Month: January 2020

Acer’s Latest Gaming Monitor Burns at 1,400-nits

Gaming monitors have been getting awfully expensive as top-tier models began promising up to 1,000-nits in peak brightness and a 4K picture paired with a high-refresh rate. Now Acer is upping the ante yet again with a 32-inch gaming monitor that hits a peak brightness of 1,440-nits.

The Predator X32 is Acer’s latest G-Sync Ultimate gaming monitor and it’s the biggest 16:9 model we’ve seen from this series so far, leapfrogging over the previous 27-inch Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27. It packs a mini LED panel with 1,152 zone local dimming spread across its UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution display.

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Silent Hill Artist Masahiro Ito Says He’s Working on a New Title as ‘Core Member’

Masahiro Ito, one of the artists behind the Silent Hill games, is working on a new project.

He shared the news in a tweet, revealing that he’s a core member on some mysterious title which he hopes won’t get cancelled. Masahiro follows up that tweet stating that he can’t yet reveal anything about the project at hand.

 

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Sam Raimi Is Developing A New Evil Dead Film, But It Might Not Feature Ash

Evil Dead could be coming back to the big screen, with Sam Raimi working to develop a new project with “a young filmmaker.” Raimi directed the original 1981 The Evil Dead, as well as its sequels Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness.

Raimi announced the project during a Reddit AMA for the new remake of The Grudge, which he produced. Asked if he would return for a final film, he said that something was in the works. “Bruce, Rob and I are working with a young fillmaker (sic) who is writing a new Evil Dead story that he will direct,” he said.

However, Raimi says he would only direct another film in the series if Bruce Campbell came back as Ash, despite the actor retiring from the role after the end of Ash vs The Evil Dead. “As for me…. I would love to direct a new Evil Dead movie… but I’d really like to do it with Bruce,” Raimi wrote. “And he says he’s retired the character. I hope not.”

Ash most recently appeared as a playable survivor in the game Dead by Daylight. Bruce Campbell performed the voice acting for the character. Another Evil Dead game is also in the works, with Campbell attached in some capacity.

Elsewhere, Raimi says that 1917 was his favorite movie of 2019. The film has since won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. He also says that he’d make a sequel to the 2013 Evil Dead remake “in a split second,” as long as director Fede Álvarez returned for it.

Now Playing: Dead By Daylight – Ash Vs Evil Dead Character Trailer

Golden Globe Awards: 1917 Wins Top Award, See All The Winners Here

This year’s Golden Globes awards show was held on Sunday night. Honoring the best of 2019’s TV shows and movies, Skyfall director Sam Mendes’ World War I movie 1917 took home the overall top honor for best drama, while HBO’s Succession won the best drama award for TV.

1917 beat out the Netflix movies The Irishman, The Two Popes, Marriage Story, and Joker to win the Best Drama award, while Succession succeeded over other nominees including Big Little Lies, The Crown, Killing Eve, and The Morning Show.

HBO’s big-budget and hugely popular Game of Thrones was nominated for only one award–Kit Harington for Best Actor. However, he did not win.

Parasite won Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language. Director Bong Joon-ho said in his acceptance speech that he hopes more people will watch non-English language films. “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” he said.

In addition to the main awards for movies and TV shows, Ellen Degeneres won the Carol Burnett Award for lifetime achievement in television, while Tom Hanks won the Cecil B. DeMille award for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Entertainment.

Another major theme of the evening was actors urging people to considering donating or providing support to the ongoing efforts to fight the devastating fires in Australia that have been ravaging the country for months.

After winning Best Actor for The Loudest Voice, Russell Crowe delivered a message to viewers–“Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate change based … we need to act based on science.” Actress Cate Blanchett, who was born in Australia, praised the volunteer firefighters and added, “When one country faces a climate disaster, we all face a climate disaster.”

Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for Joker. In his acceptance speech, he called on Hollywood to make sacrifices in their own lives. “We don’t have to take private jets to Palm Springs,” he said.

For lots more on the Golden Globes, head to GameSpot sister site TV Guide.

Golden Globes Categories And Winners

List via CNET

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television

  • Christopher Abbott, Catch-22
  • Sacha Baron Cohen, The Spy
  • Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
  • Jared Harris, Chernobyl
  • Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

  • Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
  • Bill Hader, Barry
  • Ben Platt, The Politician
  • Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself
  • Ramy Youssef, Ramy

Best Motion Picture — Drama

  • 1917
  • The Irishman
  • Joker
  • Marriage Story
  • The Two Popes

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

  • Dolemite Is My Name
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Knives Out
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Rocketman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

  • Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
  • Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
  • Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
  • Charlize Theron, Bombshell
  • Renée Zellweger, Judy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama

  • Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
  • Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
  • Adam Driver, Marriage Story
  • Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
  • Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

  • Ana de Armas, Knives Out
  • Awkwafina, The Farewell
  • Cate Blanchett, Where’d You Go, Bernadette
  • Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
  • Emma Thompson, Late Night

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

  • Daniel Craig, Knives Out
  • Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Taron Egerton, Rocketman
  • Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

  • Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
  • Annette Bening, The Report
  • Laura Dern, Marriage Story
  • Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
  • Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

  • Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  • Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
  • Al Pacino, The Irishman
  • Joe Pesci, The Irishman
  • Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Director — Motion Picture

  • Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
  • Sam Mendes, 1917
  • Todd Phillips, Joker
  • Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
  • Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

  • Marriage Story – Noah Baumbach
  • Parasite – Bong Joon-ho & Han Jin-won
  • The Two Popes – Anthony McCarten
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino
  • The Irishman – Steven Zaillian

Best Motion Picture — Animated

  • Frozen II
  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
  • The Lion King
  • Missing Link
  • Toy Story 4

Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language

  • The Farewell
  • Les Misérables
  • Pain and Glory
  • Parasite
  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Original Score — Motion Picture

  • Little Women – Alexandre Desplat
  • Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir
  • Marriage Story – Randy Newman
  • 1917 – Thomas Newman
  • Motherless Brooklyn – Daniel Pemberton

Best Original Song — Motion Picture

  • “Beautiful Ghosts,” Cats – Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Taylor Swift
  • “I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” Rocketman – Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
  • “Into the Unknown,” Frozen II – Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
  • “Spirit,” The Lion King – Music and Lyrics by Timothy McKenzie, Ilya Salmanzadeh & Beyoncé
  • “Stand Up,” Harriet – Music and Lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell & Cynthia Erivo

Best Television Series — Drama

  • Big Little Lies
  • The Crown
  • Killing Eve
  • The Morning Show
  • Succession

Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy

  • Barry
  • Fleabag
  • The Kominsky Method
  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • The Politician

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television

  • Catch-22
  • Chernobyl
  • Fosse/Verdon
  • The Loudest Voice
  • Unbelievable

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama

  • Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
  • Olivia Colman, The Crown
  • Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
  • Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
  • Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama

  • Brian Cox, Succession
  • Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
  • Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
  • Tobias Menzies, The Crown
  • Billy Porter, Pose

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy

  • Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
  • Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida
  • Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television

  • Kaitlyn Dever, Unbelievable
  • Joey King, The Act
  • Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great
  • Merritt Weaver, Unbelievable
  • Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television

  • Patricia Arquette, The Act
  • Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
  • Toni Collette, Unbelievable
  • Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies
  • Emily Watson, Chernobyl

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television

  • Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
  • Kieran Culkin, Succession
  • Andrew Scott, Fleabag
  • Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl
  • Henry Winkler, Barry

Now Playing: Joker Spoiler Review & Breakdown

New Doki Doki Literature Club Content Is Coming From The Game’s Creator

Doki Doki Literature Club, the much-loved, surprising 2017 visual novel, will receive new content in 2020. The game’s creator, Dan Salvato, has tweeted about his plans for 2020, expressing a desire to “reclaim his happiness” so that he can pass it onto others as well. Part of this will involve creating new content for Doki Doki Literature Club, although he says that he is not making a sequel.

It’s not clear if this means DLC for the game, which is free to play on Steam, or a standalone spin-off. The original game, which features twists and turns that we will not spoil here, is regarded well for how it plays on genre expectations.

Along with making new content for his smash hit, Salvato is working on a follow-up, which has been on hold for the last two years. In September 2018, Salvato posted on his personal site to let people know that he was busier than expected, which was delaying his follow-up game.

For more on visual novels, listen to our episode of GameSpot After Dark about the infamous KFC dating game.

Now Playing: The Biggest Games To Play In 2020 And Beyond

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The Witcher Voice Actor Shares His Thoughts On Netflix’s TV Show

Netflix recently announced that its new Witcher TV show was one of the most popular new programs on the platform in all of 2019. A lot of people are watching it, apparently, including the voice of Geralt of Rivia from CD Projekt Red’s video game series.

Doug Cockle shared on Twitter that he’s finally seen all eight episodes of Season 1, and he’s a big fan. “I Love it,” Cockle said.

Like professional critics and fans alike, Cockle remarked that the way in which the show jumps around in time was a sore spot, but overall he praised the show. “The main characters are wonderfully played by a talented cast and the world is lovingly realized,” he said.

Netflix ordered a second season of The Witcher before Season 1 premiered back in December. Variety reports that production on Season 2 will begin in 2020, with the show aiming to premiere in 2021, though no official announcements have come down yet.

Henry Cavill will return as Geralt, while Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan are set to reprise their roles as Yennefer and Ciri, respectively.

The release of The Witcher TV show appears to have helped The Witcher 3, as the CD Projekt Red game recently passed 100,000 concurrent players on Steam which is an all-time high for the 2015 game.

The Witcher TV show is based on the novel series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. His novels also served as the inspiration for CD Projekt Red’s video game series. The studio recently agreed to new terms with Sapkowski after the author sought $16 million from the game developer.

Now Playing: Netflix’s The Witcher Season 1 Spoiler Review

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Knives Out Sequel in Development, Daniel Craig Possibly Returning

Rian Johnson is working on a sequel to his whodunit blockbuster Knives Out with Daniel Craig reportedly returning as the main detective Benoit Blanc.

Johnson made the announcement to The Hollywood Reporter at a Golden Globes party. He told them that he wants to get the movie in production within the next year and Craig’s character will likely return. Ram Bergman, one of the producers on Knives Out, said that Craig wants to come back for the role.

“Daniel had so much fun doing it, and he wants to do more,” Bergman said.

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Silent Hill 2 & 3 Art Director Is Working On A New Secret Game

Masahiro Ito, the art director of both Silent Hill 2 and 3, is working on something new. The artist, who was last credited on Metal Gear Survive as a creature designer, has announced on Twitter that he’s been brought into a new project.

Ito has left Konami and has been working as a freelance artist, but he says that he is a “core member” of this new project. In the tweet, he says that he hopes the title “won’t be cancelled,” perhaps recalling the debacle with Hideo Kojima’s Silent Hills and its 2015 cancellation.

In a follow-up tweet, Ito clarified that he could not talk about the project just yet.

The Silent Hill series, particularly the first three entries, have long been praised and celebrated for their twisted enemy designs and strong art direction. Ito was a monster designer and background artist on the first game before becoming art director of the second and third games; he has not served as the art designer on another project since.

Now Playing: 8 Days of Horror – Silent Hill 2 | GameSpot Live

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Knives Out Sequel On The Way, Will Focus On Daniel Craig’s Character

A sequel to Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson’s murder mystery movie Knives Out is on the way. The writer-director told The Hollywood Reporter that he is working on a sequel that focuses on Daniel Craig’s character, the southern detective Beniot Blanc, who is now working on a new case. According to the report, Johnson is eyeing Knives Out as a potential franchise for Lionsgate.

Johnson added that he is hopeful to strike while the iron is hot, with the ambition to shoot the new Knives Out movie in 2021. Knives Out producer Ram Bergman said Craig is keen to return to the part. “Daniel had so much fun doing it, and he wants to do more,” Bergman said.

Knives Out, which was released in theatres in November, made around $247 million at the box office so far against a reported $40 million budget (the movie is still in theatres). The film stars a number of huge names, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Michael Shannon, and Katherine Langford. These actors and their characters would probably not return in the sequel given the events of the movie.

This Knives Out sequel will not be Johnson’s only project, as he’s also developing a new Star Wars trilogy for Disney. According to The Hollywood Reporter, plans for Johnson’s new trilogy of Star Wars movies has “slowed,” which may give Johnson more time to work on other projects.

Now Playing: Knives Out – Official Trailer

Oddity, A Former Earthbound Fan-Sequel, Has A Gorgeous New Reveal Trailer

A fan-made version of Mother 4 that was announced for a 2015 release before quietly disappearing has resurfaced with a new name and look. Oddity, which wears its Earthbound influences very openly, has been shown off in a new “reveal teaser” trailer below.

The game, which looks to be an RPG with turn-based combat and Game Boy Advance inspired visuals reminiscent of Mother 3 (the Japan-only sequel to Earthbound), does not have a release date or platforms announced as of yet. The development team has branded itself as “O197X.” The trailer below introduces the characters, showing off much of the world you’ll be exploring and the game’s quirky sense of style.

The game casts players as Travis Fields, who has to team up with some friends to save the world using his Ness-style baseball bat. Players will battle against a secret society called the Modern Men. Few details beyond this are clear right now; the original plan was for the game to be a free release for PC, but this might have changed.

Mother 3 is yet to see a release outside of Japan, despite rumors that it would come to the Wii U Virtual Console as Earthbound Beginnings did. For now, games like Oddity and Knuckle Sandwich are the closest we’ll get to a new Earthbound game.

Now Playing: Mother 3 Gameplay Movie 3

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