COURT UPHOLDS EVIL THAT IS BUNDLED CABLE
Well, this sucks:
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Pasadena would have turned pay TV upside down today if it had sided with consumers in a suit that took on virtually every major company in the business including NBC Universal, Viacom, Disney, Fox, Time Warner, Comcast, and DirecTV. The plaintiffs alleged that the companies exploit subscribers by only selling programming in packages — forcing people to pay for services they don’t want in order to receive must-have channels including broadcast networks, USA, and ESPN. But the court rejected the argument, upholding a lower court decision, saying that the key issue is whether pay TV companies thwart antitrust laws. Although the consumers argued that bundling reduces their choices, and increases prices, “these allegations show only that plaintiffs have been harmed as a result of the practices at issue, not that those practices are anti competitive,” the justices said.
Actually, I can’t say I want the government telling cable companies what to do. The revolution against bundled cable should remain consumer-driven as we unplug and stream, baby, stream.
WHO IS MARVEL STUDIOS EYEING TO DIRECT CAPTAIN AMERICA 2?
I would love to hear where people would like to see this sequel go story-wise. Frankly, I found the first a little stiff, one of those super hero movies that never really took off. Good and appreciated but underwhelming.
What do those of you who know the Cap mythology think?
SCHWARZENEGGER AND DEVITO PLAN ‘TWINS’ SEQUEL, ‘TRIPLETS‘
The idea is to bring Eddie Murphy on as the … triplet.
Does anyone see any kind of audience appeal in this? The original was a hit and probably a better movie than you remember, but a sequel twenty-plus years later just sounds sad and desperate. Comedy requires a nimble quality that neither Schwarzenegger nor DeVito seem to have anymore. And that has nothing to do with age. George Burns never lost it.
NEW SUPERMAN LOGO FOR ‘MAN OF STEEL’ REVEALED
Cool.
5 PEOPLE CHEATED OUT OF THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME
I saw the Cars play live once in the eighties. They sucked.
SAG AND AFTRA MERGER OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED BY MEMBERSHIP
Other than more proof that the left loves everything centralized and under a single thumb, I have no idea what this means.
WARNER BROS. TO RELEASE SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILM LIBRARY ON DVD
This is wonderful news, Samuel Goldwyn was the king of independent producers during Hollywood’s golden age. “The Best Years of Our Lives,” “The Bishop’s Wife,” “Guys and Dolls…”
Seeking to boost its relatively healthy business for classic movies on DVD, Warner Bros. has signed a multi-year deal to release 73 classic films produced by industry legend Samuel Goldwyn.
But why DVD and not Blu-ray? Most of Goldwyn’s best films are already available on DVD, so why not at least give those a Blu-ray upgrade?
Personally, I’m not any more interested in purchasing a DVD today than I was in purchasing a VHS after I got a taste of DVD.
Eventually, all 73 of these titles, or at least the ones I want, are going to come out in some high-def format. Which means that purchasing a DVD is only asking to get double dipped.
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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING
TREME Season 2 — Two episodes in. Review coming.
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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR
ANDREW KLAVAN’S “THE LAST THING I REMEMBER” ON SALE FOR $2.99
“HUNGER GAMES” – A LESSON IN TOTALITARIANISM
PRAISING ‘PARKS AND RECREATION’S’ RON SWANSON
“MOONSTRUCK” SCRIBE HAD VIOLENT S&M RELATIONSHIP WITH ACTRESS: SUIT
HULK SMASH PUNY ALIEN IN THIS NEW ‘AVENGER’ TV SPOT!
R.I.P. CINEMATOGRAPHER BRUCE SURTEES, SHOT 7 CLINT EASTWOOD FILMS
TRAILER FOR “PEOPLE LIKE US” STARRING CHRIS PINE, ELIZABETH BANKS, AND MICHELLE PFEIFFER
TRAILER FOR “HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET” STARRING JENNIFER LAWRENCE
INTERVIEW WITH ACTION FILM EXPERT AND AUTHOR ERIC LICHTENFELD
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT SYFY’S NEW MULTI-PLATFORM SERIES ‘DEFIANCE’
PJ MEDIA: THE 5 BEST AND 5 WORST JAMES BOND SONGS
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CLASSIC PICK FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 31
8:00 PM EST: Sunrise (1927) — In this silent film, a farmer’s affair with a city woman almost destroys his life. Dir: F. W. Murnau Cast: George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston. BW-94 mins, TV-PG.
Not only one of the best silent films ever, but one of the best films period. This was my gateway drug into more silents, and might also be yours. Regardless, it is a silent film for those who don’t normally take to the genre.. A truly remarkable cinematic achievement in every conceivable way.
One of the emotions you feel while watching is a sense of loss at what director Murnau (who had a major influence on John Ford) would’ve gone on to do if he hadn’t died at the untimely age of 42 in an auto accident.
Sorry I messed up with yesterday’s pick — forgetting to mention it was on TCM. I got a ton of emails over it, so it’s good to know you’re all paying attention.
Have a great weekend. I intended to, but after a Monday thru Friday of absolutely perfect weather, it just started raining. Well, good thing my TV is working and my wife is pretty. Don’t worry, I’ll make it through.
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