STACK #159 Jan 2018

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ISSUE 159 Jan ’18

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THE BEST OF 2017 • IDRIS ELBA • EMINEM

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Contributors

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

Music Editor Zoë Radas StaffWriter Alesha Kolbe

Issue 159 JANUARY 2018

Creative Director Michelle Black DVD Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Andre Eivik Music Consultant Mike Glynn Tech Consultant Chris Allen Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Gill Pringle Contributors Amy Flower, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Chris Murray, Billy Pinnell, Jennifer Dou, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby, Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Jayden Perry Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson Production Assistant Alan Netherclift

WELCOME According to a UK quiz show I was mindlessly watching last month, the word January derives from the Latin name for door. The thinking behind it was a new door opens to a new year bringing new opportunities, etc. (I do enjoy gleaning useless information like this so I can promptly bore someone with it at a summer BBQ.) While we predominately keep to that theme this month and focus on what’s new across all entertainment categories – even highlighting the games you can expect to play in 2018 – it’s tradition in the January issue to also pay homage to the year that just passed. What was your favourite film of 2017? How about best game, TV series or album? After lengthy debate, long deliberation, and the inevitable tough decision to cut contenders, the category editors here at STACK have drawn up their own lists. It’s never an easy task, but do let us know what you think of the choices we’ve made when we post them on our socials. However, the biggest news this month is the commencement of our annual STACK Home Entertainment Awards, or SHEAs as they’ve become affectionately known around the office. Selecting the best film, TV series, game and album of 2017 is totally down to you. But wait, there’s more. Participate in the voting process (see the prompts online) and you’ll go into the draw to win a copy of everything. Yes, everything – that’s a whole heap of home entertainment goodness up for grabs. The winner truly takes all! So what are you waiting for? It’s time to vote. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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Issue 159

JANUARY 2018

Music Pages 41 - 67

Games Pages 1 - 23

Extras Pages 8 - 9

Cinema Pages 10 - 21

DVD & BD Pages 24 - 38

10 MOLLY’S GAME Following a brief midlife crisis, Idris Elba is in the form of his life as a legal hotshot alongside Jessica Chastain’s high stakes poker player. 12 THE SHAPE OF WATER Not since Pan’s Labyrinth has Guillermo del Toro created such a dark yet whimsical movie. 14 DARKEST HOUR The chameleonic Gary Oldman totally immersed himself in the role of Winston Churchill. 16 MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER An enchanting new animated tale from former Studio Ghibli alumni. 18-21 REVIEWS Call Me by Your Name, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Downsizing, Darkest Hour, Pitch Perfect 3, Coco, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

26-27 THE BEST OF 2017: FILM WWII, aliens, racial issues, a musical, and the Wolverine. 26-27 THE BEST OF 2017: TV There are plenty of shows here you simply must get to know. 28-29 BLADE RUNNER 2049 A sequel to Ridley Scott’s iconic sci-fi noir took 35 years, but it was worth the wait. 30 STRATTON Ex-special forces operator turned author Duncan Falconer talks Stratton. 32 BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 This is Vince Vaughn as you’ve never seen him before. 34-37 REVIEWS Battle of the Sexes, Mother!, The Mountain Between Us, Blade Runner 2049, Happy Death Day, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Leatherface, The Belko Experiment, Home Again, Beyond Skyline, and more.

YOUR ESSENTIALGUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs,GAMES&MUSIC

YOUR ESSENTIALGUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs,GAMES&MUSIC

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ISSUE 159 Jan ’18 GAMES

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BESTOF 2017 • COMING IN 2018 • EMINEM

THEBESTOF 2017 • IDRIS ELBA • EMINEM

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8-9 EXTRAS STACK Home Entertainment Awards 2017. Vote for your favourite film, TV series, game and album of 2017 for a chance to win a copy of every nominated title! 22-23 BOB J The Forgotten Stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The second installment on the remarkable and acclaimed career of Susan Hayward. Spurned by Warner Bros. and Paramount, Hayward’s undeniable talent would neverthless bring her into Oscar contention.

44-51 INTERVIEWS We spoke with Tonight Alive, Porches and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and took a peek into the brand new Australian Music Vault exhibition. 52 BEST OF 2017 STACK ’s crew of music writers reveal their picks for the best albums of 2017. 54-55 EMINEM Read how Marshall Bruce Mathers III went from bullied teen to the top of the rap game. 58-62 ALBUM REVIEWS Tiny Little Houses, NxWorries, Wilco, First Aid Kit, Kimbra, Tonight Alive and a sackload more.

3-5 INTRO January at a glance. 6-7 MONSTER HUNTER Here comes Monster Hunter World. 8-10 BEST OF 2017 We take a look at our top No need to go on holiday, bring the summer to you. 14 WHAT’S COMING IN 2018 What will we be playing this year? 16-18 Star Wars Toys 20-23 out this month games of last year. 12 suMMER GAMES

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baptism on Molly’s Game. “I kept a keen eye on how he worked and ran his set. He was incredibly relaxed but at the same time, you could ask him about, for example, the degree of which this magazine should sit,” he says, lifting a magazine from the coffee table of the West Hollywood hotel where STACK shares a sofa with him. “And he’d know exactly how he wanted the magazine to be, he always knew what he wanted. But mainly what was really inspirational is that he kept a happy set. Happy set, happy film.” The Molly behind Molly’s Game is former Olympic athlete Molly Bloom, played in the film by Jessica Chastain. Dubbed the Poker Princess, she ran high stakes poker games in Los Angeles and New York – where her clients famously included Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire – until her arrest by the FBI. Portraying Bloom’s lawyer Charlie Jaffey, a man of enormous credibility, it wasn’t necessary for Elba to pick up a poker habit, although he understands the attraction. “It’s about risk, isn’t it? I think men just have a different point of view on risk than females. To make these very calculated risks and double your wealth, that must be very gratifying, so I get that.” But we won’t find Elba at a poker table anytime soon, unless it’s to play 007. “I used to play Texas Hold ‘Em on an app, just for sh-ts and giggles,” he smiles, trying to dodge the inevitable Bond question which has swirled ever since Daniel Craig allegedly suggested Idris for the next Bond three years ago. “Doesn’t everybody want to be Bond?” he says coyly. “I have a career where I like doing everything. I do acting, directing, music, and I think once you get a character like Bond, that would probably become your life. “It would be an awesome compliment to be offered that. It’s not something I’m gonna chase down but it is definitely one of the biggest and most famous rumours that has ever been attached to me. I think I’m more famous for not playing Bond than some actors are for actually playing the character.”

ELBA’S GAME The charming and charismatic Idris Elba sat down with STACK to discuss Molly's Game, his midlife crisis, and those rumours regarding the next 007. Words Gill Pringle

W ith his 6'3" frame wrapped in crimson sweats, a broad smile punctuating his face, Idris Elba looks remarkably chilled for a guy who will later tell you how he recently survived a midlife crisis.

I look at Charlie, his face, and see how drawn I was. But I just wanted to do it. I don’t know why,” adds Elba, who KO-ed Dutch fighter Lionel Graves and promptly jumped on a plane

to the Molly’s Game set in Toronto, where his co-star Jessica Chastain was waiting. “Crazy huh?” he asks,

“I lost so much weight. When you look at Charlie Jaffey, you can see it in my face,” he says, referring to the lawyer he plays in Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, Molly’s Game . Prior to shooting with Sorkin, he had just completed Idris Elba: Fighter , a three-

Doesn’t everybody want to be Bond?

shaking his head. “Literally, the day after the fight, I flew to the set and Aaron’s team were like, ‘Did he win? Is

he okay?’ I didn’t have much mental preparation because of my fight schedule but when I landed, I sat down with Aaron and

part docu-series delving into the roots of Muay Thai and kickboxing – making his debut in the ring 14 months ago (October 2016) in London. “There goes that male thing about risk, you know?” he muses, rubbing his hands over a close crop, burnished in grey. “There’s something really satisfying about walking away unscathed, and saying I did it. I really got a kick out of pushing my body to its optimum. “But it was a midlife

went straight to work.” Elba, who makes his directorial debut with the upcoming gangster flick Yardie , paid particular attention as Sorkin endured his own directorial

Molly's Game is in cinemas on February 1, with advance screenings 26–28 January.

TALKIN' SORKIN Three of the best from Aaron Sorkin, the master of dialogue many have imitated, but none have surpassed.

crisis, if I’m honest: I’m 45 now and I was going through a moment,” says the actor beloved for his roles in The Wire and Luther . “I was fight-ready and the fittest I’d ever been. But I didn’t look very healthy, actually, when

A FEW GOOD MEN Jack Nicholson and Sorkin's blistering script was a match made for cinema heaven. And that's the 'truth'!

THE WEST WING Simpler times, when

THE SOCIAL NETWORK The Oscar-winning story of how we came to rely less on words and more on Likes, from the master of words. Irony much?

communication from the White House wasn't constrained by characters you could fit on Twitter.

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*Actor in a Limited Series, Luther , 2012. **Actress in a Leading Role, The Reader , 2008. ACADEMY AWARD ® and OSCAR ® are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Guillermo del Toro's new film The Shape ofWater offers a dark and whimsical twist on the Creature from the Black Lagoon . Words Gill Pringle ON THE WATER FRONT

Lanky actor and GDT regular Doug Jones has brought a number of memorable creatures to life... SHAPESHIFTER

PAN'S LABYRINTH Jones pulled double make-up duty in del Toro's masterpiece, as the seemingly benevolent Faun and the nightmarish Pale Man.

