PulzAR: PS Vita Review

PulzAR: PS Vita Review

Platform: PS Vita
Released by Sony Computer Entertainment

The AR on the PS Vita's had mixed success, I think it's fair to say.

So far, nothing's really gripped long term on the AR Gaming front unfortunately - and that's more an issue of games have long term play rather than just simple novelty.

Thankfully, PulzAR actually changes that and finally brings a game that you want to keep trying.

Basically, the earth is being stalked by a massive meteor overhead - and it's up to you to save the day, using a series of lasers and reflectors to power up a nuclear missile launch facility. But it's not quite as simple as that - because as you use the AR Cards to line up your reflectors, fragments of the meteors drop down and batter your efforts.

This is a case of the AR finally working better than it previously has done. You have to have an element of strategy as you negotiate through the levels (and if you're playing in your front room, making sure that you don't have a stray cat invade your field of vision)and launch off the missiles - but it's all worth it as you scan the VITA up to above the room and see the missile hit, shattering pieces off and gradually edging you closer to saving the day.

There are a couple of problems though - occasionally, the mirrors you've set up can just disappear thanks to the AR and at times, it can be difficult to pick up the cards and move them around as the timer begins to count down.

But overall, PulzAR is a step in the right direction - it's intelligent, fun and shows when the tech works, it's effortless - more of its ilk please.

Rating:

Brand new Dark Knight Rises image revealed

Brand new Dark Knight Rises image revealed

Ahead of the launch of  The Dark Knight Rises being released in cinemas next week, there's a brand new Dark Knight Rises image revealed.

It comes in the form of the new cover from Entertainment Weekly as they preview the last part of the franchise.

The Dark Knight Rises hits cinemas on July 19th and the Dark Knight Rises Movie Review will follow on that date.

Take a look below.

Ant Timpson talks The Incredibly Strange

Ant Timpson talks The Incredibly Strange

Every year the New Zealand International Film Festival gets incredibly strange - thanks to the cinematic choices made by film supremo Ant Timpson.

This year's no exception - and we caught up with Ant, to get the lowdown on his cinematic selections and reason for them..

So another year, another Incredibly Strange - how's it been sourcing them this year? Well, there are always hiccups when it comes to securing films for the festival. So many things can go askew at the last minute. This year was particularly bad as I lost two strong titles at the last minute and was scrambling to replace them. There was some pressure from outside sources that kept a title away from us. Sometimes we're battling against the big boys for titles, so it's a miracle we get any of them to be honest. Lots of times, it's having good relationships with people that snag us the gems. This year just seemed tough, we literally were placing films a day before the guide went to print.

It's going to be interesting to see if online petitions translate to bums on seats for Cabin in the Woods. Given the pressure to get this on a big screen rather than a straight to DVD release, what are your hopes for this film? The film is going to do well even though many have probably downloaded it and watched it via other means. They will turn up in droves because they are fans and want to see it in great surroundings. Piracy does affect many titles but there are some interesting swing benefits as well. I could write 10,000 words on the issue of downloading and what really needs to change. Getting angry or threatening with downloaders is a joke, you need to work with them and to understand the mindset of those who do download. How the hell did I get onto this?!  Ok back to Cabin - what I wanted to say was how often do you get to see a very commercial horror title like this in a cinema like The Civic? In the 80s I used to see every horror film in that period in The Civic, Scanners etc but that's a long time ago. And even better there are no rats or water leakage these days.



Awesome to see another Ben Wheatley title this year too as last year's Kill List was a stunning piece. What can you tell us about Sightseers? I can tell you that it's funnier than it reads and it's more bloody than it reads but it's not nasty like Kill List was. I just think Ben has captured whats great about the work of folks like Shane Meadows / Mike Leigh and managed to transfuse their aesthetic with a unique vision and tone that is all his. I've always wanted to make a serial killing couple movie, ever since I was deeply affected by Badlands as a youngster. I remember loving the black humour and poetry in that film and I think Ben's done a tremendous job in managing to subtly make a wry commentary about life in the midlands.

V/H/S seems to be a cool choice as well - it's a kind of horror anthology film? Not a kind - it's very much an anthology film through and through. It just doesn't look like your typical anthology. No creepy crypt keeper or comic book pages. It's very lo-fi and analog all the way. What the film does do is offer some major scares for those who like 'BOO' horror outings. It also has a lot of humour in it which people may not be expecting. Some of the stories are much better than others but you never know how each one is going to play out - they all have something cool in them and the film ends really well. If you think Paranormal Activity was scary, then you're going to dig this.

Klown looks intriguing - what is it about this film which spoke to you? Well the crowd I was watching with spoke to me. It was one of the best audience reactions I've seen to a comedy for a long time. So I thought I have to get this film, and I even went so far as to partner up with Vendetta Films to put money into purchasing the rights for NZ/AUS. So now I have my arse on the line and am hoping people don't just think this is normal Ant Timpson hyperbole. This film delivers major solid laughs throughout.The characters are incredibly realised and the humour so biting it's brilliant. Women will love it because it's how idiotic men are and the lengths they go to remain unchanged by adulthood. It's really at its heart one man's attempt to be a father and failing miserably. The humour is very adult and is quite graphic. Not intended for kids that's for sure.



Generally, what do you look for from an audience who see your choices? I generally look for them to be in the cinema at the end of the film. That's always a good sign. I just want a reaction to be honest. Positive is obviously the best but I'll take the polar opposite as well.. I just don't want a flat response. Nothing hurts me more than someone saying "Hmmmn well that was ok I guess" OK?  OK is for losers. I want "That was fucking amazing" or "Oh God, what the hell did you just drag me to" effect.

You're often lurking around during the screenings - do you get something from every film each time you see it? Well I lurk for other reasons but let's not get into that here where it can be used against me in a court of law. But for sure, I love checking in on screenings of films I've already seen a few times. I'm
a meta-voyeur in that respect.I get off watching people get off. Every good film has the ability to transform into something new each time you watch it. That's the power of great cinema, that there are areas you haven't peeled away until you've seen it a few times.

We always want to know - what's the one film that you didn't quite get that you wanted? This year I wanted The Final Member, a documentary about two men competing for their penises to be placed as the human specimen in the World Famous Penis Museum. It is far more compelling and crazy as even that sounds.  And You're Next, the fun horror film by my buddy Adam Wingard who we brought down for Pop skull his $2000 feature a few years back. That was looking good but the distributor has other plans for it. There was also Wrong, which was in and then out and then in.. this is the surreal new feature by the mysterious director behind the cult hit Rubber.

You've been hinting online that there's another film coming that has not been announced yet - what more can you tell us? Well that was Compliance which I saw earlier this year. From Craig Zobel who many older net nerds will know from being the creator of Homestarr Runner. This film which is a composite of some truly strange true crimes will provoke a lot of discussion, it will piss some people off and others will be mesmerized. It's one of those films that the director gets accused of somehow exploiting the subject matter and make the audience complicit in the onscreen activity.

You've been involved in the Make My Movie competition. How is the winner How To Meet Girls From a Distance looking? It's looking excellent considering all the pressures those guys have been under. I think it's a surprisingly commercial film and that folks will find it a pretty enjoyable romcom with a bit of added weirdness to it. There are not many folks who could deliver a film on that tight a schedule for $100k. We're very happy with the team behind it. We threw everything at them and they still came out smiling. To be selected in the NZFF is a major achievement as well. People might think with my association it was a no brainer getting it in. Well, let me just put the kaibosh on that right now. There is no way on earth that Bill Gosden will programme anything he doesn't like. Just no way. I know how he feels and I was never going to request a favour for the film to be included. But he dug it and it shows in that he's programming the film outside of its hometown of Wellington into other regions. That's the proof right there.

What's your pick outside of the IS of course, for this year's festival?
Oh man there's way too many. Holy Motors is high on my list and of course Compliance. I really hope people take a punt on the smaller films in the IS section like Room 237 about the mysteries of The Shining which is such a beautiful and heady pic.

You can get the full NZ Film Festival programme at www.nzff.co.nz and also, get details of how and where you can book tickets for the event which kicks off in Auckland on July19th!

New Hobbit scroll reveals scenes from film

New Hobbit scroll reveals scenes from film

It's getting ever closer to Comic-Con 2012....

And the Hobbit news is certainly notching up a gear.

We've had the exclusive Hobbit poster from Peter Jackson's Facebook page...

And now, Entertainment Weekly's got a scroll from the Hobbit which takes a look at ten scenes.

View the whole Hobbit scroll.

Below are grabs from the scroll, so you get some idea of what's ahead...

London 2012: PS3 Review

London 2012: PS3 Review

Released by SEGA
Platform: PS3

The eyes of the world are on London for the launch of the 2012 Olympic Games this month - and the eyes of the gaming world are on SEGA for the launch of their computer version of the Games.

Traditionally, sporting tie ins (be they official or otherwise) have had a somewhat chequered past offering very little in terms of decent quality and reeking more of a cash in than something to aspire to.

Thankfully, London 2012 is a rather classy affair and not a cheap one night stand in a grubby part of London.

Mixing track and field and a sensible use of the SIAXIS controller, there's plenty of scope for you to try and excel as you take on the guise of various nations. Events require you to either mash the X button or flick the left and right analogue controllers back and forward. But be aware, this is no Hyper Sports styled wreck the controller (and give yourself RSI) to win the games.

Thanks to a bit of smarts here and there, you have to plan a little of a strategy as you try to perfect the simplistic controls. It may be easy to flick the left analogue stick in say the discus, but if you don't get the timing and the angle right, you're just wasting your time. Practice is what's needed for these games and it pays off in spades.

While the crowds are a little anonymous and blobby like Monet paintings, the attention to detail from the competitors' side is to be applauded. Contestants acknowledge the thronged amorphous masses and national anthems pour out when you win gold - there's a level of detail which has been put in which has given this an authentic feel and one which makes London 2012 stand out on the console gaming front.

You can take single events, run a Games schedule (Qualifying in the morning, finals in the afternoon) or get involved in some team events. Complete with commentary, nice cutaways of the venues and area, this is a sporting game which actually gives the feel of an event. Throw in multiplayer action for events, some MOVE gaming, nice replays, smart music and the chance to retry here and there and London 2012 is pretty much one of the best sporting games I've played since HyperSports on the Commodore 64 all those years ago.

Authentic and giving you the chance to get caught up with the pomp and ceremony of the Olympics, but without the bank-crippling travel costs, London 2012 is a welcome addition to the podium of sporting games.

Rating:

Dr Who - Death to the Daleks

Dr Who - Death to the Daleks

Rating: G
Released by the BBC And Roadshow Home Entertainment

This four part tale from 1974 featuring Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith is not quite the rousing war cry you'd expect from the title.

A power failure in the TARDIS drives it off course, stranding the Doctor and Sarah on a planet (which resembles a quarry) with an exploration team and soon a group of Daleks. But the power's sapped from the Daleks too, forcing the Doc to team up with his old enemies to combat a threat to all.

It's not a bad story all in all, but it lacks a degree of coherence and a level of engagement as the Daleks are reduced to powerless shouting and wobbling as they scheme to betray everyone. Throw in a level of underwriting too and the whole thing's a bit of a hit and miss affair.

As ever, Pertwee and Sladen bring their A game but a distinctly formulaic story means there are hardly any stand outs here.

Thankfully, the ever informative and amusing in screen production notes give the story a life beyond its occasional lifelessness - along with some fairly standard extras (and some unseen footage from the 1960s Peter Cushing film, Dr Who and The Daleks), this DVD is one for completists, rather than an essential purchase.

Rating:

The Dark Knight Rises - behind the scenes

The Dark Knight Rises - behind the scenes

This one's really your choice to watch - needless to say, I've not taken a look at it as am hoping to see the Dark Knight Rises relatively cold and spoiler-free!.

Don't worry though, The Dark Knight Rises Movie Review will be coming soon.

Anyway, here's a 13 minute behind the scenes piece for the upcoming final part of the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises: