Hero Complex Film Festival Day 1 – Warren Beatty talks Dick

Who doesn’t have a hero complex? That drive to help the man as he’s kicked to the ground, or perhaps to just do all that you can to make the world a better place. Well the LA Times as well as LACMA have decided to dedicate an entire festival to that exact thing called “The Hero Complex Film Festival” which spans across four days of epic films and even more epic discussions with the creators of these cinematic works of genius. While most of the films are based on comic book heroes or some intergalactic ones, the moral of the festival resonates strong as you listen to the masters talk about their works after they show on the silver screen. It was my pleasure to attend, and still continue to attend the festival, so without further adeu, day one and all it’s glory.

Day 1- Warren Beatty; Dick Tracy

Some big news came out of the Hero Complex Film Festival on their very first day. It seems the director, producer, actor and writer Warren Beatty is in the process of making a sequel to his smash hit Dick Tracy, which is based off the old comic strip/animated show.

But that’s not all we learned from Mr. Beatty, he also decided to share some long drawn out wisdom for all the potential filmmakers out there. A few great quotes include “Casting is writing.” “The best person to ask about actors is actors.” Take what you will potential Spielberg’s and Lucas’.

For those of you who have seen Dick Tracy, you are fully aware of the extreme visual styles that Beatty chose, he decided to let us know a bit about that as well, talking about the difficulties of getting the lighting just right to set the mood, and to use the makeup to his advantage.

While most of the discussion was the on the technical aspects of the film and what it was like working with the big cast he had, we couldn’t help but press further about the sequel but every questioned that dare dance along that line was immediately shut down.  “I won’t talk about it…I want to get it just right…talking about movies before their made ruins them.” Interesting that he’s so reserved about it.

Thanks Geoff Boucher for this great day, and I’ll be updating you more as I continue on down the path of the heroes before me. Expect even bigger news to follow during this exciting film festival!

 

Imagine a Game That Lasts a Thousand Days

1000 Heroz Comes to iPad, iPhone, and iPod

PRESS RELEASE

Finland —June 8, 2011 — Finnish game studio RedLynx is proud to announce the 1000 Heroz App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the App Store.

1000 Heroz is an original and addictive blend of platforming and racing, which brings users new characters and levels each day for 1,000 straight days.

“1000 Heroz delivers something new every day – for a thousand days,” said Tero Virtala, CEO of RedLynx. “That works out to something like three cents a month over the life of the game. That’s a tremendous value for such a high quality title. Only the App Store, with its legions of gamers, could provide us an opportunity like this to put our creative minds to work.”

The game is a 2D, time-based platformer with a physics running engine. Each day players direct a new hero, as he or she runs, jumps and slides through that day’s level. The goal is to either earn three stars on each level and top the global leaderboards, or battle against friends by creating a Custom League. All told, there are 1000 heroes to guide, 1000 levels to explore and 1000 relics to gather. Along the way, players gather gold, earn relics, and, through Game Center, challenge friends and other players from around the world. Previous levels are playable at any time, and players can pick up the game at any point without missing anything, as each day features a new leaderboard.

The 1000 Heroz App is available for $1.99 (iPad) and $0.99 (iPhone, iPod Touch) from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

SUPREMACY MMA GOES UNDISPUTED AT ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO (E3) 2011

505 Games’ controversial arcade MMA fighter reigns supreme with eye-popping KO’s and lightning fast moves

Jen

PRESS RELEASE

Woodland Hills, CA – June 7, 2011—Take him down! Global videogame publisher 505 Games and Kung Fu Factory go for the throat with Supremacy MMA™, unveiling the most brutal knockout system in MMA gaming history at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week in Los Angeles, CA.

Hailed as “…the dirtiest MMA game yet” on the cover of Gamepro (July 2011, Issue 274), Supremacy MMA stuffs the competition at E3 2011 with a first look at its insane Knock Out system, fighting style-specific movesets and the fastest MMA gameplay in history.

“From our first announcement of the game until now, Supremacy MMA has been the only MMA game to deliver true-to-the-sport-brutality and arcade-like speed, and we’re the only MMA game coming out in 2011,” said Ian Howe, President, 505 Games North America. “We know exactly who we are: M-rated and proud of it. We’ll drive that point home even further when we debut our brutal KO finishers and show off the depth of our movesets at E3.”

Dominating the fighting market this fall, 505 Games will release the only MMA fighting game this year when Supremacy MMA bully’s its way onto store shelves September 20, 2011 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Armed with arcade-like speed and real in-game fighters—including former UFC champ Jens Pulver, K1 kickboxing legend Jerome Le Banner, and the first real female fighters in an MMA game, Felice Herrig and Michele Gutierrez—Supremacy MMA favors fast-and-furious gameplay and underground aesthetics over boring simulation-style presentation. Published by 505 Games and developed by Kung Fu Factory, Supremacy MMA raises the bar in the MMA space by bringing an unprecedented level of fast, fluid combat, intuitive controls and true-to-the-sport brutality.

Pre-order Supremacy MMA at GameStop and expand your roster of fighters to include undefeated fighter Shane Del Rosario. Pummel your opponents as this invincible 6’4’’, 250 pound fighting machine. Known for both his incredible strength and speed, Del Rosario holds the distinction of being the first American to become the WBC Heavyweight. His flawless record is crowned by the fact that every single one of his fights end in a KO or Submission, with only a single fight making it into the second round. Make them submit! Pre-order today!

Online Customers: A code with instructions on how to redeem SHANE DEL ROSARIO will be emailed to you when your game ships.

Store/In-Store Pickup Customers: A code with instructions on how to redeem SHANE DEL ROSARIO will be printed on your receipt at time of purchase.

Supremacy MMA is slated for release September 20, 2011, on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Digital Manga Publishing brings Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D Manga to comiXology

DMP’s flagship manga title makes its debut on the iPad

PRESS RELEASE

Kansas City, MO /NY, NY 6/8/11 – Digital Manga Publishing announced today that they are partnering with comiXology, the leading distributor of digital comics, to digitally release their flagship manga title Vampire Hunter D vol. 1-3 to the comiXology storefront for the iOS, Android and Web.

Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D print edition manga was launched in 2007 by Digital Manga Publishing, adapting the well renowned series of prose novel series, which began in the 80’s. Kikuchi mixed elements of gothic horror, science fiction and romance with the classic Western to produce a wholly original, post-apocalyptic vision of the distant future, where humanity is ruled by vampires and tormented by a host of creatures including demons, werewolves and mutants, as well as half-human, half-vampire ‘dhampirs’ like the series’ namesake, D.

“Manga has been in the brick and mortar comic book shops for several decades and Digital Manga Publishing would like to carry on that tradition to the digital frontier,” said Fred Lui, VP-Production of Digital Manga. ”We are partnering with comiXology because of the ubiquitous platform that they have built and the amazing reading experience they are able to provide.” The Vampire Hunter D manga and novels have an international fan base, having sold more than 17 million copies around the world. The property has also been adapted into two anime movies, an audio drama, and a video game. The entry of the Vampire Hunter D manga into the digital edition arena will prove to be equally successful, especially with the reading experience when delivered through comiXology’s Comic App.

“The addition of Digital Manga’s Vampire Hunter D with it’s rich story telling is a great addition to our platform,’ said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. “The manga looks especially vibrant in our Guided View format on the iPad and we look forward to adding more of Digital Manga’s titles to our platform in the coming months.”

Through this partnership Digital Manga Publishing will be releasing more of their acclaimed titles through comiXology platform.

All volumes of Vampire Hunter D will be available on the comiXology platform for $9.99 each with 20 pages of the first volume can be read for free. You can find their dedicated web storefront at comics.comixology.com/dmp and all purchases are buy once, read anywhere.

Logitech Introduces Multi-Touch Lapdesk

Logitech Touch Lapdesk N600 Features Large, Retractable Touchpad with Multi-Touch Pointing, Swiping, Scrolling

PRESS RELEASE

FREMONT, Calif. – June 8, 2011 – So you can browse comfortably – right from your lap – today Logitech unveiled the Logitech Touch Lapdesk N600, featuring a large touchpad that makes it easier than ever to point, scroll and swipe your way through the Web.

“We’ve seen people using everything from pillows to pets to shield their laps from the heat their laptops generate, ” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for laptop accessories. “Our lapdesks are much more effective and, with the addition of a multi-touch touchpad, you’ll get the added capability to more easily move through your favorite content without attaching additional peripherals.”

The Logitech Touch Lapdesk N600 features a 5-inch, retractable touchpad with multi-touch navigation. You can move the pointer with one finger, scroll using two, and swipe through pages or pictures with three.

The multi-layer, heat-shielding design of the lapdesk protects you from laptop heat so you can browse in cool comfort, and the anti-slip surface helps keep your laptop in place. To get started, you just plug the tiny Logitech Unifying receiver into the USB port and start navigating. For your convenience, Logitech’s newest lapdesk offers up to six months of battery life.

Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Touch Lapdesk N600 is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in June, for a suggested retail price of $69.99.