STACK March 2016 Issue 71

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REVIEWS DVD&BD
DVD&BD
ason 5 of the fabulous fantasy saga blends events
m books four and five of A Song of Ice and Fire, finally
inging readers and viewers into synch. And given George
’t likely to complete book six for another year or more,
e show is now playing its own game. Moreover, rather
an introduce the myriad new characters, showrunners
vid Benioff and D.B. Weiss use the players they already
ve, and while this might upset book purists, it mostly
rks well. In a nutshell, Stannis takes charge at the Wall,
where Jon Snow has been promoted to commander; Arya
arrives in Braavos to train as a faceless assassin; Sansa becomes betrothed
to the sadistic Ramsay Bolton; the Sons of the Harpy threaten Daenerys’
hold on Meereen; and Cersei’s schemes spectacularly backfire. And there’s
also a cliffhanger finale that leaves blood on snow... SH
A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons.
GAME OF THRONES: COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON
Imagine being able to do or have
anything you desire. It’s a well-worn
set-up, but Monty Python alumnus
Terry Jones has oodles of fun
with it in Absolutely Anything, as
does Simon Pegg. A collective of
space snobs calling themselves the
‘Intergalactic Council of Superior
Beings’ (as complete a Python
reunion as is possible, even if in
voice only) are cruising for planets
to destroy. Earth’s next, but they
have to give targets a chance to
prove that they’ll use granted
omnipotent powers for good. Neil
Clarke (Pegg) is our guy, who’s
helped by his dog Dennis (voiced
with glee by Robin Williams).
Absolutely Anything is charming,
offbeat, and delightfully British. AF
Absolutely
Anything
Release Date:
23/03/16
Format:
Sympathetically directed and
played, this worthy yet touching
true story shines a light on an
important chapter in the US
battle for equal rights for same
sex partners. Julianne Moore
plays a long-serving detective in
small seaside community who
is struck down with terminal
cancer, but is told by the deeply
conservative local council that her
new partner, Ellen Page, will not
be eligible for her police pension
if she dies. Michael Shannon – for
once playing a fairly ordinary sort
of chap – is her supportive cop
partner, while Steve Carell provides
the camp as the colourful gay
rights' activist who takes up thier
cause. JF
FREEHELD
Release Date:
16/03/16
Format:
Release Date: 16/03/16 Format:
s prequel spin-off series focuses on the outbreak of the
bie apocalypse that sent Rick Grimes and his Atlanta
up on the hard road to survival. It begins innocuously
church in Los Angeles, where drug-addicted teenager
k (Frank Dillane) awakens to discover his girlfriend has
eloped a taste for human flesh. A short season of six
sodes introduces us to a new bunch of characters –
ded up by our own Cliff Curtis and Kim Dickens – most
hom aren't particularly likeable, with the focus on
a dysfunctional family. Moreover, the zombie factor is
downplayed in favour of the military's involvement in enforcing martial law.
Fear the Walking Dead has a ways to go before it hits the heights of its
sibling series, but watching the end of the world as we know it still holds
an irresistible appeal. SH
When civilisation ends, it ends fast
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1
Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson,
hanging up his laughing gear to
exercise his inner action hero) has
precious little to grumble about.
He has a loving wife (Lake Bell),
two sweet kids and a decent job.
But when the chance to head up
his company’s new Southeast
Asia plant arises, he jumps at
it. Soon after arriving, however,
things don’t seem quite right.
They’ve actually lobbed in the
midst of a violent coup, whereby
armed rebels are hunting down
foreigners then playing judge, jury
and executioner. With the help of
a mysterious Brit (Pierce Brosnan),
Jack must get his family to the US
Embassy while they’re alive, rather
than in body bags. AF
No Escape
elease Date:
6/03/16
ormat:
Cyclist Lance Armstrong was a
hero to millions. As if winning
the Tour de France seven times
in a row wasn’t enough, he did it
after beating cancer. He seemed
invincible – and of course now we
all know why, as he was hoovering
performance-enhancing drugs.
Before this revelation shocked the
world, Irish sports journo David
Walsh (Chris O’Dowd) thought that
something was rotten in Denmark
(or indeed wherever Armstrong,
played with conviction here by Ben
Foster, competed), and set out
to uncover what he believed to
be the truth. While we know the
basic story, director Stephen Frears
brings tension and drama to his
telling of this cheat’s tale. AF
The Program
elease Date:
6/03/16
ormat:
Release Date: 02/03/16 Format: