Yearly Archives: 2018
Why Teen Titans Go! Is Darker Than You’d Expect
It's easy to dismiss Teen Titans Go! as a goofy, kid-oriented animated series with little to offer older viewers. That's what a lot of DC fans have done, especially those who (unfairly) hold the series responsible for the premature cancellation of Young Justice. But those who give the series a shot have found a surprisingly clever spin on the classic superhero team. If anything, this outwardly silly series ventures in some pretty dark places at times.
With the series making the jump to the big screen with Why Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, we figured now would be a great time to look at the dark undertones of this all-ages superhero saga.
The Source Material
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Sin City Creator Frank Miller Regains Movie and TV Rights
Frank Miller has regained the film and TV rights to Sin City, the neo-noir comic book he created in 1991 that was also brought to theaters in 2005 and 2014.
According to THR, this acquisition follows the sale of of the Weinstein Company to Lantern Capital Partners for $289 million last week.
The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy back in February following multiple sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, in which he has since been charged with six counts of sexual assault and rape in Manhattan.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy Devs Explain Crazy Tool Used to Rebuild the Original Games
With every new reveal of gameplay, art, or music, Toys for Bob has performed the tricky balancing act of showing both a reverence for the original adventures and an evolution of the beloved purple dragon in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
Blending the old and new is a common theme throughout all aspects of the trilogy's development, particularly in refreshing the soundtracks underlying Spyro’s first three outings. Originally composed by The Police’s Stewart Coepland, the beloved music has been reimagined, in large part thanks to Music Remixer Stephan Vankov.
God of War’s Final Easter Egg Has Officially Been Found
Following discoveries earlier this week, and then subsequent uncertainty over those discoveries, Sony Santa Monica Studio has confirmed God of War's fabled "final" secret Easter egg has been discovered.
A set of runes inside Kratos' house discovered earlier this week tied into what many believed could be the final secret game director Cory Barlog and other members of the team have been discussing. However, without official word, fans waited to find out if more had to be uncovered.
Nintendo Issuing Lawsuits, The Pokemon Controversy, Blade Strangers, and More! – NVC Ep 417
New Joy-Con Makes Switch Gaming Better, But There’s a Catch
Editors Note: Hori has announced a problem with the D-Pad Controller – if left connected to the Switch in sleep mode, the Joy-Con may drain the Switch battery fast.
Released July 26 in Japan and eventually slated for a Western release, Hori’s new D-Pad Controller (L) for Nintendo Switch answers the prayers of many Nintendo fans, offering a traditional plus-shaped pad for the left thumb. We tested the D-Pad Controller extensively with several games and can highly recommend it – with a few major caveats.
Hori’s controller is designed for use in place of your left Joy-Jon in handheld mode. It features a D-pad in place of the official lefthand Joy-Con’s arrow buttons, along with an analogue stick, the Minus button, capture button, and L and ZL buttons, just as on the regular controller.
Play Faster Than Everyone Else with The Best 240Hz Gaming Monitors
If you’re an Esports gamer or just play one online, a gaming monitor’s refresh rate is of utmost importance. Though newbies are content with a traditional 60Hz, more advanced users typically opt for the much-faster 144Hz, and the most discerning go even beyond that, all the way up to a stratospheric 240Hz.
But what does this glorious refresh rate get you compared to a monitor with a lower refresh rate? First, it will help significantly with motion blur. The more times a moving image can be refreshed in a second the smoother it will appear. Second, since the image is being updated a greater number of times you have the possibility of reacting quicker to whatever is happening on screen.
Don’t Expect YouTube to Drop Big Bucks for the Next Game of Thrones
At the 2018 Television Critics Association summer press tour, YouTube's global head of original programming, Susanne Daniels, detailed her financial strategy in regards to original programming and how it will differ from the company's competitors, like Amazon and Netflix.
"You’re probably not gonna see us spend that level of money for a Game of Thrones or a comparable series like Westworld," Daniels said. "But I’ve always been a believer that you can make great shows for less and it’s not the episodic spend that can make something great."
It's no secret that streaming giants Netflix and Amazon are spending large sums of money to strengthen their footholds in the digital video landscape. Netflix will reportedly outspend every studio in Hollywood this year, while Amazon is dropping a whopping $1 billion on five seasons of their newly acquired Lord of the Rings franchise. Even Apple has been moving aggressively into scripted programming, with big development deals for an Amazing Stories reboot from Steven Spielberg, a thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels, and a futuristic sci-fi drama starring Jason Momoa from the creator of Peaky Blinders, among others.
Star Wars: Episode IX Will Feature Unused Footage of Carrie Fisher
Lucasfilm has announced the major returning and new cast members for Star Wars Episode IX, including how Carrie Fisher will be featured in the film.
Among the most notable inclusions is Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa. According to StarWars.com, unused footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be used to include Fisher in the upcoming sequel, which Lucasfilm is billing as "the final installment of the Skywalker Saga."
"Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us," J.J. Abrams said in a statement. "We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII."