Salon.com > Netflix http://www.salon.com Sat, 18 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Mitch Hurwitz: Watch “Arrested Development” Season 4 in order http://www.salon.com/2013/05/15/mitch_hurwitz_watch_arrested_development_season_4_in_order/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/15/mitch_hurwitz_watch_arrested_development_season_4_in_order/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 20:50:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13299699 Although "Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman told GQ that the fourth installment -- due out on Netflix in two weeks -- can be watched in any order, like a "choose your own adventure" book, show creator Mitch Hurwitz today tweeted that fans should watch the show in its given order. Apparently, the jokes don't hang together well enough to pull off the ambitious format:

[embedtweet id="334753110960529408"]

[embedtweet id="334753649681121280"]

To get an idea of how complex and interwoven the recurring jokes are, check out this helpful infographic, which maps references from seasons 1 through 3.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/15/mitch_hurwitz_watch_arrested_development_season_4_in_order/feed/ 1 Watch the new trailer for “Arrested Development” http://www.salon.com/2013/05/13/watch_the_new_trailer_for_arrested_development/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/13/watch_the_new_trailer_for_arrested_development/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 12:51:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13297022 The final countdown has begun: The fourth season of cult comedy "Arrested Development" arrives on Netflix on May 26. Watch the trailer, below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/13/watch_the_new_trailer_for_arrested_development/feed/ 0 Can Netflix save TV? http://www.salon.com/2013/05/11/can_netflix_save_tv_partner/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/11/can_netflix_save_tv_partner/#comments Sat, 11 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13295329 Pajiba There are a number of headlines floating around about Netflix the last few weeks, especially because of the upcoming return of “Arrested Development” and the debuts of “House of Cards” and “Hemlock Grove.” What used to be the common refrain of hoping that TBS might save a cancelled show, or that the network in question would recognize its terrible mistake once the DVD sales numbers detonated, has now become the hope that Netflix will be the white knight of disgruntled fans. I’ve seen headlines in the last few weeks, trade news stories written solely about what one disposable Netflix executive or another said when asked about Netflix picking up some random show.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/11/can_netflix_save_tv_partner/feed/ 6 YouTube launches pay channels with B movies http://www.salon.com/2013/05/09/youtube_launches_pay_channels_with_b_movies_ap/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/09/youtube_launches_pay_channels_with_b_movies_ap/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13294174 LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Roger Corman's campy B movies, children's shows like "Sesame Street" and "Inspector Gadget," and inspirational monologues by celebrities - these are among the offerings on 30 channels that will soon require a paid monthly subscription on YouTube.

Although the world's largest video site has rented and sold movies and TV shows from major studios since late 2008, most people watch videos on YouTube for free.

It's the first time YouTube is introducing all-you-can-watch channels that require a monthly fee. The least expensive of the channels at will cost 99 cents a month but the average price is around $2.99.

In the field of paid video content online, YouTube is playing catch up to services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, all of which have millions of paying customers.

But with a billion monthly visitors from around the globe, the Google-owned video service hopes to quickly add subscribers and add to the money it already makes from online advertising.

"This is just the beginning," said Malik Ducard, YouTube's director of content partnerships. The site plans to roll out a way for a broad number of partners to also launch pay channels on their own soon.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/09/youtube_launches_pay_channels_with_b_movies_ap/feed/ 0 Kevin Spacey defends how “House of Cards” portrays Washington, to Washington crowd http://www.salon.com/2013/05/08/kevin_spacey_defends_how_house_of_cards_portrays_washington/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/08/kevin_spacey_defends_how_house_of_cards_portrays_washington/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 12:56:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13292568 Kevin Spacey’s fictional Democratic Whip Francis Underwood in the Netflix series "House of Cards" isn’t much like real Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. But the two have become chummy -- and engaged in an honest exchange about the show's portrayal of politics at a Motion Picture Association of America event in Washington on Tuesday night.

Despite their relationship, the actual whip critiqued Spacey’s show when the event's host, NBC's Chris Matthews, gave him the opportunity to ask Hoyer if he had any questions for “the man who’s pillorying your career.” “One of the phrases that I hate the most is when people say ‘well, that’s politics,’” Hoyer said, “and your show is a lot about, ‘well, that’s politics.’” People already have an unfairly negative view of politics, Hoyer explained, and “House of Cards” plays into a nihilistic and venal portrait of politics that goes further than reality.

Spacey acknowledged the point, but chalked it up to the medium, noting that Hollywood makes plenty of movies about the film business that are grimmer than Hollywood really is. That’s drama.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/08/kevin_spacey_defends_how_house_of_cards_portrays_washington/feed/ 14 Netflix releases “Arrested Development” character posters http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/netflix_releases_arrested_development_character_posters/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/netflix_releases_arrested_development_character_posters/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:52:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13281779 Netflix is promoting "Arrested Development," with full-force, last night releasing another series of posters -- this one featuring characters in the Bluth family. The fourth installment of the hit show arrives May 26:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/netflix_releases_arrested_development_character_posters/feed/ 3 Netflix teases with new “Arrested Development” posters http://www.salon.com/2013/04/10/netflix_teases_with_new_arrested_development_posters/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/10/netflix_teases_with_new_arrested_development_posters/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:52:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13266930 It's time for the final countdown: May 26th, the day Netflix releases all 15 new episodes of "Arrested Development," is almost here. Get excited for the fourth installment with these new posters:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/10/netflix_teases_with_new_arrested_development_posters/feed/ 0 David Cross: “I’m not a sad clown” http://www.salon.com/2013/04/02/david_cross_im_not_a_sad_clown/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/02/david_cross_im_not_a_sad_clown/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:44:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13256055 David Cross may be best known for his role as flamboyant analyst/therapist Tobias Fünke on "Arrested Development" -- but he doesn't have to like it. When comedy junkies stop him on the street, Cross tells Salon, "I want to say, 'I've done other stuff!'"

The contrast between his most famous work -- the latently gay aspiring actor and psychiatric professional he played on a short-lived sitcom -- and the "other stuff" becomes clear this spring. In the lead-up to the "Arrested Development" reunion on Netflix, Cross is to appear in a much smaller-scale project, the black comedy "It's a Disaster." Cross appears alongside America Ferrera and Julia Stiles, among others, as part of a group of 30-something navel-gazers who see their weekly "couples' brunch" only briefly interrupted by dirty bombs dropped across America. (The film is available on video-on-demand platforms now and will be released in theaters April 12.)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/02/david_cross_im_not_a_sad_clown/feed/ 17 “Movies featuring an epic Nicolas Cage meltdown” and other April Fools’ jokes on Netflix http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/movies_featuring_an_epic_nicolas_cage_meltdown_and_other_april_fools_jokes_on_netflix/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/movies_featuring_an_epic_nicolas_cage_meltdown_and_other_april_fools_jokes_on_netflix/#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:30:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13257772 If you are a company searching for the perfect Internet prank for April Fools' Day, you might as well give up, because Netflix has beat you to it.

The online streaming company, known for its increasingly precise category recommendations, last night launched a set of bizarre new categories for the occasion. (If you have a Netflix account, check the third row of categories.)

Better hurry home tonight, so you don't miss out on some of these one-time recommendations:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/movies_featuring_an_epic_nicolas_cage_meltdown_and_other_april_fools_jokes_on_netflix/feed/ 2 Wachowskis creating original sci-fi series for Netflix http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/wachowskis_creating_original_sci_fi_series_for_netflix/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/wachowskis_creating_original_sci_fi_series_for_netflix/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:55:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13253619 More good news for Netflix subscribers: Andy and Lana Wachowski, creators of "The Matrix" trilogy and "Cloud Atlas," have signed on with the video streaming service to create a 10-episode sci-fi season called "Sense8."

According to Deadline, the Wachowskis will join efforts with "Babylon 5" creator J. Michael Straczynski to create characteristically Wachowski-like "gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted."

"Several years ago, we had a late-night conversation about the ways technology simultaneously unites and divides us," said the Wachowskis. "And out of that paradox 'Sense8' was born.”

The show will be released in late 2014.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/wachowskis_creating_original_sci_fi_series_for_netflix/feed/ 2 “House of Cards” is bogus http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/house_of_cards_is_bogus/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/house_of_cards_is_bogus/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:33:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13248261 At a real-time salon Wednesday night, Salon's Steve Kornacki and Andrew O'Hehir discussed politics and pop culture with acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani (whose new film "At Any Price" comes out April 24) at Soho House, New York. During the Q&A that followed, a question was asked about Netflix's "House of Cards" -- which prompted an impassioned response from Kornacki, below. [Spoiler alert!]

Sign up for our newsletter, and we'll try to invite you to any salons we throw near you.

Steve Koracki Hates

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/house_of_cards_is_bogus/feed/ 17 Jason Bateman: “Arrested Development” will be a “choose your own adventure” http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/jason_bateman_says_next_arrested_development_installment_is_not_season_four/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/jason_bateman_says_next_arrested_development_installment_is_not_season_four/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:10:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13248053 The fourth season of "Arrested Development" is not the fourth season of "Arrested Development," Jason Bateman tells GQ, of the show's upcoming Netflix release.  "It got misbranded or mislabeled way, way, way back when and was never corrected for one reason or another," he said. "There are different agendas at work there, but it is not season four."

We already know that producer Ron Howard's vision for the next installment of "Arrested Development" is character-driven, with each episode focused on a specific Bluth character;  it will “look very different,” like a “very, very complex puzzle," according to Howard.

Bateman elaborates on the vision, explaining that they are like acts in a play or a movie:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/jason_bateman_says_next_arrested_development_installment_is_not_season_four/feed/ 0 Why was Francis Underwood a Democrat? http://www.salon.com/2013/03/12/why_is_francis_underwood_a_democrat/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/12/why_is_francis_underwood_a_democrat/#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:49:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13224776 If you have Netflix and are even vaguely interested in American politics, it is a good bet your nightmares already are, or soon will be, haunted by Francis Underwood. The fictional Democratic congressman from South Carolina is the central antihero in the American version of the British hit "House of Cards" -- and he makes quite an impression.

Underwood gets his initials from the British show's central character Francis Urquhart, and the two share many traits. They are both brilliant, conniving, mercurial and wholly without ideology -- that is, as long as you don't count raw personal ambition as ideology.

There is, however, one huge difference between the two kindred spirits: While Urquhart leads the right-leaning Conservative Party, Underwood directs the ostensibly left-of-center Democratic Party. While this change may seem minor, it is a key linchpin of the show; indeed, the American production probably would not be able to so powerfully deliver its transpartisan political commentary if Underwood were a Republican. That's because by casting him as a Democrat, "House of Cards" is avoiding the standard cartoonish portrayal of Washington as a place of Evil-And-Powerful Conservatives and Idealistic-But-Powerless Liberals. Instead, it is more honestly admitting that in many cases, both parties' leaders are equally vicious, powerful and corrupt.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/12/why_is_francis_underwood_a_democrat/feed/ 27 Netflix CEO tells subscribers to expect only one season of “Arrested Development” http://www.salon.com/2013/02/25/netflix_ceo_tells_subscribers_to_expect_only_one_season_of_arrested_development/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/25/netflix_ceo_tells_subscribers_to_expect_only_one_season_of_arrested_development/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13211968 Update: A Netflix spokesperson has backtracked on Netflix CEO Reed Hastings's comments that the online streaming service would only host one season of the show. "We're hopeful there will be more seasons," the spokesperson told Hitfix. "If anyone can pull it together, it's going to be Ted. But by no means is this the end of it. We're definitely planning to do more with them. We have first rights, so it's not like you'd see it anywhere else. We're absolutely hopeful there will be more."

---

After Netflix dropped the enire first season of "House of Cards," the new David Fincher-directed political thriller, in one day, subscribers had to struggle not to binge on all 13 episodes at once. Those that did, however, can take solace in the fact that Season 2 is on its way.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/25/netflix_ceo_tells_subscribers_to_expect_only_one_season_of_arrested_development/feed/ 1 My two-day “House of Cards” bender http://www.salon.com/2013/02/06/my_two_day_house_of_cards_bender/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/06/my_two_day_house_of_cards_bender/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:09:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13192816 All 13 episodes of “House of Cards,” the ravishing, pretentious, delectable David Fincher-directed political drama, arrived on Netflix on Friday, enough TV to last you three months, or three days, whichever you prefer. In some not so far-flung future, a future that many TV watchers already inhabit some of the time, devouring series in gargantuan doses will be as unremarkable as watching a film on VHS once was. But for now, “House of Cards’” release as an all-you-can-watch proposition makes it more than just a TV show: It makes it an experiment. Spending a day or two on the couch watching it is an act of research, not just that of a total slob. Having consumed the entirety of the series in two big “research” sessions — jags of nine and then four hours —  I can say that “House of Cards” is entertaining enough to reward this sort of intensive viewing, but more relevantly that this sort of intensive viewing would reward most shows. You can’t tell there's grit in your food if you don’t take the time to chew.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/06/my_two_day_house_of_cards_bender/feed/ 15 How Netflix is turning viewers into puppets http://www.salon.com/2013/02/01/how_netflix_is_turning_viewers_into_puppets/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/01/how_netflix_is_turning_viewers_into_puppets/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:45:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13187436 I hit the pause button roughly one-third of the way through the first episode of "House of Cards," the political drama premiering on Netflix Feb. 1. By doing so, I created what is known in the world of Big Data as an "event" -- a discrete action that could be logged, recorded and analyzed. Every single day, Netflix, by far the largest provider of commercial streaming video programming in the United States, registers hundreds of millions of such events. As a consequence, the company knows more about our viewing habits than many of us realize. Netflix doesn't know merely what we're watching, but when, where and with what kind of device we're watching. It keeps a record of every time we pause the action -- or rewind, or fast-forward -- and how many of us abandon a show entirely after watching for a few minutes.

Netflix might not know exactly why I personally hit the pause button -- I was checking on my sick son, home from school with the flu -- but if enough people pause or rewind or fast-forward at the same place during the same show, the data crunchers can start to make some inferences. Perhaps the action slowed down too much to hold viewer interest -- bored now! -- or maybe the plot became too convoluted. Or maybe that sex scene was just so hot it had to be watched again. If enough of us never end up restarting the show after taking a break, the inference could be even stronger: maybe the show just sucked.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/01/how_netflix_is_turning_viewers_into_puppets/feed/ 77 “House of Cards” is the ultimate partisan TV show http://www.salon.com/2013/01/29/house_of_cards_is_the_ultimate_partisan_tv_show/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/29/house_of_cards_is_the_ultimate_partisan_tv_show/#comments Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13184172 On Friday, Netflix debuts the first season of its new series "House of Cards" -- releasing all 13 episodes at once. (A second season is guaranteed.) The show, built for binge-watching, stars Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, the scheming House majority whip bent on consolidating his own power -- possibly at the expense of the newly elected president.

In the show's first few minutes, Spacey's Underwood strangles a dog to death as an act of mercy; it may be the kindest thing he does in the first two episodes. He's the ultimate political creature, and on the warpath after getting passed over for the secretary of state nomination. Robin Wright plays his equally duplicitous wife, while Kate Mara plays Zoe Barnes, a young, eager journalist willing to take anything Underwood says as gospel.

The showrunner of "House of Cards" is well-acquainted with the corridors of power; Beau Willimon co-wrote the film "The Ides of March" and was a campaign worker for various Democratic Party campaigns in the 1990s and 2000s. We spoke to Willimon about the unorthodox distribution deal with Netflix and why the will to power may not be such a bad thing.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/29/house_of_cards_is_the_ultimate_partisan_tv_show/feed/ 8 Watch a new “House of Cards” trailer http://www.salon.com/2013/01/28/watch_a_new_house_of_cards_trailer/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/28/watch_a_new_house_of_cards_trailer/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:22:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13184311 There are many reasons to order a Netflix subscription in 2013 -- one of the biggest being "House of Cards," the original series with Kevin Spacey that lands on the video and TV service this Friday. Netflix yesterday released a new trailer that gives audiences a taste of what the political drama will be about (hint: a mix of political scandal and Kevin Spacey being awesome).

The show is an adaptation from the eponymous novel by former British Conservative Party Chief of Staff Michael Dobbs. Spacey plays a “wily, murderous politician worming his way to the White House.”

Watch below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/28/watch_a_new_house_of_cards_trailer/feed/ 1 New “Arrested Development” season “will look very different” says creator http://www.salon.com/2013/01/09/new_arrested_development_season_will_look_very_different_says_creator/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/09/new_arrested_development_season_will_look_very_different_says_creator/#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:30:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13165964 So far, there is a lot fans can piece together about what the new season of "Arrested Development," the cult comedy dropped prematurely by Fox in 2006, will look like: The entire cast will be back, including most of our favorite recurring characters (Liza Minnelli, Scott Baio, Henry Winkler, to name a few) and some new ones (e.g., Conan O'Brien and John Slattery), the whole show will drop at once on Netflix this spring, and each of the 13 or 14 episodes will focus on the life of a different Bluth character.

To the dismay of die-hard fans, show creator Mitch Hurwitz is now saying that the new season will never have the entire Bluth family in every episode. "You don't see them all together until you see the movie," he told USA Today, explaining that "Contractually, we couldn't use all the characters in every episode; they were not free to do as much television as they want." The show's central character, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), will be the only character to make an appearance in every show.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/09/new_arrested_development_season_will_look_very_different_says_creator/feed/ 2 Netflix gains eight Warner Bros. TV shows http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/netflix_gains_8_warner_bros_tv_shows/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/netflix_gains_8_warner_bros_tv_shows/#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:50:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13163710 With the announcement of the original series "House of Cards," becoming the exclusive home of the new "Arrested Development" series and receiving a boon from the government, Netflix has been having a historic few months -- and the trend only continues. Warner Bros. Television Group has granted the company exclusive rights to stream dramas "Revolution," "Political Animals," "Longmire," "666 Park Avenue" and "The Following," leaving the door open to license “potential future shows” as well. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos called it an “unprecedented agreement."

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