Peter Capaldi leaving Doctor Who

Peter Capaldi leaving Doctor Who

The Twelfth Doctor is leaving at the end of Series 10 of new Doctor Who.

Talking on BBC Radio 2, he's revealed he's leaving this year. He'd been asked to stay on but has said that he felt 3 years in the job is enough for him. Confirming that he'll leave at the end of the year with Steven Moffat, he's said there's never been anything more special to him.

But he also revealed he's keen to work on other jobs  as well and that he feels it's time to move on.

He's revealed his regeneration scene has not yet been filmed. His last episode will be Christmas Day 2017.

Doctor Who will return to BBC1 on April 15th.

London Road: DVD Review

London Road: DVD Review

Released by Vendetta Films

You wouldn't have thought that England's worst serial killer would have been fertile ground for a musical.

But then to be frank, London Road is not like anything you've ever seen before.

Mixing archive interviews, as performed by its acting talent and set to music, it's a slightly uneasy and weird movie experience that almost defies convention and explanation. It's the story of the residents of London Road in Ipswich in 2006, whose lives were changed when working girls started on their streets.

Unhappy at the prostitutes, the residents were even more perturbed to hear that five of them were killed and terrified to learn that the killer was one Steven Wright, who lived in London Road.

London Road was a successful musical, written by Alecky Blythe and directed by Rufus Norris, who's taken on this production and is probably the best person to have done so, being as au fait as he is with the verbatim theatre.

It's a clever device to take hooks and comments from interviews with the residents and turn them into lyrics with their speech patterns mimicked in the performance of the actors. But the slight issue with it on the big screen is that while the gimmick is clever, smart and original, it soon wears thin as it continues to play out.

Usually musicals work best when they hook into a few fully formed characters, giving the audience an insight and an opening into what the character's feeling. Unfortunately, London Road doesn't quite manage the same hook, with most of the residents emerging as an amorphous blob hard to differentiate from the others. But, in turning these residents into a Greek Chorus aimed at driving the exposition, the play is tremendously successful and admittedly, provides some surprise efforts at earworms. The way the music turns news bulletins, news reporters and expressions of fear and paranoia into onscreen ditties is wildly deft and comes out of nowhere.

Colman is perhaps the biggest name here to foreign audiences - with Tom Hardy getting a cameo as a cab driver singing in a falsetto and protesting that just because he knows about serial killers doesn't necessarily make him one.

If anything, London Road is to be applauded for its inventiveness - but its transition to the big screen represents something that's not quite worked or harnessed the livewire nature of a show. As the credits roll, the replaying of the actual interview soundbites is an unnecessary touch, a tacit moment of bragging which is unwarranted and destroys some of the cleverness of what's lyrically transpired.

Chalk London Road up to an interesting experiment; its story may not be enough to drive you along, but its surprising route to its final destination is a challenge to traditional musicals.

The Girl On The Train: Blu Ray Review

The Girl On The Train: Blu Ray Review

Released by Universal Home Ent

Paula Hawkins' much loved novel is a dark and disturbing psychological piece.

And thanks to Emily Blunt's impressive performance, the book's unreliable narrative has been turned into a compulsive and uncomfortable thriller, that grips in its own sickening ways as the onion unpeels back and reveals its layers.

Blunt plays Rachel Watson, a divorcee who believes she sees something when Haley Bennett's Megan Hipwell goes missing. But the investigation headed up by Allison Janney's Officer Riley proffers up more than a simple case of a missing person...

Half of the thrill of The Girl On The Train's unfurling is in the not knowing - and having not read the source material, the twists and turns are well-paced and backed by a powerful Blunt performance (though given its apparent faithfulness to the book those who've read it may not be as taken by the reveals).

Tapping into a world of uneasy voyeurism, of a woman wronged and suspicion, depression and paranoia, Blunt delivers a powerhouse performance of a woman whose life is on the edge and in freefall that lifts the material from a degree of predictability (With only a few players in the cross-hairs of suspicion, The Girl On The Train's ultimate reveal is no surprise to anyone au fait with such thrillers - though potentially, the mystery here is not the main point of the film).

From her downbeat look, to her dulled by alcohol acting, this is a nervy turn that sees the audience siding with and against her as it plays out. Flashes and flashbacks flesh out the proceedings as the split narrative kicks in, but central to it all is Blunt, and she damn well earns your attention and acting adulation as it plays out. And Blunt's smart enough to never overplay the woman wronged role or overplay the alcoholism elements - it's a precise performance and one that's nuanced enough to not rely on the over-acting to ensure your attention.

Equally impressive is Bennett, a woman whose star is clearly on the ascent.

From a hard-edged turn as Megan, the slow-lilting fractured edges of the narrative tease out a different backstory than perhaps one was expecting for this nanny and Bennett does her all to bring the role to life. Without giving much away, it could be easy to make this role a one-dimensional caricature, but Bennett imbues the character with both damaged edges and realism and consequently, shifting allegiances and loyalties flip duly as the narrative plays out.
Everyone's damaged in this distorted and disjointed timeline and narrative, but that shifting perspective and reveals over pasts / coincidences and tragedies are excellently handled by Taylor in the directorial chair. Juggling the pieces of a brutal puzzle well, the final result is sickeningly compelling.

The Girl On The Train may very much be a spiritual sibling to the darkness of Gone Girl, but thanks to its disorienting unpeeling of what lies beneath the surface, it's a tremendously unsettling ride that's worth buying a ticket for. 

Blood Father: DVD Review

Blood Father: DVD Review

Sparsity and brevity prove to be useful bedfellows in French director Francois Richet's stripped back action movie, Blood Father.

But they're nothing without wearied Mel Gibson's trailer park living, hard tattooing, former Nazi enforcer Link who delivers a ferocious turn in this pared back straight to video piece that lacks the narrative to compellingly drive it through.

With unleashed fury that's redolent of a 70s actioner, the Mad Max we all know and loved before that meltdown comes simmering to the fore again, and quite frankly, it's a welcome return to form.

And it's greatly needed too, because Gibson's spikiness and untamed rage is about the only thing to pull Blood Father kicking and dragging out of the hoary old cliches that fail to ignite within.

Loosely, when estranged daughter Lydia (Moriarty, who goes from unsure gangster moll to trembling terrified child within seconds) contacts ex-con and father Link for money, the duo are pulled into a fight for survival with drug cartels and killers on their tail.

Blood Father's taut action scenes punctuate a script that's lacking on all fronts in anything other than building up to the pot boiling and consequent bubbling over of Link.

It doesn't help that dialogue at the start feels unnatural and the so called rift between daddy and daughter heads more towards the forced and unrealistic. Moriarty's turn eventually succumbs to the inevitable lost father schtick that Link gives into, but even when the action starts, there's a feeling of relief that the end is near.

Narratively, as a small indie with some meta elements (you can't help but read into Link's dialogue and its allusions to Gibson's Hollywood redemption), it just about succeeds. But without Gibson's return to form, nuanced turn and some tautly executed fight sequences, Blood Father is nothing but hoary old cliches piled atop each other and which fail to ignite.

It doesn't help that the film desire to throw in a tattooed Terminator Sicario soldier whose skill set is uneven when the story needs it but lethal when it doesn't; equally, the great character set up of William H Macy as Link's sponsor is squandered later on. But not every supporting player is up to the mark, and as the film progresses, it's clearly Mel's joint above all.

But then, Francois-Richet manages to throw in some stronger character moments in the 85 minute run time and leave you with the feeling that the film would have been richer for more of them rather than resort to overt symbolism (such as a Lost Soul tattoo on Link's arm).

Ultimately Blood Father wins as Gibson demonstrates once again his old fire - it's a searing turn and return to angry old Mel that proved so caustic a cinematic tonic so long ago and is so welcome once again. 

The Avengers project is coming

The Avengers project is coming

Square Enix and Marvel are teaming up.

The developers behind Tomb Raider and Deus Ex are bringing us some form of Marvel Avengers game.

Featuring a completely original story, it will introduce a universe gamers can play in for years to come. More details on The Avengers project and other games will be announced in 2018



More below

Original Blockbuster Games in Development at Award-Winning Square Enix Studios

Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal

SYDNEY, January 27, 2017 – Marvel Entertainment and SQUARE ENIX® today announced a new multi-year, multi-game licensing agreement to develop and publish original games based on beloved Marvel Super Heroes, beginning with The Avengers. This newly established partnership pairs the creative minds at Marvel and Square Enix for one of the most powerful alliances in interactive entertainment. The first blockbuster game is being crafted by Crystal Dynamics®, developers of the award winning TOMB RAIDER® series, in collaboration with Eidos-Montréal, the home of the critically acclaimed and award-winning DEUS EX game series.

The Avengers project is being designed for gamers worldwide and will be packed with all the characters, environments, and iconic moments that have thrilled longtime fans of the franchise. Featuring a completely original story, it will introduce a universe gamers can play in for years to come. More details on The Avengers project and other games will be announced in 2018.

The world premiere teaser trailer of The Avengers project can be seen here.

“By partnering with Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal, we are now working with two of the industry’s most talented and respected game development studios to bring Marvel stories to life in ways our fans have never experienced,“ said Jay Ong, Senior Vice President, Games & Innovation, Marvel Entertainment. “The Avengers project is a perfect example of how Marvel is making games a key part of the landscape for Marvel storytelling, alongside comics, television and film. We can only do this by matching our greatest Super Heroes with the world’s top developers, such as the creative minds at Square Enix.”

“Marvel’s diverse, innovative universe has created millions of longtime fans, including all of us,” said Phil Rogers, CEO, Square Enix Americas and Europe. “It’s exciting to bring together Square Enix’s award-winning development studios with Marvel’s extraordinary storytellers to establish a new entertainment powerhouse.  This collaboration of passion and talent will craft epic, imaginative experiences allowing gamers to live out their Super Hero dreams like never before.”

Crystal Dynamics is the studio behind the critically acclaimed and world-famous TOMB RAIDER franchise, which has sold over 48 million copies worldwide. With over 30 video game titles released and hundreds of awards, the heroine Lara Croft has been a cultural icon for 20 years and has made an indelible mark on virtually every facet of entertainment. The most recent release, Rise of the Tomb Raider®, has received over 100 awards and nominations and is one of the highest rated games on next generation systems.

Eidos-Montréal is the award-winning studio behind the relaunch of the DEUS EX series. In 2011, the studio made its mark with the critically acclaimed Deus Ex: Human Revolution®. Its sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided™, was released in 2016 and received more than 100 awards and nominations.

Win a double pass to see SPLIT

Win a double pass to see SPLIT

Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan returns to the captivating grip of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs with Split, an original thriller that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s fractured, gifted mind.

Following last year’s breakout hit The Visit, Shyamalan reunites with producer Jason Blum (The Purge and Insidious series, The Gift) for the film.

While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being.

Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others.

Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

For Split, Shyamalan and Blum reassemble their core team from The Visit.  Their fellow collaborators include producer Marc Bienstock and executive producers Ashwin Rajan and Steven Schneider.

Split hits cinemas February 2nd Rated: M

To stand a chance of winning a SPLIT double pass, all you have to do is drop me a line with your name and address!

To enter simply email SPLIT to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please ensure you include your name and address - competition closes February 2nd 

Pork Pie: Film Review

Pork Pie: Film Review

Cast: Dean O'Gorman, James Rolleston, Ashleigh Cummings, Antonia Prebble, Siobhan Marshall, Mat Whelan
Director: Mark Murphy

An unabashed slice of Kiwi nostalgia writ large some 36 years after the 1981 film become a bona fide hit and cemented itself into the national consciousness, the 2017 version of Goodbye Pork Pie is very much a Top Gear meets Top Town hybrid road trip that's unashamedly feel-good but shallow as it aims for the Kiwiana audience washing over the Waitangi weekend.

O'Gorman is Jon, a broken man who's determined to meet up with Prebble's Susie after a split - spurred into action by an upcoming wedding, he sets out to recapture his love. But that nearly ends fatally, after Rolleston's Luke nearly bowls him in a yellow mini that he's stolen as the film starts. Offering Jon a ride, the pair soon find themselves caught up in a country-wide pursuit when Luke's boy-racing skills come to the fore. And with Ashleigh Cummings' vegan protestor in tow, the gang heads south.

Starting with a chase on-foot before transitioning to a chase in a car with Dave Dobbyn's Language blasting out, the chase movie's ethos comes to the fore, giving the start of the film a breakneck pace that's brisk and adrenaline-fuelled as the pedal to the metal antics kick into gear.

With Rolleston's restrained and hardly talkative Luke sandwiched with O'Gorman's cocksure wise cracking Jon, the Odd Couple vibe is there from the start, as the broader comedy elements set in.

Complete with countryside cutaways that capture the beauty of New Zealand's open roads (at times, it resembles some kind of subtle tourism campaign masquerading as a film) and a soundtrack that's inherently Kiwi, this Bonnie and Clyde road trip wannabe is bound to find an audience who remember the original and want to wallow in the 2017's easy-going nature.

But as the increasing farce grows (the original was compared to the Keystone Kops), some of the broader character elements don't quite gel as they should.

It's mainly due to less rounding and the thinly drawn characters of the trio as well as the occasional side-lining of them as Jon continues his road trip to find love. But it's a shame because Rolleston and Cummings make an endearing and easy couple, destined to be road trip lovers and simultaneously ships passing in the night.

All three of them have an ease of presence on screen and work reasonably well within the script's severely limited confines. After the uproarious opening, the film needs to slow to deliver the exposition and back-ground needed and unfortunately, proceedings hit a minor narrative bump when they do so.

But the action's never too far away as the infamous yellow mini continues to speed, slide and handbrake turn away from the clumsy cops and the confluence of coincidence that's in the story.

It's clear that Pork Pie is an homage to the film that spawned it - from the director being the son of the original man who made it Geoff Murphy, the whole thing is bathed in a love for its story and the faithful updating of it. However, it remains inessential in many ways, with its more shallower edges becoming more evident as the film powers to its end.

It's a shame that the underwritten central characters push Pork Pie into a more average footing and stop it from truly soaring. Because at its core, Pork Pie is about a car chase, a rambunctious road trip of revelling; this 2017 version of Pork Pie doesn't quite have the grunt of an engine to push it over the edge and that, ultimately, is a disappointment.