If you enjoy watching crazy fantasy martial arts films, then you're going to love this one! This is the trailer for Jet Li's new martial arts film The Sorcerer and the White Snake. The movie has a ton of fantasy elements that are brought to life through CG animated technology. It's not the greatest CG in the world, but it still looks like it could be a really cool movie. 

There's a review from Screen Daily that says it's “breathtaking, beautiful and engagingly bonkers, this super-sleek Chinese fantasy romp is brimming with strange and oddly wonderful moments, and despite its inability to make much sense it is a real guilty pleasure of a film.”

Synopsis:

This fantasy film is based on an old Chinese legend about an herbalist who falls in love with a thousand-year-old White Snake disguised as a woman. Jet Li stars as a sorcerer who discovers her true identity and battles to save the man's soul.

The film was directed by House of Flying Daggers fight choreographer Ching Siu-Tung. This movie isn't for everyone, but if you're into these kinds of movies like myself, then you'll like what you see in this trailer. 

I loved how the first set of Star Wars films were made, but here's an intriguing idea... it could have been a Western in space with lasers! That's what would have happened if director Michael Cimino (Deer Hunter, Year of the Dragon) had convinced George Lucas on the idea. Here's the tweet that Cimino sent out... 

Everyone was pitching ideas for STAR WARS / Mine was simple: / A straight Western / but with lasers. / All the sets already built of course.

— Michael Cimino (@Cimino1939) December 7, 2012

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Terrence Howard is the latest actor to join the Denis Villeneuve-directed thriller Prisoners. The movie already has an incredibly impressive cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Leo, Viola Davis, Maria Bello and Paul Dano. 

The story centers on a small-town carpenter named Keller (Jackman) whose young daughter and best friend are kidnapped. After the cops fail to find them, Keller takes the law into his own hands, but in the process runs up against a confident big city detective (Gyllenhaal) assigned to the case. There's no word on who Howard will play in the film.

This is sure to be an intense and solid movie, especially with the talent involved with bringing it to life. 

Tattoo's can be awful and ugly, badass and eye-meltingly awesome, or they can be on an entirely other level... the glowing Yoda level.

I just don't know... I just don't know.

Modern Family star Ty Burrell has been cast in Disney's sequel to The Muppets. He will fill the role that Christopher Waltz was previously in talks for. This time around the Muppets are headed to Europe for their new adventure, and Burrell will play an Interpol inspector. Like the first film, the sequel will have a ton of cameos. 

The director of the first film James Bobin is back to direct the movie from a script he co-wrote with Nicholas Stoller. Jason Segel will not be returning for the sequel in any capacity though. I enjoyed Segel's Muppet movie, and I hope this sequel turns out to be just as entertaining. 

The Dark Knight Rises and Wreck-It-Ralph were a lot of fun, and so is this cool mashup art by BossBattle. In this piece Bane steps in for Ralph, and he looks angrier than ever. Check out another piece of cool mashup art that combines Hulk from The Avengers taking on Ralph. (via OneSoulLost)

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Students from the Vancouver Film School shot a pretty interesting take on the Little Mermaid, one where she is a freak at a carnival sideshow. The result is creepy but good! The video begins with an introduction and some behind the scenes footage. From the looks of this mermaid, you don't need a Jamaican crab telling you that you've gotta NOT kiss the girl.

An awesome international trailer has hit the internet for Oblivion, the new Tom Cruise sci-fi film from by Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski. I've always had a good feeling about this movie, this is the first footage we've seen from it, and it looks incredibly badass! I believe we will get a new domestic trailer in HD for the movie tomorrow, in the mean time enjoy this little bit of greatness!

The film also stars Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Melissa Leo. Here's the synopsis.

Oblivion is an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth.  Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete.

 

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft.  Her arrival triggers a chain of events that  forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

Check out this incredibly badass fan poster called Star Wars Into Darkside, and as you can tell they used the new Star Trek Into Darkness poster as inspiration. This just put a big smile on my face, and I had to show it to you all! 

There's been a lot of Bane parody videos created since The Dark Knight Rises was on top of the world, but this one created by Auralnauts is the best one that I've seen. This is called "Bane Outtakes", and it came with the following note, "Bane went through a lot of changes before the final version of TDKR." They basically took key Bane scenes from the film and threw in some funny new dialogue. 

This is possibly one of the coolest freakin' Holiday card designs I've ever seen! It's a Die Hard and Home Alone mashup called "Yippee Ki-Yay Father Christmas!" 

That rascal Kevin McCallister is at it again and this time his family has left him alone in Nakatomi plaza!

I think I'm going to have to get me some of these to send out to people this year! If you're interested in getting some for yourself click here!

A big thanks to my wife for finding this for me! 

Stephen Colbert loves Lord of the Rings... a lot. So much so that he even speaks freaking Elvish. He has an upcoming cameo in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (the sequel to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) that he hasn't even seen yet but really wants to. 

All week the cast of The Hobbit have attested to Colbert's vast knowledge of everything Tolkien -- he even beat LOTR/Hobbit screenwriter Philippa Boyens in a trivia quiz when he visited the New Zealand set. Peter Jackson closed out Hobbit Week on the Colbert Report, in this hilarious interview Colbert begs to see Jackson's recently finished first cut for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. He also proves once again that he is the king of geeks by answering, in great detail, a Hobbit question that Jackson has been wondering about for years. 

He's already got Captain America's shield hanging up, and has brandished a couple of LOTR weapons that he's got his hands on. Even though Hobbit Week is over on the Colbert Report, I'm sure he'd be happy to leave his Middle Earth themed set the way it is. 

The first poster has been released for director Ben Wheatley's trippy sounding English Civil War film A Field in England. Wheatley is the same director that brought us the twisted movies Kill List and Sightseers. This next film has been described as "a psychedelic trip into magic and madness." So you can bet it going to end up being just as crazy as his other films, only this is set in 1648. 

The story follows a small group of deserters "fleeing from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by two men: O’Neil and Cutler. O’Neil (Michael Smiley), an alchemist, forces the group to aid him in his search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field. Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia, and, as it becomes clear that the treasure might be something other than gold, they slowly become victim to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field."

The movie stars Michael Smiley (Kill List), Peter Ferdinando, Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen), Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), Richard Clover (Wheatley's Sightseers) and Ryan Pope.  

As a fan of Wheatley's previous work I'm very much looking forward to seeing how this story plays out! I have no doubt it will be a fun and interesting movie going experience. 

The biggest question in the galaxy may be answered at the Who Shot First? Star Wars-themed art show at Ltd. Art Gallery in Seattle. The second annual show kicks off with an opening reception party on Thursday, December 13th from 6 to 10 pm. The art show itself will be on display until Sunday, January 27th, 2013. The show features a bunch of talented artists like Astromech Droid by Steve Thomas above.

Featured Artists:

Steve Thomas, Barry Blankenship, Craig Drake, Michael Fleming, Kim Gordon, Blunt Graffix, Eric Kirchmer, Aaron Jasinksi, MIKEATRON!, Augie Pagan, Devi Pellerin, Brian Rood, Wade Schin, Clarke Snyder, Cat Staggs, Suckadelic, Christian Waggoner, Jayson Weidel, Andrew Wilson, and Wednesday Wolf.

Wookiee Rage by Brian Rood

That’s No Moon by Jason Christman

Nerf Herder by Mark McHaley

Stormtrooper by Christian Waggoner

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Universal Pictures has released the first official trailer for the sci-fi epic Oblivion in HD! Earlier today a international trailer leaked out online and it looks like Universal was forced to release the traielr a day early. This movie looks amazing! Joseph Kosinski directs the sci-fi thriller that stars Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenka, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Melissa Leo.  

Synopsis:

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete.

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

Oblivion was shot in stunning digital 4K resolution on location across the United States and Iceland.

Oblivion arrives in theaters on April 19, 2013. 

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I was not able to catch Beasts of the Southern Wild in theaters, but it has arrived on Blu-ray and DVD Combo pack from Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by Benh Zeitlin this dramatic fantasy takes audiences on a journey fueled by a child's imagination, folklore and Hurricane Katrina. It looks like one perpetual Instagram feed, but from someone that's a fantastic photographer.

The film follows Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), a precocious 6-year-old girl living with her tempestuous father, Wink (Dwight Henry), on a remote Louisianna island known as “the Bathtub.” When a flood of Biblical proportions threatens to wipe out their ramshackle community, Wink spearheads the group of locals that attempts to ride it out. His increasingly restless daughter, however, seizes on the opportunity to explore her independence and re-imagines her displacement as a quest to find her absent mother.

This doesn't fit in with most of the other movies that I have reviewed for GeekTyrant, but it is one that I highly recommend. Beasts takes you out of your comfort zone, making you appreciate the safety and security that you have in your life. I found it hard to handle seeing the conditions that the characters lived in on a daily basis, but then realized that they were happy with their existence. Having lived through Hurricane Irene and Sandy in New Jersey, I have a small understanding of what it feels like to feel cut off from the rest of the world. The inhabitants of the Bathtub are just that, people that live on the fringe of society that have been forgotten by the world.

The performances are fantastic, especially by newcomer Wallis. The performances felt so raw and real, and exude emotions. I highly recommend you watch the included auditions of Wallis and Henry that are included on the Blu-ray. Another impressive factor about this film is the effects that were done on a shoestring budget. The dream moments of the hogs running through the street terrorizing the buildings is simply fantastic. There are many other breathtaking moments throughout the film that warrant praise.

Special Features:

• The Making of Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Theatrical Trailer Sneak Peek - This section includes a theatrical trailer for Stoker, which is awesome, as well as a Blu-ray Experience clip, Fox World Cinema and a trailer for The Sessions. 

Blu-ray Exclusive Special Features:

• Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Benh Zeitlin
• Auditions Quvenzhané Wallis Dwight Henry Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry
• Glory at Sea Music The Aurochs

Beasts of the Southern Wild is available now on Blu-ray and DVD. I would be willing to bet that it will be nominated for an Academy Award, so check it out now and enjoy.

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Twentieth Century Fox has set the release date for Chronicle director Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot for March 6th, 2015. The script for the film was written by Michael Green and Jeremy Slater.

There's no details on the film, but I really hope they just skip the whole origin story thing this time around. I'm tired of origin stories, let's just tell a great story with the characters already established as superheroes. That's allowed. 

I thought Chronicle was an entertaining film, and I hope Trank has come up with a solidly good way to bring The Fantastic Four back to the big screen. I'm not a big fan of the first two films, but that doesn't mean the reboot will be crap too, of course there's always the chance that it will.

Fox also announced that The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters will all be released in 3D, but that shouldn't come as any surprise to you.

Source: Comingsoon (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=97851)

These Alien, Blade Runner and The Terminator movie posters by Matt Ferguson are a geek's dream come true. They have muted colors and are minimalist in design and would look great on my wall. You can buy Ferguson's work here.

Here is a description:

30cm X 40cm High quality prints on 300g Satin Paper. Finally, after much pleading, Matt’s ridiculously awesome movie poster designs are now available to the masses, plus if you purchase two you get free shipping! 

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Source: XombieDirge (http://xombiedirge.com/post/37495487451/movie-posters-by-matt)

The Walking Dead has had some glorious zombie kills this season, with some bordering on sheer genius. Here is a cool infographic by The National Post's Andrew Barr and Richard Johnson which examines the kill stats from the show's two-and-a-half seasons.

Beware Spoilers:

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Source: CrackaJack (http://www.crackajack.de/2012/12/06/walking-dead-zombiekill-statistics-in-a-giant-infographic/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NerdcoreRSS2+%28Crackajack%29)

As a player of the first two entries in the series, I always had high hopes for the franchise. A third person action game with a sense of humor and some great co-op thrown in? Sold. Unfortunately the original entry had its share of issues, and some of the co-op features felt a bit forced. From my limited time with its sequel, 40th Day, it seemed they ironed out some of those kinks, but all of the sudden the game took itself too seriously. With The Devil's Cartel the team at Visceral Games seem to be trying to find a place somewhere in the middle, and if they manage to hit that balance Army of Two fans might finally get the game they've been waiting for. Take a look at the newest trailer and see what you think.

If you're a bit underwhelmed, I understand. I think originally I was too. Now, that's not to say it doesn't have its highlights, but some of the jokes fell a bit flat for my taste and the big climatic moment was running from a truck. Not exactly Raiders of the Lost Ark there. Not all is bad though. The banter between Alpha & Bravo is promising, and I love the emphasis on working together as team, rewarding you with boatloads of points for handling things in a more strategic way. If the story is at least serviceable and the humor is there I might be picking this up, at least as a long term rental. For a closer look at the gameplay, check out the preview video below. Here's hoping the third times a charm.