STACK #161 Mar 2018

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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Blessed be the fruit. THE HANDMAID'S TALE: SEASON 1

Pure, undiluted David Lynch. TWIN PEAKS: LIMITED EVENT SERIES

Release Date: 14/03/18

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Release Date: 28/03/18

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There's a reason this long form adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel dominated last year's Emmys in the Drama category – it's superb television. Set in a sterile future America ruled by a brutal theocracy, the remaining fertile women are rounded up and forced to bear children to the male Commanders of this dictatorship. The protagonist at the heart of this nightmarish scenario is Offred (Elizabeth Moss), who is resigned to her fate but still retains a spark of hope and defiance against a regime that promotes the disenfranchisement of women. Moss's incredibly nuanced

David Lynch and Mark Frost changed the landscape of television in the nineties with their surreal mystery series. With that landscape having shifted again in the decades since we discovered who killed Laura Palmer, this highly anticipated return is even more idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and unapologetically Lynchian. The scope is wider this time, venturing beyond the titular town to explore the events surrounding the disappearance of FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan). Lynch, whose last film was Inland Empire in 2006, directs all 18 episodes

performance runs the gamut of emotions, bringing an essential humanity to an inhumane world. Equally stellar turns from the supporting cast and some stunning production design complete an outstanding package. Compelling, deeply affecting, and highly recommended. SH

with an unrestrained creative fervour that will leave even diehard fans flabbergasted. It's a bravura return for this visionary filmmaker, and some of the most bold and brilliant TV you'll binge-watch this year – preferably with a damn good coffee and a slice of cherry pie. SH (See page 34)

Taking it to the streets. PEAKY BLINDERS: SEASON 4

Somewhere in time. OUTLANDER: SEASON 3

Release Date: 14/03/18

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Release Date: 07/03/18

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Cillian Murphy returns in season four as the notorious Thomas Shelby, leader of Birmingham crime gang the Peaky Blinders. The Shelby family are divided following the events of last season’s shocking finale, and it takes ghosts from their past to reunite them where it all began: Watery Lane, Small Heath. The Shelbys fight for their lives and make questionable alliances as the American Mafia asserts its position as a vicious adversary. Although their enemies on the streets can be defeated with shotguns, their own inner demons aren't so easily despatched.

Claire (Catriona Balfe) is a World War II army nurse who skips temporal location, back two centuries to the Jacobite uprising of 1745 where she's swept up in a romance with Jamie (Sam Heughan), a dashing Scottish officer battling to overthrow the British occupation. The climax of season two saw Jamie marching to near certain death in the Battle of Culloden, and Claire returning to her present. This third season finds her adjusting to a post-war world and life with her husband, Frank (Tobias Menzies). She also has a child, Brianna, from her relationship with Jamie. Claire wants to

Director David Caffrey succeeds in maintaining the gloomy atmosphere of post-war Birmingham which has kept fans on the edge of their seats since 2013. Be prepared for another season of unexpected twists, suspenseful gun fights, and even more renditions of Red Right Hand . SB

return to the past, and Frank wants her just the same. If you're one of the legion of fans, you'll already know this brilliant and inventive series weaves a complex tapestry with narrative force and fantastic characters. For everyone else, it's not too late to jump back in time. AC

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MARCH 2018

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