New Byzantium trailer drops

New Byzantium trailer drops

Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan team up as the mother and daughter vampire duo in Byzantium, a new film coming soon from the Crying Game director Neil Jordan.

The brand new Byzantium trailer has arrived - and here it is.

Mt Zion: Movie Review

Mt Zion: Movie Review

Cast: Stan Walker, Temuera Morrison, David Wikaira-Paul, Darcey-Ray Flavell-Hudson, Miriama Smith, Troy Kingi, Will Hall
Director: Tearepa Kahi

It's to 1979 New Zealand we go for this new local film opening on Waitangi Day, marking the debut acting performance of Australian Idol winner Stan Walker.

Walker is Turei, a potato picker on the spud grounds of Pukekohe; his father (a restrained and commanding Temuera Morrison) runs the roost. A talented musician, Turei, dreams of getting away from the lands and pursuing his lifelong hope of making it on the stage.

That chance comes along with the opportunity for Turei and his band-mates (including Ghost Chips) to win a spot to open for Bob Marley who's due into Western Springs for a concert.

However, in pushing those around him to help, Turei's put on a direct collision course with his father.

Mt Zion has an engaging earnestness to its honesty and integrity as the sweet family story plays out.

Sure, it's a little rough around the edges and occasionally slightly slow in places, but it has a heart and intimate focus which is hard to deny or not be swept along with. From time to time, Walker lacks some of the acting chops needed of him to give a bit of depth to his character, but an understated Temuera Morrison more than makes up for it. But, that said, it's an assured debut from Walker and when he belts out a song or two, it's hard not to get caught up in the moment.

There's a nostalgic vibe to this flick and director Kahi has managed to brilliantly recreate the intimacy of home and community life in amongst the squabbles over land issues and the inevitable conflicts between father and son as Turei starts to grow up. Kahi's also to be commended for taking the script, which could have lapsed into something predictable, and fashioning something which has a real sentimental and touching centre, without over-romanticising the era.

With a blistering OST and vibe, Mt Zion is a gentle little Kiwi film which impresses more than you'd expect thanks to tenderness and intimacy.

Rating:

Sir Paul Holmes - RIP

Sir Paul Holmes - RIP

It's with very sad heart today that I learned of the passing of Sir Paul Holmes, after a battle with illness.

As you'll know, I was lucky enough to be a contributor to his Saturday morning breakfast show as the movie reviewer for the years he was on air.

My sincere condolencies to his family, Reuben, Ken, Lady Deborah and Millie.

Brand new Iron Man 3 poster lands

Brand new Iron Man 3 poster lands

Good news - a brand new Iron Man 3 poster has dropped.

And dropped is the operative word as it sees Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark plunging to the ground...

Iron Man 3 hits later this year.

The French Film Festival is coming

The French Film Festival is coming

Bonjour mes amis!

Good news for fans of the French Film Festival - it's back this year - and with even more culture on show than in previous years.

The festival's gearing up for its launch tonight, but it's got a full programme this year for everyone to enjoy.

This from their blog:

"We are thrilled to fill our opening night slot with Christian Vincent’s “deliciously French” film Haute Cuisine, which stars one of our favourite French actresses, Catherine Frot. We knew within five minutes of watching this film that it should take the limelight at this year’s festival, so we hope you’ll lap it up enthusiastically.

Another highlight for us includes Noémie Lvovsky’s run-away hit Camille Rewinds, which has just been nominated for an incredible 13 César awards, France’s prestigious annual film awards. Camille will screen as the closing night film nationwide. Other personal favourites within the festival office include Ursula Meier’s spectacular Sister, the unsettling Oscar-nominated Canadian production War Witch, and Xavier Giannoli’s “enjoyably absurd” Superstar about a man who wakes up to discover he is famous for no reason."

You can find out more about the French Film Festival on their site here.

New Injustice Gods Among Us trailer debuts

New Injustice Gods Among Us trailer debuts

Good news for fans waiting to find out a little more about Injustice Gods Among Us.

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment peeled back a layer of detail regarding the story for Injustice: Gods Among Us with the release of the newest trailer from the game.  Showcasing a variety of DC Comics heroes and villains, fans for the first time will witness the high stakes drama that unfolds through the narrative.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is an all-new game in development by award-winning NetherRealm Studios. The title debuts a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story  featuring a large cast of favourite DC Comics icons such as Batman, Bane, Lex Luthor, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and many others.  Set in a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred, players will experience heroes and villains engaging in epic battles on a massive scale. 

Take a look at the Injustice Gods Among Us story trailer here...

Hotel Transylvania: Blu Ray Review

Hotel Transylvania: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Sony Home Entertainment

In the latest animated offering for school holidays, it's off to Transylvania we go with the director of the truly awesome Samurai Jack TV series and the star of Jack and Jill, Adam Sandler.

Sandler plays Count Drac, who runs the Hotel Transylvania, a refuge for all the monsters of the world to holiday away from the hunt-them-down-and-kill-them attitudes of the humans out there.

But it's not just the monsters which Drac's protecting - it's also his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) who's turning 118 and desperately wants to fly the nest.

On the eve of Mavis' 118th birthday, Drac's gathered a whole heap of his best friends - Frankenstein, Frankie's bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the werewolf family - to help throw a lavish party for Mavis.

However, when a carefree backpacker, Jonathan (voiced by Andy Samberg) finds his way into the hotel, Drac finds his over-protective grip on life slipping and soon realises he could lose everything.

Hotel Transylvania is a case of great premise, weak story.

Sandler gives a hit and miss performance with an Romanian accent which is all over the place in this flick which has a frenetic pace to no doubt cover the fact there's a distinct lack of a really engaging story. In fact, if anything, the story is similar in places to Monsters, Inc, where a human accidentally ends up in the monsters' world and they try to return them.

While Tartakovsky has added a manic touch to the animation, it's done so at the expense of the other characters - Steve Buscemi is woefully wasted as Wolfman, as are the rest of the supporting cast, who are forced to the sidelines by Sandler and Samberg's double act.

That said, there are some great throwaway sight gags splattered throughout (and a spot on Twilight parody) but despite a touchingly Gothic flashback to how Drac met his wife, this tale of an overprotective dad who has to let his daughter find her way in the world, sadly offers nothing new to the animated genre - but kids may enjoy some of the ghoulish humour on display.

Extras: commentary, mini movie, deleted scenes, music vid

Rating: