STACK #141 Jul 2016

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ISSUE 141 JUL ’16

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Contributors

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & DVD Editor Scott Hocking Music Editor Zoë Radas JuniorWriter Alesha Kolbe

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Issue 141 JULY 2016

Creative Director Justin Buxton DVD Consultant Michelle Black Games Consultant Andre Eivik Music Consultants Mike Glynn, Fleur Parker Tech Consultant Chris Allen Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Amy Flower Contributors John Ferguson, Graham Reid, Michael Dwyer, Jeff Jenkins, Emily Kelly, Simon Lukic, Chris Murray, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Gill Pringle, John Roebuck Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Photographer Chip Mooney Production Manager Craig Patterson Accounts Coordinator Tracy Kingman

WELCOME The last thing I did at E3 this year was exit from the West Hall. Traditionally, on the final day of the show, a banner is erected above the door emblazoned with “See you next year” and the proposed dates. Given all the talk surrounding the potential future of the show, I was interested to see if it was up. Sure enough, there it was – an almost defiant statement in the face of pre-show criticism. It was a rocky road to the 2016 show, with a few major publishers pulling out. Naysayers issued last rites, but little of this negativity was present at E3 last month. It was a little smaller than usual, but it continued to thrill with a diverse range of games, hardware and accessories. E3 has always been a bombastic celebration, bringing the global industry together like no other show can – and it continued to do so this year. Organisers, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), are aware that the event needs to adapt its format. Events like EA Play, Gamescom and PAX all place emphasis on getting the games into the hands of players. It’s now up to the ESA to find the right formula for E3. However, it is still relevant, and it is still a show that generates excitement and defines the gaming landscape for the proceeding 18 months. And yes, it will be back next year. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2016 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 141 JULY 2016

Extras Pg 10–14

Cinema Pg 16–22

DVD & BD Pg 24–48

Games Pg 49–66

Music From back Pg 1–22

Pg 10–14 NEWS Star Trek turns 50 this year and returns to the big screen in July, with Karl Urban back as Bones in Star Trek Beyond . And Alexander Skarsgård brings some ab-fab to the Lord of the Jungle in The Legend of Tarzan . Pg 14 NEWS Oz Comic-Con and a cavalcade of cosplayers took over Melbourne in June, and STACK is heading to the big San Diego event this month. Pg 22–24 BOB J. The release and aftermath of Sam Peckinpah’s troubled production of Major Dundee, in this concluding chapter. Pg 38–39 BEGINNER’s GUIDE STACK points you towards strange and exciting new frontiers in cinema – this month, nature runs amok on the screen in the wake of Jaws . Pg 68 GIVEAWAYS Win an Xbox One console, a Turtle Beach gaming headset, Batman v Superman prize-packs, and more goodies.

Pg 16–17 INTERVIEW Former Calvin Klein model Travis Fimmel has since become a mighty warrior, in hit TV series Vikings and the new fantasy blockbuster Warcraft . Pg 18 CINEMA BUZZ Paul Feig reimagines Ghostbusters with a talented female cast, and local lad Chris Hemsworth – “the most handsome guy in the world,” according to the director. Pg 20–22 CINEMA REVIEWS Warcraft, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Conjuring 2, Finding Dory

Pg 28–29 BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Director Zack Snyder and star Ben Affleck on who will win in this blockbuster clash of the DC titans. Pg 30 KUNG FU PANDA 3 Jack Black returns as Po for another round of dumplings and martial arts, along with Breaking Bad ’s Bryan Cranston as his long lost dad. Pg 32 SCARE CAMPAIGN Colin and Cameron Cairnes send prank TV shows to hell in their latest homegrown horror feature. Pg 34 ARROWHEAD Writer-director Jesse O’Brien puts Australian sci-fi on the intergalactic map with his impressive debut feature. Pg 36–37 4K GUIDE The future of home entertainment has arrived! What you need to start enjoying movies in 4K Ultra High Definition, and what you can watch. Lane, Hail, Caesar!, Eye in the Sky, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Kung Fu Panda 3, Supergirl: Season 1, House of Cards: Season 4, Orphan Black: Series Four, Scare Campaign, Gods of Egypt, Dragon Blade, The Call Up, The Trust and more... Pg 40–46 REVIEWS The Divergent Series: Allegiant, 10 Cloverfield

Pg 50-66 E3 2016 STACK took its annual trip to Los Angeles to cover the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June. For all our thoughts on the games and tech that we saw at the show over the busy week, check out our extensive six-page coverage. It was a belter that didn’t disappoint.

Pg 3–8 INTERVIEWS + NEWS We spoke to Emma Louise, Travis Barker of Blink-182, Broods, Oh Pep! and more, plus bulletins on Badbadnotgood and The Avalanches. Pg 10–12 GOOD CHARLOTTE With new record Youth Authority , Good Charlotte have sifted through their collective experiences – good and bad – for inspiration. We spoke to Benji Madden about this compelling release. Pg 16-22 Music Reviews Peter Garrett, Stonefield, Ngaiire and Good Charlotte lead our music reviews section, which also includes belters from Orb, Liz Stringer, Bat For Lashes, Roísín Murphy, Blood Orange, Descendents, Jeff Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Diesel, Oh Pep!, John Steel Singers, Ace Frehley, Margo Price, Direct Hit and more.

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BOLDLY GOING BEYOND Coinciding with this year’s 50th anniversary of Star Trek, Karl Urban reprises his role as Bones for a third time in Star Trek Beyond .

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N ew Zealand-born Urban, 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 working at its best... I think that connects a lot of people.” Urban believes he has a better

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

A s part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the

Star Trek franchise this year, a Director's Cut of the 1982 fan favourite Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan will debut on Blu-ray on July 14. 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. Not only did The Wrath of Khan officially establish the 23rd century as the period the Enterprise was 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 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). The digitally resmastered 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 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.

Star Trek Beyond is in cinemas July 21.

understanding of Bones than when he debuted the character seven years earlier. “I have a lot more similarities

to his life now. 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 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 sort of

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‘ONE OF AMERICA’S BEST COMICS‘ (The Boston Globe) ‘SEXY & SUBVERSIVE’ (Slate) ‘PERFECT... SMART & FILTHY’ (NY Times)

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LORD OF THE ABS

R e-nventing the Lord of the Jungle for a new generation, the sight of Alexander Skarsgård’s naked torso is, in itself, good reason to see The Legend of Tarzan . However, when STACK meets with the actor, he is unfortunately fully clothed, despite a futile attempt to mess with the hotel thermostat prior to his arrival, resulting in us both just being rather hot and sweaty. His father, the veteran actor Stellan Skarsgård, was almost more thrilled about the role than Alex, having been a lifelong fan of Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan. With pressure both from the studio and his fans, but also his dad, he set out to sculpt the most badass Tarzan the world has ever seen, working out twice-daily, living like a monk on a restricted diet, and shunning all company, including his girlfriend, British fashionista Alexa Chung. “It was very physical and intense," explains the actor who first sent pulses racing in True Blood . "I am not at all agile and I can’t even touch my toes, so there was a lot of yoga and pilates and stretching and trying to become more limber. I wanted to put on some weight, but I also didn’t want to look like a bodybuilder. This is a guy who grew up in the jungle, so it’s important that he can move like an animal through the jungle. “Fortunately I had the best people in the world working with me, from the stunt coordinator to the trainer to the choreographer, Wayne McGregor. “But here’s the biggest secret: it’s a trapeze artist doing most of my stunts. One of the best trapeze artists in the world came in and did that and then they put my face and my body on his movements. So I can’t sit here and take credit for all the crazy stuff." With Jane portrayed as a damsel in distress in most of the previous Tarzan films, Margot Robbie‘s twist on the character is quite different: “You don’t cast Margot if you’re looking for a

CINEMA

damsel in distress,” laughs Skarsgård. “Margot has this amazing energy and is very confident. We didn’t want it to feel like Tarzan is just saving her because, in many ways, he needs her more than she needs him. He is vulnerable when he is not with her.” They instantly clinched the sizzling on-screen chemistry. “She is the most energetic and lovely human being, which is important because we get separated early on in the movie, so you need to be invested and root for us to get back together, because if the chemistry doesn’t work, then we don’t have a movie,” he says. Gill Pringle

The Legend of Tarzan is in cinemas on July 7.

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We came.We saw.We took too many photos, spent too much money, and loved every minute of it. Comic-Con quering

O z Comic-Con landed in Melbourne over the June long weekend, and with attendance up by 25 per cent on last year, it was the biggest Oz Comic-Con event to date! Of course we headed to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre by the Yarra to soak it all in. From merchandise and cosplayers, to film and TV talent, there was way too much to try and squeeze into two days, but we did our best. Highlights included the opportunity to chat with John Barrowman of Doctor Who and Torchwood fame, and the T-1000 himself, Robert Patrick – both lovely blokes. Barrowman’s love of Deadpool was cheekily revealed, as was his appetite for Tim Tams in a tweet depicting a swag of the Aussie delicacies, which were obviously for export back to the UK – for personal use, of course. Being the massive pop culture convention that it is, there were crowds of cosplayers of all shapes, sizes and species – perhaps even better dressed than those at Supanova. Some of the best included a Mojo Jojo from The Powerpuff Girls , a Disney Princesses group, and a [insert collective noun here] of Tusken Raiders. Once again, Kylo Ren and Suicide Squadders Harley Quinn and The Joker were in abundance, and the rise of 3D printers continues to create some impressive looking Master Chief suits. And with a Hair Expo also in the vicinity, it was often difficult

to separate the cosplayers from the carefully coiffured models. When worlds collide, indeed. If you’re in Sydney or Brisbane, Oz Comic-Con is headed for your city in September. And STACK is headed for the big one in San Diego on July 21–24 to

once again bring you all the breaking news and announcements from press conferences and panels, as it happens. The official SDCC schedule was yet to be finalised at the time of writing, but we’re hoping for a look at the new Star Trek movie, as well as getting the lowdown on all the major film and TV properties from attending studios, including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find

Them , Star Wars: Rogue One, Ash vs. Evil Dead, and the latest from Marvel ( Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Doctor Strange ) and DC ( Suicide Squad ). Oh, and eating lots of fattening American fried food.

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SEASON 5 PART 2

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From

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INTERVIEW CINEMA

Vikings

Warcraft

Vikings

Just three years ago,Travis Fimmel found his breakthrough role as the lead in Vikings after years of struggling to make it in Hollywood. His latest part as the hero of Duncan Jones’s fantasy blockbuster Warcraft , however, was bigger than anything the 36-year-old former male model could have expected…

CINEMA

D espite once being splashed across billboards around the world in his undies, as the first male to secure a six-figure modelling contract, when Travis Fimmel came to conquering the silver screen, his background as the face of Calvin Klein threatened to hold him back. “I was stereotyped straight away, I was only going to be right for certain roles,” he says, “It happens to everyone in the same position: the key is to try and go beyond that.” After a slow start to his career as an actor, which included a disastrous turn as Tarzan in an ill-fated TV show of the same name, the 36-year-old Aussie rocketed to the top in 2013 with his compelling portrayal of Norse warlord Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel’s Vikings . Having been spotted by director Duncan Jones during his stint on the series, Fimmel was offered the chance to get involved in Warcraft , based on the best-selling online video game, World of Warcraft . “I'd never heard of World of Warcraft before but it didn't matter,” says Fimmel. “When I first spoke to Duncan about the role and his passion – he was a passionate player for years – I got it.” Though his latest role capitalised on the capabilities he honed as a Vikings warrior, the big-budget technical elements of Warcraft

moving independently of others, it really is breathtaking.” It wasn’t just the computer wizardry that Fimmel had to adapt to. The sheer scale of Warcraft must be seen to be believed, and his turn as military commander Lothar Anduin posed physical problems, as the historical accuracy of Vikings gave way to a world of orcs, mages, magic and frequent, cataclysmic battles. “I needed an army to put my armour on,” Fimmel laughs. “I needed a ladder to get up onto my horse, with all the armour – it was either that or have two or three men hoist you up there.” The unwieldy armour proved unexpectedly useful, however, when

– which utilises cutting-edge CGI and performance-capture to create a marauding band of orcs intent on world domination – were a whole new experience for Fimmel. “It’s tough because you're acting a lot by yourself,” he says, “I like to bounce off

I had no idea how it would turn out, but I was amazed

Fimmel was involved in a potentially disastrous equine incident.

“I fell off the horse, it got freaked out by the environment, knocked me off and fell on top of me,” he explains. “Thankfully the armour I was wearing

another actor in front of me, not have someone way off camera shout the script and react to no one beside you. It's different from anything I've done.” “I had no idea how it would turn out, but

formed a protective shield – otherwise it could have been a different story. Those animals weigh a lot…”

I was amazed,” he continues. “When I saw the film, the detail, the intricacies, the singe hairs

Warcraft is in cinemas now

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The biggest surprise on the set of the all-chick Ghostbusters was, without doubt, Australia’s own Chris Hemsworth, according to writer-director Paul Feig. Words: Gill Pringle WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

and I saw that he has a real sense of humour about himself, and that’s what drew me to him. If somebody who looks like that can laugh at themselves – and Jon Hamm is the same – I was on board, so I hired Chris on the spot.” But the night before shooting, a nervous Hemsworth

most handsome guy in the world as their receptionist’, without really knowing if he could be funny or not. Sometimes I don’t need funny, I just need fun. So I go, 'Okay, he’ll be fun, and he can be the foil or whatever and we can play with him'. But then he hosted SNL

"I ’m a big fan of Chris as a dramatic actor and just as a presence. He’s the most beautiful man in the world. It’s unbelievable; you work with him and just stare at him like, ‘Oh my God, how are you so handsome?’” recalls Feig when STACK catches up with him in Los Angeles. Having directed Bridesmaids , Spy and The Heat, Feig has so much comedy talent on speed dial but decided to go in a different route when casting Ghostbusters' receptionist, Kevin. “I heard from my agent, who also represents Chris, that Chris was interested in being in it and I thought, ‘Oh my god, it’d be really funny if we just give them the

It turns out Chris Hemsworth is an amazingly funny comedian

CINEMA

Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. “I said, ‘Chris don’t worry, we’ll write you jokes, you’re taken care of’. But he showed up and immediately began improvising and making up his own stuff. Even I was like, ‘What’s he doing?’ and I was laughing so hard and the girls looked at me like, ‘Did you write that for him?’ I was like, ‘No, that’s him!’ Then it just all fell apart because it was just so funny, and we did that for hours and hours. We had so much footage it was very hard to pick. The end result is it turns out Chris Hemsworth is an amazingly funny comedian." Feig insisted that Hemsworth keep his native Aussie accent. “I always worry that anybody who doesn’t do comedy all the time could be hampered by having to put on an accent, so I thought giving him that gave him a comfort zone where he could just play this sort of dopey version of his actual, very smart self.”

visited the set and pulled the director aside saying he wasn’t sure he could improvise alongside the formidable cast of comedic actresses: Melissa McCarthy,

Ghostbusters is in cinemas on July 14.

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THE CONJURING 2

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: James Wan CAST: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe RATING: MA15+ The sequel to James Wan’s 2013 supernatural shocker, which somehow managed to become one of the most commercially successful horror movies of all time, reunites us with paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga) for another “true” tale from their files – the much documented case of the Enfield Poltergeist, which made headlines in London in 1977. Single mum Peggy Hodgson (Francis O’Connor) and her four children live in a rundown council house in North London that’s seemingly inhabited by the ghost of a former resident. When neighbours and police officers witness the poltergeist activity that’s targeting 11-year-old Janet (Madison Wolfe), it becomes front page news. Stateside, Lorraine Warren is also being haunted, by a demonic nun (that looks like Marilyn Manson) and premonitions of her husband's death. Before long, the ghostbusting duo receive the call to look into “England’s own Amityville”. There’s nothing in The Conjuring 2 that we haven’t seen before in Insidious and The Exorcist ; it’s a horror movie made for people who’ve never seen a horror movie. Today's audiences demand calculated jump scares and a CGI boogeyman, and that’s what Wan gives them. Show them Robert Wise's b/w classic The Haunting and they'll yawn; old school horror fans will have the same reaction to The Conjuring 2 . Scott Hocking FINDING DORY RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane CAST: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Idris Elba RATING: G Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), the scatterbrained blue tang fish that helped Marlin (Albert Brooks) relocate his son in Finding Nemo , begins to have memories of her childhood and specifically, how she came to be separated from her parents. Together with Marlin and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), Dory sets off across the ocean to retrace and piece together her fragmented memories in order to find her long lost home. Success may be Pixar’s greatest hurdle. The past achievements of the enormously influential animation studio precede every new release, setting the bar to such a daunting high point that a film must be no less than great to reach it. Moreover, Pixar’s previous disinterest in franchising their films has waned, particularly since Disney bought out the studio in 2006. We have Toy Story 3 , Cars 2 , Monsters University and now, Finding Dory . Both of these factors are crucial to understanding the success and failure of this belated sequel to the studio’s 13-year-old smash hit. Finding Dory is convincingly accomplished (like most Pixar animation releases), entertaining and occasionally inspired, but it never quite reaches the heights of the studio’s early triumphs, nor totally convinces us it’s a necessary continuation of the original story. John Roebuck

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Duncan Jones CAST: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster RATING: M

WARCRAFT

M ovie adaptations of video games are always best approached with trepidation, thanks to a less than stellar track record. Turning Blizzard Entertainment’s massively popular MMORPG (as in massively multi-player online role-playing game) into a blockbuster film was always going to be challenging, given the game’s dense mythology and lore – remember how the Dungeons & Dragons movie turned out? Fortunately Warcraft has two things in its favour. It’s set in a recognisable fantasy realm to give non-gamers an entry point, and it has director Duncan Jones, who helmed two terrific indie sci-fi films: Moon and Source Code . Despite all the lore craft, the story is a simple tale of light versus darkness, as two tribes go to war. Using a dark magic called the Fel, warrior orcs enter the human realm of Azeroth through a portal, intent on claiming the world as a new home. Unless a peace can be struck with the rebellious orc chieftain Durotan (Toby Kebbel), who recognises the true destructive nature of the Fel, Azeroth will be overrun by the horde that's waiting on the other side of the gate. Warcraft is a triumph in production design and Jones brings a visual creativity to all the CGI-candy and elaborate sets, with vertiginous angles, aerial battle shots, and skimming the camera at ground level. But his screenplay, co-written with Charles Leavitt, only engages sporadically. The brutish orcs – who resemble a cross between the Hulk and a warthog – are exceptionally well realised through When two tribes go to war...

performance-capture, taking the process a level beyond Avatar and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes . The film is most interesting when they’re on the screen, and Jones obviously thinks so too, because he’s lavished an incredible amount of detail on their appearance and culture. Condensing the world of Warcraft into an accessible franchise opener is a tough gig, and Jones has done an accomplished job. But audiences are unlikely to find themselves invested in the story or characters, unlike the game, which role-players immerse themselves in for days on end without a break. At a brisk two hours, at least there’s no need for caffeine and a catheter here. Scott Hocking

CINEMA

RATING KEY: Wow! Good Not bad Meh Woof!

FURTHER VIEWING: The Hobbit Trilogy

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ALSO SCREENING IN JULY

STAR TREK BEYOND

The new Trek movie promises to be a fast and furious affair, with F&F’s longtime director Justin Lin driving this third installment in the rebooted franchise, after J.J. Abrams defected to a galaxy far, far away. Resembling a cross between Guardians of the Galaxy and Galaxy Quest , this looks to be a more fun-filled installment in the spirit of the original series, unlike Into Darkness . Beam us up on July 21 .

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE

RELEASED: Now Showing DIRECTOR: Roland Emmerich CAST: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman RATING: M

A sequel that doesn’t disappoint, because it delivers exactly what you expect.

A Roland Emmerich film is like a super- sized serving of your favourite junk food, with ample lashings of corn and cheese. It goes down a treat and you feel guilty about how much you enjoyed it. This follow-up to his 1996 alien invasion epic doesn’t disappoint, because it delivers exactly what you expect. It also satisfies the criteria for a good sequel – repurposing what was great about the first film to serve a new story, and setting up a franchise in the process. And yes, there is a gag involving the White House. In the decades since the “war of ‘96”, global peace has prevailed and the aliens’ technology used to strengthen Earth's defences. But all that counts for nought when a 3,000- mile wide mothership answers the original invaders' distress call and proceeds to suck up entire cities with its own gravity field, dropping them on top of other cities. It's going to take more than Jeff Goldblum uploading malware to defeat them this time – could a mysterious alien orb be the key to saving the planet? Most of the first film's surviving characters are back, sans Will Smith (which is perhaps a good thing). Liam Hemsworth fills the role of hotshot flyboy nicely, while Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch and Brent Spiner (who somehow survived being choked by a tentacle) pick up where they left off. The now grown-up kids of the Smith and Pullman characters – Jesse T. Usher and Maika Monroe, respectively – also join the fight, but they ultimately fail to register amongst the original gang. Independence Day was essentially a

disaster movie, but Resurgence is Emmerich's Aliens – an action-heavy sci-fi sequel with bigger FX and even more characters and creatures, including a giant pissed-off alien queen. Sci-fi fans are obliged to check out this huge, ridiculous, and ridiculously entertaining popcorn blockbuster. And everyone else should, too. Go on, you know you want to. Scott Hocking

CINEMA

Who you gonna call? This time it's Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones who ain't afraid of no ghost. Will Paul Feig's girl power redux of the '80s classic be a hit or a bust? We'll find out on July 14 . GHOSTBUSTERS

FURTHER VIEWING: The Day After Tomorrow

Looking less boring than 1984's Greystoke , this lavish reimagination also has an eye-candy cast in its favour, with Alexander Skarsgård as the buff Lord of the Jungle, and Margot Robbie as Jane. July 7 . THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

JASON BOURNE

Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass return to the spying game for this sequel/reboot , after the average Jeremy Renner-led spin-off failed to leave much of a legacy. And it has Alicia Vikander, too. Re-Bourne on July 28 .

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Major Dundee (1965) Directed by Sam Peckinpah Release &aftermath Part 5:

Bresler gave scoring duties to Columbia’s resident musical director Daniele Amfitheatrof, who composed a bombastic martial theme actually sung by Mitch Miller’s Sing-Along Gang. The jaunty song incongruously played over dozens of massacred bodies shown during the opening credits. Bresler had discarded the extra ten minutes that Peckinpah had intended to add to his first cut, without even

F ollowing Sam Peckinpah’s dismissal from Columbia Pictures, producer Jerry Bresler now took over post- editing of Major Dundee . Two of his previous productions had been the insipid, surf-crazy Gidget teen movies, therefore one might reasonably ask whether he was the right man to edit Peckinpah’s complex western. Nonetheless, with the exhibitors quote of “too violent” still foremost in his mind, he proceeded to excise practically all of what he considered to be the ultra- violent and sadistic scenes from the film. Peckinpah was an ardent admirer of the slow motion fight scenes in Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 production Seven Samurai . Whilst shooting the final river battle between Dundee’s men and the French lancers, Sam experimented by mixing slow motion sequences with live action. But unfortunately all of these experimental scenes also ended up on the cutting room floor.

One of Peckinpah’s experimental slo-mo scenes cut from the movie

The brutal [editing] hatchet job completely unravelled the already complicated storyline

viewing the scenes. He then axed another twenty-five minutes and later still, the studio would remove a further thirteen minutes. Thus, a total of forty- eight minutes was excised from Peckinpah’s original planned running time. The brutal hatchet already complicated storyline, which had now fragmented into undeveloped sub-plots that lacked continuity. job completely unravelled the

Consequently, when Major Dundee premiered in New York in February 1965, it was lambasted by the critics, with the director taking the brunt of the criticism. An incensed Sam launched a blistering attack in the film press that denounced the studio and repudiated the film, stating that "...the studio’s unwanted edits took out the thread lines of the story that made it fall apart. Major Dundee is a film so massacred I do not recognise it from the one I made.” He then wrote a scathing letter to Bresler, of which the final line read "Jerry, you’re a treacherous well poisoner." His wrathful outburst swiftly gained Peckinpah a reputation of being an uncooperative, belligerent maverick. This proved extremely detrimental to his career

The death scene of Ben Tyreen (Richard Harris), cut from the film for being “too violent”

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in the ruthless editing process, it was, however, always an ambitiously flawed

project that was never totally resolved in both

script and shooting. Charlton Heston identified what was probably a crucial problem with the production when he wrote in his journal, “Looking back, I think we all wanted to make a different sort of film. Bresler and Columbia wanted a standard cowboy and Indian story. I wanted a film about the most traumatic event in American history – the civil war. And Sam... well Sam wanted the film he later got to make”. Many film writers have

“This time we do it right!” Poster for The Wild Bunch

dialogue from this 1969 groundbreaking western masterpiece serves as a perfect metaphor for both movies. Following a botched bank robbery, a gang of outlaws methodically plan their next job – to hijack a US Army train on the Tex/Mex border. As they prepare to execute the plan, their leader turns to them and says, “This time we do it right!” Unlike the debacle that befell his Major Dundee, by writing and directing The Wild Bunch , Sam Peckinpah most definitely – this time – did it right.

perceived that Major Dundee was practically a dry run for Peckinpah’s next film, which he directed three years later – the one that elevated him into the pantheon of great American filmmakers. A line of

Major Dundee film poster for its original US release

End Notes

in 2005. The restored thirteen minutes plus a new musical score was a significant improvement that added some clarity and cohesion to the story that Sam had originally intended to tell onscreen. Hardly a “director’s cut” but nevertheless, for the many aficionados of the film, it was a welcome glimpse of what could have been.

(1971), Peckinpah received an unexpected invitation to return to Columbia to reassemble Major Dundee into his original version. Re-score, re-dub – the whole nine yards. Sam’s exacting reply to Columbia Pictures is unprintable here. However, some 20 years after Peckinpah’s death, an extended version of Major Dundee was given a theatrical and DVD release

Throughout his movie career “Bloody Sam”, as the media later tagged him, would remain a recalcitrant filmmaker who, through his inherent hatred of the “movie money men”, was always destined to clash with studio management. And yet, following the enormous worldwide critical and box-office success of both The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs

a castrated epic ruined by colossal studio interference

and directly led to MGM unfairly firing him from The Cincinnati Kid, on which he had begun pre-production. Suddenly finding himself out on the street, he desperately began phoning around the film studios in search of employment. But when no one returned any of his calls, he realised that he had been effectively blacklisted. Sam Peckinpah would remain persona non grata in Hollywood for the next three years. Yet when the film was released in Europe, it received a much kinder reception from both reviewers and audiences than it had in the US. Although European critics identified it as flawed, they admired its undeniable grandeur and lauded Peckinpah’s obvious talent as a visionary filmmaker. Over the following years, Major Dundee entered into film legend as “a castrated epic ruined by colossal studio interference.” Although the film certainly lost its cohesion

The extended version, released in 2005

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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 part if I

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

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

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