Saturday, 20 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Entertainment

Karl Puschmann: Adults only? Disney+ goes R-rated

25 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM5 minutes to read
The stars of Big Sky, Star's first big original series; Katheryn Winnick, Ryan Phillippe and Kylie Bunbury.

The stars of Big Sky, Star's first big original series; Katheryn Winnick, Ryan Phillippe and Kylie Bunbury.

Karl Puschmann
By
Karl Puschmann

Culture Editor and Entertainment Columnist

VIEW PROFILE

OPINION:

This week a new front opened up in the vicious, wallet-killing, streaming wars.

The kid friendly/parent refuge that is - or more accurately was - Disney+ finally said, "flag it" and let loose with the big guns to launch a new channel devoted solely to adult content.

Hmm.... 'adult content' sounds a bit rude, doesn't it? Lest you think the House of Mouse has become a house of ill repute let me rephrase that. Disney+ now has a channel with content more suited to an older audience. Cripes, 'older audience', makes us sound like dusty antiques. Grown-ups? Is that better? Not really. But you get the idea. Let's move on.

They've called it Star, presumably because adults will see it twinkling brightly in the dark of all Disney's children's content, and it's absolutely crammed with shows and movies that you wouldn't want young kids clicking on.

We're talking original, high profile shows like David E. Kelley's slick new crime thriller Big Sky, the adult animated series Solar Opposites from the co-creator of cult fave Rick and Morty and the teen drama Love, Victor, a spin-off from popular rom-com Love, Simon which was in cinemas a few years back.

Read More

  • Karl Puschmann: Is TVNZ's new America's Cup comedy a winner? - NZ Herald
  • Karl Puschmann: TV's most captivating show is simply two people talking - NZ Herald
  • Karl Puschmann: Revelling in Kiwi hits and NZ's covid miss - NZ Herald
  • Karl Puschmann: Dark truth behind Ren & Stimpy detailed in disturbing doco - NZ Herald

Which are all well and good but where Star really shines is in its deep catalogue of TV and movie hits. Scrolling through the catalogue for the first time I couldn't help but feel the very real threat it poses to my prized-but-space-devouring DVD and Blu-Ray collection. News my partner will be exceptionally pleased to hear.

I was stoked to see that all the Alien flicks and the good Die Hard flicks are available, and mutedly excited to see Wes Anderson's filmography represented. And I was probably a little too happy to see a healthy spattering of 80s classics like Kurt Russell's mystical action hit Big Trouble in Little China, Tom Cruise's sandy rom-com Cocktail and the greatest film ever made, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

I appreciate these are most likely not the films that will sell you on the service. Fret not. Star says there's almost 450 movies and 155 TV series to choose from. You're bound to find a lot that you'll dig. Especially if you're a fan of 90s and 2000s cinema and television. I'm guessing newer stuff will be drip-fed to keep momentum up in the coming months.

The Star hub has been added to the main page of Disney+ and can be protected with a pin. Photo: Disney+
The Star hub has been added to the main page of Disney+ and can be protected with a pin. Photo: Disney+

But for now the launch of Star can only be considered a significant power move in the streaming space by Disney. This deluge of grown-up content being a direct result of their buy-out of rival Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox in 2019.

Related articles

Entertainment

Soundtrack to my Life: Anna Coddington

26 Feb 04:00 PM
Entertainment

Karl Puschmann: Is TVNZ's new America's Cup comedy a winner?

18 Feb 04:00 PM
Entertainment

Karl Puschmann: Bleak new comedy Back is painfully funny

11 Feb 04:00 PM
Entertainment

Karl Puschmann: Revelling in Kiwi hits and NZ's covid miss

04 Feb 04:00 PM

It also fixes my sole gripe with Disney+, as detailed in my column about its launch.

"This is the problem with Disney+. There's nothing to watch," I bemoaned after praising it for throwing open the Disney vaults but finding myself switching off after each new episode of The Mandalorian.

"Will more of Fox's properties be added? When? And once they are, how will the kiddie-safe Disney+ accommodate Fox's more adult-orientated fare?" I pondered, before pleading, "Please don't let the answer be with another app and monthly subscription."

Well, we now have the answers. And they're all good.

Fox properties were added this week, roughly 18 months after launch, and they're accommodated in their own Star-branded hub sat atop the main page. This content is protected behind a four-digit access pin that you're urged to set up when you join. It's easy, tidy and kid-safe. Unless you choose 1, 2, 3 and 4 as your pin, in which case that's on you.

But it was my final question that was the most concerning; how many dollaroonies a month was Star gonna cost? Surprisingly, and pleasingly, not a cent extra if you're already a subscriber. You just get it.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

However, if you're new you're looking at $12.99 a month. Yes, that's up from the launch price of $9.99 but you get both Disney+ and Star. Current subscribers have six months "grace" before their subs go up to match the new price.

Even with the price bump it's hard to argue, especially if you have kids. You get all the Disney content, which includes Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel let's not forget, and all the Fox content. It's just a great value proposition.

And, even at the new price it's still undercutting its rivals. Disney+ comes in $1 under Neon's $13.95 and $4 under Netflix's HD fee of $16.99.

Should Neon and Netflix be afraid? No, not right now. Neon shares some of Star's catalogue, presumably from long-standing deals, and Netflix relentlessly pumps out its own original content. It's gonna take Disney some time to ramp up their production machine to catch them.

But there's no doubt that it's now a far more serious, and dangerous, contender than it was this time last week. Shots fired.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Premium
Entertainment

Better Call Saul: Jonathan Banks says goodbye to Mike

19 Aug 07:00 AM
Entertainment

Frances Bean Cobain 'wasn't sure' she'd reach 30

19 Aug 03:17 AM
Premium
Entertainment

Tim Roth on new film Punch, living in NZ and Jacinda's BBQ

18 Aug 03:49 AM
Talanoa

Netflix doco revisits Manti Te'o catfish hoax a decade later

19 Aug 01:30 AM
Entertainment

Taylor Swift's major movie snub revealed

19 Aug 12:50 AM

Most Popular

Ombudsman sends PM 'please explain' over Sharma allegations
New Zealand|Politics

Ombudsman sends PM 'please explain' over Sharma allegations

19 Aug 07:04 AM
Kawhia shooting: Mum haunted by frightening escape into darkness with children
New Zealand|Crime

Kawhia shooting: Mum haunted by frightening escape into darkness with children

19 Aug 04:04 AM
Premium
Cecilia Robinson rejoins My Food Bag board amid 'deeply disappointing' share price
Business

Cecilia Robinson rejoins My Food Bag board amid 'deeply disappointing' share price

19 Aug 05:32 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP