New Star Ocean trailers

New Star Ocean trailers

NEW TRAILERS FOR STAR OCEAN: INTEGRITY AND FAITHLESSNESS

INTRODUCE NEW CHARACTERS AND SHOWCASE GAME SYSTEM

SYDNEY 26^TH May 2016 –   Square Enix Ltd., today revealed a selection a trailers to further introduce fans to the universe of STAR OCEAN®: Integrity and Faithlessness™. The new character spotlight videos feature all-new footage introducing the characters Anne and Emmerson, a pair of travellers who join Fidel on his quest to protect Relia, and the Kingdom of Trei’kur, a desolate wasteland country currently at war with Fidel’s home country of Resulia.

To watch the new character trailers now, visit: Anne – https://youtu.be/7CPXXrYoZA0 / Emmerson – https://youtu.be/ygzoG5Kk794

A brand new gameplay trailer also showcases a variety of gameplay systems both new and familiar to the STAR OCEAN series, including;

·         “Item Creation,” a recipe based system

·         “Synthesis,” a way for players to obtain extremely rare gear

·         “Private Actions,” a system which allows players to learn more about the characters and ultimately affecting the type of ending they will receive

NZFF Reveal more musical titles

NZFF Reveal more musical titles

Miss Sharon Jones! Leads Our 2016 Music Programme This week we are delighted to reveal five music-themed films as part of our 2016 NZIFF sneaks. The line-up celebrates the best in the world of music from an R&B Queen, to the 60s’ most avant-garde rocker, to a soundstage in Buenos Aires, travelling the world with Yo-Yo Ma, and on to an audition for an outback choir. If you're looking for something a little darker, our Incredibly Strange sneaks are sure to pique your interest... We’ll continue to bring you further sneaks in the coming weeks. The full programme will be revealed at 7pm on Monday 20 June with tickets on sale from Friday 24 June.

Miss Sharon Jones! Academy Award-winning documentary maker Barbara Kopple delivers definitive proof, from show-stopping testimony in a small South Carolina church to Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre, that nobody raises the roof like Sharon Jones. “The narrative arc of the film is the diminutive (‘four foot 11 and a quarter’) singer’s more than year-long battle with cancer – and her return to performing. But by lavishing huge helpings of Jones’ music and explosive performances on what is a very intimate portrait, the two-time Oscar-winning [Barbara] Kopple keeps the doco from ever becoming maudlin, or predictable, or from even slowing down.” — John Anderson, Indiewire

Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in his Own Words Director Thorsten Schütte’s doco splices together performance and interview footage of the ever-articulate rock star (and talk-show guest) Frank Zappa to recount the story of his defiantly non-conformist musical journey. “A compelling gateway documentary that should absorb both fans and novices alike.” — Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter

Argentina Carlos Saura, the Spanish director of such classics as Flamenco, Tango and Blood Wedding, mounts a dazzling showcase for the leading contemporary performers of traditional Argentinian music and dance. “Lyrical and moving, Argentina is also a glorious reminder that every film should be a passion project.” — Vancouver International Film Festival

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble On a quest to uncover Leonard Bernstein’s ‘universal language of music’, renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma travels the old ‘Silk Road’ with virtuoso musicians from diverse instrumental traditions to collaborate on rousing new musical explorations. “The intersection of cultures is where new things emerge.” — Yo-Yo Ma

Wide Open Sky In this charming documentary from Lisa Nicol, gifted teacher and musician Michelle Leonard travels to under-resourced outback NSW, auditioning children then schooling the chosen 130 to perform in the annual Moorambilla Voices choir. “This down-to-earth crowd pleaser is a terrific antidote to the razzle-dazzle hype of TV talent shows.” — Richard Kuipers, Variety

Incredibly Strange NZIFF Sneaks From the sleazily decadent clubs of 1980's Warsaw to the back room of a backwoods bar in Orgeon, our Incredibly Strange sneaks are just a taste of what's ahead in Ant Timpson's programme. The Lure (Córki dancingu) Directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska This bizarre, sublimely surreal Polish vampire-mermaid musical about two sibling sirens who lure their prey from the stage of a trashy nightclub is a one of a kind cult movie. Green Room Directed by Jeremy Saulnier Punk rockers and skinheads clash in this intense, darkly humorous game of cat-and-mouse, from the director of bracing indie thriller Blue Ruin.

HITMAN: Episode 3 Marrakesh launch date is.....

HITMAN: Episode 3 Marrakesh launch date is.....

HITMAN Episode 3: Marrakesh Launches next week on May 31

SYDNEY, 26^TH May 2016 - Io-Interactive is delighted to announce that the launch date for HITMAN Episode 3: Marrakesh will be on May 31, 2016.

The mission titled: ‘A Gilded Cage’ enlists Agent 47 to take out two targets, private investment banker Claus Strandberg and Army General Reza Zaydan.

In a city teaming with life on the brink of a full-scale riot, these are the moments before a coup d’état, where the visible military presence exacerbates a situation where tensions are running high. 

Bustling Berber markets, alleyways crammed with stalls and shops, a clinical Swedish consulate and shaded rooftop terraces are just some of the areas that players can explore in Marrakesh.

HITMAN Episode 3: Marrakesh will present players with a range of new in-game Challenges and Opportunities that will keep them busy along with an entirely new setting for Escalation Contracts and Elusive Targets.

HITMAN started with a Prologue and Paris location in March, Episode 2: Sapienza in April and now Episode 3: Marrakesh on May 31. From here HITMAN will deliver regular content updates, including three additional locations; Thailand, the United States and the season finale in Japan later in 2016.

Episode 3: Marrakesh is FREE as part of the Full Experience Pack. Owners of the Intro Pack can choose either the Upgrade Pack, which will then include all of this year’s content as it’s released including  live and bonus content - or choose to purchase the location individually.

HITMAN is available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC.

Joy: DVD Review

Joy: DVD Review

Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent

David O Russell reteams with his Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle dream team to breathe some life in to the story of Joy Mangano, who invented the Miracle Mop.

However, in bringing this biopic to life, he manages to some how pull together a story that doesn't quite fly like it should.

Lawrence (a little too young to play Mangano, but still on crackling form) is Joy, a woman whose life is a whirlwind of domestic chaos. Thanks to an ex living in the basement (Ramirez), a father who's just moved back in (De Niro) and a bed-bound mother (Madsen) who's addicted to soaps, she barely has a moment to herself.

But when she hits inspiration one day while cleaning up spilt wine glasses on a boat, she decides it's her moment to shine and designs a self wringing mop.

However, she faces a fight to get people to believe in both it or her...

Joy is a mixed film that bundles family dysfunction into an easy to swallow pill and cleans it up round the edges, forgetting to make this journey feel like one of extreme catharsis as it reaches the end.

Lawrence feels slightly miscast, almost a little too young to hit the straps she needs to as Mangano through the decades (even if the film feels like it takes place over a time period of a week), which is a surprise; it's not to detract from her performance, which is the one constant of Joy and certainly stands out from those around her. And it doesn't help that Russell goes heavy on the imagery with Mangano actually doing DIY around the home, while mentally doing DIY for her family. There's no subtlety in this rags to riches story and it's a damn shame because of it.

It's predominantly Russell's direction and the script which are the main reasons it never fully rises above its intentions. There's too much of an almost farcical approach to proceedings and when it comes time to inject the drama into the moment, it never quite fully catches like it should.

The sequences where Mangano heads to the fledgling QVC studios and makes a pitch to Bradley Cooper's Neil Walker and the subsequent scenes where Mangano sells her mop on screen are really where the film briefly stutters into life. The excitement of the new format, of the TV pitch, the fervour of the orders coming in as the camera circles around Walker is electrifying; but nowhere else in the movie does Russell ensure that this lightning strikes twice.

Interestingly, the potential for drama comes in the final stages of the film with Mangano heading up her own empire and finding others heading to her with ideas. It would have been a smarter move to see her having to balance the attitude she has of "I can't accept your answer and I won't" and "I don't need a prince" when facing business ideas from others. As it is, Russell settles for a saccharine "You can have it all" attitude that sticks in the craw with dramatic platitudes and cliches as Mangano lops her hair off to demonstrate her own turning point and self-reinvention.

Ultimately, Joy gets by on the strength of Lawrence alone; and while she does feel miscast, her presence on screen helps the film out of its own predicament. It lacks the catharsis that you'd perhaps expect and instead produces a more muted film that doesn't inspire as much as it should given the stellar talent involved.

Win a double pass to see WARCRAFT

Win a double pass to see WARCRAFT

From Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures comes Warcraft, an epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon. 

 

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another.  As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction.  From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home. 

So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.

Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and written by Charles Leavitt and Jones, the film starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Rob Kazinsky and Daniel Wu is a Legendary Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment production.

WARCRAFT is in cinemas from June 16th. Rated M for Fantasy Violence

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

Please include your name and address and good luck! NB Competition closes 16th June - editor's decision final!

City of Gold: Film Review

City of Gold: Film Review

Director: Laura Gabbert

Serving up is certainly high on City of Gold's agenda.

This gentle doco from director Laura Gabbert tantalises us with the notion of a piece about food critic Jonathan Gold, the Pulitzer prize winning writer who's more at home among the street food than the swanky restaurants.

But what actually transpires is a long love letter to Los Angeles throughout the years, where Gold live, and to the people who give the food their love and serve to the man who loves their food.

With a few details about Gold scattered throughout, this piece keeps on the right side of hagiography with various colleagues and compadres of the scene espousing the virtues of Gold, who comes replete with long shaggy white hair. One even laments the fact they had discovered an eaterie which they were determined to keep secret but that ambition was foiled by Gold's review pinned up in the corner.

Along the journey, and in among the tantalising dishes served up by various smaller restaurants, Gold himself emerges as a critic of yore. There's very brief discussion of the place of the critic in this internet age and the value of opinion when it's blessed with experience (a thread I'm always, understandably, interested in) but this is really a piece about Los Angeles and the rich melting pot that lies within.

City of Gold is a document and snapshot of culinary history guaranteed to titillate and salivate, but it also throws into the mix a meshing and dollop of LA lifestyle throughout the years. Culturally it may enlighten, but what it will also do for LA, as well as the debate over the place of food critic, is to put plenty of eateries and treasures on the map that hitherto have remained hidden.

And at the end of the day, isn't that the job of the critic? 

7 Days To Die release date

7 Days To Die release date

Telltale Publishing bringing the hit survival game '7 Days to Die' to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 28th   Developer Interview and Special Pre-Order Bonus

Telltale Publishing today announced that the hit survival horde crafting game 7 Days to Die will release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the first time on June 28th as both a digital and retail product in North America, and digitally in Europe; and will be available on July 1st for the first time at retail in Europe. The recommended retail price is $29.99 USD or equivalent, and the game is currently available for pre-order at GameStop, Best Buy, GAME, and Amazon. 7 Days to Die is published in collaboration with the Dallas-based independent developer, The Fun Pimps.  Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days to Die is an open-world survival game that is a unique combination of first person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. It presents combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth, in a way that has seen a rapturous response from fans worldwide, generating hundreds of thousands of hours of community content on YouTube and other streaming video platforms.   Fans of Telltale's The Walking Dead series in partnership with Skybound will be excited to learn that pre-ordering 7 Days to Die will give them exclusive access to 5 character skins from Telltale's hit series, including Michonne and Lee Everett. The console version of 7 Days to Die adds a new multiplayer mode supporting local split-screen for couch play, additional online multiplayer modes and features will be revealed in the coming weeks. The game will be supported by exciting DLC content, with details to be revealed in the near future. This new interview with 7 Days to Die developers gives insight into what inspired the immensely popular "survival horde crafting game" , as well as what players can expect in the console version. '7 Days to Die' Developer Interview   7 Days to Die is rated is rated 'M' (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, and Violence by the ESRB. The game is published by Telltale Publishing in partnership with The Fun Pimps. 7 Days to Die is currently available for Windows, Mac OS X, and SteamOS and Linux in Early Access on the Steam platform. For more information on The Fun Pimps, visit  the official website, follow @7DaystoDie on Twitter, and like 7 Days to Die on Facebook .   For more information on Telltale Publishing, visit the official website,  Facebook, and follow  @TelltalePublish on Twitter.