Category: media

Chinese regulators are starting to investigate big investments into Hollywood firms and people – and then there’s this: “Donald Trump’s appointment of hawkish economist Peter Navarro — author of such books as Death by China — to head a new White House National Trade Council inspired Chinese state media to warn of a potential ‘showdown with the U.S.'”

Wallis Simpson and David Windsor went on a “goodwill tour” of Nazi Germany right after he abdicated the British throne – but you won’t find out any of that from the highly popular Netflix series. Why?

No. And also, they feel and look much crisper and cleaner than they do on other, larger devices. The problem, though: “Obviously the audio quality isn’t even worth discussing: Through the device’s small speakers and the provided earbuds, you can hear the dialogue and music, and that’s it.”

“There were so many instances, in the five or six years since I wrote it, where it seemed so close to being made. It’s the typical Hollywood story — everything falls apart. Every time, I would curse myself and go, ‘Goddamn it.'”

“What’s less discussed is the polarization of culture, and the new echo chambers within which we hear about and experience today’s cultural hits. There will never again be a show like “One Day at a Time” or “All in the Family” — shows that derived their power not solely from their content, which might not hold up to today’s more high-minded affairs, but also from their ubiquity. There’s just about nothing as popular today as old sitcoms were; the only bits of shared culture that come close are periodic sporting events, viral videos, memes and occasional paroxysms of political outrage.”

Apple Inc. is planning to build a significant new business in original television shows and movies, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could make it a bigger player in Hollywood and offset slowing sales of iPhones and iPads.

“Self-actualization is there at the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and it’s what many games deliver. That’s all people ever truly want: to be.” And they can do it with minimal consequences IRL.

“[An Inuit tribe in Barrow] worked with a New York-based company called E-Line to create a game based on an old Iñupiat tale called ‘Kunuuksaayuka,’ in which an Iñupiat child travels across the wilderness to find the source of the bitter blizzards that have been hitting his village. … The resulting game is called Never Alone,” and its protagonist is now a girl. (video)

Sundance finds itself navigating some unusually slippery terrain this year. Mr. Redford, who recuses himself from programming decisions, bristles when his festival is seen as having an agenda. “We don’t take a position,” he insisted. At the same time, his top programmers, John Cooper and Trevor Groth, say they are taking a specific stance, one that is political by nature: For the first time in the festival’s history, there will be a spotlight on one theme — global warming and the environment. Their goal?

“In its first major studio pact after getting investment from Univision last January, the satirical media brand has partnered with Lionsgate for a three-film development deal that runs through 2018.” (Don’t miss the quote from the Onion Studios VP.)