Todd's Country

2008-06-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

I've combined my two blogs for now. The store and the personal are one and the same for the moment. You can get to my new self-hosted site HERE.

All new material will be posted there. I have a few ideas kicking around for another personal blog, but it will have to wait for now.

Enjoy!

2008-04-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Surface launching April 17th... with AT&T

You know, I think one of these would fit nicely in my living room (JR)

Microsoft has chosen AT&T to launch the world's first Surface into retail. Shoppers in New York, Atlanta, San Antonio, and San Francisco will be treated to what amounts to the novelty (at least initially) of learning about a device (Samsung BlackJack II, pictured) by simply placing it atop the Surface. They'll also have the ability to explore interactive coverage maps. Later, users will be able to drag ringtones, graphics and video and drop it into "the phones." Note their use of "the" and not "your" phone in the press release. Nevertheless, we're happy to see Microsoft get the technology out the door on its long march towards consumerdom.

Thanks to Engadget.com

2008-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip of some of Jackie Chan's stunts that he's done over the years in his movies. I'm not sure I would pick the same stunts for a "10 greatest" list of his, but nonetheless these stunts are simply amazing to watch.

2008-03-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction author, dies at 90

After having read dozens of his books over the years, I believe he is one of my top five favorite authors. He will be missed.

Arthur C. Clarke, a writer whose seamless blend of scientific expertise and poetic imagination helped usher in the space age, died Wednesday in Colombo, where he had lived since 1956. He was 90.

The author of almost 100 books, Clarke was an ardent promoter of the idea that humanity's destiny lay beyond the confines of Earth. It was a vision served most vividly by "2001: A Space Odyssey," the classic 1968 science-fiction film he created with the director Stanley Kubrick and the novel of the same title that he wrote as part of the project.

His work was also prophetic: His detailed forecast of telecommunications satellites in 1945 came more than a decade before the first orbital rocket flight.

Clarke's influence on public attitudes toward space was acknowledged by U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts, by scientists like Carl Sagan and by movie and television producers. Gene Roddenberry credited Clarke's writings with encouraging him to pursue his "Star Trek" project in the face of indifference from television executives.

Read The Entire Article HERE

2008-03-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Pixar Might Film Live Action John Carter Of Mars Movies...

The Disney insider news site JimHillMedia reported a rumor that Pixar's first foray into live-action filmmaking may be a film based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series.

Citing anonymous sources, the site reported that WALL•E director Andrew Stanton told the staff at Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. in October of last year that Disney/Pixar is gearing up to do a trilogy of films based on the books.

Mark Andrews has reportedly completed a first pass on a screenplay for the first film in the series, to which both Pixar and Disney executives have responded enthusiastically. Both companies are reportedly eager to put the project in the development pipeline soon, with an eye to a 2012 release, if not earlier.

Thanks to SCIFI.COM

2008-02-29T15:02:00.001-08:00

New Iron Man Trailer!

2008-02-28T09:43:00.001-08:00

Well, after a reinstall of everything on my system and a couple of other things that get in the way of leisure stuff, here's another post....

Around this time last year, comic book geeks were in an uproar over the state of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. It appeared that, while the Surfer was going to be a strong part of the FF sequel, his boss, Galactus, wouldn’t be putting in an appearance. The responses were split, with some people bummed the world eater wouldn’t be shown, while others were glad because, frankly, a giant sized dude dressed in purple could look kind of stupid. For my money, Rise of the Silver Surfer reached a nice balance of alluding to the character without revealing him.

That was last year’s movie, however. This year the focus is on the spin-off movie, Silver Surfer, which writer J. Michael Straczynski spoke about at the recent WonderCon. The forums over at Newsarama quote Straczynski as saying that Galactus will show up for the Surfer’s solo picture. In fact, the author said that part of the reason the big guy wasn’t shown in the last movie was so that his appearance could be a big reveal in Silver Surfer. I still say it’s because he’d look stupid on the screen, but what do I know?

Even though we saw an abridged version of the story in the second Fantastic Four movie, Silver Surfer will focus on the origin of the character, although that contradicts previous reports by Stracyzinski, as pointed out by Filmstalker, where the writer said the spin-off would pick up right where the FF sequel ended. Could it be that we’ll get both, a continuation of the story, with flashbacks to the character’s origins? Straczynski did something similar with his recent Silver Surfer: Requiem miniseries, which explored both the origins and ending of the character.

I didn’t expect to like Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but I found it surprisingly good, especially compared to the first picture. The addition of the Surfer made for an improved story. Can he hold his own in a spin-off? We’ll find out soon enough.

Thanks to CinemaBlend.com

2008-02-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

Star Wars: The Clone Wars In Theaters and on Television in 2008

A new era of Star Wars entertainment begins in 2008 when Star Wars: The Clone Wars, from creator George Lucas, premieres as an all-new feature film in August, followed by the television series debut in the fall, in a partnership announced today between Lucasfilm Ltd., Warner Bros. Pictures and Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

Produced by Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes audiences on incredible new Star Wars adventures, combining the legendary storytelling of Lucasfilm with an eye-popping, signature animation style. Star Wars: The Clone Wars will open in North American theaters Friday, August 15. International release dates will be announced soon.

Read the entire article HERE.

Thanks to Star Wars.com

2008-02-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Netflix Goes Blu-ray Exclusive

Posted February 11, 2008 by Josh

The popular online video rental service Netflix has announced that they have decided to support Blu-ray exclusively for high definition movie rentals. Pointing to the Warner Brothers exclusivity announcement as the main reason for the shift, Netflix will no longer purchase movies in the rival HD DVD format, and once the life cycle for those discs has ended, they will no longer stock the format for rent.

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix commented, "The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition. We are now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly."

While only a small percentage of Netflix users rent high definition movies, the majority of those who do take advantage of the services are renting Blu-ray. They expect that the shift to a single format will ultimately allow Netflix to provide a better service to those high definition customers.

Thanks to Blu-Ray.com

2008-02-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Roy Scheider, Actor in Jaws, Seaquest DSV and more, dies at age 75

By DAVE KEHR

Published: February 11, 2008

Roy Scheider, a stage actor with a background in the classics who became one of the leading figures in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Mr. Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years, and died of complications from a staph infection, his wife, Brenda Seimer, said.

Read the full story HERE.

Thanks to nytimes.com

2008-02-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Disney Interactive Studios announced Discs of Tron, a new arcade game inspired by the groundbreaking 1982 SF movie Tron, which will drop on Feb. 13 for Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360.

In Discs of Tron, players face off in a three-dimensional arena against the film's villain, Sark, as they throw discs to try to knock him off of a platform or "derezz" him with a disc.

The game includes both a classic mode and an enhanced mode, which features high-definition graphics of the cityscape from the world of Tron and upgraded audio. Discs of Tron also features several multiplayer modes.

Discs of Tron comes from Disney Interactive Studios and was developed by Backbone.

Thanks to Scifi.com

2008-02-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

'Age of Conan' Due Early Summer
From Fantasy Flight Games

February 04, 2008

Fantasy Flight Games will publish the English language version of Nexus Editrice's Age of Conan -- The Strategy Board Game early next summer as part of a simultaneous world release. The game was previewed at Essen last fall (see "Nexus Editrice to Preview Age of Conan"). The big box board game is for two to four players.

The game mechanic was inspired by War of the Ring, which was designed by the same team, but it has gone through considerable change during development. According to Nexus Editrice, "The core mechanic is still based on a modified Action dice system, adapted to work with a single pool of Fate dice available to all players." A new campaign system was introduced in the game, which requires players to win a series of linked battles to militarily subjugate an independent kingdom.

Cover art is by J.P. Targate; graphic design is by Fabio Maiorana (Wings of War).

Thanks to ICv2.com

2008-02-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Apple Boosts IPhone, IPod Touch Capacity

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- Apple Inc. updated its iPhone and iPod Touch lineup Tuesday, doubling the memory and setting a new premium price for its high-end models.

The latest iPhone features 16 gigabytes of memory and retails for $499. The previously released 8 GB version of the hybrid cell phone, multimedia player and wireless Internet device costs $399.

The new iPod Touch comes with 32 GB of memory and retails for $499. The older 16 GB and 8 GB versions of the combination multimedia player wireless Internet gadget cost $399 and $299, respectively.

The new devices are available through Apple's online and retail stores. The updated iPhone is also available through AT&T Inc.'s online and retail stores.

Apple said that all iPhone and iPod Touch models come with updated software that the company announced in January. It includes a new maps application and the ability to watch movies from the iTunes movie rental service.

Apple shares fell 34 cents to $130.31 in pre-market trading.

Thanks to Wired.com

2008-02-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Wolverine And The X-Men - Animated Series

When an explosive event shatters the lives of the X-Men and takes away their mentor, the beaten heroes walk away from it all.

But then they're given a rare glimpse into the future, and see a world in utter ruin, ruled by giant destructive robots. A world that spiraled out of control because the X-Men had given up.

So now the most legendary of all X-Men takes the lead - Wolverine! Reuniting these broken heroes, Wolverine embarks on the ultimate mission - to prevent de world's destruction.

To rescue us from ourselves. To save the future.

Go HERE to see the trailer.

2008-02-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Snow Drifts...oh my...

This is behind our garage next to the goat pen. As you can see, the wind has brought some of the snow from the hay fields onto our property. That is a six foot fence there next to the garage.

2008-01-30T12:06:00.001-08:00

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - Poster

Oh yeah....

2008-01-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

With the HD-DVD vs Blu-ray battle seemingly coming to a close, and not knowing much about blu-ray, I thought I would post some information on what looks to be the next standard in HD media.

6X the resolution of DVD
DVDs can deliver 8 megabits per second (Mbps). HDTV broadcasts can reach 10 Mbps. However, the Blu-ray Disc can reach up to 48 Mbps at 1080p resolution.

Up to 7.1 channels of lossless audio

Superior storage capacity
Blu-ray laser technology enables up to 50 GB of storage - 5 times the capacity of today's DVDs.

With integrated games, stunning high definition bonus features and a Blu-ray Disc player equipped with BD Live for internet connectivity, you've got the best of both live and packaged content. Imagine enhancing your movie with live updates or live events built around your Blu-ray Disc content. If you just want to sit back and enjoy the movie, Blu-ray Disc allows for easy navigation through the film with convenient pop-up menus.

Blu-ray players will play your DVDs (This is a biggie for me)
The Blu-ray Disc system uses the standard 12cm and 8cm disc sizes to support backward compatibility with your existing CDs and DVDs. That means you don't have to throw away your current collections and start from scratch - they can still be enjoyed on a wide range of Blu-ray Disc playback products, including players, game consoles, and Blu-ray Disc drives.

For more information, visit blu-raydisc.com

2008-01-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

The ultimate in home theater design for those who can afford it....

As time goes by there seems to be a growing trend amongst those people lucky enough to afford it / mental enough to spend all available cash on it: home cinemas. huge screens, incredible sound systems and luxurious seats are popping up in seemingly spare rooms and basements larger than my entire flat.

however this is also giving a few movie geeks a real chance to shine and it seems they’re not content with a simple in-home movie theatre decent enough to hold a premiere in - they clearly want to be fully immersed in the worlds created by their favourite films.

so, in no particular order, here are 10 of the best themed home cinemas on earth…

1. indiana jones cinema

this amazing indy-themed room was designed by home theatre expert doug charrois for larry and colleen halliday in canada. the room even features ‘replicas of the holy grail, a jacket, hat, whips, torches and more—including the idol from the opening of the original movie’.

more info here.

2. the batcave

above is possibly the sleekest home theatre i’ve ever seen. it was created by canadian-based experts ‘elite home theater seating’, who, as the name suggests, specialize in hand-made, custom home theater furniture for ‘high-end’ clientele. and bruce wayne.
more info here.

3. the enterprise ncc-1701d cinema

based on starship enterprise ncc-1701d, this stunner consists of a cinema, bar area and apparently ‘one of the largest kaleidoscope hard-drive based storage systems (..) in a residential installation. at last count, there were eight servers with 3,816 dvds’. there’s even a red alert button which brings on red flashing lights and appropriately tense music.

more info here.

4. the bridge

trekkie gary reighn decided to cut out the middle man and design & build his home cinema himself on a relatively small budget of $15′000. his basement was cleared to make way for the creation and from start to finish took 2 years.

more info here.

5. evergreen ultimate theater

apparently ‘one of the most technically and structurally advanced private theaters in the united states’, this phenomenal star trek home cinema even contains motorised sliding doors, as requested by the unbelievably rich client who paid around $3′000′000 in total for the transformation.

more info here.

6. titanic

the ceiling dome in this titanic themed set-up contains 1′230 fiber optic light strands in order to provide the artificial night sky and entry to the luxurious bar next door can be found behind a motorised bookcase. the whole project was designed by donny hackett of ‘casa cinema design’.

more info here.

7. the death star

it doesn’t get much cooler than this. the 10-seat death star home cinema was designed for vic wertz and lisa stevens and includes, amongst other things: automatic doors, a twinkling fiber optic star field and a thx sound system. the best fact? the room was designed by doug chiang, lead designer on episodes I & II.

more info here and here:

8. the nautilus

this beauty was built as a result of film geek randy moran’s love of the nautilus submarine from the film 20′000 leagues under the sea. he hired ‘dillon works inc’ to build and fabricate all the trusses, wall panels, screen frames, and portholes and ‘acoustic innovations’ to supply the plush red seating.

more info here.

9. the pirate cove

the pirate cove was created as a result of avs forum user pkonold’s love of the pirates of the carribean disney ride and movies. to make the atmosphere as authentic as possible he and his wife ensured that when seated ‘you feel like you are floating down “the bayou” at night. to accomplish this we have built a star field in the ceiling, complete with real constellations and shooting stars!’.

more info here.

10. the sci-fi cinema

ok, so the screen isn’t the biggest and the seats are slightly lacking but inside dr. david winn’s home cinema can be found: a hydraulic alien bursting through the wall, a talking robbie the robot and both the predator and the creature from the black lagoon behind bars. the cinema, including all collectibles, cost approximately $100′000.

Thanks to DeputyDog.com

2008-01-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

I am waiting patiently to find out which Hi-Def format will come out on top so I spend my money ONCE! I was around when VHS and Beta were on the same shelf at my local video rental shop, and didn't really pay much attention when the Beta section began to shrink as I already had a VHS machine...

You've got to hand it to Toshiba. Even now, when faced with overwhelming evidence that Sony's Blu-ray has won the high def format war, the mortally wounded HD DVD backer just keeps on prolonging the inevitable.

First, Toshiba decides to dramatically cut prices on its HD DVD players in the U.S. following Warner Bros. Blu-ray defection earlier this month. Now, for reasons that also escape us, the company has decided to buy a 30-second Super Bowl spot for $2.7 million to advertise its desperation for those marked down HD DVD players.

Of course, none of this is really convincing consumers. As Ars Technica recently noted, in the week following the Warner Bros. defection, weekly HD DVD player sales tanked big time, falling from 14,558 the week previous to a measly 1,758.

Meanwhile, Blu-ray saw a reverse trend, climbing from 15,257 to 21,770. In fact, the format ended up capturing approximately 93 percent of the market that week, according to NDP.

On Monday, Toshiba received another blow, this time from the U.K.'s Woolworths chain. The retail store announced it will be switching exclusively to Blu-ray after it discovered that the latter titles outsold HD DVD 10-to-1 during the holiday season. Woolsworths will be the first major retailer to solely back one of the new high definition DVD formats, but I'm guessing we'll see plenty more when Warner Bros. goes Blu-ray exclusively in May.

Gartner also decided to weigh in on those HD DVD player price cuts on Monday -- yup, the ones that Toshiba is going to spend 2.7 million advertising -- and concluded that they amount to nothing more than "useless resistance" in the battle against Blu-ray, at best prolonging the format's life by a few months.

So why, after the market has clearly spoken (in a loud and deliberate tone), is Toshiba still pretending like it has a chance to win this war? We've already wasted close to two years waiting for this HD mess to resolve itself, and it seems more than a little insulting to have to endure Toshiba's prolonged death scene for another year.

So to the HD DVD camp I say this: You've put up a good fight, guys, but seriously, what are you going to do, bleed on Blu-ray? Let's move on with our lives.

Thanks to Wired.com

2008-01-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

A tenfold improvement in battery life?

Stanford University researchers have made a discovery that could signal the arrival of laptop batteries that last more than a day on a single charge.

The researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to give rechargeable lithium ion batteries--used in laptops, iPods, video cameras, and mobile phones--as much as 10 times more charge. This potentially could give a conventional battery-powered laptop 40 hours of battery life, rather than 4 hours.

The new batteries were developed by assistant professor Yi Cui and colleagues at Stanford University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

"It's not a small improvement," Cui said. "It's a revolutionary development."

Citing a research paper they wrote, published in Nature Nanotechnology, Cui said the increased battery capacity was made possible though a new type of anode that utilizes silicon nanowires. Traditional lithium ion batteries use graphite as the anode. This limits the amount of lithium--which holds the charge--that can be held in the anode, and it therefore limits battery life.

Silicon anodes have the "the highest theoretical charge capacity" according to Cui's paper, but they expand when charging and shrink during use: a cycle that causes the silicon to be pulverized, degrading the performance of the battery. For 30 years, this dead end stumped researchers, who poured their battery life-extending energy into improving graphite-based anodes.

Cui and his colleagues looked at this old problem and overcame it by constructing a new type of silicon nanowire anode. In Cui's anode, the lithium is stored in a forest of tiny silicon nanowires, each with a diameter that is a thousandth of the thickness of a sheet of paper. The nanowires inflate to four times their normal size as they soak up lithium, but unlike previous silicon anodes, they do not fracture.

Cui said there are a few barriers to commercializing the technology.

"We are working on scaling up and evaluating the cost of our technology," Cui said. "There are no roadblocks for either of these."

Cui has filed a patent on the technology and is considering formation of a company or an agreement with a battery manufacturer. He expects the battery to be commercialized and available within "several years," pending testing.

Thanks to News.com

2008-01-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

Ha ha!

2008-01-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Speed Racer Marketing....oh my.....

Speed Racer Lines-Up Big Tie-Ins
Source: Variety

Warner Bros.' Speed Racer, opening in theaters on May 9, is targeting a G rating, reports Variety. Because of this, the studio has been able to enlist a lengthy lineup of promotional partners that will pony up at least $80 million in additional marketing support around the film.

That kind of backing from brands like General Mills, McDonald's, Target, Mattel, Lego, Topps and Esurance, among others, will create the "noise" needed to gets audiences interested in the film, producer Joel Silver says.

"You have to open big," he says. "You have to let them know you're out there. The only way to make a lot of noise is to have people shout from the rooftops. ('Speed Racer') was an opportunity to do something we've never done before."

The marketing line-up includes:

- General Mills stamping Speed Racer imagery on packaging of its cereals and other brands like Betty Crocker cookie mixes, Old El Paso Mexican foods and Fruit Gushers.

- LEGO creating four playsets based around the film.

- Target, which rarely does film promotions, coming aboard as the pic's official retail partner and, in addition to in-store ads and circulars, offering a gift card that enables consumers to access exclusive footage from the film;

- Puma designing Speed Racer-themed shoes;

- McDonald's offering separate Happy Meals for boys and girls.

