by Chris Ullrich, Jun 25 2010 // 12:30 PM
Well folks, it looks like it’s pretty much a done deal that Peter Jackson will, much to the delight of fans everywhere, take on directing duties of both Hobbit films. After the departure of Guillermo del Toro recently speculation ran rampant that Jackson, who’s Lord of the Rings films are the definitive cinematic incarnation of the beloved trilogy, would take over for del Toro.
However, Jackson’s camp denied the speculation citing his commitments elsewhere. However, that seems not to be the case now as Jackson is in active negotiations to take on both films that will bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit to the big screen. According to reports, another of the stumbling blocks was money and the current financial state of MGM.
However, it seems the case is being made to MGM’s owners that two Jackson-directed Hobbit films would almost guarantee box office success. So, it remains to be seen if this very hopeful development will prove to be accurate. Let’s hope so for fans of The Hobbit everywhere.
Jackson is an immensely talented filmmaker and his Rings trilogy are examples of some of the best literary adaptations ever made. So, his version of The Hobbit should also be extraordinary. Let’s hope for every fan’s sake he really does end up as the director. More on this story as it comes to us.
Until then, how do you guys feel? Is Jackson the best choice for The Hobbit?
Posted in: Fantasy · MGM · Movies · News · Prequels and Sequels
Tagged: Guillermo del Toro, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, MGM, Peter Jackson, The Hobbit
by Chris Ullrich, Jun 25 2010 // 12:00 PM
Raven Software and Activision’s Singularity is one of those games I’m really looking forward to. I had a chance to have a look at it previously and we’ve been bringing you as much info as we can, but nothing really compares to actual hands-on gameplay. Hopefully that will come soon enough and the game will be in my hands.
Until then, we will have to content ourselves with trailers and various other materials that highlight one aspect of the game or another. Today, we’ve got a new trailer for you that gives some more info on the game. In it, you will go behind-the-scenes with Raven Software as they discuss the multiplayer aspects of the game. Sounds good.
Click through to check out this new trailer. By clicking through you certify you are eighteen years of age or older.
Singularity hits store shelves on June 26th.
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Posted in: Activision · Games · Trailers · Video · Video Games
Tagged: Activision, First Person Shooter, Games, Microsoft, Nintendo, PC, PS3, Raven Software, Singularity, Sony, Time Travel, Video Games, Wii, Xbox 360
by Matt Raub, Jun 25 2010 // 11:00 AM
It’s interesting how many films never make it to a second sequel. There are a few that sneak under the radar, such as Critters or Home Alone, but for the most part, many of the films that get trilogies are big budget films. That rule apparently doesn’t apply to the upcoming third film from the Meet The Parents franchise.
Many remember 2004′s Meet the Fockers, which was one of the first films to put Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman in the same frame. The film kept interest piqued enough to garner a second sequel, which will be hitting the silver screen this winter.
From what we picked up in the trailer, Greg and Pam (Ben Stiller & Teri Polo) get an unexpected visit from the Byrnes (Blythe Danner & Robert De Niro) and, much like in the previous films, things get a little wacky. Owen Wilson and Barbara Streisand rejoin the cast, alongside newcomers Jessica Alba, Harvey Keitel, and Laura Dern.
Check out the first trailer for the film after the jump, and chase after the Little Fockers in theaters on December 22nd.
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Posted in: Comedy · Movies · News · Trailers · Universal Pictures · Video
Tagged: Barbra Streisand, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner, Harvey Keitel, Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Little Fockers, Meet the Fockers, Meet the Parents, Owen Wilson, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo
by Shannon Hood, Jun 25 2010 // 10:00 AM
Grown Ups is anything but. You won’t find a shred of maturity here, but you will find the following in abundance: fart jokes, bunion jokes, breast-feeding jokes, Salma Hayek’s amazing rack (clothed, but still), physical pratfalls, teen aged girls in short-shorts, and five grown men acting like complete idiots. The laughs are cheap, but they are there for the taking.
I laughed at a lot of stuff I shouldn’t have, but I also laughed at Joe Dirt, if that is telling. This is the same type of movie, and there is obviously a segment of the population who will seek it out this weekend. This panders to the lowest common denominator of comedy appeal.
I think the filmmakers knew exactly what type of movie they wanted to make, and mission accomplished. If you howl with laughter anytime a character farts in a movie, you are in for a real treat.
Five childhood friends who played on the same basketball team when they were younger are brought back together for their coach’s funeral. Adam Sandler is the successful one, with a hot headed trophy wife (Salma Hayek) and spoiled brat kids. Kevin James is the rotund family man married to Mario Bello, who still breast-feeds their four year old (hilarious!)
Chris Rock is an emasculated stay at home dad with a nagging mother-in-law and ungrateful wife (Maya Rudolph.) Rob Schneider is a new-age vegan married to a woman old enough to be his grandmother, and David Spade still fancies himself a ladies man (really?)
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Posted in: Columbia Pictures · Comedy · Movies · Reviews
Tagged: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Comedy, David Spade, Dennis Dugan, Grown Ups, Kevin James, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek
by Chris Ullrich, Jun 25 2010 // 9:00 AM
Right up their with other dynamic onscreen duos like Batman and Robin, Riggs and Murtugh, Kirk and Spock and Abbot and Costello comes the new cinematic team of former teen idols Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. Yes, you read that right people those two performers are coming together in one action-packed movie, soon to be seen on Syfy, called Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.
How can one movie hold so much awesome you may ask? Well, it can when its a sci-fi epic involving the exploits of both a Mega Python and a Gatoroid. I know, right?
In the film it’s toe to toe action as Gibson plays a fanatical animal rights activist who frees illegally obtained snakes from pet stores while Tiffany plays an over-zealous park ranger who tries to save her beloved alligators. Of course, mayhem ensues setting off a war between the species and setting these two teen titans on a collision course. Can you say catfight? I know you can.
The movie, which is directed by Pet Semetary’s Mary Lambert, is part of Syfy’s Saturday Original Movies and will air sometime in 2011. So long to wait.
Posted in: Movies · News · Press Releases · Sci-Fi · SyFy
Tagged: Action, Debbie Gibson, Mary Lambert, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, Movies, Pet Semetary, Saturdy Original Movies, SyFy, Tiffany
by Erik Jensen, Jun 25 2010 // 8:00 AM
Have a brand-new shiny iPhone 4 already? Great. You may want to hold it by the glass, carefully avoiding the new steel antenna band that runs around the edges. A loss of reception is being widely reported when users touch the new embedded antenna while trying to make voice calls.
You can test this for yourself, to see if your new iPhone is being affected by the glitch: hold your iPhone 4 with one hand carefully by the glass only and observe it’s signal strength; note the number of bars being displayed. Now, touch the embedded antenna band preferably the left and bottom sides together with your other hand. You should see your signal drop-off completely, or at minimum, reduce by 3-4 bars.
For more information, Gizmodo has managed to collect scores of videos from users experiencing this apparent launch-day glitch. Wired.com is reporting that 35 out of the 40 respondents to their article on this very issue, are reporting a similar problem. A few readers are claiming this loss of signal results in dropped calls and loss of data throughput:
If you hold the iPhone 4 in your left hand, or touch the lower-left corner of the outside steel band, the signal indicator starts losing bars within a few seconds. Many respondents indicated that this led to dropped calls, and one, “Edward,” did download speed tests that showed a dramatic drop in throughput when holding the iPhone 4 in his hand, from 2Mbps to a measly 12Kbps.
Some users are claiming that keeping the new phone in its protective “bumper” case will help alleviate the problem; likely because the material helps insulate the antenna band from the hand. While it’s unclear how this issue made it past Apple’s strenuous testing process, it could be a product of how the iPhone 4 rotates through frequencies in an attempt to locate the highest-quality signal, an improvement that is not apparently included in the phone’s latest firmware.
With any luck, Apple can address this glitch rapidly via a firmware update. Head over to MacRumors Forums for further info, as they seem to have a pretty lively discussion going on this launch-day problem.
Posted in: Apple · Gear · News · Tech
Tagged: Apple, iOS4, iPhone 4, iPhone 4 antenna, iPhone 4 glitch, iPhone 4 signal loss
by John Carle, Jun 25 2010 // 7:00 AM
Even with games like Kinectimals or Eyepet being announced, there are still some mature games at this year’s E3. Gears of War 3 and Killzone 3 have shown that the world of gaming is not for the light of heart. Following that adult trend comes THQ’s latest revelation, Devil’s Third. Below you will see the trailer of the next game from acclaimed producer Tomonubu Itagaki, head of Team Ninja and producer on games like the Dead or Alive series and Ninja Gaiden.
Looking like a combination of a John Woo movie and Gears of War, Devil’s Third may be the most violent trailer we have seen so far come out of E3. Between the sword fighting, rocket launchers, grenades, shotguns, turrets and gore, Devil’s Third looks to bring mature action platforming to a new level.
As Itagaki has shown us through his recent work on Ninja Gaiden, he can bring entertaining gameplay and merge it with shocking visuals for maximum effect. Now, not hindered by just having the arsenal of a ninja, Itagaki’s creation is poised to become his next masterpiece as the trailer boasts. Hopefully the footage shown is reflective of in game content and not just a CGI cutscene. If it is, Devil’s Third may earn its place as one of the best over the top violent video games ever.
Check out the trailer below and some concept art. Stick to the Flickcast for more news on this exciting, upcoming title coming soon for the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 as we receive it.
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Posted in: Announcements · E3 2010 · Games · News · Playstation 3 · THQ · Trailers · Video Games · Xbox 360
Tagged: Devil's Third, E3, E3 2010, Playstation 3, Team Ninja, THQ, Tomonubu Itagaki, Trailer, Video Games, Xbox 360
by Nat Almirall, Jun 24 2010 // 5:00 PM
Huston’s second film, 1942’s In This Our Life seems to be somewhat lost to history, and, coming after The Maltese Falcon, that’s understandable. I’m not sure what the prevailing mood was in the ‘40s, but if a director were to offer a similar follow-up today, I imagine that more than a few critics would likely be salivating to label him a one-hit wonder.
That’s not to say that In This Our Life is a bad movie, it’s just okay. The story, adapted from the Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel about two sisters, one good, Roy (Olivia de Havilland), one bad, Stanley (Bette Davis). The significance of their masculine names is unclear.
Roy is married to Peter, a doctor, while Stanley’s engaged to Craig, a lawyer. However Peter’s carrying on an affair with Stanley. The night before her wedding, Stanley elopes with Peter, who subsequently divorces Roy, leaving her and Craig to find comfort with each other, and the two eventually get married.
So, Stanley and Peter = bad; Roy and Craig = good. Rounding out the dichotomies are William, the girls’ racist, hard-drinking uncle, who harbors a rather disturbing crush on and shares an incestually suggestive relationship with his bad niece (the scene where she greets him with a flurry of tickles and he mentions the “present” in his pocket is only one among many that tiptoe the censor’s pen), and Asa, the girls’ kindly father.
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Posted in: Classics · Drama · Features · Movies · Reviews · Romance
Tagged: bette davis, charles coburn, george brent, in this our life, John Huston, olivia de havilland
by Joe Gillis, Jun 24 2010 // 3:00 PM
Another TV network has thrown its hat in the San Diego Comic-Con ring and announced its schedule for the upcoming event. Yesterday, we brought you news on Fox TV’s plans for the con.
This time around its the BBC who, unfortunately, don’t seem to be having any kind of Doctor Who panel or event, much to everyone’s disappointment I’m sure. They will, however, be bringing some shows to the con including Being Human and Look Around You.
There’s also no Torchwood panel planned either, which is a bummer seeing as it was one of the highlights a couple years ago. Although, these other shows do look interesting so give them the benefit of the doubt, okay?
Check out the full press release after the jump. Comic-Con in San Diego runs from July 22-25. Be sure to check back right here at The Flickcast for all your San Diego Comic-Con coverage needs.
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Posted in: BBC · Comic-Con · News · TV
Tagged: BBC, Being Human, Comic-Con, Doctor Who, Look Around You, San Diego Comic-Con, SDCC10, Torchwood
by Matt Raub, Jun 24 2010 // 2:00 PM
Remember how lame the Nintendo PowerGlove was? Well, it looked cool, but it was pretty useless when it came to actual video game usage. If there were only a device that was equally cool as it was functional, the gaming would would be rocked pretty hard.
With that in mind, behold the new line of TRON controllers!
As a tie-in to the upcoming Disney film, the studio is releasing a series of gadgets that will make you feel like you’re Flynn himself, all while sitting on your couch in your living room. The controllers will be available for all Next-Gen systems, and each run for about $50.
Not a console gamer, but still want to enjoy the TRON awesomeness? For PC users, there will also be a TRON blue gaming keyboard and mouse from Razer. Topping it all off, Monster is releasing a pair of TRON headphones for $350, earbuds for $99, and a light-disc shaped iPod dock for $250.
Check out some of the cool new gadgets after the jump. All of the items are expect to have a fall release, so needless to say, the tail end of 2010 will be pretty heavy with all things TRON. Thanks to Gizmodo for the heads up.
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Posted in: 3-D · Action · Disney · Games · Gear · Geek · Movies · News · Sci-Fi · Tech · Video Games
Tagged: 3D, Disney, Gadgets, Monster, PS3, Razer, Toys, Tron, Wii, XBox
by Chris Ullrich, Jun 24 2010 // 1:00 PM
Even though our minds are focused more on recovering from E3 and planning for San Diego Comic-Con, that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten one of our favorite film festivals. Fantastic Fest, the annual fete featuring genre films in Austin, TX is near and dear to our hearts so as we get info on it we will dutifully bring it to you.
This time around the fest has announced some early films and special guests that will be part of the fun from September 23-30. Among these new announcements are appearances by director Stuart Gordon and Reanimator star Jeffrey Combs as well as a spotlight on Norway and its crop of young filmmakers making horror and other genre fare such as Roar Uthaug and the acclaimed Cold Prey.
Click through for the full press release with all the detailed scoop. Stay tuned right here for all the news on Fantastic Fest as we get it.
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Posted in: Fantastic Fest · Film Festivals · Movies · News · Press Releases
Tagged: Alamo Drafthouse, Cold Prey, Fantastic Fest, Film Festivals, Genre, Indie, Jeffrey Combs, Movies, Reanimator, Stuart Gordon
by Chris Ullrich, Jun 24 2010 // 12:00 PM
If you’re not familiar with Warren Ellis’ three -issue comic miniseries Red don’t worry. Unless you’re a fan of Ellis (which I am) you may not have seen it before. Regardless of that, Hollywood — and Summit Entertainment in particular — has seen fit to adapt Red for the big screen and we have the first trailer for that adaptation to show you today.
To be honest, this trailer doesn’t really remind me much of the comic. In fact, it almost seems like an entirely different story. Sure, the original miniseries was only three issues so some enhancement had to take place. But this trailer and the movie it represents seems more like a comedy than the balls out action comic about a retired assassin who should have been left alone I remember reading.
Although it does seem quite a bit different, at least to me, I still kinda like it. That’s the problem with adaptations of novels, comics, games or whatever, they don’t usually stay the same way you remember them. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
If changes are made that are simply arbitrary, that’s where I start to have a problem with them.
Having read Red very recently, I’m probably just sensitive to perceived changes. After all, its just a trailer with a whole movie still to come. Guess I should just wait and see.
Does this trailer work for you or is it yet another sub-standard adaptation of a comic to come out this year? Judge for yourself after the jump. Red, which features Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Mary-Louse Parker and Morgan Freeman, opens October 15th.
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Posted in: Comics · Movies · News · Summit Entertainment · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Action, Bruce Willis, Comics, Cully Hamner, Drama, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, Movies, Red, Summit Entertainment, Warren Ellis