Monthly Archives: February 2015
Just How Steamy Does Fifty Shades of Grey Get?
The British Board of Film Classification has branded the big screen version of erotic bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey with a strict "18" rating, barring anyone under 18-years-old from seeing the movie. The movie, however, was passed without any cuts being made to appease the UK censors.
Here are the BBFC's guidelines regarding sexual content in an 18-rated movie: "There can be strong and detailed portrayals of sex at 18, including full nudity. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Very strong, crude and explicit sex references are permitted at 18. An 18 film or video might also contain depictions of real sex, as long as the film or video is not a sex work. Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed 18. Those containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the R18 category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at R18 is also unacceptable in a sex work at 18."
Magic: The Gathering Introduces Its First Trans Character
Wizards of the Coast has revealed Magic: The Gathering's first ever trans character.
The new character, named Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, is part of Magic: The Gathering's latest expansion, Fate Reforged. While her card doesn't mention her gender, a story published on Wizards of the Coast's website reveals that she was born anatomically male, weaving her background into the tale of combat.
7 Things to Watch This Week
Despite new shows premiering on ABC and NBC during the middle of the week, all eyes will be on AMC this Sunday as The Walking Dead returns for the second half of Season 5 and the hotly-anticipated Breaking Bad prequel/spinoff Better Call Saul makes its big debut.
Amazon Prime in February: Hannibal, Orphan Black, More
Elsewhere on the dial, Gotham introduces proto-Scarecrow, Peggy Carter enlists the Howling Commandoes, Peek-A-Boo appears on The Flash, and Nashville returns.
The Flash: Atom is Going to Get Some Help with His Suit
Warning: Some spoilers for The Flash to date follow...
Recently, IGN's own Roth Cornet and a handful of other outlets spoke with The Flash executive producer Andrew Kreisberg about what fans can expect to see in the rest of Season 1. During the Q&A, the EP dropped a few hints about the upcoming Flash/Arrow crossover in which Felicity and Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) travel to Central City. He also touched on the challenges of working with The Flash and Arrow's shared universe and how Arrow is more of a soap opera...
Last week, we learned that Ray would be joining Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) on her next visit to Central City. But what brings the future Atom to Barry Allan's neck of the woods? "At that point Ray needs a little help with his suit, and who better than Felicity's high-tech guys at STAR Labs?" Kreisberg said. "I hadn't gotten to write much Ray this season on Arrow. I got to write him in the comic book, in the Season Zero that we wrote. I loved it. So getting to write him, he's just so much fun."
Amazon Prime Dropping Doctor Who, Other BBC Series
The majority of the BBC's programming, including Doctor Who, is set to leave Amazon Prime February 15 as the streaming service focuses on gaining exclusive content.
The Verge reports that Amazon is removing the BBC's shows because its current licensing deal allows other subscription services, like Netflix, to also carry them. Because Amazon hopes to grow Prime by focusing on content that isn't available anywhere else, it has decided not to renew the agreement.
Amazon's commitment to exclusivity seems to be paying off, as it saw Prime membership grow over 53 percent last year. Currently, Amazon is the exclusive home for Hannibal, 24, The Americans, and Justified. It also closed an exclusive deal to stream the BBC's Orphan Black, which will remain on the service.
Are JRPGs Primed for a Comeback?
As a young kid in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, I was absolutely obsessed with my NES, and I voraciously consumed any information I could about my beloved console and its ever-growing library of games. There was a seminal moment of my childhood that charted a course for me and my future as a gamer: the first time I was exposed to Enix’s Dragon Quest, or as we knew it in the States back in the day, Dragon Warrior.
My neighbor’s older brother was a hardcore NES player with scores of games, and he’d generously let my brother and I borrow just about whatever we wanted. Among his impressive catalog was Dragon Warrior -- as well as, ultimately, Dragon Warrior II, III, and IV -- and I enjoyed not only watching these games be played and playing them myself, but diving into the lore of the games, the statistics, and of course the story (as underdeveloped as it was).
Five More Games Added to PlayStation Now
The February games line-up for PlayStation Now subscribers includes Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War II HD, Red Faction: Armageddon, Galaga Legions DX, and Arcana Heart 3.
PlayStation Now is a service that offers over 100 games, available to stream directly to your console for a monthly fee of either $20 per month or $45 for three months. It was introduced to PlayStation 4 early last month.
Read up on IGN's PlayStation Now experience from CES 2015. You can find a full list of games included in the service in the PlayStation Now wiki.
Treyarch to Discuss Call of Duty’s Zombies in DICE Presentation
Developer Treyarch will be discussing the development of their Call of Duty: Zombies cooperative multiplayer mode this week at the 2015 DICE Summit.
The presentation was teased via Twitter, where a post on the official Treyarch account read "Countdown to Zero Hour. Stay tuned for livestream info regarding Wednesday's presentation," including two hashtags at the end for both DICE and Zombies.
As featured on DICE's website, the presentation will consist of Treyarch's Mark Lamia discussing the development process of Zombies and the impact it has had with the studio's relationship with fans.
John Wick Directors Tapped for Pratt’s Next
Cowboy Ninja Viking, which has Guardians of the Galaxy's Chris Pratt attached to star, may have found its directors in David Leitch and Chad Stahelski.
According to Variety, Universal Pictures has sent an offer to Leitch and Stahelski (the duo behind John Wick) to direct the film adaptation of A.J. Lieberman and Riley Rossmo's graphic novel. Pratt has reportedly given "his stamp of approval" to the duo.
The Disney-developed script, which was penned by Zombieland scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, was acquired by Universal after Disney deemed the material too edgy.
Looks Like Target’s Rosalina Amiibo Is Going to Be Hard to Get
The Target-exclusive Rosalina amiibo looks as though it may be the third-wave's hardest-to-find figure. According to an internal memo sent to Target associates, the company stated that the item will sell out quickly and "will not be replenished."
The memo advises that stores put a purchase limit of two Rosalina amiibo per customer, in order to prevent one person from purchasing up a store's entire inventory and "disappointing other guests." While not officially announced in Target's latest sales flier, stores reserve the right to limit purchase quantities "of any item."
Target's memo was posted to the CAG forums by user Kurosaki-san. The memo also notes that Bowser and Toon Link will be replenished "on an ongoing basis," while the Mega Man, Sonic, King Dedede, and Ike amiibo will be sold by Target, but will not be available in store.