Lift-off for special Sydney charity screening of critically acclaimed film

FOUR STARS each from The Times, Empire, The Guardian and The Sun

“Epic … If you don’t love this film I’ll give you a fiver” – BBC Film 2012
“Wonderful – Truly inspiring” – Q Magazine

“A deceptively moving documentary” – The Times 

On 29^th August, The Fragile X Association of Australia (FXAA) will present a special screening of Mission to Lars, an uplifting feature film about Tom Spicer, a man with Fragile X who, with thehelp of his siblings, goes on a road trip across America to find his hero, Lars Ulrich of Metallica.  Fragile X is the leading cause of intellectual disability and the most common single gene cause of autism.

All Tom has ever wanted to do is to meet Lars. After 20 years of persistently asking his journalist sister, Kate, when he was going to meet his heavy metal hero, she finally cracked. Mission to Lars is a film that looks beyond disability, and uncovers the soul of a very cool guy.

This special charity screening in aid of FXAA at the Orpheum Theatre, Cremorne, is a rare chance to see the film that has enchanted UK audiences.FXAA has been offered the chance to show the film to raise money and awareness of Fragile X and the film, as the filmmakers look for distribution in Australia. This will be the very first screening of the critically acclaimed film in Australia and will feature an appearance from special guest and filmmaker, Tom’s sister, Kate Spicer.

Joan Macdonald, Project Officer from FXAA, said:

“This film has something everyone will enjoy. Mission to Lars is a powerful movie that strives to define Tom as a person, not a disability. You will laugh and cry along with Tom and his family, whose journey includes many situations familiar to those impacted by Fragile X.”

Kate Spicer said of the Sydney screening: “I’m delighted that Tom’s dream, and our Mission to Lars can be brought to Australian audiences, not only to drive awareness of the most common form of inherited learning disability, but to also show how music has a very big heart.”

Although there is currently no cure, early intervention by health and education professionals can assist those affected by Fragile X syndrome to reach their full potential.

Joan Macdonald continued: “Latest statistics indicate that one in 180 males and one in 120 females carry the gene worldwide. Every week in Australia one child is born who is fully affected and 12 children are born who are carriers. It is estimated that 5 per cent of autistic children also have Fragile X.”

FANS DETERMINE WHICH 25 CITIES AROUND THE WORLD WILL RECEIVE EARLY SCREENINGS OF THE HORROR SERIES’ HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOURTH INSTALMENT

August 6, 2012 – Fans of “PARANORMAL ACTIVITY” are being empowered to bring the movie to their city first.  Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., will debut the fourth instalment in the popular horror franchise exclusively in 25 cities around the world by encouraging fans to vote to see it first with a new “Want It” application on Facebook.

Facebook’s 955 million global fans can vote for an advance screening in their city by clicking on the “Want It” button on the film’s fan page at

https://www.facebook.com/ParanormalActivityAU

“Want It” is a dynamic application utilising Facebook’s open graph technology that gives fans the opportunity to vote to bring the franchise to their city and leverage their social networks to ensure they are one of the top 25 winning locations.  The application recognises a fan’s geo-location according to their Facebook profile and automatically registers a vote to bring the film to their city first.  Votes will be shared on a fan’s page and automatically posted to the Facebook newsfeed to rally their peers to bring the film to their city first too.

The application feeds individual votes into a dynamic leader board that shows the ranking of every city in real time.  Audiences can track the top cities as well as the ranking of their own city as well as push out reminders encouraging friends to vote.  “Want It” brings an unprecedented level of interactivity for fans in determining screenings of the movie.

“There’s a very special connection between ‘PARANORMAL ACTIVITY’ and Facebook,” said Matt Jacobson, head of market development at Facebook. “Four years after the initial success of the franchise and the establishment of a passionate fan community, we’re excited to see continued iteration on a franchise that was born on Facebook. Paramount is using both the Facebook platform and media to drive awareness of the film, three months out, and we will continue to drive awareness and intent at scale as we approach opening weekend in October.”

“The success of ‘PARANORMAL ACTIVITY’ began with the fans who have championed the movie franchise from the very beginning through social media,” said Amy Powell, Executive Vice President of Interactive Marketing. “Now we’re creating an even more dynamic experience among the film’s community of fans and for the first time, we’re giving them an opportunity to go head-to-head on Facebook with fans around the world to determine the 25 cities who get to see ‘PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4’ before it opens.”

Fans can also vote at the film’s website, http://www.ParanormalActivityMovie.com.au

The 25 cities that receive the most votes will win a free screening of the eagerly awaited film before it hits theaters October 18, 2012.

“PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4” is directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.

Like “PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4” on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/ParanormalActivityAU and follow on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TweetYourScream.

New NX20 and NX1000 models deliver wireless sharing, storing and capturing capability 

SYDNEY, Australia – 6 August 2012 – Samsung Electronics Australia, today announced the availability of its Wi-Fi enabled compact system cameras – the NX1000 and NX20. These models combine Samsung’s SMART connectivity features alongside professional image quality offered through a compact interchangeable lens system. Samsung’s latest additions have been designed to match the capabilities of users of all abilities.

“Samsung’s latest range showcases the next stage in the evolution of the Samsung SMART compact system camera,” said Craig Gillespie, Business Unit Manager – Digital Imaging, Samsung Electronics Australia. “Consumers are increasingly looking for greater connectivity, and Samsung’s latest models seek to respond to this demand by making it easy for Australians to shoot, share and save their images.”

Designed for professional style and performance 

The NX20 and NX1000 are designed to give the professional look and feel of a Samsung DSLR but at a fraction of the size and weight.

The NX20 incorporates a range of functions and manual controls in order to deliver pro-standard pictures almost every time, so users can frame images like a professional. Key features include:

• 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• Full HD movie recording capabilities
• 3.0” AMOLED Swivel Display –letting users precisely frame images and shoot from just about any angle.
• Built-in Electronic View Finder (EVF) – provides a true window to measure the shot for both short and long distances.
• 1/8000 Fast Shutter
• Samsung’s i-Function 2.0 system – makes it easy to adjust key camera settings through a single button and the value ring located on the lens.

Available in either a stunning white or sleek black, the NX1000 is packed full of features to benefit both the amateur and professional photographer, including:

• 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• Full HD movie recording capabilities
• Samsung’s i-Function 2.0 system – makes it easy to adjust key camera settings through a single button and the value ring located on the lens.
• Smart Filter 2.0 technology – allows users to create the mood for their special moments with a range of available photo styles and themes
• 1/4000 Fast Shutter

Sharing, storing and capturing via Wi-Fi*

With Samsung’s Wi-Fi technology, both the NX20 and NX1000 offer consumers a reliable and integrated experience that’s easy to use and access anywhere there is internet access.

The NX20 and NX1000 house SMART intuitive Wi-Fi features include:

• PC Auto Backup function – upload photos wirelessly to a home PC or laptop
• Social Media Sharing Apps – share high quality photos and HD video with family and friends via social media sites, such as Facebook®, Picasa®, Photobucket® and YouTube®*
• Remote View Finder – use the Remote View Finder app to capture photos on the NX20 or NX1000 from the screen of compatible Android smartphone devices^

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung NX20 is available now for a RRP $999 and the NX1000 is available now for a RRP $749

*Internet connection required. Data download and usage charges may apply.

** Wireless network required.

^ The Remote View Finder app must be downloaded from Samsung Apps or Google Play. Internet connection required. Data download, usage and subscription charges may apply. The Remote Viewfinder app is available on all Android 2.2 OS supported smartphone devices.

Logitech Unveils Highly Customizable, 20-Button Mouse Designed for Superior Accuracy in Long Gaming Sessions

SYDNEY, Australia — August 6, 2012 — Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) introduced the latest addition to its popular G-Series gaming lineup: the Logitech® G600 MMO Gaming Mouse, a highly customizable and easy-to-use mouse specifically designed for massively multiplayer online (MMO) gamers. The mouse features 20 buttons – including 12 thumb buttons, set in two groups of six on a meticulously designed thumb panel – all in easy reach for quick and easy no-look navigation and faster game play.

With three default profiles – two for MMOs and one for general gaming – it is set up for optimal use right out of the box, no drivers required. In addition, it has a G-Shift function that easily doubles the number of actions you can perform with any button, giving you complete control in your favorite MMOs. As with all of our G-Series products, the keys are programmable so you can create your own commands, store them in the mouse’s onboard memory, and access them all with one touch. Plus, its sculpted shape comfortably supports your hand through long gaming sessions.

“The Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse is the result of intense, direct testing with experienced MMO gamers,” said Mark Starrett, senior global product manager for Logitech. “Countless hours of research went into the design of our thumb panel to make sure that it is as comfortable and easy to use as possible. And people will feel the difference in the buttons – they’re sculpted to help reduce click fatigue and miss-clicks so you can play with greater precision for as long as you want.”

For additional personalization, the thumb panel’s RGB illumination is fully customizable with more than 16 million possible color combinations that you can use to easily identify the active on-board profile. The lighting can be set to glow continuously, pulse on and off, continuously cycle, or dim after a user-determined period of inactivity.

“This Logitech mouse is one of the best out there – and not just because they incorporated our feedback into the design,” said Hal Hanlin, Rift producer. “There are so many abilities to keep track of in Rift, the difference between defeating a zone event or winding up at the graveyard can come down to seconds. Having all those G-Keys at your fingertips gives you an advantage.”

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse is now available in Australia at JB Hi-Fi, EB Games and Dick Smith for a suggested retail price of $99.95. For more information please visit www.logitech.com.

About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech’s combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).

As announced earlier this week, Ada Wong will be a playable character with her own individual campaign in Resident Evil 6. A single player experience, Ada’s campaign features unique missions and will provide her perspective on the bioterrorist outbreaks that threaten to wipe out the world’s population.  Ada Wong’s campaign becomes available once players have completed the campaigns for Leon, Chris and Jake.

For those who want to experience the action as a zombie, J’avo or other C-virus mutation then the all new online mode Agent Hunt delivers. As a ‘hunter’ players will be able to infiltrate other players’ sessions with the aim of eliminating the human characters.  As a hunter, players will have access to the unique movements and attacks of each of the enemies, including those of the various J’avo transformations.

So how does Agent Hunt Mode work?

• Complete the main campaigns for either Leon, Chris or Jake to then unlock the Agent Hunt stages for each of those respective campaigns
• When creating an RE6 gameplay session a player has the option to allow/not allow Agent Hunt
• When a hunter searches for a session to join they will see whether or not other players from around the world want to allow hunters into their game
• The hunter then picks another player’s session to join and jumps into that session
  • Please note only certain stages will be available for Agent Hunt sessions
  • The agent side can be either a single human player with an AI partner, or two human players in co-op mode. Up to two separate hunters can join an Agent Hunt session. When a hunter dies they respawn in the same session as a different random enemy from that area
  • If the hunter eliminates the agent then they will be taken to a ‘hunt successful’ results screen where they can join another session if they wish
  • If the agent is eliminated then their game session will end exactly as if they had been playing a standard game session  with CPU enemies
  • If the hunter quits the session then the agent’s game continues as normal with all AI enemies

Resident Evil 6 will launch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 4 with a PC version to follow.

Activision and Ford are giving Australians the chance to shape how a new Transformers car will look

Activision and Ford have partnered up to offer Australians a unique chance to shape Transformers history. Fans are invited to head over to the Ford Australia and Ford Falcon Facebook pages to cast their vote on a selection of characteristics that will make up a new Australian Ford Transformers car.

Fans will have the chance to vote on which model of Ford Falcon they want to become a Transformers car, what colour it should be, if it should be an Autobot or Decepticon and will even be able to choose its name. The results of the poll will be sent to the High Moon Studios, the developers of TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON. A bespoke piece of concept art will then be created by the amazing concept art department at High Moon Studios lead by Jim Daly and unveiled on 22 August to coincide with the release of the game.

TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON transports players to the final days of the planet Cybertron where they will experience the darkest hours of the apocalyptic war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS.

Taking the franchise’s competitive multiplayer to all-new heights TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON lets fans go head-to-head in blistering AUTOBOT vs. DECEPTICON matches after creating their own unique characters with the most in-depth, advanced customization ever before seen in a Transformers game.

To take part visit www.facebook.com/FordAustralia and www.facebook.com/FordFalcon

Source: screencrush.com

When you’re the infamous three-breasted woman in the ‘Total Recall‘ remake, you’re bound to get some attention. Canadian actress Kaitlyn Leeb knew that she’d have a lot of eyes on her, but since she showed up in full costume at Comic-Con 2012, fanboys have been tripping over themselves online and offline.

In a fun publicity move, Kaitlyn Leeb went into makeup and put on her full costume as the three-breasted woman. When she stepped out on stage during the ‘Total Recall’ portion of Sony Pictures’ panel, she was starting to get some peculiar questions from the audience including how she managed to get surgery to implant a third breast (seriously people?…).

In fact, all three of those breasts were prosthetics; a process that kept Leeb in makeup for four hours a day. The silicone-based mold was made specifically for the actress during filming last summer.

Leeb tells the Ottowa Citizen reports that she had to keep the specifics of her role under wraps up until the first full trailer was released for the film. “This is all very new for me,” she says. “Every day is new. It’s just really crazy and exciting at the same time. My Twitter following has gone up. It’s crazy, but really cool.”  Maybe this is the role that she needs to really skyrocket her film career.

You’ll be able to see Kaitlyn Leeb along with Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel in Total Recall.

@jessicabiel

Melbourne Australia, August 3 2012 – Straight from the vault’s of EA, some brand new screenshots from Battlefield 3!

Sydney, Australia – August 4, 2012 – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today revealed the all-star cast lending their voices to Dishonored^TM, a new first-person action game from Arkane Studios in which the player takes on the role of Corvo, a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. Dishonored will feature an award-winning ensemble including Academy Award® winner, Susan Sarandon (“Thelma & Louise,” “Dead Man Walking”), Golden Globe® winner, Brad Dourif (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest”), Emmy® Award nominees Carrie Fisher (original “Star Wars” trilogy) and John Slattery (“Mad Men”), Michael Madsen (“Thelma & Louise,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill”), and Lena Headey (“300,” “Game of Thrones”),

Susan Sarandon, an Academy Award winner and five-time nominee, will make her videogame debut as the former aristocrat, Granny Rags – an intriguing old blind woman now deranged after years of street life. Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe-winner Brad Dourif takes on the role of the inventor Piero, creator of the iconic mask worn by Corvo as well as a wealth of gadgets Corvo can use. Emmy winner and Hollywood-icon Carrie Fisher can be heard broadcasting government propaganda over loudspeakers throughout the city of Dunwall, where the game is set.

The all-star cast continues with John Slattery (“Mad Men,” “The Adjustment Bureau”) who takes on the role of Admiral Havelock, a Loyalist who helps Corvo on his quest, as well as Michael Madsen who brings his videogame voiceover experience to the role of Daud, a mysterious assassin. Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass,” “Hugo”) portrays Young Lady Emily, the Empress’ daughter who is kidnapped after her mother’s death while Lena Headey joins the cast as Calista, Emily’s caretaker. In addition to the star-studded voice cast, Composer Daniel Licht (“Dexter”) lends his musical talents to create the game’s original score.

“Having such talented actors voice Dishonored’s compelling cast of characters adds a rich, powerful element to the game,” said Raphaël Colantonio, president of Arkane Studios. “We want to draw people into this virtual world and make it feel real. This celebrated cast adds wonderful depth and credibility to the overall Dishonored gameplay experience.”

Dishonored gives players the chance to eliminate enemies using a flexible combat system that combines supernatural abilities and numerous weapons. Pursue targets under the cover of darkness or boldly attack with weapons drawn. The choices you make will control each mission and the game’s ultimate conclusion.

Dishonored is set for release in Australia and New Zealand on October 11, 2012 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows.

For more information about Dishonored visit: www.dishonored.com.