Movie studios have been a little wishy-washy lately, haven’t they? No surprise, I suppose, given the economy, but here we go again: Paramount Pictures has reportedly halted work on Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. You know, the one in which they weren’t teenage mutant ninja turtles, but were just ninja aliens that kind of looked like turtles. But maybe they were at least still teenagers. Or something. It was originally planned as a 2013 holiday release but with Paramount tossing out the pre-production staff and pushing the date back to May 2014, it looks less likely for the film to happen anytime soon. Who knows what’ll happen – perhaps it’ll start back up to meet the May 2014 date, or maybe it’ll just fade away till the next inevitable reboot. One can only hope!
This latest featurette on Ridley Scott’s upcoming Prometheus really gives a good look at how big and detailed the sets they made really are. Especially that impressive-looking chair that Michael Fassbender settles down into – it makes me sad that there’s less and less of that happening. I hope this shows studios that traditional sets still have a place in sci-fi films. The recent R rating news also gives me some hope that Scott was given free reign with the entirety of the film, which is always good. This short video gives a glimpse into the amount of work put into Prometheus, but it might be a little spoiler-y for some people, so beware!
It can be hard for Whovians having to wait for the next series of Doctor Who to start. With the season premiere still months away, you’ll probably need something to pass the time. While you’ve probably watched every episode on Netflix or Amazon’s instant video service, we tend to overlook the numerous novels, audiobooks, and radio dramas the BBC churns out on a regular basis. I’m sure some of you might not have known about the plethora of content available via Amazon or Audible, but there’s quite a bit of it t0 choose from, and fans of The Doctor both past and present will likely find a fair share of adventures starring their favorite incarnation of the Time Lord. One word of advice however, keep in mind the intended audience of these stories can vary from children to adults, so make sure to read the reviews before you spend your cash.
The first trailer for Len Wiseman’s Total Recall hit the net this week, and surprisingly, it really looks good. Given Hollywood’s current fetish for reinventing classic films, I had plenty of reservations when plans were announced a year ago, especially after hearing that Colin Farrell would be cast as Douglas Quaid, a character we’ve only ever associated with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Farrell isn’t unknown to the action genre but for a time, Schwarzenegger defined it. So how do they plan on tackling it? The answer is simple, believability.
I remember a time when the only thing Michael Bay did to ruin a film was add a few too many explosions. Now he seems content ruining our favorite Saturday morning cartoons — I’m not sure how we let it come to this, but something tells me it’s all you who went to see Transformers in the theaters, just to stare at Megan Fox. Earlier today, Michael Bay caused a bit of a stir when he let slip that his upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film wouldn’t feature any mutants, but rather aliens. Yeah, that’s right, he actually said they’d be from an alien race, so let me ask — was sitting through three of films starring Shia LaBeouf really worth this? Read more…
Hey, it’s uprfront time again, when the TV networks do their best razzle-dazzle to get the advertisers excited over their new and returning shows. Nickelodeon’s particularly good at this (not that I’ve been to that many all told) and yesterday’s was no exception. Once again the network took over the Jazz at Lincoln Center venue on Columbus Circle and invited several hundred ad agency folks and a few media reporters (hi mom!) to the event. Read more…
With Christmas around the corner, and no new titles on the horizon, you’re probably wondering what to get your favorite Valve fan. Since you can’t just hand them a new hat for Team Fortress2, try this fantastic collection of comics inspired by Valve’s most recent hits instead. Published by Dark Horse, and featuring the work of veteran comic artist and writer, Michael Avon Oeming, Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and other Steam Powered Stories Vol. 1 boasts over 200 pages of fully-illustrated stories with titles like Team Fortress 2, Left-4-Dead, and Portal — the perfect gift for all those Valve-addicts out there. Seeing as the first-edition hardcover just hit shelves in November, you probably won’t have to worry about them already owning a copy. It retails for just $25 via ThinkGeek, so if you need it in time for the holidays, don’t delay. Just promise me you won’t try to stuff it in a stocking.
Today, Vulture published a report stating that Benicio Del Toro will not be appearing in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Trek sequel after negotiations between the actor and studio broke down last Wednesday. Read more…
When news first broke of Ridley Scott creating a prequel to Alien, many people were rightfully excited. While that specific project broke down, it turned into something equally interesting: Prometheus. Now, I’m not using Alien “DNA” in the literal sense. Instead, I’m referring to Ridley Scott’s original comments about the film, in that it will share many “strands of Alien’s DNA” and have similar underlying themes. That fact is incredibly apparent with these new images released to tide us over until the inevitable trailer release. Read more…
It looks as though Star Trek 2, as it’s still tentatively titled, finally has a firm release date. Unfortunately for us, it’s over a year away. While I had been holding out hope, I’m not really surprised, seeing as they’ve taken so long to get under way. On the bright side, the film will be shot in 3D, so those of you who aren’t already over that fad, or who’ve recently purchased one of those over-priced 3DTVs are in for a treat. (Protip: Black Friday deals are great, but Cyber Monday is where its at. I recommend scouring Amazon for one if you’re interested.) Some other juicy details leaked out this weekend. Abrams confirmed the rumor that he’s been in talks with Benicio Del Toro for a role in the new film, and announced that composer Michael Giacchino will be returning for the sequel. The script is “finished,” but is currently going through its third draft of revisions. Star Trek 2 will hit theaters May 17, 2013.
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 20, 2011 in Videogames
Mojang’s block-building game Minecraft accomplished a rare feat in gaming — it’s been one of the most popular and recognizable games in the world for over a year, but it only came out yesterday. A two-year-plus beta testing period gave it all the exposure it needed to thrive, and now you can find the highly addictive game on Steam, ready for your real dollars. Minecraft is pretty much the definition of “indie darling” , but it has a ridiculously wide appeal; after all, who doesn’t like building with blocks? The possibilities are limited only by your imagination, time, and tolerance for bad graphics. (If you’re looking for something a little more two-dimensional, though, allow me to recommend Terraria.) Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 18, 2011 in Videogames
Developers at Runic Games quipped after announcing their hack-and-slasher Torchlight 2 that Torchlight 3 would see release before Blizzard’s juggernaut Diablo 3. It looks like they might have to eat a little crow on that one, since after announcing today that Torchlight 2 would not be released in 2011 as originally projected, they might not even beat Diablo 3 to release with this game. Regardless of when it actually comes out, Torchlight 2 should be a fun romp while it lasts, and it’s adding the most important part of games in its genre: multiplayer, a curious omission from the original Torchlight. The main appeal of Torchlight 2, though? Its bargain-bin price tag. The last one went for around $20 and Runic expects to have a similarly low price for their sophomore effort. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 13, 2011 in Videogames
The Elder Scrolls series is pretty much the embodiment of the western RPG, so it’s no surprise that the latest entry in the series, Skyrim, has been one of the most anticipated games in recent memory for genre fans worldwide. What’s slightly more surprising is the fact that it’s overwhelmingly the most popular game on Steam two days after its launch. Why is that such a surprise? Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but there’s this other game that came out recently called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and it had the biggest launch of any video game, ever. But no, Skyrim is thoroughly trouncing it, with roughly five times the number of concurrent players as MW3. Steam gamers: people of taste. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 12, 2011 in Comic Books
Project Rooftop is a blog dedicated to superhero fashion, but it’s usually more about costumes than couture. In this case, though, artist Kevin Wada has taken several X-Gals and converted their costumes (and powers) into high fashion. All of them are pretty out-there, but then again, so is pretty much every single superhero costume ever conceived, and this is high fashion, so that’s hardly Wada’s fault. He definitely brings the color of these outfits to life, with Phoenix’s crazy hair and Lady Deathstrike’s kimono as highlights in an already-stellar lineup. I’d love to see some of these superpowered supermodels work it on the runway. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 11, 2011 in Television
You might remember that Quantum Mechanix released a pretty huge (1:160) scale replica of Firefly‘s famous starship Serenity. You may also remember that it costs like a million dollars. For those among us who want the old bird in their home without getting a second mortgage, QMx is now offering another option — this time, it’s a 1:400 scale replica, at about 1/25th the price of the big version ($99). It’s built with highly accurate parts as small as a millimeter across, and QMx used the show’s actual CG files to build it. So, pretty cool. Ship like this, be with you ’til the day you die. Or until the dog chews on it, I suppose. The LDH Serenity goes on sale in December. Read more…
The finale of Star Trek: Enterprise, the last Trek show to grace the small screen, is…let’s say unpopular. It essentially undid the entire series in one fell swoop and took away what wind remained in the show’s sails by having Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis, aka Riker and Troi, as guest stars. Turns out Frakes wasn’t a fan of the move either, saying that it felt like a sort of middle finger to Enterprise lead actor Scott Bakula. In fact, Frakes calls the entire experience an “unpleasant memory.” Blastr‘s got the whole story. Frakes comes across as a pretty okay guy in these quotes, but then again, any good Starfleet officer would. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Nov 5, 2011 in Videogames
Man, this kind of thing could only happen nowadays, in the era of always-on broadband internet and complex gaming infrastructure. Somehow, an internal beta client for BioWare’s much-anticipated console RPG/shooter Mass Effect 3 was accidentally released to the public on Xbox Live. And it’s not just the multiplayer, which was slated to have a public beta in January — it’s the singleplayer campaign too. BioWare appears to have taken down the download page from XBL, but there are already videos of the highly-unfinished singleplayer campaign and its companion multiplayer mode as well. In the videos, you can see options for a few different singleplayer modes, such as “Action Mode,” “RPG Mode,” and “Story Mode,” which BioWare says are some sort of variable difficulty level to make sure everyone gets the play experience that suits them best. Hey, I’m trying to avoid spoilers for the game, so congratulations to those who got the chance to download the beta before it disappeared. Enjoy it in my stead. Read more…
Skyfall? Sounds kind of … video game-y, doesn’t it? But that’s its name, Daniel Craig is back, Sam Mendes is directing, two lovely new Bond Girls are joining the ranks, and Javier Bardem is the bad guy. This one is reportedly unrelated to the plot arc from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace (thankfully), instead dealing with the relationship between Bond and M. It seems like everything is in its right place — good thing MGM’s financial problems didn’t kill the series for good, especially since the last two films were so excellent. Who’s pumped for Craig vs. Bardem, man? Can’t wait for November 9th, 2012. Read more…
Garrett Hedlund’s made a name for himself based on his starring role in Disney’s highly successful TRON: Legacy, but it looks like he might start getting typecast. No, not based on the role he played, but on the vehicle he drove! He might be trading in his lightcycle for a Neo-Tokyo motorcycle, according to reports, as he’s been offered the lead role in…oh, no. Not this again. The live-action Akira remake? Wasn’t this thing dead in the water, like, months ago? Why do the Warners want to throw so much money at this project? Oh well. At least Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter got offered parts as well. Maybe they can class up the joint. Read more…
Mark Hamill may have gotten famous portraying Luke Skywalker, but his acting career never quite took off afterward. Hamill found another route to the hearts and minds of a new generation, though — portraying the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series. Say what you want about Nicholson’s or Ledger’s or even Romero’s Joker, but TAS Joker is the defining Joker for most people my age, and at the very least the very first voice that comes to mind when someone says “The Joker.” Now, Hamill’s ready to say goodbye to the role after his performance as the Clown Prince of Crime in the recently-released video game Batman: Arkham City. For those who’ve been following along at home, Hamill also said this after he wrapped up Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, but he ended up sticking around for the sequel after its developers promised him that this Joker role would be something special. Everyone give Joker a nice buzzer handshake on his way out. Read more…
I’m not really sure where this lies on the good news-bad news spectrum, but: a) apparently someone wants to make a new Beetlejuice movie, b) it’s a sequel, not a reboot, and c) they want Michael Keaton to come back for the role. Allegedly, screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith and producer pal David Katzenberg have received Tim Burton’s blessing to make a new film starring our garish ghoul friend, but securing Keaton might be a different beast entirely. Grahame-Smith says that their idea is definitely worth Keaton’s time, but man, Michael Keaton ain’t exactly getting any younger. But hey, I think we can all agree on one thing: thank heaven it’s not a remake/reboot. Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 28, 2011 in Television
She’s Warehouse 13‘s most junior officer, so it only makes sense that tough-gal techie Claudia would also get the most adorable maquette. This particular maquette is “Animated” Claudia, meaning (of course) that she’s a little less…realistic than you might find in other statuettes. Thankfully, she’s got a meticulously sculpted rendition of her most iconic outfit, including some very, err, well-fitting jeans. She’s even got a Tesla in her pocket (no, she is not happy to see you). This limited-edition agent is a Quantum Mechanix exclusive — just make sure you put her somewhere nice instead of in, I don’t know, a warehouse? Read more…
Many of us know about the 1988 video by Apple called Knowledge Navigator — well here’s the follow up video! This nice snapshot of history includes interviews clips from Alvin Toffler, Ray Bradbury, Steve Wozniak and Alan Kay (who really envisioned the iPad in the 60s): Read more…
Though he appears not to have managed to regenerate eyebrows in his latest incarnation, the storied Doctor, as played by Matt Smith, has proven more popular than ever in his most recent season on BBC. No Doctor lasts forever, though, and the date of Smith’s departure from the role has been the subject of much speculation. Smith appeared to indicate that he’d only have one more year of Doctor Who in a recent interview, saying that after “another year” as the Doctor, he’d like to come to LA and do some acting work there. Does it mean anything? I bet we’d know if we had some sort of superscientific time-travel device. Anyone know someone who has one? Read more…
