by Cortney Zamm, Mar 22 2011 // 7:00 AM

You’ll hear a lot about all the cool games, tech, and gadgets you’ll get to try out at the PAX East show floor, but you won’t hear much about is everything beyond the show floor. PAX prides itself on offering the all-encompassing gamer experience, which includes a wide variety of things to do when you’re a little tired of trekking through the mobbed expo hall or have some time to kill between panels.
Here’s all the “other stuff” I found worth checking out around the convention center this weekend.
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Posted in: Events · Fandom · News · PAX · Photos · Sci-Fi · Video Games
Tagged: Booths, Events, Handheld, Nintendo 3DS, PAX East, Photos
by Douglas Barnett, Mar 21 2011 // 5:00 PM
This week’s pick is the 1978 release of Force 10 from Navarone, directed by Guy Hamilton (Battle of Britain). This was the sequel to the 1961 film The Guns of Navarone, which I wrote about last week. The film is loosely based off the novel of the same name also written by Alistair MacLean in 1968.
Robert Shaw this time portrays Keith Mallory as he and his accomplice Miller (Edward Fox) tag along with an American Colonel (Harrison Ford) who is sent into Yugoslavia to blow up a German held bridge which threatens Partisan forces in the region. The supporting cast include Carl Weathers (Sgt. Weaver), Richard Kiel (Captain Drazak), Barbara Bach (Maritza Petrovich), Michael Byrne (Maj. Schroeder), Alan Badel (Maj. Petrovich), and Franco Nero (Capt. Nikolai Lescovar).
The film opens up with a recap of the previous film (for those of us who like to watch sequels in reverse order), and tells of the successful mission led by Mallory, originally played by Gregory Peck, and Cpl. Miller (David Niven) as they destroyed the German gun emplacements on the tiny Greek island of Navarone. The film then flashes forward to a training camp in England where Mallory and Miller are once again called upon to take on another dangerous assignment.
Mallory and Miller are both promoted to Major and Sergeant, and are to attach themselves onto a unit known as “Force 10″, an American commando unit which is to conduct a sabotage mission against the German forces occupying Yugoslavia. Lt. Col. Mike Barnsby (Harrison Ford) is the commanding officer of Force 10 and is not thrilled with the idea of Mallory and Miller tagging along on their mission. Both Mallory and Barnsby put their differences aside and try to work with one another.
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Posted in: Classics · Columbia Pictures · Drama · DVD · DVD Reviews · Editorial · Foreign Films · MGM · Prequels and Sequels · War · War Movie Mondays
Tagged: Alan Badel, Alistair MacLean, Angus MacInnes, Barbara Bach, Carl Weathers, Edward Fox, Franco Nero, Guy Hamilton, Harrison Ford, Michael Byrne, Richard Kiel, Robert Shaw
by Joe Gillis, Mar 21 2011 // 4:00 PM
Fortunately, even as some shows fail and disappear (The Cape, we’re looking at you), a few that appeal to the geeks among us still seem to hang on. Two such shows are Chuck and The Event and both have brand new episodes airing tonight.
So, to help make sure these shows continue on the air we’re glad to help spark viewer interest and bring you some previews and behind-the-scenes footage from them. First up we go to Chuck.
In this episode Chuck‘s search for new Intersects is interrupted when Castle goes offline and the Intersect candidates keep getting murdered. We hate it when that happens.
Then on The Event, Thomas’s mysterious message gets an answer while President Martinez goes after more than just Sophia. Plus, get a look at how TV shows are made with an interview with Randol Perelman-Taylor, the assistant director who works on the show.
It all begins tonight at 8/7C on NBC with Chuck. Come on geeks, let’s not let these two show go the way of others and never be seen again. Check out all the videos after the break.
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Posted in: NBC · News · TV · Video
Tagged: Adam Baldwin, Blair Underwood, Chuck, NBC, Sarah Roemer, The Event, Yvonne Strahovski, Zachary Levi
by Joe Gillis, Mar 21 2011 // 3:00 PM
Today Apple released the latest update to its flagship Mac operating system, OS X. This new update brings the software to version 10.6.7 and, of course, offers several “general operating system fixes” and enhancements to the core OS as well as other items.
As you can see from the image above, this update addresses issues associated with Apple’s “Back to My Mac” feature, which I’ve used quite frequently. It does have its quirks, to be sure, so hopefully those will be resolved with this update. Really, if they just fix the services ability to get through most routers without having to jump through too many hoops, I would be happy.
Other items addressed with this update include a fix to SMB file transfers and some minor App Store bugs. As this is an update to the core operating system of your Mac, it will require a reboot once it is downloaded and installed.
Also, its always a good idea to perform a full backup or make sure you backup is good before updating your Mac. But really, there’s no hurry to update at all unless you feel you would explicitly benefit from the fixes listed here. Why not let others do it first and see if there are any problems?
However, if you do update let us know how it goes and if you have any problems. Hit us up in the comments.
Posted in: Apple · News · Software · Tech
Tagged: Apple, Mac OS X, Mac OS X 10.6.7, Macintosh, Software, Software Update
by John Carle, Mar 21 2011 // 2:00 PM
In just over a week, THQ releases its newest WWE game, WWE All Stars. Departing from the realistic, television style of the SmackDown vs. Raw series, WWE All Stars chooses a more over the top style in both its animations and graphics. The beefed up Superstars and Legends more closely resemble Zangief from Street Fighter IV than their real life counterparts. But that certainly isn’t a bad thing.
WWE All Stars gives a good change of pace to the WWE video game brand without getting in the way of their top selling annualized franchise. Included in WWE All Stars will be a host of WWE Legends and current Superstars including friends of the Flickcast Kane and John Morrison.
Two somewhat surprising additions to the roster are Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Hogan, despite being known as a WWE icon is currently on the payroll of TNA wrestling, WWE’s closest competition. Randy Savage only recently just came back in to the WWE fold after a long absence where not even his name was mentioned on WWE programming for years since his departure from the company in the 1990s.
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Posted in: Games · News · Playstation 3 · Screen Shots · Trailers · Video Games · Wii · Wrestling · Xbox 360
Tagged: “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Big Show, Bret Hart, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, Hulk Hogan, Jack Swagger, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Jerry "the King" Lawler, Jim Ross, Jimmy Snuka, John Cena, John Morrison, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Mr. Perfect, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, PlayStation Portable, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Santino Marella, Sgt. Slaughter, Shawn Michaels, Sheamus, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Miz, The Rock, THQ, Triple H, Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker, Wii, WWE, WWE All Stars, Xbox 360
by Tom Mahoney, Mar 21 2011 // 12:30 PM
One of my favorite movies (mostly for the gratuitous violence and sardonic humor) is Mel Gibson’s Payback. In that 1999 film, director Brian Hegeland takes a rather unsympathetic character, an underworld thug, armed robber, and cold-blooded murderer named Porter, and transforms him into the story’s victim who blazes a blood-soaked trail of revenge and ends up getting the girl, even if she is a high-priced hooker.
What was most surprising to me was that, at the end of the film, Porter was the same amoral thug he was in the beginning with no noticeable character change. And even though character change is pretty much de rigueur by Hollywood story standards, its absence does not appear to have affected audience reaction to what went on to become a fairly successful movie.
Much the same appears to be the case with The Lincoln Lawyer and Matthew McConaughey’s character, Los Angeles defense attorney Mickey Haller. Haller, to be fair, is a manipulative, unethical, bottom-feeding lawyer who lies to his clients, bribes pubic officials, and uses his membership in the legal profession to influence judges and get the system to work for his convenience.
His office is a black Lincoln town car driven by a former client, Earl (Laurence Mason) who is working off his debt, and his current clients include a biker accused of drug dealing and a hooker with a cocaine problem, all of whom play key roles in making this story work.
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Posted in: Drama · Movies · News · Novels · Reviews
Tagged: Drama, Matthew McConaughey, Movies, Reviews, Ryan Phillippe, The Lincoln Lawyer
by Chris Ullrich, Mar 21 2011 // 11:30 AM
In what may not be completely surprising news but, at least to some, may be disappointing, your choices of wireless carrier in the U.S. look to be dropping by one. Why? AT&T, the nation’s second largest wireless provider, announced late yesterday that they will acquire T-Mobile USA from parent company Deutsche Telekom in a cash and stock deal worth approximately $39 Billion.
What does that mean for you and me? Well, for me at least, it means nothing. I’m a Verizon Wireless customer. For those of you who are not or who enjoy having as many wireless choices as possible, it means you will now have to pick between AT&T, Verizon or Sprint if you want to go with a national wireless company.
Choice and, more to the point, competition, is one of the best things about pretty much any kind of business. Competition forces companies to constantly innovate and hopefully strive to be better and treat customers well so they will stay. Having fewer choices and thus less competition can allow companies to become complacent and not try their best.
With the lackluster reputation AT&T already has with many customers, I can’t see that the company having fewer competitors is a good thing. What’s their motivation to change and be better if the customer has nowhere else to go? The answer is they won’t have any. And that, friends, is not good.
Click through to check out the full press release from AT&T about this announcement.
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Posted in: Mobile · News · Tech
Tagged: AT&T, AT&T T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, Business, Mergers, Mobile, Press Releases, T-Mobile, Wireless
by Matt Raub, Mar 21 2011 // 10:00 AM
While the very first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is quickly climbing the ranks and close to making $1 Billion worldwide since it’s release in November, fans everywhere are looking forward to the final culmination in Part Two hitting theaters this July.
In it, we are expected to get (without spoiling anything) a pretty amazing wizard battle between Harry and his noseless nemesis, Voldemort.
In this new featurette, we get a little bit of that face-off, but plenty more footage and even some candid moments with Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson give some insights on what we can expect in this final (and only 3D) installment.
Check out the footage after the jump and see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in theaters on July 15th.
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Posted in: Action · Drama · Fantasy · Harry Potter · Movies · News · Trailers · Video · Warner Bros
Tagged: Daniel Radcliffe, Deathly Hallows, Emma Watson, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ralphe Fiennes, Rupert Grint
by Cortney Zamm, Mar 21 2011 // 8:30 AM
On my second day of the Penny Arcade Expo up in Boston, I took to the show floor to check out the booths of what I considered the three biggest and most anticipated games at the convention. One of these games is a follow-up two amazing titles for the Xbox 360. One is the sequel to the best first-person puzzle-platform of our time.
And the third is a game that most, if not all of us, never expected to see released. Gears of War 3, Portal 2, and Duke Nukem Forever were all booths that never ceased to cause lines and buzz all throughout the weekend.
Check out my favorites after the jump.
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Posted in: Editorial · Events · Exclusive · Games · Geek · News · Photos
Tagged: Duke Nukem Forever, Gears of War 3, PAX, PAX East, PAX East 2011, Portal 2
by Shannon Hood, Mar 21 2011 // 7:00 AM
Bradley Cooper’s mind twisting thriller Limitless outperformed box office predictions and handily won the weekend box office with $19M. It also was a hit with audiences, earning a B+ cinemascore.
This is Cooper’s first true starring vehicle, and with a budget of around $27M, it should easily prove profitable. With The Hangover 2 right around the corner, Cooper will surely confirm his status as an A-list talent.
Johnny Depp helped propel Rango to number two with $15.2M. It dropped a respectable 32% from last weekend, bringing its three week total to $92.6M.
Battle: Los Angeles took quite a tumble; dropping off 59% from its opening weekend. It managed to make $14.6M over the weekend.
Matthew McConaughey scored fourth place with his Lincoln Lawyer debut. The film made $13.4m and was well received by audiences. Entertainment Weekly reports that this is the first film to join forces with Groupon. The popular daily coupon site sold discounted tickets to the movie for $6. They sold almost 200,000 tickets. It will be interesting to see if this model will be adapted by future films.
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Posted in: Action · Box Office · Drama · Movies · News · Sci-Fi
Tagged: Battle: Los Angeles, Box Office, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Greg Mottola, Hot Fuzz, Limitless, Nick Frost, Paul, Rango, shaun of the dead, Simon Pegg, Sucker Punch
by Shannon Hood, Mar 18 2011 // 5:00 PM
Kill List suffers from a case of schizophrenia. It tries to be a jack of all trades, but masters none of those said trades during the course of the film. Though I personally found the film gratifying, I was sorely disappointed in the disjointed quality of the final product.
The film starts out a fairly interesting character study of a semi-retired hit-man (Neil Maskell) and his oddly complacent wife (Myanna Buring). Turns out she is quite capable, having been a member of the Swedish army. She understands the demands of his unconventional job, and encourages him to return to the lifestyle in order to keep their family afloat.
I liked the aspect of her not only knowing about, but encouraging, his amoral lifestyle. An old acquaintance shows up for dinner with his mysterious girlfriend, and just like that, he is thrust back into the hitman lifestyle.
After a heated domestic argument ruins the evening, he takes an assignment to off a few pesky people, hence the title, “Kill List”. Even though he’s been out of the biz for a while, it takes precious little time to jump back in the saddle, offing his victims so sadistically that his partner finds it disturbing.
There are hints of a pedophilia/snuff/pornography ring. When Jay watches a video featuring one of the people on the list, his reaction to what he sees upsets and enrages him to the point that he offs those responsible in horrible ways.
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Posted in: Film Festivals · Horror · IFC Films · Movies · Reviews · SXSW
Tagged: IFC Films, Kill List, Myanna Buring, Neil Maskell, Reviews, SXSW
by Chris Ullrich, Mar 18 2011 // 2:30 PM
With news coming previously that Diana Lane would take on the role of Superman’s adoptive mom, Martha Kent, in Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot of the franchise, a lingering question of who would be his father remained. Of course, there’s been speculation and rumors that Kevin Costner was in negotiations for the role, but those were just rumors.
That is, until now. According to reports, Costner is definitely being cast in the part of Superman’s adoptive father Jonathan Kent. The actor will join Henry Cavill, who is playing the title role.
The casting of Costner is quite a big deal as Snyder has seemingly gone for lesser-known actors for most of his films. However, the cast of this one seems to be featuring quite a few names, at least so far. Granted, Henry Cavill isn’t exactly a household name, but obviously Costner and Lane are.
With these roles done we can now turn to speculation on who will play other characters in the film including Lex Luthor, General Zod and Lois Lane. Although, as we don’t know the exact story of the film yet, it may be premature to even speculate on those roles because they may not be in the film at all. Still, it is kinda fun.
Let the speculation continue!
Posted in: Casting · DC · DC Entertainment · Movies · News
Tagged: Casting, Diane Lane, Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner, Movies, Superman, Superman: Man of Steel, Zack Snyder