STACK July 2016 Issue 141

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REVIEWS DVD&BD
DVD&BD
zploitation continues to enjoy a welcome resurgence,
nd this new feature from Colin and Cameron Cairnes
00 Bloody Acres) should be at the top of every horror
an's must-see list. When a group of masked mavericks
p the ante in terms of gruesome online prank videos,
opular hidden camera TV series 'Scare Campaign' must
lso lift its game if its going to compete – and survive.
hooting in an abandoned asylum, the show's latest
nsuspecting stooge is about to get the fright of his
fe. But what if he doesn't take it well? Winner of Best
Film and Screenplay at last year's Monster Fest, this clever thriller is a
masterclass in misdirection that pranks and scares its audience with the
same twisted relish, and gets the most from its spooky location. Look
out, too, for Sigrid Thornton in an amusing cameo. SH (See page 32)
Be careful who you prank.
SCARE CAMPAIGN
John Cusack and Adrien Brody
may not be the first guys you
expect to see slashing it up in a
Chinese-made, steel-slinging epic
starring Jackie Chan, but they’ve
got their swords, they’ve got their
sandals, and they’re well up for a
fight! Led by the dodgy Tiberius
(Brody), the Romans have invaded,
aiming to wrest control of the Silk
Road. Some Roman soldiers, led
by General Lucius (Cusack), aren’t
onboard with their corrupt leader
though, defecting and ultimately
joining Huo An (Chan) and his
band of merry warriors to keep
things balanced. It all culminates
in an incredible Jackie Chan-
directed battle of, naturally, epic
proportions. AF
dragon blade
Release Date:
20/07/16
Format:
With Virtual Reality finally
starting to catch up with our
great expectations, it’s become
the buzziest tech must-have.
Naturally, super-dedicated gamers
are champing at the bit to get
involved, so when a cutting edge
VR game puts out the call up for
testers, its devs aren’t short of
takers. However, this immersive
first-person shooter is so immersive
that, well, players get shot at for
real – with real bullets and real
possible death. Maybe they should
have heeded The Clash? The Call
Up is a classic, lowish budget bit
of techno-terror reminiscent of The
Raid – just without all the groovy
martial arts ballet. It’s all still sci-fi at
the moment, but for how long? AF
THE CALL UP
Release Date:
29/06/16
Format:
Release Date: 06/07/16 Format:
m Cleopatra to Stargate, ancient Egypt has
g been a source of inspiration for filmmakers.
pantheon of gods and their battle to control the
avens and earth is the focus of this big budget
tasy epic from director Alex Proyas (I, Robot), who
leashes a maelstrom of CGI with the fervour of
chael Bay on a Transformers set. Game of Thrones'
olaj Coster-Waldau and Gerard Butler play warring
ities Horus and Set, respectively, while Aussie
Brenton Thwaites is the boy hero who wants to
rescue his girlfriend from the afterlife. Striving to match the Marvel
blockbusters of today, but instead resembling 1987’s Masters of the
Universe, Gods of Egypt might be the year's biggest guilty pleasure –
as long as you're tuned into its pyramid-sized streak of insanity. SH
By the gods!
GODS OF EGYPT
You’re a Vegas cop (Nicolas
Cage). Your pay is lousy and
you’re bored. But while trudging
through your routine work, you
spot a suspect bail receipt.
You wonder why somebody
paid so much to secure the
freedom of an apparent low-rung
footsoldier and you do some
digging, letting your partner
(Elijah Wood) in on the potential
score. You subsequently plan a
heist – one that starts turning
to crap from the very get-go...
A darkly comedic crime thriller
from music vid directors Alex
and Benjamin Brewer, The Trust
sees Nic Cage hitting deliciously
bonkers heights – you may try,
but you just can’t look away! AF
THE TRUST
elease Date:
1/07/16
ormat:
It’s 2041, and robotic technology
has progressed in leaps and
bounds. An expert in the field, Alex
Garel (Daniel Brühl) is summoned
to his hometown to work on a new
project, a realistic robot child. But
he has ghosts there – in particular
his former lover Lana (Marta Etura),
who’s now his brother’s wife.
Searching for a muse for his project,
Alex happens upon lively 10-year-
old Eva, who he soon discovers is
his niece. The two quickly strike
up a friendship, but big secrets are
being kept from Alex. An incredibly
human experience considering
its subject matter, this Spanish
sci-fi drama is sweet, moving and
thought-provoking. Plus there’s a
cool robo-cat! AF
EVA
Release Date:
13/07/16
Format:
Release Date: 29/06/16 Format: