Camcorder versions of 'Iron Man 2' flood online (THRE, CIN, CNET)

By Hollywood Wiretap staff

Well, it seemed inevitable, didn't it? One of the biggest films of the year, "Iron Man 2" is released abroad at least a week prior to its North American bow (to avoid World Cup Soccer madness), and, sure enough, as The Hollywood Reporter and others note, camcorder versions of it show up almost instantly online. There oughta be a law, huh.

Well, of course, there are several such laws -- piracy is illegal. But, that said, Cinematical's Peter Hall asks whether it would be too invasive or futile a task to try to PREVENT such shenanigans. He notes that a spokesperson for Paramount parent Viacom is quoted in a CNET report as saying, "It is time responsible governments put an end to it." But how? Search everyone who walks into a movie theater for hidden tiny camcorders in their pockets? Confiscate all iPods that have video capabilities? Ban all cellphones that have lenses?

It might come to that. As the CNet report notes, the Motion Picture Assn. of America has said piracy is one of the main causes for shrinking DVD sales, although all three of the abovementioned articles also acknowledge 'IM2' took in a whopping overseas cume of $100.2 just in its first weekend. And because the film is something of an event picture -- it's got sights and sounds that audiences want to experience in a well-equipped theater on the big screen -- it will probably do just fine when it launches this Friday in North America.

Still, Paramount might want to think about stationing a real Iron Man at each theater. Just saying.