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MoviePass, which is fighting to survive, just bought a film company. Heres why
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As Bloomberg reported, MoviePass, which helps feed peoples film habits by giving them movie theater passes for a monthly fee, recently dropped its monthly subscription price to $9.95... - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Jun 1, 2018, 8:59 AM
If all works in its favor, MoviePass wont just be a movie-per-day subscription service.

According to Variety, Helios and Matheson Analytics, the parent company of MoviePass Inc., acquired the option to buy Emmett Furla Oasis Films, which has produced films such as Mark Wahlberg's Lone Survivor and the crime drama End of Watch.

The deal would give HMNY access to the film production companys entire stock of films. Then, HMNY would rebrand MoviePass as MoviePass Films.

MoviePass Films would take ownership of the companys future films, which includes Asteroids an adaptation of the video game and Martin Scorseses The Irishman.

The acquisition comes as MoviePass faces a tremendous challenge to survive. HMNY's stock fell to its lowest levels last week, as analysts agree theres little to no value in the company since it doesnt have a significant amount of cash on hand.

In fact, HMNY announced last month it had $15.5 million cash on hand with $27.9 million on deposit with merchants, according to the Deseret News. Monthly expenses for the company hover around $21.7 million.

HMNY CEO Ted Farnsworth said the acquisition of EFO will help MoviePass survive.

This signals our long-term commitment to the movie business, he told Variety. Were here for the long haul.

The two companies will split ownership, with HMNY owning 51 percent of the MoviePass Films company and EFO Films owning 49 percent. The film company would create films for theatrical release and streaming services.

Since we began disrupting the movie industry with our unprecedented low cost movie theater subscription service, MoviePass, we have envisioned owning and developing our own content and using the power of our several million subscribers to bolster the success of our films, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe said in a statement. I believe this partnership with Emmett Furla Oasis Films will accelerate those efforts.

MoviePass previously made acquisitions to help the company grow and survive. It bought Moviefone back in April as a way to help people buy theater tickets. In January, it bought its first film while at the Sundance Film Festival, too.

Will this work? Gizmodo writer Rhett Jones isnt so sure.

It seems to be a relatively pragmatic company with profitable films, but its simply baffling that MoviePass is confident it can take on more liabilities while its core business is on such seemingly shaky ground, he wrote.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.