STACK #135 Jan 2016

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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Boyz n the hood. STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Release Date: 14/01/16 Format:

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DVD & BD EXTRAS

Becoming N.W.A. N.W.A. The Originals Impact

BD ONLY

Director’s Cut & Theatrical Cut Audio Commentary Director’s Journey The Streets: Filming in Compton N.W.A. Performs in Detroit Deleted Song Performance Deleted Scenes

These days Ice Cube is probably better known for comedy fluff like Ride Along , while Dr Dre now gets almost as many column inches for his entrepreneurial abilities as his music. So this searing urban epic about the gangsta rap collective N.W.A. is a timely reminder of their musical talents and just how groundbreaking

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Alternative Artwork

DID YOU KNOW...

O’Shea Jackson Jr. was initially uncomfortable playing his father Ice Cube when first cast. But after lots of training and coaching, he noted he’s the only one who should portray his father in the movie.

their hip hop sound was. However, Straight Outta Compton is more than just a rags-to-riches music biopic: director F. Gary Gray also doesn’t flinch from shining a light on the racism and police harassment of the late ‘80s, attitudes which, sadly, have not disappeared from American society. Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. is a revelation playing his father,

who together with Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr) and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) achieved worldwide notoriety when they started rapping about the realities of life in the ‘hood. The best movie about hip hop since 8 Mile and essential viewing for fans of gritty urban flicks. • See page 28

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8 Mile

DVD&BD

Into thin air. EVEREST

Release Date: 21/01/16 Format:

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DVD & BD EXTRAS

Learning to Climb: The Actor’s Journey A Mountain of Work: Recreating Everest Race to the Summit: The Making of Everest Aspiring Authenticity: The Real Story

Everest might look like a traditional Hollywood disaster movie with an all-star cast in a mountain of trouble, but once you strap in for the ascent, you’ll realise it’s anything but. Based on the 1996 true-life tragedy that befell a group of climbers led by Kiwi Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), this is the cinematic equivalent of scaling Everest, right down to the minutiae involved in reaching

Feature Commentary with Director Baltasar Kormákur

DID YOU KNOW...

Mount Everest was named by Andrew Waugh, British Surveyor General, in 1865. Sir George Everest, its namesake, identified it in the 1820s as the highest point in the world above sea level.

freezing solid on the mountainside, and the debilitating and life-threatening effects of high altitude. Moreover, the time taken to get to know the characters (from Jake Gyllenhaal’s hippie guide to Josh Brolin’s rich Texan) before the mother of all blizzards sweeps in and disaster strikes makes their respective fates all the more impactful. Although at times it’s difficult to keep track of who’s who beneath the parkas, goggles and icicles.

the summit from base camp. In the hands of a more flashy filmmaker, Everest would have been a disaster of a movie, but Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur balances the spectacle and high adventure with verisimilitude and the most immersive use of 3D since Gravity. This dedication to realism makes several scenes particularly difficult to watch ; flesh blackening from frostbite, bodies

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Cliffhanger

JANUARY 2016

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