Geek of Oz

Much like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne is the kind of series that starts off saccharine sweet before eventually expanding into and hinting at something darker and more angsty. While Lagrange doesn't quite reach the same depths of unbridled despair that PMMM does, it manages to still be deep enough to counteract its otherwise derivative veneer. This isn't just another mecha series. Madoka Kyono is a good kid. She is the sole member of her schools 'Jersey Club' and makes it her mission to help people in any way that she can. She goes so far as to wear her bathing suit under her clothes at all times, just in case. So when she's approached by a mysterious girl named Lan to pilot a giant robot in order to protect her home town of Kamogawa, how can she say no? The whole set up is rather cutesy with the focus aimed squarely at Madoka (that name seems to be popping up a lot lately). While she may be cutesy and kind hearted, we get a l...

Apparently director Gareth Evans hasn’t heard that sequels are meant to be a massive disappointment for fans of beloved films, because The Raid 2: Berandal kicks the living bejeezus out of that concept. 2011’s The Raid set a benchmark for bat-shit-crazy martial arts set pieces, the likes of which induced guttural reactions from audiences, mostly due to the high impact, savage fighting style on display. Whilst the action got the blood pumping, it was wrapped in a grounded, well crafted and character-based story which really resonated with me. The Raid 2 deftly expands upon the world created in the first film, showing us the true breadth and depth of the corruption and violence which plagues the city. The beauty of this series is the simplistic storytelling. The first film revolves around a SWAT team storming a baddie-infested apartment building in order to take down a criminal kingpin; that is until all hell breaks loose. This film is set two hours after the events of the first f...

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 tha...

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 a...

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 than...

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...

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...

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 appropriate...

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 Franken...

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 th...

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...

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...

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...