STACK #122 Dec 2015

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Pitch Perfect 2

Dumb and Dumber To

Pulp Fiction wasn’t the only cinematic gem to turn 20 this year. 1994 also saw the release of that other masterpiece Dumb & Dumber, which starred Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as two terminally hapless mates. Reuniting with gross-out comedy pioneers the Farrelly Brothers ( Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary ), the duo are back in Dumb and Dumber To . They’re a fair bit older and no less wiser, with Daniels determined to find his long lost daughter, while Carrey learns something startling about his own parents. Due in cinemas everywhere on 8 January 2015.

A feel-good film that sang itself into our hearts in 2012, Pitch Perfect was the movie that transformed perennial, prickly support Anna Kendrick ( Up in the Air ) into a fully fledged star. It was also a comic showcase of Australia’s own RebelWilson, after stellar pinch-hitting roles in Bridesmaids and Bahelorette . Having taken on all comers in the collegiate circuit in the original, the girls are set to reach for the stars in the eagely awaited sequel, Pitch Perfect 2 .They’re off to the world a cappella championship, where no American team has ever won. Expect team Bellas to hit the highs and the production numbers to hit the stratosphere when Pitch Perfect 2 arrives in cinemas May 2015. In the meantime, JB Hi-Fi has the Blu-ray of Pitch Perfect on special as part of their 3 for $30 deal (only until 11 Jan 2015). Make sure you check in store to mix and match your perfect song and dance combo. HITTING THE HIGHS

I, ROBOT O ne of the most interesting indie features for 2015 is surely Alex Garland’s directorial debut Ex Machina . Having collaborated with Danny Boyle on 28 Days Later and Sunshine , Garland’s Ex Machina is yet another clever piece of dystopian musing, as computer whiz Domhnall Gleeson is enlisted to test a breakthrough robot (Alicia Vikander) that could well pass for human. But has this fembot got plans of her own?

Taken 3

If you’re a bloke, it seems age is no barrier to being an all-out biffo hero. At 68, Sylvester Stallone is still at it, alongside his 67-year- old buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Expendables 3 . And while the 62-year-old Liam Neeson is conspicuously absent from that black-clad mercenary caper, he’s back in action in Taken 3 , set to take over your favourite multiplex on 8 January 2015.

Ex Machina

NINTENDO new3ds Lands at jb N intendo is renowned for revamping its hardware during a lifecycle, and now it’s the 3DS’s time. Called the New Nintendo 3DS, the handheld comes in two sizes; standard and XL. Just about every physical part has been repositioned, but the most significant feature off the bat is the addition of a second analogue stick – wave goodbye to the cumbersome Circle Pad Pro. In a nice little aesthetic touch, the four face buttons have been coloured to mimic the SNES controller, and two extra shoulder buttons have been added. Nintendo have also fixed the issue of gamers having to be positioned correctly to benefit from the 3D effect on the original 3DS, by designing a system that uses the in-built cameras to track your head position – move your noggin from side to side, and behold: the 3D can still be experienced. Taking full advantage of the upcoming range of amiibo interactive figures, the units will also include an NFC reader. The New 3DS, available in white, and New 3DS XL, available in metallic blue and metallic black, are available now; just in time for Christmas.

Birdman

Speaking of acting veterans, that’s exactly what Michael Keaton plays in the latest work from Spanish filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. The dazzling director of 21 Grams and Babel normally works on a broad dramatic canvas but in the upcoming Birdman , his focus is on Riggan (Keaton), a washed up performer plagued with self doubt as he mounts a return to the Broadway stage. Surreal will be an understatement when Birdman takes flight in cinemas on Jan 15.

DECEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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