STACK #128 Jun 2016

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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Proper pirates, not internet ones. BLACK SAILS: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON FIVE This prestigious English drama series counts the Duchess of Cambridge amongst its legion of fans, so the pressure is on for Season Five to return to the series' high standards after a faltering fourth year. It's early 1924 and post-war change continues to sweep the nation – and the titular estate. Word is that Season Six will be the last for dour Dowager Violet Crawley, with Maggie Smith deciding to call it quits. OUT: 04/06/15 FORTITUDE This is a chilling crime series, and not just because it's set in a snowbound European town. A grim mood pervades this small Nordic locale following an unthinkable murder which London cop Stanley Tucci is called in to investigate. In the process, secrets are defrosted – and so is a mammoth. The X-Files meets Fargo (or Broadchurch in the arctic) with all the sex, violence and nudity of a HBO series. OUT: 10/06/15 WILD Subtract ' Into the ' and substitute Reese Witherspoon for Emile Hirsch and you have a female take on Sean Penn's 2007 drama. Grappling with the death of her mother and a serious drug habit, Reese decides the best therapy is to hike the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail, solo. This stirring wilderness adventure from director Jean-Marc Vallee ( Dallas Buyers Club ) features an Oscar- nominated performance by Witherspoon. OUT: 10/06/15 THE COBBLER Adam Sandler headlines this whimsical fantasy about a New York cobbler in possession of a magical machine that can literally put him in someone else's shoes – transforming him into their owner. Sandler, minus his usual gang of buddy co-stars, is somewhat muzzled in this comedy from indie director Thomas McCarthy, and that's a good thing. But this is still an Adam Sandler film, so you know exactly what to expect. OUT: 17/06/15 SHIVER Wolf Creek 's John Jarratt adds another serial killer to his resume with this horror-thriller based on the novel by Brian Harper. Jarratt (sounding weird with an Amercian accent) plays The Gryphon, a sicko who stalks women and takes their heads as a trophy. When a potential victim (scream queen Danielle Harris) escapes his clutches, he relentlessly stalks her as the cops close in. Pre-order Shiver online from JB by June 16 and you'll receive a copy signed by Jarratt. OUT: 17/06/15 THE HUMBLING There's more than a hint of Birdman about this backstage dramedy from director Barry Levinson, featuring Al Pacino as a suicidal, has-been actor attempting to make a comeback on Broadway. But in this case, it's an unlikely romance with a younger, lesbian woman (Greta Gerwig) that proves instrumental in his salvation and coaxes all sorts of oddball characters out of the woodwork. OUT: 10/06/15

Release Date: 10/06/15

Format:

The first season of this Michael Bay-produced pirate series – a violent prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island – took its sweet time taking to the high seas for some good old fashioned piracy, but if you stuck with it, there was treasure to be found. Not so with Season Two, which joins the ranks of must-see TV somewhere between Vikings and Game of Thrones . The Urca gold is now up for grabs, and Eleanor Guthrie struggles to maintain control of Nassau following the arrival of a fearsome new pirate captain and the return of Charles Vane. Characters are more fully fleshed this season;

Captain Flint's backstory and relationship to Miranda Barlow yields some truly unexpected surprises, and John Silver begins his progression from self-serving rogue to respected crewmember. An explosive and legend-building final episode guarantees not everyone will be back for Season Three. Highly recommended.

Calm, cool and connected. RAY DONOVAN: SEASON TWO

Release Date: 24/06/15

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Liev Schreiber returns for another round as the eponymous LA fixer who works overtime covering up the potentially scandalous behaviour of his celebrity clientele – usually with his fists. He's also got a season-load of family and personal problems to fix, including marital strife and teenaged kids, dealing with the psychological fallout from season one's big revelation, and retrieving his ex-con father from hiding in Mexico. There's also an FBI agent (Hank Azaria) and a reporter (Vinessa Shaw) snooping about in the

aftermath of gangster Sully Sullivan's murder. A solid second season then, in which the great Jon Voight (as Ray's despicable dad) once again steals the show – making a loathsome character strangely likeable and Ray Donovan immensely watchable.

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

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