Rise of the Tomb Raider: E3 2015 gameplay

Rise of the Tomb Raider: E3 2015 gameplay

The first game play for Rise of the Tomb Raider has been revealed at E3 2015.

Bethesda's E3 press conference

Bethesda's E3 press conference

It was Bethesda Studios first time at E3 and they didn't disappoint.

Previewing Doom:



Also announcing Battlecry:

And a new Dishonored 2
 

 Plus the Elder Scrolls Legend:

 and of course, the much anticipated Fallout 4:

Bethesda E3 announcements

Bethesda E3 announcements

Get all of the latest gaming announcements from E3 and Bethesda's live conference below

Watch live video from Bethesda on www.twitch.tv

Hot Pursuit: Film Review

Hot Pursuit: Film Review

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara
Director: Anne Fletcher

It's girl power all the way in this formulaic, by the numbers, road comedy that falls on the usual tropes to get it through.

Reese Witherspoon goes back to her broad comedy roots to play an uptight by-the-book cop, Officer Cooper, who finds herself given the task of escorting Modern Family star Sofia Vergara's Danielle Riva to testify in a case against a drug lord and his cartels.

But when the bad guys come shooting and Coop's not sure who she can trust, the pair go on the lam with only each other to rely on.

Hot Pursuit is a very old school film in many ways.

It's slapstick farce which is light on comedy but high on squawking from Sofia Vergara, who essentially plays another version of her Modern Family character.  There are a couple of running gags which mock Witherspoon's character's height and Vergara's character's age but all in all, it's a little patchy at best.

Witherspoon riffs well on the Texan style she's used to playing and does the broad comedy well, but it feels like the writing just isn't strong enough to propel the film through, despite it only being 87 minutes long. As the comic Thelma and Louise rolls on in their bonding, Hot Pursuit rolls out the predictable gags, faux lesbian moments and an increasing silliness to push it over the finish line.

The worst offender on the humour front comes when Coop and Riva fool their captors and escape by explaining that one of them is having their period. It's at this point that you start to wonder how certain parts of the movie made it from the page in the first place.

Ultimately, Hot Pursuit's odd couple chemistry delivers exactly what you'd expect, nothing more, nothing less - it's just a shame that it feels like it's squandered its promise somewhat, and failed to deliver a female led comedy film that Hollywood's been lacking for a while.

Rating:

Foxcatcher: Blu Ray Review

Foxcatcher: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.

And in Foxcatcher, the simple fact is that the true crime explored within is nothing more than intensely disturbing.

It's the story of Channing Tatum's Olympic gold winning athlete Mark Schultz, a veritable gorilla of  a man with a jutting jaw, and an increasing feeling of alienation and lack of self-worth. Having won the gold with his brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo), Mark finds himself living alone, feasting on two-minute noodles and giving hollow speeches to school assemblies about what it takes to win a gold.

With his brother settled into wrestling coaching, Mark's listless and is contacted by John Du Pont (an unrecognisable Steve Carell, complete with prosthetic nose, stooped poise and swerving gaze) to come and coach a group of wrestlers with the aim of winning an Olympic gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Mark accepts, finding something of a kindred spirit in du Pont's apparent benevolence and patriotism and moves into the estate. But, when Du Pont insists on bringing his brother to work in the gym, the quest and its subsequent journey is a mere catalyst for what comes next.

Foxcatcher is a deeply unsettling, an aloof and disturbed movie that's likely to haunt you for days to come.

Miller (who directed Capote and Moneyball) has constructed something minimalist and almost aloof that challenges as much as it chills and creeps. By refusing to delve too deeply into the background of Dupont or the Schulz brothers (we never fully know whether Mark's so resentful of his brother or if there was a bust up) and by using a controlled and measured method, Miller's made it that you have to work to get the reward out of the intense, slow-burning fear of dread that gnaws away at you as this claustrophobic drama plays out. Scenes of wrestling, lingering looks and silence (both spoken and from the soundtrack) say more than reams of on-screen exposition ever would.

At its centre is a career-U-turn of the highest order from Steve Carell, whose pallid exterior and prosthetic nose demeanour seek to disguise the actor from everything you've ever experienced from him - a la Charlize Theron in Monster. Every scene that he's in moves a little closer to making you feel uncomfortable as this fascinating story plays out and as Dupont insinuates his way into Mark's life. But, there are moments when Dupont transcends the creepy weird benefactor who never blinks once in a scene tag; a moment when he explains to his mother what he's doing and her visit to the gym ache with a subtext that's sublime - and one scene where he frees horses is the closest to a release the character gets (though even that drips with a dread that's ever present).

Equally, Tatum channels desperation, frustration and an inability to externalise Mark's opinions with an expert touch. Hunched and ape-like, Mark's vulnerability, grunting and aching desire to find something to desperately cling to are brilliantly realised because of both his acting and Miller's camera hanging on him awkwardly. Likewise, Ruffalo's brother says more with a few looks than any words could do; scenes where his concern for his brother are evident but can't be expressed are excellently committed to the screen - all of the players in this bizarre piece bring their A game.

While Miller plays a little fast and loose with some of the facts of the case (the denouement wisely omits a siege and trial), the slow-burning tension actually produces a richer character tapestry as a result. The subsequent histrionics of such an ending would only provide a deeper understanding of why DuPont was how he was - but by withholding those, there's more a cinematic sense of unease which is commendable.

Restrained, tragic and minimal, Foxcatcher is easily the most uncomfortable film of the year.But it's also the most impressive thanks to two career-redefining turns from Carell and Tatum, which drip with poignancy.

Rating:

NZIFF Maori Pasifika Shorts 2015 unveiled

NZIFF Maori Pasifika Shorts 2015 unveiled

Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts 2015 Eight Māori and Pasifika short films have been selected for the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts Programme for 2015. Now in its fourth year in the NZIFF programme, The Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts Programme features short films from New Zealand, Hawaii, Samoa and Tuvalu. Curated by Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka), Director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, with guest co-curator Craig Fasi (Niue), Director of the Pollywood Film Festival, this year's collection makes a fantastic addition to the 2015 NZIFF programme.

The 2015 Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts Are... (Curator's comments in italics) Taniwha NZ 2015 | 3 mins | Director: Mika (Ngāi Tahu, takatāpui) We open with waiata from Māori magician Mika, another divination, an expression of the spirit of Taniwha! — LK Ma NZ 2014 | 16 mins | Director/Screenplay: Nikki Si’ulepa (Samoan) | Producers: Ngaire Fuata (Rotuman), Nikki Si’ulepa When a grandmother discovers one of her precious toys is missing, she takes matters into her own hands. Ma is a no-nonsense kind of lady who knows exactly what she wants. Never underestimate Ma! — CF Islet Tuvalu 2015 | 11 mins | Director/Producer/Screenplay: Andrew John Fakaua Ponton (Tuvaluan) A 13-year-old boy must navigate the expectations of his ultra-conservative community. The first full Tuvalu language short drama shot in Tuvalu, Islet is a comic tale of a boy who gets hold of a naughty magazine that gets a hold on him. — LK Coral NZ/Samoa 2015 | 15 mins | Director/Screenplay: Giacomo Martelli | Executive Producer: Maea Tamasese (Samoan) | Producers: Steve Finnigan, Grant Baker, Fuimaono Alex Wright (Samoan) A fisherman finds something disturbing in a forbidden lagoon. Shot fully in Samoan, this native noir tale of Tangaroa intrigue, death and mystery lingers with you long after it ends. — LK Lāhainā Noon USA 2014 | 14 mins | Director/Screenplay: Christopher Kahunahana (Hawaiian Kānaka Maoli) | Producer: Patricia Buskirk Three short stories are woven together during a yearly tropical solar phenomenon when the sun passes directly overhead and objects cast no shadow. Hawaiians believe that during the sacred time of Lāhainā Noon the sun rests on the brain and for one minute your mana magnifies. — CF Netta Jones NZ 2015 | 12 mins | Director: Pablo Araus Lobos | Producer/Screenplay: Rachel Morris (Te Aupōuri) During WWII, as Awanui is on high alert fearing a Japanese invasion, 16-year-old Netta falls for a Māori soldier stationed there. Rachel Morris’ story of her grandmother beautifully depicts the landscape of Far North Awanui where a tale of wartime mixed-race love takes place. — LK Mrs Mokemoke NZ 2015 | 9 mins | Director/Screenplay: Li Gent Xin | Producer: Tia Barrett (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi Tahu) Mrs Mokemoke loves her husband, but he’s more interested in her inheritance.A mind-expanding mashup of Lindauer portraits, silent-era storytelling, film noir and Kubrickian intrigue. — LK Elevation NZ 2015 | 14 mins | Director/Screenplay: Tihini Grant (Te Arawa) | Producer: Lara Northcroft (Te Arawa) Trapped in an elevator, a white supremacist and a Māori gang member confront their issues and come out better men, or not. In this dark comedy, a common hate creates an unlikely union. — CF NZIFF programmes will be available in Auckland from Tuesday 23 June, in Wellington from Friday 26 June, in Dunedin from Tuesday 7 July, and in Christchurch from Tuesday 14 July with other centres to follow. New Zealand films at NZIFF are proudly sponsored by Resene.

Newstalk ZB Review - reviewing Jurassic World

Newstalk ZB Review - reviewing Jurassic World

This week on Jack Tame on Newstalk ZB, I was discussing the Jurassic World release, and on DVD The Theory of Everything, and Taken 3.

Take a listen to the review of Jurassic World below.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-jurassic-world/