STACK #150 Apr 2017

ASSASSIN'S CREED * CHIPS * MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA, DVDs, GAMES & MUSIC

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ISSUE 150 Apr ’17

ASSASSIN’S CREED • CHIPS • MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

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Contributors

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & DVD Editor Scott Hocking

Issue 150

Music Editor Zoë Radas StaffWriter Alesha Kolbe Creative Directors Justin Buxton, Michelle Black DVD Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Andre Eivik Music Consultants Mike Glynn, Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Amy Flower, John Ferguson Contributors Savannah Douglas, Graham Reid, Gill Pringle, Michael Dwyer, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Chris Murray, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby, Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson Accounts Coordinator Tracy Kingman

APRIL 2017

WELCOME In June 2004, the first issue of STACK rolled off the press. Initially bi-monthly, the rather scant pamphlet-sized publication featured Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai on the cover and was exclusively film- focused. Back then, only one writer worked on STACK – the rest of the office was busy with REGION 4 , a retail DVD magazine that ran for four years. However, as the momentum behind STACK increased, the editorial team’s priority changed accordingly. We added games to the mix in 2006, music in 2011, and cinema releases in 2015, making STACK the most comprehensive free entertainment guide available in Australia. Consequently, our team has grown exponentially from that single scribe on issue one to a full complement of writers, designers and freelancers. So why the history lesson? This month we celebrate another milestone – our 150th issue – and while we’ll save the pomp and ceremony for the 200th, we will be taking a moment to reflect on the 13 years that has seen three console generations, three home video formats, and the unexpected and popular resurgence of vinyl. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you, the readers, for joining us on the journey. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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Correspondence STACK P.O. Box 2051, Richmond South, VIC 3121

RATINGS GUIDE

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2017 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press.

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Issue 150

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APRIL 2017

10-12 NEWS Planet Earth II – the first BBC natural history doco to be filmed in 4K – is out now; we visited the set of Leigh Whannell’s new sci-fi film, Stem; and you can win a trip to San Diego Comic-Con 2017. 22-23 BOB J. A new golden age of Hollywood dawns. As the studio system collapses, the influence of post-war European Cinema makes an enduring impact from 1950–1960. 32-33 BEGINNER’S GUIDE Wizards are as intrinsic to the fantasy genre as noble heroes, elves and dragons. Without them entire realms would be overwhelmed by dark forces. We’ll make you a wiz on movie wizards. 44 GIVEAWAYS A chance to win Netgear’s incredible Orbi unit for high speed Internet in every corner of your home, plus the Razer Man’o’War headsets will deliver you 7.1 surround. Also Vikings: Season 4 , Vol.2 and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them prizes up for grabs. Extras Pages 10, 12, 22, 32, 44

Cinema Pages 14–20

DVD & BD Pages 24–43

Games Pages 45 – 62

Music (From back) Pages 1–19

3-10 NEWS + INTERVIEWS We spoke to Polish Club, Ali Barter, Steel Panther, Northlane, The Smith Street Band and sir Was; you’ll also find Amy Shark and four awesome competitions on page 10. 12-13 PRIMA ARENA National treasure Tina Arena discusses work/life harmony, womanhood, and the imperfect journey of her career ahead of the release of her new album Greatest Hits and Interpretations . 15 VINYL REVIVAL Michael Dwyer tracks through five titles and 60 years of bona fide classics from the Female Vocal vinyl racks of Universal. 16-19 REVIEWS The Smith Street Band take our Album of the Month crown, but we also have feelings about Ben Wright Smith, Ali Barter, James Blunt, Little Dragon, Body Count, Father John Misty, Roy Orbison, Zara Larsson, Mark Seymour. ANOHNI, Bad// Dreems and more.

14-15 CHiPS STACK caught up with the stars of this big screen remake of the ‘70s TV cop series – Dax Shepard, Michael Peña and Kristen Bell – to talk buddy cops and bikes. 16 LEGO BATMAN Director Chris McKay loved Will Arnett’s LEGO Movie Batman so much that he gave him his own film. The result is a delightful cross between Christopher Nolan and Frank Miller, as the director explains. 18-20 REVIEWS The Lego Batman Movie, Life, Power Rangers, Beauty and the Beast, Kong: Skull Island

24-25 FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM It’s the first in what is shaping up to be a series of standalone Potterverse films. But just where does it fit in with the rest? Hold on to your wand as we explain... 26 ROGUE ONE No Luke Skywalker. No Jedi. No opening title crawl. As the first standalone adventure set in a galaxy far, far away, this is an important and exciting addition to the Star Wars universe. 28-29 ASSASSIN’S CREED Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel readily admits that his gaming days ended with Double Dragon in the early ‘90s. But the historical context and detailed world of Ubisoft’s video game attracted him to this big screen adaptation. 30 MOANA The latest success story from Disney features family, tradition, and girl power. We speak to Rachel House – the voice of Gramma Tala. 34-42 REVIEWS War on Everyone, Collateral Beauty, The Founder, Edge of Seventeen, Passengers, Allied, Jackie, Assassin’s Creed, Why Him?, Sing, Vikings: Season 4, Vol. 2 and many more. Fantastic Beasts, Rogue One, Moonlight, Moana,

48-49 mario kart Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is coming to the Switch; we take a look at the history of the series. 50 sniper ghost warrior 3 We had a chat with SGW3’s senior level designer about what to expect from the latest game. 52-53 switch sequels We peruse the voluminous Nintendo back catalogue for potential game sequels for the Switch. 54 blackwidow chroma v2 Razer have revamped their Blackwidow Chroma keyboards. Here’s why you need one. 56 esports round-up We check in with the Junglist for the latest in esports, and review Nintendo’s Switch Pro Controller. 58-62 previews Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, Stardew Valley, Persona 5, ATV Renegades, Portal Knights, Yooka-Laylee, Dragon Quest Heroes II, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX

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ANIMAL MAGNETISM

Marine Iguanas Photography by Elizabeth White ©BBC NHU 2016

T he thrilling chase scene featuring a newly hatched iguana and a nest of snakes went viral, but it's only one of numerous breathtaking stories of survival by animals in Planet Earth II . Our planet's major natural habitats are explored – islands, mountains, jungles, deserts and grasslands – as well as a bold new world of creature expansion: cities. Some footage took more than three years to set up, and the real dangers faced by the crews of the BBC's Natural History Unit included boa constrictors, crocodiles and armed bandits. It's also the first BBC natural history documentary to be

An epic account of life on the third rock from the sun, Planet Earth II is out now on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD, with eyecatching animal magnets, exclusive to JB Hi-Fi.

filmed in 4K, and the technical advances since the original Planet Earth have yielded unprecedented vision of the natural world. Presented and narrated by the great David Attenborough, Planet Earth II could well be the culmination of his distinguished career, though at 90 years old, the intrepid naturalist shows no signs of slowing down. Planet Earth II is in JB Hi-Fi now, and contains five exclusive animal magnets for your fridge door. Moreover, you can now experience this extraordinary achievement as it was meant to be seen – in glorious HD and without annoying pop-up ads for Married at First Sight .

WIN

NEW XBOX CONTROLLERS INCOMING

A TRIP TO E3 Nintendo Australia and New Zealand are giving you the chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to this year's E3 – the world's biggest gaming convention. Think you've got what it takes? All you need to do to win is enter the Splatoon Cup; an event looking to find the best Splatoon squad in the region. The third-person paint-shooter competition will take place over two online heats, with the top two teams hashing it out in Melbourne in the Grand Final for a shot at the big prize. The winning team of four will be crowned the best AU/NZ group, and win flights and accommodation to E3 2017 in L.A., plus a Nintendo Switch console each! Head to Nintendo AU/NZ's Facebook for more, and get inking.

M icrosoft last month announced a new wave of Xbox One controllers, answering to callsign Recon Tech Special Edition. The first in a number of Tech Series additions to the Xbox One peripheral range, the Recon Tech SE will be available in-store at JB Hi-Fi next month. The most noticeable of the controller's

enhancements is what Microsoft are calling "textured diamond rubberised grips" on the back of the controller, making for an all- round more comfortable experience. They're clearly gunning for a military- inspired design, with gold and war-green the most prominent colours. These are the first in a presumed line of Tech Series controllers – keep an eye out for more.

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EXTRAS NEWS

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WIN A TRIP TO SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON

S an Diego Comic-Con is one of the biggest celebrations of popular culture in the world, and you have a chance to attend the 2017 event. Between now and May 7, visit your local JB Hi-Fi store and purchase any specially stickered 20th Century Fox title to win a once- in-a-lifetime trip to San Diego Comic-Con! It really is that easy. Once you've chosen your DVD(s), simply head to jbhifi.com.au/comic-con and in 25 words or less, describe what you think your favourite part of SDCC 2017 would be and why. It could be anything from the awesome cosplayers and the panels, to the celebrity guests and the awesome exclusive merchandise. The prize includes return airfares for you and a mate to San Diego Comic-Con 2017, as well as $500 to spend while you're over there. We'd

Leigh Whannell in Saw (2004)

STACK visited the set of LeighWhannell's new film, the sci-fi thriller Stem , and we liked what we saw. Words Scott Hocking TECH NOIR

I t's a scorching afternoon in Melbourne, and behind the urban facade of downtown Collingwood, the future is being created. And it's a strange world. At the end of a gloomy corridor illuminated by discarded glowsticks and littered with empty pill bottles, there is a room resembling a crack den. Only it isn't drugs that are being consumed here... STACK is on the set of Stem , a noirish new sci-fi action-thriller written and directed by Leigh Whannell – best known as the scribe of Saw and Insidious – and starring Logan Marshall-Green ( Prometheus ), Betty Gabriel ( Get Out ) and Benedict Hardie ( Hacksaw Ridge ). Although we're sworn to secrecy on plot details, we can reveal that Stem is set in a utopian near-future, where

genre will be something quite unique. Australian producer Kylie Du Fresne ( The Sapphires ) agrees: "Seeing the world he has created, he's a film director who presents something distinct and different – he really understands genre and commercial beats." A co-production with American genre stable Blumhouse ( The Purge , Get Out ), Stem is Whannell's second feature as director following Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) and his first back on home soil, having been based in the US for the last ten years. " Stem is an Australian film, and you don't normally get to make films like this in Australia," adds Du Fresne. Production in Melbourne wrapped on March 10.

