Below we run down some of the highlights of the issue. UK readers, don’t forget: you can use this store locator (opens in new tab) to find a stockist near you, or order a copy online (opens in new tab) for the same price it is in the shops.  

Prey

A young Comanche woman faces off against a Predator in the year 1719 in the latest addition to the franchise. In our eight-page feature, we speak to director Dan Trachtenberg, star Amber Midthunder and producer Jhane Myers. 

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

The MCU puts a superhero spin on the workplace sitcom in this new series, in which Bruce Banner’s cousin acquires some unwelcome powers after a blood transfusion. Showrunner Jessica Gao and star Tatiana Maslany tell us more. 

Nope

Jordan Peele is back, with a stab at “the great American UFO film”, in which a ranch-owning brother and sister try to capture video evidence of one of the mysterious craft. The writer/director explains how it comments on “the insatiable human addiction to spectacle”; we also chat with his leads, Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer.  

The Sandman

It feels like an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic comic has been in development hell forever. Now it’s finally coming to Netflix, with a 10-episode first series. Executive producer David Goyer tells us how they tackled the tricky task of bringing such an offbeat creation to the small screen.

The Dalek Movies

Dr Who & The Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150AD, the two ’60s Doctor Who movies starring Peter Cushing, have recently been revived for theatrical double-bills and 4K Blu-ray. We look back at the making of both films in the company of assistant director Anthony Waye. 

The Midwich Cuckoos

If you saw Sky’s recent adaptation of John Wyndham’s classic 1957 novel, you might be interested to learn that there was an earlier attempt to turn it into a TV series. We speak to writer Stephen Gallagher about a 2001 pitch which failed to hatch. 

And that’s not all, features-wise: we also get showrunner Andrew Dabb to spill the beans on the new Resident Evil TV show, take a trip on the Jurassic World velocicoaster, have a Deep conversation with The Boys’ Chase Crawford, profile novelist Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and get Tim Lebbon to fill in our author questionnaire. 

Red Alert

And the big features are just the tip of the iceberg! As ever, our news section, Red Alert, is crammed with insights into yet more movies, TV shows, comics and books. In the spotlight this month: animated movies DC League Of Super-Pets and Luck, the TV show of comic Paper Girls, new Doctor Who novelisations by TV writers James Moran and Rona Munro, Radio 4 vampire horror English Rose, season four of What We Do In The Shadows, the final batch of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, and the latest Batman and 2000 AD developments. 

Reviews

The SFX verdict on Thor: Love And Thunder kicks off 25 pages of searing critical analysis, as we inform you which of the latest films, TV shows, books, comics, audio plays, and video games are worth splashing your hard-earned cash on!

Buy this issue as a digital edition

Fancy having this issue on your iPad instead of as a print magazine? Here’s how.

You can purchase a digital single issue (or digital subscription) directly from us via MagazinesDirect (opens in new tab). Just click on the down arrow next to “rolling subscription” and select the “single issue” option.

Alternatively, Apple users can search for “SFX magazine” in the App Store. Once you’ve found our page, install the SFX app and hit Open to be taken to the SFX storefront.

We’re also available on Android via Pocket Mags (opens in new tab) and Zinio (opens in new tab). Most digital formats give you a 30-day free trial, so you can try before you buy!

Having trouble finding a print copy?

If you live in the UK you can use this handy guide (opens in new tab) to find who’s stocking SFX near you.

Live nowhere near a newsagents, or outside the UK? You can always order a copy online (opens in new tab). Please note the following expected timescales for delivery: UK: 3-7 working days. Europe: 7-14 working days. USA/rest of the world: up to 5 weeks.

The post Enter the Upside Down world of Stranger Things with the new SFX appeared first on Game News.

If you’ve been out of the loop, Final Fantasy 14 is the series’ huge MMO, where players can create their own Warrior of Light as they fight to become the hero of Eorzea.

The upcoming Endwalker expansion will take us to the Moon, and conclude the Hydaelyn and Zodiark Storyline that initially started over a decade ago. It will also add new cities like Old Sharlayan and Radz-at-Han, new jobs in Sage and Reaper, and other fresh content like new dungeons. 

How to enter

In order to enter the sweepstake, all you need to do is answer the question below, and let us know where you live. This will let us know whether you need one of our 25 North America or one of the 25 European Final Fantasy 14 Complete Edition codes that we have up for grabs. 

Giveaway on Gleam.io

As a reminder these are Final Fantasy 14 Complete Edition Windows codes, which means that they can only be redeemed on PC via the FF14 client, rather than Steam. We have 25 UK codes and another 25 US keys to give away (excluding residents of Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. military installations in foreign countries, or any other U.S. territory where prohibited or restricted by law), so please make sure to tell us your location when you enter the sweepstakes.

How to redeem your code

How to redeem your Final Fantasy 14 Complete Edition Windows code

1) Please click the following link in order to download the Final Fantasy XIV game client (opens in new tab)

2) Double click the file and select the appropriate region and language settings.Please note that this will also set the in-game language, but you can change this setting at any time within the FINAL FANTASY XIV launcher program.

3) Follow the on-screen instructions to install the FINAL FANTASY XIV launcher onto your hard drive.

4) After you have successfully installed the launcher, run the program to check for any updates and proceed to register FINAL FANTASY XIV.

5) Follow the onscreen instructions and carefully read through and accept the FINAL FANTASY XIV Software License Agreement, Square Enix Account Agreement, and the FINAL FANTASY XIV User Agreement.

Please note that a Square Enix Account is required to play FINAL FANTASY XIV.

If you do not have a Square Enix Account, you will be asked to register one at this time. If you already have a Square Enix Account, you do not need to register a separate one and may proceed to sign in with your existing Square Enix Account.

Note: A Square Enix Account is not the same as a Square Enix Members account.

6) When requested, please enter the product registration code to complete the initial registration process.

7) To begin playing, enter your Square Enix Account username and password and select Log In.

8) After logging in, the launcher will check for the latest game data. If necessary, the latest files will be downloaded from the network, and the game will be updated to the most recent version. This process is automatic, and can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours to complete. The estimated time remaining will be displayed under the download progress bar.

9) Once the game has been updated, the Play button will be displayed. Click this button to start the game.

PLEASE NOTE:

– Your code is unique and can only be redeemed once per service account.
– This code will only work on European Square Enix accounts.

If you have any questions regarding the above information, please contact the Support Centre by clicking here (opens in new tab).

The prize draw opens at 5pm (ET)/10pm (GMT) on 23 November 2021 and closes at 6:59pm (ET)/11:59pm (GMT) on 30 November 2021. Late or incomplete entries will be disqualified. Open to all residents of the UK and US (excluding residents of Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. military installations in foreign countries, or any other U.S. territory where prohibited or restricted by law) aged 18 years and over, except employees of Future Plc and its group of companies (“Future”) and sponsor Square Enix (“Sponsor”). Entries limited to one per household regardless of the form of entry. Use of automated devices or methods of submission are not valid forms of entry. There will be 25 winners in the US and 25 winners in the UK ( 50 winners in total) entitled to a game code for a copy of Final Fantasy XIV Complete Edition for Windows, which retails at $59.99 each.

The winner will be randomly drawn from all valid entries received and shall be notified by Future by email within 28 days of the closing date. If a winner has not responded after 28 days, an alternative winner will be drawn. Sponsor will deliver the prize via email. Future and Sponsor reserve the right to substitute any product with an alternative product of equivalent value. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash alternative. No purchase required. Void where prohibited. Any person winning $600 or more worth of prizes from a Sponsor in a calendar year will receive an IRS form 1099 after the end of the calendar year in which the prizes were awarded and a copy of such form will be filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The value of the prize may be taxable as income and each prize winner is solely responsible for any taxes, including, but not limited to all applicable federal, state, and local taxes that become due with respect to the value of the prize. To the fullest extent permissible by law, any third parties whose content is identified or used in the prize draw (for example, a third-party whose content is a prize), any of their affiliate companies, and all of their employees, officers, agents, or contractors, exclude all liability to you and anyone else for any direct or indirect loss, damage, or harm of any kind arising from the prize draw or your participation in it.

By taking part in this competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, the competition rules at: www.futureplc.com/competition-rules/ and collection of personal data in accordance with Future’s privacy policy at: https://www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/. 

The post Win one of 50 Final Fantasy 14 Complete Edition Windows codes with the Golden Joystick Awards appeared first on Game News.

In times like these, the priority is to take care of your health, physical and mental, and to keep yourself safe while following the guidelines to help stop the spread of Covid-19, aka coronavirus.

If you’re currently cooped up indoors and are in need of reading materials, we’d like to point you in the direction of MyFavouriteMagazines.co.uk (opens in new tab). There’s currently an offer running on digital subscriptions, where you can get five issue of Official Xbox Magazine for only £5 for the first five issues. (opens in new tab)

If you’re in Europe, you can also get your first five digital issues for €5, and in the US, you can get the first five digital issues for $5.

(opens in new tab)

So if you can’t get to your local store to buy a magazine, you can still get it delivered instantly to your phone or tablet.

There are a host of other brilliant magazines available under the same offer, including Total Film, SFX, games mags like Retro Gamer, Edge and PC Gamer, music mags Metal Hammer and Classic Rock, and loads more. So head to MyFavouriteMagazines.co.uk/march206 (opens in new tab) to take advantage of the offer. Terms and conditions apply, offer runs until April 30, 2020.

The post Stuck indoors? Get five issues of Official Xbox Magazine for £5 / $5 with a digital subscription appeared first on Game News.

• You can pre-order your copy of Edge Magazine’s Valve special edition (opens in new tab) for delivery to your door. Hurry, while stocks last.

In Edge 344, we review Half-Life: Alyx (opens in new tab), and tell the fascinating story of the game’s creation. But to focus solely on Half-Life is to ignore everything else Valve represents. Originally merely a brilliant game developer, the Valve of today is also shopkeeper of the industry’s biggest download store, owner of some of the most popular games on the planet, and has moved from software to services into hardware, making the most powerful VR headset available.

As such this isn’t merely an issue about Half-Life: Alyx. It’s also a chance to check in on one of the most secretive companies in the industry, to talk not only about its new VR game but also the headset around which it is built, the platform through which it will be sold, and the games and initiatives whose success have helped fund it. And yes, to get Gabe Newell on tape, because it’s been far too long.

Edge 344 goes on sale in print on Thursday, March 26 through all major newsagents, featuring this beautiful wraparound cover, custom-designed for us by Valve’s artists: 

Subscriber copies will begin arriving in the coming days, and feature an exclusive cover design we’re not revealing yet, in order to preserve the surprise for our subscribers. To guarantee delivery of future issues, check the latest Edge magazine subscription offers (opens in new tab).

• Is Valve making Half-Life 3? Gabe Newell hints at the future of single-player games in Edge magazine (opens in new tab)

We’re mindful that many readers, and potential readers, are stuck at home and unable to head to the shops to get their issue. As such, for the first time – of many, we hope – we’re offering a limited number of pre-orders of our print edition through our online store. 

Get five issues of Edge for only £5 / $5

We’re also launching our digital edition earlier than the planned street date of March 26; it’ll be live at 5pm GMT next Monday, March 23. Our latest subscriber offer gets you your first five digital issues for just £5/ $5 (opens in new tab) – and if you sign up now, your subscription will begin with our Valve special edition.

Here’s a glimpse at what else awaits inside.

Valve Time

With a photographer in tow, we conducted more than 20 interviews with Valve staff in a bid to paint a picture of where the company stands in 2020. We tell the story of how Half-Life: Alyx was made, then look into the past, present, and future of everything else that defines this remarkable studio: from games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota Underlords, and Artifact – yes, it has a future – to its plans for Steam and its hardware business. 

An Audience With… Gabe Newell

What happens when you sit down for an hour with one of the industry’s finest, and most forward-thinking minds? Quite a lot, as it happens, from how we’ll be controlling games with our brains – and vice versa – within the next few years, to how single-player games will soon be powered by virtual people that live in our computers. In rare, wide-ranging conversation, Newell reflects on the milestone moments that have taken Valve to where it is today, and offers some tantalising hints at where it’s headed next.

Half-Life: Alyx reviewed

Valve is one of only a handful of development studios to have multiple Edge 10s under its belt. Can a game built from the ground up around a proprietary VR headset deliver the studio its third? Our review investigates, and in our Post Script we examine whether Alyx is the proof of concept for consumer VR in general.

Subscribe today

For more industry-beating access to the very best that the videogame industry has to offer, why not subscribe to Edge? You’ll save on the cover price and have your copy delivered to your door (or device) each month, complete with exclusive subscriber covers.

You can subscribe to the print edition (opens in new tab), digital version (opens in new tab), or save even more with the print/digital bundle (opens in new tab) – whatever you choose, you can rest easy in the knowledge you’re getting the full story before anyone else. 

The post Edge magazine goes inside Valve Software for an exclusive 34-page feature covering Half-Life: Alyx, Steam and more appeared first on Game News.

• Save up to 51% when you subscribe to Official PlayStation Magazine. (opens in new tab)

Sharp shooter

Leading issue 166, on sale now, however, is our extended hands-on and interviews with Infinity Ward. We play every new multiplayer mode in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (opens in new tab) and discover how the original team behind COD4: Modern Warfare are back on board to make this year’s shooter the best the series has seen.

Animation director Mark Grigsby says in issue 166: “Honestly, Modern Warfare was probably the best time of my video game industry career. I’ve been in this industry for about 21 years now. But those were awesome times and then to come back and be a part of it, and then have the team so enamoured with it and be fans [of Modern Warfare], and then they’re putting their heart and soul into it as well. It was, it was a good feeling. It’s awesome.”

Tony Hawk at 20

“We were young and it was cool!” Says Mick West, co-founder of NeverSoft and co-creator of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which celebrated 20 years in August. 

The dev reveals what it was really like to work on this iconic franchise, from a co-worker building a skate park in his back garden for the team to being PlayStation’s first online game, and setting fire to the studio’s iconic ‘eye’ logo. 

“I’m very proud of what we did. I can see the influence it’s had on the broader game market and on skateboarding itself. It was good to be a small part of that,” says West. 

• Try an issue for FREE when you subscribe on iOS devices and Google. (opens in new tab)

Oddworld has soul

At a time when we prepping for PlayStation 5 it’s good to remember where we came from, and in issue 166 we sit down with iconic developer Lorne Lanning to discover where Oddworld can go next.

“Sometimes you must take a longer road to achieve your dreams,” shares Lorne Lanning in issue 166 as he discusses taking the classic series from PS1 to PS4 and beyond.

Read the interview in this issue and discover why Oddworld Soulstorm is shaping into one of PS4’s best new puzzle-platformers.

Subscribe today

For more unrivalled developer access to the hottest PS4 and PS VR games, why not subscribe to Official PlayStation Magazine (opens in new tab)? You’ll save on the cover price and have your copy delivered to your door (or device) each month, complete with exclusive subscriber covers – such as this month’s alternative Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare artwork.

You can subscribe to the print edition, digital version, or save even more with the print/digital bundle – whatever you choose, you can rest easy in the knowledge you’re getting the full story before anyone else. 

If you want more from OPM, be sure to check out all of the subscription offers at MyFavouriteMagazines (opens in new tab).

The post The designer of Iron Man VRs new suit teases a wider Sony-verse of Marvel team-ups in Official PlayStation Magazine #166 appeared first on Game News.

Shadow’s service essentially allows you to rent a gaming PC that lives in the Cloud like a Google Doc. For a monthly fee, you get access to a cloud based PC that’s  equivalent to a high end, 4K gaming PC (currently a Nvidia GTX 1080, 12GB DDR4 RAM, Intel Xeon processor), but without having to have a physical PC in your home. Instead, the little Shadow Ghost box gives you all the ethernet, USB, and other ports you need to connect all your peripherals, and then it’s just a case of signing into your Shadow account. But you can also access that account from your phone, and any other PC you own too. Clever, right?

All you have to do to be in with a chance to win, is head on over to the Gleam Competition Page (opens in new tab) and put in your entry. There’s even an option to get additional entries if you follow us on Twitter, and retweet us! Bonus!

**Note this competition is only available to people living in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and selected states within the USA**

The full list of prizes is outlined below:

• Shadow Ghost cloud gaming PC, worth $139.95 / £109.95
• One year membership to the Shadow subscription service, worth $359.40 / £323.40 
• Winner can choose games worth up to $250 / £190 from Fanatical (a selection from more than 6,000 games and DLC packages)
• An AOC G2260VWQ6 21.5″ Monitor, worth $120 / £90
• Noblechairs Icon Black & Red gaming chair, worth $420 / £329.99
• Logitech G613 wireless gaming keyboard, worth $149.99 /  £129.99
• Logitech G603 wireless gaming mouse, worth $69.99 / £52.49
• Logitech G935 wireless gaming headset, worth $169.99 / £159.99
• Logitech G640 mousepad, worth $39.99 / £34.99

So with all that in mind, here are all the important T&Cs you need to know too:

• The contest is open from March 13, 2019 at 2:00pm GMT until March 23, 2019 at 2:00pm GMT.
• Prizes are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.
• One winner is selected.
• By entering the competition, you give Shadow and GamesRadar+ the right to contact you via email at least once. 
• Entries must be submitted by an individual (not via any agency or similar) and, unless otherwise stated, are limited to one per household.
• If you are a winner, you may have to provide additional information (including, without limitation, proof of age or identity) and/or complete additional documents and return them to the Company within a specified period.

The post Win a cloud gaming PC and over $1500/£1000 of games and accessories appeared first on Game News.

Ahead of the release of Edgerton’s upcoming movie (opens in new tab) as a director – ‘gay conversion’ therapy drama Boy Erased – Edgerton spoke to our sister publication Total Film magazine (opens in new tab) for an in-depth career interview. Of being cast in Attack of the Clones, the Australian star says: “It totally was [like hitting jackpot], as miniscule as my part was in Star Wars. I couldn’t believe that they were shooting in Australia, that I was an actor of the right age to play a young Uncle Owen. It was my 26th birthday when I found out I got the job. I was so fucking over the moon. And then it gave me the opportunity to go to the States.”

For a young actor, there are more benefits to being in Star Wars than just getting to visit Tatooine. “Star Wars allowed me, in that 18-month period while they were putting the movie together, to bluff my way into any meeting I wanted. ‘I’m in Star Wars. I’m not telling you that I’m only in it for five minutes and that I don’t have a lightsaber.’ I would have meetings with people, and let them believe I was a larger part of the story than I actually was. That was a good time and allowed me to get my first job out of the States.”

In his directing career so far, Edgerton has gone from high-concept thriller The Gift to prestige drama Boy Erased, and he hopes his directing choices will be able to be as varied as his acting roles. “I’m happy if people can accept me as a director going, ‘Maybe I’ll make a comedy!’” he says. Just don’t expect him to move into franchise filmmaking any time soon. “I just need each new film to have some substance,” he says. “I don’t think I’ll ever be a director for hire to make the ninth sequel of something – not while I have my own fresh ideas.”

Boy Erased is out now in the US and will open in the UK on February 8, 2019. For much more from Edgerton, pick up the new issue of Total Film magazine (opens in new tab) when it hits shelves this Friday, November 16, 2018. 

As well as an in-depth cover feature on M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, you’ll also find the latest on Creed 2, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bumblebee, Beautiful Boy, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and interviews with Joel Edgerton, John C. Reilly, Steve Coogan, John Carpenter, and much more. This issue also comes with a supplement on the 50 Greatest Superhero Movies (not available with digital and compact editions).

And if you’re a fan of the mag, why not subscribe (opens in new tab) so that you never miss an issue? If you sign up, My Favourite Magazines (opens in new tab) will deliver every new issue through your letterbox before it hits shelves, and you’ll get an exclusive subscribers cover AND save money on the cover price.

The post “I was so f**king over the moon” – Joel Edgerton explains how Star Wars changed his career… even without a lightsaber appeared first on Game News.

Among the new characters introduced this time around are Theseus Scamander, Newt’s war veteran older brother who’s played by British actor Callum Turner. They’re something of an odd couple of siblings, as they don’t see entirely eye-to-eye, which should ensure that sparks fly when Theseus comes along for the ride.

You can take a new look at Theseus – alongside Newt – in this exclusive image from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, courtesy of our sister publication Total Film magazine (opens in new tab). It’s a dark and moody shot, with the brothers lurking around a dark corner, presumably ready to dispense some magic. Take a look for yourself below:

“To explore the relationship with Newt was exciting for me – someone who’s super-successful and generous,” explains Turner. Although, neither he nor Redmayne actually got to visit Hogwarts for this film, so had to find a novel way to satisfy their inner fans. “Callum and I weren’t invited to Hogwarts,” laughs Redmayne. “So we stole in ourselves and took illegal selfies.”

It’s not all fun and games though: like the previous film, expect Fantastic Beasts 2 to have some darkness at its core. “Dumbledore trusts people who always make the right choice,” says Jude Law of the younger incarnation of the well-known wizard. “There’s a part of him also that thinks he has a monster inside of him. Newt is someone who can have affection for monsters. That’s a theme that runs through the whole film – people facing the monster inside.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens on November 16 in the US and the UK, and you can read more about it in the new issue of Total Film magazine (opens in new tab) when it hits shelves this Friday, September 21. Inside you’ll also find the latest on Creed 2 and Bumblebee, as well as in-depth features and interviews for First Man (opens in new tab), Halloween (opens in new tab), The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Overlord, and much more.

And if you’re a fan of the mag, why not subscribe (opens in new tab) so that you never miss an issue? If you sign up, My Favourite Magazines (opens in new tab) will deliver every new issue through your letterbox before it hits shelves, and you’ll save money on the cover price. What’s not to like?

The post The Scamander brothers join forces in this exclusive new Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald image appeared first on Game News.

After the massive success of the first SFX Book Con back in February 2018, the eagerly anticipated follow-up is on the way – and it’ll be bigger and longer, with even more top science fiction and fantasy authors.

Our sister publication SFX magazine (opens in new tab) is the world’s number one sci-fi and fantasy mag and has teamed up with top bookshop Foyles once again, for a live event that celebrates science fiction/fantasy novels, and the people who write them. 

SFX Book Con 2 takes place on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at Foyles’ flagship Charing Cross Road store in London, and tickets are available now (opens in new tab)! 

It’ll be a a day of panels, signing and mingling – with the opportunity for you to buy lots of books. There will also be goody bags.

The list of top literary names attending includes: 

• Pat Cadigan (Synners, Fools, upcoming Harley Quinn novel Mad Love) 

• MR Carey (The Girl with all the Gifts, Fellside, the upcoming Someone Like Me)

• Anne Charnock (the Arthur C Clarke Award-winning Dreams Before the Start of Time, A Calculated Life) 

• Alexandra Christo (To Kill a Kingdom)

• Stephen Cox (Our Child of the Stars)

• Francesco Dimitri (The Book of Hidden Things)

• Peter F Hamilton (the Commonwealth saga, the Void trilogy, Salvation)

• Lauren James (The Loneliest Girl in the Universe)

• Rebecca Levene (The Hollow Gods series, Doctor Who: The New Adventures)

• Rebecca Kuang (The Poppy War)

• Sarah Lotz (The Three, Day Four, The White Road) 

• Kate Mascarenhas (The Psychology of Time Travel)

• Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon, Black Man, the upcoming Thin Air)

• Nick Setchfield (The War in the Dark)

• James Smythe (Way Down Dark, The Explorer, I Still Dream) 

• Tasha Suri (the upcoming Empire of Sand)

• Tade Thompson (the upcoming Rosewater)

• Lavie Tidhar (Osama, A Man Lies Dreaming, the upcoming Unholy Land)

• Jen Williams (The Copper Cat trilogy, The Winnowing Flame trilogy) 

• Chris Wooding (The Ember Blade, Tales of the Ketty Jay, Malice)

We look forward to seeing you there! #SFXBookCon (opens in new tab)

The post Meet loads of top sci-fi and fantasy authors as the SFX Book Con returns! appeared first on Game News.

Setting the stage by echoing Irreversible’s chronological mischief, structurally it’s as intrepid as anything in Noé’s filmography. A series of talking head recordings follow, establishing a colourful mix of twenty-something characters, and providing a handy checklist of reference points for what we’re about to watch via copies of Possession, Suspiria (opens in new tab), Labyrinth Man (the French title of Eraserhead), and more stacked up on either side of the static CRT TV.

Then, in the kind of sterile hall you can imagine a weekly game of bingo taking place (the film’s single location setting), an incredibly dynamic and thrillingly choreographed one shot dance sequence explodes off the screen for the best part of 20 unbroken minutes. Performed by the 30-odd real life dancers who fill the ranks of the cast, it’s bravura stuff, the camera fixed on impossibly limber bodies as they krump, flex, and gyrate to a pulsating, and near omnipresent, dance soundtrack populated by the likes of Daft Punk and Aphex Twin.

As if to further confirm the film’s singularly idiosyncratic structure, the garish opening titles flash on screen a full 45 minutes into the film along with the declaration “a French movie and proud of it”. It’s only then that Climax finally takes a breather, following the closest the film has to a central character, Sofia Boutella’s Selva, as she does the rounds on the dance floor, cosying up to her boyfriend, checking in on the mother of the group and her young son (let’s call him Chekov’s child) and liberally dipping a glass into the Sangria. With rehearsals over for the day, the troupe have nothing left to do but dance and drink. But nothing is ever that wholesome in the Noé-verse. As their behaviour gets more erratic, more depraved, it quickly dawns that someone has slipped a healthy dose of LSD into the booze, and the insanity has only just begun.

Part Step up, part Passolini’s Salo, the nightmarish depravity which unfolds could have been torn from the pages of Dante’s Inferno. While some characters seem to revel in the liberation that the ultimate bad trip provides, others suffer, tormented not for their sins, but seemingly at random. Character dynamics carefully established in the first half are twisted and weaponised in the second. The overprotective brother of one of the dancers, for example, is revealed to have a less virtuous love for his sister than it first appears, adding incest to the already ungodly mix.  

There are sudden moments of wincing, lump-in-throat violence here that rival the most shocking moments of Irreversible. But for a man who premiered porn at the world’s most prestigious festival three years ago, Noé exhibits a modicum of restraint, never letting the film get quite as graphic as you might expect/fear. At the centre of it all is Boutella, who gets one of the film’s standout sequences, homaging Isabelle Adjani’s demonic writing in Possession to breathtaking effect, hilariously getting her hands stuck down her tights at one point.

It’s electrified filmmaking, and full credit goes to Noé’s crew for the magic they work staging, lighting and capturing a thoroughly convincing underworld, bathing the dance hall in demonic red light as the camera performs the kind of gymnastics an Olympic athlete would win a gold medal for during an orgiastic finale.

Noé, naturally, cannot resist the impulse to go too far on occasion, at one point lowering the tone with some uncomfortably crass conversations. And with zero plot beyond ‘dancers on drugs lose their minds’, don’t expect to find any great meaning to the depravity. But Climax isn’t just Noé’s best in years, it’s one of the surprise highlights of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. How’s that for shocking.

Want more Cannes Film Festival coverage? Why not read our review of Mads Mikkelsen’s snowbound survival movie Arctic (opens in new tab).

The post Cannes 2018: Gaspar Noé is back on career-best form with the shocking Climax appeared first on Game News.