Artificial Continuum


Monday, July 12, 2010

After the rather disastrous Hulk film original released in 2003, Marvel released a tentative reboot in 2008. Titled the Incredible Hulk afte the classic comic series, the film placed Edward Norton (Fight Club) as the title character an was critically acclaimed but only enjoyed modest financial success. Due to plans announced prior to the film's release, it was assumed that Norton would continue his role into future films, including 2012's Joss Whedon directed Avengers adaptation. However, this no longer appears to be the case.

Originally announced by HitFix and later Marvel studios, Edward Norton will not be reprising his role as Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Marvel executive Kevin Feige issued the following statement about the announcement: "Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. The Avengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert [Downey], Chris [Hemsworth], Chris (Evans), Sam [Jackson], Scarlett [Johansson], and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks." It is also reported that a replacement is to be announced at this year's San Diego Comic Con.

However, this statement was not well received by Norton and his agent, Brian Swardstrom. Swardstrom offered this rebuttal: "We know a lot of fans have voiced their public disappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige's mean spirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here, Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and the other actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personal friends of his. Feige's statement is unprofessional, disingenuous and clearly defamatory. Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic and professional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel's fans."

While it is uncertain where exactly the debate will go next, Marvel is beginning its search for a replacement actor. CHUD claims that Marvel has approached Gladiator and Walk the Line acotr Joaquin Phoenix to play the tormented scientist in the upcoming Avengers film.
First off, I would like to apologize for the unintentional one week hiatus. I was out of town, and unable to edit the site. This is also why the site has been fairly inactive recently. This week I plan to make this up to you guys with some great videos.

1. Double Rainbow
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Honestly, this is one of my favorite videos of all time. The man's reaction to a simple natural phenomena has become an internet classic. I think this guy should write poetry its so great.

2. Oh God, Oh Man
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I don't know what part of this video I like more. The cheesy music. The fact that the guy has a pet that kills people. The cheesy acting. Or the unnecessary camera work.

3. Barack Obama Sings Kick Ass Song
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Auto tune sucks. It saps the life out of the music industry, but occasionally geniuses come along who can create internet phenomena. The Auto Tune the News crew has created dozens of annoyingly catchy songs on the internet. This being one of their most popular.
Thursday, July 8, 2010

There are few game makers more critically acclaimed then the RPG giants Bioware. Creators of such beloved series as Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic, the studio has garned particular acclaim for last year's epic fantasy Dragon Age: Origins. As earlier speculated, Bioware has announced that Dragon Age story is far from over. Today on its official website,the studio unvealed Dragon Age 2 with this press release:

Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins now.

Key Features:

•Embark upon an all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make.
•Determine your rise to power from a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land.
•Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.
•Go deeper into the world of Dragon Age with an entirely new cinematic experience that grabs hold of you from the beginning and never lets go.
•Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style.


A debut trailer is planned for an August 17th release on the Bioware website.
The nominees for the famous Emmy awards have been announced. Read on to see if your favorite show has been nominated.

COMEDY SERIES
Glee (FOX)
30 Rock (NBC)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
The Office (NBC)
Modern Family (ABC)


DRAMA SERIES
Lost (ABC)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Dexter (Showtime)
True Blood (HBO)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Mad Men (AMC)


ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Matthew Fox - Lost (ABC)
Bryan Cranston — Breaking Bad (AMC)
Michael C. Hall — Dexter (Showtime)
Jon Hamm — Mad Men (AMC)
Hugh Laurie — House (Fox)
Kyle Chandler - Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)


ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin — 30 Rock (NBC)
Steve Carell — The Office (NBC)
Jim Parsons — The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Larry David — Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Tony Shalhoub — Monk (USA)
Matthew Morrison – Glee (FOX)


ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Glenn Close — Damages (FX)
Julianna Margulies — The Good Wife (CBS)
Mariska Hargitay — Law and Order: SVU (NBC)
Connie Britton — Friday Night Lights (DirecTV)
Kyra Sedgwick — The Closer (TNT)
January Jones - Mad Men (AMC)


ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Lea Michele — Glee (FOX)
Tina Fey — 30 Rock (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus — New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Edie Falco — Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Toni Collette - The United States of Tara (Showtime)


SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Michael Emerson - Lost (ABC)
Terry O'Quinn - Lost (ABC)
John Slattery - Mad Men (AMC)
Andre Braugher - Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad (AMC)
Martin Short - Damages (FX)


SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jon Cryer - Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Chris Colfer - Glee (FOX)
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family (ABC)
Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family (ABC)
Ty Burrell - Modern Family (ABC)


SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Rose Byrne - Damages (FX)
Christine Baranski - The Good Wife (CBS)
Christina Hendricks - Mad Men (AMC)
Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men (AMC)
Sharon Gless - Burn Notice (USA)
Archie Panjabi - The Good Wife (CBS)


SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch - Glee (FOX)
Holland Taylor - Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Kristin Wiig - Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Julie Bowen Modern Family (ABC)
Sofia Vergara - Modern Family (ABC)
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock (NBC)


REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron - Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Heidi Klum - Project Runway (Lifetime)
Jeff Probst - Survivor (CBS)
Ryan Seacrest - American Idol (FOX)
Phil Keoghan - The Amazing Race (CBS)


REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race (CBS)
American Idol (FOX)
Dancing with The Stars (ABC)
Project Runway (Bravo)
Top Chef (Bravo)


OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien (NBC)


OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Glee, "Pilot" (Director's Cut), Written by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan (FOX)
Modern Family, "Pilot", Written by Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd (ABC)
The Office, "Niagara", Written by Mindy Kaling, Greg Daniels (NBC)
30 Rock, "Anna Howard Shaw Day", Written by Matt Hubbard (NBC)
30 Rock, "Lee Marvin Vs. Derek Jeter", Written by Tina Fey, Kay Cannon (NBC)


OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Lost, "The End", Written by Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (ABC)
Mad Men, "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency", Written by Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner (AMC)
Mad Men, "Shut the Door. Have a Seat", Written by Matthew Weiner, Erin Levy (AMC)
Friday Night Lights, "The Son", Written by Rolin Jones (DirecTV)
The Good Wife, "Pilot", Written by Michelle King, Robert King (CBS

Superman has had a mixed film career. Although the first two films are seen as classics in several days, many of the newer films have been critically panned and poorly recieved by the public. However, the same could be said about the earlier Batman films before Christopher Nolan revamped the series in last decades Batman Begins. Now Nolan is looking to take the world's most famous super hero to a modern audience. The Man of Steel, which is planned for a 2012 release will be produced by Nolan.


Today information has been linked by an insider source to media site IGN.com. Apparently, Christopher Columbus (director for the first two Harry Potter) films will most likely direct the latest rendition of the famous character.


The script is also being written by writer David Goyer (Batman Begins).
Wednesday, July 7, 2010


The third main installment of EA's Skate is out, making the third Skate game in 4 years. I hope this franchise doesn't turn into the next Guitar Hero, but thankfully, its innovation is still pretty fresh three games in. So in Skate 3, we skate in the fictional skater paradise Port Carverton, where three different districts (University, Downtown, Industrial) are custom-made for skating only. That doesn't mean there aren't cars or pedestrians, but the landscaping is obviously tuned toward awesome skating lines. Your goal here is to start a board company, and eventually reach 1,000,000 board sells. The technical details are hidden behind the scene, while you just see the profits come rolling in as you complete challenges. There are six milestones of board sells, which break up the daunting final 1,000,000 sells. Once you reach 1,000K, the boards will continue selling as long as you continue completing challenges, or other skaters interact with your online creative content.

|||||---THE GOOD---|||||

1| The gameplay feels as great as always, continuing the familiar and realistic Flick-It control scheme. Your right control stick will be worn out by the time you are done with this game.

2| Finally implemented are difficulty modes: Easy (featuring increased snap-on grinding, easier to get speed, etc.), Normal (assumed to be the approximate mode from the previous two Skate games), and Hardcore (which includes more realistic physics in terms of speed and air).

3| Plenty of challenges, with two ways of completing most of them: you can "Own It," which is completing the simpler objectives, or you can "Kill It," which has tougher objectives, generally requiring you to perform a specific trick or get a certain amount of points. It is only optional to Kill the challenges, but there is a nice achievement/trophy waiting for you if you Kill a certain number of them.

4| Upload instant replays and photos, or save as many of them as you want offline.

5| Build your own skate.Parks in any of four different locations based on the districts they are in (a gymnasium, a warehouse, an urban plaza, a stadium). Upload up to 25 custom parks for other skaters to download, use, edit, and rate.

6| Use the Skate graphics creator on the Skate website and upload these graphics to the game for use on your skater or as your team logo.

7| Online teams simplify teaming up with other skaters to take on other teams in certain challenges.

8| The soundtrack is good, but what really makes this game's music shine is the original compositions by several famous musicians.

|||||---THE NEUTRAL---|||||

1| There aren't many good hairstyles to choose from, and the facial modifications all look the same.

2| The graphics look fine, and the sound effects are good.

|||||---THE BAD---|||||

1| Some challenges are extremely difficult to Kill, and literally require playing on Easy mode. I found myself using Easy mode for half the game just to get the challenges "over with," which shouldn't be happening.

2| I am pretty worried about this franchise after setting foot (or board) in the Industrial District. Most of it is okay, but one particular area, the Carverton Quarry, takes it over the top. Doing vert tricks on huge curved rocks? Sounds like Tony Hawk games...

3| The "Own the Lot" challenges bring you a giant list of individual challenges, all of which must be completed in order to Own (you can't Kill "Own the Lot"s) the Lot. These seemed fun at first, but they quickly turned into a dull checklist of things to-do, almost like any excess challenges were just bunched together into one. These can be very difficult to complete and generally require Easy mode.

4| The Hall of Meat challenges are made specifically for epic bailing. Seems fun, right? Well, maybe it is part of the time. But it gets to a point, especially during the final Hall of Meat challenge, where you realize that this is a skating game... I bought this game for the realism, and so I don't have to play Tony Hawk games. These challenges, in my opinion, ruin the game.

5| Pedestrians and cars are as stupid as ever, and a new problem plagues the game. Pedestrians will literally create a crowd wherever you skate. Not a happy, cheering crowd, but one that stupidly stands in front of whatever line you are trying to skate. Free Play can fix this if you are just trying to record some footage, but while completing a challenge, those brainless noobs are there to stay.

|||||---SUMMARY---|||||

Skate 3 is a fun game. Difficulty modes arrive, full-fledged skate.Parks are ready to be created and uploaded, and online teams foster organized competition. However, the flaws this game have certainly dull down the experience, namely bad pedestrian AI and difficult or unrealistic challenges. I wouldn't let this stop you from buying the game, because there are still too many good features that outweigh the bad. I find the most fun simply going into Free Play in hardcore mode, with no cars or pedestrians, and catching some cool instant replays to upload for others to see. I think EA should slow the production of the Skate games, however, and try to keep what made the original Skate as great as it was and still is.

|||||---SCORE---|||||

Story: 1/2
Gameplay: 42/50
Graphics: 16/20
Sound/Music: 20/20
Re-playability: 5/8

Aggregate score: 84/100
Independent score: 80/100
Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Although the cast has been expansive in terms of actors and character, X-men First Class has yet to pull any true surprises. While it is great to see such favorites as Magneto and Beast among the list of mutants, director Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass) has yet to pull the rug out from under our legs. That is until today.

According to Straight2DVD, actress Erica Hosseini recently auditioned for the role of Willow, an obscure mutant from the 2099 spinoff series (most famous through its series Spider-man 2099, which appears in the upcoming Shattered Dimensions game) : "I was auditioning for a role named Willow -- hopefully I don't get in trouble for blabbing details on the off-chance that I get it. It's a role similar to Mystique from what I understand. Potentially lots of body paint, so that would be really fun."

So what does this mean for the series? Honestly, I have no idea. Willow is too obscure for a hoax, which adds legitimacy to this statement.
Thursday, July 1, 2010

After several months of annoying announcements and misleading rumors, we now have a new Peter Parker for the latest adaptation of Spider-man. Here is the rather extensive press release given by Sony Pictures.

After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Today's confirmation culminates what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of the next actor to play Peter Parker. Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role.

The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful in film history and the three previous motion pictures have collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.

On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, "Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker."

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said, "Spider-Man is a classic superhero -- a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker."

Producer Avi Arad added, "I'm incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future."

Producer Laura Ziskin said, "We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction. We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men. In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen."

The selection of Garfield was revealed at a press event in Cancun, Mexico for international journalists attending a media tour promoting upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Garfield is fast becoming one of the most respected and sought-after young actors working in the industry today. In a short career, spanning only five years, he has already been directed by, and starred alongside, some of the greatest names and received a BAFTA for a role that won him international praise.

Garfield most recently worked with director David Fincher on the upcoming film The Social Network. He previously starred for Spike Jonze on his robot love story I'm Here, which premiered at Sundance this year. He plays the lead male opposite Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, due for release later this year.

Other notable screen credits include Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus playing opposite Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and the late Heath Ledger, Robert Redford’s Lions For Lambs, where he starred alongside Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep; Revolution Films' "Red Riding Trilogy – 1974" directed by Julian Jarrold, where he lead a stellar cast including Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey, and his unforgettable portrayal of a young ex-con in John Crowley's "Boy A," for which he earned the best actor BAFTA in 2008.

Garfield’s career began in theatre and in 2006 his performances in "Beautiful Thing" (Sound Space/Kit Productions), "The Overwhelming," and "Burn / Chatroom / Citizenship" (Royal National Theatre) won him the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard awards and the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics Circle Theatre Awards. Other notable theatre credits include "Romeo and Juliet" (Manchester Royal Exchange) and "Kes" (Manchester Royal Exchange), for which he received the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the Manchester Evening News Awards 2004.
As many of you may be wondering, we did record a podcast wrapping up the information released at this year's E3. However, we did come upon numerous issues when recording the latest episode. Because of this we had to save the newest installment as a .WMV file instead of the usual .mp3. Due to this change in format, the podcast is not availible on iTunes for the moment, but is availible on our Jellycast site: http://www.artificialcontinuum.jellycast.com.

Christopher Nolan is very much in the Hollywood spotlight at the moment. With the blockbuster director's newest science fiction thriller, Inception, due for release later this month, talk has already begun about Nolan's next film the third and final Batman film. However, according to The New York Times Nolan is avoiding discussing or even thinking about the caped crusader's next installment. He insists that he will still make the films slated release for summer of 2012. Nolan even hints that the script, which is reportedly being co-written between Nolan and his brother Jonathon, is finished.


Batman-On-Film is also reporting that similar to the first film in the series, the majority of the next installment will be shot in the UK as apposed to Chicago. Does this mean that we will see less of Gotham in Batman 3?




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