STACK#127 May 2016

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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In the line of fire. AMERICAN SNIPER

Release Date: 27/05/15 Format:

TOP HITS

DVD & BD EXTRAS

One Soldier’s Story

BD ONLY

The Making of American Sniper

DID YOU KNOW...

Both a massive box office hit and a movie that the US gun lobby would love, Clint Eastwood’s biopic on Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the most lethal marksman in US military history with over 160 confirmed kills, is both a powerful war film and an affecting character study. American Sniper shares much in common with The Hurt Locker in confronting the emotional

Bradley Cooper really wanted to do justice to the physical size of Chris Kyle because he felt he would not be accurately portraying the man if he did not look huge like him. His workouts were designed to give him increased size but not muscle definition. He said he built up his physique not by bodybuilding but just by hardcore Olympic lifting. Cooper ended up going from 185 pounds to 225 pounds for this role.

performance that blurs the line between actor and character. Eastwood, a war movie veteran both before and behind the camera, deftly alternates between the explosive action sequences and the quieter moments on the homefront. If you don’t already know how Kyle’s story ends, the film’s subtle and poignant conclusion will pack a cruel punch. • See page 32

fallout experienced by individuals in sustained combat situations. Each tour of duty in the Iraqi war zone takes its toll on Kyle, leaving him haunted and unable to reconnect with family and civilian life. Bradley Cooper is fantastic as Kyle; he’s the heart and soul of this film, delivering the kind of knockout, Oscar-nominated

FURTHER VIEWING

The Hurt Locker

Cracking the code. THE IMITATION GAME

Release Date: 06/05/15 Format:

TOP HITS

DVD & BD EXTRAS

Audio Commentary with Director Motren Tyldum and Screenwriter Graham Moore Deleted Scenes

BD ONLY

The Making of The Imitation Game – Featurette

“Sometimes it’s the people no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine.” One such person is Alan Turing, the irascible genius and mathematician

DID YOU KNOW...

The ‘bombe’ machine, ‘Christopher’, seen in the film is based on a replica of Alan Turing’s original machine, which is housed in the museum at Bletchley Park. Winston Churchill stated that Alan Turing made the single greatest contribution in Britain’s war effort.

who played a pivotal role in the Allies’ defeat of the Third Reich during World War II. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch (with more than a hint of his Sherlock TV persona) in The Imitation Game , Turing is one of a number of math and chess experts assembled by the British government to break the German’s unbreakable Enigma code – a seemingly impossible task given the complexity of the Nazi ciphers. With the support of Churchill and the only female member of the group (Keira Knightley), Turing sets about constructing a cumbersome codebreaking contraption that proves to be the forerunner

of the modern computer. Boasting a quality supporting cast including Mark Strong, Charles Dance and Matthew Goode, The Imitation Game is British history directed by a Norwegian (Morten Tylden, who made the terrific Headhunters ) and streamlined to appeal to a wide audience. Far from a stuffy period drama, this is compelling, (code)cracking entertainment. • See page 40

The King’s Speech FURTHER VIEWING

MAY 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.com.au

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