Geek of Oz

Thanks to our pals over at Icon Film Distribution we have 10 in-season double passes to see Spring Breakers. Our buddy Andrew Buckle over at Graffiti With Punctuation said of Spring Breakers "There are unforgettable scenes" and praised it for what is "surely the best use of a Britney Spears song in a film ever". Prepare to be shocked and surprised in SPRING BREAKERS, as Disney darlings Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens turn up the heat in a vacation they will never forget. When a group of college girls on Spring break land themselves in jail, they are bailed out by a local arms dealer and shown the ropes of a life that requires no college education. Alien (James Franco) takes them under his wing, providing a lavish home complete with a bed of cash, a grand piano by the pool and plenty of guns to keep them occupied. Together they embark on a wild ride on the wild side and show that good girls go to heaven and bad girls go to ‘Spring Break. In cinemas May 9. Plea...

Generally, I'm the kind of guy that likes his comedy to be of a higher brow than not. Sure, I have no particular problem with the Adam Sandler's and Jim Carrey's of the world but I'm more inclined to hunt down the stand-up comedy of Bill Bailey or Dylan Moran. All of this aside, I enjoyed a whole lot of laugh-out-loud moments while watching Nichijou - My Ordinary Life Collection 1. Nichijou is ridiculous. There's not really any other way to put it. The title, My Ordinary Life, is the perfect set up to completely flip the script on an unsuspecting audience member. There is absolutely nothing "ordinary" about this series. Many a website has described Nichijou as a "slice of life" series... sorry? Slice of what? The term "slice of life" is generally reserved for titles such as the delightful Honey and Clover , a series that involves a chain of events that, while dramatic, could very well occur in everyday life. While I'd hate ...

Chinese cinema is exploding onto the scene, mirroring the financial successes that Mainland China is currently experiencing. With the second largest film industry second only to the United States, Mainland China is churning out some big budget and highly polished cinema. Introducing Wu Dang. Set somewhere around 1930 in Mainland China, Wu Dang tells the story of Tang Yunlong, a Chinese archaeologist who has just returned from the USA. Upon his return, he finds himself in the middle of a dodgy second hand deal before punching his way out the back door, taking with him and ancient and seemingly mystical map. He and his daughter, Tang Ning, scarper away into the sacred mountains of Wu Dang where shenanigans and a healthy dose of fisticuffs ensue.

Currently touring Australia is the incredibly exciting Evangelion Art Exhibition. After wowing audiences on the Gold Coast, Shinji and friends will be heading to Sydney where the good folks at the Japan Foundation will be holding a very special Q&A with Japanese voice actress Yuko Miyamura, the voice of Asuka!  To add some icing to that already tasty cake, the Q&A will be facilitated by yours truly! Looking forward to seeing you there. Follow on after the jump for all of the details and don't forget to book ahead of time, seats are strictly limited!

With a slightly more gritty look than in the previous film, the mighty Asgardian, Thor returns to the big screen in the very first trailer for Thor: The Dark World. Check it out after the jump!

Only hours away from tonight's red carpet premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness in Sydney, J.J. Abrams, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban hit Bondi Beach with their custom made Star Trek surfboards. Apparently there was a red board made up but it was destroyed by a Gorn moments after leaving the factory. When will they ever learn? Sure, I haven't been to a beach in nearly 10 years but I need one of those boards more than I need oxygen! Sad but true. Click to enlarge

Being a lifelong Trekkie, I get excited by any extension to the Trek universe. From The Original Series to JJ Abrams' franchise reboot and even Star Trek Enterprise, I've loved it all. Needless to say, the chance to play an all new video game has me ridiculously jazzed, especially because it bridges the gap between JJ Abrams' first and second film in the series reboot.  Follow on after the jump for a behind the scenes, making of featurette with Executive Producer, Brian Miller.

