It's customary for the cabin crew to close all the shades because most of the time there is nothing to look at.
However you were within you rights to open the shade to view outside and you should have countered that it was within your rights to open the shades instead of just submitting to the bequest of the crew.
As for the IFE to each their own I guess. Can't satisfy everyone. I hate the ones that skip since then I end up having to backtrack back and forth making it even more time consuming.