Entertainment

‘Dead Rising: Watchtower’ Premieres Exclusively on Crackle on March 27th

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 25, 2015 | 0 comments

Come Friday March 27th, Legendary, the studio that brought you 300, Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and soon Jurassic World is bringing Dead Rising: Watchtower exclusively to Crackle. As you might guess from the name, the movie is loosely based on the popular Dead Rising franchise and even includes Frank West, played expertly by Rob Riggle. What’s different about this game-to-movie adaption is that not only does it not cost you a thing to watch (remember, Crackle is free on about as many devices as there are different weapon combinations that can be made in Dead Rising), but it’s also one that’s fun.

While not breaking down to slapstick humor, what makes Dead Rising: Watchtower refreshing is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it realizes the franchise it’s portraying. Sadly, most game adaptions either end up being high-production spectacles that miss the mark of the franchise to a humorous level or such low budget affairs that desperately want to be the next big Hollywood blockbuster that only turn out humorous and not in a good way. Dead Rising: Watchtower balances that in an artful manner by doing the most they can with a modest budget without getting ahead of itself or forgetting to have fun with enough winks and nods to the game to likely appease the most hardcore of fans.

Did we mention it’s free on Crackle this Friday? Details after the jump.

Is ‘CHAPPiE’ Your New Movie Friend?

by Joel Dale | Mar 18, 2015 | 0 comments

At one point in CHAPPiE a marginally important villain, when realizing that the robotic cop forces had gone offline and he has carte blanche to committing crime in the city, declares “I want all the things.” If not an exact quote, it’s pretty darn close.

While I appreciate how direct and easily interpreted such a proclamation is, I have to wonder if writer/director Neil Blomkamp was worried people wouldn’t understand the nuances of a criminal who wanted some quantity less than “all the things.” It’s a very simple idea said by a very stupid character and only underpins how the characters of CHAPPiE are as thick as paper mache’. Unfortunately, this proclamation is the one line that seems to perfectly sum up what Neil Blomkamp was attempting to do in CHAPPiE.

Tom Rothman to Head Sony Pictures; Will Focus on New Franchises, Cutting Costs

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 25, 2015 | 0 comments

The idea of executives being brought in to cut costs is a cringeworthy notion to me. While keeping cost under control and cutting waste where needed should be part of the business plan for all companies (look no further than the mid nineties when Steve Jobs returned to Apple), by itself, the initiative will only lead to a dead end if growth itself cannot be stimulated. We need not look further than Sony Electronics who has been cutting divisions and staff left and right but still hasn’t seen a meaningful profit in over a decade.

So who the heck is Tom Rothman and why is he heading Sony Pictures? Let’s talk.

Michael Lynton to Stay As Sony Pictures CEO

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 24, 2015 | 0 comments

Due to the disastrous cyber attack which rocked Sony Pictures in late 2014, there’s been some changes at the executive level. One such casualty was Amy Pascal, who found herself in middle of it all when her private emails with less-than-flattering language and attitude towards celebrities as well as the President of the United States was revealed. Pascal eventually stepped down from her position though she later clarified that she was ‘fired’ from that position.

With Pascal having signed a three-year contract with Sony Pictures which was set to expire this year and having been given a new production company right at the Sony Pictures campus in Culver City, I can’t say she’s doing too badly and rather, landed nicely for someone in her position. After her departure, all eyes were then on Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Pictures, who saw the hacking incident unfold on his watch. Industry insiders wondered if Lynton would be another casualty of the attack and today we have that answer.

Should You See “Kingsman: The Secret Service?”

by Joel Dale | Feb 16, 2015 | 3 comments

The theater was pretty well packed as G.I. Joe and I had to wait in line to see Kingsman: The Secret Service. Based on the previews I was expecting a rollicking, crazy time of action and adventure. And boy does it deliver.

Secret Agent Harry Hart (aka Galahad) owes his life to the father of street youth “Eggsy” – a remarkably clean, movie-ticket-sellingly attractive, and well-washed boy who lives in squalor with his mother and her abusive boyfriend. (Apparently no one else in the house uses the shower.) When Eggsy gets bailed out of prison by Harry, so begins his journey into the ultra secret service of the Kingsman. ~~A group so clandestine, I’m not allowed to finish this senten….~~. Eggsy sees a way out of his current life and accepts the offer to join this group of incredibly talented spies via a deadly recruitment process that whittles 9 recruits down to just one with increasingly dangerous missions that kill off the weak.

