New York Times story picked up by the SFChron this morning, pg. 2: "Hollywood reveals plan for Internet movie service: Backing by major studios -- but not Disney, Fox" by Rick Lyman, NYT "Los Angeles -- Five major movie studios, including some of Hollywood's top players, unveiled plans yesterday for a joint venture that will allow computer users to download rental copies of feature films over the Internet... The new venture is also seen by many studio executives as a first step toward the coming world of true video - on - demand, when consumers will be able to watch any moview they want, whenever they want. "Initially, the films will be available for download only onto personal computers -- or television monitors linked to an Internet connection... "The studios that will be partners in the new service are MGM, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures... Officials at Sony's Moviefly, an Internet movies - on - demand effort that will provide the technical backbone... "This new venture will be neither the first video - on - demand service (cable operators in a few markets have offered such a service to some of their customers though the movie selection has been limited) nor the first time that feature films have been available for download on the Internet (Web - based companies like CinemaNow and SightSound Technologies have offered a limited roster of films for download). But it does mark the first effort involving the Hollywood studios and offers the promise of thousands of potential titles. "The service... will be available only to those with high - speed Internet connections... The average feature film will take 20 to 40 minutes to download... Studio officials estimate there are 10 million households with broadband connections. The films will remain on a computer's hard drive for 30 days, but will erase themselves 24 hours after they are first run. During that 24 - hour window, consumers will be able to watch the film as many times as they wish... films would be released only after becoming available on pay - per - view, with similar rates." AP article on the same online at, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2001/08/17/national0351EDT0455.DTL

has anyone seen linklater's 'waking life'? i saw it in seattle- is it a big event in austin? what theaters are showing it? (it was terrific, by the way)...

It's big here, I haven't seen it yet. I've heard from folks who have and they were very impressed.