Video Game Movies

Two of the biggest entertainment businesses in the industry, Movies and Video Games, have never really had a great relationship. There have been many attempts at blending the to things together. But very few have been received well. From critics or the public. If you ask, many will say Mortal Combat for the guilty pleasure factor or the Resident Evil franchise for the same reason.

But as video games become more story driven, more and more people want to see their favorite games brought to the big screen. And the expectations to be good are there as well. And though the past has not been good to us, there are a couple of upcoming projects that give me hope. If you luck at a list of video games being worked into movies, you will see a list full of titles in development. Most of those won't ever be made into movies. But there are two names that I look at that are coming out and give me a lot of hope: Warcraft and Assassin's Creed. 

Warcraft was set to come out December this year, but wisely moved out of the way of Star Wars and back to March 11, 2016. The film is directed to by Duncan Jones and set to star is Ben Foster, Toby Kebbell, Paula Patton, and many more. Oh, it also happens to be based on thee very popular game World of Warcraft. The plot revolves around the first encounters between the Orcs and the Humans.

A lot of the above paragraph might not mean much. A bunch of names and a small plot detail. And honestly, that is about as much as anybody knows about the movie. But I just have a great feeling about this. WOW has such a great lore and the opportunity to pick and chose certain story points can make one heck of a plot. And I feel great about the people involved. Ben Foster  is a solid actor capable of stealing any scene he is in. And if you have seen Jones's Moon, than you know he can direct. I just have a good feeling.

Assassin's Creed is a similar story. There is really not much known except for a release date, 12/21/16, and a star, Michael Fassbender. But there is just a feeling around this movie. The games have great stories and Fassbender is Oscar nominated actor.

If these two movies are not only good, but also do solid box office, I can pretty much promise that the long list of movies that will never be made will get much shorter.

Today In...

American Sniper B.O. and Arnett's new Netflix Show


....Movies

- American Sniper blow away everyone's expectations. The six-time Oscar nominated film grossed $89.505M over the three-day weekend. It should gross around $105M for the four-day holiday weekend. It was the largest January/February opening weekend and the biggest MLK four-day haul.

- Wondering how much SONY lost with the Interview? Well, according to the National Association of Theater Owners, SONY will loss $30M on the movie.

- The first teaser trailer for the upcoming reboot Fantastic Four will appear before the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service. So, Fantastic Four fans, be ready February 13.

....Television

- Will Arnett already has plans for another show. He has landed a comedy on Netflix. He will star, co-write, and executive produce the show, titled Flaked. Arnett will play a self-appointed guru named Chip who inadvertently falls in love with his best friend’s crush.

-  Lifetime’s Whitney movie on Saturday night drew 4.5 million total viewers, marking the cabler’s most watched telecast since a year ago’s Flowers in the Attic(6.1 mil).

- If you are a fan of Scorpion, a cool Easter egg will be in tonight's episode. The team will uncover a phone in the midst of their investigation. And instead of the normal 555 number, it will be a real number that you can actually call. There is supposed to be a surprise on the other end that fans will enjoy.

....Video Games

- Pneuma: Breath of Life will launch on February 27 for Xbox One, developer Deco Digital announced. The first-person puzzle game is currently on Steam Greenlight, seeking community approval for distribution on the PC service. Pneuma will be console-exclusive to Xbox One for its first 30 days.

-  Firaxis will send out an "interstellar strategy game" for PC, Mac and iPad in early 2015. According to 2K's initial announcement, players will research new technologies and spaceship designs, pierce through the unknown reaches of the galaxy and fight in turn-based combat, all hinged on "distinctive" maps and dynamically created combat missions.

- SONY has reviled the top selling PS4 games of 2014.

1. Destiny
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
4. Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition
5. The Last of Us Remastered
6. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
7. Battlefield 4
8. Infamous: Second Son
9. Watch Dogs
10. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Videos of the Week

Movies

Trailers will almost always take this spot. This week I give you two real trailers and a fake one.

Television

A Better Call Saul trailer. Plus a cool throwback for a cool cartoon.

Video Games
Saint's Row trailers always rock. So does this one.

Today In...

DC dropout, Heroes casting, and Xbox price drop

....Movies

- It seems that DC is going to have to find a new Rick Flag in the upcoming The Suicide Squad. Tom Hardy, who signed on about a month ago, has dropped out. The movie he is currently filming is going over schedule and he will have no time to film the DC movie.

- If you were waiting to see Thor fight a giant whale in March, you will have to wait a little bit longer. The Chris Hemsworth staring, Ron Howard directed In the Heart of the Sea has been pushed to December.

- A new trailer for the Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart comedy film Get Hard has hit the web. The film opens on March 27.

....Television

- Luis Guzman (How to Make It in America) and Finesse Mitchell (Saturday Night Live) have joined Showtime’s comedy pilot Roadies in potentially recurring roles. Guzman will portray tour-bus driver Gooch, while Mitchell is the charming tour accountant Harvey.

- USA Network has ordered the comedic series Donny!, a look at media, wealth and modern romance through the eyes of famed ad man/TV personality Donny Deutsch’s fictionalized character. The show will debut in late 2015.

- NBC has cast another player for their upcoming miniseries Heroes Reborn. Zachary Levi has signed on to the 13-episode continuation of their series Heroes. No exact details yet but he is said to have a key role.

....Video Games

- The Xbox One is once again available at $350. That was the price for awhile during the holidays before being brought back up to $400 on January 3. Hope you didn't buy one in the last two weeks.

- The hard mode for the Crota's End raid in Destiny next week. Hard mode will be the only way to get Crux of Crota, which you need to fully upgrade the Eidolon Ally.  Level 33 will also be available next week.

- Hotline Miami 2 has been rated RC (Refused Classification) in Australia, effectively banning it there. The RC was given for a sequence in the game tiled Midnight Animal. In the sequence the main character reportedly rapes a women.

Oscar Nominations

This time of year is always award season. And the biggest award for movies is the Oscars. The Academy Awards have released their nomination lists. That follows with some personal thoughts added in.

Best Picture
"American Sniper"
"Birdman"
"Boyhood"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"The Imitation Game"
"Selma"
"The Theory of Everything"
"Whiplash"

No big surprises here. You probably could have guessed the list. Some thought that Foxcatcher would get a nom. And with only 8 noms, they could have. Keep in mind that Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel won the awards at the Golden Globes.

Best Director
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"

Would've liked to see Ava DuVernay get a nom for “Selma”. This category is full of men.

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Moore will probably will win here. Surprised that Jennifer Aniston (Cake) or Amy Adams (Big Eyes) didn't get a nomination.

Best Actor
Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher" 
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

One of the biggest surprises of the entire list is Bradley Copper for American Sniper. I would have left him off for David Oyelowe in Selma. Some also thought Miles Teller deserved one for Whiplash. I think this is Keaton's to lose.

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Glad Dern got the nom. Think Streep got the nom just because she is Streep, though she is the best part of her movie. Honestly, this is Arquette's.

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
Edward Norton, "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Same list as the Globes. Think it will turn out the same.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Anthony McCarten, "The Theory of Everything"
Graham Moore, "The Imitation Game"

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye, "Foxcatcher" 
Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Best Foreign Language Film
"Leviathan"
"Ida"
"Tangerines"
“Timbuktu”
"Wild Tales"

Best Documentary Feature
"CITIZENFOUR"
“Finding Vivian Maier”
"Last Days in Vietnam"
“The Salt of the Earth”
"Virunga”

Best Animated Feature
"Big Hero 6"
"The Boxtrolls"
"How to Train Your Dragon 2"
“Song of the Sea”
"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya"

A lot of people are scream that The Lego Movie got snubbed. I don't know about that but I would've had it there instead of Boxtrolls. 

Best Film Editing
"American Sniper"
"Boyhood"
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
"The Imitation Game"
"Whiplash"

Best Original Song
"Everything is Awesome" from "The LEGO Movie" (written by Shawn Patterson)
"Glory" from "Selma" (written by Common and John Legend)
"Grateful" from "Beyond the Lights" (written by Diane Warren)
"I’m Not Gonna Miss You" from "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me" (written by Glen Campbell)
"Lost Stars" from "Begin Again" (written by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and Nick Southwood)

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" 
Alexandre Desplat, "The Imitation Game"
Johann Johannsson, "The Theory of Everything"
Gary Yershon, “Mr. Turner”
Hans Zimmer, "Interstellar"

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, "Unbroken"
Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman" 
Dick Pope, "Mr. Turner"
Robert Yeoman, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, “Ida”

Best Costume Design
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
“Inherent Vice”
"Into the Woods"
"Maleficent" 
"Mr. Turner"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
"Foxcatcher"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"

Best Production Design
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
"Into the Woods"
"Mr. Turner"

Best Sound Editing
"American Sniper"
“Birdman”
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"
"Interstellar"
"Unbroken"

Best Sound Mixing
"American Sniper"
"Birdman"
“Interstellar”
"Unbroken"
“Whiplash”

Best Visual Effects
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"Interstellar"
"X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Best Short Film, Live Action
"Aya"
“Boogaloo and Graham”
“Butter Lamp”
“Parvaneh”
"The Phone Call"

Best Short Film, Animated
"The Bigger Picture"
"The Dam Keeper"
"Feast"
"Me and My Moulton"
“A Single Life”

Best Documentary, Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
"Joanna"
"Our Curse"
“The Reaper”
"White Earth"

Nominations (by movie):
“Birdman” – 9
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” – 9
“The Imitation Game” – 8
“Boyhood” – 6
“American Sniper” – 6
“Whiplash” – 5
“Interstellar” – 5
“Foxcatcher” – 5

Thursday's Look Back

This is a place where I talk about something I never got into.

Usually. This time I will give something that you may have not seen. And that would be

Young Justice

This is a show that my brother had been trying to get me to watch for a while. I finally did and I loved it. Form the diverse characters and fun action, it is something to watch. 

I am not the biggest DC fan. So, my DC knowledge is lacking. I thought I might have gotten lost. But it is very easy to watch and understand. Yeah, there were some Easter eggs that I missed, but it didn't hurt my enjoyment.

The first of two seasons is on Netflix. And believe me if you have the time, watch a episode or two. You will not regret it.

Today In....

....Movies

- Avengers: Age of Ultron has dropped a new trailer.

- There are a few movies getting new release dates. Ghost in the Shell will hit April 14, 2017. Disney’s remake of their classic ‘Pete’s Dragon’ will hit theaters on August 12, 2016. One of the live-action The Jungle Book movies got pushed back from October. It will now release on April 15, 2016.

- If you are a James Cameron Avatar fan, you are about to be disappointed. The first of three planned sequel has been delayed till 2017. It was going to hit in late 2016. The three films are going to be filmed back to back. The reason for the delay was Cameron said that he need more time to finish writing the scripts.

....Television

- Four-time Oscar winner Woody Allen has signed on to create his first-ever series for Amazon Studios. Currently being referred to as the Untitled Woody Allen Project, the half-hour series received a full-season order. Allen will write and direct the episodes, which will be available to U.S. viewers exclusively on Amazon.

- It seems that ABC Family only needs to see have of season 2 to know they want more of The Fosters. The channel renewed the series for a 3rd season. Season 2B premieres Jan. 19 at 8/7c.

- The USA network comedy Benched has been cancelled. The season one (and now series) finale aired Dec. 30.
....Video Games

- If you are waiting for the New 3DS to come out, you don't have to wait long. It will be coming out Feb. 13, 2015. But you'll only have a choice between a red or black New 3DS XL in North America.

- PCers will have to wait till March 24 to play Grand Theft Auto V. Rockstar has delayed the PC release of their hit game. But they did have some good news. Heist will be out before than. A exact date has not been given.

- The Order 1886 got a new trailer.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Why it just needs to be entertaining

Sunday, I had some free time and decided to rent the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and watch it with my brother. And I got to say, it entertained me. Yeah, I know that it wasn't the best acted or directed. The plot wasn't the greatest and it was kind of stupid. But, sitting there with my brother, I couldn't help but have fun. And that was the point of the movie.

