STACK#127 May 2016

DVD & BD

REVIEWS

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Back with conviction. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK: SEASON TWO

HIDING If you loved the The Code , you need to check out this gripping new eight-part series from the same Australian production team. A dysfunctional family enters the Witness Protection program after the father testifies against his criminal employers following a botched drug deal. Forced to relocate from the Gold Coast to Western Sydney and given new identities, it's only a matter of time before their cover is blown. OUT: 30/04/15 THE LIBRARIANS: SEASON ONE Nope, not the awful ABC comedy series of the same name. These librarians have more in common with Supernatural 's Winchester brothers – fighting evil, solving mysteries and tracking down ancient artifacts. A spin-off from the popular trilogy of Librarian telemovies starring Noah Wyle (who also appears here), this deliberately cheesy sci-fi adventure series delivers tongue-in-cheek thrills. OUT: 13/05/15 SHINE Scott Hicks's 1996 Australian classic receives the High- Definition treatment. The movie that helped kickstart a second filmmaking renaissance for the Aussie industry is also notable for Geoffrey Rush's breakout role as pianist David Helfgott, who overcame a debilitating mental breakdown to triumph on the world stage. Bonus features include interviews with Rush, Hicks, and composer David Hirschfelder. OUT: 06/05/15 FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC V.C.Andrews' controversial 1979 bestseller was a gothic tale of dark family secrets and imprisoned children. Recently revived as a telemovie, this Blu-ray release is the 1987 theatrical version starring Louise Fletcher as the fearsome grandmother who keeps her "bastard" grandchildren in the attic of her gloomy mansion, lest they shame the family name. Difficult to see since the VHS days, this '80s curio is ready to be rediscovered. OUT: 06/05/15 BLACK CHRISTMAS Halloween is generally considered to be the seminal slasher movie, but that honour actually goes to this 1974 Canadian horror-thriller from director Bob Clark. When a Stranger Calls also borrowed liberally from this cult classic, in which a series of obscene phone calls quickly escalates into a bloody nightmare for a group of sorority sisters (including Margo Kidder and Olivia Hussey) on their Christmas break. Dark, nasty and absolutely essential for horror fans. OUT: 05/05/15 TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON KNIGHT The best of a pair of spin-off movies from the '90s TV horror anthology series, produced by Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver. Billy Zane plays a hellspawn who wreaks havoc in a small town whilst in pursuit of a key that holds the blood of Christ. Full of dark humour, gratuitous gore and practical creature FX, they don't make 'em like this anymore. A most welcome addition to the Cult Cinema range. OUT: 05/05/15

Release Date: 20/05/15

Format:

Another critically acclaimed series to add to your growing stack of must-watches, Orange is the New Black burst out of the gate in 2013 and quickly attracted fervent attention for its multi-layered storylines, fascinating characters, and inventive flashback structure. Season three's drop is imminent, so it’s time to catch up on exactly what went down in season two of this addictive jail-time jag. As it opens, our heroine Piper (Taylor Schilling) wakes up in solitary confinement and is then transferred to a destination unknown; she has to make some educated guesses as to where she is, and for what purpose

she has been brought there. Meanwhile, we get numerous important flashbacks concerning Piper’s past, the inmates prepare a Valentine’s Day party, and Larry asks one of the women to be his mole, so that he can discover what’s really happening to the prison’s finances. Back in Black, baby!

Bill on the Boyle. BABYLON: SEASON ONE

Release Date: 27/05/15

Format:

A genuinely amusing police procedural is difficult to find on the small screen – and, arguably, on the big, although Super Troopers and the Jump Street films are admittedly awesome. Babylon 's very British comedy is far more quietly satirical than those films, and the production leans more towards the high intensity law enforcement side of the mix, while the sniggers come during the scenes which look at the media liaising between police and public. With what looks to be an incredible budget that can easily handle everything from riots and terrorist threats to small-fry incidents, Babylon 's dynamic

action sequences are shot through with systemic, bureaucratic absurdities. The talented cast – including James Nesbitt and Brit Marling – along with Inbetweeners screenwriter Jonny Sweet and producer Danny Boyle (who also directs an ep) have delivered something sharp, topical and quite exceptional.

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

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