DVD
“They’re coming! They’re coming!” Yep, I’m sure you’ve been waiting with bated breath for the DVD release of the Red Dawn remake — and it’s finally here as of last week. This is the flick set in Spokane (though shot in Michigan) about some scrappy high school kids who become guerilla freedom fighters when North Korean troops invade. Yep, it’s ridiculous all around. But it mentions Spokane three or four times, so there’s that.
RADIO
The battle over Internet radio is heating up. Pandora, the dominant force, faces competition from every direction (Spotify, Slacker, Songza, to name a few), while also subjecting users to more limitations and more ads. And so emerges iHeartRadio, a good alternative with fewer ads, and smart customization that delivers a surprisingly good mix of music. The landscape no doubt will be reconfigured this summer when Apple is expected to launch its own Internet radio app.
WEB
Speaking of competition, there’s a new challenger emerging in the realm of food-centric video: Tastemade, a new YouTube network that links partner channels with original programming. So far it has three original series, with one for recipes, one standard-format cooking show and one featuring travel. It’s all part of YouTube’s grand scheme to take over the world and replace legacy TV networks. We’ll keep you posted on their efforts.