First Raid 2 image emerges

First Raid 2 image emerges

The first teaser art for Gareth Huw Evans' upcoming The Raid 2: Berandal is now here. 

With the film now in post production with an eye on a 2014 release and a teaser due in coming weeks, Evans has offered up a look at the first Indonesian teaser art for the film.

Take a look at the first The Raid 2: Berandal images here.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones trailer arrives

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones trailer arrives

The first trailer for Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones has arrived

And it's somewhat spooky.

It's the latest entrant in the Paranormal Activity movie series



Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones hits cinemas in January 2014.

Hyde Park on Hudson: Blu Ray Review

Hyde Park on Hudson: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Bill Murray was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of US President FDR in this winsome little film. It's 1939 America and Britain is in the grip of the War. But in America, FDR is growing closer to his sixth cousin, Margaret Suckley (Linney). As they gradually move closer to a romantic relationship, FDR's relative peace is shattered by the arrival of the King and Queen of Britain (West and Colman) who visit him at his upstate New York mansion.

Hyde Park on Hudson tells the story of that weekend's visit and the passions and problems it throws up for FDR as well as Margaret.

To say that Hyde Park on Hudson is pleasant may sound like an insult but it's not. It's just that it's quite dull despite being  perfectly affable in places. Murray channels a bit of relaxed lightness as FDR himself as he gets closer to Margaret (the film's based on her diaries which were uncovered). Linney herself is also fine as Suckley - and Colman is the spitting image of Queen Elizabeth in parts with her hoity toitiness perfectly pitched against the uncomfortable stutterings of her King.

But here's the thing about Hyde Park on Hudson - it's pretty unmemorable the minute it's over.Linney lurks in the background and never really makes much of a splash as Margaret - and Murray never really suggests anything other than a casual approach to the president. It's a shame because the distant and remote performance he puts in forces you to not connect with FDR in places. Colman and West make a great team but there's never really any frisson of anything approaching tension or excitement as this weekend plays out. There's a lack of insight into the characters as well and it's particularly superficial in the approaches to them.

It may be beautifully costumed and replete with stunning period detail, but it's as light and fluffy as a feather blowing on the breeze - though if you're a fan of the likes of Downton Abbey and those kind of gentle films about manners, then this will be right up your street.

But while it's inoffensive, it's all a little too fanciful and nice to have any real lasting impact after the lights go up.

Extras: None

Rating:

The Great Gatsby: Blu Ray Review

The Great Gatsby: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

It's late in the 1920s and on Long Island where we join Tobey Maguire's Nick Carraway, who's recovering in a sanitarium and recounting the story of millionaire playboy Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and how their paths crossed at the height of the roaring twenties.(1922 to be precise). Carraway's cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) also shares a connection to Gatsby - five years ago, they were in love when he disappeared at war. So, she married Joel Edgerton's Tom Buchanan, and apparently moved on. But when Daisy reconnects with Gatsby, it throws all manner of spanners into the lavish works with Tom suspecting her of an affair, even though he's cavorting with another woman (played by Isla Fisher).

The Great Gatsby movie is all manner of spectacle and unfortunately, all lacking in real soul.It starts off with real energy and sumptuous excesses as a visual symphony explodes before your very eyes. Using CGI and plenty of shots of a camera pulling away, Luhrmann sets a wonderfully evocative film as Tobey Maguire's haunted and laconic (almost stoned) voice-over plays out.

Through dizzying shots, Luhrmann cramming as many people as he can into any given party scene and ramping up an old school soundtrack with current musical sensibilities, his sense of delivery as a director borders on the OTT in places. Luxurious elegance crams every corner of every frame and opulence flows from the screen as the 3D use falls into place and the myth of themysterious playboy Gatsby is fuelled. Plus Luhrmann uses lines from the text to sing out from the screen, which is evocative, innovative and respectful of the source material.

And yet, once the scene is set and the reveal of Gatsby himself is done (a scene where a grinning Cheshire cat style DiCaprio turns around as fireworks go off in the background is so crammed with cheese you can almost taste it), the fizz and sparkle of this spectacle goes limp.Di Caprio impresses as Gatsby, as he struggles to put on a performance as the rich millionaire playboy; Maguire looks laconic and a bit disinterested as Carraway, the narrator of the piece; Joel Edgerton manages the best he can of a one-note character and Carey Mulligan is fairly wispy and ethereal as Daisy, managing to not entirely convince as a love interest.

The Great Gatsby is more a case of style over substance I'm afraid; it's a film of scale, but one which is built on very little foundation. It's hard to care for or even about any of the characters in the central story as the doomed love story plays out. Interestingly unlike the characters in Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge, you don't connect in the same way and it renders the final feeling as one of indifference and detachment rather than romantic longing.

Extras: A whole wealth of them - from swinging sounds of Gatsby, to deleted scene with alternate ending, trailer - a nice solid collection

Rating:

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: