Tag: Netflix

  • To understand what is happening in Palestine, give these must-see films a watch

    To understand what is happening in Palestine, give these must-see films a watch

    As the Palestinian genocide unfolds and the world watches in horror, we have seen several celebrities and politicians provide one-sided, incorrect narratives in an attempt to foil the voice of Palestinians. We understand that it is important now more than ever to amplify the voices of oppressed communities living in Palestine in order to get a complete perspective of what they have been suffering under Israel’s oppression for years. Which is why we are listing down films and documentaries made by Palestinian people about Israel’s occupation and which goes back to 1948.

    Check out some of these recommendations below:

    1 Farha (2022)

    Written and directed by Palestinian filmmaker Darin J. Sallam, the film explores the coming-of-age experience of a young girl Farha in the backdrop of the 1948 Nakba, when countless Palestinians were murdered or expelled from their homes by Zionist militants. The film is available to watch on Netflix.

    2 Five Broken Cameras (2011)

    Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat chronicles his West Bank village’s resistance to Israeli encroachment, which lasted for five years. The film won the 2012 Sundance Film Festival award as well as the 2013 International Emmy Award. Watch the documentary here

    3 Promises (2002)

    Israeli-American filmmaker B. Z Goldberg interacts with seven Palestinian children from West Bank and Jerusalem to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian war from their perspective. The documentary can be streamed on Apple TV.

    4 Al Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe (1997)

    Directed by Benny Brunner, the documentary examines the Nakba that led to the expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians. The documentary is divided into four episodes, and can be watched on YouTube.

  • Park Hyung-Sik, Park Bo Young to make special cameo in Netflix K-drama ‘Strong Girl Namsoon’

    Park Hyung-Sik, Park Bo Young to make special cameo in Netflix K-drama ‘Strong Girl Namsoon’

    Great news for ‘Strong Girl Bong-Soon’ fans!

    Every K-drama fan who loved the 2017 rom-com drama ‘Strong Girl Bong-Soon’ are in for a special treat, as main leads Park Hyung-Sik and Park Bo-Young, who played Min Hyuk and Do Bong Soon, are set to make a special cameo in the currently airing Netflix spin-off ‘Strong Girl Nam-Soon’.

    Today, stills were released of the duo’s upcoming appearance in Saturday’s episode, and from the looks of it, they’re going to remain the obsessed married couple they were in the previous drama.

    ‘Strong Girl Nam-Soon’ is a comedy drama that revolves around three generations of women with super-human strength as they investigate drug cases in the Gangnam area. It stars Lee Yoo-Mi as Gang Naam Soon, a woman born with super powers. As a child, Nam Soon loses her parents while on a vacation to Mongolia, and now as an adult she travels back to Korea to find her mother.

  • K-dramas ‘Reborn Rich’, ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ bag nominations for International Emmy awards

    K-dramas ‘Reborn Rich’, ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ bag nominations for International Emmy awards

    Popular Korean dramas ‘Reborn Rich’ and ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ have been nominated for the prestigious International Daytime Emmy awards. ‘Reborn Rich’ which starred Song Joong-Ki and Lee Sung-Min, was nominated for the category of Best TV Movie/ Mini-Series while the Netflix series ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ is nominated for the ‘Best Drama Series’ category.

    ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ received critical acclaim for its exploration of autism and bullying. The series depicted the struggle of a woman Woo Young Woo (played by Park Eun-Bin), an aspiring lawyer with Asperger’s Syndrome, who applies for a job at Seoul’s prestigious law firm.

    ‘Reborn Rich’ centeres around Yoon Hyun-Woo (played by Joong-Ki), an employee working for the elite Soonyang Group, who is betrayed and murdered by a member of the Soonyang family to cover up a tax fraud. However, Hyun-Woo is re-born as the youngest grandson Jin Do-Jun, and plots his revenge to expel members of the family and take over the family company.

    Meanwhile prominent Bollywood stars have also been included as the final nominees for the Emmy awards. Actor Jim Sarbh secured a nomination for ‘Best Performance by an Actor’ for his portrayal in the series ‘Rocket Boys’, while actress Shefali Shah was nominated for the category of ‘Best Performance By An Actress’ for her role in the Netflix series ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 2.

  • If you love ‘Destined With You’, here are other dramas by Rowoon to make you swoon

    If you love ‘Destined With You’, here are other dramas by Rowoon to make you swoon

    Korean drama ‘Destined With You’ is currently among the top rated shows on Netflix, and continues to develop a strong base as fans praise performances by the lead actors Rowoon (aka Kim Seok-Woo) and Jo Bo-Ah as the prosecutor and City Hall worker who become entangled after a spell mishap.

    10 episodes in, audiences are praising Rowoon’s magnetic performance as the cynical, yet kind hearted lawyer and many new fans are not ready for the romcom to end. If you’re new to the genre and already want more of Rowoon, we have a list of excellent dramas ranging from thrillers to historical dramas to a wholesome romcom starring the heart throb. Check out our list to keep your weekend busy.

    For romcom lovers, watch ‘Extraordinary You’

    If you’re a fan of romantic comedies with a mix of past lovers, along with a spicy dash of a love triangle, this is the drama you should definitely watch. The show revolves around Dan-Oh (played by Kim Hye-yoon), a high schooler who discovers she is a minor character in a fantasy web comic, where the writer has decided her ending is going to be getting back together with her toxic boyfriend and later die from cancer. After falling in love with a new character Number 13 (played by Rowoon) she decides to challenge fate and try all that she can to end up with the destiny of her choice.

    Prefer thrillers? Then watch ‘Tomorrow’

    If you like dramas with a lot of tension and adventure, along with a sensitive issue tackled in a brilliant manner, then check out this show. Rowoon stars as Choi Jun-Woong, the naive and soft-hearted elder son whose search for a job ends with tragedy while trying to stop a homeless man from committing suicide. He is critically injured and goes into a comma. Jun-Woong wakes up to find out that he has become a member of a group of grim reapers, whose task is to rescue those on the verge of committing suicide and counsel them back to recovery. We do advise audiences to watch with caution as the show explores the issue of suicide, as well as sensitive topics like school bullying, sexual harassment and rape.

    For historical drama lovers, watch ‘The King’s Affection’

    Set during the Joseon dynasty when the birth of twins was considered to be a sign of doom, Dam-Yi, is forced to take on the role of her brother after he is killed, and grows up to become the fearless Crown Prince. When she comes across her first love Jung Ji-Woon (played by Rowoon) who is assigned as her Royal Tutor, the two begin developing feelings for each other as Dam-Yi struggles to keep her past self hidden from her first love.

  • K-Dramas we’re excited to watch this October

    K-Dramas we’re excited to watch this October

    October is shaping up to be an exciting month for K-drama fans with projects featuring big names like Cha Eun-Woo, Bae Suzy and Kim Ro-Woon. Scroll through this list to check out what your favorite star’s next show is all about.

    1. A Good Day to be a Dog

    If you loved Cha Eun-Woo in ‘True Beauty’ and ‘Rookie Historian’, you will be happy to watch him back in another romantic comedy. Starring Park Gyu-Young, the serial revolves around a woman who is cursed to turn into a dog every midnight, and she must find the man who can help her break this spell, but it turns out that he is also deeply terrified of dogs. The series is set to stream on Netflix from October 11.

    1. The Wedding Battle

    K-Drama fans who can’t get enough of Kim Ro-Woon in ‘Destined With You’ are in for a treat with his upcoming rom-com. In this historical drama, the heart throb plays a widow, who teams up with a rival matchmaker to marry off four young maidens. But circumstances change when the two matchmakers realise they’re falling for each other. The series is set to premier from October 30.

    1. Doona!

    ‘Alchemy of Souls’ actress Bae Suzy is set to come back after a year with ‘Doona!’ where she plays a singer in a band, who shocks audiences by announcing her retirement, and begins living in a shared home with a college student. The nine-episode series will release on Netflix on October 20.

    1. Doctor Slump

    Starring Park Hyung Sik (Strong Girl Bong-Soon) and Park Shin-Hye (The Inheritors), the drama is a slice of life focusing on four doctors who are burned out from their profession. The two meet at the time they’re at the lowest point of their lives and are trying to rediscover themselves after quitting their jobs.

  • Pakistanis may soon get to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’

    Pakistanis may soon get to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’

    For fans in Pakistan who are bummed out on missing the opportunity to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ in theatres, there is finally a chance to see the film because the action thriller is coming to OTT platforms quite soon. According to India Today, the film is set to release on streaming platforms with a special twist: it will include scenes that were omitted from the theatrical release.

    While the film was approximately two hours and 45 minutes long, the OTT release is expected to be 3 hours and 15 minutes with the extra scenes.

    There is no release date confirmed yet by the team or Netflix.

    ‘Jawan’ has recently broken records, becoming one of the fastest Bollywood films to join the 500 crore club, beating Shah Rukh Khan’s previous film ‘Pathaan’ and Sunny Deol’s ‘Gadar 2’ according to Bollywood Hungama.

  • Netflix isn’t paying any amount to star of this massive hit series

    Netflix isn’t paying any amount to star of this massive hit series

    As the SAG-AFTRA strikes continue to loom across Hollywood, several major stars have spoken up against streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Disney, accusing them of exploiting actors and writers.

    Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, who played Jessie on the hit show, has spoken at a picket line about not receiving any residuals from Netflix.

    Residuals are financial compensation provided to actors and writers who are innvolved in TV shows or movies aired after the release.

    Speaking next to co-stars Bryan Cranston and Jesse Plemons, Paul told Entertainment Tonight Canada:

    “I don’t get a piece from Netflix on ‘Breaking Bad’ to be totally honest and that’s insane to me, you know what I mean.”

    “Shows live forever on these streamers and it goes through waves,” said the three-time Emmy award winner. “And I just saw the other day that ‘Breaking Bad’ was trending on Netflix, and it’s just such common sense, and I think a lot of these streamers, they know they have been getting away with not paying people just fair wage and now it’s time to pony up, and that’s just one of the things we’re fighting for.”

    Aaron played the eccentric high schooler who partners with his chemistry teacher Walter White (played by Cranston) to make drugs. The show received critical acclaim and led to a spin-off ‘Better Call Saul’ which centered around the crook lawyer Saul Goodman.

    In light of the protests, several actors have come forward to make shocking revelations of how little compensation they received from platforms, even though their shows received massive ratings on streaming platforms.

    ‘This Is Us’ actor Mandy Moore revealed in July that despite being a lead actor on the hit series, she received only 81 cent checks as residuals from 21st century Fox.

    Katie Lowes, who starred in the ABC political drama ‘Scandal’ for several seasons, also revealed she didn’t receive any residuals for her work:

    “If you are someone who has been fortunate enough in our positions to do 120-plus episodes of a successful show in previous years — 10, 15, 20 years ago — that re-airing would be the thing that could sustain you on years where I did this smaller project or I wanted to go do a play or you have kids and you have a family to provide for,” Lowes said. “And that’s just not a reality anymore. The entire model has changed.”

  • How did Zoya Akhat prep ‘The Archies’ actors for the film?

    How did Zoya Akhat prep ‘The Archies’ actors for the film?

    Famed Indian director Zoya Akhtar is set to release her Netflix film ‘The Archies’ on December 7 on the streaming giant. The film stars babies from all the royal acting families of Bollywood: Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Vedang Raina, Agastya Nanda, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal and Yuvraj Menda. In an interview with Vogue, the ‘Made In Heaven’ creator opened up about how she prepped all the newcomers for the film and how they became close friends with one another.

    Speaking to Vogue, Akhtar said she set up an intense boot camp, and made the actors go through acting workshops, dance training and everything else.

    “I wanted them to be comfortable from the get-go. There are 200 people on set, there’s a camera in your face and you have to go up and perform when the word ‘action’ is said. It’s daunting.”

    She added, “I wanted them to be over all of that by the time they came to set, so it was very important for them to get along with one another. There was this big boot camp where they had dance classes, acting workshops and cinematography training.”

    Zoya also revealed she was happy the actors became close friends with each other, and hoped they championed each other through the course of their careers:

    “I hope they champion each other throughout the course of their respective careers because they’ve been so good – they’ve been good for each other and they’ve been good with each other.”

    When the trailer was released on social media platforms, many criticised how all the actors came from acting families, and the fact that all the characters were fair skinned and didn’t look Indian. Speaking to Mid-Day at TUDUM, Zoya addressed the backlash saying:

    “Why do you think that? They’re all Indian. This is kind of reverse (racism). Are you saying fair Indians are not Indians? How do we define what an Indian looks like? It could be Hrithik Roshan, it could be Mr. Rajinikanth, it could be Diljit Dosanjh, it could be Mary Kom. That’s the beauty of India. There are a lot of Indians that are light-skinned.”

  • Koyi bacha hai? Star stuffed cast for Pakistan’s first Netflix series

    Koyi bacha hai? Star stuffed cast for Pakistan’s first Netflix series

    Its now official that Pakistan is about to get it’s first ever Netflix drama, starring our own actors. In July journalist Hassan Kazmi broke the news on social media, announcing that Lollywood’s A-list celebrities like Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi are set to star in a Netflix adaptation of Farhat Ishtiaq’s novel ‘Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samiat Lo’, with director Momina Duraid on board.

    Now, Variety has revealed kay waqai mein the drama will live up to its name by leaving no actor behind, as the cast is chockfull of Pakistani A-listers like Sanam Saeed, Ahad Raza Mir, Bilal Ashraf, Maya Ali , Iqra Aziz , Hania Aamir , Khushaal Khan, Nadia Jamil , Omair Rana and Samina Ahmed.

    According to the publication, Momina Duraid will serve as the show runner, and her firm Momina Duraid Films FZ, will be producing the series. The show is currently being shot in US, Italy and Pakistan.

    The novel revolves around Sikandar, a Harvard law student who undergoes an incident that compels him to keep people away. He then comes across Lisa when he’s travelling to Italy, an energetic artist with a troubled past.

    Ishtiaq’s other novels ‘Humsafar’ was adapted into the critically acclaimed 2011 drama, starring Mahira and Fawad. Her other novels have also been turned into screen fare, including ‘Bin Roye’ which was adapted into a 2015 film starring Humayun Saeed and Mahira, and ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ which was adapted in 2017 into a drama starring Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir.

    Fawad is riding high on the blockbuster ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ which also starred Mahira Khan and Hamza. He is set to come back to television screens with the series ‘Barzakh’ starring Sanam Saeed, and directed/ written by Asim Abbas.

  • From streaming to gaming: Netflix starts testing games on TVs and computers

    From streaming to gaming: Netflix starts testing games on TVs and computers

    Netflix is expanding its gaming initiative by testing games on a wider range of devices, including TVs and computers, in addition to mobile phones. The initial testing is starting in Canada and the United Kingdom, with select subscribers getting to try out games on their TVs. Two games, “Oxenfree” and “Molehew’s Mining Adventure,” will be part of this test phase.

    For TV gaming, the games will be available on devices from partners like Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, LG, Nvidia Shield, Roku, and Samsung Smart TVs. Notably absent is the Apple TV. More devices will be supported in the future.

    Netflix recently launched an iPhone game controller app that connects to TV-based games through a QR code displayed on the Netflix app.

    Gaming on PCs and Macs will use keyboard and mouse controls.

    During the beta phase, Netflix aims to refine its game-streaming technology and improve the user experience.

    According to Tech Crunch, Mike Verdu, Netflix’s VP of Games, emphasises the company’s excitement about expanding gaming to more devices while acknowledging the early stage of their gaming journey.

    Netflix’s move into gaming was hinted at last year, along with the establishment of a gaming studio in Southern California.

    Verdu clarifies that Netflix’s gaming approach differs from traditional platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, focusing on a unique business model for seamless gaming.

    In the upcoming year, Netflix plans to launch a total of 40 games, with 16 from their in-house studios and 70 more in partnership with developers. Since starting in gaming in 2021, Netflix has already released 70 mobile titles.