- Overseas, Japanese tiremaker Yokohama Rubber Co. and auto parts retailer Autobacs, as well as Brazilian oil company Petrobras and Mexican snack-food maker Bimbo, among others, will also push the pic through ads and other tie-ins.

Thanks to SuperHeroHype.com

2008-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Comic Book Movie - The Flash - News....

THE FLASH
Producer Chuck Roven has been pretty chatty recently. He talked to IESB about keeping the scarlet speedster's experience insular. "First of all, 'Justice League' -- as I understand what Warner and George Miller were doing -- it was a complete reinvention of all the characters in it," Roven said. "The Batman character in that one has nothing to do with our Dark Knight. Had that happened, he would have been played by a different individual. We did talk about how we would handle it if 'Justice League' would have been made prior to 'Flash' being made. We talked about how we would deal with that. We hadn't come to any resolution because we hadn't written the script yet but I'm saying that it came up. At the moment, at least in my little world -- well, not so little but you know what I mean -- I get to be myopic and get to focus only on 'The Flash' and 'The Dark Knight.' I don't have to worry about 'Justice League' at the moment. There are those who might say that I never have to worry about 'Justice League,' but I know I'm going to have to talk about it ... At the moment, I like them being in their own universes. It's hard for me to think about something in the future."

Thanks to Comic Book Resources

2008-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Heath Ledger Is Found Dead at 28

Thanks to the New York Times

By Sewell Chan
Heath LedgerHeath Ledger (Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Updated, 6:06 p.m. | The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived the fourth-floor apartment of the building, at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of the bedroom Mr. Ledger was in. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger naked and unconscious on a bed, with sleeping pills — both prescription medication and nonprescription — on a night table. They moved his body to the floor and attempted to revive him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities.

The police said they did not suspect foul play. Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the office of the city’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, said that employees of the office were at the apartment and that an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday.

Police officials initially said that the apartment was owned by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen. They said they believed Ms. Olsen, 21, was in California and that Mr. Ledger had been living in her apartment.

However, a representative of Ms. Olsen said this afternoon that the apartment did not belong to the actress. “It is not her apartment,” said the representative, Annette Wolf, a publicist for Ms. Olsen. “She does not own the apartment. She has never owned the apartment. She and her sister have an apartment in New York City but they are not in this building.”

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain” (2005). The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.” Mr. Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in January 2006.

Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams while filming ‘’Brokeback Mountain.” The two actors fell into a romance and moved to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where their comings and goings were widely noted by the celebrity press. They had a daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born on Oct. 28, 2005. The couple separated last year.

Mr. Ledger’s first Hollywood film was the teenage romantic comedy “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999). He later appeared in romantic-hero roles in films like “A Knight’s Tale” (2001) and “Casanova” (2005).

Mr. Ledger was also cast as The Joker in the latest Batman installment, “The Dark Knight,” set to be released this summer.

In an interview in London for an article published in November, Mr. Ledger told The New York Times, ‘’I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself.” He said in the interview that he was not proud of his latest role, in Todd Haynes’s “I’m Not There,” in which Mr. Ledger was one of a half-dozen actors depicting the musician Bob Dylan. ‘’I feel the same way about everything I do. The day I say, ‘It’s good’ is the day I should start doing something else,” he said in the interview.

As news of Mr. Ledger’s death made its way across the Internet, the Police Department issued a fairly terse summary of the death: “ON TUESDAY, 01/22/08, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS, IN THE CONFINES OF THE 5 PRECINCT, POLICE RESPONDED TO 421 BROOME STREET AND FOUND A M/W/28 UNCONSCIOUS. THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DOA AT THE SCENE. M.E.’S OFFICE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF DEATH. INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.”

Calls by The Times to Mara Buxbaum, a publicist for Mr. Ledger, and Steve Alexander, the actor’s agent, were not immediately returned this afternoon.

Thomas J. Lueck and John Sullivan contributed reporting.

Thanks to The New York Times

2008-01-20T11:04:00.001-08:00

With the Iron Man movie coming in May of this year, I thought I would share a few generations of rocket-powered human flight in the cinema.

The first is "King Of The Rocketmen" - A Republic Serial - 1949

Next is Commando Cody in "Radar Men From The Moon" - A Republic Serial - 1952

Another Rocketman Serial - "Zombies Of The Stratosphere" - A Republic Serial - 1952

Jump to 1991 and "The Rocketeer"

And here is "Iron Man" - 2008

2008-01-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

If you like zombie survival stories, then here's an audio drama podcast to check out.

Autumn - by David Moody, an audio adaptation from Darker Projects

The story is in 6 parts and you can download them from the link above or look for it on iTunes.

Great stuff!

2008-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

This is a very short piece on one of my favorite pulp writers from the 30s and 40s... Lester Dent, creator of Doc Savage.

Check out my Doc Savage reprints for sale HERE!

2007-12-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

	I received 100 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Guess the Sci-Fi Movie Sounds here Canon powershot

2007-12-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

Stop-Motion Space Hulk Video. This is actually pretty cool, if a little rough around the edges.

2007-12-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

Blood Bowl is the video game adaptation of Games Workshop's famous board game of the same name.

A brutal team sport unfolding in a parallel fantasy world based on Warhammer and American football, Blood Bowl invites gamers to form a team of players from such races as: Orcs, Elves, Humans, Dwarfs and many other fantasy creatures, and launch themselves into battle in the bloodiest of arenas. This strategy sports game combines a fine balance of tactics and bone crunching action!

The game offers two game modes. The first, which is fully real time, offers a spectacular gameplay. Intense battles between blocking linemen and daring displays of agility of players leaping and dodging through opponents tackle zones, while powerful spells and dirty trick special plays are unleashed across the pitch; all this creates a highly charged atmosphere. Of course, since it is sometimes difficult to keep an eye on the entire field at once, the game's interface offers different tactical and strategic setups, while the AI is responsible for managing the players on the field.

The second game mode, an actual turn-based game, is a treat for players of the original board game because it is an exact replica of Games Workshop's tabletop masterpiece. The original rules have been faithfully reproduced, and it contains all of the devices, strategies, play and rhythm of the original game.

The single-player experience allows the player to manage a team throughout an entire season of Blood Bowl, through the Old World of Warhammer. The team will evolve over the course of victories, experience gained and awards won. With its immense depth, the game can almost be considered as a management game, from managing the popularity and sponsorship of players to the purchase and sale of players, as well as their aging, retirement and even death.

In multiplayer, the player will be able to throw down a challenge to other Blood Bowl players and participate in large tournaments on the Internet in order to climb the official ranks.

Thanks to Focus Home Interactive

2007-12-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, here's a double dose of Speed Racer. The first is the original opening sequence to the animated series from the 60's, and the second is the first official trailer for the new live-action movie coming soon from the creators of the Matrix Triology...

2007-12-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

The Fall update to the Xbox 360 Dashboard is coming next week....Here's a rundown on the major changes....

The Xbox 360 firmware sees two major updates a year—in the Spring and the Fall. This year's Fall update is just about upon us. On Tuesday December 4th, Microsoft will unleash a flurry of new features and small tweaks to the way the Xbox 360 operates. Here are the highlights.

AVI Support—The Xbox 360 can now play files in an AVI container (or .divx container) that uses the MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple & Advanced Simple Profile. The max bitrate for these files is 5 Mbps with resolutions up to 1280x720 up to 30fps. Audio in AVI files must be either Dolby Digital 2 or 5.1 channel or MP3. In layman's terms—most of the DivX or Xvid files users have should fit under these conditions and play back. Hurray! DivX support (mostly)!

Parental Timer—You've always been able to lock out games of a certain rating on a "child account" on the Xbox 360, and limit who they can speak to and hear in online chat. Now you can limit play time as well.

Xbox Originals—A game download store to download original Xbox 1 games, sort of like you download Xbox Live Arcade titles. The first ones available will be Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Halo, Fable, Fuzion Frenzy, and Psychonauts. Each costs 1200 MS Points ($15 in the U.S.). More will be added over time. If you don't have Psychonauts, now is the time.

XBLA Greatest Hits—This is sort of like the Platinum games in retail…they're best-selling Xbox Live Arcade games that will be singled out for permanent discount. The list will start off with Bankshot Billiards and Lumines Live (800 points), as well as Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms, and Zuma Deluxe (400 points). Lumines is a steal at $10.

Enhanced Online Profiles—You'll be able to look up friends of friends now, in sort of a social-networking-way. You can also now put your real name in your profile (so people don't get confused by your clever gamertag) and write an expanded bio about yourself.

Inside Xbox—It's sort of an RSS news feed from Xbox Central Headquarters on your Xbox 360 dashboard. It'll tell you about what's new in Xbox land, promotions, game updates, whatever Microsoft wants to push out to the masses.

New Dashboard Layout—The "twist" navigation so loved on the Zune will make its way to many parts of the Xbox 360. You'll change video categories or game categories in areas like the Video Marketplace or Xbox Live Arcade by pressing left or right.

Those are the big ones, but there are lots of little things. The Xbox team has a blog post detailing exactly which video formats work, it's definitely worth checking out. If you just want a huge list of every little change coming next week, you'll want this other blog post by the team. There's a ton of stuff listed there, like "Improve transition speed of blades", several HDMI improvements, "Added support for Album/Video artwork larger than 500KB" and dozens of other minute details.

Of course, 1Up has lots of Fall Dashboard Details including video and screenshots.

Thanks to Extreme Tech

2007-11-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

One of HPs newer laptops....

The HP dv9500t

My wife bought one of these a few months ago and she loves it! It absolutely screams! It's fast, has a great video card, awesome sound, and has a ton of features.

Check it out HERE!

2007-11-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Here's a current shipping update for new product at GMT Games:

From their website:

11/27/2007

Shipping Update

Assembling/Shipping:

Here's an update on where we stand on shipping new P500 games and Holiday Special games to date:

1. We have finished shipping all P500 copies of Combat Commander: Mediterranean and Combat Commander Battle Pack #1: Paratroopers. We began shipping distributor orders of those items yesterday, and will continue through this Wednesday.

2. We are currently assembling both Asia Engulfed and Conquest of Paradise. We intend to begin shipping both games to P500 customers this coming Friday, November 30. We estimate it will take about a week to get all the P500 orders shipped out.

3. As you might imagine, a very high volume of Holiday Sale orders have made the shipping situation somewhat more difficult. We anticipate that you should not expect our normal "order today, we ship by tomorrow" service while we are shipping P500 games along with the special. We did begin shipping some of the Special-ordered games today, and will get those out just as quickly as possible. You can check status on your order by clicking on the order in your Account History. We're updating Order Status daily as we ship the games.

4. Looking a bit further out, we expect components for the two Commands & Colors expansions in the warehouse in the Dec 10-15 timeframe. Our intent is to build and ship those right away to get them to you before Christmas, if at all possible.

That's it for this time. We'll give you further updates as we progress. We hope all these new products heading your way will bring you many hours of fun.

Enjoy the games!

Gene

Thanks to GMT Games!

2007-11-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas time at Todd Country.

Here's some of the decorations we're putting up this year. They all have lights in them and the snow globe has a revolving inner carousel that blows fake snow through the globe. Our horses aren't quite sure of what to make of them.

2007-11-25T12:01:00.001-08:00

Here's a flash version of the Aliens Board Game from Leading Edge, based on the 1986 movie of the same name starring Sigourney Weaver. The board game is very hard to get a hold of, so this is a neat alternative...

Aliens Flash Game

2007-11-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

I found a couple of cool blogs the other day. I'm always searching for rare and unique sound tracks to add to my collection and this guy has a ton of them. He also has a video blog as well. Check out both of them when you get a chance. I added the links to both of these in my Links Area to the right.

The Inferno Music Crypt

The Insomnia Video Stash

2007-11-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here at my desk the other day and found that I needed a timer to count down and alert me when a certain amount of time had passed. I found this online timer on the web. It's pretty easy to use and can count up or down and sounds an alarm when the time has been reached.

Online Stopwatch

2007-11-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

World Of Warcraft ads.....funny stuff...

Mr. T

William Shatner

2007-11-14T10:32:00.001-08:00

Logan and I got a chance to run through three turns of Starcraft The Board Game by Fantasy Flight Games.

After receiving the game, I read the rules once all the way through, and then skimmed the first half of them the second time. The rules are very clear, have quite a few examples of use in play, and are easy to read.

Punching the game pieces and setting up a two-player game took about an hour. There are a ton of bits that come with the game, but once you separate the factions out to their respective colors, one factions' bits are easy to handle.

The minis are detailed and have a nice tactile feeling to them. The counters have very accurate art from the computer game and are easy to distinguish. After doing a count of all of the pieces, everything was present and accounted for. There were a few extra minis as well. Three of the flying minis came broken off of their pegs, but a little super glue and you would never notice.

The game map is of a modular design, where you lay down planets randomly and connect them with navigation routes. This allows a very flexible design with continued re-playability.

Logan played the Zerg: The Overmind. I played the Terrans: Mengsk's faction. After the setup we walked through the first turn very carefully. The second and third turns went a lot smoother. It helps tremendously to have played the computer game BUT it is not necessary to enjoy the board game experience.

The first two turns consisted of basically building units, moving them around to mobilize, and building bases, base modules, and individual buildings. The third turn saw the first combat of the game so we slowed down a bit to make sure we covered everything we could think of regarding the rules.

There is resource gathering and management, building units, buildings, bases, and modules, combat; all that a good RTS already has.

This is a dice-free game. Combat is card-based and there are basic combat cards, reinforcement cards, and technology cards purchased to be used for combat.

Overall, it represents the RTS experience for the most part. For a turn-based game, I think it is well represented of the computer game. We plan on setting up a full game soon and from what I've seen, I like the game. Logan also likes the game and picked up the rules as well or better than me.

I'm guessing we got about 75% of the rules correct. After the sessions I went through the rules again and found just a few things that we missed. All in all, a very nice experience.

2007-11-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Stephen King's The Mist:

In keeping with my interest in this movie here's a news update on the ending (no spoilers!) from scifi wire

Mist Alters King's Ending

Frank Darabont—who wrote and directed the upcoming SF movie The Mist based on Stephen King's novella—told SCI FI Wire that he ended the movie very differently from the book. The film, like the book, centers on a group of increasingly panicked people trapped in a supermarket after a mysterious and creature-laden mist rolls into their small Maine town.

King's finale was open to interpretation; Darabont's is not. "That was the ending that always made sense to me," he said in an interview. "I always felt that the movie needed a definitive ending, and it really fell in line with my philosophy of 'This is a horror movie, and it should send people out of the theater horrified and disturbed.' I always knew that the ending was a risk. It's kind of a bold move, but I thought, 'Well, why take half-measures?' We have seen plenty of movies where they kind of wimp out, and I didn't want to do that. I wanted to try to make something that counted in the genre."

Darabont (The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption), added that the film's final moments came to him more than a decade ago. "It's the one ending that's always made sense to me," he said. "When I say 'wimp out,' I don't necessarily mean in literature, but in a movie. I was always one of those people who hated The Birds, even when I was a kid, because there was no ending to the movie. I didn't much care for that. It's not a judgment on Steve's story as much as it on I just don't think it would work in a film."

King, according to Darabont, concurred. "We had plenty of conversations about that," Darabont said. "From the earliest days he said, 'What are you going to do for the ending?' The nicest result of it was that, when he first read the screenplay, he paid me a great compliment. And I still have the e-mail. He said, 'Wow, I love the ending. If I'd thought of it, I'd have used it in the story.'" The Mist opens on Nov. 21. —Ian Spelling

Thanks to SCIFI.COM

2007-11-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Empire Earth 3 for the PC...

I think I've been too busy lately with my store because my son just informed me this has been released; right out from under my nose!

Here are two trailers. I don't yet know how the game play is, but the trailers are pretty cool.

2007-11-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Xbox Live to Offer ESPN TV Downloads

ESPN said Monday that it had signed a deal with Microsoft to bring some of its programming to Xbox Live, including games and television shows. Some of the content has already appeared on the offering, including several past NCAA college sporting events, the Summer X Games, and hit shows such as the World Series of Poker and Madden Nation.

The move expands ESPN's video distribution beyond iTunes, the only other non-ESPN owned property to sell the network's videos for almost the past two years. Pricing of the TV shows will be roughly the same as iTunes at $2, while HD versions will cost 40 cents more. Sporting events will carry a $1 premium, while HD downloads will cost $4.50, ESPN said.

Thanks to Betanews.com

2007-10-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

A Sequel to "The Sword & The Sorceror" a fact or just cruel rumor?

I was perusing "Ain't It Cool News" and saw this in one of their August posts...

Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

Albert Pyun started his career working for the great Akira Kurosawa, which automatically makes him cooler than 99% of everyone in the film industry. Lately, he’s been very productive, and he seems like he’s really proud of the work he’s been doing. Sure, he’s made a shitload of Canon films over the years, and some low-budget dogs, but he also made the dark and sleazy and completely awesome THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER back in 1981, and there’s a bit of news about that film at the end of his letter to us that will make Harry hoot so loud you’ll be able to hear him wherever you are as you read this.
Check it out!
Hi Drew:
Hope this finds you and your family well.
Just wanted to let you know I am finishing a film that will be my best. It’s my next step up in my evolution as a filmmaker (I know it’s pretty damn late in the game). The film is titled LEFT FOR DEAD, and it’s a spaghetti western fever dream with pretty serious gothic horror overlays.
I have a DVD screener I'd love to send you if you have the time and interest.
BTW -- Lions Gate is releasing INFECTION in December. They are re-titling it INVASION. Hope you get a chance to catch that as well.
And let Harry know that I'm making a sequel to THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER in Tunisia in October. It's titled, what else, TALES OF THE ANCIENT EMPIRE.
Warmest Regards,Albert
Harry here... I'm concerned... and rather hopeful about this film. You see - I absolutely love THE SWORD AND THE SORCEROR. It's one of those films that is just sublimely awesome. Everything wrong about 1980's Fantasy... is why SWORD AND THE SORCEROR works. The funky costume design, the self-aware tongue in cheekness, the awesome nudity, machismo and blood and gore and animation cel effects. However - it's just done perfect.
My concern is... of course... that Lee Horsley won't be back as Prince Talon. Now, Lee Horsley may not have the greatest film career of all time. But as Prince Talon - he was the fantasy equivalent of Han Solo - that George Lucas and Ron Howard desperately wanted to make Val Kilmer in WILLOW, but just couldn't f%$^*^% do. Now - oddly - Lee will next be seen in the Wayne Kramer directed Harrison Ford vehicle, CROSSING OVER - due out this holiday season... Han Solo and Prince Talon in the same film... nearly too much for this geek mind.
But I hope Albert will bring back Lee Horsley as Prince Talon - he is a full half of why SWORD AND THE SORCEROR kicks the ass out the universe.
The other half of the asskicking of this film is the score by David Whitaker - who basically seemed to retire from film music altogether after SWORD AND THE SORCEROR - until, if by chance, WITH A FRIEND LIKE HARRY came along - and since then, he's been selective. I hope Albert is able to talk him back into scoring this long coveted sequel.
This could be an epic step forward. With the right financing, the right team of film lovers - and most importantly - with Lee Horsley and David Whitaker joining Albert Pyun on this journey... It could shake the pillars of heaven and piss on the head of Satan himself. TALON!!!!!!!

JR- Well, if this turns out to be true, wouldn't this set some kind of record on the amount of time between a movie and its sequel? I don't know. I love The Sword & The Sorceror. Great film. Action, atmosphere, and plenty of cheese make it worth while. We'll see.

Thanks to aintitcool.com

2007-10-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

"Predalien" photo released of the new alien creature appearing in AVP2: Requiem...

What do you get when you cross an Alien with a Predator? Either a bad joke or a box-office hit. Colin and Greg Strause are hoping for the latter as they tackle Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, the sequel to the 2004 hit. It opens Christmas Day with the tagline "There will be no peace on Earth."

Read More Here

Thanks to usatoday.com

2007-10-14T16:17:00.001-07:00

"Alive", a new Sci-Fi/Horror series coming sometime in the near future is releasing these "Public Service Announcements" as a way to entice viewers and spread the word via the web. Looks pretty cool. It's zombies...it's tv....I'll watch it.

Here's the second video. I wonder when this is coming out?

2007-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Peter Cullen Talks Transformers
Source: Heather Newgen

Peter Cullen needs no introduction here. Superhero Hype! got a chance to sit down with the voice of Optimus Prime at a special presentation Paramount Home Entertainment held on Friday to show journalists the special features on the HD DVD of Michael Bay's Transformers that hits stores on Tuesday, October 16. Cullen met us at the studio and answered some questions about again voicing the icon:

Superhero Hype!: How often do you have people come up to you on the street and know you from Transformers?
Peter Cullen: Seldom, if ever. I'm not recognizable. That's one of the perks about being in voiceover because nobody sees your face and unless I purposely do the voice would I get a reaction with children… I like that anonymity. I've always kind of felt when I was a kid, I remember being disappointed at seeing the physical look of the person behind the voice because I always had my own imaginative in my brain of what that person looked like. When I met that person, it did even come close so I'm afraid that some child will have that same reaction to me. I don't push it.

Read the rest of the interview HERE.

Thanks to Superherohype.com

The Sarah Connor Chronicles - trailer

2007-10-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Trailer.
I might like this...we'll just have to wait and see.

2007-10-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Sci Fi Channel to bring back Farscape....mostly

Well, sort of. It’s been a long time since new “Farscape” episodes hit the airwaves, so long that I can’t even recall. Was it three years ago? Four? Somewhere along there. I’ve forgotten already. In any case, the Sci Fi Channel has seen the error of their ways, and while they’re not going to be bringing back the series, Ben Browder, Claudia Black, and everyone else included, they will be bringing back Farscape in some capacity — namely as a new web-only 10-part series. Basically, webisodes.

From Syfyportal:

No word has been announced on when such a project would be released, or how long each episode would be (or who will star), but SciFi Channel officials said they have ordered a 10-part series based on “Farscape” that will be executive produced by Brian Henson and Robert Halmi Jr. Just like the original series, this Web series will be produced by the Jim Henson Co. and RHI Entertainment.

The new “Farscape” Web project is the network’s way of expanding its Sci-Fi Pulse video network that it launched last year, which officials says has been the home of more than 34 million streams.

Yippie!

ADDED Here’s the Sci Fi Channel’s official word on the renewel of “Farscape”:

SCI FI Channel will revive its popular original show Farscape as a Web-based series of short films on SCIFI.COM’s SCI FI Pulse broadband network, part of a slate of new original online programming.

SCI FI has ordered 10 webisodes of Farscape, to be produced by Brian Henson and Robert Halmi Jr. and produced by The Jim Henson Co., in association with RHI Entertainment.

The series will expand the Farscape universe, but the network had no announcements on casting or premiere dates.

Other new online series include SCI FI Tech, a companion to SCIFI.COM’s SCI FI Tech blog, and Invent This!, which sets out to find the world’s quirkiest inventions and get into the minds of the inventors behind each creation.

So basically I get the feeling the cast we know and love aren’t coming back. In which case, what’s the point? It’ll just be a bunch of puppets on spaceships, won’t it?

Thanks to Sci Fi Blog

2007-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Interview with Sid Haig on Night Of The Living Dead 3D and other projects...

Night of the Living Dead 3D arrives in stores on Oct. 9. What was your initial reaction when your agent called and said, "Hey, Sid, any interest in doing a 3-D version of Night of the Living Dead?"

Haig: I was intrigued. I wanted to see what they were going to do, you know? So I kind of went for it....

Read the rest of the interview HERE.

Thanks to sci-fi weekly.

2007-10-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

Will Ferrell's Land Of The Lost Is A Go

I can just hear the Sleestaks screaming now!

Universal Pictures has given a green light to a comedic take on the SF TV series Land of the Lost, starring Will Ferrell, which begins production in March, Variety reported.

Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events) will direct the adaptation of Sid and Marty Krofft's children's show of the same name. Jimmy Miller is producing, along with the Kroffts; Julie Wixson-Darmody and Daniel Lupi will executive-produce.

Ferrell has been attached to Land of the Lost for several years. The adaptation, by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas, revolves around a disgraced paleontologist, his assistant and a macho tour guide who find themselves in a strange world inhabited by dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks.

(Universal is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)

Thanks to scifi.com

2007-10-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

New currency for space travellers
Five Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denominations or Quid.

Quids are made from the polymer used in non-stick pans.

Scientists have come up with a new currency designed to be used by inter-planetary travellers.

I think they should put this in the dictionary under "Gimmick"... -JR

It is called the Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination, or Quid.

It is designed to withstand the stresses of space travel and has no sharp edges or chemicals that could hurt space tourists.

It was designed for the foreign exchange company Travelex by scientists from the National Space Centre and the University of Leicester.

"None of the existing payment systems we use on earth - like cash, credit or debit cards - could be used in space," said Professor George Fraser from the University of Leicester.

"Anything with sharp edges, like coins, would be a risk to astronauts while the chips and magnetic strips used in our cards on Earth would be damaged beyond repair by cosmic radiation," he added.

Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denominations or Quid
Different value "coins" come in different sizes and colours

Using any sort of technology that involved sending and receiving information from Earth would also be impractical because of the distances involved.

Quids are made of the polymer best-known for its use in non-stick pans.

The Quid "coins" have moulded edges so that they will not damage anything if they accidentally float free in zero gravity.

National Space Centre scientists predict that regular trips into space will be commonplace in the next five years and that tourist facilities on the Moon are a distinct possibility by 2050.

Professor Fraser told BBC News: "With an inflatable space hotel, from Bigelow Aerospace, under development in the US, and Virgin Galactic developing SpaceShipTwo, there will be better access to space than there has been.

"In the fullness of time we will have to adopt a universal currency if we are going to carry out serious commerce in space. It's an interesting initiative."

Travelex said: "It's only a matter of time before people will be walking up to our shops and asking for Quids for their two weeks in a space hotel."

It is currently quoting the currency at £6.25 to the Quid.

Thanks to BBC News

2007-10-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

STEVE NILES & KELLEY JONES TEAM FOR NEW BATMAN SERIES
by Jonah Weiland, Executive Producer
Posted: October 5, 2007

"30 Days of Night" author Steve Niles revealed on his forum Thursday evening that he'll be joined by famed illustrator Kelly Jones on a brand new, 12-issue Batman series for DC Comics. CBR News has learned the name of the project is "Batman: Gotham After Midnight" and will likely be released sometime in 2008.
The project is noteworthy for a number of reasons. This series marks the return to Batman by Kelly Jones for the first time since the late 1990s. Perhaps most celebrated for illustrating the preeminent Elseworlds story "Batman & Dracula: Red Rain" and its two sequels, Jones also enjoyed a long and memorable run with the "Batman" title from 1995 - 1998, approaching art on the series with a dark and moody style, often depicting Batman with incredibly long ears and an enormous, billowing cape, evoking an almost demonic look for the Dark Knight.

"Gotham After Midnight" will be the second go 'round with Batman for Steve Niles, whose "30 Days of Night" has been adapted for the screen and will be released in just a few weeks. Niles previously wrote the Batman character in the three-issue series "Batman: Gotham County Line" with art by Scott Hampton. The new 12-issue project reunites Niles and Jones, who've collaborated numerous times previously on the Niles creation Cal MacDonald, the hard-living, supernatural monster hunter.

Thanks to Comic Book Resources

2007-10-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

Another Iron Man Teaser Poster...

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios have revealed this new teaser poster for director Jon Favreau's Iron Man, kicking-off next summer on May 2. The comic book adaptation stars Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Leslie Bibb, Bill Smitrovich and Nazanin Boniadi.

The movie tells the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. Upon his return to America, Tony must come to terms with his past. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.

Thanks to Superherohype.com

2007-09-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Tekzilla Starts Today...

Revision3's new show, Tekzilla, with hosts Jessica Corbin and Patrick Norton, posted their very first episode today. I'll miss InDigital, but I'm looking forward to the new offering. I miss the old TechTV days. Anyway, here it is...

Tekzilla - Episode One

2007-09-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

In father's footsteps, game developer to fly to space

Posted by Stefanie Olsen

Richard Garriott, a game developer known for creating the multiplayer online game Ultima, will be the sixth private citizen to take a ride on a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station in October 2008. And in a way, he will follow in his father's footsteps, but without the NASA credentials. Garriott's dad is former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, who flew to the first U.S. space station Skylab in the '70s.

Garriott will fly with Vienna, Virg.-based Space Adventures, a space tourism company that offers flights to ISS for between $25 million and $30 million. But because of a weakened dollar, the cost of the trips will go as high as $40 million in 2009.

Richard Garriott

(Credit: www.richardinspace.com)
Garriott will be one of Space Adventures' first "commercial" tourists, meaning that he will help conduct science experiments on behalf of a private company during his travels. So far, Space Adventures has flown five private citizens, including former Microsoft researcher Charles Simonyi, to the ISS. But this will be the first in a series that welcomes research projects from private companies. Biotech company ExtremoZyme, which was co-founded by Owen Garriott, will conduct a protein experiment on the trip, for example.

Garriott said he's dedicating his spaceflight to science. "We need to be adventurous in mind and simulate our intellects to answer today's most daunting scientific questions and to invent tomorrow's technological marvels."

Garriott plans to update a Web site with photos and stories about his trip and will answer questions.

Thanks to CNet News.com

2007-09-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Halo 3 Scores Big!

Reporting first-day consumer spending of $170 million, Microsoft hailed its video game "Halo 3" as "the biggest entertainment launch in history."

"Halo" not only passed the opening-day boxoffice record of $59.8 million set by Sony's "Spider-Man 3" in May, its one-day haul Tuesday also vaulted it ahead of Spidey's three-day opening-weekend record of $151 million.

Read More...

Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter

2007-09-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Angry Wasps in Afghanistan....after explosion...amazing. A fallen rock was blocking a route in Afghanstan and EOD decided to blow it up. Camera captures a nest of wasps that were nearby....they go crazy

I'm glad it was just the camera that was there...sheesh!

2007-09-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

My purchase of Halo 3 yesterday was the first time that I've ever bought a new release console game on its release day. I picked up the Limited Edition and here are the specs of the extras that are included with the game disk:

Bestiarum - An illustrated hardcover guide to the species and cultures of the Halo Universe

"Essentials" disk which includes:

Featurettes - a series of short films with subjects ranging from making your network play nice with multiplayer, to the challenges of building the biggest Halo ever.

Art Attack - exclusive Halo 3 Gamer Pics and Dashboard theme; gallery of concept and production art; a fully playable version of a classic Halo-themed mini game.

Hi-Def Halo - A Halo-themed calibration tool helps you make the most of your home theater experience. This bonus disk as an Xbox 360 software title, displaying 720p HD Content (on HD sets) for every segment.

So far the story is very engaging and I've also been able to try the multiplayer out a little and I like what I see so far. I try to get my gaming time in before my kids get home from school and after they go to bed, because they take it over in between.

2007-09-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

"Michael Caine is terrified by the Joker"

Michael Caine told Aussie newspapers The Melbourne Herald Sun and The Mercury that 'Dark Knight' co-star Heath Ledger has filled some mighty big shoes stepping into the Joker role.

"Jack Nicholson was the greatest Joker so, you know, how do you top that? Well, Heath Ledger's done it and he's extraordinary.

"He's gone in a completely different direction to Jack. Jack was like a clown figure, benign but wicked, maybe a killer old uncle. He could be funny and make you laugh.

"Heath is like a really scary psychopath. I did one scene with him and he was ready to go and had to come up in a lift and raid our place.

"I didn't see him for rehearsal and when he came out of the lift he was so incredible I forgot my lines. He frightened the life out of me.

"I'd never met him before. He's a lovely guy and his Joker is going to be a hell of a revelation in this picture."
Read the full story...

Thanks to Comics2Film

Latte Art

2007-09-24T17:37:00.001-07:00

Mmmm...Coffee...and cool-looking too!

2007-09-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

New Smallville trailer featuring Supergirl for this coming season.

2007-09-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

The first episode of the new animated series Witchblade is online and available for viewing for free. The series will be available on DVD September 25th.

Watch it here or navigate HERE

2007-09-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Author Robert Jordan Passes Away

"If you must mount the gallows, give a jest to the crowd, a coin to the hangman, and make the drop with a smile on your lips"

-Robert Jordan

I felt this quote was fitting since he died yesterday…

"James Oliver Rigney Jr, author of the long-running fantasy series The Wheel of Time and better known to millions of fans by the pen name Robert Jordan, died on 16 Sept 2007 from cardiac amyloidosis. Jordan announced he had been diagnosed with the disease in March 2006 and vowed to beat the odds, but determination and gumption sometimes just aren't enough in the face of a disease with a median survival time of just over two years. Jordan was in the process of writing the twelfth and final book in the Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light, but the book was not slated for release until 2009 and is still incomplete. While there is hope that the book will still be finished from Jordan's notes, this is devastating news to all of us who have been reading the series since 1990."

I just started the Wheel Of Time series recently and I know a few people that have read the entire series so far up to the current edition, so hopefully his final piece of work may see print someday.

2007-09-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Napoleon Dynamite Commercial For The Utah State Fair

2007-09-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, the original Star Trek has been remastered with new digital effects. It will be released soon on HD DVD, but in the mean time it will begin playing this fall...here are some details thanks to sci-fi.com

Updated Trek Debuts 'Galileo'

The digitally remastered version of the original Star Trek series returns in syndication for the 2007-08 season the weekend of Sept. 15 with the premiere of an enhanced version of "The Galileo Seven." The episode, which first aired in 1967, features Spock in command of the tiny shuttlecraft Galileo, the first appearance of the small craft that would become a staple of the franchise.

The episode will feature new computer visual effects of the Galileo in flight, as well as the space storm Murasaki 312.

The remastered episode also features a digital transfer of the original Star Trek film elements and newly recorded remasterings of the show's main title theme, CG renderings of spaceships and other visual effects created by CBS Digital.

A list of U.S. stations carrying the digitally remastered Star Trek can be found here.

2007-09-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

These are funny!
Team Fortress 2 character profile: The Engineer

The Soldier

Heavy Weapons Guy

2007-09-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Seems like the official teaser trailer for Iron Man is out a little earlier than planned. Somebody at Paramount or Apple made a decision somewhere.

Watch the trailer HERE and enjoy!

DICE stacking MOVES vol.2

2007-09-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

Symmetrical dice stacking...No human being would stack dice like that...just kidding! This is pretty amazing stuff.

2007-09-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a current rundown of what comes in the box of the Starcraft Board Game...

StarCraft: The Board Game is an action-packed strategy game of galactic conquest! Terran, Zerg, and Protoss alike battle for supremacy across multiple worlds. StarCraft: The Board Game is playable by two to six players in two to four hours.

StarCraft: The Board Game includes:

1 rulebook
180 plastic figures
2 sets of Terran figures, each consisting of:
6 Marines
3 Ghosts
3 Firebats
3 Vultures
3 Goliaths
3 Siege Tanks
3 Wraiths
3 Science Vessels
3 Battlecruisers
2 sets of Zerg figures, each consisting of:
9 Zerglings
6 Hydralisks
3 Ultralisks
3 Queens
3 Defilers
3 Scourge
3 Mutalisks
3 Guardians
2 sets of Protoss figures, each consisting of:
6 Zealots
3 Dragoons
3 High Templar
3 Archons
3 Reavers
3 Scouts
3 Arbiters
3 Carriers
12 planet tiles
15 normal navigation routes
12 z-axis navigation routes (6 major ends and 6 minor ends)
1 conquest point track
6 conquest point markers
6 Faction Sheets
6 reference sheets
1 first player token
36 standard order tokens (6 per faction)
18 special order tokens (3 per faction)
36 base tokens (6 per faction)
90 worker tokens (15 per faction)
42 transport tokens (7 per faction)
40 building tokens (6 for each Zerg and Protoss faction, and 8 for each Terran faction)
38 module tokens (4 for each Zerg faction, 7 for each Protoss faction, and 8 for each Terran faction)
12 starting planet tokens
20 depletion tokens
26 Resource cards
108 Combat cards (18 per faction)
126 Technology cards (22 for each Zerg faction, 20 for each Protoss faction, and 21 for each Terran faction)
70 Event cards (25 Stage I Event cards, 25 Stage II Event cards, and 20 Stage III Event cards)

2007-08-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Mist Trailer Goes Online

Yahoo! Movies has posted the first theatrical trailer for Stephen King's The Mist, director Frank Darabont's latest adaptation of one of the horrormeister's stories.

The Mist stars Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Amin Act Joseph and Toby Jones in a movie about residents of a small Maine town who find themselves trapped in a supermarket when a mysterious storm envelops the village in a cloud of mist that holds horrific, otherworldly creatures. The Mist opens Nov. 21.

Thanks to scifi.com

Wow. I read the story years ago. I bought the audio drama on cassette and wore out the cassette. I bought the Audio CD version of the audio drama, which I still have have. I think total number of times I've read/listened to this story probably numbers up near the 75-80 mark. So you can say I'm looking forward to this movie. And if the preview is any indication, then I think I'll like the movie too.

2007-08-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

This is a quick video interview with the designer of Starcraft: The Boardgame done at Blizzcon 2007.

2007-08-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

My son Logan and I went on a road trip last Friday to visit my friend Andy and help out a little with his new comic book store. The trip there was a great success. Gamercircle Comics is a great looking store in a wonderful location in the middle of Folsom, CA.

Andy put us to work bagging up boards, stamping and sealing flyers, and a host of other small jobs. On Monday morning we packed up and headed back out onto the road for Idaho. Everything went fine until we got to Lovelock, Nevada. About three miles East of Lovelock, the fuel pump in our car decided to go to fuel pump heaven, wherever that happens to be.

After a few phone calls and negotiations, we got a tow into town, met a mechanic, and he proceeded to take a look at the car. The soonest that he could get to it was Tuesday. So, Logan and I walked about 1/2 a mile down the road and found a motel, checked in, and grabbed a meal. This was a first for Logan, as we've never broken down on a trip with the kids along. He was a real trooper and never complained once.

The next morning, after a walk to the bank (across the street from the motel, thank goodness!), we checked out of the motel and walked back to the shop to find our car out in front ready to go.

It was a $450 side trip; including the tow, motel, food, and repair bill.

As Buckaroo Banzai is fond of saying: "Remember, no matter where you go...there you are."

2007-08-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Teaser Iron Man Movie Poster...

Thanks to Comic Book Resources

2007-08-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

“I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by Nemedian skeptics, or Crom’s realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer’s Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: If life is an illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.”

-Conan of Cimmeria

This was written by author Robert E. Howard in a story called “Queen of the Black Coast”, a tale featuring his creation, Conan. I don’t know when he wrote it, but it was published in 1934, two years before he put a bullet through his head.

2007-08-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Marvel's Q2 earnings reports contains a forward-looking projection of current and upcoming movie, TV and animation projects.

A partial list of film projects reveals few surprises:

Iron Man - Completed principal photography; May 2, 2008 release
The Incredible Hulk - Commenced principal photography; June 13, 2008 release
Ant-Man - Writer and director engaged
Captain America - Writer engaged
Nick Fury - Writer engaged
Thor - Writer engaged
The Avengers - Writer engaged

Likewise, the TV animation schedule looks pretty familiar, although new details of an 'Iron Man' toon are revealed.

Fantastic Four - 26, 30 minute episodes;
Spider-Man - In development;
Wolverine and the X-Men - 26, 30 minute episodes in development
Iron Man - 26, 30 minute episodes in development

The big surprise is the new 'Hulk' animated movie coming from the direct-to-DVD line:

Doctor Strange - August 14, 2007 release
Teen Avengers - Targeted July 2008 release
Hulk Smash - Targeted October 2008 release

Thanks to Comics2film

2007-07-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

300 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) (2007)

Have you ordered yours yet?

2007-07-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a week since my last post! Between my son's final week of Little League with his tournament games, his B-day, working on inventory for my store, and doing some remodel work on the house, it's been very tiring. This week is business as usual, so I hope to take a few small breaks every once in a while.

Red Bull has been my friend.

2007-07-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Phantasm and 28 Days Later. Here are two movies that I've had on my "must buy" list for a while now but just have never gotten around to it. I finally picked them up. These are welcome additions to my library and each one has some nice special features.

2007-07-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

My son Logan sitting on his B-Day present...

This is a Can-Am DS250. It has a liquid-cooled 250 cc engine, automatic CVT transmission, hydraulic disc brakes with stainless steel lines, preload-adjustable springs and aggressive styling.

He calls himself the little Master Chief on his mini warthog...

Ok, I've been corrected. He is to be known as Red Bones riding his ATV "Yellow Jacket"...

2007-07-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and sane 4th of July!

Oh, and my blog is rated "G" !!!

Thanks to my friend Andy for getting his blog rated first.

2007-07-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

My favorite franchise is coming out with an expansion! Medieval 2: Total War Kingdoms is the expansion to the best-selling Medieval 2: Total War.

Key Features

Four new, epic campaigns that give you the chance to rule Britannia, fight for the Holy Land in The Crusades, take the side of Christendom or Paganism in The Teutonic Wars and become leader of a brave new world in The Americas.

23 playable factions including Ireland, Wales, Norway, Mayans, Apachean Tribes, Chichimeca, Tlaxcalans, Tarascans, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Principality of Antioch, Teutonic Order, Lithuania and Novgorod.

Over 150 new units, including the devastating Greek Flamethrower, Canons of the Holy Sepulcher, Mounted Thunder Braves, Lithuanian Arquebusiers, Dievas Guard, Magnelwyrs and Mayan Hornet Thrower.
New siege weapons include burning oil to devastate the enemy at the gate and fearsome mangonels to rain fire down on your foe.

Control multiple armies in battle. For the first time in a Total War game you can now take command reinforcement armies to overwhelm the enemy and strategically turn the tide of war to your advantage. Create forces to compliment your main army, or use your reinforcements to coax the enemy into an ambush.

New hero characters with powerful new battlefield abilities such as Richard The Lionheart and Saladin. Lead your armies into battle with heroes that can truly turn the battle your way. Deploy them wisely on the campaign map, choosing the key battles in which to utilise their influence and abilities.
A huge array of historical characters and events bring the past vividly to life like never before. Witness the emergence of William Wallace to push back the English forces in the Britannia campaign or explore the New World as Hernan Cortés in the Americas campaign.

Build permanent forts to garrison troops in preparation for an invasion or seize control of key strategic points to inflict increased devastation upon the lands or your enemy. Fight battles within and against moated forts for the first time.

New technology trees influenced by Religion and Prestige. Worship your Gods and convert the population to unlock new structures, technologies and powerful units in the Teutonic campaign. While the in the Americas campaign, as New Spain, you must win the favour of the Motherland to raise your profile and earn yourself the technology and units you need to conquer.

A host of new mission types. Assist in the formation of the Baron’s Alliance as you seek to pin back the English in the Britannia campaign. Protect and earn a much needed donation from crusading Nobles as the Teutonic Order in the Teutonic campaign.
6 New Multiplayer scenarios and 20 new Custom Battle maps offer stunning new locations to wage war on.

Go head-to-head with a friend in the Hotseat multiplayer mode and put your leadership skills to the test in the Kingdoms campaigns or Medieval II’s Grand Campaign.

there's so much stuff here this sounds more like a complete game but you do need Medieval 2: Total War installed to use this expansion. Looks like a late August release. I can't wait!

2007-07-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

I read Way of the Peaceful Warrior about two or three years ago before I knew it was going to be a movie. I really liked the book. I found it insightful, entertaining, and it had something about it that spoke of a genuine urge to say something. The messages that I picked up from the book are very thought provoking and make a lot of sense. To me. Because that's the only thing that really matters. If it makes sense to me. If I can learn something and apply that to who I am now then it makes sense. Never mind if someone else reads it and goes, "Huh?". Doesn't matter.

Last night Renee and I watched the movie, The Peaceful Warrior. I liked the movie too. It had a more condensed feel to it, but the main messages were still there. If you haven't been exposed to either the movie or the book, I would suggest reading the book first, just to give you a more complete picture of the author's main idea.

In any case, they might be worth a look. Who knows, you may learn something too.

2007-06-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar

April this year witnessed the launch of Turbine's MMO The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar and unsurprisingly it didn't take the title long to top the PC charts in Europe and North America. With the game out the door, the developer began work on its first major content update for the game, which we know as Book 9: Shores of Evendim - Book 9 released on June 14.

It's the beginning of a huge journey for Turbine as epic as Tolkien's work itself, and looking ahead there's all manner of delights to anticipate as the developer slowly opens up new areas of Middle-earth for adventure and exploration.

Read the rest of the article here...

I have a lifetime subscription to this game due to no small part by my friend Andy.

Our group , the GamersCircle Kinship, meets twice a week and there's always something new going on.

Thanks to computerandvideogames.com

2007-06-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some artwork examples of the new Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage reprint from Valley Games. These examples are courtesy of Mike Doyle's blog. He is doing some of the art along with Kurt Miller.

The reprint has a late July-early August release so far and I'm very much looking forward to it.

2007-06-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

IndianaJones.com has posted video of the first day of shooting on the upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie.

Production began on June 18 in New Mexico. Director Steven Spielberg appears in the brief video, which also shows executive producer George Lucas. The action from the first day involves a vintage Army vehicle and a '50s-style hot rod.

The new Indiana Jones movie is a Lucasfilm Ltd. Production, directed by Spielberg and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Frank Marshall returns as producer, with Kathleen Kennedy joining Lucas as executive producer. It is planned for worldwide release on May 22, 2008.

Thanks to sci-fi.com

2007-06-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

The first Don Coscarelli movie I saw was Phantasm back in 1979. Since then, I've seen most of his movies. Phantasm, The Beastmaster, Bubba Ho-Tep, just to name a few, are essential viewing if you are a fan.

His latest film, Bubba Nosferatu and the Curse of the She-Vampires, Brings back Elvis in a prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep in which Elvis is shooting a film in Louisiana when he runs afoul of a coven of she-vampires.

There's a great audio interview with Don Coscarelli on Amazon.com which you can listen to here.

2007-06-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

“SUPERMAN RETURNS” receives top honors at the 33^rd Annual Saturn Awards

As the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films celebrates their 35^th anniversary this year, the Saturn Awards (this year marks the 33^rd) honored the biggest and brightest at this year’s extravaganza hosted by Greg Grunberg & Jeffrey Ross. This year’s event took place at the Universal Hilton on May 10, 2007.

“Superman Returns” led the winners with five awards in film and “Heroes” took the top honors for television with three awards. “Superman Returns” won Best Fantasy Film, as well as awards for direction (Bryan Singer), writing (Dan Harris, Michael Dougherty), actor (Brandon Routh), and music (John Ottman). The Universal release, “Children of Men” received the award for Best Science Fiction film.

“Heroes” won Best Network Television Series and two of the stars of the show received honors (Masi Oka – Best Supporting Actor, and Hayden Panettiere – Best Supporting Actress).

Complete list of winners:

Best Science Fiction Film: Children of Men (Universal)

Best Fantasy Film: Superman Returns (Warner Bros.)

Best Horror Film: The Descent (Lionsgate)

Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: Casino Royale (Sony / MGM)

Best Animated Film: Cars (Buena Vista)

Best International Film: Pan’s Labyrinth (Picturehouse)

Best Actor: Brandon Routh (Superman Returns)

Best Actress: Natalie Portman (V For Vendetta)

Best Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland)

Best Supporting Actress: Famke Janssen (X-Men: The Last Stand)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth)

Best Director: Bryan Singer (Superman Returns)

Best Writing: Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris (Superman Returns)

Best Music: John Ottman (Superman Returns)

Best Costume: Yee Chung-Man (Curse of the Golden Flower)

Best Make-Up: Todd Masters, Dan Rebert (Slither)

Best Special Effects: John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, Allen Hall (Pirates

of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest)

Best Network Television Series: Heroes (NBC)

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel)

Best Presentation on Television: The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines (TNT)

Best Actor on Television: Michael C. Hall (Dexter)

Best Actress on Television: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: Masi Oka (Heroes)

Best Supporting Actress on Television: Hayden Panettiere (Heroes)

Best DVD Release: The Sci Fi Boys (Universal)

Best DVD Special Edition Release: Superman II (The Richard Donner Cut)

Best DVD Classic Film Release: Gojira (Godzilla) (Classic Media)

Best DVD Collection: James Bond Ultimate Edition (Collection 1 – 4) (MGM)

Best DVD Television Series: Masters of Horror (Anchor Bay / Starz)

Best Retro Television Series on DVD: Adventures of Superman (Complete 6 Seasons)

(Warner)

Thanks to The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy And Horror Films

2007-06-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

I Am Legend, starring Will Smith is coming out soon. This will be the third cinematic incarnation of Richard Matheson's novella. I read the story years ago, and then again just a few months back to refresh my memory and to get ready for the new movie.

Matheson's style is fast paced and very easy to read. It's like getting caught in a river with a strong current; it pulls you along whether you want it to or not.

I highly recommend picking this one up. The volume I have also contains 10 other stories by the genre master.

2007-06-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I got my new video card today.

The EVGA e-GeForce 8800GTS 640 MB PCIe Video Card has been installed along with an Enermax 650w power supply. The new power supply is a lot quieter than the old one, the old one being a 520w power supply.

Now I've got a dual monitor set-up and I'm starting to feel spoiled.

2007-06-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

I saw this story on Extreme Tech. This is the wave of the future. The lines between what is available to you on your hard drive and what is available online are disappearing. From movies-on-demand to editing your own video and slide shows....

With little fanfare, YouTube recently released an online video editing tool based on Adobe Premiere Express.

Users using Adobe Remixer drag videos and photos from bins on the upper right-hand corner of the screen into a queue below the playback window. Selections can be edited or enhanced with titles, graphics, transitions, borders and music, according to YouTube.

Google said last month at its Developer Day in Mountain View, Calif. that it was not delving too deep into providing editing tools. On a basic level, most users are looking for a "video version of crop and red eye," said Hunter Walk, a product manager at Google. If anything, Google would focus on that "crop and red eye" element first and "then figure out what else the community wants to see," he said.

"We are testing the YouTube Video Remixer powered by Adobe in TestTube, an area where our community can experiment with prototypes and early betas," a YouTube spokesman said in an email. "The Remixer feature allows users to edit and assemble new videos and publish them to YouTube. In the coming months we will evaluate the feature's performance and will gather feedback from our community."

Read the rest of this story on PC Magazine: "YouTube Tests Video 'Remixer'"

Thanks to Extreme Tech

2007-06-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Fox Signs Halo Deal Less than a year after its plans to co-produce with Universal a movie based on Halo, Microsoft's hit video-game franchise, fell apart, 20th Century Fox has signed a deal to become the primary licensor for Halo, Variety reported.

That means the studio will handle worldwide merchandise licensing for Halo on behalf of the tech giant.

Though the unsuccessful film development helped bring the two companies closer together, Fox's licensing division has a longer relationship with Microsoft. It handled similar duties for Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo: Elements of Power, two Microsoft-published games that came out in late 2005 in conjunction with the launch of the Xbox 360.

Fox is aiming to launch a broad array of products, from books to apparel to collectible merchandise, in conjunction with the release of Halo 3 in September.

Fox is already in various stages of discussion with several dozen licensees and will be talking to potential partners at this week's Toy Fair in New York. (Universal is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.)

Thanks to scifi.com

2007-06-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the TC Games board game sale. All board games are 10% off until June 15th.

10% Off Board Games This Week!

2007-06-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Surface:
This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time!

2007-05-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

The new BattleLore expansion is out: Call to Arms!

2007-05-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Summoner Geeks. I will never get tired of this!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instruction

2007-05-10T12:17:00.001-07:00

This is my friend Keith Owen. He's an awesome instructor and all around great guy.

2007-04-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Ebay To Go, featuring my phone!

2007-04-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

A little culture for the kids. We took our kids to a really cool event on Friday, April 27th (my B-day!), and they actually had a lot of fun. And having a chance to hear some John Williams compositions live is just too hard to pass up.

MEAGAN THOMPSON/Times-News... Soloist Jenni-Leigh Jones performs 'The Doll Song' from the opera 'Tales of Hoffman' during the Magic Valley Symphony's rehearsal for Friday's pops concert.

Lights! Camera! Music!

MV Symphony goes to the movies for its pop concert

By Steve Crump

Times-News writer

TWIN FALLS - Picture this:

The Magic Valley Symphony will close its season Friday with a pops concert of movie music.

"Maestro and movie fan Theodore Anchor Hadley has programmed his personal favorites from all generations," said Paula Brown Sinclair, the orchestra's horn player and historian, of the symphony's director.

Featured selections include three medleys from John Williams: his early "The Cowboys," his most famous "Star Wars" and his recent "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Nineteenth-century Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" and an arrangement of themes from Czech composer Paul Dukas' "Sorcerer's Apprentice" - both used in the 1950 Disney animated classic "Fantasia" - are on the program, plus a medley of other Disney tunes.

In connection with the concert, the symphony is staging a Harry Potter/Hermione Granger look-alike contest. Potter fans of all ages are invited to compete for a prize.

"This is a concert for all ages," Hadley said. "We will show you how magic and fun classical music can be. And, there will be surprises."

The pops concert idea became popular a century ago as a means to reach new audiences - lighter fare for those who might not be ready for serious classical music.

"This is not to say that 'pops' classics are a lesser form of music," Sinclair said. "The usual symphonies and concertos, which some moderns find hard to understand, were the light entertainment of their day. In fact, the pops concert repertoire can be just as serious, but more enjoyable for its familiarity. We certainly agonize less over the need to understand it."

Before the concert, two short silent movies shot in Idaho in the early 1920s by filmmaker Nell Shipman will be screened.

Times-News features writer Steve Crump can be reached at 735-3223 or scrump@magicvalley.com.

Friday night's symphony music in detail:

*"The Cowboys" overture by John Williams, from the 1972 John Wayne film. "I believe (this) is the only western starring Wayne in which his character dies," said Paula Brown Sinclair, the symphony's horn player and historian. "The music is inspired by but up a notch from the greats of the western genre, such as 'Big Country.'"

* "A Night on Bald Mountain" by Modest Mussorgsky, one of the eight selections from the classical repertoire featured in "Fantasia." "It was a showcase for animator Bill Tytla, who gave the demon Chernabog a power and intensity that was rarely equaled in subsequent Disney films, but the horror of the ghosts and skeletons are brought to an abrupt end by church bells," Sinclair said.

*An arrangement of themes from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas. "This is the iconic 'Fantasia,' Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer whose magic takes control," Sinclair said.

*A concert suite from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by Williams - the third Harry Potter film scored by Williams, and the second to earn an Oscar nomination. "It's a very recent work refreshingly unlike the classic John Williams of high volume and percussive brass," Sinclair said.

*"The Doll Song" from the opera "Tales of Hoffman," by Jacques Offenbach, sung by soprano and symphony violinist Jenni-Leigh Jones to illustrate what entertainment looked and sounded like before film.

*Symphonic highlights from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" by Hans Zimmer, a name gaining fame in movie soundtracks ("The Contender," "Muppet Treasure Island," "Driving Miss Daisy," "Black Hawk Down" and the Oscar-winning "Lion King," to name a few of his compositions).

*"Star Wars Medley" by Williams. "A classic of high volume, percussive brass and wonderful interludes of superb melodies," Sinclair said.

Show tunes

*What: The Magic Valley Symphony will present "Movie Magic," a program featuring popular musical scores from the movies.

*Where: College of Southern Idaho Fine Arts Center auditorium, Twin Falls.

*When: Friday, 8 p.m.

*How much: Tickets, which are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for students, will be available at Everybody's Business and at the door.

Thanks to magicvalley.com

2007-04-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here's some news from Fantasy Flight Games on their much anticipated Starcraft: The Board Game...

4/5/07 - Kevin C.
Greetings,

While working on games is great fun, let me remind you it is still hard work! The current project that is eating up most of the graphic design departments is the behemoth that is Starcraft: the Board Game. Maybe one of the most complex games FFG has tackled to date, Starcraft is one amazingly detailed game with more pieces and plastic than you can wrap your head around! The blood, sweat and tears (you forgot disgusting alien ichor - ed.) are still being plucked from our machines as we force them to grind along with monster files in a sea of virtual layers. We do this because we are always going to push ourselves to the limit as we get more and more dedicated to creating top-notch graphics of stunning quality. Our computers here at FFG have started feeling the strain as larger and more demanding projects are ushered into the next wave of games, and let me be the first to say the promise of new Macs is going to be well received!

Starcraft has been an incredible challenge, from the sheer complexity of the project, the components, the styles (for THREE races mind you!), and to making it all fit. For those who have played Starcraft (the PC game) as religiously as I have, I am confident you will love this board game. You will never again see a more true-to-self depiction of Starcraft on cardboard and plastic! I assure you we will celebrate with much joy and laughter as the game is kicked out the door. Until then…. back to the project, back to working on the pixel level, and back to ensuring the graphics look great. Here is a small sample of what is being done.

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