Redbox fights back

I am a college student, and like other students I live on Mac n' Cheese and Top Ramen; cheap food. Not having parents to fall back on for money, many college students feel broke. But even broke college students find ways to relax and be entertained.

Redbox provides consumers with $1 DVD rentals. Although the cheap rental is great for consumers, some Hollywood studios see Redbox in a different light. Some studios are blocking Redbox's access to their DVD's unless Redbox agrees to their terms. For now us broke college students will have to wait to see the some of the latest movies on DVD if we rent through Redbox, but the wait could be short; Redbox is fighting back and has filed a lawsuit agaisnt the three studios that are preventing their access to the DVD releases.

"While some Hollywood studios have inked deals with the company, others see low-price Redbox as a red menace, a threat to lucrative businesses such as DVD sales and the cuts it gets of higher-priced rentals at companies like Blockbuster Inc.

Universal Pictures, Twentieth-Century Fox and Warner Bros. have tried to block Redbox's access to their new DVDs unless Redbox agreed to terms like delays for new movies. Redbox, a unit of Coinstar Inc., is firing back with lawsuits against all three studios."

Read the whole article and interview at the Wall Street Journal here.

Does cable cost too much?

Time Warner Cable, the nation's second largest cable operator, (behind Comcast), is launching a new campaign to counter ideas that cable companies are charging consumers too much.
The blame for rising cable costs is caused by rising programming costs, according to Time Warner Cable.
However, TV-network owners claim they are only asking for fair compensation for their programming, for which costs are rising.

Subscriptions to both cable and satellite are expensive. With more programming being streamed free online, it isn't wise for cable and satellite companies to continually increase their prices. More and more consumers are switching over to only purchasing internet and they still are able to view their favorite TV shows. This creates problems for networks though, because then viewers only watch shows they know they like, it doesn't leave much room for people to find new favorite shows.
If they want to keep viewership numbers high TV-network owners and cable/satellite companies arguing over what are making costs rise and find a way to cut costs together.

For more on Time Warner Cable's campaign visit the Wall Street Journal.

Johnny Depp named "sexiest man alive"...again

In 2003, People Magazine named Johnny Depp as "the sexiest man alive." Depp has won the title again, being deemed the "sexiest man alive" by People in 2009. Read the full story and see who the runner-ups were here.

Happy Birthday

Mickey Mouse turns 81!

"Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and voiced by Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company celebrates his birth as November 18, 1928 upon the release of Steamboat Willie."

Is Twitter's 15 minutes up?

"Growth has been slowing for Twitter, the 140-character social networking site, and in October usage actually declined from September. The response from Twitter is, of course, to try new features that frankly I find annoying. Such a slowdown should have been expected, not to mention that like Facebook, many people sign up, look around and then don't come back. What do I know? I'm not some Silicon Valley genius. TechCrunch takes a look at the decline in twits."

From the L.A. Times "Company Town"

New Moon almost here

The highly anticipated second book/movie in the Twilight Saga, New Moon, comes out in about two weeks on Friday, Nov. 20. I will be attending the midnight premiere at Village Centre Cinemas...check back afterwards for a full review!

coming to you in 3D

Village Centre Cinemas recently purchased and installed a 3D projector. The theater now has the ability to play movies in 3D, such as the recently release "A Christmas Story".

Check back later for the full story.