Let’s face some harsh facts here, Dredd fans. As much as we want it to happen (and we really do), it’s becoming more and more unlikely that we will ever see Karl Urban suit up in the Mega City One gear again. But Dredd fans shouldn’t be too disheartened. There is a plethora of Judge related videos out there, a lot of them made by fans that are keen to keep the adventures of Joe Dredd alive and kicking.
Continue reading Judge Dredd: Fan Films And Animation Keep Character Alive Onscreen
When it comes to which female action star is prospering at the moment, we have to lend a round of applause to Scarlett Johansson. She’s been on fire lately thanks to her role as the acrobatic femme fatale Black Widow in several of Marvel Studios’ blockbuster films, and her surprise hit Lucy didn’t her either. However, it’s her latest reveal that we have high hopes for. Scarlett Johansson is set to star in the Ghost in the Shell big screen adaptation, which is big news for fans of the sci-fi themed anime.
English film director Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) has been tapped to handle the development of this film adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s beloved manga. Back in October of 2014, it was reported that Johansson was initially offered $10 million to take the role due to the exit of Margot Robbie (she reportedly ditched this to go film Suicide Squad instead). Once 2015 rolled around, it was revealed that Johansson finally decided to lend her action movie prowess to Ghost in the Shell.
This manga to film adaptation has been in the works for some time now. Once Sanders threw his directing credits behind the project last year, the film’s production finally began heading in the right direction. Two more Hollywood mainstays (Steven Paul and Avi Arad) are set to produce the movie, and Paramount Studios is said to be looking to throw their financial support behind the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsiepGvjjTM
So for all the uninformed Ghost in the Shell newcomers out there, here’s the basic rundown – the world of this manga is set primarily in the future. The use of technology allows the human race to swap out their body parts for cybernetic gear. Some humans have even gone so far as to replace their entire body with cybernetic parts, retaining their original being through the use of a “cyberbrain.” These brains are prone to hacking, which occurs when a criminal named the Puppet Master starts implanting false memories into people’s minds.
Johansson will take on the lead female heroine’s role and fight as a member of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. She’ll have to use all of her covert-ops skills to hunt down and take down the dreaded Puppet Master. We’re hoping this Ghost in the Shell movie turns out be just as incredible as the original anime.
Images: Marvel Studios, Universal Pictures, Shochiku
Earlier this week, Sony PlayStation announced a major change coming to their PlayStation Now service. Starting January 13, PlayStation Now users can start streaming 100+ games via a subscription plan. For $19.99 a month or $44.99 for 3-months, PSNow users on their PS4’s will be able to stream hundreds of PS3 games as many times as they would like. This subscription plan will be available first to PlayStation 4 users with the eventual rollout to other platforms.
For those not in the know, PlayStation Now is the Netflix-like PS3 game streaming service that is available on PS4, PS3, PS Vita, select Sony branded TVs and, just recently announced, select upcoming Samsung televisions. When the beta launched last year, gamers could choose to rent and stream selected PS3 games for a set amount of time for a small rental fee. The problem was that the pricing made little sense. Games ranged from $4.99 for a 4 hr. period, all the way up to $39.99 for 90-days. At that type of pricing, you were better off just buying the game used! And while, during the beta period, pricing did become more realistic, most people held out until word of a subscription plan came through.
Still, at $19.99/month, many folks feel that the price is still too high. And yet, looking at the game rental landscape, there really isn’t anything like PlayStation Now. GameFly and RedBox are both physical-disc rental services. Neither offer the opportunity to stream games from the comforts of home. Also, you are limited by the amount of physical discs you rent so you either have to wait until GameFly sends you your next game or you travel out to a RedBox kiosk. The closest service that is comparable to PSNow is OnLive ($14.99/month) but even they don’t offer a large selection of games to choose from.
I’ve been on PlayStation Now since it was in its private closed beta form. On top of the price, I know many of you are worried about how the games play. Let’s face it, if you’re streaming, issues like latency are really important especially on certain game types like fighting games that require split-second timing. In the time that I’ve used the service, however, I have not experience any significant lag in gameplay, and I have my PS4 set up to my network wirelessly. The only issue I’ve had was that the games weren’t as sharp as I remember on the PS3. This isn’t that surprising considering we’re talking about streaming a full, complex game over the internet. A drop in resolution is a small price to pay for instant streaming of games.
Should you pay the $19.99/month? If all you have is a PlayStation 4 and you really want to play some of the games you missed in the previous generation, then go ahead. You’ll find many gems to play. And since it’s unlimited, you can try as many games as you’d like. If you still own a PS3, then you’d probably be better off just buying the physical disc or downloading the full copy instead. Make the jump once Sony starts offering PSOne and PS2 games. Another option is to just do the individual game rentals which will still be available.
If you want to try out the service for yourself, there will be a free 7-day trial membership available when the service launches on January 13.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmXfKa22PZg
Images: Sony Computer Entertainment
Robin Williams voices Simon Pegg’s dog in the comedy Absolutely Anything directed by Monty Python alumni Terry Jones. The film marks Williams last role before his untimely passing.
Continue reading Absolutely Anything: Robin Williams Lends His Voice In Final Film
Alex Garland makes his directorial debut with the tautly constructed A.I. thriller Ex Machina.
Continue reading Ex Machina: Can Alex Garland Make The Best Sci-Fi Film Of 2015?
Grizzly Bomb is proud to continue our partnership with the No Redeeming Qualities Podcast! This week, we found out how little the guys actually know about James Bond and D.B. Cooper.
Continue reading No Redeeming Qualities: Hangin’ With D.B. Cooper
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