The Gold Box spotlight deal of the day over at Amazon today is The Tudors: The Complete Series DVD box set for $64.99 (that’s 50% off the list price of $129.98).

Note, this deal is valid only for today (Tuesday, May 24, 2011) until midnight PST while supplies last.

This 15-disc DVD box set includes all four seasons of the Showtime drama, which stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII as well as Henry Cavill, Nick Dunning, and James Frain. The set also contains bonus features such as deleted scenes, bloopers, and featurettes [...]

The first gameplay trailer for Modern Warfare 3, the next installment in the mega-hit Call of Duty franchise, has found its way online.

Some people seem to be growing tired of the games, especially after the drama that ended in Activision strong-arming out many of their Infinity Ward employees, but for everyone who impatiently waits to see each year’s new title, you should be Christmas Morning-happy with what you’re about to see.

The first gameplay trailer shows off something teased in the very first trailer released for the game: that it would take place (at least partially) in New York City — a familiar location to all of us. But that won’t be the only location (though can you imagine a multiplayer map in the middle of Time Square, kids?); other places you’ll throw down with enemies include England, Paris, and Germany.

You can see the trailer by clicking on over to the other side now. [...]

We’ve heard about a lot of beloved fairy tales getting darker more adult-aimed movies made based on them, and we’ve always been very excited by the thought of a bit of comforting nostalgia getting a hint of nightmare added to them as we grow older. Sadly, however, we almost never actually get the darkened new versions of these stories — not how we hoped and expected them to be, anyway — and we’re always left wanting in one way or another.

That said, it’s not going to stop studios from making the promises. Now it’s being reported that a much darker re-telling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fable, The Little Mermaid, is being developed for Sony Pictures.

The movie will be based on the book Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon, which tells the tale of a mermaid who finds herself in a love triangle involving a prince she saved from drowning and a rival princess who seeks the prince in hopes of uniting their long-warring kingdoms. The mermaid, ready and willing to do anything from the prince’s love, sacrifices everything, including her voice and her own well-being. [...]

Earlier today, DC Comics announced that famed creators Jim Lee and Geoff Johns would be making a very special appearance at the Hero Complex Film Festival on Saturday, June 11, 2011. The two will participate in an interview session with Los Angeles Times journalist Geoff Boucher.

Their appearance will be followed by a tribute to Richard Donner, in which Superman and Superman II: The Donner Cut will be shown prior to a Q&A session with Donner himself.

That’s all well and good, but see below for the parts of DC’s statement that caught my attention [...]

Over the weekend, many of you who ventured out to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides were treated to the very first teaser trailer for Disney’s new Muppet movie…fittingly titled The Muppets, of course.

The thing about the teaser trailer is that it was made to try and surprise people. It’s presented as a fairly awful looking new romance movie starring Amy Adams and Jason Segel called Green With Envy, and this faux trailer goes on for a quite a while before they spring the trap on us and reveal what the movie actually is.

You can see the sneaky trick trailer for The Muppets by clicking on over to the other side now. The movie hits theaters on November 23, 2011. [...]

The marketing campaign for the upcoming Green Lantern movie started off sluggish late last year with an interesting but frustratingly earthbound teaser trailer. Now of course raising awareness of the Emerald Avenger’s big screen debut was always going to be a difficult task; the Green Lantern is one of the most iconic characters in all of the DC Universe, but he’s not on the same level of instant recognizability as his fellow DCU stalwarts Superman and Batman. A lot of lower-tiered DCU heroes and heroines have always had that problem, as the negative fan reaction to David E. Kelley’s failed Wonder Woman TV pilot most recently proved.

Not much is known about the plot of the Green Lantern movie except that it’s an origin story focusing on Hal Jordan (played by Ryan Reynolds, barely edging out Bradley Cooper for the coveted role) and it concerns an intergalactic threat known only as Parallax. Somehow it involves Blake Lively looking hot, a very David Crosby-looking Peter Sarsgaard turning into something that resembles the veiny-headed mutants from Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and lots and lots of aliens bearing power rings. Any studio would be understandably nervous [...]

The $10 t-shirt deal of the day over at Teefury today is the Blade Runner-inspired “San Angeles Replicants,” by artist Captain RibMan.

The sale at Teefury began at midnight EST (Monday, May 23, 2011) and will continue for 24 hours from then, and once it’s over, it won’t be sold on the site anymore.

The limited-edition t-shirt is available in Men’s and Women’s sizes in military green [...]

It’s the 22nd century, and the Doctor (Matt Smith) with companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) arrive on a small island that is home to an old 13th century monastery. The site also happens to be a mining location, where humans are gathering and transporting acid for some unexplained reason.

The mine workers use an avatar system, where they control flesh-grown ‘gangers of themselves. Built from something known as The Flesh, the situation turns awry when the monastery is hit by a solar storm – resulting in the ‘gangers separating themselves from their controllers, causing a tense situation that the Doctor fears may go out of control…

During TARDISblend 27, we review the events of The Rebel Flesh, part one of a two-part adventure written by Matthew Graham. We discuss the cliffhanger at the end of the episode, something that had been ruined and spoiled for some fans by the Daily Mail recently – either way, the ending was a surprise for some, but predictable for others [...]

ComiXology is running a sale today on issues #1-12 of X-Factor for only 99 cents each.

Note, the sale is only for today, Monday, May 23, 2011 and ends at 11pm EST in North America.

You can download the digital versions for the iPad or iPhone of issues of this Marvel comic book series from Peter David for only $.99 each at the ComiXology App.

The printed versions of this run are available in X-Factor Vol. 1 (for $10.19) and X-Factor Vol. 2 (for $10.19), so you can see what a great discount the digital version is today [...]

The $10 t-shirt deal of the day over at RIPT Apparel is the Supernatural-themed shirt called “Singer Salvage” by artist heartjack.

The sale at RIPT began today, Monday, May 23, 2011, at midnight CST, and will continue for 24 hours from then, and once it’s over, it will not be sold on the site anymore [...]

Martin Freeman said that his Sherlock co-star Benedict Cumberbatch will be joining him in The Hobbit, according BBC News Entertainment Correspondent Lizo Mzimba.

Mzimba tweeted the news earlier today while covering the BAFTAs, where the BBC series Sherlock won for Best Drama with its star Freeman snagging the Best Supporting Actor award. (See screenshot of tweet here below.) The reporter has not posted any follow-up information at this time.

Sherlock, which was co-written and co-created by current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, is a modern take on the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective Sherlock Holmes and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. The first season was three 90-minute episodes; the second season, which is scheduled to air in the UK this Fall, will also consist of three 90-minute episodes [...]

It’s safe to assume that if you’re balls Depp in anticipation to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, that you’re a fan of the previous three movies. You know exactly what to expect, and to that end you won’t be disappointed in the fourth relatively satisfying yet unspectacular entry into the Pirates film series. Despite the infusion of new blood into the franchise, almost everything about On Stranger Tides feels like seen, done, and argghed that before. This is not necessarily a negative criticism and by the time this is posted, Pirates 4 will have kicked out last week’s idiotic Priest to straight-to-DVD oblivion strictly based on the lines for midnight screenings and that no other movie is opening against it, unless you’ve been hankering to see A Beautiful Life at your local pretentious art-house theater.

Does it mean the latest installment of the Disney Cash Cow is a good movie? Good enough. I mean, it’s a Pirates movie and your expectations cannot POSSIBLY be that high, considering you sat through the convoluted mess of previous sequels and yet probably couldn’t pass a test on what exactly happened during the overly dense plot(s) of Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End [...]

Amazon is currently offering up the mp3 version of the Queen song “Seven Seas Of Rhye” from their album Queen II for FREE.

Yes, FREE. Just follow the link and download the song and then it’s yours, you own it. But grab it now, as it’s the Free Song of the Day offer, which means it’s only available for free today, Sunday, May 22, 2011, til midnight tonight PST.

Queen II, which was originally released in 1974, is available on CD (Deluxe Version) for $10.57 and as an MP3 Download for $9.49. There’s also a Remastered CD for $16.85, which was released earlier this week.

Also released this week for the band’s 40 anniversary is the Queen 40 Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set, a 10-disc set that contains the band’s first five studio albums remastered in deluxe reissue editions with rare bonus material all in one collectible box with a 24 panel poster. Albums included are Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At the Opera, and A Day At the Races. [...]

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, and Ian McShane
Release Date: May 20, 2011

It’s hard to believe that On Stranger Tides is the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie to come out in less than a decade. But Disney has found a cash-cow and it’s obvious the two big stars are still having fun with their roles, so the series marches on. But by the fourth film, most ongoing series have run out of material and the second and third Pirate films were showing big signs of burnout. On Stranger Tides needed to be a new beginning as much as it needed to be a sequel, and in many ways it succeeds.

Picking up an unknown amount of time after the end of the third film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides finds the few returning characters in very different situations than we left them. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has long been without a ship, having lost the Black Pearl to Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) at the end of the last film. Barbossa, it turns out, is working for the British Navy, having also lost the Pearl, along with his right leg, in a battle with the most feared pirate in the world: Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Their paths cross once again after Spanish explorers find evidence of the Fountain of Youth. Joined by Angelica (Penélope Cruz), a mysterious woman with a history with both Jack and Blackbeard, everyone sets off in search of the fountain [...]

The Heir of Night
The Wall of Night, Book One
Paperback | Kindle
By Helen Lowe
HarperCollins
Release Date: September 28, 2010

The first novel in a planned trilogy, The Heir of Night is about a princess named Malian who is the Heir to the House of Night, and it’s her mission to fight against the Darkswarm who have been terrorizing the lands of her people for quite some time. The people thought they were banished, but it turns out they weren’t, and she has to fight against them by finding legendary artifacts that are buried across different lands. Along the way, she discovers her love for her best friend, Kalan, who is Heir to the House of Blood.

I will preface my review by saying that although The Heir of Night is marketed toward the adult fantasy market, it will appeal more to teens, especially lovers of Tamora Pierce’s books who will forge an instant connection with the teenage main character, Malian, who is the Heir of Night [...]

A brand new poster for Walt Disney’s upcoming Muppet movie, titled The Muppets, has been released online.

The movie is written by Forgetting Sarah Marshall team Jason Segel and Nick Stoller, and it’s directed by Flight of the Conchords and Da Ali G Show writer and director James Bobin.

The Muppets also has a plethora (would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?) of well-known actors set to appear in the movie, as is expected with any Muppet adventure. Stars either starring or doing voice work on the movie include Segel, Amy Adams, John Krasinski, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, and pretty much everyone else.

You can see the new poster for The Muppets by clicking on over to the other side now! [...]

DC Comics posted a map of the world of Flashpoint today and the result… well, there’s some aspects of it that are a tad on the unfortunate side.

The now-controversial map breaks down different regions of the world showing who holds the power/threats in each area. For instance, The United Kingdom is now New Themyscira, Brazil is occupied by Nazis, Alaska is “The Land of The Undead,” and so on and so forth. The controversy, however, comes into play when you look at Africa, and the map simply claims that it’s now “Ape-Controlled.” Yep, Africa is listed as Ape-Controlled. To say that comes off as racist is a bit of an understatement, and it gets worse when you get to the fountain of creativity that is “Asian Capital,” which comes off poorly as well.

Check out the map here above and click for larger view [...]

H.G. Wells Classic Collection I
Hardcover

Illustrations by Les Edwards
Gollancz/Orion
Release date: March 2011

While you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, there’s no doubt that most people are drawn to a book’s attractive packaging (just look at the Collector’s Edition of J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard). And with the rise in popularity of ebooks, thanks to their convenience and low prices, that means that if print books are to continue to sell, publishers need to give consumers incentive to choose print over electronic versions, like supplemental material, illustrations, or collectible packaging. This is what Gollancz, an imprint of Orion, has done with the H.G. Wells Classic Collection I, a 678-page leather-bound hardcover with illustrations by Les Edwards.

This collection contains five of Wells’ most popular science fiction stories: The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, and The Invisible Man. Each chapter begins with a sketch, which alternates throughout the chapters of each book, like goggles and footprints in The Invisible Man and a creature from The Island of Doctor Moreau; there’s also full-page illustrations through the entire collection [...]

The team behind the incredibly impressive viral campaign from 2008′s The Dark Knight is back at it again with the first steps into viral marketing for the follow-up, The Dark Knight Rises. And their first order of business? Our first look at Tom Hardy as Bane.

But one of the coolest things about this can be found here. It’s a really great way to make yourself a part of the whole experience. By tweeting or facebooking “#thefirerises”, your avatar goes to complete the first image of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises [...]

One of the most original titles that DC Comics has put out in recent years is Secret Six.

The group consists of six mercenaries who were once villains in the Batman universe, including Catman, Deadshot, Ragdoll, Scandal Savage, Bane, and Janette.

The series has been out for 30 issues now but I have just recently gotten into it. In the first trade, Secret Six: Unhinged, the team embarks on a mission to break a meta-human out of Alcatraz and take her back to Gotham city. She has in her possession a card which allows a person who dies to get out of Hell. The story is a wild and wacky and violent road trip from San Francisco to Vegas to the streets of Gotham, and at one point they even ride in an ice cream truck. I don’t want to go further into the story and spoil it, but let’s just say it’s well worth the read [...]