It seems like only yesterday that i brought you home, all shiny with that new console smell. I had waited a long time to pick you up in the hopes that the price on you would come down but I had a pocket full of money and you looked like a orphaned puppy in need of a new home. I remember the first game we played like it was yesterday. we popped in a fresh copy of GTA IV and set out on a great adventure that I still think about to this day. It was a great first couple of months that turned into a great couple of years. What a ride huh?
Truth be told the real reason I bought you wasn’t the great games you promised but the opportunity to watch movies in HD for the first time. We picked up RAMBO and when we popped it in for the first time we were stunned. The picture was amazing. No more silly compression artifacts or low quality AC3 audio for me! We jumped straight into 720p video and uncompressed audio that damn near blew the windows out with that high bit rate and thunderous low end. (I know, I know, 720p was all my tv could handle at the time but that has since been remedied as I know rock the full 1080p plasma. Trust me the wait was worth it.)
You weren’t just a great console/entertainment center you were also a great friend to my kids who have both grown up playing your awesome games. I still remember the first time my 3 year old son and 6 year old daughter went multi-player on Lego Star Wars. I watched in amazement as they got along and played cooperatively on a video game that was graphically light years ahead of anything I could have imagined just a few years ago. In my children’s short time as video gamers they have experienced gaming opportunities that I never dreamed was possible as a child who grew up playing Super Mario Bros and Zelda on a little 12 inch black and white television.
It seems a bit ironic that you died just a few hours into what was one of the most promising new games I’ve played in a long while. Batman Arkham City was just too much for your little processor/Blu-Ray drive to take. So while I will soon replace you I will not be getting rid of you anytime soon. You have now become a 400+ dollar Netflix player who I hope my children will appreciate and take care of when you move off the big tv and up stairs to one of the kids rooms. In closing I’d like to thank you for the hundreds of hours of entertainment you’ve provided my kids and I over the last few years and I look forward to your shiny new replacement who may take your place on my entertainment console, but will never take your place in my heart.
RIP Gamestation 226, The best console a boy could have ever hoped for.
The internet is running wild with rumors regarding the IPad 3 and whether or not it will have glasses free 3d capability or not. Apparently developers have been working like mad to come up with content for the future release of the IPad and Hollywood producers are clamoring for more 3d content. This could very well be the death knell for the already much maligned Nintendo 3ds. Apple Releasing technology that not only plays games in glass free 3d as well as movies would certainly be a game changer for Nintendo and probably push them out of a market they probably weren’t well prepared to get into in the first place. From it’s release the Nintendo 3ds has been plagued with complaints of not only eye strain and technical problems with the games but a general lack of good content beyond the basic 3d gimmick. I would hope that Apple would be a little more prepared and do a little more testing on it’s 3d technology before releasing it to the general public to avoid such embarrassing issues.
Here’s a quick peek at some Captain America: The First Avenger footage that was shown on Entertainment Tonight last night. Lots of action and even some shield tossing in there. The trailer will premiere tonight on ET…
Captain America: The First Avenger will be released in 3D on July 22.
I was raised on the Hollywood western. While my friends were off playing Star Wars and Indiana Jones I was playing Rio Bravo and The Rifleman. My hero was always the man in the white hat that never failed to save the day and always got the girl. I also loved classic comedy westerns such as The Shakiest Gun in the West, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and The Great Race. Their comedic twist on the movies I had grown to love so much as a child kept me smiling on the worst of days. Perhaps that’s why I find Gore Verbinsky’s “Rango” to be such an excellent movie. It’s a perfect blend of all of the things I loved about the Hollywood westerns of old as well as a great bit of family safe comedy to balance out the seriousness of the dire situation our hero finds himself in.
“Rango” is the story of an ordinary chameleon longing for a more exciting life who is without warning thrust into the adventure of a lifetime. Rango finds himself in the town of Dirt, an aptly named destination whose water supply is mysteriously drying up and leaving the residents in fear of their future. In classic western tradition, Rango becomes the unlikely hero of the day and is tasked with saving the town from imminent doom all the while trying to keep secret the fact that he has no idea what he is doing.
In my opinion the credit for the movie must start at the top with Gore Verbinsky. This is by far his best work and his handling of the material here borders on mastery. He has created a film so full of great characters that is very easy to forget that you are actually watching animals play the roles on screen. From Isla Fisher as the spunky heroine “Beans” to Ned Beatty as “The Mayor” and all the small parts in between this an outstanding supporting cast that would be hard to compete with in a live action movie much less an animated feature.
Johnny Depp is simply wonderful in the role of Rango. He completely disappears inside this little chameleon, changing his voice so that it is unrecognizable and creating a character that it is impossible not to root for. The amalgamation of great character traits from western heroes of the past is evident and flawless. His mere voice performance in this movie has me slobbering at the mouth at the chance to see him play one of my child hood heroes, Tonto, in the upcoming Lone Ranger remake.
I’d be remissed if I didn’t mention the outstanding animation and cinematography in this movie. This is a beautifully animated movie the likes of I have never seen. Roger Deakins work as visual effects consultant lends a look to this film that rarely seen outside of the greatest of the classic westerns.
Rango is a great movie. There wasn’t one second of the movie that I wasn’t thoroughly entertained by the wonderful little story that was unfolding in front of me. If this is what is to be expected from ILM and Nickelodeon Films in the future, we have wild ride ahead of us and I can’t wait to jump on.
Before we get into my review of Beastly let me ask you a few questions. First, are you a female age 13 to 24? Second, have you read or watched any chapter of the Twilight saga and enjoyed it? Third, are you so desperate to find a partner that you would lock a girl you are infatuated with in your attic and read her poetry until she falls madly in love with your grotesque face? If you answered yes to any of the above questions then you should probably stop reading now because I’m probably going to hurt your feelings with what I’m about to say regarding this movie.
Beastly is quite possibly the most shallow, pandering, overwrought piece of excrement I’ve seen thrown on the silver screen in a long time. It all starts with a cast of characters who seem to have no rudder, no inner compass, and no parents to teach them right from wrong. (Apparently this is left up to the help in Beastly world.) Alex Pettyfer’s “Kyle” is one of the most unlikable leading characters I may have ever seen in a movie. The opening ten minutes of this film establish him as an egotistical, hateful, self-involved cretin whose laughable attempts to destroy those who he feels beneath him make him nigh un-redeemable. His father is apparently a famous newscaster who hasn’t given him the attention he deserves and the people he surrounds himself with are vapid, soulless ghouls. This makes Pettyfer’s character sad so he picks on the hot witch (Mary Kate Olsen in junior misses Goth gear) whose mere presence in his school is apparently the bane of his existence. Voila, you’re cursed to be ugly like Mary Kate. And by ugly I mean you’re still hot, you just have metal on your face and some cool tattoos. Oh, and nobody recognizes you anymore. Even though you still look pretty much the same and your voice is no different, you are now the weird guy who wears a hoody all the time that nobody pays attention to.
My second major issue with this movie is the story. In most movies the story is important; things need to make a certain amount of sense for people to follow what’s going on and enjoy the movie. Not in Beastly world. In this world you can stalk a girl you once mocked but secretly love, help her father cover up a murder you were involved in and then keep said girl locked in your attic until she’s “safe” (wink, wink). Now I totally understand the point of keeping her captive. Daniel Barnz is attempting to do a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the classic story of not judging a book by its cover. Unfortunately for director Daniel Barnz we live in a modern world full of sickos and stalkers. Alex Pettyfer doesn’t come across as a good guy trying to save this poor girl from evil but as a creep keeping Vanessa Hudgins locked up till she goes all Stockholm syndrome and they can finally be together.
I could go on for days about how bad this movie was, about how Neil Patrick Harris and the Jamaican maid (Lindsay Gay Hamilton) played a role in a felony kidnapping while at the same time providing the comic relief but I digress. This was an awful movie that pandered to the lowest common denominator, people who aren’t old enough, or smart enough, to know a good movie from bad. Apparently you can show them some nice abs and a good smile, mix in a half assed romance story, and play some popular music over the trailer and you’ve got yourself a good opening weekend and you’ve made your budget back already. Hell, Twilight’s made a mint exploiting that same section of our society over and over again. You’d think they’d eventually learn. Oh well, bad movies get made every day and this movie will be quickly forgotten when the next pandering piece of crap hit’s the cinemas. Save yourself some grief and skip this one…
This week on Noob Radio Richard and Christian discuss all the weeks tv, video game, comic and movie news including Quentin Tarantino’s next movie venture, a look at 3 great comics from ComicBreak.com as well as an in depth interview with Chris Roberson, writer of IZombie, Superman-Grounded, Cinderella-Fables are Forever as well as many more comics and books. All this and much, much more on this weeks episode of Noob Radio…
Intro:
Talk about Geek Weekend, Lots of screenings coming up (meaning lots more work)
Quick Hits
Sponsored by: Provenance Media
Movie News:
Kobe Bryant is, “The Black Mamba”. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Have you seen it? Apparently Rodriguez shot this short during all star weekend.
Quentin Tarantino May Be Prepping a Spaghetti Western:
f it wasn’t already clear by the way he’s employed Ennio Morricone music in several of his films, Quentin Tarantino loves himself some spaghetti westerns. Now, though, it appears he’ll be mounting one himself: Actor Franco Nero revealed that he’ll be costarring in Quentin Tarantino’s next film, said to be a tribute to Sergio Leone, and AICN confirmed the rumor and added Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds breakout Christoph Waltz to the cast. The site says it’ll shoot later this year in Italy and Spain, and as the In Memoriam tribute at last night’s Oscars reminded us, this will be Tarantino’s first project without longtime editor and collaborator Sally Menke, who died last year.
TV News:
This Is Your Dancing With the Stars Lineup:
WWF wrestler Chris Jericho, Disney star Chelsea Kane, along with original Karate Kid Ralph Macchio and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, are all slated to compete. Also on the bill: model Petra Nemcova; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward; Playboy model and reality star Kendra Wilkinson; rapper Romeo (formerly Lil’ Romeo); talk-show host and smoked–Slim Jim innovator Wendy Williams; and somebody named Mike Catherwood. But we’re most anticipating Kirstie Alley’s turn on the dance floor.
Video Game News:
Devil May Cry Movie Adaptation In The Works! Did you ever play it?
New Battlefield 3 Trailer released… Did you see it? Whould you play it?
Comic Break
Sponsored by ComicBreak.com
Incredible Hulks #623
Written by GREG PAK [Soft Break]Pencis & Cover by DALE EAGLEHAM
The Hulk has never been welcome in the civilized world. What better place for the savage Hulks than the Savage Land? Get ready for PLANET SAVAGE as Hulk and Skaar invade the prehistoric paradise of Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden Jungle. Featuring the showstopping pencils of superstar Dale Eaglesham and the return of a deadly frenemy the Hulk should never have forgotten.
Special POINT ONE issue! START READING with this Point One issue to learn the new meaning for great power and great responsibility! Witness the birth of a new Spider-Man in the start of a brand-new story arc!
Bonded to the dangerous and powerful Venom symbiote, this new webslinger is showing Peter Parker up in the hero department! Plus, who will Spider-Man turn to in his darkest hour? Believe us, it’s not who you think!
Written by JASON AARON [Soft Break]Penciled by DANIEL ACUNA [Soft Break]Cover by JAE LEE
Once again, a mindless Wolverine is raging out control, a danger to everyone around him. But this time Cyclops is ready. He’s always feared this day would come again, and he’s ready and willing to do whatever it takes to end Wolverine’s rampage once and for all.?He’s even brought along a few friends to help him: Magneto and Namor. Don’t miss Part One of the action-packed new arc,?’Wolverine vs. The X-Men.’
Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin. Graduating with a degree in English literature and a minor in history, he held a variety of jobs – including seven years as a product support engineer for Dell computers – before quitting his job in 2003 to launch small press MonkeyBrain Books.
He cites his upbringing in the seventies and eighties, as his major inspiration, since science fiction was particular commonplace in America at that time, saying:
“Everything from Saturday-morning cartoons to comic books to late-night B-movies to pulp novel reprints to blockbuster summer movies–it was all science fiction, in one form or another.”[1]
After college, he has suggested that he leaned towards becoming a more literary, post-modernist writer, even writing a couple of novels to that end, which he adamant will never see the light of day, after realising that he simply “wasn’t depressed enough for that line of work”.[1] In his twenties, he wrote a couple of mystery novels, seeing them as a commercial venture, but found himself skirting around turning them into ‘genre’ titles, falling between the two camps of mystery and science fiction, and interesting publishers of neither. Ultimately he settled on writing science fiction, saying:
“My brain tends to work along the lines of science fiction tropes. Whenever I run into an odd little bit of trivia, some obscure historical fact or odd scientific principle, I can’t help but start thinking of ways I could use it in a story.”[1]
His writings have received positive reviews from Locus Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s Science Fiction, The New York Review of Science Fiction, Infinity Plus and RevolutionSF.[1] He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife (Allison Baker) and their young daughter, Georgia.[2]
Clockwork Storybook
Main article: Clockwork Storybook
From 1998 to 2002, Roberson was part of writer’s collective Clockwork Storybook, alongside noted comics author Bill Willingham (Fables), Matthew Sturges (co-writing with Willingham of Jack of Fables) and Mark Finn (Robert E. Howard scholar and playwright).
Starting as a writing group, CWSB became an online monthly anthology, and then a publishing imprint of the same name. Roberson produced four novels under CWSB, as the collective attempted to capitalise on the Print On Demand revolution. This ultimately fell through, and the four went their separate ways.
Two (to date) of Roberson’s CWSB books have been subsequently expanded and reprinted. Any Time At All (Sep, 2002) became Here, There & Everywhere (Pyr, 2005)(Right.), and Set The Seas On Fire (Dec, 2001) was expanded for its April, 2007 release by Solaris. Voices of Thunder (Feb, 2001) has been revised to become Book Of Secrets for upcoming publication by Angry Robot in August, 2009.
Post-Clockwork works
Focusing, after the demise of Clockwork Storybook, on his writing, Roberson sold a short story (his first professional sale) to Roc anthology Live Without a Net, under the editorship of Lou Anders. It was published in 2003, and paved the way for future sales to Asimov’s Science Fiction and other anthologies. In 2004, Anders, (by now considered by Roberson “something of a personal patron”) by now an editorial director at Prometheus Books’ new SF imprint Pyr, bought an expanded version of one of Roberson’s CWSB books Any Time At All, which was published in 2005 as Here, There & Everywhere.(Right.)
In 2003, having “discovered.. in the few years of helping run the CWSB imprint, that [he] really enjoyed being a publisher,” Roberson started up his own imprint. Partly this move was inspired by the dissolution of CWSB, and Roberson having discovered a few projects by writers that he had wanted to bring out under that banner. He decided, however, that MonkeyBrain Books would deal exclusively in “traditional offset trade-paperbacks and hardcovers,” distributed internationally, rather than printed on demand.[3]
He has also contributed several stories to the annual Tales of the Shadowmen anthologies.
MonkeyBrain
Main article: MonkeyBrain Books
Since 2003, he is the publisher (along with his business partner and spouse Allison Baker) of MonkeyBrain Books, an independent publishing house naturally based in Austin, Texas, which specialises in genre fiction and nonfiction genre studies.
In November, 2005, Roberson edited the first volume in a projected annual series of Adventure anthologies, comprising “original fiction in the spirit of early twentieth-century pulp fiction magazines” across the genres, featuring contributions from (among others) Lou Anders, Paul Di Filippo, Mark Finn, Michael Moorcock and Kim Newman. (Many of which featured authors would become MonkeyBrain stalwarts.)[4]
Comics
In July 2008, at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, it was announced that Roberson will be working on a comic book miniseries set in the universe of the DC/Vertigo series Fables, created by fellow-former-Clockwork Storybook author Bill Willingham.[5]
Roberson’s miniseries is titled Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love, and described by the author as featuring “spies, sex, and shoes.”[5] Illustrated by Shawn McManus and released in late 2009 / early 2010, it “answer(s) the question of what happened to Cinderella’s fairy godmother.”[5] Roberson has been selected by DC Comics to finish the Grounded story arc in the Superman monthly title. [6] [7]
Awards and nominations
He has been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award three times – once each for writing (2004), publishing (2006), and editing (2006). (For Adventure Vol. 1, left.) On two occasions he has been a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Long Form in 2009 for The Dragon’s Nine Sons. He has also been nominated twice for the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Short Form, which he won in 2004 with his story “O One”.
His novel Paragaea was included in Waterstone’s Top Ten SF list for 2006.[8]
Bibliography
Roberson has written several novels and short stories, and self-published (with the Clockwork Storybook team) some of them himself.
Clockwork Storybook Offline, Volume I: Mythology by Roberson, with Finn, Sturges & Willingham
Clockwork Storybook Offline, Volume II: The Goblin Market by Roberson, with Finn, Sturges & Willingham
Voices of Thunder (Clockwork Storybook, February 2001)
Book of Secrets – expanded reprint of Voices of Thunder (Angry Robot, August 2009)
The Clockwork Reader Volume 1 by Clockwork Storybook (Clockwork Storybook November 2001)
Set the Seas on Fire (Clockwork Storybook, December 2001)
Set the Seas on Fire – greatly exanded and reprinted (Solaris, 2007)
Cybermancy Incorporated (Clockwork Storybook, December 2001) (with a cover by Michael Lark)
Any Time at All: The Lives and Time of Roxanne Bonaventure (Clockwork Storybook, September 2002) (with a cover by John Picacio)
Here, There & Everywhere – greatly expanded reprint of Any Time At All (Pyr, April 2005) (with a similar cover by John Picacio)
“O One” in Live Without a Net(Right.) by Lou Anders (ed.) (Roc, 2003)
“So Far From Us in All Ways” in The Many Faces of Van Helsing by Jeanne Cavelos (ed.) (Ace, April 2004)
Shark Boy and Lava Girl Adventures: Book 1 (in collaboration with Robert Rodriguez) (Troublemaker Publishing, May 2005)
Shark Boy and Lava Girl Adventures: Book 2 (in collaboration with Robert Rodriguez) (Troublemaker Publishing, May 2005)
Adventure Vol. 1 (ed.) (MonkeyBrain Books, November 2005)
“Contagion” in FutureShocks by Lou Anders (ed.) (Roc, 2006)
“Eventide” in Forbidden Planets by Peter Crowther (ed.) (DAW Books, 2006)
Paragaea: A Planetary Romance (Pyr, May 2006)
The Voyage of Night Shining White (PS Publishing, 2006)
X-Men: The Return (Pocket Books, May 2007) (with a cover by John Picacio)
The Dragon’s Nine Sons (Solaris, 2008)
End of the Century (Pyr, 2008)
Iron Jaw and Hummingbird (Viking, 2008)
“Death on the Crosstime Express” in Sideways in Crime by Lou Anders (ed.) (Solaris, 2008)
Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Brave New World (Pocket Books, 2008)
Roberson has also written short stories for such magazines as Asimov’s Science Fiction, Postscripts, Black October, Fantastic Metropolis, RevolutionSF, Twilight Tales, Opi8, Alien Skin, Electric Velocipede, Subterranean and Lone Star Stories.
He is preparing a series aimed at the Young Adult audience, entitled Celestial Empire, with the first collection subtitled Fire Star.
He is editor of the Adventure anthology series, first published by MonkeyBrain in November, 2005.
Roberson is also writing books for Black Library publishing; Dawn of War II, published March 2009, and Sons of Dorn, coming out in 2010.
This week on Noob Radio Richard and Christian are joined on location by friends of the show and contributors for Geek Weekend 2 and the semi-annual geek roundtable for a rowdy discussion of all the days news involving comics, video games, movies and television. It was a wild and rowdy time so check it out on this episode of Noob Radio!
Intro:
Quick Hits
Sponsored by: Provenance Media
Movie news.
Lots of first looks this week…
First looks at planet of the apes, only a pic of franco but it is a start.
First look at the hangover 2. Short teaser went up yesterday. Are you excited by the potential of this movie?
First clip of battle los angeles, very action packed, any digging the marketing of this movie with the fake websites and viral history marketing?
Finally why does Bill Murray hate ghostbusters. If not why would he have the script and not read it? Does he really not want to do this movie?
Video game news…
Killzone 3 dropped this week, did anyone else play it?
Ubisoft plans to release the game We Dare in Europe but not is us. Has a lot of sexual content, they don’t think it will sell here. Why is that?
Gearbox wants to thank everyone who ever worked on the long delayed duke nukem forever, ever. So if you’ve contributed in some way to this game, ever, you can contact them and get your name on the game.
Television news…
CBS finally pulls the plug on 2 and a half men after Charlie sheen went to the media and called out the shows main producer. This last ever episode of this show may have aired last week when the final produced episode was shown.
