New Movies for July 31

Here are the movies to be released during the week of July 31st in movie theaters across America:

1.  "Vacation" - The next generation of Griswolds is at it again—and on the road for another ill-fated adventure. Following in his father’s footsteps and hoping for some much-needed family bonding, a grown-up Rusty Griswold surprises his wife, Debbie, and their two sons with a cross-country trip back to America’s “favorite family fun park,” Wally World.  This movie stars Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann, Beverly D'Angelo, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chris Hemsworth, and Chevy Chase.

2.  "Listen to Me Marlon" - Marlon Brando, one of the 20th century’s greatest stars – and a great mystery despite his enormous celebrity – strained for self-comprehension throughout his life. Based on unprecedented access to more than 300 hours of recently discovered recordings made by Brando (some labeled “self-hypnosis”), Stevan Riley assembles a self-portrait of a deeply troubled man with insecurities (“I arrived in New York with holes in my socks and holes in my mind”), alliances (Stella Adler said, “Don’t worry my boy; the world is going to hear from you”), creative genius to burn (“When the camera is close on you, your face becomes the stage”), and sexual magnetism (“A lot of your decisions are made by your penis, not your brain”). LISTEN TO ME MARLON is that rare film that plunges deep inside a complex and mercurial personality, a man more fascinating and compelling than Stanley Kowalski, Terry Malloy, and Vito Corleone combined.

3.  "Mission:  Impossible Rogue Nation" - Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.  This movie stars Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon McBurney, Rebecca Ferguson.

4.  "The End of the Tour" - "The End of the Tour" tells the story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter (and novelist) David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, Infinite Jest. As the days go on, a tenuous yet intense relationship seems to develop between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave around each other, sharing laughs and also possibly revealing hidden frailties - but it's never clear how truthful they are being with each other. Ironically, the interview was never published, and five days of audio tapes were packed away in Lipsky's closet. The two men did not meet again. The film is based on Lipsky's critically-acclaimed memoir about this unforgettable encounter, "Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace," written following Wallace's 2008 suicide.  This movie stars Jesse Eisenberg, Joan Cusack, Jason Segel, Mamie Gummer, Anna Chlumsky, and Mickey Sumner.

5.  "Two Step" - Kicked out of college, James visits Grams, his only remaining family, who dies shortly after his arrival. He finds consolation in the company of Grams' neighbor, Dot, a dance teacher, as he figures out his next move. While settling Grams' affairs, James learns she's been the victim of the "grandparent scam" in which someone posing as James has been slowly bilking her out of thousands. But before James can go looking for the culprit, he shows up at the front door, desperate for money. The culprit, Webb, has his own problems in the form of Duane, who has ordered Webb to pay an old debt or else. And if Webb can't get it from Grams, James will have to do - no matter who stands in his way.

6.  "A Lego Brickumentary" - Oscar-winning director Daniel Junge and Oscar-nominated director Kief Davidson take us on a journey through the LEGO universe...like you have never seen before. They explore the brick that has captured imaginations for generations and look at the fundamental question...is it a toy or something more? "A LEGO Brickumentary" delves into the extraordinary impact of the LEGO brick and the innovative uses of for it that has sprung up all over the world. The narrative will take us to art galleries full of LEGO creations, introduce us to Master Builders making movies, into the world of LEGO therapy, and bring us along to meet AFOLS (Adult Fans of LEGO), each with amazing stories to tell. "A LEGO Brickumentary" explores the essential nature of human creativity and the ways we seek to build and understand our world.

7.  "6 Ways to Die" - Sonny "Sundown" Garcia is the top cocaine distributor in the United States, which has made him a very rich and powerful man. It has also made him plenty of enemies. John Doe is just such a man. A nameless man of mystery, John lives to see Sundown not just dead, but to suffer six meaningful losses before his death—his fortune, his freedom, his love, his reputation, his most valuable possession and, finally, his life. John hires six hit-men, each one assigned to inflict one of the six meaningful losses upon Sundown.

8.  "Best of Enemies" - A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, 'What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?'

9.  "I Am Chris Farley" - The Life Story of the Comedy Legend.
"I Am Chris Farley" tells Chris Farley's story, from his early days in Madison, Wisconsin and at Marquette University, through his work at the legendary club Second City to his rapid rise to the top of the comedy world on "Saturday Night Live" and in hit films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. With the full cooperation and participation of the Farley family, I AM CHRIS FARLEY showcases the performer's most memorable characters and skits from television and film, paired with iconic photographs, home movies, family snapshots and personal artifacts, to fully round out the story of this comedy legend - a bear of a man who nevertheless had remarkable grace and physicality. Clips from Farley's most memorable performances fill the documentary, from his breathtaking Chippendales audition alongside Patrick Swayze, to his comically ill-fated salesman in Tommy Boy, to his diatribes as Matt Foley, the motivational speaker who "lives in a van down by the river!" Farley lived his life full speed and committed to make everyone around him laugh out loud, and I Am Chris Farley will tell his hilarious, touching and wildly entertaining story for the first time ever.

New Movies for July 24th

Here are the movies to be released the week of July 24th:

1.  "The Vatican Tapes" - "The Vatican Tapes" follows the ultimate battle between good and evil - God versus Satan. Angela Holmes is an ordinary 27-year-old until she begins to have a devastating effect on anyone close, causing serious injury and death. Holmes is examined and possession is suspected, but when the Vatican is called upon to exorcise the demon, the possession proves to be an ancient satanic force more powerful than ever imagined. It's all up to Father Lozano to wage war for more than just Angela's soul, but for the world as we know it.  "The Vatican Tapes" stars Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michael Pena, Dougray Scott, and Djimon Hounsou.

2.  "Pixels" - When aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper has to call on his childhood best friend, ’80s video game champion Sam Brenner, now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders to defeat the aliens and save the planet.  "Pixels" stars Adam Sandler, Brian Cox, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, and Josh Gad.

3.  "Southpaw" - "Southpaw" tells the riveting story of Billy "The Great" Hope, reigning Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World. Billy Hope seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife, an adorable daughter and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis, a retired fighter and trainer to the city's toughest amateur boxers. With his future riding on Tick's guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves.  "Southpaw" stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Clare Foley, Miguel Gomez, Victor Ortiz, Rita Ora, and Naomie Harris.

4.  "Paper Towns" - Based on the best-selling novel by John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars"), "Paper Towns" centers on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears--leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship--and true love.  "Paper Towns" stars Nat Wolff, Halston Sage, Austin Abrams, Cara Delevingne, and Justice Smith.

5.  "American Heist" - James owes his life to his older brother, Frankie after taking the rap for a crime they committed together. While Frankie served time, James worked to turn his life around, got a steady job and began courting his former girlfriend Emily. Now, Frankie is released and back on the streets with no money and no place to go. He turns to his underworld connections and convinces James to join him in hopes that one last job will be the solution to change both their lives.  "American Heist" stars Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster, Tory Kittles, Aliaune "Akon" Thiam.

6.  "Samba" - "Samba" is a richly entertaining chronicle of an undocumented kitchen worker battling deportation from his adopted home in Paris. When Samba is suddenly ordered to leave France, he enlists the help of Alice, an emotionally vulnerable immigration advocate with little experience but plenty of heart. As the immigrant aspiring chef and the burned-out corporate executive tentatively explore an unexpected bond, they inspire each other to reinvent themselves in this vibrant comedy full of tender humor and heartfelt optimism.  "Samba" stars Omar Sy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tahar Rahim, Izia Higelin, and Isaka Sawadogo.

7.  "The Young Kieslowski" - Two brainy and awkward virgins hook up (drunkenly), fall in love (maybe), and get pregnant (twins).

8.  "Unexpected" - An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies.

9.  "Frank the Bastard" - A haunting tale of long-buried secrets uncovered in a remote New England town, and centers around Clair Defina (Miner), a 33 year-old New Yorker who returns to the childhood home she and her father fled after her mother’s tragic and mysterious death. Arriving in the seemingly quaint Maine town, Clair encounters an undercurrent of secrecy and hostility, most of it linked to the local bigwig Cyrus Gast (Sadler), whose latest land development scheme promises to revitalize the community but is not what it appears to be. Most of the town is intimidated by Cyrus, and when Clair starts delving into events, both present and past, she finds herself in jeopardy. As she comes face to face with a dark legacy that has been buried--literally and figuratively--for decades, she also has a series of strange encounters with the enigmatic Frank Byron, (Comeau) Cyrus' bastard son. In Frank, Clair ultimately finds her only ally in a battle to redeem the crimes of the past. 

