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CONTENTS

ISSUE 212 JUNE 2022

MOVIES & TV 6 Take 5 8 Jurassic World: Dominion 10 Lightyear 12 The Batman 13 Licorice Pizza 14 The Northman 15 The Bad Guys 16 Ambulance 18 New from Imprint Films

WELCOME

The Dark Knight’s first stand-alone adventure in a decade, The Batman returns the DC icon to his roots in Detective Comics as more sleuth than superhero. Robert Pattinson brings a brooding intensity to the role, while Paul Dano steals the film as a terrifying new incarnation of The Riddler. The result is a gripping, slow burn crime-thriller that pulls the viewer into a Gotham City underworld that’s both familiar and fresh. When an 85” smart TV simply isn’t big enough, supersize your entertainment with a projector. Bringing the big screen cinema experience home and outdoors has never been easier or more affordable. So, whether you’re setting up a dedicated home theatre room or want to enjoy movie nights under the stars, there’s a projector for all occasions, and we round

19 Out this month 20 New on 4K UHD

them up this month in an essential buying guide. Still going strong in its ninth year, Grand Theft Auto V is out this month on new-gen consoles. To celebrate the game’s enduring legacy, we look

LIFE TECH 26 Life tech intro 28–44 We go big with projectors 46 Sonos launches entry level soundbar 48 Garmin keeping truckers on the road 50–60 Tax time tech upgrades MUSIC 64-70 The Music Room: Chats with Vance Joy, Angel Olsen and more 72-73 Cover feature: Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers 74-75 STACK Record Club 76 AlbumTales: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977)

back at 25 years of the all-conquering franchise. And in music, we’re dishing up an in-depth look-see into Kendrick Lamar’s astounding new album and chat with Vance Joy, Angel Olsen and Chris Cheney. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours gets the Album Tales treatment, with album reviews of new Flume, Foals, and Baby Velvet. 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 Glenn Cochrane Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121

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

78 This month at JB 80-82 Album reviews

GAMING FLIP MAG AND READ FROM BACK 4 Take 5/Game Changers! 6-7 Grand Theft Auto 8 The Quarry 10 Accessorise Now! 12 STACK Recommends

RATINGS GUIDE

Parental guidance recommended

Recommended for mature audiences

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

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

1 Uncharted 2 Spider-Man: No Way Home 3 Moonfall 4 Marry Me 5 Ghostbusters: Afterlife 6 Belfast

Your Name . Its stunning animation, incredible soundtrack and emotional story make for such an amazing film. No matter how many times I watch it, it still brings me joy.

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What’s the best thing about working at JB?

That no matter how many movies you know or have heard of, customers always come in asking for the most obscure things. I’ve seen so many movies that I never would have, thanks to the customers.

Stargate SG-1 has to be my favourite TV show of all time. All the interesting sci-fi adventures that they go on, not to mention all the stuff I learnt about Egyptian gods.

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

I was never a big Disney fan growing up until I saw Atlantis: The Lost Empire . When the submarine first dives, from that point on I knew I wanted to be a part of the magic of movies.

I just saw The Northman . It’s an incredibly intense experience that is the most realistic depiction of Vikings I’ve ever seen. If you like Vikings , then it’s a must-watch.

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it for three films, and everyone who’s worked to make this what it is. I’m so grateful to Steven for allowing a new generation to continue telling the story that he and his collaborators began,” says Trevorrow, who steered 2015’s Jurassic World to a record-shattering US$1.7 billion global box office. The thrilling conclusion of a three-decade story, Dominion is unlike any Jurassic film that has come before it. “There is a cataclysmic event in the middle of the trilogy that fundamentally changes everything,” says Trevorrow. “The dinosaurs are taken off the island and released out into the wider world. It was such an amazing opportunity to explore the consequences of that. Dominion is about the need for us to respect the power of the natural world – if we fail, we’ll go extinct just like the dinosaurs. “Not only are we finishing the story begun in 2015 in Jurassic World , we’re finishing the story that was begun in 1993 with Jurassic Park . That’s a story that takes all the characters in the saga to tell.” Returning as paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, Sam Neill says he was thrilled to be reunited with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Dominion , which was filmed during the pandemic. “We had an enormous amount of fun working on Jurassic Park , and went through a lot together,” he recalls,

Teasing on the nostalgia factor of having all three of the core stars of Jurassic Park – Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum – return to the fold, JurassicWorld: Dominion is poised to send us roaring back into the cinema.

