The Flickcast

The Kurt Cobain ‘Guitar Hero 5’ Controversy

Posted on September 18, 2009

Back in Guitar Hero 3, video game developer Activision began including various well known guitarists, both living and passed on, as unlockable characters within the franchise. In the series’ most recent iteration, Guitar Hero 5, which was just released on September 1st, deceased rock legends Johnny Cash and Kurt Cobain were including alongside living rockers Carlos Santana, Shirley Manson, and Matt Bellamy. Now while those still with us had complete control over their likeness being used in the game, Cash and Cobain’s legacies, both real life and digital, are in control of their respective estates.

Tabloid darling Courtney Love was left in control of Cobain’s estate and with that came his digital likeness. Recently, someone brought to Courtney’s attention this video that has been floating around YouTube of her deceased husband in what she and others consider a less than flattering light singing and dancing in the roles of various other musicians like Bon Jovi and Public Enemy.

Fan Film Friday: ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark (1954)’

Posted on September 18, 2009

Now, before you huge Indiana Jones fans attack and inform me that Raiders of the Lost Ark was actually made in 1981, NOT 1954, hear me out. This is a fan film (hence why it’s posted as a Fan Film Friday) of an essential alternate universe, where the film was actually shot in 1954, with Charlton Heston portraying the iconic Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones.

Much like the fan film’s predecessor, Ghost Busters (1954), this fake trailer (what the author calls a “pre-make”) takes scenes from the original film, and matches it up with classic adventure scenes, almost making it look like the exact same film, only shot in 1954. The concept is pretty innovative, and the mastermind behind it all even gave us a shot-for-shot comparison of this trailer and the scenes from the original Raiders to give us an idea.

Check out the video after the jump, and for those Marvel Zombies fans, check out the creator’s take on what if the 1960s Marvel cartoons starred the heroes’ zombie counterparts instead.

‘Spyborgs’ Webisode 2 Goes Live

Posted on September 18, 2009

Earlier this week we gave you an exclusive look at Capcom’s upcoming game, Spyborgs. Now we’ve got the second webisode for you! The webisode, entitled “The Breach,” finds our Spyborg heroes Bouncer, Stinger and Clandestine in the midst of unravelling a mystery when things get heated at headquarters.

In Spyborgs, gamers play as cybernetically enhanced superheroes who are betrayed by one of their own from the elite Spyborgs Institute. Players must team up to defeat this traitor through more than 35 stages of mind-blowing challenges, packed with epic boss battles and swarms of enemies that only two can defeat.

We hope you enjoy the webisode,and that it makes you even more excited for Spyborgs, available exclusively for the Nintendo Wii on Sept. 22.

You can watch “The Breach” after the jump.

The Pull List Comic Reviews: ‘Invicible Iron Man,’ ‘Captain America Reborn,’ and ‘Amazing Spider-Man’

Posted on September 18, 2009

This is the second of our guest The Pull List columns for this week. For the previous installment, go here. — Ed.

Invincible Iron Man # 18 – 2.99

Score: 9.0

To be honest, I haven’t found many recent Iron Man solo stories that engaging. The character seems to have more “big” moments in every other book than his. Matt Fraction, Salvador Larocca, and Frank D’Armata’s run on this book has changed my opinion completely. Invincible Iron Man continues to be one of the best comics on the stands on right now. This issue is no exception.

The penultimate chapter in the “World’s Most Wanted” arc puts all the pieces in place for next issue’s finale. As Stark’s smarts have regressed so has his ability to use his more advanced armors. This takes him back to the where it all started for him, the original armor. Meanwhile, the situation involving Black Widow and Maria Hill being captured by H.A.M.M.E.R. moves along with a turn I didn’t see coming.

Fraction continues to do a great job in writing Tony’s loss of intelligence. There is one scene which feels a bit forced. But it does an adequate job of reminding us of Stark’s past sins. The strongest part of the book is the advancement of the Black Widow and Maria Hill situation. The setup of last issue pays off in this one and sets up the endgame in a very interesting way.

Larocca’s art can be slightly inconsistent at times, but not enough to distract from the story. His strongest moment of this issue is his depiction Tony donning the original armor. D’Armata’s colors are not as strong as they normally are, but again this doesn’t take anything away from the book.

New Trailer for ‘Percy Jackson and The Olympians’

Posted on September 18, 2009

What the film world needs now is another fantasy series of movies with incredibly long names. Long gone are the days of Hook or King Kong. Now, thanks to the world of fantasy literature, we get names like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince or Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant. In the same vein comes Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which is enough to put many marquee-makers out of business.

Though the name is a bit of a mouthful, the trailer looks pretty cool. Very rarely do we get the following elements all together in a film: Greek mythology, teens with superpowers, an elevator that takes people to Mount Olympus, Pierce Brosnan and an iPhone. That combination alone is probably the reason why this film is the beginning of an extended franchise.

The plot is about titular Percy Jackson, Poseidon’s son (watch out, Aquaman) who goes on an epic journey in present-day New York City to rescue his mother, locate Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt, and stop a civil war from breaking out between the Gods. Typical teen problems, right? Check out the extended trailer for the film after the jump. You can catch Pierce Brosnan, Logan Lerman, Sean Bean, Rosario Dawson and an iPhone in Percy Jackson on February 12, 2010.

PSP vs. PSPGo: A Comparison

Posted on September 18, 2009

psp_go Just weeks after the release of the new Playstation 3 Slim, Sony is unleashing a new console into the market: The PSPGo. This little gadget, while not a new console, has many improvements over the previous models. But is it worth it to upgrade, especially if you already own a PSP? The Flickcast takes a closer look to find out . . .

What We Like

• Sony has decided to do away with UMDs, and has instead built in 16 GB of internal flash memory into the console. Now you won’t have to carry around those round discs anymore, which are very delicate and take up a bunch of space, and you’ll be able to download a lot of old Playstation games and the new PSP Minis (similar to iPhone games) from the Playstation Network Store. This space is expandable up to 48 GB.

• The PSPGo is 43% lighter and 56% smaller than the original PSP-1000and 16% lighter and 35% smaller than the PSP-3000. The portable has always been a bit bulkier than its competitor, the Nintendo DS/DSi and now Sony seems to be doing something about it.

• Instead of having all the controls right on the sides of the screen, the PSPGo slides down, revealing the d-pad, the standard Playstation action buttons, start/select buttons, and the “Home” button.

• The console will have Bluetooth capabilities, allowing for Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and tethering between computers or cell phones.

What We Don’t Like

Continue Reading

Review: ‘The Informant!’

Posted on September 18, 2009

The Informant!

Steven Soderbergh’s latest offering suffers from some major pacing problems. On my drive home from the screening, I kept mentally comparing the experience of watching the film with childbirth. Going through the labor is very unpleasant, and you swear you will never do it again, but the payoff is so fantastic, that you forget about all the pain you endured and immediately want to do it again. That’s right, I want to see this movie again. After all my sighing, seat shifting and a subliminal kiss-off of all future Soderbergh projects, I want to see this film again. That, my friends, is the talent of Soderbergh.

Based on the true story of Illinois agriculture executive turned FBI informant Mark Whitacre, The Informant! takes a slightly satirical spin on actual events. Far from being the ribald comedy the trailers lead you to believe it is, this is actually a character study of a very complicated man. There are funny parts peppered throughout, but if you go to this movie expecting a flat-out comedy, you will be disappointed. Several people walked out of the screening that I attended, and based on the marketing, I didn’t blame them.

Matt Damon is stupendously good as the nerdy executive at an agriculture plant that produces lysine, a corn by-product. He is a shoo-in for best actor this year. Whitacre’s bizarre and inappropriate inner dialogue garners most of the film’s laughs. He’ll be shaking the hand of a business prospect while thinking ” I wonder if bees ever get sad.” He does this through the whole movie, and Damon provides the voice-over for Whitacre’s running stream of consciousness, which allows the audience to be privy to the fact that Whitacre has some serious social flaws. He lives in his own little world, observing the minutiae of day to day life. Cliff from Cheers has nothing on this guy, they both recite useless knowledge they have collected in lieu of having actual conversations with people.

‘The Living Dead’ Rise Again in 3D

Posted on September 18, 2009

Get ready all you World War Z and general zombie fans Night of the Living Dead is coming back to life. This time around they’ll crawl from their graves not only in CG but also in 3D. The new film, entitled Night of the Living Dead: Origins will be a “re-imaging” of the original, focusing more on the backstory of the characters. Don’t worry, I’m sure there will still be plenty of zombie brain-eating goodness.

While the film will make use of current 3D technology, there is also some interesting new tech being used on this production:

“…a real-time effects system, known as ‘The Beast’, which allows filmmakers the ability to direct CG performances the same way they would direct real live actors. The aim of the process is to make tennis balls on a stick representing real people or monsters a thing of the past by allowing actors interact with CG elements as if they are tangible.”

This technology will certainly change the way future CG movies are created and enhance the interaction between real actors and their normally imaginary co-stars. While Night of the Living Dead: Origins will be directed by newcomer Zebediah de Soto, the film is being produced by Simon West who directed such mainstream films as Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

One notable name that’s not involved, at least at this point, is original Night of the Living Dead director George Romero. As such, it will be interesting to see if he endorses the new film in some way or not. No word on a filming schedule, casting or a release date as of yet, but when there is, we’ll bring it to you.

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