Oscars 2015 - Full list of nominations

Oscars 2015 - Full list of nominations

It's that time of year again - the Oscars nominations are here.

Here's the full list of the 2015 Oscar nominations:

Top line info - Birdman and Grand Budapest Hotel - 9 nominations
The Imitation Game - 8 nominations
American Sniper and Boyhood - 6 nominations
And Meryl Streep racks up a 19th nomination
Robert Duvall becomes the oldest male to be nominated

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Director
Alexandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins, Unbroken

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida, Poland
Leviathan, Russia
Tangerines, Estonia
Timbuktu, Mauritania
Wild Tales, Argentina

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Sniper, Jason Hall
The Imitation Game, Graham Moore
Inherent Vice, Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything, Anthony McCarten
Whiplash, Damien Chazelle

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
Boyhood, Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard, Foxcatcher
Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White, Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Original Score
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

Best Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie; Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
“Glory” from Selma; Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me; Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again; Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Best Documentary—Short
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper
White Earth

Best Film Editing
Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, American Sniper
Sandra Adair, Boyhood
Barney Pilling, The Grand Budapest Hotel
William Goldenberg, The Imitation Game
Tom Cross, Whiplash

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
The Imitation Game, Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
Interstellar, Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
Into the Woods, Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Mr. Turner, Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Best Animated Short
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

Best Live Action Short
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper, Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Birdman, Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
Interstellar, Richard King
Unbroken, Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
Birdman, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
Interstellar, Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
Unbroken, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee
Whiplash, Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
Guardians of the Galaxy, Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
Interstellar, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
X-Men: Days of Future Past, Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Best Documentary — Feature
Citizenfour
Finding Vivien Maier
Last Days of Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

Best Costume Design
Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turne

Nosgoth Open Beta launches

NOSGOTH OPEN BETA BEGINS NEXT WEEK

Get Ready to Play for Free

Sydney, 15^th January 2015 - Square Enix and Psyonix are delighted to announce that Nosgoth, the free to play team based competitive multiplayer will launch worldwide into Open Beta on 22^nd January from 5am AEDT / 7am NZDT.

Nosgoth empowers players of all skill levels with a system focusing on sidegrades rather than upgrades. Offering a level playing field, with balancing being key; Nosgoth focuses on asymmetric combat – where players play as both the melee-oriented Vampire faction as well as the ranged Humans.

"Thanks to our highly dedicated and very passionate community, we've had an amazing journey so far," said Corey Davis, Game Director. "Our goal for the Open Beta is to deliver a fun and engrossing metagame and we realize that working closely with our community is the best way for us to balance and deepen the experience going forward. We are thrilled to see what the future brings!"

About Nosgoth:

Nosgoth is a fast paced and intense game that features two opposing factions with very different gameplay mechanics, both requiring different strategies and tactics. Within a match gamers play one round as Humans and one round as Vampires with both sides featuring a variety of classes.

·         The Humans primarily rely on ranged attacks and are most effective when staying together as group. Humans win through attrition, by wearing down the vampires at range and healing at various supply stations around the map. Armed with weapons from a repeating crossbow, to the ability to blind enemies with Sunlight Vial, the Humans are a force to be reckoned with.

·         The Vampires are dangerously focused on melee attacks, relying on speed and agility to attack the enemy from multiple angles. With mobility including scaling buildings and a flying class, the Vampires fight best solo in coordinated attacks with team mates and recover health by feeding off the Humans.

For more information on Nosgoth, please visit the official Nosgoth Blog: http://www.nosgoth.com/blog

Battlefield Hardline Beta on way

Battlefield Hardline Beta on way

EA's today announced the Battlefield Hardline Beta is on its way.

We are excited to announce some details about the Battlefield™ Hardline beta! First things first: It's open to everyone and on all platforms - PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360®, PS4™ and PS3™.

Bust out those new gadgets, form new strategies and showcase your skills on two different maps and modes. 

First, take a test drive of Hotwire, an all-new mode coming to Battlefield focused on combining all-out warfare with all-out speed. This is how you introduce yourself to the new flavour Visceral Games is bringing to Battlefield with Battlefield Hardline. Or you can go all-out in 64-player cops and criminals warfare in the oldie but goodie, Conquest.

While it's just a taste of the whole game, there won't be a cap on the max progression level so whether you’re busting criminals or fleeing the cops, unlock away. The beta is your shot to test the different classes, toy with different gadgets, and find your crew to take down your foes.

To be frank, we want you to play this beta to death. We need you to. This test is only going to make the game stronger, and help us take a look at ways we can ensure we deliver the most stable launch you deserve.

So keep that feedback coming and head to the Battlefield forums atbit.ly/bf4forum. We've got our ears to the ground, and we'll see you on the streets of Battlefield Hardline soon.

Battlefield Hardline will officially launch in Australia on the 19^th March, 2015.

Kingsman: The Secret Service: Film Review

Kingsman: The Secret Service: Review

Cast: Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton, Samuel L Jackson, Michael Caine, Samantha Womack
Director: Matthew Vaughn



Mixing (in no particular order) Star Wars, Attack The Block, James Bond, The Hunger Games, Ender's Game, Utopia (The TV series), The Raid, Austin Powers, Kickass, Spy Kids and a dollop of R-rated violence blended with Brit stiff upper lip, Kingsman: The Secret Service is an incendiary piece of film-making by a director who's clearly determined to light the blue touch paper and walk away.

Based on a comic book series The Secret Service written by the legendary Mark Millar and the iconic Dave Gibbons, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Colin Firth stars as Harry Hart, a suave and sophisticated agent.

Tasked with finding a new Lancelot agent for their order after the current one falls (they're all modern day Knights of the roundtable) and with a lisping billionaire (played by Samuel L Jackson) threatening a twisted global scheme, it turns out the future is squarely on the shoulders of troubled kid Eggsy (played by relative newcomer Egerton), who's got to earn his place in the secret organisation - as well as save the world...

Audacious, bold, provocative and in one sequence, extremely violent (albeit perfectly choreographed to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird) and likely to polarise, Kingsman: The Secret Service is somewhat of a risk for Vaughan, whose previous work X-Men was easily more mainstream. (A move that should be commended)

Riffing on Bond with some self-deprecating lines about it not being that type of film before becoming an R rated version of that type film, Kingsman is certainly likely to strike a chord in places. (The no2 of the bad guy is a female blade runner - entirely reminiscent of an Oscar Pistorius / Bond villain / No 2 mash up)

But it's also incredibly fresh, thanks to Firth's Brit stiff-upper-lip Peel-esque Harry, a gent whose penchant for saving the world is as sharp as his suits. Seeing Firth dish out the violence throughout will be somewhat career-redefining; equally as impressive is Egerton who makes the ruffian an identifiable protagonist rather than an all out tyke as he works his way out from under Harry's wing (and quotes My Fair Lady at the same time). Their scenes together as the Luke / Kenobi / spy/mentor relationship is fleshed out are a joy to behold.

Stoic support comes from Strong, who as ever brings his character A game as Merlin, Michael Caine as the head of the organisation and Jackson who veers close to caricature before pulling it back.

But the real star is Vaughan, who pulls together some never-before-seen stylings and executes them perfectly on the screen in among the usual genesis storyline.

It's exhilarating and visceral viewing that lands squarely on the spectrum of visual overload as it ramps up in parts to extreme cartoon trappings - and herein lies one of the big problems of Kingsman for me.

A sequence in a church shocks, even though it's wonderfully choreographed and timed to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird. It's the only time the violence is ever close to anything real world in terms of brutality - the rest of the film the violence is more of a comic nature; it's ultra-violence in the extreme and while I get that this sequence is supposed to be a shock for all involved, and that it's impressively put together with a daring that's clearly aimed at pushing the envelope, it's the first time in a long while that I've felt conflicted by what's transpired in front of my eyes.

There's a demented madness to Kingsman: The Secret Service; it's a button pusher on many levels (and even presents to us Jack Davenport - the Bond that never was) but its spy trappings, visceral thrills and nutty joie de vivre makes it an incredible cinema experience - despite the concerns.

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Assassin's Creed Unity DLC Launches

Assassin's Creed Unity DLC Launches

ASSASSIN’S CREED^® UNITY - DEAD KINGS FREE DLC NOW AVAILABLE

Unlock the Secrets of Past French Kings

January 14, 2015 — Today, Ubisoft^® announced that Assassin’s Creed^® Unity - Dead Kings is now available* for free for all Assassin’s Creed Unity players on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC, and will be released tomorrow, January 15^th, on  PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system across EMEA territories.

After the events of Assassin’s Creed Unity, Arno’s quest for redemption leads him to the town of Saint-Denis, then known as Franciade. There he is sent on a mission that will take him to the depths of the city, an intricate network of catacombs and deep caves that hold the remains and best-kept secrets of past French kings. To uncover the dark mysteries that lie beneath the Basilica, Arno is equipped with a lantern to guide his way and will gain access to the Guillotine Gun, a powerful weapon made for both long-range destruction and deadly close-quarter combat.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW

In Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings, players will encounter familiar faces including Napoleon and the Marquis de Sade, as well as a new enemy faction, the Raiders, merciless foes desecrating the catacombs. Players will also be able to embark on additional side quests including new Murder Mysteries, enigmas; and co-operative missions where players can join forces for a heist mission and a special Brotherhood mission.

Both single-player and cooperative modes enable players to unlock new weapons, gear, and outfits that carry over between Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Unity - Dead Kings.

For more information please visit: http://bit.ly/Dead_Kings

Far Cry 4 Escape from Durgesh Prison launches

Far Cry 4 Escape from Durgesh Prison launches

FAR CRY^® 4 ESCAPE FROM DURGESH PRISON DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE

Battle the Elements in a Deadly and Difficult New Time Trial

January 14, 2015 – Ubisoft^® has announced that Escape from Durgesh Prison, a challenging new time trial where players race against the clock and challenge other players for the top spot on the leaderboards, is now available on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC, and will be available tomorrow on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

To view the walkthrough click the image below

To download click HERE

In this new piece of downloadable content for Far Cry 4, Ajay and Hurk find themselves defenceless in the dangerous world of Kyrat after being captured, tortured and stripped of their weapons in Yuma’s prison. To reach the extraction point they will have to complete a series of challenges dictated by the tyrannical Pagan Min to recover their lost weapons and upgrade their gear before a final stand-off with Yuma's forces.

Playable in both single player and coop, Escape from Durgesh Prison is a true test of players’ survival skills. They will need to arm themselves as quickly as possible because in this mode when players die they must restart the mission and use the knowledge and skills they gained during their previous run through to help them reach the extraction point successfully and vie for a top position on the global leaderboards.

Escape from Durgesh Prison is available as part of the Far Cry 4 Season Pass or can be purchased separately. The Season includes Escape from Durgesh Prison as well as The Syringe mission, the Hurk Deluxe Pack, Overrun and Valley of the Yetis, a unique single-player and co-op experience where players will encounter the legendary beasts.

Players can purchase the Far Cry 4 Season Pass through the following links:

PS4 - https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#%21/cid=EP0001-CUSA00462_00-FC4PS4SEASONPASS

PS3 - https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#%21/cid=EP0001-BLES02011_00-FC4PS3SEASONPASS

X1 - https://store.xbox.com/en-GB/Xbox-One/Bundle/FAR-CRY-4-SEASON-PASS/ab9e3a8d-8010-4110-acd2-40ef87ae07a6

X360 - http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-AU/Product/Far-Cry-4-Season-Pass/5e7f5043-9997-466b-a7fc-fa62b105a45a

PC - http://shop.ubi.com/store/ubiemea/html/pbPage.generic-14-FC4-SP-WW-303-other

The 100 Year Old Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared: DVD Review

The 100 Year Old Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Ent

Sometimes, it's not about the destination - it's about the journey.

And that's certainly the case in this adaptation of Jonas Jonasson's book, The 100 Year Old Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared.

Swedish comic Robert Gustafsson stars as Allan Karlsson, the aforementioned OAP who's celebrating a century but whose heart belongs to blowing things up. Cooped up in an old people's home and reflecting on his birthday, Karlsson decides to simply up and leave. So, heading out the window, Karlsson heads for the bus stop and ends up, through a series of mishaps, falling into an adventure that involves biker gangs, a bag full of cash, an elephant and an angry English gangster.

But as Karlsson tells his story, it appears it's not the first time he's found himself in the wrong place at the right time.

A shaggy dog story of the highest order, The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared is nothing short of a little bit insane and quirky.

There's a vein of lunacy and quixotic humour that runs throughout this piece, which sees Karlsson bumping into some major figures throughout history a la Forrest Gump - from General Franco to Harry Truman before swapping explosive advice with Robert Oppenheimer (naturally). As the absurdist journey meanders on its merry way, how much you're on board with this cartoonish almost ACME style memoir will depend on how much you're willing to give to it.

Often hilarious, Karlsson espouses a Life is What It is theology that can really be applied to the movie itself; it's a very gentle anarchy but never really engages the heart as much as it perhaps could. It's good to see a Scandinavian film that doesn't wallow in the dark crime worlds that have become the norm, but The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared tries a little too hard in places to hit the humour, meaning in parts, the coincidental nature of what transpires feels a little forced.

That said, The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared is a ramshackle tale that will reward those who choose to simply go with the flow.
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