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Through the smeared mascara, the skin-picking scars,
and the vague expression on her face as she grappled
with reality under the anchor of heroin, you can still see
the innocence. From the director behind the brilliant doco
Senna, Amy, as the name suggests, charts the tragic
story behind the rise and fall of the exceptionally talented
Amy Winehouse – the best vocalist Britain has delivered
in a generation. Splicing together vintage home video and
first-hand accounts of the players directly involved in the
singer's life, we follow Amy through teenage ambition
to her fruition as an award-winning artist. Amidst the chaos of fame, the
allure of substance abuse, and the misguided influence, it’s apparent
that all Winehouse truly cared for was her music. When this becomes
compromised, the inevitability is heartbreaking. • See page 42
The girl behind the name.
AMY
A guy with Tourette's (Robert
Sheehan), an OCD sufferer (Dev
Patel) and an anorexic (Zoë
Kravitz) escape from a clinic, steal
their doctor's car and embark
on a wacky road trip so the
former can scatter his mother's
ashes in the sea. What sounds
like the premise for a bad taste
Farrelly Brothers-style comedy is
actually a feel-good indie flick that
(naturally) treats its characters'
afflictions with sensitivity to
offset the humour. The trio's
shambolic journey is symbolic of
the road to self-acceptance, and
the young cast are outstanding
in their difficult roles, backed up
by veteran support from Robert
Patrick and Kyra Sedgwick.
THE ROAD WITHIN
Release Date:
14/10/15
Format:
eese
Witherspoon) and a drug lord's wife
(Sofia Vergara) are the mismatched
pair on a road trip to Texas, where
the latter will enter the Witness
Protection Program after testifying
against the cartel. The title gives
away the fact that Vergara's
husband isn't too far behind,
resulting in ample histrionics (and
gender-specific gags) from the girls,
as they fend off redneck locals and
crooked cops. Thelma and Louise
this ain't, but the film gets by on
Witherspoon's cute Southern
charm and Vergara's exotic appeal.
Part buddy movie, part road movie
and all chick flick, Hot Pursuit
delivers three popular genres for
the price of one disc.
HOT PURSUIT
Release Date:
21/10/15
Format:
Release Date: 28/10/15 Format:
The erratic genius and heartbreaking suffering of a musical
iconoclast are brought to life in equally astonishing
performances from John Cusack and Paul Dano, in this
sentimental but quietly courageous biopic. The actors play
older and younger versions of musician Brian Wilson, at two
very different junctures in the Beach Boys’ frontman’s life; in
the mid-‘60s, young Wilson (Dano) finds himself thrust into
international stardom after the release of Pet Sounds (1966),
while a middle-aged Wilson (Cusack) struggles to deal with
his mental illness and depression while in the questionable
care of Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). Wilson’s wife Melinda (Elizabeth
Banks) emerges as the tireless beacon whose love and dedication guide
Wilson away from those who would hurt him for their own gain. A highly
enjoyable, sweet film about the love of music and the power of love.
Life of Brian.
LOVE & MERCY
A couple move into a rambling
old house in rural New England
where they encounter strange
disturbances. But is it the ghost
of their dead son reaching out,
or something more malevolent
that's lurking in the basement?
This terrific haunted house chiller
boasts the same subtle, old school
approach as The Innkeepers and
House of the Devil, gradually
revealing its secrets via sinister
neighbours and a seance, and
culminating in bursts of rewind-
worthy splatter. Echoing the
sinister vibe of It Follows and
starring genre fan faves Barbara
Crampton (Re-Animator) and Larry
Fessenden (You're Next), this is a
must-see for all horror fans.
WE ARE STILL HERE
Release Date:
21/10/15
Format:
Syfy should be commended for
stretching a one-joke premise into
a franchise and offering a career
lifeline to a host of has-been
actors. 'Nado regulars Ian Ziering
and Tara Reid are joined by Bo
Derek and David Hasselhoff in this
loopy third installment that rains
maneaters down on Washington
D.C. and Orlando, Florida. The
joke has worn thin by now, but
there's still fun to be had spotting
the numerous celebrity cameos
including Police Academy's
Michael Winslow, Jerry Springer,
the late Jackie Collins, and even
GoT author George R.R. Martin!
You know what to expect. You
also know to expect Sharknado 4
sometime next year.
SHARKNADO 3:
OH HELL NO!
Release Date:
01/10/15
Format:
Release Date: 28/10/15 Format:
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056 OCTOBER 2015