Though I said Vampire Killer is gone from this script, Simon does wield what is described as a chain whip in two instances. However, it is nondescript and in one of the occasions is wielded as an off-hand weapon. So what is Simon armed with throughout the film? A fucking sword.

Oh dear. Nothing like setting off on the wrong foot with fans, is there?

Paul W. S. Anderson’s Castlevania [CC2K]

Capcom making Lost Planet movie [Variety]

Tickets go on sale July 25th at Fandango.com at a price of $10 per day, which includes popcorn, a large soda, and a special Fallout 3 giveaway. Considering I would sell any one of you for parts for a chance to see Wizards on the big screen, the price seems pretty fair. Hit the jump for more details!

Bethesda Softworks®, The American Cinematheque, and Geek Monthly Sponsor ‘A Post-Apocalyptic Film Festival Presented by Fallout® 3’

Fallout® 3 Film Festival to Take Place at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California on August 22 and 23, 2008

July 11, 2008 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that it has partnered with the American Cinematheque and GEEK Monthly magazine to sponsor ‘A Post-Apocalyptic Film Festival Presented by Fallout® 3’ at Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre this August.

Fallout 3, the highly-anticipated video game from Bethesda Softworks, takes place in a post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. where every minute is a fight for survival in the formidable wasteland and serves as the festival’s inspiration. The festival will feature six definitive post-apocalyptic movies that depict life or events that occur after a global catastrophe.

‘A Post-Apocalyptic Film Festival Presented by Fallout 3’ kicks off at 7:00pm on Friday, August 22nd with ‘Wizards’ (Directed by Ralph Bakshi) followed by ‘Damnation Alley’ (Directed by Jack Smight) and ‘A Boy and His Dog’ (Directed by L.Q. Jones). The festival resumes at 7:00pm on August 23rd with ‘The Last Man on Earth’ (Directed by Ubaldo Ragona), ‘The Omega Man’ (Directed by Boris Sagal) and ‘Twelve Monkeys’ (Directed by Terry Gilliam).

“We are very excited to sponsor this film festival with the American Cinematheque and GEEK Monthly magazine as this event brings together fans of film and video games like never before,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “This is an exciting time for us and this film festival gives us a fun platform to give people further insight into Fallout 3.”

"Co-sponsoring this film festival just made perfect sense for us here at GEEK Monthly magazine,” said Michael Eisenberg, group publisher at Fusion Publishing. “The showing of post-apocalyptic films that have captivated movie goers’ imaginations over the last 40 years and showcasing the definitive post-apocalyptic video game will make for a truly enjoyable festival for fans of the genre.”

Tickets will be available on July 25, 2008 and can be purchased from Fandango.com. The general admission price of $10.00 includes three movies on the bill for that day as well as a complimentary bag of popcorn, a large soda and a special Fallout 3 giveaway. Senior and student tickets are available for $8.00 per day and American Cinematheque members can purchase daily tickets for $7.00.

For more information on ‘A Post-Apocalyptic Film Festival Presented by Fallout® 3’, the movies being shown during the festival or the Aero Theatre, please visit http://www.americancinematheque.com/.

Currently under development by the creators of award winning The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, the 2006 Game of the Year – Fallout 3 is one of the most anticipated games of 2008 and is slated for release this Fall on Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Fallout® 3 has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information on Fallout 3, visit http://fallout.bethsoft.com.

It's good news for Lost Planet fans — and not just because of Hayter's screenwriting nerd cred based on his X-Men and Watchmen scripts — because the man cares deeply about the source material.

"There is gap in Hollywood between people who write good movies and those who appreciate good video games," Hayter said. The man with the trademark voice says he tries "to make an effort to take the essence of the game, keep as much of that as possible, and still put it into a proper film structure." Yes, yes, but will it feature bug shooting? 'Cause bug shooting is key.

AX08: Solid Snake Discusses Lost Planet [IGN]

“It is the quality and innovation of our artists that made Hybride into one of the most successful studios in cinema and the most important visual effects producer on the North American East Coast,” stated Pierre Raymond, founder and chief executive officer at Hybride Technologies. “The sharing of technological and creative expertise between Ubisoft and Hybride will position the two companies at the head of the pack in an entertainment industry in rapid evolution.”

A game company owning their own movie effects company will also do wonders for getting Ubisoft properties made into motion pictures, don't you think? Don't worry about the effects budget, we've got that covered. Hit the jump for the full release regarding this groundbreaking convergence of video games and cinema.

MEDIA CONVERGENCE: UBISOFT® ACQUIRES HYBRIDE TECHNOLOGIES, CREATOR OF VISUAL EFFECTS FOR THE FILMS 300 AND SIN CITY

Fusion between creator of best-selling video game brands and renowned special effects studio a groundbreaking event for digital entertainment

London, UK - July 8, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced the acquisition of Hybride Technologies, a Montreal-based studio renowned for its expertise in the creation of visual effects for cinema, television and advertising.

Created over 15 years ago, Hybride employs 80 team members. The studio’s many projects include such innovative films as 300, Frank Miller’s Sin City and the Spy Kids series.

Ubisoft will work closely with Hybride to share technology and to develop tools in order to optimize the creation of both video games and visual effects and to offer gamers visual experiences that rival those of the cinema. At the same time, Hybride will continue to work with its film partners while also bringing its expertise to leverage Ubisoft’s intellectual properties for the movie industry.

"The future of our industry depends on our ability to create brands that captivate audiences and to extend those brands to other forms of entertainment," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “The acquisition of Hybride falls directly into the strategy that has already led us to open a digital creation studio in Montreal and to acquire the Tom Clancy brand for video games and ancillary products. The exceptional quality of the team at Hybride and the expertise of our Ubisoft teams will allow us to create one of the best 3D animation studios in the entertainment industry.”

"This alliance is a true first for the industry,” continued Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer of Ubisoft Montreal. “Ubisoft and Hybride share the same vision of entertainment convergence and a common passion for innovation and creativity.”

“It is the quality and innovation of our artists that made Hybride into one of the most successful studios in cinema and the most important visual effects producer on the North American East Coast,” stated Pierre Raymond, founder and chief executive officer at Hybride Technologies. “The sharing of technological and creative expertise between Ubisoft and Hybride will position the two companies at the head of the pack in an entertainment industry in rapid evolution.”

In addition to bringing its technological knowledge and its collaboration to Ubisoft’s brands, Hybride will continue to work with its external partners. The forecast for this visual effects creation activity for cinema, television and advertising will initially generate sales of approximately 6 to 7 M€ and a current operating income of about 10 % of sales.

A video montage of both Hybride and Ubisoft projects can be seen at http://uplay.us.ubi.com/

But did you know that it's been featured in at least 48 video games? From Ant City to Timesplitters 2, Mr. Juandrful at Kezins has gleaned the full list. It's longer than Wikipedia's list of games using the scream, and includes titles not yet released (where the scream is used in a trailer), so he seems to have done his homework. We had a little something on this back in 2006, but not a full list of games. So check it out. And booby prize goes to whomever comes up with the best onomatopoeic spelling of the scream, in the comments.

We've All Heard it: The Wilhelm Scream [kezins.com]

He also writes "exposed breasts" which has us firing up the Netflix queue.

Also given a good eyeballing was Retro Game Master Episode 1: The Mystery of Atlantis, which you may remember as Game Center CX. If not, it's the Japanese television show that's based on the premise of having host/test subject "the Kacho" play hard video games. It has since been turned into its own video game of the same name.

We think Mr. Hawkins sums it up best — and makes the whole thing sound so appealing — with this:

The reason why the show is so beloved becomes almost immediately apparent; the Kacho is just a loveable, everyday kind of guy, who is just as good, and most importantly bad at video games like you. It's not just his choice of games, that being classics from yesterday, but his attitude towards them that makes it all so enjoyable; its not some young kind dealing with the more than peculiar logic of old games without question as we all did, the Kacho is an older dude who wonders why the hell things are the way they are, like we all do when we play something as an adult, with now all this confusion and reasoning.

Excellent stuff. Thanks for the heads up, Matt!

'Cinema Pixeldiso' – New York Asian Film Festival Part 1 [GameSetWatch]

LA Weekly's Nikkie FInke reports on her blog that a settlement prohibits Rockstar from making a movie based on Grand Theft Auto, which is the same name as a 1977 film whose rights are owned by Fox. The settlement also prohibits Fox from making any video game based on that movie. I've never seen it, but considering all the crappy adaptations done out there, obviously this settlement was more about protecting Fox's copyrights than Rockstar's.

Interestingly, the Grand Theft Auto film in question got an updated box right around the time the original GTA craze hit (above), and you can see the similarities in the typefaces. Not sure if this was part [or provocation] of the settlement or not.

All About the Grand Theft Auto Movie [Nikkie FInke's Deadline Hollywood Daily, via Shacknews]

Max Payne Set Photos [/film]

In addition, as friend of the site Matt Hawkins was nice enough to tip us off to, two episodes of Retro Game Master will be screened at the event. You may know the series better as Game Center CX, in which host Shinya Arino is tasked with beating games under a time limit. This is similarly a North American debut and will feature Ghosts 'n' Goblins and Mystery of Atlantis.

Matt tells us that he's planning to review a good portion of this stuff in his Cinema Pixeldiso column for GameSetWatch. If you've never read the irregular column, it's all about video game inspired cinema and, furthermore, shame on you.

Like A Dragon & Retro Game Master [Subway Cinema]

The Japanese hack and slash and tits and ass flick based on the D3 video game of the same name will be screened Friday, June 20 at 10:45pm and Wednesday, June 25 at 4:00pm at the IFC Center in New York City. Brain activity will be checked at the door.

Oneechanbara [Subway Cinema - thanks, Alan!]

Evil Avatar Radio Ep. Eleventy One - David Hayter [Evil Avatar]

Wiseman suits up for 'Gears of War' [Variety]

Running with Scissors just announced that his Postal film won not one, but two awards at the Hoboken International Film Festival. Boll took home $500 cash money for the best director award, beating out the directors of films like Crazy, Strange Girls, The Sensei and Flyboys. Oh, snap! Boll beat out D. Lee Inosanto!!!

Postal also was named the best of the festival despite showings of The Noogies, In The Eyes of a Killer, Predator’s Return and The Pack.

"When the fans speak, WE WIN,” said Vince Desi, the movies executive producer and founder of Running With Scissors. “We know this from our experience in the game industry and now the film business just confirms it. The continued success of the POSTAL franchise in all its forms is proof that democracy works; you cannot stop what’s in the hearts of the people. Freedom will always triumph over tyranny."

The New Jersey awards fly in the face of the movies mysterious box office opening when it hit 13 screens nationwide, and put a little salve on Boll's ego, bruised when hundreds walked from a free screening of the movie earlier this month... oh wait, that was at the same festival.

Outside of glancing at Turok comics on the racks, I've only dabbled with a handful of the video games from the Nintendo 64 era and the most recent Xbox 360/PS3 re-imagining. No word yet if the Hollywood adaptation will borrow more from the video games or the comic books in their many incarnations, but I'm sure that folks will be looking forward to T-rexs bleeding to death on screen with burning anticipation.

EXCLUSIVE: Adam Beach To Star In Live Action Turok Movie [MTV Movies]

Yes, there's even a market for the terrible PlayStation Speed Racer game! Plenty of interesting charts and graphs await hopeful auctioneers at VGPC. I'm off to put a spit shine on my copy of The X-Files for PSone in anticipation!

Summer Movies Increase Game Prices. Go Speed Racer! [VGPC]

The Hollywood Reporter describes "Atari" as drawing on themes of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and "Tucker: The Man and His Dream." I was hoping it'd be a movie adaptation of "Space War" — just two ships drifting to the center of the screen, shooting each other. Maybe a love interest. Somewhere. Maybe not.

Wherever the story ends up, it sounds like it's getting very serious treatment, and the outlook sounds favorable for a well made biography. Plus I love period pieces, even if I've lived in the period described.

Leonardo Di Caprio to Star in 'Atari' [The Hollywood Reporter, via ComingSoon.net, thanks reader D Elfman]

It doesn't sound like anything is guaranteed at this point on the game that may feature a polygonal Jake Gyllenhaal and a phoned in voice over performance, but if we know Hollywood and games based on movie licenses, regardless of the source material, I think we're in for a fun ride. Not so much a good video game, but a fun ride.

Triple Play of New Prince Entertainment [GameDaily]

The list details the 10 and upcoming 11th (Lego Indiana Jones on June 6) and 12th (a TBA action title later) games featuring Dr. Jones. Ahhhhh but they left one out!!! Neener-neener this is why I posted it, to make myself look smart! Midscape released "Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom" for Commodore 64 in 1984 — and it deliberately did not include an instruction manual. "No one told Indiana Jones the rules. And no one will tell you."

It was a puzzle game, and definitely not rendered with the kind of appeal the Lego games have. Death consisted largely of being hit by a bird or falling from a great height, then running off the screen in a panic as a funeral dirge played. It was hard and stupid. But because it was Indiana Jones, I felt compelled to play it.

That hooks back into my feeling about Crystal Skull. I was gonna see it no matter how badly it was reviewed, and pretty much everyone except Roger Ebert put a butt-hurting on it. I felt very much like I did during the Star Wars Prequels. After coming out of Attack of the Clones, I told a friend: "George Lucas has created a new moviegoing experience. The Joyless Obligation." And now it's infiltrated the Indiana Jones franchise.

Hey, we're not the only ones. Sex and the City fans probably know what I'm talking about after this weekend, too.

Indiana Jones and the History of his Video Games [British Gaming Blog]

Postal's Box Office mystery [The Cut Scene]

What we did find more interesting than the deep insight into Chun-Li's pores was the (potentially spoiler-ish) jewelry she's rocking.

Spinning bird necklace?! It would appear so. We can't wait for the pausable DVD Blu-ray release fun that awaits us on our lonelier nights.

Get your copy of the pic at the link below.

Kristin Kreuk as Chun Li from SF movie [Capcom Blog]

Still, I gotta wonder how they're going to make a movie out of this. As I recall, there wasn't much in the way of a plot to develop: Prince fights off menacing dude with scimitar, Prince leaps from one vertiginous ledge to another, Prince gulps down life-saving potion, Prince fights off two menacing dudes with scimitars at the same time... Apparently the big-screen version is going to introduce a quest for "a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world," which sounds a little more like a compelling narrative.

I want to believe it was written tongue-in-cheek, but then a later post by the author on a viral Indiana Jones Lego video fails to mention what happens when you type "Lego Indiana Jones" into google. I understand that gaming can be a whole other world to the uninitiated, but this is just ridiculous.

Who's looking forward to the 'Prince of Persia' movie? [EW Popwatch Blog - Thanks Mickey!]

The publisher has deals in place with developers Factor 5 and Game Republic to work on unannounced movie tie-ins and the publisher is behind a Saw video game, but we have to be worried for Brash's fate. Alvin & the Chipmunks reportedly sold well to the shovelware buying crowd, but it appears that Jumper: Griffin's Story only sold 16,000 copies. Ouch.

Changes at the top of Brash; Jumper sold 16,000 units [The Cut Scene]

Mike Newell is directing the Prince of Persia film based on the 2003 entry, with shooting planned to kick off this Summer. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this story is that I knew how to correctly spell "Gyllenhaal," something I would have preferred to look up rather than dedicate memory to.

Jake Gyllenhaal crowned 'Prince of Persia' [The Hollywood Reporter]

Directed by much-derided shlockmeister Uwe Boll, 'Postal' stars Zack Ward as a misfit who sets out to rob his local amusement park while getting mixed-up with a faction of the Taliban. Barely released in U.S. cinemas last year, the film grossed less than $5 million at the box office domestically.

To all of you writing now about me and the fact that POSTAL is not getting screens.its okay ..its fun kicking a guy nonstop who is on the ground you are all not getting it that i'm the guy who made it against the big hollywood system and you are all only busy to destroy me and finish me up and then you YOU WON WHAT ? the attention of the studios, michael bay .. ????? if you damage me you feel closer to Hollywood ? what is your game plan?

The Official Postal Movie Site [Official Site via GameSpot]

I think right in the Internet world there is a more interesting strategy I could go with. I have the rights to [Wii game] Zombie Massacre, and maybe we should do that movie with all the gamers and Boll haters, and people who signed that petition anti-Boll, or pro-Boll, we all meet in a big, small city — somewhere in the Midwest. And we all shoot Zombie Massacre together; they all play zombies, and they're there and can give me advice if they think they can do it better than me.

The survey, which also looked at R-rated movies, DVDs and "Parental Advisory"-labeled music, found that video games had the best enforcement rate.

The FTC also broke out its statistics by retailer. GameStop topped the list with a 94 percent enforcement rate, while Hollywood Video came in last with 60 percent enforcement.

The FTC announced its results just as Republican representative Lee Terry and Democratic representative Jim Matheson introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to reinforce Entertainment Software Ratings Board ratings at retail with $5000 fines for violators.

According to the FTC's study, ratings enforcement at retail has increased steadily since 2000, when 80% of its undercover shoppers successfully purchased M-rated games.

The ESRB conducts its own secret-shopper studies using the same surveyors as the FTC. Its most recent survey in November 2007 found 76 percent compliance with store policies.

"Video game retailers have clearly stepped up their efforts to enforce their store policies, and they deserve recognition for these outstanding results," said ESRB president Patricia Vance, in a statement released today. "We commend and applaud retailers for their strong support of the ESRB ratings, and will continue working with them to help ensure that these levels of compliance are sustained if not further increased."

Undercover Shoppers Find it's Increasingly Difficult for Children to Buy M-Rated Games [Federal Trade Commission

"Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we have been looking for ways to return the favor," said Gary Osifchin, Stride North American Marketing Director. "And what better way is there to get gamers' backs than by helping them rescue their cherished videogames from the clutches of Uwe Boll?"

The Makers of Stride, The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum(R), Offer A Total of One Million Packs of Gum to Signers of the Anti-Uwe Boll Petition*

PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 7 /PRNewswire/ — In an effort to protect the childhood dreams of millions of video gamers everywhere, the makers of Stride gum announced today that they are launching a special campaign supporting the efforts of StopUweBoll.org in their attempt to convince famed film director Uwe Boll to stop making video game-based films.

For years, Boll has piqued the ire of the gaming community by adapting many of their favorite games into universally panned films (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/uwe_boll/). On April 4, 2008, Boll remarked to legendary horror site FearNet that he'd consider acquiescing to his critics and abandoning making films in this genre if an online petition reached one million signatures. As of press time, the petition is just about 234,000 names, which is why Stride has decided to jump in.

"Since gamers are one of our most supportive groups, we have been looking for ways to return the favor," said Gary Osifchin, Stride North American Marketing Director. "And what better way is there to get gamers' backs than by helping them rescue their cherished videogames from the clutches of Uwe Boll?"

In an effort to help boost signings, the makers of Stride have put out a special bounty. If the petition reaches the required 1 million signatures by May 14 at 5pm EDT, each signer will receive a digital coupon* for a pack of gum, downloadable on May 23, 2008, a day that could really use some long-lasting refreshment, particularly as it will see the debut of his latest videogame-based film.

"Look, it's nothing personal against the guy. Maybe his non videogame-based films are unbelievable! But we have seen such intense passion for this cause that we couldn't help but get involved," said Osifchin. "Let the signing continue."

* Stride will provide a downloadable coupon (good for one pack of gum) to each petition signer that will be downloadable on May 23, 2008, if the target of one million signatures is reached between May 7 and 14, 2008. Additional details will be forthcoming.

Coincidentally, I just had a half-Thai lunch! A full sized pic on Ms. Sunee, played by actress Moon Bloodgood, which I wish was my name, is over at the official site.

Swingin' In The Rain [Street Fighter Movie Blog]

'Iron Man' Blasts Off [Box Office Mojo]

Velvet Octopus has a five-pic deal with producer Ash Shah, which includes two more 3-D projects, both CGI animated — "Outback," the story of a white koala bear, and "The Legend of Spyro," a spin-off from the best-selling video game.

Lichtenstein to direct 3-D action pic [Variety]

However, the best reference is also the most subtle. In the first five minutes of the movie, after Jason wakes up from his dream, you can see a Dreamcast on the left hand corner of the screen underneath his TV.

THQ to Bring New Line Cinema's Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D to Nintendo DS™ Handheld Gamers Will Be Able to Experience the Adventure of Upcoming Film This Summer

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that Journey to the Center of the Earth™ is currently in development for Nintendo DS™. Based on Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D, the highly anticipated 3-D film from New Line Cinema starring Brendan Fraser, the video game is scheduled for simultaneous release with the film this summer. The film, which is the first ever digital 3-D live action release, will open in theatres nationwide on July 11.

In Journey to the Center of the Earth, players can relive the excitement from the film as they ride a dangerous rock slide, navigate an out-of-control mine cart, raft across an ancient sea and survive from being chased by a Gigantosaurus. Utilizing the unique controls of Nintendo DS to play as all three main characters from the movie, Trevor, Sean and Hannah, gameplay will take place throughout seven worlds from the film.

Plus, THQ has expanded upon these worlds even more, allowing players to explore the "Center of the Earth" beyond what audiences can see in the film. Players will also enjoy mini-games where they will dig for dinosaur bones and decipher ancient ruins.

An exciting adventure based on the classic Jules Verne novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D stars Brendan Fraser (Crash, The Mummy) as a science professor whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the academic community. But on an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey deep beneath the Earth's surface, where they travel through never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures. Journey 3-D is directed by Academy Award-winning visual effects veteran Eric Brevig (Total Recall, Pearl Harbor). The film is a co-venture between New Line Cinema and Walden Media.

For more information on Journey to the Center of the Earth, as well as additional THQ titles, please visit www.playthq.com.

The official web site for New Line Cinema's Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D is www.journey3dmovie.com.

The author of the movie blog also mentions that "I've seen the man in full costume and makeup and I promise you this- the dude is damn near unrecognizable." A full sized shot of the Hollywood take on Gen provides even more martial art muscle rippling detail.

Week 2 [Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li]

I got in contact with Paul Sams of Blizzard, and he said, 'We will not sell the movie rights, not to you...especially not to you. Because it's such a big online game success, maybe a bad movie would destroy that ongoing income, what the company has with it."