Supersonic: Film Review

Supersonic: Film Review

Directed by Mat Whitecross

For some, the Oasis boys were the be all and end all of 90s music culture.

The boorish Gallagher brothers, along with their bandmates, defined a lot of the 90s music scene and set the style for their raucous behaviour and top tunes.

But it was always Liam and Noel whose attitudes set the scene, and their clashes caused plenty of tabloid headlines and were the stuff of copy-writers' dreams. They were the yin and yang to each other, or as Noel puts it in the doco, he's a cat, Liam's a dog and never the twain shall meet. In fact, one early piece of footage talks of them as Cain and Abel, a comparison that speaks to their arrogance and belief in more ways than one.

So, this doco with its rather succinct use of voiceovers looks to explore the mythos and the inevitable car crash that Oasis were after they burned so bright and ultimately, imploded under the weight of their own legends.

Assembling pictures, footage and soundbites (that tend to favour Noel Gallagher, perhaps one of the perks of being an executive producer), Whitecross does a perfectly good job of capturing their rise from the council estates of Manchester to the echelons of performing at Knebworth. Injecting the whole proceedings with the lads' laconic humour proves to be a big boon here and gives the piece a pace that's matched only by the band's blistering performances which are scattered throughout.

From unsigned act to where they jumped on with Creation Records and their charts takeover, the doco's strengths lie in the music that's so iconic of the time and so evocative of the Manchester scene that will be so familiar to so many.

Following family spats is par for the course with the Gallaghers, though outside of the Liam / Noel fracas, there's little here that Oasis afficionados won't already know - there's no Amy style smoking gun. Though, perhaps interestingly, the revelations that Noel refused to let the Gallaghers' abusive father define either their music or their perception speaks volumes to where their swagger came from and why their defiant attitude was so successful.

As Liam so succinctly puts it at one point, Oasis were "Like a Ferrari, great to look at, great to drive and would spin outta fucking control", and this doco captures some of the anarchy of the group and the resultant ripples their music caused.

At its heart, Supersonic is about nostalgia for the band - any true fan will already know most of their history - and Whitecross and team assemble the pieces in a perfectly perfunctory and viewable manner. With the music speaking volumes and the doco making you feel like one of the lads as the hedonism and heated rows hit, it's a doco that speaks more to fans as well as anyone with a passing ear for their tunes.

Win a double pass to see Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Win a double pass to see Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

To celebrate the release of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, there's double passes to win!

Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel JACK REACHER:  NEVER GO BACK.  

Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) is the Army Major who heads Reacher’s old investigative unit.

She is arrested for Treason and knowing that she is innocent, Reacher must break her out of prison and uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear their names and save their lives. 

On the run as fugitives from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever. Based upon JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK, author Lee Child’s 18th novel in the best-selling Jack Reacher series, that has seen 100 million books sold worldwide.

To enter simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or click here  and in the subject line put REACHER. Please include your name and address and good luck!

 Jack Reacher: Never Go Back releases October 20, 2016

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Rated M: Violence

Win a double pass to see Ouija: Origin Of Evil

Win a double pass to see Ouija: Origin Of Evil

To celebrate the release of Ouija: Origin Of Evil on October 20th , we've got double passes to giveaway.


It was never just a game.  

Inviting audiences again into the lore of the spirit board, Ouija: Origin of Evil tells a terrifying new tale as the follow-up to 2014’s sleeper hit that opened at number one.  

In 1965 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home.  

When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.

Ouija: Origin of Evil is produced by Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Purge series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), 
Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum (The Purge and Insidious series), alongside Hasbro’s Brian Goldner (Transformers and G.I. Joe series) and Stephen Davis (Ouija).  Mike Flanagan directs from a screenplay he wrote with his Oculus and Before I Wake collaborator, Jeff Howard, and Universal will distribute the film worldwide. 

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Rated M: Violence and horror scenes. Content may disturb

To enter simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or click here  and in the subject line put OUIJA. Please include your name and address and good luck!

The Daughter: Film Review

The Daughter: Film Review

Cast: Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, Paul Schneider, Odessa Young
Director: Simon Stone

It’s appropriate the opening and one of the closing shots of The Daughter is that of the mist hanging around mountains, mingling among the tops of the peaks and sinking in low to the ground.

It’s hard not to dismiss the imagery as being some kind of augur of what lies ahead for this tangled family drama about small towns, secrets and family.

In fact, as Sam Neill’s rugged and ruffled character intones, “It’s not a new story”.

And to be honest, he’s not far off the mark.

But what marks out Simon Stone’s Aussie dramaThe Daughter is the journey, because the destination’s visible to anyone who has a smattering of ability to pick up the signs foreshadowed early on.

Loosely based on Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, it’s the story of Paul Schneider’s Christian (an irony of name given his less than charitable behaviour) who heads home to the wedding of his father (a sturdily dependable and haunted Geoffrey Rush) and his housekeeper Anna (Fringe’s Anna Torv).

Reconnecting with an old friend Oliver, Christian’s tendency toward self-destruction and desire for redemption is threatened by a secret from the past.

In the meantime, the community where Rush’s Henry has closed the sawmill is reeling, and hurting with an uncertain future ahead, leading to volatile times and fractures that may never heal…

With a great ensemble cast, including our very own Sam Neill, The Daughter is a lyrical drama that treads familiar paths but does so with tremendous ease and vision.

Visually, The Daughter’s strength lies in its imagery, which is haunting with long lingering shots building the atmosphere and heightening the sense of mood and evocation (all thanks to the photography of Andrew Commis).

Initially, the film’s more about what’s hinted at and what’s unsaid, but the audience doesn’t have long to wait to pull the pieces together, which is perhaps one of the film’s failings, albeit acknowledged within by Neill’s meta-line. Though admittedly in the final third, the emotional pull is never quite as strong as it could be, perhaps given the predictability of the story.

Thankfully though, it’s in the performances.

Notably that of Odessa Young’s vulnerable teen Hedvig.

Without going into spoilers, Young’s need to channel some of the deeper emotions needed is evident and easily met (even if the story opts for convenient narrative contrivances in its final act).

All in all, The Daughter may put the familial into familiar, but it’s a relatively classily executed affair that benefits slightly more from its visuals than the emotional edges the story purports to aim for.

The Bioshock Collection: PS4 Review

The Bioshock Collection: PS4 Review

Released by 2K Games
Platform: PS4

There's just something about the Bioshock series.

Being a newcomer to the gaming franchise, it was a PS Plus release of Bioshock Infinite back on the PS3 that really piqued my interest. With its heady mix of steampunk ethos and ominous overtones, there was just something about the series.

Swathed in mysterious touches, this return to the Rapture and Columbia is a great reason to own the set and play such an influential set of titles. In fact, given the level of story-telling the game feels like a next generation release in many ways for a re-release.

While the 1080 adds a crispness to the oppressive nature of all of the games, it's raison d'etre as a remaster is whether it's still playable - and all three of these titles stand their ground exceptionally well after being released nearly a decade ago. Details in the architecture feel crisp and look stunning - and even though this is not a sandbox game and areas are clearly marked for exploration and no going outside the lines, it still manages to be worth ploughing plenty of time into.

The first Bioshock title as the oldest is the one with the most poured into it, with graphic upgrades and a swish PS4 based coat of paint. And even Infinite's recent release doesn't tarnish the look and feel of the game on the next gen console; with stereo surround sound too, this clutch of titles borders on the quite terrifying as people come hurtling toward you from the dark. The suspense and spookier elements as you take on the despotic leaders is palpable and 2K Games have done more than enough to justify this as a release.

Ultimately for a remaster and a re-release, while this doesn't exactly shake up the gameplay techniques or reinvent the wheel, what it does do is show a vital collection needs a place in the next generation shelf.

The Bioshock Collection is living proof of that - for those yet to invest in the worlds, it's a great reason to have the series and for those wanting to relive the best moments of an undoubtedly influential series, this is an absolute must have.

Win a double pass to see Marvel's Doctor Strange

Win a double pass to see Marvel's Doctor Strange

To celebrate the release of Marvel's Doctor Strange, in cinemas October 27th, we've got 2 double passes to win to see the film!

About Marvel's Doctor Strange

From Marvel comes “Doctor Strange,” the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place—a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj.

He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange—armed with newly acquired magical powers—is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

“Doctor Strange” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scott Adkins, Benjamin Bratt with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton. Scott Derrickson is directing with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Stephen Broussard, Victoria Alonso, Charles Newirth and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. Jon Spaihts and Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill wrote the screenplay

Join Strange on his dangerous, mystifying, and totally mind-bending journey when Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” opens in NZ theaters on October 27th.

To be in to win, simply answer the two Marvel trivia questions below and simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com  and in the subject line put STRANGE. 

Please include your name and address and good luck!

Marvel trivia questions - 

Which actor plays Doctor Strange in Marvel’s Doctor Strange?
a. Tilda Swinton b. Mads Mikkelsen c. Benedict Cumberbatch d. Chiwetel Ejiofor

Which actor plays the fanatical Kaecilius? 
a. Tilda Swinton b. Mads Mikkelsen c. Benedict Cumberbatch d. Chiwetel Ejiofor

 

Now You See Me 2: DVD Review

Now You See Me 2: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

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 thatNow 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.