N ot since Pan’s Labyrinth has Guillermo del Toro created such a dark yet whimsical movie, his latest film The Shape of Water serving as a love letter to his younger self who grew up feasting on monster movies like Creature from the Black Lagoon. In this shape-shifting confection, part love story, part thriller, part monster

185 pounds, and fortunately the picture effects people took to me immediately. They were able to build monsters on me, because I’m not too bulky and have a sense of movement.” Jones's head-to-toe transformation took three hours in the make-up chair: “Guillermo and I have a shorthand, and it’s a usually a couple of key words. This time it was ‘I want you to channel a little Silver Surfer’, who I played in the Fantastic Four sequel; he’s a

HELLBOY Gill-man Abe Sapien bears more than a passing resemblance to The Shape of Water 's creature, and could be considered an amphibious cousin.

movie, Sally Hawkins gives a deeply touching performance as a mute cleaner at a secret government facility who falls in love with an amphibian creature held captive there. Rather than boning up on sign language, del Toro sent his leading lady a box

I had this idea for a movie about a janitor that meets an amphibian man

little bit of that and a little bit of matador – they’re smooth and graceful and powerful, and you want that with a raw, animalistic performance,” says the actor whose previous films with del Toro include

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER Laurence Fishburne provided the voice but Jones was the body of the mercurial Marvel boardrider – albeit heavily enhanced by CGI.

of Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin DVDs. “I wanted her to watch the way they move because it’s basically a silent performance. I also

Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak.

The Shape of Water also features Michael Shannon as the government agent who first brings in the mysterious part-man, part-fish creature captured in South America, and Octavia Spencer as Hawkins’ co-worker. Spencer, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Help, was so thrilled to work with del Toro, she didn’t even mind being pigeonholed as the cleaning lady. “She felt very different to other women because Guillermo allowed me to have a point of view, and not be so subjugated, so even though we were subordinates, they allowed me to have a point of view and be the queen of the domain. So she was the help, but she was the queen of the day."

Reflecting on his childhood obsession with monster movies, del Toro, now 53, says, “I was six years old when I first saw

asked her to look at Audrey Hepburn because I wanted the film to feel classic,” says the director when STACK meets with him at the Toronto International Film Festival. To portray his Amphibian Man, he looked no further than longtime collaborator Doug Jones, marking their sixth collaboration over 20 years. “I never set out to do monster work,” says Jones. “When I first came to Hollywood in 1985, I didn’t think I would be a sitcom star or play the next-door neighbour. I’m six-foot-three,

the creature swimming with Julie Adams in the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world, and hoped that Julie would get together with the creature. But they didn’t. For years I tried to do it as a straight homage/reverse on the sci-fi part, but then I had this idea for a movie about a janitor that meets an amphibian man, in a cylinder in a secret government facility – and takes it home.”

The Shape of Water is in cinemas on January 18

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RUBY BARNH I L L K ATE WI NSLE T J I M BROADBENT

P R E PAR E TO B E SWE P T OF F YOUR F E ET W I TH TH I S MAG I CA L FANTA S Y ADVENTUR E . IN CINEMAS JANUARY 18

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THE MANY FACES OF GARY OLDMAN

SID VICIOUS Sid and Nancy (1986) Oldman's movie debut as

the Sex Pistols' bassist who couldn't play a note was a ferociously committed, career- making performance.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Immortal Beloved (1994) With that title and Oldman looking like Dracula, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a vampire movie, not a Beethoven biopic.

The chameleonic Gary Oldman addsWinston Churchill to his impressive resume of real-life figures with Darkest Hour . Words Gill Pringle NEVER SURRENDER

LEE HARVEY OSWALD JFK (1991) Oldman bore an uncanny resemblance to the man who shot Kennedy (or did he?), in Oliver Stone's conspiracy drama.

O ver the years, Gary Oldman has played wizards and generals, punk rockers, composers and Count Dracula, but even he hesitated at the prospect of portraying Winston Churchill. “I was very wary because not only is he so iconic but because there’s many great actors who have played him before: Richard Burton, Albert Finney and Robert Hardy – they’re big shoes to step into,” says Oldman when we meet at the Toronto International Film Festival, neglecting to name recent

Both men were strangely hesitant about meeting with each other for the first time, but soon broke the ice. “I was surprised to find he was nervous about meeting me, so we went outside and vaped together and after that we were like brothers,” laughs Wright. Later they would run up a USD 18,000 cigar bill as Oldman puffed his way through six stogies a day, promptly arranging a check up with his doctor after the shoot was finished. If Oldman was anxious about taking on Churchill then ditto Ben Mendelsohn, the Australian actor tasked with portraying

“We’ve all got an idea of Winston – not on the actual man but on the other people who’ve played him, so I looked at the actual Pathe newsreels instead. My admiration for him is tenfold after having the opportunity and privilege to play him.” In portraying Churchill’s wife Clementine, Kristin Scott Thomas was surprised to learn that, behind closed doors, Churchill was riddled with doubt and insecurities. “I grew up with images of Churchill, and this rather strange looking woman who was his wife. She had a very particular hairdo and her clothes seemed to be from another era, and then I discovered that she was an absolute fighter and was incredibly engaged during the war,” she says. “It’s fascinating that Churchill was able to articulate all these incredible feelings of national pride and unite people, yet he was just a human being like any other. In portraying Clemmie, I was able to help reveal the man rather than the hero.” If much has been made about the long hours Oldman, 59, endured in the make-up chair, as layers of prosthetics were applied, today he puts it into perspective: “I’m playing a man who, at 65 years old, took on Adolf Hitler, so for me to sit there for three hours of make-up? Well, it could be a lot worse,” he says, cracking up with laughter.

performances by John Lithgow and Brian Cox. Such an over- abundance of recent Churchills likewise gave director Joe Wright pause when he was first offered Anthony McCarten’s script for Darkest Hour , charting the early days of WWII where the

King George VI – Colin Firth having taken home an Oscar for his own performance in The King’s Speech . Avoiding other actors’ interpretations, Mendelsohn says, “I mainly just watched newsreel. I knew Jared Harris was playing him in The Crown, so I didn’t want to go near that because he’s so brilliant.” After immersing himself in all things

There's a lot of radical revisionism that goes with Churchill

Churchill, Oldman admits he’s none the wiser. “There’s a lot of radical revisionism that goes on with Churchill. I don’t know if he was such a boorish, cruel man as he is sometimes portrayed by critics. There’s those people out there who love him and there’s those that don’t.” To that end, he went on a Churchill fast. “You really have to find your own man so, in terms of other performances, I didn’t watch them. I had watched Robert Hardy when it was on TV many years ago but I didn’t want to be contaminated or influenced by other people’s performances.

fate of western Europe hung on the leadership of the newly- appointed British PM.

“I met with Anthony and told him I wasn’t sure whether I would go and see this movie, but as soon as Gary Oldman’s name came up, I knew that I would go and see that movie,” says Wright. “Gary has been a hero of mine since I was 15 when he played Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy ,” says the Atonement director. “The idea of a career that goes from Sid Vicious to Winston Churchill seems too tantalising really.”

Darkest Hour is in cinemas on January 11

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Based on the best-selling novel by Zoë Foster Blake

Season Two After six months of romantic paradise with Jack (Rob Collins) in New Zealand, Lily (Jessica Marais) is called back to Melbourne to save The Breakfast Bar from cancellation. The return of Jack’s old flame, Gillian (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), only complicates things further, as do the feelings still lingering between Lily and Pete (Ian Meadows). This time, can Lily make the right choice?

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Did you know?

The origin of the studio’s name, ponoc, comes from an expression in Croatian meaning “midnight” and “the beginning of a new day”. The background art’s look in Mary and the Witch’s Flower was designed not to be overly detailed, but rather maintain a balance and harmony with the film’s animated characters. Hiromasa Yonebayashi was a key animator with Studio Ghibli. His previous films as director are The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) and When Marnie Was There (2014).

Based on the 1971 book The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, Mary and theWitch’s Flower brings the magic of this children’s tale to life through the talents of two Studio Ghibli alumni. Words Alesha Kolbe BEWITCHING

A lthough anime powerhouse Studio Ghibli – made famous by Hayao Miyazaki and films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away – has undergone a reshuffle and Miyazaki has ‘retired’ (even though he’s working on a new film!), the spirit of its animated features lives on in Mary and the Witch’s Flower . The story follows Mary, a young girl who is living with her great aunt in a cottage called Red Manor while her parents are away working. One day she ventures out into the woods and discovers

there’s just something about the sound of a harpsichord. There's also something magical in seeing the obviously English countryside rendered in anime style, and the film's subtle British sensibility should put it on Potterphiles' radars as well as fans of the renowned Ghibli aesthetic, who will be excited to see what Studio Ponoc will do next.

fire bouncing off a torch sconce on a wall, to Mary’s hair billowing majestically behind her while riding on a broom. The English voice cast, too, is impressive, with Ruby Barnhill ( The BFG ) providing the voice of Mary, and Kate Winslet herself as the mysterious Madam Mumblechook. You’ll also recognise Jim Broadbent from the Harry Potter films as the scientist, Doctor Dee. One of the most notable aspects of the film's animation – and arguably of all

Mary and the Witch's Flower is in cinemas on January 18

Ghibli films – is the food. It’s mouth- watering. You’ll notice the

the Fly by Night flower – otherwise known as the Witch’s Flower. When its beads are squashed, it grants the holder magical powers for a limited amount of time. Mary winds up at magic school Endor

rippling veins on the brussel sprouts, the steam rising off a freshly-cooked roast, and the deep colours of jams. Equally immersive is the soundtrack, invoking whimsical fantasies, wonder and awe –

comparable to Studio Ghibli's finest in its creativity

College, where she quickly learns her new abilities are more powerful than she could have imagined. However, when the

college learns the source of her powers, the origin of the Witch’s Flower becomes paramount, and Mary discovers there’s something sinister going on behind the walls of Endor. The inaugural film from Studio Ponoc, the Japanese animation house founded by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Mary and the Witch's Flower is comparable to Ghibli's finest in its creativity, despite having a lower budget. The art is equal parts beautiful, dynamic, and incredibly detailed – from the flickering

