Vimeo to exclusively carry new Kristen Bell movie the same day as theaters

Vimeo to carry new Kristen Bell movie the same day as theaters

The concept of a movie launching online alongside its theatrical debut isn’t new; we’ve seen a few (usually independent) movies reach iTunes that way, for example. Streaming service arrivals are still rare, however, and Vimeo On Demand just boosted its street cred with plans to carry Some Girl(s) on June 28th, the same day that the movie gets a wider theatrical release. Vimeo will be the exclusive online home of the Adam Brody and Kristen Bell picture, and production house Leeden Media takes a populist bent in explaining why: as with Bell’s return to Veronica Mars, it wants to cut out the usual in-between distributors. We’re sure that Vimeo’s tinier-than-usual 10 percent revenue cut and relatively uncrowded marketplace play a part, too. There’s no guarantee that other notable movies will follow suit, but it’s an important coup for an online service that’s not even two months old.

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Via: PaidContent

Source: Some Girl(s)

Blockbuster On Demand for iOS looks to take on Netflix

Blockbuster On Demand has been available on a heap of devices for a while now, but the app just launched on iOS today, allowing users to stream Blockbuster content on their devices using a per-movie payment scheme. The app launched on Android back in January, and it looks like the company is wanting to spice things up again with an iOS release.

blockbuster

Frankly, the app is a bit overdue. Over the years, Blockbuster has been on the decline, due to the failure to adapt to a changing world, where streaming movies was becoming more popular than physically renting them. The company released mobile apps, but they didn’t include any streaming component, until now.

The iOS version of the app is similar to the Android version, and unlike Netflix, where you pay a monthly fee for unlimited streaming, Blockbuster On Demand has you paying on a per-movie basis. The benefit, though, is that you get access to a lot of movies that you don’t have access to on Netflix, which is a service that has been lacking a good movie selection for some time now.

Plus, the Blockbuster On Demand app streams movies in high definition with support for surround sound, which would seem a bit overkill if you were to watch films on your smartphone, but you could easily hook up your ipad to a stereo system to boost the sound level a bit, given that any speaker will provide better quality than the built-in speaker on the iPad or iPhone.


Blockbuster On Demand for iOS looks to take on Netflix is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Netflix removing 1,800 titles as studio deals expire

Netflix will be removing approximately 1,800 titles from its streaming library today because licensing agreements with several studios like Universal, MGM, and Warner Bros are expiring. Content that is set to for removal includes 15 seasons of South Park, older films from the James Bond series, as well as a few classic horror movies.

netflix

While this may come as a shock, it’s common business for Netflix to constantly be evaluating its content and remove and add certain movies and TV shows when it feels that it should. The company says that they aim to be a good programmer rather than a broad distributor. As a result, Netflix will only be serving up the most popular pieces of content, rather than everything under the sun.

However, not all hope is lost, as Netflix will also be adding more content at the same time it will be removing content. New shows and movies that the company will be adding on include ParaNorman, The Hunger Games, Safe, Bachelorette, and Mission Impossible 2, as well as a handful of other titles being tacked on.

Netflix’s four-year contract with Starz ended last year, which saw the end of streaming for movies like Scarface, Young Frankenstein, Toy Story 3, and Gangs of New York. However, Netflix recently signed a contract with Disney, which will see a handful of classic childrens’ movies come to the streaming service shortly.

[via CNET]


Netflix removing 1,800 titles as studio deals expire is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

HTC shutting down Watch movies in six countries by May 31st

HTC shutting down Watch in six countries by May 31st

While there are signs HTC’s fortunes might turn a corner through the launch of the One, few would doubt that its finances could use some streamlining. The company has just outlined one of the ways it will be pinching pennies: it’s closing its Watch movie stores in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden by May 31st, with some Italians reporting a shutdown on the 15th. As the company explains to us in a statement (after the break), it’s concentrating on supporting Watch in those regions with the “highest engagement” while dropping those with “less application traffic” — in short, markets with poor performance get the boot. HTC stresses that Watch isn’t going away, however, and it’s delivering a steady stream of content. We’re glad to hear that the company is sharpening its focus rather than cutting the cord. Still, that won’t be much consolation to movie-loving Europeans and Scandinavians.

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Source: Telefonino.net (translated)

How Jurassic Park’s Fearsome Robo-Rex Got Its Skin

It’s one thing to make a giant, robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s another thing entirely to make it look remotely real. Granted, a robo-rex is awesome in its own right, but it’s just not quite the flavor of monster fit for a film like Jurassic Park. And so it was practical effects to the rescue yet again with a carefully applied dino-skin. More »

Is This the Closest We’ll Ever Get To Seeing a Back to the Future Hoverboard Fly?

Everyone wants a hoverboard. Everyone. Don’t even try to disagree. But while you can buy a lame-o, non-working Back to the Future-style ‘board, it’s just not the real thing. Crazy optimists can hold out hope for 2015, but in the meantime, this clever little picture by François Dourlen is probably the best we can do. More »

Everything Wrong With Iron Man 2

Hot on the heels of pointing out everything wrong with the original Iron Man film, the folks at CinemaSins have passed their fine toothed combs over the sequel, finding a mountain of errors that even a robotic supersuit can’t fix. More »

Watching Supervillains Try to Find Dates Through Speed Dating Is Hilarious

Supervillains are so consumed with being evil and doing bad things against humanity and/or superheroes that they don’t really have time to go dating. Sad, right? What should they do? Why go speed dating! World of Heroes imagined how supervillains like Darth Vader, Joker, Bane, Cobra Commander, Doctor Octopus and others would do on a speed dating run. I think I’d let Cobra Commander or Bane holler. Doctor Octopus is too creepy. [World of Heroes via The Awesomer] More »

Film Reels of Classic Movies Are Absolutely Gorgeous

Austrian photographer Reiner Riedler created his photo series ‘The Unseen Seen’ by snapping shots of the film reels of famous movies. They’re drop dead gorgeous and somehow uniquely different from each other. It’s like getting the feel for a movie from just looking at the combination of colors in its reel. I want to hang these photographs up as artwork. More »

This Is the Badass Dark Enterprise Kirk Battles In the Next Star Trek Film

There are still a lot of mysteries surrounding the next film in J.J. Abrams’s reborn Star Trek series—including who exactly Benedict Cumberbatch is playing—but now we’ve got one more piece of the puzzle. It was briefly teased in the last trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, but via the film’s mobile app, we now have a great shot of the Dark Enterprise. More »