Godzilla Returns

Just as we thought that we were finally safe, Godzilla returns.

The Movie Blog is reporting that Legendary Pictures is set to remake our favourite giant monster. Apparently, Legendary is in early negotiates for Godzilla, so whether or not it will really happen is unknown at this time. Many of you may remember that there was a remake to Godzilla released back in 1998, so one has to wonder if it’s a little too soon for another remake. Then again, a good many people probably didn’t run out to see the Godzilla remake as it was panned by a good many critics, only garnering a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.

So what do I think about a Godzilla remake? I would definitely like to see a remake to Godzilla. There has been many technological improvements since the last Godzilla Remake was released and I really believe we could get a good film out of this franchise. Who wouldn’t pay to see a monster tear apart a city? Then again, maybe that is just me.

What do you think? Is this remake coming a little too soon for you?

Dark Crystal Sequel on the Way

It’s about time.

AMC’s Script to Screen is reporting that a Dark Crystal sequel is in the works. Now for many people reading this you probably have no idea what The Dark Crystal was and I don’t blame you. The Dark Crystal was a film that was released back in 1982 by the Jim Henson Company, and was an amazing movie in its time, but unfortunately never had a sequel. Then again, If I remember correctly the story did not demand a sequel. (Can you tell I haven’t seen the movie in a while?)

So I ask myself why they would even consider a sequel to a film which probably hasn’t been seen by a good many people and hasn’t had a film released in the series in almost 30 years. Not that I hated The Dark Crystal, I just think that they should be considering a remake or reboot rather than a sequel at this point. Then again, The Dark Crystal sequel is in many ways a reboot since the story takes place hundreds of years after the original movie. So you shouldn’t expect to see any of the original characters.

In any case, have you seen the original Dark Crystal? Are you looking forward to a sequel?

New iPhone Coming

Not to surprising.

Engadget reported yesterday that Apple is currently working on the next generation of the iPhone. Apple typically refreshes their line up of device once a year, but what makes it a bit interesting this year is the release of the iPad. Apple would have typically announced the release of the next iPhone by this point in the year, but it looks like Apple is holding off for sometime after the iPad releases.

According to some of the updates posted to Engadget, the next iPhone is scheduled to release on June 22nd and will sport a front facing camera. I find the addition of a front facing camera kind of interesting given the fact that cell phone providers over the years have tried to introduce video calling, but with no success. Could a new iPhone really make video calling cool? Certainly, it could.

Being a very popular handset the iPhone could make video calling become very successful. If a large number of people run out and buy the latest iPhone device and happen to get video calling capability with it, I could see a lot of people opting to use it. Especially now with the next iPhone being 4G ready, this could be a very popular method of communication.

Although some people may decide not to use the video functionality, as many people don’t necessarily like to talk in real time. Some of you may remember a post I put up a few months ago, discussing an article from Time magazine, in which the author (Joel Stein) stated he didn’t like the idea of Skype Video (see post here). In the Time article, Joel didn’t like Skype Video because he would now have to pay attention when his wife called him, since she could see what he was doing. Also, he cited some studies which found that many people were deciding to talk via text message instead of making a phone call, as many people want to time shift their conversations. In other words, people want to talk when they want to talk as opposed to having to stick around for the duration of a phone conversation.

Could this time shifting idea be true also for cell phone conversations? I think to a certain extent it is true. Many times instead of calling I’ll send a text since I can send out the text faster than to call and talk to the person. Some people just text on their phone and barely talk. So the iPhone having video calling capability may not necessarily guarantee that video calling will be successful.

So what are your thoughts? Do you see yourself making video calls?

New Iron Man 2 TV Ad

I am still impressed.

I’ll make it no secret that I’m really looking forward to Iron Man 2. Every trailer that has come out looks better than the previous one and this TV ad is no different. But, one thing that you may notice from this TV spot is that Black Widow finally speaks, and she isn’t Russian. Or at least she doesn’t have the accent.

Now I know that for some people, Black Widow has to be Russian, but I don’t necessarily side with those people. I do like comic book characters to be as close to how they are in their respective comic books, but I am ok with change and if Black Widow is not Russian it’s not going to ruin my day. It would be nice to find out that she is Russian speaking with an American accent, but it’s not a deal breaker for me.

If Black Widow was completely American I wouldn’t be hugely surprised since Marvel has been trending towards Americanizing their characters. In any case, what are your thoughts? Are you looking forward to Iron Man 2? Do you care if Black Widow isn’t Russian?

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Toronto Comicon 2010

Ah Toronto Comicon. 

For some of you, Comic book Conventions maybe the closest thing to a religious experience that you may have in your lifetime. Kind of like your own personal Mecca. For some, it’s just a time to relax and get some pictures of your favourite artist and actors. Or perhaps it’s a place you’ll find the comic books that you’ve been scouring the city to find. Whatever the case, Comic book conventions plays a big part in the life of a fan. Did the Toronto Comicon live up to that? Let’s find out.

On Friday, there was a bit of a slow start for the Toronto Comicon, as the convention was a literal ghost town, especially around the 12 pm start time. It was great for anyone wanting a sketch or an autograph, assuming that your artist or actor had already shown up, as there were a few late comers to the convention. There were also a few panels that happened on Friday, but they weren’t too much to speak of sadly.

In terms of the size of the convention, it was a bit on the smaller size, which was kind of expected given that this was Wizard World’s first convention after acquiring Paradise Comics Conventions last year. The convention floor was easily navigable in under an hour, given the size and the lack of a large crowd.

On Saturday, the convention did pick up quite a bit, as it seems that most people weren’t quite ready to devote a full weekend to this convention. It was great to have all those people there, as it gave the feeling like things were happening. With the lack of the crowds on Friday it felt like the convention was lacking, but with the crowd it felt alive.

On Sunday, the crowds did continue to be at the convention, petering out near the end of the convention. But it was a great time, as I spent my day talking with the artist Ken Lashley and some of the guys waiting in line for a sketch.

All in all it was a good weekend, but there were some negatives with this convention. The convention was a bit too expensive. At $44 US for a 3 day pass ($45 US at the door) it’s a bit too expensive for a show of this size. And what’s up with charging in US? This is a Canadian convention. Wizard World really needs to be charging in Canadian for a Canadian convention.

Also, Wizard didn’t do much to inform people of cancellations of some of the artist and actors. I noticed a few weeks ago that Eliza Dushku had cancelled, but they were still using her image on their banner giving the impression that she was still coming to the convention, even though she wasn’t on the guest list any more.

Finally, the convention is in a bad location. The Exhibition ground is a bit of a isolated location and so there aren’t any food options other than the expensive convention food locations.

But aside from the negatives, it was an ok convention and I look forward to seeing how it turns out next year.

Off to Toronto Comicon

Have a Great weekend guys.  I’ll have a post up about what happens this weekend, so stay tuned.

iPhone Gets Pwned

And Fast.

Engadget is reporting that the iPhone managed to get completely hacked in 20 seconds. That’s right 20 seconds. Many people feel that they are safe from hackers being under the Apple umbrella and I don’t blame them. Apple for years has been marketing their products as being safe, virus free, etc. But it seems that clearly Apple isn’t invincible.

At this week’s Pwn2Own competition, which invites hackers to take aim at popular consumer products and software, two security researchers managed to take down the mighty iPhone by simply making it visit a site. So there wasn’t anything really fancy about the hack, but the results were all to frightening. Within 20s Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann managed to take the complete SMS database of messages (both sent and received) and delete them from an iPhone. The hack could also allow the researchers to potentially access the iPhones complete contact list, e-mail, pictures and iTunes music.

All in all this was a very scary hack, but don’t be too afraid. Because this exploit was shown at the Pwn2Own competition the hack has been sent to Apple for further analyst, so there will certainly be a patch for this kind of hack. Let’s just hope that no one picks up on it before Apple gets a chance to patch the iPhone. Also, I think it might just be time for Apple to start teaching people how to be safe online. Its just a thought.

At the Movies Gets Cancelled

I guess it was only time.

After 24 seasons on TV ‘At the Movies’ will finally be going off the air. It’s quite sad that a film show with that much history on TV will be cancelled, but then again since Ebert left the show some time ago, the show really hasn’t been the same. Although, according to the post on ‘The Movie Blog’ it appears that the decision to cancel the show was due to its half hour format.

But lest face it, I don’t think many people were really watching ‘At the Movies’. I do disagree with The Movie Blog in the fact that think review shows are relevant. I believe people would watch a movie review program, just as long as its interest and somewhat entertaining, which At the Movies just hasn’t been doing lately.

Also, I think there was a problem with the personalities. People respect Ebert, but they didn’t have the same respect for the new guys on the show. If the new personalities were phased in, I think they could have kept the show going. But with Ebert dropping out do to cancer, it did force the change.

Whatever the case, film fans will have to turn to the internet for their film review fix. Not that they weren’t already.

Facebook Gives You Syphilis

Ok, maybe not.

But that hasn't stopped some reporters from sensationalizing that idea. According to Gizmodo, all of this was started by The Guardian who ran an article entitled "Facebook spreads syphilis". Apparently, The Guardian cited an study in which researchers found young people in areas most affected by syphilis were 25% more likely to log on to Facebook. Also, 30 people that they had found infected with syphilis reported hooking up with people whom they had met through social networks like Facebook.

Certainly, Facebook and many other social networks over the years have been used by people to hook up with sexual partners, but it’s unfortunate the reporters have used studies like this to sensationalize the idea that social networks (Facebook in particular) could give you syphilis, or any other kind of sexual transmitted disease. Truth be told, we are dealing with people that in my opinion have been irresponsible in hooking up with random people on Facebook. It’s not Facebooks fault. Yet Facebook seems to be getting blamed for all of this.

If someone chooses to do something stupid we can't just start blaming social networks. That's just bad journalism.

First Expendables Trailer

Now this is looking good.

As many of you probably already know, I’m a huge fan of Action films. During the 80s and 90s, we were treated to tons of great action movies, but they slowly faded away.  But now in recent years, there has been a rebirth in these types of films, being lead by none other than Sylvester Stalone, whom a few years back directed Rambo.

It’s a really great time for anyone that is a fan of the 80s action film era.  I can’t wait till The Expendables hit theatres on August 13.  So what are your thoughts?  Are you a fan of Action movies?

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Transformer 3:3 Humans:1 Robot

I’m not sure that it’s a good ratio.

The Movie Blog is reporting that Michael Bay has announced that there will be 3 humans and 1 Transformer joining the cast for Transformers 3 . According to The Movie Blog, Michael Bay has announced that Ken Jeong, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich, as well as, a Ferrari 458 Italia have been added to the cast for Transformers 3.

Now I have no problems with the new additions.  I like all of these actors and a new Transformer is always a good thing.  But, I would have to say that looking at the two previous films in the Transformers series, adding more humans is a bad thing.  The chief criticism of the Transformer films thus far has been the amount of screen time devoted to the human characters in each of the two previous films.  I can understand them wanting to use humans since its very expensive for them to put the Transformers on screen, but it’s the Transformers that people are paying to see.

If Michael Bay could work out a way to have the Transformers actually be the main focus or even have a Transformer be the main character of the next Transformer film, it would go a long way to appease the fans. Then again, maybe it’s just me.

So what do you think? Are do you like the idea of more humans being in the next Transformers film?

Bleach The Movie

Ban-Kai.

I’ve been wondering when they would finally make Bleach into a movie.   SuperHeroHype is reporting that Warner Bros. will be adapting the popular manga series Bleach into a feature film.  Now this does fill me with excitement and with a great sense of worry.

For those that were wondering, I’m a huge Bleach fan.  Bleach helped me to stay sane last year when I was between jobs, as it helped me pass the time.  From the moment I started watching Bleach, I’ve always thought that it would be a great movie, but I have been a bit worried that the studio that would get the project, would mess it up, especially after last year’s Dragonball Evolution.

Dragonball Evolution was a horrible movie. Not only was it super cheesy, it had some pretty bad acting and was a major disappointment given the anime that it came from. This is why I’m worried about Bleach. If Warner Bros. isn’t willing to put the effort into properly adapting Bleach, it could become just as bad really fast. Animes typically have themes in them that don’t necessarily translate well into the real world.

In any case, we will have to wait to see what Warner Bros. will do with Bleach in the coming years. I do have more faith in Warner Bros. than I do in Fox, so hopefully it will be worth the wait till Bleach releases.

Who Needs Data When We Have WiMax

I wonder how long it will take to get to Canada.

Do you like your iPhone, but you hate your data network? Well there is a new solution for you. Above is Sprint’s new commercial for Sprint Overdrive , a Wi-Fi hub which boasts up to 4G speed on Clear’s 4G network. That’s faster than AT & T’s 3G network and could be a great solution for you and your friends when you go out. Well that is assuming you live in the US.

I just can’t wait for stuff like this to hit the Canadian market. Data is getting better up here in Canada, but nothing currently offered allows you to really parse your data connection with other devices. Sure you can tether to your cellphone, but that is hardly the same has being able to connect 5 different devices. Devices like Sprint’s Overdrive could dramatically reduce data costs, especially for people that work in groups. No longer do people need to have data for ever device, now they can share it with one of these hubs.

I think this is a great thing that Sprint is doing and I hope it comes up here. 

Predators

More Predators Videos

Welcome back.

Ever since Predator 2 released back in 1990, the Predator franchise has been pretty well dead.  This is disappointing given the early promise that the Predator series seemed to show.  Not even the Aliens vs. Predator franchise could deliver to us a really good Predator film. 

You would think that Aliens and Predators getting together in a film would be a good idea.  But what was done with the AVP franchise has been all but good.  Plagued with bad acting, bad story lines and a PG-13 rating, the AVP franchise was a big disappointment,  so much so,  that those behind the Predator franchise realized that they had made a huge mistake on passing on a script that Robert Rodriguez wrote back in 1996 and allowed him to produce his script.

So was it worth it?  And was it a good idea to reboot the Predator franchise?  Based on the above trailer I think we can safely say that it’s a yes to both questions.   Not only does the trailer look interesting, they have opted to go with an all-star cast of actors.  Gone are the bad actors of the AVP series and in are actors like Adrien Brody, Lawrence Fishbourne, Topher Grace, and Danny Trejo. This is definitely looking to be a movie not to miss this summer.

Hopefully Predators will be the movie we are hoping for and not the disappointment named AVP. So what are your thoughts? Do you like the trailer?

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Designed by Community

Nokia needs your help.

For many years now, I’ve been a fan of the Open source movement, as it has come up with some really innovative software over the years and has swiftly been moving towards being more competitive with their closed source counterparts, in terms of quality. Well it seems that Nokia has the Open source bug, having recently open sourced their Symbian Operating system and they show no signs of stopping there.

Nokia has launched an initiative called ‘Designed by Community’ and are asking phone enthusiasts to help them design a phone. If you go to the Designed by Community site, you will be given the opportunity to participate in several rounds of voting in order to choose everything from the shape of the device to the operating system. But, is this really a good idea?

As I said, the Open Source community has come up with some really innovative pieces of software, but they have also come up with a lot of crap also. I’ll be honest. Although, with Nokia I’m certain that they know how to create a good phone, so I know it won’t be all that bad.

Also, I find that many people don’t really know what they want. They may say they want something, but when it comes to buying the device, it could be a different story. If Apple releases another iPhone around the time of the release of this new Nokia device, will people flock to the new iPhone or the new Nokia? From the number of people that come into my Wind Store asking if we have the iPhone I think Apple is pretty safe from such a device.

Finally, we need to take a look at the people that would be voting for this new device, phone enthusiasts. Phone enthusiasts aren’t exactly the normal customer. Many people that come into my store want the cheapest phone they can get, while a phone enthusiast is interested in phones with the latest and greatest in technology, which are usually the most expensive phones. If Nokia wants to create this device, I don’t think they can expect the main stream phone buyer to be lined up for their device.

So, I applaud Nokia for their initiative, I just have doubts that this new device will sell well. Or at the very least, not sell well beyond the phone enthusiast. Although, this voting scheme is a good marketing campaign for Nokia’s device and will certainly gain the device free publicity.

So what do you think? Will you be voting on the design of this device? Will you buy one?

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Ghostbuster’s Reboot?

I think the poster says it all.

Just as Ghostbusters 3 was finally picking up steam, having signed on the original cast and director of the film, it looks like there is still trouble ahead for this film project.  Cinema Blend is reporting that Sony now wants to reboot the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Apparently, Sony wants to take the same approach that they are taking with Spiderman, in hiring a hot new director and having a young cast.  The only problem with Sony’s plan is that Ivan Reitman, the producer/director of the next Ghostbusters film doesn’t want to let Sony do it. And I don’t blame him.

Ivan Reitman has been trying for about 20 years to make a Ghostbusters 3 and now that he finally gets his chance Sony wants to pull the plug on him. So I feel for Ivan, but is Sony right to reboot the franchise?  I think so.

Let’s face it.  The Ghostbusters franchise hasn’t had a sequel in a little over 20 years.  And although I would love to see the original cast back again,  I know that the majority of the current film going audience (anyone born after 1989) probably hasn’t seen a Ghostbusters film and thus the Ghostbusters would probably be better served by a reboot than a sequel.  

Sorry guys. What are you thoughts? Do you want to see a sequel or a reboot?

Sony Makes Fun of Wii and Natal

There is a saying that I learned when I was younger. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. It appears that Sony has forgotten that rule.

In Sony’s new commercial for Playstation Move (see above), Sony makes fun of both the Wii and the Microsoft’s Natal. I ask myself why. Why would a company that very clearly ripped off the idea of another company be willing to make fun of the company they ripped off and their other competitor? It doesn’t make sense since their obvious copying could be easily pointed out.

But, are Sony’s criticisms of the Wii and Natal Accurate? I would have to say that Sony is kind of right. Boxing and other activities on Wii haven’t been one to one, often leaving people to simply flailing their hands in the air. And with the Natal, I’ve really wondered how it would be to pretend to hold something. It might be cool for a bit, but I think it could get old real fast. Then again, we haven’t seen the finished product yet so I can’t accurately speak about Project Natal.

Although I agree with Sony, I think Sony needs to try and keep their mouth shut. Then again, maybe that’s just me.

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Hulk 2?

It doesn’t look good.

The Movie Blog is reporting that Marvel may not be making a Hulk 2. This is really disappointing given how good ‘The Incredible Hulk’ was done, as it made up for the horrible mistake that was Ang Lee’s Hulk and it really looked like ‘The Incredible Hulk’ was finally going somewhere. But, now there is word that Marvel may not be willing to bring Hulk out for another outing.

 

While speak at SXSW, Edward Norton was asked about a Hulk 2. To this Edward responded,

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think it has got more to do with what Marvel is doing. I get the sense they have this grand vision of unspooling a lot of their characters and then starting to put them together. I think they can only do so many at a time. Obviously, they are doing Iron Man 2 and then getting some of the new ones out.”

This is really disappointing. I hope Marvel reconsiders their decision or that this is simply an over site. We need more Hulk.

Happy St. Patricks Day

I hope you guys enjoyed the day.  Especially the Irish readers.  Just don’t drink to much Guinness.  Enjoy.

Nexus One Arrives in Canada

Yes.

After months of waiting,  Canadians finally have the opportunity to get their hands on the Nexus One from Google.   Anyone that now goes to google.com/phone from Canada will be able to go through the order process for the Nexus One which comes in 2 flavours.  One version of the Nexus One supports AT & T and Rogers and the other supports T-Mobile (and Wind).

It’s just unfortunate that Rogers was the company that has managed to acquire the rights to the phone in Canada. But you can still buy the phone in Canada unlocked for $529 US.  Thus you don’t need to be with Rogers if you don’t want to be. (Can you tell I work for the competition?)

In any case, I’m really glad that the Nexus One has finally launched to us Canadians.  My only problem is that I just bought a Blackberry.  :(  Then again, maybe I’ll just buy the second generation of the Nexus One.  Although I do like my Blackberry.

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How Oscars Are Made

This video says it all.

Ever wonder what makes an Academy Award winning film.  Or maybe you just notice that the Academy likes to select certain kinds of films to nominate for awards.  This is what I’ve noticed through the years and I guess I’m not the only one.

The above video looks to make fun of the cliché Oscar nominated film.  And you know what, they’re spot on.  These guys set out in their video to recreate many famous film scenes and what characters usually do in these stereotypical Oscar scenes. The video also make fun of the fact that Oscar films typically use award winning directors and actors.

You can be pretty certain a film will get nominated if the Academy like the director and acting team. Then again, the reason the Academy likes these actors and directors is because they usually do good stuff.

In any case, its a funny video so you guys enjoy.

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New Shrek Forever After Trailer

Ah Shrek. Is this really the end? Ever since Shrek first released back in 2001, I’ve been a big fan of the Shrek series. But somewhere along the road, the Shrek series seemed to lose their way. With the release of each Shrek sequel, the series became more and more mediocre. But now that DreamWorks is announcing that ‘Shrek Forever After’ will be the last in the Shrek series I have to wonder if Shrek can make a comeback of sorts and release a good movie. The trailer for Shrek Forever After looks really funny, but we have been fooled before with the previous Shrek sequels. Whatever way Shrek turns out, I know I’ll be going out to see it and I’m certain that many other people will be following me. Each film in the Shrek series has outperformed the previous film at the box office. Can Shrek Forever After do the same? I guess we’ll see this May. By the way, I just thought I should say that I don’t believe that this will be the final Shrek. It’s probably the last for a while, but I’m pretty certain that DreamWorks will dust this franchise off at some point in the future, as I can’t see DreamWorks giving up on all the money they make on Shrek, forever. VIA

Avatar to Re-Release This Summer

Well maybe.

Just when you thought that Avatar news would finally die,  it looks like Fox is set to re-release it.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox was up until Disney’s Alice in Wonderland released a couple of weeks ago, pulling in millions of dollars from their IMAX and 3-D showings of Avatar.  Thus Avatar’s producers felt that had Alice in Wonderland not released they could have made a lot more money.  So un-content with the over $2 billion that Avatar has made,  Fox and James Cameron are currently negotiating to re-release Avatar in late summer with some additional footage.

Now I thought that Avatar was a great film and I would like to see it again sometime.  But, I have to think that summer is a bit too soon for most people.  It would be preferable to see Fox re-release Avatar around January when they traditionally re-release big films from the previous year.

And besides, if Avatar gets re-released in summer it’s sure to bump another big film.  There are going to be a bunch of 3-D films releasing between now and the summer. So, for Avatar to get 3-D and Imax theatres it’s going to have to bump those films out. Let’s give every film its fair share Fox.

Also, Avatar is going to have to compete for an audience during the busy summer period.  When Avatar released in December, there really wasn’t any big movies being released and thus it profited from there not being any comparable movies on the market at the time.  Thus it’s doubtful Avatar will have the same impact in the summer film season, especially against another blockbuster.

Fox should just hold off on the re-release.  It doesn’t make sense to re-release Avatar in summer.  Then again, that’s just my opinion.

Twilight Eclipse Trailer

And it looks good.

I won’t mince my words.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the last Twilight film New Moon.  I really hated Bella’s character and just how long she took to get over Edward, whom she didn’t get over, oddly enough.  But one thing that the Twilight series doesn’t lack is great trailers and this one is no different.  Twilight Eclipse is looking rather impressive.  I just hope that there isn’t that same relationship drama as there was in New Moon.

If Bella gets annoying again, I just hope that Victoria gets some time to have her way with Bella a bit.  You know just soften her up a little.  Just kidding. 

In any case, what do you think?  Are you a Twilight fan?

Nintendo Gets Served.

And it doesn’t look good. Or does it.

Imagine you’re a company that develops a revolutionary technology that you’ve built into your gaming console and this technology manages to put you on top of the video game console wars. Seeing the great success of the above company, the company’s rivals decide to go out and copy the other company’s innovation. The only problem with the above company is that its two rivals have technologically superior systems and are thus capable of supplying a better gaming experience.

The above is the situation that Nintendo finds its self in. This week at GDC, Sony showcased their Playstation Move technology which pretty much copies the Wii-mote and Nunchuck combination in reverse. Unlike the Nintendo Wii Mote which acts like a camera for the Wii Sensor bar, Sony’s Playstation Move uses a Camera to track a glowing ball on the end of their main controller. Also, it uses a secondary controller which has been cleverly named the sub controller. Ok maybe not so clever.

Exactly what kind of impact a device like the Playstation Move will have on Nintendo is uncertain. The Playstation 3 over the past year has been gaining some momentum, especially after the release of Sony’s much cheaper version of the Playstation 3, the Playstation 3 Slim. Now with motion control capability built into the console, could they have the momentum to take on Nintendo. I’m uncertain. Nintendo has quite a bit of a lead over its two competitors, Microsoft and Sony, and I have to wonder if casual gamers, whom motion control is more aimed at, will be willing to shell out more money for a new console.

Over the years of watching the Nintendo Wii, the sales numbers seemed to suggest that many people were simply satisfied with Wii Sports. It did enough for them and they enjoyed playing it. Certainly as Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort launched many people did buy those as well, but I’m kind of feeling that selling new hardware and games to the causal gamer crowd, could be a hard sell. Certainly anyone that was interested in a Playstation 3 might feel more motivated to pick up a Playstation 3, but I have to wonder if the Wii audience will be as interested in moving over to the Playstation 3 or having it as a second system.

Being a more hardcore gamer, I have had interests in the Playstation 3, but never bought one since I already had and Xbox 360 and most games appear on both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. So there were only a handful of games that came out that made me wish I had a PS3. With the announcement of the Playstation Move I don’t really feel a huge motivation to buy one. The only thing that is currently motivating me to want to pick up the PS3 is for its Blu Ray player and I’m pretty certain that many people are probably in the same situation I’m in.

I can’t foresee the Playstation Move having a tremendous impact on the Wii’s audience. Then again, I could be wrong. What do you think? Will you be buying a Playstation Move?

Google TV

Google TV is coming to a home near you. I think.

The Atlantic Wire is reporting that Google is currently working on a TV streaming service for home televisions. Apparently, Google has been in discusses with TV service providers for the past year and may have a partnership worked out with Dish Network to offer its streaming service to Dish Network’s 14 million subscribers.

Google moving into the TV streaming business makes a lot of sense, as it follows Google’s progression into the online video streaming industry. Google started with their Google Video service in January of 2005 and a few years later bought YouTube in 2006. Although Google has pretty well abandoned their Google Video service they have continued to work on YouTube, and have recently introduced the ability to stream HD video. To move on to TV sets, which are now a day’s coming with built-in Wi-Fi is a no brainer. And to hook up with a provider that has millions of subscribers could be quite profitable for Google.

This is a really good move for Google. I can’t wait to see how Google’s service will turn out. Hopefully, they won’t have any geo lockout on their videos like some other video streaming services.

So what do you think? Would you subscribe to a Google streaming service?

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Yes it’s true. Batman is ending.

AMC's Screen to Script blog is reporting that the third film in the Batman series will be the end of the current story. Exactly, if that means that Christopher Nolan is done with Batman after the next Batman film is still unclear. Also, the end of a story line doesn't mean that Batman is necessarily over either. With The Dark Knight still sitting as one of the most successful films in history, it would be very surprising if Warner Bros. was in a huge rush to end the series. If Christopher can end Batman on a high note, it would assure all of us of a 4th film.

But if Christopher Nolan gets a bit of Sam Raimi syndrome and produces a bad 3rd movie, maybe we'll get a reboot for the 4th film. This wouldn’t be necessarily a bad thing, if done right. As for Christopher Nolan continuing to direct Batman, I'm not sure that he really wants to. It’s pretty clear that Christopher Nolan wants to do different films. After each Batman, Christopher has taken a break in order to film another film, so I wouldn't be surprised if he left after the 3rd film.

In any case, the question that we have before us now is, “If Chris decides to walk, who should replace him on Batman 4? I can't really think of a director that could really fit in the way that Christopher Nolan has. Whomever they get will have to bring us a very different Batman in order to try and escape the obvious comparisons between their work and Christopher Nolan’s.
I wonder if Tim Burton is interested to coming back to Batman. Maybe he can convince Michael Keaton to come back as well. Ok, maybe not. What do you think?

Anyone Want an iPad?

I do. Ok maybe not.

But for those of you that are just itching for an iPad you might be in luck. On this week’s Twit podcast, Leo Laporte decided to pick someone at random on twitter and had everyone watching the show follow this random person (Lisa Etheridge (@LisaTickledPick)) in a bid to beat the number of followers that Sarah Killen (@LovelyButton) received after Conan O’Brien decided to follow her.

To those that help in Leo’s effort to beat Sarah’s number of followers, he has decided to randomly select one of Lisa’s followers before the next Twit Podcast and give them an Apple iPad. So, if you’re just curious about the device or really desire one, this could be your opportunity to get one, especially if you live outside the US.

Whether or not Leo will be able to beat Sarah’s number of followers is uncertain. As of the writing of this post Sarah has 19, 459 followers, while Lisa has 14, 795. Whatever the case, Lisa and a luckily follower will be walking away with an iPad.

Well, that’s assuming that anyone with an iPad is lucky.

New Tron Trailer

TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN!

What can I really say about Tron. Disney has really hit it out of the park with every trailer they have released for Tron. With its special effects, unique neon look and amazing world, Tron is going to be a really impressive film to watch.

Ever since I first say Tron at the FanExpo this past August in Toronto, I’ve been very much looking forward to seeing Tron and they just continue to impress with every new trailer. This is a good thing.

I was a bit scared that Disney would try to reinvent the wheel with their Tron remake, but they have shown us that they are willing to approach Tron Legacy with the same type of innovation that made Tron such an amazing film in the 80s.

I just wonder if they will bring back the iconic grid scene from the first film. In any case, How do you feel about Tron? Are you excited?

New Iron Man Trailer

Wow.

As you probably already know, last night was the Oscars. It was an amazing night. But, as the broadcast ended many of us started to look to bed given the Oscars end time of about 11:40 pm (if you’re in the East Coast). For those few that managed to stay awake long enough to see the Jimmy Kimmel show, Paramount decided to give them a little treat. The new Iron Man 2 trailer and it’s amazing.

I was a bit iffy on Iron Man 2 when I saw the first couple of trailers. Especially, seeing Whip Lash in that costume that left most of his skin exposed, didn’t really give me confidence in him as a villain. But now, that they have brought in a new organization that is trying to counter Stark Industries technology, I’m looking forward again to seeing it.

If you haven’t seen the trailer, just click on the video above. I’m definitely seeing Iron Man 2 when it releases.

VIA

A Wonderful Night at the Movies

Ah the Oscars. What an amazing night.

Ah the Oscars. What an amazing night.

For those that missed it, the Oscars were held last night in Los Angeles. It was a great night, and strangely enough, there wasn’t any drag to the show. The Oscars are known for being long and boring, but ever since last year they have done a lot to the show to make it more entertaining for the watching audience. Certainly there were some interesting bits, like a dance routine for best soundtrack, but it was made up for by the great humour and wit of the show’s hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Last night was also a very historical night for The Oscars, with the first ever win for a female in the Best Director category in Kathryn Bigelow, and she really deserved it. Kathryn directed the best movie of the year in 'The Hurt Locker', which was a film that very much surprised me. The Hurt Locker felt like a film that was directed by a male and thus challenge my stereotype of women directors. Kathryn did an amazing job and I had no doubts of her winning.

Sandra Bullock also managed to win for Best Female in a Lead Role. I remember seeing Sandra Bullock back in Demolition Man. Back then, she was just a pretty girl that did a good job in an action film. But now Sandra has really shown how much she has grown as an actress. For a min, I thought that Sandra wasn't going to get the Oscar, but sure enough she won. Sandra also made history with her win. Sandra is now the first person to win a Razzie and an Oscar in the same year.

By the way, for anyone that was wondering, my predictions were right on. I was actually surprised to see that everything on my list actually won. Not that it was a thorough list. But it’s still interesting given that the Oscars can be sometimes unpredictable in their choices.

In any case, did you watch the Oscars? Did you think Avatar should have won more awards?

My Oscar Picks For Tonight

As most of you know,  the Oscars are tonight.  So I thought it would be a good idea to come up with a list of films and actors that I believe will walk away with an Oscar.

I know that some people will disagree with my list and that’s fine.  Trying to predict what film or actor will win an Oscar isn’t exactly a science. So it s ok if we don’t agree.

In any case, here is my list.

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Actor in a Lead Role: Jeff Bridges

Best Actor in Supporting role: Christopher Waltz

Best Actress in a lead role: Sandra Bullock

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Mon’que

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Director: Kathryn Bigeolow

Hopefully this list will be somewhat close to what happens tonight. So, the only question is, Do you agree with my list?  Who do you think should win an Oscar?

Green Lantern’s Ring Gets an Upgrade

I’m not quite sure how to take this.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Warner Bros. will now be filming Green Lantern in 3D. This could be a good thing or a very bad thing. Let me explain.

Any fan of the Green Lantern comic book series knows that the Green Lantern’s ring is capable of creating three dimensional objects, and so the idea of seeing a 3-D Green Lantern isn’t a strange idea. I just know that if done wrong it could get very cheesy, really fast.

Imagine you’re sitting in the theatre and a bunch of green objects start projecting out of the screen at you. Perhaps Green Lantern will shot his ring off while facing the screen. Don’t get me wrong I like 3-D, as long as, there is a real vision behind using it. Many very bad films, are now adopting 3-D for the purpose of getting people in the sits and I don’t want Green Lantern to be one of those films.

I want to be able to go out to see The Green Lantern film, wearing my Green Lantern shirt and not have to hide after the film. That’s all.

So what are your thoughts? Do you like 3-D in films?

Wolverine Set to Film January

Good news for all the Wolverine Fans out there.

Cinematical is reporting that Wolverine is set to film this coming January. I'm not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The first film was ok at best. And that whole multiple scenes idea at the end of the movie kind of jaded me towards the first Wolverine. But, I'll give them a chance to redeem themselves. After all it’s Wolverine.

Wolverine 2 seems set to be a very different film from the first one as it deals with Wolverine's adventures in Japan. Anyone that is a fan of the comics knows how Wolverine learned to be a Samurai and fell in love with Mariko, which leads into a feud between clans, due to Mariko's mob ties. This could be a really great film for us fans. The Hand is a really awesome group to have in a film. The only thing I’m wondering about is if Wolverine will be able to cut loose in this film. An R rating for Wolverine would be great this time around, but I doubt will be getting it.

In any case, the question that seems to be facing us now is, just who is going to direct this film. Currently no director is attached to this film project and so, we don't really have any idea how this film will end up. The author of the post seems to think Ang Lee would be a good choice and I kind of agree, although I'm still a bit iffy on him doing comic book films after his Hulk film.


Whomever they get need to be someone that has a vision of Asian culture, preferably Japanese culture and knows how to put together great fight scenes. I would probably lean more towards a James McTeigue to direct Wolverine. James has directed a number of films with fight scenes, from V for Vendetta to Ninja Assassins. I have confidence James could pull off a Wolverine film.

So what are your thoughts? Who would you have direct Wolverine 2?

Monopoly Passes Go

I’m just not sure it should be collecting $200.

AMC's Script to Screen blog is reporting that the film ‘Monopoly’ is ready to move forward. Now some of you reading this will probably think that this is a joke story. Truth be told, I thought the announcement of this film last year was a joke also. How do you do a film about a board game? Sure Monopoly is nice to play with some friends on an afternoon and it’s the most played board game in history. It just seems like a strange idea for a film. The only saving grace for Monopoly is that Ridley Scott is attached to the project.

Ridley Scott is known for being very different with the films in which he produces/directs, but I think Monopoly takes the cake. A board game film doesn't even seem logical, but because Ridley Scott is involved I have faith that this could be a good film, regardless of how ludicrous it sounds. As for what the story of the film will be about, your guess is as good as mine.

I wonder if Monopoly will be a film about 4 people playing Monopoly for 2 hours. Maybe we can get Martha Stewart involved. Ok maybe not. In any case, I would like to wish these guys good luck. I can't wait to see how this film will work.

How Star Trek Should Have Ended.

This video is just awesome.

I saw this over on The Movie Blog and I thought that some of you would appreciate this video.  So enjoy.

Great Artists Steal

I think Steve Jobs is probably wishing he never said that.

The above video was taken from an interview that Steve Jobs did back in 1996 for the documentary entitled "Triumph of the Nerds". It is pretty clear now that Steve Jobs has changed his mind on whether or not "Great artist steal". Especially after Steve filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nokia, and HTC.

Then again, perhaps Steve is ok when the stealing is done by him and not by others. Let’s face it. The iPhone is a revolutionary device that uses a lot of technology that other people created, but never implemented as well as Apple did. Everything from multi-touch on down was in another device prior to the iPhone. But yet Apple has seemingly taken possession of those technologies.

Perhaps the line is better stated, “Great artist steal and prevent others from stealing back.” Hopefully this will all be resolved shortly.

VIA

Apple Sues HTC

I wonder if this has anything to do with Apple's Google hatred.

Gizmodo is reporting that Apple has filed a patent lawsuit against HTC for patent infringement. According to Gizmodo, Apple has filed a suit against HTC citing over 20 cases of patent infringement related to the iPhone’s user interface and hardware. This suit follows Apples successful suit against Nokia just a couple of weeks ago. Just what these patients are referring to is beyond me. Every time I try to read the list of patents my eyes start glazing over, so we’re going to have to wait till some lawyers get a look at the list of patents. But from what I can tell Apples patients sound kind of vague.

I'll give you an example. Here is the first patent on the list;

The ‘331 Patent, entitled "Time-Based, Non-Constant Translation Of User Interface Objects Between States," was duly and legally issued on April 22, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Your guess is as good as mine what this patent means.

Whatever the case, Apple appears to be taking this action rather seriously, filing for an injunction to prevent HTC from selling their phones in the US. Pretty well all of HTC’s Windows Mobile and Android based phones fall under this patent suit, which is kind of troubling. Strangely enough though, Google is not in this lawsuit, even though it seems that Apple is taking aim at their Android operating system.

I really hate patent lawsuits. To be honest I don't know how someone could really patent a process. Sure if it was wholesale copying of Apples hardware or operating system I would agree with Apple. But this just sounds like a monopolist wanting to hold on to his business. I can understand Apple needing to protect their patents. I just believe that Apple probably shouldn't have gotten some of these patients in the first place.

Hopefully, some of these patients will get struck down. Apple needs competition in order to keep them innovative.

Want to Buy and Oscar?

It appears Variety is standing by to take your order.

Defamer is reporting that Variety was paid $400,000 to bury a bad review of the film, Iron Cross. This is really bad.

According to Defamer, Variety had initially put up a bad review of Iron Cross, but after receiving $400,000 from the film’s producers and making a deal to help them make an Oscar push for the film, Variety’s bad review somehow disappeared.  But it did remain in Google’s cache, for anyone interested in reading the review.

Variety’s deal with the producers of Iron Cross also resulted in some confusion, as Variety included the film in there screening series.  For those that don’t know, Variety’s screening series is meant to help Oscar screeners see the Oscar nominated films.  But with Iron Cross not having any Oscar nominations, it was quite strange for it to be included in the screening series.

It’s really unfortunate to find out that Variety is willing to sell out.  Sure they are a business, but when you’re in any kind of journalism position, your credibility is everything.  If people know that you are willing to back track or change your opinion of a film over money, you would lose all credibility. 

From the producers of Iron Cross’s perspective, I can understand it.  An Oscar nomination is worth a lot of money for a film.  Any film that gets nominated for an Oscar receives an immediate spike in their ticket says.  And so it can be quite valuable to get on that list of films that receive a nomination.  But, if it was found out that someone was able to buy a nomination, it would devalue the whole system.

I really think that this how situation is despicable.  Variety has really lost all credibility with me.  And I have no interest in seeing Iron Cross.

So what do you think? 

Roger Gets His Voice Back

This is great news.

Many of you may applaud him for being outspoken on film.  Some may dislike his reviews or maybe you’re a fan.  Whatever the case, I think you can all agree with me when I say that since Roger Ebert lost his ability to talk due to losing his bottom jaw to cancer, his voice has been missed.

But now, it appears that technology will give Roger’s voice back.  The Movie Blog is reporting that a Scottish company, CereProc, has taken samples from Roger’s movie commentaries to create a text-to-audio system for Roger Ebert.  And, Roger plans to make good use of it.

According to The Movie Blog, Roger Ebert will be doing a Oscar prediction segment today on Oprah. Also, Roger believes that his voice may be good for radio and webcasting.  This is great news.

I really hope everything works out with Roger’s new voice.  I’m glad he got it back and I hope to hear from him.  Perhaps even today.

Angelina Leaves Gravity

I think the picture looks the just the way I feel right now.

On Friday, I put up a post discussing how Angelina Jolie had left Wanted 2 following Universals decision to pass on a film called Gravity.  Well, it appears that Angelina isn’t finished leaving films just yet.

The Movie Blog is reporting that Angelina has left Gravity in order to star in a film called Serena.  The exact reason for Angelina leaving Gravity is unclear.  Gravity and Serena are both very different films.  Gravity is supposedly very similar to last year’s Sci-fi film Moon.  While Selena is a period piece, based on the 2008 novel ‘Serena’ by Ron Rash.  Perhaps Angelina thought that Serena would give her more Oscar potential and thus decided to skip on Gravity.  

Whatever the case Angelina has left yet another film project and left us all wondering exactly what is going on.  I do believe that Serena does fit more with some of the previous films that Angelina has done.  In Serena, Angelina will play the Serena, the wife of George Pemberton whom sets out to build a lumber empire.  Serena however begins to pushing her husband to do more and more “ruthless acts”.  And when Serena finds out that she can’t have children, she sets out to kill her husband’s illegitimate child.  

Such a role would definitely push Angelina’s acting, as well as, possibly earn her some nominations if done well. Films like Serena usually end up earning nominations at the Oscars, so it probably was good move on Angelina’s part to leave Gravity in order for a possible nomination.  Albeit, I wish it didn’t come at the expense of Wanted 2.