Movies

MegaUpload is loading up on high-profile lawyers.

The cyberlocker service has added Andrew Schapiro, the attorney who led the YouTube defense that won summary judgment in the video-sharing service's initial copyright trial against Viacom, MegaUpload attorney Ira Rothken told CNET today.

Schapiro is part of Los Angeles-based Quinn Emanuel Urguhart & Sullivan, which MegaUpload hired to represent the company against criminal copyright charges. Rothken is a well-known Silicon Valley lawyer and the man who is also leading MegaUpload's worldwide defense.

Rothken called Quinn Emanuel "one of the best law firms in the country."

The United States alleges that MegaUpload's leadership, … Read more

I always thought an original-style "Star Trek" captain's chair would be my personal holy grail of memorabilia. Unfortunately, a really great replica costs $1,000.

Now there's an option that will only cost me $25 and a bit of lung power. The "Star Trek" Inflatable Captain's Chair from ThinkGeek arrived along with a slew of April Fools' products like the "Star Wars" Admiral Akbar Singing Bass and Electronic Hungry Hungry Hippos for iPad.

The inflatable chair, however, is very real. Before you get too excited, though, let's look at the fine print.

The chair is only rated to hold up to 120 pounds. That makes it suitable for child Star Fleet recruits, slim adults, or Captain James T. Bark, your 6-pound chihuahua. William Shatner and the majority of Trekkies are out of luck.… Read more

Netflix has appeared to claw its way back from a turbulent 2011, but Barclays is warning of new threats in the company's future.

In a report issued today, Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente downgraded Netflix's stock to a hold rating. Much of what's giving DiClemente the heebie jeebies about Netflix shares we've heard before: Amazon is adding more and more titles to the company's Prime streaming-video library, the costs of acquiring content are skyrocketing, and there are more competitors in the United States and in overseas markets.

But dig into DiClemente's numbers a little and … Read more

For certain types of people, finding out that fantasy writer Neil Gaiman likes their work could be considered the cherry on top of a career. So for filmmaker Kevin Smith, seeing that Gaiman once tweeted "I suspect @ThatKevinSmith is what all gods and demons aspire to be" had to make for one terrific day.

@ThatKevinSmith, of course, is the man who made such cult hits as "Clerks," "Mallrats," and "Chasing Amy." More recently, he's moved on from wry humor to darker stuff like "Red State." And he's even … Read more

If it's hard to imagine how a film with just three lines of dialogue (and in subtitles, no less) could leave you smiling so much your jaw hurts, then you haven't seen "Girl Walk // All Day."

The brainchild of filmmaker Jacob Krupnick, the movie is a 71-minute music video that showcases the joyous dancing of actress Anne Marsen and a few others to the frenetic (and admittedly often profane) mashups of the Girl Talk album "All Day."

It's a concept that doesn't readily lend itself to a feature-length movie, but in Krupnick'… Read more

It's a match made in heaven: "Star Wars" and Lego. And on March 29, visitors to Legoland California will have a chance to check out a whole new area filled with nothing but large-scale Lego models featuring things like Jawa sandcrawlers, R2-D2, Darth Vader, and more.

All told, the models will use more than 2 million Lego bricks and will include models from each of the six "Star Wars" movies.

Each model is 3 feet tall and uses at least 10,000 bricks, according to Lego.

Managers at Google Play are considering a plan to sell films, multiple sources have told CNET.

Google Play, formerly known as Android Market, only rents movies now, but the company has shown an interest in giving owners of Android handhelds the option to buy, according to multiple film industry sources.

One reason why Google Play is likely to make the move is that some of the big Hollywood studios may have required Google to commit to sales as a condition for getting access to rentals, the sources said. One of the industry insiders said Google could begin selling titles as … Read more

Microsoft has filed for a new patent called "control-based content pricing" that will enable content owners to charge users for skipping over ads or watching a replay.

On its face, the description of the technology doesn't sound like a great consumer proposition, to say the least.

"If a user initiates a navigation control input to advance past (e.g., skip over) an advertisement, the cost of a requested on-demand movie may be increased," Microsoft said in the application. A Microsoft representative was not immediately available for comment.

But Microsoft says just because the company filed … Read more

If we ever had to battle the evil forces of the Galactic Empire, we'd definitely want you on our side, Crave readers.

A few days ago we put out a call for our most dedicated "Star Wars" fan, and as usual, you did not disappoint. We received submissions from "Star Wars" devotees the world over, showing off everything from impressive homemade costumes to intricate tattoos and life-size replicas of favorite characters.

As a fan myself, I had so much fun seeing all the enthusiasm for the "Star Wars" films (it was also a wake-up call that I need to step up my game), but there was one individual who definitely stood out from the rest. As the saying goes, "The Force is strong with this one."

You'll have to click through the photo gallery below to find out who the victor is, but the lucky winner will receive an autographed copy of "The Star Wars Craft Book" from Bonnie Burton herself. Congrats to the winner, and thanks to everyone who sent in submissions! … Read more