• BURN MEDIA
    • Motorburn
      Because cars are gadgets
    • Gearburn
      Incisive reviews for the gadget obsessed
    • Ventureburn
      Startup news for emerging markets
    • Jobsburn
      Digital industry jobs for the anti 9 to 5!

TV & Movies

  • Last week in trailers: Black Panther & more Tom Cruise

    By on 13 June, 2017

    Last week saw few new trailers released, and it's probably for the best because what we got was hardly of a high standard. So if you're looking to immerse yourself in the wonders of upcoming films, you can sit this one out. But if you're keen to revel in the terror that is the unending tide of Tom Cruise films, then welcome aboard. Let's get started. Black Panther We'll start with the good: The first trailer for Marvel's first ever black superhero film is out, and it looks fun. What won't be fun is sitting through any more of what is presumably that Afrikaans accent, but,...

  • 10 Wonder Woman facts you might not have known

    By on 8 June, 2017

    Wonder Woman has been out for less than a week, but already it has audiences everywhere weak in the knees. But considering it's the character's first foray into the world of solo features, you may not know that much about her. If you're looking for a few facts to throw at your friends as you wait for the theatre lights to dim, then I've got you covered. Here we go. Creator William Moulton Marston invented part of the lie detector Image: Lwp Kommunikáció via Flickr (CC 2.0) William Moulton Marston was not only a writer: he was also an inventor...

  • Watch them all: the big winners at the 2017 Golden Trailer Awards

    By on 7 June, 2017

    If you're into film and TV but don't have the time to sit down and watch as much as you would like, then you, like me, are probably a trailer fan. There's no shame in sitting down for half an hour and watching everything YouTube recommends for you, and you can be validated in the fact that others agree with you. In fact, some agree so vehemently that they created an awards ceremony purely for trailers, and on Tuesday night the Golden Trailer Awards hosted its 18th annual ceremony. The Awards includes a staggering 115 categories -- including the likes of...

  • MiniMeme Podcast #1: why does Netflix kill its good shows?

    By on 7 June, 2017

    Welcome to MiniMeme, the podcast brought to you by Burn Media's junior staff as they tackle the topics that tickle their fancy. This week Julia Breakey and Matthew Alexander sit down to discuss this season's TV renewals and cancellations. Netflix has cancelled Sense8, but why has Supernatural lasted more than ten seasons? Julia opens the floor to rant about the loss of Sense8 (thanks Netflix) despite the renewal of shows that have no more story to tell like 13 Reasons Why. We then examine why solid shows may end and others like Supernatural have managed 13-season runs. Will the Winchesters ever be set free? Finally, we find ourselves meandering through Charmed nostalgia, Percy Jackson disappointment, dream...

  • 13 reasons why Sense8 should’ve been renewed

    By on 6 June, 2017

    I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. Thursday night, Netflix crept into my house, ate all my food, and punched a hole through my heart. Last night, Netflix cancelled Sense8. My love for this show runs deep and proud and true. It is, objectively, the greatest television show of our time. But instead of renewing a show with heaps of potential, Netflix has decided to fund a self-congratulatory show with no more story left to tell, a bunch of Adam Sandler films, and a second season of Miranda Sings' Haters Back Off. So...

  • South Africa’s box office: Wonder Woman wows watchers

    By on 6 June, 2017

    When the country is given the choice between a semi-naked group of lifesavers and Diana Prince kicking ass and taking names, you'll be glad to know it chooses correctly. This weekend saw Wonder Woman's (review) debut go swimmingly, coming out on top against other newcomer Baywatch, hardly flailing in second place. But which films could barely keep themselves afloat this weekend? (2 to 4 June) King Arthur seems to be made of lead: it sunk four spots from fourth to eighth this week. The blockbuster is considered the first major bomb of the season and has failed to make back Guy Ritchie's budget. Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge sunk...

  • Last week in trailers: Murder on the Putin Express

    By on 5 June, 2017

    The last week of trailers brought us a murder mystery, a horror, a car flick, a survival drama, a period piece, a kids film, a documentary and a series of experimental films -- and, honestly, if nothing in here intrigues you, then maybe movies just aren't your thing. Have you considered that? Here's what you need to know about the trailers released in the past seven days. Murder on the Orient Express Usually I'm immediately deterred from any film Johnny Depp is in, but this remake of Murder on the Orient Express also stars Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Penelope...

  • Sequels, reboots and remakes: where does the spiral end?

