Netflix Turns 25 Today

Netflix turned 25 years old today — a significant milestone for a company that started out with a DVD mail subscription in 1999 and grew over the years into a movie-streaming behemoth.

© Netflix

“Netflix and chill”

Known for bringing movies and TV shows to fans worldwide, Netflix, the popular streaming network, founded on August 29, 1997 by Reed Hastings and Mark Randolph, celebrates 25 years today. The company only launched its website www.netflix.com on April 14, 1998. Netflix first began modestly with mailing out red and white DVD envelopes and quickly endeared itself to a public tired of high movie rental fees. The company brought in over 200k subscribers who also were fans of its recommendation engine.

The company’s popularity led to its own slogan “Netflix and chill” where you would invite a friend or significant other to enjoy a movie at your home. The massive popularity of streaming videos and TV shows at home, on an app and in an browser, can be attributed in some part due to the popularity of Netflix who made watching entertainment convenient, familiar, and accessible at any time.

As of 2019, the company has shipped over 5 billion DVDS. The first DVD that Netflix shipped was Beetlejuice in March 1998 starring Winona Ryder, who also stars in the popular show Stranger Things. By 2007, Netflix started offering streaming options. By 2016, Netflix went live in 130 countries. Squid Watch is the most watched show on Netflix.

When Netflix reached its 500,000th subscription, the company invited the subscriber to a company meeting and gave the person a lifetime subscription. Today Netflix is available in 37 languages in 190 countries around the world and has 28 offices.

$NFLX has dominated streaming for a decade. Now it faces stiff competition from Disney+, AppleTV, Paramount Plus, HBO Max and more. Netflix today offers its own storytelling options at scale tailored to markets around the world.

Today, Netflix continues to innovate and influence cultural moments around the globe.

Disney Vault is Now Open: Countless Classics Now Available to Stream

The Disney Vault Is Officially Open : Disney+ makes countless classics available to stream at a tap.

A Closer Look at "The Mandalorian," A Disney+ Original and Star Wars Story

Season 1 of “The Mandalorian” ends on a thrilling note, while setting up an exciting start for Season 2’s premiere

Image via Disney

Disney’s streaming show, “The Mandalorian,” an original spin-off from the Star Wars franchise, written and produced by Jon Favreau, known for “Ironman” and “The Lion King,” is action-packed while still offering strong characters. The series also has helped Disney position itself, along with its library of popular favorites, in the competitive world of streaming video today. The show ranked number one in online streaming in the United States in 2019, dethroning Netflix’s popular series “Stranger Things” and competing neck to neck with “The Witcher,” which ranks number one worldwide in streaming video. The last episode and season finale maintained the momentum from the prior week’s episode to end on a high note.

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The Mandalorian

“The Mandalorian” is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order and follows the life of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy.

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Strong Characters, Compelling Story Line, Live Action and Unexpected Moments

Notable for its distinct style, with a different director for each episode, “The Mandalorian” is a story about a lone gunfighter, nicknamed “Mando” in a lawless galaxy. Mando wears a metal mask that he does not take off — part of the Mandalorian tradition that Mando defends by saying, “This is the way.” The series is full of heroism, sacrifice, excitement and humor with enough adventure and surprise moments to keep your eyes glued to the screen.

The show introduced a baby Yoda character at the end of the first episode. Soon after the surprising reveal, Baby Yoda quickly stole hearts all over the Internet — attracting both diehard fans of the original Star Wars franchise as well as new audiences drawn to the charming and quirky character.

Image via Disney

Disney is also in the process of building out a Mando costumed character meet and greet at Disney Parks, according to In The Know.

“So, the reality is that we feel it’s really important for our guests at the parks to be able to meet all of our key characters on a first-hand, personal basis. And so it’s something we’re working on. We think it’s appropriate, and I think it’s something the guests at the parks can look forward to in the very near future.”

— Paul Southern, VP of Licensing, LucasFilm

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The first season of “The Mandalorian” builds upon the Star Wars mythology, but offers its own take with new characters and new worlds to explore. Instead of rehashing existing stories, the new series has its own refreshing perspective. One of the references to prior series and spinoffs is the dark saber, a favorite of executive producer Dave Filoni, known for his production of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” series. Revealed in the last episode, the dark saber is a unique black-bladed lightsaber that belonged to the first Mandalorian Jedi and well known to aficionados of that Star Wars series. The character of Moff Gideon played by Giancarlo Esposito, appears out of the fiery wreckage of a spaceship carrying the black-bladed lightsaber in his hand at the end of the episode, leaving some mystery and questions behind. What are his intentions towards Baby Yoda, whom he has been pursuing at all costs? The answer may be Machiavellian, but his uncanny knowledge of the Mandalorian creed leaves questions for audiences to think about before the next season. The ending hints at an impending struggle and suggests that Gideon’s mysterious relationship to the Jedi will also be revealed in Season 2.

Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in “The Mandalorian.” Image via Disney

Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) in “The Mandalorian.” Image via Disney

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The series introduces new characters in memorable scenes from the Child or Baby Yoda who uses the Force to stop a flamethrower to the droid IG-II who sacrifices himself to stop Stormtroopers and to protect the Child and of course, the Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal, whose face is obscured by his metal knight-like mask throughout the season until the very end, where both his face and name are revealed. He also gets to fly a jetpack, revealing director Jon Favreau’s skills in storytelling and entertainment, similar to his creation of “Ironman” in the Marvel cinematic universe. Just as Mando cuts down the TIE Fighter spaceship flown by Moff Gideon and flies away with his jet pack, Moff Gideon fights his way through out of the debris, holding the dark saber in hand. The last episode of the “The Mandalorian,” titled “Chapter 8: Redemption,” offers thrills and adventures, ending with drama and emotional rewards that leave you both curious and eager for the next episodes.

“The Mandalorian” offers a big budget, high adventure and live action streaming Star Wars series that is hard to match. Each character gets his or her time in the spotlight — enough to discover what makes the character tick and stand out. The series has a variety of diverse locations and battle scenes occurring outside, inside cramped locations and in the sky. From bounty hunters to droids, Storm Troopers, Baby Yoda and Mando’s Lone Ranger appeal, “The Mandalorian” entices with its range of compelling characters. The series had a few slow moments midseason, but recovered its momentum in the last few episodes to end with a spectacular finish. With a superb storyline and dramatic finish, “The Mandalorian” sets up high anticipation for Season 2 and enthusiasm for next installments.

Finally, it would be hard to not acknowledge the gorgeously designed credits for the series — works of art in and of themselves. Take a look!

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Grade: A-

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