Yearly Archives: 2018
No, Netflix Isn’t Introducing Unskippable Ads During Shows
Despite what you may have heard, Netflix is not introducing unskippable ads during shows.
Although some Reddit users have claimed to be hit by unskippable ads while binging their favorite shows, a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to IGN that the ads are actually personalized recommendations the company is currently testing, and users can skip them if they are not interested.
According to the spokesperson, the test is temporary and only affects a small subset of users. "At Netflix, we conduct hundreds of tests every year so we can better understand what helps members more easily find something great to watch."
College Dorm Life Essentials – Back to School
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There's a huge disparity between the dorm rooms you see portrayed in movies and on television and the dorm room you end up living in. For example, the dorm room on Saved by the Bell: The College Years had three adjoining, cavernous rooms connected with a full-service kitchen. You probably won't get up to nearly as many antics and Zack and the gang, and your room won't be nearly as accommodating. But that doesn't mean you can't make your dorm experience just a little bit cozier with these dorm life essentials.
God of War Combat Designer Breaks Down That First Intense Boss Fight
A lot of work went in to the latest God of War, and the finished result reflects that, but a particularly large amount of effort went into the game's memorable first boss fight. SIE Santa Monica Studio recently revealed a deep-dive into its development process of creating that first boss.
Spoiler warning: if you haven't played God of War yet, and you don't want anything ruined, turn back now.
In a PlayStation Blog post, senior staff combat designer Denny Yeh ran down dozens of details that the team went through when creating the first fight against Baldur - known as The Stranger in the beginning of the game.
Renée Zellweger to Star in Netflix Morality Series What/If
Netflix is developing a new morality series titled What/If, with Renée Zellweger set to star.
Zellweger will portray a character named Anne in the series which will explore what happens when "acceptable people start doing unacceptable things." Each season will center on a different "morality tale," with each story inspired by source material that's "culturally consequential."
Each season will consist of 10 episodes, with Mike Kelley (Revenge) serving as the showrunner and writer.
Zellweger in 2016's Bridget Jones's Baby. Image via Universal Pictures
Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen Gets Series Pickup from HBO
In "well, duh" news, HBO has given a series order to Damon Lindelof's Watchmen, which is set to premiere on the premium cable network in 2019.
Lindelof has previously stated that the show will not be a straight adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel, and HBO's description seems to confirm this: "Set in an alternate history where 'superheroes' are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel while attempting to break new ground of its own."
According to an Instagram note from the showrunner, the original story "will not be retread nor recreated nor reproduced nor rebooted," but instead "remixed. Because the bass lines in those familiar tracks are just too good and we’d be fools not to sample them. Those original twelve issues are our Old Testament. When the New Testament came along, it did not erase what came before it… It all happened."
8 Things the Power Rangers Sequel Needs to Get Right
Though 2017’s Power Rangers movie under-performed at the box office and received mixed reviews, Hasbro has announced plans to make a sequel. That Hasbro is deciding to continue with the franchise instead of starting fresh with a reboot means they thought it had potential, and we do too! Here are the strengths the sequel should lean into and where they need to make some improvements.
More Action in the Armor
We admired the 2017 movie for taking a Batman Begins-inspired approach -- methodically building up the team by showing their training and deepening bonds between its members so that when they finally did become Power Rangers, it had a big emotional impact. However, that structure left little time for any big-screen Power Rangers martial arts action, which is what the franchise is known for. The fight between the fully armored team and the Putty Patrol lasted all of two minutes, and the Rangers were barely challenged as they obliterated one CGI enemy after another. Underwhelming, to say the least. For the sequel, showing the team in multiple action-packed fights featuring practical stunts -- while wearing the suits -- is a must.
This Fortnite Tool Lets You Preview Different Skin Combinations Before Buying
A Fortnite fan created a tool that allows you to preview a skin with your desired back bling before you make a purchase.
The Fortnite Visualizer presents you with a 3D model of your character and provides an option to select the outfit of your choice and the back bling you'd like to combine it with. The in-game item shop doesn't preview skins with your back bling and instead presents them with the back bling associated with the skin or nothing at all. Sadly, this is an early version of the tool and does not yet include every outfit.
Seeing as some skins can cost up to $20 a piece, having the ability to preview your combinations before you buy is a welcome option. Reddit user __Player1__ created the web-based tool and is already looking to add additional outfits, including adding leaked skins that haven't been released. Pairing your skins with different harvesting tools is another potential addition.
Liam Neeson’s Next Role Is a Snowplow Driver Out for Revenge
Liam Neeson will be taking his "very particular set of skills" to new profession in his latest movie, Hard Powder, as he plays the role of a snowplow driver out for revenge for the murder of his son.
Reported by Deadline, Liam Neeson will be starring as Nels Coxman in Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment's Hard Powder that will be opening in theaters on February 8, 2019.
Coxman is "a local snowplow operator recently named Citizen of the Year of his small Colorado ski town for keeping the roads open through the Winter."
This Futurama Movie Predicted Matt Groening’s Netflix Show Disenchantment
The Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening's new Netflix series Disenchantment is set in the fantasy kingdom of Dreamland (perhaps named after the artistic enclave co-founded by filmmaker John Waters?) and follows the parodic misadventures of Princess Bean, her dimwit elf companion Elfo, and a tiny, vicious deadpan demon named Luci. Like Groening's previous two animated series, Disenchantment appears to function primarily as a wry comedic deconstruction of a well-worn and beloved television genre. The Simpsons tackled the American sitcom, Futurama dissected sci-fi and all the tropes therein, and Disenchantment, it seems, seeks to dismantle the storytelling conventions and stock characters commonly used in Tolkien and Gygax-derived medieval fantasy.
Venom Could Be on Track to Break October Box Office Record in North America
Venom is reportedly tracking to have the biggest North American opening weekend ever for October.
Per BoxOffice Pro, the Sony film is on track to gross anywhere from $55-$85 million, up from the company's previous $30–50 million estimate.
If the current estimates don't change, Venom could surpass 2013's Gravity, which currently holds the record for the biggest October opening weekend in North America, grossing roughly $55.8 million.
Venom will open in theaters on October 4 in Australia, and October 5 in the U.S. and U.K.
For more on the movie, which stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, find out why Sony is reportedly pushing for a PG-13 rating.