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Netflix Announces 2019 Holiday Series and Film Release Dates

October 15, 2019 – Netflix announces holiday series and film release dates with first look images, poster debuts for holiday in the wild, let it snow, a knight before christmas, holiday rush, a christmas prince: the royal baby, merry happy whatever, sugar rush and nailed it as well as an exclusive clip for klaus!

NOVEMBER 1

Holiday in the Wild – Netflix Film
To keep her spirits high when their son leaves for college, Manhattanite Kate Conrad (Kristin Davis) has booked a ‘second honeymoon’ with her husband. Instead of thanking her, he brings their relationship to a sudden end; jilted Kate proceeds to Africa for a solo safari. During a detour through Zambia, she helps her pilot, Derek Holliston (Rob Lowe), rescue an orphaned baby elephant. They nurse him back to health at a local elephant sanctuary, and Kate extends her stay through Christmastime. Far from the modern luxuries of home, Kate thrives amidst majestic animals and scenery. Her love for the new surroundings just might extend to the man who shared her journey.

NOVEMBER 8

Let It Snow – Netflix Film
When a snowstorm hits a small midwestern town on Christmas Eve, a group of high school seniors find their friendships and love lives colliding thanks to a stranded pop star, a stolen keg, a squad of competitive dancers, a mysterious woman covered in tin foil, and an epic party at the local Waffle Town. Come Christmas morning, nothing will be the same. Based on the best-selling book by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, LET IT SNOW stars Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Odeya Rush, Liv Hewson, Mitchell Hope, Kiernan Shipka, Jacob Batalon, and Joan Cusack.

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2 – Netflix Original
Twinkling eyes? White beard? Santa has nothing on Paul Hollywood as he and Prue Leith judge festive treats baked by some favorite former competitors.

NOVEMBER 15

Klaus – Netflix Film
When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy’s worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (Oscar® winner J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care. An animated holiday comedy directed by Despicable Me co-creator Sergio Pablos, KLAUS co-stars Joan Cusack, Will Sasso and Norm Macdonald.

NOVEMBER 21

The Knight Before Christmas – Netflix Film
After a magical sorceress transports medieval knight Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) to present-day Ohio during the holiday season, he befriends Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens), a clever and kind science teacher who’s been disillusioned by love. Brooke helps Sir Cole navigate the modern world and helps him discover how to fulfill his mysterious one true quest — the only act that will return him home. But as he and Brooke grow closer, Sir Cole begins to wonder just how much he wants to return to his old life. Directed by Monika Mitchell (THE CHRISTMAS CONTRACT, ROYAL NEW YEAR’S EVE) and also starring Emmanuelle Chriqui, Isabelle Franca, Ella Kenion, and Jean-Michel Le Gal, THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a cozy holiday romance about learning to let yourself believe in magic again.

NOVEMBER 22
Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2 – Netflix Original

Grab your loved ones because Nailed It! Holiday is back! The messes are-a-plenty as St. Nicole and Jacques Frost deliver the best of the worst baking fails this season. Whether wrecking the halls or destroying the dreidel, jaws will drop as the bakers attempt all new challenges inspired by the holidays.  From Santa to Scrooge and angels to elves, these bakers find new ways to destroy the kitchen and ruin more taste buds in Nailed It! Holiday –  even The Grinch makes an appearance to help ring in the New Year! Guest judges include: Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, David Burkta, Bridget Everett, Jason Mantzoukas and Ron Ben Israel.

NOVEMBER 26
Super Monsters Save Christmas – Netflix Family

It’s Christmas Eve in Pitchfork Pines, and the Super Monsters are joining forces to deck the halls, find Santa’s missing reindeer and save the holiday!

True: Winter Wishes – Netflix Family
Everyone in the Rainbow Kingdom is gathered to celebrate Winter Wishfest, but when Forever Frost escapes the Ice Kingdom, the day might be ruined. Can True set everything right?

NOVEMBER 28
Holiday Rush – Netflix Film

Popular New York radio DJ Rush Williams (Romany Malco) has been spoiling his four children since they lost their mom. Unfortunately, the kids share their pricey Christmas lists right when he loses his job. To keep Rush on the air, his producer Roxy Richardson (Sonequa Martin-Green) and his Aunt Jo (Darlene Love) plan to help him buy another station — if the Williams family can downsize fast and embrace a simpler life. In this heartwarming film, a loving father reconnects with his children and opens his heart to love when they all learn that true joy comes from not what you have but who you have around you.

Merry Happy Whatever – Netflix Original
Set during the happy but hectic days before and after Christmas, Merry Happy Whatever follows Don Quinn (Dennis Quaid), a strong-willed patriarch from Philadelphia doing his best to balance the stress of the holidays with the demands of his close-knit but eclectic family — and his family doing their best to manage him. But when youngest daughter Emmy (Bridgit Mendler) arrives home from L.A. with a new boyfriend, struggling musician Matt (Brent Morin), Don’s belief that “there’s the Quinn way… and the wrong way” is put to the test. From Emmy Award-winning creator Tucker Cawley (Everybody Loves Raymond), Merry Happy Whatever is a hilarious and heartwarming comedy that proves while family may not come wrapped up in a neat little bow, it sometimes can still be the greatest gift.

Merry Happy Whatever stars Dennis Quaid, Bridgit Mendler, Brent Morin, Siobhan Murphy, Adam Rose, Hayes MacArthur, Elizabeth Ho and Ashley Tisdale. Guest stars include Garcelle Beauvais and Tyler Ritter. Tucker Cawley serves as creator, executive producer and showrunner, alongside fellow executive producers Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling and Dana Honor. Quaid acts as executive producer as well.

NOVEMBER 29
Sugar Rush Christmas – Netflix Original
It’s the present worth waiting for – Sugar Rush Christmas is here! Hunter March, Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo will be joined by guest judges Tiffani Thiessen, Liza Koshy, Donal Skehan, Jeanine Mason, Amirah Kassem and Olympic Gold Medalist Meryl Davis to devour tasty Christmas treats over three rounds of competition. Over six Christmas-themed episodes, the judges help decide which teams should walk away with the $10,000 prize.

DECEMBER 2
Magic For Humans: Season 2 (Holiday Episode) – Netflix Original

Ho ho ho! Justin embraces the holiday spirit by visiting Santa school and teaching kids about the magic of giving.

Team Kaylie: Part 2 (Holiday Episode) – Netflix Family
To try to help Amber get through her first Christmas since her mom passed away, Kaylie decides to try and buy Amber the dollhouse she always wanted. Without any money, Kaylie has no choice but to take a job with Chewy and Jackie working as an elf for the local mall Santa. But when Santa is a no-show, Kaylie puts on the beard and takes on the work. It’s a disaster, and Kaylie isn’t able to raise enough money to buy Amber the dollhouse— but finds a way to make her something special with a more creative touch.

DECEMBER 5
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby – Netflix Film

It’s Christmastime in Aldovia, and a royal baby is on the way! Queen Amber (Rose McIver) and King Richard (Ben Lamb) are getting ready to take some time off to prepare for their first child’s arrival, but first they have to host King Tai (Kevin Shen) and Queen Ming (Momo Yeung) of Penglia to renew a 600-year-old sacred truce. But when the priceless treaty goes missing, peace is jeopardized and an ancient curse looms. Amber will have to figure out who the thief is before the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, for the safety of her family and the kingdom. Director John Schultz (A CHRISTMAS PRINCE: THE ROYAL WEDDING) and screenwriter Nathan Atkins (A CHRISTMAS PRINCE, A CHRISTMAS PRINCE: THE ROYAL WEDDING) return for the third installment in the CHRISTMAS PRINCE series.

DECEMBER 6
Spirit Riding Free: The Spirit of Christmas – Netflix Family

Lucky and her friends embark on a Christmas Eve adventure into the city to find the perfect gift, but their return to Miradero for the holiday festivities are ruined when as avalanche derails their plans.

DECEMBER 9
A Family Reunion Christmas – Netflix Family

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but as we know, for it to be a ‘Wonderful Life’ the McKellans must face the ghosts of Christmas past. The McKellans are back to spread Christmas joy in this holiday special about the importance of family, forgiveness, and empathy.

DECEMBER 24

Lost in Space: Season 2 – Netflix Original
There’s more danger — and adventure — ahead for the Robinson family! With the Jupiter 2 stranded on a mysterious ocean planet without their beloved Robot, the Robinsons must work together, alongside the mischievous and manipulative Dr. Smith and the always charming Don West, to make it back to the Resolute and reunite with the other colonists. But they quickly find all is not as it seems. A series of incredible new threats and unexpected discoveries emerge as they look for the key to finding Robot and safe passage to Alpha Centauri. They will stop at nothing to keep their family safe… survival is a Robinson specialty after all. Picking up on Christmas day – 7 months ahead of when we last saw The Robinson Family – Season 2 launches December 24th globally on Netflix.

DECEMBER 30
Alexa & Katie: Season 3 (Holiday Episode) – Netflix Family

It’s Christmas break and Alexa has been getting quite a bit of attention from her ex boyfriend who’s going to be home from college. The person she’s not getting attention from is Spencer who has started to pull away. When she realizes it’s because he’s started to lose his hair from chemo, Dylan is the last thing on her mind and she jumps at the chance to help Spencer through this milestone. Meanwhile, Katie runs a canned food drive at Wired. But, as her job and charity work gets busier and busier while her friends are having holiday fun, she has trouble keeping the BAHS out of her HUMBUG.

Moons of Madness Gets A Creepy ARG Just in Time for Halloween

OSLO, Norway – Oct 15th, 2019 – Funcom have teamed up with alternate reality game (ARG) experts Alice & Smith to create an eerie and unique experience ahead of the launch of cosmic horror game Moons of Madness. The result is CyranoStory.com, where players from all over the world already have discovered hidden parts of the narrative and backstory of the highly anticipated game.

The ARG, which will continually be updated with new content till Moons of Madness launches on PC October 22nd, utilizes Google AI in an innovative fashion – giving it control over the storyline and player interactions.

“This is by far the most advanced ARG we have ever created,” explains Andrea Doyon, Chief Storyteller at Alice & Smith. “We have basically put Google AI in charge of the game universe. You interact with it through words, like with any other AI, but it will reply using emotions, sounds, visuals or even creepy ghost whispers.”

Fear is central to CyranoStory.com, and Doyon reveals that they have taught the AI 298 human phobias for this game. This will allow the AI to identify the players worst fears based on what they input. It will also allow the AI and storyline to evolve as the game reaches new stages.

And while it may be creepy, courageous gamers may find themselves greatly rewarded. Funcom and Alice & Smith are giving out 2000 keys for Moons of Madness, The Park and The Black Watchmen, as well as a grand prize trip to visit a NASA space center. The grand prize includes tickets for two people to Space Center Houston®, including Lunch with an Astronaut, Level 9 VIP Tour (Including Space Center Admissions; winners must be 14 or older to participate), round trip air transportation and hotel accommodations for three nights; all provided by Funcom Oslo AS*.

No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited. Restrictions apply. Visit www.CyranoStory.com after Noon EST 25 October for Official Rules and complete Terms and Conditions.
*Funcom declares no affiliation, sponsorship, nor any partnerships with any registered trademarks unless otherwise stated.

Moons of Madness is a first-person, story-driven cosmic horror game where the scientific exploration of Mars meets the supernatural dread of Lovecraft. The game is due to launch on PC in time for Halloween on October 22nd and on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One January 21st, 2020. For more information, check out the Moons of Madness Steam page.

Iron Danger Teaser Trailer Released

HAMBURG, Germany  Oct. 15, 2019 — Publisher Daedalic Entertainment today announced it has partnered with independent developer Action Squad Studios to launch Iron Danger, a tactical combat RPG with simultaneous turns and time manipulation, in early 2020 for Windows PC, Mac and Linux. Iron Danger has already received accolades for its unique mechanics and atmosphere.

Get right up close to the action in Iron Danger’s brand-new teaser trailer:

Iron Danger is set in a world of magic and machinery that draws from both the Nordic myths that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy and from modern steampunk and tech noir. Players take on the role of Kipuna, a sharp-minded village girl who becomes imbued with an ancient power that grants dominion over time and death. Drawn into war, players must master their powers in order to protect mankind against total destruction.

With Iron Danger’s engaging time-control mechanic, players can rewind time for up to five seconds at any point in order to try different strategies and move combinations to find the right one for the job. Time manipulation gives traditional tactical combat a puzzle-like element, as players can continuously test new approaches and synchronize character actions for the perfect outcome.

Key Features:

  • Unique time-rewind mechanics combine the best aspects of real-time and turn-based combat.
  • Highly interactive environments provide advantages to succeed against impossible odds.
  • Adventure in a world of steampunk fantasy, meeting unique inhabitants inspired by Finnish folklore and fantasy.
  • Fight epic boss monsters.
  • No grinding! Character progression pace is controlled by the story, ensuring every fight matters.

For more information, visit https://irondanger.com, and wishlist the game on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/899310/Iron_Danger.

D&D Classics Gets Console Release

Oct. 15, 2019 (LOS ANGELES) – Skybound Games and Beamdog have announced that enhanced editions of several classic Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing videogames – including Baldur’s Gate, the Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear expansion, Baldur’s Gate IIPlanescape: Torment, and Icewind Dale – are now available on modern consoles for the very first time. Available today globally, these boxed versions can be purchased at major retailers for $49.99 each on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch:

  • Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition Pack: Celebrating the series’ 20th anniversary, the original Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and its sequel, Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition, return with all DLC and restored quest content, as well as the Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear expansion, featuring new original content developed by Beamdog to bridge the two games.
  • Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition / Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition: Two must-play games and all their DLC in one package – the chilling Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition, plus its expansions, and the enhanced edition of 1999’s RPG of the Year, Planescape: Torment.

These titles are also now available for digital download on the PlayStation®Store, Microsoft Xbox One Store, and Nintendo eShop.

Tailored for a natural gameplay experience on consoles, these enhanced editions give longtime fans and newcomers alike the opportunity to play these critically acclaimed adventures from a golden age of RPGs in a whole new way. Beamdog has upgraded each title with support for high-resolution widescreen displays, controls optimized for console controllers, new content, new characters and classes, expanded character creation options, redesigns of the UI and UX, bug fixes, balance changes and more.

Skybound Games and Beamdog will also release fellow all-time classic RPG Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition on consoles on Dec. 3, 2019. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is available to pre-order now at major retailers and the Skybound Shop: www.skybound.com/neverwinter-nights-enhanced-edition.

Football Manager 2020 Release Date

October 14, 2019 – It gives us great pleasure to reveal that Football Manager 2020 will launch both digitally and physically for PC and Mac on November 19th. Fans who pre-purchase Football Manager 2020 from a participating digital retailer will receive a 10% discount and access to the pre-release Beta version, which will be available circa two weeks prior to release. There is also a 10% discount for those pre-ordering from participating physical retailers. More details regarding the Google Stadia launch will follow very soon. Thank you for your patience.

Football Manager 2020 Touch (Steam, iOS & Android) and Football Manager 2020 Mobile (iOS and Android) will also launch on November 19th. Check www.footballmanager.com for device compatibility and stay tuned for a Football Manager 2020 Touch for Nintendo Switch release date announcement very soon.

Haunted Little Tokyo Announces The Block Party for Saturday Oct. 26

Throughout the eerie month of October, Haunted Little Tokyo presented by the Little Tokyo Community Council has unleashed a chilling array of Halloween festivities from pumpkin patches to haunted tours and film screenings. Dare to join the Little Tokyo community as it unwraps the ultimate end to the month-long celebrations with a frightfully-fun block party, costume contest, and trick-or-treating at Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party on Saturday, October 26 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. in Downtown LA.

DETAILS:
Halloween enthusiasts of all ages are invited to dress their best and Go Little Tokyo for a one night Halloween extravaganza oozing with devilish desserts and delicious bites from local food vendors, bone-chilling drinks from the haunted beer garden, and hair-raising musical entertainment and activities. Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party is closing down 2nd Street between Central & San Pedro Street in the oozing heart of Downtown LA for this highly anticipated Halloween bash featuring the ultimate costume contest with cash prizes. Spooky festivities from games and adventure races to free STEM lab activities will fill the night with ghoulish fun for witches and warlocks of all ages. The grown and mischievous can keep the party going until sunrise with the Haunted Little Tokyo 21+ after-party hosted by Little Tokyo Vibes at Noy Pitz Bar and Grill.
WHEN:
Saturday, October 26
Trick-or-treating, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party, 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Haunted Little Tokyo After Party, 11 p.m. – 2 a.m.

LOCATION:
Trick-or-treating and Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party will be located at 2nd Street in between Central Ave. and San Pedro St. in Downtown Los Angeles. Haunted Little Tokyo After Party will be held at Noypitz at 333 S Alameda St Suite 115, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

 
PRICES:
Trick-or-treating and Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party are free to attend!
Activities range from free – $30 depending on activity.
Haunted Little Tokyo After Party tickets begin at $10 and are available at https://thealliance.ticketleap.com/haunted-little-tokyo-after-party-2019/dates/Oct-26-2019_at_1000PM.
PARTNERS:

Haunted Little Tokyo: The Block Party is presented by the Little Tokyo Community Council and sponsored by Council District 14: Councilmember José Huizar, Wolf and Crane, Go Little Tokyo and Metro Los Angeles, Cafe Dulce, Japanese Village Plaza, LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), Little Tokyo Business Association, Little Tokyo Public Safety Association, Pikunico, Prime Pizza.

Beer Garden Sponsored by Wolf and Crane, Brunswig Square, The Mermaid, Bintang, Kirin Ichiban, and Soto Sake. Costume Contest Sponsored by Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council Arts District and Little Tokyo. Trick Or Treat Co-Presented with KIDZGEN and sponsored by Glico, Hi-Chu, and Meiji.

Food Vendors: Azay, Buttery Popcorn Co., Cafe Dulce, Hello Stranger, KASIH, Pikunico, Rice and Nori, Takoyaki Tanota, Tokyo Doggie Style, Steamy Bun Truck, and Takuma Burgers.

Vendors: Anime Jungle, Japan LA , JBS Radio, Lumica, and Asobi Rin – Virtual YouTuber.


Stage: DJs – KeyKool, Phatrick, plus a special guest anime DJ sponsored by Lumica USA.

Warhammer Vermintide 2 Winds of Magic Coming to Consoles

October 14, 2019 – The wait is over – Vermintide 2 Winds of Magic expansion is heading for Xbox One and Playstation 4 in December.

The first expansion for Warhammer: Vermintide 2 brings a brand new enemy faction and new challenges to the game. As a meteor crashes down in the Reikland, Beastmen emerge from the depths of the Reikwald forest and rush to the epicenter to claim it as a Herdstone. It is up to the five heroes to stop them before a dreadful disaster strikes the Empire.

 

SK Hynix Gold S31 1TB SSD Review

SK hynix, the world’s second largest memory manufacturer, has long been a supplier of OEM and enterprise SSDs and only recently began marketing its own drive to the consumer space. Enter the SK hynix Gold S31: A solid-state drive boasting reliability, speed, and efficiency – all while not costing too much. Installing the SK hynix Gold S31 was very straightforward. If you have ever installed a 2.5″ solid-state drive before, you won’t have any difficulties. If not, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube so be sure to use them if you need to.

The drive itself has a relatively simple and standard 2.5″ SSD design. It’s housed in an aluminum body with the SK hynix gold logo on the top side. On the rear side of the drive, you’ll find the standard power and data ports. In terms of its design, that’s about it. SK hynix is pulling ahead of the pack by boasting a five year manufacturer warranty on the Gold S31! Although, it is important to note that the company is based in South Korea, so it could take a little longer than with a warranty from a US-based entity. Either way, five years is very impressive and shows a great pride and belief in their product and is way longer than most SSD makers feature.

I played through some very disk-heavy games on the SK hynix Gold S31 and, thankfully, switching back and forth between games didn’t take too long thanks to the drive’s impressive read and write speeds. I played Ghost Recon: Wildlands as well as DCS World and neither had any stutters while loading terrain from the disk. In copying files back and forth from the drive, I was also impressed with its high access rates. The manufacturer boasts an up to 560MB/s read speed and sequential write speeds of up to 525MB/s which is better than the average for this kind of drive – although much better than most at its price point and storage capacity.

Overall, the SK hynix Gold S31 solid-state drive is a terrific performer for a very reasonable $120 dollars (give or take a few dollars depending on where you’re purchasing from). I wholeheartedly recommend this drive – not only an OS drive but, also, a drive more than capable of running your favorite games that require a lot of disk reads and writes. As a gamer, I have no regrets about selecting this unit for my high disk-use games. The SK hynix Gold S31 is available now! You can find out more at their official website.

Disney’s Jungle Cruise Official Trailer

October 11, 2019 – Join the adventure of a lifetime and watch the action-packed new trailer for Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE and feel free to share it and the brand-new poster with your readers!

The trailer was launched via a fun-filled Instagram Live featuring Dwayne Johnson, interacting with a boat full of skippers from the Jungle Cruise attraction at the Disneyland Resort.

Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE is an adventure-filled, Amazon-jungle expedition starring Dwayne Johnson as the charismatic riverboat captain and Emily Blunt as a determined explorer on a research mission. Also starring in the film are Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.

Jaume Collet-Serra is the director and John Davis, John Fox, Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia and Beau Flynn are the producers, with Doug Merrifield serving as executive producer.

Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE opens in U.S. theaters on July 24, 2020

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood PDXCon Teaser

Lesquin, France, October 10, 2019 – Announced for the first time at E3 2019, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood, developed by Cyanide and published by Bigben, will be unveiled at PDXCON on October 18, 19 and 20 in Berlin. On Saturday fans will be able to watch an exclusive game trailer and then Julien Desourteaux, Game Director at Cyanide, will take the stage to reveal more information about the game during a keynote speech.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood is the first action-RPG game adaptation of the iconic role-playing game. Become Cahal, a banished werewolf, forced to return to aid of his endangered Tribe and master the devastating Rage within him to punish all those that would pollute, destroy, and corrupt our Mother Earth, Gaïa. On his bloody quest for redemption, Cahal will play a pivotal role in the Great War of the Garou against Pentex, a powerful corporation whose activities are upsetting the balance of nature.