If you missed the post about the film debuting on HDNet On Demand, Amazon is currently offering a $9.99 rental for “The Girlfriend Experience” before the film hits theaters on May 22nd. The Rated-R film about a high class escort is from director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Traffic) and is continuing Magnolia’s strategy of simultaneous (in this case, pre-emptive) VOD and theatrical releases. The blurb:

Sasha Grey stars as a high-priced… companion in Steven Soderbergh’s new film The Girlfriend Experience (Theatrical Rental). It won’t be in theaters until May 22, but you can rent it right now, only at Amazon Video On Demand.

Check it out for yourself The Girlfriend Experience (Theatrical Rental).

Toronto has been a focus of the organization, which has sent their own inspectors out to York Region malls that have also been the targets of raids by York Region Police and the RCMP. So far, Toronto is the only city in the CMPDA’s sights because of the prevalence of illegal DVDs and videos, a spokesperson said.

But despite the enforcement, the Toronto Star obtained a copy of Wolverine easily at a Scarborough mall for $3.

Earlier this year, the International Intellectual Property Alliance said Canada should be put on a watch list since it is the only member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to have taken quot;no meaningful steps toward modernizing its copyright law.

Critics say Canadian jobs are at stake, as well as Hollywood money.

Blockbuster Canada announced this week that it is cutting prices on new DVD releases by 30 per cent at its 459 retail outlets across the country. A new release now costs $3.99 plus tax for a two-night rental, but that’s still more than what you would pay for your own pirated copy.

The last sentence touches on it. One of the main reasons piracy is on the rise is because content is readily available at minimal cost, and on demand. There is value in not having to drive to your local theater, wait in line, pay for an admission ticket for what most people consider overpriced, buy food and beverages that are usually not your ideal choice and extremely overpriced so that the theaters can stay in business, and then deal with rowdy, noisy audience members who talk on their cell phone or send text messages when you finally sit down to watch the film. Not to mention watching the film in the comfort of your own home and being able to pause the film or eat and drink whatever you like. Especially after investing thousands of dollars in a HDTV and a decent surround sound system. I could keep going, but for now check out the article.

HDNet is known for showing feature films ahead of the theatrical release through their On Demand services. Check with your cable provider for the channel.