a paralysed technophobe (Marshall-Green) receives an experimental computer implant that turns out to have a mind of its own. Think of it as being like a techno version of George Romero's Monkey Shines , albeit with a computer instead of the monkey. "My first reaction was fear," says Marshall-Green of reading the script," which means I really liked it. But I knew it was going to be a lot of work, given the stakes and emotion this guy has to deal with. It was going to need every ounce of my theatrical ability." Gabriel, who plays a detective investigating the murder of the wife of Marshall-Green's character, is thrilled to be involved in Stem – being a self-proclaimed sci-fi fan – and promises that Whannell's venture into the

recommend saving at least some of this for return baggage allowance. SDCC gets bigger and better every year, with panels featuring the stars from your favourite TV shows and movies, as well as premiere footage and trailers. Oh, and of course comics and artists. The best part? We'll be there too. We've caught up with the past two winners, and needless to say, they had the time of their life. San Diego Comic-Con 2017 runs July 20-23 at the San Diego Convention Center and STACK will be bringing you all the news as it breaks.

Download the STACK Magazine App for extra treats and content.

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N A R R A T E D B Y DAV I D AT T ENBOROUGH

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CINEMA FEATURE

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STACK met with CHIPS stars Dax Shepard, Michael Peña and Kristen Bell to talk motorcycles, buddy cops and bringing the cheesy '70sTV series to the big screen. Words Gill Pringle

W hen Dax Shepard told his wife he was planning on writing, directing, starring, and doing all the motorbike stunts in his next movie project, she gave him her full blessing. “In truth, Dax is safer going 80mph on a motorcycle blindfolded than I am walking in a straight line,” says Kristen Bell, who also snagged a role in her hubby’s movie CHIPS , playing his heartless ex-wife.

and a painkiller habit who is teamed with Michael Peña’s Frank 'Ponch' Poncherello, an oversexed undercover Fed. Both rookies take to the California Highway Patrol – what could possibly go wrong when these two get a badge and a bike, and go in search of an inner ring of dirty cops? Shepard and Peña share the same character names as their predecessors in the cheesy '70s TV series CHiPs , Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, but that’s where the similarity ends in this (US) hard-R buddy cop comedy loaded with action and stunts. Unlike Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s send- up of another famous '70s TV cop show, Starsky & Hutch , Shepard had other ideas.

trust his moviemaking perspective. I think he’s very smart. Every time he says something, it's very inspiring,” says Bell, who has worked with Shepard on Veronica Mars, The Boss and Hit and Run. “We both believe that you have to make the kinds of movies you would want to see, otherwise you are guessing what the audience wants. He loves action and comedy and he also loves bikes, so this was perfect.”

STACK 's Gill Pringle with Kirsten Bell

Shepard’s CHIPS sees him as Jon Baker, a former X-Games star with a busted body

“I always want to work with my husband. If I could only work with him, I would because I

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FEATURE CINEMA

“They went the parody route, and we went the Bad Boys/Lethal Weapon route. There’s two ways to skin that cat, and I think the previous versions the studio had developed of CHIPS were parodies. And this was the first time that someone had written a script that took itself seriously,” says Shepard, who has since been hired to write and direct a live-action version of Scooby-Doo. “I started this project knowing Michael and I were Ponch and Jon, so I could play to our strengths. My passion is motorcycles and cars, so I knew we’d be doing a lot of riding, and that gave me the freedom to write scenes where we’re talking trash over a chase. All of that informed the kind of story I was going to tell.” Part of the gag lies in the fact Peña’s Ponch is not a good bike rider. “I can drive a car much better than I can ride a motorcycle,"

have not gotten on a bike since in nine years. I am not good on a bike. I do not feel good while I am riding it. It's too much for me.” But she has no fears for her husband. “When we first started dating, before I knew his habits, before I knew his skill level, I used to worry. But he is told by stunt drivers all the time that he is ten times better

“I’ve been hit a few times. I had a very bad motocross injury and had to have my whole shoulder rebuilt, and then I’ve been hit twice in L.A. by cars. It’s not all been without injury.” There’s so much of Shepard in his CHIPS character that it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. “I’m very into self-analysis, so that bled into it. I like to think of Jon as an emotional genius and Ponch as a physical genius; it’s a very Mars vs. Venus female perspective. So when we argue, both people are making very valid points, they’re just on two different planes,” he says of their screen bromance. “Our relationship also mirrored real life,” ventures Peña. “We didn’t really know each other at first but by the end of it, I was like, 'oh, I got a new friend, that’s cool.' I was quite happy. A couple of times, I even showed up to his house, unannounced and uninvited, just with my kid.”

I got my motorcycle licence the first year we were dating to impress him... I’ll become a biker babe

admits Peña when STACK meets with the CHIPS team in West Hollywood. "When I was doing End of Watch , we would do pit manoeuvres and stuff, and I wasn’t bad, but when it comes to a motorcycle, all my powers dissolve. Even my dreams dissolve, of how good I am." When Bell first met her future husband ten years ago, she figured the way to his heart was through motorbikes. “I got my motorcycle licence the first year we were dating to impress him, because I was madly in love and was like, 'I am going to get this guy in my pocket. I’ll become a biker babe.' So I got my licence and framed my certificate for him for Christmas. He thought it was the funniest Christmas present he’d ever received, and I

than anyone they’ve ever worked with. He’s also incredibly safe, despite how dangerous we all think motorcycles are. I know he values

his life; I know he values the life we have with our kids

and I know he’ll take safe precautions when he’s doing stunts and if he feels its out of his wheelhouse, I know he wont do it.” Shepard takes the injuries in his stride.

• CHIPS is in cinemas on April 6

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CINEMA INTERVIEW

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Brick by Brick

Director Chris McKay lovedWill Arnett’s LEGO Movie Batman so much that he gave him his own film.We caught up with the self-proclaimed DC fan to discover the origins of LEGO Batman . Words: Alesha Kolbe

B atman may not have been the main character in 2014’s The LEGO Movie , but that hasn’t stopped him building his own spin-off flick. The LEGO Batman Movie follows the Dark Knight as he inadvertently adopts young Richard Grayson, AKA Robin, and struggles to accept his newfound responsibility. A standalone LEGO Batman flick was a given following the success of the original movie, and director Chris McKay tells us that the studio was pushing for it barely a week after The LEGO Movie hit cinemas. “Warner Bros. right away saw the response people had to Batman, and the company is heavily invested in Batman with all these new movies they’re doing," he says. "Literally the first week The LEGO Movie premiered they were like, ‘is there a Batman movie here?’ It all just grew from there.” Though the film eventually ended up centering on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, it had very different beginnings. “At one point they thought The Joker would somehow trick Batman into going to see a therapist,” laughs McKay. “When we were first working on the story, [writer] Seth Grahame-Smith pitched this version where Batman was tricked by The Joker into going into therapy, and Harley Quinn was the therapist,

and that was what unravelled Batman. It wouldn’t have been as fun to watch Batman go and sit in a therapist chair and talk about stuff.” The LEGO Batman Movie culminates in a fight of epic proportions, with villains from more than just the DC Universe making appearances. Despite the celebrity-heavy bill, there were still some who didn’t quite make the cut. “Some of the villains that I wanted to put in were people like Kathy Bates from Misery , Daniel Day-Lewis from Gangs of New York , Alex from A Clockwork Orange , and HAL from 2001 ,” says McKay. And if you're wondering why all these guys didn’t

assistants very busy trying to chase down the rights, and who wrote which character, and who owns what," the director explains. "There could be a whole movie made about chasing down all the different rights holders for all these characters.” Finally, we prodded McKay about where he drew Arnett’s Batman from – apparently he's a cross between the Chris Nolan and Frank Miller versions. “The Zack Snyder Batman v Superman came out when we were in production, too, so there’s a bit of Affleck in there. The idea of putting Burt Ward – the ‘66 series Robin – in a Batmobile with a Christopher Nolan/

There could be a whole movie made about chasing down the different rights holders to all these characters

this movie’. I think we ended up finding a good balance.” As you can

Frank Miller/Ben Affleck version of Batman was too good to pass up; will this indefatigable, kind of Book of Mormon , super-positive character rub off on him and change him? It seemed like a fun premise, one of those ‘what if?’ games. What if this character from the ‘60s was put in the Batmobile with this dark, brooding, modern character, and how would they affect each other. It seemed like a fun thing to do.”

quite make it: “There were quite a few that we pitched

out – I think even Moby Dick at one point. Some of them

imagine, trying to get all these baddies

into one movie proved to be a lot of work as far as licensing was concerned. “I kept a lot of lawyers and producers and

you couldn’t interpret very well in LEGO, some you couldn’t develop a clear joke about, and then some of it was just LEGO put their foot down and basically said, ‘you can’t put all these R-rated properties in

• The LEGO Batman Movie is in cinemas now

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FILMS THAT DEFINE A DECADE

THE BIG LEBOWSKI

MONTYPYTHON ANDTHE HOLYGRAIL

TAXI DRIVER

TRAINSPOTTING

AMERICAN GRAFFITI

THE USUAL SUSPECTS CASINO

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

BREAKAST AT TIFFANY’S

MAMMA MIA!

THE BLUES BROTHERS

PSYCHO

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

EASY RIDER

GLADIATOR

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

8 MILE

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Bill Condon CAST: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad RATING: PG Belle (Emma Watson) has recently found herself in a new French village with her father (Kevin Kline), where every day is like the one before. Bored with her mundane life, she pines for adventures like the ones in her beloved books. While most the townsfolk find her peculiar, Belle's beauty plants her in the blinkers of town hunk Gaston (Luke Evans), who is determined to marry her. Aided by his trusty companion Le Fou (Josh Gad), Gaston makes it his mission to woo Belle and win her favour. When Belle’s father finds himself lost in the woods, his only hope is to seek refuge in a nearby castle, which just so happens to be home to a cursed Beast (Dan Stevens). Belle goes to rescue him, and, well, you know the rest… Beauty and the Beast is the latest Disney animated classic to be revisited as a live-action feature. Once you get past the rather unsettling anthropomorphised furniture, this is a thoroughly delightful reimagination featuring all the songs from the 1991 original, plus a few new ones thrown in. Emma Watson is magical as Belle – helped largely by her similar role as Hermione, we assume – and Luke Evans is a suitably distasteful Gaston. Dan Stevens portrays a sheltered Beast, whom we end up caring more for than we did in the animated version. In many regards director Bill Condon improves upon the already fantastic original, giving us something there that wasn’t there before. Alesha Kolbe BEAUTY AND THE BEAST KONG: SKULL ISLAND RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Jordan Vogt-Roberts CAST: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly RATING: M Since his first appearance in the 1933 classic King Kong , the mighty ape has stamped his simian footprint into popular culture and been reimagined for subsequent generations with varying levels of success – from the awful 1976 remake and risible King Kong Lives (1986), to the more recent Peter Jackson film. Kong: Skull Island is a different beast again – a standalone adventure set on Kong's stomping ground. It's 1973 and scientist John Goodman embarks on an expedition to explore Skull Island along with British tracker Tom Hiddleston, photojournalist Brie Larson, and strong military support following the withdrawal from Vietnam. The team don't even have a chance to touch down before Kong makes a spectacular entrance, swatting helicopters from the sky and swallowing soldiers whole. Stranded and separated in a jungle hell teeming with freakish fauna, their chances of survival rest with a barmy John C. Reilly. Kong: Skull Island captures the spirit and excitement of Saturday matinee monster movies like Valley of Gwangi and Mysterious Island , while adding a liberal dose of Vietnam War gung-ho and Jurassic World . It's inventively shot and raises the bar for visual effects, but could have used a better script, less John C. Reilly wisecracks and more Kong. Overall, more enjoyable than Jackson's Kong but not quite a return fit for a King. Scott Hocking

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Dean Israelite CAST: Dacre Montgomery, Bryan Cranston, Becky G. RATING: M

POWER RANGERS

Does the 90’s TV series morph into a successful blockbuster?

B ased on the 1993 television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers , this big screen update sees a group of teenager outsiders taught to work together in order to become the Power Rangers – a colour-coded super group with incredible powers, strength, and equipped with their own armour and mechanical companions called Zords. Keeping with tradition, the film recruits relatively unknown actors to play the fantastic five: Dacre Montgomery as Jason the Red Ranger, Naomi Scott as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, RJ Cyler as Billy the Blue Ranger, Ludi Lin as Zack the Blue Ranger, and singer Becky G. as Trini the Yellow Ranger. Long ago, when dinosaurs walked the earth, a team of Power Rangers – led by Bryan Cranston’s Red Ranger Zordon – protected a crystal that contained the life force of the planet. The Green Ranger, Rita Repulsa, was a member of Zordon’s team until she betrayed them, coveting the crystal for personal gain. Zordon hid his team’s gems, which allowed them to

the guidance of Zordon and his trusty robot assistant Alpha 5 (Bill Hader), these fledgling Rangers must train to protect the Earth from Elizabeth Banks’s terrifying Rita Repulsa and her golden minion, Goldar, who have returned to claim the crystal. It's morphin' time! Power Rangers dutifully captures the essence of the show many will fondly remember from their childhood. But that's not necessarily a good thing, given the series was rather average and cheesy to begin with (but still kind of loveable). While the movie succeeds in upping the quality of the visual effects and the Ranger suit designs (and equally as important, the robotic Zords), it doesn't do much to enhance the story, which worked better in the 20-minute episode format. Reimagined as a coming-of-age tale in superhero clothing, Power Rangers should satisfy newcomers, however longtime series fans will be left feeling a little shortchanged. Alesha Kolbe

RATING KEY: Wow! Good Not bad Meh Woof!

morph into the Power Rangers, in the hope that they would one day be rediscovered by a new and worthy team. It's the aforementioned teens from Angel Grove that rise to the challenge. Under

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Mature themes, violence, sex coarse language, nudity and drug use

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

ALSO SCREENING IN APRIL

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Chris McKay CAST: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Jenny Slate RATING: PG

Following the success of The LEGO Movie (with Batman in a starring role), director Chris McKay ( Robot Chicken ) obviously decided the caped crusader deserved his very own block-buster. The LEGO Batman Movie follows the Dark Knight (voiced by Will Arnett) on a quest to find his place in a world where being a superhero is predominantly a solo endeavour. The film begins with Batman being pitched against every villain he has ever faced. The Joker (Zach Galifianakis), Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate), Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Another brick in the DC wall.

and even Clayface make appearances, as well as some of the lesser known baddies from the DC Universe. The Joker believes he is Batman’s greatest nemesis, and is suitably offended when Bruce Wayne disagrees, leading him to round up some big bads to support his cause. If taking on this much of a threat to Gotham sounds like a lot to handle for old Bats, he does have a bit of help. Of course, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) is around to lift logs and lend a hand, as is Batman’s newly- adopted son, Dick Grayson (the adorable Michael Cera), and the city’s new Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson). Batman must come to terms with his responsibility to others and discover that sometimes, it’s best not to do everything alone. The LEGO Batman Movie is a fun addition to the DC Universe, with plenty of throwbacks to the old films and television series, as well as fitting in a few digs at some of the more recent entries to the DCCU. Bat-fans will find plenty to laugh at, and the kids will love the LEGO-fied animation style, not to mention the addition of more catchy tunes in lieu of Everything Is Awesome… Alesha Kolbe throats. Following a lot of zero gravity blood, panic and opening of airlocks, the ISS astronauts – including Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson – must find a way to stop this seemingly indestructible life form from reaching Earth, otherwise it's crew expendable. There's not a lot going on here that we haven't seen before in better sci-fi thrillers. Alien and Gravity are the obvious touchstones, although Corman's Forbidden World also comes to mind, sans the schlock value. The characters are a bland lot and you won't be too concerned about their ultimate fates. Jake Gyllenhaal, who's done some great work lately ( Nightcrawler, Nocturnal Animals ), looks like he's wandered onto the wrong set and decided to hang around and try on a spacesuit, while Ryan Reynolds is, well, Ryan Reynolds. A creature feature's flaws can usually be forgiven if it has a cool monster, but Life 's alien, while fast and furious, is just your average tentacled monstrosity. A B-movie with A-grade credentials, Life works best as an appetiser for the forthcoming Alien: Covenant , or if internet rumour is to be believed (and when isn't it?), a prequel to Sony's Spider- Man spin-off Venom . In fact, the latter isn't as out there a prospect as it sounds. Scott Hocking

Is there a Marvel movie more anticipated than this one? If the trailers are any indication, Vol.2 looks like it will be as much fun as the first one. Baby Groot, Mantis, Kurt Russell as Star- Lord's Dad, Sly Stallone and an all-new Mix Tape – just a few reasons to get hyped for the return of the Guardians on April 25 . GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol.2

LIFE

The F8 of the Furious – we saw what they did there, and we like it! Dominic appears to have betrayed the family for villainous seductress Charlize Theron... or has he? We still don't believe it! All will be revealed on April 12 . THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Daniel Espinosa CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds RATING: MA15+

Invader from Mars.

Every now and then a sci-fi film appears out of nowhere to dazzle us with provocative concepts and a fresh take on familiar genre tropes; movies like Ex Machina and more recently, Arrival . Life is not one of those movies – it's an Alien rip-off of the kind Roger Corman and the Italians were making back in the 1980s, albeit with a bigger budget and a quality cast. Once again the threat to humankind comes from the red planet. The International Space Station retrieves a probe containing martian soil samples, as well as a single-celled organism which proceeds to grow at a frightening rate until it resembles a translucent jellyfish-facehugger thing with a tendency to crawl down people's

Dax Shepard and Michael Peña team up as California Highway Patrol officers in this buddy cop comedy based on the '70s TV series. Check out our interview on page 14 and the movie on April 6 . CHIPS

Two gangs face off in a Boston warehouse after an arms deal turns bad in the new thriller from British director Ben Wheatley ( Sightseers ). Already touted as a blood relative to Reservoir Dogs , expect a big bodycount on April 27 . FREE FIRE

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THEY’RE GONNA KICK YOUR ASS AND GET AWAYWITH IT

BEST BAD COP COMEDY EVER - Indiewire

ON DVD & BLU-RAY ™ APRIL 19

“...the two central characters are played with charisma...” - Margaret Pomeranz, Stage & Screen

ON DVD APRIL 19

ON DVD & BLU-RAY ™ APRIL 19

AVAILABLE AT

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EXTRAS FEATURE

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I Love Lucy television series, parts of Paramount, Universal, Columbia and Warner Bros. studios reverted to producing television shows, whilst cutting back on their movie production. There were still plenty of old style studio-bound Hollywood movies being made during this period, however an entire year's production now basically relied on the success of one or two big budget epics each year. Frustratingly for the studios, most of their other movie releases were either just breaking even or invariably suffering major losses. Hollywood was slow to identify that cinemagoers' tastes had changed dramatically, especially as the baby boomers came of age. One of the major problems for the studios was the rigid censorship of the self regulatory Motion Picture Production Code, run by the Breen Office and strongly supported by the Catholic Legion of Decency. Together they had virtual veto power over movie content throughout the studio system era and well into the 1960s. Producer Sam Goldwyn perfectly summed up the problem when he declared, “Most of our motion pictures have little, if any real substance. Our fear of what censors will do keeps us from portraying life as it really is. We just wind up with a lot of little fairy tales that do not have much relation to anything”. Goldwyn was right. Traditional Hollywood movies always featured stories where no character

HOLLYWOOD'S SECOND GOLDEN AGE 1950-1960

Part 1: The Influence of Post-War European Cinema on American Film

ever swore or blasphemed, crime never ever paid and good always triumphed over evil. Any moral ambiguity had to be expunged from the storyline; sinful characters, male or female, had to either die or repent their sins by the end of the movie; and romantic couples never had sex (even married couples' bedroom scenes had to portray them both in separate beds). Screen kisses were not allowed to last for more than three seconds and

Cover of a US magazine during the HUAC hearings

a toilet in a bathroom was considered an item unfit for the screen. Hollywood was turning out movies that simply did not reflect real life. Likewise, during the Cold War paranoia, Hollywood was traumatised by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC),

The Hollywood Ten and their families protesting their jail sentences

F ollowing the end of Hollywood’s golden age in the late 1950s, American film production appeared to languish in limbo with only a few dozen standout movies made during the following decade. The factory-like

production of films aligned with the studio/star system had collapsed when the studios released the last of its contracted actors. Furthermore, following RKO studios being bought by Desilu Productions and the enormous success of their

Vittorio De Sica’s neo-realistic The Bicycle Thief

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FEATURE EXTRAS

who in the late 1940s and early '50s launched a series of wildly publicised hearings into alleged Communist infiltration and subversion of the motion picture industry. The committee’s goal was to eradicate what they perceived as emerging left wing liberalism and radical propaganda contained within American movies. A group known as the Hollywood Ten (which included screenwriters Dalton Trumbo and Alvah Bessie), when called before the committee, based their defence on the First Amendment-freedom of speech. Furthermore, they refused to reveal the names of those in the industry with ties to the Communist party and as a consequence, all ten were blacklisted and sent to prison. HUAC’s effect on Hollywood was profound; literally suffocating any social criticism or comments being expressed onscreen, which further removed American movie narrative and subjects from real life social issues. Although US movie theatre attendance was falling year on year, the popularity of “urban arthouses”– that screened European films – increased substantially during the 1950s and '60s. The immediate post-war Italian cinema had introduced a film movement that their filmmakers called neo-realism. Adopting quasi- documentary techniques, using the natural light

A scene from Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960) with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg

Quo Vadis

By the early 1960s the European renaissance in film had gained international fame via various esteemed film festivals and became extremely popular with the youthful American arthouse audiences. The French New Wave films encountered some censorship difficulties when imported to the US, particularly those with an adult sexual theme. The Catholic Legion had always equated onscreen sex with sin and deemed that French films that contained realistic love scenes were far too explicit for American audiences. However, the Legion and the Motion Picture Association of America censorship only applied to mainstream US motion pictures, and although they vehemently condemned these European movies, neither organisation had the power to ban them outright when shown in privately owned theatres.  Meanwhile, the pressure remained on the American film industry to show social and

Francois Truffaut filming on

the streets of Paris with the camera set up in a motor vehicle

These cinephiles' (movie lovers) magazine articles vilified the traditional French film industry’s insistence on producing old fashioned historical costume dramas and literary adaptations, describing them as artificial, meaningless and out of touch with modern life. Following the lead of the Italian neo-realist

filmmakers, three of these critics – Francois Truffaut, Jean Luc Goddard and Claude Chabrol – became amateur film directors, inventing novel ways to inexpensively fund and shoot their movies. Their films were primarily about French youth set in Paris, and owed more to documentary style and television shooting methods than mainstream commercial cinema. Shot principally on location with smaller production

Our fear of what censors will do keeps us from portraying life as it really is

cultural responsibility within their movie productions. But as early as the mid 1950s, a few of the old guard Hollywood filmmakers had begun to rebel against

Luchino Visconti shooting La Terra trema/The Earth Trembles

of location shooting and casting non-actors instead of stars as working class protagonists, their films captured the hardships of everyday life in a war shattered nation. Films such as Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, Open City  (1945), Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thief  and Luchino Visconti’s  The Earth Trembles  (both 1948) would permanently change the European rules of filmmaking. Many aspiring and soon-to-be

the strict and outdated censorship controls they had to work under. There

were also a group of young American movie fanatics studying film as an art form at USC and UCLA, who were fast becoming keen advocates of the innovative European cinema. Moreover, following graduation, these talented soon-to- be filmmakers would totally dismantle the old studio system of making films by adopting the style, themes and modes of production of the French New Wave. And, as a consequence, they would go on to write and direct some of the most thematically challenging movies ever to have come out of Hollywood.

crews, unknown actors (who were encouraged to improvise their lines), and the use of portable camera equipment set up in the trunk of a car

or hand-held on the back of a motorcycle, these filmmakers brought a refreshing and revolutionary simplicity to their movies. Films such as  Le Beau Serge, Les Cousins, The 400 Blows, Breathless  and the many others that followed became known as Nouvelle Vague  (The French New Wave) – one of the most significant and influential film movements in the history of cinema. 

film directors were fascinated by this refreshing post-war Italian aesthetic, which brought together an engaging narrative technique and the real social issues of poverty and unemployment. None more so than a community of French film critics writing for the film journal Cahiers du cinema  (translated as Notebooks on Cinema).

To be continued...

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DVD&BD FEATURE

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Fantastic Beasts andWhere to FindThem is the first in what is shaping up to be a series of standalone Potterverse films. But just how does it fit in with the rest? Words Alesha Kolbe, Savannah Douglas and Zoë Radas

Who is Grindelwald? Gellert Grindelwald is considered by many as one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of all time. A past student at The Durmstrang Institute (Viktor Krum’s school), he was expelled and eventually came into contact with none other than the famous Albus Dumbledore, eventually joining the wizard on his quest for the Deathly Hallows.

Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth disagreed with Albus and Gellert’s quest for the Hallows; this culminated in a three-way duel between the wizards, resulting in the death of Dumbledore’s younger sister, Ariana. Grindelwald commissioned the build of the prison Nurmengard, where he would confine his various nemeses, and which would eventually become his very own prison after his defeat by Dumbledore in 1945. Nurmengard would also become Grindelwald’s final resting place, following his murder by the Dark Lord in his pursuit of the Elder Wand. Obscurials An Obscurial is any witch or wizard who, for fear of persecution for their abilities, has suppressed their magic to the point that they become a parasitical magical force, known as an Obscurus. When an Obscurial is in their Obscurus form, they can make physical contact with and impact on things in the real world, but are often invisible to those around them. Thanks to the parasitical nature of their Obscuri, Obscurials typically don’t live past their 10th birthdays, as the force trapped inside them becomes too much for them to handle. However, it has been known that exceptionally powerful wizards can survive past this point. Where to now? Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was originally a scholastic textbook Harry Potter used for his classes at Hogwarts, and has now been turned into a motion picture with four rumoured sequels. Following the events of the first film – though nothing has been officially confirmed by MACUSA – the rest of the series is set to follow the story of Gellert Grindelwald and his quest to become the most powerful Dark Wizard the world has seen. It isn’t a coincidence, after all, that the 1926 setting of this film overlaps with the subtle beginnings of Grindelwald’s reign…

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America vs England

Niffler Obsessed with shiny things, the Niffler is Scamander’s initial undoing when it escapes from his suitcase in New York. It is a small rodent-like beast with a long platypus snout, clawed toes and thick black fur. A Niffler’s belly pouch has a far greater volume than outwardly appears. Thunderbird The Thunderbird is a giant, multi-winged avian beast, of similar genetic makeup to the phoenix. Native to the Arizona desert, it can sense danger approaching and can summon storms when it flies. Bowtruckle Scamander cares for several Bowtruckles, but has a special friendship with one he names Pickett. A Bowtruckle is a palm-sized, stick insect- like creature, gentle in temperament, and operates as a guardian for its tree home. Demiguise A gentle creature, the Demiguise looks like a small monkey and is covered in long silver hair. It can make itself invisible and also has clairvoyant powers, which makes it difficult to catch. Erumpent An enormous beast with a tough leathery hide capable of repelling most charms and curses, the Erumpent is an African creature which closely resembles a rhinoceros. Its single glowing nose-horn is capable of piercing metallic objects, and contains a detonative fluid. The Erumpent is endangered due to the creatures accidentally blowing themselves up. Occamy Native to India and the Far East, the Occamy can grow or shrink in size to fit the space avail- able to it. It resembles a snake with a bird’s head, and has long purple wings. It’s eggs are incredibly valuable, as they are composed of pure silver. Mooncalf Scamander cares for a herd of Mooncalves – shy, long-necked quadrupeds with bulging eyes and pale grey skin, who will only emerge from their burrows during a full moon. Billywig This bright blue Australian insect has a long stinger; anyone stung will suffer dizziness and temporary levitation. It’s rapid flying speed makes it difficult to spot. Murtlap The Murtlap is an ocean-dwelling, four-legged beast with finger-like growths on its back, resembling a sea anemone’s tentacles.

Schools Hogwarts, the English School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, was established in the 10th Century in Scotland by four founders – Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw. Young American witches and wizards, on the other hand, are primarily educated at Ilvermorny, founded by British wizard Isolt Sayre and No-Maj James Steward. Located on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, Ilvermonrny started out as a simple hut in the 17th century, the only school for young witches and wizards in the country. The uniform of both institutions requires the wearing of robes over their attire. Hogwarts students don black and grey uniforms with trims, ties and emblems matching their houses, whereas Ilvermorny pupils all wear the same robe, in colours of blue and cranberry. The robes are fastened with a gold Gordian Knot, in memory of Sayre’s mother. Houses The four houses of Hogwarts are titled for the surnames of each of its founders: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. By contrast, the Ilvermorny founders instead elected to name their houses for magical creatures, each choosing their favourite: for Sayre, the Horned Serpent; for Steward, the Pukwudgie; for Chadwick Boot, the Thunderbird; and for Webster Boot, the Wampus. For the house selection ceremony, Hogwarts utilises the Sorting Hat, which chooses a student’s house based on their best traits. Ilvermorny’s house emblems, however, will fight for you. If a house wants you, the specific animal crest will react; if more than one animal begins to move, the student chooses which house they would most like to join out of the animated options – much like The Voice . Laws To keep magical folk safe and relatively unknown to the non-magical, Europe has the Ministry of Magic, and America has The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) to uphold law and order. MACUSA is completely independent of American No-Maj governments, whereas the Ministry of Magic has some cooperation and communication with their Muggle counterpart. MACUSA have always been wary of the No-Majs due to the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s; this distrust increased in 1790 with the budding romance of a MACUSA high power’s daughter and a No-Maj – whom, it eventuated, was obtaining MACUSA secrets from his paramour with the intent to destroy both MACUSA and all of wizardkind. These events resulted in the creation of Rappaport’s Law, which made intermarriage and even friendship between wizards and No-Majs illegal, until its repeal in 1965. However, there is one notable law MACUSA were lenient with – the consumption of alcohol.

Source: Pottermore

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