Dawnguard DLC for Skyrim Announced

Exciting news has arrived today from Bethesda Softworks, producers of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. They've released the trailer for Dawnguard, which will serve as the first DLC for the fifth installment of TES. This DLC will initially be available for XBOX 360 (with full Kinect functionality) but will likely be available for other platforms in due time. No word yet on the price for this DLC for other systems, but according to Bethesda, Dawnguard will be available on the XBOX Live store for 1600 points.

In March, Gamespot reported that Bethesda was seeking a trademark for Dawnguard, so it was just a matter of time that an announcement came from the company. More information should be available at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) which will be held in just one week at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Dawnguard is rated M for Mature by the ESRB with Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, and Use of Alcohol.

What do you think of this trailer? Let me know in the comments!

Anne Hathaway's Dreams Are Killed in Les Misérables Trailer

It's here! A teaser trailer has finally been released for Tom Hooper's epic film adaptation of the Tony-award winning musical Les Misérables. In this one minute, thirty-seven second clip, we are introduced to the haunting melody of "I Dreamed a Dream" as performed by Anne Hathaway, who plays Fatine. The song acts as the backdrop to images of her co-stars Russell Crowe (Inspector Javert), Amanda Seyfried (Cosette), and Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean) upon whose shoulders this entire film seems to rest. Crowe and Jackman are absolutely no strangers to period drama and honestly they seem at home in period costumes, especially from the 19th century. I have yet to hear Crowe sing, though he is a performer in his own right and has been recording music since the 1980s. Hugh Jackman definitely has the vocal range to pull off the role of Jean Valjean and is well acquainted with the Great White Way, having won a Tony Award for The Boy From Oz.

Newest Trailer for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Released – Features Villain and Speeches

On this Memorial Day, we Americans remember the heroes who have made the biggest of sacrifices to keep our nation free. In Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, that includes preserving the Union from Vampires who wish to overthrow the country and create their own nation. We are very excited about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter here at Word of the Nerd, especially because the book on which the film is based is the first selection for the new Word of the Nerd Book Club. In just under one month, the film, penned by the book's author Seth Grahame-Smith and directed by Timbur Bekmambetov, will be hitting theaters. A third theatrical trailer was released today, and this one is a doozy. Featuring more history, speeches, and a good look at the film's villain, a vampire named Adam, played by Rufus Sewell, this clip is sure to get everyone excited for the movie. 

Get Your Gamer Geek On This Weekend at FORGE

It's a good weekend to be a geek. Not only was yesterday Star Wars Day, Geek Pride Day, and Towel Day, but the first annual FORGE Gaming Convention is being held this weekend at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Gaming stores Amazing Wonders and Cosmic Oasis among other local vendors will be set up hosting games. Whether you are a total n00b or seasoned gamer, FORGE is celebrating all things gaming. D&D, Pathfinder, and Savage Worlds will be just three of the platforms that you'll be able to play, but there will also be Collectible Card Games, Board Games, and a whole host of events at Forge. Deadly Sins Burlesque, Tinder Box Circus Sideshow, and Drunk & Sailor will be performing as well. On the whole, it's going to be an absolutely fantastic event. One day has already past and the fun continues through Sunday evening at 4 PM.

Fountain Films on Friday Begins This Week

Triangle Park, located at Main, Broadway, and Vine Streets, has been newly renovated and can now accomodate a great deal of outdoor activities. This winter, an ice skating rink was set up for people to enjoy Lexington in wintry months (even though we didn't have much of a winter at all here in Central Kentucky.) This summer, an inaugural film series will be held in Triangle Park every Friday. Fountain Films on Friday is sponsored by the Downtown Lexington Corporation and will continue every week through Friday, August 24. Schedule after the break!

Diablo Declares His Wrath

Today's the day: Diablo III has finally been released, having first been announced in 2008 at Blizzard's World Wide Invitational in Paris. In the live launch party last night in Irvine, California, Chris Metzen, Vice President of Creative Development at Blizzard, said that he has been preparing for the Diablo III release since the first game in 1996. For those not familiar with the game, Matthew Rossi over at WoW Insider has put together a great primer on the world of Sanctuary and just who Diablo, Lord of Terror really is. Diablo III: Wrath is a video released by Blizzard also helps to shed light on some of the back story as well as providing some awesome visuals.

Four Minute Preview for Amazing Spider-Man Released

The buzz is strong with this one. Coming off the heels of The Avengers will be Marvel's next origin story, The Amazing Spider-Man, which is said to provide the "untold story" of Peter Parker's origins. Last night on the season premiere of America's Got Talent, a four minute preview of this film was shown and has taken the web by storm. The clip shows Parker in his official role as Spider-Man and the lengths at which he will go to save the day. Video after the break.

Zooey Deschanel to Become the Coal Miner's Daughter on Broadway

Whether people like it or not, country music is a part of our nation's history and the state of Kentucky has produced many amazing country, folk, and bluegrass artists. The Country Music Highway is a stretch of US Route 23 which extends from Greenup County in North Eastern Kentucky south to Pike County and terminates at the Virginia line. The concentration of talent in this area includes Patty Loveless, The Judds, Ricky Skaggs, and of course Loretta Lynn. Lynn grew up near Van Lear in Johnson County, Kentucky (not far from where my people are from, actually) and you can hear all about growing up in a small mining town in her song "Coal Miner's Daughter". On Thursday, May 10, Loretta Lynn concluded her performance at the Ryman Audtorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry, with an announcement that "Coal Miner's Daughter" is going to become a Broadway musical. Taking up the starring role will be Zooey Deschanel.

Talking Dead and Comic Book Men Renewed for Season 2

Things seem to be pretty good over at AMC, the station formerly known as American Movie Classics that has gone from being a go-to source for golden-era Hollywood films to gritty, original programming. With hits such as The Walking Dead and Mad Men, fans have come to expect a lot out of the cable channel. In a release today, executives unveiled their plans to not only renew the network's newest shows The Talking Dead and Comic Book Men, they are extending their run from thirteen episodes to sixteen. Both shows are part of the network's Sunday night line-up and follow the series The Walking Dead, based on the comic book by Kentucky-native Robert Kirkman.


The Talking Dead, hosted by 'The Nerdist' Chris Hardwick, invites celebrity guests in a panel-style discussion of the night's episode of TWD. The show has featured Felicia Day, as well as stars of the show and Kirkman himself. The reality show Comic Book Men follows the staff of director Kevin Smith's New Jersey comic book shop Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash. In addition to the documentary style of the show, the podcast which Smith leads is part of every episode, recounts the adventures of the week. According to the AMC Blog, Neilson ratings place Comic Book Men as one of the most engaging reality programs on television. Both Hardwick and Smith are very happy with the news about their AMC programming. Smith was quoted as saying,  

"A thousand thank you's wouldn't cover the gratitude I'm feeling right now. And as you might imagine, everyone at SModcast Pictures is in love with everyone at AMC today! Rest assured, Walt, Bry, Mike, Ming and I are suited up and ready to hit the ice for our second season with Team AMC."

  Hardwick shared similar elation.  

"Talking Dead has been an amazing experience and I cannot pile enough hugs and thanks onto AMC for renewing it. I CAN'T WAIT for Season 3 of Walking Dead, so that we can finally talk about Rick meeting [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]-ing him with a heavy-duty [SPOILER] at the [SPOILER]. And let's not forget all the rest of the [SPOILER]s getting in on the action! [EXPLETIVE] me! It's going to be great..."

  According to network executives, both programs fit the model that AMC strives for in creating engaging original programming. While both television shows feature "real" people, they do tell unique stories and create "authentic characters." Both programs should be back in the fall to correspond with the premier of season three of The Walking Dead.

Are you a fan of these two programs? Leave a note in the comments and tell me what you think of them!

This article appeared on Word of the Nerd Online on May 10, 2012.

Kentucky Theater Unveils Line-up for 'Summer Movie Classics' Series

Something to look forward to in Lexington every year is the Kentucky Theater's summer-long celebration of classic cinema. I've seen several movies at the Kentucky as part of the series including one of my favorites, "It's A Wonderful Life." There are gems every summer and in 2010 my favorite "Raiders of the Lost Ark" played on my birthday! I'm hoping it comes back, maybe next year, so I can see my favorite movie on the big screen. I love that the Kentucky does this every year. It's a huge hit with people in Lexington and contributes to the culture downtown of being out and about during the summer.


May 30: Charade (1963) – Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn. What a cast!

June 6: The Wizard of Oz (1939) – This is simply a must-see on the big screen. Sing-a-longs are encouraged!

June 13: Johnny Guitar (1954)

June 20: Ghostbusters (1984) – One of my favorite films and so highly quotable. "Listen, do you smell something?"

June 27: Annie Hall (1977)

July 4: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) – Very nice choice for a film to show on Independence Day. I personally would have picked "1776" but I think that this will be very cool.

July 11: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – Super star-studded cast.

 

July 18: Casablanca (1942) – This movie turns 70 this year. Holy cow!

July 25: Carousel (1956) – Wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.

Aug. 1: Notorious (1946) – Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman team up for this thriller.

Aug. 8: Mary Poppins (1964) – The film that I'm most looking forward to this summer: my favorite live-action Disney film. If I had to choose my fantasy grandparents, they would be Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. 

Aug. 15: The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – Angela Lansbury is wonderfully bat-shit crazy in this movie.

Aug. 22: Pillow Talk (1959) – Romantic comedies have sure come a long way.

Aug. 29: White Heat (1949)

Sept. 5: The Leopard (1963)

Showtimes are 1:30 and 7:15 p.m., admission is $5. For more information, contact the Kentucky Theater by calling (859) 231-7924 or visit the theater's website.

Movie Review: The Avengers

About The Avengers, a friend said, "First time ever I've gone to a movie with ridiculously high expectations and not only had them met, but exceeded." Let me say, that I fully agree with this statement. You see, I saw this movie not because I had read the comics, but as a fan of comic book movies. I knew just enough about the characters from those films to make me care about them and want to see how they all fit together, this group of exceptional people... The Avengers, brought together by Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

We are thrown head-first into the action from minute one, where we see the plot begin to take shape. Loki, Norse god and brother of Thor, is back for revenge and the sibling rivalry helps drive the action between these two characters. Loki has rightly gone mad, his thirst for power and the acceptance from Odin that he never received causes him to seek an alliance with beings outside of both Earth and Asgard. This alliance, coupled with Loki's hunger for domination, brings the fight onto the doorstep of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But would they actually step up to the plate? What is it that they are fighting for? Each member of the team has to look deep down, and that is an element that Sir Joss Whedon brought to this film. If there is something that Joss Whedon can do, it is create a strong character, and a strong ensemble. He did it with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he did it with Firefly, and he has done it with The Avengers.

CONFIRMED: And the Star Trek 2 Villain Is...

This post contains spoilers for Star Trek 2.

But really deep in our hearts, we already knew this. The details have been few and far between. We learned months ago that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch would be appearing in J. J. Abrams' 2013 Star Trek sequel. The rumor mill began to churn out stories that he would be playing Khan Noonien Singh, first played by Ricardo Montalbon in the TOS episode "The Space Seed" and again in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, which both featured the original cast. Then, we heard that instead of Khan, Cumberbatch would be portraying Sybok, Spock's brother. However, confirmation has come that Benedict Cumberbatch will indeed be playing Khan and will be Star Trek 2's villain.

Of course, the set photographs that were reported on weeks ago did allude to the fact that Cumberbatch's character would be no friend of the Enterprise crew. In fact, the pictures featured Cumberbatch grappling with Zachary Quinto's Spock. We reported in the last few days that Leonard Nimoy himself had let his it slip about his appearance in the film. This news has been confirmed and Nimoy will indeed be reprising his role as Spock Prime. Klingons will also be in the film!

So, here we have it. Suspicions confirmed: Benedict Cumberbatch is Khan. Honestly, I cannot think of another actor for that role, and that is not just by bias toward Benedict Cumberbatch talking.

Did you see this coming?  Who would you have cast in the role of Khan?

This article was originally published on Word of the Nerd Online on May 1, 2012.