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Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 24, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
It sounds like Harrison Ford’s recent injury may be worse than initially reported. The man who plays Han Solo was injured by a hydraulic door over a week ago while shooting Star Wars Episode VII. While initial reports stated it was a sprained ankle, it turns out that his leg was broken. That’s bad news, considering the actor is rumored to be the main lead in Episode VII, or at least to play a major part. Now rumors are swirling at Pinewood Studios of an emergency meeting to discuss what to do with a film that is due for release on December 18, 2015. Reportedly, the options being considered are rewriting Ford’s scenes, rewriting the whole script to reduce his role, or delaying the film. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Episode VII, Han Solo, Harrison Ford, Star Wars
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 23, 2014 in Videogames 
If you’ve been clamoring to start playing Orcs Must Die! Unchained, I have good news. A closed beta will begin on June 27th. The new free-to-play game has been in development for a bit, and they’re going to slowly start opening up the gates to players. You can sign up on their website to be entered in the beta. They’ll be rolling it out over time, and will feature new heroes every week to try. If you’re impatient? Well, you can pay to get in early if you really want. But I’d advise just waiting for the beta. The new trappings sound a lot like MOBA games, but with an OMD twist. Watch the old trailer below for a look at some gameplay or check out their site here to register. Read more…
Tags: Orcs Must Die!
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 23, 2014 in Cinema, Hobbies and Collections 
The special features from The LEGO Movie keep on pouring out, and this latest one features some self-aware humor in regards to the next LEGO film in production, Ninjago. The ninja-based series of sets has proved popular with kids and has gotten its own TV show already, so a movie isn’t that surprising. However, the cartoon features CGI with the flexible cartoony LEGO figures, rather than the more realistic take that The LEGO Movie featured. I hope they change to the latter. The promo features the “President of Hollywood” selling Emmett on some minor ninja-related changes to the current film. Check it out below! Read more…
Tags: Lego, The LEGO Movie
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 22, 2014 in Cinema 
Looks like Doctor Strange is rolling right along! Jon Spaihts (who wrote the first draft of Prometheus before a certain someone came along and changed it a fair bit) has been tapped to script the film. Originally Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer had been lined up to script the affair, but Spaihts is one the way to fast-track this one and get it made pronto. Hopefully he can bang out a solid script for Marvel! Oh yeah, and in Doctor Strange casting news, Jared Leto is also apparently being eyed for the lead role as well. Who will eventually get it? No idea, at this point. Read more…
Tags: Doctor Strange, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 22, 2014 in Videogames 
Out of all the games at E3 last week, one of the most interesting games that caught my eye was Cuphead. It’s a run-and-gun platformer that can be played single player or co-op — and it has some amazing art direction. Reminiscent of classic cartoons from the 30s and 40s (while still being its own thing), Cuphead hits a niche I didn’t even know I wanted to see. The art is all hand-drawn, and the jazz soundtrack is completely original as well. Really impressive! I can’t wait to see more of it. The game sadly doesn’t come out until 2015, and will arrive on Xbox One and PC. Check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Indie Games, Steam, Xbox One
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 21, 2014 in Star Wars 
It’s everyone’s favorite time of the week: Star Wars Episode VII rumor time! Latino Review did some digging on the recent Making Star Wars post, and found a few things weren’t quite on. But they were close! The bad guys are indeed a group of mercenaries hunting down Jedi, and Adam Driver and Lupita Nyong’o and the two mains in that crew. Black and chrome will indeed be their color scheme as well, including some Storm Trooper underlings. It seems that many designs in the film are being taken or based on old Ralph McQuarrie designs that went unused in the original trilogy. I am definitely okay with that, as it appeals to my nostalgic side. They also go into some speculation based on their sources, but you can read that all here. Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 21, 2014 in Cinema 
In a press conference, Paramount Pictures announced something no one would ever guess: Transformers 5 will be coming. In 2016, no less. Yes, the money train will continue to barrel onward, leaving a trail of mutilated robots in the dust behind it. Obviously, no word on who will be directing it, acting in it, or write it yet. No release date either, just a beautifully nebulous “2016.” I want to say “when will it end?” but the overseas market is booming, so I don’t think we’ll see this Transformers series slow down anytime soon. I’d rather see a new iteration, closer to the roots of the series in design language, but for now, we’re stuck with Bay’s vision. Read more…
Tags: Transformers, Transformers: Age of Extinction
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 20, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It looks like Quentin Tarantino will be dabbling in the comic pages soon. Django, from Tarantino’s last film, Django Unchained, will leap into a comic book series in which he meets up with Zorro. Dynamite Entertainment will release the comic book series, which (along with Tarantino) will be written by Matt Wagner, and yes, Zorro and Django is the oddest crossover ever. I think it’s weird enough to work though, as they’re both very “pulpy” characters that could play well off of each other. Django previously was adapted as a 7-issue series by Dynamite, so it’s no surprise to see them bringing it back in a new way. I wonder how it’ll turn out! Read more…
Tags: Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 20, 2014 in Videogames 
I don’t know if there’s anything I can add to that headline. It’s Angry Birds mixed with Transformers, and it’s a game/app coming very soon. Comic-con features a lot of new stuff, but some of the news is a little weirder and oddball than your typical movie announcement. What else can Angry Birds cross over with next? Harry Potter? Doctor Who? Star Trek? Minecraft? All of those sound like licenses to print absurd amounts of money. I imagine they’ll all have very punny names like Optimus Prawk and… Laserbeak. Wait. Hang on a second! Read more…
Tags: Angry Birds, Transformers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 19, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
Team Fortress 2 has been out forever, at least in internet time. But Valve is still supporting it with new updates, even after the game became free-to-play a few years back. Their latest, the Love & War update, promises several additions, such as new taunts. But more importantly, Valve released another short starring the various playable classes, made in Source Filmmaker. “Expiration Date” has the red team confronting their imminent death only three days later, as well as Scout pursuing his crush with the help of Spy. It’s a whopping 15 minutes long, making it the longest TF2 short Valve has ever done. I just enjoy watching the characters bounce off each other, so keep making them Valve! Read more…
Tags: Team Fortress, Valve
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 19, 2014 in Cinema 
I’d say expectations are pretty low for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, since we’ve already seen how Michael Bay handled the Transformers franchise. Still, it would be nice if it were good, and so TMNT Fansite posted a good look at Shredder’s armor in the new movie. On the positive side, it looks very imposing and still retains the Japanese armor look used in previous designs. But I can’t help but feel that the armor is very over-designed, like the concept artist started drawing and never stopped adding things. There’s too much going on, when a simpler design would have sufficed, but this looks too over-the-top. I guess this isn’t surprising after seeing Bay’s Transformers movies; each Transformer is an intricately-animated combination of thousands of moving parts that looks like a jumbled mess of technology anytime there’s an action scene. Read more…
Tags: Michael Bay, Teenage Ninja Turtles
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 18, 2014 in Videogames 
Another World (or Out of This World as it was originally known in the US) is one of those unique, highly creative games that retro gamers look back on fondly. The adventure-platformer has you exploring a strange world that you accidentally teleported to, with many cinematic effects and just a generally high level of craftsmanship, thanks to French designer Eric Chahi. Another World has received various ports and upgrades over the years, but the latest 20th Anniversary Edition is the best looking yet, with a bevy of options depending on how you want it to look. This version is coming to every recent platform this year, but it’s debuting on Sony’s platforms — PS3, PS4, and PS Vita — next week on June 25. I’ll certainly be downloading a copy, and any fan of well-made, atmospheric adventure games should consider doing so as well. Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita, PS3, PS4
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 18, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
What more is there to say about Guardians of the Galaxy at this point? Until the film releases on August 1, we’re stuck rewatching trailers and gleaning any additional bit of information from interviews. Thankfully, those trailers are awesome, including this latest UK trailer. I think the reason why I’m running out of things to say is that “This movie looks really fun” pretty much sums it up. This later trailer features lots of Rocket Raccoon, and thankfully it looks like the actors are fairly comfortable holding a conversation with CG characters inserted after the fact. I’m trying not to hype myself up too much, because there are so many blockbusters these days that build up hype to critical levels and then fail to deliver. But despite being the riskiest film Marvel has released so far, I’d say they’ve got a real chance to knock it out of the park and open up that crazy cosmic side of their comic universe. Until then, let’s hit play on this trailer again! Read more…
Tags: Disney, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 17, 2014 in Videogames 
The PS4 and Xbox One are lacking in must-have games right now due to publishers believing they’d sell worse than they did last fall. Now, they’re scrambling to catch up, but still need to release something in the meantime. The solution? Taking visually-impressive games from last-gen and remastering them with slightly better tech and a higher resolution for current-gen. 2012’s Hong Kong crime game, Sleeping Dogs, may be next up for a rerelease. Read more…
Tags: PS4, Sleeping Dogs, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 17, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
If you haven’t seen the 2010 documentary The People vs. George Lucas and are a Star Wars fan, you’re missing out on a great examination of the lack of relationship between George Lucas and his fans. I thought it covered its bases pretty well, but apparently the filmmakers think there’s more to say, so they’ve announced The People vs. George Lucas Episode II and scheduled its release for December 2015, just in time for Star Wars Episode VII. In this documentary, they hope to examine further developments in the relationship between George Lucas and his fans, including the sale of Star Wars and Lucasfilm to Disney, as well as the future of the franchise without George Lucas. Read more…
Tags: Disney, documentary, George Lucas, Star Wars
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 16, 2014 in Animation 
Apparently it hasn’t been all fun and games over at Nickelodeon. They recently finished work on the third season of The Legend of Korra, only to have episodes 3 through 6 leaked on the Mexican Nickelodeon site. Oops! In response to this, they quickly released a trailer giving a deeper look at the upcoming season to satiate fans. I’ve included it below. The third season will begin airing on July 3rd, which is earlier than usual, so perhaps the leak situation has pushed things up a bit. The trailer itself looks impressive, and to me it looks like the budget for the series has been increased. I have no idea what’s going on story-wise, though, as I haven’t caught up with Korra yet. I will someday soon though! Read more…
Tags: nickelodeon, The Legend of Korra
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 16, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
Threezero, who has frequently collaborated with Ashley Wood under the company ThreeA, has been doing some amazing work. Their figures have been fantastically done and have been both original and based off of existing popular culture. Threezero’s latest work? An Atlas titan from Titanfall. It stands 20 inches tall with its base (and 18″ without), has over 100 articulation points, light-up cockpit and eyes, an openable front hatch, and a 6 inch fully poseable pilot to fit inside. That’s right, you get a figure to go inside your other bigger figure. Pre-orders are open now on Threezero’s shop, and it’ll run you $430, not including shipping. So, uh, it’s pricey, but I think if there’s any Titanfall model to own, it’s this one. Check out some videos of it below. Read more…
Tags: Action Figures, ThreeA, Titanfall
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 15, 2014 in Animation, Anime 
Good news, Studio Ghibli fans! The documentary about the famous Japanese animation studio, “The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness,” will be getting a theatrical release here in the US thanks to GKIDS. The doc, directed by Mami Sunada, follows the production of the most recent two Ghibli releases, The Wind Rises (from Hayao Miyazaki) and The Tale of Princess Kaguya (by Isao Takahata). Sunada was granted unprecedented access to the studio while they toiled, getting a surprisingly up-close look at their work. It’s unusual to see such unfettered access to a Japanese studio, much less Ghibli themselves. GKIDS did not specify a release date, but did say that it will come this year. This is one that any animation fan will not want to miss. Read more…
