Exclusive content is even more king.

[ image courtesy of vinnieFM / Flickr ]

While everyone is gumming on about the Clear Channel buyout, I shall give you a respite -- today you can read about 3-D animation.

In the past year, Disney has gone to lengths to get the next generation into the 3-D movie mindset. About one year ago the BBC posted a story about Disney's new push. A key line in that story points to the fact that these movies are playable only in theaters equipped with the new $80-100k systems. I would imagine that the cinemas that dropped thousands upgrading projectors to the ear-splitting Dolby Digital sound systems are not pleased that new equipment will be required to play the bigger-grossing versions of films.

This has relevance today, or yesterday, as I drove about 30 minutes to see the 3-D version of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a delight. The effect was quite remarkable, as viewed through the crazy glasses they hand out, as pictured above. It was playing in Coon Rapids and Oakdale only. These are likely the only two theaters in the Twin Cities that have completed the upgrade. [Calling Coon Rapids a part of the Twin Cities is a bit of a stretch...]

What does this have to do with anything? I drove 30 minutes to a theater at 9:20pm on a Thursday to see a movie. I could have watched the DVD at home. We actually did, around Halloween. This 3-D version of a film I have seen several times offered an experience compelling enough to go out of my way to take it in.

The content was king here, but even more important was its exclusivity.

.