TechSmart 121, October 2013 Oct. 2013 | Page 47

NEW ON SCREEN MOVIES New releases: THIS IS THE END 11 October RUSH 4 October Rush is a biographical action film about the 1976 Formula One season, starring Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl and the beautiful Olivia Wilde. Ron Howard demonstrates yet again that he’s one of the most versatile directors in Hollywood. ‘Thormula’ One jokes aside, this one’s all about the intense rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt and will definitely rev your engine, even if you’re not a fan of chequered flag sports. We saw what happened when a party got disrupted in Cloverfield, but what if those people were James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen and friends… and what if instead of a sea monster, they were facing the apocalypse? Stoner comedy meets the rapture as celebrity actors play fictional versions of themselves. This Is the End is a recipe for repulsive and hilarious disaster. Movies DVDs & NEW ON DVD STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS GRAVITY 18 October PRISONERS 11 October Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Paul Dano and Melissa Leo… If this critically-acclaimed cast doesn’t sell this crime thriller to you, you’ll have to see it for the gripping, intense and emotional story at the core of Prisoners. A father takes matters into his own hands after his daughter and her friend go missing. Move over Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman’s got this one and it’s not for the faint-hearted. For many of us, being lost in space with Sandra Bullock or George Clooney, would be quite doable. However, after seeing Gravity you may think twice before booking a return ticket on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. Gravity zooms in on a medical engineer and an astronaut as they try to survive an accident in deep space. According to James Cameron, this breathtakingly mesmerising 3D sci-fi drama is the “best space film ever done”. Hailed as Steven Spielberg’s successor, now entrusted with two of Hollywood’s biggest franchises (Star Trek and Star Wars), J. J. Abrams has successfully landed a sequel every bit as enthralling as the series reboot. Star Trek Into Darkness packs a punch with a scene-stealing Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan, a smart allegory for the War on Terror and a budding bromance between Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as Kirk and Spock. This one’s a must-see. RIDDICK 25 October When Vin Diesel isn’t Dom Toretto, he’s Riddick… another guy who likes to feel ‘wanted’. The A-list action man owes a lot to the Riddick franchise, which helped launch his career. This time he reteamed with Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick writer-director, David Twohy, to reprise his role as the anti-hero fugitive. After being betrayed and left for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick fights for survival against alien predators and bounty hunters. This gritty, old school sci-fi actioner gets back-to-basics with Pitch Black appeal and more ‘Riddick-ulous’ action. It had to be said. MAN OF STEEL Henry Cavill is the picture perfect Superman, an actor destined to don the iconic red cape. Man of Steel is a spectacular sci-if actioner that every fan boy can appreciate for its epic interplanetary story, vivid special effects, solid cast and city-levelling soundtrack. Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan’s vision may not have the same charm as the Superman played by Christopher Reeve, but it rewrites Superman Returns, and kicks ass with Michael Shannon as General Zod. [SA] Don’t WING it, SPL!NG it! For awesome movie news and insightful reviews visit: October 2013 | TechSmart spling.co.za | splingmovies.mobi | spling.mobi 45