I just got back from seeing Rogue One for a second time. I gave it a 7/10 after my first viewing, but if I could change that, I'd drop it to a 6/10 after seeing it twice. The characters aren't as well developed as they could be (which causes problems during the moments in which the film really wants you to feel for them), and I think it doesn't hold a candle to The Force Awakens.

One other thing I was really disappointed by was how much the film was positioned to be wildly different on a visual level, and how it didn't quite live up to that potential. It was hyped as a "boots on the ground" war movie, but in the final cut, it didn't feel that much different than other Star Wars movies. If they had kept a lot of the shots from the trailers in the final cut, it would have gone a long way toward actually achieving that goal. I'm sure you've all heard by now that there was a different ending intended for the movie, and now editor Vashi Nedomansky (via FilmSchoolRejects) compiled a staggering 46 (!) different shots that were featured in the marketing but didn't make the actual film. This might be a record for a major film that promised so many things in its marketing that it didn't deliver.

What do you all think?

Rogue One is out and it was awesome! But despite the story Disney told us about how the Death Star plans were stolen, the hero who accomplished that feat to me will always be Kyle Katarn...read more on GameTyrant

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Yesterday director Wes Anderson officially announced his stop-motion animated film project, Isle of Dogs. Today we learned that Fox Searchlight picked up the distribution rights to the film, and they offered us our first plot details for the film in a very brief synopsis that says the film is a Japan-set tale that follows “a boy’s odyssey in search of his dog.”

This means that the boy featured in the teaser poster will be the main character of the film, and I'm sure Anderson plans on taking him on a crazy adventure. If you look at the image in the poster, you can see he's been beaten up a bit. In a joint statement Fox Searchlight presidents, Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula, said:

“Wes Anderson is one of the most talented filmmakers of his, or any other, generation. His ability to write smart and unconventional screenplays and then translate them into unique experiences on screen makes him not only a unique voice in film, but one who can truly bridge the gap between independent films and cross-over hits. We are thrilled to be going on a journey into the newest world from the distinctive imagination of Wes Anderson.”

I've been a fan of Anderson ever since he won me over with Rushmore. I just love his storytelling style and sense of humor. I've enjoyed every film that he's made in his career and I don't think Isle of Dogs will be an exception. 

The voice cast of the film includes F. Murray Abraham, Bob Balaban, Bud Cort, Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Kunichi Nomura, Edward Norton, Yoko Ono, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber, Tilda Swinton, Akira Takayama, and Frank Wood.

The movie will be released sometime in 2018.

The team at Corridor Digital has created a fun little parody video in which young Kylo Ren is forced to hang out with his grandfather, Darth Vader, on Christmas Day. At first he's not into it, but he quickly realizes that the two of them have a lot in common and they set out and start causing a ruckus in town. Check it out:

Via: LaughingSquid

Some interesting new rumored details have surfaced for Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII, and it involves Rey's stay with Luke Skywalker on the island of Ahch-To. I won't get into much detail yet, but Rey has to go through some interesting and intense trials.

I have no idea if any of this is true — some of it sounds pretty far-fetched to me, but it comes from Making Star Wars who has some reliable inside sources. So, who knows... Maybe it will turn out to be legit. If you don't want to hear these rumors, don't read ahead.

These recent details offer us some insight into not only Rey's stay on the island, but also offer some strange info on Luke and the creatures that he's sharing the island with. That's right, apparently Luke isn't alone on Ahch-To, and these inhabitants aren't a fan of Rey showing up. 

The creatures are called "puffins," and they are apparently designed after the actual inhabitants of the island of Skellig Michael, which is the actual island where the Ahch-To scenes are being shot. According to the report, the creatures have "razor sharp teeth and are a mixture of the terrifying and the adorable. They’re sort of like a bird mixed with a Gremlin." They’re supposed to be about 15 inches tall, and puppets were made to bring them to life on the set of the film. 

These creatures are the protectors of the island. They have befriended Luke, and he has their permission to stay with them. What makes this whole thing hard to believe is the fact that when Rey showed up in The Force Awakens and hiked all the way up the island to find Luke, there was no sign of these things. 

Anyway, Rey doesn't have permission to be on the island, and at some point while she's there she has to battle a sea monster. The site explains, "Rey has a sequence on Ahch-To where she fights a rather large sea monster (we have also heard she wears a black cloak during this sequence over the costume we described before). It has been suggested but not confirmed that Rey’s besting of the sea monster grants her permission to be at the sacred location by the “puffins.” However, the sequences could be totally unrelated."

I little skeptical about a lot of this stuff, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what's true and what's not once we start seeing some actual footage from the film. What do you think of the latest rumor?  

