Blockbuster is back and ready to battle Netflix and Qwikster (with Blockbuster Movie Pass, a service that lets users stream content and rent movies and games-by-mail. Unlike Netflix which has split into two companies, the Blockbuster Movie Pass will allow viewers to watch content on both mediums through one subscription and for the same price as Netflix. Sounds appealing, especially to Millennials who are likely to want both options without paying two fees. However, we sense a fight as big as Facebook vs Google+ brewing) (TechCrunch)
In another attempt to cater to nostalgic Millennials (Nickelodeon and retailer Johnny Cupcakes are selling an exclusive line of t-shirts featuring some of Gen Y’s favorite cartoon characters including SpongeBob Squarepants, CatDog, Rugrats, and Ren & Stimpy. We’re not sure if the clothing will be as popular as Nick’s retro programming since wearing animated characters on shirts seems a little childish, but then again, that’s the point of nostalgia, and it’s been working for the network) (Cynopsis)
It’s a tough time for the book business (but there may be a solution to help bookstores and publishers alike: printing on-demand. Espresso Book Machines enable a book to be printed in a matter of minutes, which means shelves don’t have to be stocked for paperbacks to sell. HarperCollins is making 5,000 titles available in this format and we’re curious to see how consumers respond) (WSJ)
We bet teen girls will be flocking to theaters this weekend to see ‘Twilight’ star Taylor Lautner in the film ‘Abduction’ (about a teenage boy who finds out his parents aren’t really his. You won’t find werewolves and vampires in this flick, but we think it will be popular nonetheless. Speaking of movies, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit is angered that studios are showing ads for movies rated PG-13 to kids younger than age 13. However, the Motion Picture Association of America doesn’t have a problem with it. What do you think? In other entertainment news, children’s author Roald Dahl is getting his first TV adaptation for his book “The Enormous Crocodile.” Many of Dahl’s stories have been brought to the big screen including “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” but this is the first time a series of new stories will be based on a book, so we have high hopes for this one) (YouTube) (Ad Age) (Kidscreen)
Single-sex schools may be negatively influencing kids (because it makes them more likely to accept gender stereotypes. Research does not prove that students do better academically at single-sex schools, but recent studies show that it may cause more harm than benefit socially) (The Globe and Mail)
Bad news Basketball fans (the NBA has canceled 43 pre-season games and postponed training camps, which means there may not even be a season this year. We wonder how young sports fans who look up to the athletes and enjoy watching games will react to this news, particularly after a near-canceled NFL season and a potential NHL lockout as well) (NYTimes)
And finally for a little Friday fun… (check out the commercial for Taylor Swift’s new fragrance “Wonderstruck” which — surprise, surprise — looks like a fairytale. Unfortunately the commercial isn’t as entertaining as the one for Bieber’s “Someday” but we’re still amazed by how sophisticated teen celeb fragrances are these days) (PopCrush) (OK magazine)