STACK New Zealand May 2016 Issue

29 / 36

29
REVIEWS DVD&BD
DVD&BD
itially pretty much the story of one privileged white
ick and the horrors she faced upon landing in
ison, Orange Is the New Black has since shifted
focus. Sure, Piper still pops up, now very much at
me with the ways of what goes on within Litchfield
nitentiary’s walls, but there’s much more insight into
e lives – both current and past – of the numerous
her inmates we’ve met over the past two seasons.
e third season features everything from the return of
per’s ex, Alex, and Officer Bennett's dealing with his
baby mama Daya, to the possibility that Litchfield will close, and the
birth of a new enterprise involving used inmate intimates (eww!) Plus,
of course, the usual dramas with drugs, fights, breakups, hook-ups
and, erm, one prisoner’s knack for penning erotic sci-fi fiction. AF
Black is back
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK: SEASON 3
It’s a long way from the grandeur
of Downton Abbey, but Maggie
Smith is still at her imperious
best as the homeless bag
lady of the title, reprising the
role she first played on stage
in Alan Bennett’s play of the
same name. Loosely based
on a true story, the film charts
the unlikely relationship that
develops between Bennett (an
uncanny impersonation from
Alex Jenning) and Mary (Smith),
who lives in a beat up old
van and ends up ‘temporarily’
parked on his driveway for 15
years. A witty, whimsical and
ultimately poignant exploration of
loneliness, middleclass guilt and
the creative process. JF
LADY IN THE VAN
Release Date:
25/05/16
Format:
You better watch out! Santa
Claws is coming to town in this
Christmas-themed scarefest
that evokes the festive mayhem
of Gremlins . When a young
boy loses belief in the spirit of
Christmas and rips up his letter
to Santa, the fat guy's dark
shadow – a demon known as
Krampus – shows up, freezing
the neighbourhood with a
blizzard from hell and terrorising
the kid and his squabbling
extended family (including
Toni Collette and Adam Scott).
Featuring a memorable monster,
sinister elves, demonic toys, and
some terrific production design,
Krampus is an early Christmas
present for horror fans. SH
KRAMPUS
Release Date:
04/05/16
Format:
Release Date: 18/05/16 Format:
’s a big ask taking one of the Coen brothers’ best
licks and adapting it for TV. It’s a bigger ask to make
actually good. The stunning first season proved that
could be done, and this second season backs that
p – in fact it’s arguably even better. Set before that
st one, way back in 1979, the story revolves around
argo’s preeminent crime family, the Gerhardts, and
vents that unfold after one of them is mown down
a hit and run. Spare your sympathy, as he’d just
assacred diners at a diner. Local beautician Peggy
Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst) was the hit and runner, and her decision not
to stop leads to increasingly full-on consequences for her and hapless
hubby Ed (Jesse Plemons). Fargo is utterly unmissable black comedy
TV – trust us, just say ”Yaah!” AF
BC - Before Coens
FARGO: YEAR TWO
s and a joyful
wonder at the heart of this
nevertheless utterly believable
coming-of-age drama set mainly
in New York in the 1950s. Saoirse
Ronan superbly captures the
vulnerability, innocence and
quiet determination of the young
heroine Ellis Lacey, who moves
from her sleepy Irish village to
the bright lights of Brooklyn,
eventually finding an adoring
Italian boyfriend (Emory Cohen).
However, an unexpected family
tragedy forces her to look again
at where she truly belongs.
Directed with subtlety and dry
wit by John Crowley, Brooklyn is
an understated delight from start
to finish. JF
BROOKLYN
Release Date:
04/05/16
Format:
Ben Mendelsohn is fast
becoming the go-to guy for
playing sleaze-bags – probably
because he usually manages to
locate a glimmer of decency in
even the most unredeemable
of lowlifes. Here, he brings an
almost puppy dog likability to
the role of Gerry, a hopeless
small-time gambler who is taken
under the wing of a charismatic
professional player Curtis (Ryan
Reynolds) for a crack at high
stakes game. Cut from the
similar cloth as the cult road
movies of the ‘70s, Mississippi
Grind provides a cautionary
yet pleasingly non-judgmental
journey into the seamier side of
gambling. JF
MISSISSIPPI
GRIND
Release Date:
12/05/16
Format:
Release Date: 04/05/16 Format: