I couldn't resist getting a review copy of this movie. I don't generally go for sci-fi but the story behind this indy movie was too good not to get involved. Man From Earth went straight to DVD, as indeed a lot of indy movies do. What sets this one apart from the rest is what happened a week before release. Some enterprising pirate got hold of a prerelease copy and stuck it on bittorrent.
Overnight it became the #6 sci-fi hit on iMDB. Not bad when you conside it was something like #2500 a couple of days earlier. The film maker then did something that no major studio would do, he didn't sue the pirates, or even ask them to take the movie down. Instead he posted a 'thank you' on his web site. His rational was that if people were watching the rather poor quality bootleg, they may be driven to buy the real thing!
In my opinion this was a great choice, and one that more film makers should consider.
As it happens, Man From Earth is a dynamite movie, so I suspect that this story is going to have a very happy ending.
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2008 SATURN AWARD NOMINEE!!!
This morning we received the wonderful news that "Jerome Bixby's The Man From Earth" was nominated for "Best DVD Release" in the 34th Annual Saturn Awards (http://www.saturnawards.org/nominations.html).
We couldn't be more pleased, nor feel more honored. One of our primary goals from the start of this project was to do right by Jerome Bixby's legacy within the science fiction community, and this nomination, we feel, recognizes that effort.
Our thanks go to all the members of The Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films, especially the members of the DVD committee.
And to fans of the film... if you happen to KNOW anybody on the DVD committee, please let them know how much you like it!
warmest greetings--
Richard Schenkman
& Eric D. Wilkinson
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