STACK #133 Nov 2016

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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The end of an era. MAD MEN: SEASON 7, PART 2

Helter skelter. AQUARIUS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Release Date: 05/11/15

Release Date: OUT NOW

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The last seven years in the company of Don Draper, Peggy Olsen, Pete Campbell, Roger Sterling, Joan Harris et al has been a colourful and engaging ride through the '60s and '70s and ad agency politics, viewed through a constant haze of cigarette smoke. More importantly, it was the journey of the philandering Don (Emmy-winner Jon Hamm) – a downward spiral of broken hearts and marriages and dissatisfaction – that held us captivated. In these final seven episodes he embarks on a road trip to find himself, but will his destiny echo the falling man of the title

This new crime series, set in LA during the late '60s, introduces David Duchovny’s latest TV incarnation – Sam Hodiak, a brilliant, instinctive detective who doesn't play by the rules. The villain is a real life one: Charles Manson (Gethin Anthony), who has yet to graduate to mass murder but is busy assembling a devoted cult of followers on an isolated ranch outside the city. He comes into Hodiak’s orbit when the detective is asked by an old flame to find her missing teenage daughter, who has fallen under Manson's spell; the latter also turns out to have a mysterious hold

sequence, or will he finally find some kind of redemption and contentment? Matthew Weiner's outstanding retro series wraps up in fine style, with satisfying yet ambiguous closure for its major players and a sense that it's not about endings but rather new beginnings. • See page 34

over her politician father. An appealingly gritty crime drama that conjures a stylish evocation of an era when the hippie dream began to sour, Aquarius also tackles issues such as the rise of the Black Panthers and hate crimes. Let’s hope the second season continues the high standards set here.

COOTIES

THE VOICES

DARK PLACES

SOUTH PARK: SEASON 18

Release Date: 18/11/15 Format:

Release Date: 04/11/15 Format:

Release Date: 04/11/15 Format:

Release Date: 12/11/15 Format:

A diseased chicken nugget unleashes a zombie virus in an elementary school where aspiring horror novelist Elijah Wood has taken up a substitute teaching position. With the students craving human flesh and the faculty under siege, the scene is set for a hoot of a zom-com that confirms that children can indeed be little monsters. The script by Leigh Whannell ( Insidious , Saw ) and Ian Brennan ( Glee ), who also star, adds a ridiculous new twist to a ubiquitous genre as well as a slew of old jokes that still work. The opening sequence alone is guaranteed to turn your stomach.

Beneath a comic veneer of talking pets and awkward workplace romances lurks a dark tale of madness and murder. Ryan Reynolds is terrific as a dorky worker at a bathtub factory who suffers from mental illness and inner voices – the latter externalised by his dog and cat, and later the severed heads in his fridge when he inadvertently becomes a serial killer. Reynolds is supported by a quality cast including Jacki Weaver as his therapist, and Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick as his co-workers and love interests. Striking an even balance between the humour and horror, this kooky gem is destined for cult status.

Libby Day (Charlize Theron) was the only survivor of the "Kansas Prairie Massacre" 28 years ago, which claimed the lives of her mother and two sisters and saw her brother (Corey Stoll) convicted for the murders. Convinced the truth surrounding the massacre is still out there, she enlists the help of the "Kill Club" – a bunch of ex-cops, PIs and amateur sleuths – to solve the case. Based on the novel by Gone Girl 's Gillian Flynn, this dark whodunit offers numerous twists and turns, an occult angle that gives it a True Detective vibe, and a great cast including Theron's Fury Road co-star Nicholas Hoult, Chlöe Grace Moretz and Mad Men 's Christina Hendricks.

They might be 18 years old now but the South Park gang have never grown up, and that includes creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, whose perceptive and merciless skewering of pop cultural, social and political issues remains as sharp and hilarious as ever. The latest season's ten episodes target everything from the NFL and video gaming to drones, holograms and gluten. Highlights include Cartman's transition to "transginger", Timmy's ride- sharing business, and the revelation that singer Lorde is actually Stan's dad (complete with a catchy song by Sia).

NOVEMBER 2015

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