The fearless Jackass crew have teamed up with some heavy corporate hitters in order to bring you their next installment – for free! We get the skinny on this fantastic marketing strategy thanks to our friends at comingsoon:
MTV New Media, Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment, both part of Viacom Inc., and Blockbuster today announced they are unleashing Jackass 2.5, the first-ever, studio-backed feature streamed in its entirety online. Jackass 2.5 will be made available for free courtesy of Blockbuster at Blockbuster.JackassWorld.com beginning December 19th through December 31st, 2007. To mark this unprecedented event, Johnny Knoxville delivered a special message to the media on JackassWorld.com, a new site and joint venture of MTV Networks and Dickhouse Productions that officially launches February 9th, 2008.
This is huge. Blockbuster is using the film as a 90 min commercial, and it is a fantastic idea from the struggling video juggernaut. Anyone with a computer and a net connection is going to be able to see this film. Kids that would not be allowed to see it in theaters, will now be able to watch it from home, so long as they are smart enough to lie about their age. (I have been 21 for 20 years now, we know the tricks.)
I am delighted to see studios use the internet as a means to dispense their product. People spend a lot of time on the internet; we shop, chat, flame, rip tunes and vids, and play a disgusting amount of video games in here. The studios that best use this comfortable and convenient technology will be the winners.
This film is also going to be a great advertisement for the upcoming Jackassworld. The website is looking like it is shaping up to be a place where original content will be made available on a regular basis, in the form of video clips. With a dangerous idea, a lack of self respect and a video camera – these guys can make videos till the cows come home (or someone dies)! I can see this site becoming quite popular and I wish these guys all the best. Regardless of what you think about the Jackass phenomena, you have to give these guys props. They made it to the top with literal blood, sweat, and tears …and shit.
