An open letter to Hulu

I'd just like to say that I eat lunch at home during the work day and loved that I could sit down and stream a show with no wait.  I have been telling my friends about Hulu since it went beta and then public.  People came up to me and said how funny it was that it took this long to get ads for Hulu on TV when we've been using it as per my recommendation for a long time already.  And when Boxee came out and I got in on that beta I was thrilled to watch Hulu, commercials and all, on my TV.

And now I hear that you pulled support for Boxee.  The point of Hulu is to get TV on demand, through the internet and with advertising so the network providers still prosper.  How does insuring that it not show up on a TV screen and only small monitors help your network partners?  How does limiting the convenience of a good product help anyone?

I would really like to know what the issue is.  People who use Boxee are probably tech savvy and will probably find some other way of watching their shows on their TVs.  Since networks are legally obligated to NOT put locked flags on their  broadcasts bittorrent looks like a viable and even legal (as of this moment) alternative.  And of course, the networks won't get numbers or advertising revenue from that.

If you can actually tell me the thought that went into this then let me know because me and a lot of people I know are completely baffled by an internet TV provider's fear of televisions.

Quick New York Comic Con 2009 Post

Movies

·      Watchmen - (14 minutes) The production looks a lot better than I expected or hoped for.  The sets are amazing, the details telling.  However, in the 13 minutes we were shown the film went into Snyder-Slow-Mo about 15,000,230,230,324 bajillion times.  It's distracting and insulting.  The entire time it felt like Snyder wanted to show off how great the details of the film are so he slows it down to show you, assuming the audience doesn't know how to watch a movie without help.  The beauty of the book is that it's not really about superheroes.  It's a thriller that's more political that caped.  The movie didn't seem to get that and I think Snyder is only making a pretty looking version of the Watchmen basics without touching on Alan Moore's deeper themes.  It might be a good superhero movie but it doesn't look like it will try to accomplish anything more.

·      Terminator 4 - (7 minutes) Everything McG said made me trust him more and more.  I went into the panel wincing that his name was on this and left with hope.  He discussed everything from his douche-bag name to Bale's freakout to how he regards the Charlie's Angels movies as well as how this movie fits in continuity.  As far as continuity goes it follows the spirit of 1 and 2 while acknowledging the shift in time line from 3.  It has nothing to do with the show so those are now in branching time lines.

·      Friday the 13th - It's got that super white guy who's on Supernatural and was in Gilmore Girls as Dean.  He was there.  It made me want to watch Gilmore Girls.  It's a Bay produced slasher remake.  Not to be racist but they all look alike to me.

·      Wonder Woman - (whole damn thing) The new DC animated movie with Kerrie Russel and Nathan Fillion. Every time I see a DC animated movie I wonder why they aren't big news. They should be.  This movie is really really really really good.  Lot of hilarious lines and it actually makes her story not seem weird and dated and odd with its pantheon history.

·      Up - (48 minutes) They announced limited seating to the first half of Pixar's Up.  It was held in a room that seats 3,000 and they let in around 300.  It was amazing and it's not even done.  in the first 10 minutes they touch on topics I wouldn't think Pixar would approach for another 5 years.  The look is bright, the textures mindblowing and the design is specially constructed to make you like the characters in a second.  I wanted to see this movie before the showing.  Now I want everyone to see it.

·      Dead Like Me movie - Just saw a trailer which was more of a teaser.  No Fuller on this one but it follows directly from the show with the same cast and some of the writers so I'm happy.

Television

·      Dollhouse - (8-10 minutes) Complicated show so it's hard to get a feel from such a short clip. It's Whedon so I'm sold for the first half-season.  He spoke about how he wasn't sure of the thread to follow and it didn't sound like he was comfortable with the material yet.  Between that and the "eh" reviews I've heard I'm a little wary but we'll see.

·      Fringe – (10 minutes) The cast sounds like they're having fun.  The production seems a lot more laid back than Lost and I don't know if it's the lack of obtuse plotting, the fact it doesn't make the cast and crew movie to a distant island or just goofier people.  Noble is adorable.  He sat there denied that there's anything odd or disturbing about the show at all.  Jackson sounds a bit like his character if his character wasn't an ass.  He had comments on everything and stories about everyone.  And he seemed to appreciate the Mighty Ducks shout-outs.  Someone from the audience spent a lot of time asking for Torv's phone number and, while I can't really blame them, she's married so that was awkward.  Oh, and as for the show: there is more back story than what's been spelled out.  The symbols that appear during the credits and that bumper commercial breaks are a code that reveals information about the large conspiracy.  There are also clues to next weeks episode in every show.  And, of course, there's the “find the observer” game because he's supposedly in every episode.

Games

·      Ghost Busters  - This looks amazing.  The Wii version is cute and cartoony, though I was told the graphics have been improved since that revision.  What really made my jaw drop was the 360 version.  If you want realistic then this is the version for you.  The shadows, movements and modeling is the best I've seen.  The closest thing I can compare it to is Dead Space but with more attention to details on the characters and locations.  And yes, you can cross the streams.

·      House of the Dead:  - It looks like a grindehouse game.  There are all the scratches and dust you'd expect in the picture and the colour is slightly yellowed and 70s looking.  The graphics are in line with how House of the Dead has progressed.  They've never been the most realisitc games on the market but they have been getting steadily better with each one.  This definitely looks like it was produced after HOTD 4.  This goes on my short list of Wii games I must own.