10.  "Five Star" - A member of the notorious Bloods since he was 12 years old – both in the film and in real life -- Primo takes John, the son of his slain mentor, under his wing, versing him in the code of the streets. Set in East New York, FIVE STAR blends documentary and fictional storytelling as director Keith Miller carefully avoids worn clichés of gang culture to offer a compelling portrait of two men forced to confront the question of what it really means to be a man.

11.  "Big Significant Things" - At 26, Craig Harrison is a week away from moving across the country and becoming a homeowner with his longtime girlfriend. With these big life changes on the horizon, Craig decides that now may be his last chance to go on that road trip he’s never taken. Instead of spending the week house-hunting in San Francisco with his girlfriend and her parents, Craig lies about a sudden work trip and hits the road by himself. Craig journeys south with a plan to visit several of the world’s largest roadside attractions and revisit a landmark from his childhood. However, as he ventures farther south, Craig encounters unexpected detours that threaten to steer him off-course.

12.  "Phoenix" - Based on the novel "Le Retour des cendres," by Hubert Monteilhet, Nina Hoss plays a disfigured concentration-camp survivor who is unrecognizable after facial reconstruction surgery who searches ravaged postwar Berlin for her husband Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld) who may have betrayed her to the Nazis.

E3 2015 - Ubisoft

Now for the last press conference at this year's E3.  In my mind I saved the best for last, when dealing with specific companies.  Ubisoft, as well know releases an Assassins Creed game almost every year and of course this year will be no exception, though lets go through the game releases for Ubisoft for this upcoming year.

The conference started with the video for the upcoming South Park game, continuing from the previous South Park: The Stick of Truth game that was well relieved when it was released.  Of course it was followed by Matt Stone and Trey Parker talking about making this game and their "stupid" microphones.  This game will be called South Park:  Fractured but Whole.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot came out to reveal the new IP from Ubisoft, "For Honor", which during the trailer you experience war through the ages with different warriors and different styles of warriors/fighting.  From knights, to samurais, to norsemen, the player can use any type of warrior and experience what it felt like to fight with their respective weaponry.  They complete with a live 4 on 4 multiplayer battle between 2 set teams that you can bring in to battle for this game.

Followed by some new game play demo for Tom Clancy's The Division which basically plays in a post-apocalyptic New York City.

Anno 2205 - Futuristic city builder, where you improve your city with the chance to blast off of the planet and raise your own city on the moon itself.

Just Dance 2016 was introduced with Jason Derulo singing his own songs.

Rainbow Six:  Siege - Using beautifully done facial imaging of Angela Bassett to show off the details in graphics capability is glorious.  I haven't played too many of the Rainbow Six games, but this game looks beautiful and with this game I like the idea that once your character is dead, you are dead.  Followed with a live game play demo showing off a team of 5 players on one of the missions in the game showing off what teamwork in the game needs to be like.

And it all ends with Assassins Creed: Syndicate.  All I can say is London looks beautiful and glorious within the game, but then again all Assassins Creed games look beautiful.

New Movies for July 17th

Here are the movies to be released in America, whether in Limited Release or Full Release:

1.  "Ant-Man" - A founding member of Marvel's The Avengers is brought to the screen for the first time in “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, AKA Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

2.  "Trainwreck" - Schumer also wrote the script which is inspired from some of her real-life experiences as she plays a commitment-averse woman trying to get past her self-sabotaging ways.

3.  "Caffeinated" - Learn the story behind your morning Joe. From seed to mug, coffee, and the process by which it is created, has shaped the lives of thousands of individuals worldwide. Working with Geoff Watts, famous green-buyer, the filmmakers travel to America’s most populous coffee-drinking cities and to producing countries, interviewing connoisseurs and farmers alike. With a focus on the social and cultural landscape of coffee, Caffeinated gives the coffee consumer unprecedented access to the farmers responsible for growing that perfect bean, and the producers responsible for brewing that perfect cup.

4.  "Jellyfish Eyes" - Legendary pop artist Takashi Murakami makes his directorial debut with genre-defying, coming-of-age fantasy. A tale of family, friendship and loyalty set in a world of fantasy that draws as much upon Japanese popular culture as it does from Hollywood movies and Japanese Manga.
Having moved to the country with his mother following the death of his father, young Masashi (Takuto Sueoka) immediately makes a most unlikely friend: a flying, jellyfish-like sprite that he nicknames Kurage-bo. Taking Kurage-bo under his wing and into the classroom, Masashi soon discovers that his schoolmates have similar friends - and that they, their creators, and the town itself are not all they seem to be. 

