The Flickcast – Page 600 of 1030 – Stuff Nerds Love

Check Out an Awesome Fan Made ‘Walking Dead’ Opening

Posted on September 28, 2010

We may be about a month away from AMC’s big premiere of The Walking Dead, but that hasn’t stopped one creative animator from getting antsy and making his own opening title sequence. The video comes from director Daniel Kanemoto, who is such a diehard fan, he made this video for the love of the art, not for money.

Here’s what he had to say about the sequence.

Just so there’s no confusion, I’m not affiliated with the production in any way — I’m simply a huge fan of both Frank Darabont and Robert Kirkman, and this is my attempt at creating a cinematic introduction to one of the all time great “continuing stories of survival horror.”

It’s refreshing to see a fan who is just a fan and has no alterier motives. It would almost be fitting if AMC decides to buy and distribute this video with the show next month. Producer Gale Anne Hurd even praises praises Kanemoto, saying his opening titles “rock big time”, which almost makes the entire project worthwhile.

The art is taken straight from illustrators Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore, with the song, “Fresh Blood”, performed by eels. Check out the sequence after the jump, and catch The Walking Dead on AMC on October 31st.

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BlackBerry Maker Research In Motion Announces ‘PlayBook’ Tablet

Posted on September 28, 2010

RIM, maker of the popular BlackBerry line of smartphones, unveiled a brand-new tablet computer today they are dubbing ‘PlayBook.’ The company made the big announcement at their BlackbBerry DevCon, held at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Yes, the same venue Apple used to announce it’s iPad, among other products.

Quite a bold move and perhaps telling that RIM would choose to follow in Apple’s footsteps in such a manner. With RIM losing market share every quarter to the likes of Apple’s iPhone and the numerous popular Android smartphones out there, the company is facing pressure to innovate and regain a competitive advantage.

The newly-announced PlayBook will run on the new BlackBerry Tablet OS and is being positioned as the first ‘enterprise-ready’ tablet computer. Instead of using the recently-overhauled Blackberry OS 6, RIM decided to leverage their recent acquisition of QNX Software, who originally coded the new platform.

Features-wise, the PlayBook sports a 7″ screen (same as the Samsung Galaxy Tab – which we’ve covered extensively), a dual-core 1Ghz processor, front and rear HD cameras and is capable of multi-tasking and running flash-based applications. The PlayBook is uber thin and sexy, weighing in at 0.9 pounds and 9.7 mm thin.

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New Trailer for ‘True Grit’ Hits the Web

Posted on September 28, 2010

Way back in February we brought you some casting news about the Coen Brothers remake of the John Wayne classic western True Grit. And now, thanks to the magic of the Interwebs, we can bring you the first teaser trailer for the film.

With a cast that includes Matt Damon as La Beouf, Josh Brolin as killer Tom Chaney and Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn (the role made famous by Wayne) the trailer brings us a bit of the flavor of the film and brings to light the fact that this film is going to be pretty amazing. The original film, based on a 1968 novel by author Charles Portis, starred Wayne in a role so popular it earned him his only Oscar.

In case you’re not familiar with the story, it concerns 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross who sets out to capture her father’s killer. To help, she hires tough yet abrasive U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn, a man with “true grit.” Over Cogburn’s objections, Maddie accompanies him on the quest and they are joined by another Marshall, La Beouf, who wants Chaney for his own reasons.

True Grit hits theaters on December 25th. Check out the trailer after the jump.

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Fantastic Fest Review: ‘I Spit On Your Grave’

Posted on September 27, 2010

Fantastic Fest 2010 was host to the first public screening of  I Spit on Your Grave: Unrated (2010.) The film is a remake of the shocking, iconic 1978 movie sometimes known as Day of the Woman.

A lot of people argue that there was no need to remake the film, which to this day is considered one of the most disturbing movies of all time.

So, does the update do the original justice? Quite simply, it does, and then some.

(Female) producer Lisa Hansen came out to introduce the film to the audience, and she also participated in a Q & A session following the film.

She indicated that over 100 cuts had been made to the movie to try to placate the MPAA, but finally distributor Anchor Bay threw in the towel and decided to release the movie as unrated. This is a ballsy movie nowadays, as many large chains won’t even book an unrated film, so that may be why you have a hard time finding the film in a theater near you. Kudos to Anchor Bay for sticking to their guns, and director Steven R. Monroe’s vision.

The premise of the movie has remained almost identical to the original. A fresh scrubbed writer type from the big city has sought out the peace and quiet of an isolated cabin in the woods, hoping to get a jump on writing her second novel.

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War Movie Mondays: ‘Castle Keep’

Posted on September 27, 2010

Castle Keep (1969) is a very anti-heroic World War II film filled with lots of dark humor and beautiful photography. The film is based on William Eastlake’s novel about a weary squad of American soldiers who come upon a tenth century castle in Belgium in December 1944.

Sydney Pollack, who was still yet an unknown in Hollywood circles, was chosen to direct this large scale film. Veteran Hollywood great Burt Lancaster stars as Major Abraham Falconer, who leads a reconnaissance squad badly in need of R&R. The remaining cast includes Peter Falk (Sgt. Orlando Rossi), Patrick O’ Neal (Capt. Lionel Beckman), Scott Wilson (Cpl. Ralph Clearboy), Tony Bill (Lt. Amberjack), Al Freeman (Pfc. Alistar P. Benjamin), Michael Conrad (Sgt. De Vaca), and wide eyed screen great Bruce Dern (Lt. Billy Byron Bix).

In the opening scenes of the film, the men are trying to maneuver their battered jeep through heavy mud down an old road. The use of slow motion photography of two individuals on horseback establishes the meeting of the two residents of the castle and the American soldiers. The Count of Maldorais (Jean-Pierre Aumont) welcomes the American soldiers and hopes that they will help protect his castle and its vast treasures and art from the advancing Germans who are preparing to counter-attack in the Ardennes Forrest.

Once in the castle, Maj. Falconer (Lancaster) begins fortifying in preparation of the attacking Germans. His adjutant Capt. Beckman (O’Neal) is an art historian who stresses the importance of the Count’s art collection and that the castle holds some of the greatest treasures of Western Europe.

Beckman tries to convince the Major that they should pull back towards the Meuse River and spare the castle from any destruction. Falconer is a career soldier and cares nothing for the statues, paintings, tapestries, and other treasures. Falconer’s men quickly find ways to keep themselves entertained whether its using expensive bottles of wine as bowling pins, defacing bust sculptures, or satisfying certain requirements at the local whore house in the nearby village known as The Red Queen.

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Fantastic Fest Wrap Up: Day Three

Posted on September 27, 2010

By Jane Almirall and Shannon Hood

Day three of the festival we got some screenings in, a few interviews, and lots of shorts.

I Saw The Devil Directed by Ji-woon Kim.  Starring Byung-hun Lee (The Good the Bad, the Weird) and Min-sik Choi (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance.)

Shannon:  I seriously contemplated not attending this screening, because it was so early, and because it was subtitled, and it was 2 and 1/2 hours long.

I am so glad I decided to attend.  This Korean revenge movie blew me away, and is my favorite movie of the festival thus far.

I Saw The Devil is a beautiful, brutal, and horrifying revenge tale.  It has the most chilling sociopathic villain I have seen in any movie since Hannibal Lector. The 2 and 1/2 hour running time flies by.  Full review forthcoming.

Interview: Simon Rumley (director; Red, White, and Blue.)  Simon is from London, but directed his film entirely in the Austin area, and even hosted a pub crawl to the various venues that he used in the movie.  He talked about the taboos he broke in the movie, the jarring musical score, and how influential pal Tim League helped him with the movie.  Full interview forthcoming.

We Are What We Are Directed by Jorge Michel Grau.  Starring Adrián Aguirre, Miriam Balderas, Francisco Barreiro, and Carmen Beato. Summary:  When the patriarch of the family passes away, the teenage children must take responsibility for the family chores: the preparation of the rituals…

This was a bit of a mixed bag, about a mexican family of cannibals who must make do after the patriarch of the family passes away unexpectedly.

What’s surprising is that cannibals are usually depicted as redneck backwards ass families.  This is, by all appearances, a normal family.

They eat humans for “the ritual,”  but the movie never really explains what the ritual is.  I wish we would have found out more about their motivations for the cannibalism.  I’m kind of in the middle on this one.

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Get Your First Look at Stan Lee’s ‘The Traveler’

Posted on September 27, 2010

As comic book legends go, Stan ‘The Man” Lee is probably the most famous. His amazing creations and co-creations like The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk and Iron Man have captivated audiences worldwide for decades and given rise to an entertainment empire that endures to this day.

So, when Stan Lee decides to create another comic book, we pay attention, This new one, known as The Traveler, teams Lee with writer Mark Waid and tells the story of a mysterious new superhero with time-traveling powers who battles the Split-Second Men, super-powered assassins from the future.

To commemorate this event we’ve got a bunch of pages from the comic to share with you today. Plus, a few covers as well. So, click through to check them out.

The Traveler issue #1, published by Boom Studios, hits comic store shelves in November.

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The All-New Apple TV Facing Possible Delays

Posted on September 27, 2010

Earlier this month, we brought you a host of new product announcements from Apple, including news that Apple would be releasing a highly-updated version of their Apple TV. Unlike the new iPods which went on sale shortly after the news event, the Apple TV was slated for pre-order status and Apple claimed it would ship later in September.

Well, it appears that either Apple has a production issue with the new device, or the Apple TV is attracting a whole lot more pre-orders than were expected. Flash-forward to today, and a quick perusal of the Apple Store reveals that the updated Apple TV will now ship in 2-3 weeks, easily pushing things into Mid-October.

Lending credence to a potential ship date snafu, Apple Insider is reporting that some pre-order customers who specified rush shipping, are now starting to receive an email from Apple claiming that these rush shipping charges will be refunded due to a ‘possible delay.’

“Our records indicate that when you placed your order you paid for upgraded shipping,” Apple wrote in the emails. “Due to a delay, we may have not been able to meet our delivery commitment.” The email goes on to say that Apple has “processed a refund for the shipping charge on your order. Please contact your card-issuing bank for information on when the credit will be posted to your account.”

Curiouser and curiouser. While Apple has insisted that their new streaming media device would ship in September, and even the company’s online store is reporting a status of “Ships: September” for pre-orders, it’s simply not clear at this time if first Apple TV shipments will be pushed back into mid-October.

It will be interesting to see if Apple ends up citing a hiccup in production or whether crushing demand for the new device is to blame. Either way, we’ll be bringing you all of the latest news from Apple and from around the web as it breaks.

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