Brought to you by asap and The Associated Press, The Slug tastes pop culture for you — just in case it's been poisoned. E-mail us at theslug@ap.org.
(AP Photo)
It's the day we've been excited about and/or dreading for months! Today is both Halloween and the death of our pimp: asap, The Associated Press' premium multimedia news service. Celebrate this bizarre day with this YouTube link to Tim Curry's performance from "The Worst Witch." For those of us privileged enough to have had HBO back in the 1980s, you can't deny you squealed fervently every time this came on.
(AP Photo)
Look out! asap's endingstravaganza has begun! The Associated Press' premium multimedia news service is nearing its final hour with content all about conclusions. Online now, you can find a list of great literary outcomes, a story about the death of indie rock, an essay discussing the end of a meal and videos about the finales of wars and movies. Stay tuned. Later today, The Slug will reveal our favoritest TV finales.
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
(AP Photo/HO/Turbine)
You'll soon be able to own your own virtual home in Middle-earth. That's because
"Lord of the Rings Online" is introducing player housing on Oct. 24. The homes
will cost up to 20 gold pieces. The interiors can be customized and decked out with hundreds of
items. Dwarves will
dwell in Ered Luin. Men
will maintain residences in Bree-land. Elves will exist in The Tower Falls. And hobbits will hang in The Shire. How precious!
(AP Photos/Darla Khazei)
It's not a good time to live in New York. That's because the much ballyhooed
"Sex and the City" movie is currently shooting in the Big Apple — and it's tough
to avoid being spoiled from certain plot points when Carrie Bradshaw is running
around the street in a wedding gown. Gasp! Is she really gonna marry Mr. Big?
Why is she attacking him with her bouquet? What's
that bird on her head? Questions! Questions!
Maybe the filmmakers are just shooting a fake scene to deceive nosy bystanders? Maybe it's just a dream sequence? (Yeah, right. Since when did "Sex and the City" ever do dream sequences?) We're just not that into being spoiled. However, if you're not like us and wanna know every Cosmo-soaked morsel, strut your Manolos over to this blog entirely devoted to the film.
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon/Matt Sayles/Jason DeCrow/Carolyn Kaster/Ahn Young-joon)
Spock. Chekov. Uhura. Scotty Sulu. The bridge of J.J. Abram's Enterprise is almost full. According to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Pegg from "Hot Fuzz" and John Cho from "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" have joined the new "Star Trek" film as Scotty and Sulu, respectively. Previously, Eric Bana was announced as the film's villain, Nero. And blue-eyed Chris Pine is reportedly in talks for the role of Kirk. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The lead roles remaining to be cast are Christopher Pike, Kirk's predecessor, and Kirk's parents." Hey, what about Dr. McCoy!?
(AP
Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Slug doesn't care whether Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon are, aren't or were ever a special item. However, we did think this candid image of a bearded Gyllenhaal getting touchy on the "Rendition" premiere red carpet was cute enough to proclaim our Favoritest Photo of the Week. Grab the original caption:
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, left, moves the camera away from photographer Steve Granitz to see who was yelling "It's me" at the premiere of "Rendition" in Beverly Hills, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP Photo/HO/Eidos)
Already finished "Halo 3" and ready to move on to another first-person shooter? Well, The Slug recommends "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men," which comes out Nov. 20 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC. Earlier today, game publisher Eidos gave us a firsthand sneak peak at the game's violent action, inspired by the likes of "Heat" and "Pulp Fiction." We like that "Kane & Lynch" feels more like an interactive movie than a sprawling game. And we're sorta sick of battling aliens and German forces, so bring on the hasty hoodlums and contemporary coppers!
(AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Our Favoritest Photo of the Week comes to us from Rio de Janeiro where movie posters are apparently gigantic. We love the proportions in this image — OK, OK — and the woman just strolling by in her bikini. The controversial movie advertised here is about the shady workings of Rio's Special Operations Police Battalion. It's caused quite a stir in Brazil. Here's the original caption:
A woman walks past a billboard advertising the film Elite Squad at the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007. Elite Squad, a feature film about the shady workings of Rio's Special Operations Police Battalion, wasn't supposed to be released until Thursday, but pirated copies illegally leaked before the premier proved so controversial that police tried to keep the film out of theaters. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
(AP Photo/HO/Disney)
It's Sept. 19. Happy Speechify Like a Freebooter Day! If you're unsure o' how ter actually speak like a buccaneer, check o' this nifty "Pirates o' th' Caribbean Online" buccaneer translator. Arrr! All here this blog post was run through the translator. That's probably why ye weren't able ter savvy any o' it, ye mute frog-lickin' scallywag. Yes, it e'en translates ill language.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster/Gus Ruelas/Chris Pizzello)
Is it us or is the emerging new crew of the Enterprise looking way hotter and younger than the original? Zoe Saldana from "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Haven" is the most recent addition to the cast of J.J. Abram's "Star Trek." As Uhura, she'll join Anton Yelchin's Chekov and Zachary Quinto's Spock. Wowie zowie. We can't wait to see who'll be beamed up as Sulu, Scotty, Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk — and what they'll be wearing.
(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
The Slug finally got around to seeing "Superbad" last weekend. Apparently, we weren't alone. The raunchy but smart and totally hilllllarious comedy topped the box office two weeks in a row, which is surprisingly refreshing since 2007 has been the summer of one-weekend wonders, you know, movies that open huge then disappear the next weekend. Let's hope Hollywood gets the hint that audiences aren't into over-hyped Goliath flicks that dominate the mega-plex. We're just want some McLovin.
(AP Photo/HO/2K Games)
The Slug ain't the only one heralding "BioShock" as the perfect example of how video games can be compelling, artful, engrossing and intelligent. However, we're pretty sure we're the only ones out there who think "BioShock" is this generation's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." For the full argument, navigate your Wonkavator to this "Up Down Left Right" review.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Yeah, we know the kids think Zac Efron is a hottie. Apparently, so does Minnie Mouse, so much so that the floozy had the audacity to lay her lips on Troy Bolton right next to her beau Mickey — and the whole world — at the "High School Musical 2" premiere. Wait, does she even have lips? No? Guess it doesn't count then. You win this time, Minnie. But we're submitting this Favoritest Photo of the Week as evidence of your indiscretion. The original caption:
Zac Efron, a cast member in "High School Musical 2," poses with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at the premiere of the Disney Channel movie in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
As if "Dirty Dancing — The Video Game" and WE's "Dirty Dancing" reality series didn't shake you enough, now comes news that "Dirty Dancing — The Classic Story on Stage" will premiere in Chicago in September. Don't get in line just yet. That's Sept. 2, 2008. For some reason, the stage version has been selling out for years in London's West End. Wowie zowie. We're probably not too far off from "Dirty Dancing — The Clothing Line." Oh, you so know you'd wear some Johnny Castle trousers.
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
To all those cosmopolitan-drinking fans wondering if Mr. Big would be included in the "Sex and the City" movie: Abso$%&#inglutely. Chris Noth has signed on the dotted line and is ready to report to set in September. In a statement from HBO, "Sex and the City" director/mastermind Michael Patrick King says that Mr. Big will be a "very 'big' part" of the movie. Cute. See what he did there? He said Mr. Big will be a big part of the movie. Ugh. Let's hope King is storing up all his creativity until September.
(AP Photo/Universal Pictures/Jasin Boland)
"The Bourne Ultimatum" took home first place at the box office this weekend. Sorry, Homer. The Slug thinks Bourne could be the next Bond. Too bad Matt Damon is playing hard-to-get when it comes to a fourth outing. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can create the next "Bourne" film in this fun MadLibs-style asap interactive. Try it with some saucy language. Tee hee hee.
(AP Photo/HO/Bethesda)
Here's some news that will surely please Trekkers and Wii geeks alike: Bethesda Softworks has announced that the first "Star Trek" game is coming to the Nintendo Wii (and Sony PlayStation 2) this fall. "Star Trek: Conquest" is set in "The Next Generation" era. The strategy space game will allow Wii captains to maneuver their starships throughout the galaxy with Wii remotes. What? No using your Wiimote as a phaser?
(AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
This blog post probably isn't going to make much sense because we're about to
write about David Lynch, one of our favoritest cerebral film directors. We've
been ill for the past few days and decided to pop in our review copy of the "Inland Empire" DVD
— which comes out Aug. 14 — after taking a
doctor-prescribed drug. Big
mistake. By the end of this three-hour epic, the walls were caving in around us
and we were questioning our reality. We'll
never be able to look at
screwdrivers or bunnies the same way again. We're not
sure who to blame: the pills or Lynch.
Like his other ground-breaking films and TV series "Twin Peaks," this movie has a transportive effect that's thought-provoking and totally trippy. Laura Dern stars as a "woman in trouble" who wanders around Los Angeles and Poland. Yep. That's about as much of a plot as we could decipher. The entire movie was shot by Lynch with a shaky digital camera instead of standard filmstock, so the imagery in "Inland Empire" has an unsettling is-this-for-real vibe. While we enjoyed "Inland Empire" — we think?! — it wouldn't be a bad idea for pharmacists to add "David Lynch films" right after "dangerous machinery" on drug warning labels.
(AP Photo/HO/LucasArts)
Ugh. Today is the second day of E3, and The Slug is hurting this morning. You'll see why in this week's installment of "Up Down Left Right," asap's weekly gamer video. We're such teases, aren't we? First, we wanna tell you about the games we previewed during our meeting with LucasArts. There was no "Monkey Island" announcement, but "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron," roller-coaster constructor "Thrillville: Off the Rails" and first-person terrain deformer "Fracture" were deliciously demoed for us. They looked fresh and fun. We just wish we could've actually played them.
We were most interested in "The Force Unleashed," an action game due next year that promises to push the "Star Wars" lore forward. LucasArts' Matt Shell promised The Slug that we won't be able to just use The Force to telekinetically pick enemies up and throw them against the wall. Players will actually be able to pick foes up and thrust them through the wall — and the walls behind that one. However, he wasn't able to tell us why Darth Vader's secret apprentice is doing this to Storm Troopers, other than hinting that Vader allows the lead character to accomplish his goals at any cost. Ready, we are.
(AP Photo/HO/Activision)
More doesn't meet the eye when it comes to the "Transformers" games. In case you haven't been following along at home, all summer long The Slug has been comparing big-screen blockbusters with their video game counterparts. Sure, it's electrifying to control an Autobot or Decepticon and, you know, transform into a car or chopper or whatever. However, both the next-gen and cell phone versions of "Transformers: The Game" are nowhere near as compelling or jaw-dropping as the movie.
So, to review, The Slug liked "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Spider-Man 3" better than their movies, thought the "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" game was just as bad as the movie and believes "Transformers: The Game" doesn't have the same spark as the movie. Guess Hollywood doesn't need to prepare for an epic intergalactic civil war just yet.
(AP Photo/WETA/20th Century Fox)
We'd like to say the gaming industry is 3-0 when it comes to this summer's blockbuster sequel adaptations, but they're gonna have to settle for 3-0-1, at this point. That's because while The Slug thinks the "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End" games were better than the movie, the "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" game isn't better — but it's not worse, either. It's just as bad.
So, um, congratulations to The Thing, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic and Johnny Storm. Some people we know actually liked the movie, but we thought it was tolerable, not horrible. Same goes for the game. Go see this week's "Up Down Left Right" weekly gaming video for our attempt to track down the Silver Surfer, but stay for our interview with funnyman Fred Willard.
(AP Photo/Stephanie Hoo)
Is this our first glimpse at the behind of the new new Hulk? He doesn't look anything like Edward Norton! At the Marvel booth at this year's Licensing International show, we were graced with the two-dimensional presence of "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." In his poster, this shadowy green not-quite-full-size version of the Hulk is walking away from us, toward a one-way street. Hmmm. Color us intrigued.
(AP Photo/Stephanie Hoo)
While at the Licensing International show in New York today, The Slug took a close-up look at the new Batcycle from the upcoming "The Dark Knight," which hasn't even wrapped production yet. Actually, Warner Bros. is referring to this two-wheeler as the Batpod. To ride this bad boy, Batman has to sorta straddle it and put his arms underneath that metal armor in the center, where there's some controls for the two big guns on the front. Despite the yoga position required for transport, this beast is awesome, but we don't think it would handle sharp turns very well.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
While watching NBC's "Age of Love," we spotted a commercial for "License to Wed," the upcoming comedy starring Robin Williams as a lovable-but-crazy reverend who counsels future honeymooners Mandy Moore and that cute guy from "The Office." It looked horrible, which got The Slug thinking: Are there any good Robin Williams movies? Sure, we LOL-ed all the way through "Mrs. Doubtfire" and loved his creepy turn in "One Hour Photo" — but is there anything else?
We popped open his IMDB profile and winced at the flood of baaad memories. "Man of the Year" was the worst movie of last year, seconded only by his family road trip outing "RV." "Patch Adams" was the first film that ever made us fall asleep in the theater. And we couldn't even get far enough into "The Fisher King" or "Bicentennial Man" to achieve a REM state. How can Robin Williams be so funny and so universally loved but make so many bad movies? Chuck your theories to theslug@ap.org.
(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Bah. Forget about what the new Batsuit looks like from the upcoming "Dark Knight." We want to see the new Batmobile, you know, unless they're using the same rad tank from "Batman Begins." We'll get a peeksie when The Slug attends the Licensing International show next week. We think. A press release from Warner Bros. ominously teases the unveiling of an "all new Batman vehicle" at the show. Vehicle!? That could be a Batboat, Batcopter, Batcycle, Batplane or Bathotairballon!
(AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)
For the past few weeks, on our way to work here at AP World Headquarters in New York, we've been passing by this billboard for "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," which opens today. We're more excited for the second season of "Heroes" than this superhero sequel. But the reason we're bringing this up is because we really don't think the Invisible Woman should have tolerated where The Thing's been sticking his rocky head this whole time. How rude!
(AP Photo/HO/Sony)
If you're anything like The Slug, you're sorta getting sick of all the highly involved online games requiring players to battle beasts, sport pointy ears, cast spells, wear a cape or all of the above. They're great but not really our thang. That's why we're super excited for "The Agency," an upcoming spy-themed online game slated to be available for both the PC and and PlayStation 3.
We've only seen a bit of early footage of the game at Sony Online Entertainment's recent Gamer Day, but even the small tease made us tingle just like "Thunderball" and the second season of "Alias" did. Check out our interview with "Agency" producer Matt Wilson in the latest installment of asap's weekly gamer video "Up Down Left Right" if you want to know more — and how and why this game will text message you in real life.
(AP Photo/HO/Universal Orlando)
As far as muggles go, The Slug ain't a huge Harry Potter fan, but we were still very excited/interested/curious when we heard the news that the Universal Orlando Resort is opening "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at the Islands of Adventure theme park. The new "land" will include the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village, along with Potter-themed attractions, shops and eateries. The blueprints better include a quidditch ride!
(AP Photo/HO/Disney Interactive)
Big-budget blockbusters: 0. Their video games: 2. We preferred the high-def "Spider-Man 3" game to the longwinded flick and can now safely say the same thing about "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." While the swordfighting controls are awkward and Jack Sparrow moves slowly, the lush graphics and detailed cutscenes make up for the somewhat plodding action. Besides, all pirate games are awesome. And, you know, trends come in threes so if "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" is better as a video game than a movie, we're going to quit going to the multiplex altogether.
(AP Photo/HO/Lionsgate)
We hope you're sitting down — or at least standing on a log — for this tidbit. "Dirty Dancing" is being turned into a PC video game simply titled "Dirty Dancing — The Video Game." Since this news is so bizarre that we're feeling a little faint, The Slug will let the press release do the talking: "Through this action puzzler, Dirty Dancing enthusiasts now have the opportunity to experience the life of Baby, learn to dance with the resident dancing couple, Johnny and Penny, and work alongside the team at the renowned Kellerman’s Mountain House Resort." Now if only we could get someone to make "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — The Game."
(AP Photo/HO/Activision)
When you exit your local multiplex after seeing a movie based on a book — you know, like "The Da Vinci Code" — you usually hear someone saying "Well, that wasn't as good as the book" or "I liked the book better" or "Let's go get some pie." For the first time ever, The Slug found ourselves saying something very similar but oh-so-now-now-now after playing "Spider-Man 3: The Game" this weekend: "I like the video game better than the movie."
Gasp! Are movie tie-in games finally becoming more than just a quick buck for game developers? Even though the next-gen Spidey game ain't the best action title ever, we definitely heart it more than its long-winded big-screen counterpart. Mostly, we love the ability to websling around a huge virtual Manhattan with our PS3 controller, but we also appreciate the lack of Peter Parker crying and dancing scenes. Now let's go get some pie.
(AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)
Thanks to everyone who solicited their favorite pirate-themed video games a few weeks ago. Check out this week's installment of Up Down Left Right, asap's weekly gamer video, to see if your booty made the cut. Speaking of treasure hunting, let's take a looksie inside The Slug's mailbox again. Well, what do we have here? A mysterious black envelope with the "Pirates of the Caribbean Online" logo from the game's press kit. But what, praytell, could be inside?
(AP Photo/Willis Glassgow)
So The Slug hasn't even booked tickets to ride the five roller coasters we previewed in this asap interactive, but we're already anticipating several more gut crunchers in the coming years. Two brand-new amusement parks are going up in two very different places: the Hard Rock Park, opening in 2008 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Universal City Dubailand, opening in 2010 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Both recently revealed their big themed coaster plans. And they both sound totally awesome. At the Hard Rock Park, riders will be able to hop onto a six-inversion looping coaster called "Led Zepplin — The Ride," which will play "Whole Lotta Love" on the trains, while the new Universal park will roar open with a gargantuan-looking King Kong-themed coaster. What's our travel agent's number again!?
(AP Photo/HO/LucasArts)
Good news! Vanguard video game publisher LucasArts is coming out with a new game that's not based on the "Star Wars" franchise! Bad news: It won't be one of their old-school adventure games like "The Secret of Monkey Island." Instead, "Fracture" will be yet another first-person shooter set on an alien world. Sigh. The big diff? They're introducing some next-gen technology that will allow players to physically alter the ground with grenades and such. Oh, just watch the trailer. It looks cooler than it sounds. If you still have a hankering for one of those click-and-point adventure games, try the new episodic "Sam & Max." We discuss it in full detail (with our Welsh corgi in our lap!) in this week's Up Down Left Right, asap's weekly gamer video.
(AP Photo/HO/Fox/Columbia Pictures)
The ginormous publicity machine for "Spider-Man 3" has gone too far. What else could explain Blake Lewis dying his blonde hair and beatboxing his way through most of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name" during last night's "American Idol" than that black alien goo than turns Spidy eeevil in the latest film? While the audience and judges loved the performance (our guess: mind control), we couldn't pick our jaw up off our shag carpet afterwards. If Lewis starts shooting webs from his tattooed wrist at Jordin Sparks next week, you'll know it's true.
(AP Photo/International Clown Hall of Fame)
Twisted! Ain't It Cool News has posted an image believed to the make-up test shot of Heath Ledger as The Joker from the upcoming Batman flick "Dark Knight." If it's indeed real, this Joker is freakier than any that's come before. Yes, even Cesar Romero. In other superhero villain news, hold onto your golf hats because a new "Spider-Man 3" commercial that's laced with Venom has hit the airwaves.
(AP Photo/HO/Sega)
Should Captain America and Thor get ready for their close-ups? With Spider-Man's third film slinging into theaters May 4 and Robert Downey Jr. and Edward Norton prepping to become "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" on the big screen, respectively, which Marvel superheroes are next line for the franchise treatment? Perhaps this is a hint: Game maker Sega announced yesterday they snatched up the rights to create both the Iron Man and Hulk and Thor and Captain America video games. Guess you'll have to keep waiting, Dazzler fans.
(AP Photo/HO/Midway)
If you want to be a hobbit or elf this week and don't want to go through with ear reassignment surgery, the brand-new "Lord of the Rings Online" game is free until the official launch on April 24. Yes, this franchise is so freaking immortal that it's been turned into its very own online game. The Slug battled some beasties on our own for wee bit and found the game to be surprisingly polished and fun. In case you hadn't heard, we're starring — fine, costarring — in a new weekly asap video all about gaming called Up Down Left Right. You can watch the first installment here. Stay tuned! We'll be delving into Middle Earth in a future edition.
(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Halle, what were you thinking!? Don't get The Slug wrong. You have a loverly behind, but why would you turn around and pose like that in front of a movie poster featuring your giant head? It's like soooo much Halle that, uhhh, we love it! Congratulations, you're our Favoritest Photo of the Week. We didn't even mention the fact that the name of the movie is "Perfect Stranger" and every time we see the trailer or poster we think of Balki Bartokomous and he makes us smile. The original caption:
U.S. actress Halle Berry poses in front of a film poster during a photo call to promote her new movie 'Perfect Stranger' in Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
If you loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the late '80s and early '90s like we did and/or you're interested in the brand-new "TMNT," be sure you download our asap podcast, dude. It's all about Ninja Turtle nostalgia. Oh, and we couldn't fit this in the podcast, but "TMNT" writer-director Kevin Munore personally told The Slug about four things he hid for die-hard fans within the animated flick. Sorry, Vanilla Ice fans. No "Ninja Rap" included. See if you can spot them. "TMNT" slices into theaters today.
1.) Some of the turtles' dialogue is lovingly lifted from the comic books, especially a scene between Raph and Casey Jones.
2.) The turtle's sewer enclave includes a shelf full of relics from their previous adventures, such as a canister of ooze and time-traveling lantern. It's easy to spot at the end of the movie.
3.) Some of the computer-generated New York storefronts were modeled after those from the live-action trilogy.
4.) There's a sculptural shoutout to the nasty Triceraton Empire inside the movie villian's lair.
(AP Photo/HO/Midway)
Our thumbs hurt! We just got back from playing more video games that aren't out yet. Today, The Slug previewed a bunch of titles from Midway including "Unreal Tournament III," "BlackSite: Area 51," "John Woo's Stranglehold" and "Lord of the Rings Online." Because "Rings" is an online game, we're gonna reserve judgment until we play it on our own, but here's what we thought of Midway's three first-person shooter titles that are scheduled to shoot it out this summer.
"John Woo's Stranglehold." Actually, we didn't see any strangleholds in this shoot-'em-up for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, but we did witness plenty of life-like Chow Yun-fat. As Inspector Tequila from "Hard Boiled," players can blast away at bad guys and harness a power called "Tequila Time" (our favorite time of day!) to slow down enemies and speed up firepower. Tequila travels from Hong Kong to Chicago in fully destructible environments like a museum, restaurant and casino. There will even be a multiplayer component to the game! The Slug took Tequila out for a spin and indeed felt like we were inside a John Woo movie.
"BlackSite: Area 51." As the name suggests, this sci-fi blaster for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC takes place in and around Area 51. You play the leader of an elite alien-fighting military squad. Eeek! The Slug hates micromanaging people, but "BlackSite" makes the squad-control element easy with the push of a trigger button. Environments like gas station pumps and window panes are totally destructible. At the end of the level we played — set in the real-life Nevada town of Rachel — a "Tremors"-like alien thrust out of the ground into a liquor store. Guess aliens like booze, too!
"Unreal Tournament III." The tried-and-true sci-fi shooter is back with new weapons, new vehicles and it'll be available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The biggest improvements we saw in the "Unreal" franchise — besides, of course, the yummy next-gen graphics — were the new Necris vehicles. The Slug was drooling particularly heavily at this plodding, tentacled tripod tank thingie armed with a devastating beam weapon. If you were into "Unreal" before, you'll no doubt have fun blasting away at your friends with this update.
(AP Photo/HO/E!)
After catching a preview screening of "Knocked Up," the latest comedy from "40-Year-Old Virgin" writer-director Judd Apatow, we're not sure we'll be able to look at Ryan Seacrest the same way when we watch "American Idol" tonight. At the beginning of the film, Seacrest has a hilarious cameo (actually, the whole movie is hilarious) as himself. He goes on this megalomaniac diva tirade using several expleitives he'd be fined thousands of dollars for saying on "Idol." The Slug loves it when celebrities can make fun of themselves — especially in R-rated movies!
(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
For the first time since we began selecting our Favoritest AP Photo of the Week, it was difficult to find an image with some sort of pop cultural connection that tickled our fancy. Then we came across this photo by AP photographer Matt Sayles of Sandra Bullock at the premiere of "Premonition." If only we'd had Sandy's super premonition power from the movie then we wouldn't have wasted so much time searching for it!
The Slug loves pictures that include other people taking pictures. (See our banner.) It's like totally meta, you know? Plus we like the composition in this one with Sandy in the foreground and cutie pie Shyanne McClure, who plays her daughter in the film, sorta hovering eerily in the background. Red carpet photos are generally repetitive, but this one is unique. The original caption:
Sandra Bullock, right, talks to photographers as she arrives at the premiere of "Premonition" in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, March 12, 2007. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
(AP Photo/Warner Bros/Sakchai Lalit)
It's a match made in scantily clad heaven! On the left is Xerxes, the giant Persian man-god played by Rodrigo Santoro who's currently taunting King Leonidas on the big screen in "300." On the right is a model donning a design by Tippy/Matthew yesterday during Bangkok International Fashion Week. Is art imitating real life or vice versa? Who cares! We soooo want either one of these to be our Halloween costume this year. Only 3,429 crunches to go! Now does anyone know where we can pickup some bedazzled BVDs? We're not on a man-god budget.
(AP Photo/HO/Warner Bros.)
Yesterday, The Slug caught a preview screening of "TMNT," the awkwardly titled computer-generated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that flips into theaters March 23. It was depressing! Not the movie itself, just the sad realization that it's been 17 years since the pizza-eating turtles first popped out of the sewer and onto the big screen in live action. We're getting old! Cowabungboo.
"TMNT" is totally watchable and fun. The animation kinda reminds The Slug of "The Incredibles." The turtles' world has definitely changed since we last saw them in all of their early '90s awesomeness. April O'Neil is no longer a yellow jumpsuit wearing reporter. There's no Shredder. No Krang. And no Vanilla Ice rapping "Go ninja, go ninja, go!" If you have any questions for the "TMNT" filmmakers, e-mail them to us at theslug@ap.org. We're supposed to be interviewing them or something this week for an asap story.
(AP Photo/HO/Disney)
We've all had our photo taken with at least one bobble-headed costumed character, those bizarre beings most abundant at the Disney theme parks. They're cute. They're cuddly. They're kinda mysterious. And they make for a good picture. But this story from the Orlando Sentinel takes the head off just how dangerous donning a Pooh outfit can be.
For example, did you know that the costumes can cost upwards of $100,000? Or that the men and women under the fur blamed the costumes for 282 injuries in 2005, according to reports kept by Disney World or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration? Ouch. Think about that the next you let your little cousins crawl on top of poor ol' Goofy.
