Strange Humanoid Photo Surfaces, Viral Marketing? UPDATED

NBC 33 Baton Rouge might have frightened a good part of the population during a recent news cast.

The news comes via IO9 and was reportedly taken on a reserve in Berwick near Morgan City. The person who submitted the picture chooses to remain anonymous claims the picture comes from a deer cam. The anonymous donor also claims the entire camp was massacred.

The camera, which must detect movement triggering it to snap a picture, was also destroyed. The SDHC card however, somehow remained intact during the destruction according to the submitter. 

Sounds like a not so elaborate hoax to me, but if not, could it be viral marketing for a film or television show? Is it possible that JJ Abrams' "Super 8" has started their viral marketing? Maybe a video game?

What do you think?

UPDATE #1

Looks like our very own Mac McCoy might have uncovered the mystery. He found another photo with a different time stamp 11/30/10 featuring the same creature in the same pose. The corner of the photo also features a company name in the bottom left hand corner "Wildgame Innovations"

Some research into the company reveals it is a hunting site that specializes in these types of cameras. It is possible that the company is using this humanoid to drum up business for their cameras.

UPDATE #2:

Yet another update on this weirdo creature. We were right, it is viral marketing, but it is for an upcoming video game called "Resistance 3" from Insomniac Games. Here is what they had to say via Twitter:

Whoops… looks like one got out. If you see a Grim on the loose… please return to Insomniac Games, Burbank, CA

Mystery solved? Maybe...

Batman: Arkham City Trailer

Game Trailers has the trailer for Arkham City which was revealed on Spike's Video Game Awards last night. This is probably not the actual game play but it looks insanely realistic. We get the reveal of Hugo Strange as the main villain and I like the idea of a lesser known character being the top bad guy for this one. Hugo is often overlooked but has that sadistic personality that works so well in the Batman world.  Some rumors are even starting that Hugo could be used as a villain in the upcoming Dark Knight Rises. Can't say that I'm opposed to that.

Batman: Arkham City is set for release on October 4th, 2011.

Weekend Box Office: December 10-12

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - $24.5 million

2.  The Tourist - $17 million

3.  Tangled - $14.5 million

4.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - $8.5 million

5.  Unstoppable - $3.7 million

6.  Black Swan - $3.6 million

7.  Burlesque - $3.2 million

8.  Love and Other Drugs - $3 million

9.  Due Date - $2.54 million

10.  Megamind - $2.51 million

So Narnia is back...and it appears that hardly anyone noticed.  The third film in CS Lewis' fantasy series opened even lower than expected with just $24.5 million.  That's less than half of the opening weekend of Prince Caspian, which opened with $55 million, and barely a shadow of The Lion, The Witch, and  The Wardrobe's $65 million opening back in 2005.  On a somewhat optimistic note, the movie did get an impressive "A" Cinemascore rating from the audience that did show up and there is a big school holiday week coming up, so it might.  But between Tangled having another good weekend and the impending release of Tron, Disney must be awfully relieved that they decided to ditch this series.

It also looks like audiences weren't too impressed by the pairing up of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, either.  The Tourist opened in second place with $17 million, which is not terrible, but great either.  Expect this one to get lost in the shuffle as the holiday week approaches and the Oscar hopefuls start to get wider releases.

Speaking of Oscar hopefuls, it was a great weekend for the Darren Aronofsky thriller Black Swan, which expanded to 90 theaters nationwide landed in sixth place with $3.3 million.  When I saw it on Friday night there were people sitting on the stairs because they couldn't find seats and two shows after it were already sold out, so this is a popular one.  The same goes for The Fighter, which earned a terrific $320,000 in just four theaters.

Tangled continues to play very well, finishing the weekend well ahead of Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows with $14.5 million, bringing its total to $115 million.  is starting to fade from theaters, but at $727 million worldwide and counting, I don't think too many studio heads are concerned that this is turning out to be the least-attended of the Potter films.

Otherwise, a fairly mild weekend at the box office, as this week's new wide releases have certainly shown.  Next weekend, we get the big 3D/IMAX release of Tron: Legacy and (god help us all) Yogi Bear.  If anything, it should bring us a much happier-sounding box office report.

Thor Trailer

If you saw that Comic Con preview this past summer and were hoping the eventual first official look at Thor would be an upgrade, prepare to be let down. This is basically what you saw in July albeit condensed and with finished effects. Yahoo! Movies has what's labeled the "teaser trailer," although there's plenty of damn footage here.

Like its DC rival Green Lantern next summer, Kenneth Branagh's epic has a lot to overcome (despite being over-stuffed with a wide range of name and established character-actors headlined by the unknown Chris Hemsworth, having the Marvel brand-name and a prime May 6th opening) with its just-plain silly-sounding concept. Curious to see this in front of an audience.

News Flash

I feel like I'm having Deja Vu here, but news of the Flash script is in the rounds again. In the MTV Splash Page interview with Marc Guggenheim earlier this week, the topic was mainly on Green Lantern but they were able to sneak in a few questions about his work on scripting the "Scarlet Speedster";

"When Barry Allen was the character, he was a science policeman. We’re obviously updating that and now he’s in forensics and CSI. The tone is sort of darker, and more like "Seven" and "Silence of the Lambs" in that mysterious and noir-ish way, which is also working in conjunction with the superhero elements. It's a lot of fun. I think the character is made for a story and a screenplay that gives you more than the sum of its parts."

As a fan of the character, I'm very excited for the direction they are taking him. The Flash could easily be taken down a comedic route and end up being a slam/pow/boff kind of movie, but focusing on the forensic side of Barry Allen's personal duties will help bring a different element for superhero flicks. I wouldn't mind seeing this franchise broken into three films and each one focusing on the various characters that have worn the Flash costume.

The only roadblock I see is finding a proper villain for the tone they are setting up. If you aren't familiar with the Flash's rouge gallery in the comics, he has bad guys that own cold ray guns, control the weather, work through mirrors, toss boomerangs, and play the flute.  Of those, Mirror Master could be something unique and serious for the script Guggenheim, Berlanti and Green are penning. It's in their hands for now and I have faith it will turn out well.

Thor Poster Debuts

Yahoo! Movies has the first official poster for Marvel's upcoming Thor live-action release.

Not much going on here really. Just a nice black and white with the cape in color to make it pop a little more. I am glad they included the sweet and tasty Mjolnir here. That sure is one mighty hammer.

Thor is in theatres May 6th, 2011.

Real Steel Trailer

Comingsoon.Net has gotten hold of the trailer for the Shawn Levy directed, Hugh Jackman starring "Real Steel," a film about robot boxing, kinda like Transformers meets Rocky.

I have to say I like the look of this, the futuristic world is close enough to ours to retain some Detroit grit and the CGI looks decent. This trailer is selling Hugh Jackman as a cool ex boxer and CGI robots pummelling each other, however Shawn Levy promises a strong human story so hopefully the next trailer will focus more on that.

"Real Steel" opens in conventional and IMAX theaters on October 7, 2011 and you can see the trailer below.

New Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Pics!

USA Today and YahooMovies have gotten hold of some fresh new stills for the upcoming Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides".

The 4th movie in the franchise sees Johnny Depp reprise his role as the popular Captain Jack Sparrow but franchise regulars Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are not returning, instead Jack's new sidekick will be a Piratess played by the sultry Penelope Cruz.

A trailer is due on Monday and you can check the pics out below.

 

"American Idol" TV Teaser

Deadline TV has your first look at the revamped version of "American Idol" now featuring the curvacious J-Lo and wiry Steven Tyler. You wonder if this is the season that could make or break "American Idol". It will be interesting to see how the ratings hold up with the new judges and the change in format, the elimination of the round of 24, with the top 12 locked in at the end of "Hollywood Week".

"The Tempest" Trailer

In her big-screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s mystical thriller “The Tempest,” Academy Award®– nominated Julie Taymor brings an original dynamic to the story by changing the gender of the sorcerer Prospero into the sorceress Prospera, portrayed by Oscar® winner Helen Mirren. Prospera’s journey spirals through vengeance to forgiveness as she reigns over a magical island, cares for her young daughter, Miranda, and unleashes her powers against shipwrecked enemies in this exciting, masterly mix of romance, tragicomedy and the supernatural.

Plot Synopsis Courtesy Of Fandango.