Civilization VI - Nintendo Switch Announce Trailer

Civilization VI - Nintendo Switch Announce Trailer

2K and Firaxis Games has revealed the announce trailer for Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI which is coming to Nintendo Switch™ on November 16, 2018

To view the trailer click the image below

Originally created by legendary game designer, Sid Meier, Civilization is a turn-based strategy game in which you build an empire to stand the test of time.

Civilization VI for Nintendo Switch includes the latest game updates and improvements and four additional content packs which add four new civilizations, leaders, and scenarios:

•        Vikings Scenario Pack

•        Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack

•        Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack

•        Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack

More information about the announcement can be found in the press release below.

2K Announces Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI For Nintendo Switch

The full Civilization VI experience comes to a home console for the first time

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #OneMoreTurn

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – September 14, 2018 – 2K and Firaxis Games has announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, winner of The Game Awards’ Best Strategy Game, DICE Awards’ Best Strategy Game and latest entry in the prestigious Civilization franchise, is coming to Nintendo Switch™ on November 16, 2018. Additionally, 2K and Firaxis Games have partnered with Aspyr Media to bring Civilization VI to Nintendo Switch and ensure the experience meets the same high standards of the beloved series.

Originally created by legendary game designer, Sid Meier, Civilization is a turn-based strategy game in which you build an empire to stand the test of time. Explore a new land, research technology, conquer your enemies, and go head-to-head with history’s most renowned leaders as you attempt to build the greatest civilization the world has ever known.

And now on Nintendo Switch, the quest to victory in Civilization VI can take place wherever and whenever players want.

Key features for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI on Nintendo Switch include:

·          PLAY YOUR WAY: The path to victory is the one you determine. Become the most scientifically advanced civilization, dominate through sheer military power, or become the foremost destination for the cultural arts.

·          THE WORLD’S GREATEST LEADERS: Play as one of 24 different leaders from various countries around the world and throughout history. Build an empire of lucrative trade routes with Cleopatra of Egypt, flex the military might of your legions with Trajan of Rome, or develop a powerhouse of culture with Hojo Tokimune of Japan. Each of the leaders can be played any way you prefer, with unique abilities, units, and infrastructure in their quest for victory.

·          EXPANSIVE EMPIRES: See the marvels of your empire spread across the map. Settle in uncharted lands, improve your surroundings, build new districts, and see your cities – and your civilization – prosper.

·          ACTIVE RESEARCH: Unlock boosts that speed your civilization’s progress through history. To advance more quickly, use your units to actively explore, develop your environment, and discover new cultures.

·          DYNAMIC DIPLOMACY: Interactions with other civilizations change over the course of the game, from primitive first interactions where conflict is a fact of life, to late game alliances and negotiations.

·          EXCITING AND UNIQUE SCENARIOS: Civilization VI for Nintendo Switch includes four playable scenarios, each with a different setting and style of gameplay inspired by history.  Be part of the colonization of Australia in “Outback Tycoon,” defend Poland from invaders in “Jadwiga’s Legacy”, choose a Viking leader to plunder Europe in “Vikings, Raiders, and Traders!”, or conquer the known world in the “Conquests of Alexander.”

·          COOPERATIVE AND COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER: Up to 4 players can cooperate or compete for supremacy via a wireless LAN.

Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI will be available on Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018.  Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI is rated PG and is available now on Windows PC. Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI is also available on iPad, Mac and Linux from Aspyr Media.

Diablo III Eternal Collection Invades Nintendo Switch on 2 November

DIABLO^® III ETERNAL COLLECTION^™ INVADES NINTENDO SWITCH ON 2 NOVEMBER

Digital pre-orders are open for the definitive edition of Blizzard Entertainment’s genre-defining action RPG, which includes the Reaper of Souls® expansion, the Rise of the Necromancer™ pack, and more

SYDNEY, Australia—14 September, 2018—Heed the prophecies, heroes—the newest front in the battle for the fate of Sanctuary will soon open! Diablo III Eternal Collection, the definitive version of Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed action RPG, arrives for Nintendo Switch™ on 2 November AEDT/NZDT, giving a whole new generation of gamers the opportunity to face down the horrors of the Burning Hells. Eager adventurers can secure their digital pre-orders starting today through the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch.

Endlessly playable and continually evolving, Diablo III provides a lifetime of challenge and adventure, and the Eternal Collection includes the multitude of features, refinements, and updates that have been added to the game to date. On top of fighting through an epic story campaign that spans the High Heavens, the Burning Hells, and beyond, players can earn bountiful rewards in Adventure Mode, a never-ending onslaught of activity with constantly shifting objectives across all of the game’s locales. Diablo III Eternal Collection also includes Seasons, a recurring game mode that encourages players to create fresh characters, earn exclusive Seasonal rewards, and crush hordes of demons to earn spots on their region’s leaderboards.

“The gates of Hell will soon be opening once again, and we couldn’t be more excited to have Nintendo Switch players joining the battle,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Whether they’re bravely diving in alone or teaming up with friends, Sanctuary’s newest heroes are in store for endless adventuring—and endless loot—when Diablo III Eternal Collection launches on 2 November.”

Diablo III Eternal Collection has been forged to take advantage of the Nintendo Switch System’s flexibility and versatility, whether players are using the Joy-Con controller or a Pro Controller. And true to Diablo’s spirit, players will have a wealth of options when it comes to cleansing Sanctuary cooperatively—parties of up to four can play together, either by sharing a screen on a single Nintendo Switch, linking their consoles together wirelessly, or connecting through the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service.

Diablo III is the fastest-selling PC game of all time.* The Reaper of Souls expansion introduced the mighty Crusader class, the infinitely-replayable Adventure Mode, and a host of other game-defining features, like the random loot-filled Nephalem Rift dungeons. In 2017, Rise of the Necromancer resurrected the fan-favourite Necromancer class from Diablo II, bolstering players’ forces with the gruesome powers of blood and bone. All of this is included in Diablo III Eternal Edition for the Nintendo Switch, on top of platform-exclusive bonus items, like Ganondorf’s cosmetic armour set, inspired by the iconic villain from The Legend of Zelda series.

Diablo III Eternal Collection for Nintendo Switch will be available on 2 November at retail stores everywhere and digitally through the Nintendo eShop at RRP $89.95 AUD / $109.99 NZD. For more information, visit https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/diablo-3-switch. For screenshots, video, and other media, visit the Blizzard Entertainment press site at https://blizzard.gamespress.com/Diablo-III.

WWE 2K19 - The Phenomenal One Gameplay Trailer

WWE 2K19 - The Phenomenal One Gameplay Trailer

The Phenomenal One Gameplay Trailer

To view the trailer click the image below

Players will also have the opportunity to win ONE MILLION DOLLARS by participating in the WWE 2K19 Million Dollar Challenge, which culminates in a one-on-one match in WWE 2K19 against cover Superstar AJ Styles during WrestleMania 35 weekend. For additional details, please visit:https://wwe.2k.com/milliondollarchallenge/

Largest Assassin’s Creed Live Content Plan Unveiled

Largest Assassin’s Creed Live Content Plan Unveiled

UBISOFT^® REVEALS DETAILS FOR ASSASSIN’S CREED^® ODYSSEY POST-LAUNCH PLAN

Largest Assassin’s Creed Live Content Plan Unveiled, Including Season Pass Content with Two New Episodic Major Story Arcs and Assassin’s Creed^® III Remastered

           

Sydney, Australia — September 14, 2018 — Today, Ubisoft announced the Assassin’s Creed^® Odyssey post launch plan including a Season Pass with two major, episodic pieces of narratively driven gameplay and Assassin’s Creed^® III Remastered. Additionally, all Assassin’s Creed Odyssey players will have access to free content including the story-focused and episodic Lost Tales of Greece as well as daily and weekly in-game events.

