Live!

Eva Mendes (The Spirit, Hitch), Jay Hernandez (World Trade Center), and Eric Lively (American Pie) star in a scathing mockumentary about an ambitious TV network executive.

Struggling to find a major hit, TV executive Katy (Mendes) comes up with a revolutionary concept for a reality show: Live!, a program where contestants play Russian Roulette-with a loaded gun. While developing the show, a documentary filmmaker Rex records every step of Katy’s struggle to get it on the air.

As the airdate approaches, Katy’s attempt at “reinventing the wheel” of television invites controversy, political debate and, she hopes, the most audacious television event ever.

 

 

Live! makes for quite interesting viewing, especially as we are in an age where a new reality TV show seems to be aired every week (latest one I just saw was Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling).  The concept of the show seems a little far fetched although you can imagine someone trying this out, as long as the facts behind the laws are correct.

Filmed through the eyes of a documentary crew, Live! takes you on the production journey of the show, from concept to completion and is fairly entertaining for most of the way.  The film stalls slightly midway but once the TV show actually starts, and the contestants line up to pull the trigger I found myself on the edge of my seat.

The first applicants for the show are those who are either terminally ill, or suicidal, it gets interesting when they decide to up the reward and entice those that don’t want to die but are willing to take the risk.  The six final contestants all seem fairly believable in their cause especially as one is mainly doing it to become famous which is another interesting piece of social commentary.

Although the way in which the film is shot is not really that original (had a few of these POV films recently, Coverfield, Diary of the Dead, Quarantine etc), the documentary format works and makes Live! a worthwhile watch.  My only gripe is the ending which I found fell a little flat.  Without giving anything away, I felt that they could have made a more poignant statement on todays society but end up just doing something for the sake of trying to squeeze in a ‘twist’.

DVD Extras

-Interviews with Cast & Crew

-The Director’s Vision documentary

 

If you want to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Live! on DVD head over to our COMPETITION page now.

~ Review by Lee

 

 

SPONSORED AD

Win a copy of Live! on DVD

UPDATE - Competition now closed, winners have been notified by email

To celebrate the release of the Eva Mendes film, Live!, a compelling dark satire about the television industry on the 2nd March; we have partnered with Lionsgate Home Entertainment and are giving three lucky winners the chance to win a copy of the DVD! [Read more]

Hunger

The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during the troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners. In 1978, after a number of attacks on prisoners leaving their cells to “slop out”, the dispute escalated into the dirty protest, where prisoners refused to wash and covered the walls of their cells with excrement. In 1980 seven prisoners participated in the first hunger strike, which ended after 53 days. [Read more]

Gran Torino

Walt Kowalski, an iron-willed veteran living in a changing world, who is forced by his immigrant neighbours to confront his own long-held prejudices. The people he once called his neighbours have all moved or passed away, replaced by Hmong immigrants, from Southeast Asia, he despises. Resentful of virtually everything and everyone he sees, Walt is just waiting out the rest of his life, until the night his teenage neighbour Thao tries to steal his prized ‘72 Gran Torino, under pressure from Hmong gang-bangers. But Walt stands in the way of both the heist and the gang, making him the reluctant hero of the neighbourhood-especially to Thao’s mother and older sister, Sue, who insist that Thao work for Walt as a way to make amends. Though he initially wants nothing to do with these people, Walt eventually gives in and puts the boy to work, setting into motion an unlikely friendship that will change both their lives. [Read more]

Notorious

NOTORIOUS is the story of Christopher Wallace. Through raw talent and sheer determination, Wallace transforms himself from Brooklyn street hustler (once selling crack to pregnant women) to one of the greatest rappers of all time; THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. Follow his meteoric rise to fame and his refusal to succumb to expectations - redefining our notion of “The American Dream.” to take the world of rap music by storm. [Read more]

Pride and Glory

A gritty and emotional portrait of the New York City Police Department, the film follows a multi-generational police family whose moral code is tested when possible corruption splits the family. Ray Tierney (Edward Norton), one of two sons on the force, is asked by his father and Police Chief Francis (Jon Voight) to investigate an incendiary case involving his older brother (Noah Emmerich) and brother-in-law (Colin Farrell). [Read more]

Cass

The incredible true story of how an orphaned Jamaican baby, adopted by an elderly white couple and brought up in an all white area of London, became one of the most feared and respected men in Britain. [Read more]

Watch an award winning movie for FREE today!

Gregory King’s award winning feature film A SONG OF GOOD will be the first New Zealand feature film available for free online viewing from today.

Any New Zealander over 18 (they say New Zealander but it works for anyone), is invited to plonk their virtual bum onto a virtual cinema seat when they visit the Official Website and watch the film for free during Feb 16-17. [Read more]

The Escapist

Frank Perry (Brian Cox) is a lifer; in prison for the rest of his natural born days.  He’s never had a problem with that: he did the crime; he’ll do the time. Until now.  He receives a letter telling him that his daughter is critically ill after following an overdose.  He knows that he must see her and to do that he’ll have to escape.  But he can’t do it alone.  A motley crew of younger associates are assembled to enact his plan.  

[Read more]

Brooklyn Rules

BROOKLYN RULES is an outstanding coming-of-age drama set on the mean streets of Brooklyn. In 1974, Michael Turner, Bobby Canzoneri , and Carmine Mancuso are three young friends who like to think of themselves as tough guys. After they find a dead body–and a gun–their lives are in for a change. [Read more]

« Previous Page — Next Page »