Barely Related: Sailor Moon Crystal trailer, Luigi mean mug
Happy week before E3, everyone!
Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs.
Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Sailor Moon Crystal trailer is long-limbed and short-skirted
It's here! Sailor Moon Crystal is the reboot of beloved 90s anime Sailor Moon, and the first episode is due out on July 5 at 6AM ET. You can watch it on the Niconico streaming site, with syndication provided by Viz Media. A new episode will premiere every other week for one year.
This is the first trailer for Sailor Moon Crystal, and it shows off the new art style – longer, thinner limbs, and skirts just as short and flowy as we remember. Excitement!
The Millennium Falcon won't be in Star Wars: Episode 7, nudge nudge wink wink
Yeah, it totally will be. Star Wars: Episode 7 director JJ Abrams teased the Millennium Falcon with a tongue-in-cheek image of a handwritten note that reads, "I wish people would stop leaking photos from Episode 7. And making ridiculous claims that the Millennium Falcon is in the movie." The note is on top of the holochess set that, historically, is on the Millennium Falcon.
Cute, Abrams.
The Luigi death stare
This thing became a meme in record time, and for good reason: It's effin' hilarious. In Mario Kart 8, Luigi sports a killer mean mug after taking down his opponents – set that to some appropriate music and enjoy.
Also, this gif. Enjoy this gif.
Guardians of the Galaxy fan posters are stellar
Especially the Star Wars mashup one that says, "Not so long ago in a galaxy quite near by ...." That one, by Matt Ferguson, nails the tone of the film while capturing the new-wave nostalgia inherent in comic movies. These images come courtesy of Poster Posse, and they're all hype-worthy.
Netflix and Verizon get hissy
Here's how it went down: Following an unprecedented deal with Verizon and Comcast, Netflix agreed it would pay to maintain the network that those companies would otherwise cover. In response, Netflix starting showing users messages that blame the Verizon Network for slow loading times and image quality. Verizon said there was no basis for the contents of the error message, and it sent Netflix a cease and desist letter.
As of now, Netflix has had the last word (from a spokesperson): "This is about consumers not getting what they paid for from their broadband provider. We are trying to provide more transparency, just like we do with the ISP Speed Index, and Verizon is trying to shut down that discussion."
But let's be real here – this isn't over.
Paul Giamatti and a Giant Sloth
Actor Paul Giamatti has partnered with comics artist Paul Hornschemeier on Giant Sloth, an "existential animated short" starring Giamatti, The League's Jason Mantzoukas, SNL's Kate McKinnon, Comedy Bang! Bang!'s Scott Aukerman, and Look Around You co-creator Robert Popper. Giamatti plays a museum curator whose life and mind fall apart, leaving him with hallucinations and a tainted sense of reality.
When Hornschemeier pitched the film to Hollywood financiers, he was told to make it "less 'smart' (really ... that's a note you get A LOT)." So – to Kickstarter, the home of smart people with money to spare. The project raised more than its $25,000 goal on Kickstarter and has 21 more days to hit some stretch additions.
Lego of your keys and hang out
Surely this isn't the first time a life hack such as this has been proposed, but it's still a clever and cute idea.
[Image: Techmog]
