Short Film Army Of Two: “Close To Home” Shows Off Everything You Love About Army Of Two

In case you weren’t paying attention this week, Army of Two the Devil’s Cartel hit gaming stands on the 26th–and to celebrate, gaming channel Node took on the task of trying to fill out the game’s story by collaborating with EA to shoot a short film set in the Army of Two Universe. “Close To Home” features Pike and Bradley, two members of the corporation “T.W.O” prepping to join Alpha and Bravo in Mexico before getting ambushed in the United States.

The film’s got everything you expect out of the Army of Two franchise: masks, guns, and an overemphasis on the buddy system that fuels a variety of action-film worthy one liners, but there is really something awesome about seeing gaming-style language brought to life like this. If you’re a fan of the Army of Two games, you’ll definitely feel a resemblance to your time spent with Rios and Salem.

This isn’t the first time Army of Two has become a viral sensation on Youtube—the Devil’s Cartel was announced with a short collaboration with Freddie Wong, which chose to downplay the game’s explosive action in favor of a team-based plot that tapped into the co-operative experience of the game.

But what kind of work goes into bringing these film projects to life? I got to take a look when the production crew for Army of Two “Close To Home” invited me to the set for a first look into the short.

Shooting took place at Fantasy II Effects in Los Angeles California–the effects house normally specializes in creating special effects for films like Terminator 2 or Moonrise Kingdom, but today they were using the junkyard property to set up the shootout between the new characters. Chatting with members of the crew, it was clear that most of them were excited about the return of Army of Two, and the chance to bring the series’ cooperative gameplay to life.

Director Casey MacBeath summed up his excitement for the game while talking with him in between shots. “I think one of my favorite parts of the Army Of Two franchise is I know it as as social game. It’s not so much people are playing it by themselves, friends are playing together. They’re sitting down, they’re enjoying the story, enjoying the action, they’re yelling at each other, screaming, fist-bumping, that’s something happening in their own homes.”

The film, which got the blessing of EA leading up to production, is also part of an effort by Youtube Gaming channel “Node” to amp up their gaming-based content. The team produced the Skyrim short “Broken Shield,” and as producer Matty Kirsch explained to me, is working on multiple gaming-based projects like “Army of Two.”

“It’s interesting. We’re coming into a day and age where the IP holders were always ‘this is ours,’ now there’s this trust coming out because you have really good filmmakers making really good stuff, and they can elevate their IP into a different way.”

As to why filmmakers like MacBeath have been able to get these gaming-based films off the ground, Kirsch had this to offer: “10 years ago people weren’t as involved in video games. Now we don’t have to do that anymore because that overexplanation of who these characters are and why they count is gone, because people are already identifying with these characters.”

Looking ahead, it’s easy to see why games like Army of Two inspire these kind of films–since they’re already so filled with moments ripped from movies and television, it’s easy for MacBeath and his team to bring them to life. All they need is a few cameras, the right stunt guys, and someone making sure that they get the mask “just right” for the shoot.

Guy Creates Epic BEETLEJUICE Minecraft Roller Coaster

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Minecraft‘s one of those games people really seem to either love or hate, for some very specific reasons. Some haters loathe the (to them) user-unfriendly interface that makes it impossible to play without the Minecraft wiki; lovers make use of the game’s array of creative features and immersing themselves in the world of it all.

YouTuber nuropsych1 definitely seems like one of the latter, and has this awesome Beetlejuice roller coaster to show for it. Continue reading “Guy Creates Epic BEETLEJUICE Minecraft Roller Coaster” »

Producers Create Epic Live Action Gordon Freeman In New HALF LIFE Online Series (But They Still Need Your Help)

Continue reading “Producers Create Epic Live Action Gordon Freeman In New HALF LIFE Online Series (But They Still Need Your Help)” »

The Video Guide To Understanding College Basketball’s March Madness (Brought To You By STAR WARS)

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There’s a reason it’s called March Madness, besides the fact that generally psychotic behavior overcomes basketball fans around the country every year around this time. Yep, the shockwaves Springtime sends outside the NCAA world can be felt even by those who wish to avoid it at all costs, or even don’t own a TV set.

For the reluctant learner, now there’s a translator that promises to make it a lot easier: Star Wars.
Continue reading “The Video Guide To Understanding College Basketball’s March Madness (Brought To You By STAR WARS)” »

Amateur Hacker Reprograms THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, Plays as Princess

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Hobbyist animator/blogger Kenna W. was so inspired by the dad who reprogrammed Donkey Kong for his daughter (so she could play as the Princess), she decided to do the same for the original 1985 Legend of Zelda game — so she could play as Zelda.

On her blog, Kenna Draws Stuff, Kenna relates the entire process of pursuing her goal — from inspiration all the way to conception. Part of what makes her story so cool is not only her determination to make the game Zelda-centric, but also show how easy it is to try doing the same. Continue reading “Amateur Hacker Reprograms THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, Plays as Princess” »

Stan Lee Is a Ninja, Parkour Master and Here’s the Video to Prove It

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Stan Lee doesn’t just make comic books, he builds entire empires from the superheroes he’s created. He doesn’t just appear in a movie, he makes some truly epic cameos parodying Hugh Hefner, Larry King, and a ton of others.

And he doesn’t just take a limo to his next gig, he parkours (ninja flips) his way through downtown Los Angeles, as opposed to traveling by car. Continue reading “Stan Lee Is a Ninja, Parkour Master and Here’s the Video to Prove It” »

The Inspiring Story Behind This Limbless Wrestler’s First Victory

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Caleb Smith, a senior at Harding High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, is finally on his way to realizing his dream of becoming a wrestler.

It’s hardly been an easy road for Smith: at age 3, he contracted a rare form of menangitis (blood disorder) — and, as a result, had to have his arms and legs amputated. Still, what the guy’s managed to accomplish is pretty astonishing. Continue reading “The Inspiring Story Behind This Limbless Wrestler’s First Victory” »

Epic Father Mods Donkey Kong To Allow Daughter To Play As Female Character [Video]

The Most Epic Father Ever Award goes to Mike Mikka.

Mike Mikka has hacked Donkey Kong to allow his young daughter to play as a female instead of Mario (Reddit via IGN). Mikka is a professional game developer who plays a lot of older games with his 3 year old daughter.

Mike’s daughter was used to playing as Peach in Super Mario Bros. 2 and, like any 3 year old, assumed she could do the same thing in Donkey Kong.

Continue reading “Epic Father Mods Donkey Kong To Allow Daughter To Play As Female Character [Video]” »

Director Rich Moore Reveals the Bizarre Story Behind WRECK IT RALPH

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Seems there’s a lot more to the Wreck-It-Ralph film than Pixar animation and video game characters. Turns out that director Rich Moore filmed another movie — around the same time Ralph was released — that explains the strange story behind it.

The end result is something between Spinal Tap and the classic Donkey Kong documentary, King of Kong, called Garlan Hulse: Where Potential Lives.  Continue reading “Director Rich Moore Reveals the Bizarre Story Behind WRECK IT RALPH” »

Not the Drugs You’re Looking For: Watch Darth Vader and Stormtroopers Raid a Smoke Shop

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If you thought U.S. prosecution of marijuana laws seemed borderline fascist, you probably haven’t been to the Ukraine, where the plant is strictly outlawed — and any attempt to grow, possess, or distribute it is meant with swift punishment.

The most recent crackdown on these Russian dispensaries was led by none other than the Sith Lord himself, complete with stormtroopers and gas bombs. The end result is pretty entertaining, if only because these stormtroopers come across as even bigger assholes than the ones in the movies. Continue reading “Not the Drugs You’re Looking For: Watch Darth Vader and Stormtroopers Raid a Smoke Shop” »

High School Student Wrestles Gun Away From Football Player to Prevent Shooting, Gets Slapped With Suspension

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A 16-year old Florida teenager is returning to school after a 3-day suspension, the result of a confrontation involving a loaded gun on a school bus last week.

The teen, who attends Cyprus Lake High School, says that he was riding the bus home when he witnessed another teen pull out the loaded .22 caliber weapon, and point it at another. Summoning some superhuman bravery, he immediately proceeded to try and wrestle the gun away from the assailant. Continue reading “High School Student Wrestles Gun Away From Football Player to Prevent Shooting, Gets Slapped With Suspension” »

Watch This Six-Year-Old Breakdancing Girl Pwn Her Older Competitor

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When 6-year-old BGirl Terra from the UK entered into a youth breakdancing contest with some older competitor guy, it’s likely neither he nor the crowd held out much hope for her. She’s about a foot smaller, the dude’s got moves like something out Electric Boogaloo, and never misses a beat.

Little did he know what a shock he was in for when his opponent showed him her own moves. Note: That is a 6-year-old, not a midget… Continue reading “Watch This Six-Year-Old Breakdancing Girl Pwn Her Older Competitor” »

An Inspiring Look at Tim Harris, the First Restauranteur in America With Down Syndrome

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Earlier this week we reported on 18-year-old Mitchell Marcus, who managed to overcome a severe mental illness and both serve as his high school basketball team’s manager, as well as inspire a small town in El Paso by throwing a particular game-winning basket. Today’s story is along similar lines of struggle, detailing the life of Tim Harris and his Albuquerque-based restaurant Tim’s Place: Breakfast, Lunch, and Hugs.

The diner serves up a variety of Americana-style foods, all to the rave reviews of local critics — and it also happens to be the only restaurant in America owned and operated by someone with Down Syndrome. Continue reading “An Inspiring Look at Tim Harris, the First Restauranteur in America With Down Syndrome” »

Inspiring Video: Disabled High School Basketball Player Gets Shot At Glory..Is Carried Off of Court

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In one of those inspirational videos that comes along rarely, here’s a heartwarming story of two basketball teams that mended rivalries, come together for a mentally challenged teammate, and help him get a literal shot at glory.

During the season, Coach Peter Morales of the Coronado High School Thunderbirds in El Paso looks to 18-year-old Mitchell Marcus to be the team manager –  a job which entails duties like taking care of the equipment and uniforms, and helping motivate the players. Marcus rarely, if ever, actually played. Continue reading “Inspiring Video: Disabled High School Basketball Player Gets Shot At Glory..Is Carried Off of Court” »

‘The Stunt People’ Give Us a (First Person) Shot of Star Wars Glory

To any anxious Star Wars fans eagerly anticipating (dreading?) J.J. Abrams’ new take on the franchise, this video from The Stunt People may just sate your appetite for a short while. Or a long while, short though it may be. It’s that good.

Yesterday we posted an epic Star Wars/Schoolhouse Rock mash-up (which, yes, is actually a thing) and today it’s this video from the Stunt People.

Continue reading “‘The Stunt People’ Give Us a (First Person) Shot of Star Wars Glory” »

Conan Reviews Tomb Raider In The Latest Clueless Gamer

Conan is back at it again with another episode of his Clueless Gamer segment, where he reviews games in a way only he could. Today Conan and his “web guy” Aaron took on Lara’s newest adventure and canonically speaking, her first.

We previously reported on the Clueless Gamer segment when Conan reviewed Hitman: Absolution. He has also done hilarious reviews of Minecraft, Skyrim and Resident Evil 6 among others.

Continue reading “Conan Reviews Tomb Raider In The Latest Clueless Gamer” »

Animator Brandon Laatsch Offers a Cool Inside Look at Freddie Wong’s “Mario: Endgame” Short

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Animator Freddie Wong has provided gaming lovers with tons of unusual tributes. Gems as diverse as “Skyrim Badass” and “Battlefield Bingo” litter his YouTube page, just a couple of clever send-offs to the most popular games out there.

The behind-the-scenes story is pretty rad too. Here his longtime animating cohort Brandon Laatsch reveals just how big of a pain in the ass making “Endgame” was (as well as dispels some rumors concerning how long it took to make). Continue reading “Animator Brandon Laatsch Offers a Cool Inside Look at Freddie Wong’s “Mario: Endgame” Short” »

Schoolhouse Rock + Star Wars = Greatest Reason Internet Was Created

Why didn’t anyone think of this before?

The original Star Wars films have been mashed up with schoolhouse rock’s “Interjections” — a perfect blend of 70′s cinematic and musical styles, to produce “STAR WARS ROCK – interjections.”

All of your favorite Star Wars exclamations are turned into interjections, including:

Brother sister kissing, It’s a trap, and Luke Skywalker’s defiant realization.

The most surprising thing about the video is that four users had the balls to dislike it, and that it has taken over 40 years for Schoolhouse Rock and Star Wars to come to something of a marriage.

The video was uploaded by the user OneMinuteGalactica, who has several other Star Wars film on the docket, namely videos involving flatulents.

The Only Harlem Shake Video We Will Ever Post (Lego middle earth edition)

It’s been yay three weeks since the Harlem Shake phenomenon struck the internet — and like Ostriches with our heads in the sand, we’ve done our best to stay away from it.

Today, we have encountered the one video that we can not tear our eyes away from, The Harlem Shake inspired “Lego Middle Earth Edition” music video, complete with Gandolph, Boromir, Frodo and what looks to be Indiana Jones and the Abominable Snowman. Continue reading “The Only Harlem Shake Video We Will Ever Post (Lego middle earth edition)” »

Another Broken-Hearted Girlfriend, Another Box of Broken Video Games

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Bitter exes throwing their former boyfriends’ broken belongings out the window once seemed the stuff of bad rom-coms or country music videos.

But the era of Xbox and Wii seems to have ushered in an era of ex-girlfriends who don’t take kindly to bad break-ups and take it out by destroying their boys’ video games. Take this latest box of maimed games — Continue reading “Another Broken-Hearted Girlfriend, Another Box of Broken Video Games” »