Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Geeks of Doom Invade Your Inbox

Geeks of Doom Invade Your Inbox

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‘Final Destination 5′ Grabs A Writer From ‘The Thing’

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 06:20 PM PDT

In case you were not aware, Final Destination 5 is well on its way to us already, despite the weak offering we received last time around. New Line Cinema has hired Eric Heisserer to begin writing the script for the movie, fresh off of his turn penning the prequel/remake of John Carpenter's The Thing.

The Final Destination movies have been a lot of fun for the most part. They don't contain any real story or acting and they're not going to win awards, but when it comes to graphic horror movie shock value, you could always count on a good time when one of these flicks came along. But with this fifth chapter now on the way, fans are understandably more skeptical than excited.

You see the last installment, The Final Destination in 3D, was nowhere near the same level of fun experienced in previous movies, sadly. It could be that the writer/director tried too hard (or not hard enough) to reach that magical plateau where terror and entertainment fuse together perfectly. It could be that it was just a poor attempt at a sequel overall. [...]

NBC Releases Promo For Betty White’s ‘SNL’ Hosting Gig

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 04:28 PM PDT

As you'll recall, someone out there decided that Betty White needed to host an episode of Saturday Night Live. It's a wonder that no one had ever thought of this before, but the idea made all the sense in the world and a movement began.

It didn't take long for NBC to realize the major demand and make this dream a reality for many (Read: The People Have Spoken: Betty White To Host 'Saturday Night Live'), announcing that White would be taking the wheel for the May 8, 2010 airing of SNL.

Click on over to the other side to check out the video now!

The 88-year-old actress has been in show business for decades and has appeared in about as many different kinds of films and television productions in many different genres. She's even appeared numerous times as herself on game shows and comedy shows. But somehow, she's never hosted SNL. Thankfully in just under a couple of weeks, that woopsie shall be remedied. [...]

‘Saw 7′ To Finally Bring Back Cary Elwes For Dr. Gordon Answers

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 03:07 PM PDT

Since the very first Saw movie added a new layer to the horror genre, fans have wondered what happened to Dr. Gordon at the end and where in the hell he went.

Five new chapters in the saga of the twisted mind of the Jigsaw Killer have unfolded since then, and it appears that finally, you may just find out the answers to the questions that you've been asking. And since Saw VII is reported to be the last in the series, it's no surprise that producers look to be swinging for one more home run.

Bloody-Disgusting has all of the dirty details on the newest installment, including a brief synopsis and the entire cast listing. This is where it was confirmed that Cary Elwes would indeed be returning in his original role of Dr. Gordon, re-joining Tobin Bell, who was obviously jumping back into the role of Jigsaw. No information has been revealed as to exactly what capacity the Gordon character will be used in --many things have transpired since we last saw him -- but it should be interesting to see where they go with it. [...]

Comic Review: DV8: Gods and Monsters #1

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 11:43 AM PDT

DV8: Gods and Monsters #1 of 8
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Rebekah Isaacs
Colors by Carrie Strachan
Letters by Jared K. Fletcher
Cover by Fiona Staples
Variant cover by Jim Lee
DC/Wildstorm
Price: $2.99
Release date: April 21, 2010


I never read an issue of the original DV8 series, released in the mid 90's, but I'll read anything by Brian Wood, so I gave this one a try. The original series rode the wave of Gen 13's popularity, and featured a bunch of morally bankrupt teens, and that's about all I know about the original series. This new series keeps the original cast, but throws them in a completely new situation.

DV8: Gods and Monsters #1 opens as Gem Antonelli, aka Copycat, crashes onto a planet of Stone Age (or maybe Dark Age, it's not really clear) era humans. She is the last of her team to arrive on the planet, the rest having already split up and disappeared. Only her teammate Frostbite remains to explain to Gem what has happened in the last few days. From there we see what the rest of the team has been up to, and it doesn't look like it will be very good for those living on this planet [...]

Deal: ‘Bioshock 2′ For PS3 and Xbox 360

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 05:20 AM PDT

Today's Gold Box spotlight deal of the day over at Amazon is Bioshock 2 standard edition for Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 for only $39.98 (that's 33% off the list price of $59.99).

This sale is only for today -- Tuesday, April 27, 2010 -- until midnight PST while supplies last.

Also, there's a promotion running right now where when you order Bioshock 2 from Amazon, you'll get $10 off a future video game purchase. See the "Special Offers and Product Promotions" section of the product page for full details [...]

Watch Now: New Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Last Airbender’

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 11:29 PM PDT

A brand new trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's animated TV series adaptation, The Last Airbender, has been released by Paramount, and you can watch it below right now!

The movie is an adaptation of the Nickelodeon kid's show Avatar: The Last Airbender (changed due to...you know, that other movie that found moderate success) in which a boy named Aang is declared the next Avatar, who can control all of the different elements such as fire and water. In a world in which there are four different nations who each control one element, this makes him...unique, to say the least. Fearing the responsibility, he flees but ends up frozen in a glacier. One hundred years later, he is discovered frozen and revived in order to fight the evil Fire Lord of the Fire Nation.

Defrost yourself, grab a towel, and head over to the bottom of the page to peek at the new trailer for The Last Airbender!

Shyamalan hasn't had a popular movie since 2002's Signs, and his offerings have been downright hated since the release of Lady in the Water. Even so, fans know what the director is capable of, and the hopes are that he can let go of his need for mystery and suspense, and just deliver a fun, exciting new film. [...]

Ridley Scott Says TWO ‘Alien’ Prequels Coming; Sacrificing Quality For 3D?

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 06:29 PM PDT

A press junket for the upcoming Robin Hood was held recently and Ridley Scott was up to answering many questions, including some about his upcoming prequel to Alien.

In a majorly unexpected announcement, Scott declared that it would not just be one prequel movie, but that it would be a two-part film leading up to the events of the original 1979 horror classic. When asked if he would be directing both parts and if they would be filming them both at the same time -- as is a popular method for multi-film projects these days -- Ridley simply suggested that he was concentrating on the first right now. If Scott was to direct both, the simultaneous approach would be best.

If he's only doing the first and leaving the second to someone like maybe Carl Erik Rinsch, who was originally set to direct the prequel before Ridley was talked into taking it on himself. [...]

Game Review: Final Fantasy XIII (Playstation 3)

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 08:59 AM PDT

Final Fantasy XIII Review
Platforms: Playstation 3 | Xbox 360
Publisher: Square Enix
Price: $59.99
Release date: March 9, 2010


I am a pretty big Final Fantasy fan, so of course I was going to pick this game up as quickly as I could get my grubby little hands upon it. As the first Final Fantasy game on the current generation of system, I was excepting to see the next step up in graphics above the last game, which was one of the best looking games on the PS2. More than that though, I just wanted a game that was familiar to me while having enough change so that it didn't feel exactly like the last game. Like I said, I'm a fan of the series, so I know pretty much what I'm going to get, and this game succeeded in giving me a game I had fun with and that was worth my time. It took a little while to convince me, but once the game had its claws into me, I knew I was in for the next 40 hours of game play.

Story has always been a big element of Final Fantasy games, and this one is no different. The players live in the world of Cocoon, a land that is under siege by fear of creatures from a world below theirs called Pulse. Both worlds are controlled by entities call fal'cie, and these entities give out quests to regular people by turning them into l'cie. The l'cie are charged with a specific goal, and if they reach that goal, they become crystals and gain eternal life of some sort. Those who don't complete their goals become monsters. Into this world walk six characters who become l'cie, and must then find out what their quest is. (Trust me, if your eyes have glazed over at that last paragraph, I don't blame you. These are just a few of the concepts that are thrown at the player in the first few hours, and it is not the easiest thing to keep track of.) [...]

Movie Review: The Losers

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 04:49 PM PDT

The Losers
Directed by Sylvain White
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Jason Patric
Rated PG-13
Release date: April 23, 2010


If you had told me that someday we would see a movie based on the DC/Vertigo comic series, The Losers, I would have been surprised. Not that the series, written by Andy Diggle with art (mainly) by Jock didn't deserve to be made into a movie. Far from it, as the series was a big budget action movie put onto the page. It just seemed unlikely that we would see it. However, the Hollywood gods have seen fit to translate it into the blockbuster it was envisioned as.

The Losers follows a squad of special forces who are forced to track down a shadowy figure named Max after they are burned on an operation. Max (Jason Patric) is supposed to be some big CIA spook and the Losers have to track him down so they can clear their name. The plot is mostly an excuse to get them from one action scene to the next, as Max is never fully fleshed out and his motives are never made very clear. He is just an excuse for the main characters to find something they can blow up.

And blow stuff up they do. The film is at its strongest during the action and heist sequences. Each action scene is exciting, and each one is used to provide decent character moments [...]

DVD Review: Death Warrior

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 07:25 AM PDT

I don't claim to be anywhere close to a professional critic; I'm just a guy who loves and has a passion for movies. When it comes to a movie like Death Warrior, it may just be one of the hardest movies I've ever tried to review for a couple of different reasons.

This is one of a new line of martial arts films written and produced by Hector Echavarria, a professional kickboxer who got into film making and before long, was breaking box office records in Latin America and being hailed as the next great action star.

The movie tells the story of a top talent in the budding world of Mixed Martial Arts named Reinero (Echavarria), who, right when things are looking very bright, is attacked in the middle of the night. Once the group of intruders have him restrained, the man behind them, Ivan (Nick Mancuso), steps in and inserts something into the stomach of Reinero's wife, Kira (Tanya Clarke). [...]

‘Dexter’ Star Michael C. Hall Has Beaten Cancer; Returns To Work on Season 5

Posted: 24 Apr 2010 04:58 PM PDT

These days, it feels like more people are diagnosed with cancer than people catch the common cold, and it's about as depressing as anything can be. Just in this past few months, two stars of hugely-popular premium TV series announced that they were receiving treatment for the disease.

In January, star of the Showtime hit series Dexter, Michael C. Hall, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma; two months later, Andy Whitfield, who is the star of the successful new Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand was given a Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnoses.

Both cases were thankfully treatable forms, and finally, some good news has arrived. After a stretch of steady treatment after the disease went into remission, Hall's wife and Dexter co-star Jennifer Carpenter has announced that her husband has "fully recovered" from the cancer. She noted how brave the 38-year-old actor was in his battle, and that he has now returned to work on Season 5 of Dexter. [...]

DVD Review: Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On LIVE

Posted: 24 Apr 2010 10:49 AM PDT

Get Your Buzz On LIVE
Chickenfoot
DVD | Blu-ray
Dc3 Music Group
Released date: 26 April, 2010 (UK); May 4, 2010 (US)


Oh no, not another rock band made up of ex-members of other way more famous bands. Not another group of musicians tarred with the 'supergroup' brush. Surely the world doesn't need another bunch of millionaires telling everyone how 'blessed' they now feel. But Chickenfoot is a band with a line up of ex-members of Van Halen and Montrose, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Come on -- right now it doesn't get much more super than that.

Chickenfoot released its eponymous debut album last summer to a hugely positive response helping the music and the band to get its beak into most rock award categories at the end of the year. And now, after an extensive tour of America and Europe, lead singer Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist Joe Satriani have released a concert DVD -- Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On LIVE [...]

‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ Final Theatrical Trailer

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 09:17 PM PDT

The final theatrical trailer for Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been released.

Watch it here below.

Eclipse, which is the third film in the Twilight franchise, sees the return of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and her two loves, the vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) and the werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner). As you'll see in the trailer, the Cullen clan is also back, as is the wolf pack, the Volturi, and villainous vamp Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard), who's out for vengeance. Also, a new vampire army is amassing, which causing big problems in Seattle and leads to an unlikely alliance.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse arrives in theaters June 30, 2010 [...]

Season 2 Of ‘Eastbound And Down’ On The Way; To Be Set In Mexico

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 07:45 PM PDT

HBO's Eastbound and Down is one of the funnier shows we've seen on TV in recent memory. The dark comedy, which was more of a mini-series than an actual show, tells the story of former major league pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) and his life after sports. Being one of the cockiest, ignorant people ever to exist, you can usually find Powers insulting people, bragging to co-workers at the school he was hired at as a Physical Education teacher, and downing a few illegal substances in his determined and stubborn attempt at making it back to major leagues.

According to reports from Deadline Hollywood, after a long hiatus and fans wondering if Kenny Powers would ever return, the show is on its way back, and it will be set in Mexico.

This time around, after the not-so-happy-ending to the first season, Powers will find himself heading South of the border to play ball there. New cast members will also be joining the show. [...]

Comic Review: Funrama Presents: The Mutant Punks #1

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 11:20 AM PDT

Funrama Presents: The Mutant Punks #1
Written and drawn by Ryan Kelly
Published by Ryan Kelly
Price: $3.00
Release Date: April 12, 2010


Do not call the anarchists. Anarchists are peace-loving hippies. Do not call them terrorists. Terrorists have ideals. Terrorists have a perception of right and wrong. Do not call them pirates. They eat pirates for breakfast. They are one thing and one thing only… The Mutant Punks!

This description is taken from Funrama Presents: The Mutant Punks #1, and I feel that it describes the wall-to-wall, crazy action in this book far better than I ever could.

DMZ and Northlanders artist Ryan Kelly has self-published an irreverent yet enjoyable comic that introduces us to these characters. The Mutant Punks consist of Concord, who uses his flying powers to fly and do other flying-type things; The Fog, who jumps into people's bodies and controls them; Twisterella, Concord's wind-generating girlfriend; Lead Head, a superhumanly strong, toxic, and sentient mass of lead; and Bombcat, who's a cat... with bombs [...]

Comic Review: Impaler #5

Posted: 23 Apr 2010 10:33 AM PDT

Impaler #5
Written by William Harms
Art by Matt Timson
Letters by Troy Peteri
Top Cow
Release date: March 31, 2010


You know what's a great word? Impale. At all opportunities, the word impale should be worked into a sentence. So I am proud and excited to review Impaler #5, Top Cow's newest addition to the ever-expanding world of the vampire. At least these ones don't 'sparkle' in the sun.

America has been overrun with a plague of vampires who have consumed the East Coast in a bloody rampage, turning or tearing through anyone they find. These aren't your garden variety fanged Eurotrash in capes either. Inhuman grotesques wrapped in shadow, giant misshapen monsters with blood sucking tentacles, and winged demons litter the landscape. The story follows the soldier Lt. George Wagner and his fellow troops as they fight to survive, cut off from the rest of humanity, while Wagner's wife and children flea to New Mexico and stay with a kindly stranger named Tom. Meanwhile, Detective Victor Dailey has been recruited by a man with superhuman powers named Vlad, and is preparing to turn the tide against the undead [...]

Death Threats Lead Comedy Central To Censor Controversial ‘South Park’

Posted: 22 Apr 2010 10:19 PM PDT

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have always been known for their fearlessness when it comes to saying whatever they want to say, whether in their movies like Team America: World Police, or whether it's on their highly-popular hit Comedy Central show, South Park. But as you may have heard, some heavy threats have lead to a big uproar and one of the few times we've seen the show be censored more so than it needed to be.

The animated show has been going strong for over a decade now, currently in their 14th season on the air. Every single season they have made an effort to push the envelope, to try and take just one more step while already under so much scrutiny from censors and angry parents everywhere. And with this, every single season has seen countless jaw-dropping moments where you just can't help but wonder "how DID they get away with that!?" right before running into yet another shocker.

South Park is currently in the midst of closing out the first half of their 14th season, and their plan was to do it with one of their epic multi-episode story arcs. But it is here where the show appears to have gone too far in the eyes of some. [...]

Book Review: Jane Slayre

Posted: 22 Apr 2010 07:57 PM PDT

Jane Slayre
Trade Paperback
By Sherri Browning Erwin
Original Story by Charlotte Bronte
Gallery Books
Release Date: April 13, 2010


Jane Slayre takes the approach of books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and takes a classic piece of literature and adds a supernatural twist to it. The original story Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bonte follows the interesting life of Jane Eyre as she grows up and falls in love. Sherri Browning Erwin puts a twist on this story by asking what if Jane had to do this while protecting the world from vampires, voodoo priests, zombies, and werewolves? Well, I say yes please!

The orphan Jane Slayre starts off her life by being raised by her Aunt Reed and living with her three cousins, John, Georgina, and Eliza, all of whom had been turned into vampires. Jane was terrorized by John, which lead to her being able to leave the house to be sent away to school. At this school called Lowood, Jane realizes that the world is filled with these supernatural beings and that her family isn't the only afflicted ones. As with the classic tale, t first she spends time at the school as a student and then later as a teacher, but eventually she realizes it's time for her to move on, so she takes a position as Governess at a place called Thornfield. Through her experiences, she founds out what love is and that she feels it for one man. She also discovers that she actually does have a real family that isn't evil and might even have the same Slayre instincts that she does [...]

Marvel Plans To Release Lower Budget Movies With B-List Characters

Posted: 22 Apr 2010 12:31 PM PDT

In addition to their franchise and tentpole films such as Spider-Man, Avengers, and Iron Man, Marvel is looking to develop some of their lesser-known characters for movies with lower budgets in the $20-$40 million range. Currently, Marvel is taking meetings with directors regarding B-list characters such as Luke Cage, Dazzler, Ka-Zar, Doctor Strange, and Power Pack.

I am hugely in favor of this idea. First of all, there is a greater chance of one of my favorite heroes, Luke Cage, reaching the big screen or being in a direct-to-DVD film. Lower budgets mean lower financial risks and an opportunity to take chances. Ka-Zar could be a really graphic action-adventure film. Luke Cage could have some Blaxploitation elements in the film. Heck, Dazzler could be set in the 70s disco era and be awesomely cheesy. As much as I love these characters, I am a realist. None of these characters mentioned really have the name recognition to headline their own big budget, tentpole films. The only property that I don't want to see take this route is Power Pack. I still dream of seeing a Disney/Pixar animated Power Pack film, but I understand if they go the low-budget route [...]

Comic Review: Poe (TPB)

Posted: 22 Apr 2010 07:37 AM PDT

Poe
Trade Paperback Edition
Written by J. Barton Mitchell
Art by Dean Kotz
Colors by Digikore Studios
Letters by Marshall Dillon & James Dashiell
BOOM! Studios
Price: $16.99
Release Date: April 14, 2010


When I first heard that there was going to be a book where Edgar Allan Poe was going to help his policeman brother solve crimes, I was on board. I really enjoyed this exploration of the invention of detectives and detective stories through the eyes of the original inventor of the genre.

The story follows Edgar Allan Poe, who is dealing with his wife's passing, and his brother William, the cop who is having trouble solving the murders of local citizens. While Edgar is with William at one of the crime scenes, he points out clues to the murderer, so William realizes he could use Edgar's skills to help him solve the question of who the killer is. Of course being a story involving the Poe family there is a supernatural twist to the tale.

J. Barton Mitchell does a great job at capturing the character of Poe throughout the story [...]