F1 2018 - Out Now across Australia & New Zealand

F1 2018 - Out Now across Australia & New Zealand

MAKE HEADLINES IN F1® 2018 – OUT NOW

DEEPER CAREER MODE, 20 CLASSIC CARS, ENHANCED SIMULATION AND IMPROVED VISUALS MAKE F1® 2018 A MUST BUY FOR F1® FANS

SYDNEY, 24^th August 2018 – Players across Australia & New Zealand can now ‘Make Headlines’ in the world’s most prestigious motorsport as F1® 2018, the official videogame of the 2018 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, launches onto the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC (via Steam) today.

Launched to critical acclaim, F1® 2018 is the most complete F1® experience ever seen in gaming. Featuring all of the official teams, cars, the drivers and circuits from the thrilling 2018 season, F1® 2018 also includes 20 iconic, classic cars from the history of the sport for players to try to master. Circuit Paul Ricard is included in the game for the first time, while the Hockenheimring, the historic home of the FORMULA 1 EMIRATES GROSSER PREIS VON DEUTSCHLAND 2018, also returns.

“Our main aim with F1® 2018 was to get even closer to replicating the real world sport and we believe that we have made significant improvements both on and off the track,” said Lee Mather, Game Director, F1® 2018. “The in-game suspension and chassis now refresh at 1000htz meaning that the simulation is far more authentic. For example, you can really feel the difference between the modern day cars, with their advanced aerodynamics and downforce, when compared to the classics which rely more so on pure tyre grip, making them an incredibly involving drive.”

Lee continued: “The visual recreation of the sport, including the iconic heat haze, atmospherics and new lighting system, is closer than ever and we have added even more depth to the Career by reworking the Research & Development system for each of the teams as well as introducing the press interviews which will play a key role in how you are seen within the world of F1®. Certain teams look for different characteristics in a driver and it is up to you whether you choose to exhibit sportsmanship or showmanship when put under pressure. We cannot wait for players to get their hands on the game.”

The much heralded Career mode is bigger and better than ever with the inclusion of pressurised press interviews which will directly affect your standing and future within your own team and the wider sport. While in research and development, each of the teams now has its own unique tech tree with inherent strengths and weaknesses as you are looking to improve your car. These improvements can then be threatened by end of season regulation changes, another first for the franchise.

F1® 2018 is available now worldwide on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC (via Steam).

Kodachrome: DVD Review

Kodachrome: DVD Review

It may hit every branch of the predictable tree as it winds its way to its inevitably sappy and sentimental conclusion, but Kodachrome, as it heads on its hoary trope of road trip, gets by on an earnestness of portrayal and a script that's on-the-mark.

Sudeikis is Matt Ryder, a down on his luck A&R man, who's on the brink of being fired after his latest band signs to another rival label and his boss reveals he's kept him on at a loss for years.

When he finds a woman, Zoe (Avengers star Olsen) hanging out in his office with no clue why she's there, she reveals that his estranged photographer father Ben (Harris, in a raging against the dying of the light role) is on the brink of succumbing to cancer.

With one simple wish to transport some undeveloped films to Kansas in a road trip, and the possiblity of career salvation dangled before him, Matt decides to make the journey - no matter what demons are stirred up.

Kodachrome develops predictably as it ambles on its journey toward redemption, dealing with death and settling old scores.

Sudeikis plays it straight and forlorn as Ryder, showing once again that his everyman appeal and likeability can occasionally border on sleepwalking. But there's genuine warmth to parts of his portrayal as he tackles a venomous script which sees bitter barbs fired between him and Ben.

Harris is solid as well as Ben, the father who apparently never was, but whose heart obviously never strayed, even when other parts of his anatomy did. Reflective and mournful, bitter and resentful, Harris wraps his Ben up in all the elements and never once overplays the dramatic hand he's been dealt.

Olsen delivers a nuanced turn, even if the script treats her nurse Zoe a little shabbily.

