Recommendation: 10 Lionsgate Movies to add to your Movies Anywhere

Lionsgate finally joined Movies Anywhere. It honestly feels like hell froze over but maybe this is a competitive move against the looking Paramount / Warner Brothers merger.

For the uninitiated, Movies Anywhere is a locker system that was preceded by Ultraviolet. The benefit of a studio being in Movies Anywhere is mainly for consumers. If you purchase a movie on any of the following participating retailers like Fandango Now, you can watch that same movie on a different retailer's service like iTunes. This is really great when one service has a movie on sale. It means you don't need to lock your digital movie collection in one retailer. 

Example: If you bought "Marty Supreme" (A24) on iTunes, you would NOT be able to watch it from your Amazon Prime Video library. If you bought Pixar's "Hoppers" on Fandango No, you'd be able to watch it on Google Play Movies.

Paramount and MGM are the largest holdout now but there are still some smaller studios like A24 and Neon that I would gladly welcome to the party.

Here are 10 Lionsgate movies that should go into your Movies Anywhere collection.

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
Yes this movie is very long but if you haven't seen the uncensored Crazy 88 fight scene, you really should.

Wind River
Before Taylor Sheridan became a huge part of Paramount's TV universe, he was making very good movies like Wind River. This is such a solid thriller.

Hell or High Water
This is another Taylor Sheridan written movie that really showcases a good story and layered characters.

The Gift
If you enjoy a solid punch to the stomach twist at the end of a movie, this one might be for you. It feels like a Korean revenge movie.

Sicario

There really was not a need for a sequel. This one gets better with every watch.

Paddington

Paddington is pure joy. This is movie is the antidote to dread in life.

Django Unchained

This is a very good Tarantino movie. Who doesn't love a racist getting their comeuppance?

Dredd

Is it like the Raid? Sure. Is it still a great action movie with amazing visuals? Absolutely

The Cabin in the Woods
I revisited this one after quite a bit of time passed and its clear to me why it was loved by critics.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

One of the best examples that a sequel can actually be better than the original. This movie still holds up with solid themes about AI and how self-destructive humans are.

Review: Panda Express Cantonese BBQ Brisket

I go to Panda Express regularly, especially when the Dodgers win a home game. What do I usually get? Orange Chicken. It's packed with flavor, has a great texture, and very filling. 

I generally don't vary my order much but I decided to try the new Brisket item. While I generally don't eat that much beef, I make an occasional exception when it comes to brisket. I've never gotten excited for cuts of steak the way I do for brisket. There's something about a slow cooked and smoked piece of beef that really appeals to me. In my opinion the best ones fall apart very easily and have a good balance of fat.

Brisket comes in many shapes and forms. I particularly love the Texas BBQ style but we can't forget about other styles like the Jewish Ashkenazi dish.

Panda Express's spin claims set some boundaries right away using by naming this a Cantonese item. 

I will be avoiding the temptation to discuss whether this dish is authentic. I can only tell you that I enjoyed it quite a bit. There portion of pieces was generous (much more than any dish I've ever had at places that market themselves as BBQ focused like Lucille's).

The beef was tender and well sauced up. I order greens for my side so having a little extra sauce to season my kale/cabbage is not a problem but you might find this item a bit overwhelming if you had other side items like Chow Mein. I don't think there's any reason you would need to add soy sauce or any other condiment. You COULD add some chili sauce if you're really unable to enjoy foods that aren't spicy.

The flavor of the brisket feels like it is perfect for the Panda Express crowd. You get some American tang but also a little heat from Asian spices.

Visually, the brisket has a good amount of character. It carries some darkness around the edges which reflects a BBQ style cooking versus a longer braise method. A few pieces were a little drier but still had tons of flavor.

I'm not sure what level of work is involved to make the brisket but it does bump up your bill reasonably. If you get a two item combo and only get brisket for your main item, expect to pay similar to what I did ($3.90). I'm not sure when I'll get Panda again as there won't be any home games for awhile but I have zero regrets on trying their Cantonese BBQ Brisket.

I don't know if this should be a permanent item or if it carries the spirit of a limited regular item like the McRib. Panda Express seems to be doing just fine a week ago when it didn't have the Cantonese Brisket and I'm confident they'll be fine if they decide to end its run.

Receipt:

For reference, here's a promo video from Panda Express:

 

The Odyssey: Gatekeeping the best picture format is ridiculous

The Odyssey is coming out soon and I'm excited to see it but I really hate how complicated movie watching has become because of an artificial problem the studios created. I think studios should just do away with reserving the largest image for only a small amount of theaters and screens (some people prefer to wait for streaming!).

There are barely any theaters that are of showing The Odyssey in the largest format (1.43:1).

Rather than having conversions that begin with "what format did you watch it in?", people can actually just discuss the movie.

Do you know anyone that watches movies on a screen that isn't 16:9? It's fine if I see black bars on the side. Just format the movie for home video (digital or disc) consistently with the biggest format. It's really that simple.

Why are we creating a problem and changing the experience for so many people when it can simply be formatted the same for everyone?

Reminder: altering the original aspect ratio can even remove context

Source: https://www.odysseymovie.com/explore-formats/

Suffs on PBS

 

I saw this a few months ago and it is so good! Do enjoy it before this is no longer available on YouTube.

The real star of the 2026 Lexus ES is its camera system

I don't plan on getting a Tesla but I have to give the company credit for its camera system which really set the bar on features cars should include for safety.

Having cameras on cars is now a normal thing for all kinds of features and safety technology. Why not use them to record so we can don't have to setup dash cams that don't clutter visibility?

The Lexus ES also just seems like a great car for those that like hybrids. The all electric model seems pretty nice too if you can manage the range with your lifestyle.

source: Kelley Blue Book 

Ferrari Luce

This car is probably a ton of fun to drive but I don't think this really embodies the spirit of Ferrari. If you took off the badge, it would definitely be debatable who made this car. Does this mean a car designer should some day be offered the opportunity to design a phone? I don't think so.

When you look at cars like the VW ID. Buzz and the Dodge Challenger EV it is impossible to mistake the cars for who make them.

I'm sure Jony Ive worked on this very hard but I don't think it looks very good.

source: theverge.com

Instagram Instants

 Instagram created a new feature called Instants. It's another ephemeral feature because

"we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore"

I still use the grid because it lets anyone catch up with me whenever they want. No one should feel pressured to open an app every day just to see pictures from friends. If you want to double check something I posted, all you have to do is revisit my profile.

It's still really annoying how algorithm driven the feed is. It doesn't seem like we're ever going back to chronological order on Instagram.

MapTag

MapTag is a fun daily game that you can add to your routine.

Geography has always been a blind spot for me and I'm hoping this game helps. I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't even tell you where exactly every state is in the USA!

Give yourself some grace though. The USA is definitely a large country. Imagine if state lines were like country borders!

Ideas for new shows like "The Pitt"

I have started watching "The Pitt" and it is very entertaining and also thought provoking. It touches on things like family, mental illness, motherhood, aging, racism, and probably more aspects of life. I'm not even caught up but I have some ideas for other shows that could take place in real time and highlight the intriguing machinations of other industries:

The last operating day for USPS before Christmas
I'd love to see how stressful work is for postal workings rushing to beat the clock and deliver gifts to people around the country

Presidential election day
Have you ever watched Steve Kornacki on an election night? It's truly fascinating but imagine being able see the world of ballot counters as well as candidates. I realize this happens every 4 years but I think the should could work for scripted television.

A day at In-N-Out
The menu is pretty limited but the stress levels of trying to take orders and dish out burgers are through the roof.

A high capacity music venue
Imagine all the work that's involved in setting up a major stage production. The Lights, audio, choreography, and people. Everyone's going through something in their personal life and they have to leave the baggage at home and focus on the performance.

The case for using a background on video calls

I used to be a purist about video call backgrounds. The effect sometimes looks obvious. I know most computers couldn't possibly handle the processing power to perfectly detect people vs backgrounds but it always felt distracting seeing body parts of callers getting cut off. If this happened on a TV show or movie, you'd be completely taken out of the story.

I told myself some day I'd just hook up a nice camera with a proper shallow depth of field lens to hide my cluttered background. That will probably never happen. I don't have the money and space for such a long term setup.

Then it clicked. Maybe backgrounds aren't really about hiding a cluttered background. I don't think I would ever use a fake background at the office but what if using a background while working at home was a nice barrier to help keep work life and personal life separate.

I come from a company that prides itself on being a family company but why should I have access into the homes of other people. For all I know the corporate overlords are also peaking into video calls as well. Should they be given access to my home?

I've come up with a middle ground that's kind of silly but also feels like nothing's changed. I took a picture of my space and added digital noise.

It's the same image you'd normally but I don't have to worry about my cat walking by or reflections in the mirror. The noise obscures the room a bit but I might have to tweak this or take a new picture 6 months from now when the sun starts rising from a different angle and the exposure of my face looks very off.

Re: YouTube Premium price hike

It is true. I've given up Netflix and Disney Plus. There's just no way I'm giving up YouTube.

I use YouTube for entertainment and research.

The other day I was putting together some furniture from Ikea. The paper instructions aren't great but lo and behold someone had already done the hard work of demonstrating how to assembly this furniture and documented the process on YouTube.

It is unfortunate that YouTube is basically a monopoly for everything. Vlogging, movie trailers, recipes, tutorials. Twitch is a strong competitor for gaming live streaming though.

source: https://9to5google.com/2026/04/12/youtube-premium-price-hike-2/

Company Retreat

I can't believe they did it again.

The show really hit home for me. I know exactly what it means to be in a family company that is on the verge of being acquired.

I wasn't sure if the finale was going to be as emotional as the first season's but once Stephanie Hodge spoke about the challenges of being an older actor, I really lost it. It wasn't a messy sobbing but I did realize how much I had become engaged in the characters in this story.

It's short and worth the journey. What more can I say?

Also, the name isn't Work Retreat! I've been saying that this whole time.

trailer

Super Mario Galaxy

It's really unfortunate that producers feel like an intellectual property is so bulletproof that they don't have to put any effort into making a coherent story.

The first Mario movie was pretty mediocre and unfortunately made so much money the people behind the sequel felt there was no urgency to make a better movie.

I think it would be fantastic if a Japanese studio was given a chance to adapt the story for the big screen. Call me crazy.

source: rottentomatoes.com 

El Pollo Loco is doing very well

I have loved the Pollo Bowl for many years. It's very good, well priced, and very filling.

Doing well in Washington and New Mexico certainly seems like a good sign.

 source: latimes.com

Flickr is hosting a festival in Minneapolis called "Mode"

I am currently a Flickr subscriber. I've been using the service for a long time because I can't think of any other service that lets you post unlimited pictures in full resolution.

The service has languished, failing to keep up with competitors like Google Photos and Amazon when it comes to very useful features like face group. If you take pictures of people regularly and want to find all the pictures you've taken of them throughout the years, there is no easy way unless you 've been diligent enough to manually tag them.

Flickr could easily be the Instagram people miss (just pictures and no ads) but unfortunately it feels very out of touch with what users actually want.

Power users would greatly benefit from features like advanced search filters like camera make/model, focal length, ISO, aperture, and location. The meta data is all there in uploads. Just leverage it!

source: dpreview.com

Instagram launches on Google TV

I have no plans to install this.

• Instagram is always behind TikTok
• Browsing comments is not fun on a TV
• This is another Meta product and Meta is not a good company
• 9:16 content on a large TV is so annoying

source: 9to5google.com 

Yashica has a kickstarter for a new camcorder

Camcorders are good. Camcorders without zoom are just a missed opportunity. I'll reserve judgement though if the sensor is good.

Launching it on kickstarter is certainly a choice. I guess they're just testing the market for demand. 

 source: petapixel

David Ellison won't give up on his pursuit of Warner Brothers

It seems like every day a new headline about David Ellison comes out where he looks even more desperate than we previously thought he could get.

This reminds me of the whole Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni saga. 

The main difference between this story is that David Ellison truly comes off as an extremely spoiled child. Have his accomplishments ever been mentioned prior?

Source: deadline.com

Kristin Stewart saves Highland Theaters

I think it’s very cool that a person with means does something good for the community and culture.

I couldn’t even guess with any ounce of confidence what kind of money she has from being in the industry and actively acting for so long. 

I’m glad she’s been able to take a stab at directing because it seems like making movies really give her life.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Streets of Minneapolis

I don't know a lot about Bruce Springsteen but this is what patriotism sounds like. A lot of people have been so quiet! This is why he gets a title like "The Boss".

It doesn't hurt that sonically; it's a very solid song. I love the organ and choir.

source: YouTube

RIP Wemo

I was never impressed by Wemo. Their smart plugs were pretty rocky in terms of stability. After learning about Kasa/TP Link plugs, I dumped every Wemo device I had.

I'm happy for all the people the devices DID work out for and their efforts in the early days of smart home ecosystems. 

source: The Verge 

Fortnite collaborations

It must be interesting to create/develop characters that launch careers and become icons within the entertainment world like Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott, hear people praise them as comedy gold for those that understand the world of working in an office, and then see your characters be in a video game where the objective is essentially killing other players with guns.

Fortnite has basically become a promotional step like late night variety shows and Hot Ones. For better or worst, its a way to reach a lot of people and renew interest in your brand.

Source: Polygon

Labubu

I brought a Labubu to my office white elephant gift exchange and it was absolutely the quickest item to get locked in.

When you think about it, this item hits the mark for being a white elephant gift because it is desirable and also something people don't want to spend their own money.

It's a toy so there's very little utility from owning one. I'm curious how often the owner will think about their Labubu in a year from now. I suspect they will either have a large collection or have gotten rid of it.

I recently went to my local mall and was fascinated at how popular Asian collectible merchandise is. There were about 4-5 stores that all sold the same kinds of toys and blind boxes.

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

This is such a great podcast. You can tell Amy Poehler really likes her guests before they even get there. She deserves all the accolades she gets because this podcast is filled with such tender and honest moments between celebrities that are able to show their very relatable and human sides.

I know Amy Poehler is also a big Howard Stern fan (her Mariann from Brooklyn impersonation is very good!) and I wonder how much of his technique and style she studied before deciding to start this show.

This really is worth a listen even if you've already heard an interview with her guest previously because Amy Poehler really has a way of finding new angles of learning about people.

source: YouTube

Vallarta comes to Arizona

I'm thrilled for the folks in Arizona to experience Vallarta. I'm not sure what the competition looks like there but Vallarta is such a lovely market to be immersed into Latino cuisine.

Source: azafamily.com

CES 2026: camcorders are still not coming back :(

CES used to be such a big deal for me.

As a bit of an video enthusiast, it was also exciting to see how makers like Panasonic, Sony, and Canon would refresh their camcorder lineups.

Consumer camcorders have not been popular for awhile now. It could be the most people find phone cameras perfectly acceptable (they still don’t have lovely zoom optics!).

I still use a camcorder to capture long events. Having a device dedicated to video is just so practical for things like recording performances or situations where I just need flexible zoom.

Makers like Snap have tried to come out with products like the CS-8, but the specs leave so much to be desired.

Why not make something similar but throw in a 1” sensor. I would gladly pay the difference. It doesn’t even need a ton of manual controls. I just want optical zoom plus super crisp 4K video.

Don’t even get me started on what CES offers now: tons of AI slop products.

ICE

It’s been frustrating trying to stay informed but also digest all the horrific stories of ICE disappearing / killing people. 

I never could have imagined I would be living in the same gestapo threatened world as the people in the 40’s experienced. 

It has also been so encouraging to see people much braver than me facing the enemy up close and personal, risking bodily harm or worst.

I will never skip a video where ICE gets humiliated somehow and has to turn away. 

These thugs are trying to rob us of peace. They don’t deserve an ounce of dignity should peril come there way.

I tried revolving sushi and loved it

I learned that Kura Sushi was adding a location closer to me and was hoping to give it a shot to better understand the significance of a business expanding and the appeal of revolving sushi.

Unfortunately, a casual walk-in experience was not meant to be at the Sherman Oaks location. As I was circling the busy mall parking during a holiday season, I called the location to check if my patience of finding a spot was worth it. I was told I'd have to wait at least an hour. I changed my mind that day and opted for a quicker, more convenient lunch.

I discovered that Kura Sushi had recently opened up in Bakersfield and wagered that it would be easier to get a seat at that location. I was right!

The food itself was perfectly fine. I was amazed at the revolving system itself. There isn't much human interaction when ordering food. You can take what looks good off the conveyor or manually order items as desired.

The ordered items show up on a separate conveyor in a haste. The zip along quickly and stop abruptly at your seat. It feels like the future that was promised in the Jetsons.

If you need to use the bathroom, the restaurant even offers another nice thing that's very normal in Japan: bidets!

Its okay to repair things

​I recently spent $2500 on repairs to my van. While this seems like a lot of money, it turns out a brand new Honda Odyssey is about $45000!

Our van has over 200,000 miles and I am optimistic that it has plenty of life ahead to serve my family in making memorable trips.

While looking for something in a storage shed yesterday, I snagged my jacked on some wire fencing. I created a few unsightly holes. 

Like my car, I figured a relatively small inconvenience was worth the price to avoid saying goodbye. Is it seamless? Absolutely not. Was it even necessary? No. 

 

Needless to say, no one has ever suggested I audition for Project Runway.