The Flickcast – Page 243 of 1030 – Stuff Nerds Love

Two New ‘Dark Knight Rises’ TV Spots Now Online

These new TV spots don’t really give us much more information than we already have. Still, it’s nice to see the PR machine is cranking up to full power in anticipation of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Of course, if you’re like us, you don’t really need a reason to see this movie and will probably be there at midnight when it opens. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to see these new TV spots.

Although, and maybe I’m in the minority here, I’m still not sold on Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Sorry folks, she just seems like the weakest link here and I can’t shake that feeling no matter how much I try. Let’s hope she doesn’t ruin the experience.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theatrs on July 20. Click through for the videos.

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New Google+ Update for Android Brings UI Improvements, Hangouts and More

If you’re an Android user who also enjoys using the Google+ social media service, you may have been a bit miffed to see the iOS version of the G+ app get a big update a few weeks ago. Well don’t worry, your time has come.

That’s right, Google today took the wraps off a big update for the Android version of the Google+ app and with it has come several improvements to the UI including the big thing you may love or hate: giant pictures. The new app also makes starting a hangout with your pals possible from a mobiel device.

In addition, there’s also a new navigation ribbon on the left side, much like the desktop version, that features quick shortcuts to all the areas of Google+ you might need to go to. You also get some new transitions as you scroll through feeds, the ability to download pics as wallpaper, the ability to edit posts inline and more.

The new app is available through the Google Play store. So, what do we think?

‘Diablo III’ May Have Already Claimed First Real Life Fatality

With a game as hyped as Diablo III, there have been lots of stories circulating around the net since its launch last week. The first was someone who fought through the crashing servers and was able to complete the game in just 13 hours. The next tale came about someone who did a speed run and beat the entire game in six hours after an 11 year wait to get his hands on the game.

There were even reports of someone getting a character to level sixty within the first few days of launch, not to mention the thousands of people who took off work to play the game on launch. But with the crazed fandom, there also comes the possibility of tragedy as well.

Tech blog Buildstarted.com was the first to report the first real world Diabo III related death. Buildstarted reports the loss of his friend and coworker, 32 year old Russell Shirley. After not hearing from his friend for two days, the writer called Shirley’s landlady who found Russell in front of his computer, lost to an apparent heart attack which may have been caused by his gaming binge.

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First Trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ Arrives

One thing you can always count on with a Baz Luhrmann movie is that it will be full of spectacle. Said spectacle may take the form of exotic song and dance numbers, sweeping vistas or elaborately choreographed gunplay, but it will always be there.

His next production, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, is no exception. It has contemporary songs, dancing, singing and spectacle galore, as you can see from the first trailer for the movie we’ve got for you today.

Heck, it’s even in 3D. That’s a dimension Luhrman hasn’t explored bofore. It will be interesting to see what he does with it. If this trailer is any indication, he’s going to do a heck of a lot.

Look for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton, to hit theaters this Christmas. Check out the trailer after the break.

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RoboCop to Provide the Voice for the Aged Batman in ‘The Dark Knight Returns’

The DC animated universe is fantastic. Bruce Timm has been masterminding gold standard animation for nearly two decades, and his crew is finally taking on one of the most important Batman stories ever told, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.

This epic two-part animated event has already been officially announced, but The Hollywood Reporter has announced the principle voice cast:

Peter Weller (Robocop) will star as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Modern Family’s middle child Ariel Winter will play Robin… Also in the cast are David Selby, the veteran actor who starred in the original Dark Shadows soap opera as well as the classic 1980s soap Falcon Crest; Wade Williams (Prison Break) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face; and Michael McKean as Dr. Wolper, the psychiatrist who releases the Joker from the insane asylum.

Fan favorite Michael Ironside played the role in a classic episode of Batman: The Animated Series that payed homage to the seminal story. While it would have been nice symmetry to have him back, Peter Weller is an amazing choice for the role.

The story is being split into two animated features, the first of which will be hitting shelves later this year, followed by the second part in early 2013.

Game Review: ‘Max Payne 3’ for XBox 360

This past twelve months has been marked by the return of long awaited franchises. Whether critical and commercial flops like Duke Nukem Forever or sensations like Diablo III, nostalgia has played a big role in gaming recently. Also returning after a eight and a half year hiatus is Max Payne 3. Despite a terrible movie, the franchise has returned to PC and consoles with one of the most surprisingly violent games so far in 2012.

Gameplay

Max Payne 3 can best be described as an evolution of the series. Instead of just spouting off a sequel with refined graphics and new locales, there is an evolution to the gameplay of this third person shooter. In the early Payne games, Max’s actions revolved around ducking out from behind corners and going into his signature bullet time dives. While bullet time still exists, it isn’t the main focus as it once was. Most firefights play out in a coverbased shooter format now. Bullet time becomes a more varied and tactical resource than the main repetitive component it was in Max Payne and Max Payne 2.

The game also has specific set pieces revolving around bullet time like when Max dives off a roof or grabs on to a chain and gets pulled into the air, allowing him to clear out a room full of enemies in the extended BT sequence.

Melee has been improved in Max Payne 3. When up close, Max can grab and enemy and pull off a violent kill shot instead of a generic pistol whip animation that is seen in most other third person shooters. Also improved are the bullet cams. In the second Max Payne, the only time the bullet cam engaged was with a sniper rifle. Now, these go into effect as Max kills off the final enemy in an area. Players can slow down the shot by holding a button and even unload further ammunition into them, which is a great feeling after clearing out a room that has taken multiple attempts to complete.

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Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘The Master’ Gets an Intriguing First Teaser

There are few filmmakers who evoke the kind of passion from cinephiles the way PTA does. His films might not be everyone’s cup of tea (personally I rather Paul WS Anderson), but there is no doubt he has talent and an ability to relay a story in a unique way.

His newest film, The Master, has gotten a lot of people interested. It tells the tale of a man not to dissimilar to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, here is the official synopsis:

Universal Pictures period drama to star Philip Seymour Hoffman as a founder of a new religious organization in the 1950s. Hoffman would play “the Master,” as in “master of ceremonies,” a charismatic intellectual who hatches a faith-based organization that begins to catch on in America in 1952. The core is the relationship between the Master and Freddie, a twentysomething drifter who becomes the leader’s lieutenant. As the faith begins to gain a fervent following, Freddie finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor.

The film also stars Joaquin Phoenix whom the teaser centers around. This looks like a very interesting follow-up to There Will Be Blood and Phoenix’s own ‘interesting’ last few years. Even a non convert like myself is interested.

The film will be released this fall, check out the teaser after the jump.

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New Trailer and Clips for Post-Apocalyptic ‘The Collapse’ Arrive

Let’s not forget there’s more to entertainment than what comes out of the collective Hollywood brain trust. And thank goodnesss for that or we would constantly be bombarded with movies like Battleship and endless other Transformers clones.

Fortunately, there’s more independent-minded production companies that try to make more original and edgy fare. One of those companies is Anchor Bay, and while it’s not indie in the strictest sense of the word (it’s owned by Starz), it still tries to bring some edgy and creative work to the table.

One example of this is the upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller The Collapse. In the movie, an “unknown event has catapulted civilization into a fatal downward spiral. The Weaver family — father Scott (John Fantasia), young adult son Aaron (Steve Vieira), mother Emily (Lise Moule) and teenage daughter Rebecca (Anna Ross) — desperately tries to survive.”

Check out the trailer and clips after the break. Look for The Collapsed to arrive on June 5.

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