Episodes S2: DVD Review

Episodes S2: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

Matt LeBlanc, Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig return in Season 2 of the British/ American sitcom, Episodes.

Picking up where season 1 ended, Sean and Beverly's long standing marriage is in tatters after Beverly slept with Matt LeBlanc during the planning of their American sitcom, Pucks.

When the premiere of their show does well, it looks like the rocky patch could prove a difficult working environment for Sean and Beverly but by the second episode, the ratings are sliding and networks are hovering around the show to make changes.

Season 2 of Episodes is not as smart as the first which really delved into the politics of the industry and making a show as well as poking fun at Matt LeBlanc's public persona. While there was more of a sly and smart sense to the writing in season one, a lot of that seems to have been jettisoned for broader comedy and as a result, while Episodes S2 is good, it's nowhere near as good as the first season was.

The main trio are still watchable - though it's Greig who gives more of a deeper performance than the other two leads. But the satire runs dry towards the end and to be honest, you'd have to hope that a third season brings a little more of the smart writing that was so prevalent in the first.

Rating:

Setting up the Wolverine

Behind the scenes - setting up the Wolverine

Our international spies have been out and about trying to see what's going on behind the scenes of The Wolverine.

Filming's currently underway in Sydney and one of Darren's World of Entertainment's spies has been taking a look at what's been going on behind the scenes of The Wolverine.

No sign of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine yet though...

The Wolverine is due in cinemas in 2013.

World War Z trailer is here

World War Z trailer is here

It's here - your first full look at World War Z! 

The film starring Brad Pitt is due for release next year.

A U.N. employee is racing against time and fate, as he travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly Zombie pandemic.

From Babylon 5 writer J Michael Straczynski and Max Brooks, World War Z stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos and David Morse, it looks like Zombie War is coming....

First up, there's the World War Z teaser trailer and poster - as well as the full World War Z Trailer...

Mark Wahlberg for Transformers 4

Mark Wahlberg for Transformers 4

News just in....

MICHAEL BAY RE-TEAMS WITH HIS "PAIN AND GAIN" STAR MARK WAHLBERG FOR TRANSFORMERS 4

HOLLYWOOD, CA (November 8, 2012) – After an exceptionally successful collaboration on the upcoming "Pain and Gain," Michael Bay has cast Academy Award^®-nominee Mark Wahlberg in the highly anticipated “TRANSFORMERS 4.”  The film will hit theaters June 27th, 2014. 

"Mark is awesome.  We had a blast working on “Pain and Gain” and I’m so fired up to be back working with him.  An actor of his caliber is the perfect guy to re-invigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers’ legacy,” said Bay.

Bay will direct the next installment in the “TRANSFORMERS” series, which begins shooting next spring.  From Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., in association with Hasbro, the film will be produced by Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce, and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian.

Bay’s first “TRANSFORMERS” film was a box office sensation in 2007, opening at #1 and earning more than $700 million worldwide.  His second installment “TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN” in 2009 grossed more than $830 million worldwide.  In 2011, “TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON” was an even bigger hit worldwide, grossing more than a billion dollars to become the 5th highest grossing film of all time.  To date, the franchise has earned more than $2.6 billion worldwide.

From acclaimed director Michael Bay comes "Pain and Gain," a new action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie.  Based on the unbelievable true story of three personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong.  Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, Rebel Wilson and Bar Paly also star.  The film is based on magazine articles by Pete Collins, with a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and produced by Donald DeLine, Michael Bay and Ian Bryce.

“PAIN AND GAIN” is currently undated in New Zealand.

Skyfall: Movie Review

Skyfall: Movie Review

Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney
Director: Sam Mendes

Bond's back - and this time, he's 50.

Well, to be more accurate, the Bond franchise is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and the latest, Skyfall, (the 23rd outing for Ian Fleming's spy) has its work cut out for it - present a nostalgic look at what Bond's done and as well as demonstrate what the future of the franchise could offer.

Fresh from delivering the Queen to the London 2012 Olympics, Daniel Craig returns for his third outing as James Bond 007 in the Skyfall release.

Tasked with retrieving a hard drive, containing a list of undercover British agents, the pressure mounts for Bond to ensure success in his latest mission. But when it looks like he's about to fail, M (Judi Dench) orders Bond's fellow agent Eve (Harris) to take a shot and take out the man who's stolen the hard drive.

However, the agent accidentally hits Bond and sending him plummeting from the heights of a moving train in Turkey, he's believed dead...

When MI6 comes under attack and M is targeted, Bond decides, out of a fierce loyalty, to come out of his shell to track down the people behind the threat - no matter what the cost....

Skyfall is as thrilling a James Bond you'd expect to get for the franchise's 50th anniversary - and one from such a director as Sam Mendes.

Tautly pulled together and respectful of the franchise's past, it's a pulse-racing ride - right from the beginning with an opening sequence which takes in rooftop bike chases, street chases, and a crane atop a train in Turkey. The opening packs in as much tension and spectacle as you'd expect from the franchise.

Daniel Craig is very good as a wounded Bond - through his piercing blue eyes and pursed lips, the hurt he conveys after returning from the dead to confront M, says more than any exposition and over-acting could ever do. This is a Bond who's faced a near-death experience, begrudgingly lived to tell the tale and appears slightly resentful of the loyalty he's expected to show. Towards the end, when Bond reveals a little more of his past, it seems to add a level to the agent and give him an emotional resonance which has been missing in previous outings.

But, in all honesty, this film truly belongs to an exceptional performance by Judi Dench as M - as her past catches up to her, Dench conveys a whole range of emotions, from haunted to hunted, with a deft turn which commands the screen whenever she appears. When her time comes, she will be much missed from the franchise. This time around, through a nuanced and excellent turn, she's added emotional complexity and heart to the relationship between M and Bond.

Beautiful cinematography (a sequence where a high-rise Singapore showdown takes place is all done in shadows with neons and computers providing the backlighting), smart crowd pleasing nods to Bond's past and a strong debut from Ben Whishaw as Q mean this Bond will resonate with all concerned who proffer up their cash to witness the latest. Skyfall by Adele is also a great addition to the previous Bond opening credit montages.

That's not to say that Skyfall doesn't have its flaws, though.

After an exceptional start and opening sequence, the very slight story (it's just about revenge, folks) appears to sag slightly during its middle section as the relatively threadbare plot starts to shine through. While it's a relief that the plot's a little lighter after the last Bond Quantum of Solace's muddled bland mess, the 150 minute running time could have been trimmed a little to give it a hint of leanness it needs.

Also, I have to admit, I'm somewhat on the fence over Skyfall's bad guy, Raoul Silva, under-played by Javier Bardem in a blond wig. While he brings some of the unhinged menace, with a hint of sexual ambivalence, he doesn't quite hit the mark as a truly memorable Bond villain in my eyes. (I think in fairness though, everyone, Bond included, are incidental to this film with the whole movie pivoting around Dame Judi's M.)

"Sometimes, the old ways are the best" is an adage quoted a few times in the knowing script - and this in many ways, could be applied to the whole film and franchise itself.

Better than Quantum of Solace but not matching the highs of Casino Royale, with crisply lean action sequences, a few knowing quips, some impressive acting and an emotional resonance, Skyfall is perhaps the perfect Bond for a 50th anniversary. It shows the franchise has a life to live and effortlessly demonstrates the best is yet to come.

Rating:

The Cabin In the Woods: Blu Ray Review

The Cabin In the Woods: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Joss Whedon's much- vaunted The Cabin in The Woods gets its small screen release after a very strong showing in this year's Incredibly Strange Festival outing.

Let me say now, this review won't proffer up anything of the spoilery nature as you're best going into this completely fresh and without any prior knowledge. 

Suffice to say a group of good looking teens (including NZ's very own Anna Hutchison as a cheeky vixen) head into the woods for a weekend away - but as ever, when they get there, things turn rather hellish. 

And that's all I want to reveal because, if you go into this knowing little, you'll be sure of a few major surprises.

Billed as genre-mashing and genre-bending, The Cabin in The Woods is actually a pulpy, trashy piece of meta film which plays with horror conventions, mocks the twists and turns and slaps on the smarts as well as the laughs. 

There's also a lot of horro gore too as the cleverness unfolds. 

Best watched with a group of mates, The Cabin in The Woods is a bit of a self referential enigma, as you can't help but feel that you've been subverted and had your expectations messed with as it unfolds. 

This effective genre piece is grounded by great performances by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford and is peppered with in jokes that horror fans will lap up. Humorous, shocking and a sly tipping of the genre, mean that Cabin will be a cult hit that deserves a wide audience on the small screen. Fans of Joss' previous outings will be buying this en masse and if you want to see what the buzz is all about, you'll be smart enough to join them.

Extras: Making of, Make up and animatronic effects and visual effects. My only real comment on these - why no commentary???!!!!

Rating:

Four new banner posters for The Hobbit

Four new banner posters for The Hobbit

Hobbit fans, time is getting precious.

And with the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington just around the corner, I've got four new banner posters for The Hobbit to share with you.

They've just dropped on theonering.net so I thought I'd pass them on....

No sign yet of Radagast The Brown banner....