STACK Nov #133

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e last seven years in the company of Don Draper,
ggy Olsen, Pete Campbell, Roger Sterling, Joan Harris
al has been a colourful and engaging ride through the
0s and '70s and ad agency politics, viewed through a
nstant haze of cigarette smoke. More importantly, it
as the journey of the philandering Don (Emmy-winner
n Hamm) – a downward spiral of broken hearts and
arriages and dissatisfaction – that held us captivated. In
ese final seven episodes he embarks on a road trip to find
himself, but will his destiny echo the falling man of the title
sequence, or will he finally find some kind of redemption and contentment?
Matthew Weiner's outstanding retro series wraps up in fine style, with
satisfying yet ambiguous closure for its major players and a sense that it's
not about endings but rather new beginnings. • See page 34
The end of an era.
MAD MEN: SEASON 7, PART 2
A diseased chicken nugget
unleashes a zombie virus in
an elementary school where
aspiring horror novelist Elijah
Wood has taken up a substitute
teaching position. With the
students craving human flesh
and the faculty under siege,
the scene is set for a hoot of
a zom-com that confirms that
children can indeed be little
monsters. The script by Leigh
Whannell (Insidious, Saw) and
Ian Brennan (Glee), who also
star, adds a ridiculous new
twist to a ubiquitous genre
as well as a slew of old jokes
that still work. The opening
sequence alone is guaranteed
to turn your stomach.
COOTIES
elease Date:
8/11/15
rmat:
Beneath a comic veneer of talking
pets and awkward workplace
romances lurks a dark tale of
madness and murder. Ryan
Reynolds is terrific as a dorky
worker at a bathtub factory
who suffers from mental illness
and inner voices – the latter
externalised by his dog and cat,
and later the severed heads in
his fridge when he inadvertently
becomes a serial killer. Reynolds
is supported by a quality cast
including Jacki Weaver as his
therapist, and Gemma Arterton
and Anna Kendrick as his
co-workers and love interests.
Striking an even balance between
the humour and horror, this kooky
gem is destined for cult status.
THE VOICES
Release Date:
04/11/15
Format:
Release Date: 05/11/15 Format:
This new crime series, set in LA during the late '60s,
introduces David Duchovny’s latest TV incarnation – Sam
Hodiak, a brilliant, instinctive detective who doesn't play
by the rules. The villain is a real life one: Charles Manson
(Gethin Anthony), who has yet to graduate to mass murder
but is busy assembling a devoted cult of followers on an
isolated ranch outside the city. He comes into Hodiak’s orbit
when the detective is asked by an old flame to find her
missing teenage daughter, who has fallen under Manson's
spell; the latter also turns out to have a mysterious hold
over her politician father. An appealingly gritty crime drama that conjures a
stylish evocation of an era when the hippie dream began to sour, Aquarius
also tackles issues such as the rise of the Black Panthers and hate crimes.
Let’s hope the second season continues the high standards set here.
Helter skelter.
AQUARIUS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Libby Day (Charlize Theron) was the
only survivor of the "Kansas Prairie
Massacre" 28 years ago, which
claimed the lives of her mother
and two sisters and saw her
brother (Corey Stoll) convicted for
the murders. Convinced the truth
surrounding the massacre is still
out there, she enlists the help of
the "Kill Club" – a bunch of ex-cops,
PIs and amateur sleuths – to solve
the case. Based on the novel by
Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn, this dark
whodunit offers numerous twists
and turns, an occult angle that
gives it a True Detective vibe, and
a great cast including Theron's Fury
Road co-star Nicholas Hoult, Chlöe
Grace Moretz and Mad Men's
Christina Hendricks.
DARK PLACES
Release Date:
04/11/15
Format:
They might be 18 years old
now but the South Park gang
have never grown up, and
that includes creators Trey
Parker and Matt Stone, whose
perceptive and merciless
skewering of pop cultural,
social and political issues
remains as sharp and hilarious
as ever. The latest season's
ten episodes target everything
from the NFL and video
gaming to drones, holograms
and gluten. Highlights include
Cartman's transition to
"transginger", Timmy's ride-
sharing business, and the
revelation that singer Lorde is
actually Stan's dad (complete
with a catchy song by Sia).
SOUTH PARK:
SEASON 18
Release Date:
12/11/15
Format:
Release Date: OUT NOW Format:
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054 NOVEMBER 2015