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REVIEWS
DVD
&
BD
DVD&BD
When Patrick Stewart is playing the villain, and
reportedly had to put the script down whilst reading
due to its nasty content, you know you need to see
this. A punk band called The Ain't Rights discover
something ain't quite right when they take an
impromptu gig at a seedy Oregon dive. A neo-Nazi
crowd and the discovery of a corpse lead to a terrifying
game of cat and mouse between the band and the
venue's ruthless owner (Stewart) and his goons. Writer-
director Jeremy Saulnier follows his acclaimed 2013
indie film
Blue Ruin
with this nail-biting and brutal horrror-thriller, which
is liberally peppered with black humour and graphic violence. It's also
one of the last screen appearances of late star Anton Yelchin, who
plays a bassist with a taste for retribution. Highly recommended.
SH
Punk is dead
GREEN ROOM
Release Date:
17/08/16
Format:
When high-tech surveillance uncovers an Al-Shabaab
terrorist cell prepping suicide vests in a Nairobi
safe house, the opportunity to eliminate them with
a missile strike must be taken. But a young girl
selling bread in the vicinity creates a moral dilemma
for supervising British Colonel Katherine Powell
(a steely Helen Mirren) and US drone pilot Steve
Watts (Aaron Paul) – can one civilian casualty be
justified in order to prevent even greater loss of life?
Gavin Hood's topical and gripping thriller reveals the
political wrangling involved in sanctioning a drone strike (collateral
damage assessments and second guessing), and more pertinently,
the agonising decisions facing those who fight the War on Terror by
remote control. Highly recommended.
SH
Mirren's moral minefield
EYE IN THE SKY
Release Date:
10/08/16
Format:
In 17th century New England, a Puritan family are
banished from their village to a remote farm on the
edge of an ominous looking forest. Isolation is the
least of their concerns when their newborn baby is
mysteriously snatched, corn crops rot, goat's milk
turns bloody, and suspicion of witchcraft falls upon
the oldest daughter. An authentic and nightmarish
descent into the olde worlde, complete with archaic
language and meticulous attention to period detail,
The Witch
is a slow burner that doesn't depend on
cheap scares to raise hackles. A palpable sense of dread radiates
from every frame – even a rabbit can appear sinister. This disturbing
look at religious fervour and the gradual disintegration of a family is
an early contender for the year's best horror film
.
SH
A New England folk tale
THE WITCH
Release Date:
10/08/16
Format:
Of all Batman’s nemeses, The Joker ranks as
numero uno. In the animated world, Mark Hamill
(yes, Luke Skywalker) has been The Joker voice of
choice, and he’s at his manic best in this take on
the celebrated 1988
Batman
graphic novel from
Alan Moore and illustrator Brian Bolland. Adhering
closely to the source in both story and look,
The
Killing Joke
sees Batman’s arch enemy kidnapping
Commissioner Gordon, aiming to prove that it just
takes one really crappy day to induce madness.
Batman’s on the case, of course, but there’s a bigger picture,
wherein The Joker challenges Batman’s very view of what he
is and does. This is gripping and violent stuff, whether you’ve
experienced the comic or not.
AF
Who will have the last laugh?
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE
Release Date:
03/08/16
Format: