Category Archives: Video

Microsoft demonstrates Xbox One user interface ahead of launch

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Microsoft has been pretty coy about showing off Xbox One’s user interface…until now, that is. Xbox’s Yusuf Mehdi and Marc Whitten demonstrate the One’s UI and its speedy multitasking prowess in the 12-minute video embedded above.

They mostly demonstrate features we’re already aware of, but seeing truly is believing in this case. Sit down in front of your Xbox One-equipped TV and Kinect will sense your presence, recognize you, and automatically sign you into your Xbox Live account. If your buddy’s with you too, no problem; Xbox will sign both of you in and you can switch between your personalize dashboard and your friend’s simply by saying “Xbox, show my stuff.”

The One’s home screen is pretty straightforward. The middle, main section is called Home and there is the space that shows you your most recent live session, whether that may be a game or an app. To the left of Home is Pins; this is a customizable space where you can pin and save your favorite and most frequently used apps and content for easy access. And to the right of Home is Store; this space is divided into various storefronts such as Games, Movies & TV, Music, and Apps.

Multitasking on Xbox One, or jumping in and out of games and apps, is truly a breeze. In this demo, Yusuf and Marc are playing Forza Motorsport 5. Say “Xbox, go to Netflix” and the system will automatically pause the game and jump into the Netflix app. Say “Xbox, return to Forza Motorsport 5” and you’ll jump back into the game exactly where you had left off. It’s just as easy to switch to Internet Explorer, Hulu Plus, and any other app you might have installed on your console.

Also discussed are the advantages of having your games system tied to your cable box. With the One’s HDMI IN port you can hook your TV feed into the Xbox and browse and watch live TV through the system. So, when you’re watching TV now you receive Xbox notifications and jump directly into a game when an invite is presented. You may also receive a Skype call when you’re watching TV and you just as easily pause your programming to initiate a video chat. Skype on Xbox One boasts a 1080p HD widescreen picture and Kinect will smartly track your movements as you move around your living space during a conversation.

Lastly, two new features of Xbox Live are demonstrated here. With Game DVR, gamers can record their gameplay, edit it and share it with friends via the Upload Studio app. You can even select picture-in-picture mode which will record your gameplay as well as instruct Kinect to record you and your narration as you play. With One Guide, you can browse your TV channel lineup by saying things like “Xbox, what’s on HBO” or “Xbox, what’s on ESPN.” You can also create customized favorites lists within One Guide with your apps; for example you can make it easy to browse Hulu Plus’ latest offerings right inside One Guide without having to jump into the app itself.

Side note: Speaking of digital entertainment apps, Microsoft has announced the full list of said apps that will be available on Xbox One at launch and you’ll find the full list after the break.

But words can only say so much. Hit play and discover just how fast and intuitive the new Xbox really is. Xbox One hits the market in just 12 days on November 22.

Update: Yusuf is back to demo another Xbox One feature not covered in the extensive video above. It’s called Snap and it allows you to “snap” or pin an app to your screen while you’re doing something else. For example, while you’re playing Forza you can say “Xbox, snap Internet Explorer” to pull up the browser  and view a website while you’re playing the game. You can even say “Xbox, snap TV” and you can watch live TV while you’re racing. It’s multitasking for the hyper-active generation. Watch it in action after the break. Continue reading Microsoft demonstrates Xbox One user interface ahead of launch →

Sony gets nostalgic with its PlayStation brand over the years

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As we near the launch of the next generation of video games, it’s time to get nostalgic. Sony has produced a video that takes gamers all the way back to 1995–the year the original PlayStation was released–and it time travels across the various incarnations of the PS1, PS2, and PS3 all leading up to the present. Well, the near present; PS4 comes out in less than a month on November 15. Relive the magic that is the PlayStation boot screens and their unmistakable bleeps and bloops. You’ve got to admit, this 3+ minute clip hits the spot and it’s hard not to feel all fuzzy and then genuinely pumped for the next console from Sony.

To balance things out, jump after the break to watch Microsoft’s latest ad pimping its next-gen hardware the Xbox One. The focus this time around, thankfully, is on the games. The One hits the market on November 22. Continue reading Sony gets nostalgic with its PlayStation brand over the years →

‘Arrested Development’ soundtrack coming in November

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Ten years after its debut, composer David Schwartz is finally releasing an Arrested Development soundtrack. The 42-track disc features music heard across all four seasons of the cult comedy, including fan favorites like the Arrested theme, “It Ain’t Easy Being White,” “Mr. F,” “Big Yellow Joint,” “Fantastic 4 (Medley),” and an extended version of “Getaway.” The last track on the collection is the incredibly catchy “Boomerang,” the song that closes out the Netflix season performed by Schwartz’s daughter Lucy. Schwartz says the soundtrack pickings were inspired by fan requests during Arrested‘s recent AMA on Reddit.

The Arrested Development soundtrack comes out November 19 and you can preorder it today at Amazon. Jump after the break for the full tracklist; there you’ll also find a video uploaded by Schwartz teaching you how to play the AD theme on the uke! Continue reading ‘Arrested Development’ soundtrack coming in November →

Joe Carroll still haunts Ryan Hardy in season 2 of ‘The Following’

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Ready for some chills down your spine? Check out these two new teasers for season two of The Following. Above, Ryan Hardy and a bearded (so he’s not dead?) Joe Carroll fight for supremacy; cool camera trick, huh? After the break, James Purefoy’s Carroll still haunts Kevin Bacon’s Hardy who is on a mission of revenge next season.

The Following returns to FOX this January. Continue reading Joe Carroll still haunts Ryan Hardy in season 2 of ‘The Following’ →

Marvel drops new ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ poster + trailer

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Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers aka Captain America in the sequel The Winter Soldier. Above Cap looks ready to jump off a S.H.I.E.L.D. “bus” and into action. In my opinion the first film was the weakest in Marvel’s Phase One batch; thankfully the movie’s premiere trailer kicks things into high gear with some fantastic, big budget action sequences featuring lots of Cap, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson’s omnipresent Nick Fury. Joining the cast are Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Anthony Mackie as Falcon, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13, and Robert Redford as Agent Alexander Pierce, a senior leader within the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. The latest synopsis follows.

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.

Jump after the break to watch the new trailer. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is out April 14, 2014. Continue reading Marvel drops new ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ poster + trailer →

‘Slumdog’s Freida Pinto strips in Bruno Mars “Gorilla” music video

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The music video for “Gorilla,” a strong track off Bruno Mars’ second record Unorthodox Jukebox, has been let loose into the wild and it stars Slumdog Millionaire‘s Freida Pinto stripping in a club and later pounding Mars’ chest like bang-bang gorillaaa. Actor Luis Guzman pops up too, for good measure. With that, enjoy.

Eminem’s ‘MMLP2’: new single + tracklist inside

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Eminem’s ninth studio album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (aka MMLP2) will include 16 tracks, featuring singles “Berzerk,” “Survival,” and his latest release “Rap God” (listen to the third single after the break, along with them music video for “Survival”). Skylar Grey, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Nate Ruess round out the record’s guest artists. Click after the break to view the tracklist. Above, eye the album artwork that is similar to 2000’s MMLP cover art–it features an image of Em’s now-boarded up Detroit home he grew up in.

Eminem performs on SNL November 2 and this will lead into MMLP2‘s November 5 release date. Continue reading Eminem’s ‘MMLP2’: new single + tracklist inside →

First look at ‘Paranormal Activity’ spinoff ‘The Marked Ones’

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Paramount is not releasing Paranormal Activity 5 this Halloween season; it’s being held until October 2014. Taking its place, however, is a PA spinoff called Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. The found-footage spinoff, written and directed by franchise vet Christopher Landon, is a departure from the movies that come before it as it takes place in Oxnard, California and features a mostly Latino cast. This was done on purpose; the studio is targeting PA‘s Latino audience here. Fans of the franchise, though, will pickup clues sprinkled throughout the official trailer that tie this movie directly to the other ones: the Katie & Kristi tapes are mentioned, Kristi’s step-daughter Ali Rey (played by Molly Ephraim, last seen in PA 2) aids the new protagonist, and that demon-summoning triangle symbol is rampant throughout. The trailer, embedded above, says “this is only the beginning;” could this mean fans should expect more PA spinoffs set in the same demonic, found footage universe in the future?

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones hits theatres January 2.

TV reminder: Jonathan Rhys Meyers as ‘Dracula’ premieres Friday, October 25 at 10PM on NBC

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After successfully adapting Hannibal from the Red Dragon novel by Thomas Harris, NBC is looking to reimagine another classic monster previously made famous in the movies and originally by Bram Stoker in a book. Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars in Dracula, a 10-episode limited series set to debut on Friday, October 25 at 10PM.

The series introduces Dracula as he arrives in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There’s only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: Dracula falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.

Nice setup, yeah? You’ll definitely want to jump after the break to watch a couple trailers and a behind-the-scenes look at the new drama; from the lineup of primed British actors to the elaborate sets, time-period wardrobe, and finely tuned choreographed action sequences, Dracula looks to be a fun, engaging, and highly stylized twist on the classic fanged Count. Continue reading TV reminder: Jonathan Rhys Meyers as ‘Dracula’ premieres Friday, October 25 at 10PM on NBC →

Ryan Murphy says ‘Glee’s sixth season will be its last, previews Katy/Gaga hour

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This week Ryan Murphy announced that the next season of Glee, the show’s sixth, will be its last. And with the unfortunate death of star Cory Monteith, Murphy and his writing team are forced to come up with a new ending for the musical dramedy.

“The final year of the show, which will be next year, was designed around Rachel and Cory/Finn’s story,” Murphy told the press at a Paley Center event honoring the FX network. “I always knew that, I always knew how it would end. I knew what the last shot was–he was in it. I knew what the last line was–she said it to him. So when a tragedy like that happens you sort of have to pause and figure out what you want to do, so we’re figuring that out now.”

Murphy says he has “a good idea” as to how he plans on properly ending the series. “I’m going to tell the studio and the network how after Cory’s unfortunate passing we can end the show that I think is very satisfactory. And kind of in his honor, which I love.”

When Glee returns with new episodes starting November 7, things get punched back into high gear and high energy; the new episode back is called “A Katy or a Gaga” and “it’s about the kids trying to figure out who they are as artists,” reveals Murphy. Following the Finn tribute episode, Murphy says he “wanted to do something that was maybe a little more inspirational, because that was so hard on the cast,” Murphy explains. “So we did something that [features] a lot of costumes, a lot of great set pieces.” Preview the new episode after the break.

Glee airs Thursdays at 9PM on FOX.

[Via TVLine 1, 2; EW] Continue reading Ryan Murphy says ‘Glee’s sixth season will be its last, previews Katy/Gaga hour →

First look: John Noble joins the cast of ‘Sleepy Hollow’ in two weeks

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After last Monday’s episode of Sleepy Hollow came to a close, fans of the new supernatural drama were treated to an extended look at what’s coming next. After only five episodes the show has proven to be a wild, engaging ride and things are about to get even better. As previously reported, Fringe‘s John Noble joins the cast as Henry Parrish, a kind and reclusive man who possesses supernatural powers that have the potential to help Crane. The sneak peek embedded above is our first look at a newly coiffed Noble in action. His recurring character enters the fray when Sleepy Hollow returns to FOX with new episodes–starting with “The Sin Eater”–on November 4.

‘Carrie’ telekinesis marketing ploy goes viral

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At nearly 36 million views this viral video marketing ploy has proven to be a raging success for Sony Pictures as the studio ramps anticipation for its remake of Carrie starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. Set at a simple coffee shop in the West Village in NYC, a well executed choreographed stunt involving the construction of a fake wall, a pulley system, remote controlled tables and chairs, spring-loaded pictures and books, and some fine actors scares the hell out of unsuspecting customers. The clip begs the questions, what if telekinesis was real? How would you react? The reactions here, in a word, are priceless.

Carrie opens October 18.