TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Netflix acquires Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix winner
Netflix isn't done pushing back against Cannes for rejecting its movies -- if anything, it's escalating the fight. The company has acquired international rights for two winners at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, with its crown jewel being Mati Diop's Atlantics. The tale of a perilous love in Dakar won Cannes' Grand Prix, the second most prestigious award at the festival. It also stands out as Diop's first feature-length movie as well as the first movie helmed by a black woman to be in the running for the Palme d'Or.
After Math: What's the holdup?
This week's theme is waiting. Sonic the Hedgehog fans will have to do three months of it after complaining about Sonic's oddly human teeth, while Julian Assange won't have to do any more to know what charges the Feds are leveling at him. Let's get started already.
Recommended Reading: Undercover moms battle autism 'cure' on Facebook
Parents are poisoning their children with bleach to 'cure' autism. These moms are trying to stop it. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News Don't believe everything you read on the internet, especially in 2019. An autism "cure" is currently making the rounds in Facebook groups that advises parents to give children bleach to remedy the condition. This is completely untrue -- there is no cure for autism -- and some moms are going undercover to fight back.
How to manage your child's screen time (and why you should)
In an age when we all have a tiny computer in our pockets, it's important that we learn to limit screen time in favor of actual human interaction and productivity. It's even more essential that we limit media consumption for children, especially since they're being exposed to things like phones and tablets at an increasingly younger age. Those devices are part of kids' lives earlier than ever, so it's important to keep tabs on how often they use them or watch TV. There are a number of reasons why you should do this as a parent, and, ironically, there's also a range of tech available to help with the task. READ ON: How to manage your child's screen time
Rotten Tomatoes will verify ticket buyers for audience ratings
Rotten Tomatoes has revealed its latest effort at fending off trolls who send user ratings on a movie plummeting before anyone has even seen it. A new-look Audience Score includes ratings from those who can prove they bought tickets for a film. These verified ratings will be the default Audience Score on a movie's page, though you can toggle to a score that includes non-verified ticket buyers by clicking a "more info" option.
Vizio's 2019 4K TVs arrive with promise of AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support
Vizio has released its 2019 4K TV lineup to the market and announced that Apple's AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will be coming to current and older models. While the company is best known for budget 4K TVs with impressive image quality, this time it's going after the premium market with its flagship P-Series Quantum X. The new 65-inch ($2,200) and 75-inch ($3,500) sets are pricier than you'd expect from Vizio, but feature quantum dot displays with 384 or 480 local dimming zones. That enables black levels nearly on par with OLED displays, but with brightness levels up to 3,000 nits.
Sony studio will turn PlayStation games into movies and shows
Sony is no longer content to wait for media giants to produce shows based on its games. The company has formed a PlayStation Productions studio that will produce movies and TV shows based on games. Sony Studios will help distribute the material, but it's otherwise in-house -- it won't license brands like other gaming giants have in the past. The company's Shawn Layden told Hollywood Reporter that this wasn't just an opportunity to extend the experience of a game (and thus make more money), but also a chance to address Hollywood's notorious inability to translate games to the big screen.
Lego dives into the Upside Down with a 'Stranger Things' play set
Netflix's Stranger Things already has a number of unusual if appropriate tie-ins, but this latest might top them all if you're a die-hard fan. Lego is releasing a 2,287-piece Stranger Things set that recreates both the Byers' home and its Upside Down equivalent in uncanny-if-blocky detail, including eight of the core characters. There are plenty of little touches -- you'll see functioning Christmas lights in the Byers' living room, while Eleven can travel with an Eggo waffle in hand.
AT&T will pull shows like 'Friends' from streaming rivals
Don't expect Warner-made shows like Friends to persist on existing streaming services once AT&T's WarnerMedia launches its offering. AT&T chief Randall Stephenson said at a JPMorgan conference that the company "will be bringing" many of its media rights back in-house to put those shows on its own as yet unnamed service. The platform will be a "significant driver" for the company over the next few years with "tens of millions" of customers, Stephenson said, and it reportedly needs exclusives to make that happen.
Disney expects a third live-action 'Star Wars' series by 2022
Disney may not release another Star Wars movie until 2022, but that isn't stopping it from loading its streaming service with Star Wars shows. As part of a presentation (skip to around 46:05) at a media conference, chief exec Bob Iger said he expected "at least one more" Star Wars series on Disney+ beyond The Mandalorian and a known pseudo-prequel to Rogue One. He didn't shed light on what it might entail, but it would arrive before movies resume in 2022.
'Star Trek' Picard spin-off will hit Amazon for global streaming
You'll have an opportunity to watch CBS' Jean-Luc Picard series outside of North America -- if you're willing to subscribe to Amazon, that is. CBS has revealed that the Star Trek production will be a Prime Video exclusive outside of the US and Canada, with episodes appearing within a day of their US premieres. That's likely to make things complicated for international fans, unfortunately. When Star Trek: Discovery is only available on Netflix in those markets, you'll have to subscribe to two services to keep up.
‘The Orville’ will return for a third season on Fox
The adventures of the USS Orville will continue, as Fox has renewed The Orville for a third season. Seth MacFarlane's show concerns the crew of the eponymous spaceship, as it explores the depths of space. The show's second season was not a ratings winner, and viewing numbers dwindled as time went on. But, Fox's close relationship with MacFarlane, and a hefty tax credit from the state of California, made a third season a cheaper proposition.
CBS All Access will stream 'Twilight Zone' in black and white
It's not often that streaming services are willing to release new versions of their shows to cater to fans, but CBS All Access is willing to make an exception. It's launching a black-and-white version of Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone on May 30th to cater to fans who wished the show harkened back to the look of the original. It shouldn't alter the actual content, but it might help if watching in color feels like a crime.
HBO edited that coffee cup out of 'Game of Thrones'
If you hadn't already heard, HBO accidentally left a coffee cup in a shot from episode four of Game of Thrones' final season -- millions of TV viewers learned that Daenerys can't function before she's had her latte. However, you won't have much luck trying to revisit that production blunder online. HBO has digitally removed the cup from the episode on digital services like HBO Go, leaving an empty spot on the table where the caffeination once stood.
'Detective Pikachu' DP didn't like Sonic's look either
If anyone can appreciate the struggle of translating a beloved videogame character for the big screen, it's the team behind Detective Pikachu. Their flick is about to arrive in theaters, at the same time the first trailer dropped for Sonic the Hedgehog and immediately met with so much resistance that its director Scott Fowler promised changes are on the way. While we're still not sure what exactly went wrong when it came time to render a CG Sonic, comments from Pikachu's director and director of photography reveal their informed-by-experience takes on the situation.
LA museum's sci-fi car exhibit includes HoloLens tours
There's a chance you've seen a movie car or two if you've visited a convention, but the Petersen Automotive Museum's offering should be more... elaborate. It's opening a "Hollywood Dream Machines" exhibit that will showcase 40 vehicles from sci-fi games and movies. Some of them are practically expected, like the DeLorean from Back to the Future, Deckard's sedan from Blade Runner and a lightcycle from Tron: Legacy. Others, however, are harder-to-see items like the GM Ultralight from Demolition Man as well as Lexuses from Black Panther and Minority Report. And how many times are you going to see life-size recreations of a Warthog from Halo or a Sparrow from Destiny?
Ron Howard and George Lucas might reboot 'Willow' as series for Disney+
The cult-classic fantasy movie Willow (directed by Ron Howard) might be revived as a series for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service. According to Deadline, Howard has said Jon Kasdan -- who worked with Howard as a writer on Solo: A Star Wars Story -- has been pushing for a reboot on Disney+. Apparently, Howard and George Lucas have long talked about the potential for a Willow series, which might give them an opportunity to build on existing characters.
Vudu's first original shows will include interactive titles (updated)
The rumors were true: Vudu will offer original shows, including a few with twists. Vudu confirmed at a presentation that it would introduce a variety of exclusive programming, including "interactive content" produced with the help of the startup Eko. While the streaming service didn't delve into specifics, it promised a mix of genres like comedy, drama and thrillers when the interactive material arrived later in the year.
Moment's big Pro Camera update brings its Android app up to speed
Moment has announced its biggest ever update for Pro Camera, which adds a bunch of cool new features to the app, and brings the Android version up to parity. And to celebrate, if you download the app for the first time you'll get 15 percent off in the Moment Shop, which carries more than 20 photography and travel brands.
The Obamas' production company unveils its first Netflix projects
The production company from President and Mrs. Obama, Higher Ground, has unveiled its first lineup of Netflix shows roughly a year after forging a deal with the streaming giant. The initial seven-show catalog will take "several years" to arrive, but is unsurprisingly an optimistic mix of shows that exemplify "resilience, determination, and hope" and focus on "transcending divides to bring us together." Not that they're all squeaky-clean -- some of them explore difficult subjects.

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