Ubisoft’s oft-delayed online pirate game, Skull and Bones, will finally—thanks to a newly announced open beta—be something that anyone—yes, even you, random reader—can actually play. The open beta starts next month and arrives shortly before the game launches, over six years after its reveal.
Ubisoft’s oft-delayed online pirate game, Skull and Bones, will finally—thanks to a newly announced open beta—be something that anyone—yes, even you, random reader—can actually play. The open beta starts next month and arrives shortly before the game launches, over six years after its reveal.
The first month of 2024 is coming to a close, and we’ve already been enjoying some fine games here at Kotaku. We hope this year has brought you some pleasant gaming experiences as well.
The first month of 2024 is coming to a close, and we’ve already been enjoying some fine games here at Kotaku. We hope this year has brought you some pleasant gaming experiences as well.
Tekken 8 is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and judging by the reviews, it rules. I’m stoked to play the game this weekend, particularly to take the French swordsman Victor Chevalier to the training lab. The roster is quite eclectic, with some familiar faces and new blood vying to be the King of the…
Tekken 8 is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and judging by the reviews, it rules. I’m stoked to play the game this weekend, particularly to take the French swordsman Victor Chevalier to the training lab. The roster is quite eclectic, with some familiar faces and new blood vying to be the King of the…
Move over, John Wick, the Monkey Man, is here to bring revenge cinema to a new level! NBCUniversal debuted a trailer for the Dev Patel-directed action bonanza Monkey Man on Friday, showcasing a brutal display of power that could establish Patel as one of cinema’s newest and most agile players. The Monkey Man trailer is a tour-de-force of hand-to-hand combat, Jackie Chan-like environmental manipulation, and visuals that pop with color, blood, and broken bones!
Here’s the official synopsis for Monkey Man courtesy of NBCUniversal:
Monkey Man is an action thriller about one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to victimize the poor and powerless systemically.
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.
After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Packed with thrilling and spectacular fight and chase scenes, Monkey Man is directed by Dev Patel from his original story and his screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A-Team), Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven, The Night Manager), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm, Go Goa Gone), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai, Like Stars on Earth), Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai), Sikandar Kher (Aarya, 24) and Makarand Deshpande (RRR).
Monkey Man is produced by Dev Patel, Jomon Thomas, Oscar winner Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, and Anjay Nagpal. Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney, and Steven Thibault executive produce.
It’s hard to breathe after watching that Monkey Man trailer, no? Patel is on fire in this preview of his new film, and I’m excited to see more. Monkey Man is definitely on my must-see list of films for 2024, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’ve enjoyed Patel’s contributions to cinema for years, but I’ve never seen him like this. Let’s f**king go!
Dev Patel’s Monkey Man swings into theaters on April 5, 2024.
The post Monkey Man trailer: Dev Patel stars in a brutal display of power and revenge in a new action film produced by Jordan Peele appeared first on JoBlo.
Amazon MGM has announced (via Deadline) that they will be giving the thriller Pussy Island a global theatrical release on August 23rd – but, to the shock and surprise of no one, they’re not actually going to be releasing the film under the title Pussy Island. The feature directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz (who played Catwoman in The Batman), the thriller is now going by the title Blink Twice. By giving the film a more public-friendly title, they’ve just saved some members of the public from having to protest the fact that a movie called Pussy Island is showing at their local theatre.
Written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, the film will follow Frida, a young, clever, Los Angeles cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on the prize: philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King. When she skillfully maneuvers her way into King’s inner circle and ultimately an intimate gathering on his private island, she is ready for a journey of a lifetime. Despite the epic setting, beautiful people, ever-flowing champagne and late-night dance parties, Frida can sense that there’s more to this island than meets the eye. Something she can’t quite put her finger on. Something terrifying.
Channing Tatum (Magic Mike), Naomi Ackie (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody), and Simon Rex (Red Rocket) star alongside Christian Slater (Heathers), Alia Shawkat (Search Party), Geena Davis (The Long Kiss Goodnight), Adria Arjona (Morbius), Haley Joel Osment (Tusk), Liz Caribel Sierra (God’s Time), Levon Hawke (The Crowded Room), Trew Mullen (Sunny Family Cult), Saul Williams (Akilla’s Escape), Chris Costa (People You Know), and Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks). Ackie plays Frida, with Tatum as Slater King and Rex as Slater’s chef, trainer, and oldest friend, Cody.
Blink Twice (don’t call it Pussy Island) has been produced by Kravitz, Bruce Cohen, Tiffany Persons, and Tatum’s company Free Association. Garret Levitz oversaw the project for Free Association. The movie was made in conjunction with Free Association, this is important, and Bold Choices.
Does Blink Twice sound like a movie you’ll be heading out to see during its theatrical release? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Blink Twice: Zoë Kravitz thriller (formerly known as Pussy Island) gets August theatrical release appeared first on JoBlo.
Arrow Video has given director Frank Henenlotter’s 1982 cult classic Basket Case (watch it HERE) a couple Blu-ray releases in recent years, and now the company has announced that they’re bringing the film to 4K UHD for the first time! This release is for the US, the UK, and Canada, and the street date is April 29th. The pre-order link for the UK is HERE and the pre-order link for the US and Canada is HERE.
Basket Case has the following synopsis: Duane Bradley is a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed, fleshy lump whom he carries around in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at the seedy Hotel Broslin, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation. But tensions flare up when Duane starts spending time with a pretty blonde secretary, and Belial’s homicidal tendencies reach bloody new extremes.
The film stars Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel, Diana Browne, Lloyd Pace, Bill Freeman, Joe Clarke, Ruth Neuman, Richard Pierce, and Sean McCabe.
The 4K release has a ton of features, and here’s the line-up:
4K restoration from the original 16mm negative by MoMA
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary with writer/director Frank Henenlotter and star Kevin VanHentenryck
Archival audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins, actor Beverly Bonner and filmmaker Scooter McRae
Basket Case 3-1/2: An Interview with Duane Bradley – short film by Frank Henenlotter
Me and the Bradley Boys – interview with actor Kevin VanHentenryck
A Brief Interview with Director Frank Henenlotter – a strange 2017 interview with the director
Seeing Double: The Basket Case Twins – interview with actors Florence and Maryellen Schultz
Blood, Basket and Beyond – interview with actor Beverly Bonner
The Latvian Connection – featurette including interviews with producer Edgar Ievins, casting person/actor Ilze Balodis, associate producer/special effects artist Ugis Nigals and Belial performer Kika Nigals
Belial Goes to the Drive-In – interview with film critic Joe Bob Briggs
Basket Case at MoMA – footage from the 2017 restoration premiere
What’s in the Basket? – feature-length documentary covering the three films in the Basket Case series
In Search of the Hotel Broslin – archival location featurette
The Frisson of Fission: Basket Case, Conjoined Twins, and ‘Freaks’ in Cinema – video essay by Travis Crawford
Slash of the Knife (1976, 30 mins) – short made by Frank Henenlotter featuring many of the same actors from Basket Case, including optional audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter and playwright Mike Bencivenga
Basket Case and Slash of the Knife outtakes
Belial’s Dream (2017, 5 mins) – animated short by filmmaker Robert Morgan
Extensive image galleries
Trailers, TV & radio spots
Limited edition slipcover featuring artwork by Graham Humphreys
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Michael Gingold and a Basket Case comic strip by artist Martin Trafford
We’re big fans of Basket Case here on Arrow in the Head, as you can tell from the fact that we covered as part of both our The Best Horror Movie You Never Saw and Best Horror Party Movies video series. Are you a fan of the film, and will you be buying a copy of the 4K release? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Basket Case: Arrow Video gives cult classic a 4K release in the US, the UK, and Canada appeared first on JoBlo.
Everyone loves an underdog story. We love them as much as sports movies and precocious kids. The only other thing we love as much as those is profanity. When you combine those together, you have a tricky project that could be masterful, or it could be a disaster. Luckily, no one can drop an f-bomb quite like Snoop Dogg, and he does that in his latest film, The Underdoggs.
In the great tradition of The Bad News Bears, Little Giants, and Hardball, The Underdoggs stars Snoop as a washed-up former NFL wide receiver who has burned all the bridges in his career. With a chance to redeem himself by coaching a group of pee-wee football players in his hometown of Long Beach, Two Js encounters more than he bargained for, as coaching is much more than just standing around basking in your greatness. Two Js must also deal with all of the kids’ challenges while also trying to woo his former high school girlfriend.
I got the chance to talk with a few involved with The Underdoggs, including stars Tika Sumpter and Kal Penn and director Charles Stone III. Tika Sumpter talked about how funny Snoop Dogg is and what it was like hearing the kids swear like an adult. Kal Penn talked about whether his character was inspired by a real agent he has met, as well as the hilarious Harold and Kumar joke in the movie. Director Charles Stone III talked about his experience directing sports movies and what set this film apart. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.
The Underdoggs is now streaming on Prime Video.
The post Interviews: Kal Penn, Tika Sumpter, and Charles Stone III talk The Underdoggs appeared first on JoBlo.