by Jonathan Weilbaecher // Jan 27, 2012
Last month we spent time reviewing the Golden Globe nominated film scores, at the time I had only listened to one of them going in so it was a nice way to start award season and catch up on some great scores. Now that the Oscar nominations have been released I was going to do the same thing, only I have already reviewed most of them
Thankfully I spaced out and didn’t review the second of John Williams two nominated scores yet, The Adventures of Tintin, so I can knock out the last of the major nominated scores and be all caught up in time for the big show next month. After this week I will move onto the two films with Oscar nominated songs to spice things up a bit.
The Adventures of Tintin is the second score from Williams this year and in tandem with War Horse showcases the Maestro’s range as a composer, even today. Based on the action/adventure films Williams has composed for in the past, Tintin marks a bit of a departure as the music is not dominated by specific themes, it is more a collection of classic action music that sets the stage for the impressive animated film.
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Posted in: 3-D · Academy Awards · Action · Adaptation · Animation · Comics · Film Music Reviews · Film Score Friday · Movies · Music · Reviews
Tagged: Adaptation, Animation, film music review, Film Score Friday, John Williams, Movies, Music, Oscars, Peter Jackson, Reviews, snowy, Steven Spielberg, the adventures of tintin, Tintin
by Joe Gillis // Jan 27, 2012
Something happened in the last ten years or so as exceptional drama TV programming moved away from traditional networks and onto pay cable systems like HBO. With shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, HBO has established itself as one of the premiere destinations for those seeking well written, skillfully produced and high quality shows.
A new show on HBO seeks to continue that tradition this weekend with the premiere of its new horse racing drama Luck. On first glance, it seems like Luck should have no problem taking its place with those other great shows. It was created and is being produced by David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood) and Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat) and features an impressive cast including Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina.
All of those elements together should warrant at least a look at the new show and will almost certainly lead to its success with fans. To help you get ready for the premiere, we’ve got a lot of videos to share with you today including some interviews with Milch and Mann as well as a couple trailers.
Check out all the videos after the break. Luck premieres Sunday at 9/8C on HBO.
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Posted in: Drama · HBO · News · TV · TV Previews
Tagged: David Milch, Dennis Farina, Drama, Dustin Hoffman, HBO, Horse Racing, Luck, Michael Mann, Nick Nolte, TV
by John Carle // Jan 27, 2012
We had already heard that Cole from Infamous and PlayStation Japan’s anthropomorphic cat duo of Toro and Kuro were coming to the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita version’s of Street Fighter X Tekken. But now in their latest trailer, the team at Capcom may have put the final two nails in the coffin of the argument over which version of the game to buy.
Exclusive to the two Sony consoles will be two gaming classics. First, making his return to the fighting games arena after being left out of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is Mega Man. But, this isn’t the same Mega Man that people have become accustomed to over the past twenty years. This Mega Man is returning all the way back to his old school gaming box cover roots from the very first Mega Man release. With his classic gritty costume in all its yellow and blue glory, this Mega Man even holds a gun as opposed to his arm equipped Mega Buster.
In another surpisingly wacky move, Pac Man has been added to the roster as well. That’s right. Pac Man. Now, we were as skeptical about how this would work when we first read it too. But if you check out the trailer below and see him in action, it almost begins to make some sense. Pac Man isn’t just going in by himself. Instead he will be operating some crazy wooden mech in combat. Think of it as a low tech version of Tron Bon’s robot from Marvel vs. Capcom.
Take a peek after the jump of the latest trailer featuring Pac Man, Mega Man, Cole, Toro and Kuro all in action. Stick to the Flickcast for more information on Street Fighter X Tekken as it becomes available.
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Posted in: Announcements · Capcom · Exclusive · Game Trailers · Games · News · Playstation 3 · Sony · Trailers · Video Games
Tagged: Capcom, Cole, inFamous, Infamous 2, Kuro, Mega Man, Namco Bandai, Pac-Man, Playstation 3, PlayStation Vita, Toro, Trailers, Video Game Trailers, Video Games
by Matt Raub // Jan 27, 2012
We love when good movies inspire innovative ideas. For some reason, it happens much more in the Sci-Fi genre than anywhere else, but most good ideas stem from an even better classic film. That’s what we feel like is happening with the upcoming film Lockout, starring Guy Pearce.
Take a look at the official synopsis here and see if you can pick up subtle hints to a classic film.
Starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace and set in the near future, LOCKOUT follows a falsely convicted ex- government agent (Pearce), whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President’s daughter (Grace) from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum security prison.
Just call Guy Pearce Snake Plissken and you’ve got yourself a sequel to Escape From L.A, but in space. You’ll even notice the line from the trailer “He’s the best there is, but he’s a loose cannon.” The film also stars LOST star Maggie Grace, who’s quite good at getting herself kidnapped, as proven in Taken. This time, Liam Neeson won’t be there with his particular set of skills.
Take a look at the trailer after the jump and catch Lockout in theaters on April 20th.
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Posted in: Action · Drama · Movies · News · Sci-Fi · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Escape From New York, Guy Pearce, Lockout, Luc Besson, Maggie Grace, Snake Plissken
by Jonathan Weilbaecher // Jan 27, 2012
Tonight sees the end of Chuck, a quirky show that never seemed to connected with the mainstream, but managed to carve out enough of a fan base to stay alive for an impressive five season run.
The Friday night time slot the show has inhabited is often referred to as the ‘Firday Night Death Slot’, a moniker that has made sense this season as it has been no secret this would be Chuck‘s last season. That said, death is not always a sorrowful event, sometimes it can be a celebration. A celebration of the life of a show that against most odds lived long enough to give its fans a satisfying run.
Check out a whole slew of videos clips in anticipation on tonight’s finale. In the first few videos you get series stars Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, and Joshua Gomez remembering the show, thanking the fans and saying goodbye to the show.
Following those we have several clips from tonight’s finale to get you all jazzed for the, hopefully, fond farewell to one of our favorite nerd/super spies.
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Posted in: Action · NBC · News · TV · Video
Tagged: Action, Chuck, Clips, Comedy, goodbye, Joshua Gomez, NBC, Series Finale, Spy, TV, Videos, Yvonne Strahovski, Zachary Levi
by Jonathan Weilbaecher // Jan 27, 2012
Monty Python is the gold standard for which all modern comedy troupes tend to be judged on. In the ’70s and ’80s the Pythons perfected TV sketch comedy and transitioned into films with excellent results. So many of the bits and several of their feature films are bona fide classics.
Unfortunately the untimely passing of Graham Chapman marked the end of a legendary era, with most of the remaining members gaining success in other areas of entertainment during the next two decades. Now, according to Variety, Terry Jones has managed to get the guys back together for a new film he is directing.
Plans are for filming to begin in the U.K. this spring, with the Pythons voicing key roles as a a group of aliens who endow an earthling with the power to do “absolutely anything” to see what a mess he’ll make of things — which is precisely what happens. There’s also a talking dog named Dennis who seems to understand more about the mayhem that ensues than anyone else does. Robin Williams will voice the character.
“It’s not a Monty Python picture, but it certainly has that sensibility,” Jones told Variety.
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Posted in: Announcements · Casting · Comedy · Movies · News · Sci-Fi
Tagged: Casting, Comedy, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Monty Python, Movies, News, reunion, Robin Williams, Sci-Fi, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
by Matt Blackwood // Jan 27, 2012

Texas Killing Fields is a strong, straightforward crime thriller which tells the story of three cops running the gauntlet in an attempt to solve two brutal crimes. But the film is particularly notable for its haunting tone and superlative acting.
Director Ami Canaan Mann does everything she can to give the movie an infectious gloom, an impressive imitation of the sprawling claustrophobia specific to Southern poverty. Mann, daughter of the legendary Michael Mann (who also co-produced the film), makes a lot of smart choices here, but none more crucial than the cast.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Sam Worthington bring their own unique intensity to their natural good cop/bad cop relationship, and a pre-Oscar nomination Jessica Chastain (The Help) brings a fiery quality to a supporting role. As usual, the 12-year-old Chloe Moretz shows remarkably advanced nuance for an actor her age.
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Posted in: Action · Anchor Bay · Blu-Ray · Drama · Movies · Mystery and Suspense · News · Thriller
Tagged: Ami Canaan Mann, Blu-Ray, Chloe Moretz, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, jessica Chastain, Movies, Sam Worthington
by Jonathan Weilbaecher // Jan 26, 2012
The upcoming reboot if the Spider-Man franchise has a larger air of mystery then usual for a tent poll comic book film. This comes from the fact that just a couple years ago the franchise was alive and relativity healthy, but Sony went directly for a reboot instead of riding the Raimi series to an unfortunate end.
Sony recently released the official synopsis for the film which confirms what a lot of people inferred from the trailers and production stories.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.
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Posted in: Action · Adaptation · Comics · Marvel · Movies · News · Sony
Tagged: Announcments, Comics, Gwen Stacy, Marvel, Movies, News, Peter Parker, Sony, Spider-Man, Synopsis, The Lizard
by Joe Gillis // Jan 26, 2012
It’s Thursday again so that means more new episodes of some of our favorite shows on NBC tonight. Sure, we still miss Community and hope it’s really coming back.
Until then, at least we’ve still got brand new episodes of 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation and more to help us pass the time. Not only that, we’ve got previews for all the new episodes for you right here too.
First up on 30 Rock, Liz invokes a pact she and Jenna made to each other years before. Then on Parks and Recreation, Knope 2012 goes on a bowling adventure.
Next up, it’s a second episode of 30 Rock called “The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell.” Finally, The Firm is back with a new episode. Havent had a chance to watch that one yet but I would bet the budget for a one hour drama show would have been more than enough to cover the cost of new episodes of Community.
Come on NBC, get with the program and give the viewers what they really want. We don’t mind that you made a mistake, we all do. Just correct it. . . soon.
Check out all the previews after the break.
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Posted in: NBC · News · TV · TV Previews
Tagged: 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Alison Brie, Amy Poehler, Community, Jane Krakowski, Joel McHale, Parks and Rec, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Tina Fey, TV, TV Previews
by Kara Grimoire // Jan 26, 2012
With the recent resurgence of fairy tale themed shows such as NBC’s Grimm and ABC’s own Once Upon a Time, the Disney-owned company is now prepared to launch their second fabled show in the form of a live-action retelling of the children’s classic Beauty and the Beast, originally written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.
The pilot will be written by Jonathan E. Steinberg (Human Target, Jericho with Steinberg acting as executive producer with Gary Fleder and Mary Beth Basile. It is also speculated that the series, if picked up, will air after the networks already highly successful Once Upon A Time. This version of the tale is intended as a period piece and will feature a hardboiled princess who develops a connection with a wild beast. No word yet on casting.
As if one Beauty and the Beast show wasn’t enough, the CW has also ordered a reboot of the CBS-produced version which ran on the network from 1987-1989. It starred Ron Pearlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy) as Vincent, a lion-faced creature who wanders the New York sewers and occasionally quotes Shakespeare.
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Posted in: ABC · Adaptation · Announcements · CBS · CW · Disney · News · Period Piece · Reboots and Remakes · TV
Tagged: ABC, Adaptations, Announcments, Beauty and the Beast, CBS, CW, Fantasy, News, Pilot, Reboots and Remakes, TV, tv show
by Matt Raub // Jan 26, 2012
Those who have had the stomach to sit through the post-departure of Steve Carell from The Office know that the show hasn’t had the same excitement and originality it had when he was attached. Since Helms and newcomer James Spader have taken the lead in the show, it’s become less about the boss and more about the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
That’s probably why NBC is contemplating taking the show’s standout character, Dwight Shrute, and giving him his own spin-off, a la NBC’s move with Friends and Joey. We all remember how that ended. THR has the scoop.
Reports of NBC eyeing a potential spin-off centered around Rainn Wilson’s quirky Dwight Schrute character are indeed true, according to a well-placed source. The idea would be to further explore the Shrute family farm, with multiple generations of Schrutes involved. The comedy concept could get a test of sorts on an episode of The Office later this season.
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Posted in: Action · Announcements · Casting · Comedy · NBC · Networks · News · TV · TV Ratings
Tagged: Ben Silverman, Dwight Shrute, ed helms, Friday Night Dinner, Greg Daniels, James Spader, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Paul Liebertstein, Rainn Wilson, Steve Carell, The Office
by Matt Raub // Jan 26, 2012
We’ve had some pretty interesting spec ideas come through the studio system in the past few years, from teenagers with telekenetic powers, to aliens living in the slums of Africa, and thieves that steal information from your dreams. All of those ideas, however, don’t come anywhere close to the sheer insanity of the idea that is “Nazis from Space”.
Sure, it sounds like a bad Lloyd Kaufman flick from the 70s, but consider this film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow meets Close Encounters. Here’s the not-so-basic premise.
As World War II comes to an end in 1945, Hans Kammler and other German scientists make a breakthrough in anti-gravity research. From a secret base in the Antarctic, Nazi spaceships are sent to the ”dark side” of the Moon to establish the military base “Schwarze Sonne”. Their plan is to build a powerful fleet and return to conquer Earth. The film is set in the year 2018 when their descendants finally return.
The film is having its big premiere in Berlin, of all places, this November. So while we’ve got a bit of time before us here in the States get to see it, you have got to check out the newest trailer for the film after the jump. Motherf*cking Space Nazis!!
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Posted in: Action · Comedy · Cult Cinema · Historical Dramas · Movies · News · Sci-Fi · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Berlinale, Hans Kammler, Iron Sky, Nazis, Timo Vuorensola