We’re not crying, you’re crying! Words by Alaisdair Leith
Steven Speilberg directs rising star Tye Sheridan in a big budget sci-fi brimming with homages. Epic in so many ways. Mark Halyday on the film that has captured the world. Words by Jason Cook.
In the “Age of Inclusion” the next film
to make a dent is Love, Simon. Setup as a coming of age story, turned mainstream teen gay romance film, Love, Simon does a fantastic job at making everything appear normal. In fact the opening line of the movie is “I’m just like you, I’m normal” as we pan through a McMansion with white picket fence, perfect mother (Jennifer Garner) and father (Josh Duhamel) and Top Chef Junior obsessed sister Nora (Talitha Bateman). It was here I started to be concerned about stereotypes but these characters are not a walking talking cliche. They are real and deep thanks to a well written script and well rounded characters we have one of, if not the best indie gay themed film for mainstream audiences.
blockbusters we have seen as of late. This is a complete gear shift and the whole movie is purely based around conversations and while there are a couple of events during the film, it never loses its pacing. This is largely helped by the hugely talented cast, Robinson is the perfect lead with the mix of adorable and relatable. Garner and Duhamel are the perfect parents, after seeing years of awful Transformers movies, it is nice to see Duhmal in a role that he can stretch his legs and showcase just what a great actor he really is. The films director Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl) handles the source material perfectly, crafting a coming of age tale and delivering the first solid, well rounded gay character for mainstream cinema.
I have watched a lot of cries for representation over the last few years from people of colour, women and asians. I have always tried to be supportive and understanding, it wasn’t until this movie that I realised just how much representation matters. Part of my emotional breakdown in this movie was thinking back to when I was a teenager/young adult struggling with my sexuality in a very different world to what we live in now, being told by everyone around me that it was wrong and evil, that I was going to hell and needed to be cured, that it is a “choice”. It was in this moment that I saw myself in the character of Simon and how incredible it is that young people now have movies and messages like this being broadcast to them that yes, you are ok, this is normal, this is accepted and you are loved. It was profound and When a fellow student comes out anonymously online really hit home how much we need more representation on the schools gossip blog (think Gossip Girl without like this and for all people in the stories we see. the XOXO) under the nickname of Red, Simon responds and creates the character of Blue aka Jacques. The two Love, Simon has delivered a classic coming of age tale banter back and forth and discuss how and when they while managing to be a beacon for gay representation on will come out and help each other through the hard screen. With a tight script, outstanding performances, times ahead of them as the school year progresses. The stellar soundtrack and compelling characters you will film does a great job of misdirection pointing different fall in love with this film like I have. The overwhelming suspects as to who Red is and if Simon knows them. message of positivity and inclusion is played out The film does this perfectly and is a great back and forth perfectly and will make you want to keep coming allowing some background characters to be explored back for more. This is an achievement in cinema this year and earns a place in my top films of 2018 (so far) further. make sure you head out and support this film, not only The movie does such a good job and is a positive for representation but for being a film of quality and breath of fresh air after all of the action and explosion substance worth seeing on the big screen. Simon (Nick Robinson) is your ordinary teenager, going through high school, he has his close group of friends who drink WAY too much iced coffee and watch 90’s movies. The movie teases that Simon has a big secret and after an interesting encounter with a gardener across the road, it is pretty obvious that he is gay and struggling to come out. There is another out student at the school Ethan (Clark Moore) who is subject to constant bullying and harassment, but also has some of the best comebacks. The school’s hands on vice principal Mr Worth (Tony Hale) is played for comedic relief while the best lines of the film are reserved for drama teacher Ms.Albright (Natasha Rothwell) who I want to watch on repeat everyday for the rest of my life.
Steven Speilberg directs rising star Tye Sheridan in a big budget sci-fi brimming with homages. Epic in so many ways. Mark Halyday on the film that has captured the world. Words by Jason Cook.
There’s no doubt Director Black Panther is the first Steven Spielberg is teaching film in Marvel Studios’ you something with his movies without banner tenthit. What yearyou see and up front are you even knowing
Melbourne Audience at the premiere screening.
