STACK #139 May 2016

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA, DVDs, GAMES &MUSIC

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ISSUE 139 MAY ’16

INSIDE

SPOTLIGHT • THE REVENANT • DOOM

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© 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Revenant, LLC in theU.S. only. © 2015Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. and Revenant, LLC in all other territories. All Rights Reserved. © 2016 Twentieth Century FoxHome Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved. TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, FOX and associated logos are trademarks of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and its related entities. ACADEMYAWARD ® is the registered trademark and servicemark of theAcademy ofMotionPicturesArts and Sciences. * , 2015:Best Picture,Actor (LeonardoDiCaprio), SupportingActor (TomHardy), Cinematography, CostumeDesign,Directing, Film Editing,Makeup andHairstylin

* The Revenant , 2015: Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Directing (Alejandro González Iñárritu), Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki). ACADEMY AWARD ® is the registered trademark and servicemark of the Academy ofMotion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Contributors

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & DVD Editor Scott Hocking Music Editor Zoë Radas JuniorWriter Alesha Kolbe Creative Director Justin Buxton DVD Consultant Michelle Black Games Consultant Andre Eivik

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Issue 139 MAY 2016

WELCOME Few games are more identifiable than DOOM . Its legacy as a genre-shaping franchise is practically incomparable, and the title’s DNA strands permeate contemporary first-

Music Consultants Mike Glynn, Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Amy Flower

Contributors John Ferguson, Graham Reid, Mark Ankucic, Michael Dwyer, Jeff Jenkins, Emily Kelly, Simon Lukic, Chris Murray, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Gill Pringle, Ryan Huff, John Roebuck Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Photographer Chip Mooney Production Manager Craig Patterson Accounts Coordinator Tracy Kingman

person shooters. What a handful of young, prescient developers with a united vision achieved back in 1993 is now seared into video game mythology. Resurrecting such a revered property is not for the faint-hearted, and series progenitor, id Software, is in an unenviable position with rebooting DOOM . On one hand, you have the hardcore old guard hoping to tap into a nostalgia-infused gaming experience, while on the other, there is a New Model Army, disinterested in lengthy campaigns and eager to race online to battle with all the trimmings of a latest CoD. So where exactly does DOOM fit, in 2016? Expectations were predictably varied ahead of the multiplayer open beta, and while it drew a somewhat vocal response from the community when it concluded, id Software were left with one certainty: people still care about DOOM . I intend to leap into the single-player and imagine that I’m once again that wide-eyed boy from the mid ‘90s. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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RATINGS GUIDE

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2016 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.

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Issue 139 MAY 2016 Extras Pg 8–12

Cinema Pg 14–20

DVD & BD Pg 26–48

Games Pg 49-75

Music From back Pg 1–22

Pg 8–12 NEWS All the latest from CinemaCon and Supanova; a collection of Cronenberg classics; and 4K Ultra HD discs are here! Pg 22–24 BOB J. Budget cuts, script problems, costume changes, and a drunken director – welcome to the Mexican set of Sam Peckinpah’s Major Dundee . Pg 34–35 OZPLOITATION All you need to know about the wild and crazy world of Australian B-movies, in STACK ’s Beginner’s Guide. Pg 76 COMPETITIONS Big game prizes include a wicked Battleborn skate deck, and three huge DOOM prize- packs up for grabs. And if you love live music, make sure you snap some pics for the chance to win a Canon 80D Digital SLR camera.

Pg 14 INTERVIEW Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow in Captain America: Civil War . But be warned, this promises to be a dark chapter in the Marvel universe. Pg 16 CINEMA BUZZ The stakes are higher for Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, and director Nick Stoller in comedy sequel Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising . Pg 18–20 CINEMA REVIEWS Midnight Special, The Jungle Book, Allegiant, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Florence Foster Jenkins.

Pg 52–53 doom id Software’s series reinvigoration

Pg 3–6 INTERVIEWS + NEWS We spoke to Melody Pool, Nicky Bomba (Melbourne Ska Orchestra), Beth Orton and Foy Vance. Pg 8 ED’S JAMS Aussie indie-pop artists Olympia and Mossy are blowing our hair back this month, as well as the brilliant Will Toledo, AKA Car Seat Headrest. Pg 10–11 THE LIVING END Frontman Chris Cheney tells us about the Shift from macro to micro perspective that has informed the new album. Pg 14–22 Music Reviews Sahara Beck, Melody Pool, PUP and Kaytranada lead our reviews section, which also includes belters from Luca Brasi, Richard Clapton, White Lung, Modern Baseball, Cate Le Bon, Charles Bradley, Sturgill Simpson and Highasakite.

Pg 26–27 DEADPOOL There’s never been a Marvel superhero like Deadpool, and his journey to the screen is as unconventional as the character. Pg 28 SPOTLIGHT Brian d’Arcy James on playing real- life Boston Globe journalist Matt Carroll, in this year’s Best Picture Oscar winner. Pg 30 THE REVENANT The quest for authenticity has

lands in-store this month. Pg 56–58 overwatch

We had the privilege of checking out Overwatch at Blizzard HQ in California. Pg 60–61 total war: Warhammer Total War is back, and bigger than ever. It’s hammer time! Pg 62–63 battleborn Gearbox’s latest IP is a first- person-shooter with attitude. Pg 64 uncharted 4 Nathan Drake’s final chapter – or is it? Pg 66 homefront: The revolution Homefront’s back, and we spoke with the narrative designer at Dambuster. Pg 68 GAME-CHANGER DOOM , in honour of this month’s new release. Pg 70–71 previews What’s in-store this month.

driven many productions to breaking point. For filmmaker

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant was once such experience, and the journey of a lifetime.

Pg 32 BURN GORMAN For someone who’s caused

havoc in Torchwood and Game of Thrones , this British character

actor is such a nice guy. Pg 36 ACTORS SERIES

The distinguished career of Meryl Streep in five bite- sized phases, from Oscar nominations to biopics and accents. Pg 38–46 REVIEWS The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, Spotlight, Deadpool, The Big Short, The Good Dinosaur, Victor Frankenstein, Sisters, Point Break, Goosebumps, Suffragette, Joy , Orange is the New Black: S3, The X-Files: Event Series, Tales of Halloween, Krampus, and more.

Test your movie knowledge with Bob J’s FilmBuff Bafflers at stack.net.au

FEATURING INTERVIEWSWITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, DAVE GROHL, ELTON JOHN &MANY MORE

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SPECIAL K

T he Revenant and Deadpool are among the first 4K Ultra HD releases in Australia. Ultra HD supports resolutions of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels – that's four times as many pixels as Full HD televisions, and 27 times as many pixels as Standard Definition televisions. As well as producing vibrant colours and greater contrast on compatible displays, the format also enables smoother and more realistic action because of its superior progressive frame rates. 4K UHD transfers are stored on a dual layer 66 gigabyte disc and a triple layer 100 gigabyte disc. To get the full value from the format, you will need both a dedicated UHD player and an Ultra HD television set. However, the hardware will be backwards compatible and will play your existing Blu-ray discs. The enhanced resolution is the perfect showcase for the Oscar-winning cinematography of The Revenant and the hyperkinetic action of Deadpool , which will be available on the new format from May 18 and May 25, respectively. The first package of releases on the brand new 4K Ultra HD format are due to arrive in-store on May 4 and include the first two Maze Runner movies, X-Men: Days of Future Past , Life of Pi , The Martian, and Kingsman: The Secret Service .

Here's cheers! Bad Moms

CINEMACON four epic films, each one of which stands alone but, together, form a complete saga,” says the director, whose mind-blowing Pandora: The World of Avatar attraction opens next year at Disney Theme Parks in Florida. It's the biggest annual movie business event in the US, where studios reveal sneak peeks of all their upcoming films during a week-long party in Las Vegas. By Gill Pringle

C inemaCon is also where stars like Mila Kunis and Christina Applegate can share personal parenting stories, as they did when promoting their new R-rated chick comedy, Bad Moms . “There’s clearly some part of me that responds to R-rated comedies. I don’t know why but I do find poop and fart jokes funny,” says Kunis, mother to two-year- old daughter Wyatt with hubby Ashton Kutcher. “She’s crazy. Kids are crazy. I don’t really understand how they’re all alive! If she was here, she would just walk off the edge of this stage. She has no concept of depth. I just don’t get it,” laughs Kunis, prompting co-star Applegate to offer her own wisdom: "You need to instill that in her. Like if you walk out onto the street, you will be crushed like a grape under my foot. If you do that, you will die ." There’s no such thing as a perfect mom, according to Applegate. “When my daughter was two, she slammed the door in my face and, without even thinking, my husband and I both flipped her off. She didn’t see us! The door was closed but we looked at each other and were like ‘Wow, we are both horrible people.” Also at CinemaCon was surprise guest James Cameron, who announced there will now be four Avatar sequels. FOUR! The much-talked about continuation of his 2009 triple Oscar-winner just got a whole lot bigger!

EXTRAS

“We’re working across eight hours of story and shooting it simultaneously, the way you would a miniseries. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. It’s like doing all three Godfather films at the same time - but four .” The Avatar sequels will release on Christmas 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023. “As you can imagine, I need to get my ass back to writing in LA,” quipped Cameron, who has hired four top screenwriters to assist him in bringing the sequels to life.

MOB RULES

L

ike every year in gaming, there are some titles you look forward to and others you don’t. Right at the top of

the list, following its announcement last year, is Mafia III . With the series moving on from the 1940s and early ‘50s period of Mafia II , the new game will be set in 1968 in a fictional New Orleans called New Bordeaux. Returning Vietnam vet Lincoln Clay goes head-to-head with the Italian mob, that are now ensconced in the city. A new developer, Hangar 13, is on board, working with series progenitors 2K Czech. Mafia III is the first true open world title in the series. The game is out on October 7, 2016, and given the late '60s setting, you can guarantee that the soundtrack is going to be, er, killer!

“It's going to be a true epic saga told in this rich and complex world. It’s a truly massive cinematic project making

08

MAY 2016

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“...THIS ONE EXPLODES! ” – Jim Ferguson, ABC-TV

“SPECTACULAR... THRILLING... HEART-STOPPING... ”

– Stephen Romei, The Australian

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EXTRA! EXTRA!

The deleted scenes included on the Blu-ray of Star Wars: The Force Awakens are cursory at best (an earlier introduction to Leia, Kylo Ren searching the Falcon, a snowspeeder chase with unfinished FX), but the four-part documentary Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey is excellent. Given the cast and crew were subject to a code of silence during production, it's great to finally hear them all talk at length about their characters and the daunting task of doing justice to the Star Wars legacy. There's also some vintage behind-the-scenes footage from A New Hope and Empire , a brief tour of the Lucasfilm archive, and a glimpse of some cool, unused concept art. BEST OF BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES

CRONENBERG COLLECTION ViaVision release three of the Canadian cult director's films on DVD & Blu-ray.

D irector David Cronenberg's early films rank among his very best, establishing his fascination with "body horror" that would become a recurring theme throughout his work during the 1970s and '80s. Shivers (1975) reveals the grisly consequences of an experiment to create a benign parasite that will replace human organs. The end result, however, is "a cross between an aphrodisiac and a venereal disease", spreading contagion through an island apartment complex and turning the residents into sex-crazed zombies. Not only does the film pre-empt the 'rage virus' movie cycle of later decades, it also features torso-bursting creatures three years before Alien . Rabid (1977) explores similar themes to Shivers , only this time an experimental skin graft technique creates a vampiric organ in the armpit of patient Rose, played by adult movie star Marilyn Chambers in her first non-porn

role. Rose's thirst for blood leaves her victims infected with a virulent strain of rabies, which quickly turns into a full blown pandemic that overwhelms Montreal. The third film in the collection, The Dead Zone (1983), is a departure for Cronenberg – an adaptation of Stephen King's best-seller in which accident victim Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) awakens from a five-year coma with the ability to forsee the future. One of the best King adaptations, as well as featuring one of Walken's finest performances, The Dead Zone is a cracking thriller that's still recognisably Cronenberg despite the radical shift in tone and subject. Complementing the release of The Cronenberg Collection are two genre films making their Blu-ray debut: the X-Files -inspired The Mothman Prophecies (2002) starring Richard Gere, and the biblical apocalypse thriller The Seventh Sign (1988), in which our salvation depends on Demi Moore. • Available May 4

EXTRAS

They said it.

DEEP BLU SEQUELS

WIN AN EPIC CANON 80D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA

"It’s one thing making a record, but it’s another thing talking about it. There’s some questions I just don’t know the answers to... but we've made all the right decisions, we feel."

H

ow could there be only one?" asks the trailer voiceover guy in the promo for Jaws 2 . He's refrerring to monster

ove live music? We’ve given in to your demands

L

Great White sharks, but the same can be said of Jaws movies following the runaway success of Spielberg's 1975 classic, which spawned three sequels subject to the laws of diminishing returns. Now Jaws 2 , Jaws 3 and Jaws:The Revenge are coming to Blu-ray for the very first time. Jaws 2 is easily the best of the bunch (it

and have brought back our fabulous Snapped competition, starting this

month. Submit your live gig photographs (old or new) and you could walk away with this versatile camera, perfect for capturing striking stills or full HD video.The Canon 80D provides everything you need at your fingertips to advance your photography and video skills. Features include exceptional image quality with a new 24.2MP CMOS sensor, a new 45 all cross-type point Auto Focus system which freezes action with ultimate precision, and built-in Wi-Fi and dynamic NFC connectivity making it simple to connect and share full resolution JPEGs to your smart device. • Head to stack.net.au to find out more .

still has Chief Brody), while Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge ("This time it's personal!") are for completists only. At the time of writing it's still unknown

as to whether Jaws 3 will be available in 3D, as seen in cinemas back in 1983. • Available June 2

- Chris Cheney, The Living End

• Read the full interview on pages 10–11 of STACK Music

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“THE FUNNIEST FILM OF THE YEAR” - MOVIEHOLE

EXTENDED EDITION ON BLU-RAY ™ & DVD INCLUDES HILARIOUS DELETED SCENES AND GAG REEL AVAILABLE MAY 5 FROM

Strong coarse language

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TEXT CRITIC

Supanova Melbourne

eyes. Game of Thrones ’ villain Joffrey – aka Jack Gleeson – was the main attraction, but only slightly outshone the likes of Burn Gorman, Manu Bennett, Daniel Sharman and Bonnie Wright, with outliers like the hosts of Cheez TV and the English voice of Eren in Attack on Titan also making appearances. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the amount of merchandise we found ourselves leaving with… Supanova Expo gets bigger and better every year. The rise of 3D printing has allowed for more accurate and impressive cosplays, and the food and atmosphere is always out of this world. Who can go past Potato Spirals on sticks?! Supanova heads to Sydney on June 17–19, and Perth on June 24–26. • For more info, visit www.supanova.com.au

A nother year, another Supanova. With this year’s convention being the first since the latest Star Wars flick hit the big screen, Rey and Kylo Ren were predictably popular choices amongst cosplayers, and were seen mingling with the omnipresent Vaders and Stormtroopers. Of course, Star Wars isn’t the only huge film on people’s radars at the moment. Countless Deadpools and Harley Quinns – of this year's Suicide Squad variety – were hanging around and causing trouble, and we even ran into the likes of Captain Jack Harkness, Groot, Korra, Thor, Iron Man, Bumblebee, and even Angemon and Angewomon from Digimon. Cosplayers aside, this year’s Supa Star Guests were a sight for bluey-red-unhealthy-looking

EXTRAS

X-CLUSIVE TO JB Hi-FI! A Collector's Edition of The X-Files: Season 10 is amongst the sensational range of exclusive

Pass . This documentary features interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, Elton John and many more. It's out on May 12. Head to your nearest JB store for more cool releases you won't find anywhere else.

Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook. It's packed with loads of features including commentary from star Ryan Reynolds, as well as

releases you will find at JB Hi-Fi this month. Available on May 25, the DVD and Blu-ray will contain the 'My Struggle' episode script plus over two hours of exclusive bonus content. Also out May 25 is everyone's favourite anti-superhero, Deadpool , and JB is the only place to grab the

deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary from director Tim Miller.

As music experiences a vinyl revival, now's the perfect time to catch up on the story of legendary music mecca Tower Records in AllThings Must

12 MAY 2016

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THIS IS A TRUE STORY

CHRISTIAN BALE

STEVE CARELL

RYAN GOSLING

BRAD PITT

“REFRESHING AND PIERCINGLY CLEVER” - FILMINK “ ” - SBS “ ” - EMPIRE

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CINEMA INTERVIEW

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THE SECRET LIFE OF SCARLETT Reprising her role as BlackWidow in Captain America: Civil War, Scarlett Johansson reveals the secrets to being as fit as an Avenger and which of her character’s unusual talents she’d most like to possess.

C aptain America: Civil War features the return of Marvel favourites Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Scarlett Johansson’s catsuit-clad Black Widow. Just like her Russian spy alter ego, Johansson conducts her private life with stealth-like secrecy, and since she married her French beau Romain Dauriac and became a mother to 18-month-old daughter Rose, she has become even more elusive. But Civil War sees her back in the spotlight in what promises to be the darkest instalment yet in the Marvel universe. “The process of making this film is different than even making The Avengers . The Russos have a different way of working than any other director,” explains the 31-year- old, referring to Anthony and Joe Russo, who also directed Captain America: Winter Soldier in 2014. “With this film, I think we have the added challenge of looking towards whatever the next steps are for these characters.” Civil War is set one year after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and features

• Captain America: Civil War is in cinemas now.

Captain America: CivilWar

CINEMA

Avengers: Age of Ultron

The process of making this film is different than even making The Avengers

the squad in another international incident that results in collateral damage, prompting politicians to form a system of accountability and a governing body to control the team. This results in the fracturing of the Avengers into two opposing factions; one

in so many action films, wasn’t daunted by the prospect, saying she tries to maintain a certain level of fitness and is used to the rigorous training regimes. She has also worked extensively with her stunt double, Heidi Moneymaker, over the years and says the gymnast-turned-stuntwoman acts as a workout buddy and mentor. “I try everything and Heidi will tell me I’m doing a double back bend and I won’t be able to do that,” admits the star, “I’m pretty physically active in my life so I know where my limitations are. Sometimes I try things and it just doesn’t work.” Whilst it’s sometimes hard to believe Johansson is a mere mortal, you have to wonder if playing a superhero ever makes her wish she possessed any of her character’s super powers. “Just her ability to kill with her thighs, that’s about it!” she laughs.

led by Tony Stark and another that includes Captain America. For Johansson’s character in particular, this division causes problems, as her head is with Stark but her heart remains with her old friend the

have a particular soft spot for the relationship between Captain America and Black Widow, allowing it to blossom throughout the franchise. Aside from the emotional demands of the role, filming was also extremely physical, with its rollercoaster of stunts, fights, and hand- to-hand combat. But Johansson, having starred

Cap. The benefit of the returning directors, she says, is that they

MAY 2016

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CINEMA NEWS

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SISTER ACT If Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen thought the frat boys were bad, then they’ve got nothing on the girls in Bad Neighbours 2 . After a sorority moves in next door, they enlist their original nemesis, Zac Efron, to help oust Chloë Grace Moretz and her bad girl posse. By Gill Pringle

and I would work with her on a hundred more.” Bad Neighbours 2 mirrors where Stoller, 40, is at in his own life. “It’s increasingly difficult to tell these stories because I’m getting farther away from that time in my life," he says. "My way in is really through Seth and Rose and the issues they’re going through. They’re scared they’re going to be bad parents and scared their daughter is growing up too quickly – all stuff that I’m dealing with right now, compared to the quarter-life crisis stuff that Zac’s going through.” Since graduating from High School Musical , Efron, 28, has devoted himself to comedy between the first Bad Neighbours , That Awkward Moment , Dirty Grandpa, and upcoming movies Baywatch and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates . “Zac has this vulnerability that makes him really funny and awesome in comedies," notes Stoller. " Baywatch is potentially more of an action comedy and our movie has a fair amount of action and you’ll see his skills. I see it with a lot of actors, for example with Chris Pratt who was very boyish and I think he needed to grow a little bit. People want their action heroes a little older and more grizzled, so I think that’s what’s going on with Zac. The minute he decides he wants to do action he’ll be able to do it. "He has the whole thing. He even runs as intensely as Tom Cruise,” says the director who surprisingly left the two funniest women in comedy, Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer, on the cutting room floor. “They get it. They make movies and TV, so they understand when stuff doesn’t work. The worst thing you can do to an actor is put something in a movie that doesn’t work. That would have just sucked for everyone and I didn’t want to do that to them.”

CINEMA

I n Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising , Byrne and Rogen’s Kelly and Mac have given up trying to be cool, resigned to the fact they are married with a kid and another on the way, courtesy of Byrne’s own real-life pregnancy during production. Director Nick Stoller can’t get enough of Australia’s beautiful Byrne, having first cast her in his comedy Get Him to the Greek . “When she first came in I only knew her from

Damages and I was like, ‘Why is Rose Byrne here? She’s a serious actor’. But she was just absolutely hysterical and Paul Feig cast her in Bridesmaids immediately after,” he says. “She has the face of a silent film actor. Her eyes are really big and expressive and she’s always reacting and doing something funny. She’s pretty quiet on set but she knows exactly what the deal is and can do an impression of everyone. This is the third movie I’ve worked with her on

Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising is in cinemas on May 5

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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ALSO SCREENING IN MAY

Apocalypse is the name of the very first mutant. It's also what this ancient, godlike being intends to bring upon the world. "Forget everything you think you know," Mystique tells her classmates, because school is out for the First Class, who must now prove worthy of the title X-Men. Younger versions of Storm, Cyclops, Angel and Nightcrawler join J.Law, Fassbender and a bald McAvoy on May 19 . X-MEN: APOCALYPSE

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Jeff Nichols CAST: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst RATING: M

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

S haring its title with the Lead Belly song, Midnight Special is the new film from indie auteur Jeff Nichols, who helmed the underrated Take Shelter (2011) and the overrated Mud (2012). You might recall that Creedence's cover of same song opened Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), which provides a good clue as to the nature of Nichols' latest – it's an homage to eighties' sci-fi films. This retro approach was recently seen in J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (2011), but where Abrams' film paid tribute to Joe Dante and Spielberg's E.T. , Nichols takes his cues from John Carpenter's Starman (1984) and Stephen King's Firestarter , or more specifically, road movies in which a preternaturally powered individual is pursued across the country by ruthless government agents, whilst attempting to reach a specific destination by a certain time. Midnight Special opens with what initially appears to be a child abduction, but is quickly revealed to be the liberation of eight-year-old Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) from a religious cult by his father (played by Nichols' regular Michael Shannon). The fundamentalists (who believe the boy to be a prophet) and the Feds begin a relentless pursuit of this strange child, who has an aversion to sunlight and the ability to send a satellite plummeting from orbit. It will take a father's profound love for his son, plus some help from a sympathetic NSA officer (Adam Driver), to enable Alton to fulfil his mysterious date with destiny. Nichols' films have always favoured family Retro sci-fi shines a light.

ties and a strong sense of Americana, and even with the genre twist, Midnight Special remains firmly entrenched in both. The focus is on the human element, with the special effects and sci-fi angle kept reasonably low key until a spectacular – and genuinely thrilling – final reveal. It's only a matter of time before Nichols is poached from the arthouse circuit to direct the next Star Wars or Jurassic sequel, and on the strength of Midnight Special that will probably be sooner rather than later. Scott Hocking

CINEMA

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne's attempts to sell up are threatened by the arrival of Chloë Grace Moretz and her out of control sorority sisters. It's Zac Efron and his frat boys to the rescue on May 5 . BAD NEIGHBOURS 2

FURTHER VIEWING: Starman, Mud

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT

Is it too soon for a comedy like WTF? Tina Fey plays a war correspondent in Afghanistan, alongside Aussies Stephen Peacocke and Margot Robbie. Let's hope it's better than Rock the Kasbah . May 12 .

How exactly do you turn a smartphone gaming app into a feature film? Find out how – and why these birds are so angry – on April 7 . If this is a hit, can Candy Crush: The Movie be too far away? THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan CAST: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron RATING: M The plot of The Huntsman: Winter’s War is convoluted and threadbare. Scorned and heartbroken, Queen Freya (Emily Blunt) forges a kingdom in the north using her powers to control ice as well as her deadly force of ‘Huntsmen’ (although no hunting is ever actually committed). Two of the Huntsmen, Eric (Chris Hemsworth) and Sara (Jessica Chastain), fall in love – a sentiment that is outlawed. They incur the wrath of the Queen, who plots to force them apart. There’s a lot more in it, but not much more to it. In the tale of Snow White, as published by the Brother’s Grimm in 1812, the Huntsman drags Snow White into the forest to kill her, on orders from the evil Queen. He takes pity on her and lets her go, taking back the liver and lung of a boar to the Queen as evidence of the girl's death. And that’s it. That was also the role of the Huntsman in the 1937 Disney animation, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . And now, because of Hollywood’s apparently insatiable desire to tamper with classic fairy tales, the Huntsman has a franchise of his own, free of Kristen Stewart’s Snow White. The Huntsman: Winter’s War is a sequel that nobody asked for to a film that generated poor reviews and mediocre box office returns, directed by a man known principally for his work in special effects. Mercifully, it’s the last feeble live-action fantasy release for quite some time. John Roebuck FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS RELEASED: May 5 DIRECTOR: Stephen Frears CAST: Rebecca Ferguson, Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant RATING: PG Delusion is a powerful force, particularly when combined with a capacity for indulging that delusion. The life of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York socialite who became an opera singer infamous for her atrocious voice, is a tale about what happens when the two collide. Foster Jenkins (Streep) is a wealthy heiress who lives with her husband, St. Clair (Grant), and runs nights at the musical society, the Verdi Club. But St. Clair has another life, and another woman, and we soon learn that he’s but one of many benefactors of Foster Jenkins’ generosity. She has delusions of becoming a famous opera singer, but she has little feeling for rhythm or pitch and is hardly capable of sustaining a note. The people surrounding her, including St. Clair, rehearsal pianist Cosmé McMoon (Simon Helberg) and the curiously adoring fans from the Verdi Club, encourage her. Is it wrong to support such fantastical egotism or should everyone be supported in his or her dreams? Director Stephen Frears carefully toes the line between admonishing and sanctioning the support given to Foster Jenkins. The blame lies not on Foster Jenkins herself; after all, she’s deluded. It’s how her ambiguous husband feels about her that emerges as the most intriguing element of the film. John Roebuck

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau CAST: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley RATING: PG

Computer Generated Images traditionally falter with the power of hindsight. Imagery that appeared photorealistic to the eye in 2006 is often substandard to that same eye ten years later. Animals have proven particularly testing for filmmakers. The work on Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book , which constructs a world of CGI and populates it almost entirely with CGI anthropomorphic animals, is a startling step in the direction of the real. There is a lingering impression, however, that the entire film is little more than an exercise in technical wizardry. The plot doesn’t veer wildly from the 1967 Disney animated original. Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a boy reared by a wolf pack in the jungle. When the nefarious tiger, Shere Khan (Idris Elba), threatens his existence, Mowgli is excommunicated from the pack and forced to discover his place in a savage world. The appearance of the characters – from Mowgli to Bagheera (Sir Ben Kingsley) and Baloo (Bill Murray) – are also very closely modelled on Disney aesthetics. Even the music is somewhat dictated by the songs from the original. The Jungle Book is bursting with visual artistry, and Favreau certainly has a flair for atmosphere, but the film is somewhat redundant, particularly because it adheres so closely to its animated antecedent. But while The Jungle Book is bound by obligation and upstaged by its technical prowess, there’s an undeniable competence to the way in which the whole thing is assembled. And sometimes, that’s enough. John Roebuck THE JUNGLE BOOK

CINEMA

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Robert Schwentke CAST: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jeff Daniels RATING: M

RATING KEY: Wow! Good Not bad Meh Woof!

THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT

Now that The Hunger Games has wrapped, Divergent and The Maze Runner are the only YA series in town, and their similar storylines are in danger of becoming Convergent. Allegiant is the first of the (obligatory) two-part finale to The Divergent Series , and the practice of bisecting the final novel doesn't do Veronica Roth's saga any favours. The film is essentially 20 minutes of set-up stretched to a dull two hours. Having ventured beyond the wall surrounding the ruins of Chicago, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her fellow Divergents are captured by the Bureau of Genetic Warfare, led by bland and underwritten villain David (Jeff Daniels). This mob appear to have started the whole apocalyptic mess, and are now seeking to "purify the human genome" – or something to that effect – with Chicago functioning as an ambitious social experiment. Using Oblivion -like flying pods, the characters flit back and forth between the Bureau and Chicago, where conflict has erupted between Naomi Watts's Factionless and Octavia Spencer's Allegiants, following the downfall of Kate Winslet's regime. Will they put aside their differences, embrace diversity, and unite against the common enemy beyond the wall? Will Shailene Woodley realise she doesn't possess the screen presence of Jennifer Lawrence? And more importantly, where does all that shiny and powerful technology come from in the middle of a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Next year's Ascendant will undoubtedly answer these questions, but will anybody beyond fans of the book still care? Scott Hocking

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ANTONIO BANDERAS

RODRIGO SANTORO

JULIETTE BINOCHE

JAMES BROLIN

LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS

MARIO CASAS

ADRIANA BARRAZA

KATE DEL CASTILLO

COTE DE PABLO

BOB WITH GUNTON

GABRIEL AND BYRNE

“AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF HUMAN SURVIVAL.”

– Pete Hammond, DEADLINE

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Major Dundee (1965) Directed by Sam Peckinpah Mounting Problems During the Mexican Location Shoot Part 3:

B y early January 1964, two thirds of the Major Dundee script had been completed and the film’s secondary characters all cast. Warren Oates, L.Q. Jones, John Davis Chandler and R.G. Armstrong, who had featured in Peckinpah’s Ride the High Country , had all been assigned roles. These fine character actors, together with Slim Pickens, Dub Taylor and Ben Johnson, who were also cast, would later become known throughout the industry as "The Peckinpah Stock Company". But as the cast and crew prepared to leave for Mexico in late January, Peckinpah received devastating news from producer Jerry Bresler. The head of production at Columbia had been unexpectedly replaced by Mike Frankovich, who felt that a western film, even one starring Charlton Heston, did not warrant a lavish budget and certainly not road-show status.

Consequently, and without any discussion, Frankvich had cut the budget by $1.5 million and shaved 15 days off of the shooting schedule. An infuriated Peckinpah berated Bresler and Columbia’s “damn accountants”, further stating that he took this decision to be “a personal betrayal of the highest order”. His response was, “to hell with them” – he would make the film he wanted to make, confident that when the studio money men saw the first raw footage from the daily rushes, they would let him continue. But Peckinpah had a more immediate problem to contend

Richard Harris and producer Jerry Bresler on location in Mexico before Peckinpah sent the producer packing

his co-writer, Oscar Saul, had been able to develop an incredible cast of interesting characters and place them into various scenarios and individual vignettes, they had as yet been unable to pull them together into

together on the shoot”. When Peckinpah arrived at the film’s first location in Mexico, he was still in the foulest of moods. Ever the obsessive perfectionist, he had demanded that the studio’s wardrobe department authentically age all of the cast’s individual uniforms, so as to depict their progressive deterioration as Dundee’s men chase the Apache marauders further into Mexico. But when the uniforms were unpacked, Peckinpah detested them and subsequently fired all of the on-location wardrobe personnel. Amongst the new staff flown in was a young wardrobe assistant, who immediately impressed Peckinpah with his innovative idea of lightly blowtorching the uniforms to give

Chuck Heston and Sam Peckinpah discuss the next scene to be shot

with – he was working from an incomplete screenplay. This had resulted from the time constraint placed on him to completely rewrite the unworkable script originally written by Harry Julian Fink. Although Peckinpah and

a cohesive story with a credible ending. Saul expressed his grave concerns to Peckinpah – the complete story structure was so weak, it would probably cause the plot to flounder. Peckinpah replied, “Don’t worry, it’ll come

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fire-breathing civilian preacher Reverend Dahlstrom, had earlier described Major Dundee as “Moby Dick on horseback”. And as filming progressed, Armstrong perceived that reality was indeed paralleling the story – Peckinpah, like the Dundee/Ahab character, had become obsessed with his quest. Although Peckinpah admired Heston, he felt the actor's performance in many of his films always seemed to have too much swagger and posturing to be entirely convincing. Never the diplomat, Sam would often tell his star – in front of the cast – to stop posing and try to act natural. Needless to say these outbursts infuriated the actor. It all came to a head during the filming of a scene with Heston moving his cavalry troop down a hill at a trot. Peckinpah, stationed atop a camera crane, shouted to Heston “Chuck, that was absolute crap, you came far too slow. Go back and do it again.” “You told me to do it at a trot,” yelled Heston. Peckinpah fired back, “I did not, you goddamned liar”. Heston’s fuse finally blew and he wheeled his horse around, drew his cavalry sabre, and charged at the director at full gallop. Peckinpah screamed at the crane operator, “Crank it up! For Chrissakes crank it up!" As the crane arm lifted, Heston’s outstretched sabre missed the seat of Peckinpah’s pants by a whisker, which highly amused the cast and crew. By the middle of March the film was 14 days behind schedule and $600,000 over budget. Columbia’s vice president, accompanied by numerous “studio suits”, arrived in Mexico and immediately drove

them the gradually-aged look Peckinpah wanted. Next it was the prop men's turn to face the wrath of the now incessantly shouting director; the guns misfired so frequently, it swiftly depleted the stock of blank ammunition. The following day it was the sound engineers who were screamed at, then the caterers, after some of the cast found maggots in their food. Throughout the Dundee shoot Peckinpah would fire a total of fifteen Columbia-contracted staff, which directly impacted on the progress of the production. The intense pressure of directing his first big budget movie also led him to drink more heavily, often arriving on set in the morning still drunk from the night before. James Coburn, who played Dundee’s scout Sam was a working alcoholic who was a genius filmmaker for three hours a day, after that he was just a mean, drunken son of a bitch Samuel Potts, described Peckinpah thus: “Sam was a working alcoholic who was a genius filmmaker for three hours a day, after that he was just a mean, drunken son of a bitch." With the first month of shooting falling well behind schedule, Jerry Bresler, described by one of the cast as “wall-to-wall worry”, arrived in Durango intending to speed up the production. But his arrival created immediate friction between himself and his director, culminating with Peckinpah threatening him: “Jerry, I’m not going to shoot another foot of film until you leave this set”.  A chagrined Bresler had no choice but to fly back to LA. Moving the film equipment – along with hundreds of horses and ponies – to various locations across the inhospitable Mexican terrain was akin to a full military operation, and swiftly racked up costs. The production was now seriously falling behind schedule despite shooting 12 hours a day, six days a week, and all in the searing heat of the Mexican desert. Peckinpah gave his near exhausted actors very little direction, but he seemed

Heston takes a break from filming with his young son Fraser. (Fraser Heston had appeared in The Ten Commandments (1956) as the Infant Baby Moses where his father had played the adult Moses)

Actor R.G. Armstrong as Reverend Dahlstrom

James Coburn as Dundee's one-armed scout, Sam Potts, with two of his Indian scouts on location filming in Mexico

Actress Senta Berger discusses her role with director Sam Peckinpah during a break in shooting

to the production’s Rio Balsas location. Their mission – to remove Sam Peckinpah from the Major Dundee project and replace him.

to instinctively know when a scene was not quite right, ordering the actors to repeat it and blandly adding, “but this time do it differently”. Often he appeared to be just wildly shooting thousands of feet of film, which prompted Charlton Heston to ask, “What the hell is this film about?” R.G. Armstrong, who played the

To be continued...

The character Teresa Santiago was not in the original story, but producer Jerry Bresler wanted a “love interest” injected into the script. Peckinpah balked at the idea but Bresler insisted that a female role be written, and that Austrian actress Senta Berger be cast in that role. The end result was an unlikely – and superfluous – romantic sub-plot that went nowhere. 

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ADAM SCOTT TONI COLLETTE

“A DEVILISHLY ENTERTAINING NIGHTMARE” – MTV

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There’s never been a character like Deadpool, and Ryan Reynolds plays him as though he was born to play the role. – Stan Lee

"They did everything wrong and it turned out right." Deadpool 's unconventional journey to the screen reflects its title character, writes John Roebuck. BETTER OFF DEADPOOL

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R ight now, Deadpool is the highest grossing R-rated film (an American R equals MA15+ here) in history. Its cinematic run, still ongoing in many countries, has yielded almost 800 million dollars worldwide. It’s the highest grossing entry in the X-Men film series and the third highest grossing movie of the year so far. It has also been well received by critics. One review called Deadpool , “...a funny, bloody comedy that is the Marvel Universe’s biggest breath of fresh air since Guardians of the Galaxy .” But this wasn’t the first attempt to commit the iconic character, famously branded ‘The Merc with the Mouth’, to the screen. It also wasn’t the first time Ryan Reynolds had played the role.

In 2004, Reynolds appeared as Hannibal King in David Goyer’s Blade: Trinity . Critics and audiences alike rated the film poorly, but a studio executive detected a similarity between Reynolds’ performance and the disposition of another Marvel Comics property, Deadpool. The executive passed on a stack of Deadpool comics to Reynolds. It sparked an interest in both the actor and Goyer. The latter eventually lost interest and moved on to co-write Batman Begins with Christopher Nolan, and the Deadpool project faded away. Reynolds’ enthusiasm didn’t wane, however. When he heard about the inclusion of Deadpool in Gavin Hood’s now notorious X-Men Origins: Wolverine , he actively campaigned for the

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NOT SO SUPER HEROES

role. The result wasn’t a success. Fans protested

the incarnation of the character heatedly. This was a character most distinguishable by his relentless wit, but Hood had Deadpool’s mouth sewn shut for half the movie. A planned spin-off that would have revolved around the Deadpool character was in jeopardy. Following the negative reception to Origins , longtime X-Men series producer, Lauren Shuler Donner, proposed a re-evaluation of the character. The idea was to disregard Hood’s contentious interpretation and focus on the traits that the comic iteration of Deadpool is famous for, such as his tendency to break the fourth wall. Donner enlisted Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to write a script. A month into the writing process, an early draft was leaked online. Fans responded enthusiastically. It was enough for the production company, 20th Century Fox, to concede a small budget for test footage to be filmed. Donner approached a number of directors before deciding onTim Miller, in early 2011. Miller had been nominated for an Academy Award for his animated short, Gopher Broke , and had worked on the title sequences for The Girl with the DragonTattoo and Thor: The DarkWorld , but had never directed a feature film. Miller was given a small budget and was left to his own devices. After three years, it seemed as though the project had faded away. In July 2014, the test footage, created with visual effects and Reynolds in a motion capture suit, was leaked online. Fox didn’t sanction the leak. The source of the online release remains a mystery to this day, although thinly veiled hints from Reynolds point to Miller. The footage went viral and fan response was overwhelmingly positive. It was enough to reignite studio interest in the character. “I had meetings on the Fox lot that following week, and that Deadpool footage was all the buzz,” Rob Liefeld, creator of the Deadpool comics commented. “It had an impact. You could see it and feel it in the executive suites. It was palpable.” Fox gave Deadpool the green light and production went ahead with a $58 million budget, roughly half that of the average superhero film. The marketing campaign for Deadpool was unorthodox, reportedly on orders from Miller, who

KICK-ASS A customised wetsuit, a pair of batons and a high pain threshold turns average teen Dave Lizewski into a crimefighter who kicks ass. (Played by Aaron Taylor- Johnson in Kick-Ass , 2010)

THE CRIMSON BOLT Arned with a pipe wrench, short-order cook Frank Darbo tells crime to "Shut Up!" and declares war on the sleazy drug lord who seduced his wife. (Played by Rainn Wilson in Super , 2010)

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was keen for the perverse take on the superhero genre to encompass all aspects of the production. Initial images of Deadpool showed the character sprawled in front of a fire on a bearskin rug. One particularly memorable billboard simply presented the skull emoticon followed by the excrement emoticon with an ‘L’ at the end. Somehow it worked. No one in Hollywood can quite pinpoint the reason as to the success of Deadpool . An exasperated executive from a rival studio commented that, “They did everything wrong and it turned out right.” Perhaps that’s the point. Authority over the direction of the industry is more ambiguous than it has ever been. Fans are emerging as a commanding influence. Without the fans, and without the internet buzz, one of Hollywood’s biggest successes of the year would never have happened. American film is an industry that can emulate success slavishly while suppressing individuality. The recent spout of extended cinematic universes is just one example of the studio obsession with repeat success. If Deadpool has proven anything, it’s that audiences are craving something unique.

DEFENDOR Delusional road crew worker Arthur Poppington trades his tools for a bag of marbles and a squirting plastic lime to fight crime and his nemesis, Captain Industry. (Played by Woody Harrelson in Defendor , 2009)

GRIFF THE INVISIBLE Bullied office worker Griff becomes a crimefighter by night, clad in an invisibility cloak that makes him highly visible. (Played by Ryan Kwanten in Griff the Invisible , 2010)

• Deadpool is out on May 25

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