“Enjoy it while you can, because IBM’s gunna have a portable and then it’s sayonara.” As a computer nerd, it’s always fun to see documentaries that explore the history of computers. Silicon Cowboys tell the story of the rise and fall of Compaq Computers. Launched in 1981 by three friends in Houston, they wanted to challenge IBM’s dominance over the personal computer market and were mostly successful. That is, until IBM decided to fight back. Everyone knows the name Compaq, but do you know the real story behind them? This looks like a fascinating and captivating doc not only about computers but about the cutthroat business world that is still prevalent today. That quote about “the way you were supposed to deal with IBM” sold me. ›››
“I wish someone would see me, just to know I am here…” Well Go USA has debuted a trailer for an indie drama titled Cardboard Boxer, starring Thomas Haden Church as a homeless man struggling to make ends meet. He’s coerced by two teens to fight other men for cash, but obviously doesn’t like doing so, and just wants to get away from his life on the streets. The cast includes Terrence Howard, Boyd Holbrook, and Macy Gray. The official description calls the film an “unflinching look at the lives of the displaced and forgotten members of society.” This looks very powerful and heartbreaking, and even though Thomas Haden Church is almost hard to look at, he seems to be giving an earnest performance. This is worth a quick watch. ›››
Over the past week and a half I’ve been attending a few screenings of films as part of the Fantasy Filmfest in Berlin (where I now live). Inspired by and operated similar to Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX and Fantasia in Montreal, the Fantasy Filmfest is a horror/sci-fi/genre festival in Germany (taking place in multiple cities over these past few weeks). Their catchy tagline is “Fear Good Movies” and their line-up of films this year is impressive, including some of my favorites from other fests like: Swiss Army Man, Under the Shadow, Train to Busan, Yoga Hosers, and War on Everyone. I caught four films over the last few weeks, two of them worth recommending. Overall, I’m glad I heard about this fest (from a fellow movie lover in Germany) – I always enjoy seeing some of the latest genre films, especially since there’s so many out there every year. ›››
“The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope. Because if a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too.” Get ready for the return of the Terminator movie we all love. James Cameron’s 1991 sci-fi classic Terminator 2: Judgement Day is being re-released in theaters in 2017 in 3D. The Facebook page for the T2 movie confirmed and released a poster to go along with the news. If, like me, you went to one of the Universal Studios theme parks as a kid you probably fondly remember the Terminator 2 ride in 3D (called “T2 3-D: Battle Across Time“), pretty much the best use of 3D up until Cameron gave us Avatar. Here’s to hoping this 3D conversion is as good. ›››
“Nightmarish on every level.” If you already hate carnivals, you might want to stay away from this. Saban Films has released a second trailer for Rob Zombie’s latest horror feature, titled 31, about an evil carnival, twisted game. Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in a “Hell-like” compound where they must survive for 12 hours against a gang of sadistic clowns to escape alive. Starring Sheri Moon Zombie (of course), Malcolm McDowell, Richard Brake, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Torsten Voges, Sandra Rosko, and Meg Foster. I can’t even tell what’s going on in half of this trailer, way too many close-ups and it’s over-edited. But if you dig Zombie’s messed up horror flicks, then have at it. ›››
In an expected move, Netflix announced today that it has renewed Stranger Things for a second season.
It made the announcement in a video that lists off what appear to be episode titles. Some of them contain possible references to the events of Season 1, so be aware of that. Season 2 debuts in 2017.
TV Line reports that Marvel and ABC Studios are planning a New Warriors TV show that would focus on the superhero who has an affinity for squirrels. Marvel and ABC declined to comment.
The report cites sources that say they 30-minute show is now being shopped to various cable and streaming networks, though none were named. New Warriors is a team of teenage superheroes that is described in the report as “the junior version of The Avengers.”
Squirrel Girl, whose real name is Doreen Green, can communicate with squirrels, while she also has abilities like super-speed and strength. She is a relatively obscure character in the Marvel universe.
Recently, Pitch Perfect‘s Anna Kendrick elevated the character’s profile somewhat when she said in an interview with Net A Porterthat she would like to play Squirrel Girl. “I don’t know what Squirrel Girl does other than be half squirrel, but I could be half squirrel!” she said.
The TV Live report did not mention any names for actors who might appear in the New Warriors show, while a movie based on that or Squirrel Girl specifically has not been announced.
If you were worried you’d seen the last of Wii-style minigames, then fret no more. 2K announced today that it’s bringing Carnival Games to the Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive.
Carnival Games VR is everything you remember from the Wii’s glory days of bargain-bin minigame compilations, except this time, it’s in virtual reality. It features 12 different games including Shark Tank, where you throw balls in an attempt to dunk people into a water tank, presumably full of sharks. Yes, it sounds like you can commit murder in the next entry in the Carnival Games series.
Other games include Haunted House, in which you shoot targets while in a moving cart; Fast Pitch, which has you acting as a baseball catcher; and Funnel Cake Falls, where you’re tasked with catching funnel cakes on a tray. Doing well at these games earns you tickets for virtual prizes, in addition to unlocking new game modes at the Prize Booth. The game also features an interactive environment with four different carnival alleys to navigate.
Carnival Games VR is 2K’s first VR game and launches October 28 on PlayStation VR and HTC Vive for $20. No date has been announced for Oculus Rift, but 2K says it’s “coming soon.” This is likely because the game requires the Oculus Touch controllers, which have not received an official release date.
The Carnival Games series has sold millions of copies, but it isn’t exactly associated with quality. The franchise consists of four games with the last having released in 2011. The original Wii game received a score of 4.5/10 in GameSpot’s review, in which critic Alex Navarro said, “Unless fumbling your way through half-baked minigames to win some virtual stuffed animals sounds like fun, you should leave this overpriced collection on the shelf.”
In a new interview, Electronic Arts executive Peter Moore talked about the cancellation of the EA Sports NCAA Football series and teased that it may not be dead forever.
Speaking to IGN, Moore, who was formerly the president of EA Sports, said it was a “sad day” when the company decided to cancel the well-regarded series. The shutdown came in the wake of the player likeness and compensation lawsuits, which were eventually folded into a class-action suit. According to Moore, EA’s lawyers’ fees grew so much that they outweighed the revenue a new game could make.
“Settlements are still going out so it’s tough to get into a lot of detail. But what happened was NCAA Football became the lightning rod for bigger issues regarding college athletes getting paid for their performance in not only football but all college sports,” Moore said. “It was a sad day when we realized, ‘We are in the sights of a number of lawsuits.’ It was a sad day. When your lawyers fees are more than the revenue that you can expect to get in…”
When EA announced it was cancelling the NCAA Football series, the lawsuits hadn’t been settled. EA decided not to make any more games in the immediate future because they could take years to make and this was a risky proposal with the lawsuits unresolved. So EA had to say, “We just can’t do this anymore.”
The last NCAA Football game from EA Sports was 2013’s NCAA Football 14. According to Moore, it may not be the last. “One day I know we’ll be back,” he teased.
Also in the interview, Moore clarified that no one at developer EA Tiburon lost their job as a result of the NCAA Football franchise’s cancellation, as they were shifted to other roles at the studio. He also praised the NCAA Football series for being an authentic representation of what Saturdays around the country look and feel like, from the stadiums to the mascots.
In January this year, the voice of EA’s NCAA Football series, Kirk Herbstreit, ruffled feathers when he said the athlete who brought the lawsuit, Ed O’Bannon, is to blame for the franchise’s cancellation.
Plans were in place for NCAA Football 15 in 2014, but the game was canceled as a result of a legal battle between the NCAA and student-athletes that resulted in a $60 million settlement package for the players.
Another athlete has made a play in the professional gaming space. ESPN reports that Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko paid an undisclosed sum to acquire the professional gaming team the Renegades.
He bought the rights to the team from former owner Christopher “Montecristo” Mykles. As part of the deal, he also gets the team’s stake in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in the WME | IMG Eleague and the ESL. Additionally, Jerebko will have the first right of refusal to negotiate new team contracts.
Members of the Renegades lived in Australia, but Jerebko moved them into a house/training center in Rochester, Michigan, also bringing on a coach and a team manager.
Before this deal, Jerebko built a Call of Duty pro team called Ground Zero. This squad will now operate under the Renegades banner; it will compete in this weekend’s Call of Duty World League Championship.
According to the report, Jerebko has bold ambitions for Renegades, saying he wants to set up professional teams for League of Legends, Halo, and Overwatch.
