SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME CINEMA CHOICE13%
26%
7%
6%
11%
10%
28%
Rangers re-arranged
Lionsgate's 2017 Power Rangers
movie (pictured) was only
moderately successful, but that
hasn't stopped rights holder Hasbro
looking for a quick reboot. The
project, without the original cast, is
likely to end up at Paramount, the
studio that's adapted Hasbro's GI
Joe and Transformers properties.Robot reboot
Zack Snyder is taking a break from
DC Comics adaptations to helm
Army of the Dead, a Netfl ix original
movie (budgeted at $90m and due
in 2020) that promises to blend the
zombie and heist genres. Dave
Bautista has signed on to star.Mirren, signal,
manoeuvre
Further casting news around Fast
& Furious 9, with Vin Diesel recently
taking to Instagram to confi rm
both Charlize Theron (Cipher) and
Helen Mirren (Magdalene Shaw)
would feature in the fi lm, after
making their franchise debuts
in Fast & Furious 8.What's your favourite
James Cameron movie?
Q The Terminator Q Aliens
Q The Abyss Q T2 Q True Lies
Q Titanic Q AvatarPremiere...
What's happening in the
world of TV and fi lms...We asked...
BULLETIN 13
Results from http://www.homecinemachoice.com
Go online for more polling actionThis month’s top 10 news stories in handy, bite-sized chunks...
1
The show must go on!
According to fi gures from the British Association
for Screen Entertainment and The Offi cial
Charts Company, we just can't get enough
of Bohemian Rhapsody. The music biopic has
dominated the home entertainment retail market
in 2019, amassing 1.5m sales (across disc and digital)
between its February launch and the end
of June. Even a 2018 release
(The Greatest Showman) still
sings its way into the top 10.
2
Back in
business
Braun, widely known
as a purveyor
of grooming products,
is returning to the audio
market after a 28-year
absence in conjunction with
UK corp Pure. Its LE Range,
inspired by its 1959 LE
speakers, will debut at the IFA technology
show in September.
3
A fl ick of the Switch
Possibly failing to grasp what makes the
original Switch console so appealing,
Nintendo has announced a more aff ordable
model dubbed Switch Lite. Unlike its pricier
progenitor, this £200 handheld lacks the ability
to be hooked up to a TV, making it more Gameboy
than games console. It does come in turquoise,
yellow or grey fl avours, though.
4
Portable PJ does 720p
Vivitek has outed a new Qumi Z1 portable
projector series, comprising two models.
The Qumi Z1H (£490) is a 720p, 300
Lumens model with a maximum image of 100in,
while its Z1V sibling (£390) drops resolution to 480p
and reduces brightness and display size. Both use
long-lasting LED lamps and claim a battery life of
up to two hours.
5
No love for Loewe?
High-end TV and audio marque Loewe
is battling insolvency. Administrators for
the company, which was previously
rescued from fi nancial turmoil in 2013 by outside
investment, are currently seeking a buyer for
'selected or all assets.'
6
Freeview fl ies ahead
Free-to-air VOD platform Freeview Play
is on a roll, announcing sales of 7 million
enabled devices since its 2015 launch and
20,000 hours of catch-up content now available.
Furthermore, 18 million households now use the
Freeview TV platform, making it the biggest such
provider in the UK.7
Peace in our time
Google and Amazon have fi nally agreed
to make streamers' lives easier by allowing
Amazon Prime Video to play through
Chromecast devices, and Google's YouTube platform
to be accessible via (some) Amazon Fire TV
hardware. Better late than never.8
Sky treats
for Virgin TV
More cross-platform
news: Sky has
announced it will be making
Ultra HD sports and movie
content available on the
Virgin Media TV platform,
and providing an 'expanded
collection of Sky boxsets
available on demand',
in 2020. We're still awaiting
for a 'cross supply'
arrangement between Sky
and BT for sports content- announced at the end of
2017 – to be implemented, though.
9
King of the HDR monsters
Although a 'supporter' of HDR10+ since
it launched, Warner Bros has been slow
in releasing any 4K discs using the format.
That's all about to change with Godzilla: King of the
Monsters, due for an August 27 release in the US,
as the studio has confi rmed it will off er both Dolby
Vision and HDR10+ encodes.10
Blu-ray with bite
UK Blu-ray outfi t 101 Films is releasing
David Cronenberg's 1977 horror fl ick
Rabid on a two-disc release under its
Black Label imprint this August. Previously available
on Blu-ray with a 1.78:1 presentation, the movie will
this time benefi t from a 2K scan from the original
camera negative 'at director David Cronenberg’s
preferred aspect ratio' of 1.66:1. The two-disc set will
also include around 200 minutes of bonus material.OTHERS:^ PIRANHA^ II:^ THESPAWNING^ (LESSTHAN1 %)