Movie Channels
HBO gets bold and sporty in November
 |
HBO is all set for the festive season, with an interesting array of movies for its HBO Saturday nights block come November. Kicking things off on the 3rd at 9:30p.m. with ‘BASEketball’, a flick on a new sport, which combines the features of America’s two most popular sports: baseball and basketball.
Based on a true story, BASEketball is the creation of Trey Parker and Matt Stone who also made the witty and acerbic ‘South Park’ with its controversial songs. The three main characters ‘Coop’, Reemer, and Squeak Scolari are guaranteed to keep couch potatoes grinning throughout.
 Neve Campbell & Kevin Bacon in Wild Things |
Next is ‘Wild Things’ on November 10, a mystery flick with more twists and turns than a pretzel. Two seductively cool students played by Denise Richards and Neve Campbell, who attend a posh high school and plan to sue the counsellor Matt Dillon (A Kiss Before Dying) over rape.
The plot thickens with accusations, detectives and legal frame-ups leading to an interesting climax. Interestingly, the logical sequence of events is revealed as the end credits roll.
HBO relies on a good, solid old-fashioned drama ‘October Sky’ on November 17 to draw in the thinking viewer. it tells the true story of Homer Hickham who in 1950s West Virginia, harbours ambitions that do not exactly reflect his background. His father Chris Cooper (American Beauty) is a blue-collar coal miner and has trouble coming to terms with his son’s desire of becoming a space engineer.The father son relationship gives the film its soul. Jake plans to start his project for the science fair using a cherry bomb and flashlight. Fortunately, his teacher, Oscar nominee Laura Dern (Rambling Rose) encourages him and acts as his mentor.
 The SummerGang Party |
On the 24th, HBO takes the plunge into the world of horror with ‘ I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.’ Jennifer Love Hewitt, who also starred in the original, returns for the sequel to holiday in the Bahamas with her friend. The son of the angler who was killed in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ could be after her in this one. The setting of a deserted island is inspired as it instils in the viewer a weird sense of foreboding.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