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RELEASED: Dec 26 DIRECTORS: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina CAST: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt RATING: PG Coco follows young Miguel (voiced by newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) as he struggles to work out how he fits into his family. His great-great-grandmother married a gifted musician, who then abandoned his family and was never heard from again. From that moment on, Mama Imelda (Alanna Ubach) put a ban on music in the family, which has been adhered to through the generations. Instead, they all work together to make shoes. Miguel, inspired by videos and performances he has seen of the late great musician Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), yearns for nothing more than to become an admired musician. He breaks into the cemetery to steal de la Cruz's guitar to perform at the local talent show on Dia De Los Muertos – the Day of the Dead – and is mystically swept into the Land of the Dead. There he meets the spirits of his long departed family, and must earn their trust – and their blessing – to return to the living world. But should he also seize the opportunity to meet his music idol while he can? Coco is one of the most beautifully animated films in recent memory, even by Pixar's lofty standards. Both Miguel's world of the living and the Land of the Dead are vibrant, colourful landscapes full of depth and life. Boasting a wonderful Mexican flavour, a stirring score, and an emphasis on family and culture, Coco is a must-see this holiday season – and also a genuine tear-jerker. Alesha Kolbe COCO JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE RELEASED: Dec 26 DIRECTOR: Jake Kasdan CAST: Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Jack Black RATING: PG Imagine if The Breakfast Club and Freaky Friday were crossed with the video game Uncharted , then given the odd daub of Jumanji here and there. The Robin Williams-infused 1995 take on the 1981 picture book Jumanji was an impossible act to follow, so the makers here wisely went the “loosely based” route. Even board games have to keep with the times, it seems, as the Jumanji set that we all know and fear morphs itself into a video game cartridge. We see it absorb one kid into its world then, several years later, it’s off to high school, where a jock, a nerd boy, a geek girl and a princess all score detention – sans Simple Minds. This disparate bunch is tasked with cleaning out an old storeroom as their punishment. It’s here that they discover an old console, and some game called – yep, you guessed it. They select their avatars from the remaining four of five and enter the game – quite literally. It’s now role reversal time, as the jock becomes a weedy zoologist (Kevin Hart), the nerd boy becomes a hulking hunk (Dwayne Johnson), the geek girl essentially becomes Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft (Karen Gillan), and the princess is now curvy genius Professor Shelly Oberon, who bears a striking resemblance to... Jack Black! It’s a great setup for a wonderfully big, dumb, funny and likeable action assault on video game tropes, with the original Jumanji rules taking on a whole new reality. Amy Flower

RELEASED: Jan 1 DIRECTOR: Trish Sie CAST: Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld, Rebel Wilson RATING: M

PITCH PERFECT 3

Last Pitch effort.

T he Pitches are back for one last hurrah in  Pitch Perfect 3 , the (supposedly) final entry in the series. Beca (Anna Kendrick) and the other Bellas have now graduated college and are trying to find their feet in the real world. Beca is working as a music producer, throwing out recycled hip-hop beats and pandering to her clients. Chloe (Brittany Snow) is trying her hand at veterinary school. And Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) is producing a one-woman Broadway show on street corners called 'Fat Amy Winehouse.' They're all doing, ah, well. Separated for three years, the girls jump at a chance for a reunion party held by Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and her gang of new Bellas, and Aubrey is able to give them one last chance to perform. Her dad can get the Bellas a spot performing on the USO tour at army bases around the world. The winner of the tour will get

Pitch Perfect 3 is a different entry in the PP universe, which is apparent right from its Mission: Impossible/James Bond- style intro. This one is more an action flick than anything, and definitely would have benefitted from the witty repartee the Treblemakers are able to provide. Sadly the boys are missing from this flick, but the remaining women can more than hold up their end of the vocal range. Thankfully though, the songs are just as great this time 'round, and this entry's riff-off takes it to a whole new level. And the welcome inclusion of roving a capella podcasters 'Let's Talk-apella" Gail and John (Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins) adds to the laugh quotient. Unfortunately, potentially intriguing characters in the rival bands are sidelined for most of the plot, and the scenes where they do appear are often overwhelmed by the Bellas'

RATING KEY: Wow! Good Not bad Meh Woof!

to open for DJ Khaled in a televised live performance, and the competition is no pushover, either. Between a rap duo, a country band, and the girl power extraordinaire Evermoist (lead by lead singer Calamity – aka Ruby Rose), the Bellas have to put on their best show to take down the others. How will a capella compete with actual instruments?

singing. And then there's the addition of DJ Khaled,

whose effortlessly outlandish performance isn't exactly a stretch given his persona. Caveats aside, Pitch Perfect 3 is a satisfying conclusion to almost six years of a capella goodness. Make sure to stay during the credits for a cute behind-the-scenes reel from all three films. Aca-nostalgic. Alesha Kolbe

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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DOWNSIZING

RELEASED: Dec 26 DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne CAST: Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau RATING: M Miniaturising humans has been a sci-fi staple since Raquel Welch went on a Fantastic Voyage in the sixties. It's also the plot device of Alexander Payne's ambitious new film, in which Matt Damon is shrunk to five inches to begin a new life in a tiny community established to reduce environmental waste and combat overpopulation. Shrinkage to save the planet is a fantastic premise full of intriguing possibilities, and for much of its first half Downsizing espouses the benefits of a small world – financial problems are reduced, with affordable dollhouse mansions and the cost of living a mere fraction of that in the big wide world. The miniaturisation process itself also provides some terrific visual gags, as well as the unsettling sight of Damon sans hair and eyebrows. However, once he settles into smallville, his problems get bigger – and so do the film's. Slotting into the grey area genre of magic-realist drama (see also Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich ), the rich potential of this high concept is diminished by Payne's signature preoccupation with the Joe Average who experiences a mid-life crisis and flounders aimlessly in the search for some kind of purpose. Downsizing would be a clever social satire if it didn’t share its protagonist’s frustrating lack of direction. Scott Hocking Gary Oldman is Winston Churchill. It’s the kind of role-inhabiting performance that Daniel Day Lewis and Charlize Theron gave in Lincoln and Monster , respectively, and the centrepiece of director Joe Wright’s gripping account of the inspirational British PM’s early days in office. Needless to say, it won’t be overlooked by the Academy come awards season. Like the recent Brian Cox film, Churchill , Darkest Hour finds Winston at a crucial juncture – having just been appointed PM after parliament loses confidence in Neville Chamberlain. Despite facing distrust from his own party and King George (Ben Mendelsohn) after his tactical failure at Gallipoli, Churchill’s implementation of Operation Dynamo – the rescue of 300,000 men at Dunkirk – helps to restore faith. And his obstinate refusal to negotiate a peace with Hitler proves instrumental in rallying the nation to “never surrender.” Darkest Hour is obviously a performance piece, but Oldman never succumbs to the sort of grandstanding that can overwhelm the drama. Buried under pounds of jowly makeup, he might lack the physical similarity to Churchill that distinguished Cox’s portrayal, but he nails the mien. Wright, too, gives his best with this talky but always compelling drama. Back in the period milieu of Atonement , Darkest Hour could be considered the director’s own atonement for the debacle that was Pan . Together with Churchill and Dunkirk , Darkest Hour completes a triptych of films on the events and politics that shaped Britain’s victory in World War II. Scott Hocking DARKEST HOUR RELEASED: Jan 11 DIRECTOR: Joe Wright CAST: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn RATING: PG

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI RELEASED: Dec 14 DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson CAST: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Carrie Fisher RATING: M

I s The Last Jedi the new trilogy’s answer to The Empire Strikes Back ? It is in terms of following a similar structure – the Resistance on the run with the First Order in hot pursuit; Luke (Mark Hamill) as the Yoda to Rey (Daisy Ridley); and a skirmish on a salt flat that’s like the battle on Hoth with pod racing. But it’s less a repeat of a previous episode than The Force Awakens was. The Last Jedi dives straight into the action with the kind of epic space battle you’d expect to be saved for the climax. But director Rian Johnson is just warming up, cross-cutting between Rey and Luke on Ahch-To; Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and The First Order’s onslaught, and an away mission for Finn (John Boyega). Johnson lets the players – both old and new – grow and evolve. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) has a problem with authority figures; Kylo Ren wears his internal conflict like a second mask; General Leia (the late Carrie Fisher) remains dignified yet weary; and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) is even more sinister in the mo-cap flesh than as a giant hologram. As for Luke, he’s become a The First Order strikes back.

remember) in stopping the First Order’s reign by bringing order to chaos through the Force, of which we learn some interesting revelations. Of the new characters, mechanic Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) gets the most screen time, while Benicio del Toro’s roguish codebreaker and Laura Dern’s violet- haired Resistance admiral seem kind of superfluous. And the Porgs won’t annoy you as much as they do Chewie. A subplot involving Finn and Rose’s trip to a galactic casino and the liberation of some alien horses feels like it belongs in a Harry Potter film, and also suspiciously like a Disney directive. It’s the kind of padding associated with middle film syndrome. Fortunately, Johnson maintains the breakneck pace, juggling the multiple story arcs without too much slack, raising the emotional stakes, and shooting the numerous dogfights with fluid dynamism. The Last Jedi doesn’t answer all the questions raised by The Force Awakens , but the ones it does are guaranteed to surprise. As Luke notes, “This is not going to go the way you think,” and for the

RATING KEY: Wow! Good Not bad Meh Woof!

most part that’s true, although a scene lifted wholesale from Return of the Jedi goes exactly the way you think. This is thrilling and grand space opera, just as Star Wars should be. Scott Hocking

reflection of Obi-Wan after losing Ben Solo to the Dark Side, and has decided it’s time for the Jedi to end. He’s also, once again, a new hope (and rebellions are built on hope,

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CINEMA

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CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

ALSO SCREENING IN JANUARY

RELEASED: Dec 26 DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino CAST: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg RATING: M

Love is love.

Luca Guadagnino's previous film, A Bigger Splash , was a sensuous drama set against the backdrop of a Sicilian island. Call Me by Your Name returns to the beauty of the sun-kissed Mediterranean for a seductive tale of summer love and sexual awakening that will make an even bigger splash in critics' annual top ten lists and at the Oscars this year. Elio (Timothée Chalamet) has his bookish world irrevocably changed by handsome and carefree American student Oliver (Armie Hammer), who has arrived in Northern Italy to assist Elio's archaeologist father (Michael

Stuhlbarg) in his research for six weeks. Oliver quickly becomes an object of desire for Elio, as well as the local girls, and as casual contact, furtive glances and raging hormones edge the pair closer to the inevitable, Guadagnino expertly evokes the emotions that arise from a powerful crush and the subsequent elation at discovering the feeling is mutual. Hammer and Chalamet deliver incredibly natural and nuanced performances; their onscreen chemistry is palpable and as authentic as the exotic setting, with its bountiful fruit trees and lazy summer ambience. And speaking of fruit, you may think twice about biting into a ripe peach after one particular scene, which is destined to become a talking point. It would be too easy to describe Call Me by Your Name as this year's Brokeback Mountain ; the bond and emotional intensity that develops between Elio and Oliver transcends the category of queer cinema. A beautifully written closing exchange of dialogue succinctly sums up the universal themes at the heart of this magnetic and remarkably affecting film. Scott Hocking Writer-director Martin McDonagh won fans with the irreverent crime capers In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths , thanks to his keen eye for casting and ear for crackling dialogue. Three Billboards is McDonagh's finest film to date; a sombre and morally complex dramedy with beats of black humour that hit at exactly the right moments. It's also impeccably cast, right down to supporting roles for Peter Dinklage, John Hawkes, and redhead Caleb Landry Jones. McDormand's robust Mildred (a role written specifically for her) is the heartbeat of the film. She's a feisty, foul mouthed force of nature in a boiler suit, whose grief has solidified into a diamond-hard determination to see justice done. She's also capable of compassion at the most unlikely moment, and it's this unpredictability that drives both the characters and the narrative – it's impossible to anticipate where this pressure cooker tale is headed. It's like waiting for a stick of dynamite to explode! What is easier to predict is the film's chances at the Oscars this year. Nominations for Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Supporting Actor (Rockwell) are virtually a given – and don't rule out a nod for Best Picture as well. Scott Hocking

THE POST

Steven Spielberg's latest revolves around a partnership between The Washington Post ’s Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). They’re playing catch-up with rival newspaper The New York Times to expose a massive government cover-up that has spanned several decades. The truth is out there on Jan 11.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

A mute government lab worker (Sally Hawkins) befriends a classified experiment – in the shape of a lonely aquatic creature – in this otherworldly fairytale from the great Guillermo del Toro ( Pan's Labyrinth ). Splashing down on Jan 18 . THE SHAPE OF WATER

RELEASED: Jan 1 DIRECTOR: Martin McDonagh CAST: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell RATING: MA15+

Message sent.

If you want to get your message across, stick it on a billboard – or three. That's exactly what grieving mother Mildred (Frances McDormand in Fargo form) does to get the attention of a complacent local police force, who have failed to uncover any suspects in her daughter's brutal murder six months ago. Her bold move works, raising the ire of Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and racist redneck Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), but it also sets in motion a chain of events that will disrupt the entire town, and set Mildred on a collision course with some unsavoury types.

Gerard Butler leads an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff's Department against a gang intent on robbing the Federal Reserve Bank in this urban action thriller. The heist begins on Jan 25. DEN OF THIEVES

The third film in the highly-successful young adult franchise follows Dylan O’Brien and friends as they break into the WCKD-controlled Last City. Find out who makes it out alive on Jan 18 . MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE

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EXTRAS FEATURE

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F ollowing her signing with Warner Bros. in late 1937, Susan Hayward was enrolled in the studio’s drama school. Warner’s head coach, Frank Beckwith, was instantly impressed by Susan. She was certainly the most beautiful of his trainees and the most intelligent. Along with other promising WB contract players like Carole Landis, Penny Singleton and Jane Wyman, Susan Hayward was taught to sing, dance, walk and speak dialogue. Beckwith soon identified her as a determined young lady with a will of iron and just a touch of irascibility that he personally found attractive. He had no doubt that Miss Hayward knew what she wanted and intended to get it. She was going to be a star.

Susan Hayward Part 2 - A Star is Born HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDENAGE Forgotten Stars of

At Warner Bros. Susan Hayward posed for hundreds of studio photo shots. A furious Hayward would state, "I didn’t come to Hollywood just to damn model."

