Movies

Fandango update brings new iOS 7 design, ‘Go Now’ feature and more

Attention moviegoers, Fandango has posted a significant update for its iOS client today, bringing the app to version 5.9. The new software has been redesigned for iOS 7, and includes several improvements.

Among them is the return of a popular feature called 'Go Now,' which allows you to quickly find a movie at your local theater and purchase tickets. And Spotlight and Search have both been given makeovers...

Real Steel: World Robot Boxing hits iOS

Time to fight some larger-than-life robots! I'm not sure why exactly Real Steel hasn't done so well at the box office, but I've had a great time watching the movie (twice) and thought Huge Jackman fit the role perfectly. If you haven't seen it, Real Steel is based on the 1956 short story Steel by Richard Matheson and follows former boxed Charlie Kenton who owns the aging robot Ambush.

It's year 2020 and human boxers have been replaced by robots so cash-strapped Kenton makes a living by sending Ambush to fight other robots in tournaments across the country. The animatronics, stunts, special effects and acting are all very smooth.

DreamWorks, whose movie-making arm released the movie, has released a new tie-in, Real Steel: World Robot Boxing, for the iPhone and iPad as a free to play download on worldwide App Stores (the game previously soft-launched on the New Zealand App Store only)...

Twitter unveils ‘See This’ button: watch TV shows and change the channel from a tweet

Ending weeks of speculation, Twitter today announced a new feature that has the potential to take social television to the next level.

Twitter users will soon start seeing a new See It button embedded in tweets that, when clicked, lets folks immediately tune into live programming through their set-top box or a mobile devices such as a smartphone or a tablet.

To replace your remote, Twitter partnered with cable provider Comcast and its fully-owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, giving Xfinity customers the ability to also schedule DVR recordings on-the-fly, directly from Twitter. The feature will debut with NBCUniversal offerings including The Voice and Sunday Night Football.

Go past the fold for the full reveal...

Netflix Super HD streaming now available everywhere, including on Apple TV

iPhone screenshot showing a splash screen in the Netflix app instructing user to sign up elsewhere

If you're wondering why Netflix would label standard full HD 1080p video resolution as 'Super HD', that's because Super HD applies less compression to the 1080p image for greater clarity.

Now, Super HD video requires more data so it isn'y surprising that not many Internet providers were on board after Netflix soft-launched Super HD and 3D streaming in January 2012.

As of today, Super HD video streaming is available everywhere, regardless of your Internet service provider (but dependent on network conditions). Jump past the fold for the full breakdown...

Disney’s ‘Second Screen Live’ invites kids to bring their iPads to the movies

Typically, when you go to a movie theater to watch a film, you're asked to shut down all mobile devices. "Please silence your cell phones now," is a common request you'll see on screen, right before your flick begins.

But that won't be the case at Disney's The Little Mermaid: Second Screen Live event. Movie-goers will actually be encouraged to bring along their iPads, and use them, as they interact with the film using a special app...

Director John Woo delves into iOS gaming, teases Bloodstroke

If you're a fan of movies such as Face/Off, definitely keep tabs on UK-based red hot publisher Chillingo's upcoming Bloodstroke, an iPhone and iPad "on-rails" game boasting the story and script written by John Woo. Yes, John Woo, the action movie director!

Currently in development by the Moon Shark studio, Bloodstroke takes place all over Asia.

The game puts you in the shoes of Phalanx’s elite private security agent code-named Lotus (real name: Mai Lee) who gets involved "in an exciting story."

The game's premise determines most missions, which revolve around protect your employer on the streets of Hong Kong and Beijing. Bloodstroke strives to set itself apart with a nice black and white graphic style, with colors being used only sparingly and consciously for emphasis (hint: blood)...

Star Trek Into Darkness now available on iTunes, three weeks ahead of DVD release

Apple's selection of blockbuster releases on iTunes is constantly growing. Though not quite yet a match for other digital services, Apple typically beats the other guys in terms of pre-releases, exclusive launches and even early pre-theatrical releases, provided you're willing to pay a bunch of money to watch a movie on iTunes before it even hits the silver screen.

JJ Abrams's Star Trek Into Darkness has been available for pre-order on iTunes for well over a month. Yesterday, the digital download has finally hit iTunes, three weeks ahead of its September 10 DVD release...

Netflix gains My List feature

Netflix today announced a new feature to make saving your favorite movies and televisions shows easier than ever. Aptly named My List, it lets you add any movie or TV show title to your own row or gallery on Netflix. You can easily rearrange the list, add or remove titles, with Netflix automatically sorting your entries.

It's based on the existing Instant Queue feature which however lacks automated sorting and its own Netflix row.

My List is a staggered roll-out that's launching worldwide in the next two weeks across multiple platforms, including iOS...

Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Jobs’ biopic is a box office flop

The Jobs movie starring Ashton Kutcher as Apple's legendary co-founder Steve Jobs has opened with disappointing revenues and bombed at the box office this weekend. Specifically, the flick pulled in just shy of seven million dollars domestically, earning it the seventh place at the box office. This is one of Kutcher's lowest openings ever and hardly a success knowing the figure fell short of the $8-9 million distributor Open Road Films was hoping to rake in.

And as if mixed reviews weren't enough, the movie has failed to impress the trusted review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes which gave it a rating of just 25 percent...

Some thoughts on Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Jobs’ biopic

The long-awaited 'Jobs' biopic, starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, opened in theaters this weekend, and by all counts it's been a bit of a flop. According to Deadline Hollywood, it's sitting at the #7 spot, pulling in just $6.7 million domestically.

But is it really that bad of a movie? No. Then why is it doing so poorly? That's a tough question to answer, but I'm going to try to do it in the following paragraphs. Don't worry, I imagine this is the fiftieth 'Jobs' review you've come across, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

I saw Jobs yesterday afternoon, with my girlfriend. We went to the 12:50pm showing, and unfortunately we got there just as the previews were starting. So if they had shown the new Mac Pro commercial, we missed it.

The movie opens with Ashton—I mean Steve making his way to the stage for his big iPod unveiling in October of 2001. It then flashes back to his early 20's and proceeds to take us on a journey of the founding of Apple...

Apple starts showing Mac Pro commercials in movie theaters

If you're heading out to go see the new Jobs biopic, or any other movie this weekend, be sure to keep an eye out for Apple's new Mac Pro ad. Reports are surfacing that it has started airing in theaters nationwide.

The commercial, which was first shown at WWDC during a sneak preview of Apple's new Pro computer, shows the radically-redesigned desktop tower from various angles. We've got the ad queued up after the fold...

Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Jobs’ biopic opens to mixed reviews

After months of speculation, interviews, and movie clips, the highly anticipated 'Jobs' biopic starring Ashton Kutcher finally hit theaters today. And despite Open Road Film's best marketing efforts, initial reviews are a mixed bag.

Looking at review aggregation site metacritic, the flick scored a decent 43 out of 100, but over at Rotten Tomatoes, it scored just 25 out of 100. Want to see what others thought about the movie? Keep reading for our review roundup...