The Flickcast

‘Doctor Who’ to Film in US for the First Time

Posted on October 11, 2010

If you’re a big fan of the BBC show Doctor Who and live in, or are willing to travel to Utah, this story is especially for you. According to the BBC, the upcoming Season 6 of its flagship sci-fi drama will open with a two part episode set and partially filmed in the U.S.

The opener, written by the show’s head writer and showrunner Steven Moffat, will be co-produced by BBC America, with key scenes being filmed in Utah in November. The story is set in the late ‘60s and finds the Doctor (Matt Smith), Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) on a secret mission “that takes them on an adventure from the desert in Utah – right to the Oval Office.”

Also joining the show for the opener will be Alex Kingston, who reprises her role as River Song. “The Doctor has visited every weird and wonderful planet you can imagine, so he was bound get round to America eventually,” Moffat said. “And of course every Doctor Who fan will be jumping up and down and saying he’s been in America before. But not for real, not on location – and not with a story like this one! Oh, you wait!”

Okay Mr. Moffat, we’ll wait. But it won’t be easy. We don’t like waiting.

What do you guys think about Doctor Who filming in the US and Torchwood moving to the US permanently?

Check Out This New Teaser for ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ Single Player

Posted on October 11, 2010

The full single player trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops, Activision and Treyarch’s latest bit of awesomeness, will debut tonight during ESPN’s Monday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets. In the meantime, we’ve got a teaser for that trailer to share with you this morning that will surely serve to whet your appetite for the full trailer and, of curse, the game itself.

As I mentioned before, Call of Duty: Black Ops takes gaming to the next level and features a host of new features, enhancements and all around gameplay advances. Plus, it will also allow players to experience the game in 3D, which could be very cool indeed.

With this teaser we get a glimpse of how amazing this game is going to be and get to experience some of the action for ourselves. Of course, actually getting a chance to play the game will be even better but for now, we can at least get psyched for when that time does soon come.

Take a look at the teaser after the jump. Call of Duty: Black Ops hits stores on November 9.

NYCC10: Magneto, M.O.D.O.K., Arthur and ‘Bionic Commando’ Coming to ‘Marvel vs. Capcom 3′

Posted on October 11, 2010

It’s no surprise with the amount of sponsorship Capcom has given to the New York Comic Con that they’d have some big announcements for their most anticipated new title, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: The Fate of Two Worlds. Not surprisingly, these announcements came in the form of additions to the roster.

First up is Magneto, returning from his stint in Marvel vs. Capcom 2, this former mutant terrorist turned X-Men gets the HD makeover with all of his favorite Hyper Combos for the next generation of Marvel vs. Capcom combat.

Also buffing up the Marvel side of things is M.O.D.O.K., the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. The leader of A.I.M. may seem like an odd choice for a fighting game with his limited mobility but Capcom has shown in the trailer below just what kind of technology this former technician is equipped with to put him toe to toe with Capcom’s best.

Speaking of Capcom, their classic hero Arthur from the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series will make his series debut as a playable character. Fans of the series will remember the underwear wearing knight in all his boxer glory as an assist character in the first Marvel vs. Capcom.

Finally, the Bionic Commando Spencer will be added to the series as well. Take a peek at the video below showing the Mortal Kombat-esque “Get over here” attack that Spencer possesses.

Fantastic Fest Review: ‘Rubber’

Posted on October 11, 2010

When I read the synopsis for Rubber – an experimental film about a psychokinetic, automobile tire that goes on a killing spree in the desert – I thought it sounded like an awesome idea for a short film. Then I read that it was, in fact, a full feature length film (85 minutes, to be exact) and my curiosity was piqued even further.

The premise is pretty high concept, I wondered how director Quentin Dupieux would pull off a story with so much potential to end up being one-note. The short answer is that he made an engaging, funny, acerbic and captivating story about a murderous tire – and he did it so brilliantly.

By predicating the film on the conceit that many things happen in life for no reason, the story about a tire which comes to life and possesses psychic powers (and a penchant for destruction! And blood lust! And vengeful rage!) can exist without any need for an explanation. It simply is what it is and as a spectator we are able to accept this and let the story tell itself without fighting the implausibility of it.

Box Office: ‘Secretariat’ Stumbles Out Of the Gate

Posted on October 11, 2010

A lot of people thought that Secretariat would be a shoo-in for first place this week. There has been Oscar talk for Diane Lane, and Disney was pinning its hopes on having a “Blind Side” type four-quadrant hit film on its hands. Alas, at the end of the day, Secretariat stumbled across the finish line in third place with $12.6M for the weekend, dashing the dreams of studio executives hoping for a huge hit.

The Social Network came in at the top spot, with $15M. It dropped about 30% from its opening weekend, and has made $46M to date. Katherine Heigl’s latest rom-com Life As We Know It came in at a respectable $14.6M, good enough for second place this weekend, though it came in on the lower end of expectations.

Holdover Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole won the number four spot. Wes Craven’s latest offering, My Soul To Take, was a disappointment with $6.9M, despite having 3D up charges. It goes to show that 3D does not ensure big numbers at the box office.

You still have to have a quality product. The movie wasn’t screened for critics, and feedback from audience members has been dismal. Cinemascore reports a horrible “D” grade.

Newcomers Buried and It’s Kind of a Funny Story were on limited screens, but their per/screen averages were pretty bleak. Each only garnered about $2,000 per showing, and neither placed in the top ten. I Spit on Your Grave only made $33,000 over the weekend, a truly frightening total.

Classic X-Men Arcade Game Getting A New Life On XBLA & PSN

Posted on October 11, 2010

These days, there are plenty of classic games that are getting the big-budget revamp, but it’s the few that gamers from the 90s remember with nostalgia that are finally getting justice in the world of next gen consoles. TNMT: Turtles in Time was the first to get the face lift, and now comic fans everywhere rejoice as the classic arcade game X-Men is coming to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Straight from 1992, the arcade was forever known as “that gigantic machine in the back of the arcade that was always taken up”, which was one of the rare machines to allow 6 simultaneous players, all dedicated to one classic 80’s X-Men character. Now, developer Konami has plans finally bring the once arcade-only game to the console.

Many fans remember that the available characters were chosen from probably the best X-Men team roster in the history of the comic, including Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Storm, and unfortunately, Dazzler. Though, the addition of Dazzler in a members-only jacket and headband only make the game that much more nostalgic.

No word yet on a release date, but it was mentioned in the Marvel panel at New York Comic-Con that the game will feature a drop-in online multiplayer system that allows up to 6 players at once, each with varying difficulty. We expect to hear more about the game as it develops. In the meantime, check out the awesome trailer for the re-release after the jump.

NYCC10: Booths, Celebs, and Costumes Galore!

Posted on October 11, 2010

Most of the people in the area were aware, but for those around the world, this weekend marked the fifth annual New York Comic Convention in the Jacob Javits Convention Center in the heart of New York City. It may not have been as warm as San Diego, but that didn’t stop folks from all over the world flying in to show off their inner (or outer) geek.

Part of the charm of any convention is seeing things that most people would consider strange in the “outside world” but in truth, we all know just how awesome they are. This year’s New York Comic Con was no exception.

Some of the highlights of this year’s Con include a full Deadpool Corps as well as a mismatched teamup of two Deadpools taking out a poor Star Trek red shirt. Take a peek at Ramona from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World who is prettier than the girl from the film. Don’t forget to check out the two happy couples dressed as Hal Jordan and Carol Danvers as well as the Green Arrow and Black Canary.

Be sure to keep it here all week for our full coverage of the events, screenings, and interviews from this year’s show, and in the meantime check out our full gallery of photos from the show after the jump!

The Flickcast’s ‘On The Radar’

Posted on October 8, 2010

Welcome to this week’s On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage this week. Let is know if we missed something interesting. Otherwise, on to the links!