Francis Ford Coppola Disapproves

Well I guess i’m not the only person who thinks turning classic films like The Godfather and Taxi Driver into video games is retarded. Francis Ford Coppola (director of Jack, starring Robin Williams as a rapidly aging child) has officially stated that he disapproves of the upcoming Godfather video game adaptation. In a New York Post article, Coppola says “I knew nothing about it. They never asked me if I thought it was a good idea. I went and I took a look at what it was … What they do is they use the characters everyone knows and they hire those actors to be there and only to introduce very minor characters. And then for the next hour they shoot and kill each other.” Unfortunately, all Coppola can do is sit back as his ‘family’ is ‘whacked’ one by one by 13 year old PS2 owners around the world. “I had absolutely nothing to do with the game and I disapprove. I think it’s a misuse of film.” Although the game isn’t director approved, the killer graphics and open ended game play will finally introduce a generation of kids who might have previously overlooked the Godfather films, giving them a new found admiration for crime dramas and Al Pacino.

» Related Link: IGN article

Trailer For George Clooney’s “Good Night, And Good Luck.”

I’m telling you, that Steven Soderbergh guy has rubbed off on George Clooney in a good way. After his directorial debut with Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, he continues to show an interest in making fresh and unique movies. “Good Night, And Good Luck.” is the next project that he has directed, co-written, and starred in, this one about television newsman Edward R. Murrow and his fight against McCarthyism and the Red Scare during the early 50’s. Shot all in black and white, and co-starring David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Patricia Clarkson, look for it in select theatres on October 7th. Click below to watch the trailer over at Yahoo! right now.

» Related Link: Yahoo! Movies: Good Night, and Good Luck.

Dungeons & Dragons Sequel Is Direct To DVD

Whoever said we only post about good movies on this website was clearly wrong, as this post will confirm (although I’m sure no one would ever actually say that, come to think of it). Believe it or not, the rumours of a Dungeons & Dragons movie sequel turned out to be true, and said sequel will be released on DVD on November 8th, one month after it premieres on the Sci-Fi Channel. “Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God” was directed by Gerry Lively (Return Of The Living Dead 3, Hellraiser: Bloodline) and stars Mark Dymond and Clemency Burton-Hill with Bruce Payne reprising his role from the first one as Damodar. The DVD includes audio commentary with Wizards of the Coast D&D Special Projects Manager Ed Stark and other D&D players (now that sounds hilarious), a documentary entitled “Rolling the Dice: Adapting the Game to the Screen”, an interview with D&D creator Gary Gygax and a DVD-ROM weblink to a D&D Gameplay Guide.

» Related Link: Davis DVD News

Halo Triple Pack Coming; New Maps Now Free Online

With the recent news that Halo 3 may be delayed to launch alongside the Halo feature film in 2007, Bungie has had to come up with some creative ways to keep the money flowing in. How? Why, by repackaging of course. On October 4th they will release the Halo Triple Pack, which for $59.99 U.S. includes Halo, Halo 2, and the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack all bundled together. Not a bad deal I suppose, if for some reason you don’t own any of these games yet. It will certainly be convenient for any non-X-Box owners waiting to buy an X-Box 360 instead. However, a word to the wise: as of this week anyone with Halo 2 and an X-Box Live account can now get the Maptacular Map Pack completely free of charge. If only the Triple Pack came with a “My Other Car Is A Warthog” bumper sticker… then I’d consider buying it.

» Related Link: Gamespot News

This Week On DVD - August 30, 2005

Undeclared finally makes its debut on DVD in Canada this week after a 2 week delay; other noteworthy picks are the 4th installment of Larry David’s misadventures in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the crucial nerd flick about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Pirates of Silicon Valley. Allocate your funds wisely friends.



Undeclared: The Complete Series

Nip/Tuck: The Complete Second Season

Pirates Of Silicon Valley

The Blues Brothers: 25th Anniversary Edition

One Last Dance

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Fourth Season

House: Season One

Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior

Tommy Boy: Holy Schnike Edition

Clueless: The “Whatever” Edition

The Transporter: Special Delivery Edition

Sahara

Fire and Ice

Pretty Woman: 15th Anniversary Special Edition

Married… With Children: The Complete 4th Season

Monster-In-Law

Roseanne: The Complete First Season

Devo Live 1980

Suicide Girls: First Tour

» Related Link: Space Junk DVD Release Calendar

EA’s NHL 06 PC Demo Now Available Online

The NHL is officially back in session, and what would hockey season be without the debut of EA’s latest NHL hockey game? In recent years EA has lost a lot of ground to Sega’s ESPN 2K series, but this year they seem serious about reclaiming their crown. A PC demo for EA’s game is now available online and features a playable match-up between Tampa Bay and Toronto (Why Toronto? Calgary was the other Stanley Cup finalist). I have to admit that I am mildly impressed with the controls in NHL 06, they do seem to be making an effort to bring the game back to its heyday of the ‘93/’94 era. The game feels more fluid and realistic than any EA games have felt in a long time. Other than that, however, the only new feature I have noticed is the water bottle on top of the nets which seems to get knocked off with every other goal. EA and Sega go head to head on September 6th when both games hit stores. Click below to get a feel for NHL 06.

» Related Link: EA Sports: NHL 06

Napoleon Dynamite Action Figures… Now With Sound!

A few months ago we reported that McFarlane Toys had acquired the rights to produce a line of toys based on the cult classic film Napoleon Dynamite. A few more details have come to light since then, one of which is the fact that the figures will come with voice chips that can play sound clips from the movie. The planned figures include Napoleon in Prom Suit, Dancing Napoleon in “Vote For Pedro” shirt, Napoleon: Tetherball Champ, Kip, and Pedro (what happened to Deb??). There is also a 12″ Napoleon that plays 6 different quotes. A release date is still yet to be nailed down, but they are expected in stores sometime this winter. Head over to the McFarlane site now to see pics of these cool figures and listen to their sound clips.

» Related Link: Spawn.com: Napoleon Dynamite Toys

Preview The New Death Cab For Cutie Album

You know them and love them from their appearance on The O.C. (okay, maybe their previous records too), and today Death Cab For Cutie release their major label debut “Plans”. Reviews seem fairly positive (although Pitchfork gave it a lukewarm 6.5), but all signs indicate that they haven’t really changed their sappy yet endearing sound. mtvU.com has the whole album up for preview right now if you’d like to try before you buy. They also have some exclusive live performance footage as well. Click below to hail yourself a death cab (AHAHAHA pure genius… okay maybe not).

» Related Link: mtvU: Death Cab For Cutie

Gang Of Four To Return With “Return The Gift”

After a successful reunion tour, Gang Of Four decided that they’d had enough of other bands ripping off their sound and making a living at it. Now they want to make a living ripping off their sound too! This October, the seminal English band that originated the so-called “dance-punk” sound that is all the rage nowadays, will release a brand new album called “Return The Gift” on V2 Music. The term “brand new” is open to interpretation however, as the album features re-recordings of songs from their classic albums “Entertainment!”, “Solid Gold” and “Songs Of The Free”. It will also come with a second disc of remixes from bands like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ladytron, Hot Hot Heat and The Dandy Warhols (check out the full track listing). Return The Gift hits stores on October 11th, and you can stream the whole first disc via the link below right now. (While you’re at it, check out the online listening party for Rhino’s expanded edition of their album “Entertainment!” as well.)

» Related Link: Gang Of Four - Return The Gift Stream

Capcom Classics Collection Due In September

Retro video games continue to be a hot commodity nowadays, and while Nintendo is still trying to hock their 8-bit games at $30 a pop, other companies are packing in the value with excellent compilations of old school games for the same price. Capcom are the latest to get in on the trend after the release of last year’s Mega Man Anniversary Collection, next month they will release the Capcom Classics Collection on the X-Box and Playstation 2. This collection contains 22 Capcom arcade games from the past including Bionic Commando, Street Fighter II, Commando, Ghosts n Goblins, Legendary Wings, Trojan and Final Fight. I don’t know about you but for $19.99 U.S. I’m already sold. Look for it in stores on September 27th, and head over to the official site for a trailer, screenshots and complete game list.

» Related Link: Capcom Classics Collection