TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Huge leak spoils Huawei's Mate 30 event
It doesn't look like Huawei has any more surprises left up its sleeve ahead of its Mate 30 launch event tomorrow. Yesterday, renders of the whole phone range leaked, now real-life images have emerged on Weibo (above), and it seems that details for event's entire line up have found their way into the public eye. As revealed by Android Headlines, Huawei appears to be getting ready to announce the Watch GT 2 smartwatch, a new fitness band, a TV, and the worldwide release of the MediaPad M6 Android tablet.
Philips' new Hue Play box syncs your lights with your TV
It's been a long time coming, but there's now an easy way to sync your Hue lights with your TV no matter what's on-screen. Signify has introduced a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box that (as its name implies) controls your smart lights based on whatever the video source might be, whether it's a game console, a Blu-ray player or a streaming media service. It's automatic and reportedly lag-free, and you can dial down the intensity so that it won't produce a dramatic light show when you're just watching a sitcom.
Vizio's updated Alexa app can search for movies and TV shows
VIzio has updated its SmartCast TVs with a better Alexa experience that will greatly expand the basic functionality they've had up until now. By enabling Vizio's new Alexa skill, you'll be able to simply ask for a show like This is Us, and SmartCast TVs will find it across multiple apps, complete with pricing and video formats. You can then use Alexa to launch apps like Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
Initial Creative Emmy winners include Apple, Netflix and NASA
The Creative Arts Emmy awards are only half-finished, but it's already clear that streaming services are thriving -- including a few you might not expect. Netflix came home with the most statuettes on the first night of the awards, receiving a total of 15 compared to 'just' eight for next-closest rival National Geographic. Four of those went to Queer Eye for Outstanding Structured Reality Program as well as specific reality show awards for casting and directing. The animated anthology Love, Death & Robots, meanwhile, scored five awards, including the top spot for short-form animation as well as individual awards for art and design. Our Planet took two awards, those for best documentary and narration.
Hulu's 'Castle Rock' season 2 teaser shows the origins of 'Misery'
Hulu is at last ready to offer a glimpse at Castle Rock's second season, and it's evident this won't be the feel-good hit of the year. A newly posted teaser for the Stephen King-based anthology focuses on the arrival of a younger version of Misery villain Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) in Castle Rock as she's "budding" into a full-fledged psychopath. The clip makes clear that Wilkes is acting partly out of a warped sense of duty to her daughter -- not that others (including her daughter) believe her.
Samsung's artistic The Frame TV is currently on sale for $649
Samsung's The Frame is alluring if you like the idea of a TV that can double as living artwork, but the price? Not so much -- you've usually had to pay a premium for that seamless look. It might be much easier to rationalize right now, though. BuyDig is running a sale that cuts the price of the 43-inch 2018 model to $649 if you enter the code "FRAME" while checking out. That's a huge discount over the $1,198 it goes for at the retailer, and beats even the $799 price at Walmart. It's still not a trivial purchase, but it's considerably easier to justify as long as you don't mind last year's version.
Apple lands 'Dads' documentary from Bryce Dallas Howard
Apple isn't wasting time with its Ron Howard documentary deal. Variety has learned through sources that Apple used its first-look deal to acquire Dads, a documentary film from Ron's daughter and fellow director Bryce Dallas Howard. The Apple TV+ production will look at modern fatherhood around the world, with celebrities like Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris and Will Smith weighing in. There's no firm premiere date, but a run in theaters is "on the table," according to one of the sources.
‘Limetown’ trailer shows Facebook’s take on the hit podcast
The first trailer for the Facebook Watch mystery series Limetown is now available. The 10-episode series is based on the popular podcast by the same name. The show stars and was executive produced by Jessica Biel, and it premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival this afternoon. The first two episodes are scheduled to launch on October 16th.
The first ever black hole image lands scientists $3 million prize
The scientists that captured the first image of a black hole are being rewarded with a $3 million prize. The Breakthrough prize, known as the "Oscars of Science," is sponsored by Silicon Valley execs such as Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, and recognizes top scientists in fields including life sciences, physics and math.
‘Midsommar’ director’s cut will be an Apple TV exclusive
A director's cut of Ari Aster's broad-daylight horror movie Midsommar hit select theaters this past weekend, expanding the original runtime of 148 minutes to 171 minutes. While A24 will publish the original cut as a Blu-ray, DVD and digital combo pack on September 24th, and Lionsgate will release a standalone DVD on October 8th, the director's cut will be an Apple TV exclusive, as noted by Blood Disgusting.
Google helps you find something to watch using dating app swipes
Google has a simple solution to those nights when you just don't know what to watch: borrow a cue from dating apps. The internet giant has introduced a search feature on mobile that invokes a swipe interface when you search for terms like "what to watch" or "good shows to watch" and tap a start button in the Top Picks For You carousel. You can swipe right to show your approval for a show, or left if you can't stand it -- the more shows you flick through, the better your recommendations become.
Apple cancels dark Richard Gere drama 'Bastards'
Apple TV+ is marking another first, but this is one Apple isn't about to celebrate. Hollywood Reporter sources say Apple has canceled Bastards, an adaptation of an Israeli drama that would have starred Richard Gere. Reportedly, Apple and show co-runner Howard Gordon clashed over the series' "tone of vigilante justice." The title would have Gere playing one of two Vietnam veterans who reunite after a shared love is killed by a car, and whose combination of past miseries and resentment of millennials leads the two to "go on a shooting spree." You can see why that might be problematic for Apple in light of current events, even if it's not averse to mature subject matter.
NBC's ultra-specific sports streaming comes to Xfinity X1 and Flex
You'd think Comcast would have rushed to add NBC Sports Gold's niche sports streaming to its media platforms given that it owns NBC, but not so -- it's just adding the service now. As of September 3rd, customers with Xfinity X1 or Xfinity Flex set-tops can finally use Sports Gold to watch ad-free (and sometimes live) events that often get short shrift on conventional sports channels. Consider this a catch-all for Xfinity cable customers who aren't satisfied with their existing options.
Netflix's 'Between Two Ferns' trailer looks as ridiculous as you'd expect
Netflix has finally offered a peek at Between Two Ferns: The Movie just days before its September 20th premiere, and there's little doubt that Zack Galifianakis and crew are upping the ante for their magnum opus. The trailer starts with a Matthew McConaughey interview that goes... badly, and escalates from there. Zack is forced to go on the road and conduct interviews to mend his reputation, and the result is a string of absurd celebrity chats that makes even the most star-studded Netflix original seem low-rent by comparison.
LG's mammoth 88-inch 8K OLED TV goes on sale
LG introduced an almost comically massive 88-inch 8K OLED TV, its largest to date, at CES in January. Now this behemoth is going on sale, offering a viewing experience that makes even the most feature-packed 4K set look outdated.
Netflix's music talent show 'Rhythm + Flow' premieres October 9th
It took a couple of years, but Netflix's talent series Rhythm + Flow is nearly ready. The service's first music competition will premiere October 9th with Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. judging undiscovered hip-hop artists as they strive for glory. You'll have to be patient if you want to see the whole saga play out. Unlike most Netflix productions, you'll have to watch over multiple weeks to see everything.
TiVo's leaked Edge DVR touts Dolby HDR and Atmos audio
TiVo is apparently renewing its efforts to serve cord-cutters. Zatz Not Funny has obtained snapshots of an Arris-made TiVo Edge DVR that would cater to both the streaming crowd and cable TV diehards in equal measure. It wouldn't be as flamboyant as the oddly-shaped Bolt (you can finally stack things on top!), but it would be loaded with 4K, Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision HDR to stream services like Netflix and Prime Video in maximum quality.
Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi launches its first smart TV
Looks like Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi is challenging OnePlus and Honor in the smart TV department. Redmi CEO Lu Weibing has revealed the brand's first TV, along with the Redmi Note 8 and Note 8 Pro at an event in Beijing. The company's smart TV debut is simply called the Redmi TV 70", a 70-inch 4K TV powered by 6th-gen Amlogic processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and 2.4G/5G dual-band WiFi. While it's unfortunately not HDR-capable -- it only does HDR decoding on a chipset level -- it does come with the usual smart TV capabilities. Like its parent company's smart TVs, it runs on PatchWall AI-enabled TV system and uses Xiaomi's smart assistant XiaoAI.
Plex will stream free, ad-supported Warner Bros. movies and TV shows
While Plex mainly focuses on allowing users to set up a streaming server for their own media files, the company has also ventured into other features such as live TV, podcasts and integration with other streaming services. Their latest move will add an on-demand library of ad-supported Warner Bros. movies and TV series.
Sharp will show off the 'world's biggest' 8K LCD TV at IFA Berlin (updated)
If the 55-inch 4K TV in your den is starting to look too small, Sharp wants you to know something to the tune of 120 inches is coming. On Wednesday, the company announced it plans to showcase the world's largest 8K LCD TV at the upcoming IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany, which starts on September 6th. For those who are wondering, the world's biggest 8K TV is actually Samsung's 292-inch The Wall Luxury, but that's based on MicroLED instead of LCD.

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