Gregarius » Items by Underwire Blog

Five-Alarm Artists Turn On the Burn for Fire Arts Festival

Posted: July 9th, 2008, 2:56pm CDT by Underwire

The Crucible's fire fanatics get ready to turn up the heat with blazing installations and sizzling performances.

Mark Cuban to Show New Movies on TV Before Theatrical Release

Posted: July 8th, 2008, 11:13pm CDT by Underwire

The media maverick hopes pay-per-view cable airings will build box office buzz for Magnolia Pictures' indie flicks.

'Hellboy' Creator Mike Mignola Talks 'Language of Monsters'

Posted: July 7th, 2008, 6:18pm CDT by Underwire

The Golden Army's creatures incubate in Guillermo del Toro's fertile imagination, then evolve from simple concept art to bizarre onscreen glory.

'Futurama' Gets Medieval in 'Bender's Game'

Posted: July 7th, 2008, 12:25pm CDT by Underwire

A thoroughly modern plague -- high fuel prices -- sends the Planet Express crew back in time. Catch a sneak peek at the third direct-to-DVD space adventure.

Star Trek: The Experience Closing in Vegas

Posted: July 6th, 2008, 12:30pm CDT by Underwire

Offering a sad commentary on the state of the Star Trek franchise, the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas will shut down Star Trek: The Experience this fall.

Tea, Tennis, Faceless Aliens at Wimbledon

Posted: July 6th, 2008, 12:00pm CDT by Underwire

As the 2008 Wimbledon fortnight plays itself out, the event offers all of its traditional trappings -- immaculately mown grass, clean yellow tennis balls, breakfasts of strawberries and creme and well-dressed faceless alien androids.

Casual Fan's Guide to 'Doctor Who' Finale

Posted: July 4th, 2008, 2:52am CDT by Underwire

On Saturday, July 5, at 6:40 p.m., the season finale of Doctor Who will go out on BBC1 to an expected audience of 10 million viewers. The specially extended 65-minute episode should be one of the most watched shows of the year in the United Kingdom. For casual sci-fi viewers who might not get what all the fuss is about, this preview will stack up some background data to prime this weekend's big sci-fi send-off for The Doctor and his Tardis crew.

Fireworks: Coming Soon to a Screen Near You

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 2:30pm CDT by Underwire

The great outdoors is overrated. Explosive Fourth of July imagery is coming your way, couch potatoes, thanks to your TV or computer.

Nerd Up: 'Hancock' Has Not-So-Super Formula

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 12:10pm CDT by Underwire

Iffy subtexts, shaky cam and cheesy music don't exactly add up to a world-beating superhero flick.

'South Park' Reveals 'Major Boobage' Magic

Posted: July 2nd, 2008, 12:35pm CDT by Underwire

In a new series of "making of" videos, the show's creative team offers a peek at the methods used to pull off a hilarious tribute to Heavy Metal.

Review: Will Smith Saves the Day as Superhero Jerk in 'Hancock'

Posted: July 1st, 2008, 4:46pm CDT by Underwire

Drunken flying and a surly sneer won't win this movie's antihero any friends. But humor and heart, delivered by a nice-guy actor with charm to spare, redeem the summer's most unlikely superhero.

ICANN Gets Pwned

Posted: June 29th, 2008, 9:34am CDT by Underwire

Not even ICANN and IANA are safe from domain hijacking. Those pesky Turkish hackers strike again.

'Doctor Who' Cliffhanger Teases Endless Possibilities

Posted: June 29th, 2008, 2:59am CDT by Underwire

If the cliffhanger of Saturday's episode of Doctor Who is legitimate and not some clever, alternative universe, time-traveling trick, Russell T. Davies and his Who crew pulled off one of the truly great swerves in television history.

Secrets of 'Wanted''s Insane On-Screen Action

Posted: June 28th, 2008, 6:23pm CDT by Underwire

When you've got high-priced talent like Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy on the payroll, nobody's going to risk the actors' lives or limbs for the sake of an awesome stunt. That said, superhero-assassin movie 'Wanted' pushed its stars pretty hard to sell the train wrecks and gunfights that drive the action. Here's how they did it.

'Mr. Clock Radio' Wakes Up the Horror

Posted: June 28th, 2008, 2:00am CDT by Underwire

Buyers looking to round out their evil toy collection should make room on the shelf for Mr. Clock Radio, "The Talking Robotic Clock Radio." Mr. Clock Radio will rouse you into grim consciousness with 50 variations of soul-crushing banter and music delivered in his hellish howl from the abyss.

'Dark Knight' Selling Out 3 Weeks Early

Posted: June 27th, 2008, 3:49pm CDT by Underwire

Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, and the sad specter of the actor's premature death, are fueling ticket sales and leading theaters to add 3 a.m. screenings.

Review: Charming 'Wall-E' Sweeps Up Trash, Hearts

Posted: June 26th, 2008, 5:30pm CDT by Underwire

Pixar's latest adorable animated creation longs for love on a lonely planet. When a laser-wielding ladybot interrupts his garbage-compacting task, he's off on a sci-fi adventure in an attempt to save the world.

Review: In 'Wanted,' Angelina Jolie Speed-Races Through Sexy Violence

Posted: June 26th, 2008, 3:00pm CDT by Underwire

A comics-fueled flick doesn't need a costumed superhero to deliver the pulse-pounding action. This bloody, stylized movie about an ancient league of assassins harnesses Jolie's star power as she turns a geek into a killer.

Cheating Fans Give Avril Lavigne a YouTube Lift

Posted: June 24th, 2008, 5:10pm CDT by Underwire

A bogus campaign pushes the Canadian singer's video toward the top of the heap.

'Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs' Ramps Up the Raunch

Posted: June 23rd, 2008, 6:30pm CDT by Underwire

Fry, Bender and the rest of the crew return with a surplus of intergalactic one-liners (and an extra ration of adult humor) in the franchise's second direct-to-DVD movie release. See an exclusive clip on Wired.com.

'Cinematic Titanic' Makes Hot Hollywood Debut

Posted: June 22nd, 2008, 4:00am CDT by Underwire

While hosting an impressive collection of fresh studio features, award-winning documentaries and competitive short films, the Los Angeles Film Festival turned the spotlight toward celluloid's ugly side with a painfully funny live screening of The Doomsday Machine with the cast of Cinematic Titanic.

Tron Guy Takes Flight in Custom-Designed Aircraft

Posted: June 19th, 2008, 12:00pm CDT by Underwire

Jay Maynard, better known as Tron Guy, has purchased a custom airplane designed to match his hand-painted unitard inspired by characters from the '80s Disney film.

Fan Demand Resuscitates 'You Suck at Photoshop'

Posted: June 17th, 2008, 6:30pm CDT by Underwire

The world's most bitter photo-editing tutor will bring his bile-filled expertise back online.

'Red Paperclip' Guy Is Ready to Trade His House

Posted: June 17th, 2008, 1:19pm CDT by Underwire

Kyle MacDonald, whose creative swaps famously turned a modest office supply into a home, is looking to make a new deal.

Visual-Effects Pioneer Stan Winston Dead at 62

Posted: June 16th, 2008, 5:23pm CDT by Underwire

The Oscar-winning special-effects master who designed animatronics and prosthetics from films such as Aliens, Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park died Sunday.

'The Happening': Science Fact or Science Fiction?

Posted: June 16th, 2008, 4:45pm CDT by Underwire

Mankind faces a bizarre threat in M. Night Shyamalan's new movie. Just how possible is the premise?

Battlefield Earth: An Interview With The Dandy Warhols

Posted: June 15th, 2008, 1:30pm CDT by Underwire

Listening Post catches up with The Dandy Warhols' Courtney Taylor-Taylor to rap about Earth, download-only releases and why the major labels slept on the digital music revolution and missed their chance at becoming overlords of the future.

Captain America Lands Titanic Casting Rumor

Posted: June 15th, 2008, 12:30pm CDT by Underwire

Captain America fans may have some doubts if current rumors about Marvel's first choice for the lead in a movie version are true. ComicBookMovie.com is reporting that Leonardo DiCaprio is in line to play America's supersoldier.

Batmanime! Gotham Knight Merges Bruce Lee, Memento

Posted: June 15th, 2008, 12:00pm CDT by Underwire

The Dark Knight is coming soon, but the straight-to-DVD anime Batman, Gotham Knight, is thankfully coming sooner. New pics and news confirm that comics nerds and late adopters alike are probably going to be impressed.

'Fat Guy Stuck in Internet' Spoofs 'Tron,' 'Star Wars'

Posted: June 13th, 2008, 5:47pm CDT by Underwire

Adult Swim's new shorty show lays the geek shtick on thick as it follows the exploits of a goofball cyberadventurer and his pals.

Review: 'Incredible Hulk' Is a Handsome Hunk of Mayhem

Posted: June 12th, 2008, 9:00pm CDT by Underwire

By sticking to anger-fueled action and keeping Bruce Banner's angst to a minimum, Marvel's big green guy scores on his second big-screen romp.

Company Fesses Up to Corn-Popping Cellphone Clips

Posted: June 12th, 2008, 3:00pm CDT by Underwire

A Bluetooth headset retailer comes clean and solves the mystery of who made the popular viral videos and why. (We're still waiting on the how.)

YouTube Star Bo Burnham Readies Debut EP, 'Bo Fo Sho'

Posted: June 11th, 2008, 2:30pm CDT by Underwire

After his Comedy Central Records release, the 17-year-old comic musician plans to move his home-recording setup from his bedroom to his dorm room (but promises not to change his DIY hit machine).

Physicist Debunks Cellphone Popcorn Viral Videos

Posted: June 9th, 2008, 6:40pm CDT by Underwire

Gadgets can pull off some pretty amazing feats these days. But popping corn? That's a bit beyond the scope of even the hottest feature-packed mobile.

Original Doctor Who Immortalized on Brit Stamp

Posted: June 8th, 2008, 2:00pm CDT by Underwire

William Hartnell, the first actor to take on the roll of The Doctor when Doctor Who premiered in 1963, is featured on a new stamp from the Royal Mail, United Kingdom's postal service.

New D&D Rolls a 20 for Playability

Posted: June 8th, 2008, 12:00pm CDT by Underwire

With its new edition of Dungeons & Dragons, publisher Wizards of the Coast is redefining what it means to play an RPG. The rules, mind-set and delivery system are all different. At essentially every level, D&D is being streamlined and simplified with one goal in mind: To get players together to roll some dice and have fun.

Barrowman to Return to Torchwood Mini-Series

Posted: June 7th, 2008, 1:00pm CDT by Underwire

Torchwood will return for a third, but very brief, season with series star John Barrowman in command. The third season will include just five episodes that will most likely air all in one week as a mini-series.

Iron Man's Repulsors Set on the Mandarin for Sequel

Posted: June 6th, 2008, 11:30pm CDT by Underwire

With the Incredible Hulk tracking surprisingly well and threatening to smash Iron Man's box office records next weekend, director Jon Favreau is keeping Tony Stark and company in the news by hinting at the plot of the Iron Man sequel.

The Miscast Spell: D&D Insider's Missed Opportunity

Posted: June 6th, 2008, 4:45pm CDT by Underwire

The online component of Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition casts quite a spell, serving up enchanting features that bring the classic game into the 21st century. There's just one problem: the pricing.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Rolls a 20 for Playability

Posted: June 6th, 2008, 4:00pm CDT by Underwire

The new version of the classic role-playing game slays the complexity of previous editions, leaving nothing but fun.

Wired.com's ASCII Art Contest: Enter to Win

Posted: June 5th, 2008, 10:29am CDT by Underwire

Let your creative spirit run wild. Using only the symbols on your keyboard, create an ASCII masterpiece and enter our contest on Underwire. Details inside.

'Cloverfield' Director Talks Creature Sequels, Suburban Bank Robbers

Posted: June 2nd, 2008, 4:10pm CDT by Underwire

As the Blu-ray version of the creature feature reveals even more about the movie's mysterious monster, Matt Reeves ponders the possible return of the Manhattan-trashing beast.

Weezer's Memetastic Video Director Spills the 'Pork and Beans'

Posted: May 28th, 2008, 12:20pm CDT by Underwire

What's it like wrangling a herd of web celebs for a music video shoot? Motion Theory's Mathew Cullen tells the story behind the hit viral clip.

Bot Psychology: The Blogging About Blogging Edition

Posted: May 26th, 2008, 1:20pm CDT by Underwire

Underwire writers Jenna Wortham and Angela Watercutter discuss hot topics in tech and culture. This week's discussion revolves around the blog backlash to former Gawker writer Emily Gould's piece in The New York Times Magazine.

'Dollhouse' Fans Campaign to Save Show -- Before 2009 Airdate

Posted: May 23rd, 2008, 3:30pm CDT by The Underwire

Fearing Joss Whedon's latest show, Dollhouse, is destined to build a dedicated following only to be dropped, Whedon fans are organizing an online 'save this show' campaign eight months before it even airs.

Betting Site Lays Odds on Final 'Battlestar Galactica' Cylon

Posted: May 22nd, 2008, 1:00pm CDT by Underwire

Think you know who the secret skinjob is? A Costa Rica-based gambling site lets you back your best theory with a wager.

Exclusive Preview: D&D Fourth Edition Character Sheet

Posted: May 21st, 2008, 7:00pm CDT by Underwire

Get an intriguing first look at some of the inner workings of the upcoming version of Dungeons & Dragons.

YouTomb Keeps an Eye on YouTube's Graveyard

Posted: May 20th, 2008, 4:30pm CDT by Underwire

An MIT watchdog keeps tabs on clips pulled down from the popular video site.

Review: 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' Hits the Mark

Posted: May 20th, 2008, 1:30pm CDT by Underwire

The crusty archaeologist doesn't venture far afield from the franchise's whip-cracking action in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But sometimes it's best to stay with the tried and true.