Dear Fathom,
Sometimes, your name is confusing to me. You do so many good things. Your Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction anniversary celebration in December 2012 were top-notch. Though I could only attend Pulp Fiction, watching one of my favorite movies on the big screen was a great experience.
I have attended a PaleyFest for The Walking Dead in March 2013, which was shortly before the series went to shit. While the actual product was terrible, you stepped up to the plate and played Batman: The Killing Joke before the video release in July 2016.
You play ballets, have events for Christians and anniversary celebrations for certain classic films. Fathom is a great product, but it’s un-Fathom-able to me that you do not do more with your brand.
As you may have noticed, many of my examples are three years old or more, and I check regularly to see what is coming. There are experiences that you leave on the table forcing me to shake my head that either you have not tried or chose not to let it take root.
Have you ever re-broadcast a concert? Why not talk to promoters to have a last gasp cash-grab when popular tours end. For the $13 or so you charge for tickets, a family of five could finally watch a Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga concert without taking out a second mortgage or keeping the kids out far past their bedtimes.
Personally, I hate going to concerts for reasons like the price, crowds, and the time commitment to park, get concessions, and find my seat; but I would pay your rates to come to a theater and sit and enjoy certain artists or bands that I would not commit to paying the criminal sums of money that are expected for them in-person.
You could sell VIP experiences with a Fathom-only shirt and early special programming, and you would still only have to charge pennies on the dollar for it. With the large screens and wonderful surround sound, it is ridiculous that you have not married your service with concerts, old or new, for one last payday.
Another opportunity that I feel you have lost is the alternate cuts of films. There was a huge hullabaloo over David Ayers’ cut of Suicide Squad that did not make theaters. The fact that you were not attacking the door of Warner Brothers with the fury of Jack Torrance over access and permission for the alternate versions of Suicide Squad and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice shows a laziness that blows my mind. Even though I feel that the Jared Leto Joker is not a very good portrayal, there are many Joker fans with enough disposable income to make it worthwhile for the fans, you, and Warner Brothers.
The Breakfast Club has a four-hour cut that has never been seen (and may never with the passing of John Hughes, but you still have to try, and letting the public know you are trying can help give you some leverage). Titanic has a director’s cut that I am sure could fill a theater for a show or two.
Last year, you completely dropped the ball by not playing the 30th anniversary of Transformers the Movie (1986) before the Blu-ray release. I feel your lack of ambition has failed the studios, the fans, and your bottom line.
As you can see, I am impassioned about your product. I am sure you will do a fine job re-broadcasting Newsies and TCM re-broadcasts, but I believe in you more than you do yourself.
I would love to come and see a concert you put on because I love the movie experience more than live concert events. I want to see movies that belong on the big screen with a fantastic introduction so I can learn more about the movies I love. You are leaving money on the table when you fail to seize these opportunities. I am at home with my fingers crossed that one day, I will enjoy a concert or a director’s cut that you went out and hunted for.
The ball is in your court now.
Sincerely,
Agent Winchester
Agent Winchester (@AgentWinchestr) is a movie and TV geek, husband, father, and former movie theater and video store employee. I want to be Hollywood’s Vice President of common sense and bridge what projects we want as fans to help them make even larger gobs of money.