Newstalk ZB Movie Review: Focus, Seventh Son and A Walk Among the Tombstones

Newstalk ZB Movie Review: Focus, Seventh Son and A Walk Among the Tombstones

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-focus-seventh-son-walk-among-the-tombstones/

If I Stay: Blu Ray Review

If I Stay: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent

Based on the Young Adult novel by Gayle Forman of the same name, Kickass' Chloe Grace Moretz stars as Mia, a kid growing up in a musical family.

Her mum and dad (Enos and Leonard) used to be in a local rocker band, her younger brother's into Iggy Pop, but Mia's more classically inclined, with a penchant for the cello which is encouraged not indulged by those around her.

When a snow day is called, the family heads out together for a road trip, but a road accident changes Mia's life - and her family's - forever. Trapped in a coma, Mia must decide whether to return to life or move on.

There's a mix of the quaver of notes and the quiver of hearts (as you'd expect) in this young adult outing as it follows the usual path of first love, obstacles and naivetes.
With its bon mot of "Life is what happens when you're making plans", it plunges into the traditional tropes of the genre but without any real emotion (outside of Grace-Moretz's occasionally vulnerable performance as the prodigy) and with a dollop of cheesiness and stereotyped characters sprinkled liberally within (and plucked from a range of other stories).

Grace-Moretz brings a sensitivity and tangible sense of a life on a precipice during her hospital set scenes, but the flashbacks charting her life as she waits to see if she's got into a prestigious musical college, works through the good and bad of her first relationship with soft-rocker Adam (Blakely) and generally reflects on what's gone occasionally bring the movie into a lull. She manages to channel the uncertainty of diving into any world naturalistically, but the Lovely Bones style framing starts to drag things down into a predictably syrupy mire.

That said, Cutler does relatively good work with the subject matter (pseudo sick lit perhaps) and doesn't ever let the horror of what's going on swamp the movie. But perhaps, that's also some of the real problem here - a lack of real connection and a trite fashion of dealing with a wildly sanitised approach.

While the family flashbacks have a warmth and a corny sense of life (witness a group singalong of Smashing Pumpkins' Today around a campfire in a moment Mia describes as perfect), there's little heart as the rest plays out. The one stand-out moment comes when Stacy Keach's distraught Gramps sits by Mia's bed and pours out all the pent up emotions and repressed sadness that comes in such situations, with his heartbreaking final words mustering all the emotional tone that's needed for the rest of the film. (Though, admittedly, that could send it over the edge into overly mawkish)

Along with the usual cliched lines that are made to make teens swoon, and given the success of The Fault in Our Stars, If I Stay will benefit from having an already in-built audience determined to cry their way through the oh-so recognisable and relatable issues of life and love; as a story of a teen facing her own mortality, thanks to some unoriginal imagery (lights outside of the hospital, a white light in the corridors, music on speakers around the ward), it feels too formulaic - despite Grace-Moretz's charismatic performance, If I Stay is just another sanitised dollop of teen / young adult fare.


Rating:

Victorian London comes to Auckland for the Order 1886 launch

Victorian London comes to Auckland for the Order 1886 launch

The Order 1886 has now launched, and to celebrate, Auckland got a taste of the Victorian...

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy release date revealed

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy release date revealed

NIS America is announcing that the dungeon crawler RPG, Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, is arriving exclusively for PlayStation®Vita with a new release date June 4, 2015 for Australia and New Zealand. The title will be available as both a physical and digital release. Fight through the Abyss and battle against the Variants—but only if you dare!

About the game:

From the studio that made Demon Gaze comes Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, a sci-fi dungeon crawler RPG set in a near future Tokyo. With the city under the constant threat of Variants—genetically engineered monsters—and the emergence of portals leading to a mysterious dimension called the Abyss, the government has established the Code Physics Agency to investigate these mysterious phenomena. The Xth Squad—a unique group of teens modified by the CPA’s Code technology—must evade traps, face down powerful monsters, and investigate the mystery behind the Abyss.

Key Features:

Robust Customization System

Recruit and train a unique group of six Xth members to venture into the Abyss. Customize each member from one of ten distinct Blood Codes. Each Xth member's appearance, class, personality, morality, and stats may be molded to the player's preference.

An Accessible, Yet Deep Dungeon Crawler

The labyrinthine dungeons of New Tokyo offer 40+ hours of dungeon crawling action with traps, secret doors, challenging enemies, and gorgeous art throughout.

A Unique Sci-Fi Story

Dive into the unique dungeon crawler setting of Operation Abyss and lose yourself in the gorgeous world, featuring real-life locations rendered by Tetsu Kurosawa and Oxijiyen. A gripping story blends heavy sci-fi elements with a setting to give the game a unique feel.

First NZIFF Titles For 2015 Announced

First NZIFF Titles For 2015 Announced

First NZIFF Titles For 2015 Announced

Yay! The time has come to announce the first NZIFF screenings of the year. NZIFF Autumn Events gets our year underway with premiere screenings of two major big-screen documentaries in April and May. The Ground We Won is a funny, unsentimental and often astoundingly beautiful account of a season in the lives of a New Zealand provincial rugby-team. It’s the new film from Auckland husband-and-wife team Chris Pryor and Miriam Smith whose NZIFF 2012 hit How Far Is Heaven, saw them embedded with the Sisters of Compassion at Jerusalem on the Whanganui River. Confessed “rugby-outsiders”, they spent a year in Reporoa to capture a cliché-free and remarkably candid portrait of 21st-century rural Kiwi manhood. That Sugar Film, already creating headlines in its native Australia, follows the self-endangering model created by Morgan “Super Size Me” Spurlock to investigate the impact of sugar on our health. Actor/director Damon Gameau turned the camera on himself to explore the impact of a 40-teaspoon a day diet, which he racked up eating only food purveyed as healthy. We saw both of these films taking major spots at NZIFF this winter, but the filmmakers had compelling reasons to agitate for the earlier Autumn Events spots. Chris and Miriam are keen to have their film on screens as a prelude to Rugby World Cup fever. And, judging from the number of enquiries we’ve fielded, there’s an audience already chomping at the bit for their Sugar Film fix. We’re very happy to have the big screens at our disposal to give them the splendid premieres they deserve and we’re delighted that the filmmakers will be present at the Auckland and Wellington screenings to answer our questions and yours. NZIFF Autumn Events screen at The Civic in Auckland, Paramount and Embassy in Wellington, Regent, Dunedin and Hoyts Riccarton in Christchurch. Auckland screenings of both films are on sale now, as are Wellington screenings of That Sugar Film. Schedules and on-sale dates for the other sessions are to be announced. Stand by too for the long awaited revelation of spectacular 2015 NZIFF Autumn Event Classic titles next week.

Wolfenstein®: The Old Blood™ announced

 Wolfenstein®: The Old Blood™ announced

BETHESDA ANNOUNCES

WOLFENSTEIN: THE OLD BLOOD

Standalone Prequel to the Award-Winning Game

Wolfenstein: The New Order Available From May 5, 2015

March 5, 2015 (Sydney, Australia) - Bethesda, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced Wolfenstein®: The Old Blood™, the standalone prequel to the critically-acclaimed first-person action-adventure shooter, Wolfenstein®: The New Order™. In development at MachineGames, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood will be available digitally and in retail for AUD $39.95 / NZD $39.95 from May 5, 2015 for the PlayStation®4 system and PC, and digital only for the Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

The year is 1946 and the Nazis are on the brink of winning World War II. In an effort to turn the tide in the Allies’ favour, B.J. Blazkowicz must embark on an epic, two-part mission deep within Bavaria. Part one ofWolfenstein: The Old Blood - Rudi Jäger and the Den of Wolves - pits BJ Blazkowicz against a maniacal prison warden as he breaks into Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to steal the coordinates to General Deathshead’s compound.  In part two – The Dark Secrets of Helga Von Schabbs – our hero's search for the coordinates leads him to the city of Wulfburg where an obsessed Nazi archaeologist is exhuming mysterious artefacts that threaten to unleash a dark and ancient power. 

“Diving back into the world of Wolfenstein has really been fun for us,” said Jerk Gustafsson, executive producer at MachineGames. “We’ve enjoyed exploring the events leading up to The New Order. We think fans will really enjoy the story, all the action and, of course, jumping back into the combat with new weapons.”

Wolfenstein: The New Order, released in May 2014, enjoyed worldwide critical and commercial success with over 75 Game of the Year awards, and was hailed by The New York Times as “one of the very best releases of the year.”

Adversary Modes, Daily Objectives and More New Updates Also Coming to GTA Online March 10th

Adversary Modes, Daily Objectives and More New Updates Also Coming to GTA Online March 10th

Next week, Heists will deliver a brand new gameplay experience to GTA Online, offering players the chance to team up to take down big scores. Alongside this massive new addition comes a range of new features and enhancements to make the entire GTA Online experience bigger and deeper.  Adversary Modes bring three new kinds of competition to GTA Online while new Daily Objectives and other Freemode activities bring new life to the hectic streets of Los Santos and Blaine County.  Here's a rundown of just some of the new features and additions launching next week alongside Heists that will continue to expand and augment the world of Grand Theft Auto Online.

NEW ADVERSARY MODES

These brand new player vs. player modes bring a range of intense new competitive challenges to GTA Online. Adversary Modes will unlock as players progress through Heists.

Come Out To Play
A team of three Runners just trying to make it home, and a team of Hunters are out for blood. Runners are well-armed but limited to movement by foot, while the opposition wield free-aim shotguns and ride motorbikes or ATVs. Hunters must stay on their bikes and have access to unlimited lives, while the Runners have just one life but all their weapons available to pick off the Hunters at will. 

Siege Mentality
Up to four players stand their ground, outnumbered but not outgunned as they fight to survive against up to 6 determined attackers in a location defense mode, GTA style. Attackers have unlimited lives but fight only with sawn-off shotguns. Defenders have full use of all their weapons. 

Hasta La Vista
The chase is on as Truckers in big rig cabs hunt down a team of Cyclists. The Cyclists' goal is simple: reach the final checkpoint without getting crushed under the wheels of the pursuing trucks. Without traditional weapons the Truckers must rely solely on their vehicles to crush the Cyclists. Meanwhile, the Cyclists must harness the manoeuvrability and acceleration of their bikes to evade the trucks, while keeping an eye over their shoulder. If one of the Cyclists reaches the checkpoint, the Cyclists win. If all Cyclists are terminated, the Truckers prevail.

Daily Objectives
The Los Santos daily hustle just got a little more lucrative. Whether you tend towards Jobs or free-form activities, Daily Objectives will give you a rotating series of challenges to take on for GTA$ rewards. With three new objectives per day, players can stack up challenges over consecutive days to earn bonuses of up to $500,000.

New Freemode Activities
You and your fellow players also have new opportunities for cash and RP rewards with new activities added to the world in Freemode. Be on the lookout for calls from Lester, who may need help to distract the cops in a specific area while Lester’s accomplices finish their criminal business. Lamar may call looking for help destroying a vehicle or two, while Trevor and Ron need occasional help picking their business rival’s planes out of the sky. Along with GTA$ and RP bonuses, there are all-new Awards available for completing these challenges with style.

There's also a new in-game Email notification system that will allow you to contact and message any of your GTA Online friends, no matter what session they’re in - as well as a host of new Awards that yield new items including exclusive t-shirts and car modifications.

Everything detailed here will be added to GTA Online for consoles in tandem with Heists on March 10th and on day one for PC when it launches on April 14. Stay tuned to the Newswire for more news, including our suggestions on how you can ready your crew to take down scores when Heists launch next week.