Movies

IMDb app adds box office info, movie tech specs and a couple other features

Amazon-owned IMDb, the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity information, has a nicely done iPhone and iPad application available for free in the App Store that has just gotten a whole lot better in the latest version 4.5 release.

For starters, the software at last provides a bunch of useful technical specifications for movies such as the original aspect ratio, color, audio, runtime and what not.

Next, movie pages now include box office information giving you yet another indication of the movie's popularity — that's in addition to the previous data like review scores. Note that U.S. box office result data was previously available only via the app's Popular Charts feature.

If you want to write a plot for an obscure movie that lacks descriptions, or maybe add interesting trivia to a television show, you can now do so directly in the mobile app, without visiting IMDb's interface on the web.

Christian Bale in talks to play Steve Jobs in upcoming Sony biopic

Christian Bale may be playing Steve Jobs in Sony's highly anticipated biopic of the Apple co-founder, reports Variety. Citing sources familiar with the project, the outlet says it can confirm that the Oscar-winning actor is currently in talks for the part.

Perhaps best recognized for playing Bruce Wayne in the popular Dark Knight trilogy, Bale has taken on a variety of roles over the years. He's well known in the industry for his ability to alter both his appearance and accent to better portray characters.

Get Ghostbusters 1 and 2, and other movie bundles for just $9.99 right now

Great news movie fans! iTunes is offering up some excellent deals on a number of movie bundles for a limited time. You can score Ghostbusters 1 and 2, Bad Boys 1 and 2, and several other bundles for $9.99—a nice savings of $16 and $6, respectively.

While the iTunes Store has a permanent Movie Bundles section that offers film packages at cheaper-than-full-retail prices, these particular double features have been further discounted—some by more than $20. We have a full list of the bundles below.

Leonardo DiCaprio out, director Danny Boyle in for Sony’s Steve Jobs biopic

Oscar-nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio has withdrawn from negotiations to play Steve Jobs in Sony's upcoming movie on the Apple founder, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor was slated to begin work on the film after wrapping up The Revenant, but he has instead decided to take an extended hiatus.

With DiCaprio out, a number of other high profile names have come back into the mix. THR says that top talent including Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper are all on Sony's wish list, but it adds that Affleck seems unlikely given he just signed on to a film with a similar production schedule.

Google adds offline support, accessibility improvements to Play Movies & TV for iOS

Google has just updated its Play Movies & TV client for the iPhone and iPad with offline support, accessibility improvements and bug fixes, the Internet giant announced in a Google+ post Monday morning.

“With Google Play’s updated iOS Play Movies & TV app, you can download movies and TV shows then take them with you wherever you go, no Internet connection required,” reads the post.

Released this January, the free application (which now sits at version 1.2) continues to lack the ability to purchase movies and television shows on Google Play due to Apple's rules for iOS development.

Netflix Recommend with Facebook-enabled private video sharing now available

Netflix for the iPhone and iPad now allows you to privately recommend movies and television shows to a cherry-picked selection of Facebook friends who have connected their Facebook account with Netflix, but fortunately without spamming their News Feed, wrote the firm Tuesday in a post over at the official blog.

The social recommendation feature is available to Netflix users in the United States and Canada starting today.

Dubbed Netflix Recommend, it's “another great way to discover your next favorite show,” as the popular on-demand streaming service put it.

iTunes Festival and Showtime Anytime channels launch on Apple TV

Two nice updates for Apple TV owners today. First, Apple has re-launched the iTunes Festival channel on the $99 media-streming box in time for the 2014 iTunes Festival, which kicks off on September 1 in London.

And second, the firm has also added the Showtime Anytime channel to the device.

Showtime is a premium cable network offering some free content to all users, in addition to live and on-demand shows and events to those who've subscribed to the network through a participating cable provider.

Additional content sources have been added to the Apple TV in select markets, as outlined after the jump.

Beats Music posts video celebrating Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ film

Apple's recently acquired Beats Music has posted a new video on its YouTube channel this evening. The 22-minute-long clip is called 'Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary: A Beats Music Experience,' and it's a documentary that revisits the cast and location of Spike Lee's popular film.

As the name suggests, the video celebrates the 25th anniversary of 'Do The Right Thing,' a 1989 film about the consequences of hate and bigotry in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. The movie was controversial, but received critical acclaim and a number of major awards...

Apple.com pays tribute to Robin Williams

Following the tragic death of Robin Williams, Apple has paid tribute to the actor and comedian with a new 'Remembering Robin Williams' webpage on Apple.com, in addition to a similar section on iTunes published earlier today.

Moreover, Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday published a tweet expressing grief and sorrow caused by Robin's passing.

"Heartbroken by the news of Robin Williams' passing," Tim's tweet reads. "He was an incomparable talent and a great human being. Rest in peace." The company is also honoring the Oscar-winning actor with a special iTunes Store section featuring more than forty movies and stand up comedy routines.

Williams died yesterday at the age of 63. The actor was found unresponsive at his residence in Marin County, California, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Marin County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement that Williams died of asphyxiation caused by hanging himself...

Apple honors Robin Williams with dedicated iTunes Store section

Apple has created a dedicated section in its iTunes Store entitled 'Remembering Robin Williams.' The addition follows yesterday's tragic news of the actor's passing, and it features links to his popular movies, TV series and stand-up comedy routines.

In addition to the media, the section also includes a photo of Mr. Williams and a brief paragraph on his career and philanthropical achievements, calling him "one of the most beloved and unforgettable performers in the history of show business."

iTunes offering big discounts on TMNT, Stanley Kubrick movie bundles

If you've ever listened to one of our weekly podcasts, Let's Talk iOS or Let's Talk Jailbreak, you know that I love a good deal, and this morning I've got a few of them to share with you involving iTunes movie bundles. For a limited time, you can pick up 3 TMNT movies and 7 Stanley Kubrick films at a deep discount.

The first bundle includes all 3 original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies—the live action ones from the early 90's—in HD for just $14.99. The second offers up 7 classic films from Stanley Kubrick, one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time, in HD for just $39.99. That's less than $6 per movie...