'71: DVD Review

'71: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by Universal Home Ent

Thrilling, tense and visceral are perhaps the best ways to describe the drama '71.

Set in Belfast in 1971, a near wordless Jack O'Connell stars as rookie Brit soldier Gary Hook. As the film begins the trainees are being put through their paces, with the importance of team-work being drilled into them.

But recruited to the Belfast lines to help with peace-keeping duty, this squaddie soon sees the reality of team-work thrown out the window when a tense meeting between Catholics and Protestants on one street sees him cut-off from the rest of his squad.

Suddenly forced on the run behind enemy lines on one night, Hook's out of his depth when it comes to surviving what lies ahead - and his troubles, much like Northern Ireland's, are just beginning.

First time director Yann Demange rightly won best director at the 2014 British Independent Film Awards with this gripping take on the survival film. As bombs go off and the shocks hit, Demange knows how to lull you into a sense of dread, let it coil around you and choke you with it.

In among the visceral riot, close camera shots force you into the POV of Hook et al as you try desperately to see what's coming where but are only confronted with the uncertain reality of a sea of seething faces. Equally fuelling this powderkeg is O'Connell, whose near-mute presence forces him into a physicality of a performance that helps convey everything he needs and the internal conflicts.

As he staggers from one moment to the next, picking his way through dense fog and streets littered only with burning cars or petrol bombs, he's a commanding presence, a mix of frightened, vulnerable and determined.

Equally chilling are the politics of the time, as the words "We look after our own in the army" and relying on the kindness of strangers take on new meaning on the bomb-torn Belfast streets as allegiances are struck and betrayals are meted out, never overtly but always with subtlety as the conflict begins to take shape.

A final cat and mouse sequence set in a stairwell is the ultimate noose-tightening as storm clouds gather and the nail-biter heads to its denouement. Tragedy inevitably follows Hook on the streets of Belfast but not once does Demange milk this, preferring to showcase the sickening reality of the impending Troubles rather than linger on it.

'71 is an intense and riveting film, one which takes you into the pulsing heart of conflict and defies you not to succumb to a heart attack as it pursues its devastating conclusion.

Newstalk ZB Review - Talking In The Heart of The Sea

Newstalk ZB Review - Talking In The Heart of The Sea

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-heart-of-the-sea/

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-the-heart-of-the-sea/

Dean O Gorman Trumbo Interview

Dean O Gorman Trumbo Interview

Jack Tame caught up with Dean O'Gorman, star of The Hobbit to discuss Trumbo, where he plays Kirk Douglas - and looks uncannily like him.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/dean-ogorman-hitting-the-big-time/

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-mornings-with-jack-tame/audio/dean-ogorman-hitting-the-big-time/

Adventure Time: Jake and Finn Investigations: PS4 Review

Adventure Time: Jake and Finn Investigations: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Bandai Namco

The Adventure Time series is incredibly popular - and it's no surprise that yet another game has been released for the show.

This time around it's a real-time fully 3D orientated adventure game that features combat.

As well as solving puzzles and interacting, the game's fully concentrated on providing an experience for fans of the show.

It all kicks off in Jake and Finn's tree-house where the pair discover a ticker-tape machine that sends them on a series of adventures. Heading around the tree-house first though, you get a chance to get used to what's around and how to interact with the world they live in. It's a slow start to the game which takes a while to find its feet and also suffers from a little bit of tedium as it comes to the puzzle solving.

Once you're through those hoops though, the game opens up to more of an experience and a world that's worth diving into as you negotiate your way through various chapters within. There's also an additional chapter which will be the basis of downloadable DLC and gives players the chance to take on the persona and vampire abilities of Marceline.

Graphically, the game is up there with some of the best of its kind; it fully embraces the world it's emulating and the 3D edges give it a feel that's conducive to what it wants to achieve. As you wander around collecting items and presenting them to people when necessary, the game begins to open up and its ambitions stretch beyond its cartoon-like appearance.

While the start of the game is a little bogged down in mechanics and there's a glut of dialogue that simply has to be sat through, younger kids will get a kick out of the game and will likely be drawn into the story. Potentially, the older ones may get a little bored from time to time, but if you're willing to sit through it, Adventure Time: Jake and Finn Investigations is a solid game for the summer months.

Poltergeist: DVD Review

Poltergeist: DVD Review

Rating: TBC
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent


"They're here"

It was 1982's Poltergeist and director Tobe Hooper which turned the TV set into something to be feared, turning the image of a small girl with her hands on a set spewing static into an icon.

Now, over 33 years later, the remake is upon us, in a time where digital devices have overwhelmed us and homes are swamped with screen-based technology. (A fact only partially acknowledged during the flick)

Rockwell stars as Eric Bowen, laid off from his role within John Deere and relocating with his family to a suburban sprawl. With financial tensions nibbling at the parents, the kids aren't faring much better, with teen Kendra hating the move, youngster Madison continuing to talk to herself and son Griffin one terrified breath away from a full-on asthma attack thanks to his inner fears.

But it turns out that Griffin's worries may have some merit, when Madison is apparently abducted during a storm that affects all the electrical equipment in the house - soon, the Bowens are dealing with a cod TV psychic (an Irish accented Jared Harris) and a group of paranormal experts as they try to get their daughter back.Effective and creepy for the first 45 minutes at least, the new Poltergeistcertainly knows how to get under your skin.

Bundling the under-deliverance of the American dream and the fears that haunt you when you relocate, Kenan's done a solid job of dialling up the suspense and tension by allowing scenes space to breathe and employing some effective jump scares early on thanks to cameras which glide and pan slowly across the screen.

The malevolent atmospherics carry on well thanks to the innate likeability and realism of Rockwell and Dewitt as a couple, giving you the empathy you need for their escalating plight (even if they - like their kids - are underwritten once the spooks set in). And the set-piece where the storm kicks in terrifying and haunting the home alone kids works chillingly, working on the fears thanks to creepy clowns, split-second digital FX and a sense of dread.

However, when the paranormal team and psychic ghostbuster show up, it's really wherePoltergeist starts to lose its freaky mojo; lapses in logic and flow jar the 2015 Poltergeist movieand Kenan relies more on the humour and silliness to propel the movie toward the end point within the supernatural realm.

Granted, the malevolent spirits are well-realised but echoes of Insidious and a smarter FX employment nag the second half of Poltergeist with a horrible feeling of deja vu.

Solid, rather than re-visionary, the Poltergeist remake proffers up an entertaining if uneven film; its first 45 minutes are nothing short of unsettling, but its second half derails the work done early on.

Potentially, for more savvy horror audiences these days, it could have used a bit more of an edge, but keeping it in the realm of family friendly, if unsettling, fare means this supernatural fright-flick is nowhere near as effective as it could be and it certainly won't scare up enough cash to kick this franchise back from the afterlife.

Rating:

XCOM 2 announced

XCOM 2 announced

2K Announces XCOM® 2 Digital Deluxe Edition

Includes full base game, XCOM 2 Soundtrack, and three downloadable add-on packs available in single offering

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #XCOM2

Sydney, Australia – December 11, 2015 – 2K and Firaxis Games today announced that the XCOM® 2 Digital Deluxe Edition is now available for pre-purchase for AUD$110. Launching globally on February 5, 2016 for Windows PC and coming to Mac and Linux via Feral Interactive, the XCOM 2 Digital Deluxe Edition includes the sequel to the Game of the Year* award-winning strategy title XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the XCOM 2 Reinforcement Pack** and the digital soundtrack. XCOM 2 takes place 20 years into the future, where humanity has surrendered to the alien threat and XCOM is largely forgotten, forcing them to reclaim Earth and free mankind from the aliens’ rule.

The Reinforcement Pack** can be purchased separately for AUD$29.95 and bundles three downloadable add-on packs. Each add-on pack will offer a unique twist to the core game experience by adding new missions, aliens, weapons, more extreme soldier customizations and other items.

The Reinforcement Pack** includes the following:

• Anarchy’s Children: featuring rebellion-themed content with more dramatic soldier customizations (releasing spring 2016);

• Alien Hunters: introducing new gameplay surrounding XCOM as an elite alien hunting unit tracking down “Ruler” aliens, along with a new mission, soldier customization options and more powerful weapons and armor (releasing summer 2016);

• Shen’s Last Gift: offering a brand new soldier class with unique upgradeable weapons, armor and customization features, as well as an additional narrative-driven mission and map (releasing summer 2016).

Players who pre-order or pre-purchase XCOM 2 or the XCOM 2 Digital Deluxe Edition will also receive the Resistance Warrior Pack, offering additional soldier customization options such as bonus outfits, headgear, and custom facial war paint. The Resistance Warrior Pack also includes a “Survivor of the Old War,” a new XCOM recruit who will appear in the Avenger’s barracks.

About XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is the sequel to the Game of the Year* award-winning strategy title XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Developed by the strategy experts at Firaxis Games, XCOM 2 transports players 20 years into the future, where humanity lost the war against the alien threat that has established a new world order. The secret paramilitary organization known as XCOM is largely forgotten, and must strike back to reclaim Earth and free mankind from the aliens’ rule. Forced to operate on the run in their new mobile headquarters, players must use a combination of firepower and covert tactics to help XCOM recruit soldiers and build a resistance network, all while attempting to expose the evil alien agenda and save humanity.

XCOM 2 will be available globally for Windows PC on February 5, 2016. XCOM 2 is rated MA15+ in Australia. XCOM 2 is not yet rated in New Zealand. For more information on XCOM 2, please visit www.XCOM.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and use the hashtag #XCOM2 or subscribe to XCOM on YouTube. 

Win Fat Princess Adventures on PS4!

Win Fat Princess Adventures on PS4!

Let them all eat cake!

To celebrate Friday, I've got a nice little gift to give to you - a code for Fat Princess Adventures on PS4, thanks to the awesome guys at PlayStation!

Fat Princess Adventures on PS4
A cheeky, light-hearted humour is the order of the day in this comedy adventure. 

Go into battle with up to three friends in a quest to slay monsters, steal loot, rescue the princesses, gobble cake and defeat the evil Bitter Queen. 

Fat Princess Adventures is now available from PlayStation Store, but thanks to PlayStation New Zealand we have a copy to giveaway!

And to win all you have to do is one very simple thing which is easy to do if you're a princess! (Or not, I'm not discriminating)

To enter simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com  and in the subject line put CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE.

Please include your name and address and good luck!