With all the DC news popping off recently, us comic book fans can’t can’t ever deny that Marvel always seems to have one in the chamber. While the constant speculation over “No Way Home” has been at a fever pitch since the first look at the first bits of the first trailer LEAKED on someone’s cell phone… (yes, people have been throwing theories like frisbees since then.) we now have something different look forward to. One of the best reviewed Spiderman films since 2006’s ‘Spiderman 2’, “Into The Spiderverse” put us in an entirely different pair of shoes when it came to the much loved protagonist. Instead of following Peter Parker, “Into The Spiderverse” features the newer Miles Morales version of Spiderman (among a few others). While Morales was hinted at in ‘Spiderman: Homecoming’, he was in full force in his own film, which not has an official release window, and titles. No one knew that the next Spiderman news to rock the internet would have NOTHING to do with the 2023 sequel “Across The Spiderverse” but we’re happy that it is. For those of you were are oblivious to the WONDER that was “Into The Spiderverse”, take a look at what ‘WIRED’ dug up on how the original was created.
Sony Pictures has just dropped the first trailer for Men In Black International, and it looks like a damn good time. The trailer gives us a much better idea of what to expect from the plot, as it’s revealed that Tessa Thompson’s character actually tracks down MIB after learning of the top-secret agency’s existence 20 years prior. After ingratiating herself to Agent O (Emma Thompson), she’s given the moniker Agent M and partnered up with Chris Hemsworth (H), who definitely seems to be channeling The God of Thunder from Thor: Ragnarok for this role.
Sony Pictures has released the official teaser trailer for Venom, and it really is a true teaser as we don’t actually get to see the titular antihero in all his glory. Instead, we’re greeted with a variety of action beats featuring Academy Award-nominated star Tom Hardy battling the demon from within. The footage also provides us with our first official looks at 4x Academy Award-nominee Michelle Williams, Primetime Emmy-winner Riz Ahmed, and several others, but we still don’t have an real idea as to who they’re playing.
It’s amazing how quickly the internet can be set aflame by something small, or in this case something people should who feel the need to voice their opinion should already know. The new Spider-Man is half black, half Dominican. It’s not a big deal. In Spiderman: Homecoming, when Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino mentions his “nephew that lives here” at the 2:23 mark, and that is a direct reference to Miles Morales, (who has a criminal uncle that he’s reluctantly forced to combat in the books).
The new Sony helmed, animated Spider-Man movie is much in the vein of the TMNT movie from the same animation studio, but promises to pass the torch to Miles Morales in a way that also introduces the “Spider-verse”, (a universe where Peter Parker is still alive, and all manner of amazing things still happen). Many people don’t know about this change that happened in 2011, but have been quite vocal about the new Spider-Man being of a different race. (To them I say, if you haven’t read a book since 2011, maybe get with the times… and literacy) To the writing staff personally, if you’re skinny, and black, and can do incredible things to help other people in need, who’s to complain? I enjoy it. Lets see what Sony can do with this.
Earlier this afternoon, at the Playstation Experience, Marvel Entertainment & Capcom officially announced the long-awaited fourth chapter in their long-running Marvel vs. Capcom fighting game series, titled Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. The ‘Marvel vs. Capcom’ series has led to MANY a dorm room scuffle in my day, but I’m glad that 10 years after the last outting, the franchise has returned.
The game is still in development at the moment, but it is expected to be available worldwide on the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC late 2017. Details on the lineup of playable characters and storyline weren’t provided, but the brief teaser provides a look at Captain Marvel & Iron Man facing off with Ryu and Mega Man X. We also catch a look at a mysterious figure – that looks a lot like Ultron – sitting in the dark.
When a film titled ‘Sausage Party’ was announced last year, many a good folk on the internet thought it was a joke. Not only just the name, but the simple premise of an animated film that was NOT for children at all, was something that hadn’t particularly been conceived of before. As the green-band, and red-band trailers began to surface, the hype grew in circles of youth who enjoyed films like ‘Superbad’ and ‘Neighbors’, and upon it’s release it will definitely satisfy those audiences. Once again, this is not a film for children… or grandparents.
That being said, the niche of crass, inappropriate joke loving, 20-to-30-something’s that are excited for this film will not be disappointed. The film is far, far, far more intense than even the red-band trailers would suggest. This movie, as a comedy is unique because the characters themselves are in most cases “the joke”. You can’t know or show anything about the primary antagonist in the film, because it would take away from some of the best jokes in the movie. So the trailers leave out quite a bit, which is a relief.
The things that can be said however, may seem negative, but the audience this movie is directed at, will not mind at all. ‘Sausage Party’ is wonderfully, beautifully, hilariously, and horribly racist, sexist, and any other “ist” you can shake a sausage at. Arabic, Jewish, Black, White, LGBT, Nazi, drug addict, and Native American jokes are only the tip of the iceberg. I sat down with a fellow press writer, and we discovered that the ONLY people who were left out of the food fight of controversial jokes, were Russians and Buddhists, this film should have been NC-17, not R rated. Aside from that, there isn’t a classification of individuals who doesn’t get a stereotypical joke thrown at them… even the people from the great state of New Jersey get their dose of put downs.
However, the brunt of the film focuses on religion in a way that’s eloquently woven into the plot. The film’s protagonists start off viewing humans as gods (and even open the film with quite the interesting song about it). And throughout the movie, the message of “Don’t worship everything you hear about” is reoccurs often. The one thing that is also impressively touched upon, is “If peoples views don’t align with yours, you should respect that, and not harbor hatred towards them”, which I personally feel is quite the positive message.
In terms of negative points, the film struggles with being dated easily, from the music, to the popular cultural references, to some of the language. In 5 years it will be easy to see how much this movie has aged. Many of the best jokes are for shock factor, meaning after you see it once, there may be little see as humorous on a second watch. There is also one particular scene towards the end of the film, where it felt like Seth Rogan and the writers, just decided to throw everything at the wall at once to see how many people they could make uncomfortable. It literally had people asking “what the hell am I watching?”, which is not exactly the response you want from trying to push the envelope. (Believe me, you will know that scene when you see it)
‘Sausage Party’ on the whole is quite the unique and original movie, which is extremely refreshing. With nods to films like ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Terminator 2’, ‘The Matrix’, and ‘Stargate’, there are no ends to jokes that (the age range this movie is aimed at) will appreciate. From the surprises, to the genuinely broad sense of humor, this movie is worth checking out if you have a strong stomach, and have enjoyed the trailers.
The Magnificent Seven is a remake that some people don’t want, however, getting a better look at this second trailer makes all of our writers think folks should wait before making judgment.
Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ and Columbia Pictures’ The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
Will Smith will always be known as an acting juggernaut, more than capable of bringing in a crowd regardless of the film. Some of his ventures have been hit or miss (Winter’s Tale, Jersey Girl, Legend of Bagger Vance) but over all, he’s capable of playing incredibly memorable, and powerful characters, and ‘Concussion’ continues that tradition. Dr. Bennet Omalu discovered a connection between football injuries and brain damage in the early 2000’s, and was met with an incredible amount of resistance by both scientists and the NLF. From the opening scene of the film when Bennet Omalu lists off his academic accolades, the entire movie theater was impressed. And Will Smith does a great job filling the shoes of a brilliant doctor.
The most notable factor about the character of Dr. Omalu is his Nigerian accent. Accents haven’t been Will Smith’s strongest suit (After Earth for example), but even though his accent in ‘Concussion’ does waver in and out, it’s not enough to take you out of the film… (like in After Earth). Oddly enough the accents are one of the only weak points of the film. Alec Baldwin’s Dr. Julian Bailes has an odd wavering southern accent at certain parts of his sentences, and the rest seems like regular Baldwin. This however is NOT to discredit his incredible acting in the film. After 30 Rock, Baldwin can be hard to take seriously because of the show playing his dry, straight faced humor as his strongest card. ‘Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation’ is filled with seriously played lines from Baldwin that the audience took as a joke because it sounded like a 30 Rock line. ‘Concussion’ however jumps this hurdle, and Baldwin’s character Bailes comes across as a deeply conflicted, emotionally dignified character who belongs on screen next to Smith.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who was amazing in Under The Lights) plays Prema Mutiso, Omalu’s room mate/love interest. To her credit, she does very well with what she’s given, her acting is superb, and every motivational speech, or heart breaking moment she goes through feels real, and substantial. That being said, Prema is a nurse dating a doctor, and didn’t seem to lend much help to the medical plot points of the film. At certain points in the movie it was almost as if she was there simply to have things explained to her, so that the audience would understand. Case in point: when Will Smith demonstrates a brain in a skull by showing her a peach in a jar half filled with water, and shakes it around. (She’s a nurse, I’m fairly certain she knows how a concussion works.)
As for the film itself, there are a few more humorous moments than one would expect from a film with such serious subject matter. There are many deliberately awkward moments between Omalu and any of the other characters that serve as good humor, and the film balances this well with darker moments that even drew a few gasps from the crowd. ‘Concussion’ has a unique way of making its point using real NLF footage. Even from the opening monologue from “Iron Mike Webster” (played brilliantly by David Morse) the movie intercuts with highlight reels, and gives the film a much more visceral feel. There are even moments of police footage that are used to astonishing effect. Smith’s character even uses dialog to illustrate his point in graphic manor, describing men “being hit in the head with sledge hammers” or “pouring wet concrete down a sink” relative to choking a brain.
The overall writing in the film is also superb, and doesn’t seek to demonize the NLF, but simply demonstrate that certain individuals within its ranks would do whatever it took to keep the league unshakeable. There are lines like “You’re going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the WEEK… The same one that the Church used to own.” that demonstrate the gravity of Omalu’s plight. Omalu even has a few very stirring lines of his own, including the now famous trailer scene “When I was a boy, Heaven was here, and America was here [just below]” (which I’ve read was an actual quote from the real Dr. Omalu).
All in all, the film comes from a great true story about helping people, and not being afraid to speak the truth. The conclusion of the film may not be as satisfying as some movie-goers may want, however, it’s the way things work when it comes to real life. ‘Concussion is very well written, and treats its characters like real people. There is no general antagonist just counting money in the NLF offices doing evil things to keep people down, every character seems conflicted in their motivations, and has reason for feelings the way they feel. The doctors, and scientists especially, rely on facts and evidence before making decisions, and sometimes even state that although they may dislike Omalu, and his reasoning, or his motivations, they cannot deny the scientific evidence… which is the way REAL scientists behave.
The emotional moments in the film (especially a break down, beautifully acted by Will Smith) all have weight, and resonate with the audience. Some cast members shine brighter than others however. On the high scale, David Morse as Mike Webster was shockingly strong, and on the other hand Luke Wilson as the NLF commissioner was barely even in the film. ANY person with hair could have played that role. There are one or two scenes that may not fit into the film, like an awkward club scene that was just there to give Nina Sky some more royalties, but as a whole, ‘Concussion’ delivers as a heartwarming story of a person who will not stand for letting the truth be unheard. I definitely recommend it this christmas.
An animated movie these days just isn’t complete without some cute baby characters, and The Angry Birds Movie is no exception. Rovio and Sony Pictures have debuted our first look at the the adorable Hatchlings as they (attempt to) sing “Deck the Halls” to get us in the Christmas spirit. The main trio of Angry Birds will be led by Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers) as Red, a bird with a temper, with Josh Gad (Frozen) as the speedy Chuck, and Danny McBride (This is the End, “Eastbound & Down”) voicing the volatile Bomb.
Since early last year (2014) I’ve been “helping out” with some sound design aspects of Spectre, and since the original teaser trailer 2 months ago, I’ve loved seeing more compiled secenes of the film in action. Earlier today the full trailer was released, and it is amazing. There is a seeming return to Bond and Q discussing gadgets, (as well as an odd reference to Bond ‘disappearing’, which may be attributed to the coming departure of Sam Mendez from the franchise). However, this new trailer finally gives us some action, car chases, Christoph Waltz’s villain, Dave Butista, Daniel Craigh seemingly blowing up a building in Mexico, and Bond undressing Monica Bellucci. (Something I’ve wanted to do for some time now.) Check the method below, and go see ‘Spectre’ in November.
This new console concept designed by Peter Difrancesco, titled Carbon, addresses the direct correlation between people playing video games isolated in their bedroom and an increase in the number of people suffering from social anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. In essence, it makes it easier for people to “go” to their friends houses to play… without actually having to go anywhere.
It works as a cloud streaming service that allows the controller to be the portal to access your games at home, connect to a screen and interact with friends using physical connections such as heart rate monitors and cameras within the device. Simply bring a controller to your friends house and then connect to any app-capable device, or non-app device using the HDMI dongle. This reduces the number of items you need to bring to play with friends and improves game play over portable gaming devices on the market by working on a streaming based system.
The built in heart rate monitors in the controller provide optional feedback through your friends controller so they can sense your fear, excitement, or anger when they have just beaten you. It also tracks your face whilst playing and then allows you to pop up on their screen with a short message as and when you choose using the camera button on the front of the controller.
During my brief time working with Sony, I’ve had to marvelous opportunity to see some of the best work put out under their umbrella. My closer friends know my particular connection with this movie, but now that it’s been officially released, I’m proud to present the first teaser trailer for Spectre… the 24th adventure in the James Bond series.
Marvel and Sony have announced a partnership that will officially bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The deal calls for “the new Spider-Man” (as the press release describes him) to first appear in an upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film – though which film that will be is not named. Spider-Man will then star in his own new film, released by Sony, opening July 28th, 2017, which will be produced by Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, who just stepped down as co-chairman of Sony.
The press release notes that Feige and Pascal “will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger.” Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films, though Feige’s involvement as a producer seems to indicate Marvel is heavily involved in the films now.
Fans will also be happy to hear that Marvel and Sony “are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films,” which would indicate when Spider-Man gets his own solo films again, he’ll still likely be able to interact with MCU characters he’ll be seen with in the Marvel/Disney-distributed films.
During the Sony hacks late last year, leaked emails revealed conversations between Marvel and Sony about this possibility that ultimately didn’t come to fruition. At the time, it was said the plan was for Spider-Man to be introduced into the MCU in Captain America: Civil War. That film will begin production soon, so it remains to be seen if Spider-Man will be included there or if his debut is saved for a different MCU film.
The announcement and Pascal’s involvement comes in the same week it was revealed she would be stepping down from her co-chairman position, in the wake of those hacks. In the press release, Feige praises Pascal, stating, “I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie. Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”
For those wondering if there’s any possibility of a different person – say Miles Morales – behind the Spider-Man mask this time, Sony’s Doug Belgrad’s statement puts an end to that speculation. Says Belgrad, “Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future.” Says Sony’s Michael Lynton, of the long hoped-for deal, “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”
Some people love looking at x-ray images, there’s just something about seeing the inner anatomy of bodies that fascinates the mind. The images pictured in this post are somewhat of a re-imagination of the innards of technology. At first glance I’m sure they appeared somewhat grotesque, but thats because the insides are based off human parts. Crazy concept, better execution. Check the method.
Examining the ins and outs of Sony’s QX100, the camera experts at DigitalRev bring us their latest review. The hybrid camera-lens is intended for use with a mobile phone, and does represent a new niche in the market, however may not be specialized enough for photography purists. Connecting wirelessly via a Sony app seems to contribute inherent lag issues to the newfangled device, while the review also touches on shortcomings with the app interface. To it’s credit, the device does boast a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens, 3.6x optical zoom resulting in crisp photos and videos.
Sony has teamed up with British photographer and filmmaker Ryan Hopkinson to produce a commercial which pushes the technology and understanding of their latest smartphone – the Sony Xperia Z. Working alongside creative technology consultants Hirsch & Mann and fashion designer Christopher Raeburn, Hopkinson’s short film crosses the boundaries of art, fashion and technology by utilising custom software, bespoke apps and a wireless control system. The main “bullet time” rig is the first in the world to be made up entirely of smartphones, with over 100 Xperia Z’s spiralling above and below a catwalk.
After a considerable delay from its slated late 2012 release date, the 6K Red Dragon sensor is finally ready — and it seems to have been worth the wait. The first test footage (after the break) has come from cinematographer and Red booster Mark Toia, who stress-tested it in difficult conditions like high contrast daylight and dark night scenes. Afterwards, he said the camera has three more f-stops of dynamic range than the MX-equipped Epic and thinks the new sensor brings the “best highlight falloff I’ve ever seen from any digital camera,” including Sony’s $65,000 CineAlta F65 4K model. Though Red put on a show of upgrading Epic and Epic-X cameras with Dragon earlier this spring, the company recently said that deliveries would start in September. Meanwhile, Dragon equipped cameras are in the hands of other notable DPs and directors too, like Peter Jackson, Michael Bay and Darius Woski — meaning you can likely expect a deluge of Dragon eye-candy over the coming weeks.
While most of us are still discovering the value of tablets versus laptops, the next-gen is already thinking about blurring the lines between smartphones and tablets. This is the Pocket Tablet Concept(which is a happy marriage between a smartphone and a tablet) was created by Patrik Eriksson. The device combines emerging technology like the flexible OLED screen that folds out to give it the tablet edge. And of course the pocket size is the other advantage that can be harped upon.
Sony’s latest revelation came just a day after it announced measures to avert another cyberattack like that which hit its PlayStation Network two weeks ago. The Japanese electronics company said its Sony Online Entertainment PC games network had been hacked on April 18, but did not find out about the breach until the early hours of Monday and shut down the service shortly afterwards. The breach may also have led to the theft of 10,700 direct debit records from customers in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain and 12,700 non-U.S. credit or debit card numbers, it said. PS3 players, BE WARNED.
Today in Tokyo, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announced the next generation portable entertainment system (codename: NGP). NGP will make its debut at the end of the 2011, but here’s everything you need to know right now. The screen uses a multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) display at 960×544 resolution that can display as many as 16 million colors. The front of the NGP features dual analog sticks, a camera, built-in stereo speakers and a built-in microphone. The rear of the device has a multi-touch pad and a camera. The NGP will be able to connect to the internet and the PlayStation Store using Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Sony announced they are developing games based on a number of franchises including Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, Call of Duty, Resistance, Killzone and WipEout. Kazuo Hirai, head of Sony’s gaming division, did not release a price or if the release plans for the machine during a news conference at a Tokyo hotel on Thursday. Also announced was the PlayStation Suite. This new initiative by Sony will provide the opportunity to enjoy PlayStation content on Android based mobile phones, smart phones and tablet PCs. A selection of PS one Classics and new content will be available from the Suite. All content available in the Suite will also be able to be played on the NGP.
Key NGP features:
Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
Dual analog sticks
Two cameras (front and rear)
Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
PlayStation Network access, including ““LiveArea™”, “Near” and “Activity” log features Trophy Support
NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.
Our present need for internet connectivity is so profound that secondary devices like the Nextep Computer are bound to happen. Developed to be worn as a bracelet, this computer concept is constructed out of a flexible OLED touchscreen, much like the flexible screen I reported on earlier. Earmarked for the year 2020, features like a holographic projector (for a screen), pull-out extra keyboard panels and social networking compatibility, make the concept plausible. Ten years from now is not too far away, so how many of you think we’d be buying such gadgets?
Check the video from Gamepro. (And that is NOT me inside the bubble)
Sony recently unveiled their ‘Playstation Move’. Essentially its the Nintendo Wii in the gym… with a protein shake… on steroids… with the combined strength of every Power Ranger… after eating Mister T… and Vin Diesel. Click the picture for an exclusive video from Gamepro.
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