Riddick Debut Trailer lands

Riddick Debut Trailer lands

Vin Diesel is back. And so is Riddick...


Prepare for the latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000's hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick. 

The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. 

The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. 

Dan Nightingale: Comedy Festival Review

Dan Nightingale: Comedy Festival Review

There was an embarrassment of comedy riches on the streets of Auckland last night in the final week of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.

From TapeFace, to Eli Matthewson, Raybon Khan to The Big Show, there was plenty of choice. Some would even say you were spoiled for choice.

One of those at Q Theatre (well, Vault at Q to be more precise) was UK comic Dan Nightingale. He was last here back in 2009, and by all accounts had a good time.

Self announcing himself on stage (Austin Powers, much?) Dan set the tone for his time on stage by urging the audience to "Pretend like you know who I am" before ambling onto the stage. The lighting at the Vault meant the entire room was on show to Dan - and I can't imagine anything worse for a performer.

But for Dan himself, it was like a moth to a flame.

However, I will say that's not bad news for the crowd or the front row, who to be fair, provide a lot of the impetus for Dan's show. Titled "On Life, On Love and On the North Island", it's a loose connection of themes from housemates, growing old, getting the horn from watching Nigella on TV and kids.

Yet, it's Dan's interplay with the audience which proved the real gem of the night, giving him a chance to ingratiate himself into our lives and hearts with a clever turn of phrase and some killer one liners (some of which appeared to simply be throwaway comments, which shone in brilliance - and occasionally went over the heads of some of the audience) Quick as a flash, some of the self deprecation yielded much mirth - "I'm not a smackhead - you can tell by the weight" was one of my favourite throwaway moments.

Dan's not a confrontational comic by any means - in fact, his mocking of an audience member's old style non-Smartphone showed he had material to use for whatever situation arose. He grooms the audience for mirth and merriment and simply becomes a mate of yours just having a chat with a beer in hand.

With an ease of style and a sense of humour that's wicked, fast and funny, Dan shook off a slightly shaky start and delivered a set that was smart, clever and showed off superior intelligence. He's endearing, engaging and amusing - and a good choice for an hour of your time as the New Zealand Comedy Festival draws to a close.

Eli Matthewson: Comedy Festival Review

Eli Matthewson: Comedy Festival Review

Nominated for the Billy T award for 2013, Eli's certainly got the pressure of expectation on his shoulders.

But, my goodness, doesn't he carry it well?

This self-assured, extremely confident and utterly impressive young comedian (he's hit 25) brought his autobiographical show to the Basement Theatre.

Proposition: Great! takes a look at Eli's life growing up in Christchurch, coming out and getting to grips with a quarter life crisis. But the themes are universal - self awareness, self acceptance and ultimately self happiness.

Eli manages to bring to the table a wisdom beyond his years, a cheeky and rapid fire quick wit (in among some smut) and an intelligence which is borderline genius. He's also got the timing of some of his lines down to perfection, knowing when to read the crowd and when to deliver the killer blow. Not all of his young ilk have mastered that yet to be honest, but Eli shows comedy chops beyond his years.

While the show predominantly concentrates on his own identity and the journey to that, you can be sure that stories of awkwardness with the opposite sex and obsessions with films are ones everyone will recognise. Throwing in some theatrical flair and a lot of performance punch, Eli's show is one which never stops surprising, entertaining and amusing. A few side lines and quick throwaway comments show he's constantly thinking on his feet and he emerges with a strong sense of comic identity and the ability to keep a crowd interested and engaged throughout.

A wonderful wrong-footing of the audience pervades the finale and with some Jurassic Park style mimicry to rival even Rhys Darby's own dino impressions, there's a real sense that this comic is an extremely rising star.

Nominated for this year's Billy T Award, I'd suggest Eli is a very, very strong contender - with his clever play on stereotypes and the usual anecdotes and an honesty which makes him extremely approachable and watchable, you'd be wise to place some money on this guy crossing the finish line first come the Last Laughs closing night on May 19th.

First films from the 2013 New Zealand International Film Festival announced

First films from the 2013 New Zealand International Film Festival announced

Good news for fans hanging out for the  2013 New Zealand International Film Festival.

The first batch of confirmed titles have been revealed...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday 16 May

FIRST FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR 2013

The New Zealand International Film Festival today revealed the first six films confirmed for the 2013 programme.

World premieres of four New Zealand films have been announced, with further titles to be announced in June.

“These four early film confirmations give us great confidence about this year’s New Zealand programme. Once again we can only be humbled by the immense commitment of local filmmakers who have dedicated vast swathes of their time to getting the world on film, and have done it so persuasively,” says NZIFF Director Bill Gosden.

Antarctica; A Year on Ice

Director Anthony Powell has spent nine winters in Antarctica. A self-taught photographer, Anthony has built his own equipment to survive the harsh conditions and capture stunning time-lapse imagery. A Year on Ice shows us a part of the world most will never discover, in breath-taking hi-definition.   

The Deadly Ponies Gang

Director Zoe McIntosh has found the Flight of the Conchords’ long-lost country cousins in Clint and Dwayne, the two members of the Deadly Ponies Gang, who talk of picking up ‘chicks’ on their blinged-out horses. Auckland’s legendary Golden Dawn stars as the venue for Dwayne’s false teeth fundraising gig.

Gardening with Soul

Director Jess Feast (Cocaine and Communists) joins Sister Loyola at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington. Sister Loyola, a NZ Gardener of the Year, continues to tend to the community garden she established, now in her 90s, whilst providing refreshingly candid reflections on life and religion.

Soul in the Sea

Director Amy Taylor travelled to Whakatane after seeing media reports of a friendly lone dolphin named Moko. She spent the next six months documenting Moko’s time with the community, getting to know his friends and detractors.

Two American films have also been announced to have their New Zealand premieres at NZIFF:

Dirty Wars

USA 2013

Director Rick Rowley

Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill has produced this explosive documentary with director Rick Rowley about the secret ‘wars’ of the US’s Joint Special Operations unit. Scahill’s book of the same title is being released this week.

View Dirty Wars trailer here:

Upstream Color

USA 2013

Director Shane Carruth

The year’s most tantalising cinematic whatsit comes nine years after writer, director, musician, editor, producer and star Shane Carruth first amazed audiences with his no-budget time-travel riddle Primer. The narrative, which defies detailed synopsis, concerns the uncanny merging of two lost souls, strangers, both utterly contemporary urban figures.

“A vision as vast and as natural as it is reflexively cinematic and fiercely compassionate.” — Richard Brody, New Yorker

View Upstream Trailer here:

NZIFF dates for 2013 are confirmed for the following regions:

Auckland 18 July – 4 August

Wellington 26 July – 11 August

Christchurch 1 – 18 August

Dunedin 8 – 25 August

Gore 14 – 25 August

Palmerston North 15 August – 1 September

Hamilton 22 August – 15 September

Nelson 28 August – 15 September

Tauranga 12 – 29 September

Masterton 16 – 30 October

Hawke’s Bay 16 October – 3 November

New Plymouth 24 October – 6 November

The programme for NZIFF Auckland will be announced on Monday 24 June and for NZIFF Wellington on Thursday 27 June. Tickets will be on sale in Auckland from Friday 28 June, and in Wellington from Tuesday 2 July from Ticketek. For Festival updates visit www.nziff.co.nz and register to receive e-newsletters. 

Gran Turismo 6 unveiled

Gran Turismo 6 unveiled

Good news for fans of the racing simulator today - Gran Turismo 6 has been revealed!

Gran Turismo®6 is coming!

Kazunori Yamauchi announces new game at Gran Turismo 15th anniversary event

Silverstone, 16th May, 2013– Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. today announced Gran Turismo®6 (GT6™), the latest version of PlayStation®’s best-selling franchise, will be released in Holiday, 2013. The news was revealed today by legendary Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi at an event held to celebrate 15 years of the 70-million-selling series.

GT6 for PlayStation®3 will bring new levels of authenticity to ‘the Real Driving Simulator’ as well as introducing stunning new tracks and cars and a revised user interface. A new compact game engine will improve operation and increase the flexibility to expand it with downloadable content. Meanwhile, the game is also set for expanded connectivity with other devices such as smart phones and tablets and increased social and community functions.

All of the cars and tracks from Gran Turismo®5, which has sold over 10m copies since launching in 2010, will be retained in GT6. But notable new additions to the already impressive line-up of historic cars, road cars and the latest race cars, brings the total car list to 1200 at launch, with new cars set to be continually added online. Several thousand aerodynamic parts and custom wheels will be available for almost all cars, and players can personalize their own custom cars in game to the greatest ever level possible.

The UK’s famous Silverstone Circuit will be just one of seven new locations in Gran Turismo 6, taking the total to 33, with 71 different layouts available, 19 of them brand new. There will also be regular additions of new tracks set to be made available online. The improved course maker function will provide gorgeous scenery spanning several tens of square kilometers including the magnificent backdrop of Andalucía. 

The theme of Gran Turismo’s innovative collaborations with partner companies will increase with the inception of GT6. A number of exciting new projects that blur the line between the virtual and real will be announced in the run up to the game’s launch. Not least of these is GT Academy, a collaboration with Nissan to unearth real racing driver talent that first ran in 2008. It was announced during the event that the competition returns for its biggest ever year in 2013, with the entry mechanic set to take place on an exclusive GT6 demo in July.

Other notable partnerships in the development of GT6 have been with tyre manufacturer Yokohama Rubber and suspension company KW Automotive. Both companies are active in the commercial car industry and in racing, and they have acted as technical development partners for the game’s new physics engine, for its tyre and suspension kinematic modeling, creating an even more realistic experience for GT fans.

“It is amazing to think that it is 15 years since we first released Gran Turismo,” explained Kazunori Yamauchi, during the announcement at Silverstone Circuit. “Things have changed a lot since then and now Gran Turismo 6 is a further evolution of my dream.  We’re pleased to deliver GT6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform. However, we have refactored the game to make it very flexible and expandable, with a view to making many future developments. I am very pleased with everything about the new game and the new additions, but the launch will be only the beginning for GT6. The game will continue to develop throughout its life. I already have many ideas for things I want to achieve in the next 15 years of Gran Turismo!”

The celebration of 15 years of Gran Turismo event at Silverstone included a demo of GT6 featuring the famous circuit. Guests were able to play the game in the familiar circular Gran Turismo race pods before having a chance to take to the real track in cars provided by Audi, Ford, Jaguar, KTM, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota.

Further news about Gran Turismo 6 will be revealed at the forthcoming E3 and Gamescom events and on www.gran-turismo.com. #GT6iscoming

Snitch: Movie Review

Snitch: Movie Review

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Susan Sarandon, Benjamin Bratt, Jon Bernthal
Director: Ric Roman Waugh

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars in a dramatic role for a change in this film, inspired by true events.

He plays construction boss, John Matthews, a good family man who cares for his workforce as well as his two families. So, when his estranged son Jason is arrested on suspected drug smuggling charges, he's forced to enter the seedy world of drugs and drug dealing to try and get him off a long jail sentence.

But John decides (with a little help from Susan Sarandon's Joanne Keeghan, who's trying to get elected to senate) that the best way would be to help try and bust a drugs cartel. To that end, he befriends one of his workers Daniel (Bernthal of The Walking Dead fame) because he's done time for drugs trafficking but is now trying to go clean.

Daniel gets John an introduction into the world of the cartels, and with the FBI and Mexican druglords closing in, the stakes are incredibly high...

Snitch is at times, like watching a more Hollywoodised version of an episode of The Wire, with a surprisingly subtle performance from the man you've come to know as The Rock. A sincere and earnest performance means a bit more presence this time around.

But its message of the horrors of drugs on a white middle-class family is somewhat of a muddle and an unsurprising take on the whole thing. With moments such as John Matthews having to Wiki Drug Cartel to find out more (as if anyone doesn't know what the cartels are, what they do and how they operate), there's a level of nonsense which takes place that's just about acceptable. Throw in the fact that Matthews feels guilty about being a post divorce absentee father and so concocts and executes a plan which leads him to try to deliver the big kahunas in the drug trade, and you've got a story which just about keeps its credibility intact thanks to taut direction and a dialled down Dwayne.

Barry Pepper, with his Billy Goats gruff goatee adds solid support as an undercover DEA agent worrying for the safety of his charge; and Sarandon is all tart ambition and one dimension as a wannabe elected senator, who's only concerned with ensuring that the capture takes place to secure her place in power. The Walking Dead's Jon Berthal seriously impresses as the co-worker of Matthews, whose shady past puts him squarely back where he doesn't want to be after trying to leave drugs behind.

An obligatory car chase scene involving a truck is inevitable but well played as the shoot out heads to the freeway in the film's final act, but despite that, Snitch manages to conceive and execute a morally grey story which is watchable, workmanlike and well acted. It's just a shame the message of drugs being bad, yo, is lost thanks to its ham-fisted and ultimately predictable execution.

Rating:

Kon-Tiki: Movie Review

Kon-Tiki: Movie Review

Cast: Pal Sverre Hagen, Anders Christiansen
Director: Joachim Ronning, Espen Sandberg

It's 1947 and an adventure of derring do has the world gripped in this latest historical re-enactment which has taken Norwegian cinema by storm.

It's the story of young Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl as he embarks on an astonishing expedition - a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean on the Kon-Tiki raft to Polynesia. Unsurprisingly, Heyerdahl has complete conviction in his belief that this can be done, using pluck and only a modern radio to help aboard the balsa wood raft.

But three months go by - and with no land in sight, soon Heyerdahl and his crew are wondering if their convictions, belief and sacrifices were all worth it...

Historically detailed and visually sumptuous, Kon-Tiki is a boys' own adventure which recalls some of the very best of old school film-making. It's also not a film which is particularly blessed with much plot, nuances of character or tons of action. It's quite simply, an almost documentary type piece which recreates the adventure of Heyerdahl and those who bought into his 10 year obsession.

Visually, the film is astounding with Norway, New York and life on the water vividly and wonderfully brought to life with breath-taking attention to period detail. It doesn't rely on shocks, twists or jolts to detail the life on the ocean wave, merely a series of moments which demonstrate how the Pacific teeters on the edge of the beautiful and the dangerous. An encounter with a whale introduces the group to the majesty of it all - and in a heartbeat, the possibility of the whale snapping some of their rudder shows how the menace can turn on the tide. In fact, the water scenes are very reminiscent of the recent film Life of Pi, even down to a shot of jellyfish floating by.

Hagen's Thor Heyerdahl is a wiry, blonde haired man whose conviction costs him everything. It's not a showy performance by any stretch of the imagination, merely one which grips you as the story plays out. To be frank, the rest of the crew get scant time for character growth at all, but somehow, as you're swept along in the derring do of it all, none of that actually seems to matter.

Based on Academy Award winning doco, Thor's Epic Voyage, Kon-Tiki feels like a very old school type of film, one where you're swept along with the adventure rather than investing much within the characters themselves. It captures the thrill of the spirit of adventure, friendship and the explorer bond which seems so inconceivable in these days of long haul travel.

Rating: