STACK NZ Jul #64

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espite being a lavish, big budget fantasy adventure
ith lots of CGI monsters and A-list actors, Seventh Son
n't exactly The Lord of the Rings. But if you enjoyed
e Clash of the Titans remake, you'll find plenty to like
ere. One of the highlights is Jeff Bridges' bonkers
erformance as witch hunter (or "spook") Master
regory – imagine the bastard child of The Dude and
andalf and you'll understand where he's coming from.
regory loses his young apprentice (GoT's Kit Harington)
early on, and his new recruit must be a seventh son
(enter Ben Barnes). Together they take on the witch queen Mother
Malkin (a strangely subdued Julianne Moore) and her minions, who can
shapeshift into dragons in the blink of an eye. Seventh Son is big on
spectacular FX, light on plot. Just sit back and enjoy the eye candy.
When darkness falls, the son will rise
SEVENTH SON
Release Date: 08/07/15 Format:
ormer Neighbours regular Margot Robbie has
uddenly become of one Australia's hottest exports
o Hollywood. Having memorably upstaged Leonardo
iCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie now teams
p with Will Smith in the most enjoyable con-artist
aper to come along since American Hustle. Smith
a master trickster who mentors the rookie Robbie
the art of the con, using the magician's trick of
iverting the mark's focus away from the fact that
they're pocketing his expensive watch. But he quickly
discovers he may have met his match. This is a terrific showcase for
the gorgeous Robbie and a solid comeback vehicle for Smith; their
onscreen chemistry is worth a dozen rom-coms. Heist thrillers are
rarely as slick and focused as Focus.
The con is on
FOCUS
Release Date: 01/07/15 Format:
me is supposedly where the heart is, and this
imated adventure has lots of it. A colourful and
wardly alien invader named Oh arrives on Earth,
friends a lonely young girl, and learns what it
eans to be human. But before you can say "phone
me", remember that this is an invasion, albeit
benevolent one, where the occupation of our
anet involves shipping the current inhabitants off
an Australian fun park. There's also the threat
of the Gorg looming, who are in pursuit of Oh and
have more destructive tendencies. Popsters Rhianna and are
amongst the cast contributing vocal work, and with Oh voiced
by the unmistakable Jim Parsons, you could shut your eyes and
imagine you're watching a bizarro episode of The Big Bang Theory.
There's no place like it!
HOME
Release Date: 08/07/15 Format:
e Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a surprise smash
t in 2011, and proved that the grey market was an
tapped source of box office revenue. No surprise
en that this sequel exists, and the premise of a
io of Britain's finest veteran actors – Maggie Smith,
ill Nighy, Judi Dench – retiring to India is a winner
ce again. This time around the elderly ensemble
d themselves assimilated into the hustle and
stle of Jaipur, with Smith co-managing the hotel,
Nighy working as a tour guide, and Dench as a fabric
merchant – so much for a quiet retirement. Throw in Richard Gere as
a possible hotel inspector (hello Fawlty Towers) and a couple of big
Bollywood production numbers, and all boxes are sufficiently ticked.
A charming follow-up that's second best in name only.
British India
THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
Release Date: 22/07/15 Format:
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