The Witches: Movie Review

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci, Chris Rock

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Roald Dahl's The Witches is fairly iconic among kids.

The 2020 version delivers something that's a nice reinvention for the times, but also sadly, isn't iconic enough to last forever.

Relocating the action into the deep South in the 1960s and pitching it as an Us vs Them story with the black people vs the mainly white witches and coating it all with a case of Southern race relations issues give the Robert Zemeckis take on the film a nice contemporary yet timeless edge. The divide of the rich versus poor pull of the tale has never been more in evidence from the opulent costuming of the coven to the treatment of Octavia Spencer's more dowdy clothes.

It helps that Anne Hathaway delivers a truly screen-hogging performance from the get-go.

From her vampy vocals that sound like a bad Russian accent to an extremely physical and lithe performance, the film comes alive when the Grand High Witch is on screen. She exudes menace, never willingly goes over the top, but throws herself 100% into the role - and early scenes with her will deliver some of the CGI nightmarish edges that the film desperately needs and were worthy of with the Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron production touches.

Spencer has an earnestness to her grandma and healer, thrust unexpectedly into a fight and prone to exposition early on to set the scene. But she unwisely becomes sidelined in favour of the CGI animations as the witchified mice take centre stage, after her grandson (Jazhir Bruno) is transformed.

But Zemeckis doesn't seem content to try and push the boat out, opting instead for something sadly generic.

It's here The Witches fails to cast much of a spell as it becomes a formulaic CGI-driven tale of shenanigans.

It's not that Zemeckis fails to deliver on that side of things or made something inherently unwatchable, more that it becomes less of the tale that Roald Dahl made famous.

The wordplay and delicious darkness of the originals, complete with the Quentin Blake illustrations, made the books so famous and so beloved with kids, who were happy to get a scare in among the elegant prose.

Zemeckis instead weaves a short-lived spell after a superlative opening (a snowstorm scene is typical of the kind of promise that's teased early on) sets a tone that's deliciously dark and dangerously close to nightmarish. Hathaway's head witch, complete with Heath Ledger Joker-faced scars, is the sole driver of that, and as mentioned, she seizes and relishes the opportunity gifted to her.

While the 2020 version of The Witches is likely to entrance some of the younger end of the audience - and even frighten them witless - the latest deserves only the success it gets from Hathaway's stunning performance. It may scare up some decent box office numbers, but the spell is far from long-lasting, even if it does bewitch you while the lights are down.

WWE 2K: Battlegrounds: PS4 Review

Developed by Saber Interactive

Published by 2K Sports

Every year 2K releases a WWE game, and the wrestling world watches on.

But the past few iterations of the game have been less than desirable and less than effective. So 2020 being 2020, 2K Sports decided to release a different version of their annual outing.

In its places comes a more arcade-like game, one that feels more in keeping with the coin op ways of the good ole Saturday afternoons - but at the end of the day, it's not exactly the WWE franchise you would want.

And at the end of it all, wrestling is already cartoon-like in many ways; its absurdities come from the level of its performers, so by over-hyping this element and over-exaggerating it, some of the thrill is lost a little in translation.

It works as a party game, but microtransactions mar some of the gameplay within - and as a result, WWE 2K Battlegrounds feels like a detour, but a less important one than should be.

In parts, with its over the top elements, it feels like a wrestling game mixed with Mortal Kombat.

It's disposable enough fun, but all in all, it's not quite the KO it could or should be.

eFootball PES 2021 Season Update: PS4 Review

Developed by Konami / PES Productions

Released by Konami

Platform: PS4

The Pro-Evo football soccer simulator was one of the first sports simulators this reviewer ever experienced on the PlayStation console.

So to say there is an affection, is somewhat of an understatement.

The 2021 Season update pulls together the content of the 2019 release that scored game merits and plaudit from all over the place - and makes the title accessible enough to newcomers, but also worth investing in for those who already have the 2019 version of the game.

The thing with the Pro-Evo series is that it always has been about the gameplay.

Whereas the FIFA franchise was one which became more obsessed with story-led antics off the pitch and for gameplay to become secondary, the ProEvo series has never abandoned the basics. It may lack the sparkle of its rival, but it's still in the same league, even if more words are spent on the Fifa series.

Additions of big name players give the game the sheen it needs, and the pitch polish it deserves.

The game's AI feels human and the result means matches are a little more evenly led - they make for good playing and prove that when Pro Evo is solid, it remains a force to be reckoned with.

Depressingly Pro Evo Soccer simulators will always be drowned out by FIFA's more showy antics - but for the casual sports sim player, this solid update is more than worthy of a place in the gaming premiership.

Parasite: Neon NZ Movie Review

A searing cross-genre look at the chasms between the classes, Bong Joon-Ho's latest, which took top honours at Cannes this year, is, for the great majority of its run time, an edge-of-your-seat piece, that slightly loses it in the last 15 minutes.

Centring on a family of four who live under the line (in this case, literally, the family lives below the street and often look up to people urinating near their one solitary window), Parasite follows Ki-woo, who's offered a well-paid tutoring job, proffering the family hope of escape from their hand-to-mouth routine.

Inveigling his way into the Park household, Ki-woo manages to seize an opportunity for his sister to become a fellow tutor to the youngest of the household...

To say more about Parasite is to go against director Bong Joon-Ho's wishes in terms of spoilers, but suffice it to say that Parasite dances an extremely fine line between edge-of-your-seat suspense, utter revulsion and horror, and excoriating commentary on the classes that has become the norm for his other films.

There's much to unpack in Parasite - and much of it can't be debated without spoilers.
Whether it's the way the rich refer to and interact with the poor, or the subtleties of microcosms of society which are laid bare, there's a tapestry here to explore that's brilliantly writ large on the big screen.

In all honesty, at times, it's depressing stuff if you're clued into the social mores laid bare, and laid thick with the blackest humour one could find for such an outing.

But it deserves commendation for the way the director and scriptwriters pivot the film roughly half-way through. What seems obvious is given a gut-punch and turned into something that becomes not what you expected.

All of that said, and a coda ending aside which seems like a tonal mismatch from what's transpired, Parasite is a thrilling ride at the cinema, and easily one of the best films of the year.

It's a subversive, subtle and subliminal ride that's as rewarding as it is compelling.

With its subtle genre changes, and its dancing neatly on the taut tightrope of thrills and suspense, it's a game-changer in terms of subverting expectations, and yet delivering a wide broad film that's begging for a Hollywood remake, but which will be all the better if they don't. 

Stories Untold: PS4 Review

Developed by No Code
Published by Devolver Digital

Platform: PS4

The episodic horror Stories Untold knows what it wants to do.

And it's relatively effective, even if occasionally, it's relatively frustrating trying to work out what's what. Using a template that's not really been seen since the 80s, the game relies on lateral and logical thinking from the player to try and get through various scenarios.

Most effective is the first level, which digs deep in the nostalgia of the text adventure, as you sit in front of a computer and sees you type out directions. It's something not witnessed since the Hobbit adventure game which consumed many gamers' hours before the ZX Spectrum kicked playing into gear.

There is a nice creepy vibe that's unsettling to the start of the game, but there are frustrations too, given that gamers not versed in the genre may find there's little to engage in to begin with. Patience is its own reward, but Stories Untold doesn't make it easy to start with.

From its Stranger Things font to its use of sound, there's much of the feeling of homage in this game, and it does pay off well. The enigmatic touches are nicely received and executed, but this really is a game for people who are willing to invest their all in, not the casual gamer.

NBA 2K 21: PS4 Review

Released by 2K Sports

Developed by Visual Concepts

Another year, another basketball sim.

Only this time around, the NBA has lost a little of its shine, given there's not much been changed.

Again, 2K's annual sporting franchise gets rolled out onto the court for 2020, and ballers rush to lap it up means that it's the usual antics - you play as NBA players, and have to win. It's not rocket science, and it plays perfectly well.

But there's a feeling that the game really needs to do something a little different - no matter how polished MyCareer is and how accurate the character renderings are, the franchise does feel a little like it's the same year on year.

Cut scenes have been stripped back to concentrate largely on the action, and the feeling of being bombarded with microtransactions can also irritate as well. 

It's nowhere near a three pointer for NBA 2K21, and to be honest, while it's definitely doing what it says on the tin, the fact it is choosing not to do more is a bit frustrating that what was once a great sim is now simply a competent sim. 

Serious Sam Collection: PS4 Review

Published by Devolver Digital

Platform: PS4

There's not much to say about Serious Sam that doesn't go further than simply saying it's a run and gun game that doesn't take itself too seriously.

If you're being cruel, you could say it's a pastiche of Doom and the Mummy movie franchise with its tombs and endless hordes of creatures piling towards you. Graphically, the game's no great shake on the PS4, a mix of blocky schlocky pixels that is functional and looks fine. 

And yet, despite the game's obvious shortcomings, this collection is stupidly fun, a reminder that first player shooter games don't all have to be Call of Duty or Destiny. 

Blessed with sarcastic dialogue, Serious Sam isn't anything but its namesake, and from some laugh out loud lines to iconic baddies, the game works on many levels, but also doesn't take itself much more seriously than the B-movie genre it's come from.

While some of the collection's games feel a little repetitive, and there's less of an emphasis on maps and finding you way about, the Serious Sam Collection is a disposable enough title to ensure people dipping into it have fun, and nothing less.

The Dark Pictures: Little Hope: PS4 Review

Developed by Supermassive Games

Platform: PS4

The Dark Pictures mythology and series continues with Supermassive Games' latest.

Once again mining the world of horror and jump scares with the formula perpetuated by Until Dawn, Little Hope once again uses a fantastic cast and some good atmospheric jolts to provide something going bump in the night.

Will Poulter joins the cast as the story jumps around in time, back and forth, as a group of college kids find themselves stranded in Little Hope, a town that's somewhat less than normal - and a mystery to solve.

Inspired by The Witch, the Salem trials,The Blair Witch Project and the Mist, the game draws heavily on, and leans heavily into its horror machinations - all to achieve a somewhat chilling effect.

Building on some of the weaker edges of the predecessor Man of Medan, The Dark Pictures: Little Hope once again uses great graphics and the current gen consoles to achieve a game that has a way of getting under your skin - despite some of the ropier dialogue and obvious horror conceits.

Once again utilising the pass and play method where a controller can be given to another player to ensure their involvement, The Dark Pictures: Little Hope does a lot to be as immersive as it can for more than 1 player. It's a good solid touch and one which ensures the social edge of the horror can remove some of the tension.

Better than Man of Medan, The Dark Pictures: Little Hope is a ride worth taking. Much like a fairground horror, the game is there to spook, but with a little refining, this franchise and its eight episodes could provide something longer lasting than a carny atmosphere and a candy floss approach.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla: PS4 Review

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal
Published by Ubisoft
Platform: PS4

The twenty second Assassin's Creed release sends everyone back to the past again.

This time though, it's to Viking times we head with the tale of Eivor, a Viking (male or female, it's your choice) who's caught in the middle of the conflict between the Vikings and the marauding Anglo-Saxon hordes.

Caught in the invasion, Eivor's world is further complicated when he/she meets the Hidden Ones and joins the fight against the Order of the Ancients....

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla starts with brutality as Eivor's family is slaughtered in front of them, and the brutality continues through, from the kind of attacks Eivor can launch to the stealth attacks. It's a gory game, but its bloody atmospherics work well.

There are a few bugs here and there, with Eivor occasionally crashing into mountainsides, and buildings, at the most unexpected and inopportune moments. It's a shame that Ubisoft didn't sort these before launch.

But much like Assassin's Creed: Odyssey did, the game delights in its open world - and occasional side quests. From events like having to outdrink a co-villager (an intriguing use of quick time) to more chunkier missions, the game's open world comes to life and breathes on its own terms. Being guided from mission to mission feels a little less like a grind this time around, and while there are hundreds of hours to kill within, the choice is there to dawdle or to follow the game.

And in parts, it looks beautiful too. From blood-soaked encounters to gorgeous sunsets and rises along coastal areas, this is a game that clearly prides itself on its visuals - they'll look even more spectacular on the next gen engines.

At the end of the day, it's an Assassin's Creed game, and it really doesn't flout what you've come to expect of the series - it's playable enough, despite glitches, but its timesuck is only worth it thanks to the story and the visuals.

Fuser: PS4 Review

Developed by Harmonix

Published by NC Soft

Platform: PS4

It's time to get back behind the turntables in Harmonix's Fuser.

This rhythm game gives you the chance to spin the wheels of four record players, and build mixes into songs. In the single player storyline, you get to progress through clubs, add mixes to tracks and generally build your reputation as the next Armand van Helden, or Fatboy Slim. Mix in time and you can make four elements literally sing to the crowds.

It's about what you'd expect from the geniuses that made Guitar Hero and Rock Band but it represents an evolution from the publisher as the game can be played without any additional bits to the console, meaning it's literally all there in your hands.

It helps the developers have had access to a great back catalogue of hits, mixing all genres from dance to pop - there's not likely to be something on this soundtrack that doesn't get you into the vibe of the game, and that's a great thing for setting some atmospherics in a year that's seen dance parties well and truly off the agenda.

Fuser is also an exceptionally social project too, with users being able to share mixes, and effectively creativity. It's a great touch given the main raison d'etre for music is to inspire others. 

But if you want to learn more than the basics, Fuser's also a great tutorial. From looping beats to dropping tracks, this is a music sim like never before - it's well worth it and may inspire you in ways you'd never have expected.

Should you buy an XBox Series S?

Microsoft's next gen consoles have launched, and while the majority of them have sold out globally, the company says more are on the way, as gamers scrabble to join the future of their hobby.

But should you choose the digital version?

The design: There's no denying the cuteness of the XBox Series S. Its sleek white thin design is one of the smallest consoles on the market. While some mocked its big black fan that sits on one side of it, making it look like the kind of turntable a FJ may have had in the 80s, its minimal appearance means it can sit comfortably in any home entertainment unit, and not look out of place. Better than the PlayStation 5's new look and the almost monolithic XBox Series X, the S is easily the design winner of the next gen launches.

The controller: Bit of a disappointment this one. Not only does it look like the last gen's controller, there's no real feeling it's been adapted for the next generation, which is massively underwhelming. While it does feel chunky, and not in any way clunky, the insistence on pursuing a battery-led solution for power feels more 2010 than 2020. And even though the batteries last for a long time, there will still come a time when the ominous empty battery logo will appear on screen.

The start-up and set up: Easy as to do, thanks to using the XBox app, the console can be up and running in moments alone once out of the box. There's a simplicity that's easy to appreciate here. It's noticeably quicker to power up than its last gen brothers, with a nice melting logo coming to life on the screen. And all you have to do is press the XBox button and away you go.

The HUD: Again, this feels slightly underwhelming for a next gen console. It's essentially the same as the last generation in terms of look and feel. You negotiate your way around as usual, and never the twain shall meet. It's still simple and clean, easy to use, and concentrated more on ensuring you can just get on and play. But it doesn't have any next gen bells and whistles.

Load times: They're a bit quicker admittedly, but most people won't really notice, as there's an expectation you launch a game and you're into it. It's not rocket science, but there is a noticeable difference when the custom SSD kicks in and makes sure you're at your destination rather than fiddling on your phone while you wait. Long term, as the games get bigger, and the graphics quality pushes the load times, you'll see a difference.

The storage: This is perhaps another minor issue with the "lesser" version of the console. With only 364GB of the 512GB available for use, the console's somewhat stymied by the lack of space to store games. It's even more noticeable when you remember this is a digital-only console and you can't pop out a game disc to load up later. And given some games these days are upto 150GB (Call of Duty, Destiny), this is a stinger that can't really be sweetened by the use of an external drive.

The games: Bit of a double-edged sword this one. Unless you have an aversion to launch titles. Whilst the last gen launched with a new Halo, and a range of other titles (Ryse: Son of Rome, Zoo Tycoon- all part of the 23 strong launch bunch back in 2014), this latest has launched on XBox at least with not a one. It's massively disappointing, and while Halo was delayed, it does make you wonder why a launch title couldn't have been procured. Most of the titles on the next gen are about upgrades - so if you already own it, then you can update to the next gen version. Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla launched near to the XBox Series S launch, so that's an easy crossover. 

Where the digital XBox Series S comes into its own is with the Game Pass subscription. Essentially an instant library, the 100-plus titles will grow as time goes. And the fact you can use these titles anywhere across PC and XBox means Microsoft is positioning itself strongly as an enabler, not a destination for games, which is a big thing for the coming years.

Overall, if you're wanting to join the next generation, then the XBox Series S feels like a nice starter level entrant. It's becoming clearer that Microsoft is looking beyond traditional gaming models, from the use of its GamePass to the crossplay elements with PC and XBox, so perhaps in a strange way, the consoles themselves are becoming gradually redundant. 

While download times are still way too long on a XBox (even with fibre, some titles take upwards of a day to download), the pros just about outweigh the cons with the XBox Series S - that is, if you can find one before Christmas.

Win a double pass to see Words Between Walls at the cinema

To celebrate the release of Words Between Walls in cinemas December 10, you can win a double pass, thanks to Sony Pictures.

About Words Between Walls

Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to not be defined by his condition.

Starring Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell

Words Between Walls is in cinemas December 10

Win Mulan on Blu Ray

To celebrate the release of Mulan, you can win a copy of the New Zealand shot movie.

Thanks to Disney and Sony Home Entertainment, you can win a copy of Mulan on Blu-Ray.

About Mulan

To save her ailing father from serving in the Imperial Army, a fearless young woman disguises herself as a man to battle northern invaders in China.

“Mulan, as a character, is a wonderful role model for young girls and boys, too. She sticks to who she is and keeps her family values strong.” - Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

“Liu pulls off all [her martial-arts] moves with vim and verve, and she conveys the essence of the story's defiantly disobedient rebel, too.” - Marie Claire

HOW TO WIN

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

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

Exit The Gungeon: PS4 Review

Developed by Singlecore Games
Released by Devolver Digital

Platform: PS4

The sequel to Enter The Gungeon, and of a similar tongue-in-cheek ilk to Broforce, this pixel-led shooter is one to put a bullet in sensible gameplay.

Resuming after the first ended, it's up to you to enter a series of random levels, survive the menace and get through to the end with a degree of health in hand, and your safety guaranteed.

With the gungeon collapsing around you, it's up to you to shoot your way out, and have a bit of a blast doing so. Simple yet effective, the pixel-led carnage is a lot of simple bitesize fun that will see you generating new weapons after collecting power ups.

A large jump, combined with the dodge roll from the first game become necessity to help get you through the levels, and while there's nothing specifically different from the first, it's still a great deal of easy fun.

The pixel look is functional and yet also cutesy, and the gameplay is sufficiently strong enough to keep you engaged on the couch, as you scroll your way up the levels.

Ultimately, Exit The Gungeon does what it says on the tin. It won't shatter the mold, but it does more than adequately fill the time.

A Christmas Gift From Bob: Film Review

Cast: Luke Treadaway, Ginger cat Bob

Director: Charles Martin Smith

If you're expecting A Christmas Gift From Bob to pack the same emotional punch as 2016's Street Cat Called Bob, you'd probably best check your expectations at the door.

Treadaway returns as busker James Bowen in this sanitised dark tale that's more interested in going once-over-lightly about a crisis than plumbing the dramatic depths. It is Christmas cinematic fare, one supposes.

Bowen is celebrating his success as an author and a cat-based busking legend - however, he comes across another homeless person being persecuted and unhappy with the Christmas period. So, sitting him down at a restaurant, Bowen decides to tell of a Christmas past where it nearly all went wrong for the pair.

There's not much depth in A Christmas Gift From Bob; it knows what it wants to do, from its close up shots of the cat looking cute to its light take on the darker side of the festive season. There is a gritty depressing film lurking deep somewhere in here, but Charles Martin Smith's not interested in mining that and giving the film the redemptive arc it's so suited for.

Instead, what emerges is something as wafty as a cloud, with commendable messages about kindness to others, sermons about not judging by appearance and of community coming together in an unexpected way.

What's also well handled is the reality of poverty, and how one simple mistake can send a massive ripple into the psyche of those caught in it and how circumstance and a chain of events can conspire against one at what should be one of the happiest times of the year.

A Christmas Gift From Bob dissolves into the obvious sentimental mush toward the end, and you'd have to hard a cold, hard cynical heart to ignore its "stronger together" message after 2020's absolute blitzkrieg of a year.

Thanks to a sensitive turn from Treadaway, delivering depth when there really is none, and the requisite cutesy shots of the titular cat, this will hit the audiences where it wants to - but it does lack the genuine warmth and feelgood nature of the first.

Whether it leaves you feline Christmassy depends entirely on your own disposition toward cinematic manipulation and a predictable plot points.

Happiest Season: Film Review

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Dan Levy, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Mary Steenburgen, Audrey Plaza, Mary Holland

Director: Clea Duvall

As a concept, Happiest Season isn't massively new.

Its "bring a couple home for Christmas but set obstacles in their way to happiness" trope is the staple of many a romcom and festive film.

But what director and writer Clea Duvall, along with co-writer Mary Holland, have done is to give the story a fresh and grounded feel that largely stays away from the hysterics of the genre and delivers a bit of a festive cinematic present.

Stewart is Abby, an orphaned woman who isn't massively keen on the festive season. Loved up with Mackenzie Davis' Harper, she's impulsively pulled into the idea of going home at Christmas to meet the in-laws. But on the way home to the conservative family, headed up by the father who's seeking election as the mayor, Harper confesses to Abby that she's never come out to her family....

Abby's insistence that it's just five days and can't be that bad is about to be sorely tested...

Happiest Season captures the nuances of family conflicts and uses them to great dramatic fist throughout.

From Alison Brie's cold haughty older sister to Mary Holland's youngest Jane, who reeks of desperation to be included seizes upon the tensions of siblings within the holiday season, where some days, it feels like you're just seconds away from an argument.

With spritzy dialogue, and a great deal of heart (Dan Levy's John delivers a speech toward the end about coming out scenes and how they're all individual stories which may be the single greatest scene of the whole film from the Schitt's Creek alum), Happiest Season will capture a lot of hearts and deliver the humour the season needs.

In among it, Stewart delivers yet another stunning performance, as a woman trapped in the familial whirlwind and the actor works the chemistry of the ensemble well. Davis is equally engaging, but in truth, this is Stewart's film and her turn as Abby feels real and lived in.

Happiest Season may not quite be the Christmas classic that some are lauding, but it's to be highly commended for delivering a film that's grounded, human, relatable and one which captures the good and bad of the holiday season, and the strains of familial bonds.

The Comeback Trail: Film Review

Cast: Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Tommy Lee Jones, Kate Katzman

Director: George Gallo

Producer Max Barber (De Niro) has had enough.

Trapped in between growing debt and failing movies, it looks like his number is up with Morgan Freeman's Reggie Fontaine wanting to collect a $350K debt.

But, along with his nephew Walter, Max decides to film a western with grizzled veteran Duke Montana - only the catch is, he'll try to bump off the star during filming to cash in on a generous insurance policy and pay off everything in one go....

What would be better suited to a screwball farce, The Comeback Trail's drama with moments of the cast overplaying their roles becomes somewhat of an endurance in parts.

With DeNiro mugging a little and Braff overplaying some of his reaction shots, the film is clearly gunning for laughs without providing too many of them.

Despite being splendidly shot and evocatively recalling some of the great panoramas of the Western genre, Gallo's film teeters when it should roar.

Thankfully, it finds its saving grace with Lee Jones' Duke Montana. His veteran cowboy actor feels lived in, real and worn down by years of near misses and by one single regret eating gradually away at his soul. Lee Jones wisely underplays the performance and consequently delivers a character that feels real among the Hollywood falsities that are on the screen.

It may be The Comeback Trail doesn't quite hit the highs it should, but it is watchable enough to leave you frustrated that it couldn't have done more with its premise and line-up.

Win a double pass to see Misbehaviour in cinemas December 3

To celebrate the release of Misbehaviour, in cinemas December 3, thanks to StudioCanal New Zealand, you can win a double pass!

About Misbehaviour

In 1970, the Miss World competition took place in London, hosted by US comedy legend, Bob Hope. 

At the time, Miss World was the most-watched TV show on the planet with over 100 million viewers. 

Claiming that beauty competitions demeaned women, the newly formed Women’s Liberation Movement achieved overnight fame by invading the stage and disrupting the live broadcast of the competition.

Starring Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Greg Kinnear.

Misbehaviour is in cinemas December 3.

HOW TO WIN TICKETS TO MISBEHAVIOUR

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

Email now to  darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com 

Or CLICK HERE NOW  

Win a double pass to see Happiest Season in cinemas now!

To celebrate the release of Happiest Season, in cinemas now, thanks to Sony Pictures New Zealand, you can win a double pass!

About Happiest Season

A young woman with a plan to propose to her girlfriend while at her family's annual holiday party discovers her partner hasn't yet come out to her conservative parents.

Starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis.

Happiest Season is in cinemas now.

HOW TO WIN TICKETS TO HAPPIEST SEASON

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

Email now to  darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com 

Or CLICK HERE NOW  

Possessor: Film Review

Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Bean

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Director Brandon Cronenberg brings an unsettling touch to this arthouse sci-fi story that will be familiar to anyone who's delved into the 2000AD archives of Future Shock stories.

Riseborough stars as assassin Taysa Vos, whose skill is to insert herself into other's minds, assume their personalities and carry out the required mission.

When she's contracted to infiltrate an organisation and kill the CEO, she finds the man whose mind she's taken over stronger than expected, and given she's already struggling to disengage from each possessed host, things go from bad to worse very quickly.

Admittedly a parable of identity, mixed with copious shots of body horror and body piercings from needles, Possessor is brutal in its execution and unswerving in its dedication to its visuals that will unsettle and haunt for days.

Stark colours, hues of orange, purple and a bleached and drained Riseborough lead to a slow and moody set up that climbs levels of tedium before dipping deep into unnerving. Cronenberg knows what he wants and gives the chilling movie a calm and measured approach that plays more into its malevolent Quantum Leap ethos more than you'd expect.

As Possessor goes on, it becomes clearer that the film is one of psychological battles, of wearying ids and of loss of empathy in brutal situations. 

Riseborough initially impresses and upsets before giving way to Abbott's more straight-laced and emotionally dead approach to the story. It's an intriguing juxtaposition, and while Cronenberg's deliberately vague on the battles of identity, one sequence involving a melting face and application of a mask is perhaps the most upsetting committed to celluloid in 2020.

It goes without saying that Possessor is unflinching at times, and it's downright unsettling throughout - it won't be for everyone, but thanks to its technical actors and visual flourishes, it's a film and experience unlike anything else on screen this year.