TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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MoviePass was down and out on a summer Friday night
For the past couple of hours MoviePass was experiencing an outage on a Friday night in the summer. It also happens to be the hottest day so far this year in many parts of the country and would otherwise be a perfect time to hit air-conditioned theaters. That's not a good look for a service that just introduced "surge" prices for popular films days after filing with the SEC to sell off up to $1.2 billion in equity and debt securities to raise funds. MoviePass' Twitter account is recommending people wait before going to the theater, but if you absolutely have to go and can't log in, then buy a ticket and the company will reimburse you. Seriously.
'Gundam' is being made into a live-action movie
Gundam is heading to the big screen -- and, yes, we're talking about a live action adaptation, not a movie-length anime movie you can see in theaters. Legendary Entertainment and Gundam's creator, Japanese animation studio Sunrise, have announced that they're teaming up to create a film version of the classic robot saga at the Los Angeles Anime Expo. The franchise was established in 1979 with the animated series Mobile Suit Gundam, which helped popularize the "mecha" genre. It grew over the years to encompass several anime series, manga and video games, remaining relevant and popular even to this day.
Netflix snaps up musical series originally intended for Fox
Netflix is no stranger to rescuing movies on the brink of oblivion, but now it's getting more comfortable with the idea of giving TV pilots a second chance. The company has ordered 10 episodes of Mixtape, a romantic musical series whose pilot didn't make the cut at Fox. Creator Joshua Safran (of Gossip Girl and Quantico fame, above) will continue to be involved along with most of the pilot's cast, with only the main actor's role changing.
New international Netflix series include Salma Hayek's 'Monarca'
Netflix announced today that it's partnering with Salma Hayek's Ventanarosa production company on a new original series from Mexico. Monarca is set in the world of Mexican billionaires and focuses on a family with a tequila-born business empire. But drama ensues as one family member sets out to fight the corrupt system her family helped put into place. The series is scheduled for a global launch next year and it joins a number of other original shows Netflix is working on outside of the US.
Everything MoviePass does just makes things worse
I purchased a MoviePass membership back during a promotion. I paid $90 for a year of one movie a day, and got a MasterCard in the mail that I could use to purchase a ticket at the box office after checking in using the MoviePass app. The first month, I went to about 10 movies. The hassle of using a sometimes-buggy app and heading up to the counter one moviegoer at a time was worth the promise of free movies.
PlayStation Vue prices are going up $5 per month
PlayStation announced today that it will be raising the price of its four PlayStation Vue multi-channel bundle plans this month. Access, Core, Elite and Ultra packages will increase in cost by $5 per month starting July 24th. "At PlayStation, we are always evaluating the PS Vue service to ensure we are providing a compelling value to our customers," the company said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we must increase the price of our multi-channel plans to keep pace with rising business costs and enable us to continue offering a better way to watch the best in live sports, entertainment and news."
Dish and Sling TV lose Univision channels in price dispute
It just became a bit harder to watch Spanish-language TV in the US, whether or not it's online. Dish and Sling TV have lost a trio of Univision stations (including its main channel, UniMás and Galavisión) after the two failed to end a carriage pricing dispute before a contract ended. As always in these TV squabbles, the two have been hurling vicious accusations at each other in an attempt to win public sympathy.
DirecTV Now will raise prices by $5 on August 1st
With Sling TV and YouTube TV raising prices in recent months, you knew it was just a matter of time before DirecTV Now followed suit. AT&T has confirmed a Cordcutters report that DirecTV Now is increasing subscription prices by $5 across the board on August 1st, with basic service starting at $40 per month and a full "Gotta Have It" package costing $75. A spokesperson told Engadget the rate hike would help bring the "best possible streaming experience" by keeping DirecTV Now's rates "in line with the market" -- you can read the full statement below.
Nationwide Comcast outage is here to ruin your Friday
We hope you weren't planning to start your pre-Independence Day weekend with a streaming video marathon... you might have to put it on hold. Comcast has confirmed a nationwide outage affecting internet access, TV and voice. While it wasn't specific about which areas were affected, the worst-hit regions appeared to involve the Atlanta area, large portions of Florida and parts of the northeast (including Boston and Philadelphia). San Francisco and Seattle are also running into trouble.
'Halo' is actually, really, finally coming to TV
It's happening. The Halo television show that Microsoft and Steven Spielberg have been talking about for five years is actually heading into production in early 2019. The show's working title is simply Halo and details about the plot are scarce, though it'll feature the franchise's classic storyline about a futuristic war between the human race and enemy aliens known as the Covenant. Showtime has ordered a 10-episode season of Halo, and episodes are set to be one hour long.
