STACK NZ Magazine November Issue 57

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32 NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi
visit REVIEWS DVD&BD
The last two seasons of True Blood were anaemic when
compared to its transgressive and full-blooded first four
years. Now, with the stake finally being driven into the
show’s heart, former fans who lost interest will still feel
an obligation to see how things ultimately turn out for
the vampires, werewolves, fairies, shapeshifters and
humans of Bon Temps. Did Eric really burn up in the
snow? Have we finally seen the last of Tara? Will Jason
“learn how to not have sex with a woman”? Will Sarah
Newlin get what she deserves? And most importantly,
will Sookie and Bill live happily ever after? As in any final season of a
long-running series, old friends are back to say goodbye, story arcs are
promptly wrapped up, characters die, and there’s a wedding. True Blood
may have outstayed its welcome, but we’re still going to miss Pam.
Fangs for the memories.
TRUE BLOOD: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON
The initial response from the Marvel faithful for this TV
spin-off to the blockbuster movies was initially pretty
negative, and some of the early episodes are closer in
spirit to Relic Hunter than the original source material. But
stick with it: without wanting to give away any spoilers,
the show is fully integrated with the current movies, so
some things had to be kept in reserve until the cracking
final third of the season. This particular unit of S.H.I.E.L.D.
is headed up by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), last seen
being murdered by Loki in The Avengers, but who has
now made a miraculous recovery (how is one of the key subplots). The
main foes for his team of misfits – two geeks, two lethal agents, plus a
renegade computer hacker – is a criminal organisation called Centipede,
which looks to have links with Captain America’s old foes Hydra. All in all,
a promising new addition to the Marvel universe.
The Marvel universe gets a lot more complicated
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
The latest adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s much-filmed
novel is cut from the same cloth as BBC’s reboot of
Robin Hood: while loosely following the source material,
the plotlines are very 21st Century – D’Artagnan (Luke
Pasqualino) looks more like a boy band member than a
naïve wannabe musketeer. Still, he and his brothers in
arms, Athos (Tom Burke), Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) and
Porthos (Howard Charles – who in another break with
tradition is of African descent) make for suitably dashing
heroes as they battle the machinations of Cardinal
Richelieu, played with menacing relish by the new Doctor Who, Peter
Capaldi. Whether Capaldi will be back for a second series remains to be
seen, given his newTime Lord role, but most of cast are already onboard,
so expect to see more of these new Musketeers.
All for one and one for all
THE MUSKETEERS
Although his spying exploits were not really in the
same league as 007’s, Ian Fleming still packed a fair
bit of adventure into his life and it’s his exploits during
World War II that forms the basis of this lavish four-part
mini-series. As portrayed by Dominic Cooper, Fleming
was the lazy black sheep of an aristocratic family who
finds his calling in life when he’s recruited into naval
intelligence on the eve of the war with Nazi Germany.
The series’ other main story strand follows his on/off
relationship with his future wife (Lara Pulver), who is not
only married but also the mistress of a powerful media magnate. While
the latter storyline drags a little, Bond fans will have fun spotting the
references to his future fictional creation, from the prototypes of M and
Moneypenny to his rather callous treatment of the women in his life.
The name’s Fleming… Ian Fleming
FLEMING: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE BOND
Format: Release Date:12/11/14
Format: Release Date: 26/11/14
Format: Release Date:05/11/14
Format: Release Date: 26/11/14
TV