STACK NZ Mar #60

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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The dim blue line LET'S BE COPS

KILL THE MESSENGER This taut and factual conspiracy thriller evokes All the President's Men in its treatment of a major US scandal and its repercussions. In 1996, investigative journalist Gary Webb (a terrific Jeremy Renner) committed career suicide when he exposed the CIA's role in assisting Nicaraguan rebels to smuggle drugs into the US. His story still resonates, given current issues involving whistleblowers and freedom of speech. OUT: 11/03/15 Olive kitteridge In between big budget serials such as Game Of Thrones , HBO also finds time for some small-scale mini-series, and this melancholic, but mordantly funny, family drama is one of its best yet. Frances McDormand is superb as the titular character, a grumpy small-town teacher who does not suffer fools gladly, and she is more than matched by a terrific supporting cast, which includes Richard Jenkins as her long-suffering husband and Bill Murray as an equally misanthropic neighbour. One of the best TV dramas of the year. OUT: 04/03/15 MY OLD LADY This slight but engaging comedy drama finds Kevin Kline arriving in Paris looking to sell the luxurious flat that belonged to his late father. Unfortunately, he has also inherited some tenants, the flat’s original owner Maggie Smith and her daughter Kristin Scott Thomas, who under an archaic French law cannot be turfed out. Although she is not particularly convincing as a French pensioner, Smith and her talented co-stars still lift this out of the ordinary. OUT: 18/03/15 Jimi: All By My Side Originally set for release last month, this stylish biopic of the legendary guitarist doesn’t feature any of Hendrix’s original music. However, director John Ridley turns that into a positive, offering up instead a dreamy, impressionistic account of a crucial year in Hendrix’s life when he moved to London to launch his career. André Benjamin perfectly captures the guitarist's laidback charisma and feline grace, making this a must for music buffs. OUT: 12/03/15 TUSK There's a hint of The Human Centipede in Kevin Smith's new film, a horror-comedy-cum-monster-movie about a podcaster (Justin Long) who gets turned into a walrus by an insane old geezer (Michael Parks). What transpires is ridiculous, disturbing, grotesque and hilarious (often all at the same time), and easily ranks amongst his best work outside the View Askewniverse. OUT: 11/03/15 SCUM Alan Clarke's controversial 1979 drama is not just a classic British prison film, it's one of the most confronting and harrowing trips behind bars you'll ever take. Following his assault on an officer, Ray Winstone is sent to a borstal for young offenders, where he suffers abuse from the wardens and fellow prisoners before finally ascending to the top of the inmate hierarchy. As bleak and brutal as its title suggests. OUT: 12/03/15

Release Date: 11/03/15

Format:

Fake cops. Real trouble. Yep, we've been here before, but New Girl stars Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr bring enough of their TV chemistry to the big screen to make this a fun ride. Mistaken for real police while on their way to a fancy dress party, slacker Johnson and struggling video games designer Wayans Jr discover that they are treated with a lot more respect when in uniform. A patrol car purchased on eBay completes the masquerade, but things start getting out of hand when they decide to do some real police work and attract the attention of a

Russian mobster (James D’Arcy from the second season of Broadchurch ). It ain’t exactly subtle, but the duo’s madcap shenanigans provide plenty of irreverent laughs. And make sure you stick around for the gags and outtakes that play out over the closing credits.

All in the family THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU

Release Date: 04/03/15

Format:

Director Shawn Levy is best known for knockabout comedies like Cheaper By The Dozen and the Night At The Museum series, but his latest is a much more grown-up affair. It’s an ensemble piece, which finds a dysfunctional family reluctantly honouring the patriarch’s dying wish by sitting shiva, a Jewish tradition which requires the immediate family to mourn together under the same roof for a week. The starry cast is headed up by Jason Bateman, who has been down in the dumps since splitting with his unfaithful wife, but is soon reconnecting with his

old school flame Rose Byrne. Other familiar faces include Tina Fey and Adam Driver as his siblings, Connie Britton as the latter’s new girlfriend, and Timothy Olyphant as their neighbour, while Jane Fonda has a ball as the overbearing mother, complete with new surgically enhanced cleavage.

MARCH 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.co.nz

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