The Flickcast

Windows 8 ‘Consumer Preview’ Now Available for Download

Posted on February 29, 2012

As we first told you a few weeks ago, Microsoft has today released the first “Consumer Preview” of the latest version of its Windows software. The new software has been dubbed Windows 8 and is, according to Micsosoft, is “Windows reimagined and reinvented from a solid core of Windows 7 speed and reliability.”

According to the company, here’s what you can expect from the Windows 8 Consumer Preview:

Windows 8 Consumer Preview is a prerelease version of Windows 8 that focuses on people and apps and gives you powerful new ways to use social technologies to connect with the people who are important to you. Windows 8 Consumer Preview is built on the rock-solid foundation of Windows 7 and has the security and reliability features you expect from Windows, but we’ve made it even better. It’s fast, and it’s made to work on a variety of form factors—especially the new generation of touch devices.

Well, there you go. You can go to Microsoft’s website and download Windows 8 to try for yourself. Although, unless you have a touch monitor you won’t be able to experience it exactly as it was intended.

New Minimates Lines Being Released for Classic Spider-Man Story and ‘Marvel vs. Capcom 3’

Posted on February 29, 2012

Since most of the major Marvel Universe players have found their way already into the Minimates line, ArtAsylum is now able to give some spotlight to some of the heroes, villains and storylines from the past. This time in the 43rd wave of the Minimates line, which also marks the ten year anniversary of the product, the Marvel Minimates will focus on the “Death of Jean Dewolff” storyline.

Back in the mid 80’s when comics were beginning to mature in both artistic merit and story themes, editor on the Spectacular Spider-Man Jim Owsley gave writer Peter David the task of knocking off detective Jean DeWolff. The character of Sin-Eater was created as a way to kill DeWolff. Interestingly enough, the biggest impact of this story is the indirect creation of Venom as Eddie Brock claimed to have found out who the real Sin Eater was, only to be disproven by Spider-Man catching the real killer and costing Brock his job.

You can check out Art Asylum’s interview with creator Peter David here on their site and check out the full gallery of the collection after the jump.

The Griswolds Are Heading Back Out For Another ‘Vacation’

Posted on February 28, 2012

The original Vacation movie is a bona fide classic. The film was made during the primes of Chevy Chase, John Hughes and Harold Ramis, three of the most prolific names in 80s pop culture. It spawned a hit and miss franchise that most people remember fondly to this day. So this news was inevitable.

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that the guys who wrote Horrible Bosses, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstien, have turned in a script for a new Vacation movie and New Line is keen to give the duo the chance to direct too.

Daley and Goldstein’s Vacation script, first set up in 2009, plays like both a sequel and a reboot of the franchise that began with the 1983 Harold Ramis-directed comedy National Lampoon’s Vacationand continued with European Vacation, Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation.

A now grown-up Rusty Griswold, the son of the Chevy Chase character in the original series, experiences a misadventure with his own family.

DVD Review: ‘Beautiful Boy’

Posted on February 28, 2012

There are many reasons a film might be hard to watch: unbelievable performances, sloppy writing, unskilled direction. Some movies offend with tasteless portrayals of strong sexual content or graphic violence.

Beautiful Boy doesn’t have any of these problems. The film is beautifully acted and well made. Its one sex scene is very thoughtfully done. Beautiful Boy is hard to watch because of the sheer intensity of the subject matter it covers.

Bill and Kate are emotionally distant and muted until they receive the worst news two parents could possibly get. Not only has their only son been killed in a campus shooting, but it turns out he was the shooter.

The couple must deal with their own loss while trying to weather the varied opinions of family, neighbors, and media. This also gives them more time than they wanted to examine how they feel about one another.

Lucy Liu to Play Watson In New CBS ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Series

Posted on February 28, 2012

In case you were not aware, there is a brilliant modernization of Sherlock Holmes on TV right now. Sherlock, the BBC series, tells the tale of the titular detective in a modern London, complete with text messaging, internet teleconferencing and Watson’s blog!

CBS, excited by the prospect of the most famous detective’s ability to work in a modern setting, has set forth on their own take on a 21st century Holmes, and they just nabbed their Watson.

According to Deadline the role of Sherlock’s faithful aide is being filled by a rather surprising choice:

Lucy Liu is set to play Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick in CBS’ drama pilot Elementary, whose tweaks to Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic include switching Watson’s gender to female. The project, written by Robert Doherty, is set in present day and stars Jonny Lee Miller as eccentric Brit Sherlock Holmes, a former consultant to Scotland Yard whose addiction problems led him to a rehab center in New York City.

On one hand, the concept of Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu running around New York as Holmes and Watson actually sounds crazy enough to work. On the other hand, we might be reaching a point of Sherlock Holmes overload, with a TV show and movie series already very much alive.

We at The Flickcast have our fingers crossed that this adaptation goes just bug nutty enough to work along side Sherlock, not against it.

Apple Set to Unveil iPad 3 at March Event

Posted on February 28, 2012

You knew it was coming. It was inevitable. Just like there’s going to be an iPhone 5 soon enough (think June), the iPad 3 is pretty much a certainty thanks to an invite that went out today from Apple for an event on March 7th.

The event will take place in San Francisco and will no doubt introduce the iPad 3 to the eager masses yearning to be free of the limitations of 3G and a single processor, among other things. Apple’s iPad 3 is expected to feature a high-definition 2,048 x 1,536-pixel Retina Display, quad-core Apple A6 processor, larger battery, 4G LTE, an 8-megapixel camera and similar case design.

In addition, expect some cool features tied to the next major release of Apple’s iOS and Mac OS X operating systems which will hopefully include, among other things, full integration of Pages, Numbers and Keynote with iCloud across all Apple devices. That would be very nice indeed.

We’ll keep you posted on all the iPad 3 news and more. Until then, it’s probably time to get those iPad 2’s ready for eBay before they really drop in value.

Sony Throws Hat In as Yet Another Dracula Film Goes Into Development

Posted on February 28, 2012

It seems the popularity of vampires would be winding down with the over-saturation of the market, but Hollywood is moving away from your modern vampire, as seen in Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, and seems to be looking toward the past to keep the craze going. There has been a sudden explosion of projects based on the classic vampire, Dracula. Names ranging from Adam Sandler to Park Chan-Wook are involved in some kind of story about the classical bloodsucker.

According to Deadline, Sony has purchased a pitch from writer Jason Keller that will tell Dracula’s origin story, with Joe Roth and Palak Patel set to produce. Sony would only admit that they intend to start a period franchise, and with Keller credited for the upcoming Snow White re-imagining Mirror Mirror, that might put two franchises on his plate.

Feast Your Eyes On the Full Trailer for ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2

Posted on February 28, 2012

Up until now, HBO has teased us with tiny teasers for the upcoming second season of the critically acclaimed series Game of Thrones. Those of us that read the books know the true importance that hits in the coming storylines, but not much of how it will be executed.

A good amount of those question marks can now fall away (and some can become bigger) as the first full, 2 minute trailer for the upcoming season has finally hit the web.

So will the Lannisters and the Starks finally duke it out? Will we get more dragons? And who will take the throne once and for all?

Take a look at the full trailer after the jump to get a glimpse at what’s to come on April 1st, when Game of Thrones returns to HBO.