Geek of Oz

Unfortunately, I was among 3 people on earth who failed to jump aboard the Kingdom Hearts bandwagon. Having never owned a PS2, I could only sit back and WISH that it made it's way to Xbox but alas, it wasn't to be. But thank Mickey, Square Enix have decided to release Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, a rejazzed version of the original game in glorious HD! Follow on after the jump for more details!

Who isn't excited for the next Star Trek movie? If such a person exists, I don't want to meet them. As a massive Star Trek fan, from the original series to Abrams reincarnation, Into Darkness has me coloured all shades of excited. Follow on after the jump for a very special featurette, a look into the film that will undoubtedly bring the epic!

Not long now until Lara battles her way back onto consoles worldwide. In what is being described as "pitch-perfect" and "amazing", the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise is certainly looking like a must-own game. Follow on after the jump for the third episode in the Tomb Raider Survival Guide series.

Another in the noitaminA Fuji TV programming block, Fractale is a breath of fresh air in the anime industry. Very rarely do series' come along that tick every single box with an engrossing story, fantastic animation, moving music and long lasting appeal. "Set in the far future, where a system of satellites known as the Fractale system, runs and maintains a virtual world for the real world who interacts with dopples and virtual avatars. When Clain meets a girl, Phrynne, a priestess, and Nessa, a dopple, he is soon caught up in a battle to bring down the Fractale system, perpertrated by a ragtag team of hacker terrorists called the "Lost Millenium" who believe the world should go back to the pre-Fractale way." - Siren

The .hack franchise is over 10 years old now and is responsible for countless video games, manga and anime series. The latest to reach Australian soil, thanks to Hanabee , is .hack//G.U. TRILOGY, a CGI feature film with all the hallmarks that you've come to love in The World. Follow on after the jump for the full review!

Earlier this week Geek of Oz, or Geek of Ozhadou as we've now been dubbed, had a chat to Dan Chlebowczyk from Madman , Couch Warriors and OzHadou  had a chat to us about this weekends OzHadou Nationals.  Follow on after the jump for our chat or check out our previous post for more details on the tournament itself.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Home entertainment release announced for May 1st From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), will get its home entertainment release in Australia and New Zealand , on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital download May 1st from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.  Full details after the jump!

Want to get your hands on one of Hanabee's February releases? Well, we have ef~a tale of melodies, .hack//G.U. TRILOGY and Arakawa Under the BridgexBridge (Season 2) to give away! Plus, one lucky winner will take away ef ~ a tale of memories AND ef ~ a tale of melodies! All other titles will be chosen at random. All you have to do is follow on after the jump and fill out the form and you're in with a chance to win one of 3 titles! Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook!

Following the success of the Twilight adaptations, it was only going to be a matter of time before the market was flooded with other films looking to capitalising on the strength of their book following: an army of poorly made, heavily marketed and utterly inane films marching upon decent cinema. When I first saw the trailer for Beautiful Creatures I thought I knew exactly what I was going to get and just how bad it would be. I envisaged another useless teen gothic fantasy, with too many pretty young actors who couldn’t emote. It just looked ridiculous. So imagine my surprise when I caught myself thoroughly enjoying this film. Perhaps it was because my expectations were set so low that the film couldn’t be as bad as I had assumed it would be; or maybe Beautiful Creatures is a fun little film that benefits from a great script, fine performances and the fact it never takes itself too seriously.

While this competition isn't being run by Geek of Oz, it's just too awesome not to share. Australia's best film magazine, Empire, and Warner Bros have joined forces to deliver a competition that no Bat-Fan should miss. To celebrate the release of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2, Empire and Warner's are giving you the chance to win tickets to an exclusive screening of the film at the Dendy Opera Quays in Sydney. Follow on after the jump for more details!

Are you a fan of the Metal Gear games? Have you tried to be a fan of the Metal Gear games but found yourself wishing you could just chop people up with a crazy sword? Well... do I have the game for you! Set four years after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a different kind of beast. Instead of towing the Metal Gear line, Revengeance focuses less on stealth and instead ups the action to epic proportions. Sure, you can skulk around in the shadows to your hearts content but you'll be missing many of the coolest aspects of the game. Plus, a big bad bovine AT-ST will end up stomping on your skull. Follow on after the jump for the full review!

Maybe it’s his own fault … maybe it is Hollywood’s … but somewhere along the way I suspect we’ve all had a hand the in the spectacle that is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career. The moment we let a man in front of a camera because he could lift heavy things, chase ladies and eat baby chickens for breakfast, we were in trouble. Arnold Schwarzenegger is living proof that Hollywood can make a star out of anyone. His latest film, The Last Stand shows that he can still make a schlocky cringe-worthy film. The former Californian Governor plays Sheriff Ray Owens, forced to protect his town from a notorious Mexican Cartel boss, Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), who is on the run after escaping custody.

Double Trouble is a buddy cop action film starring Jackie Chan's son, Jaycee Chan. Unfortunately, this is all the film has going for it. A great big celebrity shadow. The film follows the exploits of Jay, a screw-up Taiwanese security guard who forms a begrudging alliance with a Mainland tourist, Ocean (Yu Xia). The two are trailing hot on the heels of some sexy Eurasian thieves who have stolen a 400 year old piece of art. Hilarity and hijinx ensue... well... hijinx ensue. Beyond a subtle serving of education in China/Taipei politics, Double Trouble comes off as a poor mans Jackie Chan film. Follow on after the jump for our full review.

Pokéfans have so much to be happy about. Not only do Beyond Home Entertainment continue to release DVD's for lounge room consumption but they have also organised a very special screening of the latest film, Kyrem vs The Sword of Justice! As a super duper bonus for attendees at the film, they can download the new mythical Pokémon, Meloetta. Follow on for more details!

Click to enlarge Upcoming Image title "The Bounce" is described as giving a nod to the early days of Spider-Man and the origins of Robert Kirkman's Invincible... is there a single thing about that statement that comic fans should be worried about? No, not a damn thing. Although Casey is one quarter of Man of Action, the creative co-operative responsible for Ben 10, he is also well known for his more adult oriented titles such as Butcher Baker and another upcoming Image title, Sex, so The Bounce should be an interesting title indeed. Follow on after the jump for more info!

This truly is the home stretch. We are in the final hours before Lara Croft before her spectacular relaunch. As such, the fine folks at Crystal Dynamics and Namco Bandai have released the first in a series of videos outlining the "final hours".

Sure, video games based on movies suck. No, really. They suck. BUT, Star Trek is looking incredible. Not only visually but also in terms of gameplay. The Star Trek franchise has had a chequered history when it comes to games, from the arguably awesome Star Trek: Elite Force II to the less-than-stellar Star Trek: Encounters. Regardless, Namco Bandai Partners have announced their partnership with Paramount to deliver the game as well as a special pack for Australian and New Zealand preorders! Check it out after the jump!

I have many a fond memory of playing Tomb Raider. It was a revolutionary adventure game with challenging puzzles and, at the time, cutting edge graphics. After a long hiatus, the lass is back and she looks better than ever. Follow on after the jump for an advanced look at Croft's new skills as she attempts to secure her title as "The Drake Killer!".

The Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is shaping up to be Australia's premier gaming event and, for ageing gamers like myself, they have just announced yet another reason to join in the party. If the name Guybrush Threepwood rings any bells, you'll be excited to learn that Lucasarts alumni and creator of Monkey Island, Ron Gilbert, will be in attendance to officially open the show.  This announcement was enough to bring back some fantastic memories of playing The Secret of Monkey Island on my IBM running DOS 4.0 (ask your parents). Good times. Look behind you! A three-headed monkey!

Anna Karenina, the latest film by Joe Wright, is a visually provocative production which brings new and interesting ideas to the screen, but is ultimately cold and unfulfilling. Based upon the Tolstoy classic, Anna Karenina is set in late 19th-century Russian High society. Anna (Kiera Knightly) who is the loving wife of Karenin (Jude Law) has a torrid affair with a much younger Calvary officer, Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The affair sends ripples through the upper echelons of the social and political communities of the time.

The last few years have seen the release of a number of Thai films hit Australian DVD shelves. The most notable of which would have to be Tony Jaa's Ong Bak , however, the success of Ong Bak's gritty, no holds barred action sequences has seen a proliferation of similarly focused films. Welcome, This Girl Is Badass!! Jija Yanin ( CHOCOLATE , RAGING PHOENIX ) stars in this martial arts comedy about a girl whose family life is turned upside-down when she gets mixed up with some ruthless gangsters and is hired to transport smuggled goods for them. Things get tricky when she starts keeping a chunk of the mob's money. Like Yojimbo's samurai, she finds a way to play the rival mobsters off each other, but making enemies is becoming an increasingly dangerous business. - Madman

The Super Bowl isn't just for sports fans, it's also for excited geeks the world over. Every year movie studios pay ridiculous amounts of money to showcase the biggest blockbusters of the year. As such, it should come as no surprise that Star Trek: Into Darkness made an appearance and it looks AWESOME! In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness. When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his cr...

Last month we posted some details about Stjepan Šejic and Ron Marz' newest project, Ravine. An epic fantasy series of graphic novels, Ravine is set to take the comic world by storm and lucky for us both Šejic and Marz took time to speak with us about the book. Check out our interview after the jump!

For some reason when I first heard the title "Bodacious Space Pirates" I was expecting something over the top which borders on ridiculous. Perhaps the 80's kid in me wrongly associated the term "bodacious" with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and began expecting a smattering of off the wall antics, larger than life characters and action aplenty. Sadly, there isn't a great deal of bodaciousness to be had. Although the title may be a little misleading one thing is for sure, Bodacious Space Pirates is a surprisingly fun romp through the depths of space.  Follow on after the jump for the full review!

Thanks to our friends at Hanabee, we have a copy of ef ~ a tale of memories on DVD to give away!  ef ~a tale of memories is based on the popular visual novel, ef ~ a tale of two cities and includes all 12 episodes of the first season with an English dub and the original Japanese audio as well. From the director of Baka and Test: Summon the Beast and the studio behind Madoka Magica. Check out all of the details below and you could walk away with a copy of ef ~ a tale of memories on DVD. Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook!

Nowadays, it seems as though anime series' find it difficult to play things straight. That is to say that, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a series that is a straight laced detective story, action adventure or just a plain old comedy. Such is the same with Un-Go. Instead of being a plain old detective story, it is infused with a healthy dose of the supernatural. He pursues his job as the "Last Great Detective". Others call him the "Defeated Detective". What's certain is that he's Shinjurou Yuuki, a young man with a passion for mysteries and a talent for solving them which has made him the target of dark forces now stirring within the sinister underworld of a near future Tokyo. That could prove lethal, given that not even the other "good guys", including the police, are exactly on Shinjouro's side. Fortunately Yuuki's not completely on his own, and with the aid of his uniquely talented associate Inga, he...

In years past, gaming franchises such as Nintendo's Mario Brothers and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog managed to infiltrate the mainstream. Hell, the Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo Super Mario Brothers film won multiple awards after its release and gained worldwide theatrical release.  Sure, everyone has heard of the Super Mario Brothers but not all of those people will be fans of the property. Bioware's Mass Effect, however, seems somewhat more restricted to current gaming fans and RPG fans at that. Regardless of how subversive the fan base seems to be, the Mass Effect franchise is a best selling, multiple award winner and continues to be a fan favourite to this day. Enter Mass Effect: Paragon Lost, a bridge between Mass Effect 2 and 3. It tells the tale of Alliance Marine James Vega and his elite squadron who are posted to a remote colony and tasked to combat the "Collector" invaders. Of course, things don't go according to plan.

Although still two months away from spinner racks, Star Wars Legacy: Prisoner of the Floating World has caused a buzz with comic book and Star Wars fans alike. While these two are not mutually exclusive, the fantastic response to Brian Wood and Carlos D'Anda's new Star Wars ongoing has breathed new life into Dark Horse's Star Wars franchise. Enter Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman. Fresh off the (silver) back of their Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes mini-series from Boom Studios, they have again joined forces but this time on the worlds most successful film franchise. Thankfully for ourselves and our loyal readers, Corinna and Gabriel took the time to chat to us about the upcoming release!

Aliens: Colonial Marines can't get here fast enough. High on many "Most Anticipated" lists across the internet, it's promising to be an intense first-person shooter experience with a firm focus on multi-player gameplay. Today, SEGA and Gearbox Software are proudly presenting the brand new Tactical Multiplayer Trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines. Showing a select number of special abilities on both the Xenomorph and the Marine side, the trailer gives you a glimpse at the various tactical choices that players need to make when playing the game's competitive, asymmetrical multiplayer. Follow on after the jump for more details and an all new gameplay trailer!

The Injustice news just keeps coming! This time we have confirmation of a SPECIAL EDITION which will be available exclusively from EB Games. Containing a range of content based upon fan-favourite Mark Millar's (Kick Ass) Superman: Red Son story. Check out all of the details after the jump!

Bethesda are renowned for their utterly immersive gaming experiences. The reason for such immersion is their attention to detail in all aspects of the created universe. Everything from the visuals to gameplay and, of course, the soundtrack and in terms of gaming soundtracks, they don't get much more epic than these. Bethesda is pleased to announce that the official soundtracks for seven of their most popular games are now available for purchase on iTunes. Follow on after the jump for links to the newly released Bethesda soundtracks, available now on iTunes!