But the way to the top was not an easy one, for she would have to claw her way step by step to attain her place in movie history. Unlike Lana Turner and Hedy Lamarr, who were made superstars almost overnight, Hayward’s natural talent was totally ignored by the studio moguls. For most of her Warner contract she paid her dues by appearing in “blink and you’ll miss her” bit parts in movies and posing for studio publicity photographs. Her impatience for a lead acting role gained her a reputation for being difficult, strong willed and calculating. She was accused of being "cold as a polar bear’s foot", selfish and temperamental. As a consequence, Warner Bros. did not renew her contract. However, soon after, Paramount Pictures picked up her option and offered her a $250.00 a week contract and a part in the Gary Cooper action film Beau Geste  (1939). It was only a marginal role and Susan had only a few scenes in the opening and closing sequences. But the ferocity she put into her lines of dialogue prompted the director, WilliamWellman, to state: “Good God, they’ve sprung a redheaded Bette Davis on me.” Paramount’s handling of Hayward's career turned out exactly as Warner's had, for her next half dozen films were all minor parts in B-movies. Starring roles were promised but somehow never materialised, and she was dropped from any number of the studio’s major dramatic productions. Studio scuttlebutt was that most of Paramount’s established leading ladies saw Susan’s scene-stealing beauty as a threat, and consequently vetoed her from

Publicity photo for the film Beau Geste . Appearing with Susan Hayward are Robert Preston, Gary Cooper and Ray Milland.

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starring alongside them. This also attributed to her gaining a reputation of being difficult on set, aloof and unfriendly to her fellow actors. She also refused to cut her mane of red hair for any film role, which did not endear her to the studio bosses and led to numerous suspensions. Her best role during her Paramount years was when she appeared seventh in the cast list of Reap the Wild Wind  (1942), Cecil B. De Mille’s seagoing answer to Gone with the Wind.  She was also loaned out to Republic Pictures for the rousing war movie  The Fighting Seabees (1944), in which she performed well alongside the star of the movie, John Wayne. As WWII ended, so too did Susan Hayward’s Paramount contract. She was not sorry to leave, especially as she had been promised a starring role in a movie for RKO studios. Many Americans believed that the end of the war would be the beginning of a time of prosperity and peace. Instead, the first chill of the Cold War began to set in. The change in the political environment also affected Hollywood’s movie output. Wartime positives gave way to film noir-like ambiguity. The RKO noir movie Deadline at Dawn  (1946) gave Susan her first top-billed role in a quality production, and one

Susan Hayward received her first Best Actress nomination for Smash Up-The Story of a Woman

Susan Hayward’s first starring role in the 1946 noir classic Deadline at Dawn

career for her crooner husband – a performance for which she received her first Academy Award nomination. Although she lost the Oscar to Loretta Young, for Hayward it was enough to have been nominated – for now. By the fall of 1947, Wanger had run into serious financial difficulties and the head of 20th Century Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck, offered the beleaguered Wanger a way out. The offer was to sell Zanuck the remainder of Susan’s contract. The careers of Fox’s stable of glamorous leading ladies had suddenly begun to falter. The post-war movies of Gene Tierney, Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell and Betty Grable were now no longer successful at the box

in which she delivered a stunning performance. This film brought her to the attention of her old nemesis, film producer David O. Selznick, who not only had turned her down as Scarlett O’Hara but had also tried to run her out of town. He now wanted to see her with the offer of a multi- picture contract. Susan arrived at his office, and as is usual with all of the Hollywood moguls, was made to wait for over an

Hayward’s third Oscar nomination was for her portrayal of singer Jane Froman in With a Song in My Heart – seen here in a scene with a young Robert Wagner.

it in 1954 as Broken Lance,  and again in 1961 as  The Big Show. For her next film she was loaned out to Sam Goldwyn-RKO. The romantic tear-jerker My Foolish Heart  (1949) landed Susan her second Oscar nomination, only to lose out on the night to Olivia de Havilland. Her third Academy Award nomination came three years later in 1952 for With a Song in My Heart – a biopic of singer Jane Froman, whose career was almost destroyed when her right leg was nearly severed in a devastating 1943 plane crash. Her performance won her a Golden Globe Award, but a month later Susan lost the Oscar yet again – this time to Shirley Booth. She now convinced herself that the Academy and Hollywood establishment really did resent her. In early 1954, RKO Pictures owner Howard Hughes offered 20th Century Fox what was described as “an ungodly sum” for the services of Miss Hayward. She would star alongside John Wayne in a six-million dollar “epic”. But unbeknownst to the cast and crew, the Utah location for the film would have devastating effects for many of them.

I didn’t come to Hollywood just to damn model

Poster for Reap the Wild Wind . Susan Hayward appeared seventh in the cast.

hour. Finally, when she was admitted, Selznick passed her a contract to sign. Susan glanced at it and then said, “You can take this paper and stick it up your ass.” She smiled and then said, “I intend signing a personal contract with producer Walter Wanger. You, Mr. Selznick, lost your chance eight years ago. Goodbye.” Under Walter Wanger’s tutelage, Susan flourished as a serious film actress. Her second movie for Wanger , Smash Up – The Story of a Woman  (1947), was a turning point in her career. In the film she plays Angie Evans, a tormented alcoholic singer who sacrifices her

office. Zanuck believed that Susan Hayward would fill the gap, stating: “Hayward has two qualities most desired in any actress: she is beautiful, and she can damn well act”. Wanger reluctantly agreed to sell her contract, provided that Susan received a salary commensurate with her box office potential. Susan’s first project for Fox was House of Strangers  (1948), a story about a vendetta among the members of an Italian family. The film proved so popular that Hollywood remade

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To be concluded.

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