Cartel Land: DVD Review

Cartel Land: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent


The insidious damage done by drugs is given the on the ground treatment in this doco.

It starts like something out of Breaking Bad with mysterious figures, bandanas over their mouths, brewing up crystal meth in the desert under the cover of dark. As the camera watches the swirls of the drug rise up above, a voice intones "We are the number one meth cooks in Mexico" and at once captures the conflict in a nutshell.

Director Matthew Heineman had unprecedented access to both sides of the conflict in this; and it shows through an electrifying doco that very calmly plants itself in the middle of the drug cartel issue and never sways.

Following both Tim "Nailer" Foley, an American who runs the Arizona Border Recon and Dr Jose Mireles, a Mexican based physician who leads the Autodefensas, a vigilante style group determined to wrest control back from the cartels and the government itself.

It's not a film that flinches from the horror the cartels inflict on those around them either; shots of a trio of heads, the victims of crossing the cartel are gruesome in the extreme, a reminder that this war is very real and this justice is disgustingly shocking. Posing questions of what would you do if the drug lords came for your town, the cameras follow the self-appointed Autodefensas and its Lee Marvin-esque leader Mireles as the townships embrace him, his group's position and the chance to claw back power.

Heineman is thick in the fray of the conflict; when the bullets fly, his cameras are there; when the Autodefensas believe they've tracked down two men who are responsible for a series of atrocities, they are there on the raid - and they're also there to capture the raw emotion of the victims of the cartel, and the anger that threatens to bubble up as justice catches up to the wrong doers.

In many ways, Cartel Land is an electrifying modern day portrait of a Wild West scenario, with sides squaring up to each other; rather than using talking heads, Heineman's insistence on filming a live document makes it all the more powerful. If it weren't a documentary, you can imagine Hollywood coming a-calling as this explosive piece of film-making leads to its shocking denouement.

Along the way, there's corruption, surprises and pathos; while it's probably fair to say that Cartel Land works better when it follows the Mireles story rather than Foley's patrolling the borders, it's only because Mireles' tale is set in the heartland of the conflict. It's a place where retribution and revenge are insidious and strike when least expected, leading the viewer to wonder who is actually winning this never-ending war. No-one appears right, and the innocent soon crumble to the daily pressure of experience, and the growing power of revolution.

Plus the final scenes of the doco are incredible, sending everything you've just watched into a tailspin and give you an urgency to experience it all again through new eyes.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends Beta Launches Today

The Elder Scrolls: Legends Beta Launches Today

THE ELDER SCROLLS: LEGENDS BETA LAUNCHES TODAY

Players Can Now Sign Up at Bethesda.net
for a Chance to Join the Closed PC Beta Starting Today

April, 21, 2016 (London, UK) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced that worldwide beta registration is now open for The Elder Scrolls®: Legends, the first free-to-play strategy card game based on the award-winning Elder Scrolls series. Beginning today, selected registrants will have the opportunity to begin playing in the game’s first closed PC beta. Additional players will be invited to play over the next few months – allowing more and more registered players the chance to experience The Elder Scrolls: Legends.

Legends will be playable in the Bethesda booth (#8021) at PAX East, taking place in Boston from April 22-24. Demonstrations of the game will also take place in the booth each day of the show at 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm and 5:00pm. For those not able to attend PAX East, tune into Twitch.tv’s official PAX stream on Saturday, April 23 at Noon to see Bethesda’s Pete Hines show off the first official gameplay and provide a brief overview of the game.

Legends is a strategy card game that explores the series’ characters, creatures, deities, and lore. Whether you have 10 minutes or ten hours, Legends provides a variety of gameplay modes and challenges that are easy-to-learn but difficult to master. Built with all levels of players in mind, Legends offers accessible gameplay for beginners who want to jump in and get started quickly, and the game’s depth keeps expert players engaged. With a wide variety of deck types and strategies, no two games are ever the same.

“As a fan of digital strategy card games, I’m especially excited about having people play Legends,” said Pete Hines, Vice President of PR and Marketing at Bethesda Softworks. “We’re looking forward to hearing their feedback and having them help us shape the future of the game. “

Previous chapters in this award-winning franchise include the Best Role-Playing Game at E3 2013 -The Elder Scrolls® Online: Tamriel Unlimited, 2011 Game of the Year - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim®, the 2006 Game of the Year - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, and the 2002 Role-Playing Game of the Year - The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind®.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends is being developed in conjunction with Dire Wolf Digital for PC and iPad – with additional platforms to be announced.

For the latest updates on additional betas and game information, please visit https://legends.bethesda.net/ and follow the game on Facebook and Twitter.

 

The Girl on the Train Trailer drops

The Girl on the Train Trailer drops

Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow and Laura Prepon star in The Girl on the Train, from director Tate Taylor (The Help, Get on Up).

In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train is in cinemas this October. 

Jason Bourne trailer

Jason Bourne trailer

Matt Damon returns to his most iconic role in Jason Bourne.  Paul Greengrass, the director of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, once again joins Damon for the next chapter of Universal Pictures’ Bourne franchise, which finds the CIA’s most lethal former operative drawn out of the shadows.

For Jason Bourne, Damon is joined by Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel and Tommy Lee Jones, while Julia Stiles reprises her role in the series.  Frank Marshall again produces alongside Jeffrey Weiner for Captivate Entertainment, and Greengrass, Damon, Gregory Goodman and Ben Smith also produce.  Based on characters created by Robert Ludlum, the film is written by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse.

The film is set to reach NZ screens this year on July 28

 

'The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries' Finale Trailer

'The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries'

Finale Trailer

Fellow Survivors, Today we can share the all-new launch trailer for 'What We Deserve,' the third and final episode in The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries. Episode 3: 'What We Deserve' will be available starting Tuesday, April 26th on PC/Mac via the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.   In 'What We Deserve,' feeling the weight of choices both recent and long ago, Michonne tries to protect an innocent family... but Norma and the vengeful Monroe crew are closing in. As reality shatters and the ghosts of the daughters she abandoned demand to be heard, your choices will determine who lives, who dies, and what redemption really means in a world gone to hell. The miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman's best-selling comic books, portrayed in-game by award-winning actress Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black). Haunted by her past and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne across a three episode miniseries event. Players will dive into the mind of Michonne to discover what took her away from Rick, Carl, and the rest of her trusted group... and what brought her back. To date, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold more than 50 million episodes worldwide, earning more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid andGamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.   The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player's actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.   The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries Episode 3 - 'What We Deserve' is rated 'M' (Mature) for Intense Violence, Blood & Gore, and Strong Language by the ESRB.   For more information on the game, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow Telltale Games on Twitter.  For more information on The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman, and all of his titles, visit www.Skybound.com and www.TheWalkingDead.com.

Hitman Episode 2 Sapienza trailer

Hitman Episode 2 Sapienza trailer

HITMAN - Episode 2: Sapienza is available April 26 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
The beautiful, sun-drenched coastal town of Sapienza is full of new challenges and packed with opportunities for the creative assassin to explore.

Your main target is Silvio Caruso, a brilliant bioengineer reportedly working on a DNA-Specific virus able to infect anyone anywhere in the world.

For more information on Sapienza: www.hitman.com
To buy HITMAN: buy.hitman.com

Eddie The Eagle: Film Review

Eddie The Eagle: Film Review

Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Tim McInnery, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley
Director: Dexter Fletcher

There's no disputing that Michael Edwards aka Eddie The Eagle was a defining character at the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics.

With his Coca Cola bottle bottom strength glasses and unswerving determination as well as his antics on the piste, he was a crowd favourite - and it's easy to see why Sunshine on Leith director Dexter Fletcher was drawn to the story. (Even if they have taken plenty of liberties with the telling of the underdog story).

Kingsman star Taron Egerton takes on the role of the bespectacled wannabe Olympian whose plucky belief dates back to the 70s when he's strapped into a caliper and told repeatedly by his father that he'll never amount to anything on the sporting front. Despite all the odds being stacked against him, and despite his ineptitude threatening to cripple him before he's even started, Edwards resolves to take himself off to the Winter Olympics as the first ever British ski jumper. But with no backing from the British Olympics Association, who view him as a joke, and a distinct lack of support from his dad who's determined Eddie will be a plasterer, the stage is set for struggle and a degree of triumph.

Eddie The Eagle is supposed to be the embodiment of a feel-good film and the personification of the old adage that God loves a trier. Having lived through his "victories", there was something admirable, something innately British and genial about Edwards' unblinking determination to achieve his goal and his continual onslaught against the odds.

Egerton is the epitome of Edwards from his facial tics to his continual pushing up of his glasses, there's just something spot on with his portrayal - even if some will feel he veers close to gurning throughout, Egerton's study of what made Edwards who he was is close to perfection. That said, it doesn't fully help you to engage with his character and he rarely transcends into the loveable loser territory which is needed for an underdog film.

And Jackman's fictional coach who helps Edwards to soar the heights while conquering his own demons makes a good foil too- both leads are likeable if difficult to fully engage with.

Fletcher makes good fist of the material as well, using the obligatory training montage and setting it to Hall and Oates. He also makes the ski jumping seem as daunting as it probably is, by showing the scope of the jumps with some ground level camera shots to set the scene. These are perhaps the major crowning achievement of the film.

Yet, Eddie the Eagle doesn't hit the highs that it aspires too - sure, it's crowd-pleasing in parts but feels restrained in others, and as a result, it never soars as you'd expect it to.