Fans of Mystery Science Theater: 3000 will almost unanimously vote the 4th season episode: “Manos: The Hands of Fate“ in their personal top 10 list of favorites, if not top 5. The movie itself has a reputation for being one of the absolute worst ever made. This is pretty accurate, but because of its notoriety and the popularity of the MST3k episode, most geeks worth their salt at least know of it. Well, this week the Rifftrax crew, one set of spiritual successors to MST3k (the other being Cinematic Titanic) teased on twitter that they’re going to be re-riffing the film.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjorW-QtQk

That bewitching tune is of course the haunting Torgo Theme, representing the satyr/manservant of the film’s “villain”. Now, while it’s easy to be skeptical of  the Rifftrax crew going “back to the well” and all that. I would hope that the talents involved would deliberately try to avoid making the same jokes. While Michael J. Nelson didn’t personally riff the original episode, he was head writer, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for some nostalgic laughs that avoid retread.

The problem is, the way Rifftrax releases their wares is in the form of a Mp3 commentary track to be played alongside the movie. While this format works, most copies of Manos that are out there are the MST3K version! Aside from making a rush to Amazon to get the ‘virgin’ edition, one of the best ways you can get it is the upcoming HD remaster thanks to the Manos Restoration Project. Originally a kickstarter, the MRP not only got all of the required funding, but nearly 500% of the initial goal! Perusing the site itself is a revelation. While putting Manos in HD won’t make the film a masterpiece, it will still be the best looking the film has ever been, up to and including the original premiere! I urge anyone who plans on getting the Rifftrax anyway to pick up Manos HD on Blu-Ray when it’s available.

It is being speculated that the star of the BBC’s Sherlock series and villain in the upcoming Star Trek 2 could be appearing on Doctor Who in this upcoming season, which marks the 50th anniversary of the long running show. The current showrunner for Doctor Who, also is the co-creator of the critically acclaimed Sherlock for the BBC. Cumberbatch is said to possibly be playing The Master. The Master is the arch nemesis of The Doctor, most recently played by John Simm in the Russell T. Davies era of Doctor Who. Here is the original article posted on the Express’s website:

Programme insiders say the 35-year-old actor is likely to lock horns with current Time Lord Matt Smith, 29, when the series marks its half-century next year.

Ironically Cumberbatch, who has won plaudits for his portrayal of the modern- day Sherlock in the hit BBC1 series, has often been linked with the role of the Doctor himself but has played down the prospect in the past.

Writer Steven Moffat is currently at the helm of both the Doctor Who and Sherlock shows on the BBC.

“It’s fitting that the Doctor comes face to face with his ultimate enemy, The Master, for the 50th anniversary and it’s felt Benedict is the perfect choice if schedules can work,” we’re told. “Fans will love the idea of the man who plays Sherlock Holmes taking on the Doctor’’.
The Master was last portrayed in the series by John Simm during former Doctor Who star David Tennant’s time in the role.

The character, who is a renegade Time Lord, has often been described as the Doctor’s biggest enemy of all and has appeared in the show in various guises since 1971.

Cumberbatch has also been cast as a currently unnamed villain in the forthcoming Star Trek film.

“Benedict has often been asked about whether he would like to play the Doctor so it will be ironic if he now
ends up being The Master instead,” we’re told.

We posted the picture last week that showed Zachery Quinto giving Benedict Cumberbatch the old Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Now we get this video that treats us to some of the rehearsal for that fight. All this does is make this robots joints wet for next year!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xp3f6p_exclusive-behind-the-scenes-of-star-trek-2_people#from=embediframe

Tonight’s episode of Walking Dead, resolved loads of conflicts. Sharing my thoughts on the episode is impossible without discussing many events, simply saying spoiler alert didn’t quite feel right, but I will attempt to be vague.

The lengths that Rick and Shane are willing to go to to protect their people has been continually growing episode to episode. If you missed two weeks ago, or even last week, go back and find a way to watch them. The show has taken an incredible turn into being a show about what a world that cruel will do to a person. It’s not about the Zombie killing anymore, they’re merely the catalyst for the tension between the multiple groups.

While deciding what to do with the man they “saved”, the tension between Shane and Rick finally comes to a head. The ruthless brawl between the two kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m not sure if it’s my pure hope that they’ll take more elements from the comic, or my hatred of Shane’s character, (not that I wish he wasn’t in the show, but he’s an incredible anti-hero, and I hate his character). I kept waiting for an accidental discharge, or a stray zombie to snag him, anything to reconcile the fight and end Shane. But with the true strength of partnership, our hero Rick returns to save his partner from the bus ‘o zombies in their Mazda CX7. I have a feeling the man they saved also known as Randall has a tough road ahead with the crew.

Not allowing the men to have all the fun, the tension continues back at the farm where Beth has decided that living isn’t that great of an option. While Lori and Maggie try to convince her otherwise a slight lapse in judgement leaves her alone with Patricia. Still battling her own inner demons she allows Beth to make the choice again, getting her banned from the house, and making her already precarious placement in the group even worse.

This half of season 2 has been absolutely incredible and tonights episode was no different. The writing, acting, and pacing is absolutely phenomenal. By the time my heart stops pounding next weeks episode will be upon us. What’d you fine internet folk think about tonight’s episode? Is Randall doomed? Thoughts below.

Kermit and Miss Piggy are two of the more highly anticipated presenters at tonight’s Oscar telecast, and below are some photos as they appear on the red carpet all glammed up.

The details:

Miss Piggy is wearing a dress by Zac Posen, jewelry from Fred Leighton, shoes by Christian Louboutin, handbag from and hair styled by Kim Kimble.  Kermit is wearing a tux from Brooks Brothers

For more on Miss Piggy’s jewels:

1940s amethyst and diamond ring in gold (70.0 carats) –lavender is her signature color after all

1950s diamond and platinum swirl necklace (55 carats) with matching swirl bracelet (40 carats)

Celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble (Beyonce, Shakira, Kerry Washington) put the finishing touches on Miss Piggy by adding a diamond and platinum headband (approx. 10 carats) and 1040s clip in the back.

Are you watching the show ?  How surprising have the results been thus far ?

I am still terribly disappointed that there are no plans to have the Best Songs performed for the show.  While the song from The Muppets isn’t actually sung by Muppets in the film, it would have been a fun and entertaining diversion from the constant stream of awards.  And the extremely unfunny Billy Crystal.

If anyone producing the show is reading this, next year have Statler and Waldorf in the balcony commenting on the show throughout the evening.  Cameos from the Swedish Chef, Pepe the Prawn, and Beaker will guarantee you a ratings success.

I promise.

Dragons! The North! Melisandre! Sex! 35 days left until Season 2 starts.

Excitement is mounting for the theatrical release of the Hunger Games.  We recently shared two new tv spots for the upcoming film, and tickets are now on sale for when the action-packed story hits theaters on march 23.  A friend introduced me to the book series, and I literally could not put the first one down, so I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the movie.

Maybe you think it’s a Battle Royale knock-off.  Maybe you still aren’t happy with the casting of Peeta or Gale.  But the merchandising juggernaut is now underway, and none of us will be able to escape its presence for at least the next couple of months.

Hot Topic looks to be one of the major merchandisers of Hunger Games paraphernalia, and they’ve put Katniss, her two favorite guys, and the mockingjay on everything from keychains to journals to pillow cases.  There are also about fifteen different T-shirts, including portraits of Rue and Haymitch.  Personally, I think the mockingjay is the best-looking of the bunch.

I also love these mockingjay earrings.

And, for hardcore fans, you can now purchase (inside the continental United States) an exact replica of Katniss’ hunting bow.

For music fans, the CD The Hunger Games:  Songs from District 12 and Beyond is available for pre-order from Amazon, scheduled for release on March 20. This is the soundtrack with Taylor Swift’s single Safe and Sound.  Another pre-order item is the companion book The World of the Hunger Games, containing full-color photos and new quotes from author Suzanne Collins.

From everything I’ve seen about this film, it looks to be a thrilling adaptation of the book series.  Will you be going to see it?  Does any of the merchandise interest you?

Am I excited about the following news from Warner Brothers that a live action Bleach movie will be made? Well, I suppose I should be honest and say, “Not really,” but only because I was not impressed with the Japanese live action adaptation of Death Note or the absolute train wreck that was the live action Dragonball: Evolution. (As I said in a post last year – “In my opinion, it might be the worst live action adaptation of any anime series. Even the trailer was completely terrible.”)

To be even more honest with you, I don’t really feel that anime translates to live action all that well.  Also, it’s important to note that the Bleach anime series in particular falls victim to one of the unfortunate side effects of long-running-anime – SO MUCH FILLER and unnecessary monologues!!! As usual, they are taking on a pretty huge task by trying to translate a manga / anime like Bleach to the big screen AND somehow make it appeal to a wider audience. The series never really seemed to me like one that would even remotely appeal to non-anime watchers, but hey, you never know, they could surprise me! Here is an example of what I feel would be fairly difficult to pull off in a live action adaptation of the series (unless, of course, they have an excellent CGI budget and fantastic crew):

-nM3VHoM

And here’s the official Press Release from 2/22/2012:

Shiny New Borderlands 2 Trailer, Release Date Revealed

First the big news: Borderlands 2 finally has an official release date of September 18th 2012.

As someone who still regularly plays the original Borderlands,, I’ve been following the development of Borderlands 2 rather closely and with quite a bit of drooling. Before yesterday, the only official teaser certainly lived up to the name “teaser.” It consisted of a little over fifteen seconds of the new “Gunzerker” class dual wielding and blowing away some bipedal robots and wendigo-looking creatures. You can see the teaser here. (Full trailer available further down.)

There’s been plenty of drool-worthy gameplay demo leaks, and lots of juicy tidbits scattered across the gaming media, but on February 21st, we finally got a new official trailer. It’s packed full of big reveals. Breakdown after the video.

What we knew so far:
BL2 will feature four entirely new character classes. The characters from the original will be intimately involved in the story progression of the sequel, and will act as NPC allies at times. Nearly every system in the game has been rebuilt from the ground up, including: new UI and menu system; inclusion of a minimap; brand new skill trees, more skills than the original; new vehicles and vehicle physics; new world with a new aesthetic, all visible terrain is explorable (and it’s not 80% brown this time!); a ton of new enemies and enemy AI, including better teamwork among enemy groups and new bandit factions that will fight against each other. There’s more, but that’s most of the big stuff. (If there’s interest I’ll write a column pulling together everything we know so far about Borderlands 2.)

The new shit:
On to the big reveals, lots of new stuff going on in this video. First, we’ve got a cast of returning characters—Scooter, Moxxi, Markus, Tannis, and the good Dr. Zed—as well as a few new characters including the primary villain, Handsome Jack. This is our first (official) look at the three character classes besides Salvador the Gunzerker.

First we’ve got Maya, with her glowing tattoos and psychic attack she is clearly taking the Siren role. On the other hand—considering what we see of Zero later on—the Siren role might have a significantly different emphasis than in the original. We can only speculate (based on the Mass Effect Singularity-esque ability she’s seen using) that psychic abilities may take a more prominent role for Maya than it did for Lilith.

Next up Anton, who clearly looks the part to be taking over the Soldier spot on the roster. We can pretty safely assume that six-foot tall turret is his, which makes me think that turret customization will take more prominent position in the new Soldier’s skill set. Other than that, we don’t get much to go on regarding Anton.

Zero’s short reveal definitely leaves us with a lot of questions. Sure, he’s inherited Mordecai’s lithe frame, but it’s not made very apparent if he’s going to be the long-range specialist that the Hunter was. Later in the video we see him rocking a revolver and then a sniper, but in his dramatic entrance, it certainly looks like he’s emerging from a Siren-esque phasewalk. Given his ninja appearance and katana it looks like he might be a Siren type as far as getting right up in the enemies’ faces then disappearing. The original Hunter definitely had his share of run-and-gun-and-slice skills, so maybe Zero’s skill set just allows you to emphasize one or the otherr.

Also we can safely expect 870 gajillion more guns.

[Want to know more about Borderlands 2? Drop a comment and let us know.]

Well, this is the arc we’ve all been waiting for, the episodes that begin to wrap up the last season finale and bring us one step closer to Darth Maul.

Dooku decides that now is the time to exact his revenge on the traitor, Ventress, who is hiding out on Dathomir with Mother Talzin and the rest of the Night Sisters. He sends General Grievous and a massive invasion fleet to Dathomir to exact his revenge.

This episode is all out war between the Separatists and the Night Sisters, with Asajj Ventress caught right in the middle.

And, as the title implies, the battle is a massacre, but not without a few surprises, the most notable being the creepy use of zombies.

Since this episode was battle scene after battle scene, it’s pretty easy to see that this is but the prelude to a much larger conflict and story that will unfold over the next three episodes. The story had some fascinating elements in it that felt very new for Star Wars, starting with the Haitian magic vibe from the Night Sisters. They’d always been a little bit non-traditional in their use of the force, but they’ve flat out risen the dead and created a voodoo doll that crippled a Sith lord across the galaxy. It was an incredibly new way of doing things and, since we’ve not seen that sort of power before, it really took me by surprise.

This episode also had some very Apocalypse Now moments to it. First off, the agent orange style weapon on the AAT, but for some reason (and I can’t quite put my finger on it) General Grievous reminded me so much of Robert Duvall in that movie it was crazy. Perhaps that was just subconscious because of the “smell of napalm” on Dathomir.

I was struck by the absolute brutality of the show this episode, too. It was refreshing. Things were at stake, lives were being lost, and it lived up to the title of the episode. It truly was a massacre.

I will be honest, this arc and the last she was in, has really made me come around to really liking Ventress as a character. She’s flawed and more than one dimensional. When I saw her on the micro-series originally, she was just a one trick pony playing a single emotion. And that’s sort of how she started this series. She was playing one note and now she’s utterly captivating as a character.

And as far as the zombies are concerned, I could very easily see very young, maybe pre-school age kids shocked by the imagery, but the only words out of the mouths of my children when the zombies began pouring down from their graves was, “Cooooool.”

From a technical level, the staging and animation of characters was top notch. This episode simply couldn’t have been accomplished in the first two seasons, and maybe not even last season. They keep adding element after element to their arsenal, soon they’ll be able to remake a Star Wars movie with everything they can do. Everything on that animation and model level was incredible, from General Grievous’ cape (and lightsaber dueling!) and the amount of characters on screen all the way down to the Super Battle Droids coming out of the troop carrier and the evil movement of the zombies. It was all just turned up to 11.

And the lighting effects in this episode were incredible. Everything with the green mist was stunning to watch. The effects of the boiling kettle over to torment Dooku (and even his voodoo doll) were almost tangible. I could almost feel the heat and the sweat bubble over on my forehead, too. And the lighting in Dooku’s chamber? Especially that first shot with Grievous walking up to it in the green shadows, it was just breathtaking.

This episode really worked for me. It was harsh and brutal, the craftsmanship behind the cinema and the storytelling was in top form. And the Separatists won. They didn’t just win, this was literally a scorched earth victory.

But I really don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. Maybe I’m getting my hopes up too high, but I really think March 9th is going to be a major turning point for this show, and it wouldn’t have been possible with this episode.