Talking of which, it's the script from AG Sulzberger and Jonathan Tropper which has a veracity and reality to it that, apart from the necessary end, strays too far into sentimentality as it deals with the familial fallout.

While it does fall apart in the dying moments, as it collapses under the weight of its own inevitable sentimentality, Kodachrome becomes a case of a film being more about the journey than the destination.

Hazily filmed by Raso, the film may lacks surprises and a real bite, but what Kodachrome commits to the big screen, it makes memorable in a non-lingering way. The film's developed as much as its titular photographic process is, but it doesn't tender to linger on forever.

Ultimately, Kodachrome is a pleasant enough diversion, blessed by performances and veracity that bind all together - but don't be surprised if the inevitability of what transpires somehow inadvertently manages to cloud your overall judgement, like a badly developed Polaroid.

Battle for Azeroth becomes fastest-selling World of Warcraft expansion ever

Battle for Azeroth becomes fastest-selling World of Warcraft expansion ever

BATTLE FOR AZEROTH^™ BECOMES FASTEST-SELLING WORLD OF WARCRAFT^®EXPANSION EVER

Horde and Alliance heroes around the world answer their faction’s call to arms in force as Blizzard Entertainment’s latest release surpasses 3.4 million in day-one sales globally

SYDNEY, Australia—24 August, 2018—When the Battle for Azeroth^™ erupted worldwide last week, champions of the Alliance and the Horde around the globe were called upon to fight for their faction. Heroes everywhere turned out in force, and Blizzard Entertainment today announced that as of Battle for Azeroth’s first full day of launch on 14 August, more than 3.4 million units of the latest World of Warcraft^® expansion had sold through worldwide—setting a new day-one sales record for the franchise and making it one of the fastest-selling PC games of all-time.^*

“Battle for Azeroth is a definitive chapter in the Horde and Alliance conflict at the heart of Warcraft, and it’s been thrilling to see players representing their factions in record numbers and embarking on their war campaigns—not to mention joining in ourselves,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “But the launch is just the beginning of this conflict. More epic content is coming to World of Warcraft in the weeks ahead, and we can’t wait for players to experience the full story as it unfolds over the course of the expansion.”

As Azeroth’s defenders continue to explore new regions in search of allies and resources, preparations are being made for the next great confrontation in the ongoing war:

• In the coming weeks, players will be able to charge into Battle for Azeroth’s first Warfront, Stromgarde—a 20-player co-op battle for control of a key strategic stronghold in the Arathi Highlands.

• On 5 September, the gates will open to Battle for Azeroth’s first raid—Uldir, an ancient titan facility housing horrific Old God experiments gone awry.

• Also on 5 September, the expansion’s first PvP season and first Mythic Keystone dungeon season will commence. The Mythic Keystone dungeon will feature a unique “seasonal affix”—Infested—that introduces new challenges based on the corrupted denizens dwelling in the Uldir raid.

• Beyond that, additional updates are in the works that will provide even more content for players on an ongoing basis, including the ability to recruit the Kul Tiran humans and Zandalari trolls as playable Allied Races. More information on future updates will be shared at a later date.

Overwatch – August Free Weekend and Sale Starts Now

Overwatch – August Free Weekend and Sale Starts Now

Overwatch – August Free Weekend and Sale Starts Now

Hello -

Summer Games is in full swing, and as promised we have some exciting specials to celebrate and bring players together!

Free Weekend: Starting today through 28 August AEST/NZST, Overwatch is free to play! Overwatch's full roster of 28 heroes and 18 maps will be available for play in a variety of modes, including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade, so players can experience everything Overwatch has to offer. Players will also be able to level up, earn Loot Boxes, unlock a variety of different customisation options for their heroes, and keep any progress made during the trial—as long as they purchase the game on the same Blizzard account. Falling during Summer Games, this also allows anyone to be able to enjoy Lúcioball, the seasonal exclusive Arcade brawl.

Overwatch Sale: For players trying out the game during the Free Weekend or those that have been thinking about purchasing the game, we are offering 50% off for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One – also through 28 August!

The Happytime Murders: Film Review

The Happytime Murders: Film Review

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Joel McHale, Bill Barretta
Director: Brian Henson

On paper, The Happytime Murders should kill it.

A foul fuzzy felted mix of raunchy gags, meshed with the adult arm of the Henson Muppet Company, and a take on the buddy cop genre, it should in theory have worked.

But Brian Henson's attempt at muppet mayhem falls short in terms of its gag ratio, with perhaps the best of them used in the trailer, leaving the film lacking in prime content.

Set in a world where muppets and humans co-exist, but with lashings of discrimination against puppet-kind, Barretta is Phil Philips, a muppet former-detective-turned-PI, (who looks similar to David Boreanaz's Angel when he was turned into a puppet in Joss Whedon's show) who's called in to investigate a series of murders involving the puppets of a once popular TV show The Happytime Gang.

Forced to team up with his former partner Connie Edwards (McCarthy, who generates some reasonable chemistry with the forlorn Philips), the duo set out to solve the case...

The Happytime Murders meshes both buddy cop movie tropes with gumshoe shenanigans - but to middling effect in large sections.

Unsure of whether to fully embrace the foulness seen in the likes of South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Avenue Q and Meet The Feebles, what actually emerges in The Happytime Murders is a tame and tepid, occasionally funny slice of homage that lacks the requisite humour.

That's not to say there aren't the giggles - presumably more if you've indulged / not seen the red band trailer, but The Happytime Murders falls short on several fronts.

McCarthy and Barretta actually gel well, and the dynamic, while overly familiar, hits the notes it should, with McCarthy dialling it down in parts. Better still are the moments where Rudolph and
McCarthy riff off each other, bringing genuine comedy chemistry to the fore - and simultaneously reminding you what's really missing here. And it's galling as it slowly beats the fuzzy felted stuffing out of you.

Less Meet The Feebles, more just Feeble, with side order of squandered potential, The Happytime Murders is a killer for all the wrong reasons.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society: DVD Review

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society: DVD Review

Already a contender for the most unwieldy title of the cinematic year, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is the celluloid equivalent of a comfy jumper - it starts off feeling snugly and comfortable but gradually begins to rub and irritate.

Set in 1946 post-war London, James stars as successful, but restless, author Juliet Ashton. With a series of successful wartime novels under her belt, although published under a male pseudonym, Juliet is looking for a new challenge, and dealing with the trauma of losing her parents to the conflict.

When a letter from Guernsey arrives one day from Dawsey Adams (Huisman, all smouldering stubble and dark eyed looks), it ignites something in her and a connection with the island. Asked to attend the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society on the island, she heads over much to the chagrin of her agent (the ever-charming Matthew Goode).

But when there, she discovers a mystery, steeped in tragedy, that she can't help but try to unravel.

Anodyne and the kind of fare that won't trouble an older audience, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a film that's content to be pleasant and nothing more.

It's totally predictable from the moment Juliet and Dawsey start corresponding, and there are a few narrative leaps which are probably due to the fact it's adapted from a terribly successful book which employs flashbacks to 1941 to fill out the mystery and the central story.

James and Huisman are fine, but the lion's share of the film's emotional heft and acting goes to Penelope Wilton as one of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society's number.

Her character's story is steeped in tragedy and Wilton does an excellent job of conveying this and much more, swinging from tart dismissal of Juliet's involvement to silent acceptance of what's happened - the old timers of this film, it has to be said, act the youngsters off the screen.

Ultimately, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society won't trouble you - it's a thoroughly down-the-line British dramedy that goes on a little too long, but never loses sight of what it's trying to do. It won't win any awards, but it certainly will fill a rainy afternoon in its comforting old time mystery romance vibe. 

