However, as soon as FilmStruck owner Time Warner merged with the telecommunications giant AT&T, profit became the main driving force for Time Warner, and naturally they axed FilmStruck. In their own words, AT&T stated that FilmStruck was too much of a "niche" market; in other words, it wasn't earning enough of a profit. Now, the question still remains-- why wasn't FilmStruck more profitable?
Much of this has to do with the nature of film viewing itself. Most people who consider themselves to be true adherents of cinema still prefer the actual theatrical experience of viewing film rather than through streaming services or even through the physical mediums of DVDs and blu-rays. FilmStruck was created to appeal to this dedicated demographic of film lovers, so due to its nature as a streaming service, it was doomed from the start.
There is still a large digital database of classic and foreign films, as demonstrated by FilmStruck, but the question now is who owns this catalog? This is the central question for film lovers, and the rallying cry now for why physical media is still preferable to streaming. By having a film on a DVD or blu-ray, we own the film on a permanent basis, without having to worry about whether or not it will one day disappear online due to profitability issues. Yes, the shelves of film lovers like myself are overflowing with DVDs and blu-rays of films, and we have to constantly find creative ways to make more space in our homes to accommodate our ever expanding collections of films. But, this is the sacrifice we are willing to make in order to have permanent access to the films we love.
From its beginnings in small, smoke-filled theaters with musical accompaniment, through the advent of sound and color, and onto the digital age, film has changed drastically as a medium itself and how we as spectators view it. Theatrical viewing has dwindled, with the majority of people preferring to watch films in their own living rooms with the latest streaming technology. The physical medium of film viewing via DVDs and blu-rays, and now the latest 4K UHD format, is still popular among passionate film lovers, but it is becoming obsolete among the general viewing public.
If the physical format does not survive and/or is drastically reduced, we have to realize that streaming services such as FilmStruck are a viable alternative for viewing films. Although it took several months for it to work out its kinks, by the time it was fully functioning, FilmStruck was a marvel to behold. It functioned very much like an online streaming film school, with the films being organized into different categories such as country of origin, historical period, or director. FilmStruck also had its own original programming, with interviews with prominent directors such as Barry Jenkins, Philip Kaufman, and Damien Chazelle, as well as short introductions to the films by celebrated film commentators like Alicia Malone. While it existed, FilmStruck filled an essential gap in the online streaming world.
The question of ownership is not easily resolved, as having a physical copy of a film in a lavish edition such as those created by Arrow and Criterion is not the same as having a digital online copy of a film. However, having streaming access to a film and owning a physical copy should not be mutually exclusive. The streaming copy of the film can be used whenever we want to easily access a film we love without having to search for that film in our cavernous DVD/blu-ray collections. If we want to view the film more in-depth, then we have the alternative of the physical copy too.
Beyond this, it is important to have an online streaming database of classic and foreign films not offered by the traditional tech giants. Each successive generation changes its viewing habits, so we as film lovers have to adjust our expectations for film viewing accordingly, or we risk having the entire history of film disappearing and being replaced by Netflix original programming. For this reason, it is essential that a streaming service such as FilmStruck remains functioning to preserve the history of film for future generations.
