What the heck is YouTube Premium, Spiderman sequel casting rumors, DirectTV Now overhaul, and The Expanse revival rumors. All this and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Martin Thomas.

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CordKillers: Ep. 221 – $40. Wait, What?!
Recorded: May 21 2018
Guest: Martin Thomas.

Intro Video

• Double Toasted Avengers Infinite War review

Primary Target

• YouTube Music launches Tuesday; YouTube Red will be replaced by YouTube Premium, which will cost more.
  – Tomorrow, Tuesday, YouTube will roll out changes to its subscription offerings. YouTube Music will officially launch as a music streaming service (with standalone app) offering a portal to YouTube’s immense library of music label and user-generated music. The service includes recommendations based on history and location as well as various playlists. YouTube Music will be free and ad-supported at its base and users can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium for $10/mo for ad-free listening, background listening on mobile, and offline downloading of music. On top of YouTube Music Premium, is a plan just called YouTube Premium. For $12/mo, users get all the features of YouTube Music Premium extended across all of YouTube (ad-free viewing, background play, downloading) plus access to YouTube Originals–this is effectively YouTube Red. Existing YouTube Red or Google Play All Access/Google Play Music users will see a continuance of their features and services at their current prices and YouTube says Google Play Music uploads, playlists, and purchases will not change. Quoting an email that went out to YouTube Red subscribers: “Your monthly membership price isn’t changing. As long as your membership remains active, your price stays the same. If your price ever changes, we’ll be sure to give you plenty of notice.”

How to Watch

• DirecTV Now launches DVR features to all customers alongside redesigned app
  – DirectTV Now is roling out a public beta of its DVR to all users which includes 20 hours of content stored for 30 days for free (with paid options starting at $10/mo for 100 hours stored for 90 days). DirectTV also overhauled its interface placing an emphasis on users’ msot watched content and to provide picture-in-picture channel previewing. Users can also add a third consequtive stream to their account for $5/mo. Finally, users will be allowed to access local affiliates of network channels when travelling (assuming those affiliates are available on DirectTV)
• New Amazon Channels Data Shows Why Apple Wants to Copy It
  – Data from The Diffusion Group shows that 53% of HBO subscribers who do not buy HBO through a cable provider subscribe through Amazon Channels, Amazon’s a la carte channel subscription service. The same can be said for 72% of Showtime and 70% of Starz’s a la carte subscribers. While this data is only gleamed from unofficial data, if it’s even remotely accurate, it shines a light on why Apple would want to get into the subscription a la carte game. Last week we reported that Apple would eventually offer a la carte channels like HBO directly through its TV app.
• TiVo update will add Amazon’s Alexa to select DVRs
  – In voice remote news, Tivos partnership with Amazon A-word is rolling out to users of the Premiere, Roamio, or Bolt DVR set-top boxes. The voice commands are limited compared to Tivo’s own “Vox” remote control, but it’s another option for voice assistant users. Also, YouTube TV turns on ‘voice remote’ feature for some users. Using the Google Home speaker or YouTube TV app, users can issue voice commands to control YouTube TV to change the channel, volume, or find a specific program.

What to Watch

• ‘The Expanse’ Revived for Season 4 at Amazon
  – The Hollywood Reporter is reporting Amazon will be reviving The Expanse just over a week after its cancellation from SyFy. Amazon has not confirmed the deal, which is reportedly not closed.
• Jake Gyllenhaal May Play Mysterio in the Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel
  – Sony is reported to be eyeing Jake Gyllenhaal to play Mysterio and Michael Keaton to return as Vulture. in the upcoming Spier-Man Homecoming sequel
• Amazon gives ‘Mrs. Maisel’ third season just months after premiere
  – Amazon confirmes the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will get a third season even before the second has even premired. This isn’t a complete surprise as Mrs. Maisel won two Golden Globes in January and recently won a Peabody award. The first season was originally greenlit after winning an Amazon Pilot Season vote. We reported about a month ago that the yet-to-premiere Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan was picked up for a second season.
• Robert Downey Jr. is making a YouTube Red series about artificial intelligence
  – Robert Downey Jr has signed on to a new YouTube Red (Premium?) original series about artificial intelligence. He’ll host and narrate the show which will explore how AI transforms the way we work and live in the present and future. His wife Susan Downey will produce.
• At Long Last, Terry Gilliam Has Screened “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote”
  – After 30 years, Terry Gilliam finally was able to screen The Man Who Killed Don Quixote at the Cannes Film Festival Saturday Night to a well deserved 15 minute-long standing ovation that, kinda symbolized the decades wait on this film
• Barack and Michelle’s next act: TV deal with Netflix
  – Barack and Michelle Obama have entered an multi-year agreement with Netflix to produce series, documentaries, and feature films. Reports say the first item to appear from this deal would arrive around May 2019.
• Netflix lands political comedy with Jennifer Aniston and Tig Notaro
  – Netflix acquired a new political comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Tig Notaro “First Ladies.” Tig Notaro and her wife Stephanie Allynne wrote it.
• Netflix snags Guillermo del Toro horror anthology series
  – Netflix ordered a horror anthology series from Guillermo del Toro horror called “10 After Midnight.” del Toro will curate, write, and direct alongside a team of writers and filmmakers. No release has been set.
• Netflix snaps up two Cannes award winners despite feud
  – Despite the feud, Netflix also acquired two new films at the Cannes Film Festival. “Happy as Lazzaro” won Best Screenplay for the story of a naive man wrapped roped into faking a kidnapping. “Girl” is the story of a young transgender teen ballerina. The purchase includes North and South American distribution rights, but no release date has been announced.
• Netflix and ESPN are working on a Michael Jordan documentary series
  – Netflix and ESPN are working on a Michael Jordan documentary series, “The Last Dance.” It will cover Jordan’s ascent to the throne in the ’90s and his time with the Chicago Bulls during their final championship in the 1997-98 season
• Netflix picks up ‘The Big Short’ author’s Wall Street exposé
  – And finally, Netflix picked up the rights to a Wall Street expose fromMichael Lewis, auther of “The Big Short” called “Flash Boys,” on the high-frequency trading loophole.

What We’re Watching

• Brian: Evil Genius, Cobra Kai, rewatch Westworld 203, Deadpool 2
• Bryce: Cobra Kai,  Halt and Catch Fire,  rewatch, Deadpool 2, Westworld, Legion
• Martin: Counterpart, Legion, Westworld, Barry, Atlanta
• On the Look out: The Who Was?, A Little Help with Carol Burnett

Front Lines

• Netflix wins a BAFTA, but the BBC’s still king
  – Netflix won a BAFTA for The Crown (Best Supporting Actress went to Vanessa Kirby) out of 6 noms. Hulu wins Best International Series with The Handmaid’s Tale.
• ‘Cobra Kai’: YouTube Red’s ‘Karate Kid’ Sequel Outperforms Netflix, Hulu Shows
  – Data from Parrot Analytics claim Cobra Kai outperformed other original programming including 13 Reasons Why season 2 and Arrested Development from May 6 to May 12. Seems like a hit?
• YouTube TV adds The Young Turks and Tastemade channels
  – YouTube TV adds The Young Turks and Tastemade channels which will produce 14 new series between the two for their coming 24/7 channels.
• Netflix will split the fifth season of ‘Arrested Development’
  – Netflix will split the fifth season of ‘Arrested Development’ with 8 episodes releasing on the announced May 29th date. Netflix is doing a similar split with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s finale season the next day. It is likely these splits were to qualify for the Emmy’s.

Dispatches from the Front

I DID IT!! I FINALLY DID IT!!!
Cut the cord, turned in my cable box. Cable free for the first time in 30 years. Not only that, Comcast gave me a year deal on its blast internet package for $60 a month and it will be cheaper when i get my own router. Not saying i will not ever go back to cable but I’m planning on buying season pass on Amazon of series i want to keep up with. Other than that, Netflix, Prime is good enough for me. #soexcited

– Mel

 

 

 

 Dear Penthouse Forum…I mean Cordkilkers…I never thought this would happen to me but AMC made me so mad I couldn’t watch the movie I paid for and walked out after the first scene. I’ve been a longtime Movie Pass member (although I quit after they raised the price to $99 during their original phase but jumped back in at $10). On Monday I went to the theater knowing I had $10 in rewards on my AMC Premiere Club card and had decided to use that since I hadn’t had a chance to eat anything that day. I bought my ticket with my Movie Pass, went to the concession stand and was told the $10 was used to pay for my ticket. I had always been given the option to use it at the ticket counter or concessions but the manager somewhat gleefully explained the policy had been changed and it takes it out of whatever purchase is now made first. It felt like this may have been instituted as a punishment toward Movie Pass users who get their tickets “for free” but it makes no sense because the theater gets full price for every film I see there and I am a loyal audience member who chooses them as my main theater. I sat in the auditorium as the movie started, grumbling to myself and decided to just leave and cool off while grabbing lunch. Do you think the Movie Pass conspiracy theory I concocted may be true?

– Mark

Links

2018 Summer Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers

Complicated feels about Daniel-san on Cobra Kai, Two Grown Men Try To Interpret Or Even Remember Two Episode Of Legion, and we’re warming up to a trippy new Westworld.

01:10 – Summer Movie Draft update
04:57 – Triage (Avengers: Infinity War)
07:57 – Cobra Kai (101-102)
16:14 – Cobra Kai (101-104)
23:09 – Legion (202-203)
33:27 – Westworld (204)

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The Expanse is looking for a new home, more info on the coming live-action Star Wars show, and Rick and Morty a hundred years dot com, Morty. All this and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Chris Cox.

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Your thoughts on Avengers and Lost in Space. Plus, a new side of Westworld. For the next two weeks, Tom will be out of the country. Brian and Bryce will catch up with Legion and continue on Westworld during that time here on It’s Spoilerin’ Time.

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It’s the biggest movie ever so far, Avengers: Infinity War. Plus, a Westworld from the past and a Summer Movie Draft update. Sorry we missed Deadwood this week. We’ll do two Deadwoods next week (207, 208).

00:30 – Summer Movie Draft update
03:54 – Triage (Westworld S2 and Lost In Space similarities)
05:27 – Avengers: Infinity War
30:05 – Westworld (202)

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New Star Wars TV show, Sense8 finale date, and an Amazon Fire Cube? All this and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Megan Morrone ( http://twitter.com/meganmorrone ).

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Westworld is back and we’ll be following it every week! Plus, the first half of Lost In Space and Avengers comes out next week in the Summer Movie Draft.

00:38 – Summer Movie Draft update
06:00 – Westworld (201)
23:33 – Lost In Space (102-105)
36:05 – Deadwood (205-206)

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A Netflix theater?! Also: AT&T streaming TV, Spiderman in London, and the final Deadpool 2 trailer. All this and more on Cordkillers! 

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CordKillers: Ep. 217 – Accidental Skinny Bundle
Recorded: April 23 2018
Guest: None

Intro Video

• Anon | Official Trailer

Primary Target

• Netflix has considered buying theaters, including Mark Cuban’s Landmark, to gain an Oscar edge, sources say
  – Netflix has explored buying movie theaters in Los Angeles and New York, sources tell the LA Times. Landmark Theatres, which is co-owned by Mark Cuban, was reportedly one of the theater chains being considered, but plans stalled over a sale price that was too high. Netflix has 125 million subscribers worldwide, and pledged to spend as much as $8 billion this year on original and licensed content. .
• Netflix to raise $1.5 billion in debt
  – Netflix said Monday it plans to raise $1.5 billion in debt, the second debt expansion for Netflix in less than a year. Netflix soundly beat expectations for subscriber growth last quarter and says it will use the money for general corporate purposes.
• Film creators owning theaters was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court in the 40s? 

How to Watch

• AT&T CEO reveals a $15 streaming TV package is coming soon
  – During testimony in defense of the proposed acquisition of TimeWarner, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson mentioned an online TV service launching in the next few weeks. AT&T Watch will cost $15 a month to stream or be free for AT&T Wireless subscribers. No word on what channels would be included but it would contain no sports.

What to Watch

• The Final Deadpool 2 Trailer Introduces the Full X-Force Roster. Deadpool premieres May 18.
• The final trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Premieres June 22.
• ‘GLOW’ season two elbow drops on Netflix June 29th
  – GLOW’ season two premieres on Netflix June 29th as announced in a teaser video to the song Maniac from Flashdance.
• Netflix’s THE WITCHER confirms number of episodes and shooting location
  -Netflix confirmed that its adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher books will be 8 episodes long and shot primarily in Poland.
• The Sequel to Spider-Man Homecoming Spans the Globe
  – Kevin Feige told iO9 that the next Spider-man movie, which kicks off phase 4 of the MCU, will be shot in London and that Spider-man will spend time outside of new York. That untitled Spider-man film is currently scheduled for July 5, 2019.
• Amazon is developing a TV show based on William Gibson’s ‘The Peripheral’
  – Amazon is developing a TV show based on William Gibson’s ‘The Peripheral’. Scott B. Smith is writing and and Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are signed on as executive producers. The Peripheral takes place in two different futures, connected through a virtual reality game. One is relatively close to our present, the other is several decades further along, after society has collapsed.

What We’re Watching

• Brian: Deadwood (2 eps), Lost in Space 2-5, Westworld, rewatched The Muppets
• Tom: Deadwood (206), Lost in Space (2-5), The Expanse, Legion, Westworld
• On the Lookout: Aggretsuko

Front Lines

• Hulu adds Cheddar’s online-only TV channels to its roster
  – Financial news network Cheddar has launched on Hulu and YouTube TV. Cheddar is also available on Amazon, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
• Streaming sports service fuboTV raises $75 million from AMC and others
  – Sports-oriented streaming service fuboTV has new investor in the form of AMC joining 21st Century Fox and Discovery. While FuBo focuses on sports it’s been adding local channels and some entertainment networks like oh, AMC, Food and HGTV. Fubo reported more than 100,000 paid subscribers last September.
• Sports Illustrated TV will start streaming on more platforms
  – Sports Illustrated launched a $5 a month streaming service last autumn through Amazon. It will soon be available on Roku, iOS, Android and the Web. It offers studio shows, films, and documentaries.
• CBS All Access arrives in Canada to kick off international expansion efforts
  – CBS All Access is now available in Canada. Canadians get the service commercial free for CAD$5.99 a month. It will not have Star Trek: Discovery as Bell Media has the rights to those in Canada. CBS plans to bring it to other markets around the world as well.
• MoviePass’ auditor says there’s ‘substantial doubt’ about its ability to stay in business — as it reports a $150.8 million loss
  – Business Insider reports an independent auditor for MoviePass’s owner, Helios and Matheson Analytics, said it had “substantial doubt” about the company’s ability to remain in business. Helios & Matheson reported a loss of $150.8 million last year. Helios & Matheson CEO Ted Farnsworth emphasized that $110 million of the $150 million loss is non-cash.
• Netflix, Amazon and Hollywood Sue “SET TV” Over IPTV Piracy
  – The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment which counts Netflix, Amazon, and several Hollywood studios among its members, is suing another set-top box maker for encouraging piracy. Set TV follows Tickbox and Dragonbox in being targeted for encouraging copyright infringement.

Dispatches from the Front

Brian & Tom,

Perhaps this is a loophole, but when I use my moviepass at my local AMC theater I’m able to do the following.

Once I’m close to the theater, I choose the movie I want to see in the moviepass app and check in. It tells me that the card is ready to be swiped at the theater. At the kiosk, I select ALL of the tickets and the seats that I need. When its time to pay, I swipe the moviepass card first, then the machine tells me that I had insufficient funds and I’m able to pay the balance with another credit card. This helps in a few ways: I’m able to choose seats together with others easily even with moviepass. I was at a matinee and the ticket price was $6.95 but moviepass added $12 to my card so I was able to put the rest of that money towards the other tickets. I can choose a non-3D movie from the moviepass app but once i arrive at the theater, I can purchase a 3D ticket for another movie even tho moviepass only covers most of the cost of the ticket. The balance of that ticket is paid with my credit card along with the other tickets.

Maybe this only works with the kiosks at my local AMC and wouldn’t work with other types of kiosks but it makes me love my moviepass even more.

Love the show.

– Joe

 

 

 

Hello Tom, Brian and everyone else

Before I begin, I would like to apologize in advance for sounding like a total know it all nerd but I feel I must say something.
The Netflicks Lost in space is the fifth incarnation in film/tv media format. When Irwin Allen developed the original pilot, their was no Robot and Dr. Smith. A comic book company by the name of Golden Keys were publishing a series called “Space Family Robinson” for a few year before the pilot. The comic was so similar to the show that Golden Key contacted CBS about the issue. Long story short Golden Key and CBS came to an agreement in which Dr. Smith and the Robot were added to the show to differentiate (is that the right word?) itself from the comic.
Second incarnation is the tv show you already know as well as the third incarnation of the movie.
The forth incarnation of the franchise is an unair TV pilot called “The Robinsons: Lost in Space” in 2004. That Pilot was directed by John Woo. Yes, the action director od Face Off, Broken Arrow and and many Hong Kong action flick. At first it sounded cool for John Woo to direct until I learn that he is not into scifi that much. As you guess there is a reason why it never aired. You can find this pilot on the net if you know where to look. Also as a side note some of the sets were later reuse on the Battle Galactica reboot.
Then lastly the Netflicks Version.

Sorry for the long note and sounding like a know it all.

Keep up the Good work!

– David
 

 

 

Hey guys
Brian has mentioned the ease of starting/stopping video services through Amazon. It’s certainly easy but I hit a stumbling block.

I signed up for Starz through Amazon and found (after speaking to Starz customer service) that I can only watch through the Prime Video app. Can’t watch through the Starz app on AppleTV, Roku, LG or Sony TV OS, not even through the Starz web site. Yeah I can access the content through the Prime apps but I prefer the Apple TV and the WebOS apps. I was also told that purchasing through AppleTV will give me the same limitations.
So, cancelled the subscription from Amazon and subscribed directly from Starz so I can watch “on any damn device I want.” (Seems I heard that somewhere)

Now I’m wondering if the same situation comes up if I subscribe to HBO, Acorn, Showtime etc. through a third party.

Great show!
– Jay
 

 

 

HI Killers..Thanks for the heads up regarding High Maintenance that Sarah mentioned! If not already brought up, please mention HBO Go also has the Web Series of High Maintenance listed separately when you search on HBO. They are 1/2 as long and at least as good if not better. Also each episode has a neat 1 minute directors comment with Katji and Ben,. Way worth a watch! Cord killers is the Best! Will become a Patron when income allows.

Thanks!

– Larry

 

 

Hi Brian and Tom,

I can’t believe I’m actually writing this but “in-defense-of-cricket”…

There is a modern form of the game, absolutely hated by the purists, called “Twenty20 Cricket”. It plays fast, loud and has streamlined rules anyone can pick up.

The link below is to a short CPL (Caribbean Premier League) sizzle reel titled: “Party, Cricket and More Party”. In short, this is not your colonialist overlord’s game *grin*

youtube.com/watch?v=dPCIQk8KyjA

Thanks,

– Graham

Links

2018 Summer Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers
 

Shh, it’s A Quiet Place! Plus, The Expanse premiere and we get Lost in Space! Deadwood and Legion return next week with discussion of two episodes!

00:35 – Summer Movie Draft update
07:05 – A Quiet Place
19:03 – The Expanse (301)
24:12 – Lost in Space (101)

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ESPN+ launches, Netflix grows like crazy, and we get Lost In Space. All this and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Sarah Lane ( http://twitter.com/sarahlane )

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