Month: July 2018
Movie Franchises That Got Their Groove Back
As Mission: Impossible – Fallout hits theaters, we look at some other movie franchises that improved with time.
Netflix Boss Explains Why Some Shows Have Pacing Issues
One of the recurring criticisms of Netflix’s programming – especially its drama shows – is the phenomenon known as “Netflix bloat,” where series are accused of having too many episodes and not enough story to fill them, resulting in early episodes that seem slow or inconsequential, as if the showrunners are spinning their wheels until they get to the halfway point and the true narrative kicks in.
This was especially true of recent sophomore seasons of Marvel’s Jessica Jones and Luke Cage – neither of which seemed to recapture the momentum of their freshman years after killing their primary villains, Kilgrave and Cottonmouth.
The Walking Dead Season 9 Teases the Whisperers and Rick Grimes’ Exit
IGN’s Boomsday Reveal: Is This The Most Insane New Hearthstone Card So Far?
Hearthstone’s newest set, The Boomsday Project, is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the game’s history. It’s out on August 7, and every day new cards are being revealed showing off interesting, powerful and new concepts, and today is no exception. I present to you, IGN’s Boomsday card reveal, Mecha’thun!
Part Eldritch abomination, part machine.
Better Call Saul Star Shows His Butt Tattoo, As Season 5 Is Confirmed
Better Call Saul has been renewed for a fifth season, network AMC has announced (via Collider). That’s great news for fans eager to see the show continue and add more Breaking Bad characters down the road as has been hinted at.
But the real news is that Bob Odenkirk is so dedicated to the show that he dropped his pants at a Television Critics Association event this weekend and revealed a Better Call Saul (temporary) tattoo. The tattoo shows the Better Call Saul logo and the August 6 premiere date for Season 4. Here’s what it looks like:
Earlier this month at San Diego Comic-Con, creator Vince Gilligan teased that a number of Breaking Bad characters will likely show up in future seasons of Better Call Saul. In addition to Saul Goodman, Better Call Saul already features Breaking Bad characters Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks).
Interestingly, Gilligan recently told EW that Better Call Saul Season 4 will feature some scenes set during the Breaking Bad timeline, so that could be a signal for Hank Schrader or another character to appear.
In other Breaking Bad news, you can enter this contest for a chance to “cook” with Cranston and Paul in the actual RV from the acclaimed AMC show.
Sharp Objects Finally Gets Freaky in Episode 4
This review contains spoilers for Sharp Objects episode 4, titled “Ripe.”
There’s a really nice balance struck between everything Sharp Objects has been doing well since it premiered in “Ripe.” Rich family drama is used to develop not just one, but all three of the women in the family. Progress in the case directly ties to the personal stakes of Camille’s return to Wind Gap. And there’s this searing tension throughout, as if something terrible is about to happen. While it’s frustrating that said tension doesn’t pay off here, this episode leaves us on a wicked and cruel cliffhanger that makes you realize just how well Sharp Objects is working.
“Ripe” opens with images of all the dead that have been affecting Camille’s psyche since she returned to Wind Gap. Her sister, her cellmate, and the murdered girls are shown in montage together to create an uneasy feeling that carries through the entire episode. Whether it’s Amma suddenly treating her half-sister with an ounce of respect (maybe even empathy), or the way Camille’s return to several old crime scenes with Richard trigger some very unhappy memories, there are so few moments in this episode that feel trustworthy for Camille.
Stranger Things Season 3 Coming In 2019, Will Feature More Special Effects
Stranger Things Season 3 won’t be out this year, Netflix has announced.
Netflix programming boss Cindy Holland said at a Television Critics Association event that the hit sci-fi show won’t return until 2019. The wait will be worth it, Holland said.
“It’s a handcrafted show,” Holland said, according to EW. “The Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy–they understand the stakes are high. They want to deliver something bigger and better than last year. I think it’s going to be a fantastic season. It will be worth the wait.”
Holland added that Season 3 will have more special effects than the previous two. This is part of the reason why Stranger Things won’t be back until 2019. “It’s a really exciting season, just takes a little more time,” Holland explained.
Producer Shawn Levy recently revealed that Season 3 will be set in the summer of 1985, following the previous seasons which were set a year apart in ’83 and ’84 respectively. At least two new cast members are joining the show for Season 3, including Carey Elwes and Jake Busey. Busey will play Bruce, who is a “corrupt and sexist news reporter,” while Elwes is Mayor Kline, a “slick and self-serving politician.”
Season 3’s story emphasis is expected to shift away from Will. “We’re going to give Will a break,” Levy said previously. “We’re not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He’ll be dealing with stuff, but he won’t be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah [Schnapp] to play.”
For more on Stranger Things, check out GameSpot’s theories about Season 3.
EA Wants Fortnite-Like Cross-Play For Its Own Games … Eventually
Electronic Arts has commented on the ever-popular topic of cross-play, and it sounds like the company is enthusiastic about doing more in the space going forward. During a recent earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson was asked directly if Battlefield V or other EA games will feature cross-play functionality between systems. Wilson said cross-play is an “important part of our future development profile,” though he stopped short of confirming anything.
Cross-play between consoles exists for some Xbox One and Nintendo Switch games such as Rocket League and Minecraft. However, Sony has yet to connect its PlayStation 4 with any competing consoles. Whatever the case, Wilson said he expects that in 3-5 years, a “great portion” of gaming will exist in the cloud, and will thus be technically capable of being played on any device you may own, though politics between platform-holders may complicate issues.
“We have a vision on a 3- to 5-year time horizon where a great portion of game experiences will exist in the cloud and be pushed to every device you own,” Wilson said. “And the game experience you have won’t be measured by local CPU or GPU, but will be measured by screen size and session time you have and will drive tremendous liquidity in a market.
On the more immediate horizon, Wilson teased that EA is looking at some of its “key franchises” for cross-play support.
“We’re looking at key franchises in terms of how we should deliver cross-platform way … in a similar way that Fortnite has, especially … some of our titles have a broad and diverse player base,” he said. “Households typically have one console, so the ability to bring PC to console and console to mobile into that play experience can bring families together, can bring friends together. And we think it’s an important part of our future development profile, both in terms of mobile games that we have today moving up per se to console and PC, and console and PC games being playable in mobile. And I expect more from us on that front in the future.”
With regards to gaming services being available in the cloud, EA recently acquired GameFly’s Israel-based streaming outfit to help in its streaming and cloud efforts. We also learned during EA’s earnings call that the company may develop its own Fortnite-style free-to-play battle royale game.
For lots more on everything you need to know about cross-play, check out GameSpot’s new video featured embedded above.
Disenchantment Has the DNA of Futurama and The Simpsons
At the 2018 Television Critics Association summer press tour, Netflix released four new character sizzle reels for their upcoming animated series, Disenchantment, which premieres on the streaming provider on August 17.
Disenchantment comes from the creative minds of Simpsons creator Matt Groening, and Futurama writer/co-executive producer Josh Weinstein. The story is set in the medieval world of Dreamland, where three unlikely companions encounter all manner of fantastical creatures like ogres, sprites, and trolls.
The odd trio includes Princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson), a demon named Luci (Eric Andre), and Elfo (Nat Faxon), an adventurous elf who leaves his optimistic land behind in search of some real-world experiences. You can check out the footage below.