The Flickcast

Check Out Even More Previews for Syfy’s Upcoming ‘Alphas’

Posted on July 5, 2011

With all the previews for the upcoming Syfy show Alphas we seem to run around here, you would think we’re producing the show ourselves. Sadly, no, we’re just reporting on it for you.

Not only that, it does seem pretty cool and has a very good cast, including film and TV veteran David Strathairn. Plus, it was co-created and written by comic book movie mainstay Zak Penn so we’re also interested because of that fact.

To help get you ready for all the fun, we’ve got another batch of previews for the pilot episode and the first episode of the series.

The series, in case you’re not familiar, is a procedural thriller about ordinary people with extraordinary mental and physical abilities that operate within a special branch of the Department of Defense and are tasked to investigate cases committed by others with Alpha abilities.

Click through to check out all the previews after the break. Alphas premieres July 11th on Syfy.

Marvel Comics On Sale This Week

Posted on July 5, 2011

Happy 5th of July to all you comic book lovers out there. This week sees the release of a bunch of new comics from our friends at Marvel.

Of the ones coming out, we’re most interested in reading Fear Itself #4, Captain America & Thor: Avengers #1, X-Men #14, Vengeance #1 and Red Skull #1.

As with most weeks, new comics out on Wednesday, so hit your nearest comic book store for best selection as many people may thing today is new comic book day this week. However, with the 4th of July holiday, it may be a good idea to wait until Thursday this week, just in case.

Either way, if you don’t know where your nearest comic store is, usse this handy guide to find one.

Comics On-Sale:

15-LOVE #2
ASTONISHING THOR #5
AVENGERS, THOR & CAPTAIN AMERICA: OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #15
CAPTAIN AMERICA & THOR!: AVENGERS #1
CARS 2 #2
DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER – THE BATTLE OF TULL #2
FEAR ITSELF #3 2ND PRINTING VARIANT (FI)
FEAR ITSELF #4 (FI)

Sony To Finally Finish Full PSN Restoration This Week

Posted on July 5, 2011

After nearly two and a half months since hackers compromised its network, it looks like Sony is close to restoring full service for users of its PlayStation network later this week. The final piece will be when the company takes the service back online in Japan. Of course, the company has been saying it will get things back online for awhile now.

According to Bloomberg, Sony has been working with the FBI to identify the LulzSec hackers who were responsible for the attack on its San Diego data centers, during which the hackers obtained account information for more than 100 Million PlayStation Network users. Reportedly, LulzSec rented and used servers from Amazon.com’s cloud service to facilitate the attack.

The attack is the second-largest online data breach in U.S. history, and will cost the company an estimated $173 Million in direct costs to repair and shore up its security. The actual cost in terms of the company’s brand and consumer confidence has yet to be measured.

Chairman Howard Stringer told shareholders last week the services will continue to be a main source of growth. Sony CEO Howard Stringer apologized after the attacks and offered a year of identity theft protection to those affected by the breach, as well as a free month of access to PSN.

War Movie Mondays (Tuesday Edition): ‘U-571’

Posted on July 5, 2011

Happy belated 4th of July to all you War Movie Mondays fans. In celebration of our nation’s 235th anniversary, this week’s pick salutes American submariners of World War II with U-571 (2000) directed by Jonathan Mostow.

The film stars Matthew McConaughey (Lt. Andrew Tyler) Bill Paxton (Capt. Mike Dahlgren), Harvey Keitel (Chief Gunner’s Mate Henry Klough), Jon Bon Jovi (Lt. Peter Emmet), and David Keith (Maj. Matthew Coonan).

U-571 is a fictional account about a U.S. Navy submarine crew which boards, and captures a German U-boat in the Spring of 1942 in order to seize the German’s secret cipher machine code named: Enigma. The device allowed the German high command to transmit radio messages to their U-boat fleet which were destroying the vital convoy lines from America to Britain. The code was unique and made it impossible for the allies to determine the German’s plans in the early stages of the war.

The film is superbly acted and won an Academy Award for Best Sound, but the film was not very well received in both England and Germany. The film was bashed in Britain due to the fact that the British were the first to ever capture an Enigma coding device in the war courtesy of the HMS Bulldog and HMS Aubretia of the 3rd Escort Group in the North Atlantic on May 9th 1941, seven months before the U.S. entered the war. Critics in Germany were none to thrilled of the way U-boat crewmen were portrayed.

Get A Glimpse At The Bleak Robot Future in ‘Robots of Brixton’ Short

Posted on July 5, 2011

Since the arrival of affordable and professional level video editing and effects equipment, it’s become more and more common for a small fan film on the Internet to have as good or better visuals (and often a story) than many of the big Hollywood films we usually see. That case is clear once again with the new short film Robots of Brixton by Kibwe Tavares.

The film takes an interesting look at a futuristic (and not very optimistic) world where robots not only rule, but have the same hardships as humans.

With some of the most unsettling and gorgeous visuals we’ve seen in a some time, Brixton runs a short 5 and a half minutes. However, that time will go by fast and once you’re done, you’ll want to watch it again.

Check out the full synopsis and short itself after the jump.

New ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Season Four Promo Rocks It

Posted on July 5, 2011

Okay, here’s the deal. If you’re not watching Sons of Anarchy on FX you are missing out on one of the best shows on TV. It’s really just that simple.

The show has everything you could want: action, drama, great acting, compelling stories, sex, drugs, bikers, biker chicks and all the other essential elements that go into an entertaining and eminently watchable TV program.

The show is about to begin its fourth season and to get things started off right, we’ve got a promo for that season for you right here. In it you can get a sense of what I’m taling about. However, as cool as the promo is, it doesn’t nearly do the show justice. You’ll just have to watch it.

Check out the promo after the jump. Sons of Anarchy, which features Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff and Ron Perlman, returns to FX with an all-new season in September.

Box Office: ‘Transformers 3’ Takes Over The World

Posted on July 5, 2011

Movie fans and studio execs alike both know the importance of the Independence Day weekend. It’s the coveted 3 days during which the most amount of money is made for the year. And for almost all 3 films in the Transformers franchise, Michael Bay has held that special spot.

As if we didn’t know it was going to happen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon was #1 this weekend, with a whopping 6 days covering its “opening weekend” (Wednesday to Monday) and pulling in over $180 Million domestically and an estimated $218 Million overseas.

Continuing its popularity from last weekend, Disney’s Cars 2 stayed strong at the #2 spot with $26 Million, followed by Cameron Diaz’s foray back into comedy with Bad Teacher bringing in $14.5 Million.

Also opening this weekend was the hugely disappointing romantic comedy Larry Crowne, with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. It came in fourth place with $14 Million. Finally, the Leighton Meester/Selena Gomez vehicle Monte Carlo came in at #6 with $7.4 Million.

Next weekend, we expect a bit of a lull with Zoo Keeper and Horrible Bosses opening, giving us just enough time to cleanse our collective pallets for July 15th’s Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2, which is expected to have the biggest opening of the year, and possibly putting Michael Bay and his toys to shame.

The Flickcast Presents: America’s Most Patriotic Comic Book Characters

Posted on July 4, 2011

Going back to the early days of comics, heroes have been created to stand for something. Peace, justice and the American way has been a strong theme since this trend began and never seemed to falter.

As time as passed, the simple blind patriotism has faded and led to more complex characters that have evolved with the times. Today, on the anniversary of America’s independence, we take a look back at some heroes and even some villains who have proudly worn the red, white and blue.

While there are many we don’t have the chance to look at below such as the Flag, Liberty Bell, the Shield or even the Spirit of 76, we look at all those heroes and what they stood for, the men and women who helped give us the freedom to be able to live in a land where these characters actually exist.

Older Posts

Newer Posts