Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Blockbuster Really Wants Your Businesshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/blockbuster-really-wants-your-business/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/blockbuster-really-wants-your-business/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/blockbuster-really-wants-your-business/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's no secret that video retailer Blockbuster had a rough quarter. Their profits are dipping, stores are closing -- suffice to say things aren't looking good. But, the company is looking for new ways to compete with services like Netflix and Redbox and so they're getting into the digital content game. But, as some critics have pointed out, the results so far are lackluster to say the least. Blockbuster and NRC/MOD systems have announced the pilot of digital media kiosks where customers use an SD memory card to download movies and TV to take home to play on their TV with the aid of a proprietary device (provided to participants of the trial). But the kicker has to be that the content would be DRM protected and customers pay $1.99 for a movie that must be viewed within 30 days and is only viewable for 48 hours.

The digital download service is just the latest in Blockbuster's new strategy to hold on to customers by offering something other than the brick and mortar experience. Some of their other ideas have included DVD subscription services and DVD kiosks. Blockbuster is hoping these new services could reduce the effect that illegal downloading has cost their bottom line as well as open them up to new tech-savvy customers. I understand that Blockbuster needs to fight off the pirates like everybody else, but I doubt that products bogged down with DRM are going to persuade your average pirate to go legit. But on the upside, at least Blockbuster's latest scheme would mean that there's nothing to return, and you don't have to deal with receiving damaged or scratched discs -- but in the grand scheme of things, that ain't much.

If Blockbuster wants to live to fight another day, I think they are going to have to come up with something a lot better than this, don't you?

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]]>BlockbusterdownloadDRMdvdhome entertainmentHomeEntertainmentpiracyrentalsJessica BarnesFri, 13 Nov 2009 14:15:00 ESTDave Matthews, Gogol Bordello Are Larger Than Life in 3D HDhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/dave-matthews-gogol-bordello-3d-concert-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/dave-matthews-gogol-bordello-3d-concert-movies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/12/dave-matthews-gogol-bordello-3d-concert-movies/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Gogol BordelloAEG and Action 3D are betting on music lovers that will want to catch their favorite performers in a movie theater -- on the screen, that is. According to Variety, the two companies have already been getting footage from different festivals for their limited-run, 3D-only concert movies, which will be offered in a similar manner as U2 3D. The first series of movies will be footage of concerts from Dave Matthews (yay?), Relentless7, Ben Harper, and Gogol Bordello. The only group that sounds like it would wow music fans in 3D is Gogol Bordello, a gypsy punk band known for their outrageous live shows and songs like "Start Wearing Purple."

However, AEG is also behind the recent release of Michael Jackson's film This is It, along with Sony, which has made $186 million worldwide so far. While concert movies with built-in audiences like the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds have been similarly successful, I'm not convinced that semi-random concert series will really put bottoms in seats. And for all you Phishheads, AEG has apparently already "filmed several 3D live sets of Phish from Festival 8 in Indio, Calif., in late October. According to [John Rubey, president of Network Live, a division of AEG Live], the company plans to roll out 'best of' edition from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits as followups to the Matthews feature in 2010." So get your Birks and tie-dye ready to jam out, man!

I think it's a cool idea to offer people the chance to see their favorite bands up close and personal if they can't see them live, but there isn't anything to rival the actual live experience. Granted, you're not usually that close to the stage and some jerk just spilled beer on your shoes and someone else is singing along to every song and/or shouting "WOO!" in your ear, but that's all part of the concert experience, right?

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]]>3DAEGBen HarperBenHarperDave MatthewsDaveMatthewsGogol BordelloGogolBordelloHDMichael JacksonMichaelJacksonMiley CyrusMileyCyrusPhishRelentless 7Relentless7This Is ItThisIsItU2Jenni MillerThu, 12 Nov 2009 13:32:00 ESTFox to Bombard You with Random Facts During Moviehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/fox-to-bombard-you-with-random-facts-during-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/fox-to-bombard-you-with-random-facts-during-movie/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/fox-to-bombard-you-with-random-facts-during-movie/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fox is trying to sell more DVDs by adding Pop Up Video.

