STACK #197 Mar 2021

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TO FILM, TV, MUSIC, GAMING & LIFE TECH

ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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ISSUE 197 Mar ’21

STACK Issue 197 MARCH 2021 “Amoebas don’t make motorcycles and atomic bombs!”

ISSUE 197 Mar ’21

ISSUE 197 Mar ’21

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 197 MAR 2021

FILM & TV 8 Roving Reporter 9 Bob J’s Movie Trivia

10 Wonder Woman 1984 12 The War with Grandpa 14 Possessor 16 Bad Boy Bubby 18 New from Imprint Films 19 The Apostle 20-22 Out this month LIFE TECH 26 Intro 28-36 Pet tech 38-40 Smart lighting 42 Voice control in the smart home 44 Thread explained 46 Mesh networks 48-52 Smart home 54 Smartphones 56 Front door security 58 Chromecast with Google TV 60 What’s new at JB MUSIC 66-71 The Music Room: Interviews with Alice Cooper, Kings of Leon and more 72 STACK Record Club 74-76 Tash Sultana 78-79 AlbumTales: INXS’s The Swing (1984) 80 This Month at JB 82-84 Album reviews GAMING FLIP MAG AND READ FROM BACK 3 Roving Reporter/Game Changers 4 Fast Forward/Q5 6 Monster Hunter Rise 8 Hotshot Racing 10 Accessorise Now! 12 STACK Recommends 14 Out this month

WELCOME We’ve got a proper mixed bag this month in STACK , from tech to keep your pets entertained while you’re out, to an interview with Alice Cooper. In movies, DC blockbuster Wonder Woman 1984 hits JB shelves, and we chat with screen legend Robert Duvall about The Apostle . And on April 21, anime classic Akira returns in a 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition, so pre-order your copy now. Life Tech takes a look at the latest developments in smart home including the aforementioned pet tech; and in music, Tash Sultana makes the cover for March and we spin the new albums from Middle Kids and The Kings of Leon. Finally, in games, Monster Hunter Rise hits the Nintendo Switch and we spotlight some classic arcade racers to celebrate the physical release of Hotshot Racing . Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & TV Editor Scott Hocking Music Editor Zoë Radas Games & Online Editor Amy Flower Creative Director Gary Siewert Movies Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Music Consultant Mike Glynn

Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones, Gill Pringle Contributors Bryget Chrisfield, Glenn Cochrane, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Jake Cleland, Tim Lambert, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Anthony Horan,

Nicholas Kennedy, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom, Bec Summer Social Media Manager Imogene Lewis-Granland Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121

RATINGS GUIDE

Parental guidance recommended

Recommended for mature audiences

Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15smust beaccommpaniedby a parent or adult guardian

Restricted to 18 and over

General

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2021 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press.

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EXTRAS

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STACK

MERCH MONTH of the

If you’ve been into a JB Hi-Fi store lately, you may have noticed more and more cool merch making its way onto shelves. And in some JB stores, you may have even seen some cool t-shirts turning up on the racks. Who doesn’t love merch? And who doesn’t love t-shirts, right?

For decades, JB has been at the forefront of pop culture in Australia through film, TV, video games and music, so we think this merch is a match made in heaven. Each month, we’re going to be showcasing our favourite merch in this space, so let's kick off March with a few classic music tees.

FELICITY JONES

THOMAS BRODIE SANGSTER

FREDDIE HIGHMORE

PATRICK STEWART

WITH

AND

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animated violence

DISTRIBUTED BY ROADSHOW ENTERTANIMENT

jbhifi.com.au NEW TO BUY ON BLU-RAY TM & DVD MARCH 31 AT

MARCH 2021

6

*while stocks last

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STACK’s ROVING REPORTER

4K UHD BEST-SELLERS for FEBRUARY 2021

What was the first film you can recall seeing as a child, or one that had an indelible impact on you?

VICTORIA LEWIS @ JB Artamon, NSW

The first one I actually remember watching as a kid was Monsters, Inc. , and I still love it and watch it today. It’s probably my favourite Disney/ Pixar movie.

1 2012 2 The Hobbit Trilogy 3 Tenet

What’s your all-time favourite film andTV series, and why?

4 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 5 Godzilla: King of the Monsters 6 300 7 Marvel Infinity Saga Collection 8 Harry Potter: Complete Collection 9 1917 10 The New Mutants

My favourite film would have to be Strictly Ballroom . It’s such a feel-good movie. Baz Lurhmann’s style is so quirky and interesting and really brings everything to life. TV shows, it would have to be Glee . It came out when I was just starting high school. It handles all the coming-of-age issues so well, and then there are all the cover versions...

What’s the best thing about working at JB?

Sharing knowledge with the customers and staff; “Have you seen this? You might like this...” Definitely the customer service aspect of the job. And I love seeing what’s come out – that’s always very exciting.

BLU-RAY BEST-SELLERS

What have you been watching lately that you would recommend?

Do you collect movies andTV shows?

for FEBRUARY 2021

I don’t. I’m more into theatre works, which are similar to films in terms of handling actors and direction. A good stage-to-screen adaptation is The Boys in the Band , which unfortunately isn’t out on DVD.

I’m a massive Christopher Nolan fan, so definitely loving Tenet at the moment. It’s something you have to watch again and again, and you find new things everywhere. And he casts actors really, really well, especially Robert Pattinson – I feel like

he completely nailed that role. It kind of puts him in a new light to what we’ve seen before. I also watched Parasite in 4K. The Special Edition has a version in black and white, which was quite interesting. It made you see things that you didn’t notice before, especially in the house towards the end. This might sound weird, but I think I actually prefer it in black and white.

1 Honest Thief 2 Star Trek Picard: S1 3 Breach 4 Doom Patrol: S2 5 Batman: Soul of the Dragon 6 The Craft: Legacy

7 Rams 8 Tenet 9 Lovecraft Country 10 The Outpost

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DOCTORWHO LOGOAND INSIGNIA © BBC 2018. LICENSED BY BBC STUDIOS. DALEK IMAGE © BBC/TERRY NATION 1963.

FEATURE EXTRAS

old con team and decides to “sting” the murderous racketeer Lonnegan by using the “wire”. When one of his team points out that particular scam – involving a fake betting parlour and past- posted results – was ten years out of date, Gondorff smiles and

THE STING (1975) Directed by George Roy Hill was Sterling Hayden, but he refused to shave off his beard. It was Newman who then suggested Robert

TRIVIA: The Sting was the first Universal Studios film to win the Best Picture Oscar since All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930.

says, “That’s why Lonnegan won’t know it”. As Hooker learns the ropes on how to set up and dupe Lonnegan, so does the audience. But just as Hooker doesn’t know everything about the “sting”, neither do we until the surprising twist at the end.

F ollowing the huge commercial and critical success of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969, the many fans of the film eagerly anticipated another teaming of Paul Newman, Robert Redford and director George Roy Hill. But for three years, the trio never made any serious efforts towards that end. Then in 1972, Hill received a script from David S. Ward

Shaw, who when offered the role replied, “When do we start?”. But the day before filming began, Shaw split the ligaments in his knee whilst playing hardball. His injury required him to wear a leg brace, which gave him

Hooker (Robert Redford) sets up Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) for the sting

To help place the audience in the time frame of the 1930s Depression era, Hill purposely copied the stylistic elements of early gangster films using the old monochrome Universal logo, cameo introductions for the characters, editing wipes and iris shots between each of the scenes. Furthermore, he divided the film into six chapters with title cards and headings such as The Setup, The Hook, The Wire, and used Scott Joplin’s classic ragtime composition The Entertainer, which ran as a ubiquitous and memorable soundtrack whenever there was a break in the action. It is obvious that Newman and Redford thoroughly enjoyed acting together, demonstrating their co-starring chemistry one more time in this well-paced and highly entertaining movie. It proved an immediate box-office hit and fans of the film began to describe this latest Newman/Redford pairing as 'Butch and Sundance meet the Godfather'. Two months after its release, The Sting was nominated for ten Academy Awards and cleaned up at Oscar time, winning seven awards including Best Director and Best Picture.

that was set during the Depression era and involved two con men, Gondorff and Hooker, tricking a menacing Chicago syndicate boss in a major betting loss. Their Big Con is motivated by revenge for the death of their friend, Luther, which was carried out by the syndicate’s hitmen after Luther and Hooker scammed one of their runners. Hill would claim that he definitely did not set out to do a Redford-Newman movie, although he did approach Redford, who initially turned it down. When Redford later agreed to play novice con man Johnny Hooker, Hill then asked Newman if he would play the secondary role of top con artist Henry Gondorff – but the actor rejected it as he felt he didn’t fit the part. However, Newman was more than anxious after a run of dismal film flops and desperately needed a hit movie to get him back on top. Subsequently, a few days later he contacted Hill and said, “Hell, let’s do it”. The formidable mobster boss, Doyle Lorrimer, was the other major role and Hill was determined to cast a tough guy actor in the part, offering it to Richard Boone. But Boone had no intention of playing third fiddle to Newman and Redford. Next on Hill’s list

Gondorff (Paul Newman) and his team of con men discuss how to sting Doyle Lonnegan

the limp that he carried throughout the film. Hill also changed the character’s name from Lorrimer to Lonnegan, thereby converting him into an Irish underworld figure, which fitted Shaw’s thick brogue. The Sting is a series of cons from start to finish, and Gondorff is the master whom Hooker must learn from if he is to avenge Luther’s death. Gondorff pulls together his

Join STACK ‘s resident filmhistorian Bob J and our community of cinema buffs to have your say eachmonth in ‘ Bob J‘s Classic Movie Club ‘ Facebook group.

9

FILM FEATURE

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WELCOME to the ‘80s

He was even relieved to discover that he had few action scenes, leaving Gal Gadot to do all the heavy lifting. “I’ve done enough action films, so I was happy to let Gal get up at 5am to go do her stuff.” While Gadot worked on perfecting her stunts, Pine was left to ponder on their screen chemistry. “The thing I was really interested in was, can you make an electric-alive romance on screen? Because there’s something you can’t force – either it is or it isn’t, and it’s a gamble. But I remember meeting Gal for the first time and she’s just so bright and lovely. It’s easy to fall in love with her, and that’s my job here – to fall in love every day. It’s a really nice thing to be able to do.” Certainly, the relationship between Steve Trevor and Diana Prince has reversed since we last saw them. “In the first one I play a jaded, war-weary soldier who’s seen it all and seen the depravity of humankind and has to warn Diana about the awful reality that humans can be really sh–ty creatures,” says Pine. “While with this one, she’s been around for a long time now, so she’s now seen it all. She’s been through two or three wars while I get to play the qualities that she had in the first film, which are a kind of boundless optimism and joy to be here with all that curiosity and innocence.” A fabulous and witty homage to the ‘80s when everything was big, especially hair, none of WW84 ’s cast are old enough to have reached maturity during that era, experiencing it second hand. “My sister was eight years older, and I remember listening to Duran Duran in the car while she was fighting my mother to go to U2’s Joshua Tree concert in 1987,” recalls Chris Pine, 40. At 47, Kristen Wiig has clearer memories: “I do remember, being a young girl, getting into clothes and makeup and fashion. I would paint my nails turquoise and do white polka dots and stripes on top. I was really into Esprit and Benetton. For me the ‘80s was all about fashion and movies and boys.” “I was born in the 80s,” laughs Gal Gadot, 35. “The biggest thing I was affected by was probably the music. My dad always listened to Pet Shop Boys, George Michael and Madonna and all that amazing talent.”

MAN OF WONDER It can’t be easy playing sidekick to the comic book universe’s most stunning and powerful icon,WonderWoman.Yet Chris Pine pulls it off with great aplomb in WonderWoman 1984 . Words Gill Pringle

O ne of the many reasons to check out sequel Wonder Woman 1984 is surely to admire Chris Pine’s hysterical ‘80s costume change montage. When STACK speaks with the actor, he’s had plenty of time to consider his place in this surprising role reversal. “The second banana is a nice talking point but, really, what it highlighted for me is what it must be like for a woman, to go into things where you have a part in the film, but you’re playing the girlfriend. And there are scenes in this where I would be like, ‘What the f–k am I doing in this scene?’ So, it was eye-opening in that regard,” says Pine who, despite his various

macho roles in the Star Trek franchise or as Jack Ryan, has always brought a certain tongue-in- cheek levity to his performances. If the first Wonder Woman left Pine’s Steve Trevor for dead, then the actor thought long and hard after director Patty Jenkins outlined her witty resurrection plan. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do the movie if I thought that I was just there as eye candy or to make a joke of the man not being the lead. I’m all about gender parody, but I wouldn’t put myself through that. “But Patty’s pitch was so buoyant and alive, and so fun. It reminded me a lot of Romancing the Stone , Kate Capshaw and Harrison Ford,

Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant, or Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn – these seminal onscreen romantic relationships that we’ve seen since the beginning of film. I never really had a chance to do that, and the fact that Patty was thinking about mixing a romance into a US$200 million action film was incredible.”

• Wonder Woman 1984 is out on March 31

10 MARCH 2021

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PREMIERE AT HOME MOREMOVIES STRAIGHT TOTHE COMFORTOF YOUR COUCH!

A holiday romantic comedy that captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas. RELEASE DATE: March 24 CAST: Kristen Stewart, Dan Levy, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza & Mary Steenburgen In the mood for HEARTWARMING FUN

Max Fist is a local drunk claiming to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to earth, where he has no powers. No one believes his stories except for a local teen named Hamster. RELEASE DATE: March 24 CAST: Joe Manganiello & Skylan Brooks In the mood for a GRITTY SUPERHERO

An unbearably adorable, eternally optimistic Quokka named Daisy wants to achieve the impossible – to win the illustrious World’s Scariest Games.

Based on real events, a team of women hatch a plan to disrupt the 1970 Miss World beauty competition in London.

A teen bounty hunter is torn between helping or capturing a seductive fugitive bank robber hiding in his small town during the Great Depression.

Diagnosed with a mental illness during his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition.

RELEASE DATE: March 24 CAST: Charlie Plummer, Taylor Russell & Andy Garcia Inthemoodfora TOUCHINGDRAMEDY

RELEASE DATE: March 24 CAST: Finn Cole, Margot Robbie

RELEASE DATE: March 24 CAST: Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley & Greg Kinnear

RELEASE DATE: March 24 CAST: Angourie Rice, Sam Neill & Lucy Durack In the mood for FAMILYANIMATEDADVENTURE

& Travis Fimmel Inthemoodfor ACTIONDRAMA

In the mood for BRITISHCOMEDY

AVAILABLE AT

WHILE STOCKS LAST

© 2021 Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved.

FILM FEATURE

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time behind the checkout register, which she recalls with equal frustration and humour. “The store was actually open in other areas and I would sometimes walk around between shooting. I would forget I was wearing my uniform and people kept coming up to me asking if they could return things and could I help them find this and do that,” she laughs. “I felt like I had a full-time job and then when they needed me back on set, I had to tell the

• The War with Grandpa is out on March 24

store manager that I had to go back and shoot with Robert De Niro!” Moreover, she recalls having to spend much of the movie in activewear, adding with a laugh, “I am never that comfortable. Usually they’ve got me in some ridiculous thing with high heels. This was a very comfortable show.” One of the more peculiar things about the production of The War with Grandpa is that one of its executive producers was 11-year-old Tre Peart, who brought the book to his producer parents and suggested they adapt it into a movie. They chose to involve him in the production, and by spearheading the entire project, he brings a unique and surreal quality to it. “I can tell you, when I was on the set, I saw this young kid sitting there like he owned the place – which clearly he did,” Seymour laughs, “and then we would finish doing a scene and he would go up to Mr. De Niro and he’d say, ‘good job’. Everyone thought it was hilarious seeing an 11-year-old telling Robert De Niro he had just done a good job. But it was sweet, and it was very cool, actually.”

Screen legend Jane Seymour chats with STACK about playing dodgeball with Robert De Niro and working a store checkout in the new family-comedy, TheWar with Grandpa . Words Glenn Cochrane K ids love their grandparents, including Peter Decker (Oakes Fegley) – an everyday, happy-

go-lucky kid. That is until he discovers that his grandpa (Robert De Niro) is not only moving in with the family, he’ll also be taking over Peter’s bedroom. Having been displaced, Peter draws up a declaration of war against the old

fella, triggering a secret skirmish and an all-out battle of wits whereby the winner takes the bedroom. In the spirit of Home

it was hilarious seeing an 11-year- old telling Robert De Niro he had just done a good job

one of the most hilarious sequences involves the entire ensemble cast participating in an intense game of trampoline dodgeball, which Seymour recalls fondly. “I have worked with

Alone , The War with Grandpa is a fun-filled festive comedy romp full of slapstick hijinks and a stellar all-star cast including De Niro, Christopher Walken, Jane Seymour, Uma Thurman and Cheech

Christopher Walken before on Wedding Crashers , and so that was quite fun, and Cheech I have known socially. But as for Mr. De Niro, I mean that was a 'wow' moment. To actually share the screen with him is a lifelong dream, really, and being on screen with them all at once in that sequence, you can imagine what that was like. It was really, really funny.” Seymour’s character works in a large department store and spends much of her

Marin. It’s a comedy gift for all generations. Speaking with STACK , Hollywood legend Jane Seymour reveals she was delighted to be starring in such a frivolous and wholesome movie. “I can’t wait for my grandkids to see this, I know they’re going to love it,” she says. Of the many antics throughout the movie,

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construct some kind of character that could operate in that context. “So, I wanted to initially make a film about a character who may or may not be an imposter in their own life, as a way of talking

about how we build characters and narratives to operate. The seed of the film was really in the more dramatic scenes – the relationship and family scenes. The sci-fi thriller elements came after that as I was developing it.” As well as melding minds,

• Possessor is out on March 3

Possessor also skillfully merges the performances of its talented leads, Riseborough and Abbott.

“I think the greatest compliment to Chris’s performance came in a test screening, where somebody wrote, ‘I really liked Andrea’s performance when she was Chris,” laughs Cronenberg. “Initially I thought maybe we needed some rigid framework to work through those performances, but in practice it was this organic, collaborative thing. They’re such fantastic professionals, they didn’t need me to trick them into it or play games with them.” A thematically rich film, Possessor explores issues of identity, gender, technology and the insidious reach of the internet – the latter amusingly conveyed through Colin’s job, which involves hijacking webcams to conduct voyeuristic market research. “It’s an exaggeration of essentially what Google and some of those other companies do,” Cronenberg explains. “The level of privacy invasion for market research is absolutely extreme, but it’s also for this completely mundane reason, which is to sell you things. So, I just like the idea that there’s somebody in this world watching you have sex, but they’re only interested in what kind of curtains you have,” he laughs. Possessor is also one of the goriest films you’ll see this year, and Cronenberg is quick to justify pushing the bloodshed to the extreme. “I thought the violence in Possessor was incredibly

STACK chats with director Brandon Cronenberg about his new high-concept sci-fi thriller, Possessor . Words Scott Hocking P ossessor is a primal scream from a techno void in which an operative can invade the mind of another person Possessor sprang from a fairly trivial and personal place. “I was on the press tour for Antiviral , and when you travel around with a film for the first

via a brain-synching device, turning the host into a deadly assassin. Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is one such agent, whose current contract is to eliminate the head of a mega data-mining organisation by possessing the fiancé of the CEO’s daughter, Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott). It’s the kind of high-concept sci-fi/ horror that could spring from the mind of a Cronenberg – in this case Brandon Cronenberg, who announced himself as an exciting new genre filmmaker with his 2012 debut feature Antiviral . And while he won’t be drawn on whether or not he’s influenced by his famous father David’s films – “I don’t have that kind of perspective on myself or on his films; I don’t watch them the way other people watch them” – it’s clear that father and son are operating on a similar wavelength. Cronenberg tells STACK that the idea for

time it’s a very strange experience. You’re building this public persona as you’re talking to people, performing a kind of media version of yourself that creates a double of you that exists, weirdly, on the internet without your input after that. “I was feeling at the time – because of that and other reasons – that I was having difficulty seeing myself in my own life. I was getting up in the morning and feeling like I was in someone else’s life, like I had to scramble to

narrative,” he offers. “So much of Vos’s character is defined by her relationship with violence and her relationship with these experiences, so I really felt that for the audience to really understand her, they needed to have this kind of visceral response to those experiences to understand in a graphic way what she was going through.”

Brandon Cronenberg on set

The film’s loaded narrative is guaranteed to spark much

discussion thereafter, and Cronenberg is content to let viewers draw their own conclusions. “Although I had very specific ideas about the characters, the narrative and the various metaphors as I was making it, I also intended it to be left open to a certain degree for audiences to interpret it on their own and leave some room for audience creativity. I like the kind of filmmaking that does that and is open in that way to some degree.”

14 MARCH 2021

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made the film into what it is. When I first began to work on Bubby , it was going to be shot on weekends. And then you realise you’re not going to get the same cinematographer all the time; never would you choose to change cinematographers during a shoot. “It’s why I locked [Bubby] up and took away any reference to the outside world, so everywhere he went, he went for the first time, and it could look like anything. “You wouldn’t know that 32 different cinematographers worked on the film. They had complete freedom to do what they wanted, and if I didn’t think it was going to work, I’d step in. But I never had to.

L-R Star Nicholas Hope and Rolf de Heer

“The creative processes were many and varied,” he continues. “The script was written over a period of ten or eleven years – other films came along and by the time I made it, it was my fourth film. “There were scenes that went in and I’d come back to them two years later and the ideas within those scenes were good and fine, but they’d sat in my head for two years and I’d got used to them, and they weren’t sort of special anymore. So, I’d think, ‘We need to turn this up a bit somehow.’ That was another part of the process that influenced it enormously.” Is he surprised that the film is still just as popular today, almost 30 years later? “Not so much surprised, because it didn’t go away and suddenly come back. It never went away, and it’s been a constant presence in my life ever since. I don’t think a week goes by where I’m not dealing with an email about the film. I’ve had photographs from the internet sent to me of big tattoos with mum, a gasmask, Bubby...” he laughs. “The depth of passion people still have for it is pretty remarkable, and sort of a wondrous thing in a way, but I understand

Bad Boy Bubby , one of Australia’s greatest cult movies, makes a welcome return to the Blu-ray format. STACK caught up with writer-director Rolf de Heer to discuss his provocative, hilarious and truly unique masterpiece. Words Scott Hocking

T hose who’ve experienced 14 days of interminable COVID isolation should spare a thought for Bad Boy Bubby. Confined to a squalid bedsit for 35 years with his slovenly mother – who has convinced him that the air outside is toxic – Bubby’s insular existence consists

writer-director Rolf de Heer. “I think they’ve found its niche.” So, how would he classify the film? “I don’t think I would try,” he offers. “I think it’s one of a kind and I don’t know why we have to classify it. Some people see it as a comedy,

some as a tragedy, some as this, that and the other. It is what it is.” In the decades since its release in 1994, Bad Boy Bubby has garnered a devoted cult following,

of tormenting a feral cat and snacking on

cockroaches. But then his absent ‘Pop’ shows up, triggering a chain of events that sees the innocent man-child venture into the outside world for the very first time… It’s perhaps fitting that one of Australia’s greatest cult movies has resurfaced at a time when isolation

The film can affect some people in this viscerally emotional way they can’t articulate; they’re almost speechless by it

although newcomers to the film might be left wondering what was going on in de Heer’s head when he wrote the script. “I remember

where it comes from. The film can affect some people in this viscerally emotional way they can’t articulate; they’re almost speechless by it. Some people feel a connection to it through their own childhood and the difficulties they had, and what hits some people viscerally is the way that they dealt with their children. “I like the film very much.”

when it first came out, a lot of the questions were, ‘How’s your relationship with your mother?’,” he laughs. “And I’d say, ‘She’s a perfectly good mother and I had a happy childhood.’ “There were so many factors that

has become a social norm, returning to Blu- ray in a new 2K restoration under Umbrella Entertainment’s ‘Beyond Genres’ banner – a worthy addition to the label given it’s a film that virtually defies classification. “Beyond Genres is very good,” laughs

• Bad Boy Bubby is out now

16 MARCH 2021

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WORLD WIDE FIRST

WORLD WIDE FIRST

WORLD WIDE FIRST

Kurt Russell searches for his missing wife in the action-packed thriller

Walter Matthau leads the misfit little league baseball team in the comedy classic

From legendary director John Frankenheimer comes the powerful Blimp-exploding epic

WORLD WIDE FIRST

WORLD WIDE FIRST

WORLD WIDE FIRST

A dangerous mission in the midst of the KoreanWar starring WilliamHolden and Grace Kelly

Hollywood icon Robert Duvall writes, directs and stars in the acclaimed drama film