NBC and The Jim Henson Company are creating a series that will seek out the next biggest puppet act in the world. Deadline says Top Puppet is being developed by producers behind The Voice and that former late night host Craig Ferguson will be a producer as well. The series is designed to be a one off, but if it's successful there will likely be more seasons. 

I'm not sure how entertaining you can make a show about puppetry as even The Muppets are struggling to find their footing in the new millennium. After a having their series canceled by ABC you would imagine JHC would be trying another outlet outside of primetime network television...but that's none of my business.

Do you foresee yourself giving this show a shot?

If you've been paying attention to pop culture for the past few years, you've undoubtedly noticed a dramatic uptick in nostalgia playing a huge factor in the films and television shows that get made. Studios have almost weaponized the affection viewers have for their childhoods, and now they're using it as just another tool to convince people to go see the latest remake, reboot, or sequel that's been specifically designed to resemble something we all remember from "the good old days."

I've been thinking a lot about this topic over the past couple of years, and in the latest episode of 8-Bit Philosophy, the narrator offers up a strong theory as to why nostalgia is so prevalent right now. It takes a bit of the burden off of audiences and places it more on the time period and political climate in which we live right now, so I'm sure those who are guilty of giving into it all the time will find this thought process comforting.

A new photo from Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman has been released featuring Gal Gadot stealing the Amazons' mythical sword, which is known as the “god killer.”  The image comes from EW, who explains that this is the moment in the story where Wonder Woman disobeys her mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) and "breaks into the heavily guarded armory on her idyllic all-female island of Themyscira" to take the sword before "heading to Europe to help save humanity." The director explains:

“This is her moment. She’s heard all the terrible things about man’s land. But she’s also heard that mankind is in need and under duress. This is her great moment to make the decision to be the one to try and save them.”

I really hope that this movie turns out as awesome as the trailers make it out to be. It looks like it could be the best DC movie yet.

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny

Wonder Woman also stars Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Robin Wright as Wonder Woman’s aunt, General Antiope, Lucy Davis, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Danny Huston, Ewen Bremner, Elena Anaya, Florence Kasumba, and Saïd Taghmaoui. Wonder Woman opens in theaters on June 2, 2017.

If you still haven't found an NES Classic Mini and you want one for Christmas, there is still hope. Polygon brings us the news this morning that Gamestop will be receiving shipments...read more on Gametyrant

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OK, I'll tell you right up front that when it comes to being entertained by this video, your mileage may vary here. There's not much more to say about it than what's in the headline, so I'll reiterate: it's just random footage from Gotham set to The Rembrandts' classic "I'll Be There For You," which was famously used as the theme song for NBC's '90s mega-hit Friends. Simple.

But I laughed out loud at the :20 second mark when Robin Lord Taylor ridiculously pops his head out of that car window, so I figured it was worth sharing just in case anyone out there found that moment was as funny as I did.

Love him or hate him, Jerry Lewis is a comedian through and through. I'm not sure if this video interview with The Hollywood Reporter is Lewis being a legitimate asshole or doing a bit for exposure. Either way, it's pretty damn funny, and the 90-year-old actor is going viral all over the web today for it. Experience seven hilariously awkward minutes with Lewis below. 

So is it a gag or is he just pissed off? 

Couch Tomato's latest fantastic video explains to us 24 ways that Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Duncan Jones' Warcraft are the same movie. He points out some interesting stuff that I would have never known or thought about had I not watched the video. If you haven't been watching this video series, you really need to start. It's one of my favorites! You can catch several of the previously released episodes here.

That picture above is Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. According to producer Gaston Pavlovich, that's exactly the De Niro you can expect to see in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film The Irishman. An interview with the producer by Cinemablend has revealed the studio has plans to "digitally de-age" De Niro in a tale that spans throughout the lifetime of real-life mafia hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran. 

Apparently, the studio has already performed screen tests and were confident enough in the results that they would rather go this route than cast a young actor in the earlier part of the film. All I know is it better be a step above what they did with Jeff Bridges in Tron: Legacy. That CGI wasn't terrible, but there were still some sections where it was more than apparent it was not a real actor in the shot. 

I guess it'll be cool to see if they pull it off, but personally, I always liked flashbacks that contained a different actor playing the same character! To go back to The Godfather Part II, it was awesome to see De Niro embody Vito Corleone so well that it stood right up there with Marlon Brando's performance! I guess Scorsese isn't so confident anyone can mimic the talent that De Niro has. 

Do you think the digital de-aging is a good route to go? 

Warning, this is gonna make you jealous. A Japanese Star Wars fan has created a levitating model of the Millennium Falcon that looks absolutely incredible. Take a look at the video and continue reading below...

