Entourage: Blu Ray Review

Entourage: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Entourage's big screen debut may be about star cameos (Kelsey Grammar mocking therapy, George Takei officiating a wedding, Jean Reno simply standing there) and breasts to butts ratio but it feels like nothing more than an extended episode of the HBO TV series which ended back in 2011.

In the film, everything that wrapped up the TV series is undone as Vince's marriage has unravelled, Ari's coming out of retirement and E and Sloan are having a baby together, while not being together. Ari's first job as studio head is to give Vince a directorial role on their first picture - but the ensuing budget issues and problems with the film's Texan financiers threatens to send both Ari and Vince to the dumpster.

There's an incredible feeling of deja vu in Entourage aka the male Sex and The City as it feels like the film has recycled several plots from the series' run. Remember when Vincent Chase faced ruin for his involvement in a movie that could destroy him and his crew (Medellin, anyone?). Meanwhile Drama finds himself in trouble (again), Turtle chases down a crush (Ronda Rousey) and E suffers more will he / won't he with Sloane that bogged down large chunks of the TV show way back when. (Newcomers to the series need not worry - a smart use of Piers Morgan to recap the group as part of a TV profile proves a successful diving in point)

But while the bromance is still as fluid as it always was between the quartet thanks to Doug Ellin's writing and instinct for the guys, it all feels a little passe. Jeremy Piven's highly strung, expletive spouting studio exec remains the high point of the flick, giving his venomously homophobic, sexist and racist agent the spiteful edge he always teetered around as he spouts F bombs and verges on an on-screen stroke. (To be fair, it's the same as Ari has ever been, but Piven gives so much energy to the part, it's contagious)

Callbacks to the show's history and characters ensure there's a faith to the narrative and a reward to the fans but I'm sorry to say (and speaking as a fan of the show), this overlong and empty piece does feel like a greatest hits (and tits) package that's been reconstituted for 2015, which in parts feels empty and lacking. Some of the problem is the same as the series with the stakes never really being high enough for the guys - and it's curious to note that the newer elements to the movie such as Haley Joel Osment's hillbilly snot financier is one of the more fleshed out characters. 

But if you're a fan of the show, you won't have a problem being invited back to the party, spotting the celebs and hanging with the bros as they ogle bikini-clad (or occasionally not) babes, wallow in their self-centred lives and watch them generally coast along with continuing degrees of success. The satire of Hollywood's excesses that presented so much promise in the early part of the series is completely thrown out of the window here as the recycled story trots out over 100 minutes.

It's sad to say that Entourage feels like it's had its time and as the film progresses, you begin to care less and less about the group - it feels like a TV movie that made its way to the big screen by mistake and squandered its moment in the spotlight. 

Entourage is not entirely unwatchable if you're a fan of the show, but if it was ever to be more successful, its attempts to widen the net and attract newcomers to the party feel like a wasted opportunity, thanks to this entirely safe visualisation of the male wish fulfillment fantasy on the big screen.

Rating:

Star Wars Battlefront to hit Auckland Armageddon

Star Wars Battlefront to hit Auckland Armageddon

Great news for fans of the Star Wars series - and gaming as well

The Star Wars Battlefront, hotly anticipated by all is coming to Auckland's Armageddon expo!

Stay tuned for more.

Fallout 4 | What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L. | Part 2: PERCEPTION

Fallout 4 | What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L. | Part 2: PERCEPTION

At Vault-Tec, we’re working around the clock to help prepare you for the possibility of total atomic annihilation with our educational series on the seven defining attributes that make you S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Last week we focused on Strength. In today’s chapter we focus on Perception to help you better understand how to deal with immediate post-nuclear threats.    

Remember, the rebuilding of this great nation of ours may fall to you so study these materials carefully to ensure you survive and thrive in a life aboveground.

You can share this video and help ensure the survival of your fellow citizens with the below YouTube link.

For more survival tips from Vault-Tec, stay tuned next week to learn how your Endurance can help you resist the effects of radiation and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Set to release worldwide on November 10, 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, Fallout 4 is the next generation of open-world gaming where every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours.

For more information about the game visit www.Fallout4.com.

Tangerine: Film Review

Tangerine: Film Review

Sean Baker's Starlet was a sweet nugget of a film that played the NZIFF a couple of years back and had a friendship between a young girl and an elderly woman at its core. It was gentle, savvy and earnest.

