Page One Inside The New York Times DVD Review

Page One Inside The New York Times
Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

A traditional doco looking at the New York Times, its reporters and the way it's still surviving post the recession, this is an interesting and captivating look at a handful of the reporters and their fight for relevance in the new media world.  Iraq, Julian Assange, the Jayson Blair plaigarism scandal all rear their head in this very watchable piece.

For those inside the media, there may be the feeling the doco fudged one of the biggest issues it faces currently-its survival in the world of FB and Tweeting, touching all too briefly on this and worryingly making you feel those in charge aren't quite sure the financial model is remotely in place.

As an outsider looking in, it's a compelling piece -and even boasts an appearance from Rupert Murdoch as his media empire demons play out now.

A little unfocussed, the doco goes from one to the next and simply ends, but it's the staff of the media desk whom the film follows that you end up caring about. A solid piece which will be a crowd pleaser.

Extras: None

Rating:

The Golden Globes 2012 Awards winners are....

Here's a run down of all the winners from the ceremony:

Film - Drama - The Descendants
Actor in a Drama - George Clooney for The Descendants
Actress in a Drama - Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady
Musical or Comedy - The Artist
Actor in a Musical or Comedy - Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Actress in a Musical or Comedy - Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn
Supporting actor - Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Supporting actress - Octavia Spencer for The Help
Director - Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Screenplay - Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Original Score - Ludovic Bource for The Artist
Original song - Masterpiece from the film, W.E
Animated Feature Film - The Adventures of Tintin
Foreign Language Film- A Separation, Iran
Television Drama Series - Homeland
Actor in a Drama - Kelsey Grammer for Boss
Actress in a Drama - Claire Danes for Homeland
Comedy Series for Modern Family
Actor in a Comedy - Matt LeBlanc for Episodes
Actress in a Comedy - Laura Dern for Enlightened
TV Movie or Mini-Series - Downton Abbey
Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-Series - Idris Elba for Luther
Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-Series - Kate Winslet for Mildred Pierce
Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-Series - Jessica Lange for American Horror Story
Supporting Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-Series - Peter Dinklage for Game of Thrones
Cecil B. DeMille Award - Morgan Freeman

Brand new Brave images revealed

It's not due until June 2012, but Pixar's released some new shots of their upcoming original animation, Brave.

Pixar's fairytale is about Meirda, a princess who brings trouble and turmoil to her father's kingdom when she defies a sacred custom.

She must set off on a quest in order to make things right and lift the curse.

Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson).

Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).

Brave hits cinemas June 2012 - see you there?

The Tree of Life: Blu Ray Review

The Tree of Life
Rating: M
Released by Warner Home Video

So, the film which divided critics arrives on small screen release;with some decrying a lack of real story and others proclaiming Terrence Malick's a masterpiece on a par with 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Sean Penn is an eldest son, dealing with memories of his relationship with his strict religious father(Brad Pitt)and his easy going mother-but then, you throw in the birth of the universe, dinosaurs, disparate voices calling out to their God asking where were you, and shots of Penn stumbling around in an expensive suit across rocks and it's clear this film is like nothing you'll see.

Confounding, epic in scale and hypnotically haunting, it's more cinema as experience than traditional cinema as the memories unspool and visions flaunt and haunt.

It's bravura filmmaking in the extreme and it's great that cinema provokes such debate at the end-I promise you though, you will see nothing else like it this year and will really need to see it to understand what the debate is all about.

Extras: Exploring the Tree of Life
Rating:

Final Destination 5 - Blu Ray Review

Final Destination 5
Rating: M
Released by Warner Home Video

Fifth time's the charm for the franchise?

When a group of workers head out on a coach on a business retreat, Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) has a premonition the vehicle he's on is going to be pulled off a suspension bridge which will collapse. The vision's so powerful, Sam persuades seven of his co-workers to get off and run for their lives.

While the bridge does indeed collapse, the eight of them reckon they've had a lucky escape...however, when one by one, they're picked off and die in mysterious ways, it's clear Death's marked their card and is determined to collect.

Final Destination 5 has some good points and some bad points - while the bridge collapse scene is spectacularly well done, the rest of the deaths seem a little forced and it feels like the writers are starting to feel the strain of inventing new ways to off a largely unknown cast.

That said, some of the scenes, including one where one poor girl gets a fatal laser eye treatment, are likely to have you squirming in your seat and the addition of 3D means a variety of objects spike out at you on the screen. But the gore is mainly more amusing than frightening and Quale does a good job of stretching out the tension so that by the time the final death scene comes round, you've been waiting for it for a while.

A clever addition to the series, as explained by Death's emissary Tony Todd, is that if you're marked for death and you kill someone else, you're given back your life is unexplored for the potential dramatic tension that it has and is wasted as a great new twist which would have had some scripting legs. Equally, the ending is impressive and to discuss that any further would venture into spoilers territory - but it shows there is some thought gone into the latest film.

Sadly though, with a relatively bland cast of at times wooden actors and some frankly average dialogue, any real tension between the group feels forced and unrealistic, leading you to struggle to care if they are offed or not by the Grim Reaper.

Ultimately, if you're after a few comic moments, a bit of suspense and blood splashing onto you courtesy of 3D, then Final Destination 5 will tick your boxes. Everyone else will just hope the franchise is now finally laid to rest.

Extras: Alternate death scenes, special FX split scene

RATING:

The Golden Globes 2012 Awards

Updated 3.16pm

Get a list of all the latest winners here...

The Golden Globes 2012 winners

They're on now.

If you're stuck at home and not near a TV showing it, then here's where you can catch the show.

http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/live-updates-golden-globes-2012-4689231

The Descendants featurette

It's a strong contender for Golden Globes success and even Oscar talk - George Clooney's latest, The Descendants.

I was lucky enough to see it this week - you'll have to wait a couple of weeks to get my full verdict (Hint - it's very good) here on the blog but for now, here's a little featurette from gorgeous George and the gang.




The Descendants hits NZ cinemas from January 26th.