STACK #209 Mar 2022

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ISSUE 209 Mar ’22

STACK Issue 209 MARCH 2022 “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.”

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ISSUE 209 Mar ’22

ISSUE 209 Mar ’22

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 209 MAR 2022

MOVIES & TV 6 Take 5 8 The Batman 10 Dune 12 Scream 14 Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City 16 The Matrix Resurrections 18 West Side Story 20 New from Imprint Films

WELCOME

Visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve ( Blade Runner 2049 ) succeeds where David Lynch failed in 1984, delivering a faithful and visually astonishing screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel, Dune . Cast to perfection and conceived as a two-movie epic, the first part hits home entertainment formats this month and will leave you hungry

for more. In the games department, the legendary PlayStation racing franchise returns in Gran Turismo 7 , we get in the ring with WWE 2K22 , and go on a wild journey in Borderlands

22 The Survivalist 24 Out this month 26 New on 4K UHD LIFE TECH 30 Intro 32-46 The Smart Home 48-50 Rideables 52-56 Haircare 58-62 Epilators and lasers 64 Samsung S22 66 What’s New MUSIC 70-78 The Music Room: interviews with Nilüfer Yanya, Ghost and more 80-82 Cover feature: Gang of Youths’ angel in realtime. 84-85 STACK Record Club 86 This Month at JB 88 AlbumTales: John Farnham’s Whispering Jack (1986) 90-91 Album reviews GAMING FLIP MAG AND READ FROM BACK 4 Take 5/Game Changers! 6 Fast Forward/Q5 8 Gran Turismo 7 10 Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 12 WWE 2K22 14 Accessorise Now! 16 STACK Recommends 17 Out this month

series spin-off Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands . There are many different uses for smart home technology and this is something we’re looking at this month in Life Tech, along with the best new appliances in haircare. It’s a packed month in music, too. We chinwag with Nilüfer Yanya, Hoodoo Gurus, Andy Golledge and Ghost, put a microscope on Gang of Youths’ new album angel in realtime ., discover the story behind John Farnham’s Whispering Jack , and offer a fresh selection of Record Club gems. 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

Social Media Manager Imogene Lewis-Granland Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121

Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones, Gill Pringle Contributors Glenn Cochrane, Bryget Chrisfield, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Bec Summer, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom

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, 2022 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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STACK’s ROVING REPORTER

DVD BEST-SELLERS for FEBRUARY 2022

What’s one of your all-time favourite movies, and why?

Impossible to pick just one, so my top 3 would be Star Wars: Return of the Jedi , because it’s an absolute classic –‘nuff said; It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World , because it’s a hilarious, madcap, over-the-top romp; and Pleasantville because, succinctly, it’s a beautiful film that puts a spin on confronting themes of segregation and non- conformity.

TRAVIS RICHARDS @ JB MacArthur Central, Queen St, Brisbane, QLD

1 No Time to Die 2 Eternals 3 Encanto

What’s the best thing about working at JB?

What’s one of your all-time favouriteTV series, and why?

Working in an environment with people who share similar interests. And making recommendations to customers and having them return and say they really enjoyed my suggestions – it’s a good feeling.

4 Wentworth: S8, Part 2 5 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 6 The Many Saints of Newark 7 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 8 Halloween Kills 9 The French Dispatch 10 The Last Duel

The Simpsons definitely deserves an honourable mention. However, two of my all-time faves are 3rd Rock from the Sun – definitely my comfort show, I never get sick of watching it; and Canadian show Puppets Who Kill because it’s funny, bonkers, crass and definitely NOT for kids.

What’s a movie you saw as a child that has left a lasting impression on you?

What have you been watching lately that you would recommend?

I have many fond memories of watching a lot of the classic comedies with my Dad, like The Naked Gun and Planes, Trains and Automobiles , as well as horror movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream with Mum and my older sister. To me it’s proof that movies are able to create bonds, and can be something special that’s passed from generation to generation.

I’ve been bouncing between a few shows lately – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Bob’s Burgers for my comedy fix, and Wallander for my Nordic Noir needs. Most recently watched movies were the horror flick Valentine and a lesser-known Aussie title called The Little Death .

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From action figures and POP! Vinyls to mugs, caps, t-shirts, board games and more, JB Hi-Fi goes Batty this month!

1 No Time to Die 2 Eternals 3 Encanto 4 Venom: Let There Be Carnage 5 The French Dispatch 6 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 7 The Many Saints of Newark 8 Wentworth: S8, Part 2 9 The Suicide Squad (2021) 10 Black Widow

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Christopher Nolan‘s Tenet signaled he was ready to play again. When we ask why now was the right time for him, Pattinson says, “Every part I‘ve chosen, there‘s always something kinda scary – like you‘re going after certain feelings or sensations that you haven‘t really felt before and, with Batman, there‘s just something so conflicted and complicated about him. I don‘t think I would have been able to fully commit to a character who‘s just purely heroic.“ Perhaps naively, he says he wasn‘t even thinking about the broader implications of being in such an enormous movie when he first began talking to Reeves. “I was just having fun talking to him about the character. Then when I saw some images of how he wanted to present Gotham and how he wanted to interpret the character, it just felt really appealing. I was quite surprised how it even came together because I was pretty happy playing little weirdos, so then I thought, ‘I‘ll just make Batman into one of those!‘“ Batman‘s enthusiastic fan base was certainly a motivating factor for the actor. “The level of anticipation drives your adrenaline, especially with a really long shoot like this. Batman‘s fan base is very alive and vocal – and it‘s scary in some ways, but not in the conventional way of really having to sell people something. Although the converse side is that they can really hate you after the film comes out,“ he laughs. Synonymous with the Planet of the Apes franchise, Reeves was curious to embark upon his own journey into the Batman canon, taking the Dark Knight back to his earliest roots. “Batman started as a detective,“ he explains, “so to find a way to go back to that, to strip away the fantasy aspect of a DC superhero but

We’ve seen many versions of BruceWayne and Batman over the past 80 years, but Robert Pattinson’s take on the iconic DC characters in The Batman is perhaps the coolest to date. Words Gill Pringle REINVENTING BATMAN

“I wanted to do a new and definitive drives the Maseratis and that kind of stuff,“ Matt Reeves, The Batman ‘s director/writer/producer, tells STACK . “So instead I thought, ‘What if he‘s more like someone who is from the lineage of royalty, where something tragic had happened to some of the major figureheads of the family and he was the child, living in the wake of that and had kind of become a recluse, that people would look at as some sort of screw-up; somebody who had maybe become a drug addict; he‘s hiding away somewhere. “And he was that guy who, after what had happened to his parents, could never recover, and you would imagine that he was some kind of addict, and I thought, well he is a drug addict, but the drug that he is addicted to is being Batman. “So then I started thinking of a rock star like Kurt Cobain and how the idea of being addicted to your work and being that haunted guy inside a beautiful old kind of Wayne Manor with your amplifier in the living room and you‘re just kinda building stuff and, for some reason, that was the flip-side of Batman that I also saw in Rob. “I thought he had that Cobain-like handsomeness and that Cobain-like sensitivity, and it was a mix of all those things,“ he says. Of the many portrayals of Batman – including Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck – Pattinson‘s version of Bruce Wayne because I felt like we‘d seen him as the playboy who

certainly does seem the coolest. Reeves agrees: “I think he‘s cool, not because he‘s Batman but the fact of his being a self-destructive guy which is so appealing to watch because you‘re looking at him thinking, ‘Oh my God, he‘s right on the edge‘. He‘s tragic but there‘s another part of him that you admire because he pushes himself to such incredible limits.“ Following the fan hysteria that followed him throughout the Twilight franchise, Pattinson took a break from big budget films, diving into the indie movie world until his flashy role in

to still have him be aspirational, was a really exciting idea. We wanted to make him someone whose real superpower is that he will endure anything to do what he has to do.“.

The Batman is in cinemas on March 3

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MOVIE FEATURE

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HOUSE HARKONNEN The bad guys. The sinister Harkonnens, ruled

by the cruel and corpulent Baron Vladimir, inhabit the dark industrial world of Giedi

AN INTRODUCTION TO DUNE

Prime. The Baron has sworn to eliminate his arch enemy, Duke Leto Atreides, and has planted a traitor within the Atreides’ ranks in order to bring the house down upon their arrival on Arrakis. THE BENE GESSERIT A mysterious sisterhood

• Dune is out on Mar 2

possessed of superhuman mental powers including a persuasive “Voice” that can control another’s actions. The Bene Gesserit have manipulated human bloodlines for generations

A triumph of science fiction world building, Dune is a complex brew that can prove challenging to those unfamiliar with Frank Herbert’s classic novel and David Lynch’s 1984 movie adaptation.To make things easier, STACK presents a ‘who’s who’ guide to assist newcomers in navigating this vast and intricate universe. Words Scott Hocking F irst published in 1965 and set in the year 10,191, Frank Herbert’s award-winning novel Dune follows the struggle between the situation on Arrakis as the film opens. Video records accessed by Paul (Timothée Chalamet) also help to fill in the gaps, resulting in a version that’s far more accessible and straightforward to newcomers.

in an attempt to produce a superbeing, the Kwisatz Haderach – “one who can be in many places at once.” The Lady Jessica is a member of this order and trains

two great houses to control the desert planet Arrakis and its valuable mind-expanding spice, which is vital to space travel and the Galactic Empire. The protagonist is young Paul Atreides, who possesses visionary powers and is regarded by the local tribes as a messiah figure. And there are colossal worms lurking below the sands… The complexity of the story made it a challenge for filmmakers and moviegoers alike. When David Lynch’s Dune was first released to cinemas by Universal Pictures in 1984, the studio was concerned that mainstream audiences might find themselves a bit lost, so a ‘Dune Terminology’ guide was handed out with every ticket. Fortunately, in bringing a new vision of Dune to the screen in 2021 as a two-part epic, director Denis Villeneuve ( Blade Runner 2049 ) has eschewed exposition dumps – and the corny character inner monologues used by Lynch – in favour of a visual shorthand that deftly establishes the key players and cultures, as well as the planet’s ecology. It also helps that Zendaya’s character, Chani, succinctly sums up

Nevertheless, navigating the world of Dune for the first time can be baffling – there’s a LOT to absorb – so let’s take a brief look at the key players and their relationships as an introduction

Paul in the Bene Gesserit way. THE FREMEN

The tribal desert dwellers of Arrakis and caretakers of the planet, who will fight to the death to protect it. Skilled in conserving precious water, the Fremen wear ‘stillsuits’ that recycle the body’s moisture. After taking the stewardship on Arrakis, Duke Leto Atreides attempts to win the trust of the Fremen and recruit them as a powerful ally.

to this rich and intoxicating universe. HOUSE ATREIDES

The good guys. One of the major houses of the Galactic Empire, the noble Atreides

reside on the ocean planet of Caladan.

Ruled by the compassionate Duke Leto, House Atreides is commanded by the Emperor to take control of Arrakis and spice mining following the withdrawal of House Harkonnen. Paul Atreides – the son of Leto and his concubine, the Lady Jessica – begins to experience prophetic dreams of Arrakis, where destiny awaits him.

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MOVIE FEATURE

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this beautiful tribute to Wes Craven.” Scream sees the iconic killer known as Ghostface return to Woodsboro for a new wave of terror, along with franchise “legacy characters” Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). It also upholds the primary rule of the franchise established by Williamson – that a new film comment on the current state of the horror genre, leading to the idea of “requels.” “Requels are part reboot and part sequel, and that’s something you see happening more and more right now. Not just in horror, but across filmmaking in general,” explains Vanderbilt. “Elevated horror” – moody, artistic and allegorical horror films like Hereditary and The Witch – is another subset of the genre that’s fair game in Scream , along with the online rise of “toxic fandom.” “I’m a huge fan of quote-unquote elevated horror,” says Busick. “There are auteurs working in the genre today that make these wonderful movies. So in Scream , we lovingly poke fun at the line between traditional horror and what some people consider the elevated form.” Along with paying tribute to the original Scream , Vanderbilt wanted to honour the three sequels as well. “There’s a tendency, especially now, to pick and choose which sequels count and which don’t,” he says. “So in this movie we acknowledge that all of the previous sequels happened, and you’ll see a few characters who were introduced in the sequels return in this movie.” Together with the aforementioned

• Scream is out on Mar 30

Although it shares the same title as the original 1996 horror hit, Scream is the fifth installment in the franchise. Part reboot, part sequel, it’s a “requel” that captures the spirit ofWes Craven’s legacy. W hen horror master Wes Craven tragically passed away in 2015, the possibility of a fifth Scream film seemed to die with him. Indeed, even screenwriter Kevin Williamson – who

legacy characters, Scream 2022 is brimming with Easter eggs and clever visual nods to the previous films that will delight longtime fans. “There’s a freshness to this movie that’s going to catch the longtime fans off guard, and that’s the beautiful thing about this genre,” says Williamson. “It has a loyal fan base, and I couldn’t be happier that Scream has endured and will keep going on in the future.”

scripted all four films and serves as an executive producer on the fifth – didn’t expect a new Scream to come along some six years later. “When Wes passed away, I figured that was the end of the Scream series, and if someone did make another one, I’d probably just watch it from afar on cable TV or something,” he says. “I had kind of put it

Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox

filmmakers felt it important that Williamson be involved in some capacity. “Getting Kevin’s blessing on this meant everything to us,” says Gillett. “It’s impossible to overstate how significant his involvement was and how much his work impacted us growing up. Matt and I are fans of Kevin on a level that’s hard to express, so having him help us shape this movie was invaluable.” Williamson was impressed by their story pitch, adding, “So I woke up one morning and thought, what am I doing? Do I really want them to make another Scream and not be part of it? After that, I called Jamie and said I wanted to do it as long as we can dedicate the film to Wes. And he said absolutely. He even had the studio put it in writing, and now we have

DON'T MISS

all to rest and said goodbye by that point. So when Jamie [Vanderbilt, co-producer and co-writer] first approached me about doing this movie, I didn’t want to hear about it. I told him to go ahead and make a great film without me.” Taking over the reins from the late Craven are directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett – who

SCREAM 6 It’s official! Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment confirmed early last month that a sixth Scream film has been given the greenlight, with Scream ’s creative team onboard. “Is this real life? Getting to collaborate once again with our friends on the next installment of the Scream story is more than we could have hoped for,” said screenwriters James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick in a statement. “We are overwhelmed that we get to continue to play in the sandbox that Kevin and Wes created. It is, as Ghostface would say, an honour."

had displayed a flair for combining horror and humour in 2019’s Ready or Not – with Vanderbilt and Guy Busick scripting the new Scream . However, the

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1 Resident Evil: Extinction A possibly contentious choice, but there’s so much to like about the third one – the post-apocalyptic Mad Max vibe, those killer crows, and more.

2 Resident Evil Despite diverging from the Capcom shooter, the original remains one of the few decent video game adaptations. 3 Resident Evil:

The Final Chapter Brings the events of the series full circle with a satisfying sense of closure, despite Alice’s parting promise that her job “isn’t finished yet.”

Prequel Resident Evil:Welcome to Raccoon City introduces a new kick-ass female protagonist, played by Kaya Scodelario.The actress chats with STACK about following in the footsteps of Milla Jovovich. Words Gill Pringle W riter-director Johannes Roberts knew it would be impossible for any other actress to follow in the footsteps of Milla Jovovich’s iconic Alice in the Resident get right, so there were moments of suspense where we had to play things very quietly and tensely but we’re also on the move the entire time, so it’s a very physical shoot and that

the franchise to rest with 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter . While the series featured several characters from the game, the six films were always very loose adaptations, Roberts seeking to redress that in Welcome to Raccoon City , which is very faithful to the original games. If a teenage Scodelario had little time for movies growing up, today she agrees that Jovovich is an inspiration. “She’s personally a huge inspiration in how she kept in shape enough to film those movies – and have a family,“ she says. “I grew up in an immigrant household in London and my mum was working two jobs, so I wasn’t really inspired by actors and actresses back then because I just didn’t have the time for that,“ she adds. “So I had my mum inspire me and the people around me and I was just lucky that they were all incredibly strong women, so that’s always what I felt the most comfortable playing, just because that’s what I’ve seen. The Terminator ’s Linda Hamilton was probably her greatest inspiration. “Sarah Connor was the first female character I ever saw who wasn’t kissing people and wearing red lipstick and wasn’t overly sexualised. And I loved her glasses and how she walked and smoked. There was something just so cool about her and it was nothing to do with whether it was feminine or masculine; it was just a real cool character, so that’s always been my motivation, to look for something that on the page sounds awesome and could be a man or a woman.“

was really interesting to get your adrenaline going practically every single day for three months. There was never a chill day on set. It was always very fast paced and high action and I really enjoy that,“ she tells STACK . Just 14 when she won her first

Evil franchise, smartly opting to centre this new iteration upon siblings Claire and Chris Redfield, who grew up in the Raccoon City Orphanage in the 1980s. In 1998, the Redfields are back in town, although not exactly on speaking terms when we meet them in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City . Having already proven she could hold her own alongside the boys as Teresa in the Maze Runner sci-fi action trilogy, Roberts was confident that Kaya Scodelario would be more than a match for the film’s tough guy team featuring Robbie Amell (Chris Redfield), Tom Hopper (Albert Wesker), Avan Jogia (Leon Kennedy), Donal Logue (Chief irons) and Neal McDonough (William Birkin), along with Hannah John- Kamen’s Jill Valentine. It was a steep learning curve for Scodelario. “It was cool learning how to marry the horror atmosphere and tension with the survival and fast-pace. These are two things that are usually quite difficult to

break, cast in seminal Brit TV series Skins , Scodelario’s mum refused to let her play a Resident Evil game. “I’ve had chance to play it now and I’m amazed at how detailed they are and their quality, so it helped me see how easy it would be to translate that onto the big screen

because there is a narrative and a journey already built in,“ says the actress whose other films include Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge and Crawl . Originally adapted into film by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson, 2002’s Resident Evil was a massive box office hit. Starring Anderson’s supermodel wife, the film spawned five sequels before the couple laid

• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is out on Mar 16

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ago, and now again… it really doesn’t happen very often,” she says. “We’ve kept in touch, and a lot has happened to that wonderful person. When I first worked with her, she didn’t have three children and a husband,” adds Reeves. “We really had a routine, like we’d stretch, warm up and train together. She’d play her music, and support each other, get to talk about life while on the mat. I’ve cherished that time and now, to meet her

DID YOU KNOW? Production on the fourth Matrix film commenced in San Francisco on Feb 4, 2020, under the code name “Project Ice Cream.” Resurrections is the first Matrix film to be shot digitally – the first three were all shot in Super 35 film format. Laurence Fishburne has stated he was not approached by Lana Wachowski to reprise the role of Morpheus. Ten actors from Lana and Lily Wachowski’s series Sense8 appear in The Matrix Resurrections .

again… so different and, yet, so much the same, so much of the core person there. And to meet her kids, her husband, a cool family. For us, it is so emotional. It was almost like, how do we not cry?” he admits. For Lana Wachowski, the experience was equally affecting. “It is beautiful to watch Keanu and Carrie. They’re the perfect age to do this right now – we’re the perfect age,” she

Reuniting for The Matrix Resurrections was an emotional experience for stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, and director LanaWachowski. Words Gill Pringle

F ollowing a near two-decade hiatus from The Matrix franchise, Neo and Trinity returned to the big screen late last year with the fourth installment, The Matrix Resurrections , amid much fanfare. It wasn’t like the pair had been spinning their heels, Reeves (Neo) having cemented his place in Hollywood as an action man with the John Wick series, and Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) achieving small screen success in Marvel’s Jessica Jones and James Mangold’s Vegas . Of course Warner Bros. had always hoped the pair would recreate movie magic sooner, calling Matrix directors, the Wachowskis, almost every year. But the disastrous response to their 2015 sci-fi film, Jupiter Ascending , resulted in Lily Wachowski turning her back on the industry, while sibling Lana would ultimately change her mind following the death of her parents and a close friend. Working on The Matrix Resurrections in utmost secrecy, the new film would, once more, be constructed around a world of two realities – the everyday life and the disturbing truth behind it. It was by no means an easy decision for Lana Wachowski to return to the Matrix, and she almost gave up after production was halted at the beginning of the pandemic. But persuading Reeves and Moss to join her on this journey was as simple as sending an email. “Lana spoke about having another story to tell, which centered around Neo and Trinity, the love story of that, and that sounded really

• The Matrix Resurrections is out on Mar 16

says. “And Keanu’s at this cusp age, where if he was too much older, it wouldn’t be possible. And if he was too much younger, it wouldn’t have as much weight and resonance. “But, when he says these lines, like ‘I feel like nothing I’ve done in my life has mattered,’ these are questions we’re grappling with and we wonder about. And you get to this next part of your life, where you start really focusing on ‘What is real?’ And you see them both reflecting that in this way, and it’s only possible because of the time that has passed,” she reflects.

Director LanaWachowski

exciting to me,” recalls Reeves. “I felt like there was a perfect kind of union there. Borrowing fromThomas Anderson’s coding world, the word ‘binary’ comes up, choices that are singular – this way, that way. Trinity and Neo, to me, kind of represent this union. I think they’re very complementary to each other in their thought, in their energy. I root for them.” Reuniting with Reeves was surreal for Moss. “Sometimes it

felt otherworldly, dream-like for me, because it’s been such an incredible experience. I would pinch myself and couldn’t believe that it was happening. To realise that I had something so special, like 20 years

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first child was born three years after I directed E.T . “And so West Side Stor y was only the second time where I’ve felt like I was part of a very diverse family. “And I was not in the centre of the family, I was simply a part of the family,” he says of his cast, which includes Ansel Elgort as Tony, Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Rita Moreno as Valentina, and introducing Rachel Zegler as María. “So, I did jump out of my chair and

• West Side Story is out on Mar 2

I did sing and dance with the cast, singing off key, and dancing like I had three left feet, during rehearsal. Rita was there, too, dancing with the cast,” he says of Moreno, who has the distinction of being in both the 1961 film and this one. “We were so compelled to get up on our feet because it was such a life in the air of song and dance and this genius choreographer, Justin Peck, getting a muscular kind of dance style going.” Getting the best young talent was crucial. “I wanted it to look like real kids, not like 39 year olds playing 18 year olds, so it was incredibly important that we cast the Sharks and the Jets as all under 23 years old,” he explains. “I’d always thought that when they’re fighting about territory, they’re really fighting about race,” he says. Making her film debut in what feels like a Star is Born moment, 21-year-old Rachel Zegler is simply incredible as María, and the real heart of the film.

STACK chats with Steven Spielberg about his lifelong desire to direct an adaptation of Leonard Bernstein’s 1957 Broadway musical, West Side Story . Words Gill Pringle A s a kid, Steven Spielberg grew up loving Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story . WEST SIDE STORIES

“Rachel is extraordinary,” agrees Spielberg. “[She] walked onto this huge set, never having made a movie before, surrounded by a bunch of fairly formidable people and superbly talented actors with much more experience than her. She watched, she listened, she learned at a jaw- dropping rate, but she also brought with her that mysterious quality of having been born to do what she’s doing. Her María is a revelation.”

Steven Spielberg on the set

Just 10 years old when his parents brought home the original Broadway cast album in 1957, the precocious director-in-the-making immediately memorised all the lyrics. Not that his folks were too pleased at his efforts. “I’d be at the family dinner table, singing, ‘My father is a b–tard. My ma’s an S.O.B. My grandpa’s always plastered…’” he says, reciting the infamous lyrics of Gee Officer Krupke . “And my mom and dad would say, ‘You can’t say b–tard at the dinner table! Where did you learn to say S.O.B?’ And I said, ‘You bought the

THE 1961 FILM First adapted for the screen in 1961, West Side Story became the second highest grossing film in the US that year and won 10 Academy Awards – the most for any musical film – including Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Sound and, of course, Music. Moreover, Rita Moreno was the first Latina actress to win an Oscar (for

make his very own West Side Story . Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , West Side Story explores themes of forbidden love and the rivalry between two teenage street gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – of different ethnic backgrounds in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Spielberg’s film isn’t a direct remake of the 1961 movie, but rather a new adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical. The experience of making his first musical was nothing short of joyous, Spielberg tells STACK . “It was the most delightful family affair I’ve had since E.T. , where I felt like I was a dad to all those kids. Back then, I wasn’t a dad in my real life, but E.T. made me wanna be a dad, so my

record and gave it to me to listen to,’” he adds, recalling how they listened in stony silence as he played back the Krupke song on his record player. “They didn’t take the record away from me, but they were really nervous about what else I was gonna learn from that record and take to the dinner table!” As West Side Story ’s lyricist, Stephen Sondheim introduced a slew of memorable songs including Somewhere, Maria, I Feel Pretty and America . Then came Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise’s 1961 big screen adaptation (starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer), and Spielberg was hooked. And though he would go on to forge his own hugely successful career, privately he hankered to

her supporting role as Anita). Jerome Robbins, who directed and choreographed the stage version, shares a directing credit with

Hollywood legend Robert Wise ( The Sound of Music ).

18 MARCH 2022

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MOVIE FEATURE

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Maverick directors Sam Peckinpah and Samuel Fuller join the Imprint library this month, along with '50s sci-fi, '70s horror and Steve McQueen's final film. Words Scott Hocking NEWFROM IMPRINT FILMS

The OstermanWeekend (1983)

B ased on the novel by Robert Ludlum, The Osterman

Weekend . Additional extras include a new commentary track by Peckinpah expert Mike Siegel on the director's cut; theatrical cut commentary by a quartet of film historians; three new featurettes and the original

Anthony Hopkins plays an obsessed father who believes his late daughter's soul has been reborn in the 12-year-old daughter of a Manhattan couple (Marsha Mason and John Beck). This quietly creepy rumination on reincarnation gets the Imprint treatment with a host of new extras including an audio

Weekend (1983) is the final film from maverick director Sam Peckinpah ( The Wild Bunch ) and features a cracking A-list cast including John Hurt, Rutger Hauer, Dennis Hopper, Burt Lancaster and Meg Foster. This Cold War political thriller follows a rogue CIA operative (Hurt) and an investigative journalist (Hauer) in their attempt to expose a possible Soviet spy network that threatens national security. The film was extensively re-edited by the producers before release, but Imprint's 2-disc Blu-ray special edition presents the original director's cut scanned in 2K from a newly sourced 35mm negative, along with the shorter theatrical version. The disc also features a new documentary on the discovery of the director's cut and a comparison of both versions, as well as a look at the film's turbulent production in the 2004 documentary Alpha to Omega: Exposing The Osterman

US trailer. Directed by the great

Audrey Rose (1977)

Robert Wise ( The Haunting ) and based on the novel by Frank De Felitta ( The Entity ), the supernatural thriller Audrey Rose (1977) does for reincarnation what The Exorcist did for possession.

20 MARCH 2022

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FEATURE MOVIE

commentary by film historian Samm Deighan, interview with critic Kim Newman, and a visual essay on reincarnation in cinema by local film historian Lee Gambin.

essay on Angie Dickinson's career by Kat Ellinger, and Peace of Mind: A Personal Look at China Gate featuring Samantha Fuller and Christa

new book-to-screen featurette with NASA illustrator Vincent De Fate. Johnny Got His Gun (1971) is the sole

The Hunter (1980) is the final film to star Steve McQueen. The ailing Hollywood legend plays true-life bounty hunter

Lang Fuller.

Before Apollo 13 there

directorial effort of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, adapting his 1939 novel. An exploration of the horrors of war from the perspective of a mute and mutilated soldier (Timothy Bottoms), the film didn't make an impact on release but gained a cult following after footage was used in the 1989 music video for Metallica's One . Extras include a new

was Marooned (1969), which finds

Ralph "Papa" Thorson, who tracks fugitives across the US for his bail bondsman

Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and James Franciscus stranded in orbit aboard the failing Apollo spacecraft Ironman One, and rapidly running out of air. Directed by John Sturges ( The

boss (Eli Wallach). The real Thornton served as a technical consultant and has a small cameo in this episodic action- thriller. Extras include

commentary from critic Matthew Asprey Gear, an interview with Timothy Bottoms, the 2006 doco Dalton Trumbo: Rebel in Hollywood , and more.

Great Escape ), this gripping space thriller was released four months after the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Extras include a new commentary by author Bryan Reesman and a featurette on Sturges' later films. There's more outer space drama on offer in Conquest of Space (1955). A mission to Mars is threatened by a righteous captain in this speculative sci-fi adventure produced by George Pal ( The War of the Worlds ). Extras include three audio commentaries, a new documentary on director Byron Haskin, and

a new commentary by film historian Jason Ney and the 1990 doco Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge . Set during the French Indochina War in 1954, China Gate (1957) sees a Eurasian female smuggler and a group of French Foreign Legion mercenaries infiltrating enemy territory to destroy an arms depot. Directed by maverick filmmaker Samuel Fuller ( Shock Corridor ), the movie stars Gene Barry and Angie Dickinson in her first leading role. Extras include a new commentary by Samm Deighan, new video

• The new Imprint range is out on March 30 for a limited time only (while stocks last).

OUT MAR 9

OUT MAR 9

OUT MAR 23

From Gerry and Sylvia Anderson . Remastered episodes plus special features.

Featuring the voice talents of Ed Bishop and Bud Tingwell with 2 commentaries by Gerry Anderson .

Celebrates his 80th birthday with a live concert at The Royal Albert Hall. Available on Blu-ray and DVD!

First time bringing you every episode from Season 4 in this special edition set.

OUT MAR 9

OUT MAR 9

OUT MAR 23

OUT MAR 9

HD transfer from the original vault negative starring Britain’s master of zany comedy, Kenny Everett . AUS 1ST on DVD.

Starring Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption, Starship Troopers) and Terry O’Quinn (Lost) packed with special features.

104 episodes across 30 discs from the 21st series. Collection 1-20 also available.

Every episode of the hilarious 80s sitcom starring Penelope Keith, Geoffrey Palmer and Peter Bowles .

XX

MOVIE FEATURE

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influence. “We referenced a lot of classic westerns, Rio Bravo , 3:10 to Yuma and movies like that. And my DOP, Austin F. Schmidt, and I started working on the look of the film very early. We wanted to have some of the grunginess of a post-apocalyptic film but also some of the style of a western film.” With Rhys Meyers and Malkovich taking top billing, The Survivalist also stars Julian Sands as Rhys Meyers' late father – one of the most ideal father/son pairings in recent memory. When asked about such formidable casting on a low budget production, Keeyes reveals how his relationship with Malkovich got him onboard. “I directed a film called Rogue Hostage about four months before The Survivalist and John Malkovich happened to be one of the stars of that. John and I clicked, we became very good friends, and as that film ended he called me up and said, ‘Listen, if you've got another movie, I'd love to do it.’ So when The Survivalist came around I called John, he read the script, and called me back immediately and was like, ‘We gotta do this!’ “We knew Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ manager pretty well and thought, ‘Let’s go after Jonathan.’ He read the script and he responded really well and was happy to jump on board.” Keeyes reveals that another Hollywood star was featured in The Survivalist , as the voice of a radio host who ushers the viewer through the onscreen turmoil and chaos. “We got Lori Petty to do the voice of the radio operator. I wanted a very distinctive voice, seeing as we never see her. She did such a great job.” The Survivalist is a gripping similar themes exploring the nature of man and that old adage of the road to Hell being paved with good intentions, it is a story of particular significance in today's age of social divide. dramatic thriller that will appeal to fans of Children of Men . And with

Director Jon Keeyes tells STACK how the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately found its way into his post-apocalyptic action-thriller, The Survivalist . Words Glenn Cochrane T here is no upside to Covid, but it does provide opportunities from time to time. It wasn't long before the Wuhan outbreak

creative license, he set his story far enough in the future that all parallels and plausibilities were at a safe distance. Or so he thought. “The funny thing is that we decided to go several variants further out, so that it's not so, you know...” he explains. “We came up with Covid Delta, and it just so happened that [the film] came out just as Delta actually hit in the US.” The Survivalist stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers

that director Jon Keeyes was writing his script for The Survivalist , a film that takes place in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Fortuitous might be a gross description but with one simple tweak of his script, the film became socially applicable and scarily realistic. Speaking with STACK via Zoom, Keeyes explains how the coronavirus influenced the story’s direction. “It takes place a year and a half after a Covid variant has wiped out about 90 per cent of the population. Civilisation has collapsed, marauders run the countryside, and such. In November of 2019 the producers contacted me and said, ‘We need you to put together an action movie, what can you do?’ While working with Matthew Rogers [screenwriter] on another movie, he came up with The Survivalist . We had no idea about Covid – it wasn't a thing yet. We developed the story and then he wrote the first draft of the script, and that first draft was done right around the same time that Covid took the spotlight. “That original version of the script wasn't specifically Covid, it was a non-described pandemic,” he adds. “But by the time things opened up enough for us to start filming again here in the States, we decided to change it to Covid.” By attaching the current pandemic to his film, Keeyes has successfully conjured a level of anxiety and fear that might not have prevailed otherwise, and in an attempt to maintain

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

as a former FBI agent protecting a young woman (Ruby Modine) from a merciless crew of renegades (led by John Malkovich), who believe she is immune to the virus. Holed up at an old ranch, the protagonists fend off the attackers in a classic showdown taken straight from the ‘book of westerns.’ Keeyes confirms the western genre was indeed a strong

• The Survivalist is out on Mar 9

22 MARCH 2022

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3 CULT CLASSICS AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH LIMITED EDITION SLIPCASES

NEWTO BUY ON BLU-RAY & DVD MARCH 9 th While stocks last

From Global Stardom... To Rock Bottom... To Rock LEGENDS

NEWTO BUY ON BLU-RAY & DVD MARCH 9 th While stocks last

MOVIES & TV PREVIEWS

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OUT THIS MONTH MARCH

MOVIES & TV SHOWS

SING 2 The sequel to Illumination’s 2016 animated smash hit follows Buster the koala's plan to stage an ambitious musical

HOUSE OF GUCCI Inspired by the true tale of the Gucci family empire – as told in Sara Gay Forden’s book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story

extravaganza at the world’s entertainment capital, the glamorous Crystal Tower Theatre. But first he must persuade the

of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed – director Ridley Scott's take on the story of the Italian fashion house spans three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder. Lady Gaga,

world’s most reclusive rock star to join them, and negotiate with the theatre’s ruthless boss, a wolf named Jimmy Crystal.

Adam Driver and Al Pacino lead the all-star cast.

ANIMATED

DRAMA

30/3/22

16/3/22

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG The oversized pooch from the series of beloved children's books bounds onto the screen in a cute and exuberant comedy-

THE KING'S MAN This prequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Golden Circle tells the origin story of that ever-elusive secret organisation and rewrites history in the

adventure for the whole family. Tween Emily (Darby Camp) is

process, adding many notable historical figures and events to the mix. The King’s Man takes the cleverly far-fetched hijinks of the original film, shakes them up, and catapults the franchise to new heights of absurdity.

gifted a little red puppy by a magical animal rescuer, only to wake up the next morning to find a 10-foot hound in her tiny Manhattan apartment. "Who's a big boy, then?

FAMILY

ACTION

16/3/22

OUT NOW

DOCTOR WHO: SERIES 13 – FLUX The 13th Doctor faces her greatest challenge when an all- consuming energy wave – known as the Flux – is unleashed, threatening the existence of

VIKINGS: SEASON 6, PART 2 The epic saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons comes to an end in the last ten episodes of the historical drama's sixth and final season. It's an incident-packed farewell,

the entire universe. Series 13 is one big, epic six-part adventure that sees the Doctor, Yaz and

with the Rus attacking Kattegat with grave consequences; the arrival of Erik the Red, who covets the throne; and a return to Kiev for Ivar and Hvitserk. Look out, too, for the return

new companion Dan facing insurmountable obstacles, including Sontarans, Daleks and Weeping Angels.

of some fan favourite characters for the last hurrah.

TV SCI-FI

TV DRAMA

16/3/22

16/3/22

RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 5 Continuing the animated misadventures of a boozy, eccentric scientist and his teenaged grandson, who traverse space and

BLACK FRIDAY The mayhem of Black Friday sales is taken to ridiculous extremes in this goofy and gory horror-comedy that doubles as a satire on corporate greed. A bunch of disgruntled toy store workers battle hordes of shoppers who have

time creating inter-dimensional chaos, Rick and Morty 's highly anticipated fifth season delivers all the temporal insanity that fans have come to expect – and a game changing two-part finale that will

been transformed into monstrous creatures by an alien parasite. With Evil Dead 's Bruce Campbell onboard, you just know this one will be a lot of fun.

seriously shake-up the series going forward.

TV COMEDY

HORROR

23/3/22

9/3/22

WWE SURVIVOR SERIES 2021 Prepare for a clash of the titans as superstars from Raw and Smackdown battle for brand supremacy in WWE's landmark

CRY MACHO Clint Eastwood’s new film as director and star is an uplifting and poignant drama that sends the 91-year-old on a journey of

annual event. The main match sees Smackdown champion Roman Reigns take on Raw champ Big E, and all seven Pay Per View matches are collected here. The event also celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Rock's WWE debut.

redemption. Playing a former rodeo star employed by his ex-boss (Dwight Yoakam) to bring the man’s son home from Mexico, can Clint find the redemption he seeks by teaching

the kid what it is to be a good man along the way?

WRESTLING

DRAMA

9/3/22

2/3/22

24 MARCH 2022

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