STACK NZ Apr #61

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

The night has a price NIGHTCRAWLER

New crime. Same tools HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

Release Date: 09/04/15

Release Date: 22/04/15

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One of the most original films of the last 12 months, Nightcrawler sees the Jake Gyllenhaal embodying a disturbing personage of youthful zeal covering a cold and calculated gaze. The enigmatic and enterprising Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) considers himself a maverick, willing to put in the effort to make his own luck and bend accepted ethics to get to the top of his brand new obsession: the 'nightcrawling' profession – trawling the streets of LA for crime aftermath he can film and then sell on to rabid television networks. Equally brilliant are Renee Russo (director Dan Gilroy's wife) as cutthroat news

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day return for this sequel to the 2011 comedy hit – only this time, they're the bosses. But are they horrible? Well, no; that role goes to Christoph Waltz, as a dodgy investor in their new 'shower buddy' business venture (which is not what you think). When Waltz cancels a massive order, the trio face bankruptcy, but rather than kill this corrupt capitalist, they hatch a harebrained scheme to kidnap his son (Chris Pine) and hold him for ransom. Also back for seconds is Jennifer Aniston's trash-talking dentist and Jamie Foxx's jailbird, as

network manager Nina Romina, whom Lou bends to his will through a series of off-putting ultimatums, and Riz Ahmed as Rick, the nervous and homeless young man whom Lou employs as his navigator during their terrifying nocturnal chases. A must-see.

well as Bateman's former horrible boss Kevin Spacey. Written and directed by Sean Anders ( Hot Tub Time Machine ), this is that rare example of a comedy sequel being better – and funnier – than the original, which was pretty horrible.

SILICON VALLEY: SEASON 1

SERENA

The Young AND Prodigious T.S Spivet

ST VINCENT

Release Date: 15/04/15 Format:

Release Date: 08/04/15 Format:

Release Date: 09/04/15 Format:

Release Date: 29/04/15 Format:

Big Bang Theory meets Entourage in this acerbic but affectionate comedy about a budding group of IT entrepreneurs. Co-created by Mike Judge ( Beavis & Butthead ), the series follows nerdish programmer (Thomas Middleditch) and his geeky pals as they get their new start-up company off the ground with the help of an oddball billionaire (Christopher Evan Welch). However, the show is at its best in lacerating the pretensions and hypocrisy of Silicon Valley’s corporate titans, represented mainly here by the fictional internet giant Hooli and its splendidly egomaniacal owner (Matt Ross). Another must-own HBO comedy.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper reunite for this old school melodrama set in the Depression. Serena (Lawrence) and George (Cooper) are a match made in lumberjack heaven; wise and outspoken Serena is a formidable partner for timber baron George, both in business and in marriage. But when Serena is rocked by a personal loss and George's dodgy business dealings come back to haunt him, this slow burn drama makes a dark detour into thriller territory, where murder and madness lurk. Considering its troubled road to release, the finished film stands up surprisingly well, with J.Law totally fearless and commanding in the title role.

Cult French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie ) made his Hollywood debut with Alien Resurrection , but is on much more familiar turf for his second English language feature. This whimsical fable follows the adventures of titular hero (newcomer Kyle Catlett), a child genius who sets off on a solo cross-country journey to collect a prize from the Smithsonian Institute after inventing a perpetual motion machine. The glorious visuals – it’s Jeunet’s first 3D movie – and fine performances (the grownups include Helena Bonham Carter and Judy Davis) more than compensate for the scattershot plotting.

Bill Murray as a boozy old codger who mellows after babysitting the kid next door might sound as sugar- laden as a bottle of soft drink, but St. Vincent never descends into outright schmaltz thanks to the irrepressible appeal of its leading man. Murray gene splices his Wes Anderson characters with DNA from Stripes and Ghostbusters , and goes for broke. Conversely, Melissa McCarthy delivers a performance of surprising restraint as the boy's single mom, whose long working hours allow her son (Jaeden Lieberher) to bond with this irascible scene-stealer. Things turn a tad mawkish at the end but for the most part it's the Murray showcase we've been waiting for since Lost in Translation .

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