The 3D printing industry is the subject of documentary Print the Legend, which Netflix just acquired. Image: Mashable Netflix has acquired documentary Print the Legend, a film about the 3D printing industry, which earned special jury recognition at SXSW this year for editing and storytelling. It will debut on Netflix sometime in 2014. The exclusive deal, which was announced Wednesday, comes two months after Netflix nabbed its first Oscar nomination with The Square, another documentary the streaming service acquired in November. Print the Legend follows those who are involved with all facets of the 3D printing world, such as replicating human organs, creating guns and changing home manufacturing. “It’s so rare for a film to capture history in the making, and [directors] Luis Lopez and Clay Tweel have done just that in their skillful presentation of the elation and betrayals experienced by young entrepreneurs detailing the groundbreaking technology of 3D printing,” Lisa Nishimura, Netflix’s vice president of original documentary and comedy, said in a statement. Like with The Square, Print the Legend will be available to stream in every country Netflix is offered. This is an enormous launching pad, especially for a documentary. As The Square director Jehane Noujaim previously told Mashable: “That’s what’s exciting about releasing on Netflix as well because 47 countries at the same time can go online after seeing and have a discussion with people from very different circumstances.” The film details how consumers can use 3D printing tools, looping in startups MakerBot and Formlabs as well as bigger companies Stratasys and 3D Systems to tell the story. “This is a compelling glimpse into a game-changing technology as it nears an inflection point going from the fantasy world of a few obsessed visionaries to a must-have technology that may enter every home,” Nishimura added. Netflix previously acquired The Short Game, which follows eight 7-year-old golfers on their journeys toward the World Championships of Junior Golf, in November. That film became Netflix’s first original documentary. BONUS: 20 Incredible 3D-Printed Gifts Amazing 3D-Printed Gifts 1. Gramohorn II These HTC One smartphone speakers may be pricey, but for those who appreciate the seamless marriage of old and new, the audio tool can double as an art piece. Perhaps the best feature of the Gramohorn II is that it doesn’t require power to operate; its double phonograph-style design offers all the sound amplification you’re likely to need from a smartphone. Price: $1,613 Image: Gramohorn 2. Protos Custom Glasses It was only a matter of time before 3D printing was harnessed to give us cooler glasses. If you want your frames to truly stand out, these should be your first stop. The company offers 3D-printed frames specifically tailored to the shape of your face — some of our mugs don’t fit into a cookie cutter template — or your choice from a variety of premade styles. Price: $299 Image: Protos 3. Blizzident Toothbrush Dental hygiene doesn’t have to be a chore. This 3D-printed toothbrush cleans all your teeth in just six seconds. […]
Cool your jets, Star Wars fans: the Episode VII trailer isn’t out just yet. But Lucasfilm has shared with Mashable the trailer for something just as insanely brilliant: a fan-made, shot-for-shot remake of the canon’s ultimate classic, the Empire Strikes Back, coming to StarWars.com this Friday. If this sounds familiar, you may be thinking of its predecessor, the Emmy award-winning project known as Star Wars Uncut. The brainchild of engineer and designer Casey Pugh, Star Wars Uncut took the original Star Wars, and chopped it up into 15-second segments. The idea was that fans would sign up online to remake each 15-second bit, and Pugh would stitch together the result. “I was trying to see how fast I could make a movie,” Pugh told Mashable. “What I didn’t expect was all the creativity and engagement of Star Wars fans. Parents worked with their kids to make these elaborate 15-second videos. They spent weeks on them. The amount of blood and sweat that went into this was astounding.” The project went viral — so much so that Pugh ended up with three fan submissions for each of the 470 segments. That meant you could watch the whole thing online multiple times, and never see it the same way twice. Pugh called the result “organized mayhem.” Industry watchers called it pure comedy gold. Star Wars Uncut won a special Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Media upon its release in 2010. Check out the Director’s Cut version, here, featuring everything from cardboard and Lego versions of famous Star Wars scenes to a Yellow Submarine homage: Pugh also got a call from George Lucas’s company, which loved the idea. Lucasfilm flew Pugh out to its San Francisco headquarters, and urged him to collaborate with them on a sequel, Empire Strikes Back Uncut. A year and a half in the making, Empire promises to be an even bigger and better version of the Uncut project, based on the work of more than 1,000 contributors and twice the amount of submissions. “Everyone’s got HD cameras now,” Pugh pointed out. “People have higher expectations. They went even more crazy, put even more time into it.” His editor did, too, finding ways to squeeze parts of every fan-submitted 15-second clip into the movie. Check out a few examples of this raw material, below, from the Dagobah scenes between Luke Skywalker and Yoda: If you’re guffawing at the no-budget results of such familiar scenes, know that you’re not alone. “I always say that if we ever show this in theaters, it should be in 20-minute intervals,” Pugh said. “You’re laughing hysterically; your brain needs a rest.” And this is just the beginning; Lucasfilm is making a concerted effort to encourage more fan-made films. The company has revived its Star Wars Fan Film Awards, last seen in 2010, just in time for the new movies. “With the emergence of user-generated content over the last couple of years, we decided to give the awards a break,” a Lucasfilm spokesperson explained. […]
Creators of 2012’s Academy Award-nominated animation ParaNorman are teasing a new 3D stop-motion film, The Boxtrolls, in a trailer that emphasizes families come in all shapes and sizes. The movie appears to follow ParaNorman‘s footsteps by highlighting gay characters. Near the end of ParaNorman, the film reveals Mitch is gay. The revelation in a children’s movie angered some viewers, while others praised the inclusion. Unlike this new trailer for The Boxtrolls (watch above), trailers for ParaNorman didn’t acknowledge a gay character. “Sometimes there’s a mother, sometimes there’s a father, sometimes there’s a father and a father, sometimes both fathers are mothers,” explained the narrator of The Boxtrolls trailer. Other times, orphaned children, like the boy named Eggs in this movie, are raised by Boxtrolls — “underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells.” The Boxtrolls is based on Alan Snow’s fantasy adventure novel Here Be Monsters from 2005. “The Boxtrolls is a visually dazzling mash-up of gripping detective story, absurdist comedy, and steampunk adventure with a surprisingly wholesome heart,” Travis Knight, CEO of stop-motion animation studio Laika, said when announcing the flick in February. The movie arrives in theaters in September 2014. “The Boxtrolls is a moving and human story with timelessness and powerful emotional resonance,” he added. “We’re thrilled to partner with Focus Features and Universal to bring this remarkable story to family audiences around the world.” BONUS: 9 Gay Leaders Making a Difference in Technology 9 Gay Leaders Making a Difference in Technology 1. Chris Hughes One of the co-founders of Facebook, Hughes left the company in 2007 to become director of online organizing for Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign. In 2010, the entrepreneur founded Juno, a social network aimed at connecting users interested in social good and activism. Currently, Hughes is the publisher and editor in chief of The New Republic, a progressive political commentary magazine. Hughes married partner Sean Eldridge, president of investment fund Hudson River Ventures and LGBT equality advocate, in June 2012. Image courtesy of Facebook, Chris Hughes 2. Peter Sisson Sisson founded telecommunications company Toktumi in 2008. The company is known for its successful app, Line2, a VoIP service that makes voice calls over Internet protocol addresses rather than relying on telephone companies — similar to Skype. According to Big Think, Sisson says being a gay entrepreneur can be challenging, but in his home of San Francisco, it’s a “non-issue.” “There’s never been any sort of problem with anyone finding out that I was gay and suddenly not wanting to do business with me or not wanting to fund me,” he said. Image courtesy of Facebook, Peter Sisson 3. Peter Thiel Best known for co-founding PayPal and working as its CEO, Thiel is also a successful venture capitalist and hedge fund manager. When eBay acquired PayPal in 2002, Thiel’s stake was estimated around $55 million. He also made the first outside investment in Facebook in 2004, securing a 10.2% stake for $500,000. […]
Fans obsessed with The Hunger Games can’t stop rambling on about Katniss Everdeen, her fellow tributes and the dystopian Panem. These super-fans could go on for hours about the pros and cons of dating Peeta and Gail, but nobody has time to listen to all that jabber. That’s why we hit the streets of New York City to ask normal citizens if they could describe the plot of The Hunger Games in 10 seconds. As Effie Trinket would say, “May the odds be ever in your favor.” Although, the odds of summing up Katniss’ problems in 10 seconds are lower than surviving the Quarter Quell. Image: YouTube, Mashable Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/11/19/the-hunger-games-in-10-seconds/
The Avengers: Age of Ultron marks the fourth time Chris Hemsworth will play Thor in the Avengers franchise.Image: Marvel Studios Avengers 2: Age of Ultron is currently filming at the UEA Campus Norwich in England, and we have the only video from the set. It’s a Cinema Blend exclusive. Watch as Joss Whedon films an entire scene with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, right here… It’s no secret that after the events of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America: The Winter Soldier that there are a LOT of job openings for recruits in the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. We still haven’t seen the impact events of The Avengers made on Tony Stark’s shiny new office tower. You know, the one he finished just in time to witness the Chitauri invasion? Well, if you have the same questions we do, then this video may offer a few clues. In the video, we see a bunch of what looks like recruits jogging on top of or around what could be part of the recently renovated Avengers Tower. Considering the last thing we see at the end of The Avengers is Tony Stark already drawing up plans for a newly designed headquarters, and the fact that we saw the tower’s re-branding confirmed thanks to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we know that Avengers Tower is being used for something other than Tony Stark’s personal playground in The Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Perhaps it’s training the next generation of badasses. Image: Cinema Blend Given that Director Phil Coulson is now in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he looks up to (who else) Steve Rogers/Captain America, I’d be willing to bet that these are new S.H.I.E.L.D recruits training up as the first class since the H.Y.D.R.A made their lives a living hell. Keeping this in mind, it would also be a safe assumption that the new uniforms are a stylish blue in tribute to the first Avenger himself. Also, it’s a nice change from the simple black uniforms everyone wore, and considering Tony Stark is kind of fond of blue from his arc reactor days, the decision was probably a mutual one. Let’s just hope Clark Gregg gets that phone call for an extended cameo in The Avengers: Age Of Ultron, because a reunion between Tony and Phil would be one of those moments that’d easily make any top 10 moments of summer 2015 list. Speaking of the friends of Phil, why is Thor calling down the lightning on set? Image: Cinema Blend When you consider how the events of Thor: The Dark World panned out, maybe this this time out Thor’s a reluctant warrior. After all, he’s just given up the throne of Asgard and started to settle down in England with Jane Foster. Since his favorite travel method is throwing Mjolnir into the sky and taking off for parts unknown, he’s probably been summoned to talk with Tony and Steve, […]
You might remember Air New Zealand’s latest Hobbit-themed video, featuring a special cameo from director Peter Jackson. If you were wondering how a horse got on the plane, or what it’s like to film with Jackson, Air New Zealand has released a behind-the-scenes look at the making of its latest in-flight safety video. The company is known for its quirky in-flight safety videos, but it went all out for this particular one in preparation for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The video has gained nearly 8 million views in less than a week. Several Air New Zealand crewmembers made their acting debut in the video, along with actual actors from The Hobbit, like Dean O’Gorman, who plays Fili the Dwarf. Air New Zealand is also offering a global sweepstakes. Travelers who count the hidden Elvish codes in the original safety video, then visit the website to unlock the code and enter to win a round-trip for two to attend the World Premiere Screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, six nights accommodation in New Zealand, a movie set tour in Matamata, WETA Cave Visit in Wellington and other great Middle Earth prizes. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/07/behind-scenes-air-new-zealand-hobbit/
Whether you’re excited about Star Wars: Episode VII or not, nearly all would agree that the upcoming director — whomever that might be — has some very high expectations to meet. Who do you picture the perfect director to lead the next generation of Star Wars fans? Is it Spielberg? Tarantino? Conan O’Brien picked Wes Anderson for the job during his show on Wednesday night — the latest in a series of hypothetical directors auditioning for the new Star Wars. Anderson is known for films such as The Life Aquatic, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, and has a very distinct aesthetic style. A Life Galactic — which is shown above, and obviously a parody — has many elements of Anderson’s previous films: Helvetica font, quirky decor and anticlimactic arguments. Sounds perfect for a scene as controversial as “Han Shot First,” right? BONUS: 10 Out of This World Star Wars-Disney Mashups Star Wars / Disney Memes Cool story, bro. Via @PeteRKn65 Old School Via @benzenben Nice Hat Via @JuanP6 Even More Frightening Via @OZavila It’s A Parent Trap! Via @awnelson17 Winnie The Ewok Via @f_francavilla Uh Oh Via @TechnicallyRon Still Iconic Via @youngdesign When You Wish Upon A Deathstar Via @AlexJamesFitz Snow White, Seven Dwarfs and a Jedi Master Via @anniecolbert Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/09/wes-anderson-star-wars/
Airtime — Sean Parker‘s new startup that lets users video chat with friends and strangers who share their interests — released a slick new video Tuesday that shows off the power of the service. Describing Airtime as “the Best Internet You’ve Ever Had,” the slickly produced ad shows off the service in a way that is both entertaining and easy to understand. Of course, it wouldn’t be Airtime without celebrities. The spot features cameos by Kurt Russell, MC Hammer, Gary Vaynerchuk and Ronnie Lott. I’ve had my own brush with celebrity using Airtime. The first time I tried the service, it connected me with none other than co-founder Sean Parker. The spot was produced by Portal A, the company behind the Ed Lee 2 Legit 2 Quit video. (Disclosure: Portal A also works with Mashable on original video content.) The star of the video — Ian Pfaff — is described as Portal A’s “creative jack-of-all-trades.” He works full-time at Portal acting, editing and producing music. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/mc-hammer-airtime/
Anyone old enough to buy their own Halloween candy knows that once you move past the age of trick-or-treating, the real fun comes from revisiting the things that might have terrified you as a child — specifically, horror movies. Films that once left you shaking under the covers become slightly less believable or traumatizing as your perception of reality and special effects technology changes. In fact, many horror comedy B-movies have become cult classics for basically being awful. Get the popcorn ready, because you’re about to LOL in horror. Cheesy Horror Movies 1. Killer Klowns from Outer Space Clowns are scary enough on their own. In this 1988 horror flick, we’re talking about aliens that look like clowns — that also have killer shadow-puppet magic skills. Who came up with this stuff, anyway? Video: YouTube, pocketsizedbeauty 2. Dead Alive Forget about the rib-ripping scene, in which we learn our insides look like a mudslide when pouring out of our body. The scariest part is at 1:25, when we discover that the living dead will dig for your gold. ‘Snot funny. Video: YouTube, movieclips 3. Chopping Mall How can you tell things are going to get weird in this 1986 film? The screaming, pants-less woman is not even the most questionable part of the clip. Who was that robo-mall cop thanking, anyway? Video: YouTube, bmoviereviews . 4. Troll 2 This 1990 horror-comedy B-movie is so hilariously bad, it has developed a cult following. This scene in particular is a classic, and needs no explanation as to why. Video: YouTube, Veovisjohn 5. The Gingerdead Man This is what happens when you bake the spirit of Gary Busey into a holiday treat. It’s also why we can’t have nice things. The 2005 movie is so bad, we couldn’t possibly pick one scene. Video: YouTube, GrackleBoxStudios 6. Nightmare on Elm Street We all have to start somewhere in our careers, and for Johnny Depp, it was in 1984, when he lost a battle with a bed. The old and clunky technology just makes this scene better/worse. Video: YouTube, TzTokFlame 7. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes The special effects in 1978 were just incredible. We’re at a loss for words over the giant, evil tomato in this film. Video: YouTube, lemonysnicket1234567 8. Santa’s Slay Skip to 1:50 if you don’t find enjoyment in obnoxiously rich people talking about their “humble” Christmas. Video: YouTube, itburnswhenithink 9. The Spookies This 1986 film features a group of travelers who (surprise) took a wrong turn. One of the more unlucky guests falls into a sticky situation with all kinds of “WTF?” going on. Video: YouTube, hinatasaix2 10. Birdemic: Shock and Terror There are so many things to say about this 2010 masterpiece, it’s hard to know where to start. Maybe it’s the acting. Maybe it’s the choice of weaponry. Or maybe it’s the unfathomable use of special effects. Regardless, this important piece of cinema is so mind-blowingly confounding, it would bring Hitchcock to tears … of some form, anyway. […]
Image: Peanuts Worldwide It’s been 64 years since Charlie Brown first stumbled into our hearts and morning paper. The first Peanuts comic, shown above, appeared in nine newspapers on Oct. 2, 1950. By the time the comic ended in 2000, creator Charles Schulz had published 17,897 strips — which continue in reruns to this day. For more than six decades, children and adults alike have grown to love the Peanuts gang and “the great American un-success story” that is Charlie Brown. From his comics to cartoons, to films that have become a family staple, Schulz’s characters taught us valuable lessons about love, friendship, acceptance and the harsh realities of growing up. To celebrate the anniversary, we’ve gathered our favorite memorable Peanuts moments. Share your fondest memories in the comments below. Celebrating Charles Schulz’s Famous Comics ‘Peanuts’ Comic Strips Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Via Charles Schulz Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/02/peanuts-anniversary/
