French Film Festival reveals opening and closing films

French Film Festival reveals opening and closing films

The Alliance Française French Film Festival announces Opening and Closing Night films and the 2017 Education Outreach Programme

Celebrating 11 years of bringing the best of French cinema to New Zealand, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is delighted to reveal the Opening and Closing Night titles for the 2017 Festival.

Launching in Wellington on 1 March, the Festival will open with Jérôme Salle’s breathtaking The Odyssey (L’Odyssée), starring Lambert Wilson, Audrey Tautou, and Pierre Niney.

Based on the life of oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, The Odyssey invites the audience to marvel at the magic that lies underwater. Combining elements of biopic and romantic fresco full of family drama, the film will take you on an adventurous journey.

In the spirit of celebrating French cinema, the Festival will close with Bertrand Tavernier’s magnificently epic documentary A Journey Through French Cinema (Voyage à travers le cinéma français). 

A lifetime in the making, Tavernier explores the French films from the 30s through to the 70s that inspired him to start out as a director. From giants like Renoir, Godard, and Melville (for whom he worked as an assistant) to now overlooked figures like Edmond T. Gréville and Guy Gilles, he rediscovers and reassesses filmmakers, films, and composers, taking us on a voyage through time and stories.

The 2017 Alliance Française French Film Festival programme will showcase over 30 French-language feature films, offering audiences a chance to immerse themselves in one language, and a world of emotions.

The full 2017 programme will be available online and in print from Thursday 2 February 2017.

Education Outreach

The Education Outreach Programme is designed to engage, educate and inspire student audiences by exposing them to French language in context, and encouraging discussion in the classroom through comprehensive study guides, which are provided free of charge.

The 2017 Education Outreach films are:

• My Mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Ma maman est en Amérique, elle a rencontré Buffalo Bill) by Marc Boreal and Thibaut Chatel, recommended for ages 6+

• Adama by Simon Rouby, recommended for ages 8+

• Fanny’s Journey (Le voyage de Fanny) by Lola Doillon, recommended for ages 10+

• Standing Tall (La tête haute) by Emmanuelle Bercot, in cross section with the main programme, is recommended for ages 16+

French-language study guides will be available to download free of charge from the Festival website following the full programme launch on Thursday 2 February. For more information on the Education Outreach programme, visit www.frenchfilmfestival.co.nz/education-outreach

The Alliance Française French Film Festival will run from 1 March - 12 April 2017 in 12 cities across New Zealand. For dates and venues information, visit www.frenchfilmfestival.co.nz

Trailer first look - Gary of the Pacific

Trailer first look - Gary of the Pacific

Today sees the release of the trailer for their debut feature film Gary of the Pacific.

Staring Josh Thomson, Megan Stevenson, Dave Fane, Matt Whelan and Dominic Ona-Ariki, as well as new face Taofi Mose-Tuiloma, this brand new kiwi feature film tells the story of struggling real estate agent Gary (Thomson), who becomes the chief of a sinking Pacific Island. 

Set to release in cinemas nationwide on March 16^th, audiences will be guaranteed a heart-warming and hilarious film full of thedownlowconcept’s 
trademark humour as well as the chance to see a new side of actor and comedian Josh Thomson.

xXx - Return of Xander Cage: Film Review

xXx - Return of Xander Cage: Film Review

Cast: Vin Diesel, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev, Rory McCann, Toni Collette
Director: DJ Caruso

"Save the world, kill the bad guys, get the girl and look dope doing it."

This is the mantra espoused to muscle man Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) at the end of the latest spy-jinks chapter of the xXx series after numerous sequences of action, shooting, and explosions.

And perhaps it's appropriate too, but really in this latest adrenaline-filled rote outing, do they all have to look quite so bored doing it?

Given the cartoony nature of the xXx film franchise (it's honestly closer in tone to ACME meets James Bond than anything serious), perhaps the film shouldn't be taken too seriously, but given the fact it aims for ludicrous and tries to be as serious as possible, it has to be judged on those terms.

After going off the grid, Xander Cage is brought back into the fold by pouty ice-queen, the bleached blonde NSA big-wig Jane Marke (a wasted Toni Collette, who frankly looks bored at times) after a terrorist group reveals it has the power to bring down any of the 30,000 satellites currently in orbit onto any target with fatal consequences - via a piece of kit called "Pandora's Box."

And when a group steals the McGuffin to do so, Cage recruits his own trusted team (including Game Of Thrones' The Hound aka Rory McCann) to try and save the day.

It seems pointless to rail against the terribly by the numbers xXx: Return of Xander Cage because its knowing tone and continual plot holes all form to make an experience that will leave any rational brain dribbling at the door. You could also rail at the laughably offensive stereotype of a computer genius (embodied by a nattering glasses-wearing Nina Dobrev from The Vampire Diaries) within as this aimed-at-15-year-old boys flick plays out.

But given it's assembled a cross cultural cast (potentially a cynical cash grab to include Indian and Chinese stars to attack multiple markets at the quieter time of the release year)  it genuinely does deserve applause for such diversity - and giving Donnie Yen as much screen time as Diesel is a commendable touch from this otherwise lunatic and frankly absurd and occasionally dumb as a bag of spanners actioner.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage delivers only formulaic action sequences for the most part - though a freeway underpass fight and Donnie Yen's fists of fury on a plane sequence more than deliver enough to make up for it. It's a shame because the movie starts out with its tongue so far in its cheek thanks to onscreen subtitles and nods and winks (one potential xXx recruits profile proclaims he thought he was being recruited for the Avengers) that it almost seems worthwhile.

But it's then stymied by the fact the writers don't seem to care for their characters or the predicament, so consequently why should you? As a result, the mid-section feels bloated and saddled with two fresher and edgier book-ends, the tone of which would have been better to follow.

At the end of the day, xXx: Return of Xander Cage is a piece of mindless popcorn entertainment, that somehow manages to miss much of the low-hanging fruit it could aim for. If it had embraced more of the lunatic element into its own DNA, rather than plenty of Vin Diesel posturing and mumbling in between action scraps, it could have been a breath of fresh cinematic air.

HITMAN 101 Gameplay trailer

HITMAN 101 Gameplay trailer

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

HITMAN 101 TRAILER NOW AVAILABLE

SYDNEY, 18^TH January 2017 - With two weeks until ‘HITMAN – The Complete First Season’ arrives on disc, IO Interactive have released the 101 Gameplay Trailer for gamers who may be new to HITMAN.

From an exhilarating spy-thriller story to time limited Elusive Targets, HITMAN truly delivers the fantasy of becoming a master assassin.

If you’re new to HITMAN, it might just take you a few attempts to get to the top of your game. This 101 Gameplay Trailer is a whistle-stop tour of what to expect and the skills you will need to craft an assassination in HITMAN.

HITMAN – The Complete First Season will release on disc on Jan 31^st on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

About HITMAN™
HITMAN is the sixth game in the blockbuster series and is the culmination of a journey started by IO-Interactive more than 17 years ago. It builds on the critically acclaimed and commercially successful foundation of games like Silent Assassin, Blood Money and the recent Hitman: Absolution.

New Injustice 2 Story Trailer - "The Lines are Redrawn"

New Injustice 2 Story Trailer - "The Lines are Redrawn"

Witness the story set in motion in Injustice™: Gods Among Us as new DC characters join the fight and shape the actions that unfold in the upcoming sequel. Injustice™ 2 will release for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One beginning May 17, 2017

Injustice™ 2 is NetherRealm Studios' super-powered sequel to the hit game Injustice™: Gods Among Us that allows players to build and power up the ultimate version of their favorite DC characters. Featuring a massive selection of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains,  Injustice™ 2 continues the epic cinematic story introduced in Injustice™: Gods Among Us as Batman and his allies work towards putting the pieces of society back together while struggling against those who want to restore Superman’s™ regime. In the midst of the chaos, a new threat appears that will put Earth’s existence at risk. 

For more information and to pre-order the game, visit www.injustice.com, and join the Injustice™ 2 conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/injusticegame) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/injusticegame).

LITTLE NIGHTMARES™ final release date, SIX edition and a new trailer revealed

LITTLE NIGHTMARES™ final release date, SIX edition and a new trailer revealed

Digital pre-purchases are now open for LITTLE NIGHTMARES coming out on April 28^th on PlayStation®4, Xbox One as well as STEAM® and GOG.com for PC. The Six Edition is also available for pre-orders at participating retailers.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe and Tarsier Studios are pleased to announce today that LITTLE NIGHTMARES will release on April, 28^th in digital and physical format on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

LITTLE NIGHTMARES can now be pre-purchased digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One as well as GOG.com and STEAM for PC. The Six Edition is also available for pre-orders as a collector’s edition at participating retailers while supplies last. The Six Edition includes a 10 cm high figurine trapped into a themed cage box as well as the original soundtrack composed by Tobias Lilja from Tarsier Studios, an exclusive A3 poster and a sticker board.

Trapped in The Maw with nothing but her wits and a lighter, Six must find light in the darkness and strength in her weakness to survive the attentions of its monstrous residents and escape to the world outside. Be careful as each room is a cell, each resident a threat, and both puzzles to untangle. Hide and sneak from danger, climb your way out and escape the chasing monsters as The Janitor, the new character revealed in The Nine Deaths of Six trailer.

Watch_Dogs 2 free trial is here

Watch_Dogs 2 free trial is here

WATCH_DOGS^® 2 FREE TRIAL

NOW AVAILABLE FOR SONY PLAYSTATION^®4

New players will have three free hours of game time to join the DedSec hackers in the San Francisco Bay Area

Sydney, Australia - January 18, 2017 - Today, Ubisoft announced that a Free Trial for WATCH_DOGS 2 is now available for download on Sony PlayStation®4, and will be released on Microsoft Xbox One on January 25, 2017. On that same date, the first add-on content pack, the T-Bone Content Bundle, will also be available on Microsoft Xbox One and PC.

To watch the trailer click the image below

After racking up praise from press, critics and fans, the WATCH_DOGS 2 Free Trial will give both game enthusiasts and newcomers access to 3 hours of free content including seamless multiplayer with three online modes*, “Hacking Invasion”, “Bounty Hunter” and 2 players co-op, as well as story missions and side activities. Purchase is possible at any time without any additional download as all game progress is saved and carried over to the full game.

In WATCH_DOGS 2 Free Trial, players have the chance to freely explore the entirety of the San Francisco Bay Area open-world, using all gadgets, weapons and advanced hacking options available to shape the fate of the city. They can freely choose their path between stealthy infiltrations in restricted areas or wacky action-packed antics with friends. Picking from a wide variety of tools, drones, RC cars and weapons, players can take advantage from a fully hackable city and watch as the game environment reacts to their every move.

For more information about WATCH_DOGS 2, please visit watchdogs.ubisoft.com.

*Multiplayer access requires a Sony PlayStation Plus or Microsoft Xbox Live Gold membership.

About Watch_Dogs 2

In Watch_Dogs 2, players explore the birthplace of the tech revolution as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker who has fallen victim to ctOS 2.0’s predictive algorithms and accused of a crime he did not commit. In Marcus’s quest to shut down ctOS 2.0 for good, hacking is the ultimate weapon. Players can not only hack into the San Francisco Bay Area’s infrastructure but also every person and any connected device they possess to trigger unpredictable chains of events in this vast open world.