Geek of Oz

Disclaimer: Due to technical reasons at my screening, we were unable to see the final thirty minutes of this film, but -- spoiler warning -- I still loved it! After the indisputable success of his directorial debut, Ted , which raked in over $540 million worldwide, I’d imagine Seth MacFarlane had free reign to make anything he wanted. It came as a surprise, however, when it was announced that he’d be making a western; no one really expected that. A Million Way to Die in the West is an entertaining assortment of oddball characters getting themselves into all sorts of trouble on the frontier, all woven together with that cheeky infectious charm that Macfarlane is known for. Set in Arizona in 1882, local sheep farmer Albert Stark (Seth Macfarlane) has just been dumped by his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried), after failing to take part in a duel. Albert’s life is forever changed when he meets the mysterious Anna (Charlize Theron), who helps him find his much-needed confidence...

Since 2009, Madman's "screening room" has been delivering free anime straight to your eyeballs. Now, 5 years and countless series later it has been replaced with great fanfare. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to animelab. com ! As of 5pm today, animelab.com will begin streaming some if the biggest series known to anime while also simulcasting  Date A Live II ,  Dai-Shogun ,  Riddle Story of Devil . Not sold? Well you could watch the complete  Attack on Titan ,  Space Dandy  and  Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood  series', completely free and with NO advertisements. Furthermore, animelab.com is tablet and smartphone friendly which means you can watch it on anything from the biggest to smallest screens. Go sign up to the beta and enjoy all that animelab.com has to offer. EDIT 7:26pm - After logging in and checking out a few of the titles for myself, I can already see that in spite of being in the beta phase, AnimeLab.com ...

Thanks to our pals at Madman we've got some awesome anime to give away. The titles on offer include the following: The Cat Returns (Blu Ray) Princess Mononoke (Blu Ray) Psycho-Pass Collection 1 (1x DVD, 1x Blu Ray) Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne Collection 2 (DVD) Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic Collection 2 (DVD) All you have to do is fill out the form below and you could win one of the titles listed above.  Don't forget, you can get yourself a bonus entry just by  following us on Twitter  or  liking us on Facebook! THIS COMPETITION HAS CLOSED  Entries close 11:59pm on Sunday 8th June 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...

Back in the late 80's and early 90's when I first started really immersing myself in the world of anime,  one genre seemed to be the next big thing and all but promised to be the quintessential theme when people mentioned the word 'anime'. The genre in question is cyber-punk which, while it still seems to have left its mark and influenced films such as The Matrix (which in turn influenced a new generation of cinema), makes its way to the screen far less frequently than I anticipated as a teenager. Perhaps the reason for this is that we're quickly catching up to the technology that the cyber-punk genre makes seem so fantastical. One of the forerunners in the cyber-punk genre and the production company responsible for Ghost in the Shell, Production I.G, is back and with them comes the next big thing in the genre, Psycho Pass. In somewhat of a cross between Ghost in the Shell and Minority Report, Psycho-Pass shows a humanity which has evolved its technological abi...

I dedicate (some would argue waste) countless hours watching films in search of moments when the art form genuinely moves me. Scanning for films which surpass mere entertainment or even escapism, in hope of witnessing something which feels significant. My Sweet Pepper Land the latest film by Hiner Saleem sits comfortably in this category. I feel it’s only fair to warn you that this may very well descend quite rapidly into an all-out-love-fest, such was the experience I had watching it, so i’ll try to maintain some level of composure, but no promises … The film is set in a post Saddam Hussein Kurdistan, which  is struggling to define itself despite newfound independence. Baran (Korkmaz Arslan) is a restless war hero, who in search of a new challenge, agrees to be the sheriff of an undesirable remote rural village. Enroute to his new posting he meets Govend (Golshifteh Farahani) the village school teacher, Govend is dedicated to her work, despite immense pressure from her fa...

Christof and Billy start an all-new column featuring some of the choice Image Comics released this past week. Check them out below and tell us what you think as well! MPH #1 Written by Mark Millar Art by Duncan Fegredo Christof: Mark Millar hasn't been shy about his intentions to create what he has dubbed 'The Marvel Universe for the 21st century'. Which of course involves drug use, gangs, gratuitous violence and lots and lots swearing. That's what all the cool kids are into right? And Mark Millar is nothing if not one of the cool kids. The latest in his line of 'Millar World' books is MPH a story about a couple of down-and-out kids from Detroit who stumble upon a pill that gives them super human speed for seven days. This first issue very much sets it all up. We meet Roscoe, a likable and ambitious drug dealer who wants to make his money and then go clean. Well that is until his supplier sets him up and he lands in jail. Queue magic pill....

For quite a while there it was difficult to find a good quality video game based on a comic book, not to mention a film. So it comes as no surprise that The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a game based on a film which is based on a comic book, is rather lacklustre. Sure, swinging around the city is fun but it's been done, and done rather well, for many a Spider game. Luckily for me, and for this game, I'm a Spidey fan. Spidey has been my absolute favourite since I was a wee chap. Whether it was his wise-cracking nature or everyman demeanour, there was just something that drew me to ol' webhead. So unless this game had absolutely no redeeming qualities, there's a good chance that I'd enjoy it. Swinging around the city is fun, and is probably one of the best things about the game but even that has its issues. The camera has a tendency to bug out (pun intended), particularly when you transfer from web-slinging to wall-climbing. There's nothing particularly new abo...

Ask Madman is BACK and yet again we've got some awesome questions answered by the Madman crew. One question in particular is quite a doozey and I've gotta say, Madman handle it really well.  Ask Madman answers the questions that you'd usually only get to ask at a convention and this volume is a cracker! With questions on anime, manga, J-Pop and cinema, this volume has got something for everyone! Got a question of your own? Make sure you head over to our Ask Madman form and submit your question for the next volume.  You've got a little something on your face... Adam: When do you plan to release The Raid 2 on Blu-ray? Also, if possible can you please release a version with a slipcover which matches the JB Hi-Fi exclusive version of the first film? As a major fan of both (loved the second in cinemas) this one deserves a special release! Cheers! Madman: We’ll be releasing it on August 6. There will be heaps of killer bonus content for both DVD ...

You'd be hard pressed to name a bad film from Studio Ghibli. Sure, some are better than others but I'd not dare say that they've ever made a bad  film. So needless to say, the review ahead is all but guaranteed to be a positive one. Films like My Neighbour Totoro and Ponyo are family favourites, light-hearted, beautiful and whimsical. They're the sort of films that most people think of when you mention Ghibli. Then there's Princess Mononoke. This film is incredibly emotive, powerful and proof that animation isn't just for kids. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the age recommendation for this film, M15+ is probably about right considering some of the scenes and themes in this incredible piece of cinema. During a press junket in 1999 in Toronto, Miyazaki himself admitted that the film is not intended for young children due to its depiction of violence before professing, however, that children are surrounded by it stating, "violence is innate in...

Monsters don't get much bigger than Godzilla, both literally and figuratively. The anticipation surrounding the latest incarnation of the King of Monsters has been palpable; Godzilla + Kick Ass + Heisenberg = unbridled awesomeness. Unfortunately, Hollywood doesn't often subscribe to the science of math and Godzilla is case in point. Granted, this film is leagues beyond what we were left with from 1998's train wreck of a film, but still didn't live up to my own lofty expectations. That said, I guess I have no one to blame but myself for that one. Glaring plot holes and lengthy exposition fuel what could have either been an all out, balls to the wall kaiju slugfest or a more subtle yet still ultimately terrifying creature flick like Gareth Edwards previous jaunt, Monsters. Unfortunately, only Brian Cranston seems to deliver his A game. The great hunk'a'spunk, Aaron Taylor-Johnson certainly looked the part but never really seemed emotionally invested i...

For those who like their fantasy alternative, there couldn't be a better time to be reading funny books. Series like Fables, The Unwritten, Rat Queens, and more recently Shutter all delight in mashing up the magical with the mundane. Minotaur taking public transport, a talking squirrel with a machine gun and magic rune-stones that double as mobile phones are all common sights in this emerging sub-genre. It is in this trend from which Hinterkind, a post apocalyptic fantasy tale written by Ian Edginton with art by Francesco Trifogli, is born. After a mysterious disease known as the blight kills almost all of mankind, the forgotten races of myth and legend emerge from their hiding places to reclaim the world. Trolls, fauns, faeries, elves and a myriad of other fantastical races all reappear and are known collectively as the 'Hinterkind'. Understandably, these Hinterkind are pretty pissed off at us homosapiens for chasing them into the shadows in the first place with ...

Based on the light novel series of the same name by Jō Taketsuki, Campione! (the ! is supposed to be there), is a real mish-mash of genres and sub-genres, somewhat to the detriment of the cohesiveness of the entire series.  "It’s a long fall from grace once you’ve reached the top. Kusanagi Godo is to become the stuff of legends, when he slays the God of War in fierce combat. Now known as Campione, a God Slayer, Kusanagi is tasked with the job of defending his title and turf against other fierce individuals after the prestigious name. But despite the constant mortal peril, there are some benefits to the job and it comes in the form of some devoted female followers and really how is a guy supposed to resist?" - Hanabee There are some very cool and very epic battles in Campione!, so too is there some very funny/saucy/awkward harem scenes but the problem is that this series doesn't quite commit to either in its short 13 episode run. If only this were an a...