STACK July 2016 Issue 141

nough testosterone, it’s time another female ruled

he super roost – and, while a certain Amazonian may

rotest, you don’t get more super than a girl from

rypton. She’s Superman’s older cousin, but thanks

o a 24-year layover in the Phantom Zone she appears

ounger. She’s Kara Zoe-El (or ‘Supergirl’ if you prefer),

nd if you’re thinking she’s any less powerful than big/

ttle cuz, you’d be mistaken. Kara hid her abilities for

ears, until a day came when Supes was powerless

and she had to step up. Discovering that Earth is

teeming with expat Kryptonian crims, she realised that it’s good to be

super. Golden-haired

Glee

refugee Melissa Benoist stars as the Chick

of Steel in this ace and actiontastic companion to the many other DC

Comics superhero super-series.

Woman of steel.

SUPERGIRL:

SEASON 1

Clone club's exploits were

becoming as impenetrable as the

human genome last year, with

the convergence of the Leda

and Castor subplots.

Orphan

Black

has hit the reset button for

season four, returning to the very

beginning to reveal what Beth was

investigating prior to her death and

Sarah's introduction. This revelation

drives the rest of the episodes,

with Neolution back pulling the

strings and sinister designer baby

clinic Brightborn taking gene

therapy to the next level. There's

maggot-like bio-implants, comic

relief involving Alison and the

fallout from her drug dealing, and

lots of Tatiana Maslany. A much

needed rebooting.

ORPHAN BLACK:

SERIES FOUR

Release Date:

27/07/16

Format:

From book to movie and now to

TV, John Marsden’s tale for young

adults is as popular as ever.

This six-part series allows more

breathing space than the 2010

movie adaptation, as the exploits

of a group of friends who return

from a camping trip to discover

that they’ve been thrust into the

clutches of war plays out. Yes,

the unthinkable has happened

and Australia has been invaded,

and the population imprisoned.

Well, most of it. As some of the

only free Aussies left, our group

has the monumental task of

helping to fight a hostile army.

Fans of the book – and there are

oodles of them – will love this

slick new adaptation.

TOMORROW, WHEN

THE WAR BEGAN

Release Date:

OUT NOW

Format:

Release Date:

27/07/16

Format:

is initials are FU, and Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey)

n’t giving up his presidency without dishing out

everal of them this season. He hits the campaign trail

ngling for re-election, but Frank isn’t just contending

ith frontrunner Republican nominee Will Conway (Joel

innaman) – a younger, more family-oriented and social

edia-savvy opponent. He and wife Claire (Robin Wright)

re also at loggerheads. She has her own ambitions,

nd is just as good at getting down in the muck as he is,

nd she knows his pressure points better than anybody.

Could Claire be looking to topple her hubby with an ultimate CU?

Wright really shines this season, taking it up to Spacey in the entrancing

stakes. Beyond the politics, the draw to

House of Cards

is the use (and

abuse) of power – and this season never lets up.

Power couple.

HOUSE OF CARDS:

SEASON 4

Created by Stephen Levinson,

Ballers

essentially does for

America’s NFL what

Entourage

did for Hollywood – which isn’t

hugely surprising considering

Levinson executive produced 83

episodes of that show. The lead

player here is Dwayne Johnson,

going from ‘Rock’ to jock as

retired football champ Spencer

Strasmore. Rather than opening

a pub like many ex-footballers

(or is that just an Aussie thing?),

he dives into the pool of sports

financial management. Eschewing

actual big game action,

Ballers

is all about the off-field lives of

the on-field heroes and, just like

Entourage

, it’s a blast. Plus big lug

Johnson is as likeable as ever.

BALLERS:

SEASON 1

elease Date:

UT NOW

ormat:

In these days of vapid auto-tuned

chart nonsense, it’s understandable

to crave some sex and drugs and

rock ’n’ roll.

Vinyl

, boasting Marty

Scorsese and an expert on the

subject, Mick Jagger, as creators,

is set in early 1970s New York,

back when record companies

were king. Richie Finestra (Bobby

Cannavale) is the head honcho of

fictitious label American Century,

which has hit hard times. On the

lookout for a saviour, Richie spots

raw punks Nasty Bits (featuring

Jagger’s son James as lead oik).

This relationship plays out amongst

marital issues, collisions with real

life (an Alice Cooper subplot rocks),

murder and – duh – sex, drugs and

rock ‘n’ roll. Give

Vinyl

a spin.

VINYL:

SEASON 1

Release Date:

OUT NOW

Format:

Release Date:

07/07/16

Format:

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JULY

2016

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