Australian Penthouse

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

G. Meaney, Mulgrave, Vic
S. McLoughlin, Ferntree Gully, Vic
K. Dewhirst, Rankin Park, NSW
C. Jones, Springmount, Vic
K. Turner, Bunbury, WA

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WIN! ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT ACTION DVD COLLECTION!

Thanks to Icon Home Entertainment and Australian Penthouse, 5 readers have won a 6 DVD action movie bumper DVD collection featuring Icon Films. Continue reading “WINNERS! 5 ICON multi-DVD Action Movie Prize Packs” »

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

R. Berry, Grovedale, Vic
R. Wilson, Middle Camberwell, Vic
F. Sbrissa, Ocean grove, Vic
B. Vellios, Avondaleheights, Vic
C. Mason, tbc
K. Leonard, Dayboro, Qld
S. Lee, Coolum Beach, Qld

C. Stevenson, Perth WA
L. Murray, Artarmon, NSW
T. Payne, Dandenong, Vic

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WIN! THE LOSERS ON BLU-RAY COMBO PACK

Thanks to Warner Bros. Entertainment Australia and Australian Penthouse, 10 lucky winners have the chance to win one copy of The Losers on Blu-ray/ DVD Combo Pack.

This Blu-ray Combo Pack contains a Blu-ray copy, a DVD disc copy and a digital copy of the film, loaded with specials features.

Directed by Sylvain White The Losers, based on the comic book series stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (TV’s “Supernatural”), Zoë Saldana (Avatar) and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four). It centres around the members of an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. Unit they find themselves the target of a deadly double cross instigated by a powerful enemy.

When presumed dead, the team go deep undercover to clear their name and prepare to get even.

THE COMPETITION

To be in the running to win this fantastic competition, simply answer the following question in 25 words or less: “Tell us who’s the biggest loser in Hollywood and why?”

Your Name (required)
 

Your Email (required)
 

Subject
 

Your Question: “What luxury item would you take to a space station and why?”

COMPETITION CLOSED

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Game of Skill

Competition commences on 14/10/10 and concludes on 11/11/10 at 12:00pm. Entry is open to all residents of Australia, but excludes all employees of Australian Penthouse. Entrants must provide their contact details and an answer to the question, “Tell us who’s the biggest loser in Hollywood and why?” in 25 words or less. This is a Game of Skill which contains no element of chance, and which will be judged by members of the Australian Penthouse staff on 11/11/10. Ten winners will receive one copy of The Losers on Blu-ray/ DVD Combo Pack. The prizes will be mailed to winners at the address nominated in their entry. The promoters take no responsibility for lost or misdirected entries, and no correspondence will be entered into.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:

Thanks to Warner Bros Australia and Australian Penthouse, 10 lucky readers will win Hung: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray and DVD…. enter now as the competition closes on 15 November, 2010!

This 2-Disc DVD set includes all ten episodes from the first season of the enticing new HBO® comedy series Hung. It’s hard making an indecent living….

THE SERIES

Down on his luck, Ray Drecker, played by Thomas Jane (The Punisher), is a former high school sports star who now makes a living as a basketball coach. He’s desperate, struggling to make ends meet as a divorced father.

After tragedy strikes Ray and his home, his kids move in with their mum—Anne Heche (Men in Trees). It’s a turning point for Ray, and with the whole world against him he enrolls in an entrepreneurship seminar to try and turn his luck around. It works—Ray realises his most convincing asset is a divining rod that will lead him to a much-need fortune. At the seminar he also stumbles upon Tanya, Jane Adams’ (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) character, who helps him in his newfound venture.

This dark, sexually addictive comedy series tells the story of a man fighting to survive personal setbacks and a troubled economy.

THE COMPETITION

To be in the running to win this fantastic competition, simply answer the question: What’s your favourite thing to get hung up on?

Your Name
 

Your Email address
 

Your home address

Question: “Tell us your favourite thing to get hung up on”

COMPETITION CLOSED

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Game of Skill

Competition commences on 01/10/10 and concludes on 15/11/10 at 12:00pm. Entry is open to all residents of Australia, but excludes all employees of Australian Penthouse. Entrants must provide their contact details and an answer to the question, “What’s your favourite thing to get hung up on” in 25 words or less. This is a Game of Skill which contains no element of chance, and which will be judged by members of the Australian Penthouse staff on 15/11/10. The 10 winners will receive one prize, as specified above. The items will be mailed to the winner at the address nominated in their entry. The promoter takes no responsibility for lost or misdirected entries, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Wild Target

DIRECTOR: Jonathan Lynn
STARS: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint
ICON

Review: Valeska Valdes

A remake of the French film Cible Émouvante, Wild Target is beautifully and cleverly written. This quirky comedy is about an uptight, middle-aged, solo assassin—Victor Maynard (Nighy), London’s most respected and most expensive. He lives to please his mother and to carry on the family business.

Rose (Blunt) is a vivacious, joyous, free-spirited thief who just performed the ultimate con:  She borrows a real Rembrandt and makes a copy of it, switching between the two mid-transaction with an art-loving gangster. He finds out it’s a fake and employs Victor to kill Rose.

While stalking his prey, Victor can’t seem to pull the trigger. Something about Rose fascinates him. Victor finds himself protecting her in a quiet car park when another hit man is about to shoot her. It is here they meet Tony (Grint) a friendly guy who is down for the ride.

The three go into hiding. After a difficult night in a posh hotel, Victor takes them to his country home where it’s safe—if they obey his prison-like rules. Rose is drawn to Victor’s steadiness, and his plastic-covering-the-furniture ways. However, Rose soon finds out that she was Victor’s target all along.

The scenes of Victor’s country home are gorgeous and contrast well with the killer’s hard exterior and persona. The shoot-outs and car chases are hilarious and really well executed. Lucinda Coxon’s screenplay is witty, funny and smart, engaging the audience every step of the way.

With an obvious ending, the climax is a thinker. Not knowing what is about to happen definitely keeps you on your toes. This film has everything from romance to comedy, drama to action. A fabulously funny, entertaining film, if you enjoyed Lynn’s The Whole Nine Yards you will instantly fall in love with this odd threesome.

Wild Target opens in cinemas nationally on November 11.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:

Thanks to NZX and Australian Penthouse, 10 lucky winners will have the chance to win an NZX 2011 wall calendar!

Continue reading “WINNERS! NEW ZEALAND MODELS CALENDAR” »

Exit Through The Gift Shop: A Film By Banksy

DIRECTOR: Banksy
STARS: Thierry Guetta, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader
MADMAN

THIS highly anticipated film by Banksy is not what many of us expected—especially if what you had in mind was something along the lines of the 1992 hip-hop documentary Style Wars. Though Exit Through The Gift Shop’s biggest draw is that it’s a documentary focused on established street artists and their craft, the film quickly becomes about the documentary-maker himself. Continue reading “Reviews – DVD: Exit Through The Gift Shop: A Film By Bansky” »

Thanks to Handmaiden and Australian Penthouse, three lucky winners will win a Handmaiden dong!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

Marcia Coventry, Green Fields SA
Marie Pohnetalova, Bondi Junction, NSW
Cheryl Beswick, Bushland Beach QLD

Handmaiden products—created by women for women—are fashioned from 100% platinum-cured medical grade silicone, which offers a great many benefits: They will NEVER smell, fade, chip, decay or ooze toxic chemicals; for the advanced or adventurous, these fantastic dongs can be warmed up or refrigerated for a little extra zing; cleaning is hassle free, with the option of an automated wash on the top shelf of your dishwater or a hot, soapy manual rub down and rinse.

THE PRIZES

The Original Handmaiden G-Spot Dong

A world first, this non-vibrating dildo is ergonomically designed for a full contact, dual-stimulation experience. The G-Spot Dong is silky smooth and flexible, with the perfect balance of length and girth. The handy grip slides between your fingers with the base contoured to the palm of your hand. No more awkward positions!

Length: 5 insertable inches (12.75cm)

Diameter: 1.5 inches (3.9cm)

The Original Handmaiden Anal Dong

This non-vibrating dildo is perfectly suited for anal pleasure, or for those who prefer less girth. Easy to grip from any angle, this anal dong allows easy access without the need to over-stretch. The grooves on the shaft and smooth base provide extra stimulation, putting you (or your partner) in charge of your next orgasm!

Length: 5 insertable inches (12.75cm)

Diameter: 1.25 inches (3.3cm)

THE COMPETITION

To be in the running to win this fantastic competition, simply answer the question: How would this dong improve your sex life?

[form 165 "WIN! HANDMAIDEN DONG"]

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Game of Skill

Competition commences on 14/09/10 and concludes on 12/10/10 at 12:00pm. Entry is open to all residents of Australia, but excludes all employees of Australian Penthouse. Entrants must provide their contact details and an answer to the question, “How would this dong improve your sex life?” in 25 words or less. This is a Game of Skill which contains no element of chance, and which will be judged by members of the Australian Penthouse staff on 12/10/10. The three winners will receive one prize, as specified above. The items will be mailed to the winner at the address nominated in their entry. The promoter takes no responsibility for lost or misdirected entries, and no correspondence will be entered into.

The Last Airbender

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Toub, Seychelle Gabriel and Cliff Curtis
PARAMOUNT

How the mighty have fallen. There was a time when a new release by M. Night Shyamalan would be cause for celebration, with the industry all a flutter wondering how he could possibly outdo The Sixth Sense and the supremely underrated Unbreakable.  But those days are long gone. After Lady in the Water and The Happening, his stock has plummeted, and The Last Airbender does little to stop the descent.

On paper, it’s intriguing to say the least. A loved animated classic given a big budget Hollywood makeover with a darker edgier director in the driver’s seat, and in some aspects it does succeed, but for the most part it fails dismally. Before production even began, it was going to be a hard journey. Based on the cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, the title had to be modified after James Cameron bought the rights to the word “Avatar” announcing it was “unobtainium” to any who wished to use it. Not the best start.

The Last Airbender is similar in concept to The Fifth Element. There are four nations that populate the earth, each aligning themselves with a specific element, the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, Air Nomads and the Fire Nation. Each has members who can control these elements, known as “Benders”, with a lone perpetually reincarnated avatar to unite and maintain control of all elements, ensuring peace and prosperity.

With the avatar missing for over 100 hundred years, the Fire Nation has taken the opportunity to attack its neighbours, using their war machines to seize control. When a water bender and her brother unwittingly uncover the boy avatar, Aang, hope springs and a rebellion begins to take shape as Benders and their tribes unite against the Fire Nation. But Aang is untrained and has his own burdens to bear. Can he master his emotions and realise his destiny, or will the Fire nation, lead by the evil Lord Ozai emerge victorious?

Shot in both New Zealand and Vietnam, the locations are absolutely stunning, with some astounding backgrounds capturing and magnificently setting the tone. Bolstered by a particularly sharp eye to detail with costumes and set design makes The Last Airbender a visual treat, but it’s almost every other aspect that lets the film down. This is clearly a case of style over substance. Casting director Douglas Aibel has helped craft an experience with some of the worst performances and most lacklustre acting, peppered with only the briefest moments of chemistry.

The usually dependable Cliff Curtis (Die Hard 4.0) appears to be sleepwalking through the role of Fire Lord Ozai. The lead Aang, played by Noah Ringer is out of his depth, and his companions Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Sokka (Jason Rathbone – Twilight) are even worse. The pacing is completely off and the editing is sloppy at best. It really feels like Shyamalan simply phoned it in for a paycheck. The only glimmer of hope is the particularly strong bond between Fire Prince Zuko (Dev Patel) and his uncle Iroh (the rock steady Shaun Toub – Iron Man), which only helps illustrate the deficiencies of the rest of the cast.

The concept of war machines and industry set against nature are timeless, and The Last Airbender had the potential to be something beyond the sum of its parts, along the lines of Hayao Miyazaki’s heralded Princess Mononoke, but it fails in spectacular fashion across the board. Even the vaulted 3D is less than useless here, with the only application visible the lettering when introducing a new location, no joke.

After initial excitement and anticipation for this release, all I feel is overwhelming disappointment across the board. There are a plethora of amazing, thought provoking and moving family movie experiences to be had. This simply isn’t one of them.

The Last Airbender opens nationally September 16

Review: Dave Kozicki

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Stars: Michael Nyquist, Noomi Rapace, Sven-Bertil Taube
ROADSHOW

THIS is the adaptation of the first installment of author Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium Trilogy and one of the most successful Swedish movies of recent times. Yes, that means you can expect Swedish dialogue with English subtitles.

Using the power of suspenseful music, gloomy lighting and a Goth tomboy, director Oplev entices the audience into an intense, grotesque crime thriller. Without giving too much away, the film is about reporter Mikael (Nyqvist), who is sentenced to jail after releasing a ‘false’ story. Before his prison stint is due to start, he is approached by Henrik Vanger (Taube). Vanger’s granddaughter vanished 40 years ago during a family gathering. Her body was never found and the crime remains unsolved.

Mikael, obsessed with this disappearance, employs help from researcher/computer hacker Lisbeth (Rapace)—who suffers a lot in the first act—and with her bad-arse Mac skills, they set about solving the decades-old mystery.

This film is rated MA15+ for a reason. The sexual scenes are aggressive and you may have to press ‘pause’ to tell yourself, “It’s just a movie, it’s just a movie”.  The violence is also quite extreme. Oplev shows no mercy, subjecting the audience to exactly the things they fear to see. By contrast, the scenery shots of Sweden’s Stockholm and Hedeby are beautiful and nicely offset the dark story-line.

As with many crime thrillers, the good investigative stuff starts after the hour mark. Like Mikael, the viewer becomes obsessed with the fate of the missing girl, and with so many possible leads you can’t wait to solve this haunting mystery.

It will be interesting to see if the upcoming Hollywood take on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo provides the same energy and thrills.

Review: Valeska Valdes

The Other Guys

Director: Adam McKay

Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Ray Stevenson, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, Rob Riggle, Daymon Wayans Jr.

Continue reading “Reviews – Film: The Other Guys” »