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Friday, August 05, 2011

Media Man Entertainment News Update, by Greg Tingle - 5th August 2011

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Thor X-Men Wolverine Thor Green Lantern Batman Iron-Man Marvel Entertainment Marvel Comics Marvel Studios Marvel Slots DC Comics Warner Bros Paramount Pictures Hollywood Movies Media Man
Captain America The Avengers Spider-Man Fantastic Four The Hulk Comics Movies


Marvel Movies Upcoming...

Movie Studio Date

Captain America: The First Avenger Paramount Pictures 7/22/11
Ghost Rider 2 (3D) Sony 2/17/12
The Avengers (2012) Buena Vista 5/4/12
The Amazing Spider-Man Sony 7/3/12
The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros 7/20/12
Iron Man 3 Buena Vista 5/3/13
Thor 2 Buena Vista 7/26/13


Melco Crown eyes HK listing...

Macau gaming operator Melco Crown Entertainment has applied for a dual listing at the Hong Kong stock exchange (SEHK), the New York-listed company announced yesterday.

“It is worth noting that today all other casino operators in Macau, including those from the US, have their Macau operations listed on the SEHK,” Melco co-chairman and chief executive officer Lawrence Ho Yau Lung stressed in a press statement.

“We believe our proposed dual listing on the local bourse will not only put us on a par with our competitors, but will also provide our existing shareholders with much enhanced liquidity, while providing us with access to an additional source of capital,” he added.

Just last week, Melco completed the acquisition of a 60 percent share in long-delayed Macao Studio City project. Ho said at a press conference that it would invest USD 1.7 billion (MOP 13.7 billion) in the development of the Cotai resort.

He acknowledged that Melco would again tap the debt markets, after clinching a USD 1.2 billion (MOP 9.6 billion) refinancing of the City of Dreams resort in June and launching RMB-denominated bonds to raise around USD 350 million (MOP 2.8 billion) in April.

“A dual listing on the SEHK will also allow local and Asian investors to directly access investment opportunities in our company, thus broadening our investor universe,” yesterday’s statement adds.

So far there is no forecast for when the dual listing could be completed.

The operation “involves extensive preparatory work and is subject to, among others, the approval of the SEHK and other relevant authorities, the final decision of the company’s board of directors and approval of its shareholders and market conditions,” Melco explained.

“It is therefore difficult to provide a clear time frame,” the operator stressed, and the proposed dual listing “may or may not occur”.


Marvel Studios Moving Forward with DR. STRANGE‎...

A new rumor has surfaced sharing that a script by Conan's Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer has been turned in and that the studio has made a shortlist of possible directors.

According to Marvel Comics mythology, Doctor Stephen Strange is one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence. He draws his power from three primary sources: the invocation of powerful mystic entities or objects, the manipulation of the universe's ambient magical energy, and his own psychic resources. Strange's magical repertoire includes energy projection and manipulation, matter transformation, animation of inanimate objects, teleportation, illusion-casting, mesmerism, thought projection, astral projection, dimensional travel, time travel and mental possession, to name a few, though the full range of his abilities is unknown. The character has graced comic book pages for over 50 years, was the focus of a direct to video live-action film in the 1970s and most recently starred in a full length Marvel Animated feature film.

With poor to timid critical and box office reception to Donnelly and Oppenheimer's most recent work Cowboys and Aliens, it was reported that the directors being sought after have been given a copy of the script to 'oversee continued development,' which could possibly imply a rewrite. Even with that, this is still a sign that Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme may be ever closer to seeing the big screen.

A new Dr. Strange film, under the Marvel Studios banner, has been whispered about for several months now. Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige confirmed that the project is in the works and will help bring supernatural elements into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Actor Patrick Dempsey has openly stated his interest in the role and explained why a television series may be the best route for it.


Interactive Gaming To Head Up Media Growth...

Australia’s media sector will expand by 4.1% over the next five years as interactive gaming and the internet continue their trailblazing growth and Australian companies eye off opportunities in Asia.

According to the 'Outlook: Australian Entertainment and Media report from PricewaterhouseCoopers', the sector will reach a total of $37.2 bn in 2015.

Advertising spending is expected to reach $15bn, growing at a rate of 4.4%, which is slower than the global rate forecast at 6.2%.

Interactive gaming will be the locomotive of growth for the sector over the next five years with compound annual growth of 9.5% by 2015, ahead of the global rate of 8.2%.

PwC predicted a spike in market share for gaming from 8.8% of consumer spending in 2010 to 11.4% in 2015.

“Consoles are consolidating their position in the living room by becoming entertainment hubs through partnerships with content providers such as subscription television,” the report read.

Subscription TV revenues are forecast to grow by 5.1%. Advertising through the medium is tipped to reach 3% growth, outstripping its free-to-air counterpart that is forecast to grow by 2.3%

Meanwhile, consumer magazines and recorded music are headed for troubled waters, representing the only sectors expected to shrink.

As interactive gaming continues its rapid rise through the media and entertainment ranks, advertising executives are beginning to zero in on the opportunities.

Globally, advertising via the internet and within interactive games had the highest forecast growth rates, at 9.6% and 8.2% for 2011-2015 respectively.

Despite this, local players appear laggard as the domestic market for advertising in interactive games “is negligible” according to PwC.

Internet access spending represents a third of all consumer media and entertainment spend, however PwC expects slowing growth as the market gets larger and nears saturation.

Locally, the net will spearhead advertising growth in spite of this, predicted to grow by 13.5% over the five year period. The outdoor segment is running a distant second, expected to notch up 5.4% average growth.

“Consumer spending on entertainment and media products and services will reach $248 bn by 2015 in the Asia-Pacific region,” said PWC partner and author of the report David Wiadrowski. “It is time for Australian businesses to think about how best to share in the boom taking place on our doorstep.”

Gaming could prove pivotal to Australian media companies penetrating the faster-growing Asian markets.

“Asia Pacific, with three of the top four counties in the world in terms of spending on video games; China, Japan and South Korea, is the largest region at $24.3 bn in 2010,” said Wiadrowski. “It is projected to be the fastest-growing region during the next five years, increasing 11.8% on a compound annual basis to $42.3 bn in 2015.”


Gambling service in high demand...

There is already high demand for the ACT's new gambling support service, with dozens of referrals being made during its first month of operation.

Mission Australia is running the ACT Government's service which includes crisis support, financial counselling and early intervention programs for those at risk of developing an addiction.

The service is funded by a levy on gambling revenue and was officially launched today.

Lisa Short from Mission Australia says it is already receiving two referrals a day.

"We've only been operating for a few weeks. We're quite new to Canberra and we haven't sort of had a lot of advertising out there at all, yet we're getting that many referrals a day so that's quite pleasing," she said.

"We expect that to increase once our profile increases in the community over the next couple of months."

Ms Short says the uptake shows there is a real need for the service.

"People are recognising that their gambling issues may be becoming a problem and they actually want to do something about it. So it's quite promising," she said.

Ms Short says it is the first service of its kind in the capital.

"There have been gambling services in the ACT however not something that is holistic as this service," she said.

"Previously there was one-on-one counselling. We're now doing the whole gamut from early intervention with small children right through to the counselling, but also addressing those other issues," she said.

"So we take a person, it's not just their gambling that we'll be looking at, it's all the other issues that come as a result of that gambling. So we'll be working with people around their homelessness issues or their mental health.

"It's like a one-stop-shop for people who may present at other services - homeless services or mental health services - because they're experiencing that at the moment. But the underlying cause of that has been problem gambling."

Mission Australia is also working with the Australian National University to undertake research into different types of gambling intervention programs.

"We'll be developing that evidence base which is pretty cutting edge in Australia," Ms Short said.


MTV GEEK AND STAN LEE TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF “THE SEEKERS” COMIC AND CONTEST AT SAN DIEGO COMIC CON

07.25.11

NEW MULTIPLATORM MUSIC AND COMIC HYBRID “SEPTEMBER MOURNING” WITH TOP COW PRODUCTIONS NEW COMICS “DIVINATION” AND “DEPARTMENT P.U.L.P.”

San Diego, CA- July 23, 2011 – MTV Geek, (http://geek.mtv.com and http://m.mtv.com/geek/), a central multiplatform hub for comic related and inspired content, will announce several new comics, multiplatform experiences, and partnerships at its panel at San Diego Comic Con on Saturday, July 23, including details behind the partnership with Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment on the creation and contest for “The Seekers,” in which one illustrator and one writer will be selected by Lee to helm the comic. Additional announcements include a partnership with Top Cow Productions on the forthcoming launch of a music and comic hybrid entitled “SEPTEMBER MOURNING,” as well as the launch of two new original comics “Divination” and “Department P.U.LP.” Since the site’s launch in October during New York Comic Con, MTV Geek has become a leading destination for geek culture with nearly 1 million unique visitors per month.

“These new partnerships underscore our primary mission to provide passionate fans a singular hub that celebrates comics, sci-fi, fantasy, music, horror, toys, tech, and gaming,” said MTV Comics’ Executive Editor Tom Akel.

THE SEEKERS
Comic legend and POW! Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer Stan Lee and MTV Geek’s Tom Akel will announce the creative concept behind the forthcoming comic, “The Seekers” as well as a first-of-its-kind contest where one illustrator and one writer will be selected to helm the series under direction of Lee.

“The Seekers is the story of an ancient people who have been planted on Earth and little by little start to arise. What the human race is not aware of is that their purpose is to destroy the planet thereby eliminating all of mankind! But before you get too depressed, there are a few heroes who will be doing their best to save humanity. And we’re gonna give the most talented artist and writer we can find a chance to write and illustrate The Seekers comic book!” said creator Stan Lee.

Beginning August 1, aspiring illustrators and writers will be able to submit their artwork and/or writing sample via a nomination page on MTV.com. In late August, MTV Geek’s editorial team will narrow the pool down to 20 and feature their work on the site. Visitors will then vote for their favorite and the five most popular artists and writers will move on to the final round. These 10 finalists will have their work seen by Stan Lee and MTV. Finally, at New York Comic Con in October, Stan Lee will select one writer and one illustrator he’s selected to work alongside of him to launch the comic.

SEPTEMBER MOURNING
MTV and Top Cow Productions will announce the forthcoming debut of September Mourning, a multiplatform project that will blend comics and music through video, digital comic books and live events.

Using music, stories, and characters both real and imagined as its driving force, SEPTEMBER MOURNING will utilize all forms of media in ways that are truly groundbreaking. At the core of the project is M Lazar, a real life rocker who creates the music of the band September Mourning as well as provides the inspiration for the fictional character and story which is its backbone. Building on creative pioneered by iconic rockers David Bowie and Kiss, SEPTEMBER MOURNING uses today’s tools to create a cross-platform, trans-media property based on a living person; a reverse-engineered Lara Croft for the rock and roll set. SEPTEMBER MOURNING is “ZIGGY STARDUST” for Millennials.

In the coming months, the character of September, inspired by M Lazar, will be introduced in the hit Top Cow comic “The Darkness” by Marc Silvestri (acclaimed X-Men artist and creator of The Darkness, Witchblade, and Cyber Force).Launching with a live concert by the band by the end of the year, we’ll simultaneously release the first episode of the series on MTV Geek that will tie directly into The Darkness comic, followed by a weekly serialized comic, entitled “September Mourning,” digitally exclusive on MTV Geek, of September’s story.

Each week on the September Mourning hub on the site, MTV Geek will feature a new 2 to 4 minute reality style video series profiling M and the band along with animation that cuts through the psyche of M into the September Mourning universe. Between the weekly comics and video reality series, MTV Geek will host two blogs- one helmed by M and the other by September.

"Some say when it's your time to go, it's your time to go. Soul Reaper September Mourning say; "EFF THAT!" September is just a girl with the power to make things right. Fate is pissed off and Top Cow Productions along with MTV are going to show you why dying is overrated."

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
In addition to The Seekers and SEPTEMBER MOURNING, MTV Geek will also announce the launch of two new comics: Divination, written by Eisner nominee Val Staples and Gina Iorio and illustrated by Julia Laud, as well as Department P.U.L.P. by Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood.

“Divination,” the first manga from MTV Comics, is the story of Anastasia Kempka, whose teenage life in thrown into chaos after she discovers an eerie connection to the afterlife. “Department PU.L.P.” will build on the universe created in MTV Comics’ “The Gloom,” a series of comedic one-shots beginning with “Dirk Maverick and the Space Badgers From Mars.”

New partnerships and exclusives include “Tanpopo” by Camilla d’Errico; new titles from Act-i-vate (“Megahurtz” by Joe. St. Pierre, and “Lilli MacKenzie and the Mines of Charybdis” by Simon Fraser) as well as a partnership with anime powerhouse Funimation.

These titles will join MTV Geek’s roster of original comics including “Teen Wolf,” “The Gloom,” “Hats,” and “Agent Mom.”

