El Rey Network and Shaw Brothers

[GeneChing]

Celestial signs pacts with El Rey
27 February, 2014 | By Liz Shackleton

Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures has signed a multi-year content deal with El Rey Network, the new cable channel established by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

Under the agreement, El Rey Network will offer subscribers titles from the Shaw Brothers library such as The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, The Sword Of Swords, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter and The Flying Guillotine.

The films, which will be presented with English subtitles and English dubbed tracks, will screen throughout the network’s schedule and during its monthly Saturday kungfu marathon. The next marathon will air March 1 and features The One Armed Swordsman trilogy.

Robert Rodriguez said: “Long before El Rey Network was born, I had many of the Shaw Brothers films on my playlist at home. It was a hard drive that had my hit list of personal favorites and certainly these titles were among the best in kung-fu films.

“They are action-packed and still have cult status among fans of the genre. We are thrilled to partner with Celestial Pictures on this collection as it is a perfect addition to our existing line-up of renegade programming.”

Celestial Pictures, Saban Capital and Lionsgate jointly own Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), which operates pay-TV channels such as Celestial Movies and KIX and distributes content for Asian audiences.

El Rey is a 24-hour English-language network curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective. Content includes original dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action, horror/sci-fi and next-generation sports. Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures jointly own the network with a minority stake held by Univision Communications.

This is the first I've heard of El Rey. Anyone subscribe to it already?

[GeneChing]

Gordon Liu’s “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” and Stephen Chow’s “Out of the Dark” are available on iTunes now here in America. I'm just waiting for a free night to watch 36 again.

El Rey: Robert Rodriguez's ambitious, flawed attempt to launch 'the people's network'
The upstart channel and its flagship original series both have problems — but they're the first step toward a more diverse TV landscape
By Scott Meslow | 6:15am ET


Give Rodriguez credit for coming out guns blazing. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)


n 1992, director Robert Rodriguez clawed his way into the film industry with the $7,000 indie movie El Mariachi, which he partially financed by serving as a human lab rat. It's been 22 years and 14 movies since then, but his latest project — an upstart TV channel called El Rey, which premiered its first original series last night — is his most ambitious yet. Whether it can live up to that ambition is another question.

In a promotional video for El Rey, Rodriguez outlined his grand vision. "I had a quest for diversity in filmmaking and in media. I have now founded the El Rey television network, which is going to be exciting, addictive, visceral entertainment — but with an eye towards keeping that diversity. Having the face of the network more resemble the face of the country. This is the people's network."

The truth, of course, is a little more modest than that. El Rey launched in December 2013, and its current collection of programming consists mainly of syndicated shows like Starsky & Hutch, Dark Angel, Miami Vice, and The X-Files — a collection that seems less like a concentrated effort to increase TV diversity and more like a grab bag of cheap content that has earned Rodriguez's stamp of approval.

But he is unquestionably serious about the question of diversity. At a recent event, Rodriguez explained the genesis of the idea that led to El Rey. As Rodriguez tells it, Bob and Harvey Weinstein — the producers behind his successful Spy Kids series — didn't understand why the central family was of Hispanic descent. Rodriguez was only able to make them understand by putting his idea in the context of another, more famous superspy franchise: "You don't have to be British to watch James Bond." He believes that with the right series featuring actors of Hispanic descent, he can achieve similar crossover appeal, offering new opportunities for actors and filmmakers who have been traditionally marginalized by Hollywood.


(Facebook.com/Spy Kids)

In person, Rodriguez is both enthusiastic and thoughtful about his work, and his approach to television is unconventional — but in an age of streaming content and binge-watching, it's also forward-thinking. He scoffs at the idea of a pilot season, arguing that "it's better just to do a series" than spend so much time and money on something that might never see the light of day. And he's not particularly concerned about how his projects are initially received. "You don't really care if the audience gets it first," Rodriguez explains. "You're making something for the long haul."

That belief has made Rodriguez something of a trailblazer in the film industry. It led to films like Sin City — a hyper-stylized, hyper-violent black-and-white anthology film. (Despite Rodriguez's own low expectations, Sin City was a solid theatrical hit.) It led him to experiment with 3D movie-making in 2003's Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and 2005's The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, which came long before major Hollywood studios saw the potential of the format. It has also led Rodriguez to a string of flops, including Grindhouse, a 2007 collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, and last year's Machete Kills.

And now, that belief has formed the backbone of El Rey, which is clearly a direct product of Rodriguez's personal and idiosyncratic interests. Rodriguez likes to tell an anecdote about an early, rudimentary attempt to make his own "television network": A continuous stream of his favorite movies and TV shows, which he played on a loop on a television at his house.

In its current form, El Rey doesn't seem all that different than a public version of the trick Rodriguez employed to make sure he could always watch something he liked on his TV. El Rey's official website doubles as a kind of mission statement, dividing its programming into five categories: Grindhouse, cult horror, kung fu flicks, bullets & brawlers, and badass TV. Yesterday, El Rey aired the Shaw Brothers-produced kung fu movie Executioners From Shaolin, the long-overlooked action flick Rolling Thunder, and Rodriguez's own El Mariachi; today, El Rey is showing long, uninterrupted blocks of X-Files and Starsky & Hutch reruns, along with three hours of the syndicated courtroom show Texas Justice.


(Facebook.com/From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series)

But the next phase of El Rey's evolution came last night, when the network premiered its first original drama: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, which is based on Rodriguez's 1996 action/horror flick of the same name. Rodriguez explains that El Rey "wanted to come out swinging" with its first original drama, but it's an odd choice. The movie From Dusk Till Dawn follows a pair of bank-robbing brothers as they take shelter in a Mexican strip club that turns out to be a vampires' lair — and despite the much-maligned direct-to-DVD sequels, it is a very closed-ended story. (Glancing over Rodriguez's filmography, Sin City, Machete, and even Spy Kids seem to have far more series potential.)

The pilot was the only episode screened for critics, and it extends the original narrative while hewing very closely to its original plot. Rodriguez himself shot the pilot, and it shows. D.J. Cotrona makes for a fine small-screen facsimile of George Clooney, and — at the risk of ****ing with faint praise — Zane Holtz is actually an improvement on Quentin Tarantino, who co-starred in the original film. The TV show's major innovation is a second protagonist: A Texas Ranger played by Jesse Garcia, who vows to hunt the brothers down.

It all feels frustratingly familiar, and it comes alongside a heaping dose of sexism: There are four women in the pilot, and three of them are victims. It's a glaring problem, and it will only get worse if From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series doesn't address it within the first five minutes of episode two. If El Rey really wants to become "the people's network," it needs to stop being the Robert Rodriguez network — which will mean offering more than the violent genre content that makes up the vast majority of El Rey's current programming.

For all its flaws, the pilot for From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series does make good on one aspect of the promise of El Rey: It really is far more diverse than the average TV series, in a way that's both immediately apparent and immediately gratifying. It's a mission that El Rey is poised to double down on with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman's Matador, a "Latino James Bond-type series" scheduled to debut in July.

In an attempt to boil down El Rey's mission statement, Rodriguez says he wanted to make "a network that was for everybody, yet had an eye for more diversity." He's halfway there.

[wenshu]

The last fight scene betwen Hung WaiTing and PaiMei's cohort in Clan of the White Lotus is on El Rey right now in full 1080p!

[GeneChing]

Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch Thursdays ROCK! A classic Kung Fu double feature uncut every Thursday. I'm totally hooked and have dedicated my Thursdays to EL REY. As wenshu said, last night was Clan of the White Lotus (1980) the sequel to Executioners of Shaolin (1977) PLUS Clan of Amazons (1978) which was a very amusing film that I hadn't seen before (or at least, don't remember).

I'm thinking this needs its own thread soon.

[GeneChing]

I just got the following press release from EL REY NETWORK.

What an amazing line-up of films!

TUNE IN: “WAY OF THE TURKEY” THANKSGIVING KUNG FU MARATHON FEATURING 48 HOURS OF ACTION-PACKED KUNG FU FILMS BEGINNING
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27th AT 6 AM ET ON EL REY NETWORK

Marathon Includes a Special Tribute Airing of “Enter the Dragon” on November 27th at 10:12 AM: The Exact Day and Time of Bruce Lee’s Birth

Join El Rey Network for a Thanksgiving kung fu marathon that brings you 48 hours of some of the greatest kung fu films of our time, airing Thursday, November 27th starting at 6 AM ET and concluding on Saturday, November 29th at 3:15 AM ET

The marathon will begin at the crack of dawn with “Challenge of the Masters” on Thursday, November 27th at 6 AM ET, and culminate with “Blood Brothers” on Saturday, November 29th at 3:15 AM ET. El Rey Network will also honor film star and martial arts master Bruce Lee, airing his final film “Enter the Dragon” on what would have been his 74th birthday.

The films will air in the following order:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27th

“Challenge of the Masters” at 6 AM ET
A young man (Gordon Liu) wants to learn kung fu and to enter the traditional Lion Dance Festival. In the midst of all of this is a mysterious killer with a lethal death kick. This story teaches the essence of what true kung fu is all about.

“The Deadly Breaking Sword” at 8 AM ET
The Deadly Breaking Sword elevated director Sun Chung to the martial arts director ranks of Chang Cheh. Starring the incomparable Ti Lung and Jackie Chan's kung-fu comedic rival Alexander Fu Sheng, acclaimed fight choreographer Tang Chia had a field day increasing the stars' venomous fighting appeal. Armed with the "Deadly Breaking Sword" technique, Tuen Cheng-tsin (Ti Lung) unites with thief Ko Mun (Alexander Fu Sheng) to defeat an assassin being "acupuncturingly" controlled by the evil Dr. Kuo.

“Enter the Dragon” at 10:12 AM ET (7:12 PT the time Bruce Lee was born on this day in 1940 in San Francisco, the year and hour of the Dragon)
A martial arts expert named Lee is hired by a government agency to infiltrate the operation of a criminal, organizing a martial arts tournament to front his illegal drugs empire. Han, the leader of this operation, is a former member of Lee’s Shaolin Temple turned rogue and Lee is considered the best candidate to enter the tournament as a competitor, giving him the opportunity to investigate.

“All Men Are Brothers “at 12:30 PM ET
This is the long-awaited sequel to the martial arts blockbuster "Water Margin", which was released in America on video as "Seven Blows of the Dragon." So now, finally, its many international fans can see this action-packed follow-up, based on one of China's most enduring 14th Century novels. Also known as "Seven Soldiers of Kung Fu" and "108 Heroes," it is truly an epic by any name, featuring a cast of perennial kung fu favorites, and no less than four action choreographers!

“The Kung-Fu Instructor” at 2:45 PM ET
The Kung-fu Instructor was director Sun Chung's loose homage to Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo where unlike hero Sanjuro being a gruff, snarling, drunk swordsman looking for a drink, beloved actor Ti Lung plays an upright, righteous, weapon instructor looking to keep his limbs. Sun became the first Shaw Brothers' director to use a Steadicam giving the action a unique brand of tension and rhythm. Celebrated martial arts choreographer Tang Chia did wonders with the pole fights.

“Ten Tigers of Kwangtung” at 5:00 PM_ET
Two men seek to avenge the death of their relative, who was searching for the Anti-Change leader. They locate five students who were trained by the Ten tigers. As they talk, you learn how the Ten Tigers got involved.

“The Deadly Breaking Sword” at 7:00 PM ET
[See description above]

“All Men Are Brothers “at 9:15 PM ET
[See description above]

“The Kung-Fu Instructor” at 11:30 PM ET
[See description above]

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28th

“Kid from Kwangtung” at 1:45 AM_ET
Respected actor and action choreographer Hsu Hsia didn't waste his chance to direct -- inviting three other kung-fu designers to help on this fight-filled thriller. Wang Yu, co-star of such classics as Dirty Ho and The Kid With A Tattoo, here takes center stage as a young rascal caught between master martial arts actor Jen Shih-kuan (“Once Upon A Time In China”) and violent Huang Cheng-li (“Snake In The Eagle's Shadow”). From there on, it's one masterful kung-fu bout after another.

“Challenge of the Masters” at 4:00 AM_ET
[See description above]

“Ten Tigers of Kwangtung” at 6:00 AM_ET
[See description above]

“Kid from Kwangtung” at 8:15 AM_ET
[See description above]

“Mad Monkey Kung Fu” at 10:30 AM ET
Liu Chia Liang and Kara Hui Ying Hung star as traveling stage performers in an opera troupe. They wander into a town where an evil rich man (Lo Lieh) falls for his sister and frames him for the rape of his wife, so that his sister will agree to be his concubine. He takes a mischievous, but kind-hearted street kid (Hsiao Ho) under his wing and teaches him the secrets of "Monkey-boxing".

“Legendary Weapons of China” at 1 PM ET
Foreigners have invaded China and the Boxer Rebellion has begun. The kung fu schools band together against their new enemy - the Gun. The head of the I-Ho Society Lei Kung (Liu Chia Liang) disbands his school, knowing that they're no match against the foreign weapons and goes into hiding as a woodcutter. Masters from other school send hired killers after him to silence him because they want others to believe that kung fu practitioners are invincible against guns.

“Golden Swallow” at 3:15 PM ET
The indomitable martial arts team of director Chang Cheh and stunt choreographer Liu Chia-liang bring the Golden Swallow of King Hu's Come Drink With Me back to life again in this sequel of heartbreaking romance, intrigue and stunning action. Cheng Pei-pei's Golden Swallow finds her peaceful life shattered when an unrequited suitor starts a killing spree in her good name, the two men in her life also race towards a final showdown.

“Blood Brothers” at 5:30 PM ET
Set in the waning years of the Ching Dynasty, this dramatic, tragic, romantic, blood-soaked martial arts tale of betrayal and revenge explores one of the most sensational scandals in Chinese history and marked the true ascension of its director and actors to superstar status. In fact, Ti Lung won Taiwan's Golden Horse Award for Outstanding Performance as the challenging role of a jealous provincial governor who kills his friend in order to steal the man's wife.

“Mad Monkey Kung Fu” at 8:30 PM ET
[See description above]

“Legendary Weapons of China” at 10:45 PM ET
[See description above]

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29th

“Golden Swallow” at 1:00 AM ET
[See description above]

“Blood Brothers” at 3:15 AM ET
[See description above]

We hope you will consider posting about or highlighting the marathon for your readers.

About El Rey Network
El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network unites the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action, and horror/sci-fi. El Rey Network LLC (www.elreynetwork.com) is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.

[GeneChing]

TONIGHT! The 36th Chamber brings our Kung Fu classics to their new night - It's Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch TUESDAY! 6p ET only on El Rey Network!

SCHEDULE ALL TIMES ET
6:00 PM THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN
8:30 PM RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER
10:30 PM DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER

I've been wondering what would happen to Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch Thursdays with Man At Arms: Art of War taking the Thursday slot. Last night was Ilya & Matt hosting Last Action Hero. Will tonight be my hosting of THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN? It starts in a less than an hour.

And if it is, I will only be able to watch a little of it because I have an appointment.

[GeneChing]

Alas. It's the old RZA one. False alarm.

[GeneChing]

El Rey Network is under Univision Communications. I heard it was dropped from Sling, and the Dish drop likely affects El Rey too. Nasty timing because it's the finals for the World Cup, and Univision had the best coverage in the U.S. Hope this gets resolved before the 2nd season of Man at Arms: Art of War premieres (scheduled for later this summer).

Univision channels blocked from Dish, companies blame each other
The standoff is bad news for Spanish-language viewers.
BY MARRIAN ZHOU
JULY 2, 2018 12:24 PM PDT


Univision

A standoff between Dish and Univision may last indefinitely, leaving US Spanish-language viewers in the dark.

Over the weekend, Univision networks and stations disappeared from Dish. Both companies blame each other for the outage.

On Monday, New York-based Univision said in a release that Dish dropped most of Univision's networks and stations from its streaming service indefinitely on Saturday. The removal of its channels followed Colorado-based Dish's rejection of a Univision offer to an extend an existing contract, the network said.

Earlier, Dish disputed that account, saying Univision was trying to gain leverage in a contract dispute by withholding its programming.

Univision is attempting to increase the rate it charges Dish by roughly 75 percent, Dish said on Saturday. The Spanish-language network blocked Dish users' access to its flagship Univision network, as well as its Galavision and UniMás channels, Dish said. Univision also blocked Dish's Sling users from accessing all Univision channels, it said.

"Univision's attempted price hikes target Hispanics despite the fact that fewer members of our community are watching Univision," Alfredo Rodríguez Diaz-Marta, vice president of DishLATINO and Sling Latino, said in a release. "We call on Univision to return its signal to Dish, DishLATINO and Sling TV customers as soon as possible."

Univision said additional affected stations include Univision Deportes Network, El Rey Network, TLNovelas and Foro TV.

"Despite the success of our programming with its customers, Dish insists on paying Univision only a fraction of what it pays our English-language peers, including some with far fewer viewers," Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, vice president of corporate affairs at Univision, said in the release.

"We stand by ready to find a path forward when Dish is ready to truly negotiate," said Bobby Amirshahi, senior vice president of corporate communications at Univision, in an email statement.

THREADS:
Man at Arms: Art of War
El Rey Network and Shaw Brothers

[GeneChing]

Be sure to tune in next week. I'll be back in the War Room and this episode is my forte. STAY SHARP!

Man At Arms Season 2 Haitus

El Rey Network

563 Views · 12 hours ago ·
One thing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving: Man At Arms: Art of War Season 2!

Returns November 28th at 9p ET on El Rey Network!

And tomorrow, tune into El Rey Network's Way of the Turkey Marathon. Just one more reason why I RIDE WITH EL REY.

60 Kung-Fu Zooms in 60 Seconds

El Rey Network

What Kung-Fu Movie has YOUR All-Time Favorite ZOOM?

Watch Way of the Turkey, starting Thanksgiving Day on El Rey Network!

#BruceLee #ShawBros #WayoftheTurkey #ElReyNetwork #Thanksgiving #TurkeyDay

THREADS
El Rey Network and Shaw Brothers
Man at Arms: Art of War - Original Series from EL REY Network

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

Saturday

SHAOLIN MANTIS
A government spy infiltrates a wealthy family and falls in love with the daughter.
6:00 AM ET

VALLEY OF THE FANGS
A righteous swordsman tries to protect another hero's wife and daughter from a corrupt minister's murderous plans.
8:00 AM ET

RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH
A young fighter is tasked with delivering a box which he is not allowed to know the contents of, but will be paid a fortune for once it's delivered.
10:00 AM ET

THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN
A man studies kung-fu at the Shaolin Temple to fight back against the oppressive Manchu government.
12:00 PM ET

RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER
The workers of a dye factory have their pay cut when the factory owner brings in some Manchu thugs to try and increase production. Desperate to reclaim their full wages, the workers hire an actor to impersonate a priest and kung-fu expert from the temple of Shaolin. The factory owner proves the actor a fraud, and punishes all those involved. The young actor feels he has let the workers down, and promises to atone. He sets out for Shaolin, determined to be accepted as a kung-fu pupil at the elite temple.
2:30 PM ET

DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER
When a young man picks a fight with Manchu officials, he is forced to seek refuge in the Shaolin Temple, a martial arts training school. His disdain for authority sets him at odds with a legendary monk and he unwittingly plays into the hands of the Manchu governor.
4:30 PM ET

SHAOLIN PRINCE
An eye-filling, mind-bending martial arts tale of two royal princes battling for the rightful recovery of the throne.
6:30 PM ET

THE WEB OF DEATH
The head of the Snake Sect, one of five sects that make up the group the Five Poison Web, plots to gain control of the group by taking possession of the hidden super-weapon the Five Venom Spider.
8:30 PM ET

THE BATTLE WIZARD
A bookish young man and his sword-loving sister find themselves battling a trio of villains, one of them a beautiful but masked woman who has promised to either marry or murder the first man to see her unmasked.
10:30 PM ET

CRIPPLED AVENGERS
Three men, crippled by an evil warlord, become friends and learn kung fu with the help of an old teacher and his idiot pupil.
12:00 AM ET

VALLEY OF THE FANGS
A righteous swordsman tries to protect another hero's wife and daughter from a corrupt minister's murderous plans.
2:00 AM ET

RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH
A young fighter is tasked with delivering a box which he is not allowed to know the contents of, but will be paid a fortune for once it's delivered.
4:00 AM ET

Sunday

SHAOLIN PRINCE
An eye-filling, mind-bending martial arts tale of two royal princes battling for the rightful recovery of the throne.
6:00 AM ET

THE WEB OF DEATH
The head of the Snake Sect, one of five sects that make up the group the Five Poison Web, plots to gain control of the group by taking possession of the hidden super-weapon the Five Venom Spider.
8:00 AM ET

SHAOLIN MANTIS
A government spy infiltrates a wealthy family and falls in love with the daughter.
10:00 AM ET

THE BATTLE WIZARD
A bookish young man and his sword-loving sister find themselves battling a trio of villains, one of them a beautiful but masked woman who has promised to either marry or murder the first man to see her unmasked.
12:00 PM ET

THE FLYING GUILLOTINE
An assassin, trained in the use of a throwing weapon that can behead its victims from a distance, questions the morality of his missions and becomes a fugitive hunted by his former comrades.
1:30 PM ET

THE FLYING GUILLOTINE 2
The heroic Ma Teng has developed a counter to the Flying Guillotine's attack, and when word reaches The Emperor, who is more bloodthirsty than ever, he creates a new, deadlier version and rains a squad of female assassins to use it. Now Ma must help the gang of rebels trying to overthrow the evil tyrant and create a new counter-weapon to defeat the improved Guillotine.
4:00 PM ET

I'm just going to leave the TV on this weekend.

[GeneChing]

Aug 8, 2021,09:20pm EDT|826

Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Cable Net Streams Back To Life With Cinedigm Partnership
Veronica Villafañe
Contributor
Hollywood & Entertainment
I’m an expert in the Hispanic media industry.

Robert Rodriguez, Founder and Chairman of El Rey Network. MATT SAYLES/INVISION FOR EL REY NETWORK/AP IMAGES
El Rey is coming back to life. Director Robert Rodriguez's struggling cable network, launched in 2013, came to an abrupt end December 31, 2020. When the niche cable net went off the air, fans hoped it would be revived, even suggesting he should launch an El Rey streaming channel. Well, that's apparently in the works.

El Rey Network, founded and owned by Rodriguez, John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, and FactoryMade Ventures signed a partnership deal with streaming company Cinedigm. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The alliance will help El Rey transition from a linear to free ad-supported streaming channel. Cinedigm will have exclusive rights to El Rey’s content catalog and will exclusively distribute Rodriguez's feature film Red 11 and the companion docuseries Rebel Without A Crew: The Robert Rodriguez Film School.

Plans are for an El Rey over-the-top streaming service to be made available to all OTT distribution platforms, connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media-streaming devices, as well as the web later this year. No date has been announced yet.

“El Rey has always been a network for the people - a mainstream outlet where we discover diverse, independent voices. The fact that we can also now make our catalogue of kick-ass programming available for free to all gives me enormous joy,” said Rodriguez. "As audiences move deliberately to streaming, it was important for me to democratize our platform so that the masses have the opportunity to see themselves in our lineup of curated, inclusive and entertaining content. This is a huge win in every way, and I want to thank Cinedigm for putting fans first with this new alliance."


Behind the scenes of the Red 11 docuseries "Rebel Without A Crew The Robert Rodriguez Film School." EL REY

Rodriguez envisioned creating a culturally diverse "action-packed, general entertainment network in English for Latino and general audiences." Among the cable net's original and popular programs: From Dusk Till Dawn, Lucha Underground, The Chuey Martinez Show, and The Director's Chair, a series of specials featuring Rodriguez interviewing other directors, including Quentin Tarantino, John Carpenter, Francis Ford Coppola and Guillermo del Toro.

“What was once only available to those with expensive cable packages is now available through a variety of mediums. The partnership with El Rey allows the channel to broaden its digital footprint, as well as expand the access of its incredible programming to audiences worldwide,” said Erick Opeka, President & Chief Strategy Officer at Cinedigm.

Rodriguez previously partnered with Univision before the network's launch in 2013, which helped in the promotion, sales and distribution. At the time, Univision was also trying to tap into the English-language Hispanic market. But the Spanish-language media efforts fizzled and El Rey struggled to find its audience and wide distribution on cable and satellite providers. The relationship with Univision ended in November 2020, a month before El Rey ceased operations.

Taking a full dive into the streaming space will give El Rey broader and direct access to its fan base. Cinedigm’s president is confident its strong advertising partner relationships "will allow the channel to generate substantial advertising revenue among a key demographic in the growing AVOD & FAST space.”

threads
https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum...ith-Gene-Ching
El-Rey-Network-and-Shaw-Brothers

[GeneChing]

Check this out: http://www.elreynetwork.com/vault/kung-fu
Like this: https://www.facebook.com/ElReyNetwork
And RIDE WITH EL REY!

