News Byte
Peter Kafka in Media on October 12, 2011 at 12:12 pm PT
It’s a week for home video about-faces. Universal has dumped plans to let some home viewers rent an Eddie Murphy/Ben Stiller comedy for $60 while it was still in theaters. Comcast’s movie studio reversed course just days after news of its “Tower Heist” plan surfaced. Though the rental plan was only slated for Atlanta and Portland, several theater chains had said they would boycott the movie nationally in protest.
Kara Swisher in News on January 16, 2011 at 4:15 pm PT
SnagFilms, the online video distribution site for professional documentaries, has nabbed $10 million in funding from Comcast’s investment arm and New Enterprise Associates, and will also now be distributing fictional independent releases.
That and the new investment giving SnagFilms a valuation of $50 million should be big news at the 11th Sundance Film Festival, the famous independent film gathering opening in Park City, Utah, on Thursday.
Katherine Boehret in The Digital Solution on December 21, 2010 at 3:02 pm PT
Katie reviews the revamped Myspace, with its focus on topics in popular culture, including television, music, movies, celebrities and comedy.
Lauren Goode, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on November 8, 2010 at 9:14 am PT
3-D glasses are going in the direction of high fashion.
In recent days, both Gucci and Calvin Klein Inc. unveiled high-style 3-D glasses with price tags of $225 and $180, respectively. Now eyewear and apparel maker Oakley Inc., is diving into the third dimension with the release of a $120 3-D version of its popular Gascan model of sunglasses.
Kara Swisher in News on October 6, 2010 at 9:00 pm PT
Tonight, Yahoo is introducing a new set of search upgrades, moving to focus on boosting its experience for consumers as it ports responsibility for underlying search technology to Microsoft under its new partnership.
Among the new enhancements: A vertical “accordion” paradigm with shortcuts on search results that allow for new kinds of information presentation; “quick apps,” beginning with one for Netflix that lets its members add movies to their queue directly from the search results page; slideshows within search from the “Trending Now” lists on Yahoo; more immersive and theater-style photo and video search; and a new mobile search experience that uses HTML5 technology.
Kara Swisher in News on September 27, 2010 at 1:02 am PT
BoomTown is not even going to try to explain this trailer for the movie “Jackboots on Whitehall,” except to say:
No 3-D.
Foul-mouthed puppets.
World War II.
Kara Swisher in News on September 20, 2010 at 3:25 am PT
Oh dear–a PR war with a social networking site?
Really?
In any case, such things are better left to the professionals who make Hollywood movies, opening October 1 at a theater near you.
But here’s 1938 Media’s video interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg–sort of!–to clear it all up.
Kara Swisher in News on July 16, 2010 at 5:17 pm PT
Facebook expects to announce its 500-millionth user next week, and will mark the occasion with a new consumer marketing initiative called “Facebook Stories.”
Last week, BoomTown got wind of the effort–which will center on a variety of life stories from users about the impact of the social networking site on their lives–and asked Facebook about it. The company confirmed its impending launch and put Randi Zuckerberg on the horn to tell me the story behind “Stories.”
Peter Kafka in D8 on June 2, 2010 at 8:00 pm PT
In 1997, James Cameron made “Titanic,” the highest-grossing film ever made.
Thirteen years later he did it again: “Avatar.” And as much as “Avatar” stretched the boundaries of the box office, it has stretched the boundaries of cinema as well. The 3-D film featured a staggering 2,500-plus special-effects shots, set a new standard for movie-making technology and may have ushered in a big-screen renaissance in the process.
Peter Kafka in Media on March 31, 2010 at 3:30 am PT
Yesterday marked the first time a feature film appeared on Hulu before running anywhere else.
So why haven’t you heard about it?
Because if the people behind “In The Darkness” didn’t call their project a feature film, nobody else would. But I bet we see a lot more of this from the site.
