STACK #148 Feb 2017

DVD&BD FEATURE

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Justice isn't a crime. HELL OR HIGH WATER

Bad neighbours. KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

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Release Date: 08/02/17

Format:

Release Date: 08/02/17

What do you do if the bank’s screwing you around, itching to foreclose on your family’s ranch? Well, if you’re Texan brothers Tanner and Toby Howard (Ben Foster and Chris Pine) you’d rob some of their branches, launder the money and then pay off what’s owed to the bank with their very own funds, setting your estranged kids up for life – especially as oil’s recently been found on the land. That’s the gist of this western-tinged heist thriller, which finds beauty in the desolate landscapes of post-GFC times where everybody’s struggling – we

“Honey, the Stevens’ got a new car!” “That’s nice dear.” “The Fonebones are installing a pool!” “Yes dear.” “The Joneses are international spies!” “Sure dear... Actually, that’d explain a lot.” Yes, move over Brangelina and shuffle sideways Jackie Chan, for it’s Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher’s turn to don their 86 and 99 hats as Jeff and Karen Gaffney, when spies move into their cosseted cul-de-sac. They’d be Tim and Natalie Jones (Jon Hamm and Gal ‘Wonder Woman’ Gadot), although obviously they’re not shouting their career choice from any rooftops. Instead

lost count of properties for sale and billboards flogging quick loans. Add a pair of staunch, acerbic Texas rangers in Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham, superb writing, the odd LOL moment and an ending that comes all too soon, and you've got one terrific Texan treat. AF

they’re trying to inveigle their way into the aerospace company that employs Jeff – and most of the suburb. Bugs are planted, houses are burgled, people are killed – it’s your everyday everyman and everywoman become spies and travel the world action comedy, but with many laughs and much charm. AF

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL

AMERICAN HONEY

DOG EAT DOG

THE NEIGHBOUR

Release Date: 08/02/17 Format:

Release Date: 22/02/17 Format:

Release Date: 22/02/17 Format:

Release Date: 15/02/17 Format:

Even the most genuinely clairvoyant would have been hard-pressed to have foreseen a second movie based on the Ouija board game being made, yet here it is! Taking us back to 1967 Los Angeles – complete with classic Universal logo – we set about ticking things off the checklist. Widow? Yep. Older daughter? Uh-huh. Younger daughter ripe for possession? You bet. A priest? Duh! Evil spirits? Naturally! We may sound dismissive, for Ouija: Origin of Evil certainly goes for the tropes, but following a gradual build involving the family’s shonky fortune-telling business becoming all too real, it really lets loose some scare-tinged, M-rated popcorn pleasure. AF

British filmmaker Andrea Arnold ( Fish Tank ) adopts the voyeuristic style favoured by Harmony Korine for this episodic road trip into the American heartland in the company of a group of impoverishered youths flogging magazine subscriptions to people who don't want them, or can't afford them. The focus is on newcomer Star (Sasha Lane), who joins the team after locking eyes with Jake (Shia LaBeouf) in a Walmart – their fractious relationship providing the dramatic impetus in lieu of a narrative. Measured but captivating, American Honey is raw and real; a breath of fresh Midwestern air after being suffocated by so many superheroes and special effects. SH

Paul Schrader may not be a household name, but he penned Taxi Driver and Raging Bull . Respect! While any writer would kill to have his screenwriting credits on their CV, Schrader’s directorial career has been spottier. He aims to clean it up a bit with this blackly comedic, noir-tinged crime thriller, which boasts Nic Cage and Willem Dafoe as two of three degenerates just out of prison. They’re each on their last strike, but to say that they’ve been rehabilitated would be blatantly inappropriate. Rather than more small change jobs, they’re out to pull off a big one – but as all movie buffs know, that path never runs smoothly... AF

You thought Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne had problems next door? Wait until you see what John and Rosie (Josh Stewart and Alex Esso) have to contend with in this stylish, slow-burn thriller from writer-director Marcus Dunstan ( The Collector and The Collection ). The husband and wife team work for a local crime boss but are planning to go straight, until their nosy neighbour Troy (Bill Engvall) – with his own secrets in the cellar – threatens to expose them. When Rosie goes missing, John suspects Troy and a tense game of cat-and-mouse ensues. SH

FEBRUARY 2017

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