The second episode of Misfits finds our motley crew of ASBO offenders still trying to figure out what happened to them after the storm. Nathan has bigger problems when he finds himself being thrown out of home. After several attempts to hook up with ‘friends’ who seem like they don’t wanna know, he decides to camp out at the community center. Meanwhile, the disappearance of the probation worker has other interested parties leaving eerie notes in the Misfits’ lockers. The replacement probation worker takes over and it appears as if things are back to normal, or as normal as could be for the Misfits.

ASBO of the moment Nathan manages to hook up with a local community center volunteer only to discover that she isn’t quite what she seems. The other Misfits are still experiencing freaky after-storm weirdness such as disappearing completely (in Simon’s case) and Alisha can’t touch anyone without turning them into raving, sexually aggressive lunatics lusting after her.

Just when it seems like life could be bearable after the storm, weird things keep happening. And the Misfits aren’t the only people who have been affected by the storm.

Lots of questions still remain unanswered and in true Misfit fashion, they’re winging it and hoping for the best – just as long as their ‘secret’ remains a secret, of course.

New Zealand television really does kinda suck. And hard at that. There are shows that we get which are shown in other parts of the world at the same time and then there’s… everything else. Like Survivors for instance. Survivors is exactly the type of stuff I love to watch and now that I have a brand new telly with freeview HD built in, I could easily spend time with my eyes glued to the box watching quality drama like this.

Survivors will eventually be broadcast on New Zealand television despite having been released two years ago… WTF is up with that? I really have no idea why we’re always consistently behind everyone else when it comes to certain TV shows and really up to date with others (like True Blood).

And for those wondering, I’m not referring to the 1975 classic BBC production of Survivors but the remake which aired in the UK in 2008. Post-apocalyptic plot based on the lives of survivors that manage to live through a life-threatening flu pandemic which kills 99 per cent of the world’s population. Yeah, exactly the type of thing I’d love to watch but two years after the rest of the world? That’s kinda sad. Will I still watch it? Absolutely. As I’ve previously admitted, Brit TV is my favourite and anything post-apocalyptic is worthy of my time.

Starring:Iddo Goldberg, Deborah Francois, Fernando Tielve Genre: Drama IMDb:Unmade Beds Released: July, 2009 NZFF (New Zealand)

For the first half of this movie, I was intrigued. I felt genuinely interested in finding out all about Axl and his life of reckless debauchery in the underground scene of London town. But somewhere along the way I got side-tracked and things seemed a little hazy. Random events ocurring in the lives of both Axl and Vera became intertwined. It was no longer a clear cut path and the Unmade Beds became a mish-mash of imagery – broken glimpses of two lives thrust together by chance.

I don’t like messy storylines. Watching Unmade Beds began as if a painter was about to embark on creating a masterpiece with a blank sheet of canvas. But it soon became a collage of messy images, alot of which seemed unsubstantial. I did however enjoy the part of Axl’s story as he tried desperately to piece together aspects of his life after locating his father. This gave the character of Axl some backbone, something deeper than drugs, orgies and dancing to crappy music.

Maybe I’m just not made for art-house movies. None-the-less the acting talent of our two main characters Vera and Axl (Deborah Francois and Fernando Tielve) is undeniable. Diary of a Call Girl’s Iddo Goldberg is also worth a mention – he’s just great.

Image via Vimooz

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner. Genre: Action/Romance/Drama IMDb: Twilight: Eclipse Released: July 1st, 2010 (New Zealand)

If you’ve read the books then you won’t need any introduction to the three main roles in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series so we’ll cut to the chase. The third movie was really a bit of a snore-fest (and that’s coming from a fan!) because I’m pretty much over the whole shirtless Jacob and sparkly-skinned Edward thing (actually, I was never really a fan of either of those aspects of the movies). In fact, the storyline seemed something of a paper-thin, watered-down version of the book so in other words – lacklustre and pretty awful.

The only redeeming feature that Eclipse held for me was the great special effects work and the action sequences which were exceptionally well-done. And what really ruined it for me was the fact that I really enjoyed reading Eclipse and actually think it’s one of the best books in the series. The movie however, does nothing for it.

So if you’re a fan, you’re likely to be a little disappointed (unless you’re one of the devout fanatics who drool at the very sound of RPatz’s voice), and if you’ve never read the books then you’re going to miss out on alot. I know that books really can’t be entirely adapted for film but honestly, there’s alot that the movie didn’t capture – and things that I thought were over-accentuated and just plain cheesy.

Yes – people WILL get sick of seeing Jacob running around without a shirt on (as cut and healthy-looking as he is) and yes, people will get sick of the drooly, love-scenes between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart that lack any sort of REAL chemistry. I’m pretty sure that if any genuine feelings between the two actors existed, their on-screen love connections would be just a little more impassioned. Actually, just thinking about that, their on-screen chemistry was off the chart in the first movie. Maybe that’s because back then, there was something real, however minute it may have been. But whatever it was, it’s not there any more. Now they really are just actors pretending to be in love for a pay cheque and doing a very poor job of it.

I’ll finish what I started and see the other two movies only because I like to finish things. But I’m hoping that the script writer will actually do a better job for the last two movies because Eclipse was definitely eclipsed alright – eclipsed by the dollar signs floating around in the Hollywood air… oh yeah, and one last thing – the wigs the cast wore – they were terrible!

PCR Rating:

Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris. Genre: Action/Martial Arts/Drama IMDb: Ninja Assassin Released: June, 2010 (New Zealand)

When the main actor in a movie’s first name is ‘Rain’, you might be forgiven for being just a tad dubious about the movie’s content. And honestly, when I first saw Ninja Assassin on the shelves at my local DVD store, I wasn’t jumping at the chance to watch it, which is kinda odd for me considering I love martial arts movies. The fact that Rain is actually a rock star in Korea and not really a serious actor didn’t help much either.

And my hunch was almost just about right. Rain’s acting ability is clearly something you really, really have to look for (with a microscope). Acting alongside Naomie Harris probably didn’t make things any easier for him considering Naomie is a seasoned actress and also one of my favourite Brit actresses (she was fantastic in 28 Days Later). But where Rain may have failed in the delivering of his lines department, he surely made up for it in spades in the action scenes and came across as something of quite a natural.

The Wachowski brothers along with Joel Silver were on production for Ninja Assassin and being the huge Matrix fan that I am, I try to look out for projects these chaps are associated to. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Ninja Assassin will make it into their top five movie projects but the martial arts sequences were actually pretty kick-ass. The only thing I couldn’t quite get a handle on was all the blood – I mean so much blood that any value the martial arts scenes may have had were unceremoniously buried under a sea of slurpy, messy, red stuff. Kinda fail.

However, all was redeemed when legendary Sho Kosugi took his place in front of the camera. I’m sorry but Sho F**CKIN Kosugi!!!!! This guy was a legend back in the day and ANY movie about ninja isn’t a movie without him in it. Yes, as you can guess, I’m a huge fan of Sho’s. I’ve seen all his movies and think he’s brilliant, even at the ripe old age of 62. His onstage presence is just so kick-ass and if you don’t believe me, try watching some of his earlier ninja movies – I recommend Enter the Ninja or Revenge of the Ninja.

So overall – Rain needs more acting lessons but kicks ass just fine and the director needs to understand that spraying everyone in the immediate area with fake blood until they’re drenched will over-shadow anything good a movie has to offer. Well almost anything – Sho Kosugi gives this movie serious brownie point cred.

PCR Rating:

Today’s visit to my local DVD store took me around 10 minutes. That’s actually a long time for me. I can usually spend less than five minutes in the store and know what I want (usually New Releases) – assuming I haven’t seen it at the movies first. But I’m happy to spend longer in the store if it means finding little gems like ‘After Sex’.

The movie is about what happens after the hanky panky (just as the title suggests). And it’s filmed so well that I found myself all over the place emotionally watching it. The movie is split up into short sequences between eight different couples – different people with different needs and sexual orientation. Pretty much everything’s covered – the gay couples (both male and female), the straight couples, the swingers, the cheaters, the virgins having sex for the first time and the one night stands. And not only is the script great but the cast will blow you away – Mila Kunis (from That 70s Show) and Zoe Saldana (pre-Avatar), Taryn Manning, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Jane Seymour even does a small bit.

The opening sequence was particularly powerful because the exchange between the two characters resonated with me on so many levels. When movie dialogue makes a connection to you, you know you’ve got a winner. The individual performances are also stellar; Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis are particularly great as are Emmanuelle Chriqui (as the cheating ex-girlfriend) and Taryn Manning (as the actress that fools her date into thinking she’s an incest-loving escort from Arkansas).

Movies like ‘He’s Just Not that Into You’ might be fun to watch and may have some big names fronting for the camera, but when it comes down to it, it’s always about sex and ‘After Sex’ deals with this straight-up without all the BS inbetween.

PCR’s Rating: 5/5

It’s a crying shame when you find gems like ‘The Poker House’ hidden away in the new release section down the back of your local video store. A shame because little indy projects like this one should get a whole lot more exposure and publicity than they do, especially when they’re directed by a reasonably well-known Hollywood actress.

Lori Petty’s (Tankgirl, Point Break) directorial debut is a ‘based on a true-story’ kinda deal about a 14-year old girl named ‘Agnes’ (played by Jennifer Lawrence) who lives a life pretty akin to something out of a freakshow. Her mother is a drug addicted prostitute (played fantastically by Selma Blair) bound to a pimp who runs their household like the local five and dime (except his wares are women). Surrounded by a maelstrom of disconnected humanity, Agnes is forced to be the mother figure for her two younger sisters, Bee and Chloe. So much living to do for such a young soul full of promise, intensity and life. You can’t help but feel for Agnes as she fumbles through school with straight A’s, holds down two jobs, one of which sees her writing poetry for the local rag and juggles her responsibilities as a star Basketball player on her high school team.

As each new day of her life unfolds like pages in one of her text books, we come to understand that Agnes knows what the future holds and isn’t afraid to grab hold of it, even at the risk of losing everything. One particularly tragic event forces mother and daughter to make painful choices and we finally see Agnes leave The Poker House with her two sisters in-tow.

If you’re not one for reading the synopsis’ on DVD covers, ‘The Poker House’ is based on Lori Petty’s life as she grew up in a small town in Iowa. It’s powerful and sobering and will make you sit up and take notice. Jennifer Lawrence won the award for ‘Outstanding Performance’ at the Los Angeles Film Festival for her portrayal of the young Lori Petty.

If you thought ‘Precious’ was good, you’ll absolutely love ‘The Poker House’ and in my opinion, this movie is far superior.

PCR’s Rating: At the very least you should rent this title.

Madman provide some of the most compelling and interesting dvds but also provide the best selection of anime in New Zealand. Blade of the Immortal is definitely a title worth checking out if you’re a fan of storylines set in the fuedal era in Japan.

As a rule, I haven’t reviewed alot of anime or manga titles here at PCR. I’ve decided to include good anime and manga titles on the site if I’m lucky enough to come across copies for review.

Blade of the Immortal is a story about a lone Samurai named Manji who is cursed with the ability to avoid being wounded. The only thing that can kill him is a very rare poison. He was cursed because of past deeds that resulted in the death of 100 Samurai and is persuaded (by the death of his sister) to seek an end to the curse. Thus begins the story of Manji’s journey to discover a cure for his curse.

Although one would think that being ‘cursed’ with the ability to avoid being wounded as a Samurai would be more like a blessing than a curse. Traditionally, it’s also a Samurai’s calling in life to die in battle with honour which of course is impossible if you’re cursed with not being able to die.

Blade of the Immortal is a moving story of one man’s struggle with his past mistakes and dealing with the price he has to pay for making the wrong choices. With the wonderful cinematic and animation work from Production I.G, Manji’s story is adapted brilliantly from the original manga by Hiroaki Samura.

The beautiful collector’s edition box set is also a must-have if you’re a fan and is the perfect way to collect the entire volume.

PCR’s Rating – 4/5

This month has been a great month for good comedy flicks. And when I say ‘good’ I mean movies that feature a really talented cast, a hip and funny storyline and fantastic dialogue. The worst type of comedy is one that doesn’t deliver the funny’s when you expect (afterall, a comedy is supposed to make you laugh, right?) and drags on without anything interesting happening. Hot Tub Time Machine gets big ticks in almost every area.

My only reservation about HTTM resides with the script – it’s a very out there concept so you’ve really got to be onboard with the idea of a hot tub that has the power to transport its occupants to another time dimension but hey, Dr Who does it in a telephone box so…

The casting however is awesome with John Cusack (who seems to be making a huge come-back lately after disaster flick 2012 and now this) nailing it in every way in his role as Adam, the unlikely ‘leader’ of a group of friends that have grown apart. I thoroughly enjoyed the upbeat flow of the movie. John Cusack’s uncanny ability to mix comedy with an edge of seriousness was one of the reasons why I enjoyed this movie so much.

If you’re thinking of taking kids be aware that Hot Tub Time Machine deals with adult issues of drug taking, alcohol consumption, sex and also contains excessive amounts of swearing (which really added to the atmosphere of the movie). So it’s not really a family flick unless of course, you’re OK with your youngsters being exposed to this sort of thing. However, if you meet the age restriction (which is R16 in New Zealand) then you’re good to go!

Hot Tub Time Machine releases in New Zealand on April 22nd, 2010.

PCR Rating - 3.5/5

I’m not a true comedy fan but ‘Date Night’ has to be one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long while. And this is exactly why I love going to the movies – you never know whether you’ll be surprised, excited, or even entertained. Date Night however, has no such problems and will take you on an exciting, entertaining and ridiculously funny journey thanks to the creative talent of Steve Carell and Tina Fey.

It’s during the funniest scenes in the movie that you can’t help but wonder if the genius of Steve Carell is really all created on the spot and unscripted. He’s a naturally funny person with an exceptionally funny face that just oozes humour. As for his co-star Tina Fey, who is equally talented – the two are the perfect match for Date Night. Serious points to the casting director on this awesome pairing.

The cast is literally a ‘who’s who’ of some of hollywood’s most talented actors including Mark Wahlberg, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco and Mila Kunis. William Fichtner from Prison Break fame is also worth a mention in his role as District Attorney Crenshaw because the scene in the nudy bar is so hilarious, it should come with a warning! Nice to see Taraji P. Henson getting out from under the TV camera again after doing a long stint in both Boston Legal and The Division.

Date Night is flawless comedy and fantastically scripted. Don’t be fooled by the silly face of Steve Carell on this one – even if you’re not into your comedy’s, you’re bound to find this movie is a bundle of laughs.

Oh and if you stay for credits at the end, you’ll see exactly why Date Night was so funny to make – even the outtakes are hilarious.

PCR Rating – 4/5

[Image via Imp Awards]