IMDb has a little blurb about filmmaker's protests to the closing windows between theatrical and home video release. Leading the charge is M. Night Shyamalan who presents the argument that time in the theaters is necessary to a successful film release. He posits that before viewers are willing to plunk down the money to permanently own a DVD they need to have a compelling reason to do so. That reason comes from energized fans who saw the film in theaters. He claims that word of mouth coming from theater viewers is more passionate, and therefore leads to increased DVD sales.
I have to say that this is the first argument against the shrinking window that I actually believe, and not just because of local Philadelphia statue that requires me to love everything M. Night Shyamalan. Although I'm not convinced that for a family of four the rental price of $3.99 for one movie versus the $32 for 4 ticket is not a compelling reason to choose DVD. But I like the idea of word of mouth being effected by inflated opinions due to cognitive dissonance. --Terrence Ryan