The Night Before: Film Review

The Night Before: Film Review

Cast: Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie, Michael Shannon, Lizzy Caplan, Mindy Kaling, Jillian Bell
Director: Jonathan Levine

Putting the crass into the Christmas holidays, Seth Rogen returns for an annual assault on the season after last year's near apocalyptic The Interview.

This time ploughing rather more frat frantics than low brow political satire, Rogen is Jewish Isaac, who along with Anthony Mackie's Chris, has every year for the past 13 years spent Christmas with their mutual friend Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) after he was orphaned at this time of the year.

However, this Christmas is going to be different as Isaac's on the cusp of fatherhood and Chris is a growing athlete juggling success and sponsorship. In search of the Holy Grail of Christmas parties, the trio decides this year will be their last of bad behaviour and ho-ho-hos under the tree.

The Night Before is a patchy film that goes for low-hanging fruit and picks every one of them off the tree without fail but without any kind of flair.

These three less-than-wise men booze, sniff and inhale their way through New York as each of them takes on their own personal quest and demons. Mixing in this with the obligatory holiday spirit and eventual mush of the season with a large portion of other white stuff, this film's about as irreverent as it can get - as you'd no doubt expect from a Rogen / Goldberg screenplay.

There's a degree of heart from Gordon-Levitt's character as he battles a bit of holiday blues and post-break up depression from Lizzy Caplan's Diana, but to be frank, this film aims for hedonism mixed in with It's a Wonderful Life / Christmas Carol and barely strays too far from where it's aiming.

Despite Michael Shannon's brilliantly comic turn as a high school teacher turned drug dealer / pothead, and the obligatory showbiz cameos - and a great return from Tracy Morgan, The Night Before runs out of gags and steam by barely half-way through. Rogen's increasingly deranged Isaac's on the run from himself, fuelled by drugs given him by his wife - moments of humour are wrung from this set up but they all ultimately feel aimless and scabrously scatter-shot (even if one pay-off involving the crucifixion shows some residual smarts) when placed in the overall context of a 1hr 40 min movie.

As the film descends into an inevitable cornucopia of cameos and the inevitable happy ending mush is piled on, this Christmas Carol riff on friendship through the years lays out its message to the kids - it's hard to stay in touch as time goes on, but make the effort one character intones. Something that no doubt its mainly frat boy puerile audience will nod vehemently at before life takes hold.

It may sound like a Christmas Grinch to dismiss The Night Before and there's no denying there are some laughs to be had, but the stop-start ramshackle nature of this drug-fuelled nightmare before Christmas is more no-no-no than ho-ho-ho; it's nothing short of seasonal excess with a terrible cinematic hangover once the lights go up.

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The Guest: Blu Ray Review

The Guest: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

From the director of the brilliant You're Next comes a thriller that for some will cast a new light oncousin Matthew from Downton Abbey.

Dan Stevens stars as David, a former soldier who one day shows up on the doorstep of the Peterson family, claiming to have been a friend of their son who was killed in action. Not wanting to appear unkind, the family invites him to stay while he gets settled.

However, as David spends more time with the family, there are a series of deaths, leading daughter Anna (It Follows star Maika Monroe) to suspect him.

Lurid and trashy, revelling in its 80s attitude and soundtrack, The Guest is a hyper-stylish thriller that works on many levels, inveigling its way into your consciousness.

Stevens drops the Downton charm and impresses with his nonchalant and detached exterior belying the menace within his character, but continues to drop hints thanks to underplayed looks and momentary glances. And Monroe, who was so impressive in It Follows, cements her credentials as an up and comer as Anna, who balances paranoia and growing up in equal measure.

Wingard's latest is a genre piece in many ways with the retro feel seeping its way through but without soaking it in past glories. A synth soundtrack sets the tone for the ultra-violence, but there's more than just the music to admire; while the explanations as to what's going on may be a little lacking (there's no doubt you may feel a little cheesed at never getting the full picture), the film's ambiguous and mysterious tone works as it heads to its conclusion.

The Guest is a thriller that works on many levels, a powerful blast of retro fused with the modern and cements Wingard's place as a genre master.

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Newstalk ZB Review - Talking Mockingjay Part 2, Secret in their Eyes and Ground We Won

Newstalk ZB Review - Talking Mockingjay Part 2, Secret in their Eyes and Ground We Won

This week it was the brand new Hunger Games movie, a look at the remake of Secret In their Eyes and on DVD, a brilliant look at heartland rugby in The Ground We Won

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-ii/

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-ii/

Deathgasm: Blu Ray Review

Deathgasm: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent


There are 666 reasons to enjoy Deathgasm.

This bold opening statement has no basis in any kind of fact, but should give you some idea of how the winner of the Make My Horror Movie competition turned into a real winner at the New Zealand International Film Festival.

It's the story of metalhead Brodie (a relatively tender Milo Cawthorne, playing alienated and real) who is shipped off to his Christian aunt and uncle in Greypoint, a small community in New Zealand. As if having a mother who ended up sectioned wasn't bad enough, Brodie finds this dead-end community isn't much better, thanks to bullies, school and having family who are "balls deep into Jesus."

Thankfully, his solitude is lightened by his love of metal and his friendship with fellow rocker Zakk. Along with two other outsiders, they form a band. But things go somewhat haywire when the group plays an unrecorded song from their idols, which they happen to find in an abandoned house with a pentagram in it.

That tune unleashes the imminent arrival of the apocalypse as everyone around becomes possessed by demons....can Brodie save the day?

Bloody silly, Deathgasm is a pure-popcorn treat.

With an eye for the gags and one-liners (perhaps, occasionally, it indulges itself a little too much), it's a riotous feast of sight gags, practical effects, sweetly earnest love-story, and betrayal. Basically, director Jason Lei Howden knows exactly what his audience wants - and delivers it in spades of gory laughs.

Granted, there are puerile moments. But who can turn down a slow-mo fight to death with demons with dildos as your weapon of choice? Or chainsaws up the backside for the bad guys? Deathgasm delivers what it promises in spades, but always with an eye for a great unexpected visual gag here and there and a zippy punchy script that's as self-knowing as it is silly.

For a film that's put together on a budget, the writing is, for the most part, strong (I have some reservations about the slightly inconsistent nature and actions of one of the lead characters) with a searing eye for never losing sight of Brodie while clamouring to deliver the fun one-liners.

Devilishly good fun, demonically funny and satanically silly, the splatter-fest of Deathgasm represents another cult classic in the making.

Sleeping with Other People: Film Review

Sleeping with Other People: Film Review

Cast: Alison Brie, Jason Sudeikis, Amanda Peet, Natasha Lyonne, Adam Scott
Director: Leslye Headland

Billed as a rom-com for the Tindr generation, Sleeping with Other People is actually a sweet-natured film with a bit of filth and funny thrown in for good measure.

It centres on Lainey (Community star Alison Brie) and Jake (Horrible Bosses' Jason Sudeikis), who lost their virginity to each other in college. Years later, the pair bump into each other at a sex addicts' meeting; Lainey's continual cheating with her college sweetheart Matthew Sobvechik (Parks and Rec star Adam Scott) has sabotaged her latest relationship; and Jake's sleeping with his current girlfriend's sister has done the same.

Pledging to become platonic friends, the pair re-connect and find other romantic entanglements - but is their decision a la When Harry Met Sally likely to be their undoing?

Sleeping With Other People has moments of fresh-faced comedy, mixed in with the usual base kind of humour you'd expect from Sudeikis' typical schtick. And yet, thanks to Sudeikis' being dialled back and underplaying of it all, both he and Brie make an eminently watchable couple - even if it's clear from about a third of the way through where this is going.

Brie's Lainey is particularly interesting as Brie subtly plays her as someone continually on the edge of a breakdown because of her addiction to her ex; clearly, that relationship is not good for her, but there will be many for whom the reality hits quite close to the mark, particularly in a world where connection is becoming increasingly distant and more socially led. (Plus when she teaches 7 year olds to dance while on ecstasy, she gives good shock tactics)

Sudeikis is really a toned-down shade of everything we've seen before of him; his instructional on how to masturbate to Lainey is an example though of how the crassness of the film is swathed in a sweetness that's more likely to resonate than alienate.

Ultimately, the drive to bring them together is obvious from the beginning and so much so that Headland fails to really utilise the other relationships to create any kind of friction or inherent tension. Both Lainey and Jake end up seeing perfectly decent people (Lainey's love interest is good dad Marc Blucas and Jake actively pursues boss with kid played by Amanda Peet) but those characters dwindle away in the face of the fact this duo should be together. It's a mistake from Headland and certainly a waste of those talents - even if you argue that nice people are collateral, they still need a dramatic oomph to repay the investment.

However, while Sleeping With Other People's leads are perfectly fine, the film belongs to Jake's friend and married couple, played by Andrea Savage and Jason Mantzoukas. Their bickering and admiration for each other sees them worthy of more screen time (something the post film credits wisely uses) as they capture the essence of longevity in a relationship and the pros and cons of being with one person.

The gentle Sleeping With Other People has highs and lows, but the peaks outweigh the troughs easily - thanks to some reasonable chemistry, a script that zings and a cliche that's pleasantly played out, it hits where it should and will resonate with its target audience.

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Assassin's Creed Syndicate: PS4 Review

Assassin's Creed Syndicate: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Ubisoft

To be frank, the latest Assassin's Creed had a lot of ground to cover.

From the disastrous launch of a bug ridden Unity, it was clear the franchise needed to concentrate on the basics and deliver a game which retained the vibe of the series and also delivered graphics that worked properly when they needed to.

Thankfully, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a return to form with the series.

Set in a wonderfully executed London, in the time of the Industrial revolution, the story follows twins Jacob and Evie Frye. Yep, that's right a woman protagonist. Navigating the crime corridors of London and fighting against the Templars, it's the usual story for the Assassin's series as the duo tries to find a Piece of Eden in the capital.

The dual approach of the game is a welcome touch, and gives the Assassins a chance to mix it up. On the one hand, Evie prefers stealth, whereas Jacob's more handy with his fists, giving you an opportunity to execute different gameplays and shape the game. Equally, the sibling bond and banter is a much welcome touch, bringing down the level of stuffiness to a more recognisable and likeable relationship that's worth sticking with.

Graphically, the game is excellent. Its Industrial Revolution setting and execution of London landmarks is thrilling and beautiful in equal measure. From Big Ben to the streets and factories with their ever present layer of steam, this is a game that gets the grit and grime of the era perfectly and evocatively right.

Equally gritty is some of the action.

Combat's fluid, the switch between assassins is also fluid, but there's also a layer of grit from the era. Jacob can get involved in fight clubs underground, a chance to build XP and also test out your fighting skills. Using a build up of beatdowns the game lets you take control of the fights a little easier, but it's still sometimes better to run away and survive the day, rather than risk death.

All in all Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a welcome revival for the franchise. Its dual leads, its natural banter and its executions of stealth make it a thrilling breath of air for a series that's started to feel staid. Well worth your time, this Assassin's game is very close to killer, not filler.

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Transformers Devastation: PS4 Review

Transformers Devastation: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Activision

Transformers Devastation is like a trip back into the 1980s.

In the game from Activision, Devastation sees Megatron unleash plans to Cyberform the Earth. The only thing standing in the way and the Earth's only hope is Optimus Prime and his trusty Autobots.

Using various combat moves, button combinations and Street Fighter-esque timings, you have to smash and destroy your way through the waves of Decepticons and robots stood in your way.

Transformers Devastation is a retro game in many ways that really does something to recapture some of the negativity that's been posted thanks to other Transformers games. Based on the 1980s comic cartoon, the graphics are perfectly evocative of the era and thanks to the voice work from the original cast, it feels like you are playing / watching an episode. It's thrilling and given that you can play one of the five Autobots too from Bumblebee to Sideswipe, the game hits all of the highs you'd expect given its simple premise.

Channeling the simple combat style and combos, the game's easily playable, and easy to pick up and put down. It's bite-size in many ways and the game doesn't quite have the breadth you'd hope. The map is fairly self-contained and doesn't allow for you to wander off the beaten track. Equally, while you are able to fire weapons, locking on and firing is somewhat difficult and tricky to execute.

Loot drops are contained mainly to health and power-ups, but they drop very easily and readily for you to collect whenever it's necessary.

All in all, Transformers Devastation achieves what it wants to - it's simplicity and faithfulness to the original cartoons that many will have grown up with is endearing and enduring. It means the execution of the licence and the Transformers Hasbro brand is definitely intact and despite its brevity, it remains a blast of fun and a game that surprises.

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