Prometheus - new trailer for, erm, full trailer...

UPDATE - Details have just been revealed of where and when NZ will be able to see the brand new Prometheus trailer.

Ok, consider me baited.

A brand new teaser for the full Prometheus trailer has dropped this morning. And while I'm not wild about being suckered into the new trailer coming but not getting a full reveal of date of when exactly it is, I'm certainly going to be checking the Prometheus Youtube site daily.

Anyway, here's the teaser for the teaser for Ridley Scott's latest, widely believed to be a prequel to Alien - with the clue of how NZers can watch the Prometheus trailer too.



So in NZ, you'll have to wait until 9am on March 19th to view...but elsewhere, rumour has it the full trailer will debut at Wondercon on March 17th - so as soon as it's out, we'll post it here.

Universal turns 100 - and we preview what's ahead

Universal hits 100 years this year - and as I saw yesterday at a media screening, its logo's had a bit of a revamp.



So as the studio hits 100 (and cos it's a quiet Monday here at Darren's World of Entertainment, I thought it would be worth taking a look at what's ahead in their cinematic arsenal.

First up and in time for Easter, is the animated treat from Dr Seuss, The Lorax. Hitting NZ cinemas on March 29th, it's got an impressive array of animation and voice talent - including the likes of Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Danny DeVito and Taylor Swift.



April is a busy month for the studio too as well as it launches a cinematic version of that familiar board game (and cry) Battleship... With the likes of Rihanna, Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson and Alexander Skasgaard, it sort of looks like Transformers meets the water...It opens on April 18th.



Plus one last slice of pie for anyone?
I'm not quite 100% there on American Reunion yet which sees Jim, Michelle, Stifler, and their friends reunite in East Great Falls, Michigan for their high school reunion.
But the franchise has been a success and maybe one last outing with all the gang back together will see them garner box office glory. It should make up for Wanderlust not being released here.
American Reunion hits April 5th.




There's also a little more animation ahead as well - which is great as I'm a huge fan of the animated stuff.
We'll have to wait for September to roll around as that's when Paranorman hits.
It's the tale of a misunderstood boy who is able to speak with the dead and has to take on zombies, ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Paranorman's out September 27th.



And just finally, on the irreverent comedy front, The Five Year Engagement looks to be just up my alley - and potentially this year's Bridesmaids? Jason Segel and the wonderful Emily Blunt head up this piece which is due May 3rd.



Not bad going for a 100 year old eh?

World Cinema Showcase is here

It's back again - the mini festival brother of the New Zealand International Film Festival.

But just cos it's the kid is no reason to think this is the runt of the litter. The World Cinema Showcase is always full of surprises, quality releases and films which are worth your time and hard earned money.

This year, it's definitely the same. The quality of cinematic talent on display is once again diverse and original.

Sure, some will garner full scale releases a little later on - but it's always good to see these films before everyone else and a chance to share screens with like minded cinephiles.

Of the flicks I've seen so far this year, here's a look at some of them playing this time around.

The Swell Season - definitely not a sequel to Once in any way shape or form, this doco follows the phenomenon of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova who shot to fame and Oscar success with their star crossed lovers film, Once, a few years ago. However, what you may not know is that despite them forming a relationship, the pair have broken up - and this honest and at times difficult to watch (if you're romantic and don't want your Hollywood love dreams smashed) sumptuously shot black and white doco charts what happened next. It's an interesting look at how fame affects people - Marketa is unhappy with photos and to live a life she's not part of and Glen, who's been after success for years, is more used to playing the game, leading to conflicts and achingly raw honest moments. By trusting the director, the film feels like you've been given an insight into a star burning out - and it's compelling and mesmerising. Even if the end result will break your heart.

Beats, Rhymes and Life - This was a massive success with music fans at the NZ Film Festival and it's nice to see it get another outing before it heads to release from Madman Entertainment. It's the story of hiphop legends A Tribe Called Quest and how the group came together on the streets and formed an indelible mark on the scene. Filled with an infectious enthusiasm, this doco from Michael Rapaport is an interesting look at the personalities within the band and the effects their music and fame had on themselves and within the industry. It's full of a bounding energy and an at times quirky style. Certainly, if you weren't a fan of them before, you'll definitely understand why they've been so influential and also why many are raving about this doco.

Autoluminscent - Sometimes, it's good to see a doco on something you know nothing about. Autoluminscent is one such flick. It's about the late Aussie musician Rowland S Howard, whom I have to confess I've never heard of until the film started playing. This traditional talking heads doco has a lot of contributors - from the likes of Nick Cave through to Wim Wenders; all talk with respect about him and complete with archive footage from some of the earliest performances, it's a fairly standard celebration of a life which will no doubt appeal more to his fans than the non-fans.

The Tall Man - a simply told but powerfully put together doco about the death of Aborigine Cameron Doomadgee on Palm Island back in 2004 and the ramifications it had on relations between the races and the apparent police cover up which followed. Doomadgee was arrested for being drunk and swearing at a policeman Sergeant Chris Hurley, on the island - and 45 minutes later he was dead. The doco presents the case, its subsequent inquests and the implications for the Queensland police force. Taking in the views of eye witnesses to the arrest and family, with little input from the police (no surprises there), this haunting doco has a plethora of images which stay with you long after it's finished - and leave you with a sense of outrage at how it all turned out.

To Hell and Back - War is hell. But surviving it, can sometimes be a lot worse. After being embedded with troops in Afghanistan in 2009 Photojournalist Danfung Dennis was in a position to pretty much know the troops - and you'd think a doco would be easy to put together. However, when the leader of the company Sgt Nathan Harris was wounded after a third tour, the focus of this flick I reckon changed. And it becomes more about the homecoming and impact of the Afghan war on people. It's an interesting mix as Dennis flips between back in Afghanistan and Harris' new daily struggle, but it's a compelling watch and one which really gets to the heart of what being a soldier is actually about these days - stripped down of the glory shots and layered with grittiness, To Hell and Back is worth your time.

This Is Not A Film - the name Jafar Panahi may not mean a lot to many, but this "film" doco about one man's struggle against creative repression is an intriguing insight into what happens when an artist is told he can't create. Imprisoned under house arrest for a year in Iran and waiting a verdict on a 20 year film making ban, Panahi resorts to venting his creative juices by acting out his script and vision for a new celluloid outing, whose future release is never anything less than uncertain. All there is in the flat is his Panahi, his cameras and eyes to the world (the Japanese tsunami a year ago gets a look in to give some context) plus his daughter's gigantic iguana, what plays out on screen is a fascinating insight into creativity and frustrations. Freedom of expression has never been so important - and by putting a face on it, it's never been so watchable.

Under African Skies - I had no idea how controversial Paul Simon's Graceland album was. Being only 13 at the time and a little self obsessed, I wasn't aware that the LP's recording broke so many boundaries and riled so many feathers as Simon wilfully ignored the call for the boycott of the region during the Aparthied reign. So Simon heads back to the area for the 25th anniversary and is reunited with the players as he looks back on the repercussions of what he did. Beatifully vibrant music is the key to this traditionally put together doco; it sings literally as it springs off the scene. While Simon seems naive still about what he did and why, other commenters and contributors give it some kind of context - but the decision to mix in footage from the actual recordings back in 1985 shows how the album came together and maybe, just maybe, Paul's decision sort of makes sense. The politics take some of the film but the overall impression is the heart and soul offered from the music which still packs a joyous tone and lifts this doco into the realms of the truly wonderful.

There's plenty more to watch at the Showcase - from the likes of Our Idiot Brother to Miss Bala, Paradise Lost 3- Purgatory, Damsels in Distress, Das Boot and Chico and Rita, I guarantee there'll be something to tantalise the cinematic tastebuds as this wonderful little festival gets underway.

For the full programme and times of performances, visit the World Cinema Showcase site.

John Carter: Movie Review

Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Mark Strong, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Willem Dafoe, Ciaran Hinds
Director: Andrew Stanton

It's 100 years after the first appearance of John Carter in a series of books from Edgar Rice Burroughs- and I'm willing to bet most of you have never heard of him (or assume it's that bloke played by Noah Wyle in ER).

Taylor Kitsch (of Friday Night Lights fame) stars as John Carter, a Confederate captain, who's on a quest for gold back in the 1860s when we first meet him. But when he's cornered by Bryan Cranston's Civil War Captain and on the run, he finds himself transported to Mars (or Barsoom as the inhabitants call it) and thrust into the middle of a Civil war.

But not only that, Carter finds himself aligned initially with the Tharks, a 10 foot tall green skinned Martian race - and has to acclimatise fast.

However, it soon transpires there's a greater force at work here with the fighting being manipulated by a race of godlike beings, the Holy Therns, whose leader Matai Shang (the ever brilliant Mark Strong) is determined to stop at nothing to ensure their will is done...

What an odd curio this film is; there's little distinctive aside from the CGI - which I can recall as a stand out moment or definitive action sequence from the actual flick itself.

Let's start with some positives though; those definitely have to be thanks to the CGI.

The world of Barsoom (or Mars as we know it) is stunningly well put together in its scope and grandeur. I really believe that a civilisation on Mars would look like that in all its grainy, desolate, sand-ridden architecture. After Avatar's world, it's probably the most beautifully realised creation in terms of backgrounds ever to grace our screens. The effort that's gone in to make it so plausible and immersive is extremely commendable.

To a lesser degree, the Tharks are a success as well - their four armed digitally realised gangliness makes you think of greener versions of the Prawns from the brilliant District 9. And dragonfly style craft which are used to traverse the wide masses of the world are visually impressive as well.

Likewise an inflated faced, 6 legged dog creature which befriends Carter is a welcome dose of funny; and is clearly honed from the workings of a guy who's crossed Pixar studios floors.

But this is sort of where John Carter runs into a little bit of trouble - visually, hands down, it's an ambitiously scaled, wonderfully realised space epic; but narratively it's a little wanting and doesn't keep the mind satiated with what it's offered to the eyes. Sure, it's a wonderfully put together mash up of several genres including sci-fi, pulpy comics, Western, Cowboys and Aliens to name but a few, but it's not enough.

Confused and confusing, its story isn't everything it could be. And unfortunately, in terms of scale for its action, nothing truly stands out. Sure, there are set pieces which look good but they're instantly forgettable the moment they're over. In many ways, by being a forerunner as well (as in written over 100 years ago), it's clear the action sequences have been already done on the big screen. It's an unfortunate failing that it doesn't offer up anything which you may not have seen before - a chase on the dragonfly riders is reminscent of pod racing in Star Wars is just one example.

Of the main cast, Taylor Kitsch does okay in his first multiplex lead; he's never really outstanding and never imbues Carter with one stand out moment from within the action; Mark Strong is reliably good as the manipulative deity and Dafoe brings some welcome humour to Tars Tarkus as he befriends Carter. Some will go googly-eyed over the kickass temperament of Lynn Collins' Dejah Thoris who starts off strong willed and goes weak in Carter's thrall.

Unfortunately though as the denouement rolled around, I'm sorry to say I wasn't emotionally invested in either the characters or their fates - and I certainly wasn't on the edge of my seat hoping there will be an immediate return to Basoom (as the 11 books suggest there would be a wealth of material for).

Don't get me wrong - John Carter is not a bad film; it offers up a suitably sized scoop of silly blockbuster fun (despite the humour which is there at the beginning quickly trailing off in favour of sci-fi pomposity) for a few hours. It's just not perhaps the sci-fi epic it could have been - and it's certainly - and unfortunately -not quite the start to a franchise you'd be hoping for as you walk out of the cinema.

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Brother Number One: Movie Review

Brother Number One

Director: Annie Goldson

Annie Goldson's doco follows former Olympian Rob Hamill as he heads to Cambodia to get justice for his brother Kerry who was killed by the Khmer Rouge in 1978.

It premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival last year - and to be honest, why it's taken so long to get a release for such an important film is a real headscratcher.

Needless to say, it's an emotionally wrenching and heartbreakingly honest piece as Rob opens up every step of the way in the process - and you can't help but feel appalled at what some have gone through at the hands of Pol Pot's regime.

There's humbling poignancy as Rob intones at one point: "I want to forgive but the more I hear,the harder I find it". You'd have to be hard hearted in the audience to disagree; it's a difficult journey in the face of such openness but the overwhelming feeling from this doco is one of pure inspiration.

Rob is a marvel even if his journey is so brutally repugnant and one you wouldn't wish on anyone-even your worst enemy. With a film like this, there is always the tendency to milk the emotions, pour on mawkish sentiment and stir the whole thing in an emotional goo which tugs at your heartstrings.

Thankfully, those involved have completely ignored such a temptation; as a result, Goldson's fashioned together a story which is left to breathe; it simply tells itself and this haunting, humbling piece is simply one of the best NZ films around. Historical footage adds much emotional weight to the tale and it can be difficult to flinch in the face of such horrors; but ultimately, a message of hope emerges and you'd be hard pressed not to be riveted and thoroughly moved by this heartbreakingly honest and compelling watch.

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My Week With Marilyn: Movie Review

Cast: Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Dominic Cooper, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Emma Watson
Director: Simon Curtis

So, the cult of Marilyn gets another outing - this time with Oscar noms for Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh.

Based on a book by Colin Clark, written about an affair Colin had with Marilyn while she was working on The Prince and The Showgirl, this biographical piece stars Redmayne as Clark in 1950s Britain.

Despite his naivete Clark longs to break into the world of films and showbiz and pulling a few strings (and due to an annoying persistence) he lands a job as a third assistant director on The Prince and The Showgirl which is being directed by Laurence Olivier (Branagh) and stars Marilyn Monroe (Williams).

Marilyn's used to the showbiz life and brings with her all the glamour of the era as she graces the set with her presence; but despite everyone being enamoured with her persona, she proves to be hopeless on set and sends Olivier into a directing tailspin as she fluffs lines, doesn't show when she should and sets the pic behind schedule.

However, Clark, despite romancing one of the set's staff Lucy (Watson), ends up in a whirlwind romance with Monroe when her new husband playwright Arthur Miller leaves her side to write back in America.

Despite Clark being warned she'll break his heart, he carries on - and the tension off the set becomes as bad as the tension on the set.

My Week with Marilyn is as light and frothy as one of those swanky coffees you buy in an upmarket bistro - it's all froth and little substance; in some ways, it's redolent of Me and Orson Welles in places at the start as we watch Clark in awe of a truly brilliant Branagh as Laurence Olivier. The sparkling script, witty repartie and biting sarcasm from Olivier is very, very funny and Branagh does a brilliant job of delivering it to maximum comic effect. It's easy to see why he was nominated for an Oscar for this snide performance.

Michelle Williams' turn as Marilyn also garnered her a statue nod. Don't get me wrong, she's good in the role as she skirts around Marilyn's addictions, and scattiness but there's never really a defining moment which makes you think she's nailed it. When she asks Colin if she should turn it on and "be that person" for a crowd, there's an inkling that she's nailed the posturing and moments. Sure, she manages to ooze some of Monroe's sex appeal and it's a good portrayal, but it's never a great portrayal.

Equally the story itself isn't particularly riveting and enduring- while there's a great performance from Dame Judi Dench as an actress who's sympathetic to Marilyn's fluffing of lines and problems on set, when the film flicks from the on set antics to the love "affair" between Marilyn and Colin, the film stumbles and loses some of the energy and joie de vive it previously had as it saunters lacksadaisically toward the end.

Ultimately My Week With Marilyn is a great film to grab the girls together for and for them to wallow in its slight casualness.

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Headhunters: Movie Review

Cast: Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Synnove Macody Lund

There seems to be just something about the Scandanavian and Norwegian region which breeds thrillers with a slightly skewed take on the world.

It's the world which brought us Stieg Larsson and of course, the superb TV series, The Killing.

The latest from top author Jo Nesbo stars Aksel Hennie (whom you may remember from Max Manus) as Roger Brown, a seemingly together guy who has it all; a beautiful blonde wife who adores him, a top headhunting job which sees him one of the leading within his industry - and a multi million dollar house.

And yet - he's living beyond his means and stealing art on the side to make ends meet.

At a gallery opening, he's introduced to Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones), a potentially perfect candidate for a new job but also who has one of the most sough after paintings in the modern art world.

Naturally, with creditors snapping at his heels, Brown can't resist - however, his greed gets the better of him and soon he finds himself in way deeper than he thought - and potentially fatally out of his depth.

Classy, sleeky put togeher and slyly funny in places, Headhunters is a truly fresh piece of film in a genre which has essentially become crowded and cluttered with unoriginality.

There's deceit and paranoia in spades here as Brown suspects everyone and as the web weaves itself tighter - but despite taut direction, the script doesn't allow itself to get too overtly serious with moments of bizarre humour thrown in completely unexpectedly.

Hennie is great at keeping us grounded as the plot spirals a little into lunacy with a well rounded performance which is plausible and compellingly watchable throughout.

Headhunters is, at every turn, not what you'd think it is - it's a refreshingly good and smartly put together intense Nordic crime flick which is a welcome treat thanks to unexpected twists and turns.

And it also has one of the worst toilet scenes since Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting...

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