Comic Break Comics for 2/25/2011
sponsored by
Booster Gold #41
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art and Cover by CHRIS BATISTA & RICH PERROTTA
A new threat from another time attacks Booster again – for the first time! Unfortunately, this threat catches Booster in Rip Hunter’s lab, and the bunker takes enough of a beating to put everybody out of time-traveling commission for a long while!
Justice League of America #54
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by BRETT BOOTH & NORM RAPMUND
Cover by BRETT BOOTH
1:10 Variant Cover by DAVID MACK
“The Rise of Eclipso” begins here as the dark energies that have surrounded Earth are harnessed once more to usher in the great Lord of Darkness! And it looks like the corruption of all mankind starts with the members of the Justice League! When things go dark, which teammate poses the greatest threat to mankind – Obsidian or Jade?
The Legion of Super-Heroes #10
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art and Cover by YILDIRAY CINAR & WAYNE FAUCHER
The Durlan plot against the United Planets comes to a very deadly conclusion, as Chameleon Boy must dive into battle with one of his own kind! And what this final assassin reveals will stun the shape-shifting Legionnaire!
Silver Surfer #1 (of 5)
Written by Greg Pak
Pencils by Stephen Segovia
Cover by Carlo Pagulayan
A new beginning for the SILVER SURFER! The sentinel of the spaceways walks the Earth once more, a stranger feared by many. Only the HIGH EVOLUTIONARY understands his true potential, but the Evolutionary’s mysterious grand design may cost the Surfer everything and change the cosmic balance forever! He’s traded blows with Thor and matched wits with Mephisto, but can the herald of Galactus survive the judgment of NORRIN RAND, the man within the Silver Surfer? It’s a character-defining epic showing the Silver Surfer as you’ve never seen him before.
Hulk #30
Written by JEFF PARKER [Soft Break]Pencils & Cover by ED McGUINNESS
THE ORIGINAL RED HULK ARTIST RETURNS! Ed McGuiness draws a special (and especially insane) issue of HULK! A classic Hulk enemy returns, and can only be defeated by…THE?COMPOUND HULK! Guest-starring XEMNU, THE IMPOSSIBLE MAN and WOODGOD (yes, Woodgod)!
This week on Noob Radio Richard and Christian discuss why Fox News hates video games, what big name actor is not returning to The Dark Night Rises, and all their favorite movie trailers that premiered during last sunday’s Super Bowl. All this and much much more on this episode of Noob Radio…
We changed the name of our show but everything else is still the same. No reason why, just thought this one sounded cooler…
Here’s this weeks rundown of the show…
Last Sunday was Superbowl regardless of game its about the commercials, 3 million dollars for 30 seconds…
Superbowl commercial favorites…
QUICK HITS…
Movie News…
Liam Neeson Will NOT Return As Ra’s Al Ghul In The Dark Knight Rises, what about Talia Al Ghoul, his estranged daughter and
batman love interest?
Michael Moore suing the Weinsteins
The movie grossed $222 million worldwide and became the top-earning documentary ever; Moore says the profits were supposed to
be split fifty-fifty, but the Weinstein’s used “bogus accounting methods” to funnel money to their own expenses, including
trips to Europe via private jet…
will this eventually lead to the studios being investigated for this type of accounting?
James Franco in Early Talks for ‘Oz’ After Johnny Depp Passes
The Oscar-nominated host of the Academy Awards is in early talks to star in Oz, the Great and Powerful, Disney’s prequel-ish
take onThe Wizard of Oz tale being directed by Sam Raimi.
is he too young for the role of the great oz? does anyone really care about the wizard of oz world anymore?
Video Games…
Fox News has warned parents off of the upcoming M-rated game Bulletstorm (calling it “the worst video game in the world”),
alleging that it and other games in the same vein are directly responsible for an increase in the incidence of rape.
first off bullet storm doesn’t even come out untile feb 22, how can it be responsible for rape when only a few people have
even played the game? do games make you violent? i’ve played violent games since 1985, the first video game i ever played, duck hunt, i spent hours trying to figure out how to shoot the dog who laughed at me when i missed, but i never omitted a violent act against another person that was even remotely inspired by a video game.
LG Wants PS3 Sales Banned in the U.S.
says sony violate several patents including the bluray player in the ps3, this comes after several back and forth lawsuits as
they each sued each other over various components they say violate each others patents…
what happens if LG wins and ps3s are banned, does the sky fall in? do they stop selling ps3 games?
Television News…
Super Bowl XLV averaged 111 million viewers and netted 162.9 total viewers, breaking the previous record for the most-watched
TV program in history. The game also had a 71 share — meaning that more than two-thirds of the televisions being watched in the country at that time were watching the Super Bowl on the Fox network. That’s the highest audience share for a Super Bowl since 1982, a time when there were far fewer television networks as competition. what makes the superbowl the biggest draw in tv? everybody else in television is down in rating yet the superbowl continues to rise… cosby at it’s height was 25 million viewers, now american idol is tops but barely gets 15 million viewers..
is it the influence of the internet, or is the amount of channels available?
THE COMIC BREAK
Dc UNIVERSE LEGENDS #1
Written by Marv Wolfman, Tony Bedard
Art by Howard Porter and Livesay, and Adriana Melo and Norman Lee
The Invincible Iron Man #500
Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Salvador Larroca
Some time ago, Marvel Comics announced the Point One initiative: a gateway device to catch up new readers on some of their biggest titles by providing a nifty done-in-one tale that sets up the major players and dramatic beats of the series. Point One blasts off in February with Invincible Iron Man #500.1 by the acclaimed creative team of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. This is the chance you’ve been waiting for, new readers, to dive into the awesomeness that is the last few years of Invincible Iron Man.
Invincible #77
Written by Robert Kirkman (my favorite Writer)
art by Ryan Ottley
The Main Event
super bowl movie trailers
several big movies dropped trailers on Superbowl Sunday
Here are our favorites…
Written by BRIAN WOOD Art by RYAN KELLY Cover by BRIAN WOOD & RYAN KELLY
Summery:
There’s nothing more exciting than college life in the big city. But complications can follow you from dark places – and not just from your boring hometown. In THE NEW YORK FIVE, Riley’s sister Angie is making a name in the Lower East Side with her new band, and now Riley is the black sheep of the family. Lona’s murky past appears to have been hiding an alarming proficiency for stalkerism, and Merissa and Ren will confront uncomfortable situations involving older men. But who is the “five” in THE NEW YORK FIVE? Find out as Vertigo reunites this cast with its stellar creative team of Brian Wood (DEMO, DMZ, NORTHLANDERS) and Ryan Kelly (LUCIFER, Local) in this standard-sized 4-issue miniseries.
The New York Five is an interesting case of a comic missing it’s mark by just enough the it doesn’t really find a home in the market that may have been interested in it. If it was meant for the female comic fan then I’m not sure they understand what female comic fans are looking for. The New York Five (written by Brian Wood) seems to be full of stereotypes of women that men wish were surrounding them at all times but just don’t really exist in real life. The lusty latina, Merissa Vasquez, struggling to keep her family together while juggling her multiple lovers. The Canadian fish out of water Lona Lo who just can’t seem to find her place in the world, and even the estranged sisters Riley and Angie Wilder who seem to always find themselves being manipulated by the same man. All stereotypes you’d see on any soap opera just not any where in real life.
It is a comic and I understand what they were trying to do and it’s what all comic writers are trying to do, tell an interesting story with interesting characters and keep people coming back every month again and again but to do that I believe you have to have a little truth in your characters not just stereotypes of people you’ve seen on reality shows or television and I found that little bit of truth lacking.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad comic. It’s beautifully drawn and worth a pick up if just for the art. I particularly enjoyed the stark black and white images with the hints of pan-tone in the shadows, the beautifully emotive eye’s, and city-scapes that pop right off the page. Ryan Kelly did a great job of illustrating Brian Woods story and based on the artwork alone I’d certainly be interested in checking out episode number 2.
So if your looking for a beautifully drawn comic about hot chicks with problems living in the hippest city in the U.S. then by all means check it out. Just be prepared for a little soap opera mixed in with your usual comic book fare.
Here’s some of the great art from The New York Five…
WATCH AND UNCOVER HIDDEN CODE IN
SUPER BOWL SPOT FOR RIO –
20TH CENTURY FOX’S ANIMATED MOTION PICTURE EVENT
CODE UNLOCKS DETAILS TO A SPECIAL LEVEL IN ANGRY BIRDS –
AND INFO ON ENTERING SWEEPSTAKES TO WIN A TRIP
TO RIO’s WORLD PREMIERE IN RIO DE JANEIRO
LOS ANGELES, February 1, 2011 – This Sunday, Twentieth Century Fox’s upcoming animated motion picture event RIO will make Super Bowl commercial history, when the 30-second RIO spot becomes the first-ever to air with an embedded code.
Super Bowl fans in the United States watching RIO’s new commercial spot are invited to find the frame with the embedded code that will in turn direct them to a special level on ANGRY BIRDS, Rovio’s blockbuster game, which recently entered into a first-of-its kind partnership with RIO. That level will take you to a RIO sweepstakes.
The sweepstakes winner will attend RIO’s world premiere in Rio de Janeiro on March 22. That same day, Fox and Rovio launch the highly anticipated “Angry Birds Rio” app.
The spot will be available across the web, including youtube.com/officialriomovie, after the Super Bowl.
About RIO
From the makers of the hit ICE AGE series, RIO is a comedy-adventure, in 3D, about taking a walk on the wild side. Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.
RIO arrives in theaters everywhere April 15.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Starts 2/6/11 at 4:00 pm PT, and Ends 3/1/2011 at 11:59 pm PT. Open only to legal U.S. citizens, 18 and older and is subject to Official Rules. For Official Rules visit HYPERLINK “http://www.rio-themovie.com/officialrules”http://www.rio-themovie.com/officialrules. For alternate means of entry without a purchase, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.rio-themovie.com/win”http://www.rio-themovie.com/win. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Void in Puerto Rico, and where prohibited. Winner and guest are each required to have a valid U.S. passport and to obtain a visa to Brazil.
Paul Giamatti stars as a lawyer/part time high school wrestling coach who discovers a wrestling phenom, this looks very interesting. I like Giamatti and he looks to be in fine form in this one surround by a strong supporting cast…
Synopsis
Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy’s mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything.
This week on the noobnews podcast, Richard and Christian discuss Joseph Gordon Levitt joining the cast of The Dark Knight Rises, the new segment “The Comic Break” brought to you by comicbreak.com, as well as all the Superman casting news you can fit in a pair of red tights. All this and much much more on this episode of The Noob News…
Here’s this weeks rundown… Quick Hits…
movie news…
Joseph Gordon levitt signed on to Dark Night rises, who would you like to see him play? no riddler or joker in this movie, i could see him as a young dick grayson perhaps?.
television news…
Will ferrell will be doing a 4 episode stint as a saber manager helping to fill in for michael scott when he exits the show
later this season, Steve Carell is leaving and apparently will farell will provide levity as the focus of the show shifts
from Carell’s exit to the new Sabre Manager. who should be the new manager? a cast member or an outside hire? can this show survive without steve carell?
I say hire todd packer as the new manager and give him a full time role… todd packer is a occasional character played by David Koechner also know as Champ Kind of Anchorman, if you don’t know who that is you can suck it…Whamooo
game news…
PS3 is coming out with a silver version looks very cool…
On March 10th Sony will release the PS3 Slim in a shiny silver color but in limited quantities. The shiny console will come in two versions; 160 GB for about $365 and the spacious 320 GB for $427
is it worth the money? if you had the cash would you buy it just for the looks?
Comic Break Time!
Sponsored by: ComicBreak.com
See Christian’s Review of Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command Here
Comic Break is brought to you by:
The Main Event
Lets talk superman, in a bit of a surprise choice, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced earlier this week that Henry Cavill has been picked for the much sought after role of Superman. What we know about him… He’s on Tudors, showtime network show, He’s played parts in HELLRAISER: HELLWORLD, TRISTON + ISOLDE, STARDUST and he’ll beplaying Theseus in the upcoming IMMORTALS. He was up for consideration for several big roles including superman for bryan synger, James Bond, as well as batman whereNolan who is producing saw him and kept him in mind for future roles. He’s british, does that hurts him playing superman? it hasnt hurt batman, also spiderman is also british now so i’ll let thatslide…
If you’ve ever wondered what job you would hold were you living in the Star Wars Universe (and haven’t we all at one time or another) then check out this handy chart I found over at onlineschools.org. Very cool. Incidentally, and much like the real world, there are no podcasting jobs in the StarWars universe. Maybe I’ll try the Potter Universe…
It looks like Stephen Kings (IMO) best work is finally gonna get the Hollywood treatment it’s fans have always clamored for. Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the book will make its way to the big screen via a Warner Bros. and CBS Films co-production. What’s yet to be seen is the size and scope of the story to be told. Stephen King’s “The Stand” is a monster of a book that could probably be turned into a 24 episode tv series. There are a ton of characters that come and go as well as major story arcs that just couldn’t be told in even a trilogy of movies.
From Hollywood Reporter
“The Stand is a story of good vs. evil after a virus wipes out most of the American population. While it features dozens of characters (such as the Trashcan Man and Mother Abigail) and overlapping story lines running over many years, the struggle boils down to a group of survivors fighting the Antichrist-like Randall Flagg.
The novel was originally published in 1978, but by the time it was re-released in 1990 with King adding and revising portions of the story, it has achieved cult-like status.
George Romero and Warners separately tried in vain to launch a movie adaptation in the 1980s, and a tone-downed version was produced as a six-hour miniseries by ABC in 1994. In recent years, Marvel Comics has been adapting the story to great acclaim.”
I enjoyed the miniseries when it was on but watching it now really dates it and shows the limitations that were put on it by censors and time restraints. I would be surprised to see anything different out of a modern take on it. Times have changed but not that much. This book is just too big to fit on the big screen. Bring it to AMC and let them do a series like they have done with The Walking Dead and then I’ll have a little more faith in this.
If you’ve listened to the podcast over the months you’d surely know my deep affection for the Banksy directed film “exit through the giftshop”. The documentary keeps you guessing who’s who and what are the intentions of the mysterious street artist and his new protege. Now that he’s been nominated for best documentary MBW has stepped up his game and dropped a whole new layout to promote his nomination. (photos from laist.com)
MBW Signature
Is this MBW prepping for the the Academy Awards? If Gift Shop wins, who will go onstage to accept? And…is MBW really Banksy?
This is the statement Bansky made after he found out he was nominated,
This is a big surprise. I don’t agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I’m prepared to make an exception for the ones I’m nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me.
It’s my favorite doc of the years and I highly recommend you see it but truthfully, if Banksy is MBW then is it still considered a documentary?
In a bit of a surprise choice, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced yesterday that Henry Cavill has been picked for the much sought after role of Superman.
The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”
Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman movie will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
I’ve never personally seen any of his previous work but I have been told by a few people that his work on the Showtime Networks “Tudors” was excellent and that in the past he had come close to landing several other huge roles including James Bond, as well as Batman but ultimately fell short. I personally liked Brandon Routh and would have enjoyed seeing him come back but when has Hollywood ever done the smart thing? Good luck Mr. Cavill, you have a big cape to fill…
It looks like Dame Judi Dench will reprise her role as M in the upcoming James Bond Sequel. Dench announced the news at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards last night not saying much in the way of details but relaying that she was looking forward to starring opposite Daniel Craig and to working with Director Sam Mendes again…
Dame Dench has appeared in every film since GoldenEye. The only other actors to play M were Bernard Lee in nine films (Dr. No through Moonraker) and Robert Brown who appeared in four of the films (Octopussy through License to Kill).
Bond 23 begins production soon and has a release date of November 9, 2012.
It’s amazing the amount of detail work that goes into creating a good 3d compositions and the best part is when you don’t even notice it’s there until it’s pointed out. That is certainly the case with Black Swan. As an FX creator myself I’m always on the look out for poor work to ridicule and laugh at so I can look smart but this was not the case for this movie. Most of the effects I did not notice until watching this very cool video. Check out the effects and then wonder quietly to yourself why this movie wasn’t nominated for a best visual effects oscar…
This week on thenoobnews podcast Richard and Christian are joined in studio by Matt Jones to discuss why Christopher Nolan wasn’t nominated for best director, why video game versions of movies suck, as well as all the fallout from Kevin Smith’s big announcement from Sundance. All this and much, much more on this episode of thenoobnews…
Here’s this weeks outline…
quick hits
movie news…
christopher nolan not nominated for best director, how is that possible?
does toy story3 belong in the lsit of best picture?
Best Picture nominees
“Black Swan,” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception,” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right,” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King’s Speech,” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours,” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network,” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceàn Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3? Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter’s Bone” Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers
best director nominees
Black Swan,” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter,” David O. Russell
“The King’s Speech,” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network,” David Fincher
“True Grit,” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
television news…
wonder woman is going to pilot
GE’s NBC didn’t like David E. Kelley’s “Wonder Woman” project earlier this month, but Comcast’s NBC just ordered it to pilot.
Based on the iconic DC Comics superheroine, Kelley’s potential series has Diana Prince as a costumed crime fighter by night and a successful Los Angeles corporate executive by day. Elements carried over from the comics include Diana’s lasso of truth, her bullet-deflecting bracelets and her plane.
game news…
Disney Interactive lays off 200 as video game unit shifts focus
Co-Presidents John Pleasants and James Pitaro announce a sweeping reorganization of the group’s money-losing digital media division, including the closure of a development studio.
After sales of the Tron: Evolution video game failed to crack the 1-million mark, Disney this month closed the studio responsible for it. (Disney Interactive Studios / January 26, 2011)
This week on the podcast, Richard and Christian discuss Arnold Schwarzenegger’s future film choices, Anne Hathaway being cast in the upcoming Batman sequel, as well as all the winners from this years Golden Globe Awards. All this and much, much more on this episode of The Noob News.
Welcome to the show outline, here’s the rundown…
Intro
Quick Hits…
Movie news
Apparently Arnold has reported that he’s currently reading 3 scripts 1 is CRUSADE with Paul Verhoeven. Then the one that he says he’s reading and particularly fond of… is WITH WINGS AS EAGLES! written by Randall Wallace (Braveheart, We Were Soldiers fame) is based on the true life story about a German officer who does not agree with his surrounding Nazi party and instead helps the American POWs escape. Didn’t say what the third one was.
television news…
watched awesome tv show on pbs about the pioneers of television, focused on science fiction, early days of star trek and twilight zone, breaking ground and such…
Game news…
Batman Arkham Asylum news
an early look
A year after the events of the first game, Arkham’s former warden Quincy Sharp is now mayor of Gotham. With Arkham destroyed, Sharp has turned Gotham’s slums into a prison for Arkham’s inmates. When Two-Face threatens to execute Catwoman, Batman must break into Arkham City and put a stop to the madness.
Single-Player
The focus remains the main campaign (it’s unknown if it will include co-op play). The basics from the first game remain the same, but now players will need to identify enemies with information and avoid knocking them out in combat. The story is said to be darker and has more characters than in the first game, with the Boy Wonder among many believed to make an appearance.
The list of characters continues to grow, but here are the main players we know about:
* Batman
* Catwoman
* Talia al Ghul
* Two-Face
* Hugo Strange
* The Joker
* Harley Quinn
* Mr. Freeze
* The Riddler
* Mr. Zsasz
* Calendar Man
the main event
The Golden globes was last week, not without some controversy, ricky gervais made some enemys with his acerbic wit,, does it serve the award well to have a comedian making fun of all the winners? should he have done it? he announced he wouldn’t be back, who should take his place?
List of big winners at golden globes…
Best Motion Picture – Drama: ‘The Social Network’
Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical: ‘The Kids Are All Right’
Best Director – Motion Picture: David Fincher, ‘The Social Network’
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama: Colin Firth, ‘The King’s Speech’
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Natalie Portman, ‘Black Swan’
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical: Paul Giamatti, ‘Barney’s Version’
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical: Annette Bening, ‘The Kids Are All Right’
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Christian Bale, ‘The Fighter’
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Melissa Leo, ‘The Fighter’
Best Animated Feature Film: ‘Toy Story 3′
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture: ‘The Social Network’
Best Original Song – Motion Picture: ‘You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,’ ‘Burlesque’
Best Original Score – Motion Picture: ‘The Social Network’
Best Foreign Language Film: ‘In a Better World’
Best Television Series – Drama: ‘Boardwalk Empire’
Best Television Series – Comedy: ‘Glee’
Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama: Steve Buscemi, ‘Boardwalk Empire’
Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy: Jim Parsons, ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama: Katey Sagal, ‘Sons of Anarchy’
Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy: Laura Linney, ‘The Big C’
Best Supporting Actor – Television: Chris Colfer, ‘Glee’
Best Supporting Actress – Television: Jane Lynch, ‘Glee’
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: ‘Carlos’
Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Al Pacino, ‘You Don’t Know Jack.’
Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Claire Danes, ‘Temple Grandin.’
