Video game-based movies have been the butt of many a joke. And why not?

Consider the list of these cinematic losers: "Super Mario Bros.," "Alone in the Dark," the "Resident Evil" trilogy, "Wing Commander," "Silent Hill," "Mortal Kombat," "Doom."

But is the trend of miserable video game-based movies about to end? Recent A-list talent associated with two new productions suggests yes.

Last week, it was announced that Hollywood action director du jour, Len Wiseman ("Live Free or Die Hard") has been signed to direct an adaptation of the best-selling Xbox 360 game, "Gears of War." The movie is scheduled for a 2009 release.

This comes on the heels of the announcement that action producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Pirates of the Caribbean," "National Treasure") will be making a version of "Prince of Persia," a longtime PC game that has now erupted into a franchise of its own on the gaming consoles.

Mike Newell, who directed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," is directing for a release next year.

- Vince Horiuchi

3D TV hits Japan, with a digital edge

Badminton matches look so real playing on Hyundai's new 3-D TV that you may reflexively dodge the virtual shuttlecock. A polar bear pawing the glass of his tank may seem to be inside the TV pushing on the screen.

Hyundai is offering the first product for watching the 3-D programs that cable stations in Japan now broadcast about four times a day.

There are a few catches:

The 46-inch liquid-crystal display requires 3-D glasses; it's expensive - $3,960; and the only programs available so far include a few minutes of video.

The TV uses stereoscopic technology called TriDef from DDD Group Plc in Santa Monica, Calif., which works by sending the same image separately for the left eye and the right eye.

There is no plan to sell the TV overseas, said senior manager Kim Pyeng-joong.

- Associated Press

Polaroid replaces instant film with pocket printer

Polaroid is abandoning instant film, but if you're going to miss the feel of getting a small print in your hand a minute after snapping a picture, the company has a solution: A battery-powered printer that fits in your pocket.

Called the PoGo, the printer spits out 2-by-3-inch color photos that can be peeled apart to reveal a sticky back. It can receive photos wirelessly from some cell phones, or via a cable from a digital camera.

Don't expect great picture quality from the $149 PoGo. The colors are a bit whacky, which is especially noticeable in the skin tones. There are faint lines across the print, artifacts from the printing process.

But who cares? Consumer Polaroids were always lo-fi, and that was part of their charm.

-The Associated Press