When asked if Sheridan would play the game in reality he said he would definitely play the game. “I think there’s something really fascinating escaping to a completely immersive world”, he said. And nothing that any thinkpiece or column images taking you to another world, a story that from all of Spielberg’s films which avatar would could writeyou can take fromBut the fact it just below makes laughaway or cry. sitting he play, despite taking longer than he should have is a this greatentertainment time at the cinemas. The story, is a message. You don’t know to think about it and Spielberg giving him a hard the it’s cast,there the but direction and the execution it’s something that sits in your mind time for taking so long, “Possibly be Jude Law all amounted to one of the best entries weaving its way through until that moment in from AI”, he decided. intotime the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever. where you remember that fateful piece of Certainly most people’s top three. information. And without even knowing it Steven While the film is split into two what with reality Spielberg has made your mind up for you. and inside the Oasis where Sheridan is playing And it did it without pulling in any an animated version of himself, Sheridan had flagship franchises, Readyheroes Player from One isother Spielberg’s latest blockbuster his work cut out for him. Ultimately playing two like set theinCaptain America sequels, Anta futuristic but not too far-fetched 2045. versions of himself Sheridan had to manoeuvre ManBased or Thor: Ragnarok. Ulysses Klaue on the best-selling novel of the same name the world of motion capture. and byEverett introduced in managed Ernest Ross Cline were released in 2011, Cline Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain to build a world and Spielberg managed to bring “Because you’re in a motion capture costume with America: Civil War respectively, the wonderful and cautious tale tobut life. reflective traction markers all over you, you kind that was more of a case of those movies of have to visualise and create the environment borrowing a Black core character The world has Panther had an energy crisis brought on by around you”, Sheridan said. rather thanwarming vice versa. Black Panther To escape global and overpopulation. stands proudly on its own two feet. this reality everyone heads to the Oasis, a virtual Behind the scenes you have another talented simulated world using goggles and clothing which person leading the way, Director Steven Spielberg It iscan certainly watershed in world. simulatea what is felt inmoment the virtual (Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Indiana Hollywood, and representation certainly Jones). It would be hard to imagine Ready Player matters The and Oasisthe wasguaranteed created bysuccess James of Halliday who One without the creative and adventurous mind this when feature more studios to to an Easter hewill diedinspire hid three keys leading of Spielberg doing something so visually amazing. be more representative. Egg which would handThe overprimarily his fortune and the Something that took Spielberg some time to bring black cast were relatable and itcontrol was never corporation and in turn over the Oasis. to life. distracting… or whatever statements Five years has passed, yet no one has been able to people throw to whitewash theirThat is until come closeintohere finding the first key. “There were so many artists 8 to 900 digital artists. movie. This cast’s acting chops were off orphan Wade (Tye Sheridan) otherwise known Character artists, background artists that painted the ascharts. TheirParzival, skin colour doesn’t his avatar manages to figure out the the landscapes, artists that did nothing but focus matter! Never in the hundred first clue. But along the way he isplus met with some on the details to make the Oasis seem utterly real. reviews I’ve written hasform that ever beenlead an by Noalan resistance in the of IOI It took three years from the time I read the book issueSorento and I refuse to spend any more of (Ben Mendelsohn). With Wade’s clan of and script to the time I’m sitting here talking to the wordcount on it. inside the Oasis, they take on which he found you. It’s the longest project I’ve ever been involved Sorento who is doing whatever it is he can to win in”, Spielberg said. To the reiterate, thetakeensemble game and control of is the epic. Oasis. Chadwick Boseman carries over from his Spielberg has managed to find a perfect balance backdoor entrance The film is driveninbyCaptain the viewAmerica: point of Wade played between the visual splendour that is the Oasis CivilbyWar a true(X-Men-Apocalypse, headline act. Black Tree of Life, Tyewith Sheridan and that of reality. A future reality where there Panther as plays aspirational Captain Mud)iswho a prettyasstraight shooter. He is hasn’t been that many changes from the current Ameirca as cool Tony Stark, oddlyand happier thanashe should be and considering he’s world, but enough to show technology has clearly for bonus point he’s also royalty like Thor.her boyfriend an orphan living with his Aunty and surpassed anyone’s imagination. A fine figure to include in theBut second-gen who doesn’t like him. what Sheridan does lineup than post-Untitled bring to will this take is an over innocence and honesty that is The reality side of Ready Player One has an eerie Avengers. harder to act than it is to actually be. And you sense of possibility for the current Earth outside of could notice this in the Interview he gave to the the movie itself which Spielberg agrees with.
“I watch my own kids today and they’re all kind of in a mini Oasis. Because they’re buried in their Oasis their whole world is right here in their hands. Imagine that portable Oasis that you can carry around with you suddenly being so totally immersive as you experience watching the movie that you are social networking but making eye contact”, Spielberg explains. It’s easy to see just how close Ready Player One can be to reality. But while Spielberg says this is a fun film it also comes with a cautionary tale. “It is a place that we may not want to leave and that’s where it becomes a dangerous place. It almost becomes a super drug”, he said. More often than not bringing life to a futuristic world or a virtual world to the screen can tend to break away from enjoying the film if it’s done poorly. It can bring you back to reality and make you realise how bad the CGI is so that you realise it’s just a movie. Spielberg and his team manage to bring a completely thought-up world to life and inside the Oasis you find yourself totally immersed as you watch the story unfold. There isn’t a moment where you find yourself thinking how it’s fake or unreal. One of the great things about this film are all the references to some of the great games anyone who lived through the 1980s would remember playing. There are so many more references to the 80s including the music or the Back to the Future Delorean. Spielberg was asked why there is such an obsession with the 1980s at the moment especially with all the references in Ready Player One. He explains that it was a care free time and with what is happening in the world right now “I think we feel that there have been times in the past that the present kind of forces us to return to”, he said. This isn’t one of the greatest films ever made nor is it a new idea. What you have is a movie based on a game, but rather than games that have been made to films in the past you are living the game not playing the game. It’s different in that you are going between two worlds with the same characters. It’s about acceptance, love and using the virtual world in a way that betters your life, not control it. It’s a cautionary tale to remember you don’t always know who you are talking to at the other end. A friendly reminder big corporation are in it for its self-gain, not your privacy. And finally, it’s fun. It’s a game where you can be anybody and anyone. Ready Player One tells a story that one day might very well be a reality and Spielberg has already planted the caution signs in your mind for that time.
Did it break the video game movie curse?
Words by Jason Cook.
As Hollywood runs out of ideas, its latest reboot to grace cinemas is Tomb
her husky voice and natural beauty, she seems to lack something that has come to be expected of Lara Croft. This is in no doubt because she is filling Raider with the main character Lara Croft. With the shoes of Angelina Jolie. Understanding this is no sight of Angelina Jolie who set the tone for the a complete reboot, the sassiness, quit wit and sense two original films Alicia Vikander slips on the of fearlessness seems to be lost with this young infamous sleeveless shirt to tackle the bad guys Croft. But that isn’t to say Vikander will grow with the character as the series progresses. and save humanity. What you have here is a slow burner, a movie that very slowly sets the story for clearly what will be if not a trilogy a series of Lara Croft inspired films. This isn’t to say it’s a bad film, but it is lacking all the things you have come to expect from these kinds of films. This feels like its setting up to be something similar to that of the Hunger Games with it’s strong leading lady that grows to become an icon. But with a reboot similar to that of Spider man and the many reboots that it’s taken because it just hasn’t worked.
Where this film lacks is in it’s “wow” moments or scenes, ideas, story lines that pull you in and make you leave thinking how “wow” said points are. Instead you are left thinking, is that the sound people really make when wounded, do people really get chased onto the exact boat they are looking for among hundreds.
While visually and also with the sound there is nothing amazing it also doesn’t disappoint. The film was basic and it didn’t try to do anything special or even “wow” the audience. From the originals you Meet Lara Croft who has a winning attitude and came to expect some amazing special effects. Not doesn’t give up. Her father left her and a very to mention some fancy fighting scenes and gizmos privileged life when she was young only to not and gadgets. But you are left underwhelmed with come back when she was a Teenager. Thought to this as she fights with a bow and arrow and almost be dead, Lara is asked to sign the papers not only every time taps out of a fight. declaring her father dead but also taking on the It’s hard not to compare this film to the previous company and manor left to her by her father. Tomb Raider films despite it being a complete But in once last attempt to find her father Lara is left reboot and going back to her younger years. And a trail of clues to his last whereabouts only to find a without diving into the game adaptation on which much more sinister search than she bargained for. the entire Lara Croft film franchise is built, this film as a stand alone is paving the way for what Leading the pack is Alicia Vikander playing Lara may be some great films. Until then, this will only Croft. You’ll know her from Jason Bourne, The just tickle the interest of a fan but by no means Danish Girl and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. With bring in a wealth of new fans.
John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz team up for some tentpole counterprogramming.
Words by Isabelle Aswad
Seated around a table in their school
precious gift, while saluting boys for losing theirs. cafeteria three friends make a pact to lose their No doubt this is all thanks to first-time director, Kay virginity on prom night. Julie (Kathryn Newton) Cannon (producer and screenwriter of Pitch Perfect) has every element planned, down to the rose-petal who is deftly able to tell women’s stories in a way that covered duvet, the candle she wants burning on the is true to how women live their lives. nightstand and the way she wants her long-time boyfriend to hold her face while they kiss; Sam This movie is about young women coming into (Gideon Adlon) is less certain of the details and her their own and proving, much to the horror of their own sexual orientation but is in for the ride; and parents, that they are not only capable of making Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) selects her date at their own decisions, but are also fully aware of random by screaming out across the cafeteria “… themselves, and the consequences that come from those decisions. The film touches on these issues so that dude!” well that it doesn’t shove them down your throat. What this scene does so well is not only introduce There is only one soap-boxy moment in the whole us to the trio of brilliant young ladies at the heart of movie, and that is quickly and deftly shut down by this film, but also shows us that there are more ways Mann. than one to think and feel about sex and that it’s OK!
Blockers is a movie with six leading actors and each have been perfectly cast. The chemistry between them is spot on and they complement each other perfectly. At last we have a group of girlfriends who aren’t competing with each other and aren’t jealous of one another. They just genuinely support and love each other as real friends do.
The evenings shenanigans really kick off when an open laptop pinging with rapid fire messages between Julie, Sam and Kayla catch the attention of the girls’ parents played by Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz. Hilarity ensues as Mann, Cena and Barinholtz attempt to decode richly innuendo-laden emoji messages before coming to the realisation that their not-so-little little girls are planning on losing Leslie Mann is the veteran comedian in the group and she shines. But her skill as ringleader is only as their virginity #SEXPACT2018. successful is it is because of the men standing beside her. John Cena is hysterical and Ike Barinholtz’s one The solution? Stop them at all costs. liners are gold. Blockers is a film that will now be forever grouped with classics like American Pie. It’s a teen sex movie for this generation, one that seeks to empower women and correct the age-old stereotypes that pigeonhole girls into believing their virginity is a
Bottom line, despite all the slapstick antics, Fast and the Furious inspired car chases and truly raunchy comedy this is a movie about women coming into their own and taking control of their lives. Finally!
VIDEO REVIEW
It is rare that you will find a positive review
of this movie. And like I did last year with the Emoji Movie, I feel the need to remind you that this movie is for kids, specifically families really this one is aiming for. So the Disneyfication of critics needs to be pushed aside to answer the only questions that really matter here. 1) Is the film suitable for kids and families? – Yes! 2) Will it provide a few winks and nods to the adults who are forced to supervise – Yes and YES! I find it may be unnecessary to dive into and critique kids/family movies, other than to say this is based on a classic property that has been hugely updated for modern audiences, please note this is not a bad thing. James Cordon voices Peter as provides the necessary energy and charisma required to pull this off successfully. The character is perfectly suited and the numerous nods and winks to the audience pays off tremendously.
The other animated animals are made up of big name celebrities like Sia, Daisey Ridley, Margot Robbie, Rose Byrne and Colin Moody. The human cast is made up of Sam Neil (Old Man McGregor) and the delightful Rose Byre (Bea) who plays her best role in years. My only complaint with this movie was the music, while I understand the characters had to be updated, the music just didn’t suit it and it came off as a little off putting. The animation on the other hand is nothing short of spectacular, the film was actually made by animation studios in Australia and also filmed here so I think we can claim it. Seeing the locations you will recognise Centennial Park in Sydney and a few others and is a true joy to watch. While the old world charm of the classic characters may be gone, Peter Rabbit successfully reinvents the characters for an all new generation to fall in love with Peter and the others from this timeless series. Leave your cynicism at the door, bring your kids and have a fun time.
Something for the kids. Words by Alaisdair Leith
RENT OR BUY THE NEWEST HITS MOVIES: Coco (4th April) Call Me By Your Name (11th April) Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (11th April) OSCAR WINNERS The Nut Job: Nutty By Nature (18th April) All the Money In The World (18th April) Darkest Hour (18th April) OSCAR WINNER Pitch Perfect 3 (18th April) The Florida Project (18th April) The Jungle Bunch (18th April) The Post (25th April) Maze Runner: The Death Cure (25th April) Swinging Safari (25th April) AUSSIE FILM ft Just To Be Sure (25th April)
KYLIE MINOGUE, GUY PEARCE & MORE
TV: The Librarians (Season 4 – From April 18th) The Walking Dead (Season 8b – From April 17th) Suits (Season 7 – From April 5th) Genius – Pablo Picasso (Season 2 – From April 25th)
Come with me on a journey back to a time where a couple named Grace and Leo had a baby girl and a gay couple Will and Vince had a baby boy. Will and Grace used to be friends but had a falling out until one day they bumped into each at the same College their children attend. And so their friendships rekindled. Except that none of that happened. It was all a dream dreamt up by Karen Walker, Will and Grace’s friend. This is how Will and Grace made their return for season 9, some 11 years later. While it’s possibly the weirdest return, it’s also a kick in the teeth to completely write off the final season audiences thought would be the end.
they end up living together again at Will’s apartment which has had only a slight update over the 11 years. Grace’s business is doing well landing a job to redecorate the Oval Office and decorating a string of boutique hotels. Grace decides to let Will come work with her to help run the business but he gets in the way after he leases the office space next to her without running it by. And while Grace starts selling her bed linens on QVC (television shopping channel) Will oversteps once again but this time they hash it out on live TV. While Karen tries her hardest to get Grace her sexuality back, Grace also realises she has slept with three generations of one family, the Grandfather, the Father and his Son. And Grace ends up agreeing to let her father live with her while they sell her childhood home now her mother has passed.
But as soon as you get over that, it’s right back to the old antics of two best friends, Will and Grace and their friends Karen and Jack. Whilst Will is on a night out with Jack, they realise they are much older than they once were and dating For those of you who are old fans and those of you younger guys is more work than they had hoped. As if who are just welcoming the gang into your life here that wasn’t enough Will’s road to finding love is even is a quick guide to bring you up to date for season 9. more bumpy than before. Despite being close already, And more excitingly, get you ready because the series Will ends up having relations with the same celebrity has been renewed for a further 2 seasons. chef as Grace though this is very short lived. Without even realising Will was encouraging long-time friend While both Will and Grace went through divorces, Larry that he might be interested. But it wasn’t until
Larry was naked in a bed for Will that they realised this was all wrong. And to make matters worse in the love game, Will is invited to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding giving closure to the both of them. Will makes Senior Partner at the firm he is working but his reaction made him question what it is he wants from his working life and ends up partnering with Grace and her business. Karen is up to her usual tricks helping Grace realise her own flaws. She is still at war with her nemesis Beverly though he confided his big secret to her. Her one true friend and Maid Rosario passed away from a heart attack and Karen didn’t handle the news too well. Stalker and crazy person Val makes a return and Karen has to help Jack get rid of her. Continuing her ways of treating her staff, Karen takes the monitoring of her house staff to a new level and watches them through the security cameras as a kitchen romance unravels and suck her and Will in. And it’s rare that Karen does much work for Grace, but when an order that she was looking after for Grace isn’t completed on time Karen takes matters into her own hands and puts the children from Jack’s acting class to work. Jack hasn’t changed in the 11 years. Still broke, still out of love and still as hilarious as ever. Jack is reunited with his Son who is now a Father. Realising his Grandson is gay he steps in to bail him out from a reform camp. Jack finally falls in love with a recently outed Policeman who is married. And as things are going well for Jack, he finally scores a role acting alongside none other than Jennifer Lopez. Continuing with his acting, Jack take on teaching a group of underprivileged children. While it’s hard to forget the most part of what was thought to be their last season 11 years ago it’s like Will and Grace, Jack and Karen never left. The humour is the same but with modern takes as is the style of the show. It seems to have a strong political agenda, but it doesn’t hold strong through every episode. With 2 more seasons in the pipeline old fans and new will be able to share the laughs for just a little bit longer. Watch Seasons 1-8 and catch up every week with new episodes exclusive to Stan.
