going to use Taken as an example (also a FOX film) Screeners and European extended Blu-Rays were available for download on torrent sites months prior to the US theatrical release.. Look at how well Taken is doing at the box-office. So that movie hitting the internet early didn’t harm Fox or Taken. Word of mouth spread and the movie is still doing well in theaters to this day. The same thing will happen here except that people will be more interested because this is only an incomplete work-print. So that is why I believe this was an inside job. It is no secret that Wolverine was getting a ton of negative press late last year(even on themovieblog). So bad that the director had to go back and do re-shoots and make changes. I just find the timely release if this file to be a little too convenient. Maybe Fox wants everybody to watch this version so they can be blown away in a month?
Inclined to agree, but not on the idea that its an intentional leak. I can’t see them intentionally leaking an unfinished film.
A leaked movie can only really do massive damage to box-office when its a horrible film to begin with. The vast percentage of the movie-going public has no idea how to download a film even if they wanted to.
that still doesnt answer my question as to why the studio would have the fbi investigate if this was an inside job, unless former president bush was involved(joking)?
Fox can say anything they want but one thing they won’t do is admit to intentionally leaking movies or in this case a work-print to arouse buzz. So the news stories all say FBI involvement but I have to consider the sources and I for one don’t see Fox above fabricating to make more money at the box-office.
How does leaking an entire film in an unfinished state make more money at the box office?
It isn’t the entire film. It is an unfinished work-print with missing scenes, missing special effects and no re-shoots. It makes them more money because this leak generates buzz! Millions of people have downloaded this and that means many of them will go see it when it comes out in it’s completed state. Lots of people have even attempted to review it (which is stupid because this is only a work-print for editors and sfx artists) NOT the movie-going public. Curiosity is a good thing in the movie business because it translates to money.
“Millions of people have downloaded this and that means many of them will go see it when it comes out in it’s completed state”
I dont follow the reasoning behind that. Could you please explain why?
You’d be absolutely correct, but only if the film is AWESOME even WITHOUT most of the special effects. Which I can’t see happening.
Well Im not gonna judge anyone on downloading of any kind. I feel the one who got the early cut and leaked it out on the net should be charged to the full extent of the law. Its kinda like a guy that steals money from a bank and throws it out into the street. People know its not there money but those who want it will take it. Should they go to jail? No, should they give the money back? Yes. Will they? possible not. Its just human nature.
How can people give back a digital download? I honestly think most people will delete this after viewing it or skimming through. It just doesn’t compare to a finished product. This leak was great for Fox because at least now people are talking about the film.
I think you miss my point. Of course you can’t ask for the copy back. The point is people will take what they can get for cheap or free. The ones really at fault are the ones that created the situation not th ones taking atvantage. Personally though its stupid cause there seeing a crappy looking version of the film.
I don’t usually comment here but I happen to know several of the crew who worked on the ‘Wolverine’ shoot down south here in NZ, not a happy set, all manner of shit flying behind the scenes and interference from the studio. Bad blood between the crew and the interfering studio reps with their grubby little fingers in everyone’s pies + a clueless director = disgruntled employees; word is the leaked print is a big ‘f**k off, wankers’ to Fox.
That could very well have been the case too but I believe that this leak does more good than harm.
So its ok to commit an illegal act because some entitlement whores on the set feel disgruntled?
Nice ethics. Id fire their asses and give it to the next guy in line (cuz there are thousands trying) who would be more than happy to be working on a big Hollywood film.
I don’t really know how it is possible to truly have an opinion since this is a work-print not an actual complete cut of the film. My whole point is basically this: By leaking Wolverine to the internet in this rough state you do three things:
1. Draw attention to the movie
2. Generate curious buzz
3. Get a rough idea of what you can expect box-office wise.
There is no doubt in my mind that this movie is going to do very very well for Fox. It is my personal opinion that Fox leaked the work-print themselves to stir up the fans.
Since they cannot admit it the headlines read: “FBI is on the Job”. I could be wrong but Taken really has already proved my point when HD copies of the movie hit the internet months prior to the US release.
Why would people continue to flock to theaters if they could download an HD quality copy and watch it at home? Downloading is a positive for the movie industry if studios know how to play the cards correctly and Fox is doing it again here.
ah, okay, misunderstood you I think. If I follow you correctly: most of the ‘buzz’ comes from the publicity surrounding the NEWS reporting the leak, not from the leak itself. ‘Wolverine’ suddenly becomes news worthy. Clever if true…
But I still think that method would only work if the film itself is excellent. If a film is a dud, no amount of news coverage will help it when word spreads around forums/blogs that the leaked film is a turd (if it IS a turd, i havent read any of the reviews/leakedsynopsis etc, so i have no idea).
You keep saying that they are doing it again. When did a studio willingly leak a print out to torrent sites?
This conspiracy theory of yours is laughable.
Most everyone knows where I stand with this.
* I am against downloading films unless it is through places that ask for a fee, such as iTunes. It should be pointed out that those downloaded films are “bare bones”. No alternate language or subtitle, no bonus, etc. Your computer or iPod window is smaller than a TV screen or movie screen. You get what you pay for.
* For those that do download films off free torrents, they also don’t get the extras. If it is an unfinished film, they are getting film of lesser quality. There are also bootlegs where the person (s) should be caught and jailed and/or fined that sneak cameras into theatres- and one would then get “fuzzy” video, whack angles, and any background noise that is made.
* Streaming TV movies or shows are fine; the majority of them are supplied by the networks, you watch TV for free. It should also be said that even the TV show/Film streaming has a sponsor or two, be it Ford Trucks or Bounty Paper Towels etc.
In addition, some shows are available for download on places like iTunes.
What would be the point of leaking it anyway, if that was an early, unpolished rough cut where half the film is missing? I have two possible answers:
- The Person(s) didn’t know it was the early cut. They thought it was the fiinished film, give or take a sound effect.
or the Person(s) knew, and were hoping to get access to the final cut (give or take a sound effect) as well. That way, one version for download would be the workprint/rough cut which would be an alternate version, if not shorter version, of the movie. Think of it like a downloaded bootleg two disc special edition. Since the person(s) work at Foxo or are connected to Fox other “extras” could also be risked, alternate and deleted scenes…
Motive?
Revenge/don’t like the boss/don’t like the job/Stick It To The Man. Being a jerk. Take your pick.
*I DO hold the torrent sites who enable those people who do the hands on pirating accountable. They are accepting stolen goods.
I discourage illegal downloads, and dislike it even more when people are so blindly willing to accept the lesser quality AND quanity.
Just sad.
I must point out that you are incorrect about movies being downloaded from torrent sites. Especially now a days it is entirely possible to download complete Blu-Ray rips of the films with extras included. I do not condone these sites but in all honesty if you look hard enough you can download almost anything that has been released and a lot of stuff that hasn’t.
Really, Sonya? Extras included? Language options? Subtitles? The fluff…everything?
And you know this for a fact and I am wrong. Okay. I stand corrected. One question.
How do you know? Because you looked hard enough?
You don’t condone those sites, but I read some of your responses above, and there seems to be a slight contradiction.
“Fox needs to take care of business at home before they start barking at the websites hosting the leaked work-print.”
But you don’t support those websites, correct? So if FOX or another studio asks/gets them to take certain films down, be it a success or not, at any time, what is it to you?
“Why would people continue to flock to theaters if they could download an HD quality copy and watch it at home? Downloading is a positive for the movie industry”
Since the films on iTunes and related pay download sites offer films that are done with the theatrical runs, then it is a positive, for they are working with those sites. However, you also asked why people would ‘go the theaters’.
But you know as well as I do, if nobody went, that has an effect on the box-office. If it is a film that was good and deserved a better fate, that may be so. But it sends a message. It tells Hollywood to not make any sequel and/or stay away from that genre/sub genre for a little while.
“there is nothing to be gained by continuing to pursue the guilty.”
Is it the law? Are certain person(s) breaking a law? If branches of law enforcement didn’t pursue varied law violations, the guilty go free. Maybe its a mundane job, maybe a small handful of the FBI think it is a waste of time…but it is their job. Again, if the Feds are helpful in going after some illegal downloads on a website or two, how does that effect you, if you don’t support those sites? You should be indifferent, at best. Right?
There’s only one way to see if you are correct about the Blu-Ray thing. Only one way. That’s if one performs an illegal download. How else would you know for sure? Get someone to do it for you?
From what I can tell the movie looks pretty good. I think the whole reason behind the leak was the studio wanting to show that the movie is not a turd and they will put butts in the seats when the movie comes out in May. I mean right now Fox has some heavy competition for Wolverine so getting people to talk about this work-print now seems like it will payoff. Who knows the story of next month could end up being Wolverine Vs Star Trek?
Terminator is getting released a week or two after that isn’t it?
This May has the potential to be awesome, disappointing, or a mixed-bag. Either way, exciting.
I say this becomes the new DUI, the feds are already insisting the dude that posted Chinese Democracy do six months in PRISON. We’ll see if that holds but this will become a big issue IMO.
I won’t download it and will beat the theatre opening weekend.
That said, the movie studios and records company’s have some part in leaks. I really think there promotinal leaks for one. On top of that I have a hard time beliving a huge Movie studio couldn’t prevent this if they really invested in it.
Exactly. With the negative buzz during production and the competition coming Fox had to pull a rabbit out of their hat and so some studio big-wig said “Release an un-polished work-print to get people talking.” Now if Terminator gets released online maybe people will start noticing the pattern.
fuck, why cant people hold their load like the rest of us?
‘From what I can tell the movie looks pretty good. I think the whole reason behind the leak was the studio wanting to show that the movie is not a turd and they will put butts in the seats when the movie comes out in May.’
What the hell are you on about? The movie looks shit, word of mouth due to the leaked cut is overwhelmingly negative, and the studio is spitting tacks because of it.
What are your sources? I am basing my opinions on the time of the release as well as the amount of downloads. As I said I don’t think this work-print can be judged like a completed film. The movie really doesn’t look bad. If you watch a rough draft of the movie expecting “final theatrical cut” quality of course there will be some disappointment.
For a start, I work in art direction so I know full well what a work-print looks like; I already stated above that I know several people who were on the shoot in Central Otago, they are my sources.
Basing your opinion on timing and the number of downloads is thin, especially since the leaked footage could also adversely effect people’s perception of the movie (which it appears to be doing), and the number of downloads has nothing to do with the quality of the film and everything to do with rubber-necking curiosity.
Even in a rough state you can tell if a movie’s got the goods, and the leaked cut of Wolverine looks a poorly-shot dud. Some of that can be glossed over in post with completed effects, re-shoots and editing, but a slick turd is still just pretty pooh, unfortunately. The people I work with in the film industry agree it looks a bit of a bore, and buzz on the internet would appear overwhelmingly negative from what I’ve heard/read.
Repeating myself now, but the guys I know who worked the shoot say the production was tense and riddled with problems, and word is the print was leaked maliciously to show up Fox.
Having just watched the workprint, I completely agree with Tila. In my opinion, the final product will not hold up to a lot people’s expectations of what a comic book should be in this post-Dark Knight/Iron Man world.
why bother hiring the FBI, this crap isnt gonna make much money anyway
Why bother making the movie in the first place then? Boy, they should hire you to make their decisions for them because you know so much better than everyone else.
And those other X-Films.. they never made money either so expanding the franchise… I just don’t see the point.
Uh… what was stolen? did they took the original too? if not, then there’s no stealing happened. they still have the original, do they not?
it’s called copying and illegal distribution of copied material. (copyright violation)
it’s just a giant spoiler. and i dont approve watching it either. because it will spoil the excitement and fruit of waiting for years to see this in the BIG screen (cinemas).
I recently watched old, frizzy-haired Bob Ross practice his art on his public television show “The Joy of Painting.” With a couple of effortless strokes of his brush, he created a beautiful, Madison County-like covered bridge spanning the width of a babbling stream. “Wow, that’s nice,” I thought to myself. Then Bob proceeded to cover more than half of the bridge with green smears of underbrush and wild vegetation.
“Dude, what the hell are you doing? That looked so good!” I screamed. Obviously this psychotically serene artist was out of his mind.
Seconds later I realized my own error. The portrait had been improved considerably. And I was able to better appreciate the final product after seeing how it was molded and changed before my very eyes.
Now if everyone who downloaded the pirated version of this film would follow this example, then this particular leak wouldn’t be that bad. I can see how this situation might actually be a good experience for burgeoning filmmakers to get a better look at the creative process.
But if “Wolverine” makes even a penny less than it would have had the film not leaked, then it will be a crime.
So basically what you’re saying is that once the filmmakers of Origins add some eye-popping effects to the thing, that that alone will make up for the many shortcomings of its narrative. I watched it because I had no intentions of seeing it in theaters to begin with. And knowing that the completed special effects were not in the workprint initially stopped me from seeing it. But then I was like, “fuck it, if the story is any good then I’ll man up and pay the 13 dollars and see it in theaters on May 1st.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. At all. Not even close.
So my point is that however much they polished the movie on the surface, the core of the film - the plot - is not structure properly enough to make any fucking sense whatsoever. I’m not saying that the movie will not be successful come opening day, but I don’t think this is what the fan base was clamoring for after the whole X3 sucked giant balls thing. Origins is probably a dumb action flick at best that maybe the casual moviegoer can fully appreciate. But let’s be honest, the hundreds of thousands who downloaded it are not your typical movie fans.
hello to all whole got dl of it i understand our econemy personally i will wait til it comes onto dvd and buy it from some video store but i love xmen and if i had the extra bucks i would go see it on big screen but they wanna charge people a freaking arm and leg and first born these days to do anything which is bull shit i think we need to sign petition or through a woodstock to raise money to fix shit in this country lol but if i can save up enough ill get my chance to see it on big screen
@ Steve: LMAO
Seriously.
Google this: Movie Ticket Prices Inflation
Somewhere in there you should get this:
www natoonline org/pdfs/Talking%20Points/TP-Ticket%20Prices%20 pdf
(I’ve removed the ‘dots’ because it seems The Movie Blog doesn’t allow links to be posted.)
Anyway, in this doc, or others you will no doubt find, the cost of a movie these days hasn’t in fact kept pace with inflation. (Or other forms of entertainment.)
Whining about ‘How expensive movies are’ is another example of how a certain demographic want everything free. (And NOW.)
Good luck with that.
I dont do pirates, especially unfinished ones, I would still go see it at the movies.
Now I really feel bad. EW.com has an interview up with Rothman where he says that he called Hugh up when the news broke about this. Hugh was, and I quote, “heartbroken”.
AWW. I love that guy. One of the few in town with a rep for being a total sweetheart, and I feel for him. Even if he was a douche, you gotta feel for someone who works for years on a project only to have it stolen right out from under him.