Author - Jerry Paxton

Universal Studios Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle Show Review

We were recently treated to an viewing of the new “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” light show at Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal has previously had various light shows at Hogwarts Castle, but this was a first dedicated to the darker side of the Harry Potter mythos. The mix of pinpoint-accurate projection mapping, incredible score, and even the use of high tech drones graces this show, making it one of the most jaw-dropping shows at Universal Studios. And, that’s saying a lot, as Universal has some pretty great shows.

The projection mapping and inclusion of fog effects and more really helped the light show come to life. I am consistently impressed by what Universal Studios has done with regards to this kind of show. We have seen some good projection mapping before, but nothing like this. The score of the Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle Show was arranged by William Ross and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra in London. Of course, the score was initially composed by the irreplaceable John Williams, but Ross does an outstanding job of arranging the music in creative and new ways that would make Williams proud.

One of the coolest things about the Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle show is the use of light-emitting drones. Similar to what we’ve seen at the Olympics and the Super Bowl, these drones play an integral part of the show and create yet another layer to its complex canvas. If you are able to catch a showing of the Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle, I highly recommend doing so before it’s gone for good!

It is my utmost hope that this signals a willingness of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to go a little darker and maybe stay open for Halloween Horror Nights – perhaps with some Death Eater and Lord Voldemort based entertainment! Time will tell on this point, but a guy can dream…

Preview the Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle now during the select nights:

  • April 13-28 and May 25-27

You can find out more about the show, as well as Universal Studios Hollywood, at the following link:

https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/things-to-do/entertainment/dark-arts-at-hogwarts-castle/

Days Gone Soundtrack Out Now

NEW YORK, NY – Sony Music announces the release of DAYS GONE (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) with music by NATHAN WHITEHEAD (The Purge, He’s Out There, Delirium, Keanu).  Available today, April 19, the soundtrack features music from Days Gone, the upcoming, open-world action game, which launches exclusively on the PlayStation®4 system Friday, April 26.  The 25-track collection also includes features from rising artists Jack SavorettiBilly Raffoul & Zander Reese, as well as “Days Gone Quiet,” performed by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi

Of the soundtrack, composer NATHAN WHITEHEAD says: “The ideas that define the score are the tenacity of the human spirit and the value of relationships. Early in the process John Garvin, creative director at Sony’s Bend Studio, described to me how the game isn’t simply about surviving, it also examines why we want to survive. When I heard that, I was instantly excited about all the places the music could go. I found it really interesting to be navigating the survival aspect and also this introspective aspect at the same time. The Pacific Northwest setting is absolutely beautiful and it really felt like the score needed to connect to this environment as well. Deacon and the environment seemed to call for an organic, lived-in sound with a touch of Americana.”

At its core, Days Gone is about survivors and what makes them human: desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood, regret, love – and hope. It’s about how even when confronted with such enormous tragedy they find a reason to live. Hope never dies. You play as Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter, traveling through vast and diverse landscapes in the high desert of the Pacific Northwest. In a narrative that begins two years after a global pandemic, Deacon is facing a brutal struggle for survival in hostile environments filled with infected humans and animals known as Freakers.  The threats in Days Gone are dynamic and change with extreme weather and time of day. Trails become muddy in the rain, Freakers become stronger in the snow and more numerous at night, and day brings more ambushes from marauders. Players must consider these variables for each encounter to strategize their approach at each attempt. Many different items and weapons can be crafted using items found in the field, including brutal melee weapons and traps. Customizable weapons and skills offer true freedom in how the game is played.

CONNECT WITH BEND STUDIO

Facebook: /SonyBendStudio

Twitter: @BendStudio

Instagram: @SonyBendStudio

Website

DAYS GONE (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK)

TRACKLISTING –

1         Days Gone

2         The Freakshow

3         We’ve All Done Things

4         Rest in Peace

5         Finding NERO

6         The Broken Road

7         The Rager Bear

8         A Good Soldier

9         Lost Lake

10      I Remember

11      Keep Them Safe

12      Riding NOMAD

13      Promises and Regrets

14      You’re Safe Now

15      What Did You Do?

16      Drifting Away

17      Sarah’s Theme

18      Light One Candle

19      Never Give Up

20      Holy War

21      Why We Fight

22      Soldier’s Eyes (performed by Jack Savoretti)

23      Hell or High Water (performed by Billy Raffoul)

24      Days Gone Quiet (performed by Lewis Capaldi)

25      Yesterday (performed by Zander Reese)

Mortal Kombat 11 Launch Trailer

April 19, 2019 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios today released the official Mortal Kombat 11 Launch Trailer set to a remix created by international DJ, Dimitri Vegas and 2WEI, of the song “Techno Syndrome,” an iconic, cultural staple of the Mortal Kombat franchise since 1995.

In the trailer, Kronika, the Keeper of Time, has signaled for a new era to begin as she tries to rewind time to its beginning and restart history. In order to restore balance to the realms, players must take on the role of numerous fighters from different eras, culminating in the ultimate generational clash as current characters collide with their past selves. The launch trailer features both cinematic story moments coupled with crushing gameplay showcasing the growing roster of confirmed playable fighters in Mortal Kombat 11, including Scorpion, Raiden, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Skarlet, Baraka, Geras, Kano, D’Vorah, Kabal, Jade, Johnny Cage, Cassie Cage, Erron Black, Jacqui Briggs, Kotal Kahn, Noob Saibot, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Jax Briggs, Cetrion, The Kollector, Kitana and Shao Kahn.

