We were all expecting Thanos to be the big bad in Avengers 2 but suddenly that doesn’t seem to be the case. Holy shit.
Vin Diesel: Marvel News At The End of This Month
I was reluctant to post about this but I’m finding it more and more intriguing.
Continue reading “Vin Diesel: Marvel News At The End of This Month”
Awesome: Batman vs Superman Is Happening
In his packed San Diego Comic Con panel, *Man Of Steel* director Zack Snider brought the house down this afternoon by announcing that the *MOS* sequel will feature Batman. Here’s the symbol that got the crowds going:
As if that were not enough, he then brought out actor Harry Lennix to read out the following lines:
I want you to remember, Clark…in all the years to come…in your most private moments…I want you to remember…my hand…at your throat…I want…you to remember…the one man who beat you.
In Frank Miller’s amazing graphic novel *Dark Knight Returns*, Batman has an epic fight against Superman and the above speech is from the final moments. It’s considered one of the standout stories in both franchises, so this could be very exciting indeed.
*Via [io9](http://io9.com/theyre-doing-a-superman-batman-movie-but-thats-not-851711013)*
Awesome: Tomb Raider Comic Writer Mentions Game Sequel
Some great news out of San Diego Comic Con. In the middle of an interview with [Kotaku’s Evan Narcisse](http://kotaku.com/a-new-tomb-raider-comic-shows-whats-next-for-lara-crof-838044972), the writer of the new Tomb Raider comic, Gail Simone, dropped this delicious bombshell:
Kotaku: When does this series take place with respect to the events of the new game? Will this still be a new Lara who’s just starting out as an adventurer?
Simone: Very much so, we start just a few weeks after the end of the game, and this is all in continuity, it will be Tomb Raider canon, and lead DIRECTLY into the sequel. This is what got me excited; we get to be part of Lara Croft history.
The sequel. This is terrific news – as the comic (due out in 2014) is canon, it’s a certainty that Simone would have knowledge of Square Enix’s future plans with the franchise. After the first game was deemed “disappointing” in regard to sales, it seemed like a direct sequel might not happen, but this sounds much more concrete.
*Tomb Raider* is an amazing adventure game that is not only faithful to the legacy but improves on it massively. It’s currently my favourite game of 2013, so more of the same would make me very happy indeed.
*Interview and picture from [Kotaku](http://kotaku.com/)*
Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch Greet ComicCon
The Sherlock panel at ComicCon happened yesterday and by all accounts it was quite a bit of fun if light on the news. The highlight may be this video that stars Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch sent in to greet the attendees (they are off filming in New Zealand and couldn’t attend in person).
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Mel Gibson Confirmed as Villain for Expendables 3?
It’s been a rumour for a long time that Mel Gibson might join the cast of The Expendables franchise, and at this point how many more old man action stars are left to cast? Anyway, Sylvester Stallone seems to have confirmed that Gibson will be the bad guy in the next installment of the franchise with a not so subtle tweet
[Twitch gives us the heads up](http://twitchfilm.com/2013/07/mel-gibson-confirmed-as-expendables-3-villain.html)
Mad Max vs Barney Ross……
— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) July 16, 2013
Say what you will about Mr. Gibson but remember that this is the guy who played Mad Max, William Wallace and Ben Martin and a host of other crazy-just-under-the-surface and completely-when-pushed characters. Plus, again, old man action star, so it seems like it might be a good fit.
Expendables 1 was pretty bad and Expendables 2 was so bad it was good, so here’s hoping Expendables 3 follows on from 2 when it comes out in August 2014.
Awesome: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Premiere Date
Good news everyone! Agents of S.h.I.E.L.D. now has a release date. We’ve known it was going to be on Tuesday’s for a while but now [thanks to Collider](http://collider.com/abc-fall-2013-premiere-dates-agents-of-shield/) we know that it’ll be 24th September when the show hits the airwaves.
What’s interesting too is that it looks like the show is going to anchor Tuesdays on ABC, there aren’t any big name shows returning that night. In fact, all four shows are new. Looks like ABC is placing a lot of confidence in the Marvel universe and after The Avengers made all the money and then Iron Man 3 made the rest, can you really blame them?
So mark your calendars folks! We’ll be recapping the premiere at least!
Awesome: Sam Mendes Returning for Bond 24
There was some doubt, but he’s now locked to return.
Continue reading “Awesome: Sam Mendes Returning for Bond 24”
Forza Horizon: Back To The Tarmac
My Maserati is silver-grey with a blood red stripe running from its beautiful head down to the nape of its back. With the accelerator pushed hard against the carpeted floor it makes the sound of a dozen screaming harpies. It fights gravity until the rubber melts into tarmac and pushes me forward, turning fences and faces into warping blurs. The perfect corner is part total mechanical control, part gamble that the lip of my fender will slip effortlessly past the barrier just inches away as the chassis rolls into position for the outward curve. Get it wrong and the jarring shutter of failure crunches and frustrates, time piling on to ruin dreams of slicing away personal records. Get it right, though, and the mercury flow of movement is just sheer bliss. Oh, I don’t own a Maserati, but I drive one, just not on the gridded streets of Vancouver. Or any physical streets, really. She – *of course it’s a “she”* – exists purely within my save file for *Forza Motorsport 3*, nestled deep within the digital confines of my Xbox 360, and will remain there until the day a certain disk gives me the chance to take her for a spin again.
Awesome: Original Boba Fett Costume Screen Test
Before Boba Fett was a bounty hunter, he was going to be a “super trooper”, basically an advanced Storm Trooper and his costume was going to be white.
Here’s a look at the screen test for that original costume.
Continue reading “Awesome: Original Boba Fett Costume Screen Test”
Not Awesome: New Camero for Bumblebee in Transformers 4
Transformers 4 is supposedly part reboot, part sequel. Don’t ask me how that works. In fact, don’t ask me how anything works in a Michael Bay film.
Anyway, a new image of Bumblebee has been released and it’s a brand new Camero Concept. Let’s take a look.
Continue reading “Not Awesome: New Camero for Bumblebee in Transformers 4”
Awesome: Pixar to Scale Back on Sequels
Pixar has produced 14 movies to date. of the first ten, 9 were original. Of the most recent four, 3 were based on existing material. I love me some Pixar but you can count me as one of the folks who prefer their original works to their sequels, mostly because I almost always prefer original works to sequels.
In an interview with Buzzfeed Pixar president Ed Catmull has now announced that they are going to focus on original pictures rather than sequels.
Michael Bay Reveals Another Transformer for Transformers 4
Michael Bay has unveiled another new vehicle that’ll be starring in Transformers 4!
Continue reading “Michael Bay Reveals Another Transformer for Transformers 4”
World War Z’s Original, Better Ending
If you read [my review of World War Z](https://awesomefriday.ca/2013/06/review-world-war-z/) you know that the story makes sense but that there are some confusing things about it. A lot of that is due to large portions of the film being rewritten and reshot, including the entire third act.
[Movies.com has posted a synopsis of the original ending](http://www.movies.com/movie-news/world-war-z-original-ending/12638) which I feel would have been better, but it’s so freaking bleak I’m not surprised that it got changed.
Major spoilers to follow, so if you haven’t seen the movie and you want to see the movie maybe stop reading here.
Review: Remember Me (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
I’ve been trying to write the first sentence of this review for twelve hours. The best I could come up with was something about how storytelling in video games can often be forgotten in favour of violent set-pieces or the need to polish multiplayer. How I’m sick of the eye-rolling from all quarters when I eulogise about how video games are as valid a medium for a *great story* as books or movies. How important it is to then balance the story with the actual playing mechanics.
I wanted to tell you how disappointed I am with *Remember Me*, the first game from Dontnod, published by Capcom. How the immaculate world of future Neo-Paris that is painted with such detail, and the science fiction story that takes a concept and has the confidence to fully explore its implications, exacerbate the failings in combat design and even basic play testing. I wanted to warn you off, to advise waiting for the bargain bin and leave you with a sense of initial impressiveness leading to final frustration.
The trouble is, I’m just completely split – a day after completion – on how I *feel* about it. Amidst all the combat repetition and flakiness in the final third, there’s *something* about this game that has really resonated.
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