The '70s Music Industry is Explored in Teaser for Martin Scorsese's Vinyl
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You can always count on HBO to churn out an interesting show or two. But if this latest program doesn't get you interested, I don't want to be friends anymore. From the minds of Martin Scorsese, Terrence Winter (The Sopranos), and Mick Jagger, Vinyl is a series set in 1970s New York as record exec Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale) is fighting to keep his label in the spotlight now that punk and disco are on the uptake. It's got a hell of a cast all around too: Ray Romano, Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, Andrew "Dice" Clay, and P.J. Byrne.
Although this teaser trailer is way too brief, it's kind of perfect. It gives us all we need to know about the series (it's going to be an electrically erratic showcase), it visually striking, and I can't wait for Cannavale to show everyone he can hold down a show all his own. The man has put his time in, and I'm confident he's ready for a leading role. If this doesn't become the starring vehicle needed to make him an even bigger star, then it'll at least be worth tuning in to see how it turns out anyway.
Vinyl premieres on HBO sometime next year.
[Review] Silicon Valley Season 2
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“You were all brought here to generate moonshots. I need a moonshot now. If there's any greatness in any of you at all, now is the time to access it.” - Gavin Belson (S02E07)
As if Season 1 of the hit HBO television show, Silicon Valley, wasn’t a moonshot already, it definitely is now. Going into Season 2 with my expectations set high, creator Mike Judge did exactly what I thought he’d do - he exceeded them. Keeping audiences rooting for the little guys of Pied Piper to crush the compression competition around them, get more funding for their company to grow and to receive so many offers that it’d make Hooli’s head spin, Judge had other plans.
We start the season off with Pied Piper deciding on what offers to take (funding versus exponential growth, equity, evaluation, etc.) after winning Tech Crunch Disrupt. Having to re-iterate the unfortunate real life loss of Peter Gregory (Christopher Evan Welch), the show takes a lighthearted spin on replacing the odd-mannered CEO with a similar tempered woman, Laurie Bream (Suzanne Cryer). In case you were wondering, Peter Gregory had to run, for what may have been the first and definitely the last time of his life (yes, a heart attack from running once; it’s Palo Alto, go figure). During his funeral, in an attempt to buy Pied Piper out, Gavin Belson of Hooli ends up suing Pied Piper of copywright infringement saying Richard Hendricks created Pied Piper while working for Hooli. In Silicon Valley, this happens all the time when a company wants to squash the competition and knows the tech can’t pay up. Frantic, Hendricks tries to get funding from the companies who’ve since retracted their offers because of the lawsuit; except for one, very excentric former big-shot named Russ Hammeman (Chris Diamantopoulos) who earned his billions from the investments of the dot com boom (also, he brought the radio to the internet).
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Dealing with a fussy billionaire whenever the group needs money, Hendricks loses his patience at times and the group try numerous ideas to get funding while saving money: making their own servers to support their own cloud, providing 4k streaming capabilities to support a live event (‘Homicide’), hiring more people, hacking into the network of a company that “brain raped” Pied Piper during a fake interview to steal their contracts and last but not least, pissing off Belson to no end by any means necessary. The season is an uphill battle for PP, the obstacle course being Silicon Valley as a place to showcase their talents. What makes this season better than the first is that the audience sees just how great Pied Piper really is and how hard everyone tries to bring them down in an industry where every other company says they want to “make the world a better place,” no less. After each accomplishment, a tidal wave hits the group almost every episode. The finale proved that the guys of Pied Piper are here to stay, despite their constant uphill battles. Full of wittier banter that makes season one look like a sitcom, season two is flawless. The execution of each ending is almost enough to compare to the network’s dramas (they’re that good)... which may be exactly why I count down the hours after 10:30pm every Sunday until the next episode the following week; the underdogs generate the greatest moonshots.
