Indie video game developer DrinkBox Studios will release its PlayStation Vita game Severed in Spring of 2015.
This first person action-adventure will have players follow the journey of a one-armed heroine who wields a “living sword” and fights “six-armed swordmasters and beasts made of crows.” The non-linear narrative will have gamers attempting to piece parts of the heroine’s past as well as construct her future and, considering the images that’s been released, Severed should be a completely surreal journey.
“DrinkBox has a strong relationship working with Sony and we felt Severed’s combat and exploration mechanics were a perfect match for the Vita,” said Graham Smith, Co-Founder of DrinkBox Studios. “We hope Vita gamers will fall in love exploring Severed’s uncanny world through our gameplay just like they have with our previous games.”
Previous DrinkBox titles include Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, Guacamelee!, and Tales from Space: About a Blob.
Boyhood, director Richard Linklater’s magnum opus of a young child’s (Ellar Coltrane) subtle journey of self-discovery, was named Best Picture of the Year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA).
“Originality was honored in this year’s awards from LAFCA, with several prizes going to Richard Linklater’s twelve years in the making Boyhood, and other important awards for the imaginative Grand Budapest Hotel, the groundbreaking cinematography of Birdman, and the tour de force performance by Tom Hardy in Locke,” said LAFCA president Stephen Farber. “Our group again honored a range of films from around the world and an impressive array of emerging and veteran talents.”
The 40th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards takes place Saturday, January 10 at the Intercontinental, Los Angeles.
Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood (IFC Films, Matt Lankes)
Below is a list of the winners:
Picture: Boyhood (Runner-up: Grand Budapest Hotel)
Director: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: “The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson)
Actor: Tom Hardy, “Locke” (Runner-up: Michael Keaton, “Birdman”)
Screenplay: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson (Runner-up: Birdman, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo)
Animation: The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Runner-up: The Lego Movie)
Foreign Language Film: Ida (Runner-up: Winter Sleep)
Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: Citizenfour (Runner-up: Life Itself)
New Generation: Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
Film Editing: Sandra Adair, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”)
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman” (Runner-up: Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”)
Production Design: Adam Stockhausen, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (Runner-up: Ondrej Nekvasil, “Snowpiercer”)
Score: (tie) Jonny Greenwood, “Inherent Vice” and Mica Levi, “Under The Skin”
Douglas E. Edwards Independent/Experimental Film/Video: Walter Reuben, “The David Whiting Story”
I really enjoyed Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, director Tommy Wirkola’s sequel to his zombie-filled adventure. Wirkola recently went the bigtime Hollywood studio route with Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters but withDead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead he was able to return to a familiar (yet extremely diverting) environment.
Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead
We’re giving away Two (2) Blu-rays of Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, and if you’re a fan of the horror/comedy genre, this film has a lot to offer. Along with the return of the tragic and put-upon protagonist Martin (Vegar Hoel), Dead Snow 2 also features the inclusion of three over enthusiastic (and novice) zombie killers (Martin Starr, Ingrid Haas, Jocelyn DeBoer).
On a pure entertainment level, Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead was one of my favorite films this year, and here’s how to enter the giveaway (There will be Two winners for the Contest):
In the Comments section below – name your favorite Zombie film (or TV series) and briefly explain why you love it.
Once you “Like” the Facebook page and Comment, send over your Email info to editor@deepestdream.com – If you’re one of the Two winners of the Giveaway, I will email you back and ask for your address & send the Blu-ray.
The GIVEAWAY ends Sunday, December 28 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time. Winners will be announced on the Deepest Dream Facebook Page.
Just don’t stay in the bathroom waiting for the undead to knock on your door – please enter our Giveaway and get zombie-fied for the holidays!!
Capcom has announced thatStreet Fighter V will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and PC. Under Capcom’s collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the new game will feature cross platform play that will give fans a centralized player base for the very first time. More details on the feature will be announced shortly.
“Partnering with Capcom to deliver one of the most popular video game franchises of all time as a console exclusive to our PlayStation family is a huge undertaking and an honor we take incredibly seriously,” said Adam Boyes, VP of Publisher & Developer Relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America. “We can’t wait to show Street Fighter and PlayStation fans what we have in store for them.”
Fans of the Street Fighter franchise can catch the first gameplay demo at the Capcom Cup grand finals tournament which takes place December 13 in San Francisco, CA. Gamers can catch the live broadcast at twitch.tv/capcomfighters to catch the tournament action.
Street Fighter V – Capcom
Street Fighter V – CapcomStreet Fighter V – Capcom
The Skeleton Twins, a drama which received excellent reviews for Saturday Night Livevets Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, hits Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand December 16.
The storyline centers on Maggie (Wiig) and Milo (Hader), estranged twins who reunite after a ten year hiatus from each other. Directed and co-penned by Craig Johnson (Mark Heyman is the other scribe), the picture won Best Screenplay at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Luke Wilson and Modern Family’s Ty Burrell also star in the feature.
Kristen Wiig and Luke Wilson in ‘The Skeleton Twins’ – Lionsgate
Special features on the Blu-ray and DVD include:
Gag Reel
Outtakes
Deleted scenes with optional commentary from filmmaker/co-writer Craig Johnson
Two featurettes: “To Whom It May Concern: Making The Skeleton Twins” and “Sweet Moves”
Commentary with Johnson, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader
Commentary with Johnson, co-writer Mark Heyman and producer/editor Jennifer Lee
Hopefully I’ll have my hands on a Blu-ray copy of The Skeleton Twins, and I’ll be posting a review of the title shortly.
The Skeleton Twins – LionsgateThe Skeleton Twins – Lionsgate
The Imitation Game, a WWII set feature that centers on code breaker Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), will receive the Ensemble Performance Award at the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF).
The cast members, along with Cumberbatch, include Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance, and Mark Strong. The Awards Gala takes place Saturday, January 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
“The Imitation Game is one of the very best ensembles to grace the screen this season,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley lead an outstanding cast in The Imitation Game, a film about Alan Turing as he attempts to crack Germany’s Enigma machine. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present the entire cast of The Imitation Game with the Ensemble Performance Award.”
Other honorees that will receive awards at the event include Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash).
PSIFF runs January 2-12. For more info, please go to its official site.
Bandai Namco Games America Inc. will releaseGodzillaon the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 consoles for summer 2015.
The videogame, developed by Natsume Atari, has players (as the titular character) destroying each area’s Energy Generator and collecting as much G-Energy as possible (the energy is used to power-up Godzilla). A movie-style camera angle system is also inflused into the game, which also has Godzilla taking on Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla.
With Mission mode, players will cover over 20 stages of gameplay. Diorama mode is available for players who want to capture photos of Godzilla in different environments, and with King of Monsters mode Godzilla fights other creatures to become the true leader of the world beating beasts.
Godzilla – Bandai Namco Games America Inc.
“Godzilla has had a long history and is one of Japan’s most famous pop culture exports that have entertained millions of people for generations in the West.” said Chris Gilbert, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. “We’re excited to continue this great history by bringing the Godzilla videogame for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 to excited fans. Let the countdown to monstrous destruction and epic battles begin!”
Mothra in “Godzilla” – Banda Namco Games America Inc.King Ghidrah in ‘Godzilla’ – (Banda Namco Games America Inc.)MechaGodzilla in ‘Godzilla’ (Bandai Namco Games America, Inc.)Jet Jaguar in ‘Godzilla’ – (Namco Bandai Games America Inc.)
As Lucy Hale accurately states in the new Pretty Little Liarsfeaturette, there’s “twists, and turns, and drama” in the upcoming Christmas episode of the hit show.
In the Tuesday, December 9 episode “How the ‘A’ Stole Christmas” (ABC Family, 8 pm) the four resilient ladies (Aria, Emily, Hanna, Spencer) search for proof that will keep Spencer (Troian Bellisario) from heading to jail. Along with the long running drama behind finding out “A’s” true identity, the episode should hopefully hold a bit of holiday cheer (amidst, of course, all that underlying deceit and darkness).
Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell in ‘Pretty Little Liars’ – ABC Family, Eric McCandless)
The new Pretty Little Liars featurette is below:
In other PLL related news, actress/singer Lucy Hale was interviewed for Yahoo Beauty’s new “Beauty Story” video series. During the chat, Hale talked about what she’s learned from playing Aria on Pretty Little Liars:
“My favorite thing about Aria — she’s very driven. She’s also teaching me how to be a little bit more romantic as well. We’re very similar in a lot of ways, which is why I was drawn to her initially when I read the script.”
Yahoo also asked Hale about what five items she would bring if she was stranded on a desert island. To watch the video, go here.
I had the pleasure of interview director Atom Egoyan(Exotica, Where the Truth Lies, The Sweet Hereafter, Devil’s Knot) this week in Los Angeles, and during the session he was asked about another movie that he recently finished.
Remember stars Christopher Plummer, an actor Egoyan previously worked with on Ararat. In a Daily Variety piece, Plummer described Remember as a story that is “arresting and powerful beyond measure.”
Penned by Benjamin August, the project also stars Martin Landau, Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), and Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire).
Atom Egoyan sums up Remember below:
“Christopher Plummer plays a Holocaust survivor with early stages (of) dementia who thinks he’s found the person responsible for having killed his family in Auschwitz and goes on a mission to execute this person but keeps forgetting why.
What’s remarkable (about) the script is that (they’re) all these themes that are really close to me but it’s a really completely linear story. And yet the complexity of the characters is so fascinating and Plummer is extraordinary . . . It’s a pleasure to work with him again.”
To hear Atom Egoyan’s audio version of his answer, click on the media bar below:
The Captive, which premiered exclusively on DirectTV on November 13, hits theaters December 12. I’ll have more posts on The Captive, a thriller which I really enjoyed, in the coming days.
Mireille Enos & Ryan Reynolds in THE CAPTIVE (A24)
The Captive’s Boilerplate Summary: In this psychological thriller from Academy Award Nominated director Atom Egoyan, Matthew (Ryan Reynolds) steps briefly into a diner and comes out to find that his young daughter Cassandra has vanished without a trace from the back of his truck. Her unsolved abduction destroys Matthew’s once-happy relationship with his wife, Tina (Mireille Enos), who, haunted by mementos of Cassandra that appear mysteriously at her work, suspects her husband of foul play. Years later, when detectives Nicole (Rosario Dawson) and Jeffrey (Scott Speedman) discover recent images of Cassandra online, Matthew risks everything to ensure his daughter’s safe return—and to save himself and Tina from the limbo of unrelenting despair. Kevin Durand, Alexia Fast, and Bruce Greenwood co-star.
I love watching videos on Vimeo, as it’s a streaming service that’s never done me wrong. One of the projects that’s caught my eye is the documentary Beautiful Noise, which is now on sale as a digital download on Video on Demand: vimeo.com/ondemand/beautifulnoise.
The documentary centers on a period of music in which musicians mixed their proverbial wall of sound in a unique fashion, infusing guitar instrumentation into seemingly conventional pop song driven melodies.
The documentary, directed by Eric Green, contains interviews with members of Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Slowdive, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse, Swervedriver, Lush, Pale Saints, Curve, AR Kane, and Medicine. Music icons Trent Reznor, Robert Smith, and Billy Corgan are also featred in the doc.
Beautiful Noise premiered May 31, 2014 at the Seattle International Film Festival and globally June 8, 2014 at the Sheffield International Film Festival. Other fests which featured the documentary included the Don’t Knock the Rock Festival in Los Angeles and the Sound + Vision Festival at Lincoln Center.
