Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!

• South Park tears The Jersey Shore a new one . . .and we laugh like idiots.

• It was speculated for a while, but now it’s confirmed that Rhys Ifans will be playing The Lizard in Sony’s Spider-Man reboot.

• In a stroke of brilliance, Sesame Street spoofed the popular Old Spice commercials. What will they think of next?

• Confused by this season of Mad Men? Well here is the entire season broken down into 10 animated GIFs.

• Nathan Fillion has streamlined a Twitter campaign to play the lead in the upcoming Uncharted film adaptation. He’s got our vote.

• Michael J. Fox donned his life jacket and Nike’s in a spot for Spike’s Scream Awards and their tribute to Back to the Future. We’re still trying to figure out if this is awesome or a little sad…

• Darren Aronofsky is inching closer and closer to directing the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Don’t toy with our emotions, Darren!

• OK, so it may not be a list, but here’s a pretty awesome collection of some of the best last words ever uttered in film.

Continue Reading →

I’ve never thought much about the class dynamic of the Gang—Dee and Dennis representing the upper crust of society and Mac and Charlie bringing up the dregs. God knows where Frank fits in. How did they all join up and decide to open a bar? What made Dennis break the barrier and allow himself to manage a business with two degenerates (I always figured Dee was a tag-along)?

It’d be prime territory to mine the origins of the group (and who doesn’t love seeing the early family lives of the four? One of the highlights of the Christmas Special was the glimpse we get into each one’s childhood memories). But “White Trash,” while it brings up the class differences, doesn’t explore it too deeply.

As the episode opens, there’s a heat wave in Philly, which gets the Gang itching for a dip in one of Philadelphia’s three pools, the first being at the local Country Club (which seems odd that they haven’t been banned from it yet).

Mac and Charlie show up, a six-pack and Charlie’s adorable little inflatable fish in tow, only to be rejected for not being members, and when they ask how to become members, are told that the Club’s already at capacity.

Back at the bar, they pitch a plan for fixing up one of the dilapidated old pools of their youth to Frank, who isn’t interested, while Dee and Dennis maintain that real reason the Country Club wouldn’t take M&C is because they’re white trash (hence the title).

Mac and Charlie head to the fixer-upper pool while Dee and Dennis try their luck at the Country Club…and meet pretty much the same response as Mac and Charlie. Crestfallen, they hit up the public pool, which is a massive step down (“They’re wearing sneakers in the pool!”), complete with broken glass, children throwing rocks, and Frank’s pool game of “Grease the Watermelon” (I also like how Frank borrows a towel from one bather by letting him take a bite from his hotdog).

Continue Reading →

I think it’s safe to say that people are looking forward to the upcoming film Tron Legacy. With the release date of the film getting ever closer each day, Marvel has decided to throw us a bone and send over a preview for the comic book adaptation of the film that started it all: the original Tron.

These pages will surely go a along way to build interest in the film and the comic. Written by Peter David with art by Mirco Pierfederici and covers by Greg Land and Salvador Larocca, the comic features what Marvel calls a “stunning new visualization” of the original Tron film.

In addition, you can learn the secrets of the Tron universe, discover its cast of dynamic characters and witness the events of the legendary film in an all-new comic event with Tron: Original Movie Adaptation #1. Plus, once you absorb at this info, you’ll be more than ready to experience the exciting movie sequel, and comic adaptation, coming soon.

Tron: The Original Movie Adaptation comic hits store shelves on November 3. Until then, check out some preview pages after the jump.

Continue Reading →

Verizon Wireless stores will begin selling the iPad on October 28 in a move that marks the first time the telecom giant is partnering with Apple — and probably not the last.

Verizon’s 2,000 retail stores will begin carrying the Wi-Fi model of Apple’s iPad bundled with a MiFi wireless modem to gain 3-G access. The data will cost you $20/month for 1GB of data usage. Verizon’s network is based on CDMA technology, which is not compatible with the current iPad hardware, hence the need for a separate standalone modem.

Verizon’s MiFi + iPad bundles will be priced the same as an iPad with built-in 3G connectivity for AT&T’s networks. The 16-GB iPad + MiFI model will cost $630, for example, the same as the 16-GB 3G iPad, $730 for the 32 GB and $830 for the 64GB model.

Check out the full press release about this new development after the jump.

Continue Reading →

Of all the characters in The Office who’d seem prime candidates for an STD, I’d say Creed and Meredith probably top the list. Michael, albeit hopelessly naïve, seems to gravitate toward women more mentally, rather than physically, questionable.

So when he shows up with a cold sore and the rest of the office immediately leaps to the conclusion that it’s the result of herpes, it’s kind of odd. Nevertheless, his condition goes mostly ignored by the rest of the gang save Dwight, who takes it upon himself to oversee Michael’s informing his past exes about his new (though undiagnosed) STD.

First on the list is the love of Michael’s life, Holly, who’s since gone on to a more rational plane, still seeing her current boyfriend AJ and noting that Michael over-romanticized their time together. A bit at a loss for words, he hangs up without delivering the news and moves on to the next, Donna, the bar manager who would be the most likely candidate (if, in fact, Michael actually has an STD).

But the call consists of little more than a quick, “Get tested,” before Michael moves on to meet up with Carol the real-estate agent (played by Steve Carell’s real-life wife Nancy) and Pam’s mother Helene.

Back at the office, Andy decides to host a Sex-Ed/Pizza Jamboree, which devolves into a flimsy list of the good and bad aspects of sex (“Looks cool” is by far the best of the “good”), but it quickly becomes clear that the session is a guise through which Andy hopes to discover whether Gabe and his old flame Erin have or have had sex.

Continue Reading →

Since the announcement that Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment over a year ago, we the fans have been waiting to see exactly how that would effect us, because really, it’s all about us. We haven’t seen any mega-crossovers like Daredevil the Pooh or Spider-Mouse, but it looks like Disney may just be pulling some weight by bringing a few Marvel titles to your TV screen.

After a presentation on the Disney lot, Marvel has put together a short list of properties that they are looking to bring to TV in the next few years. On the very top of that list is a live action Hulk series, helmed by comic veteran Jeph Loeb, who most know for his work on NBC’s Heroes.

Hulk could go into production over at ABC as early as mid-summer. Next in line, the plan is to work on a series based on the Cloak & Dagger franchise, which would go straight to ABC’s cable network, ABC Family. The story would follow the duo of Tyrone Johnson (aka Cloak, who has the ability to teleport) and Tandy Bowen (aka Dagger, who has the ability to heal and create daggers from light).

Both shows are in very early development, but that hasn’t stopped the studio from poking around a handful of other properties to adapt into the small screen. Heat Vision has the short list.

Executives presented ABC suits with a list of titles they identified as possible series:
• Heroes for Hire (focusing on ex-con Luke Cage offering to take on bad guys for a price);
• The Eternals (a race of superpowered beings live amid humanity in secret, inspiring legends);
• Agents of Atlas, Alter Ego (private investigator Jessica Jones takes on cases involving superhumans);
• Moon Knight, the Red Hood (a low-rent criminal discovers a cloak that gives him superpowers);
• Ka-Zar (a Tarzan-type and his saber-toothed tiger must journey to the concrete jungle to seek justice);
• Daughters of the Dragon (a dynamic female duo, one with a bionic arm and the other a granddaughter of a samurai, open a private-detective agency); and
• The Punisher (one man wages a war on crime; already adapted as two feature films).

Even given Hulk and Cloak & Dagger, this is an incredible list, and could only mean that Warner/DC and Disney/Marvel have decided that the silver screen wasn’t large enough for them to wage war, and they’re now taking over our living rooms. In any outcome, we all win.

Back at San Diego Comic-Con, we got the opportunity to sit down with most of the cast from Adult Swim’s newest addition to their late night lineup, in Rob Corddry’s Childrens Hospital.

While we got to speak with most of the people from the talent side of CH, we didn’t get to hear from the producers who were behind the process that brought this killer show to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.

At New York Comic-Con, we got the chance to sit down with executive producer Jon Stern and he gave us the inside scoop on how exactly the show came to be the fantastic televised sitcom that it has become today.

Check out the full interview after the jump!

Continue Reading →

Red certainly isn’t an important or groundbreaking film, but it is a lot of fun, and that counts for something in my book.  Sometimes that is exactly what we are seeking out, and this film delivers.  It’s a blast.

Bruce Willis plays Frank Moses, a man who appears to be living a  ho-hum existence  in the suburbs.  He spends his free time convincing a government employee in Kansas City (Sarah, played by a sassy Mary-Louise Parker) that he has not received his government checks.  He is really ripping them up, just so he can call her every few days and talk.  The two have adopted a flirty rapport during their chats.

In a thrilling opening sequence, Frank finds out (rather unexpectedly) that he is being targeted by assassins, and he quickly and efficiently employs a variety of weapons and booby traps to thwart their efforts.  It is clear that this is no ordinary citizen, you see Frank is classified by the CIA as RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous.)

After he has time to get his wits about him, Frank rushes to Kansas City to rescue/kidnap Sarah, because she will be targeted l if the unknown assailants check his phone records.

Continue Reading →

Every good super hero tale needs an even better origin story. Well, the same goes for super villain tales, and that’s quite clear as the release date for Dreamworks’ twist on the classic “Good vs. Evil” battle in Megamind starring Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt.

With Madagascar director Tom McGrath taking the helm and a very impressive voice cast including Ferrell, Pitt, Tina Fey, David Cross, and Jonah Hill, there is very little stopping this film from becoming the next Incredibles, which is exactly what Dreamworks is hoping for.

Nickelodeon also has faith in the film, as they’ve released the first five minutes of the film online, which gives us an inside look at the origin of both Metro Man and Megamind. Of course there are allusions to other great comic tales, just done with that Will Ferrell style of humor.

Check out the first five minutes after the jump and catch Megamind in theaters and 3D on November 5th.

Continue Reading →

No game was more popular at the Nintendo booth at this year’s New York Comic Con than Kirby’s Epic Yarn, the first Kirby game since 2003.

Gameplay-wise, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is pretty straight forward. Using the Wii-mote, you navigate Kirby through the world. Using a whip, you can attack enemies, throw objects, and pull back portions of the world to reveal new areas. While watching the game, I saw two little kids playing multiplayer, who rather than helping eachother through the level, were whipping eachother

Visually, this game is absolutely gorgeous. Though the footage released in June at E3 made this apparent, I wasn’t prepared for just how good this game looks in person. I don’t think any game has ever showed off what the Wii is capable of until Kirby’s Epic Yarn and I hope other developers follow suit.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn, much like Donkey Kong Country Returns, seems to be easy enough for both the most experienced players and the younger newcomers. It seems that, this holiday season, Nintendo is certainly playing to the younger crowd.

But honestly, after experiencing these two games, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I Am Number Four is a movie based on a young-adult novel written by James Frey (of A Million Little Pieces fame.) It is an action/thriller about a teen (played by Alex Pettyfer) who is running for his life, frequently changing identities and bouncing from town to town to elude his would-be assassins.

Official Synopsis: John (Alex Pettyfer) is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed…he is Number Four.

D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye) directs the film, which also stars Timothy Olyphont. It is produced by Michael Bay.

The movie I Am Number Four will not be coming out until February, but we have a new featurette from Dreamworks to share with you.

In this clip, Caruso explains how nine children were sent to earth from another planet and hidden amongst the general population. The nine have special powers, but they do not know exactly what those are.  You can see the clip after the jump.

Continue Reading →

Corridor, directed by Johan Lundborg and Johan Storm (Sweden), is a darkly humorous suspense-thriller, the likes of which would make Hitchcock proud.  Frank (Emil Johnsen), a socially withdrawn medical student, goes about his daily routine with as little contact with people as he can manage - such as declining the invitations made by a classmate to study together and avoiding the other residents in his apartment building.

Frank is reluctantly roped into helping Lotte (Ylva Gallon), his persistently friendly (and moochy) upstairs neighbor with increasing frequency, much to his frustration.  In spite of this, an uneasy friendship forms between the two after Frank notices signs of domestic abuse between Lotte and her boyfriend Micke (Peter Stormare, who is always awesome) and as things progress, they get increasingly more complicated.

Because much of the action takes place out of sight, Frank makes assumptions based on what can be overheard from his downstairs apartment and his conclusions and actions set up a chain of events that topple into calamity.

I was reminded a bit of Rear Window while watching it, though Frank – unlike Jimmy Stewarts’ proactive voyeur – desperately tries to avoid social interaction and involvement with the people living in his building. The use of sound in the film is hugely important, as Frank’s perception of Lotte’s relationship with Micke is informed almost entirely by what he overhears from his flat.

Continue Reading →