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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Breaking Bad: "Felina" Review

And that was Breaking Bad.

Yes, the story of Walter White has reached its conclusion... And we're sure you have a lot to say about how it ended! We just finished watching it like you did -- AMC weren't sending out press copies of this one! -- so Seth Amitin's review will be coming later tonight at this same url. In the meantime, we wanted to give you a place to discuss what went down in "Felina." Share your thoughts in the comments.

Full spoilers allowed, so beware those who haven't seen the finale yet!


Source : ign[dot]com

Hugh Jackman Lands Role in Neill Blomkamp's Chappie

Hugh Jackman has confirmed a role in Neill Blomkamp's (District 9, Elysium) next sci-fi feature Chappie, set to film in Johannesburg next year.

"I am doing a role in Neill’s new film, called Chappie, which we shoot in Johannesburg," was all the actor revealed to Screen Daily at the Zurich Film Festival.

Jackman will join other confirmed cast members Sharlto Copley and Ninja and Yolandi Visser of South African rap-rave duo Die Antwoord in Blomkamp's film about "a robot (voiced by Copley) imbued with artificial intelligence who is stolen by two local gangsters (Ninja and Visser) who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes."

The-Wolverine - Copy

Chappie has a planned release date of March 27, 2015.

Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN AU. Follow her ramblings on IGN or Twitter.


Source : ign[dot]com

Hugh Jackman Lands Role in Neill Blomkamp's Chappie

Hugh Jackman has confirmed a role in Neill Blomkamp's (District 9, Elysium) next sci-fi feature Chappie, set to film in Johannesburg next year.

"I am doing a role in Neill’s new film, called Chappie, which we shoot in Johannesburg," was all the actor revealed to Screen Daily at the Zurich Film Festival.

Jackman will join other confirmed cast members Sharlto Copley and Ninja and Yolandi Visser of South African rap-rave duo Die Antwoord in Blomkamp's film about "a robot (voiced by Copley) imbued with artificial intelligence who is stolen by two local gangsters (Ninja and Visser) who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes."

The-Wolverine - Copy

Chappie has a planned release date of March 27, 2015.

Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN AU. Follow her ramblings on IGN or Twitter.


Source : ign[dot]com

My Defining Moment as a Football Manager

A month or so back, Sports Interactive’s Football Manager 2013 was the highlight in a SEGA sale and, as an avid fan of the sport (Liverpool, if you’re asking), I made sure to take advantage. Although there are folks obsessive about the insanely deep management sim to a degree that I can’t even conceive (though, I highly recommend reading this piece as one such example, echoing many stories I’ve heard from players about their experiences), the game has been an on/off staple of my life, right from when it was originally known as Championship Manager and was published by Eidos.

Having not played the series for four or five years, I finally found time to start up a game this past week. Opting to manage Liverpool, as I always do, I marvelled at the interface changes made since I last played and then set about deciding how to improve my squad on such a limited budget. It was at this stage I was reminded of the last time I’d ventured into the franchise and was hit with a flashback to one of the most surreal moments that’s ever happened to me since I started gaming. Truth be told, I’m a little surprised I hadn’t thought to write about this before.

FM 3Football Manager 2009 was the exact iteration, which I’d only bought after a two-year hiatus solely on the basis that it was the series’ first game with a 3D match engine. Just a few weeks after its release in November 2008 I was forced to work away from home one weekend, travelling south to the other end of the country by train (I still lived in England at this point). Expecting to have some free time while I was away, I packed my laptop to help alleviate the boredom. With some luck I’d managed to bag myself a table seat after stepping onto the surprisingly quiet train, so wasted no time whipping out my laptop and started to pick up my season from where I left off.

Two stops later and the carriage was steadily getting busier. I remember feeling quite self-conscious that everyone was quietly judging me, and I was getting increasingly worried I’d soon have someone sat next to me, so naturally I thought about packing up. Before I had chance to save and do just that, my second fear came true on the next stop; a guy, roughly my age, got on and took the seat next to me. Part way through a big match (which I seem to think was against Spurs?), I was thinking of ways to hide my screen when my fellow passenger looked over and actually spoke up.

“Is that the new Football Manager?”

“It is,” I nodded politely.

We talked briefly about new features before he explained that back in uni he and his buddies used to buy a crate of beers and play Championship Manager together every few weeks. I’d heard this type of story before from many others, but we shook hands, formally introduced ourselves (his name was Adam I think, a Sheffield United fan and was travelling to see his girlfriend, if anyone cares), and I went back to managing my team. My new friend was looking on, totally absorbed.

FM 2Then he started to offer advice. In between matches he would suggest young players to scout and stars who would fit my team’s play style. During games he’d spot weak points in my formations, suggest substitutions and talk in depth about opposition strategy and my training schedules. Much to my bemusement, he had even taken to cheering my goals. For any other game I’d hate having a backseat gamer like this, but something struck me; he had essentially become my assistant manager.

Just was I was mulling over whether or not it’d be a little weird to say this out loud to my new friend, the whole train journey got a little stranger. At the next stop, just before Leicester, a group of slightly beered-up Leicester City fans got on, apparently travelling to an away game further south. It was standing room only at this point so they were in the aisle right next to my table. It wasn’t long before one of them spotted the game.

“Hey, this lad’s playing Football Manager!”

I sank slightly into my chair, not enjoying being the centre of attention.

Some banter was thrown around on account of who I supported (all good natured of course) before a few of them also took a serious interest in my game. All tried to crowd into an area so they could all see my screen and asked questions about how my season was going, who I’d signed, and if I’d kept “that diving bastard”. They too started to cheer on my Liverpool team.

I’ll be honest with you; I was totally perplexed and felt way out of my social depth. Who could blame me? I started the journey trying to mind my own business, trying to avoid talking to people and play my game in peace, and instead I’d acquired a real-life assistant manager and a vocal fan base in the process. It was surreal but, truth be told, I was kind of loving it.

FM 1As the train fast approached my destination, the Leicester fans were the first to depart, all with a handshake for me after I mentioned that I hoped City won. Adam too left before I hit the outskirts of London, wishing me all the best in my title push after his advice just about kept my Liverpool team in contention around the midway point of the season.

With only one or two stops left myself, I saved my game at the earliest opportunity, closed my laptop and began pondering just what had transpired over the journey.

They always say that the wonderful thing about football is that you can take two people from different walks of life, even different nationalities, put them together on a pitch with a ball and they’ll find a way to communicate. Here, Football Manager – a virtual extension of that sport – was bringing a handful of people together in much the same way. People that under any other circumstances would likely not even have looked each other in the eye. Looking back, that seems pretty amazing.

Despite how accurately developers can mimic sports in the virtual realm these days, even in capturing the pulsating, electrifying ebb and flow of the real thing, it’s still incredibly rare to find a sports game that can provide you with a genuinely important memory that will stay with you forever. Yet the serious, coldly-presented and perhaps even sterile, stat-focused Football Manager unexpectedly left me with a milestone moment that’s as important to me as any other emotional video game payout I’ve experienced in the last decade.

Andy Corrigan is a freelance games journalist based in Australia. You can follow him on IGN here whether you like football or not.


Source : ign[dot]com

Watch The Dark Knight as a SNES Game

Ever wondered what the video game adaptation of the most celebrated Batman movie might look like if it were made back in the heady days of the SNES or Mega Drive? Well wonder no longer, because the good folk at CineFix have 'gamified' The Dark Knight in glorious '8-bit' (well, almost entirely 16-bit) graphical detail.

The three and a half minute video covers all the major plot points of Christopher Nolan's celebrated second Batman flick, complete with a tinny version of Hans Zimmer's score and retro sound effects. Enjoy the video below.

Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN AU. Follow her ramblings on IGN or Twitter.


Source : ign[dot]com

Breaking Bad: The Many Faces of Heisenberg

Breaking Bad's fan base has always been passionate about the show, but as the series has picked up momentum across its stellar seasons, more and more fans chose to immortalize their love of the show in art form. Hundreds and thousands of tribute pieces have sprung up online, and sites like Heisenberg Chronicles have done an amazing job cataloging all of the amazing stuff out there. While we recommend checking out that site for even more, click on the image slideshow below to see some of our favorites:

"If bad has a name,it must be Heisenberg." Awesome re-imaging of Breaking Bad as an Indiana Jones movie poster. via: tshirtvortex.net

Eric Pletz captures Walter White in close-up. via: pletzart.com

All Good Things Come to an End by Taylor Lindgren. via: taylorlindgrenart.weebly.com

Walter White: The Study of Change by Anna Rettberg. via: arettberg.deviantart.com

Walter White preparing for the cook. Thanks, Mr. Peruca. via: society6.com/artist/mrperuca

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Remember My Name. Piece by Peter Babucs. via: behance.net/heyp

Mr. Lambert, welcome to New Hampshire, by David Saracino. via: davidsaracino.tumblr.com

I'm in the Empire Business. By PJ McQuade. via: postercollective.com

He is back. Walter White by Guillaume Vasseur. via: postercollective.com

The T-shirt that knocks. Piece by Luke Dixon. via: thebearhug.com

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Heisenberg emerging. Piece by Matt Timson. via: matttimson.tumblr.com

The King of Crystals. By Alan Kennedy. via: gremz.deviantart.com

Heavenly glow? By Varis. via: horrible-device.tumblr.com

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Breaking Bad: The Many Faces of Heisenberg
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Have you seen other amazing pieces of Breaking Bad art? Share them in the comments below!

Chris Carle is the Entertainment Editorial Director of IGN.com. He can be found on Twitter and in the aisles of local supermarkets, scoping for Fruit Brute.


Source : ign[dot]com

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 Debuts in First Place

As expected, animated family fare performed best at this weekend's otherwise lukewarm box office. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 debuted in first place with an estimated $35 million, which was at the low end of industry predictions but still a bit ahead of the original film's opening weekend.

Other new releases didn't fare as well. The Ron Howard-directed racer biopic Rush opened in third place with an estimated $10.3 million, while Joseph Gordon-Leviit's directorial debut Don Jon had to settle for a fifth place bow of $9 million. Another new release, Baggage Claim, debuted in fourth place with $9.3 million.

The concert/horror film Metallica Through the Never opened in limited release with a 13th place showing of $1.7 million.

Here are the weekend estimates via Rentrak:

1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 $35 million

2. Prisoners $11.3 million

3. Rush $10.3 million

4. Baggage Claim $9.3 million

5. Don Jon $9 million

6. Insidious Chapter 2 $6.7 million

7. The Family $3.7 million

8. Instructions Not Included $3.4 million

9. We're the Millers $2.9 million

10. Lee Daniels' The Butler $2.4 million

Listen to the latest Keepin' It Reel podcast to learn what our weekend predictions were.


Source : ign[dot]com

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 Debuts in First Place

As expected, animated family fare performed best at this weekend's otherwise lukewarm box office. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 debuted in first place with an estimated $35 million, which was at the low end of industry predictions but still a bit ahead of the original film's opening weekend.

Other new releases didn't fare as well. The Ron Howard-directed racer biopic Rush opened in third place with an estimated $10.3 million, while Joseph Gordon-Leviit's directorial debut Don Jon had to settle for a fifth place bow of $9 million. Another new release, Baggage Claim, debuted in fourth place with $9.3 million.

The concert/horror film Metallica Through the Never opened in limited release with a 13th place showing of $1.7 million.

Here are the weekend estimates via Rentrak:

1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 $35 million

2. Prisoners $11.3 million

3. Rush $10.3 million

4. Baggage Claim $9.3 million

5. Don Jon $9 million

6. Insidious Chapter 2 $6.7 million

7. The Family $3.7 million

8. Instructions Not Included $3.4 million

9. We're the Millers $2.9 million

10. Lee Daniels' The Butler $2.4 million

Listen to the latest Keepin' It Reel podcast to learn what our weekend predictions were.


Source : ign[dot]com

Breaking Bad: The Series Finale is Here

Tonight is a huge night in TV, as Breaking Bad airs its final episode. The incredibly acclaimed series is wrapping up, after 62 episodes, on a high note, with more viewers than it's ever had in its history, as more and more people caught on to the series, and just a week after winning the Emmy for Best Drama and Anna Gunn's win for best supporting actress. (Don't fret for Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, who didn't win this year, but have multiple Emmys at this point for their excellent work on the series.)

The IGN crew predicts the ending to Breaking Bad:

Breaking Bad has been a favorite here at IGN since the beginning. In fact, we named it program of the year in IGN's annual Best Of awards in 2009 - and then again in 2010, 2011 and 2012!

With Breaking Bad coming to an end, we've been feeling nostalgic, looking back at some of our earliest coverage of the show, including our first major coverage before it debuted, as Travis Fickett spoke to Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston on a conference call about the show. And then of course is Seth Amitin's review of Breaking Bad's pilot episode - and what was an incredible debut to what would continue to be an amazing series.

And on a personal level, I have to say one of my favorite interviews I've done at IGN was when I interviewed Gilligan and Cranston together, going into Season 2.

We've also had plenty of Breaking Bad coverage this past week, in the countdown to the series finale. In case you've missed it, check out the following articles and videos and get ready for Breaking Bad's farewell.

It's Okay if You End Up Not Liking Breaking Bad's Finale

4 Things Dexter Could Have Learned from Breaking Bad

Before Breaking Bad: Bryan Cranston's Power Rangers Past

IGN's Review of the Penultimate Breaking Bad: "Granite State"

Pinky and the Brain and Metal Gear Solid meets Breaking Bad:

Vince Gilligan answers IGN reader questions about Breaking Bad:

Are you ready to say goodbye to Breaking Bad?

The Breaking Bad series finale airs Sunday, September 29th at 9pm on AMC.


Source : ign[dot]com

Breaking Bad: The Series Finale is Here

Tonight is a huge night in TV, as Breaking Bad airs its final episode. The incredibly acclaimed series is wrapping up, after 62 episodes, on a high note, with more viewers than it's ever had in its history, as more and more people caught on to the series, and just a week after winning the Emmy for Best Drama and Anna Gunn's win for best supporting actress. (Don't fret for Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, who didn't win this year, but have multiple Emmys at this point for their excellent work on the series.)

The IGN crew predicts the ending to Breaking Bad:

Breaking Bad has been a favorite here at IGN since the beginning. In fact, we named it program of the year in IGN's annual Best Of awards in 2009 - and then again in 2010, 2011 and 2012!

With Breaking Bad coming to an end, we've been feeling nostalgic, looking back at some of our earliest coverage of the show, including our first major coverage before it debuted, as Travis Fickett spoke to Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston on a conference call about the show. And then of course is Seth Amitin's review of Breaking Bad's pilot episode - and what was an incredible debut to what would continue to be an amazing series.

And on a personal level, I have to say one of my favorite interviews I've done at IGN was when I interviewed Gilligan and Cranston together, going into Season 2.

We've also had plenty of Breaking Bad coverage this past week, in the countdown to the series finale. In case you've missed it, check out the following articles and videos and get ready for Breaking Bad's farewell.

It's Okay if You End Up Not Liking Breaking Bad's Finale

4 Things Dexter Could Have Learned from Breaking Bad

Before Breaking Bad: Bryan Cranston's Power Rangers Past

IGN's Review of the Penultimate Breaking Bad: "Granite State"

Pinky and the Brain and Metal Gear Solid meets Breaking Bad:

Vince Gilligan answers IGN reader questions about Breaking Bad:

Are you ready to say goodbye to Breaking Bad?

The Breaking Bad series finale airs Sunday, September 29th at 9pm on AMC.


Source : ign[dot]com

How Fast & Furious Became Hollywood's Most Fascinating Franchise

Over the last 12 years, dozens of franchises have come and gone; some have dominated the box-office, some have crashed and burned, some have been around so long they've done both and been rebooted. But throughout the last decade, one franchise has gone about its business quickly and quietly without any fuss, starting life as a cult classic before going on to become the summer blockbuster to beat. With surprising new cast members still joining its seventh instalment and well over $2 billion in the bank, is there any franchise in Hollywood that's even half as fascinating as Fast & Furious right now?

To appreciate the madness of the Fast & Furious series' success, you have to go back to its relatively humble origins. The first movie in 2001 was based on a magazine article called 'Racer X' by Ken Li, who was fascinated by the underground LA sub-culture of illegal street racing. With a minuscule budget and two relatively unknown stars (Vin Diesel was best known for Pitch Black, while Paul Walker's biggest hit was The Skulls), The Fast And The Furious went on to become the sleeper hit of the year, proving audiences had an appetite for fast cars and loose morals.

Diesel famously turned down $20 million to reprise the role of Dominic Toretto in 2 Fast 2 Furious (maybe that terrible title put him off), but that didn't stop the series moving ahead in his absence. The third movie, Tokyo Drift, was something of a misstep, but by the time Diesel returned, hat in hand, for back-to-basics fourquel Fast & Furious, the franchise had hit top speed, rocketing to a record-breaking opening weekend. Follow-ups Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 took the series into the stratosphere: this year's instalment, the most popular to date, outgrossed the likes of Man Of Steel and The Wolverine. It's fair to say that no one, not even the filmmakers themselves, could have foreseen this kind of success.

Yet the Fast & Furious producers aren't resting on their laurels. In fact, Universal are capitalising on the series' popularity, hastily rescheduling a seventh movie for 2014, a mere 14 months after the last one opened. Diesel says he considers the Furious franchise to be two separate trilogies; the first three films were mainly focused on street racing, while the last three hit the turbo button and launched themselves into lunatic action with great abandon. What's interesting is that the seeds have already been sown for Fast & Furious 7 and a third trilogy, which promises to be the most fascinating yet.

Team Furious has made some major transfers over the summer. Joining Diesel, Walker and star player Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is big-name signing Jason Statham, poached from the Transporter series and unveiled in the Fast & Furious 6 post-credits sting as the villain of the next movie. Joining him will be dependable warhorse Kurt Russell (not too shabby behind the wheel himself) and solid squad players like Tony Jaa and Djimon Hounsou. New and old faces will combine for one of the most multi-cultural, gender-balanced blockbuster casts in recent memory, perhaps going some way to explaining the franchise's huge success overseas.

Most telling of all, however, is the name they didn't land: Denzel Washington allegedly turned down a role in Fast & Furious 7. It's a fairly audacious bid, but shows just how big the producers are aiming: not just for recognisable names but genuine bona fide A-List megastars. Where once the Fast & Furious franchise was considered dim and exploitative entertainment, it's now a global box-office Goliath. The films are essentially critic-proof cash cows, and their cross-cultural popularity – typically the movies score well with both black and white audiences – goes a long way towards attracting big stars. An actor like Kurt Russell can expect to gain a whole new following merely by being associated with Fast & Furious, and the movies are so tongue-in-cheek and universally adored that any script issues can be shrugged off.

All this proves there is still plenty of gas in the tank. Diesel and Walker both claim that they can't see the Fast & Furious finish line in sight, and the money men at Universal would be bonkers to blow the tyres of the franchise while it's still burning box-office rubber. With the death of Han at the hands of The Stath at the end of Fast & Furious 6, the fork in the road of the franchise chronology has finally straightened itself out (technically the events of Tokyo Drift took place after movies 4, 5 and 6) with the promise of clear driving ahead. As long as the series' writers – yes, it has writers – can continue thinking up excuses to squeeze its musclemen into sports cars, Fast & Furious will continue to gather speed.

Would you honestly be surprised if we saw Fast & Furious 10 by the end of the decade? And would you even mind? Unlike the Saw franchise, where each subsequent sequel muddied the franchise's mythology further, or the star-powered Die Hard movies that are in desperate need of euthanasing, Fast & Furious movies seem to be getting more confident and more ludicrously enjoyable with each new instalment. Crucially, the cast is now so large and varied, you could feasibly see the series continuing without either Diesel or Walker should they decide they dislike being filthy rich. There have even been rumours that a spin-off involving Hobbs (Dwayne's Johnson's hulking cop) is on the cards.

The possibilities are myriad, and at this point in the story – with characters changing allegiances, coming back from the dead and routinely defying the laws of physics – there's literally no telling where Fast & Furious will end up in another 12 years.

Fast & Furious has proved that it's bigger than its cast, it's bigger than its critics – it's even bigger than its initial concept. Save for perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is no other current franchise that has built up quite so much momentum. With new director James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) in the driving seat and a new cast of villains ready to take apart Dom and his gang (with or without Denzel), there's never been a more exciting time to be a fan of Fast & Furious – the most continually surprising, oddly fascinating, shamelessly entertaining blockbuster series to ever put pedal to metal.


Source : ign[dot]com

Saturday, September 28, 2013

It'll Be Okay If You Don't like the Ending to Breaking Bad

First off, no, I don’t expect the Breaking Bad finale will be bad. I think it’ll be awesome! The show’s been excellent from the start and these final run of episodes have been incredible, delivering one amazing moment after the other.

But look, everyone won’t be happy with how things end Sunday night. That’s just how it is. Some fans will wish Walter White’s story wrapped up in a different way than Vince Gilligan gives us, whether they think the ending was too kind to Walt, too cruel to Walt, too disturbing, not disturbing enough, etc., etc… You can’t please everyone and it’s already clear looking at how some Breaking Bad fans view certain characters and plotlines vs. how others do that people are reacting to Breaking Bad in their own ways.

But no matter how it ends and how satisfying you find the ending, I hope Breaking Bad fans can look back and appreciate the path the show took us on, rather than concentrate on the end alone. In recent years, a lot of very acclaimed and beloved shows have had some fans judge the entirety of the series rather harshly because of how they ended. Lost is of course a big example, with plenty jumping to an extreme, “I wasted six years of my life!” place because they didn’t like how the show concluded. Battlestar Galactica had some similar reactions as well.

Hell, there are some people mad about The Sopranos, as a whole, because of the way the final scene of the show went. But even when I can understand why people are unhappy with the ending of a show, I never can almost never, with rare exceptions, get my head around the ending having ruined the entire experience for them.

Obviously, we all want what a good ending. Everyone is hoping for a story we’ve been following to conclude in a manner that really pays off. But in TV, where a story can last for years and years, it’s especially important to look at the entire journey and not focus on the final episode as the only barometer of how the show worked or didn’t work. People like to accusingly say, “They’re making it up as they go along!” sometimes with a TV show, as though that’s implicitly a bad thing, when, really, it’s just how TV works.

Before Breaking Bad: Bryan Cranston's Power Rangers Past

If you created a TV show, you work so hard to get the network to pick up your series in the first place and then to get a new episode finished every week, if you’re one of the lucky ones who do get past the pilot stage. You’re rarely able to, from the beginning, have your exact ending mapped out – especially when you are almost never aware of how long your show will last when it begins, because almost no network will make that sort of commitment ahead of time (though, encouragingly, at least FX looks to be planning to do just that more going forward and perhaps we'll see others follow suit).

All that being said, Breaking Bad is a meticulously plotted show that has managed to masterfully pay off a ton of storylines through the years. But let’s go to the worst case scenario and imagine watching the Breaking Bad finale and feeling it doesn’t work in a big way– that it chickened out or it took the characters to a place that didn’t tonally fit or killed a character they shouldn’t have or let a character off scott free who should have paid for their actions.

What Would a Breaking Bad Animated Series Be Like?

There’s any number of ways that the story could go that won’t sit right, especially given different how fans bring their own perceptions to the series. But would that suddenly invalidate all of the incredible TV you’ve watched up until now? The moments that had you on the edge of your seat, the character twists (deaths or otherwise) you felt emotionally connected to or the shocking, “I can’t believe that just happened” scenarios we saw occur? Of course not. If you’ve been loving watching Breaking Bad all this time, even if you felt profound disappointment with the final episode, one would hope you’d look back on Breaking Bad as a truly great show.

So for those of you who end up unhappy with Breaking Bad’s ending  ---- and that’ll be some of you, even if it’s just a few -- remember all that came before it and how special this show was, regardless of how those final 75 minutes (minus commercials, that is) play out on Sunday night.

…Even though I’m still pretty sure the ending's going to kick ass.

Breaking Bad's final episode airs Sunday, September 29th at 9pm on AMC... but you already knew that!

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN, IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman.


Source : ign[dot]com

It'll Be Okay If You Don't like the Ending to Breaking Bad

First off, no, I don’t except the Breaking Bad finale will be bad. I think it’ll be awesome! The show’s been excellent from the start and these final run of episodes have been incredible, delivering one amazing moment after the other.

But look, everyone won’t be happy with how things end Sunday night. That’s just how it is. Some fans will wish Walter White’s story wrapped up in a different way than Vince Gilligan gives us, whether they think the ending was too kind to Walt, too cruel to Walt, too disturbing, not disturbing enough, etc., etc… You can’t please everyone and it’s already clear looking at how some Breaking Bad fans view certain characters and plotlines vs. how others do that people are reacting to Breaking Bad in their own ways.

But no matter how it ends and how satisfying you find the ending, I hope Breaking Bad fans can look back and appreciate the path the show took us on, rather than concentrate on the end alone. In recent years, a lot of very acclaimed and beloved shows have had some fans judge the entirety of the series rather harshly because of how they ended. Lost is of course a big example, with plenty jumping to an extreme, “I wasted six years of my life!” place because they didn’t like how the show concluded. Battlestar Galactica had some similar reactions as well.

Hell, there are some people mad about The Sopranos, as a whole, because of the way the final scene of the show went. But even when I can understand why people are unhappy with the ending of a show, I never can almost never, with rare exceptions, get my head around the ending having ruined the entire experience for them.

Obviously, we all want what a good ending. Everyone is hoping for a story we’ve been following to conclude in a manner that really pays off. But in TV, where a story can last for years and years, it’s especially important to look at the entire journey and not focus on the final episode as the only barometer of how the show worked or didn’t work. People like to accusingly say, “They’re making it up as they go along!” sometimes with a TV show, as though that’s implicitly a bad thing, when, really, it’s just how TV works.

Before Breaking Bad: Bryan Cranston's Power Rangers Past

If you created a TV show, you work so hard to get the network to pick up your series in the first place and then to get a new episode finished every week, if you’re one of the lucky ones who do get past the pilot stage. You’re rarely able to, from the beginning, have your exact ending mapped out – especially when you are almost never aware of how long your show will last when it begins, because almost no network will make that sort of commitment ahead of time (though, encouragingly, at least FX looks to be planning to do just that more going forward).

All that being said, Breaking Bad is a meticulously plotted show that has managed to masterfully pay off a ton of storylines through the years. But let’s go to the worst case scenario and imagine watching the Breaking Bad finale and feeling it doesn’t work in a big way– that it chickened out or it took the characters to a place that didn’t tonally fit or killed a character they shouldn’t have or let a character off scott free who should have paid for their actions.

What Would a Breaking Bad Animated Series Be Like?

There’s any number of ways that the story could go that won’t sit right, especially given different how fans bring their own perceptions to the series. But would that suddenly invalidate all of the incredible TV you’ve watched up until now? The moments that had you on the edge of your seat, the character twists (deaths or otherwise) you felt emotionally connected to or the shocking, “I can’t believe that just happened” scenarios we saw occur? Of course not. If you’ve been loving watching Breaking Bad all this time, even if you felt profound disappointment with the final episode, one would hope you’d look back on Breaking Bad as a truly great show.

So for those of you who end up unhappy with Breaking Bad’s ending  ---- and that’ll be some of you, even if it’s just a few -- remember all that came before it and how special this show was, regardless of how those final 75 minutes (minus commercials, that is) play out on Sunday night.

…Even though I’m still pretty sure the ending's going to kick ass.

Breaking Bad's final episode airs Sunday, September 29th at 9pm on AMC... but you already knew that!

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN, IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman.


Source : ign[dot]com

Transformers: Age of Extinction Cast Photo

Director Michael Bay tweeted a new official still of lead actors Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor on the set of Transformers: Age Of Extinction.

The photo seen below shows the trio -- Wahlberg plays the father of Peltz's character, while Reynor is her boyfriend -- at a location that looks something like Radiator Springs from the Cars movies.

Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor in Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, and Jack Reynor in Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Transformers: Age of Extinction opens June 27, 2014.


Source : ign[dot]com

Friday, September 27, 2013

Caroline Dhavernas Talks Hannibal's Blu-ray and DVD Debut and What's Next in Season 2

Hannibal came out of the gate strong this spring, turning out to be one of the most creative and clever new TV shows of the year. Under the expert guidance of Bryan Fuller, the iconic horror character was given a fresh and exciting new interpretation, as we followed the fascinating dynamic between Hannibal Lecter (Mas Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy).