The Assassin’s Creed Odyssey live roadmap plan is the biggest and most ambitious in the franchise, giving players more story content than ever in a brand new, episodic format, for the two story arcs included in the Season Pass. Players will be able to dive into new episodes as they premiere, or experience the epic adventures in their entirety once all episodes are available. Keeping in tone with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, accessing this new content will be all about player choice.

To watch the trailer please click the image below

The Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Season Pass includes:

Story Arc 1 - Legacy of the First Blade: This episodic adventure will introduce players to the first hero to wield the iconic hidden blade, changing the course of history. Players will learn more about the backstory of the Assassins and why they choose to fight from the shadows. Starting December 2018, episodes will be released approximately six weeks apart.

·        Story Arc II - The Fate of Atlantis: In the second story arc, players will confront godly creatures and uncover the secrets of the legendary sunken city. In a surprising saga filled with twists and turns, players will get even closer to Greek mythology and the First Civilization. Coming autumn 2019, episodes will be released approximately six weeks apart.

·        Assassin’s Creed III Remastered: Ignite the American Revolution as Connor, the master assassin born of the beauty and the brutality of 18th century America. As a bloody revolution draws ever nearer, your clan is threatened by a powerful group seeking to crush the American Revolution and control the thirteen colonies. Shocked into action by the devastation of your village, you pledge your life to the cause of freedom, and embark on a decades-long quest to achieve it. Assassin’s Creed III Remastered will be released in March 2019 and will include :

o   All the DLCs: Benedict Arnold Missions, Hidden Secrets Pack and Tyranny of King George.

o   Assassin’s Creed^® Liberation Remastered. 

The Remastered editions will feature 4K and & HDR on PS4™ Pro, Xbox One X and PC, higher resolution textures, new graphics engine, and several more other graphical enhancements. Gameplay mechanics and ergonomics have also been improved. Assassin’s Creed III Remastered will be sold as a stand-alone title for players who do not own the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Season Pass.

In addition, an extensive line-up of free content including new narrative content and in-game events will be available for all players after launch, including:

·        The Lost Tales of Greece: Free episodic questlines will release regularly in-between episodes, providing a constant flow of new stories for players to discover. These quests will feature familiar faces and new characters from the world of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

·        Recurring In-Game Events: Each week a new epic ship or mercenary will appear, presenting players with challenging battles as they hunt down these powerful enemies. Daily and weekly contracts will send players on new quests across Greece.

·        Discovery Tour: The educational tool that lets anyone explore the game in a conflict-free environment, will be available for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Players can traverse the entire interactive 3D recreation of Ancient Greece, free of conflict, time pressure or gameplay constraints, after launch.

·        Many more updates, including new monstrous and mythical creatures to defy and a New Game Plus mode presenting new challenges and the ability to see how different choices affect players’ stories.

There will be more to come as the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey development team is committed to support the game and continued improvement of the core experience with additional content, yet to be revealed. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will be released worldwide on October 5, 2018. Gold, Collectors and Ultimate Editions owners will have access to the game three days early, starting October 2.

For more information about Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, please visit: assassinscreed.com. 

It’s time to duel! Yu-Gi-Oh! announced as sixth manga universe to join the JUMP FORCE roster

It’s time to duel! Yu-Gi-Oh! announced as sixth manga universe to join the JUMP FORCE roster

It’s time to duel! Yu-Gi-Oh! announced as sixth manga universe to join the JUMP FORCE roster

Today, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe has announced Yu-Gi-Oh! as the latest franchise appearing in upcoming title JUMP FORCE.

Joining the roster of JUMP FORCE – which sees the greatest heroes and villains from the 50-year history of Shueisha’s influential Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump manga do battle – is the hero of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yugi Muto.

Yu-Gi-Oh!’s story takes place in world where a card game - the Duel Monsters - is one of the largest aspects of everyday life. The game can bring fortune and fame to it’s masters, or demise to those less fortunate.

The main protagonist, Yugi Muto, is a lonely boy who loves playing the game but has never been blessed with talent. After solving the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi unknowingly became host to Dark Yugi, the spirit of the long-deceased Pharaoh Atem. Through the Pharoah’s spirit possessing Yugi in times of trouble, he is able to become one of the greatest Duel Monsters players in the world.

Stay tuned for more information about Yugi’s powers and abilities!   

JUMP FORCE will be available in 2019 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC Digital. For more information about products from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe please visit: https://www.bandainamcoent.eu, https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoEU, and join the conversation athttps://www.twitter.com/BandaiNamcoEU.

Last Flag Flying: DVD Review

Last Flag Flying: DVD Review

Director Richard Linklater's latest sprawling work has hints of humanity and approaches tragedy in a slightly different manner.

But at times, the well-meaning falls into the ham-fisted as he leaves some of his desires feeling over-wrought.

It's 2003, and Steve Carell's moustachioed and muted former medic, Larry "Doc" Shepherd, enlists two of his former platoon, Sal (a nihilistic Bryan Cranston) and Richard Mueller (Fishburne, restrained) to help bury his son who has been killed in Iraq.

However, as the trio reunite, old tensions resurface, and struggles of the past threaten to overwhelm the emotional reason they've come together.

Steeped in melancholy, and overly long, Last Flag Flying has a lot of "actoring" going from its protagonists as they tread the occasionally predictable road-trip route.

Sal treats everything with alcohol, leading to Cranston bringing the energy and the agony to the piece as his opposed-to-the-military character treads a familiar arc; Fishburne's now-turned-preacher Mueller seems to forego a lot of his beliefs as he reunites with his past, and Carell does little except mope throughout, weirdly imbuing his Doc with a sense of grief that's palpably delivered, even though hardly anything is said. Ultimately, their relationship seems to be one of the Sal's Devil and Mueller's Angel on Doc's shoulders, but it foregoes this conflict for more obvious routes, which disappoints.

In between the meandering diversions, Linklater overplays some of his hand as the roadtrip progresses.

Repeated hectoring of the fact it's 2003 and over-use of some of the anachronisms of the time (no internet, mobile phones first coming in) threaten to overwhelm the film and drown the bittersweet with a sense of catchphrases and irritations.

But in the more silent moments, when Linklater hints at the futility of the death of those in combat incidents that are not directly war-related and in the moments where the army's vehement denial of anything other than dogma is laid bare, Last Flag Flying has a heft that finds a different and satisfying way to tell an overly familiar tale.

Shaggy and free-wheeling it may be, and this may totally test your cinematic patience as the collective gulfs are dealt with, but somehow parts of Last Flag Flying commit to a veracity that's worthy of investment.

Its end feels rushed, and the emotional pay-off is not quite as strong as it should be, but the sombre tone gives Last Flag Flying a truth that's hard to deny and an under-cooked commitment to showing what war does these days. It's a subtle salute to the Armed Forces, but its predilection with tropes and familiarity can't help but swathe the lead trio's commitment to their characters with a sheen that's at times, stifling.

Win Upgrade

Win Upgrade

To celebrate the release on DVD and Blu Ray of Upgrade, you can win a copy, thanks to Madman Home Entertainment.

About UPGRADE

UPGRADE is a thrilling vision of the future from the producers of GET OUT and THE PURGE, and the creator of SAW and INSIDIOUS.

After his wife is killed during a brutal mugging that also leaves him paralysed, Grey Trace (Logan Marshall Green, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, PROMETHEUS) is approached by a billionaire inventor with an experimental cure that will “upgrade” his body. 

The cure - an Artificial Intelligence implant called STEM - gives Grey physical abilities beyond anything experienced and the ability to relentlessly claim vengeance against those who murdered his wife and left him for dead.

Upgrade is out now on DVD and Blu Ray.

This competition has now closed.

Win a copy of Destiny 2 Forsaken Legendary Collection

Win a copy of Destiny 2 Forsaken Legendary Collection

To celebrate the release of Destiny 2 Forsaken Legendary Collection out now on XBox and PlayStation, thanks to our friends at Activision and Total Interactive, you can win a prize pack!

