Entertainment
Gallant Takes His Super Smash Bros. Game Up A Notch
Video games have been a staple for me growing up. Today I am still playing games. A ton of others share the love for gaming. Recently while in Toronto, two unlikely men have come together on their respective tours to share their love for the game of Super Smash Bros: Gallant, a talented R&B singer and Red Bull Sound Select artist who broke out onto the music scene with his critically acclaimed album “Ology” and his omnipresent single “Weight in Gold,” and William “Leffen” Hjelte, Red Bull’s Super Smash Bros. Melee athlete that plays for Team SoloMid.
Red Bull Music released a video today that describes the unlikely intersection of their worlds, featuring both Gallant and Leffen bonding over the games of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Melee.
As they play, the pair talk about the game, their strategies and the similarities in both their careers when it comes to performing at their best in front of large fan audiences. As Gallant sums it up, “It’s like calming yourself down, getting mentally focused, focusing on why you’re there, why you’re doing what you’re doing, and trying to tap into that fountain of energy, vitality and youth.”
The game of Super Smash Bros holds a special place in both of their personal histories. Gallant, a passionate and talented Super Smash Bros. player, fondly remembers piling onto friends’ couches and playing the game for hours in his hometown of Columbia, MD. For Leffen, it’s an obsession as well as a career choice: a calling that he had never imagined would take him so far in the competitive eSports world.
A last pro tip from Gallant: Don’t play Kirby. “I’m a really huge Fox guy. But Dedede is dope, he’s the homie. Zelda’s really sick….but I don’t like being Kirby, I don’t like anyone who is Kirby. I just feel like it’s for people who don’t know how to play.”
Gallant will perform this week at the 2016 Afropunk Festival at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn on Sunday, August 28th at 5:15pm on the Gold Stage. Leffen will be featured in the Red Bull video series titled “Cultivation: Leffen Resurrection,” coming August 2016.
Aug 24th
Who Is Your Favorite Anti-Hero
These days there are a ton of Anti-Heroes that are getting into the spotlight. From Harley Quinn to Hellboy to The Punisher, the list goes on and on. We are starting to root for them even over the traditional heroes like Spider-Man and Superman.
Loot Crate is seeing the love and dedicated a whole crate to those fantastic Anti-Heroes. In this month’s Loot Crate we see items from Archer, Hellboy, Harley Quinn, and much more. You get the Harley Quinn Q-Fig. It is her with her signature mallet and one of her pet hyenas and a word bubble whiteboard. There is the Sterling Archer T-Shirt as well as the Hellboy Coin Bank.
Next there was the Kill Bill Socks and the Loot Pin was a Sylvanas Pin. It features Warcraft’s Banshee Queen herself. The Loot Crate Magazine has an awesome Hellboy chicken wing recipe, Harley Quinn’s origins and even a sneak peek of a Suicide Squad comic.
Another month done right by Loot Crate. Like what you see? There are different themed crates as well. There is a Loot Anime, Loot Gaming, Loot Pets, Firefly, and LVLUp. They even have limited edition Star Wars and Call of Duty crates. You can pick out the best one that fits your style and your budget. Go to www.lootcrate.com for more info on each one and to start your subscription today!
Aug 24th
MTN Dew Premieres Their New Video Series
Known for their great drinks, MTN Dew is now showcasing people in very cool places. They recently launched a new episodic digital content series which will bring to life the creative, and never-been-done-before ideas of DEW All-Star athletes – and I wanted to share the news behind the series and how it aims to embody the iconic “Do the Dew” slogan – the rallying cry that has been at the core of the brand for over 20 years.
The first episode features the ideas of NASCAR driver Chase Elliott as he and his friends embark on an adventure to Utah for an out-of-control, off-road game of capture the flag featuring drones, ATV vehicles and motorbikes.
The series builds off of the brand idea that “It Doesn’t Exist Until You Do It,” and in addition to Chase Elliott will feature DEW All-Stars such as NBA star Isaiah Thomas as they bring their damn good ideas to life working alongside director Nathan Balli. Balli, the winner of the Mtn Dew Green Label Studios: Open Call contest with his “Authenticity is Everything” project, will be directing all content for the series – his first major project for the brand.
Aug 18th
Watch The Latest Star Wars Rogue One Trailer
While many people were checking out the summer games we got to see a very cool new trailer for Lucasfilm’s Rogue One. For this Star Wars film the time period takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. It tells the story of unlikely heroes who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star.
The cast includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, and Forest Whitaker. ROGUE ONE is directed by Gareth Edwards, produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel, executive produced by John Knoll and Jason McGatlin, and co-produced by John Swartz and Kiri Hart.
Rogue One arrives in theaters everywhere on December 16th!
Aug 12th
Feel The Force Awakening In 3D
If you want to experience “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in a totally new way you are in luck. Starting this fall, Star Wars fans around the world, will see a galaxy far, far away up close and in eye-popping 3D through the highly anticipated “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” 3D Collector’s Edition, rolling out beginning Oct. 31 and arriving in the United States and Canada on Nov 15.
For the first time—and just in time for the holidays—viewers can bring home Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 3D, encased in stunning, collectible packaging. The exclusive four-disc 3D Collector’s Edition contains the original theatrical release on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, Digital HD and DVD, along with originally released bonus features and brand-new bonus material, including additional deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes conversations with cast and crew and revealing, never-before released audio commentary by director J.J. Abrams.
Upon its debut last December, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” received rave reviews from both critics and audiences, and shattered box office records with over $936 million domestic and $2 billion worldwide. The film has since been nominated for five Academy Awards® and took home the BAFTA Award for Special Visual Effects. “The Force Awakens” re-ignited the Star Wars franchise and fans eagerly await the next installment, arriving in theaters Dec. 2017, as well as the first in a series of standalone films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” premiering on Dec. 16, 2016.
Bonus features include:
Audio Commentary with J.J. Abrams – Enter the mind of visionary director J.J. Abrams as he reveals the creative and complex choices made while developing the first film in the new Star Wars trilogy.
Foley: A Sonic Tale – Foley artists, consisting of old pros and new talent, unite to bring the world of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” alive through the matching of sound to action.
Sounds of the Resistance – Hear how the epic sound design of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” moves the Star Wars legacy forward.
Deleted Scenes – View never-before-shared scenes that didn’t make the film’s final cut.
Dressing the Galaxy – Costume Designer Michael Kaplan reveals how the costumes of the original Star Wars movies were re-envisioned for a new generation.
The Scavenger and the Stormtrooper: A Conversation with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega – The two new stars share the thrill of working together on the adventure of a lifetime and becoming part of the Star Wars legacy.
Inside the Armory – Take a fascinating tour through the design and creation of the weaponry in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Classic Bonus Features – These offerings from the April release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” include the complete story behind the making of the film, an unforgettable cast table read, insights from legendary composer John Williams and deleted scenes, as well as features that dig deeper into the creation of new characters such as BB-8, the design of the climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren, the film’s remarkable digital artistry and the Star Wars: Force for Change global aid initiative.
Aug 10th
JJ Watt Trains With Firefighters
JJ Watt is known for his intense training. So it is no wonder that he trained with firefighters. Watt can land a 61-foot box jump, squat 700 pounds and routinely lead the NFL in tackles, but can he make it through firefighter training in the heat? John Watt, retired firefighter, joined his son to help him take in the challenge on behalf of the Gatorade Beat the Heat educational campaign.
JJ visited his hometown fire department in Pewaukee, Wisc. and tried the physical and technical training firefighters conduct in order to perform their daily duties which, as JJ points out, offers much greater consequences than he encounters on a NFL field.
The Beat the Heat program teaches youth athletes the importance of heat safety and staying hydrated during the hot summer months, which JJ needed to do plenty of as he pulled water hoses, climbed flights of stairs and put out fires – all in 86-degree weather in full firefighter gear that added to his 6-foot-5 289-pound frame.
Aug 10th
Marvel Releases The Second Doctor Strange Trailer
San Diego Comic Con is known for showcasing a ton of new trailers each year. Marvel just released the new Doctor Strange trailer and man does it look good. The film showcases the good doctor, who discovers the realms of magic and alternate dimensions after his hands become crippled in a devastating accident. This looks to follow Marvel’s tradition of making great films for their fantastic characters. What do you think of the trailer?
Jul 23rd
Steph Curry Still Poppin Bottles
He might have lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA Finals, but Steph Curry is popping bottles of champagne. It is all part of the 2016 Celebrity Spray-Off took place on July 21st in Lake Tahoe at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship with celebrity and athlete competitors including Steph Curry, Jerry Rice, Roger Clemens, Alfonso Ribeiro, Aaron Rodgers and more!
Just before celebrity superstars teed off on the 18th hole, Korbel California Champagne challenged them to show off their champagne celebration skills as part of the Celebrity Spray-Off. Contestants competed to see how far they could shoot the cork from the top of a bottle of Korbel.
Jul 22nd
The Future Is Fantastic
Right now some of you are getting to check out the wonderment of San Diego Comic Con. That is one of the things that I still need to check off my bucket list. If you are like me and couldn’t make it to San Diego I have a very worth alternative. It is Loot Crate.
Loot Crate sends you a month box of goodies. Each box has about four to six items over $45 of retail value in every crate. You can even get a discount and special gifts if you sign up for a 12 month plan. These crates are money. Below you can check out my unboxing video from the month of July. The theme for this month’s Loot Crate was futuristic. I was thrilled to get the Futurama Planet Express Ship in this month’s crate.
Like what you see? Get a subscription. July’s crate had items from some of pop culture’s favorite predictions of science and the future like Star Trek, Futurama and more.
There are different themed crates as well. There is a Loot Anime, Loot Gaming, Loot Pets, Firefly, and LVLUp. They even have limited edition Star Wars and Call of Duty crates. You can pick out the best one that fits your style and your budget. Plus all subscribers are entered to win our monthly Mega Crate and Mini-Mega Crate Free Giveaway. Some of those crates are valued at $2,000. How cool is that? Go to www.lootcrate.com for more info on each one and to start your subscription today!
Jul 22nd
Win A Copy Of London Has Fallen
If you have seen “Olympus Has Fallen” I am guessing you saw the sequel to that film “London Has Fallen.” If not you have a chance to win both films on Blu-ray. All you have to do is follow us on Twitter for your chance to win both movies.
In “London Has Fallen” the devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane “London Has Fallen.” In this film the fantastic cast that includes Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett and Morgan Freeman reprises their original roles from Olympus Has Fallen, joined by Alon Moni Aboutboul. Jackie Earle Haley, Charlotte Riley, and Waleed F. Zuaiter and Babak Najafi directs London Has Fallen.
When the British Prime Minster dies unexpectedly, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning knows it is his duty to prep with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs for them to accompany U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. With every powerful world leader set to attend, the funeral should be the most protected event on Earth. Yet within moments of arriving, heads of government are assassinated and London landmarks are attacked. Asher, Banning, and Jacobs are ambushed and retreat amidst a hail of gunfire and explosives. The devastated British capital goes into lockdown. Banning will stop at nothing to secure Asher’s safe return home. Back at the White House, Vice President Allan Trumbull races against time brainstorming with top advisors in the Situation Room to get those trapped in London a lifeline of support and a way out. Outnumbered and outgunned, Banning reaches out for help to an English MI6 agent who rightly trusts no one. Failure is not an option as they attempt to stop the criminals from carrying out the final phase of their revenge plan.
Here are some of the bonus features that come with the film.
•The Making of London Has Fallen – An inside look at the massive undertaking of shooting such a large-scale film in London. Featuring interviews with cast and crew, this piece shows the unique challenges encountered on-set, director Babak Najafi’s process, and the cast’s inspiration for their characterizations.
• Guns, Knives & Explosives – Delve deeper into Gerard Butler’s iconic character of Mike Banning, and the extensive training and preparation the actor needed to play a Secret Service agent.
•Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
•DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
•DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
Jul 1st
