Two Cents

Two Cents 095: Welcome to the Amazon

The episode in which we get off to a slow start, Google acquires VR gurus Owlchemy Labs, Amazon introduces the Echo Show and Prime Live Events, Wanda’s Legendary loses another figurehead, and Amazon Prime Video has landed 40 SXSW selections. In bigger news, Cannes changes their criteria for festival selections after streaming titles have joined the Palme d’Or race and Microsoft unveils their “mixed reality” controllers. Plus, the need for VR standards, vertical cinema, contemporary films’ monochromatic agenda, Tupac movies, Donald Glover’s animated FXX Deadpool show, classical film theory, and Judge Dredd.

Two Cents

Two Cents 094: I’d Buy That For Five Dollars!

The episode in which we find a new sense of purpose since we now have a Patreon supporter (!!!), Annapurna continues to make groundbreaking moves, Universal is adapting Gears of War, Hellboy is getting a reboot, and HBO is leaving Amazon Prime while working on Game of Thrones spinoffs. In bigger news (00:42:00), Charter joins Comcast in the quest for full communication exposure (via wireless), Hulu with Live TV is finally a thing, YouTube is making free shows with big stars, Twitter lands a plethora of live content, and what this all means in our evolving digital landscape. Plus, cheap beer, a Danny DeVito/Jeff Goldblum Amazon comedy, physical vs digital media collections, and Oculus takes one further step away from VR dominance (1:40:00).

Two Cents

Two Cents 088: Feline Like Something Mew

The episode in which I try to keep this show alive by dumping Penny Thoughts back onto Dollar Reviews (and doing that weekly again via streaming titles), I make my first retractions, Superman joins Mission: Impossible, Fandango takes aim at Mondo, and Sony says goodbye to the PS3/hello again to VR as more join the fray. Steve caught up on The Edge of Seventeen, Raw, and 2014’s Beauty and the Beast; while I was enamored by Kedi, pumped out Drake’s More Life, experienced Step Up 3D within PSVR, and finally beat Sly Cooper. More importantly, Sony is making a Venom movie, Warner Bros is rebooting The Matrix, Fox is remaking The Fly, and Netflix is re-sharting pan and scan.

Two Cents

Two Cents 087: Non-Sexism is the New Sexism

The episode in which daylight savings just began so we are a day late, Ghost in the Shell is getting an awesome Japanese dub, we predict the futures of Blumhouse and Disney’s live-reactions, La La Land goes on a world tour, Ridley Scott wants more Xenomorph flicks, and Avatar 2 has been delayed yet again. I finally caught X-Men: Apocalypse, share my trip to the New Wave Bar, continue my descent into Lego Dimensions, and give a taste of PSVR 3D Blu-ray playback. Also, Camarada brings 3D recording to all Android devices, Oculus continues blurring VR’s future, IMDb’s F-rating for female projects, Time Warner expands its streaming to animation, our take on videogame adaptations, and the slate of 2017 blockbusters.

Two Cents

Two Cents 086: Oscars Still Fucked

The week in which The Obamas path to post-White House superstardom is still on track, New Line is returning to Oz, Tron and Transformers news, dreams of YouTube TV, and follow up info on The Oscar’s Best Picture incident last week. Among the other things we covered this busy week are Mobile World Congress devices, Game Developer’s Conference’s many VR news items (including an Oculus price drop), the Nintendo Switch launch, Avatar 2, white privilege, and the impending doom of this news show.

Two Cents

Two Cents 085: Oscars So WTF

The episode in which our hero from Bulworth and Dick Tracy finds himself in a sticky situation, the passing of Bill Paxton, the state of Playstation VR, Hellboy, Nightwing, and Devon Sawa?! Steve caught the apparently similar Get Out and A Cure for Wellness, while I have had HEALTH’s Disco 3 on repeat while exploring Thumper (PSVR).  Plus, Netflix looking very Bright (so we try to calculate its money pool), 5G tests are coming this year, and VR in space!

Two Cents

Two Cents 084: I Just Can’t Wait to Be King

The episode in which we intro a new segment, Hulu might be producing a shared Stephen King universe show, Amazon’s Costume Quest series(!!!), hiphoptherobot’s early Nintendo Switch delivery, Donald Glover is Simba 2.0, and the first wedding hosted in VR. Steve watched Justice League Dark, Harold Lloyd’s Speedy, and Flyboys; while I caught John Wick Chapter 2, went further into Lego Dimensions, and started Grim Fandango. Plus, IMAX VR’s first Experience Centre, developments in staged VR, and how all three can learn from Japanese arcades, Microsoft bolstering voice recognition, Pewdiepie’s anti-semetic fall from grace, Roman Polanski, Mel Gibson, all telecos now offer unlimited LTE plans, and A Cure For Wellness advertising with fake news.

Two Cents

Two Cents 080: Black Mirror

The delayed episode in which I ended up finishing things alone, where Trump is in the White House, Sundance is covered in snow, streamers make moves, Hellboy 3 might be coming, AMC Theaters continues its global dominance, Superbowl LI is streaming for free, and I review The London Heist, Black Mirror’s Playtest episode, my VR playtesting gig, and Damien Chazelle’s TCM block. Meanwhile, Steve talks Samurai Cop 2, Hell or High Water, The Magnificent 7 (2016), and Sony’s Passengers. Plus, The Terminator is returning to James Cameron, Legendary lost its CEO, Paramount gets into bed with China, things don’t look good for Sony (across TV, Film, and PSVR), Netflix seduced Jerry Seinfeld, and some VR things to close out the show.

Two Cents

Two Cents 075: Everybody Wants To Rule the World

The episode in which Universal decides the F8 of a franchise, China might change the way videogame loot boxes work, retail is trying to keep Pokemon Go a thing, Will Ferrell is tackling eSports next, the next Cloverfield movie, Dunkirk’s 70mm teaser, Kodak’s reelfilm website, and the Transformers IMAX VR experience. Steve shares thoughts on Nocturnal Animals, The Fourth Man, and the Willard remake, while I talk Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Star Wars Battlefront X-Wing VR experience, and Final Fantasy XV in its multimedia entirety. In bigger news, Al Gore is hoping to return to the Oscars and Jimmy Kimmel is joining him, the Global Virtual Reality Association, the lessened worries of the impending merger between AT&T and Time Warner given the larger threat on hand, especially against Amazon’s attempt to kill retail as we know it.