Monthly Archives: January 2016
Forget The Shining; Here’s The Chickening
In an absurd twist, directors Nick DenBoer and Davy Force have reimagined classic horror film The Shining into The Chickening.
The short film remixes scenes from The Shining using chickens, bizarre special effects, and a foul-mouthed Danny Torrance. Instead of taking place at the Overlook Hotel, The Chickening is set in a chicken restaurant and resort called Charbay’s Chicken World.
According to Slash Film, the film debuted at Fantastic Fest, a film festival held in Austin, Texas last September. The audience reportedly loved the raunchy, chicken-themed film and it only just debuted online.
Harrison Ford to Reveal Star Wars Land Details Next Month
Harrison Ford will share new details on Star Wars Land during Disneyland's upcoming anniversary special, "The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60."
According to Disney's announcement, the Han Solo actor will provide "an exclusive preview of Star Wars-themed lands" when the special airs in the US on Sunday, February 21 at 8pm ET on ABC.
Derek Hough will be hosting the event, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will be performing Fantasia's iconic musical sequence "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Additionally, the anniversary celebration will include appearances by Elton John, Josh Gad, and Witney Carson.
Last year at D23, Disney announced Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland and Disney World in 2016. In anticipation of their launch, several new Star Wars-themed areas and elements were debuted in Disneyland back in November.
New Forza 6 DLC Includes One of the Ugliest Cars Ever Made
The latest DLC for Forza Motorsport 6 has been confirmed, slightly earlier than usual in order to arrive before this weekend's 24 Hours of Daytona race. It features seven vehicles, all new to the Forza series. It will be available on January 28 for $7 USD (or free for Car Pass owners).
The 'Alpinestars Car Pack' features the 2015 Ford #02 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley Mk XXVI Daytona Prototype (which won last year’s 24 Hours of Daytona), and also includes the 1990 Mercury #15 Whistler Radar Cougar XR-7, the 1967 Sunbeam Tiger, the 1992 Alfa Romeo Milano Quadrifoglio Verde, the 1974 Toyota Corolla SR5, the 1996 Subaru SVX, and the ill-fated 2005 Pontiac Aztek (regularly cited as one of the ugliest cars ever made but enjoying a newfound cult status thanks to its role on Breaking Bad as Walter White’s unassuming personal chariot).
Bungie President Steps Down, Board of Directors Appoints New CEO
Bungie studio President Harold Ryan has stepped down.
Bungie's board of directors announced long-time COO Pete Parsons will now take over as CEO.
Parsons posted the following statement on Bungie's website:
"I want to personally thank Harold for his friendship, passion, hard work, and dedication in helping make Bungie the great company it is today. As a team, we celebrated many victories and weathered many storms.To the players of Destiny, I want you to know that my number one priority, and Bungie’s, is and always has been to deliver great games that we can all share together. I believe that Destiny is a one-of-a-kind experience. I also believe you have yet to see our studio’s best work. My new role here at the studio will be entirely focused on fulfilling that promise."
Smart People Are Genetically Predisposed to Be Healthy
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have discovered that smart people are more likely to be healthy. The study found that those with the gene variant linked to intelligence were less likely to have genes associated with diseases—like diabetes or Alzheimer's—and high blood pressure. And if that's not enough, according to The Telegraph, those folks were likely taller, with larger brains.
Dr. Stuart Ritchie of Edinburgh University said that the test aimed to study "whether genes that are linked to mental abilities and educational attainment are also genes that are related to some disorders." The team found "many overlaps." According to The Telegraph, "genes related to being taller are also related to obtaining a college or university degree."
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Is Coming to Wii U
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance releases for Wii U Virtual Console tomorrow, January 28.
According to Nintendo's product listing, Square Enix's Game Boy Advance classic will be available for $8 USD and support off-TV play.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance released for Game Boy Advance back in 2003 to much critical acclaim, subsequently earning a spot among IGN's Top 25 GBA Games of All Time.
Will you be picking up Final Fantasy Tactics Advance when it hits the Wii U eShop tomorrow? Let us know in the comments, and for more on Square's handheld classic, check out our glowing review.
This Drone Flies Itself So You Don’t Have To
I’ve never flown a drone before. With the 3D Robotics Solo controller in hand, I was nervous about crashing the drone or getting it tangled in some power lines. But I didn’t have to worry because the 3DR Solo basically flies itself.
3D Robotics wanted to make capturing epic video and photos a breeze for the uninitiated. To achieve this, the company gave its Solo drone the ability to have both its camera and flight automated, though you can still fly manually if you want. Even in manual mode, the drone is easy to control for newbies.
Largest Known Solar System Discovered
Picture how large Pluto's orbit is around our Sun. Now picture a planet 12 to 15 times the mass of Jupiter orbiting at a distance 140 times wider than that.
This planet, called 2MASS J2126-8140, and its star pair, are part of what astronomers are calling the largest solar system ever discovered, according to BBC.
"We were very surprised to find such a low-mass object so far from its parent star," said Dr. Simon Murphy from the Australian National University. "There is no way it formed in the same way as our solar system did, from a large disc of dust and gas."
Guild Wars 2 Post-Expansion Patch Expands Gliding
Guild Wars 2's newest patch is a doozy, offering players the chance to glide majestically through the skies wherever they want, among other things.
First introduced in the game's recent Heart of Thorns expansion, the gliding mechanic from Maguuma Jungle has been expanded throughout the world except for dungeons, story instances, and other areas where flying could be exploited.
Commanders can now promote Lieutenants in their squads to lead subgroups while the boss gets to sit back, bark orders and place markers.
Old Man Logan Has a Bloody Mission
Marvel released the first issue of their ongoing Old Man Logan comic today, which shed more light on the character's role in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Old Man Logan #1!
This issue picked up right where last year's Old Man Logan mini-series left off. Much of this issue features Logan struggling to remember his past and marveling at the differences between this world and his own. But after seeing a newspaper, Logan realized that his this reality is unfolding several years before the supervillain uprising that created his dystopian future. Immediately, Logan dedicated himself to ensuring that his future never comes to pass. And he'll accomplish that goal by being the ebst there is at what he does, which is stabbing people.