The medium of TV–including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon–presents a “clear and present danger” to traditional film, veteran and award-winning movie director Steven Spielberg said in a new interview. In the same interview, the director said Netflix movies should not be able to qualify for the Academy Awards. Speaking to ITV News, Spielberg said TV today is better than it’s ever been in terms of writing, performance, and directing, and this is a threat to the film business. Competition of course is nothing new, but what’s different today according to Spielberg is that companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are picking up some of the smaller films that might not be guaranteed hits at the box office.
“We are accustomed to being highly competitive with television,” he said. “The difference today is a lot of studios would rather make branded, tentpole, guaranteed box office hits from their inventory of branded, successful movies than take chances on smaller films. Those smaller films, which studios used to make routinely, are now going to Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix.”
Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated The Post is an example of a “smaller” film, but the director said he still wanted to make it because it was a passion project of sorts. Not only that, but any project with Spielberg’s name attached is sure to get a lot of attention and awareness. “I’ll still make The Post, asking [the audience] to please go out and see The Post and not make it directly for Netflix,” he said.
Spielberg is of course in a unique position. He is one of the biggest and most respected names in Hollywood and presumably does not need to worry about financing and can release his movies wherever he wants. The same cannot be said for everyone.
Some movies that air on services like Netflix and Amazon have limited theatrical runs so they can qualify for the Academy Awards. Spielberg took a hard line against this, saying that this loophole should be closed.
“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” he said. “You certainly–if it’s a good show, you deserve an Emmy. But not an Oscar. I don’t believe that films that just given token qualifications in a couple of theatres for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
Netflix’s drama Mudbound earned multiple Oscar nominations this year, while the Russian doping documentary Icarus won the Best Documentary Oscar this year.
Spielberg has been nominated for 17 Oscars, winning three; he is a member of the Academy’s board of governors. His next movie, Ready Player One, opens in the US on March 29.
Cross-play support between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is technically possible, but the politics between Sony and Microsoft is keeping it from happening. According to Tim Sweeney, the head of Fortnite developer Epic Games, it is in the industry’s best interest to allow gamers on competing platforms to play together, and it’s “inevitable” that this will eventually happen. Speaking at the Game Developers Conference recently, Sweeney said PlayStation and Xbox gamers playing together is “the next logical step.”
He made his point by referencing Metcalfe’s Law. This is the idea that the value of a shared experience is related to the number of people who can connect to it.
“I think it’s inevitable now,” he said about cross-play, according to GI.biz. “Games have become social experiences in the same way that Facebook or Twitter have, and these experiences only really make sense if gamers can communicate with all of their friends.”
Sweeney went on to say that if Sony and Microsoft do not allow cross-play, they run the risk of “breaking up real-world social groups,” and this could be bad for business.
“For Sony and Microsoft to support their customers well they have to be open to all their customer’s friends–their real world friends–otherwise they’re breaking up real-world social groups,” he said. “Like kids in school have their friends, and do you expect this platform schism to divide them into two separate groups that can’t play together? No. It’s got to come together now. That one remaining barrier will inevitably come down.”
Go to GI.biz to read their full report on Sweeney’s talk at GDC.
Roman Reigns is going to beat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 34. This much we know, with near 100% certainty. Sorry to disappoint you.
There will be contrarian predictions over the next two weeks, but those predictions will be wrong. There will be no Seth Rollins plot swerve. There will be no eleventh-hour booking change by Vince McMahon. Lesnar won the WWE Universal title from Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33, and since then, he has defeated every other conceivable threat to his dominance. He defeated Samoa Joe. He defeated Braun Strowman. Reigns is the only viable opponent left. Reigns vs. Lesnar is a rematch of the two men’s Wrestlemania 31 main event, which creates narrative closure to their feud. It would be impossible to duplicate the same level of excitement on a smaller stage.
Reigns is also winning because the WWE writers painted themselves into a figurative corner. Brock Lesnar, according to the storyline, is a spoiled, entitled champion who doesn’t care about the fans, blows off scheduled appearances, and coasts on the hard work of younger, hungrier, full-time wrestlers. Roman Reigns, meanwhile, is the man who loves the fans and sacrifices his health and happiness to put smiles on their faces. WWE has sold fans on the following premise: that so long as Lesnar is champion, Monday Night Raw is worse off for it. To have Lesnar beat Reigns is a tacit admission that the show will continue to be bad.
There’s every reason to believe that Reigns vs. Lesnar will be fantastic. The last time they faced one another, Brock ended the evening with blood running down his face. Reigns didn’t, but of the two men, he arguably got hurt more. Brock’s moves were stiffer than usual that evening; a particularly vicious lariat sent Reigns crashing off the apron. Reigns took so many German suplexes that Lesnar improvised a meme–“Suplex City, b***h!”–around it.
The more WWE makes Reigns physically suffer, the more people cheer him instead of boo him. You can see the exact moment the tide shifts during Wrestlemania 31, when Reigns is rolling on the ground in pain, laughing like a long-haired, greased-up Tyler Durden. This past year, Strowman threw Reigns into tables, hurled him against an ambulance and shoved him into any hard, unforgiving surface nearest to them. The crowds ate it up. And most recently on the March 19 episode of Raw, Lesnar beat Reigns with a steel chair before tipping over his stretcher.
Beating Reigns to a pulp satisfies multiple audiences in multiple ways. His fans empathize with his pain. His haters love to see him suffer. And everyone loves a good beatdown. The YouTube videos of Reigns getting pulverized are some of the most watched videos on WWE’s official channel.
Love him or hate him, one positive factor about Roman Reigns is indisputable: he is quite possibly the most durable man on the roster. The man can take a hard beating and keep coming back for more. Even his most venomous critics can concede that. Hurting Reigns to get him over isn’t a viable long-term strategy–he’ll have a truncated career if he keeps hurling himself into metal objects– but it might work in the short term for Wrestlemania 34.
Reigns is winning on April 8, and he’s going to earn the Universal Championship the hard way. Perhaps, that’ll be enough for the majority of fans to finally get on board with him.
If you’re interested in more breakdowns of upcoming Wrestlemania matches, check out all our predictions here and stay tuned to GameSpot for more Wrestlemania coverage.
Wrestlemania is quickly approaching. The 34th annual installment of WWE’s biggest event of the year takes place on Sunday, April 8, coming to the Superdome in New Orleans. The match card for the event is still being filled out, and there is room for a few more matches.
That being said, there are plenty of rumors drifting around the ‘net about additional matches, future plans for wrestlers, and surprise returns of injured wrestlers. One longstanding rumor that came true this past week was Daniel Bryan being cleared to wrestling once again. What else could come true? We rounded up some of the most believable ones coming from wrestling insiders.
Take these rumors with a grain of salt as not all rumors end up coming true. We’ll be updating piece throughout the upcoming weeks to let you know what’s confirmed and what we heard wrong.
Daniel Bryan’s Future
Daniel Bryan has to go in for medical testing after every match. While many are saying Daniel Bryan is the healthiest star in the company, part of the superstar’s new agreement requires him to get a doctor’s evaluation after every match. (via Cagesideseats) It’s pretty obvious that he’ll be teaming up with Shane McMahon to take on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The supposed stipulation for the match will be a street fight or unsanctioned match. (via Ringsidenews)
Owens and Zayn Will Remain Fired
In addition, Owens and Zayn–who were “fired” on the March 20 episode of Smackdown–may remained fired until after Wrestlemania, where they will be drafted by Raw. (via Ringsidenews)
Is AJ Styles Injured?
There have been rumors that WWE Champion AJ Styles is injured. While there is no confirmation as to whether or not that is true, AJ Styles said in a recent interview that he will be at Wrestlemania, no matter what anyone else claims. (via Catch-Newz)
When Will Cena/Taker Be Announced?
John Cena won’t get an official Wrestlemania match until days before the event. We all know the Undertaker will fight Cena at this year’s event, but Taker has not answered Cena’s call. Apparently, the confirmation for this match won’t come until the Raw before Wrestlemania on April 2. (via Cagesideseats)
Big Cass Will Return
Remember Big Cass? He’s been injured since Summerslam last year, and apparently, Cass has been telling people his leg has healed up, and he’s cleared to wrestle again. It’s unclear if he’ll be at Wrestlemania this year, even if it’s just for a quick spot in the Andre The Giant Battle Royal. If not Wrestlemania, then Cass could return at Raw the next night. (via PWInsider)
WWE’s Plans For Asuka
Get ready for a long Asuka run. She’s a shoe-in to win the championship at Wrestlemania against Charlotte, and the plan is for her to defend it for a year, leading to Wrestlemania 35 where she takes on Ronda Rousey. (via WrestlingNews)
The Rivalry Isn’t Over
According to wrestling insider Dave Meltzer, Gargano vs. Ciampa will happen at Takeover: New Orleans. (via Twitter)
The Greatest Royal Rumble On WWE Network
Apparently, the Greatest Royal Rumble, an event taking place on April 27 in Saudi Arabia, will appear on the WWE Network. The 50-man rumble match was promoted on the WWE Network when you try to cancel your subscription. GameSpot attempted this but saw no such promotion on the cancellation page. (via Twitter)
Hulkamania To Run Wild Again?
Hulk Hogan hasn’t been a part of WWE since July 2015, but that could change. Hogan is allegedly in talks with WWE to make his return. As to what he would do in WWE is the real question. With Shane McMahon spending less time on tv and Daniel Bryan going back to wrestling, there are a couple of positions open on Smackdown for a new commissioner or general manager. At this time, WWE stated it does not have a contract with Hogan but it has confirmed it’s spoken with him. (via PWInsider)
We’ll learn if more of these rumors are true during Wrestlemania weekend, which takes place April 6-8.
While some storylines in wrestling blur the lines between reality and fiction, the absence of Daniel Bryan from in-ring action has been very much a real-life ordeal. After sustaining multiple concussions, which led to seizures, Bryan was forced to retire in early 2016. Although he has been the Smackdown general manager since the summer of 2016, Bryan was not allowed to compete or fight at all in WWE. On the March 20 episode of Smackdown, Bryan announced his return to the world, only to very quickly be beaten to a pulp by aggravated superstars.
Daniel Bryan have a heartfelt speech on the Tuesday night show to let the world know that he’s been cleared to compete in the ring again. The emotionally charged segment had Bryan with tears in his eyes during the opening moments of Smackdown. It was a sincere, beautiful moment to share with fans.
However, this is WWE, and stories need to be told and friends need to be betrayed. Later in the evening, Bryan came out again to fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who beat up Smackdown commissioner Shane McMahon a week prior. Long story short, Zayn and Owens were not pleased, and they powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron after an in-ring assault.
While this is seemingly all setting up a Wrestlemania match between Bryan and Shane McMahon taking on Owens and Zayn, what WWE did sensationally well with this segment was let Bryan play to the crowd. We got to see the “Yes Kicks,” Bryan’s dropkicks in the corner, and overall, it was an exceptionally exciting moment.
This was the first time Bryan has fought on television since April 26, 2016, when he and John Cena took on Cesaro and Tyson Kidd–another wrestler forced early into retirement because of injury. Bryan looked pretty good in the ring; however, the main worry is that Bryan will still use his high-risk, in-ring style which got him hurt in the first place. While there was nothing more exciting than seeing Bryan compete back in the ring, he has to play it safe for his latest run.
WWE’s biggest PPV of the year, Wrestlemania 34, is quickly approaching, and this year’s event is going to be jam-packed. As of this writing, there are 11 matches on the card with at least two more to be added between now and Sunday, April 8 when Wrestlemania comes to the WWE Network and PPV.
New Orleans will host this year’s event at the Superdome, and already, there have been some huge surprises going in, like Smackdown general manager Daniel Bryan being cleared to wrestle at the show. In addition, actor Macaulay Culkin answered Rusev’s open challenge for Wrestlemania, and while that sounds like a blast, we don’t think anything will come out of it, but you never know.
Wrestlemania 34 starts at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with a Kickoff Show more than likely starting two hours prior–WWE has not announced specifics for the Kickoff yet. Last year’s event went for six and a half hours, so hopefully, you are watching the event somewhere really comfortable.
Obviously, there are still a few more matches that will be added to the card, like John Cena vs. Undertaker and Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn; however, we’re only delivering the 100% confirmed matches for the upcoming event. Aside from those two potential matches, there could be even more surprises, if some of the WWE rumors floating around the ‘net come true.
The first season of Netflix’s new reboot of the 1960s sci-fi series Lost in Space, which screened at Wondercon 2018 in Anaheim, California today, starts off strong. That should come as a relief if you’ve seen the 1998 remake. Phew.
Lost in Space follows the Robinson family as their colony ship crashes into a strange and inhospitable planet. It’s like The Swiss Family Robinson, but in space. That’s an inherently strong premise–sci-fi adventure mixed with relatable family dynamics–and Lost in Space might actually be able to deliver on it, if the first episode is anything to go by. Netflix’s shows have been stronger than the streaming service’s movies, especially lately, and Lost in Space is no exception.
Somewhat fresh off his excellent stint as the lead pirate on Starz’s underrated seafaring series Black Sails, Toby Stephens heads the family as John Robinson. His wife Maureen (House of Cards‘ Molly Parker), daughter Penny (Mina Sundwall), son Will (Max Jenkins), and adopted daughter Judy (Taylor Russell) make up the rest of the crew on which the series’ first episode focuses.
Netflix’s Lost in Space is far from an exact remake. John is an Army vet who, as the episode reveals, was more or less estranged from the rest of the Robinsons before they left together on a gigantic colony ship. Predictably, the episode uses flashbacks to continuously flesh out the main characters’ relationships, though it doesn’t overdo it. There’s plenty more family drama to unpack, which Lost in Space will no doubt do over its ten-episode first season, but for the premiere the action is mostly in the present with the family.
If this episode has a single glaring flaw, it’s an overreliance on Murphy’s Law. Anything that could possibly go wrong for the Robinsons does–and that’s after they crash on an inhospitable, icy, alien planet. One family member gets stuck in a dangerous spot with a ticking clock, and in their attempts at rescue, another plummets down a deep hole. Another breaks their leg in the crash, requiring a tricky emergency surgery.
The episode does a decent job establishing who the characters are, if not exactly why they left Earth in the first place. Will, the youngest, is unsure of himself, eager to help but not confident that he belongs there at all. Judy, the adopted daughter, is reckless and wants to prove herself useful. Her relationship with her sister, the book-loving Penny, isn’t great, but they love each other deep down. They all–especially Maureen–still harbor some resentment toward John, and the episode gives the sense they might have a good reason, though it’s not totally evident yet exactly what it is.
There are moments in Lost in Space Episode 1 where it legitimately feels like one or more of these core characters might actually be lost, whether through dying or becoming long term separated from the family. That’s testament to how well the show establishes the danger they’re in, even though you know deep down it’s unlikely one of the main characters will die in the first episode.
The show’s production value is excellent; the planet’s surface, the crashed ship, and the Robinsons’ space suits all look like they’re from a big budget sci-fi movie. That also extends to the show’s iconic robot, which in this incarnation is significantly different–and more interesting–than the original’s cheesy beep-boop companion to the Robinsons.
It’s not just that the robot is now some kind of bio-robotic alien. There are some surprising added wrinkles toward the episode’s end, especially when the show briefly turns the clock back to show exactly what happened to cause the colony ship to crash in the first place. That’s also when some of the show’s other characters are introduced, including Parker Posey’s Dr. Smith–another returning character who’s different from the original in major ways.
It all adds up to a promising start to a show that, over its previous incarnations, has ranged from campy fun to cartoonishly bad. Netflix doesn’t always knock it out of the park with its originals, but with the sheer, unbelievable number of Netflix original shows and Netflix original movies that hit the platform in a constant stream, it’s bound to have some home runs now and then. Lost in Space might be one of them.
Lost in Space‘s release date comes April 13, when all ten episodes in its first season will arrive exclusively on Netflix.
On last week’s return episode of Resident Kinevil, Mary slowly became familiar with tank controls again, only to panic and fire off WAY too many bullets in the process. Today, she attempts to reverse that fortune.
On the second episode of Resident Kinevil Code: Veronica, Mary makes her way through hazardous traps, waves of undead assassins, and plenty of zombies with seemingly indestructible knees.
To catch up on previous episode of GameSpot’s Resident Kinevil series, in which Mike Mahardy and Mary Kish are attempting to play through every Resident Evil game, you can visit the show’s page here, or its YouTube channel here.
Batman Ninja isn’t just a fascinating new take on Batman, with character designs by iconic Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki. The movie’s real fun comes from the violent collision of Batman universe gadgets and characters, over the top anime style action, and the setting of feudal Japan. These disparate elements come together in endless surprising ways, from the Batmobile speeding through the streets and alleys of historic Japanese villages, to the Joker–green hair tied back in a distinctive top knot–whipping out a minigun in the middle of a watery ship-to-ship battle.
Batman Ninja, which screened today at Wondercon 2018 in Anaheim, California, sees the Caped Crusader transported back in time to feudal Japan thanks to a time machine built by Gorilla Grodd. There’s not much more set-up than that–the time travel happens in the first minute or so, which is fine, as it gets us to the real action as quickly as possible. The cast of supporting heroes, villains, and other characters who find themselves in the past is massive, including Alfred, Catwoman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood, Robin, Grodd, Joker, Harley Quinn, Two Face, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Deathstroke, and more.
Watching these friends and foes navigate the perils of temporal displacement would be fun on its own, but there’s an added wrinkle in the fact that, through some vague time travel shenanigans, Batman arrives in the past two years later than most of the other characters. That’s given his enemies ample time to set up shop, and by the time Bruce Wayne arrives, they’ve already completely taken over feudal Japan. Joker is on top, worshipped by the common people as the “Demon King.” Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Deathstroke are all in positions of power as well, with various other character playing as wild cards throughout the movie.
Not everyone has a major part to play, and some characters barely appear as more than a cameo. Predictably, the action mostly follows Batman, Catwoman, Grodd, and Joker. And in the movie’s first half, they’re all basically up to their old tricks. Batman defeats his enemies, he gives them the benefit of the doubt, and for the millionth time, they betray him. It’s a little tiring.
But as the Bat continuously loses more and more of the modern technology he brought with him from the present, things get more interesting. An interlude around the middle changes up the animation style to beautiful, shifting watercolors, marking a shift in the story as well. Batman spends some time training with a clan of bat-worshipping ninjas, and his enemies hunker down for the final fight.
Batman Ninja is worth watching for its aesthetic alone. Okazaki’s character designs are as strong as ever, although the exaggerated female proportions on characters like Catwoman, Harley, and Poison Ivy look somewhat out of place in this setting. That doesn’t detract too much, though, and overall it’s fun simply to see how these various characters have incorporated elements of the setting into their typical costumes and disguises. Batman even briefly dresses as a visiting missionary, shaving a conspicuous bat into the top of his head. It’s ridiculous, but that’s the point–and Batman Ninja is surprisingly funny, using the clash of settings and characters for humor whenever possible.
That sense of humor does produce some unfortunately cheesy dialogue, from Batman’s “Time to settle this once and for all”–come on, Bats, no one actually thinks you’re going to finish Joker off this time around–to Selena’s pandering “Time for some girl on girl action” before a vicious fight with Harley.
The action, at least, is smooth, frenetic, and fast, not unlike Afro Samurai itself. Combatants zip through the air like demons, trading blows with lightning speed. As Batman learns the ways of the ninja, the fights only gets crazier and crazier. The final act is completely insane, pulling influences from all over anime history, from the exaggerated one-on-one combat to giant mech battles. At some point during the lengthy climactic battle, the movie ditches any attempts at maintaining even a tiny bit of realism, and the results are hilarious, awesome, and totally bizarre.
Many of the English language voice actors have played these characters before, but as a newcomer to his role, Arrested Development and Veep‘s Tony Hale takes a high-pitched and maniacal turn as the Joker. He cackles and growls in all the right ways, even showing a new (or at least, seldom seen) side of Joker for a brief stretch.
I do wish Batman Ninja spent more time with the actual people of the era, showing their perspective as demonic warlords in giant mechanized castles lay waste to their homes and villages. Besides the clan of bat ninjas, Batman Ninja doesn’t actually introduce any characters into Batman’s world–unless you count Robin’s tiny monkey sidekick–which is a shame. The fun is in seeing these familiar characters in a weird, unfamiliar, setting, but it also makes things slightly predictable, as characters like Batman and Joker never really change. And besides the aesthetic and Batman’s lack of modern technology, you don’t feel the time period as much as you might hope going in.
Still, Batman Ninja is gorgeously stylized, self aware, and heaps of fun, and Batman animation fans shouldn’t miss it.
Batman Ninja releases on digital in the US April 24, on physical media May 8, and in theaters in Japan June 15.
The Good
The Bad
Beautiful aesthetic and animation
Some cheesy dialogue
Pulls from a ton of anime influences
Some exaggerated character designs seem out of place
The next real-world event for Pokemon Go is nearly here. Niantic is hosting the third Pokemon Go Community Day this Sunday, March 25, giving players around the world a chance to earn bonuses and capture rare Pokemon, including one that may know an exclusive move.
Like previous Community Days, this month’s event will be held during a specific three-hour window, which will kick off at different times depending on where you live. In the US, the event begins at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and runs until 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET; in Europe and Africa, it runs from 10 AM – 1 PM UTC; and in the Asia-Pacific region, the event lasts from 12 PM – 3 PM JST.
During the Community Day hours, you will earn triple the normal amount of XP for every Pokemon you capture. It will also be possible to earn up to six times the usual amount of XP for catching Pokemon if you activate a Lucky Egg during the event. As an additional perk, Lure Modules will last for three hours.
The featured Pokemon for this month’s Community Day is the classic Kanto starter, Bulbasaur. The Grass-type will spawn much more frequently during the event hours. If you manage to evolve one into Venusaur before the Community Day ends, it will learn the powerful Grass-type attack Frenzy Plant. However, only Venusaur that are obtained during the event will learn Frenzy Plant, giving you only a brief window of time to get the exclusive move.
In addition to the Community Day, Pokemon Go’s Easter-themed Eggstravaganza event is now underway. From now until April 2, Pokemon that typically hatch from 5 km or 10 km Eggs, like Wynaut or Ralts, can be hatched from 2 km Eggs, and certain Pokemon like Pichu and Togepi will hatch more frequently. Every Egg that’s hatched during the event will also come with extra Candy.
Pokemon Go’s latest Legendary Pokemon, Lugia, is also still available. The Psychic-type will appear in Raid Battles until April 2, and this time around it knows the “newly improved” Flying move Sky Attack. Players will also find that Lugia is also easier to capture than it was during its initial run if they manage to bring it down.