Deadpool 2: Blu Ray Review

Deadpool 2: Blu Ray Review

Deadpool is back after scabrously smashing box office records for R-rated superhero films with his 2016 debut outing - and it's no spoiler to say it continues the laissez-faire attitude, opening with Deadpool's severed arm flying out of the screen, middle finger firmly pointed in the air and heading towards the viewer.

In this sequel, which is actually at times, a more mature yet immature piece, Ryan Reynolds' scarred hero is looking at starting a family with his beau, Vanessa (Baccarin).

However, his plans are irrevocably changed when he's pulled into a side mission to save fire-flinging mutant Russell Collins (Hunt For The Wilderpeople's Julian Dennison, stepping up into the big league) from a time-travelling Terminator type, Cable (Brolin, this film's MVP in the back stretch, despite his initially monosyllabic ways).

Once again ramping up the irreverence and meta-touches, Deadpool 2 has no desire to conform to the norm, despite at its heart, being a film about family, in all its many dysfunctional ways.

Atomic Blonde and John Wick director Leitch packs in some truly solid action pieces, that pop and sparkle with slow-mo and frenetic moments aplenty, but yet which are so carefully choreographed that they don't fly by in  a blur, but impress with their pace and dazzle.However, it's still sadly fair to say that, in among the relentless Easter eggs and references, Deadpool's superhero world is still depressingly a boys' club (occasionally an unashamedly puerile one at that), and even the introduction of Beetz's Domino, with her own scenes to shine, seems initially more cursory than a full-on commitment the likes of which were offered to Negasonic Teenage Warhead in the first.

Thankfully, Beetz seizes with veritable aplomb the moments afforded her, and her central part in one action sequence more than capably demonstrates that women more than deserve their time to shine in these superhero films. It's a large case of women being used as narrative devices, rather than standalone characters that disappoints greatly here.

Horrendously sidelined or blatantly tossed aside, the portrayal of women in this film is a continuing worry - for a film that snubs conventions and that could use the meta to its advantage, it's extraordinarily tame at coming forward when it truly counts.

And yet, for all of its messed up family vibe and the manic intensity being ramped up in comparison to the first, and for reasons which are too spoilery to delve into, Deadpool 2 very occasionally nearly gets lost in some of the heart that's on show.

Granted, for every moment that comes close to sentiment, there's Reynolds' Wade cocking a snook to the audience; but unlike others of its ilk, where the flippancy overrules what few stakes there are, this actually works in Deadpool's favour.

Reynolds delivers an on-point performance, relishing every moment to shine, and allowing every snark and meta-touch to settle. As the film initially takes a little time to get going, Reynolds is saddled with a lot of the exposition, but as the messed-up narrative finally settles on a course for something of a bullseye, he more than delivers as his character doubles down on what made the first a R-rated hit.

Equally, New Zealand's Julian Dennison plays it more straight than you'd expect as Russell Collins. Essentially a warped mutant riff on and extension of Hunt for the Wilderpeople's passed-around-care Ricky Baker, Dennison shoulders a lot more of the dramatic, sidelining the comedy for something with a great degree of empathy and pathos in parts, for what little time he has (given he's more a cypher than a central character).  Brolin's Cable is a welcome presence too, with the straight man to Reynolds' quipping Merc-with-a-mouth.

While Deadpool 2 hits a bit of a lull in the final run, with quips starting to grate, and a feeling of repetition starting to overwhelm (certainly the post-credits sequences will leave you both laughing and scratching your head as you analyse the implications / relevance for what's happened over the past 2 hours), it's simply a film that fires on all cylinders and delivers what you'd expect - especially if you loved the first.

Once again, the Merc with a Mouth is a vehicle for the irreverence and the flippant, a blockbuster that offers puerile easy relief to an overly and increasingly pompous genre.

But be aware, it's not an entirely clear case that a third helping should deliver yet more of the same - and with its portrayal of females still something to be mastered, and a feeling of deja vu hitting the end, it's obvious that in future, this franchise may need to put its money where its continually smart mouth is.