The last five people on Earth work together in the post-apocalyptic drama

OUT MAR 17

OUT MAR 3

OUT MAR 3

Go back to where it all began in Wandin Valley. Collection Two coming soon

The drama continues in Sons and Daughters: Collection Two on DVD

Brave the deadly seas with the first 10 seasons of the hit docu-drama series

The iconic police drama on DVD. Series 13 coming soon

OUT MAR 3

OUT MAR 3

The definitive history of World War One narrated by Kenneth Branagh

From the Discovery Channel comes the fascinating docu-series

Season 11 of the beloved Western series digitally remastered on DVD

Also out now on Blu-Ray – I Married a Monster From Outer Space

FILM FEATURE

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A forgotten Michael Crichton adaptation, a much-loved '70s telemovie and the gangster classic that set the benchmark for the genre are among the local label's Blu-ray offerings for March – many of them making their worldwide debut on the format. Words Scott Hocking NEWFROM IMPRINT FILMS

who becomes a gambling addict following a hot winning streak. With a non-judgemental attitude and a strong cast including Teri Garr (who played Dreyfuss's wife in Close Encounters of the Third Kind ) and Jennifer Tilley, this forgotten comedy gem makes its Blu-ray debut and is worth checking out for Dreyfuss's hyperactive performance alone. Extras include a new audio commentary by film historian Scott Harrison, a 2020 interview with director Joe Pytka, and the theatrical trailer. The Mothman Prophecies (2002) is an atmospheric journey into X-Files territory, with Richard Gere as a reporter investigating sightings of a mysterious winged creature in a small town in West Virginia. Based on a

Scarface (1932)

S ay hello to the original gangster classic. Scarface (1932) established the template for the mobster movie (and the Al Pacino-led remake 51 years later, of course) and caused all sorts of censorship headaches for producer Howard Hughes and director Howard Hawks ( The Big Sleep ), leading to two versions of the film – both included on this Blu-ray release along with the alternate ending. Based on a 1929 novel inspired by the exploits of Al Capone, the film stars Paul Muni as ambitious criminal Tony

Timeline (2003)

supposedly true- life investigation conducted in 1966, this creepy and subtle supernatural

thriller makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray along with a slew of extras that include an audio

Camonte, who rises through the ranks of the Chicago mob while pursuing his boss's mistress. Digitally remastered and restored from the original 35mm print, this deluxe special edition also includes a new audio

commentary by director Mark Pellington, making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and Search for the Mothman documentary. Finally, we get the Bionic Woman and the Beastmaster – aka Lindsay Wagner and Marc Singer – together in The TwoWorlds of Jennie Logan (1979), a time-crossed romance in the tradition of Somewhere in Time and Outlander . Directed by Frank De Felitta (author of Audrey Rose and The Entity ), this popular telemovie is fondly recalled by boomers and can now reach a new generation – and nostalgic fans – thanks to this worldwide Blu-ray debut. • The new Imprint range will be available with slipcases and unique artwork for a limited time only (while stocks last) on March 31 PRE-ORDER NOW

label and features a new audio commentary by film critic Peter Tonguette, a vintage interview with Ford, and the theatrical trailer. Also making its global

premiere on Blu-ray is the forgotten sci-fi flick Timeline (2003). Based on a novel by

commentary by film historian Drew Casper, new interviews with film critics Matthew Sweet and Tony Rayns, and the theatrical trailer. Regarding Henry (1991) reunited Harrison Ford with Working Girl director Mike Nichols to play a ruthless New York trial lawyer and all round nasty guy whose career is rudely interrupted by a gunshot to the head. His road to rehabilitation ultimately leads to a reconnection with his neglected wife (Annette Bening) and family. Written by Jeffrey Abrams, who we now know as J.J., this one sits between Presumed Innocent and Patriot Games in the Ford filmography. A staple of video store shelves, this affecting drama makes its worldwide Blu-ray debut on the Imprint

Michael Crichton ( Jurassic Park ) and directed by Richard Donner ( The Goonies ), this time travel adventure sends a bunch of archaeology students – including Paul Walker and Gerard Butler – through a quantum wormhole into 14th century France, where they must rescue their professor (Billy Connolly) and avoid being caught up in the conflict between the English and French. Extras include the 50-minute documentary Journey Through Timeline and the theatrical trailer. Also prominent during the VHS era was the Richard Dreyfuss vehicle Let It Ride (1989), in which he plays a racetrack punter

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FEATURE FILM

THE APOSTLE Written, directed by and starring Robert Duvall, The Apostle (1997) is one of the Hollywood legend's most personal films.The renowned actor reflects on the film with STACK ahead of its Special Edition release on Blu-ray. Words Glenn Cochrane

When asked what he regards to be his favourite work, Robert Duvall reveals it’s the sprawling 1989 western melodrama Lonesome Dove . “It’s my number one,” he says with considerable enthusiasm. “As far as character goes. You know they made me an honorary Texas Ranger [in 2011], which are still in existence down there. “At the award, some woman came up to me and said, ‘We watch Lonesome Dove every year in Texas as a family unit, and I would not allow my daughter’s fiancé to marry into the family until he’d seen Lonesome Dove ,” he recalls with much amusement. And with a sense of pride and spirit in his voice, he adds, “You know I was in two of the biggest film phenomena of the twentieth century, and I was fortunate. The Godfather 1 & 2 and Lonesome Dove . I went to the dressing room [during Lonesome Dov e] one day and said, ‘Boys, we’re making The Godfather of Westerns!”

