Silent Hill 2: PS5 Review

Developed by Bloober Team

Published by Konami
Platform: PS5

Silent Hill 2 is a broody, moody affair.

The Bloober Team remake of the 2001 favourite follows James Sunderland, a widower, who heads to Silent Hill after getting a letter from his dead wife saying she's there.

But when he arrives, he finds mystery, a lingering fog and a whole lot of jump scares.

The third person game is favourable to the original, while still adding levels of its own intentions on it. Atmospheric and bleak, the game's terrifyingly claustrophobic feeling does much to engender a sense of unease in the player.

Although a lot of the game sees you stumbling through streets and areas awaiting something to happen, it does much to lull you into a false sense of security. And while the game does remain largely faithful to its source material, the inclusion of new cinematics aside - players who've never experienced the original are still able to lean in and enjoy it.

With minimal lighting and dense fog, the game works well on modern day consoles, building in layers of unfurling danger and causing you to squint at what could lie ahead, just out of sight.

There can be frustrations solving puzzles and patience is greatly required throughout as levels of discomfort increase. In fact, it's hard to face the fact that much of Silent Hill 2 is based on misery and unhappiness - but perversely, that's also its thrill.

And while combat is a little trickier than the original and there's more of it, the general atmospherics of Silent Hill 2 ensure the game is one to dive into - and to suffer through. 

It may be tricky in parts, and pantwettingly unrelenting in others, but all in all, Silent Hill 2 proves that remakes when handled well can work - and that this franchise is desperately in need of a dust down for its next generation - and perhaps a new episode unleashed by Konami to inspire and frighten for years to come.

Ring launches five new features, including 24/7 Recording, through new subscription plan tiers

New features and subscription tiers help Kiwi customers see more, know more, and protect more with Ring Home

Ring is excited to launch five new home security subscription features, including the much-requested 24/7 Recording (select devices only - see below), Doorbell Calls, Video Preview Alerts and Extended and Continuous Live View. These new features are part of Ring's refreshed subscription plan tiers, now called Ring Home (formerly Ring Protect), designed to bring more convenience and peace of mind to Kiwi customers, and available from today. 

24/7 Recording

One of Ring's most requested features has been 24/7 Recording, which is now available as part of the Ring Home Premium plan. 24/7 Recording allows eligible wired and plug-in cameras* to continuously record and capture activity outside of motion zones giving customers an even better understanding of what is happening at home. 

Doorbell Calls

Included as part of Ring Home Standard and Premium plans, Doorbell Calls help customers never miss a doorbell ring. When someone rings the doorbell, Doorbell Calls will ring the customers designated connected phone, like they're receiving a video call, instead of receiving a push notification and needing to open the app. Customers can then answer the doorbell and speak directly to their visitor through Live View via their phone.

Video Preview Alerts

With new Video Preview Alerts, included as part of all Ring Home plans, customers will be delivered a short video clip in their push notification, letting them see a preview of the motion activity without needing to open the Ring app and easily decide what to do, from nothing to using features like Two-Way Talk or Live View. 

Extended Live View and Continuous Live View

In listening to customer feedback, Ring has heard that users want even more Live View time than the current 10 minutes, so they can feel like they're in two places at once. Whether it's wanting to see their kids playing outside while inside cooking or to see how a pet behaves home alone, Extended Live View (included in Ring Home Standard) lets customers watch their camera feed live for up to 30 minutes. The Ring Home Premium subscription tier, coupled with cameras offering 24/7 Recording, unlocks Continuous Live View for eligible customers. 

New Features, New Name, Same Price

These new features are available now through Ring Home, which replaces Ring Protect, and offers three plan tiers:

Home Basic (NZD: $4.95/month, $49.95/year) which covers one doorbell or camera device 

Home Standard (NZD: $14.95/month, $149.95/year) which covers all devices at your home

Home Premium (NZD: $29.95/month, $299.95/year) which covers all devices at your home

To learn more, please go to: https://ring.com/au/en/plans 

*24/7 Recording is available only on Ring Stick Up Cam (wired and plug-in only), Stick Up Cam Pro (wired and plug-in only), Indoor Camera (2nd Gen) and Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera.

My Old Ass: Movie Review

Cast: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White
Director: Megan Park

Maisy Stella's performance in My Old Ass is the kind of appearance that launches a star.

While the plot of the film and its subsequent twists and turns are nothing new and original as it teeters its way toward sentiment and mawkishness, it's her portrayal of Elliott that grounds the film from some of its narrative obviousness.

On the brink of heading away to university and leaving her family, Elliott (Nashville's Stella) goes for one last blast night away with her friends. Consuming a mushroom-infused tea, she suddenly discovers she's face-to-face with her 39-year-old self (played with deadpan and dramatic flair by Aubrey Plaza).

While nobody else can see the interloper, Elliott soon finds herself listening to advice from her future self and questioning everything she knows.

The mechanics of this relationship don't exactly make sense - how can a future self communicate via phone - but what does make sense in director / writer Megan Park's film is a complete sense of self and of time and place for My Old Ass.

Granted the film descends into sentiment as it ties itself up with a familiar message of appreciating what you've got before you don't have it, but over a brief 90 minute run time, what emerges from My Old Ass is a film that's stolen by its confident lead.

Having Stella's performance grounded in both ease and reality, the story's zanier edges are steeled against the traditional young adult fare that emerges in situations like this. And while the narrative's not immune from the genre's trappings, Stella sells the reality with an ease and perfection that's hard to deny.

Plaza once again shows off her dramatic depth (something built on by both The White Lotus and Emily The Criminal) but in truth, she's not on screen long enough to massively overshadow proceedings.

It's hard to deny some of the emotional edges of this, and while even the hard-hearted can see what's coming, thanks to a real and well-acted story, My Old Ass manages to serve up its message of appreciation is probably a good one to take on board as we near the end of 2024.

My Old Ass begins streaming on Prime Video from November 7.

Loading Docs Directors Q&A

Loading Docs season 10 launches on DocPlay on November 4.

Season 10 sees a brand new collection of exceptional films made by some of New Zealand's most exciting emerging storytellers. From a professional gamer to a former meth addict to a teenage bodybuilder, the subjects of these films share stories of the most vulnerable, desperate and hopeful times in their lives.

We caught up with the directors of the latest batch of films for a chat.

Here the Wild Things Are | Director Kelly Gilbride

Tell us the name of your Loading Doc

Here the Wild Things Are Give us the elevator pitch in 10 words or less

A global race to discover the wild hidden in our cities Tell us the moment you realised this project was going to be special to you

Honestly, each time the film added a new crew member who understood the kaupapa and brought their own flavour and ideas. And, of course, after conversations with the scientists involved! From the outset, Madison (Producer) spearheaded this project with a genuine belief in the story and her faith in the film really kept me going through the challenges of finding funding. When we met Isaac (Director of Photography), we just knew the visual storytelling was going to be stunning and Callum (Composer) approached the music with such care and attentiveness. From his earliest drafts, I knew the music was going to play a powerful part in the film. The most special moment was the end of the first day of editing with Heidi. Up until then, I didn't really know how it was all going to come together and I was a bit daunted going into the edit. But it became clear very quickly that we had found a fantastic storyteller with

a great sense of humour. It was so freeing and empowering to experiment in the edit and I knew

we were going to make the exact film we wanted to (and we did!)

Tell us the most difficult filmmaking moment and how you overcame it?

The most important lesson I learnt from this process was to get to know the people you

want to work with before bringing them onboard. Have a Zoom meeting with them,

get a coffee, and get to know them outside conversations around the film.

Make sure they're someone you can trust and that they're creatively aligned and open to

your vision. Know what is important to you in collaboration and seek that out. Not everyone is going to be a good fit for you or the film and that's ok. I learnt I really need people that are honest,

funny and are driven by their own desire and standards to make good, authentic work.

Tell us what's next for you

Continuing to merge art and science in fun and innovative ways - not necessarily just

through film but also theatre and puppetry! I have a few filming contracts along this vein

coming up and would love to do a feature documentary. Tell us which of the other Loading Docs you admire, and why.

I love them all. All the teams did a workshopping weekend right after getting funded

And to see how the films developed from inception to delivery was so awesome.

I was very proud of everyone at our premiere back in September.

Hifi Ulu | Director Chantelle Burgoyne:

Tell us the name of your Loading Doc

Hifi Ulu

Give us the elevator pitch in 10 words or less

When your culture rests on your shoulders Tell us the moment you realised this project [ your film] was going to be special to you.

From the moment I conceived the idea for Hifi Ulu I knew it

would be special to me as it is such a personal film involving my family with my nephew Luka at

the centre of it. The film follows Luka and his family in the lead up to his hifi ulu, the traditional

Niuean hair cutting ceremony that is a rite of passage for young Niuean men.

When the family and especially Luka granted me permission to film them during this journey,

I knew it would be a taonga (treasure) for our family and would hopefully resonate in the wider

Pasifika community and beyond as well. 

  Tell us the most difficult filmmaking moment and how you overcame it? 

I found that the day of the hifi ulu ceremony was the most difficult for me. I felt like I was both

‘within and without’ in my role as the director trying to capture the day as best as I could whilst also

feeling torn about not being able to fully enjoy the day and celebrate as an Aunty. I tried to be present

as much as I could and in moments when I needed to be part of the ceremony (my Mum and I were

called early on to cut a piece of hair) I was able to trust my producer Hayley and our crew to capture

what was needed. I learned that it’s okay to ask for help and I can’t always do everything myself.

  Tell us what's next for you?

I have a few feature film ideas and a series idea that I’m working on. At the moment, I’m focussed on

developing a feature film called The Pressbox which is based on my relationship with my dad

who played for New Zealand in the Kiwi’s Rugby League team in the 70s.

He battled with a gambling addiction that ended up consuming his whole life until he tragically

passed away very suddenly when I was a teenager. 

 

Tell us which of the other Loading Docs you admire, and why?

There are so many great Loading Docs that have been made throughout the years.

I especially admire the other films and filmmakers who are part of season ten alongside Hifi Ulu as

I got to see the journey they all went through, the different challenges they faced and overcame to make

their films. 

A film from a few years ago which I love is Night Ridedirected by my friend Todd Karehana. It’s a personal film in which he tries to understand the

motivations behind his mother going out into the night to feed stray cats that live near their old home.

The film is beautifully captured and is a mix of quirkiness and heartfelt vulnerability which has made

me laugh and cry anytime I’ve watched it. I also really love Fast Eddie, directed by Keeley Meechan,

which follows her and her father as they go on one last adventure together cycling the Lake Dunstan

trail after he was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy. I admire the bravery and vulnerability it

took to be willing to film such a deeply personal and difficult time for their family and it is a

bittersweet watch as it has a beautiful uplifting air to it despite the tragic circumstances of

Eddie’s terminal diagnosis.

Tū Tonu – Still Standing | Director Brady Polkinghorne:

Tell us the name of your Loading Doc

Tū Tonu – Still Standing

Give us the elevator pitch in 10 words or less

When the cost of standing up is risking what you love

Tell us the moment you realised this project [ your film] was going to be special to you.

The first time filming Zane speaking at an environmental protest in downtown Auckland to a

crowd of thousands, we understood that this would go on to inspire anyone who watched the film.

Seeing his passion and humility enliven people to stand up for what’s important was infectious

and that was the fuel that drove our project.

  Tell us the most difficult filmmaking moment and how you overcame it? 

Our original intention was to follow Zane’s pursuit of his dream to become World Tree

Climbing Champion however the filming window didn’t fit that narrative timeline.

It meant we needed to pivot, a few times, to find a story that was still true to his first love

of tree climbing, balanced with his activism and reclamation of his whakapapa.

Perhaps the biggest difficulty was fitting all of this into a 10min documentary,

for which we’re grateful for our incredible editor, Adam Scholz!

Tell us what's next for you?

Lots of sleep! We’re currently in various rounds of funding applications to produce a

feature-length version of the documentary, aiming to tell the original story of Zane’s desire

to win the World Tree Climbing Championships, here in Aotearoa for the first time, in 2025.

We’ve got all fingers and toes crossed that we receive some funding to fully realise this exciting story.

  Tell us which of the other Loading Docs you admire, and why?

We were blown away by the entire collection and how such a diverse range of topics could work

so well together. We thought the ‘Mauri Moana’ film highlighted an incredibly important kaupapa

that’s not getting anywhere near enough attention. ‘Hifi Ulu’ was gorgeous in its presentation of a

moving story whilst ‘Here the Wild Things Are’ was probably our favourite, presenting a fun and

engaging insight into small but meaningful ways to celebrate te taiao.

Out There | Director Alexis Smith:

Tell us the name of your Loading Doc

Out There

Give us the elevator pitch in 10 words or less

A search for extraterrestrials

Tell us the moment you realised this project [ your film] was going to be special to you.

When I was a little girl, I looked up to the stars and questioned who I really was and how I ended

up on this place called Earth. When I was a teenager, I made a promise to myself that I would search

for truth and share my findings with the world through documentary. When I was an adult, I spent

10 years mastering the craft of documentary, sharing other people's stories. Now, I turn the camera

on myself and fulfil the promise I made as a teenager, in the hopes of answering the questions

I asked as a young girl. And that's the film I bring to you today, called Out There.

Tell us the most difficult filmmaking moment and how you overcame it? 

There were lots of challenges attempting to film the most elusive creature on Earth - extraterrestrials!

It required months of preparation from the team following the CE-5 protocols, which involved sitting

in meditation in an attempt to consciously connect with beings from another planet and invite them to

be filmed. Yes, it sounds like a sci-fi movie, but it's a documentary! We spent 4 nights under the stars

in one of the biggest dark sky reserves in the world and attempted to film the unpredictable

anomalous light activity. It turned out the timelapse cameras were the most helpful,

as we could set up multiple cameras and have them facing different directions,

leaving them running all night. We filmed some very unusual activity -

watch the documentary to decide for yourself if what we filmed is extraterrestrial! 

Tell us what's next for you? After sharing this short film with as many people as possible to get the discussion going, my goal is to turn this short film into a series or a feature length documentary to explore the topic in greater depths. There is so much to explore here and this is just the beginning! Please like and share our film - the more we can display there is an active and interested audience, the more likely we are to get it funded as a bigger project, where I want to get an answer once and for all - are extraterrestrials really visiting us here on Earth?

Tell us which of the other Loading Docs you admire, and why? I admire all of the Loading Docs short films - they each bring their own unique voice and that variety is nourishing as a director. Being an indie filmmaker is a tough feat and what everybody has managed to pull off on tight budgets and juggling it with their busy lives is truly astounding. I personally love the arthouse style of Hifi Ulu and the adorable young boy they follow, Luka; the twist at the end of The Man Outside; the stunning footage of the natural world in Maori Moana; the awe-inspiring story of the activist in Tū Tonu - Still Standing; and the kooky, light-hearted approach to helping our environment in Here the Wild Things Are.

The Man Outside | Director Liv McClymont:

Tell us the name of your Loading Doc

The Man Outside

Give us the elevator pitch in 10 words or less

When the law can't protect you, who will?

Tell us the moment you realised this project [ your film] was going to be special to you.

I knew the Man Outside would be special when we started our crowdfunding campaign.

As soon as we announced that we were making The Man Outside, to highlight the fact

there are no laws against stalking in Aotearoa, we had an incredible response,

hitting our funding goal in one day and quickly doubling it. Countless people

reached out sharing their horror at the lack of laws or sharing their stalking experiences.

One friend shared that a friend of hers had been murdered by her stalker.

I realised stalking is much more pervasive than I ever could have imagined,

and it reaffirmed my belief that we were making a very special film that could help a lot of people. 

Tell us the most difficult filmmaking moment and how you overcame it? 

Initially we planned to interview the real May on camera about her experience, but realised that

sharing her identity could potentially put her at risk of both further harm from her stalker, and

legal repercussions. I was really upset - she wanted to have this moment to take her power back

and speak openly about her experience, and now we couldn’t give her that. I felt like he was

silencing her again. I realised that this was a prime example of how difficult it is for victims of

stalking to speak up about their experiences, and that we needed to highlight that in the film -

that it was not safe for her to share her identity because of the lack of laws to support her.

I wanted her to still have her voice heard, which is where actors performing verbatim

interviews came in. Meg, the wonderful actor who played May, learned May’s mannerisms,

vocal tone and expressions so that she could authentically perform May’s interview “verbatim”.

The reveal at the end of the film that she is an actor always hits home for me. I learned that

reflecting on the challenges in telling stories, can inform and ultimately improve them.

Tell us what's next for you?

Jess (Producer of The Man Outside) and I are currently writing, and later this year directing and

producing a series called The Sender - an absurd teen whodunnit… Sex Education meets Gossip Girl, but distinctly kiwi.

It’s something completely different for us (which we’re both so excited and ready for!!) and has

been informed by making our doco I Stand For Consent last year, where I spoke to plenty of amazing rangatahi about the issues that specifically affect them.

Gen Z/A are fascinating, hilariously honest and we hope to make something fun and relevant

that engages them on their level.

Tell us which of the other Loading Docs you admire, and why?

Oh gosh, hard to pick as all of the films are outstanding! I think Hifi Ulu really hit me hard emotionally - it was so beautiful to see a Father/Son relationship like that, a

beautiful representation of positive masculinity as well as Niuean culture. The Director, Chantelle,

has such a gorgeous, honest and  kind-hearted approach to filmmaking, and I think you can really

see that in this film.

Director Mauri Moana was also approached for a Q&A but didn't complete the form by deadline.

Loading Docs can now be watched on DocPlay.

Memoir of a Snail: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Dominique Pinon, Jacki Weaver, Magda Szubanski
Director: Adam Elliott

Developed over an 8 year period, director Adam Elliott (of Mary and Max fame) has gone for the extremely maudlin in his latest, the stop-motion animated Memoir of a Snail.

A dark slice of storytelling, it focuses on twins Grace and Gilbert (Snook and Smit-McPhee) whose childhoods are destroyed by the loss over years of their parents. First, their mother via childbirth and later their father (played with meta edges by Delicatessen's Dominique Pinon) - the circumstances of which are tragic to say the least.

Separated by child services, Grace ends up alone whereas Gilbert is carted off and placed with a family whose religious fervour is devoted to an apple and whose brutality goes against everything in the Bible.

To say more about how Memoir of a Snail plays out is to rob you of the experience of one of the most singularly depressing films of the year. Unending misfortune pours from the screen, in the kind of movie that if it were human actors portraying, would be swamped in plaudits.

But Elliott's less interested in pandering to that side of things, choosing instead to craft a story around its ethos that life can only be lived forwards - much like a snail winding its way to its destination. Grief, depression, self-worth and trauma all feature heavily in this, a portrait of what could truly break a human spirit.

Yet there's equally love pouring from every cell on the screen, as Elliott stakes his claim as the maestro of misery in Memoir of a Snail. By tapping into the isolation people feel through their lives, and washing it through a cinematic prism.

Snook's subdued turn as Grace makes matters even more heartbreaking, a mournful melancholic tone washing through every word. While there's perhaps an argument that the ending itself is not real, the note on which it ends appears to be perfect for those seeking resolution.

Bleak and occasionally brilliant among the brutality of life on show, Memoir of a Snail is the heart-tugger you didn't know you wanted - or needed.

Lenore Zann, X-Men Rogue voice artist interviewed

Lenore Zann visited Auckland last Labour weekend for Armageddon Expo. An award-winning actress/singer, Lenore has performed around the globe with hundreds of credits in TV, Film, Animation, Radio, and Theatre. She is best known as the iconic "Rogue" of the animated X-Men franchise. Somewhat of a superhero herself, she was also a politician in the Canadian House of Commons and remains a passionate defender of social and environmental justice.

So Lenore, how great to have you here. Is it your first time in New Zealand?

Thank you. What a treat to be here. It's actually my second time. I came over when I was eight with my parents when we emigrated from Australia to Canada. We came into New Zealand on the way and picked up a load of New Zealand teachers, because my mom and dad were both teachers. On this ship from Australia and New Zealand to Canada, there were 2000 Aussie and Kiwi teachers all emigrating to Canada.

So, I got to get around the island with mom and dad and see it and it was so beautiful. I drew pictures, which we still have to this day.

Tell us about coming to a convention in a place like this. There's an incredible sense of community at these conventions, people who come together with a shared passion.  Are they coming to see you or your character?

Oh, that's an interesting question. Obviously people fall in love with the character, and they also have fallen in love with the show, X-Men: The Animated Series, the original one. Many people come to me and say, "You made my childhood." 

We talk about the fact that everybody's different and that it's okay to be different, and that in fact, if we all come together and appreciate each other's differences and appreciate one another, we're stronger together. And that's a really important message. So many people tell me that they're really grateful that they grew up with those principles and those values, and now they're introducing their children to the show. 

So, we have sometimes two and three generations of families all coming to meet me, and they say whenever they read the comics, they hear my voice. And I say, "Well, I've been living rent-free in your head for 30 years now."

That’s interesting. You've got more than a hundred acting performances to your name now, but because they're voice parts, you almost inhabit somebody's mind more than somebody that they see?

Sometimes. I played Star Catcher in My Little Pony, and a lot of people say they grew up with that as well. A very soothing voice, who believes in magic, and teaches them that magic is possible. And kids love that. Also, like Rescue Heroes, I played Wendy Waters, a female firefighter, and Dragon Tails, I played a little boy dragon in a wheelchair, and that was one of the first times they'd ever had a character with a disability in a cartoon. So, I love doing those kinds of roles that give voice and appearance to people who maybe are underrepresented. 

Being Rogue must've been a wonderful role. How did you end up voice acting?

I started off in live theater doing musicals, playing Marilyn Monroe in a rock opera on the life of Marilyn Monroe. I was only 19 when I was chosen to play that part. And then that led to all the movies and television. So I started doing on-camera work, movies, TV, also radio dramas in Canada, we had a really wonderful radio drama going all across the country for the CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and I won best actress for my work in a play called Salt-Water Moon by playwright David French. And that was the very first time I'd ever won something. I was 26 at that time. 

And then I went on to doing theater in New York and Chicago and doing film and TV in the States. Also, some stuff in Australia. The John Singleton Show was a variety show, and I went on that, met Tiny Tim, we sang, I Wanna Be Loved by You, boop boop be doop, with him playing the ukulele and me dressed as Marilyn Monroe sitting on his knee.

It was so much fun. So I did all that. And then the voiceover stuff came later. And now I do on-camera work again. I've got a new TV series called Revival, I think it's called. It's based on a comic book series... Revival, yeah. It's based on a comic book series that's a horror comic book series. And I've got a recurring role on that, so I'm shooting that as well right now.

But Rogue is definitely one of my favorite roles. Yes.

So if you could take on a dream role next, what would it be and why?

I'd love to play a detective. A detective with an edge, maybe somebody who rides a motorcycle, and she does things not quite by the book, follows her gut instinct. I mean, that would be a lot of fun. I would love to do something like that.

But I also know that I'm creating a number of things. My book that I just wrote, A Rogue's Tale, which is my memoir, I spent two and a half years writing. I'd like to get it made as a film. That's what I'd like to do next.

So that brings us round full circle to another reason that you are here. You have family here? But there’s an interesting story about your name - Zann?

Many generations ago, my family moved from Croatia to Australia. And in Croatia, the family name was Zaninovich - which means son of Zan. My dad was born Paul Zann. His father Marino Zaninovich was born in Croatia and then emigrated to Australia. And I found I have some relatives in New Zealand. I'm very excited. 

We've got some Zanes, they're here with the E on the end. We, in Australia, they changed their name to Zann and added them extra N to that name. In the States, they dropped the inovich and they just used the first three letters, they call themselves Zan. And here, they're Zanes. 

So I met one of them already, Kelly Zane. She came to see me first day at the Comic-Con. So we're going to get together again for coffee. And then there are other family members who married into the Zaninovich family in Australia who are McMahon's... Our great, great, great-grandfather was a Michael McMahon from Limerick in Ireland, who came over to Australia as a young man and became the first mayor of North Sydney. So I'm going to meet all that line of the family, and I'm very excited about that.

And you’re going to get some time to see the country?

Yeah, I want to look around and I want to meet my family members and connect that larger extended family. I think it's very important. And I think more and more people today are more curious about where they came from and those genetic roots, because a lot of the immigrants that moved over to the new world, as we call it, some of them were ashamed of their heritage. They wanted to try and assimilate. They really wanted to fit in with the English world. And so they didn't really talk about their past. And our family was one of them. 

We didn't really know who we were or what we did in the old country. And now I'm finding out, and Ancestry.com has been helping a lot. Also finding out that I come from a long line of convicts. I have highway robbers on both sides of the family!