Ant-Man Probably More Comedic Than the Trailer Indicated
Known for her roles in comedies like Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men and Married, Judy Greer now finds herself appearing in several huge movies in a row. Last summer, in a mo-cap performance, she played Caesar's wife Cornelia in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and this coming summer, she’ll appear in both Jurassic World and Ant-Man – playing “Maggie” in the latter, ex-wife to Ant-Man himself, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), and the mother to his daughter, Cassie.
Greer was at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today to promote the current season of Archer (in which she voices Cheryl) and I was among a small group who spoke to her after the show’s panel. We discussed her sudden ascension into the world of big summer movies, why she’s having a great time working on them and the role comedy plays in Marvel’s films, Ant-Man included - despite the mostly dramatic tone of that film's teaser trailer.
Sony Will Lose $30 Million on The Interview, Says Theatre Group
Despite the grand proclamations of a new business model, The National Association of Theater Owners in the United States has declared Sony will lose at least $30 million on The Interview.
"In this simultaneous-release game, Sony is $30 million in the hole and almost out of cards," said vice president of NATO Patrick Corcoran for NATO publication Box Office Magazine. "The only game changed here was just how much Sony left on the table."
This comes in the wake of Sony's decision to release The Interview simultaneously on VOD and in theaters on Christmas Day, after terrorist threats scared the company into pulling it from its original theatrical run. However, The Interview only opened in independent cinemas, as most major exhibitors have a policy against screening films that are widely available on other platforms.
FX Prez Says FX Second Only to HBO in Terms of Quality
This morning at the Television Critics Association press tour, FX president John Landgraf had a few words (and slides) for those TV watchers out there who think HBO dominates the realm of critically-acclaimed series.
"Over the past few years with insanely increasing competition, I’ve spoken about the importance of having a report card and being honest about that report card, good and bad," Landgraf opened. "But it’s always much better when the grades are good. And the FX report card for 2014 was our best by nearly every measure."
"The general perception about TV today among many consumers, and perhaps some TV critics," Landgraf continued, "is that HBO is the runaway leader in quality and depth and that the other networks and programming services that produce and air the highest-quality original programming are in a pack battling it out for second place."
Fargo Season 2: Ronald Reagan to be a Character
With casting nearly complete for the second season of FX's Golden Globe winning drama, Fargo, President of FX John Landgraf has revealed new details about the storyline. "It's about a time of cultural change," Landgraf said at Sunday's TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour. "It takes place with Ronald Reagan's campaign as a backdrop," Landgraf said. "Reagan in a character in it."
Now, "being a character" in a film or television series can sometimes be a metaphoric phrase. New York is often a character in a series, for example. IGN had the opportunity to follow up with Landgraf, to clarify what Reagan's role will be in the series.
It’s Always Sunny Likely to Continue Past Season 12
Things were definitely looking, ahem, sunny for the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Sunday morning during the 2015 TCA Winter Press Tour. Ahead of the panel FX/FXX boss John Landgraf reminded us that the show -- which just began airing its 10th season this past week -- would return for both an already-ordered 11th and 12th season, making it the longest running live action comedy cable series in primetime history. If series creator Rob McElhenney has his way though, the series will continue well beyond 12.
“I never thought we’d have a 12-season run,” he told reporters. “This was my dream, this is what I always wanted to do. I get to work with my best friends and my family. We get carte blanche from the network on what we do. The audiences is still there. I don’t know why we’d stop.”
Get Your Own Giant Mech Suit Today
If you live in the Kyoto region of Japan, and have a cool million dollars laying about, then you can roll up to your next party in a giant mech suit.
The product of Suidobashi Heavy Industries, Kuratas Model 001 is a 5000kg mech suit that makes your puny Master Grade Gundam model look like a dumb toy for babies. And it's for sale on
Running on V-Sido, the "next generation robot OS," you can move the arms and torso from within the mech's enclosed cockpit, or if you prefer to fight your space battles from a safe distance, the suit has a remote control module. Is that not anime futuristic cyberpunk enough for you? The Kuratas Model 001 can also be controlled via 3G enabled smart phone. However, attaching nuclear missiles to your mech may be in violation of Apple's terms of service, so watch out for that.
Legend of Zelda Enemies as Artists
Anyone who has played the original The Legend of Zelda knows that some enemies move with slow, plodding movements, like Octoroks, while others, like Tektites, moves spasmodically around the screen. If you're low on hearts, passing through a screen littered with these randomly zigging and zagging foes can be a harrowing experience.
But for the artists' collective at nonhuman.net, the mindless plotting of these digital creatures is a thing of beauty.
By hooking the game to an HP 7475A Pen Plotter, the movement of Leevers, Peahats, Darknuts, and more are used to draw lines based on where the enemies wander.
Teen ‘Zombie’ Returns to Life Thanks to Disney Classics
Haley Smith, 17, spent three years convinced she was dead. Smith suffered from the rare delusional psychosis Cotard's Syndrome, aka Walking Corpse Syndrome, where a person truly believes they are deceased or that parts of their bodies no longer exist. And what helped her finally snap out of it? Disney movies.
"I’d fantasise about having picnics in graveyards and I’d spend a lot of time watching horror films because seeing the zombies made me feel relaxed, like I was with family," Smith told The Daily Mail. She eventually told friends and family about her condition, who advised her to seek counseling.
Connection Speed Priority Over Skill in Call of Duty Matchmaking
Co-founder and studio head of Sledgehammer Games Michael Condrey has addressed certain player concerns about online play with the company's latest entry into the CoD franchise, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
"In an effort to be transparent with you all," Condrey wrote on Sledgehammer's community page, he "wanted to address a few of the bigger conversations happening within the community today."
The subjects Condrey explained concern matchmaking and the banning policy for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
Harmonix Delays Amplitude
Harmonix announced in a Kickstarter update to backers that Amplitude HD, originally targeted for a March release, will likely be pushed back until summer.
"This is our first time working on PlayStation 4, and it’s been a big learning experience for the team," Harmonix said, citing the work it's put into an all new, proprietary engine to support "awesome, new content" as a factor in the delay.
The team adds that they're still making "solid progress" on Amplitude HD, which originally met its funding goal in May. Harmonix promises it will have content to show off in Boston at the beginning of March for PAX East, which will take place on the weekend of March 6-8.