More Corporate Shenanigans

And the best new movies this week on streaming

Last week I wrote about the news that AT&T was spinning off Warner Media to combine it with Discovery. I didn't expect that days later, another major event in Hollywood would hit and funny enough it involved Amazon, which I mention in my post last week. Amazon announced that they intend to acquire the roaring lion studio MGM for an insane 8.5 billion (BILLION) dollars. A quick google search or scroll through twitter will reveal many takes and analysis of this move. Honestly, I just can't get over the fact that Amazon paid that much money for a studio (iconic it may be) that only has one real tentpole franchise to it's name - James Bond.

To put it into perspective, Disney paid about 4 billion dollars for Marvel. Marvel's Avengers Endgame alone made almost 3 billion dollars at the box office. So it's safe to say...Amazon definitely overpaid for MGM, because MGM definitely doesn't have anything close in terms of an IPs that can produce a return on 8 billion dollars anytime soon. Not that it matters to Amazon...they could literally light a billion dollars on fire without noticing.

The truly sad thing about all this is that movie lovers probably aren't going to get much "cinema" out of this deal. Amazon at the end of the day paid for the back catalog of movies and shows MGM owns so they can throw it all on Prime Video. Probably so they can add to their marketing copy that they have more movies than you'd ever have time to watch.

Unfortunately, most of those 4000 movies aren't worth the time to watch so it's just fodder. Cinema has become fodder that mega tech corps use to fill a database to entice people to buy cheap import products from an e-commerce website. And in a moment in human history where most people have access to the tools to create and tell stories, the most successful company in the history of humankind instead invested an unfathomable amount of money to acquire a dying dinosaur from Hollywood's long past golden age with the intent to recycle stories that only appeal to aging nostalgics.

This is the "streaming wars" reaching it's climax (or is this just the start?) and it's fascinating to see it play out. I just hope that cinema comes out alright on the other side.

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Here are the best new movies available this week on streaming video

Night of the Kings (2021)

Available Wednesday, June 2 on Hulu

A young man is sent to "La Maca", a prison of Ivory Coast in the middle of the forest ruled by its prisoners. With the red moon rising, he is designated by the Boss to be the new "Roman" and must tell a story to the other prisoners.

The World to Come (2020)

Available Monday, May 31 on Hulu

Somewhere along the mid-19th century American East Coast frontier, two neighboring couples battle hardship and isolation, witnessed by a splendid yet testing landscape, challenging them both physically and psychologically.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Available Thursday, June 3 on HBO Max

The Warrens investigate a murder that may be linked to a demonic possession.

Other movies available this week

(Happy start of the month)

Netflix

• Sweet and Sour (2020)

• Ninja Assassin (2009)

• Million Dollar Baby (2004)

• Bad Teacher (2011)

• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

• The Big Lebowski (1998)

• The Best Man (1999)

• Welcome Home (2018)

• What Women Want (2000)

• I Am Sam (2001)

• Flipped (2010)

• Love Jones (1997)

• The Wedding Guest (2019)

• American Outlaws (2001)

• Stand by Me (1986)

• Abduction (2011)

• Fools Rush In (1997)

• 2 Hearts (2020)

Hulu

• The One I Love (2014)

• Arachnophobia (1990)

• Jennifer's Body (2009)

• Rules of Engagement (2000)

• The Company You Keep (2012)

• Wayne's World 2 (1993)

• Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

• Switchback (1997)

• Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

• The Upside (2019)

• Gamer (2009)

• To Die For (1995)

• Still Waiting... (2009)

• The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

• Batman Begins (2005)

• The Big Chill (1983)

• Dragonfly (2002)

• The Soloist (2009)

• Just Wright (2010)

• Waiting... (2005)

• Young Adult (2011)

• Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994)

• A Perfect Day (2006)

• Wings of Courage (1996)

• Primary Colors (1998)

• Silence (2016)

• Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

• Jennifer Eight (1992)

• Fun in Acapulco (1963)

• Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

• Savage State (2020)

• El Dorado (1966)

• Alive (1993)

• The Last House on the Left (2009)

• The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

• Charlotte's Web (1973)

• Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011)

• The Hustler (1961)

• Black and White (1999)

• The Blair Witch Project (1999)

• Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008)

• Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)

• Hanging Up (2000)

• Kick-Ass (2010)

• Wilde (1997)

• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

• The Cookout (2004)

• Soul Survivors (2001)

• Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

• Sabrina (1995)

• Last Chance Harvey (2008)

• Conviction (2010)

• 50/50 (2011)

• Places in the Heart (1984)

• Bloody Sunday (2002)

• A Most Wanted Man (2014)

• The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)

• Across the Universe (2007)

• The Time Machine (2002)

• Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009)

• The Dark Knight (2008)

• Witless Protection (2008)

• Vanity Fair (2004)

• Small Fortune (2019)

• Desperate Measures (1998)

• Driven (2001)

• The Love Letter (1999)

• Hud (1963)

• Ordinary People (1980)

• Rams (2020)

Prime Video

• We Own the Night (2007)

• Fight Club (1999)

• Testament of Youth (2014)

• Courageous (2011)

• Revolutionary Road (2008)

• Colombiana (2011)

• Little Man (2006)

• Seven Pounds (2008)

• Hurley (2019)

• The House Bunny (2008)

• 50/50 (2011)

• The Fisher King (1991)

• Chicken Run (2000)

• Slavery by Another Name (2012)

• The Wrestler (2008)

• Mo' Money (1992)

• Rent (2005)

• Alive (1993)

• Burn After Reading (2008)

• Take Shelter (2011)

• This Means War (2012)

• DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

• Spring Break (1983)

• Madea's Witness Protection (2012)

• Signs (2002)

• An American Werewolf in London (1981)

• I Spy (2002)

• Dear John (2010)

• Ali (2001)

• Adaptation. (2002)

• Stomp the Yard (2007)

• Step Brothers (2008)

• Takers (2010)

• Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Disney+

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)

HBO Max

• Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)

• The Aviator (2004)

• The Pink Panther 2 (2009)

• Feast of Love (2007)

• Stoker (2013)

• Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)

• The Pink Panther (1963)

• The American President (1995)

• Kajillionaire (2020)

• It Takes Two (1995)

• Iris (2001)

• Doctor Sleep (2019)

• Other People's Money (1991)

• The Grifters (1990)

• Three Days of the Condor (1975)

• The Green Mile (1999)

• Sherlock Holmes (2009)

• The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

• True Romance (1993)

• Matchstick Men (2003)

• Drillbit Taylor (2008)

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

• Miss Congeniality (2000)

• The Manhattan Project (1986)

• Orange County (2002)

• The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

• This Is 40 (2012)

• Black Rain (1989)

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

• Bless the Child (2000)

• The Name of the Son (2018)

• Eight Men Out (1988)

• Rat Race (2001)

• Jerry Maguire (1996)

• Shazam! (2019)

• Camelot (1967)

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

• Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

• Extract (2009)

• Disaster Movie (2008)

• The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

• Corpse Bride (2005)

• Presumed Innocent (1990)

• Wedding Crashers (2005)

• Mindhunters (2004)

• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

• Victor/Victoria (1982)

• The Pink Panther (2006)

• Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

• The Wedding Singer (1998)

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

• Humboldt County (2008)

• Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

• Take Me Home Tonight (2011)

• A Shot in the Dark (1964)

• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

• Fast Company (1979)

• Just Married (2003)

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

• National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

• The Conjuring 2 (2016)

• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

• Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

• Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)

• Son of the Pink Panther (1993)

• Dorm Daze 2 (2006)

• How to Be Single (2016)

• Without a Trace (1983)

• Clueless (1995)

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Movie descriptions from IMDB.