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Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 14, 2015 in Cinema, Star Wars
After watching the Star Wars prequels, I think everyone agrees that the new Star Wars trilogy is safer in any hands but those of George Lucas. And yet, if things had happened differently, we could now be anticipating/dreading Lucas’s version of Star Wars Episode VII (now Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Lucas confirmed he had begun planning the next three Star Wars films, but that he only planned to direct the first one. Episode VII would have been released in May 2015, then he would have sold Lucasfilm, perhaps so he wouldn’t feel tempted to direct. But Lucas realized this trilogy would be another ten-year commitment, which is admittedly a ton of work. Disney entered the picture at the right time, and Lucas realized it would be better for him not to develop the new trilogy at all, leaving it completely to others. Of course, Lucas remains a consultant on the movie, but maybe that’s how it should be: offering some new ideas or reference that the actual creative team can choose to use or ignore as they please. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Episode VII, George Lucas, Star Wars
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 13, 2015 in Comic Books, Television 
Unlike the shaky future of DC’s shared movie universe, DC’s shared TV universe is doing great. Arrow is getting a fourth season, while Flash is getting a second. But that’s not enough, because at least one more spin-off is coming, with the possibility of another in the wings. First is Vixen, an animated series to be streamed on CW Seed. Vixen was intended to be DC’s first African female superhero with her own comic series, but after that was aborted, she showed up later, becoming a member of the Justice League and Suicide Squad. Meanwhile, Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer, a.k.a. the Atom may see his own show, which seemed obvious once he appeared in Arrow‘s third season. Nothing is confirmed yet, but Arrow execs and WB’s president have a “general concept,” as long as there isn’t “audience fatigue.” I’m just happy to see that Routh isn’t on Hollywood’s crap-list like he was after Superman Returns. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Green Arrow, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 13, 2015 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Were you already sold on Avengers: Age of Ultron after the first trailer? If so, don’t bother watching this second trailer. It’s got a lot of new, tantalizing footage, but all that will do is spoil you a bit more for the actual film. But if you were somehow on the fence, or you just don’t care, then soak up more shots of returning characters, big action, and dozens of little things to speculate endlessly on. Look, Age of Ultron doesn’t need much more promotion at this point beyond the final weeks before its release. It’s the sequel to one of the biggest films of all time, so people are going to go see it. But if you can’t get enough, expect more trailers and hints in the coming months. Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 12, 2015 in Cinema, Hobbies and Collections 
Awards season is coming up, so a few Blu-ray featurettes are starting to show up online as part of the promotion cycle. One of the more interesting ones I’ve caught is a behind-the-scenes look at some of the CGI and real-life LEGOs that were used in The LEGO Movie. It might surprise you how many real LEGOs were used in the film! It’s a pretty cool process and the amount of care and detail put into everything is astounding. I hope that any future Lego movies can have the same amount of attention and love put into them… and not devolve into quick cash-ins. Video embedded below! Read more…
Tags: Lego, The LEGO Movie
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 12, 2015 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections 
When I saw these adorable Dinobot plush toys on Topless Robot I simply had to share them with you here. However, as I was writing this article, they sold out! So I suppose now I’m just dangling a tantalizing treat right in front of you. Don’t fret too much, though! In addition to these, Etsy seller MythFit Creations also has plenty of other cute Transformers along with several Deadpool, TMNT, How To Train your Dragon, and Catbug-themed plushes. Check out the rest of their work here, and I bet you’ll find something cuddly to add to your collection! Read more…
Tags: Dinobots, Etsy, plush toys, Transformers
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 11, 2015 in Cinema 
We’re starting to get a clearer picture of what Phil Lord and Chris Miller have in store for the upcoming Lego Batman Movie. In a recent interview, the writing and directing duo spoke about the film and Lord said, “I think the movie is really exciting because it’s about, ‘Can Batman be happy?’ … Batman is the ultimate in white people problems.” This is probably true, and definitely funny angle to take for a Batman movie. Miller revealed before that “every era of Batman filmmaking will be acknowledged” which implies we could see cameos or references to Christian Bale, Adam West, and Michael Keaton… which would be grand, I think. “He’s like, ‘oh, I’m so rich and handsome, women like me and I’ve got a Maclaren! Something about my parents!” Read more…
Tags: Batman, Lego, The LEGO Movie
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 11, 2015 in Star Wars 
You may remember that Book of Eli scriptwriter Gary Whitta had been signed on to write the first standalone Star Wars film (which would be directed by Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards). Now, Whitta has tweeted that his first draft is done, and he’s off to work on other projects. Quite a few folks interpreted this as a firing, but no: it’s simply an amicable parting of ways. Whitta finished the first draft, and now Disney will presumably hire someone to wrap it up and finish the project. This happens all the times on movies… but hey, because this is Star Wars we’re talking about, way more people are paying attention to every little detail. The last rumors said this film was to be a heist film in which bounty hunters were hired to steal the Death Star plans. Sounds neat! Read more…
Tags: Gareth Edwards, Gary Whitta
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 10, 2015 in Cinema 
Liam Neeson has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance as an action hero thanks to Taken and other similar films — especially since he seems to start in two or more every year. The latest one of these is Run All Night, in which Neeson plays a mob hitman who must protect his son from waves of violent gangsters after he witnessed something he wasn’t supposed to see. Drama! The idea that it takes place over one night could be enough of a hook, though. Also in Neeson news: he says he wants to play Qui-Gon Jinn again! “I don’t know [how he would return], unless you went back in time or he becomes a hologram or something. He’s a Jedi, anything could happen, it’s Star Wars world!” Yes, Mr. Neeson, it is Star Wars world. How about a movie where Qui-Gon needs to rescue his family from Coruscant mobsters? Hmm? Read more…
Tags: Liam Neeson, Star Wars
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 10, 2015 in Cinema 
Neill Blomkamp has been in the news recently with his shelved Alien film idea, but never mind that — a film he’s finished is coming out soon. Chappie is a robot with a revolution intelligence and the ability to think and feel freely. Of course, not everybody thinks that’s a great idea, as you might expect. There’s a great cast here: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, and Ninja & Yo-Landi Vi$$er. Yes, that’s correct: Die Antwoord is in this movie. This trailer is way more action-heavy than the previous cutesy one. Perhaps that may bring in more mainstream audiences? Check out the trailer below! Chappie comes out March 6th. Read more…
Tags: Chappie, neill blomkamp
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 9, 2015 in Tech 
Last month, a report came out of Kyodo saying that Nintendo was looking into free-form displays made by Sharp for their next handheld. According to the rumor, Nintendo was particularly interested in a circular display with a hole in the center — essentially a doughnut shape. At CES, Sharp brought their latest prototypes to show off and The Verge got some photos, so take a look to possibly get a glimpse at what Nintendo could do next. Most of Sharp’s examples are car-themed, as their custom displays could easily fit into the unique shapes of a car dashboard. My current theory is Nintendo either wants to put a screen around buttons and joysticks, or perhaps this could be used on their sleep-monitoring device they’re planning as well? Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Sharp
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 9, 2015 in Videogames 
In one of Nintendo’s smartest team-ups in a long time, popular puzzle game Puzzle & Dragons will be mashed up with Nintendo’s mascot in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition for 3DS. This will sell like gangbusters in Japan, as the mobile game (and its handheld console games like Puzzle & Dragons Z) is one of the biggest games out right now. It has already been confirmed for a US and Europe release via the official Puzzle & Dragons Twitter account, so don’t fret, P&D fans! This’ll have much more stuff going on than the free mobile game, but you can check that out for free if you haven’t experience P&D yet. Trailer below, along with the reason Nintendo made this partnership. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Puzzle & Dragons
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 8, 2015 in Videogames 
After the repulsive, outdated mess that was Duke Nukem Forever, maybe it’s best that 3D Realms merely rerelease older Duke Nukem games until they, Gearbox, or whoever is making the next game have a good way to adapt Duke for a modern audience. It’s not that Duke Nukem 3D isn’t crude as well, but contextualized within the 90s mindframe and technology, it’s much more digestible. (Well, as digestible as the 90s could be.) With that in mind, check out Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition, which includes an enhanced version of Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition, three originally-user-created expansions, and the usual new bells and whistles. It’s out on PC, PS3, and PS Vita, the latter two offering Cross-Buy; if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can grab it for free right now! Read more…
Tags: Duke Nukem Forever
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 8, 2015 in Cinema, Television 
I thought for sure that we wouldn’t see Marvel’s Daredevil series until May at the earliest, or more likely sometime this summer. But no, Marvel has announced that all thirteen hour-long episodes will be available on Netflix starting on April 10. That’s soon! Knowing Marvel, they’ll probably be starting to slowly drop more teasers for the show until we finally start seeing some trailers and promotion, maybe as soon as February. I’m curious to see how this may fit in with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which will still be airing at that time, and Avengers: Age of Ultron, which releases less than a month later. But as usual, I’m most interested to see Marvel introduce a character I don’t know much about, having steered clear of the poorly-rated Ben Affleck film. Read more…
Tags: Daredevil, Marvel, Netflix
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 7, 2015 in Cinema, Comic Books 
First promised back in 2006, Ant-Man has been on Marvel’s back-burner for years before going through several changes to the creative team. But surprisingly, not much has changed besides the loss of Edgar Wright. Ant-Man still promises to be a comedic heist movie in a superhero shell, though sadly, that doesn’t really make it across in this first teaser (human, not ant-sized). While the footage looks good, there’s little humor, with the trailer being cut like a normal superhero film. The shrinking bits look well-done, but I’ll admit, I was expecting more from this first look. Nothing looks wrong, but for a film about a more obscure superhero with a strange name/power, Marvel really needed to sell this better to those who have doubts. Still, have a look, and hope that the next trailer is more suited to the film they’re promoting. Read more…
Tags: ant-man, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 7, 2015 in Videogames 
Continuing its recent tradition of limited edition bundles for certain big releases, Nintendo has announced The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Limited Edition. You’ll get a copy of the game (a 3DS remake of the N64 original) and this Skull Kid figurine, which looks snazzy. Though this sequel to Ocarina of Time (which also saw a 3D remake) still doesn’t have a release date beyond “Spring 2015,” you’d be wise to preorder now. Apparently this also continues the proud tradition of having a really small print run with no prior notice that many other recent Nintendo limited editions have had. Though I managed to preorder a copy, most outlets have already sold out prior to this post going live, partially due to scalpers. There should be a few more available, so keep rechecking or try preordering at an actual GameStop. And whatever you do, do it quick! Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 6, 2015 in Videogames 
The technology behind PlayStation Now, Sony’s streaming game service, is admittedly cool, provided your internet connection is up to snuff. But while streaming PS3 games (rendered on Sony’s side) to PS4, PS3, Vita, and now TVs is cool, the prices were anything but. A 90-day rental could cost anywhere from $15-50 (often the cost of a full copy or higher), while even $4 for a mere four hours of gameplay seemed unfair, considering how long it takes to play many games. Prices have shifted, but users have begged for a subscription model, which has finally arrived. Starting on January 13 for PS4, you can subscribe for one month ($19.99) or three months ($44.99) at a time. In exchange, you’ll get access to over 100 PS3 games. Read more…
Tags: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Now, Sony
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 6, 2015 in Anime, Cinema 
It’s not that I’m against DreamWorks making a Ghost in the Shell live-action remake. The original manga has been translated into various anime forms, from movies to TV shows to reboots, so the series has proven to be mutable enough that live-action could work. It’s that I’m against the kind of movie Hollywood would make. Having Rupert Sanders ready to direct Bill Wheeler while Avi Arad and Steven Paul produce is alright, but the first actor has been confirmed: Scarlett Johansson will star. She’s a great actor and would make a fine Major Kusanagi, assuming she gets the lead role. But, uh, the character is Japanese, not white. Read more…
Tags: Ghost in the Shell
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 5, 2015 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars 
If you’re looking for an imposing evil figure to guard your shelf space or desk, look no further! Hot Toys has put up pre-orders for their latest Star Wars figure, the dark lord himself, Darth Vader. It’s based off of the costume used in A New Hope down to the last detail, also features a voice box with breathing sound effects, and tops it all off with LEDs that light up on his belt and lightsaber. Imagine seeing that in the dark! It’ll also come with multiple hands, a stand, and an Interrogator Droid. Vader will run you $299.99, and will release in September later this year. He’s over 13 inches tall! Check out more details and the pre-order page here.
Read more…
Tags: Darth Vader, Hot Toys
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 5, 2015 in Cinema, Comic Books 
In one of the most open interviews Sam Raimi has done, the director has taken to talking about Spider-Man 3 and the circumstances surrounding it. On Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist podcast, Raimi hinted at the reasons behind the film being… generally not good, and said, “If a director doesn’t love something, it’s wrong of them to make it.” Hinting at his dislike of a certain popular villain character, when asked if he’d do it differently if he had a second chance: “[…] if I had a different story with characters that I cared about that I thought was engaging and true to the Spider-Man universe, yes. In a second. I love Spider-Man, so that was never the issue.” Listen to the full podcast to hear even more! Read more…
Tags: sam raimi, Spider-man
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 4, 2015 in Fandom 
I think it’s safe to say there is a HUGE spoiler warning for this video for… well, uh, everything. The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones (I mean, come on, half the list is GoT characters), The Hobbit, True Blood, Gotham… wait. Listen, I don’t think Martha and Thomas Wayne count. If they did, they’d be on this list every year! I was most surprised not by the video itself though, but by the uploader: Hot Topic. When did they get into the silly internet video business? I thought they were too busy appropriating memes to print on shirts. This is a surprisingly clever video and well-timed — good job, whoever at Hot topic that came up with this! Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 4, 2015 in Cinema, Hobbies and Collections 
I think we’re reaching the point where we can safely say: if something exists, someone has remade with LEGOs. Plus, how many times am I going to get to tag a post with both “Lego” and “Alfred Hitchcock”? Yes, Bricktease has remade the Psycho shower scene with LEGOs, and it’s stunningly accurate. Sure, it’s hard to do the more subtle finger movements (“Can you see the quotations I’m making with my claw hands?“), everything else is spot-on. To show just how accurate they are, Bricktease has also uploaded a side-by-side comparison video with the original scene. Good work, guys! The tension is still there, even in brick form! Read more…
Tags: Alfred Hitchcock, Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 3, 2015 in Cinema 
Talk about left field: Neill Blomkamp, the director of District 9, has been posting concept art on his Instagram from an Alien film he was working on. Yes, really. Blomkamp doesn’t really elaborate too much, aside from saying “Was working on this. Don’t think I am anymore. Love it though.” Theories abound, one mentioning that perhaps Blomkamp and Sigourney Weaver began brainstorming an idea while working together on his upcoming film (currently in post-production), Chappie. Either way, this seems to be fairly dead, especially with Blomkamp posting the concept art freely… although perhaps it’s a power play to garner interest? Well, probably not. Gaze upon the gorgeous art below! Read more…
Tags: Alien, neill blomkamp
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 3, 2015 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Actually, yes it is. Marvel has released a teaser… for the teaser trailer… for Ant-Man. It’s all very silly, and it’s also very, very small. The teaser for the teaser trailer has been released at an ant-sized resolution, making it not very useful if you want to make out any details, but incredibly useful for generating hype. The teaser trailer itself (in a human size) will air during the series premiere of Agent Carter on January 6th at 8PM ET on ABC… But that’s not the only teaser for a trailer Marvel released! They also teased a new Age of Ultron trailer which will arrive on January 12th during the College Football Playoff National Championship at 8:30pm ET. If you’re a Marvel fan, the next week or so should be pretty good! Read more…
Tags: ant-man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Jan 2, 2015 in Cinema 
The special effects business is a tough one. You don’t have to look far to see many issues coming up amongst hardworking VFX folks. They’re talented people, and this latest video from Industrial Light and Magic shows off their work they did on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While ILM didn’t do all of the VFX for the movie (there were over 900 VFX shots!), this is a sampling of the impressive digital effects and CGI models they created for Black Widow and Falcon. This kind of behind-the-scenes work is always really compelling to me! I’d love to see even more in-depth looks at how they create and build each scene from scratch! Read more…
Tags: captain america, Marvel
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