Playing an important role in the show is Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas), a protégé of Hannibal’s and colleague of Will’s who finds herself swept up in the macabre happenings that surround Lecter and Graham. With Season 1 of Hannibal having just been released on Blu-ray and DVD this week, I spoke to Dhavernas about her role on Hannibal, reuniting with Fuller a decade after they made the cult classic Wonderfalls together and what’s to come for Alana in Hannibal: Season 2, which recently began production.

Warning: Major spoilers for the end of Hannibal: Season 1 follow!

Dinner is served in Hannibal. Dig in. Dinner is served in Hannibal. Dig in.[/caption]

IGN TV: Wonderfalls obviously had its own very specific feel and tone to it. This is so very different, although I think you can still kind of sense the same creative energy behind it. Is it fun for you to collaborate with Bryan again on something that couldn’t be more different, as far as the mood of it goes?

Dhavernas: That is what’s so amazing about Bryan. He’s true to his actors. When he loves someone, he’ll want to work with them again, but not even do the same thing that they did for him in the past. He really believes that actors are versatile and that they can do something, but then do the complete opposite. It’s so rare actually, because a lot of people in this business don’t have a very wild imagination, but Bryan Fuller is one of them, both in his writing and in his way of treating acting and knowing what actors are capable of. So it’s a real treat to be in someone’s mind like that.

IGN: So let’s talk about Alana and how she is in this interesting situation with Hannibal. Bryan told me he feels that Hannibal is truly affectionate towards her and does want to try to protect her, if he can, despite the horrible things he does. Do you think for her it’s just she could not conceive of what he truly is?

Dhavernas: Yeah, I think she has no clue. He was her mentor, I think when she probably was a student. There was that one scene in the kitchen where we saw that he was flirting a little bit. I think she grew up in a man’s world, and she’s probably been very careful not to flirt too much in order to be taken seriously, given her job; she’s pretty young already to be so highly educated and the FBI and all that. So I think she’s probably been very careful that way not to flirt with older men and people that she’s working with. But yeah, in this instance, I think she has a lot of respect for him. Sometimes their views are quite different, but she knows that he’s a brilliant therapist. I think she has no clue whatsoever about what he truly is.

IGN: I was going to ask you how she would process it if she did find out the truth, but in a way she’s kind of dealing with it right now, she just thinks it’s the wrong guy -- or the world thinks it’s the wrong guy.

Dhavernas: Yes! What Will just went through was such a surprise already to everyone. I think we’re all just trying to put the pieces together at that point. Of course, he’s blaming Hannibal for this, but he did have encephalitis. I think Alana is approaching this very cautiously. She knows that the illness can make you believe and feel all sorts of things that are false. So I think right now she’s just being there to be careful and make sure that Will will be treated equally and respectfully, because God knows he’s been telling everyone from the start that he was a fragile one and that his gift was a curse and that everyone had to be careful with him, and no one listened. I think she continued to be even more protective than she ever was.

Check out a behind-the-scenes clip from the Hannibal: Season 1 Blu-ray:

IGN: You mentioned this at the top, but this show does have some pretty pushing-the-boundaries visuals, especially for network TV. What’s it like for you guys on set? Are you pretty amazed to see what they’re going to do and how they’re going to pull that off on TV?

Dhavernas: Yeah, our DP is fantastic. We do seem to be able to make the day most of the time, even though the lighting is a little more intricate than most network series. I remember the first day I walked on set, and I think it was the first episode, the scene at the end with Laurence Fishburne where I say to him, “You said you wouldn’t go too far with him.” It was almost pitch black in the room where we were shooting, in the class, and I remember thinking, “Wow, I’m teaching in the dark. This is interesting!” [Laughs] Then I saw the show, and it all made sense. It’s just so moving and beautiful and kind of real, but not completely real. It’s like a big nightmare.

IGN: Of course one creepy thing that’s going underneath everything is the implication that Hannibal is constantly feeding everyone in his life other humans.

Dhavernas: Yes, he takes mighty pleasure in that, yeah. I’ve had several meals at his place where he smiles knowing what I was eating.

Continue to Page 2 for more with Caroline Dhavernas about Hannibal and Alana’s relationship and what’s to come in Season 2.


Source : ign[dot]com

Caroline Dhavernas Talks Hannibal's Blu-ray and DVD Debut and What's Next in Season 2

Hannibal came out of the gate strong this spring, turning out to be one of the most creative and clever new TV shows of the year. Under the expert guidance of Bryan Fuller, the iconic horror character was given a fresh and exciting new interpretation, as we followed the fascinating dynamic between Hannibal Lecter (Mas Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy).

Playing an important role in the show is Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas), a protégé of Hannibal’s and colleague of Will’s who finds herself swept up in the macabre happenings that surround Lecter and Graham. With Season 1 of Hannibal having just been released on Blu-ray and DVD this week, I spoke to Dhavernas about her role on Hannibal, reuniting with Fuller a decade after they made the cult classic Wonderfalls together and what’s to come for Alana in Hannibal: Season 2, which recently began production.

Warning: Major spoilers for the end of Hannibal: Season 1 follow!

Dinner is served in Hannibal. Dig in. Dinner is served in Hannibal. Dig in.[/caption]

IGN TV: Wonderfalls obviously had its own very specific feel and tone to it. This is so very different, although I think you can still kind of sense the same creative energy behind it. Is it fun for you to collaborate with Bryan again on something that couldn’t be more different, as far as the mood of it goes?

Dhavernas: That is what’s so amazing about Bryan. He’s true to his actors. When he loves someone, he’ll want to work with them again, but not even do the same thing that they did for him in the past. He really believes that actors are versatile and that they can do something, but then do the complete opposite. It’s so rare actually, because a lot of people in this business don’t have a very wild imagination, but Bryan Fuller is one of them, both in his writing and in his way of treating acting and knowing what actors are capable of. So it’s a real treat to be in someone’s mind like that.

IGN: So let’s talk about Alana and how she is in this interesting situation with Hannibal. Bryan told me he feels that Hannibal is truly affectionate towards her and does want to try to protect her, if he can, despite the horrible things he does. Do you think for her it’s just she could not conceive of what he truly is?

Dhavernas: Yeah, I think she has no clue. He was her mentor, I think when she probably was a student. There was that one scene in the kitchen where we saw that he was flirting a little bit. I think she grew up in a man’s world, and she’s probably been very careful not to flirt too much in order to be taken seriously, given her job; she’s pretty young already to be so highly educated and the FBI and all that. So I think she’s probably been very careful that way not to flirt with older men and people that she’s working with. But yeah, in this instance, I think she has a lot of respect for him. Sometimes their views are quite different, but she knows that he’s a brilliant therapist. I think she has no clue whatsoever about what he truly is.

IGN: I was going to ask you how she would process it if she did find out the truth, but in a way she’s kind of dealing with it right now, she just thinks it’s the wrong guy -- or the world thinks it’s the wrong guy.

Dhavernas: Yes! What Will just went through was such a surprise already to everyone. I think we’re all just trying to put the pieces together at that point. Of course, he’s blaming Hannibal for this, but he did have encephalitis. I think Alana is approaching this very cautiously. She knows that the illness can make you believe and feel all sorts of things that are false. So I think right now she’s just being there to be careful and make sure that Will will be treated equally and respectfully, because God knows he’s been telling everyone from the start that he was a fragile one and that his gift was a curse and that everyone had to be careful with him, and no one listened. I think she continued to be even more protective than she ever was.

Check out a behind-the-scenes clip from the Hannibal: Season 1 Blu-ray:

IGN: You mentioned this at the top, but this show does have some pretty pushing-the-boundaries visuals, especially for network TV. What’s it like for you guys on set? Are you pretty amazed to see what they’re going to do and how they’re going to pull that off on TV?

Dhavernas: Yeah, our DP is fantastic. We do seem to be able to make the day most of the time, even though the lighting is a little more intricate than most network series. I remember the first day I walked on set, and I think it was the first episode, the scene at the end with Laurence Fishburne where I say to him, “You said you wouldn’t go too far with him.” It was almost pitch black in the room where we were shooting, in the class, and I remember thinking, “Wow, I’m teaching in the dark. This is interesting!” [Laughs] Then I saw the show, and it all made sense. It’s just so moving and beautiful and kind of real, but not completely real. It’s like a big nightmare.

IGN: Of course one creepy thing that’s going underneath everything is the implication that Hannibal is constantly feeding everyone in his life other humans.

Dhavernas: Yes, he takes mighty pleasure in that, yeah. I’ve had several meals at his place where he smiles knowing what I was eating.

Continue to Page 2 for more with Caroline Dhavernas about Hannibal and Alana’s relationship and what’s to come in Season 2.


Source : ign[dot]com

Caroline Dhavernas Talks Hannibal's Blu-ray and DVD Debut and What's Next in Season 2

Hannibal came out of the gate strong this spring, turning out to be one of the most creative and clever new TV shows of the year. Under the expert guidance of Bryan Fuller, the iconic horror character was given a fresh and exciting new interpretation, as we followed the fascinating dynamic between Hannibal Lecter (Mas Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy).

Playing an important role in the show is Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas), a protégé of Hannibal’s and colleague of Will’s who finds herself swept up in the macabre happenings that surround Lecter and Graham. With Season 1 of Hannibal having just been released on Blu-ray and DVD this week, I spoke to Dhavernas about her role on Hannibal, reuniting with Fuller a decade after they made the cult classic Wonderfalls together and what’s to come for Alana in Hannibal: Season 2, which recently began production.

Warning: Major spoilers for the end of Hannibal: Season 1 follow!

Dinner is served in Hannibal. Dig in. Dinner is served in Hannibal. Dig in.[/caption]

IGN TV: Wonderfalls obviously had its own very specific feel and tone to it. This is so very different, although I think you can still kind of sense the same creative energy behind it. Is it fun for you to collaborate with Bryan again on something that couldn’t be more different, as far as the mood of it goes?

Dhavernas: That is what’s so amazing about Bryan. He’s true to his actors. When he loves someone, he’ll want to work with them again, but not even do the same thing that they did for him in the past. He really believes that actors are versatile and that they can do something, but then do the complete opposite. It’s so rare actually, because a lot of people in this business don’t have a very wild imagination, but Bryan Fuller is one of them, both in his writing and in his way of treating acting and knowing what actors are capable of. So it’s a real treat to be in someone’s mind like that.

IGN: So let’s talk about Alana and how she is in this interesting situation with Hannibal. Bryan told me he feels that Hannibal is truly affectionate towards her and does want to try to protect her, if he can, despite the horrible things he does. Do you think for her it’s just she could not conceive of what he truly is?

Dhavernas: Yeah, I think she has no clue. He was her mentor, I think when she probably was a student. There was that one scene in the kitchen where we saw that he was flirting a little bit. I think she grew up in a man’s world, and she’s probably been very careful not to flirt too much in order to be taken seriously, given her job; she’s pretty young already to be so highly educated and the FBI and all that. So I think she’s probably been very careful that way not to flirt with older men and people that she’s working with. But yeah, in this instance, I think she has a lot of respect for him. Sometimes their views are quite different, but she knows that he’s a brilliant therapist. I think she has no clue whatsoever about what he truly is.

IGN: I was going to ask you how she would process it if she did find out the truth, but in a way she’s kind of dealing with it right now, she just thinks it’s the wrong guy -- or the world thinks it’s the wrong guy.

Dhavernas: Yes! What Will just went through was such a surprise already to everyone. I think we’re all just trying to put the pieces together at that point. Of course, he’s blaming Hannibal for this, but he did have encephalitis. I think Alana is approaching this very cautiously. She knows that the illness can make you believe and feel all sorts of things that are false. So I think right now she’s just being there to be careful and make sure that Will will be treated equally and respectfully, because God knows he’s been telling everyone from the start that he was a fragile one and that his gift was a curse and that everyone had to be careful with him, and no one listened. I think she continued to be even more protective than she ever was.

Check out a behind-the-scenes clip from the Hannibal: Season 1 Blu-ray:

IGN: You mentioned this at the top, but this show does have some pretty pushing-the-boundaries visuals, especially for network TV. What’s it like for you guys on set? Are you pretty amazed to see what they’re going to do and how they’re going to pull that off on TV?

Dhavernas: Yeah, our DP is fantastic. We do seem to be able to make the day most of the time, even though the lighting is a little more intricate than most network series. I remember the first day I walked on set, and I think it was the first episode, the scene at the end with Laurence Fishburne where I say to him, “You said you wouldn’t go too far with him.” It was almost pitch black in the room where we were shooting, in the class, and I remember thinking, “Wow, I’m teaching in the dark. This is interesting!” [Laughs] Then I saw the show, and it all made sense. It’s just so moving and beautiful and kind of real, but not completely real. It’s like a big nightmare.

IGN: Of course one creepy thing that’s going underneath everything is the implication that Hannibal is constantly feeding everyone in his life other humans.

Dhavernas: Yes, he takes mighty pleasure in that, yeah. I’ve had several meals at his place where he smiles knowing what I was eating.

Continue to Page 2 for more with Caroline Dhavernas about Hannibal and Alana’s relationship and what’s to come in Season 2.


Source : ign[dot]com

Daily Fix Headlines for September 27, 2013

We end our week with Valve's final announcement, a look at Battlefield 4's new modes, and an update on the single-player DLC for The Last Of Us. Also, watch for a special giveaway at the end of the show!

Here's what we covered:

Everything you need to know about Valve's sweet new controller.

We detail Battlefield 4's seven new modes.

Find out dates, details, and more on Naughty Dogs upcoming Season Pass DLC for The Last Of Us.

Naomi Kyle is IGN's news host and on-camera personality. You can find her every day on The Daily Fix, kicking ass and taking names. You can follow her on Twitter @NaomiKyle.


Source : ign[dot]com

Tom Hiddleston Wants Enchantress in a Marvel Movie

With Thor: The Dark World nearing its November 8 release, there's been a lot of love for Tom Hiddleston's Loki lately -- and rightfully so. Marvel's God of Mischief even spawned a fan petition for a standalone Loki movie, which now has almost 25,000 signatures to its name.

A recent interview with Hiddleston is likely to stir that pot even more, as the actor gave his thoughts on what Loki could get up to in a future Marvel film. His favorite idea for the character? One word: Enchantress.

Amora the Enchantress

Amora the Enchantress

"When I was first reading the comics, [Loki's] relationship with the Enchantress was one of the really fun things I thought would be good to explore," Hiddleston explained to Total Film in the interview. "[I] may have even pitched it to [Marvel Studios head] Kevin Feige at some point."

Hiddleston especially favored Enchantress "because she was as sneaky and as untrustworthy as he was. They basically had a really fantastic and twisted relationship until they both say, 'You know what? I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you. It’s over.' Because they keep betraying each other, in a way. So it could be good."

Would you like to see Loki team up with the crafty femme fatale in a future Marvel movie? Let us know what you think!

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.


Source : ign[dot]com

Hero Worship: What DC's New TV Slate Means for a Shared Universe

Well, this week threw a wrench in that whole “DC already has a shared universe” theory, huh?

With the announcement of the development of Gotham (at FOX) and Constantine (at NBC), Warner Brothers has me doubting the possibility of them taking advantage of their opportunity to make Man of Steel and their various TV properties all share the same world. Though all of the shows are indeed still being produced by WB, the multiple networks make it a much harder sell for a crossover. It could be that the shows could act independently of Man of Steel in their own little universe, much like Smallville did with Superman Returns; sort of a supplement to the big screen properties.

With Gotham starring a younger Jim Gordon and Batman vs. Superman featuring an older, more experienced Dark Knight, it’s possible that the show could be considered the early canon for that universe without ever overtly expressing it. Instead of confirming it, they could simply never contradict it, and I would think most fans would be happy to connect the dots themselves. We’ll never see Batman in the show, but that doesn’t mean hints could never be dropped about a vigilante operating in the shadows. An urban legend as told to Gordon by the suspicious and cowardly lot known as criminals.

And if Guillermo del Toro’s Justice League Dark/Dark Universe film is still a thing (though I would suspect the Constantine TV show is confirmation that it’s not), having the character on TV as well could be good brand recognition for a movie that’s got no real name value outside of del Toro himself. It’s unlikely that both projects will coexist for such a non-mainstream property, but maybe that’s just what the property needs. Two relatively high profile projects – one from a big Hollywood director and the other from a big Hollywood screenwriter – to let everybody know that this Constantine fella is a big deal.

Who Should Play Jim Gordon in Gotham?

It’s also possible that the shared universe thing is still on the table for the CW shows, which would make it a pick-and-choose sort of approach in terms of what’s canon and what isn’t. More likely at this point it seems as though WB might just be trying a wholly different approach from their competitor. Perhaps instead of trying to force an interconnected universe just to play catch up, they are taking an approach that will simply put them everywhere they can possibly be in front of as many different demographics as possible. If that means multiple versions of, say, The Flash running around, then so be it. It looks likely that, at least as far as WB is concerned, movies and TV are separate entities.

We won’t really know until Arrow finally returns for its second season, but this slate of network-wide development doesn’t bode well for a multiple medium DC Universe. Still, if that’s our only complaint about any of these projects, we’re golden. The very idea that DC Comics properties could have that wide of a reach, even if they don’t all interact, is truly a feat.

Joey is a Senior Editor at IGN and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He thinks Catwoman is swell.


Source : ign[dot]com