Start saving your pennies, mafiosi, it’s gonna be a big holiday season, and here’s one of the sure-to-be biggest ticket, highest on your list items: the Xbox One. We have the official press release and some trailers and featurettes for your consumption, but you’ll need to provide your own washcloth to wipe off your drool. Have fun!

Microsoft unveils Xbox One: the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system

May 21, 2013

Blockbuster titles, Steven Spielberg-produced Halo TV series, and exclusive agreements with the NFL transform games, TV and entertainment for the 21st century living room.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.[1] Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:

• TV on Xbox One.[1] Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.[3]

• Home. Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.

• Snap. Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.

• Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.

• Trending.[1] Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.

• OneGuide.[1], [2] Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network, name or time, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance.Introducing Xbox One titles and exclusives

Gaming on Xbox One immerses gamers in cinematic worlds that look like real life, with characters that feel more human than ever before. AAA blockbuster titles unveiled for Xbox One include the following:

• “Forza Motorsport 5” from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.[3] Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.

• “Call of Duty: Ghosts” is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty® Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.

• “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC” from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.

• “Quantum Break” from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to the amazing lineup of games coming to Xbox One, Microsoft unveiled exclusive content partnerships with some of the top names in TV, sports and entertainment.

• “Halo” television series. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.

• National Football League (NFL).[1] A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Introducing a new generation of Xbox Live

Xbox One is built to amplify an all-new generation of Xbox Live that is more powerful, more personal and more intelligent. Unleashing the virtually unlimited power of the cloud makes everything more convenient and accessible, from allowing games to be installed in segments so that gameplay can start quickly to updates downloading in the background. Save and store your personalized profile, games and entertainment in the cloud to access them anytime, from any Xbox One console.[4] In addition, existing Xbox Live Gold Membership for Xbox 360 will seamlessly carry over to Xbox One.[5] Xbox Live takes you deeper into the games you love with all-new features.

• Smart Match. A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.

• Game DVR. A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud. Along with sharing tools, you will have the most amazing bragging rights with Xbox Live.

• Living Games.[6] Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.

• Expanded achievements. A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.

• Xbox SmartGlass.[6] Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

Introducing the Xbox One look and feel

New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers.[6] The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing.

Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. Visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music, and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass, and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband Internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required. Games and media content sold separately. Xbox Live Gold Membership, paid subscription and other requirements apply for some Xbox Live features.

1 Live TV with Kinect navigation, Live TV with OneGuide, Trending, and NFL on Xbox available in U.S. at launch; anticipating global scale over time.

2 Kinect voice functionality only available in supported locales and languages.

3 At launch, Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output (sold separately).

4 Subject to geographical content restrictions.

5 Some Xbox Live content and features available on Xbox 360, including avatar content and some apps, are not available with Xbox Live on Xbox One.

6 In supported games.

Trailer: Xbox One – Anthem

Featurette: Xbox One – Xbox Executives Discuss Xbox One

Featurette: Xbox One – Unveil

Trailer: Call of Duty: Ghosts – Reveal

Trailer: Quantum Break – Reveal

Featurette: Xbox One – Xbox and NFL: Changing the Game

Trailer: Xbox One – EA Sports Ignite Engine: Official

Trailer: Xbox One – Forza Motorsport 5: Announce

The Xbox One is expected to be available before the end of the year.

And this time it’ll be even longer

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“I have journeyed across an ocean of stars...”

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Genre: Sci-Fi | Action | Drama

Creator: Jeff Davis

Writers: Jeff Davis, Nick Antosca, Ned Vizzini

Directors: Russell Mulcahy, Tim Andrew

Cast:  Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Dylan O’Brien, Holland Roden, Tyler Hoechlin, Colton Haynes

Summary:

“Teen Wolf” jumps full force into season two with even more suspenseful drama than season one. Scott McCall, a teenager with a wild secret, continues to find himself caught in a supernatural war between hunters and werewolves. Scott must keep his forbidden romance with Allison a secret while keeping his friends and family safe from new Alpha wolf Derek.

Trailer: Teen Wolf – Season 2 Official [HD]

Click here to view the embedded video.

I love this show. Like many, I rolled my eyes at the whole idea when I first heard of it; the movie wasn’t really my thing. But when I found myself sitting through their Comic Con panel before Season 1 had aired, I was convinced, and have made it one of my missions to convince others, that this is nothing like the movie. It is, in fact, a great show that features characters and actors that are fun and engaging to watch, in action-oriented episodes with some excellent twists and creepiness and cliffhangers.

It was all of those things in Season 1, and it is all of those things and more in Season 2. It is darker. It also keeps us guessing about more than one mystery, some of which may be carried over into Season 3, which premieres June 3 (yes, the same date as Season 2 in 2012). It is a perfect summer show, although with Season 3′s double-the-episodes order, I’m looking forward to watching it during other seasons as well.

What I’m really looking forward to doing, to start off my Summer 2013 right, is to marathon my Teen Wolf Season One DVD (Five Out of Five Stars when I reviewed it here last year, by the way) followed by this Season Two DVD before the Season Three broadcast premiere. It is the perfect scary, funny, creepy, fun, sexy, addicting show to set the tone for your summer.

My favorite part of this Season 2 DVD set, beyond the joy of watching great episodes without the need to fast-forward through commercials, is the commentaries. This is a three-disc set, with four episodes per disc, and each disc has “extras”, including a commentary for one of the episodes. For behind-the-scenes junkies like me, this is golden, especially when the commentaries are by the showrunner, and really especially when the showrunner has another person to talk with, in this case, producer Christian Taylor, which is the case for each of the commentaries on this set.

We learn all sorts of cool things about what went on during the production of the episode, which makes watching the episode even more fun, AS LONG AS YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN THE ENTIRE SEASON. This is in fact a good rule of thumb, and is presumed by everyone on every commentary ever: do not watch the commentary until you have seen the entire season (or entire movie) at least once already. In this case, the commentary on the first episode of the season spoils the finale. Fair warning.

Jeff Davis and Christian Taylor were very involved in the production of each episode, although not always together, so they sometimes have different stories to tell, but they clearly have a great time talking about it, and it’s a treat to listen to. The other reason you’ll want to have seen the episode beforehand is because they have so much to say, that you’ll rarely if ever actually hear the dialogue of the show during these commentaries.

Here’s the list of other extra features:

Teen Wolf Season 2 DVD Special Features

• Teen Wolf Season 2 at Paleyfest – celebrate Season 2 of MTV’s critically acclaimed series Teen Wolf with a panel discussion featuring the show’s cast and creative team
• Teen Wolves: Meet the New Pack – meet new cast members Sinqua Walls (Boyd), Gage Golighlty (Erica) and Daniel Sharman (Isaac) and get their take on their roles in Season 2
• Alternate, Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Alternate Stiles Takes
• Teen Wolf CGI Reel
• Fight Choreography
• Shirtless Montage 2.0
• Gag Reel
• Commentary featuring Jeff Davis and Christian Taylor

The Paleyfest panel is terrific, once you get past the distracting stretch screen. I would much rather have that in standard format; even the prettiest people look pretty bad when you stretch their faces like Silly Putty to fit a wide screen. The panel took place before Season 2 had aired, so you’re fairly safe to watch it before you’ve seen the episodes, if you like. The entire main cast is there, along with showrunner Jeff Davis, and they do a nice job of setting up the season.

“Teen Wolves: Meet the New Pack” is a great featurette with the new-to-Season-2 cast members. It illustrates with clips, so if you haven’t seen the season you might get a little spoiled, but no more than a trailer spoils, and the cast gives some nice insights into the new kids in Beacon Hill.

The alternate, deleted, and extended scenes aren’t extensive, which I appreciate. When too many are included, my eyes start to glaze over. No glazing here, just some nicely interesting bits.

But the “Alternate Stiles Takes” are golden. I think he must be everyone’s favorite character; Dylan O’Brien owns the role and is a gift to us, as are these alternate, and all too brief, takes.

The “CGI Reel” and “Fight Choreography” are also interesting bits, revealing a lot of talent on both the CGI team and the stunt team. Of course, “revealing a lot of talent” is also what happens in the “Shirtless Montage 2.0″. Sorry, sometimes those lines just beg to be crossed.

The “Gag Reel” is not unexpectedly a hoot, and I wish it was longer, though we do get a fair amount of shenanigans, and it’s definitely a better gag reel than a couple I’ve seen recently.

Again, though, my favorite bonus feature is definitely the commentaries, and if you love those making-of peeks into a favorite production, the three included here are definitely worth the cost of the set on their own.

So whether you’re already a fan or you’re just intrigued, get this set, along with last year’s Season 1 if you don’t have it, and give yourself the gift of a wonderful start to your summer.

I give Teen Wolf, Season Two on DVD, Five Out of Five Stars.

 

 

Teen Wolf, Season Two is available to ship from Amazon starting today! Here’s the link:

See larger image Teen Wolf: Season Two (DVD) Starring: Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Dylan O'Brien, Holland Roden, Tyler Hoechlin
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
List Price: $39.98 USD New From: $20.85 In Stock Used from: $25.91 In Stock Release date May 21, 2013.

Viral Videos with creepy static give me goosebumps and raise the hair on the back on my neck. I’m a child raised on Poltergeist, what can I say. Here’s the latest in static love letters from General Zod (Michael Shannon) in Man of Steel.

TV Spot: Man of Steel – Viral Video 2

It’s sweet and creepy all at the same time.

Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Julia Ormond, and Russell Crowe is slated to hit theaters June 14th.

Genre: Animation | Action | Adventure

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Writers: Hayao Miyazaki, From The Novel By Diana Wynne Jones

MPAA Rating: PG

Run Time: 119 minutes

Summary:

Disney and Studio Ghibli proudly present Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki’s (Best Animated Feature, 2002, “Spirited Away”) unforgettable animated adventure “Howl’s Moving Castle” in high definition, on Blu-ray for the first time ever — on May 21, 2013.

The fantastic new Blu-ray Combo Pack release lets “Howl’s Moving Castle” soar like never before with a breathtaking new HD digital transfer of the fantastic animated adventure that celebrates the power of love and the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Brimming with a blend of imagination, humor, action and romance, “Howl’s Moving Castle” is the story of Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), a diligent teenage girl working in her family’s hat shop, who finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome-but-mysterious wizard named Howl (voiced by Christian Bale). The innocent encounter engages the vain and conniving “Witch of the Waste” (voiced by Lauren Bacall), who transforms Sophie into a 90-year old woman (voiced by Jean Simmons). Sophie’s efforts to break the curse bring her to Howl’s magical moving castle, where she befriends Markl (voiced by Josh Hutcherson), Howl’s apprentice, and the hot-headed fire demon Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal). Her love and support have a major impact on Howl, who can be maddeningly self-indulgent and singularly noble as he defies royal orders to participate in a meaningless war and risks his life to protect Sophie.

When this movie came out in 2005 it completely escaped me. I am happy to have had the luck to watch it for the first time reviewing the Blu-Ray. I waited to watch it with the kids, but I really didn’t have to. This movie is so meaty in the most magical way that I think I was more into it than the kids, and when they asked me to break for lunch, I might have scowled and huffed a bit.

This movie takes place in in what I can only describe as a brightly colored steampunk futuristic past. The clothes are conservative and traditional and the lands are ruled by Kings and Queens with Witches and Wizards roaming around. The extent of the modern conveniences are extravagant riveted metal flying machines used in the war effort.

The story follows a simple hat maker, Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), who struggles with self confidence. She one day crosses paths a wizard named Howl (voiced by Christian Bale) and her life is forever turned upside down starting with being cursed to look like an old woman (voiced by Jean Simmons).

One of my favorite scenes is right in the beginning when Sophie meets Howl for the first time and he literally and most unexpectedly sweeps her off her feet. I didn’t know anything about the movie at the time and the magic of the moment was breathtaking. Here’s a clip.

My other favorite part of this movie is the look of Howl who has an uncanny resemblance to David Bowie from Labyrinth, as you can probably see from this clip. He continues to remain flamboyant but it’s excellent for the character, and later when he has a temper tantrum over his hair, it’s wonderful to laugh at.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
“Howl’s Moving Castle” Blu-Ray contains the following special features:
Behind the Microphone
Interview with Pixar Animation Studios Director, Pete Docter
Hello Mr. Lasseter: Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar Animation Studios
Original Japanese TV Spots and Trailers
Original Japanese Storyboards

“Howl’s Moving Castle” DVD contains the following special features:
Original Japanese TV Spots and Trailers
Behind the Microphone
Interview with Pixar Animation Studios Director, Pete Docter
Hello Mr. Lasseter: Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar Animation Studios

Technical Information – BLU-RAY
Language: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH and French subtitles
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1

Technical Information – DVD
Language: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH and French subtitles
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1

Howl’s Moving Castle Blu-Ray Combo Pack is one of the most original stories I’ve seen in a long time and I’m glad my kids enjoy it half as much as I do, because I cannot wait to rewatch it. Not only is the story amazing, but the animation is top notch and the Blu-Ray is probably my second best having not seen it on the big screen.

I give Howl’s Moving Castle Blu-Ray Combo Pack 5 out of 5 stars.

 

 
Howl’s Moving Castle Two Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo is available to ship from Amazon starting today! Here’s the link:


See larger image Howl's Moving Castle (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Blu-ray) Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring: Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Billy Crystal
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
List Price: $39.99 USD New From: $27.91 In Stock Used from: $33.24 In Stock Release date May 21, 2013.