-
'F is for Family' Heads to Netflix[teaser]The new animated series will premiere exclusively on the streaming service. [/teaser] Netflix has announced a new addition to its lineup of original shows. 'F is for Family' is a half-hour animated series based on the comedy of stand-up Bill Burr. "Bill Burr's stand-up specials are wildly popular for us worldwide, and we're looking forward to presenting his at once nostalgic and unflinching take on the family comedy in this original, animated series," said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. 'F is for Family' focuses on the Murphy family during the 1970s and stars Burr as patriarch Frank Murphy. The cast also includes Laura Dern as Frank's wife Sue, and Justin Long as the family's oldest son. The show is created by Bill Burr and Michael Price ('The Simpsons'), and is executive produced by Burr, Price, Vince Vaughn, and Peter Billingsley. Likewise, the series is produced by Gaumont International Television and Wild West Television. "The bottom line is, there's no better network in all of television than Netflix and we’re very excited for this partnership. They're a game changer, providing true creative support and the ability to reach a worldwide audience instantly," said executive producer Peter Billingsley. While an exact premiere date has not been announced, the six-episode series will debut on Netflix sometime in 2015. The company also recently announced a new drama series, 'Bloodline,' for March 2015. A monthly Netflix subscription currently starts at $7.99 for SD streaming and $8.99 for HD streaming. The service is available on a variety of smart TVs and media players, including the Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Roku 3, Apple TV and Chromecast. Source: NetflixPosted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 03:30 PM PDT by: -
Three Hayao Miyazaki Blu-rays Detailed[teaser]The trio of animated movies directed by the legendary filmmaker making their Blu-ray debut in November have now been fully detailed. [/teaser] As previously reported, Disney is preparing 'Kiki's Delivery Service,' 'Princess Mononoke,' and 'The Wind Rises' for Blu-ray on November 18. 'Kiki's Delivery Service' - Discover 'Kiki's Delivery Service,' a fantastic coming-of-age tale full of magic, adventure and self-discovery from the sensational imagination of Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (2002, Best Animated Feature, 'Spirited Away'). And now you can explore even more of Kiki's amazing world through never-before-seen bonus features -- exclusively in this 2-Disc Special Edition! Kiki is an enterprising young girl who must follow tradition to become a full-fledged witch. Venturing out with only her black cat, Jiji, Kiki flies off for the adventure of a lifetime. Landing in a far-off city, she sets up a high-flying delivery service and begins a wonderful experience of independence and responsibility as she finds her place in the world. Bring home 'Kiki's Delivery Service' from Studio Ghibli and Disney for the first time ever on Blu-ray, and share Kiki-s high-flying adventure again and again. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Introduction by John Lasseter; Original Japanese Storyboards; Original Japanese Trailers; Behind the Microphone - English voice cast members Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo and Phil Hartman give voice to their on-screen characters; Creating Kiki's Delivery Service - Director Miyazaki discusses how he created the world of the movie; Kiki & Jiji - Producer Toshio Suzuki reveals how Director Miyazaki based the character of Kiki on Suzuki's teenage daughter; Flying with Kiki & Beyond - The director discusses how he approached Kiki flying; Producer's Perspective: Collaborating with Miyazaki - The producer talks about how he worked with the director through the years; The Locations of Kiki - The real world locations that influenced the look of the film are revealed; Scoring Miyazaki - Composer Joe Hisaishi talks about his approach in writing the music; and an all-new Ursula's Painting - A musical montage of Ursula's Painting. The painting was created by junior high school students and used by Director Miyazaki for the film. 'Princess Mononoke' - Witness the majesty of celebrated animated film director Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, 'Princess Mononoke,' for the first time ever on Blu-ray High Definition. This exquisitely animated, critically acclaimed adventure from one of the most illustrious filmmakers of all time is now even more spectacular with dazzling HD picture and sound! Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka sets out to the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi and a proud clan of humans against the forest's animal gods... who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke, a young woman raised by wolves. This monumental struggle between man and nature will have you transfixed as if stunning artistry blends with epic storytelling to create a uniquely entertaining motion picture. Experience it like never before on Disney Blu-ray! The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Princess Mononoke in the USA - In September of 1999, Princess Mononoke's director, Hayao Miyazaki traveled to the US and Canada to promote the film's release. This feature is a record of those events; Jada Pinkett Smith, Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton, Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup talk about acting in the English voice cast in Princess Mononoke; Original Japanese Storyboards; Original Japanese and English Trailers; Original English Theatrical Trailer; and Original TV Spots. 'The Wind Rises' - From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Best Animated Feature, 'Spirited Away,' 2002) comes a spellbinding movie beyond compare. Experience "perhaps the greatest animated film the cinema has ever seen" (David Ehrlich, Film.com) on Blu-ray. Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, he becomes one of the world's most accomplished airplane designers, experiencing key historical events in an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world. Bring home the film that has dazzled fans and critics around the globe. Bursting off the screen with spectacular picture and sound and featuring fascinating bonus material, Miyazaki's final masterpiece, 'The Wind Rises,' is breathtaking on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: The Wind Rises: Behind the Microphone; Storyboards; Original Japanese Trailers and TV Spots; and Announcement of the Completion of the Film. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is $36.99. You can find the latest specs for all of the films listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under November 18. Order the Blu-ray Order the Blu-ray Order the Blu-rayPosted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
'This Is Where I Leave You' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Shawn Levy's comedy is bound for Blu-ray in December. Pre-order your copy here. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers is preparing 'This Is Where I Leave You' for Blu-ray on December 16. When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide— driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves. The Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include The Gospel According To Rabbi Boner, and Blu-ray exclusive Points Of Departure, Deleted Scene, and The Narritive Voice. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'This Is Where I Leave You' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under December 16. Order the Blu-rayPosted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: Criterion Horror Up to 51 Percent Off at Amazon[teaser]It's no trick, Amazon has a great Criterion Blu-ray treat for you this Halloween week! [/teaser] Amazon is selling over a dozen Criterion Blu-ray movies from 47 to 51 percent off suggested list price. Choose from 'The Uninvited' for $15.99 as well as 'The Devil's Backbone', 'Eyes Without a Face', and many others from $19.49 to $19.99 each. Click here to order any of these terrific titles for your collection today! This offer is available from now November 2.Posted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 08:33 AM PDT by: -
Amazon Introduces Fire TV Stick[teaser]The new streaming media HDMI stick is now up for pre-order! [/teaser] Amazon has announced the release of the latest addition to its Fire product line, the Fire TV Stick. Based on the same interface as the Fire TV set-top box, the streaming stick aims to deliver similar features and performance in a more compact and affordable design. "Fire TV Stick is the most powerful streaming media stick available—a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, dual-band and dual-antenna Wi-Fi, included remote control, voice search with our free mobile app, easy set-up, an open ecosystem, and exclusive features like ASAP for instant streaming," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "The team has packed an unbelievable amount of power and selection into an incredible price point—Fire TV Stick is just $39." The device plugs right into the HDMI port of a customer's TV, offering easy access to media, apps, and games, including services like Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, NBA Game Time, Twitch, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, Vevo, Plex, A&E, PBS, PBS KIDS, WATCH Disney Channel, YouTube.com, and more. With its impressive specs, the Fire TV Stick boasts 50 percent more processing power and 2x the memory of Google's Chromecast. Likewise, it has 6x the processing power, 2x the memory, and 32x the storage of Roku's Streaming Stick. The included remote can be used for quick navigation, and users can also download a mobile app to control the device with their smartphones along with a voice search feature. Finally, the Fire TV also includes Amazon's ASAP tech for instant streaming, mobile screen mirroring, and an X-ray second screen feature for Fire tablets and phones that offers information about the shows and movies you watch. Amazon's Fire TV Stick is now available for pre-order for $39. The device will start shipping on November 19. In addition, Prime Members can currently receive a special limited time discount, bringing the price down to just $19 for two days only. And for users who want voice search without using their smartphones, customers can also purchase a separate Amazon Voice remote for $29.99. Source: AmazonPosted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'The Humbling' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]Barry Levinson's latest film is set to arrive on Blu-ray at the end of December. You can pre-order here. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Millennium Media is working on 'The Humbling' for Blu-ray on December 30. Simon Axler is a famed stage actor who becomes depressed and then suicidal when he suddenly and inexplicably loses his gift. In an attempt to get his mojo back, he has an affair with a lesbian woman half his age. Before long, the relationship causes chaos as people from the romantic duo's pasts resurface in their lives. Based on a screenplay by Buck Henry and Michal Zebede from the novel by Philip Roth. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'The Humbling' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under December 30.Posted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
'Mood Indigo' Blu-ray Bound[teaser]The 2014 César winner for production design arrives on Blu-ray in November. Pre-order your copy here. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Drafthouse Films is readying 'Mood Indigo' for Blu-ray on November 11. Endlessly inventive filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) finds inspiration from French novelist Boris Vian's cult novel Froth on the Daydream to create this visionary, whimsical love story set in a charmingly surreal Paris, starring César winner Audrey Tautou and César nominee Romain Duris. Duris plays wealthy bachelor Colin, whose hobbies include developing his "pianocktail" (a cocktail-making piano) and devouring otherworldly dishes prepared by his trusty chef Nicolas (Omar Sy). When Colin learns that his best friend Chick (Gad Elmaleh), a fellow acolyte of the philosopher JeanSol Partre, has a new American girlfriend, our lonely hero attends a friend's party in hopes of falling in love himself. He soon meets Chloé (Tautou) and before they know it, they're dancing to Duke Ellington and plunging headfirst into a romance that Gondry rapturously depicts as only he can. Their whirlwind courtship is tested when an unusual illness plagues Chloe: a flower begins to grow in her lungs. To save her, Colin discovers the only cure is to surround Chloe with a neverending supply of fresh flowers. The 2-disc Blu-ray set will feature both the extended and director's cuts of the film with 1080p video, lossless audio, and supplements include Director's Cut and Extended Cut of the film, Behind-the-scenes featurette: "Inside the Mind of Michel Gondry", Featurettes on set creation, costumes, book to film, Deleted scenes, 36-page booklet, and Theatrical trailer. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.93. You can find the latest specs for 'Mood Indigo' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under November 11. Order the Blu-rayPosted Mon Oct 27, 2014 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Fire TV Content Selection Triples[teaser]More apps and games have been added to Amazon's streaming set-top box. [/teaser] Amazon has announced that the Fire TV's selection of media services and games has tripled since the device was released back in April. This brings the total number of apps and games to over 600. "We continue to hear from customers how much they love the selection available to them on their Amazon Fire TV. In just over six months we've tripled the catalog and we're adding new customer favorites on a weekly basis," said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Appstore. "We also hear from customers how much they love playing games on their TV—9 of the top 10 grossing apps on Fire TV are games—so we continue to work with game developers and add the most popular game content. Dungeon Quest, Spoiler Alert, Leo's Fortune and Ninja Hero Cats, are some of the new games recently launched on Fire TV, and, coming soon, NBA 2K15." Other recently added apps and games include Spotify, PBS, PBS KIDS, NFL Now, A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, Fashion TV, Epic TV, Young Hollywood, Green.TV, Outside Television, Dailymotion, 'The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series: Season 2,' and 'The Wolf Among Us: A Telltale Games Series.' Meanwhile, the platform's most popular apps are Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube.com, Plex, Pandora, WatchESPN, VEVO, iHeartRadio, and Crackle. Amazon's Fire TV currently retails for $99. You can check out our full review here. Source: AmazonPosted Fri Oct 24, 2014 at 05:00 PM PDT by: -
Triad Adds New In-Ceiling Speakers[teaser]The company is releasing three new in-ceiling speaker models. [/teaser] Triad Speakers has announced the launch of the R-Series. The R-25, R-26, and R-28 are the company's most affordable in-ceiling speakers so far. "Triad's R-Series is designed for cost-conscious music lovers," says Triad Speakers, Inc. Founder / President and CEDIA Chairman Larry Pexton. "We've designed and engineered each speaker with pride in the United States of America, with the utmost attention to quality, décor-friendly design, and high performance sound - eliminating costly frills and features that add nothing to sound quality." All three models are shallow-depth open-back 2-way loudspeaker systems with 1-inch cloth-dome tweeters. In addition, each speaker offers round or square trim bezel options. Finally, The R-25 features a 5.25-inch woofer, the R- 26 features a 6.5-inch woofer, and the R-28 features an 8.5-inch woofer. Triad Speakers is based in Portland, Oregon and aims to deliver high-performance loudspeaker solutions that blend with customer's homes decor. The R-25 ($300 per pair), R-26 ($350 per pair), and R-28 ($400 per pair) are available now. Sources: TWICE, Integration ProsPosted Fri Oct 24, 2014 at 03:30 PM PDT by: -
Fire Phone Hurting Amazon's Profits[teaser]The smartphone's lackluster sales have proved costly for the company. [/teaser] Amazon has revealed some troubling numbers related to its Fire Phone. In a conference call with investors, the company's chief financial officer announced that they were taking a $170 million writedown primarily as a result of issues related to the fledgling smartphone. The Fire Phone was released back in July through a partnership between Amazon and AT&T. Unfortunately, the device has failed to catch on with consumers, causing the retailer to cut its price down from $199 to 99 cents with a two-year contract. The $170 million writedown is in large part due to inventory and supplier costs related to the phone. While exact sales figures for the smartphone have not been revealed, the company announced that it had a whopping $83 million worth of inventory left at the end of the third quarter. Customers looking to help relieve Amazon of some of their mounting inventory can purchase a Fire Phone for prices ranging from 99 cents to $449 depending on the service agreement. Sources: CNET, Tech CrunchPosted Fri Oct 24, 2014 at 02:00 PM PDT by:
