STACK #130 Aug 2016

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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Back from the dead. THE LAZARUS EFFECT

No sin goes unpunished. RUN ALL NIGHT

Release Date: 05/08/15

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Release Date: 29/07/15

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Films like Re-Animator and Pet Sematary have taught us that bringing things back from the dead is a bad idea, but that doesn't stop scientist Mark Duplass from making the same mistake in The Lazarus Effect . After successfully reviving a dead dog (which of course soon begins behaving aggressively), Duplass uses his milky "Lazarus serum" on electrocuted research assistant and fiancée Olivia Wilde, who promptly returns to life with black eyes, a gravelly voice and supernatural powers. There's a stream of technobabble and debate

For their third collaboration, Liam Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra have wisely dumped the high concept conceits of Unknown and Non-Stop and have instead fashioned a gritty thriller that owes more to the crime classics of the ‘70s than the sleek actioners the Irishman has now become known for. Once a feared hitman for New York Irish mobster Ed Harris, Neeson’s drunken antics have made him a figure of fun for the newer gang members. However, when his estranged son (Joel Kinnaman, RoboCop ) witnesses Harris’s oldest boy kill some Albanian

over science, religion and the ethics of playing God, but instead of a thought-provoking examination of the questions it raises, The Lazarus Effect is simply content to deliver jump-scare shocks. It's Flatliners for the Paranormal Activity / Insidious / Sinister audience.

drug dealers, he has to call on all his lethal abilities to keep him safe from both the police and his former best friend. Although the star’s action man heroics still stretch credibility, the quality cast and the redemptive themes of the story mark this out as one of his best late career thrillers.

Nope, not about teen pregnancy. THE DUFF

Life never gets old. WHILE WE'RE YOUNG

Release Date: 12/08/15

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Release Date: 19/08/15

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You’ve heard of the Jocks, the Geeks, and the Musos, but have you heard of the DUFF? The Designated Ugly Fat Friend is supposedly in every high school friend group – chances are, if you don’t know one, then you are one. Mae Whitman (known mostly for her voice acting as Katara on Avatar: The Last Airbender ) takes on the task of un-DUFFing herself, with the help of conveniently popular/good-looking next door neighbour Robbie Amell (Firestorm in CW’s The Flash ). The pair go shopping – seemingly to buy Mae more clothes

Midlife crisis presents itself to a fortysomething, no kids, filmmaking couple in New York City. Yet the mood changes drastically when they befriend two vibrant hipsters (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried), reigniting some much needed spark – then things get complicated. Writer-director Noah Baumbach has a knack for presenting middle-aged fear somewhere between Woody Allen’s relentless self- deprecation and Wes Anderson’s melancholic charm. Ben Stiller, perpetually offering his hangdog face to 21st century male stereotypes, anchors this ‘just who are these hipsters

than just a flanny – and spend enough time together to make this teen comedy pretty easy to predict. Nonetheless, it's a thoroughly enjoyable escapade that leaves you wondering who your group’s DUFF was. Just maybe don’t watch this one with your male best friend.

and why are they enjoying my childhood memories better than me?’ fable on the changing of the creative guard in middle-class NYC. He’s also the reason this film will polarise the desired fortysomething audience, but there's still plenty of wit, largely thanks to Naomi Watts's strong performance.

AUGUST 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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