The prize pack includes

Copy of Destiny 2 Forsaken Legendary Collection

Deck of Destiny 2 Forsaken playing cards

Limited Edition Bonus Content Pack, including keyring & art cards

About Destiny 2 Forsaken Legendary Collection

The Destiny 2: Forsaken - Legendary Collection includes Destiny 2, Destiny 2: Expansion I: Curse of Osiris, Destiny 2: Expansion II: Warmind, and Destiny 2: Forsaken, the largest and most transformative expansion to the Destiny 2 experience yet. 

At launch, the Legendary Collection will also include a character boost that allows players the option to jump right to the latest adventure, Forsaken.  

In Forsaken, players take justice into their own hands as they pursue vengeance for fallen mentor, the Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6. 

Over the course of this adventure, players will have the opportunity to explore new regions, unlock new abilities, earn a wealth of powerful new weapons, and discover lost Awoken secrets. 

Destiny 2: Forsaken - The Last Wish Raid goes live on Friday, September 15 at 5AM NZST

Destiny 2: Forsaken - The Last Wish Raid goes live on Friday, September 15 at 5AM NZST

Assemble a team… Send them into the heart of the City. Kill that creature and extract its heart.

The Last Wish Raid goes live on Friday, September 15 at 5AM NZST. The riches of the Dreaming City await those who are victorious.

Watch the trailer here.

Upgrade: DVD Review

Upgrade: DVD Review

The fact that Upgrade is so woefully unoriginal in its narrative is almost inexorably and perversely beside the point.

It robs cliches and genre tropes from every which way, stealing from Robocop, via Cronenbergian body horror and even riffs on late 80s buddy cop /tech shows like Automan and Knight Rider.

Yet it does it with such glee and b-movie abandon that it's almost compulsive and adrenaline fuelled in that way Blumhouse productions churn out low budget films and makes almost diamonds from cinematic coal.

In a world supposedly just five minutes from now, where autonomous cars roam the roads and tech is close to taking over, the Tom Hardy-cum Jamie Dornan Marshall-Green is Grey Trace, a veritable Luddite who prefers to listen to vinyl, while out in his garage, repairing his old Pontiac Firebird. His wife, Asha (Winners and Losers Melanie Vallejo) is a little less stubborn in her tech approach, working for a computer company and embracing the future.

However, their world is changed when their autonomous car goes nuts, leads them to the wrong part of town, and leaves Asha dead and Grey a quadriplegic after a mugging gone wrong. Approached by a tech genius and offered the chance to take part in a risky surgery to input a computer chip into his spine, Grey's triggered by the thought of avenging his dead wife.

So with the STEM system inside, he begins his quest... despite every moral fibre being conflicted within.

Upgrade is the kind of B-movie schlock that plays predictably to its low level budget, but brings some inventiveness to the visual table.

In a cast where acting is sometimes secondary to the screen (with the exception of Marshall-Green and Vallejo), the film's scuzzy sheen is sometimes marred by its less-than-hitting-the-roof ambitions. But there is no denying the film's look and feel is like a dirty Blade Runner with 80s revenge movie intentions. Drones hover in the sky in this day-after-tomorrow world, and Saw scribe Whannell deserves some praise for his execution, old school or otherwise.

In among some nifty fight sequences that don't skimp on the gore or the style (thanks to Whannell's camera following Marshall-Green at his level), the film's plot and various holes and issues are easily skated across. It gives Upgrade the feeling of something pertaining to be a little more sophisticated than it actually achieves (an overall feeling is one of mistrust at where technology is going, the conflict between old school and new world mentioned but never fully narratively leaned on).

But there's no denying for a night out, and for a sci-fi B-movie the likes of which is so rarely seen these days, Upgrade is a serious contender for guilty pleasure movie of the year - it knows what it wants to do, strives to build on its high concept premise and isn't afraid to fail - and is more than happy to have you along for the adrenaline-fuelled revenge ride. 

Searching: Film Review

Searching: Film Review

Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La
Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Searching taps into the digital world we live in and the price we pay for living online.

A solid and empathetic Cho stars as David Kim, whose life is changed when his daughter goes missing. As he tries desperately to track her down, with the help of a detective (Will and Grace star Debra Messing). he discovers he knows little to nothing about who his daughter really is...

Searching has a gimmick - it's a smart digital film thriller played out with everything unfolding via a computer screen. Admittedly, the contrivances come piled high in the back third of the film, threatening to topple the house of cards that's piled high, but there's a lot to digest beforehand.

Chaganty opens with a clever digital montage of the family, a reminder of how much we catalogue online these days, and how computers are so much about our memories as well as the RAM within. In many ways, it's a digitised version of the opening of Up, but for the Facebook generation.

If the gimmick is smartly executed by digital native Chaganty, it's also humanised by Cho's performance. Anchored with a turn that's both empathetic and gripping, Cho's desperation feels real as he plays off a screen and Face time conversations. The anguish etched on his face is never over-played, and he holds the story strongly.

Chaganty spins the thread as far as he can, but the back stages of the film feel like they have piled up the coincidences a little too highly, and while the smarter technical edges have reminiscences of Kristen Stewart's Personal Shopper, Searching always constantly feels gripping when it needs to.

An outlandish twist seals the deal for Searching, but that aside, the film's desire to provide an emotional rollercoaster for the large part works - it may not be perfect, but it's a thrilling tale of the lengths parents will go to and the cautionary fact we're all slowly becoming disconnected in a digital world. 

The Predator: Film Review

The Predator: Film Review

Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Yvonne Strahovski, Jacob Tremblay, Sterling K Brown, Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes
Director: Shane Black

It's clear early on that Shane Black's Predator film is not going to be a serious one.

Despite opening with some sci-fi trappings as a Predator-piloted spacecraft plummets down to earth, within minutes, we're back in Black's trademark comedy way of life. A satellite is smashed as the Predator's ship tumbles to the ground, and this brash, in-your-face opening is really all the 2018 Predator is about.

After being picked off by Boyd Holbrook's sniper Quinn McKenna, the Predator's gear is shipped off to his autistic son (Tremblay) for safe-keeping and to protect Quinn from the authorities. But as the scientists pick at the Predator, he re-awakens, bringing a desperate fight for survival to life.

It's hard to exactly pinpoint why The Predator doesn't quite fully work.

Perhaps it's the abandoning until the end of why the films have worked previously - ie man vs something bigger than itself and slowly losing; perhaps it's the injection of comedy that tips over into the downright unfunny and unnecessary - step forward, a soldier with Tourette's for nothing more than gags or a line about a "retarded" kid that's woefully out of place with 2018 - or perhaps it's the fact that the film lacks any defining set pieces or visual moments of flair.

But all combined, The Predator is perhaps the biggest disappointment of the year when all its parts come together.

Kudos must go to Olivia Munn whose scientist kicks as much ass as the boys, and whose support is more about her skills than anything else; and even Holbrook manages a sort of soldier grunt edge that's hard to beat, even if the human edge is lacking.

There's a climate change message thrown in as well, as Black tries to re-start the franchise with some cunning ideas and reasons why the Predators have been coming here for years, but the threads are so weakly constructed that pulled narratively tighter they simply unravel and make you bemoan the fact more could be on the way.

In the jungle's final sequence, Black reminds us why The Predator has worked, with some smartly and tautly executed kills which fill the quota. It's easy to see why he went for a band of misfits taking on the bad guy, as it's suited to his writing style, but mostly, thanks to misplaced comedy that's out of step with the zeitgeist, this flags badly when it should zag wildly.

If this was an attempt at a reboot of the film, the seventh in the series, and one that was meant to evoke the 80s trappings of the originals, Black has failed The Predator miserably. If it was an attempt to produce something scrappy, something unenticing that lacks a warmth and empathy for its characters, then it's succeeded wildly.

Either way, the set up for the sequels feels like a missed moment, a killer film without a killer edge and a film that in parts leaves a distinctly unsavoury taste in your mouth.

50 top short films announced in 2018 Show Me Shorts Film Festival

50 top short films announced in 2018 Show Me Shorts Film Festival

50 TOP FILMS ANNOUNCED FOR SHOW ME SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2018

Opening at cinemas across Aotearoa from 6 October

The fifty top short films selected to be in the 2018 Show Me Shorts Film Festival, New Zealand’s premier international short film festival, have been unveiled today.

The 13th annual Show Me Shorts brings together the very best short films from across the globe, made by some of the world’s most talented filmmakers. The countries represented in this year’s programme includes Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.

Four Kiwi films will make their world premiere during the festival: One Day by Nicky Cameron, Twenty One Points by Pete Circuitt, Toilet by Simeon Duncombe and Delivery by Stephen Kang. Chinese film 牛奶 (Milk) and South Korean film 단팥죽 (The Red Bean Soup) will also make their world premieres during the festival. More than 30 international films in the programme will have their New Zealand debut.

South Korean filmmakers are in the spotlight this year, with a special Korean Focus section in the programme. Two guest filmmakers will attend the festival from South Korea, Jinju Oh and Sung Yoon Kim, thanks to a collaboration with the Korean Embassy of New Zealand. The Korean Focus programme includes seven South Korean films, including a comedy about a family having dinner on the eve of Korean reunification and a delightful coming-of-age story about a teenage boy who finds himself in danger of demotion from the choir due to his breaking voice.

   

               

Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says, “The 2018 programme is a mix of edgy, entertaining, impressive and charming. We hope this year’s line-up will take audiences on a ride through a range of emotions as they empathise with characters both similar to and different from themselves. That’s the beauty of short films – viewers so often learn something new, feel something deeply or are genuinely inspired.”

Show Me Shorts is an Oscar-accredited film festival, meaning the winners of the top two awards, Department of Post Best New Zealand Film andSAE Best International Film, will become qualified to enter the Academy Awards. Ten prizes will be given out at the launch of the festival onSaturday 6 October at Auckland’s The Civic. Wellington Opening Night will follow on Friday 12 October at The Roxy.

With more than 25 cinema locations across the country, from Kaitaia to Stewart Island, there are ample opportunities to get friends and family together and enjoy the range of films and events on offer. Full dates, locations and booking information is available here. 

Walking Out: DVD Review

Walking Out: DVD Review

Walking Out may be a survival tale, but its sparse presentation may also leave some feeling frustration.

Josh Wiggins is David, a teen obsessed with games on his phone rather than the desire to spend time in the snowy Montana mountains with his estranged father, Cal (Bomer).

Things don't get off to a great start when Cal is late collecting his son and the bond is further strained when it becomes clear David's annual outing is more a tradition for his father than the father and son.

But Cal is determined to pass down the family gun heirloom and knowledge from his own father (Bill Pullman, barely on screen and in flashbacks only) and help his son nab his first moose.

So far, so cliched for hunting films.

But when a young bear cub attacks David and an accident befalls Cal, Walking Out becomes more a survival tale of the low-key nature.

That's the thing with this film- its commitment to low key and character mark it out from the usual fare, but also highlights some of its flaws.

Bomer and Wiggins portray the strain with ease and underlying heart of the family well, but the film's run time stretches the goodwill as far as it can go.

Beautiful mountains and backdrops add much, particularly a shot of a river bubbling through the snow-capped ice, and contribute to some wondrous visuals to cut between scenes.

Ultimately, Walking Out's commitment to a father-son bond is both its strength and its weakness. Much of the early talk signposts what lies ahead and points at the foibles of each, leaving the story feeling deflated despite the insights.

Small character pieces can be great, but Walking Out just falls short, making this trip to the chilly wilderness a bit frosty as a cinema going experience - and despite the character interplay and insights into relationships, it freezes viewers out more than it ought to.