Hollywood (Long Data)
We previously wrote about Moviepass and how its controversial subscription service - now apparently at 1.5mm members (PETITION Note: it was at 1mm merely two weeks ago when we wrote about it) - seeks to make the most out of an industry in apparent decline by leveraging data. Now the company says that it has weaponized that data to influence movegoers to go to certain films - an equally tantalizing and scary proposition. And, so, by extension, the company now wants to get into the moviemaking business to capture some of the upside of those efforts. Moreover, it is getting into the targeted ad business. The company is funded by Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. ($HMNY), which just happens to be the second most shortest stock on the NASDAQ Composite. Clearly investors don't think that Moviepass' business model is real.