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Netflix nabs exclusive subscription pay TV rights to Paramount movies -- in Canada
So far Canadian Netflix users have had to deal with a far more limited streaming library than their US cousins, exacerbated by the lack of a DVD / Blu-ray library to fall back on, but that's about to change. Netflix has struck a deal in Canada with Paramount for premium pay TV window access covering "exclusive subscription television rights to all first-run films." Currently in the US Netflix's deal with Epix gives it access to many of the same movies (Iron Man 2 -- already available since the 25th in Canada, while not currently ready for streaming in the US -- Titanic, Zoolander, The Last Airbender) eventually, but that's clearly not exclusive. While it's previously cut deals with smaller distributors like Relativity Media and Nu Image/Millennium Films for pay TV window access, the combo of exclusive and a major studio like Paramount makes Netflix a pay TV channel competitor in a whole new way. This backs up its earlier move in that direction by signing up for a new original show to debut on the service in 2012 and potentially adds a new edge to rumored negotiations for the Miramax back catalog, press release follows after the break.
Galaxy Indulge microSDHC card regularly reports back to MetroPCS (but hey, you get Iron Man 2 for free!)
If you're the kind of person who buys phones based on Hollywood tie-in deals (and for your sake, we hope you're not) you'll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy Indulge comes pre-loaded with Iron Man 2. That's right, a sequel to a movie you only ever saw half of, once, while it was on the TV over the bar at Armand's on Liberty Ave. (assuming that you're a certain Engadget editor, and for your sake we hope you're not) is coming pre-loaded on the world's first Android-packing, LTE smartphone. And if that wasn't enough, the SanDisk microSDHC card that the movie is stored on regularly reports back to MetroPCS with usage statistics: This intelligent SanDisk mobile memory card provides specific, real-time network data to MetroPCS to measure customer interest in digital content. Details of aggregated, anonymous consumer usage will allow MetroPCS to determine the impact of its movie offering, which in turn allows them to provide customers with more customized content and services in the future. We're sure everything is on the up-and-up here, but for some reason we don't think most consumers will be comfortable with storage that reports regularly to a carrier -- for any reason. Still, things could be much worse: you could be stuck with the pre-loaded Iron Man app on an LG Ally.
Shocker! Apple product placements dominate Hollywood
Something you already knew to be true has just been confirmed by Omnicom's Interbrand brand consultancy division: Apple reigns supreme in Hollywood films. Interbrand's Brandchannel website dug deep into the fetid bowels of product placement to reveal Hollywood's preferences (paid or personal) in the 33 films that hit the US box office number one slot in 2010. Brandchannel identified 591 total brand or product appearances for an average of 17.9 placements per film, with Apple appearing in ten of the top films for a 30 percent share -- Nike, Chevrolet, and Ford each appeared in eight. Incidentally, Iron Man 2 won the dubious distinction of being cluttered with the most identifiable brands (64) in 2010. Apple is actually off from its peak of 50 percent of number one films in 2008 and 44 percent in 2009 as demonstrated in the chart after the break. But it's not for a lack of trying. Brandchannel contends that the competition for brand placement has simply intensified resulting in fewer appearances of Janoff's U+F8FF.
Blu-ray releases on September 28th 2010
That's right, the Fall season has officially begun and brought with it the first Summer blockbuster on Blu-ray, Iron Man 2. If you aren't into that one, there might still be something out there for you this week. One that caught our attention was from the Criterion Collection. The Thin Red Line is a late 90's World War II movie that is supposedly one of the best war flicks, so check it out if you haven't seen it, we know we will be. Iron Man 2 (Paramount) The Thin Red Line (Criterion) Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (Criterion) Airborne Toxic Event: All I Ever Wanted (Island) Babies (Universal) Get Him to the Greek (Universal) Battle 360: Complete Season 1 (A&E) Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (Sony) Frozen (Anchor Bay) Good (E1) The Killer Inside Me (MPI) King Kong (Warner) Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (Warner) Lighthouses of the Pacific Northwest (Blibbet) Nostradamus: 2012 (A&E) Patton 360: The Complete Season 1 (A&E) Prey (Weinstein) The Private Eyes (Hen's Tooth) Rock & Rule (Unearthed Films) Suck (E1)
Iron Man 2 Blu-ray goes on sale September 28 with plenty of extras
After breaking $300 million in the domestic box office and a record breaking (though initially flawed) predecessor, you'd figure Iron Man 2 would be in for an incredibly well-spec'd Blu-ray release... and you would be right. The three disc Blu-ray/DVD with Digital Copy set has plenty of extras including a 5.1 DTS-HD MA English soundtrack, commentary from director Jon Favreau and Previsualization and Animatics special features -- and that's just Disc 1. Disc 2 brings even more HD features including an extensive making of, more featurettes and a shout out to the late DJ AM. Check after the break for box art and all the other details in the press release (except for the MSRP) we'll be waiting to find out if this is a proper addition to the collection of reference quality discs this fall.
