At Darren's World of Entertainment

Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Lady Bird: Film Review

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet
Director: Greta Gerwig

That Lady Bird is such a delight is a testament to Greta Gerwig's sudden apparent spurt of cinematic maturity.

Frances Ha, while mainly lauded, was a source of hipster irritation in extremis, a film that tried so hard, it practically burst out of the screen and demanded you love it.

But Lady Bird, a coming-of-age and relationship film, positively bursts with joviality, relatability and universal themes that it makes its 90 minute run time feel just about right.

Ronan plays the precocious, yet familiar, flawed and relatable teen Christine, the self-penned Lady Bird, a teen growing up in the suburbs of Sacramento, California in 2002.

Burdened with life at a Catholic high school and with a desire to escape to New York for college, Lady Bird's tribulations are all-too familiar to anyone who was an adolescent (ie everyone).

Quarreling with her mother (played with empathy and frustration by Laurie Metcalf), neogtiating a way to get better grades and dipping her toes in the relationship pool, Lady Bird finds growing up isn't as easy as her sassy outlook would have her believe.

Much like the wise-cracking of Juno, and just about every coming-of-age film you've ever seen, Lady Bird manages to subvert some of the tropes of the genre with deftness by Gerwig and her leading lady, Ronan.

From touches like holding off make up and letting Ronan's acne stand out on the screen to the wonderful cut-scenes that capture simultaneously the beauty and boredom of small town life, Gerwig's Lady Bird grounds itself in such innate realness that it's everyone's slice of life, in some form or other. It crackles with a contagious freshness too, from sparky dialogue to subtle small reactionary moments.

And that's where the strength lies - Gerwig's characters are all true to themselves; there are no (spoiler alert) Hollywood style big moments here - everything that happens feels like it should happen and never feels like the audience or, crucially, the characters are cheated.

While the film judders a little towards the end, stuttering towards a resolution, it's the small moments and the small senses of victory, mistake, bittersweet regrets writ large and relationship between a mother and daughter which make Lady Bird such a success.

Likely to be embraced by a generation searching for some kind of heroine embodiment of their awkwardness, Lady Bird also wins because its titular character gets by (or not) on her own strengths, and on nobody else's validations.

Not only one for the hipsters, Greta Gerwig's Oscar-nominated Lady Bird is an honest film for the generations; a small yet familiar appealing coming-of-age tale which is all of us - and which makes us proud to admit it.

Tuesday, 13 February 2018

Kingdom Hearts III D23 Monsters Inc

OPEN THE DOOR TO MONSTERS, INC. IN

KINGDOM HEARTS III

New Video Also Unveils Flashy Combat and Never-Before-Seen

Footage from Toy Story and Tangled

SYDNEY, 13^th February 2018 – This past weekend at D23 Expo Japan, a special event for Disney fans created by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club held at Tokyo Disney Resorts®, Square Enix Ltd., and Disney thrilled fans with the announcement of a new Disney•Pixar film based world, Monsters, Inc. in KINGDOM HEARTS III. Two new trailers, unveiled during the Expo, take viewers deep into the frights and delights of the animated classic as Sora, Donald and Goofy transform into monsters to blend into the Monstropolis cityscape.

During their epic adventures, Sora and his companions join forces with Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, with a special appearance by Boo. Fright team all-stars Mike and Sulley lend their scaring talents and special combination attacks against their enemies.

SQUARE ENIX also revealed new cut scenes and gameplay from the Toy Story inspired world, Disney princess Rapunzel (Tangled) as a party member, visually-striking Keyblade transformations, a link system featuring Ariel (The Little Mermaid), and the return of Dream Eater Meow Wow as well as KINGDOM HEARTS villains Marluxia and Vanitas

Fans were also treated to a second trailer teasing a mysterious exchange between Riku and King Mickey, and the announcement of a new theme song by international sensation and series veteran singer Hikaru Utada, titled “DON’T THINK TWICE”

The Sense of an Ending: DVD Review

Based on Julian Barnes' Man Booker prize winning novel, the film version of The Sense of an Ending benefits greatly from the paucity of its lead actor.

Broadbent doles kindly and curmudgeonly in his role as Tony Webster, a retired man who runs a camera repair shop. Webster is a man consumed by the past in more ways than one. He refuses to get a smartphone despite his daughter (Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey) being about to give birth, he tends to damaged cameras, and his desktop runs an old system.

Further to this one foot in the past ethos, Webster one day receives a letter which sends him down memory lane. Caught up in reflections from yesteryear, Webster begins to re-examine his life and his decisions.

Intercut with scenes from Webster's school days and burgeoning romance and relationship with an enigmatic girl Veronica and his friendship with school newcomer Adrian, the film has a tendency to simply cut to the past as the assignations of the present start to come squarely into focus. But it comes to rely on its bifurcated structure to provide the drive of the film as it continues.

And while Broadbent is the main reason to view this film, thanks in large part to a subtle underplayed turn that always hints at something more, this adaptation is probably more for an older generation after some reflexive viewing.

Parts of the book feel like they could have been trimmed for the screenplay, and a lot of Dockery's scenes and her character genuinely feel redundant to what's actually transpiring.

Equally, a fleeting appearance from Rampling squanders one of the best assets, and while that's not her fault, and is the demand of the narrative, her scenes with Broadbent's Webster pack an emotional power that's hard to deny.

But it's the hard yards to get to the emotional pay-off, with much of the film's mystery desperately masking itself as an enigma. Webster's rhapsodic ruminations are certainly universal in some ways (love, lust, desire) but the ultimate reveal feels more muted than devastating; a sign perhaps that translating this to a larger canvas means the intimacy of the book's context is a little torn asunder.

There are plenty of wry whimsical words which will resonate with the older end of the audience as it ambles toward its conclusion, and Broadbent's somewhat particular demeanour as Webster means he's never anything less than watchable, but perhaps The Sense of an Ending is more a case of a story that is slightly - and unfortunately - lost in translation.

Monday, 12 February 2018

Mountain: DVD Review

A sense of the political pervades Mountain, director Jennifer Peedom's love letter to the peaks that shape so many lives

A swipe against deforestation to feed our need for exhilaration, a rallying cry for the Sherpa placed under pressure, a comment against Everest's queuing congestion that goes against the spirit of exploration and the narcissism of the thrill seekers on the mountains, half in love with themselves and half in love with oblivion.

However, it's the very slightest of touches in this film which feels more at home on a Nat Geo outing despite its truly beautiful cinematography, culled from some 2,000 hours of footage.

Peedom demonstrated her chops with the wondrous Sherpa a few festivals back, giving time to the plight of the Sherpa who put their lives at risk for little reward from the thrill seekers determined to conquer Everest no matter what.

And while this collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra deserves to be seen on the big screen, it's very close to Nature Porn set to a classical music background. Faceless peaks and nameless mountains populate the screen as narrator Willem Dafoe intones what it is that draws people to the mountains, and the challenges they present in a life where we've become closeted from nature.

In the same way that Toa Fraser's The Free Man attempted to dive deeper into the psychology of the mountains at this year's festival, Mountain is similarly at pains to paint a vista of placeless peaks that draw us in, with their allure. Using words from Robert MacFarlane to help create the picture, Peedom's film really does lack a narrative edge to make it an essential experience.

That said, if the thread is underdeveloped throughout, aside from the aforementioned swipes, the cinematography is astounding, and the sense of the spectacular is palpable.

Whether it's a series of slow mo shots of skiers cascading though ice like swarming ants on the way to their nest or stunning day/ night dissolves, the big screen simply laps up the very best of Mountain's visuals, with its vertiginous shots creating a sense of scale and of terrifying emotions to those not seeking the thrill. Equally, the ACO's work is perhaps the great companion to this piece and deserves to be appreciated as loudly as possible as it juxtaposes itself nicely to some of the images on screen.

Ultimately, Mountain is a nice visual essay, but despite the snow-capped vistas and stunning peaks, as well as some archive footage, it's deeply disposable fare - it's the visual equivalent at times of elevator music. Pretty to look at, but easily forgotten.

Sunday, 11 February 2018

Black Panther: Film Review

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
Director: Ryan Coogler

To say that Marvel Studios' Black Panther arrives at a somewhat crucial time in cinema history is akin to saying "2 plus 2 equals 4."

For those not au fait with the Black Lives Matter movement, the under-representation of people of colour in cinema ongoing fight and the fallout from the #OscarsSoWhite debacle, as well as a Marvel Cinematic Universe that has been largely fronted by white dudes during the last decade - a contrast which has been starkly shown up by DC Universe's Wonder Woman and subsequent accolades, the time really is now for a change.

And yet to simply acclaim Black Panther for breaking this mould and its part for diversity is also to do it an injustice - after all, a large portion of these movements are about offering fairness and treating subjects equally.

So, in terms of the superhero movie, and moving away from the important fact that young black people deserve to see heroes of their own on screen, Black Panther more than matches the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - even if it does repeat some of the tenets of what has gone before.

Focussing on Chadwick Boseman's stoic Prince T'Challa, who's forced to take the kingdomship of his own Wakanda after the death of his father, what follows in Black Panther is a largely self-contained story that eschews away from the wider ramifications of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its ongoing mythology and revels in the political machinations of a new leader taking the reins of power.

Wakanda is a hidden kingdom deep in Africa's world, one which has grown its own technology thanks to the plentiful source of mysterious element vibranium (right up there with James Cameron's unobtanium from Avatar in terms of element-naming) and has shied away from sharing it with the rest of the world.

But when T'Challa comes to power, a decades-old struggle is reborn - and coupled with T'Challa's desire to catch a war criminal and arms dealer from the outside world (played with hammy glee and Afrikaans accent by Andy Serkis), the Black Panther/ T'Challa learns the responsibility of power is a heavier burden than expected.

Mixing tradition, comments over colonialism, cultural identity, Bond movies, tinges of Thor and Iron Man, some tightly shot and executed choreography, a villain with a genuine emotional edge rather than his one-dimensional predecessors, and touches of humour, Black Panther is perhaps a more nuanced Marvel movie than we've seen for a while. And an admirable self-contained effort at that.

There are some moments when it falters though - a reliance on debate to further the plot may cause some restlessness in the younger elements attracted to the MCU for the whipcrack Avengers style banter; and a conclusion that relies on a white guy to save a part of the day is a little troubling in some ways.

And there's a distinct feeling at times that it follows a formula set down for the Marvel franchise alone - even if its some of its action sequences bristle with cultural colour and tribal tradition, there is still a car chase which feels like an extended advert rather than a narrative necessity.

Plus placing a central cast member in peril is severely undercut by the fact they've been viewed in the Avengers Infinity War trailer - Marvel marketing really must do better.

And yet, despite the familiarity of what transpires, and the richness of culture, as well as the depth of the acting talent, there's still a feeling of indifference in Black Panther's appearance.

It may well be Marvel fatigue rather than what's put on the screen because all of the deeply nuanced and empathetic cast turn in some impressive work - and manage to operate within the hammering home of certain messages over oppression and times to rise up sentiments.

But perhaps, and maybe just whisper this, there should be a little more?

Michael B Jordan has depth, Letitia Wright steals the show as the Q-inspired tech-obsessed sister of T'Challa, Danai Gurira continues to kick as much ass as Michonne does on The Walking Dead and Boseman imbues the Black Panther with the necessary gravitas.

Ultimately, while Black Panther is a fresh origin tale which feels reflective of the times and desires of the cinematic universe and world, it's fairly formulaic Marvel fare.

Setting aside the vital empowerment and diversity messages it eschews and boiling down the presentation of the elements, Black Panther really does nothing new with the franchise - aside from its casting and its strong female representation.

Sagging in parts, and grasping for greatness, its aims and ambitions can't be faulted - and its execution is well-realised by Creed director Coogler, but this Black Panther doesn't unfortunately quite roar when it should - even though it bears its teeth often and plentifully throughout.

Saturday, 10 February 2018

Win a copy of Tommy's Honour

TOMMY'S HONOUR - January 31
Starring Jack Lowden, Peter Mullan and Sam Neill
In every generation, a torch passes from father to son.

And that timeless dynamic is the beating heart of Tommy's Honour - an intimate, powerfully moving tale of the real-life founders of the modern game of golf.

To win a copy, all you have to do is email your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Include your name and address and title your email TOMMY!
Competition closes February 23th

Friday, 9 February 2018

This Beautiful Fantastic: DVD Review

Inhabiting a world where quirky abounds, fable This Beautiful Fantastic sets out its stall within its opening moments of voice-over.

Wearied and cynically scathing, Tom Wilkinson's character Alfie Stephenson decries his relationship with Bella Brown by explaining that "she would have perished, where it not for the ducks."

What follows is the kind of romantically saccharine but harmless fare destined to do well with an audience of a certain kind as the story of OCD Bella Brown (Downton Abbey's Lady Sybil Crawley aka Brown Findlay) unfurls.

Reclusive orphan Bella, who works at the local library and is bullied by the boss, finds her world is changed when her neighbour, the curmudgeon Alfie (wonderfully portrayed by Wilkinson) enters her life.

Whereas Alfie keeps a tidy garden, Bella fears the outside and has let hers run riot (the kind of terrifying NIMBYism so prevalent in the suburbs of Britain), much to his chagrin. Things are further exacerbated when Bella's landlord shows up, demanding she clean up or be thrown out. And to make matters worse, Alfie's cook (the ever-reliable Sherlock star Andrew Scott) decides enough is enough and decamps to the neighbour rather than enduring Alfie's bullying.

Negotiating a truce, the pair decide to help each other to their own mutual advantage with the landlord's deadline ticking ever closer.

This Beautiful Fantastic is a fable, wrapped in the trappings of a pantomime.

From the beautiful orphan princess to the ogre whose kind heart lies beneath a snarky veneer, it plays up the eccentricities of the characters to a level that's almost intolerable as it moves from narrative pillar to post.

Brown Findlay's initial OCD is sidelined and relatively forgotten as the story goes on, drowned in those around her's idiosyncracies. But she keeps a grounded approach to the story that revels in whimsy and a kind of English prissiness that is as pervasive as a weed in a suburban London garden.
There's great joy in Wilkinson's delivery of snide bon mots and cast-off comments; the curmudgeon suits him early on, before the inevitable thaw sets in. From complaining about the "horticultural terrorist" to the "unmitigated eco apocalypse" that's likely to befall him, surly suits the earlier oddities that threaten to drown the film's atmosphere.

There's a strong case to be had that Wilkinson's a veritable live action remake of the Victor Meldrew character in this, a Britain so irritated by the unimportant that it consumes him, though wisely writer and director Aboud never really imbues him with an edge of meanness.

And once again Scott makes an argument for why every character piece should have him involved; making the acting look easy and giving the whole thing a warmth and heart that grounds the fantastical elements prove to be a great boon here.

The whole atmosphere of the ever-so slightly charming This Beautiful Fantastic is one of fluff in many ways, as the classic misunderstandings present in the narrative in the expected places and the sitcom vibe ticks off the tropes.

And yet in among the sweetness of this piece as it moves in a ramshackle fashion towards its entirely predictable denouement, it's hard to deny its watchability, given it's bathed in such a warmth that it feels like a cloud, a kind of dreamy wish fulfillment in many ways.

Thursday, 8 February 2018

The Alliance Française French Film Festival Unveils Their 2018 Programme

Celebrating 12 years of bringing the best of French cinema to New Zealand, the Alliance Française French Film Festival has unveiled the full programme for the 2018 Festival.

“After months of preparation and many many film viewings, we are delighted to present you with a film programme that proves le cinéma français remains as innovative and surprising as ever. The films presented show the full range of creativity and originality that make France’s cinema scene one of the most vibrant in the world.

Our dramas, comedies, biopics, period films, melodramas, family films and documentaries will make you travel the world and experience other stories — en français évidemment!

We are excited to raise the curtain on 6 weeks of French film in 14 cinemas throughout New Zealand. Enjoy!” — Festival director Dorothée Basel.

With a line-up of 37 films, the 2018 programme features several award-winning Festival titles including the Academy Award nominated Faces Places (Visages, Villages) by Agnès Varda and JR, Cannes Grand Prix and Queer Palm winner BPM (Beats Per Minute) (120 battements par minute) by Robin Campillo, Cannes Critics’ Week Nespresso Grand Prize winner Makala by Emmanuel Gras, and Cannes Camera d’Or winner Montparnasse Bienvenüe (Jeune Femme) by Léonor Serraille.

As in previous years, the programme includes a strong focus on female directors and creative talent. First features by up and coming filmmakers will play alongside work from established names such as Anne Fontaine (Reinventing Marvin, Marvin ou la belle éducation), Claire Simon (The Graduation, Le Concours) and Lisa Azuelos (Dalida).

Films featuring bold visionaries, auteurs of cinema and iconic songstresses prove the arts are well and truly alive in the programme with biopics such as Redoubtable (Le Redoutable) by Michel Hazanavicius, Barbara by Mathieu Amalric and Rodin by Jacques Doillon taking centre stage.

Exploring French language cinema beyond France, the 2018 Festival will take audiences on an international journey from Africa to Canada and to our closest neighbour New Caledonia. Special events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will celebrate French language worldwide alongside the Alliance Française for the annual Soirée Francophonie evenings, and a range of themed introductions in partnership with art galleries, universities and festivals across the country will add to the viewing experience. To mark the end of the centenary of the First World War, a special selection of films set around La grande guerre also feature in the programme.

The Alliance Française French Film Festival will run from 1 March - 18 April 2018 in 13 cities across New Zealand. For full programme details including screening times, ticket information and dates and venues, visit www.frenchfilmfestival.co.nz

Annabelle: Creation: DVD Review

Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto, Stephanie Sigman, Lulu Wilson, Talitha Bateman, That bloody creepy doll
Director: David Sandberg

There's just something inherently creepy about dolls.

Ask Chucky, and now ask Annabelle, the doll given life in the first Conjuring movie and unleashed into a prequel here by the director of the muchly impressive jump-fest Lights Out.

This prequel concentrates on the birth of Annabelle and on that front, it's rather tame.
Opening with Anthony LaPaglia's dollmaker Samuel Mullins sitting among doll body parts in a shed in the 1940s, like a bizarre kindly serial killer cum Gepetto, the doll is made and placed in a box with little to no fuss.

A little while later, during an innocent moment, Mullins and his wife (Miranda Otto) lose their daughter to tragedy and retreat in their isolated home to grieve.
Jumping a few years later, the Mullins open up their home to a busload of orphan girls and their guardian Sister (played by Spectre's Stephanie Sigman), giving them a place to grow up.

One, a polio-riddled kid called Janice (played with equal parts warmth and equal parts terror by Talitha Bateman) is an outsider from the group. In an homage to Rear Window, her life gets worse when she stumbles into a locked room and meets the doll...

Annabelle: Creation gets great truck from its creepy atmospherics, orchestrated to perfection by Sandberg, who delivers long drawn-out shots of freaky looking corridors, swamped in darkness and with ominous touches clearly present.

Smartly, Sandberg realises the ultimate reveal of the demon is a bit of a waste of time, and wisely confines his scares to moments within the house, long-drawn out scenes and lingering camera shots which simply focus on the expressionless eyes of the totally menacing doll.

Great manipulations of the use of sound also helps Annabelle: Creation achieve a spooky and sinister soundscape, even when things get silly around the protagonists. And while the idea of innocent children being repeatedly menaced isn't exactly new territory, Sandberg gets good mileage out of retreading familiar ground and making it appear fresh.

LaPaglia gives great mournful edges as the bereaved Mullins, Otto is slightly wasted; but the star of the film is 11 year old actress Lulu Wilson, who impresses mightily as Janice's lifelong orphan BFF with an assured turn that cements the extremely solid work she did in Ouija: Origin of Evil.

Even when the story becomes cliched and lapses into the trademark horror tropes of people doing intensely dumb things, Annabelle Creation works a suspenseful and smartly executed horror which never loses sight of what it wants to achieve.

Deeping the Creepy Conjuring Cinematic Universe, Annabelle Creation is a thoroughly solid chiller that rarely resorts to cheap tricks to frighten its audience but delivers exactly what they'd want and expect from a film of its ilk.

Wednesday, 7 February 2018

The Mountain Between Us: DVD Review

Based on Charles Martin's novel of the same name, The Mountain Between Us is about as icy as the slopes the doomed plane carrying Idris Elba's surgeon Ben and Kate Winslet's photo-journalist Alex crash-lands upon.

When the pair meet at an airport to news of their flight's cancellation, they decide to charter a small plane to ensure their various commitments are met - his, a surgery on a 10-year-old boy in the morning, hers, her own wedding.
However, their pilot (Beau Bridges) suffers a stroke mid-flight when the weather turns and plummets the plane atop a mountain, killing himself and ripping them both from the fabric of their daily lives.

With little food, no communication and a trusty golden retriever for company, the duo is forced into a fight for suvival amid the icy conditions...

The Mountain Between Us is nothing more than a pulpy romance novel that really lacks the sparks between the main duo to help carry it off.

Blessed with utter ludicrous edges (the pilot's killed, the seat-belted passengers are injured, but an unsecured dog emerges unscathed), it asks a lot from its audience for its leaps and bounds of logic and delivers them very little in return.

Pushing its "the heart is just a muscle" line early on, as uttered by Idris Elba's Ben, it's clear that the ice between the pair is going to thaw as well as the snow falls outside. With Winslet's impulsive Alex facing off against Elba's guarded and cautious Ben, the clash of ideologies is obvious from the start.

And despite the pristine shots of the mountains (all crisp whites) and the copious shots of dog reaction to various moments, there's little in this movie to fully engage.

It's a shame given how stellar and dependable both Winslet and Elba can be.
Both have a screen presence but can't manage to negotiate the trappings of the script which saddle them either with clunky character exposition or behaviour which is increasingly unrealistic.

As the survival story continues, the film's final extended coda is perhaps a welcome change to what you'd expect of films such as this, but it's here that the truly romantic pulpiness comes out and laces the white of the snowcaps with another lashing of a white substance - the saccharine sugary gloop.

It's a disappointment that despite the talent involved, this overlong (bizarrely at 110 mins, it feels slow at times) two-hander lacks the depth to help you invest in the love story. Both Elba and Winslet are character actors of pure calibre and class, but this film doesn't bring their best to the screen.

Ultimately, it's less a peaky blinder, unfortunately more a Meh-ntain between us which emerges.

Tuesday, 6 February 2018

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Official Super Bowl Trailer (2018) Marvel

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Official Super Bowl Trailer (2018) Marvel

Have a look at some new footage from the Super Bowl Spot for Avengers: Infinity War

Limited edition steelbook for Attack on Titan 2

KOEI TECMO REVEALS LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOK AND DIGITAL DELUXE VERSION FOR A.O.T. 2

Gripping New Trailers Introduce Fast-Paced Battle Action And Nintendo Switch™ Gameplay!

Sydney, Australia – 2^nd February, 2018 – KOEI TECMO finally revealed a cornucopia of additional bonus content and collectible options available to fans who pre-orderA.O.T. 2. in both physical or digital formats.

Fans who prefer more tangible exclusive items, can pre-order the physical version of the game through EB Games to secure a premium collectible Steelbook featuring the dreaded Colossal and Armoured Titans, and members of the heroic scout regiment in action!

Koei Tecmo also revealed the release of a Digital Deluxe version, which will include the full game and a pack of unique costumes gradually available from the game’s launch on 20th March 2018, with further content updates being added each week after!

Digital pre-orders of either the Digital Deluxe or standard A.O.T. 2 versions on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch will include a bonus pack of Plain Clothes costumes for Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Levi, Christa, Ymir, Reiner and Bertholdt.

Lastly, all fans who pre-order or late-comers who purchase the game digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch within four weeks from launch, will receive a DLC pack with Plain Clothes costumes for Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Levi, which will allow them to replace their Scout gear with something a little more casual.

Slated for release on the 20^th March 2018 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo Switch™, and digitally on Windows PC via Steam®, players can relive the gripping narrative of the worldwide anime hit, ‘Attack on Titan’, from an all new perspective with their very own Custom Scout.

KOEI TECMO released two action-packed new trailers alongside this announcement today; the first trailer reveals A.O.T. 2 gameplay on the Nintendo Switch™, featuring a mix of Battle and Town Life clips, whilst the second trailer focuses on the fast-paced claustrophobic action that the series is known for. The new asset batch also includes images of the pre-order and early purchase content available to fans!

Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer

The first trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story has dropped.

Win a copy of The Limehouse Golem

THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM - January 31

Starring Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke and Douglas Booth
Set on the unforgiving, squalid streets of Victorian London in 1880, our tale begins in the baroque, grandiose music hall where the capital's most renowned performer Dan Leno takes to the stage.

The whimsical thespian performs a monologue, informing his dedicated audience of the ghastly fate of a young woman who had once adorned this very stage, his dear friend Elizabeth Cree; for the beguiling songstress is facing up to her forthcoming death by hanging, having been accused of murdering her husband John Cree.

Lizzie's death seems inevitable, until Detective Inspector John Kildare is assigned to the case of the Limehouse Golem – a nefarious, calculating serial killer, murdering innocent, unconnected victims, leaving behind barely identifiable corpses – and his distinctive signature in blood.

All is not what it seems and everyone is a suspect and everyone has a secret.

To win a copy, all you have to do is email your details to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Include your name and address and title your email GOLEM!
Competition closes February 13th

Monday, 5 February 2018

Westworld series 2 trailer debut

The trailer for the second series of Westworld from HBO has debuted during the Super Bowl.

Season 2 of Westworld will debut on HBO on April 22nd.

Far Cry 5 trailer unveiled

UBISOFT REVEALS FAR CRY^® 5 STORY TRAILER

The Project at Eden’s Gate, a doomsday cult led by Joseph Seed, has taken over Hope County. You must spark the fires of resistance and bring the cult to justice.

To watch trailer click the image below

Far Cry 5 Season pass details revealed

UBISOFT REVEALS FAR CRY^® 5 SEASON PASS DETAILS

Season Pass owners will receive Far Cry 3 in HD on console and three new adventures that will transport players well beyond Hope County

Sydney, Australia — February 3, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft announced the content of Far Cry^® 5 Season Pass, available as part of the Far Cry 5 Gold Edition or as an add-on purchase on PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and PC.

To watch trailer please click image below

To download trailer click HERE

Following the launch of Far Cry 5 on March 27, the season pass will continue to deliver experiences with the unique Far Cry twist as players are transported to uncanny adventures across three unique settings.

· Hours of Darkness: Players will travel back in time to Vietnam to battle against Việt Cộng soldiers

· Dead Living Zombies: Players will face hordes of zombies across multiple b-movie scenarios

· Lost on Mars: Players will leave Earth behind to go toe-to-claws with Martian arachnids

Additionally, all Far Cry 5 Season Pass owners playing on consoles will receive the single-player content from another critically-acclaimed Far Cry series entry with Far Cry^®3 Classic Edition, which will be available to season pass holders four weeks prior to launching as a standalone purchase in winter 2018 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Far Cry 3^® Classic Edition will let fans and newcomers to the series revisit Rook Island and encounter one of the franchise’s most notorious villains Vaas, who is brought to life by Michael Mando. As Jason Brody, players must explore the tropical island to find and save his friends, who are being held captive. PC players who purchase the season pass or Far Cry 5 Gold Edition will receive the full version of Far Cry^® 3.

More details on post-launch support for Far Cry 5, including an overview of the three adventures and the return of the map editor will be shared at a later date.

Set in America, a first for the franchise, Far Cry 5 offers players total freedom to navigate a serene-looking yet deeply twisted world as the new junior deputy of fictional Hope County, Montana. Players will find that their arrival accelerates a years-long silent coup by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Project at Eden's Gate, igniting a violent takeover of the county. Under siege and cut off from the rest of the world, players will join forces with residents of Hope County and form the Resistance.

For more information about Far Cry 5, please visit farcry.com

The Witch and the Hundred Knight™ 2 announce date

NIS America is very happy to announce that The Witch and the Hundred Knight™ 2 will be arriving in Australia and New Zealand on April 6; exclusively for the PlayStation®4!

About the Game:

Follow Hundred Knight in its journey through a witch-ravaged world. Young girls are contracting a strange illness and awakening as witches, causing mayhem across the region of Kevala. Along Hundred Knight's side are two sisters: Amalie, an agent of an organization who opposes witches; and Chelka, the witch who awakened in Amalie's younger sister, Milm. Uncover the mysteries of Kevala as you protect them both from harm.

Delve through dungeons and landscapes teeming with fiends and monsters, looking for equipment of legendary power. Grow stronger with help from Tochkas and Facets that will give an advantage in combat. Chain attacks together with the unique weapon system that welcomes weapon change mid-combat. The fate of Kevala is in your hands, brave knight.

Key Features:

Adapt to Your Surroundings - Switch between the Hundred Knight's six Facets to turn the tide in battle! Gather Tochkas, the indispensable minions, to aid you in your exploration.

Pint-Sized Powerhouse - Execute Depletura to finish off enemies and replenish your GigaCalories! Trigger your Third Eye and unleash the full power of Hundred Knight for a brief time. Leave enemies to tremble before your boosted speed, power, and skills!

Temper Your Strength - Forge new weapons with items from the field at your base. Pass Witch Petitions; granting you access to new Tochkas and other benefits!