The Latest DVDs, Games, Movies, Books and More --- Your Entertainment Informer.
Saving Private Ryan
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
Steven Spielberg's grisly realistic account of a squad of D-Day survivors sent behind enemy lines on a PR mission to rescue the last son of a devastated Iowa family. Tom Hanks gives a staggering performance as the squad's tormented leader, but be warned, the carnage is as explicit as it is persistent. (2 hrs. 50 min.)
TOTAL BODY TransFIRMation: THE FIRM Cardio Weight System
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
Introducing four new workouts from The Firm's TOTAL BODY TRANSFIRMATION series, CARDIO WEIGHT SYSTEM is a mixture of aerobics and weight training exercises. The compilation includes "Hi-Def Sculpt," "Cardio Overdrive," "Hard Core Fusion," and "Cardio Party," and features intense body-sculpting drills requiring the use of adjustable hand weights.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
In the silver-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the fifth chapter in the beloved book series, everyone's favorite wizard-in-training (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself in increasingly perilous situations. Not only is Harry in trouble with the Ministry of Magic for using his abilities outside of school, his trusted mentor, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), has grown distant, and an icy new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), has arrived to bring a frightening level of discipline to Hogwarts. And waiting in the shadows is the demonic Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), an ominous figure whose very existence is questioned by the powerful Ministry, leaving Harry and his friends--most notably Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson)--to form a rebel group, Dumbledore's Army.Helmed by little-known British director David Yates and written by Michael Goldenberg (the first scribe to fill the boots of Steve Kloves), THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX continues the darker tone of the two preceding POTTER installments and deftly follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they face new foes and impending adulthood. While Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson all continue to imbue their characters with vitality and complexity, Staunton steals the show as the strict, merciless Umbridge, though the story, which lacks some of the special-effects-heavy set pieces of past chapters, happily leaves room for other actors to shine, most notably Alan Rickman (as the ever-enigmatic Severus Snape), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), and Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange). Another fine offering of POTTER movie magic, PHOENIX may not astound quite the way that THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN did, but it easily stands as one of the best films in the series. (2 hr. 18 min.)
Dancing with the Stars
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
Samba all the way to slim with this exercise program from top-rated show DANCING WITH THE STARS. Dancers Ashly Costa Delgrosso, Kym Johnson, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy demonstrate four different dancing styles that can banish boredom (and extra pounds): Paso Doble, cha-cha, samba, and jive. This customizable workout also features a warm-up, cool-down, and instructions on how to eat better.
The Girl Next Door
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
An ambitious high school senior, Matthew (Hirsch), with dreams of a career in politics is overjoyed to discover that his new neighbor, 19-year-old Danielle (Cuthbert), is absolutely beautiful, and they fall in love quickly, head over heels. Their relationship is put to the test, however when he discovers (along with the rest of the town, eventually) that she used to be a... porn star. (1 hr. 48 min.)
Scary Movie
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
From the minds that brought you "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," "In Living Color" and "Don't Be A Menace In South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood" comes a thriller-comedy (a thrill-comedy, if you will) that is guaranteed to shock. In this raucous comedy spoof of recent horror films, not even "The Blair Witch Project" or "The Sixth Sense" has been spared. (1 hr. 28 min.)
Live Nude Girls
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
When Jamie, who's already been wed and divorced numerous times, accepts yet another marriage proposal, her wildly varied group of girlfriends throw a bachelorette party at a local restaurant. There, the women gab about sexual frustrations and fantasies. (1 hr. 33 min.)
High School Musical
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens star in this Disney Channel Original Movie as popular basketball team captain Troy and smart, stunning academic Gabriella. Both shock the members of the social cliques to which they belong when they each decide to audition for the high school's musical. By proving themselves to be brilliant performers, can these two teens lead their peers towards more open-minded thinking and acceptance of one another? HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is a family-appropriate feature filled with hip music, popular dance moves, and tons of school spirit.
Sybil
13 May 2008 at 4:22am
Director Daniel Petrie's awe-inspiring and brutal drama, based on a real-life story, made television history when it was originally aired in 1977. Sally Field gives an outstanding award-winning performance as Sybil, a disturbed young woman who suffers from multiple personality behavior. Living alone in a New York apartment, Sybil is tormented by flashbacks and visions of her extremely painful childhood. Unable to live a normal life, she meets Dr. Cornelia Wilbur (Joanne Woodward), a kindhearted psychiatrist who becomes committed to helping Sybil heal the incredible wounds that haunt her. Desperate to make Sybil understand her illness, Dr. Wilbur begins a series of treatments and uncovers the 16 personalities that make up the fractured personalities of Sybil. Forced to face unspeakable torture at the hands of her mother (Jane Hoffman), Sybil is slowly able to heal her inner self with the support, guidance, and love of Dr. Wilbur. The incredible 11-year odyssey of these two brave wome...
Girl in Gold Boots
13 May 2008 at 4:21am
In this 1969 drama that would make Nancy Sinatra and her walkin' boots proud, sexy Leslie McRae (DEATH RACE 2000) stars as Michele, an aspiring professional dancer. When she takes a chance and moves to L.A. with just a pair of gold boots to her name, she ended up entangled in fame's crime-filled underbelly.
The Notebook
13 May 2008 at 4:21am
As a man (Garner) reads from a faded notebook to the woman (Rowlands) he regularly visits, his words bring to life the story of a couple (Gosling and McAdams) who are separated by World War II, then passionately reunited 7 years later, after they have taken different paths. Though her memory has faded, his words give her the chance to relive her turbulent youth and the unforgettable love they shared. (2 hrs. 1 min.)
Sex and a Girl
13 May 2008 at 4:21am
Set in the 1970s, SEX AND A GIRL stars Angela Gots as 16-year-old Alex, an aspiring ballerina and product of two ultra-liberal hippy parents. Though hers would appear to be an easy upbringing, things become quite turbulent when Alex's parents announce they are getting divorced. This event throws Angela into distress and eventually into a courtship with her mother's ex-lover. Funny and serious all at once, SEX AND A GIRL costars Allison Lohman (WHITE OLEANDER), Soleil Moon Frye (PUNKY BREWSTER), and Danny Masterson (THAT 70s SHOW). (1 hr. 36 min.)
The Andromeda Strain
13 May 2008 at 4:21am
Scientists race against time to discover the nature of a deadly microbe before it starts a world-wide eidemic. (2 hrs. 7 min.)
American Pie
13 May 2008 at 4:21am
In this coming-of-age comedy, a group of friends at the end of their senior year make a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. In their outrageous attempts to fulfill this mission, they come to some surprising, hilarious and often touching realizations about themselves, their friendships, their notions of love, romance and their relations with the opposite sex. (1 hr. 35 min.)
Original Sin
13 May 2008 at 4:21am
A noir mystery set in the exotic world of Cuba in the late 1800s. Luis Antonio Vargas, a wealthy coffee merchant, arranges a marriage through the mail but discovers that the woman who arrives to share his house is an imposter with an eye on his fortune. When he arrives at the docks to meet Julia Russell, he is amazed to find that she is not the simple woman he was expecting. Though happier than he ever imagined, the surprises continue until the story takes a fateful turn. This is the story about the dangerous and sometimes lethal power of love. (1 hr. 56 min.)
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Resident Evil 5 — New Character and Gameplay Detail
16 May 2008 at 3:44pm
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
Erik Johnson writes "New details for Resident Evil 5 have been unveiled in the latest issue of 'Famitsu', a Japanese video game magazine, including a familiar face returning to the hero role, some info on the enemy, and the revealing of a couple new characters."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Warhammer Producer Discusses Australian Launch, Game Details, and More
16 May 2008 at 2:24pm
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
Josh Drescher, associate producer for the upcoming Warhammer Online, recently had a chance to chat with Gamespot about some of the recent changes on the horizon. Good news for Australian consumers who are slavering over EA's new title, it will not only be launched in Australia at the same time as the US and Europe but local servers will be set up to allow for better play. "From the very beginning the Australian fans were very vocal. One of the first strange packages that we got in the mail a couple of years ago was from an Australian fan who sent us a bunch of drop bear stuffed animals, and he attached fangs to them and there was blood all over their faces face--and was basically threatening [producer] Jeff Hickman and letting him know that if there weren't Oceanic servers, that he would send a drop bear invasion to attack the developers physically."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Sony Integrates YouTube API for PS3
16 May 2008 at 1:03pm
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
Sony has announced the inclusion of the YouTube API to allow game developers to offer video uploading as an integrated part of their games. The only game that seems to be taking advantage of this so far is Mainichi Issho, a free Japanese PSN game.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Disney Launches Online DS Community
16 May 2008 at 11:37am
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
Disney has apparently launched "DGamer", a service designed to allow Nintendo DS users create online profiles, track accomplishments, and connect with other users. First announced back in February, most every Disney game going forward will be completely integrated. "'DGamer was built around the vision to connect Disney video game fans in a secure, fun environment and it is truly the first integrated online community of its kind to do so on multiple platforms,' said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager for Disney Interactive Studios. 'We recognize the importance of delivering unique experiences to our consumers and how crucial it is for parents to feel confident that the community is secure for their kids.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Details for Guitar Hero 4 Released
15 May 2008 at 7:12pm
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
GameSpot is reporting that details for Guitar Hero 4 have been released. The biggest news seems to be that the new release will be adding drums and vocals a la Rock Band. The new drums are to offer three pressure-sensitive pads (which can tell if you are just tapping or really wailing), two elevated cymbals, and a pedal. "The details in Game Informer also clear up the mystery surrounding the 'innovation' which Activision promised was coming to the Guitar Hero series in a recent earnings report conference call. The article outlines the game's studio mode, which will give users a variety of ways to create their own songs. Players will be able to jam along with one of the game's existing tracks, record songs as they're played, or meticulously detail note charts."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Nintendo Suffers $21M Patent Infringement Award
15 May 2008 at 11:55am
Posted by timothy
CowTipperGore writes "The AP reports (via Yahoo!) that Nintendo of America Inc. has been ordered to pay a small East Texas gaming company $21 million for infringing on a patent while designing controllers for its popular Wii and GameCube systems. No stranger to lawsuits over controller designs, a Nintendo spokesman said the company will seek an appeal. The suit was originally filed in 2006 and included Microsoft. Microsoft's aggressive legal push back apparently helped as they reached a (confidential) settlement agreement before the case went to trial."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Microsoft Says No New Xbox 360s In 2009
14 May 2008 at 5:59pm
Posted by timothy
OrochimaruVoldemort writes "Microsoft has said to Engadget that they do not plan on making new consoles available in 2009. This comes from the same company that said it wasn't producing a Blu-ray drive for that Xbox, so it is pure speculation. Expect to see a new console within that year. Engadget also hints: 'Microsoft representative let us know today that "While we don't normally comment on rumors like this, we can tell you that we have no plans to release a new console in 2009."' The rest of us will wait and see. For now, focus on what is available."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Games With A Purpose Help With Tasks That Tax Computers
14 May 2008 at 4:22pm
Posted by timothy
Falkkin writes "Luis von Ahn and his team at Carnegie Mellon University have launched GWAP, a new web site for 'Games With A Purpose.' By playing these online games, humans help provide data for problems that are hard for computers to solve, such as computer vision and sound classification. Slashdot has previously covered other human computation projects by Dr. von Ahn, including the ESP Game and reCAPTCHA. The new web site contains a re-vamping of the ESP Game as well as four completely new games." (Falkkin also points to an AP story on GWAP and to coverage at the BBC.)Read more of this story at Slashdot.
4D Analogue of Megaminx Puzzle
13 May 2008 at 11:23am
Posted by timothy
roice writes "The crazy hypercubists who created the 4D and 5D Rubik's cubes (here are previous Slashdot posts on the 4-D one and the 5-D one) have now developed a free working 4-dimensional software analogue of the Megaminx puzzle. Composed of 120 dodecahedral cells, the underlying structure is arguably the most beautiful of 4D geometrical shapes, with amazing symmetries and no analogue in dimensions higher than 4. Though some have already begun working on solutions for this 'Hyperminx,' it has yet to be solved by anyone. Also, when it comes to number of positions, it dwarfs the previous puzzles by many thousands of orders of magnitude!"Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Earthquake In China
13 May 2008 at 1:14am
Posted by kdawson
Several readers sent in links on the earthquake that hit 10 hours ago near the Sichuan city of Chengdu in China. The Telegraph focuses on the citizen journalism that got word on the quake out on the Net instantly (the first report was via Twitter). Science magazine speculates that deaths from this event could exceed the 240,000 killed in the Tangshan quake in 1976, though the estimated death toll is below 10,000 at this writing. Hundreds of videos are up on YouTube, including this footage from a security camera — keep your eye on the goldfish.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Screen With 180 Degree Field of View
12 May 2008 at 4:17pm
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
emj writes to tell us project jDome has started actively soliciting consumer feedback and, of course, donations. They are currently promising to deliver their "180 degree FOV monitor" this year for a pricepoint of around $200. The videos and talk have been circulating for the last couple of weeks or so, but they have added a video of the supposed tech in action. Buyer beware, but I would love to see a couple of reviewers get ahold of this and let us know what the story is.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
BioShock Movie To Be Made By Universal
10 May 2008 at 7:28am
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
azuredrake writes "Gamasutra reports that Universal Pictures has just announced a completion of licensing negotiations to bring the game BioShock to the silver screen. For those unfamiliar with the property, it was the much-lauded Game of the Year contender, praised for its storyline which emerged through gameplay, not just cutscenes. The director for the project is to be Gore Verbinski, who proved himself on the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and the current writer for the screenplay is John Logan, who is recently known for the also-creepy Sweeny Todd."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
EA Loosens Spore, Mass Effect DRM
9 May 2008 at 11:26pm
Posted by ScuttleMonkey
An anonymous reader writes "In response to recent criticism, EA has decided to eliminate the periodic validation of Mass Effect and Spore. 'Specifically, EA's plan to dial in to game owner's computers every ten days to check whether they were running a legitimate version of their software has been scrapped, ShackNews reports. EA had planned to use the validation method for upcoming titles Mass Effect and Spore. EA now says that validation will now only occur when a user attempts to download new content for either game. Chief among the voices in opposition to this measure were members of the armed forces, who pointed out that they could not rely on having an internet connection every ten days.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.
London Lawyers Demand £600 For One Game
9 May 2008 at 10:21am
Posted by kdawson
Barence writes "A PC Pro reader has received a demand for a £600 out-of-court settlement from lawyers claiming to have forensic evidence that he illegally downloaded a PC game on BitTorrent. The law firm, Davenport Lyons, is acting on the behalf of German games distributor Zuxxez, creator of the game in question, Two Worlds. The PC Pro reader was given no prior warning to stop file sharing, unlike the usual 'three strikes and you're out' approach adopted by the music industry. The reader says, 'To add insult to injury it [Davenport Lyons] didn't pay enough postage on the letter and I had to collect it from the sorting office at a cost of £1.30. This also used up most of the two weeks that it allowed for a response.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Introducing Classical Guitar Hero
8 May 2008 at 6:15pm
Posted by timothy
Alex writes "I've just uploaded the video of a piece of classical electronic music I wrote for 2 Guitar Hero controllers and software (which I created). More information about this piece, its software, and the notation involved in playing it is at alexwroten.com/works.asp and alexwroten.com/excuses.html. I just figured people might be interested in finding new ways to use their Guitar Hero mastery ... especially with the hot debate over whether or not it hinders people's musical instruction."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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