Music video: Module – “Amethyst Caverns” (from the video game Shatter)

A retro inspired, modern crafted audio journey from the critically acclaimed video game Shatter.  A rich soundscape that flows through electro rock and retro beats, epic guitar solos and spacey vibes. 

Crafted by artist Module in close collaboration with game production studio Sidhe, the music takes the listener on a hypnotic journey through the lush visuals and scenery of the game.  Inspired by classic video game titles, and reimagined for the modern era, the Shatter Soundtrack merges an eclectic mix of genres from Electro to Glam Rock.  Emotionally rich base lines are mixed with soaring guitar solos in 8-minute long tracks that are decadent and guilty pleasures for the ear.

The music video was shot with a Canon 5D MarkII.  iTunes has the full soundtrack for the game Shatter.  Click here for more information about Shatter; it’s available on the PlayStation Network and PC.

[Via Sidhe]

Cameron’s Titantic goes 3D for 100th anniversary

Hot off the heels of creating the most financially successful movie of all time, visionary director James Cameron plans to splay his 3D tech on top of the (now) second highest grossing movie, his Titantic.  Says Cameron: “We’re targeting spring of 2012 for the release, which is the 100 year anniversary of the sailing of the ship.”  Can you imagine re-watching the sinking of the ship and all those dead bodies floating in the bloody sea in 3D?  I know I can’t.

[Via BusinessInsider]

Glee Season 2 gets super-sized

Glee creator Ryan Murphy shares the good news: “Season 2 will be much bigger and much longer.  We are talking about doing 25 episodes as opposed to [the customary] 22.”  Glee Season 2 is going to be Season 1 injected with steroids–more episodes, more songs per episode, less pregnancy side-story, and new locations.  Murphey adds it will have a “sweet feeling… like I loved it when The Brady Bunch went to Hawaii.  I want [New Directions] to go to some competition in New York.”  Don’t get too excited yet.  There’s still a live concert to attend and the second half of Season 1 to complete!

Glee returns with new episodes April 1 at 9PM on FOX.

[Via EW]

Parks & Rec says hello to Natalie Morales, goodbye to Brendanawicz?

Actress Natalie Morales (fresh off USA Network’s White Collar season finale) will be joining the Parks & Rec gang for at least two episodes this season.  She will play Lucy, “a smart, funny, cute and spunky busgirl at a bar in Pawnee, Indiana.”  She joins a couple of new faces in Pawnee this season–Step Brothers‘ Adam Scott and Brothers and Sisters‘ Rob Lowe also join the cast later this season.  With so many new additions, it isn’t entirely surprising that at least one current player might be given the boot.  According to the latest sources city planner Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider) will be leaving the show at the end of this season; apparently he has film roles on his mind.  Schneider plays one of the most dry and subtley humorous characters on the show and will be missed tremendously.

Parks & Rec airs Thursday nights at 8:30PM on NBC.  (This week is the Andy Samberg episode!)

[Via EW; IGN]

SNL Digital Short: The Lonely Island – “Boombox”

The Loney Island is back with their latest music video off their debut album Incredibad.  “Boombox” adds to a growing list of SNL Digital Shorts that have been made featuing songs off the album; they include “Lazy Sunday,” “Dick in a Box,” “Natalie’s Rap,”  “We Like Sportz,” “Ras Trent,” “Space Olympics,” “Jizz In My Pants,” “I’m On a Boat,” and “Like a Boss.”  The Dudes (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone) have made another hilarious video for another great song.  “Boombox” features vocals from The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas and is directed by Kiv.  Having listened to it many times, this video totally lived up to my imagination.

Interactive horror movie gives audience control over protagonist’s decisions, final outcome

Last Call is the first interactive horror movie in the world where the audience is able to communicate with the protagonist. A film controlled by a member of the audience, thus blurring the boundaries between game and film. Language recognition software transforms the participant’s answers via mobile phone into specific instructions. A specially developed software then processes these commands and launches an appropriate follow-up scene. The dialogue between the movie’s main actress and an audience member leads to a different film – and outcome – every time: sometimes with a happy end, sometimes with a more gruesome one.

Pretty neat, huh?  Here’s how it’s all set up: Beofre the movie starts, audience members submit their cell phone number to a speed dail database.  During the movie, the film’s software randomly selects one number from the database and calls it to begin the movie-audience member interaction.  It’s up the to audience member how the on-screen actions will play out.  Sounds (and looks) creepy, exciting, and fun.  Hopefully something like this will hit the States sometime soon.  With 3D and IMAX gaining popularity, now is the time Americans are open to new movie-watching experiences.

[Via Gizmodo; YouTube]

Hitchcock movie posters re-envisioned

Graphic designer Laz Marquez has recreated the movie posters of four popular Hitchcock movies using his own imagination and input from designers Saul Bass and cinematographer Robert Burks.  They really came out great; he managed to capture the original essense of each movie injected with modern aesthetics.  Marquez on his Hitchcock poster design series:

“Since I’ve started this project, I’ve had such an amazing time taking each piece of cinematic history and re-imagining it on my own terms. It’s been spontaneous, challenging and overall fulfilling. In addition, it’s been amazing to put some of the process in the hands of my followers and see what they’ve wanted the project to evolve into. Overall, I couldn’t be happier!”

Check out larger images of each poster (The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window, Psycho) in the gallery below.

[Via Slashfilm; LazMarquez]

Largest house of cards makes Guinness World Record

American architect and ‘cardstacker’ Bryan Berg broke eight past records (all held by him!) for constructing the largest house made of stacked playing cards.  Over the course of 44 days, Berg used 218,792 cards (4,051 decks) to create a replica of the Venetian Macau, a hotel located in China based on Vegas’ Venetian.  At 600 pounds and meauring 33 feet by just under 10 feet, the massive house of cards is made without the aid of tape, glue, or any other foreign substance.  Says Berg:

“This has been the most ambitious project I have undertaken to date.  It’s really like a real construction project because you have to engineer every single adjacency and every support that’s supporting everything above.”

A worthy induction into the Guinness World Record books.  Look in the gallery below for some more shots of the structure and after the break for a video news report.

[Via Likecool; DailyMail.co.uk]

Continue reading Largest house of cards makes Guinness World Record

Happy Hour lets you pop ‘n’ chug with a watch

The Happy Hour Timepiece is a watch that doubles as a bottle opener.  The face of the watch features digital and analog time displays and the black leather strap includes the bottle opener contraption.  Says the manufactuer:

Happy Hour™ is built for those who want to have a little fun opening their beverage with a very stylized watch.  The patented buckle allows you to pop-open your favorite beverage with nothing more than a flick of the wrist—and without taking off your watch.

This ingenious invention is available for $49.95.  Images of the watch below, a video demonstration after the break.

[Via Engadget; HappyHourTimepieces]

Continue reading Happy Hour lets you pop ‘n’ chug with a watch