The internet is said to have unlocked a whole new age of information access. If that’s true, then the VPN has unlocked a whole new level of access, allowing users to parachute into any country of the world for the purposes of watching different content. We look at how a VPN does this, and the way that using a VPN will expand your streaming options.

Using a VPN Means No More Geo-Blocking

There are few things more frustrating than finding a link to your favorite show, or an item that you wish to purchase, just to find out when you click that it’s not available in your region. 

This is geo-blocking, and it’s a huge pain—to anyone that doesn’t have a VPN, that is. Essentially, companies are given licenses to stream or sell content in certain geographical regions, and are required to reject attempts to access their content from outside of these regions. Hence, the existence of geo-blocking.

 The beauty of a VPN, however, is that it connects you to an internet provider in whatever location you select. That means that if you want to watch the latest episode of Survivor Season 43, but it’s only available to stream on CBS for viewers in America, all that’s required is to switch your VPN to the USA, then click on the CBS website and you’ll be able to watch Survivor. 

With a VPN, geo-blocking becomes a thing of the past and your streaming options are opened up immensely.

Stream on Restricted Networks With a VPN

Some networks, such as schools and workplaces, often put a restriction on what content can be watched through their IP address.

This can mean that on these networks, it’s not possible to watch YouTube, access social media or stream shows. Here’s where a VPN comes in handy. By connecting to a VPN, your internet will be routed through a different IP address, meaning that those same restrictions that apply to your colleagues or classmates will no longer apply to you.

Now you can be streaming your favorite movies with a VPN at work or school with ease. This might not be the best idea, but it’s still great to have it as an option for a rainy day.

A VPN Can Save You Money When You Stream

Say that there’s a new movie coming out that you really want to watch, and are willing to pay to purchase a streaming subscription to do so.

Using a VPN to do this can save you money. Here’s how: In different countries, streaming services are priced differently. India, for example, has a large population and low median income, so various streaming services have charged much less for their services when purchased in India, as opposed to a country like Finland which has a smaller population and much higher average income. In other regions, domestic competition or government regulation may drive prices down as well.

By using a VPN and setting it to a country where streaming services are cheaper, than purchasing your subscription from that region, you can save money while streaming your favorite shows.

While most of the people at City on Fire have been fans of Asian cinema for decades, the same can’t be as readily said for the general public. It is true that the popularity of Asian movies has been skyrocketing in the last few years, but they exist as just one part of a media whole. Outside of cinema, a huge range of Asian entertainment has been pushed into the Western world. Changing in access, visibility, and in some smaller and less obvious ways, this relationship illustrates developing global acceptance, and there’s more to the growth than meets the eye.

Cinema’s Evolution

In the earliest days of cinema, film buffs would get their hands on everything they could. No matter where it came from, they’d watch and appreciate it, absorbing the different techniques and styles from all over the world. In terms of Asian cinema, the earliest breakout example to come to the West would have the films of Kurosawa. With titles like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, Kurosawa would go on to inspire a huge chunk of Western cinema, including classic cowboy flicks.

Past the 1970s, it was the action films of Asia like Enter the Dragon that would continue to capture the attention of mainstream Western audiences. Though some consider this title in particular overrated today, there’s no denying the influence that stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li would have in bringing forward new generations of Asian films.

IMAGE SOURCE: pixabay.com

The success of epics and action made sense because these genres wouldn’t rely on cultural understanding as a backbone. We all understand concepts like revenge and the need to protect the innocent, so their appreciation in the West was easy. More difficult to sell were the more intimate tales, as they relied on understandings that those in the West didn’t possess.

The latest in the big Asian films to challenge this idea was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. Despite being firmly rooted in Korean culture, Parasite reflected worldwide concerns like inequality and its place within the capitalist system. Winning an Oscar for the effort, this cinematic masterpiece opened the door for many who would otherwise pass Asian media by. 

Outside of the World of Film

A greater appreciation and acceptance of Asian cinema has been occurring in film for decades, but thanks are also owed cumulative effects of the total entertainment zeitgeist. At its core, much of the success of these types of media has been born from the internet and television, which exposes Westerners to Asian culture and language on a new possible level. As the years progress, fewer compromises and explanations of Asian culture have resulted from this exposure, in many media forms.

Some of the earliest illustrations of the internet making Asian media popular is found in Japanese physical challenge shows like Takeshi’s Castle, and much later, Sasuke (brought to the West as Ninja Warrior). As explained by the BBC, Takeshi’s Castle clips became hugely popular on the internet, leading many to investigate further what this exact brand of the seemingly impenetrable show could mean. These ended up being so popular that both would go on spawn fully fledged Western imitators.

IMAGE SOURCE: pixabay.com

More recently, interactive entertainment has seen more natural integration with Asian themes in its offerings. Some of the most popular Betway slot games like FU88 and Double Lucky Line lean heavily on Asian themes in their online lineup. The same can be said for major websites with popular quizzes, like BuzzFeed’s page on “Do You Belong in Asia or Europe?”. While minor, every part of offerings like these creates more welcoming environments, further opening doors to mainstream Western consciousness.

Video games also continue to play a big part, with genres like Japanese role-playing games no longer limited to success in their countries of origin thanks to breakouts like the Final Fantasy series. Even the details within these games have changed with Western knowledge, as fewer compromises are made to cater to foreign unfamiliarity. Alex Kidd in Miracle world, as TCRF notes, once has his rice ball changed to a hamburger so Western audiences would understand. Today, this wouldn’t be necessary.

IMAGE SOURCE: pixabay.com

As cinema enthusiasts, it’s obvious which media we find the most engaging, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least acknowledge that the appreciation of Asian movies is about more than film alone. Instead, a wide range of media, cultural, and technological factors have driven our landscape beyond its early limitations to how it exists today. No longer a niche, Asian cinema is a major and seriously considered force thanks to the combined efforts and evolutions, and it’s only going to get better.

“Gunfight At Rio Bravo” Poster

Writer/director Joe Cornet (A Prayer for the Damned) will soon be unleashing Gunfight at Rio Bravo, an upcoming Western actioner that will be distributed by Shout! Studios.

The film is headlined by Alexander Nevsky (Showdown in Manila, Maximum Impact), who’ll be sharing the screen with Olivier Gruner (Angel Town), Matthias Hues (No Retreat, No Surender II), Natalie Denise Sperl, as well as the director himself.

In Gunfight at Rio Bravo, Nevsky plays a mysterious Russian gunslinger who aids a marshal and a sheriff as they stand up to a bloodthirsty outlaw gang known as The Hellhounds who have invaded their small East Texas town (via Deadline).

Cornet also recently wrapped production on the film’s sequel, Taken from Rio Bravo, which Continue reading →