The Hollywood Reporter posts that the company is hoping to boost sales by "putting a new spin on interactivity, including harnessing the power of social networking" with a little system called "FoxPop." Not so much a "new spin," FoxPop is a downloadable computer program (works with Mac, PC, and iPhone) that will recognize the sounds of a film, immediately sync up, and give movie viewers a "constant barrage of facts, photos, games, and trivia questions related to the movie they are watching." In other words -- Pop Up Video on a separate screen you're welcome to ignore.

Fox's example of how it will work: "when a T. rex appears on the screen, for example, the user's iPhone would vibrate and ask how many bones that particular dino has. It will also tell what percentage answered the query correctly" while completely distracting them from the fun of the dino hunt. Social networking comes into play with the ability to make comments on the film with Facebook and Twitter that your friends will be able to see when they want to watch a movie. I see the last bits of our attention spans flying away into the ether of history...

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]]>CinematicalDVD salesDvdSalesFoxPoppopup videoPopupVideoMonika BartyzelMon, 09 Nov 2009 12:45:00 ESTCheck Out Jim Carrey's Bizarre New Websitehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/check-out-jim-carreys-bizarre-new-website/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/check-out-jim-carreys-bizarre-new-website/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/check-out-jim-carreys-bizarre-new-website/#commentsFiled under:

Someone spent a lot of time and energy building a Flash-heavy website for Jim Carrey that is overwhelming enough to confuse even the most web-savvy user. Besides the usual bio, filmography, TV appearances, and news items, there are tiny arrows to click on on that swoop you from one movie-inspired dimension to another. There's creepy music I couldn't turn off using Safari or Firefox until I randomly clicked on a little doodad on the homepage (note to developers: that's always a crowd-pleaser!). The problem is, the whole site is nearly impossible to navigate. Even the filmography page is practically useless for finding actual info on his past movies -- unless, of course, you would like to see the trailer for A Christmas Carol.

If you have split-second reflexes and click on the little dude who pops up and snaps a photo, you can see "informal" photos of Jim Carrey in real life -- covered in mud or snuggled up with his sweetie, Jenny McCarthy, or posing with a crab in his mouth. Click on the bird with a Jim Carrey head, and you're taken to his Twitter account. It's all very click-y, like a movie website. Which as we all know are, well, kind of annoying.

Because I am a nerd, I looked up the source code of the site, and the meta-description reads, "Explore the eccentric, psychedelic corners of Jim Carrey's mind on his official site. Discover archived appearances and movie trailers, behind the scenes clips, family photos and even notes from Jim himself!" Well, it is very psychedelic, I'll give it that.

If you're looking for a great, informative site for someone famous, I suggest you turn to the far simpler and yet more pleasing sites for Edgar Wright, which features funny photos, unseen video and on-set video diaries, and, smartest of all, links to buy his movies.

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]]>jim carreyJimCarreyJenni MillerWed, 04 Nov 2009 18:48:00 ESTNew Website Leverages Piracy Tool to Help Filmmakershttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/new-website-leverages-piracy-tool-to-help-filmmakers/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/new-website-leverages-piracy-tool-to-help-filmmakers/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/15/new-website-leverages-piracy-tool-to-help-filmmakers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Since it's inception, bit-torrent has been the bane of filmmakers, film distributors, and studio shareholders alike. The popular file-sharing protocol has tons of legitimate uses, but there's no question that one of its largest uses is the mass dissemination of copyrighted material without permission of those who own said material; AKA movie piracy. However, a new service called VODO is planning on turning the worst aspect of peer-to-peer downloading into an advantageous new release platform for independent filmmakers.

The project, created by one of the gentlemen behind the movie piracy documentary Steal This Film, functions as an intermediary between downloaders and content creators and works a little something like this: A filmmaker interested in giving out his film for free submits their labor of love to VODO. A jury then approves the film for distribution, at which point it ends up on the VODO homepage as a bit-torrent download which can then be shared freely by users all over the world. Should a downloader enjoy a film and then want to support it, they can go back to the website which works as a portal directly to the filmmaker, be it to make a donation or ask for permission to show the film commercially.

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]]>bittorrentindepdent filmsIndepdentFilmsmovie piracyMoviePiracyUs NowUsNowVodoPeter HallThu, 15 Oct 2009 14:34:00 ESTThe Internet Takes Control of Movie Marketinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/30/the-internet-takes-control-of-movie-marketing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/30/the-internet-takes-control-of-movie-marketing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/30/the-internet-takes-control-of-movie-marketing/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A while back I wrote a little post about a movie that I would never see, and plenty of folks lined up to tell me that it was impossible to make a decision about a movie through word of mouth or what I had read on the Internet. Of course, I disagreed, because frankly how else can I make a decision about where to spend my hard earned time and money? But if I had to blame anyone for keeping me away from the movie theater that day, I'm going to have to blame the Internet. Yup, it was thanks to those sneak peeks and early screenings described in detail online that helped me make my decision before those battling robots ever took the stage. People are talking about movies more now than ever before thanks to social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, and a new study from New Line's Web guru Gordon Paddison has proven that when it comes to movie marketing, all the action really is on the web.

What the report seems to be saying is that you need to know your audience if you want to sell your movie. Now, there are some daunting statistics that prove the power of the Internet when it comes to going to the movies, and if you aren't buying the effect the net can have on a film's success, keep in mind that 94% of all moviegoers are online, and 73% of moviegoers surveyed have profiles on a social networking site -- and if people are talking, you want to make sure it's positive because as the old commercial goes, they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and before you know it, you have a flop on your hands.

After the jump: so what does this all mean for movie marketers?

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]]>facebookFameindustryIts ComplicatedItsComplicatedmarketingmyspacesocial networkingsocialnetworkingtwitterJessica BarnesWed, 30 Sep 2009 16:02:00 ESTScience Gone Wrong: The Robot Future Is Closer Than You Thinkhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/18/science-gone-wrong-the-robot-future-is-closer-than-you-think/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/18/science-gone-wrong-the-robot-future-is-closer-than-you-think/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/18/science-gone-wrong-the-robot-future-is-closer-than-you-think/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It's a plotline straight out of the Terminator films: a highly evolved computer program controlling U.S. government weaponry goes rogue, defies its human masters, and sets out to exterminate all of humanity. Think it's just fiction? While humankind has yet to suffer a Judgment Day-style nuclear holocaust, the U.S. Air Force battled its own sentient SkyNet adversary this week when an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone broke free from human control during a mission over Afghanistan. The unmanned aerial vehicle, charmingly classified as a "hunter-killer," had to be shot down by a manned aircraft before it continued on its merry way - headed, according to an Air Force press release, "on a course that would depart Afghanistan airspace."

Now, I'm no weaponry expert, but I'm certain of one thing: that's not supposed to happen. Like, ever. Sure, technology goes awry from time to time, but only in the movies, right? Maybe not. Below, we pick five fictional pieces of movie science with actual real-world counterparts, and the terrifying implications that they bring for the future of humanity.

Continue reading Science Gone Wrong: The Robot Future Is Closer Than You Think

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]]>Jen YamatoFri, 18 Sep 2009 21:15:00 ESTTwitter: Bringing You Ever Closer to the Fame Flamehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/18/twitter-bringing-you-ever-closer-to-the-flame/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/18/twitter-bringing-you-ever-closer-to-the-flame/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/18/twitter-bringing-you-ever-closer-to-the-flame/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're on Twitter, you already know that it's a drug. It's like a big get-together where you can talk to hundreds of people without committing yourself too seriously and before you know it ... poof ... you've just spent three hours talking about your summer reading. I've made a concerted effort to not let it overtake my life and I've generally succeeded.

But one aspect of Twitter that I find so pathetically alluring is the celebrity follow. Now, my time on Cinematical has already introduced me to a lot of Big Names, and while it's always fun and exciting to meet someone you like onscreen, it's often just work. Often, it's awkward work. I say that not to brag or play down the experience, but to stress that chasing celebrities just isn't my thing. Except on Twitter.

Twitter is like this shadowy, secret party where Hollywood's creme de la creme are eating, drinking, laughing, and filming, and they're coyly letting you watch. They casually drop names and TwitPics, and there's something about it that's so alluring once paired with a timestamp. The most recent example (and the one @scotteweinberg dared me to write about) was this Tweet from @F_Gary_Gray, director of the upcoming Law Abiding Citizen:



Continued below the jump

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]]>edgar wrightEdgarWrightf. gary grayF.GaryGrayIdris ElbaIdrisElbaLaw Abiding CitizenLawAbidingCitizennathan fillionNathanFillionRegina KingReginaKingTwitterElisabeth RappeFri, 18 Sep 2009 13:50:00 ESTWatch This: Backstage on 'Women in Trouble'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/15/watch-this-women-in-trouble/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/15/watch-this-women-in-trouble/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/15/watch-this-women-in-trouble/#commentsFiled under: ,

Look, I know what you're thinking. I thought the same thing when this photo arrived in my inbox. And then I looked at the "backstage" footage from Women in Trouble, which you can see for yourself after the jump, and I was even more confused. The clip begins with porn star Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino from Watchmen in a really questionable faux bondage ensemble over regular street clothes) announcing that she's here to tell you why you shouldn't see Women in Trouble. Fresh-faced prostitute Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki from Friday Night Lights) chimes in that she's also here to talk to you about why you should avoid the movie. It's not for people who don't like sex, "hot chicks in lingerie," "damn strong language," or, uh, spaceships, among other things. ("There is no spaceship in the movie," whispers Elektra to Holly.), Later, the two talk amongst themselves...

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]]>adrianna palickiAdriannaPalickicarla guginoCarlaGuginogothikasebastian gutierrezSebastianGutierrezsnakes on a planeSnakesOnAPlanesxswwomen in troubleWomenInTroubleJenni MillerTue, 15 Sep 2009 17:05:00 ESTIntroducing AOL's SlashControl!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/11/introducing-aols-slashcontrol/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/11/introducing-aols-slashcontrol/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/11/introducing-aols-slashcontrol/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I know Cinematical readers are just like our writers in that they need a steady supply of free movies and television 24/7. That's why sites like Hulu and Netflix Instant have been a gift from the Powers That Be, as you can see almost anything your heart desires at the weirdest times of the day or night. Now you'll have a new instant watch option with AOL's SlashControl.

SlashControl has just launched this week, and has partnered with more than 30 sites to bring you lots and lots of free television shows and movies. You'll be able to access content from ABC, CBS, CW, Showtime, Hulu, A&E, The History Channel, National Geographic, Crackle and the WB, and that's just the beginning. The site is very well designed, and has a search function that's even faster than Hulu's, so you can quickly kick yourself for not watching Session 9 while it was still available.

Right now, their movie selection is drawn from Hulu and Crackle, but they'll undoubtedly be branching out and offering unique content. But there's still enough to watch on here that you won't be bored, as you can overdose on 99 episodes of The A-Team in order to better debate the remake casting, or have a Daniel Day-Lewis double feature with The Boxer and The Last of the Mohicans. You know you want to, and the beauty of online watching is that SlashControl won't tell anyone what you're up to.

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]]>AOLs SlashControlAolsSlashcontrolfeaturedinstant watchInstantWatchSlashControlSlashControl instant watchSlashcontrolInstantWatchElisabeth RappeFri, 11 Sep 2009 12:45:00 EST'Iron Man 2' Might Be Flying in 3-Dhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/02/iron-man-2-in-3-d/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/02/iron-man-2-in-3-d/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/02/iron-man-2-in-3-d/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

I believe I've had to type 3D more times this week than I have in my Cinematical career thus far, and it's only Wednesday. I'm also seeing the birth of a new trend towards 3D rumor mongering and speculation which I want to say began with The Hobbit, but I would probably be very wrong. But I digress. Today, Ain't It Cool News is reporting that we might see Iron Man 2 converted into 3D.

According to Harry Knowles: "Right now, there is a 1 minute demo of Iron Man 2 converted to high quality digital 3D ... Right now the suits at Marvel & Paramount & now also Disney are considering this 1 minute. At the same time that this is happening, they are fishing for bids with 3 different companies to see what the cost and time it would take to convert Iron Man 2 to a complete 3D film." There's also talk that if they actually pay to convert Iron Man 2 to 3D, they might also do the same to the first Iron Man and rerelease it into theaters next May. Watch Jon Favreau's Twitter to see if this comes true or not.

As Knowles points out, if it does come to pass it would certainly be a game-changer for the upcoming Marvel slate. You might see Captain America, Thor, or The Avengers behind a pair of dorky glasses. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, as I find the format too distracting to be enjoyable. But it would be a hell of a lot of fun to see Iron Man rereleased in 3D, and revamping an existing film seems better suited to this ongoing novelty than designing a film around some pop-out effects. I seem to be in the cranky minority when it comes to the 3D style though, and those who are enthusiastic for it are certainly winning the war for it.

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]]>3dDisneyfeaturedIron Maniron man 2Iron Man 2 3DIron Man 3Diron man sequelIronManIronMan2IronMan23dIronMan3dIronManSequeljon favreauJonFavreaumarvel entertainmentMarvelEntertainmentParamountElisabeth RappeWed, 02 Sep 2009 09:02:00 ESTNicolas Cage Goes 3D in 'Drive Angry'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/nicolas-cage-goes-3d-in-drive-angry/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/nicolas-cage-goes-3d-in-drive-angry/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/nicolas-cage-goes-3d-in-drive-angry/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Every day, I get up and I wonder why the movie gods have never seen fit to grant us a Nicolas Cage movie in 3D. I can think of no flaw in The Wicker Man that a 3D bear suit punch couldn't fix altogether, and I know I'd be ten times more interested in The Sorcerer's Apprentice if we got some 3D trenchcoat swishing. But at last, my wish has been granted, though it probably won't be until 2010, 2011 or something, as The Hollywood Reporter has announced Cage will Drive Angry in three-freaking-D!

Directed by Patrick Lussier, who co-wrote the script with Todd Farmer, Drive Angry centers on a man who is driven literally and figuratively by rage. What has filled him with such unquenchable anger? Why, a gang that killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. He's hunting them down, one by one, and mile by mile. I'm just going to quote THR here because to paraphrase would be a sin: "The vendetta / rescue spins out of control as the chase gets bloodier by the mile, leaving bodies strewn along the highway." If you thought Vanishing Point was too boring and 2D, Drive Angry will be the film for you.

Drive Angry will be burning rubber and leaving its gasoline fumes all over Shreveport, Louisiana in April, courtesy of Nu Image / Millennium Films' new Louisiana studio. As we wait for Cage to pop out of the screen, you can revive our Love Him or Tolerate Him debate all over again!

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]]>Drive AngryDriveAngrymillenniummillennium filmsMillenniumFilmsNicolas CageNicolasCagenu imagenu image filmsNuImageNuImageFilmsPatrick LussierPatrickLussierTodd FarmerToddFarmerElisabeth RappeMon, 31 Aug 2009 18:32:00 ESTThe Disney Deal: Good News for Video Games Too?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/the-disney-deal-good-news-for-video-games-too/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/the-disney-deal-good-news-for-video-games-too/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/the-disney-deal-good-news-for-video-games-too/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Disney's $4 billion purchase of Marvel means the gloves are coming off when it comes to comic books and all the possibilities for making money off of them, from toys and cartoons to movies and video games - and video game movies.

Disney is just one of the media conglomerates that's digging deeper into the video game world, and while that does include some rather unfortunate tie-in titles like "Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show," it also includes really good games like "Kingdom Hearts," a role-playing game featuring classic Disney characters like Goofy, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse. And while I haven't played it myself, at least one video game girl professional told me I absolutely must play "G-Force." Seriously.

Right now Warner Bros. is definitely beating the other media giants, both with movie/comic book tie-ins like "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and innovative new games like "Scribblenauts." Now that Disney has its mitts on Marvel, we can expect plenty of Marvel superheroes and villains getting the Disney (well, hopefully Pixar) treatment. Is it possible that Disney will step up its game, so to speak, when it comes to competing with WB and DC's superior titles?

Continue reading The Disney Deal: Good News for Video Games Too?

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]]>acquisitiondc comicsDcComicsdisneydisneymarvelmarvelvideo gamesVideoGameswarner brosWarnerBrosJenni MillerMon, 31 Aug 2009 14:02:00 ESTGet Creative with 'Sita' Source Fileshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/23/get-creative-with-sita-source-files/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/23/get-creative-with-sita-source-files/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/23/get-creative-with-sita-source-files/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When faced with copyright lemons, Sita Sings the Blues creator Nina Paley made some delicious lemonade. Since Sita uses songs in the film by Annette Hanshaw that are copyrighted, and as an indie filmmaker she can't afford to purchase the rights to them, her hands were tied when it came to distribution. So she came up with a plan that worked with (and around) the copyright issues so the movie's admirers could see the lovely film for themselves. Read a more detailed explanation of the issue here at Question Copyright. [Edited to add: Nina explains on her blog and in the comment section below: "Sita Sings the Blues is 100% legal. I am free to release it commercially, which is why the film is gaining a number of commercial distributors in addition to its free sharing/audience distribution, which is also legal, and wonderful." Read the full explanation here.]

Not only is her beautiful film available to watch online for free, it was also briefly available on PBS last March in for lucky viewers in NYC.

But now Paley has gone a step further with it comes to using the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license that is really cool for creative types -- you can download her source files for free to make your own mashups, add Sita-tweaks to your own creative ventures, and do whatever else online arty folks do with Flash files.

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]]>copyrightnina paleyNinaPaleysita sings the bluesSitaSingsTheBluesJenni MillerSun, 23 Aug 2009 11:02:00 EST'Wanted' Screenwriter Gets His Game On - Who's Next?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/17/wanted-screenwriter-gets-his-game-on-whos-next/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/17/wanted-screenwriter-gets-his-game-on-whos-next/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/17/wanted-screenwriter-gets-his-game-on-whos-next/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In the same way that higher-profile actors are jumping on the video game ship sans shame, so too are movie writers like Wanted's Chris Morgan. Morgan has signed up for a rather daunting task - working as the story director for the massive and practically holy sci-fi series The Wheel of Time by the late Robert Jordan.

Variety reports that this job entails "overseeing the writing on the titles, working with executive producers and writers to help develop story arcs and helping to digest the book series' 10,000 pages and over 1,700 characters."

(Of course, Morgan and the other two screenplay writers, Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, were taken to task by fans for not sticking to the original comic book story all that much. However, compared to comic book purists, the wrath of Robert Jordan fans can be deadly. Or so I hear.)

Morgan isn't the only screenwriter who has dipped his toes into the pixellated pool. Saw director James Wan is one of the writers for the Saw video game, which surprisingly got some good gamer feedback from its preview at SDCC. And David McKenna, who wrote American History X, Get Carter, Blow, and Bully, wrote Scarface: The World is Yours, which got generally mixed reviews.

Continue reading 'Wanted' Screenwriter Gets His Game On - Who's Next?

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]]>Chris MorganChrisMorganDavid McKennaDavidMckennaDistrict 9District9Duncan JonesDuncanJonesfeaturedGil KenanGilKenanGuillermo Del ToroGuillermoDelToroJames WanJamesWanNeill BlomkampNeillBlomkampSawTim BurtonTimBurtonvideo gamesVideoGamesWantedZack SnyderZackSnyderJenni MillerMon, 17 Aug 2009 09:02:00 ESTVideo Game Voice Acting Isn't a Crimehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/04/video-game-voice-acting-isnt-a-crime/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/04/video-game-voice-acting-isnt-a-crime/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/04/video-game-voice-acting-isnt-a-crime/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It wasn't until fairly recently that voice acting in video games was done by either no-name actors trying to pay the bills or B- and C-list actors who were, well, also trying to pay the bills. The Command and Conquer games began employing a mixed bag of actors in its 1999 iteration, Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun, when they managed to snag Luke Skywalker's big daddy James Earl Jones, but otherwise continued casting random character actors like Udo Kier and Barry Corbin in future games like Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2.

Grand Theft Auto III changed the game, literally, with its roster of recognizable names and voices like Joe Pantoliano, Michael Madsen, Michael Rapaport, Debi Mazar, and Kyle MacLachlan all playing parts in the free-for-all crime cape that make Rockstar Games just that. With GTA III's massive sales and buzz (particularly from angry parents), the scene was set for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which boasted an over-the-top cast particularly appealing to its target audience: Dennis Hopper, Danny Trejo, Gary Busey, Lee Majors, Debbie Harry, Ray Liotta, Tom Sizemore, and Jenna Jameson, just to name a few.

Continue reading Video Game Voice Acting Isn't a Crime

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]]>barry corbinBarryCorbindanny trejoDannyTrejodebbie harryDebbieHarrydebi mazarDebiMazardennis hopperDennisHoppereliza dushkuElizaDushkufallout 3Fallout3gary buseyGaryBuseygrand theft autoGrandTheftAutojames earl jonesJamesEarlJonesjenna jamesonJennaJamesonjoe pantolianoJoePantolianokyle maclachlanKyleMaclachlanlee majorsLeeMajorsliam neesonLiamNeesonMalcolm McDowellMalcolmMcdowellmichael madsenmichael rapaportMichaelMadsenMichaelRapaportmickey rourkeMickeyRourkeray liottaRayLiottarockstar gamesRockstarGamesrogue warriorRogueWarriorron perlmanRonPerlmantom sizemoreTomSizemoreudo kierUdoKiervideo gamesVideoGamesvoice actingVoiceActingwetJenni MillerTue, 04 Aug 2009 17:02:00 ESTWatch Movies on USB Flash Drives - Legally!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/24/watch-movies-on-usb-flash-drives-legally/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/24/watch-movies-on-usb-flash-drives-legally/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/24/watch-movies-on-usb-flash-drives-legally/#commentsFiled under: ,

'Godfather'-themed USB flash driveJust in time for Christmas, you'll be able to carry movies in your coin purse ... wear them around your neck ... hold them on one finger ... lose them in your shirt pocket. Two companies have announced technology that will allow full-length movies to be sold on USB flash memory devices -- legally. CinemaNow USB Movie Drives "will include an integrated media player as well as the necessary video codecs to enable instant high-quality PC playback of movie content offline," according to a prepared statement released by the companies, Sonic Solutions and Widevine.

"Once connected to the Internet," the press release says, users will be able to access the content on other devices, "such as networked Blu-ray Disc players and connected televisions." High-Def Digest suggests that the devices may be "an effort to meet with consumer demand for digital copies while keeping retail stores in the loop."

Movie-themed USB flash drives have been around for a while -- like the one for The Godfather -- and with the growing memory capacity on the drives, for ever-lowering prices, I suppose this kind of device was inevitable. Sonic Solutions and Widevine have not yet announced any partnerships with movie studios, and there's no word on how "high-quality" the movies will look or what the prices will be. This sounds like a stop-gap device, something for non-tech folks who don't want to mess around with downloads or loading digital copies from DVDs onto their personal computers. Would you buy movies on USB flash drives?

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]]>cinemanowfeaturedsonic solutionsSonicSolutionsusb flash driveusb movie drivesUsbFlashDriveUsbMovieDriveswidevinePeter MartinFri, 24 Jul 2009 16:45:00 ESTCoders Crack the Netflix Cinematch Algorithmhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/coders-crack-the-netflix-cinematch-algorithm/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/coders-crack-the-netflix-cinematch-algorithm/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/coders-crack-the-netflix-cinematch-algorithm/#commentsFiled under: ,

Netflix began a contest in 2006 for coders to win $1,000,000 if they could improve Netflix's Cinematch algorithm by at least 10%, and because coders like a good challenge (and people like money), folks have been steadily tinkering with their 1's and 0's ever since. (You can read more about the contest and its rules here.) Three years later, two teams came together with the winning code, which was confirmed Friday. Netflix's VP of corporate communications Steve Swasey told Wired, "This has been terribly exciting. It's like watching the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness and the Indy 500 all at once -- for geeks."

There are still a few hurdles for the team to jump through; the Netflix contest site states, "your qualifying submissions must have the largest accuracy improvement verified by the Contest judges, you must share your method with (and non-exclusively license it to) Netflix, and you must describe to the world how you did it and why it works."

As Wired points out, Netflix isn't the only company to dip its toes into "so-called Prize economics," which is when these companies offer prize incentives to outsiders to basically do work for free with an outside chance of winning big bucks. But doesn't this say to companies that it's okay to try and get lots and lots of hours from (some) highly skilled professionals for free? It would have cost Netflix far more than $1M to get consultants and coders on the job, especially for full-time gigs with all the benefits and trimmings. I'm not a code geek, but if I were, I'd probably be interested in this sort of challenge as well. On the other hand, perhaps I'd rather have a full-time job at Netflix writing code all day along with, you know, insurance.

Continue reading Coders Crack the Netflix Cinematch Algorithm

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]]>netflixJenni MillerMon, 29 Jun 2009 18:02:00 ESTAn 'Antichrist' of a Video Gamehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/an-antichrist-of-a-video-game/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/an-antichrist-of-a-video-game/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/an-antichrist-of-a-video-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

What does Willem Dafoe's junk, a talking fox, and a dead child all have in common? Well, they're going to star in a video game adaptation of Lars von Trier's Antichrist courtesy of Morten Iversen, a developer with some serious credentials in the world of game geekery. Formerly of Io Interactive, Iversen now works at von Trier's Zentropa production company.

Russ Frushtick over at MTV Multiplayer tracked down Iversen to ask him what the hell is up with this project, so to speak, and here's what he had to say.

"Von Trier has been extremely fond of video games for ages, and has been an avid player of 'Alone in the Dark,'" explained Iverson. "He's been circulating the idea internally... that making games would be a good idea." He describes it as "a nightmarish version of 'Myst.'"

("Alone in the Dark"? Really? Come on, Lars!)

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]]>antichristcharlotte gainsbourgCharlotteGainsbourgguillermo del toroGuillermoDelTorolars von trierLarsVonTriervideo gameVideoGamewillem dafoeWillemDafoeJenni MillerWed, 24 Jun 2009 20:32:00 ESTWTF? Sylvester Stallone's Donglehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/wtf-sylvester-stallones-dongle/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/wtf-sylvester-stallones-dongle/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/wtf-sylvester-stallones-dongle/#commentsFiled under: ,

File this under "Things that have brought the world this much closer to the apocalypse." Introducing the Rocky III joke USB drive, with Sylvester's goods as the USB connector. You can also pick up a fake drive that looks like Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) or Clubber Lang (Mr. T). They do sit ups when you insert them into your USB drive. These obviously high-quality doodads will set you back ¥ 2,850.00 each (or about $30), or you can buy all three for ¥ 5,150.00. And the worst part? You can't even store anything on them; they're just pieces of plastic that do sit-ups when you plug them in to your USB drive. If you feel a burning desire to buy one, here's the link, but don't say we didn't warn you. Take a peek at all three in the gallery below.

Gallery: Rocky III USB Drives



(via Gizmodo)

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]]>Apollo CreedApolloCreedCarl WeathersCarlWeathersMr. TMr.Trocky balboaRocky IIIRockyBalboaRockyIiiWTFJenni MillerMon, 22 Jun 2009 15:32:00 EST