The Conjuring 2: Film Review

The Conjuring 2: Film Review

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O'Connor
Director: James Wan

Mining the source material of the Warrens' many investigations and combining it with the masterful direction of Insidious horror meister James Wan prove to be an intoxicating mix in The Conjuring 2.

Swathed in drab British 70s decor makes the recollection of the Enfield Haunting an unsettling and tautly directed horror that plays on primal fears and sees Wan dictating to his audience when and how to react.

Loosely the film starts off with Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga respectively reprising their roles from 3 years ago) concluding their investigation into a haunting in Amityville.
With Lorraine seriously spooked by a demon and Ed irritated at the scepticism and mockery they face, the duo decide to step back from the limelight.

However, on the other side of the world, in a council house on a London road, something deeply unsettling is manifesting with a single mom (Frances O'Connor) and her brood being haunted by something malevolent.

The Conjuring 2 is a terrifically taut and spookily executed horror piece, which uses some jump scares and long drawn-out scenes to great effect to make this a sequel that improves on the 2013 version.

If the Warrens are largely confined to the sidelines for great parts and only used in the second act in some cheesier moments (including drawing a relatively long bow connection to the two cases), Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga don't let it show with performances which render the main duo's earnestness and beacon of Christian hope both empathetic and likeable, even if the script doesn't quite serve them as well as it could. 

Despite bizarrely concentrating on the romance and relationship of the duo, Lorraine's very threatened existence and portentous visions give the film a tangible edge of danger and contribute to one of the very best scenes of the film, set inside a study.


But it's more than Dick van Dyke demons which haunt Enfield that provide the inevitable scares and relative dread of the chilly oppressive atmosphere.  (Even if the kids in jeopardy are blessed with some luv-a-duck accents). Granted, there are elements of The Exorcist and a lot of visuals from the Insidious series within, but there's a very palpable sense of dread that Wan draws from the suburban surroundings of a well executed house (complete with 70s trappings of David Soul posters on the bedrooms) and the way the cameras follow elements around, causing you to second guess when the shocks are coming.

Wan's clever drawing out of tension and ultimate measured and paced execution leads to some terrific edge of your seat stuff and a sequence with a painting that's on it's way to becoming a classic. Suspense and dread are the name of the game - even if in the finale everything is thrown at it when perhaps more would have been less. (And a post 2 hour run time seems a little excessive in the final mix).

This time, the Warrens feel less central to the proceedings bizarrely, given Wan concerns a lot of his time with the goings on in the Enfield house. It's a prescient move though, given the greatest elements of horror come from the age old trope of kids in jeopardy and this film knows how to milk that for maximum claustrophobic effect.

Unfortunately, those outside of proceedings seem surplus to dramatic requirements. The rest of the kids show up only to allow for further jeopardy, the mum seems to exist to dispatch only back-story given her husband's non-appearance on the scene, and other members of the Warrens' investigation team offer tantalising hints of what fractures could have been offered with differing points of view.

Ultimately though, The Conjuring 2 is a rare beast; a horror sequel that doesn't rely on cheap thrills and wanton audience manipulation to achieve its final aim. 

It's a tense and creepy old school film that benefits greatly from a restrained approach and which leaves you feeling deeply unsettled throughout, even if some of the dramatic measures to get there take a large leap of faith.

XCOM® 2 Coming to Consoles on September 8 2016

XCOM® 2 Coming to Consoles on September 8 2016

XCOM® 2 Coming to Consoles on September 8, 2016

Join XCOM to free humanity from the aliens’ rule and experience the critically-acclaimed sequel on consoles for the first time

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #XCOM2

Sydney, Australia – June 8, 2016 – 2K announced today that XCOM® 2 is coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One on September 8, 2016 in Australia and New Zealand for AUD$99.99/NZD$109.99. Additionally, 2K and Firaxis Games have partnered with industry veterans The Workshop, now a dedicated subsidiary of Skydance Media, to bring the title to consoles and ensure that the XCOM 2 experience meets the same high standards of the beloved series.

Upon its initial release for Windows-based PC, XCOM 2 had critics raving, with IGN giving the game a 9.3 out of 10 and saying, “XCOM 2 is an amazing game,” and PC Gamer writing, “We’ll play this forever,” and awarding a 94% out of 100%. Game Informer Magazine also stated that XCOM 2 is “one of the deepest and most rewarding strategy games on the market” and scored the game a 9.5 out of 10.

“Firaxis has successfully enhanced the XCOM franchise, as XCOM 2 has earned both massive critical and fan acclaim,” said Matt Gorman, vice president of marketing for 2K. “Many console gamers have been vocal about bringing XCOM 2 to their platforms, and now they can look forward to joining the resistance this September.”

XCOM 2, is set 20 years in the future where humanity lost the war against the alien threat and a new world order is in place. XCOM, formerly a secret paramilitary organization, is largely forgotten and must strike back from the shadows to reclaim Earth from the aliens’ rule and free mankind from its evil plans.

“The incredible reception of XCOM 2 has been rewarding and humbling for the team, and we’ve known console fans have been clamouring to play the game too,” said Jake Solomon, creative director of XCOM 2 at Firaxis Games. “As avid console players ourselves, we’re excited to work with The Workshop to bring XCOM 2 to all of our fans.”

Players who pre-order XCOM 2 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.

XCOM 2 for consoles is not yet rated in Australia and New Zealand. For more information, please visit www.XCOM.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter or subscribe toXCOM on YouTube. 

*Xbox Live or PlayStation®Network account as well as Internet connection is required to download certain add-on content at no additional cost. Copy of XCOM 2 also required for play.

Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series' Continues the Adventure in Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery'

Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series' Continues the Adventure in Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery'

'Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series' Continues the Adventure in Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery' First of Three New Episodes in the Series Available Now Launch Trailer YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/PR6LbVsTpVE Download Video: http://bit.ly/1U2DUIR Download Mirror: https://goo.gl/aSwUEz All Telltale Assets: http://vip.telltalegames.com/

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jun. 7th, 2016 -- Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, and world-renowned game developer Mojang, today released the sixth episode inMinecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series.   The first episode in an add-on series of three new adventures, Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery' is available digitally worldwide starting today on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360®, for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. The episode will also be coming to the Windows Store.   This episode may be purchased digitally as part of the new Adventure Pass for $14.99 USD or equivalent, which includes access to Episodes 6, 7, and 8 as they release. The episode will also be available individually for $4.99 USD or equivalent. Players will need to own at least Episode 1 in the series, or the season pass disc, in order to purchase Episodes 6, 7, and 8.   Several special guest stars from the Minecraft community join the cast in this new episode, all playing characters from their own YouTube videos. Players will get to interact with Joseph Garrett as Stampy Cat, Stacy Hinojosa as Stacy Plays, Dan Middleton as DanTDM (The Diamond Minecart), Lizzie as LDShadowLady, and Jordan Maron as CaptainSparklez.   In Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery', continuing their journey through the portal hallway, Jesse and crew land themselves in another strange new world - one completely overrun by zombies. With a timely invitation to take refuge in a spooky mansion, they find themselves thrown into a thrilling mystery alongside famous members of the Minecraft community.   Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series - Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery' is rated 'E10+' (Everyone 10+) for Fantasy Violence by the ESRB. Future content in the season is yet to be rated by the ESRB. The series is published by Telltale Games in partnership with Mojang. For more information on Telltale Games, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow @TelltaleGames on Twitter. For more information on Mojang, visit the official website, follow @Mojang and@Minecraft on Twitter, and like Minecraft on Facebook.

World of Final Fantasy E3 Trailer

WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY’S EPIC JOURNEY COMING TO PLAYSTATION®4 AND PLAYSTATION®VITA THIS FALL

The Wonderful World of Grymoire Shines in New E3 Trailer

Welcoming a new generation of gamers, SQUARE ENIX®’s WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY™ is set to release across Australia & New Zealand for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system on October 27, 2016.

