The Flickcast

American Express Pays Gamers on XBox 360

Posted on December 20, 2012

So last night my iPhone buzzes me and let’s me know I have a new email from American Express. I figure it is just another Skymiles statement tied into my Delta frequent flyer account that I get every month. But luckily before quickly hitting delete, I see XBox 360 in the subject line.

So I decide to actually open it and I find out something surprising. American Express is going to issue me a credit just for synching up my Amex account with my XBox 360. Now I am sure there is some malevolent connection between the two to allow them to both do market research on me but let’s face it, these two companies already know all the bad stuff about me.

Microsoft knows how many hours of my life are spent online gaming already and my AmEx card knows where I blow my disposable income. Registering the two together isn’t going to ruin me by any means.

New ‘The Great Gatsby’ Trailer Arrives

Posted on December 19, 2012

For your viewing pleasure here’s the new trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s big screen adaption of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic The Great Gatsby. As you probably know, Leonardo DiCaprio plays the title character, Carey Mulligan plays Daisy and they are opposite other cast members such as Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, Joel Edgerton and Jason Clarke.

The film opens May 10th. Sadly, it’s also in 3D for some reason. We’ll probably just see the 2D version. YMMV.

The Internet in 2012: ‘Rewind YouTube Style 2012’

Posted on December 19, 2012

How do you measure a year? Don’t worry, I’m not about to break out into song. But my answer does involve at least three of the hottest songs of the year. It also includes a dancing zebra, a man skydiving from space, some gamers and probably close to 1,000,000 calories. In just one day, YouTube.com’s year in review video has garnered more than 17,000,000 views (a number that will most likely be obsolete by the time this post even goes live). But the video isn’t just a compilation video or highlight reel.

Take a peek below at the cast of YouTube celebrities brought together for this remix rewind of all of their top viewed trending videos. With over billion of views between the stars of the video (over 980,000,000 for PSY’s “Gangam Style” alone), some of these people who may not have ever graced a movie screen have become more recognizable than some television or big screen actors.

Some of these people featured have found themselves on TV because of their YouTube fame including iJustine who appeared in the Call of Duty: Black Ops II “Surprise” trailer.

Graphic Novel Review: ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Trilogy from Titan Books

Posted on December 18, 2012

On Friday, The Flickcast announced a Twitter giveaway for a complete set of the Assassin’s Creed graphic novel trilogy. You still have time to enter before Friday the 21st. But we wanted to make sure to give a review on this trilogy before we gave them away of course.

Released as a trilogy, the three Assassin’s Creed graphic novels have come out simultaneously from Titan Books, most recently having worked on comics properties such as the Tank Girl collections as well as the WWE Heroes series. Partnered with Ubisoft, the team at Titan put together a three part story focusing on three characters in the Assassin’s Creed lore: Desmond, Aquilus and Accipiter.

Over the course of the trilogy, there are two distinct storylines happening. The first focuses on Desmond’s early time entering into the assassin’s. Pieces of what happened behind the scenes at Abstergo including many interactions with Lucy and the heads of the Templars that players of the game may not have been aware of are explored. Also in the modern day, Subject 16, the previous experiment in the Animus at Abstergo is explored more. Players will recognize him from the role he played inside the Animus during Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. Finally, a new assassin is introduced, named Jonathan Hawk who is one of the ancestors of Accipiter.

The Full ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ Trailer Is Even Better

Posted on December 17, 2012

Yep. Even better. Can. Not. Wait.

Movie Review: ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’

Posted on December 14, 2012

It’s been nearly ten years since Middle Earth unfurled across the screen, and in that time, the Lord of the Rings films have cemented their place in cinematic history. The actors have aged, technology has evolved, and the influence of Peter Jackson’s trilogy is evidenced in all the three-plus-hour epics we’ve seen over the past decade.

Jackson slips back into this world seamlessly, elevating the grandeur but also reigning it in; instead of army battles and global chaos pitting kings against wizards and demons, this is a merrier tale of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and a band of dwarves hunting a lost treasure guarded by the fierce dragon Smaug.

Smaug, we’re told (and cleverly not shown until the very end) attacked the thriving dwarf city of Erebor years ago, evicting dwarven kind from their homeland (writing that I’m starting to wonder if there’s a parable here, big noses and all…) and forcing them to have it out with every other race in Middle Earth, from the orcs at Moria (the chief of whom kills the leader dwarf, Thorin’s, grandfather and becomes the main antagonist) to the elves at, uh, Elvania (the elves chose not to help the dwarves in the battle against Smaug).

A Time for Giving: The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Graphic Novel Trilogy

Posted on December 14, 2012

Next week we are going to be reviewing a brand new hardcover trilogy of graphic novels set in the Assassin’s Creed universe. But luckily, we aren’t only getting a set for ourselves, we got a second set to give to loyal readers of The Flickcast fandom. It’s going to be another one of our easy to enter and win Twitter contents, but before you check out the rules, check out the description of each of the three graphic novels direct from Titan Books

Assassin’s Creed – Desmond

This first volume of the French comic trilogy from Ubisoft, tells the story of Desmond Miles’ abduction by Abstergo and their plans to rip the blood-steeped memories of Desmond’s ancestors from his genetic code. Add to the mix the mysterious and violently terrified Subject 16 and a desperate flight from Abstergo, and this makes for a fast-paced and thrilling addition to the game’s universe.

Movie Review: ‘Hyde Park on Hudson’

Posted on December 14, 2012

The fundamental problem with Hyde Park on Hudson is that it promises so many interesting characters and so many spirited performances, and then focuses its attention on the dullest one.

That’s not a reflection on Laura Linney’s performance as Margaret Suckley either; rather she has nothing to work with. When, early in the film, she’s summoned to Franklin Roosevelt (Bill Murray)’s New York retreat, the two embark on countless drives through the country. Are they happy? Content? Angry?

There’s image after image of them driving, accompanied by Linney’s tiresome jabbering narration, and then the tone takes a surreal detour when Frankie pulls over and wordlessly asks for some full service. Any other woman would rightly get the hell out of town, but as the meandering voiceover informs us, it draws the them closer. O-kay.

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