The Field Guide To Evil: DVD Review

The Field Guide To Evil: DVD Review

Anthology films are always a tricky bunch.

Usually mixed in tone, and with one segment standing out above all others, the films generally suffer from indifference which mars part of the rest of the viewing experience.

Sadly, The Field Guide To Evil also falls into that category - a wild mix of tones, with some repeated undercurrent themes, and some successful, some not so successful celluloid miniatures.

It's fair to say that The Field Guide To Evil will probably hit genre fans more than the average audience, but that's not to dismiss the film's desire to explore folklore which has helped seed roots in horror throughout the years.

It's easy to pick a superlative entrant into this octet of creepy folklore tales- it would be Peter Strickland's final segment, The Cobbler's Lot, which mixes fairytale myth, silent film aesthetics, some truly wonderful imagery and colour, and elements of The Cure / Radiohead's There There for its tale about two brothers smitten by the same woman.

It's a stylistically bravura end to a rollercoaster ride that does some things well, and others not as well. And it's also one that doesn't quite feel like you know what's coming next, something that hits others in the anthology.

Some of the tales end either abruptly or obtusely, with no real time to dwell on what's transpired or what it all means - though there's plenty of fodder for discussion afterwards.

Themes are interlaced throughout - with visuals like woods appearing in most, and even animals like goats appearing repeatedly. Interwoven are common themes like greed, avarice, sin, guilt, takes on post partum depression, and the supernatural. There's a lot to commend The Field Guide To Evil's scope and desire to cover the bases, but perhaps this crowd-funded flick should have settled on some and expanded them out more, chopping the chaff from the wheat.

Opener Die Trud has a totally intriguing start to proceedings, with the tale of forbidden love and consequence working well. And the segment Die Rote Maus involving a possessed creature leaving a body to kill at its host's well-being is stunningly evocative, cleverly promising more if it were to be expanded out.

Perhaps less successful is the comic Melonheads, which mixes cannabilism and coneheads to varying effect. Tonally, it stands out from the volume, but coming midway, there's an argument to say that this palette refresher has its own purpose.

Overall, the uneven edges to The Field Guide To Evil make it an anthology that promises potential and never quite manages to build on it.

That said, some of its standalone tales make a solid case for further development  - and the short storytelling element shouldn't be dismissed, with the global cast of directors doing much work with soundscapes to evoke feelings in such short spaces of time.

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion: DVD Review

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion: DVD Review

The Asterix the Gaul comic books have a kind of timeless innocence to them.

Largely predicated on the adventures of the Gaul and his large chum Obelix's fight against the marauding Romans, the comics follow a relatively tight narrative edge.

Chiefly, Asterix and his team face insurmountable odds and the use of the Magic Potion helps to save the day.

In this latest CGI animated outing, there's a sense of the timelessness on show again, which is both to the film's advantage and also to its detriment.

When druid Getafix injures himself collecting berries for the secret potion, he decides that it's time to appoint a successor to the magic ways and ensure the potion's mystery doesn't die with him.

So he packs up Asterix and Obelix into his quest - but before long, the Romans are taking advantage of their absence...

Asterix & The Secret of the Magic Potion is genial enough fare.

It gets by on its aforementioned timelessness and innocence more than anything. And while the animation's similar to the Peanuts movie, it's not startling enough to stand out as anything revolutionary.

That's not to detract from the film's overall desire to play it as family fare, which it does surprisingly well, but it does feel occasionally like some smarter edges could have been deployed for the benefit of the audience.

Voice work is solid enough, and the simple plot means the film skews younger than anything.

But in a day and age where animation is expected to deliver meta touches, to engage all ages, and to entertain in perpetuity, it may feel like it falls a little short. As a piece of family fare though, it can't be faulted, thanks to an energy of exuberance, an abundance of good will and an enthusiastic run-time which doesn't outstay its welcome.

Win a family pass to see Paw Patrol: Ready Race Rescue

Win a family pass to see Paw Patrol: Ready Race Rescue

To celebrate the release of Paw Patrol: Ready Race Rescue, and thanks to Paramount Pictures NZ, you can win a family pass!

About Paw Patrol: Ready Race Rescue

Our favourite pups are back and they’re ready to race!

The all new PAW PATROL: READY RACE RESCUE movie (produced by Spin Master Entertainment) hits cinemas OCTOBER 3!

It’s the ADVENTURE BAY 500! The pups have built an awesome race track and are ready to be the pit crew for their race hero, THE WHOOSH!  

But when the legendary racer is unable to drive in the CHAMPIONSHIP RACE, he calls on his biggest fan-pup MARSHALL to take the wheel and race in his place! 

Marshall has to overcome his lack of confidence and his dastardly competition, THE CHEETAH, to fulfill his dream of becoming the FASTEST race-pup EVER!  

Get ready to race and rescue!

Paw Patrol: Ready Race Rescue releases October 17

All you have to do is email your details and the word PAW PATROL!

Email now to  darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com 
Or CLICK HERE NOW  

Ms Marvel Joins Marvel's Avengers

Ms Marvel Joins Marvel's Avengers

MS. MARVEL JOINS MARVEL’S AVENGERS

Marvel’s rising star Kamala Khan sets out to expose AIM and reassemble the Avengers

Today at New York Comic Con 2019, Square Enix® and Crystal Dynamics® revealed that fan-favourite Kamala Khan is the latest playable Super Hero to be featured in Marvel’s Avengers. Co-created by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Sana Amanat, and Stephen Wacker, in the comics, Kamala is an enthusiastic teenager who defends her hometown Jersey City as the costumed Ms. Marvel. First appearing in Captain Marvel #14 in August 2013, Kamala quickly captured the imagination of generations of True Believers, leading to her own monthly comic series in February 2014.

A self-avowed Avengers fan, in the game’s original story, Kamala Khan must apply her intellect, optimism, and unique abilities to the task of unravelling a global conspiracy and reassembling her personal heroes in time to stop a new secretive organization, Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM), before they unleash one of the greatest threats Earth has ever faced.

Players first encounter a young Kamala during A-Day, where Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor are unveiling a hi-tech Avengers Headquarters in San Francisco — including the reveal of their own helicarrier powered by an experimental energy source. The celebration turns deadly when a catastrophic accident results in massive devastation. Kamala is exposed to the mysterious Terrigen Mist, and finds herself developing extraordinary polymorphic powers, which she subsequently hides for years. Blamed for the tragedy, the Avengers disband. Five years later, with all Super Heroes outlawed and the world in peril, Kamala uncovers a shocking conspiracy and embarks on a quest to reassemble the heroes she believes in and to become the hero she was destined to be.

Players begin the journey as Kamala Khan and learn the origins of her extraordinary powers.

As the story expands, Kamala plays an essential role in bringing the disbanded Avengers back together. As each Super Hero is added to the roster, players must master all of their unique abilities, rebuild and customize the Avengers team to face increasingly growing threats only the Avengers together can defeat.

“An optimistic fan girl of the Avengers, Kamala Khan is the perfect character for the story we’re telling in Marvel’s Avengers,” said Shaun Escayg, Creative Director and Writer at Crystal Dynamics. “Telling our story of Kamala’s coming-of-age brings a fresh, hopeful perspective to the gameplay experience and her unique abilities as Ms. Marvel make her a character every person can relate to and will want to play. Kamala Khan is one of the unique characters that makes our game stand apart from any Avengers story experienced before.”

“Kamala is an inspired and perfectly fitting choice to join the ranks of, and reassemble, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” said Bill Rosemann, VP of Creative at Marvel Games. “Perhaps more than any other character invented over the past decade, Ms. Marvel has not only charmed the hearts of long-time True Believers, but her unique mix of classic Marvel heroic elements and modern cultural relevancy has resulted in a headline-generating cultural icon.”

“It is a thrill to see Kamala in the Marvel’s Avengers game,” said Sana Amanat, VP of Content and Character Development at Marvel. “Crystal Dynamics has done a marvellous job of crafting a brand-new take on Kamala, while staying true to the spirit of her inspiring character, charismatic persona, and relatable purpose. Fans of the character are in for quite a ride, along with a few surprises, when Marvel’s Avengers makes its debut next year.”

"I think Kamala is a perfect fit for a game like this, since she sees the Marvel world the same way we do as fans and players," said G. Willow Wilson, co-creator of Ms. Marvel. "Kamala allows us to imagine what we ourselves would do if we suddenly discovered we had superpowers and got to stand alongside our heroes in their time of greatest need."

Marvel’s Avengers will release simultaneously for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X, Stadia, and PC on May 15, 2020.

DOOM Eternal | Release date update

DOOM Eternal | Release date update

Throughout the development of DOOM Eternal, our goal has been to deliver a game that exceeds your greatest expectations across the board.  

To make sure we’re delivering the best experience -- for DOOM Eternal to live up to our standards of speed and polish -- we’ve made the decision to extend our launch date by a few months to March 20, 2020.  We know many fans will be disappointed by this delay, but we are confident that DOOM Eternal will deliver a gaming experience that is worth the wait.

In addition to shifting the DOOM Eternal launch date, we’ve made a couple of other changes we wanted you to know about:

• Invasion Mode, which will allow you to enter another player’s game as a playable demon, will release as a free update shortly after launch.
• DOOM Eternal for Nintendo Switch will release after the other platforms. We will announce that date in the future.
• DOOM 64 will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in addition to Nintendo Switch. We are adding DOOM 64 as a pre-order bonus for DOOM Eternal so you’ll be able to download and play this classic game, for free, on all platforms, just for pre-ordering DOOM Eternal. DOOM 64 will be released on March 20, 2020 on all platforms.

We are grateful to every DOOM fan for your dedication and support - we can’t wait to rip-and-tear right alongside you.

NBA 2K20 - MyTEAM Unlimited Tournament

NBA 2K20 - MyTEAM Unlimited Tournament

2K Confirms Details for NBA 2K20 MyTEAM Unlimited $250,000 Tournament

Qualification is underway in the 2^nd edition of the popular contest

2K has officially confirmed details for NBA 2K20’s MyTEAM Unlimited $250,000 Tournament. The 2^nd year global competition is played using the MyTEAM Unlimited mode on Xbox One or PlayStation 4, with contestants choosing any 13 player cards from their deck and competing in 5-on-5, head-to-head games with NBA rules. Qualifying is ongoing until January, when 16 qualifiers per console will compete in a single elimination tournament for a trip to NBA All-Star 2020 and the $250,000 grand prize.

The winner of last season’s NBA 2K19 tournament, Xbox One champion Dymaris Jones (SkippTooMyLou) from Detroit, defeated PS4 champion and current NBA 2K League player Christopher Anderson (TurnUpDefense) from Las Vegas to win the grand prize during NBA All-Star 2019 in Charlotte. More than one million players took part in last year’s inaugural tournament, which saw more than 15 million qualifying games played over the five-month contest.

Similar to last season’s tournament, Xbox One and PS4 contestants will play games in MyTEAM Unlimited mode to earn entry into Qualifier GameDays. Ten Unlimited wins are required to participate in each GameDay, and contestants may compete in multiple GameDays. During each GameDay, contestants will then compete to win as many games as possible during the four-hour time limit, earning points towards their Total Score with each win. The contestants with the top four scores on each console at the end of each GameDay will qualify for the single elimination tournament. 

The dates of the four Qualifier GameDays are as follows:

●        First Qualifier GameDay: October 12, 2019

●        Second Qualifier GameDay: November 16, 2019

●        Third Qualifier GameDay: December 14, 2019

●        Fourth Qualifier GameDay: January 18, 2020

The single elimination tournament begins January 25, with 32 qualifiers playing until only one contestant remains on each console. Both console champions will win a trip to NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago, where they’ll attend NBA All-Star events and play a head-to-head, best-of-three series on Xbox One for the $250,000 grand prize.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Special Ops!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Special Ops!

Within Modern Warfare’s Special Ops are multiple dynamic experiences that take place on a wide variety of maps. The largest and most involved multi-stage experiences unfold across a sprawling urban environment around the city of Verdansk. These 4 player matchmade activities are known as Operations.

Most of the Killstreaks you know from Multiplayer Mode, such as airstrikes and UAVs, will be accessible in Special Ops. In addition, a number of vehicles, including tanks, helicopters, and ATVs, give your squad the opportunity to tackle any Operation at hand in a variety of ways.

Want to go in quietly, or guns blazing? Whatever you may choose, the situation is always fluid, as enemy forces will react to your choices in an attempt to foil your plans. They may deploy more soldiers via helicopters or even bring in a Juggernaut or two to wipe out your Armistice fireteam.

Work together with your team, be prepared to revive squadmates if necessary, and execute the task at hand as best as you can.

Locate your intel, neutralize your targets, and acquire ongoing rewards that come with accomplishing Operations and Missions.

Operations: As you infil into one of the many war-torn zones within Special Ops, you and your team have full latitude on how to accomplish your Operations. This Special Ops game mode is a 4 player matchmade activity centered around interconnected experiences that take the form of objectives, each culminating in the removal or destruction of a key logistical aspect of the Al-Qatala army.

Employ different strategies. Go in quietly or tackle the insurrection head-on. The enemy reacts to your team’s decisions, meaning the outcome of any battle can change.

At launch, you will embark on four multi-stage Operations with more scheduled to come throughout the post launch seasons. All post launch Operations will be coming to all platforms simultaneously.

Missions: Complementing the multi-stage Operations, and also available across all platforms, are additional Missions, which can be played solo or with up to four players. Whereas Operations give you the widest breadth of strategic and tactical choice, Missions are a more curated experience where your proficiency with specific weapons, killstreaks, and other tools will be tested. These Missions are extremely replayable, and you’re able to achieve a 1, 2, or 3-star ranking based on your performance. Naturally, there will be an “Infinity Ward time” that you can attempt to beat!

All Operations and Missions content in Special Ops will be available across all platforms at launch and through the post launch Seasons.

Mode Cross-Progression Rewards: As you complete any of the Special Ops content, expect to receive impressive rewards for your combat expertise. Examples include additional unlockable items and equipment that can be utilized in both Multiplayer and Special Ops Modes.