Media Watcher

Facebook Games Are Losing Popularity

2012-02-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

Many have reckoned "this is it!" and that Facebook will change the course of video games online. As per new study, this is NOT now the case.

MCV reports that IHS Screen Digest Media Research found that from the end of 2010 through 2011, gaming on social media declined 50 percent.

"Facebook rocketed to prominence as a gaming platform in 2009 and 2010. However, with equal speed, the market then settled into a state of maturity in 2011, with conditions becoming markedly more challenging for game operators." -IHS senior analyst Steve Bailey stated.

Several factors can be causing the decline. New members registering, 'cos mostly everyone is already a member. The social gaming boom that saw its rise on Facebook is now available on other forms of gadgets and media, such as smart phones, which translates to other platforms that Facebook games now compete with.

IHS also believes that the overall popularity of casual games is on the wane, and gamers in that space are now looking for tougher, more skill-based challenges. The study does, however, note: "Undoubtedly, Facebook will remain a powerful player within the gaming landscape, but it’s now part of an emerging multichannel, cross-platform approach to connected gaming."

In conclusion, Facebook isn't completely vanishing into thin air. At least not yet. Well, let's see then...

PSA: Modern Warfare 3 Elite DLC on PS3

2012-02-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

The Call of Duty Elite "Content Season" begins for PS3 owners today, with the release of the "Piazza" and "Liberation" maps for Modern Warfare 3. You'll be able to download the maps today whenever the PlayStation Store updates.

For more information about the maps, you can consult the trailer above. Or, you know, ask anyone with an Xbox 360.

iPad 3 March Release, Maybe Faster & Smaller

2012-02-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

There have been rumors circulating that Apple will be releasing the next iPad 3 which will debut on March 7. This time around it will be 4G ready, and it will be available through Verizon and AT&T. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. What excites Apple fanatics is that Apple is testing a smaller, 8-inch iPad to compete with Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire. The smaller iPad would also come at a lower price than Apple's standard 10-inch model.

The iPad 3 is rumored to have 2048-by-1536-pixel Retina display, a quad-core A6 processor and 4G LTE networking. The system-on-a-chip A6 would double the power of the iPad 2's A5 dual-core processor.

Faster iPad

A 4G iPad could make a big difference in performance. Add the A6 quad-core processor and the device turns into a speedboat.

"Both AT&T's and Verizon's LTE networks have shown that they are capable of some very high data speeds -- speeds of 20 Mbps to 40 Mbps are not that unusual," Allen Nogee, principal analyst for wireless technology at In-Stat, told MacNewsWorld. "These speeds are more than adequate for an iPad, a device that runs quite well on a 2- 4 Mbps WiFi home network. An iPad will run fine on LTE."

Better iCloud Fit

Another reason 4G would make sense for the iPad 3 is the compatibility it offers for those using the iCloud. At 3G speeds, the iCloud is stormy weather.

iPad Be Smaller?

Rumors of an 8-inch iPad are nothing new. A smaller form factor would help Apple counter Amazon's popular Kindle Fire, and that may be the biggest reason it's likely to turn up now.

There may also be economic reasons to support an 8-inch iPad. "A smaller form-factor would be less expensive," Nogee pointed out, "and easier for wireless operators to subsidize."

Avatar's Sam Worthington Stars on “Man on a Ledge” - 2012 Movie

2012-02-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

Man on a Ledge is an upcoming 2012 thriller movie directed by Asger Leth,
starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris.

A cop who was framed for criminal activity and feels like there's no more reason to live. Urged by his suicidal tendency, threaten to commit suicide by jumping from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The nearest New York Police officer immediately responds to a screaming women and calls dispatch. More Officers arrive with swat and tactical command along with FDNY. The NYPD then dispatches a female police psychologist personally requested to talk him down from the ledge. Elizabeth Banks plays the negotiator who tries to talk him out of it. However, unknown to the NYPD on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover up for the biggest diamond heist ever pulled. The question is, will he jump from the ledge or calm down? Be ready to journey on a roller coaster ride of many twists and turns and see what happens!

This is Worthington's new movie flick. Avatar's Sam Worthinton will star on "Man on a Ledge", a 2012 movie which will be released on 13th of January next year.

Samuel Henry J. "Sam" Worthington (born 2 August 1976) is an English-born Australian actor. Worthington became famous and gain Hollywood's attention by playing the role of Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation (2009) and the lead role as Jake Sully in James Cameron's science fiction/fantasy film Avatar (2009).

Final Fantasy XIII-2: The Search for Lightning

2011-09-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

"Why does mankind defy its fate?"
—Tagline

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII, a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. It takes place three years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, and depicts the story of Serah's search for her missing sister. Final Fantasy XIII-2 revolves around the search for Lightning, Serah's sister, in a world trying to rebuild after the fall of Cocoon.

It was announced at the "Square Enix 1st Production Department Premiere" event on January 18, 2011 and is set to be released in December 2011 in Japan and in January 2012 for the rest of the world on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Like the first installment, the game will be directed by Motomu Toriyama. The game's battle system will be evolved from Final Fantasy XIII.

Famitsu’s latest issue has a Final Fantasy XIII-2 feature where they reveal a few new details to tide us over. Here’s a summary of all the new information they reveal:

Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be appearing one disc on Xbox 360. This is in stark contrast to the original which was released on three. Toriyama claims that this is all due to the increased use of real time cutscenes but it’s quite likely the game itself being shorter, also played a large part.

Hope is aged 24 in the TGS trailer making him 10 years older than he appears in FFXIII. XIII-2 takes place 3 years after the original if you’re trying to keep up with the time travelling. He’s now the head of a scientific investigation group of some sort.

Caius (Kaias) has an evil influence over both Valhalla and the regular world which may explain why the black smoke emanating from Lightning in the trailer is called Chaos. Yeul (Yuru) is the silver haired girl travelling with Caius.

The game will never penalize you for you for missing Quick Times. Completing them however will gain you something.

Like Final Fantasy X, you will be able to switch party members on the fly. This means that the party leader dying will no longer be game over.

Noel’s memories are cloudy due to the result of a time paradox.

The game will include Easy Mode from launch this time.

Alternative costumes will also be available and will be visible in cutscenes as well as gameplay.

The Crystarium system will not be capped like it was in XIII. Instead, it will be fully unlocked from the beginning and won’t rely on story progression to let you continue.

source: Nova Crystallis

Facebook Changes Layout Again, Going Under the Knife!

2011-09-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Knowing where to click and what to click is a powerful aspect on the Internet or on any online interfaces/applications. It's called familiarity. Users want to know where things fit on the screen. Improvements -- no matter how helpful -- often provoke some resistance.

Facebook users, again, experienced a major update on Wednesday. The News Feed that displays other users' status updates has been changed to show real-time news or updates from friends. It is now tailored to how often a user visits the site. Updates are now ranked by factors that allow users to mark certain posts as top stories instead of simply displaying the most recent news.

Facebook is being accused of nabbing these changes from Google+, though Savage thinks that won't cause a big stir among users. I find Google+ more organized and precise, and Google is also its own brand.

The updated news feed will list stories based on how recently a user has visited. If a user has not logged on for some time, the top stories will include highlights of older stories.

Also, the new Subscribe button, which allows users to decide how many updates they want to receive from a friend. Facebook photo thumbnails are displayed in a much larger form than before.

Although the update has only been live for a few hours, many users are voicing annoyance that the site has again altered the interface to which they'd grown familiar. This has also been the case with past Facebook updates.

Facebook did not respond to a request for commentary given by E-Commerce Times.

While Facebook has been criticized for imitating Google+ with the new update, the two sites remain significantly differently products.

The Rise of Windows 8 Poses A Problem for Apps Developers

2011-09-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, as planned, will arrive on both tablets and traditional PCs, yet poses a big problem to developers entailing that they may have a lot of work ahead of them if they want their apps to run on both kinds of systems (old OS and Win 8). Different kinds of processors and different types of user interfaces may make for a complicated learning curve.

Over half a million copies of the developer preview of Windows 8 have been downloaded, according to Microsoft. The tablet versions of Windows 8 apps will be built for the OS's Metro user interface, and the Metro version of the Internet Explorer browser will not include Flash or other plug-ins. Further, they will run on devices powered by ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) processors, while the desktop version of Windows 8 will run on x86 PCs. That means developers will have to create two versions of Windows 8 apps if they want them to run across the two different platforms which entails that the rise of Windows 8 poses a problem for apps developers.

The lack of Flash support in Metro will not be a problem because "Windows apps today do not use Flash; they're written in native languages on Windows," Hilwa said.

Their fear was that they'd have to abandon Visual Basic, .NET, Silverlight and other languages with which they'd learned to create apps in for Windows.

The question of whether or not applications created for the x86 platform can run on ARM devices led to a row between Microsoft and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) back in May.

Announcing Windows 8 last Tuesday, Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows Division, had stated that apps developed for Windows 8 would run on both x86 and ARM platforms, and demonstrated that it was easy to convert desktop apps to Metro apps.

PlayStation Network Account Info Hacked for 77 Million Users

2011-05-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

By The Associated Press Posted 1:47PM 05/01/11

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/l6FuUS

Sony executives bowed in apology Sunday for a security breach in the company's PlayStation Network that caused the loss of personal data of some 77 million accounts on the online service.

"We deeply apologize for the inconvenience we have caused," said Kazuo Hirai, chief of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation video game unit, who was among the three executives who bowed for several seconds at the company's Tokyo headquarters in the traditional style of a Japanese apology.

Hirai said parts of the service would be back this week and that the company would beef up security measures. But he and other executives acknowledged that not enough had been done in security precautions, and promised that the company's network services were under a basic review to prevent a recurrence.

Hirai said the FBI and other authorities had been contacted to start an investigation into what the company called "a criminal cyber attack" on Sony's data center in San Diego, California.

Sony said account information, including names, birth dates, email addresses and log-in information, was compromised for players using its PlayStation Network. Hirai asked all users to change their passwords.

Hirai reiterated what the company said last week - that even though it had no direct evidence the data were even taken, it cannot rule out the possibility.

He said data from 10 million credit cards were believed to be involved, and that Sony still does not know whether information was stolen.

Hirai said Sony suspected it was under attack by hackers starting April 17.

According to Sony, of the 77 million PlayStation Network accounts, about 36 million are in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Americas, while 32 million are in Europe and 9 million in Asia, mostly in Japan.

He said the service was shut down to prevent damage, and that time was needed to find out what had happened and who was responsible.

U.S. lawmakers have sent a letter to Hirai demanding answers by May 6 about the security breach and Sony's response.

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/l6FuUS

October 2010 Movies-To-Watch Guide 3/4

2010-09-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

PREVIOUS

October 15

- Carlos (NY)[Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: IFC Films
Director: Olivier Assayas
Screenwriter: Olivier Assayas, Dan Franck
Starring: Édgar Ramírez
Genre: Drama, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: IFCFilms.com

Plot Summary: From the acclaimed director of "Irma Vep" and "Summer Hours," Olivier Assayas, comes an explosive new work of astonishing scope; an epic portrayal of the notorious revolutionary and terrorist, Carlos (played by Edgar Ramirez in the breakthrough performance of the year). A sensational hit of the Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals, "Carlos" is a exciting, sexy, globe-spanning ride through the life of one of the most enigmatic, violent and fascinating personas of the 20th century. Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, for two decades, was one of the most wanted terrorists on the planet. Between 1974 and 1994, he lived several lives under various pseudonyms, weaving his way through the complexities of international politics of the period. Known to the world as Carlos the Jackal, his resume of violent revolutionary acts led to notoriety of the most extreme kind.

- Conviction (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Tony Goldwyn
Screenwriter: Pamela Gray
Starring: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, Clea DuVall, Juliette Lewis, Loren Dean
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for language and some violent images)
Official Website: FoxSearchlight.com/Conviction

Plot Summary: "Conviction" is the inspirational true story of a sister's unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty Anne Waters' (two-time Academy® Award winner Hilary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pours through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo), meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother - and her quest for the truth - pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny.

- Down Terrace (NY) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Magnet Releasing (Magnolia Pictures)
Director: Ben Wheatley
Screenwriter: Robin Hill, Ben Wheatley
Starring: Bob Hill, Robin Hill, Julia Deakin, Sara Dee, Mark Kempner, Kali Peacock, Kerry Peacock, David Schaal, Michael Smiley, Gareth Tunley, Tony Way
Genre: Dark Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for violence, pervasive language and some drug use)
Official Website: DownTerrace.com

Plot Summary: Father and son Bill and Karl (real life father and son Bob and Robin Hill) have just been released from jail free and clear, but all is not well at Down Terrace. Patriarchs of a small crime family, their business is plagued with infighting. Karl has had more than he can take of his old man's philosophizing and preaching, and Bill thinks Karl's dedication to the family is seriously compromised when he takes up with an estranged girlfriend who claims to be carrying his baby. To make matters worse, there's an unidentified informant in their midst that could send them all to prison for a very long time, and none of their associates can be trusted.

- Gerrymandering (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Not Available
Director: Jeff Reichert
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Howard Dean, Gray Davis, Pete Wilson, John Tanner, Ed Rollins, John Fund
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: GerrymanderingMovie.com/

Plot Summary: Right now, across the country, our two major political parties are gearing up for a once-a-decade war whose winner will control Congress for the next ten years, and possibly more. There will be battles in every state, and each will be kept carefully hidden from the prying eyes of average voters who only become more disenchanted with their government with each meaningless election. Democrats and Republicans collude to keep these skirmishes private so that they can maintain total control over the ultimate political weapon: the ability to directly determine the outcome of elections. Why bother stuffing ballots when they can just draw districts? With special focus on efforts led by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to reform the redistricting process in California, "Gerrymandering" exposes the most effective form of manipulating elections short of outright fraud. After the 2010 Census is finished, will you know where your district went?

- Hereafter (NY, LA, Toronto; wide: Oct. 22) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Starring: Matt Damon, Cecile de France, Frankie McLaren, George McLaren, Jay Mohr, Bryce Dallas Howard
Genre: Supernatural Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language)
Official Website: Hereafter-themovie.com

Plot Summary: "Hereafter" tells the story of three people who are touched by death in different ways. George (Matt Damon) is a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (Cecile De France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus, a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might--or must--exist in the hereafter.

- Jackass 3D [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Jackassmovie.com

Plot Summary: The 3D sequel will shoot in Knob Lick, Kentucky, Mianus, Connecticut, Fukang, China, Buttzville, New Jersey and Gayville, South Dakota.

- Red [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Director: Robert Schwentke
Screenwriter: Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Mary-Louise Parker, Brian Cox, Julian McMahon, Richard Dreyfuss
Genre: Action, Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language)
Official Website: Red-themovie.com

Plot Summary: Based on the cult D.C. Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, "Red" is an explosive action-comedy starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren.

Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA's top agents – but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history.

- Samson and Delilah (NY, LA) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Indiepix
Director: Warwick Thornton
Screenwriter: Warwick Thornton
Starring: Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson
Genre: Drama, Romance
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: SamsonandDelilahmovie.com

Plot Summary: Samson and Delilah's world is small – an isolated community in the Central Australian desert. When tragedy strikes they turn their backs on home and embark on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted and alone they discover that life isn't always fair, but love never judges.

October 22

- The Company Men (NY, LA; expands: Oct. 29) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Director: John Wells
Screenwriter: John Wells
Starring: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Rosemarie DeWitt, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for language and brief nudity)
Official Website: CompanyMenmovie.com

Plot Summary: Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is living the American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers.

Bobby soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a job building houses for his brother-in-law (Kevin Costner) which does not play to his executive skill set, and perhaps the realization that there is more to life than chasing the bigger, better deal. With humor, pathos, and keen observation, writer-director John Wells (the creator of "ER") introduces us to the new realities of American life.

- Inhale (NY) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: IFC Films
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Screenwriter: Walter Doty, John Claflin
Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Diane Kruger, Sam Shepard, Vincent Perez, Rosanna Arquette, Jordi Molla
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: Every day, rising Santa Fe District Attorney Paul Chaney (Dermot Mulroney) and his wife, Diane (Diane Kruger), wait for word that there’s a donor for their daughter, Chloe. Diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition, Chloe is on a long list to receive a double lung transplant. As her health worsens, Paul becomes desperate to save his young child... so desperate that he'll risk everything to organize an operation.

When Paul learns of a Dr. Novarro who performs illegal transplants in Juarez, Mexico, he heads south in a frantic search for the only man who may be able to save Chloe. But after arriving, he realizes Dr. Novarro's medical ring runs deeper into a criminal underworld than he realized and people are not who they seem to be. With his career, family and his daughter's life on the line, Paul finds himself at a critical crossroads, left to decide what is really "right" in this world.

- Kalamity (NY)Studio: Original 4 Releasing [Watch Movie Trailer]
Director: James M. Hausler
Screenwriter: James M. Hausler
Starring: Nick Stahl, Jonathan Jackson, Christopher M. Clark, Beau Garrett, Robert Forster, Alona Tal
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for pervasive language including sexual references, and some violent content)
Official Website: Kalamitymovie.com

Plot Summary: Haunted by memories of his ex-girlfriend Alice (Beau Garrett), a heartbroken Billy (Nick Stahl) returns home to Northern Virginia seeking solace from old friends. But what he finds there is more disconcerting than comforting: his best friend Stanley (Jonathan Jackson) has become unstable, mysterious, and withdrawn from those around him. Billy teams up with another old friend, Stanley’s roommate Christian (Christopher M. Clark), to find out what’s going on, and as they probe Stanley’s recent activities, their friend’s behavior seems more and more bizarre and frightening. The discovery of blood-stained evidence among Stanley’s possessions pulls them deeper into their friend’s nightmare—and eventually leads to a violent confrontation that not everyone will survive.

- Paranormal Activity 2 [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Kip Williams
Screenwriter: Michael R. Perry
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Drama, Supernatural Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Paranormalmovie.com

Plot Summary: Made for about $15,000, "Paranormal Activity" became a box office sensation as it earned $151 million worldwide. Similar to "Paranormal Activity", the second film is presented in the style of found footage from the camera set up to capture what is haunting the residents. However, little has been known about the plot for the upcoming horror since the official synopsis has not been released yet.

"Paranormal Activity 2" is made as the follow-up to "Paranormal Activity" which is nominated for "best first feature" in the Independent Spirit Awards 2009. The first film follows a young couple who is haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. Tod Williams directs "Paranormal Activity 2", replacing Oren Peli who now serves a producer alongside Jason Blum. Following the warm reception of the predecessor, the upcoming film will get wide release in the U.S. on October 22.

- Punching the Clown (NY) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Viens Films, L.L.C.
Director: Gregori Viens
Screenwriter: Henry Phillips, Gregori Viens
Starring: Henry Phillips, Ellen Ratner, Matthew Walker, Wade Kelley, Audrey Siegel, Evan Arnold, Mik Scriba, Mark Cohen, Guilford Adams
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: PunchingtheClownmovie.com

Plot Summary: Winner of the Audience Award at the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival, this uproarious and smart new comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fundraiser, he decides he's hit rock bottom.

Seeking to shake things up, he moves to L.A. where his luck changes overnight. Thanks less to his inept manager than to a wild case of mistaken identity, he falls backwards into a string of packed gigs, a record deal and even the promise of love. But he who lives by the whimsy of show business dies by it, and reality hits him like a fist in the face: an innocent miscommunication over a bagel starts a vicious rumor about him in the tabloids. Luckily, somewhere between rock bottom and the middle of nowhere lies the perfect terrain for his dark and hilarious songs.

- Rising Stars (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Screen Media Ventures
Director: Daniel Millican
Screenwriter: Daniel Millican
Starring: Fisher Stevens, Barry Corbin, Catherine Mary Stewart, Graham Patrick Martin, Kyle Riabk, Leon Thomas III, Jessie Payo
Genre: Drama, Family
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: RisingStarsthemovie.com

Plot Summary: "Rising Stars" features performances by veteran actors, Fisher Stevens ("The Flamingo Kid," "Short Circuit," "Hackers," "Awake"), Barry Corbin ("War Games," "Urban Cowboy," "No Country for Old Men") and Catherine Mary Stewart ("Weekend at Bernie's," "The Girl Next Door"). They are joined by a talented group of up-and-coming young actor/musicians, which include Graham Patrick Martin ("The Girl Next Door," "The Bill Engvall Show," "iCarly," "Jonas"), Kyle Riabko ("Limelight," The National Tour of 'Spring Awakening', The Broadway Production of 'Hair'), Leon Thomas III ("August Rush," "Victorious," "iCarly") and Jessie Payo, a former member of pop duo Jupiter Rising whose music has been featured on MTV's "The Hills" and "The City." "Rising Stars" also features a dramatic performance by Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling Contemporary Christian recording artist, Rebecca St. James.

- The Taqwacores (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Strand Releasing
Director: Eyad Zahar
Screenwriter: Eyad Zahar, Michael Muhammad Knight
Starring: Bobby Naderi, Noureen DeWulf
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: Yusef is a first-generation Pakistani-American engineering student who moves off-campus with a group of Muslim punks in Buffalo, New York. His new "un-orthodox" housemates soon introduce him to Taqwacore – a hardcore, Muslim punk rock scene. As the seasons change, Taqwacore influences the house more and more. The living room becomes a mosque during the day, while it continues to host punk shows at night. Ultimately, Yusef begins to challenge his own faith and ideologies. A powerful and original story of punk Islam in the USA and the discovery of oneself within the confines of religion.

MOVIE TRAILERS:

Carlos Trailer

Conviction Trailer

Down Terrace Trailer

Gerrymandering Trailer

Hereafter Trailer

Jackass 3D Trailer

Red Trailer

Samson And Delilah Trailer

The Company Men Trailer

Inhale Trailer

Kalamity Trailer

Paranormal Activity 2 Trailer

Punching The Clown Trailer

Rising Stars Trailer

The Taqwacores Trailer

October 2010 Movies-To-Watch Guide 2/4

2010-09-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

PREVIOUS

NEXT

October 8

- As Good as Dead (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: First Look Studios
Director: Jonathan Mossek
Screenwriter: Jonathan Mossek, Erez Mossek, Eve Pomerance
Starring: Andie Macdowell, Cary Elwes, Brian Cox, Frank Whaley, Matt Dallas, Jess Wexler, Laura Harring
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: "As Good as Dead" stars Elwes as Ethan, a left-wing extremist who goes on the run after killing the reverend (Cox) behind a white supremacist group. MacDowell plays the widow who hunts him down with two redneck accomplices (Frank Whaley, Matt Dallas). Jess Wexler plays Ethan's estranged wife, and Laura Harring plays his neighbor.

- Cherry (limited; expands: Oct. 15) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Abramorama
Director: Jeffrey Fine
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Fine
Starring: Kyle Gallner, Laura Allen, Britt Robertson, Esai Morales, Matt Walsh, DC Pierson, Zosia Mamet
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: "Cherry" tells the story of Aaron (Kyle Gallner), a bright but sheltered freshman embarking on a new Ivy League education and all that it entails. But life turns out to be more complicated than dorm parties, freshman co-eds and the college’' elite engineering program when Aaron meets Linda (Laura Allen), a former wild-child, and her punky, sarcastic teenage daughter, Beth (Britt Robertson). Aaron, caught between his feelings for Linda and Beth's feelings for him, begins to learn that life can be more complicated than any engineering equation.

- I Spit On Your Grave: Unrated (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Anchor Bay Films
Director: Steven R. Monroe
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Sarah Butler, Rodney Eastman, Jeff Branson, Daniel Franzese, Chad Lindberg, Andrew Howard
Genre: Horror
MPAA Rating: R (for pervasive strong sadistic brutal violence, rape and torture, nudity and language)
Official Website: ISpitonYourGravemovie.com

Plot Summary: A remake of the controversial 1979 cult classic, "I Spit on Your Grave" retells the horrific tale of writer Jennifer Hills, who takes a retreat from the city to a charming cabin in the woods to start on her next book. But Jennifer's presence in the small town attracts the attention of a few morally deprived locals led who set out one night to teach this city girl a lesson.

They break into her cabin to scare her. However, what starts out as terrifying acts of humiliation and intimidation, quickly and uncontrollably escalates into a night of physical abuse and torturous assault. But before they can kill her, Jennifer sacrifices her broken and beaten body to a raging river that washes her away.

As time passes, the men slowly stop searching for her body and try to go back to life as usual. But that isn't about to happen. Against all odds, Jennifer Hills survived her ordeal. Now, with hell bent vengeance, Jennifer's sole purpose is to turn the tables on these animals and to inflict upon them every horrifying and torturous moment they carried out on her... only much, much worse.

- Inside Job (NY; LA release: Oct. 15) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Charles Ferguson
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some drug and sex-related material)
Official Website: InsideJobfilm.com

Plot Summary: From Academy Award® nominated filmmaker, Charles Ferguson ("No End in Sight"), comes "Inside Job," the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, "Inside Job" traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia. Narrated by Academy Award® winner Matt Damon, "Inside Job" was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China.

- It's a Wonderful Afterlife (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: UTV Communications
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Screenwriter: Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges
Starring: Zoë Wanamaker, Goldy Notay, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Sally Hawkins, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Shaheen Khan, Jimi Mistry, Zoe Wanamaker, Mark Addy
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for drug content and comic violent images)
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Shaun of the Dead" meet in this charming and fun comedy romp about an Indian mother taking her obsession with marriage into frighteningly funny territory. Mrs Sethi, a widow, can't bear the thought of her daughter being alone and unhappy. Okay, she's a little plump and opinionated... but she would make a great wife for some lucky man, if only she were given a chance. When Mrs Sethi can no longer stomach the rudeness of families who refuse her daughter, she takes matters into her own hands with the only way she knows...

Suddenly a police hunt begins for a serial murderer who cooks a killer curry. Mrs Sethi doesn't feel too guilty until the spirits of her victims come back to haunt her as they are unable to be reincarnated until their murderer dies. Mrs Sethi has no problem killing herself – she'll get to see her dead husband again – but how can she go before her daughter is married? The spirits realize that helping Mrs Sethi’s daughter find a suitable husband before the police catch her is their only chance for a wonderful afterlife. It's a big bloody wedding and a comic feast which takes the phrase 'I could murder a curry' to hysterical new heights.

- It's Kind of a Funny Story (NY, LA) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Focus Features
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Screenwriter: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Viola Davis, Zoe Kravitz, Aasif Mandvi, Lauren Graham, Jim Gaffigan
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic issues, sexual content, drug material and language)
Official Website: ItsKindofaFunnyStorymovie.com

Plot Summary: What's a 16-year-old boy doing playing music and table tennis with adult psychiatric patients – on a school day? It's kind of a funny story... "It's Kind of a Funny Story," adapted from Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel of the same name, is the new comedy-drama from acclaimed writer/directors Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden. It's @5:00 AM on a Sunday in Brooklyn. Craig Gilner (played by Keir Gilchrist of "United States of Tara") is bicycling up to the entrance of a mental health clinic; this bright 16-year-old is stressed out from the demands of being a teenager. Before his parents (Lauren Graham [of "Parenthood"] and Jim Gaffigan [of "Away We Go"]) and younger sister are even awake, Craig checks himself into Argenon Hospital and is admitted by a psychiatrist. But the youth ward is temporarily closed – so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis of "The Hangover"), soon becomes both Craig's mentor and protégé. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old displaced to the adult ward, the sensitive Noelle (Emma Roberts of the upcoming "Scream 4"), who just might make him forget his longtime unrequited crush Nia (Zoë Kravitz of the upcoming "Mad Max"). With a minimum five days' stay imposed on him by the adult ward's staff psychiatrist Dr. Eden Minerva (Academy Award nominee Viola Davis), Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up.

- Letters to Father Jacob (NY; LA release: Oct. 15) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Olive Films
Director: Klaus Haro
Screenwriter: Klaus Haro
Starring: Kaarina Hazard, Heikki Nousiainen
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: "Letters to Father Jacob" is a warm-hearted and touching story of Leila, a prisoner who was sentenced to life, but who has just been pardoned. When she is released from prison, she is given a job at a secluded parsonage; she moves there against her will. Leila is used to taking care only of herself, so trouble is to be expected when she starts working as the personal assistant for Jacob, the blind priest living in the parsonage.

Every day the mail man brings letters from people asking for help from Father Jacob. Answering the letters is Jacob's life mission, while Leila thinks it's useless. Leila has already decided to leave the parsonage, but when the letters suddenly stop coming Jacob's life is shaken to its foundation. Two completely different lives are intertwined unexpectedly, and the roles of the helper and the one being helped are turned upside down.

- Life As We Know It [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Greg Berlanti
Screenwriter: Ian Deitchman, Kristin Rusk Robinson
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Christina Hendricks, Hayes MacArthur
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual material, language and some drug content)
Official Website: LifeAsWeKnowItmovie.com

Plot Summary: Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) is an up-and-coming caterer and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) is a promising network sports director. After a disastrous first date, the only thing they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter, Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in the world, Holly and Messer are forced to put their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they'll have to find some common ground while living under one roof.

- Marwencol (NY; LA release: Nov. 12) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: The Cinema Guild
Director: Jeff Malmberg
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Marwencol.com

Plot Summary: On April 8, 2000, Mark Hogancamp was brutally attacked by five men in his hometown of Kingston, New York. The assault left the ex-navyman, carpenter, and showroom designer in a coma for nine days; he emerged with brain damage that initially made it impossible for him to walk, eat, or speak. Physical and occupational therapy helped him regain basic motor skills, but after less than a year he discovered that without insurance, he could no longer afford it. Determined "not to let those five guys win," Hogancamp turned to art as a therapeutic tool. He revisited his childhood hobbies of collecting toy soldiers and building and painting models. Commandeering a pile of scrap wood left behind by a contractor, he constructed "Marwencol," a fictional Belgian town built to one-sixth scale in his backyard. He populated it with military figurines and Barbie dolls representing World War II personages like Patton and Hitler as well as stand-ins for himself, his friends, and his family. Finally, he dusted off an old camera and used it to capture staged events ranging from pitched battles between occupying German and American forces to catfights in the town bar.

- My Soul to Take (3D/2D theaters) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Rogue Pictures
Director: Wes Craven
Screenwriter: Wes Craven
Starring: Max Thieriot, John Magaro, Emily Meade, Nick Lashaway, Denzel Whitaker, Shareeka Epps, Paulina Olszyinski, Raul Esparza
Genre: Suspense Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: IAmRogue.com/MySoultoTake

Plot Summary: Wes Craven ("A Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Hills Have Eyes," "Scream" series) brings audiences his latest suspense thriller with "My Soul to Take." In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.

Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thieriot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that's returned, he must face an evil that won't rest... until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.

- Nowhere Boy [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Director: Sam Taylor-Wood
Screenwriter: Matt Greenhalgh
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Thomas Sangster, David Morrissey, Anne-Marie Duff
Genre: Biography, Drama, Musical
MPAA Rating: R (for language and a scene of sexuality)

Plot Summary: Imagine... John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year-old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned-up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock n' roll where his fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney. Just as John begins his new life, tragedy strikes. But a resilient young man finds his voice - and an icon explodes into the world.

- Rachel (NY) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Women Make Movies
Director: Simone Bitton
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: "Rachel" is a startlingly rigorous, fascinating and deeply moving investigatory documentary that examines the death of peace activist and International Solidarity Movement (ISM) member Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. A few weeks after her little-reported death, an inquiry by Israeli military police concluded that Corrie died in an accident. Simone Bitton (WALL), an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is a citizen of both France and Israel, has crafted a dispassionate but devastating essay investigating the circumstances of Rachel Corrie’s death. The region, already torn apart by decades of conflict, is divided on who is responsible for Rachel’s death.

The film begins like a classic documentary, but soon develops, transcending its subject and establishing a candid new visual approach for bearing witness. With understated cinematic techniques, Bitton captures the spirit of Rachel's youth, idealism, and political commitment amidst sweeping landscapes of Gaza and a portrait of daily life in an atmosphere of military aggression.

- Secretariat [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Randall Wallace
Screenwriter: Mike Rich
Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, Scott Glenn, Dylan Baker, Margo Martindale, Nelsan Ellis, Otto Thorwarth, Fred Thompson, AJ Michalka, Kevin Connolly, Eric Lange, James Cromwell
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG (for brief mild language)
Official Website: Disney.com/Secretariat

Plot Summary: Based on the remarkable true story, "Secretariat" chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery--with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)--manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

- Stone (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Overture Films
Director: John Curran
Screenwriter: Angus MacLachlan
Starring: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich, Frances Conroy
Genre: Drama, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for strong sexuality and violence, and pervasive language)
Official Website: Stonemovie.com

Plot Summary: Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro and Oscar® nominee Edward Norton deliver powerful performances as a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate whose lives become dangerously intertwined in Stone, a thought-provoking drama directed by John Curran ("The Painted Veil," "We Don't Live Here Anymore") and written by Angus McLachlan ("Junebug"). As parole officer Jack Mabry (De Niro) counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Norton), in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both. Stone skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. The film's superb ensemble features Milla Jovovich ("The Fifth Element") as Lucetta, Stone's sexy, casually amoral wife, and Golden Globe® winner Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under") as Madylyn, Jack's devout, long-suffering spouse. Set against the quiet desperation of an economically ravaged community and the stifling brutality of a maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled pasts to face uncertain futures.

- Tamara Drewe (NY, LA) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Stephen Frears
Screenwriter: Moira Buffini
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Dominic Cooper, Roger Allam, Luke Evans, Bill Camp, Tamsin Greig
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: R (for language and some sexuality)
Official Website: TamaraDrewemovie.com

Plot Summary: A live-action feature adaptation of Posy Simmonds' acclaimed graphic novel "Tamara Drewe."

Gemma Arterton ("Quantum of Solace," upcoming "Clash of the Titans" and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time") will play Drewe, a sexy flirt who returns to her small country village and stirs up dark passions among the locals. Simmonds' novel, itself a collection of comic strips she first published in U.K. newspaper the Guardian, is a modern reimagining of Thomas Hardy's classic novel "Far From the Madding Crowd."

VIDEO TRAILERS:

As Good As Dead Trailer

Cherry Trailer

I Spit On Your Grave Trailer

Inside Job Trailer

It's A Wonderful Afterlife Trailer

It's Kind of a Funny Story Trailer

Letters to Father Jacob Trailer

Life As We Know It Trailer

Marwencol Trailer

My Soul To Take Trailer

Nowhere Boy Trailer

Rachel Trailer

Secretariat Trailer

Stone Trailer

Tamara Drewe Trailer

October 2010 Movies-To-Watch Guide 1/4

2010-09-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

NEXT

October 1

- Barry Munday (LA, SF) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Director: Chris D'Arienzo
Screenwriter: Chris D'Arienzo
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer, Chloë Sevigny, Jean Smart, Cybill Shepherd, Shea Whigham, Missi Pyle
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for sexual content and language)
Official Website: BarryMundayfilm.com

Plot Summary: Barry Munday, a suburban wanna-be ladies man, wakes up in the hospital after being attacked in a movie theater, only to realize that he is missing one of his most prized possessions... his testicles. To make matters worse, Barry learns he's facing a paternity lawsuit filed by a woman he can't remember having sex with. With this being Barry last chance to ever be a father, Barry reaches out and embraces the journey of parenthood and the onslaught of bumps that face him along the way. Filled with an ensemble of unusual characters, "Barry Munday" is the surprisingly heart-warming tale of a guy who finds it took losing his manhood to be a better man.

- Case 39 [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Paramount Vantage
Director: Christian Alvart
Screenwriter: Ray Wright
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Kerry O'Malley, Callum Keith Rennie, Adrian Lester, Georgia Craig, Cynthia Stevenson
Genre: Horror
MPAA Rating: R (for violence and terror, including disturbing images)
Official Website: Case39movie.com

Plot Summary: In "Case 39," family services social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) thinks she has seen it all... until she meets 10-year old Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) and the child's cruel and dangerous parents. Her worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to harm Lily, their only daughter. Frightened for her life, Emily enlists the help of Detective Mike Barron (Ian McShane) and takes Lily in while she continues the search for the perfect foster family. Just as it seems as though Lily is on her way to a more loving home, under the guidance of Emily and psychiatrist (Bradley Cooper), dark forces surrounding this young girl come to light and, little do they know, their attempts to protect her will only bring on greater horror...

- Cash Crop (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Sierra Films
Director: Adam Ross
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Adam Ross
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: CashCropmovie.com

Plot Summary: Take a road trip into the heart of the Emerald Triangle, a geographical region where marijuana is grown in lush and pungent abundance, where it is the number-one cash crop, and where (in some places) it is the mainstay of the local rural economy. In what savage region can you find this wicked lawless place – California. The Emerald Triangle begins more or less in Sonoma County and goes up (so to speak) from there. In some of these regions you can hear people say, "If it weren't for medical marijuana, people wouldn't be able to live here. There would be no local economy otherwise." And you hear this: "The lumber industry is shutting down. The real economy now is marijuana." These are some of the people you meet in "Cash Crop."

- Chain Letter (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: New Films International
Director: Deon Taylor
Screenwriter: Deon Taylor, Michael J. Pagan
Starring: Nikki Reed, Noah Segan, Keith David, Betsy Russell, Michael Bailey Smith, Clifton Powell, Matthew Cohen, Cody Kasch, Michael J. Pagan, Cherilyn Wilson
Genre: Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for strong, bloody, sadistic violence throughout, language and brief nudity)
Official Website: ChainLetterthemovie.com

Plot Summary: When high school senior Jessie Campbell (Nikki Reed) and her tight-knit group of friends begin to receive a series of foreboding email chain letters, they have no idea the terror that awaits them. With a warning that if they break the chain, they will lose a life, the seemingly harmless email turns deadly when one-by-one the friends that do not forward the chain letter are hunted down and gruesomely killed by horror's newest villain, the Chain Man. A terrifying horror film that will leave audiences wondering if modern technology is really as safe as we think it is, "Chain Letter" was directed by Deon Taylor and written by Taylor and Michael J. Pagan.

- Douchebag (NY; LA release: Oct. 8) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Paladin
Director: Drake Doremus
Screenwriter: Andrew Dickler, Drake Doremus, Jonathan Schwartz, Lindsay Stidham
Starring: Andrew Dickler, Ben York Jones, Marguerite Moreau, Nicole Vicius, Amy Ferguson, Wendi McLendon-Covey
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Douchebagmovie.com

Plot Summary: Sam (Andrew Dickler) is a few days away from marrying Steph (Marguerite Moreau), a beautiful woman who is madly in love with him. Everything is going well - just a few, final arrangements need to be made - but Steph simply doesn't understand why Sam's only brother, Tom, (Ben York Jones ) is not coming to the wedding. When she takes it upon herself to surprise Sam by picking Tom up and driving him down for the event, the estranged brothers find themselves under the same roof for the first time in years, unprepared to confront whatever it was that drove them apart in the first place. Since Tom has no date for the wedding, Sam decides they should hit the road to find Tom's former flame. The problem is, he hasn't seen her since the fifth grade. What ensues is a riotous road trip that starts off as Tom's search for his old girlfriend, but ends up as Sam's search for a last taste of freedom before he settles down for good.

- Freakonomics (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Director: Alex Gibney, Morgan Spurlock, Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Eugene Jarecki, Seth Gordon
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Not Available
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for elements of violence, sexuality/nudity, drugs, and brief strong language)
Official Website: MagPictures.com/Freakonomics

Plot Summary: "Freakonomics" is the highly anticipated film version of the phenomenally bestselling book about incentives-based thinking by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Like the book, the film examines human behavior with provocative and sometimes hilarious case studies, bringing together a dream team of filmmakers responsible for some of the most acclaimed and entertaining documentaries in recent years: Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," "Casino Jack and the United States of Money"), Academy Award® nominees Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing ("Jesus Camp"), Academy Award® nominee Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me"), Eugene Jarecki ("Why We Fight") and Seth Gordon ("The King of Kong").

- Hatchet II (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Director: Adam Green
Screenwriter: Adam Green
Starring: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, A.J. Bowen, Tom Holland, R.A. Mihailoff, Tony Todd, Alexis Peters, Parry Shen, Kathryn Fiore
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Hatchet2.com

Plot Summary: The follow-up to Adam Green's 2007 slasher film. Harris now slips into the shoes of Marybeth, who escapes from the clutches of Victor Crowley and learns the truth about his curse. She heads back into the haunted New Orleans swamp to seek revenge for her family and kill Victor Crowley once and for all...

- Hot Summer Days (NY; LA release: Oct. 8) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Fox International Productions
Director: Tony Chan, Wing Shya
Screenwriter: Tony Chan, Lucretia Ho
Starring: Jacky Cheung, Nicholas Tse, René Liu, Vivian Hsu, Angelababy, Da S (Barbie Hsu), Duan Yihong, Fu Xinbo, Jing Boran, Daniel Wu, Michelle, Gordon Liu, Conroy Chan, Joey Yung, Chen Chien-Chou, Jan Lamb
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Not Available

Plot Summary: During Hong Kong's hottest summer on record, seven stories crisscross, magically intertwining and affecting each other: A chauffeur and a foot masseuse romance through text messages, unaware of each other's identities; an innocent factory girl asks her admirer to stand outside in the heat for 100 days to prove his love; a sushi chef prepares the perfect meal so that the food critic he loves will stay with him forever; a blinded photographer must locate the beautiful model he insulted; an old man desperately searches for an antique light bulb for the shrine of his late wife and each night an air conditioner repairman challenges a mystery girl to a road race. Intense temperature sparks intense emotions and the fates of these couples are tested when a blackout spreads across Hong Kong and the city falls into chaos.

- Ip Man (limited) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Well Go USA, Variance Films
Director: Wilson Yip
Screenwriter: Edmond Wong
Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Xiong Dai-lin, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, History
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: IPmanMovie-us.com

Plot Summary: Ip Man is the award winning film adaptation about the life story of Ip Man, the grand master of the Wing Chun style of kung fu and sifu (master) of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. Set in Foshan, China, during the Sino Japanese War, Ip Man vividly brings to life the brutality of the infamous Japanese occupation, where once proud men are forced to fight till their death for a precious bag of rice. Defined by courage and humility, one man rises to the fore, Grandmaster Ip Man (Donnie Yen), whose matchless fighting skills are revered all over China. Upon refusing to teach his beloved fighting art to the invading Japanese soldiers, he is forced to fight for the honor of his country in a series of battles that will culminate in a kill or be killed showdown with General Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) Japan’s greatest fighter.

- Leaving (NY, LA; expands: Oct. 8) [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: IFC Films
Director: Catherine Corsini
Screenwriter: Catherine Corsini
Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sergi Lopez, Yvan Attal
Genre: Drama, Romance
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: IFCFilms.com

Plot Summary: A riveting new drama by the prolific French filmmaker Catherine Corsini, "Leaving" stars Oscar-nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as a woman prepared to abandon everything in pursuit of passion. A success with critics and audiences alike at the Toronto and Seattle film festivals, this elegantly told tale of intrigue is not to be missed. Kristin Scott Thomas is Suzanne, the bourgeois wife of a successful doctor, Samuel (Yvan Attal), living together with their children in the south of France. Weighted down by a thrill-less lifestyle and a stale marriage, Suzanne falls for the handsome young Ivan (Sergi Lopez), an immigrant ex-con working on their property. Their affair is passionate, but Suzanne is wracked by guilt. When she confesses to her husband, his retaliation begins an ugly turn of events.

- Let Me In [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Overture Films
Director: Matt Reeves
Screenwriter: Matt Reeves
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono, Sasha Barrese
Genre: Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation)
Official Website: HelpMe.net

Plot Summary: "Let Me In" tells a terrifying tale about an alienated 12-year old boy named Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who is viciously bullied by his classmates and neglected by his divorcing parents. Achingly lonely, Owen spends his days plotting revenge on his middle school tormentors and his evenings spying on the other inhabitants of his apartment complex. His only friend is his new neighbor Abby (Chloe Moretz), an eerily self-possessed young girl who lives next door with her silent father (Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins). A frail, troubled child about Owen's age, Abby emerges from her heavily curtained apartment only at night and always barefoot, seemingly immune to the bitter winter elements. Recognizing a fellow outcast, Owen opens up to her and before long, the two have formed a unique bond.

- The Social Network [Watch Movie Trailer]
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: David Fincher
Screenwriter: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Joe Mazzello, Rashida Jones, Rooney Mara, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Brenda Song
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language)
Official Website: 500MillionFriends.com

Plot Summary: On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. From director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin comes "The Social Network," a film that proves you don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, and Ceán Chaffin and based on the book "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich.

VIDEO TRAILERS:

Case 39 Trailer

Source: Paramount Vantage

August 20, 2010

Barry Munday Trailer

Source:ComingSoon

March 3, 2010

Chain Letter Trailer

Douchebag Trailer

Freakonomics Trailer

Hatchet II Trailer

Hot Summer Days Trailer

Cash Crop Trailer

The Social Network Trailer

Let Me In Trailer

Leaving Trailer

Ip Man Trailer

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty > Unlockables & Cheats

2010-09-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

How to Unlock StarCraft 2's Secret Mission

Spoiler Alert

Some of you may have even completed the Campaign Mode, only to find that your mission log reads 25/26 missions completed. Wondering where that last mission is?

Access to this mission takes place about 75% of the way through the game, so, although we'll do our best not to reveal anything story-wise, there are potential spoilers associated with this. If you don't want a single thing about SC2's campaign spoiled, stop reading now.

In the mission called "Media Blitz," you're in control of the massive war machine Odin. You can either perform this during the opening few minutes, or if you're careful and can keep Odin alive, use it once your base is established. Send Odin past the first little Dominion-controlled base on the bottom right, and turn right before you reach the first communication tower.

Following that road, you'll eventually come across an odd-looking building labeled as being under the control of "Korhal Citizens," although your mini-map indicates it is enemy-controlled. Send your units to "attack" the building (right-clicking won't do). It crumbles and reveals a glowing item called "Secret Documents." When you collect this, it unlocks a secret mission that plays a lot like the hero missions of Warcraft III. It is also awesome.

You need to do this before you go to Char, or before you complete the campaign, because you need access to the Star Map in order to access the unlocked mission.

StarCraft 2 Cheats

To enter one of the following cheats, press the ENTER key during gameplay and type the cheat into the box that appears. Press ENTER again to commit to the cheat. Note that activating a cheat—any cheat—will forever taint your game and prevent you from earning Achievements.

God Mode

terribleterribledamage

Units Don't Cost Resources

moredotsmoredots

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty > Multiplayer Video Guides from IGN

2010-09-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Video links will open in a new tab or window.

StarCraft 2 Multiplayer Strategies by IGN

Basebuilding
Unit Management
Special Attacks
Exploting Weaknesses
Battle Tactics

StarCraft 2 Mastery Tutorials by TheThinkingGamer

10 Basics to Mastering the Game
Micro-management, Part 1 of 2
Micro-management, Part 2 of 2
Mastering Hot Keys, Grid by Grid
Advanced Hot-Keys Tutorial
Unit Grouping Tutorial

StarCraft 2 Scouting & Tactical Tutorials by TheThinkingGamer

Protoss Scouting (Multiplayer)
Terran Scouting (Multiplayer)
Zerg Scouting (Multiplayer)
Harassment w/ Terran Reaper (1-vs-1)
Auto Casting & Unit Automation
Research & Upgrades - Terran Campaign

Duke Nukem Forever (PC) To Be Released on 2011

2010-09-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Developer: Gearbox Software 3D Realms

Publisher: 2K Games

Genre: Shooter

Release Date: "When it's done" ... in 2011 (US)

Release Date: "When it's done" ... in 2011 (UK)

Release Date: "When it's done" ... in 2011 (AU)

RP-M+ for Rating Pending

It's taken 13 years, tens of millions of dollars, and a couple lawsuits, but the videogame that created the Vaporware Award is finally, officially on its way. Publisher 2K Games and developer Gearbox Software announced this afternoon at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle that the Chinese Democracy of videogames, Duke Nukem Forever, is complete and will ship early next year.

We've been following the rumor the game would make its debut at PAX Prime for a month, but given Duke Forever's joke-worthy development cycle, we vowed not to believe it until we saw it. Well, today we saw it. Gearbox studio head Randy Pitchford debuted the Duke Nukem Forever trailer and PAX attendees were given hands-on time with the game. Seriously.

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's totally real. It's really happening," Pitchford said before explaining how Gearbox got involved with the project: "I broke into the industry at 3D Realms, and I witnessed firsthand how the guys there put their hearts and minds into it. When Duke got into trouble, we wanted to help. We couldn't let the Duke die. We wanted to deliver the game that was supposed to be."

Pitchford said Gearbox, of Borderlands fame, got involved with finishing Forever in late 2009. The game is now in the "polishing stages" and is set to ship as a multiplatform title in early 2011.

We'll have the trailer up as soon as it becomes available. All hail the king, baby.

Pitchford's presentation just happened, so we don't have many specifics. We did get an over-the-shoulder look at the game in action during the hands-on, and it looks tight. Duke was dual wielding some heavy weaponry as he took on what appeared to be an enormous alien boss. We'll keep you posted.

VIDEO:

More Duke Nukem Forever Videos

MORE PHOTOS from GameSpy.com:

May 12, 2009

Quarter 3 of 2010 PC Game Release Dates

2010-09-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Game	Platform	Genre	Release Date
House M.D.	PC	Simulation	September 13, 2010
Painkiller Pandemonium	PC	Shooter	September 14, 2010
Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz	PC	Simulation	September 14, 2010
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures	PC		September 15, 2010
Lionheart: Kings' Crusade	PC	Strategy	September 17, 2010
Sid Meier's Civilization V	PC	Strategy	September 21, 2010
Sid Meier's Civilization V (Special Edition)	PC	Strategy	September 21, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Online (Collector's Edition)	PC	RPG	September 22, 2010
Sims 3: Barnacle Bay, The	Mac	Simulation	September 23 , 2010
Sims 3: Barnacle Bay, The	PC	Simulation	September 23, 2010
Darksiders	PC	Action	September 24, 2010
Lost Horizon	PC	Adventure	September 24, 2010
Battle VS Chess	PC	Board	September 28, 2010
Dead Rising 2	PC	Action Adventure	September 28, 2010
Front Mission Evolved	PC	Shooter	September 28, 2010
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light	PC	Action Adventure	September 28, 2010
SBK X: Superbike World Championship	PC	Racing	September 28, 2010
Blade Kitten	PC	Action	September 2010
Company of Heroes Online	PC	Strategy	September 2010
F1 2010	PC	Racing	September 2010
MorphX	PC	Action Adventure	September 2010
4 Elements II	PC	Puzzle	Q3 2010
Alter Ego	PC	Adventure	Q3 2010
BioShock 2: Minerva's Den	PC	Shooter	Q3 2010
Blacklight: Tango Down	PC	Shooter	Q3 2010
Bloody Good Time	PC	Action	Q3 2010
Borderlands: Claptrap's New Robot Revolution	PC	Action RPG	September 2010
Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles 2	PC	Puzzle	Q3 2010
Challenge Me: Word Puzzles	PC	Puzzle	Q3 2010
Combat Mission: Afghanistan	PC	Strategy	Q3 2010
Dungeon Bandits: Siege of The Revenant	PC	RPG	Q3 2010
Dungeon Defenders	PC	Strategy	Q3 2010
Dwarfs	PC	Strategy	Q3 2010
Final Fantasy XI: Vision of Abyssea	PC	RPG	Q3 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Online	PC	RPG	September 30, 2010
Grace's Quest to Catch an Art Thief	PC	Adventure	Q3 2010
Jade Rousseau: The Secret Revelations -- Episode #1: The Fall of Sant' Antonio	PC		September 2010
King Arthur: The Saxons	PC	Strategy	Q3 2010
King Arthur: The Welsh	PC	Strategy	Q3 2010
King's Bounty: Crossworlds	PC	RPG	Q3 2010

Horror Movie this September, "Devil"

2010-09-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

"Four strangers trapped, one of them is not what they seem."

Release Date: September 17, 2010
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: John Erick Dowdle, Drew Dowdle
Screenwriter: Brian Nelson
Starring: Chris Messina, Geoffrey Arend, Logan Marshall-Green, Bojana Novakovic, Jenny O'Hara, Bokeem Woodbine, Jacob Vargas
Genre: Supernatural, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for violence and disturbing images, thematic material and some language including sexual references)
Official Website: TheNightChronicles.com/Devil
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available

Plot:
A group of people trapped in a elevator realize that the devil is among them. Directed by the Dowdle brothers, the Devil is based on a story by M. Night Shyamalan. "Devil" is a supernatural thriller by M. Night Shyamalan.

TRAILER/CLIPS:

Devil – It’s not just bad luck

Devil – Creepy vision

When the devil is lurking around, to save your life (and your soul!), you’d better kneel and start praying!

;-P

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Walkthrough & Strategy Guide > Units And Stats

2010-09-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

All StarCraft Class

Terran Units
Protoss Units
Zerg Units

Click a column header to resort the table.
Dark numbers represent starting stats.
Light numbers represent max ratings.

Terran Units

Unit	Health	Armor	Energy	Built From	Time	Mineral	Vesp.	Supply
SCV	45	0 3	--	Command Center	17	50	--	1
Marine	45	0 3	--	Barracks	25	50	--	1
Marauder	125	1 4	--	Barracks	30	100	25	2
Reaper	50	0 3	--	Barracks	40	50	50	1
Ghost	100	0 3	50 200	Barracks	40	150	150	2
Hellion	90	0 3	--	Factory	30	100	--	2
Siege Tank	160	1 4	--	Factory	45	150	125	3
Thor	400	1 4	50 200	Factory	60	300	200	6
Viking	125	0 3	--	Starport	42	150	75	2
Medivac	150	1 4	50 200	Starport	42	100	100	2
Raven	140	1 4	50 200	Starport	60	100	200	2
Banshee	140	0 3	50 200	Starport	60	150	100	3
Battlecruiser	550	3 6	50 200	Starport	90	400	300	6

Protoss Units

Unit	Health	Armor	Energy	Built From	Time	Mineral	Vesp.	Supply
Probe	20	0 3	--	Nexus	17	50	--	1
Zealot	100	1 4	--	Gateway	33	100	--	2
Stalker	80	1 4	--	Gateway	42	125	50	2
Sentry	40	1 4	50 200	Gateway	42	50	100	2
Observer	40	0 3	--	Robotics Facility	40	50	100	1
Immortal	200	1 4	--	Robotics Facility	55	250	100	4
Warp Prism	100	0 3	--	Robotics Facility	50	200	--	2
Colossus	200	1 4	--	Robotics Facility	75	300	200	6
Phoenix	120	0 3	50 200	Stargate	45	150	100	2
Void Ray	150	0 3	--	Stargate	60	250	150	3
High Templar	40	0 3	50 200	Gateway	55	50	150	2
Dark Templar	40	1 4	--	Gateway	55	125	125	2
Archon	10	0 3	--	High Templar	12	--	--	--
Carrier	300	2 5	--	Stargate	120	350	250	6
Mothership	350	2 5	50 200	Nexus	160	400	400	8

Zerg Units

Unit	Health	Armor	Energy	Built From	Time	Mineral	Vesp.	Supply
Larva	25	10 10	--	--	--	--	--	--
Drone	40	0 3	--	Larva	17	50	--	1
Overlord	200	0 3	--	Larva	25	100	--	--
Zergling	35	0 3	--	Larva	24	50	--	1
Queen	175	1 4	25 200	Hatchery	50	150	--	2
Hydralisk	80	0 3	--	Larva	33	100	50	2
Baneling	30	0 3	--	Zergling	20	25	25	--
Overseer	200	1 4	50 200	Overlord	17	50	100	--
Roach	145	1 4	--	Larva	27	75	25	2
Infestor	90	0 3	50 200	Larva	50	100	150	2
Mutalisk	120	0 3	--	Larva	33	100	100	2
Corruptor	200	2 5	50 200	Larva	40	150	100	2
Nydus Worm	200	1 1	--	Nydus Network	20	100	100	--
Ultralisk	500	1 6	--	Larva	70	300	200	6
Brood Lord	225	1 4	--	Corruptor	34	150	150	2

Source: Battle.net

Call of Duty: Black Ops, Scheduled on November 9, 2010

2010-09-03T05:25:00.000-07:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a 2010 first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for release on November 9, 2010. Officially announced on April 30, 2010, the game is the seventh installment of the Call of Duty series and the third game in the series to be developed by Treyarch. It was initially only available for pre-order on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3; however, Activison has since confirmed that it will also be released for the Nintendo Wii.

Here are five quick thoughts I have now that I've taken Black Ops for a spin.

1.) The RC-XD is Hilarious

You earn the RC-XD, a remote controlled bomb, through kill streaks and in the game variants it generally took only a few kills to unlock it. Once you do, prepare for hilarity. The current physics have it bouncing off of walls, taking jumps off of bumps, and generally stumbling and bumbling around until you find an enemy…at which point you'll pull the trigger to detonate the bomb.

2.) Leveling and COD Points Are More Complex Than You Think
The addition of a credit system – in which you have to earn COD Points to unlock weapons -- is an extra layer on top of the already robust leveling system in past Call of Duty games. It doesn't replace it. In fact, it makes it deeper and more involved than ever before.

3.) Theater Mode is the Real Deal
It's one thing to put a Theater Mode into your games. It's quite another to rival even the current industry leaders at Bungie, but that's exactly what Treyarch is doing with Call of Duty: Black Ops. All of the standards are there -- a free roaming camera that can also lock on to players, clip and screenshot export, the ability to fast forward or rewind the action, and the option to browse your friend's shared files. There's also a whole lot more.

4.) One in the Chamber is the new License to Kill
One of my favorite Goldeneye N64 modes back in the day was the License to Kill variant for multiplayer. It distilled deathmatch down to the basics. One shot on target was worth one kill, it didn't matter who had the best gun. Here only the best would win -- luck was not a factor.

5.) Contracts Are Going to be Addictive
Challenges are a big part of what makes Call of Duty such an addictive multiplayer game. They're back, but now there are Contracts to top them off. These are rotating challenges offered by Treyarch, changing every day or week. To partake in them, you'll have to pony up a few COD

Points to buy the Contract. Complete the challenge and you'll win extra points. There is a catch -- each Contract has a time limit. I bought a low level one that required you to get three SMG kills without dying in less than 40 minutes of game time. It cost 50 COD Points and, upon completing it, I received 250 back.

VIDEOS:

Call of Duty: Black Ops Interview - Mark Lamia

Call of Duty Black Ops Multiplayer Teaser Trailer [HD]

Movies To Watch: Alba-Rodriguez-Lohan in Action, Teamed-Up with 'Machete'

2010-09-03T04:55:00.000-07:00

Release Date: September 3, 2010
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Screenwriter: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Jeff Fahey, Don Johnson, Steven Seagal
Genre: Action
MPAA Rating: R (for strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity)
Official Website: VivaMachete.com
Review: 6.5/10 rating
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: Not Available
Production Stills: Not Available

Plot Summary: "Machete" is based on the "fake" trailer in Robert Rodriguez's 2007 "Grindhouse," featuring Danny Trejo and Jeff Fahey reprising their original roles.

The feature version of the trailer finds Machete (Trejo) a renegade former Mexican Federale, roaming the streets of Texas after a shakedown from drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). Reluctantly, Machete takes an offer from spin doctor Benz (Fahey) to assassinate McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) a corrupt Senator. Double crossed and on the run Machete braves the odds with the help of Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, Padre (Cheech Marin) his "holy" brother, and April (Lindsay Lohan) a socialite with a penchant for guns. All while being tracked by Sartana (Jessica Alba), a sexy ICE agent with a special interest in the blade slinger.

TRAILER:

THE STORY BEHIND MACHETE (Cast Interview):

Movies To Watch: The American

2010-09-03T04:37:00.000-07:00

Release Date: September 1, 2010
Studio: Focus Features
Director: Anton Corbijn
Screenwriter: Rowan Joffe
Starring: George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli
Genre: Suspense Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for violence, sexual content and nudity)
Official Website: TheAmericanthemovie.com
Review: 6/10 rating
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available

Plot Summary: Academy Award winner George Clooney stars in the title role of this suspense thriller. As an assassin, Jack (Clooney) is constantly on the move and always alone. After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, Jack retreats to the Italian countryside. He relishes being away from death for a spell as he holes up in a small medieval town. While there, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact, Mathilde (Reuten). Savoring the peaceful quietude he finds in the mountains of Abruzzo, Jack accepts the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Bonacelli) and pursues a torrid liaison with a beautiful woman, Clara (Placido). Jack and Clara's time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of danger. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

TRAILER:

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Walkthrough & Strategy Guide > Important Hotkeys

2010-09-03T04:27:00.000-07:00

Common Hotkeys

Command	Hotkey	Use
Alert Recall	SPACE	If you get an alert, such as "base is under attack" or "structure complete," press the SPACE bar to quickly move the camera to highlight the event.
Select All Like Units	Double-Click	Double-click a unit to select all nearby units of the same type. Example: Double-click an SCV unit to automatically select all SCVs in the area.
Bind Group to Number	CTRL + [#]	Using CTRL + [#] binds all selected units to the number you press, overwriting any existing binding settings to that number.
Add to Binded Group	SHIFT + [#]	Using SHIFT + [#] adds selected units to an already-binded group.
Recall Binded Group	[#]	Simply press the number key that you've binded units to in order to automatically select those units.
Idle Worker	F1	Automatically selects an SCV unit that is doing nothing. Good for finding an SCV to repair a building or machine unit, or to simply make sure no one is being lazy.
Cycle Between Subgroups	TAB / SHIFT + TAB	If you have a group of mixed units selected, pressing TAB cycles between sub-groups that are automatically determined by similar unit types. Want to command all marines in your large group to use stimpacks? Press TAB to select the marines within the group.
Town Camera	BACKSPACE	Tapping the BACKSPACE key quickly moves your camera back to your home command center.

Unit Hotkeys

Command	Hotkey	Use
Attack	A	With a unit selected, pressing the A key allows you to issue an attack command by left-clicking on an area/object. This is important.
Patrol	P	With a unit selected, press the P key and you can assign a patrol path by left-clicking a destination.

SCV Hotkeys

Command	Hotkey	Use
Build Supply Depot	B, S	With an SCV selected, tap B to access the build menu and then tap S to build a supply depot with your next left-click. This is key for quickly building supply depots on demand.
Build Refinery	B, R	With an SCV selected, tap B to access the build menu and then tap R to build a refinery with your next left-click. You'll usually do this quickly at the start of each mission.
Build Bunker	B, U	With an SCV selected, tap B to access the build menu and then tap U to build a bunker with your next left-click.
Build Barracks	B, B	With an SCV selected, tap B to access the build menu and then tap B to build new barracks with your next left-click.

Have we neglected hotkeys? The hotkeys listed above are the ones we use most, but if you've got a tip for using other hotkeys we'd love to hear your case. Hit us up via e-mail to share your tip and if it's good we'll post it here with your name in sparkling, glowing font. Minus the sparkling, glowing part.

New Smartphones Arriving Faster, But With More Bugs

2010-08-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

By Kevin C. Tofel

The smartphone market is moving so quickly that the “latest and greatest” handset is often upstaged within an instant. What used to be a refresh period of 12 to 18 months or longer is now down to a handful of months at best for some, even if many newer devices offer only slightly improved specifications over older models. The speed of this market is so fast that not even the handset makers and carriers can keep up. I’m noticing a disturbing trend of devices getting released with major software issues and missing features.

Motorola’s Droid 2 is the most recent example of this problem. The handset launched on Aug. 12, and already has an over-the-air software update for feature enhancements like scrolling through text messages and improved Microsoft Exchange synchronization. Engadget Mobile has installed the update and claims it does nothing to address a signal issue noticed with their review unit.

Samsung’s Galaxy S line of handsets may also have been rushed to market, or not tested as much, due to time constraints. This series of smartphones is available around the world and on all four major U.S. carriers, but has a problem using GPS for accurate locations, hobbling an otherwise excellent device. Samsung has recognized the problem, and a Samsung company representative tweeted that a solution is being tested and should be available in September, but how did such a key feature bug make it past quality control testing?

I could come up with more examples on every platform and vendor in this space; Apple released iOS 4.0.1 after the iPhone 4 hit the market to correctly show the bars of signal strength, and like I suggested, the company also ended up providing free bumpers and cases to reduce signal loss when the phone is held a certain way. It’s worth noting that when Gray Powell was field testing the iPhone 4 before launch — and before leaving it behind in a bar — the device was disguised by such a bumper, which may have masked a potential signal problem.

Luckily, the handset makers can adjust software on the fly in this extremely competitive market, thanks to relatively seamless over-the-air updates and upgrades. Once a software issue is found, it can be resolved, tested and pushed to devices en masse. However, the ease of upgrading shouldn’t be a crutch, nor an excuse to quickly launch buggy devices into this fast-paced market.

My colleague Liz notes that launch-now-fix-later practices are rampant in the general software market as well, with many mobile apps and web products getting quick updates for missing, broken and unforeseen features in the hours after launch. It seems the software-as-a-service mentality is becoming adopted by the technology space at large.

There’s definitely a time and place for SaaS, but I’m not convinced that the smartphone market is it. As smartphones continue to expand beyond the geek crowd and into the consumer electronics domain, handset makers need to better test devices and stop relying on software updates to address what should be working in the first place.

Halo: Reach this September 14 from Microsoft Game Studios

2010-08-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

In Halo: Reach, players experience the fateful moments that forged the Halo legend. It's the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity's last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.
Once the campaign is over, the battle continues online with an unparalleled multiplayer experience that expands on the award-winning suite of features that helped define the Xbox LIVE experience.

TRAILER:

BETA GAME PLAY (INSTANT GAME GUIDE)

Editions

Halo: Reach (X360)

Release Region: United States
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Mature or Above

Halo: Reach (X360)

Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Halo: Reach (X360)

Release Region: Japan
Release Date: September 15, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Halo: Reach (X360)

Release Region: Australia
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Halo: Reach (Legendary Edition) (X360)

Release Region: United States
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Mature or Above

Halo: Reach (Legendary Edition) (X360)

Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Halo: Reach (Legendary Edition) (X360)

Release Region: Australia
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Halo: Reach (Limited Edition) (X360)

Release Region: United States
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Mature or Above

Halo: Reach (Limited Edition) (X360)

Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Halo: Reach (Limited Edition) (X360)

Release Region: Australia
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Microsoft

Features

Meet Noble Team. For the first time, players will fight alongside a squad of iconic Spartan soldiers, each with deadly talents as unique as their individual personalities and customized gear.
An intense campaign. Live the events that set the stage for the Halo trilogy as the UNSC and Covenant clash at the height of their military power. New weapons and abilities complement the familiar Halo arsenal for the largest-scale battles ever witnessed in the Halo universe. Fiercely cunning artificial intelligence (AI) adds depth and complexity to each encounter, helping make every play-through a unique and epic experience.
Stunning technical advancements. Halo: Reach takes a massive leap forward through all-new engine technology designed to take full advantage of next-generation graphics, audio, special effects, AI and animation while continuing to expand on the campaign, cooperative and multiplayer sandbox in a way that only Halo can.
The definitive multiplayer experience. Halo: Reach builds on the success of its predecessors, setting a new standard for competitive gameplay, customization, variety and community integration.1
Unparalleled feature suite. Halo: Reach expands on the industry-leading suite of features found in Halo 3, including four-player cooperative campaign play, split-screen support, saved films, screenshots and exciting new surprises that have yet to be revealed.

Movies To Watch: Drew Barrymore's Going The Distance

2010-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Release Date: September 3, 2010
Studio: New Line Cinema (Warner Bros.)
Director: Nanette Burstein
Screenwriter: Geoff LaTulippe
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Ron Livingston, Jim Gaffigan, Kelli Garner, Rob Riggle, Christina Applegate
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: R (for sexual content including dialogue, language throughout, some drug use and brief nudity)
Official Website: Going-the-Distance.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available

Plot Summary: Erin's (Drew Barrymore) wry wit and unfiltered frankness charm newly single Garrett (Justin Long) over beer, bar trivia and breakfast the next morning. Their chemistry sparks a full-fledged summer fling, but neither expects it to last once Erin heads home to San Francisco and Garrett stays behind for his job in New York City. But when six weeks of romping through the city inadvertently become meaningful, neither is sure they want it to end. And while Garrett's friends, Box (Jason Sudeikis) and Dan (Charlie Day), joke about his pre-flight calorie cutting and his full-time relationship with his cell phone, they don't like losing their best drinking buddy to yet another rocky romance. At the same time, Erin's high-strung, overprotective married sister, Corrine (Christina Applegate), wants to keep Erin from heading down an all-too-familiar road. But despite the opposite coasts, the nay-saying friends and family, and a few unexpected temptations, the couple just might have found something like love, and with the help of a lot of texting, sexting and late-night phone calls, they might actually go the distance.

TRAILER:

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Walkthrough & Strategy Guide > Basic Tips

2010-08-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

StarCraft 2 Guide

by Mark Ryan Sallee

Success in StarCraft amounts to how well can you manage and exploit your resources. Consider this guide one of your resources. Packed with unit stats in sortable charts, campaign mission walkthroughs, zerg and protoss research collectibles and a host of StarCraft 2 secrets (including God Mode), these pages are as valuable as the minerals and vespene gas you mine. Exploit them.

Busy Your SCV Fleet

The first thing you should do in most missions is get your SCV fleet working. Immediately get them mining for minerals, building a refinery and gathering vespene gas. If the mission requires lots of building, it's also a good idea to build plenty of extra SCVs (your command center can build them). Build SCVs early to augment your mineral and vespene supplies as quickly as possible. You'll want plenty of SCVs so that you can deploy one or two to build supply depots and such without severely hampering your resource collection.

Leave Units to Patrol Your Base

For most missions, you'll need to build up a sizable force and take that force across the map to fulfill the various goals of the mission. But don't let the main goals distract you from protecting your own base. You should always leave behind a small contingent of units to guard the base, using the patrol command to give them an area to watch over. If the units aren't patrolling, they'll often ignore attacks on your base that are just outside their range of detection.

Medics Heal Trained Units, SCVs Repair Machines

A medical staff is an important part of any army, but they can't do everything. If your crew consists of only human units like marines, marauders, and reapers, medics are all you'll need for keeping the lot in tip-top shape. However, if you're using vehicle units like hellions, siege tanks, and vikings, be sure to accompany your company with a few SCVs that'll carry out the required repairs.

Learn to Multi-Task

If you're new to real-time strategy games, this is a difficult skill to pick up but completely vital. Learn to multi-task. Get used to issuing commands and letting your units carry them out without your constant supervision. If you've got an attack crew on the prowl, be sure to issue them commands to keep them busy while you switch back to base to issue building commands. Similarly, while you're overseeing a raid on an enemy base, be sure that your base is kept busy. A lot of StarCraft is getting your ducks in a row and allowing—to some extent, at least—things to play out automatically. Part of this skill includes...

Automatically Deploy Trained/Built Units

If you do nothing but instruct a barracks, command depot or factory to build units, the complete units will roll out and stand idly by. However, you can make them automatically go to work by selecting the building that's creating the unit and right-clicking on a target. Building SCVs? Select the command center and right-click on the mineral deposits to automatically send completed SCV units to mineral mining. Need more marines in your bunkers or want to add a medic to your patrol? With the barracks selected, right-click on a bunker or a patrolling unit to automatically send trained units to join the fun.

Bind Unit Groups to Numbers

Vital! If you're not already binding groups of units to your number keys (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0), you need to start. Select a group of units and press SHIFT + 1 to bind them to the 1 key. Whenever you'd like to select that exact same group of units, you can simply press the 1 key. This'll let you quickly and easily order multiple groups of units to carry out different commands. Tell group 1 to attack an enemy base, make group 2 patrol the western entrance of your own base and group 3 patrol the eastern entrance. A single unit can belong to multiple groups, so you can create a big mass of units bound to key 1 but also assign that group's SCVs to key 2 to issue unique orders to the SCVs specifically.

Bind Buildings to Numbers

In addition to binding units to numbers, you should also bind frequently-accessed buildings to your keys. Bind your barracks to the 0 key and you can quickly see its progress and issue it new training commands while you're away from base. Say you're currently observing an army you've amassed as it steamrolls an enemy base. Without having to move the camera back to your base, you can press the 0 key to select your barracks and see that it has room in the training queue for more units. Issue the training instructions or change the destination of trained units (by right-clicking with the barracks selected) without having to leave the action.

Difference Between Move and Attack-Move

There are two main commands for moving units around. The basic move command can be executed by simply right-clicking an area with your units selected. The move command send the units to the designated area, but they won't do anything until they get there—if they're attacked on the way, your units will simply ignore their attackers until they reach the destination. The attack command can be used to move your units around, similar to the move command, by simply attack-commanding the units to an area instead of an enemy unit. The difference, however, is that the attack command lets your units stop to defend themselves if they get attacked.

Hold SHIFT to Queue Commands

Want to issue a series of commands to the same unit or group of units? You should. Queuing up commands is new to StarCraft 2 and lets you do things like, say, order an SCV to build five supply depots before returning to work mining for minerals. Simply hold the SHIFT key while issuing commands and the commands will be carried out in the order you issue them. You can also use this to move your units along a personally-chosen path to a destination by holding SHIFT and right-clicking the path you want, rather than allowing the units to find their own path to the destination.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Above all else, in StarCraft 2 you need to be fast and efficient. To issue commands with the utmost quickness, you'll want to learn a handful of keyboard shortcuts, or hotkeys. Hotkeys allow you to replace time-sucking menu selections with quick key presses. Memorizing the hotkeys on the following page will surely boost your APM (actions per minute).