    By on 2 June, 2017

    If you were to visit YouTube, chances are you'll either see film trailers being played out in ads, listed in the “Trending” section, or popping up as recommendations on the homepage. Most of these trailers reveal details from the next slate of movies set for 2017 and 2018, including Cars 3, the rebooted IT, and the eighth instalment in The Fast and the Furious franchise. Even trailers for Avatar 2: Return to Pandora, Spider-Man: Homecoming and other Marvel/DC Comics-related projects like Thor 3: Ragnarok and Justice League have recently been making the rounds. Did we forget to mention Kingsman: The Golden...

  • South Africa’s box office: Pirates hook SA

    By on 1 June, 2017

    Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales) has come in first this weekend, ousting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from its three week reign at the top. The fifth in the franchise has managed to pull in only 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, and should relish the spot while it can: Wonder Woman (review), premiering this Friday, is looking set to be a box office favourite. But how did the other films fare this weekend? (26 - 28 May) Fast and Furious 8 has been pushed down to third place, but is unperturbed as the highest life to date grosser, bringing in...

  • Neill Blomkamp’s Oats Studios continues his love affair with aliens

    By on 1 June, 2017

    Neill Blomkamp has a weird obsession with aliens. The South African director is however pushing the envelope in another way. An experimental short film series created by his new venture Oats Studios is set to debut on game distribution platform Steam in the coming months. Back in April, Blomkamp first teased the idea on Twitter, asking followers for their thoughts. If I sold experimental short films on @steam_games as tests for potential full feature films, would people watch them? — Neill Blomkamp (@NeillBlomkamp) April 9, 2017 Users took to the idea like a duck to water. I would! — William Gibson (@GreatDismal) April 9, 2017 YES. —...

  • Wonder Woman movie review: it’s imperfect, but it’s enough

    By on 1 June, 2017

    Since the 1960s, the world has seen eight Batman movies, eight Superman movies, three Captain America movies, three Iron Man movies, and one Deadpool movie. This year, we will have to endure the third iteration of Spider-Man in his sixth movie in 15 years. With just these heroes alone, only in their solo films, cinema screens across the world have played white male superheroes 29 times in the span of fifty years. They have never once shown a live action female superhero in her own film -- and this places Wonder Woman under an immense amount of pressure. Wonder Woman is by...

  • Cannes Film Festival 2017: here are the big winners at the main awards

    By on 30 May, 2017

    The 2017 Cannes Film Festival has come to a close, and all the artsiest of the artsy have celebrated their wins, regretted their losses and bagged some film concepts that started on Tumblr. So if you've not been keeping up with the little town in France, here's who won big in the festival's main competition. The Palme d'Or: The Square, Ruben Östlund Swedish film The Square won the coveted Palme d'Or in a surprise upset. The satirical drama was up against Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled, Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here and Netflix's controversial entries Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories, among others. Directed by Ruben Östlund, The Square is about Christian, a man who converts the Stockholm...

  • Last week in trailers: Winter is (almost) here

    By on 29 May, 2017

    While South Africa may be preparing for a cold, dry winter, Hollywood is gearing up for a summer of blockbusters, and, hey, at least that's something to look forward to. Last week saw the final trailers of three stupidly big budget films, and one stupidly big budget HBO show. It's time to guess if the money was worth it. Game of Thrones The official trailer for the penultimate season of Game of Thrones is here, promising a whole bunch of monotonous lines about power and plenty of action. The trailer teases Daenerys's arrival to Westeros, Davos giving advice no one will heed, and, most importantly,...

  • 4 Netflix exclusives coming to South Africa in June

    By on 29 May, 2017

    This is it: month six. There's no going back now. We're halfway through the year, and we may as well celebrate with some good old Netflix and chill (Is that still a thing? I'm getting old.) Either way, the streaming site has a slow June, with only eight original films and shows being released globally in the month (presumably to do with its US summer schedule.) Here's the best of what's coming to Netflix South Africa this month. 2 June: Flaked Will Arnett's Flaked is back for a season two that sees Chip's unwelcome return to Venice. "Flaked is a dry human comedy about a slice of life...

  • Will Game of Thrones’ season 7 survive its writers’ egos?

    By on 25 May, 2017

    In the beginning, there were Dan Benioff and D.B. Weiss, two men eager to turn George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire into an epic TV show. They won over the author with their answer to the question "Who is Jon Snow's mother?" and sold the concept to HBO. It was intended for each novel (of which there were four at the time) to create content for a season's worth of episodes. And it started well. A Game of Thrones was turned into Game of Thrones' first season, and was met with high ratings and critical acclaim. But the...