'Leviathan' Teaser Shows Space Whalers Taming A Demon Of The Skies

The spec-trailer for Ruairi Robinson's sci-fi feature Leviathan has fast been making the rounds across the blogo-sphere since it was first posted on Vimeo late yesterday afternoon. And for good reason, it looks spectacular! Within four painfully short minutes Robinson has already sold me on the idea of space whalers on hover-boats hunting flying behemoths in order to embryos for starship fuel, and that in no small part owed to the funding and support of the Irish Film Board.

It feels trite to try and describe this as "Moby Dick in space" off the impression of one trailer alone, and especially a teaser at that. If anything, the titular beast looks like a cross between the Sarlac from Star Wars and Sin from Final Fantasy X. Still, I'm looking forward to some nihilistic brooding accompanied by death-defying monster hunting action when the final film is released.

Originally one of the many rotating cast of directors attached to steer the live-action Akira adaptation to completion, Robinson left the project, presumably owed to creative differences and funding between Warner Bros.', Appian Way and himself. If curiosity has been peaked and you're looking to learn more about this mysterious director, check out his 2013 film Last Days on Mars and his award-winning sci-fi horror short Blinky. We'll be following Robinson for more news about Leviathan here on out.

'POWER/RANGERS' Drop-Kicks Your Childhood Right In The Face

What if the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers were ostensibly "child soldiers", recruited to fight in an intergalactic war of which they really had no stake in? And, on top of that, what would happen if the bad guys won? This is Joseph Khan's 'Power/Rangers', the latest in Adi Shankar's "Bootleg Universe" shorts that follow in the proud tradition of taking classic saturday-morning cartoons, comic books and action shows of the early-to-mid-nineties and dousing them in a gritty, gun-metal coat of hyper-seriousness.

The Machine Empire has won, the Power Rangers have been disbanded or integrated into the hyper-advanced totalitarian regime, and hope by all appearances is lost. However, perhaps there is one last soldier of Zordon left willing to fight the "good" fight. But who?

Am I watching Power Rangers or Endless Waltz?!

The production quality on this short is off-the-wall. We've got a brief but spectacular glimpse of Megazords going at it, Futuristic cityscapes, retractable metal morphing-suits, and those Ranger katanas are especially sick. Every thing about this film feels so straight-faced it pushes past the brink into self-parody. The upcoming Lionsgate remake has a high bar to live up to.

Chen Nambiarooran Transforms Darth Vader into a Cabal of Monstrosities

Remember that spotlight we did of over 30 Darth Vader illustrations from Brainstorm's fantastic January community event? Well, there's still one artist in-particular whose work from that event I wanted to feature and would be remiss in not highlighting. 

That artist would be London-based Chenthooran Nambiarooran, who went above and beyond painting one recreation of one of Star Wars' most iconic adversaries and instead chose to create an entire series of 30 illustrations depicting Vader in all his aspects as a legion aristocracy of cenobite centurions, limped-legged abominations, and eyeless flesh ghouls prowling the ridges of space to swipe out at any inkling of the light side of the Force.

Chen's paintings prompt an interesting What-if scenario; What if the name Darth Vader wasn't just the title adopted by the fallen and disfigured Anakin Skywalker, but rather an terrible and ancient honorific; Passed down throughout the annals of the Dark Side to be worn only by the most ruthless and tyrannical Sith Lords to roam the darkness of their times? Sort of like the members of Berserk's God-hand, only with midichlorians. Check out Chen's entire series below the break!

Adult Swim Unleashes Another Batch of Nightmare Fuel with 'Unedited Footage of a Bear'

Adult Swim proves themselves, yet again, to be only the finest purveyor of late night faux-infomercial infused nightmare fuel. Coming off the the strength of their run away viral Too Many Cooks, the folks at Williams Street Studios couldn't let us slink quietly into the new year without giving our collective brains another go-through the cerebral atomizer of their anarchic brand of visual insanity. Put this in HD, full-screen, and buckle up for some face-melting weirdness.

Do you know what kind of bear this is? I need to know. For reasons.

Unedited Footage of a Bear is anything but; turning a 30-second clip into a meticulous 10-minute plunge into dark comedic absurdity. A wild-life shot turns into a medication commercial which then takes a nose-dive straight into territory that feels all too at home alongside psychological horror films like Primer and Side-Effects. Much like Too Many Cooks, words do not not do it justice. This is a fear best left experienced than explained.

It's Happening: Final Fantasy XV TGS English Trailer

The Last Guardian. StarCraft: Ghost. Half-Life 3. Final Fantasy XV. The fifteenth installment in Square Enix's long-standing JRPG franchise is one of modern-gaming's great white whales. Originally announced in May 2006 as a spin-off of Final Fantasy XIII titled "Final Fantasy Versus XIII", Final Fantasy XV (phew, that's a lot of roman numerals) retains the series' standard-bearing legacy of flashy FMVs, gravity-defying haircuts, and ridiculously complicated plots that more often than not result in deicide.

This footage has been floating around the web ever since it premiered at this year's Tokyo Game Show, but the fact that the English dub has finally been released feels like a occasion to take notice of. The previously unrevealed road-trip element to this installment has me especially intrigued. Along with that frenetically-paced combat, I wonder what other curve-balls this next installment has in store for us. Still no stated release date as of yet, a demo is being prepped for release next year, albeit with some slightly draconian requirements.

J.J. Abrams Unleashes The First Trailer For Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Internet Collectively Loses Its Shit

What can be said about Star Wars that hasn't been already? The 1977 classic, the monumental 1980 follow-up, the critically-lackluster but commercially triumphant early-aught prequels. The action-figures, video-games, theme park dance recitals and art installations; all culminating into the definitive sci-fi space opera epic of the past 50 years. After nine long years, we finally have our first look at the first proper sequel to the pop-cultural juggernaut; Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Details surrounding the sequel are understandably scant and under ludicrously tight lock and key, but there are whispers on the winds and rumors in the taverns. Set 30 years after the fall of Emperor Palpatine and the redemption of Darth Vader, Force Awakens follows three intrepid youths aided and mentored by the likes of Han Solo and Luke and Leia Skywalker as they confront an awesome and terrible new power in the Galaxy.

And a new enemy rises...

I'm not ashamed to admit that I had an involuntary fan-boy fit when John Boyega popped up on the screen (I love Attack the Block) and Daisy Ridley riding that land-speeder across the dunes of Tatooine got my heart racing. Tie-Fighters, The Millennium Falcon, and of course what would a new Star Wars installment be without a ridiculous new light-saber design? Premature as this assessment might be, but I think J.J. Abrams might actually nail this one out of the park. December 2015 is so far far away now it's cruel.

Jack Conte Turns A Launchpad Into A Work of Art

When anyone brings up Launchpad in a conversation about music, artist Madeon instantly comes to mind for his insane skill with the device, but it looks like he's finally been had. For the past couple of years I've been watching Jack Conte continue to impress as he mixes his incredible music with some of impressive video work, but this is an entirely different level.

It's hard not to go off on a tangent and spoil the surprise for you, but you'll know it when you see it. At first all seems fairly typical for a Launchpad mashup, but things quickly ramp up as Conte's editing skills come into effect. Just wait for it, you won't want it to end.

This Beetlejuice Minecraft Rollercoaster Is Mind-blowing

There have been plenty of amazing Minecraft projects in the past few years, but I don't think anything comes close to the work Rivergrl21 and Nuropsych1 has put into this piece. Lets all ignore the fact that Beetlejuice is my favorite movie of all time and instead sit in awe at the incredible amount of time and effort that was put into this project.

After working on and off for two months (on the Xbox version surprisingly), the two Minecraft prodigies have created one of coolest virtual rides to ever grace the video game industry. I honestly felt that the ride began to feel more like an interactive music video than an actual roller coaster, which is completely okay with me! Great job guys, this is absolutely mind-blowing.

'The Phantom Pain' Announcement Trailer: Could This Be Metal Gear Solid 5?

Phantom Pain: Phantom pain sensations are described as perceptions that an individual experiences relating to a limb or an organ that is not physically part of the body.

Just like any other proper gamer out there, I share the sentiment of despising Spike's Video Games Awards. That being said, this breakout announcement from the show has lit the internet by storm, and has made the patronising award show worth watching. As much as I hate the VGA's? This trailer blew my f***ing mind.

Aside from the game studio, Moby Dick Studios, very little is known about this 'new' title, which seems to try to avoid any attachment with known franchises. People have pointed out very strange resemblances to characters from Metal Gear Solid, but with no confirmation other than a character that might be Solid Snake with an amputation this aspect remains to be seen. With Kojima at the Video Game Awards and the many subtle winks within the trailer hinting that this might be a multiplatform Metal Gear, I highly suggest you watch one of the most mind blowing and exciting trailers I've seen in years and come to your own conclusions. Guys, welcome to 'The Phantom Pain.'

More Stunning Akira Live-Action Art Surfaces

(Via)

A couple of days ago, we posted the first-look at the in-production-hell American adaptation of Akira, the anime movie that introduced Japan animation to the world. Honestly? They looked fairly pretty but didn't give us much insight into anything but the opening sequence. Well, much like the Kevin Smith Superman film, everything has started to come out, though unlike those images the newest Akira art may prove that we may have jumped the gun with our hate.

Chris Weston (2000 AD, The Invisibles, The Twelve) has released a photo-realistic storyboard of a few sequences and they look stunning. While I can't say anything about the overall project, these storyboards seem to capture the feel and look of Akira. According to Weston, the plot of the Hughes version was meant to be even closer to the Akira manga than the animated feature. In his own words:

"Hopefully they reveal just how much love we had for the source material and how faithful we were going to be to it."

The photo-realistic style really did blow me away, but how well would these have appeared in a live action film? Maybe I'm still skeptical, but I doubt the art would have transferred well onto film, but I've seen what Hollywood has done to a number of franchises over the last few years.

More after the break!

Team Fortress 2 - Mann Vs Machine Day One

Things have gotten weird in the world of Team Fortress 2. Another ARG  just recently started involving the long forgotten Capacitors, and strange tanks started to appear in the background on key maps. The hints have been in the game since the 'Meet The Engineer' update, where a robotic head is in the background. It's taken 3 years of teasing but it's finally here. Mann vs. Machine is a new co-operative game for Team Fortress 2 that lets you and five friends wage a desperate battle to stop a lethal horde of robots from deploying a bomb in one of Mann Co.’s many strongholds. These robots have forced Mann Co. to shut down, and both Red & Blue teams have nothing better to do but seek revenge on these mechanical giants. These robots are in the form of the characters from the game, and each have a unique skill they bring to the clockwork table.

The game mode lets you take advantage of breaks between waves to upgrade your abilities and weapons and gives you items, including hats and weapons, upon completing missions and surviving waves. The game mode launches August 15th, and as usual is a FREE UPDATE! You can read more about it through the official site, but we have the first look at the waves of enemies you will be encountering after the break! We will keep you updated as more information is revealed, but until then the hype machine is in motion! Until then watch this amazing video and take a quick peak at the awesome robot designs after the jump! Thank you for the neverending awesome, Valve.

More Prometheus On It's Way? New Viral Video "Thus Spoke Zarathustra"

No spoilers! The end credits of Prometheus had an interesting advert for Weyland Corp with the address for this website, as well as a date: 10/11/12. This video, entitled "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" also hints towards this date and site. What could it all mean? The video takes its title from a novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and is essentially about the death of God, something viewers of this film are all but familiar with. But the video itself? Well....there isn't much but the possibility of more Ridley Scott is a good reason to get excited.

Is The Humble Indie Bundle V The Best One Yet?

Yes. I often talk about the Humble Indie Bundle but it's something that makes me feel like I've done something pretty amazing, so the karma fairy awards me when in reality all I've done is added more video games into my ever-expanding collection. If you have no idea what the bundle is, the idea is that you pay what you want to recieve a number of indie-developed video games at WAY below the normal asking price, with the money being divided between the great charities Child's Play and the EFF & the developers. But why is this year so amazing? Well, each game is a critically acclaimed indie masterpiece.

For any amount you feel like putting down, you'll receive a copy of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, LIMBO, Psychonauts, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and, for customers who pay more than the average price Bastion is thrown in, and the original soundtracks are included as part of the incentive. The games alone cost $110, and that's not including the soundtracks. Right now you can get the entire bundle for the average price is $7.11! Go donate through the official site! 14 days left to take advantage of this awesome, charitable offer.

The Dark Knight Rises Posters Are....Cinematically Stunning

Holy Cinematic Batman! (Via)

The Batman promo items have been flowing like wine this week! Though the last couple of Dark Knight Rises posters have been pretty lackluster, with the last poster being one of the worst poster rehashes I've ever seen, this set of four promotional posters show the true cinematic style and scope of the film. I honestly thought that Warner may have hired some of the worst designers in the history of film advertising; what a difference 24 hours can make.

The story certainly seems to be taking elements from the Knightfall storyline (involving a mass Arkham breakout by Bane to wear Batman down before famously breaking his back) and the Contagion storyline (where two factions & Batman fight over a destroyed Gotham, hit by a lethal disease). It feels like such a long wait for the film but it's going to be worth it. Whatever doesn't kill us just makes us.....stranger. Check out the collection after the jump.

Prometheus Shot Is Unbelievable

This is the type of Sci-fi that will sell tickets. (Via)

"Check out the stunning new Prometheus image discovered yesterday" said the official Prometheus twitter account. Stunning is not the word I would use as I study this image for the hundredth time; it's a thing of beauty. Where did this image come from? From what I understand, if you followed the @PrometheusMovie Twitter stream, you were able to register at the official Weyland industries site. Some viral campaign searching and decoding later and we had this high-resolution shot from the trailer.

If you weren't excited for this film before, this incredible shot gives a little taste of the type of eye candy we're about to receive. This movie will hopefully not disappoint and offer the franchise a well deserved breath of fresh air with Ridley back at the helm. Soon enough we'll find out whats in store for us.

Microsoft Assaults The Googlighting Stranger

I watched this video in awe: I just couldn't believe that this was an official Microsoft video. Yet lo and behold, it was and today Microsoft has fired its initial salvo against Google and its cloud-based Google Apps products. The video, “Beware the Googlighting Stranger,” is a (Edit: f***ing terrible) response to Google’s cloud-based productivity suite.

The description asks: "What happens when the world’s largest advertising business tries to sell productivity software on the side?” and it's true. I remain neutral as I haven't tried out the system or used Google outside of searching or as a web-browser but the video does raise a good point as to why the cloud-based applications aren't hitting off; Google Office doesn't work offline. Microsoft office however, does.

Though I find the biggest piece in the irony cake is Microsoft slamming Google on Youtube, which is owned by Google. Ballsy in concept, but marred by the absolutely terrible execution.

Resident Evil 6 Goes Back To Its Roots

I was never a fan of Resident Evil 5. Not only did the poor AI let down a good action game, I felt the action side of things really let down the evolution of the series. What was once a survival horror (and then action horror with the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4) series became the opposite of what made the famous franchise otherwise great with cheap scares and no real atmosphere. I always bet that Resident Evil 6 would follow down the road that Resident Evil 5 had tread and I was right. But I couldn't have been more wrong when I said that they would forget the roots of the series.

It seems that you take control of 3-4 teams travelling around the world trying to stop the outbreak of some sort of virus. The trailer involves Zombies, Leon, Chris and an unnamed protagonist fighting to save the world. Resident Evil 6 is slated to be released November 20th, and is one of the only sequels (outside of Mass Effect 3) that I'm really looking forward to wait for. If the gameplay in this beautifully rendered trailer is anything to go by we know one thing for sure; s*** is going down and "It's Racoon City all over again".

Expendables 2 Poster Looks Photoshopped

A, B, C and D grade celebrities present in this image.

They said that we couldn't talk about Fight Club. But this poster for The Expendables 2 proves that Fight Club is worth talking about, especially with some of the biggest action stars from the past few decades. There's something about seeing Chuck Norris so front and center that just seems so wrong, but right.  This leaked poster proves this film is in the works, and that IMDB wasn't just teasing us about this unlikely sequel.

Personally I liked the first film, despite how cheesy the idea was and I can't wait for more. Time to start counting down the days till 8/17/2012.

Would You Survive A Nuke?

The truth is nuking you (Via)

Recently, I've been playing a lot of Fallout: New Vegas. And the question has come to mind like it always did as the curious teen I always was; if a nuclear bomb hit near or on my town would I survive? It's always been a mystery until I found the site that has lived out my morbid teenage dreams.

Would I Survive? detects your location through Googlemaps and can guide you through a bunch of different disasters including Nuclear holocaust or meteorite.....if your location survives. Time to get paranoid about where you live and the newest Ice-age because this game will do that to you! If it makes you feel any better, I died every time...

Portal 2: Talk To Cave Johnson For Only $40

When life gives you lemons? Go out and spend $40 for the rest. Printed on canvas of pine frame comes the next piece of Portal merchandise you need to own.

That's right, Think Geek has done it again. They just released a portrait of Aperture Science's founder & luminary, Cave Johnson from the game Portal 2. Motion sensors embedded into the frame make him speak 13 phrases from the game including the entire "life gives you lemons" rant. And for the people who want to appreciate art, the thing can be turned off. Sometimes advice can be very....human.

The release date hasn't been announced, but the site says mid December. I guess we will see soon enough.