STACK #132 Oct 2016

DVD & BD

EXTRAS

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THE LEFTOVERS DISC of the month:

KATE MARA

One of the best HBO series you've probably never heard of, The Leftovers concerns a Rapture-like event in which two per cent

A regular on TV and cinema screens over the last decade, the bewitching older sister of Rooney Mara has captured our attention of late with starring roles in Fantastic Four and The Martian . She's better known to House of Cards

of the world's population mysteriously vanish. Rather than delve too deeply into the nature of the event and where all these people have actually gone, this creepy and provocative series instead examines the impact the disappearances have had on those left behind. This isn't a faith-based show by any stretch; it's a dark, violent and frequently disturbing drama in the tradition of Stephen King. There are also comparisons to Lost , given the series was co-created by Damon Lindelof, who's one of today's most polarising writers thanks to his infuriating habit of never explaining what the hell is going on. But in the case of The Leftovers , Lindelof's oblique plotting actually works, investing the proceedings with an eerie vibe that intensifies over the course of 10 episodes, and amplifying the fear inherent in what can't be explained. Consequently, the viewer is left as unsettled as the characters, but in the right way – this is a show where less is more. The focus is the small community of Mapleton, New York, where the fallout from the event continues to affect the residents three years later. The presence of a strange cult known as the Guilty Remnant, who have taken a vow of silence, chain smoke and dress in white, and a messiah figure who takes away the pain of lost loved ones, adds further to the mystery. In the wake of a slew of shows in which people inexplicably return from the dead ( Les Revenants , Resurrection , Glitch ), this bleak and enigmatic series delivers a welcome counterpoint. The second season will screen in October.

Transsiberian (2008)

fans as Zoe Barnes, journalist and collaborator with Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood – a role for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Mara's TV CV is certainly diverse, from rookie guest spots on Law and Order and Ed to playing a bisexual cheerleader in Nip/Tuck and a counter terror analyst in 24 . She's also appeared in episodes of American Horror Story and Entourage . Mara's angular features, which evoke both Liv Tyler and Lili Taylor, give her an elegant intensity that has seen her cast as authority figures and revolutionaries. She was a striking presence in the awful Johnny Depp sci-fi vehicle Transcendence , as an anti-technology radical, and haunting as a drug dealer in Brad Anderson's underrated thriller Transsiberian . Other film credits include We Are Marshall , Shooter and 127 Hours , as well as playing the teenage daughter of Heath Ledger's character in Brokeback Mountain . But it's her role as Fantastic Four 's invisible girl, Sue Storm, that has finally moved Mara centre stage and accentuated her tough girl attributes. It's fitting that she's finally part of a superhero movie, having been beaten to the part of Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises and Lois Lane in Man of Steel (by Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams, respectively). Although she has clocked up more movie roles than her more famous sister, Kate Mara has mostly slipped under the radar, but that's about to change. Fantastic Four may have been a box office flop but her star is most definitely on the rise. As well as The Martian , Mara will next be seen in the post-apocalypse thriller Man Down alongside Jai Courtney, and as a single mother battling drug addiction in Captive .

House of Cards (2013)

Transcendence (2014)

Fantastic Four (2015)

The Martian (2015)

COMING SOON Hitting the JB shelves in November Trainwreck Current it-girl Amy Schumer headlines this smart and hilarious Minions Ever wondered where those little yellow Self/Less Dying billionaire Ben Kingsley transfers his consciousness into Ryan

The Hobbit Trilogy: Extended Edition Now in a nice box set to sit beside your Lord of the Rings trilogy. Let the Middle-earth marathon begin. (Nov 18)

scene-stealers from Despicable Me came from? This origin story has the answers. (Nov 5)

rom-com from director Judd Apatow. Believe the hype. (Nov 12)

Reynolds for a shot at immortality. Things go pear shaped. (Nov 25)

OCTOBER 2015

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