Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian DVD

Fox Home Entertainment released this week the DVD for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.  It is available in 3 formats: a 1-disc DVD ($29.98), a 2-disc DVD ($34.98), and a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack ($39.99). The only extra material on the 1-disc DVD will be commentary by cast and crew, featurettes, six deleted scenes with an alternate ending, and a gag reel. The 2-disc “Monkey Mischief” DVD will include all that, along with featurettes and 2 games. The Blu-ray release will include all of the above, plus additional featurettes, a digital copy of the film, and a copy of the standard definition DVD.

Ben Stiller leads an all-star cast (including Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria and Robin Williams) as Larry Daley, a former night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come to life after dark. But now Larry’s nocturnal friends are being retired to the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, luring him back for a hilarious, all-out battle against museum misfits who plan to take over the Smithsonian…and the world!

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is somewhat a revamp of the original film. If you liked the first film, you are bound to like the second however, I would have liked to see more extras about the fascinating Smithsonian!

Bonus Features:

-Trailers: Flicka 2, Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Avatar,Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Percy Jackson

-Commentary by Director Shawn Levy

-Commentary by Writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon

-The Curators of Comedy: Behind the Scenes of Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

-5 Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Shawn Levy

-Alternate Ending

-Gag Reel

Disc 2: Night At The Museum Monkey Mischief Bonus Disc

-Show Me The Monkey Featurettes

-Monkey Business

-Primate Prima Donnas

-The Secret Life of a Monkey Movie Star: Life Off Camera

-Activities

-Monkey Slap Game

-Abel and Dexters Flights of Fancy

Update on Stephen King’s Musical: Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

John Mellencamp has virtually completed recording and “assembling” the “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” musical theater collaboration with Stephen King.

John and King have edited the initial three-hour program down to two hours and 10 minutes—with a bit more editing still to come before producer T-Bone Burnett completes the tracks. When finished, the recording will be available in a novel book package containing the full text, two discs featuring the entire production of the spoken word script and songs performed by the cast, and a third CD of the songs only.

The story involves domestic turmoil, and is played by a stellar cast led by Kris Kristofferson, in the role of Joe, the father, and Elvis Costello, as the satanic character The Shape. Rosanne Cash plays Monique, the mother, with the sons enacted by Will Daily (Frank), Dave Alvin (Jack), Alvin’s real-life brother Phil Alvin (Andy) and John (Drake).

Sheryl Crow stars as Jenna and Neko Case is Anna, with boxing legend Joe Frazier playing caretaker Dan Coker and Stephen King himself in the role of Uncle Steve. The narrator is “24” star Glenn Morshower.

John stressed that the three-disc package is not a traditional audio book, but offers an experience more akin to listening to an old radio show with music; he further emphasized the challenge inherent in making such a project work.

John characterized the music as “down-home,” with the earthiness and feeling of the acoustic folk-country blues of the 1930s. He hopes to have the book/CD set out before the musical opens next September at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater.

Awesome Christmas Sweaters

In the spirit of the Season, click HERE and enjoy!

The Fire Wire Holiday Gift Guide – The Hangover DVD

The Hangover was the funniest movie of the year and now it’s available on DVD today.  Relive the unforgettable or “forgettable’ Vegas bachelor party A baby? A tiger? Why is one of them missing a tooth? And most of all, where is the groom?! What the guys did while partying can’t compare to what they must do sober in an outrageous caper that has them piecing together all their bad decisions from the night before– one hazy clue at a time. Director Todd Phillips (Old School) and a tour-de-force comedy cast tie one on… big time!

Disc one of this 2-Disc Special Edition contains the unrated version of the film (108 minutes); twenty-four scene selections; a few promos and trailers at start-up.

Disc two contains the R-rated theatrical version of the film (100 minutes); an audio commentary by director Todd Phillips and stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms. Also included is a Map of Destruction which is an interactive tour of some of the movie’s locations. Then, there are four brief featurettes: The Madness of Ken Jeong, Action Mash-Up, Three Best Friends Song and The Dan Band. Plus, an eight-minute gag reel and a lot more pictures from the missing camera. The extras on disc two wrap up with a digital copy of the film (theatrical version) for iTunes and Windows Media.

The Fire Wire’s Top 5 Video Game Picks of 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Release Date: 10/13/2009	Publisher: SCEA
ESRB Rating: Teen	Developer: Naughty Dog
Genre: Action

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the story of Nathan Drake, a fortune-hunter with a shady reputation and an even shadier past.  He’s lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers in developer Naughty Dog’s sequel to the PS3 hit Uncharted.  The game is nothing short of a masterpiece.  It is an adventure akin to a summer Hollywood blockbuster and is probably the best looking video game to ever grace a console.  This is the absolute must-have game for the Playstation 3.  In it, players will embark on a journey that will push Nathan Drake to his physical, emotional and intellectual limits to discover the real truth behind the lost fleet of Marco Polo and the legendary Himalayan valley of Shangri La.  Fans of the Indiana Jones series who were “disappointed” by the last movie can rejoice.  A new hero has arrived.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

For gamers and family members alike — this game is simply fun!

Release Date: 11/15/2009	Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: Everyone	Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Action

New Super Mario Bros. is a throwback to the style of the original Super Mario Bros. and allows four players to play the game together. It adapts the classic side-scrolling, 2D, running and jumping action for a new audience, and adds support for four players simultaneously.  Will you work together with your friends, lending a helping hand and questing to save the Princess together?  Or will you work against them, stealing their power-ups and tossing them into bottomless pits?  Whichever way you play, it’s going to be tons of good fun this holiday.  The Wii game is designed to bring yet another type of family entertainment into living rooms and engage groups of friends in fast-paced Super Mario Bros. fun.  The undeniable stand-out hit of the season, New Super Mario Bros. Wii should be stuffed in everyone’s stockings before the end of the year.

Assassin’s Creed 2

Release Date: 11/17/2009	Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB Rating: Mature	Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre: Action

Ubisoft’s second entry in the Assassin’s Creed series transports the action to Italy.  The sequel has more weapons, prettier locales, and a whole lot ways to kill. You assume the role of Ezio Auditore as he leaps and sneaks across Florence, Venice, and other gorgeous Italian cities to take out his targets.  Being a master assassin was pretty cool the first time around, but this game blows it out of the water as the new hero can swim, wield dual blades, and change clothing to blend in with the locals.  All this and the fact that Leonardo Da Vinci builds your weapons, Dante Alighieri was your great grandfather, and Lorenzo DeMedici is counting on you to save his ass.  Oh, and by the way, you’re really in the future.  Historical fiction/sci-fi has never been so much fun.  So much fun in fact that it just might be 2009’s game of the year.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Release Date: 08/25/2009	Publisher: Eidos
ESRB Rating: Mature	Developer: Rocksteady
Genre: Adventure

Behold the greatest comic book game of all time. Batman: Arkham Asylum delivers an intense, adult story featuring the Dark Knight and a handful of his greatest villains as the Batman is forced to spend a night in Arkham Asylum when the Joker locks him in.  It may have taken twenty years, but finally there’s a game about the World’s Greatest Detective where you get to do actual detective work.  And damn is it fun.  Haunting production design and eerie tone, Arkham Asylum is all about mood.  As Batman you’ll engage dozens of enemies at once in hand-to-hand combat, strike from the shadows to instill fear, and use all sorts of cool gadgets to bring down the bad guys.  With two hundred plus Riddler puzzles scattered around Arkham Island, this is an adventure with legs.  There is also set of challenge rooms that will put your sneaking and fighting skills to the test.  With an original script penned by Emmy Award-winning Batman writer Paul Dini, the game brings the universe of DC Comics’ detective to life.  Not to mention Mark Hammil is on top of his game starring as the voice of the Joker.  Batman: Arkham Asylum is hands down one of the best games of 2009.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Release Date: 11/10/2009	Publisher: Activision
ESRB Rating: Mature	Developer: Infinity Ward
Genre: Shooter

Easily the most anticipated game of the year, Activision’s sequel to Call of Duty 4 boasts an even more robust online experience, an all-new Special Ops mode for two player co-op, and a cinematic single player campaign that makes the latest Bruckheimer movie feel like a McDonald’s PlayPlace.  Developer Infinity Ward has once again raised the bar on  first-person shooters. If you’re a fan of high octane action, you owe it to yourself to experience this incredible package. You won’t be disappointed.  This latest COD installment mixes real-world locations with bombastic set-pieces and continues the guided, thrill-ride experiences of its predecessor while adding even more depth to its multiplayer. True, the game caught quite a bit of flack about its controversial airport level after its release, however, you can choose to skip it and still enjoy the game to its fullest.  Modern Warfare 2 is the shooter that every gamer wants this year.

(Written by Nick Creature)

iSkin revo2 Case For iPhone Review

If you’re looking for great design, protection, style and quality all in one package as far as iPhone cases go, then the iSkin Revo2 is a great choice.The Revo2 wraps your phone inside it’s Microban antimicrobial, honeycomb, micro-texture silicone case, easy to grip and built to take its fair share of bumps and drops while cutting down on the buildup and spreading of any germs your precious iPhone may come across. The case comes with a matte finish screen protector which works wonders in fighting fingerprints and glare for outdoor use. Also included is a clear visor that is easily applied for added protection without adding any bulk and is easily removed when needed.The Revo2 takes nothing away from your iPhone like some other cases. You can still access all ports and switches with no trouble at all. The Revo2 is available in 2 tone color options: Onyx (Black/Black), Diablo (Red/Black), Sonic (Blue/Black) and Ozone (Clear Frosted/Black).

Available for $39.99 at www.iskin.com (Written by George Palaziol)

Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 Teaser Trailer

Ricky Gervais on 60 Minutes

Lesley Stahl profiles Ricky Gervais, the creator of the hit television program “The Office,” which has opened other doors to the stage and screen for the British comedian.

The Fire Wire Holiday Gift Guide – Nintendo Wii Game Console

This is what video games should be: fun for the entire family. The Wii game console with the included Sports package ($199) offers five distinct sports experiences, each using the Wii Remote controller to provide a natural, intuitive and realistic feel. To play a Wii Sports game, all you need to do is pick up a controller and get ready for the pitch, serve or that right hook. If you’ve played any of these sports before, you’re ready for fun!

Wii makes you feel less like a player and more like you are immersed in the game. With the Wii’s unique freehand controller, Nintendo puts you right in the middle of the action.

Play Tennis, Baseball, Golf, Bowling and Boxing in the comfort of one’s living room. No ball boys scurrying about, no oil from the alleys to get players dirty and no rain to keep anyone from a day at the court, park or course. Use the Wii Remote controller to mimic the actions of swinging a racket, bat or club, roll a ball down an alley or bring the left jab.

Players can use their own Mii caricatures in the game and play them against their friends’ Miis for a more personalized experience. As players improve, their Miis’ skill levels will increase, so that they can see exactly how much better they’ve become.

People of all skill levels can pick up and play any of the games in the unprecedented Wii Sports package, making this truly a title for everyone!

The Fire Wire Holiday Gift Guide – McSweeney’s Quarterly

If there is someone on your holiday list who is a voracious reader that can spend hours in their local independent bookstore, then this is the perfect gift for them.

McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern is a literary journal, first published in 1998, edited by Dave Eggers. The first issue featured only works rejected by other magazines, but thereafter the journal began to include pieces written with McSweeney’s in mind. McSweeney’s has since published works by many notable writers, including Michael Chabon, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King and T. Coraghessan Boyle.

The journal publishes on a quarterly schedule and each issue is very different from the last. One issue came in a box, one was Icelandic, another was held together with magnets and one looks like a pile of mail.

Their current issue is # 33 which is a one-time only, Sunday-edition-sized newspaper—the San Francisco Panorama. It has news, sports, arts coverage, comics (sixteen pages of full-color comics, from Chris Ware, Dan Clowes, Art Spiegelman and many others), a magazine and a weekend guide. The 300 plus page newspaper includes journalism from Andrew Sean Greer, fiction from George Saunders and Roddy Doyle, dispatches from Afghanistan, and much more.  You can purchase this issue HERE for $16, an annual subscription HERE for $55 and past issues HERE for $5 – $24.

New Photo From Toy Story 3

Here is a new photo from Pixar’s Toy Story 3, opening in 3D on June 18th, 2010. Directed by Lee Unkrich, the sequel features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Jodi Benson, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Kristen Schaal and Blake Clark.

The Fire Wire Holiday Gift Guide – Elmo Live Encore

My daughter Eliana absolutely loves the Sesame Street character, Elmo so this gift was a holiday must-have for her. Building on the huge popularity of the original Elmo Live, and to celebrate Sesame’s 40^th Birthday, Elmo Live Encore ($59.99) is jam-packed with brand new content and the same silly humor as the original Elmo Live.  Elmo Live Encore features 60+ silly surprises including new songs (Sesame Street classics: “Elmo’s World” and “Sunny Days”), new jokes, new stories and a new trick – tongue twisters – for even more fun.

Watch Zach Galifianakis: Live At The Purple Onion Online

A master of the one-liner with an absurd rambling style, Zach’s sharp, resonating humor makes his show at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco one of the funniest performances in recent comedy.

The Fire Wire Holiday Gift Guide – The Cuisinart Vertical Rotisserie

Today’s Fire Wire Holiday suggestion is for the calorie conscious foodie in your family. The Cuisinart Vertical Rotisserie (CVR-1000) seals in nutritious juices and drains away unwanted fat for healthier meals. To keep the temperature consistent, a removable chrome insert reflects heat as the rotisserie turns, and a 3-hour countdown timer with auto-shutoff ensures perfect timing. Its programmable electronic touchpad controls have 5-preset oven temperature settings.  The device includes an 8 piece skewer set, roasting rack, poultry tower, multipurpose basket, drip tray and recipe book. The rotisserie roasts up to 8 pounds of poultry, beef or fish. The interior in nonstick for easy clean up and the brushed stainless steel exterior will compliment any kitchen. The measurement of this countertop marvel is 14-1/2 x 13-3/4 x 15-7/8″H and it retails for $199.

Free 20 Song iTunes Holiday Sampler

iTunes has holiday cheer, with free festive songs for you. Get 20 free holiday songs from artists including Weezer, Sarah McLachlan, Rascal Flatts, and more. The sampler will be available for one week only!

The Fire Wire Holiday Gift Guide – The iP88 Clock Radio for iPhone & iPod

Every day from now until Christmas, The Fire Wire will showcase some great gift suggestions for your entire family.  Today’s Holiday gift idea is perfect for a college student, teenager, techie, music lover or sleepyhead.  It combines a clock radio with a dual iPod/iPhone charger/player.

The iP88 is an innovative clock radio for iPhone & iPod that features two docks allowing you to charge both your iPhone and iPod simultaneously. The iP88 has several unique features, including a remote control, digital AM/FM presets, EQ controls, and even 3D sound for an enhanced audio experience. The iP88 also allows you to wake to your custom iPod playlist at different times on different days with our 7-5-2 feature, programmable snooze settings, and triple alarm. You’ll also enjoy phenomenal sound around the clock with our Reson8 stereo speaker chambers. Another great feature is the time sync button which automatically synchronizes the clock with the iPhone/iPod time.

The iP88 is sleek and easy to operate.  The device retails for $149.95 and you can find more information about this great product HERE.

Iron Man 2 Poster Featuring Whiplash

Rolling Stone Ranks The Best 100 Albums of the Decade

A panel of more than 100 artists (from Coldplay to Metallica to Lil Wayne), critics and industry insiders name Radiohead’s 2000 masterpiece “Kid A” the greatest LP of the 2000s. See where Springsteen, U2, Dylan, Arcade Fire and M.I.A. rank in Rolling Stone’s official countdown.

Dave Eggers’ One-Day-Only Newspaper

The San Francisco Panorama from boutique publisher McSweeney’s is now off the presses and on the streets, hoping to generate enthusiasm for the print medium as the New York Times and others tout market signs of improvement.  You can order the paper HERE.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) iPhone App

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb), an Amazon.com company, has just released a free iPhone app that puts the power of the huge repository of movie facts and trivia into the palm of your hand.

I use IMDb regularly, so when I saw that the app had been released, I downloaded it immediately. Upon launching, the app will ask if you wish to let it use your location — this is used to display show times and movies for local theaters.

The first page of the app displays three major areas: Movies, TV, and People. There’s also an Application area, which is used only to display information about the App. The Movie section is subdivided into Showtimes, Coming Soon, US Box Office Results, MOVIEmeter, and the Top 250 Movies. Tapping Coming Soon brings up details about upcoming movies releases, including trailers that can be viewed on the phone. I love the Top 250 Movies, which is a list of the movies rated highest by IMDb readers. It’s a treasure trove of information about many of the classic movies of all time.

IMDb’s TV section is split into US TV Tonight, which is a schedule of upcoming shows on the major networks, and US TV Recaps, which provides full text synopses of what has happened on top TV shows during the previous week. Under the People heading, there’s both STARmeter, which shows a listing of the top 25 stars as measured by the number of times that they’ve been searched for on IMDb, and Born Today, which lists actors (living and dead) who were born on the current day.

If you love movies and TV, or searching trivia about roles, actors, and directors, then you probably already spend a lot of time with IMDb. The iPhone app is just the icing on the IMDb cake, and as a free app it should be on the home screen of every movie fan’s iPhone. Click HERE to download the app and delve into some Hollywood history.

Robot Alphabet (ALPHABOT) Print

This creative image is printed on 100% recycled card stock in either metallic silver or cobalt (pictured). It measures 19.6″ x 27.5″ and is screen printed in England. Robot Alphabet is $62 and available now HERE.

Win a Ton of Gear From Spy Optic

Click HERE to enter!

Ustream Releases Live Broadcasting App For iPhone

Ustream today released its free live broadcasting application for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, allowing iPhone users to stream and broadcast live video from the iPhone over either Wi-Fi or the 3G network. Ustream Live Broadcaster provides the ability to broadcast a live stream via the Ustream servers or record video locally on the device, even on the iPhone 3G. Videos are streamed or recorded at a maximum resolution of 320×240 and recorded videos can be viewed within the Broadcaster application on the iPhone itself or uploaded to Ustream, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter for sharing. Live Broadcaster also provides the ability to send out a notification via Twitter when you start a broadcast as well as interact with your audience during a broadcast through chat or a Twitter feed via Ustream’s Social Stream service. Ustream Live Broadcaster requires an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS running OS 3.1 or later and is available as a free download from the App Store.

Tron Legacy Poster

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward Team Again On She & Him’s ‘Vol. 2′

The country-folk duo of M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel known as She & Him is slated to return in 2010, proving that the 2008 collaboration wasn’t just a one-off affair. Aptly titled “Volume 2,” the 13 song set is due March 23 on Merge and features 10 originals and two covers, NRBQ’s “Ridin’ In My Car” and Skeeter Davis’s “Gonna Get Along Without You.” Deschanel wrote the originals with Ward producing and the pair spent time recording over the last year in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon.

While most actress-to-musician crossover albums don’t translate into sales, She & Him struck a chord last time around, with a formula that included Ward’s signature, washed guitar sound and Deschanel’s crystal clear vocals. According to Nielsen SoundScan, “Volume 1″ has sold 176,000. In a live setting, the group utilizes a full band and stages successful club tours as well as major festival appearances such as the Newport Folk Festival, South By Southwest and the Virgin Festival.

“Volume 2″ is said to expand on the first album’s 1970s style aesthetic and production, this time including strings and guests spots from Tilly and the Wall. The duo most recently contributed a cover of the Smiths’ “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” to the soundtrack for “(500) Days of Summer,” also a Deschanel film. Ward’s most recent solo release is 2009’s “Hold Time,”  and he also appeared as part of the Bright Eyes/Jim James quartet, Monsters of Folk.

Here is the “Volume 2″ track list:

“Thieves”
“In the Sun”
“Don’t Look Back”
“Ridin’ In My Car”
“Lingering Still”
“Me and You”
“Gonna Get Along Without You Now”
“Home”
“I’m Gonna Make It Better”
“Sing”
“Over It Over Again”
“Brand New Shoes”
“If You Can’t Sleep”