Chernobylite First Gameplay Trailer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 18th, Gliwice, Poland – The time has finally come for us to show you how Chernobylite feels and plays. Watch the video and shroud yourself in an ultra-realistic survival horror experience set in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Prypyat Ghost City.

The Kickstarter campaign for Chernobylite started just a week ago, and 50% of the goal has been reached in just two days with current pledges at over $86,000 out of the $100,000 funding goal. However The Farm 51 developers still need gamers’ support in order to revisit the site with their Reality 51 3D scanning technology and achieve the most accurate reconstruction of the entire Chernobyl area including the destroyed Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The campaign can be supported here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thefarm51/chernobylite-survival-horror-in-3d-scanned-chernob

It’s also worth to add the game to your wishlist on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016800/Chernobylite/) not to miss any updates on its further development.

And if you’d like to chat with developers directly you can join the game’s Discord channel (https://discord.gg/mehRmzY).

Toy Story 4 Old and New Faces Trailer

The final poster for Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” is now available. Plus, check out the new TV spot that debuts today.

ABOUT “TOY STORY 4”:

Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So, when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.

Directed by Josh Cooley (“Riley’s First Date?”), and produced by Jonas Rivera (“Inside Out,” “Up”) and Mark Nielsen (associate producer “Inside Out”), Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” ventures to U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarToyStory/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/toystory

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ToyStory/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyPixar

U.S. Release Date: June 21, 2019

Child’s Play Official Trailer #2

April 18, 2019 – A contemporary re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic, CHILD’S PLAY follows Karen (Aubrey Plaza), a single mother who gifts her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) a Buddi doll, unaware of its more sinister nature.

Director: Lars Klevberg
Writer: Tyler Burton Smith
Producers: Seth Graham-Smith, David Katzenberg
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry & Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky
Genre: Horror

CHILDS PLAY opens in theaters June 21, 2019

Official Site: https://BestBuddi.com/
Facebook: /ChildsPlayMovie
Instagram: @ChildsPlayMovie
Twitter: @ChildsPlayMovie
#ChildsPlayMovie

Six Flags Great Adventure Open for Spring Break

April 18, 2019 – Six Flags Great Adventure, the World’s Ultimate Thrill Park, celebrates Spring Break April 19 through 28. The park operates daily and features cutting-edge thrills like CYBORG Cyber Spin and JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle for Metropolis, family favorites like Bumper Cars and SkyWay, and chart-topping coasters like El Toro and Kingda Ka. The whole family can embark on the ultimate animal adventure on Safari Off Road Adventure, see small, exotic animals up close on the Wild Walkway and check out the new show Quest of the Pinniped Pirates featuring playful California sea lions.

Park guests can visit Metropolis to catch a glimpse of the park’s record-breaking, new ride, WONDER WOMAN Lasso of Truth, opening in late May. Towering a staggering 17 stories tall, this jaw-dropping, spinning disk will reach speeds up to 75 miles-per-hour as it spins and swings to breathtaking heights.

Six Flags Great Adventure and its neighboring Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park are currently hiring for 4,000 fun and fast-paced summer positions. Applicants can visit the Six Flags Employment Center daily or attend a spring job fair May 4. Before attending any spring hiring event, new applicants must visit www.sixflagsjobs.com to complete an online application. More information is available atwww.sixflags.com/greatadventure/special-events/hiring-events.

WHEN:

Spring Break runs daily April 19 to 28 from 10:30 a.m. with varying closing times.

WHERE:

Six Flags Great Adventure, 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, NJ 08527.

DETAILS:

Tickets, operating hours, park information and special events can be found at www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

Fade to Silence Where is My Mind Trailer

Vienna/Austria, Offenburg/Germany, April 18th, 2019 – We wish you and your loved ones a Happy Easter 2019!

We’ve been searching Easter eggs for two weeks straight and found… a new trailer! Dive into an emotional trailer (including an eerie cover version of Pixies – ‘Where is My Mind?’), which invites the blizzard right into your living room.

Fade to Silence will be available on PC, PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One on April 30th 2019. The SRP on PC will be 39,99 $ / 39,99 € , console editions will be at 49,99 $ / 49,99 €.

Katana ZERO Launch Trailer

Austin – Developer askiisoft and slow-mo enthusiasts Devolver Digital have launched their much-anticipated narrative-action game Katana ZERO on Nintendo Switch and PC [katanazero.com].

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

[rewinds]

Katana ZERO uses a radical dialog design to provide subtle and surprising detours to the narrative path based not only on what the hero says to others, but when he says it or if he interrupts the conversation.

[rewinds]

Katana ZERO follows the mysterious tale of a lone swordsman dealing with a clouded history and challenges players to navigate the story through both an unreliable narrator and an increasingly unreliable reality.

[Yes, that should work]

Katana ZERO is available now on Nintendo Switch, Steam, GOG, and Humble Store. Visit katanazero.com for a cool website and possible secrets.

Final Dark Phoenix Trailer Released

April 17, 2019 – 20th Century Fox has released the final trailer for DARK PHOENIX. To honor the passion of X-Men superfans, some of the biggest X-Men fans around the world were selected to experience the final trailer first. Now that they have received it, we can share it with you!

The film stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters, and Jessica Chastain, and is scored by composer Hans Zimmer.

DARK PHOENIX arrives in theaters everywhere on June 7!