Amy Pascal, Co-chairman of Sony Pictures, Steps Down, But Not For the Reasons You Think

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 6, 2015 | 0 comments

As you’re likely more than aware, Sony Pictures was brutally hacked in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Perpetrated by North Korea, the attack is believed to be a response to The Interview, the Sony Pictures comedy starring Seth Rogan and James Franco in which the two try to assassinate the North Korean leader. In addition to bringing down the studio’s internal networks and computers, which made emailing and other work-related tasks at the Culver City campus nearly impossible, many films from SP were also leaked to torrent sites, including films that had not yet been released. Devastating on its own, the hackers smartly calculated that anything juicy from them would circulate and be regurgitated by the media who were more than happy to release private email exchanges and other business negotiations for a few extra clicks. While some private exchanges like the one by Channing Tatum were simply funny, others were less flattering, like the ones by Amy Pascal, c0-chairman of Sony Pictures.

Now the chips have finally fallen and Amy has announced her departure from Sony Pictures but it’s not for the reasons you may think and in fact, she’s not actually leaving Sony. More details after the jump, including a statement from Sony CEO, Kaz Hirai.

Cyberattack Won’t Impact Sony’s Bottom Line

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2015 | 0 comments

According to Sony, though the cyberattack on them which played out on such a public manor was one of the more vicious attacks in history, the incident itself won’t be affecting the company’s bottom line. To wrap up the incident, Sony is putting aside $15 million (¥1.8 billion) in “investigation and remedial costs.” Due to not releasing The Interview in theaters nationwide and offering fewer releases in general, Sony Pictures projects a 11.7% decrease in revenue. Still, the division estimates an operating profit of $20.4 million (¥2.4 billion) for the quarter. Despite the lack of direct financial loss from the attack, there likely lies costly and unforeseen ramifications from the hacking attack.

Let’s talk after the jump.

Irony: Sony Updates ‘Music Unlimited’ App On the Same Day It Announces Its Death

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 28, 2015 | 12 comments

In what may be its final update before the service is put to pasture, Sony has given the Music Unlimited app on iOS an update….on the day it announced that it would ending the service. So what can we expect from Music Unlimited Version 2.3.0, which weighs in at 7.7 MB? From the official changelog:

New: Skip & skip back by swiping the album cover art
Fixes minor bugs on player features

The update will likely go by unnoticed as the reason Sony is shutting down the service is due to lack of consumer interest, i.e. enough subscribers to warrant the cost of the service. While I’m sure that it’s purely coincidental that an update was pushed the same date that Sony would announce the service’s death, (and I’m 100% certain that those working on the app have had no idea that Sony would be killing Music Unlimited) the situation is comedically and sadly very representative of the internal disarray that Sony faces. No division is safe and no plan/initiative/service has a long term vision where software and hardware are working together to achieve it.

Sony’s ‘Music Unlimited’ Reaches End of Line

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 28, 2015 | 5 comments

Likely in an effort to streamline their internal operations and cut where the feature usage does not warrant the costs, Sony has announced that it’s killing its Music Unlimited program. Previously dubbed as Qriocity when it launched in 2010, the streaming service looked to tackle iTunes and other similar services like Pandora and Spotify by allowing users to stream music for a monthly fee. Come March 29th, 2015, Music Unlimited will reach end of line in the 19 countries it operates in. More details after the jump.

Should You See ‘Taken 3’? (a.k.a. The best part is the rhyme I just made.)

by Joel Dale | Jan 19, 2015 | 5 comments

A few minutes after Liam Neeson goes on his hunt for the bad guys in Taken 3, I realized that nobody had been taken. The first film had Liam’s daughter get “taken” and in Taken 2 it was his wife. And in those films Liam exposes people to his special set of skills and saves his family despite all the protestations from the bad guys who claim there are no “take-backsies.”

Yes, I know that by this point we get the story of who he is and it doesn’t always need to be about people being kidnapped but the movie is called TAKEN! It’s like watching Murder She Wrote and not having there be a murder (a murder mystery tv show from the 80’s for our younger readers). But after my viewing with friend Doug, I think we can both agree the people who got taken is the audience.

List of Theaters Showing ‘The Interview’ on Christmas (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 23, 2014 | 0 comments

As we reported earlier in the day, Sony Pictures will be releasing The Interview in select theaters. Seeing how AMC and Regal, the nation’s largest theater chains, dropped the film last week, the availability will be limited. Still, it’s worth showing up and seeing what all the fuss is about. In the end, either you’re standing up and making a statement or seeing a funny comedy. Hopefully both.

After the jump, a list of theaters showing The Interview.

Sony Pictures to Release ‘The Interview’ on Christmas In Theaters and VOD

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 23, 2014 | 0 comments

You hear that? Yea, that’s the sound of freedom as millions and millions of freedom fighting fans click over to YouTube to jam out to America, Fuck Yea! from the Team America soundtrack while adjusting their Christmas plans. In all seriousness though, Sony Pictures has officially confirmed that The Interview will in fact be landing in theaters this Christmas. Details are still forthcoming and it’s expected to be a limited release, seeing how the two largest theater chains, Regal and AMC, backed out from airing the flick in the first place which cause Sony to pull the comedy – but as it stands, The Interview will be coming to theaters and potentially VOD on December 25th.

Details after the jump, including comments from Seth Rogan and James Franco.

FBI Confirms N. Korea as the Culprit Behind Sony Pictures Attacks

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 19, 2014 | 0 comments

Just 24 hours ago, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that the Sony Pictures hacking incident is a “serious national security matter” and that the White House is looking for a “proportional response.” While North Korea’s name has been tossed around as a likely culprit behind the attacks on Sony Pictures, there has yet to be any official confirmation by Sony Pictures or the White House. All that changed today when the FBI officially named North Korea as the country behind the attacks that have rocked Sony Pictures.

We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there. North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a US business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such actions of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior.

The FBI went on to say that analysis of the “destructive malware” used on Sony Pictures was critical in the Bureau’s ability to link the attacks directly to North Korea with Sony having reported the incident within hours. They went to say that Sony

has been a great partner in the investigation, and continues to work closely with the FBI

After the jump, more details, including details from President Obama.

White House Working on a “Proportional Response” to Sony Pictures Hacking

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 18, 2014 | 5 comments

The Sony Pictures hack that’s been unfolding which has now resulted on the Hollywood studio to cancel all plans to release The Interview is an event that reaches far beyond Sony. Though the incident has rocked Sony Pictures with unforeseen consequences for years to come, other studios have taken note as well. Since the group behind the incident threatened with a 9/11 style terrorism attack on patrons who would dare see the film on its then-scheduled Christmas release, other studios have begun to take note and modify their projects. Specifically, New Regency has cancelled a Steve Carell North Korean thriller that was set to be directed by Gore Verbrinski and Paramount Pictures has pulled Team America: World Police, the satirical film from the creators of South Park, which debuted exactly a decade ago in theaters.

Since Sony Pictures decided to pull The Interview from theaters, The Alamo Drafthouse, an upscale theater chain in Austin, Texas had decided to show Team America instead, which ended with the team killing Kim Jung-il, father of Kim Jung-un, who was the target of The Interview. However, as you can see, Paramount Pictures has since pulled that film as well.

With Hollywood studios deciding to play it safe against would-be hackers and pulling any film that depicts North Korea, it’s up to The White House to formulate a response – and that’s exactly what they might do.

Why Sony Pictures Should Release ‘The Interview’ on Crackle (Which is Free)

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 17, 2014 | 4 comments

Thanks to the whole threat of 9/11 style terrorism and all, Sony Pictures has decided to pull The Interview from theaters. For those unfamiliar, the group behind the Sony Pictures hack recently upped their ante against the Hollywood studio and the American public by declaring all those who opt to see the Seth Rogan and James Franco comedy on Christmas Day as viable targets. While not pulling the film at that time, Rogan and Franco canceled all of their press events to promote the film. Soon after, Sony Pictures made it clear that it would be fine if theaters opted to not show the film.

Now, Sony Pictures is officially pulling the movie from theaters. Though according to Homeland Security there is little evidence of an actual threat, SP likely wants this saga to end as soon as possible. While in an ideal world they would be standing up to terrorists and stand for American ideals where we don’t change our lives due to fear, Sony also likely doesn’t want to be involved with such headlines should there be an actual attack. So will the theatrical cancelation of The Interview mean the former cyber criminals and now terrorist group get the last laugh?

Not if Sony listens to our plan that not only sends a direct ‘F You’ to the group behind it and North Korea, be it if they are involved or not. But it also helps one of the company’s younger services (Crackle) which sure could use a national campaign. Meet me after the jump.