over 40 reviews inside including€¦ · sub editor: chelsea graham, contributors: robert hislop,...

OVER 40 REVIEWS INSIDE INCLUDING: MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 GODS OF EGYPT

EYE IN THE SKY KUNG FU PANDA 3

YOUR GUIDE TO JULY’S HOTTEST RELEASES

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The fi rst shot in the battle of the superheroes is fi red this month with the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, which brings together the world’s two most famous crimefi ghters – not to mention Wonder Woman – for the very fi rst time. With Marvel’s own mini-ensemble movie Captain America: Civil War also not far away now and X-Men: Apocalypse waiting in the wings, the second half of 2016 is sure to put a smile on the face of comic book fans. July is actually a big month for action releases: as well as the superhero blockbuster, there is also the fantasy opus Gods Of Egypt, the third fi lm in the Divergent series, Allegiant, and Michael Bay’s gripping 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi. Add in the acclaimed chillers 10 Cloverfi eld Lane and The Witch, feel-good comedies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and the animated hit Kung Fu Panda 3, and you have another bumper line-up on tap this month.

THE TEAM

5-10 NEWSWhat have the bold and the beautiful of fi lm and TV been up to lately? We check out the latest reports from home and beyond

Publisher: Tilo Grieco [email protected], Editor: Kit RazerSub Editor: Chelsea Graham, Contributors: Robert Hislop, Accounts: Tracy Kingman [email protected], Production: Al Netherclift, Design: Rebecca Rowlands, Contributor: Scott Hocking

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JULY 2016

From the biggest Hollywood blockbusters to unsung gems premiering on DVD and Blu-ray, we cast our eye over the month’s biggest new movie and television releases.

14-15 ACTION

16 DRAMA

17 COMEDY

18-19 TV

20 THRILLER

22 FAMILY

12-13 EYE IN THE SKYOscar winner Helen Mirren is no stranger to playing rulers – but this gripping drone thriller gave her the chance to play a very different sort of commander.

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* This is not final artwork

* This is not final artwork * This is not final artwork

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JOKER’S WILD

NEWSREEL YOUR MONTHLY FIX OFENTERTAINMENT NEWS

A&

BAY RESCUES UNLOVED POOCHHe doesn’t always get the best press, but blockbuster director Michael Bay has shown his kinder side by coming to the rescue of an English pooch that has been dubbed “Britain’s loneliest dog”.

The fi lmmaker took to Twitter to announce that he had cast the dog Freya in Transformers: The Last Knight, the latest installment in the sci-fi franchise due for release in 2017.

Bay was moved by the unfortunate canine’s plight when he read a tabloid report that Freya had been rejected by prospective owners more than 18,000 times.

“Freya has epilepsy and has been in a shelter her whole 6 year life,” he tweeted. “We are also going to fi nd her a home. If not she will come to my house. Welcome to the cast Freya!”

• Bay’s latest movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi is out on DVD and Blu-ray this month.

BETTER CALL DAVIDBob Odenkirk made his name as drug dealers’ lawyer of choice Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad. Now he is about to play a real life drug addict in a new mini-series for the network behind the aforementioned show and its prequel Better Call Saul.

The Night Of The Gun is based on the memoir of the same name by journalist David Carr, which told the story of his journey from the crack pipe to esteemed columnist for The New York Times.

Odenkirk will also serve as

executive producer alongside Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield. “I read David’s story when it came out and was wildly entertained by his saga,” the actor enthuses. “It’s a story of survival fi lled with pain, crack, journalistic righteousness, abandoned cars, crooks and lies. Then there’s the two little girls who saved his life – it’s overstuffed with humanity.”

Keep a look out for the second season of Better Call Saul, which is expected to be released on DVD/Blu-ray towards the end of August.

The eagerly-awaited version of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s celebrated 1988 graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke will get its world premiere at this year’s Comic-Con.

Essentially an alternative origin story for The Joker, the latest DC Universe Original Movie explores how a struggling stand-up comedian became a crazed super villain. Mark Hamill will once again provide the voice of The Joker, while Kevin Conroy will reprise his regular animated role of Batman.

Batman: The Killing Joke is due here on DVD and Blu-ray in August. For more on the latest DC live action blockbuster Batman Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice, see page 14

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GREEKS BEARING GIFTS

AMERICAN GODDESS

Nina Vardolos was inspired by her own experiences of motherhood to write a belated sequel to her global smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The idea came when she burst into tears on the fi rst day of her daughter starting kindergarten. She now laughs: “I was struck by such panic and fear at the thought of my daughter leaving me that I realized I had morphed into my own overbearing, bordering-on-suffocating, Greek parents!” Setting out to explore what family

life was now like for the extended Portokalos clan, Vardalos wrote the screenplay over a four year period. “I wanted to show that the pressure that accompanies the female-parenting experience is tremendous and self-defeating,” she continues. “I know I can’t be volunteering at my daughter’s school, and at work, and have time for my family and my parents. I can’t be everywhere, and yet I keep trying.” For more on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, see page 17.

Gillian Anderson is reuniting with Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller for the highly anticipated TV version of Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel American Gods.

The series will trace the confl ict between the traditional gods of mythology and new icons who have ascended through modern society’s obsession with money, technology, celebrity and drugs. Anderson will play Media, the mouthpiece for the new gods, and joins an eclectic ensemble that also includes Ian McShane, Peter Stormare, Emily Browning, Sean Harris and Crispin Glover.

These days based in the UK, Anderson continues to divide her time between US and British projects. She was most recently seen on DVD in the reboot of The X Files and later this year will be seen in the third and fi nal season of the BBC crime drama The Fall. And this month, she stars opposite Ben Kingsley in Robot Overlords, a fun sci-fi comedy from the makers of the cult favourite Grabbers.

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PROYAS BACK TO HIS ROOTS

He may not be as quick and nimble as he was back in the 80s and 90s heyday, but Steven Seagal is showing no signs of slowing down.

This month sees the DVD release of his latest fi lm Code Of Honour and that’s just one of a dizzying number of new action thrillers in the pipeline from the video stalwart.

Seagal recently wrapped another fi lm with his regular director Keonie Waxman (Mercenary: Absolution, A Good Man) entitled Killing Salazar, which pairs him with current action star Luke Goss. Two other Waxman/Seagal productions, Contract To Kill and End Of A Gun, are also expected out later this year or early in 2017.

Other fi lms reportedly in the pipeline include an unlikely collaboration with schlockmeister Fred Olen Ray called Sniper: Special Ops and The Asian Connection. But the most intriguing project looks to be the much delayed Cyborg Nemesis: The Dark Rift from Albert Pyun, which promises to unite two popular rental franchises – Cyborg and Nemesis – created by the veteran direct-to-DVD fi lmmaker.

Shooting Gods of Egypt helped director Alex Proyas reconnect with his roots in a number of ways.

Proyas was born in Egypt, but moved Down Under when he was three. And while the fi lm didn’t give him the chance to revisit to the country of his birth, it did allow him to shoot his fi rst fi lm in Australia since 2009’s Knowing.

Unsurprisingly, there’s also a healthy Australian contingent involved in front of the cameras, too. As well young leads Brendon Thwaites and Courtney Eden, the cast of Gods Of Egypt also includes Aussie icons Geoffrey Rush and Bryan Brown, plus other familiar faces like Emma Booth, Bruce Spence and Rachael Blake.

Gods Of Egypt is reviewed on page 15

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“RIVETING, GRIPPING , GRIPPING , & LOADED WITH TENSION”

Access Hollywood

“REFRESHING ANDEXTREMELY SATISFYING”EXTREMELY SATISFYING

The GuardianThe Guardian

AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™RAY™RAY & DVD 7 JULY© 2016 Paramount Pictures. © 2016 Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved.


Chris Pine is now fi rmly ensconced in the captain’s seat in the rebooted Star Trek. But playing the skipper of a very different sort of vessel in The Finest Hours proved to be just as daunting.

Out this month on DVD, this true story tells the heroic tale of a small lifecraft crew led by Petty Offi cer First Class Bernie Webber (Pine), who pulled off one of the most amazing rescues in American Coast Guard history.

Because his latest ship captain was a real-life person, Pine was determined to do justice to him and their incredible story. “You want to pay tribute to them and hopefully capture the essence of who they actually were,”

explains Pine. “There’s this really great audio recording of Bernie telling the story many years after what happened that night, and just listening to his cadence and how he responded to the gentleman asking the questions you could tell that he had told the story many times and I got the feeling that he didn’t want to talk about it much anymore. In talking with people who knew Bernie I found that this was a great part of who he was – a quiet guy who took very seriously a job that he was very good at.”

This month, Pine will also be seen back at the helm of his usual craft the USS Enterprise in Star Trek Beyond, which is due to open in cinemas later this month.

PINE’S FINEST HOURS

GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD?Scarlett Johansson knows what it’s like to be forever in the media spotlight – but is ambivalent about the old school Hollywood system of the ‘50s in which the studios zealously guarded the private lives of their stars.

The era is brought to life in the Coen Brothers’ latest movie Hail Caesar! – out this month on DVD and Blu-ray – in which Johansson plays DeeAnna Moran, an aquatic fi lm star loosely based on swimming sensation Esther Williams. In the movie, studio fi xer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is brought into tidy up a scandal that could damage the career of their star.

“Today, we’re so used to knowing every little thing about actors and celebrities and digging into the deep dark truths of their lives,” muses Johansson. “Back then, the public wanted to believe that the stars were in fact as otherworldly and ideal as they were being projected. The studios did more to protect their ‘trophies’ back in that system. The stars were like property, under contract forever and could be loaned out at any time. There were good things about that system and bad. On the one hand, they were taken care of, and on the other, it could be rather suffocating.”

about actors and celebrities

muses Johansson. “Back then,

they were being projected.

protect their ‘trophies’ back in that system. The stars were like property, under contract forever and could be loaned out at any time. There were good things about that system

muses Johansson. “Back then,

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EXPLOSIVE SCI-FI ACTION ON BLU-RAY & DVD NOW

A GRIPPING CONSPIRACY THRILLER ON DVD NOW

A DELIGHTFUL FAMILY ADVENTURE ON DVD NOW

M A XD E A C O N

M O R F Y D DC L A R K

Y O U D O N ’ T P L A Y T O W I N

Y O U P L A Y T O S U R V I V E

A L IC O O K

FROM THE PRODUCER OF THE SCI-FI HIT THE MACHINE

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SLIDING DOORSANTITRUST AND JOHNNY ENGLISH

ERICDANE

KATHLEENROBERTSON

THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS.

“…it’s a flashback to the days of The Hardy Boys, one of those rare

indies that youngsters can watch alongside their parents.”

EYE ON SUN VALLEY


From the hard-nosed detective in Prime Suspect to her award-winning turns as Queen Elizabeth

I and II, many of Helen Mirren’s most memorable roles have seen her playing strong, determined women in male-dominated worlds. So she was certainly in her element in the thriller Eye In The Sky, in which she plays Colonel Katherine Powell, a veteran soldier charged with co-coordinating a drone strike against some of Europe’s most wanted terrorists.

Surprisingly, though, this was the fi rst time she had ever been cast as a

in Eye in the Sky, legal questions are very much part of the process,” she says. “These people don’t want legal issues to come back and bite them in the ass a year later and fi nd they’re being accused of war crimes.”

The action in Eye In The Sky unfolds over multiple locations and that also posed challenges for the cast. For example, Mirren’s character spends virtually the entire movie at an English military base, but has to

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She spent quite a bit of time consulting with a military

adviser so she could get an idea of the challenges facing

a woman army offi ce

RATED: M

AVAILABLE: July 20

STARS: Helen Mirren, Alan Ricman, Aaron Paul

DIRECTOR: Gavin Hood

DURATION: 102 mins

FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

OSCAR WINNER HELEN MIRREN IS NO STRANGER TO PLAYING RULERS – BUT THE DRONE THRILLER EYE IN THE SKY GAVE HER THE CHANCE

TO PLAY A VERY DIFFERENT SORT OF COMMANDER.

solider – and consequently she spent quite a bit of time consulting with a military adviser so she could get an idea of the challenges facing a woman army offi cer.

However, Mirren also infused her character with qualities she’s observed on movie sets over the decades. “To be a commander in the military is a lot like being a fi lm director — though obviously with much higher stakes — which is something I understand fi rst hand,” she explains. “Above all, you have to make decisions and you have to make them fast. You can’t shilly-shally, ‘Is it the right decision, is it the wrong decision?’ In the thick of a battle like Black Hawk Down, you don’t have time to go, ‘Are we legally allowed to do this?’ because you have to think on your feet.”

Nevertheless, she acknowledges that the war on terror involves a whole new set of rules of engagement and for Mirren that was an important part of the movie. “In the circumstances we see

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MILITARYROBOTS

TOP

NUMBER 5Before Chappie came along (see below), the mischievous machine from Short Circuit (1986) was defi nitely the screen’s cutest military robot. After being struck by lightning, Number 5 develops a free will and with a bit of help from Ally Sheedy develops a child-like wonder about the world.

T-800Arnie’s indestructible cyborg is unlikely to ever be toppled as Hollywood’s best ever militiarised machine. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) remains his screen highpoint as the reprogrammed killing machine becomes the Connors’ protector against an even more lethal cyborg (Robert Patrick).

ULTRONVoiced with silky menace by James Spader, the lethal machine with a God complex was the villain of the second Marvel ensemble fl ick The Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) and ended up stealing the show. In the comics, the machine is rebuilt so let’s hope this won’t be the last we will see of Ultron.

CHAPPIE This eponymous 2015 sci-fi fl ick is essentially a bonkers mash-up of Robocop and Short Circuit, with inventor Dev Patel installing his prototype artifi cial intelligence program into the body of a powerful police robot, creating a rather timid lethal weapon.

colonel in the British army. That’s what we do for a living.

“It must be a very strange kind of schizophrenia for someone like Colonel Powell to go from everyday

normal life and walk into this very extreme

environment of the command centre where the mentality is so different from what 99 percent

of the population experiences. “Every day when we’d

leave that set, I’d think it was unbelievable that people spend their whole lives doing this. To confront so much brutality and violence pretty much on a daily basis — that must take a huge toll.”

interact with agents on the ground in Kenya, the US drone operators in Nevada and the vacillating British politicians in London. That meant director Gavin Hood often fed lines to the cast while they remained in their individual sound stage command centres.

However, the British actress took it in her stride – in fact, she believes the set-up mirrored in part the isolation her character had to deal with.

“As actors, it’s our job to imagine,” she says. “If you’re looking at a screen imagining what you’re looking at, it’s the same process for me as walking into a room and imagining you’re a

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It’s the same process for me as walking into a room and imagining you’re a colonel in the

British army

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Unlike Marvel, which had the luxury of introducing most of their Avengers characters with their own individual movies, DC’s fi rst ensemble movie comes at a time when their own cinematic universe is still being built. However, the fact that it took almost $1.2 billion at the box offi ce is testament to the irresistible appeal of seeing the world’s two best known superheroes going head to head on the big screen. In a clever prologue, the seeds of their animosity are planted when Bruce Wayne (Bruce Affl eck) witnesses the death of many of his employees during the climactic battle between Superman (Henry Carvill) and General Zod in Man Of Steel. For his part, Superman is unhappy with Batman’s brand of vigilante justice and with sinister mogul Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) happy to stoke the fl ames of resentment, the scene is set for a true clash of the titans. Add in the introduction of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and a glimpse of other members of the Justice League, and you have one of the year’s essential comic book movies.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

RATED: M

AVAILABLE: July 20

STARS: Ben Affl eck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane

DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder

DURATION: 151 mins


IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LIKE... Captain America: Civil War The Dark Knight Watchmen

THE FINEST HOURS DRAGON BLADERATED: PG AVAIL: July 20STARS: Chris Pine, Casey Affl eck, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Holliday Grainger DIRECTOR: Craig Gillespie DURATION: 117 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Star Trek’s Chris Pine is back at the helm of a very different ship this month in this rousing survival adventure, which tells the true story of one of the American Coast Guard’s most famous rescues. Set in the 1950s, Pine captains a tiny wooden lifeboat to rescue the stricken crew of a tanker that has been cleaved in two by a destructive storm. Both the heroics and effects are awe-inspiring.

RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 20STARS: Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody, Si Won Choi, Peng Lin DIRECTOR: Daniel Lee DURATION: 127 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Loosely based on real life historical events, this action spectacular re-imagines the Roman Empire invading ancient China to claim control of the Silk Road. Jackie Chan – who also produces and directs the action sequences – makes for a typically humble hero, Adrien Brody chews up the scenery as the corrupt Roman invader, while John Cusack plays a sympathetic legionnaire who joins the Chinese side.

THE FIXERRATED: M AVAIL: July 6STARS: Eric Dane, Kathleen Robertson, Andrew Airlie, Christian Paul DIRECTOR: Peter Howitt DURATION: 120 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

One-time Grey’s Anatomy hunk Eric Dane and Kathleen Robertson (Boss) head the cast of this good-looking made-for-TV conspiracy thriller. Robertson plays an offi cial with the National Accident Investigation Agency, who teams up with conspiracy theorist Dane to investigate the activities of a secret organisation, which the latter claims orchestrates national disasters to manipulate the stock market.

THE CALL UPRATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 6STARS: Morfydd Clark, Chris Obi, Parker Sawyers, Max Deacon DIRECTOR: Charles Barker DURATION: 86 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

With Virtual Reality headsets close to becoming an, err, reality, this cunning futuristic thriller is a very timely release. A group of gamers are selected supposedly at random to road-test a new VR game involving terrorists taking over a building. However, when one of their number dies in real life after being ‘killed’ during the game, the participants realise that gameplay has become frighteningly real.

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ION

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They are probably not as well known as their Greek counterparts like Zeus and Poseidon, but the ancient deities of Egypt are equally awe-inspiring and they provide a suitably colourful cast of characters for this fantasy romp. Game Of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays the god Horus, who is blinded and sent into exile when his uncle Set (Gerard Butler) murders his father Osiris (Bryan Brown) to become Egypt’s all-powerful god. However, Horus fi nds an unlikely ally in a small-time thief Bek (Brendon Thwaites) who steals one of his eyes back from Set’s temple and gives it back to him in return for his help in bringing back to life his girlfriend Zaya (Courtney Eaton), who is killed during their getaway. As they battle Set’s powerful army and allies, the arrogant Horus learns a bit of humility along the way – and that humans are more than just slave fodder. It’s complete tosh, of course, but Butler enjoys himself in a rare villainous role and Geoffrey Rush adds a little bit of extra class as the family of gods’ patriarch, Ra.

GODS OF EGYPT

RATED: M

AVAILABLE: July 29

STARS: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Courtney Eaton, Geoffrey Rush

DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas

DURATION: 127 mins


IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LIKE... Clash Of The Titans Wrath Of The Titans Immortals

THE DIVERGENT SERIES ALLEGIANT

13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI

RATED: M AVAIL: July 27STARS: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer DIRECTOR: Robert Schwentke DURATION: 120 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

The penultimate epsidoe in this YA sci-fi saga fi nds our heroes Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) venturing outside the walls for the fi rst time. They eventually reach a facility ruled over by the seemingly benign Jeff Daniels, who says Tris has a vital role to play in the survival of humanity. However, Four begins to suspect that they may have just swapped one tyrant for another.

RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 14STARS: John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Pablo Schreiber, David Denman DIRECTOR: Michael Bay DURATION: 144 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Blockbuster specialist Michael Bay takes a break from large-scale destruction for a more visceral actioner which tells the story of the attack by Libyan militants on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi in 2012. Bay zeroes in on the heoric actions of a small team of security contractors who defi ed the Libyan force to protect the surviving members of the mission. Gripping stuff.

ROBOT OVERLORDSRATED: M AVAIL: July 7STARS: Ben Kingsley, Gillian Anderson, Callan McAuliffe, Ella Hunt DIRECTOR: Jon Wright DURATION: 90 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Director Jon Wright made his name with the cult creature feature Grabbers and he brings the same sense of irreverence to this more family-fi endly sci-fi yarn. Here, invading robots now rule the earth and humans have now all been implanted with chips that allow their masters to track their movements. But when a group of teenagers discover a way of disabling the implants, the resistance battle begins in earnest!

CODE OF HONORRATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 27STARS: Steven Seagal, Craig Sheffer, Helena Mattsson, James Russo DIRECTOR: Michael Winnick DURATION: 106 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Although Steven Seagal gets top billing, he actually plays second fi ddle to Craig Sheffer in this curious action thriller. When a city’s criminal element starts getting picked off by a mystery ‘super vigilante’ (Seagal), a shadowy government agent (Sheffer) tells the police the killer is a former special ops comrade, whose wife and child were killed in a drive-by shooting. But is Sheffer really who he claims to be?

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ACTION

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This intense and moving drama marks the full-length directorial debut of theatre director Simon Stone and is based on his own modernized stage adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck. Paul Schneider – best known as one of the original cast members of Parks & Recreation – plays Christian, who returns to his Australian hometown for the wedding of his father Henry (Geoffrey Rush) to his young housekeeper Anna (Anna Torv). Reconnecting with his oldest friend Oliver (Ewen Leslie), Christian discovers that he has married one of his dad’s former employees Charlotte (Miranda Otto) and now has a daughter Hedvig (Odessa Young). It’s not long before the skeletons come tumbling out of the closet, threatening to shatter the lives of those closest to him. A haunting exploration of the terrible power of secrets, Stone is well served by a terrifi c ensemble, which also includes a scene-stealing Sam Neill as Oliver’s father Walter. A must for fans of dark homegrown dramas like Lantana and Beautiful Kate.

THE DAUGHTER

RATED: CTC

AVAILABLE: July 20

STARS: Paul Schneider, Geoffrey Rush, Anna Torv, Miranda Otto, Sam Neill

DIRECTOR: Simon Stone

DURATION: 96 mins


IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LIKE...

Lantana Somersault Mullet

DaughterI Saw The LightTumbledownAdderall Diaries

Both a touching study of grief and a droll rom-com, the debut feature from real-life couple Sean Mewshaw and writer Desi Van Til is an absolute charmer. Set in the wintry environs of Maine, Rebecca Hall plays the widow of a cult folk singer, who died soon after completing his one and only album. Fiercely protective of his legacy, she is struggling to complete his biography and is less than pleased when a New York academic (Jason Sudeikis) turns up on her doorstep hoping to interview her for a book he is preparing on the life of her late husband. On the advice of her friend and editor (Griffi n Dunne), she reluctantly agrees to compromise and convinces Sudeikis to co-write the book with her. However, things become complicated when he begins to fall for his new collaborator. The two leads are superb, while the lovely soundtrack is from US singer Damien Jurado.

TUMBLEDOWN

RATED: M

AVAILABLE: July 14

STARS: Rebecca Hall, Joe Manganiello, Dianna Agron, Jason Sudeikis

DIRECTOR: Sean Mewshaw

DURATION: 105 mins


There are faint echoes here of the under-rated 2015 drama True Story in which James Franco played a suspected murderer involved in a cat-and-mouse game with disgraced journalist Jonah Hill. In The Adderall Diaries, Franco is a writer who has found fame with a searing memoir that detailed the years of abuse he suffered at the hands of his late father (Ed Harris). Struck with writer’s block, he hits upon the idea of a true crime book about a man (Christian Slater) accused of murdering his wife. However, when Harris turns up at a book reading reading and accuses his son of being a fraud, Franco’s career and personal life goes into a tailspin. Based on a true story, it’s an intriguing examination of the creative process and why we cannot always trust our memories, with Franco delivering a fearless performance as the Adderall-popping writer.

THE ADDERALL DIARIES

RATED: MA15+

AVAILABLE: July 14

STARS: James Franco, Amber Heard, Wilmer Valderrama, Christian Slater, Ed Harris, Cynthia Nixon

DIRECTOR: Pamela Romanowsky

DURATION: 105mins

FORMATS: DVD

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UNINDIAN

RATED: M AVAIL: July 20STARS: Brett Lee, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Supriya Pathak, Akash Khurana DIRECTOR: Anupam Sharma DURATION: 98 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Former fast bowler Brett Lee makes for a surprisingly accomplished leading man in this cross-cultural rom-com. He plays a teacher who specialises in teaching ‘Aussie’ to foreigners, who falls for divorcee and single mum Meera (Tannishtha Chatterjee). Unfortunately, her Indian parents are less than pleased that she has hooked up with a white-man...

HAIL, CAESER!

RATED: PG AVAIL: July 14STARS: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson DIRECTOR: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen DURATION: 106 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

The Coen brothers’ latest is a fond and whimsical salute to the Golden Age of Hollywood. George Clooney – in another of his ‘idiot’ roles for the siblings – is the dimwitted star of the biblical epic of the title who is kidnapped by a mysterious group; Josh Brolin is the studio fi xer who has to sort this and other messes out. Comedy of the month.

AWKWARD SEXY PEOPLE

RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 27STARS: Adam Pally, Sarah Burns, Reid Scott, Catherine Reitman, Kevin Dunn DIRECTOR: Don Argott DURATION: 93 mins FORMATS: DVD

Released in the US as Slow Learners, this likeable rom-com zeroes in on two lonely, nerdish teachers (Adam Pally and Sarah Burns) who decide they need to reinvent themselves if they are to fi nd a partner. Both succeed in transforming themselves into cool, promiscuous swingers, but things get awkward when they realise they both have feelings for one another.

RIDE ALONG 2

RATED: M AVAIL: July 7STARS: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt DIRECTOR: Tim Story DURATION: 102 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube butt heads again in this amiable comedy actioner, which fi nds the duo wreaking havoc in Miami. Hart has now become a trainee cop, much to the annoyance of detective Cube. However, with Hart already on a last warning, his brother-in-law-to-be decides to take him on an assignment involving Miami drugs baron Benjamin Bratt in the hope he screws up and gets kicked off the force.

The epilogue of the original fi lm hinted that Toula (Nia Vardalos) hadn’t quite managed to extricate herself from her extended family and 10 years on that is still the case. Although determined not to make the same mistakes her mother made, she fi nds herself at odds with her 17-year-old daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris), who is appalled by the meddling and behaviour of her Greek relatives and is threatening to get as far as away as possible from them when she goes to college. Meanwhile, Toula’s frantic attempts to juggle home, work and family responsibilities have left her easy-going husband Ian (John Corbett) feeling somewhat neglected. And, of course, there is also a wedding to contend with – that of her parents (Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine), who turn out not to be married because of a clerical mistake. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 doesn’t deviate too far from the winning formula Vardalos established with the 2002 movie (she once again penned the script) and that fi lm’s many fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2

RATED: PG

AVAILABLE: July 7

STARS: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan

DIRECTOR: Kirk Jones

DURATION: 94 mins



My Life In Ruins Alex & Eve The Big Wedding

17

COMEDY

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POWER: S2

RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 6STARS: Omari Hardwick, Lela Loren, Naturi Naughton, Joseph Sikora DIRECTOR: David Knoller FORMATS: DVD

In the second season of this muscular crime drama, Ghost (Omari Hardwick) still wanting out of the drugs business but needing money to save his nightclub. Further complicating matters is the return of his former mentor Kanan (the show’s co-creator 50 Cents), and his on-going affair with DA Angela Valdez (Lela Loren), who is still unaware that Ghost is the mystery drugs kingpin her department is hunting.

The fi nale of the third season of this devilishly entertaining political drama found the fi rst cracks appearing in the partnership between President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his ambitious wife Claire (Robin Wright). These fault lines become even more pronounced in the fourth season, as the First Lady sets out to build a political career of her own, much to the disapproval of her husband. However, Frank already has his hands full dealing with rival Democrat presidential nominee Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) and a charismatic new Republican contender Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman). Then there is dogged journalist Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus), who has now been released from prison and is keen for someone to continue the investigation begun by his late friend Zoe (Kate Mara – who makes a surprise guest appearance in this one). The high production values, and Spacey and Wright’s mesmeric performances make this compulsive viewing – and the fi nale sets things up nicely for an explosive fi fth season in 2017.

HOUSE OF CARDS: SEASON 4

RATED: MA15+

AVAILABLE: July 7

STARS: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Kristen Connolly, Kate Mara

DIRECTOR: Karyn McCarthy

DURATION: 620 mins



Boss The West Wing Madam Secretary

INSIDE AMY SCHUMER: S3 RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 20STARS: Amy Schumer, Kevin Kane, Kyle Dunnigan DIRECTOR: Ryan Mcfaul FORMATS: DVD

Boasting an starrier line-up of guest stars than before, the third season of the Trainwreck star’s TV show fi nds her at her rude and lewd best. Standout sketches include ‘Last F***able Day’, in which Tina Fey, Patricia Arquette and Julia Louis-Dreyfus explain to her why woman over aren’t allowed to be sexy on screen once they hit a certain age, and a spoof of 12 Angry Men, starring the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Paul Giamatti.

With its mix of bounty hunters and rogue colonies, fans of the cult sci-fi space western Firefl y will feel right at home with this perky new TV offering. Set in a remote planetary system called The Quad, the 10-episode SyFy show follows the adventures of a team of space age bounty hunters – the Killjoys of the title – a sort of private police force used to track criminals. Hannah John-Kamen and Aaron Ashmore play a killjoy team who are drawn out of their comfort zone when they come to the rescue of the latter’s brother (Luke Macfarlane), a former soldier with a kill warrant out on him. Once that is sorted out, they invite him to join their team, but all three have some dark secrets in their past that have the potential to tear apart the trio. With an emphasis on action, Killjoys is a fast and furious treat; a second season is already on its way.

KILLJOYS S1

RATED: MA15+

AVAILABLE: July 7

STARS: Hannah John-Kamen, Aaron Ashmore, Luke Macfarlane, Tamsen McDonough

DIRECTOR: Chris Grismer

DURATION: 408 mins


18

TV

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It’s girl power all the way in this exhilarating new addition to DC’s latest addition to its TV universe. Not only is there the Woman Of Steel (Melissa Benoist), but Supergirl has a kick-ass step-sister Alex (Chyler Leigh), her deadliest foes are villainesses, while her alter-ego’s boss is a bitchy media mogul (a scene-stealing Calista Flockhart). In this incarnation of Supergirl, Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El was sent from Krypton to protect her baby cousin, but ended up getting lost in space; when she fi nally arrives, he has already become Superman. After living an ordinary life, Kara reveals her powers to save Alex from a plane crash, but is astonished to discover that her sibling is a member of a secret agency battling the alien inmates of a prison ship who have also ended up on Earth and are now planning something big. The casting of Helen Slater (who played Supergirl in the 1984 screen version) and Dean Cain (TV’s last Superman) as Kara’s step parents is a nice touch, as is a fun guest appearance from fellow superhero The Flash.

SUPERGIRL: SEASON 1

RATED: CTC

AVAILABLE: July 27

STARS: Melissa Benoist, Mehcad Brooks, Chyler Leigh, Jeremy Jordan

DIRECTOR: Glen Winter



The Flash Arrow Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D

TEEN WOLF: S5 PT2 RAKE S4RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 6STARS: Dylan O’Brien, Colton Haynes, Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, DIRECTOR: Russell Mulcahy FORMATS: DVD

Poor old Dylan O’Brien has been in the wars of late, with the serious injury he suffered on the set of the third Maze Runner fi lm, The Death Cure, putting back the release by over a year. So in the meantime, fans will have to make do with the concluding installment of season 5, in which the divided Beacon Hills’ pack must face up to Dread Doctors’ fi nal genesis, a creature known as ‘The Beast’.

RATED: M AVAIL: July 13STARS: Richard Roxburgh, Matt Day, Caroline Brazier, Russell Dykstra DIRECTOR: Peter Duncan FORMATS: DVD

The welcome return of Australian television’s most debauched lawyer Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) initially fi nds our hero keeping a low profi le in a sleepy country town. But it’s not long before he is back in Sydney and up to his ears in legal and political shenanigans with old chums and colleagues like Russell Dykstra, Danielle Cormack, Matt Day and Damien Garvey. It’s great to have him back.

It was starting to get a little hard keeping up with who’s who in this mind-boggling sci-fi series about clones, so one of the most pleasing things about the latest edition is that it sort of serves as a back-to-basics refresher. In series 4, our main heroine Sarah (Tatiana Maslany) starts digging back into the suicide of Beth (Maslany), the clone whose suicide fi rst led Sarah to discover the existence of her new ‘sisters’ and the nightmarish conspiracy behind their creation. Helping her out is a new clone MK (Maslany), a key ally of Beth’s in the early days of her investigation, while returning favourites include James Frain as the sinister assassin Ferdinand, who fi rst made his mark in the third season. Part reboot, part-prequel, this is probably the best Orphan Black series since the mind-blowing opening season.

ORPHAN BLACK: S4

RATED: CTC

AVAILABLE: July 27

STARS: Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, Kevin Hanchard

DIRECTOR: John Fawcett

DURATION: 420 mins


19

TV

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THE TRUST CELLRATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 6STARS: Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Ethan Suplee, Jerry Lewis DIRECTOR: Alex Brewer DURATION: 93 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood make for an unlikely but entertaining double act in this offbeat crime caper. They play a couple of nerdy cops who stumble across the existence of what appears to be a major cash facility for criminals and decide to rob it by tunneling into the safe from the apartment above it. However, as the robbery progresses, Wood begins to suspect his partner-in-crime is setting him up.

RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 14STARS: Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, Isabelle Fuhrman, Stacy Keach DIRECTOR: Tod Williams DURATION: 98 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

A top notch cast and the involvement of Stephen King – he co-wrote the script – ensures the latest screen adaptation of one of the horror master’s bestsellers is a cut above the rest. After a mysterious pulse turns mobile phone users into zombies, John Cusack sets off on a perilous cross-country journey to fi nd his family, aided and abetted by a Vietnam vet (Samuel L Jackson) and a young teenage survivor (Isabelle Furman).

It’s already been hailed as the horror fi lm of the year and this time the critics have got it right: The Witch is a deeply unsettling period piece that blends Salem witch-trials hysteria with a more modern “evil in the woods” style horror. Set in the 1630s in New England, the deeply religious William (Ralph Ineson, best known as David Brent’s obnoxious pal in The Offi ce) and Katherine (Kate Dickie, Prometheus) have settled in a remote homestead after falling out with their old community. However, when their new baby disappears while being looked after by oldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), their faith begins to falter amidst claims of witchcraft and black magic. First-time director Robert Eggers summons up an almost suffocating air of dread, while the use of ornate Olde English language heightens the sense of ancient evil. A modern classic that will resonate with both horror buffs and arthouse afi cionados.

THE WITCH

RATED: MA15+

AVAILABLE: July 15

STARS: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw

DIRECTOR: Robert Eggers

DURATION: 92 mins


EYE IN THE SKY EMELIERATED: M AVAIL: July 20STARS: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul DIRECTOR: Gavin Hood DURATION: 102 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray

The rights and wrongs of drone warfare are in the spotlight in this thriller which follows a British mission to strike a group of terrorists who have gathered in Kenya to plan a devastating attack. Helen Mirren is her usual commanding self as the mission leader, while there is fi ne support from the late Alan Rickman as her boss, Jeremy Northam as a wavering politician and Aaron Paul as drone operator with a conscience.

RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: July 27STARS: Sarah Bolger, Chris Beetem, Joshua Rush, Randi Langdon DIRECTOR: Michael Thelin DURATION: 79 mins FORMATS: DVD

A welcome return for that old rental staple – babysitters from hell. The eponymous care-giver this time is Sarah Bolger who steps in as a last minute babysitter for surly tween Joshua Rush and his two young siblings while their parents enjoy an anniversary dinner. Her happy disregard of their usual rules of behaviour initially going down with her charges, but Rush soon begins to suspect all is not well with their babysitter...

More often than not, sequels tend to be pale shadows of the original. However, with this superb sequel (or is it a prequel?), fi rst time director Dan Trachtenberg has taken the 2008 alien invasion hit Cloverfi eld in a whole new direction. Ditching the found-footage theme of the original, Trachtenberg has instead fashioned a claustrophobic chiller set almost entirely in an underground bunker. After a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up in a bomb shelter belonging Howard (John Goodman), who tells her Earth has been left uninhabitable by a devastating chemical attack. She takes some convincing but eventually comes around to his thinking and forms a friendship with the bunker’s only other resident Emmett (John Gallagher Jr). However, a shock discovery prompts the pair to question whether they would be safer taking their chances on the outside...

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE

RATED: M

AVAILABLE: July 7

STARS: John Goodmant, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.

DIRECTOR: Dan Trachtenberg

DURATION: 103 mins


20

TH

RIL

LER

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AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ & DVD 7 JULY

© 2016 Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved.

“A GREAT LIGHT-HEARTED COMEDY FULL OF HILARIOUS SURPRISES”- BRISBANE WEEKENDER

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“Everything is awesome / when we’re living our dream” goes the lyrics to the theme to The LEGO Movie – and as this fab documentary shows, there are lot of LEGO fans living the dream. Narrated by Jason Bateman (in the guise of a minibrick fi gure), A LEGO Brickumentary offers an affectionate portrait of the best-selling toy brand, taking in a brief history of the company and exploring the work of their key designers and builders. However, the main focus is on the fans themselves – admittedly most of whom tend to be grown-ups – and their amazing creations, which range from hugely detailed model worlds, stopmotion movies and even recreations of famous artworks like the Mona Lisa. Children are likely to be both entranced and inspired by this bright and breezy doco – so, too, will the big kid in all of us.

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY

RATED: G

AVAILABLE: July 13

STARS: Jason Bateman, Jamie Berard, Bryan Bonahoom

DIRECTOR: Kief Davidson

DURATION: 93 mins

FORMATS: DVD

It’s been fi ve years since the last outing for Po and Co, but it’s like they’ve never been away, with the gang slipping seamlessly back into another winning mix of slapstick and martial arts mayhem. This time around, Po (voiced again by Jack Black) is reunited with his long-lost panda father Li (Bryan Cranston) as he tries to get to grips with his new role as the Furious Five’s new kung fu trainer. However, it’s not long before the group are facing a dangerous new enemy in Kai (J.K. Simmons), a powerful warrior who has escaped from the spiritual realm and is intent on stealing the chi from Po and his pals. It’s up to the tubby martial arts master to unite the power of both his biological and adopted families to defeat this new foe. Series regulars such as Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan are back to reprise their roles from the fi rst two movies, while as well as Cranston and Simmons, other new additions to the voice cast include Kate Hudson as a ribbon-dancing panda. Fantastic fun.

KUNG FU PANDA 3

RATED: PG

AVAILABLE: July 6

STARS: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie

DIRECTOR: Alessandro Carloni

DURATION: 95 mins



Kung Fu Panda Mulan Madagascar

Kung Fu Panda 3Lost & FoundLego Brickumentary

Set on a remote island off the US northwest seaboard, this treasure hunt adventure boasts a surprisingly gritty edge. Justin Kelly plays a troubled teenager who, together with his younger brother (Benjamin Stockham), is shipped off to Walton Island to stay with their uncle (Jason Patric). The entire island was once owned by their eccentric grandfather – an expert codebreaker during the Second World War – who disappeared in mysterious circumstances, reportedly leaving behind a fortune hidden in or around his old home. With Patric being forced off the island by new owner Cary Elwes, the siblings resolve to locate their grandfather’s treasure. Although essentially a boys own adventure, Lost & Found also touches on some more grown-up themes, so some parental guidance is recommended.

LOST & FOUND

RATED: PG

AVAILABLE: July 6

STARS: Justin Kelly, Cary Elwes, Jason Patric, Justin Kelly, Benjamin Stockham

DIRECTOR: Joseph Itaya

DURATION: 92 mins

FORMATS: DVD

22

FAM

ILY

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ON BLU-RAY™ & DVD

JULY 20BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and all related characters and elementsare trademarks of and © DC Comics. © 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. andRatPac-Dune Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and all related characters and elementsare trademarks of and © DC Comics. © 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. andRatPac-Dune Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.




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over 40 reviews inside including€¦ · sub editor: chelsea graham, contributors: robert hislop,...

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