STACK NZ October 2016 Issue 78

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34 OCTOBER 2016
DVD&BD
The good news is this might be the best season of
Vikings yet. The even better news is that it's a split
season, with a further 10 episodes due to air before the
end of the year. Volume One picks up after the attack on
Paris that left Ragnar wounded and hellbent on punishing
Floki for an unforgivable betrayal. Meanwhile in France,
Rollo is settling into his new life as a nobleman, learning
the local lingo and customs and getting friendly with
Princess Gisla. Lagertha finds her earldom threatened,
Bjorn ventures into the wilderness to find himself and
wrestle a bear (Revenant style), and the stage is set for a spectacular
showdown between Ragnar and his treacherous brother. Game of
Thrones gets all the Emmys, but Vikings is every bit as good. If you're
not watching it, you should be. SH
The storm is coming...
VIKINGS: SEASON 4, Volume 1
Release Date: 19/10/16 Format:
This TV series continuation of Sam Raimi's horror cult
classic is every bit as groovy as the movie trilogy. Shot
here in NZ, it helps that the original team is back on
board, with the great Bruce Campbell reprising his
signature role as the clueless Deadite slayer, and Raimi
directing the pilot episode. When the middle-aged Ash's
bumbling once again unleashes the demons from the
Book of the Dead, he must team up with workmate
Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) to stop
the Evil Dead in the only way he knows how: through the
act of bodily dismemberment. Yes, just because it's a TV series doesn't
mean it skimps on the splatter that the fans love and expect. And if you
need further recommendation, Lucy Lawless is lurking on the sidelines as
a mysterious figure who may be friend or foe. SH
The Book of the Dead reopened
ASH VS. EVIL DEAD: SEASON 1
Release Date: 19/10/16 Format:
After a string of memorable supporting turns – most
recently in Hunt For The Wilderpeople – Rhys Darby
gets to showcase his full array of comic talents in this
affectionate mockumentary series. A bemused David Farrier
plays himself, a journalist producing a TV show about the
unsung heroes of a small Kiwi town; Darby plays a different
character – five blokes and two women in total – in each
episode, with all of them coming together (with Darby as
an obnoxious TV exec) for the finale. Although they are
all deluded losers – a UFO watcher, a dippy artist, a surf
lifeguard – for the most part they are a curiously likeable bunch, and adding
to the fun is a fab line-up of supporting players, including cameos from the
likes of Stephen Merchant, Karl Urban and Sam Neill, plus local comedy
favourites such as David Fane and Josh Thomson. JF
Darby day
Short Poppies
Lady Gaga joins the cast for season five and won an
Emmy for her performance as a seductive, vampire
Countess! While this might sound as crazy as the
events that transpire on AHS, the pop queen is
actually pretty good as the mother monster lurking
at the heart of a gothic Los Angeles hotel that's
filled with the damned souls of those who checked
in, but never checked out. With the exception of
Jessica Lange, all the regular cast – Sarah Paulson,
Lily Rabe, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, etc – are back,
with Denis O'Hare stealing this season as the hotel's transgender
bartender, Liz Taylor. This uncut, 18-rated version restores all the
gore and perversion that was snipped for broadcast, including a now
notorious scene from the first episode. SH
Be afraid of the dark
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL
Release Date: 05/10/16 Format: Release Date: 05/10/16 Format: