Fetch has rolled out a major update to its user interface which is designed to help viewers find new movies and TV shows to watch and pick up where they left off on other programs no matter where that content is located.

Tech Guide was given early access to the Fetch 3.30 Acacia update which will start rolling out to customers with the Fetch Mighty and Fetch Mini 4K from this week.

How can you tell if your Fetch TV box has been updated? You’ll know you’ve had the update when you see the home screen menu at the bottom of the screen.

This update offers a new look and feel to the interface, but it does make it a lot easier to navigate the menus and puts even more content and viewing options at your fingertips.

Fetch not only provides a TV tuner so you can watch free-to-air TV but it’s also a PVR so you can record programs as well.

But Fetch TV also offers so much more.

Users can also purchase channels packs from just $6 a month to watch premium channels like Discovery, ESPN, Nickelodeon, BBC Earth and much, much more.

It’s where you can buy and rent the latest movie and TV shows from the Fetch store as well as access hundreds of free movies from the Movie Box.

Fetch is also a central platform for users to access in one place all their streaming services like Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Paramount+, Prime, BritBox and YouTube.

All these features were available before the 3.30 update, but the new interface brings them all together and makes them even easier to access and aggregate.

It will cut down the time you take to find something to watch as well as reduce the times you need to jump in and out of apps to continue a show or find something new.

The new features and updates make the new Fetch TV interface is even smarter than a smart TV.

The first thing you’ll notice with the 3.30 update is the new home screen which now runs along the bottom of the screen so you can still see the live channel you’re watching.

Along this menu users can get to their own recordings and rented and purchased movies and TV shows in the My Stuff section, access the Guide, browse Shows and Movies, access streaming Apps and see what’s happening in the world of Sports.

MY STUFF

In this section you can continue watching shows and movies you’ve already engaged with and see new episodes and seasons of your favourites.

This also extends to the streaming apps you’ve signed into so you can pick up where you left off or discover news shows from that service.

My Stuff is also where you can find all your recordings.

GUIDE

From here viewers can see what’s on and what’s coming next on the free-to-air channels and the premium channels.

A new feature called On Now is a personalised feature that shows the channels you usually watch at that time of day.

You can also use the Guide to set reminders, plan recordings and record entire series of TV shows.

SHOWS

This is where the Fetch TV box gathers all your TV show options across streaming apps and catch-up apps based on what you’ve watched.

There are also different genres to browse including reality TV, documentaries, news and kids shows.

When you select a show you’re presented with an impressive information page showing all the ways you can watch the show whether it’s free without ads, free with ads or if a subscription or purchase is required.

If the show is available on a service you’re already subscribed to it will prioritise that selection and put higher quality versions (4K above HD) further up the list.

This section will even summarise where you can see the various seasons of that particular program as well.

MOVIES

When it’s movie night, the new Fetch TV 3.30 update will make the task of finding what to watch a whole lot easier.

At first glance you’ll see new movies from channels, streaming services, the Movie Store and Movie Box. It all on one screen.

When you dive into a title there are even more details about the movie including resolution, sound quality and even critics and Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Like TV Shows, it will also tell you where and how you can watch it across your subscription services, channels and the Movie Store and Movie Box.

It will prioritise where you can watch it for free and the highest quality.

APPS

In this menu you can see at a glance the trending shows on your subscription streaming services along with the highlights on the free-to-air catch up apps.

The apps are ordered based on the ones you watch most so there’s no need to jump in and out of apps and menus.

SPORT

Sports fans will never miss a match with the ability to browse sport content in one place which can then link viewers to the events that are showing live events on channels and streaming apps.

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Bitrate measures the amount of data used to represent a given moment for audio and video. In audio-visual media, bitrate plays an important role in determining the overall quality of the stream.

However, many factors come into play when choosing an optimal bitrate for streaming purposes. Notably, the chosen bitrate must balance ensuring a good image and sound quality while not overburdening network bandwidth. Understanding how different bitrates affect user experience and system performance is essential.

In this article, we will explore the concept of bitrate and if a higher bitrate is good for streaming.

What Is Bitrate?

Bitrate measures the data used to represent a digital audio or video signal. It can be calculated as the number of bits used for each media second. Bitrate is often measured in kilobits or megabits per second (kbps or Mbps). Video bitrate affects the quality of video streaming. Higher bitrates provide better-quality streams than lower bitrates. Generally speaking, more bits mean better video quality because it allows for more detailed encoding and higher-resolution images. You can use a bitrate calculator to help determine the optimal bitrate for a given video streaming service.

High Bitrate Vs. Low Bitrates

When it comes to streaming, higher bitrates are like the holy grail! But how does it affect streaming quality? To understand this, we must compare a higher and lower bitrate.

The main difference between a higher and lower bitrate is the amount of data transferred per second. A higher bitrate will lead to larger files with more data. It leads to better-quality audio and video streams. On the other hand, lower bitrates can cause compression artifacts and blocky motion in video streams. Higher bitrates also allow for faster streaming multiple media formats with high-speed internet. On the other hand, lower bitrates are more suitable for basic internet browsing or low-resolution audio and video streams.

Regarding streaming, a higher bitrate is much more desirable than a lower one. The extra data allows for better-quality audio and video streams. But in this case, the users need a high-speed internet connection.

Advantages of High Bitrate Streaming

Interestingly, streaming video with higher bitrates provides a plethora of advantages. Above all, the most obvious advantage is that high bitrates result in the higher-quality video. Regarding the streaming video, higher bitrates mean smoother transitions between frames without buffering which can occur in lower bitrate streams.

Furthermore, high bitrate streaming enables viewers to enjoy a higher-resolution image. It ensures improved color depth and clarity of images. They also benefit from improved levels of detail and sharpness compared to lower bitrate streams. High bitrates also enable smoother playback when streaming complex scenes and fast-moving objects. For streaming sports events and action movies, a higher bitrate is recommended.

Disadvantages of High Bitrate Streaming

Besides the advantages, high bitrate streaming has some potential problems also. There are several drawbacks to consider when streaming video with a higher bitrate:

• High bitrates require more bandwidth than lower bitrates
• Higher bitrates can increase latency due to increased buffering times
• Videos with higher bitrates may not be compatible with older devices
• Streaming videos with higher bitrates may result in choppy or interrupted playback when your internet is slow.
• Higher video bitrate streams generally require higher hardware specifications for smooth playback.

Factors to Consider before Choosing a Bitrate

When deciding on an appropriate bitrate for streaming, there are three important considerations to factor in variable bitrate encoding, video resolution, and frame rate.

Variable bitrate encoding:

Variable bitrate encoding is adjusting the bitrate to optimize the quality of streaming content concerning file size. It works by changing the amount of data used for each second of the video. VBR encoding allows it to reduce video file size without losing quality.

Video Resolution: 

Video resolution is also key when choosing a suitable bitrate. The higher the resolution, the higher the required bandwidth. Consequently, more data needs to be transferred. For transferring higher-resolution video, users need higher bitrate and bandwidth.

Frame Rate (FPS):

Finally, frame rate plays an important role when deciding on streaming bitrate. Frame rate measures how many images are shown per second. It’s measured in frames-per-second (FPS). A higher frame rate results in smoother playback but requires more bandwidth due to its increased file size. Therefore users must have sufficient bandwidth available when streaming at higher FPS levels.

These factors must be considered when deciding on an appropriate bitrate for streaming. Among them, each element will affect both file size and picture quality. Therefore users have to make careful choices to ensure high-quality streaming.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming: Alternative to High Bitrate

Adaptive bitrate streaming is a revolutionary innovation in digital media streaming. Like a soaring eagle, it has flown into millions’ homes and changed how we consume content. Through adaptive bitrate streaming, viewers can enjoy high-quality streaming without worrying about technical challenges like buffering or lag.

Adaptive bitrate streaming works by adjusting the stream’s bitrate to match the user’s available bandwidth. It allows for smoother and more reliable streaming. In the traditional streaming method, the bitrate is fixed. Since it’s fixed, it can’t adapt to bandwidth changes. But adaptive bitrate streaming allows users to watch streams in higher resolutions while enjoying uninterrupted playback. Additionally, adaptive bitrate streaming saves data by not downloading additional data when there are no changes in video quality.