ミレニアムファルコン完成です。CREALEV社製の70mm浮く磁気浮上装置使って浮遊させ、エンジンは無線給電で発光します。装置の日本代理店である㈱ワイアードゲートさまとのコラボレーションで製作しました。二子玉川蔦屋家電で展示中です。#ローグワン #スターウォーズ #蔦屋家電 pic.twitter.com/egdv99zreT

— ハナキマサトシ@もうすぐ30th (@HanakiMasatoshi) December 14, 2016

I tried translating the text from the tweet but only got a very rough translation as to what went into creating this bad boy. See if you can't figure it out from what Twitter gave me...

It is a completion of the Millennium Falcon. CREALEV, float 70 mm magnetic levitation system with floating, with wireless powered fire engine. Wired gate in Japan distributor of equipment co., Ltd. has produced in collaboration with the customer. It is at futako-jade 川蔦 shop home appliances

I don't know if "fire" is a brand, but I guarantee it's not the fire engine most of us are familiar with. I desperately wish this was commercially viable! I would love to have one in my office! Thanks to NerdApproved for showing this to us. 

A character from the original 1968 Planet of the Apes film has been confirmed to play a role in director Matt Reeves' upcoming movie, War For The Planet of The Apes. The news comes from EW, along with the concept art above. If you don't want to know who the little girl in the art is, then I suggest you stop reading now. 

The report explains that Caesar and his companions come across this young girl during their journey. She is mute, and her name is Nova, who is played by Amiah Miller. If you're familiar with the original film, then this should ring a bell. This is the character played by Linda Harrison opposite Charlton Heston in both Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. When talking about Nova and her purpose in the story, Reeves explains:

“The battle is not just between the humans and the apes, but in Caesar’s soul. The girl is his pull back to his empathy and — for lack of a better word — his human side.”

I think it's pretty awesome that they are including Nova in the story! This gives us a direct character connection to the original film. As a fan of the original films, this bit of news got me even more excited for the upcoming movie. 

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

War for the Planet of the Apes also stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Terry Notary, and Karin Konoval. It hits theaters on July 14th, 2017. If you want to watch the trailer again, click here.

Giant community expansion The Binding of Issac: Antibirth is now out to download for FREE. This unofficial expansion to the popular game contains a ton of new content...read more on Gametyrant

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An old interview with Steve Jobs on the fall of Xerox is going viral on Reddit today as Jobs' words almost mirror current customer complaints with Apple. In the interview, Jobs says the downfall of a company begins when they own a "monopoly share" of a market and begin to question the validity of innovation and design when their product will sell either way. 

While true, there are several companies besides Apple (who are currently forcing wireless earbuds on iPhone 7 users) who lose their creative swing when it seems the money will flow in regardless. Activision, for example, has taken limited risks on the Call of Duty franchise since acquiring it and has even retroactively changed classic games to fit their current DLC business model. Gamers complain online, but inevitably, COD: Infinite Warfare became the highest grossing game of 2016. 

The only way this will ever really change is when consumers change...and companies seem more focused on testing that tipping point than staying on the course of innovation. 

Couch Tomato and Hulk review the newest addition to the Star Wars franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Listen on PodTyrant

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It's been a fun week of Alien: Covenant photos and two more have just popped up on the web. It's all leading up to the first trailer that's supposed to be released sometime in the near future.

The first photo shows is a violently bloody mess, possibly the aftermath of a chestbuster or something just as sinister. One thing is for sure, whoever was involved with this incident didn't make it out alive. The second photo includes a cool eerie visual of a familiar looking xenomorph corridor. 

To check out the previously released images and all the other news regarding the film make sure to click here. 

Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world -- whose sole inhabitant is the "synthetic" David, survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

The movie also stars Michael Fassbender, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir (The Hateful Eight), Jussie Smolett (Empire), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Callie Hernandez (Machete Kills), and Billy Crudup (Watchmen). James Franco also recently confirmed that he'll be in the movie as previously rumored. 

Alien: Covenant is set to be released on August 4th, 2017.

13 Minutes is a WWII film that tells the true story of an assassination attempt on Hitler. There were several attempts to take Hitler out during the war, but this one focuses on a German man named Georg Elser. He built a homemade bomb and planted it a venue that Hitler was supposed to speak at. The event ended early and Hitler left 13 minutes before the bomb exploded. This film explores Elser's life leading up to the assassination attempt and the motive behind his plot to kill Hitler. 

The film was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), and it looks like a fantastically made film that tell a powerful and intense story. This is the official synopsis: 

13 MINUTES tells the incredible true story of the man who nearly changed the world - Georg Elser, a carpenter who attempted to carry out a bomb plot against Hitler at a Nazi convention in Munich 1939. The film follows Georg's fascinating confession, of not only how a seemingly non-political man came to this point, but also delving into his personal relationships and how they were affected by his beliefs, especially with the love of his life, Elsa.

The movie is set to hit theaters on March 13th, 2017.