What if a new motion picture was not released in theaters, but for free on YouTube?

Suppose that same film contained a cast of well-known actors who aren’t D-Listers or complete unknowns? Outrageous? Preposterous? The movie studies would never allow it? Motion pictures cost money to make…lots of money. In order for it to be free the movie must be a) pretty lame, and b) have terrible quality. However, something interesting is happening in Hollywood recently where some big name actors are teaming up for major projects that get released for free on YouTube. The most well known is probably the currently ongoing Mortal Kombat: Legacy, a series of 10 minute episodes that details the events leading up to the Mortal Kombat tournament. Since the series is broken down into a little over a dozen 10 minute clips, it doesn’t feel like a motion picture. But combine it all together and you do get a feature-length film, just in doses. Of course, the series isn’t groundbreaking, nor does it have special effects that put Avatar to shame, but it is absolutely free to watch on YouTube, and most likely will remain free on there, forever.

OK, you may say, but that’s a mini-series. It isn’t really a motion picture. Well then, allow me to introduce you to Girl Walks Into a Bar, a full length feature film that features stars like Zachary Quinto, Danny DeVito, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson, and more. And yes, it is not out in theaters for you to pay to watch. It is on YouTube as a full 1 hour and 20 minute HD movie for free. And to be honest, it’s not all that bad! Here’s the synopsis from the clip’s description:

GIRL WALKS INTO A BAR connects a group of apparent strangers over one night across ten bars throughout Los Angeles. Zachary Quinto stars as a dentist who teams up with a feisty would-be assassin (Carla Gugino) to put the final touches on the plan to kill his wife. Once he makes a play for the assassin’s payment, he unknowingly sets off a chain of events that fuels a crosstown journey through the many lounges, bars, strip clubs and the occasional nudist ping pong clubs scattered across Los Angeles. By turns funny and heartbreaking, this sharp-witted comedy features ten interconnected vignettes that build to a revealing finish.

If you don’t feel like watching the full length movie in one sitting, it is available in ten separate parts so you can view it in doses. This film is actually the first of its kind, the very first full length movie to be released for free on YouTube. As online distribution channels play a bigger and bigger role in entertainment media, it will be most interesting to see what direction this Hollywood flirtation with free original films on YouTube will evolve into. Hit the break to watch Girl Walks Into a Bar and enjoy your free movie!

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