Netflix is definitely keeping busy creating its own content, releasing 29 Netflix Original movies or series in October alone. Alongside the originals, Netflix will be streaming a large collection of new titles in October, including some horrors and thrillers for the Halloween season.
October 1
88 Minutes
A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song
Before Midnight
Blood Diamond
Boogie Nights
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cleverman: Season 2
Death Sentence
Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Ellen DeGeneres and Netflix have reportedly partnered up to produce a stand-up comedy special for the comedian.
The special, which as of this date does not have a title or release date on the streaming service, will be Ellen’s first special in 15 years. Her last special, Here and Now, premiered in 2003 on HBO, one month after the release of Finding Nemo in which she voiced “Dory.”
Since then, she has kept busy hosting her immensely popular daytime talk show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and more recently returned to the big screen in “Finding Dory,” which grossed over $1 billion worldwide. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has received 59 Daytime Emmy Awards over the course of 15 seasons and nearly 2,000 episodes.
DeGeneres has also hosted the Grammy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and the Academy Awards. She made records when hosting the 2014 Academy Awards ceremony by taking a selfie with Awards nominees and attendees which quickly became the most retweeted post on the site’s history at the time, although the record has since been beaten.
Netflix has built a large collection of original content including stand-up comedy specials, and previously paid a whopping $60 million for the rights to stream three Dave Chappelle specials on their platform.
August is a relatively slow month for new releases on Netflix, but still features a few big titles, with the majority being released on the first of the month. The Matrix movie franchise is among the content being released. Here are the other titles coming to Netflix this August.
August 1
A Cinderella Story (2004)
Bad Santa (2003)
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Crematorium (Season 1)
Everyone’s Hero (2006)
Funny Games (2007)
Innerspace (1987)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Lord of War (2005)
Maz Jobrani: Immigrant (2017)
Nola Circus (2015)
Opening Night (2016)
Practical Magic (1998)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Small Soldiers (1998)
Surviving Escobar – Alias JJ (2017)
The Addams Family (1991)
The Astronaut’s Wife (1999)
The Bomb (2016)
The Hollywood Masters (2017)
The Last Mimzy (2007)
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (2004)
The Number 23 (2007)
The Royal House of Windsor (2017)
The Truth About Alcohol (2016)
The Wedding Party (2016)
Tie The Knot (2016)
Who Gets the Dog? (2016)
Wild Wild West (1999)
August 2nd
Jab We Met (2007)
The Founder (2016)
August 3rd
Sing (2016)
The Invisible Guardian (2017)
August 4th
Icarus (2017)
Voltron: Legendary Defender (2017)
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017)
August 5th
Holes (2003)
August 8th
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2017)
August 9th
Black Site Delta (2017)
August 10th
Diary of an Exorcist – Zero (2016)
August 11th
Atypical (2017)
Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh (2017)
Naked (2017)
True and The Rainbow Kingdom (2017)
White Gold
August 13th
Arthur and the Invisibles (2006)
Hot Property (2016)
Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo (2017)
Anthony Padilla has announced on the Smosh YouTube Channel that he is leaving the comedy group he founded with his friend and collaborator Ian Hecox.
In a 5-minute video featuring Anthony and Ian, Anthony told viewers that he had been contemplating leaving Smosh for a while, and decided to do so under his own creative volition. The comedy duo emphasized the strength of their 19-year long friendship and that there was no conflict between the two that lead to the departure.
Ian noted that he and Anthony had been discussing the possibility of Anthony leaving for some time and fully supports and understands his decision.
Ian will continue working with the Smosh brand and Anthony will pursue a career as an independent creator on his own channel. Hecox and Padilla will remain friends but will no longer be working together on the Smosh brand.
Smosh, now owned by Defy Media, currently operates the original Smosh channel (and channels in Spanish and French), Smosh 2nd Channel, Smosh Games, and Shut Up! Cartoons.
In a seapartate video on his own channel, Anthony Padilla, Padilla lays out the reasons behind his departure, saying that after the Smosh brand was purchased by Defy Media (formerly Alloy Digital and Break Media), his creative decisions were required to go through a filter in order to conform to standards set by the corporate owners.
He stated in the video that he will be making videos consistently on his channel, and a new channel titled “Anthony Padilla 2” was registered yesterday, June 13, with a biography that reads in part: “SOON.” As Padilla stated, he desired to go solo in order to make videos “with complete creative freedom, to be able to make whatever I want, whenever I want.”
Anthony started a website to talk to his friends on in 2002, then began creating videos with Ian which they decided to upload to YouTube, under the name Smosh. The duo began making lip sync videos in 2005. Their lip-sync video to the Pokemon theme song became the most viewed video on the video sharing platform at the time it was uploaded.
Smosh expanded its content offerings by posting original recurring videos, like Food Battle, Every (Blank) Ever, If (Blank) Were Real, and several other regularly uploaded sketch comedy videos. The channel also progressed from just Anthony and Ian appearing on camera, to many new cast members and hosts across the 4 channels that have a combined 10,701,375,769 views and 37,127,403 subscribers.
The full length feature film “Smosh: The Movie” was released in 2015, and both Hecox and Padilla provided their voices to the animated Angry Birds movie in 2016. “Ghostmates” was released on YouTube Red in 2016.
Padilla told Variety that he plans to upload a new video on June 19. The channel will feature interviews with other YouTubers, sketches, vlogs, and talks about his personal struggles, with videos to be released on Mondays and Fridays. Padilla also said that he hopes to do more voice-over work and plans on writing a television pilot.
Netflix is seeing a slew of new releases on its streaming service, including the ever-popular Orange is the New Black, among other television shows and movies. Here are the new titles, by date:
June 1st
1 Night (2016)
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Arrow – Season 5
Burlesque (2017)
Catfight (2016)
Catwoman (2004)
Chingo Bling: They Can’t Deport Us All (2017)
Days of Grace (2011)
Devil’s Bride (2016)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Intersection – Season 2
Kardashian: The Man Who Saved OJ Simpson (2016)
Little Boxes (2016)
Mutant Busters – Season 2
My Left Foot (1989)
Off Camera with Sam Jones – Season 3
Playing It Cool (2014)
Rounders (1998)
Spring (2016)
The 100 – Season 4
The Ant Bully (2006)
The Bucket List (2007)
The Queen (2006)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Vice (2015)
West Coast Customs – Season 3
Yarn (2016)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Zodiac (2007)
June 2nd
Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 5, Part 2
Flaked! – Season 2
Inspector Gadget – Season 3
Los Últimos de Filipinas (2016)
Lucid Dream (2017)
Saving Banksy (2014)
The Homecoming: Collection (2015)
June 3rd
Acapulco La Vida Va (2017)
Blue Gold: American Jeans (2017)
Headshot (2016)
Three (2016)
Tunnel (2016)
War on Everyone (2016)
June 4th
TURN: Washington’s Spies – Season 3
June 5th
Suite Française (2014)
June 7th
Disturbing the Peace (2016)
Trolls (2016)
June 9th
My Only Love Song – Season 1
Orange Is the New Black – Season 5
Shimmer Lake (2017)
June 10th
Black Snow (2017)
Daughters of the Dust (1991)
Havenhurst (2017)
Sword Master (2016)
June 13th
Oh, Hello On Broadway with Nick Kroll (2017)
June 14th
Quantico – Season 2
June 15th
Marco Luque: Tamo Junto (2017)
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Season 4
Mr. Gaga: A True Story of Love and Dance (2015)
June 16th
Aquarius – Season 2
Counterpunch (2017)
El Chapo – Season 1
The Ranch – Part 3
World of Winx – Season 2
June 17th
Grey’s Anatomy – Season 13
Scandal – Season 6
The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
June 18th
Shooter – Season 1
June 19th
Amar Akbar & Tony (2015)
Moana (2016)
Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up For The First Time (2017)
Netflix has been testing a new system to rate content from their streaming catalog, and after positive results, they’ve made a change.
Instead of allowing users to assign movies and television shows a rating of 1 through 5 stars, they will be prompted with a thumbs up or a thumbs down to indicate that they enjoyed or did not enjoy it, respectively. The beta testing on the new ratings was conducted in 2016 with “hundreds of thousands” of users.
Todd Yellin, the media company’s Vice President of Product told Variety and other journalists at a press briefing in Netflix headquarters on Thursday that the decision implement the change was made to improve user experience and introduction to new content that viewer may enjoy. Reportedly, the beta testing pushed the company to implement the change as user-submitted ratings increased by 200% under the new system.
He described the move as making it simpler for users to tell Netflix what they’ve enjoyed and would like to see more of, since users are more likely to give a higher star rating to an award-worthy movie or show based on its quality, rather than a slapstick comedy which they would rather watch, according to Yellin. The thumbs up rating is meant to act as a yes or no for users, instead of giving them control over how much they like something through the use of 5 options.
An algorithm will also display a percentage next to the streaming content, estimating how likely someone may enjoy that TV show or movie based on what you have watched or given a thumbs up to previously.
Netflix has committed to financing and releasing 4 more movies starring Adam Sandler, to be produced under Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.
The films were announced by Netflix as an extension to a prior deal with the actor and will be released on the streaming service. Netflix previously announced that it would release 4 movies with Sandler in 2014. Two of those films, The Ridiculous 6 and The Do-Over, have already been released. A third, Sandy Wexler, will be released on April 14.
