STACK #135 Jan 2016

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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Zygons, Sandmen and Clara's farewell. DOCTOR WHO: SERIES 9, PART 2

LA confidential. TRUE DETECTIVE: SEASON 2

Release Date: 13/01/16

Release Date: 06/01/16

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The second half of Peter Capaldi's sophomore season sees the return of those sucker-laden shapeshifters the Zygons in two-parter The Zygon Invasion and The Zygon Inversion , which also placates fan outrage over the "death" of UNIT's bespectacled geek Osgood (yes, she's back). Standalone ep Sleep No More sees Who using the found-footage format (to good effect) to introduce some truly terrifying new monsters, spawned from experiments in sleep deprivation – a great way to convince kids to go to sleep! And it's no secret that

The first installment of HBO's True Detective was so awe-inspiring that a follow-up was always on a hiding to nothing, and it’s not surprising that season two has attracted a fair amount of flak from the critics. But while it’s not quite in the same league as the first series, there is much to admire about creator Nic Pizzolatto’s second chapter, which boasts a completely new set of characters and a compelling story that takes its cues from the dark, twisted thrillers of James Ellroy. This time around crooked cop Colin Farrell and

this is the final season for longtime companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), whose departure and its consequences drive the final three episodes – Face the Raven , Heaven Sent and Hell Bent – which also feature the return of Maisie Williams's immortal Ashildr/Me.

his mobster boss Vince Vaughn – together with dogged detective Rachel McAdams and motorcycle patrolman Taylor Kitsch – are drawn into a labyrinth of vice, corruption and greed following a bizarre murder. Still a class above most TV crime offerings.

SINISTER 2

DEMONIC

[REC] 4: APOCALYPSE

BUS 657

DVD&BD

Release Date: 20/01/16 Format:

Release Date: 06/01/16 Format:

Release Date: 20/01/16 Format:

Release Date: 13/01/16 Format:

Mr. Boogie is back! Also known as Buhguul, this pagan entity that feeds on the corruption of innocence made life hell for Ethan Hawke and family in 2012's Sinister , and is now stalking single mum Shannyn Sossamon and her twin boys. Scott Derrickson returns as writer and producer for this sequel, which rehashes the, well, sinister occurrences of the first film – Super 8 snuff movies and bloody scrawls on the walls – and adds a group of ghostly children and a backstory involving domestic violence. It's not as scary as the original but the sound design is guaranteed to have you on edge, and Buhguul remains an incredibly creepy boogeyman.

The title tells you what to expect in this latest scarefest from producer James Wan ( Insidious and The Conjuring ). A group of young ghosthunters foolishly hold a seance in a Louisiana murder house, with predictably diabolical results. Investigating the aftermath, a detective (Frank Grillo) and his psychologist girlfriend (Maria Bello) must piece together what really happened from corrupted video footage, and its connection to a massacre that occurred 20 years earlier. This type of horror film has now become generic, although the involvement of Wan and stars Bello and Grillo give this one some weight, and the jump scares are effective.

The third film in this gleefully gruesome Spanish zombie series took a different approach, with a fresh group of characters and a jokier tone. The latest entry, Apocalypse , returns to the franchise's roots, picking up the action where the second film ended. TV reporter Manuela Velasco awakens aboard a ship, where a team of scientists are trying to find a cure to the virus. But when one of the diseased monkeys escapes and infects the ship’s chef, all hell breaks loose again. Director Jaume Balagueró ditches the found-footage device of the earlier films, but retains their gory excess and energy. A hugely entertaining zombie fest.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a casino worker and father who needs big bucks to cover his daughter's medical bills. But when his gangster boss (Robert De Niro) turns him down, he plots an inside job to rip off laundered money with bouncer co-worker Dave Bautista ( Guardians of the Galaxy ). Needless to say their plan goes pear-shaped, leading to a hostage situation aboard a moving bus. More complicated than it really needs to be, but never dull, this fast-paced mash- up of Ocean's Eleven and Speed will satisfy heist movie fans. And De Niro adds some A-list star power to the B-movie hijinks.

JANUARY 2016

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