The newly released English-language trailer offers fans a fresh glimpse of the game, featuring iconic FINAL FANTASY® monsters and adorable heroes. The trailer expands the FINAL FANTASY universe for a new generation of players while also providing long-time players a nostalgia-filled journey to the series’ roots.

The new E3 trailer may be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QNMey5SKKkc

In WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY, players lead a pair of twins, Reynn and Lann, through the land of Grymoire on a search to rediscover their lost memories. Throughout their adventure, players will collect, raise and battle adorable beings of classic FINAL FANTASY lore, including cactuar, chocobo® and behemoth, to create customizable, strategic tower combinations to take on the most challenging of opponents.

NZIFF Animation and NZ's Best revealed

NZIFF Animation and NZ's Best revealed

Lee Tamahori Selects New Zealand’s Best 2016 Congratulations to the six filmmakers whose short films were selected by Lee Tamahori to contend for the awards on this year’s New Zealand’s Best short film programme. For the fifth year in a row, we will be showcasing a fantastic selection of shorts from established filmmakers and up-and-coming talent alike.   “It’s always tricky choosing finalists. Excellence in filmmaking comes in many forms. Sometimes the simplest of films triumphs, one can never tell. I look for the most engaging elements in a film, be it animation, documentary or drama. Narrative is important, though not imperative. Imagination and visual stimulation are just as vital. The shortlist I have chosen makes me appreciate why I got into this medium in the first place.” says Lee Tamahori.   The New Zealand’s Best programme will screen as part of the 2016 programe and audiences will be asked to vote for their favourite. The Audience Award winner in Auckland and Wellington takes away 25% of the box office from the Festival screenings in the four main centres – in 2015 valued at $4,800.   A jury of three will select the winner of the $5,000 Madman Entertainment Jury Prize, while a $3,000 Wallace Friends of the Civic Award will be awarded by donors the Wallace Foundation and Wallace Media Ltd, to the film or contributor to a film they deem to merit special recognition. (The King, supported by Wallace Media, is not eligible for this prize.)   Guest selector and international filmmaker Lee Tamahori selected the six finalists from a shortlist of 12. Festival programmers Bill Gosden and Michael McDonnell viewed 81 entries to prepare the shortlist.  The New Zealand's Best finalists (with Lee Tamahori's comments in italics) are...

Spring Jam Director/Screenplay: Ned Wenlock  A young buck suffers a major case of antler-envy in this charming and witty animated short. Great commentary on New Zealand. Funny, irreverent, with excellent use of music and imagery.

Cradle Director: Damon Duncan  In this accomplished outer-space drama, a stranded astronaut must wrestle control of her spaceship from its errant computer. A good story, well told. Great set design, sharp editing and generally excellent tech credits. A gripping sci-fi film.

Wait Director/Screenplay: Yamin Tun  A young girl helps her immigrant mother overcome both cultural and emotional barriers. Tense and absorbing narrative with an intentionally enigmatic finale. Good tech credits and finely tuned performances.

Shmeat Director/Screenplay: Matasila Freshwater  In an animated dystopia, where food and resources are scarce, a mad scientist ventures into the night to procure an icky new food source… Excellent production values encompassing a timely global story. Very Tim Burton-esque, but thoroughly entertaining and humorous.

Judgment Tavern Director/Screenplay: Dean Hewison A young girl and her disembodied father search for his missing body in this fantasy short filled with swords and sorcery. Succinct narrative, excellent production and technical skills. A concise piece of storytelling in such a short format. Good performances help to sustain tension.

The King Director/Screenplay/Producer: Ursula Grace Williams Meet Andy Stankovich, scrap-metal merchant by day and sweet-voiced performer by night. Likeable documentary with a warm heart. A classic New Zealand character, with a touching bunch of associates.

NZIFF Gets Animated This year NZIFF gets animated and inspired with fantastic titles from some of today's most visionary directors. Our newest sneaks are sure to delight the young and the young at heart: we present Studio Ghibli's first international co-production, to a young man finding his way through the world thanks to the magic of Disney, plus a classic pre-CGI marital arts film that inspired a generation (it's not animated but we couldn't resist including it here today).

Animation for Kids Each year our animation programme provides one of the best opportunities to introduce our youngest friends to the pleasures of international cinema and the NZIFF experience. NZIFF 2016 showcases not one, but two, Animation for Kids collections – with each film guaranteed to amuse, entertain and inspire curious young minds and indie-animation-loving grown-ups alike. Animation for Kids 4+ Animation for Kids 8+

Long Way North Long Way North is a beautiful animated historical fantasy about a 19th-century Russian girl who embarks on a hazardous adventure to the North Pole to find her grandfather’s ship and save her family’s honour.

The Red Turtle Studio Ghibli’s first international co-production is a ravishing castaway fable that combines beauty, mystery, drama and heartbreak – with not a word spoken. It’s a triumph for animator Michael Dudok de Wit.

Life, Animated This incredibly moving and fascinating doco takes us into the interior life of autistic Owen Suskind, and explores how his love of Disney animated features gave him the tools as a child to communicate with the world.

A Touch of Zen Frequently imitated (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and never surpassed, King Hu’s spectacular pre-CGI masterpiece of wuxia cinema has been radiantly restored. “The visual style will set your eyes on fire.” — Time Out

Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World Werner Herzog, director of such notable classics of the non-fiction realm as Grizzly Man, turns his inimitable eye on the galloping evolution of the internet, its geniuses and its ominous implications for creation at large. The full NZIFF programme will be available from Tuesday 21 June for Auckland and Friday 24 June for Wellington with further centres to follow.

Now You See Me 2: Film Review

Now You See Me 2: Film Review

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Lizzie Kaplan, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Caine
Director: Jon M Chu

It’s all about sleight of hand in the sequel to 2013’s NowYou See Me.

And much like the central illusionists themselves, behind the smoke and mirrors, there’s not as much going on as perhaps you may imagine in this slickly distracting film.

In Now You See Me 2, the band of magicians, the Four Horsemen have been forced undercover after their last heist.  With Isla Fisher’s Henley taking flight from them, the trio of Daniel Atlas, the presumed dead Jack Wilder and Merrit McKinney (Eisenberg, Franco and Harrelson respectively) find their group hit up by Lizzie Caplan’s Lula, who’s desperate to join their number. 

With their ringleader, the FBI mole Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), they plan to spring back to the public attention by exposing a tech boss who’s about to launch a new product and who’s been misusing private details.

But the tables are turned on the gang, when someone reveals them at the launch, forcing Dylan on the run and sending the remaining Horsemen to Macau and into the domain of Daniel Radcliffe’s Walter. Under pressure to steal a chip that can access any computer in the world (bonjour, MacGuffin), the group’s got to overcome their own fractures to save themselves and the day…

As ever, it's about the misdirection in this slickly executed caper once again, but equally, character takes second fiddle to the set pieces. Once-over-lightly characters again thrive throughout; Eisenberg's Atlas is given an ounce of jealousy, Harrelson's McKinney is saddled with a bouffanted, tanned and toothy twin; and Ruffalo's Rhodes is landed with an emotional arc where he seeks vengeance for his father's death all those years ago.

While Radcliffe really makes little difference to the film as a rather wet behind the ears villain, it's a refreshing Kaplan whose place in the sequel gives it the life and energy that's sorely needed throughout. Perky and enthusiastic, she gives the film the zing that a sequel deserves, where the plot sags and appears tired.

Admittedly, as with the first, much of the film is about the set pieces and Chu delivers a central sequence involving a card and a chip inside a secure institute that whirls past the eyes. Flashy and slick, it's certainly a sign that the prestidigitation of illusionists can keep you entertained; but as ever, it comes down to editing and choreography (it's no surprise David Copperfield is involved behind the scenes).

Slickly entertaining, and more a sequel that doesn't really need to exist, there's no denying that Now You See Me 2 will amuse those looking for popcorn entertainment and who enjoyed the first. Whether the trick is on the audience though is another matter - much like the first, once the razzle dazzle of the illusion is stared at for too long, this watchable heist caper that's essentially a retread of the first and which turns some of those conclusions on their head, begins to crumble in the light of day.

Steve Jobs: DVD Review

Steve Jobs: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

There's just something about Steve Jobs that continues to fascinate.

Books and an Ashton Kutcher movie and a planned Alex Gibney doco, the well is yet to dry up.

127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire Director Danny Boyle is the latest to fall under his thrall in the slightly unusual bio-pic about the man, based on Walter Isaacson's biography.

Centring around three product launches in Jobs' life the film throws as much personal drama backstage as the kitchen sink will allow.

Beginning in 1984 with the Apple Macintosh's launch, then spiralling to 1988's ill-fated NeXT computer launch and ending up in 1998's unveiling of the iMac, it centres more around the arrogance of Steve Jobs and his treatment of those around him in what is essentially a three-act play with as much hubris as you'd expect from a Shakespeare play.

With a terrific score from Daniel Pemberton, this essentially stage set piece works very well for its first 2 sections before tying everything up neatly in a syrupy sentimental bow that appears to betray everything which went before. 

When it boils down to it, Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs is more about the pivotal relationship between Jobs and his daughter Lisa through the launches and very little else. Sure, other dramas such as Voice demos failing and Wozniak's quest for recognition for the Apple 2 team come and go but they all swirl around the vortex at the centre of Jobs' life.

Fassbender's never anything short of commanding as Jobs

He makes sure that the arrogance and seething inability to act like a human are front and centre of this portrayal. There's never anything less than an unlikeable man on the screen - and despite Rogen's humanising Wozniak trying to get him to see the bigger picture and focus on the people, Fassbender's Jobs is an aloof dictator, caught up in his own delusions of grandeur and single-mindedly determined to get to his destination or ensure his machinations are personally successful. 
Which is potentially why the third act's resolution during the iMac launch jars so badly as it races to ensure a happier ending - bizarrely, his arc is never earned and despite the performance of all involved, never one that calls for cinematic closure. (One of Steve Jobs' more pressing problems is the fact the film feels cold and emotionally aloof).

Winslet's empathetic as Joanna, his much-maligned work wife and effective spin doctor; Daniels is nothing more than an impressive analyst of Jobs' behaviour as the CEO of Apple John Sculley who appears from time to time and Rogen throws some dramatic weight behind Wozniak and gets to the nub of the apparent love and daily frustration with the man (in fact, it's never looked like a truer fraternal relationship than on this screen).

While Sorkin's trademark dialogue is in place (and lots of walking and talking), it never feels as fully accomplished as perhaps it might and if anything, suffers from an over-polish and the fact situations have to manifest themselves at the most inopportune moments. This is not always a film that feels like anything more than a hyper-real collision of coincidence, a coming together of events for dramatic gain rather than naturalistic purposes.

And yet, there are moments when the human condition comes to the fore and events play out in those traditional Sorkin tropes - a major downfall of a character is choreographed to soaring scores and constant rain; it's unmistakably and undeniably a Sorkin joint from beginning to end. (And having written Mark Zuckerberg in the Social Network, his second look at a major character from the zeitgeist).

As Jobs himself remarks, "I play the orchestra" and it's a role that Danny Boyle fulfills admirably as the director in this movie. Events naturally build to a crescendo of chaos, a whirlwind of melodrama and a discourse of dialogue, but Boyle elegantly manipulates them all into place to ensure the biopic is elevated from the usual fare.