BUMMER: STARZ ENDING STREAMING DEAL WITH NETFLIX
As of Feb. 2012, Netflix will no longer stream Starz, which means a lot of newer movies won’t be available.
Bad timing with the new Netflix price increase starting today. Starz content was a big attraction.
Related: Netflix stock took a hit.
More: If you want to understand the power of streaming, Starz turned down a $300 million a year deal up from $30 million last year, and…
Starz was looking for tiered pricing, which would have seen subscribers of Netflix, led by CEO Reed Hastings, pay more than the standard $8 per month for content from the premium TV provider.
That is in line with comments from Starz executives who said repeatedly this year that they were looking to charge Netflix more in line with cable and satellite TV distributors, which have seen the streaming video service as a reason for consumers to cut the pay TV cord.
Count me among those eager to cut the pay TV cord.
FANS CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF GEORGE LUCAS’ ALTERED ‘STAR WARS SAGA’ ON BLU-RAY
Couldn’t agree with this more:
…this is “about film preservation and our cultural heritage. Lucas has every right to make as many new versions of his films as he wants – fine, go crazy, George – but he has no right to replace the original versions of his films.”
George Lucas is a jerk, a money-hungry jerk who should’ve banned from the editing room after his mojo evaporated — which was right before the Ewoks showed up in “Jedi.” It would go something like this:
LUCAS: I just want to make a little tweak.
MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOOoooooo!!!
LUCAS: But I think I can improve on–
MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOooooo!!!
LUCAS: But–
MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOoooo!!!
LUCAS: I–
MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOoooo!!!
LUCAS: Man, that’s annoying.
Here’s some above-it-all smug at “EW (naturally) telling us that hating on George Lucas makes us George Lucas … or something — makes us all adolescent crybabies.
But wait EW, will you say the same for Phil Tippett — you know, the legendary FX expert who worked on the original trilogy and called Lucas’ changes ‘shit’?
He also thinks 3D is “shit” and was no fan of “Avatar,” either.
I like this guy.
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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING
My bathroom is finally done. Finally. New sink. New toilet. New floor. New tub surround. Everything’s almost plumb, almost level, and almost not-leaking. I celebrated with a good, long cry followed by two episodes of “Damages.”
Thus far, season two is already better than the first.
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QUICK HITS
A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING FALL MOVIE SEASON
KEVIN SMITH: REALITY SHOW STAR
‘NAPOLEON DYNAMITE’ PRODUCERS SUE FOX SEARCHLIGHT
“‘SHARK NIGHT 3D’ IS CHEESY, STUPID AND INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING“…
…WHY IS SHARK NIGHT 3D NOT RATED R?
ANDREW KLAVAN REMAINS ON VACATION
SIX FILMS WITH INSANE TIME LOOPS
LEGENDARY TITLE DESIGNER SAUL BASS FINALLY GETS A BOOK ABOUT HIS WORK
CAMERON CROWE: THERE WON’T BE A SAY ANYTHING SEQUEL
ANNE V. COATES RECALLS EDITING LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
THIS IS COOL: LOIS LANE’S SCREEN TEST
JAMES GANDOLFINI IN TALKS TO RETURN TO HBO
TOTO REVIEWS “BELLFLOWER” AND INTERVIEWS WRITER/DIRECTOR/STAR EVAN GLODELL
A LOOK AT THE “TOTAL RECALL” HOVER CARS
‘THE WALKING DEAD’ RETURNS WITH 90-MINUTE SEASON 2 PREMIERE
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CLASSIC PICK FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 3
5:30 pm EST: Land of the Pharaohs (1955) — A scheming seductress plots to make herself queen of Egypt. Dir: Howard Hawks Cast: Jack Hawkins, Joan Collins, Dewey Martin. C-104 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
Howard Hawks’ epic is no classic by a long shot, but in-between all the cheesy drama you are given an absolutely fascinating look at Egyptian architecture, beautiful widescreen photography, and a terrific score by Dimitri Tomkin.
The ending is pretty satisfying, as well.
Well worth 104 minutes.
–Please send tips/suggestions/requests to jnolte@breitbart.com
–Thanks again to the indispensible ScottDS
–The Call Sheet will return Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a great weekend — that’s an order.