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Non-Stop - Review

February 26, 2014, 2:25 am
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Non-Stop is the perfect example of a film which takes off strongly, soars for forty minutes or so, hits some turbulence and eventually performs a crash landing into the evergreen pastures of cliche, to the point that it could renamed Please-Stop. Despite marketing to the contrary this is not an unofficial Taken 3. The premise of the film feels like something that Hitchcock would have been interested in, given the moral implications of certain decisions and a setting which has inherent suspense. Unfortunately the writers of this film do not posses the third act skills to rescue it.

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a grizzled burnt-out-former-cop who has taken a job as an Air Marshall. Although he hates flying, he’s a functioning alcoholic and chronically in debt. Bill’s day starts with pre-flight cocktails in his car, gulping down equal parts whiskey and regret before lurching his way through the terminal to take his fateful flight. Once on board little does he know that this isn’t going to be a normal day at the office … you know the drill it’s die hard on a plane.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, Orphan and House of Wax) sets up Bill’s world superbly in the opening minutes of the film, so much so that i actually got pretty excited for what was to come. There is little to no dialogue as Bill makes his way through the airport, interpreting the body language of his fellow passengers. This process is assisted by snappy editing highlighting that Bill has only a few seconds with most of the people he’s monitoring. It was a clever way to show the world from Bill’s perspective. Really a case of show don’t tell, which I always admire. There’s a thin veil of threat draped over opening sequences which instantly drew me into the story. Now despite my overall feelings towards this film i’d happily explore more of Collet-Serra’s filmography.

Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore are the biggest names on the call sheet although the supporting cast is littered with serviceable actors including Scoot McNairy (Killing Them Softly), Michelle Dockery (Hanna) and Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave). As he did in 2011s The Grey, Neeson brings a sense of inner turmoil and hardship to the screen, which is offset well by Julianne Moore’s, the two had great chemistry on screen but were hamstrung by a fairly terrible script.

John W. Richardson shares the writing credits with four other writers, however the story is attributed to him so sadly he will have to wear responsibilities for the shortcomings. As i mentioned earlier I admire what the story was attempting to do, but it’s issues are plainly obviously. The story paints itself into to a corner that isn’t resolved in either an interesting or original way. It’s fair to say that things aren’t all that they seem to be, but when the inevitably twists and turns are played out it basically tears down all the good work done by the beginning of the film.

Whilst by no means a bad film, Non-Stop just isn’t particularly thrilling. If you’re looking for one of those stock-standard-friday night films then this’ll do the job, maybe after a long week you’ll overlook the rough edges, switch off your brain and appreciate it for the cinematic junk food that it is. For everyone else I suggest going out and catching one of the far superior films that are around at the moment.

Non-Stop is currently in cinemas, if you see the film and agree or disagree with my review feel free to drop a line below.

- Stu


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Sword Art Online Vol 1 and 2 Blu Ray Review

February 27, 2014, 3:50 pm
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Sword Art Online, SAO for short, is something of a phenomenon. Following its inception in 2009 as a light novel series, it has spawned manga releases, a swathe of merchandise, an anime series and even an art exhibition which is being brought to Australia by Madman. But does this necessarily mean that the anime series will be good? Thankfully in this case, yes it does.

Set in the near future, Sword Art Online is a MMORPG with a twist. Instead of being played with a keyboard and mouse it uses a virtual reality helmet which effectively connects the player with the game directly. In a cruel twist of human induced fate, players find themselves stuck in the game with the threat that if they die in the game world, so too will there mind in the real world unless the final level is cleared. All the while, their bodies remain in the real world, unable to be removed from the system.

The first thing that strikes you about SAO is the sheer beauty of it. The animation quality of A-1 Pictures is something to behold yet they seem to have stepped it up yet another notch in SAO. They've built a world which has all of the trademarks of a great game environment; luscious scenery, individualised player characters and an assortment of bad guys. However, just when you find yourself thinking that this is a fantasy series, a flash of CGI brings you back to the realisation that this is in fact set inside the game. That's not to say that the CGI is bad or heavy handed, but instead is used when characters are killed, for in-game menus or character identifiers. The character designs are fantastic and as touched on before, individual. Just as in a real MMORPG, each person has their own sense of visual style and playing style so it was great to see this reflected in the series. Both of the main characters, Kirito and Asuna, are well designed and evolve visually as their time in the game, and character levels, increase. With characters this good looking, it's no wonder merchandise is flying off the shelves.

In terms of story, this is really the story of Kirito and Asuna, their evolution as players, people and companions. Each of the episodes, even those that come off as being filler episodes, have an underlying element of character progression in them and this is where SAO really shines. The character progression and sheer likability of Kirito and Asuna makes their story all the more tragic. At every turn they're faced by danger and loss. Add to that the heart crushing element of love and you've got more emotion in a single episode than many series deliver in a whole run. Sure, we've not talking Grave of the Fireflies, gonna need therapy, emotion, but it still pulls at the heart strings at all the right moments. It's difficult to know what the following episodes will bring but one glaring plot hole is the fact that if players are unplugged from the system, their brain will be fried. Surely if you were to find a loved one unresponsive with a VR headset on, you'd remove it straight away. That said, this may be clarified later in the series and is quite frankly inconsequential anyway.

While the series may come across as being an updated version of .hack//SIGN, it's so much more than that. Sure, it's about player characters being trapped in an online space but SAO delves so much more into the psychology of the issue by displaying the different ways that people may react when faced by such an incident. Some become reluctant leaders, others go out solo while others see it as a chance to act out their more sinister fantasies. The whole physiological element is assisted by the volume of players involved. Because there are thousands of players trapped in the system, a broad range of human emotion and psychological response is on show.

The end of episode 14 in volume 2, all sorts of WTF moments occur which does nothing more than build upon what is proving to be a brilliant anime series. Sword Art Online does so many things right, it's easy to see why it has become such a popular franchise. Gorgeous visuals, great sound, a broad and well fleshed out character base and a touching story make for one of the best recent releases in Madman's arsenal.

- Ryan

Sword Art Online Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available on Blu Ray and DVD now.



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D4VE Issues 1-3 Review

February 27, 2014, 9:25 pm
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You know how it goes. Man invents robots. Robots help man accomplish menial tasks. Man makes robots more intelligent to do slightly less menial tasks. Robots become too intelligent. Intelligent robots go out and massacre the humans they were built to serve. Welcome to the post-human world of D4VE, by writer Ryan Ferrier and artist Valentin Ramon.

Ferrier and Ramon serve us up a future in which robots have not only eradicated all the squishy humans, they have also wiped out every other living species in the galaxy. If you think this all sounds a bit bleak and melancholy you would be very wrong indeed. D4VE is a hilarious and lighthearted romp that handles the genocide of humanity with about the same level of reverence South Park gave Scientology, and contains about as much foul language and fart jokes to boot. To say I'm a fan would be an understatement.

D4VE opens with our hero, who goes by the name of D4VE surprisingly
enough, working a boring desk job. Although once an alien butt-kicking Defence-Bot, D4VE now spends his days with his family when he's not slaving away at the office. And oh how he loathes it. His son's a jerk, his wife doesn't understand him and his boss is everything you've ever hated about your human boss in cold, heartless, robotic form. D4VE's days of nine to five soon end however, when a previously unencountered alien race arrives on earth and he decides to take up his old vocation.

It all oozes of a classic 'take your life back' style story only with more references to punching god square in the privates. And that is precisely what makes D4VE such a memorable read. No, not the punching of divine gonads, but rather it's approach. D4VE is a bizarrely human comeback story, only told with robots.

As I touched on earlier D4VE is extremely tongue-in-cheek, and to be honest the story would be hard to swallow if it wasn't. Ferrier's offbeat humour and dialogue kept me chuckling, especially all the robot colloquialisms (such as 'just force quit it' and ' I swear to Jobs!') as well as D4VE's foul mouth. The whole series reeks of a sense of fun and it's obvious Ferrier had a ball writing it. It all flows so naturally and never at any point does the story or dialogue feel forced.


Complimenting Ferrier's playful script is the equally playful art of Valentin Ramon. Ramon's art is offbeat enough to stand out while still bringing a sense of familiarity to the page. His style reminded me in particular of Manhattan Project's artist Nick Pitarra although at times his subtle gestures and delicate attention to detail let off a strong Frank Quietly vibe.

The gestures in particular impressed me. Everything from D4VE shrugging to 5cotty (D4VE's son) smoking a bong look natural (well as natural as a robot smoking a bong can look anyway). Combine this with Ramon's strong sense of design and careful but generous use of bright colours and you've got yourself comic art that really pops.

D4VE is rude, crude, purposefully immature, at times insightful, and always hilarious. Believe me when I say D4VE is the best comic your probably not reading. So you know the drill! Vacate your place of residence and pick up copy immediately. It'll be well worth your hard earned credits.

The first three issues of D4ve can be purchased digitally through Comixology.

- Christof




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Elderly assassins, legal felines and masturbating robots with Ryan Ferrier

March 5, 2014, 1:03 pm
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This weekend I had the pleasure of talking to comic book creator Ryan Ferrier. We discussed his latest series D4VE, as well as touching on some of his works such as Tiger Lawyer, and discussing our love of TV’s The Golden Girls.

Billy Tournas: Ryan, thanks for taking the time out to chat. D4VE is a story, at its core, about a former hero now dealing with a crippling mid-life crisis. The Earth is inhabited only by humanoid-esque robots. Into its 3rd issue now, I'm curious as to where the idea for D4VE come from? 

Ryan Ferrier: It kinda came from me wanting to do a big action book, a sci-fi kind of story. At the time I was reminiscing about my previous job which was very much like D4VE’s job. A horrible 9 to 5...

Stuck in a Cubicle?

Yeah. The two kinda come together and worked its way into D4VE. The story to me is equal parts catharsis and fantasy for me, if that makes sense?

Yep. Like day dreaming at your job.

Yeah for sure! And you know wanting to do something different, but feeling kinda trapped.

I know that feeling, being stuck in a cubicle at work.

I think everyone does. It’s pretty relatable.

What made a human-less world filled with oddly human robots so intriguing?

I like the idea of all these robots, and they’re all really normal. I try to make them really relatable, like human characters. I thought it was really interesting because they wiped out the human race, and also everything in the galaxy. So it think having the robots become the only life in the universe.

It’s like “What do they do next?”

Yeah it kinda is. It’s weird because we shouldn’t have any sympathy for the characters, because they’re horrible. They created mass genocide, but it was almost that kinda start of their own downfall. I think also after seeing Valentin’s design sense, that very much informed the rest of the story. His stuff is just amazing.

Yeah it is. This is a collaborative book from the two of you. Not just as handing a script over to draw sort of thing.

Definitely. I mean, when we came together I hadn’t written much. It came together like a typical pitch type collaboration. There’s a huge part of the story that we’re both proud of is the tone of the book and the world building aspect. If someone else had done the art on the book it would be incredibly different, not just visual but tone as well.

Did the initial concept or much else with D4VE change after you Valentin both started on it?

We embraced the comedy aspect of the book, and I think that the Scotty character in particular, became something really special because of Valentin and seeing how he treated that. Which in turn would change how I treated the script. I think in terms of overall story that’s something that’s been solid since the beginning.

Now you've published several of your other works through Challenger Comics. What made you take the book to MonkeyBrain?

To be honest I’m pretty new to the whole comics thing, and I don’t have a huge name so D4VE is my first not self published work. We pitched D4VE around before it eventually went to MonkeyBrain. It got close at a few places, but I was really happy when MonkeyBrain said yes. I really dig what they’re doing.

You’re one of many that have embraced Digital Comics, so it seems to be a match with MonkeyBrain.

It’s a really great match. Working with MonkeyBrain has been awesome. They’re super encouraging, and they just love putting out books that they believe in. I really like the pace of working with them. It’s all been really fast ever since they announced it, till even now. It’s a constant thing we can work on, and there’s not a huge amount of waiting. About 4/5 weeks in between each issue. So it keeps it fresh, exciting and on our minds.

I really like the spotlight MonkeyBrain allows the creators to have for their books.

It’s like a family.

It absolutely is! They take pride in every single thing. They don’t bombard the market every single week. They’re really selective, and I like that too as it lets each book shine. Not to poo poo on the bigger publishers, but they have to put that many books out to stay in their workflow. But I like that MonkeyBrain is just like “Here are the four books a week and they’re all quality”.

Exactly. Now I read Issue #3, and I gotta say it's friggin hilarious. The series is getting funnier & funnier with each issue.

Thanks man, I really appreciate that.

Now D4VE was conceived as a mini-series. Is there a chance to possible come back to the universe for another series? For D4VE or any other characters.

It’s interesting that you asked, because I just finished wrapping up the script for issue 5 yesterday. In my opinion it’s the best one in the whole series. Absolutely insane. I always conceived it to be a five issue series, and as it is it’s a finite story with a definite conclusion. So I don’t know if it’s me missing it, but I do wanna do more, but because of the way we’ve done the story I don’t know if we could? But I also think there is a possibility. I would love to at some point. Maybe, but not right now.

How did you meet Valentin?

We met through an online comics forum, and you know as soon as you meet someone you see just how everyone in comics knows everyone else and just how small the world is. So it was really easy for us to sync up in that sense. He was the first artist that answered the battle cry that I sent out D4VE, and it was a lock from that moment.

Social Media seems to have gotten better. Twitter especially for comic books.

Oh yes. Twitter has been so great for me; it’s been great for so many other people. It’s a necessity I think.

Does publishing through MonkeyBrain change your process much?

It does a little bit. I’m assuming it’s the price point and because other people seem to do it, but the page counts for MonkeyBrain seem to be smaller. I’ve seen some that are 13/14 pages, and I think D4VE #3 is 18 pages, so that has kinda changed the approach in that sense a little bit. I’m aware of it, but I don’t keep that in mind. Like D4VE #4 is 23 pages and that’s comic book pages. So one thing I have avoided is doing double page spreads, but that also comes from me being very good at double page spreads. Other than that it hasn’t changed much and we’ve treated like we would if it wasn’t digital first.

Back to Challenger Comics for a moment. I'm a fan of all your work as they're quite enjoyable to read, and you can tell that you put your all into the book. But the two I want to talk about is Tiger Lawyer & Team Gold Force 4.

Hahahahaha!

Tiger Lawyer started as a joke on Twitter at first?

Yeah, that was a couple of years ago. I made a joke, can’t remember where it came from, but I kinda said something about wanting to do a comic about Tiger that was a Lawyer, and it just blew up from there.

It’s a pretty amazing concept and I like how the physical issues are flip books.

That’s been really fun to sell at cons especially.

The randomness and also seriousness at the same time made me think of Harvey Birdman.

I’ve heard that a bunch, and the funniest thing is, I’ve never seen Harvey Birdman!

Oh man! You need to watch it! Ok, is there going to be a 4th issue of Tiger Lawyer?

There is. We’re working on it right now! Vic (Malhotra) will do the noir side again, and that’s actually going to be huge. That side is going to be about 24 pages. Matt’s (McCray) side, the bright and funny one is going to be about 15 pages. So it’s going to come out to a good 40 page comic.

It’s been awhile since Issue #3. Is that because you want to take your time or is it more doing an issue when the moment is there?

It’s something that’s special for the three of us, and also the three of us are super busy, and I’m happy that Matt and Vic’s careers are really taking off. Vic has been really busy with IDW and other projects. It’s really a passion project. We really wouldn’t want to rush it and crank one just to put one out. We really think that issue #4 is going to be something special.

Would you ever do a Tiger Lawyer collection?

Absolutely! That is definitely on the cards. I think once #4 comes out, we’ll definitely have enough to put into a really cool package. We wouldn’t even collect all the pinups, the one page stories in the Image books, and make a super huge collection of sorts.

I’m sure with every new comic friend you’ve made through twitter there would be lots of people wanting to submit a pin-up for the collection.

Yeah! That would be awesome! That was one of the fun parts of doing those issues, the various takes on the character. I think that’s why the character is cool, you can do so much and it still translates

Team Gold Force 4. Can you please explain the premise, and how did you come up with amazing concept?

Hehehe. Team Gold Force 4 is a biography comic, and it tells the secret back-story of TV’s Golden Girls. What it suggests is that the Golden Girls are actually in witness protection, because they spent their decades in their youth as secret government assassins.

Yeah as soon as I read it, I was like “Oh Ryan I love you even more now.”

Hehe so where it came from is similar to Tiger Lawyer. I’m gonna give you an exclusive confession, in that I genuinely and have for years genuinely really enjoyed the Golden Girls theme song. So it’s on my YouTube play list and I’ll just spin it at wok sometimes.

Haha! It is! I actually have it set to my friend’s ringtone, and also worked it into my 30th speech recently.

Haha. That’s awesome! So I genuinely enjoy the show and think it’s hilarious. It always a good time watching Golden Girls. The comic Team Gold Force 4 came from another series of tweets that were meant as jokes, just like Tiger Lawyer. I was just tweeting a long time ago what if they were assassins, and I re-wrote the lyrics on twitter. I remember one of the tweets was “And the card attached would ‘Thank for being a dead’”, and then the present would explode killing Hitler.

Is there anything in particular you listen to in the background when working?

I tend to find myself when I’m writing I listen to more instrumental stuff, like a lot of film scores. Ennio Morricone is my favourite. That’s when I’m scripting. When I’m doing notes I’ll pick songs that inspire the characters and the story. For example I’m working on a story at the moment which is set in Miami in the 80’s. It’s like a cop book, so my playlist at the moment is all Duran Duran. Whatever the characters I think would be listening to at that moment I’ll make a playlist for.

What is this Miami Comic you mentioned about?

I’m just developing it at the moment, so it might not see the light of day. I haven’t pitched it anywhere as yet. It’s a buddy cop comic, kinda like Lethal Weapon, that’s set in 80’s Miami in an alternate realty where everyone has super powers. So like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but if everyone had super powers.

Would you self publish this or go through someone else?

I would love to continue self publishing, because I just love making comics. I’ve been going really hard with the self publishing for the past year and a bit. It also costs a lot of money and there is a lot of additional hustle when you self publish. So I think I need to take a little bit of self publishing break, but that’s also something I never want to stop.

Would you still curate Challenger Comics?

It’s something that we’ve slowed down a bit, but that’s only because Brian Levell and I are so busy. We’ve been neglecting it a little bit, but it’s something we want to keep doing.

 What does curating involved?

The whole concept of Challenger for me came from self publishing, but doing everything yourself. What we do is not much. I’ll do the website and the fair amount of communication between people, and it’s also mostly going through submissions and putting them on the website and giving them a home. So it doesn’t seem like a lot of work, and it really isn’t, it’s just focusing the right amount of time on it. Sometimes there is some editing, like if there is a submission that looks really cool I might suggest something. But at the same time who am I to suggest something for their book. In regards to printing that is entirely in the hands of the creator.

Now you're also a letterer as well. Do you have a different process in regards to how you approach writing or lettering? Different music/movie or doing the work in a certain place?

With lettering it’s a little less, I don’t have to have quiet in my brain as with writing. Yeah if it’s lettering I’ll just have it on shuffle and fun with it. Because it is fun to letter. When I’m writing I work on my laptop or pen and paper. Lettering is on the big screen.

Does being able to letter your own work change your process at all? Is it like an extra edit?

Yeah it definitely helps. Back when I first started lettering, I was kinda thrown into it and I was lettering my own work. I discovered very quickly the limitations of pacing, dialogue, panels and stuff like that. So it really definitely formed how I was writing, and I certainly think about the lettering aspect even when I’m writing now. One of the benefits of lettering your own work is you can make edits right before the book goes out. For example, a huge amount of the jokes in D4VE are added in lettering. Like most of Scotty’s jokes will come to me after I see Valentin’s work. It’s super helpful to be able to letter it.

Finally any advice for aspiring writers and letterers out there?

My only advice would be to keep at it, hone your craft and learn as much as possible. Also to keep positive and not be too negative, because it’s easy to succumb to self doubt and negativity as it’s very hard to make comics. For lettering, study other people’s lettering as much as you can and look at your leading, because that’s something a lot of people forget about.

Ryan, thank you very much.

My pleasure, man!
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Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1 DVD Review

March 5, 2014, 7:29 pm
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Cynicism be damned; I enjoyed Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1. Sure, it's a TV series designed to sell a card game but I simply do not care. The same can be said for Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! R, the latter of which shares a creator with CV, Akira Ito. Heck, if we succumb to cynicism then we'll be relegated to watching a select few anime series because whether you like it or not, merchandising is a core part of the medium.


It's time - Stand up, my Vanguard!



Shy third year middle school student, Aichi Sendou, doesn’t have much going for him when he spends most of his time contemplating on the past. But his life is due for a change and it all rests on a card called “Blaster Blade”, given to him when he was young. 

“Blaster Blade” is apart of “Cardfight!! Vanguard”, a card game that is sweeping the world by storm for its highly realistic gaming system. Through Toshiki Kai, a highly skilled Vanguard player, Aichi’s boring life will be turned upside down as he’s quickly introduced into this competitive world. 

As Aichi immerses himself deeper into the Vanguard world, the less he finds himself looking into the past and instead setting his sights more on his future to prove his worth.


One thing that sets CV apart from the aforementioned series' is its setting. Instead of taking place in the game world, CV is set in the real world and shows characters playing their hands. The main character in the series, Aichi Sendou, is a young and idealistic chap who has never played CV before but finds himself motivated by a chance encounter with gun-player, Kai. Throughout the first few episodes, the viewer learns the basics of the game along with Aichi and as the series progresses so does the difficulty level of Aichi's matches and corresponding lessons. As much as we're taught how to play the game, the episodes are never boring and are centered around battles which take place both a table in "Card Capital" and in the fictional world portrayed by the cards.

The pedigree of Cardfight!! Vanguard is quite impressive with the involvement of Akira Ito, Satoshi Nakamura of Duel Masters and the president of Bushiroad Takaaki Kidani. This ensures that the mechanics of the game are well thought out and the card quality is great quality. While this generally shouldn't matter for the anime incarnation, the actual cards are used during the game and, to be brutally honest, they often look better than the actual animation itself which is supplied by TMS, the studio behind Bakugan among many others. The animation quality isn't bad, but it's also not particularly good. Managing to be passable TV fare, at very least the characters have original designs which fit the intended audience range. As the series progresses, we start to learn different play styles, attack patterns and defense. With each thrilling victory or defeat, we're shown more and more of the intricacies of the actual game. 

Hanabee have released some damn fine looking DVDs since hitting the market. Following their gorgeous Bakemonogatari art book releases and sticker-laden Little Buster collections we arrive at Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1 which, appropriately, comes with a "Flash Fight" set included. You'll get everything that you need to play a flash fight, a mini-battle using a selection of CV cards. This is enough to whet your appetite and put into play the lessons learned by Aichi, Kai, Kamui and Ninja Master-M.

Cardfight!! Vanguard isn't for everybody but if you're looking for a series which is fun, light-hearted and which has enough character development to keep your interest, you might be pleasantly surprised. Although you don't have to play Vanguard yourself to enjoy the series, I seriously doubt that you'll be able to watch this first collection without at least entertaining the idea of jumping on board. Trust me, I've already ordered a trial set for myself! Also, don't forget to check out the super cheesy/wonderfully catchy opening theme by JAM Project. GET CRAZY WAAAY!

- Ryan

Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1 is available on DVD from Hanabee now!




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Win a Cardfight!! Vanguard Prize Pack

March 6, 2014, 1:00 pm
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Thanks to our pals at Hanabee and Oz Animart we've got a very cool prize pack to give away in celebration of the release of Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1 on DVD.

1 Lucky winner will get their hands on a copy of Cardfight!! Vanguard Part 1 on DVD AND an English edition of the Blaster Blade Trial Deck which means that you'll be all set to play straight away. Learn the basics from Aichi and then embark on your own journey, battling with the Royal Paladins at your side.

All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to win yourself a prize pack thanks to Hanabee and Oz Animart. Don't forget, you can get yourself a bonus entry just by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook!




Entries close 11:59pm on Sunday 16th April 2014. Your details will not be used in any way other than for the delivery of your prize. Geek of Oz and Beyond do not take any responsibility for the loss, damage or delay of/to prizes sent to winners (blame Australia Post for that one). The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered upon. One entry per person, subsequent entries will be void. Incorrect answers will be void. Prizes are not redeemable for cash or any other kind of trading currency such as creds, latinum, sen, kan, zeni, double dollars or Ankh Morpork dollars. Geek Of Oz take no responsibility for head explosions caused by utter awesomeness. This competition is only open to Australian residents. Any questions or queries can be submitted through the comment section at the bottom of screen. Good luck!
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Win One Piece: Strong World

March 10, 2014, 2:30 pm
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Thanks to those swanky swashbucklers over at Madman, we've got copies of the latest One Piece movie release, One Piece: Strong World, to give away on Blu Ray and DVD.

20 years after his escape from Impel Down, the legendary pirate Shiki "the Golden Lion" reappears causing massive upheaval to the Marines. During his long seclusion, he was able to come up with a scheme to bring the World Government to his knees. On his way to execute the plan, Shiki crosses paths with the Straw Hat Pirates and becomes so impressed with Nami's knowledge of meteorology that he abducts her to forcedly enlist her into his crew. Luffy and the gang end up on a strange land populated with monstrous beasts as they desperately search for Shiki and Nami. - Madman

All you have to do is fill out the form below (the answer can be found HERE) and you're in the running to win yourself a copy of One Piece: Strong World thanks to Madman. Don't forget, you can get yourself a bonus entry just by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook!


Entries close 11:59pm on Sunday 23rd April 2014. Your details will not be used in any way other than for the delivery of your prize. Geek of Oz and Madman do not take any responsibility for the loss, damage or delay of/to prizes sent to winners (blame Australia Post for that one). The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered upon. One entry per person, subsequent entries will be void. Incorrect answers will be void. Prizes are not redeemable for cash or any other kind of trading currency such as creds, latinum, sen, kan, zeni, double dollars or Ankh Morpork dollars. Geek Of Oz take no responsibility for head explosions caused by utter awesomeness. This competition is only open to Australian residents. Any questions or queries can be submitted through the comment section at the bottom of screen. Good luck!
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Titanfall BETA Impression

March 10, 2014, 10:28 pm
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I’ll be frank with you guys; other than Team Fortress 2, I really haven’t played many multiplayer first person shooters over last few years. For some reason they just lost the appeal with me. Sure, I would play your other FPS games like Halo or Bioshock, but nothing of the multiplayer aspect online.

I managed to be part of a large amount of people to get Beta Access a few weeks back for Titantfall on PC. Now if you haven’t heard about Titanfall (I mean who hasn’t due to all the hype?), it’s a multiplayer only FPS set on a war-torn planet where players fight as mech-style 'Titans' and their pilots.

It’s the perfect game for people that used to love multiplayer FPS but are now tired of multiplayer FPS. Confusing? Basically it takes everything that is perfect about games like Call of Duty and blows it all out of the water.

Online reporting indicates that following the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision fired two of Infinity Ward’s co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella in March of 2010. This was followed by lawsuits between the two parties and the exit of many staff from Infinity Ward. Later in 2010, West and Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment with many of the former staff that left Infinity Ward. Pre-production for Titanfall then began in 2011.

Titanfall is set in the future fringes of human colonized space, where angry colonists have had enough of the corporate government controlling them. Cue fighting from both sides using Titans: a type of large weaponised armour controlled by the pilots sitting in them. When I first saw and heard about the Titans my immediate thought was of the Macross/Robotech (consequently the Robotech theme played in my head while I was playing the beta) and Mobile Suit Gundam series that I’m a fan of. My friend on the other hand thought of MechWarrior. 

If anything, the Titan is a combination of both being almost like a second skin with amazing mobility and fantastic fire power. Mobility is a major plus when you’re out of the Titan as well, with pilots able to double jump due to a jetpack, run along walls, leap over obstacles, hang on ledges, and even go across the map in an instant using ziplines.

Much like the pilots and Titans themselves, the control scheme for the game feels very smooth and highly responsive. Everything about this game is made to feel effortless and natural, much like how the Titans feel like a second skin to the pilots. It just feels like fun.

The beta only had 2 maps and 3 modes, but if they are anything to go by I cannot wait to play the others. Each map was a new chance to explore various tactics with my pilot and Titan. The game modes included Attrition, Hardpoint Domination and Last Titan Standing.

Attrition is a Team Death Match scenario with two teams of six players, and up to six Titans going at it with AI bots. Hardpoint Domination is a typical Capture the Flag style match, with points on the map designated as a critical place to capture. A handy tip for Hardpoint is to leave your Titan in guard mode to defend the point. In both modes your Titan will be made available to you after a certain point of time. The more people you kill, however, the quicker your Titan is available.

The last mode, Last Titan Standing, is a personal favourite of mine. You all start out with a Titan, and it is literally the last one standing. If you lose your Titan though, there is a chance you can still win the match by destroying the other Titans as a pilot.

Titanfall is due to be released this week at various dates and times around the globe and, needless to say, Respawn are onto a winner here. If this is the future of First Person Shooters, consider me locked in and ready to go.

- Billy
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Need for Speed Review

March 11, 2014, 4:57 pm
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Need For Speed is yet another video game adaptation resulting in a dull, lifeless and tedious film proudly joining the ranks of Silent Hill, Prince of Persia and Resident Evil. Proving Hollywood has a unique skill for picking up popular franchises, taking them for a cheap ride then dumping them battered and bruised in the toilet of a roadside diner. I don’t know about you, but growing up I played tonnes of video games that could easily have been adapted into brilliant films. As a card carrying Nintendo devotee, I may be a smidge biased but picture Zelda as a swashbuckling fantasy epic, Castlevania in all its ghoulish glory or Super Mario Bros as … well lets not go there. It's so frustrating that studios can't develop these stories into films without thoroughly butchering them in the process.

Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) is a mechanic who dabbles in the shady world of underground street racing. Known for his dangerous racing style, Marshall’s world is left in tatters after he is framed for killing his best friend during a race, which earns him a few years in the big house. Once out Marshall gets straight back into racing proving he learnt absolutely nothing from the tragedy. From there it’s a well below average road trip/revenge/racing/romance film the likes of which is so boring it could be distributed to folks with chronic insomnia, potentially holding the key to a good nights rest.

I tried to enjoy this film but my interests were decimated to the point that I honestly considered walking out. From its atrocious script, phoned in performances to anorexic plot, this film is just a failure right across the board. It’s populated with characters who literally wander around spurting out their motivations or even worse describing plots points to one another. It’s as if the writers honestly believed that this was a complicated story line and they feared the audience risked getting lost … hell there are episodes of Sesame Street with more twists and turns.

Whilst Aaron Paul may be great in Breaking Bad, he’s not suitable for this role as a leading man. He just doesn’t have the screen presence required to make an impact. Imogen Poots is passable in a fairly generic role yet she’s given very little to do. Dominic Cooper plays the one dimensional villain Dino Brewster, who made me wish Punky Brewster was in this, at least she had a little attitude. Marshall’s racing buddies are a bunch of up-and-coming actors who unfortunately have all the menace and testosterone of the One Direction crew.

Surprisingly the actual racing sequences lack all originality, which I thought would be the one thing they’d at least get right. The graphics feel like something from the late 90s, which would put them behind the very games which they are attempting to adapt. This is a mean spirited film which felt too heavily influenced by the Fast and Furious franchise, but it lacked the sense of silly fun that Vin Diesel and his boys bring to the party. 

Sadly this film couldn’t even be considered so bad it’s good. It’s a timely reminder that video game adaptations have so far to go before we get a truly satisfying film. Weighing in at over two hours long, I can safely assure you that your time and money can be spent better else. Need for Speed hits cinemas this Thursday. If you see the film and agree or disagree with my thoughts feel free to leave a comment below.

- Stu

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One Piece Unlimited World Red Gets Aussie Release

March 12, 2014, 5:12 pm
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Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates return to the world of gaming in the upcoming ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red for PS3, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Confirmed for a 2014, European and Aussie gamers will be able to experience the action packed lifestyle of their favourite pirates, encountering some of the most feared foes in the ONE PIECE universe.

NAMCO BANDAI GAMES PRESS RELEASE:

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – March 13, 2014 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S announced today that ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red will be reaching European and Australian shores in 2014 for PlayStation® computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and Wii U™! ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red is an action-adventure RPG game developed by Ganbarion Co., Ltd., based on the widely popular and praised ONE PIECE manga created by the renowned mangaka Eiichiiro Oda. 

The New World and its fierce challenges await Luffy and his nakama. In ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red, players will live the complete Pirate adventure thanks to fun-filled escapades, action-packed battles and powerful allies in a whole new never-before-seen scenario. Who is this mysterious character speaking with Luffy and what are his plans?

ONE PIECE fans will be playing as all of their favourite Straw Hat crew members and progress through the storyline where they will be challenged by famous boss battles such as Crocodile, Rob Lucci, Caesar Clown and many others! Mastering many skills will be mandatory in order to execute numerous flashy combos, to dodge or interact with enemies etc.! Just like in the original manga, when things get bad, players will be able to get some help from a friend in an exciting co-op* gameplay to beat down strong opponents, or simply to enjoy mini-games such as fishing, bug-catching and so on! 

“As one of the most successful manga we ever witnessed, ONE PIECE is a phenomenon that deserves AAA adaptations” said Hiroaki Ochiai, Senior Vice President of IP Strategy at NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe. “We decided to team-up with Ganbarion to create a new opus for the “Unlimited” series. Thanks to their expertise, we are sure to have an amazing game where all the details from the ONE PIECE universe will be perfectly pictured. On top of that, we are really proud and happy to have a never-before-seen scenario for this game!”

Check out the LAUNCH TRAILER.

ONE PIECE Unlimited World Red is scheduled for PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, Nintendo 3DS™ and Wii U™ in 2014. For the latest news and updates, join us on www.OnePiece-Game.com and www.NamcoBandaiGames.com.au For the latest videos, check bngames.eu/OPunlimitedworldredvideos. For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games’ entire line up, go to www.NamcoBandaiGames.com.au 

* Nintendo 3DS™ and PlayStation®Vita will feature local multiplayer gameplay for up to four players. Wii U™ and PlayStation®3 will feature split screen multiplayer gameplay for up to two players.

















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Sword Art Online Vol 3 and 4 Blu Ray Review

March 17, 2014, 2:56 am
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Before reading on, don't forget to have a look at our review of volumes 1 and 2 of Sword Art Online. 

Sword Art Online Volumes 3 and 4 encompass the second arc of the series seeing Kirito released from the cyber-prison that is Sword Art Online. Unfortunately, not everyone shares his fate. Still stuck in an RPG induced coma is his new love, the hot headed Asuna. So, of course like any good hero, he dives straight back in to save his fair maiden.

Welcome to the world of ALfheim Online, the land of fairies and spiritual successor to the much maligned and seriously deadly Sword Art Online.

The first thing that strikes you about Sword Art Online on Blu Ray is the gorgeous animation. Not only are the colours vibrant and vivid, but the line work is super crisp and pops off the screen. A-1 Pictures are very quickly establishing themselves as my favourite and most trusted animation studio. With Birdy The Mighty: Decode, Black Butler and Blue Exorcist under their belt, you can just about guarantee that their next works to be released, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic and Vividred Operation, will be visually spectacular as well. Each and every episode of Sword Art Online is as good a quality as the last with no noticeable drop in quality. The quality of picture on Blu Ray is truly astounding and, frankly, it'd be a shame to watch it any other way.

Unfortunately this arc just doesn't have the same punch as the first. In part this is due to the fact that the threat posed to Kirito is now gone. He and his fellow SAO players are now out of danger. They're free to play this new game without LITERALLY fighting for their lives. Sure, some behind the scenes nastiness is going on, but there threat level is dramatically reduced. Add to that a rather drastic change in character for Asuna and you've got a somewhat lacklustre follow up to the thrilling first arc. It's understandable that Asuna's spirits would be somewhat broken as a prisoner in ALfheim, but she loses so much of the strength that was built up in the first arc and is instead shown as the damsel in distress. Further to this, the focus on Kirito's journey seems to be glossed over in this second arc. He enters as an almost unstoppable force, again reducing the threat posed to his end goal. For any complaint about the lack of threat posed to the characters, the extended roster that we get introduced to are pretty cool and it's great to revisit characters from the first arc such as the hulking but kind-hearted Agil.

Regardless of any complaints, the end of the series is satisfying while still leaving room for more Sword Art Online goodness, such as last years feature film and the upcoming second season which will undoubtedly feature the Gun Gale Online and UnderWorld arcs from the light novel series. Generally when a series finishes hinting at more to come, you'd feel dissatisfied but in this case I'm just glad that I'll have the opportunity to revisit this awesome universe again some day. With animation so gorgeous, an immersive story and a fantastic score by the legendary Yuki Kajiura (Fate/Zero, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Gundam SEED), Sword Art Online is a total package and it's easy to see why it became the international phenomenon that it did.

Sword Art Online Volumes 3 and 4 aren't quite as thrilling as the first 2 volumes it's still a pretty damn good series overall and one that certainly deserves watching in high-def.

Don't forget that the Sword Art Online exhibition will be on display at Supanova Gold Coast on 5-6 April and Supanova Melbourne on 12-13 April.

Volumes 1-3 of Sword Art Online are available now from Madman and volume 4 is available from the 19th of March.

- Ryan

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A Beginners Guide to Cardfight!! Vanguard

March 17, 2014, 1:55 pm
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To celebrate the recent release of Cardfight!! Vanguard on DVD, we had a chat with Kiddo from Oz Animart to bring you a beginners guide to the ultra popular Trading Card Game. 

Don't forget to check out our review of Cardfight!! Vanguard Volume 1 from Hanabee which comes with everything you need to play a 'Flash' game.

Ryan: What exactly is Cardfight!! Vanguard?

Kiddo: Cardfight!! Vanguard is a recently popular Trading Card Game (TCG) made by a Japanese Company, Bushiroad. It is a bit similar to other card games such as Duel Masters and YuGiOh such as it has an anime series screening along with the card game. You can find more details about Cardfight!! Vanguard here.

Do you need to have played other card games to understand Vanguard?

You do not have to be experienced with other card game to understand vanguard. The mechanism is rather simple, but yet fun.

What is it about this game that makes it stand out from other trading card games on the market?

The Game Mechanism:

- The Player is able to defend themselves with the cards in their hands or intercept from field. 
- Each clan has its own uniqueness and characteristic such as Royal Paladin which is about gathering more units onto the field for increased power while 'Kagero' retires/destroys opponents monster units. 
- "Trigger Check" is one of the luck elements which allows a player to counter his opponent and come back into the game.

What do I need to start playing?

A 50 card pre-constructed trial deck would suffice. Once you're used to the game then you may start to invest in booster boxes for stronger cards to join in competitive play.

For those new to the game, do you think the Hanabee anime series would be educational?

The anime does help new players to understand the game, especially the first and second episodes which explain the basics of the game and also show the uniqueness of the upcoming new clans.

Can I play against any opponent or do they need to be from a different "nation" or "clan"?

You can play with any clan including the same clan or nation.

How important are powerful cards? Can you win if you don't have a super rare card in your deck?

Powerful cards definitely give players higher advantage and a higher chance to win, but a player can still win without powerful cards if they are skillful, plus triggers do help as well.

What one piece of advice would you offer to rookie players?

Start off with a trial deck first and slowly modify the trial deck while playing with other clans to understand how other clans work (you might find a clan that really grabs your interest).

Which is your favourite Vanguard release?

The Royal Paladin Majesty Blaster Lord Set.

What can we expect from the next Vanguard release?

You can expect stronger units from the new clan, link joker and other clans such as Nova Grappler, Dimensional Police, Nubatama, Aqua Force and Angel Feathers.

Thanks for chatting with us, Kiddo! Don't forget to check out the Oz Animart store of the Cardfight!! Vanguard worldwide website for more info 
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20 Minute Godzilla & Edge of Tomorrow Preview First Thoughts

March 18, 2014, 3:14 am
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Today I had the absolute honour of being invited to a special preview screening of Godzilla and Edge of Tomorrow thanks to the good people at Roadshow. 

First of all, let it be known that I'm a lifelong fan of kaiju films, Japanese monster movies. As a kid I remember watching the original, 1954 Godzilla and being amazed at the building sized monster and it's almighty roar that, to be honest, used to scare the hell out of me. That bellowing, guttural roar is unforgettable regardless of whether it's aimed at Mothra, King Ghidora or those pesky humans.

Godzilla

Directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters)
Starring Brian Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe

In this 20 minute preview, I got to see the humans of the film. The reason for them existing and the reason that I should care whether they live or die. Within that 20 minutes, director Gareth Edwards has injected more than enough characterisation to warrant legitimate concern for their safety. Sure, this is thanks in no small part to some brilliant scenes with Brian Cranston, but Edwards really does pull it together. On a slight tangent here but if Brian Cranston and Benedict Cumberbatch ever star in a film together, all other actors should retire then and there.

I digress. What I saw in this 20 minutes were the motivations of our main characters but not the motivation of Godzilla which, if I'm to be honest, doesn't matter in the slightest. Godzilla is a force of nature, a natural disaster of epic proportions. No one expects any form of reasoning from a hurricane. Although the main monster was mostly hidden behind smoke, sea water and skyscrapers we do get a look at the scale of this beauty which is nothing short of foreboding. Catching glimpses here and there seems to be fitting for a monster of this size, it's almost as if he's so big that he can't fit into your eyeballs all at once. Plus, as Edwards showed in Monsters, the scariest ghouls are the ones that you rarely see.

One of the only niggly annoyances with the film are the sound effects which seem to emulate the Transformers/dubstep "wubwubwub" at times, however, as soon as that big guy roars I couldn't care in the slightest. Apart from the wubwubs, the sound effects are fantastic and visceral. With such top notch, epic-scale visuals and equally brilliant sound, Godzilla is a must see on the big screen. Needless to say, Godzilla has me on board with two thumbs up and a ridiculous smile on my face. It's just a pity that we have to wait until the 15th of May.


Edge of Tomorrow

Directed by Doug Liman (Mr & Mrs Smith, The Bourne Identity)
Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton

Based upon the Japanese light novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, it tells the story of a futuristic war with a difference. Coming across like a cross between Starship Troopers, Elysium and Groundhog Day. Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cage (Cruise) finds himself aboard a warship bound for the front line only to be deployed into what can only be described as a mission of certain death. Which is fine because each time he catches a bullet, he wakes up back aboard the warship.

Whether you like him or not, Cruise still knows how play the game and can still play the hero with ease. It's great to see his characters progression as well, not only in terms of attitude but also capability. Inversely, Emily Blunt kicks all sorts of butt from the get go. This is looking like an incredibly physical performance with a burly attitude to match. Spoiler alert: Tom Cruise manages to run and ride a motorcycle. Who'da thunk it?

Although the story doesn't follow the source material particularly faithfully, it still captures the core elements of the story and appears to forge its own path and to be honest, Edge of Tomorrow is a much more catchy title than All You Need is Kill. 

Again, the visuals in this film are top notch and so is the sound, meaning that this film will also benefit from a big screen viewing. While the preview shown was in 2D, there were many set pieces that will show off some fantastic depth during a 3D viewing. Admittedly, I was skeptical when first hearing about the film but after seeing this 20 minute preview it looks as though Edge of Tomorrow has enough action, drama and humour to be something pretty damn awesome.

One thing is for certain, the US summer blockbuster season is looking like an absolute stunner so start saving your pennies for a movie ticket or five.


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I, Frankenstein - Review

March 19, 2014, 4:19 am
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When sexy demons are at war with sexy gargoyles, you know only one thing can save humanity, yep that’s right! it’s sexy Aaron Eckhart as Frankenstein’s monster! Oh boy, i’m not even really sure where to start with this film, well perhaps it’s just easier to point out that it’s produced by the same people who made the Underworld series. So for those of you that are still reading imagine a film like Underworld but say on par with Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing, which has been doused in religious iconography and you’d be close. I, Frankenstein is a bloated bit of nonsense which takes itself way too seriously, never realising that if it had of embracred the trashy nature of the genre, then it could have been at least fun.

So apparently demons have been stalking mankind since, well forever and gargoyles who believe it or not a really angels in disguise keep them in line. Oh sure they skirmish from time to time but basically everyone knows their place. All that changes when Doc Frankenstein’s monstrous creation comes along, with each side attempting to get their hands on him. The angels want him because he’s good at killing demons and the demons want him because they want to build their own undead army using the big guy as a prototype. And to make things even better Frankenstein’s monster is basically invincible so this story takes place over a 200 year period plus he’s got Jason-Bourne-esque fighting skills. It’s all so painfully uninspired like a child’s idea for a story that i kind of can’t be bothered slinging insults at it.

Frustratingly the cast includes the aforementioned Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney and Yvonne Strahovski. Some of which have played prominent roles in some of the biggest film franchises of the past 20 years, yet somehow here they are made to look like C-grade debutants bumbling through each scene. Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy have form for these kind of performances, i think i spotted two scenes were Bill Nighy was actually awake, which is a positive. The minute i came out of this film i just wanted to watch Lord of the Rings to see Miranda Otto kicking ass and taking names, instead of what she’s reduced to here. I found myself fantasizing about what a better movie this cast could be off making together, may daydream shattered as i peeked at my watch realising I still had far too much of the dribble to get through which just made me sad. Sigh.

I don’t understand how filmmakers who want to bring a story like this to the big screen can’t emulate the bevy of fantasy films which have come before it. I’m dumbfounded that films like this can get 60 million dollars thrown at them and this is the result. It’s no secret that one of my biggest bugbears is the wasting of resources in order to make a crap film. I worry about what films such as this are doing to the industry. Will those investors pour another 60 million in next time? Maybe but probably not. If the general movie going audience is subjected to terrible films like this, where is the motivation to spend hard earned dollars in the cinema? It’s simply not there and it’s one of the many reasons why people are going to fewer films and why downloading films for free is so attractive, because at least you wouldn’t be paying for them.

From its ludicrous concept, to horrendous trailer and right through to it’s predictable and flaccid ending, I, Frankenstein is no more than a blip on the cinematic radar which will hopefully slip away quietly from public life and never rear its ugly head again. I, Frankenstein unfortunately hits cinemas this Thursday, if for any ungodly reason you see this film and agree or disagree feel free to drop a line below.

- Stu

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Japan Music Festival Touring Australia

March 20, 2014, 4:30 am
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Aussie Japanophiles rejoice! Thanks to the Japan Music Festival, you can experience live J-Pop, J-Rock and J-Alt bands in your very own capital city (if you live in NSW, VIC or QLD). 

If there's one thing that fans of Japanese pop-culture are desperately lacking it's access to Japanese music. Buying CD's from Japan is prohibitively expensive and there's hardly anything available on iTunes but now there is a third and infinitely more exciting option: live music.

Japan Music Festival promises to bring the best of Japan's underground nightlife to Australian shores.


Australia gets its first Japanese Music Festival! 

Direct from Japan - this is the first in what will be an annual event featuring the very best of Tokyo's alternative nightlife and culture right here in Australia! 

From April 1st to the 6th Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will play host to four of Japan's most revered live J-Pop, J-Rock and J-Alt bands. Called very appropriately, JAPAN MUSIC FESTIVAL, it features in-store appearances/instrument demonstrations at selected JB Hi-Fi stores and a show in each of the above-mentioned cities. 

Aussie music fans can now experience a small part of Japan's vibrant underground music scene! 

Promoter Sonny King said "Having been to Japan three times myself and played at a music festival over there, I realized that it's time for Australia to see some of the great stuff coming out of Japan." King, himself the bass player in Melbourne rock band Lucy's Crown, is working with Japanese companies both here and in Japan to ensure this will be the premier Japanese Music Concert Experience for Japanese bands and Australian fans this year and in the future. 


APR 03rd (THU) MELBOURNE - ESPLANADE HOTEL (front bar) 
APR 04th (FRI) SYDNEY - THE ROLLER DEN, ERSKINEVILLE 
APR 05th (SAT) BRISBANE - RIC’S BAR 
APR 06th (SUN) MELBOURNE - THE RETREAT BRUNSWICK 


Eri is the singer and writer for this immensely popular band in the live circuit. She has a lifelong passion for the typical Japanese pop/rock anime music which is becoming more popular throughout the world. The band take pride in writing original music but also include some of the more popular anime covers at their live show. From high energy pop to lyrical ballads, Eri delivers her delicious vocals that you will not forget. 


101A cross Grunge, Shoe-gaze and Industrial genres. Their sound is characterized by rough, heavily distorted instruments overlaid with delicate, melodic female vocals. They have written songs in a variety of styles; soft, melodic, cinematic pieces, bright, energetic, beat-driven instrumentals, sharp but brooding sounds paired with screaming vocals and gentle, expansive, uplifting ballads, each song conjuring a new scene, demonstrating the band’s unique style and striking individuality. 


A solo guitarist with a whole slew of pedals, Sparky creates everything including rhythm tracks and percussion from a single guitar. His instrumental rock pieces are haunting and progressive with occasional ghostly whispers, evoking images of intergalactic travel. His hands play percussively like a piano, churning out tribal beats and space-rock on a level never seen before. 


An intense sound akin to the 90’s rock pioneers Korn and The Deftones, Kaimokujishō have garnered a reputation on the Japanese live circuit as ‘Line-up destroyers’ because they have the uncanny knack of blowing the rest of the bands off stage regardless of their genre. Vocalist Natsumi’s almost improbable vocal range sails over an organic drum sound which in turn contrasts the nimble fingered guitarist, the resulting total of which is sonic overload on a grand scale.






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Two New Wolfenstein Videos Hit the Interwebs

March 20, 2014, 5:19 pm
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Each and every glimpse that we get of the upcoming Wolfenstein: The New Order makes it evident that this game will be equal parts eye candy, insane story and off the hook action. Bethesda have released 2 more videos with a look at one of the first encounters with the seriously frightening Frau Engel in Chapter 3: The Train Sequence as well as an introduction to Tommy Tordsson Björk, Bethesda developer.

Currently under development at MachineGames, Wolfenstein: The New Order, the first-person action-adventure shooter, reignites the franchise widely recognized for pioneering the first-person shooter genre. Set in the 1960s, the monstrous Nazi regime has used mysterious advanced technology to win World War II. They now rule the globe with an iron fist.Wolfenstein: The New Order sends you across Europe on a harrowing mission to bring down the Nazi war machine.

Don't forget that by preordering Wolfenstein: The New Order you'll also be invited to access the DOOM beta. For those of us old enough to remember the good ol' days of hunting Nazis, you can play the original Wolfenstein 3D right from your browser.

Wolfenstein is slated for release in Australia and New Zealand on May 22nd on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. 

For more information on the game visit: www.wolfenstein.com.



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Harlock Space Pirate Blu Ray Review

March 21, 2014, 4:19 am
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Harlock Space Pirate, based on the work of 1950's manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, is director Shinji Aramaki's latest foray into the realm of full CGI animated feature films. After his generally well received reboot of the Appleseed franchise, Aramaki returns with another highly polished blockbuster rebooting another beloved franchise.

It is the year 2977 and 500 billion displaced humans long to return to the planet they still refer to as home.

Captain Harlock is the one man standing between the corrupt Gaia Coalition and their quest for complete intergalactic rule. Seeking revenge against those who wronged both mankind and himself, the mysterious space pirate roams the universe in his battle cruiser, the Arcadia, defiantly attacking and pillaging enemy ships.

Gaia Fleet leader Ezra sends his younger brother, Logan, to infiltrate the Arcadia and assassinate Harlock. But Logan will soon discover that things are not always what they seem and that legends are born for a reason.

First and foremost, the animation in this film is ridiculously good. Granted, back in 2004 when Appleseed was released I thought the same but this, this is something else. Somehow the characters and animation manage to marry up in such a way that they maintain their anime aesthetic without falling into the trap of looking cartoony. Instead we end up with characters who are impossibly attractive and still far removed from the pitfalls of the "uncanny valley". Not only do the characters look great but so too do the mechanical designs and space battles which is pretty darn important in a film about space piracy. The space conflicts look fantastic with bright, vivid flashes of weapon fire streaming across the screen and billowing from the Dark Matter engines add to the overall combat theatrics but they eventually count for nought.

The story really relies on the fact that you're already well acquainted with the world of Harlock or simply don't care what's going on. Samplings of dialogue are incredibly derivative and abound with enough technobabble to make even Captain Shatner proud. That said, I couldn't care less. When I watch Sci-Fi, someone could say "ready the Dark Matter Solar Cubic Rambunmunqualiser!" and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. Plot twists, however, are a different story. Unfortunately about mid-way through this film there is a plot twist that completely changes the course of the story and unravels other threads of story that were previously thought to be woven. It's from this point on that looks matter because the story all but goes out the window. 

The voice work throughout is solid in both the English and Japanese languages. David Matranga, known for his role as Briareos in Appleseed, pours on the angst as the titular character while Shun Oguri (Azumi, GTO) perfumes in the native Japanese voice. As usual, it's up to personal choice whether you watch in English or Japanese but sadly such quality animation is completely unforgiving when it comes to lip synching voice over. The English dub simply does not marry up with the mouths of the characters and in the interest of being positive, this is only a negative because the animation is so fantastically intricate.

In terms of visual spectacle and 3D emersion, Harlock Space Pirate is an absolute triumph and a damn fine action space-opera. However, if you're after a self contained story and something a little more fulfilling than a smattering of space battles, perhaps this isn't the film for you. But in my books it still earns an extra marks for incredible animation and, well, space pirates.

- Ryan


Harlock Space Pirate is available now on Blu Ray, 3D Blu Ray and DVD from Anchor Bay.

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Win a Double Pass to The Raid 2

March 22, 2014, 3:42 am
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Prepare yourself. Prepare your body. Prepare your eyeballs to be kicked in their little eyeball heads over and over before being pounded with a hammer. It's nearly time for The Raid 2.

“Picking up right where the first film ends, The Raid 2 follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force.”

In cinemas from March 28, The Raid 2 promises to be one of (if not THE) best action films of the year. Following on shortly after the end of the first film, The Raid 2 is bigger, better and ballsier than the original... and that's saying something!

To celebrate, we've got 10 in-season double passes to give away but because this movie is so bad arse, this competition is only available to entrants over 18 years of age.

All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to win yourself an in-season double pass thanks to Madman. Don't forget, you can get yourself a bonus entry just by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook!



Entries close 11:59pm on Thursday 27th March 2014. Your details will not be used in any way other than for the delivery of your prize. Geek of Oz and Madman do not take any responsibility for the loss, damage or delay of/to prizes sent to winners (blame Australia Post for that one). The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered upon. One entry per person, subsequent entries will be void. Incorrect answers will be void. Prizes are not redeemable for cash or any other kind of trading currency such as creds, latinum, sen, kan, zeni, double dollars or Ankh Morpork dollars. Geek Of Oz take no responsibility for head explosions caused by utter awesomeness. This competition is only open to Australian residents. Any questions or queries can be submitted through the comment section at the bottom of screen. Good luck!
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Marvel Knights Wolverine vs Sabretooth Motion Comic Review

March 23, 2014, 2:00 pm
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As far as comic book rivalries go, surely none could be more violent and classic than that of Wolverine and Sabretooth. Oh, and by rivalry, I actually mean the unending urge to rip out each others skulls and drink from them like goblets. So no, it's not a traditional rivalry in a Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak sort of way. Well, either that or we watched two very different versions of Pokemon.

Anyway, to get back on track, the feud between Wolvie and Sabretooth although iconic, is marred and bogged down in confusing continuity and occasional inconsistency. Wolverine vs Sabretooth from Marvel Knights Animation, based on the comic of the same name by Jeff Loeb and Simone Bianchi, attempts to both simplify their relationship while breathing new life into their never ending conflict. 

Before I charge adamantium-claws first into this review, I feel I should clarify that I haven't read the
source material so I will be reviewing this motion comic on both its story and static art as well as its motion comic elements and animation.

With a title like 'Wolverine vs Sabretooth' you wouldn't be blamed for thinking that this story is merely an excuse to see everyone’s favourite mutant wolf-men tear each other to shreds, but you would be wrong. The first ten minute episode opens with Wolverine having a strange flash back about some sort of werewolf like race known as the lupine. These flashbacks more or less persist throughout the ten episodes and apart from interrupting the flow of the story, don't really acheive much.

But what is the story, you ask? Well, I'm really not quite sure. What starts off as a long and drawn out attempt for Wolverine and Sabretooth to kill each other suddenly takes them to Wakanda, then to the Weapon X base, then away from the Weapon X base, then back to the Weapon X base, with plenty of explosions in between. This is all punctuated by plenty of explanations that never quite add up or make sense. Call me ignorant but the big revelations and plot points never hit home and just left me feeling unsatisfied and befuddled.

But before I come across completely negative, credit where credit is due. A big kudos to Loeb for attempting to bring clarity to the ever so convoluted rivalry between Wolverine and Sabretooth. Even if it fails miserably and only makes the whole thing even more confusing, you have to admit that Loeb has stones for giving it a go. Plus, the dialogue is entertaining and believable the whole way through. He can certainly write an authentic Wolverine.

Simone Bianchi's art, although possibly not best suited to comicbooks, does look stunning and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. He brings a bizarre beauty and sophistication to the primal struggle between Wolverine and Sabretooth. It doesn't always 'fit' the story but for the most part it works.

Unfortunately the motion comic elements add very little to the whole experience. The voice acting is sub par with a lot of the female voice actors playing multiple roles and putting on fake accents whilst Wolverine sounds like Christian Bale's Batman smoked ten packs a day.

The animation doesn't fair much better. In the fight sequences characters look like paper dolls, always looking trapped in the second dimension and static. For a story so reliant on fight scenes and action this is a real let down and begs the question as to why they chose to make it into a motion comic instead of properly animating it. It all reeks of a rush job if you ask me.

Now we come down to the crunch, the all important question: does 'Marvel Knights Wolverine vs Sabretooth' warrant you trading in your hard earned cash for a copy. The short answer is no. As much as I would love to end this review on a positive note, I just can't. For a Marvel Knights production this really is a step down in quality. It all feels like a rushed grab for money that displays none of the high production values or the eye for detail we have come to expect from Marvel.

- Christof

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Interview with Japan Music Festival Organiser, Sonny King

March 24, 2014, 4:32 am
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Long time readers of Geek of Oz will have no doubt that I'm a big fan of all things Japanese. From anime to food, cat videos (I love you, Maru) to movies, I love it all. Sadly, however, there's one thing that we seem to miss out on, Japanese music. Thankfully Sonny, the man behind the Japan Music Festival, has come to the rescue.


Ryan: First and foremost, Sonny, what is the Japan Music Festival?


Sonny: It's a kind of reciprocal event of something my band Lucy's Crown played at in Tokyo in 2012. That was called the Japan Music Week and brought together a lot of bands from around the world who didn't have a label or finance behind them to play in Tokyo. We were invited back to play as headliners at some of the same places last year and the promoter there, Mr Uchida, came up with the idea to do a similar thing in Australia. After I returned, I started looking into it and thought it could work but more as a cultural event than just a gig, so apart from the four shows we are putting on, we're trying to introduce some of the things that go on at street-level in Japan rather than the usual raw fish, mega-technology image people have of it.


How and why have you taken it upon yourself to bring Japan to Australia?


Well I have to say I do love Japan so that was a big part of it but also, I think Japan is not very well represented musically outside of Japan. We played with some amazing bands over there who perform every week just for fun and the quality of musicianship is superb and there are literally hundreds of bands playing every week. They have things called Live Houses there which are small gigs that hold about 100 or 150 people and they have 4 or 5 bands on every night. There are over 60 of those place in Tokyo alone and they are open seven days a week so on any one night, there are 250 bands playing. The whole underground scene there never sees the light of day outside of Japan and I thought it was about time the world did.


What kind of music will be on show?


It's a bit eclectic because we want to give a good representation of the styles current in Japan. Sparky is a solo guitarist who creates musical soundscapes using his effects pedals; Jill are a great rock/pop band who have just signed to a major promotion company out there; 101A are more alternative rock and Kaimokujisho are a bit more experimental. There's something for everyone.


Judging by the lack of Japanese music that get in Australia, I'm guessing that you had a few hurdles to get over. How long has this been in the works?


You're not kidding! I started work on it last September, investigating the possibilities and initially it was going to be a quite small thing but once people got wind of it, it turned into something that is almost snowballing out of control. The guy who initially got us to Japan - Glenn Williams who lives out there and has been in the music biz for years - came on board and has been steering me through it and from January onwards, it's been seven days a week.

It seems that Japanese music is inexplicably linked to other aspects of Japanese pop culture. Do you think fans of Japanese culture, or pop culture generally, will get a kick out of the Japan Music Festival?

Absolutely. Those Japanese culture fans were initially one of the main target audiences for us and we want them to come and meet the bands and find out firsthand about all the good stuff going on over there. They'll be opportunities at all the shows for whoever is there to meet the bands and have a chat and as for your average pop culture fan, they're going to enjoy as well because it's great music. As I said before, there are a massive number of bands playing every night and in the selection process, we set a criteria that the bill needed to be attractive to a wider range of people as possible within our own limitations, i.e. four bands.

Surely anime fans will enjoy the show with Jill pushing out anime sounds and Sparky Quano coming incredibly close to being an anime character in his own right!

Yeah.. Sparky is such a lovely guy and onstage becomes something else. I have to admit, when we started to think about the logo - which was done by an Aussie guy named Dave Reynolds - we sent photos of Jill to the designer and said 'That's what we want in anime/cartoon'. He came back with it 48 hours later. Top bloke.

Will fans be able to buy CDs or merch on the night?

Yes. All the bands will have copies of their CDs there for sale and we will have JMF T-shirts.

Are you yourself a fan of other aspects of Japanese culture?

I love the whole package. I went back there in December on my own for a couple of reasons. One was to sit down with Glenn and Uchida and work out how this was going to be done and the other was to really take in the country as much as possible. When I was there with Lucy's Crown, we did seven shows in ten days, all in Tokyo so time off was limited. This time I could wander on my own and got out of Tokyo a couple of times as well.

Finally, are you already working on Japan Music Festival 2015?

Yes we are and it's going to be a lot bigger with more bands and companies involved, both Japanese and Australian. All of the sponsors who have come on board this time have already put their hand up for next year and word has spread across Japan so bands are already sending Glenn discs because they want to come next year. Uchida has already got a couple of big Japanese companies interested as well. As of now though, we're less than two weeks away from this one so we're shelving everything until it's finished.

Thanks for your time and I sincerely hope the event is a massive success because any form of Japanese pop culture in Australia is a great thing!

Thank you very much Ryan and we'll see you at the show.

Don't forget to check out the Japan Music Festival Facebook page for further details and for a look at each of the acts, check out our earlier run-down.
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