Netflix considering new pricing, streaming plans
Netflix has faced subscribers' shared account shenanigans for a few years now, but hasn't done anything to combat it. In fact, just a few months ago, they introduced multiple profiles under single accounts so that family/household members would have their own dedicated queues, recommendations, etc. Netflix knows that users will share their accounts with others, and rather than setting restrictions to it, let alone dedicating time, money, and energy to fight it, they've embraced it.
However, Netflix is still a business, and businesses need to make money. To greet the new year, Netflix is testing new pricing and streaming plans for users. The cheapest of the plans is $6.99/month that allows SD streaming on one screen. This is for users who don't care about standard or high-definition video quality and don't share their accounts. The next proposed tier is $7.99/month that allows HD streaming on two screens. $9.99/month would allow HD streaming on three screens, and $11.99/month would offer HD streaming on four screens.
Which option sounds like the best for you?
[via /Film]
First official image of Guardians of the Galaxy
Disney rang in the new year by treating Marvel Studios fans to the first official image of Guardians of the Galaxy. The image is a line-up of the film's protagonists much like the concept art revealed over the summer. Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) are front and center with the actors appearing in character for the first time. I'm not really into Pratt's weird facial expression. I like how Saldana looks as Gamora, but I'm worried that she risks being typecast as an alien action star (re: Avatar). Bautista looks almost exactly how Drax the Destroyer does, which is awesome. Groot and Rocket Raccoon haven't changed much from their concept.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of my most anticipated films of the year and is a pretty risky move from Marvel and Disney. However, if they could turn Iron Man from a B-list character to a full-fledged AAA star, they can do the same with the Guardians. August 2014 can't come sooner. You can read the official synopsis below.
An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits — Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
[Weekend Box Office] The Hobbit tames The Wolf of Wall Street
Holiday weekends are typically box office goldmines as families love spending time together at the theater. Christmas 2013 was no exception, with seven films opening last week. However, fantasy prevailed as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug topped the box office with $29.8m. The week's biggest new release, The Wolf of Wall Street, opened in the fifth spot with a solid $18.5m. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and 47 Ronin opened in 7th and 9th places, respectively. You can read the rest of this weekend's box office numbers below.
1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - $29,850,000
2. Frozen - $28,845,000
3. Anchorman 2 - $20,150,000
4. American Hustle - $19,550,000
5. The Wolf of Wall Street - $18,500,000
6. Saving Mr. Banks - $14,021,000
7. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - $13,000,000
8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - $10,200,000
9. 47 Ronin - $9,868,630
10. Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas - $7,400,000
[via Rentrak]
The Raid 2 raiding theaters on March 28
The Raid 2 will be making its premiere next month during Sundance, and it's safe to say that it's the one film I'm looking forward to the most during the film festival. However, festival premieres are typically met with a months-long wait until general audiences can see the film themselves, usually due to final editing/production or the search for a proper distributor. The Raid 2, however, won't have to go through either of these as a firm release date has been announced.
Our return to the wonderful world of pencak silat will take place on March 28, 2014, with waves of releases across the country to follow. The Raid: Redemption is one of my favorite action films in recent memory, and with the first teaser trailer hitting on all the right notes (figuratively and literally), I have high hopes for The Raid 2: Berandal.
[via Collider]
[Weekend Box Office] The Hobbit stays strong against Anchorman 2
Despite a stream of new releases this weekend, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug had a strong box office showing, staying in the top spot with $31.4m. This weekend's best new release was Anchorman 2 with a solid $26.7m take. Frozen rounds out the Top 3 with $19m. Newcomers American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks sat in 4th and 5th place, respectively. The children-friendly Walking with Dinosaurs opened in 8th with $7.3m.
You can read the full weekend box office numbers below.
1. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug - $31,455,000
2. Anchorman 2 - $26,776,000
3. Frozen - $19,163,000
4. American Hustle - $19,100,000
5. Saving Mr. Banks - $9,321,000
6. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - $8,750,000
7. Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas - $8,510,000
8. Walking With Dinosaurs - $7,300,000
9. Dhoom 3 - $3,305,000
10. Thor: The Dark World - $1,328,000
New stills from Robocop remake
I flip flop with my feelings over the Robocop remake. On the one hand, I like the direction seen in the first trailer, and my excitement over it was definitely reflected in my write-up. The second trailer, however, tempered my excitement. Sure, it was more action-heavy, but it was borderline generic and not that entertaining. From what I've seen, general reactions to the first footage have been mixed at best. Nevertheless, the prospect of watching a cyborg balance his robotic enhancements with his dormant humanity is one that will always stand the test of time... even if Robocop's right hand is exposed. Below are a few new stills from the film to whet any appetites as we await two short months for the film to hit theaters.
[via Collider]
[Video] Would you drive a car made out of Legos?
Legos are basically god's gift to mankind. The possibilities for some amazing Lego stuff is only limited by our imaginations (and number of bricks). I've seen some amazing DIY Lego sets (like the awesome Ghostbusters set), a plethora of amusing stop-motion films, and even a Hollywood animated film. The magnitude of what can be done with Legos was recently heightened exponentially by a small group of guys for a little something called the Super Awesome Micro Project.
Steve Sammartino, a Melbourne entrepreneur, and Raul Oiada, a Romanian "technology genius," created a life-size, drivable Lego car (with some help of a number of financial backers). To accomplish the amazing feat, more than 500,000 Legos were used, the car's Lego-made engine runs on air, and has four orbital engines and 256 pistons. While it won't be winning any races (top speeds were capped at 12 mph - 17 mph), it's an amazing accomplishment and shows what a little money and a lot of Legos and imagination can do.
I predict Lego hoverboards to become the next big thing. Get at it, Lego inventors! You can read more about the Super Awesome Micro Project on their website.
[youtube id="_ObE4_nMCjE" mode="normal" align="center"]
[via Engadget]
Paul Rudd officially on board for Ant-Man
Two months after it was reported that Paul Rudd was shortlisted for Ant-Man, the Anchorman 2 actor has officially entered early negotiations to portray the superhero in the 2015 film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was also being heavily considered for the role, but with his attachment to the Sandman project, Rudd became the de facto choice. No firm story details have been released, but the character playing Ant-Man will be the original Hank Pym and not Scott Lang. Director Edgar Wright and writer Joe Cornish have stated that the film works more as a stand-alone film rather than a cohesive part of the full Marvel Studios universe, but I'm sure Disney will ensure some type of cohesion will be in play that will tie it to the rest of the films.
As I stated in October, Rudd was my pick for Ant-Man, and it'll be great to have somebody like him on board along the likes of Vin Diesel, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., and the others. Do you think he fits well for the role? If not, who would you have rather seen behind the helmet? Let us know!
[via /Film]