Golden Globes! Redbox goes instant. Do movie studios make movies?
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After the coffee. Before wishing I had submitted as a comedy instead of a drama.
The Skinny: I didn’t watch the 12/12/12 concert last night but I know a lot of you did because I got more than my share of live snarking on Twitter and Facebook. Lesson learned: Stay offline during popular cultural events. Today’s news includes the Golden Globe nominations, Redbox Instant taking on Netflix, and an analysis of which studios actually still make movies.
Daily Dose: Time Warner Cable subscribers in Los Angeles are getting new channels including BBC World News and Aspire, the cable network being launched by Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson. Sports fans will also have some new toys. Being added to Time Warner Cable’s sports tiers are Fox Deportes, Tennis Channel, MLB Strike Zone and BeIN Sport, which is a must-have for soccer fans.
Who got the gold? The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., which votes for the Golden Globes, is always good for a few surprises. This time it was the nomination of March’s low-budget comedy “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” from tiny CBS Films for best picture. Less surprisingly, movies that got a lot of nominations today include “Lincoln,” “Django Unchained,” and “Argo.” Coverage from the L.A. Times, the Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap and the New York Times.
Redbox Instant coming in an instant: Those ubiquitous red kiosks are just weeks away from taking on Netflix on its home turf. The not-at-all-awkwardly-named “Redbox Instant by Verizon” will launch in public beta by the end of the year. Its two backers (guess which companies they are) hope that despite a smaller selection of streaming movies, the fact that consumers can also get four new DVD releases for their $8 per month will give them a big advantage. Coverage in the L.A. Times and AllThingsD.
‘Hobbit’ expectations: “The Hobbit” is already off to a fast start in director Peter Jackson’s home of New Zealand, where it set an opening-day record, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Total box office for the year, meanwhile, could very well set a new record by Dec. 31, reports Variety.
‘Zero Dark’ furor: At the same time that it’s racking up awards attention, there has been a controversy building over the portrayal of torture in “Zero Dark Thirty.” Critics claim the move falsely implies that “enhanced interrogation” provided a key break in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Those behind the film contend it is heavily researched, but not a documentary. The New York Times weighs in on the debate.
Do movie studios make movies? There has been a curious trend in Hollywood of late. Studios, it seems, are getting out of the movie-making business. OK, that’s an exaggeration, but they are making fewer and fewer and more often relying on outside financiers with less, shall we say, conservative corporate business models. The Hollywood Reporter goes studio-by-studio to look at how dedicated they still are to actually producing films.
‘Mobile’ without moving: In an interesting lesson for both tech companies and content producers, it turns out “mobile” content isn’t really that mobile. AllThingsD reports that 63% of video viewing on smartphones happens at home.
Also in the Los Angeles Times: ‘The Hobbit’ doesn’t live up to “Lord of the Rings”-size expectations, says critic Kenneth Turan; Peter Chernin invests in YouTube network MiTu; 24 of the 25 most watched TV “shows” so far this season have been NFL games; the latest on Jenni Rivera’s plane crash.
Times staff writer Joe Flint contributed to this article.
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