A spoof of science-fiction classic STAR TREK distributed free over Internet has become Finland's most viewed movie, REUTERS reports and has reached more than three million viewers in less than two months.
STAR WRECK: IN THE PIRKINNING is a full-length feature (with English subtitles) made by a group of students and other amateur filmmakers on a few home computers to create elaborate special effects on a minimalist budget.
Finnish Internet hosting firm Magentasites Oy, which is helping to distribute STAR WRECK, says 2.92 million copies have been downloaded from the film's website (www.starwreck.com) since Oct. 1, 2005, and an estimated 600,000 copies have gone out through various mirror sites.
This slightly tops Finland's most-viewed film in the movie theatres, THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (1955) with 2.8 million viewers.
REUTERS observes, Movie studios are fearful of the rampant piracy that has ravaged their music label counterparts, but are also hoping to use the Internet to cut distribution costs and open up new markets.
