Monthly Archives: December 2019
Star Wars: J.J. Abrams Wants the Theatrical Cuts of the Original Trilogy Released
As the premiere for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker draws closer, director J.J. Abrams has opened up about his desire to see the original cuts of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi released.
The last official piece of physical media to contain the theatrical cuts of Episodes IV-VI was the 1995 THX VHS box-set. Since then, fans have been at a loss trying to find the original cuts to watch and/or show to those who've never seen them before.
Talking to NowThis, Abrams explained that he tried asking Lucasfilm about the possibility of an original cut release, but hit a bit of a brick wall. "I’ve been told that, for reasons that I quite don’t understand, that that’s not necessarily possible," he said.
Here’s How Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Will Handle Rey’s Lineage
We're less than a week out from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and while director J.J. Abrams has spoken about what he's called Rian Johnson's "unconventional approach" to The Last Jedi, Rise of Skywalker co-writer Chris Terrio has opened up about the creative process for crafting the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga.
Talking to Rolling Stone, Terrio discussed trying to blend together the ideas about Rey's origins that Abrams started in The Force Awakens and the story Kylo Ren told her in The Last Jedi, about her parents being junk traders.
Watchmen: American Hero Story Wasn’t a Shot at Zack Snyder
HBO's Watchmen is not only one of the year's most acclaimed new series, but it's filled with fun Easter eggs that harken back to the original graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. On top of that, there are also a few punchy peculiarities that come with this alternate world - like the "show within a show" called American Hero Story that's supposed to be a tell-all about Hooded Justice and The Minutemen.
A few episodes have showed us clips from the faux series, which was a loving nod to producer Ryan Murphy's TV empire (Murphy himself almost cameo'd as the creator of Americvan Hero Story). The series not only gets the actual history wrong (as we'd learn who Hooded Justice really was in Episode 6, "This Extraordinary Being"), but some fans noticed that an action scene, showing Hooded Justice's debut, fighting bad guys in a store, was filmed in a hyper-stylized, ultra-violent way that seemed, at the time, like a dig at Zack Snyder's Watchmen from 2009.
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What Can We Learn from the Name Xbox Series X?
Xbox chief Phil Spencer recently said that the next generation Xbox – at the time known as Project Scarlett – would be named in accordance with its purpose. So we speculated wildly. But now we have the official name: Xbox Series X. With that in mind, we went back to our staff to speculate about what that official name tells us about Microsoft’s new big black obelisk.
How Big Is the Xbox Series X (Our Best Guess)
Microsoft's next-generation game console, the officially named Xbox Series X, finally emerged from behind its neon-green curtain of secrecy at The Game Awards. It's real. It exists. It has a name! Next question: How big is this thing, really?
Microsoft is keeping quiet on its actual size, numeric dimensions, and exact measurements – instead, there has been a description of approximately one Xbox controller wide, and three Xbox controllers tall (standing upright). So based on that and the measurements of the optical drive on the front of the console, we thought we'd try and figure it out... and make one ourselves. Check it out in the video above.
The Mandalorian: Every Character and Cameo From Season 1
The Mandalorian has added a number of new characters to the Star Wars universe throughout Season 1. The regular cast includes our mysterious hero himself (now officially revealed to be called Din Djarin), Gina Carano's Cara Dune, and Internet darling Baby Yoda, but the show is also full of celebrity cameos like episode 6's Bill Burr, Clancy Brown, Natalia Tena, Matt Lanter, and Richard Ayoade, and episode 8's Adam Pally and Jason Sudeikis.
Each new episode adds more memorable players to the franchise, so we've put together a breakdown of all the major cast members and notable cameos in The Mandalorian Season 1. Check out the slideshow below or scroll down for more.
Xbox Series X Price: How Much Could the Next Xbox Cost?
At The Game Awards, Microsoft officially unveiled the Xbox Series X, the artist formerly known as Xbox Project Scarlett, aka the next-generation Xbox. And, well... it pretty much looks like a PC. But will it have the price of a PC?
The most direct comparison is the Corsair One, a similarly-shaped obelisk PC that uses a liquid-cooled design, kept frosty by a single maglev fan. With that in mind, let’s take what we know about the Series X’s innards – and speculate on what we don’t know – to compare the new system to a traditional gaming PC and guess how much the Xbox Series X will cost.
These Best Smartphones Won’t End up as Glass Bricks
There’s never been a better time for smartphones. We’ve come a long way from the brick-shaped phones that came with a shoulder strap or had to be plugged into a car to use. Almost every smartphone is a thin, glass-covered rectangle with a high-res screen and ample performance.
But that’s a double-edged, as almost every phone looks and performs the same. Obviously, you want something a little more special or offers the most features so you get the first bang for your buck. Luckily, we’ve seen and tested every new smartphone available today and can tell you which are the best.
We get that choosing the right phone is unlike any other device. After all, it’s something you rely on and have to use every day. Trust us, we won’t steer you the wrong way in your quest for the best smartphone.
Beginner’s Guide to Modern Home Security
There was once a time when smart home security meant fortifying your house with ugly boxes and endless cabling, turning your home into something that resembled a small military base.
But times have changed and the modern home security system is not only cheaper, but it’s something you can do yourself. Best of all, home security systems are now better at scaling to your needs. There are now options out there for everyone, whether you live in an apartment or house; whether you’re a renter or a buyer.
And with the rising popularity of smart assistants, you can even integrate the two together with something as simple as a $50 smart speaker.