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

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

I really wanted to like ‘In the Electric Mist’ but I just couldn’t get into it. The movie didn’t really grab me the way I expected. With a great cast including Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman, I guess I was waiting for something that never arrived. This is probably not the fault of the actors who for the most part, seemed to be doing their jobs respectively well. Tommy Lee Jones is not new to playing law enforcement in a movie and we’ve all seen how exceptionally talented he is. John Goodman is believable as the bad guy in town but there’s very little else happening.

The movie begins to get interesting just when it also begins to get a little weird. Peter Sarsgaard’s alcholic movie star is kind of annoying (although I’ve really enjoyed Sarsgaard’s previous work). The plot takes a strange turn when he admits to Tommy Lee Jones’ character that he saw something strange out yonder near the bayou while he was recovering from a drunken binge. Hmm. My experiences of both being around drunken people and being a little tipsy myself is that when drunken people start talking about seeing dead things, bones in chains and such, you don’t really believe them. But believe him they did and the next thing we know, Mr Jones’ character is off on some wild-goose chase to find these bones.

As far as thrillers go, In the Electric Mist tries to build up to something but falls some-what short. You get the impression that there’s a gaping hole in the story somewhere and every single one of the main characters eventually ends up falling head-first into it, never to re-surface.

PCR Rating – 2/5

Distributor: Madman Films Released: 2009 Genre: Drama/Comedy Credits: Director: Oliver Irving Starring: Robert Pattinson, Rebecca Pidgeon, Jeremy Hardy, Powell Jones Rating: TBC

This is a preview of the media screener version of How To Be courtesy of Madman New Zealand.

Before Robert Pattinson grew fangs and found hair gel as Edward Cullen in Twilight, he actually did, you know, other movies. Shock horror!! Sorry Twi-fans, Robert wasn’t always a vampire and probably won’t always be one either as this surprisingly entertaining movie shows.

How to Be is Robert Pattinson at what I think is quite possibly his best (yes, I will probably burn in hell for admitting that Edward Cullen is NOT his best work) performance so far as the awkward music-loving Art. Although his character comes across as something of a psychological and emotional mess (with almost too much realism), you can’t help but feel sorry for the poor lad as he desperately tries to piece together some semblance of a family unit through bonding with his otherwise remote and dysfunctional parents.

Speckled with a dash of charming british humour (and Powell Jones as Dr. Ellington is fantastic), How to Be is a quaint, funny and light-heartedly entertaining flick. And it’s interesting to note that playing a musician seemed almost effortless for him in comparison to his somewhat strained performance as vampire Edward Cullen. One can’t help but think that Pattinson seems more ‘at home’ bringing to life a misfit like Art in How to Be than he does a vampire in Twilight.

But lets not pick on the man’s bread and butter although if Robert Pattinson’s performance in this is anything to go by, he might just see the sun rise again beyond the fan-infested, paparazzi-stalking death grip Twilight seems to have him in.

How to Be is available from Madman Australia:

Check out the trailer:

Distributor: Madman Entertainment  Released: 2008 Genre: Thriller/horror Credits: Writers: James Watkins Director: James Watkins Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, Jack O’ Connell Rating: R18

This DVD was kindly supplied by Madman NZ for review

Some of the most hidden gems of the Madman catalogue are the horrors and thrillers. If you’re a a thrill-seeker fan or you just really like the ‘edge of your seat’ feeling you get from being scared, you won’t be disappointed for looking up Eden Lake.

Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) and Kelly Reilly are Steve and Jenny, two young lovers who have planned a nice, cosy get-away for the weekend. Shortly after their arrival at Eden Lake, they are met with curiousity and disdain from a group of local kids. As it turns out, these kids are more like thugs than children and as time passes, become slightly more irritating and annoying to Steve, who makes a heroic attempt to confront the kids at one of their houses. After an unfortunate situation escalates, he narrowly escapes the house and realises that he may have bitten off slightly more than he could chew.

One thing leads to another and the holiday from hell for the couple begins shortly after they realise their car has been taken and they are trapped in an area surrounded by woods. A cleverly written script allows for the harrowing ‘cat and mouse’ chase between the thugs and the holidaying couple to keep us in nail-biting suspense.

The intensity of the movie creeps in slowly but eventually leads to some seriously graphic stuff  as each scene becomes more gruesome and horrifying. Without giving too much away, Eden Lake is very similar to ‘Funny Games’ with the same sort of premise leading to an unfortunate ending. You just know it’s going to end badly, and that’s partially why movies like this keep you interested. Macabre, I know but hey, that’s what a good horror/thriller is all about and Eden Lake is good horror.

Michael Fassbender is great in his role as is Kelly Reilly but the standout actor award goes to the leader of the thugs Brett (played by ‘Skin’s’ actor Jack O’ Connell), who manages to portray the vindictiveness of his character with precision and gritty realism.

Another gem from Madman. Don’t miss this at your local video store!

Buy this DVD

Distributor: Madman/Eastern Eye Released: 2009 Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller Credits: Writers: Chris Chow and Kenji Kamiyama Director: Chris Nahon Starring: Gianna Jun, Allison Miller, Koyuki, Colin Salmon Rating: TBC

This is a preview of the media screener version of Blood: The Last Vampire courtesy of Madman New Zealand.

Loosely based on the anime (animated movie) of the same name, Blood: The Last Vampire follows the story of Saya, a mysterious young woman who has a deadly secret and the equally mysterious organisation ‘The Council’ who work with her.

The character of Saya is well played by Gianna Jun who has just the right physicality and look to pull it off. The wire work and martial arts may look like something out of The Matrix or a John Woo movie, but I found the action scenes to be quite impressive (if you like special effects, you’ll really enjoy this).

If you’re a fan of the anime, you might find this rendition of Blood: The Last Vampire a little different to what you’ve read. The storyline has had a few ‘tweaks’ here and there, including one that involves Saya’s infamous Katana sword. This aside, if you enjoy vampire/action/thriller movies with loads of kick-ass martial arts action, keep a look out for Blood: The Last Vampire at your local dvd store.

Blood: The Last Vampire releases in New Zealand on January 14th, 2010.

Check out the trailer:

Pre order this DVD from Madman now:

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Distributor: Madman Entertainment  Released: 2009 Genre: Drama Credits: Writer: Michael Joy, John L. Simpson Director: Michael Joy Starring: Grant Dodwell, Don Reid, Paul Gleeson, Steve Rodgers, Steve Le Marquand, Paul Tassone Rating: R 16

This DVD was supplied by Madman Entertainment New Zealand for review

As curious as the title of this dvd may be, the movie itself  focuses on how a group of men who start out as strangers, bond over time to shatter the misconceptions and prejudices they have evolved with as men in suburban Australia.

The stunning portrayals by each member of the (almost) unknown cast will throw asunder any doubts you may have had about watching this movie. You’ll eventually be left with a mixed bag of emotions, some good, some sad and some even hopeful.

It’s hard to pinpoint which actor did the best job – equally all men involved in this movie carried their characters to the extreme, forcing you, the viewer, to see past the exteriors to what lies underneath the typical bravado of the ‘aussie bloke’. Some of what you’ll see and discover you’ll accept but alot of it you will want to cast away and forget. ‘Men’s Group’ is a moving journey through the lives of several men who are bound by their fear, anger and disapproval of each other to find what lies beyond first appearances.

Another A-Class movie from Madman.

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Distributor: Madman Entertainment  Released: 2007 Genre: Documentary Credits: Director: Jason Kohn Rating: M

This DVD was supplied by Madman Entertainment New Zealand for review

Imagine having your life threatened everytime you travel down the road in your car. That’s what life is like for the wealthy and well-to-do in Brazil. Send a Bullet is a documentary that focuses on the reality of life in the crime-infested cities of Brazil. A country that has more kidnappings than any other in the world, driven by criminals and gangs in their neverending quest for money and infamy.

The documentary is told through the eyes of several victims, the people who have come in contact with these victims and the criminals themselves. The gritty realism of this movie makes you wonder whether anyone can be trusted. It seems nobody is left untainted by the violence and criminal elements surrounding cities like Sao Paulo, not even the special squads of police who dedicate their lives to fighting this unstoppable wave of crime.

Send a Bullet is truth. It’s an honest and emotive look at life in a world controlled by crime, greed and suffering. A world that has you thanking your lucky stars it’s not your reality. A very humbling experience and a must-see documentary.

Distributor: Madman Anime  Released: 2008 Genre: Anime/Action/Supernatural Credits: Based on the Shueisha ‘Jump’ manga by: Norihiro Yagi Rating: R 13

This DVD was supplied by Madman Entertainment New Zealand for review

This review may contain spoilers.

If you’re a fan of action and supernatural animated movies, then you’re bound to enjoy Claymore. This anime was originally based on the Shueisha manga of the same name written by Norihiro Yagi. The Japanese have a great way of adapting animated movies from manga or comic books and you can be assured that if you’re a fan of the manga, you won’t be disappointed with the anime.

Claymore focuses on a main character named Clare. What’s unusual about Clare is that she is part human and part ‘Yoma’ or monster who is able to tap into her ‘Yoma’ powers when hunting down other Yoma. She is part of a powerful sect of female assassins called ‘Claymore’ who spend their time hunting down monsters of all descriptions. Sometimes, the Claymore even hunt down each other (if that’s what’s required).

The Claymore are feared and hated by just about everyone even though they seem to be putting their lives on the line everytime they’re hired to kill. The first chapter in this anime begins with Clare who has been hired to hunt down and destroy a Yoma that is threatening and killing within the confines of a small, rural village. There she befriends a boy who has lost his family to the Yoma. When Clare kills the Yoma (who turns out to be the boys’ brother), he finds himself completely alone and Clare, somewhat against her own better judgement (and code of the Claymore) decides to take him along with her on her journey.

The nice thing about the majority of good anime these days is the option to turn on English subtitles (or ‘subs’) so you can listen to the dvd using original Japanese. The Japanese voice actors are fantastic and on a personal level, I prefer to listen to all the anime I watch this way. I believe it brings a certain sense of authenticity to the story and I am also not a great fan of alot of the English voice acting. Alot of the time, the English voice acting just sounds overly cheesy but it is nice to have the option to switch between them.

Claymore Volume One features five episodes and each anime series typically runs for around 20 episodes. The disc also comes complete with a booklet that explains each character in this anime in detail complete with Japanese staff interviews and original artwork for the character designs. There are also a few extra features such as cast interviews, episode one commentary and trailers.

You can visit the Madman site for more information on this awesome anime series!

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