The Client List: Season 1: DVD Review

The Client List: Season 1: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in a vaguely salacious series about the pressures faced by an American family.

She's a mother, who facing financial problems, turns to the oldest game in town (in some ways) in a massage parlour to help make ends meet.

Seduced by money and placed in an enviable position, The Client List is about as provocative as you'd expect from a Lifetime series, so it's more about the dilemma faced by Love Hewitt's character.

It's not a strong series, but does offer some sincerity in the form of Love Hewitt, who sells the role with conviction, even if the scripts don't.

Over 10 episodes of the first season, The Client List hits some of the stops you'd expect, but its soapier edges make it less of a compelling drama than it could be - it's simply one which relies on the charms of Love Hewitt to sell it with conviction.

Duckman: The Complete Seasons 1-4: DVD Review

Duckman: The Complete Seasons 1-4: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

Running from 94 to 97, this adult animated cartoon was a crude blast of fresh air.

Confined to late night BBC viewings in the UK, the titular Duckman was a private eye (played by Jason Alexander) who had more of the self-hating vibe than you'd expect.

With the set comprising some 70 episodes and some great special features, including commentary and animatics, there's definitely a feeling of the full Duckman experience that's worth dwelling on.

And with an extremely high profile guest cast list, there's lots of "that sounds like" moments to be had as well.

But it's in the scabrous tales and the mocking of private eye conventions and tropes that Duckman flourishes, painting everything with a crude afterglow that's hard to deny. And it's funny too - Alexander gives his all to Duckman and the ludicrous situations he finds himself in.

Funny, crude and amusing before South Park et al made it fashionable, Duckman's Complete Seasons are well worth owning if you've even serious about what animation means.

Phantom Thread: DVD Review

Phantom Thread: DVD Review

In 1950s post-war London, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest aims to shine with sleek production values, a pitch-perfect soundtrack from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Daniel Day-Lewis' swansong in acting.

And yet, the chilly Phantom Thread fails to emotionally engage the viewer with its tale of control, powerplays and a decidedly uncomfortable central relationship.

Day-Lewis is renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, a fashion icon, and confirmed bachelor who welcomes women into his life as muses, then discards them when they reach the end of their usefulness.

Escaping to the country after delivering a dress, Woodcock meets waitress Alma (Krieps), whose entrance into his life is marred by a clumsiness that juxtaposes his own precision. Taken with her, Woodcock finds new inspiration in her shape and is consumed with the creative joy a muse brings.

However, Alma is strong-willed and refuses to bend to his more curious edges, setting up a conflict that has ramifications for the Woodcock house and empire.

It's fair to say that Anderson's Phantom Thread has an icy chilliness that some will find engaging, and others will find dis-engaging.

Sumptuously shot, delicately woven, this psychological battle of wills plays out on a frosty background that seems oddly contemporary despite its period setting.

While Day-Lewis' Woodcock is a relatively spiteful enigma, whose insouciance and desire for perfection irritates, Alma's desire to be part of this world and to be the woman who changes the man for the better is a universal theme in all relationship dramas.

Orbiting the pair of them is the Oscar-nominated Lesley Manville, as Cyril, Woodcock's sister and administrative arm of the empire. With relatively little dialogue and the nuance of minor actions throughout, Manville brings a thaw to proceedings as Cyril goes on her own arc.

But it's Krieps who engages the most here - going from doe-eyed would be suitor to woman determined to get her own way (elements of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth's Florence Pugh spring to mind), her character is one that feels like a reaction of the MeToo movement, a woman whose desires won't be thwarted by a creative fragile apparent genius.

And yet, despite the strong performances, Phantom Thread itself remains somewhat of an enigma, a curio of a film that never quite hits any emotional resonance and feels like you, the audience, are watching a game of chess and consequent strategies from afar.

It's a distant piece, and with its meticulous edges, feels a little too crafted for general consumption. It may be sumptuous, but it's never bewitching at the level it should be. Everyone's functioning at the top of their game, and the pieces are there, but the emotional core of where Phantom Thread should be feels hollow and unconnected and uninviting to anything else. 

Spacejacked: PS4 Review

Spacejacked: PS4 Review

Developed by Rotten Mage
Platform: PS4

There's something about 8-bit gaming on the PS4 console.

It's a perverse pleasure, a throwback to when things were simpler, and inevitably, rather than being how the game looks, it's all about how the game plays.
(Though admittedly, it is a little bit about how the game looks too.)

Rotten Mage's tower-defender style shoot-em-up is a simple pleasure, a bitesize game that hilariously fills out with its roster with a hero called Dave.

Set on a spaceship with invading aliens, Dave, who frequently lets you know didn't sign up for this, is called on to save the day.
Jumping from area to area, putting up turrets (choice - laser, gun or stasis field - or all three), Dave's job is to stop the baddies from overwhelming the main engines.

Dave's able to assemble and reassemble turrets in different locations, or build others when enough metal (the in-game currency) is collected to do so. But the trick is to set up the defences and get ready before a timer introduces the waves of attackers.
And then potentially, to disassemble and reassemble in other arenas when waves come in...

As Dave deals to the baddies, members of the spaceship are freed from their kidnappers, and offer different kinds of help.
One offers to upgrade blasters, another turrets and another gives him the chance to venture out in a spaceship and collect metal in a mini-game.

To say Spacejacked has a retro charm is to smother it in faint praise.
It's very playable, has 20 levels and really is quite easy to get through - replayability is perhaps more of an issue than you'd realise until later on.

But there are endless survival modes and other challenges as well - there's enough to do in the game if you want to just kick around.

Much like Bro-Force, the graphics are perfectly adorable and also silly as well.
There's charm aplenty in the game, and levels tax you with their commitment to strategy - you can't just wing it, unless you fancy playing a very short campaign.

The game never stutters even when the screen's overloaded with creatures, and the guns are going all blazing. There's certainly an addictive touch to the game as well as the fact that it embraces bitesize plays, if you just want to kick back and chill for a bit.

There are challenges within Spacejacked, but the whole thing is never overly challenging - level fails are usually dealt with quite quickly if you're prone to learning.
Ultimately, Spacejacked is a lo-fi indie treat, a reminder that big isn't necessarily better - it's endlessly playable and admirably cute.

YOSHIMITSU THE HONORABLE NINJA PLAYABLE IN SOULCALIBUR VI

YOSHIMITSU THE HONORABLE NINJA PLAYABLE IN SOULCALIBUR VI

YOSHIMITSU THE HONORABLE NINJA PLAYABLE IN SOULCALIBUR VI

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is pleased to announce the presence in SOULCALIBUR VI of Yoshimitsu, the most famous cross-over character. SOULCALIBUR VI will be launched in 2018 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC Digital.

The Manji clan's village was located at the bottom of the Holy Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, the clan was destroyed by the ire of a powerful warlord. As the lone survivor, Yoshimitsu, dedicated his life to his clan's martial arts. With his excellent swordsmanship, he was the greatest swordsmen of his time!

SOULCALIBUR VI will be launched in 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC Digital. For more information about the game and other products from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe please visit:https://www.bandainamcoent.eu, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU, or join the conversation at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoEU.

SoulCalibur VI will showcase at Battle Arena Melbourne 10 at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on the 18^th to 20^st of May. Be sure to come down and check it out!

NEW DETAILS AND SCREEN SHOTS ON CHARACTERS, BOSSES AND LOCATIONS FOR CODE VEIN

NEW DETAILS AND SCREEN SHOTS ON CHARACTERS, BOSSES AND LOCATIONS FOR CODE VEIN

NEW DETAILS ON CHARACTERS, BOSSES AND LOCATIONS

FOR CODE VEIN 

Today, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe introduced two new characters, a new location as well as bosses for the upcoming action-RPG CODE VEIN™.

Yakumo is revealed as a new buddy character. He proves to be an experienced fighter who positions himself in front of the enemy to protect his allies. The Drain Attack, which is performed by his Hounds, makes him a strong companion. Back in the past when he was still human, Mido used him for his cruel experiments. This is why Yakumo despises him even today. Emily Su is also introduced as another new character. She formed a deep bond with Yakumo, because, just like him, she was trapped in the military facility where Mido experimented on her. After she was separated from Yakumo by the Great Collapse, he sets out in search of her.

Moreover, the City of Falling Flame is unveiled as a new location. This city is left in ruins and haunted by an eternal fire. This threat turns everything that is left into ashes. The Thorns of Judgment wind their way through the whole city and players have to avoid obstacles like huge walls of flames and therefore explore everything carefully. The Lost called Blazing Radical, who reminds of a knight, is not the only creature that hides in the flames.

Apart from that, the Successor of the Claw is revealed as a major boss in CODE VEIN. It is a fearsome creature that covers its face with a mask and wields a terrific, burning sword. That's why it is up to the player to always be on guard and avoid its sweeping attacks. Also, this boss can burn the player if he gets too close to his claws and its two tails.

CODE VEIN is a third-person action RPG that set players into the role of a Revenant. These immortal soldiers were created to counter the threat of mankind that appeared after the Great Collapse, a catastrophic event eradicating most of the population. By injecting human corpses with the Biological Organ Regenerative Parasite, they were brought back from the dead, gaining superhuman capabilities and the ability to revive after death as long their heart stays intact at the cost of losing their memories. Players are tasked to embark into the world with a companion picked from the various residents of Vein to uncover their memories and an exit out of this new demented reality.

CODE VEIN will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation®4, and PC via STEAM® in 2018. For more information about the game and other products from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe please visit:https://www.bandainamcoent.com, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU, or join the conversation at https://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoEU.

Win a copy of State of Decay 2 on Xbox One!

Win a copy of State of Decay 2 on Xbox One!

To celebrate the release of State of Decay 2, you can win a copy of the game!

About State of Decay 2

The next installment in the critically acclaimed “State of Decay” franchise immerses you in an all-new, multiplayer zombie survival fantasy.

The dead have risen and civilization has fallen.

Not even the military could stop the zombies, and now it's up to you to gather survivors and build a community in a post-apocalyptic world. You choose where to build your base, develop your characters’ abilities, and manage resources in a world where every decision matters, and where you define what it means to survive.

Play solo or team with up to three friends in co-op multiplayer to explore an open world filled with dynamic zombies, human enemies, and the valuable gear necessary to keep your community alive.

“State of Decay 2” is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning a single digital purchase of the game on Xbox One or Windows 10 PC will include the other version at no additional cost.

Features: Experience the Ultimate Zombie Survival Fantasy Game: Play as an entire community — each survivor in the game is their own person, with a unique mix of background traits, skills, and attitudes that determine what they can do, what they want, and what they are willing to do to get it. Use your community’s unique array of individuals to forge a path through the game that is personal to you. Your choices shape the identity of your community, ensuring that no two stories are alike and remember – once you lose a survivor, they’re gone forever thanks to the return of permadeath in “State of Decay 2.” Explore an open, simulated world filled with dynamic zombie and human enemies, friendly survivors to recruit into your community, and valuable resources and gear necessary to keep your people alive.

Survive Together with Four-Player Co-op Multiplayer: Play solo, or for the first time ever in the “State of Decay” franchise, with up to three of friends in co-op multiplayer where each player maintains command of their own personal community and roster of characters. Invite friends to join your game, or drop into theirs. Work together as you explore the deadly post-apocalyptic open world, make decisions with long lasting consequences, and look out for your fellow survivors while sharing the rewards of your accomplishments.


Deep RPG Progression: Develop each survivor's traits and skills to improve their capabilities and strengthen your community. Collect resources to build and fortify your base, unlocking crucial new facilities and valuable community options along the way. Elevate your favorite survivors to leadership roles in your community by heeding their advice and completing their goals, and unlock new community benefits and objectives that suit your leader’s ideals. Manage the relationships and goals of your survivors to build a strong community that has a lasting impact on the future of your world.

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

Please label your entry DECAAAAAAAAAAAY

Competition closes June 1st