The latest news, reviews from the home video front
"Being under the radar is a good thing," says Exene Cervenka, the singer-poet of the L.A. rock band X. "Celebrity-hood is not a good thing. … Being able to live your life as an artist and matter is a good thing. … I'm happy with the way things turned out. She pauses. "Other people in the band, maybe not so much …" X holds the title of quintessential L.A. rock band, brushing past such contenders as the Doors (too psychedelic) and Love (too ephemeral). Yet the quartet's profile … [Read more...]
In the midst of its very own Shark Week, Netflix renewed its content deal with cable favorite Discovery Communications. The content deal brings "a wide range of additional episodes and series" from the Discovery networks," Netflix said Sept. 21. The companies' joint press release cited "highlights" such "Man vs. Wild" (pictured), "Say Yes to the Dress" and "River Monsters" -- all already available on Netflix but presumably in for expanded presences. Discovery's best-known channels are … [Read more...]
Offbeat documentary maker Morgan Spurlock goes exclusive with Hulu for a six-part series titled "A Day in the Life." It debuts Aug. 17. The Spurlock show is Hulu's first long-form original program. It will stream on Hulu and Hulu Plus, meaning free for all viewers. New half-hour episodes roll out on Wednesdays. Each episode focuses on the day in the life of an "intensely driven" person -- so far mostly entertainers. "The goal for 'A Day in the Life' was to make it as diverse as … [Read more...]
Right now, I'm watching Michael Moore's "Sicko" on Google Video. Good documentary with the usual hard-left slant on the reporting. Video quality is just OK, of course. A high-quality DVD screener (DVDSCR) copy is widely available on BitTorrent outlets. The Google download is a no-hassle, zero risk way to see the film. As of this writing, it's located at this Google Video url. If that link goes dead, use the search or just nose around. Moore has said "I don't have a problem" with P2P … [Read more...]