Image Credit: Katrina Marcinowski/IFC
Comedian, podcaster, and very angry man Marc Maron is debuting a new scripted series for IFC which depicts “his day-to-day struggle to maintain relationships other than the ones with his podcast audience and his beloved trio of cats.” It is appropriately entitled Maron, premiering on May 3 — and its first episode (“Dead Possum,” written by veteran sitcom-er Sivert Glarum) is available online, in full, right now.
Netflix recently proved that is was more than just a place to binge on past seasons of Mad Men with its original series, House of Cards. The inside-the-beltway Kevin Spacey drama was a pricey bet on how we will watch TV in the future. And by all accounts that wager, plus its upcoming resurrection of Arrested Development, has paid off. Streaming TV is on its way to becoming a legitimate contender for America’s eyeballs right along with network TV and cable. At least, that’s what Amazon’s hoping.
This weekend, the online shopping mall is making its boldest gambit yet to get into the original programming game with free peeks at the 14 shows vying to become new “Amazon Original” internet series. There are some bold-faced names attached with these shows (more on that in a minute). But the biggest reason to head over to Amazon right now and check out these episodes is the chance for folks like you and me to vote on whether they will live on. In other words, we get to play the role of TV executive. How awesome is that? I mean, how many times have you sat through an episode of 1600 and thought, ‘I could program better stuff than this’? Well, now’s your chance to weigh in on what you think is the next 30 Rock and what’s the next Homeboys in Outer Space.
Six of the 14 Amazon pilots are for kids. And even though I wouldn’t say that any of them are going present a threat to Nickelodeon fare like Fish Hooks, they’re fine time-wasters as far as these things go. More interesting are the eight comedy pilots, which serve up some familiar franchises and a few familiar faces behind and in front of the camera. Here’s a rundown of the three most high-profile ones. READ FULL STORY »
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! It’s a day of national Irish pride that also somehow gives people an excuse to vomit up their green beer by 10 a.m. If you’re looking to celebrate the Emerald Isle but don’t want to get stomach bile on your Adidas, here’s the alternative: Your four-leaf-clover wielding friends at EW have programmed a 24-hour movie marathon that will not only give you a full range of St. Paddy’s Day-related tie-ins, but also an excellent reason not to leave the house.
So stock up on snacks, grab some like-minded friends, and dive right in! The marathon begins at 10 p.m. on Saturday night and wraps up at 10 p.m. on Sunday night (just in time for a brand new episode of The Client List). Feel free to sneak in some e-mail checks and bathroom breaks in between titles, but no showering — though you’ll still smell better than the dude in the green Dr. Seuss hat double-fisting fifths of Jameson.
All of the films below are available via Netflix or iTunes, for your convenience. Away we go! READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Frazer Harris/Getty Images
Since the birth of YouTube in 2005, the platform that hosts EVERYTHING, including actors, artists and comedians — has spread like wildfire, launching careers and shining a spotlight on many outstanding talents beyond that dog on the skateboard. Eight years later, rather than being a springboard for these creatives to move to TV or labels, the Internet has become another medium for them to showcase their work. The third annual Streamy Awards will honor that work this Sunday.
Chris Hardwick, comedian and host of The Talking Dead on AMC, will host the show. He is an advocate for the global, niche audiences online shows reach.
“It’s exciting for me as a performer because I remember the days when the fate of your entertainment career depended on someone at a network in an office. None of those things exist that way anymore,” Hardwick says. “The medium still exists but there really is a much truer meritocracy at work, which is that talented people now have the delivery system to get their voices out into the world and they don’t need big media companies anymore to deliver them to people or decide if they’re good enough.”
Hardwick’s advice for anyone looking to create a video is to forgo the idea of a viral video.
“The audience will decide if they want to make them viral or not. Focus on quality, don’t focus on … ‘I want to be trendy.’” READ FULL STORY »
Dude. It’s 4:20pm… on 4/20. Are you as hungry as I am?
After getting all your afternoon snacks in order, consider celebrating this auspicious day with one (or more) of these, er, green-friendly streaming picks. Each one can be viewed from the comfort of your own couch — though you might want to pull out a fan before you start watching. Otherwise, certain hazy elements might make it tough to see your computer screen.
Marley
As of today, this 144-minute documentary about the reggae legend is officially available On Demand, on iTunes, and streaming on Facebook. When we asked a rep from Ziggy Marley’s production company why the producers chose this particular release date, she noted that it’s Bob’s son Stephen’s birthday, and that April 20th also “happens to fall on Friday, which is usually when movies come out.” Suuuure, that’s why.
Dazed & Confused
Our #1 favorite stoner movie is available on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. And it’s not alone — half-baked classics like Clerks, Reefer Madness, Super Troopers, and The Big Lebowski can also be placed in your Instant Queue. (Half Baked itself, unfortunately, can’t be.) READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Paramount
Did you know that 68% of date nights take place on the couch in front of a wall-mounted TV? No, you didn’t, because I made that up. But it seems increasingly apparent that more people are using their weekends to stay in and snuggle (either with a partner, a posse, or themselves) while binging on some of streaming’s finest. If your weekend date with Netflix is hopelessly unplanned, let EW help you track down some of this week’s best new streaming additions:
New on Netflix*: Movies
Rango (2011) – Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin – PG, 107 minutes, Animated
Gore Verbinski’s lively story of a suburban lizard (Johnny Depp) who winds up in the wild vermin-filled west won the Oscar for Best Animated Film this year. Don’t let the cutesy chameleon look fool you: Rango is fast, funny and filled to the brim with typical Depp mannerisms (and one heck of a cameo).
Risky Business (1983) – Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay – R, 98 minutes, Comedy
Pay It Forward (2000) – Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment – PG-13, 123 minutes, Drama
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) – Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway – R, 110 minutes, Action/Crime READ FULL STORY »
