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Burn FilmStruck, spoil UltraViolet, but you can’t take my DVDs
I haven't watched a DVD in a while. Long enough that I've thought about donating all of my discs to goodwill. But when I Kondo'd my possessions, the bulk of my media remained in place as they kinda/sorta sparked joy. (That's a lie, I was deep into the sunk cost fallacy to just toss a small fortune's worth of DVDs, which is a bit like joy, right?) Now, however, the recent news in the digital media makes me want to hold my discs and never ever let them go.
Criterion will launch its own classic film streaming service in 2019
Criterion won't kill its streaming channel after FilmStruck shuts down on November 29th -- in fact, it'll live on as an independent service slated for launch in spring 2019. The video distribution company started looking for a new home as soon as WarnerMedia announced that it's closing the doors on its classic cinema streaming service. Some thought it would go back to Hulu, its former home, but it clearly decided to take another path and to go all out.
Genre fans are getting milked by streaming services
Like Thanos at the end of Infinity War, Marvel has culled some of its Netflix universe, canceling both Iron Fist and Luke Cage in the past few weeks. That leaves Daredevil and Jessica Jones as the remaining Defenders on the streaming service, plus spinoff property Punisher. The company promised that this wasn't the last time we'd see either hero, just that it was the end of their respective shows "on Netflix," fueling speculation that they'd be heading to Disney's upcoming streaming service. Now we'll have to cough up even more money if we want to keep up with the continuing adventures of Luke, Colleen, Misty and maybe Danny. (Ed. note: Nobody wants to keep up with Danny.)
Classic cinema streaming service FilmStruck will close November 29th
FilmStruck, WarnerMedia's streaming service that focuses on classic and indie cinema, is shutting down November 29th. The two-year-old platform is already closed to new subscribers.
FilmStruck's alternative streaming service is coming to the UK
A movie streaming service backed by Warner Bros. and Turner is launching in the UK in the "coming weeks," the pair have announced. FilmStruck has been lighting up screens in the US since late 2016, and will arrive across the pond with a slightly different name: FilmStruck Curzon. Underpinned primarily by the substantial archives of Warner Bros. and the Criterion Collection, the service will span "mainstream, cult, independent, classics, art house, foreign and documentary film." As well as providing logistical support, Curzon will have its own curated corner on the service that'll feature some content provided by its movie distribution arm, Artificial Eye.
FilmStruck's streaming service for classic films is here
You can look at FilmStruck in two ways. For film aficionados, it's a one-stop shop for classic cinema. But it's also known as the service that ripped the Criterion Collection away from Hulu. Announced back in July, FilmStruck is officially launching today with plans starting at $7 a month for Turner Classic Movies' library of older films (and a bevy of special features). Bump up to $11 a month (or $99 a year) and you'll get access to the biggest collection of Criterion films streaming online. You can access FilmStruck on iOS, Android, the web, Fire TV and, later this month, the Apple TV fourth-gen. It'll also be available soon on Chromecast and Roku.
Turner Classic and Criterion launching FilmStruck streaming service
Here's something you didn't know you needed in your life: a Netflix, but just for the prestige films of yesteryear. That's the idea behind FilmStruck, a subscription service that's being developed by Turner Classic Movies and the Criterion Collection. According to the New York Times, the offering will house upwards of 1,000 films you can't get elsewhere, including Seven Samuari, Blood Simple and Mad Max. Pricing for the offering has yet to be decided, but the WSJ believes that it'll be under $10 a month. There's a sting in the tail for Hulu users, too, since Warner / Criterion movies that are currently available there are likely to be pulled.
