How to Watch Internet Videos on TV

The web is flooded with various interesting websites that allow anyone to effortlessly download video streams, watch movie series, or even live concerts online. Even so, it is still incomparable to watch them with a wide-screen television. The good news is here. With today’s innovative technology, it is possible to enjoy unlimited internet privileges through Internet TV.

Choose from the modern gadgets and bring your favourite Internet features to your living room. The most popular consumer choice is the Apple TV. Its specification includes high definition multimedia interface (HMDI) which allows for the transfer of digital data to a compatible audio digital device such as projectors and digital television. Apple supports internet features and in-channel search from Netflix, iTunes, and YouTube. The average cost of Apple unit is around $99.

Flickr image courtesy of methodshop.com and nakagawa

Roku: For a cheaper option, the Roku player is available for 50 bucks. Supported internet features include: Hulu Plus, Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube. Like Apple, it also operates with an HMDI output connection but not packed with a HMDI cable. You can buy this for $10 or less from online stores. If you have already bought a high-end TV but it does not include HMDI support in its product description, then a Roku player is the best choice. It is the only media player with a component output which permits the access of digital data from computers for devices without an HMDI feature.

Flickr image courtesy of robertnelson

See Also: How To Safely Watch Free TV Shows Online

Google TV, Image Courtesy of C Udeze

Image provided by Stratageme.com

Consumers who are particular about media resolution often prefer Boxee Box or Google TV. Both offer better image resolution. Users can save on the extra cost of purchasing HMDI cables because specifications for both devices are included. However, configurations differ among machines. Unlike Apple or Roku which uses an on-screen keyboard, Boxee Box comes with a QWERTY style remote control to let you search with ease. Google Box has more to give. Aside from this feature, it also allows search for on-air TV shows or broadcasts. While Boxee Box supports YouTube, Google supports other features like Netflix and Amazon.

The above-mentioned media gadgets have wireless and Ethernet ports for internet connection but if you get a Vudu box; you need to buy wireless kit to use the Wi-Fi feature. Vudu allows you to connect with streaming video sites and YouTube.

Hulu Plus has the most important US TV networks: the ABC, NBC, etc. Netflix offers full-length movies and online television access.

You can enjoy unlimited streaming with Netflix facilities at only $8 per month. Meanwhile, Amazon offers pay-per-view services for an array of television shows such as live sporting events and new movies recently out in different cinemas.

iTunes sells videos, music, and even offers pay-per-view options. If you are looking for more selection and themes of video clips, find them from YouTube.

Itunes

youtube

Purchasing the right unit is the key to successfully combine the Internet with your favorite TV. Always ask for the TV specifications before opting to buy one. LCD and plasma televisions often come with VGA input and HMDI support features. In fact, you can still connect your TV to the Internet without spending or subscribing to anything. All your TV unit really needs is a particular adapter or wireless media extender.

Tags: Internet to TV, Internet TV, Internet Videos, Watching Movies via Internet

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

Apple to add movie ticket booking through Siri in iOS 6.1

Continuing the integration with important third-party applications, Apple is said to include another new feature in Siri in the upcoming iOS 6.1 update. While currently you can get movie ticket reviews and timings with iOS 6.1, in future you will also be able to purchase tickets through Siri.

This new feature comes courtesy of Fandango. You will see a button to purchase tickets in Siri when you search for show times or movie reviews. Moreover, you can also speak directly to Siri and ask to book the tickets for a particular movie.

Once you do that, the device will launch the Fandango app and your tickets will be booked. If you don’t have the app installed, you will get an option to download it from the App Store.

This feature will only available in the US for a while and won’t be compatible with all the theaters.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Roku adds universal search for Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, HBO GO, and more

Definitely useful when getting ready to stream a movie or TV show, Roku is rolling out a new search function that can help you find exactly what you want.

Announced on the official Roku blog earlier today, the streaming hardware company has developed a universal search application that incorporates content from the most popular streaming video applications. Similar to Google’s search function on Google TV or Boxee’s search function on the Boxee Box, movies and television shows from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, HBO GO and Crackle will appear within the search listings. Beyond the title of the content, users will also be able to search for the names of specific actors, actresses and directors in order to find the correct video.

This will be particularly useful as users won’t have to jump between applications in order to search for a specific piece of content. After a user selects a specific television show or movie, Roku will show the user all options for watching the content. Hypothetically, a user could be ready to purchase a movie rental on a premium service like Vudu, but may happily find that the movie is already included in their monthly subscription price to Netflix Instant. 

According to Roku, the company is going to continue adding partners in the coming months and there are already 130,000 different movies and television episodes included within the search application. If a user also owns an Android or iOS smartphone, the free Roku application includes a keyboard option to type out a specific search query instead of using the remote to type one letter at a time.

In regards to compatibility, Roku Search will work with the Roku Streaming stick, Roku LT, Roku HD and Roku 2 devices. However, Roku Search won’t be available to first generation Roku owners due to hardware limitations. The new Roku Search application will be pushed out to compatible hardware over the next week. However, users can force the update by checking the “Software Update” section within the settings menu. After the device is updated, the user will need to download the search application to get started.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

How will the Mass Effect movie change under its new writer?

Four years after it was optioned and one year after plot details were first discussed, the Mass Effect movie has a new writer. Its new scribe, though, has never has a script produced. How will he change the BioWare adaptation?

Another year, more forward motion on the film adaptation of BioWare’s Mass Effect. While series creator Casey Hudson and Thor writer Mark Protosevich were attached as the writing creative team in 2011, the production has been silent since. Sam Raimi’s production company Legendary Entertainment shed more light on the project on Wednesday, announcing that it’s brought in a new writer to tackle Shepard’s silver screen adventures.

Variety reported that Morgan Davis Foehl has taken over script duties from Protosevich on Mass Effect. Foehl’s background in film and television is predominantly as an assistant editor, working on series like Rescue Me and Queer Eye as well as movies Click and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Not exactly the sort of space opera pyrotechnical projects the Mass Effect series is known for. His work in comic books with projects like City of Refuge and Crosshair, the film adaptation of which Foehl scripted, are a bit more in line with BioWare’s source material.

Mass Effect’s producers—including Avi Arad, the Marvel Studios founder producing film adaptations of Metal Gear Solid, Uncharted, and Infamous—chose Foehl for his adeptness at scripting action with an espionage bent.

In 2011, a San Diego Comic-Con panel including the producers of the film said it would only cover the events of the first game, not its two sequels. The original Mass Effect was more focused than its successors. Commander Shepard is the first human to become a Specter, the intergalactic equivalent of a US Marshal, and he/she is tasked with combating the Geth, a robotic race bent on wiping out and dominating organic life. By the end of the game, though, it’s revealed that the true threat is a larger, more ancient artificial species called the Reapers.

Mass Effect borrows much from film already, in its character dialogues as well as its story pacing, but what makes the games so memorable is how personal they are. Its fans are passionate about that aspect of the series as well, to the point that mass petitions and fund raising efforts were started after the release of Mass Effect 3 because fans felt its ending wasn’t reflective enough of their personal choices throughout the games.

With a new writer on board, though, it’s possible that the story plans for the Mass Effect movie have changed since last year. A story separate from Shepard might be the best choice for the screen.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Her majesty’s secret smartphone, the Sony Xperia TL, coming to AT&T Nov. 2 for $100

The Sony Xperia TL will be available on AT&T from November 2 for $100 on a two-year contract. The new phone will be featured in the new Bond movie Skyfall and comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera.

We covered the announcement of the Sony Xperia TL on AT&T and now we can bring you the details on the release date and price. AT&T has just revealed that the “James Bond” smartphone which features in the new Bond movie Skyfall can be snapped up for $100 on a two-year contract.

The big selling point, beyond owning a Bond product placement, is the 13-megapixel camera which is super-fast – capable of going from standby to capturing a shot in 1.5 seconds flat. There’s also HD video recording and a snazzy 4.6-inch HD Bravia-branded “Reality Display” to enjoy your footage on.

Throw in “One-touch connectivity” powered by NFC, which allows you to share content across multiple devices (provided they are NFC-enabled, of course). There’s also 4G LTE connectivity, HDMI, DLNA support, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, which adds up to a fairly decent looking Android phone. Pity it’s shipping with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich); you’d expect Bond to demand the latest version of Android, although Q promises an Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) update shortly.

As part of the 007 tie-in you’ll find an assortment of preloaded content including ringtones, behind the scenes footage, wallpapers, and more. Check out the video for a closer look.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Skyfall movie review – Shaken, not stirred

After the mediocre and rather dull Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig is back as James Bond in his third Agent 007 movie called Skyfall.

But don’t think for a moment that 007 has lost his touch. In Skyfall you’re brought to a blood-fizzing action scene from the get-go, reminding you what Bond is capable of. Luckily, this isn’t the only brilliant Casino Royale-like action sequence, the director Sam Mendes (Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, American Beauty) treats us to in Skyfall.

And that’s exactly what Bond needs in his 23rd movie, celebrating the half-century anniversary of Agent 007.

Before we go on with the review, check out the official Skyfall trailer (if you have, rewatch it – it’s still awesome).

So, the lives of all NATO secret agents are at stake and MI-6 has been put to its knees by what looks to be a job of someone familiar with the system.

Meet Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) – the main villain in Skyfall, the mastermind behind all the horror and destruction brought to London. And all he is after is the woman in charge of MI-6 – M (played, as usual, by Judi Dench).

From the very first words coming out of his mouth, you and the standing hair on the back of your neck are convinced that this guy is both mental and is going to play the villain in Skyfall well. And he does – he is unstoppable, insane and ruthless in his pursuit of vengeance.

There’s a big but here though – it seemed to us that he tries a bit too hard to be a Joker (yes, the one created by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight). A mental character who would prefer total destruction of his enemy over personal gains and driven by the dark moments in his past. Of course former agent Silva isn’t as chaotic as the Joker, but we still feel the similarities are just too many. And for all the effort Javier Bardem puts, he simply cannot come anywhere near the Heath Ledger standards.

As we said – it’s a good overall performance, but just pales in comparison (and we already explained why comparisons are inevitable). It’s just that at the end we were left feeling sorry that Bond didn’t get the villain he deserved.

Now is the time to say that the acting of just about everyone else in Skyfall was absolutely flawless. Daniel Craig does his job of a sophisticated bad ass agent as brilliantly as Judi Dench plays the role of an iron lady, who puts the national interests first. By the way M has far more screen time than usual this time and she really makes it count.

Even the bad taste that Olga Kurylenko’s acting left in Qunatum of Solace is washed away, thanks to the superb acting of both ladies that caught Bond’s attention in Skyfall – Bérénice Marlohe (Sévérine) and Naomie Harris (Eve).

Decent plot, mostly great acting and jaw-dropping action sequences – Skyfall seems to tick all the right boxes. Well, there’s actually one left – the soundtrack. For a movie of such caliber, the sound was just not up to scratch. In Skyfall, the classic Bond tunes are there to support the cool explosions and action scenes, but the villain introduction could’ve been further enhanced with a better music.

And don’t even get me started on the Adele’s song used in the Skyfall’s intro. Depending on your taste you might find it to be a decent song (we mostly agree it’s horrible) but it sounds out of place. It tries to be what Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name did for Casino Royale, but fails miserably. And to make matters worse it lasts for ages – the only good thing is that it’s at the start and once you are past that there are two hours of high-quality cinematic waiting for you.

Skyfall is a great movie that doesn’t have anything remotely common with the boring train wreck that was Quantum of Solace. It takes the viewer on a joyride of explosive action, drama and clever British humor with the expert guidance of Agent 007.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Re-released I, Robot to be first home release-exclusive 3D

When the 2004 science fiction movie I, Robot is re-released on Blu-ray later this month, it'll make movie history as the first movie to be re-mastered in 3D for the home market exclusively, launching a new range of 3D Blu-rays from 20th Century Fox.

A sign that 3D movies aren’t necessarily the modern fad that some believe may come in the unlikely form of Will Smith’s 2004 movie I, Robot, which is to become the first library title to be re-worked into the stereo visual format for Blu-ray release, instead of theater re-release, when it hits stores at the end of this month.

The movie is one of what studio Twentieth Century Fox is calling “a handful” of movies from its library that will be converted for Blu-ray re-release in the 3D format, although no other titles have been named at this time (Entirely conjecture, but considering that Fox owns the rights to the Alien movies, is it really going to pass up the chance to at least put either Ridley Scott’s original or James Cameron’s Aliens into 3D? After all, both are at least as well-known as I, Robot, and in the same genre, as well…). According to a Fox spokesperson talking to the Hollywood Reporter, associates of Will Smith have seen the results of the 3D-conversion of I, Robot, and were apparently happy enough with it to ask about the possibility of other Smith movies receiving similar treatment.

The movie has been converted using JVC Kenwood’s 2D3D workstation, which made its public debut at last winter’s Hollywood Post Alliance Technology Retreat, with Fox already attached as a business partner at that time. One of the benefits of this system when compared with other conversion techniques, according to Fox SVP of Advanced Technology Ian Harvey, is that it allows for faster conversion by minimizing manual rotoscoping or paint work, which in turn can cut costs considerably. Estimates for 3D conversation have ranged from anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 per minute in the past, which would considerably add to the budget of any movie project; Harvey won’t be drawn on the cost of the JVC system, but will admit that it is “less than other techniques” that Fox has previously considered.

The conversion for I, Robot was handled by a creative team including a specialist stereographer, but director Alex Proyas wasn’t involved, according to Fox (Again, it’s unknown whether other directors will be involved in their movies’ conversion in future, especially considering that the titles of said movies have not been made public as yet). Currently, the JVC system is aimed primarily on movies  – and, presumably, potentially television shows aimed at the home market, rendering in HD but not beyond at this point; according to Fox’s Harvey, that’s the way it should stay. “They should shoot new films in 3D,” he said, adding that in his opinion, “there are still issues on any conversion. It is not like Avatar.”

The new, 3D I, Robot is released on Blu-ray October 23.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Rumor: Armie Hammer may play Batman in Justice League movie

Once again, Armie Hammer is Warner Bros.' top choice to play Batman in a still-hypothetical Justice League movie.

According to a recently published report on Digital Spy, actor Armie Hammer (pictured above at right) is being strongly considered for the role of Batman in Warner Bros. inevitable film based on DC Comics’ Justice League superhero team. 

If that sounds familiar to you, it’s not because we’re reprinting old stories in some kind of ill-conceived “Digital Trends Greatest Hits” initiative. Hammer was originally the top candidate for the Batman role back when Mad Max director George Miller was attached to the Justice League project. That attempt to get this movie made fell apart a few years ago, yet Warner Bros. is determined to pick up a slice of that sweet superhero team movie cash generated by The Avengers earlier this year, and will not rest until someone, somewhere is filming a big-budget Justice League feature film.

As for why Hammer once again leads the list of names vying for the Bruce Wayne/Batman role in this film, Digital Spy’s unnamed insider source claims that Hammer’s recent ascent to the fringes of the Hollywood A-list has put him “back on WB’s radar.” Hammer will next appear as the titular lawman in Disney’s Lone Ranger feature film alongside Johnny Depp, which is undeniably a pretty major role (even if Depp’s silly, borderline-racist crow hat will inevitably overshadow Hammer’s performance).

In case you’re wondering if Hammer’s hypothetical Batman might officially replace the fan-favorite Batman portrayed by Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan’s recently-concluded Batman trilogy, don’t worry: According to the anonymous source, Hammer’s version of the character will only be used in this initial Justice League film and any sequels it might spawn. Unless plans change, Hammer won’t be appearing in any solo Batman adventures.

Finally, Digital Spy claims that the Justice League film will include a relatively standard roster for the superteam. Though the Justice League (and its innumerable spin-off groups) has seen hundreds of members over its half-century-plus in existence, this initial Justice League movie will focus on the core group of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash. No, we have no idea which iterations of The Flash or Green Lantern Warner Bros. plans to use, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything more concrete than just “our shadowy informant said…”.

Working under the assumption that these rumors are all true, this news doesn’t so much fill us with joyful anticipation as it raises questions in our comic book-addled brains. As much as we like Hammer — other than the Trent Reznor score, his work as the Winklevoss Twins in David Fincher’s The Social Network was easily our favorite part of that film — he simply seems too young and soft to properly portray Batman. Yes, Bruce Wayne grew up in a mega-wealthy family and has never wanted for money, but there’s a certain edge to the character that seems minor but is, in fact, one of his defining traits. Christian Bale was able to pull this off flawlessly, but so far Hammer has yet to do anything that suggests he might have that certain killer instinct that makes Bruce Wayne more than just your average playboy.

More crucially, if Hammer is cast, and his Batman is used solely in Justice League movies, what happens when The WB wants to start churning out new Batman films? Will they go back on their plan? Will they find another actor? Assuming the latter, won’t the public be confused by two entirely separate Batmen coming from the same production studio? Objectively speaking, one of them has to be better than the other, so in that case the studio would be running the risk of overshadowing its own projects and cannibalizing any potential audience either franchise might attract.

Whatever happens, this film isn’t scheduled to hit theaters until at least 2015, so Warner Bros. certainly has lots of time to figure things out. In the mean time, as usual, we invite you to visit the comments section below to either vilify this rumored news, or figuratively clap like one of those wind-up cymbal monkeys. Whichever more accurately conveys your current emotional state.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Taken 2 review: Faster is not always better

Liam Neeson and his jeopardy-friendly family are back for another go-round on the kidnap merry-go-round in Taken 2.

Have you ever watched an action movie and thought to yourself, “you know, I like the action, but what it really needs is about 20 times more camera angles so I’m not entirely certain what I just saw — that would be great.” If so, then you are in luck! If, however, like the vast majority of functioning humans, you actually like to see the things you are looking at, Taken 2 might not be the film for you.

Taken 2 is a shallow, kinetic mess of visual trickery that never, ever stops, even when it should. Like a twitchy kid with ADD and an alarming coffee addiction, Director Olivier Megaton can’t seem to keep his hands off a single shot.

At several points in the film I actually began to count to see how long before the movie cut to a different shot. The longest I made it to was five seconds. Even in what should be the slow shots, innocuous moments, like when characters are walking into a hotel lobby, it’s almost as if the film is vibrating, and simply cannot slow down. Long shots, close-ups, side views, overhead shots – there are no lack of camera angles in this movie. It is filmmaking trickery, and it can work to make things feel more frantic, but only in moderation. And if there is one thing Megaton seems unable to grasp, it is moderation.

You can’t really blame him though. With a badass name like Megaton, you really don’t have many options as a director other than action movies. And with a filmography that includes The Transporter 3, Colombiana, and Hitman, it would seem he agrees.

When this style works, it is fine. In a foot chase, using the unrelenting cuts actually makes it feel a bit more frantic. In a fist fight or a car chase though, it feels like you are missing some of the movie.

There is never a second where you can just enjoy the action. Some of the best action moments are actually lost in a strobe light-like series of cuts. To give you a better example, at one point during a fist fight a character pulls a knife, but the camera never cuts back far enough, or lingers long enough, to identify who it is holding the knife. A long shot eventually reveals it, but that is just muddy filmmaking.

All of the sins of the quick cuts can be forgotten – or at least tolerated – if the story is good. Shame that Taken 2 barely has one.

The sequel is a direct continuation of the original Taken, as opposed to another adventure in the life of Bryan Mills (Neeson). A few years have passed since Mills murdered his way through Paris in order to rescue his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), who was taken by an Albanian human trafficking gang and sold as a sex slave.

Mills is still at it, but following the breakup of his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) and her husband, he invites his family to join him in Istanbul for a getaway. Unbeknownst to them, Murad Hoxha (played by Rade Šerbedžija), the father of the Albanian gangster that took Kim and was subsequently killed in a fairly brutal fashion, awaits them for a round of revenge.

To its credit, Taken 2 avoids the tired, clichéd sequel staples of having an extraordinary person thrust into an unbelievable situation yet again, and instead tailors the script to be based on the consequences of Mills’ actions. It makes sense in the narrative, and it allows the film to massively simplify the entire plot.

This isn’t a bad tactic for action movies. Most adrenaline fueled films aren’t well served by getting lost in heavy drama, but the risk is that you need to do a very good job with developing the minimalist script or it feels hollow. You don’t need a massive backstory on the villain, but you do need to care at least a little, otherwise the resolution is anti-climactic. And that is a problem with this film.

The antagonist is just sort of there. Šerbedžija is given nothing to build a memorable character around, beyond the idea that he apparently loved his son, a guy that was so despicable he sold young girls into a life of perpetual rape. You are just supposed to sort of buy his justification, and beyond his identity as a father, you never learn a single thing about this character to make him stand out. There is nothing interesting about him, and the possible complexity the character could offer is totally absent.

The same is mostly true of Mills’ family as well. Smith and Janssen both do well with what they are given, but neither are working with much to begin with. Of all the characters, the one with the most potential to be explored is Kim. But instead of wasting time on silly little things like story, the movie flies by the emotional toll of the last film, the traumatic effects reliving it would have, and instead she is swept up in the events and becomes a narrative tool rather than a character.

That is endemic of the film as a whole, and highlights the problems with Taken 2: it is just an action movie, and a fairly lazy and generic one at that. There is even a point in the final act where the comes together so quickly, and through such an unlikely series of events that it feels like the film has long since given up on a narrative. 

The original Taken had a story to tell and a unique way to do it. The shocking and gritty world of human trafficking was juxtaposed against the beauty and light of Paris, and the story was able to ratchet up the tension as an unpredictable protagonist quickly went from hero to antihero, yet managed to retain the sympathy of a father desperately seeking his daughter. None of that depth is present in Taken 2 on any level.

Conclusion

Taken 2 is an exceedingly generic film with no real meat to it, and it is badly shot on top of that. The three main stars, Neeson, Janssen, and Smith are all fine in their roles, but they are given next to nothing to work with. That puts the burden on the action, which Megaton takes in a bizarre direction that feels like you are watching a movie made of caffeine.

With even a tiny bit more attention to the character development, and a few Valiums for Megaton, Taken 2 might have been worthy successor to the original. Instead it comes off as a pale impersonation. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Fujifilm to end production of movie film as digital dominates

As the movie industry further embraces digital technology, Fujifilm has it announced it will soon stop making movie film for shooting and projection.

Perhaps the biggest surprise about Fujifilm’s announcement that from March 2013 it will no longer make film for motion pictures is that it didn’t come earlier. With movie makers and theaters turning increasingly to digital-based products, the Japanese manufacturer said it had no choice but to exit the market.

One of the big players in the business, Fujifilm has been making film for shooting and projection since it was founded in 1934. However, in a statement issued Thursday, the company said a dramatic fall in demand had led to spiraling costs, forcing it to make the decision to end production. It also pointed out that it will continue to make film for still photography.

“Digital cinema camera shooting has been gaining momentum, and digital editing that heavily uses CG composition and VFX processing has now become common in motion picture production,” Fujifilm explained in its statement. It added that the number of movie theaters abandoning film projectors in favor of digital projection has increased significantly in recent years, pushed by the increase in 3D motion pictures.

The company said that instead it intends to focus on other areas of the film industry, providing products and services designed for the digital workflow of movie production and projection.

Digital detractors

While digital-based movie making is undoubtedly gaining ground, there are still a number of high-profile Hollywood directors who don’t want to see celluloid die.

Christopher Nolan, director of blockbusters such as The Dark Knight Rises, which, incidentally, was shot on film, thinks celluloid still produces a better picture, and that the switch to digital production is being made purely to reduce costs.

At the recent Produced By Conference in California, Nolan said going digital risked “devaluing what we do as filmmakers.”

The filmmaker acknowledged that the quality of digital images has improved greatly in recent years, but that it will be some time before it equals that of film.

Nolan added that while he uses digital technology for editing and special effects, he wants to shoot and show his movies on film. He envisages a day when digital will be comparable to film, but insists it’s not there yet.

No doubt Nolan’s eye is better trained than your average movie goer, but I’ve never heard anyone coming out of a theater saying, “The image quality of that movie was terrible. Ah, I see, it was digital.”

Fujifilm is sensibly doing what it believes is best for the future of its company, abandoning a part of its business that no longer makes any money and instead turning to digital products. One wonders how long will it be before the entire movie industry goes digital, pulling the curtain down on celluloid forever.

[Image: K. Jakubowska / Shutterstock]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Michael Jai White finally gets his own action movie franchise

After years of paying his dues, inarguably awesome action movie star Michael Jai White has been given his own franchise.

Officially speaking, we write these stories about the movie business to impart important news. All those stories we’ve written over the past few months about Joss Whedon’s blockbuster hit The Avengers were driven purely by your collective interest in that film. The movie pulled in nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, so it seems a pretty safe bet that our readers have some interest in hearing news related to the film and its possible future implications.

That said, we also have a bit of an ulterior motive in mind when we sit down to write one of these things. Ideally we’d like you to walk away from our work having learned something, or with a newfound desire to seek out entertainment that perhaps you had never heard of before.

Why the above disclaimer? Well, it’s great news for fans of Michael Jai White that the man will finally be given the sort of full-featured action movie franchise he has so obviously deserved for years, but it’s also an opportunity to expose White’s work to a larger audience. Many of you have likely never heard of the man, and that’s a shame given that he’s the closest living, youthful analogue we currently have to the larger-than-life badass action heroes of the late 1980s and early ’90s. Imagine a more athletic, martial arts-focused Sylvester Stallone, who can actually act quite well, and you’ve got a decent idea of what Michael Jai White brings to the table.

Alright, proselytizing is momentarily over. Let’s get right to the news. Courtesy Indiewire:

White has signed on to star in what is expected to be an action movie franchise from Moonstone Entertainment, titled Codename: Falcon. The franchise will revolve around a former marine named John ”Falcon” Chapman, described as a “dark anti-hero driven by guilt, who will destroy himself unless given something else to destroy,” making him “a useful weapon-of-last-resort for the foreign ministry.”

The first film in the franchise, titled Favela, is currently in pre-production.

As for the plot behind Favela, Moonstone Entertainment offers the following, PR-approved synopsis blurb:

… Favela sees Chapman traveling to Brazil to hunt down his sister’s killers, in the process discovering an underground world of drugs, prostitution, and police corruption ruled by the Japanese mafia.

That sounds like a pretty standard action movie plot. Something like a hybrid of Commando and any number of John Woo’s Hong Kong classics. Normally that wouldn’t reach out and grab our attention, but again, we’re big fans of Michael Jai White’s work, and his being given a franchise to lead is long overdue.

Listen, we don’t have all day to impress upon you the idea that Michael Jai White should be standing alongside Tony Jaa in your mental roster of our modern world’s most entertaining celluloid heroes, so instead we’ll do this the quick way. When you next fire up Netflix, stream the film Blood And Bone. Many will claim that Michael Jai White’s best work was in the 2009 blaxploitation spoof Black Dynamite, and they’d be absolutely correct, but Blood And Bone is a perfect depiction of the man’s acting talents alongside his inarguable skill at making on-screen violence look both spectacular and horrifically visceral. Blood And Bone fits neatly into the B-movie subgenre, but it’s amazing how many modern big-budget action movies are annihilated by comparison to this flick. If nothing else, it should offer ample evidence that Michael Jai White is a fellow to keep your eyes on.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Nokia eats Jellybeans for breakfast, will ride the sugar rush during today’s event

Nokia is pumping themselves up for the Nokia World event that is about to start in less than an hour. Instead of talking to themselves in the mirror like a movie character would, the Finnish company took to Twitter and posted photos like this one:

There’s comment accompanying the photo – “Breakfast in New York on a big day for us! Today we dine on Jellybeans”. Fighting words from the Finns, considering the enormous lead Android army has on Windows Phone.

However, as stated by the Nokia calendar, things will change.

Well, we have to say we like Nokia’s attitude. Now, let’s hope their event will be able to cash the checks those bold words wrote – we’ll be covering the New York event live, so stay with us to find out if Nokia truly has some Jelly Bean killer or if it’s just blowing hot air.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Use The Pirate Bay? You’re being watched, study shows

BitTorrent users are being monitored on a "massive" scale, according to a newly published study from the University of Birmingham, U.K.

If you’ve ever downloaded a hit movie, song, e-book, video game, or television show from The Pirate Bay, your activity was more than likely monitored and recorded within three hours of hitting “download” — even if you only did so once.

This frightening — if not entirely predictable — revelation comes from a newly published study (pdf), conducted over the past three years, by computer science researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Dr. Tom Chothia, the study’s lead researcher, unveiled the study’s findings at the SecureComm conference, which is taking place this week in Padua, Italy.

Dr. Tom Chothia

The study found that the IP addresses of peer-to-peer network users were being recorded on a “massive” scale by “copyright enforcement organisations, security companies, and even government research labs.” Fortunately for you pirates out there, the study also found that the tracking techniques used by these companies were often unreliable, which likely reduces their usefulness in lawsuits or other court proceedings.

To conduct the study, the team created their own software that mimicked a BitTorrent client and logged any “newly-published” torrent files to the Top 100 of each category on The Pirate Bay. They then monitored any connection made to their software. Within three hours, 40 percent of the trackers had connected to their client. The longest connection took 33 hours.

Dr. Chothia’s team found that trackers used two techniques to gather information about users of The Pirate Bay. The first is “indirect” monitoring, which uses “indirect clues that a peer is uploading or downloading some content,” according to the study. While use of “indirect” tracking is said to be “extensive,” previous research has found that this technique generates a “high rate of false positives,” going so far as to implicate “innocent devices such as printers and wireless access points as file-sharers, which later received cease-and-desist letters.” (Ha!)

The second technique is “direct” tracking, which allows trackers to collect “first-hand evidence” of illegal downloads.

“Direct monitoring can be active if the monitor establishes connections with peers to confirm that they are sharing a file, or passive if the monitor advertises its IP address to a tracker and waits for peers to connect to it,” reads the study. (Emphasis theirs.) While is method is far more effective, it is also much more expensive due to a need for more bandwidth and servers. The team says that it is currently unclear how prevalent direct tracking is.

Due to the inaccuracies of indirect tracking, Dr. Chothia says that it is unlikely that copyright owners could use the evidence gathered through such methods in court.

“All the monitors observed during the study would connect to file sharers believed to be sharing illegal content and verify that they were running the BitTorrent software, however they would not actually collect any of the files being shared,” said Chothia in a statement. “Therefore, it is questionable whether the monitors observed would actually have evidence of file sharing that would stand up in court.”

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Watch a 13-minute promotional short for 1982′s Blade Runner

In an effort to promote Blade Runner, the producers had this 13-minute short created for distribution at sci-fi conventions.

Let’s say you’ve been tasked with marketing a movie. It’s an ambitious film, one that simultaneously hopes to live up to the lofty standards of one of Philip K. Dick’s most beloved novels while also creating a vast, dystopian world that is equal parts unimaginably different from our own and a logical extension of current and near-future technology. In 2012 that wouldn’t be too difficult — just capture a few seconds of bombastic CGI, hire a deep-voiced narrator and cut a TV commercial that may or may not accurately reflect the film (but who cares as long as it puts people in the seats?) — but way back in 1982 it was a whole lot more difficult to entice notoriously picky sci-fi fans into the theater.

Thus, when faced by a similar situation for Ridley Scott’s phenomenal Blade Runner, the crew at M.K. Productions opted to put together a short, promotional movie to be distributed at various conventions around the country. According to Open Culture the short was a hit, and was widely circulated among sci-fi, horror and fantasy fan groups prior to Blade Runner’s theatrical debut. Whether or not it directly contributed to the movie’s success and current status as one of the all-time greatest sci-fi films Hollywood has ever created is debatable, but the vignette does serve as an undeniably cool look back at the creation of the film, and that’s a solid enough reason for us to embed the clip at the bottom of this post.

Along with the expected images and footage from Blade Runner, the short includes interviews with director Ridley Scott, special effects artist Douglas Trumbull and “futurist designer” Syd Mead. Normally we wouldn’t be this excited about what we now call a “behind the scenes featurette,” but in this case we’re utterly stoked to hear what these people have to say. If you’ve seen Blade Runner you know how masterfully crafted its futuristic world is, and there’s a very good reason why so many sci-fi movies, novels and video games created since 1982 have blatantly lifted ideas from Ridley Scott’s film.

More impressively, Blade Runner was created in an era where computer generated graphics weren’t really something Hollywood studios could use. They existed, certainly, but any CGI work was exorbitantly expensive, and few people had any idea how to effectively use the technology for making films. Thus, when you’re watching Blade Runner and being drawn in by the hyper-detailed detritus of that cyberpunk universe, everything you’re seeing was created by old-school practical visual effects work, making the film that much more stunning a feat.

Before you hit play on the embed below, we will give you a heads up that the footage is not exactly crystal-clear, 1080p HD quality. It is, after all, a 16mm movie from three decades ago, that was never really intended for public consumption. Thus, just be happy that this thing still exists, and that we can all use it to avoid dirtying our hands with any actual work on a lazy Tuesday afternoon.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

God Of War movie writers explain the film’s concept

God Of War is eventually coming to the silver screen, and apparently it's going to be a bit like Batman Begins.

In case you weren’t aware, there’s a movie in the earliest stages of production based on Sony’s God Of War video game series. Assuming you haven’t been dead for the last half-decade this shouldn’t come as much surprise to you since, well, God Of War is a successful game franchise so of course someone would want to turn it into a movie. That’s how Hollywood works now, whether we like it or not.

As our cynical grumbling won’t do anything to make the eventual film more palatable, and it’s far too early to reasonably speculate on this thing’s potential, we were happy to see that the lovely people over at JoBlo had recently conducted an interview with Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, the two men tapped to write the script for the God Of War movie. Perhaps the duo might be able to offer some reassurance as they explain how they’re adapting the story seen in Sony’s games for theaters:

In the same way that Batman was grounded with Christopher Nolan’s rendition, we were attempting to do that with Kratos so that when we meet him — like they’re doing in this newest game, which is sort of a prequel to the original — we’re seeing him before he became the Ghost of Sparta, when he was just a Spartan warrior and he had family and kids.”

In the game … there’s that attack from the barbarians and Kratos has to call upon Ares to help him. Really, that’s going to be our first act break. Before then, he’s going to be mortal, and he’s going to have his family. We’re going to learn about him and understand how he operates. So it’s potentially 30 minutes — give or take — of building up this character so that, when he does turn and becomes the Ghost of Sparta, we understand him as a human and we understand the journey that he’s going to take. We’re emotionally invested, so that it could go beyond just this one movie.

Alright, that seems a bit derivative, but then again it worked quite nicely in Batman Begins and it’s not like we had any preconceived notions about how amazingly well Chrisopher Nolan could capture the spirit of DC Comics’ Batman books before that film hit theaters. For all we know Dunstan and Melton’s script could be phenomenal and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of Kratos and his violent, tragic background.

Actually, given the rest of the interview, we’re growing warily optimistic about this project. Following the above quote the two men are asked about the characterization of Kratos in the movie and spend quite a while explaining how the producers behind the flick have repeatedly stressed the idea that though God Of War will certainly be an action flick full of spectacular violence and bombastic CGI, they want Kratos to be both tough-as-nails and exhibit a very human vulnerability and complex set of motivations. Specifically, they’d like to avoid the trap many recent action movies have fallen into where the lead characters are so invulnerably awesome that all possible tension is drained right out of the film. By definition it’s very difficult for the average person to relate to a literal superhuman, so Dunstan and Melton are trying to instill the theatrical Kratos with a “softer side,” for lack of a better word.

It’s a great interview, and you really should read the thing in its entirety. Not only because it might make you a bit less worried about this project, but also because I want every one of you to spend the rest of the day imagining how a screenwriter might possibly balance emotionally resonant empathy with a character who is so unflinchingly violent that he needed no alterations whatsoever to fit in alongside the cast of the most recent Mortal Kombat sequel.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Rumor: Brett Ratner, McG join Justice League short list

We hate to break it to you, but that Justice League movie might be directed by the guy responsible for Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

We’ve recently spent a large amount of time discussing who might possibly be tapped by Warner Bros. to helm its upcoming movie based on DC Comics’ Justice League superhero team. A quick search reveals no less than three separate articles on Ben Affleck’s non-involvement with the project, and we were also quite pleased to hear that the WB has the Wachowski siblings on its short list of possible directors. Unfortunately, the latest rumors swirling around this film aren’t quite as rosy. According to Den Of Geek, Warner Bros. has added two more names to the list of candidates: Brett Ratner and the annoyingly pseudonymous McG.

Den Of Geek reports:

… the names that were or are on the shortlist are Ben Affleck (who has said that he’s not involved), The Wachowskis (Warner Bros is reportedly impressed with their work on Cloud Atlas), Brett Ratner, Ruben Fleischer (presumably Warner Bros is happy with his upcoming Gangster Squad), McG, and Zack Snyder (a logical addition to the list, given Man Of Steel).

Alright, forget Fleischer and Snyder for a moment. Not because we have anything against either man, it’s just that they both seem potentially capable of creating a solid, entertaining Justice League movie. We aren’t as excited by their names as we were for Affleck or the Wachowskis, but it wouldn’t upset us if either of these auteurs was handed the reins to the WB’s next big tentpole feature. We would however, be appalled if either McG or Ratner were to be tapped for the gig.

Let’s take a quick look at IMDB to remind ourselves of the work these two men have done in the past. McG (née Joseph McGinty Nichol) has been behind the camera for such shining cinematic gems as the Charlie’s Angels films, Terminator Salvation and the music video for Sublime’s “Santeria” — which, as you can see, isn’t exactly “Thriller.” Ratner on the other hand, has been attached to such films as the Rush Hour series, 2011′s disappointing Tower Heist, and the third, objectively terrible X-Men movie. The really depressing bit though is that we didn’t have to cherry pick films that might make these two directors look bad. Aside from that Sublime video these are the most prominent, fiscally successful films these guys have created to date, and the most positive thing we can say about any of them is that Jackie Chan was pretty entertaining in the Rush Hour movies (though, in fairness, that’s probably more the result of Chan’s massive charisma and borderline-superhuman martial arts skills than anything Ratner might have done).

The good news here is that all of this is technically still a rumor. Granted, the sources on these rumors do have a pretty solid track record of being right about this kind of thing, but until we get official confirmation that either Ratner or McG will be directing The Justice League, we’re going to keep our fingers crossed that this has all been a horrible dream.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Ben Affleck: ‘I’m not working on the Justice League’

Ben Affleck is not going to be directing Warner Bros.' upcoming Justice League movie. He said so himself.

If you’ve been following our ongoing coverage of Warner Bros. upcoming, still-hypothetical movie based on DC Comics’ Justice League superhero team, then you no doubt know that Ben Affleck was rumored to be assuming the role of the director (and possibly one of the stars) for the movie. Likewise, you also probably know that other, separate rumors claim that Affleck will not be directing. With so many conflicting reports, who is a person to believe?

How about Affleck himself?

“I’m not working on the Justice League,” Affleck recently told Vancouver, BC news organization 24 Hours Vancouver. “One of the problems with entertainment web sites is that they need to fill pages, and that’s how rumours get started. Justice League sounds really exciting, but it’s not something I’m working on.”

24 Hours then attempts to work around Affleck’s own words by saying that just because the man is not currently working on Justice League, that does not mean that he wouldn’t be up for it in the future. This movie is still a ways away from entering production, so why couldn’t Affleck sign on later? Or so the site’s reasoning seems to go.

We however, are done with this. If Ben Affleck says he’s not directing Justice League, then as far as we’re concerned he’s not directing Justice League. Until an official press release contradicts this idea, we think it would be more prudent to speculate on other possible directors than to constantly flog this “Affleck as Justice League director” idea to death. Intriguingly, there are new rumors circulating that the Wachowski siblings are among Warner Bros.’ prospective auteurs, and despite their middling success since The Matrix, you can’t deny that a Wachowski-helmed Justice League flick would, at the very least, be a massive visual spectacle — and call us shallow, but we kinda dig Wachowski-brand spectacle, even if it’s severely lacking in complementary substance.

Excitement aside, and as much as this is quite literally our job, can we place a moratorium on Justice League director rumors? We aren’t going to get Christopher Nolan to helm this project, Affleck is presumably out and that Wachowskis thing I just mentioned is as likely to be entirely made up as it is to be legitimate. Maybe those other sites mentioned by Affleck that desperately need to pad out their page views can’t see what’s going on here, but we’re growing tired of reporting on what is effectively a lack of information. We’d convey the same meaning and ramifications by telling you all kid’s fairy tales. You know the Three Billy Goats Gruff, right? Not only is that a great story, it’s also exactly as likely to come true as any of these rumors. Let’s make a pact here: You won’t read any of this stuff, we won’t write about it, and instead we’ll all focus on something more important (like, literally anything else). Deal?

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Sony taps National Treasure writers to script Uncharted movie

The Uncharted movie adaptation has found a pair of writers, Marianne and Cormac Wibberley.

When you think of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series of action-adventure games, what comes to mind? Treasure hunting? Riddles obscured by legendary figures? Nicholas Cage mugging into the camera every few moments while John Voight silently wonders where his acclaimed career went wrong? Alright, forget that last one. Otherwise that’s a pretty solid descriptor for Uncharted, isn’t it? As it turns out, that’s also a great synopsis for the National Treasure movie franchise.

What’s the point, you ask? Well, it seems that Sony Pictures has noticed the similarities between the two media properties and took the totally logical initiative to hire the people responsible for writing the two National Treasure films to create a screenplay for the studio’s upcoming film adaptation of the Uncharted games. Variety reports:

Scribes Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, who were the architects of Disney’s “National Treasure” franchise, have been tapped to rewrite “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune” for Sony Pictures, Atlas Entertainment and Arad Prods.

Unfortunately, in that same report Variety also reveals that Neil Burger is no longer attached to the film as director. Though far from a household name, Burger is a competent director and seemed like a solid candidate for the position, and losing him must be seen as a set back for the project. 

Additionally, Burger’s departure points out why we’re totally apathetic about the news that the Wibberleys have been tasked with writing the script for Uncharted: It makes little difference who writes this film as long as it has a good director and/or stars. If you’ve played the Uncharted games you already know how cinematic they are. Naughty Dog built these games to replicate Indiana Jones-style adventure movies and few would claim that it failed. Writing a script for an Uncharted film should be as simple as following the tropes established by the Uncharted games, dropping in ample amounts of fan service, and making sure that the historical figures referenced in the flick have been dead long enough to seem spooky and mysterious to today’s uneducated populace.

The director and actors however, have to both provide a believable portrayal of events that occasionally veer toward the silly and offer a suitable aesthetic replacement for the locales and characters seen in the game. Discounting Nathan Fillion — too obvious — can you think of any male actors who could play the lovably roguish Nathan Drake? We can think of a few to play his older pal Sully, but now that Ernest Borgnine is dead we’ve lost our first choice. Likewise worrying, the film’s producers have to find a director capable of aping a game series that is itself effectively an homage to Indiana Jones — a movie directed by Stephen Spielberg. Granted, that’s a whole lot easier than trying to directly one-up Mr. Spielberg, but there’s still only a short list of people we’d trust to competently helm this movie and most of them are likely far outside Sony’s price range.

Then again this project is very early in development, so a lot could change before it hits theaters. Hopefully the next blurb of info we get on the Uncharted film is a bit more reassuring.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Movie director Tony Scott jumps to death from California bridge

Movie director Tony Scott died Sunday after jumping from a bridge in Los Angeles. A suicide note has reportedly been found at his office.

Tony Scott, director of hits such as Top Gun, Days of Thunder and Crimson Tide, has died after jumping from a bridge in Los Angeles.

According to Lt Joe Bale of the LA coroner’s office, 68-year-old Scott was seen by several witnesses parking his car on the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro around lunchtime Sunday shortly before jumping into the water. His body was recovered around three hours later.

Early reports suggested a suicide note had been found inside his car, but it now appears the note was instead discovered in his office.

The British-born director, brother of Ridley Scott, had been working in Hollywood since the early 1980s after beginning his career directing commercials. His filmography includes blockbusters such as Beverly Hills Cop II, True Romance, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and, most recently, Unstoppable. At the time of his death, he was as busy as ever, prepping Top Gun II as well as a number of other movies and TV productions.

Speaking to BBC radio shortly after Sunday’s news broke, Steven Gaydos, executive editor of entertainment magazine Variety, said he felt “extremely shocked” by Scott’s death, calling him “one of the most popular, successful, stylish, creative filmmakers in Hollywood over the last 30 years.”

[Image: Featureflash / Shutterstock]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Citizen’s arrest: Girl foils would-be thief with iPhone app

A would-be thief who tried to stash a stolen phone in the padded wall of a movie theater was foiled by a teenager wielding Find My iPhone.

Recently, 18-year-old Elizabeth Curtiss and her friend, 15-year-old Annika Anderson, found themselves in the empty parking lot of a Sherwood, OR movie theater well past midnight, staring in amazement at Anderson’s phone. The two had left the theater around 12:45 a.m. after seeing a late movie, but quickly returned when Curtiss realized her phone was missing. A search of the theater they were in turned up nothing, and they went back to the car completely stumped.

That’s when Anderson downloaded Apple’s Find My iPhone app. Within moments, the two girls were stunned to see an icon representing her phone moving across a satellite image of the theater they had just left. 

“You could refresh it and it was in different spots,” Curtiss told the Sherwood Gazette. “I thought, ‘that’s suspicious.’”

So did the cops. The girls called them after the theater’s cleaning crew refused to let the girls back in, despite the fact that the app clearly showed the phone was moving around the building. Before long, Curtiss and Anderson were back in the theater with two police officers, wondering why a phone that was lost in Theater 8 was now, according to Find My iPhone, in Theater 9. The four cleaning service employees, who were now the only other people there, all denied any knowledge of the phone’s whereabouts. 

They might have been vindicated when a search of Theater 9 turned up nothing up, but Curtiss’ suspicions were confirmed when calling the phone revealed it had been shoved into padding that lined the theater walls for sound-proofing. One of the cleaning service employees confessed, and was charged with second-degree theft. 

It’s likely developers had entirely different cushions in mind when they envisioned Find My iPhone being used. 

“Everyone’s got a smartphone and knows about these kind of ‘find my phone’ apps,” Captain Mark Daniel of the Sherwood Police Department told us. “But it’s the first time a citizen has provided this sort of service to us.”

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com