Anyone who has been following the The Flickcast should know we were incredibly excited for the upcoming Transformers: War for Cybertron. It’s not the Michael Bay Optimus Prime has a mouth and every Decepticon looks the same Transformers. It’s the real deal G1 Transformers we grew up with and loved. Activision has been taking this one seriously as we had hoped they would and dropped not one, but two bombs on us this week regarding the upcoming release.

First off, there are two different pre-order bonuses coming for those who decide to purchase in advance from either Gamespot (shown above) or Amazon.com. Those who pre-order from either location will be given exclusive download codes to skins available in the game’s multiplayer modes. Amazon preorders will be given the Demolishor skin (below) while Gamespot preorders will get the chance to play as Shockwave.

In additional mutliplayer news, a trailer has just been released for Transformers: War for Cybertron’s online competitive multiplayer mode. Players will have the option to take on roles as either Leaders, Scouts, Scientists or Soldiers in customizable characters against players over XBox Live and the PlayStation Network. Take a look below at what the trailer has to offer and make sure to check back right here for more news on Transformers: War for Cybertron as it becomes available.

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Today in a special event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed brand new details on the next version of Apple’s iPhone OS. The new version, which will be called OS 4.0, brings many features users had been hoping for as well as some new ones they never thought of. The new software will be released to developers today but you’ll have to wait until Summer to enjoy it on your iPhones once it officially is released.

Here’s some of what you can expect when the OS 4.0 Update hits the street:

Multitasking

People have been asking for it and now Apple is going to deliver. You’ll be able to work on one application while using another in the background. Switching between the two will be quick. Plus, Apple says having several applications running in the background won’t effect performance of the iPhone. I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Email

iPhone OS 4.0 brings the iPhone’s email capabilities in line with its desktop Mail application. Global inboxes are now part of the iPhone as well as the ability to sort emails by threads and open attachments in specific apps.

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Disney made the most of their WonderCon time this weekend, treating fans and curious spectators alike with two exclusive clips from the Prince of Persia‘s fabled world of 1,001 Nights.

I gotta be honest with you, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Newell and Bruckheimer have already spoken at length at WonderCon about their sensitivity to bringing this adaptation to the big screen, and on paper, it doesn’t seem like an odd bet. Bruckheimer certainly struck gold with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and given what Newell was able to do with the much beloved world of Harry Potter, I wasn’t as skeptical of his helming as I was at the odds of something getting completely lost in translation.

That being said, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time looks like it’s going to be a fun ride. The debut clip was an attack on a heavily fortified city and clearly shows off Gyllenhaal’s much talked about stuntwork (thanks to his acrobatic and Parkour training). There’s lots of sneaking around, last minute ingenuity and, of course, swordfighting (the hallmarks of any swashbuckler adventure film), but everything doesn’t always go according to plan. Yes, this is an action flick, but this is also a Newell film.

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It’s not just Hollywood that seems obsessed with 3D technology lately. It’s also video game makers Sony and Microsoft, who have both talked up their forthcoming 3D gaming strategies, as well as flat-panel makers like Samsung, Sony and Vizio, who are poised to flood the market with 3D-capable TV’s as soon as this summer. And now, Google is getting in on this much-hyped technology.

Despite criticisms of 3D as yet another cheap marketing gimmick, it seems a veritable wave of 3D products and content are poised to crash down on us consumers like it or not, and Google is getting their feet wet with a shiny new 3D feature of their Google Street View. Available via Google Maps, zoom into a particular location and you are likely to find a “street view” which allows you to tilt and pan your way around a photographic representation of the neighborhood you are exploring.

Launched recently and without much fan-fare, Google’s street view now features a new icon of a little guy wearing the iconic green and red 3D glasses. Known internally to Google as the “Pegman,” click that little guy and he’ll transform your standard street view into a fully stereoscopic image of the neighborhood. Pardon me, while I go find my 3D glasses. If you’ve got your glasses strapped on as well, check out the 3D screenshot of the Arclight Theater in L.A. after the jump.

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It’s ironic how we were just having the discussion on this week’s podcast that Sam Worthington feels like a forced “action star” in Hollywood today, as news is now hitting that Taylor Kitsch has been cast to star in Peter Berg’s film adaptation of the timeless board game Battleship. From Heat Vision:

Pete Berg is directing the action adventure movie, whose story has drawn heat from some quarters for adding an “alien invasion” element to what has been traditionally seen as a grounded Naval game. The script, by Jon and Erich Hoeber, sees an international fleet come together to battle a water-bound armada of otherworldly origin.

In “Battleship,” Kitsch is playing a Naval commander named Alex Hopper, described as “wildly spirited” and “a great seaman but a lousy politician.”

Kitsch was a relative unknown a few years ago, but since being cast as Gambit in last year’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he’s already been cast as the titular lead in Pixar’s upcoming John Carter of Mars as well as being the lead in the TV adapatation of Friday Night Lights. Much like how Worthington was put over the top by getting roles in Avatar, Terminator: Salvation, and Clash of the Titans.

With this new role, it could seem that Kitsch is going to be the next “Worthington”, but what could that mean for the first “Worthington”? Is there room in Hollywood, amidst the stack of reboots and remakes as far as the eye can see, for two actors that Hollywood is forcing down our throats?

Whenever Lego takes a franchise and turns it into a video game, the end result is always a bucketful of fun, and Lego’s take on the wonderful and magical world of Harry Potter looks to be no different. Lego Harry Potter, which includes games based off of the first four films in the franchise, will be released this summer, and The Flickcast got to peek at the trailer for the second installment in the story, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

What’s interesting about the Lego Harry Potter games is that they’re based off of the films, not the books. Video game adaptations of the first few books were released a few years ago for Playstation, and they were pretty disappointing with some crummy character design and terrible game-play. Not surprisingly, the trailer for Lego Harry Potter reveals nothing but the promise of great things. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their fellow witches and wizards all look great in their Lego forms, and Hogwarts makes a great transition from real bricks to Lego blocks.

John Williams’ iconic film score is also present, further immersing the player within the world of Hogwarts. Players will be able to play through their favorite moments in the game including flying the car into the Whomping Willow, teleporting into the past through Tom Riddle’s diary, and entering the Chamber of Secrets to fight the mighty basilisk. The game play features familiar Lego franchise staples, like the collection of Lego studs throughout the world of Harry Potter, and uses the magical abilities of characters to interact with Lego pieces in the game.

It looks like the hijinx that fans expect from Lego games blends well with the mystical and magical world of Harry Potter, proving that these two franchises have always meant to be together, and on June 29th, you’ll be able to play Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 for Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, and PC . In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for any news from the world of witchcraft and wizardry right here at The Flickcast and check out the trailer after the jump.

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Well, after watching the first three episodes of this new FX drama, I decided to start recapping the show. How befitting that last night’s episode ‘Long in the Tooth’ revolved around a fugitive dentist.  I worked as a dental hygienist for seven years, so I got an extra kick out of the subject matter.  (Hate to break it to you, though, there is no way in hell those two tri-furcated molars could have been extracted so easily, they practically leaped out of the victim’s mandible.  Just saying.)

If you are not familiar with Justified, Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood, Damages)  plays Raylen Givens, a U.S. Marshal who is disciplined after a “justified” killing of a criminal by being relocated from Miami to eastern Kentucky, his childhood stomping grounds. Givens was a character created by novelist Elmore Leonard, and the pilot of the series “Fire in the Hole” was based on a short story featuring the character. Each week Raylen tracks down some sort of fugitive, and so far each episode has been self-contained, which is a nice change of pace from serial dramas like Lost, Breaking Bad, or Fringe.

There is no way you can pick a random episode on any of those shows and really understand what is going on. Justified has recurring characters, but you are not going to be completely lost if you just now start watching it, so go ahead and set your DVRs. The show is a breezy, fun hour of television that won’t make your head hurt with theories, conspiracies, and convoluted storylines. I enjoy all those  show components, but sometimes I am in the mood for something a little less complicated.

Olyphant is enormously likable in the lead role. It is about time he have a starring vehicle, and his affable demeanor is perfect for the smarmy, sexy Raylen. He sports  a confidant swagger and he never  goes anywhere without his trusty hat (of the cowboy variety.)

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“What did you expect? ‘Welcome, sonny’?  ‘Make yourself at home’? ‘Marry my daughter’? You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know . . . morons.” — Blazing Saddles

But dang, did they cut a dashing figure in a gray uniform. I’m talking about you, Rock Hudson. Look at the rakish bend of your hat brim! Aren’t you just the handsomest Confederate I’ve seen since Bill Compton traded his uniform for a pair of fangs!

One of my new cinematic fascinations (if you’ll forgive such a pompous label) is the way Hollywood and pop culture imagines the Civil War. It’s not something I ever thought about beyond Gone With the Wind,  Firefly, and True Blood, but it’s an intriguing subset of American culture.

Since no cannonball has been left unturned when it comes to the War Between the States, I’m sure there are already twelve books about this very topic. If there’s not, well, maybe I will write one when Western Wednesdays is through.

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The Blind Side is one of those movies that kinda sneaks up on you. When I first went into it I was ready to resist what I felt was going to be pretty blatant manipulation of my emotions. After all, the film deals with the uplifting story of a woman who takes in a virtually homeless giant of a man and helps turn him into a productive member of society and an NFL star to boot. That’s what I call a happy ending.

For a more in-depth review of the movie itself, Shannon Hood’s take is pretty much the same as mine. That said, I do like Sandra Bullock and find her appealing in almost any role. Also, Quinton Aaron as the young man she takes under her wing and turns into an NFL superstar does a great job without much previous experience. Sure, the film is, at times, blatantly manipulative, but that’s okay.

When you go into a film like this you expect to be pushed and pulled and unless you’re not human, you will feel emotion. I know I did. It’s a great story that reminds us all of the possibilities that life has to offer. And that’s something we should all try to remember, especially when things look bad.

The film is a times touching, poignant and also tends to hammer it’s points home a bit too hard once in awhile. Maybe the filmmakers thought the audience wouldn’t get the message? I hope not because the message seems right there on the surface for all to see. The film isn’t subtle and isn’t trying to hind anything, it just is.

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As many of you will remember, Marvel celebrated February with announcements for the Heroic Age where they revealed not one, not two, not even three but four teams of Avengers… well sort of.

In addition to the Avengers, the New Avengers and Avengers Academy rosters, Marvel put out a teaser campaign for the Secret Avengers as well. These teaser posters had a quote describing their respective member but only a blacked out silhouette for artwork.

These outlines have lead to massive speculation with names like Venom, the Black Panther, Doctor Voodoo and the Hood all being listed as possibilities. It looks like Marvel threw a little curve ball at everyone by leaving out certain details in the outlines of these silhouettes as well as you can see with the reveals of both Beast and War Machine as the first two Secret Avengers.

Things which could have helped narrow down the possibilities drastically for who these two were just “happened” to be left out such as Beast’s fur or the arsenal attached to War Machine’s shoulders. Still, kudos to Marvel for letting there still be some surprises in comic books today in a world full of online spoilers.

Take a peek below at the final reveal posters of Beast and War Machine and stick to The Flickcast for more reveals for the Secret Avengers as they happen.

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With Zoe Saldana making an appearance in the upcoming The Losers, another Star Trek alumi is jumping into a feature film role away from the franchise. According to THR, Anton Yelchin, best known as Ensign Checkov in J.J. Abrams Start Trek, will take on a lead role in another iconic reboot, Dreamworks’s upcoming Fright Night.

As we told you previously, former Buffy writer Marti Noxon has written the script for the reboot and Craig Gillespie, recently of Lars and the Real Girl, will be handling the directing duties. The new version will reportedly stick closely to the original concept of a teen, Charlie Brewster (Yelchin) being convinced that his new neighbor is a vampire, although no one will believe him. It’s not until he enlists the aid of a late night horror show host that things start to get very real in a hurry.

Yelchin seems to like to stick to genre movies having been in Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation as Kyle Reese. With what he showed in both films, he’s a pretty talented guy and if a reboot of Fright Night has to be made, he’ll most likely do justice to the role originally made famous by William Ragsdale.

This week on The Flickcast Chris and Matt are back and celebrate a little milestone: the 50th episode. This week sees a slew of new topics including Clash of the Titans, the iPad, The Walking Dead casting, Smallville and Superman rumors, what it means to be a movie star and the inexplicable success of Sam Worthington.

Chris and Matt also made some picks this week, as they usually do, including Matt’s pick of  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on Blu-ray and Chris’ pick of the ABC show Castle starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic.

Finally, in this episode Chris and Matt introduced a new feature, The Flickcast Mailbag. If you have questions for our team about pretty much anything, shoot an email to mailbag [at] the flickcast dot com and if we answer your question on the air, you can win a great prize. This week it’s a code to download the COD Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Pack for free. Cool right?

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, at Facebook and MySpace or via email.