Movies

One could safely say Dutch computer modder Sander van der Velden adores the behemoth AT-AT vehicle from "The Empire Strikes Back." The self-confessed sci-fi addict recently stuffed a water-cooled computer inside a large Hasbro toy version of Star Wars' most infamous four-legged Rebel annihilator.

The AT-AT computer measures 2 feet tall (plus several more inches for the dock), and contains some spicy hardware, including a Zotac Z68-ITX (Mini-ITX) motherboard running an Intel Core i7 2600k processor, SSD, and built-in Wi-Fi. The water-cooling system (radiator and XSPC pump) uses water blocks to cool the CPU, GPU, and other components.

The designers at Hasbro probably didn't expect someone to take the largest action figure AT-AT ever made and fit a bunch of computer parts into it. … Read more

It's good to be reminded sometimes that automated technology solutions can't fix everything. That reminder came recently with the announcement of the impending big-screen return of The Beatles' trippy 1968 animated film, "Yellow Submarine."

A team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque is responsible for the restoration effort. Sure, it's a digital restoration, but that's not all that was involved with bringing it back to life. The team couldn't just load the film into a powerhouse computer, press go, and wait for the remaster to spit itself out.… Read more

"Hey, George Lucas: Come on and cross the Bay. The water's just fine."

That appears to be the message from hundreds of people who have signed an online petition urging the "Star Wars" filmmaker to locate his new 260,000-square-foot technical production facility at Vallejo, Calif.'s Mare Island.

The petition comes after Lucasfilm decided to abandon long-held plans to build the new facility on a piece of property it owned in bucolic Marin County, about 30 minutes north of San Francisco and across San Pablo Bay from Vallejo.

That decision was the result of … Read more

I donned my superhero cape and 3D specs to check out "The Avengers" (titled "Avengers Assemble" in some countries), the new film featuring Earth's mightiest heroes, The Avengers. Is it worth seeing in 3D?

Based on the Marvel Comics characters, "The Avengers" sees leather-coated Samuel L. Jackson recruit a roll call of superheroes when a powerful energy source is stolen, or somesuch. The Avengers include supersoldier Captain America; superspies Black Widow and Hawkeye; flippant philanthropist Tony Stark, who suits up as Iron Man; brilliant scientist with rage issues Bruce Banner, who hides the Incredible Hulk inside; and Thor, the Norse god who puts the Pantene in pantheon.

I have to admit I had my doubts about uniting all these characters on-screen. In a comic you can get away with a colorful cast of increasingly far-fetched superfolk pootling about in flying aircraft carriers and biffing aliens, because the medium just lends itself to such gleeful, overblown ludicrousness. Suspension of disbelief isn't an issue the way it is in a film, which needs to be more grounded to sell itself.

Read more of "Should I see Avengers Assemble in 3D?" at Crave UK.… Read more

"The Hobbit" is possibly one of the first movies to be filmed in 48fps, or double the framerate of tradition theatrical releases. According to a Facebook entry by its director Peter Jackson, the switch promises significantly higher clarity and smoothness, especially when it comes to fast movements and panning shots.

Some viewers, however, were unimpressed after a preview of the movie at the CinemaCon trade show in Las Vegas. A rival studio's projectionist was even quoted by the Los Angeles Times, saying that the film looked like a made-for-TV movie and was too accurate and too clear. … Read more

Some people send Lego men spaceward on rockets, while others can only dream. Or build giant Lego barrel organs dedicated to Star Wars.

To promote the 3D version of "The Phantom Menace," German ad agency Serviceplan Campaign turned heads and arms with this mammoth instrument created from more than 20,000 Lego bricks.

When it's rotated with a hand crank, the barrel's many trees, buildings, and other Lego structures trigger levers that strike keys on a keyboard. That, in turn, plays the series' main theme. … Read more

If you've seen "Iron Man 2," you've seen 3D printing in action at a very high level.

When director Jon Favreau and Paramount Pictures were making the hit 2010 film, they needed to find the best way to put together a physical Iron Man suit for certain scenes in the movie that couldn't be computer generated.

Rather than build models by hand, as was long the practice in Hollywood, the filmmakers turned to 3D printing, one of the hottest technologies around.

Indeed, in the film's scenes that were done in live-action -- as opposed to CGI (computer-generated imagery) -- its star, Robert Downey, Jr., can be seen wearing a suit that was first digitally modeled, then produced in pieces on a sophisticated 3D printer, and then painted. … Read more

George Lucas lost a bruising battle with neighbors in a bucolic Northern California valley Tuesday over the "Star Wars" impresario's plans for a giant technology production complex.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Lucas failed to win approval for his new 263,701-square-foot project last week, and rather than wait for more studies, as neighbors in the Lucas Valley area of San Rafael--about 30 minutes north of San Francisco--had wanted, the filmmaker decided yesterday to scrap his plans altogether.

Lucas needs to open a new complex by next year, and grew tired of waiting for approvals to … Read more

MegaUpload is loading up on high-profile lawyers.

The cyberlocker service has added Andrew Schapiro, the attorney who led the YouTube defense that won summary judgment in the video-sharing service's initial copyright trial against Viacom, MegaUpload attorney Ira Rothken told CNET today.

Schapiro is part of Los Angeles-based Quinn Emanuel Urguhart & Sullivan, which MegaUpload hired to represent the company against criminal copyright charges. Rothken is a well-known Silicon Valley lawyer and the man who is also leading MegaUpload's worldwide defense.

Rothken called Quinn Emanuel "one of the best law firms in the country."

The United States alleges that MegaUpload's leadership, … Read more