The Muppets are back (and with their human pals Jason Segel and Amy Adams) promoting their upcoming feature in this brand-spankin’ new theatrical trailer. This one manages to pack a slew of celebrity guest stars including Neil Patrick Harris and Manny from Modern Family. I’ll keep the rest a surprise. Go on and hit play! The Muppets are coming November 23.
Music video: David Guetta – “Without You” (Featuring Usher)
“Without You” is the third single off French DJ David Guetta’s latest album Nothing But the Beat and immediately it clicked with the general music-listening public. So much so, in fact, that the smash radio hit now stars in its very own music video. Turn up your speakers and watch Guetta and featured artist Usher ride the wave of plate tectonics in the clip embedded above.
Single: Wale – “Focused” (Featuring Kid Cudi)
Wale has teamed up with Kid Cudi a second time for the rapper’s newest single “Focused.” It’s a cut off Wale’s followup album to 2008’s Attention Deficit called Ambition. And if you’re wondering, the last time the two worked together was on Cudder’s track “Is There Any Love” from his popular mixtape A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Cudi opens “Focused” and returns throughout on chorus duty. The track has a good vibe, so take a listen below and download it for keeps if you like. [Update: get the track at iTunes today.] Ambition drops in November.
[audio: Wale – Focused.mp3][Via DatNewCudi]
Dragon Age web series starring Felicia Day debuts
Felicia Day, creator of The Guild and Penny from Dr. Horrible, stars as Tallis the Elvish assassin in the new six-part web series Dragon Age: Redemption. It takes place in Bioware’s Dragon Age universe, based on the video game franchise of the same name. Though the web series is essentially here to promote downloadable content for Dragon Age II, it also serves to elevate the relevance and respectability of a made-for-Internet series. Check out the first episode titled “Tallis” to see how Day and the creative team behind it have expertly blended fun dialogue (written by Day) and exciting action (directed by Peter Winther) that results in a worthy introduction to a live action series grounded in a video game-based world. New episodes will be uploaded to Machinima’s YouTube channel every Tuesday at midnight.
Trailer: The Avengers (plus character stills)
Prepare yourself for a giant slice of awesome. The Avengers brings together our favorite Marvel heroes in one kick-ass film. In the very first trailer created by a team led by director Joss Whedon, we witness the Avengers–namely Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)–joining forces to fend off the villainous Loki (Tom Hiddleston). If you recall, Loki is the adoptive brother-turned-archenemy of Thor introduced in the summer blockbuster released in May. Upon watching this trailer over and over again you will likely experience more than one nerdgasm (not unlike the ones you felt here and here). And then a giant wave of anticipation will hit you: The Avengers assemble May 4, 2012.
Oh but there’s more. Check out the gallery below for some epic character stills.
A closer look at Martin Scorsese’s ‘Hugo’
Watch as director Martin Scorsese previews Hugo, his very first family film that is shot in 3D. It stars youngsters Asa Butterfield and Chloë Moretz, with Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, and Sacha Baron Cohen. It releases November 23, 2011.
Facebook for iPad is here
They say good things come to those who wait. After sitting through two iterations of Apple’s tablet, Facebook for iPad has arrived. On Monday Facebook dropped a dedicated app to access to the social network in the App Store. The house that Zuck built is calling it a “hands-on Facebook” that takes advantage of the tablet’s large, hi-res display. Organizing and flipping through photo albums is easier than before, as is chatting, playing games, and navigating around. Facebook also went ahead and updated its iPhone/iPod touch version to make its aesthetic match that of its bigger brother. The iPhone version of the app features the same left-hand navigation pane for a more streamlined experience and search is more comprehensive. Download the new Facebook app for iOS devices today, gratis.
[Via Facebook Blog]
Netflix scraps Qwikster, keeps DVD-by-mail and streaming services under same roof
A mere three weeks after Netflix CEO Reed Hastings apologized for his “arrogance” concerning the lack of communication behind the the Netflix price hike, he is reaching out to subscribers yet again to backtrack plans to separate the company’s DVD-by-mail and streaming services under different brands: Qwikster and Netflix, respectively. In a brief blog entry on Monday, Hastings informed everyone:
It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs. This means no change: one website, one account, one password… in other words, no Qwikster.
This time, in a thinly veiled apology, Hastings shared this in a press release (fortunately he does not star in a YouTube video this time): “Consumers value the simplicity Netflix has always offered and we respect that. There is a difference between moving quickly — which Netflix has done very well for years — and moving too fast, which is what we did in this case.”
Hastings originally came up with the idea for Qwikster because he believed that separating the two services would help the company innovate faster. Though such a move might benefit the company internally, I had concluded that it would receive negative backlash from subscribers. Two separate URLs and accounts would surely confuse people and in the long run it would likely drive users away. Thankfully Hastings took some time to rethink his plans for the company and Qwikster is no more. Simplicity continues to reign under one brand, Netflix…for now.
[Via Netflix]
SlingPlayer is now available for Android Honeycomb tablets
A little under a month after previewing it, Sling Media has released its SlingPlayer for Android Honeycomb tablets. Just like the iOS and Windows Phone 7 versions that came before it, this one costs $29.99. A press release, in full after the break, clarifies: The SlingPlayer application for Android Phones will continue to work in “Compatibility Mode” on tablets at no extra charge. The Android Phone version of the application streams from all Slingboxes, but not at the higher quality resolutions available on tablet devices. Go and get it at the Android Market today.
[Via Engadget] Continue reading SlingPlayer is now available for Android Honeycomb tablets
TV reminder: ‘Bored to Death’ returns tonight at 9PM on HBO
This post marks the end of the This week in NEW TV installments. Over the course of the next three weeks, three new shows (2 returning and 1 new) will premiere. It begins with…
HBO’s Bored to Death returns tonight for its third season at 9PM. Have you been missing author-turned-P.I. Jonathan Ames, his best friend Ray Hueston, and his boss George Christopher in your life? Well tonight white wine lover Jason Schwartzman, pot smoking Zach Galifianakis, and the versatile, sex-driven Ted Danson (he now stars in this show and CSI) are back in the season three premiere entitled “The Blonde in the Woods.” That happens to be the name of Jonathan’s new book. Also happening in the premiere: Ray hangs out with his sperm donation and George reunites with his daughter. If you’re not watching this show you should be; it’s a riot. Check out stills from tonight’s episode in the gallery below.
[Images via IGN]
TV trailer: Kiefer Sutherland in Tim Kring’s ‘Touch’
Here it is, our very first look at the upcoming FOX drama Touch. The show focuses on a father (played by 24’s Kiefer Sutherland) who discovers that his autistic, mute son (newcomer David Mazouz) can predict events before they happen. Danny Glover, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Undercovers), and Titus Welliver–better known as The Man in Black from Lost–round out the cast. Read over this fuller synopsis after you watch the powerful trailer:
At the center of TOUCH is MARTIN BOHM (Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his mute 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). After multiple failed attempts at keeping Jake in school, Martin is visited by CLEA HOPKINS (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a social worker sent to evaluate Jake’s well-being. Everything changes when Martin discovers that Jake possesses the gift of staggering genius – the ability to see things that no one else can and the patterns that connect seemingly unrelated events. Jake is indeed communicating. But it’s not with words, it’s with numbers. Martin meets ARTHUR DEWITT (Danny Glover), a professor and an expert on children who possess special gifts when it comes to numbers. Now, it’s up to Martin to decipher the meaning and connect the numbers to the cast of characters whose lives they affect.
With the trope of interconnectedness scattered throughout the trailer and synopsis it’s little surprise that Tim Kring, the creative mind behind Heroes, is the one who imagined Touch. Everything about the trailer has been excited about this show. An emotionally charged Sutherland leads a cast consisting of veteran and young stars that show much promise here. And as for the story Kring’s itching to tell: color me happily intrigued. Touch will air in midseason on FOX.
‘South Park’ docu goes behind-the-scenes with creators Parker & Stone
Tonight (10/9) Comedy Central is airing a South Park documentary called “6 Days to Air: the making of South Park.” Show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone allowed documentarian Arthur Bradford to sneak a peek behind the scenes at the making of a full 22-minute episode. The doc was shot over the course of three months at the South Park Studios in Los Angeles. According to the press release, “Viewers will get a look at Parker and Stone’s thought process as they approach a new episode and the 24/7 grind they subject themselves to each time the show is in production. The documentary also includes in-depth interviews with Parker and Stone about their working partnership and reflections on highlights from their careers, such as the making of the original short, “The Spirit of Christmas,” as well as their memorable appearance at the 2000 Oscars when they walked the red carpet in drag.”
“We wanted to make something that would appeal to both the hard-core fans and the casual viewers,” said Bradford. “Trey and Matt are two of the most interesting people I know and the way they make ‘South Park’ is completely fascinating and inspiring.”
Hop after the break to watch Parker and SNL player Bill Hader voice characters from the recent episode “You’re Getting Old” (it’s a riot!) and click here to watch some more previews.
6 Days to Air: the making of South Park airs tonight–that is Sunday October 9 at 10PM on Comedy Central.
[Via SouthParkStudios] Continue reading ‘South Park’ docu goes behind-the-scenes with creators Parker & Stone