Objet 3D printing put to the test in Iron Man 2 (video)
We got a pretty good look at some of the tech of Iron Man 2 recently, and it looks like the flick's gadgety goodness extends behind the camera as well. It appears that all that bad ass armor is actually produced on the fly by the film's production company, Legacy Effects, using an Objet Eden 3D printer. The company describes the process as "print-to-wear" – pieces come out of the printer, get applied with paint, and make their way to the actors. And since the designs begin with an actual scan of the actor's body, they are much more comfortable. Believe us, there is nothing that a director wants to see less than a cranky Robert Downey, Jr. on their set. For more info on how the device is being used throughout the creative process, check out the video after the break.
LG's $100 Ally crashing Verizon stores on May 20th, pre-orders start tomorrow (update: now with specs)
We had a hunch that LG's Android 2.1-based Ally would see its first customers on May 20th, and Verizon Wireless has finally opened up and confirmed as much this morning. The Iron Man 2-infused smartphone -- which we spent some time with yesterday -- will be available in all VZW stores beginning May 20th, with pre-orders going live for phone and web customers tomorrow. We've already given you the rundown when it comes to specs (they're after the break for those with memories shorter than their shoelaces), but now we're able to confirm that it'll sell for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year contract. A well-specced Android smartphone for under a Benjamin? Not bad, LG. Update: Nothing in particular to write home about, but LG has just unveiled the Ally's nearly complete spec sheet. [Thanks, Rey E.]
Iron Man 2: the gadgets (video)
When done right, a science fiction or fantasy film will leave audiences with a prescient glimpse into our actual gadget future. Remember the heady pre-iPhone, pre-Pureness days of 2002 when you first saw Minority Report? Staring silently, mouth agape, jonesing for a chance to partake in a multi-touch, transparent display future using nothing but gestures? Well now that Iron Man 2 has been released, we've got another chance to look into the high-tech crystal ball, this time envisioned by a team of artists at Perception who did the design, animation, and visual effects work that turned Tony Stark's transparent LG smartphone (pictured above), touch-screen coffee table, and holographic lab environment into an on-screen reality. The group was compelled by director Jon Favreau and the team at Marvel Studios to keep the UI elements "legible and logical, while still appearing to be several generations beyond the typical user experience." Perception tells us that some of its inspiration was directly attributed to Engadget as it researched near-term technologies for the film's future reality. No doubt, we do see influence from Emblaze's First Else navigation elements and limited color palette as well as Microsoft's InkSeine research at the heart of the doomed Courier UI. And if we're not mistaken, Stark's big ass computing table is almost certainly inspired by Microsoft Surface. Now get past the break and check out Perception's contribution to Iron Man 2, the future of Google search alone is not to be missed.%Gallery-92501%
LG Ally gets its own website, details finally start to flow
LG's Ally recently got its stamp of approval from LG, but outside of a terse acknowledgment that the phone was real (and had a thing for iron-clad superheroes), little else was divulged. Today, we've stumbled upon the phone's dedicated product page over at the company's website, which not only plugs Iron Man 2 to the nth degree, but also informs us that it'll ship with a 3.2-inch touchscreen, Android 2.1, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a backside camera and a microSD card slot. There's also a link over there to jump into the LG Ally community, so feel free to do just that if this trickling of information is driving you up the wall.
LG confirms Android-powered Ally, coming May 20th
Well, this hasn't exactly followed the usual smartphone launch route, but LG has now officially confirmed the existence of its new Android-powered LG Ally handset, although it's still not doing much talking about the phone itself. It has, however, revealed that the phone will be available on May 20th (presumably on Verizon, though LG oddly doesn't mention a carrier in its press release), and that it will naturally feature plenty of Iron Man 2 tie-in content, including an augmented reality application of some sort. Otherwise, LG is only saying that the phone will have a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keypad, and it's pointing folks towards an Iron Man 2 tie-in site (linked below) that, last we checked, still says to check back on April 30th. We should be getting some more details on the phone soon enough, however, as LG is holding an event in New York on May 11th where it will be showing off the Ally and other "Stark-worthy" technology.
Gameloft brings Iron Man 2 to the iPad and iPhone
Gameloft has done a Q&A over on Marvel's official blog about their iPhone and iPad versions of the upcoming Iron Man 2 game, and there are some interesting tidbits in there. Gameloft is traditionally a mobile company, and as they say, they've worked on "small to very small" devices, so the iPad is a new trick for them. They say that developing for the iPad allowed them to ramp up the graphics, and helped to make the new game that much more immersive. In my few experiences with the iPad, I've found that very true -- the bigger screen definitely makes a difference in terms of focusing on the game. Gameloft also promotes the game's multiple suits (including a stealth suit, that sounds interesting), and some big bosses to fight against. They say the release is scheduled for next week, so we'll look for it then.
Apple Movie Trailers website getting an iTunes Store-style overhaul?
A reader has tipped us off that Apple's Movie Trailer site has gotten an iTunes Store-style look. Well, for the Iron Man 2 Exclusive Trailer page anyway. Right now the rest of the site seems to have retained its old look. Is this a slow rollout, or is Iron Man just that cool that he gets his own design? Either way, the trailer for Iron Man 2 looks amazing! We'll let you know if any other trailers get the iTunes Store treatment. Thanks Space Taker!