5.  "The Look of Silence" - Werner Herzog and Errol Morris will executive produce "The Look of Silence," director Joshua Oppenheimer's follow-up to his documentary "The Act of Killing."


6.  "Irrational Man" - Woody Allen’s IRRATIONAL MAN is about a tormented philosophy professor who finds a will to live when he commits an existential act.
Philosophy professor Abe Lucas is at rock bottom emotionally, unable to find any meaning or joy in life. Abe feels that everything he’s tried to do, from political activism to teaching, hasn’t made any difference.
Soon after arriving to teach at a small town college, Abe gets involved with two women: Rita Richards, a lonely professor who wants him to rescue her from her unhappy marriage; and Jill Pollard, his best student, who becomes his closest friend. While Jill loves her boyfriend Roy, she finds Abe’s tortured, artistic personality and exotic past irresistible. Even as Abe displays signs of mental imbalance, Jill’s fascination with him only grows. Still, when she tries to make their relationship a romantic one, he rebuffs her. Pure chance changes everything when Abe and Jill overhear a stranger’s conversation and become drawn in.
Once Abe makes a profound choice, he is able to embrace life to the fullest again. But his decision sets off a chain of events that will affect him, Jill and Rita forever. This movie stars Parker Posey, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, and Jamie Blackley.

7.  "Mr. Holmes" - "Mr. Holmes" is a new twist on the world’s most famous detective.1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare. Now, in his remote seaside farmhouse, Holmes faces the end of his days tending to his bees, with only the company of his housekeeper and her young son, Roger. Grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind, Holmes comes to rely upon the boy as he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement, and searches for answers to the mysteries of life and love – before it's too late.

8.  "The Stanford Prison Experiment" - Twenty-four male students out of seventy-five were selected to take on randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison situated in the basement of the Stanford psychology building in an experiment conducted by Dr. Philip Zimbardo in 1971.

9.  "Lila & Eve" - A bold and provocative take on justice and the morals of American society, "Lila and Eve" tells the story of Lila, a grief-stricken mother who in the aftermath of her son’s murder in a drive-by shooting attends a support group where she meets Eve, who has lost her daughter. When Lila hits numerous roadblocks from the police in bringing justice for her son’s slaying, Eve urges Lila to take matters into her own hands to track down her son’s killers. The two women soon embark on a killing spree of their own, as they work to the top of the chain of drug dealers to avenge the murder of Lila’s son.

10.  "A Hard Day" - Homicide detective Geon-soo Go is having a hard day: in less than 24 hours, he receives a divorce notice from his wife, his mother passes away, and along with his coworkers, he becomes the focus of a police investigation over alleged embezzlement.
Making things worse, on his way to his mother's funeral, Geon-soo commits a fatal hit and run and then, desperately tries to hide the accident by hiding the man's corpse in his deceased mother's coffin. But when Geon-soo gets a mysterious call from a person claiming to be the sole witness of the crime, he realizes that someone has been watching him all along.


11.  "Steak [R]evolution" - Directed by Frank Ribière, this mouth-watering documentary registers Mr. Ribière's worldwide chase, together with butcher Yves-Marie Le Bourdonnec, for the world's best steak. As they travel around the world in search of passionate cattle breeders, professional butchers, chefs, meat experts and the best steak houses, the duo explores how good and healthy red meat can be achieved – and is becoming a luxury product. The move toward smaller-scale operation is impacting the beef industry and many see this as a positive change.
Far from the cattle farms with their industrial output, Frank Ribière and Yves-Marie Le Bourdonnec delve deep into the topic in order to understand what makes good meat – and a great steak. In the process, their fascinating discoveries end up challenge some of the previously established assumptions about how (and where) to get the healthiest and most delicious steak.
Complete with tantalizing food imagery to excite the senses, this is a must see for any steak enthusiasts.

12.  "Ardor" - Gael García Bernal and Alice Braga star in "Ardor," a visually sumptuous adventure about a mysterious man who emerges from the Argentinian rainforest to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a poor farmer.

13.  "Safelight" - The paths of three desperate individuals perilously cross in a dusty desert town. Charles is a high school senior with physical challenges, Vickie is a troubled runaway turning tricks at a truck stop, and Skid is her dangerously psychotic pimp, who has a huge chip on his shoulder. He continuously harasses Charles and Vickie but things take a menacing turn when the two embark on a road trip up the California coast to photograph lighthouses. Skid can’t stand the imagined betrayal and comes looking to punish Vickie, armed with a hunting knife. The three of them face each other in a violent showdown that will change their lives forever.

 14.  "Alleluia" - Michel, a murderous womanizer, meets introverted Gloria online and treats her to a whirlwind one-night-stand. Offering herself as an accomplice in his seductive crimes, the unhinged lovers embark on a deadly odyssey amplified by wild sex, unbridled jealousy, and passionate forays into the dark arts. This smart and gory shocker breathes new life into the lovesick horror genre to serve up a chilling tale of white-hot desperation and terrifying devotion.

E3 2015 - Electronic Arts

On June 15, 2015 E3 was happening out in California and Electronic Arts had their press conference in one of the main halls.  At this conference, they started by showing off the new trailer for the upcoming Mass Effect game called "Mass Effect:  Andromeda".  The CEO of EA came out introducing everyone to the press conference, introducing the young children that they were sponsoring from inner city LA.  Here is a copy of the EA Press Conference that I took from youtube:

He guaranteed an action-packed press conference all ending in the glory that is Star Wars Battlefront.  Here are some of the main games and upcoming activities being brought to us consumers from Electronic Arts:

"Need for Speed" - All I can say is if the video was showing the game sequences, then this game will look bloody ridiculous.  Truthfully I couldn't tell if the video was a live-action take or if it programmed.  This game shows off 20 years of experience in designing this game, to make the icon of Ventura Bay.  The preview was completed with a live-action take within the car shop designing your new car within the game.  The only question I have with the game from the gameplay is whether or not the car is damaged as you crash.

"Star Wars the Old Republic" - This game has been out for awhile, but introduced Knights of the Fallen Empire, going back to Bioware's way of storytelling.  Basically saying there will be more story than the original game had when it came out.  This ended with the trailer for Knights of the Fallen Empire, showing a nicely directed cinematic sequence.

Following 2 are original IPs being brought to us by EA.
"Unravel" - Brought from a small company in Northern Sweden and shows as a puzzle platformer, where you are being represented by a little doll that is made from yarn and the character unravels as you go through the stage trying your way home.
"Plants vs. Zombies:  GW2" - Introduced by someone dressed up as the superhero zombie.  This game is actually a third-person shooter, where the player is on the attack as the plants, but there is also a multiplayer game where you can play as the zombies.

EA Sports
NHL 2016 - I know this game comes out every year, so this isn't really anything new in my books.  They showed in game footage for next year's game, showing off more graphics that are used for each individual player, instead of just putting Peter Forsberg's head on every player like they did years ago.
Details were given for Rory McEllroy's new PGA game since Tiger Woods was released from his EA contract years ago and followed by NBA 2016 and their updates to bring yourself into the game using an app on your phone.

OMG they brought Pele himself in to introduce the new FIFA game.  Along with Pele being there, they introduced that the fact this year they are introducing Women's Soccer into the mix, which is definitely something good with the Women's Soccer Team winning everything this year.

"Mirror's Edge" - Mirror's Edge is coming back with Mirror's Edge Catalyst showing off the true origin story to the main character Faith.  Just like the first game, you control Faith, viewing the game in the first-person view.

And the EA conference finalizes with Star Wars Battlefront.  We all know this game will be amazing, but since this will be the first game coming from EA since they took over for Lucasarts when Disney closed their doors, we will be unsure of the quality of the game.  Here is the trailer for Star Wars Battlefront:

E3 2015 - Square Enix

The conference starts off with Phil Rogers, the CEO of Square Enix, being introduced to show off "Just Cause 3" and noting that this is the first time that Square Enix has had one of their own press conferences at E3.  However, during the beginning of the press conference there is a notably lack of claps and applause that you can notice at the beginning of most of the other press conferences. 

Here is a copy of the press conference taken from the YouTube channel for IGN:

Roland Lesterlin from Avalon Studios, who is responsible for Just Cause 3, is introduced to show off the changes in this new open-world game.  The game was announced to be released December 1, 2015, just in time for the beginning of the Holiday Rush.  Truthfully in my thoughts, this game is just about seeing how you can destroy the world in however many ways you can.  I'm sure there is a story within the game, but like GTA, the idea looks like it is to cause mischief and mayhem.

An odd thing with this press conference is when Mr. Saito from Business Division VI is introduced, they require a translator, which is understood since Square started off as a Japanese game company, but is the only one that required a translator.  He introduces a video of a new IP from Square called NieR New Project, from the creators of many highly acclained games, like Dragon Warrior and Tekken.

Followed by the introduction of Rise of the Tomb Raider with the original cinematic that was aired showing Lara being captured during one of her investigations into a lost civilization.  After the cinematic, we were given a tour of Crystal Dynamics, meeting some of the people that helped create the new Lara Croft, showing off some of the intricate details that they show in the game to make her more "lifelike".

Square Enix Montreal is introduced showing that they are heading into the mobile world with two new Hitman games, Hitman GO and Hitman Sniper.  Followed by a new Tomb Raider for the mobile system. 

Final Fantasy VII Remake is shown off again being introduced by the producer of the Kingdom Hearts Series. 

Kingdom Hearts III is introduced with some gameplay demo, showing that one again you are playing as Sora, Goofy, and Donald with introductions to the original Keyblade War and new universes to play in. 

Hitman is introduced by iO Interactive, showing new targets that may only be available for a limited time, but each target can be killed in many different ways depending on your skills at that time.  Total completion will mean to achieve every kill possible.

E3 2015 - Sony

One of the most highly anticipated games in the past 10 years was finally shown with a release date for the Playstation 4.  "The Last Guardian" is finally going to be released to the world, and hopefully it won't be delayed again like it has at least 4 or 5 times in the past 5 years alone.  With some beautiful game play being show, we are able to see how the main character is able to control the Last Guardian as the player solves some difficult puzzles to get around the one passageway into the castle area.

"Horizon Zero Dawn" - A new IP was brought out by Guerilla Games, explaining of the end of the world when the world begins to take over and with the main character actually being a woman, we were shown some gameplay footage as she fights against these creatures that are made from machines and the player has to wonder what happened that brought the machines in to control the world and the humans are now the hunted.

Square Enix shows off the exclusive premiere of "Hitman" to be released on PS4 and PC.  Welcome to the world of Assassinations with Agent 47.

Followed by the first gameplay demo for the highly anticipated "No Man's Sky", however it was only a short demo, really only showing what the general graphics will look like within the game itself.  This game will easily be the largest sandbox game ever created since everything will change as time goes by discovering everything new.

Street Fighter V, Dreams, and Firewatch were mentioned as new releases.  Dreams comes from the people at Media Molecule that created Little Big Planet, but in this game you will actually design your own dream with what looks to be claymation.  In this game you can really create anything, from a performance, to a game, to a movie.

Bungie shows off the next installment to Destiny as a continuation to the last games storyline called "Destiny:  The Taken King".

Assassins Creed:  Syndicate - Now we have an Assassins Creed game within 19th Century London.  As usual this game looks beautiful with new weapons and new playable characters.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to play with Unity yet, but this is something I am looking forward to.

Now what we have all been waiting for at this press conference.  Final Fantasy VII will be redone and released on to Playstation 4.  The video that was shown is absolutely amazing, but still it is unclear on whether it will just be a redo or this will be a whole new story.  Cloud will be back!!

New Movies for July 10th

Here are the movies for the week of July 10th.

1.  "Self/less" - In this provocative psychological science fiction thriller, an extremely wealthy man dying from cancer undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man. But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body’s origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause.  The movie stars Ryan Reynolds, Ben Kingsley and Derek Luke.  

2.  "Minions" - The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's "Minions" begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, "Minions" evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters--from T. rex to Napoleon--the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression. But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he--alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob--ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill, the world's first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in modern London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind... from annihilation.  The movie stars the voices of Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Allison Janney, Sandra Bullock, and Jon Hamm.

3.  "Boulevard" - In "Boulevard," the routine of everyday life quietly peels away to reveal the struggle of a loving husband in conflict with his inner-self. Nolan Mack and his wife Joy, wake up under the same roof each morning, their separate bedrooms underscoring the disparate worlds they're living in. Nolan's disconnection carries on in his job at the bank, where even a promotion cannot seem to lift the emptiness that permeates his life. His emotional journey begins to unfold when Nolan encounters a troubled young man. Nolan finds himself forced, for the first time, to confront the loneliness of his longtime marriage. While bravely risking every relationship in his life, Nolan opens himself to an incredible opportunity where desire might find its way back into his heart.  The movie stars Robin Williams, Kathy Baker, Bob Odenkirk, and Roberto Aguire in Robin Williams's last movie before his untimely death.

4.  "The Gallows" - Twenty years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor during a high school play, students at the same small town school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy—but ultimately find out that some things are better left alone.  The movie stars Cassidy Gifford, Ryan Shoos, Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown.

5.  "Tangerine" - It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.  A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., "Tangerine" defies expectation at every turn.  The movie stars
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Mickey O'Hagan, James Ransone.

6.  "Do I Sound Gay" - A witty and provocative look at the stereotype of the "gay voice" from New York journalist David Thorpe. After a breakup with his boyfriend, first-time filmmaker David Thorpe embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting his anxiety about "sounding gay." Enlisting acting coaches, linguists, friends, family, and total strangers, he quickly learns that many people—both gay and straight—often wish for a different voice. What starts out as a personal journey becomes a chance to unpack layers of cultural baggage concerning sexuality, identity and self-esteem. Thorpe also gains frank and funny perspectives from public figures such as writers David Sedaris and Dan Savage, comedian Margaret Cho, actor George Takei, and fashion guru Tim Gunn. Drawing upon movie and TV clips, the film traces a cultural history of the gay voice—ranging from closeted icons like Liberace to a string of cartoon villains—which places Thorpe's self-consciousness in a broader context and illuminates the complexity at play in this seemingly personal issue. 

7.  "What We Did on Our Holiday" - Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike, David Tennant and Billy Connolly star in this hilarious and up-lifting comedy for the whole family. Doug and Abi take their kids on a family vacation. Surrounded by relatives, the kids innocently reveal the ins and outs of their family life and many intimate details about their parents. It's soon clear that when it comes to keeping a big secret under wraps from the rest of the family, their children are their biggest liability...

8.  "Tap World" - The film shows how this dance form, inspired by slave ancestors, and born of African Americans during the jazz era, has inspired and unified cultures all over the world and become a universal language of its own. It features dancers from all corners of the globe taping and talking about the importance of this unique art form to themselves personally and to their communities.
This feature-length documentary starring the most cutting-edge tap dancers from across the globe, and follows leaders of the art form who are shaping the community around them. Their personal stories of inspiration, struggle, and triumph are keeping this art form alive and thriving internationally. For the first time, tap dancers of all ages were encouraged to share their individual journey through tap dance to be included in the film. Over 115 submissions were received from more than a dozen countries. The most compelling were chosen and weaved into the film alongside some of the Masters of Tap. The enthusiasm and support for this project clearly exemplifies the global growth appreciation and passion for Tap Dance.

9.  "The Suicide Theory" - "The Suicide Theory" is an intense thriller that takes the viewer on an unexpected rollercoaster of twists and turns. A suicidal man hires a demented killer to assist him in suicide, but for some reason, miraculously survives each attempt on his life.  The movie stars Steve Mouzakis, Leon Cain, Joss McWilliam, Matthew Scully.

10.  "Meet Me in Montenegro" - In this globe-trotting, funny romance two ex-lovers, a Norwegian dancer and an American filmmaker, meet by chance during a visit to Berlin, and their affair is rekindled in spite of the fact that they are both moving to opposite ends of the earth in forty-eight hours. 

11.  "Strangerland" (limited release) - When Catherine and Matthew Parker’s two teenage children suddenly vanish in a dust storm, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children’s disappearance in the soaring desert heat.  The movie stars Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes and Hugo Weaving.

12.  "10,000 KM" (limited) - Alexandra and Sergi make love in their tiny Barcelona apartment. They’ve decided to have a baby, but find their plans dashed when Alex receives an offer for an artistic residency in Los Angeles. Understanding this may be Alex’s last chance to re-launch her photography career, the couple decides to put their plans on hold for a year. One year apart, with a continent between them, Alex and Sergi must rely on virtual communication to keep the flame of their relationship alive. But with their realities no longer shared and the touch of one another gone, the technology that has supposedly brought the world closer together may just tear them apart.

E3 2015 - Nintendo

The Nintendo event at E3 this year was definitely very different from any other event, representing Nintendo's ideals about being different from all of the other corporations.  This year's digital event started off with the three heads of Nintendo Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Reggie Fils-Aime being represented by puppets.  As they march down the hall collecting up each other before the event, they head to the stage where the unthinkable happens; they each start changing into a specific character from Star Fox.  Shigeru changes into Fox, Reggie into Falco, and Satoru into Hoppy.  Of course this was all as a major introduction into the new Star Fox game, "Star Fox 0".  The game is similar to previous incarnations of the game, but in this one, they add the ability to modify your ship into what looks like a walking bird, as well as the ability to control a little robot to get into smaller areas.

It continues with an interview with Shigeru at a shrine near his home in Japan and how he and Satoru came up with the idea of Star Fox.  With the Wii U, Shigeru introduced the two screen function where the gamepad has a view from the cockpit, and the TV has a more cinematic view. 

It continues with Reggie coming out to explain what the upcoming months at Nintendo is all about, but only hints at the "NX" which will be talked about in 2016.  The idea for 2015 is all about "transformation", with transportation into Theme Parks and mobile services.  This year celebrates the 30th anniversary for Super Mario Bros and is coming out with Super Mario Maker, so everyone can make their own Mario Bros. game and release it to the world.  Throughout this interview Reggie sports a wonderful 8-bit Mario lapel pin on his suit.

Amibo is also being released with combinations into the Skylanders franchise, with the new game Skylanders Superchargers, and new vehicles.  Its also hinted at the fact that dealing with Nintendo in always hard because Nintendo likes to have total control.

Insert dance scene of puppets leading into new Link game, "Zelda Triforce Heroes", on the Nintendo 3DS, where you partner up with other Links to complete puzzles and missions.  Introduced by Eiji Aonuma and Shikata, the developer of this game.  He wanted to create a multiplayer game that wasn't just a party game, but actually a co-op based multiplayer game.  There is still a single-player game, but the helpful players are represented by doll characters instead of other players.  Another game to be introduced is Hyrule Warriors, brought to you by Koei; the creators of Dynasty Warriors, being added to the 3DS with all of the DLC from the Wii U version.

In comes Metroid Prime Federation Force.  It looks like a mini-game collection on the 3DS involving characters from the Metroid Prime Universe.

Fire Emblem Fates is introduced in a video with some gameplay footage showing a classic Fire Emblem game.

A beautiful RPG is being released with memories of Xenogears coming back with Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii U.

Now two Mario Worlds are colliding in a new game on 3DS starring the lovable character Mario and Luigi in "Mario and Luigi:  Paper Jam" where you have to use abilities from Paper Mario and other classic Super Mario Bros games.

Power Tool Hunting

I know this is a little later than I wanted it, but I've been working on all of the information from E3, but better late than never.

HAPPY FATHER's DAY!!!!!  This goes out to all of the fathers out there.

Over this last Father's Day weekend, my wife decided to go out and buy me a miter saw for me to play with.  (insert Tim Allen grunt)  Well when she went out Saturday morning with our one son, who was celebrating his own 2nd birthday that day, they decided to go to Harbor Freight Tools and buy a miter saw that we had already looked at prior to this.  She purchased the Chicago Electric 12in. Double-Bevel Sliding Miter Saw for $189, but got a discount since she purchased it as an open-box item.  And if you know my wife, when she wants a sale, she is always able to find something on sale, and in this case she got an even bigger discount, because when she opened the box, it seemed that the saw was previously used, but also never cleaned after its usage.

This is when everything started to go horribly wrong when it was brought home and we installed the saw blade that we had to purchase.  When we tried to run saw on our table that we set aside for it in the garage, it shook the entire table and the saw together.  So we took the saw off the table thinking that maybe the table itself was not sturdy enough and we placed it on the floor.  At this point we were going to saw a random piece of wood that I had laying around in the garage, and at this point when I turned it on, not only did it shake, but the entire side panel covering the blade blew off the saw and the plastic guard was basically sawed to ribbons, throwing plastic shards everywhere.  Luckily the blade itself didn't pop off because my right leg had been sitting right there and if it popped off, my leg would have as well.

So at this point we called everywhere dealing with Harbor Freight and Chicago Electric to get our money back since it was within 24 hours.  Harbor Freight allowed us to return the saw since nothing was ever really done with it before it shattered in front of us, but on their part, they never really asked us why we were returning it, or even opened the box to make sure everything had been returned.

So we decided that maybe it might not be a good thing to try and save money when you are buying such a large power tool, so we gave in and went to Lowe's and purchased a Dewalt 10-in Single Bevel Miter Saw, that of course we were able to purchase on sale and get a discount because we purchased the floor display.

So the key thing to take away from this in the future, is sometimes its better not to buy the cheapest thing possible, because you might actually be taking your life into your own hands.