Cord-cutting spreads across Europe

Cord-cutting is traditionally a phenomenon that exists in the USA, but now research shows the trend is spreading across Europe.

Pay TV customers are increasingly choosing to cancel subscriptions in favour of “over-the-top” video services, that is services which allow … 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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New Amazon Instant Video pilots to premiere on 28th August

Amazon’s latest round of pilots for original TV shows will premiere on Thursday 28th August, including talent ranging from Whit Stillman and Steven Soderbergh to Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, Chloë Sevigny and David Gordon Green.

After its second batch of … Read More

NOW TV introduces weekly sports pass to watch Premier League online without Sky

NOW has introduced a new weekly sports pass to allow fans to watch Premier League football online without Sky.

NOW’s sports pass was previously only available for a single day, giving fans without Sky live streaming access to all Sky … Read More

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

Introducing… the VODzilla.co Fantasy Football League

Superman up front. The Rancor in mid-field. Gandalf in goal. Ok, that’s not how fantasy football works, but if you’re a film fan and a football fan and you like the idea of embarrassing the VODzilla.co team with your superior … Read More

Breaking Bad is the most streamed programme in the UK

Breaking Bad is the most streamed programme in the UK, according to new research.

The study conducted by GfK is the first real insight we’ve had into subscription VOD trends. Indeed, we’ve written before about the lack of data available … Read More

Gotham will be available to watch online on Demand 5

Gotham will be released on Channel 5 in the UK this autumn.

The Warner Brothers series, one of the most anticipated shows of the year, draws on the origin story of a pre-Batman Gotham City and follows young Detective (and … Read More

BBC iPlayer usage up 342 per cent in five years

Usage of BBC iPlayer has soared 342 per cent in the last five years.

The Beeb’s VOD service notched up 260 million views in June 2014, up 9 per cent on the same month last year and up a staggering … Read More

NOW TV Box adds YouTube app

YouTube is now available on the NOW Box.

The device, by Sky, is effectively a branded Roku box, which plugs into your telly and turns it into a smart TV. While the price (£9.99) is attractive, the streaming media device’s … Read More