The Flickcast – Page 478 of 1030 – Stuff Nerds Love

Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac Service Pack 1 Set to Hit Next Week

Even though we try not to use very many products from Microsoft around here (we’re Mac users mostly, after all) that doesn’t mean we don’t have to jump into Microsoft’s Office Suite once in awhile. Now on its 2011 version, Office for Mac has become a pretty darn good program.

Soon, Microsoft will attempt to make it even better with the release of the inevitable Service Pack 1, which will reportedly be coming out next week. The update will reportedly include performance enhancements, as well as security and stability fixes, but it will also include major changes for Outlook for Mac.

After applying the service pack, users will be able to sync their Outlook calendars, tasks, notes, and contacts with Apple’s Sync Services, and it includes support for CalDAV calendar, which Apple is implementing in May. The update will also add a new redirect and resend buttons. iPhone and iPod touch devices will also stay in sync as well.

So, if you’re an Office for Mac 2011 user and think the suite could use some fixes, mark your calendars and get ready for some help next week.

Screen Gems To Distribute Indie ‘Attack the Block’

If you’re a fan of J.J. Abrams Clovefield, can’t wait for Super 8 and loved Shaun of the Dead, chances are you will also enjoy director Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block. Fortunately, you will soon get a chance to prove that theory as the film has been picked up for distribution by Sony through its Screen Gems division.

The film, which won the Midnight Feature Audience Award at SXSW, tells the story of a gang of tough inner-city kids in London who battle a bunch of invading aliens. Sounds cool, right?

Said Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper: “Steve Bersch screened this film for me and I fell completely in love with it. The film is, at once, charming, scary, funny, hip, clever and completely hits its mark. I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship with these incredibly talented filmmakers.”

Click through to check out the trailer if you haven’t already seen it. Even if you have, it’s worth another look. As for the film, it features Nick Frost and kids beating the crap out of invading aliens. How can it not be good?

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The Flickcast – Episode 94: In Blackest Night

This week on The Flickcast Chris and Matt are back and ready for action. Of course, that means a whole bunch of new and recurring topics to discuss and debate.

Some of these include the brand new Green Lantern footage/trailer from WonderCon, WonderCon itself,  Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch, HBO’s Game of Thrones, more casting news, The Hangover II trailer, the Supernatural anime series,  and the new Thundercats animated series coming soon from Cartoon Network.

And for a fourth week running, no Charlie Sheen. Believe us, we’re happy about it too.

Of course, your hosts also made some picks this week including Matt’s pick of the movie Creepshow and Chris’ pick of the brand new AMC’s TV series The Killing.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, at Facebook and MySpace or via email.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ To Use Pittsburgh For Gotham City

The previous two Nolan Batman films have used the sprawling metropolis of Chicago to fill in for the fictional Gotham City. Chicago was a fine stand in and only required a few CGI touch up shots to sell it as another city.

Despite the success of filming in Chicago in the past, The Dark Knight Rises has been searching for a new stand in city for quite a while. Now, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steel City has now been chosen to represent Gotham.

“Pittsburgh is a beautiful city,”  [Nolan] said in a statement. “We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman.”

Now obviously this was done for financial and cinematic reasons, but I suspect something else might have played a part in choosing this new city. You see, the local NHL franchise is the Pittsburgh Penguins, so perhaps Nolan is secretly planning on using Mr. Cobblepot in the movie, and filming in Pittsburgh is a clever clue to us vigilante fan boys!

Yes, it just makes to much sense.

Or at least that is what I think I am supposed to say. You are required to put dumb and obviously false speculation at the end of every The Dark Knight Rises story, right?

‘X-Men: First Class’ Fan Made Opening Credit Sequence Hits The Web

I am conflicted. On one hand this fan opening credits sequence is visually stunning. The 60’s Saul Bass-ian style animation fits so well with the X-Men universe in the 60s. It is detailed, lovingly crafted and clever to boot.

On the other hand it features the single worst variation of the classic 90’s X-Men animated theme ever. I have heard hip-hop versions, death metal versions, even a trendy house music version and nothing compares to the nut kick to the ears that this video presents.

Not only is the song just horrible to listen to, it is also wrong for the tone and style of the visuals. The music needs to be fast, upbeat, jazzy and most of all flow and sync with the visuals. I suggest going to you tube and playing the normal version of the 90’s X-Theme while watching this sequence in mute.

And you should watch this sequence, it is awesome. From a strictly visual standpoint this opening sequence gets everything right. I have a metric ton of hope for this film, and fan produced projects like this only re-affirms my feelings. The 60s are the foundation for everything the X-Men have become, and to get that encapsulated in a film should be high watermark for the genre.

Check out Joe D’s excellent title sequence after the jump.

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Expect Cameos From Ray Romano, Catherine Tate and James Spader On ‘The Office’ Season Finale

Will Ferrell not big enough for all of you fans of NBC’s The Office? How about an hour-long season finale featuring Ferrell, Ricky Gervais, Will Arnett, Ray Romano, Doctor Who’s Catherine Tate and James Spader?

NBC has recently announced that the trio of Spader, Tate, and Romano will be making appearances in the upcoming season finale of The Office, in which we get the last episode with Steve Carell’s Michael Scott.

Carell’s character may be quitting the paper business to live the married life, but his real life counterpart will be taking on a new NBC comedy in which he tells the story of a younger him delivering mail for a living after college.

The question still remains: Who will replace Michael Scott as the new boss of the Scranton branch?

With this huge slew of cameo stars for the finale, you can see NBC is stirring the pot by making you think it could be any one of those candidates.

Sadly, you’ll just have to wait for the full season finale on May 19th to see for yourselves. Until then, who would you like to see replace Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott on the show?

Sound off in the comments!

Get Your First Look at Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’ #1

Even though I’m a big fan of Marvel’s comics, the character of Moon Knight was never one of my favorites. I tended to gravitate to the more grounded characters like Captain America or Nick Fury instead of the more fantastic ones. Still, that doesn’t mean Moon Knight hasn’t been popular with Marvel fans, he has.

And now his fans have yet another reason to be happy because the character has a brand new series coming out soon from Marvel. Here’s some details: “From the Eisner Award-winning creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the new series features Moon Knight as he heads to Los Angeles as a one-man Avengers team to dissolve a criminal syndicate tearing the City of Angels apart.

Except there will be no warm welcome, because once word gets out about Marc Spector’s arrival, the mastermind behind LA’s crime circuit will stop at nothing to make an example of any Avengers who cross him. Plagued by incurable schizophrenia, can Moon Knight hold it together to clear out a city riddled with villains?”

Sounds cool. I may have to re-think my opinion of this character.

Click though to check out some pages from the new comic. Moon Knight #1 hits comic store shelves on May 4, 2011.

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Syfy Holding Open Casting Call for ‘Face Off’ Season 2

Ever dreamed about being a big time Hollywood special effects make-up artist? If so, you’re probably aware of Syfy’s recent show Face Off, which highlighted a contest between several make-up people with the winner getting $100 K and a potential career in Hollywood.

What you might not be aware of is that the show was a hit for Syfy and will be getting a second season. But wait, there’s more. The network will be holding an open casting call looking for a new crop of contestants for season two and that is all happening this weekend in Los Angeles and New York.

Who knows, it could be your big break. If you have any desire at all, it could be worth it. Besides, what have you got to lose?

Click through for all the details directly from Syfy:

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