Once upon a time in the tail-end of the last century, there was something called the Y2K bug. This bit of computer code was supposed to herald a global robot apocalypse at the stroke of midnight when 1999 became the year 2000 because of, uh, clock dates or something. Anyways, nothing happened. Or did it?
That’s the premise behind A24’s new horror comedy, the appropriately-named Y2K. The film imagines a New Year’s Eve of 1999 in which the computers really did turn on humanity. It’s written and directed by SNL alum Kyle Mooney, who made the fantastic and underrated Brigsby Bear.
As you can see from the trailer, it’s a 1990s teen party comedy, like Can’t Hardly Wait, but also an apocalyptic horror film. This particular hodgepodge brings to mind This is the End, in which Seth Rogen and other celebrities fight off a demonic horde.
However, instead of a demonic horde, these teens will be fighting for their lives against VCRs, old-school computers and, of course, murderous Tamagotchis. Also, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst is somehow involved. The cast is composed primarily of unknown teenagers, but the adults are played by Tim Heidecker, Alicia Silverstone and Mooney himself. The movie hits theaters on December 6.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a24s-y2k-has-teens-battling-old-school-computers-and-bloodthirsty-tamagotchis-164537560.html?src=rss
The next entry in the Pacific Rim franchise could be an origin story for the universe, set before the events of the 2013 film by Guillermo del Toro. According to Variety, the franchise's producer Legendary Entertainment has signed a first-look TV deal with Eric Heisserer. One of the first projects he's developing with Carmen Lewis, his co-founder for his production company called Chronology, is a prequel series for Pacific Rim. Heisserer won several awards for his screenplay for Arrival, the Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi movie starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. He also wrote the script for the Netflix post-apocalyptic movie Bird Box, which starred Sandra Bullock.
It sounds like the project is still in its very early stages, so we'll have to wait for its storyline and projected release date if it does get the green light. Seeing as it's supposed to be the Pacific Rim origin story, though, we may get to see the first kaijus emerging from the interdimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. We may also get to see how the first Jaegers, or the gigantic mechas controlled by human pilots to fight the alien monsters, were designed and created.
The original Pacific Rim movie was followed by Pacific Rim Uprising, its 2018 sequel film that starred John Boyega and was directed by Steven S. DeKnight. If the series pushes through, it'll follow Pacific Rim: The Black, an anime series that streamed on Netflix in 2021 and 2021, which serves as the continuation of the two films.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a-pacific-rim-prequel-series-is-being-developed-by-the-scriptwriter-of-bird-box-110043597.html?src=rss
The first VR Games Showcase has delivered a deluge of new VR titles like the Arizona Sunshine Remake and Trombone Champ: Unflattened, but two new (and very similar) titles caught my eye: Action Hero and Vendetta Forever. They both appear to be slow motion action games like the brilliant Superhot VR that will let you live out your John Wick firefight fantasies without risking serious bodily injury or your health insurance premiums.
In Fast Travel Games’ Action Hero, you’re an action movie hero starring in a series of five fictional movies including an Indiana Jones-esque Nazi killing adventure, a high tech heist thriller and a Jurassic Park ripoff. Each movie has four different film sequences and you supply all the hot, gun flinging, boulder dodging, raptor punching (yes, you get to punch velociraptors in the face) action. The action moves slow so you can add some style to the scene like firing two high-caliber machine guns at once, pulling off some sweet hand to hand combat and not flinching during powerful explosions.
Vendetta Forever from Meta Space Interactive also puts you in the middle of slow moving action sequences against waves of anonymous enemies. It claims to have an “all-new lo-kill motion mechanic” so you can sidle up to the bad guys or dodge incoming fire like an Olympic gymnast. The style is a little closer to Superhot’s blank canvas scenes but with slightly more detail.
Vendetta Forever proclaims itself to be an homage to “cult action” movies that are highly stylized and full of heart pumping music and moves like a virtual remake of the PC action sandbox Maximum Action. A demo of the game is available now on Meta’s game store for the Quest 2 and Quest 3.
Action Hero will be available sometime later this year on the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro. Vendetta Forever will be available in October on the PS VR2 as well as the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/two-action-movie-simulators-action-hero-and-vendetta-forever-are-headed-to-vr-214608480.html?src=rss
If you weren’t sated by last year’s dramatic retelling of the BlackBerry story, you’ll have another chance to witness the rise and fall of the once-iconic smartphone. Filmmaker Eddie Schmidt, one of the directors behind Netflix’s Ugly Delicious, is prepping a documentary about the handset, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The documentary is currently in production and is being made by Unrealistic Ideas, which is a production company founded by Mark Wahlberg aka the guy from Fear. This team was behind HBO’s McMillions, a documentary miniseries about the infamous McDonald's Monopoly promotion scam.
The project is currently untitled and there’s no release date, but we do know that the filmmakers have been given exclusive access to the Research In Motion Alumni Association. So there will be plenty of interviews with former executives who were involved in the BlackBerry story in one way or another. The film will also include “an array of never-before-seen archival footage.”
Director Schmidt shared a statement and said that he is excited to “explore this unpredictable real-life saga at the intersection of technology and popular culture.” One thing the documentary won’t have, however, is actor Glenn Howerton absolutely crushing it as former Research In Motion CEO Jim Balsillie.
BlackBerry was a legitimately good movie. We highly recommend it, particularly for the scene embedded above. I mean, come on!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/theres-another-blackberry-movie-coming-out-and-this-ones-a-documentary-173618810.html?src=rss
On paper, Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation sounds like a recipe for a solid sci-fi romp: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the wise-cracking gunslinger Lilith; Jack Black, fresh off of voicing Bowser, as the quippy/annoying Claptrap; and freaking Jamie Lee Curtis back in the genre fray after Everything Everywhere, All At Once. And yet the film is a lifeless slog better suited to an episode of Mystery Science Theater, completely squandering the potential of those elements.
Like the original game, Borderlands is mostly set on the wild alien planet of Pandora — a name that clearly should have been changed since audiences now associate it mostly with the Avatar films. Roth's adaptation makes significant changes to the game's plot and characters: It begins with Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt) being rescued from a space prison by the former soldier Roland (Kevin Hart [?!]). Inexplicably, they run into the former Psycho, Kriege (Florian Munteanu), and together they all escape to find a legendary vault on Pandora, which holds untold alien treasures.
Meanwhile, in a nondescript city on another planet, Lilith gets recruited by the head of the Atlas Corporation (a scenery-chewing Edgar Ramirez) to rescue Tina, who he claims is her daughter. Like a maze hastily created for a kids menu, you can easily predict the path the film will take. Lilith reluctantly heads back to Pandora, she teams up with the other characters, and plot points are checked off with the excitement of a DMV visit
There are obligatory action scenes, as you'd expect, but it all feels routine — CG explosions, half-hearted choreography and minimal stakes.
Blanchett is an actress who has proven herself to have an enormous amount of range. She can play an awesome/terrifying Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings, and a pompous conductor in Tár. But while there are some base pleasures in seeing her rolling around with futuristic guns, she just never feels comfortable in the skin of an action heroine. There's none of the ferocity of Charlize Theron's most physical roles, or even Angelina Jolie in a middling thriller like Salt (a movie that, I assure you, is far more fun than Borderlands). Blanchett just seems too cool for this shit.
Photo by Lionsgate
And unlike other films featuring a rag-tag group of heroes, like Guardians of the Galaxy or the excellent Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, there’s little time spent building up relationships in Borderlands. Roland seems noble, but we never really learn who he is and what’s driving him to save Tina. (I also question the wisdom of casting a comedian like Hart in a mostly straight role.) Krieg is a shell of a character who gets only a few lines of stunted dialog and no actual development. Jamie Lee Curtis’s role as the “xenoarcheologist” Tannis makes no sense at all.
What you have, ultimately, is a boring film filled with empty characters and actors who would be better off being in literally anything else. If Cate Blanchett sold out for a corny commercial campaign — if she reenacted Pacino’s Dunkaccino song for real — it would still be less embarrassing than starring in this failure. In an era where many game adaptations have been surprisingly watchable, like the Sonic and Super Mario Bros. movies, and a masterpiece of a show like The Last of Us exists, Borderlands feels like a unforced error.
Photo by Lionsgate
Instead of being a big-budget film, it could have been better off as a streaming series like Fallout. Perhaps it didn’t need two Oscar winnersand a well-known comedian like Kevin Hart. They probably should have stuck with the screenplay from the Chernobyl and Last of Us showrunnner Craig Mazin, instead of bringing in more writers. (One of the listed screenwriters is "Joe Crombie," a pseudonym for someone who didn’t want their name attached to this film.)
As it is, though, Borderlands is pure wasted potential. Go replay the games — hell, go watch some of the Borderlands fan films — instead of sitting through this atrocity.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-borderlands-movie-is-an-astounding-waste-of-potential-160032875.html?src=rss
One of the more annoying aspects of TikTok (and Instagram and X) culture is when a user shares a contextless but captivating clip from a movie or a TV show. Oftentimes, they won't state or tag the name of the source upfront, prompting viewers to ask in the comments where the clip is from in an engagement-boosting trick. TikTok is stepping in to do something about that with a new feature called TikTok Spotlight.
When the platform's tech detects an applicable clip, it will add an anchor link to a landing page with more details about the show or movie. The page will include a synopsis, cast info and official accounts, as well as other TikToks linked to the same title so you can keep going down the rabbit hole. The landing page will also include details on where to watch the show or movie if it's on a streaming service, or a way to buy tickets if a film is still in theaters.
There are benefits for studios that take part in this initiative too. TikTok is now an important part of marketing strategies for movies and TV shows, so having a hub where interested users can go to learn more and possibly buy theater tickets is something Hollywood can take advantage of. TikTok says they'll be able to find creators who are a good match and incentivize them to spread the word about their projects. Studios will also have access to engagement analytics.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-will-make-it-easier-to-identify-movies-and-tv-shows-that-users-are-clipping-143449273.html?src=rss
We’re less than a day away from the premiere of the Borderlands movie based on the violent, treasure-hunting comedy adventure games from Gearbox Software. Unfortunately, the vast majority of its reviews are wishing it never went beyond its gaming phase.
Rotten Tomatoes rounded up 34 reviews of Eli Roth’s adaptation of the Borderlands games and so far, it’s earned a freshness rating of 3 percent. Only one of the included critics have given the movie a positive review.
So what are the rest of the critics actually saying about this movie? Well, their words are unkind and that’s being generous.
“...a quick internet search of images from Borderlands games yields better-rendered results.” - Bob Strauss, The San Francisco Chronicle
“...a horrendous waste of time, talent and pixels.” - David Fear, Rolling Stone
“...the definitive worst film of Roth’s career…” Alison Foreman, IndieWire
“...one of the worst big-budget movies I’ve seen in a while.” - Chris Bumbray, JoBlo
“...clunky direction...lifeless…cringeworthy attempts at witty quips…” Billie Melissa, Men’s Journal
So there you go. It’s settled. If you’re itching for a grown-up action comedy based on a satiric adventure franchise that mocks the very medium in which it exists, just go see Deadpool & Wolverine again.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/borderlands-single-digit-rotten-tomatoes-rating-can-make-you-taste-the-bloody-hatred-204522555.html?src=rss
If there was ever a movie franchise that was seemingly made to be turned into a video game, it would be A Quiet Place. The films are basically already stealth horror titles. The premise, after all, involves bloodthirsty and noise-sensitive aliens. To that end, we already knew the franchise was getting the gaming treatment. Now we have an official release date of October 17 for the first digital spinoff.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a first-person horror adventure that’s set in the same world as the movies, but tells a brand new story. In other words, you won’t be controlling a digital John Krasinski or a digital Lupita Nyong'o. You’ll play as a brand-new character charting her own path in this royally screwed up dystopia.
Just like the movies, players will have to rely on their wits and whatever simple tools they find when scavenging about, like flashlights and noise detectors. Developer Stormind Games, who was behind Remothered and Batora: Lost Haven, promises both thrills and chills. Today’s release date trailer certainly confirms that. The spooky vibes are off the chart.
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead will be released on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-orders are available right now and early purchasers get “exclusive in-game content and digital concept art.” The game costs $30.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-quiet-place-the-road-ahead-is-coming-to-pc-playstation-and-xbox-on-october-17-151706002.html?src=rss
This comes from producer Roy Lee, who was one of the people behind The Lego Movie. He announced the reduced budget during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. He didn’t put out any numbers, but did say that the movie is currently being “reconfigured” to be a “more personal” film. Director Francis Lawrence is still helming the picture. He has directed four of the five Hunger Games movies, along with I Am Legend and the original Constantine.
The Bioshock film was first announced back in 2022, but since that time Netflix has experienced something of a regime change on the executive level. Dan Lin replaced Scott Stuber as the streamer’s film chief and Lin has tightened the purse strings away from stuff like Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon.
“The new regime has lowered the budgets,” Lee said at Comic-Con. “So we’re doing a much smaller version.”
In addition to budget cuts, Lee noted that Netflix has changed its compensation strategy with regard to movies. It’s shifting to a more traditional model that relies on bonuses tied to actual viewership numbers.
This could actually be good news. In my opinion, personal stories tend to work better than constant CGI battles with hordes of faceless baddies. Bioshock is also, at its heart, a personal story about family, with the fantastical Rapture setting being window dressing.
I guess it ultimately depends on how much of that budget was cut. There’s a big difference between a slightly reduced budget and a massive cut that turns all of the footage into darkened corridor scenes filmed in a series of Toronto or Atlanta warehouses. The release date hasn’t been announced and, honestly, it could still be a ways off. Director Lawrence has a lot on his plate right now, including an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk and yet another Hunger Games movie.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-bioshock-movie-is-still-happening-but-with-a-reduced-budget-184524214.html?src=rss
The greatest British zombie rom-com in film history will return to theaters for another run to the Winchester in honor of its 20th anniversary. Focus Features announced that Shaun of the Dead starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will get another theatrical run starting on Aug. 29 for US theaters and Sept. 27 for UK theaters.
Shaun of the Dead tells the story of a British slacker named Shaun who gets dumped by his girlfriend Liz, played by Kate Ashfield, on the eve of an undead apocalypse. His best friend Ed, played by Nick Frost, takes him out for a night of drinking just as the zombies start to emerge to help him get over the breakup and remind him “it’s not the end of the world.”
They wake up to a George Romero-esque world overrun by lifeless, shuffling cannibals and a hangover that makes them blissfully unaware of the carnage surrounding them. The hilarious, continuous shot of Shaun walking from his flat to the corner store and back without once noticing the bloody state of the world around him is worth seeing on the big screen.
Shaun of the Dead is returning to US theaters in August and UK cinemas in September to celebrate 20 bloody years!
Shaun of the Dead became one of the sleeper hits of 2004 and marked the first film in the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy starring Pegg and Frost and directed by Edgar Wright. The trio first worked together on another British cult comedy with the two-season TV series Spaced when a zombie themed subplot line in an episode inspired them to make a proper British zombie comedy in the style of Romero’s “Dead” movies. The action cop parody Hot Fuzz in 2007 and the alien invasion pub crawl adventure The World’s End in 2013 rounded out the rest of the trilogy.
The “ice cream” refers to the flavors of Cornetto ice cream treats that make Easter egg appearances in each movie: the red strawberry flavor for Shaun of the Dead, the blue vanilla flavor for Hot Fuzz and the peppermint flavor for The World’s End. The movie also sparked the start of Pegg’s acting career in America as an inspired Scotty in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek film trilogy and Hughie’s father on the Amazon prime superhero satire The Boys.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shaun-of-the-dead-will-stumble-back-into-theaters-for-its-20th-anniversary-213031726.html?src=rss