In addition to the MTV Geek panel, MTV will feature a series of panels, press rooms and autograph signings tied to its popular and forthcoming series. Johnny Knoxville (“Jackass”) will sit down with “Beavis and Butthead” creator Mike Judge for a one-on-one Q&A, and fans will be treated to an exclusive first look at scenes from all new episodes. Celebrated horror film writer/director Wes Craven (“Scream,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street”) will talk to the cast and series producers of the new horror-comedy “Death Valley.” Fans will be shown the world premiere this genre-busting series, along with a super tease of what’s to come this season. “Teen Wolf” returns to Comic-Con with an exclusive look at highlights from future episodes, a Q&A with the entire cast and producers, and cast signing of the original comic book. In addition, MTV will screen the first episode of the new animated series, “Good Vibes.”


King abstains from 'Sex and the City' prequel...

LOS ANGELES - The man behind the "Sex and the City" TV series and movies said on Wednesday he is not working on a possible "prequel" and has no interest in one, quashing media speculation about a new chapter in the hugely successful franchise.

"I am not working on any 'Sex and the City' prequel at all," Michael Patrick King told television journalists gathered for a bi-annual meeting of critics.

King brought the original books by Candace Bushnell to life first in the Emmy-award winning HBO series, "Sex and the City," and later in two movies starring Sarah Jessica Parker as New York journalist and fashionista Carrie Bradshaw.

Bushnell, who based the books on her own life, has since written two books, "The Carrie Diaries" and "Summer And the City," about Bradshaw's early life.

In recent weeks there has been widespread speculation of a "Sex and the City 3" that would feature young stars and be based on Bushnell's two new works. But King said he had not read the latest books and was not interested in exploring Carrie Bradshaw's younger self.

"My Carrie Bradshaw started at 33 and I took her to 40...For me the idea of going backward and making her less evolved...is something I don't even imagine doing," he said.

"I am sure Candace did a great job on them (the books) but I have no connection to a prequel," King added.

King is currently working on a new TV comedy for CBS called "2 Broke Girls" about two young waitresses working in a run-down New York diner.

King said the show was the complete antithesis of the glamorous settings and characters of "Sex and the City" .

"'2 Broke Girls' is like the evil king of chick lit," he said, saying the show would be "irreverent, spicy and outrageous." (Credit: Reuters)



Gaming tax changes to boost community coffers...

Local clubs say changes to gaming tax rates equals more money for the local community.

The New South Wales Government has announced tax breaks in exchange for an increase in grants for community and sporting groups.

The gaming manager for the Tamworth-based Wests group, Geoff Shanley, says the changes mean Wests alone will be able to contribute and extra $350,000 over the next four years.

He says the tax break is a also a considerable saving for local clubs

"Its also means that we can donate more to the community and local sporting groups and also maintain the level of staffing," he said.

"We estimate the tax break will be worth more than what we're obliged to give in extra donations to the community but we are a non-profit organisation, so those additional funds will be made available to improve customer services."


Media Man Int iGaming Report For Asia Pacific...

PartyCasino remains the worlds (and Australia's) most popular destination website for online casino games. The casino is one of a number of brands owned by igaming giant Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment. Other brands looking to make a big splash in the Asia Pacific region include the Playtech powered Grand Reef Online Casino and Ireland based Paddy Power. igaming software giants Playtech and Microgaming continue to battle it out, and Richard Branson's Virgin Games continues to investigate ways to accept Australian and New Zealand players. BwinParty's PartyCasino.com continues to domination online casino awards and maintains the stranglehold on the online casino sector, while its PartyPoker.com and World Poker Tour brands continue to also perform well. World Poker Tour has also recently inked a deal with innovative online poker room PKR.com, which looks to cause other online poker competitors a few headaches. Stay tuned for more details.


Media Man Social Media Updated...

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Thor And X-Men First Class Tipped To Hammer Home Results...

Thor and X-Men: First Class got great reviews and their awesome, and Captain America: The First Avenger seems set to hit the spot to, but big questions remain about Green Lantern, and the vibe is not particularly good. Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively is getting very reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has a 23% approval among movie critics, according to the 153 reviews counters. But 72% of the 62,000 plus user reviewers say that they "liked it" with it just premiering in the U.S theaters Friday after a midnight release on late Thursday/early Friday. Comic Book Movie.com indicates are pretty negative on the flick. One reviewer called the movie "inert, artificial and dead on arrival." During the midnight release on Thursday, the film drew $3.35 million in the same region that alike movies that were recently released did; X-Men: First Class brought in $3.37 million on June 2nd, and Thor did $3.25 million on May 5th. X-Men: First Class and Thor both had a budget significantly less than Green Lantern; the former had a budget of $160 million while Thor had exactly half the budget of Green Lantern — $150 million. While the flick will likely end up eventually surpassing its budget, the fact the other comic book movies had much less budget isn’t a great result. Ultimately, X-Men: First Class raked in $55.1 million in its opening weekend while Thor did $65.7 million. With this being the third comic book-based movie released in a month-and-a-half and mixed reviews, will Green Lantern under perform this weekend, or will the hardcore - fanboy type audience that has been largely ripping on it, check it out at the cinema?

Our top picks: Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger looks like a safe bet.

Be it movies, comics or games, we think that Marvel Entertainment leads the pack, followed by DC Comics, with Dark Horse Comics getting a third, based on the positive news leaks and insider tip offs we've been getting.

As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

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Casinos Of The World; Land Based And Online Casinos



Sin City Cleopatra Rambo The Godfather Sinatra The Terminator Thor Saturday Night Fever Unicorn Legend Palladium Slot

World Directory Global Gaming Directory World Casino Directory

Punters, here's 10 of the world's top land based casinos for you to mark down in your travel plans.

Monte Carlo, Monaco: Perched above the Mediterranean and bounded by the French
and Italian coastlines on either side, Monaco provides a spectacular and luxurious setting for the wealthy and the wannabees. Home to the Monaco Grand Prix and the legendary Casino de Monte Carlo, this isn't the place for those on a tight
budget. The magnificent Casino hosts the annual European Poker Tour and was also the scene of several James Bond Films, including the original "Casino Royale" and "Golden Eye".

Paradise Island, Bahamas: Located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, Paradise
Island is best known for its sprawling 'Vegas-by-the-sea' resort, Atlantis. The resort spans seven acres along a lagoon, where guests can soak up the Caribbean sun and choose from a variety of outdoor gaming areas. When in need of a break from
the tables, guests can enjoy the private beach or one of the resorts 20 sunlit pools.

Melbourne, Australia: As Australia's sporting and entertainment capital, Melbourne
offers the perfect option for high rollers looking for a local break. Aussies need look no further than Crown Casino on the southern bank of the Yarra River, which is one of the largest casino complexes in the southern hemisphere. The main gambling
floor stretches more than half a kilometre and the casino was the first to introduce the new game Rapid Roulette, which allows players to place bets on a personal electronic touch screen connected to a central roulette wheel.

Macau, China: Known as the 'Monte Carlo of the Orient,' and the gambling capital of Asia, Macau now rivals Monaco and Las Vegas as one of the premier gambling destinations in the world. With no less than 33 casinos, in addition to local horse and greyhound racing venues, Macau is perfect for the betting junkie. The Wynn Macau
casino is a standout, highlighted by 24-carat gold 'Tree of Prosperity' at the entrance, extravagant water displays and Moon Jellyfish Aquarium at reception.

Baden-Baden, Germany: Situated on the western foothills of the Black Forest and on
the banks of the Oos River, Baden-Baden is not your typical casino town. However, in addition to its hot springs and picturesque countryside, the town is also known for its 200-year-old 'Spielbank' casino - the oldest of its type in Germany. With French chateau-style salons rooms named after historical figures such as Madame Pompadour and Louis XV's mistress, the quirky casino provides visitors with a very unique
gaming experience.

Las Vegas, United States: With over 1700 licensed casinos in operation, Las Vegas
offers the ultimate package for travellers who fancy a flutter. A visit to the famous 'Strip' is a must for any player, whether they're looking for a spin on the roulette table or a game of blackjack - this city has it all. The iconic Caesar's Palace
hotel and casino offers 129,000 square feet of casino space plus an endless smorgasbord of entertainment, shopping and fine dining options, including Cleopatra's barge, a floating lounge perfect for a relaxing drink after a jam-packed night on the
casino floor.

Manila, The Philippines: With a favourable exchange rate, Manila provides great value
for Aussies wanting to live the high-life overseas. The city offers a range of shopping and entertainment options, along with a world-class casino at the Hyatt Hotel. Spread across three levels, the sparkling casino offers the newest in gaming
facilities for both hotel guests and visitors, and is just a short distance from Manila's tourist hub.

Sun City, South Africa: Known as 'Africa's Kingdom of Pleasure,' this luxury resort
and casino complex, just two hours from Johannesburg, boasts two large casinos, two 18-hole golf courses and a wildlife reserve. At the extravagant yet picturesque Palace of the Lost City, guests are treated to stunning valley views from the guestrooms, along with exclusive access to the Grand Pool. The nearby Sun City Casino is the entertainment Mecca of the resort, featuring a myriad of gaming options as well as an indoor jungle of native foliage and water fountains.

Atlantic City, United States: Regarded as the US's 'Las Vegas of the East', Atlantic City in New Jersey is renowned for its gambling, shopping and fine dining. Towering above the banks of the Atlantic Ocean, the Trump Taj Mahal casino is an icon of the city, with an on-site shopping district and an abundance of restaurants and bars. The
157,000 square-foot casino is also hard to miss, with 3,500 slot machines and 200 table games. Unveiled in 1990 by a number of celebrities, including the late Michael Jackson, the casino is the second-largest in Atlantic City and well worth a visit.

Genting Highlands, Malaysia: Nestled on the Titiwangsa mountain range, just an hour's
drive from Kuala Lumpur and 6,000 feet above sea level, the Resorts World Genting offers 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside. This spectacular resort has first-class accommodation, dining and entertainment, while avoiding the hustle and bustle of a capital city. The on-site casino, which covers 200,000 square feet, is Malaysia's sole gaming venue and is divided into separate themed areas, such as Hollywood and Monte Carlo, for the ultimate gambling experience.

Online Casinos:

PartyCasino.com : The world's leading online casino brand and part of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment. Play for free or play for money at PartyCasino.com New players get up to $3000 sign up bonus via Media Man.

VirginCasino.com : Virgin Casino is part of Virgin Games. The parent company is Virgin Enterprises Limited, the creation of the world's most famous and celebrated entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson. Unfortunately the casino does not accept players from many countries due to what is known in legal circles as "grey areas". Most European players can play, but no Americans, Canadians, Australians or New Zealanders.

Captain Cooks Casino : Was once a very popular online casino with Australians and New Zealanders, however we understand these days they can only accept players from a few regions such as Europe, South Africa, Canada and South America.

PKR : Once only a 2D online poker room, they are now more 3D and offer online poker and a good range of online casino games, including classics, Marvel slots and table games.

Media Man's top online casino choice: PartyCasino.com PartyCasino is a multi-time Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' winner and have also won awards from EGR. Earlier this year PartyGaming merged with Bwin to create the worlds leading igaming company, Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.

News

Playtech Signs Gala Coral Contract, Acquires Mobile-Bet Company...


Playtech Ltd, the Internet gambling software maker and content developer which has a joint venture with William Hill Plc (WMH), said it signed a long-term contract with Gala Coral Group Ltd., and acquired Mobenga AB, a mobile-phone sports-betting company.

Playtech will pay as much as 15.8 million euros ($22.4 million) for Mobenga, the Isle of Man-based company said in a statement. Playtech also said second-quarter revenue rose 7 percent to 39.6 million euros over the same period a year earlier, led by online casino games.

Gala Coral, which has 2,000 betting shops in the U.K. and Italy, should become one of Playtech’s top three clients within a year after its software is transferred, in 2012, Playtech’s Chief Executive Officer Mor Weizer said in a telephone interview. Mobenga will help Playtech expand in mobile telephone gambling, which generates 30 percent of bets for some companies, he said.

“This is a very important win for us,” Weizer said. “We already have most of the established operators in the U.K., and Gala Coral we were after for a long time.”
Playtech gained 18.25 pence, or 5.4 percent, to 356.75 pence at 8:47 a.m. in London, after earlier rising as much as 6.3 percent. The shares have fallen 16 percent so far this year, giving the company a market value of 866.3 million pounds.

Stockholm-based Mobenga will give Playtech the ability to combine sports-betting, casino and poker games in one mobile- phone application, Weizer said.

Playtech generates more than 10 million pounds ($16.1 million) from its biggest client, Imperial E-Club Ltd., Weizer said.

‘Players’

Most of the company’s clients attract players through sports, though they make most of their money through games, so they’re always seeking to convert sports betters to game players, he said.

Second-quarter casino revenue gained 9 percent to 27.3 million euros, and bingo sales increased 32 percent to 3.6 million euros, the company said.

Poker sales dropped 32 percent to 5 million euros, the company said. The poker business declined even though the U.S. charged founders of online poker companies still accepting games in the country with money laundering in April.

Weizer said the companies still had cash to lure poker players. Poker numbers have been “picking up” since the end of June, when one of the companies stopped play, he said. Full Tilt Poker, then the world’s second-biggest poker site, lost its license from Alderney on June 29.


PartyCasino Gets New Games...

Aztec Gold, Atomic Fruit, Nag's To Riches and Fairies Forest. Check out the new games here.

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Thursday, August 04, 2011

Casino News Media: What's The Craic? THE PKR World Poker Tour® Ireland Set For January 2012

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LOS ANGELES – 2nd August 2011 -- World Poker Tour ® is thrilled to announce a new date for its historic 10th season, as the main tour stops on the Emerald Isle for the very first time. The PKR.com WPT Ireland, featuring a €2,500 buy-in (10% withheld), will take place at the legendary City West Hotel in Dublin from Thursday 5th January – Sunday 8th January 2012.

WPT Ireland is the first event in a three-year deal inked between the World Poker Tour and leading next generation online poker room PKR.com, renowned for its thriving community and innovative 3D software.

As well as being a major tour stop that will award a $25,500 seat for the WPT World Championship, the PKR.com WPT Ireland will also incorporate the popular Irish Poker Championships, formerly held in Galway in early January. The €750 IPC Event will be part of a competitive series of side events to be announced shortly. Additionally, qualifiers coming through PKR.com will also win exclusive access to the PKR WPT Experience. Continuing on from their popular series of events during the WSOP in Las Vegas, players will now get to enjoy great parties and special events in Dublin around the WPT Main Event.

Adam Pliska, President of the World Poker Tour said: “We are excited to be join with our partner PKR.com to bring the World Poker Tour to Ireland for the very first time. The history and heritage of poker in the Emerald Isle make it a tremendous tour stop and the beautiful City West Hotel and all of its top-notch accommodations will make this a memorable event.”

Simon Prodger, Marketing Director of PKR said: “We are delighted to partner with the World Poker Tour to bring an event to Ireland for the very first time. Dublin will be a fantastic tour stop and we think the combination of high quality poker and the Irish spirit of fun will draw players from all over the world.”

Online qualifiers get underway on PKR.com later this month.

The most recent stop on the World Poker Tour, WPT Slovenia, presented by Goldbet.com, was won by Slovenia’s Miha Travnik, a 20-year old playing in his first major live tournament, who took down $144,399, including a $25,500 entry to the 2012 WPT World Championship at the Bellagio. Next month the highly anticipated Legends of Poker kicks off WPT Season X in the US on August 25 at the Bicycle Casino outside Los Angeles. Prior to shuffle up and deal, WPT will hold a press conference announcing a variety of new initiatives and developments for Season X, as well as award World Poker Tour Season IX Player of the Year Andy Frankenberger his POY trophy.

ABOUT WORLD POKER TOUR
World Poker Tour (WPT) is one of the most recognized names in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in over 150 countries and territories and is currently airing its all-new ninth season on FSN in the United States. Season 9 of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a unique online membership site which offers inside access to the WPT as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club and is available in 35 states across the U.S. WPT participates in strategic brand license, partnership and sponsorship opportunities. WPT is a subsidiary of bwin.party digital entertainment plc. For more information, go to WorldPokerTour.com

ABOUR PKR (WWW.PKR.COM)
PKR is a revolutionary new concept in online poker that has changed the way the game is played. Featuring stunning real-time 3D graphics and a uniquely engaging and immersive gaming system, PKR brings an unparalleled and previously unseen level of realism to online poker. Developed by some of the brightest stars in the video games and poker industries, PKR continues to be the most innovative poker room in the world.

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Finding Hulk Hogan

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Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, has been world-famous for almost thirty years. From the fan frenzy of Hulkamania all the way through to the tabloid-driven fascination with his family, Hulk has lived his entire adult life in the public eye.

Losing nearly everything in the aftermath of his divorce, a pending lawsuit from his son's tragic car accident, and a body riddled with injuries from years in the ring, Hogan must now start over at a time when he thought he would be happily settled into his retirement. Emotional, and completely honest, "Finding Hulk Hogan" tells his side of the story -- and gives viewers a Hulk Hogan they've never seen before.

Weaving together verit footage, Hogan gives fans a stark glimpse at his entire life, including his darkest moments of depression, thoughts of suicide, alcohol and prescription pill abuse, his broken marriage, losing his entire fortune, deciding to return to Totally Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling despite severe medical warnings, making amends with his children, finding God and committing to his girlfriend, Jennifer McDaniel. Candid interviews with Hogan and the people in his life help chronicle the ups and downs and round out the story of a man who is trying to rebuild the pieces of his empire and move forward with his life.

"Finding Hulk Hogan" is produced by Bischoff Hervey Entertainment. Eric Bischoff, Jason Hervey and Terry Bollea are the Executive Producers. A&E Executive Producers are Robert Sharenow and Andy Berg.

About A&E Network

A&E is "Real Life. Drama." Now reaching more than 99 million homes, A&E is television that you can't turn away from; where unscripted shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment ranging from the network's original scripted series to signature non-fiction franchises, including the Emmy-winning "Intervention," "Dog The Bounty Hunter," "Hoarders," "Paranormal State" and "Criss Angel Mindfreak," and the most successful justice shows on cable, including "The First 48" and "Manhunters." The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com

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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Media Man Inks Deal With European Based Online Gaming Company; Grand Reef Casino Targets Asia Pacific

Media Man, the media, publicity and internet portal development company, is delighted to announce its latest b2b arrangement with an European based gaming company.

Adding to its b2b dealings with gaming companies such as Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, Aspers and Virgin Games, Media Man has just entered into an arrangement with Grand Reef Casino (parent company is Rand Logic Gaming NV).

Grand Reef Online Casino has an Asia Pacific - Australian and New Zealand theme and can accept Australian and New Zealand dollars, as well as American and Canadian currently. Some of their most popular games are King Kong, Blade, X-Men and Beach Life. They offer slots, classic casino games, skill games and a strong variety of other games that can be played for free or played for money. Grand Reef Online Casino is also rumoured to be soon securing more world class slots. Grand Reef Casino offers up to $750 sign up bonus and offers a wide range of payment options.

Media Man conducted extensive due diligence on Grand Reef Casino and its parent company and they came up with a clean bill of health, and boast thousands of happy customers.

Media Man director Greg Tingle said "We are delighted to have entered into our most recent of b2b online arrangements with Grand Reef Casino. Gaming is of course just one of a dozen industries that we cover and we feel that this company will certainly be on the upswing in the Asia Pacific region over the coming months. The addition will help ensure that no matter whereabouts in the world a customer is located, there will be quality online gaming offerings available for them. Australian and New Zealand gamers are some of the world's most passionate, and this brand certainly offer something worth checking out. We encourage players to bet with their head, not over it, and to have lots of fun".

So, if your into online gaming, a newbie or a veteran, be sure to check out Grand Reef Casino to see what all the excitement is about.

About Media Man

Media Man is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They have over 20 websites in their portfolio, own and operate website portals covering the globe covering over a dozen different industry sectors and were established in 2001. They have a host of awards and commendations to their name including Hitwise top ten (entertainment - personalities category), Google 'Best Of The Web' and performance and service based awards from Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment and Richard Branson's Virgin Games.

Thor And X-Men First Class Tipped To Hammer Home Results

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Thor And X-Men First Class Tipped To Hammer Home Results...

Thor and X-Men: First Class got great reviews and their awesome, and Captain America: The First Avenger seems set to hit the spot to, but big questions remain about Green Lantern, and the vibe is not particularly good. Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively is getting very reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has a 23% approval among movie critics, according to the 153 reviews counters. But 72% of the 62,000 plus user reviewers say that they "liked it" with it just premiering in the U.S theaters Friday after a midnight release on late Thursday/early Friday. Comic Book Movie.com indicates are pretty negative on the flick. One reviewer called the movie "inert, artificial and dead on arrival." During the midnight release on Thursday, the film drew $3.35 million in the same region that alike movies that were recently released did; X-Men: First Class brought in $3.37 million on June 2nd, and Thor did $3.25 million on May 5th. X-Men: First Class and Thor both had a budget significantly less than Green Lantern; the former had a budget of $160 million while Thor had exactly half the budget of Green Lantern — $150 million. While the flick will likely end up eventually surpassing its budget, the fact the other comic book movies had much less budget isn’t a great result. Ultimately, X-Men: First Class raked in $55.1 million in its opening weekend while Thor did $65.7 million. With this being the third comic book-based movie released in a month-and-a-half and mixed reviews, will Green Lantern under perform this weekend, or will the hardcore - fanboy type audience that has been largely ripping on it, check it out at the cinema?

Our top picks: Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger looks like a safe bet.

Be it movies, comics or games, we think that Marvel Entertainment leads the pack, followed by DC Comics, with Dark Horse Comics getting a third, based on the positive news leaks and insider tip offs we've been getting.

As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

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Media Man News: Pop culture flashback

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Hollywood And AussieWood Celebrity News, Wrestling, WWE Et Al - 13th March 2012

Hollywood And AussieWood Movie And Celebrity News

'Ocean's Eleven' voted greatest ever remake, Hollywood Celebrity News, Pro Wrestling Connection

Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis arm wrestle

Wrestling Legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper In Fancypants Movie


The Four Horsemen Including Ric Flair To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame 2012; Jim Ross Tweets

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Continues His Journey Towards WrestleMania Match With John Cena

What the Media has said about wrestling over the years






Monday, August 01, 2011

Google Chrome becomes UK's second most popular web browser

Google's Chrome is Britain's second most popular browser, a sign of the internet giant's increasing grip on the UK search market.

Three years after launch, Chrome last month captured 22% of UK users and marginally overtook Mozilla's Firefox browser, according to the web metrics firm Statcounter. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is losing market share to Chrome but remains the most popular browser for UK users with 45% – although it has a head start by being pre-installed on almost all computers sold in Britain. Apple's Safari is UK number four, with a 9% share.

Google's rise in the browser market is in part down to nationwide advertising – Chrome is the first Google product advertised on British TV – but is largely attributed to its speed.

Lars Bak, the Google engineer responsible for Chrome, said the goal had never been to attract a huge user base, but to energise a dormant browser market: "Speed is a fundamental part of it, but it's also about the minimal design and the way it handles security. If you as a user try [to load] a webpage and it feels snappy, it's really hard to go back [to another browser]. It has shown that people spend more time interacting with the web."

Unlike most of Google's talent based at its Mountain View headquarters in California, Bak works from a converted farmhouse in the Danish countryside two hours from Copenhagen. He has become obsessed with speed, and despite numerous tests that show Chrome outstrips all rivals, he thinks it could be much faster. "You should never be happy with [existing] speed," he said. "Of course it gets harder to make substantial gains, but it's all healthy competition. From the beginning we wanted everybody to be fast, and now all browsers are fast. I'm absolutely flabbergasted [by the improvements made by rival browsers]."

Chrome is the number three worldwide, with a 20.65% market share according to Statcounter. But analysts expect it to edge ahead of Firefox, which has dipped steadily since January. Microsoft's Internet Explorer has also fallen heavily, to 43%, with warnings about security vulnerabilities.

Google last month announced its Chromebook laptop, based on its browser and seen as another ambitious attack on Microsoft; it will be made by Samsung and Acer, companies that previously made computers running Microsoft's software.

Unlike most computers, the Chromebook has almost no capacity to store and hosts most data online in a "cloud". Bak said: "The Chromebook is really important because it tries to simplify the machine – it is basically no maintenance, which means you can cut the price. If all you are doing is using a browser it's a fantastic tool."

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PartyCasino New Players Get Up To $3000 Sign Up Bonus; Media Man Promotion

World leading online casino, PartyCasino.com continues to offer what may be the world's most attractive sign up bonus for new online casino players.

The world famous casino owned by Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment is continuing to offer up to $3000 for new online casino players.

The casino has a number of awards and commendations to its name and accepts players from most parts of the world. American players will have to wait to play the games for money, buy they do accept Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders.

Media Man and Bwin.Party encourage gamblers to bet responsibly and to of course have fun. Many players open accounts and play for free, before deciding if they will progress to paid gaming.

The casino accepts most currencies and payment types and is open for business 24 / 7 / 365.

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James Bond 007 News: Daniel Craig - 'Bond 23 will be better than Casino Royale', by Greg Tingle - 30th July 2011


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James Bond actor Daniel Craig has said that he believes the next Bond film could be better than Casino Royale. Speaking to his Cowboys and Aliens director Jon Favreau about the forthcoming Bond movie, Craig was full of praise for the franchise's new director Sam Mendes, saying:

It's a great choice because Sam has a fervour and energy to really direct a Bond movie with a capital B. He's read every book and just soaked up everything about it. I read the script the other day and I'm more excited about this than I was about Casino.

Mendes and Craig have worked together before on gangster drama Road To Perdition.

The director and star of Cowboys and Aliens also revealed that comedies such as Austin Powers and Team America keep them on their toes, with Craig admitting:
We had a bell on set that was 'we can't go down this road, it's too Austin Powers'. It's this modernist thing where the joke has been killed because now you can't wink at it.

Favreau then compared the ever-knowing irony to "a bird flying in smaller and smaller circles until it flies up its own ass".

It was recently announced that Naomie Harris will star as Miss Moneypenny in the latest outing for Ian Fleming's 007.

Bond 23 is due for release in the UK on October 26, 2012.

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Mark Burnett Selects Emmy Production Team

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Executive producer Mark Burnett announced much of the production team for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards telecast on Thursday, and for the most part he chose people close to home: three of the four top staffers have worked with Burnett on the previous awards shows he's overseen, the MTV Movie Awards and the People's Choice Awards.

Executive producer Audrey Morrisey, co-executive producer Jane Y. Mun and line producer Hyunjoo "Kimmie" Kim have all worked with Burnett on those other shows. The fourth staffer, co-producer Melissa Watkins Trueblood, has been co-producer of the Golden Globes for the past 10 years.

The newly-named executives, from the Emmys press release:

Executive Producer Audrey Morrissey is a highly accredited producer known for her work on award shows, music specials, reality series, music videos and promos. Having just wrapped the first season of "The Voice" where she served as an Executive Producer, Morrissey has teamed with Mark Burnett since 2007, collaborating with him on specials, including the "MTV Movie Awards" and the "People's Choice Awards."

Morrissey started at MTV Network's music and specials division working on high-profile music series and annual event specials such as "Unplugged," "VMAs," "Movie Awards," "Fashionably Loud," "Spring Break" and the "Rock 'n' Jock" franchise.

In 1999, she left MTV to join online music venture Farmclub.com as the Head of Television. While at Farmclub, Audrey executive produced 65 episodes of the weekly music series on USA Network and met her future partner, Ivan Dudynsky, with whom she started Live Animals productions in 2001.

Since the formation of Live Animals, Audrey has executive produced the "MTV Movie Awards," NBC's "The Voice," "People's Choice Awards," "CMT Music Awards," "MTV Latin American VMAs" or "Los Premios," "P. Diddy's StarMaker" music series, CMT's "Outlaws" and "Artists of the Year" specials and the "2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards."

Co-Executive Producer Jane Y. Mun is an entertainment industry veteran behind some of the most memorable and talked about awards shows, music specials and groundbreaking events on television. Working alongside Mark Burnett and Audrey Morrissey, Mun served as Co-Executive Producer of the venerable "People's Choice Awards" on CBS, as well as the Supervising Producer of the "MTV Movie Awards" and the competition reality series "P.Diddy's StarMaker."

In 2010, Mun launched BET's trailblazing "Black Girls Rock," the critically acclaimed tribute special that garnered a NAACP nomination. Her experience extends to all facets of live production, having produced red carpet specials for "MTV's Video Music Awards," the "Critics' Choice Awards" on VH1 and, most recently, "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Orange Carpet Pre-Show."

At the forefront of new media, Mun produced the cutting-edge MTV Special, "Avatar Live: An MTV News/Facebook Forum," an unprecedented live interactive roundtable webcast discussion with Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron and "Avatar" stars Sam Worthington and Zoë Saldana. She also produced the first-ever three-hour live webcast of "MTV's Video Music Awards Backstage Uncensored Live," an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the most outrageous award show.

Line Producer Hyunjoo "Kimmie" Kim has a long-standing relationship with the Mark Burnett team. Over the past few years, she has worked with them on the "MTV Movie Awards" and the "People's Choice Awards." Additionally, she has worked on many high-profile specials, including "Hope For Haiti Now" and "The 83rd Annual Academy Awards Pre-Show."

Co-Producer Melissa Watkins Trueblood has been a part of some of the largest awards shows on television. This includes co-producing the "Golden Globe Awards" for the past 10 years, as well as the "American Music Awards," "Do Something Awards" and the "World Music Awards." Trueblood has also served as the Talent Producer for "The Voice," "People's Choice Awards," "Independent Spirit Awards," "Scream Awards," "Academy of Country Music Awards" and much more.

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Media Man News Blog: Their chips are down as crisis-hit casinos go all in to draw tourists instead of hardcore gamblers

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Their chips are down as crisis-hit casinos go all in to draw tourists instead of hardcore gamblers


Marvel artist Kirby’s heirs lose copyright claim - 28th July 2011

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – A federal judge ruled on Thursday that influential comic book artist Jack Kirby’s creations such as the Fantastic Four and the Hulk belong to Marvel Entertainment, and not his heirs.

The decision in New York by District Judge Colleen McMahon scuttles a copyright claim by Kirby’s heirs that threatened to undermine everything from Marvel’s movie projects to its integration into parent company Walt Disney Co.

“I conclude that there are no genuine issues of material fact, and that the Kirby Works were indeed works for hire within the meaning of the Copyright Act of 1909,” McMahon wrote in her 50-page ruling.

Jack Kirby, who died in 1994, is an iconic comic book artist whose role in the rise of Marvel is nearly on-par with the company’s former editor and writer Stan Lee. Kirby helped create such characters as the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the X-Men, Captain America and Thor.

Kirby’s heirs in 2009 laid claim to copyrights for work he created from 1958 to 1963, when he had no written contract with Marvel and he drew up many of his most popular characters.

During that five-year period, Kirby co-created such Marvel comic book titles as “The Fantastic Four,” “The Incredible Hulk” and “The Avengers.”

Marvel sued the Kirby heirs after failing to reach a negotiated settlement with them over their copyright claims, which led to the ruling by McMahon on Thursday that found the rights to the characters belongs to Marvel.

McMahon said in her ruling that the case was not about whether Kirby and other artists “were treated ‘fairly’ by companies that grew rich off the fruit of their labor.”

Instead, the case was simply about the law, McMahon wrote, and the judge pointed to a pair of 1970s written agreements between Kirby and Marvel that she said bolstered the company’s position that it owns characters Kirby helped create.

Marc Toberoff, an attorney for the Kirby heirs, said he plans an appeal of the decision.

“We knew when we took this on that it would not be easy given the arcane and contradictory state of ‘work for hire’ case law under the 1909 Copyright Act,” he said.

In 2009, Marvel was bought by Disney for $4 billion. In the past decade, Marvel has seen its characters such as Spider-Man and Iron Man soar in movies. Its latest release “Thor” has earned over $447 million at worldwide box offices.

Thor And X-Men First Class Tipped To Hammer Home Results...

Thor and X-Men: First Class got great reviews and we're awesome, and Captain America: The First Avenger seems set to hit the spot to, but big questions remain about Green Lantern, and the vibe is not particularly good. Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively is getting very reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has a 23% approval among movie critics, according to the 153 reviews counters. But 72% of the 62,000 plus user reviewers say that they "liked it" with it just premiering in the U.S theaters Friday after a midnight release on late Thursday/early Friday. Comic Book Movie.com indicates are pretty negative on the flick. One reviewer called the movie "inert, artificial and dead on arrival." During the midnight release on Thursday, the film drew $3.35 million in the same region that alike movies that were recently released did; X-Men: First Class brought in $3.37 million on June 2nd, and Thor did $3.25 million on May 5th. X-Men: First Class and Thor both had a budget significantly less than Green Lantern; the former had a budget of $160 million while Thor had exactly half the budget of Green Lantern — $150 million. While the flick will likely end up eventually surpassing its budget, the fact the other comic book movies had much less budget isn’t a great result. Ultimately, X-Men: First Class raked in $55.1 million in its opening weekend while Thor did $65.7 million. With this being the third comic book-based movie released in a month-and-a-half and mixed reviews, will Green Lantern under perform this weekend, or will the hardcore - fanboy type audience that has been largely ripping on it, check it out at the cinema?

Our top picks: Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger looks like a safe bet.

Be it movies, comics or games, we think that Marvel Entertainment leads the pack, followed by DC Comics, with Dark Horse Comics getting a third, based on the positive news leaks and insider tip offs we've been getting.

As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Marvel Entertainment And Marvel Comics News: Disney - Marvel Victory Over Jack Kirby Estate, by Greg Tingle - 31st July 2011

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Court Rules In Favor of Marvel Over Jack Kirby's Estate...

A nearly two-year legal dispute between the estate of renowned artist Jack Kirby and Marvel Comics came to an end Friday with the court ruling in favor of the comic book giant.

In 2009, Mr. Kirby's heirs sent Marvel and Disney 45 notices of a plan to reclaim copyrights in a series of Marvel comics that were published from 1958 to 1963. The comics included issues of "The Amazing Spider-Man," "The Avengers," "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos," and others. In her ruling on Thursday, however, Judge McMahon said the notices "did not operate to convey any federally protected copyrights."

Marc Toberoff, the Los Angeles lawyer who represents the Kirbys, said, "We knew when we took this on that it would not be an easy fight given the arcane and contradictory state of 'work for hire' " case law under the 1909 Copyright Act. "We respectfully disagree with the court's ruling and intend to appeal this matter to the Second Circuit. Sometimes you have to lose to win."

Marvel, which always maintained that Kirby had created the characters under a "work for hire" contract, will now enjoy the unfettered benefits from his work for decades to come.

Read another report at The New York Times.


Stan Lee Intros ‘Spider-Man’ Double Feature In Santa Monica...

Stan Lee did Santa Monica yesterday to introduce an American Cinematheque double-feature of the Sam Raimi hit films “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2″ that begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Aero Theatre.

The Marvel Comics icon who is by far the most famous name in comics (if you don’t count the heroes and villains in the stories) also make an appearance across the street at a meet-and-greet at Every Picture Tells a Story, the landmark gallery and shop on Montana Avenue. The store has the exclusive license to commission and create the Marvel ArtWorks series. A signed and numbered Alex Ross piece featuring the Avengers and the Invaders in full heroic gallop made its debut. The piece is giclee on canvas, 31.5 inches by 20.75 inches, limited edition of 100, priced at $1,250).

It's a busy and exciting time for Marvel. Marvel Studios has the No. 1 movie in the United States, a search underway for the director of “Thor 2″ and an all-star cast working away in New Mexico on the 2012 mega-film” The Avengers.” At Comic-Con International in San Diego, which ended Sunday, there was a major scrapbook moment for “The Amazing Spider-Man” as well as cool hints about live-action television plans for Hulk, Mockingbird, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Well fanboys and fangirls, the Marvel - Disney legal fight against Kirby Estate is over. Stay turned to Marvel Entertainment and Media Man for more of the best in the superhero world.

What will be the highest-grossing comic book adaptation of 2011?; Box Office Mojo Poll

39.2% Captain America: The First Avenger
18.3% X-Men: First Class
18.1% Green Lantern
13.2% Thor
10.7% Cowboys & Aliens
0.5% Priest

1,832 users polled. (This poll is now closed.)

Marvel Movies Upcoming...

Movie Studio Date

Captain America: The First Avenger Paramount Pictures 7/22/11
Ghost Rider 2 (3D) Sony 2/17/12
The Avengers (2012) Buena Vista 5/4/12
The Amazing Spider-Man Sony 7/3/12
The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros 7/20/12
Iron Man 3 Buena Vista 5/3/13
Thor 2 Buena Vista 7/26/13


Thor And X-Men First Class Tipped To Hammer Home Results...

Thor and X-Men: First Class got great reviews and we're awesome, and Captain America: The First Avenger seems set to hit the spot to, but big questions remain about Green Lantern, and the vibe is not particularly good. Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively is getting very reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has a 23% approval among movie critics, according to the 153 reviews counters. But 72% of the 62,000 plus user reviewers say that they "liked it" with it just premiering in the U.S theaters Friday after a midnight release on late Thursday/early Friday. Comic Book Movie.com indicates are pretty negative on the flick. One reviewer called the movie "inert, artificial and dead on arrival." During the midnight release on Thursday, the film drew $3.35 million 0 the same region that alike movies that were recently released did; X-Men: First Class brought in $3.37 million on June 2nd, and Thor did $3.25 million on May 5th. X-Men: First Class and Thor both had a budget significantly less than Green Lantern; the former had a budget of $160 million while Thor had exactly half the budget of Green Lantern — $150 million. While the flick will likely end up eventually surpassing its budget, the fact the other comic book movies had much less budget isn’t a great result. Ultimately, X-Men: First Class raked in $55.1 million in its opening weekend while Thor did $65.7 million. With this being the third comic book-based movie released in a month-and-a-half and mixed reviews, will Green Lantern under perform this weekend, or will the hardcore - fanboy type audience that has been largely ripping on it, check it out at the cinema?

Our top picks: Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger looks like a safe bet.

Be it movies, comics or games, we think that Marvel Entertainment leads the pack, followed by DC Comics, with Dark Horse Comics getting a third, based on the positive news leaks and insider tip offs we've been getting.

As Marvel living legend Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

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