STACK #133 Nov 2016

EXTRAS

NEWS

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MIDDLE-EARTH MARATHON The Hobbit , Peter Jackson's epic prequel trilogy to The Lord of the Rings , reached its Middle-earth- shaking conclusion last year in The Battle of the Five Armies . And like all previous films in both The Hobbit and LOTR sagas, an Extended Edition follows the release of the cinema version onto DVD and Blu- ray. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Extended Edition will feature 20 minutes of additional footage, bumping up the running time to 164 minutes. The 5-disc DVD, Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray release, also available in a Limited Edition with a Bilbo and Gandalf statue, features nine hours of bonus content including audio commentary by Jackson and co-producer/writer Philippa Boyens, a multi-part documentary, and more. Moreover, the extended cut of the film has been classified MA15+ for 'Strong Fantasy Violence', which we're assuming means some bloodier battle scenes amongst the new footage. The completion of the trilogy's extended cuts also means a box set that will contain all three films, which will sit nicely beside the LOTR set. For the record, the 9-disc Extended Trilogy collection includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (182 mins), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (186 mins), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (164 mins) plus bonus features for each. So let the Middle-earth marathon begin! Although be aware that watching all six films in Jackson's Tolkien saga back to back will consume 1,214 minutes (or 20.23 hours) of your time. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Extended Edition and The Hobbit Trilogy - Extended Edition will be available at JB Hi-Fi on November 18.

FAMILY AFFAIR In Creed , Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement to train and mentor a new champion.

M ichael B. Jordan is polishing off a burger, wiping the ketchup from his face when we meet at a Hollywood photographic studio. Even though he completed filming his role as underdog boxer in Creed back in April, food remains a delicious novelty after the strictly disciplined regimen he endured to get into shape. “I set the bar high because Carl Weathers was so shredded in all those movies,” he says. Those movies would be Rocky, one of the most beloved franchises in movie history. Written and conceived by Sly Stallone, the 1976 original received 10 Oscar nominations, three wins, and launched Stallone as a serious contender. The first film told the story of how underdog Rocky beats nemesis and world heavyweight champ Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Over the course of the franchise, the two men bond, until Creed is finally KO-ed in Rocky IV (1985). Fast forward to 2015 and Creed , which introduces audiences to Apollo's son, Adonis Johnson, played by Jordan. His father died before he was born, but boxing is in his blood and he persuades Rocky to come out of retirement to train him.

“The first time I even met Sly, he began teaching me to shadowbox right there,” recalls Jordan. “He punched me in my chest. I was like, 'ooh, he’s still got a bite to him'. He was really collaborative, and very open and excited about it. When it comes to fighting, he’s a real boxing historian. He can name all the fights and rounds in precise detail.” A longtime fan of the Rocky movies, writer- director Ryan Coogler began plotting the idea for Creed even before he began filming his award- winning drama Fruitvale Station with Jordan. Reluctant to proceed without Stallone’s blessing, he never even dreamed that Sly would consider co-starring. “I’d been such a fan for so many years, I imagined when I met Sylvester Stallone, I’m gonna meet Rocky,“ says Coogler. “But he’s so different from that guy. He turns it on. He transforms. He gets on set, he goes over to the corner, and gets into his walk with all the Philadelphia speech and vocabulary. But the real Sly? He’s a very academic and serious guy. We are blessed to have him in our corner.” Gill Pringle Creed is in cinemas on November 26.

Strong horror violence and coarse language

D V D A N D B L U - R AY AVA I L A B L E 1 8 T H N O V EMB E R AT PLEASE DON’T FEED THE CHILDREN

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OCTOBER 2015

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