Gamertell

The gaming community breathed a sigh of relief when we all found out that the hot-looking Ghostbusters game was still in the works (and not canned due to the Activision-Blizzard merger). Now, fans of wacky ‘80s comedy and the supernatural can get excited all over again, as ICV2 has just announced that a new Ghostbusters film is in the works.

The new flick bears a script penned by The Office co-executive producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, a good sign. Details beyond that are scant, but rest assured that the involvement of original GB actors Harold Ramis, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson in the upcoming game is a good sign. Just remember guys - don’t cross the streams!

Read [ICV2]

If all that excitement over the recent Watchman trailer wasn’t enough for you, consider the legal drama over the film’s right to exist. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox are locked in what could be a very bloody battle with the film (directed by Zack Snyder and set to release on March 6, 2009) at stake. Here’s the gist, minus the legal jargon: Fox is trying to get an injunction to bar the release of the flick, and Warner Bros. position is that they have no (legal) leg to stand on with their argument.

There’s a long history here, where Fox first sought rights to make a film out of the property, then abandoned the project. Sour grapes much? Maybe, but the movie business is about as cutthroat as it gets. ICV2 is reporting on the ongoing feud, which they speculate may end in a deal with Fox to get a share of the sure-to-be-huge profits. After all, everyone and their dog was excited by the trailer, and comic book movies are huge right now (box office gold, anyone?).

Read [ICV2 ]

Have you ever finished a great run of a song on Guitar Hero and thought “man, that would make a great movie!”? No? Well, Brett Ratner, the director of such films as Rush Hour and Red Dragon did, and he was happy to tell MTV that he would “love” to make a film based on the musically inclined franchise. As for his GH street cred, well, Joystiq reported that the famed director actually came up with the name for Guitar Hero: World Tour, whatever that’s worth.

Ok, I think there might be a way to make a cool movie out of this - maybe a sort of tongue-in-cheek satire about a no-name band’s rise to fame. As long as audience members are allowed to participate in the musical portions of the movie (Rocky Horror Picture Show style) it might be fun. Otherwise, in the words of Tony Soprano… Fuggetaboutit.

Read [Joystiq]

Oh, the humanity! Uwe Boll’s trashtastic film, which famously played in an embarrassingly low number of theaters, has come out on DVD and Blu-ray. Kotaku reports that the film is packed with “features”, like an Uwe commentary, an Indiana Jones spoof starring Verne Troyer, and a copy of Postal 2 for PC.

Depending on your tolerance for lame filmmaking, dumb satire, and offensive humor, you’ll either be very excited or very disgusted at the prospect of owning this little piece of cinematic history. Either way, the DVD and Blu-ray versions are out today, with MSRP’s of $26.99 and $34.99, respectively. You can find it (if you dare...) at most major retailers.

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Monsters and Critics]

ICV2 has just reported that graphic novels will soon be eligible for the prestigious Hugo Award. The notion does have to be ratified, but if it goes through, “‘Any science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form appearing for the first time in the previous calendar year’ will be eligible.” It got me thinking - if graphic novels are enjoying literary legitimacy these days, could videogames be next?

We all have our favorite examples of which games we feel qualify as bona-fide works of art or pieces of literature. 

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Hey sci-fi fans - it looks like Stargate is getting another series. Called Stargate: Universe, the new show is aimed more at a new generation of fans, and will take place mainly in space (hence the “Universe” part of the title. ICV2 has the scoop on the new series, which will be produced by Stargate vets Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, and will premiere on the Sci-Fi channel as a two-hour movie early in 2009, with episodes to follow in the summer.

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Get ready to crack that whip: Indiana Jones’ latest adventure, the divisive The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will get the usual DVD/Blu-ray treatment on October 14, 2008. According to ICV2, the film will be released in a variety of SKU’s, including a bare-bones Single Disc version, a two disc Special Edition in DVD or Blu-ray, and as part of the all-inclusive Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventure Collection, which includes the previous three films and the two-disc version of the latest.

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You may recall the third part of our Prince of Persia series, where we discussed the up-and-coming movie.  Well, it appears pop gossip site JustJared has posted pictures of Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince. 

It looks like Gyllenhaal is on his way to the first take, as he is more shirtless than Matthew McConaughey on a normal day.  It would appear that Jake has gotten into great shape for the role, so this would be a good time to lay off (or on?) the Brokeback Mountain jokes…

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Fans of the spectacular, Robert Downy Jr.-fueled Iron Man will be able to grab the movie on DVD and Blu-Ray September 30, 2008. According to ICV2, the DVD version will be just the film and a few deleted scenes (and is intended primarily for the home rental market), a standard Blu-Ray edition is planned, and a 2-disc Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray will sport extensive bonus features, like a seven part making-of documentary and an interactive “hall of armor” feature that lets viewers play around with Tony Stark’s funky gadgets. ICV2 also states that the release is in keeping with a big push for the Blu-Ray format this fall - be prepared for some heavy marketing, kids.

The funny thing is, Iron Man is still in theaters, and still lapping up some impressive business months after its release. Remember when films took upwards of a year to come to “home video”? This news makes me feel old. No matter, Iron Man will kick some serious ass on Blu-Ray this fall.

Read [ICV2]

It would appear that EA seriously dropped the ball on the canned The Dark Knight game, according to GameDaily. A videogame adaptation of the ultra-smash hit was reportedly in the works, but it got axed due to “quality concerns, the controversy surrounding star Heath Ledger’s death, and less than optimistic sales projections” ouch.

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