Jan 28
Jan 28
BlackBerry World music and video offerings detailed, next day downloads for TV
Posted in: Today's Chili 
We’re just a few short days away from the official debut of BlackBerry 10 — RIM’s effort to remain relevant in a market it helped pioneer. With the move to a next-gen platform, it also became clear that media would need to be added to marketplace offerings. When it launches, the revamped BlackBerry World will feature DRM-free music, as well as TV shows and movies available for purchase or rent. While prices aren’t set in stone, you can expect them to to fall in line with industry norms. Best of all, most movies should be available the same day as their DVD release and TV shows the day after airing. And, lest you think RIM was going to half-ass the content part of the equation with nothing more than a few CTV and Japandroids offerings (we’d get tired of watching Degrassi: TNG eventually), the slew of partners is pretty impressive. Record labels signed on include 4AD, Matador, Warner and Sony and will be available in 18 countries at launch, while the BBC, Fox, CBC, ABC, CBS, NBC and Warner Bros. are among those offering TV shows in the US, UK and Canada. For a complete list of partners and countries check out the PR after the break.
New BlackBerry World for BlackBerry 10 to Include Extensive Catalogue of Songs, Latest Movies and TV Shows
January 28, 2013
Unified Multimedia Storefront Will Carry Music and Video Content from All Major Studios, Labels and Broadcasters
Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX:RIM) today announced that the new BlackBerry(R) World[TM] storefront (formally BlackBerry App World[TM]) for BlackBerry 10 will offer one of the most robust music and video catalogs in mobile today. The new BlackBerry World will include an extensive catalog of songs as well as movies and TV shows, with most movies coming to the store the same day they are released on DVD, and next day availability of many current TV series. The competitive offering will feature content from all major studios, music labels and top local broadcast networks. Customers will be able to preview tracks and access the content using multiple payment options.*
“Music and video content is an integral part of a rich mobile experience. People want easy and convenient access to their favorite music, movies and TV shows wherever they are,” said Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer at Research In Motion. “RIM is committed to working with content providers to bring the best, most up-to-date content to our customers with BlackBerry 10, and to make it easy for them to get what they want.”
The video download and rental section in BlackBerry World will initially be available in the US, UK and Canada. Varying by region and distributor, customers will have access to movies from the following studios and independents: 20th Century Fox, Entertainment One (eOne), Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, STUDIOCANAL, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (UK), Warner Bros. Customers will also have access to TV shows from the following broadcasters and studios: ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (UK), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (US), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc, and Warner Bros.
The BlackBerry World storefront’s DRM-free music download section will feature an extensive catalog from all major and independent labels including: 4AD Records, Domino Recording Company, finetunes, Matador Records, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, Rough Trade Records, Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, XL Recordings and Zebralution. The music section will initially be available in 18 countries: Canada, USA, UK, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Australia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Useful Links
BlackBerry World http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/
BlackBerry 10 Sign Up Page http://global.blackberry.com/blackberry-10.html
* BlackBerry(R) ID required. For more information please visit http://www.blackberry.com/bbid/
Jan 27
This week the president of Marvel has confirmed that two characters you, as an average everyday citizen, may have overlooked as a youngster are now headed for “Phase Three” of the Marvel-made (and Disney-owned) major motion picture saga. It’s Ant-Man that’ll be jamming forth with Doctor Strange somewhere in the mix as well. Not that these two fellows will be coming up in the same film necessarily, but that they’re both on the docket without a doubt.
The confirmation for Ant-Man came back in 2012, technically, with Marvel’s Kevin Feige confirming again with MTV this week that Ant-Man will only be made if director Edgar Wright can make it. And lucky you, this legendary man behind Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is indeed signed on for the Ant-Man movie for release in 2014. The Ant-Man movie being the only one of the “3rd” generation of Marvel movies at the moment, Feige was asked what characters would be up next.
Confirming two things at once, Feige noted that, “you probably don’t have to look too far to guess” at which characters will be coming in the next wave of films, this referring to the Avengers-specific corner of the Marvel Comics universe. He went on to know that “Doctor Strange, which I’ve been talking about for years, is definitely one of them.” He also added a quick note about how “Guardians of the Galaxy” will be just as “totally different from anything else we have [done]” as Doctor Strange will be and as Ant-Man eventually will be as well.
What we’re expecting with Ant-Man and Doctor Strange is a couple of films (or, again, perhaps just one together, no matter how wild that would be), in which we’re in the Marvel Comics Universe, but we’re not necessarily on The Hulk’s doorstep. When each of the new phases of the individual Avengers characters come forth over the next two years and the Avengers 2 movie appears in 2015, we’ll quite likely be seeing both of these characters hinted at, if not seen in their first appearances entirely.
Have a peek at our brief timeline of Avengers-centric updates in the timeline below and make sure you hit up our Marvel Comics tag portal as well as our Entertainment tag portal to stay up to date on the finest movie and entertainment action launching forth from the comics industry through the future!
[via The Verge]
Doctor Strange and Ant-Man movies confirmed by Marvel Comics president is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 27
We’ve actually known for awhile that Jurassic Park would be making its 3D theatrical re-release this year, and that will come officially on April 5 for one week. After that, all three films will be released individually on 3D Blu-ray starting April 23, as well as the normal 2D versions for those who live life on the edge without that third dimension.
The three movies, which consists of Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Jurassic Park III (2001) will include full 1080p HD and DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound. Each release will also come in the form of a “combo pack” with a DVD, Digital Copy, and an UltraViolet digital copy, on top of the Blu-ray disc that’s included.
The titles are all available for pre-order right now over at Amazon with price tags in the $25 range for 2D versions, and the $35 range for 3D versions. Bonus materials will also be available in all three movies, and they’ll mostly be identical to those found on the previously available trilogy DVDs.
Sadly, though, only the first film in the series will be seeing its theatrical re-release on April 5, and none of the CGI has been redone, so while the movie will be in 3D, all the original work from the 90s will still be viewable. As for modern-day Jurassic Park shenanigans, you’ll have to wait until June 13, 2014 when Jurassic Park 4 releases.
[via High Def Disc News]
Jurassic Park 3D hits Blu-ray and DVD April 23 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 26
After rumors that claimed as much started making the rounds, Disney and Lucasfilm have just confirmed J.J. Abrams as the director of Star Wars Episode VII. Given the director’s work on the Star Trek series, this is bound to get many Star Wars fans excited. The only problem now is that we’ll have to wait until 2015 to see what Abrams can do with Star Wars series.
Abrams’ role as director was confirmed in a post on the official Star Wars website earlier this evening, with Kathleen Kennedy saying he’s the “perfect director” for a new era of Star Wars. The announcement also confirmed that Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will be penning the screenplay. Star Wars Episode VII, as many of you already know, will be the first in a new series of Star Wars movies that will be made under Disney‘s leadership, after Lucasfilm was sold to the company last year.
Abrams seems to have the blessings of many big names in the movie industry, including Dennis Muren from Industrial Light and Magic and the man who started it all, George Lucas. The creator of Star Wars says he’s “consistently been impressed” with the work that Abrams puts out, going onto say that the Star Wars legacy “couldn’t be in better hands.” Indeed, it seems that Disney and Lucasfilm could have done much worse when it came time to choose a director for the first Star Wars movie in a decade.
There’s no word on whether or not Abrams will direct more movies past Episode VII, but provided the movie performs well when it’s released in 2015, it isn’t hard to imagine Disney asking Abrams to return for more Star Wars films. More details will undoubtedly be revealed as we continue on through 2013, and we’re sure that plenty of fans have many burning questions about the direction Abrams is planning to take the series. What do you think of the choice of J.J. Abrams to direct the next Star Wars flick?
Star Wars Episode VII to be directed by J.J. Abrams is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 24
Movies Really Hate Math
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you were judging math by how Hollywood movies talk about it, you’d wonder why it even exists. Like Nazis and dogfighting, math is universally hated. Just look at this supercut of movies talking about math. Nobody even wants to bother with two plus two! More »
Jan 24
While it’s definitely not confirmed, we’re hearing a whopper of a rumor that claims none other than J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars VII. Ever since Disney announced that it will continuing the Star Wars franchise after its buyout of LucasFilm, the Internet has been going crazy trying to figure out who the director will be. Names have been tossed around left and right, though Abrams is definitely one of the bigger directors to be mentioned.
There’s always a problem, though, and this time that problem comes in the form of an Entertainment Weekly interview with Abrams from late last year. In it, he claimed that he wasn’t going to be directing the next Star Wars movie, seemingly settling the case. He’s also got something of a conflict of interest with his Star Trek films, the latest of which will be releasing in May. If he does sign on to direct Star Wars VII, that could potentially cause some issues with the Star Trek series should Paramount decide it wants a third film.
In any case, The Wrap says that LucasFilm’s Kathleen Kennedy has been spending time trying to sway J.J. Abrams to the project, and if these rumors are to be believed, then it sounds like she’s convinced him. Deadline has run a report supporting The Wrap’s claim, supposedly speaking to an anonymous source close to the project who claims that “It’s done deal with J.J.”
Again, keep in mind that with no confirmation from Disney or LucasFilm, it’s impossible to tell whether these rumors are legitimate or false. It goes without saying that you should take a claim as big as this with more than a few grains of salt, so it probably isn’t the best idea to get your hopes up for an Abrams-led Star Wars movie just. We’ll be keeping an ear to the ground for new details, so stay here with SlashGear for more.
Star Wars VII director tipped: J.J. Abrams is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 24
The anticipation is building to extreme levels for the upcoming biopic, JOBS, about co-founder and former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and sidekick Steve Wozniak. The two characters are played by Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad, respectively, and for the first time, we get to see the two of them in action, thanks to the very first clip from the movie that was released today.
Entertainment Tonight released the clip today, and it’s a one-minute segment from the movie that shows Jobs and Wozniak in a heated debate. In the clip, Jobs is talking about the operating system that Wozniak created, and while Jobs is certain that the operating system will be a big hit among the general public, Wozniak isn’t so sure and needs convincing.
What’s perhaps the most profound segment of the one-minute clip is the last few moments when Wozniak tells Jobs that “nobody wants to buy a computer,” but Jobs retorts back, “How does somebody know what they want if they’ve never even seen it?” It’s some pretty powerful stuff, and we can’t wait to see some other clips from the movie that will hopefully be released sometime before the movie’s official launch.
UPDATE: Steve Wozniak himself responded to the one-minute clip from JOBS and said that the interaction in the clip was “totally wrong,” according to a response posted on Gizmodo. While the clip portrays Woz as not being confident in the new operating system, it was actually quite the contrary, and Woz even said he was “embarrassed” by the clip, “but if the movie is fun and entertaining, all the better.” He suggests that anyone wanting a clearer picture can read his autobiography, iWoz.
In related news, it looks like the production team behind the movie has made some slight changes to the title of the film. The creators have changed the title from “jOBS” to “JOBS,” changing the lowercase “j” to uppercase, making the whole title all caps. The movie’s official website, Twitter account, and Facebook page have all reflected the change. JOBS will be premiering this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, and will see a theatrical release on April 19.
[via MacRumors]
First clip from JOBS shows Kutcher, Gad in action [UPDATE] is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 23
Here’s Everything Wrong with Avatar
Posted in: Today's Chili
Do you remember watching Avatar? It was a pretty long time ago! And though it looked amazing in 3D IMAX (and not so amazing on sad old DVD) there were definitely things wrong with the movie. Like how it was Pocahontas or Dancing With The Wolves with a giant blue man group. Or how it was only fun when you watched it in 3D. Anyway, Cinema Sins takes Avatar to task and finds everything wrong with the movie in less than 4 minutes. [Cinema Sins] More »
Jan 23
Q4 2012 earnings are rolling in, folks, and Netflix is the latest to report on their quarterly progress. The movie and TV-streaming company announced today that they gained 6 million new users during Q4, bringing the total number of users over 33 million, with 27 million users in the US alone. They also announced a Q4 revenue of $945 million, with $8 million of that being all profits.
Netflix had previously expected around 26 to 27 million US streaming subscribers, so the company’s goal was easily met, and as or international users overall, this time last year saw a rise of 1.9 million users during Q4 2011, so the service is certainly gaining steam, and from what Netflix has planned for this year, we think that steam will keep up for a while.
2012 was a big year for Netflix, and 2013 looks to be even bigger. The company plans to roll out two TV shows exclusive to Netflix: House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, and an Arrested Development reboot, starring most of the original cast, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, and Will Arnett.
The company has also been continuously working on getting studios signed on to stream their movies and TV shows on Netflix. Just recently, they signed on Turner, Warner Bros., and even Disney. And along with the extra content that Netflix will provide starting this year, you can guarantee that their catalog will only continue to grow.
Netflix Q4 2012 earnings tout 6 million new users and $8 million in profit is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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