Posted on January 6, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Pixar has created a wonderfully entertaining new website for “Monsters University,” its upcoming prequel to “Monsters, Inc.” It’s set up just like a real university website, with information about how to apply and a “student-produced” recruitment video.
Posted on November 18, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Starting tomorrow, Acorn TV, the first British TV streaming service in North America, will offer the first two series of Helen Mirren’s iconic, Emmy-winning role as Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Series 1 guest stars also include Tom Wilkinson and Ralph Fiennes. As always, the first episodes of each of the 18 series are available for free, while complete access to the 125 hours is $2.99 a month or $29.99 for a year.
Currently streaming: The complete series of Fortysomething starring Hugh Laurie (House) and Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock); the “Outrageously Entertaining” (NPR) Slings & Arrows, featuring Paul Gross, Rachel McAdams, and Mark McKinney; the North American premiere of Midsomer Murders, Set 21; Fresh Fields starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers; the complete 40-episode Pie in the Sky series starring Harry Potter’s Richard Griffiths; as well as Keira Knightley and Sam Neill in Doctor Zhivago; Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) and Oscar-nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) in Fingersmith; David Suchet in Agatha Christie’s Poirot; Tom Wilkinson in First Among Equals; the final episodes of Lynda La Plante’s Trial & Retribution; among many others.
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Television has parental guidance ratings that go from TV-Y (all audiences) to TV-MA (mature audiences). Movies have the MPAA rating system, from G to NC-17. The recording industry has a parental advisory label. Games are rated EC (early childhood) to A (adults only). All of these ratings have problems — for one reason, they are all imposed by the industry itself, which creates conflicts of interest. The procedures and criteria should be more transparent. And it is confusing to have so many different standards.
But there was good news this week when John Riccitiello, the head of Electronic Arts, made a presentation to top government officials calling for a significant improvement in game ratings — consistency across all platforms. When the ratings were developed, games were played on computers and stand-alone devices. Now they are played on a much wider range of options including smartphones and social media. “We must move beyond the alphabet soup of game ratings and consolidate behind a single standard that consumers will recognize and, ultimately, demand,” he said. A good step in the right direction.
Posted on November 4, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Spooky Cool Labs and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that The Wizard of Oz game for Facebook has launched to the public. Based on the beloved film, the game sets players on the adventure of a lifetime as they join the Wizard of Oz characters on their trip down the Yellow Brick Road.
The in-game experience includes music from the original soundtrack, video clips from the film and likenesses of its beloved characters, including Judy Garland as Dorothy and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West.
Players arrive in Munchkinland right after Dorothy’s house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East. With help from Glinda, players become familiar with Munchkinland and begin to build their very-own Munchkintown. They must construct buildings, interact with and protect the locals, and build the Yellow Brick Road in order to lead Dorothy and her friends to their ultimate destination, the Emerald City.
While on their journey through the Land of Oz, players will encounter the other characters from the film, whether on the Yellow Brick Road or fending off the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys from attacking the town. Players can share their experience with friends by visiting each others’ Munchkinlands and helping with quests, as well as sharing their favorite moments and experiences through various social features.
Posted on October 15, 2012 at 12:38 pm
I am so happy that Google is paying tribute to one of my favorite artists, Winsor McCay, creator of Little Nemo in Slumberland
McCay also invented animation.
He was the one who figured out that if movies were just a series of still pictures, he could draw a series of still pictures and make a movie out of them. He personally drew thousands of pictures for his first animated movie, about Gertie the Dinosaur.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY40DHs9vc4I was enchanted by the short films inspired by McCay Roger Ebert showed us at Ebertfest this year. This one is by Thomas Edison, circa 1904.
And I am proud to be a Kickstarter supporter of animator Bill Plympton’s new film about McCay.
