Gaming In The Age Of The Internet: Is Online Playing Better Than Offline?

Many games today require players to be online to play, meaning we are playing less and less in the real world, which is shifted what is considered a “good game”. With increasing emphasis on skill-based gaming, would it be better for all of us if we were mostly playing offline?

The Internet: Social and Economic Impact

We use the Internet for social networking, shopping, and learning new information. What are the social and economic implications of the Internet?

The Internet’s effects on social interactions have been profound. With Facebook and Twitter, people can connect through online platforms. Social platforms have allowed people to develop closer relationships than before.

Additionally, it has allowed people to communicate with people from all over the world. Also, people learn about different cultures and exchange ideas.

Online Gaming in the Age Of The Internet

The Internet has revolutionised the way individuals interact. With each other, it’s changed the way we play games. The convenience of connecting with friends and opponents worldwide has made online gaming a top choice.

Is online gaming better than offline? In this article, we’ll explore both modes of play.

The Internet has revolutionised the way people play casino games. Now, anyone can access various online casinos from their home or office.

Therefore, this is excellent news for anyone who wants to enjoy a good game of craps or slots without leaving the comfort of their own home.

https://topcasinosearch.com make it easy to find the perfect online casino for your needs. You can also compare online casinos based on their features, payout rates, and customer service.

Are There Any Benefits to Playing Offline?

Offline gaming has not lost its appeal. There are a few advantages to playing games offline that can’t be found online, no matter how good the online experience may be. Offline gaming is more immersive because you are the only one in control of your game.

You are free to travel anywhere and engage want without fear of being disturbed. Your opponents are also nowhere near as distracting as other online players.

In addition, offline gaming allows you to take breaks when needed, rather than constantly checking your phone or computer for new messages or updates.

Finally, The physical act of pressing buttons on a game controller has a unique quality and an unrepeatable standard of excellence online. Whether or not these advantages outweigh the disadvantages is up to each gamer to decide.

Conclusion

There is no denying how popular gaming is an integral part of our lives, whether playing for fun or competition. There are many games available to play online, and it can be hard to determine which ones are the best for us.

However, playing offline may be the way to go if you want a more challenging experience.

Taking the time to get lost in a game offline can give you a sense of accomplishment that is difficult to find online.

So whatever your gaming goals may be, make sure you take the time to experiment with several games and see which suits you the most.

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Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: age, gaming, internet, offline, online, playing, ...

Enter to Win a Copy of “The Croods: A New Age” 4K Blu-ray Combo Pack!

To celebrate the 4K Blu-ray Combo Pack release for “The Croods: A New Age”, Media Mikes would like to give our fans a chance to to win one 4K Blu-ray combo pack. If you want to win this great prize, please leave a comment below or email us with your favorite Croods character. This giveaway will remain open until February 26th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

DreamWorks Animation presents THE CROODS: A NEW AGE, a colorful story, brimming with heart and hilarious moments, that is guaranteed repeat viewing for the whole family. Join Grug, Eep, Guy and the rest of the Croods as they face off against the more-evolved Bettermans, releasing on Digital February 9, 2021 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray™ and DVD February 23, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Keep the adventure going with THE CROODS: A NEW AGE and go beyond the film with two exclusive animated shorts, a gag reel, deleted scenes and activities the whole family can enjoy together, this fun and entertaining adventure is the must-own family movie of the new year!

Join the animated family comedy adventure of the year that is brought to life with a star-studded cast, including Ryan Reynolds (Free Guy, Deadpool),  Emma Stone (La La Land, The Amazing Spider-Man), Nicolas Cage (Face/Off), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: Episode VIII) and Leslie Mann (Blocked, Knocked Up). THE CROODS: A NEW AGE is directed by Joel Crawford (Trolls Holiday) and produced by Mark Swift (Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Captain Underpants, Penguins of Madagascar).

The first prehistoric family is ready for another rocking adventure! The Croods have survived fanged beasts, natural disasters, and even young love, but now they must face their biggest challenge yet: another family! In search of a new home, the Croods discover a walled-in paradise created by the sophisticated Betterman family (emphasis on the “better”). As they try to coexist, the differences between the two families escalate into a full-blown feud, but when a new threat forces both families to embark on an epic adventure, they must all learn to work together…or they’ll all go extinct!
BONUS FEATURES ON 4K Ultra Hd, BLU-RAYTM, DVD and digital:

  • DEAR DIARY: WORLD’S FIRST PRANKS – In this exclusive original short film, Eep reveals how a comical accident led her and Dawn to discover the joys of tricking their families and set about performing “the world’s first pranks”
  • FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: LITTLE RED BRONANA BREAD – In another exclusive original short, join the Croods as they settle down for a very prehistoric family movie night experience. With shadowy figures around every corner, Eep must keep Gran and her delicious Bronana Bread safe from punch monkeys.
  • GAG REEL
  • TO: GERARD – In this original DreamWorks animated short, an elderly man brightens the day of a little girl through magic.
  • DELETED SCENES
  • THE CROODS’ FAMILY ALBUM – Meet the actors who portray the Croods and their new cast members, the Bettermans. What makes them tick, how do they resemble their characters and what lessons have they learned from making the film.
  • THE EVOLUTION OF… – In this fun making of, we hear from the filmmakers and stars of THE CROODS: A NEW AGE about the evolution of the Croods franchise.
  • HOW TO DRAW: CAVEMAN STYLE – Join one of DreamWorks talented illustrators inside the cave as they demonstrate how to draw our favorite characters.
  • FAMILEAF ALBUM – Inspired by the prehistoric family album given to guy by the Betterman’s, we create a fun video showing you how to make your own using real leaves or green construction paper for pages and string (or even dental floss!) to hold it all together.
  • STONE AGE ATTACK – A three-part featurette highlighting fun, easy to make recipes that kids and parents can make together.

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Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: 4k, age, bluray, combo, copy, croods, ...

Hackers, Army of Darkness to Be Released on Vinyl & Mortal Kombat, the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, to Be Released as Picture Discs on Record Store Day 2020 from Varèse Sarabande Records

(Los Angeles, CA, March 9, 2020) — As part of Record Store Day 2020, Varèse Sarabande Records will release five amazing soundtrack LPs: Hackers and Army of Darkness will be available as double LPs and Mortal Kombat and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance get the picture disc treatment, (Age of Resistance in two different variants), on April 18, 2020, at thousands of independent record stores. A list of participating stores can be found at recordstoreday.com and for more info about these special LPs visit VareseSarabande.com.

HACKERS – Various Artists (Double LP)
On vinyl for the first time, the definitive soundtrack to the film Hackers is being released in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the film. The double LP features never-before-released tracks including “Hackers Suite” performed by composer Simon Boswell, as well as two pieces by Guy Pratt, “One Combination” and “Grand Central Station” featuring David Gilmour.

“This was such a fun thing to do, had to quickly knock it up at home and then David swung by and did his inimitable thing in one take.” – Guy Pratt

Additionally, tracks that were not on the original soundtrack release in 1995, including “Protection” by Massive Attack, and “Open Up” by Leftfield, are part of this special album edition. The commemorative package includes two black vinyl LPs in a gatefold, new notes from director Iain Softley, and unreleased photos of the cast.

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Halcyon and On and On” Performed by Orbital
  2. “Hackers Suite” Performed by Simon Boswell
  3. “Open Up” Performed by Leftfield

Side B

  1. “Cowgirl” Performed by Underworld
  2. “Voodoo People” Performed by Prodigy
  3. “Connected” Performed by Stereo MC’s

Side C

  1. “Original Bedroom Rockers” Performed by Kruder & Dorfmeister
  2. “One Love” Performed by The Prodigy
  3. “Good Grief” Performed by Urban Dance Squad

Side D

  1. “Protection” Performed by Massive Attack
  2. “One Combination” Performed by Guy Pratt
  3. “Grand Central Station” Performed by Guy Pratt, featuring David Gilmour
  4. “Heaven Knows” Performed by Squeeze

ARMY OF DARKNESS – Joe LoDuca (Double LP)
This double LP soundtrack for Sam Raimi’s 1990’s classic Army of Darkness film (a continuation of Raimi’s Evil Dead series, which also starred Bruce Campbell as Ash) features the original cover graphics with new notes and images, and a newly remastered score by composer Joe LoDuca. Years later, LoDuca continued to score Evil Dead projects through the Starz series, Ash vs The Evil Dead. The latter series ran from 2015 – 2018. Army of Darkness is musically distinct, however, in having a secondary contributing composer: Danny Elfman’s (Batman, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, The Simpsons) killer theme “March of the Dead.”

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Prologue”
  2. “Building The Deathcoaster”
  3. “Give Me Some Sugar / Bone’Anza”
  4. “Time Traveller”
  5. “Ash Splits”

Side B

  1. “Little Ashes”
  2. “Ash In Chains”
  3. “Night Court”
  4. “The Forest Of The Dead / Graveyard”
  5. “The Pit”

Side C

  1. “God Save Us”
  2. “Foul Thing”
  3. “March Of The Dead” Theme Composed by Danny Elfman
  4. “Whites Of Their Skulls”
  5. “The Deathcoaster”
  6. “On Parapet”

Side D

  1. “Ash Bucklers”
  2. “Skeletor”
  3. “Soul Swallower”
  4. “Manly Men”
  5. “End Titles”

MORTAL KOMBAT – George S. Clinton (Picture Disc)
Originally released on CD only in 1995 and currently unavailable in any physical format, this score to the first film ever developed for the massive gaming franchise will get the LP treatment in conjunction with the film’s 25th anniversary. Side A of this two-sided picture disc features the iconic Mortal Kombat logo, while Side B features Goro, a fan favorite from the game and film who is generally considered by gamers to be one of the most memorable and difficult bosses in gaming culture. In fact, the four-armed fighter did not lose a battle for 500 years before a first-ever loss to Mortal Kombat hero, Johnny Cage. The music was composed by George S. Clinton with a heavy assist from the guitarist, Buckethead (Guns N’ Roses, Primus), who appears on 10 of the 26 tracks.

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Taste Of Things To Come”
  2. “Liu Vs. Sub-Zero”
  3. “It Has Begun”
  4. “The Garden” featuring Buckethead
  5. “Goro Vs. Art” featuring Buckethead
  6. “Banquet”
  7. “Liu Vs. Katana”
  8. “Liu’s Dream” featuring Buckethead
  9. “Liu Vs. Reptile” featuring Buckethead
  10. “Stairway”
  11. “Goro Goro”
  12. “Kidnapped”
  13. “Zooom”
  14. “Johnny Vs. Scorpion” featuring Buckethead

Side B

  1. “Hand And Shadow” featuring Buckethead
  2. “Scorpion And Sub-Zero” featuring Buckethead
  3. “Soul Snatchin’”
  4. “On The Beach”
  5. “Johnny Cage” featuring Buckethead
  6. “Goro Chase” featuring Buckethead
  7. “Evening Bells”
  8. “Monks”
  9. “Friends”
  10. “Flawless Victory” featuring Buckethead
  11. “Farewell”
  12. “Kids”

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE, The Aureyal & The Crystal Chamber – Daniel Pemberton, Samuel Sim (Picture Discs)
Two truly special picture disc editions featuring imagery unavailable anywhere else! The Aureyal, a symbol representing the unity of the seven Gelfling Clans, presents itself in the visions of various important Gelfling characters and is formally identified as “the sigil of great power” by skekGra the Heretic. The Aureyal picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 1 CD and digital release. The Crystal Chamber disc depicts the floor of the Dark Crystal’s chamber; a circle of 18 arcane symbols, one for each of the urSkeks that came to Thra during the first Great Conjunction. The Crystal Chamber picture disc is complemented on the other side with the cover art from the Volume 2 CD and digital release. Consumers should note that the track selections on the two picture discs are completely different. Although available for individual purchase, they are thematically a set.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a 10-episode prequel to the groundbreaking 1982 fan-favorite The Dark Crystal, and stars Taron Egerton, Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham-Carter, Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander and Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe. The show’s composer Daniel Pemberton reveals, “I wanted the music to be as magical as Thra itself – organic, imperfect, strange, mystical, otherworldly and wonderful. I wanted to create new sounds that felt like they came from the world itself, as well as using thematic largescale orchestral elements to bring an emotion to the journey of the characters.”

The Aureyal Picture Disc

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “Dzenpo!” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “Remember Your Oath” – Samuel Sim
  3. “Puppet Show” – Samuel Sim, Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Song Of Thra” – Daniel Pemberton
  5. “The Skeksis Arrive” – Samuel Sim
  6. “Outcast” – Daniel Pemberton
  7. “Outside Podling Wayhouse” – Daniel Pemberton

Side B

  1. “An Old Story” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “The Three Brothers Rise” – Daniel Pemberton
  3. “Attack Of The Arathim” – Samuel Sim, Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Our Sister Is Gone” – Samuel Sim
  5. “The Dark Crystal: End Credits” – Daniel Pemberton
  6. “The Dark Crystal: The Age Of Hope” – Daniel Pemberton

The Crystal Chamber Picture Disc

TRACK LISTINGS
Side A

  1. “The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “Another World, Another Time” – Daniel Pemberton
  3. “Story Of The Dark Crystal” – Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Rian + Mira Dreamfast” – Daniel Pemberton
  5. “Aughra Awakes” – Daniel Pemberton
  6. “The Crystal Chamber” – Daniel Pemberton
  7. “Essence Draining” – Daniel Pemberton

Side B

  1. “What Lies At The Dream’s End” – Daniel Pemberton
  2. “Together We Fight” – Daniel Pemberton
  3. “The Blue Flames Part 1” – Daniel Pemberton
  4. “Deet In The Woods” – Samuel Sim
  5. “Speak For The Dead” – Daniel Pemberton
  6. “Brea And The Library” – Samuel Sim
  7. “Her Light Faded” – Daniel Pemberton

#

ABOUT VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS
Founded in 1978, Varèse Sarabande is the most prolific producer of film music in the world, releasing the highest quality soundtracks from the world’s greatest composers. From current box office hits and top television series to the classics of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Varèse Sarabande’s catalog includes albums from practically every composer in every era, covering all of film history; from Bernard Herrmann, Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith to Alexandre Desplat, Michael Giacchino and Brian Tyler. Varèse Sarabande is a part of Concord.

Follow: twitter.com/varesesarabande
Watch: youtube.com/varesesarabande
Listen: open.spotify.com/user/varesesarabanderecords
Like: facebook.com/varesesarabanderecords
Buy: varesesarabande.com

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: 2020, age, army, crystal, dark, darkness, ...

CD Review: Bad Religion “Age of Unreason”

“Age of Unreason”

Bad Religion

Epitaph

Producer: Carlos de la Garza

Tracks: 14

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Punk Rock God Fathers Bad Religion have just released their seventeenth studio album titled “Age of Unreason” The album is being released vie Epitaph Records and features 14 brand new tracks which were produced by Carlos de la Garza. This is the bands first release since 2013’s “True North” marking the longest gap between albums in the bands history.  “Age of Reason” is also the first album to feature guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller.

Bad Religion is a band that holds a special place in my musical heart as they were one of the first punk bands me and my friends really got into. 1994’s “Stranger Than Fiction” was often the soundtrack to our skateboard adventures as were many of the bands subsequent releases. Needless to say the bands activity has been on my radar for quite some time so when it was finally announced that “Age of Reason” was going to be released after a seven year recording hiatus the album quickly moved to the top of my listening queue. Tracks such as “My Sanity”, “The Age of Reason” and “The Old Regime” are classic BR through in through as all three feature the bands signature fast paced drumming, intermittent guitar soloing  topped off by vocalist Greg Graffin’s thought provoking lyrics. Songs such as “Lose Your Head”, “Candidate” and “Downfall” show the band stretching their legs a little bit as they experiment with a variety of beats and tones giving the album a nice balance of familiarity and freshness.
 
From beginning to end I found Bad Religion’s “Age of Reason” to be a fun and energetic listen. Even after a couple of consecutive listens  I still found myself going back and listening to some of the previously noted tracks as I just couldn’t get enough. Does the release have the rawness of albums like “Suffer” or “No Control”?  Not so much. However, the band, its fans and the world as a whole are in a completely different place than they were in the late eighties and early nineties. “Age of Reason” is classic Bad Religion with a modern twist which listeners new both new and old will enjoy time and time again.

TRACK LISTING

1.) Chaos From Within

2.) My Sanity

3.) Do The Paranoid Style

4.) The Approach

5.) Lose Your Head

6.) End of History

7.) The Age of Unreason

8.) Candidate

9.) Faces of Grief

10.) Old Regime

11.) Big Black Dog

12.) Downfall

13.) Since Now

14.) What Tomorrow Brings

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Filed Under: Concert Reviews, Music Tagged With: age, bad, cd, religion, review, unreason, ...

Queens Of The Stone Age Take You On A Haunted House Ride With Their Video For “Head Like A Haunted House”

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE TAKE YOU ON A HAUNTED HOUSE RIDE
NIGHTMARISH NEW VIDEO “HEAD LIKE A HAUNTED HOUSE” CREATED, DIRECTED AND ART DIRECTION BY LIAM LYNCH

VILLAINS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR RESUMES WITH SOLD OUT MARCH 21 & 22 SAN DIEGO SHOWS

Step right up and take a trip through the eerie and macabre with Queens of the Stone Age as your tour guide —in their latest video, that is. The band has unveiled the latest creation for their “mile-a-minute Cramps-style rave-up” (UPROXX) “Head Like A Haunted House,” off their Grammy-nominated seventh album Villains (Matador).

Created, directed and art direction by frequent collaborator Liam Lynch, the video is a ghastly animated carnival ride through your worst fever-induced nightmares. Accompanied by disembodied hands, UFOs, smoldering hellscapes and grooving skeletons, Joshua Homme leads the way as he and his pack of mischief-makers sail through the nighttime sky on what else but flying coffins. Step right this way, if you dare:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9byydi6cns

After a triumphant South American jaunt with brothers in arms Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age will make their return to the US later this month with stops including Austin (Austin360 Amphitheater) and Irving (The Pavillion at the Irving Music Factory) as well as Miami’s Bayfront Park Amphitheater, but not before kicking it all off with two sold out nights at San Diego’s Observatory North Park. Tickets are flying like bats out of hell, grab them now while you still can: http://www.qotsa.com

In addition to the slew of upcoming North American and European dates, Queens of the Stone Age will be headlining this summer at London’s Finsbury Park on June 30th—and they’re bringing friends. The band has curated a special lineup with guests including Iggy Pop, Run The Jewels, The Hives, Brody Dalle, and more.