Tags: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 15, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It’s official, folks, after months of rumors and frequent denials by Jason Momoa, HitFix has confirmed that he’ll be playing Aquaman in the upcoming Batman v. Superman film. Momoa even recently complained about everyone bothering him as to whether he’d play the watery hero, but it seems he’s just sworn to secrecy by Warner Bros. and DC. It looks like all that destruction by Superman in Man of Steel will be a springboard for the story, as HitFix claims that both Batman and Aquaman will be pissed about the damage done. Aquaman still won’t have a huge part, but they’re definitely setting him up for the eventual Justice League film. Plus, at the very least, this is going to be the most badass incarnation of Aquaman yet! I think a Khal Drogo-style Aquaman would be very entertaining. Read more…
Tags: Aquaman, Batman v. Superman
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 14, 2014 in Hobbies and Collections 
I didn’t think I’d ever be writing ‘Wes Anderson’ and ‘LEGOs’ in the same sentence. A promotional image of a single LEGO brick backed by the Grand Budapest logo showed up the other day, teasing people about what might be in store. Well sadly, it’s not a consumer-level LEGO set, but instead it’s a massive model made by master LEGO builder Ryan Ziegelbauer. The building is made from more than 50,000 bricks, took over 575 hours to put together, and weighs 150 pounds. It stretches 6 and a half feet wide and 7 feet tall — not too shabby! If you want to see it in person, it’ll be at The Grove in LA from June 14th to the 15th, but if you’re like me, you can just watch the timelapse build video I’ve included below. Read more…
Tags: Lego, Wes Anderson
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 14, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
DC and Warner Bros. have been working on a Justice League movie for a long time. A very long time. But a recent report from Nikki Finke says that the company may be closer to realizing its vision — or a the very least, they have a map laid out. According to Finke, the current plan is to lead up into a Justice League movie with the Batman v. Superman film (something we all expected), and not have standalone Wonder Woman or Green Lantern/Flash films until after it releases. An interesting idea. Below is a full list of the upcoming films. Obviously, everything is in flux and things can change, but this looks like DC’s roadmap for their future superhero films. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Justice League, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 13, 2014 in Cinema 
Curious how the next big Jurassic Park film will turn out? Jurassic World has some really interesting ideas behind it and a solid cast. Plus, Colin Trevorrow seems to understand what made Jurassic Park special, so hopefully he can direct a solid picture too. So: here are some of the first pics from the set of Jurassic World straight from Universal to AV Club, featuring Chris Pratt, Dallas Bryce Howard, Nick Robinson, that kid from Iron Man 3 (Ty Simpkins), and no dinosaurs at all. I suppose that’s to be expected though. Perhaps some of the characters are looking at dinosaurs, as evidenced by their scared expressions! Read more…
Tags: Jurassic Park, Jurassic World
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 13, 2014 in Cinema, Hobbies and Collections 
In the run up to the DVD and Blu-ray release of The LEGO Movie, you’ve got to get people excited, right? That’s why Warner Bros. and the crew behind the film have released one of the silly special features on the disc: a spoof trailer featuring Abraham Lincoln and Michelangelo as History Cops! This appears to be goofy side project made by the crew with all the extra LEGOs they had sitting around, and while it reuses a joke or two from the film itself, it’s still pretty funny. Also, I hope it encourages you to pick up The LEGO Movie, because it’s worth every penny. Check out the trailer below the jump! Read more…
Tags: Lego, The LEGO Movie
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 12, 2014 in Videogames 
Nintendo promised one more big 3DS announcement at E3, and it’s Code Name: STEAM. It’s an original IP with elements from comic books, steampunk, Abraham Lincoln, aliens, and more. Hitoshi Yagami (Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles) is working with Intelligent Systems (Fire Emblem, Advance Wars) to make a turn-based strategy game with action elements from shooters for movement and attacking. As expected from such a mix of influences, the game’s concept is pretty wild too. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, steampunk
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