A movie like Turtles is not meant to be anything more than that. It is supposed to let you forget the world for a little while. It is supposed to entertain. And it doesn't have to be anything more. Yeah, it would by a bonus if it was well acted and directed. It would be a bonus if it had a great plot and a good script. But I don't go into a movie like this expecting that. As long as I come out of the movie having had fun, I am happy.

I think there is a similar thing with comedies. It can be stupid and the plot can make no sense, but if it makes you laugh, it did it's job. And I don't know if audiences should ask more than that. Turtles and Transformers should be entertaining. 22 Jump Street and Bridesmaids should me funny. A horror should scare you. That is what they are. And that is what you should expect them to be.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a movie that can be fun if you are watching with friends. And that is great and fun.

What Agent Carter does right and what Gotham doesn't

Last week, Agent Carter started its seven week run. And let me tell you it started it of strong. The two hour premiere did everything it was meant to do and more. Thing was, after I watched this, I decided to catch up on Gotham, as I was two episodes behind. And I realized how similar and how different these to shows are.

I could go on about these but I think that would just become a mess. How about I tell you my opinions on both shows separately. Let's start with Carter.

Agent Carter

I liked, no loved, the premiere. Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter is amazing. She is a tool that the Marvel universe has and that they are not afraid to use. Too bad she is stuck in the  1940s because I would love to see her hang out with Black Widow. Oh, well. I do like the era, though. Carter feels right at home there. It is a show that is stylized just the right amount.

The plot was focus on one thing: getting the job done. Yes, small subplots were there, but they do not interfere with what was important. And it used some cool tricks to do this. How they used the radio show in the second episode was brilliant. It also was the characters in a great way. How they use the why the other spies see Peggy is perfect. It says, "Sure, it's the 1946 and there is sexism, but we are going to use it to our advantage." How the spies constantly underestimate Peggy is both entertaining and a great plot device.

But the best part is the characters. I could go on and on about Peggy, but I think you got the point. So, how about Jarvis? He is the anti-Alfred. He doesn't know what he is doing and really is just a butler. But he is great. His interactions with Peggy are interesting for both characters. Then there is Thompson and Dooley. Two spies that are the manliest and most sexist. The way they act is the way you would think most 1940s cops would. And they own it. Sousa is a sweet guy that I am still getting a handle on.

Truth be told, I really don't have any real problems with the show.

Gotham

This is a show I really wanted to like. And I understand that shows like this can take a while to get their footing. That is why I an still watching. But at the moment, it I have a lot of problems with it. Starting with their tendency to jam in every reference to who every villain eventually becomes. Every time Edward Nygma come on screen, it seems like he has to state a riddle. Or maybe my problem is that there is too many villains. I mean, what was the point of having Poison Ivy in the show? Or making it extremely obvious about who Harvey Dent will become? The only villain I like is Selina Kyle, a.k.a Catwoman. I also like the Penguin have of the time. Truth be told, it kind of feels like, because they don't have Batman, they feel the need to cram the show with every name character they can.

And that hurts the show. A show that is supposed to be about Jim Gordon. But you spend a third of your time with a gangster plot that doesn't seem to matter and another third on a young Bruce Wayne that is kind of boring. That only leaves you with a third on Gordon. Add in the case of the week and you have very little time to spend on actual plot. And did I mention that I didn't like Bruce Wayne? I did good. Because the only time I liked him was when he is hanging out with Selina. And for a character that you spend so much time on.

Another thing is it doesn't have a time period. It feels like a show out of time. But not in the good way. The show feels like it would fit in the 1950s or 60s. But they have cellphones and other things that bring you out of that. I just doesn't feel right.


I think my point is, Agent Carter is what I want Gotham to be . It is a show that Gotham could be. And maybe the third episode of Carter can be terrible. I doubt that, but it could still happen. One thing is for sure. If Carter is any indication on Daredevil and the other Netflix shows, we are in for a good time.

Today In....

Sisters Trailer, MTV News, and a Friday the 13th Game

....Movies

- The same day as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were hosting the Golden Globes, and new TV spot dropped for their upcoming movie, Sisters.

- You know that rumor that Batman VS Superman was going to be two films? Well, according to Supes himself that rumor is not true. Henry Cavill stated in an interview with Variety that the film will be released as one film.

- The weekend box office looks as follows. Taken 3 $40.4M, Selma $11.2M, Into the Woods $9.75M, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies $9.44M, Unbroken $8.37M.



....Television

- In MTV news, they will be bringing back America's Best Dance Crew for a six episode run this summer. The judging panel will be made up of new faces. In other news, Finding Carter premieres its second season on March 31 at 10/9c.

- NBC has given a pilot order to Warrior, a drama from writer/executive producer David DiGilio. The pilot follows a “damaged” heroine who goes undercover with help from a “mysterious” martial arts master in an attempt to “bring down an international crime lord.”

- During Castle's two-part in February, you will see the return of a couple bad guys. Annie Wersching (24) returns as 3XK groupie Dr. Kelly Nieman. They are also bringing back Michael Mosley as Jerry Tyson himself, EW.com reports. This return was hinted at last season.

....Video Games

- Blizzard may have to rebrand Overwatch the trademark of the tile has been suspended. This happened "because of a likelihood of confusion" between the Blizzard shooter and a mobile app of the same name. Blizzard can appeal the suspension. Or they can win out over their competition following a planned disposition to determine what will happen to the trademark.

- Want to know how many people have downloaded the mobile game Puzzle & Dragons? Well, whether the answer was yes or no you are about to find out. Over 42M people have downloaded the game across ios, Android, and Kindle Fire HD devices. 33M of those is from Japan. Another 6M can be contributed to North America.

- Crystal Lake Entertainment has announced that the tentatively titled Friday the 13th game is in development and is set for October, 2015. This will be the first time since 1989 that Jason Voorhees will appear in a video game.

Golden Globes: The Winners list and a glimpse at history

The 72nd Golden Globes took place last night. There were winners and losers and snubs. There were laughs and groins and cries. And there was history.

Where to start? How about the fact that it was a good year for firsts. Amazon and the CW both won their first major awards. Amazon won two, tied for most by the way, for their show, Transparent. Which is a really clever name. The show won for both Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy with Jeffrey Tambor. The CW won Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy with Gina Rodriguez. Truth be told, it was a good night to be a new series, as five of the six awards went to newcomers. The odd man out was Kevin Spacey's win for Best Actor in a TV series, Drama. With the award for Best TV series, Drama going to Showtime's The Affair, it was the first time in at least a decade that both best drama and comedy series went to newcomers. The streaming services, Netflix and Amazon, won three of the categories. Premium cable, Showtime, won two and the only broadcast TV award went to the CW. The big 4 got shut out

For the miniseries/TV movie awards, Fargo won best series/movie and best actor with Billy Bob Thornton. Maggie Gyllenhaal won for The Honorable Woman. As for best supporting awards, Matt Bomer won for The Normal Heart. And Joanna Froggatt, Downtown Abbey, beat out three Emmy winners for the award.

On to movies. The two big awards, Best Pictures, went to Boyhood for Drama and The Grand Budapest Hotel for Musical or Comedy. Best Actors were Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything, and Michael Keaton, Birdman. Best Actresses went to Julianne Moore, Still Alice,  and Amy Adams, Big Eyes. Best supporting Actor and Actress were won by J.K. Simmons, Whiplash, and Patricia Arquette, Boyhood. Boyhood ended up with three awards as Richard Linklater snagged Best Director.

A full list of the winners follows.

 

Best Motion Picture, Drama, Boyhood
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama, Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, Michael Keaton,Birdman
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, J. K. Simmons, Whiplash
Best Animated Feature Film, How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Foreign Language Film, Leviathan
Best Director, Motion Picture, Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture, Alejando González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo, Birdman
Best Original Score, Motion Picture, Jóhann Jóhansson, The Theory of Everything
Best Original Song, Motion Picture, John Legend and Common, "Glory" from Selma
Best TV Series, Drama, The Affair
Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama, Ruth Wilson, The Affair
Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama, Kevin Spacey House of Cards
Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy, Transparent
Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy, Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy, Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Best TV Movie or Mini-Series, Fargo
Best Actress in a Mini-Series or TV Movie, Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Movie, Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo
Best Supporting Actress in Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie, Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie, Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
The Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, George Clooney