Why live TV isn’t going anywhere… yet

New research shows that while VOD usage continues to climb in the UK, live TV remains a staple of viewing behaviour.

89 per cent still regularly use their telly to watch things live, a study by BroadStream (and YouGov) has … Read More

RIP Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall has passed away at the age of 89.

The legendary actress made her debut in To Have and Have Not at the age of just 19. The film paired her with Humphrey Bogart, whom she would go on … Read More

RIP Robin Williams (and a list of his films available on Netflix UK, Prime and NOW TV)

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”

That was Robin Williams in 1989’s Dead Poets Society. 25 years later, the actor and comedy has tragically passed away – but if there was one thing he was never short of, it was words.

His unique motormouth comedy soon won him fans on the stand-up circuit and that manic energy translated perfectly onto the screen in a storm of hyperactive roles, from a rapid-fire radio DJ in Good Morning, Vietnam to the Genie in Aladdin. Williams improvised 16 hours’ worth of material for Disney’s classic – so much that the Academy reportedly refused to nominate it for Best Original Screenplay. “You never had a friend like me,” he sang. Everyone believed him.

That universality was equally mind-boggling. Even though his trademark was spouting barely comprehensible nonsense at an almost inaudible speed, people around the globe connected with Robin Williams. When his death was reported last night, Twitter exploded into endless tributes from accounts the world over. The trending topics were solely comprised of Robin Williams references, but what was telling was the variety of them. Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Hook. Even Patch Adams and Bicentennial Man. Robin Williams wasn’t just a versatile performer; he was a versatile performer whom people loved in everything he did. Just Google “Mrs Doubtfire hello” and marvel at how many have recorded their own version of his frosted fridge door greeting.

His dramatic roles were as moving as his silly ones were side-splitting. In the second half of his career, he stunned those who had grown up with his cross-dressing granny and magical blue guy with silent turns in Insomnia and One Hour Photo, that twinkling smile given an unnerving stillness. For all his exuberance, he had brilliance in his quiet moments; his bearded professor lecturing Matt Damon’s student on experience vs knowledge would reduce anyone to tears, while his
Carpe Diem lesson passed on to students at Welton Academy never fails to inspire. But he brought a humanity to each performance, whether finding a heartfelt note in a comedy or using humour to hold back the darker elements of life.

That range and sincerity makes it impossible to pick a favourite moment from his career; even his impression of a hot dog is laugh-out-loud funny. Patch Adams’ message that laughter can sometimes be the best medicine might have been hailed as too saccharine – and offered a tragic contrast to his own off-screen battle with depression – but when Williams was switched on, his infectious, impossible wit could make you forget about everything else and stand up on your desk. He was a whirlwind of giggles and ideas contained in a human. And that genius continues to be bottled in every film; a creative force waiting to be unleashed at the rub of a lamp.

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world,” he said 25 years ago. If there was one thing Robin Williams was never short of, it was words. And as tributes continue to pour in from fans everywhere, you can see how much his actually have changed the world. Not in a big, political way, but in a smaller, arguably more important way. We never had a friend like him.
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James Franco: Mainstream cinema’s great contradiction

Dreamer. Stoner. Intellectual pretender. Franco doesn’t just want to have his cake; he wants to have his cake, eat the damn thing whole, and then afterwards produce a hard-hitting, feature-length documentary about the cake’s digestion from a Gender Studies perspective. … Read More

The A to Z Guide to BBC’s Luther

With all four seasons of Luther now available on Netflix UK and BBC iPlayer, we provide an alphabetical guide to the mad, bad and dangerous world of John Luther. It’s a bit like a London A-Z, except you can’t really … Read More

The Arnie Random Netflix Button

Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 67 today. The Governator, who has been everything from a US state official to a naked killer robot sent back in time from the future, has that rare gift of playing a wide range of roles – … Read More

Case Notes: A recap of Scandal Season 1 and 2

The glossiest, most dramatic Washington-based show is back on our screens. That’s right – after months without her, Olivia Pope – Washington’s premiere fixer – returns for more Scandal with her team of “gladiators in suits”, defending the un-defendable in … Read More

The Jason Statham Random Netflix UK Button

It’s Jason Statham’s birthday today and, to be frank, we’re excited.

At the age of just 47, The Stath has achieved an incredible amount. He’s studied martial arts (“all styles from Win Chun to karate to kickboxing”), he’s modelled for … Read More

Your 2014 Summer Binge-Viewing VOD Guide

Sweat. Swimming trunks. Sand. Sunburn. Other people. Let’s face it. Summer sucks.

If you go outside. You know, in the sun.

Us? We’re indoors. Under the duvet. Plan to do the same? We’ve picked our highlights of what’s … Read More

Art or advert? The LEGO Movie: Product placement without the instruction manual

“If one thing is evident in the product placement industry, it’s that brand cameos in films are on a steady decline.”

That was AdWeek’s conclusion in its 2014 Product Placement Awards. Indeed, there was an average of 9.1 placements per … Read More