I'm always on the lookout for a good surfing film, and we've got a new trailer for Sam Worthington's new film, Drift. The story is set in Australia in the '70s, and follows two brothers who are working towards surfing glory, but slip into a life of crime when they try to get their family out of debt. It looks like it could be good flick.

The movie was directed by Morgan O’Neill and Ben Nott and also stars Myles Pollard, Xavier Samuel, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Robyn Malcolm, Steve Bastoni, and Aaron Glenane. 

Australia, 1970s. The Kelly brothers, Andy and Jimmy, have one great passion: riding big waves. As kids, their mother escaped from Sydney to Margaret River, a sleepy coastal town with some of the world’s most challenging and dangerous waves. For the next 12 years, the boys perfected their surfing skills, always searching for the perfect ride. Free-spirited Jimmy is a gifted surfer and innovator but he starts to slip toward a life of crime to help the family out of debt. Andy makes a big decision.

Quitting a stable job, he bets on Jimmy’s surf inventions and his own business skills and launches a backyard surf gear business. They rethink board design, craft homemade wetsuits and sell their merchandise out of their van. Encouraged by their new friends, travelling bohemian surf photographer and filmmaker JB (Sam Worthington) and his gorgeous Hawaiian surfer companion, Lani, who stirs the two brothers’ hearts, they start to seek ways to expand. After they get mixed up with a local drug dealer, it looks like everything they built up, will be ruined…

Set in breathtaking locations and inspired by the true story of Australia’s legendary surfwear moguls, the film chronicles the rise of surf brands and the expansion of the laidback surf attitude as a global lifestyle. A story of passion and corruption, friendship and loyalty, deadly addictions and fractured relationships, DRIFT tells a tale of courage and the will to survive against all odds.

Drift comes out on August 2nd, 2013. Here's the trailer.

Source: Apple (http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/drift/)

Zombie Studios has released an E3 trailer for their upcoming horror game, Daylight, which is a procedurally-generated psychological thriller that will be coming out on PlayStation 4. The trailer had an eerie vibe to it, and it sounds like it could be a pretty awesome. Here's the description:

Waking up in an abandoned hospital with only your cell phone for illumination, you explore the institution’s dark criminal past as you attempt to escape. In Daylight no two experiences are the same, and it is best played alone in the dark.

Daylight introduces gamers to a procedurally generated world that replicates the horrifying nature of Daylight over and over again, but creates a different environment for each new game. Each time the player begins a new game, they experience a new world with new content and encounters; from the layout of the building and the things they seek to the events they encounter, it is never the same experience twice.

I love that every time you play this game it will never be the same--that's pretty freakin' rad. I wonder how many times you can replay the game before it actually repeats. Check out the trailer!

If you're a fan of vampires and/or Showtime's Dexter, you're going to want to watch this short. This is actually a sequel to a short film we featured on the site last year, but enough is explained in this new film that you don't necessarily have to watch the first one to enjoy it -- although going back and viewing it after might even be a fun way to Tarantino the events and piece the puzzle together.

In So Pretty, we followed a Twilight-obsessed commuter who learned first hand that vampires don't sparkle when a fellow night-train passenger is viciously attacked by Sean, a real creature of the night. Director Al Lougher and writer James Williams are back with So Dark, a continuation of the story that picks up right where the last one left off, after Sean has surrendered himself at the next train stop. 

So Pretty was a fun short, but So Dark introduces us to a much more tangible and more fully realized world, and a character with a deepening and layered backstory. There's also a lot more tension in this chapter with our vampire in custody and the minutes before first light slowly winding down. I'm a big fan of Dexter, and this "killer with a code" story is all the more interesting with our anti-hero having not just decades of experience channelling his need to kill, but possibly hundreds of years of experience!

Lougher and his team are looking to turn this anti-Twilight saga into a web-series or possibly a feature. There's enough of a world to explore here that I'd actually love to see this as a full on, hour long TV drama.

Thanks to Zach Taiji and the director for sending this our way!

Synopsis:

Sean, a 200 year old vampire with a vengeance to kill only those that deserve to die, is captured by Miami Police Department. He finds himself in a race against time to escape before sunrise approaches, in the upcoming short film called So Dark. Featuring Vampires, action, and horror, So Dark was shot on Red cameras by filmmaker Al Lougher.

Warner Bros. has released a third TV spot for Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. I know most of you are already sold on the movie, but you need to feed that inner geek beast in you to keep going. Thankfully the studios know that, and they're supplying us with some good food. This new spot focuses a bit more on the human characters from the film. Pacific Rim comes out on July 12th, and I can't wait to see this thing on the big screen! Now enjoy the spot.

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end.  To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge.  But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.  On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past.  Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Nightline aired a special recently that centers on Man of Steel and why we need superheroes. The first half of the special features discussions with the cast and crew of the film, including Henry Cavill, Zack Snyder, Christopher Nolan, Hans Zimmer, and more. It also includes some new footage from the film. The second half of the series explores why we need superheroes. This is definitely worth watching if you're looking forward to this movie. I've also included another cool TV spot!

The movie comes out on June 14th!

Source: Yahoo! (http://news.yahoo.com/video/nightline-06-06-man-steel-045227723.html)

Artist Jeff Victor is back with another great piece of movie fan art! He turned Steven Spielberg's E.T. into a zombie, and he calls it Zomb-ET.

This is a low-res clip from Man of Steel, featuring Jor-El (Russell Crowe) going ballistic on some other Kryptonians. He's fighting for Krypton, but it doesn't look like it's going to turn out very well for the planet. I've also included a new short featurette for the movie and a TV spot.

I wish there was a better quality video of this clip, but this is the only one I could find so it will have to do. It's still a great action-packed scene! We've only got 2 days left! 

I haven't even seen The Purge yet, I've heard from several people that it's a terrible movie. But, it was made on a $3 million budget and took in over $34 million at the box office over the weekend, so Blumhouse Productions is moving forward with a sequel. The news comes from the studio itself with a simple tweet stating, "The Purge 2 is in development."

There are no details on the project, and there's no word on if writer and director James De Monaco will be back to make the sequel, or which of the cast members of the original will be back, if any. All we know at this point is it's happening, and the studios hope to make another low budget film that will pay off for them. 

Here's the official synopsis of the film currently in theaters:

In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin's (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.

I assume that the sequel will focus on next year's Purge, with a different group of people caught in an insane situation of murder and survival. 

The first trailer for Bong Joon-ho‘s post-apocalyptic action thriller, Snowpiercer, is finally here. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this movie. It sounded like it would be a good movie, but it looks freakin' amazing! This is going to be an intense, action-packed movie, and Chis Evans is going to kick some more ass. 

The movie is based on the French graphic novel LeTransperceneige created by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Ewan Bremner, Ed Harris, Alison Pill, Octavia Spencer, and Song Kang-ho. Here's the synopsis:

Snowpiercer is set in a future where, after a failed experiment to stop global warming, an Ice Age kills off all life on the planet except for the inhabitants of the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe and is powered by a sacred perpetual-motion engine. A class system evolves on the train but a revolution brews.

There's still no word on when this movie will be released in the United States, but hopefully it gets a date soon because I really want to see this movie!

Square Enix has officially announced Final Fantasy XV for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and released an announcement trailer showing off the incredible look of the game. I've never been into the Final Fantasy games, but from what I've seen, they just keep looking better and better.

The developer will be taking full advantage of the capabilities of the next gen consoles. The production development team has taken what they've been working on and "further improved the games action, gameplay elements and graphic quality to match the technology of the next generation hardware, as well as the expectations of players eagerly awaiting the game's release." Here's the synopsis:

The armed forces of Niflheim launch a devastating assault upon the Kingdom of Lucis, casting Crown Prince Noctis and his comrades out of their homes and into the fray. The engaging tale to follow draws audiences into an awe-inspiring world steeped in the rich storytelling traditions of Square Enix's renowned First Production Development Team.

Check out the visually stunning trailer below and let us know if you're excited for the game. 

Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures and David Ellison's Skydance Productions are determined to get a Terminator 5 into production. I'm actually surprised it isn't farther along. Slowly but surely a new Terminator movie will go into production.

The production companies have been looking for a major studio to team up with to help bring this movie to the big screen, and now they're negotiations with Paramount Pictures.

Earlier this year is was reported that Patrick Lussier and Laeta Kalogridis would write the script for the fifth installment of the franchise. Lussier brought us terrible films such as Drive Angry and My Bloody Valentine 3D, and Kalogridis wrote some decent films such as Shutter Island and helped with James Cameron's Avatar. It's an interesting team, and the idea behind bringing these two writers together was that Kalogridis would be good for providing a solid story and psychological elements, and Lussier would be used to throw some action into the mix. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger has also confirmed recently that he is still involved in the new film. I hope that when they finally get this one going, they give us a great film with a great story that the fans will enjoy, not like that Terminator Salvation crap. They have until 2019 to figure out how to make the movie. At that point the rights revert back to James Cameron.

Justin Lin was attached to direct the film at one point, but ended up dropping out to work on Fast and Furious 6. It will be interesting to see who they end up bringing on board next. Who would you like to see direct the movie?

This is the latest poster for 300: Rise of an Empire, and it features a wave of blood. If you've seen the first movie, then you know there's going to be a lot of blood spilt in battle. 

The movie is being directed by Noam Murro from a screenplay written by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad. It's based on the graphic novel Xerxes, by Frank Miller. The first film was so badass. It's my motivational workout movie. I hope this sequel ends up being just as awesome. 

It's is set to be released on August 2nd, 2013 and here's the synopsis:

Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel Xerxes, and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. 

300: Rise of an Empire pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy. 

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present, a Cruel and Unusual Films/Mark Canton/Gianni Nunnari Production, “300: Rise of an Empire.” The action adventure stars Sullivan Stapleton (Gangster Squad) as Themistokles and Eva Green (Dark Shadows, Casino Royale) as Artemisia. Lena Headey reprises her starring role from 300 as the Spartan Queen, Gorgo; Hans Matheson (Clash of the Titans) stars as Aeskylos; David Wenham returns as Dilios, and Rodrigo Santoro stars again as the Persian King, Xerxes. 

In honor of Man of Steel's release this week, Cinema Sins took the original 1978 Richard Donner-directed Superman and pointed out several of its issues. Of course, they make up a few along the way, but it's still entertaining. 

All of the "sins" they point out in the movie are part of the reason why I love it so much. Here's a note from the team:

After listing the sins of Superman Returns last week, we thought it only fair to go back in time several decades and point the sin counter at one of the most beloved of all superhero movies: Superman The Movie. The year, 1978. The star, Christopher Reeve. The sins... not as plentiful. 

What's your favorite Superman sin?  

This Dead Rising franchise has been awesome. I enjoy playing zombie games, and these are definitely some of the best. During E3 Capcom announced that the open-world survival horror series, Dead Rising 3, will launch exclusively on Xbox One this holiday season. 

The game is set 10 years after the events of Dead Rising 2, and there's a massive outbreak in the city of Los Perdidos. It stars a new character named Nick Ramos. He has six days to escape the city limits before it's completely firebombed to destroy the zombies. 

Apparently, this will also have the biggest open-world in the franchise. It allows players to explore freely in a very detailed environment, while picking up and crafting weapons along the way to fight off the zombies. Players will be able to drive cars as well; of course, the zombies will be there trying to pull you out of it to eat you. One of the cool things Capcom revealed is that there will be no load times as players roam the city and try to escape. 

This game will also allow you to use SmartGlass, which lets players play from their phones. Apparently Nick finds a military phone (a player’s SmartGlass-enabled phone), which can call in airstrikes. We're still waiting to see if it will allow players to do anything else. 

Check out the announcement trailer and demo below!

"No referee, no rules, pure fighting."

Check out this exciting action-packed new trailer for Keanu Reeves upcoming martial arts film Man of Tai Chi. This looks like it's going to be a ton of fun. I enjoy watching martial arts films, and it looks like Reeves has made a really good one that audiences will enjoy. The story follows "a young martial artist whose fighting skills brings him to a realm of vast opportunities, and painful choices." 

Reeves incorporated an innovative camera technology when shooting the film to help capture the 18 fight sequences, which take up a solid 40-minutes of the film. He used Bot & Dolly's "Iris," which is the world's most advanced robotic motion control camera system in order to capture the action up close and personal with camera moves only possible before in video games and other CG environments. 

As for the fight sequences, they were directed by renowned action choreographer Yuen Woo Ping (the Matrix Trilogy, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). Check out the trailer and let us know if it impresses you!

This is a new international trailer for The Wolverine, and it's packed full of brand new footage. It's a great trailer! Just watch it at your own risk, it shows a little too much awesomeness. 

The Wolverine was directed by James Mangold and stars, Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, and Brian Tee. It hits theaters on July 26th. 

Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine, the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

Disney has released two exciting new TV spots and a featurette for Gore Verbinski's great looking western adventure, The Lone Ranger. They all include some new footage from the film, and the featurette centers on Armie Hammer playing the title character. I was on the fence with this film early on, but over the last year it's grown on me. I hope it's as good as it looks, and I hope it's a success. 

The movie also stars Johnny Depp, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson, and Helena Bonham Carter. It hits theaters on July 3rd, 2013.

Screen Junkies reaches into their "vault" in a quest for honesty about the absolute bottoming out of the Christopher Reeve Superman franchise. The slashed budget of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was only part of what made it such a disaster. You can attribute the bad effects to the budget, but there's just no excuse for the ridiculous storyline, horrendous dialogue, seemingly uninterested cast, and appalling liberties taken with Superman's powers.

This is a particularly fun Honest Trailer since the voiceover is done as if it was recorded in the '80s. Enjoy the classic and at times ironic commentary, and be thankful that Man of Steel is out this week!

Here's an awesome concept trailer for a sci-fi thriller called Lunar. The trailer was written and directed by Tyson Wade Johnston, and this could be the next film concept to be picked up by a studio. It's got an impressive level of quality, and it seems like it has a cool story. Here's a short synopsis:

Set in Los Angeles City, 2057, an outlaw is captured and sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment in the LUNAR penitentiaries. To reunite with his lost love, he must become the first convict to escape the corrupt system and return to Earth.

Check out the concept trailer, and let us know if you think this will make for a good feature film.

LUNAR (2013) Teaser from Tyson Wade Johnston on Vimeo.

Thanks to GT reader Jeremy Stanz for sending this our way!

The Oval Office with purple lighting? Looks like the Saints have taken the White House, or as they have renamed it, The White Crib. That is where my adventure began as President of the United States. I am taken on a sort of cinematic tour of the White Crib, and there are strippers, champagne, and a Tiger. What else would you expect from the Saints?

Humor is alive and well in the Saints Row universe. Steve Jaros, who wrote the first 3, came back for the fourth. My favorite quote from the demo was, "Tell my wife... I have another wife."

But let's get to the demo.

I am on my way to a press conference to address the people, but a few things hapen along the way. I'm asked by my Vice President Keith David, voiced by (you'll never guess) Keith David, which bill to pass because only one stands a chance in congress, I can either solve world hunger (a bill enititled "Let Them Eat Cake") or I can cure cancer (a bill entitled "Fuck Cancer"). I choose the latter. Then an irate politician mouths off to me so I can either punch him in the groin or punch him in the face. I choose the former. But just as I am about to get to the podium, aliens attack! From there, I am running and gunning aliens with my pistol and making my way back to the oval office to get more guns.

A little further along I find myself on the front lawn artillery, shooting down alien spaceships, and at one point, they line up in a wall formation, a clear reference to space invaders. A short cinematic happens as I am taken captive by the aliens. 

This is where the free roaming part of the demo began. I am in a virtual steelport. The overall objective in the final product would be to escape the virtual world and get back to the real one, but this demo was just to give us a taste of what we can do. I had insane guns, a laser katana, and of course, super powers. Super powers are very fun and easy to use, and when the game comes out in August you'll be able to customize and create your own super powers! 

I had so much fun using my superspeed and wreaking havoc that I totally forgot that there were missions and objectives I could be doing.

I got to talk to Principal Designer on Saints Row IV, Scott Phllips, about many aspects of Saints Row IV.

When asked how the idea of super powers came to be in Saints Row IV:

They came very early on, we thought it'd be nice to jump over a building or be able to fly across the city. Telekinesis was one of the first powers we developed for the game.

Telekineses is awesome. You can basically pick up anything and throw it super far. From people to cars to giant foam heads. 

I also asked what games inspired the design of Saints Row IV beside the preceding chapters. He replied,

Crackdown, Prototype, and Infamous were all big inspirations. We looked at what they did well and what didn't they do so well that we should stay away from. Crackdown was a big inspiration from the jumping animation to the collecting of clusters. We very quickly found out that people would just lose themselves in the game trying to collect these clusters.

The clusters were basically the equivalent of the orbs in Crackdown. I only got a 30 minute demo, and that isn't nearly enough for a game this size and of this caliber.

Scott told me the key phrase for Saints Row is this: "Embrace the crazy. Fun trumps all."

Saints Row IV releases August 20, 2013.

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