Saturday, May 04, 2024

Around the Tubes: May 4, 2024

 

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Pearl Jam, Miranda Lambert, Coldplay, Sublime, and Beat the Bridge.


The iconic Pearl Jam sits down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 at their warehouse headquarters in Seattle for an in-depth conversation ahead of the release of Dark Matter. They talk about why Andrew Watt was the perfect producer for them, collaborating with Stevie Wonder on the song “Waiting For Stevie,” and how a studio flood led to them finishing the record at Rick Rubin’s legendary Shangri-La Studio. Zane gets an exclusive look inside the warehouse with unprecedented access. The band deep dives with him into how they feel about their critics, reflect back on their Ticketmaster feud, and their purpose of striving to be a positive force in the world.  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpuuIpsgaPQ


Miranda Lambert has never flinched when it comes to her music. Full-tilt, strong as hell, she’s been the go-to woman for tender toughness and reckoning when it comes to no-good men. Having announced her alliance with Republic Records with strategic support from the Nashville-based Big Loud, the most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history and triple Grammy-winner now drops “Wranglers,” her first single under her new deal. Listen HERE.  A tour du force of empowerment in the face of a less than stand-up paramour, “Wranglers” burns like heatwaves in the desert – and announces the next wave of the maverick groundbreaker’s creative sojourn. With tart vocals and electric barbed wire guitars turned up, the slow broil churn seizes on the slow death of love, the callousness of men who won’t see and the strength of a woman who sets destiny in motion and survives in its wake.


In the spring of 2023, Coldplay - Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate hit cinemas for two days only. Filmed during Coldplay’s sold out, ten-night run at Buenos Aires’ River Plate stadium, the film captures the band's acclaimed Music of the Spheres World Tour, which has been heralded by The Times as “the greatest live music show ever.” On Saturday, May 11 at 12pm PT/8pm BST, premier streaming platform Veeps will air the film, taking the record-breaking concert to Coldplay fans around the world who weren’t able to see it in theaters or in-person (and to those that want to relive it!). The film will be free to view as a live airing and available on-demand for audiences to rent after the live broadcast for $3.99.   Coldplay - Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate will be for free during its initial online premiere on May 11 at 12pm PT/8pm BST via veeps.com. Following the conclusion of the live broadcast, the film will be available on veeps.com for $3.99 rental for the next year.


Iconic California music and art collide as Sublime announces a new collaboration with renowned American Chicano graffiti artist Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez. The new venture, SUBLIME X CHAZ, will feature limited-edition merchandise sold online through Sublime’s official store, sublimelbc.store.   Known as the godfather of West Coast graffiti, Chaz’s legendary American Chicano aesthetic transformed Cholo street graffiti into a well-respected and influential art form with a signature style that reflects the cultures and language of East Los Angeles. Exclusive SUBLIME X CHAZ designs will now become wearable art on jackets, shirts, hats and socks, while inventory lasts.


Based on the hit BBC show Bridge Of Lies and format created by STV Studios, BEAT THE BRIDGE features an enormous interactive bridge that dares players to cross by stepping on the right answers to challenging trivia questions. Each step forward puts money in the team’s bank, with bonus money for each successful crossing. However, the team gets to keep the money only if it can “beat the bridge” by returning one of its players back across before time expires in an exciting end game.  BEAT THE BRIDGE will premiere Monday, June 10 on Game Show Network and air weeknights at 6pm.



Monday, April 29, 2024

Transmissions from Pluto - Everything coming to Pluto TV in May 2024

 

The May edition of Transmissions from Pluto has landed in your inbox! In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, we're rolling out movie marathons featuring beloved stars like Michelle Yeoh, Dwayne Johnson and Jackie Chan. We also have an anime-zing 100 hours of series and movies dedicated to the Japanese art form—or what we’re calling Ani-May! And that’s only scratching the surface. From boxing to poker to Formula 1, our new channels deliver the action. And they wouldn’t be possible without our programming team who share what goes into curating Pluto TV.

For a sneak peek at all the excitement heading your way this May, dive into the latest edition of Transmissions from Pluto.


FAST FORWARD

At Pluto TV, we’re all about curating thoughtful channels and collections for the ultimate lean-back viewing experience. Our programming team leverages its expertise and love of entertainment to create channels that help audiences discover—and rediscover—entertainment that fuels their unique world of interests. We have Star Trek channels for Trekkies by Trekkies, true crime channels for amateur detectives and game show channels for Trebeks-in-training. Our programmers exist to help viewers find their orbit.

This month, we sit down with Programming Manager Philip Yu and Senior Programming Manager Nikki Frangella, who play pivotal roles in shaping our content offering. A prominent voice in the Asian American community and founder and editor of Angry Asian Man, Philip helped curate our collection for AAPI Heritage Month. Nikki, who has been with Pluto TV since the very beginning, is behind Ani-May!

What is your approach to programming?

PY: I treat every block of programming as a mini film festival serving the channel's voice and audience. So on, say, Flicks of Fury, you'll have a night of Jet Li's greatest hits, followed by a night of action flicks that center Muay Thai, followed by a block of movies just featuring hella swords. It's really fun.

NF: I approach programming by leveraging data insights to guide decision-making, complemented by my perspective as a passionate consumer. I analyze the data to validate hypotheses, enabling us to refine our strategies. Whether replicating successful scenarios or daring to innovate, my aim is to continually enhance our viewers' satisfaction and engagement.

Which trends have you noticed viewers respond to?

PY: 
What's been effective lately is nostalgic, tried-and-true franchises that the average user has presumably already seen many times over. That has driven the recent growth of a channel like 80s Rewind, thanks to iconic films like the original Rambo trilogy and the Beverly Hills Cop movies. 

NF: Viewers thrive on content they're passionate about and our research indicates that extended blocks of their favorite programming significantly enhance viewer retention. Our strategy focuses on providing a continuous stream of beloved content throughout the day, resulting in heightened engagement levels.

What are your picks for May?

PY: May is AAPI Heritage Month, so I'm highlighting Asian American cinema with some indie favorites: Better Luck Tomorrow, Saving Face and The Motel.

NF: Since Ani-May will be in full swing, I have to recommend both our Sailor Moon and Anime All Day channels. We have some exciting marathons coming throughout the month.


FAST APPROACHING

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month


To pay tribute to AAPI Heritage Month, Pluto TV will feature films and television showcasing AAPI stars, creators and stories. 

Pluto TV Icons Movie Marathons
  • May 1 at 9 a.m. ET - Jackie Chan: Wheels on Meals, The Tuxedo, The Spy Next Door, The Prisoner, Operation Condor, Operation Condor 2, Project A2, Supercop, Rob-B-Hood, Skiptrace
  • May 2 at 8 p.m. ET - Dwayne Johnson: Faster, Baywatch, Pain & Gain, Southland Tales
  • May 4 at 8 p.m. ET - Dev Patel: The Last Airbender, The Man Who Knew Infinity, The Road Within
  • May 5 at 8 p.m. ET - Michelle Yeoh: Supercop, Reign of Assassins, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy
  • May 11 at 8 p.m. ET - Zhang Ziyi: House of Flying Daggers, Hero, Dangerous Liaisons
  • May 12 at 8 p.m. ET - Maggie Q: Death of Me; King of Fighters; Three Kingdoms; New York, I Love You
  • May 17 at 8 p.m. ET - Bruce Lee: The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Game of Death
  • May 18 at 8 p.m. ET - Chow Yun Fat: Bulletproof Monk, The Replacement Killers, The Last Tycoon
  • May 19 at 2 p.m. ET - Jet Li: Hero, The Warlords, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, Contract Killer, Legend of the Red Dragon, Meltdown, Badges of Fury
  • May 25 at 6 p.m. ET - Keanu Reeves: Point Break, Johnny Mnemonic, Siberia, Exposed, The Whole Truth
  • May 26 at 5 p.m. ET - Tony Jaa: The Protector, The Protector 2, Ong Bak 3, Kill Zone 2, Paradox
  • May 31 at 8 p.m. ET - Ang Lee: The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink Man Woman, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Ani-May

This month, we're spotlighting our Anime category and dubbing it Ani-May! We’re unleashing more than 100 hours of anime content across the spectrum. Dive into beloved series like Kyo Kara Maoh! and Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier, along with Mononoke! Plus, stay tuned for special marathon events sprinkled throughout the month, promising endless excitement and entertainment!

  • Anime All Day will have marathons every weekend in May, featuring shows like Megalobox, Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold, HUNTERxHUNTER, Inuyasha and more! The channel will also feature special airings of Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie and Yu-Gi-Oh: Bonds Beyond Time.
  • The Sailor Moon channel will have Sailor Moon Classic marathons every weekend in May.
  • The Yu-Gi-Oh channel will have special airings of Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie and Yu-Gi-Oh: Bonds Beyond Time.
  • The Lupin the 3rd channel channel will feature TV special movie marathons each weekend, including Dragon of Doom, The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure, The Secret of Twilight Gemini, Islands of Assassins, Tokyo Crisis, The Columbus Files, Missed by a Dollar and First Contact.

PREPPING FOR LAUNCH

Here are all the new channels and movies launching throughout May on Pluto TV.

CHANNELS

FanDuel TV Extra
FanDuel TV Extra is your new home for live sports, professional poker action and betting insight. Watch and wager in real-time on horse racing, international basketball, soccer and much more. Make every moment more with FanDuel!

Formula 1 Channel
Formula 1 is a sport like no other and the Formula 1 Channel is the ultimate destination to catch up on all the action from F1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy races throughout the season, including analysis, replays and documentaries.

Triton Poker 
Dive into the world of high-stakes poker with Triton Poker, your window into the most prestigious poker series worldwide. Watch elite players in thrilling 24-hour action, with live coverage from every tournament throughout the year.

Modern Marvels Presented by HISTORY
Celebrate the ingenuity and imagination found in the world around us. 24/7 episodes of Modern Marvels, television's most innovative series.

Top Rank Classics
Top Rank Classics revisits classic and contemporary boxing matches, featuring icons such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Lenoard, Manny Pacquiao, Vasily Lomachenko, Tyson Fury and Shakur Stevenson. This is Boxing. This is Top Rank.

DAZN Ringside 
DAZN Ringside brings you the very best of boxing – the biggest fights of the year including selected live undercards, plus original feature-length documentaries, special short films and DAZN Boxing Show, featuring the biggest names in boxing.

Million Dollar Listing Vault 
Bravo's Million Dollar Listing vault has the best of luxury real estate, with all the deals and drama! Watch every season now!

New Local News Channels 
Pluto TV adds more channels from NBC News and Telemundo including NBC Philadelphia News, NBC Washington News, NBC San Diego News, NBC Chicago News, NBC New York News, NBC Dallas News, NBC Connecticut News, NBC Bay Area News, NBC South Florida News, NBC Los Angeles News, Telemundo Noticias Florida, Telemundo Noticias California and Telemundo Noticias Noreste.

MOVIES

Addams Family Values
The Addams Family
All Souls
Allied
Almost Famous
Animal Kingdom
Apocalypto
Atlantic City (1981)
The Aviator
The Back-Up Plan
Bad Asses
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Baywatch
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Before I Go To Sleep
Best of the Best
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Boondock Saints
The Brady Bunch Movie
A Very Brady Sequel
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Chasing Amy
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director's Cut)
Daddy's Home
Daddy's Home 2
Dark Crystal
Dead Ringers
Double Jeopardy (1999)
El Mariachi
Ella Enchanted
Empire Records
Eurotrip
Event Horizon
Failure to Launch
Faster
Forces of Nature
The Golden Child
Good Burger
Higher Learning
House of Flying Daggers
Hudson Hawk
Hyena Road
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
Jawbreaker
Jersey Girl
Johnny Mnemonic
The King of Comedy
Kung Fu Hustle



Labyrinth
Look Who's Talking
Machine Gun PreacherMiles Ahead
Mother (1996)
One False Move
Pain & Gain
Payback
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Predestination
Premium Rush
The Quick and the Dead
The Raid 2
Real Genius
The Replacement Killers
Romper Stomper
The Running Man
S.W.A.T.: Firefight
Saving Face (2005)
Saving Private Ryan
The School of Rock
Seabiscuit
Showdown at the Grand
Slackers
Sniper (1993)
So I Married an Axe Murderer
Sonic The Hedgehog
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Southland Tales
Spy Kids
Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Stand By Me
Stephen King's Thinner
Swingers
The Defender
The Firm
The First Wives Club
The Guilt Trip
The Infiltrator
The Name of the Rose
The Prisoner
The Raid: Redemption
The Tailor of Panama
The Thirteenth Floor
Tigerland
Trading Places
Trainspotting
The Truman Show
We Were Soldiers
Witness