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ISSUE 75 JUL '16

INSIDE: E3 • BLINK-182 • 4K BLU-RAY

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NEWS EXTRAS

MAN OVERBOARD

Issue 75 JULY 2016

EXTRAS

• Jon Toogood is looking forward to the new Shihad album; Shailene Woodley talks Allegiant . Pg 4 • Kiwi star Karl Urban on Star Trek Beyond . Pg 5 • Jack Black in Kung Panda 3 ; Broods' Caleb Knott. Pg 6 • Competition, quiz, STACK Social. Pg 8

TECH Gaming Assessories: The latest headsets and keyboards. Pg 9 FEATURES

Good Charlotte

Blu-ray: An in-depth look at the hottest new BD releases, plus your guide to 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray. Pg 10-12 DVD/Blu-ray Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice: Director Zach Snyder and star Ben Affleck on the clash of the DC titans. Pg 14-15 GAMES E3: All the news from the annual video games convention in Los Angeles. Pg 16-19 MUSIC Good Charlotte: Benji Madden tells us how his mentoring helped shape the new album. Pg 20 Jeff Lynne: Graham Reid considers the remarkable career of the ELO founder. Pg 22

Travis Barker explains how Blink-182 have put the departure of frontmanTom DeLonge behind them. Words: Zoë Radas

T here was a time there, back in early 2015, when every other day you heard another sour story about Blink-182; the iconoclastic pop-punk trio were apparently in-fighting, and their position as perennial bros was suddenly shaky and confused. “It wasn’t like anyone was Twittering, ‘so- and-so sucks,’” drummer Travis Barker tells us. “It was just trying to explain to the fans what was going on.” What was going on was that vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge had left the group, and the reasons were murky even to his former bandmates. “It was hard, but everything happened for a reason,” Barker explains. “At that time when Tom took his hiatus from the band, I honestly think he needed a break and he really wanted to pursue other things. I’m friendly with Tom; I respect Tom and any decisions of his – but all we did is, we continued on. "We had a couple of shows booked. We followed through with them. We kept our commitment and then decided to experiment

with getting in the studio and that’s how California came about.”

Those shows Barker is describing featured the talents of Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, who agreed to fill in for DeLonge. “I was surprised how great he sounded singing Tom’s parts,” Barker says. “He has kind of the same register as far as his voice, and he just killed those parts. It was really great.” When the chemistry kept rolling, Barker and third bandmember Mark Hoppus asked Skiba to join them in songwriting, and the return to Blink form – which Barker says had been hampered by DeLonge’s interest in Coldplay and U2, bands he insists he is not “dogging out”, but which nonetheless are a definite shift away from the Blink style – resulted in 30 tracks spilling into the studio, from which the group picked the best 14. “We play fast, melodic, energetic music,”

EXTRAS

REVIEWS

DVD/Blu-ray Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice , Kung Fu Panda 3 , Supergirl: Season 1 , Gods Of Egypt , 10 Cloverfield Lane , My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and more

Pg 23-26 MUSIC Peter Garrett, Bat For Lashes, Van Morrison, Descendents, Jeff Beck, Fleetwood Mac. Pg 28-30

Kung Fu Panda 3

Barker says.”It was kind of easy to just do what we naturally do on this album.”

California by Blink-182 is out now.

RATINGS GUIDE

LET THE 4K BLU-RAY REVOLUTION BEGIN! Panasonic has just released New Zealand’s 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray player, backed with a special bundling offer from JB Hi-Fi. The UB900 is priced $1199.99 and if you buy it at JB Hi-Fi, you will get two free 4K Blu-ray titles of your choice to kickstart your new High Def library. To learn more about 4K Blu-ray, see pages 12-13.

All information believed correct at time of printing. All images used for promotional purposes only. Copyright of respective owners is acknowledged. © 2016 Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher.

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EXTRAS NEWS

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TOOGOOD FIRED UP FOR NEW SHIHAD LP

T he iconic Kiwi rockers are currently on tour in Australia, but Jon Toogood is already looking ahead to what will be Shihad’s tenth studio album. Toogood told STACK that he was about to start writing songs for the new record with bassist Karl Kippenberger and indicates that there will once again be a political edge to the material. “All the things we touched on on the last album FVEY - inequality, injustice, greed, materialism - seem to be even more pronounced now than when that album was released,” he says “So I reckon the next Shihad album could be even more intense than the last one!” However, there might be some surprises musically. ”As far as what’s inspiring me at the moment, I’ve been working with musicians from Sudan recently who play this amazing mix of Middle Eastern melodies and these awesome North African rhythms. It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before yet I can’t not move my ass to it. It’s just so good!” Toogood is also pleased that some of the band's earlier albums are now getting a vinyl reissue. In April, Shihad’s self-titled 1996 breakthrough – often referred to as ‘The Fish The Shihad frontman is working on an " intense" followup to their last album.

A lthough Hollywood’s habit of splitting the final book in a YA trilogy into two movies hasn’t always worked, Divergent star Shailene Woodley believes fans of the books will enjoy the fact that the third film in the series, Allegiant , takes the source material in a new direction. “This movie is similar to the book but also has a completely novel storyline in many ways,” says Woodley. “There are a lot of things in the film that Veronica Roth created, and then there are a lot of things created by the director and other people involved in the movie. I think this movie is bolder because the characters encounter a world they’ve never experienced before, and that means the audience will also get to experience this world for the first time.” Unlike the previous films, Allegiant also finds Tris (Woodley) and boyfriend Four (Theo James) at odds for much of the movie after falling out over the purpose of a mysterious new facility they discover when they escape Chicago. “Unlike many YA films, their partnership isn't built on the singular foundation of physical attraction,” Woodley says of the film’s central love story. “It’s a very real union that can at times be messy and vulnerable, and at other times be strong and powerful. They never lack passion. I feel Allegiant does a great job of illustrating their ups and downs.” Adam Colby Allegiant is reviewed on page 25 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANT'S

Album’ – was released for the first time as a deluxe 2LP set and the singer admits he is “a complete vinyl nerd”. “That’s how I fell in love with music when I was like two or three years old,” he continues. “I used to watch my parents' albums go round and round on their turntable and just be mystified by the fact that this sound was coming off this bit of black vinyl, through a needle, down a tone arm and then out through these speakers – it was watching a magic trick! And I still get that tingle when I listen to a record. “So yeah, we take great care when it comes to releasing anything on vinyl. To me it’s like the ultimate package. When you master it right it sounds better than any other format, and visually, it’s by far the biggest and best format for getting the artwork right. When you do, it can be stunning – and completely irresistible to a vinyl junkie like me!" Zoë Radas

EXTRAS

“The first time I saw Mavis Staples, it had been raining all day in New York City,” recalls director Jessica Edwards, whose acclaimed documentary Mavis! is released this month. “She was scheduled to perform that evening at an outdoor concert in Brooklyn, and I wondered if the show would be cancelled. But the rain cleared just before show time, and I sat on a soggy picnic blanket with friends and watched as this amazing woman and her band came on stage. Her voice reverberated through the trees as she sang, testified, preached, moaned, wailed and gave everything she had. When I got home that night, I wanted to know everything I could about Mavis and her family.” Mavis! traces the fascinating story of the R&B legend, from her early gospel days with her father Pops’ group the Staple Singers, their successful switch to soul in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and her triumphant recent collaborations with the likes of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. The documentary is stacked with a wealth of archival material, but Edwards was keen for it not to be just a ‘historical' portrait of the singer. “Mavis’s story isn’t about the past, it’s happening now. The fact that she is 75 years old and is still a vital and important artist, and not just out there performing as an oldies act, informed the way we made the film.” Mavis! is out on DVD and Blu-ray on July 14. SHE'LL TAKE YOU THERE

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NEWS EXTRAS

STAR TREK BOLDLY GOING BEYOND Coinciding with this year’s 50th anniversary of Star Trek, New Zealand star Karl Urban reprises his role as Bones for a third time in Star Trek Beyond . Words Gill Pringle

EXTRAS

working at its best... I think that connects a lot of people.” Urban believes he has a better understanding of Bones than when he debuted the character seven years earlier. “I have a lot more similarities to his life now.

sort of understanding of those elements and what it's like, and as a result you get a much more well-rounded character." The Kiwi actor reunites with Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto for this latest Starship Enterprise voyage, and with close friend and cast-mate Simon Pegg [Scotty] now on board as a co-writer, expect lots more of Bones in Star Trek Beyond .

U rban, 44, has long been a fan of the sometimes cheesy cult series. “I watched it on TV as a kid with my dad and I always loved those characters and seeing how they all overcame their differences to work together and achieve success in any given situation," he says. "Star Trek, to me, has always been a cult of personality over science fiction. “Beyond that, I always responded to Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic vision of the future. We have so many dystopian versions of that, so to see a version of humanity that has moved beyond internal conflict and is now united and out there in search of knowledge and exploration, and

When we first meet Bones he’s just been through a horrendous divorce

and is turning to his last option, which is to go out into space and, in doing so, he becomes part of

“I think that was directly in response to the fans wanting to see more of Bones," he notes.

this new family,” says the father of two, who separated from make-up artist Natalie Wihongi two years ago. “So now, in my life, I have some

Star Trek Beyond is in cinemas July 21.

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Cranston), with whom he rediscovers the panda way of life. A self-confessed fan of Breaking Bad , Black admits the casting of Cranston was a big deal. “I met him at a charity poker game a few years ago and obviously I worship the ground he walks on,” he enthuses. “The original idea for the character was very different from what he ended up doing with it. He was going to be a quiet, noble and stern father figure. But after Bryan played with it for a while, it became apparent that his character was going to be like Po. In a way, he’s a bigger child than Po.” As a parent himself, Black notes that the film’s theme of fatherhood is one that resonates strongly with him. For him it’s all about being there for the kids when they need you. “Also it’s just about enjoying your kids and appreciating their gifts and their sense

FAMILY GUY Jack Black talks fatherhood and the bear necessities of Kung Fu Panda 3 . Words: Elaine Lipworth J ack Black attributes the enduring popularity of panda warrior Po to his innocence and naïveté. “He can seem a little dim!”he laughs. wisdom there too. He’s bumbling and clumsy, but he is also a magical creature, so he’s got that yin and yang about him.” Kung Fu Panda 3 reunites the “He’s not the brightest bulb in the hardware store, but people identify with his emotional purity, that love of kung fu and the kindness at the core of his being; there’s a profound legendary Dragon Warrior with his long lost father, Li (voiced by Bryan

of humour. I get tons of satisfaction just watching them play. And I love to play with the boys, I love to jump in the pool, and do Lego with them. I even play some video games.” Visit www.stack.net.nz for the full interview. Kung Fu Panda 3 is out on DVD and Blu-ray on July 6.

EXTRAS

Kiwi chart-toppers Broods return with their sophomore set Conscious . IN THE MOOD FOR BROODS

N ot all siblings can boast the kind of gifted alliance shared by New Zealanders Georgia and Caleb Nott. Lead vocalist Georgia and her multi- instrumentalist brother Caleb have been performing together ever since they were tackers, and have turned that creative partnership into the internationally-praised musical duo Broods. The new album Conscious follows the #1-charting debut Evergreen (2014), and its title is as deliberate as can be. “I guess with the first album, we just made an album because we needed to make an album; we needed to put some songs together,” the softly-spoken Caleb explains to STACK . “But this one’s been a longer process. A lot more thought has gone into it. Both Georgia and I have developed as songwriters, and my production side is a lot better… I should say, I’ve got one now! So I think it’s a little bit more true to us, maybe.” It’s true the production side of things has seen a metamorphosis, with Caleb looking

to Conscious ’ producer Joel Little – best known for his work with Lorde – to expand his knowledge. “He’s one of the closest buddies we’ve got, especially over here,” Caleb says of Little, and LA. “I’ve known him since I was 20, and he’s been working with Georgia since she was about 16 or 17.” Caleb admits extra motivation also came from one of the many artists with whom Little has collaborated – Ellie Goulding – who recently provided a new arena in which Broods could test-run some of Conscious ’s material live. “We trialled a few on the last run in the States and stuff,” Caleb says of Broods’ support slot on Goulding’s Delirium tour. “It’s cool when you get a great response, so that was awesome. It was good to watch [Goulding], watch her band and take notes, and put them back into your own performance.” Zoë Radas

Conscious by Broods is out now

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*Limited timeoffer.CallofDutyPointsandBlackMarketareavailableonnext-genplatformsonly, includingPS4™andXboxOne.Formoredetails visitwww.callofduty.com/blackops3/features.CallofDutyPointsare foruse in theCallofDuty:BlackOps III BlackMarketandDr.Monty’sFactory.CP cannotbeused topurchaseSeasonPassorDLCpacks.CallofDuty:BlackOps IIIgame required touse this content, sold separately. Internet connection required.

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EXTRAS SOCIAL / COMPETITIONS / QUIZ

competitions TURTLE BEACH GAMING HEADSET GIVEAWAY Here’s your chance to take home this fine multiplatform gaming headset from Turtle Beach – The Ear Force ® PX24. Thanks to Turtle Beach

STACK SOCIAL Listening to you lot chatting and interacting with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is all kinds of awesome! Make sure you get involved and follow us on: STACK Magazine NZ @STACKMag stackmagazine What you've been loving on social this month:

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GET UP AND GET MOVING WITH MINISTRY OF SOUND’S THE WORK OUT CD! Ministry of Sound's latest fitness compilation The Work Out offers you the freshest tracks to get motivated to get moving! Lunge your way to stack.net.nz for your chance to win one of five CDs. Thanks to The Ministry of Sound

SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOKS The highly anticipated clash of the DC titans lands on JB Hi-Fi shelves on July 20 and two lucky STACK readers will win one of each superhero-sized limited edition steelbooks. Thanks to Roadshow Home Entertainment

Head here for more shenanigans...

Happy Birthday Daniel Radcliffe born on July 23 rd , 1989 #STACKBirthday bottom of one of your trouser legs and put it in a library'. I thought, 'That's a turn-up for the books.'" Joke of the day: "He said. 'I'm going to chop off the

Q1 Which actress's first starring movie – that consumed five directors and $4 million – began filming in 1946 but was not released until four years later? Q2 Which movie adapted from a classic novel – about a headstrong woman who is wooed by three different men – has been filmed three times in 1915, 1967 and 2015? Q3 Which actor had the longest gap between his first Oscar nomination to actually winning the statuette? Q4 Name the late English director whose last two films involved railway trains. Q5 Which actress was Katharine Hepburn referring to when she said, "She is my least favourite modern actress" – dismissing her acting as

QUIZ

"Click, Click, Click"? Q6 Which film director's second feature, released in 2013, was a dystopian sci-fi about a disaffected population living in a grim ghetto? Q7 Which Marvel movie actor has the same name as an American screenwriter/director? Q8 Delbert Mann; Jack Clayton; Mike Nicholls; James L Brooks; Kenneth Branagh and John Singleton. What's the link? Q9 What was the first film to be released on home video before winning the Best Picture Oscar? Q10 Which 2002 movie is practically a scene-by-scene remake of an Italian comedy that received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film?

EXTRAS

Did you know? It is estimated that Daniel Radcliffe went through 160 pairs of round-rimmed spectacles while shooting the Harry Potter films.

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STACK ’s Fave Movie Quote: “I was with the Navy, not the Navajos” – Owen/Chris Pratt, Jurassic World (2015)

Michael Mann A10. Passion, which was based on the French movie

Crime d'amour

(1950) A9. The Keep, directed by

A8. Kirk Douglas in Young Man with a Horn

, Magic and Dead of Night , respectively.

, Dead Silence

The Great Gabbo

A6. Walter Matthau A7. They have all played ventriloquists onscreen in

A5. That Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

A4. Carol Lombard

,

Knock On Wood

A3. A Kiss Before Dying

A2. Joshua Logan

A1. Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood in

Paint Your Wagon

Quiz Answers June 2016 (Issue 74) -

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FEATURE TECH

Tech Picks

Astro A50 An updated version of Astro’s A50 range of headsets has been revealed, and boy are we in for a

treat. The new customisable A50 improves on the previous model in a myriad of ways. The trademark Astro audio features accurate, audiophile-grade performance regardless of what you’re listening to, and the Dolby 7.1 surround sound allows for an ultra- immersive experience. Feel like you’re really crawling the trenches in Battlefield, and hear that sneaky Foxy before he sees you in Five Nights at Freddy’s . The A50 is immensely comfortable, lightweight and durable, meaning you can take it anywhere without fear of damage or wear and tear. With more than 15 hours of battery life, you can play Overwatch and raid loot boxes to your heart’s content. It’s wireless, too, so trips to the pantry between games are a blast. Pre-orders are now open at JB Hi-Fi for wave one stock, so order now for delivery late August. Limited stock is available, so get in fast – you'll want these!

Turtle Beach Elite Pro Turtle Beach have completely redesigned their latest headset from the ground up, pitching their best effort at gear catered to eSports and professional gamers. You wanna be the best? Start here. The Turtle Beach Elite Pro is created specifically with eSports pros in mind, and features a new ComfortTech Fit System with a multi- faceted adjustment rig that genuinely allows for a perfect fit every time. The Aerofit Ear Cushions only add to the comfort, utilising a gel-infused foam to not only keep your head cool, but also isolate sound for superior acoustic quality. Also noteable is the Elite Pro's revolutionary Glasses Relief system – a single button press indents the earcups on the headset, removing the pressure from your head if you wear glasses. Genius! The Turtle Beach Elite Pro is the headset for those wanting to take themselves to the next level. Comfortable, sleek, and with a superb quality of sound, it doesn't get much better than this.

TECH

Logitech keyboard(s) – G610/G810 Logitech’s G-Series of keyboards are all about the aesthetics and the key responses. The G610 and the G810 are relatively similar; the difference being that the G610 uses Orion Brown Cherry MX keys, whereas the G810 employs the mechanical Romer-G keys. Also noteworthy is the G810 features the full Spectrum of available colour combinations for keyboard backlighting (16.8 million, to be exact), whereas the G610 will only light up in white. The difference in backlighting might seem minor to some, but it has proved to be a point of difference when it comes to price, in particular. While the G610 will set you back just over $200, you’re looking at $50 more for the G810 – that’s the price you pay for mechanical keys and pretty lights. Ultimately, these two keyboards perform supremely well and look great, too. So if you’re in the market for a new set of keys, perhaps look at these two, and take your pick as per your lighting preference.

G810

G610

For more from E3, see pages 16-19

0XX 09

BLU-RAY NEWS

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BATMAN v SUPERMAN ULTIMATE EDITION Y ou may have noticed that bonus features appear to be disappearing from DVDs of late. Blu-ray is now

where it's at if you want audio commentaries, deleted scenes, alternate endings, behind-the- scenes featurettes and other goodies. Moreover, many of the special and limited editions released are not just exclusive to JB Hi-Fi – they're exclusive to Blu-ray. It's not just the High-Def image quality that makes the format so desirable and collectable. The release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice this month is a prime example of the value added material you'll only find on Blu-ray. Moviegoers and reviewers who criticised the superhero showdown for being far too busy and lacking narrative coherency – even at 151 minutes – will find an extended cut of the film on the Blu-ray edition, running a whopping 182 minutes, that promises to deliver a more satisfying experience. Director Zack Snyder had already announced that a longer "R-rated" cut was being prepped for the home entertainment market while the film was still in cinemas – referring to an America R (the equivalent of an MA15+ here). The extended version on the Ultimate Edition retains an M-rating, with "coarse language" added to the consumer advice, suggesting

appear in the theatrical version). There's also a rumour that the film will now feature a subtle connection to the upcoming Suicide Squad , further binding it to the expanding DC universe. As well as the extended and theatrical cuts, the Batman v Superman Blu-ray editions will feature up to two hours of special features, and JB customers will have the choice of four Blu-ray editions to choose from. There's a standard 2-disc version if you just want the movie and extras, as well as a 3D option, but collectors are well catered for with several more lavish editions. A Limited Edition Steelbook and a Deluxe Edition , the latter featuring a 144-page hardcover graphic novel titled Batman vs Superman: The Greatest Battles, are exclusive to JB Hi-Fi stores while stocks last.

the focus will be on storytelling additions – and swearing! – rather than violence. Early reports hint that the pacing has indeed been improved, more attention given to the scenes in Africa, some additional and extended action sequences, extra Jimmy Olsen, and a glimpse of Jena Malone's character (who doesn't

BLU-RAY

BLU-RAY ROUND-UP

With all the new releases reviewed elsewhere in the magazine, this column will focus on all things Blu-related – the bonus bits, the transfers, the deleted scenes, the limited edition JB exclusives, notable catalogue titles that are new to Blu, and other exciting aspects of HD home entertainment. Words: John Ferguson

I f you haven't already grabbed a copy of Tarantino's The Hateful Eight , don't wait too much longer or you'll miss out on JB's exclusive Limited Edition. The disc is housed in a slipcase featuring alternate artwork (which to this eye is more aesthetically pleasing than the red cover variant) and includes

you can't fault the dedication to bonus content on the Zoolander 2: Magnum Edition , which is exclusive to JB while stocks last. Like its namesake look, this set is fully loaded with an exclusive bonus disc that collects the World Tour promotional footage – which includes a Paris Walk Off

scenes clock in at 19 minutes and include a significant sequence that Miller (who provides an optional commentary track) calls the 'Cancer World Tour', in which Wade takes a trip to Mexico in search of a cure. July’s reissue of

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Captain Kirk's enraged cry of "Khaaaan!" surely ranks as one of William Shatner's finest moments, while Ricardo Montalban delivered a career-

defining performance as the genetically enhanced villain of the title. The digitally remastered Blu-ray release of Star Trek II will feature both Nicholas Meyer's Director's Cut and the original theatrical version, as well as an all-new

the month has to be the 50th anniversary edition of Star Trek II: TheWrath of Khan . Not only did The Wrath of Khan officially establish the 23rd century as the period the Enterprise was

with Cara Delevingne and the London Abbey Road photoshoot, plus extra featurettes. Don’t forget, too, that the recent Blu-ray edition of Deadpool

a glossy 30-page collector's booklet with liner notes and

production insights from Tarantino. Needless to say the transfer looks

fantastic, preserving the 70mm frame in the Ultra Panavision widescreen ratio of 2.76 – just don't watch it on a small screen. Whatever you thought of Ben Stiller's belated Zoolander sequel,

also comes fully loaded with some great bonus features. A 5-part documentary feature covers all aspects of the production in the same irreverent tone as the film. The deleted

launched on its voyages, it also set the template for the high stakes intergalactic action that Trekkies have come to expect from the film franchise, following its rather inauspicious debut with

documentary covering the making and legacy of this classic Trek film. Specially illustrated cover art will also set this Blu-ray edition apart from previous Star Trek releases.

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4K FEATURE

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HIGHER DEFINITION Has the quest for video and audio perfection in our home theatres reached its zenith with the arrival of 4K Ultra High Definition discs? For now, it appears so. Until we begin interacting with movies in a Star Trek holodeck kind of way, 4K UHD represents the pinnacle of home entertainment formats. It’s as much a quantum leap upwards in quality from Blu-ray as HD discs were from DVD. Words: Scott Hocking

4K

S o how much better can 4K UHD actually look, given Blu-ray provides reference quality transfers of film and television content? The answer lies in the 4 and the K. It’s all about the number of pixels, those tiny dots that make up the image you’re seeing, and 4K offers 4,000 of them for horizontal resolution and 2,000 for the vertical on an Ultra HDTV. By comparison, Full HD 1080p (the resolution standard for Blu-ray) is 1920 x 1080, so the image quality is four times greater. Moreover, the digital cinema standard is 2K, so you’re effectively getting a better image at home than at the movies, and the savings on overpriced candy bar items can now be invested into 4K discs. 4K UHD also offers HDR

another time and outline in layman’s terms how to get the most from your 4K discs, and what's on offer for your viewing pleasure.

who wants an all-enveloping IMAX-like experience at home, you can comfortably move the couch in a little closer. We’ll leave the finer technical details and terminology for

(High Dynamic Range), combining three images to

deliver better contrast, deeper blacks and brighter whites. It’s this function that truly brings the 4K experience to vivid life. You’ll immediately notice the upgrade in black

levels, colour saturation and sharpness, providing greater detail and the depth of a 3D image without the glasses. We road tested Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool and The Lego Movie in 4K with HDR and the difference was immediately apparent from the opening frames. The high pixel density means you can now sit closer to a large screen TV and the image will remain just as sharp as when viewed from 2–3 metres away. So if you're the type

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FEATURE 4K

WHAT WILL I NEED ? An Ultra HD TV that supports HDR

4K DISCS

4K is designed for big screens and UHDTVs start from 50-inches upwards. Size does matter if you want to duplicate the cinema experience at home, which of course you do, so the bigger the panel, the better. Older models prior to 2016 may not support HDR – 4K discs will still look great, but they’ll look even more incredibly detailed and colourful with this function. A 4K UHD Blu-ray Player

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

4K Ultra HD discs won’t play on a standard Blu-ray player – the transfers require more disc space than a BD. But Blu-ray discs and DVDs will play on a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, and what’s more, they’ll look even better when you take advantage of the upscaling function, with only a slightly discernible difference in quality between an upscaled Blu-ray and a 4K disc. But if you’re going the 4K route, you want the full experience with a dedicated

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Batman v

Superman: Dawn of Justice (20 July) Chappie Creed Deadpool The Expendables 3 (20 July) The 5th Wave Ghostbusters Ghostbusters II Hancock Kingsman: The Secret Service The Lego Movie Life of Pi Mad Max: Fury Road Man of Steel (20 July) The Martian Maze Runner Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Pineapple Express The Revenant Salt San Andreas The Smurfs 2 X-Men: Days of Future Past

4K player that supports HDR. The Samsung UBD-K8500 4K HDR Blu-ray Player is the only hardware option at the time of writing and has everything you need, however, Panasonic will have a model available in September. Additionally, Microsoft recently announced at E3 that the X Box One S (available in August) will support 4K and HDR for video and gaming. A 4K Ultra HD disc (see below) WHAT CAN I WATCH ?

4K

The good news is that major studios like Warner Bros., Roadshow, 20th Century Fox and Sony have all thrown their support behind the 4K format, launching a range that showcases the enhanced resolution of UHD and includes new release and catalogue titles. Upcoming blockbusters like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , X-Men: Apocalypse and The Angry Birds Movie will all be released in 4K. (For the full list of what’s currently available from JB Hi-Fi, see right.) Just like the combo packs featuring both a Blu-ray and DVD edition of a film, 4K discs include a Blu-ray copy, so if you haven’t upgraded your hardware to UHD as yet, your software is future- proofed for when you do. We recommend Deadpool as the ultimate demo disc, simply because the film was shot, edited and mastered in 4K and will give you the full “wow” factor of the format. That’s not to say movies that aren’t digitally shot using 4K are anything less than reference quality – Mad Max: Fury Road , The Revenant , The Martian and Kingsman:The Secret Service should also be among your initial purchases – but Deadpool is the real deal in terms of a preview of what’s likely to become the industry standard. It will be interesting to see how movies shot on film fare when remastered in 4K, and an exciting prospect to see some classics and old favourites looking better than ever. But until then, the significant boost in resolution provided by the 4K upscaling feature will have you revisiting titles in your existing Blu-ray library just to see how amazing they can now look. Star Wars , Blade Runner , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Toy Story and Suspiria in 4K UHD? Yes please!

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of the

With comic book franchises continuing to dominate the global box office, DC have upped the ante with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , pitting its two iconic superheroes against each other and laying the foundations for an expanded universe. Words: Adam Colby

really interesting dynamic. They allow that sort of complexity, I think, and that was really fun." Snyder describes the showdown between the two in the film as a meticulous piece of work that required weeks of shooting. “When you see the film, the big fight looks like it just flows, like it’s a single moment. It’s inside a building with rain machines and all these things. All these elements have to Even though these two are on a collision course, neither of them is exactly wrong in his analysis of the other one come together, so it can be an uncomfortable experience in a lot of ways for these guys, because of the meticulous nature of photography,” he explains. “But they were amazing troupers. They did all the preparation, worked all the hours and never complained. And I couldn’t be happier, from my point of view, with the result.” Affleck’s casting as Batman, directly following Christian Bale’s performance in the Christopher Nolan films, proved to be a controversial choice with fans when first announced. The ensuing Bat-lash sent social media into meltdown, but didn’t faze the actor. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I wouldn’t have taken the

T he opportunity to set these two DC heroes against each other on screen was a dream come true for director Zack Snyder, but the big question that needed to be addressed was, could there be an actual victor? “The truth is that if you just started out with Batman and Superman, obviously Superman would win because he’s an alien – he’s invulnerable – and Batman is just a human being,” offers Ben Affleck, who plays the latest incarnation of the Dark Knight. “But in the story you’ll see there are various reasons why their powers are evened out a bit, and made more equal. Then it’s a question of... I don’t want to say character, but determination. You’ll have to see the movie to find out who wins.” Collateral damage from the battle with General Zod, as well as some meddling from a certain Alexander Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), provides the catalyst that sets the two against each other. With great power must come great responsibility, and the Dark Knight holds the Man of Steel (Henry Cavill) responsible. "As far as the right and wrong aspect of it goes, of course both of these characters – Batman and Superman – are heroes from their point of view, and from the point of view of those they may protect, but not those who rue the day they mete out justice,” explains Zack Snyder. “So it was fun to construct a story where you had to go into the other person’s perspective. And even though these two are on a collision course, neither of them is necessarily wrong in his

DVD & BD

analysis of the other one. These are such rich characters with a

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FEATURE DVD & BD

Ben Affleck and Zack Snyder on the set

DVD & BD

extraordinary. I didn’t want to let him down. From my point of view – particularly given that this was influenced by a particular set of comic books that I also felt really strongly about – I really wanted to get it right.” The comic books he’s referring to are Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns , a four-issue series which culminates with a confrontation between Batman and Superman. First published in 1986, it has been a major influence for Snyder. “Not just in this movie, but other movies I’ve made, because I’m a big fan of [Miller],” the director admits. “When I made Batman v Superman I really wanted to honour his influence on me as an artist, so, in a lot of ways, that’s what you get when you see the film.”

part if I didn’t trust my instincts in terms of the filmmaking,” Affleck told Entertainment Weekly at the time. The actor chose to invest the character with the same gravitas he saw in the film. Indeed, Affleck’s Batman may well be the most brooding iteration of the Dark Knight to date. “I didn’t get to create the character,” he explains. “I had to recreate something and hope that it fits into our idea of who Batman is and hope people would accept my nuances on the character. “Some people might see this as just a comic book or superhero movie – not that serious," he continues. "To me, it was quite serious, and something of an honour. I wanted to do what Zack wanted, whose vision I thought was pretty

• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is out July 20

• See page 8 for your BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE competition.

CHOOSE A SIDE

Alien vs. Predator "Whoever wins... we lose." The truth is in the tagline of this misguided melee, which managed to kill off two fantastic franchises with one blow.

Kramer vs. Kramer A bitter divorce and custody battle packs considerable emotional punch for the viewer, but this Oscar-winning drama refuses to take sides.

Freddy vs. Jason Place your bets! This splatter

Joe Versus the Volcano A story of love, lava and burning desire. Terminally ill Tom Hanks must choose between sacrifice by volcano and romance with Meg Ryan. Pick the winner.

smackdown between Elm Street's dream demon and Crystal Lake's slayer was a big winner at the box office.

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That's an E3 fact... There were 250 exhibitors present.

SHOW BUS INESS

GAMES

In June, STACK headed to Los Angeles once again to cover the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3.

of the franchise after playing Titanfall 2  at EA Play. The introduction of the grappling hook to the rifleman class is a masterstroke, adding a new element to this fast-moving title with frenetic gunplay. What will the single-player campaign entail? Who knows, but this one certainly has our interest. FIFA 17 , driven by the might of the Frostbite engine, looked, as you would expect, first-class. Scoring a goal was dastardly difficult, but all the focus at this stage is centred on the new feature, The Journey – a single-player mode that charts the career of a hopeful young player. Producer Matt Prior told  STACK that this would never have been possible without the implementation of Frostbite.

Day One. We’re back. The chaos that is E3 has once again descended upon L.A. to thrill and entertain an audience hungry for a look (and for the patient, a play) at the extensive range of games on offer this year. All the talk surrounding the future of E3 was momentarily forgotten as huge swathes of excited gamers forced their way through the doors of the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). For us, the morning began with EA, who shunned the industry-focused E3 this year and opted to hold its own show designed for the community, at the Nokia Theater not a stone’s throw from the LACC. The event was well organised, offering ample opportunity to jump in for hands-on with their

That's an E3 fact... Over 70,000 people attended this year’s show.

upcoming slate.

Battlefield 1  exceeded expectations with an expansive 64-player battle that included infantry, planes, tanks, and even airships. Although we were never big proponents for Titanfall , we could be convinced to revise our opinion

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2 0 . 0 9 . 1 6 P R E - O R D E R N OW

*Access to IronGjallarhornstarting20.09.16.Canbeattainedbypre-orderingDestiny:Riseof Ironandcompleting the in-gamequest. Seewww.destinythegame.com foradditionaldetails. IronGjallarhornnotexclusive toanyretailerorplatform.Subject toavailability.

RequiresDestinygameandTheTakenKing (includesExpansions I& II).Soldseparately.

Onlineonly.Aminimumof 14GBstoragespace required.Subject tochange.Visitwww.destinythegame.com/size-requirements forcurrent requirements.PlayStationPlusORXboxLiveGoldsubscription required foronlinemultiplayer gameplay,soldseparately.Additionalstoragemaybe required forupdatesand features.Downloadablecontentavailable tobuy in-game.Mandatoryupdatesmaybe required tobedownloaded tocontinueplaying.Using thissoftware constitutesacceptanceof theDestinySoftwareLicense&ServiceAgreementavailableatsupport.activision.com/license,TermsofServicesandPrivacyPolicyatwww.bungie.net/eula. Activisionmakesnoguarantee regarding the availabilityofonlineplayor features,andmaymodifyordiscontinueonlineservicesat itsdiscretionwith reasonablenotice.

©2016Bungie, Inc.All rights reserved.Destiny, theDestinyLogo,Bungieand theBungieLogoareamong the trademarksofBungie, Inc.PublishedanddistributedbyActivision.Activision isa registered trademarkofActivisionPublishing, Inc.Allother trademarksand tradenamesare thepropertiesof their respectiveowners.

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That's an E3 fact... A staggering audience of 42 million watched E3 content on Twitch.

Call of Duty: InfiniteWarfare

That's an E3 fact... From the 70,000 attendees, 50,300 were video game developers, analysts and journalists.

to get the haters when ‘Call of Dooty’ is even mentioned, but we’re eager to see what Infinity Ward are going to deliver here,

God ofWar

Day Two. Los Angeles began its Wednesday morning shrouded in a veil of ‘June Gloom’ cloud, but the mood within the Convention Center couldn’t have been more different. STACK kicked off its day with a look at Carmageddon  and the World War II shooter  Sniper Elite 4 ; the slow-mo sniper kills are still uncomfortably satisfying. It’s a credit to Microsoft that just about everything on its booth was hands-on. Forza Horizon 3 , based in the diverse environments of our own great country, was a standout on the new slim Xbox One S; racing through Byron Bay has never looked so good. Like the aforementioned Microsoft, all of Ubisoft’s titles were playable in a press area just off the main booth. Thankfully we were spared the horrendous Just Dance live demos this year, meaning we could actually hear everything the devs were telling

GAMES

because what we’ve seen of it – albeit purely visual – looks interesting, including the off-rails space battles that resemble Ace Combat on steroids. A final treat was watching a

play-through of Crew Expendable  – the second mission from the classic Call of Duty: Modern Warfare  remastered for this generation of consoles. It looks, as you would expect, incredible, and despite completing the entire game innumerable times since its first release nine years ago, this is one title you can be sure we’ll be playing again come November.

Onto the maddening throng of E3 itself. Three hours with Sony offered a closer look at Gran Turismo Sport  (possibly the first racing game over the last decade that we haven’t crashed into a wall within 20 seconds), and theatre presentations including Detroit: Become Human , thrilling new IP Days Gone,  and of course the mighty God of War, replete with a new Norse mythology setting.

The day concluded with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare . We were hoping to get some hands-on here, but the meeting consisted of visual presentations only, in which an additional mission set in

us. Watchdogs 2  and Ghost Recon Wildlands were the picks from a quality line-up, after a solid half hour with each. Square Enix have possibly the biggest slate we can recall seeing at E3. The dark Deus Ex: Mankind Divided  playthrough demonstrated how the hacking difficulty has been increased in the game, and how diverse the combat options will be when it releases this August. Day two concluded with a trip

Sniper Elite 4

Geneva was shown alongside the space- themed demo unveiled at the Sony Press Conference the evening before. You’re always going

That's an E3 fact... More than 1600 products were on display.

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game and a ten-minute free play. There’s understandably a lot of hype surrounding the game, and we’re confident that fans of Zelda will be more than satisfied with what lands in-store at JB in March of next year.  And with that the show was over. All eyes now will be on 2017 and whether E3 will take a leaf from PAX and Gamescom and evolve the concept to encompass both trade and consumer focus. For us, it still remains the most exciting show on the circuit.

That's an E3 fact... Twitter registered seven million E3- themed posts.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Show stickers were covering the booth, and we sat through an extended playthrough of several levels in the game. There’s a lot of positive buzz surrounding Mafia III,  and it’s not hard to see why. New Bordeaux will feature 10 districts, offering a highly expansive gameplay area. We probably couldn’t have chosen

to Namco Bandai for a little time with the impressive-looking  Tekken 7  and Dragonball Xenoverse 2 . The dev tells us that all the improvements in  Xenoverse 2 were implemented based on player feedback. Day Three. The final day at E3 2016 began with a look at Astro’s latest addition to the family, the revamped A50. This headset is top drawer; designed for all levels of gaming, with an eye on the pro circuit. Capcom delivered Resident Evil VII  in a PSVR presentation that brought the horror of the franchise a little too close for comfort. Staying with PSVR, Sony took us through a demonstration that included Battlezone  and new shooter IP Far Point  – an exciting prospect, but keeping your balance was a challenge in itself. Dawn of War III will please Warhammer 40,000  fans by bringing back base building plus a host of new features. And Agents of Mayhem , the latest from Saints Row developer Volition, is an

a bigger title to conclude E3 2016 with than The Legend

GAMES

of Zelda: Breath of the Wild . The queues for this game were the longest at

the show. The demo included the first 20 minutes of the

absolute blast to play and remotely linked to the SR universe. At the Mafia III  stand this afternoon Best of

That's an E3 fact... E3 Live apparently attracted 20,000 fans, although it didn’t look like that to us.

Dawn ofWar 3

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MUSIC FEATURE

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Prevention) the twins run a music media company (MDDN) which specialises in publishing, production and A&R. (Their roster isn’t huge, but on it you’ll find Good Charlotte and Jessie J alongside fledgling all-female punk trio Potty Mouth and skate culture photographer Brock Fetch.) “We just decided that we did really have a passion for mentoring new artists – helping them maybe avoid some of our mistakes, so they can have a better experience. I have to say, I don’t know if I’ve ever been as passionate about the music business as I am right now. There’re all these amazing young artists and it’s really been one of the greatest experiences of my life, it’s been a real thrill.

More inspired than ever before, Benji Madden tells us how his mentoring helped shape Good Charlotte's new album Youth Authority . Words: Zoë Radas 1.2 litre DREAM

Now we’re older, we’ve just come to a better understanding of how to be more effective. It’s actually a real healing experiences too, making us fall in love with music all over again.” And herein lies the point of the new album: to re-discover what it was about Good Charlotte that so excited these young men when they began playing punk rock together in Maryland in 1996. “We just wanted to make Good Charlotte feel special for us again,” Benji says simply. “The whole motive behind the record was very personal. We felt like if we did that, the fans would connect to it – they would appreciate the fact that it was real to us.” Part of recapturing that spirit was the tiny things; the glinting chimes and shimmering strings in Stick To Your Guns Interlude , or oblique puns and references to past albums (listen closely to the lyrics in The Outfield ). “I think if you listen back to any Good Charlotte record, for me, those are the little details that set our records apart,” says Benji. “If you listen to the intro on The Young And The Hopeless , or the intros or outros on Chronicles

MUSIC

"I t’s like malt liquor – not quite beer, and it's big,” Benji Madden says. He’s trying to explain a 40 ounce, but it’s hard when the metric system isn’t your default setting. Is it like a long neck? “Kind of! In the ‘90s it was synonymous with West Coast gangster rap. Also, if you remember, Sublime had that record 40 Oz. To Freedom .” Sublime, Eazy-E, and obsolete measures of booze – looking back at early inspirations and how they can affect what's still ahead is a major theme of Good Charlotte’s new album Youth Authority . Stand-out track T he Outfield starts with the sing-song phrase “another true story” before the lyrics proper begin, which trace the experiences of a group of kids making their way into the music biz. “I think it’s a tribute to a few people – that story stands for a few different relationships,” Madden says. “When you get older, you look back and you see that you were either exploited in some way, or taken advantage of in some way, and you come to terms with that and make peace with it and grow through it. I think it’s a story that a lot of people can relate to. That’s one of my favourites – it’s one of the most honest songs on the record.” The compulsion to help other young musicians,

and even on Cardiology or Good Morning Revival , we always have these little elements… there’s little hidden gems in there. Little bits of information, little messages. I feel like every time we make a record, I get

The whole motive behind the record was very personal

and guide them away from the kinds of sneaky manipulations or downright abuses Benji’s talking about,

an opportunity to be creative. It’s my favourite part, to add those little details and just be in the studio for hours

are things he and his brother Joel have always taken seriously – but the Maddens realised they needed to

and hours.” And if you listen carefully for those messages, we promise you’ll be rewarded.

formalise that urge if they were going to have a real impact. “There comes a point where if we’re really going to help younger artists, then we need to get organised,” Benji says. Aside from their participation in reality talent show The Voice and their extensive charity support (Make-A-Wish, YouthAIDS, American Foundation for Suicide

Youth Authority by Good Charlotte is out on July 15

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