Benefits of Adaptive Bitrate Streaming:

Adaptive bitrate streaming has plenty of benefits, and the core of them are cited below:

Increased Quality: Adaptive bitrate ensures smooth playback and better-quality video with fewer interruptions or buffering issues.

Cost Savings: Adaptive bitrate reduces data usage, resulting in cost savings for users on limited data plans.

More Flexibility: Users can adjust their viewing experience by changing their resolution or bitrates according to their needs or preferences.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming offers viewers unprecedented control over their streaming experience. It allows them to customize their playback options on a per-video basis without hassle or disruption in service. With its combination of superior quality and cost-saving capabilities, it’s easy to see why adaptive BitRate Streaming is quickly becoming the preferred method for video streaming.

Conclusion

In conclusion, bitrate is an important factor to consider when streaming content. High-bitrate streaming offers advantages such as higher resolution and better quality audio. But there are also drawbacks, such as increased buffering and limited device compatibility. Adaptive bitrate streaming can be a good alternative to high-bitrate streaming because it provides a more consistent experience by automatically adjusting the quality of the stream depending on the user’s device capabilities and network speed. Ultimately, understanding how to use bitrate effectively will allow streamers to deliver content in the most efficient way possible.

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It’s Movie Frenzy time again and you can rent or buy some of the biggest recent movie releases for as little as $3 and $10 respectively.

Movie Frenzy 9.0 runs until February 16 and includes the biggest blockbusters from 2022 including Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, Bullet Train, Ticket to Paradise and Super-Pets.

So get the popcorn ready for a movie marathon or a rewatch of a recent favourite.

And you can either rent the movies for as low as $3 each or pay $10 during this limited period and have these blockbusters in your digital library to enjoy whenever you want.

Movie Frenzy pricing can be accessed by Apple TV, iTunes Store, Fetch, Foxtel Store, Google TV, Google Play, Microsoft, Prime Video, Telstra Box Office and YouTube.

There are plenty of choices for fans of all movie genres including Top Gun: Maverick, Bullet Train, Ticket to Paradise, Elvis, and DC League of Super-Pets.

Tom Cruise gets back in the cockpit in Top Gun: Maverick as he trains a group of elite pilots to prepare for near-impossible mission.

Bullet Train is a claustrophobic action movie about an unlucky assassin determined to complete his latest mission aboard the world’s fastest train.

Julia Roberts and George Clooney star in romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise (filmed entirely in Australia) as the parents who try and stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer.

Biopic Elvis brings the life of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley to the screen and follows his journey as he becomes a showbiz icon.

The kids will love to catch up with the animated kids’ movie, DC League of Super-Pets that follows Super dog Krypto and a group of shelter pets with superpowers voiced by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as they try to rescue Superman and his squad.

Here are some of the recent release movies on offer, with hundreds of more movies available:

• After Ever Happy
• Bandit
• Bodies Bodies Bodies
• Bullet Train
• DC League of Super Pets
• Elvis
• Fall
• Nope
• Orphan First Kill
• Railway Children
• Paws of Fury
• Smile
• Sonic 2
• The Enforcer
• The Lost City
• Three Thousand
• Ticket to Paradise
• Top Gun: Maverick

Movie Frenzy runs until February 16. Title availability and pricing may vary per platform.

www.moviefrenzy.com.au

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Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech is part of an exciting new lifestyle TV program called Living Proof which aims to inform and inspire viewers with engaging segments about technology, health and wellbeing, travel and fashion.

The show was commissioned by GemLife, one of Australia’s fastest growing over 50s lifestyle resort operators, which has created communities across NSW, Queensland and Victoria with more on the way.

Living Proof episodes will be released monthly on YouTube and are aimed at active Australians aged 50 and over who want to stay on top of life improving innovations, make the most of their leisure time and invest in their personal and financial health.

Episode One of Living Proof is available to view on YouTube right now.

The show is hosted by Leigh Muirhead and Michael Croaker and is filmed on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Each episode of Living Proof has a team of experts including Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech who presents useful information in the Tech Savvy section of the show covering subjects like internet security, smart TVs, digital wallets, smart home devices and getting the most out of your smartphone and smartphone plan.

The Hidden Gems segment is presented by Graham Moore, an actor and performer and passionate traveller, who helps you discover incredible travel destinations and special events.

In the Health Check segment, dietitian Carly Barlow tackles everything to help keep you fit and healthy and eating right.

Express Yourself is all about fashion and Tasha Homan, a personal stylist, takes you through the accessories, cosmetics, shoes and clothes that can help you give yourself a personal makeover.

Episodes of Living Proof will be released monthly on the GemLife channel.

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Top Gun: Maverick has broken records around the world, including here in Australia, and has even joined the billion-dollar box office club but now you’ll get a chance to watch it in the comfort of your own home with its digital release on August 24.

The long-awaited sequel to the original film released in 1986, Top Gun: Maverick overtook Avengers: Endgame to become the third biggest film in Australia which has been watched by more than 4.6 million since its release in cinemas 68 days ago.

It is also Paramount’s most successful release ever globally.

From August 24, Australian movie lovers will be able to purchase Top Gun: Maverick in 4K and HD digital from stores including Apple TV, Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office and YouTube.

The film will be available for digital rental from September 14 and will be released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray Disc on November 2.

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell who we first met in the 1986 blockbuster that established him as a superstar.

Maverick is now a teacher at the Top Gun academy and must train a group of hot-shot young pilots for a dangerous mission in enemy territory.

The Top Gun: Maverick digital release will come with a range of bonus content including:
– Cleared For Take Off: Witness the most intense film training program as the cast

prepare themselves for filming while pulling multiple G’s in a fighter plane.

– Breaking New Ground: Filming Top Gun: Maverick—Prepare to take flight as you go behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew of Top Gun: Maverick on a journey to capture the most spectacular aerial sequences ever.

– A Love Letter To Aviation: Tom Cruise shares his passion for aviation as he pilots his own aircraft, a vintage World War II P-51 Mustang, which would have been the Top Gun aircraft of its day.

– Forging The Darkstar: Pushing the limits beyond Mach-10, the future of aviation is unveiled through an impressive experimental aircraft specially designed for the movie.

– Masterclass with Tom Cruise: Cannes Film Festival—Tom Cruise discusses his incredible career at the flagship event of the 75th Cannes Film Festival.

– “Hold My Hand” – Lady Gaga Music Video: Watch Lady Gaga’s music video for her standout lead single hit on the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack.

– “I Ain’t Worried” – OneRepublic Music Video: Check out the music video to the original new song from OneRepublic.

– Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Teaser Trailer: We all share the same fate. Watch the official teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One starring Tom Cruise. Coming to theatres 2023.

Digital rentals for Top Gun: Maverick will commence from September 14 and if you want to buy the film on 4K, Blu-Ray Disc or DVD you’ll have to wait until November 2, 2022.

The 4K Ultra HD will include Dolby Vision HDR (high dynamic range) and will include a Dolby Atmos soundtrack so you’ll be hearing sounds coming from all around you and above you.

If there was one movie you want to hear in Dolby Atmos – it is Top Gun: Maverick.

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Subtitles used to be for understanding a foreign film, but it’s been embraced by younger viewers who want to read what’s being said on their favourite programs.

Research from preply.com shows 70 per cent of Gen Z respondents (people aged between 10 and 25) prefer subtitles either sometimes or all the time when watching TV shows and movies.

And Millennials (people aged 26-41) ranked second with 53 per cent followed by Gen X (38 per cent) and Baby Boomers (35 per cent).

But the next question is why they prefer subtitles and the responses varied between wanting to understand accents and slang, watching on a mobile device, wanting to learn a new language and simply not wanting to miss a thing.

Many US respondents had a problem with accents with actors like Tom Hardy topping the list of actors and his show Peaky Blinders topping the list of the hardest shows to understand.

Other actors identified as being difficult to understand included Sofia Vergara, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sean Connery, Johnny Depp and Jackie Chan.

Game of Thrones, Outlander and Downton Abbey were the shows that topped the list as hardest to understand.

The Gen Z viewers are also watching their content on a device (74 per cent) and often in public and rely on the subtitles to keep them focused and to make it easier to follow when they sometimes can’t hear the original audio.

The survey also showed that viewers watching foreign language movies preferred to hear the show’s native language and read the English subtitles rather than hearing the dubbed English soundtrack.

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Movie Frenzy kicks off again today so you can enjoy the latest blockbusters and old favourites for less than $3 to rent or purchase for as little as $10 to build up your digital collection.

Films like Ghostbusters Afterlife, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Belfast and Marry Me are among more than 100 titles that have been discounted.

There are movies to suit the whole family and across a number of genres like thrillers, action, horror and drama.

They are available on several digital platforms including Apple TV, iTunes, Dendy Home Cinema, Fetch, Foxtel store, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office and YouTube.

There are no subscriptions required so you can escape the cold and get warm on the couch for a weekend of endless entertainment.

Movie Frenzy runs from Friday, June 24 till Thursday, June 30. Title availability and pricing may vary between platforms.

Here is a selection of the list of more than 100 titles that have been discounted for movie frenzy:

– Ghostbusters Afterlife

– Venom: Let There Be Carnage

– Sing 2

– Moonfall

– Blacklight

– Jackass Forever

– Clifford The Red Dog

– Marry Me

– The Boss Baby: Family Business

– Belfast

– C’mon C’mon

– Wyrmwood Apocalypse

– The 355

– The Many Saints of Newark

– Cry Macho

– The Hating Game

– Off the Rails

– Panama

– Day to Die

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By David Michael Brown

With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 preparing to speed its way onto every home format known to man, what better time to look back at the finest video game adaptations that have hit the big screen.

And some of the worst.

The classic films that turned frantic 16-bit console classics into masterful reels of celluloid. And the flicks that made us scream game over! And while you’re reading, we’re still waiting for a big-budget Pong movie!

Werewolves Within (2021)

A lupine whodunnit set in the icy climbs of a small Vermont town, a snowstorm traps residents together inside the local inn. When a mauled dead body is discovered hidden in the snow, it’s up to newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Veep’s Richard Splett himself, the brilliant Sam Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) to point the finger at the killer who is hairy on the inside. Full of delightfully observed quirky characters and a tongue-in-bloody-cheek approach to horror, this adaptation of the multiplayer VR game plays with genre, playing like An American Werewolf in London mixed with the Amicus ‘70s werewolf break movie The Beast Must Die and an Agatha Christie murder mystery and is all the better for it.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

The road to the silver screen for Sega’s high-speed talisman has been a long and bumpy one. When a less than satisfactory trailer campaign featured an unrealistic “realistic” version of the world’s favourite interplanetary spikey speedster, Sonic fans were in uproar. But when director Jeff Fowler announced on Twitter that Sonic’s design was going to be altered to make the character “the best he can be,” he was right. He also made one of the best video game adaptations. Ever. With Sonic voiced by Parks and Recreation star Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey going for improvisational gold as Dr. Robotnik, the latte with steamed Austrian goat milk addicted psychotic who is hunting down Sonic, this is high sped entertainment of the highest order. James Marsden plays the benevolent donut-chomping cop who takes Sonic under his wing after he crash lands on earth. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and the breakneck action is exhilarating, especially when Sonic winds up a spin-dash. If you feel the need for speed, Sonic is your guy.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Headlined by a wise-cracking Ryan Reynolds who voices Pikachu, the diminutive yellow Pokémon with the big heart, this often hilarious eye-popping deep dive into the world of the Pokémon made full use of modern-day whizz bang FX to bring everyone’s favourite battling pocket pets to life. The Get-Down star Justice Smith plays Tim, a young man who arrives in Ryme City to look for his detective father who has gone missing. Aided by his dad’s former Pokémon partner, the wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth Detective Pikachu, Tim begins to realise that this is far more than a missing person case. All your favourites are there: the explosive Psyduck, cute-as-a-button Jigglypuff, the hilarious Mr. Mime and the terrifying Mewtwo. Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

Resident Evil (2002)

The 1996 Playstation game took the world by storm. The gruesome third-person shooter was often credited with kick-starting the survival horror genre and helped gut-munching zombies chew their way back into popular culture. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the intense actioner starred Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez as two leaders of a crack commando team who must break into a vast underground genetics laboratory known as “the hive” operated by the powerful Umbrella Corporation. There, a deadly virus has been unleashed, killing the lab’s personnel, and resurrecting them as the evil Un-dead. An action-packed smash that managed to recreate the thrill of the game, inspiring five sequels, Apocalypse (2004), Extinction (2007), Afterlife (2010), Retribution (2012) and The Final Chapter (2016) and a prequel Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021).

Tomb Raider (2018)

Starting life on PC and the PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles, the latex-clad, sunglasses-wearing tomb raider Lara Croft was an obvious choice for a cinematic adaptation. Alas, two lacklustre entries in the ‘90s starring Angelina Jolie failed to uncover the truth so it was left to Oscar winner Alicia Vikander to give the catacomb pilfering heroine a film worthy of the game’s huge success. A rebooted origin story with a grittier approach that ditched the fantasy elements of the previous films, Lara Croft (Vikander), is the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer who discovers the island where her father, Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) disappeared. Playing Croft as a human being rather than an Amazonian goddess gives the action a far more human edge than its pixelated counterpart.

Mortal Kombat (2021)    

The ultimate blood-thirsty fighting game with the bone-crunching, eye-gouging, spine-pulling killer moves, Mortal Kombat has hit the cinema screen twice. The first adaptation, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson in 1995 pulled too many punches but the recent rip-roaring gorefest certainly doesn’t skimp on the fake blood. Shot in Australia, local comedian Josh Lawson has a ball as the brash heart-ripping Antipodean meat head Kano and by casting martial arts experts like Hiroyuki Sanada, this modern retelling features fight scenes that look like they hurt. Much like the game that was one of the first arcade machines to feature graphic displays of violence. The plot? Oh, that’s just an excuse for a royal rumble. Finish him!

Warcraft (2016)

Having made his name making the brilliant Sci-fi mind-bender Moon and the twisty Jake Gyllenhaal actioner Source Code, a lot was riding on David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones’s big-budget adaptation of the long-running Blizzard game Warcraft. The film is set in the era of the First War and follows Anduin Lothar of Stormwind (Travis Fimmel) and Durotan of the Frostwolf clan (Toby Kebbell) as the leaders of two warring factions. With a cast that also boasts Ruth Negga, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Clancy Brown, and Daniel Wu and some impressive mo-cap FX bringing life to the Orcs, Warcraft is an epic-undertaking that certainly overreaches but still manages to entertain and exhilarate.

Silent Hill (2006)

Written by Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994) co-scribe Roger Avary, directed by Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) helmer Christopher Gans and starring Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Deborah Kara Unger and Alice Krige; this scary adaptation of Silent Hill tries hard to replicate the scares from one of the scariest video games ever made. Inspired by Adrian Lynne’s Jacob’s Ladder (1990) and the work of Clive Barker, H. P. Lovecraft, David Cronenberg and Michael Mann, Gans terrifying adaptation follows the gameplay of the survivalist chiller but switches gender as Rose (Mitchell) searches for her missing adopted daughter who has been troubled by disturbing nightmares in the eponymous fictional American town of Silent Hill.

Rampage (2018)

The video game Rampage saw players control a trio of humans transformed into gigantic animalistic monsters including a King Kong-like gorilla, a radioactive reptile and a giant bipedal wolf. The film throws The Rock into the mix, teams the muscle man up with a super-powered gorilla and sees them wage war with a giant crocodile and a huge wolf. While it’s definitely more enjoyable punching buildings and colossal beasts in the game than watching the over-abundant CGI FX that has become the blight of the modern-day blockbuster but any film that rides on the charisma of Mr. Dwayne Johnson and boasts Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman and Jeffrey Dean Morgan in its cast, is off to a winning start. Even if the result is a brainless actioner, you can’t make a monkey out of The Rock.

Assassin’s Creed (2016)

Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of Ubisoft’s open-world action-adventure stealth video game franchise had everything going for it. Despite the presence of the visionary Aussie director behind Snowtown (2011) and a stunning ensemble including Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling and the late great Michael Kenneth Williams, the movie version of the historical actioner that first appeared on the PS3 and the X-Box, was a critical and box office bomb. The action, while handsomely mounted, lacks any emotional resonance and the overstuffed dystopian plotting is a confusing mess as Fassbender’s lost soul Cal Lynch leaps back in time to 15th-century Spain for some perilous parkour!

Uncharted (2021)

How not to make a smash hit video game adaptation! Take a globe-conquering console colossus about a “deep-sea salvage expert and action-pro” called Nathan Drake that followed his treasure hunting exploits across four finger-numbing instalments, cast Spidey himself, Tom Holland, and affable action hero Mark Wahlberg and send them on a Goonies-esque adventure. Simple! Alas no. While there is no denying the charm of the young lead, ditching his red and blue spandex for Drake’s trademark white henley shirt and cargo pants, the young actor tries hard but despite his best efforts, Uncharted quickly descends into a CGI mess of flying boats, ridiculous gravity-defying action and Wahlberg-ian eye-rolling. With such winning source material it’s a shame the filmmakers didn’t have faith in what they already had and instead made a lacklustre cliché blockbuster.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

There was a lot riding on the cinematic adaptation of Hironobu Sakaguchi’s much-loved RPG console ground-breaker. Not only did Final Fantasy bridge the PC console divide giving Nintendo another smash hit but the animated feature was the first to seriously attempt to portray photorealistic CGI humans and blur the lines between reality and computer animation. Co-directed by the games creator and Motonori Sakakibara, Final Fantasy certainly delivers the eye-candy but it lacks any real heart or spirit, simplifying the complexities of the gameplay with an alien invasion storyline that pits earth against mysterious aliens intent on stealing the energy from all living things on the planet. Despite Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, James Woods and Donald Sutherland lending their voices to the action-packed proceedings, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within suffers from being too close to its source material.

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

With Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the world’s most beloved moustachioed plumbers Mario and Luigi, Dennis Hopper as King Koopa and Samantha Mathis as Daisy, Super Mario Bros. aimed high with its cast, but it was game over for the Nintendo heroes when the film was first released. Looking back, with rose tinted glasses firmly intact, there is a lot of fun to be had from this ramshackle adaptation. With a daft as a brush plot and shoddy FX, especially Koopa’s hybrid dinosaur henchmen and a, then de rigueur, crazed performance from Hollywood legend Hopper who had rejuvenated his career with a non-stop cavalcade of bad guy turns since his cloth-sniffing Frank Booth in David Lynch’s masterpiece Blue Velvet (1986). Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto went on record stating the film tried too hard to replicate the games instead of being a good film. They didn’t trust the fungus.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2: available now to BUY OR RENT NOW ON DIGITAL

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I feel the need, the need for speed! Australian consumer electronics company Laser has partnered with Paramount Pictures Australia ahead of the release of the highly anticipated film Top Gun: Maverick.

Laser has become the wing man to one of the biggest movies of the year and will kick off an exciting competition for customers to win the ultimate Top Gun prize pack which includes a rare Maverick flight helmet, identical to the one worn by Tom Cruise in the film, and a jet fighter experience.

Part of the prize pool will also be a wide range of limited-edition movie merchandise including hats, bags and jackets.

And all you need to do is purchase any Laser product throughout may either in-store or via the Laser website.

All eligible Laser products will be branded with movie imagery and competition information.

“This is a major marketing partnership with one of the world’s biggest movie studios for one of the year’s most anticipated movies, so to say we are excited about our involvement in this blockbuster would be quite the understatement,” says Chris Lau, Managing Director of Laser Co.

“We take great pride in knowing that we were sought out by Paramount Pictures Australia to be one of its local marketing partners, and in many ways this relationship epitomises who we seek to be as a company and as a brand.

“2022 marks our 35^th anniversary, and it is not lost on me that plans for the Laser business were being pulled together just as the original Top Gun movie hit cinemas.”

“As such, I’d like to think we have a few things in common.

“To borrow some classic lines, we appreciate the need for speed (to market), and we know the importance of being a good wingman (to our retail customers and other stakeholders).

“We hope this promotion also elevates our brand in the hearts and minds of consumers as they have the chance to win a wide range of prizes available exclusively through this promotion.”

The post Laser feels the need for speed with Top Gun: Maverick partnership and competition appeared first on Tech Guide.

Epson has launched a stunning 4K home theatre projector – the EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD – which offers a cinema quality picture to create a remarkable home entertainment experience.

The Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD incorporates a laser array light source which provides higher brightness and impressive contrast and colour.

Tech Guide took a look at the new Epson projector for ourselves at Epson’s Sydney office.

The projector can support HDR10+ and HDMI 2.1 so you can not only enjoy movies in 4K but also immerse yourself in the latest games as well.

The Epson projector uses pixel-shifting technology to produce the 4K image in parallel with three individual high-definition LCD chips.

When producing 4K a projector has two options – either true 4K or pixel shifting high-definition so your eye is seeing the same number of pixels as true 4K.

For true 4K the image is coming through a grid of 3840 x 2160 pixels where light can be pushed out through each of these pixel spaces.

Epson’s decision to go with pixel shifting from a high-definition chip means the light is going a grid of 1920 x 1080 which means larger pixels and more room for the light to travel through the lens so you have a noticeably brighter picture.

The pixel shifting is a mechanical process at the lens where a panel moves in two directions to make up the four pixels for every single pixel coming from the LCD chips.

So what a viewer sees on the screen is 8.3 million pixels and the 3840 x 2160 resolution.

Customers who opt for true 4K do so because they want to see every pixel precisely where it is meant to be from the source.

Sharpness and clarity might be slightly better with true 4K, but brightness does take a slight hit.

In the case of the Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD, the increased brightness was noticeable but there was still remarkable detail that looked even clearer and sharper because of that added brightness.

We were watching the 4K version of Kong v Godzilla and you could see individual strands of Kong’s fur and other detailed textures beside bright colours and other darker sections of the screen.

That’s where the HDR10+ came into play – the range of contrast and brightness was impressive as was the amount of detail and colour gradations without banding.

What also helps keep the quality high is the Epson 32-bit video processing technology which does the heavy lifting when sorting colour, contrast and the frame interpolation for a smoother image.

The 3LCD technology can display 100 per cent of the RGB colour signal while still retaining that remarkable brightness.

Gamers will also appreciate the quality – and the performance

You can enjoy 4K games at up to 120 frames per second and with input lag times below 20ms so users can take advantage of the features of the latest consoles.

Setting up the Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD is also pretty easy thanks to the lens shifting technology which means projector doesn’t have to be in the centre of screen. You can shift the lens up or down 96 per cent and left or right 47 per cent without any loss of picture quality and without distortion.

The laser array light source has a lifespan of up 20,000 hours which is the equivalent of watching a three-hour movie every day for 18 years.

The Epson EH-LS12000B 4K PRO UHD projector is available now and is priced at $8,999.

Key features of the Epson EH-LS12000B

– 4K PRO-UHD¹ Advanced pixel-shifting technology works in parallel with three individual high-definition LCD chips to produce an exceptionally sharp 4K picture achieving 8.3 million pixels and displaying a resolution of 3840 x 2160 on screen without sacrificing picture brightness

– Laser array light source – provides up to 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance free operation, with the added benefits of higher image contrast and instant ON/OFF

– Epson picture processor – Epson’s most advanced video processing technology to date, the proprietary 32-bit Epson Picture Processor handles real-time colour, contrast, HDR, frame interpolation and resolution enhancement to faithfully reproduce the source material the way it was intended to be shown

– High picture brightness – Impressive 2,700 lumens of colour and 2,700 lumens of white brightness³ for an exceptional picture in virtually any home theatre environment – even in rooms with ambient light

– Lens shift – With this innovative technology, the projector does not need to be placed directly in front of the screen. This comes in handy when there might be light fixtures or ceiling fans which cannot be moved

– True 3-chip 3LCD projector engine – Advanced 3LCD technology uses three individual LCD chips to continuously display 100 percent of the RGB colour signal for every frame; this allows for outstanding colour gamut while maintaining excellent brightness without any rainbowing or colour brightness issues seen with other projection technologies

– Impressive HDR – Full 10-bit HDR colour processing accepting 100 percent of the HDR source information to faithfully reproduce HDR, HDR10+ and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) content for an exceptional visual performance; real-time HDR curve adjustment allows for 16 steps of control to fine-tune the HDR performance regardless of the content

– Great for gaming – Gaming up to 4K at 120 frames per second, along with input lag times below 20 ms, allow for serious gamers to take full advantage of the latest generation of gaming consoles and even higher-end gaming PCs

The post Epson releases stunning 4K projector to enjoy movies and games like never before appeared first on Tech Guide.

The epic film The Godfather – considered by many to be the greatest movie of all time – is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary this week with the trilogy of films restored and re-released in glorious 4K.

The Godfather was released on March 24, 1972, and went on to become one of the most beloved films in movie history.

Tech Guide spoke with the leaders of the restoration team – Andrea Kalas, Senior Vice President of Paramount Archives and James Mockowski, film archivist and restoration supervisor for Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope.

It was a monumental task with the idea for the restoration and re-release for the 50^th anniversary conceived several years ago.

“We knew that this major milestone for one of the world’s most important films was around the corner and so really it was almost five years ago where I started talking to people internally to Paramount,” Kalas told Tech Guide.

“We’ve got to give this one plenty of time, so we have to start working on it now.

“That’s what really makes a restoration of this calibre great – the time to do it.”

LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE AUDIO INTERVIEW IN TECH GUIDE EPISODE 494 – CLICK PLAY ON THE PLAYER BELOW

And director Francis Ford Coppola was also involved.

“It was actually very fortuitous because Andrea was cooking this up with the 50th back five years ago and Francis was also thinking that he had more to say with Godfather III (which was re-edited and re-released as The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone),” Mockowski says.

“Once he knew that Andrea and the team was going to plan this 50th anniversary then he said I’m onboard. I need to be part of that.”

They scoured more than 300 cartons of film to find the best possible frames and spent more than 4,000 hours repairing film stains and tears.

Next was more than 1,000 hours of scanning and colour correction to apply high dynamic range tools that would improve the image but stay respectful of the original vision of director Francis Ford Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.

“A film like Godfather and many great films carried the same curse in that they were loved too much,” Kalas says.

“They’re printed too much, or in this case, bits of Godfather I were used for II and used for III and used for the Epic and used for the Saga – so that meant that the original material wasn’t necessarily all frame for frame in one long strip.

“It was in this box and that box in this box in that box – that was one of our massive efforts was to make sure we had combed through every possible box to find every original frame.”

The latest technologies also helped the restoration process.

“Scanning technologies are just better, it’s easier to capture more information. You want to capture 16 bits rather than 10 because you’re going on to High Dynamic Range,” Kalas said.

“It’s gentler on the film than it was back in 2007 (when it was touched up for the first Blu-ray release) so we’re not going to damage the film by scanning it which is great.

“That starts the process and then beyond that the tools that James used to do this frame by frame clean up which is much more nuanced.

 “You can really get in there and make those small changes without having knock on effect and then of course the display technology from people watching at home has changed.

“Doing high dynamic range was you know we wanted to make sure when an audience for this movie with this new technology would see it in the best way possible.

“Maybe they’d be seeing it for the first time we didn’t want to see them to see a bad representation.”

The Godfather trilogy will be released on 4K Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first on March 23.

The Godfather trilogy will be available in 4K Ultra HD 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.

There is also a 4K Limited Edition Godfather collection which includes three illustrated portraits, a hardcover book with extensive photography and an introduction by Francis Ford Coppola and all packed inside a foil-embossed box.

NEWLY RESTORED AND REMASTERED VERSIONS OF THE GODFATHER TRILOGY ARE AVAILABLE ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY AND 4K DIGITAL FROM MARCH 23

The post How The Godfather was painstakingly restored for its 50th Anniversary appeared first on Tech Guide.

Disney+ has released the first tantalising glimpse of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series starring Ewan McGregor with an amazing teaser trailer.

The series is set 10 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith which saw the Jedi Order decimated by the newly formed Galactic Empire.

Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor who reprises his role from the Star Wars prequels) is in hiding on Tatooine after delivering an infant Luke Skywalker to the Lars family – Luke’s uncle and aunt.

But the trailer reveals Kenobi is still being hunted by the Empire who is trying to flush out the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy.

In one scene of the trailer, Obi Wan Kenobi can be seen looking through electronic binoculars down at the Lars homestead (seen in the original Star Wars film – Episode IV: A New Hope) where we see a young Luke Skywalker.

We also see Luke Skywalker’s uncle/guardian Owen Lars (played by Australian actor Joel Edgerton – also reprising his role from Episode II and III) – as he stands in a crowd on Tatooine listening to the Imperial Jedi hunters.

The series will also mark the return of Hayden Christensen who played Anakin Skywalker as he turned to the Dark Side of the Force and became Darth Vader.

In fact, if you listen carefully at the very end of the teaser trailer, you’ll heard Darth Vader breathing.

There will be six one-hour episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi – when you add that up that’s the same length as the of the original trilogy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi launched on Disney+ on May 25 – which happens to the 45^th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977.

The post Disney+ releases teaser trailer for Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared first on Tech Guide.

Movie nights have always been popular amongst all generations as they allow people to reconnect and bond over something as simple as watching a movie. Unlike other types of parties that usually demand elaborate planning and sending out invitations on time, the advantage of hosting a movie night is that all you need is a couple of old buddies and you’re good to go.

Naturally, you’ll also need to pick a movie, but you friends can help out with that. Instead of picking a movie by yourself, it’s better to include your friends and ask each of them to write down a movie they’ve been meaning to see.  Then you can take turns voting to decide which movie to add to the watchlist. 

However, if you’ve run out of ideas, we’ve compiled a list of five movies that would be a good pick for your next movie night. To check out our suggestions, keep reading. Don’t worry—all the movie descriptions are spoiler free. 

The Half of It (2020) 

The 2020 American coming-of-age drama stars Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu, a shy yet intelligent teenager who earns money by helping out her classmates with their homework. As it usually happens in these movies, the smart girl is approached by your typical football player who needs her skills to woo another girl from school—Aster. Of course, he hires Ellie to write a love letter to Aster and that’s when the plot thickens.  

I know what you’re probably thinking—it’s another teen comedy where the nerd falls for the jock and they live happily ever after. Well, this time there’s a twist and you’ll just have to see the movie to find out what it is. 

Extraction (2020) 

The movie starring Chris Hemsworth is based on a graphic novel Ciudad and it quickly became the most watched movie in Netflix history, reaching 99 million households during the first month. The main character is Tyler Rake whose official job title is black-market mercenary and he is tasked with rescuing a drug lord’s kidnapped son. Sounds like a dream job, right? 

However, once the plan goes terribly wrong, Tayler is reluctant to leave Ovi behind and the two form a connection. This action-packed thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat, so we highly recommend that you check it out. 

The Card Counter (2021) 

The last couple of years have been extremely successful for Oscar Isaac. He’s not only starred in one of the most popular TV shows Scenes from a Marriage, but he’s also managed to find time to star in a movie. The Card Counter is a crime drama movie whose plot revolves around WIlliam Tell. After being sentenced to eight years in military prison, he decided to use the time to learn a new skill, and so he did—he put his time to good use and learned to count cards.  

He had to learn it all, from the basic rules of poker to advanced card counting techniques.  Along the way, Willim gets into trouble and he has to find his way out. 

Always Be My Maybe (2019) 

If you’re in the mood for a comedy that will brighten up your day, then this one’s for you. At the center of the plot are Sasha and Marcus, two childhood friends who become very close until they fall out after an argument. Years later, it turns out that Sasha became a famous chef and is soon to be married.  

On the other hand, Marucs is still living in his old neighborhood and taking care of his father. The two bump into each other and quickly reconnect. Before they can admit their romantic feelings to one another, they’ll have to overcome certain stumbling blocks. 

Roma (2018) 

This 2018 masterpiece won three Oscar awards which just goes to show that it’s a movie you shouldn’t miss. It tells the story of a housekeeper working for a middle-class family and it represents a co-production between Mexico and the USA. Apart from the prestigious Oscar award, this drama movie has more than two hundred other awards and nominations. It takes place in the 70s and follows a family through their ups and downs. 

Key takeaways 

Hopefully, you’ll give some of the movies listed above a chance and include them in your next get-together. All the movies are both intriguing and full of interesting events, so you and your friends will definitely spend the night glued to your seats.  

The post Hosting a Movie Night? Check out these Five Movies  appeared first on Tech Guide.

The Godfather, which many consider to be the greatest movie of all time, will be celebrating its 50^thanniversary with a remastered re-released in cinemas before the classic trilogy is offered in 4K Ultra HD for the first time.

Paramount pictures announced the film will have a limited released in theatres in Dolby Vision from February 25, 2022.

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola personally oversaw the meticulous restoration of his Academy Award winning masterpiece.

“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Francis Ford Coppola.

“With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proud Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is included, as it captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.

“It’s also gratifying to celebrate this milestone with Paramount alongside the wonderful fans who’ve loved it for decades, younger generations who still find it relevant today, and those who will discover it for the first time.”

The Godfather was released on March 24, 1972 and went on to become one of the greatest films in cinematic history.

Paramount and Francis Ford Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope have spent the last three years restoring all three films in the iconic trilogy.

“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives.

“We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts.

“It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”

RESTORATION DETAILS

• Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
• Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
• Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
• In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.
• All work was overseen by Coppola.

On March 23, 2022, all three Godfather films will be released together on 4K Ultra HD Digital and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray including The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and the recently released and re-edited The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.

A 4K Ultra HD Limited Collector’s Edition will also be released in deluxe packaging with a hardcover coffee table book of stunning images along with portrait art prints on archival paper.

The 4K Ultra HD sets also include new additional bonus features including an introduction to The Godfather by Coppola, a featurette about the preservation process, photos by acclaimed photographer Steve Schapiro, home movie footage, and comparisons of the new restoration to earlier versions of the films.

NEW BONUS CONTENT:

• Introduction to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola 

• Full Circle: Preserving The Godfather—Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.
• Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro— In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film. Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.
• The Godfather: Home Movies— An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production of The Godfather.  Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.
• Restoration Comparisons— Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements to The Godfather.

LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:

• The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t
• Godfather World
• Emulsional Rescue—Revealing The Godfather
• …when the shooting stopped
• The Godfather on the Red Carpet
• Four Short Films on The Godfather

• The Godfather The Godfather: Part II
• Cannoli
• Riffing on the Riffing
• Clemenza

• The Family Tree
• Crime Organization Chart
• Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album
• 2008 Credits
• Behind the Scenes
  • A Look Inside
  • On Location
  • Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook
  • Music of The Godfather
    • Nino Rota
    • Carmine Coppola
  • Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
  • Gordon Willis on Cinematography
  • Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II
  • Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III
  • The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
  • Additional Scenes
  • Galleries
  • Trailers
  • Acclaim & Response
  • Additional Material
  • The Filmmakers
  • The Godfather: Part III—newly remastered and restored versions of the original theatrical cut and Coppola’s 1991 cut (note: these are exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Collections).

The post The Godfather to be released in 4K for 50th anniversary – an offer you can’t refuse appeared first on Tech Guide.

Get the popcorn ready – Movie Frenzy is back again with hundreds of the latest blockbuster movies and classic titles available to rent for $3 or less.

Films including A Quiet Place Part II, Peter Rabbit 2, The Dry, The Little Things and Penguin Bloom will be part of Movie Frenzy when it kicks off on Friday, October 1, 2021.

And based on the success of previous Movie Frenzy campaigns, this one will last a week and run until Thursday, October 7.

All titles will be accessible from a number of digital platforms including the Apple TV app, Google Play, Fetch, Foxtel Store, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office, YouTube, and Microsoft Store.

There is a wide variety of movies to choose from across several different genres including new release movies which are fresh off the back of their cinema run.

“Over the last few months many Australians have been forced to spend more time at home and with subscription costs quickly adding up, more and more are realising the benefit of buying or renting only the movies they want, from the widest possible range,” says Jim Batchelor, Chairman, Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA).

“With such incredible deals for this week only, Movie Frenzy is the perfect opportunity for all Aussie movie lovers to head to their favourite digital platforms to buy or rent the latest blockbusters fresh from cinemas.

“There is a huge range of titles from Hollywood and our own Australian Film Industry with something for everyone.”

Here’s just a selection of what’s on offer, with hundreds of titles available:

– A Quiet Place Part II

– Godzilla vs Kong

– Greenland

– Infinite

– June Again

– Monster Hunter

– Nobody

– Penguin Bloom

– Peter Rabbit 2

– Spiral

– The Croods: A New Age

– The Dry

– The Little Things

– Tom & Jerry

– Vanquish

– War With Grandpa

– Wrath Of Man

Movie Frenzy is on between Friday October 1 and Thursday October 7. Title availability and pricing may vary per platform.

Head to www.moviefrenzy.com.au for more information.

The post Grab the popcorn – Movie Frenzy is back for a week with rentals for just $3 or less appeared first on Tech Guide.

The toy boxes’ favourite action man is back in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. The G.I. Joe spin-off stars rom-com heartthrob turned martial arts master Henry Golding as the titular masked loner.

Inspired by Hasbro’s heavily armed plaything, we look at the best and worst movies based on toys…

Mars Attacks! (1996)

The evil Martians with oversized craniums first appeared in the garish violent 1962 Topps Mars Attacks trading cards set. In the ‘80s the cards were reissued followed by a model kit series.

Then director Tim Burton along with an all-star cast including Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pierce Brosnan and blaxploitation stars Jim Brown and Pam Grier brought the invading aliens to vivid life.

Any film that starts with a stampede of flaming cows is going to be different and Burton’s irreverent style, a gleefully warped sense of humour, stunning CGI effects and delightfully askew performances ensure that this alien invasion is delirious fun.

Bumblebee (2018)

The transforming robots in disguise were given the explosive blockbuster treatment by the master of Bayhem himself, Michael Bay, but it was Bumblebee that proved there was more than meets the eye with the adrenalin-fuelled metallic actioners.

With the yellow Autobot front and centre and Hailee Steinfeld giving a delightful performance as Charlie, the young girl who discovers her new Volkswagen Beetle is actually a robot, Bumblebee mixes typically bravura set-pieces with a big heart and a fine line in ‘80s earworms.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Brick by brick, The Lego Movie is an insanely brilliant high-concept explosion in a toy store. Directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the visionaries behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the film is a frenetic eye-popping delight.

Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt voices Emmett, a LEGO construction worker, who discovers he may be the “special” and finds himself inadvertently on a quest to stop an evil tyrant and his dastardly scheme planned for Taco Tuesday.

The rapid-fire creation scenes are non-stop, the humour spot on and the animation state of the art. Everything is Awesome.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Starting life in comics, the heroes in a half shell became plastic action figures in 1986. Then in 1987, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael appeared in their own, hugely popular, animated series.

By the time the Turtles appeared in their own live-action flick, the subterranean pizza chomping anti-heroes were big news.

Compared to the slick Michael Bay produced 2014 reboot, the rubber suits may be a bit clunky but it oozes charm, boasts Sam Rockwell and Corey Feldman in its cast and has a song from MC Hammer. Cowabunga!

Clue (1985)

With an all-star cast including Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, and Lesley Ann Warren, based on a story by John Landis (The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London) and three different endings so you never knew which version of the film you were going to see, Clue is the best fun you’ll ever have getting murdered.

In the Kitchen. With a lead pipe. The film plays out like the board game, called Cluedo in Australia, as strangers arrive at a mansion, are given pseudonyms by their host – Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet – and are slowly killed off.

The ever-dwindling survivors have to figure out whodunnit.

Trolls (2016)

A huge surprise! The small plastic troll figures with the big colourful hair inspired one of the most feel-good kids films EVER!

A candy-rainbow explosion of eye-melting proportions, the all-singing, all-dancing trolls, led by the always happy Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and happy-to-be-miserable Branch (Justin Timberlake) are on a mission to save their friends from the evil, and very hungry Bergens, who plan to eat them.

With Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and James Corden also lending their voices to the animated fun, you won’t be able to stop that feeling.

Battleship (2012)

One of the strangest toy-to-film adaptations, Battleship is one of the few attempts to transform a game into an action film.

The stationary game of strategy somehow inspires a big-budget action-packed slice of blockbuster nonsense starring Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and a much-publicised Rihanna.

The plot involves a water-logged alien invasion, the US Navy, a boat load of actual World War II veterans and a delightfully daft way of recreating the gameplay of the original Hasbro toy. You sunk my battleship!

Masters of the Universe (1987)

By the power of Grayskull! Mattel’s hugely popular “Masters of the Universe” toy line first hit shelves in 1982. Since then, He-Man has featured in comics, been animated in the Filmation series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and played by muscleman Dolph Lundgrun courtesy of Cannon Films.

With Frank Langella as Skeletor and the dodgiest special FX this side of Eternia, it’s a low-rent kitsch camp classic and a total hoot.

Now Clerks director Kevin Smith is the creator behind the Masters of the Universe: Revelation featuring the vocal talents of Chris Wood as He-Man along with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn and Mark Hamill as the skull faced bad guy.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

The sequel to G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra kills off most of the cast of the first film, injects some of The Rock’s tried and trusted franchise Viagra, adds a gun-toting Bruce Willis and a stunning mountainside wuxia style set piece.

The plot still revolves around futuristic nanotechnology and the evil Zartan (again played by Arnold Vosloo) trying to take over the planet.

This time by using the high tech to impersonate U.S. President (Jonathan Pryce). Adrianne Palicki as Jaye is a welcome addition to the new team but it’s Lee Byung-hun and Ray Park who steal the show again as Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes.

Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

While D&D, as aficionados call it, featured heavily in Stranger Things, that wasn’t the first time the role-playing game has appeared on screen.

In E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Elliott’s older brother and his friends are seen playing at the beginning of the Steven Spielberg classic. Watching these kids play was better than watching the big screen adaptation unfortunately.

Despite having Jeremy Irons, Thora Birch and Marlon Wayans in the cast the film is a charisma free zone with a lazy script and lacklustre spectacle. It lacks something fundamental when playing any role-player. Imagination!

Here’s a bonus preview…

Barbie (2022)

The world’s most famous doll will come to vivid life played by Margot Robbie in a new film written by hipster indie darlings Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig and directed by the Little Women helmer.

The Harley Quinn actress plays the live-action embodiment of Mattel’s leading lady as Barbie is expelled from “Barbieland” for not being perfect enough.

Looking for adventure she heads out into the real world. No news yet who will be donning the Ascot to play Ken.

BUY OR RENT SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS NOW ON DIGITAL.

Article written by David Michael Brown

The post There’s been a lot of movies based on toys – including Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins appeared first on Tech Guide.

Quiet Please! There is nothing scarier than silence. Something filmmakers know all too well. By removing one of our senses, the terror of a scene can be stretched to breaking point.

In genre films, especially thrillers and horror films, we are conditioned to dread silence. Silence is the calm before the storm. An aural signpost and a pause before the screams, the stabbing violins and scenes of abject terror. Our emotions are trained to brace themselves for the onslaught ahead.

Watching the A Quiet Place films it is the opposite. We crave silence. It is a respite from the terrors at large. With earth under attack from blind extra-terrestrial creatures with supersonic hearing and an alarming rate of speed when they are on the offensive not a sound can be made.

The human race is on trepidatious tiptoe as they try and stay alive in the devasted world they now call home. The only way the Abbott family – played by John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe – can survive is in silence.

Every floorboard creek is a deafening clarion call for the aliens to bloodily slash their way through a poor unfortunate soul. Watching this film within the dark confines of a hushed cinema is a unique experience. Every seat shuffle or popcorn crunch accentuated against the absolute silence on screen. Viewers are even afraid to breathe.

Tapping a similar bloody vein as A Quiet Place was the tense 2016 home invasion thriller with a difference Don’t Breathe. Evil Dead remake director Fede Álvarez plays with silence and darkness as a blind man’s home is broken into by a young group of criminals.

The blind man (Stephen Lang), a twisted war veteran, levels the playing field by turning off the lights. Now the invaders, our protagonists, are living in his world. He uses his acute sense of hearing to track down the hapless robbers who have bitten off far more than they can chew. While not used to the same extent as in A Quiet Place, when Álvarez does use silence to build tension, it’s terrifying.

Another film that plays with the loss of senses is Wait Until Dark starring Audrey Hepburn. There is often far more to horror movies than pure terror. Some are allegories of a far bigger picture, and some just remind us how thankful we should be to have all of our senses.

A Quiet Place does exactly this so by thrusting a deaf character, played by Millicent Simmonds as Regan Abbott, into its post-apocalyptic world where sound is the enemy.

Terrence Young’s 1967 thriller Wait Until Dark covers similar ground as a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn) protects herself from a gang of hardened criminals who have broken into her home searching for a doll full of heroin they believe has been stashed in her apartment. Ahead of its time, Wait Until Dark is still a tense watch, largely thanks to committed performances from Hepburn and Alan Arkin as the head con man.

Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock, played it slightly differently by taking away sight, or at least a willingness to look.

Everyone is now afraid to look after realising that anyone who even glimpses at the horrific inter-dimensional beings are driven to suicide.

With a blindfolded cast, the audience’s connection with the character’s eyes is removed, thus our point of empathy and understanding is less tangible. To quote Barry Convex in David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, “the eye is the window of the soul” and that has been taken away.

The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock knew the importance of silence. Who can forget those excruciating seconds in Psycho before the devasting murder scene that left Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) lying bloodied and brutalised on her shower floor? There is no score. Just the sound of a toilet flushing, the shower curtain being closed, an un-oiled tap turning and the water cascading over the soon-to-be-victims naked flesh. And then we witnessed the shadowy figure silently advancing until the curtain is whipped back and the silence is broken by Bernard Hermann’s staccato strings and Janet Leigh’s deafening scream.

In North by Northwest’s brilliant crop duster scene, all you can hear is the plane in the distance as Cary Grant’s unease builds. Hitchcock started making films towards the tail end of the silent era and you can tell he is comfortable shooting extensive long scenes without dialogue.

In his 1958 masterpiece Vertigo, there are long passages with no dialogue, as the obsessive detective “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) spies on Kim Novak’s ingénue. Brian De Palma paid homage to Hitch’s virtuoso sequence in his own Dressed to Kill. Especially when the director’s prowling camera follows Angie Dickinson’s character when she visits an art gallery with only Pino Donaggio’s lush sweeping score for company.

The unease and dread that silence can induce in an awkward shuffling audience is exactly why the brilliantly made A Quiet Place films are so effective proving that an effective and immersive sound design is just as important as a thrilling action scene, a big-budget explosion or any amount of fake blood.

Like other hushed horrors like Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers, the recent Netflix chiller Hush, Neil Marshall’s The Descent and Ridley Scott’s Alien; A Quiet Place reminds us that silence is golden. Remember, in space… and in the movies, no one can hear you scream.

Article by David Michael Brown

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To celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark all four films in the series have been released on 4K Ultra HD this week and offer not only stunning visual quality but remarkable audio quality as well.

Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt and John Roesch, one of the original Foley artists who worked on the film, have revealed how they came up with the iconic sounds that helped make Raiders of the Lost Ark a true cinematic classic.

The five-disc set brings action movie fans all four Indiana Jones films in 4K Ultra High Definition for the first time.

These include Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

To mark the 40^th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark,  Burtt and Roesch came together on the Foley stage at Skywalker Sound in Northern California and used some of the original props to demonstrate how they developed the distinctive face punches, sword swishes and snake slithers.

Called “the father of Skywalker Sound” by Steven Spielberg, Ben Burtt is an Academy Award-winning sound designer, as well as an accomplished filmmaker who has written, directed and served as film editor on a vast array of projects.

Burtt was the sound pioneer who came up with the library of sounds for the original Star Wars trilogy.

John Roesch is a professional Foley artist who has worked in the film business for over 40 years.  With nearly 600 credits, Roesch has lent his skills to many of the biggest blockbusters of all time including Back to the Future, Schindler’s List, Interstellar, Independence Day, The Matrix and Fight Club.

So how did they come up with the sounds?

PUNCHES

There are no shortage of punches and body blows in Raiders of the Lost Ark and that sound the audience hears as fists landing are actually croquet balls in socks so they can be swung even faster into a bag of plant mix.

Also used to recreate the sound of a face punch is a wet chamois wrapped around celery.

When struck with a piece of wood you have the sound texture of impact from the chamois and the crack of the celery,

SWORDSMAN

In the famous scene where Indiana Jones is confronted by the swordsman in Cairo, the swooshing sounds of the sword were created by swinging around a thin rod.

That scene was supposed to include a long fight scene but with star Harrison Ford and the crew sick with dysentery they changed the script so Indiana Jones disposes of the swordsman with a single gunshot.

SNAKES

Snakes are featured often in the film – especially after Indiana Jones reveals how much he hates snakes.

One scene in particular – in the Well of Souls – there are thousands of snakes involved.

Burtt recreated the sound of snakes hissing and slithering while his wife Peggy was cooking  and serving macaroni and cheese.

HIT IN THE FACE WITH THE MIRROR

The scene where Marion and Indy are aboard the tramp steamer she hits him by mistake with the mirror.

That sound was actually created by hitting the lid of a trash can with a bass drum stick.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

At the of the film the Ark of the Covenant is opened in a special ceremony. The prop itself was made of plastic but it needed to sound like it had some weight.

“I wanted something that was solid so I was sitting there one day thinking and I came up with this sound which was right at hand which was my toilet tank bowl cover,” Burtt said.

“It’s a little blasphemous to admit this but this is the lid of the Ark of the Covenant.”

He recorded the toilet tank lid scraping against a rock to come up with the sound of the Ark of the Covenant lid being removed in the climax of the film.

The Indiana Jones 4K movie collection is packed with special features. These include:

Indiana Jones 4K Box Set Bonus Features:

On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark

• From Jungle to Desert
• From Adventure to Legend

Making the Films

• The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 documentary)
• The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark
• The Making of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• The Making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• The Making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (HD)

Behind the Scenes

• The Stunts of Indiana Jones
• The Sound of Indiana Jones
• The Music of Indiana Jones
• The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones
• Raiders: The Melting Face!
• Indiana Jones and the Creepy Crawlies (with optional pop-ups)
• Travel with Indiana Jones: Locations (with optional pop-ups)
• Indy’s Women: The American Film Institute Tribute
• Indy’s Friends and Enemies
• Iconic Props (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
• The Effects of Indy (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)
• Adventures in Post Production (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) (HD)

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark by experiencing the 4 -movie collection for the first time in 4K Ultra HD.

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Movie Frenzy is back again this weekend with hundreds of the latest blockbuster movies and classic hits available to rent or buy at heavily discounted prices.

The latest Movie Frenzy will run from Friday March 5 until Thursday March 11 and will include recently released movies and other award-winning titles.

The titles will be available to buy or rent with no subscription required from these services: Apple TV, Google Play Store, Fetch, Foxtel Store, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Telstra TV Box Office, YouTube, Microsoft Store and the PlayStation Store.

The films available during the Movie Frenzy will include Tenet – the time-bending thriller from acclaimed writer/director Christopher Nolan, family favourite Trolls World Tour and The Secret Garden and Australian-made films Rams and Tim Winton adaptation Dirt Music.

Also available during Movie Frenzy is the terrifying Russell Crowe thriller Unhinged.

“As Australians spend more time at home and with subscription costs quickly adding up, more and more are realising the benefit of buying or renting only the movies they want, from the widest possible range,” says Jim Batchelor, Chairman, Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA).

“With such incredible deals for this week only, Movie Frenzy is the perfect opportunity for all Aussie movie lovers to head to their favourite digital platforms to buy or rent the latest blockbusters fresh from cinemas, or fill collections with all-time classics to watch again and again.”

Here’s just a selection of what’s on offer, with hundreds of titles available: 

– After We Collided

– Astro Kid

– Bloodshot

– Dirt Music

– Honest Thief

– Jiu Jitsu

– Jungleland

– Knives Out

– Outpost

– Rams

– Skylines

– Sonic the Hedgehog

– Tenet

– The High Note

– The King of Staten Island

– The Secret Garden

– Trolls World Tour

– Unhinged

Movie Frenzy runs from Friday 5^th March – Thursday 11^th March. Title availability and pricing may vary per platform. Visit www.moviefrenzy.com.au for more information.

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In 2020, we stayed home most of the time because of COVID-19 and we purchased or rented a lot of movies and TV shows from a range of popular services. So which were the most popular?

The Australian Home Entertainment Distributors Association (AHEDA) have revealed the trends for 2020 when our consumption of home entertainment hit all-new levels at the peak of the pandemic.

There was no shortage of movies and TV shows to access and no shortage of ways to access them.

In April 2020, digital purchases increased by 55 per cent and in May it saw an increase of 29 per cent.

Digital rentals saw a similar spike with a 49 per cent increase in April and a 43 per cent surge in May.

At that time Amazon had launched its service to buy and rent movies and widened the choices for customers beyond Apple TV, Google Play, Foxtel Store, YouTube, Telstra Box Office, Fetch as well as gaming platforms PlayStation and Xbox.

“Australian consumers clearly embraced the ease and choice that digital platforms offered during the lockdown and I’m certain that this trend will continue in the future,” says Jim Batchelor, Chairman, AHEDA.

Cinema closures during the COVID lockdowns also increased demand for purchasing and renting movies at home.

We were also able to rent and own movies immediately following their premieres.

Jumanji: The Next Level starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was the top performing and most purchased film of 2020 followed by another family favourite Sonic The Hedgehog and animated hit Frozen 2.

In the rental category Joker was the most watched film followed by Sonic the Hedgehog and The Gentleman.

But it wasn’t just movies we were watching.

TV shows were also very popular with Outlander Season 5 the most purchased title followed by Brooklyn 99 the complete 7^th season and 100 – the Complete 7^th series.

The Undoing, starring Australia’s Nicole Kidman, was also in the top five despite being released in November 2020.

As far as Australian productions go, Ride Like a Girl – which tells the story Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne – was the most popular across digital platforms followed by Invisible Man and Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.

Here is the full list of the top movie and TV shows purchased and rented in 2020.

Top 10 Best Selling Movies:

1. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony)
2. Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount)
3. Frozen 2 (Disney)
4. Joker (2019) (Roadshow)
5. Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker (Disney)
6. Bad Boys For Life (Sony)
7. The Gentlemen (Roadshow)
8. Bloodshot (Sony)
9. Scoob! (Warner Bros)
10. Ford V Ferrari (Disney)

Top 10 Rented Movies:

1. Joker (2019) (Roadshow)
2. Sonic The Hedgehog (Paramount)
3. The Gentlemen (Roadshow)
4. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony)
5. Gemini Man (2019) (Paramount)
6. 1917 (Entertainment One)
7. Knives Out (Sony)
8. Ford V Ferrari (Disney)
9. Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood (Sony)
10. Hustlers (Roadshow)

Top 10 TV Series:

1. Outlander – The Complete 5th Series (Sony)
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine – The Complete 7th Series (Universal)
3. The 100 – The Complete 7th Series (Warner Bros)
4. Vikings – The Complete 6th Series (MGM)
5. The Undoing – The Complete 1st Series (HBO)
6. Supernatural – The Complete 15th Series (Warner Bros)
7. Big Little Lies – The Complete 2nd Series (HBO)
8. Game Of Thrones – The Complete 8th Series (HBO)
9. Chernobyl – The Complete 1st Series (HBO)
10. Succession – The Complete 1st Series (HBO)

Top 10 Australian Produced Movies:

1. Ride Like A Girl (Sony)
2. The Invisible Man (2020) (Universal)
3. Miss Fisher & The Crypt Of Tears (Roadshow)
4. Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan (Sony)
5. 100% Wolf (Universal)
6. Go! (Roadshow)
7. Peter Rabbit (Sony)
8. Black Water: Abyss (Universal)
9. Carl Barron – Drinking With A Fork (Universal)
10. The Nightingale (Sony)

The post Revealed: most popular movies and TV shows purchased and rented in 2020 appeared first on Tech Guide.