STACK NZ Jul #75

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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Woman of steel SUPERGIRL: the complete first season

Out of the shadows 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi

Release Date: 27/07/16

Release Date: 13/07/16

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Enough testosterone, it’s time another woman ruled the super roost – and, while a certain Amazonian may protest, you don’t get more super than a girl from Krypton. She’s Superman’s older cousin, but thanks to a 24-year layover in the Phantom Zone she appears younger. She’s Kara Zoe-El (or ‘Supergirl’ if you prefer), and if you’re thinking she’s any less powerful than big/ little cuz, you’d be mistaken. Kara hid her abilities for years, until a day came when Supes was powerless and she had to step up. Discovering that Earth is teeming

The presidential election has thrown the spotlight back on the 2012 attack on a US compound in Libya, which resulted in the death of a number of personnel, including the ambassador. Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State at the time and Trump has attacked her for not acting decisively enough; in this retelling, director Michael Bay would seem to share that view. The heroes of 13 Hours are a small group of private military contractors, whose advice is regularly ignored by the local CIA chief and who end up being the last line of defence as the

with expat Kryptonian crims, she realised that it’s good to be super. Golden-haired Glee refugee Melissa Benoist stars as the Chick of Steel in this ace and actiontastic companion to the many other DC Comics superhero super-series. AF

Benghazi diplomatic outpost comes under furious assault. Bay dials down his usual bombast to deliver a gritty, sweaty actioner and is well served by a cast that is headed up by a surprisingly convincing John Krasinski, best known for his comedy roles. John Ferguson

45 YEARS

HOUSE OF CARDS: SEASON 4

MAHANA

FLESH & BONE

DVD&BD

Release Date: 14/07/16 Format:

Release Date: 06/07/16 Format:

Release Date: 13/07/16 Format:

Release Date: 14/07/16 Format:

Films about retirees are very much in vogue at the moment, thanks to the success of movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel . However, this haunting British drama offers a very different look at love and relationships for an older generation. The Oscar- nominated Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay are terrific as a married couple about to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary, whose marriage is thrown into question when news reaches them that the body of his first love – who disappeared decades before – has been discovered in the Swiss Alps. A melancholic – but at times drily funny – exploration of trust, regret and jealousy. JF

His initials are FU, and Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) isn’t giving up his presidency without dishing out several of them this season. But Frank isn’t just contending with Republican nominee Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman), a younger, more family-oriented and social media- savvy opponent: he and wife Claire (Robin Wright) are also at loggerheads. She has her own ambitions, and is just as good at getting down in the muck as he is. Could Claire be looking to topple her hubby with an ultimate CU? Wright really shines this season, taking it up to Spacey in the entrancing stakes. Still essential viewing. AF

Twenty-plus years on from Once Were Warriors , director Lee Tamahori and Temuera Morrison are reunited for another coming- of-age tale involving a tyrannical patriarch. Set in the early ’60s on the rural East Coast, Morrison plays the devout but bullying head of the Mahana clan who for decades have been feuding with a rival family of shearer, the Poatas. However, when the bookish Simeon (Akuhata Keefe) challenges his grandfather's authority, the family is divided and dark secrets begin to emerge. The sleepy life of rural New Zealand is recreated with charm and affection by Tamahori, but the importance of whanau is at the heart of this moving drama. JF

At first glance, this looks like just another Fame -style drama, this time set in the world of ballet. However, this eight part series from former Breaking Bad writer/ producer Moira Walley-Bennett is made of darker stuff, taking in subjects such as incest, bulimia and even people trafficking, alongside the more conventional backstage intrigue and rivalry. And the fact that most of the cast are real-life ballet dancers adds an extra layer of authenticity. Sarah Hay (who had a small role in Black Swan ) plays a troubled but supremely talented young dancer who lands a role in the prestigious American Ballet Company run by the tyranical Ben Daniels. JF

JULY 2016

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