Am I supposed to be a man?  Am I supposed to say, "It's okay; I don't mind!  I don't mind!?"  Well, I mind!  I mind big time!  And you know what the worst part is?  I NEVER LEARNED TO READ!

• After firing Scott Weiland from the group earlier this year, the remaining members of Stone Temple Pilots have found their replacement lead singer...in Linkin Park.  Chester Bennington has officially joined the group and will perform with them when he's not touring with his original act; in fact, he's already performed "Sex Type Thing" and "Vasoline" with them live during the reveal, as well as a new song called "Out of Time."  The rest of the band have stated that Bennington was their first choice to replace Weiland.
   
• Queens of the Stone Age will release Like Clockwork on June 4th, a new album of ten new songs in total, but you can hear more than half of those now on their official website.  The band has put together a fifteen-minute animated video that includes long clips from six of the songs on the new album, including their latest single, "My God is the Sun."
   
• Joss Whedon has confirmed that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch will appear in The Avengers 2.  The characters, which are basically a Eurotrash version of the Flash and a probability-affecting magic/science-esque femme fatale, are embedded in comic lore as the frateral twin children of X-Men villain Magneto, and they're personal favorites of Whedon's.  Of course, since Fox owns the rights to the movie mutants, it's unlikely they'll be called "mutants," and they may not even be Magneto's kids anymore...expect something of a throwaway line like, "We were born this way."
   
• Rumor has it that Christopher Nolan may be moving from Batman to Bond, as he recently had some informal talks with Barbara Broccoli and other producers of the super spy franchise.  Sam Mendes, who directed Skyfall, won't be returning for the 24th 007 film due to his theatrical commitments, but Nolan also has a major new IP in the works with Interstellar, so it's possible nothing will come of this as well.
   
• Hey, 90's kids!  SEGA and Nintendo have inked a deal to make the next Sonic the Hedgehog game, subtitled Lost Worlds, exclusive to the Wii U and the 3DS.  Congratulations!  I just shattered your world.
   
• So, after all that "Kevin-Conroy-will-be-Batman-in-Arkham-Origins" hoopla yesterday, turns out that's not the case either:  Roger Craig Smith will voice the Caped Crusader for this fall's next entry in the franchise, according to a WB executive, while Conroy confirms that he meant he's been working on AN Arkham game for the past ten months, not THIS one.  In other words, expect a proper Batman game from Rocksteady Studios on next-gen consoles, more than likely, and probably very soon after they launch.
   

New Xbox reveal today at noon; details tomorrow!  'Til then...ROCK!
--HH

(News credit to 411mania.com)

Okay, lay down...we got a stupid baby to make.

• Didn't get to talk much about this last week, but the inaugural Ozzfest Japan from last weekend was a huge hit, as the lineup drew capacity crowds of over 20,000 people on both days.  Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Tool, the Deftones, and many more took the stage for the international music festival, the first of its kind.
   
• Nina Noir, a backing singer for Geoff Tate's version of Queensryche, says she was "forced" to leave the band's tour by their management, though she also says it was her choice to leave, although she was pushed in that direction by management.  Here's the thing:  Nina looks like this...
  
  
  
  ...and "management" is Geoff's wife.  You do the math.
   
• Star Trek: Into Darkness predictably took the #1 spot at the box office in its debut weekend with a worldwide total of $164 million, but that number is actually a bit lower than expected--industry analysts thought the movie would break its $190 million budget in the first weekend, but that's not the case.  Iron Man 3 came in at #2, while The Great Gatsby landed at #3.  Most surprisingly, the Croods is still holding on strong at #5, but then again, it's basically the only animated flick in theaters...that is, until Epic releases this weekend.
   
• Speaking of Iron Man 3, it's now officially past the billion-dollar mark, making it the sixth Disney movie to ever achieve that milestone (including Toy Story 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 4, the live-action Alice in Wonderland, and The Avengers) and doing so in just 23 days.  No other film studio has more than two movies to break that number.
   
• Over the weekend, Amazon released and promptly took down an image that suggests Deathstroke will be playable in Batman: Arkham Origins when it releases October 25th for all major platforms, but this only comes with a pre-order, and I'm already guessing it'll be like the Joker's involvement in Arkham Asylum--as a challenge map character.  Also, quick blurb:  the full trailer's out today, and Kevin Conroy WILL be voicing Batman as in the previous games and the Animated Series, despite rumors to the contrary.  YAY!
   
• Epic Games has detailed more about the Breakthrough mode coming to Gears of War: Judgment in next month's "Lost Relics" DLC.  It's a single-objective gametype that features two teams with distinct roles: one team has possession of a flag that they must deliver to a set location; the opposing team has a purely defensive role and unlimited resources. The attacking team has to break the enemy team's defensive line and deliver the flag before their pool of lives runs out.
   

'Til Tuesday, troops...ROCK!
--HH

(News credit to 411mania.com)

I like this ship!  You know, it's exciting!

• Randy Blythe of Lamb of God wrote an open letter on the band's website asking promoters to increase security at the band's upcoming tour stops, which begin in Asheville, North Carolina in a few weeks.  Obviously, Randy doesn't want a repeat of the 2010 Prague incident, in which he was charged with (and later acquitted of) manslaughter in the death of a fan.
   
• AC/DC have posted a message on their official website asking fans to contribute to a project that would see Kirriemuir, Scotland--the hometown of former lead singer Bon Scott, who passed away in 1980 at 33--receive a memorial statue of him.  The movement needs to raise $75,000 by June 5th to make it happen, so if you can help, visit the AC/DC website to learn how to do so.
   
• Who's coming back for The Expendables 3, you ask?  Sly Stallone says Mickey Rourke for sure, and he's also talking to Wesley Snipes and Jackie Chan.  As for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, and the rest...we'll just have to wait and see.
   
• Speaking of Willis, he's signed on to star in Expiration, an action flick with a $60 million budget that will see Bruce play--get this--a hitman who's been poisoned and has to race against time to find the cure and stop whoever did this to him.  That's great and all, but I liked this movie better the first time, WHEN IT WAS CALLED CRANK WITH JASON STATHAM.  Seriously?  Sixty-mil to turn Chev Chelios into John McClane-gone-bad?  No thanks.
   
• Gaming news brought to you today by Coffey's Comics & Games in Cape, and as of yesterday, this little beauty began circulating the internet.  It's a teaser trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins, coming October 25th to current-gen consoles and PC.  The full trailer's due out Monday, for the record.
   
• Meanwhile, a couple of other blips:  Sony's planning to have Gran Turismo 6 bookend the shelf-life of the Playstation 3, as it's the last major game slated to release for the console before the PS4 drops late this year, and Microsoft is making a smart decision in light of a new console, too--it looks like they're finally dropping that silly MSPoints system in favor of cards that deal in real-world currency.  Hallelujah!
   

Enjoy the weekend!  'Til Monday, maniacs...ROCK!
--HH

(News credit to 411mania.com)

No matter what I do, it's always going to come back to that &%$#ing pie!
 

• As of yesterday, Slayer announced on their official Facebook page that there will be a public memorial for the fallen Jeff Hanneman on May 24th at the Hollywood Palladium in LA from 3:30 to 7:30.  Seats are first-come, first-served, and the venue only holds about 4,000 people, so I imagine there are some already lining up now.  Hanneman passed away earlier this month from liver complications at age 49.  
   
• Nine Inch Nails' original bassist Eric Avery announced that he is leaving the band before their upcoming world tour, citing an overwhelming schedule that includes his playing with Garbage on a date-heavy tour for the past year and his interest in film scoring.  NIN has a show coming up in late July in Japan before they return to the States for Lollapalooza in August.
   
• The recently-announced Mission: Impossible 5 has a script writer, as Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3) has signed on to pen the film for Tom Cruise, who'll be starring and producing.  Filming begins this fall, though nothing's known about the flick as far as a plot just yet.
   
• Will Smith is currently considering in starring in a remake of The Wild Bunch, though instead of a period western, the new version would be set in modern times and focus on a disgraced DEA agent putting together a team to go after Mexican drug cartels and does anyone else think this sounds SO GENERIC?  Ugh.  I bet Big Willy Style wishes he hadn't passed on Django now, huh?
   
• The first of five planned downloadable content packs for Defiance has been detailed.  "Enter the Castithan" will include the titular race as a new playable race, plus new outfits, vehicles, story missions, and a new game mode.  Free content is extended to new weapons and a military academy PVP map, and it's expected that the other DLC packs will include both free and paid content, though we don't have a release date on any of them yet.
   
• Although Grand Theft Auto 5 was recently detailed and has quite a bit of buzz behind it, Take-Two Interactive isn't even planning on showing it off at E3--or anything else, for that matter.  The massive industry trade show is coming up June 11-13, but Take-Two and Rockstar will instead reveal the game independently throughout the summer before it launches September 17th for XBox 360 and PS3.
   

'Til Finally Friday, my brood...ROCK!
--HH

(News credit to 411mania.com)

I used to be legit.  In fact, I was too legit.  Too legit to quit.  But now I'm not legit--I'm unlegit.  And for that reason, I must quit.
 

• Iron Maiden's new beer production has come to a halt in Sweden because the logo, which features Eddie from the cover of the 1983 single The Trooper, has been deemed in violation of one of the country's alcohol laws...but they aren't saying which one.  Probably the one about having skeletons on your brew, I guess.  In any case, they're hoping to sort it all out soon.
   
• We all know that Bill Ward isn't involved in the new/old Black Sabbath reunion, but now, we may know why:  Ozzy says he just couldn't hack it anymore.  Osbourne told NME Magazine that when the group met with Bill, he was using Post-It notes to help remember the songs, and he outright admitted that he didn't know how to play any of them anymore.  Brad Wilk instead played on the upcoming 13 album, while Tommy Clufetos will tour with the band in the UK in December.
   
• On March 8th, Kevin Smith announced to the world that he'd begun the writing process for Clerks III, the final installment of his surprise trilogy.  (Surprising in that it was never meant to be a trilogy, that is.)  As of yesterday, Silent Bob says he's finished the first draft of the film, which clocks in at 137 pages and "plays like the Empire Strikes Back of the Clerks trilogy."  Because it ends on a down note?  Because it's the best one?  We'll find out...
   
• Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to acting hasn't exactly set the world on fire, so he's looking toward other film projects to grab the attention of the modern movie-goer...and for that, there's nothing better than a remake of a gory cult classic.  Rumor has it that Ahnuld is in line to star in a new version of the Troma classic The Toxic Avenger, and if you know that flick, there's nothing more to say about that than YES PLEASE.
   
• Coffey's Comics and Games on Broadway here in Cape brings you gaming news today, as we discuss the 2014 edition of Magic: The Gathering's Duels of the Planeswalkers, coming sometime this summer.  New for this year's edition is Android tablet support, along with new decks, challenges, and plenty more, including a new play mode they aren't revealing yet.  Of course, the game will still be available on other platforms like iOS, XBox, Playstation, and PC.
   
• Now under the Take-Two Interactive banner, WWE '14 (or whatever they end up calling it) now has a release window of sometime in October.  Currently, it's only listed for XBox and Playstation releases, but it's likely it'll come to next-gen consoles as well.  Otherwise, all we know now is that The Rock will be on the cover.
   

'Til Thursday, you wild things, ROCK!
--HH

(News credit to 411mania.com)