News broke today that Greece is in serious financial straits, having missed a major loan repayment to the IMF and now teetering on the edge of default. We admit to not following this situation closely and to being less literate in international politics than likely a majority of the AU students. As is our tendency, […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Streaming Video
Head back to dino-school before seeing Jurassic World
What will blow up the box office this summer? Dino might. …okay, fine, we’re sorry. The point is that Jurassic World, the fourth movie in the Jurassic Park franchise, is going to be monstrously successful this weekend. Nearly every child of a certain age became obsessed with dinosaurs at the same time because of Jurassic […]
Continue readingWith Letterman’s departure, walk back through the old guard of late night
David Letterman ends his late night talk show career tonight. Although he has certainly settled into a curmudgeonly pattern in the last decade or so – and is probably indistinguishable from Jay Leno for many younger viewers – Letterman’s earlier years behind the desk remain some of the stranger and riskier network television ever produced. […]
Continue readingWatch a huge chunk of the Criterion Collection for free via DC Public Library
As film buffs know, the Criterion Collection releases the definitive versions of hundreds of classic films, restored and remastered to their original glory. Criterion has recently made much of their catalog available digitally through a subscription database, and we noticed that DC Public Library now provides access to this collection. This is a huge boon […]
Continue readingAfter 30 years, New Coke is still a black mark in marketing history
from Coca-Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing Thirty years ago today, Coca-Cola unveiled New Coke, a Pepsi-like formula that replaced the original Coca-Cola in stores. In retrospect, this is regarded as one of the worst marketing decisions in history. Fans considered the change a betrayal and stockpiled the classic Coke in an act […]
Continue readingSee these 100 streaming documentaries before you graduate
AU students get access to our streaming video collection, which includes thousands of hours of great documentaries. We realize that there’s quite a bit to sort through, so finding the best of them (or even knowing to look for them) might be a challenge. To help you navigate the highlights of our collection, we’ve assembled […]
Continue readingDig into net neutrality in Barbershop Punk
Only a few hours ago, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler announced his proposal to reclassify Internet services as “common carriers,” a major victory for net neutrality and the prospects of an open Internet. We’ll come right out and say that this is fantastic news. The American Library Association has made it clear that open and unfettered […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: The art of healing
Super Bowl XLIX is imminent, and the NFL is under arguably greater scrutiny than ever over many of its policies and behaviors. Some of the greatest continued focus is reserved for the league’s treatment of concussions and injuries, which we covered during last year’s Super Bowl. This is still a big topic, but we discovered […]
Continue readingHave a doubleplusgood Orwell Day!
Two years ago, the George Orwell estate declared January 21st “Orwell Day” in commemoration of the anniversary of the renowned political author’s death. It’s a relatively new holiday – this is only the third one – but we can’t help but get in the holiday spirit anyway. The significance of Orwell’s work speaks for itself, […]
Continue readingAt last, Fandor is the Netflix alternative for film buffs
AU’s various holiday breaks are soon upon us, and let’s be honest: you’ll be watching lots of movies on your couch in a food-enduced trance. The usual suspects will be running cable TV and Netflix, but what if you’re looking for something a little artier? Do you have the sort of family that would rather […]
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