His latest, shot on iPhone (everyone has to have a gimmick, right?) is a lurid blast of West Hollywood, a slice of in-your-face-life that plays up to its over-exposed sunshine beating down.

Set on Christmas Eve 2014, it's the story of two transgender BFFs, one of whom Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is fresh outta jail and looking to catch up with her beau Chester. But when pal Alexandra reveals that Sin-Dee's been cheated on, she sets out to find the "bitch what done her wrong" and deliver her justice.

A collision of Short Cuts mixed in with cinema verite, Tangerine is to be frank, shrill in places and an ear-drum piercingly startling film.

Baker's brilliantly caught the banter between the blaring sounds of the street and those who inhabit it, with this tale of essentially, revenge and friendship.

With everything bathed in the Hollywood glows of the sun and the way of life, it takes a little time to adjust to this flick that has a bombastic OST blaring at every available opportunity. Its rawness equally takes time to adjust given that the character of Sin-Dee appears to be naturally set to overdrive, slotting perfectly into the flick as the revenge tale plays out.

When the film slows down and breathes, it has much in common with Starlet. 

Once again, Baker's explored the bonds of friendship - despite everything that Sin-Dee goes through and is going through thanks to a philandering other half, she moves heaven and hell to get to Alexandra's spot to witness her singing because it's a pledge that's been made and an implicit and taciturn recognition that above all else on the strip, you only have your friends to rely on and a code of honor (Starlet explored similar themes)

With Baker's eye for verite, it's fair to say there will be moments of this film that will polarise some, but it doesn't shy away from a truth that's out there and rarely explored on film. It all collides at the end with perhaps some level of contrivance, but in among the sound, bluster and a ballistic lead, the ripples are potently powerful - particularly in the film's final scene, where the theme couldn't be more implicitly stated or more subtly.

Certainly Rodriguez's performance is blessed with as much vulnerability as there is bravado; and Mya Taylor's turn as Alexandra is perhaps more taciturn, but proves to be a perfect emotional foil to Rodriguez.

Above all, there's heart in Tangerine - look past the glare and blinding shrillness of the strip and those who inhabit it to get a feeling of grace, darkly comic humour as well as a simple tale of when it all comes down to it, life will let you down.

But if you're lucky, in your time of need, your friends never will.

Rating:

GTA Online Freemode Events Update Now Available for PS4, Xbox One & PC

GTA Online Freemode Events Update Now Available for PS4, Xbox One & PC

The Freemode Events Update for Grand Theft Auto Online is now available as an automatic download for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. This entirely new way to play GTA Online with no loading screens or lobbies features a wide array of madness, including:

Hunt the Beast
Become the Beast – a stronger, faster (and hairier) version of your character - and flee relentless pursuers all over Los Santos and Blaine County.

King of the Castle
An every man for himself turf war where you’ll need to ascend and claim the designated ‘castle’ as your territory – and then fend off everyone else as they go all out to dethrone you.

Hot Property
Grab the briefcase and go! Jump into a car, bike, boat, motorcycle, P-996 Lazer or just run for the hills with the coveted contraband in hand. Be one of the three players who hold the briefcase the longest to score GTA$ and RP bonuses.

Moving Target
The first player to enter a marked vehicle will become the Moving Target, tasked with safely delivering the vehicle to a designated location. While the marked vehicles will be durable, it’ll take some serious elusive finesse to survive other players’ attempts to destroy you before the drop point.

Checkpoint Challenge
Compete with all your Freemode competitors in a mad dash across southern San Andreas. Who will be the first to race or fly through all the designated checkpoints for fame, fortune and reputation.

Kill List and Kill List Competitive
Take control of some of heavy artillery and duke it out with the mercenaries from Merryweather Security. Rack up GTA$ and RP for each kill.

Dead Drop
Fight for possession of valuable contraband and see if you can make the drop first in this ruthless smuggler’s run.

Penned In
When you see the enormous dome appear over the Los Santos skyline, jump into the closest ride and find your way into it before the timer starts. Then, stay within the dome as it begins to move and shrink, smashing and bashing rivals out. Those who are left out of the dome for more than 7 seconds will explode. See if you can be the sole survivor at the very end.

                                                                                                        

Criminal Damage
Whet your appetite for destruction with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Get strapped with a favorite piece of heavy artillery and let loose over a given time period with no wanted level in sight. Wanton destruction is rewarded with every bullet hole and blast. The player with the largest property damage bill who causes the most destruction will win.

Hold the Wheel
A Sanchez, a Golf Cart or another otherwise humble mode of transport is made into an indestructible marked vehicle. Take command of it and avoid all the other jackers and assailants in your session to be the one behind the driver’s seat when time runs out. Try and go for it solo to keep the entire GTA$ award for yourself, or shrewdly partner up with a gunner to ride with you for protection and split the earnings.

Time Trial
Record the fastest time possible, with a new course to master every week that awards you GTA$ and RP for beating our target time or your own personal best - and a championship worthy haul if you can take down the World Record.

Freemode Challenges
Compete in 19 unique Challenges against your Freemode friends and foes. See who can perform the longest jump, who can drive the farthest without crashing, who can fall the longest distance without dying, who can freefall the farthest before pulling their ‘chute – and many other ways to risk your neck to try and be a top 3 finisher for GTA$ and RP rewards.

TWO NEW ADVERSARY MODES

The Freemode Events Update also includes two all-new exciting Adversary Modes:

Cross the Line: Heavily-armed squads face off across a neutral zone – with the goal of having all team members strategically penetrate their opponents territory to claim victory.

Hunting Pack: You’re part of a team tasked to deliver a priority vehicle rigged to explode if it drops below a minimum speed, while your opponents race, ram and batter to take it down.

ROCKSTAR EDITOR NOW AVAILABLE FOR PS4 & XBOX ONE
The Freemode Events Update includes the launch of the Rockstar Editor on the PS4 and Xbox One - with several new features that have been added to it for all platforms - including an ambient audio and sound effects library, Snapmatic integration, Director Mode updates, and new fonts.

CREATOR UPDATES
Today's update also brings new features to the GTA Online Creator, which includes the ability to properly stack and overlap Props, as well as the ability to save Prop templates that can be reused throughout custom Job creation. Now, clever Creators can make insane mega ramps, super loops, and brilliant parkour courses better than ever.

PLUS LIMITED-TIME GTA$ BONUS AND EXCLUSIVE T-SHIRT UNLOCK
Complete any 5 of these brand new GTA Online Freemode Events between Tuesday, September 15th and Sunday, September 20th to get GTA$50,000 bonus in-game cash plus an exclusive Vapid t-shirt (awarded by Friday, September 25th). And look for more details on more GTA Online bonuses to be announced in the upcoming Freemode Events Social Club Weekend later this week here at the Newswire.

Sicario: Film Review

Sicario: Film Review

Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal,
Director: Denis Villeneuve

Seared in unease, blasted in a sense of dread and swept up in suspense, director Denis Villeneuve continues his cinematic path to darkness with Sicario, a blistering drug cartel drama that also once again indulges his predilection for bodies within walls stories.

In themes that seem remarkably redolent of this year's NZIFF doco Cartel Land (even down to one of the Mexicans who bears more than a passing resemblance to Dr Jose Mireles), Emily Blunt plays Kate Macer, an FBI field agent who's co-opted to a task force aimed at cracking the cartels whose insidious grip is growing on both sides of the border.

Headed up by Josh Brolin's Matt and the equally enigmatic Alejandre (a practically-wolf-like Benicio del Toro) Kate finds answers to her questions not forthcoming and her faith tested as the operation continues.

To say more about Sicario (the Mexican word for hitman) is to betray its sense of unease and its paranoia that anyone is a potential target or perpetrator.

As previously demonstrated in earlier flicks, Incendies,  Enemy and Prisoners, Villeneuve has a way of seriously ramping up the unease and atmospherics and in this latest, he makes no effort to ease that off, constructing sequences that are nerve-jangling to say the least. As the sense of uncertainty increases, a crashing, low-rumbling and dissonant Johann Johannson score adds to the atmospherics substantially and pushes you further to the edge of your seat.

If a Mexican based sub-plot about a man named Silvio is less successful than it should be (and reminiscent of the story of the American on the border that swirls around in Cartel Land), Blunt's eager agent, who's clearly out of her depth given the grand scale of events and the reach of the cartels more than makes up for it in the initial stages of Sicario. Her place in wider scheme of things and the jurisdictional issues and politics is never overplayed but is all the more powerful for it. Though, admittedly, towards the back half of the film, she seems to be a little underwritten and drifts disappointingly away in the final mix.

However, it's del Toro's almost muted and dialled down performance as Alejandro that remains in the mind long after the lights have gone up. A coiled and be-suited del Toro even utters at one point "This is a land of wolves now" with no hint of irony or sense of which side he's on. However, with his semi-closed eyes and on-point performance, and with the constant guessing as to his motives, he, along with Brolin's enigmatically charismatic turn propel the central mystery as we're kept in the dark as much as Emily Blunt's character is.

Villeneuve and his script-writer Taylor Sheridan delight in holding their cards close to their collective chests, with answers only forthcoming in a shocking final third-act denouement that rings as true as it does horrific. Using some stunning aerial vistas and location shots of the deserts and roads as well as ramping up the tension (one border crossing is particularly nerve-wracking), the pair have concocted a slick tale that never stops to lecture merely demonstrate how out of depth some people are as they seek revenge - and it also stops short of delivering commentary on what is, no doubt, an escalating and insidiously growing problem with the war on drugs and the cartels on the borders.

Gripping and thrilling, the intensity of the occasionally bleak but intoxicating Sicario is nigh-on asphyxiating from beginning to end. It's unrelenting in its release as it inveigles its way under your skin and, thanks to its stunning execution, it's one of the best of the year.

Rating:

Everest: Film Review

Everest: Film Review

Cast: Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Hawkes, Keira Knightley, Martin Henderson, Emily Watson, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright
Director: Baltasar Kormakur

"The mountain will have the last word."

With this year's Sherpa playing at the New Zealand International Film Festival and the recent Nepal earthquake foremost in Kiwi minds, Everest can certainly lay claim to being topical.

It's the story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, when, during a busy climbing season and in the impatience of the early days of adventure tourism, tragedy struck resulting in Kiwi mountain guide Rob Hall and two others forfeiting their lives.

However, despite the sensitive touches made to Everest's script throughout, and the lengths gone to by the writers to add shades to Hall's evidently nice guy persona, Everest is a disaster movie through and through, steeped in the traditions and tropes of many a film of its ilk before it.

Crowding on the mountain with players, 2 Guns and Contraband director Baltasar Kormakur surrounds Jason Clarke's Hall with relatively cardboard characters and paints them with the broadest brush strokes possible (including some terrible attempts at the New Zealand accent - largely from Emily Watson, who channels South African in parts and seems to be challenging Ben Kingsley's attempts in Ender's Game). It's disaster movie 101 when broken down in to the sum of its parts - time spent to introduce characters and have them dashed cruelly by nature's force.

And yet, with sweeping stereoscopic 3D cinematic vistas conveying the scale of the mountain and some stunning shots (a peek out onto the mountain in the dark of midnight when all the stars are out is nothing short of magnificent), Everest summits the limitations of its characters to produce a piece that's emotionally draining in parts when the storm rolls in - and which almost feels intrusive in its ultimate finale and execution.

But aside from nature, Everest really peaks with Clarke's stoic performance.

His grounded and human Hall is a masterpiece of subtlety, an all-round good guy who collects rubbish from the mountain, while offering a mailman who wants to summit the peak a discount on his third attempt and a guy who when the chips are down puts everyone else first. Clarke's take on Hall works at an emotional level and transcends the written limitations of a slower first half that takes time to only build on a few character traits of those in the ensemble around Hall (witness Hawkes' mailman, Brolin's Texan swagger, Gyllenhaal's laid-back mountain guide to name but a few).

If the disaster comes in too quickly and the climbers are lost within a swirl of coats and goggles, perhaps that's symptomatic of conditions on a mountain - but it could also be some of the limitations of a script that's spent time building an ensemble of characters and which doesn't quite know what to do with them all (eg the South Africans who are so vocally against the climbers but who disappear) and there's certainly no shortage of cliched language and exhortations throughout. Wisely though, this Everest steers clear of apportioning blame for the disaster, preferring instead to signpost moments throughout.

However, there's no denying a feeling that these are real people who died on the mountain and who suffered, so moments of queasiness and unease pervaded my viewing of the film - particularly given that the movie is a Hollywood piece that proffers little hope come the end. But the palpable sense of emotion when the end finally comes is tangible and there won't be many who leave Everest feeling nothing - occasionally though, a little more subtlety, a tighter script and a little less by-the-numbers disaster flick would have benefited this already tense and occasionally coldly claustrophobic film greatly.

Rating: