STACK #167 Sept 2018

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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Not man. Not machine. More. UPGRADE

Every family tree hides a secret. HEREDITARY

Release Date: 12/09/18

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Release Date: 19/09/18

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A paralysed technophobe (Logan Marshall-Green) is the recipient of an experimental computer implant with a mind of its own in this slick sci-fi thriller from director Leigh Whannell ( Saw, Insidious ). The revolutionary technology – known as STEM – bridges the gap between mind and limbs, and also turns its host into a killing machine able to exact vengeance on those who killed his wife and left him a quadriplegic. Watching the intense Marshall-Green losing control of his body is just one of the highlights of this relentlessly

The diabolical insinuates itself into the lives of a family reeling in the wake of tragedy in writer- director Ari Aster’s superb debut feature. Annie (Toni Collette, in a tour de force performance) is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother when disaster strikes once again. Attending a grief support group, she meets Joan (Ann Dowd), whose suggestion of a seance provides the catalyst for the nightmare to follow. Hereditary builds its supernatural horrors on

entertaining B-flick that upgrades the revenge tale and buddy movie with gritty low budget noir, creatively shot fight sequences, and ample splashes of gore. Mixing The Terminator with Monkey Shines , the resulting blend has all the flavour of an old school ’80s action flick. SH (See page 20)

the foundations of very real ones: grief, anguish, guilt and mental illness. Having already put the family – and the viewer – through the emotional wringer with an intense and measured set-up, the intrusion of the occult dials the unsettling mood up to unbearable levels. SH

He is her only hope... and greatest threat. CARGO

Truth can be sillier than fiction. TAG

Release Date: 05/09/18

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Release Date: 19/09/18

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If a zombie apocalypse were to occur in Australia, the first impulse would be to go bush. However, Cargo reveals the outback offers no sanctuary, as Martin Freeman discovers when he embarks on an unexpected journey to keep his baby daughter safe, whatever the cost. After being bitten, he has 48 hours to find a safe haven for the infant before he ceases to be human. Directors Yolande Ramke and Ben Howling have expanded their 2013 short film (a Tropfest finalist) into a gripping and downbeat

If it weren’t based on actual events, you’d be forgiven for thinking Tag was conceived following way too many beers. “You don’t stop playing because you get older, you get older because you stop playing.” That’s the philosophy behind five adult friends playing the eponymous childhood game on an annual basis for the last 30 years – although there’s a motive beyond staying young at heart. Jerry (Jeremy Renner) has managed to avoid being tagged, making him the nemesis of competitive

survival tale that’s more intent on breaking hearts than ripping them out. Bringing the apocalypse this close to home, with an indigenous perspective on the epidemic, invests Cargo with a haunting familiarity and a unique point of difference in the overcrowded zombie genre. SH

mates Hoagie (Ed Helms), Callahan (Jon Hamm), Randy (Jake Johnson) and Sable (Hannibal Buress). When news of Jerry’s impending wedding day reaches them, the guys seize the opportunity for an ambush. Fans of Game Night and Wedding Crashers will find plenty to enjoy here. SH

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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