Paramount's new Jackass 2.5 has one interesting distribution schedule. Here's a break-down:

1. it will debut online, via Movielink, for free, supported by ads and exclusively paid for by Blockbuster which bought Movielink earlier this year and is paying a seven-figure sum for only a one-week exclusive on the movie
2. after Blockbuster's week-long rights are up, will then go on sale at iTunes, Amazon, and on DVD for $10-15 for the digital and $30 for the DVD
3. then a week after that the movie will go to streaming sites like Joost where users can again watch it for free - again supported by ads
4. then about a month after than the movie will go to cable and satellite TV on-demand services where users can once again pay for it
   

While obviously this is a test to see how well new methods of distribution can work in the future, it would seem to me that Paramount made this entirely too convoluted to get any real indication of anything from it. Maybe people will really like it on Movielink and decide to buy it when it comes out on DVD - or maybe they'll wait since it will again be free to view a few weeks later - or maybe they won't bother to download something like Joost to watch it because they know it will be on pay-per-view a few weeks after that - but then maybe they'll realize it's cheaper to simply buy the digital version on iTunes so they'll go with that.

Then there is Blockbuster which definitely seems to be reaching for anything to give their digital presence some kind of credibility. Seven-figures for 7 days exclusivity? Seems a bit high to me for what is essentially outtakes from Jackass 2 (there are supposedly few newly shot scenes). Would anyone pay seven-figures to air DVD extras for seven days?

I'm not sure whether or not to be happy that Hollywood is experimenting with different digital distribution methods, or upset that they're likely basing their future opinions on a test that can be best described as complicated.