STACK #141 Jul 2016

REVIEWS DVD & BD

Be careful who you prank. SCARE CAMPAIGN

By the gods! GODS OF EGYPT

Release Date: 06/07/16

Release Date: 29/06/16

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Ozploitation continues to enjoy a welcome resurgence, and this new feature from Colin and Cameron Cairnes ( 100 Bloody Acres ) should be at the top of every horror fan's must-see list. When a group of masked mavericks up the ante in terms of gruesome online prank videos, popular hidden camera TV series 'Scare Campaign' must also lift its game if its going to compete – and survive. Shooting in an abandoned asylum, the show's latest unsuspecting stooge is about to get the fright of his life. But what if he doesn't take it well? Winner of Best

From Cleopatra to Stargate , ancient Egypt has long been a source of inspiration for filmmakers. Its pantheon of gods and their battle to control the heavens and earth is the focus of this big budget fantasy epic from director Alex Proyas ( I, Robot ), who unleashes a maelstrom of CGI with the fervour of Michael Bay on a Transformers set. Game of Thrones ' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gerard Butler play warring deities Horus and Set, respectively, while Aussie Brenton Thwaites is the boy hero who wants to

Film and Screenplay at last year's Monster Fest, this clever thriller is a masterclass in misdirection that pranks and scares its audience with the same twisted relish, and gets the most from its spooky location. Look out, too, for Sigrid Thornton in an amusing cameo. SH (See page 32)

rescue his girlfriend from the afterlife. Striving to match the Marvel blockbusters of today, but instead resembling 1987’s Masters of the Universe , Gods of Egypt might be the year's biggest guilty pleasure – as long as you're tuned into its pyramid-sized streak of insanity. SH

DVD&BD

dragon blade

THE CALL UP

THE TRUST

EVA

Release Date: 20/07/16 Format:

Release Date: 29/06/16 Format:

Release Date: 01/07/16 Format:

Release Date: 13/07/16 Format:

John Cusack and Adrien Brody may not be the first guys you expect to see slashing it up in a Chinese-made, steel-slinging epic starring Jackie Chan, but they’ve got their swords, they’ve got their sandals, and they’re well up for a fight! Led by the dodgy Tiberius (Brody), the Romans have invaded, aiming to wrest control of the Silk Road. Some Roman soldiers, led by General Lucius (Cusack), aren’t onboard with their corrupt leader though, defecting and ultimately joining Huo An (Chan) and his band of merry warriors to keep things balanced. It all culminates in an incredible Jackie Chan- directed battle of, naturally, epic proportions. AF

With Virtual Reality finally starting to catch up with our great expectations, it’s become the buzziest tech must-have. Naturally, super-dedicated gamers are champing at the bit to get involved, so when a cutting edge VR game puts out the call up for testers, its devs aren’t short of takers. However, this immersive first-person shooter is so immersive that, well, players get shot at for real – with real bullets and real possible death. Maybe they should have heeded The Clash? The Call Up is a classic, lowish budget bit of techno-terror reminiscent of The Raid – just without all the groovy martial arts ballet. It’s all still sci-fi at the moment, but for how long? AF

You’re a Vegas cop (Nicolas Cage). Your pay is lousy and you’re bored. But while trudging through your routine work, you spot a suspect bail receipt. You wonder why somebody paid so much to secure the freedom of an apparent low-rung footsoldier and you do some digging, letting your partner (Elijah Wood) in on the potential score. You subsequently plan a heist – one that starts turning to crap from the very get-go... A darkly comedic crime thriller from music vid directors Alex and Benjamin Brewer, The Trust sees Nic Cage hitting deliciously bonkers heights – you may try, but you just can’t look away! AF

It’s 2041, and robotic technology has progressed in leaps and bounds. An expert in the field, Alex Garel (Daniel Brühl) is summoned to his hometown to work on a new project, a realistic robot child. But he has ghosts there – in particular his former lover Lana (Marta Etura), who’s now his brother’s wife. Searching for a muse for his project, Alex happens upon lively 10-year- old Eva, who he soon discovers is his niece. The two quickly strike up a friendship, but big secrets are being kept from Alex. An incredibly human experience considering its subject matter, this Spanish sci-fi drama is sweet, moving and thought-provoking. Plus there’s a cool robo-cat! AF

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