MovieMobz: Audiences Choose What They Want to See

I love this idea: let audiences pick what plays at their local theater.

From John Hopewell's piece in Variety:

...MovieMobz goes a social step further.

Its website allows filmgoers from the MovieMobz.com film club, to "mobilize" by choosing films, both classics and new releases, and click on a "I Want to See It" button.

Once enough viewers vote on a film, it emails members with screening details.

So far, MovieMobz has attracted 4,000 members and staged 20 film sessions, MovieMobz CEO Fabio Lima says.

About 2.5 people attend for every member who's voted.

"People bring their friends. Newspapers highlight sessions. Our entry prices are always lower than the half-price tickets students get," Lima says.

Why doesn't someone in the US give this a shot?

One interesting twist on the idea would be to let voters put their money where their mouth is: what if a voter agrees to give the theater her credit card number when she votes... and if the movie that she votes for eventually plays, her credit card is charged $5, and she has essentially bought an advance discount ticket. That seems like a good way to encourage people to show up to the theater ... not just to vote online. It's not too unlike the way Priceline gets you to guarantee that you'll pay for a hotel room you've bid on.

But maybe, as Lima suggests, you don't need to motivate people to show up....