Netflix’s fresh hit, ‘Our Father’ hits screens

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2022

Netflix has dropped its next biggest hit, with ‘Our Father’ arriving on screens around the world

‘Our Father’ centres around Dr Donald Cline, who is a fertility doctor that secretly used his own sperm while inseminating his IVF patients.

Dr Cline was a well-respected, top fertility doctor in Indiana, who says he used the sperm of anonymous medical residents.

The film’s director, Lucie Jourdan, told The Guardian “it was a very specific directive that you never ever tell your children you had fertility issues or insemination.”

The documentary sees the former doctor fathering at least 50 children throughout the 1970s and ’80s. But there are fears the true number could be well over 100.

“This was part of the dialogue he had with his patients. They were trusting their doctor to give them the right advice,” Jourdan says.

In the film’s trailer, Dr Cline’s children say they learned about him through DNA kits.

“When I opened up Ancestry, I had over 3,000 hits,” one said.

Where is Donald Cline now?

There was no state or federal law to criminalise Dr Cline’s action.

He retired from medicine in 2009, and was charged with two counts of felony obstruction of justice. The documentary shows he was fined $500 and given a year probation.

In 2018, Cline surrendered his license to the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana. He has also been stopped from applying to reinstate his license.

Indiana became the first U.S. state to make it a criminal offence for fertility doctors to use their own sperm when their patients do not offer their consent.

Streaming service shift and the award season snubs

Published

3 months ago

January 24, 2024

Mike Loder

Netflix Introduces Changes to Subscription Model, Academy Award Nominations Spark Cinematic Buzz, and the Doomsday Clock Continues its Ominous Ticking.

Netflix is set to discontinue its ad-free Basic subscription in select countries, commencing with Canada and the UK in Q2 2024.

This strategic shift introduces a significant price increase for the baseline entry, signalling potential adjustments to Netflix’s global pricing structure.

Simultaneously, the 96th edition of the Academy Award nominations has stirred cinematic debates, with the prevailing question being whether the upcoming season will be dominated by “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer.” These contrasting narratives set the stage for a fierce competition, highlighting the diverse and compelling offerings in this year’s film industry.

Beyond the realm of entertainment, the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic representation of the likelihood of a human-made global catastrophe, continues its ominous countdown.

Maintained since 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the clock serves as a metaphor for threats arising from unchecked scientific and technological advances. As global tensions, environmental challenges, and technological risks persist, the ticking of the Doomsday Clock serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to address multifaceted threats to humanity.

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Adidas faces potential $320M Yeezy shoe write-off post-Kanye split

Published

5 months ago

November 9, 2023

ticker NEWS

Adidas is contemplating a significant financial blow as it considers writing off $320 million worth of Yeezy shoes following its separation from music and fashion icon Kanye West.

The sportswear giant’s decision to sever ties with West’s Yeezy brand has left a mountain of unsold merchandise, threatening to dent the company’s balance sheet.

The partnership between Adidas and Kanye West, which began in 2013, had been immensely successful, with Yeezy shoes becoming a highly sought-after fashion statement.

However, recent controversies and disagreements between West and Adidas prompted the sportswear company to distance itself from the celebrity designer.

The massive inventory of Yeezy shoes now presents a dilemma for Adidas, as it grapples with finding a solution to deal with the surplus stock. A $320 million write-off could significantly impact the company’s financial performance in the short term.

Adidas is currently exploring various options, including discounting, donating, or repurposing the unsold inventory to mitigate the financial hit.

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Warner Bros discovery warns of Hollywood’s ‘real risk’ post-strikes’

Published

5 months ago

November 9, 2023

ticker NEWS

Warner Bros Discovery, has issued a stark warning regarding the ‘real risk’ that Hollywood faces in the aftermath of the recent strikes that have taken a considerable toll on the industry’s financial health.

The strikes, which disrupted film and television production for several weeks, resulted in substantial financial losses for studios, production companies, and countless industry professionals.

Warner Bros Discovery emphasised the necessity for a resilient and adaptable approach to navigate the ongoing challenges and uncertainties facing the film and television sector.

The conglomerate stressed the importance of implementing measures to mitigate such risks in the future, which include fostering better labour relations and contingency planning to safeguard against potential disruptions.

The message underlined the need for the industry to adapt to the evolving landscape of content creation and distribution, particularly in the digital era.

This warning from Warner Bros Discovery highlights the need for the entertainment industry to recognise the ever-changing dynamics and economic challenges, and the importance of preparedness to maintain its prominent position in the global market.