AMC – buchnotes

Don of the Planet of the Apes — No matter how much he begs you, do NOT take your helper monkey to see this movie.

Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Mark Bomback, based on characters by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Matthew Weiner

As both a follow-up to 2011’s Rise of Planet of the Apes and spin-off of AMC’s Mad Men, this hybrid sequel/prequel/reboot/off-shoot is as loud as it is contemplative. Initial fears of Apes franchise fans (“Apies” as they like to be called) that the inclusion of Don Draper was nothing more than a crass attempt by cynical Hollywood execs to appeal to the Asian youth market prove to be unfounded. The story of a group of primates who team up with a legendary ad man to subjugate the remnants of humanity is a universal tale that, much like the titular Don, transcends time and space. Director Reeves deftly melds the two juggernaut franchises into a singular epic so seamless, you will shit your pants. Domestic returns should be strong and Jon Hamm’s immense popularity among North Korean adolescents should only bolster the film’s international box office to boot.

Continue reading “Film Review: DON OF THE PLANET OF THE APES” →

There’s a growing demand for “à la carte” cable pricing — i.e. the ability to pick and choose just the individual channels you want.

After all, why pay for stuff you aren’t using? You don’t want the electric company forcing you to keep your lights on when you’re not home. Paying only for the TV that you plan to consume makes sense. More choice and lower bills? Sign me up! Right?

Soup_dumplings — Wouldn’t it be nice to order cable like we order dim sum?

There’s just one problem with that line of thinking. There isn’t a direct correlation between the bulk of your cable bill and the number of channels your receive. Choice is definitely good, but we could wind up paying more for less. A lot less.

Continue reading “Is à la carte cable really the answer?” →