Monthly Archives: January 2017

Movies, News items

Disney & Princess Leia

Two interesting controversies arising from Carrie Fisher’s death. The first, how to deal with her absence in the next Star Wars movies, the second, the petition to have Princess Leia made an official Disney princess. 

Arguments for an against the use of CGI are interesting. A precedent was set with the use of a CGIed Peter Cushing.  Negotiations will have to be opened with her estate (her daughter?). The insurance payout (50M from Lloyds of London) will come in handy.

I do, personally, have a problem with Leia being made a Disney princess. She does not belong with those pathetic females.  

From Montreal Gazette:
 Carrie Fisher’s unexpected death has left a gaping hole in the Star Wars universe. But it has also left a huge question mark as to how the creative team behind Episode IX (which is due in 2019) will address her General Leia character in the saga’s final instalment.

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Fisher, who died Dec. 27 four days after going into cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles, had filmed her scenes for Episode VIII, but had not yet begun work on Episode IX.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, insiders have revealed that there were several sequences involving her character, including a reunion with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and a confrontation with her evil son Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), set for Episode VIII and IX.

Episode IX is not scheduled to begin filming until early next year, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, director Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) is set to meet with Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to address Leia’s fate.

Disney, which owns the Star Wars franchise, reportedly took out a US$50 million insurance policy from Lloyd’s of London in the event that Fisher was unable to fulfil her three-film deal, but if they were to digitally recreate Leia, the company will need to renegotiate a contract with the star’s estate.

CGI effects in Rogue One helped resurrect Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin in several key scenes, as well as a younger Leia in the film’s closing shot, but would audiences accept a fully CG version of the character in Episode IX?

When Philip Seymour Hoffman died before completing his work on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2, director Francis Lawrence opted to change the script rather than use CGI.

The ending, in which Hoffman’s Head Gamemaker was supposed to console Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen, was rewritten to include Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch Abernathy.

Trevorrow, who is writing Episode IX with Derek Connolly, still has time to rework the storyline to accommodate Leia’s absence.

But after seeing Cushing’s likeness in Rogue One, we’re betting Disney will resurrect Fisher’s iconic character for one or two moments.

Meanwhile, Fisher fans have started a Change.org petition online asking Disney to crown Leia as an official Disney Princess.

“After the tragic lose of Carrie Fisher, we feel that it is only fitting for Disney to do away with the rule that an official Disney princess must be animated,” the petition addressing Disney CEO Bob Iger reads.

News items

Judge Denies Axanar Its Fair Use Defense

From the Axamonitor website, with thanks to File 770 for pointing me to the latest developments.

While a Federal judge denied summary judgment January 4, 2017, to both sides in the Axanar copyright infringement lawsuit, he dealt a major blow to the defendants’ hope to use fair use as a defense in the case.

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Going to Trial

The 15-page decision moved the case forward to its scheduled January 31 trial date, striking out a central part of the defendants’ case. While Klausner found Axanar was indeed substantially similar to Star Trek using an extrinsic test, despite the defense’s protestations to the contrary, he left to the jury the intrinsic, or subjective, decision over whether the “total concept and feel of [Axanar and Star Trek works were] substantially similar.”1)

‘Objectively Infringing’

The extrinsic test Klausner used examines “specific expressive elements: the plot, themes, dialogue, mood, setting, pace, characters, and sequence of events in the two works to determine if articulable similarities exist.“2)

« Defendants intentionally use elements from the Star Trek Copyrighted Works to create works that stay true to Star Trek canon down to excruciating details. Defendants even touted that ‘Axanar feels like Star Trek.’ » — Judge R. Gary Klausner

Here, Klausner wrote, the “Defendants [producer Alec Peters and Axanar Productions] intentionally use elements from the Star Trek Copyrighted Works to create works that stay true to Star Trek canon down to excruciating details. Defendants even touted that ‘Axanar feels like Star Trek.’”3)

Read the rest of the article:

http://axamonitor.com/doku.php?id=fair_use_denied

Gaming

A gamers’ calendar for 2017

From this morning’s Montreal Gazette:

While we’re happy to erase 2016 from our memories — entertainers lost, elections won, wars waged and so on — it was actually a pretty great year for video games. Tons of amazing titles, some cool new hardware … it’s going to be a tough year to beat. But 2017 is shaping up to be a real contender. Here are some games Steve Tilley is looking forward to this year.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is set to be released in spring 2017.

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RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 (PS4, Xbox One; autumn 2017) If this sequel to 2010s unforgettable action-adventure game actually hits its late 2017 release window, we’ll eat our 10-gallon hats. But it is our most highly anticipated game of the year, and we can’t wait to saddle up and ride back into the gritty Old West.

HORIZON ZERO DAWN (PS4; Feb. 28) This PlayStation 4 exclusive is shaping up to be not only one of the best-looking games of 2017, but one of the most original open-world games of recent years. A primitive, post-apocalyptic world overrun by robot animals? Sign us up.

RESIDENT EVIL 7: BIOHAZARD (PS4, Xbox One, PC; Jan. 24) We’re pleased to see that Capcom is taking the Resident Evil series back to its horror roots, though the change to a first-person perspective is a gamble that might alienate some fans. Then again, there’s no way it could be as bad as Resident Evil 6. Seriously. No way.

SOUTH PARK: THE FRACTURED BUT WHOLE (PS4, Xbox One, PC; spring 2017) We were surprised when 2014’s South Park: The Stick of Truth not only captured the essence of the show and its characters, but was a damn fine RPG. The Fractured But Whole (say it quickly out loud) will follow in those footsteps, riffing on superhero oversaturation.

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA  (PS4, Xbox One, PC; TBA 2017) Edmonton’s own BioWare is kicking off a new chapter in the Mass Effect sci-fi role-playing game saga, and we can’t wait to see what it will look like on the current generation of video game hardware. Or see how many aliens we’ll be able to romance.

PREY  (PS4, Xbox One, PC; spring 2017) This complete reimagining of the acclaimed 2006 first-person shooter has stunned us with its impressive trailer, and it’s looking a lot like a spiritual successor to the amazing System Shock games. Except in Prey you can turn into a … coffee cup?

GOD OF WAR (PS4; TBA) If there were a franchise in need of reinvention, it was God of War. Sony is really shaking things up with this sequel/reboot, from a grizzled old Kratos to a whole new camera and control scheme. We’re not certain this one will land in 2017, but we’re really hoping it does.

FOR HONOR (PS4, Xbox One, PC; Feb. 14) What better way to wish the one you love a happy Valentine’s Day by heading into battle together and lopping off your enemies’ limbs? This is sort of a tactical multiplayer sword-fighting game with a whole lot of other cool stuff layered on. To victory!

CRACKDOWN 3  (Xbox One, PC; TBA 2017) We’ve heard very little of late from the makers of the third entry in the Crackdown saga, but we expect it to get a major reveal at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, if not before. We can’t wait to start blowing things up in its massive, multiplayer open world.

TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON: WILDLANDS  (PS4, Xbox One, PC; March 7) The Ghosts hit the road in yet another open-world game making its debut this year. From our previous hands-on time with Wildlands, we know it’s going to be crazy fun raiding a drug overlord’s sprawling compound with three of our closest co-op friends.

DAYS GONE  (PS4; TBA) Another PlayStation exclusive that doesn’t have a firm release date ( but that we’re hoping sneaks into the 2017 calendar), this one is like a mix of The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy. Because who’s better equipped to survive a zombie apocalypse than bikers?

CUPHEAD  (Xbox One, PC; TBA 2017) Our hope was starting to fade that this incredibly animated run-’n’-gun platformer would ever get a release date, but it is allegedly coming out this year. Looking like a 1930s cartoon come to life, it’s one of the most visually impressive indie games we’ve seen.

INJUSTICE 2  (PS4, Xbox One; TBA 2017) Batman duking it out with Superman on the big screen was a bit underwhelming, but this sequel to the awesome fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us will let us pit a slew of DC heroes and villains against each other. It’s by the makers of Mortal Kombat, so ’nuff said.

YOOKA-LAYLEE  (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac; April 11) With a similar vibe to Banjo-Kazooie — it’s sort of a cousin to that game, and made by some of the same folks — this one looks to be bringing back the fun and flavour of the platformer-type games of the late ’90s.

SEA OF THIEVES  (Xbox One, PC; TBA 2017) Not that we advocate drinking and gaming, but this hilarious cooperative pirate game is even better with a yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum. We can’t wait to assemble a crew of friends and set sail in search of booty. And also treasure. Treasure is good.

DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN  (PS4; TBA) This latest cinematic adventure from the minds behind Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls is another PS4 title that Sony hasn’t announced a release date for just yet, but we’re hopeful it will come out this year so we can put our android instincts to the test.