Monthly Archives: April 2016
Mark Hamill Becomes Yoda in Episode 8 Set Photo
Mark Hamill has tweeted out a birthday message for Star Wars star Daisy Ridley, along with a behind the scenes shot from Star Wars: Episode VIII.
Here's Hamill's message: "A long time ago (last week I think) In a galaxy far, far away (@PinewoodStudios) THIS happened! Happy Birthday Daisy!" Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the new Star Wars films, turned 24 on April 10.
A long time ago (last week I think) In a galaxy far, far way(@PinewoodStudios ) THIS happened! Happy Birthday Daisy! pic.twitter.com/dYc9j65YBD
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) April 10, 2016
The Boss Downsizes BvS at the Box Office
If the weekend box office estimates hold then Melissa McCarthy's new movie The Boss dethroned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to become the No. 1 movie in North America.
The Boss held a very narrow lead over BvS -- roughly $46,000 -- with an estimated $23.5 million to the DC superhero showdown's $23.4 million.
BvS could possibly rebound to resume its reigning champ status once the final numbers come in Monday.
McCarthy's latest -- another collaboration co-written and directed by her husband/co-star Ben Falcone -- received largely scathing reviews from critics and a dire "C+" CinemaScore from audiences. (BvS received a lukewarm "B" CinemaScore.)
Why Outlander: Season 2’s Premiere Begins When It Does
Full spoilers for Outlander: Season 2's premiere and some spoilers for the beginning of Diana Gabaldon's novel Dragonfly in Amber continue below.
Outlander: Season 2 picked up from a time period neither fans of the show nor fans of Diana Gabaldon's novels likely expected.
While Gabaldon's second novel, Dragonfly in Amber, does pick up with Claire back in the present timeline after the end of book one ended with her and Jamie setting off to Paris, the novel's beginning takes place long after Claire traveled through the stones at Craigh na Dun. It's a moment that is jarring, and one showrunner Ron Moore wanted to recreate in his own way.
Why Black Sails and Daredevil Are Great
Hey guys, Eric here with the second of two episodes we recorded this past week while I was with Matt in Texas for WrestleMania 32. Sorry for the delay posting this, which was due to a bad combination of a very busy week and staying at two different hotels with internet so bad, I wasn't able to upload it until now!
If you missed the other episode, focused on WrestleMania itself, check it out here. But this one delves into several TV series, including spoiler-packed conversations on the recent seasons of Black Sails and Daredevil.
1:45-4:40: It’s Always Sunny renewed for Season 13 and 14
Game of Thrones: New Clip Features Davos, Ghost and More
Ahead of Game of Thrones' impending return, Ser Davos Seaworth actor Liam Cunningham appeared on Conan to share a brand-new clip, teasing what lies ahead for his character in Season 6.
Warning: Game of Thrones spoilers below.
The footage provides a brief look at Cunningham's Davos as he defends the lifeless body of Kit Harington's Jon Snow, as well as his direwolf Ghost, from an ambush at Castle Black by members of the Night's Watch.
Earlier this week, HBO released the synopsis for Game of Thrones: Season 6's upcoming premiere, confirming Jon Snow is indeed dead.
BvS Visual Effects Before and After Breakdown
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder is no stranger to special effects, and a new video offers a before-and-after look at just how influential VFX were in achieving the stunning visuals found in his latest comic book flick.
Check out the breakdown clip below, courtesy of CGMeetup, to see some impressive green screen work, as well as a look at Ben Affleck's mo-cap suit for Armored Batman.
Despite suffering a major drop during its second week, Batman v Superman managed to remain number one at the box office last weekend. According to current projections, Warner Bros. is expected to earn less from BvS than Man of Steel.
New Punch-Out!! Visual Cue Discovered 29 Years Later
A retro gamer has discovered a new visual cue in the NES classic Punch-Out!!, making Piston Honda and Bald Bull easier to topple.
The original game, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, came out in the US in October 1987, meaning the new trick has been hiding in plain site for almost 29 years.
Reddit user midwesternhousewives discovered, and then posted video of, the cue. In the accompanying thread, there's some question as to whether or not this is the first time someone discovered it. A comment thread on Game FAQs shows at least one other person was aware of this cue previous to midwesternhousewives' video. However, that was only in reference to the second Bald Bull fight.
Comparing Rogue One to the Original Star Wars
One of the most striking aspects of yesterday’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer was how effectively the prequel appears to be recreating aspects of the original Star Wars trilogy. In particular, sets like the Yavin base, costumes such as those old white-helmeted Rebel troopers, TIE Pilot uniforms, Death Star imagery, and even (Gonk!) droids from A New Hope have clearly been painstakingly reconstructed by director Gareth Edwards and his team.
Perhaps the most buzzed-about restoration in the trailer is Mon Mothma, the Rebel leader first glimpsed in Return of the Jedi (where she was played by Caroline Blakiston). While actress Genevieve O’Reilly appeared as a younger version of the Rebel leader in a few (mostly deleted) scenes in Revenge of the Sith, the actress has returned for Rogue One in -- judging by the trailer -- a spot-on recreation of the ROTJ version of Mothma.
Halo 5’s Warzone Firefight is Marvelous Mayhem
Firefight. The word brings back intense memories for Halo players like me, who spent hours and hours fighting off wave after wave of Covenant forces when the mode was first introduced back in Halo 3: ODST. I was in college then, and much of what I remember about my nights and weekends were those times when, side by side with my roommates on the couch, we vigorously cursed the endless enemy AI or celebrated our momentary victories over the alien threat with high fives and an inordinate amount of yelling.
Firefight holds a special place in my heart. It’s tied so closely to a formative time in my life that hearing of its return is both exciting and unnerving – after all, what happens if it isn’t as cool as I remember it? But, after heading to 343 Industries’ headquarters in Redmond to go hands on with the mode, let me be the first to tell you: it’s a blast.
Legendary Stories From Halo and Destiny Composer
Halo and Destiny composer Marty O'Donnell shares incredible stories from his many years at Bungie during this epic two-hour interview, including a canceled game called 'Gypsum', how Halo 2 was originally supposed to end, meeting Paul McCartney, and much more!
If you'd rather listen than watch, here's an audio-only download link.
Here are a couple of clips, first about the canceled 'Gypsum' project:
And here's O'Donnell explaining Halo 2's original ending:
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