Words by Jay Cook
CO FFEE ? G A M E S? WORDS BY B R I TTANY H OWA R T H
Three entrepreneurs from Albany Creek in Brisbane’s north have put their heads together to create the contemporary gaming space and café called Conexio. With the smiles beami ng behind the espresso machine it’s hard not to delight sense of community of this place.
“I t’s incred i b l e the ki nd o f at m o s ph e r e an d c ommunit y tha t they ’ v e b u i l t h e r e,” o n e o f C o n e x i o’s re gula r custo m er s sa i d . “A n d I’v e f o u n d i t r e al l y e n joya ble to m eet new pe o pl e an d t r y n e w gam e s .” With an open space cleverly designed for regular café goers and gamers of all kinds, Conexio serves coffee and beer produced in their local area and sells some of the most popular table top games like Cards Against Humanity.
@conexiogamescafe
And the team at Conexio really strive to make their space one that is inviting to everyone, not just the gamers. I got to learn more about this while sitting down with one of the owners, Michael, and two Marvel decorated hot chocolates. “We wanted it to be something
fb.me/conexiogamescafe that would not only appeal to
people who were into their board games, but we (also)
wanted it to appeal to your average person as well,” he said. “We wanted to achieve a space that would appeal to a broad range, so that everyone can come in here and play games and have fun.” A quick glance around the store proves the time and effort Michael and his fellow entrepreneurs, Wes and April, have put into the café. The space is split by a large gaming shelf, playing home to all the games on offer for their customers. Even family friendly games like Bananagram and Labyrinth are there for those looking something easy to play while they sip their cuppas.
At the immediate entrance is the café designated area, allowing café-goers the choice to meld with the gamers on the other side. And with a gaming space as inviting as Conexio’s, it’s no wonder I found most of the customers wandering over there. Each high table in the second area has space for food and games, ready to host any type of gamer. And at the end of it all there stands a gaming merchandise wall, stocked with all your needs for DnD and Cards Against Humanity. But the love for pop culture and all things nerdy doesn’t stop at gaming. Sitting in pride
of place on the merchandise wall is a replica of Loki’s staff from the first Avengers and Star-Lord’s dual blasters. In a cabinet closer to the front is a collection of Star Wars models, and each coffee needing a coco dusting is presented with one of many nerdy stencils. From Agents of Shield to Wonder Woman, if you have a fandom, these guys can dust your coffee just right! At Conexio, there’s a certain passion for gaming, for coffee, and for community that shines through the hard work that they do. And just like their name origin, their café acts as the perfect pretext to bring people together.
“Conexio… basically means a meeting point or a coming together of things,” Michael explained. “For us it represents a coming together of people. In really simple terms, we want to be a space where friends and family come together to share quality face to face time. And we want that to happen through simple fun things. Having a meal, playing a board game for us is the best way to do that.” You can find the Conexio Games Café at 57 Old Northern Road, Albany Creek, ready to serve you a fresh cup of coffee.
Words by Jay Cook
Alien monsters roaming the earth and people adapting to avoid them isn’t a new idea. For the most part the idea is one people have grown up with and so did their parents and their parents. But with no proof and no idea what they look like or what they are capable of, only the imagination is the limit of how they can be interpreted. As such you have the latest story of Alien monster invasion from the imagination of John Krasinski in the best horror film to come out in the last decade, A Quiet Place. Like any sort of invasion film of zombies or aliens or monsters in this case, the Abbott family has taken to the countryside for refuge from the creatures that are hunting them. Tiptoeing around a deserted grocery store in a deserted town, the family stock up on some essentials. But as they are about to leave the look of shock and horror on each of the family members faces as the youngest, Beau walks up to them with a battery-operated rocket. This is where you realise whatever it is they are hiding from uses sound to hunt them. Quietly the family walks back to their house along a path made of sand to absorb the sound of their footsteps. Beau starts to play with the toy rocket he was supposed to leave behind. The family each cover their mouths in fear, shock and absolute horror as his father, Lee runs to save him. The mother, teacher, nurse and wife of Lee, Evelyn becomes pregnant and they start to take steps to ensure a crying baby won’t be heard by the creatures. However, as the middle child Marcus and Lee head out to catch some fish Evelyn’s water breaks and the creatures start to surround the house. It’s here that things start to unravel as they try and hide noise by creating louder noise. But in the chaos, they discover a way to control the creatures.
What makes this story so unique and different from all other alien mutation invasion films, is it’s quiet. There’s so little dialogue that you’re left to actually enjoy the film without having to digest the conversations and meaning. There’s sign language to communicate between them, but the other side of this is the performances. The body language and facial expressions are to absolute perfection, so much so you almost forget that there’s no dialogue. The Father and Husband, Lee is played by Writer and Director John Krasinski (The Office, Leatherheads, Promised Land). Acting next to your wife in real life (Emily Blunt) probably makes it a lot easier to pretend you love her. But in this case he oozes this powerful fatherly husband protector vibe who would do anything for his family. And while he’s trying to be this protector and provider you can feel his absolute horror and fear deep down. Lee’s wife, Evelyn played by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, The Girl On The Train, The Five Year Engagement) offers a performance like no other. Blunt has the role that has to offer the biggest range as she is in most of the scenes. Again, with little dialogue Blunt pulls you in with her every emotion read off of her face. Giving birth, telling her son she loves him and dancing with her husband, there isn’t a scene you aren’t completely living in the moment with her. But the one person to completely hold this film together is the absolutely amazing performance from Marcus played by Noah Jupe (The Night Manager, Suburbicon, Wonder). Jupe steals every scene he is in even when alongside Blunt and Krasinski. There is a scene where he is talking with his father as they are fishing and brings this wise beyond his years
innocence about him that truly pulls you in. And when he is holding the newborn baby hiding from the creatures his face offers so much emotion and fear and calculation of the situation you forget he is just acting. It’s these performances that make this entire film work. Because without performances that can command your attention without dialogue you have a very weak film. Fill that void with the score and you’ll be either wiping tears from your cheeks or sitting on the edge of your seat. The score comes from Marco Beltrami who also scored the movie Logan. Beltrami has a unique way of letting the music tell the story as well as the story itself. He managed to build an entire other level to make this dystopian alternative future realistic. There were times where it was so in tune with the performances and cinematography that you didn’t even hear it. Krasinski not only performed in the film, he also wrote and directed the film. It was clear he had a
very distinct mood and image he wanted for this film which he absolutely nailed with all the detail and so much attention. To create something that isn’t that foreign an idea and give it his own take by taking dialogue out of it and building these beautiful relationships between each of the characters is truly spectacular. It also makes it harder to watch because you are so involved. For someone who only has a handful of writing and directing credits under his belt, he is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Overall this film is without a doubt one of the greatest horror films to come out in the last 10 years, if not longer. It is captivating, interesting and pulls you in from the very opening scene. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clench the armrest of the chair and you’ll most definitely be frightened. This is how a scary movie is made.
GAME REVIEW: SE A O F T HIEV ES WOR DS BY A LA ISDAIR L EITH
After the so a r ing s uc c e s s o f p i r a t e s i n A ssassins Cr ee d I V : B l a ck F l a g , the g a ming g o d s h a v e de ci de d to inf l ic t a n o nsla ug h t o f p i r a t e games coming o ur w a y i n t h e n e x t few y ears , ho p ing t o r e p l i ca t e t h e su ccess a nd o p e n s ea a dv e n t u r e s .
The first of these is Xbox exclusive Sea Of Thieves from Rare Studios. The game sets you out on the ocean with a ship and some quests and says “good luck� and while some are not enjoying the discover how to play this game yourself style, I found it to be incredibly refreshing in the current gaming landscape. You spawn on an island filled with cartoonish characters who give you quests, items, supernatural items and of course rum! Players walk onto your ship in either a small sloop for single player or two player alternatively the mighty galleon awaits for multiplayer
This is the game that took me by surprise this year, it gave me several reasons to love it and many more to keep coming back. This is the game I have played the most online in 2018 and is definitely the most I have had fun. Sea Of Thieves is a technological masterpiece with beautiful graphics, uncharted territory perfect for navigating with your local and online friends as you become the best pirate and get some amazing gear.
crews. Once on board you set the quest on the table and other players vote yes or no to accepting it. Once accepted you move to the map table to find the destination and the best direction to get there. Mastering the art of the sails and wind direction combined with the compass and steering is key to getting to your destination quickly while avoiding treacherous rocks and other players who want to sink your ship and plunder your booty. While on board cannon balls need to be loaded, fired and re-loaded against enemy ships and creatures, holes that appear in the hull need
to be boarded up and water bucketed out, there really is a rhythm to keeping the ship maintained and really does require all your team to have headsets to balance this out perfectly. Missions vary from collecting gold, killing hoards of skeletons and bosses to digging up buried treasure chests in return for gold and supernatural skull magic loot. There are a wealth of islands and missions to complete, the more gold you collect, the more loot you receive and can upgrade your gear, weapons and look. All of this stays with you regardless of how many times you die or respawn. If
you have any chests on your ship that you have not traded, these regrettably will be lost to the sea or plundered by other pirates who may have sunk your ship. I went into this game expecting a large open world map adventure similar to Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, gamers who are expecting this should definitely curb their expectations. While there are plenty of quests and places to explore, it doesn’t have the same walk through as these open world games do which initially disappointed me, but as I began to
Visually this game is phenomenal, the water effects are eye droppingly beautiful and the wave effects really give the impression that you are on the ocean sailing. Similarly the detail of the ship itself is incredible. Islands are scarcely decorated and the cartoonish skeletons are not too intimidating. This enhances the sense of fun and whimsy the game is becoming famous for.
explore and figure things out I was able to appreciate and love this game for what it is. The game is quite quiet when it comes to music, the sound effects are great and you can really feel the crunch as you miscalculate your anchor and crush the side of your ship against a reef you missed. Each character is given musical instruments and playing different shanty’s with different (and upgradeable!) instruments on your voyage also adds to the multiplayer fun and appeal of this game. This is the game that took me by surprise this year, it gave me several reasons to love it and many more to keep coming back. This is the game I have played the most online in 2018 and is definitely the most I have had fun. As more content gets released for this game in the coming years I am excited to see its content and community grow and change as time goes on. If you can’t justify the full retail price, it is included with an Xbox Game Pass which is a monthly subscription giving you hundreds of games to try out. Sea Of Thieves is a technological masterpiece with beautiful graphics, uncharted territory perfect for navigating with your local and online friends as you become the best pirate and get some amazing gear. While it may not be worth the full retail price at this early stage of the game, you can get it with the xbox pass which makes it more worthwhile and as the game grows and evolves so will its audience and fanbase. Sea Of Thieves is available exclusively on Xbox One consoles and Windows 10 right now. Novastream were provided a review copy of Sea Of Thieves from Xbox and was reviewed on an Xbox One X.
5 TOP
Open World Games on current consoles WOR DS BY M AT T RUSSEL L
I lo v e the Fa r Cr y g a m e s a n d w h a t h a s a l w a y s m ade th em stan d o ut f o r me a r e t h e e n o r m o u s a n d de t ai l ed o p en w o r ld s U b is o f t m a n a g e s t o cr a f t e v e r y t i me. In celeb ra t io n o f Fa r C r y 5 ’s r e l e a s e, h e r e’s a l i s t of t he b es t 5 Op en Wo r l d g a m e s a v a i l a bl e o n cu r r e nt g ener at i o n co n s o l e s .
1. THE WITCHER 3 A full three years after its release and nothing even comes close to The Witcher 3 as far as world building goes.
2. GRAND THEFT AUTO V GTA V is the oldest game on this list having been released towards the end of the previous console generation
3. ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD Breath of the Wild is a little different from the other games on this list in that its huge world seems oddly empty at first glance.
4. ASSASSIN’S CREED: ORIGINS
5. HORIZON ZERO DAWN
Ubisoft’s other big open world series has never been scared to go big and Assassin’s Creed Origins goes huge.
Set in a future world with by violent machines and humans reduced to tribal cultures, Horizon Zero Dawn delivers a gorgeous environment.
GAME R EV I EW:
CROSSING SOULS (PS4) Playing somewhat like a 16-bit era action adventure game, Crossing Souls revels in its period setting and gets its hooks in from its earliest moments. It’s easy to fall in love with its ambition and design.
WO R DS BY MATT R U SSEL L
S Each character fills a typical 80’s teen movie stereo-
type and each has their own unique abilities and weapons that come in handy for different situations. The game looks beautiful and though it plays very differently, its art style is reminiscent of old style PC adventure games like Monkey Island in the way it extracts a surprising amount of detail from a limited number of colours and pixels.
The basic premise of Crossing Souls is very familiar: It’s the 1980’s and a group of five kids in a small US town find themselves involved with the supernatural and pursued by a shady organisation. Yes, it does sound a lot like Netflix’s Stranger Things, but if you’re like me and just can’t get enough of 80’s nostalgia and pop culture references, then it’s definitely not a bad thing Developed by Spanish indie studio Fourattic and published by Devolver Digital, Crossing Souls is set in a small Californian town in 1986. You play as a group of teenagers who find a dead body in the woods as well as an artefact with supernatural powers allowing the user to communicate with the dead. The artefact is being hunted by a mysterious organisation who want to use it for evil purposes and will go to any lengths to retrieve it. As you work your way through the game you explore a beautifully drawn world, fighting enemies with fairly simple action based combat and solving environmental puzzles by switching through the five main characters. Chris, the cool kid and main character, has the ability
Presentation is where Crossing Souls excels. Its world is lovingly rendered in a pixel art style full of wonderful details and Easter eggs.
to climb and fights with a baseball bat whereas the science nerd, Matt, fights with a homemade laser gun and can hover on rocket propelled shoes. You can spend every moment of the game playing spot the reference with little details from films like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and Poltergeist scattered throughout the environment. The town of Tajunga, where most of the game takes place, is particularly impressive and richly drawn. The soundtrack is also really nicely done, with nods to blockbuster film scores from years gone by. As you proceed through the story, you will occasionally get a fully animated cut scene done in a retro style, complete with VHS tracking lines intruding across the screen. It’s a nice touch but these sequences are a little rough, even by the standards of 80’s animation, and sit at odds with the overall polished presentation of everything else. Oddly, Crossing Souls’ biggest issue is its writing. It’s a very story heavy game
and while in many ways its plot could easily have been lifted from one of its beloved eighties films or cartoons, the game struggles with dialogue. It could simply be a translation issue but whilst most of it is serviceable, it’s often stilted and sometimes bordering on nonsensical with some very strange turns of phrase. It’s a game full of humour and unfortunately a lot of the jokes fall flat due to the odd delivery. Then again, the game’s almost constant use of Dad jokes would be perfectly at home in an TV sit-com from the time so maybe this is all intentional. And on the few occasions where the jokes hit, especially during some fantastic visual gags, Crossing Souls has the ability to be genuinely laugh out loud funny. Things get better as the game progresses but the story is such a heavy component of the way the game plays out that it could be a lot stronger. The controls also aren’t quite as tight as they should be in the action component of the game. You’re given a lot of tools for combat through each of the different characters
but you never really have a reason to use one over the other outside of the very enjoyable boss fights. The puzzles generally work a lot better and the gameplay is mixed up occasionally with bonus levels inspired by retro arcade games which is always entertaining. Crossing Souls wears its influences on its sleeve. How much you’ll get out of the game depends on how much you enjoy those influences. If you’re a fan of this particular brand of nostalgia, it’s a game you’ll love. It’s full of surprises and you’ll keep playing just to see what’s coming up around the next corner. If you have no particular interest in 80’s pop-culture then it’s a fairly simple action adventure game that probably won’t be able to hold your interest throughout its playing time. It’s a very ambitious game and Fourattic have done a great job, especially from a presentation point of view. If you’re all caught up on Stranger Things or just have an obsession with The Goonies, Crossing Souls is a game practically made just for you.
TALKING ABOUT YOUR GENERATION
Dedic at ed v id eo g ame hard w are has exis t ed fo r n e a rl y a s long as c o mp ut er s t hems el v es . t he aim of t his art i c l e wi l l be to s ele c t o ne g ame f ro m eac h c o ns o l e g ener at io n t h at be st exemp l if ies t he p rev ail ing d es ig n t rend o r t ec hnic a l fe at u re that c h ang ed t he med ium and mad e t hat p er io d u n i qu e a n d memorab l e.
THE HISTORY OF CONSOLE GAMING IS OF TE N DIV IDE D UP INTO PE R IODS OF TIME CALLE D G E NE R AT IONS WOR DS BY DYL A N COOK
Dedicated video game hardware has existed for nearly as long as computers themselves. Over the course of almost 40 years they have been an integral part of our living spaces, providing hours of entertainment, both with friends on the couch next to us or online across the world. Despite being primarily a PC gamer these days, I still regularly have friends over to partake in a night of drunken Mario Party, because there are some experiences that you just can’t surpass using any other medium. The nature of console exclusivity means that each generation of console gaming has given rise to some excellent software which has ad nauseum been compiled into ‘best games of all time lists’. In order to attempt to negate the immense subjectivity that is often inherent in lists like this, I’ve decided to do things a little differently. Rather than to simply state the game which I believe represents the highest level of quality across game play and narrative, the aim of this article will be to select one game from each console generation that best exemplifies the prevailing design
trend or technical feature that changed the medium and made that period unique and memorable. The history of console gaming is often divided up into periods of time called generations, when the major console production companies have similarly specked machines competing for market share and sharing some third person software. Through the history of gaming these definitions have become muddied, as some manufacturers have jumped ahead with revisions and ‘half-gen’ consoles in attempt to get an edge. Because I don’t have any personal experience with the consoles of what are called the 1st and 2nd generations, I’ve decided to limit the scope of the list to consoles released from the NES onwards. I think it’s fair to say this is when the gaming industry as we understand it today was really born, with multiple third person development companies like Konami springing up and several console manufacturing companies such as Nintendo, Atari and Sega competing against one another.
I still regularly have friends over to partake in a night of drunken Mario Party, because there are some experiences that you just can’t surpass using any other medium.
Generation: 3rd
Generation: 4th
Generation: 5th
Consoles: NES, Master System, Atari 5200
Consoles: SNES/Genesis
Consoles: PS1/N64/Saturn
Our Pick: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Our Pick: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Our Pick: Super Mario Bros. 3 For a generation that was defined by overcoming hardware limitations to deliver iconic gaming experiences, nothing matches Super Mario Bros. 3.
Sega’s blue hedgehog distanced itself from the slower and more precise platforming of the Super Mario Bros. series with a frenetically paced romp.
A loving homage and amalgamation of classic fairy tale tropes, the game combined memorable characters and tight storytelling
Generation: 6th
Generation: 7th
Generation: 8th
Consoles: Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube/ Xbox
Consoles: PS3/360/Wii
Consoles: PS4/XBOX1/WiiU
Our Pick: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Our Pick: We don’t know yet
Modern Warfare presented a multiplayer component with endless replay ability, an addictive progression and unlock system.
Looking back it’s easy to see how far the medium of gaming has progressed in a relatively short time and even easier to be excited for what lies ahead.
Our Pick: Grand Theft Auto III The freedom to simply ignore the main objective and cause as much chaos as possible was the breakout moment for the sandbox genre
VIDEO REVIEW
Melbourne
Gold Coast
April 20-22, 2018 Melbourne Showgrounds
April 20-22, 2018 Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre