While our darkened theaters are under threat of text messaging hordes, an app called YEAH is attempting to alter the way we watch movies at home. The concept is born out of the hope that movie fans will love watching classic movies with Pop Up Video-style trivia, polls, behind-the-scenes interviews and (since it’s all done through Facebook) the ability to share what you’re watching with friends and strangers.
Essentially, it sounds like watching a movie and the DVD special features all at the same time.
It’s an interesting pitch, but I’ll let YEAH try to sell itself with this video:
There seems to be an undeniable push to make movie-watching more communal, which is ironic given that the theater experience that’s supposed to be communal is now being threatened by an audience that’s growing more passive.
It’s as if marketers and, sadly, some audiences want to experience movies with other people as long as they can do it alone at their computers.
I’ll be test-driving YEAH to see if it’s worth a shot soon, but if it becomes popular, it could certainly have a commanding effect on how we treat the viewing experience. For the time being, they seem focused on iconic movies, but that doesn’t mean they won’t expand to new releases. Can you imagine watching a movie while simultaneously learning how they did shots? It would be like watching a magic show while David Copperfield explains the illusion. Hopefully it won’t come to that.
Negativity about our terrifying bleak future aside, the app looks to celebrate movies and go deeper into what makes them. That’s laudable. They’ve also picked some stellar movies to launch with. At the very least, if it brings Halloween to a new audience, it’ll be an experiment well worth the effort.
Is this a movie fan’s dream or a cringe-worthy step too far?