[GeneChing]

El Rey is advertising with us, so they have my attention. And even though it's not martial arts, who here can resist a Kaiju Christmas?

From Press Release:

Join El Rey Network for a “Kaiju Christmas” marathon that brings you over 48 hours of giant monster mania featuring the original King of the Monsters, Godzilla. El Rey Network is celebrating the iconic fire-breather with a mega marathon that befits this behemoth’s pop culture impact.

The Godzilla marathon stomps into homes with the original film that started it all, Gojira on Wednesday, December 24, at 6 PM ET and culminates with Godzilla vs. Biollante on Saturday, December 27, at 3:45 AM ET.

The “Kaiju Christmas” Godzilla films will air in the following order:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24

Gojira at 6:00 PM ET
In the very first Godzilla film, a 400-foot-tall mutant dinosaur called Gojira, awakened from the depths of the sea, becomes a rampaging nuclear nightmare, complete with glowing dorsal fins and fiery, radioactive breath. Crushing ships, villages, and buildings in his wake, Gojira marches toward Tokyo.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters at 8:15 PM ET
American reporter Steve Martin witnesses a 400-foot amphibious monster, brought back to life by underwater nuclear testing, go on a rampage through Tokyo.

Rodan at 10:30 PM ET
A giant pterodactyl whose wings create massive, destructive winds as it flies by makes its way to Japan.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25

Ghidorrah: The Three-Headed Monster at 12:15 AM ET
The citizens of Tokyo are subjected to an ill-tempered atomic mutant: the triple-headed Ghidrah, who breathes electric volts in all directions.

Godzilla Raids Again at 2:15 AM ET
Tsukioka and Kobayashi fly scout planes for a small fishing fleet, based in Osaka. A mechanical problem forces Kobayashi to set his plane down on remote Iwato island, and as he and Tsukioka are trying to make repairs, they are drawn to the sound of a horrendous conflagration and discover two enormous dinosaurs battling each other amid the snowy wastes of the island.

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero at 4:00 AM ET
Following discovery of the mysterious Planet X in our solar system, a joint U.S./Japanese space exploratory mission is organized. The explorers discover aliens who claim their planet has been under constant attack from the powerful Monster Zero.

Godzilla vs. Mothra at 6:00 AM ET
A battle royale between two of Japan’s most dangerous threats.

Godzilla’s Revenge at 8:00 AM ET
A precocious little boy has real-life traumas including harassment by bullies and kidnapping by a gang of bank robbers. He escapes these dilemmas mainly by taking frequent naps, during which he dreams of journeys to Monster Island to partake in Godzilla’s exploits.

Terror of Mechagodzilla at 9:45 AM ET
A race of malevolent aliens bent on world domination unleash the ultimate weapon of destruction on mankind, leaving them with no hope for survival but the power of the mighty Godzilla.

Godzilla vs. Biollante at 11:30 AM ET
After rising from his volcanic grave, Godzilla is threatened by a mutated rosebush.

Gojira at 1:45 AM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla: King of the Monsters at 4:00 PM ET
[See description above]

Rodan at 6:30 PM ET
[See description above]

Ghidorrah: The Three-Headed Monster at 8:15 PM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla Raids Again at 10:15 PM ET
[See description above]

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26th

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero at 12:00 Midnight ET
[See description above]

Godzilla vs. Mothra at 2:15 AM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla’s Revenge at 4:15 AM ET
[See description above]

Terror of Mechagodzilla at 6:00 AM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla vs. Biollante at 7:45 AM ET
[See description above]

Gojira at 10:00 AM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla: King of the Monsters at 12:15 PM ET
[See description above]

Rodan at 2:30 PM ET
[See description above]

Ghidorrah: The Three-Headed Monster at 4:15 PM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla Raids Again at 6:15 PM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero at 8:00 PM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla vs. Mothra at 10:15 PM ET
[See description above]

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27th

Godzilla’s Revenge at 12:15 AM ET
[See description above]

Terror of Mechagodzilla at 2:00 AM ET
[See description above]

Godzilla vs. Biollante at 3:45 AM ET
[See description above]

[GeneChing]

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