STACK #183 Jan 2020

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STACK January 2020 issue 183

YOUR TO FILM, TV, MUSIC, GAMING & LIFE TECH ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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ISSUE 183

Jan ’20

Check out the NEW LIFE TECH section

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ISSUE 183

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MUSIC

ISSUE 183

Jan ’20

INSIDE

YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING THE BEST

YOURMONTHLY GUIDE TO THE HOTTEST TECH AT JB HI-FI

SCHOOL TECH PHONES THATWON’T BREAK THE BANK! SMART

WATCHES FOR SCHOOL

SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL FEATURE

WRITERS’ CHOICE: BEST MUSIC OF 2019

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“A MOVING CINEMA EXPERIENCE.” MARGARET POMERANZ ‘SCREEN’

“YOU’LL LAUGH, YOU’LL CRY, YOU’LL BE CHEERING” RICHARD WILKINS ‘TODAY’

DVD JANUARY 8 from

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & TV Editor Scott Hocking Contributors

Issue 183 JAN 2020

Music Editor Zoë Radas Online Editor Amy Flower

Creative Director Gary Siewert Movies Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Music Consultant Mike Glynn Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Gill Pringle Contributors Glenn Cochrane, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom, Bec Summer, Anthony Horan Social Media Manager Imogene Lewis-Granland Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121 Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2020 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press. RATINGS GUIDE Bryget Chrisfield, Simon Winkler, Nathan Lawrence, Jake Cleland,

WELCOME

Technology moves at a dizzying pace so it doesn’t take long to fall out of step if you’re not across the latest trends and innovations. The incessant conveyor belt of new and emerging tech can feel intimidating and difficult to wrap your head around. We’ve been slowly introducing a tech component into STACK over the last six months, recognising the synergy between home entertainment and the products at JB Hi-Fi that both complement and enhance that experience and beyond. From January, we’re introducing a brand new monthly section in STACK called LifeTech, where we will be highlighting what’s new, demystifying the mysterious, educating and keeping you abreast of all the latest tech developments to hit the shelves at JB. So whether you’re interested in putting smart lighting throughout your home, need to update your networking solutions, searching for a smart speaker for the back garden, are in the market for a smartwatch to track fitness and health (to help keep all of your NewYear’s resolutions on track), chasing a new camera or deliberating over your next phone choice, LifeTech will have you totally covered. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

The large print giveth, the small print taketh away. “The only thing thatmatters is the odds you give yourself.”

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Issue 183 JAN 2020

NEW SECTION

YOUR TO FILM, TV,MUSIC, GAMING& LIFE TECH ESSENTIALGUIDE

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ISSUE 183

GAMING

MUSIC

ISSUE 183

Jan ’20

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE COMPETITION STACK Issue 183 JANUARY2020 “Is it justme, or is it getting crazierout there?”

Jan ’20

INSIDE

YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING THE BEST

SCHOOL TECH PHONES THATWON’T BREAK THE BANK! SMART WATCHES FOR SCHOOL

YOURMONTHLY GUIDE TO THE HOTTEST TECH AT JB HI-FI

Checkout the NEW LIFE TECH section

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SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL FEATURE

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MUSIC

ISSUE 183

Jan ’20

MUSIC

ISSUE 183

Jan ’20

ISSUE 183

Jan ’20

INSIDE

YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING THE BEST

YOURMONTHLY GUIDE TO THE HOTTEST TECH AT JB HI-FI

SCHOOL TECH PHONES THATWON’T BREAK THE BANK! SMART

WATCHES FOR SCHOOL

SPECIAL BACKTO SCHOOL FEATURE

WRITERS’CHOICE:BESTMUSICOF2019

GAMES COMING IN2020

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CINEMA 12-13 MIDWAY 14 THE GRUDGE MOVIES & TV 16-17 BOB J – VERTIGO 18-19 BEST OF 2019 – FILM 20-21 BEST OF 2019 – TV 22 BEST OF 2019 – 4K UHD 24-25 JOKER 26 RIDE LIKE A GIRL 28 MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL 30-33 REVIEWS 36 RIPPER AUSSIE FILMS & TV

MUSIC 40-42 INTERVIEWs: PET SHOP BOYS, georgia 43 music history: JAN 44 OUR WRITERS’ TOP ALBUMS OF 2019 46-48 CHOICE CUTS OF 2019 49 back on wax: best vinyl reissues of the month 50-51 LIVE SNAPS: TOP PHOTOGRAPHS OF 2019 52-53 BREAKOUT BELTER: CYNDI LAUPER’S she’s so unusual (1983) 54-58 album reviews 60 this month at JB

LIFE TECH 38 Welcome Page 40-41 what’s new at jb 42-48 back to school 50-52 smartphones on a budget 54 back to school essentials 56 smartwatches for school 58 online safety

GAMES 62-63 dragonball z 64-65 ao tennis 66 the best games of 2019 67 what’s coming in 2020 68-70 pc gaming 72 stack recommends 74-75 competitions and crosswords

QUIZ, & COMPETITIONS on page 74

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NEW TO 4KUHD ™ , BLU-RAY ™ & DVD FROM JANUARY 22 DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY CHUNG-HOON CHUNG PRODUCTION DESIGNER MARTIN WHIST MUSIC BY DAVID SARDY MUSIC SUPERVISION BY GABE HILFER COSTUME DESIGNER CHRISTINE WADA EDITED BY DIRK WESTERVELT, ACE VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR PAUL LINDEN LUKE WILSON COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS A PARIAH PRODUCTION ROSARIO DAWSON ZOEY DEUTCH “ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP” IN ASSOCIATION WITH 2.0 ENTERTAINMENT WRITTEN BY RHETT REESE & PAUL WERNICK AND DAVE CALLAHAM EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS PAUL WERNICK RHETT REESE REBECCA RIVO RUBEN FLEISCHER DAVID BERNAD DOUG BELGRAD JACK HELLER DIRECTED BY PRODUCED BY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY CHUNG-HOON CHUNG PRODUCTION D SIGNER MARTIN WHIST MUSIC BY DAVID SARDY MUSIC SUPERVISION BY GABE HILFER COSTUME D SIGNER CHR STINE W DA EDITED BY DIRK W ST RVELT, ACE VISUAL EFFECTS SUPE VISOR PAUL LI DEN LUKE WILSON COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS A P RIAH PRODUCTION ROSARIO DAWSON ZOEY DEUTCH “ZOMBIELAN : DOUBLE TAP” IN ASSOCIATION WITH 2.0 N ERTAINMENT WRITTEN BY RHETT R ESE & PAUL WERNICK AND DAVE C LLAHAM EXCUTIVE PRODUCERS PAUL WERNICK RHETT R ESE REBECCA RIVO RUBEN FLEISCHER DAVID BERNA DOUG BELGRAD JACK H LLER MUSIC BY DAVID SARDY MUSIC SUPERVISION BY GABE HILFER COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATI EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS PAUL WERNICK RHETT REESE REBECCA PRODUCE B MUSIC BY DAVID SARDY MUSIC SUPERVISION BY GABE HILFER COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATI EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS PAUL WERNICK RH TT REESE REBECCA WHILE STOCKS LAST DIRECTED BY PRODUCED BY

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STACK ROVING REPORTER

DVD BEST-SELLERS 2019

almost eighteen months now. “Finding out what they like and giving them recommendations is the best part of the job,” Tara says. “And sometimes they will give me recommendations, which is really cool. “My taste is pretty particular. If people ask me about superhero or action movies, that’s not my bag. But if they want to know about world cinema or independent films, and even horror movies,

I can talk about those for ages and give a whole list of recommendations.” Superhero films may not be Tara’s cup of tea, but she says the clientele at Northland love them. “We also have a lot of older customers here, so classics are really popular. It’s a bit of a mixed bag really.” But if you’re in the mood for a world cinema or horror title, then Tara has the perfect combination. “One of my favourites is Train to Busan , a South Korean zombie movie. I try and recommend that to as many people as I can because it’s fantastic! [ STACK concurs] It’s unlike other zombie movies; it’s really emotional and has some great characters and action sequences.” She also shares STACK ’s love for Midsommar – the new film from the director of Hereditary , Ari Aster. “I loved Hereditary , but I think I loved Midsommar even more. It’s so beautifully shot, and incredibly weird.” Tara says that when it comes to creating in-store displays you simply can’t miss, the JB Northland team don’t do things by halves. “When Aquaman came out we decided to go all out and made a life-sized Aquaman with a backdrop. The store manager brought in a pool and we filled it with fake water and rocks. It was a big display at the front of the store and it was so awesome!

SHOP TALK

1 Bohemian Rhapsody 2 A Star Is Born (2018) 3 Avengers: Endgame 4 Aquaman 5 Captain Marvel 6 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 7 Venom 8 John Wick: Chapter 3 9 Bumblebee 10 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

T ara Di Marco started her JB career at the Broadmeadows store west of Melbourne before heading north to Preston’s Northland Shopping Centre, where she’s been talking movies with customers for

BLU-RAY BEST-SELLERS 2019

1 Bohemian Rhapsody 2 Avengers: Endgame 3 Aquaman 4 Venom 5 Captain Marvel 6 Spider-Man: Into the Spider- Verse 7 A Star Is Born (2018) 8 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 9 Bumblebee 10 Avengers: Infinity War

Tara Di Marco at JB Northland, VIC

PRE-ORDER OFFERS JB's

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month – with her usually blonde hair dyed a deep orange – in Sebastian Gutierrez’s gothic science fiction thriller Elizabeth Harvest (2018). Inspired by the French folk tale Bluebeard and with a chilly vibe that recalls Alex Garland’s Ex Machina , the film is a literal ‘locked room mystery’. Lee plays the enigmatic new bride of a wealthy scientist

ABBEY LEE

A former model turned actor, Melbourne- born Abbey Lee made her feature film debut in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), as one of Immortan Joe’s brides, and has since starred in Alex Proyas’ Gods of Egypt (2016), Nicolas Winding Refn’s transgressive fashion-house horror The Neon Demon (2016), and Stephen McCallum’s Aussie biker drama 1% (2017). “Acting has totally changed my life,” says Lee, who readily gave up the big cheques she was used to bringing home from the fashion houses and catwalks. “My life took a 360 degree turn from the moment I landed on the set of Mad Max. I had no experience or knowledge of what was needed of me. I only had my instincts and

a very open heart and mind. The minute that I landed there, I realised what this experience meant to me and how it was what I had been looking for my whole life.” Working with George Miller in Africa was of course was an amazing experience,

Mad Max: Fury Road

but Lee says she learned to really grow as an actor while shooting 1% for two months in Perth. “Acting was not an ambition of mine early on and it fell into my lap by accident at the age of 25, so now I’m catching up.” Lee can be seen this

(Ciarán Hinds) and has the run of his isolated home, barring one room that is strictly off limits. But of course curiosity gets the better of her and what she discovers inside will change her life forever... The role required Lee to adopt

My life took a 360 degree turn from the moment I landed on the set of Mad Max [Fury Road]

a British accent and represented the challenge of playing a woman who is essentially a blank slate when first introduced. “It’s like a newborn baby, there’s this woman who’s been infused with intelligence of some sort with memories and ideas, but in terms of being out in the world you’d be fascinated by everything. I just tried to make her really young at heart and really curious,” she told UK magazine BALANCE . Lee has since landed a plum role in the HBO series Lovecraft Country , due to premiere this year. Based on the novel by Matt Ruff and executive produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams, it’s the story of a young African American man’s journey through Jim Crow America in the 1950s, where racism and horrors from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft await. Lee plays Christina Braithwhite, the ambitious daughter of the leader of a secret order called the Sons of Adam.

Ciarán Hinds and Abbey Lee in Elizabeth Harvest (2018)

Elizabeth Harvest is out Jan 1

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BATTLE STATIONS

US and Japanese forces clash in the Pacific in Roland Emmerich'sWorldWar II epic, Midway . Words Gill Pringle S ix months after movie starring Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson, Dennis Quaid and Luke Evans. “I think Midway was been any more different than in this, and yet I immediately thought of him to play Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. They are both Texans and share a certain can-do attitude,” says the director.

Japan’s brutal attack on US forces at Pearl Harbor came the decisive naval battle of Midway, inflicting devastating and irreparable damage to the Japanese fleet and swiftly restoring US morale. Although Midway is lesser known than Pearl Harbor, naval historians deem this battle in

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Nimitz was given the tough job of Commander in Chief of Pacific Areas; Harrelson warming to the task of portraying this larger-than-life hero who became a major player in US WWII history with countless public works named after him.

one of the most interesting battles that ever happened.

It's a very complex story and that’s why we had to include some of the Pearl Harbor story to show how Midway served as a comeback for the Americans. It's

“I researched as much as I could about him,” says Harrelson who actually requested permission from the US Navy to spend a night on board an aircraft carrier in the Pacific, as well as visiting the National Museum of the Pacific War located in Fredericksburg, Texas, Nimitz’s boyhood home. “Even though the US Navy had intel in order to prepare for this battle at Midway, I believe we still would have lost that battle if it

Roland Emmerich

Politicians start wars, but

always a great story to tell when the underdog succeeds.” about underdogs when Harrelson saunters into the room like a shaven-

the Pacific as one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history, altering the course of World War II. With countless films made about Pearl Harbor, it's surprising that only one major film has been made about Midway – Jack Smight’s widely forgotten 1976 drama starring Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda and James Coburn. Enter German director Roland Emmerich, no stranger to cinematic spectacles, having helmed historical epic The Patriot and sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day . “That first Midway movie was not very good,” Emmerich tells STACK when we meet with him at the Hawaiian premiere of his own Midway

never fight them. It’s the common soldier

Emmerich is in full flow

who ultimately pays the price.

headed god, all bare feet and island vibe having just flown in from the neighbouring island of Maui where he has lived for almost 20 years. The two men first met when Emmerich cast Harrelson in his apocalyptic drama 2012 . “Woody’s character in 2012 couldn’t have

weren’t for the arrogance on the Japanese side. The Japanese were so strong at that time and so dominant at sea, I guess they just thought they were unbeatable – until Midway,” he adds.

