Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D trailer is here

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D trailer is here

We've got an extended first look at Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, the new TV series from Joss Whedon.

First About Time trailer arrives

First About Time trailer arrives

A new film from Richard Curtis is here.

Sort of.

The first About Time trailer us here.

Starring Domnhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter, Anna Karenina), Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Sherlock Holmes, Midnight in Paris) and Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Pirates of the Carribean, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) the film releases in NZ cinemas on 17^th October.

The film is directed and written by Richard Curtis, who’s include films Four Weddings and a Funeral; Notting Hill; Bridget Jones’s Diary; and Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked, which he also directed.

'About Time' is a comedy about love and time travel, which discovers that, in the end, making the most of life may not need time travel at all. Gleeson plays 21 year old Tim who discovers after another crappy New Year's Eve party that he can travel in time, an ability that men in his family have had since way back when.  Tim can't change history but he can change what has happened in his own life so he decides to start off by getting a girlfriend... a task which proves harder then he first thought.  Tim finally meets Mary (McAdams) and wins her heart but soon discovers that ,as his life progresses, his unique gift cannot protect him from the sorrows life can throw at you.

Win a double to see Armageddon in Wellington or Hamilton

Win a double to see Armageddon in Wellington or Hamilton

Armageddon's coming back to Hamilton and Wellington.

The phenomenally popular pop culture expo hits Hamilton on May 25th and 26th at the Claudelands arena and then into the capital on June 1st to the 3rd at the Westpac Stadium.

We're giving you a chance to win a double to either one of those shows - simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com  and in the subject line put either Hamilton or Wellington, your name and address and the answer to this question....

What is the name of the character played by Jason Momoa in Game of Thrones?
(Scan below for a wee hint)

Competition closes Monday May 20th at 5pm

Don't forget you can get all of the information on the guests at the official Armageddon site - and we'll see you at the show!

Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa has just confirmed he will be attending the Hamilton and Wellington editions of the Armageddon Expo on 25^th - 26^th May and 1^st – 3^rd June respectively.

Famous for his role as Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in the popular series, Momoa is expected to face record-breaking crowds of fans upon his return to Armageddon this year.

Armageddon organiser William Geradts says he expects Momoa to bring a whole new hoard of fans to the expos, in particular females.

“Game of Thrones is huge, one of the biggest cult shows we’ve seen in years with awesome folklore, characters and costumes, which is the perfect mix for Armageddon. Ticket sales are already going well, but once the public hears that Jason is coming, we’re expecting a spike in sales, and hoping to see more females than usual,” says Geradts.

Momoa returns to New Zealand after visiting Auckland Armageddon in 2009.

Geradts says Momoa’s career has “expanded exponentially” since he last attended.

“After playing Ronan Dex on Stargate Atlantis Jason’s popularity has sky-rocketed. He’s gone on to play Conan in Conan the Barbarian, Keegan in Bullet to the Head and of course Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones for which he’s established a cult following,” he says.

Momoa will be joined by a range of other fantasy, comic book and sci-fi stars including fellow actors from the Stargate franchise, Jo Flannigan and Mitch Pileggi.

The voice of Lisa Simpson, Yeardley Smith is another big name attending both Hamilton and Wellington Armageddons this year along with Lance Henrickson of Aliens fame, Tony Amendola from Once Upon a Time and, Sylvester McCoy from Doctor Who and The Hobbit, 12 dwarves from The Hobbit (Wellington only) and so many more.

All celebrities attending will take part in panels, signings and photos, so fans can meet them in person.

To see a full list of stars and events happening at the expos go to www.armageddonexpo.com

Tickets are available now from Ticketek.co.nz

Armageddon Expo Hamilton

Saturday 25^th May and Sunday 26^th May, 2013
Claudeland’s Event Centre, Hamilton

Armageddon Expo Wellington

Saturday 1^st June, Sunday 2^nd June and Monday 3^rd June
Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Tickets

One Day Passes

Adult $23 ($20 for presales)
Student $20 ($17 for presales)
Child 12 and Under $11 ($10 for presales)
Child entry is free with an adult ticket
Family 2 adults and 3 children $50 ($45 for presales)

Two Day Passes

Adult $40 ($35 for presales)
Child $19 ($17 for presales)

Three Day Passes (Wellington only)

Adult $55 ($50 for presales)
Child $28 ($24 for presales)

VIP Gold and Silver passes also available, see Ticketek.co.nz for details

Titty Bar Ha Ha: Comedy Festival Review

Titty Bar Ha Ha: Comedy Festival Review

Cabaret and late night with a title like this could suggest only one thing.

Smut and plenty of it.

Except to say that Titty Bar Ha Ha is not quite the balls and all rude ribaldry that you might perhaps be expecting. Set in a 1943 England, it's the time of Hope and Gloria, two burlesquely clad girls, working to make an honest living as the planes fly over above them.

There's a dead ex under the floorboards and the authorities are closing in but it doesn't stop Hope and Gloria from having a good time - and what pairs of lungs these girls have got. (Easy at the back there)

There's plenty of singing, dancing and a lot of audience interaction in this piece which is a real late night treat. With more innuendo and double entendre than outright smut (although buppetry provides the obligatory XXX treat at the end of the show), Titty Bar Ha Ha is actually a damn good night out - and not in a completely dirty mac at the back kind of way.

With some deftly clever lyrics and some brilliant rhyming couplets, the duo weave a bloody good night out. Sure there's innuendo - "He was prone to come but not stay" being one of the cleaner moments, but there's also a great gathering of songs, fizzing audience participation and ribaldry as it plays out over its 60 minutes running time. A mash up of Tainted Love, some games involving coke and a fizzy sweet, training in burlesque dancing and a chance to get up on stage proves the entire thing is nothing short of pure wartime entertainment.

Both Hope and Gloria have amazing voices and the way they seamlessly riff on some stories of abuse and cheated upon girls in the wartime world certainly resonates here and there - but overall, this cabaret is well worth staying up late for and making sure you catch it in its last week at the festival.

To Rome With Love: Blu Ray Review

To Rome With Love: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

After his recent fantastical offering in Paris, Woody Allen returns.

This time, he and an ensemble cast head to la bella Italia, Rome, for another fantasy magical comedy offering - To Rome With Love.

Visitors to and residents of Rome find their lives changed by the adventures and predicaments they find themselves in. From Jesse Eisenberg's trainee architect, Jack, who's tempted by his girlfriend's best friend Monica (Ellen Page) to Roberto Benigni's Leopoldo, who awakes one day to find his life has been turned into that of a celebrity, chased at every turn by the paparazzi, this is a mix of farcical and the comedic, with a pinch of the serious thrown in.

Allen himself is back in his usual neurotic form as a frustrated former opera director whose daughter is engaged following a whirlwind romance to one of Rome's locals. When he heads there, he discovers his daughter's father-in-law is a talented singer - but only when he sings in the shower... It's full of whimsy, fantasy and light-heartedness - but it didn't half rub me up the wrong way. Allen seemed to be a parody of himself and all his neuroses wound up to 11; with comments like "I have an IQ of 150 - you're thinking in euros, in dollars, it's a lot less" and "Don't psychoanalyse me! Many have tried. All have failed.", it's like he's rolling out his best lines.

Like any series of stories, some fly, whereas others falter and fail, proving their flimsy coincidence is all a little too much to bear - from the farce of the newly married husband whose wife wanders off only for him to be left with Penelope Cruz's call girl and his parents thinking that's his wife, it's an intriguing mix which doesn't quite work out as well as perhaps it should.

It's a shame because Allen's eye for the beauty and majesty of Rome from behind the camera is once again magnificent - even if his writing is stereotyped and a little too farcical and fantastical to take seriously. But then, perhaps that's some of the reason for To Rome With Love - it's a postcard and declaration of amour for the city and one which will resonate with those looking for light and flouncy Woody Allen.

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Latest ZB movie review

Latest ZB movie review

This week, Jack was back from Mexico - and we got to talk the latest movie releases on Newstalk ZB.

Under the spotlight this week was the new JJ Abrams Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Colin Firth's latest, Gambit and also the controversial Spring Breakers.

Take a listen below:

http://newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/343337446-darren-bevan-at-the-movies--may-11

Rebelle: Movie Review

Rebelle: Movie Review

Cast: Rachel Mwanza
Director: Kim Nguyen

It's the rather hard-hitting world of child soldiers we go with this Canadian film, also known as Rebelle.

Mwanza plays Komona, a child whose African village is ransacked by rebels at the start of the movie and who's forced to join the forces and kill her own parents as her first act as a child soldier.


When she survives a confrontation, the powers that be believe she is a witch and a lucky charm for their leader, The Great Tiger. But Komona decides the life is not for her and plots running away, with one other.

War Witch aka Rebelle is a harrowing and somewhat fraught viewing experience, but one which is utterly incredible given how you are transfixed by what plays out. What begins with a voiceover, quickly turns into a massacre and leaves you with your heart in your mouth, which is agog with horror.

Thankfully this is not one of those flicks which becomes an unrelentingly difficult watch because of it - mainly due to the performance of Mwanza, whose innocence in the face of pure horror is captivating. 


It's not the easiest watch though and a very human performance grounds the piece in a reality which draws you in when you least expect it. Disturbing imagery pervades the film too - one shot sees the forests covered with white ghosts seen by Komona, it's certainly the kind of film for which the word haunting was coined.

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