STACK NZ Jan-Feb #59

DVD&BD

REVIEWS

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The End of an Empire BOARDWALK EMPIRE: COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON

Brummie Empire PEAKY BLINDERS: SEASON ONE

Format:

Release Date: 14/01/15

Format:

Release Date: 28/01/15

TV

Fittingly, this final season of Boardwalk Empire brings the focus back to pivotal figure Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi). The end of prohibition is in the air, and the appearance of Eliot Ness also adds the historical weight that might end up being the noose around Nucky’s neck. There’s also no shortage of the gangland brutality that has made this series a natural successor to The Sopranos , with the first three episodes signposting the kind of violent world Nucky and his associates inhabit. It’s also the kind of world Nucky is determined

This is an epic family crime drama with the charismatic Irish actor Cillian Murphy ( Inception , 28 Days Later ) at its helm, utilising his natural grace and matching it with a ruthlessness we’re not used to seeing in the actor. He plays Tommy Shelby, the leader of the real-life Peaky Blinders, who were the most notorious razor-wielding gang in Birmingham during the 1920s. Although fiercely ambitious and brutal, Tommy’s depth and complexity make him one of the more compelling gangster characters out there, as he transforms his

to rise above, as he attempts to morph from bootlegger to a legitimate business figure by courting the big money of Wall Street. True to form, Nucky finds that getting out is much harder than he thinks. Bringing this series full circle, showrunner Terence Winter’s gripping vision ensures Nucky bows out in style.

small-time droogs into a sophisticated criminal organisation. Beautiful cinematography, dapper costumes and absorbing performances — Sam Neill is equally good as Tommy’s nasty police nemesis – set this one apart. Fans of Boardwalk Empire should check it out; a second season is due later this year.

Return to the Titty Twister FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: SEASON ONE

A new Sci-Fi Series is Born EXTANT: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Format:

Release Date: 14/01/15

Format:

Release Date: 28/01/15

Following in the footsteps of Hannibal and Fargo , Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino’s 1996 crime/vampire splatterfest has been reinvented as 10-episode TV series, featuring an all-new cast and delving deeper into the mythos surrounding those bloodsucking babes of The Titty Twister. The first half of this debut series is basically a retread of the film, with Gecko brothers Seth (D.J. Cotrona) and Richie (Zane Holtz) hitching a lift across the border with preacher man Robert Patrick and his kids, and winding up in a vampire den. If you

The early promos hinted at a Rosemary’s Baby meets Gravity hybrid, with astronaut Halle Berry experiencing an immaculate conception of sorts whilst on a solo mission in orbit. But there’s a lot more to this Steven Spielberg produced sci-fi series, which also throws in X-Files -like conspiracies, android children and, of course, alien offspring. Moreover, Extant creates a convincing future world where for once, artificial intelligence isn’t out to destroy humanity. Production values are top notch,

find yourself thinking “I might as well just watch the movie again”, stick with it. Things get progressively more insane when vampire queen Santánico Pandemonium (Eiza González) makes her entrance, and the show begins to settle into its own unique groove.

episodes are consistently eventful, and a star of Berry’s calibre adds extra prestige. Extant has been renewed for a second season, which will hopefully clear up a few errant plot points left dangling in the final episode.

SUMMER EDITION 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.co.nz

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