Mr. Lifeless: The New Series!

Being spontaneous in film is not necessarily a bad thing, this is exactly how Mr. Lifeless, the new StuffWeLike.com internet webisode series, was created, born, and started. The idea essentially began with an unexpected police event occurring outside our dorm. David and I were just about ready to shoot a practice test involving the show Yo Gabba Gabba until the practice test instantly began to fail on us. Immediately after, David noticed a helicopter circling around the minor police raid outside, he quickly remarked, “Look! There is a Helicopter! Let’s go shoot that!”

Mr. Lifeless

Without any hesitation we both ran outside and began filming. Image after image a story was forming and suddenly we had specific symbols, sounds, and an overall a mysterious character to guide us into an unknown situation that was pure cinematic conflict. This was unpolluted, raw, and untidy guerilla style filmmaking. Mr. Lifeless defies the laws of Hollywood by ignoring the concepts and tools of lighting, booms, and set n’ stone scripts that barricade the ideas of natural filmmaking.

Mr. Lifeless is an ambiguous mystery that will surprise the viewers in the end. Nothing is what it seems, and everything is up for grabs. What will happen next? Who is Mr. Lifeless? Well ladies and gentlemen… take nothing for granted and surely you’ll find out.

-John-Erik Reese

Microsoft’s not banning anyone for playing Halo 3 early after all

Master Chief in Bubble Shield

With a video game launch as large as Halo 3, you have to have scandal, controversy and broken street dates. We’ve seen Halo 3’s release date broken across the world, and rumour goes that aliens stole a copy as well. Another rumour said that Microsoft will ban people’s accounts if they play before the release date.

Pro-G said earlier that a Microsoft rep told them that Microsoft will ban accounts if they find such a thing happening. Pro-G said later that another Microsoft rep (who probably lost a deathmatch some time ago) told them that Microsoft will only ban Microsoft employees’ accounts. Whew.

And now Pro-G tells us that Microsoft has made an official statement on the matter, after considerable deliberation and beer-drinking.

We can confirm that Microsoft is not taking any action (such as banning Xbox Live accounts) against gamers who are playing Halo 3 before the official street date. Any rumours or speculation to the contrary are false.

So what is the lesson to be learnt here? Do not trust rumours, Microsoft representatives and release dates.

Sony quitting the console race?

Sony Playstation 3

Right since the humongous price of the PS3, we have seen Sony face insult after insult and make several more blunders while at it. To put it simply, Sony as a console maker has its reputation sliding down faster than a drunk hobo on a snowboard on a frozen river of Mountain Dew. 😕

Sony’s stock has dropped and news indicate that their spending on the next-generation chip (which will power the potential Playstation 4). Also, they are planning on “selling manufacturing lines that make the Cell processor” to Toshiba! Does this mean that Sony is no longer interested in the heated consoles market? Does this mean that the Playstation brand has come to an end? Is Sony planning something radically new (like Wii)?

We can only make wild guesses at this point, but there is no denying that Sony’s PS3 went rather badly compared to the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii.

[Via HDGamesNews.com]

Force Unleashed for Wii in 2008!

Force Unleashed Screenshot

We brought you news last week that the famed lightsaber-swinging Star Wars Wii game will not be the next installation of Lego Star Wars. This left us wondering as to what LucasArts has up its sleeves. Well, it turns out that one of my predictions went right – LucasArts is porting Force Unleashed to the Wii, and the package will be released in Spring 2008!

I can immediately see the game get massive sales for the Wii, because you WILL get to control the lightsaber with your Wiimote and use force powers with the nunchuck. How friggin’ cool is that? Plus, the game will include a Wii-exclusive duel mode, which allows you and your equally geeky buddy to fight with lightsabers ‘fer rel’! This is certainly something Star Wars fans have anticipated for a long, long time.

“Wii is a great platform for The Force Unleashed, because the console’s motion-oriented controllers really bring the game to life,” said Jim Ward, the president of LucasArts. “We’ve worked hard to make the Wii version of the game unique in order to truly let you unleash the Force.”

Holy hell yeah!

Intel buys Havok – randomest acquisition of the week

Havok

Gamers will know Havok, the Irish company for their stellar physics engine, while movie buffs might know it for providing special effects from movies like The Matrix, Poseidon and so on. Well, word is that Intel has bought Havok. Why, you ask? I have no idea. Maybe they just thought it’s a nice company to buy.

But Havok’s CEO says “The acquisition will help Havok grow into new market segments,” which sounds good! Havok will continue to keep business on as usual, though. In layman’s terms, Havok’s the same – except that it might just get a little, and then a little bigger.

Havok was founded in 1998 and has created the famous Havok Physics Engine, which has been seen in dozens of games since, examples including BioShock, Half-Life 2, Deus Ex: Invisible War, Age of Empires III and many, many more.

[Via PC World]

It’s Absolutely Breathless!

Breathless

In 1961, Jean-Luc Godard, a master of French new wave, released A bout de Soufflé (Breathless). A young man named Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo) kills a police officer and then flees away into the city where he meets up with Patricia Franchini (Jean Seberg). Michel hides from the police with Patricia, but fate catches up with him as the fire fuels in the fatal but beautiful ending.

Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul belmondo

This French film has influenced many of today’s greatest filmmakers, artists, and countless other aesthetics. It is a tale dealing with love, youth, and beyond anything a beauty so acutely defined by Godard.

One of the most important elements that should be noted in this film is the simple idea of “all or nothing” and how love falls within this spectrum. This theme is numerously supported by underlying visuals, dialogue, and gestures. Director Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Samouraï, L’ Armée des ombres) plays a small role in this film but, what he has to say is immensely powerful. Patricia, the young reporter, asks him a very interesting inquiry,

Jean-Paul Belmondo

“What is your greatest Ambition in Life?” Melville responds back with this profound statement, “To become immortal and the die.” This can be interpreted in many different ways. One interpretation would consider that it is simply a contradiction and means nothing. Secondly, it can reflect the idea of choice. To have the power to die willing reflects complete control. On the other hand, to have no control simply means to have absolutely nothing…hence “to have all or nothing.”

Overall, A bout de Soufflé is a beautiful movie that anyone should consider watching. It is a foreign classic that still remains an astonishing movie. While other films will gradually disappear À bout de Souffle will remain as it has already remained throughout these years.

Jean-Luc Godard

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger, and Jean-Pierre Melville

Other Related films to consider:

Contempt by Jean-Luc Godard

Bande à part by Jean-Luc Godard

A Woman Is a Woman Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo

Saint Joan starring Jean Seberg

The Mouse that Roared starring Jean Seberg