TAG RESULTS FOR: movies

Even before the viewer catches a glimpse his first Mogwai, Joe Dante’s Gremlins establishes the link between the titular goblins and malfunctioning technology by way of Randy Peltzer and his many incompetent inventions. It’s a film very much of its time, with many fascinating things to say about the way Reagan-era Americans looked at technology. It’s also a movie that would be impossible to remake today, for one big reason: the smartphone is our Bathroom Buddy. Continue reading

When I heard that Netflix streaming accounted for 20% of all U.S. peak traffic, I was shocked. But just a little shocked. Nothing that was totally impossible to wrap my mind around. But those Canadians? They really, really love their instant streaming. Netflix instant streaming accounts for 95% of all peak evening hours in Canada. 95%! As in only 5% of other Canadian web traffic is non-Netflix related. And surely 80% of that involves Michael J. Fox and Rick Moranis.... Continue reading

While Netflix has largely overwhelmed the subscription streaming market, CEO Reed Hastings even refers to the company now as “a streaming company that also offers DVD-by-mail,” Hulu still vies to regain their spot as the premier entertainment streaming source on the web. The launch of Hulu Plus several months ago was met with a mixed critical reception, with some critics lauding the company for charging $9.99 without removing the advertising. Recent reports suggest that Hulu could be slicing their streaming... Continue reading

Imagine a world where Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Usual Suspects and Back to the Future featured smartphones. Watching classic cinema would be a hell of a different experience. Maybe the lack of smartphones is the reason they’re so classic in the first place? So sure, maybe Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart get a few more hours together, and yeah, Chuck Berry gets the credit he deserves before he even writes “Johnny B. Goode.” But is that all so bad? If... Continue reading

Over the last few days, original archived footage has been unearthed of the original Marty McFly, actor Eric Stoltz, playing the role before Michael J. Fox was called into replace him five weeks into shooting. Oddly enough, what I find most compelling is this alternative fading photograph shot featuring Stoltz instead of Fox. There’s something oddly surreal about seeing someone else in the role. I don’t usually take pride in other peoples’ misery, but I’m super thankful that Stoltz got... Continue reading

While the meteoric rise of Netflix isn’t so much of a surprise, the relative steadiness of Blockbuster surprised the hell out of me. While Blockbuster has surely lost droves of customers to its competitors and a considerable chunk of that search volume could be associated with unsatisfactory or negative queries (such as Blockbuster bankruptcy rumors), the big news here seems to be the huge expansion of interest in the movie rental and streaming world, rather than the lack of interest... Continue reading

Yeah, I know, I know, I had a Friday post yesterday, when it really wasn’t even Friday. The point is it’s Friday now, so shut up. For all of you who haven’t seen the film Titanic or those of you who feel like watching it again, here it is, compressed down into five seconds of masterful cinematography and Canadian pop singers. If you have any tugboats in your house, you might want to shield their eyes.