D irected by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World: Dominion is the sixth installment in the Jurassic franchise and follows the events of 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom . The final film in the Jurassic World trilogy and the conclusion to the storyline started in the original Jurassic Park trilogy, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, BDWong and Omar Sy reprise their roles from the previous films in this dinosaur epic, as two generations unite for the first time. The fusion of those two casts was long-planned. “We designed this trilogy to bring in characters from Jurassic Park ,” says Trevorrow. “We had BDWong in Jurassic

referencing the hurricane in Kauai that destroyed the sets. “So our friendships were very much forged in a challenging and trying experience, not unlike the challenges that the world faced in 2020. "There we were again, in a natural disaster of sorts and the three of us bonded just as we had before. They both make me laugh much more than is sensible for a person my age.” Fans of Jurassic Park may wonder about the status of Alan’s relationship with Ellie (Dern) all these years later. “Alan may appear gruff and alarming to some, but really, he’s a softy despite his self-protecting instincts,” says Neill. “The reason that Alan and Ellie didn’t work out in Jurassic Park was because she was determined to have children, but Grant had no interest. But Ellie and Alan meet again in Dominion , which may or may not have a lot to do with how Alan finds himself in jeopardy again. “Alan barely made it out alive in the first trilogy,” he adds. “After that, he could have turned his back on the world of dinosaurs and tried to live a normal

send them on a true, honest-to-God, scary-as-hell adventure.” Taking place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed, dinosaurs now live – and hunt – alongside humans all over the world. This

World to assure the audience that this was the same timeline, and in Dominion , the legacy cast is as equally involved as Claire (Howard) and Owen (Pratt). We don’t just bring them in to exist in some supervisory, parental role. We

fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings will remain the apex predators

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life. But I don’t think Alan would have ever been happy with that. He loves dinosaurs, and there’s a huge amount of history about them that we still know nothing about. Though he’s dug up a few, Alan knows there’s still much more to be discovered.”

on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures. “This is a world that Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton created together, and I have been fortunate enough to be a custodian of

Jurassic World: Dominion is in cinemas on June 9

Laura Dern and Sam Neill

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vintage pull-string Sheriff Woody a run for his money as Andy’s favourite. Fast forward to six years ago, when MacLane found himself asking: What movie inspired Andy to beg for a fancy action figure with lasers, karate chop action and aerodynamic space wings? “I’d always wondered what movie was Buzz from? Why couldn't we just make that movie? And that's what we did. Lightyear , the movie that Andy saw that changed his life is, in a way, Andy’s Star Wars , so I wanted to make something that felt true to those fun, big budget popcorn films.” A sci-fi action-adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz, Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure. “I did a lot of research, breaking down the nature of genre thrillers,” says

MacLane. “I knew Buzz would have to face a big problem, and I liked the sci-fi element of time dilation. There’s a rich history of character out-of-time heroics: Captain America, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, to name a few.” Joining Chris Evans as Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear, the voice cast includes Taika Waititi, Keke Palmer and Dale Soules, while Uzo Aduba plays Buzz’s commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne and Peter Sohn is Sox, the robot cat. Additionally, James Brolin can be heard as the enigmatic Emperor Zurg. Deciding to make a film about Buzz was the easy part. But

FUN FACTS • Lightyear is the second Toy Story spin-off to feature the character after the 2000 cartoon series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command . • The scene in the foggy forest is a nod to the Star Wars universe. • This is James Brolin’s first animated film as a voice actor.

Toy Story ’s beloved Buzz Lightyear gets real in the all-new origin story, Lightyear . Words Gill Pringle

M any a young knowing the catchphrase, “To infinity… and beyond”. And it’s undoubtedly familiar to those even younger – the battle cry of Toy Story ’s delightfully deluded action figure, Buzz Lightyear. Not wishing to offend Woody and Jessie fans but, c’mon, wasn’t Buzz everyone’s favourite? Its hard to imagine that Disney Pixar took 27 years to 20-something would have been raised

doing the honours. That’s because in this new version, Buzz is not a toy, he's a human – this is the real Buzz Lightyear, starring in his first science fiction action-adventure. Pixar’s Angus MacLane, a co-director on Finding Dory , grew up an ardent Star Wars fan, making him the perfect choice to take the helm of Lightyear . “After I saw Star Wars , all I wanted to play was Star Wars. All I wanted to draw was Star Wars. Star Wars was my religion. It lasted for years, although Star Wars was only the

capitalise on the Toy Story franchise’s loveable Lightyear, who won audiences’ hearts with his insistence that he was a real Space Ranger, while the rest of the gang in Andy’s toy box patiently humoured him. But with the cinema release of Lightyear this month, Buzz fans will finally have their moment. They may be grown-ups now, but the character’s enduring appeal is set to launch a new generation of fans. Throughout the Toy Story franchise Tim Allen voices Buzz, but in Lightyear it’s Chris Evans

figuring where to begin that story was tough. MacLane began obsessing over the nature of time and how our surroundings change – even if we might feel the same on the inside. “We have a story where Buzz would be travelling rapidly through time because of his job. And, because of that, it would separate him from society and his loved ones. “So, Lightyear is a fish

beginning of a string of sci-fi classics that defined my childhood,” he tells STACK . “But then, in 1995, I saw another film that changed my life: Toy Story . You remember how Andy had a birthday party and his favourite gift was a character that he loved, Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger?" Yes, of course we remember. That story placed Buzz Lightyear centre stage as the brand new, highly sought-after toy that gives

out-of-water story. It's like a Rip Van Winkle trapped in a future he doesn't recognise, desperately trying to get back to the past to correct the mistake of his youth. A hero out of his own time.”

Lightyear is in cinemas on June 16

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STACK 'S TOP3 BATMAN MOVIES

We’ve seen many versions of Batman over the past 80 years, but Pattinson’s is a totally new Caped Crusader – Batman as a troubled rock star. "I wanted to seen him as the playboy,” explains Reeves. “So instead, I thought, ‘What if he’s more like someone do a new and definitive version of Bruce Wayne, because I felt like we’d

1 BATMAN

BEGINS (2005) The definitive origin tale brings the Dark Knight into the real world, where a superhero is only as good as the best

tech a personal fortune can buy. 2 BATMAN

RETURNS (1992) This blackly comic sequel is a bona fide cult classic thanks to Tim Burton’s signature style, a carnivalesque tone, and Danny DeVito’s grotesque Penguin.

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

3 THE BATMAN (2022) The ‘Darkest Knight’ is less superhero spectacle and more slow burn crime procedural, exposing the depths of corruption in Gotham City.

It's been ten years since the Dark Knight's last stand alone movie. The Batman returns the character to his roots as more sleuth than superhero, with Robert Pattinson as a cool new incarnation of the DC icon. Words Gill Pringle P itting Robert Pattinson’s Batman against Paul Dano’s Riddler, The Batman plays more like a tense psychological drama than a typical superhero movie. Leaning into the character’s origins as “the world’s greatest detective,” it draws heavily from film noir and the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s.

child, living in the wake of that and

had kind of become a recluse that people would consider sort of a screw-up; somebody who had maybe become a drug addict?’ And I thought, 'Well, he is a drug addict, but the drug that he is addicted to is being Batman.'”

Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne

“I started thinking of a rock star like Kurt Cobain and the idea of being addicted to your work and being that haunted guy inside a beautiful old kind of Wayne Manor... And, for some reason, that was the flip side of Batman that I also saw in Rob. I thought he had that kind of Cobain-like handsomeness and sensitivity.” Pattinson was well aware of the legacy. “There’s something about the history of it, like with any of these characters that have been reinterpreted. It’s on a level of doing Hamlet, where the only thing you can really do is just give everything to it, and not think, ‘I’m doing a superhero movie’. I never for one second thought that you could just kind of allow for a certain story point to go through because it’s a superhero movie. It felt like an incredibly serious movie to do, for me,” he explains. “We took it as seriously as the fans take it. It means the world to people who are Batman fans. And it feels like if you’re a Batman fan, you’re a fan for life and you see every iteration of it and read all of the graphic novels, and you’re still anticipating things. My parents’ friends are talking to me about it, and they’re in their seventies! “They’re imperfect characters, so they can be consistently argued about how they should be interpreted and what they really mean, or what the metaphorical aspects are. You can really go deep with it.”

Writer-director Matt Reeves, formerly best known for the Planet of the Apes franchise, describes the process of making The Batman as “a real labour of love” and insists it isn’t a Batman origin story, but rather “the original story of every rogues’ gallery character that you come across. Selina Kyle is not yet Catwoman; The Penguin is not yet the Kingpin…”

When a sadistic killer begins targeting Gotham City’s elite, the Batman must follow a trail of cryptic clues into the underworld – aided by his old pal Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) – where he encounters characters like Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) – aka The Penguin – and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). And at each crime scene, a letter is left for the Batman. “The whole idea of being the Batman is that your power is in being anonymous, so the idea that suddenly someone is shining a light on you, that would be very unsettling for him, which I thought was a great way in,” explains Reeves, who was inspired by the Zodiac Killer’s disturbing cyphers left for both the police and newspapers. “I thought that actually sounded like a horrifying version of the Riddler. So the Riddler was part of the conception very early on, in figuring out which of the rogues’ gallery characters would communicate with Batman in that way,” teases the director.

• The Batman is out on June 1

Paul Dano as the Riddler

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“As a group of friends, they do quite like each other – because they’re such outcasts in the world, they relish who they are. They’re not simply just trying to one-up themselves and pull off that next big heist.”

Voice stars Anthony Ramos and Awkwafina channel their inner critters for the new animated heist caper The Bad Guys , based on the best selling children’s books by Aaron Blabey. Words Gill Pringle

She also notes how deftly the source material and the script balanced joyful imagination and poignant themes.

Awkwafina voicing Ms.Tarantula

were evolving was crying for a twist on what classic CG animation films were usually delivering,” says the French director, who previously worked on Kung Fu Panda . “In it, I saw the imagery of Steven

Soderbergh, Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino; I saw the action maestri of Japanese anime and the graphic silliness of the French graphic novels I grew up with – all the way to the heist soundtracks and the cool, jazzy swagger of British films. It was all there, and it was delightful.” We meet the Bad Guys after countless heists have made them the world’s most-wanted villains. The gang is finally caught, and Mr. Wolf is forced to broker an insincere deal to save them all from prison: the Bad Guys will go good . Under the tutelage of their mentor, Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade), an arrogant but adorable guinea pig, the Bad Guys set out to fool the world that they’ve transformed. However, along the way, Mr. Wolf begins to suspect that doing good for real may give

“The story is pretty existential, and these are characters with sincere dilemmas,” she explains. “It is symbolic of how we, as humans, see ourselves, how society does, and how we embody that – until we realise that we don’t have to be defined by certain things. “I like the way that The Bad Guys plays with aspects of good and bad. Those are two terms that we see misconstrued all the time. We see people that look bad but aren’t, as well as people who look good but aren’t.” Awkwafina was also thrilled to join such a brilliant group of fellow voice performers, as well as to occasionally work alongside them – a rarity in animation. “This is a stacked cast of

Anthony Ramos voicing Mr. Piranha

M any actors might baulk at being cast as a crazy farting piranha, but not Anthony

Ramos, confident in his appeal following memorable roles in A Star Is Born and In the Heights . “No, definitely not. I said, ‘Give me the all the piranha parts! I’m ready to play this Piranha, let’s go!’” laughs Ramos, who joins Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf); Marc Maron (Mr. Snake); Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula) and Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark) in voicing this creature crew of outlaws who collectively make up the “The Bad Guys”. Based on the best-selling book series of the same name by Australian children’s author Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys is an animated family flick posing as a heist-caper comedy. Director Pierre Perifel pushes the envelope by hilariously referencing some of his favourite action films, such as Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs , but ultimately settles on a more PG-friendly Ocean’s Eleven vibe. “The world in which Mr. Wolf and the gang

him what he’s always secretly longed for: acceptance. But when a new villain threatens the city, he must persuade the rest of the gang to become… the Good Guys. Having already starred in heist film Ocean’s Eight , Awkwafina was more than ready to take on the role of The Bad Guys ’ eight-legged hacker, Ms. Tarantula. “The Bad Guys are pretty much the villains of everything,” she says. “They scare people out of restaurants, and steal almost for the joy of stealing.

brilliant actors, and I’m a huge fan of all my fellow Bad Guys,” she says. “When I heard who was going to be in it, I was mind blown. Toward the beginning, I was able to record in the same room with Sam Rockwell. And Richard Ayoade? He’s incredible! When we did the table read I had to turn my camera off because I was laughing so hard at what he does. Then to see him as Marmalade, it’s a match made in heaven.”

• The Bad Guys is out on June 15

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out where to enter the world, because the Viking era went on for over a century, and they travelled all over the world,” he explains. “One thing that remained constant from the beginning was this specific tone – we wanted the story to reflect the laconic feel of the Icelandic sagas.” Teaming with Danish producer Lars Knudsen, the pair began looking for a filmmaker with a specific vision and who was familiar with the culture and history of the Vikings. Knudsen, who had produced first-time filmmaker Robert Eggers’ arthouse horror The Witch in 2013, suggested Eggers to Skarsgård and when the pair met, they spent an entire afternoon discussing Viking lore. Ultimately, the collaboration resulted in the immersive and gripping action epic that is The Northman , starring Skarsgård as the vengeful Amleth – a prince robbed of his throne by his uncle. If this tale of treachery and vengeance seems familiar, it’s because this original Danish story bears a similarity to one by William Shakespeare. “The idea was to base it on the works of Saxo Grammaticus – a Nordic story from the 12th century, [which] was probably based on an Icelandic saga from the 10th century, so it’s a very old story. The viewpoint is that this is the story Shakespeare based Hamlet on,” says Skarsgård. “Robert Eggers and his screenwriting partner, Sjón, came up with the idea to build a world around that story, and it lent itself perfectly, because what we’re trying to accomplish was a big entertaining Viking epic action-adventure, but to base it on the narrative of the old sagas that often revolve around family feuds and revenge stories – and this is the classic revenge story.” In portraying a “Berserker” warrior, whose given name is a combination of wolf and bear, Skarsgård bulked up to an intimidating size not seen since his role in The Legend of Tarzan (2016). “It felt imperative to look a bit more like a bear than I do normally. So I wanted to put on some bulk and volume to look a bit more animalistic, and so I began training about five months before we shot the film,” says the actor, who reunited with his Tarzan trainer, Magnus Lygdback. “It was great to have that existing relationship, because it was a long intense shoot.” If The Northman has proven a huge success then the only sorrow for Skarsgård, after a

• The Northman is out on June 22

Ever since he was a child, Alexander Skarsgård was obsessed withVikings and determined to one day make the definitiveViking movie. He finally achieved his dream with The Northman . Words Gill Pringle THE NORTHMAN COMETH

A s a boy, Alexander Skarsgård and his family – including actor brothers Gustaf, Bill and Valter, and their famous father Stellan – would spend summers in Oland, a Baltic Sea island rich in Viking folklore. “My great grandfather built a house on Oland and it’s been in our family ever since. Growing up we spent every summer there and it’s a culturally significant place for the Vikings with close to 200 runestones,” recalls Skarsgård. “You really see these massive sacred stones protruding out of the ground, and it's visually something quite special. “My grandfather would explain what was written on the inscriptions and tell tales of Vikings travelling down to Constantinople or Istanbul – most of whom would never return – and how these stones were erected by their

Alexander Skarsgård

families. And that was really exciting for a young kid – the thought that I was standing exactly where a Viking stood 1,000 years ago, who carved this into their rock. I was really blown away by that,” he adds. The idea of making a film about Vikings

childhood spent dreaming of Vikings, is the result of a recent DNA test. “It was quite disappointing. It was just all Swedish basically,” he reveals. “No one in my family had done it, so I thought it could be fun, but it was basically all Scandinavian and a little bit of Holland, Belgium, Finland and Great Britain, which probably could have been Vikings. But I guess my ancestors didn’t venture that far from Oland.”

seemed like childish nonsense until, years later, the actor shot to fame playing the vampire Eric Northman in HBO series True Blood , and began envisioning the Viking epic of his dreams, something he would both star in and produce. A development team worked on the project for a while, but it stalled in the writing stage. “We had a hard time figuring

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into madness is made even more powerful by surrounding talent the likes of Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds and Kevin J. O'Connor. Punch-Drunk Love Some readers may not be happy with our exclusion of Phantom Thread (2017), which is – absolutely – a remarkable film. However, when narrowing Anderson's nine films down to just five choice picks, it's hard to resist his 2002 romantic-comedy. It’s unique in his catalogue and features a career defining performance from the late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman. With unlikely lead performances from Adam Sandler and Emily Watson, Anderson considered the film to be

For insurance purposes he was hired as the back-up director for Robert Altman's Prairie Home Companion , in the event of the 81-year-old director's incapacity. Anderson shadowed his every move during production. His father was a popular TV personality and horror host, whose famous alter ego was 'Ghoulardi', the host of Shock Theatre . Both Hard Eight and Boogie Nights were adapted from short films Anderson had made in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

STACK selects five of the best from the acclaimed filmmaker ahead of the release of his latest feature, Licorice Pizza , this month. Words Glenn Cochrane

Magnolia Another hallmark of its time, Magnolia was released in 1999 and became one of the most discussed and examined films of the decade. Just over three hours long, its complex and interconnected stories transcend the typical anthology format, weaving character tales together like a meticulously crafted tapestry. It’s perhaps Anderson's most comparable film to Robert Altman's work, and grounded by a phenomenal ensemble cast including Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, John C. Reilly and a show-stealing turn fromTom Cruise, whose connection to the material makes it his most personal performance to date. There Will Be Blood Critics declared Anderson's fifth movie one of the best films of 2007. It’s the story of a ruthless oil prospector who will stop at nothing to become the most powerful tycoon in the world, and it earned Daniel Day Lewis an

his respite from the weightiness of Magnolia . It’s a sweet, dramatic, irresistible and ultimately charming tale about two lonely souls whose worlds collide. Licorice Pizza Deservedly nominated for 'Best Film' at this year's Oscars, this is arguably Anderson's best film to date and can be appropriately described as a cross between Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused . Set in the early 1970s, it chronicles the coming-of-age story of two young people who navigate life through a

Boogie Nights The obvious frontrunner, Boogie Nights lifted the curtain on the adult film industry and 'exposed' Mark Wahlberg to moviegoers, solidifying his acting career following his previous vocation as a rap artist and fashion model. Modelled on the life of infamous adult star John Holmes, Anderson's film showcased a who's who of Hollywood talent including William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham and the legendary Burt Reynolds, whose performance earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. With the home entertainment release of his latest opus, Licorice Pizza (2021), upon us, we take a look at five Paul Thomas Anderson films that stand out in his stellar filmography. P aul Thomas Anderson might best be described as the Robert Altman of his generation, and given that so much of his work owes a debt of gratitude to the late maestro, it's a compliment he would likely embrace. Having burst onto the scene with his 1996 debut, Hard Eight , Anderson became part of the 'Video Store Generation' of filmmakers – alongside contemporaries like Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Alison Anders – whose knowledge of cinema came mostly from renting videos from local stores. His sophomore film, Boogie Nights (1997), was met with accolades and set him on course to become one of the most prolific artists of his generation, and with nine feature-length films under his belt (plus a swag of music videos and commercials), Anderson’s mark on cinema is undeniable.

series of misadventures and get-rich-quick schemes. Accompanied by a killer soundtrack, the film exploits the modern viewer's proclivity for nostalgia and showcases stellar performances from two of Hollywood's rising stars: Cooper Hoffman (son of Phillip Seymour) and Alana Haim (of the pop/rock act Haim).

Oscar for Best Actor. Regarded by many as an allegory for modern day capitalism, it can also be seen as a meditation on America itself and the trappings of possessiveness. Moreover, the film's depiction of one man's descent

• Licorice Pizza is out June 15

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A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles' history: US$32 million. But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop clinging to life and Gonzalez’ paramedic onboard. Gyllenhaal and Abdul-Mateen II found it easy to create a brotherly bond. “He is a wonderful guy who has incredible energy and is humble, so it was easy,” says Abdul-Mateen. “I opened my heart to him and vice versa. We both come from very strong families and our siblings mean a lot to us, so we fell into that sibling relationship very easily.” As the paramedic trying to keep everyone alive, Gonzalez reckons she learned a few new tricks. “I could totally do CPR and administer an IV. But I don't know if I would allow myself to cut someone open,” she laughs. “I learned a lot and definitely these are very important things to know that actually could help my life or someone else's. I wouldn't say I'm a paramedic, but I feel very honoured that this role enabled this for my life.” Ambulance utilises a fleet of more than 30 police cars – black and whites and undercover – plus multiple ambulances, as well as many other crash cars and vehicles for stunts, presenting a challenge for the cast. “My stunt driver, Sli Lewis, told me when to brake and how to turn, and he let me get aggressive,” says Abdul-Mateen. “From the first day, they put us out in the open lot and let me drive fast and drive reckless. Every day, we’d buckle up and I’d look at Jake, who had his head in his hands, and we’d hit the road. It was fun.” Adds Gyllenhaal, “We were able to drive 80 miles an hour around closed-off streets, some of which were 15 blocks from where I grew up. That’s a kid’s dream. Growing up, my friends and I would play cops and robbers in our backyards. Now I’m doing it again in an actual movie!” BAYHEM DOWN UNDER?

After a six-year absence, director Michael Bay is back in action with the hyperactive heist-thriller, Ambulance . Words Gill Pringle H aving directed just three movies over the past decade – Transformers: The Last Knight , Transformers: Age of

Extinction and 13 Hours – it took the pandemic to entice filmmaker Michael Bay back behind the camera. After relocating to Miami about 15 years ago, Bay recalls the scary early days of lockdown. “It was bizarre when you think back. It just gives you chills to think, ‘Is that possible? The world shut down?’ But weirdly, it was a time to reflect and relax a bit, even though we were watching the news every single day. I think our lives are very fast, and I think it gave us a time to chill out a little bit, even though it was very, very hard for many people,” he tells STACK . “I was writing a big script and I was tired of staying home, so I said to my agent, 'I just want something that's small and intense’, and he sent me this,” recalls Bay, referring to Chris Fedak’s

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal

Danish thriller Amublancen . While Bay enjoys shooting in his Miami hood, he was eager to get back to his LA roots with this new action-packed heist-thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez. “I've done many movies in Miami, but I grew up in Los Angeles and I know it very well. I had not shot a movie there in nine years, and I wanted fresh scenery.

Michael Bay tells us he’d love to shoot a movie in Australia

script for Ambulance , a reimagination of Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pederson’s script for the 2005

at some stage. “The next one, I might go there. The crews are very good down there and you’ve got some amazing locations. I’m producing a movie,

“LA's got its sexy and shiny, but it's got a seedy underbelly, and I wanted to make a very LA-centric movie. I haven't seen an LA-centric movie in a while,” he adds. At the centre of Ambulance ’s heist is Abdul-Mateen’s decorated war veteran, Will Sharp, who, desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn’t trust – his adopted brother, Danny (Gyllenhaal).

The Raid , with one of your directors, Patrick Hughes, and he’s going to be shooting it down there. So yeah, I definitely want to shoot down there.”

• Ambulance is out on June 22

16 JUNE 2022

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OUT JUN 8

OUT JUN 8

OUT JUN 8

OUT JUN 8

Charlie Sheen plays Charlie Goodson in the final 44 episodes of this hilarious sitcom. First time on DVD in Australia!

Lovingly digitally remastered for cinematic widescreen!

A brilliant antiquities expert and a cunning art thief team up to catch a ruthless terrorist.

Starring Steve McQueen! All 94 episodes plus Bonus Features!

OUT JUN 8

OUT JUN 8

OUT JUL 20

OUT JUL 20

First time the Complete Series is released on DVD in Australia!

Created by the legendary Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds). Includes all 39 episodes plus commentaries!

The hit new Apple TV series starring Justin Theroux and Melissa George!

After 8 years, favourite characters return in the sequel series of the Australian classic Packed to the Rafters.

MOVIE FEATURE

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BARABBAS (1961)

Anthony Quinn stars as the eponymous thief turned gladiator in this lavish biblical epic from director Richard Fleischer ( The Vikings ). Spared from crucifixion when Christ is chosen to take his place, Barabbas enters the gladiator arena to resolve a spiritual crisis

The sinking of Titanic leads a historical handful from the local Blu-ray label this month. Get ready for Romans, Vikings, gladiators, scandal and mutiny. Words Bob J

and fight for his freedom. Also starring Jack Palance, Silvana Mangano and Ernest Borgnine. JULIUS CAESAR (1970) This big screen adaptation of

Shakespeare's play stars the late, great Sir John Gielgud in the title role, but the focus is on his loyal apprentice, Mark Antony (Charlton Heston), who fights for the future of the empire following Caesar's murder. The all-star cast also

features Diana Rigg and Christopher Lee. Extras include a new commentary and interviews. THE NELSON AFFAIR (1973) Adapted for the screen by Terence Rattigan from his 1970 play A Bequest to the Nation , this historical drama follows the scandalous relationship between Lord Nelson (Peter Finch) and his mistress, Lady Hamilton (Glenda Jackson), during the Napoleonic Wars. Extras include new video interviews and the theatrical trailer. DAMNTHE DEFIANT! (1962)

A Night to Remember (1958)

W hen the White Star liner RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank on the 15th April 1912, with a loss of more than 1500 lives, it shook the very social foundations of the post-Victorian period. In many ways it was akin to 9/11 in terms of worldwide impact. The sinking of Titanic was the first truly global disaster, capturing the attention of the whole world. The opening credits of A Night to Remember

that has doomed the luxury liner. A cast of disparate characters displays a gradual shift from humour to annoyance at being roused from their warm beds. Hubris and arrogance soon give way to an ever-increasing tension that builds until a final harsh and terrifying reality descends on them – they could all die in the freezing waters of the Atlantic.

A Night to Remember brilliantly uses small but very effective images to increase the sense of impending doom. A serving trolley rolls across the first class dining room; a wine glass topples and breaks; oily seawater begins to gently lap at the foot of a companionway – all indicators that the ship is tilting at the bow. Many poignant scenes of individual moments of courage follow,

Aboard the British warship HMS Defiant , Captain Crawford (Alec Guinness) must battle Napoleon's fleet and the ruthless Lieutenant Scott-Padget (Dirk Bogarde), who incites the crew to mutiny. Also starring Maurice Denham and Anthony Quayle, this rousing

(1958) presents for the audience a swift mosaic of short scenes, commencing with old newsreels of the 1938 launch of the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth as a stand in for Titanic , as no motion

seafaring adventure is directed by Lewis Gilbert ( Alfie , The Spy Who Loved Me ). THE LONG SHIPS (1964)

footage of her launch existed. Various separate scenes follow that quickly

as people try to retain their dignity in the face of rising panic. A father watching his wife and three children slowly descend in a lifeboat is suddenly struck by the realisation that he will never see them again; a gentleman sits in the First Class Smoking Room quietly reading and resigned to his fate; the ship's orchestra on deck playing Nearer My God to Thee ; and, ultimately, the cries of hundreds of people in the water with no hope of surviving the icy temperature. All of these understated and restrained scenes are perfect cinematic depictions of humans powerless against the forces of nature, and remain with the viewer long after the film ends. Imprint brings A Night to Remember to Blu-ray in a limited edition including new video interviews with critic Matthew Sweet and film historian Jo Botting, a making-of documentary, and more.

Legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff directs this Viking saga that stars Richard Widmark and Russ Tamblyn as brothers who steal the Norse King's funeral ship, setting sail in search of a fabled treasure known as "The Mother of All Voices" – a gigantic, solid gold

establish the peculiar British rigid class structure of first, second and steerage passengers. The final passenger tally of 2200 souls is relayed to Captain Smith and the ship departs. The next scene begins with a title caption reading “Sunday, April 14th.” British director Roy Ward Baker had a straightforward and compelling story to tell of the slow and chilling death of this beautiful floating vessel, and within just ten informative minutes of film he gets straight to the hub of the tragedy. The ignored warnings of icebergs and other small acts of absurdity culminate in a 200-foot gash in the side of the ship, allowing tons of seawater to pour into the forward compartments. The ship's designer quickly calculates that the damage to Titanic has identified a flaw in his bulkhead design

bell. The Vikings must battle a vengeful Moorish prince (Sidney Poitier) for this glittering prize.

• The new Imprint range is out on June 29 for a limited time only (while stocks last).

18 JUNE 2022

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MOVIES & TV SHOWS OUT THIS MONTH JUNE PREVIEWS MOVIES & TV LICORICE PIZZA

STUDIO 666 Dave Grohl and his fellow Foo Fighters hole up in a haunted mansion in this impassioned melding of music, horror, comedy and over-the-top gorefest. The premise sees Grohl suffering a case of

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's new feature is set in San Fernando Valley in 1973 and follows 25-year-old Alana (Alana Haim) and teenager Gary (Cooper

Hoffman) as they navigate a blossoming romance. Fans of

demonic possession after stumbling across an unfinished recording in

Anderson’s previous work will relish this wonderful film, which is best described as a melding of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Dazed and Confused.

the sinister-looking basement. A rock 'n' roll nightmare, Studio 666 will delight both Foos' fans and hardcore horrorhounds.

DRAMA

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HORROR

15/6/22

THE DUKE Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren headline this dramedy based on a brazen, real-life British art theft. Directed by Roger

DOG A discharged US Army Ranger (Channing Tatum) is tasked with escorting a military service dog to the funeral of her fallen

Mitchell ( Notting Hill ), it's the tale of a 60-year-old taxi driver who stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London, holding it for ransom in exchange

commander. One of them has a week to live, the other lives like every day is his last. Dog unfolds as a road trip, during which the two war heroes bond and rescue each other from the brink of despair. A dog movie with a lot of heart – and no tissues required.

for better government investment in aged care.

COMEDY

15/6/22

DRAMA

15/6/22

THE LAST KINGDOM: SEASON 5 Season 5 marks the end of this historical drama (based on Bernard Cornwell's novels) in series form, with a forthcoming film to deliver

RAISED BY WOLVES: SEASON 1 Android parenting is the theme of HBO's dark new sci-fi series executive produced by Ridley Scott, who also directed the first two episodes. The story centres on two

the grand finale. Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) has been entrusted with protecting the king's illegitimate son, Aethelstan. But following an attack on his family, an old enemy threatens the life he has built and Uhtred finds his own fate may well be tied to the future of the nation...

androids whose task is to raise human children on the remote planet Kepler-22b. But the arrival of a devout congregation of human colonists threatens the status quo. Aussie Travis Fimmel ( Vikings ) leads the human cast.

TV ACTION

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TV SCI-FI

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BELLE A high school teen named Suzu, who lives in a rural village with her father, enters an online virtual world of five billion members and becomes Belle, a world

X Boogie Nights collides with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Visit in this gripping '70s-styled indie horror flick from writer

director Ti West ( The Innkeepers ). A group of young filmmakers shooting an adult movie in a farmhouse in Texas find themselves fighting for their lives after being caught in the act by their disapproving elderly hosts. This savage shocker is a must-see for horror fans.

famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature and together they embark on a quest to become who they truly are. A stunning new anime feature in

the tradition of Your Name and A Silent Voice .

HORROR

15/6/22

ANIME

15/6/22

ALPHA RIFT A magic helmet thrusts a young toy store employee into a fantasy world, where a brotherhood of knights known as

THERE ARE NO SAINTS Scripted by acclaimed screenwriter Paul Schrader ( Taxi Driver ), this gritty action-thriller follows a guy nicknamed "the Jesuit",

The Noblemen (led by Lance Henriksen) are fighting against a supernatural evil. He soon discovers that he is the hero the Noblemen need, and must reluctantly embrace his destiny. A

who was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. When his wife is murdered and his son kidnapped and taken to Mexico, he devises a dangerous plan to avenge her murder and rescue his son. The quality cast includes Ron Perlman, Tim Roth and Brian Cox.

sci-fi fantasy adventure that RPG fans will love.

SCI-FI

8/6/22

THRILLER

1/6/22

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