Tag Archives: Disney

Streaming is now Fully Integrated into Hollywood Awards System…

After Netflix’s “Roma” earned ten nominations at last years Academy Awards and took home three Oscars, director Stephen Spielberg came out with some controversial statements about streaming content’s questionable eligibility for cinematic awards. Ever since the esteemed director made these comments, streaming services have become an increasingly divisive topic in the film industry—especially as most of them are transitioning towards creating more in-house productions.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), however, clearly does not see an issue in recognizing streaming platforms for creating excellent content. On December 9th, the HFPA released its nominations for the 77th Golden Globes and a number of the most picked out titles came from streaming companies.

In the Best Picture categories, Netflix reigned supreme, with its original movies adding up to four of the ten nominees. In the Musical/Comedy category, Craig Brewer’s “Dolemite Is My Name” received a nomination alongside “Jojo Rabbit,” “Knives Out,” “Rocketman,” and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.” Meanwhile, in the Drama category, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” and Fernando Meirelles “The Two Popes” were all nominated alongside “Joker” and “1917.”

Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” actually led the entire race with more nominations than any other title. It received six nominations including Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Laura Dern), Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture (Adam Driver), Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture (Scarlett Johannson), and Best Original Score (Randy Newman).

The movie just narrowly beat out Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which earned five nominations including Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Steven Zaillian) and two for Best Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci and Al Pacino). Oddly enough, leading man Robert De Niro did not earn recognition for his performance in the film.

Regardless, both are Netflix titles, and with them leading the nominations by the numbers, it makes Netflix the most recognized production company in the runnings. Obviously, the streaming service’s newfound focus on producing prestigious content is paying off in a critical sense, and Spielberg’s comments have not slowed it down on the road to success.

Stars of “The Morning Show” from Apple TV+

New Kid on the Block Hits Pay-dirt on first Try

Meanwhile, Apple TV+ also received three nominations for its original series “The Morning Show”—one for Best Drama TV Series and two for Best Actress in a Drama Television Series (Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom are also executive producers on the show).

“The Morning Show” debuted just over a month ago on November 1st, the same day that Apple TV+ launched. While the new service may not be as popular as Disney+ or Amazon, it is the first streaming website to receive recognition from the HFPA in its first year online. This bodes well for the young platform’s future.

Other direct-to-streaming shows that received nominations this year include Hulu’s “Catch-22,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and Netflix’s “Unbelievable,” “The Crown,” “The Kominsky Method,” and “The Politician.” And that’s not including all of the individual actors, actresses, composers, and songwriters who also got nominated.

Clearly, streaming is dominating television nowadays, but if this year’s Golden Globes are any indication, it is also starting to leave a mark on film. This recognition is good news for both Apple and Netflix. With the recent oversaturation of options causing a streaming war within the entertainment market right now, awards will start to mean a lot more than they did in the past. Everything else aside, at least these two companies are not skimping on quality.

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Entertainment, Movies

4 New Trailers: Birds of Prey, Black Widow, No Time to Die and Richard Jewell

Video December 6, 2019 Kat Lee

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/rev-1-Dom_Trailer_2_BDPRY_No_Slate_720p.mov

Official Trailer for “Birds Of Prey”

You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.

In the Warner Bros. Pictures film, Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”) returns as Harley Quinn, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“10 Cloverfield Lane,” TV’s “Fargo”) as Huntress; Jurnee Smollett-Bell (HBO’s “True Blood”) as Black Canary; Rosie Perez (“Fearless,” “Pitch Perfect 2”) as Renee Montoya; Chris Messina (“Argo,” TV’s “Sharp Objects”) as Victor Zsasz; and Ewan McGregor (upcoming “Doctor Sleep,” the “Trainspotting” films) as Roman Sionis. Newcomer Ella Jay Basco also stars as Cassandra “Cass” Cain in her feature film debut. Directed by Cathy Yan (“Dead Pigs”) from a script by Christina Hodson (“Bumblebee”), the film is based on characters from DC. Robbie also produced, alongside Bryan Unkeless and Sue Kroll.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/marvel/black-widow/black-widow-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Black Widow”

Black Widow is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the twenty-fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Cate Shortland, written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson, and stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, alongside David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, and Rachel Weisz. Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), the film sees Romanoff on the run and forced to confront her past.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/mgm/no-time-to-die/no-time-to-die-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Time To DIe”

The latest (number 25) in the James Bond franchise, “No Time To Die” features Daniel Craig in his fifth outing as the MI6 agent James Bond. Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Léa Seydoux, and Christoph Waltz reprise their roles from previous films, with Rami Malek, Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch joining the cast.

Development of the film began and confirmed in 2016. It will be the first film in the series to be internationally distributed by Universal Pictures, acquiring the rights following the expiration of Columbia Pictures‘ contract after Spectre. In the United States, United Artists Releasing holds the rights. Universal will also release the film on home media domestically.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/richard-jewell/richard-jewell-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official trailer for “richard jewell”

Directed by Clint Eastwood and based on true events, “Richard Jewell” is a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth. “There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes.” The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta bombing—his report making him a hero whose swift actions save countless lives.

But within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI’s number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart.

Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant, Jewell staunchly professes his innocence. But Bryant finds he is out of his depth as he fights the combined powers of the FBI, GBI and APD to clear his client’s name, while keeping Richard from trusting the very people trying to destroy him.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/richard-jewell/richard-jewell-clip-press-conference_h1080p.mov

Bonus Clip “Richard Jewell PRess Conference”

The film stars Oscar winners Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) as Watson Bryant and Kathy Bates (“Misery,” TV’s “American Horror Story”) as Richard’s mom, Bobi; Jon Hamm (“Baby Driver”) as the lead FBI investigator; Olivia Wilde (“Life Itself”) as Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs; and Paul Walter Hauser (“I, Tonya”) stars as Richard Jewell.
Oscar winner Eastwood directed from a screenplay by Oscar nominee Billy Ray (“Captain Phillips”), based on the Vanity Fair article “American Nightmare—The Ballad of Richard Jewell” by Marie Brenner.

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Entertainment, Movies

Disney+ & “The Mandalorian” Tops Netflix’s “Stranger Things” as America’s most In-Demand Streaming Series

December 1, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

“Baby Yoda” a.k.a. “The Child” – Photo / Disney

Streaming Wars heating up and Disney+ lets loose the First Salvo

Disney+ launched in early November, and it quickly became a major contender in the world of streaming. Achieving over 10 million subscribers within a single day, the Walt Disney Company’s new site entered the streaming war with a bang, immediately establishing itself as a fierce competitor with other services such as Amazon, Hulu, Apple TV+ and Netflix.

As of right now, Netflix still reigns supreme as the most popular streaming service out there. However, Disney+ recently got their first leg-up on the streaming frontrunner, as their original series “The Mandalorian” topped Netflix’s “Stranger Things” as the most in-demand series in America according to Parrot Analytics.

“Stranger Things” Season 3 came out this past July, and it swiftly broke records as the most highly-demanded direct-to-streaming show ever created. The show then held the number one spot for an astounding twenty-one weeks. After just three episodes, though, “The Mandalorian” reached 100 million demand expressions, besting Netflix’s record and leaving the cross-generational sci-fi bildungsroman “Stranger Things” in the dust.

“The Mandalorian” was one of the most highly anticipated shows of 2019 well before Disney+ launched. An original program for the streaming service, “The Mandalorian” is also the first live-action series to take place in the Star Wars universe. It thus has a built in fan base as well as a talented cast and crew—including “Iron Man” director Jon Favreau as executive producer and “Game of Thrones” actor Pedro Pascal playing the titular bounty-hunter protagonist.

Baby Yoda is a Meme Factory already and may be Christmas Merch Hit

What is really leading the “The Mandalorian” to success, however, is the sensational “Baby Yoda” character, who debuted in the opening episode and has since become an integral part of the plot. The wide-eyed, adorable alien has ambiguous origins, but he looks like an infant version of the legendary Jedi Master Yoda, and he is effectively stealing the hearts of audiences everywhere.

Disney did not reveal “Baby Yoda”—actually called “The Child” on the show—until the series premiered. Since then, however, they company has begun capitalizing on his (or her?) cuteness with merchandize, making “The Mandalorian” an even bigger money-maker than it would otherwise be as just a high-demand subscriber magnet for Disney+.

Of course, having more “demand expressions” does not definitively mean that “The Mandalorian” is more popular than “Stranger Things.” Parrot Analytics estimates how highly demanded a show is using audience statistics as well as digital imprint data across multiple media platforms. Essentially, even though Netflix still has more subscribers to watch “Stranger Things” than Disney+ does for “The Mandalorian,” the latter is getting more buzz, appeal, and views altogether.

No Binge Watching as Episodes are Released in Sequence

Unlike Netflix series, which come out with entire seasons at once, “The Mandalorian” is getting released one chapter at a time. The first season will have eight episodes total with the last one premiering on December 27th—and season 2 has already been ordered. Furthermore, Disney+ has many additional original shows lined up for its future, including two more Star Wars series and three Marvel series. “The Mandalorian” is thus a strong starting point for Disney+ and a positive indicator that its subscribers will go up with the more original content it releases.

Netflix, however, is not out of the picture just yet. Although it will be losing a lot of its library as the streaming wars intensify, Netflix has been investing more in original productions lately. The service’s recent movies like “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story,” and “The Two Popes” have received lots of critical praise. Likewise, “The Crown” came out with Season 3 in early November, creating yet another increase in demand.

Lastly, Netflix already announced “Stranger Things” Season 4, which will likely come out in 2021. A lot could obviously take place between now and then, and there is no guarantee what will happen with Disney+, “The Mandalorian,” or the streaming wars in general before that comes out. Nevertheless, “Stranger Things” is bound to bring Netflix yet another spike in demand when it returns. Let’s just hope the service is still afloat at that time to make the most of it.

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Entertainment, Movies

5 Trailers of Oscar Contenders: Check out the films that Insiders are Predicting to Win

Video November 30, 2019 Danny Leeds

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/universal/1917/1917-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “1917”

1917

Oscar buzz and predictions are building ahead of the Golden Globes, which are traditionally used as a gauge of what will most likely be among the Oscar nominations. The Globes are slated for January 6th, 2020 and the Oscar’s, a.k.a. 91st Academy Awards telecast is on Sunday, 24 February.

Some of the films that are getting the most buzz and are favored to be in the running can be seen by peeking at the trailers (with links to our in depth articles) below:

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox_searchlight/jojo-rabbit/jojo-rabbit-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Jojo Rabbit”

Jojo Rabbit

New Zealand director Taika Waltiti’s movie “Jojo Rabbit” was released October 18th. The critic’s reactions have been positive, and the film won the Toronto Film Festival audience award putting it in line, if past years winners are any indication, for a possible Oscar nod. Waititi was also awarded the Festival’s new Ebert Director Award.

Waltiti is known for directing wacky comedies such as “What We Do In The Shadows,” “Hunt For The Wilderpeople,” and the borderline parody Marvel hit, “Thor: Ragnarok.” His latest film, “Jojo Rabbit” follows this same vein of outrageous, yet charming humor, but there is one key difference… “Jojo Rabbit” focuses on Germany’s Nazi party during World War II, making its hilarity just a touch more complicated.

More specifically, “Jojo Rabbit” is about a young boy in the Hitler Youth. Like many German kids of the time, he aspires to be a Nazi soldier when he grows up. He buys into the party’s ideologies and believes their propaganda. That is until he comes face to face with a Jewish girl and learns, despite what the Nazis have taught him, that she is harmless, pleasant, and appealing.

On the surface, the premise seems like the bones of a complex and sophisticated historical drama. With Waltiti behind the camera, though, such is obviously not the case. Instead of dry historical accuracy, Waltiti makes the Hitler Youth look like a summer camp filled with likable children and goofy leaders. Most boldly perhaps, Waltiti himself plays Adolf Hitler in the movie, but rather than depict him as the brutal dictator that he was, Waltiti makes him out to be the kind-uncle archetype, a socially inept, hilarious motivator and idol for the children in the story.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/sony_pictures/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood

Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino has had success with his ninth movie, “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood”. In a slight departure from his stark early 70s styled crime dramas, this time Tarantino pays homage to the late- 60’s genre and his love for his hometown, Los Angeles.

The film takes place in 1969 Hollywood, amidst the chaotic events of that year, including the infamous Manson Murders. Much like The Altamont Free Concert, as chronicled in the film Gimme Shelter (with it’s high profile murder during the show), the gruesome, violent Manson murders are often cited as an historical moment marking the end of the free love 60’s and a pivot towards the darker times in the me decade of the 70’s.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, as an actor on a Western television series alongside Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, Dalton’s stuntman. The two work and live closely together as they carry out their urban cinematic adventures. The characters and their friendship are said to be based on 70’s icon Burt Reynolds and his stuntman Hal Needham.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Joker”

Joker

Even before seeing “Joker” the origin-story from Warner Brothers, there is a sense that this is an epic not easily categorized within the Comic-Book movie genre.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix (Oscar nominee for “Walk the Line”, “The Master” and “Gladiator”), directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“Borat” and “The Hangover Trilogy”) and with Robert De Niro (as TV host Murray Franklin), the focus on how Arthur Fleck becomes “Joker” screams a muted, uneasy tension, that’s oozing from every pixel revealed so far.

In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.

The potential for the story to transcend the genre of Comic book heroes and villains is hinted at in the placard with the words “we are all clowns” scrawled on it, that can be seen in a flash, about halfway through the new trailer (above).

Followed by scenes showing mobs of clown-mask-wearing demonstrators / rioters (shades of anonymous, Guy Fawkes, Antifa and Hong Kong), there’s an implication that an anti-social movement is growing up around, and identifying with, the anger and twisted humor of the emerging “Joker” super-villain character.

The real life parallels to the fictional world of Gotham City and the way many could relate, after having suffered similar fates to those that produced the madness into which Arthur descends, are scary, already in previews, and could portend a film that is not only horrifically entertaining, but thought provoking, when seen in the shadows of current events and today’s zeitgeist.

In the wake of so many “uplifting” but heavily computer assisted films where Comic book superheroes battle cartoon villains (and each other) the emphasis on live action grit and human emotions and failings is, at first look, refreshing and terrifying (in an interesting way), and that seems to have hit a nerve with the general public, judging from the $1 billion plus bos office take so far.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/ford-v-ferrari/ford-v-ferrari-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official trailer for “Ford v FerRari”

Ford v Ferarri

From “Logan” and “Walk The Line” director James Mangold, “Ford v Ferrari” follows the true story of American engineer Carroll Shelby who is solicited by Henry Ford II to build a car that can beat Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship in France. Shelby, determined to complete Ford’s ambitious task, insists on putting the wild and loose British driver Ken Miles behind the wheel. What ensues is the fast-playing tale of a couple eccentric and erratic people infiltrating a world filled with professional industrialists to take on the impossible.

Matt Damon plays Shelby in the film and Christian Bale as Miles. Rather than one being the lead and the other being a supporting role, both actors are co-leading the film, making them both eligible for Best Actor in a Leading Role nominations at the Oscars come February.

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Entertainment, Movies

“D’oh!”—Disney+ Modifies ‘The Simpsons’ to 16:9 Aspect Ratio at the Expense of Series’ Trademark Humor

November 18, 2019 Kat Lee

Disney+ reels Subscribers in with Massive, Nostalgia-Inducing Hoard, such as 30 Seasons of “The Simpsons”!

Disney+ is here, and for the most part, it is living up to astronomical expectations. The streaming service has everything it promised under the Walt Disney Studios banner, from Marvel, to Pixar, to Star Wars, to Disney Animation vault material, to originals and more. The service allows its 10 million patrons to re-watch childhood classics and also discover something new, all for the affordable price of $7 per month.

One of the most appealing pieces of content available on Disney+ is all 30 seasons of “The Simpsons,” which Disney acquired when it purchased 20^th Century Fox earlier this year. “The Simpsons” has been on the air since 1989, making it the longest running scripted television series. Its characters are household names and its humor has transcended generations.

Visual Humor is Extremely Delicate, and the Aspect Ratio makes can make a Huge Difference

Naturally, many people were eager to watch their favorite episodes of “The Simpsons” when Disney+ launched last Tuesday. Given that “The Simpsons” golden years are often considered between seasons 3 and 8, most users flocked to these chapters in the show’s history.

However, when fans finally selected the episodes and pressed play, they may have found themselves confused and disappointed to see that the show looks different than it did in their memory, and that it is missing a few jokes as a result.

This is not a case of people misremembering something as better than it actually is—“The Simpsons” is undoubtedly a hilarious show. The reality is that Disney adjusted the show’s aspect ratio for seasons 1-19 when adding it to the streaming service. While seasons 1-19 originally aired in a primitive 4:3 aspect ratio, Disney+ edited the episodes to fall in line with its contemporary widescreen 16:9 ratio.

A Funny Case in which Opting for a “modern upgrade” Backfires

This change could maybe be forgiven or perhaps even go unnoticed if it weren’t for the fact that the adjusted ratio comes at the expense of some of show’s humor. With the adapted framing, shots are cut off at unnatural edges. Therefore, some of the visual jokes in “The Simpsons” end up entirely out of frame.

Sometimes these graphic gags are subtle, but other times they are the focus of the entire scene or episode. Either way, many users consider this change insulting to both “The Simpsons” fandom and its creators. Viewers want to watch “The Simpsons” how they fondly remember it, in its original form.

Welcome to the family, @TheSimpsons. #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/OYAN1ziGsy
— Disney (@Disney) April 11, 2019

Disney+ Responds Timely to Criticism Handling an American Television Staple

Seasons 20-30 of “The Simpsons” have gone untouched on Disney+ simply because these episodes were already made in 16:9 ratio. Disney+ wanted to create consistency amongst the series so it went for the latest, most often seen ratio. Unfortunately, it is the show’s development over time and that very inconsistency that enriches “The Simpsons’” as the series is watched in its original form, one can see its evolution over the years and better appreciate its long run as a staple of American television.

Disney has responded to complaints about the change, stating that it will soon release seasons 1-19 in their rightful 4:3 aspect ratios. This will happen in early 2020, at which time users will have the choice of how they want to watch “The Simpsons.” Nevertheless, it will keep the 16:9 ratio available for the sake of oncoming Disney+ features and unspecified digital viewing innovations.

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Business

Disney+ Vastly Exceeds its own Expectations, Achieving 10 Million Subscribers within First Day

Video November 17, 2019 Kat Lee

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lucasfilm/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Star Wars

Streaming Wars are adding Choices for Consumers

Nobody ever doubted that Disney+ would be a success. From the second that the streaming service was announced, almost everyone knew that the website—which offers nearly every film and TV show in the Walt Disney catalogue—would be an enormous step forward for the company.

When Disney+ finally arrived on Tuesday, however, it did not just meet expectations. It immediately surpassed them, surprising even its parent company in the process.

Within twenty-four hours of the website’s launch, Disney+ reached over 10 million subscribers. This is a number that many did not expect Disney+ to reach for at least a year. To put it in perspective, Disney+ already has more subscribers than HBO Now, CBS All-Access, and Showtime… all reputable services that have been in existence for several years. Disney+ surpassed each of them in the course of a single day.

Of course, this is reason for the Walt Disney Company to celebrate. Even at the affordable price of $7 per month or $70 per year, Disney+ is bound to be a financial goldmine for the company.

That being said, not all of the 10 million current subscribers are guaranteed customers. Disney+ offers new members a seven-day free trial, so we can assume that at least a few people will binge for a week and then drop the service once they have to pay. Likewise, Verizon has offered the service for free to some of its users, which could account for some of the people lumped into Disney’s hefty figure.

Nevertheless, not even the higher-ups at Disney anticipated so many people to subscribe on day one. The website’s initial activity was so intense that it actually overwhelmed the service, leaving many users with Error pages and foreboding screens reading “Unable to Connect to Disney+” accompanied by Disney’s very own Wreck-It-Ralph. Over ten thousand reports of this took place on Tuesday, making many subscribers nervous. Luckily, Disney apologized for the inconvenience and swiftly adapted to the unexpectedly large number of patrons.

The service has been running smoothly ever since, offering users everything that it advertised. With very few exceptions, the service has every piece of Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar content along with Disney classics, National Geographic shows, and several original programs, most notably “The Mandalorian,” which is the first ever live-action series to take place in the Star Wars universe.

Do I sound like a Fan? Ok, sorry, you got me

And this is only the beginning! The service promises more originals including “WandaVision,” “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Loki,” and “What If…?” under the Marvel banner as well as two more Star Wars series: one focusing on Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi from the prequel trilogy and another one focusing on Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor from “Rogue One.” This is not even to mention all of the original movies, animated content, and pre-released Disney titles that are yet to make their way onto the service. Clearly, the current 10 million subscribers are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

The only ones not celebrating Disney+ right now may be its streaming competitors. While Netflix responded to the Disney’s success with optimism, looking forward to improving their own brand with original content, Amazon, CBS, and other companies of the sort are probably shaking. Likewise, we can imagine that WarnerMedia, Apple, and NBCUniversal, each of whom are about to launch their own streaming services, are sitting on the edges of their seats, fearfully glaring at Disney’s instant accomplishment.

The streaming wars have begun. Many more armies are yet to arrive on the battlefield, but Disney+ has certainly made its presence known. Not even a week into its life, it is striding into combat with confidence, power, and a militia of 10 million soldiers, joyfully armed with a vast inventory of intellectual property that is far from tapped out.

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Cutting Edge, Tech

Tech Week in Review: Streaming Wars, Disney+ & AppleTV+, Zuckerberg’s 5th Estate, AirPods Pro, Tesla and more

Video November 15, 2019 Madison Santel

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/airpods-pro/2019/1299e2f5_9206_4470_b28e_08307a42f19b/films/product/airpods-pro-product-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4

Apple Promotional Video for AirPods Pro

T-Mobile to Launch 5G Network Nationwide in December: iPhone 12 could start 5G Revolution

A Mass Tesla Fleet Invasion into Multiple Industries has Begun

The Streaming Wars are about to Erupt and TV will never be the same again

Zuckerberg claims Facebook is the ‘5th Estate’ while in Reality he runs Algorithmic Dictatorship

Watch Apple Video of New AirPods Pro: plus Memes and a Deep Dive into the Innovative Auditory Technology

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Entertainment, Movies, Tech

Netflix Aiming for Prestige to Combat Debt as Streaming War Brings Extreme Competition

November 10, 2019 Madison Santel

Can this Digital GrandDaddy Stay Relevant as Disney+, Apple TV+ and more enter the Fray?

For years, Netflix has been pointed to as the premiere streaming service and the foremost company responsible for popularizing watching content online instead of on a television or movie screen. It has earned a spot alongside Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google as one of the most influential companies in the world of 21^st century technology and entertainment—being the N in the notorious acronym FAANG.

Recently, however, Netflix has been hitting some hard times. Its debt has been steadily increasing for a while and fewer companies are renewing their contracts with it, thus limiting the breadth of its library. Likewise, the launches of Disney+, HBO Max, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, and Apple+ are creeping closer and closer. When these new streaming services become available, their parent companies will stop licensing content to Netflix, and they will bring about unprecedented competition.

While Netflix has slowly been increasing its amount of original content over the years, its most popular offerings remain properties from outside sources. As it has been for a couple years now, the two most watched programs on Netflix are “The Office” and “Friends.” In fact, one has to go pretty far down the list before finding a Netflix original among company’s most popular shows.

Once the streaming war begins, though, Netflix will lose many of these licensed-out titles. Originally airing on NBC, “The Office” will be available exclusively on Peacock. Likewise, being a Warner Brother’s television production, “Friends” will find its new streaming home on HBO Max. Netflix will thus be in a pickle, as they will have fewer titles in their libraries and fewer active deals with pre-established studios and networks.

Nevertheless, Netflix is responding to the impending streaming war with surprising optimism. The company’s CEO, Reed Hastings has expressed feelings of confidence, explaining how the increased competition will force Netflix to be creative and improve its model.

Content is, once again, Key in a Competitive Market

Creativity will be the key to success in the streaming war, as original content will largely determine which platforms outlast the others. Netflix has certainly been upping its original content game throughout 2018 and 2019. On the series side, season three of “Stranger Things” broke records for the company, and the innovative “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” introduced the choose-your-own-adventure model to television and garnered a Primetime Emmy win in the process.

Likewise, ever since Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 Netflix original film “Roma” earned several Oscar nominations—including wins for best director and best foreign film, and a nomination for best picture—Netflix has been seen as a far more legitimate production company, worthy of immense talent and prestigious content. To an extent, Netflix has ran with this new reputation in 2019, creating Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat” starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas, as well as Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

It is a bold strategy for Netflix, but it seems like the company is going for prestige as its new brand. When the streaming war takes place, one of the things Disney, Warner Brothers, and NBC have that Netflix currently lacks is an identifiable brand-type. For the majority of streaming history, a subscription to a service simply meant that you were paying for a smorgasbord of content that could range all different genres and cater to diverse tastes. Now that streaming services and production companies are merging into one entity, subscribing becomes a far more divisive strategy based on brand recognition.

In order for Netflix to remain afloat, they will need to sell themselves as offering something not available anywhere else. For years creative and business-minded people have scratched their heads trying to figure out what kind of content Netflix desires. Perhaps this prestigious trend brings us closer to an answer.

Nevertheless, Netflix has also employed a couple other strategies to keep itself moving through 2019. It has dug into some preexisting intellectual properties and expanded upon them. Recently, it re-capitalized on “Breaking Bad” with Vince Gilligan’s “El Camino” taking place in the same universe as the show. Meanwhile, it also exploited 1990s nostalgia by producing original movies based off of old Nickelodeon cartoon shows “Rocko’s Modern Life” and “Invader Zim.”

Therefore, Netflix’s playbook remains mysterious. Unlike other web-based companies of its caliber, Netflix keeps its data private. So while there are guesses and estimates about trends in Netflix’s model, it is quite possible that the company has a few unseen tricks still hidden up its sleeve. Only time will tell if Netflix will find a way to keep up with the competition, or if the service will go down as an immensely influential, yet tragically short-lived blip in entertainment history.

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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies

The Much-Anticipated ‘Frozen II’ is a Predicted Hit Sure to Bring Disney Animation Out of its Cold Shadows

Video October 30, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/frozen-2/frozen-2-trailer-3_h1080p.mov

New Official Trailer for “Frozen II”

The Current Successes of Disney’s Imperially Strategic IP Expansion Overshadows its Origins as ‘Walt Disney Animation Studios’

With Disney+, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar movies dominating Disney’s current agenda, it can sometimes be hard to remember that Walt Disney Animation Studios still exists and produces its own titles. Not only that, but for several decades Walt Disney Animation was essentially what fueled the company. Since the days of Walt himself, Disney’s animation department is what made the company stand out, producing revolutionary cartoons from the groundbreaking Alice Comedies, to Mickey Mouse’s initial appearance in “Steamboat Willie,” to the first animated feature, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.”

Over the years Disney Animation has had its peaks and valleys. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the department created countless classics, with titles such as “Pinocchio,” “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan,” “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and more. Following Walt’s death in 1966, the company faced some difficulties with corporate competition and creative transformations. 1989, however, kicked off what is known as the Disney Renaissance with “The Little Mermaid,” and across the 1990s, Disney Animation rose back to the top with stunning new cartoon movies from “Aladdin,” to “The Lion King,” to “Mulan,” to “Beauty and the Beast,” and so on.

After the Notorious Pixar Acquisition, Disney’s Original Animation Studio has Struggled to Compete with its Own Company

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/frozen-2/frozen-2-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2ND OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR “FROZEN II”

In the 2000s, Disney’s acquisition of Pixar pushed Walt Disney Animation Studios down to being a secondary cartoon juggernaut in its own company. 2D animated features fizzled out with the 1990s Renaissance, as Pixar’s 3D animation became mainstream with one successful project after another.

Disney Animation struggled to make its own transition to 3D animation throughout the decade. Early titles such as “Chicken Little,” “Meet The Robinsons,” and “Bolt” were fun, but far from the Disney standard, and they paled in comparison to Pixar’s releases. It wasn’t until 2010 that Disney Animation had its first glimmer of 3D style reformation with “Tangled.”

Disney’s live-action remakes of its 1990s classics may overshadow its Animation Studio’s place across the 2010s. Nevertheless, Walt Disney Animation Studios has quietly been making a comeback in our current decade, with creative, original stories that have done well on both critical and commercial fronts—and if “Frozen II” meets the success it anticipates, then it could solidify the fact that we are living in a second Disney Animated Renaissance.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/frozen-2/frozen-2-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

ORIGINAL OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR “FROZEN II”

Second Installment will Strive to Match the much loved Original

Although “Tangled” was a fair initial entry for Disney Animation in the 2010s, and they followed it up well with “Wreck-It-Ralph” in 2012, it was not until 2013 that the department struck gold with the empowering, fantastical, and sensational “Frozen.”

Revitalizing the Disney Princess genre with a few modern twists, “Frozen” was a bona fide hit. It was one of the most successful movies of the year and did wonderfully in ancillary markets, with characters that made for popular toys and musical numbers that made their way into everyone’s hearts. It’s song “Let It Go” won Best Original Song at the 86^th Academy Awards, not to mention that the movie as a whole won Best Animated Feature.

Both children and adults appreciated “Frozen” and its bubbly aesthetic was reminiscent of Disney’s traditional animation style, only updated for the modern 3D appeal. The company carried this look into 2014’s “Big Hero 6.” Based on Marvel comics, but not being a part of Disney’s live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Big Hero 6” may not have had the cultural impact that “Frozen” did, but fans and critics loved it. It earned Walt Disney Animation another Best Animated Feature Oscar, making the company back-to-back champions in the category and proving that “Frozen” was not a fluke.

The studio won again in 2016 with “Zootopia,” and received a nomination for “Moana” that same year. Like “Frozen,” “Moana” was a princess movie with an infectious soundtrack and received lots of attention for its celebration of Polynesian culture.

Last year, the company released its first sequel in this contemporary animation cycle: “Ralph Breaks The Internet.” This movie earned Disney Animation another Oscar nomination, showing that they could pull off sequels and giving us reason to believe that “Frozen II” can live up to its predecessor.

Will ‘Frozen II’ Launch Another Disney Animation Renaissance?

And thus, we come full circle. Under our very noses, Disney Animation has pieced together a library of contemporary classics and placed themselves back in the game of major animation studios. “Frozen II” comes out November 22. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee return from the original as directors along with voice actors Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad. Like the first film, “Frozen II” will focus on sisterhood and wintery magic, but will add more universe building and fantastical elements to the storyline.

So, are we in a second Disney Animation Renaissance? It seems too early to tell, really. Unlike the first Disney Renaissance, Disney Animation is not yet the number one studio in town; it is still behind Pixar and Illumination at the moment. Likewise, despite its recent successes, Disney Animation does not currently define Disney like it did in the past. At the moment, Disney is largely defined by its vast intellectual properties and acquisitions; its animation department is but a tertiary element. Still, Walt Disney Animation Studios is currently pointed in the right direction and has subtly been making progress over the decade. They also just recently signed directors for four additional upcoming film projects. 2019 has already been one of the most financially successful years for Disney, and “Frozen II” is likely to skyrocket them to astronomical heights. If the sequel is as commercially successful and culturally impactful as the first “Frozen,” then it could very well put Disney Animation back in the running for a self-revitalization.

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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies

Matt Damon and Christian Bale recreate Le Mans circa 1966 in ‘Ford v Ferrari’

Video October 29, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/ford-v-ferrari/ford-v-ferrari-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Ford v Ferrari”

Money, Cars, Engineering, Sexy Racing scenes, what could go wrong?

Matt Damon will play Shelby in the film and Christian Bale will play Miles. Rather than one being the lead and the other being a supporting role, both actors are co-leading the film, making them both eligible for Best Actor in a Leading Role nominations at the Oscars come February.

With Two Top Tier Hollywood Veterans Co-Leading, Will this mean “Damon v Bale” at the Oscars?

Neither Damon nor Bale is a stranger to the Academy Awards. They each have a trophy and several nominations under their belts. Bale won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 2010’s “The Fighter.” He was nominated in that same category for his 2015 performance in “The Big Short,” and has two Best Leading Actor nominations for 2013’s “American Hustle” and 2018’s “Vice.”

Damon on the other hand has never won an Oscar for acting. His only win was for 1997’s “Good Will Hunting” in the Best Original Screenplay category. That same year, however, he was nominated for Best Actor in “Good Will Hunting” and received the same nomination eight years later for his role in “The Martian.” He also earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in 2009’s “Invictus” and a best picture nomination for producing “Manchester By The Sea” in 2016.

Both actors are evidently prestigious and immensely talented. At the same time, though, it is safe to assume that they are also both hungry for that Best Leading Actor award. If they both deliver in “Ford v Ferrari,” then it could become Damon v Bale at the Oscars.

June Release pushed back and now will fight Streaming Wars for Audience Attention

“Ford v Ferrari” debuted at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this year and played again at the Toronto Film Festival. The film received favorable reviews following both festivals. In particular, critics praised the movie for its race-like rhythm and the performances from its two stars. Additionally, while Mangold’s previous work has been generally dark in tone, “Ford v Ferrari” has an upbeat energy and a good sense of humor.

Under the banner of 20^th Century Fox, the movie was originally scheduled to come out on June 28^th. However, after the merger between Fox and Disney, the release date was pushed back to put it closer to Hollywood’s awards season. It’s new November 15^th release date does not give it much rivalry for opening weekend at the box office. However, it is sandwiched between the release of “Doctor Sleep” the week before and “Frozen 2” the week after. Likewise, Disney+ comes out on the 12^th, which could very well keep people away from the theaters for a few days. Thus, when it comes to “Ford v Ferrari,” the key word may be competition. It is a movie about the clash between two automobile tycoons, focusing on the strained relationship between a radical engineer and a hostile driver. Furthermore, upon release, “Ford v Ferrari” will have to prove itself against other forms of entertainment coming out in November, and come award season, we may see Damon and Bale taking the stage against each other for their two performances in the same film.

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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies

‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’: Angelina Jolie is Back in Anti-Hero Sequel

Video October 11, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/maleficent-mistress-of-evil/maleficent-mistress-of-evil-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

new Official trailer for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”

Will Sleeping Beauty Spin-off Franchise continue Disney Magic?

Joker is not the only iconic villain getting a feature film this fall. On October 18^th, Academy Award winning actress Angelina Jolie will be returning to the role of “Sleeping Beauty” antagonist Maleficent in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.”

While the story of “Sleeping Beauty” dates back to the twelfth century, it was Walt Disney who gave Maleficent her name and famous look in the popular 1959 animated film adaptation. In that movie, Maleficent is the main villain, an evil fairy who curses Princess Aurora to die before her sixteenth birthday—that is unless she is saved by true love’s kiss, which being a Disney princess, she of course is.

Since Disney’s rendition of the classic fairy tale, Maleficent has been a pop-culture icon. For the past sixty years, her greenish face, dark cloak, horned crown, and crow-like aura have made her the embodiment of wickedness. She stands alongside Ursula, Scar, Jafar, and Captain Hook as the greatest Disney villains of all time.

In the 1959 movie, Eleanor Audley provided the voice of Maleficent—the same actress who voiced Cinderella’s evil stepmother nine years earlier. Over the years a few different actresses have taken on the role. Lois Nettleton voiced Maleificent in the 2001 “Mickey’s House of Villains”; Kristin Chenoweth played her in the 2015 Disney Channel TV movie “Descendants”; and several women have portrayed her in different theatrical productions.

“Sleeping Beauty” is certainly a timeless tale, and thus Maleficent is an everlasting villain. However, there is one recent performance of the antagonist that stands above the rest. And that is Angelina Jolie’s.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/maleficent-mistress-of-evil/maleficent-mistress-of-evil-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

ORIGINAL OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR “MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL”

Evil Rendition is Part of the Appeal

Jolie first played Maleficent in the 2014 “Maleficent.” This live-action Disney film was an alternate telling of the Sleeping Beauty story with an obvious focus on the villain. Nevertheless, Jolie did not reimagine Maleficent as empathetic. Despite being the main character, Jolie’s Maleficent is as despicable as ever. Fortunately, her haughty, bad-tempered sternness is exactly what makes her so entertaining. While it is incredibly difficult to pull of a live-action performance that does justice to an iconic cartoon character, Jolie has the right amount of attitude and moxie to pull it off.

“Maleficent” was somewhat ahead of its time too, as it came out one year before Disney’s 2015 “Cinderella,” which kicked off the studio’s current cycle of live-action remakes. Today, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” feels a little more expected, as this year has already given live-action reimaginings of “Dumbo,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King” and will get one of “Lady and the Tramp” with the release of Disney+ in November.

While some fans criticize Disney for these constant rehashes, shaming the company for lacking creativity and constantly chasing the easy dollar, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” promises to offer a bit more novelty. Although the story is based off of characters and concepts from “Sleeping Beauty,” its screenplay is original. The narrative appropriately picks up a few years after the 2014 film left off. Princess Aurora is grown up and wants to marry her beloved Prince Phillip. Unenthused about this prospect, Maleficent is determined to put a stop to the wedding, and will employ all the dark magic she has to do so.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/maleficent-mistress-of-evil/maleficent-mistress-of-evil-creating-anicon_h1080p.mov

Featurette – “Creating an Icon”: FOR “MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL”

Although not Prime Marketing Focus, Maleficent will be in great company

The story will dig deeper into the Aurora’s royal family, their political ties, and the secret supernaturalism that lurks within the film’s fantastical world. As it is foremost a story about the villain, it will obviously be dark and moody in tone. However, it is still a PG rated Disney movie, so there is bound to be a high degree of playfulness, adventure, and family fun as well.

Returning for the sequel along with Jolie, the young Elle Fanning is reprising her role as Princess Aurora. Juno Temple, Imelda Staunton, and Sam Riley will also be returning from the 2014 film. Joining the cast will be the talented Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Harris Dickinson, and Ed Skerein amongst others. Behind the camera, we will also see Joachim Rønning replace Robert Stromberg as director and Ellen Mirojnick replace Anna B. Sheppard as costume designer—the only category that the 2014 movie received an Oscar nomination for.

With all of the live action remakes, record breaking Marvel movies, “Toy Story 4,” and Disney+ preorders, 2019 has been one of Disney’s most profitable years to date… and we are still yet to see what kind of damage “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and “Frozen 2” do at the box-office. Because of the inner-studio competition, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” will likely not be the company’s most lucrative film of the year. It will also have to go up against “Zombieland: Double Tap” on opening weekend. Nevertheless, with strong marketing, star power, and a considerable fan base, it will likely fare well enough financially, and might just get some positive critical reception as well, all in all being a satisfying project for audiences and Disney alike.

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Entertainment, Movies

Toy Story 4 is now the 5th Billion Dollar Box Office Success for Disney, so far This Year

Video August 15, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/pixar/toy-story-4/toy-story-4-trailer-4_h1080p.mov

Toy Story 4 has surpassed this significant hurdle in less than two months…

This, the fifth film already surpassing the billion dollar mark for Disney, with The Lion King, Aladdin, Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel all also passing that level earlier in 2019…

Toy Story 4 is now the 8th highest grossing animated film in history. Earning $421.8 million at the domestic box office, in addition to $579.9 million raked in overseas.

With a nine year gap since Toy Story 3, due to various production delays and release date conflicts, the delay appears not to have dampened the spirits of fans of Woody and the gang all across the globe.

Now playing in theaters throughout the US.

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Entertainment, Movies

The Art of Racing in the Rain: Preview Trailer

Video August 10, 2019 Kat Lee

Based on the 2008 novel of the same name, written by Garth Stein, a novel that has had lasting success, this was an obvious choice to be made into another, family friendly, Disney K-9 fest.

Directed by Simon Curtis and starring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried and with Kevin Costner as the voice of the thinking of Enzo, who is a dog.

It’s not that Enzo talks, other than the same way other dogs “talk”, but, instead, Enzo narrates the film from the perspective of Enzo’s thoughts and observations.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain/the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Photo / Disney

The story is based around Enzo’s belief that a dog that has the proper life experiences will be a human after re-birth. Since it is late in his life he tries to gather those and reach his goal of becoming a (human) and a race car driver.

The human drama does take a front seat and they are able to talk, as is usual, but the feelings of the audience are likely moved most by seeing these human events with “dog eyes”.

The story revolves around Enzo’s relationship with his owner (Milo Ventimiglia as Denny Swift) and his Wife (Avery “Eve” Swift played by Amanda Seyfried).

Probably the appropriate question to ask yourself, once you’ve seen the trailer, above, is how much of a dog lover are you? If the answer is that you are a huge fan of dogs and dog movies, you will love this movie, or at the least, be moved by it.

Costner is well cast as the voice of the internal thoughts and musings of Enzo, and the thoughts do seem to match his well known off-beat heroic on screen persona.

No big surprises but plenty of heart strings get pulled

Naturally, while not a movie to sneak up on you with any huge surprises, once you are comfortable with the basic premise of seeing life through the eyes of a very cute and sympathetic dog, nevertheless, the stories many emotional peaks and valleys hit home, as the novel also did with its millions of fans.

As a kind of unrelated sequel to “Marley & Me” also a hit dog story that succeeded in novel as well as Feature film form, there is, apparently, a growing tradition of adorable dog profiles that make it to the big screen.

So: cute, adorable dog imparts wisdom from late in his life, looking back, and presumably forward to his reincarnation as a human.

If you love the trailer you’ll likely enjoy the film.

Released in theaters on August 9, 2019

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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies

Lion King’s Monarchy Reigns Supreme

Video July 23, 2019 Kat Lee

Box Office Bounty Breaks all Barriers at $531M Worldwide

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/the-lion-king-2018/the-lion-king-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Simba Roars as Critics Cower…

Once more a Disney fan favorite is remade to record smashing box office receipts.

With a record $185M in it’s opening weekend in the US and a total Cume of $531M globally, the digital “faux” live action fantasy remake scores the highest ever domestic debut for a PG flick, and the ninth-biggest first week for any rating.

After being almost universally panned by critics for being, allegedly, to much of an exact copy of the original 1994 animated version, albeit with the technical twist, which was lauded, generally.

With overall box office performance in 2019 trailing the previous year by nine percentage points, going into the King’s inaugural weekend, it was a welcome event for industry insiders, as the feline’s performance lowered that deficit by almost two points, as the weekend tally began to emerge.

The powerful cat attracted female audience attentions by an almost 60% majority, a stat borne out by our own research.

Favreau’s recreation of the “everything the light touches’’ scene is perhaps not significantly different in content, yet is a new form of experience due to the presentation. This is the iconic scene where King Mufasa explains to his son Simba where and how they rule. Even better, James Earl Jones reprises his roll as King Mufasa, and delivers a commandingly enunciated speech once again.

For those who have not yet seen a preview of the box office wonder, the official trailer can be viewed above.

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Entertainment, Movies

The Lion King Looking To Reign Over The Box Office This Weekend

Video July 17, 2019 Kat Lee

Jungle Book director back to recreate the old magic

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/the-lion-king-2018/the-lion-king-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Jon Favreau’s new reimagining of the Disney classic “The Lion King”, in spite of a spate of less than stellar reviews, looks to be positioned for a huge opening weekend. Although at CinemaCon, the press were floored by newly released footage from the faux-live-action, photo-realistic movie, the final preview of the completed film in theaters struck many as a hollow, albeit, beautiful. shell.

The expectations appear to have been so high, based on the trailer (above), and the overall powerful impression made by the advanced, computer generated, live action treatment, that an expansion of the impact of the story was highly anticipated.

Instead many reviewers panned the lack of any new pot twists or character revisions, or, at least, any surprises, once the effect of the beauty of the presentation wore off in the full length film.

In spite of any negative impact made by critics, it does seem assured that the momentum of the huge feel-good blockbuster campaign, the vast love for the original movie and the characters and the absolutely unmistakable visual quality will, nevertheless, assure a huge inital turnout.

Similarly, Favreau recently reimagined “The Jungle Book” in pseudo real VFX style. Jungle Book won several awards for its visual effects, including the Academy Award for Visual Effects in 2017. The award winning team returned with Favreau for “The Lion King”.

Classics reimagined

Although Disney has been recreating some of their classic animated movies in hybrid CGI / live action form, technology for a full VFX treatment seems to be catching up with the ideas and nostalgia.

The “re-boot and reimagining” isn’t an uncommon concept in Hollywood. Warner Bros. is reworking a stand-alone Joker origin story prequel, to be released in the fall, for example. But Disney’s new visual interpretations stir excitement and nostalgia all at once. This looks like a fresh and exciting take and I’m looking forward to the full experience.

The Lion King is Opening big in Theaters starting tomorrow

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Movies

Spider-Man: Far From Home Beats the Box Office -Projected to Reach Over $800 Million Worldwide

Video July 13, 2019 Madison Santel

Spider-Man (Sony / Marvel) bested the rest in theaters this weekend with an estimated $45 million take.

In it’s second week in the US, the film took in more than the next three titles combined, including the likes of “Toy Story 4” (Disney-Pixar), “Crawl” (Paramount Pictures) and “Stuber” (Disney). The last two in the top four sport an “R” rating, however.

As our report on the initial Asian release tallies indicated, (see below) the blockbuster sequel should eventually top the $1 billion mark in worldwide box office.

Although “The Lion King“, due to be released state-side on July 18th, will hit a similar demographic, even with the expected loss to the large cat, Spidey should reach that ever more reachable, but still enormous, $1 billion mark.

As a matter of fact, “Far From Home” could eventually top all previous Spider-Man flicks to become the highest grossing entry in the long running franchise.

While “The Lion King” is fully expected to take over the top spot next weekend, if “Far From Home” can hold steady at #2, the future looks bright for the web-slinger’s box office destiny.

Asian Box Office Portends a Strong Holiday for SPIDER-MAN: Far From Home

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Entertainment, Movies

Toy Story 4: Pixar Smash Hit To Kick Off Summer?

Video June 21, 2019 Kat Lee

Poster from Toy Story 3 (2010) Directed by Lee Unkrich

Old Friends meet New Friends

After several writers were replaced and the crew survived a laborious pre-production process, Disney and Pixar are finally back with Toy Story 4. Nearly 25 years old, the original “Toy Story” first hit theaters in 1995.

The first computer generated full length animated film, using the latest and most advanced technology available at that time, it had a budget of “only” $30 million dollars and grossed over $350 million dollars worldwide at the box office.

With all the issues in getting to the screen, Toy Story 4’s release was ultimately delayed almost 2 years, originally scheduled to launch in the summer of 2017 but Cars 3 was put in its slot. In 2018, after the aforementioned pre-production and re-writing struggles, a summer release was again pre-empted in favor of Incredibles 2.

Aladdin, 2019: The Genie Jumps Out Of The Bottle, In Jordan

Video May 13, 2019 Madison Santel

Disney’s 1992 animated musical fantasy about a young man trying to win the love of a princess with the help of a genie is back again. The story originated in the 17th century as a collection of Middle-Eastern folktales called “One Thousand And One Nights” also known in English as the “Arabian Nights”. Disney’s latest live action reimagining will make its debut later this month.

Disney’s recent live action reboots have resulted in some fresh and unique films. Disney is using an inventive approach by taking on directors who aren’t previously known for being associated with animation (or even children’s movies). Director/Actor Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf, Swingers) re-imagined The Jungle Book to mesmerizing results. Favreau has also been tasked with reworking the soon to be released Lion King, 2019 version.

Aladdin’s director Guy Ritchie is best known for his cockney-accented crime comedies Lock Stock And 2 Smoking Barrels, and Snatch. Ritchie was also at the helm for the successful Sherlock Holmes franchise. Ritchie is also known for his sense of character development and narrative.

However, Aladdin is a visual effects driven film, with special effects delivered by the VFX giant Industrial Light And Magic. ILM was founded by George Lucas, and has been responsible for everything from Jurassic Park to Star Wars. This time they were tasked with turning Will Smith into a genie, as well as conjuring his Arabic Golden Age backdrop.

Aladdin initially made its debut at the Grand Rex in Paris on May 8th. Today (May 13th) the film enjoys its first regional premier in Jordan, in the presence of Prince Ali bin Hussein and Princess Rym Ali.

Stars, including Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott will all be in appearance along with, as mentioned above, Guy Ritchie helming.

Walt Disney studios are scheduled to release Aladdin in 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX on May 24th, 2019*

(*corresponds to the original date of the new Star Wars film “Star Wars IX: The Rise Of Skywalker”)

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Entertainment, Movies

X-Men Dark Phoenix Coming June 7

Video May 10, 2019 Madison Santel

The Dark Phoenix Rises (one last time?)

A lot has been made of the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (brought to us by Disney), but, really, the X-Men movies jump-started the Marvel movies. Although these X-Men movies exist outside of the MCU due to 20th Century Fox producing them (Disney recently acquired Fox), the ambitious X-Men movies truly set the stage for the Marvel movie craze to flourish.

It’s rumored that this X-Men movie could be the last Mutant installment (while The New Mutants seem to constantly be postponed, and the Gambit film shelved). So, this could be our last look at a series that has spanned nearly 20 years.

“…the perfect send-off for our X-Men team”
Emma Watts (Vice Chair for Fox), Hollywood Reporter

Trans-Morphogenetic Resurgence

The X-Men franchise was reinvigorated when “X-Men: First Class” premiered in 2011. It took the key characters in the Mutant canon and relaunched them with an origin story. Older characters Professor Xavier and Magneto that were once played by Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and Ian McKellen (Magneto) in X-Men (2000) were then reintroduced, as their youthful selves, by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

The wildly successful reboot gave a kick in the pants to Marvel’s Mutant storyline, and it also introduced the world to Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique). Lawrence has remained loyal to the franchise, consistently reprising her star-making role.

Famke Janssen originally brought the Jean Grey character to life, but this latest and revamped Dark Phoenix story line allows Sophie Turner (of Game Of Thrones) to take the Jean Grey character to the next level.

All the pieces came together when cast members and characters from the first X-men film and the relaunch film fused story lines, and essentially un-did the events of “X-Men: The Last Stand” (a film also centered on the Phoenix storyline).

Dark Phoenix stars Sophie Turner (Jean Grey/Phoenix), James McAvoy (Professor Xavier), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), and Jessica Chastain making her first appearance in the X-Men/Mutant universe.

Dark Phoenix is directed by Simon Kinberg, and rises into theaters June 7th, 2019

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Cutting Edge, Entertainment, Movies, Photography

The Lion King Looks To Reign Again

Video May 4, 2019 Kat Lee

Jungle Book director back to recreate the old magic

Jon Favreau’s new reimagining of the Disney classic “The Lion King” is all the buzz. Recently, at CinemaCon, the press were floored by newly released footage from the faux-live-action, photo-realistic movie.

Favreau’s recreation of the “everything the light touches’’ scene is the most recent reveal. This is the iconic scene where King Mufasa explains to his son Simba where and how they rule. Even better, James Earl Jones reprises his roll as King Mufasa, and delivers the speech once again.

Classics reimagined

Although Disney has been recreating some of their classic animated movies in hybrid CGI / live action form, technology for a full VFX treatment seems to be catching up with the ideas and nostalgia.

The Lion King arrives this summer, July 18th

Streaming is now Fully Integrated into Hollywood Awards System…

New Kid on the Block Hits Pay-dirt on first Try

Streaming Wars heating up and Disney+ lets loose the First Salvo

Baby Yoda is a Meme Factory already and may be Christmas Merch Hit

No Binge Watching as Episodes are Released in Sequence

1917

Jojo Rabbit

Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood

Joker

Ford v Ferarri

Disney+ reels Subscribers in with Massive, Nostalgia-Inducing Hoard, such as 30 Seasons of “The Simpsons”!

Visual Humor is Extremely Delicate, and the Aspect Ratio makes can make a Huge Difference

A Funny Case in which Opting for a “modern upgrade” Backfires

Disney+ Responds Timely to Criticism Handling an American Television Staple

Streaming Wars are adding Choices for Consumers

Do I sound like a Fan? Ok, sorry, you got me

Can this Digital GrandDaddy Stay Relevant as Disney+, Apple TV+ and more enter the Fray?

Content is, once again, Key in a Competitive Market

The Current Successes of Disney’s Imperially Strategic IP Expansion Overshadows its Origins as ‘Walt Disney Animation Studios’

After the Notorious Pixar Acquisition, Disney’s Original Animation Studio has Struggled to Compete with its Own Company

Second Installment will Strive to Match the much loved Original

Will ‘Frozen II’ Launch Another Disney Animation Renaissance?

Money, Cars, Engineering, Sexy Racing scenes, what could go wrong?

With Two Top Tier Hollywood Veterans Co-Leading, Will this mean “Damon v Bale” at the Oscars?

June Release pushed back and now will fight Streaming Wars for Audience Attention

Will Sleeping Beauty Spin-off Franchise continue Disney Magic?

Evil Rendition is Part of the Appeal

Although not Prime Marketing Focus, Maleficent will be in great company

Toy Story 4 has surpassed this significant hurdle in less than two months…

No big surprises but plenty of heart strings get pulled

Box Office Bounty Breaks all Barriers at $531M Worldwide

Simba Roars as Critics Cower…

Jungle Book director back to recreate the old magic

Classics reimagined

Spider-Man (Sony / Marvel) bested the rest in theaters this weekend with an estimated $45 million take.

Old Friends meet New Friends

Read More: Disney, Universal and Pixar Films available to Stream in advance of original VOD release date

Read More: Summer Books to Mark a Most Unusual Adventure and Unexpected Circumstance

The Dark Phoenix Rises (one last time?)

Read More: Will Movie Theaters Disappear? Summer Blockbusters face Coronavirus Fears and Straight to VOD Competition

Trans-Morphogenetic Resurgence

Jungle Book director back to recreate the old magic

Read More: Disney is Releasing an Avalanche of Star Wars Content on May 4th to Disney+

Classics reimagined

Read More: Summer Books to Mark a Most Unusual Adventure and Unexpected Circumstance

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