UltraViolet, launched in 2011 as a movie studio alternative to iTunes’ growing dominance of digital video, is ending. (The first studio to use it was Warner.) The service, which was planned to allow you to aggregate digital copies of TV shows and movies and watch on a variety of devices, has been generally replaced by Movies Anywhere (assuming you’re in the US), which has the benefit of including Disney (who originally launched it) and working across more services, including iTunes. […]

Today, March 30, to celebrate 80 years of Batman, there’s a whole bunch of content featuring the Dark Knight available at the DC Universe streaming service. If you’re in the US, you can watch the following: Batman (1989) Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero Batman & Robin Batman Beyond Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker Batman Forever Batman Ninja Batman Returns The Batman vs Dracula Batman vs. Robin The Batman Batman: Assault on Arkham Batman: Gotham Knight Batman: Mask of […]

Venom seemed like a crazy idea for a stand-alone superhero film, but it’s doing quite well. It’s a top 10 movie in domestic take for 2018, and it shows that Sony/Columbia doesn’t have to team up with Marvel Studios (as they did for Spider-Man: Homecoming) to make an enjoyable Spider-Verse movie. What surprised me was that it became available for digital rental last week and comes out on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow, December 18. This is unusual because its theatrical […]

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part comes out in February, but the promotion has already started. The first film was adorable, so there are high hopes for the second. This teaser trailer shows a post-apocalyptic-style setting, and around a minute and a half in, it even addresses my biggest concern with the first, that Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) did all the cool stuff but Emmet (Chris Pratt) got all the credit. Anyway, we’ll have to wait and see how that […]

I’m always fascinated when movies become so important in some way that they recut them for a wider audience. I remember, way back when, they put out a PG version of Saturday Night Fever (which I saw at the drive-in on a double bill with Grease). The latest example is Deadpool 2. Deadpool was the biggest R-rated opening weekend ever, a record broken by It and then again by Deadpool 2. But just in time for Christmas, on Wednesday in […]

Sequart Organization, a publisher of books and films “devoted to the study of popular culture and the promotion of comic books as a legitimate art form”, has released two of their documentaries about cult comic creators on YouTube for free viewing. Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods was produced in close collaboration with Morrison and features extensive interviews with him, as well as never-before-seen photos and documents spanning his childhood to the present day. Complimenting Morrison’s own words are interviews with […]

Continuing the pattern of Warner streaming services being shut down, the latest announcement is that FilmStruck will end next month. The move appeared to be the latest by WarnerMedia, under AT&T’s ownership, to streamline operations by cutting niche-oriented business ventures. Two sources familiar with the decision said the plan to kill FilmStruck was made prior to AT&T’s closing the Time Warner deal; in any case, the strategy aligns with the new WarnerMedia blueprint to shift resources to mass-market entertainment services. […]

There was a small trend a few years ago of star-studded ensemble films directed by Garry Marshall themed around holidays — Valentine’s Day was followed by New Year’s Eve and then Mother’s Day. Now comes a new twist on seasonal cinema — this time with added cute animal appeal! Out August 10, during the dog days of summer, is Dog Days, directed by Ken Marino from a screenplay by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama (Marino’s wife). [This] ensemble comedy follows […]