Released in Japan in October 2012, 009 Re:Cyborg has just been announced as the second title to hit the big screen at Madman's REEL ANIME festival. The film is based on the 1960's manga series by Shotaro Ishinomori, who is also credited as being one of the godfathers of the tokusatsu genre after creating Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. 009 Re:Cyborg is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, long time Production I.G collaborator and director of the fantastic Eden of the East . Also involved in the project in composer Kenji Kawai who has worked on far too many  brilliant works to mention. Hopefully Madman will release further details once they're back from pleasing fans up at Gold Coast Supanova and we'll keep you up to date should an official press release be circulated.

To be completely frank, prior to watching this film I'd had no exposure to the Rurouni Kenshin franchise apart from the early 2000's Madman release of Samurai X: The Movie . That said, I have always been interested in picking up the anime series and manga series . But after seeing this film that interest has escalated into red-hot burning desire. Give me all the Kenshin's! It would be easy to assume that the hero of this film is a bloke named Rurouni from the Kenshin clan and while you aren't too far off the mark, you're certainly not right. From what I'm led to believe, Ru means "wanderer" while the rouni/ronin portion of the name means "masterless Samurai" which, in this case would mean The Wandering Samurai. Alternatively, Ruro (流浪) can mean "nomad" while ni (丹) can be "red" so it could also mean "The Red Nomad". Either way, our eponymous hero is named Kenshin and he's a wandering ronin, 'nuff ...

For quite a while now, I've been banging on about how excited I was about the impending release of Injustice: Gods Among Us. Well, the wait is over. Released but days ago, I finally got my hands on this bad boy and one thing's certain, this is one ridiculously fun game. Ridiculous is a particularly apt word to use. After all, we're talking about a game in which you take on the godly powers of some of DC's best known heroes and villains. Powers that can see you literally punching your opponent to the centre of the earth. Sure, I'm still salivating over the awesome looking Collectors Edition, complete with Batman vs Wonder Woman statuette, but the stand alone PS3 ain't none too shabby either.

Danger Club is an easy comic to pass on the shelf. It's got superheroes. It's got violence and it aims to be edgy. It's all stuff we see time and time again in the creator owned comic-book scene in the form of books like Hell Yeah, Irredeemable, Invincible and, of course, the book that started it all, Kick-Ass. What could be all too easily palmed off as another overly violent super hero "what-if" is actually a thought provoking and original story. Danger Club is a series that boldly combines Silver Age comic book sensibilities with Kick-Ass style violence to great effect. It's a wonderful homage to superheroes that both embraces and transcends the genre.

Olympus Has Fallen is best described as irresponsible trash. In the spirit of full disclosure I hated this film for a multitude of reasons. As I sit and write this, images are flashing over televisions and websites showing the destruction caused by crudely made bombs in Boston. In a post 9/11 world, terrorism is a real and frightening part of our lives. I clearly remember sitting with my family watching the horror unfold in New York as the Twin Towers came crashing down. It’s imagery that will be forever burned into my mind. So when I go into a film which promises bloodshed and mass destruction revolving around a terrorist act in an urban setting, forgive me if I’m slightly cynical and apprehensive.   

Madman are bucking the trend this year by holding their biennial anime film festival only 1 year after the last! Are we complaining? No. And neither should you. Last year saw the release of From Up on Poppy Hill , Children Who Chase Lost Voices , Wolf Children and Berserk: The Egg of the King . This years line up is looking to be a MASSIVE one with the first announcement knocking everyone's socks off.  Check out the full press release after the jump!

Every now and then a film comes along that renews your confidence in cinema. The sort of film that manages to elicit a response beyond the visual and auditory spectacle of a big budget action film or guttural grittiness of a well executed indie film. There was a sizeable amount of buzz around the release of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and while I may be a bit late to the party, I just couldn't refrain from sharing my thoughts on this film. This comes at a time when I, as a hack of a writer, have been finding it difficult to write. I've been feeling as though I'm treading water. Surrounded by people who are infinitely more talented than I could ever hope to be, I've struggled to find the time to write. In a paragraph full of heartfelt honesty, I should instead state that I've been struggling to make time to write.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower has reinvigorated my love for cinema and more specifically, my love for the art of storytelling.

Time for a frank admission: I entered Oblivion with extraordinarily low expectations. I wasn't a fan of Joseph Kosinski's previous film, Tron: Legacy, in the slightest. Beyond the visuals and soundtrack, the latter of which supplied by Daft Punk and Joseph Trapanese, it felt hollow and underwhelming. Thankfully, Kosinski seems to have grown as a director and has managed to deliver a film with all of the positive aspects of Tron: Legacy and little to none of the negatives.  Oblivion is an incredible treat for the eyes and ears which definitely benefits from a viewing on the big screen. Apparently, Oblivion is based upon an as-yet unpublished graphic novel by Kosinki and Arvid Nelson, a fact that seemingly slipped through the cracks. Regardless of whether this was subliminal cash-grab aimed at the proliferation of "comic book" movies or a simple coincidence, we may never know. Regardless, Oblivion manages to deliver a feeling of scale that seems to be desperately lac...

Personally, I loved The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey just as I've loved all of Peter Jackson's efforts in Middle Earth. While Jackson is known to press the envelope himself, it's Warner Bros that are forging new ground. Set for release on May 1st, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on DVD, Blu Ray and in an Australian first, UltraViolet.  What's UltraViolet? I hear you ask. Should I buy suncream? You openly wonder. Aw, not another crappy Milla Jovovich movie! You harumph. Well,  fear not. Find out all of the details after the jump!

Just when you thought the shelves were full of comic book properties, Marvel and anime superstars Madhouse join forces yet again to present the feature length Iron Man: Rise of Technovore.  Directed by the man behind Texhnolyze , Rise of Technovore features a fistful of cameos from some of the Marvel U's most recognisable characters including Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury and THE PUNISHER! Set for release on Blu Ray and DVD Australia wide on April 24th, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore will be another great addition to any geeks DVD shelf. Follow on after the jump for a couple of trailers.

Thérèse Desqueyroux , the latest film from Claude Miller, initially left me feeling irresolute in my opinion of it. I walked away not entirely sure what it was I was feeling. But the further I walked, the more I came to appreciate the subtleties of what it had achieved; my contemplative response to it being chief amongst them. It’s a film that really gets you thinking and stays with you long hours after the credits roll. At first blush, it’s a tale filled with largely self-interested characters that are difficult to sympathise with, but with time it blossoms into a far richer human story. 

Young Justice is a comic book series that I'm well acquainted with. Way back in 1998 I grabbed the initial comic book series by Todd DeZago and Todd Nauck. In what seemed to be DC's response to Image's Gen 13, Young Justice quickly became one of my favourite series. The later issues, predominantly penned by Peter David, showed a human side to superheroes that seemed to be lacking in other titles. These characters had some serious issues, well, they seemed to be big issues to my teenage mind. These superheroes were going through many of the problems that I had experienced! All of those awkward moments that you look back on as an adult and cringe. So when I heard that the series would be back and in the animated form, needless to say, I was excited. Thankfully, it is close to being as enjoyable as the original book.

Games based on some other form of media franchise such as film, animation or comic books have a tendency to stink. Hell, I'd even go so far as to say that the Superman Returns video game of 2006 smelled like blue cheese covered in burnt hair. Thankfully, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 smells as fresh as a daisy - a massive, deadly daisy.

This has got to be the biggest give away that we have ever had! Thanks to those awesome ninja masters at Madman, we have the following swag to give away! Before looking, take a deep breath and pop in some eye drops. Trust us, you'll need it. Okay, before we get into this, we should start off by checking that you're sitting down. Now, move any sharp objects that just in case you faint. Now make sure that you're somewhere that won't suffer when your head explodes from all of the awesome. Ok, ready?  - Soul Eater Complete Collection (Blu Ray) - Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Blu Ray) - Spice and Wolf Complete Collection (Blu Ray) - Bleach The Movie: The Diamond Dust Rebellion (Blu Ray) - Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody (Blu Ray) - Bleach The Movie: Hell Verse (Blu Ray) - Hellsing Ultimate Volumes V-VIII (Blu Ray) - Battle of the Planets Complete Collection (DVD) - Nichijou My Ordinary Life Collection 1 (DVD) - Infinite Stratos Series Col...

The giveaways just keep coming here at Geek of Oz thanks to the mighty fine folks at Hanabee! This month we have one of each of the following DVDs to give away: - Hiiro No Kakera - Inu X Boku Secret Service - Hakuoki ~ Demon of the Fleeting Blossom - Bakemonogatari collection 1 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 of these titles which will be chosen at random! Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook!

I recall watching the Identity Thief trailer and thinking that it would be a complete waste of time. That was until I saw that Seth Gordon was the director. Whilst his only films to date have been Four Holidays and Horrible Bosses, he is responsible for one of my favourite documentaries, The King of Kong. Identity thief has enough moments of real emotion to elevate it above the typical slap stick fare the trailer hinted at, without it being terribly remarkable. Jason Bateman plays Sandy Patterson, a mild-mannered guy who is the victim of career fraudster Diana, played by Melissa McCarthy. Sandy’s life starts to unravel. His cards are rejected, he’s arrested, fired from his amazing new job and, worse still, the police are unable to do anything about it, unless Sandy can get Diana to confess her crimes. Sandy takes matters into his own hands and travels cross-country to confront Diana. This fated meeting leads to each character learning more about themselves than they coul...

After hearing so much love for the World War Z novel by Max Brooks, this latest trailer has be rather excited! If the finished product is a intense as the trailer it'll be an excellent edge of your seat action/horror film especially with director Marc Foster at the helm! The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Check out the brand new trailer and brilliant poster after the jump!

In all the hype over the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us, it seems as though the uproar over Mortal Kombat's failure to launch was all but forgotten.  Thankfully, the good folks at Warner's never forget and have battled on to get the game released here in Oz. The recently classified Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition will feature an R18+ rating as well as a DLC featuring FREDDY KRUEGER!  Check out all of the details after the jump and don't forget to enter our Injustice competition!

After 15 seasons, Pokemon is still going strong and if it tends to feel a little formulaic it's probably because it is. That said, why change a winning formula? New foes, new friends, and dozens of never-before-seen Pokémon await Ash and Pikachu as they continue to explore the Unova region! It won’t be long before Ash finds himself up against the ultimate battle challenge: Alder, the Champion Master of Unova! Ash’s friends face their own trials as one fights for the right to continue her travels, and another confronts a returning challenge from the past. And it will take the combined strength of Ash, Cilan, and Iris to save an island from the clashing forces of three powerful and mysterious Legendary Pokémon! All that and Ash still has Gym badges to earn if he hopes to make it to the Unova League—can he prevail against Gym Leaders like the electrifying Elesa and no-nonsense Clay? - Beyond Home Entertainment

Australia's own Beyond Home Entertainment have a great history of delivering retro to our TV screens and now they're delivering retro to our conventions! Sure, there is plenty of conjecture about the "legitimacy" of Robotech but fact of the matter is this: Robotech is responsible, at least partially, for Western culture's love for all things anime.   Following their DVD release of the legendary 1985 series, Beyond Home Entertainment have announced a very special guest for this years Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Melbourne and the Gold Coast.

Back in September we reviewed the incredible Wolf Children  as a part of Madman's REEL ANIME and said that it was ridiculously close to perfection. In a splash of fantastic news, Madman in conjunction with NTV Films are bringing director Mamoru Hosoda and animation producer Yuchiro Saito to Australia for a strictly limited time. Even if you're not the type to go gaga over the sight of a brilliant filmmaker, you can also head along to special event screenings of the delightful Wolf Children. 

It's only a fistful of days until the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us, NetherRealm's DC smack down which promises to bring the EPIC. Thanks to the good folks at Warner Home Entertainment we have FIVE copies of Injustice: Gods Among Us to giveaway on either PS3 or Xbox 360. 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 a copy of Injustice: Gods Among Us on your choice of console! Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook!

Return of the Blue Tang! No, I didn't mispronounce the name of the latest RZA album, this is even better news! After the success of the sequels to Cars and Toy Story and the imminent release of the Monsters Inc sequel, FINDING DORY is due to swim into cinemas in 2015. Just keep swimming after the jump for more info!

As a character, The Green Hornet has never really piqued my interest. Admittedly it's not like he ever had much of chance given my first introduction to the character was the 2011 Green Hornet film staring Seth Rogen. Reading Kevin Smith's Green Hornet screenplay turned comic did little to remedy the situation as it didn't really bring anything new to the mythos. Well, unless you count making the Hornet's chauffeur, Kato, a female and for the record, I don't As far as I was concerned, The Green Hornet was nothing more than a goofy playboy vigilante. Just another costumed crime-fighter desperately being milked for cash in the age of super-hero super-stardom.

My first exposure to G.I. Joe came in the form of the 80s animated film and an action figure my grandmother bought me. Many a weekend morning my sister and I would sit down and watch the cartoon over and over again. I admire the simplicity of G.I. Joe which is good (G.I. Joe) vs. evil (Cobra) with massive guns and cool vehicles. I never saw the 2009 G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra , however I went into this film with expectations set to sceptical. Much to my surprise I was met by an entertaining film with never took itself seriously and delivered exactly what I needed from the franchise.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is only weeks away and the air is thick with anticipation. Add to the the pending GRAND FINAL of the Injustice Battle Arena and you have a DC smack down of epic proportions. Follow on after the jump for the semi-final matches with Batman vs The Flash and Superman vs Green Lantern PLUS some super good news regarding the impending release of the Injustice playable demo! Also, check back TOMORROW for a SUPER giveaway thanks to the good people at Warner Bros!

We here at Geek of Oz are Trekkies, through and through and after seeing the first 30 minutes of JJ Abrams much anticipated sequel to 2009's reboot we have an especially insatiable appetite for anything Trek related. Enter Star Trek: The Video Game. This game is looking like a tonne of fun! Hopefully the curse of movie based video games will skip this one. The celebrate, Captain Kirk and his old mate the Gorn got together to recreate one of the most iconic Trek scenes of all time. Follow on after the jump for the full story.

The Sydney Manga and Anime Show (SMASH!) is back for 2013 and their first announcement is a doozie!  Last year we had Miki Shin-Ichiro, Sakura Tange and Yuko Miyamura and this year is looking to be just as big. Having only reviewed the INCREDIBLE Steins;Gate earlier today, it makes us incredibly excited to share the following press release which announces the voice of Faris Nyannyan as their very first guest!

There are plenty of anime series out there and many of them draw some form of critical acclaim from us  humble otaku. One such series is the highly lauded Steins;Gate. Based on the visual novel of the same name, SG has become something of a media sensation. Since the release of its initial visual novel on Xbox 360, it has spawned a number of manga series, more games, a tonne of merchandise, an anime film, an anime series and Anime News Network have even reported that a stage show is in the works. Mucking around with the time space continuum is never a good idea, as self-proclaimed mad scientist Okarin finds out. Life, love and death all come and go when Okarin and his band of misfits learn to alter "world lines" but at what cost?

It's been a long time coming. One of the most highly regarded sic-fi television series of all time has finally made its way to Blu Ray and geeks everywhere are excited! Cancelled before its time, Firefly is something of a legend in geek circles and its cancellation after only one season has seen anger, tears and even a handful of conspiracy theories. Regardless of how saddening that fact is, ONE very special, limited edition steelbook Blu Ray copy of Firely is up for grabs thanks to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. 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 of these titles which will be chosen at random! Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook!