STACK #130 Aug 2016

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We all know Chris Hemsworth is a big movie star, but in raunchy comedy Vacation he proves he’s much bigger than imagined, proudly flaunting a muscle that viewers have never seen before. Even his co-star Ed Helms confesses to a little envy after seeing Hemsworth strut his stuff in figure-hugging briefs. “I’m pretty sure there was stuffing involved,” laughs Helms when we meet to talk about this remake of the '80s Vacation comedy franchise. “It’s not fair. For me, I knew I’d never look that way but at least I’m funny,” says The Office and Hangover star in astonishment. “But then Chris shows up on our set and he’s funnier than everybody. And he was game for everything – what he did was a vulnerable comedic step to take, especially for someone of his stature as a public figure.” The original Vacation movies starred Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo as the Griswolds, whose family road trips always ended in disaster. Both actors cameo in this remake but now Helms and Christina Applegate are the new generation of Griswolds, with Hemsworth stealing the laughs as Helms’s inappropriately sexual brother-in-law. Gill Pringle HEMSWORTH SHOWS HIS NEXT BIG THING

Southpaw

THE FIGHTER F ollowing in the footsteps of Robert De Niro’s Raging Bull , Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky and Christian Bale’s The Fighter , Southpaw sees Jake Gyllenhaal make an extraordinary physical transformation, setting a new benchmark for boxing films. When we meet in Los Angeles, he’s weary of discussing the details of his training schedule which, for the record, consisted of two sets of 1,000 push-ups a day, a 5-mile run and intensive boxing practice. “I was just terrified that I would look like an idiot in the ring. I didn’t know how to box when I started. I had five months to learn and I know that it takes me a long time to learn a skill and also to come across like I’ve been doing it since I was six years old,” Gyllenhaal says. “So I decided to train twice a day so it would give me an advantage and it would seem like

10 months of training. Its difficult for me to use words like hard or miserable when I’m talking about a movie where really I feel grateful for the opportunity.” Originally conceived as a starring vehicle for hip hop star Eminem, Southpaw is a boxing analogy of his own downward spiral, close relationship with his daughter and ultimate redemption. But when Eminem dropped out of the film, Gyllenhaal nimbly stepped into the ring with a performance that even his rapper co-star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson doesn’t believe Eminem could emulate. “I showed the film to Eminem and he was like ‘Jake, man! What the f*ck?’” says 50 Cent. But he doesn’t fancy Gyllenhaal’s chances against welterweight Manny Paquaio.“I think he could last a few rounds because Manny wouldn’t want to put Jake down immediately. But after that, well…” Gill Pringle Southpaw will be in cinemas August 20

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN TURNS TEN "I wish I knew how to quit you." Those immortal lines were uttered by Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain , in a role that would earn him his only Oscar nomination to date. He's tipped for an Oscar nom for Southpaw , but a story about grown men trying to beat each other senseless is certainly not going to generate the enormous controversy that Brokeback Mountain did back in 2005, when it told the story of two cowboys finding passion in each other's arms. For prying the closet door open to a mainstream audience, Brokeback Mountain is a landmark movie and a defining example of director Ang Lee's extraordinary versatility, honoured with three oscars including Best Achievement in Directing for Lee.

Vacation will be in cinemas August 20

American_STRIP 2015-06-17T14:05:22+10:00

Strong violence, sex scenes and coarse language

JUNE 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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