Archive for December, 2011

Reviews – Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.23, 2011, under Reviews, Web Exclusives

Director: David Fincher
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright
Sony

ADAPTING the first part of the brilliant Millennium book trilogy by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson comes David Fincher’s take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It tells the story of disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) whom a large corporation he accused of criminal dealings has just sued for libel. Awaiting his three-month jail sentence he is hired to try to solve a near 40-year-old unsolved mystery.

The wealthy and powerful Vanger family, led by Henrik Vanger (Plummer) has more than its fair share of secrets and skeletons and Henrik entreats Mikael to uncover the whereabouts of his missing niece Harriet. Filled with twists and turns, this mystery takes on a life of its own and Mikael finds himself horribly out of his depth. Contacted by unconventional hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Mara), who previously ran a background check on him at Vanger’s request, the two collaborate and begin to unravel the chequered Vanger family history as they draw closer and closer to the truth.

Given that the Swedish language film version by Niels Arden Oplev was released a mere two years ago (and in my opinion is a far superior offering) it begs the question, did this film need to be re-imagined at all? Fincher’s version adds layers to the plotline with no real added effect, introduces new characters and elements and completely glosses over others to the film’s detriment.

These choices weaken the nature of the relationship between Lisbeth and Blomkvist, ignore the previous tenuous connections between the Blomkvist and Vanger family that gives Mikael a personal stake in the investigation and fails to acknowledge Lisbeth’s troubled past in detail making her a less sympathetic character. The film telegraphs everything, connecting the dots far too neatly, almost overbearingly at times rather than letting you draw your own conclusions and paint your own picture of events as they unfold.

The cast does an admirable job with Plummer and Skarsgard playing Henrik and Martin Vanger respectively and Robin Wright as Erika Berger in particular bringing beautiful sensitivity to their side roles. Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara are solid as Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, though the balancing between the two leads is just a little off. Craig is a little too strong, lacking the softness that makes Mikael so wonderfully vulnerable and Mara’s Lisbeth is not quite strong enough.

Comparisons between the two film versions are unavoidable with the 2009 Swedish film resembling a piece of Swedish furniture; good looking without unnecessary flash, sturdy, functional and clean. This Americanised offering by Fincher is louder, brasher, lacks subtlety and somehow manages to be too clever for its own good and dumbed down at the same time.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in cinemas 12 January, 2012.

Review: Dave Kozicki

Reviews – Film: War Horse

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.21, 2011, under Reviews

Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, Peter Mullan
Disney

THE best news about War Horse is that it’s not the only film directed by Steven Spielberg that’s hitting Aussie cinemas on Boxing Day. The bad news, in case you couldn’t tell from that opening sentence, is that War Horse is, for the most part, a galloping mess from start to finish.

War Horse tells the tale of simple teenage boy Albert (Irvine) and the bond he forms with the spirited stallion, Joey. Against dissenting human odds, Joey proves himself to be a versatile steed in the first act of the film, much to the delight of Albert, his family and the sleepy townsfolk.

But when World War I kicks off, Albert’s dad Ted (Mullan) sells the horse to Captain Nicholls (Hiddleston) to save the family farm, and Joey is sent off to war. Albert promises that he will find Joey in the muddy fields of European war and bring him home safely.

At this point, the narrative takes a daring leap that would have been impressive had Spielberg managed to pull it off. Albert disappears from the story for a significant period of time as Joey becomes the simultaneous main character and plot device that moves the storyline between different characters.

But Joey should have never become the main character, for the simple reason that it’s difficult to get a horse to emote beyond happy tail flicking and stubborn snorts. Leaving Albert behind also means that the audience forgets about him and attempts to form connections with the range of new characters that start to grace the screen as faithful steed Joey carries the narrative torch forward.

With so little time spent with these new characters, though, it’s difficult to form any sort of meaningful attachment to them before the story trots along. While the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and Niels Arestrup work hard to leave their stamp with limited screen time, their solid performances pale in comparison to the thematic mishmash that happens throughout.

One moment you’re supposed to be enjoying the quaint charm of an English village, the next caught up in the horrors of war, followed by awkward attempts at levity and even some genuinely disturbing imagery.

This wouldn’t normally necessarily be a problem for a maestro such as Spielberg, but the combination of too many elements—characters, minor plots and themes—result in a disjointed structure that struggles to hit a decent stride. It may be beautifully shot, but this is shallow compensation for what could have been a sprawling war story.

War Horse certainly isn’t the worst film of 2011, but it is one of the most disappointing, considering the assembled talent. Even being thoroughly unimpressed by the trailer and going into the film with low expectations did little to lift this horse’s tale. If you’re looking to invest your family friendly funds on a film this Boxing Day, aim for Spielberg’s other film, the Raiders of the Lost Ark-style romp, The Adventures of Tintin.

War Horse is in cinemas 26 December, 2011.

Review: Nathan Lawrence

Merry Christmas from Nikita xx

by Nikita Sage on Dec.20, 2011, under Nikita Sage

Hey Everyone!

Well it’s that time of the year again, it always comes around so quickly! I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe Christmas

Here is a couple of pictures of me from a recent shoot, I thought I’d get into the spirit and pose for all of you with a (topless) Christmas theme!

Enjoy!!

Love Nikita xxx

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Gallery: Cheyenne

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.20, 2011, under Girl Galleries, Web Exclusives

WESTERN STAR

Photography: Wayne Daniels
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WINNERS! A Playdeaf “Super Sexy Market” album pack

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.16, 2011, under Past Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS:

K. Kelly, Calamvale QLD
T. Henricks, Somerset TAS
J. Shelverton, Austins Ferry TAS
C. Czisz, Kempsey NSW
R. Colombi, Bondi Junction NSW

Continue reading “WINNERS! A Playdeaf “Super Sexy Market” album pack” »

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Reviews – Film: Hugo

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.16, 2011, under Reviews

Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee
Paramount Pictures

HOW big a fan you are of Scorsese’s films will ultimately determine how well you engage with Hugo from the outset. As someone who slots into the ‘not a big fan’ category, I felt that I could safely anticipate longwinded scenes and an overall running time that was at least 20 minutes too long. My initial assumptions were correct.

Hugo follows the 1930s tale of, you guessed it, Hugo Cabret (Butterfield) as he attempts to avoid the Station Inspector (Cohen) in a Paris train station. His dad (Law) has left behind an automaton that Hugo is convinced holds a final farewell from his late father. Hugo obsesses over fixing the mechanical child, stealing parts from toy store owner Georges Méliès (Kingsley), before he’s caught and forced to work for Méliès to pay his dues. While working for Méliès, Hugo befriends Isabelle (Moretz) and finds that more people than he initially anticipated are connected to the automaton.

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of Scorsese’s films, there’s no denying that the acclaimed director has an impressive eye for detail, which carries over into Hugo. In fact, many of the highlights of the film are some of the epic shots of 1930s Paris.

The first act of the film had my complete attention as it posed an interesting mystery for young Hugo to solve that touched on some deeper (and darker) themes than your average kid-led story. After the first act, though, it starts to fall apart and quickly loses the heart and charm of the initial scenes.

Before you know it, everyone seems to be regularly crying about some past hurt that they can’t shake, and the story about a boy looking for a message from his father turns into something completely different that feels more personal to Scorsese than accessible to a wide audience.

All of the key players involved, even those with minimal screen time, do a solid job of portraying the individual plight of their characters, but it’s the overarching storyline and subjective nature of the second-half material that will divide audience members.

If you love Scorsese’s work and all things cinema, the chances are good that you will find a lot of beauty in Hugo. However, if you, like me, aren’t the biggest fan of the director’s portfolio, you’ll probably have a tough time gleaning an overall feeling of attachment to this definitively Scorsese but ultimately longwinded love letter to the history and worth of cinema.

HUGO is in cinemas 12 January, 2011.

Review: Nathan Lawrence

Gallery: Suzie Q

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.16, 2011, under Girl Galleries, Web Exclusives

RED-EMPTION

Photography: Adam Watson
Continue reading “Gallery: Suzie Q” »

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Nikita’s Natural Wonders..

by Nikita Sage on Dec.15, 2011, under Nikita Sage

Hey there everyone

I was a little bored at home and thought I’d take some sexy shots for all of you. There is something I really enjoy about doing that, I guess I like to see my boobs from that angle! Or maybe it’s the fact that I get to see all of me from different angles, what ever the case it always makes me feel turned on! My boobs are big and natural, they are full and very soft to touch, I just love them and hope you do too

As you may be aware voting has also started for Penthouse Pet of the Year 2012, If you would like to see my natural boobs grace the cover once again and be crowned Pet of the year then click on the link and vote for me, it only takes a second but is much appreciated!

http://www.australianpenthouse.com.au/20724/october-2011-pet-month-nikita-sage#more-20724

Love Nikita xxx

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Feature: What Happened to Australian Wrestling?

by Suzan Ryan on Dec.14, 2011, under Features, The Magazine

BIG Huss is aptly named, but his girth has nothing to do with beer and doughnuts. The hulking, gym-toned, fake-tanned wrestler is on tonight’s bill at the Maltese Cultural Centre in the back blocks of Melbourne’s western suburbs.

His opponent, Josh Shooter, is still in his street clothes—somewhat snug footy shorts and a singlet. He tugs on the singlet so frequently that it’s hard not to feel anxious when near him. Like a rubber band drawn to its limits, it seems plausible that Josh might snap at any moment.

“The only reason we don’t kick each other’s teeth in is because we want to do this five days a week,” says Shooter, the current Heavyweight Champion of local Victorian promotion New Age Wrestling (NAW). “It’s just all about business.”

NAW is just one of dozens of small wrestling promotions currently operating throughout Australia. It regularly stages shows at Melbourne community halls, RSL clubs and pubs. The average grappler can make around $100 per bout.

“A lot of guys understand that wrestling here is either a part-time or casual job, and they treat it as such,” says Mark Mercedes, co-promoter of NSW-based promotion IWA Pro-Wrestling. “But the guys who are more serious about it try to make money elsewhere.”

Mercedes is one of the few Australians in recent times to get anywhere near the big stages—and big money—of American wrestling. In the 1990s, he performed in front of tens of thousands of people on the same bills as US legends such as Hulk Hogan, Paul ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Orndorff and the Junkyard Dog. Mercedes tells us that timing is as vital as talent when it comes to finding fame in the USA, citing the career of Aussie wrestler Peter Stilsbury, aka Outback Jack, as an example.

“Back in the days of WCW [World Championship Wrestling] and Outback Jack, they were looking for very gimmicky wrestlers, and Outback Jack’s gimmick came with [the success of] Crocodile Dundee. It was the right place and the right time. When you’re trying to break overseas, unless you’re over there [in America], constantly in their face, it’s very easy to be forgotten.”

Florida Championship Wrestling is the official feeder organisation for American juggernaut World Wrestling Entertainment. Aspiring WWE wrestlers pay up to US$1000 for an annual four-day training and evaluation clinic with hopes of landing a very lucrative development contract with the multimillion-dollar company.

“WWE is not going to worry about going overseas and looking for talent when [it's] got so much happening in America,” says wrestling historian Barry York. “America’s population is more than 10 times ours, so it’s reasonable to think there is 10 times as many up-and-coming pro wrestlers there.

“And the Australian market isn’t that significant. If they had a guy who entered the ring with a slouch hat or a boomerang, it might make it a bit more interesting for an Australian audience, but they’re not going to stop watching if there’s no Australian in the WWE. So there’s no great economic incentive to recruit from the Australian talent pool, which must be very frustrating for locals.”

While the US is pro wrestling’s financial promised land, it’s not the only option for Aussie grapplers with international aspirations. New Japan Pro Wrestling, which is screened during primetime on Japan’s Asahi TV, is actually more popular with purists than the American product, mainly because it values athleticism over soap-opera acting skills.

Melbourne wrestler, Krackerjack, whose body looks like it’s been through a mincer thanks to the ultra-violent barbed-wire matches he’s been involved in, spent some time in Japan in 2005.

“Wrestling is a national pastime in Japan,” Krackerjack tells Penthouse. “It’s not as counter-cultural as it is in Australia. It’s been popular ever since the end of World War II, so [Japan] has its own legends of the business over there.

“They do shows that regularly draw 20,000 people and even the small independent shows I was working were getting 500 to 1000, and they were running those shows three or four times a week.”

Pro wrestling in Australia wasn’t always so “counter-cultural”. In the 1960s and ’70s, promoters capitalised on the post-war migration from Europe, creating ethnic heroes such as Spiros Arion and Mario Milano. When Barry York attended bouts at Melbourne’s Festival Hall as a teenager, he remembers the venue was often packed to capacity.

Consequently, World Championship Wrestling Australia was established and shown on TV from 1964, taking wrestling to the mainstream. Ron Miller, who co-owned WCWA from 1976, says Channel Nine chose to drop wrestling from its schedule at the end of 1978, thanks in part to its interest in World Series Cricket.

This decision triggered local promotions to fold, and while some continued to stage events at small clubs in the 1980s, things were never the same again.

Back at the Maltese Cultural Centre, better known tonight as the ‘NAW Arena’, a colourful cast of oddballs make flamboyant entrances to the ring, accompanied by cheesy hard-rock theme music.

The two standouts tonight are Iron Horse Morrison, an Andre the Giant-type brute with the fluency of movement of a slasher-flick goon, and Mickey ‘Fantabulous’ Jackson, a showboating pretty boy who grabs a female audience member’s drink and erotically pours it all over himself as he climbs into the squared circle.

The hundred or so hardcore fans snap photos with everything from high-end SLRs to smartphones, and clearly enjoy themselves as they cheer on the heroes and heckle the villains. BIG Huss and Josh Shooter demonstrate athleticism and genuine technical skill befitting the main event, and the ebullient atmosphere of the crowd conveys that this evening has been a fun night out, and 15 bucks well spent.

While wrestling for the NAW won’t make these guys household names or wealthy superstars, they will keep competing for as long as they can, because while Australian wrestling may be down on the canvas, it’s not ready to tap out just yet…