Ronald.phillips

The Chronicles Of Myrtana Team has informed us about a new free standalone total conversion mod for Gothic 2: Gold Edition. The Chronicles Of Myrtana: Archolos features a completely new open world, improved skills systems, gameplay mechanics and a complex story, and is available for download. According to the team, the main goal of this project … Continue reading The Chronicles Of Myrtana: Archolos is a free standalone TC mod for Gothic 2, available for download →

The post The Chronicles Of Myrtana: Archolos is a free standalone TC mod for Gothic 2, available for download appeared first on DSOGaming.

Resident Evil Village and other entries in the series available on Steam have received minor performance patches, Capcom confirmed.

The Resident Evil Village patch, according to the official notes, fixes issues related to in-game option selection and some text issues and sadly makes no mention of fixing the stuttering issues that the game has had since its launch.

Scheduled for 12/16/2021 at approx. 9:00 p.m. PST

[Steam]

The following updates will be made to the Steam version of the game.

- Fix issues related to in-game option selection.
- Correct option text for some languages.

The Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 updates seem a bit more substantial, as they improve stability on certain GPUs. Unfortunately, the patch notes don't elaborate any further, so we do not know what exactly has been changed and what are the real benefits of the patches.

It's a shame that the stuttering and performance issues of the PC version of Resident Evil Village have yet to be fixed, as the game is one of the best survival-horror games released in recent times, and one of Capcom's finest titles, as highlighted by Nate in his review.

Resident Evil Village is a wild, thrilling ride across seemingly every horror genre and idea that happened to pass through the mad minds at Capcom. Not every aspect of the game is perfect, but its highs are very high and solid core mechanics and excellent presentation hold the grisly patchwork together. You may survive Village, but your thoughts will linger there long after you’ve escaped.

Resident Evil Village, as well as Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 are now available on PC and consoles worldwide.

The post Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 2 PC and More Received Minor Performance Patches by Francesco De Meo appeared first on Wccftech.

Adam runs through his favorite YouTube channels, movies, podcasts, books, and TV shows for 2021. I was surprised at the number of maker YouTube channels I wasn't following, namely machinist Joe Pieczynski, Stefan Gotteswinter channel, modelmaker Konstantin Bogdanov, and the Lockpicking Lawyer. — Read the rest

wiredmikey shares a report from SecurityWeek: Security researchers at Google's Project Zero have picked apart one of the most notorious in-the-wild iPhone exploits and found a never-before-seen hacking roadmap that included a PDF file pretending to be a GIF image with a custom-coded virtual CPU built out of boolean pixel operations. If that makes you scratch your head, that was exactly the reaction from Google's premier security research team after disassembling the so-called FORCEDENTRY iMessage zero-click exploit used to plant NSO Group's Pegasus surveillance tool on iPhones. "We assess this to be one of the most technically sophisticated exploits we've ever seen," Google's Ian Beer and Samuel Grob wrote in a technical deep-dive into the remote code execution exploit that was captured during an in-the-wild attack on an activist in Saudi Arabia. In its breakdown, Project Zero said the exploit effectively created "a weapon against which there is no defense," noting that zero-click exploits work silently in the background and does not even require the target to click on a link or surf to a malicious website. "Short of not using a device, there is no way to prevent exploitation by a zero-click exploit," the research team said. The researchers confirmed the initial entry point for Pegasus was Apple's proprietary iMessage that ships by default on iPhones, iPads and macOS devices. By targeting iMessage, the NSO Group hackers needed only a phone number of an AppleID username to take aim and fire eavesdropping implants. Because iMessage has native support for GIF images (especially those that loop endlessly), Project Zero's researchers found that this expanded the attack surface and ended up being abused in an exploit cocktail that targeted a security defect in Apple's CoreGraphics PDF parser. Within Apple's CoreGraphics PDF parser, the NSO exploit writers abused Apple's implementation of the open-source JBIG2, a domain specific image codec designed to compress images where pixels can only be black or white. Describing the exploit as "pretty terrifying," Google said the NSO Group hackers effectively booby-trapped a PDF file, masquerading as a GIF image, with an encoded virtual CPU to start and run the exploit. Apple patched the exploit in September and filed a lawsuit seeking to hold NSO Group accountable.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Leading chip-maker Intel has stressed that building Metaverse -- at scale and accessible by billions of humans in real time -- will require a 1,000-times increase in computational efficiency from what we have today. Insider reports: Raja Koduri, a senior vice president and head of Intel's Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Group, said that our computing, storage and networking infrastructure today is simply not enough to enable this Metaverse vision, being popularized by Meta (formerly Facebook) and other companies. "We need several orders of magnitude more powerful computing capability, accessible at much lower latencies across a multitude of device form factors," Koduri said in a blog post. To enable these capabilities at scale, the entire plumbing of the internet will need major upgrades, he added.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Immerse yourself in a psychological thriller of a new kind, playing with the limits between reality and fantasy. Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo is now available on GOG!

Share our love for games? Subscribe to our newsletter for news, releases, and exclusive discounts. Visit the “Privacy & settings” section of your GOG account to join now!

拡張カーネル v3.0h を公開しました

変更点は以下の通り

・IE6が入ってないときにエラーメッセージを表示するようにした。
・VC++2008 Runtime の標準インストール
・VC++2005 Runtime のアップデート
・英語版が一部の環境でフリーズする不具合修正

拡張カーネルを単独で入れると一部のアプリが動作しなくなる件についての検証結果
一応、これの対応版です

Don’t forget to share your favorite 2021 tips and/or tools with me! I’ll be sending one submitter a copy of my tips book and a Maker’s Notebook.

 

Maker Slang
Technical terms, jargon, and slang from the realms of making.

Grounding hump – A feature of an electrical junction box where the grounding hole is on a inwardly curved hump so that the grounding nut will not protrude beyond the box.

Grail [item] – An extremely hard-to-find object that you are forever looking for but unlikely to ever find. E.g. a grail tool, or book, or game.

Zenithal priming – A painting technique that creates pre-shading by priming the object (e.g. a gaming miniature) in one color and then spray painting from the top (zenith) with a lighter color (usually white or light gray) to create a top-down underlight that will show through subsequent thin basecoats.

Making Your Own Multi-Outlet Extension Cords

In this video on Stud Pack, they show how to create a 4-outlet heavy-duty extension cord. There is a lot of great info and tips in this 18-minute video, like using a stamped junction box (called a “drawn box) as opposed to a welded one and using a strain relief on the box.

Project Farm’s Top Tools of 2021

One of the YouTube maker channels that I religiously follow is Todd Osgood’s Project Farm. On it, he does very well thought out performance and stress test reviews and comparisons of tools and materials. In this video, Todd runs through his ten best-tested tools from 2021. These include a Wiha 7-piece screwdriver set, Knipex pliers, GooLoo car jumpers, and a Lansky knife sharpener. Any of the products in this round-up would make a welcome gift for any tool enthusiast on your holiday list.

Shop Storage and Organizing Tips

In this Fix This Build That video, Brad runs through 13 shop storage and organizing tips. While the video is directed at woodworking shops, a lot of these tips can be applied to any sort of making. Some of the tips include having hard and fast rules about what scraps to keep, having dedicated materials storage carts and spaces (and sticking to them), adding shelves inside of drawers to better utilize space, using the full cube of your shop (e.g. using the walls and rafters for long-term storage), and more.

3 Cleaning and Safety Tips
On the Essential Craftsman, Scott runs through three things that every pro or amateur workshop or garage workbench needs to have: Good hand cleaner, nitrile gloves, and fire extinguishers. Scott apologizes for the content of the video being “boring,” but as usual with an Essential Craftsman video, he drops the science. Like, pointing out that liquids can soak through your skin and end up in your liver, so wearing nitrile gloves is not just about keeping your hands clean. And investing in fire extinguishers is only boring until the moment you need one. As Scott points out, you can even get aerosol can extinguishers for cheap ($13 on Amazon) and have one at every station of your workspace for small fire security.

Readers’ Favorite Tools for 2021

Reader Michael Walters:
I bought a vintage radial arm drill. Very cool functionality. Most recently used it to drill hundreds of holes at the same angle for a reproduction of a Poul Cadovius shelf unit for my wife.

David Brigden writes:
My favorite tool this year (and every year) is this old hammer. It’s been mine since I was 12(?) and was retrieved from my great grandmother’s estate. This is one reason why it’s my favorite: the history. This tool has (probably) been in my family for generations. I can imagine that my grandfather used it when he was young. If you look at it, it’s just a couple pieces of bar stock welded together with some wooden grips riveted to it. It looks like it was hand made by someone, and that’s the other reason it’s my favorite. Most tools now are, if not fully machine made, made on an assembly line. I can picture an individual craftsman building this from the raw materials. That narrative is quite attractive to me.

[Gareth’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up here.]

The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Wednesday called on critical infrastructure owners and operators to improve their security stance against malicious cyberattacks.

read more

SecurityWeek, a leading provider of cybersecurity news and information to global enterprises, today announced its official lineup of virtual cybersecurity events for 2022.

read more

The cybersecurity threat landscape never stands still.  New threats and threat actors appear all the time. They are highly trained, well-funded, and leverage the newest tools to pursue some form of cybercrime — extortion, terrorism, data theft, the list goes on. 

read more

Upgrading to network attached storage (NAS) can be a game changer for your business. When you invest in NAS, you get easier collaboration, faster restores, 24/7 file availability, and added redundancy. But you can get an even bigger return on your investment by pairing it with cloud storage. When you combine NAS with a trusted cloud storage provider in a hybrid cloud strategy, you gain access to features that complement the security of your data and your ability to share files both locally and remotely.

In this post, we’ll look at how you can achieve a hybrid cloud strategy with NAS and cloud storage.

What Is Hybrid Cloud?

A hybrid cloud strategy uses a private cloud and public cloud in combination. To expand on that a bit, we can say that the hybrid cloud refers to a cloud environment made up of a mixture of typically on-premises, private cloud resources combined with third-party public cloud resources that use some kind of orchestration between them. A private cloud doesn’t necessarily need to live on-premises—some companies rent space in a data center to host the infrastructure for their private cloud—the important defining factor is that a private cloud is dedicated to only one “tenant” or organization.

In this case, your NAS device serves as the on-premises private cloud, as it’s dedicated to only you or your organization, and then you connect it to the public cloud.

What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Cloud?

A hybrid cloud model offers a number of benefits, including:

• Off-site backup protection.
• Added security features.
• Remote sync capabilities.
• Flexibility and cost savings.

Hybrid Cloud Benefit 1: Off-site Backup Protection

To start with, cloud storage provides off-site backup protection. This aligns your NAS setup with the industry standard for data protection: a 3-2-1 backup strategy—which ensures that you have three copies of your data on two different media (read: devices) with one stored off-site. When using NAS and the cloud in a hybrid strategy, you have three copies of your data—the source data and two backups. One of those backups lives on your NAS and one is stored off-site in the cloud. In the event of data loss, you can restore your systems directly from the cloud even if all the systems in your office are knocked out or destroyed.

Hybrid Cloud Benefit 2: Added Security Features

Data sent to the cloud is encrypted in-flight via SSL, and you can also encrypt your backups so that they are only openable with your team’s encryption key. The cloud can also give you advanced storage options for your backup files, like Object Lock. Object Lock allows you to store data using a Write Once, Read Many (WORM) model. Once you set Object Lock and the retention timeframe, your data stored with Object Lock is unchangeable for a defined period of time. You can also set custom data lifecycle rules at the bucket level to help match your ideal backup workflow.

Hybrid Cloud Benefit 3: Remote Sync Capabilities

Cloud storage provides valuable access to your data and documents from your NAS through sync capabilities. In case anyone on your team needs to access a file when they are away from the office, or as is more common now, when your entire team is working from home, they’ll be able to access the files that have been synced to the cloud through your NAS’s secure sync program. You can even sync across multiple locations using the cloud as a two-way sync to quickly replicate data across locations. For employees collaborating remotely, this helps to ensure they’re not waiting on the internet to deliver critical files: They’re already on-site.

Hybrid Cloud Benefit 4: Flexibility and Cost Savings

Additionally, two of the biggest advantages of the hybrid cloud are flexibility and cost savings. Provisioning an additional device to store backups and physically separating it from your production data is time consuming and costly. The cloud eliminates the need to provision and maintain additional hardware while keeping your data protected with a 3-2-1 strategy, and it can be scaled up or down flexibly as needed.

With NAS on-site for fast, local access combined with the cloud for off-site backups and storage of less frequently used files, you get the best of both worlds.

How to Set Up a Hybrid Cloud With NAS

Some cloud providers are already integrated with NAS systems. (Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage is integrated with NAS systems from Synology and QNAP, for example.) Check if your preferred NAS system is already integrated with a cloud storage provider to ensure setting up cloud backup, storage, and sync is as easy as possible.

Your NAS should come with a built-in backup manager, like Hyper Backup from Synology or Hybrid Backup Sync from QNAP. Once you download and install the appropriate backup manager app, you can configure it to send backups to your preferred cloud provider. You can also fine-tune the behavior of the backup jobs, including what gets backed up and how often.

Now, you can send backups to the cloud as a third, off-site backup and use your cloud instance to access files anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Wondering If NAS Is Right for You?

Our Complete NAS Guide provides comprehensive information on NAS and what it can do for your business, how to evaluate and purchase a NAS system, and how to deploy your NAS. Download the guide today for more on all things NAS.

The post NAS and the Hybrid Cloud appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup.

It works...try it #clearsky #download #iamyoutuber

Save $10 on PC games that are $14.99 and up, or just hop in for 15 days of free games...

The post Epic Games Store has $10 coupons again for the Holiday Sale, and there are daily free games appeared first on Destructoid.

Max Headroom is certainly one of the strangest things to come out of the eighties. Take his 1986 song "Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You're A Lovely Guy)," for instance.

It starts:

There's an old man on a sleigh

Who's like me for just one day

When he bestrides the world like a huge co-co-co-colostomy

He gets no presents, no fun

And he's forgotten when he's done

So here's a little gift

A little song to him, fr-fr-from me:

Really puts you in the holiday spirit, don't it? — Read the rest

Kevin Smith is not usually what you would call a man of few words ... except when it comes to his long-running character, Silent Bob, who first appeared in the filmmaker's low-budget directorial debut, "Clerks."

Since breaking onto the scene as an independent filmmaker with "Clerks" in 1994, Smith has gone on to have a career in other mediums, including comics and podcasting. In fact, he hosts several podcasts, and a quick perusal of his official YouTube channel shows that episodes regularly run two or three hours, about the length of a movie. Smith and his co-hosts and guests clearly have the gift of gab, and he's also stood on stage and told stories for hours in his "Evening with Kevin Smith" series of Q&A sessions at colleges around the U.S., as well as San Diego Comic-Con.

You wouldn't necessarily peg Kevin Smith as the first choice to play the silent type, and, it turns out, Silent Bob wasn't actually his first choice of roles in "Clerks." While speaking to The Guardian for a 25th-anniversary "Clerks" retrospective, Smith explained:

"The main character – Dante, the slacker who is trapped but thinks he's meant for something else – was based on me. Randal was Bryan Johnson, my friend who worked with me at Quick Stop Groceries and RST Video, where we shot the film. He didn't give a f**k about what anyone thought. He would fight with people, make fun of them to their face. He was the guy I secretly wished to be. I was going to play Randal, then I realized I couldn't memorize dialogue. So I took the role that had none – Silent Bob – and Brian O'Halloran played Dante."

Silent Bob Speaks

In the same retrospective, Smith revealed that he and his cast and crew shot "Clerks" after hours in the store where he actually worked, filming from 11:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. with the shutters closed (which is why the front window remains closed in the movie). It was already a big undertaking for a first-time filmmaker, and Smith was wearing many hats, in that he wrote, directed, co-produced, and co-edited "Clerks" himself. Adding the supporting role of Randall to that workload, along with his day job as a real clerk at that same convenience store, would have been a lot for anyone to juggle.

In addition to a key moment at the end of "Clerks" and a great throwaway line in "Mallrats," Silent Bob would most significantly break his silence in 1997 via Smith's third film, "Chasing Amy." While chewing his fingernails in a diner, he would use an utterance of the film's title to segue into a whole monologue. By then, Smith was able to memorize dialogue better than he was when he was first starting out. In 2005, he even published a book called, "Silent Bob Speaks." 

The Library of Congress added "Clerks" to the National Film Registry in 2019, thereby minting it as an American movie classic that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Smith may not have gotten to play Randall or say many lines, but with "Clerks," his overall efforts as a filmmaker still paid off. We'll see if they'll continue to pay off when the forthcoming "Clerks III" rolls around.

Read this next: The 15 Best '90s Comedies Ranked

The post The Reason Kevin Smith Barely Speaks in Clerks appeared first on /Film.

"National Treasure" is one of the most unique film franchises of the 21st Century. The throwback to classical adventure movies combined elements of treasure hunting, international espionage, mystery, buddy comedy, suspense, and familial drama into an entertaining thrill ride.

The 2004 film followed Nicolas Cage as treasure hunter Benjamin Gates, who looks for a mysterious buried civilization that's left from the times of the Freemasons. Gates' entire family has been searching for this treasure for centuries, and they're treated as bizarre conspiracy theorists by the rest of the investigative community. Gates knows that the clues are real, and he and his partner Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) find themselves in a race against time to follow a path laid out by the Founding Fathers when their partner Ian Howe (Sean Bean) betrays them.

The 2007 sequel "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" picks up with Gates as he searches for an ancient South American civilization and combats the black market profiteer Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris). The adventure forces Gates to kidnap the President of the United States (Bruce Greenwood), and it was particularly entertaining to see Gates bring along his elderly parents (Jon Voight and Helen Mirren) on his latest mission.

Fans have been waiting for news on a third installment for over a decade, and a new prequel series is being developed for Disney+. If you're a "National Treasure" fan, then these movies are worth catching up with.

The Lost City Of Z

One of the hallmarks of the "National Treasure" series is Gates' complete obsession with solving mysteries and following clues. His dedication forces many to question his sanity, and Gates' personal relationships suffer as a result. Gates has a tormented relationship with his father, who gave up a majority of his own life in the search for the Masons' treasure. Although Cage gives Gates some eccentric qualities, both films find their most emotional moments when Gates gets to talk about his passion for history.

The 2017 historical epic "The Lost City of Z" is a similar adventure film centered around a treasure hunter whose life becomes dominated by an obsession. Based on a true story, the film follows the British geographer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) as he ventures throughout the Amazon jungle and across Brazil in search of a mythic lost city that's never been discovered. Percy returns to the jungle several times across the course of his life with his accomplice Corporal Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson). Percy and Henry have a similar relationship to Gates and Riley in the "National Treasure" films; Henry shares Percy's interests, but questions his methods.

Similar to Gates, Percy's family life grows more complicated as a result of his treasure hunting. Percy is forced to put some of his planned endeavors behind in order to stay home and help his wife, Nina (Sienna Miller), raise their son, Jack (Tom Holland). Once Jack grows up, he joins his father's quest.

Sherlock Holmes

The fun, buddy-cop relationship between Gates and Riley helped make their mystery-solving adventure more entertaining. Gates is the singular genius behind the operation, and while Riley is similarly talented, he also helps ground his partner in reality. Riley solves the clues at the same pace that the audience does, and it's fun to see the two banter, argue, and ultimately show genuine affection for each other. Their fun, back-and-forth relationship is reminiscent of the classic dynamic between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories.

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most frequently adapted characters in cinematic history, having appeared in over 200 films. However, Guy Ritchie's 2009 film "Sherlock Holmes" and its 2011 sequel, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," focused more heavily on the buddy comedy relationship between the two than any other adaptations. Robert Downey Jr. embodied the classical detective's idiosyncratic nature, and Jude Law finds a pragmatism within Watson's desires to live a normal life amidst their frequently dangerous exploits.

In the first film, Holmes and Watson are called in to track down the notorious serial killer Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong), who has managed to convince authorities that he has supernatural abilities. Holmes, of course, believes in logic alone, and agrees to hunt down this similarly brilliant mind. Rachel McAdams appears as the iconic Holmes character Irene Adler, a fun femme fatale accomplice for Downey Jr. to deal with.

Angels & Demons

Dan Brown's novel series following the Robert Langdon character were immensely popular among treasure hunting enthusiasts, as the adventures focused on searching for historical clues in ancient sites from history, mythology, and religion, similar to the "National Treasure" films. Ron Howard developed the series into an exciting film franchise beginning with 2006's "The Da Vinci Code," which followed the literary professor Langdon (Tom Hanks) as he searches for the holy grail.

While "The Da Vinci Code" had some tonal issues and wasn't as focused as its subject material, the 2009 sequel "Angels & Demons" was a significant improvement. Shortly after the death of the Pope, Langdon is called into Rome by Dr. Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) after the Church uncovers mysterious threats tracing to the Illuminati. Vetra's partner Father Silvano Bentivoglio (Carmen Argenziano) was murdered during CERN's development of antimatter canisters, and several are stolen. Vetra fears that the Illuminati will use the canisters to begin a terrorist attack during the election of the next Pope, and she suspects that Pope Pius XVI was murdered.

Langdon helps Vetra track down the Illuminati as they attempt to protect Father Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor) from assassins. McKenna helps give the Vatican resources to Langdon during his search for clues, and the mystery grows more intense as he is floated as a potential candidate for Pope. While the first film took a slower approach, "Angels & Demons" is much more action centric and features exciting car chases in the Vatican City.

The Saint

The "National Treasure" films were fun because of their varied locations, with the characters solving mysteries across many famous historical sites. It was interesting to watch Gates and Riley venture across the globe to see how each of the clues intersected, and it gave Gates the chance to reference moments from history that he was familiar with. The diversity of locations also made the action sequences more exciting, and the films got surprisingly intense -- despite the fact that they are rated PG.

The classic adventure series "The Saint" featured international heists and capers starring the iconic master thief Simon Templar (Roger Moore). The premise of the series was adapted again in 1997 with a reboot starring Val Kilmer, and Phillip Noyce's origin story offered more insight into Templar's background. A rebellious orphan who grew to despise his Catholic upbringing, Templar is a master of disguise who embodies several different personalities as he enters various locations. Templar's adventures introduce him to Dr. Emma Russell (Elizabeth Shue), who he sees as a potential partner and love interest. Like Gates and Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) in the "National Treasure" series, it's fun to see the two characters romantically spar as they piece together clues.

Like Gates, Templar is an intelligent hero who uses his advanced problem-solving skills. Both characters are noble heroes who don't seek personal fame and fortune; Gates believes everyone deserves the chance to share history, and Templar donates his winnings to charity.

Knight And Day

The romance between Gates and Abigail in the first "National Treasure" film is entertaining because of the uncertain nature of the adventure. Abigail is an archivist at the National Archives, and while she's fascinated by history and American politics, she's unaccustomed to the world of espionage that Gates introduces her to. The audience gets to experience the unpredictable nature of Gates' obsession through an outside point of view, and the romance develops naturally between them.

The 2010 action-comedy "Knight and Day" also follows an unpredictable romance within an adventure premise, and director James Mangold finds similarly clever ways to explore exposition. While at an airport, June Havens (Cameron Diaz) meets the mysterious stranger Roy Miller (Tom Cruise), who is secretly an international secret agent escaping the C.I.A. June gets roped into his mission to prevent a deadly weapon from falling into the hands of a terrorist organization. Cruise and Diaz have great comedic banter.

Tomorrowland

There's an element of childhood innocence to Gates that makes him an entertaining protagonist, as he's followed his dream of finding a buried treasure since he was a young child. Discovering the Masons' treasure wouldn't only mean bringing respect to his family after the years they've spent being clowned on by the scholarly community, but it would mean fulfilling his childlike wonderment. The universal quality of Gates' goal made the "National Treasure" films entertaining for both children and adults.

Brad Bird's adventure film "Tomorrowland" focused on similar themes of childhood wish fulfillment through its multigenerational protagonists. The film follows Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), a teenage scientist who is also an activist against the destruction of the NASA program. During her outreach efforts, Casey encounters the older inventor Frank Walker (George Clooney). As a child, Walker discovered a mysterious sci-fi community called "Tomorrowland" that was led by the world's most brilliant minds. However, Frank was kicked out of the secluded society, and is now disillusioned by its prospects.

Casey now must get Frank to re-engage in his dreams and once again discover his childhood love of discovery and invention, similar to how Gates must convince his father to pick up the pursuit of the family treasure that he abandoned in his youthful years.

The Brothers Bloom

There's a caper element to both "National Treasure" films that sets them apart from other films about treasure hunting and the search for lost archeological objects. The landmark historical sites and documents that Gates visits are usually highly protected and secretive, and he's tasked with getting access to information that is highly secretive for a reason. In the first film, he must uncover information from the back of the Declaration of Independence and steal it from the National Archive, and in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," he must gain a private audience with the President of the United States (Bruce Greenwood).

The comically challenging nature of Gates' heists make his adventures more entertaining, and there is a great sense of humor as he interacts with Riley and Abigail. Rian Johnson's subversive 2008 heist adventure film "The Brothers Bloom" had a similar comic touch with its clever protagonists. The film follows the con artist brothers Bloom (Adrien Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), who must convince the wealthy heiress Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz) to give up her fortune. Like Gates, Stephen is an unpredictable character who often does not reveal the details of his plan until the very last moment. Bloom is similar to Riley, in that while he's engaged in the mystery, he's also an audience surrogate who is often experiencing the chaotic world for the first time.

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

One of the most entertaining aspects of the "National Treasure" franchise is the relationship between Gates and his father, Patrick (Jon Voight). Patrick, once a treasure hunter like his son, followed his family lineage and picked up the search for the Masons' treasure and the meaning of the phrase "the secret lies with Charlotte." However, he became disillusioned by the prospects of the families' mission in his later years, and doesn't want his son to follow a similar path. Frank is now embarrassed by his son and reluctant to join him in another adventure, but he steadily becomes re-engaged in his youthful passion when he discovers the treasure is real. The father and son duo come to an understanding: They share a similar love of history, they just express it in different ways.

The template for their relationship can be traced back to Steven Spielberg's 1989 classic "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." The archeologist adventure hero Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is essentially the template for Gates -- he's a smart, intelligent hero with a childlike fascination with history, science, and mythology, and his pursuits are entirely noble. Indeed, Jones' sentiment that "it belongs in a museum" is something Gates would probably agree with. The third film in the legendary franchise follows Indy as he brings alongside his father, the historian Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) in a quest for the Holy Grail.

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

The search for a buried treasure can be a taxing one that forces characters to reach their physical and emotional limits, and in both "National Treasure" films Gates must deal with characters who are less than noble in their intentions. In the first film, he is betrayed by his longtime accomplice Ian Howe, who is willing to destroy historical documents and engage in violence, which Gates is uncomfortable with. The two have to go their separate ways in searching for the treasure, and each bears the consequences. Due to his genuine interest in history, Gates is granted government leniency for the laws he's broken, while Ian is imprisoned.

John Huston's 1948 adventure classic "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" explored similar themes of morality and the consequences of actions within the search for a buried treasure. The film centers on two treasure hunters, Fred Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Bob Curtin (Tim Holt), who join an older prospector named Howard (Walter Huston) in a search for buried gold with the Mexican valley. While they are initially all on the same page and united in their approach, Curtin ultimately betrays the group when his actions become more greedy. Consumed by the personal wealth and glory he could gain from single-handedly uncovering the gold, Curtin betrays his colleagues. He ultimately aligns himself with bandits who double-cross him in the same way.

The Mummy

The "National Treasure" films were interesting among other films centered around buried treasure and ancient riddles because they incorporated actual elements of history. The films focused on moments from American's storied past and how they could be related to buried clues; the first film focuses on many key moments from the Revolutionary War, and the second film incorporates the American Civil War. Audience members may learn a thing or two about history as a result of watching these films.

"The Mummy" franchise did a similar thing for Egyptian history, as the early films featuring mummy tombs were released during a time where there were many groundbreaking discoveries at Egyptian archeological sites. There are many iconic films involving the titular corpse, including 1932's "The Mummy" (which introduced the character to the Universal Monsters brand) and the modern films starring Brendan Fraser (which landed their own cult audience). However, the 1959 Hammer horror film "The Mummy" is the version of the story that focuses heaviest on the historical and archeological elements.

Swiss Family Robinson

There is an element of familial bonding to the "National Treasure" films as Gates and his family grow closer as a result of their shared heritage. Gates's father Patrick struggles to connect with his son initially because of their disagreements about the family's legacy, but eventually they mend their fences and learn to have greater respect for each other. The sequel, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," increased this complexity by introducing Gates' mother (Helen Mirren) and giving Patrick a chance to mend his own marriage.

Seeing the family work out their differences throughout an action-packed adventure was very entertaining, but it was hardly the first time that Disney utilized this approach with its live action-adventure films. The 1960 classic "Swiss Family Robinson," for instance, follows the titular family when they become stranded on a desert island following a shipwreck and are forced to survive. An older couple (John Mills and Dorothy McGuire) work with their three sons Fritz (James MacArthur), Arnst (Tommy Kirk), and Francis (Kevin Corcoran) to defend their new home from a band of villainous pirates.

The Goonies

Gates is an entertaining protagonist in the "National Treasure" franchise because he is constantly innovating and finding new ways to uncover new mysteries. Gates is not an inherently wealthy man, as his family has certainly seen no great financial gains as a result of their treasure hunting, but he develops his own gadgets to break into the National Archives. This innovative spirit made him a more relatable hero.

Richard Donner's 1985 adventure comedy epic "The Goonies" captures the same spirit of innovation and creativity, and the young heroes Mikey (Sean Astin), Chuck (Jeff Cohen), Mouth (Corey Feldman), and Data (Jonathan Ke Quan) are similarly relatable protagonists. Like Gates, they have much interest in buried treasures and mysteries, and search for a mythic pirate ship descended from a pirate by the name of "One-Eyed Willy." "The Goonies" combines the same mix of comedic banter and fun set pieces that made the "National Treasure" films so entertaining, as the characters are constantly bantering.

Holes

Part of what makes Gates an interesting protagonist in "National Treasure" is his defiance of authority. Unlike other treasure hunters that seek fame and fortune, Gates is only looking to restore his family's reputation and share the discoveries that the Masons uncovered with the world. His missions frequently put him up against governmental forces and mercenary groups, and as a result he's often isolated and given sparse resources.

Although he can rely upon his best friend Riley, his love interest Abigail, and his extended family, Gates is often on his own. The 2003 children's adventure film "Holes" features similarly isolated young protagonists who must contend with oppressive adults as they search for a mysterious artifact. The young Stanley (Shia Labeouf) is sentenced to 18 months at the juvenile Camp Green Lake, where he and the other prisoners Zero (Khleo Thomas), Zig-Zag (Max Kasch), Armpit (Byron Cotton), Squid (Jake M. Smith), X-Ray (Brenden Jefferson), and Magnet (Miguel Castro) are forced to excavate a treasure site.

Read this next: The 14 Greatest Action Movies Of The 21st Century

The post Movies Like National Treasure That Are Definitely Worth Watching appeared first on /Film.

There's a reason John Wayne is thought of as the quintessential cowboy, from his breakthrough role in "Stagecoach" (1939) to his final movie, "The Shootist" (1976). Starring in 142 motion pictures spanning six decades, John Wayne's movies have made him synonymous with the Old West. His Westerns embody the frontier history of the United States, and he's often starred in many of the best Westerns of all time alongside the likes of James Stewart, Robert Mitchum, and Kirk Douglas. My personal favorite, "True Grit," saw him take home the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1969 for the now-iconic role of U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. But there's one revolutionary John Wayne movie you've probably never seen.

"The Big Trail" was released in 1930 and starred Wayne as Breck Coleman, a young trapper looking to avenge the death of his friend while scouting a caravan on the Oregon Trail. It was Wayne's first leading role, with director Raoul Walsh first spotting him on set as a prop man moving heavy furniture. Eventually, Walsh cast him in the lead role, and the rest is history. But while "The Big Trail" was seen as a critical success, it was a box office bomb.

That meant very few Western fans even saw the movie, despite its groundbreaking visuals.

A New Widescreen Format Proved Beautiful But Costly

"The Big Trail" used a revolutionary film process — it was shot simultaneously on standard 35mm film as well as the early widescreen format, 70mm Grandeur. This meant there were two different versions of the same film, with the widescreen format creating more epic, sweeping shots while 35mm allowed for more intimate closeups.

Screenwriter Hal Everts said of the 70mm format: "one may portray a couple making love in the foreground yet so universal is the focus that a cabin on a mountainside, miles away, shows up with microscopic distinctness."

The camera angles and cinematography are very different in both cases, with preferential treatment given to the 70mm version. Each version was edited independently, too, with some shots appearing in one version and not the other. The 35mm version of "The Big Trail" is 108 minutes, while the 70mm version is longer, at 122 minutes.

Ultimately though, the world wasn't ready for 70mm — and neither were theaters. Unwilling to invest in new widescreen technology, theaters failed to show "The Big Trail," which went all-in on its widescreen release.

Big Trail, Bigger Production

Widescreen wasn't the only thing to make "The Big Trail" so innovative — it also pushed the boundaries of size and scale when it came to the film's production.

"The number of actors used was staggering," said Marilyn Ann Moss in her book, "Raoul Walsh: The True Adventures of Hollywood's Legendary Director." "Not to mention the extras, even animals needed for the shoot: 20,000 extras, 1,800 head of cattle, 1,400 horses, and 500 head of buffalo traveled with the production."

Production lasted several months, between April 20 and August 20, 1930, and was filmed in seven different states. It was undoubtedly one of the most ambitious Westerns ever made. "Walsh used 725 Native American [sic] extras from five separate tribes and almost enough props to warrant the movie documentary status, including the 185 wagons," explained Moss. 

"The production crew was equally impressive: a staff of 293 principal actors and 22 cameramen. Then there were the 12 Indian guides and the 123 baggage trains that trekked over 4,300 miles in the seven states used for locations. Also brought along were the picture's 700 barnyard animals, including dogs, pigs, and chickens."

Additionally, Walsh is said to have researched every aspect of the film to ensure authenticity — even the food supplies carried by the caravan were said to be historically accurate.

A Box Office Bust But A Critical Success

Only two theaters in the U.S. were capable of screening the 70mm version of "The Big Trail," and with a hefty budget of $1.25 million the film turned out to be a box office catastrophe.

Even Fox Film Corporation's promise to help theaters with widescreen projection failed to entice them to invest. And so, one of John Wayne's biggest, most groundbreaking movies went relatively unseen, even though the critics went crazy for it.

"Often the scenes in 'The Big Trail' [...] cause one to marvel at their naturalness and beauty," wrote Mordaunt Hall in The New York Times in 1930. "It has an Indian [sic] attack on the camp of the white folks supposed to be journeying from the banks of the Missouri to the golden West a century ago, and while there have been many such conflicts shown in pictures, nothing to equal this particular Indian [sic] onslaught has been filmed."

"The Big Trail" currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was even deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and inducted into the United States Library of Congress in 2006.

But despite the film's reception, it remains widely unseen, becoming one of the most underrated Westerns of all time.

Read this next: The 20 Best Westerns Of All Time

The post The Groundbreaking John Wayne Western You've Likely Never Seen appeared first on /Film.

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The most wonderful time of the year is here, and that means you're probably only just now growing vaguely aware that you need to start getting gifts for your loved ones and friends together ASAP. Luckily for you, /Film has gathered a ton of curated suggestions from writers Eric Vespe and Max Evry specifically for our readers, including movies and TV on Blu-ray, books, toys, collectibles and apparel. There's literally something for everyone here. Check out all the holiday goodness below, and click on all the buy links to get the items you want!

PART 1: Movies And TV On Blu-Ray

Part 1 focuses on movies and TV series on 4K and Blu-ray. Physical media lovers rejoice! And while you're being thoughtful maybe grab a few flicks for yourself as well.

The Hobbit/The Lord Of The Rings Middle Earth Collector's Edition

Let's be honest: For many, the bloated three-film "Hobbit" trilogy is still something of a sore spot. Some tried-and-true fans of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films found a lot to love in them -- there's certainly a lot of movie to dig into -- and those who felt them to be extraneous now have a chance to revisit them in this deluxe box set featuring a new special features disc with the recent cast reunion, a 64-page booklet, 7 travel poster cards and more. And don't forget, you also get the classic "Lord of the RIngs" trilogy, newly remastered in 4K with updated special effects that remain true to their original form but make them easier on the eye now that they're being presented with far more clarity than before. (ME)

The Criterion Collection: Nightmare Alley, World Of Wong Kar Wai, Once Upon A Time In China: The Complete Films, After Life

Criterion is the gold standard by which all other home video specialty labels are measured, and we are suggesting four new titles from this year as perfect cineaste stocking stuffers.

Just in time for Guillermo del Toro's new version, "Nightmare Alley" is the original noir classic from 1947 starring Tyrone Power as a con man who becomes a carnival mentalist.

"After Life" is director Hirokazu Kore-eda's beautiful and life-affirming meditation on the power of memory as the recently deceased are brought to an in-between world where specialists stage filmed recreations of their fondest memories to take into the afterlife.

The "Once Upon a Time in China" box set contains all six of producer/director Tsui Hark's late 19th century Chinese martial arts epics. The first three were directed by Hark and catapulted Jet Li to superstardom as folk hero Wong Fei-hung, and while Li sat out the fourth and fifth film to make way for Vincent Zhao, he returned for the sixth and final film.

Lastly is the gorgeous set of seven acclaimed films from cinema's great romantic, Wong Kar-wai. The box includes "As Tears Go By," "Days of Being Wild," "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels," "Happy Together," "In the Mood for Love," and "2046," all recently restored and remastered by the filmmaker himself. (ME)

Max Max 4K Anthology

Combining all the best elements of samurai chambara movies, spaghetti westerns, American International biker pictures and Joseph Campbell mythmaking, George Miller's quadrilogy of films centered on the leather-jacketed Max Rockatansky might be one of the most innovative franchises ever conceived. Each film in the series evolves the character and setting to a whole new level of flamboyant barbarism, leveling up the action set pieces to the bleeding edge of what is conceivable and perceivable, right down to all the dropped frames and picture manipulation of "Fury Road." Let's be honest, these need to be seen in 4K, right? (ME)

Star Trek: 4-Movie Collection / Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 1-3 Set

This is an odd collection since it excludes the final two movies in the six-film saga, the last of which ("The Undiscovered Country") is a perfect coda to all the films that preceded it. Yet it chooses to include the first movie, "The Motion Picture," which sticks out like a sore thumb both in pacing and aesthetics. Those crotch-hugging Starfleet costumes! Nevertheless, the chance to own these bad boys in 4K is too difficult to resist, and it does include the unofficial trilogy in the middle of all six of the Original Cast pictures that tracks the ruination, resurrection and redemption of the Starship Enterprise gang.

Then, why not top it off with all three seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery"? The modernized adventures of the title ship are currently bringing the world of "Star Trek" into the 21st century. Something old and something new, indeed! (ME)

Indiana Jones 4K Movie Collection

Crack the whip and put this 4K collection in your dusty leather satchel, because if adventure has a name it must be Indiana Jones. Steven Spielberg's first four films in what is shaping up to be a five-film saga spanning the 1930's through the 1960's (should number five ever come out after so many delays) are essential viewing for action cinema fans across the globe. Yes, even the much-reviled fourth film which -- though it is inarguably minor cashgrab Spielberg on autopilot -- has aged fairly well since it came out over a decade ago. (ME)

The Karate Kid: 3-Movie Collection (4K)

Sweep the leg in Ultra HD as Daniel San and the mighty Mr. Miyagi become the most unlikely pair of action superstars the '80s could possibly conjure. This set includes all three films in the original Trilogy (sorry, Hillary Swank), including the classic original where they battle a corrupt dojo of California karate bullies. Then in the second one they fly to Japan and battle corrupt Okinawa karate bullies. For the amazing climax in "Part III," they battle the same Dojo of California Karate bullies from the first one. What's not to love? Fans of the current hit series "Cobra Kai" should absolutely grab this box set! (ME)

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

This year's domestic box office champ is also the most accomplished film of a so-far very uneven Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The filmmakers take a mostly-forgotten C-list Marvel character from the '70s who was almost a racist caricature and turned him into one of the most intriguing new recruits to the MCU in a good long while. The movie also shifts exquisitely from action comedy to martial arts family drama to full-tilt fantasy. (ME)

No Time To Die

Daniel Craig has had a formidable run as 007 over the last 15 years, and the latest and last installment closing out the Craig era has proved to be a smash success with critics, audiences, and at the box office. In fact, the Cary Fukunaga-directed film is the highest-grossing Hollywood movie this year, coming in at number three on the worldwide charts. All are in agreement that this was a proper sendoff for one of the best -- if not THE best -- Bond actors ever. (ME)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (4K)

Robert Zemeckis' live-action/animation hybrid ushered in the Disney Renaissance of the late '80s/early '90s and set a new bar for genre-bending comedy. Getting to finally see the film in glorious Ultra HD means getting to see Richard Williams' beautiful animation in all its 24fps glory. All the extras from the 2013 Blu-ray have been thankfully ported over, including all three of the theatrical Roger Rabbit shorts. (ME)

Audrey Hepburn 7-Movie Collection

Containing both physical and digital copies of all seven films, this priceless collection from Paramount gathers seven of the beloved British beauty's most celebrated films: "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Funny Face," "My Fair Lady," "Paris When it Sizzles," "Roman Holiday," "Sabrina," and "War and Peace." A must for classic film aficionados and Hepburn devotees all the same. (ME)

Laika Studios Editions: Coraline, Boxtrolls, Kubo And The Six Strings, ParaNorman

Four of Travis Knight's stop-motion studio's best films have arrived in splendid editions from Shout! Factory. This includes Henry Selick's delightfully creepy Neil Gaiman adaptation "Coraline," the quintessentially cute "Boxtrolls," the Halloween classic "ParaNorman" about a pint-sized necromancer, and Knight's own fantasy epic "Kubo and the Six Strings." With the studio celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, it's the perfect time to introduce your kids (or yourself) to these animated masterworks with lots of bonus features including feature-length storyboards and never-before-seen test footage. (ME)

Lionsgate Steelbooks: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Ran, Wonder

Lionsgate is putting out some slick new 4K transfers of two very different but equally important cinematic milestones: Akira Kurosawa's feudal Japanese take on Shakespeare's "King Lear" titled "Ran," as well as James Cameron's 1991 blockbuster sequel "Terminator 2." Both set a new high bar for action cinema, and both are available exclusively from Best Buy. There's also a new Blu-ray Steelbook of the 2017 feel-good coming of age movie "Wonder," starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson and available exclusively at Target. (ME)

Planes, Trains And Automobiles (4K Steelbook)

This road movie from John Hughes has justifiably become a holiday classic, but one has to admire the rubber band reality the late filmmaker created with probably his most successful non-teen movie. The fact that Steve Martin and a wonderful John Candy are such a perfect mismatched pair, and they can bounce from a ridiculous scene of vehicular destruction to quiet moments of pathos between the two of them is a minor miracle. (ME)

Heaven Can Wait / Reds

Warren Beatty hit it out of the park for both his first and second films behind the camera. His first directorial outing (co-directed with writer Buck Henry) is the hit remake of the 1941 film "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," following a football quarterback who is prematurely taken out of his own body and put in that of a dead elderly millionaire. For his sophomore effort "Reds," Beatty sought to exercise his full ambitions with a three-and-a-half-hour epic about journalist John Reed and his coverage of the October Revolution in Russia. Both discs come with digital downloads as well. (ME)

Giallo Essentials

Earlier this year, there was a resurgence in interest towards Italy's infamous giallo subgenre after the release of James Wan's bonkers "Malignant" and Edgar Wright's groovy "Last Night in Soho." For years, Arrow Video has been releasing the original giallo classics from the '60s and '70s on Blu-ray, and now they have collected some of their best releases into two elegant box sets. Films included: "The Possessed," "The Fifth Cord," "The Pyjama Girl," "Torso," "What Have They Done to Your Daughters?" and the ridiculous but sublime "Strip Nude For Your Killer." (ME)

Cartoon Saloon's Irish Folklore Trilogy

Those looking for a break from the usual Disney animated fare this holiday season need look no further than GKIDS' beautiful box set release of these three gorgeously designed films: the magic-centric "The Secret of Kells," "Song of the Sea," about a seal-child's quest through the spirit world, and "Wolfwalkers," about the friendship between a huntress and a wolf girl. The environmentally-friendly packaging includes four discs as well as a 2,000-word essay by film critic Andy Crump. (ME)

Film Noir: The Dark Side Of Cinema V

Not all Christmases are bright. Sometimes Santa Claus is drinking a belt of Scotch at 4 A.M., trying to track down a hired killer to bump off his wife. If that's the sort of Holiday viewing you have in mind, then Kino Lorber's fabulous noir box sets are the perfect item for you. This latest fifth box comes with a trio of classic offerings, including 1952's "Because of You" starring Loretta Young, 1956's "Outside the Law" starring Ray Danton, and 1957's "The Midnight Story" starring the great Tony Curtis. All three are chock-full of murder, dark alleyways and romantic betrayal. 'Tis the season! (ME)

The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection

Film Detective is issuing one of its most exhaustive releases ever with this four-disc box set that includes four classic Sherlock Holmes mysteries from Britain's golden age. Produced by Twickenham Studios, the four restored films in the set are "The Fatal Hour" (1931), "A Study in Scarlet" (1933), "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes" (1935), and Silver Blaze (1937). Special features include a host of newly restored Sherlockian theatrical shorts from 1900 to 1928, plus "The Case of the Blind Man's Bluff" (1954), a Sherlock Holmes bonus TV-episode starring Ronald Howard. (ME)

Uncut Gems (4K)

This is how you win ... at gift-giving. It might seem antithetical to gift someone "Uncut Gems," two hours and 15 minutes of teeth-gritting tension, but trust me, it's a good gift. Not only is Josh and Benny Safdie's movie an all-timer, but here it gets the full on Criterion treatment and in 4K to boot! The disc comes with a commentary from the Safdies and tons of special features, including new interviews, screen tests, and some of the Safdies' short film work. (EV)

Bringing Up Baby

Keeping with the Criterion theme, we have "Bringing Up Baby," a cornerstone film in the screwball comedy genre. It stars Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and a leopard (yes, a leopard) and sits firmly in that screwball tradition of rapid-fire witty dialogue and surprisingly progressive gender politics (for its time). It's one of the classics, but the kind of classic that sometimes gets left out in broader film studies classes because it's ... you know ... funny and silly and not super serious. The Criterion transfer is based off of a new restoration and offers some new bonus features with some of the surviving crew members. (EV)

The Suicide Squad (4K)

James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" got a bum rap this year. The people who saw it (at least the cool ones) loved it, but a combination of the rise of the first Covid variant, its availability day and date on HBOMax, and audiences not liking the last film kept folks out of theaters. Their loss, because this movie is a riot. Gunn specializes in heart with edge and there's a whole lot of both in this one. King Shark alone makes this worth adding to your collection in 4K. (EV)

The Dead Zone

Yeah, I'm the Stephen King guy, so it's not surprising that I'll include "The Dead Zone" on this list. But it's not just my predilection for King adaptations that earns this movie a spot, it's legitimately one of the best King adaptations that never gets spoken about in the same breath as, say, "Stand By Me" or "The Shawshank Redemption." David Cronenberg directs, Christopher Walken stars, and Martin Sheen is the political hopeful who will one day blow up the world. What's not to love here? There's psychic powers, a tragic love story, and one of the best line deliveries of all time: "The ice! Is gonna break!" This release is done up all special-like by the good folks at Scream Factory, who are essentially the Criterion of genre releases. (EV)

Alone In The Dark

First things first: This movie has nothing to do with the crappy Uwe Boll/Christian Slater movie of the same name. This "Alone in the Dark" is a 1982 creeper and early New Line movie, pre-dating Freddy Krueger, about a small town plagued with some elderly mental patients after the power goes out and releases them from the asylum. A great cast, including Jack Palance, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasence, make this a wholly unique slasher film that is only now getting its due thanks in large part to Scream Factory giving it the deluxe treatment with this release. (EV)

The Evil Dead Groovy Collection (4K)

If there's one thing you can count on in this world, it's that every year will deliver yet another edition of "Evil Dead" to buy on home video. This time out we have the "Groovy Collection," which is alllllmost the complete Bruce Campbell "Evil Dead" run, missing only "Army of Darkness" (thanks to a rights issue with Universal) and includes "Evil Dead," "Evil Dead 2," and the complete "Ash Vs The Evil Dead" series, all in 4K UHD. The set also includes digital codes for everything inside, really great package art, and a companion book. (EV)

Demons I And Demons II

Lamberto Bava's "Demons" films are just delightful -- funny, scary, inventive and just a blast to watch. The first one is set in a grungy movie theater during the showing of a strange new horror movie where the audience ends up part of the experience as demons take them over one-by-one. The rules are like zombie rules. You get bit, you turn into a demon ... and a whole lotta people get bit. The second film is like a parallel story, but it uses a lot of the same cast in different roles and takes place in an apartment complex as the zombie demons take over. That one also features a young Asia Argento as a young girl trying to survive the ensuing apocalypse. Synapse pull out all the bells and whistles for this release, offering legacy commentaries as well as brand new ones and tons of special features. (EV)

Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker

Okay, this is a weird recommendation for the holiday season, but hear me out. "Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker" (also known as "Night Warning") is a forgotten '80s horror movie that has low-key inspired some great horror moments in more recent memory. That logging truck scene from the opening of "Final Destination 2"? Yeah, cribbed from this movie. It's about a teenage boy whose parents were killed in an accident when he was younger and now he lives with his creepy Aunt, played with an unhinged theatrical delight by Susan Tyrrell. Let's just say things get real weird real quick and in a just world Tyrrell would have her own horror action figure. Oh, and this also features an early on-screen turn from Bill Paxton. A great gift for a horror fan that has everything. (EV)

Rick And Morty: Season 5 (Steelbook)

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Beyotch! The Emmy-winning hit animated show from Adult Swim brings home another collection of that oddball inventor and his pesky grandson with an old Jewish comedy writer's name. This season features guest voice shots from Jim Gaffigan, Alison Brie, Steve Buscemi, Christina Ricci, series co-creator Dan Harmon, and more. (ME)

Dexter: The Complete Series

With the recent revival series "Dexter: New Blood" bringing everyone's favorite sexy serial killer with a conscience back to TV screens, it seems like a terrific time to revisit one of the most wildly talked about shows of the 2000's on gorgeous Blu-ray. Michael C. Hall is the title forensic technician who moonlights as a serial killer who hunts serial killers exclusively. Expect a lot of orange faces and tarps tossed onto cold storage box floors. (ME)

The Ultimate Aang And Korra Blu-Ray Collection

Are you a fan of both "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and its popular spin-off "Legend of Korra"? Then you're in luck, as this box set collects both shows with an additional 80 minutes of all-new bonus features including an Auditory Exploration with the Avatarverse Creators, a conversation with Janet Varney and Dante Basco (host of the Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast), and 8 collectible art cards. (ME)

Robotech - Collector's Edition

Here's a box set that contains both Blu-rays and a toy! Funimation has put together a package containing all 85 episodes of the original anime classic "Robotech," which comes with transforming Veritech, Roy Fokker's VF-1S to be specific, as well as Fokker himself in pilot uniform. There's also a set of four three-inch patches plus 7-hours of special features for fans of big-ass mechs. (ME)

Neon Genesis Evangelion Collector's Edition

Speaking of big-ass mechs, the complete series of one of the most influential animes of all-time comes to Shout! Factory Blu-ray alongside two films: "Evangelion: Death (True) and "The End of Evangelion." The deluxe 11-disc set features a 40-page book, eight art cards, the Official Dub and Subtitled versions, and the bonus Classic Dub and Subtitled versions of all episodes. You'll also get over seven hours of bonus material including animatics, TV commercials, music videos, Japanese cast auditions, trailers, etc. (ME)

Sex And The City: The Complete Series + 2 Movie Collection

Now Sex and the City fans can get their fill of handsome rich dudes, acrobatic lovemaking, and, of course, cosmos with this special 18-disc collection that packages all 94 episodes of the groundbreaking HBO show. The set also includes the two theatrical feature films from 2008 and 2010, plus three-hours of previously released special features, all in time for the premiere of the new series "And Just Like That..." on HBO Max. (ME)

Select Acorn Blu-Rays

Either you or one of your relatives has to be, by the law of averages, a huge fan of British television, which is Acorn's specialty. Luckilym the streamer is also big on physical media, and you can pick up three of their most recent releases, including "My Life is Murder: Series 2" starring Lucy Lawless, Australian hit "Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries: Series 2" starring Geraldine Hakewill, and "Jack Irish: Season 3" starring the incomparable Guy Pearce. (ME)

I Dream Of Genie: The Complete Series

Your partner or loved one's wish is your command when you pick up the complete run of classic '60s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie" on Mill Creek Blu-ray. All 139 episodes starring Barbara Eden are presented in high definition, the perfect gift for the fan of 1960's kitsch in your life. Camp it up with the blink of your eyes and a nod of your head. (ME)

PART 2: Toys, Collectibles And Apparel

Part 2 of our Holiday Gift Guide is focused on toys, collectibles, and apparel. There's gifts for your family and friends of all shapes, sizes and price levels here, so et's get started! 

Sideshow Wolverine Premium Format

We got your perfect X-Men statue right here, bub. Get ready to SNIKT with style as the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles bring you this brilliant 15.5-inch tall statue depicting a Jim Lee-era Logan in full yellow regalia, with some incredible textures on the suit and the usual flawless color work. He stands on a base that's a giant Sentinel hand, which is super cool. (ME)

Sideshow Cable Premium Format

Rob Liefeld's X-Force leader from the future, Nathan Summers, gets a first-class statue with incredible proportions. Look at those guns! And we don't mean his arms. Tons of pouches and those big as hell shoulder pads give him all the '90s charm, and the base is a piece of a destroyed Xavier's school which Cable has traveled through several blue portals to get to. The 24.5-inch statue is impressive, and comes complete with a real fabric cape. (ME)

Sideshow Batman Premium Format

Now there's a Batman for ya. Sideshow outdid themselves by combining elements of all the coolest Batmen from comics, movie and video game history and melding them into this one stunning 23.5-inch statue. Yes, he has chaps, which have been poked fun of in some of the less mature sections of the internet, but it all comes together beautifully in one of the best Batman statues ever designed. (ME)

Sideshow Avengers Assemble Thanos (Modern Version)

A part of Sideshow's continuing Avengers Assemble line, this 23-inch tall statue can stand toe-to-toe with their Hulk from the same line, except Hulk doesn't have a badass Infinity Gauntlet with sweet gems. This is the Modern Version which has a shinier armor, as opposed to the Classic Version, which is more comic book yellow. Low stock remaining on this item, so get it fast! (ME)

Sideshow Originals: Bounty Hunter - Galactic Gun For Hire

Sideshow doesn't just stop at IP. That's right, they have their own line-up of original statues including the Court of the Dead line, but this year they debuted three beauties in a lady-centric series that depicts their take on specific genre tropes. This lovely woman is in the sci-fi vein, with a sweet gun and some nasty looking aliens nipping at her toes. She also sports a sweet hairdo. This polystone statue stands 19-inches tall. (ME)

Gentle Giant The Child Statue

This 1:2 scale cutie comes holding a bowl of soup and on a little patch of land as a base. Taken right from the episode where Din Djarin meets Cara Dune, Grogu stands 8-inches tall and comes in a limited edition of only 5000 copies worldwide. (ME)

Gentle Giant The Mandalorian Statue

Continuing with "The Mandalorian" theme we have going here, the Disney+ show gets a super cool mini-bust measuring approximately 6-inches tall. The 1/6 scale bust has Din Djarin's original armor with blaster and flamethrower at the ready. The detailed paint job really sells this excellent smaller piece. (ME)

Harry Potter: Magical Minis Hogwarts Castle

Containing an exclusive Hermione Doll, this playset for kids ages five and up is an almost two-foot-tall castle with lights, sounds, and lots of amazing details. The settings from the movies include the Great Hall, Gryffindor common room, Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, and more. (ME)

Harry Potter Wizarding World Sorting Hat

Up to 15 phrases can be summoned from this talking Sorting Hat once you place it on your head or press the brim's button to activate it. It will also randomly choose a house for you, so maybe don't have your heart set on a certain one. (ME)

Illumination's Minions: LEGO Kung Fu Battle

In anticipation of Universal Pictures' "Minions: The Rise of Gru" movie finally hitting screens next year, you can grab this LEGO set for all your banana-happy kids. This set includes Kevin and Stuart mini figures in kung-fu outfits, plus an Otto figure. (ME)

Jurassic World: LEGO Dinosaur Escape/T. Rex Fossil Exhibition Sets

Universal is also putting out "Jurassic World: Dominion" next year, so you can start building your own dinos at home with these two LEGO sets that feature iconography from the new trilogy. (ME)

Mattel Jurassic World Brachiosaurus And Mosasaurus

Mattel has put out two Jurassic-themed toys that will make for big fun for your little ones. There's the "Jurassic World" Brachiosaurus figure, at 28 inches high and 34 inches long. The Ocean Protector Mosasaurus is actually sculpted with movable joints made from one pound of oceanbound plastic, so that's a good conscientious reason to grab one. (ME)

Hasbro Disney Villains Dolls

Designed for kids ages five and up, these stylish fashion dolls of some of Disney's most memorable villains give a sinister edge to the doll market. Each is approximately 11-inches tall with a stunning outfit and matching accessories. (ME)

Disney Mickey And Friends Mates (Minnie And Donald)

These utterly adorable, officially Disney-licensed bead-based stuffed animals from Yogibo will be your new favorite snuggled friends. Filled with frictionless beads under two layers of stretchy, durable fabric, the outer layer is made of a cotton/spandex blend which gives it pitch-perfect softness. Pick up Minnie here, but if you prefer a quacker get Donald here! (ME)

Yogibo The Mandalorian Child Hugger

If you're in the market for something even bigger from Yogibo, you're in luck. The Grogu Hugger measures 3.5 feet tall (around 67 inches in diameter), and is the perfect bean bag chair for your child's room or living room. It's also cute as all get-out, so there's that. (ME)

Build-A-Bear Boba Fett

Just in time for "The Book of Boba Fett" comes this adorable plush from the Build-A-Bear Workshop. His armor built into his fur and a plush blaster toy completes the look. He's just a simple bear trying to make his way in the galaxy! (ME)

Star Wars Galactic Snackin' Grogu

Can't get enough Baby Yoda goodness? This animatronic toy comes complete with four interactive accessories (bowl with tentacles, cookie, shifter knob, and spoon) which the little guy will react to with sound effects and movement. (ME)

LEGO Star Wars Boba Fett's Starship And Duel On Mandalore Sets

More great Mandalorian shopping options! The Fett Ship (can we call it Slave 1?) includes two minifigures:  Boba Fett with his blaster and The Mandalorian with his blaster rifle and a beskar spear (plus a Carbonite brick for good measure). The other set takes us back in time to lets you create the duel between Ahsoka and Darth Maul on Mandalore, as seen in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." (ME)

Bitty Boomers Black Panther And Grogu Bluetooth Speakers

​​Get big big sound from a small place with these Bluetooth speakers featuring the likenesses of both Grogu and T'Challa. Each one gets over four hours of music playing on a single charge, and they're cute as all heck. (ME)

Marvel Spidey & His Amazing Friends Web-Quarters Playset

This elaborate playset allows kids to let this Spider-Man in his Web-Crawler vehicle down a chute and save the day. This contains light-up, 15-inch Web-Quarters, all inspired by the Disney Junior animated series "Spidey and His Amazing Friends." (ME)

Mandalorian And Child ArtFX Statue

ArtFX always brings it with their attention to geeky detail and this set is no exception. Behold: Mando and The Child in 1/7 scale. Little Grogu isn't locked into place here, by the way. He can be positioned anywhere on the base, hiding behind The Mandalorian or out front ready to pitch in with his little force powers. This piece stands 10.5 inches tall, comes with Grogu and Mando, and the base and is made from PVC and ABS. This is the way. (EV)

Princess Bride 1:6 Scale Westley Figure

At this point, we've gotten toys and figures from just about every corner of pop culture, but the ones that always catch my eye aren't the Marvel or "Star Wars" or DC stuff, but the more random highly detailed pieces of geek furniture, like this Westley from "The Princess Bride." Westley is in his full Dread Pirate Roberts get up, has both the mask and maskless look, giving you the full power of young Carey Elwes, and like most of these high quality sixth scale pieces is highly articulated and comes with a bunch of accessories, like 9 different pairs of hands you can swap in and out depending on your preference. (EV)

Premium Format Heath Ledger Joker Statue

You gotta have deep pockets to afford this sucker, but man is it gorgeous. This huge Premium Format statue from Sideshow features an incredibly detailed recreation of Heath Ledger's Joker from "The Dark Knight" as he's giving Gordon a rousing round of applause for his promotion. This sucker stands 20" tall, weighs 20lbs, and comes with a few set of arms depending on how you want him to be positioned. The clothes are custom tailored with real fabric. Very fancy and limited to 1000 pieces. (EV)

Adult Elf Sweatshirt

Available exclusively from the Warner Brothers Shop, this exclusive "Elf" Holiday Sweater features Buddy the Elf with quotes from the Christmas classic Elf, all in different sizes. (ME)

Elf Long John Pajamas By Hanna Anderson

While you're at it, slip on some of these "Elf" branded long john PJs from Hanna Anderson, with a fun "Raised By Elves" pattern and even some spaghetti with maple syrup on there for good measure. (ME)

American Tourister Star Wars Hardside Luggage Darth Vader Carry-On

A sleek design with single spinner wheels, a mono tube pull handle, and a top grab handle for easy lifting makes this the perfect travel companion for your little Padawan in training. Detailed with colorful graphics of the Sith Lord himself, it'll get you where you need to go in this galaxy and beyond. (ME)

Disney Mickey And Friends Traybo 2.0

To help kids keep their tablets or laptops in place while reading, this Yogibo Disney lap board has a designated groove for your tablet or phone and is compatible with iPads. (ME)

Ted Lasso Mug

Take a sip of victory with this logo mug from America's favorite Jason Sudeikis show. Featuring the Ted Lasso Logo on both sides, this ceramic mug can handle 11 oz to 15 oz of liquid, is dishwasher and microwave safe, and has a large, easy-grip handle. (ME)

Super Poster (Mondo)

In a year that brought us director James Gunn's gonzo big budget splatterpiece "The Suicide Squad," why not return to the filmmaker's origins with a humble, slow burn psychotic comedy thriller called "Super," where Rainn Wilson played a delusional wannabe superhero vigilante. This 18" x 24" print by Leslie Herman captures the absurdity of the film beautifully. (ME)

Zack Snyder's Justice League Soundtrack - 7 LP Set

This collaboration between Mondo and WaterTower Music brings home Tom Holkenborg's (aka Junkie XL) epic complete soundtrack to the phenomenon that was Zack Snyder's four-hour version of the superhero team-up flick that debuted on HBOMax earlier this year. This collectible box set is the premiere physical release of this soundtrack. (ME)

MODOK Tiki Mug - Alamo Brown Variant

Patton Oswalt brought Jack Kirby's infamous Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing to life this year in his animated series, and now Alamo is immortalizing him in tiki form. Designed by Mike Bonanno and sculpted by Tufan Sezer, the glass holds 36oz for you to kill your thirst with! (ME)

Unmatched: Jurassic Park - InGen Vs. Raptors

The most predatory creatures in Jurassic Park are unleashed to cause chaos in this tabletop game from Mondo and Restoration Games, where InGen's Game Warden Robert Muldoon and his Security Team lay traps to slow their opponent down and attack. (ME)

Alien: Fate Of The Nostromo Board Game

In space no one can hear you scream with delight as you play this game where crew members Ripley, Brett, Dallas, Lambert, or Parker work together to move through the ship, gather supplies, and craft items to complete objectives in order to evade the Alien. The box includes: 1 Nostromo game board, 5 player reference cards, 5 Crew placards, 5 Crew figures, 1 Alien figure, 1 Morale marker, 21 Encounter cards, 10 Objective cards, 5 Final Mission cards, 20 Scrap tokens, 12 Item tokens, 6 Coolant Canister tokens, 13 Concealed tokens, 1 Self - Destruct track, 4 Countdown tokens, 1 Ash standee, and a rulebook. (ME)

Stitch Sketchbook Ornament

Part of the Disney Sketchbook Ornament Collection, this lovely sculpted piece depicting the mischievous alien from the 2002 film has glitter accents, and satin ribbon for hanging. The translucent simulated "bulbs" are decorative only, but they look great on your tree. (ME)

Peaky Blinders 2022 Calendar

Ring in the new year with the popular Netflix series that chronicles the ambitions of Tommy and his family and their struggle to go from criminals to legitimate businessmen. For fans of the gritty British crime dramam this calendar features 12 images and quotes from the past five seasons. (ME)

Virtual Reality Master Chef Junior

A great STEM learning option featuring 30 recipes for kids ages eight to 13 to prepare with some virtual reality assistance via a pair of VR goggles compatible with any phone. The 21-piece kit includes a spatula, whisk, rolling pin, poach pods, measuring cup, spoons, and an apron/chefs hat. (ME)

Mondo Wizard Of Oz Limited LP

Mondo has dominated the pop culture print market for years, but let's not let that overshadow its massive contribution to the resurrection of vinyl. Oftentimes their offerings are limited and that's just the case here with this incredible-sounding 3xLP set of all the music from "The Wizard of Oz." We're talking about the full originally released soundtrack as well as outtakes, extended versions, and alternate takes of some of the most famous movie music of all time. And it's all bundled in a pop-up style gatefold with art by Alan Hynes. Colored vinyl, limited edition of 3,000. To add this to your collection, you don't need courage, a brain or a heart, just 80 bucks. (EV)

Terminator 2 Bookends

Who doesn't want a T-800 skull propping their books up? Well, probably John Connor, to be fair. This "Terminator" endoskeleton bookend set is sharp in its chrome, intense-stare glory. The human teeth detail in this design has always disturbed me and it's equally disturbing here. Still, it's a striking piece that stands just over 7" tall. Definitely a standout for any bookshelf, or, if you want a physical media hack, you can use it to bookend your Blu-Ray discs. That's why you come here, to find out these deep, nerdy insights. (EV)

Back To The Future Wall Lamp/Desk Light

This isn't a clock, although it'd be really sweet to have a "Back to the Future" clock designed this way. It is, however, an affordable geeky 3D lamp. It's not projecting 3D holograms or anything, it's just a dimensional lamp, but they call it 3D so we're just going to roll with it. Based on the DeLorean dashboard feature that sets the time period for each jump, this sucker can be mounted on a wall or rest comfortably on a desk or nightstand. Jumpin' gigawatts and all that jazz. (EV)

Jaws Ugly Christmas Sweater

It's not the Christmas season without an ugly sweater, and I've got a couple for you here, starting with this "Jaws" sweater. "Jaws" is my favorite movie of all time and while my brain knows it's as popular as ever, it's still absolutely bonkers to me that random merch like this keeps popping out for it some 46 years after release. Now, this isn't one of those sweatshirts with a stitched design on it -- this is a 100% stitched Christmas Sweater. Top quality yarn is used for maximum warmth and comfort. You get the front, the back, the whole damn thing. (EV)

Pennywise/IT Ugly Christmas Sweater

If you want a creepier Christmas sweater, here's one with a child-killing clown on it! Nothing says Merry Christmas like bloody balloons and an interdimensional monster that can take the form of your worst nightmares. Just like the above "Jaws" Christmas sweater, this is 100% knitted, not printed and built for comfort. Considering that my residence of Austin nearly froze to death earlier this year and predictions are we're going to get another big freeze/power outage again this winter, it might be smart of me to load up on these warm boys. I may need Pennywise and Bruce to keep me toasty this season... (EV)

Loki Pin And Tie Pin Set

Now this is pretty neat -- a fancy gift box that comes with a Loki campaign button and a replica of President Loki's tie bar. Yes, you too can hold your tie in place like Odin's most mischievous son. Who knows? You might attract a variant version of yourself that you can fall in love with. At the end of the day it's just a button and a pin, but the packaging is top notch and we all have a huge fan of the Disney+ "Loki" series in our lives. Giving a loved one a box celebrating Tom Hiddleston is never the wrong choice, so why not go for this Marvel licensed limited edition replica? (EV)

Ghostbusters Cuckoo Clock

The Bradford Exchange is offering this incredibly geeky cuckoo clock and I am here for it. Yes, this "Ghostbusters" Cuckoo Clock is hand-painted, stands over a foot tall, and the pendulums are replaced with ghost traps. How rad is this? It's an accurate clock that lights up, plays authentic sounds from the films, and has the likeness of our favorite OG Ghostbusters doing their thing. Egon, Ray, Winston and Venkman face off against Mr. Stay Puft and Slimer while careful to not cross the streams and will accurately keep the time. How's that for service? This cuckoo clock is not cheap, but not nearly as expensive as you might think. (EV)

PART 3: Books

Part 3 of our Holiday Gift Guide focuses on all the books you can fit on your crumbling and warping IKEA shelf. There's something here for the ravenous bookworm in your life, and maybe for you as well!

Mondo Books: Warped & Faded: Weird Wednesday And The Birth Of The American Genre Film Archive, These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America And Changed The World

The folks at Mondo have two great offerings this holiday season starting with "Warped and Faded," which collects capsule reviews of all the offerings from the first decade of the Alamo Drafthouse's acclaimed Weird Wednesday series, which is known for showing real prints of some of the strangest genre cinema ever created. Also out now is "These Fists Break Bricks," a fascinating overview of martial arts movies from movie historian Chris Poggiali and famed author Grady Hendrix ("My Best Friend's Exorcism"). (ME)

Turner Classic Movies Books: West Side Story And Dark City

Our favorite destination for classic cinema, both on cable and on its amazing app, has got some stocking stuffers for all you cineastes out there. First up is an exploration of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's hit Broadway play that became director Robert Wise's big screen triumph, and is now a Steven Spielberg remake. Then it's the network's resident film noir expert Eddie Muller giving us a revised edition of his book "Dark City," about that darkest of genres. TCM's shop also offers socks, mugs and other fun gifts like this cool TCM Mug, as well as memberships to the TCM wine club for the perfect pairings of cinema and sauce. (ME)

Jurassic Park: The Ultimate Visual History

God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man makes Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park makes Steven Spielberg a God. The greatest movie about dinosaurs ever made (and its two sequels of debatable quality) get the spotlight on them in this comprehensive book covering the full history of the trilogy, including "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and Joe Johnston's "Jurassic Park III." It also features sections covering video games, toys, comics, and other aspects of the franchise's continued popularity. (ME)

DC Comics: The Official Batman Advent Calendar

Count down the days (or those remaining) until Christmas with this unique offering from Insight Editions featuring 25 pockets filled with nifty keepsakes like recipe cards, pins, patches, and other fun gifts inspired by Gotham City's favorite flying rodent! Also includes batarang ornaments, trivia booklets and much more. (ME)

Wolverine: Creating Marvel's Legendary Mutant

Author and all around cool guy Mike Avila wrote this comprehensive tome covering 40 years of Marvel's meanest mutant. The hairy Canadian named Logan finally gets his due, from his first appearance in "The Incredible Hulk" #180 in 1974 to the comics of today, you can peruse all the stunning art and watch one of the most unique characters ever devised evolve over the decades. (ME)

Sideshow Presents Capturing Archetypes, Vol. 4

The folks at Sideshow Collectibles have been putting out exquisite luxury statues for a long time, and now they are presenting yet another volume collecting some of their best recent work, including the very popular Baby Grogu/The Child statue that hit shelves this year. As someone who has had some of these statues grace their shelves, this is the perfect complement to a collection, or perhaps an impetus to create a wish list for 2022. (ME)

Star Trek: Designing The Final Frontier

Running from 1966 to 1969, "Star Trek: The Original Series" not only had a profound effect on pop culture, but also reflected the design sense of that era. Now midcentury modern design experts Dan Chavkin and Brian McGuire have created a new book exploring how the aesthetics of the time influenced the look of Gene Roddenberry's future and led to iconic designs like the starship Enterprise. (ME)

Star Wars: The Life Day Cookbook And Star Wars: Ronin

It wouldn't be a holiday gift guide without "Star Wars," and Lucasfilm has two really choice offerings this year. First up you can cook up a storm for all the Wookies in your life with "The Life Day Cookbook," a perfect companion to last year's Galaxy's Edge cookbook. Then author Emma Mieko Candon takes you on a "Visions" quest into an alt version of the "Star Wars" universe that blends Jedi and Sith into feudal Japanese culture with "Star Wars: Ronin." (ME)

Tech Noir: The Art Of James Cameron

Fans of James Cameron may have seen all of the man's films, but they could be totally unaware that the director is also a pretty accomplished artist in his own right. This 300-plus page tome collects illustrations and paintings from Cameron's childhood to his time as a production designer for Roger Corman all the way through "Avatar." One of the biggest surprises is the many trashy B-movies he painted posters in the early '80s before his "Terminator" success. (ME)

You've Got Red On You: How Shaun Of The Dead Was Brought To Life

Entertainment reporter Clark Collis put together the definitive making of Edgar Wright's "Shaun of the Dead" with this book, which not only dives into the production, but also its unlikely path to becoming a worldwide cult favorite. It's hard to remember now, but a weird horror comedy coming out of the U.K. was not a top priority for movie studios and the film didn't exactly break box office records. But it did establish Wright as a force to be reckoned with and has proven to be an insanely popular movie over the years, and Collis' book pulls back the curtain on how all of that happened with interviews with all the key players involved. (EV)

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: A Novel

It wasn't all that long ago that novelizations were the norm. I vividly remember tearing through the "Terminator 2" novelization and soaking up every little detail that was different (we actually saw the process of John Connor sending Kyle Reese back in time and reprogramming the T-800 to send back right after). It's not as prevalent these days, but Quentin Tarantino has personally knocked out his own novelization for "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood." It's now out in hardback and any film fan would want to add this to their shelf. (EV)

The Creative Gene

One of the few remaining delights on Twitter is following Hideo Kojima, the creator of "Metal Gear Solid," but not for reasons you might think. Kojima is a huge pop culture fan and is constantly cheerleading his favorite films, TV shows, and books, so giving him a follow means a steady stream of great recommendations. Or you can just pick up this book, which has Kojima looking back at his most favorite things ever and how they impacted his work. This is a great crossover gift, good for video game and movie geeks alike. (EV)

David Fincher: Mind Games

Here's a book that examines the work of David Fincher, but it's not just a wordy collection of stuffy essays. Yes, the insight is there, but it's also filled with a ton of artist interpretations of Fincher's characters, settings, and locations. Breaking up the written insight with gorgeous pop culture art takes a lot of the "homework" feel out of a book like this. You also get a lot of exclusive behind-the-scenes images, as well as interviews with a bunch of frequent David Fincher collaborators. (EV)

Girly Drinks: A World History Of Women And Alcohol

Mallory O'Meara's newest book is all about booze and ladies. And we're not talking about stereotypical "girly drinks" here, but a feminist deep dive into the history of distilling, consuming, and inventing alcoholic drinks. While common legend has the olden days dominated by bearded viking dudes pounding ale back by the hornful, you may be surprised just how integral women have been to mankind's favorite vice. O'Meara's last book, "The Lady from the Black Lagoon" was a ripper and her latest is just as righteous. (EV)

Billy Summers

Stephen King has comfortably slid into crime fiction in recent years and "Billy Summers" is King at the top of his game. The story follows the title character, a hitman who is hired for a job that is too good to be true. The pay is big, the target deserves to be bumped off, and the odds of a clean getaway are good. Of course, that means things don't go smoothly and it's up to Billy to fix his situation. This one's a real page-turner with a great set up and a banger ending. (EV)

Leave The Gun, Take The Cannoli: The Epic Story Of The Making Of The Godfather

Author Mark Seal sifts through decades worth of stories about the making of one of the best films of all time, "The Godfather," and comes in with new interviews with those involved, including director Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, Talia Shire, and James Caan, to make the most definitive document about what all went into making and releasing a masterpiece. It's not your traditional "making of" book, because most of the time filmmakers only have to contend with studio execs. Coppola was juggling the demands of his picture, keeping the studio execs happy, and also working with the Italian mafia to make sure he didn't wake up with any horse heads in his bed. (EV)

The Beatles: Get Back

What we have here is a coffee table book that complements Peter Jackson's Beatles documentary "Get Back" and it's filled to the brim with high quality images of all of the Fab Four from the contentious creation of "Let It Be." There's John, Paul, George, and Ringo in high quality color and black and white images, many of which have never before been published, all in one beautiful, heavy tome that would make a gorgeous centerpiece to any coffee table. A perfect gift for any rock and roll fan. (EV)

Paul McCartney: The Lyrics 1956 To The Present

With Beatlemania getting a bit of a resurrection thanks to "Get Back," now's the time for this fascinating two-volume set that compiles 154 of Paul McCartney's songs and allows the legendary musician to comment on each one's origins and the meanings behind the lyrics. By now, every man, woman, and child should be hungry for more of a look at the creative process behind the best rock and roll band ever, and this book is it. You get the full lyrics and Sir Paul's commentary -- what more could you possibly want? (EV)

Read this next: The Best Movies Of 2021 So Far

The post The 2021 /Film Holiday Gift Guide: Movies, Books, Toys, Collectibles & More! appeared first on /Film.

Techland has shared the official Dying Light 2 PC specs today. While the system requirements may look accessible without taking ray tracing into account, the same cannot really be said for the ray traced specs. Dying Light 2 PC users will need an RTX 2070 just to play at 1080p@30 with ray tracing enabled, and the RTX 3080 only bumps that to sixty frames per second while sticking with FullHD resolution.

Minimum System Requirements (Ray Tracing Off, 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second):

• CPU: Intel® Core i3-9100 or AMD Ryzen 3 2300X
• RAM: 8GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 560 (4GB VRAM)
• OS: Windows 7
• Available storage space: 60GB HDD

Recommended System Specifications (Ray Tracing Off, 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second):

• CPU: Intel® Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce® RTX 2060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Available storage space: 60GB SSD

Ray Tracing On Minimum System Requirements (for 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second):

• CPU: Intel® Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce® RTX 2070 8GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Available storage space: 60GB SSD

Ray Tracing On Recommended System Requirements (for 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second):

• CPU: Intel® Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce® RTX 3080 10GB
• OS: Windows 10
• Available storage space: 60GB SDD

Perhaps these recommendations don't consider NVIDIA DLSS, which should certainly ease up the work of GeForce RTX hardware in Dying Light 2 PC, potentially allowing for 1440p or even 2160p gaming.

Here's a description of the ray traced effects that will be included in Dying Light 2 PC, developed in partnership with NVIDIA.

Ray-traced Global Illumination brings incredible bounced lighting to every area of the world, ray-traced shadows with pixel-perfect detail update accordingly, and ray-traced reflections add dynamic detail to suitably-reflective surfaces throughout The City.

According to our previous interview with Techland, ray tracing should be included in the version for next-generation consoles as well. We'll have to see what kind of tradeoffs PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have to make in that mode.

Dying Light 2 launches February 4th, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch via the cloud. Check out our recent hands-on preview.

The post Dying Light 2 PC Specs Revealed – RTX 3080 GPU Needed to Run Ray Tracing at 1080p@60 by Alessio Palumbo appeared first on Wccftech.

New submitter segaboy81 writes: In 2001 the Manifesto for Agile Software Development was born, and it took the software engineering world by storm. Linux, Windows, Facebook, AAA games, and just about everything else, adheres to this manifesto in some form or another. It is a paradigm that allows teams to work collaboratively on projects in the most effective and streamlined way possible. However, EA may not have gotten the memo. According to a blogpost by former EA developer Adam Berg, different teams take very different approaches to development with one team in particular being especially slow to progress. Adam recounts his experience on the FIFA team where he worked on the Wii, PS Vita, and Nintendo 3DS ports of the game: "I often worked in the realm of competition logic. Testing changes here could mean progressing through several seasons of career mode in order to test out a change. No joke, it would take an entire day to change 3 lines of code and know that it actually worked correctly."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Keeping their tradition alive of launching a new graphics architecture every two years, this year, NVIDIA introduces its Ampere GPU. The Ampere GPU is built upon the foundation set by Turing. Termed as its biggest generational leap, the NVIDIA Ampere GPUs excel compared to previous generations at everything.

The Ampere lineup offers faster shader performance, faster ray tracing performance, and faster AI performance. Built on a brand new process node and featuring an architecture designed from the ground up, Ampere is a killer product with lots of numbers to talk about.

