entertainment

These days, computer-generated imagery rules the movie scene, but 20 years ago, it was still a relatively fresh idea that was difficult to integrate into film without looking fake.

When production of "Jurassic Park" commenced, director Steven Spielberg enlisted iconic special-effects guru Stan Winston and his studio team to design and create realistic-looking animatronic dinosaurs. The groundbreaking work, which included an incredible amount of engineering and artistry, forever changed the way people think about dinosaurs. … Read more

Aereo, the streaming service that allows subscribers to receive and record programs over the air, has won a key court ruling today.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today denied a preliminary injunction motion (PDF) from television networks that would have prevented Aereo from transmitting recorded broadcast television programs to its subscribers. The court found that the networks, which have charged that Aereo's service is illegal, "have not demonstrated that they are likely to prevail on the merits of this claim in their copyright infringement action."

Late last year, a U.S. District … Read more

HBO could be considering a new way to get its streaming service, HBO Go, to customers.

Speaking to Reuters in an interview published yesterday, HBO Chief Executive Richard Plepler said that his company is mulling the possibility of offering HBO Go to cable provider customers who don't pay for TV service. Customers who don't pay for television service could pay an extra $10 or $15 per month for access to HBO's programming through HBO Go, broadening the streaming service's scope.

HBO's paid cable network has nearly 30 million subscribers. However, the company's streaming offering … Read more

I bought a BDI stand for my TV 10 years ago, and it still looks great. That says a lot about BDI's quality -- I'm constantly swapping out gear, and the stand is good as new. They no longer make the mostly glass unit I own, but their range of new models is huge.

Most of BDI's current designs feature medium-density fiberboard (MDF) construction, with gorgeous, real hardwood veneers. MDF is better than solid wood in these types of cabinets, real wood shelves bow or warp when heavy gear is placed on them for long periods of … Read more

CBS today announced that it has launched a new, free app for the iPhone and iPad that allows for full-episode streaming to Apple's mobile devices.

The app provides access to full-length episodes of CBS' top shows, including "NCIS," "The Good Wife," and "How I Met Your Mother." The latest episodes of daytime and late-night programming will show up within 24 hours after airing. Prime-time programs will hit the app eight days after their initial broadcast.

For now, the apps are available to iPhone and iPad owners. CBS, which owns CBS Interactive, the company … Read more

Indie movie makers Adam Hamdy and Shaun Magher are bringing a full-feature comedy film to the Xbox Live -- exclusively.

The film, "Pulp," premiered today on Xbox Live. The comedy follows Tony Leary, a "nice-guy owner of Junk Comics," who assists police to help them bring to justice a gang of "Geordie criminals" who want to use another comic company to launder money. Leary is joined "by his trusty geek sidekicks," Rick and Keith.

Although "Pulp" might be a good movie in its own right, the big story behind the film is that it is premiering on Xbox Live. Although a slew of movies are available on Microsoft's service, none has shown first there -- until now.… Read more

No one can play Audrey Hepburn as well as Audrey Hepburn.

Through the magic of computer-generated imagery, the Galaxy chocolate company -- known as Dove outside the U.K. and Ireland -- has brought the deceased movie star back to life for a lovely one-minute commercial by ad agency AMV BBDO and visual-effects company Framestore. … Read more

People just can't seem to get enough of flesh-eating zombies (or maybe it's the other way around). These days, the fantasy of a modern society fighting off zombies appears in nearly every medium of visual entertainment. Michigan-based artist Matt Busch takes this concept to a whole new level in his Hollywood is Dead series of classic movie posters featuring an undead twist.

How did it all begin? Four years ago, Lucasfilm asked Busch to create six versions of the classic "Star Wars" posters with a little zombie flair. "While they [Lucasfilm] spawned the initial idea, the real joy for me that keeps me doing them is my love for movie posters," Busch told Crave. "I'm such a fan of the classic artists like Drew Struzan and Bob Peak. So to be able to study their work up close is a lot of fun for me. And then, yeah, ripping it to a bloody mess by giving it the zombie treatment is a guilty pleasure, too."… Read more

People living around New York City now have access to Aereo's cloud-based television service, the company announced today.

Although Aereo was previously only available in New York's five boroughs, the company has expanded (PDF) its offering to people living in the city's metropolitan area. The region, commonly known as the designated market area, includes 29 counties in New York state, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. According to Aereo, that expansion has brought its total market size to 19 million people.

Aereo is a cloud-based television service that allows users to sign up and access shows across a … Read more