Hollywood

Walt Disney, Sony Pictures test rentals of in-theater films

Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures Entertainment are testing out a new way for people to watch the latest films.

The companies are offering consumers in South Korea the opportunity to rent films in-home that are currently running in theaters. According to the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report on their move, Sony offered "Django Unchained" three weeks after it premiered in theaters. Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Brave" were also made available weeks after their theatrical releases.

Film studios have for years attempted to find the right balance between getting people … Read more

Amazon's Lovefilm inks deal to stream 'Star Trek,' 'Dexter'

Amazon Lovefilm subscribers can now trek into space or follow the adventures of a serial killer right from their own homes.

Announced Monday, the new deal between the retail giant and CNET parent CBS expands the number of TV series available for Amazon Lovefilm streaming customers in the U.K. and Germany. The original "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: Yoyager" are two of the series beaming up.

Other CBS-owned shows include "The Good Wife" and "Blue Bloods." Also on the list are three series from Showtime, which is owned by CBS, namely &… Read more

The home stretch: How Pixar wrapped 'Monsters University'

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- It's early April, and there's just over two months before Pixar's newest film, "Monsters University," hits theaters. For years, the filmmakers at this hit factory have been working like crazy, taking what was once a mere idea for a prequel to 2001's "Monsters, Inc." through every step on the way to the silver screen.

Thirty-two miles away, some of the "MU" team is still toiling away, mixing the film's sound at Skywalker Ranch, but here at the studio's headquarters, inside the Steve Jobs Building, it'… Read more

Mad Max with an American accent? Not so fast

When you think "Aussie sci-fi," you probably think first of the 1979 dystopian action film "Mad Max," starring Mel Gibson in his breakout role. Now, a video game version is on the way, but some fans are outraged to see an American voice actor cast in the leading role.

The upcoming third-person open-world game by Avalanche Studios, due out sometime next year for PCs, the PS4, and Xbox One, made an appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), where Ausgamers was told the developer wanted "someone generic" to play Max.

In fact, Avalanche founder Christofer Sundberg told IGN, "We treated this as a completely new property, and that was really the only way for us to take on a licensed game. It's the first licensed game we've ever taken on. And we wanted to treat it like an original IP. The setting -- where it is in the world -- has really nothing to do with the Mad Max video game. It's really a game to do with the relationships between different people in this world." … Read more

Netflix streaming heads to the Netherlands in late 2013

Netflix streaming is heading to the Netherlands.

The company said Wednesday that the service will be available in "late 2013," adding that its streaming service will offer "Hollywood, local and global TV series and films, including critically-acclaimed Netflix Original Series such as 'House of Cards' and 'Arrested Development' whenever and wherever they like on tablets, phones, TVs, game consoles and computers."

Last year, Netflix made a significant push into Europe by launching its streaming service in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The service is also available in the U.K., Ireland, and the small island country … Read more

Santas and Burning Man and bridge climbing, oh my

OAKLAND, Calif. -- If you live in Austin, San Francisco, New York, or any number of other cites, the sight of hundreds of Santa Clauses prowling around, ducking in and out of bars, department stores, or parks as part of the annual SantaCon has probably become second nature.

But imagine seeing dozens of St. Nicks walking toward you on a San Francisco street in 1994 or 1995 , when the Internet was anything but ubiquitous, when culture jamming was a phrase no one had heard before, and Improv Everywhere, the Yes Men, and flash mobs were still a thing of the … Read more

'Family Ties' actress goes to college to learn coding

Lots of college freshman have started their university careers with the goal of learning coding and one day entering into the exciting world of technology. However, most of them aren't 47-year-old actresses who starred on "Family Ties."

Justine Bateman is a freshman at UCLA. She's entered into a world of calculus, coding marathons, and late-night sessions all in the name of trying to advance Hollywood's acceptance of new technologies.

Crave got in touch with Bateman, who is too busy with finals to answer questions about her college career at the moment. She's logging some serious study time right now, but did mention referencing CNET in a team research paper on cyberwars for her engineering ethics class.… Read more

Physicists rejoice! Will Smith is one of you

Physicists can sometimes feel neglected.

Not always the party types, their lack of screen presence makes them seem weird, peculiar, and other-worldly.

Famous actor and renowned non-Scientologist Will Smith intends to narrow that gap. He knows that physics is the core of human life.

How can I make such a provocative statement?

Well, because I just read an interview he and his son Jaden gave to New York magazine, one intended, I think, to promote their new movie "After Earth."

In it, Smith boldly goes where few actors have gone before in declaring: "At heart, I am … Read more

Netflix to stream 'The Killing' episodes a day after they air

Certain Netflix subscribers will be able to catch new episodes of "The Killing" the morning after they air.

The online video service announced the news today, confirming that new episodes of AMC's homicide drama will start streaming on Monday, June 3, after the debut of season 3 the night before. Each new episode will then stream Monday morning following AMC's airing on Sunday night.

But the option is exclusive to Netflix members in the U.K. and Ireland. Seasons 1 and 2 are available via Netflix streaming for all subscribers.

"We're thrilled to be … Read more

'Star Trek II' producer talks Ceti Eel, J.J. Abrams, and more (Q&A)

The release of "Star Trek Into Darkness" has not only spurred interest in the "Trek" world in general, but especially in its film daddy, the original Khan-as-villain movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." While the new film takes quite a few detours, it is full of homages to the earlier work.

Let's look back to 1982. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" had been released in 1979 and faced a poor critical reception. Paramount, the film's studio, was gun-shy after the movie nearly doubled its original budget, ending up with a $46 million price tag. Nonetheless, plans for a second movie plodded along.

Into this mix of wariness and hope stepped Robert Sallin. With 2,000 commercials to his name, he was primarily a director, but he signed a deal with Paramount to take on producer duties for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." With no script ready, no director on-board, and Paramount keeping a tight clamp on the budget, Sallin had his hands full with steering the film into and through production.

All those trials somehow came out OK in the end. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is now often viewed among fans as one of the greatest films (if not the greatest) the franchise ever turned out. Crave caught up with Sallin to get a behind-the-scenes view on this iconic movie.… Read more