Console Wars: The Movie?

What is Sony Pictures up to? Do they have some kind of Console War movie in the works?

Fusible noticed that Sony Pictures Entertainment has registered a bunch of domain names that indicate there is a mysterious "Console War" project happening. Those urls (which lead nowhere right now) include ConsoleWarmovie.com and TheConsoleWarmovie.com, among others.

As the site points out, this could be related to something other than a film or DVD -- perhaps some kind of marketing for the upcoming PlayStation 4. But again, since the domains were registered by the company's film division, that seems less likely.

We've reached out to Sony for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

Talk to Movies Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN and on Facebook.

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Strike Back: Cinemax Season One Blu-ray Review

It would be easy to call Cinemax's original series, Strike Back, derivative entertainment. After all, the series is clearly borrowing more than a few pages from franchises like Rambo, The Expendables, 24, MacGyver, James Bond, Call of Duty and literally dozens of others. And usually this sort of obvious creative theft warrants more than a few rightfully deserved criticisms. But somehow Strike Back defies the odds.

The show is so well shot and executed, the flaws aren't nearly as distracting as one would expect. Instead, Strike Back is a balls-to-wall hardcore brainless action series that plays like Roger Corman, by way of big-budget popcorn entertainment. And while the results are often flimsy in the story department, the series serves up loads of intense, pulse-pounding mayhem.

Despite the “Season One” moniker, Strike Back: Cinemax Season One is actually the second series of a BBC show of the same name. As it turns out, the original series was so popular that it spawned this show, a joint venture between Cinemax and the British network, Sky1. This version of Strike Back is largely a reboot of the show, with only one major character returning, and only for a few brief moments. In the UK, this season of Strike Back is referred to as Strike Back: Project Dawn.

For those unaware, Strike Back follows an elite team of soldiers working for a super secret branch of MI6 called Section 20. The season is broken into five two-part episodes. Each episode traditionally deals with the usual Call of Duty-style action as our heroes hunt the bad guys, mostly terrorists. The beauty of the two-part system is that if you don't end up liking one particular arch, no worries. Another one pops up in just an episode or two.

The characters of the series are mostly flimsy one-dimensional cliches, from the womanizing super solider to his strict “by-the-book” partner – we've seen it all before. But instead of pretending the show has any real deep meaning or value to add to these tired archetypes, Strike Back focuses on eye candy of all varieties, be it extreme action set pieces, gratuitous nudity (just about every woman throws herself at the main character) or nasty war violence. The obvious tone adds a sort of comic book feel that lends itself to overall enjoyment of the series, despite the story and character limitations.

Whichever way you cut it, Strike Back makes no excuses for itself – it's a slam-bang James Bond action series, with soldiers instead of classy, well-dressed spies. And the show delivers just enough awesome to keep things fun. The show is dumb, but it seems very aware of that fact, and sometimes that's quite refreshing in its own way.

Strike Back: Cinemax Season One arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of HBO and Cinemax Home Entertainment. The series is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, encoded in 1080p/AVC and mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The season's 10 episodes are spread across four discs.

Shot in HD, Strike Back looks incredibly clean and sharp, with a nuanced theatrical appearance that adds an A-grade charm to the B-level entertainment. The encode is detailed and colorful, with not a hint of artifacting, banding or other annoying distractions. Image depth can get a little flat at times, and some minor motion blur was detected, but this is an otherwise terrific presentation right on par with other HBO releases.

Audio is even sharper, rich with lively atmosphere, perfect mixing and crystal clear dialogue. Action cues are aggressive and engaging, layered with awesome surround usage and intense bass. Rarely, if ever, does this track disappoint. So turn down the lights and crank up your receiver and let Strike Back knock you off your socks.

Extras for this release include five cast and crew commentary tracks spread throughout the season. The tracks are pretty solid, if a little repetitive. The set also includes a DVD and Digital Copy of the season -- a nice added bonus I wish were a standard on all TV releases.

Strike Back: Season One is a mindless action series, but it's just as enjoyable as B-movie thrillers like Taken or TV shows like 24. With a pretty heavy comic book/James Bond feel, the show delivers plenty of fun, plenty of action, and plenty of wild violence, sex and mayhem.

"Never recreate from your memory. Always imagine new places!" Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook and MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

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Blood Knights: A New Vampire Action-RPG

DTP Entertainment has announced Blood Knights, a new vampire action-RPG headed to consoles and PC. Blood Knights follows the story of Jeremy, a vampire hunter who is bound by blood to a sexy, mysterious vampiress named Alysa. “The former arch-enemies have to work together to rid themselves of the binding,” DTP Entertainment says.

Blood Knights is developed by German studio Deck 13, who previously worked on Venetica and Ankh. DTP says the game features “intense combat, tons of weapons, items as well as vampiric abilities that put players in total control over their enemies and let them feel the powers that vampires wield in the Blood Knights universe.”

Blood Knights will hit Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC on October 31st for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points). Check back to IGN for our hands-on impressions later this week. Until then, you can find more info on Blood Knights’ official site.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

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Grimm: Season One Blu-ray Review

Steven Spielberg got it right when he chose to adapt Jaws. No this isn't a continuation of our Jaws Blu-ray review. Rather, Jaws was a pure entertainment B-movie cloaked as a studio picture. It was something Roger Corman would have made back in '50s and '60s – albeit done with much better characters, much better effects, a way better story and Oscar-worthy talent...not to mention way more money.

History seems to be repeating itself here with Grimm. The show feels like a large scale, big-budget network version of pulpy B-grade syndicated shows like Buffy, Supernatural and Angel, as well as cable series like Dexter, Eureka and Warehouse 13. The only problem here is, despite porting some behind-the-scene talent from a few of the above-mentioned shows, Grimm doesn't have the “better characters, better story” part that made Jaws a smashing success. As such, Grimm actually manages to play like a low-quality variant of the often great shows that clearly inspired it.

It's a shame Grimm can't seem to find its footing in this first season. While there are some solid episodes among the lot, the overall quality here is a bit disappointing, especially in comparison to the other shows. Characters feel thin and undeveloped, and most of the mysteries are repetitive or lackluster.

That's not to say Grimm is an all-out failure. Thanks to a decent budget, the show boasts solid CG and classy makeup effects, and even manages to squeeze out a few scares every now and then. And for those who really get invested in the show's mythology, there's a lot to enjoy – even with the scent of familiarity.

Grimm was renewed for a second season, and it'll be interesting to see how the series develops. There's certainly room for improvement, and the writers and show runners had all summer to tweak the formula. After all, even Buffy was a bit of a mess during its first season. Maybe Grimm can turn things around in 2012-13.

For in-depth reviews of the first few episodes of Grimm: Season One, check out IGN TV's Grimm hub.

Grimm: Season One comes to Blu-ray presented in 1.78:1, encoded in 1080p/AVC, spread among five Blu-ray discs. Shot digitally, Grimm has a clean, theatrical look to it that is only marred by a slight hint of noise during darker moments, and a faint hint of motion blur. The encode itself is absolutely pristine, with no major compression flaws or other intrusive distractions popping up. Colors are bold and enticing, and details, textures and depth are outstanding, standing among the best of TV-on-BD.

Audio is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. It's an aggressive experience right out of the gate, but also a bit lifeless when the action is toned down. The show's scarier moments are punctuated by terrific sound design, creating that perfect balance of atmosphere and dread. But the show's cop-drama scenes are a bit soft, with scant surround usage and very little heft. Still, when it needs to, this mix is a powerhouse of frights, jumps and jolts, and should leave most fans smiling or shivering.

Extras for this first season include a relatively dull BD-exclusive interactive guide to the various monsters and mythology of the show. It's interesting, but nothing with any real replay value. There's also a series of deleted scenes, a gag reel and five featurettes. The deleted material doesn't add up to much, nor does the gag reel. The featurettes range from interesting (“Making Monsters” “VFX Progressions”) to fun (audition tapes and “The World of Grimm”) to boring or unnecessary filler (the montage reel). As an added bonus, the season also includes an UltraViolet cloud streaming copy of the show – a nice addition that I wish more shows on Blu-ray and DVD would embrace.

Grimm is likely to have its hardcore fans. It has cult appeal, and a certain charm. And it's hardly an out-and-out terrible show, just a bit too derivative at times. If you're the least bit curious, though, be sure to give it a spin now that it's come to BD. And be sure to cross your fingers for season two (read our review of the second season premiere). Hopefully it will continue to improve on the formula and find its proper footing.

"Never recreate from your memory. Always imagine new places!" Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook and MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

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Moonrise Kingdom Explores BD, DVD

Grab your scout handbook -- it's time for an adventure! Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring the Focus Features hit, Moonrise Kingdom, to Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand October 16, 2012.

The film, directed by Wes Anderson and featuring an all-star cast including Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray (among many others), was a surprise success, grossing nearly $60 million worldwide (on a modest budget) -- no small feat considering the crowded summer filled with big budget action flicks.

Moonrise Kingdom will arrive on Blu-ray presented in 1080p, preserving the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Audio will be mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The DVD will include an anamorphic widescreen presentation, with 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.

Take a look at the box art for the Blu-ray:

Bonus features for the Blu-ray and DVD will include the following:

• A Look Inside Moonrise Kingdom
• Welcome to The Island of New Penzance: Bob Balaban narrates a series of guided tours from the locations of Moonrise Kingdom featuring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Wes Anderson
• Set Tour With Bill Murray: Bill Murray personally takes viewers on a tour of the Moonrise Kingdom sets.

The Blu-ray will also include a DVD, Digital Copy and UltraViolet cloud streaming copy of the film, in addition to Universal's standard BD-exclusives, from BD-live to pocketBlu.

Suggested retail for this release is set at $34.98 for the Blu-ray Combo Pack, and $29.98 for the DVD. Amazon has the Blu-ray Combo Pack currently up for pre-order for $23.99, and $19.96 for the DVD.

Stay tuned for more news regarding this release. Also, be sure to check out our glowing theatrical review of the film, or scroll through some interviews with the cast and crew, like this one:

Holy Social Networks, readers! Now you can follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

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Pele Movie in the Works

With the World Cup hitting Brazil in 2014, Imagine Entertainment has plans to shoot a film about the most famous footballer of them all: Pele.

According to Variety, the studio has asked brothers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist to write the script, with a view to directing. The pair have previously worked on the documentary likes of Favela Rising and The Two Escobars.

The story will concentrate on Pele’s remarkable early years, with Imagine President of Production Kim Roth describing it as “A coming-of-age story that will trace Pele’s childhood until he won his first World Cup in Sweden at the age of 17.”

Language will be English with some Portuguese; the film shooting next year with a view to releasing before the summer 2014 tournament.

Chris Tilly is the Entertainment Editor for IGN and thinks that Pele is the second greatest footballer of all-time, coming just behind Crystal Palace's midfield dynamo of the mid-1990s, David Hopkin. His football Tweets can be found on both Twitter and MyIGN.

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Rise of the Triad Returns

Apogee Software and Interceptor Entertainment are bringing back a long-dormant shooter with Rise of the Triad. The original was released way back in 1995, and involved fast shooting, bizarre weapons and, at least for the time, surprising amounts of gore.

This updated version is being built using Unreal Engine 3 and will feature a 20 stage single-player campaign as well as a multiplayer mode. Like in the original, you'll still be able to fire Drunk Missiles and rejoice as enemies explode into bits, as this version will include a full dismemberment system. As one of five playable characters, you'll be able to check out Rise of the Triad later this year on Steam.

It seems like Apogee and Interceptor are taking advantage of Valve's platform by including the ability to build and share levels through Steamworks. If you don't care about building and sharing levels, you'll still get plenty of other ways to extend the play experience beyond the base content, as plenty of secret areas, collectibles and modes (such as God mode, Elasto Mode, Shrooms Mode and Dog mode) will be included.

Did this announcement just trigger a nostalgic rush? Or do you have no idea what Rise of the Triad is?

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Download IGN's New Batman Quiz App

Think you know your Batman? Then put it to the test with this ultimate Batman quiz game app courtesy of IGN Entertainment and Plain Vanilla Games. The free app is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.

Download it now at Apple iTunes!

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