The fundamental of Ampere was to take everything NVIDIA learned with its Turing architecture and not only refine it but to use its DNA to form a product in a completely new performance category. Tall claims were made by NVIDIA when they introduced its Ampere lineup earlier this month & we will be finding out whether NVIDIA hit all the ticks with its Ampere architecture as this review will be your guiding path to see what makes Ampere and how it performs against its predecessors.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Gaming Graphics Cards - The Biggest GPU Performance Leap in Recent History

Turing wasn't just any graphics core, it was the graphics core that was to become the foundation of future GPUs. The future is realized now with next-generation consoles going deep in talks about ray tracing and AI-assisted super-sampling techniques. NVIDIA had a head start with Turing and its Ampere generation will only do things infinitely times better.

The Ampere GPU does many traditional things that we would expect from a GPU, but at the same time, also breaks the barrier when it comes to untraditional GPU operations. Just to sum up some features:

• New Streaming Multiprocessor (SM)
• New Turing Tensor Cores
• New Real-Time Ray Tracing Acceleration
• New Shading Enhancements
• New Deep Learning Features For Graphics & Inference
• New GDDR6X High-Performance Memory Subsystem
• New 2nd Generation NVLINK Interconnect
• New HDMI 2.1 Display Engine & Next-Gen NVENC/NVDEC

The technologies mentioned above are some of the main building blocks of the Ampere GPU, but there's more within the graphics core itself which we will talk about in detail so let's get started.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Pricing Per Segment

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 30 series is made up of a diverse portfolio of graphics cards. Currently, you will only be limited to the higher-end configurations starting at $499 US for the GeForce RTX 3070, $699 US for the GeForce RTX 3080, and $1499 US for the GeForce RTX 3090. NVIDIA themselves call the GeForce RTX 3080 the flagship graphics card and not the GeForce RTX 3090.

The RTX 3080 & RTX 3070 are both priced well and in line with their predecessors but the GeForce RTX 3090 goes all out with a price of $1499 US. NVIDIA calls the GeForce RTX 3090 the "BFGPU" and as per the terminology, it seems like this is a new marketing name for the Titan graphics card. It is likely that we could see a Titan-based card under the Quadro branding with faster specs out of the box but the GeForce RTX 3090 is purely a gaming graphics card first with all the horsepower for intense professional and workstation workloads.

With that said, the GeForce RTX 3080 replaces the RTX 2080 SUPER at the same price point and the GeForce RTX 3070 replaces the GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER at the same price point. Given this trend, we might see the more mainstream variants cost just as much as their RTX 20 SUPER series cards but with a higher performance out of the box.

NVIDIA GeForce GPU Segment/Tier Prices

Graphics Segment	2014-2016	2016-2017	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021
Titan Tier	Titan X (Maxwell)	Titan X (Pascal)	Titan Xp (Pascal)	Titan V (Volta)	Titan RTX (Turing)	GeForce RTX 3090
Price	$999 US	$1199 US	$1199 US	$2999 US	$2499 US	$1499 US
Ultra Enthusiast Tier	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1080 Ti	GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Price	$649 US	$649 US	$699 US	$999 US	$999 US	$1199 US
Enthusiast Tier	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce GTX 1080	GeForce RTX 2080	GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER	GeForce RTX 3080
Price	$549 US	$549 US	$549 US	$699 US	$699 US	$699 US
High-End Tier	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce GTX 1070	GeForce RTX 2070	GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER	GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GeForce RTX 3070
Price	$329 US	$379 US	$379 US	$499 US	$499 US	$599 $499
Mainstream Tier	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1060	GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER GeForce RTX 2060 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER GeForce GTX 1660	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB
Price	$199 US	$249 US	$249 US	$249 US	$399 US $349 US $279 US $229 US $219 US	$399 US $329 US
Entry Tier	GTX 750 Ti GTX 750	GTX 950	GTX 1050 Ti GTX 1050	GTX 1050 Ti GTX 1050	GTX 1650 SUPER GTX 1650	TBA
Price	$149 US $119 US	$149 US	$139 US $109 US	$139 US $109 US	$159 US $149 US	TBA

In addition to the specs/price update, NVIDIA's RTX technologies are being widely adopted by major game engines and APIs such as Microsoft's DirectX (DXR), Vulkan, Unreal Engine, Unity, and Frostbite. While there were only three RTX titles around the launch of the RTX 20 series cards, NVIDIA now has at least 28 titles that utilize their RTX feature set to offer real-time ray tracing with more coming soon.

In addition to that, with the upcoming consoles confirmed to feature ray tracing, developers can also make use of the RTX technology to fine-tune future games for the GeForce RTX hardware. Currently, NVIDIA has 13 game engines that are leveraging their RTX technologies for use in their upcoming and existing games while both Vulkan and DirectX 12 Ultimate APIs are part of the RTX ecosystem on the PC platform.

So for this review, I will be taking a look at KFA2's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG graphics card which goes for a premium of over $1500 US since it is aimed at enthusiasts.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Graphics Card

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a force to be reckoned with. It takes the throne of the fastest PC gaming graphics card with nothing coming even close to it. It's surprisingly much faster than the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti which is its Turing-based predecessor but just being fast isn't enough for a card of this scale or price. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti carries more cores, more memory, higher performance efficiency, and also carries next-generation ray-tracing and tensor cores that make this a truly next-generation graphics card.

NVIDIA designed the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, not just for any gamer but all gamers who want to have the best 4K graphics performance at hand to power the next-generation of AAA gaming titles with superb visuals and insane fluidity. It's not just the FPS that matters these days, it's visuals, and a smoother frame rate too and this is exactly what the GeForce RTX 30 series is made to excel at. There's a lot to talk about regarding NVIDIA's flagship Ampere gaming graphics cards so let's start off with the specifications.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti  Graphics Card Specifications

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12 GB FE (Founders Edition) graphics card features the PG132-SKU18 PCB design and the GA102-225-KD-A1 graphics core. The GA102-225 GPU features a total of 10240 CUDA cores within 80 SM units. The GPU features a clock speed of 1365 MHz base and a 1665 MHz boost, both of which are slower than the existing GA102 GeForce RTX GPUs.

As for memory, the card will feature 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. Unlike the 19.5 Gbps speeds of the RTX 3090, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is said to retain the same memory speeds as the RTX 3080 at 19 Gbps. Since we are getting 12 GB memory, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will be using a 384-bit bus interface which equals a total bandwidth of 912 GB/s. So while we see an 8 GB VRAM reduction over the previous spec, the larger bus interface should drive higher memory bandwidth.

The TGP for the card is set to be slightly higher than the RTX 3080 at 350 Watts. That's definitely needed to feed the extra cores so NVIDIA might have to optimize the clocks a bit here. In terms of performance, the graphics card is said to be as fast as the RTX 3090 but with half the memory & LHR technology-enabled. As for compute numbers, the RTX 3080 Ti features 34 shader TFLOPs, 67 RT-TFLOPs, & 273 Tensor TFLOPs (Sparsity).

The design of the card is similar to the existing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition graphics cards. NVIDIA didn't go with the bulky BFG design like its RTX 3090 and kept the more standard 2-slot FE Flow-Through air-cooled design. The card is powered by a single 12-pin Microfit connector. Display outputs include 1 HDMI 2.1 and three DP 1.4 connectors. The card will be available to buy on the 2nd of June at $1199 US. Expect several custom models to be announced shortly by the NVIDIA board partners.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition Product Gallery & PCB Shots:

 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series 'Ampere' Graphics Card Specifications:

Graphics Card Name	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
GPU Name	Ampere GA107	Ampere GA107	Ampere GA106-300	Ampere GA104-200	Ampere GA104-300	Ampere GA104-400	Ampere GA102-200	Ampere GA102-225	Ampere GA102-300
Process Node	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm	Samsung 8nm
Die Size	TBA	TBA	TBA	395.2mm2	395.2mm2	395.2mm2	628.4mm2	628.4mm2	628.4mm2
Transistors	TBA	TBA	TBA	17.4 Billion	17.4 Billion	17.4 Billion	28 Billion	28 Billion	28 Billion
CUDA Cores	2048?	2560?	3584	4864	5888	6144	8704	10240	10496
TMUs / ROPs	64 / 40	80 / 48	112 / 64	152 / 80	184 / 96	192/ 96	272 / 96	320 / 112	328 / 112
Tensor / RT Cores	64 / 16	80 / 20	112 / 28	152 / 38	184 / 46	192/ 48	272 / 68	320 / 80	328 / 82
Base Clock	TBA	TBA	1320 MHz	1410 MHz	1500 MHz	1575 MHz	1440 MHz	1365 MHz	1400 MHz
Boost Clock	TBA	TBA	1780 MHz	1665 MHz	1730 MHz	1770 MHz	1710 MHz	1665 MHz	1700 MHz
FP32 Compute	TBA	TBA	12.7 TFLOPs	16.2 TFLOPs	20 TFLOPs	22 TFLOPs	30 TFLOPs	34 TFLOPs	36 TFLOPs
RT TFLOPs	TBA	TBA	25.4 TFLOPs	32.4 TFLOPs	40 TFLOPs	42 TFLOPs	58 TFLOPs	67 TFLOPs	69 TFLOPs
Tensor-TOPs	TBA	TBA	101 TOPs	129.6 TOPs	163 TOPs	174 TOPs	238 TOPs	273 TOPs	285 TOPs
Memory Capacity	4 GB GDDR6?	4 GB GDDR6?	12 GB GDDR6	8 GB GDDR6	8 GB GDDR6	8 GB GDDR6X	10 GB GDDR6X	12 GB GDDR6X	24 GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus	128-bit	128-bit	192-bit	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit	320-bit	384-bit	384-bit
Memory Speed	TBA	TBA	15 Gbps	14 Gbps	14 Gbps	19 Gbps	19 Gbps	19 Gbps	19.5 Gbps
Bandwidth	TBA	TBA	360 Gbps	448 Gbps	448 Gbps	608 Gbps	760 Gbps	912 Gbps	936 Gbps
TGP	~75W	~100W	170W	200W	220W	290W	320W	350W	350W
Price (MSRP / FE)	$149?	$199?	$329	$399 US	$499 US	$599 US	$699 US	$1199	$1499 US
Launch (Availability)	2021?	2021?	February 2021	December 2020	29th October 2020	10th June 2021	17th September 2020	3rd June 2021	24th September 2020

In case you want to read our full NVIDIA Ampere GPU architecture deep dive and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition review, head over to this link.

The KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG is one of the many variants in KFA2's RTX 3080 Ti family. The card is positioned right below the HOF series and as such is a higher-end model, featuring a triple-fan cooler design within a 2.5 slot form factor. KFA2's EX Gaming series comes in three color variants which include black, white, and pink. Our sample rocks a black color design and uses their RGB effects which look great.

In addition to the custom design, the RTX 3080 Ti EXG comes with a non-reference PCB, featuring a 20+2 phase design that features higher quality components than the reference variant which is already a really good design by itself. In terms of clock speeds, the graphics card features the same base frequency of 1580 MHz but the boost clock is rated at 1710 MHz which is 45 MHz higher than the Founders Edition variant and can be further pushed by 15 MHz to 1725 MHz with the 1-click OC functionality.

Following are some of the features of the KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG before we go into detail:

GPU Engine Specs:

• CUDA Cores 10240
• Boost Clock (MHz) 1710
• 1-Click OC Clock (MHz) 1725(by installing Xtreme Tuner Plus Software and using 1-Click OC)

Memory Specs:

• Memory Speed 19 Gbps
• Standard Memory Config 12GB
• Memory Interface Width 384-bit GDDR6X
• Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec) 912

Feature Support:

• PCI-E 4.0
• Windows 10 64-bit, Linux 64-bit

Fan Feature:

• 2*92mm + 1*102mm
• Fan stop @ Idle (All Fan)

Display Support:

• DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1

Dimensions:

• Dimensions(with Bracket): 330*142*58mm
• Dimensions(without Bracket): 316*124*58mm

KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG Graphics Card Gallery:

The KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG series graphics card comes inside a large cardboard box. The front of both packages has a large "GeForce RTX" brand logo along with the "What's Your Game" branding in the middle.

The packaging has put a large emphasis on the RTX side of things as the first feature enlisted by AIBs will be NVIDIA Ampere architecture, Ray Tracing & DLSS support. NVIDIA has bet the future of their gaming GPUs on Ray Tracing support as these are the first cards to offer support for the new feature.

The back of the box is very typical, highlighting the main features and specifications of the cards. There's also a focus towards GeForce.com on each AIB card through which users can download the latest drivers and GeForce Experience application which are a must for gamers to access all feature sets of the new cards.

The sides of the box once again greet us with the large GeForce RTX branding. There's also the mention of 12 GB GDDR6X ( RTX 3080 Ti) memory available on the card.

Outside of the box, the graphics card and the accessory package are held firmly by foam packaging. The graphics card comes with a few accessories and manuals which might not be of much use for hardcore enthusiasts but can be useful for the mainstream gaming audience. The card itself has a lot of weight to it and feels very premium with its aggressive design.

KFA2's GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG is a huge graphics card, one that is almost the same size as the RTX 3090 Founders Edition. It comes in a 2.5 design and measures 330x142x58mm.

You would have to keep in mind the height when going for a dual card solution as your case or motherboard PCIe slot combination may not allow such a setup. The cooling shroud extends all the way to the back of the PCB and it requires a casing with good interior space for proper installation.

The back of the card features a solid backplate that looks stunning in dual-tone (white/black) color scheme. The backplate offers a lot more functionality than just looks which I will get back to in a bit.

The KFA2 EXG series has been designed for the enthusiast gaming segment and as such, it comes with a more aggressive design with superior components packed within the hood.

The new heatsink looks like a beefed-up version of the one that was featured on the RTX 20 series EX cards with the main changes being the shroud and heatsink design that features an aggressive shroud design on the front, featuring a black and silver color with RGB emitting fans.

Coming to the fans, the card actually features two different fan designs with the one in the middle measuring 102mm with 11 blades and two on the sides measuring 92mm with 11 blades too. All fans deploy a double ball bearing design and can last a long time while operating silently. The fans come with acrylic blades too which blend in nicely with the entire theme of the card when the RGB is turned on.

KFA2 also features their 0db technology across all three fans. This feature won’t spin the fans on the card unless they reach a certain threshold.

In the case of the KFA2 EXG series heatsink, that limit is set to 60C. If the card is operating under 60C, the fans won’t spin which means no extra noise would be generated.

I am back at talking about the full-coverage, full metal-based backplate which the card uses. The whole plate is made of solid metal with angular edges that add to the durability of this card.  The card also features a few cutouts through the backplate which can deliver air to the critical power and circuitry components on the back of the PCB.

There are cutouts in screw placements to easily reach the points on the graphics card. We can also see the GeForce RTX logo on the back. KFA2 is also using heat pads beneath the backplate which offer more cooling to the electrical circuitry on the PCB.

With the outsides of the card done, I will now start taking a glance at what's beneath the hood of these monster graphics cards. The first thing to catch my eye is the humungous fin stack that's part of the beefy heatsink which the cards utilize.

The large fin stack runs all the way from the front and to the back of the PCB and is so thick that you can barely see-through.

The heatsink has been designed to be denser by incorporating both standard and dense aluminum fins. There's far more surface area for the GPU, VRAM and VRMs to dissipate heat to than the last-gen cards.

Talking about the heatsink, the massive block is comprised of six copper squared-shaped heat pipes with a more concentrated design to transfer heat from the copper base to the heatsink more effectively. The base itself is a solid nickel-plated base plate, transferring heat to the heat pipes in a very effective manner.

 

I/O on the graphics card sticks with the reference scheme which includes three Display Port 1.4a & a single HDMI 2.1 port.

KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG Teardown:

GALAX makes use of a 20+2 phase PWM design that includes its premium components.

The card also uses the GDDR6X memory from Micron that operates at 19.0 Gbps alongside a 384-bit wide memory interface.

The KFA2 EXG series has always been aimed at gamers and enthusiasts. Being so, the card utilizes a dual 8-pin connector configuration as opposed to a single 12-pin EPS configuration that the FE variant features. The card is rated at 400W TGP.

KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG RGB Lighting Gallery:

GALAX lets you customize RGB accents on the fan, side, and back using their Xtreme Tuner App. You can fully customize the RGB lights to your preference using the app from GALAX's web page. Additionally, there's an ARGB header on the back of the card which you can see above.

We used the following test system for comparison between the different graphics cards. The latest drivers that were available at the time of testing were used from AMD and NVIDIA on an updated version of Windows 10. All games that were tested were patched to the latest version for better performance optimization for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs.

KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG Test Setup:

CPU	Intel Core i9-10900K (Default Clocks)
Motherboard	AORUS Z490 Master
Video Cards	KFA2 GeForce RTX 3080 Ti EXG GALAX GeForce RTX 3080 HOF MSI GeForce RTX 3080 TI SUPRIM X MSI GeForce RTX 3090 SUPRIM X MSI GeForce RTX 3080 SUPRIM X MSI Radeon RX 6900 XT Gaming X Trio MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Gaming X MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z
Memory	G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32GB (4 X 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz
Storage	Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB)
Power Supply	ASUS ROG THOR 1200W PSU
OS	Windows 10 64-bit
Drivers	Adrenaline 21.11.3 NVIDIA GeForce 496.76

• All games were tested on 2560×1440 (2K) and 3840×2160 (4K) resolutions.
• The “reference” cards are the stock configs while the “overclock” cards are factory overclocked configs provided to us by various AIB partners.

Doom Eternal

DOOM Eternal brings hell to earth with the Vulkan-powered idTech 7.  We test this game using the Ultra Nightmare Preset and follow our in-game benchmarking to stay as consistent as possible.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Developed by Rockstar San Diego, Red Dead Redemption II is one of the most visually stunning open-world games I've played to date that is backed up by a rich story set around the protagonist, Arthur Morgan. The game is based on the RAGE engine which features an insane amount of graphics fidelity but also requires a lot of power to run maxed out. For the purpose of this test, we set the graphics settings to Ultra with AA turned disabled.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Wolfenstein is back in The New Colossus and features the most fast-paced, gory, and brutal FPS action ever! The game once again puts us back in the Nazi-controlled world as BJ Blazkowicz. Set during an alternate future where Nazis won the World War, the game shows that it can be fun and can be brutal to the player and to the enemy too. Powering the new title is once again, id Tech 6 which is much acclaimed after the success that DOOM has become. In a way, ID has regained their glorious FPS roots and are slaying with every new title.

Ashes of The Singularity: Escalation

NVIDIA and AMD have been tweaking the performance of their cards for Ashes of the Singularity since the title was released. It was the first to make use of the DirectX 12 API and the first to leverage the new Async compute technology that makes use of the DX12 renderer to improve performance.

Battlefield V

Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best-looking Battlefields to date.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Humanity is at war with itself and divided int...

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I'll always be fascinated by Mike Tyson. His strange mannerisms and hobbies offer the perfect counterpoint to his pugilistic proficiency. I'm not going to go so far as saying that Tyson has the soul of a poet—given his past, that would be a bridge too far—but it is refreshing to learn that he has a soul. — Read the rest

Final Fantasy VII Remake certainly knows how to make a good first impression. The original's bombing mission sequence, which sees Cloud and co. blow up a planet-killing mako reactor in the industrialised hellhole of Midgar's city centre, was already one of the Final Fantasy series' best openers, but here we get to really luxuriate in every last detail of its twenty-four-year glow-up. Director Tetsuya Nomura may have a reputation for excess in JRPG circles (both in his tangled storylines and his passion for buckles and belts), but in FF7R that tendency toward indulgence has been applied with deadly, laser-like precision.

Read more

With "Spider-Man: No Way Home" spoilers currently pouring into the internet like water into a leaky boat -- rest assured you won't see any of those details here, but I sincerely hope you're staying off social media until you plan to see the movie! -- perhaps the title for best-kept secrets among franchises should go from Marvel superheroes to Lucasfilm and its host of "Star Wars" characters. Ever since Disney took over the franchise, plot details, movie titles, and even character names have been notoriously difficult for general audiences to come by with each new production. Just think back to how very, very few people knew about Harrison Ford's cameo in "The Rise of Skywalker," Frank Oz reprising his puppeteering work for Yoda in "The Last Jedi," or even the existence of Baby Yoda until those final few seconds in the series premiere of "The Mandalorian."

"Star Wars" has perfected the art of locking down state secrets tighter than the Pentagon itself, and this practice apparently goes so far as to keeping the cast themselves in the dark. Just ask Ming-Na Wen, who played Fennec Shand in "The Mandalorian" and admits she had absolutely no idea she was appearing in the upcoming spin-off series "The Book of Boba Fett" until she actually showed up on set. Lucasfilm does not play around, folks.

Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe

The rational part of my brain believes that maybe we take anti-spoiler culture to extreme lengths, treating the surprise as a bigger deal than the actual story itself or even how the surprise works in the context of any given movie or show. If that were the case, we would never revisit a single piece of art after our first viewing, after all. But on the other hand, I get the impulse to preserve the innocence of that initial experience. This, however, might be taking things a bit too far. In a The Hollywood Reporter profile promoting "The Book of Boba Fett," Ming-Na Wen details her experience of getting involved with the spin-off series. That experience, in less generous terms, was that she had absolutely no idea what was going on. According to Wen:

"They're so secretive that when dealing with the contracts, there isn't even a title for the show; it's all under pseudonym. I naturally assumed I was doing 'Mandalorian' season three until I showed up on set."

That is, to put it very eloquently, absolutely bonkers. While ideally actors would come to set fully aware of, you know, the actual project they're about to act in, perhaps that uncertainty is fitting for a character who wasn't even meant to survive this long in the first place. In response to a question about how the original plan for Fennec Shand "seemingly" was to be killed off, Wen responds with a chuckle, "There was no 'seemingly. It was very clear at the time." Creator Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni clearly changed their minds and engineered for her to team up with Temuera Morrison's Boba Fett for this latest show, which Wen further describes as, "...this was about these gangster families and has a rawness to it. It's quite different from 'The Mandalorian,' which is more like a Western."

"The Book of Boba Fett" will premiere on Disney+ on December 29, 2021.

Read this next: The 12 Best Boba Fett Moments In Star Wars Shows And Movies

The post Ming-Na Wen Didn't Know She Was Starring in Book of Boba Fett appeared first on /Film.

Goonies never say die! So proclaims Mikey (a teenaged Sean Astin) in "The Goonies." The 1985 comedy-adventure remains a childhood touchstone for so many adults to this day, despite being an otherwise messed-up movie, even by the standards of '80s kids films. It's also been the rallying cry for many of the movie's cast members when it comes to the idea of "The Goonies 2" eventually happening, even more than 35 years later. However, the "Goonies"-related project that actually is moving forward has nothing to do with searching for secret pirate treasure or battling crime families.

According to Variety, Disney+ has picked up "Our Time," a show that gets it title from another one of Mikey's better-known lines. The series' pilot was developed for Fox by "The Bold Type" creator Sarah Watson but changed homes after the network decided it skewed too young for its target demographics. Its official synopsis reads as follows:

After failing to make it in New York and carrying a heavy secret with her, Stella Cooper returns to her distressed automotive hometown to substitute teach. She finds inspiration, hope and ultimately salvation when she agrees to help three students who are pursuing their filmmaking dreams by putting on an impossibly ambitious shot-for-shot remake of one of their favorite movies —The Goonies. Over the course of the season of the potential series, their passion will inspire a town in desperate need of hope in this love letter to the power of cinema, storytelling and dreams.

Nostalgia: It Ain't All It's Cracked Up To Be

Executive producers on "Our Time" include Watson and The Jackal Group's Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady, as well as Amblin TV's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. Lauren Shuler Donner and the late Richard Donner, the latter of whom directed "The Goonies" for Amblin Entertainment co-founder Steven Spielberg (who, lest we forget, was credited for the film's story), will also receive executive producer credit.

As /Film's Chris Evangelista noted when "Our Time" was announced in 2020, the show's premise bears an uncanny resemblance to that of "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made," the well-received 2015 documentary about three childhood friends who reunited after 25 years to finish crafting a shot-for-shot remake of Spielberg's classic "Raiders of the Lost Ark." But where that film was praised for telling a poignant true story that didn't shy away from exploring the dark side of fandom and nostalgia, it seems like "Our Time" is only really interested in portraying nostalgia as an inherent force for good. In this day and age, that doesn't seem like a great message to be putting out there.

"Our Time" has yet to receive a release date. That being said, if you want to see one of the Goonies back in action, you can catch Ke Huy Quan (who played Data in the original movie) in next year's bodacious-looking mind trip "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Read this next: The 15 Best '80s Comedies Ranked

The post Disney+ Snags Rights to New Show About Kids Who Make a Shot-For-Shot Remake of The Goonies appeared first on /Film.

EIDOS Montreal and Crystal Dynamics have released a brand new update for the PC version of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. According to the release notes, the December 16th Update improves the look of raytraced shadows on High or Ultra settings. Moreover, this new patch brings a number of AMD FidelityFX CAS fixes. For instance, … Continue reading Shadow of the Tomb Raider December 16th Update improves ray-traced shadows →

The post Shadow of the Tomb Raider December 16th Update improves ray-traced shadows appeared first on DSOGaming.

The world's second most populous nation uses sterilization, contraceptives to reach fertility milestone. From a report: Back in the 1960s, India faced an exploding population, with a fertility rate of nearly six children per woman. When famine struck, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson initially refused to deliver food aid, citing the country's high birth rate. In response, India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dramatically expanded the first national family planning program in a major developing country, offering cash incentives for both men and women to be sterilized. The city of Madras, now called Chennai, paid men $6 a snip. For the next 60 years, India continued to focus on sterilization as well as contraceptives and education for girls. Now, Indian health officials say the task of defusing their population bomb is finally done. Late last month, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), a periodic investigation of half a million households, announced a milestone: The country's fertility rate had for the first time fallen below the widely accepted "replacement level" of 2.1 children per woman. (The U.S. rate is 1.8.) "Women are seeing the wisdom in having fewer children," says Poonam Muttreja, director of the nonprofit Population Foundation of India. India's population growth is not over yet, however. Thanks to past high fertility rates, two-thirds of the population is under 35 years old, and a large cohort of people is now entering childbearing age. Even at replacement fertility rates, the children of these young people will continue to push up numbers, and India may exceed China as the world's most populous nation as early as next year. Still, India's population is set to decline in about 3 decades, putting the country on the same track as a growing number of developing nations, such as its neighbor Bangladesh and Indonesia. India remains well behind China in falling fertility. In China, where the population may be at its peak, official figures put the fertility rate at 1.7 children per woman. State-sponsored family planning remains "the single most important driver" of India's drop in fertility, says Srinivas Goli, a demographer at Jawaharlal Nehru University. More than 55% of couples use modern contraceptives, the latest NFHS survey found. Of these, one-fifth use condoms and one-tenth the pill. But sterilization of women, generally in government-run clinics, accounts for two-thirds of all contraception. Sterilization has a checkered past in India. During the mid-1970s, Gandhi allowed states to operate compulsory sterilization camps. An estimated 19 million people were sterilized, three-quarters of them men. The program's unpopularity helped bring down Gandhi's government in 1977, says Monica Das Gupta of the Maryland Population Research Center.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.