Sling TV adds à la carte channels, free shows and a rate hike
Sling TV pitches itself as a service for cord cutters, but there's always been one holdover: you've had to subscribe to a bundle of channels you don't necessarily want. Today, though, even that requirement is going away. Sling has introduced a new "experience" that offers access to some content without a bundle-based subscription. There are now certain channels and services available à la carte, for starters. You can subscribe to services like Showtime ($10 per month), CuriosityStream ($6) and the NBA League Pass ($29) on their own. The variety is rather low with just eight channels available so far, but Sling promises more in the months ahead.
DC's comic streaming service beta launches August 2018
After a seemingly never-ending series of teases, DC is ready to formally unveil its comic book-themed streaming service... most of it, anyway. DC Universe is now official, and will launch beta access this August with a wider debut in the fall. It'll be available on the web, Android and iOS as well as living room platforms like Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. There's still no mention of pricing, but you'll at least know what to expect when the service goes live.
Facebook patent turns phone mics on to record reactions to ads
Facebook has repeatedly denied tapping into phones microphones for targeted advertising, but just because it isn't doesn't mean it can't. According to Metro, Facebook has applied for a controversial patent for software that will allow smartphones to begin recording when they hear secret messages hidden in TV ads.
Adam Sandler’s latest Netflix film sports a star-studded cast
Netflix announced today that the cast of its upcoming movie Murder Mystery has been set and production will begin this week. The film stars Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Luke Evans and is set to be released next year. Sandler plays a New York City police officer who is taking his wife (Aniston) on a European vacation. On the way, they meet a mysterious man, played by Evans, who gets them invited to a billionaire's family gathering. But when the wealthy man (Terence Stamp) is found murdered, Sandler's and Aniston's characters become the number one suspects.
AT&T managers encouraged unethical DirecTV Now sales pitches
There's no question that AT&T really, really likes it when customers sign up for DirecTV Now. It regularly touts the subscriber numbers, and it has lately offset troubles with the telecom's conventional TV business. However, its sales staff may have been pushed into selling the service more aggressively than they'd like. A Hawaii News Now investigation asserts that AT&T retail managers pressured staff into using unethical sales tactics for DirecTV Now. Most notably, the higher-ups reportedly encouraged reps to falsely claim that cellphone purchases carried a fee, and then say the fee would disappear if customers signed up for a DirecTV Now trial.
AT&T's latest unlimited plans include a new live TV service
AT&T isn't wasting any time milking its nearly completed acquisition of Time Warner for all it's worth. The carrier has unveiled two new wireless plans, Unlimited &More and Unlimited &More Premium, that both include its previously hinted-at WatchTV service (plus a $15 credit for DirecTV Now) at no extra charge. The offering gives you 30-plus live TV channels as well as on-demand shows, and it won't surprise you to hear that WarnerMedia channels play a large part: CNN, TBS and TCM are in the mix alongside third-party channels like A&E, BBC World News and, in the near future, Viacom channels like Comedy Central.
HDR10+ is one step closer to reaching your TV
Samsung, Panasonic, 20th Century Fox and Amazon are one step closer to giving Dolby Vision a run for its money. Companies now have easy access to the open, royalty-free HDR10+ standard thanks to a just-launched program that lets manufacturers prove TVs, monitors and other devices can handle the upgraded picture format. If the firms pass muster, they can slap an HDR10+ logo on their hardware to guide customers. The alliance didn't immediately line up partners that would go through this process, although it's safe to presume that Samsung and Panasonic will be first in line.
Apple adds Sesame Workshop kids’ programming to its TV slate
Apple has a large and ever-growing slate of shows in the works, including dramas, comedies, sci-fi originals and thrillers, and soon it will include programming geared toward children. Variety reports today that Apple has teamed up with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, to create live-action and animated series as well as a show featuring puppets. Sesame Street will not be included, however, as HBO has exclusive rights to new episodes.
AMC's 'Stubs A-List' subscription is a direct attack on MoviePass
That took.... longer than expected: To compete with MoviePass, AMC Theaters will launch a monthly subscription service starting June 26th. With the AMC Stubs A-List program, in exchange for $19.95 per month folks will be able to see three movies of their choosing per week -- even if that means seeing the same movie three times in the same day. According to a press release, this also includes IMAX, Dolby Cinema and 3D features. You can buy tickets day-of or weeks in advance, too, using either the AMC website or mobile app.
Four 'Star Trek' series are in the works from 'Discovery' showrunner
Get ready for more Trek than you can shake a phaser at. According to a report at Variety, CBS has signed a five-year deal with current Discovery showrunner Alex Kurtzman's production company to expand the television franchise to new live action series, mini-series and possible animation.

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