by Joe Gillis, May 12 2011 // 2:00 PM
NBC’s Community is one of those show that just keeps getting better and more interesting with each new episode. Fortunately, its coming back next season for more fun with the gang at Greendale and we’ll get to experience more of the hijinks of Jeff, Britta, Troy, Abed, Shirley, Chang, Pierce and Annie.
But tonight, things are getting intense with the second part of the “paintball” season finale that’s sure to bring the awesome. Of course, we’ve got previews for tonight’s episode to share with you right here.
I case you’ve forgotten, here’s the scoop so far: The Greendale gang is in the midst of an intense paintball war and things are just getting exciting after the elimination of Josh Holloway’s gunslinger last week. This week, get an early taste of “Operation: Troy’s Awesome Plan”, see Alison Brie freestylin’ it and much more.
Also, tonight there’s a brand new Office and double the Parks and Rec fun with two episodes. All this, and more, starts with Community at 8/7C on NBC.
Check out all the Community goodness after the jump.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: NBC · News · TV · Video
Tagged: Alison Brie, Chevy Chase, Comedy, Commuinity, Dan Harmon, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Gillian Jacobs, Joel McHale, Josh Holloway, Ken Jeong, NBC, Rain Wilson, Yvette Nicole Brown
by Chris Ullrich, May 12 2011 // 1:00 PM
I have mixed feelings about this news coming out of Cannes today. At least I’m happy to see this guy getting more work as I’m a fan and had the pleasure of working with him once long ago.
It seems Truman Show writer and Gattica director Andrew Nicol is taking on directing duties for the big screen adaptation of the Stephanie Meyer book The Host. The project, which is being shopped at Cannes by Inferno Entertainment and producers Nick Wechsler and Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz, will star Saoirse Ronan.
Here’s some more info on the film:
Ronan will play Melanie Stryder, one of the last humans battling an alien species called Souls. These parasites invade human bodies, fuse to each person’s consciousness and systematically erase their personalities.
The story follows Melanie as she is captured by the aliens and implanted by a Soul called Wanderer. Wanderer wants Melanie to give up the remaining humans, but instead the alien finds Melanie to be unique in her unwillingness to surrender her consciousness.
Wanderer is so overwhelmed by Melanie’s memories and feelings that she is driven to reconnect with Melanie’s old life, which includes falling for Melanie’s boyfriend. The result is a complex, romantic and emotional human/alien love triangle.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Adaptation · Deals and Dealmaking · Movies · News · Sci-Fi
Tagged: Andrew Niccol, Gattica, Saoirse Ronan, Stephanie Meyer, The Host, The Truman Show, Twilight
by Chris Ullrich, May 12 2011 // 12:00 PM
Confession time. I’ve never read any comics with the characters from Alpha Flight in them. In fact, until today I’ve never heard of them at all. However, after looking at the art and reading the story of this new comic series, I have to say I’m extremely interested in reading more.
Here’s the scoop on the new book from the gang at Marvel:
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Alpha Flight #1 from New York Times best-selling authors Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente and acclaimed artist Dale Eaglesham. Canada’s original super team is back in action – but can they survive the terror of Fear Itself? With their homeland gripped by fear, Alpha Flight has been named enemies of the state and their country has vowed to hunt them down!
Can Guardian, Sasquatch and the rest of the team quell the influence of Fear Itself and restore order to the Great White North? The team faces its most daunting enemy yet – their own government.
I mean, come on, the comic has the mother effing Sasquatch in it. How can that not be cool?
Check out a whole slew of images from the new comic after the jump. Look for Alpha Flight #1 in comic book stores on June 8th.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Comic Previews · Comics · Marvel · News
Tagged: 'Fear Itself', Alpha Flight, Comics, Dale Eaglesham, Fred Van Lente, Grek Pak, Guardian, Marvel, Sasquatch
by Joe Gillis, May 12 2011 // 11:00 AM
Games based on popular or cult classic movies don’t always deliver the goods and often seem more like a cheap grab for cash than an actual attempt at creating a good game. However, there are sometimes exceptions. One of those exceptions is the new game Army of Darkness: Defense game from Backflip Studios and MGM Studios.
Army of Darkness: Defense is a mobile castle defense game designed as a homage to Sam Raimi’s 1992 classic film and takes place during the pivotal castle scene from the movie where Ash and his allies defend the powerful Necronomicon within Lord Arthur’s fortress from the onslaught of the Deadites.
In the game you take on the role of the chiseled chin, one-liner-spouting Ash while summoning familiar troops, spells and weapons from the movie to help in the defense. Gameplay features include over 150 direct lines of dialogue from Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, and beautifully animated graphics using the well-known “Granny 3D” engine.
Army of Darkness: Defense gives Ash the ability to call upon a wide variety of allies to help preserve the Necronomicon including swordsmen, armored knights, archers and more. In addition to the originally composed sound and music, the app also features many of the famous characters from the movie including Arthur, Henry, Sheila, the Wiseman, Evil Ash, and more.
Check out some screens from the game after the jump. Pick up your copy of Army of Darkness: Defense now in the iTunes App Store for iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Games · MGM · Movies · News · Video Games
Tagged: Army of Darkness, Army of Darkness: Defense, Backflip Studios, Games, iOS 4, iPad, iPhone 4, iPod Touch, MGM Studios, Sam Raimi
by Joe Gillis, May 12 2011 // 10:00 AM
UPDATE: Now its official. Chuck will get 13 episodes next season and it will be the show’s last.
Although this news isn’t 100% confirmed by an “official” announcement from NBC, there’s multiple sources confirming that everyone’s favorite nerd/spy Chuck is getting another season on the newtork. That’s right Chuck fans, it looks like the intersect has dodged the cancellation bullet once again and will be back next year with more new episodes for season five.
Like with its previous renewals, it looks like NBC will be giving the nerd spy series thirteen episodes for season five with the option to add more if the show does well enough. As you may recall, Chuck pretty much made a career of living “on-the-bubble,” with cast, crew and fans never sure if NBC will give the show a full season, or if it will get a new season at all.
The show’s renewal this time seems especially amazing considering the rather low ratings it has had over the last weeks, down from even its normal mediocre levels. But with all the fan support, other series being cancelled and lots of other unknown variables, it makes sense that NBC would give the green light to a show that’s a consistant performer with a loyal fan base and reasonable cost to produce.
Whatever the reasons, we’re happy the show is coming back. How about you guys, are you happy Chuck is getting another season? Or, is it time for the show to exit gracefully?
Posted in: Announcements · NBC · News · TV
Tagged: Adam Baldwin, Chuck, Joshua Gomez, Linda Hamilton, NBC, Ryan McPartlin, TV, Yvonne Strahovski, Zachary Levi
by Matt Raub, May 12 2011 // 9:00 AM
The film may not have a director, and a cast is still in the process of being shuffled into place and signed, but that hasn’t stopped a brand new poster and plot from being released for the upcoming sequel The Expendables 2.
What we do know, however, is that Stallone will be returning to act in the film, just not direct. No word on who Lionsgate is courting to take on the task, but a script is already in place by the man who brought us Muppets in Space and Curious George, Ken Kaufman. Here’s what Millenium Films is touting as the official plot:
The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal! After Tool (Mickey Rourke), the heart and soul of the Expendables, is brutally murdered on a mission, his comrades swear to avenge him. They’re not the only ones who want blood.
Tool’s beautiful young and wild daughter Fiona embarks on her own revenge mission, complicating matters when she is captured and ransomed by a ruthless dictator plotting to destroy a resistance movement. Now Barney and the Expendables must risk everything to save her and humanity.
Just about everyone and their mother is rumored to return for the sequel, including a meatier role for both Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. There is even talk that Jean-Claude Van Damme is planning on making an appearance this time as the film’s villain, making this, without question, the ultimate action cast.
We expect to hear more about the film as it travels to Cannes. Lionsgate says that the current scheduled release is August 17th, 2012. Take a look at the full poster after the jump, courtesy of First Showing.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Announcements · Casting · Comedy · Drama · Movies · News · Posters
Tagged: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Expendables 2, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ken Kaufman, Lionsgate, Muppets in Space, Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables
by Sebastian Suchecki, May 12 2011 // 8:00 AM
We got the God of Thunder out of the way, now it’s time to look to the rest of this jam-packed year of superhero films. Up next is potentially the most original of the year, as Kick-Ass’s Matthew Vaughn takes on the origin of the X-Men set in Cold War Era America with X-Men: First Class.
We got a glimpse at some of the members of the team like Beast, Havoc, and Banshee that gave us a bit of a hint on what the tone of the film was going to be. Needless to say, the rest of the film is still shrouded in mystery.
We do know that the film has a good amount to do with Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960′s, and that’s what sets up our clip. In it, McAvoy’s “Charles Xavier” and Jennifer Lawrence’s “Mystique” sit before a cabinet of shady government types and reveal their mutant abilities for the first time.
Check out how they react after the jump, and be sure to catch X-Men: First Class and all of its fun-loving mutants in theaters (and thankfully NOT 3D) on June 3rd.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: 20th Century Fox · Action · Comics · Marvel · Marvel Studios · Movies · News · Sci-Fi · Video
Tagged: 20th Century Fox, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Marvel, X-Men, X-Men: First Class
by Matt Raub, May 12 2011 // 7:00 AM
Todd Phillips may have control of the box office this June with Hangover Part 2, but this July definitely has Seth Gordon’s Horrible Bosses written all over it.
With a ginormous cast including Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx, you can expect lots of great things from this upcoming raunchy comedy. Here’s the synopsis:
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
Like Office Space meets The Perfect Crime, you can expect some great moments with this outrageous cast. Check out the full trailer after the jump, and catch Horrible Bosses in theaters on July 8th.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Comedy · Movies · News · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Charlie Day, Colin Farrell, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Foxx, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Julie Bowen, Kevin Spacey
by Joe Gillis, May 11 2011 // 2:15 PM
This week, Chris and Matt draw closer to the 100th episode of The Flickcast as they shed a tear for the canceled shows announced in the last week like Human Target, The Chicago Code and Breaking In. Some shows, however, are still “on the bubble” such as Chuck and ABC’s V.
The two also go over why Will Smith joining Tarantino’s Django Unleashed would be such a bad idea, the pointlessness of HBO Go when you’re a Time Warner Cable customer, and what it means to be a real fan of comedy.
Their picks this week were, as usual, quite different. Chris went old school and reminded us how awesome and less ridiculous the first season of 24 was, while Matt explains the insanity and hilarity that ensued in HBO’s comedy special Talking Funny starring Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Louis C.K.
And for those who still don’t know what the title is referencing, and why Matt is singing through most of the episode, behold the original theme to the film Django.
Take a listen to what we’re talking about in this week’s episode after the jump.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Podcasts
Tagged: 24, Breaking In, Chris Rock, Chuck, Django, Django Unleashed, Episode 98, HBO, HBO Go, Human Target, Jerry Seinfeld, Kiefer Sutherland, Louis C.K., Quentin Tarantino, Ricky Gervais, Talking Funny, The Chicago Code, V, Will Smith
by Chris Ullrich, May 11 2011 // 1:15 PM
If you’ve been one of the people banging your head against the wall waiting for Sony to restore the PlayStation network so you can get on with your life (trust us, we know people who are doing exactly that), you’ve got more time to wait. On its PlayStation Network blog yesterday, Sony gave an official statement on when the PlayStation Network will be back online.
Sadly, the answer wasn’t “right now.” Instead, the answer is that the network won’t be restored for “at least a few more days.” I’m sure you recall that both the PSN and Sony’s Qriocity networks suffered a major security breach recently where hackers reportedly stole 12.3 million credit card numbers and compromised personal data from 101 million accounts. Awesome, right?
“I know you all want to know exactly when the services will be restored,” Sr. Director, Corporate Communications & Social Media Patrick Seybold wrote on Sony’s PSN blog. ”At this time, I can’t give you an exact date, as it will likely be at least a few more days. We’re terribly sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work through this process.”
Sure we will. I can hear cash registers all over the world ringing right now with sales of brand new XBox 360′s.
Sony better hurry, get the network back up and running and make this right with users or soon nobody will care and will have switched to XBox 360 and XBox Live.
That is, if they haven’t already.
Posted in: Games · News · Playstation 3 · PlayStationNetwork · Sony · Tech · Video Games
Tagged: Hacking, Playstation, Playstation 3, Playstation Hacked, PlayStation Network, PS3, PSN, Sony, Xbox 360, XBox Live
by Nat Almirall, May 11 2011 // 12:00 PM
(Even though it’s been over for a while, there’s still some reviews to squeeze out of SXSW!)
The opening scene of Fambul Tok is as powerful as any documentary could hope for: A few dozen Sierra Leone villagers circle a campfire—the social center of their tiny community—one of them stands and accuses another, her own uncle, of slaughtering her family during the 1991 civil war. The gathering becomes a tribunal as the leader reiterates the charges and then asks the accused if they are accurate. And then, instead of handing down a sentence, the leader asks the man’s accuser if she forgives him. She does.
It’s everything an opening scene should be: engaging, tense, and a capsulation of the film.
Fambul Tok, which is Sierra Leonean for “family talk,” refers to this process, where, instead of charging one with a crime and judging him with a jury of his peers, justice is replaced with forgiveness in the hope of fostering peace. This method, its application and merits, are the focus of the film as explored by director Sara Terry and her guide John Caulker, himself a victim of the Sierra Leonean atrocities.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Documentary · Film Festivals · Indie · Movies · Reviews · SXSW
Tagged: Documentaries, Documentary, Fambul Tok, Sara Terry, SXSW
by Erik Jensen, May 11 2011 // 11:00 AM
Google’s annual developer’s conference kicked-off yesterday with some fairly big announcements from the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, California. As 5,000 web, mobile, and enterprise developers packed in for the two-day event, Google provided the “State of Android” speech that everyone was expecting.
With over 100 million Android devices already activated and roughly 400,000 new ones registered each day, Google’s mobile OS is truly making some huge strides against their nearest competitor, Apple. In the app department, Google does not disappoint, with 200,000 apps available via Google’s Market as well as Amazon’s new Appstore for Android.
The biggest announcements from Day 1 of I/O seemingly patched up Google’s strategy for media sales and consumption on Android-powered devices, a substantial vulnerability for the Android platform when compared to Apple’s robust iTunes. ‘Music Beta by Google‘ was announced as an invite-only beta service, offering cloud-based storage for up to 20,000 user-uploaded tracks, quite a bump over Amazon’s similar Cloud Drive service, which offers 5GB of storage for streaming.
Google Music launched with nary a single record label on board, so users will not be able to purchase tracks directly. ‘Google Movies,’ available via the Android Market, sounds a bit more ready for prime-time.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Android · Google · News · Tech
Tagged: Android, Android 2.4, Android Honeycomb 3.1, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Google, Google I/O 2011, Honeycomb, Music Beta By Google