Showtime's Streaming Service Sidesteps HBO Now's Subscription Prices
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In a move that will surprise no one, Showtime has just announced their plans to launch their own streaming service. The service, which will simply be referred to as Showtime, undercuts HBO Now's price of $14.99 by offering a monthly plan of $10.99. While Showtime does offer some amazing series like Shameless, Homeland, Dexter, the upcoming third season of Twin Peaks, and more, they don't carry the same gravitas as HBO's offerings like Game of Thrones, True Detective, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and much, much more. However, what Showtime is offering that HBO doesn't is live broadcast streams from both East and West Coasts.
Showtime will launch on Apple devices next month, with many other devices and platforms to be announced at a later date. You can read the full press release below.
For the first time ever, SHOWTIME will be offered over the internet as a stand-alone streaming service launching in early July, with Apple as its first partner. The stand-alone service will be called SHOWTIME, a brand already embraced by consumers as the home for cutting-edge original programming, sports and movies. The launch of SHOWTIME will coincide with the new seasons of the critically-acclaimed, hit series RAY DONOVAN and MASTERS OF SEX, premiering on Sunday, July 12th. iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Apple TV® users will be able to subscribe to SHOWTIME as a stand-alone service on the SHOWTIME app anywhere in the U.S., for one monthly price ($10.99) to view on all Apple devices. Additional platforms and providers will be announced soon. To learn more about SHOWTIME, visit http://www.showtime.com.
Subscribers will have unlimited on demand access to every season of award-winning SHOWTIME original series, and hundreds of hours of movies, documentary and sports programming, as well as the live broadcast of the east and west coast feeds of SHOWTIME. Showtime will offer a 30-day free trial to new customers who sign up through Apple in July. Apple users simply need to go to the SHOWTIME app on their device to sign up and create a SHOWTIME account. Subscribers can use their SHOWTIME account to watch the service across all supported devices, as well as online at http://www.showtime.com.
Showtime and its acclaimed original programming continues to make its mark on the cultural landscape. The network is home to one of the most successful programming line-ups in all of television, with hits that include HOMELAND, RAY DONOVAN, THE AFFAIR, MASTERS OF SEX, PENNY DREADFUL, SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES, NURSE JACKIE, HAPPYish, EPISODES, and the anticipated new series BILLIONS and the limited series TWIN PEAKS. Original series play a key part in the network’s programming mix, along with box office hits, comedy and music specials, provocative documentaries, and hard-hitting sports programming, including the flagship franchise SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® and the news magazine programs 60 MINUTES SPORTS and JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME. The network’s diverse slate of films includes Boyhood, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Philomena, St. Vincent, The Imitation Game and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
Girls Season 4 Recap
“I’ve seen a lot of things, I’m 25 years old.”
If you’re like me, you can be cynical, but hopeful all at the same time. As a 20-something woman, it’s hard to comprehend the vagueness of growing up. There isn’t a handbook on it and there isn’t a self-help seminar you can go to that’ll make even the smallest decision easier. It’s the boring lifestyle of being a grown-up that scares me to insanity; and it’s that connection to the women of Girls that has pulled at every heart string of mine during season 4.
In this season of Girls, an HBO show centered around a group of New York women struggling to kickstart their lives, viewers were taken on a personal journey of discovery through each character unlike the previous seasons. A small breakdown of where the characters start off this season:
- Hannah leaves New York to pursue her dreams of becoming the literary voice of her generation in Iowa, maintaining a long-distance relationship with Adam
- Jessa has thrown her filter to the wind, speaking her mind and telling those around her exactly what she’s thinking; like a cold-hearted Judge Judy of free therapy
- Shoshanna has graduated and realized the real world is absolutely terrible
- Marnie is realizing being the other woman to her bandmate, Desi, isn’t working out so well
As the season progresses we also see the men in the ladies of Girls lives take a 180 turn. Desi ends up leaving Clementine for Marnie (and proposing to her later on), Ray gets fed up with his neighborhood government officials and runs for office and Adam starts a new relationship with a woman named Mimi-Rose Howard.
Comcast Blocks HBO Go for PS4 Users
HBO Go finally debuted on Playstation 4s this week. However, PlayStation gamers who are currently subscribed to Comcast are unable to rejoice just yet as it's been revealed that the internet service provider has blocked HBO Go from running on the systems. PlayStation 3 owners have been experiencing the same blockage since last year when the app was released on the system.
It's important to note, however, that other ISPs like AT&T, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable won't block the app from running properly, and gamers on the other side of the fence (e.g. Xbox 360 and Xbox One) are free to enjoy the service without limitations. So why is Comcast blocking the service, which is said to be the best way to experience HBO Go, for the best-selling next-gen gaming system right now?
In a response sent to IGN, Comcast clarified the situation:
"Xfinity customers who subscribe to HBO currently have access to the full HBO library via their set to box, or via Xfinity TV Go platforms across devices. We also currently authenticate more than 90 networks across 18 devices (and we began authenticating HBO and Showtime on Roku last December) so there is no shortage in the number of ways for our customers to access their content across the devices and platforms of their choice."
In short, Comcast further alienates their customer base with their dealings. This isn't to say Comcast subscribers won't forever be unable to experience HBO Go on their PlayStations - it just might take a ridiculously long time for authentication to take place. One thing's clear: Logan Square desperately needs high-speed AT&T service so I can get out of my current Comcast contract.
[via IGN]
HBO is Cutting the Cord, Offering Cable-Free Subscriptions in 2015
“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO." - HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler.
For somebody who hates downloading stuff illegally, I've missed out on a lot of amazing TV shows because of my lack of HBO. Sure, I could borrow HBO Go logins from friends (and have honestly attempted to), but I never went through with them. I've gotten caught up in the Game of Thrones hype, yet I've never actually seen an episode, I, too, want to see dragons and nudity and sword thrones! But alas, without a cable subscription (or even a normal TV subscription due to my recent move this summer) or money to throw down on the Game of Thrones DVD/Blu-ray sets, I was resigned to waiting until the series hit Netflix Instant.
However, in a move that has been rumored for a couple of weeks, HBO has finally come to their senses and announced their intentions to offer HBO to users who don't have an HBO cable subscription. By their count, there are 80 million homes in the United States that don't subscribe to HBO, and it's this demographic that the company is hoping to attract with their announcement. No concrete details, such as pricing, limitations, etc. were revealed.
What should be noted is how this announcement will affect pre-existing relationships with service providers like Comcast and DirecTV. Surely, they won't be too thrilled that HBO is taking their service into their own hands. However, I'm sure there are provisions in place that will continue to offer cable subscribers incentives (exclusive shows, cheaper rates?) that non-cable subscribers won't have. Of course, this is all just speculation, but we'll hear more information as the weeks follow.
[via HBO]
Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer Shows Us Her Killer Queen Side
Game of Thrones Season 4 kicks off this Sunday on HBO, and like many die hard fans, I can't wait. One of my favorite characters (second to the Queen of Dragons of course) of the books and series is Margaery Tyrell, who is played by English actress Natalie Dormer. This season will feature a lot more of Margaery, who will become the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and marry the most hated character on TV, Joffrey Baratheon.
Natalie graces this month's GQ magazine in a very sexy punk way, shaving the side of her head for her role as Cressida in the final Hunger Games films. Photographer Will Davidson puts his lens to Natalie's milky skin and piercing eyes, giving us a sexy attitude-filled spread. Check out the photos and video on how to date the future Queen of Westeros below.
[Via GQ]
[Mixtape] Game of Thrones: "Catch The Throne"
Well, apparently hip-hop is big in King's Landing too. If there was one show that had its fair share of buzz going into the Spring debut season, HBO's 'Game of Thrones' certainly isn't one of them. The return of the highly popular show has been eagerly awaited by fans, teased by the cable channel and popped up in its fair share of pop culture references. Well, now King Joffrey, Daenaryus and Littlefinger will have a more contemporary soundtrack over which to go about their land grabbing and battles. Featuring the likes of Big Boi, Wale, Kilo Kish and Dadee Yankee, among others, the mixtape could very well represent the point at which the release vessel jumps the ship. Sure, we've seen everyone from Michelle Obama to Migos drop projects for free on the Internet, maybe HBO has taken it too far, although you can't fault the artists for getting that publishing money. Check out the full project below, 'Game of Thrones' hits TVs April 3.