Last Vegas: Blu Ray Review

Last Vegas: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent 11th June

Forget the Rat Pack, here comes the OAP Pack

Billy (Douglas), Paddy (de Niro), Archie (Freeman) and Sam (Kline) are old friends since they were kids growing up in the Bronx.

Now in the later years of their life, and with old age causing them various ravages - except for Billy, whose permatanned look shows no signs of him growing up - they all lead separate and distant lives. Paddy is a widower, who refuses to leave his apartment after his sweetheart's death; Archie has been crippled by a minor stroke and his family insist he takes things easy and Sam is a man who's lost his mojo, living in Florida and being slowly killed by the retirement lifestyle.

So, when Billy proposes to his 30-something girlfriend while delivering a friend's eulogy, the group's reunited for the marriage and bachelor party in Vegas. For each of them, it's a chance to regain their youth and live again - but for Billy and Paddy, there's vitriol in the air as a long time simmering tension reaches a head...

Last Vegas is quite simply, The Hangover for the OAP generation - but without the gross out laughs or the extreme debauchery. In their place is a bikini contest and an ongoing gag about a condom and Viagra.

While the quartet have an easy chemistry and a great bond - with Douglas once again showing why he's such a permanent presence on screen, the writing is nothing short of predictable and the gags incredibly lame and easily gentle. And yet, one or two of them elicit laughs - from Kline's character's quick asides (calling Billy a hazelnut) to Freeman's incredible charisma and charm, there's nothing offensive about what transpires on screen.

Sure, the character arcs and predictable denouements can be seen a mile off - from Billy's inevitable realisation and acceptance of his age, to Paddy's gradual acquiescence over Billy's snub; from Sam's realisation that a chance to play away from home is nothing but a sham given he loves his wife to Archie's journey towards taking it easy, these characters will be appreciated by the older generation, looking for some easy and gentle laughs.

Last Vegas delivers every predictable laugh you'd expect, mocking age and the ravages of time and creaking as much as the actor's joints; there's nothing new and original here. In fact, if anything it feels a little old school in many ways - but you know what, this journey to Vegas is worth the trip if you fancy watching some old pros dial it in.

Extras: Shooting in Vegas, featurettes, commentary

Rating:

Destiny BETA dates unveiled - and limited editions revealed

Official Beta Dates for the PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 Announced

Destiny ‘Ghost’ and ‘Limited’ Collector’s Editions Revealed 

Auckland, New Zealand – July 8, 2014 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), and Bungie today confirmed the calendar for the highly anticipated Destiny Beta, which will include a diverse sampling of major activities featured in the full game. Fans who pre-order Destiny at a participating retailer are guaranteed access into the Beta, which will commence as follows:

·         The Beta begins first for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system (PlayStation Plus required for some features) and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system at 5:00am NZDT on July 18

·         The Beta begins for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system and Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft (Xbox Live Gold required) at 5:00am NZDT on July 24

·         The Beta will be offline for scheduled maintenance on July 22 – July 23 and remain open for all platforms until 6:59pm NZDT on July 28

“As we prepare to launch our first Beta on multiple console platforms around the world, we are excited and eager to open the flood gates,” said Harold Ryan, Bungie’s president.  “We already love to play Destiny, and with your help we can be ready for our launch in September.”

Activision and Bungie also revealed today three epic collector’s edition versions of the game. The Destiny Ghost Edition and the Destiny Limited Edition both include the following:

·         Limited edition SteelBook™ Case and Game Disc

·         Guardian Folio:

o   Arms & Armament Field Guide

o   Postcards from the Golden Age 

o   Antique Star Chart

·         Collector’s Edition Digital Content Pack:

o   Unique Ghost Casing

o   Exclusive Player Emblem

o   Exclusive Player Ship Variant

·         Destiny Expansion Pass – expands the Destiny adventure post-launch with the following two expansions, which will include brand new story missions, cooperative activities and competitive multiplayer arenas, and a wealth of all new weapons, armour and gear to earn:

o   Expansion I: The Dark Below – Set deep beneath the surface of the Moon, fans will discover an ancient tomb that has been unsealed, and a dark god who has risen an evil army in the depths of the Hellmouth, the home of the Hive enemy race

o   Expansion II: House of Wolves – Details will be revealed later

o   PlayStation platforms will also include additional exclusive content with each expansion

The Destiny Ghost Edition will also include the following:

·         Ghost replica, featuring motion-activated lights and voice recordings from award-winning actor Peter Dinklage, voice of the Ghost character, the player’s personal companion in the game

·         Letter of Introduction

·         Golden Age Relics, which include a Photo, Patch, Sticker and two Chrome slides of the Traveler

For digital pre-order fans, the Destiny Digital Guardian Edition includes a digital download copy of the game, Destiny Expansion Pass and the Collector’s Edition Digital Content Pack.

The Destiny Ghost Edition available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One only, the Destiny Limited Edition, the Destiny Digital Guardian Edition and the Destiny Expansion Pass(RRP $42.99 for the pass, Expansion I and Expansion II are priced individually at RRP $27.99) are all available for pre-order now. All pre-orders on any sku will include access to the Vanguard Armoury that includes early access to weapons, gear and exclusive player emblem. Fans can visit:

·         http://www.destinythegame.com/au/en/wheretobuy to see a list of participating global retailers

For more information about the Beta and the Destiny collector’s editions, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com.  For exclusive updates, follow the official Destiny social channels at www.facebook.com/DestinyTheGame and @DestinyTheGame on Twitter, and interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net. 

About Destiny

Players are cast as Guardians of the last city on Earth, who will explore the ancient ruins of our solar system from the red dunes of Mars to the lush jungles of Venus. Able to wield incredible power, gamers must battle humanity’s enemies and reclaim all that was lost during the collapse of mankind’s Golden Age. In a story-driven universe,Destiny unfolds through grand tales and epic adventures by immersing players in a bold new universe filled with cooperative, competitive, public, and social activities, all seamlessly connected. Destiny has a pending rating of M (Fantasy Violence, online interactivity).

About Bungie

Bungie was founded in 1991 with two goals: develop kick ass games that combine state-of-the-art technology with uncompromising art, captivating storytelling, and deep gameplay, and then to sell enough copies to fund their ongoing quest for World Domination. Over the past twenty years, Bungie created a bunch of fun games, including the Halo Franchise, the Marathon Trilogy, and the first two Myth games. Now independent, employee-owned, and located in Bellevue, Washington, Bungie is preparing to unleash their newest creation, Destiny, upon the world.

More information about Bungie can be found at www.bungie.net.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website,www.activision.com. 

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark: PS4 Review

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Activision

There's no denying the latest Transformers film is a noisy mess; Age of Extinction's certainly loud, brash and bloated excess.

So there was some hope that the game spin off, released to tie in with the Michael Bay helmed release would be a little dialled back for the small screen and the gaming world.

Tieing in with the movie in a prequel way and expanding the role of bounty hunter Lockdown, you are thrown into the battle for the Dark Spark, an ancient relic that gives as much power to its holder as they can possibly muster. But as Optimus Prime and his team of Autobots find out, when that falls into the wrong hands, then all manner of chaos can ensue as you try to seize the spark and save the day.

The game starts with you taking on Drift, negotiating your way through hordes of Lockdown's minions to try and get to the Spark first; using Drift's blade attack and pressing R1, you can smash the opposition in chains (which is quite cool) before transforming into a car and racing to your objective. It's here the problems begin, because while the combat's perfectly frenetic and serviceable with all the mentality of the Michael Bay film thrown in for good measure, and the transformation smooth and rendered well, the actual playability of the car is less than ideal, thanks to slow responsiveness and a lack of anything smooth.

The game also veers from Autobot to Decepticon points of view without any real warning. After Lockdown seizes the Spark, the game quickly cuts to Cyberton and the Decepticons as Megatron desperately scours the planet looking for the Spark, and trying to inject some mystery into the relatively humdrum proceedings.

There are 14 story missions to negotiate, meaning there's plenty of flipping back and forth, which really does interrupt the narrative in many ways. Inclusion of survival mode Escalation where hordes of enemies come your way give you a chance to simply put the brain on hold and blast away, which is a nice touch and a welcome addition to the proceedings.

But the story isn't as powerful as you'd expect (if you're even expecting a story) and detracts from the overall experience of Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. There are moments when the game really comes together (such as the aforementioned Transforming and the powering up of weapons via unlockable gear boxes) but as an overall product, it's a disappointment for the franchise.

All in all, Transformers Rise of the Dark Spark may be serviceable if you're a fan of the franchise; but as a gaming proposition, it just doesn't have the fun flow to carry you through level by level as the missions unwind. While the multiplayer extension of Escalation means you can have a little more fun and brainless activity, the lack of that within the main game is sorely missed - and this latest Transformers franchise may need to go back to basics to ensure the fight between the Autobots and the Decepticons doesn't end up extinct on the console front.

Rating:

ZB Review - talking Jersey Boys, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and The LEGO Movie

ZB Review - talking Jersey Boys, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and The LEGO Movie

This week on Newstalk ZB with Jack Tame, it was Clint Eastwood's take on Jersey Boys, the school holiday film How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The LEGO Movie.

Take a listen below:

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/listen-on-demand/audio/629988244-darren-bevan--at-the-movies

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Movie Review

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Movie Review

Cast: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Kirk Acevedo
Director: Matt Reeves

The latest Planet of the Apes outing sees the film continuing from the end of the 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which concluded with a viral plague starting to sweep the planet.

Picking up ten years on with most of the earth's population wiped out by this plague of virulence, the Apes are now the dominant species, thanks to their genetic development in the first film. But when Caesar (an utterly incredible Andy Serkis) and his tribe inadvertently meet a band of human survivors, the fragile agreement they reach is shattered by a lack of trust.

With factions of the Apes not trusting the humans, and with Caesar urging them to give the humans a chance, division is imminent - and could threaten all species...

Dawn Of The Planet of The Apes had such ape expectations piled upon it after the intelligent and digitally impressive first film - and boy, does it deliver in spades.

Starting a close up of Caesar's eyes (an image which book-ends both the beginning and end of the movie), the film is gripping and tense from start to finish. The opening sequence sets everything up - but subverts expectations as the apes hunt for food; relationships between father and son are defined as are tensions between Caesar and Koba (Kemmell) - both of which threaten to boil over when the humans arrive.

It's a testament done to Joe Letteri and his digital team at WETA, that when in fact they do show up, the live action creatures are the lesser on screen species in more ways than one. While the underwritten Clarke and Russell relatively impress in this Last of Us style world that's evolved from the plague and Oldman hams it up beyond belief, they can't hold a candle to the digital apes who, not only visually impress and feel natural, but deliver emotion in great heaps and more expression than some actors ever muster. In fact, it's even more intelligent this time around, as we dizzy from leader to leader's viewpoint in a film about prejudices, the choices faced by those in power and a timeless story of power struggles and betrayal. It's a universal tale which has been told many times before - and even echoes some of what happened to the real Caesar from within.

There's plenty of action on hand as well - from all out war (with gun-toting apes on horseback turning on the humans) through to birth of new ape life, every gamut is explored and every emotion exploited to maximum effect.

Quietly and patiently, Reeves weaves a tale of such power and impressiveness that you can't help but be swept along with it all.

Once again though, it's the digital team at WETA and Andy Serkis who are the stars, giving us creatures that we care for and characters that we side with as the tensions rise and the factions split with horrific consequence; subtle differences in faces and eyes give us more than we need to hang onto and the creation of the world within (from Ape Commandments no less) a place we can identify with. It all feels natural and not one digital moment has been thrown in to simply show off. Serkis, if anything, deserves to get some kind of award for his ongoing impressiveness in expression and emotion for the work done on Caesar.

Dawn Of The Planet of the Apes is a sequel which surpasses the intelligence and action stakes of the first; it's an excellent and masterful movie that deserves to be seen.

All hail Caesar and his Apes of Wrath - long may they reign.

Rating:

Ernest & Celestine: Movie Review

Ernest & Celestine: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti, William H Macy
Director: Stephanie Aubier

An unashamedly old school animated treat, Ernest and Celestine is a gorgeous little piece of film.

It's the story of Celestine, a young mouse (voiced by Foy) who lives in an orphanage and who is taunted by stories of how horrific bears living in the real world are. An artist by desire, she finds herself in the bears' world when having to collect teeth for the rodents to use but inadvertently ends up trapped in a bin after an accidental locking in by Ernest (Forest Whitaker).

As Ernest is about to eat her, due to ravenous hunger, Celestine manages to persuade him to hold off, showing him where food can be found - and it's from here that a bond between the pair is grown. From this bond, a true friendship emerges, but not everyone believes that's the way to go.

Old school in many ways thanks to its simple script and its delightfully hand drawn animation, Ernest and Celestine is a timeless film that's pure in its delivery and heart. The exploration of friendship is beautifully proffered up and the animation is a treat.

If you're a fan of family friendly films and want to experience something that's quite different from anything offered by animation these days, this charming hand -drawn pastel rich Belgian piece is for you - it's a rare treat in the days of overblown CGI antics and it's a reminder that sometimes the simplest of stories and visuals soar the highest.

Rating:

The Incredibly Strange Section with Ant Timpson: NZIFF Interview

The Incredibly Strange Section with Ant Timpson

What comes up in Google, if you type Ant Timpson

There wouldn't be an annual influx of the bizarre without the Incredibly Strange section of the New Zealand International Film Festival - and there wouldn't be that, without the input and programming of head honcho, Ant Timpson. 
Ant took time out of his day to ebulliently answer a few questions about the upcoming delights of the Incredibly Strange section of the programme - and his reasons for programming it.

First up, not directly in your section, but something you’re an executive producer of, Housebound – which has done well in SXSW and is getting a North America distribution as well as screening in the main festival. What’s that been like to be part of?

Well, it’s interesting you bring up Housebound.
Actually it’s not – I mean it’s easily the most entertaining NZ feature to be made for the last few decades so of course you want to talk about it. 
When I came to the project it was in a dire way. It was beaten up, haggard and in tatters.  

Housebound, playing at NZIFF 2014

I took the director Gerard under my wing and said “Kid, you’ve got something, I can work with this, I can shape it into something world class”… Oh hold on.. Sorry I got confused, I think that was something from Rocky 5.  
Actually I came on as EP for HOUSEBOUND in the final stages - Gerard and Luke had been living with the film for a couple of years and once I saw it, I knew it was one of the most accomplished debut films we've ever seen in NZ. I thought I could help get the film in front of the right people and work on its SXSW roll-out.
Housebound had the best launch at SXSW that you could ask for. It was the film critics/people discovered away from the hype machine and then wanted to tell all their friends about how great it was and maybe a bit of "nyah nyah" mixed in for good measure. We planned how to approach SXSW after getting the confirmation. We pulled on XYZ to rep – and having the folks behind The Raid in your corner makes people instantly take notice. We spent a good 4-5 weeks working out who to go with because at one stage we had 6-7 companies all interested in taking on the film. I had my friends at FonsPR look after the media on the ground, Badass Digest got the word out about the cool poster, other friends at certain sites helped profile the funny ‘pee’ clip.. And then Gerard, Luke and I did the hard yards shaking hands and putting up flyers in illegal places.  My partner in crime, Tim League, offered us to piggyback a boil-up party at his house for the film which basically meant we gave Housebound tee-shirts and got to charm the key media folks from IGN and IMDB. From that point on it’s been a whirlwind on the film with it being picked up for North America and then world sales kicking off at Cannes. You couldn’t have asked for a better roll-out to be honest and director Gerard Johnstone has gone from being Flight 370 to suddenly being on everyone's radar in Hollywood.  God help us all.

Turning to Incredibly Strange, what was the choice like out there this year?

There’s always a boatload of films out there every year – unfortunately many of them drain your will to live. The expansion of genre films has exploded as the access to equipment means everyone can deliver a relatively polished product. The end result is a lot of clutter and it takes time to weed through all of it to find the gems. It’s helpful being part of a wider community of programmers who all share insight into what's out there – we all want to be the ones who discover a new talent but unless you’re at a major fest, it's rare to be given something incredible as a world premiere. 
We also have the usual problems of sales agents holding off titles from festival screeners because of placement at larger festivals or restrictions placed on it by US distributors.
Case in point - I really wanted to show Adam Wingard’s THE GUEST - I’ve supported his films since his debut feature Pop Skull and even ended up working with him on my film THE ABCS OF DEATH – but I just couldn’t get the film secured for a festival screening. No matter how many times I pouted and wailed about the injustice of it all.

I’ve got a gun to your head, and am forcing you to choose – what’s the one film from your section that you’d tell everyone to go see and why?

Well, I’ve already disarmed you and now you’re suddenly in a choke hold and wheezing like an old man… so there is no choice for me to make. The only choice that matters is whether you choose to live or die.  Luckily, I am a team player and the NZiFF want this interview to be read by the 5 people who read your blog – so I release the hold. 
On my own free will, I conclude that the one film I can heartily recommend to everyone and their dog is JODOROWSKY’S DUNE. It’s inspirational and rekindles any jaded sense of wonder that audiences might have.

Same question, (I have a second concealed weapon, which is why you didn’t see this coming) – what’s the one film from the main programme you’d tell everyone to go see and why? (This cannot be Housebound, by the way…)

Scarlett Johansson in Under The Skin

Again - and I hate to embarrass you in front of the same 5 people mentioned above - but I saw that concealed bump like it was a 3000watt xenon beam from across the room.. the gun is now in your mouth and tears are streaming down your face. 
Taking pity on the pathetic and because I love many of the features in the main programme – this choice is like shooting fish in a barrel. Using your concealed weapon I pop off a cap and it hits Jonathan Glazer’s mesmerising miasma UNDER THE SKIN. It's a film I saw at Toronto Film Festival last Sept and vividly recall several sequences like I saw them only hours ago.

Turning to all your films in The Incredibly Strange Section, Borgman’s the first Dutch film in competition at Cannes in 40 years, what makes it so special?

Borgman is just being released in the US so the timing is rather perfect for folks here to see what all the fuss at Cannes was about. What gripped me about the film was that it so effortlessly introduces a new mythology without pandering to audiences or attempting to answer everything. It begins in high-gear with the introduction of Borgman himself and from that moment you are riveted in the game he unleashes on an unsuspecting wealthy couple.

The Congress seems like a novel idea – why did this make it through?

Did you just make an awful pun in front of me? A novel idea – about a film based on a Stanislaw Lem’s classic novel? 
You’re on the ground begging for your life now. Making whimpering sounds that have limited appeal to me. 
I let you stand.  
The film was selected because it’s hugely ambitious film-making (just like Jodorowsky’s Dune) and that’s infectious to watch. The premise is ingenious and the film-making techniques match the script's inventiveness.  It helps that it’s superbly well-cast and it should appeal to a wide cross-section of movie-goers.

Cold In July looks like a twisted take on the home invasion story, what’s the best moment in it and why?

Just be quiet. You don’t tell me what the films are like. 

Michael C Hall in Cold In July

The five readers have no interest in your take on these films, especially when you haven’t seen them. 
It is not a home invasion story, let's get that out of the way. This is pulpy neo-noir feast with extra crackling on top. The opening sequence is someone breaking into a house but from that point on it becomes a fully-fledged thriller/mystery with some unpleasant discoveries along the way. 
The best moment is obviously when Don Johnson’s character comes into the story.

Jodorowsky’s Dune – legendary to some, need I say more?

No you’ve said quite enough. The film is legendary full stop. Not to some. It just is. 
When people see this incredible documentary they’ll understand that the 9^th wonder of the world is still preserved in a giant book – but they can imagine it as Alejandro Jodorowsky begins to explain just what his vision would have been. 
PS – I still love the Lynch version.

Home seems to be a haunted house story with a twist – what’s different about this Nicholas McCarthy flick?

Well for one it’s unlike any haunted house film you’ve ever seen. 
McCarthy is someone who in the space of two features has become a film-maker that I think is worthy of every horror fan's attention. He has the uncanny ability to create dread from composition and sound design – some of his sequences are like he’s channelling Polanski. He’s that good.  
He also doesn’t shy away from delivering jump scares that cause spontaneous soiling. The film doesn’t fit into any easy compartment – it’s a possession movie as much as a haunted house film but you’re never quite sure how it's going to play out. I think for discerning fans it really is something special – if you want Insidious 2, this ain’t it.

Killers looks like it could be a confrontational watch – is this the one title on your programme that could be a tough watch?

This is the film that the censor actually emailed me and felt they’d been through the ringer. 
It’s a disturbing watch but it’s also entertaining (if that doesn’t make me sound too much like a psychopath.) Knowing one of the Mo Bros (Timo) – I know how much of a pitch black sense of humour he has and how this conceit to him is as humourous as it is disturbing. 
He’s playing with a pretty large canvas here and I think we’d be doing a disservice to the film to just label it as a nasty. It’s much smarter than that. Those who got winded by cop vs serial killer pic I SAW THE DEVIL a few years back will want to grab a ticket to duelling serial killers pic quickly.

Kung Fu Elliot, playing at NZIFF in 2014

Kung Fu Elliot is already garnering a good word of mouth and was your choice of launch film, is this one likely to be the next cult hit?

I liked this doc even more when I heard Melbourne Film Festival turned it down along with many other festivals. It was like when I knew Dear Zachary had something and I wanted to share it with audiences here… I call 'em onion docs. The more layers that come off, the more you want to cry. 
Kung Fu Elliot delivers an emotional rollercoaster – audiences go from laughing at the main subject, to laughing along with him to suddenly going "WTF! Dude what the hell is going on here!" 
I expect lots of discussions on the streets after it screens. You’ll want your friends to see it so you can talk about it.

It Follows appears to have a delicious premise – tell us why this is a must see film?

By delicious you mean it involves sex right? God, you sound  like a real creepazoid. Why don’t you just come clean? Stop this film blog masquerade and start covering hamster porn or whatever disgusting stuff you’re into. 
Of course people should see this. 
For one, hardly anyone has seen this film, so you can instantly brag to your friends about seeing it. 
Secondly, it’s a strong a conceit was when Scream first came out – it's one of those ideas that you go:  "That’s so brilliant and yet so obvious why has no one made this film before?" 
The director unabashedly wears his influences heavily and still manages to create a film that feels completely original. Seeing this film cold is the best way though so I’m not going to reveal anything specific to do with the story – just believe me that this is one of the gems of the festival

Finally on your section, Life After Beth (aside from the great title) is a zombie film – thought you’d said you’d never programme a zombie film - why did this one change your mind?

It may have something to do with Aubrey Plaza or that it literally takes that most boring of all genres, the bloody zombie film and injects new life into it. 
Christ in a handbag! That sentence was as bad as some of your questions.. you’ve drained me so much, I’m trotting out lame puns that would make every mainstream breakfast DJ cringe. 
It’s not just a cute take on the familiar  - I should be shot in the face for using the term zom-com.
In fact I’ve just got myself in a choke-hold. 
Before I pass out, I’ll just whisper.... John C Reilly.

What’s the deal with The ABCs of Death 2 – is this going to be a surprise screening or do we have to wait a little longer?

None of your fucking business.

The Incredibly Strange Section plays as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival - for more details, visit www.nziff.co.nz