The Hangover Part III: Blu Ray Review

The Hangover Part III: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Warner Bros Home Video

The Wolf Pack is back - for the final time.

And it looks like everyone is along for the ride.

When Alan's father dies, the group gathers for the funeral, but they feel that Alan's behaviour, now he's off his meds, warrants taking him to a treatment centre for some of his problems.But, as ever, when the Wolf Pack is back, there's nothing but chaos.

On the way to the hospital, they're attacked by John Goodman's gangster Marshall, who wants to track down Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) who has stolen millions from him. Nonplussed as to what that has to do with them, the Wolfpack realise that Galifianakis' Alan has been in touch with Chow while he's been in jail in Thailand.

And when Marshall kidnaps Doug (Bartha) after Chow breaks out, the pressure's on....once again. Only this time, failure could prove deadly. Bigger, brasher, darker and perhaps a little less funny than what you'd be expecting for the Wolfpack, there's certainly a feeling of the epic here as the gang rolls out one last time in the latest Hangover movie.

It's definitely not a film which is a rehash of what's gone before - in fact, if anything, it's more of a heist movie with lashings of psychosis and oddballs throughout. Mainly in part due to Ken Jeong's Chow getting a lot more screentime and going OTT than he has done in previous Hangovers. And whether you'll enjoy this, is largely dependant  on how you feel about the character, because there's less humour between the group and if anything, more drama as it unfolds with a ticking deadline looming.

Tonally, it's a bit of an odd mix as the film starts off with a slightly loopy attitude with Alan causing a pile-up due to decapitating his giraffe. But then, it shifts into a film with more darkness and surreal depth than previous ones as Alan's father's offed and he offers a eulogy of delusion, the gang gets together to intervene as Alan's off his meds and the group are kidnapped. It's here you start to get the feeling that the bell is knelling for the last time - as callbacks and characters from the other films are thrown in for good measure. Even the baby from the first film is given his time back in the spotlight.

The group works well together -Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms have a great bond and chemistry as Phil, Alan and Stu which transcends the usual buddy schtick as the demented road trip cum heist movie plays out. If anything, Jeong stands out a little within this dynamic and Goodman offers little but rather annoyed mobster. It's only really Galifianakis' character who, despite being idiocy incarnate, manages some vestiges of growing up - albeit it in a rather childish way. Though his flirtation with Melissa McCarthy's pawn shop worker is quite something to behold.

Overall, The Wolf Pack is worth running with one last time for a sort of road trip - but don't be surprised if you have a feeling this threequel disappoints slightly as a darker piece plays out.

(It's also worth sticking around for the credits of the film as well - given there's an extra sequence, which really does hark back to how The Hangover made its cinematic contribution. And it's certainly a few minutes which make you feel there could have been a little more of them peppered throughout the movie.)

Extras: Auditions, stunts, pushing the limits, the real Chow, extended scenes

Rating:

Show Me Shorts festival launches

Show Me Shorts festival launches

New Zealand’s only Academy Awards® accredited film festival, Show Me Shorts, has unveiled a
stellar line-up of top local and international short films.

Show Me Shorts received their largest number of entries ever this year, coming in from over 50
countries. They have also launched several new award categories, and announced cash prizes.

There are 40 shorts in the programme this year, divided into six sessions. “The team and I
watched over 800 films this year, so it was incredibly difficult to choose the best,” says festival
director Gina Dellabarca. “The final selection reflects the premium quality befitting our new
Oscar® qualifying status.”

Countries represented this year are: New Zealand, France, Germany, Korea, Czech Republic,
UK, Iran, Austria, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Australia and Belgium.

Some of the films feature high profile talent such as Michael Richards (Seinfeld's Kramer) in
Walk the Light, and the voices of Cate Blanchett and David Wenham in the award winning
animation A Cautionary Tail, about a little girl born with a tail that expresses her emotions.
Closer to home, Aidee Walker stars in the already award winning short film that she also
directed – Friday Tigers. In Honk if You’re Horny, Andy Anderson gives a career highlight
performance as a lascivious taxi driver telling a hilarious dirty story to an enigmatic young
musician, the captive audience on a taxi ride from hell. Dame Kate Harcourt stars in The Silk
and Chelsie Preston-Crayford features in Here Now (which she also wrote and directed).

The six themed sessions for 2013 are: ‘Dad’s Decision’, ‘Laughing at Ourselves’, ‘Our Place’,
‘Through the Looking Glass’, ‘Interface’, and ‘My Generation’. “Strong themes of place and
identity are evident in the films this year, as outstanding filmmakers explore who we are and
what is important to us,” says Dellabarca. “Staying connected to our loved ones is high on the
list, either physically or digitally in this modern plugged-in world. These shorts tells us something
about who we are. As a nation, a community and an increasingly connected world.”

The ‘My Generation’ session is being offered to school groups with a specially developed
education pack of curriculum-based questions for students and teachers. The festival reports a
strong interest in these screenings already.

Show Me Shorts launches with the Rialto Channel Opening Night & Awards Ceremony on
Wednesday 6 November at Auckland’s Capitol Cinema. The other locations this year include:
Waiheke Island, Matakana, Pukekohe, Paramount Wellington, Cinema Gold Palmerston North,
Alice Cinematheque Christchurch, Movie Max Timaru, Rialto Dunedin, Downtown Cinemas
Paraparaumu, Cinema Gold Havelock North, Limelight Cinema Oamaru, Bay City Cinemas
Tauranga, and The Monkey House Cinema in Whitianga.

Ten awards will be presented on Opening Night. The winner of the Rush Munro’s Best Film will
take away $2,500 cash courtesy of Rush Munro’s, $10,000 worth of VFX work from Cause FX,
$5,000 worth of equipment rental from Rubber Monkey, a one-year membership to Screen Hub,
a six-month membership to StarNow, a one-year membership to SDGNZ for the director and the
editor, and a one year subscription to OnFilm magazine.

The other awards are Panavision Best Cinematographer, StarNow Best Actor, SDGNZ Best
Director, SDGNZ Best Editor, Script to Screen & NZ Writers Guild Best Screen Play, Mexicali
Fresh Best Student Film, NZFC Special Jury Prize, Best International Film, and a new award
this year – RPM Pictures Best Colourist.

$7,000 will be given out in prize money this year, taking the total prize value to over
$35,000. During the festival, audiences can also vote for their favourite film to win the People’s
Choice award by filling out the survey in cinemas or at www.showmeshorts.co.nz.

Pick up a brochure with the full Show Me Shorts 2013 programme from cinemas, cafes and
libraries, or visit www.showmeshorts.co.nz.

Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka: DVD Review

Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

It's hard to fathom but back in 2003, the BBC had no plans to celebrate Doctor Who's 40th anniversary and the prospect of the show returning to TV was still a fan's wet dream.

So, Cosgrove Hall (the animators behind Danger Mouse) were commissioned to make an animation - and the Scream of The Shalka was born.

In the first ever animated Who, broadcast on the BBC's website, Richard E Grant is the ninth Doctor who lands the TARDIS in an English village in 2003 where an alien is holding the villagers to ransom through fear. Befriending a bartender called Alison (Nina Sosanya) the Doctor decides to take on the alien menace, aka the Shalka...

The Scream of the Shalka isn't bad Doctor Who and it isn't bad animation for the time - granted, given today's standard of animated fare, it looks a little rough here and there, but back in 2003, amid the world of dial up, it did a great job of delivering what was needed. Richard E Grant's Doctor is an angular Gothic faced creation who is a little cold and cutting (making him occasionally hard to warm to) but he certainly presents a tantalising premise as to what could have been had the show not gone on.

Extras are a little light on this piece, but one brilliant documentary (The Interweb of Fear) is a fascinating look at how the web developed at the BBC and how Doctor Who was there from the start. It's hard to believe we were once so internet deficient, but this time capsule is a captivating mini doco.

Extras: Commentary, behind the scenes piece and cast and crew interviews.

Rating:

Doctor Who: Terror of the Zygons: DVD Review

Doctor Who: Terror of the Zygons: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

Finally, one of the Fourth Doctor's most loved adventures arrives on a 2 disc DVD set.

Set in 1975, Terror of the Zygons channels some of the trademark fears of body swap horror so prevalent in Philip Hinchcliffe's time in charge of Doctor Who. Returning to Earth, the Doctor (Tom Baker) and companions Sarah and Harry arrive in the Scottish highlands and are thrown into an investigation into the disappearance of several oil rigs. Is is the Loch Ness Monster?

Sure, some of the creature effects for the Loch Ness Monster are a bit wobbly at best, but Terror of the Zygons remains essential Doctor Who, a perfect encapsulation of Tom Baker's time in charge of the TARDIS. Great performances propel a story along which has a few plotholes here and there but it's a fabulous 70s romp.

A solid if unspectacular set of extras include a director's cut and a range of commentary and mini docos (some of which come from 2003). The third part of the UNIT Family doco brings the series upto date and give this set a warm feeling.

Extras: Directors cut, commentary, Dr Who stories, easter eggs and more.

Rating:

Burning Man Set to Light Up Armageddon Expo Opening

Burning Man Set to Light Up Armageddon Expo Opening

Opening night at Auckland Armageddon this year will see a seven metre tall ‘Guy’ burn to the ground to mark the start of New Zealand’s largest fantasy and gaming expo on Friday 25 October at the ASB Showgrounds.

For the past three years, Len Julian of Pyro Company Fireworks has spent more than two months in the lead up to the expo putting together a giant effigy to be set alight.

Julian says that this year, the colossal figure is inspired by the Guy Fawkes character from the film V for Vendetta.

“We’re putting the ‘Guy’ back in Guy Fawkes with this one and we can’t wait to see him ablaze, he’s going to be spectacular,” he says.

The statue is made from a robotic skeleton and is covered in natural hemp so as not to let bad fumes into the atmosphere.

“This year he’s got some tricks up his sleeve to impress the crowds,” says Julian. “Expect more than your standard Guy Fawkes guy.”

Event organiser William Geradts says they started the burning man as a way to really kick off a weekend that’s full of fantasy, technology and sci-fi.

“It’s a bit rebellion and a lot of fun. Something outer-worldly almost, which fits in perfectly with the expo,” he says.

Friday night at Armageddon, before the Burning Man kicks off, is a gaming preview evening, where visitors can check out all the exhibitors and games on offer before they line-up for signatures and photos with their favourite movie, TV and fantasy stars over the weekend.

One stall that will be a buzz with excitement is the exclusive Wargaming station, where the latest games from the world of online battles can be tried, tested and examined by gaming fans and fun seekers alike.

Gamers will be able to meet top players from across Australia and New Zealand who will provide tricks and tips at the live demo areas.

“We’re delighted to have so much fun stuff for people to see and try, including the most gaming and console previews at any one site in the country,” says Geradts. 

Spanning across the main event floor, the expo has massive displays from Wargaming, Nintendo, Nerf, Activision, Warner Brothers, Dell Computers, PlayStation and Microsoft, as well as many others, and features exclusive gaming previews and displays.

Alongside the gaming floor, Armageddon this year brings big international names, Billy Boyd, Pippin from The Lord of the Rings and Evanna Lynch, Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series; as well as multiple stars from Doctor Who and Supernatural and comic book and anime stars.

Diana: Movie Review

Diana: Movie Review

Cast: Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

There's no denying the power and emotional sway the so-called People's Princess held over the public.

To many, she was an icon and a paparazzi target, with her every move photographed and explored, pored over endlessly. So, it's no wonder that a film about the last two years of Princess Diana's life and her affair with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan would come under such close scrutiny.

Diana, the movie, looks at those last two years and finds Naomi Watts giving her best Diana impression, from the sad-looking-down heavily-mascaraed eyes to the tilting to one side of her head. But it's hard to really shake the feeling that you're watching anyone other than Watts in this film, which, is to be frank, more suited to a small screen and is over-dramatic tosh, filled with corny one-liners which are more suited to the page than the screen.

Written by playwright Stephen Jeffreys, the film tries to polish and sparkle and consequently suffers under the same scrutiny afforded Diana in her lifetime. With paparazzi buzzing around Diana from the beginning, it's clear the film-makers are trying to ensure you're in her corner, but this is a film which never shies away from the darker sides of this after-life canonised saint.

Of the famous "There were three of us in this marriage" interview with Martin Bashir, Watts' Diana's shown rehearsing her lines in front of a make-up mirror, exposing the fact this woman had her foibles. It's a brave move which is somewhat torpedoed by the fact Watts tries her best in her impression but can't manage to pull it off when it truly counts. Moments which display Diana's humanitarian concerns come close to clinching the reason she was so beloved, but just fail to meet the mark.

Elsewhere, Lost star Naveen Andrews is reduced to a stoic, stuffy, cigarette smoking cardiac surgeon whose emotionless veneer wouldn't go amiss in a remake of Casablanca; consumed with his career first,he desperately wants to be with Watts' Lady Di somehow. A lack of real chemistry between the two is fatal and the wooden acting which ensues, reducing Diana to some kind of giggling school girl who's discovered her first crush, is almost cringe-worthy, no matter how much truth it may or may not be based on.

Soapy cheesy dialogue leads you to thinking that the slightly stalkerish Diana, who skulks about at night (wearing an even worse wig than the blonde one afforded to Watts) to see him at work in the hospital, has been rendered directly from the pages of a book which may be best described as trashy. While Andrews and Watts work with what little there is, director Oliver Hirschbiegel who brought us Downfall does little to enhance the experience, which is all lavish style and very little substance at all, leaving you reeling at the sight of a Mills and Boon doomed romance playing out in front of you on the big screen. An absence of any of the rest of the Royal Family, bar two people playing Wills and Harry, makes the whole thing reek of a lack of real context. (I should at this stage point out I'm not a Royalist or Diana fan at all)

All in all, Diana the movie is car-crash viewing of the worst kind; stuck between neither fish nor fowl and definitely not in the so-bad-it's-good category, not one person emerges from this overlong car-wreck of a movie with any kind of credibility in tact thanks to the lack of insight or character within.

Rating:

Star Trek Into Darkness: Blu Ray Review

Star Trek Into Darkness: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Set phasers to stunning....

Following on from the success of the 2009 reboot of the Star Trek series, it was inevitable there would be a sequel. And it's a much welcome decision if the meltdown on the internet over the plot and subtleties of this latest is anything to go by. Chris Pine once again returns as the younger version of Captain Kirk, who, this time around, finds his world is shattered with the arrival of John Harrison (a villainous and cold Benedict Cumberbatch), a terrorist whose actions rock the very core of Star Fleet.

But when Kirk is despatched to bring in the war criminal, the stakes are higher than ever before...

Even if you hadn't been expecting the last Star Trek movie to be thrilling and exciting, this new film never lets those expectations drop - and in fact, it completely exceeds them.

Even with the advent of the internet, there has never been so much rabid fan assessment of every detail, each single trailer, every single nuance of dialogue and story hints. Trust me, it's best to go into this completely cold and unspoiled.

Conversely, director JJ Abrams and his team are to be commended for pulling together a film which totally services the incessant whimperings of the fan base through moments which acknowledge its past without ever sacrificing the broader appeal which the first film carefully traversed and successfully paid homage to.

Kirk and his crew are utterly engaging once again as the action piles up and it's Chris Pine, whose heroic central performance deserves the most commendation. It's a stunning turn once again by an amazing Pine who brings a maturity to his hot headed and brash Enterprise captain.

Not only is there action a-plenty in this latest Star Trek movie, there's just so much of it. The film begins at a breakneck pace with Kirk and McCoy racing through the undergrowth of an alien world, but after two hours, just when you think you can't cope with any more, JJ Abrams throws in a final showdown piece which takes your breath away as the parallels to the contemporary politics of war reach an epic conclusion. The end result is mesmerizing - a perfect blend of blockbuster thrills, spills and excitement as this latest boldly goes into 3D, which adds depth to the Enterprise and vastness to the space scenes - as a bigger, bolder and more exciting piece than its predecessor, it's an utterly, unashamedly enthralling ride.

Easily one of the films of the year without a shadow of a doubt.

Extras: Creating the red planet, attack on Starfleet, klingon home world - a reasonable bunch

Rating: