by Chris Ullrich, Sep 21 2011 // 1:00 PM
We’ve already brought you the first stills and first trailer from Warner Premiere’s upcoming animated film Batman: Year One. Now, we’re pleased to be able to bring you the first full clip from the movie for your animated Batman enjoyment.
In the clip, we get further evidence that even though this doesn’t have the big budget of the next Chris Nolan Batman, Warner is still taking this very seriously. In short, it looks pretty awesome.
Here’s the scoop on the film:
Batman: Year One is based on the 1987 comic from Frank Miller and illustrator David Mazzucchelli. The film depicts young Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City in his first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante. The playboy billionaire chooses the guise of a giant bat to combat crime, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon (who is already battling corruption from inside the police department), inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a crooked political system that infests Gotham.
Like I said, awesome. Adding to that awesome even more is the great cast assembled to do the voices for the film, which includes Bryan Cranston (Gordon), Ben McKenzie (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Eliza Dushku (Catwoman) and Katee Sackhoff (Detective Essen). The film arrives October 18 on Blu-ray, On Demand and for Download.
Check out the scene after the break.
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Posted in: Comics · DC · News · Video · Warner Bros
Tagged: Animated, Batman, Batman: Year One, Ben McKenzie, Bruce Timm, Bryan Cranston, DC, Eliza Dushku, Frank Miller, Katee Sackhoff, Warner Premiere
by John Carle, Sep 21 2011 // 11:30 AM
Taking a break from our Gunstringer review, we at the Flickcast realized something. It comes with a download code for Fruit Ninja Kinect. We at the Flickcast have already played and reviewed Fruit Ninja Kinect so why not pass it along to you guys?
If you remember when doing our Summer of Arcade reviews, we took a look at the iOS turned Kinect title Fruit Ninja. First off, the game is a workout and just a few play sessions will have you shedding the calories. On top of that, it makes excellent use of the Kinect technology.
The one-to-one motion is captured with amazing accuracy in Fruit Ninja Kinect. Our main qualm with the title was its 800 Microsoft ($10.00) price compared to .99 cents on the Apple App Store. Luckily since we are giving it away to you for free, you don’t have anything to worry about!
Make sure to follow us on Twitter @TheFlickcast tomorrow, September 22nd, to win a download code for Fruit Ninja Kinect. Please own an XBox 360 connected to XBox Live and a Kinect so this code doesn’t go to waste.
Posted in: Contest · Games · News · Twitter Giveaway · Video Games · XBLA · Xbox 360
Tagged: Fruit Ninja, Fruit Ninja Kinect, Gunstringer, Kinect, The Gunstringer, Twisted Pixel, Video Game Giveaways, Video Games, XBLA, Xbox 360, XBox Kinect
by Joe Gillis, Sep 21 2011 // 10:00 AM
Have you ever wanted something so much that the impeding day you can have the thing never seems to actually arrive? It seems people feel that way about most things from Apple, and in particular the iPhone 5.
Anticipation for the new device is at fever pitch and finely it seems we’ve got some light at the end of the tunnel. According to AllThingsD, Apple is currently planning to hold the company’s Fall event on October 4th.
At this event Apple CEO Tim Cook will introduce the iPhone 5. Steve Jobs may or may not attend. Additionally, the report added regarding availability of the device: “Sources added that the plan is now to make the new device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.”
So, if we do the maths right, that means you can expect to see the iPhone 5 hit store shelves sometime around October 24. Not. Soon. Enough.
Posted in: Apple · Business · Mobile · News · Tech
Tagged: Apple, Apple Special Event, iOS 5, iPhone, iPhone 5, Steve Jobs, Time Cook
by Matt Raub, Sep 21 2011 // 8:30 AM
Less than a week ago, we brought you a brand new trailer for an action-packed film out of Indonesia called The Raid about a SWAT group that has to make their way to the top of a crime-riddled apartment building. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones blown away by what the trailer had to offer, as Screen Gems is already vying to remake the film here in the states.
Since the film made so many waves at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it already had a distributor going into the fest, Screen Gems’ only reasonable plan was to remake the film for American audiences. Here’s what THR had to report.
Screen Gems is in negotiations on a remake, a move made possible for the label since sister arm Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions picked up North American distribution rights to the film during the Cannes Film Festival. The initial deal called for Sony to have an exclusive negotiating period and right of refusal on a remake in its deal with XYZ Films, the makers of the original.
So it seems that the new recourse isn’t to acquire films so that a wider audience can be privy to the art, but to remake it with young up-and-comers that will likely bring a completely different (possibly terrible) take on the film before we, the frustrated audience members, get to even see the original.
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Posted in: Action · Drama · Foreign Films · Movies · News · Reboots and Remakes · Screen Gems
Tagged: cannes film festival, Indonesia, Old Boy, Remakes, Screen Gems, The Raid, TIFF, Tonronto International Film Festival
by Jon Ryan, Sep 21 2011 // 7:00 AM
When was the last time you were excited about a move-game tie in? Was it Days of Thunder 2011? Tron? It was Tron…wasn’t it?
Games based on movies are notorious for their lack of ingenuity, polish, and often times, any respect for the source material whatsoever. This, of course, means that any tie-in games that do show potential can never see the light of day, as it would upset the balance universal karma… or something.
THQ studios in Brisbane were working on a promising Avengers game to release alongside the 2012 summer blockbuster movie. Keyword being “were”. Due to a “strategic realignment” of its development studios, THQ elected to close the studio down, halting production of any current projects. Normally, I’d say bully for THQ – with their recent releases falling into the “decently subpar” category ( Homefront and 40K: Space Marine among them) I would be alright with them taking a step back from their full-speed-ahead mentality.
But not this time. The Avengers was going to be a first person shooter / beat ‘ em up combo focusing on four-player co-op. Showcased in the pre-alpha footage below are Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor – all as playable characters. While some aspects (such as Cap throwing his shield) didn’t look brilliant, it still looked like a lot of fun; especially for any True Believers out there.
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Posted in: Action · Comics · Games · Geek · Marvel · Marvel Studios · Movies · News · THQ · Video · Video Games
Tagged: Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, SHIELD, Skrulls, The Hulk, Thor, THQ, Video Games
by Matt Raub, Sep 20 2011 // 11:30 AM
There’s no hiding that we’re pretty big nerds for The Muppets here at The Flickcast. We’ve posted about it only a few times but none of the past links have done justice like today’s. Submitted to you is artist Michael De Pippo, who has brought us sheer brilliance in some retro concert posters done for the official Muppets house band, Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem.
A simple idea, yet completely original on its own. Here’s what De Pippo had to say about his idea.
My idea was simple; create a vintage concert poster for each band member (Dr. Teeth, Janice, Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Zoot and Animal). Using clean, crisp vectors, negative space and few colours, I wanted to keep them as simple and stylized as possible; reminiscent of retro posters from back in the day.
So before you completely combust with anticipation, check out these custom posters after the jump. According to De Pippo, each poster will be available up on Etsy very soon, so keep an eye on his blog and Twitter for updates on that. In the meantime, check out the full collection of these character posters after the jump.
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Posted in: Action · Check it Out · Comedy · Geek · News · Posters · TV
Tagged: Animal, Check It Out, Dr. Teeth, Electric Mayhem, Janice, Michael De Pippo, Sgt. Floyd Pepper, The Muppets, Zoot
by Chris Ullrich, Sep 20 2011 // 10:00 AM
For the record, I don’t know all that much about the early years of the infamous J. Edgar Hoover. I do know that he helped make the FBI what it is today but also had some other, more secret, proclivities that make him a rather controversial figure in history.
So, it makes sense that someone like Clint Eastwood, who likes complicated characters and to explore the “grey area” of morality, would take on a biopic about the late FBI director. That’s exactly what he’s done and cast Leonardo DiCaprio as the man himself.
Today, Warner Bros released the theatrical trailer for the film and in it we get a good look at DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hoover as well as some insight into the movie itself. Gotta say, and not really surprised here, it looks good.
Check it out for yourself after the break. J. Edgar, which in addition to DiCaprio features Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, Armie Hammer, Dermot Mulroney, Lea Thompson and Judi Dench, hits theaters on November 9.
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Posted in: Biopic · Movies · News · Trailers · Warner Bros
Tagged: Armie Hammer, Biopic, Clint Eastwood, Dermot Mulroney, FBI, J. Edgar, j. Edgar Hoover, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench, Lea Thompson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Warner Bros, Young Hoover
by Sebastian Suchecki, Sep 20 2011 // 8:30 AM
Now that just about every action hero from Jean-Claude Van Damme to Chuck Norris has been signed to punch and kick alongside Stallone in The Expendables 2, we can now see that some of the seasoned veterans are giving some screen time to the young up-and-comers as Knowing star Liam Hemsworth (brother of Thor, Chris), has joined the cast.
Liam, who is seeing nothing but hoge projects coming up, will have a pretty juicy part alongside some of the international actions stars joining in the fun. Here’s the report from Variety.
“The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth has just been cast alongside Sylvester Stallone in Millennium Films’ action extravaganza, which will be released by Lionsgate.
Simon West is directing the star-studded sequel, which finds Stallone returning as team leader Barney Ross.
He’s expected to be joined by past co-stars Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Couture. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger are also back to expand on their cameos from the first film. Along with Hemsworth, other newcomers to the franchise include Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris
According to reports, the film is set to start shooting next month, and will have an even bigger cast than we anticipated, with Stallone dropping names like Michael Beihn and Nicolas Cage in at the last minute.
All we know is that the film will be even bigger and more explosion-packed when it hits theaters next year.
Posted in: Action · Announcements · Casting · Movies · News · Prequels and Sequels
Tagged: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Expendables, Expendables 2, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Liam Hemsworth, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Sylvester Stallone, Terry Crews
by Matt Raub, Sep 20 2011 // 7:00 AM
Remakes get a bad reputation in the fan community. Mostly for good reason, but a few bad eggs like Gulliver’s Travels or The Honeymooners ruin the concept for the whole group, which is just unfortunate. These days, a few remakes are welcome with the current technological advances we have in CGI or, heaven forbid, 3D.
That’s where a remake like The Thing comes into play. Some call it a remake, others a “prequel/reboot hybrid”. All we know is that we’re getting to see some pretty badass scenes that we never got in the original from 1982. For all 8 of you who haven’t seen the original or need a refresher, here’s the premise of the film.
Taking place three days before the events of the John Carpenter film, paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) joins a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across a crashed extraterrestrial spaceship buried in the ice of Antarctica. They discover a creature that seems to have died in the crash eons ago.
When an experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate joins the crew’s pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing and imitating them one at a time, using its uncanny ability to mimic any life form it absorbs through digestion, and potentially reaching civilization.
The trailer manages to keep the film’s creepy and shock-tastic tone while still looking like an intriguing science-fiction piece. Check it out after the jump and be sure to catch The Thing in theaters October 14th.
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Posted in: Action · Horror · Movies · News · Reboots and Remakes · Sci-Fi · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Joel Edgerton, John Carpenter, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Prequel, Reboot, Remakes, The Thing
by Joe Gillis, Sep 19 2011 // 11:12 AM
What do you do if you’ve managed to make your once struggling DVD rental-by-mail company into one of, if not the, biggest rental and content streaming services in the world? Well, if you’re Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, you make some poor decisions regarding pricing, apologize for them and split off your DVD rental biz into a completely different company.
That’s just what Reed has done with Netflix’s DVD rental business. He announced this week via the company’s blog that the Netflix will split its DVD and streaming video businesses and rebrand the DVD division as “Qwikster.”
“In hindsight, I slid into arrogance based upon past success,” Hastings said in the blog post. “Now I see that given the huge changes we have been recently making, I should have personally given a full justification to our members of why we are separating DVD and streaming, and charging for both,” Hastings added.
I guess Hastings felt he had to do something what with all the backlash recently over the recently rolled out price hike of 60% which helped drop the company’s stock by almost 50%. Not only that but Starz has also has not renewed its deal with the company which means fewer movies and other content for the service.
Qwikster will be a separate company and will, in addition to movies and TV programs, also offer video game rentals. Expect to see Qwikster.com to go live in the next few weeks.
So, what do we think of this? Is it a good move or the last gasp of a dying company out of touch with customers? Sound off in the comments.
Posted in: Movies · News · Tech · TV
Tagged: Business, DVD Rentals, Netflix, Qwikster, Reed Hastings, Streaming Content
by Douglas Barnett, Sep 19 2011 // 8:30 AM
This week’s pick is the John McTiernan thriller The Hunt for Red October (1990). Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, and James Earl Jones star in this Cold War classic about a Soviet naval commander and a new invincible Soviet sub which threatens peace between the two super powers.
Set in early 1984 before Gorbachev came to power as the new Soviet premier, the new ballistic missile submarine Red October sets sail from port in the arctic and makes its way to the north Atlantic for a training exercise. Its captain, Marko Ramius (Connery) selects his officers and the crew for a daring mission that they believe will test the might of their old adversary, The United States navy.
The Red October is equipped with a new type of propulsion system, a caterpillar drive, which renders the sub virtually silent to sonar. This feature and its nuclear payload, represent a clear and present danger to U.S. policy in the north Atlantic at the height of Cold War tensions between both the U.S and Soviet Union.
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Posted in: Academy Awards · Blu-Ray · Books · DVD · Mystery and Suspense · Netflix · Paramount · Thriller · War · War Movie Mondays
Tagged: Alec Baldwin, Donald Stewart, James Earl Jones, John McTiernan, John Milius, Larry Ferguson, Richard Jordon, Sam Neill, Scott Glenn, Sean Connery
by The Flickcast, Sep 19 2011 // 7:00 AM
Here we are, the end of the summer season, well into the fall box office lull where most movies go to die. Instead of getting another historical drama or disease-based thriller, we’re getting a 3D re-release of a film that came out nearly a decade ago.
That’s right, Disney managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat in getting their 3D re-release of Lion King to open to just over $29 million this weekend, making it #1 by about a mile.
Coming in second place this weekend, Soderbergh’s Contagion took a step down, losing only 35% of last weekend’s weekend pull. The film only walked away with $14.5 million this weekend.
Also opening this weekend, the indie action flick Drive pulled in $11 million in the #3 spot, the Straw Dogs remake only made $5 million for the weekend, which is pretty low considering the True Blood bump the film had.
Next weekend, tons of potential box office surprises. Lionsgate’s Taylor Lautner vehicle, Abduction, hit theaters, as does the family flick Dolphin Tale. For the grownups, Killer Elite and Brad Pitt’s Moneyball hit theaters everywhere.
Posted in: 3-D · Action · Box Office · Comedy · Movies · News
Tagged: abduction, Box Office, Contagion, Disney, Lion King 3D, Steven Soderbergh, straw dogs