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FEATURE CINEMA

THEATRE OF WAR The WWII crucible of military conflict is hell, there is no doubt. It also results in some of the finest drama on screen.

his seat-of-the-pants dive-bombing turning the tide of the war. “You see several versions of Best throughout the story," says Skrein. "Firstly, there’s the cocky guy who turns off his plane’s engine to prove to himself he knew how to land without it. And then, after Pearl Harbor, you see

Dennis Quaid as AdmiralWilliam "Bull" Halsey

the relentless Best, who’s on a one-man mission to win the war. In the space of a few months, he loses some pilot friends, which begins a dark night of the soul for Best and we see him at his absolute lowest.” An ardent history buff, Quaid was keen to get in on the action, portraying Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, commanding the U.S.S. Enterprise, an aircraft carrier stationed at Pearl Harbor. Dealing with the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack and encroachment of the Japanese in the Pacific, he’s faced with the challenge of the US forces being outnumbered by Japan. “My dad was in WWII, in the Merchant marines, in the Atlantic,” Quaid tells us. “The father of my friend T Bone

Admittedly, Harrelson’s signing on for Midway was a bonus for casting. “We were able to go out to a bunch of actors and tell themWoody was on board,” says Emmerich, who cast Dennis Quaid as Admiral William Halsey; Patrick Wilson as naval Lieutenant Commander Edwin Layton; Luke Evans as Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky; and Aaron Eckhart as Army bomber squadron leader Jimmy Doolittle. With Ed Skrein and Mandy Moore as Navy flyboy Dick Best and his wife, even Nick Jonas wanted in on the action, portraying Naval radioman Bruno Gaido – a courageous young chap forced to bail from his plane and winding up on the deck of a Japanese destroyer. The pop star also felt a connection to the character through his own family. “A really important moment for me was when I put the uniform on,” Jonas says. “I Emmerich’s Midway is almost sympathetic to the Japanese. “It was important to not present the Japanese solely as bad guys, because they were not bad guys. Yes, they had a lot of hubris and were arrogant but they are also great, honorable people – such as when Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi (Tadanobu Asano) went down with his carrier. So they were heroes, too. “I also think that what this tells the audience is that, in war, there are no winners or losers. There’s only losers because people lose their lives. We could have made this into another huge cheering scene but we didn’t want to do that because when you read about these pilots, they lost their friends,” says the director who was so keen to embody the various forms of heroism displayed by all these men that he actually sent out his script, asking the actors which character they saw themselves as. Daredevil navy flyboy Dick Best – portrayed by Ed Skrein – is really the unsung hero of Midway , thought back to pictures of my grandfather who served in the military, and immediately sent my grandmother a picture of me in costume.” Unlike most US depictions of WWII,

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN Winner of five Academy Awards, including Stephen Spielberg for Best Director and Janusz Kaminski for Best Cinematography. Their collaboration in depicting the Allied invasion of Normandy is a towering cinematic achievement.

Burnett was on the enterprise with Admiral Halsey from Pearl Harbor all the way through to the end of the war, so there’s a real personal connection to Midway for me.” Portraying Halsey as a stubborn man, he says,

DUNKIRK Rather than the expansive devastation of military conflict, director Christopher Nolan focuses on three distinctive vignettes – an intimate approach where each individual counts, raising the stakes. Winner of three Oscars.

I think Midway was one of the most

interesting battles that ever happened

“Halsey was no fan of the Army brass and was known for taking matters into his own hands. He had his own brash style but his connection with his men made him a great leader, particularly of so many inexperienced young men, some of whom were little more than boys. They looked at Halsey as a father figure who was going to get them through this.” Quaid believes the story holds relevance today about sacrificing for the greater good. “Everybody abroad and at home gave so much,” he says. “You couldn’t get a rubber tire for your bicycle or buy gas because it was all going to the war effort. Everybody pitched in for something bigger than themselves. It’s a lesson for all of us about uniting in spite of our differences.” Emmerich hopes that Midway is more than a history lesson. “These young pilots sacrificed their lives so future generations would live with freedom and democracy,” he says. “Politicians start wars, but never fight them. It’s the common soldier who ultimately pays the price.”

BAND OF BROTHERS This remarkable HBO series follows one group of soldiers from their first days of training through to the end of WWII. A deserving Golden Globe and Emmy winner for Best Miniseries.

THE PIANIST The Holocaust as perceived through the eyes of a hapless musician living through WWII in the ruins of Warsaw. Winner of three Oscars including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Adrien Brody.

Midway is in cinemas January 30

CINEMA FEATURE

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If director Nicolas Pesce’s reboot of Japanese horror film The Grudge is half as scary as the house he chose to shoot it in, then prepare for a terrifying ride. Words Gill Pringle GHOST STORY

“The answer in simple,” she says. “I thought the script was brilliant.” Barely 30 years old, Nicolas Pesce is hardly a newcomer to the horror genre, having already directed and written cult favourites The Eyes of My Mother and Piercing . Yet even he finds himself surprised by his choices. “I was terribly of afraid of horror movies as a kid, which is why I think I'm making horror movies now,” he says, psychoanalysing himself. “My mom literally made a VHS tape of The Sixth Sense with all the scares cut out of it for me,” he recalls. “And so probably the anticipation of what those scares were that she had cut out was the scariest thing for me. Sixth Sense did it to me every time. It was horrible. “But, looking back, it was because I was so afraid of horror movies as a kid, that I became a filmmaker. I realised what the movies were that moved me the most and gave me the strongest

I n this latest reimagining of the J-Horror classic Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) – which spawned the 2004 US remake (also directed by Takashi Shimizu) – we again revisit a house haunted by a vengeful ghost, cursing all who enter with a violent death. When STACK visited the spooky dwelling in the suburbs of Winnipeg, Canada, last year, even the cast were a little on edge – including Australia’s usually cheery Jacki Weaver. “I won't be able to watch this, that’s for sure,” she laughs as we chat on the deck of the Gothic monstrosity, all damp basements and darkened

rooms. Even the crew and lights don’t displace the haunted air. “Watching frightening films is not part of my recreation. The last scary film I saw was When a Stranger Calls in the '70s, but I've made two other really frightening films and I haven't seen either of them yet,” says Weaver, alluding to Bird Box and Haunt . Even her co-star, horror veteran Lin Shaye, hasn’t been able to persuade her otherwise. “But it's nice to have a frightening

Andrea Riseborough in The Grudge

reaction, and it was always scary movies. Like the original Grudge or The Ring , neither of which I could watch as a kid because they were way too scary. “As a result, my tastes leaned more towards late ‘60s and early ‘70s horror movies, like Psycho and Rosemary's Baby ,” says the writer- director who grew to love the original Japanese Grudge franchise. “The beauty of the Japanese Grudge films is that it's an anthology. They're not sequels of each other. Every single movie is a different story, different characters and different crime. And I saw an opportunity – rather than remake the original Grudge , to just make a new one. There’s a through-line throughout all the Grudge films in a non-linear narrative where the story plays out of order using the key character archetypes that were always present.” Hence, Pesce decided to write and direct an entire new Grudge for 2020. “We don't have any of the same characters as the old Grudges. As with the Japanese films, it's a new set of families, a new crime. With this, we're furthering the anthology and extending the canon.”

film that's also got some intellectual depth. The characters all have substance and an arc; they’re not just there for the purpose of gore, which I think probably is what makes them more frightening. They're people you can relate to that really exist, instead of being daffy blondes who run into garages with people with chainsaws,” says Weaver, who plays Shaye’s character’s euthanasia nurse.

It's nice to have a frightening film that's also got some intellectual depth

“I hate being frightened. I can understand why it gives a lot of people a thrill to be frightened, but I've always said, I don't need terror to be delighted. I get enough terror in my work. Standing in the wings eight times a week waiting to go on stage is frightening enough. That’s enough adrenaline to last me forever.” So why The Grudge ?

The Grudge is in cinemas January 30

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As they get to know each other, Scottie begins to fall in love with the enigmatic beauty. She tells him she has a recurring vision of the mission at San Juan Batista and Scottie takes her there, hoping he can erase her apparent delusions. She impulsively climbs to the top of the lofty mission tower, where Scottie, because of vertigo brought on by his acrophobia, cannot follow her. He is horrified by a scream and then helplessly watches as she plunges to her death. The shock causes Scottie to lapse into a nervous breakdown, through which he is nursed by the ever-faithful Midge. Months pass and then by chance Scottie meets Judy Barton, a brunette shop girl who bears a remarkable resemblance to the sophisticated Madeleine. Scottie becomes obsessed with Judy and attempts to replicate her into his lost love by altering her hair, make- up and clothes. But by then Hitchcock, using a voiceover and flashbacks, has clued the audience to what Scottie does not know: Judy and Madeleine are the same person. In the dramatic denouement, Scottie realises he has been duped as an unimpeachable witness to the real Mrs Elster's "suicide", which was in fact a complex murder plot. With the dependable James Stewart cast as Scottie, Hitchcock began a search for an actress who could portray both the esoteric

Vertigo

1958

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

W hen Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo was released in May 1958 it was viewed as just a private- eye murder mystery that infuriated most moviegoers and critics at the time by

colleague plunges to his death while trying to rescue Scottie who, whilst chasing a criminal, is left hanging from a roof gutter. He finds some solace in the

company of his old college sweetheart Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes), but not enough to marry her. Another old college pal, shipping tycoon Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), asks Scottie if he would shadow his wife Madeleine. Elster believes that his wife is becoming suicidal,

revealing the "surprise" ending about two-thirds of the way through its labyrinthine plot. It was eventually written off as a slightly interesting failure. But as the years passed Hitchcock's romantic thriller slowly gathered a mystique and is now hailed as the director's masterpiece. Furthermore, in 2012 Vertigo replaced Citizen Kane (1941) in the Sight & Sound critics poll as the greatest movie of all time. [SPOILERS AHEAD] Vertigo was based on the French novel

DID YOU KNOW: The impressive opening title sequence, designed by Saul Bass, is the first use of computer graphics in a movie.

perhaps as a result of being obsessed with her great-grandmother,

D'entre les morts (From Among the Dead) by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac and became a Hitchcock project when Paramount Pictures purchased the rights. The film, set in picturesque San Francisco, centres on police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart), who takes early retirement from the force because of his acute acrophobia – a petrifying fear of heights. His decision is brought about when a police

Detective Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) hangs from the roof gutter in the movie's opening scene

Elster asks Scottie to shadow his wife Madeleine

Madeleine and the street-wise Judy. Hitchcock's fascination with the "cool blonde" whose sexuality smoulders beneath an icy-cold surface has been well recorded. Many of his earlier female leads (Madeleine Carroll, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Fontaine) had approximated to this ideal. Then in 1954, Hitchcock found his consummate cool blonde with the actress Grace Kelly, who

Carlotta, who went mad and killed herself. Scottie is intrigued enough to take on the case and discreetly follows the beautiful blonde Madeleine around San Francisco. When she tries to drown herself in the bay directly underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, Scottie rescues her and takes her unconscious body back to his apartment and tenderly cares for her.

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he cast in three successive films – Dial M for Murder , Rear Window and To Catch a Thief . With Kelly it was a perfect coming together of actress and director, as she was physically and temperamentally just what Hitchcock had always wanted for his movie heroine. When she suddenly left Hollywood to become Princess Grace of Monaco, Hitchcock was devastated. For years afterward he would search for a substitute for Kelly, literally forcing a number of unlikely leading ladies into the same mould (Doris Day, Vera Miles, Eve Marie Saint, Tippi Hedren). But as far as Hitchcock was concerned, none of them matched the elegant star quality of Grace Kelly. For the role of Madeleine/Judy he considered – and then rejected – Lana Turner, instead offering it to Vera Miles, who then proved unavailable when she informed him that she was pregnant. One of Hitchcock's production team then suggested Kim Novak. James Stewart always had the ability to portray characters with a capacity for suffering Fact: Vertigo is the only Hitchcock production in which the killer is not punished. An ending in which Scottie and Midge hear news over the radio that Gavin Elster is being sought by the police was filmed following demands by the Production Code Administration. But Hitchcock ignored their demands and cut the scene from the final print. Her birth name was Marilyn Pauline Novak and in 1953 she had toured the States as Miss Deepfreeze in a promotional campaign for refrigerators. Whilst in Los Angeles she signed an agency contract which led to a screen test with Columbia Pictures. Studio head Harry Cohn immediately put her into the standard melodrama Pushover, opposite Fred MacMurray. The reception Kim received convinced Cohn that he may just have Columbia's answer to Marilyn Monroe. Kim often complained to friends that Cohn never called her anything but Novak, and the way he said it made it sound like an insult. (Away from her, Cohn often referred to her as "that fat Polack".) But despite their strained

Alfred Hitchcock and Kim Novak discuss a scene before filming

Fact: Hitchcock was angry at the critical and commercial failure of Vertigo . He blamed this partly on James Stewart for "looking too old" for the romantic lead. This was Stewart's fourth movie for Hitchcock and although the director had promised him the lead role in North by Northwest, he deliberately delayed the production until Stewart was filming another motion picture and then quickly signed up Cary Grant for the part. Hitchcock and Stewart never worked together again.

exceptional performance in Vertigo , as a guilt- ridden man with an all-consuming obsession bordering on the verge of insanity, is probably the most complicated role of his whole film career. Kim Novak also gave a flawless performance in the demanding dual roles of icy blonde Madeleine and the unrefined Judy. Furthermore, her convincing portrayal of the hauntingly beautiful Madeleine created one of the most alluring of movie femme fatales. The colour cinematography capturing San Francisco and the masterful symphonic score by Bernard Herrmann, which gives added dimensions of yearning and tragedy, benefitted the film enormously. This was Hitchcock at the height of his storytelling skill with a camera and Vertigo is the deepest, darkest movie of his career with a storyline that practically imitates his own obsession with his leading ladies. Although the movie broke even on its original release it did significantly less business than Hitchcock's previous productions, with many critics condemning it as a piece of fantastical nonsense. Alfred Hitchcock died in 1980, and some three years later Vertigo was given a new 35mm print and re-released. Almost immediately film critics and historians began to re-evaluate Hitchcock's film noir psychological thriller, and

Kim Novak as the mysterious Madeleine

relationship Kim's film career progressed rapidly under Cohn's direction, featuring her in The Man with the Golden Arm with Frank Sinatra; Picnic – her breakthrough film with William Holden; and Pal Joey , again with Sinatra. By the time Hitchcock requested her for Vertigo , Kim Novak was a bona fide movie star. He managed to borrow her from Columbia in exchange for a payment of $250,000, and an agreement that James Stewart would co-star with her in Cohn's production Bell Book and Candle (1958). James Stewart always had the ability to portray characters with a capacity for suffering whenever the movie plot called for it. But his

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today, Vertigo is recognised as one of the most profound films in cinematic history.

OF BEST THE FILM What a year! The Joker was reborn, the Avengers played the Endgame, Queen rocked us, and Tarantino spun a Tinseltown tale. 2019's best was also wonderfully diverse, from Oscar-winners and biopics to folk horror and animated Spider-People.

2019

1 JOKER Director Todd Phillips' bold and brilliant take on the origin of Batman's arch nemesis ventures far beyond the comfort zone of shiny comic- book blockbusters. Showcasing the ferocious talent of Joaquin Phoenix, Joker is not only one of the best films to feature the iconic DC villain, it’s the best film of 2019. Believe the hype. 2 ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD The 9th film by Quentin Tarantino ranks alongside Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Vol. 1 as one of his very best. A love letter to late '60s Hollywood, meticulously designed and packed with nods to the film and TV of the period, this is QT playing in his own backyard and inviting viewers to unpack the toy box along with him. 3 GREEN BOOK Best described as Driving Miss Daisy in reverse, last year's Oscar-winner for Best

5 AVENGERS: ENDGAME

The incredible culmination of a decade of cinematic universe building, Marvel's box-office behemoth is a gripping and unpredictable epic that deftly juggles sheer spectacle and affecting drama – and manages to squeeze in almost every major and supporting player in the MCU. 6 SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Both a game-changer for the look of animated features and arguably the best Spider-Man film to date, this 2019 Oscar- winner resembles a comic book brought to life on screen.

Picture brought the real-life (and unlikely) friendship that developed between an African American pianist (Mahershala Ali) and a working class Italian American bouncer (Viggo Mortensen) to a mainstream audience. 4 MIDSOMMAR Hereditary director Ari Aster summons the pagan spirit of the 1973 classic The Wicker Man and ignites a conflagration of horrors in his superb sophomore feature. Exquisitely weird, gorgeously realised and frequently grotesque, Midsommar will get under your skin and stay there.

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THE OTHER AWARDS

BEST AUSTRALIAN FILM: The Nightingale A 19th century revenge tale set against the backdrop of the Tasmanian wilderness, the new film from director Jennifer

Kent ( The Babadook ) is a harrowing and haunting experience you'll never forget. Winner of eight AACTA Awards including Best Film and Director.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: They Shall Not Grow Old Peter Jackson brings WWI into the 21st century through meticulous colour

restoration of archival footage. Watch in awe as the soldiers emerge from the fog of history in a presentation as clear and defined as a

contemporary war film.

BEST SEQUEL/REBOOT: Halloween

The best film in the long- running horror franchise since John Carpenter’s 1978 original, this is a worthy homecoming for horror icon Michael Myers, restoring his status as the screen’s ultimate boogeyman.

BEST REMAKE: Suspiria

7 STAN & OLLIE The untold story of the world’s greatest comedy act – Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) – is an emotional and delightful look at the comedic geniuses in their twilight years, revealing what made the two men in bowler hats so very special. 8 BOOKSMART This super smart teen film superbly captures the awkwardness and intensity of adolescence, and proves that while tech, fashions and language may change, the high school experience remains timeless.

9 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY This biopic of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (played by Oscar-winner Rami Malek) will well and truly rock you, not least with its sensational recreation of the band's legendary 1985 comeback at the Live Aid charity event. 10 US A family vacation at the beach quickly descends into a surreal nightmare in writer-director Jordan Peele's wildly inventive horror film. Relentlessly paced and freakishly scary, this clever subversion of the home invasion thriller is a dark and discombobulating ride that gives the grey matter a thorough workout.

Dario Argento's 1977 cult classic is horror as art – a stylish

nightmare that assaults the eyes and ears. Luca Guadagnino’s macabre and mesmerising reimagination is a stately arthouse horror that runs an icy talon slowly down your spine.

20 for THE BEST TV OF 2019

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The BEST 2019 of TV

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TOP 10 2019 4K UHD HIGHLIGHTS

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4K UHD BEST-SELLERS 2019

1 Avengers: Endgame 2 Avengers: Endgame (JB Exclusive Steelbook) 3 Spider-Man: Far from Home 4 Alita: Battle Angel 5 Spider-Man: Far from Home (JB Exclusive Steelbook) 6 Aladdin (2019) 7 Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw 8 Detective Pikachu (JB Exclusive Steelbook) 9 Shazam! (JB Exclusive Steelbook) 10 The Fifth Element (JB Exclusive)

If you’ve made the huge leap forward to the quality of 4K Ultra HD then 2019 was full of red-hot content for you to enjoy. Rather than just offering up a list of our favourite movie releases, here are ten 4K Ultra HD titles that we reckon are unbeatable for the best visual and aural experiences of the year on the format. Stick any of these on to show off your system and you just may bring some more converts into the 4K fold. Selected by Amy Flower

Apocalypse Now Francis Ford

that’s accompanied by a Dolby Atmos audio track that really goes to town when required.

most over-the-top action movie rides going. With Dolby

Coppola’s epic war film arrived on 4K Ultra HD in a cool package containing one 4K disc and two extras-packed Blu-rays – plus there’s a mighty

Vision-enhanced sights that belie their 2K origins before upscaling, and Dolby Atmos sounds that will seriously rock your neighbourhood, this is one absolutely stunning demo disc.

Batman Tim Burton got to play with Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson stealing scenes as The Joker in this classic slice of 1989 superhero

six-disc Collector’s Edition available. The director’s “Final Cut” has been restored quite incredibly and is presented in native 4K with Dolby Vision treatment. It also features a thumping, brand-new Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Toy Story 4 It’s the sequel that we didn’t expect, as Toy Story 3 wrapped things up quite nicely. But who can ever get enough Toy Story?

Hellboy (2004) The original – and, to many, the

action, which cast the mould for so many more such films to come. It all came to us as a newly-remastered presentation, with native, bat-glorious HDR-enhanced 4K, plus a newly created Dolby Atmos audio mix that swoops and thwaps about gleefully.

best – Hellboy hit home on 4K Ultra HD, celebrating the movie’s 15th anniversary, and

Aquaman Jason Momoa’s revitalisation of the aquatic DC superhero swam onto 4K with Dolby Vision enhancement.

The continuing adventures of

it’s easily one of the best 4K

Black Hawk Down This incredible tale, based on actual

Woody, Buzz, Bo and company – along with new chum Forky – boasts a beautiful native 4K transfer featuring HDR enhancement, complete with Dolby Atmos audio and the very welcome addition of two standard Blu-rays jam-packed with extras.

presentations that we’ve seen to date. Boasting a sensational native 4K transfer with HDR enhancement, along with a wild new Dolby Atmos sound mix, both the 4K disc and the included standard Blu-ray are jam-packed with cool extra stuff. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse The winner of last Feature Film – and boy it feels good to type that – hit home in 4K style. Detailed HDR-treated vision looks divine despite its 2K origins, while the visual explosion is accompanied by a swinging Dolby Atmos sound mix that delivers all the sweet, sweet bass. A commentary track is included on the 4K disc, along with a new Spider-Ham cartoon short. year’s Oscar for Best Animated

events in early 1990s Somalia, came to 4K Ultra HD with stunning brand-new HDR-enhanced 4K transfers of the original theatrical cut and the eight-

Despite the film being finished at 2K, with its upscaling this looks magnificent on 4K Ultra HD – especially where the screen opens up for full IMAX effect. The booming Dolby Atmos sound mix is playful, and really goes to town with the surround effects – especially underwater.

Yesterday Imagine a world without The Beatles. It isn’t easy, even if you try, but this fab Danny Boyle/Richard Curtis collaboration does its best to give an idea as to how it

minute longer extended version, both of which were approved by director Ridley Scott. Added to this are powerful new Dolby Atmos sound mixes for both cuts that really push surround setups to the limit.

Bad Times at the El Royale

Seven strangers meet at a dodgy

hotel and all manner of hell breaks loose in this noir-drenched thriller from director Drew Goddard, who also gave us The

Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw

could be. It comes to us as a native 4K presentation, complete with HDR (and HDR10+ if your equipment supports it). All those classic songs hit our ears via a Dolby Atmos mix, plus there’s a bonus Blu-ray with sweet extra features.

This spin-off from the Fast & Furious universe brought two of the world’s top action stars in Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham head-to-head for one of the

Cabin in the Woods . As for the 4K Ultra HD version, we’re treated to a sumptuous native 4K transfer with HDR enhancement,

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“A FUN, ALL-AGES ACTION- ADVENTURE”

— THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH & HERALD SUN – Vicky Roach

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