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Film
FILM ‘Mulan’ on Disney+ priced baby sitter - a reasonably
JIM KEOGH
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How much would you pay to see a movie on your TV?
Disney thinks it knows the answer: $29.99.
That’s how much the Mouse will charge you for unlimited viewings of the live-action version of its 1998 animated maiden-warrior epic “Mulan” on its Disney+ streaming service beginning Sept. 4.
Made at a cost of $200 million, “Mulan” was expected to be one of the summer’s dominant theatrical releases until the COVID-19 virus shuttered movie houses and consigned America to its collective couch, remote in hand. A few theaters are tip-toeing back into business on a limited basis, though industry observers insist the entertainment paradigm will continue to shape-shift the longer the big screens stay dark. The Boston Globe did the math and figured if a third of the 60 million Disney+ subscribers purchase “Mulan,” the company will
NEW ON DVD
KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Settle in for a serenade in the top new DVD picks for the week of Aug. 11.
“The High Note”: Personal assistant Maggie Sherwoode (Dakota Johnson) has a dream of becoming a professional music producer. This is a no-no for her day job, to be at superstar singer Grace Davis’ (Tracee Ellis Ross) side more or less every minute of the day. But after secretly producing a cut of her boss’s new live album, she meets an overwhelmingly talented singer, David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), in a grocery store and lets him think she’s a “real” producer to convince him into teaming up.
Directed by Nisha Ganatra and written by Flora Greeson, it’s a simple, cute riches-to-more-riches Los Angeles story, one best told by pull in $600 million.
Theaters? Disney don’t need no stinkin’ theaters.
Back to price. A 30-dollar pop for a single movie is too steep to me. Of course, I’m biased for two very good reasons: • I am old. • I am cheap.
To the first bullet, I’m not ancient, but I am advanced enough so that the particular madness of entertaining young children has not been my problem for some years. I’ve done my time. Even so, I do not envy parents hunting for quality content for bored kids who, ironically, are drowning in choices. Its trailer and IMDB entry tell us “Mulan” is lavish, actionstuffed, and 1 hour and 55 minutes long. That’s nearly two hours of uninterrupted peace for harried parents. I understand if some families view $15 an hour as a steal.
And cheap? Yes, it’s true. I am tears-rolling-down-my-cheeks-whenI-have-to-throw-out-an-old-pair-ofsocks cheap. I’ve lived in Worcester the daughters of Hollywood queens Melanie Griffith and Diana Ross, respectively. The songs are catchy, and the cinematography by Jason McCormick is bold and bright, giving the glitz an extra pop amid
And the long enough to appreciate the value of free parking (it’s everything) and a matinee showing. So a $30 movie fee just claws at the Worcester in me. If I even tried to pay this sum I’m convinced I’d suffer a seizure that would freeze my fingers and prevent me from completing the transaction. And even in my spasmed state, I’d be silently thankful I’d been stopped from making such a grave mistake.
Disney knows what it’s got. They are debuting “Mulan” at a time when the American people are angry and unsettled and sick of waiting for stuff that takes the edge off their tedium. How many stories have detailed abhorrent behavior at ice cream shops where horrid customers unhappy with delays in service mercilessly harangue teenage scoopers? You drop “Mulan” into this seething environment and folks will lap it up like it’s a sundae made of rainbows and unicorn farts — with no waiting.
I’ve asked around about what people would pay $30 to watch on television, and I didn’t hear anything
Yifei Liu in the title role of “Mulan.” Disney+ will release the live-action film Sept. 4, for $29.99.
about movies. Most answers were hypothetical and involved sports or concerts. The Patriots return to the Super Bowl against Tom Brady, and the network decides to charge $30 for the luxury of watching it? Of course we’ll pay. (Chances are we’d be part of a viewing group anyway.) A Rolling Stones farewell concert? Sure. Maybe when they finally perform their finale in 2052 it will be worth the investment.
Not exactly, but nevertheless, the beat goes on.
ALSO NEW ON DVD AUG. 11
“Archive”: A scientist (Theo James) works on creating sentient AI in an effort to interact with his deceased wife. Also stars Stacy Martin and Rhona Mitra.
“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”:
Three-part Nickelodeon series follows a group of kids who tell scary stories that come to fruition in their town.
“G-LOC”: After fleeing the planet, a man (Stephen Moyer) heads to planet Rhea, where settlers are homicidally hostile to Earthen refugees.
“Gold Digger, Season 1”: Six-part BBC miniseries follows a romance between a wealthy woman in her 60s (Julia Ormond) and a man in his 30s (Benjamin Greene), who may have ulterior motives.
DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. VIA AP
When “The Irishman” was released on Netflix a great fuss was made about the first-time teaming of Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Curiosity was high, and viewership was strong. But how many would have paid $30 for the privilege of seeing this historic collaboration?
Far fewer than will be forking over
‘The High Note’ is simple and sweet
scenic backDakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross in drops. “The High Note.”
script has a GLEN WILSON/2020 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. degree of playMaggie and David a phone video of ful self-awareness not often seen in her first open-heart surgery as the the entertainment biz big break subpair are working on a song, Maggie genre. As Maggie’s doctor roommate grins as she says, “Everything we do (the very funny Zoe Chao) shows is meaningless.”
their “Mulan” money on Sept. 4.
“How to Build a Girl”: A working-class teenager (Beanie Feldstein) chases her dreams and reinvents herself as a confident, apathetic indie rock critic.
“I Am Vengeance: Retaliation”:
An ex-special forces soldier (Stu Bennett) gets revenge on the enemy who betrayed him on a previous mission.
“Max Reload and the Nether
Blasters”: A video game store employee (Tom Plumley) inadvertently releases an evil entity from a game into the real world.
“NCIS: New Orleans: The Sixth
Season”: Pride (Scott Bakula) makes his way back to the field office in the latest season of the CBS hit series.
“Playing for Keeps”: An ex-soccer player (Gerard Butler) takes over coaching his son’s (Noah Lomax) team.
