GeekSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:30:00 PST

If you feel like staying in with a brand-new DVD this week, I've got you covered. Here are the three big releases hitting shelves (and Netflix, of course).

The Invention of Lying

Comedian (and Golden Globes host) Ricky Gervais stars in The Invention of Lying, a film based on the idea of what would happen if we all told the truth. It's a fun concept and celebrity cameos abound (everyone from Tina Fey to Louis CK to Ed Norton), but the movie gets off track as it veers from its light, rom-com premise with Jennifer Garner. Instead, it tries to take on a religious message which goes too far. That aside, the film is surprisingly sweet at times and includes a few clever moments if you want a laugh this weekend.

DVD extras include additional scenes, video podcasts, a prequel, and outtakes. Outtakes with funny people like Gervais, Fey, or Jonah Hill? Sign me up.

57%

Gamer

For all of you Gerard Butler fans out there, you may want to check out Gamer. The film follows the actor as a convict stuck inside Slayers, a nightmarish, real-life shooting video game controlled by other humans and the game's inventor - Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). As you can probably surmise, Butler tires of being under someone else's command and tries to fight his way out. I wasn't that interested in the flick when it first hit theaters, but since Hall took home a Golden Globe for his TV work, I'm curious to check him out in this big-screen role, too.

DVD extras include a commentary and two featurettes.

29%

One more release when you

Whiteout

Whiteout is a murder mystery thriller set in (as you may have guessed from the title) Antarctica. Kate Beckinsale plays Carrie Stetko, a U.S. Marshal investigating the icy terrain's first homicide - while fending off a killer and the approaching brutal winter. Sounds ridiculous to me, but I do like Beckinsale, so perhaps I'll add this to my list of rent maybes.

DVD extras include two featurettes and deleted scenes.

Are You Checking Out Gamer This Weekend?

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:40:24 PDT

I'm all about taking time out to watch a good flick over a holiday weekend, and this weekend the geeks can look forward to at least one move that's aimed at them: Gamer. Now, I'm a big fan of games, and have even been known to watch a few shows about gamers, but this action movie reminds me of a few other ones that weren't so great. Remember Death Race - a movie that pits death row inmates against each other in a race to see who gets set free? Toss in a burly star determined to go free, add a tough-as-nails woman in charge, and you have pretty much the same formula.

Although the formula of Gamer is similar, the plot does have its differences - players outside the prison are in control of the inmates (like avatars in a game). But I'm wondering, what's the point of setting them free if they aren't even in control? There are many questions to be answered. Check out the trailer above, then tell me - are you seeing Gamer when it opens on Friday?

Movie Preview: Gerard Butler in Gamer

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:30:53 PDT

Labor Day weekend is still technically Summer, and Gamer, set for release September 4 and starring Gerard Butler, looks like a total Summer action flick. Its concept is kind of disturbing - set in the future, people play a video game called "Slayers" where they manipulate real-life prisoners in battle. Of course, the "soldiers," led by Butler, feel like slaves and it's clear that it's only a matter of time before they break out of the game.

It's a relief to see Butler back in action mode, rather than in half-baked rom-coms, but I'm more intrigued by Michael C. Hall as the eccentric billionaire who thought up the "Slayers" game. Check out that Southern-fried accent! Ludacris, Kyra Sedgwick, and Amber Valletta also star.

To see the trailer, just

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Guess Which One of These Guys Is a Nintendo Superstar?

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:00:41 PST

Back in the day, this famous bad boy submitted a picture to the Nintendo Fun Club News magazine to prove that he had managed to beat the final character Great Puma in Pro Wrestling. In the February-March 1988 issue of this mag, this guy (who was only nine at the time) had his name included in the highest scores section. And people say he's not talented....Scroll down and click "take the quiz to guess who it is!Source

Take the Quiz

Another Wii-Crazy Toddler!

GiggleSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Last week, we discovered a giggly baby who had Wii fever. This week, we found a baby who's actually playing Wii tennis. This kid is only 22-months-old and already looks like a pro. At one point, I think he even grunts, "Take that!" Wii-diculous!

4 Reasons We Can't Wait to Play Harry Potter For Kinect

Laura Marie Given — Sat, 26 May 2012 09:02:00 PDT

There's a book series, a film series, a Florida amusement park, a London studio tour, and, coming this Fall, there will also be the Harry Potter For Kinect video game! Based on the eight films, the game gives diehard fans a chance to experience the movies' most memorable moments for themselves, whether as a character or as their own avatar. Check out the top four reasons we're excited to play:

Pretending we're wizards: Thanks to hands-free and voice-recognition technology, users can cast spells using physical maneuvers or by calling out spell names. We're already practicing our "Expelliarmus!" technique.
Flying (sort of): It's a dream come (virtually) true. Gamers will have the opportunity to fly on a broomstick for their very own Quidditch match.
Walking in Harry's shoes: With the game, users can experience some of Harry's classic moments, like choosing a house at Hogwarts, visiting Ollivanders, and confronting He Who Shall Not Be Named in a final, dramatic battle.
Some friendly competition: Select co-op gameplay to connect with wizardly friends, and master lessons so you can challenge other opponents in competitive minigames.

Do you plan to buy Harry Potter For Kinect?

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Fashionable Gear Inspired by Mario and Luigi

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:02:02 PDT

Mario and Luigi may be content to explore Bowser's Castle in their same standard overalls, but it doesn't mean you have to follow their traditional sartorial choices. Give a subtle nod to your favorite animated brothers in a the King of Games Super Mario Bros. button-ups ($125).

Not just for gents, ladies, take on the menswear trend in your own gamer way with the chambray top available in blue or pink and imported from Japan. Traditional video game gear of character hoodies and witty t-shirts are good and well, but this witty twist on classic fashion has us dreaming up the many wears to wear it on a cooler Spring day.

Would You Ever Take a Geek-Themed Vacation?

GeekSugar — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:15:55 PST

Have plans for Halloween this year? Feel like taking a cruise? This October, the National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers is behind a cruise to the Bermuda triangle for gamers and video game fans. Packages start at just under $700 per person and include five days of cruising, costume contests, video game voting, and more.

I don't think I'd rule out a geek-themed vacation. After all, if John Mayer can sponsor a cruise for fans, why not gamers, too? Would you do it?

Forget Online Dating, Try Online Gaming Instead

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:13:44 PDT

If the promise of more sex more often doesn't get you into online games, maybe this will: gaming could be a great way to meet guys. According to a new study by Online University, the odds of you scoring a date with someone who is committed and honest are higher if you're playing World of Warcraft than if you're trolling through hundreds of "matches" on dating sites. The study shows that online gamers spend more time on gaming sites than online daters spend on sites like Match.com and eHarmony (which means you have better odds of meeting more people more often), and WoW players are more likely to share personal information and feelings about themselves with fellow gamers than their "real-life" friends.

The cold, hard fact is there are 12 million people playing World of Warcraft online vs. dating sites, which boast just one million members. That translates to about three percent of the United States population playing online games. A bigger sea means more fish to catch with your button-mashing prowess. Game on!

Another Reason to Play Online Games: More Sex, More Often

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:05:56 PST

Video games may make you happy, but did you know that women who play online games have more sex than those who don't? This, according to new research by the Harris Interactive firm, which also says that online gamers are predominately women (55 percent vs. 45 percent of men) and are more active (inside and outside the boudoir) than non-online gamers.

Though the differences are slim, 38 percent of female online gamers say they have sex at least once per week, while 34 percent of non-online gamers partake in "business time" one or more times per week. This could be related to the fact that 61 percent of women play online games to relieve stress, and a relaxed gal is more likely to enjoy herself in the bedroom.