STACK April 2016 Issue 138

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MAY 18: THE REVENANT
WINNER OF 3 OSCARS: BEST ACTOR,
BEST DIRECTING, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Leonardo's Oscar triumph is certain to be a sumptuous High-
Def experience with its Oscar-winning Cinematography – the
third Academy Award for DOP Emmanuel Lubezki, a longtime
collaborator with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who also picked
up his second gold statuette in as many years.
D rones have become
ubiquitous these days, and
chances are if you like
tech, you’ve probably thought about
owning one. Why, you might ask?
Well, beyond the hard to control el
cheapo Christmas present that you
ended up losing over the fence on
Boxing Day, there are a number of
applications for which a drone
proves invaluable.
The first of course is pleasure,
and the excitement of launching
a drone skyward and sending it
just about anywhere you want
to. Photographers are finding
that learning how to fly a drone
is giving them the edge over the
competition in being able to shoot
weddings from above, or providing
prospective house sellers with an
aerial shot of their property. And at
the higher end, while these tend to
be purpose-built units, drone racing
is growing in popularity.
Prices differ depending on what
you want to use it for, but if you’re
fascinated with drones and are
looking to get into the market,
or indeed upgrading, JB Hi-Fi are
running an extensive drone sale in
April. You can pick up a Bebop 2
with flight controller for $1299, a
Xiro Xplorer with GoPro Gimball and
backpack for $1199, or the Drone
Delta – also complete with GoPro
Gimball – for just $799.
FLIGHT
CONTROL
OSCAR WINNERS
GET A MAY DATE
T he 88th Annual
Academy Awards were
preceded by much hype,
over Leonardo DiCaprio's fourth
Best Actor nomination, this time
for The Revenant. However, in
the long term this year's Oscars
will be remembered for the
#OscarsSoWhite backlash.
Though Will Smith may have felt
jilted over Concussion, it's the
omission of Ryan Coogler for
Best Director, and Michael B.
Jordan for Best Actor in Creed
that is most glaring.
Remarkably, host Chris Rock
was the right man at the right
time to deliver a withering and
furiously funny summary on the
state of events – on the night
of nights itself. "Man, I counted
at least 15 black people on that
monitor. I’m here at the Academy
Awards, otherwise known as the
White People’s Choice Awards."
And no subject was taboo:
"This year, in the In Memoriam
package, it’s just going to be
black people that were shot by
the cops on their way to the
movies," Rock ranted.
All this has not gone unnoticed
by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, the
organisation behind the Oscars.
Its board of governors are keen
to be seen doing something
and have committed to doubling
the number of women and
minorities in the Academy by
2020. Taken alone this pledge
may sound impressive, but
when the LA Times reports that
black Americans account for
only 2 per cent of the Academy,
doubling the number is still not a
significant representation of an
organisation that on current count
is 94 per cent white, as well as
77 per cent male.
That being said, the nominated
films didn't shy away from
some powerful and provocative
subjects, notably Best Picture
winner Spotlight and its exposé on
the Catholic church; The Danish
Girl with its transgender theme;
and Room, in which Best Actress
winner Brie Larson readjusts to
life following years in captivity.
Spotlight
Xiro Xplorer
Drone Delta with Go Pro Gimbal
Bebop 2
visit EXTRAS NEWS
10 APRIL 2016
EXTRAS
MAY 4: SPOTLIGHT
WINNER OF 2 OSCARS: BEST
MOTION PICTURE OFTHEYEAR,
BESTWRITING, ORIGINAL
SCREENPLAY
The true story of the groundbreaking Boston
Globe investigation into the Catholic church, with
reverberations still being felt the world over.
MAY 26: THE DANISH GIRL
WINNER FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Based on actual events, The Danish Girl is a love story which
happens to involve one of the first cases of gender reassignment
surgery. Alicia Vikander picked up the Best Supporting
Actress award for her performance as the wife of
transgender trailblazer Eddie Redmayne.
MAY 25: THE HATEFUL EIGHT
WINNER FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Quentin Tarantino's eighth movie is his best
(and bloodiest) film since Kill Bill. Vol. 1, and his
inspired decision to engage legendary composer
Ennio Morricone has paid off, with the maestro
receiving his first Oscar for Original Score.
JUNE 1: ROOM
WINNER FOR BEST
ACTRESS
Slipping in on the 1st of June
is Room, which features Best
Actress Brie Larson in a harrowing
performance as a mother trying to
bring up a young child while isolated
from the rest of the world.
OUT NOW: Other Oscar winners you can check out on DVD
and Blu-ray right now include Bridge of Spies, which features
Best Supporting Actor winner Mark Rylance; Inside Out , winner
for Best Animated Feature Film; and the chilling sci-fi thriller
Ex Machina , which won Best Visual Effects. And of course,
don't forget the triumph of local hero George Miller's Mad Max:
Fury Road, which received a record-breaking swag of six Oscars
including Film Editing, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling,
Sound Mixing, Sound Editing and Production Design.