STACK #132 Oct 2016

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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The girl behind the name. AMY

Life of Brian. LOVE & MERCY

Release Date: 28/10/15

Release Date: 28/10/15

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Through the smeared mascara, the skin-picking scars, and the vague expression on her face as she grappled with reality under the anchor of heroin, you can still see the innocence. From the director behind the brilliant doco Senna , Amy , as the name suggests, charts the tragic story behind the rise and fall of the exceptionally talented Amy Winehouse – the best vocalist Britain has delivered in a generation. Splicing together vintage home video and first-hand accounts of the players directly involved in the singer's life, we follow Amy through teenage ambition

The erratic genius and heartbreaking suffering of a musical iconoclast are brought to life in equally astonishing performances from John Cusack and Paul Dano, in this sentimental but quietly courageous biopic. The actors play older and younger versions of musician Brian Wilson, at two very different junctures in the Beach Boys’ frontman’s life; in the mid-‘60s, young Wilson (Dano) finds himself thrust into international stardom after the release of Pet Sounds (1966), while a middle-aged Wilson (Cusack) struggles to deal with his mental illness and depression while in the questionable

to her fruition as an award-winning artist. Amidst the chaos of fame, the allure of substance abuse, and the misguided influence, it’s apparent that all Winehouse truly cared for was her music. When this becomes compromised, the inevitability is heartbreaking. • See page 42

care of Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). Wilson’s wife Melinda (Elizabeth Banks) emerges as the tireless beacon whose love and dedication guide Wilson away from those who would hurt him for their own gain. A highly enjoyable, sweet film about the love of music and the power of love.

THE ROAD WITHIN

HOT PURSUIT

WE ARE STILL HERE

SHARKNADO 3: OH HELL NO!

Release Date: 14/10/15 Format:

Release Date: 21/10/15 Format:

Release Date: 21/10/15 Format:

Release Date: 01/10/15 Format:

A guy with Tourette's (Robert Sheehan), an OCD sufferer (Dev Patel) and an anorexic (Zoë Kravitz) escape from a clinic, steal their doctor's car and embark on a wacky road trip so the former can scatter his mother's ashes in the sea. What sounds like the premise for a bad taste Farrelly Brothers-style comedy is actually a feel-good indie flick that (naturally) treats its characters' afflictions with sensitivity to offset the humour. The trio's shambolic journey is symbolic of the road to self-acceptance, and the young cast are outstanding in their difficult roles, backed up by veteran support from Robert Patrick and Kyra Sedgwick.

An uptight cop (Reese Witherspoon) and a drug lord's wife (Sofia Vergara) are the mismatched pair on a road trip to Texas, where the latter will enter the Witness Protection Program after testifying against the cartel. The title gives resulting in ample histrionics (and gender-specific gags) from the girls, as they fend off redneck locals and crooked cops. Thelma and Louise this ain't, but the film gets by on Witherspoon's cute Southern charm and Vergara's exotic appeal. Part buddy movie, part road movie and all chick flick, Hot Pursuit delivers three popular genres for the price of one disc. away the fact that Vergara's husband isn't too far behind,

A couple move into a rambling old house in rural New England where they encounter strange disturbances. But is it the ghost of their dead son reaching out, or something more malevolent that's lurking in the basement? This terrific haunted house chiller boasts the same subtle, old school approach as The Innkeepers and House of the Devil , gradually revealing its secrets via sinister neighbours and a seance, and culminating in bursts of rewind- worthy splatter. Echoing the sinister vibe of It Follows and starring genre fan faves Barbara Crampton ( Re-Animator ) and Larry Fessenden ( You're Next ), this is a must-see for all horror fans.

Syfy should be commended for stretching a one-joke premise into a franchise and offering a career lifeline to a host of has-been actors. ' Nado regulars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid are joined by Bo Derek and David Hasselhoff in this loopy third installment that rains maneaters down on Washington D.C. and Orlando, Florida. The joke has worn thin by now, but there's still fun to be had spotting the numerous celebrity cameos including Police Academy 's Michael Winslow, Jerry Springer, the late Jackie Collins, and even GoT author George R.R. Martin! You know what to expect. You also know to expect Sharknado 4 sometime next year.

OCTOBER 2015

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