Disney+ launch date has finally been revealed and it’s so far away

Nov 9, 2019

Nothing makes us feel better than a classic Disney movie. The nostalgic feelings they conjure up always cheer us up when we’re down, which is why we are so excited about Disney+.

The streaming service of our dreams is launching in the US this month but it looks like Ireland and the UK will be waiting quite some time to avail of the services.

According to Disney, the streaming service will be available here on March 31, 2020. It’s disappointing news but patience is a virtue.

The service is set to be beyond impressive with hundreds of classic Disney movies, old-school TV shows and all of the beloved High School Musical movies available to watch to your heart’s content.

We are more than ready to sob over The Lion King, swoon over Zac Efron and cringe at the style in Lizzie McGuire.

As well as Disney delights, the streaming service will also host a heap of Marvel movies, which we’re awfully excited to re-watch.

The Lizzie McGuire reboot will also be on the service, which means we are 100 percent subscribing to it once it is launched next spring.

For now, we’ll just have to dig out our old Disney DVDs and try to figure out how to use the rusty DVD player again.

Roll on March 31, 2020.

Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston’s show looks INSANE

Aug 20, 2019

by Kate Brayden

The new trailer for Apple's first major TV show has been released, and it pits Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon against each other. We love it already, with this cast.

The Morning Show is set to debut on the upcoming TV Plus streaming service, featuring three journalists at various opposing points in their careers taking on crises of their own.

Aniston plays an ageing morning anchor, Witherspoon is a reporter who is losing sight of her identity, and Carell is facing the consequences of sexual harassment allegations as Aniston's co-anchor.

Their jobs take centre stage in the show, but the series also focuses on the changing landscape of morning broadcast news. The interpersonal drama between the protagonist characters will take the primary spotlight.

The Morning Show also “explores ego, ambition and the misguided search for power,” according to a press release from Apple.

Aniston, Witherspoon, and Carell star alongside Mark Duplass and Beauty and the Beast’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and is set to premiere in the autumn when Apple's TV Plus launches.

In the new look at the series, we see Aniston’s character address the firing of her co-host due to sexual misconduct allegations.

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A post shared by (@jenxaniston_) on Aug 20, 2019 at 8:06am PDT

Steve Carell then smashes the TV screen, evidently realising that his life is in tatters as a result of the announcement.

A Pandora’s box of stories that will be woven throughout the series is opened, featuring Aniston attempt to grab hold of the narrative and hold onto to her position as lead anchor.

This includes the rise of a new co-host as Aniston begins to breakdown, with Witherspoon playing the honest journalist who tells it like it is. America loves to watch a women break down on live TV, according to the trailer.

Aniston's character later seems to have a jolt of confidence and rises from the ashes to regain control.

Feature image: Instagram/@hellosunshine

Macaulay Culkin’s GAS response to Disney+ remaking Home Alone

Aug 8, 2019

by Kate Brayden

Must they destroy everything we love? Every second of the day, it feels like we're hearing news of reboots and it's starting to genuinely upset us.

The latest reboot is set to be literally the world's favourite Christmas movie; Home Alone.

A new streaming service called Disney+ is set to launch in America in November, but announced that Kevin McAllister will return “reimagined for a new generation”.

New versions of Night At The Museum, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Cheaper By The Dozen are also set to be recreated, so…we march at dawn? Grab your pitchforks.

Disney+ hasn't revealed any further details, or a release date for any 20th Century Fox classics they're dabbling with.

Macaulay Culkin, who played Kevin McAllister in the original film, had something to say about the matter and we had to laugh.

This is what an updated Home Alone would actually look like. pic.twitter.com/sGj86933LA

— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) August 7, 2019

"This is what an updated Home Alone would actually look like," he wrote, alongside a photo of him eating pasta on his couch, on his laptop like every one of us on Sunday nights.

He later added, "Hey Disney, call me!" Twitter were up in ARMS about the terrible news, with social media users asking; "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" It's perfection as it is.

Feature image: Instagram/@nosvlog

Birdbox SLAMMED for using real-life disaster footage of rail accident

Jan 18, 2019

by Amber Saunders

Netflix' Bird Box has consistently found itself in the headlines, mainly because of how absolutely ridiculous the whole debacle is.

The movie sparked a change this week in YouTube's guidelines after people began posting videos of themselves carrying out potentially dangerous acts while blindfolded, such as driving.

The streaming giant even had to come out and tell viewers not to try the so-called 'Bird Box Challenge', but now the company is under fire for using REAL footage from a 2013 rail disaster.

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A post shared by Bird Box (@birdboxmovie) on Oct 31, 2018 at 10:06am PDT

In 2013, a 74-car freight train transporting crude oil derailed beside the small Canadian town of Lac-Mégantic, and resulted in the tragic deaths of 47 people.

At first, Netflix refused to edit its post-apocalyptic horror flick after it was criticised for using footage of the disaster. A spokesman told AP it had no plans to remove the footage; “We will keep the clip in the movie.”

Now, it has been reported that the streaming service will be exploring ways to prevent this from happening in the future. BBC reports that Netflix has used footage of the tragedy before, in the Canadian-American science fiction show Travellers.

Netflix comes under fire for using real footage of the deadly Lac-Mégantic train crash in Bird Box https://t.co/T9PQ7414B5 pic.twitter.com/LSBx1kRhMX

— Siglov Freudivan (@DerangedRadio) January 17, 2019

Julie Morin, mayor of Lac-Mégantic, criticised Netflix for using the upsetting footage, telling The Globe and Mail: “You can be sure we are going to follow up on this, and our citizens are on our side.”

Peacock Alley Entertainment, who produced Travellers, released an apology and said they unintentionally dishonoured the Lac-Mégantic incident and would replace the footage.

Pond 5 also stated their regret that the footage had been ”taken out of context and used in entertainment programming”. They apologise “to anyone who was offended, especially the victims and their families”.

Unauthorised Beyoncé and SZA music was LEAKED online

Dec 21, 2018

by Amber Saunders

We all crave new Beyoncé music every day, because without her collection of life-altering tunes, where would we be? God knows.

Mysterious music was leaked online the other day on iTunes, totally unauthorised.

The musical goddess has been known to randomly drop albums, ever since 2016's iconic Lemonade release, but this seemed a little too random…fans quickly realised it was old music though:

so I almost passed out until I realized it’s old music…so who is releasing Beyoncé’s old music as Queen Carter on iTunes?? I WANNA FIGHT pic.twitter.com/ZvsqffJpUf

— CPS (@so_caly86) December 21, 2018

The old recordings were released under the name Queen Carter, and iTunes somehow allowed it to be uploaded until fans pointed out the strange mistake.

The albums Back Up, Rewind and Have Your Way appeared on Apple Music and Spotify, and was comprised of demos, unreleased tracks and demo songs by Queen Bey, which were removed a few hours later.

Songs such as After All Is Said and Done, a duet with Marc Nelson from 1999, Hollywood with Jay-Z from his 2006 album Kingdom Come, and another song from Austin Powers called Hey Goldmember.

A Missy Elliot collaboration from the rapper's second album was also on the tracklist, as well as Keep Giving Your Love to Me from Bad Boys II, and Control, a stand-alone song.

Omg, someone is using the name “Queen Carter” & dropping albums w/ Beyoncé’s old songs, it’d be ashame if they released an album called Koolaid and put all of the Lemonade album on Apple Music and Spotify… pic.twitter.com/zloI1DzmWE

— Kaci Marie (@kac_facee) December 21, 2018

Beyoncé has dropped her last three albums as surprises, her 2013 self-titled project, Lemonade, and Everything is Love by The Carters.

We'll take ANYTHING she graciously offers, but unreleased songs without her authorisation is damn wrong, let the Queen have control over her own music.

Grammy-nominated R&B singer SZA was also victim to this same mysterious hacking, with old music being uploaded to iTunes under the name Sister Solana (her real name is Solana Rowe).

SZA addressed the album of old demo tracks being released on streaming services on her Instagram, calling the project "random scratches from 2015" and claimed that the songs are "def not new new!"

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A post shared by (@complexjr_) on Dec 20, 2018 at 5:23pm PST

It's all very mysterious behaviour altogether.

Apple Music and Spotify have yet to comment on the matter, but we'd bet that Beyoncé ain't happy about this at all.

Who is the culprit making drama for no apparent reason, though? Spill the lemonade tea.

This song is officially the most listened to Spotify song EVER

Dec 11, 2018

by Amber Saunders

Ed Sheeran has just announced that his iconic tune, Shape of You, has just become the most listened to Spotify song EVER.

The song just surpassed an unbelievable TWO BILLION streams on the music platform, meaning that you'd literally have to start listening to it in 12,758BC to play it two billion times consecutively.

That. Is. Insane.

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Thank you world. First song to 2 billion streams on @spotify xx

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Dec 10, 2018 at 10:38am PST

Sheeran himself commented on the feat through his Instagram account, writing;

“Thank you world. First song to two billion streams on Spotify”.

This essentially confirms the fact that it's the most popular song in the world, which is no easy achievement.

To put this into perspective, 2bn streams of Shape of You is the equivalent of:

7bn minutes
129m hours
5.4m days
770,502 weeks
177,312 months
14,776 years

To play the song 2bn times consecutively, you'd have had to start in the stone age: 12,758 BC. https://t.co/uAzfDiYaRF

— Mark Savage (@mrdiscopop) December 11, 2018

That's not all the records that Sheeran has broken, he has yet ANOTHER song in the top ten Spotify songs; Thinking Out Loud.

The 2014 ballad which is now played at every wedding ever sits at number five with 1.2 million streams… not bad, not bad.

Canadian rapper Drake’s single God’s Plan was the most listened-to song of 2018, with an impressive 1.1 billion streams.

The only artists to reach 50 million monthly listeners on Spotify in HISTORY:

• Ariana Grande
• Drake
• Ed Sheeran
• J Balvin pic.twitter.com/BE6XGx9Gnv

— ARIANA SHADY FACTS (@spillaristea) December 4, 2018

Ariana Grande took the title of most listened to female artist of 2018 on Spotify, with her Sweetener album deservedly breaking numerous records. Slay queen.

Congrats Ed, you're always on our A-Team.

‘OH MY GAWD’: Friends is the most-watched streaming show

Aug 12, 2018

by Kat O'Connor

Friends has been revealed as the most-watched streaming show and we’re not one bit surprised. There are dozens of series we need to watch, but sometimes all you want to do is curl up on the sofa and watch Friends, despite the fact that you’ve seen every episode at least five times.

In a report by Ofcom, the American comedy came out on top, beating shows like Peaky Blinders, The Crown and Stranger Things to the number one spot.

There are so many things we love about the show, from Chandler’s witty sense of humour to Monica’s immaculate apartment- can she come over and clean our houses, please?

Some episodes will have you doubled over with laughter, whilst others will warm your heart. Some might leave you feeling pretty emotional and others will actually teach you important life lessons.

Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, Ross, Monica and Rachel took their final bow in 2004 when The Last One Part 2 aired, but the show has only strengthened in popularity since we waved goodbye to the gang.

14 years on from the final episode and the show is just as popular as ever. It’s easier than ever to tune into the show with never-ending episodes on Comedy Central and the entire 236 episodes on Netflix.

The show's charm, humour and loveable characters make it easy to watch again and again, but there’s also a scientific reason behind our love for the sitcom.

Author Neel Burton told Huffington Post: “Nostalgia can lend us much-needed context, perspective and direction, reminding and reassuring us that our life is not as banal as it may seem. It also tells us that there have been — and will once again be –meaningful moments and experiences.”

Now that we know watching Friends is good for us we’ll be binge-watching the show until we’re old and grey.

Could we BE more excited?

Netflix are introducing a brand new feature to user profiles

Jul 26, 2018

by Kat O'Connor

Netflix are introducing a cool new feature to user profiles and we are rather excited about it.

Their profile icons are getting a major makeover in honour of a very special anniversary.

In August 2013, Netflix launched profiles. Netflix became uniquely yours, personalised to you and your taste. You no longer had to see your roommate’s movie suggestions in your Top Picks or your little sister’s cartoons in your Continue Watching. Your profile features the best suggestions based on what you watch.

The profile icons you’ve used for the last five years are getting a fun makeover. They’re also introducing a bunch of new icons — including some of the most beloved characters from Netflix shows and movies. Get excited, things are about to get a lot more personal.

Cathy Conk, Director, Product Innovation said “We know the series and movies on Netflix are more than just things you watch to pass the time. The stories — and the characters in them —are also your heroes, frenemies, soulmates and everything in between. We’re thrilled to give you a way to show your fandom and make your connection with Netflix more unique.”

“Profiles are key to creating a highly personalized Netflix experience. By watching on your own profile, we can showcase suggestions for TV shows and movies we’re sure you won’t want to miss,” she added.

“We’re always working to make it easier for our members to connect with stories they’ll love and creating your profile is the first step. If you don’t have one yet, we highly suggest you make one — and personalize it with an icon like Luke Cage, Crazy Eyes, or another one of your favourite characters.”

The new profile icons will be rolling out on the website, mobile, and TV devices over the next few weeks.

Exciting! Disney’s streaming service has officially launched in Ireland

Oct 10, 2017

by Rebecca O'Keeffe

Today is a seriously exciting day as DisneyLife launches on our side of the pond.

Bringing to life nearly a century of Disney storytelling, digital entertainment service DisneyLife is now available in Ireland at www.DisneyLife.com, the App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore, offering Disney’s largest collection of entertainment in one place.

And ladies, it only costs €6.99 a month.

DisneyLife draws on family-favourite stories and characters from almost a century of magical Disney storytelling, from classic animations like The Lion King to Pixar classics including Finding Nemo, and live action blockbusters such as the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Families can now enjoy Disney wherever they are, whenever they want: enjoy Frozen on a cosy family movie night; waltz around the house to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack; watch Tangled’s Rapunzel escape from her tower in the airport departure lounge or sing along with Moana in the car.

The list is ENDLESS.

You can also catch your favourite TV shows on the big screen from the comfort of your sofa with live streaming of Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior. Oh, and content is never deleted, so you can rely on your favourites always being available on DisneyLife.

An easy-to-use app designed for all ages, DisneyLife allows fans to explore Disney stories and characters through a rich and colourful interface unlike any other. Stream instantly or temporarily download an ever expanding digital library of hundreds of movies and books, as well as thousands of songs and TV episodes (through an internet connection in Ireland).

Dive deeper into special extras like Disney and Pixar Shorts, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Movies, books and kids TV series are available in up to five languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Commenting on the launch, Chiara Cipriani, general manager, DisneyLife EMEA, said:

“DisneyLife offers the chance to discover Disney in a way you have never been able to before. Placing characters and stories at the centre, we have opened the gates to the Castle and created this service with families and fans in mind, allowing them to explore Disney all in one place. Building on our UK launch at the end of 2015, we are delighted that DisneyLife Ireland is making Disney entertainment available to Irish fans in new ways.”

For one monthly fee, up to six members of the family can create their own individual profile across 10 different devices, using their favourite iconic Disney character. The new service also includes built-in controls so that parents can set time limits on their children’s profiles for weekday and weekend use.

What exactly does it all entail, I hear you ask?

Movies

The home to over 400 movies, DisneyLife is the perfect companion for family movie nights, offering an unparalleled selection of Disney animations – including Frozen, Tangled, Big Hero 6, The Jungle Book and Sleeping Beauty, live action movies such as Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and Enchanted; as well as Pixar favourites including Toy Story and its two sequels, Monsters, Inc., Cars, WALL-E and more.

Music

Turn the school run into the ultimate Disney sing-a-long and choose from over 7,000 tracks on DisneyLife. Bestselling soundtracks featured include Descendants, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast and High School Musical; as well as hit albums from stars like Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, R5 and Hillary Duff.

Kids’ TV Box sets

Catch-up on your favourite Disney Channels TV box sets, with over 5,000 episodes available in one place: from Sofia the First, the story of an adventurous princess in training; to Doc McStuffins, who fixes broken toys in her playhouse clinic; Henry Hugglemonster, the spirited five-year-old middle child in a family of monsters, as well as The Lion Guard and global hit Jessie.

Books

Enjoy Disney’s magical storytelling with over 250 enchanting stories at launch. Available as audio and ebooks, there is a built-in read-along function for younger children, staged reading for kids of different ages, and reading adventures for more experienced readers. Perfect for bedtime stories with mum and dad, the whole family can follow their favourite characters from Frozen, Winnie the Pooh, Monsters, Inc. and Cars on new adventures.

BEST.DAY.EVER.