See below for a full list of dates and visit http://www.qotsa.com for more info.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
VILLAINS TOUR 2018
03/21/18 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park SOLD OUT
03/22/18 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park SOLD OUT
03/23/18 – Tempe, AZ – Innings Festival
03/25/18 – Houston, TX – In Bloom Music Festival
03/28/18 – Honolulu, HI – The Republik SOLD OUT
03/29/18 – Honolulu, HI – The Republik
04/20-21/18 – Monterrey, MX – Pal Norte Festival
04/24/18 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater *
04/25/18 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at the Irving Music Factory *
04/26/18 – Shreveport, LA – Municipal Auditorium *
04/27/18 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre * SOLD OUT
04/29/18 – Jacksonville, FL – Welcome to Rockville
05/01/18 – Miami, FL – Bayfront Park Amphitheater *
05/02/18 – Saint Petersburg, FL – Mahaffey Theater * SOLD OUT
05/04/18 – Memphis, TN – Beale Street Music Festival
05/05/18 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival
05/06/18 – Concord, NC – Carolina Rebellion
05/17/18 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome +
05/18/18 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place +
05/20/18 – Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS Place +
05/22/18 – Madison, WI – Breese Stevens Field +
05/24/18 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens +
05/25/18 – Rochester, NY – Rochester Dome Arena +
05/26/18 — Boston, MA – Boston Calling
06/08/18 – Aarhus, Denmark – Northside Festival
06/09/18 – Gothenburg, SE – Liseberg
06/10/18 – Stockholm, SE – Gröna Lund
06/12/18 – Bergen, Norway – Bergenfest
06/15/18 – Luxembourg – Rockhal
06/16/18 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Open Air Im Kulturpark
06/19/18 – Warsaw, Poland – Torwar Arena
06/20/18 – Prague, Czech Republic – Forum Karlin
06/21/18 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Park Open Air
06/23/18 – Lucca, Italy – Lucca Summer Festival 2018
06/24/18 – Monza, Italy – I-Days Festival
06/25/18 – Zagreb, Croatia – Inmusic Festival
06/28/18 – Dresden, Germany – Elbufer
06/29/18 – Beuningen, NL – Down the Rabbit Hole
06/30/18 – London, UK – Finsbury Park
07/05/18 – Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter
07/06/18 – Arras, France – Main Square Festival
07/07/18 – Belfort, France – Eurockeennes Festival
07/13/18 – Lisbon, Portugal – Nos Alive
07/14/18 – Madrid, Spain – Mad Cool
08/18/18 — Tokyo, Japan – Summer Sonic

+ Royal Blood supports
* w/ Wolf Alice

 

Related Content

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: age, haunted, house, queens, ride, stone, ...

Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes Heading to Orlando!

MARVEL UNIVERSE LIVE! NEW SHOW, AGE OF HEROES, FEATURES GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AND MORE THAN 20 FAVORITE MARVEL SUPER HEROES AND VILLAINS

hero action, thrills and drama will soar, smash and burst into arenas across the country starting this summer with the debut of Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes. The iconic Marvel Super Heroes Spider-Man and The Avengers are joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, Rocket and Drax, in a legendary battle to defend the universe from evil.

 

Called on by Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy join Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes on a momentous crusade against the scheming Nebula who teams up with the conniving and loathsome villains Loki and Green Goblin. The incredible superhuman forces of Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk and Black Widow will unite in clashes that pit student against mentor, sister against sister and brother against brother.

Immersive video projection and cutting-edge special effects will captivate and transport audiences across the universe from the fantastical Savage Land to New York City and beyond. Spider-Man and Wasp’s dynamic aerial stunts along with Captain America’s daring motorcycle skills will be on display in the ultimate race against time to save mankind.

 

Tickets for Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes start from $15. Market pricing applies to all tickets. Rates can fluctuate based on factors that affect supply and demand. Lock in your price and location today! Orlando Show Times:  Friday, January 12, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 13, 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, January 14, 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.; Monday, January 15 (MLK Day), 1:00 p.m.

Venue: Amway Center, 400 W Church St #200, Orlando, FL 32801
All seats are reserved. Tickets are available at www.marveluniverselive.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745- 3000, or at the Amway Center box office (phone for information only: 407-440- 7900). For group ticket sales and information, call 866-248- 8740.

To discover more about Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes, go to www.marveluniverselive.com

 

About Feld Entertainment

Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that uplift the human spirit and bring people together. With 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment’s productions have appeared in more than 75 countries and on six continents to date and include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE! and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®. More information about Feld Entertainment is available online at www.feldentertainment.com.

 

About Marvel Entertainment, LLC

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s

most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000

characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in

entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit http://www.marvel.com/. © 2017 MARVEL

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Filed Under: Art/Theatre Tagged With: age, heading, heroes, live, marvel, orlando, ...

Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album “Villians”

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE “VILLAINS”
OUT AUGUST 25 ON MATADOR RECORDS
Preorders Live Now Including Instant Grat First Single “The Way You Used To Do”
North American Tour Dates Announced—Including Headline
Stops At Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks & More
Tickets On Sale To The Public June 22
Face The Truth At http://www.qotsa.com

“The title Villains isn’t a political statement. It has nothing to do with Trump or any of that shit. It’s simply 1) a word that looks fantastic and 2) a comment on the three versions of every scenario: yours, mine and what actually happened… Everyone needs someone or something to rail against—their villain—same as it ever was. You can’t control that. The only thing you can really control is when you let go.”—Joshua Homme

Hundreds of epic shows, memory lapses, unexplained injuries, one yearlong detour with Iggy Pop and multiple Grammy nominations later, Queens Of The Stone Age reemerge from the desert newly scarred and somehow strangely prettier with lucky seventh album, Villains, out August 25 on Matador Records. Now available for preorder on deluxe vinyl, standard vinyl, CD and digital (all formats include an instant download of first single “The Way You Used To Do”), Villains consists of the following songs:

1. Feet Don’t Fail Me
2. The Way You Used To Do
3. Domesticated Animals
4. Fortress
5. Head Like A Haunted House
6. Un-Reborn Again
7. Hideaway
8. The Evil Has Landed
9. Villains Of Circumstance

Produced by Mark Ronson and co-produced by Mark Rankin and mixed by Alan Moulder, Villains is the first full album offering from Queens Of The Stone Age since 2013’s …Like Clockwork gave the band its first #1 album in the U.S. (and #1s in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, #2s in the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, Finland… but really, who’s counting?). Like the stunning artwork of returning illustrator Boneface, the sonic signatures of the lineup that took …Like Clockwork around the world and back—Founder/guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar, keys), Michael Shuman (bass), Dean Fertita (keys, guitar), Jon Theodore (drums)—are as unmistakable as ever, though coexisting with sufficient new twists to induce recurring double takes. As Homme himself puts it, “The most important aspect of making this record was redefining our sound, asking and answering the question ‘what do we sound like now?’ If you can’t make a great first record, you should just stop—but if you can make a great record but you keep making records and your sound doesn’t evolve, you become a parody of that original sound.”

Of his role working within such a closed and confident ecosystem as Queens Of The Stone Age, Ronson says, “Queens are and have always been my favorite rock n roll band ever since I walked into Tower on Sunset and bought Rated R in the summer of 2000, so it was incredibly surreal to be welcomed into their secret, pirate clan—or the ‘jacuzzi’ as Josh likes to call it. I also knew that my super fandom alone would not keep me in the jacuzzi. There were moments during the making of the album in which i was aware i was watching my musical heroes craft something that was sure to become one of my favorite moments on any Queens album. And to have some part in that felt like being in a dream–a very heavy, dark, wonderful dream.”

Longtime Queens cohort co-producer Mark Rankin added, “After the baptism of fire that was …Like Clockwork, I was excited to get into the studio again with the challenge of pushing the sound for this record, especially with the the addition of Ronson into the creative mix. We wanted to evolve the production to be processed in a modern way yet be totally organic and still performed fully live, like lifting a veil and what you thought was electronic is actually live and things are not as they first appear… What we’ve made is forward looking yet unmistakably Queens.”

Queens Of The Stone Age have also confirmed a slew of North American dates filling in the space between and beyond their previously announced appearances at Outside Lands and Riot Fest. The new shows, which include Queens’ first ever Madison Square Garden headline, are detailed below. For tour dates and tickets, head over to http://smarturl.it/QOTSALive.

For further information, keep an eye on Queens Of The Stone Age sites and socials and just let go.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
“VILLAINS” North American Tour
with Special Guests ROYAL BLOOD (Sept. 6 through Oct. 24 Headline Dates)

June 22 — Rapids Theater — Niagara Falls, NY
June 24 — Amnesia Rockfest 2017 — Montebello, QC
August 10 – Majestic Ventura Theater – Ventura, CA
August 12 – Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
September 6 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
September 7 – Festival Pier – Philadelphia, PA
September 9 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
September 10 – 20 Monroe Live – Grand Rapids, MI
September 12 – Express Live! Outdoor Pavilion – Columbus, OH
September 13 – Stage AE (Outdoors) – Pittsburgh, PA
September 15 – Agora Theater – Cleveland, OH
September 16 – Riot Fest – Chicago, IL
October 9 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
October 10 – Red Rocks – Morrison, CO
October 12 – Peabody – St. Louis, MO
October 13 – Crossroads KC – Kansas City, MO
October 14 – Roy Wilkins Auditorium – Saint Paul, MN
October 15 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
October 17 – Fox Theatre – Detroit, MI
October 18 – Old National Centre – Murat Theatre – Indianapolis, IN
October 20 – TBC – Washington, DC
October 21 – Agganis Arena – Boston, MA
October 22 – State Theatre – Portland, ME
October 24 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Photo: Andreas Neumann

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: age, album, announce, queens, stone, villians, ...

Members of White Zombie, Queens Of The Stone Age, Primus, Ministry and More Expose Truths in New Tell-All Documentary About 90’s Alternative Rock

UNDERGROUND INC.: The Unsung Story of Alternative Rock
 
Members of White Zombie, Queens Of The Stone Age, Primus, Ministry and More Expose Truths in New Tell-All Documentary About 90’s Alternative Rock
 
Watch the Official Film Trailer Here
 
Make UNDERGROUND INC. a Reality by Supporting via Kickstarter
It was the early 90’s – seemingly out of nowhere, a little grunge band called Nirvana began outselling massive commercial artists like Michael Jackson. This immediately caught the attention of the giant record companies. These small underground bands branded as ‘alternative’ or ‘post-punk’, went from being inconsequential to being potential behemoths in record sales – and the hunt began.
 
Hungrily sweeping for the next Nirvana, a buying frenzy ensued as small indie labels were bought out by the commercial labels on a never before seen scale. A&R execs would see random alt-rock bands perform in a bar and appear after their set offering unheard of financial offers and immediate global exposure. It seemed these band members were set for life – so what happened?
 
Verity is revealed in UNDERGROUND INC.: The Unsung Story of Alternative Rock, an upcoming documentary destined to be the ultimate look at the alternative punk and metal scene in the 90’s, and a must see for serious music lovers. Told by the artists who pioneered a sonic subculture, this feature-length documentary tells the real story of the 90’s – exposing viewers to an amazing catalog of the era’s rarities and buried treasures, while re-living the struggles, triumphs and tragedies, as well as the debauchery. UNDERGROUND INC. will dig beneath the manufactured truth to explore what really happened, exploring a time unlike any other in the music industry!
 
UNDERGROUND INC. features interviews with members of seminal 90’s rock, punk and metal groups such as White Zombie, Queens Of The Stone Age, Primus, Bad Religion, Stone Sour, Clutch, Red Fang, Failure, Ministry, Quicksand, Helmet, Steve Albini, Sepultura and dozens more. Viewers are getting an in-depth, raw look at the scene from musicians who were at the forefront.
 
 
UNDERGROUND INC.‘s original music is composed by Peter Mengede (Helmet), Grammy nominated record producer Alex Newport (The Mars Volta, Bloc Party, Death Cab For Cutie) and Mark Bradridge.
 
In order to get this documentary out of the creation stages and into the homes of music lovers, the creators of UNDERGROUND INC. have launched a Kickstarter campaign. The Kickstarter campaign will run for 32 days, and the project goal is $40,000.
 

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Filed Under: Music, Music Headlines Tagged With: 90s, age, alternative, documentary, expose, members, ...

David Bowie, “The Thin White Duke”, Dead at Age 69

David Bowie, who as a singer, arranger, songwriter, producer, actor and painter, influenced countless artists for more than four decades, died yesterday, January 10, two days after his birthday. He was 69.

Born David Robert Jones on January 8, 1947 in South London, Bowie always had a fascination with music and spent his earliest years hoping to achieve fame. At age 15 he joined a band called the Konrads, but left them soon to join the King Bees. His first single, titled “Liza Jane,” was released as being recorded by Davie Jones and the King Bees. It was not a hit. He later left the group and joined two other bands, Mannish Boys and Lower Third.

In 1966, to avoid being confused with Monkee’s singer Davy Jones, he changed his name to David Bowie, taking his last name from the great American 19th century pioneer Jim Bowie, who died during the battle of the Alamo. Jim Bowie pronounced his last name “Boo-ee” but David went with the harder pronunciation. In 1969 a friend and he put together a promotional film, which included snippets from many of his songs, including “Space Oddity,” which would eventually hit the top 5 in England. The film was not released until 1984.

On May 30, 1971, Bowie and his wife, Angie, welcomed a son into the world, Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones, who for the first 12 years of his life, was known as Zowie Bowie! Today Duncan is a highly respected filmmaker (“Moon”). In 1972 Bowie radically changed his image, becoming a “space man” and releasing the album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.” That same year, singer Ian Hunter told Bowie that he needed one more song for his groups, Mott the Hoople, upcoming album. Legend has it that Bowie sat down on the floor and, in twenty minutes, penned “All the Young Dudes.”

In 1974 he released the album “Diamond Dogs,” which produced two hit singles: the title track and “Rebel, Rebel.” The next year he exploded onto the charts, releasing the album “Young Americans.” The first single from the album, “FAME,” a song he co-wrote with John Lennon, hit number one on the US Charts. Lennon also sang back up on the song. Two other singles, “Golden Years” and the title tune, also charted well. To capitalize on the success, “Space Oddity” was reissued in England and went to number one on the British charts. In 1976 he released the album “Station to Station.” He also left Ziggy Stardust behind and adapted a new persona, taken from the first song on the new album: The Thin White Duke. He also starred opposite Candy Clark in the film, “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”

As the 70’s ended, he moved to Germany, where he did a trio of albums that he would refer to as his “triptych,” : “Low,” “Heroes” and “Lodger.” In 1980 he spent three months on Broadway in the title role of “The Elephant Man,” earning great reviews. The following year he teamed up with Queen to produced the hit song, “Under Pressure.” In 1983 he reached the pinnacle of his success with the release of the album “Let’s Dance,” which produced the hits “Modern Love,” “China Girl” and the title song. He also continued his film career, appearing in 1983’s “The Hunger” and “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.” Other film roles include the Goblin King in “Labyrinth,” Pontius Pilate in “The Last Temptation of Christ” and inventor Nicoli Tesla in “The Prestige.”

The next three decades were ones of experimentation. In 1989 he formed the group Tin Machine. Following that he began mixing electronic and classical music.

In 2001, he opened The Concert for New York, a benefit for the victims of the 9/11 tragedy, by performing Simon and Garfunkle’s “America” and his song, “Heroes.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and in 2006 received a Lifetime Grammy Award.

On January 8, 2016, his 69th birthday, he released his latest album, “Blackstar,” which is already being mentioned as a nominee for the best album of the year.

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Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: 69, age, bowie, david, dead, duke, ...

R.I.P. Motorhead’s Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister 1945-2015

It’s is with great sadness that Media Mikes reports the passing of a true Rock/Heavy metal icon. Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister passed away on December 28th at the age of 70. Lemmy was the in your face front man of the heavy metal band Motorhead which Kilmister formed in 1975. The group went on to release twenty two studio album as well as several live albums. The group is probably best known for their 1980 album release “Ace of Spades” which spawned the bands signature song of the same name. Lemmy worked with countless other acts and artists including Wendy O. Williams and Dave Grohl. He also appeared in a number of television shows and films including the 1995 comedy “Airheads” staring Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler and Steve Buscemi. A statement on the bands Facebook page read:

“There is no easy way to say this…our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. He had learnt of the disease on December 26th, and was at home, sitting in front of his favorite video game from The Rainbow which had recently made its way down the street, with his family.”

“We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words.”

“We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please…play Motorhead loud, play Hawkwind loud, play Lemmy’s music LOUD.”

“Have a drink or few.”

“Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself.”

“HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.”

Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister

1945-2015

Born to lose, lived to win.

The Media Mikes crew would like send our heartfelt condolences to all the friends, family and band members of Lemmy. He will truly be missed.

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: 70, age, lemmy, motorheads, passed

Blu-ray Review “The Age of Adaline”

Actors: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn
Directors: Lee Toland Krieger
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Run Time: 112 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Blake Lively is definitely one of Hollywood most underrated actors. She is goregous firstly and secondly she can really act. “The Age of Adaline” was lost in the midst of a wave of summer blockbusters. It is a romantic film but it has this magical quality about it that really interested me throughout. I really though that the two leads also had good chemistry and really clicked. Other than  Blake Lively (“Gossip Girl”), she is joined by Michiel Huisman (“Game of Thrones”), Kathy Baker (“Edward Scissorhands”), Harrison Ford (“Star Wars”) and Ellen Burstyn (“Requiem for a Dream”)! Sick cast right? Definitely worth checking out.

Official Premise: After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

“The Age of Adaline” is released as a Blu-ray Combo Pack with a DVD and digital copy included.  The 1080p transfer looks amazing through all the different generations that Adaline experiences. The winner is definitely the Dolby TrueHD audio which features a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack, which really works with the period explored in the film. The special features are decent as well including deleted scenes, three features entitled “A Love Story for the Ages”, “Style Throughout the Ages” and “Discovering Young Harrison Ford: Anthony Ingruber, An Online Sensation”. Lastly there is  an audio commentary with the director giving some good behind-the-scenes insight.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: adaline, age, bluray, review

Film Review “Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron”

Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, James Spader and Samuel L. Jackson
Running Time: 141 minutes
Marvel

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

We’re already ten movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe when we wade into the battlefield with Ultron this first Summer Movie weekend so I think it’s a pretty fair assumption that most people have taken a stance on whether or not they’ll be grabbing a ticket for this latest offering. I know I’m betraying the idea of a critic’s ‘power’ here, but honesty’s the best policy. And honestly, we’re seven years in here and I’m on board despite it not always being the smoothest of rides. That said when it comes to this, the culmination of Marvel’s “phase 2”,  I was a bit overwhelmed. Age of Ultron is more of everything. How could it not be on the heels of its predecessors? There’s more characters, more back stories, and inevitably more destruction.  The former two will always play better than the latter for me but I can’t deny that Whedon’s film is an often wow-inducing spectacle that leaves our heroes on intriguing and unstable grounds.

As we learned from Iron Man 3, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is capable of accidentally creating some demons. In that solo story, it just happened to be a slighted science colleague, but in Ultron he really steps up his screwup game. The Avengers have been tracking down the scattered physical remnants of their 2012 outing, Loki’s mind-controlling scepter included. With that ‘glowstick of destiny’ finally in the capable hands of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Stark’s vision of utilizing Artificial Intelligence in his technology to protect the Earth from off-world threats can be realized. But faced with the prospect of the scepter being returned with Thor to Asgard, he does a rushed job of instilling his AI, Ultron, with a peace-at-ALL-costs mentality. And after raiding the internet and all the digital files of humanity, Ultron notices that it’s really the humans who always are in the way of peace. Oops, our evil robot threat is born. When Ultron beams his programming across the globe to the HYDRA facility from whence the scepter came, he picks up two ‘enhanced’ twins (read: evilly experimented on to the point that they’re super. Or as Cobie Smulders’s Agent Hill sums them up, “he’s fast and she’s weird”) in the form of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who have their own axe to grind with Mr. Stark, a former weapons dealer lest we forget.

Ultron himself is menacingly played by James Spader via motion capture that is really chilling, especially in his zombie-like entrance. I hadn’t bought into a CG villain like this since Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. As a character born of quip-master Stark, he has a wicked sense of humor that these films always benefit from, even if he’s not as clever or fun to watch as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. Furthermore, it’s always a risk with comic book franchises to load their sequels with new characters but for me the twins were completely welcome additions. Olsen is particularly compelling as Scarlet Witch, whose powers to access the minds and darkest fears of her opponents induce some emotional, trippy visions for our core heroes. Later we’re introduced to the sublime Vision (played by Paul Bettany, on screen in the flesh, finally! Rejoice!) whose amazing origins are a bit too spoilery to divulge here but he is really a marvel (sorry) to behold. His introduction is one of the quietest sequences and winds up being the most entrancing. I suspect he, more than Ultron, will be what gets the most people talking in the category of new characters.

What’s interesting about Ultron as the chief villain is the gray area he thrusts the Avengers into. It’s all well and good when a mysterious army descends upon New York to be defended by the group, but when they are the creator of the threat, the onus to protect civilians is that much greater. Thus for better or worse, much of our battle sequence time is dedicated to getting the innocent populous out of range. A novel concern for a blockbuster really, though one wonders how much care they receive from the Stark Relief Fund in the aftermath what with their country destroyed…This responsibility is what causes the most strife amongst our original team. With the next Captain America film being Civil War—a comic book conflict that saw Cap and Stark fighting over a government registration of the super powered— it’s really exciting to see that seed of disagreement take root, evencoming to blows in a way they hadn’t since Thor was still a stranger to humans.

As you may have guessed with all my talk of hero in-fighting and quiet sequences being the best, I truly believe that the real power in these films ultimately comes from the scenes where things aren’t exploding. These actors have lived in these characters for years now and Whedon wisely gives them a couple extended sequences in which they just get to be human for a while. Of course they would all try and lift Thor’s hammer (side note: Thor in a red sports coat? Four for you wardrobe department), and hey, maybe some of them even have a family life, how crazy. There’s especially touching exchanges between Ruffalo’s Banner and Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanov, both damaged in their own ways, that remind you just what an amazing caliber of actors this cast contains. Not to mention it’s especially pertinent to highlight their humanity in the face of legions of evil robots. I came away wishing for more of this in fact, since as far as I counted the film had four major city-leveling sequences to the first film’s two. Still, the destruction-fatigue continues to be offset by the cleverness embedded in the action—Cap’s shield certainly is a team player, even if that Hammer isn’t—and the cool new players in the field.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: age, avengers, film, review, ultron

Film Review “Age of Summerhood”

Starring: Lucien Maisel, Christopher McDonald and Joe Flaherty
Directed by: Jacob Medjuck and Tony Dean Smith
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 28 mins
Portara Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

For some people, the start of summer means school is out and you have the next 10 weeks to just do nothing. Unless you were sent to camp. This is where we meet Fetus (Maisel), a very wise-beyond-his-years boy who has once again been sent away for the summer. Staying in a cabin that time forgot, named the Monkey Bin, Fetus is reunited with three other returnees: Grandpa (Jesse Camacho), who spends all day in his bathrobe, puffs on a pipe and often complains about his arthritis; Reckless (Scott Beaudin), the rule breaker and Toast (David Gibson McLean) who is introduced, via the smooth narration of John Cusack, as one who “likes guns.” We also meet New Kid

(Keegan Hiltz), who is given the moniker even though he’s been to camp before. If this all sounds fairly familiar, it’s because I think all of us, whether we went to camp or not, can think back to those few friends we had as kids that we still associate with today.

A cross between “Meatballs” and “Stand by Me,” “Age of Summerhood” makes great use of its outdoor locations to show kids as they are rarely portrayed on screen: as kids. I was certainly reminded of a time when you would leave the house at 8:00 a.m. and not come home until dinner, having filled the time between with adventures you shared with your pals. Be it making new friends or discovering your first love, childhood is that rare part of your life where YOU decide your fate. You can be the troublemaker, the lovesick optimist or, unfortunately, the sleep-walking bed-wetter. The unfortunate part is that he walks in his sleep and then wets in your bed!

The cast is another rarity – actual kids. There’s not a twenty year old playing thirteen in the place! All of the young actors bring an extra sense of believability to their performances just by being themselves. On the adult side, both McDonald and Flaherty deliver the laughs constantly. Also spot on is the film’s musical soundtrack, ranging from the theme from “St. Elmo’s Fire” as the camp’s wake-up music to such good times oldies as “Sweet City Woman.” If I had one problem with the film, which is not rated, is that it features some scenes that might be a little mature for its target audience. Of course, so did “Meatballs,” so “Summerhood” is in good company.

“Age of Summerhood” is currently available on home video and at Amazon and is a fine feature film debut for filmmaker Jacob Medjuck. Keep it in mind when school is out and the kids are looking for something to do.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: age, film, review, summerhood

Blu-ray Review “The Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age Smackdown”

Actors: Jeff Bergman, Kevin Michael Richardson,
Tress MacNeille, Grey Griffin, Eric Bauza, John O’Hurley, Russi Taylor, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Daniel Bryan, John Cena
Directors: Spike Brandt, Tony Cervone
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Run Time: 50 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

WWE and Warner Bros have been teamed up on there animated film, “Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery” last year, which was a fun time. There follow up to that film is “The Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age Smackdown”. This is exciting because there hasn’t been new “The Flintstones” content in 15 years and it is very welcome. This film includes various WWE Superstars including John Cena, Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker and even Vince McMahon himself. I only wish that this was longer than 50 minutes because I wanted so much more or at least lets hope that they have future installments of new “The Flintstones” very soon.

Official Premise: When Fred loses his family’s vacation money, he hatches one of his hair brained plans to get it back. It’s a sports entertainment spectacle that involves throwing his best bud, Barney into the wrestling ring with the likes of John Cenastone (John Cena), Rey Mysteriopal (Rey Mysterio) and even The Undertaker, with Fred himself as event promoter! The crowds roar, the “clams” are pouring in from ticket sales and even Mr. McMagma (Vince McMahon) is taking notice of all the hoopla. Including all-star appearances from The Boulder Twins (Brie and Nikki Bella) Marble Henry (Mark Henry) and Daniel Bry-Rock (Daniel Bryan), it’s time to get the whole family together for hard-hitting, side-splitting laughs from the most epic event in all of prehistory!

Warner Bros is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy included. The Blu-ray transfer is solid. The animation looks great and the colors are vibrant. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also sounds great with the voice work and the rope slamming fun. There are also some great special features included as well. There  are two featurette included here. The first is “The Superstars of Fred Flintstone Entertainment (FFE)” and the second one is called “How to Be a Stone Age Superstar”. Both are worth checking out for sure. There are also two bonus cartoons included, which are fun to watch as well.

Own it on Blu-ray™ Combo, DVD & Digital HD March 10

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: age, bluray, flintstones, review, smackdown, stone, ...

Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek’s Iconic Mr. Spock, Dead at Age 83

For three television seasons, animated and guest appearances and in many feature films, actor Leonard Nimoy would often address others with the phrase “Live long and prosper.” It was a philosophy Mr. Nimoy himself followed until he passed away today at the age of 83.

Best known for his portrayal of the emotionless Vulcan, Mr. Spock, on “Star Trek,” Nimoy would eventually escape that persona (he famously wrote his autobiography, entitled “I Am Not Spock”) to become not only a versatile actor but an accomplished photographer and film director.

Born in Boston on March 26, 1931, Nimoy began his acting career as a young boy, performing in local productions. He headed west after high school and, after serving in the United States Army, began appearing in popular television shows of the era, among them “Luke and the Tenderfoot,” “Broken Arrow” and “Mackenzies Raiders.” His unusual features often found him cast as a Native American. He worked steadily through the early 1960s and then, in 1966, he took the role that he would forever be identified with. Described by creator Gene Roddenberry, “Star Trek” was supposed to be like “Wagon Train” to the stars. Nimoy was cast as First Officer Spock, a member of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Nimoy was one of the few actors who remained with the show from the pilot until the final episode. Spock struck a nerve with the counter-culture of the times and quickly became the series’ most popular character. He was nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Supporting Actor all three seasons “Star Trek” ran, losing to Eli Wallach, Milburn Stone (Doc on “Gunsmoke”) and Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink on “Hogan’s Heroes”). HE LOST TO COLONEL KLINK??? Back then, the Emmy’s didn’t divide the supporting categories into drama and comedy. They also only had three nominees in that category, not the customary five. Wow. COLONEL FRICKING KLINK!

When the series ended Nimoy headed to another long running show, playing disguise and magic master Paris in “Mission: Impossible.” He also reprised the role of Spock on the Saturday morning “Star Trek – the Animated Series.” He continued acting through the 70s, appearing in the popular remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and also began working behind the camera, helming an episode of Rod Serling’s “Night Gallery.” In 1979 he once again returned to Spock in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” In 1981 he adapted and directed the television version of his one man play, “Vincent,” based on the life of Theo Van Gogh, brother of the famed artist, Vincent. The next year he returned in “Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan,” coming back only after being assured that the character of Spock would be killed off. the success of the film, both commercially and critically, brought the offer to return. Nimoy agreed to come back if he could direct the feature film. In 1984, “Star Trek III – The Search for Spock” was released. The film featured the crew of the Enterprise trying to recover the body of Spock. Nimoy appears at the end of the film. He again directed “Star Trek IV – The Voyage Home,” probably the most fun of the “Original Series” films, which came out in 1986. The next year he went behind the camera for the very popular comedy “Three Men and a Baby.”

Nimoy also pursued a career in photography, with many of his photos being exhibited in museums across the country. In 1996 he published his 2nd Autobiography, “I AM SPOCK,” finally coming to terms with the character that had made him famous. He leaves behind his 2nd wife, Susan, and his children, Adam and Julie.

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Filed Under: Commentary, TV Headlines Tagged With: 83, age, dead, iconic, leonard, nimoy, ...
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