Netflix claims 93 million members around the world and has made a push toward developing its own content or buying the rights to other properties alongside content it is able to stream through licensing, which make up the majority of streaming content.
Sandler’s The Ridiculous 6, a Western comedy, was filmed on a $60 million budget, its return is not available as specific figures are not released. The film was not made without controversy however. Native American actors and a diversity consultant walked off the set during filming in response to poor depictions of Native Americans.
The movie was also panned by critics, it currently has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 18% on Metacritic. The A.V. Club’s Jesse Hassenger said the film was “[n]ot necessarily a movie for children, mind, but one made by them.”
The Do-Over, a comedy about David Spade and Adam Sandler getting a second chance at life, fared a bit better, pulling in a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Even with negative reviews, Netflix made the rare move of discussing viewership (without mentioning specific numbers) and said Sandler’s Ridiculous 6 and The Do-Over were the streaming service’s largest releases yet.
Clearly, audiences are viewing Sandler’s movies en masse and Netflix has noticed, leading to the new offer for 4 more films. Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, said “his movies have proven to be extremely successful with our subscribers around the world.”
Sandler also released a statement through the streaming giant, saying:
“[I] Love working with Netflix and collaborating with them. I love how passionate they are about making movies and getting them out there for the whole world to see. They’ve made me feel like family and I can’t thank them enough for their support”
No production or release dates have been announced for the upcoming movies.
Lilly Singh announced that she would be releasing her first book in July of 2016 on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Now that book titled “How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life” will be released Tuesday, March 28.
The 28-year-old YouTube creator who gained international popularity with her comedy sketches and music videos has taken the lessons she’s learned throughout her life and turned it into a self-help guide-book meant to spur others’ efforts to improve every aspect of their life.
How to Be a Bawse includes photos and personal recollections from the star’s life over 288 pages recounting her personal lessons reaching success and emphasizing that there are no shortcuts to success. A “Bawse” is described as “a person who exudes confidence, reaches goals, gets hurt efficiently, and smiles genuinely because they’ve fought through it all and made it out the other side.”
The book’s description also outlines key themes like: prioritizing one’s goal over other minute social distractions, the importance that being kind to others has in developing and maintaining relationships, set aside dedicated time to be creative but understand that motivation cannot be simply turned on, and learn from others who have knowledge to share.
In an interview on The Today Show, Lilly tells the hosts that she continues to climb ladders in the entertainment industry by attending auditions like any other actor, despite her immense success on YouTube and large fan base. Singh remarks that she defines success not just by how much money or views one is able to earn, but that her personal success comes from knowing she’s making teenage Lilly proud that she is meeting cool people. Of the people she has met, Lilly states that actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is her favorite, as she let her viewers know in her videos.
Singh added on The Tonight Show that there is a chapter dedicated to first impressions and their effect on success. She told Jimmy Fallon that he is anecdotally included in the book because he left such an impression on her when they first met.
Lilly told Jimmy Fallon that she posted her first video in 2010 after going through a bout of depression and thinking she could improve her mood by making others happy through videos. 7 years and a combined 1,815,257,557 views and 13,200,286 subscribers later, it is safe to say Singh has definitely made many people happy with her humorous videos.
Lilly told her YouTube audience that she finished the proposal for the book on her birthday in 2015 and completed her first draft on her next birthday in 2016.
The author will also be on an international tour promoting the book, making 34 stops in 12 countries. Fans of the video creator should note that some events are solely book signings while some are shows featuring Singh, and customers should take check their tickets for the event type. The tour dates and locations can be found on her website here.
The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah wrapped up on January 29 and received much attention from online streaming services Netflix and Amazon Studios. Here are the feature films and documentaries that have been released to stream or will be released in the following year:
Netflix
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Now Streaming)
Written and Directed by Macon Blair
Depressed about the deteriorating state of human affairs, a nursing assistant, Ruth (Melanie Lynskey), and her loner neighbor, Tony (Elijah Wood), push their own brand of vigilante justice and track down those responsible for burglarizing Ruth’s home in Macon Blair’s directorial debut.
Burning Sands (Now Streaming)
Directed by Gerard McMurray
During Hell Week for a campus fraternity, a pledge named Zurich (Trevor Jackson) must endure violent hazing by a sadistic group of elder members.
Deidra and Laney Rob a Train (Now Streaming)
Sisters Deidra (Ashleigh Murray) and Laney (Rachel Crow) take to robbing trains and selling the loot to support themselves and gain bail money after their mom is arrested.
The Discovery (March 31, 2017)
Dr. Thomas Harbor (Robert Redford) is a scientist who announced that he verified the existence of an afterlife, and faces public criticism after millions of people around the world commit suicide in an effort to reach the afterlife more quickly.
Casting JonBenet (April 28, 2017)
Directed by Kitty Green
Part documentary and part narrative film, Casting JonBenet returns to the town of the 1996 murder where audiences watch the auditions of local actors to play key figures in the murder case, hear their recollections of the crime and investigation, along with a filmed recreation of the events.
Berlin Syndrome (May 5, 2017)
Directed by Cate Shortland
Clare (Teresa Palmer) is an Australian photographer visiting Berlin to photograph buildings for a book, but a date with German teacher Andi (Max Rienelt) turns sinister after Clare awakens to discover that Andi has locked her in his apartment.
Fun Mom Dinner (August 4, 2017)
Directed by Alethea Jones
Toni Collette, Katie Aselton, Molly Shannon, and Bridget Everett star in this ensemble comedy about four mothers who agree to go out for dinner and end up biting more than they can chew in a rambunctious night of partying.
Chasing Coral (Late 2017)
Directed by Jeff Orlowski
This eye-opening nature documentary visits coral reefs and explains how oceanic warming is resulting in the increasing deaths of the world’s coral reefs, and how it may affect underwater ecosystems and life on earth in general.
Nobody Speak: Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Trials of a Free Press (TBD)
Directed by Brian Knappenberger
This investigative documentary from the director of “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz” probes the lawsuit against Gawker after it posted parts of a sex tape featuring former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan on its website and the implications on the freedom of the press and the larger attack on how the public can access information.
The Incredible Jessica James (Late 2017)
Written and Directed by Jim Strouse
Jessica James, played by Jessica Williams, is a 25-year-old playwright living in Brooklyn who learns to deal with the post-break-up stresses and self-discovery with the help of her friends and a new romantic interest.
Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower (Late 2017)
Directed by Joe Piscatella
Documentary: The story of Joshua Wong and his Scholarism organization are explored in this account of how the Hong Kong college student successfully rallied thousands of other students to protest the Chinese government’s encroaching limitations of Hong Kong’s political autonomy.
The Mars Generation (Late 2017)
Directed by Michael Barnett
Michael Barnett directed this intimate documentary examining the current state of space exploration and follows a passionate group of teenagers at a NASA youth space camp who aim to help humanity reach Mars.
Icarus (Late 2017)
Directed by Bryan Fogel
Amateur cyclist and documentary filmmaker Bryan Fogel set out to investigate how professional athletes were able to use performance enhancing drugs and get away with it. In the process, Fogel is introduced to the Russian scientist who oversaw a state-sponsored doping scandal of the Russian Olympic team during the Sochi Olympics.
Strong Island (Fall 2017)
Directed by Yance Ford
In this documentary from the brother of the victim, the 1992 death of William Ford Jr. is examined by questioning how his killer was allowed to go free after a grand jury turned down the case. The effect on the victim’s family is documented by the filmmaker as their lives were ensnarled by the complicated events tinged by racial injustices.
To The Bone (Late 2017)
Ellen, played by Lily Collins, suffers from anorexia and must enter a group home as a last resort, where she takes an affection to Dr. William Becker, played by Keanu Reeves.
Mudbound (TBD)
Directed by Dee Rees
Life in rural Mississippi is viewed through the eyes of a family of white farmers and black sharecroppers, and their experiences fighting in and returning from World War 2, and the violent racial tensions of the time.
Amazon Video
Long Strange Trip (May 26, 2017)
Directed by Amir Bar-Lev
A documentary chronicling the rise of the American rock group The Grateful Dead and their influence on the American music scene.
The Big Sick (Theatrical Wide Release July 14, 2017)
Directed by Michael Showalter
Inspired by events in the real-life relationship of screenwriters Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, this romantic comedy centers on Kumail (who plays himself) and Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) as Emily suffers through a mysterious illness that becomes addled by their families’ culture clash.
City of Ghosts (July 14, 2017)
Directed by Matthew Heineman
This documentary follows “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently,” a group of Syrian citizen journalists who risk their lives to document inform the world about the atrocities being committed in their home country at the hands of terrorist group ISIS.
Landline (July 21, 2o17)
Directed by Gillian Robespierre
Landline is a comedy that follows a bickering Jacobs family in 1995 Manhattan as sisters Dana (Jenny Slate) and Ali (Abby Quinn), and parents Pat (Edie Falco) and Alan (John Turturro) deal with their own, and each others’, taboos.
Crown Heights (TBD)
Written and Directed by Matt Ruskin
Based on the story of Colin Warner (Keith Stanfield), who was wrongfully convicted of murder and served 15 years in prison. The movie follows the Trinidadian immigrant’s story experience in the criminal justice system and the work done by his friend Carl King (Nnamdi Asomuguha) to overturn his conviction.
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