Geek of Oz

Thief from Square Enix and Eidos-Montreal is looking to be an incredibly moody and highly polished affair. From all of the clips released so far, none will excite long-time franchise fans as much as this first look at the exclusive pre-order level, The Bank Heist.

With Tim Winton's critically acclaimed THE TURNING hitting cinemas today, Madman Films have supplied us with a handful of clips that highlight exactly why this film is receiving rave reviews. This is nothing short of extremely exciting and innovative filmmaking and as an added bonus, it's Australian.

Do you feel the need? Well, if you do indeed feel the need for velocity, as it were, then you're in luck. EA's super successful driving game franchise, Need for Speed is set to hit screens in March 2014.  DreamWorks Pictures’ “Need for Speed” marks an exciting return to the great car-culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, when the authenticity of the world brought a new level of intensity to the action on-screen. Tapping into what makes the American myth of the open road so appealing, the story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country journey for our heroes—one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption. Based on the most successful racing video game franchise ever with over 140 million copies sold, "Need for Speed" captures the freedom and excitement of the game in a real-world setting, while bringing to life the passion for the road that has made our love of cars so timeless.

One of the two stand out films in terms of emotional resonance, A Letter to Momo is a heartwarming story of love, loss and friendship all seen through the innocent eyes of 11 year old Momo Miyaura. Suffering from the recent loss of her father, Momo and her mother move from the bustling heart of Tokyo to the tiny yet idyllic island of Shio. Through a series of inexplicable events, Momo winds up embarking on a journey with Iwa, Kame and Mame, three mischievous yokai. This journey will not only see Momo grow as a young lady but also give her closure of the untimely and heartrending death of her father.

Thanks to our pals at Madman, we've got the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special on Blu Ray and DVD to give away, just in time for the appearance of Seth Green and Matt Senreich at  GRAPHIC Festival . Robot Chicken’s Seth Green, Matt Senreich, Tom Root, John Harvatine IV, Eric Towner and Doug Goldstein will bring their multiple Emmy Award-winning stop-motion classic to life, live on stage in Robot Chicken Live, exclusively at Sydney Opera House’s fourth annual Graphic Festival on Friday 4 October.  All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to score a copy of ROBOT CHICKEN DC SPECIAL on Blu Ray or DVD. Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook!

There's not all that much to be said about the latest Evangelion film to hit Australian shores apart from "wow". Reviews are generally written in order to influence the audiences decision making as to whether or not a film is worth their time and money. Realistically, Evangelion already has such a gigantic and rabid fan base that will flock to cinemas regardless of what the reviews say but, hey, it's worth a look. Be forewarned, not much can be said about this film without a certain amount of spoilers, however, they will be kept to a minimum.

Of any childhood franchise, Transformers certainly holds a special place in my geeky little heart so the press release below from Madman makes for many of the happies. What makes me even more happy is that these aren't just any releases, they're the perfect accompaniment to Madman's already extensive coverage of Transformers lore. Transformers fans, like myself, are in for a treat and will no doubt relish the bevvy of releases planned up until Michael Bay's next instalment.

Hanabee are slicing out a little bit of a niche area for themselves with the release of Anohana, The Ordinary Lives of High School Boys, Toradora and now Tsuritama. All fantastic series in their own right but they all seem to have a common thread in being kinda-sorta slice of life series. In no way is this a bad thing. Their catalogue is well balanced with the darker Bakemonogatari and Another as well as classics in Princess Knight and the upcoming Revolutionary Girl Utena. The only reason that this really stands out is because up until now, slice of life type titles have been few and far between. 

Directed by Shin Oonuma (Dusk maiden of Amnesia & ef ~ a tale of memories) and animated by SILVER LINK studio (Dusk maiden of Amnesia & Baka to Test), Kokoro Connect (ココロコネクト) blends drama, romance and supernatural elements and it's coming to Australian shores! Sure, it may be a few months away but that just means that there's plenty of time to get excited! Hanabee have announced the acquisition of the series and will release the first 13 episodes (sub/dub) on both Blu Ray and DVD on the 4th of December.

Thanks to our friends at Warner Bros we've got 5 copies of The Big Bang Theory The Complete Sixth Season to give away on DVD. The incredibly successful, and hilarious, Big Bang Theory returns for its 6th season and it's lost none of its mojo. The Big Bang Theory, The Complete Sixth Season, is available on DVD and Blu-ray with UltraViolet from September 18th. All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to score a copy of The Big Bang Theory Season 6 on DVD. Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook!

Thanks to our friends at Icon we've got 5 copies of Harmony Korine's divisive SPRING BREAKERS to give away on Blu Ray. In a little bit of a change from our usual competition you'll need to check out Stu's review of SPRING BREAKERS for the answer to the competition question. As SPRING BREAKERS is rated R18+, this competition is only available to those 18 years of age and older. By entering this competition you acknowledge that you are 18 years of age or older. All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to score a copy of SPRING BREAKERS on Blu Ray. Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook!

Based upon Shirow Masamune's 1980's manga series, Appleseed XIII is a 13 episode series that roughly follows the story line of the manga while taking libertires here and there to appeal to current day audiences. Deunan and Briareos return in an all new adventure by the master of the cyberpunk genre.

Here’s a hell of pitch for a film, Blancanieves is a re-imagining of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs set in the world of 1920s Spanish Bullfighting. Oh and it’s in black white and silent. Take a moment to digest that. With the success of 2011s The Artist , I guess it was just a matter of time before we’d be treated to similar projects. Blancanieves is a stunning film with drop dead gorgeous photography. 

Vin Diesel returns to the role of Richard B. Riddick, the mirror eyed killer who gave the grumbling beefcake his break as leading man in 2000's PITCH BLACK . A sleeper hit, PITCH BLACK was and still is a much more highly regarded sci-fi thriller than the pretty mess that is 2004's THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK .  Hot mess or not, it must have made enough money for another crack at the box office. Enter RIDDICK . 

Stan Lee is a name synonymous with Marvel Comics but now the co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, X-Men, The Fantastic Four and many others is fighting alongside his creations in LEGO MARVEL SUPERHEROES. See him spin webs, stretch fantastically and Hulk out alongside X-Men, Avengers and the Fantastic Four. The LEGO franchise has expanded from it's 1932 beginnings as a wooden toy manufacturer to the impending release of a Hollywood backed blockbuster film and in the midst of it all is the tremendously successful series of video games. While these video games may be based upon already successful franchises, the LEGO icon and namesake "leg godt", Danish for "play well", serves as the ethos for past and future productions. In short: if it's Lego, it's fun. Check out what Stan "the man" Lee has to say about his Lego experience. EXCELSIOR!

Madman confirms the acquisition of Hayao Miyazaki's final feature film, The Wind Rises ( 風立ちぬ).  Realistically, this announcement should come as no surprise. Of course we would be getting the film eventually but what is a surprise is the fact that Madman have not only acquired the rights, but also made the acquisition public while the film is still in Japanese cinemas. Australia's biggest anime company doesn't muck around! Follow on after the jump for Madman's official press release.

I was equal parts intrigued and nervous when I picked up The Star Wars #1, an adaption of George Lucas' first draft screenplay of what later became the six Star Wars films. I could almost smell the weight of expectation as I cracked open issue one, this is after all an untold preliminary version of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. So no pressure guys. As I'm not usually big fan of licensed titles, and I haven't read any of Dark Horse's Star Wars comics before, I was intrigued by what I might find enclosed between the 22 pages of The Star Wars #1. What I found was more or less what I expected.

A quick reminder for all Indiana Jones fans, the Hayden Orpheum at Cremorne has a special treat for you. As part of their I ♥ Retro series they are showing The Indiana Jones Trilogy on the big screen. To make matters even better they aren't even going to acknowledge that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull exists! There is a $100 prize for the best costume, plus the cinema is fully licensed, perfect for a lazy Sunday. If you've never been before these screenings are great fun. Tickets available at the box office. Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace 380 Military Road, Cremorne - Stu

One of our absolute favourite film festivals returns this year with a ridiculously awesome line up. There's something for everyone this year at Japan Foundation's 17th annual Japanese Film Festival.  Over the last couple of years Geek of Oz has brought you a whole bunch of JFF reviews and 2013 is no different, expect reviews to start popping up over the next couple of weeks. 

Deep Impact tussled with Armageddon , Dante’s Peak schooled Volcano and now its White House Down’s opportunity to go twelve rounds with its own evil doppelganger Olympus Has Fallen. Finally we’ll have the definitive White-House-destroying, Die Hard -imitating, American-Flag-waving film I’ve been searching for these past few years. I don’t shy away from the fact that I hated Olympus has Fallen , in fact I’m tempted to just use this review to kick the film a few more times, but I won’t because that would only drag me down into the gutter where Olympus Has Fallen lives with the other garbage, filth, vile trash and lies… but I digress. White House Down is an entertaining and surprisingly funny action film with solid performances.

Based on the Dark Horse comic book of the same name by Peter M Lenkov, RIPD is the latest in a slew of comic book movies to grace the big screen in 2013 and thanks to our pals at Universal we've got 10 in-season double passes to give away. In Australian cinemas from September 12, RIPD revolves around a recently slain cop who joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him. All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to score a double pass. Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook!

Available now on Blu Ray, DVD and digital, Iron Man 3 is the latest in Marvel Studios' multi squillion dollar franchise. Okay, a slight exaggeration there however Iron Man 3 IS the 5th highest grossing feature film of all time and we've got 3 copies on Blu Ray to give away thanks to our pals at Disney. After finally settling down with girlfriend Pepper Potts (academy award winner Gwyneth Paltrow) Tony’s life is thrown into turmoil when an unknown enemy shatters his world. Embarking on a journey to find those responsible, the cunning entrepreneur will be tested at every turn.  Forced to rely on his wits to conquer evil and exact revenge, Tony must reexamine his life and answer the question that has secretly plagued him all along, does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?  All you have to do is fill out the form below and you're in the running to win a copy of Iron Man 3 on Blu Ray. Don't forget, you can score yourself an extra entry just by