[Video] Dean Norris spoils Breaking Bad's ending... kind of
Breaking Bad is, hands down, one of the most consistently amazing TV shows I have ever spent time with. If any of you have watched an episode, or at least overheard discussion about Walt's (Bryan Cranston) story, then you know how engrossing the series can be. With the series' end only weeks away and the tension building with every passing episode, excitement is high for fans to see how show creator Vince Gilligan will end the story.
Annoyed by fans bugging him about how Breaking Bad will end, Dean Norris shared some insight on the final episode, the aptly titled "Hank Wins." Norris' character, Hank, proves to be victorious over Walt, then faces a series of fortunate circumstances that I won't spoil for you outside of this amazing text he receives from his wife, Marie: "U CAN SEX NE1 U WANT U DA KING! ALSO U R WALT JRS DAD NOW 4 REALZ"
Breaking Bad at its finest, ladies and gentlemen.
[via Funny or Die]
Microsoft Points have finally been phased out
It took Microsoft's entire existence in gaming, but they're finally getting with the times. The absurd, moon money system of "Microsoft Points" has been abolished, replaced by a common sense move to use direct dollar amounts for purchases on Xbox Live. Previously, the currency system utilized MS Points, which is well and good. However, MS Points didn't have a direct 1:1 exchange rate to USD. Instead, for example, 80 MS Points would be the equivalent of $1.00, creating a monopoly of Monopoly money in the gaming world.
Now, Xbox gamers can finally purchase games, DLC, etc. directly with proper dollar amounts instead of exchanging them into a fake currency. It almost took a decade, but the problem is finally being resolved. Now, all of you Scrooge McDucks who have hoarded MS Points can still keep your money bags of moon bucks for future purchases as the Xbox One is prepared for release this fall.
[via Destructoid]
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior's Tony Jaa cast in Fast and Furious 7
As if excitement for Fast and Furious 7 wasn't already high after the way Fast and Furious 6 ended and with new director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) taking the helm, word over the weekend is that Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior star Tony Jaa has joined the F&F7 cast. There are no details about the film's script or Jaa's role in the film, but a dream fight between him and Vin Diesel or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is already enough to guarantee a first-weekend viewing.
Fast and Furious 7 will also be Jaa's first English-language and major Hollywood studio film. To be in the company of Diesel, Johnson, and Wan for a first film? That's a pretty good deal. If you haven't seen Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior yet, check it out on Netflix to give you an idea of how badass of an addition Jaa will be to the Fast and Furious franchise.
[via Digital Spy]
The Weekly Swarm: 8/19 - 8/25
Another big week at Ruby Hornet has passed. Tokyo Shawn dropped the super catchy and super awesome video for "I Know You," Deltron 3030 dropped a new EP, City Rising from the Ashes, we got our first looks at up and coming musicians KSRA and Will Sparks, Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap was nominated for Best Mixtape by BET, the PS4's release date was announced, concept art out of Italy for the rumored iWatch came out, Anna Kendrick posed for GQ, Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in Batman vs. Superman, and so much more.
Check out all of the content from Ruby Hornet last week below.
Film
New film stills for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are amazing
[Trailer] Stranger
New film stills, posters for Gravity
New on-set stills from Noah will flood you
[Trailer] The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete
[Video] "Don't Talk" PSA featuring The World's End's Edgar Wright, Nick Frost, and Simon Pegg
[Trailer] Parkland
Elizabeth Olsen is the front-runner Scarlet Witch in The Avengers: Age of Ultron
ABE short film to be adapted into a feature-length film by MGM
Rumor: Bradley Cooper approached to voice Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy
[Trailer] Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d'Adele – Chapitres 1 & 2)
Ben Affleck cast as Batman in Batman vs. Superman
[Trailer] +1
Why the Ben Affleck/Batman announcement isn't a bad one
Star Wars Episode VII will be shot on 35mm
Music
[EP] Deltron 3030: "City Rising from the Ashes"
Jared Leopard: "Setting Out"
Lupe Fiasco: "SLR 3 (Round Of Applause)"
[RH First Look] KSRA: What Will Be, Will Be
The Weeknd: "Live For" (feat. Drake)
Unreleased Tracks by The Mars Volta
[Album] Sasha Go Hard: "Nutty World"
[Video] Giftz: "Quiet" (prod. by Chase N Cashe)
Janelle Monáe: "Primetime" (feat. Miguel)
Curren$y: "Audio Dope 4"
Austin City Limits Expands, Announces Shows
[Video] A$AP Mob & Flex Talk Kendrick
[Video] Netherfriends: "Never Walk Out On You"
[Video] Daft Punk & Pharrell BTS Of The Vibe 20th Anniversary Cover Shoot
[Video] Jordan Looney: "Yesterday"
"Isolated Vocals" shares some classic, vocals only tracks
[Video] The O'My's: "Cough Drop"
Martin $ky: "critiCALI"
[Video] Maya Symone: "SummerTime Chi"
[RH First Glance] Will Sparks
Bars of Gold: "Coffee with Pele"
[Mixtape] Giftz: "Position of Power"
Avenged Sevenfold's Unreleased Album "Hail to The King" Now Streaming on iTunes
[Video] STRFKR: "While I'm Alive"
People Under The Stairs at The Mid (Qwel & Maker, The Palmer Squares)
Death Grips: "Birds"
Deltron 3030 to Tour With 16 Piece Orchestra
[Album] Rapsody: "She Got Game"
M.I.A.: "UNBREAK my Mixtape"
[Video] Tokyo Shawn: "I Know You"
Vic Spencer: "Monster Truck" (ft. ProbCause)
PIVOT Gang: "Aqua Teen" (Feat. Tiffany Capri)
Lorine Chia: "No New Friends (Drake Cover)"
[Video] SD: "New World Order (Remix)" (feat. Danny Brown)
Star Wars Episode VII will be shot on 35mm
[RH Premiere] Netherfriends: "Shrooms Freestyle" (feat. Chandler London)
[Album] Stix: "Stix Jam Pack"
"Acid Rap" Nominated for BET Best Mixtape
Black Moth Streams New Single
Photography
[Photography] Daft Punk & Milla Jovovich For CR Fashion Book
[Photography] Streets Is Watching: Mike Schreiber
[Photography] Moscow's Real Life Fight Club
[Photography] Meals Interrupted By Davide Luciano & Claudia Ficca
[Photography] Anna Kendrick For GQ
[Photography] Irina Shayk's Beach Bunny Swimwear Collection
[Photography] Polaroid Socialmatic Camera
[Video] The Art Of Portrait Photography - PBS Off The Books
[RH Photos] America's Most Wanted Music Festival (Austin)
Tech
Apple's next iPhone will be all gold everything
ChargeCard for iPhone & Android
PlayStation 4 will be released on November 15 in North America, PS3 + PS Vita prices dropped to $199
Latest gameplay trailer for FIFA 14
Italian iWatch prototype is looking sexy
Rumored photos of iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C leaked
Star Wars Episode VII will be shot on 35mm
J.J. Abrams is doing his part to ensure that his take on the Star Wars franchise will stick as true to the original trilogy as possible. Besides retaining John Williams as the main composer and building on the original trilogy's characters, he has also gone on record stating his interest in shooting to scale as much as possible to minimize the reliance on CGI. As you may remember, Star Wars Episodes II and III (Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith) represented some of the low points in the franchise, partially because of George Lucas' reliance on CGI and the contrast that decision cast against the actors.
Abrams is a noted film supporter and will be reuniting with his Star Trek cinematographer, Dan Mindel, to shoot Star Wars Episode VII. Mindel will be shooting on Kodak 5219 film stock for the film enthusiasts curious about the announcement. This should bode well for the next space opera installment, especially in regards to the (hopeful) diminishment of CGI characters (re: Jar Jar Binks).
Abrams is saying all the right things; hopefully, his take on the Star Wars mythos will be one that can wipe out the bad taste the prequel trilogy left in our mouths. Furthermore, Star Wars Episode VII might also represent the end of film stock in films, so let's pray the film will give the propriety a proper final hurrah.
[via /Film]
Ben Affleck cast as Batman in Batman vs. Superman
Two weeks ago when a purported short list of actors DC and WB wanted to portray Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, unofficially titled Batman vs. Superman, I said: "If WB and DC seriously want to get to the same level Marvel’s on, they’re going to have to nab a big name actor..." At the time, I mentioned Jon Hamm (Mad Men), because he's personally my first choice as Bruce Wayne/Batman, but also easy to accept as a superhero, given the fact that he hasn't been around the superhero film block.
Apparently, WB and DC were aiming even higher, as reports have confirmed tonight that none other than Ben Affleck will don the cape and cowl as the next in line to portray The Dark Knight. The news practically comes out of left field as Affleck is notoriously picky for the roles he plays these days, preferring to stay behind the camera. Also keep in mind that this won't be the first time he's played a superhero as he's also infamously known for portraying Daredevil in the Marvel film adaptations of the blind superhero. Of course, this was before the genesis of Marvel Films' success as both Daredevil and its spinoff, Elektra, tanked pretty hard.
Affleck, if memory serves me correctly, claimed that he wanted no part in another superhero film again. Last fall, it appeared that he'd stay true to his word, as WB was rumored to approach him to direct their film version of The Avengers, Justice League, to which he decline. However, considering Affleck's business relationship with Warner Bros. (WB distributed the last two films he directed, Argo and The Town), it kind of makes sense that he'd keep the relationship going.
With Affleck joining DC's ranks, it appears that WB is doing what they can to compete with Marvel in the theaters. If Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) also joins the film as Lex Luthor, we might have a good old fashioned film rivalry brewing, as well as a great summer for comic book and superhero film fanatics.
Zack Snyder's official statement on the casting:
Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry [Cavill]'s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can't wait to work with him.
[via /Film]
Rumor: Bradley Cooper approached to voice Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy
[Update: The Wrap confirms that Cooper and Marvel are in negotiations for the role.]
Guardians of the Galaxy was already gonna be one of Marvel's crazier films, both in terms of content (an assortment of alien races uniting to fight extraterrestrial threats) and cast (Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Vin Diesel, et al). However, with the immense success the company has seen with each consecutive film since 2006's Iron Man, both Marvel and Disney are sitting atop the comic book film adaptation throne, allowing them to take such risks.
With these risks come great rewards, again seen in both the critical and commercial acclaim of these films, which allows them to attract big name actors who may not appear to be of the "superhero" type. If new rumors are to be believed, one such actor fits this description. Latino Review is reporting that the final piece to the Guardians of the Galaxy puzzle, Rocket Raccoon's voice, may be filled in by none other than The Hangover star, Bradley Cooper. Rocket Raccoon, in case it wasn't made obvious, is an anthropomorphic raccoon character that has a penchant for guns... big guns.
Depending on his characterization in the film, Rocket could be altered a bit to fit Cooper's suave demeanor... just with big guns. If Cooper indeed joins the cast, he'll be yet another A-list Hollywood star that has joined the Marvel family. Doesn't seem like the future's very bright for DC and Warner Bros, does it?
[via Latino Review]
ABE short film to be adapted into a feature-length film by MGM
Two months ago, we posted the Rob McLellan-written/directed short film, ABE. It explored the concept of a robot built to have emotions, and what effect emotions would have on a soul-less entity. At the time, I wrote, "The film matches its amazing blend of CG animation and live-action acting with a psychological thriller tone that examines ABE's existential crisis," and I still hold that belief. Considering how great the short film is, it's no surprise that it's attracted a lot of attention.
Today, it was reported that ABEÂ was picked up by MGM for a feature-length adaptation. McLellan will write and direct the full-length film, but no other news is available about the film. As one of my early short film posts for Ruby Hornet, it's great to see success come for such a talented artist.
[via Deadline]