a Pentecostal preacher fromTexas whose life takes a dramatic turn after he kills a man in a fit of rage. Settling into a small Louisiana community, he assumes a new name and sets up a new church. Speaking exclusively with STACK , Duvall reflects on the initial release of The Apostle and what it meant for him to not only star in the film, but to also direct it. “I didn’t know [initially] how it was going to be. You know it’s hard enough to just be an actor, but I found it not difficult at all doing both. I kind of liked doing both, you

know, because I had control and it was my vision – and my money, actually. I went forth that way and it worked out okay.” As for the concept of

full conversion on a local racist redneck, played impeccably by Billy Bob Thornton, who appeared in the film out of gratitude for Duvall

You know it’s hard enough to

just be an actor, but I found it not difficult at all doing both...

a preacher being on the run for murder, Duvall contemplates where that particularly powerful motif came from. “I don’t know how I came up with that. It was my imagination and, you know, piecing

playing his father in Sling Blade the previous year. While already charming, Duvall’s demeanour lifts even more at the mere mention of

W ith films like The Godfather , Apocalypse Now and Falling Down to his name, Robert Duvall is arguably one of the most highly regarded actors in Hollywood. When his extensive filmography is broken down, the common theme throughout is religion. Whether it be his performance as Major Frank Burns in MASH , Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove , or his Oscar-winning turn as Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies , faith clearly plays an important part in his life. The one film that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor – and continues to resonate some 24 years since its release – is The Apostle , the story of

Thornton. “We are buddies from a distance,” he says. “I have a great respect for him. Billy Bob; yeah, he’s a great guy. Great guy! Very gifted. They call him the hillbilly Orson Welles,” he adds with a smirk. “You can put Tennessee Williams in the back seat.” The sheer scope of Duvall’s filmography is flabbergasting, from his debut in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), to George Lucas’s own debut feature THX 1138 (1971), all the way to the urban warfare of Colors (1988) and high- octane action of Days of Thunder (1990). But of all that he has accomplished, he regards The Apostle to be amongst his best and most personal films. “If I think about it, that would come to my mind. Yeah, if I really thought about it, it would be up with my important ones.”

[the script] all together. I came up with that because no matter what you do, I guess in that form of religion, for the sins you exhibit or do, there’s always forgiveness.” Perhaps The Apostle ’s pivotal moment is when Duvall’s character performs a

Billy BobThornton

• The Apostle is out now

19

FILM PREVIEWS

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MOVIES OUT THIS MONTH MARCH

WONDER WOMAN 1984 One of the few big blockbusters to make it to cinema screens last year is coming home. This time, Diana (Gal Gadot) faces off against friend-turned-foe Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and greedy businessman Max Lord (Pedro Pascal). Chris Pine also makes a miraculous return as Steve Trevor, but we're not about to reveal how. A rollicking celebration of girl power and '80s excess.

THE WITCHES Roald Dahl’s classic 1983 tale has been given a big budget reimagination, co-scripted and directed by Robert ' Back to the Future ' Zemeckis. Anjelica Huston starred in a 1990 take, and this one gives us the bewitching Anne Hathaway as the leader of the coven that's terrorising young Charlie (Jahzir Kadeem Bruno) and his grandma (the always fab Octavia Spencer).

SUPERHERO

31/3/21

FANTASY

24/3/21

DRAGON RIDER The pantheon of animated movie dragons has a new member. Firedrake is a young silver dragon who joins forces with an orphaned boy and a mountain brownie to search for a fabled Himalayan sanctuary known as the Rim of Heaven. The quality voice cast includes Brits Patrick Stewart, Felicity Jones, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Freddie Highmore.

SOUL The new animated feature from Disney/Pixar stars Jamie Foxx as the voice of jazz man Joe Gardner. He’s a high school music teacher who dreams of getting a gig in a band. His dream comes true one day, but it all turns turtle when he kind of falls down a manhole and things go full Pixar. Joe finds himself in a world of souls, accompanied by 22 (voiced by Tina Fey).

ANIMATION

31/3/21

ANIMATION

24/3/21

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PREVIEWS FILM

MOVIES OUT THIS MONTH MARCH

THE EMPTY MAN “On the first night you hear him, the second night you see him, and the third night he finds you.” Move over Candyman and Slender Man – there's a new horror legend in town, as a former cop investigating the disappearance of a student soon discovers. Throw in a creepy cult, surrealism, and bottle blowing, and the result is a strange and eerie horror-thriller.

SKYFIRE Molten mayhem erupts at a luxury island resort and theme park located on the Pacific Rim's 'Ring of Fire' volcanic zone, in this propulsive Chinese disaster movie helmed by action specialist Simon West ( Con Air , The Expendables 2 ). Skyfire doesn't muck about with exposition, cutting to the chase with relentless action and spectacular VFX in the tradition of Dante's Peak .

HORROR

3/3/21

ACTION ADVENTURE

03/03/21

PSYCHO GOREMAN The title pretty much sums up what you're in for with this over the top schlockfest from Steve Kostanski, co-director of the cult horror flick The Void . The wacky tale of a little girl and her alien monster pal, Psycho Goreman is a shamelssly silly satire of the current superhero craze, although PG would be more at home with Troma's Toxic Avenger than the Marvel variety.

DREAMLAND Margot Robbie headlines this crime-drama set during the Great Depression. It’s also an unconventional love story involving a teenaged bounty hunter (Finn Cole) from Texas, who falls for the fugitive bank robber (Robbie) he's pursuing, and becomes torn between turning her in and his developing feelings for her. A beautifully shot tale in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde .

HORROR-COMEDY

03/3/21

THRILLER

24/3/21

TV PREVIEWS

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TV SHOWS OUT THIS MONTH MARCH

AMERICAN GODS: SEASON 3 Following a messy second season that diverted from the narrative of Neil Gaiman's source novel, fans will be pleased to discover that season three is a return to form (and the book). As the war between the old gods and the new continues to rage, protagonist Shadow Moon inches closer to his mystical destiny when he arrives in the small town of Lakeside...

DOCTOR WHO: REVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS Captain Jack's back and so are the Doctor's greatest foes in this New Year special episode. While the Doctor is doing time in a high security alien prison, the remains of the Dalek from last year's Resolution falls into the wrong hands, resulting in a new race of Daleks and the threat of a global invasion and mass exterminations...

FANTASY

31/3/21

SCI-FI

24/3/21

ONE PUNCH MAN: SEASON 2 In the second season of the hit anime superhero series, Saitama begins his official duties as a professional hero, but the doomsday prophecy of Madame Shibabawa appears to be coming true as the frequency of monster attacks increases. And in the midst of this crisis, the "hero hunter" Garou makes his own appearance. Fans will want to grab the Blu-ray Limited Edition, while stocks last.

BLUEY: VOL. 9 – QUEENS & OTHER STORIES Bluey and Bingo return with family and friends for nine fun new adventures. The Grannies are back for a game of Bus; Mum and Dad struggle to build new flat-pack furniture; Bluey enlists her playmates in a game of Helicopter; and no one is safe after Dad brings home some tenacious tickle crabs from the beach. All this plus bonus bits!

ANIME

3/3/21

KIDS

24/3/21

* WHILE STOCKS LAST

SEASON 1 ALSO AVAILABLE ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

XX MARCH 2021 © ONE, Yusuke Murata/SHUEISHA, Hero Association HQ

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Available at

*While stocks last

Rede fi ne Flying

Immersive Flight Experience

4K/60fps Super-Wide Angle

Brand-New S Mode

HDL Digital Transmission

Intuitive Motion Controller

Emergency Brake and Hover

ISSUE 197 Mar ’21

PET TECH

L

SPECIA

Your MONTHLY GUIDE to the HOTTEST TECH at

LIFE TECH FEATURE TECH LIFE

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I f you’ve got young children in the house, chances are they’ve reached up to the TV and touched the surface in the belief that it’s a giant touchscreen. Or maybe you’ve inadvertently touched the screen yourself. Either way, leaving fingerprints on the TV screen is practically unavoidable. Removing them is easy, but there is a right way and a wrong way to clean. STACK’s Tech Tip

MARCH

A lmost all of the team at STACK own a pet, with two members taking advantage of the working-from- home situation and securing COVID canine kids. In fact, when we started planning our pet tech feature, there was a rush to become involved and a multitude of pet photos proffered for inclusion. Australians are a nation of pet lovers. According to pre-COVID research collated by the RSPCA, there are 29 million pets in Australia. Close to 61 per cent of households own a pet, with dogs proving the most popular at 40 per cent and cats coming in second at 27 per cent. There would be little doubt that these numbers have increased significantly over the last year as Australians looked at buying or

adopting a pet during lockdown. Pets are good for our physical wellbeing; they aid in managing mental health and they’re soothing for the soul. Our feature this month looks at what you can do to prepare your pet when the inevitable return to work becomes more permanent. Alongside some expert vet advice, we handpick a selection of pet tech devices that offer practical and fun solutions to keep your pet entertained, and provide you with peace of mind while you’re away from home. Elsewhere, we’ll uncover the latest in smart products to land at JB, which, as you might’ve guessed, is one of our favourite topics to write about. After all, who wouldn’t want smart home technology in their house?

The first thing you want to do is get a microfibre cloth – you can get these from your local supermarket or hardware store. It’s important that you switch the TV off before you start cleaning, and then gently (TV screens are super fragile) wipe the surface and bezels. For fingerprints, source a reputable screen cleaner and spray directly onto the cloth, never the screen. Wait for it to dry before hitting the ‘on’ button, and you’re done. Whatever you do, never use soap, window cleaner or indeed cleaners with solvents in them like alcohol, alkaline or thinners. And avoid using kitchen towels or abrasive pads on the screen.

On The Radar

What was the hottest tech in… 1972 This was a big year for watch lovers. Yep, in 1972 Swiss

There’s a plethora of cool tech available in-store at JB with a wide range of appeal. Here at STACK , we’re committed to covering as much of it as possible, so next month we’re going to lift the lid on robot vacuums. What are they? What can they do? Are they for you? We’ll also straighten out the pros and cons of hair care products when we put the Silver Bullet range through its paces, and pull together a feature on follicle management using the good ol' tech at your fingertips.

watchmaker Hamilton released the world’s first commercially produced digital watch. The Hamilton Pulsar had an 18-carat gold case, cost a whopping USD 2100, and just 400 pieces were produced. It sold out in three days.

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