Horror Report

Tag: netflix

  • Netflix promises not to destroy movie theater

    Netflix promises not to destroy movie theater

    At least not outright..

    In a new interview with The New York Times, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that, should the WBD acquisition go through, the streamer will commit to 45-day theatrical release windows for the legacy studio’s upcoming releases.

    Sarandos insisted that Netflix has no intentions of disrupting “a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars,” and that he believes there is value in the movie theater experience.

    “I’m giving you a hard number,” Sarandos said. “If we’re going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we’re competitive people — we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office.”

    “I mean, like the town that Sinners is supposed to be set in does not have a movie theater there,” Sarandos reasoned. “For those folks, it’s certainly outmoded. You’re not going to get in the car and go to the next town to go see a movie.”

  • Netflix will now own Freddy but also make takedown theaters as we know it

    Netflix will now own Freddy but also make takedown theaters as we know it

    Jane Fonda has been leading the charge, along with the Screen Actors Guild, railing against the Netflix deal that would gobble up Warner Bros. for 43 billion dollars. The emotions in Hollywood have gone from apprehension to anger about this deal, and people are actually worried it could be consequential to the First Amendment itself. Some might say that’s hyperbole, but think about this.

    Netflix is going to be given token releases to theater chains such as AMC, IMAX, and Cinemark. Those stocks fell 8% on Friday because this merger may represent a total consolidation of the industry under a corporate conglomerate. Corporate conglomerates aren’t rare these days. We don’t have many companies like we once did—just big giant corporations eating up the competition and owning it.

    This is also the tech giants owning something as opposed to the old Hollywood elite. Warner Bros owns a lot of horror franchises. Let’s think about Pennywise the Dancing Clown and Freddy Krueger. Let’s think about some of the others you’ve come to love on different streaming platforms. Netflix will now own those rights and distribute them the way they see fit, if this deal and acquisition go through.

    So maybe we all agree with Jane Fonda, and maybe we’re all a little bit worried. And quite frankly, if Netflix really wants to do something here, they can either kill movie theaters—or allow them to thrive.

  • Squawkless on TuneIn? It wasn’t just my problem

    Squawkless on TuneIn? It wasn’t just my problem

    Stranger Things fans are getting a little sneak preview of what life will be like when their favorite radio station disappears. Let me explain.

    You might have read on my site (and plenty of others) about WSQK—a.k.a. The Squawk. It’s that now-famous “radio” station that was really just an online stream but felt like a real 80s station straight out of Hawkins, Indiana. It had 80s DJs, 80s music, the whole nostalgic vibe.

    You could find it on TuneIn Radio. But now a bunch of people, myself included, are getting these weird warnings that The Squawk is suddenly “not available in our region” or country.

    At first, I thought, “Hey, maybe this is some kind of promo stunt, like the Demogorgons hijacked the station for a bit.” But nope, it’s not part of the show.

    It’s just a glitch or a regional licensing issue on TuneIn.

    The good news is you can still get The Squawk on the Global Player app. I tried it, it works, and others have done the same. So you can keep listening for now.

    Just know that come January, The Squawk is reportedly going off the air for good as that little promo run ends. So yeah, consider this a taste of what life will be like when the station disappears for real.

    Enjoy it while you can!

  • Netflix is acquiring Warner Brothers. That means Freddy is well?

    Netflix is acquiring Warner Brothers. That means Freddy is well?

    This is bigger than Stranger Things season 5…

    Netflix Buys Warner Bros for $82.7 Billion — What Happens Now?

    Well… whoa.
    That’s really the only word that fits right now.

    On Friday morning, as the stock market, Oscar winners, and the White House were all waking up to the news cycle, both Netflix and Warner Bros leadership sent out internal emails confirming what the media instantly latched onto: Netflix will acquire Warner Bros Discovery and its entire streaming business for a staggering $82.7 billion.

    If it goes through, this is one of those “fundamentally reshape the entire entertainment industry” moments. This isn’t just another merger. This is a tech titan fully planting a flag in the center of Hollywood and essentially saying: We run the table now.

    Netflix has spent years building toward dominance, but this?
    This is conquest-level stuff.

    The deal gives Netflix enormous leverage over the film and TV landscape … library content, franchises, IP, and the kind of studio infrastructure you simply can’t build from scratch anymore. If you’re wondering what this means for the future of streaming, the future of movie theaters, or even the political implications of a mega-merger this size… well, you’re not alone. Washington is probably already sharpening knives over antitrust concerns.

    But let’s be honest  for horror fans, there’s one immediate question:

    What happens to Freddy Krueger?

    Because with this merger, Netflix would now own The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Just think about that.
    Netflix,  the same company currently dominating the global streaming market .. now potentially holding the rights to Elm Street, and deciding the future of one of the most iconic villains in cinema history.

    Do they reboot it?
    Do they build a prestige horror series?
    Do they fold Freddy into a new expanded horror universe?
    Or do they let him sleep a little longer?

    Whatever happens, this is one of the biggest entertainment shakeups we’ve seen in decades  and it’s only the beginning.

    If you’d like, I can add a punchier ending, a horror-purist angle, or a list of “possible futures for Freddy.”

    And a lot of others …

    MORE..

    The Writers Guild of America has joined other industry groups in coming out against Netflix‘s proposed blockbuster deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery‘s studios and streaming business.

    The WGA warned that the $83 billion Netflix-WB deal would eliminate jobs, reduce wages — and raise prices for consumers.

    “The world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent,” the guild said in a statement. “The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers. Industry workers along with the public are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked.”

  • Your theater will go upside down. Good luck on your hunt for tickets

    Your theater will go upside down. Good luck on your hunt for tickets

    Today’s the big day! You can now buy tickets for the finale of Stranger Things in a theater.. I foresee this being a major cultural event..

    We’ve got a grand total of two theaters in Pennsylvania running the Season 5 finale… yep, just two that I could find. One out in Warrington and another all the way over in Clarion, near Pittsburgh.

    Now, maybe this is some kind of strategic move, spreading out the love to suburban and university towns rather than just the big cities. Or maybe it’s not strategic at all, and it just comes down to which theater chains decided to jump on board. Either way, I’m not complaining because I’ve got my ticket in hand. As an example it appears that there’s only two theaters in Pennsylvania showing it, one being a suburb of Philadelphia and the other being Clarion. Clarion smart because there’s University there maybe that’s the goal. Not sure if it’s strategic or just by accident where the theaters were chosen..

    My plan? Well, I’m turning off the entire digital world from 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until I’m back from the theater on New Year’s Day. That means no social media, no Twitter, no Facebook, no updating my site.. nothing. I’m going full digital hibernation mode because I do not want a single spoiler before I see that finale on the big screen.

    And sure, some folks might say going to a theater for a TV show is a bad idea. They’ll say you’ll be surrounded by loud, obnoxious people. But come on, if you’re heading out to see Stranger Things in a theater, you’re probably just as much of a fan as everyone else in the room. We’ll all be there to laugh, cry, cheer, and maybe even dress up like a Demogorgon or two. It’s going to be a shared experience, and honestly, that’s the fun of it.

    So good luck if you’re hunting for tickets. It’s limited, it’s special, and if you do find a seat next to me, just give me a little elbow room and don’t throw popcorn.. unless it’s at a really scary part.

  • Squawking about Stranger Things season 5 radio station

    Squawking about Stranger Things season 5 radio station

    So here’s the thing: I’ve been a “Stranger Things” fan since 2016, and let’s face it, that first season dropped us right into a perfect little 1983 time capsule. Back then, it looked and felt like the ’80s through and through.. like you could almost smell the mall food court and hear the rustle of a D&D manual. But as the show went on, the production got glossier, and it lost a bit of that old-school aura that made it feel like a true time warp.

    Enter Season 5 and this little gem called “The Squawk” radio station.

    I stumbled on it through the TuneIn app, and it’s like stepping into a bubble of 1988 all over again. They’ve actually built out a full-on 1980s-style broadcast, right down to the DJs and the vintage audio processing. Listening to it while out for a walk or driving around is great background noise but it goes further than that for me and others… it’s a whole mood. I can practically see my eight-year-old self heading to the mall for a He-Man figure or riding the school bus with this playing in the background. It’s pure, immersive nostalgia in a way I didn’t even realize I missed.

    Let’s be honest, the show’s early seasons really leaned into that gritty ’83 vibe, and some of that faded as the CGI and polish ramped up. But “The Squawk” is like a little gift to us fans who miss that pure, old-school feeling. It’s our chance to time travel again, even if it’s just for a little while, before Hawkins and all its quirky corners fade away.

    And fade away it may.. Word is this station will vanish on January 1, 2026. Maybe when Hawkins itself does?

    Either way.. there are countless fans already being made to feel good enough vibes that they do not want it to be gone. And neither do we..

    So let’s set out a mission to SAVE THE SQUAWK.. Keep this station.. we will even allow for bid name product placements.. calling all ad people, find your famous ads from the late 80s and play them here. Generate some revenue.. This station is so amazing, a step back in time, that it can become a part of your life in mere minutes.. It will be sad when *if??* it goes..

    So if you haven’t checked it out yet, definitely tune in and take that nostalgia ride. It’s like a love letter to the ’80s that we didn’t even know we needed again.. beyond even Stranger Things, it is tapping into a simpler time that we also did not know we needed–and that we forgot existed.

  • Damage control in the upside down

    Damage control in the upside down

    DAMAGE CONTROL in the upside down..
    Millie Bobby Brown says how lucky she is to have David Harbour.. MORE.. despite rumors of ongoing tension on the set and complaints about behavior, the TUDUM may have revealed a new fonder relationship between the two STRANGER THINGS stars? She said .. “It’s been amazing. We’re so lucky to have each other,” Brown told Extra. “The show means so much to the both of us, and to everyone here. This has been the last 10 years of our lives.”
    Variety is among the outlets detailing how the Netflix etc team done damage control in the aftermath..

    MORE..

    “Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal on-set matters, but I will say we’ve been doing this for 10 years with this cast, and at this point they’re family and we deeply care about them. So, you know, nothing matters more than just having a set where everyone feels safe and happy,” Ross Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet at the Stranger Things premiere…

    When you consider all things, the damage control is going pretty decently.. most media has already enriched themselves in product placements .. corporations own the media.. it’s all going according to plan..

  • First five minutes of STRANGER THINGS 5 revealed

    First five minutes of STRANGER THINGS 5 revealed

    The Stranger Things world premiere event just wrapped, and it ended with something huge — the first five minutes of Season 5.

    The scene opens with a young Will Byers in the Upside Down, softly singing “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” It’s eerie, familiar, and heavy with everything we know he’s been carrying. Suddenly, a Demogorgon appears. There’s a struggle — Will fights, but he’s dragged deeper into the dark.

    We’re taken to Vecna’s lair.

    Out of the mist, Vecna slowly emerges and approaches Will. He tells him that, “at long last,” they are finally going to begin. Then, in one of the most unsettling visuals yet, Vecna places his tentacles over Will’s mouth and inserts something into him.

    Cut to black.
    STRANGER THINGS logo.
    The music hits.

    And that’s it.

    The crowd reportedly lost it. Social media is already spiraling. The final chapter is finally starting. The slow burn, the buildup, the finish line — it’s all here.

    Season 5 has officially begun.

  • And now for the second time today, the Stranger Things trailer revealed

    And now for the second time today, the Stranger Things trailer revealed

    Well, it’s that time — finally. The trailer has been released again. Remember, Netflix accidentally took the gate down earlier this morning and quickly deleted the trailer. But now, the official Stranger Things account has uploaded and released it for real this time.

    Social media apps spent the day taking down the “pirated” versions floating around — although, let’s be honest, it didn’t really leak. Netflix basically opened the door to the Upside Down themselves. But now you can watch the official trailer here, in the official way it was supposed to arrive.

    And yes — this is the same exact trailer that showed up hours ago that many of us already saw. But that’s okay. It’s still exciting. Now that we’ve gotten a taste of what Season 5 is bringing, it definitely looks epic.

    So go ahead — enjoy it. Watch it again. Break it down frame by frame if you want.

    Because the next several weeks are going to be a full-on barrage of all things Stranger Things — from TV spots to grocery store displays to every cross-marketing campaign imaginable. Get ready for an inundation of the Upside Down in your daily life.

    It’s happening.

  • Whoopsie.. Netflix publishes and then deletes Stranger Things 5 trailer

    Whoopsie.. Netflix publishes and then deletes Stranger Things 5 trailer

    Fans must have been shocked when the new Stranger Things trailer dropped last night… and probably even more shocked when Netflix immediately deleted it from X.

    Apparently, it wasn’t supposed to be released — at least not quite yet ..

    For days, fans have been buzzing because it was rumored the trailer would arrive today, earlier than expected. So when it suddenly appeared a few hours ago, the hype exploded across all realms.. . People shared it. Downloaded it. Screen-recorded it. It was everywhere for a few moments.. sure to go viral.

    Then it vanished.

    Netflix pulled it down so fast you’d think it never happened. Word is that some kind of technical glitch or accidental scheduling error occurred — surprising, considering how carefully choreographed Stranger Things promotional drops usually are.

    Of course, there are always theories. Some people are insisting that the “accidental leak” was intentional, part of a larger marketing stunt to create buzz. But honestly? That doesn’t really track. Stranger Things promotions are historically precise and times perfectly without chaos and sloppiness.

    It’s far more believable that this really wasn’t supposed to be out yet .. and the fans who saw it just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

    Either way… the cat’s out of the bag now. The trailer is circulating through reuploads, retweets, and grainy screen-grabs faster than anyone can control. And what was supposed to be a huge, dramatic “drop day” might have just turned into something stranger .. a scramble, a glitch, a moment of digital luck for whoever caught it first.

    Today just got interesting.

    Waiting on the OFFICIAL trailer. (and what if it is different!?)

    https://twitter.com/metal13YNWA/status/1983808045735145803?t=j25WH-hIJBaTi_bUsODvOg&s=19