STACK #182 Dec 2019

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YOUR TO FILM, TV, GAMING & MUSIC ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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ISSUE 182 Dec ’19

STACK DECEMBER 2019

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ISSUE 182

Dec ’19

GAMING

DOWNTON ABBEY • STAR TREK • RAMBO

YOURMONTHLY GAMING GUIDE TOWHAT’S IN-STORE AT hot INSIDE MUSTHAVEGAMESFORCHRISTMAS • KEYBOARDS • TERMINATOR:RESISTANCE

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Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & TV Editor Scott Hocking Contributors

Issue 182 DEC 2019

Music Editor Zoë Radas Online Editor Amy Flower

Creative Director Gary Siewert Movies Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Music Consultant Mike Glynn Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Gill Pringle Contributors Glenn Cochrane, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Bryget Chrisfield, Simon Winkler, Nathan Lawrence, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom, Bec Summer, Anthony Horan, Tom Mackie Social Media Manager Imogene Lewis-Granland Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121 Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2019 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. RATINGS GUIDE

WELCOME

Do you have any Christmas entertainment traditions in your house? Every year I drag out my copy of the classic 1951 version of A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim, for a family viewing. A compulsory tradition that featured in my household growing up, it’s one of the rare times throughout the year where I can get everyone to sit still together for 90 minutes. The welcome Christmas break is also a time for us at STACK to catch-up on the plethora of releases we haven’t had the time to watch, play or listen to throughout the year, affectionately named ‘the pile’. With the temperature rising to uncomfortable levels outside, there isn’t a better time to content binge. And talking of bingeing, the eighth season of Game of Thrones is finally yours to own this month. HBO’s phenomenal fantasy behemoth comes to a polarising conclusion over six of the biggest and most ambitious episodes in the Emmy-winning series’ history, and you can now complete your GoT collection with one of JB’s exclusive editions. Christmas

also brings some of the year’s biggest movies to home entertainment formats and this month there’s Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood , Downton Abbey: The Motion Picture , and IT Chapter Two just waiting to be stuffed into stockings. And with a myriad of box sets to suit every member of the family, there’s really no need to stress over the Chrissie shopping – JB has you comprehensively covered! Most importantly though, the STACK team wish you all a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy NewYear. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Photo creditDanielBoud

The large print giveth, the small print taketh away. “I don’t know your name, but I remember that hair.”

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Issue 182 DEC 2019

YOUR TO FILM, TV, GAMING&MUSIC ESSENTIAL GUIDE

stack.com.au

.com.au

ISSUE 182

GAMING

MUSIC

Dec ’19

STACK Issue 182 DECEMBER2019 “Have you considered the best rulermightbe someonewho doesn’twant to rule?”

BLOODMOON

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ISSUE 182 Dec ’19

GAMING

BECK • NILÜFERYANYA • MILKYCHANCE

DOWNTONABBEY • STAR TREK • RAMBO

YOURMONTHLY GAMING GUIDE TOWHAT’S IN-STORE AT hot INSIDE MUSTHAVEGAMESFORCHRISTMAS • KEYBOARDS • TERMINATOR:RESISTANCE

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Extras Pages 10 / 16–17

FILM & TV Pages 18–40

Games Pages 41–63

MUSIC Pages 1–35

6-18 INTERVIEWS + BULLETINS We chat new music with Beck, Milky Chance and Fat Freddy’s Drop; discover how alt-pop-soul artist Nilüfer Yanya put together her Aussie live shows; and investigate the gorgeously unsettling soundtracks of Hildur Guðnadóttir. 20-21 COLD CHISEL: BLOOD BROTHERS Don Walker chats to STACK about the legendary band’s brand new album Blood Moon, and why, during its recording, he and his bandmates chose to throw their saxophonist off a proverbial cliff. 24 MUSIC HISTORY: DECEMBER Nile feels a keen sting, Gangnam Style is a thing, and an irritating amphibian becomes ringtone king: Here’s your calendar of notable dates, events, and oddities of music history for December. 26-27 BREAKOUT BELTER: kate bush Bryget Chrisfield explores the album that spelled the lift-off to cultural stardom for Kate Bush: Hounds Of Love. 28-32 ALBUM REVIEWS Ben Lee, Mirusia, the Charlie’s Angels OST, DJ Shadow, Låpsley, the Last Christmas OST, Lloyd Spiegel, Regurgitator, Nile, Slayer, Trippie Redd, The Free Nationals and plenty more.

42-43 regulars This month, our Roving Reporter heads to JB in the Melbourne suburb of Forest Hill. 44-45 CHRISTMAS GAMES We all want to wake up on Christmas moring with a game under the tree. Here’s a list of worthy contenders. 46-48 SWITCH ON FOR CHRISTMAS Joined the revolution yet? It’s time! 50 TERMINATOR: ResistAnce There can never be enough Terminator content in the world. 52 life is strange We take a look back at the intriguing teen series. 54 Give a duck! The perfect Christmas gift for the gamer in your life. 56-58 Keyboards Are you in the hunt for a new gaming keyboard? We’ve got you covered. 60 out this month Sniper Ghost Warrior: Contracts, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Darksiders Genesis, Zumba Burn It Up, Jumanji: The Video Game, Farming Simulator 20, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, Life is Strange 2, New Super Lucky’s Tale 62 stack recommends Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Luigi’s Mansion 3.

10 EXTRAS Local hero and Red Dog director Kriv Stenders helms the Vietnam war drama Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan . 16-17 BOB J Our resident film historian looks back at the classic 1951 musical An American in Paris .

18-19 GAME OF THRONES Maisie Williams bids farewell to Arya Stark after eight incredible seasons. 20 RAMBO: LAST BLOOD STACK chats to Sylvester Stallone about the fifth and final Rambo film. 22 DOWNTON ABBEY We wandered back through the series to select five great Downton moments. 24 STAR TREK: DISCOVERY We chat with the second season’s newly appointed captain, Anson Mount. 26 THE NIGHTINGALE Director Jennifer Kent on her brutal and mythic new feature. 28-34 REVIEWS Game of Thrones: Season 8, IT Chapter Two, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Downton Abbey: The Motion Picture, Rambo: Last Blood, Good Boys, Abominable, The Angry Birds Movie 2, Freaks, Ad Astra, Star Trek: Discovery: S2, Catch 22, The War of the Worlds, Doctor Who: Classic Season 23.

Cinema Pages 12–14

12 FROZEN II Six years on, expectations are high for the sequel to Disney’s mega box office hit. 14 JOJO RABBIT STACK chats with director Taika Waititi and the cast of his edgy new World War II satire.

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STACK ROVING REPORTER

DVD BEST-SELLERS for NOVEMBER 2019

JB Launceston is primed for some heavy foot traffic over the Christmas period. “People will grab a sausage and then come in to JB for a look around. It’s been full on since last month and won’t be stopping anytime soon.” As to what will be hot in Tassie over the festive season, Madison says it’s all about box sets at the moment. “People like superhero stuff and a lot have been asking about the Marvel Infinity Saga set. And Game of Thrones is going to be major. The oldies also come in and get the Hallmark Christmas packs, which seem to sell really well each year.” 4K is also a major mover,

with the store carrying the biggest range of UHD titles in Launceston. “It’s taking over now, just like vinyl took over from CDs,” says Madison. When it comes to recommendations for customers, Madison reckons HBO is the way to go, and steers them towards the likes of Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects . “Everyone loves Downton Abbey here,” she adds, “so I point them towards shows like The Crown and Victoria .” Madison says her own tastes are mixed when it comes to movies. “I love horror, but then I’ll go and watch a musical like The Greatest Showman because I’m all about that soundtrack,“ she laughs. “I’m pretty much up for anything. I’ll watch anime and Dragon Ball Z – my partner has hooked me on that. “I really want to see Doctor Sleep at the cinema, because Mike Flanagan also directed The Haunting of Hill House TV series, which I loved. It’s also a sequel to The Shining – I need that in my life!” With an obvious love for film and TV, is Madison also a dedicated collector? “I try not to be, but it’s so hard here,” she laughs. “I’ll grab myself a steelbook so that I don’t regret it later when they’ve all sold out. I also have box sets of TV shows like Gilmore Girls , Buffy and Charmed, so they’re always there whenever I want to watch them.”

SHOP TALK

1 Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw 2 The Lion King (2019) 3 Spider-Man: Far from Home 4 The Secret Life of Pets 2 5 The Big Bang Theory: S12 6 Toy Story 4 7 Descendants 3 8 Yesterday 9 John Wick: Chapter 3 10 Good Omens

C hristmas comes early at JB’s Launceston store, according to movies and music coordinator Madison Raseta-Lee. “I don’t know why, but people come in expecting Christmas movies around September,” she muses. “I love it!” Sandwiched between a Bunnings and Officeworks,

BLU-RAY BEST-SELLERS for NOVEMBER 2019

1 Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw 2 Spider-Man: Far from Home 3 The Lion King (2019) 4 Midsommar: Director’s Cut 5 Chernobyl 6 Doctor Who: Classic Season 10 7 Toy Story 4 8 Good Omens 9 The Secret Life of Pets 2 10 John Wick: Chapter 3

Madison Raseta-Lee at JB Launceston,TAS

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ANZACs went into battle against 2000+ battle- hardened Vietnamese soldiers at the Long Tan rubber plantation on August 18, 1966. “At its core this movie Danger Close is ultimately a universal and elemental story that celebrates life and the bravery, brotherhood, unity and loyalty men are capable of when

kriv stenders

O ne of Australia’s most in-demand and highly regarded filmmakers, Kriv Stenders has generated an eclectic resume since graduating from the Australian Film, Radio &Television School in 1989. Having started out helming gritty, low budget handheld dramas like Blacktown (2005) and Boxing Day (2007), Stenders introduced himself to mainstream audiences in 2009 with the crowd-pleasing Red Dog , which won Best Film at the inaugural AACTA awards in 2012 and currently holds eighth position in the all-time highest grossing Australian films at the domestic box office. Stenders is also a prolific force in local television, helming episodes of A Place to Call Home , Jack Irish , and the bold and

accomplished mini-series remake of Aussie classic Wake in Fright (2017). His other features include the crime-comedy Kill Me Three Times (2014), prequel Red Dog: True Blue (2016) and most recently, the intense Vietnam war drama Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (2019). The story of “ordinary

Red Dog

boys who become extraordinary men”, Danger Close depicts one of the most savage and decisive ANZAC engagements in Australian military history, when 108 largely inexperienced

thrust into even the most terrifying and extraordinary circumstances,”

I saw [ Danger Close ] as a thrilling, propulsive and suspenseful action movie...

says Stenders. “I saw it as a thrilling, propulsive and suspenseful action movie, underscored by a powerful

emotional resonance. Like Black Hawk Down , Danger Close will not be a ‘war movie,’ but rather an exciting, nail-biting rollercoaster ride, rich with visual spectacle – a modern Australian legend that celebrates our distinctive and unique sense of unity, loyalty and mateship.” Moreover, the film significantly raises awareness of ANZAC participation in the Vietnam war. “The soldiers that went to Vietnam were never really understood,” explains Stenders. “They were spat on, they were called mercenaries. They weren’t even allowed in RSL clubs. When you realise what these guys did, not only in the Battle of Long Tan but what their service was throughout the entire Vietnam war, and look at the way they were treated, enough time has passed for us to realise that this battle that was fought for four hours on that afternoon in August 1966 has haunted these men for over 50 years and has left many scars.”

Danger Close:The Battle of LongTan

Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan is out Dec 4

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apologising anymore for her power. She owns it and has a sense of pride about it,” says the actress/singer who has always celebrated Frozen as a feminist story. If co-director Chris Buck describes the world of Frozen II as getting a little grittier for the main characters, then Kristen Bell agrees, her character of Anna hitting a very low point in the film, prompting a solo ballad, Do the Next Right Thing . “That’s actually a mantra that I have in my own life when I’m anxiety-ridden or depressed – that’s the only thing you can do – the next right thing,” she says. “It’s baby steps for anyone who has experienced a hardship or is flat on the floor and feels they can’t pick themselves up.” In the world of Frozen , three years have passed since Elsa made snowman Olaf and today, with his new permafrost, he can finally really enjoy summer and behaves much like any human three-year-old would, curious about life and constantly asking questions. Josh Gad, reprising Olaf, also has own song, When I Am Older . “I want to apologise ahead of time because I think a lot of these songs are going to be earworms. I’ve played them in my own household and my kids will not stop signing them,” he laughs. Once again the themes of Frozen II might be perceived as a little dark for younger audiences, although co-director Jennifer Lee argues that this is nothing new. “Sometimes we forget but when we go back to old traditional fairy tales, they always have a moment that gets a little scary. And that’s part of what fairy tales are for, so that a child can experience things while being safely

Six years on, expectations are high for Frozen II , the sequel to Disney’s mega box office hit about two royal sisters and a magical snowman. Words Gill Pringle L ike a well-packed snowball, Frozen II offers far more than audiences might have bargained on; tackling everything INTO THE UNKNOWN

costumes, it also won two Oscars and a slew of other awards. Meanwhile, the film’s hit song, Let It Go – written by the Lopezes and performed by Idina Menzel – has been downloaded on YouTube more than two billion times. It sold almost 11 million copies in 2014 and became the year’s fifth best- selling song.

from environmentalism, symbiotic relationship with nature, colonisation, the dismantling of the patriarchy, reparations, the importance of self discovery, and so much more. Yes, of course we have our

While it’s hard to follow up lightning in a bottle, all odds are on Frozen II’s Into the

reliable singing princesses and a hug-loving snowman – but a mountain man and his magical reindeer that are in touch with their feelings? Love-struck Kristoff taking a lob at toxic masculinity, no less? Jonathan Groff’s ‘80s

...that’s part of what fairy tales are for, so that a child can experience things while being safely in their seat

Unknown – once again sung by Menzel in her powerful three-octave vocal range – to repeat the magic. Menzel believes her Elsa demonstrates strong values for young girls. “I love what Elsa represents. I think anytime we are able to see a woman

in their seat. And I think it helps cope with life. We grew up on those fairy tales and we didn’t want to be afraid of it,” she says.

B E F O R E Y O U G O

power ballad, Lost in the Woods , is quietly being celebrated by husband and wife songwriters Bobby Lopez and

personified who is embracing how strong and powerful she is, that’s a good thing. She’s not

Kristen Anderson-Lopez as a subversive win, and already being talked about as one of the funniest moments in the film. “That line: ‘You feel what you feel and your feelings are real’ – I think if that one message comes across to boys; that boys get to feel empowered to feel their feelings in a big or small way – then we’ve done a little bit in the war against toxic masculinity,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez tells STACK when we meet with the Frozen II team in Hollywood. If the original movie earned more than USD1.27 billion at the global box office while launching a gazillion Princess Elsa and Anna

Frozen II is in

cinemas now

S E E T H I S

DID YOU KNOW? Even greater than the sum of all its accolades, Frozen has changed lives, according to co- director Chris Buck. “People come to us and say that the movie brought their family back together; that it’s changed their lives. A lot of art students are now getting into art because of Frozen . “But the ones that we hear a lot are people who have been going through a tough time… but they saw the first movie and saw Elsa and her journey and the other characters and they are still here because of this movie. So for us, it’s very powerful. More than the money or whatever, it‘s all about touching people and the audience.”

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and timely, even if that wasn’t the original intention.” With the film told through the eyes of the eponymous Jojo Betzler, Roman Griffin Davis had learned about WWII and the Holocaust at school, but not so much the Hitler Youth movement. “I was really intrigued how risky [ Jojo Rabbit ] was and how it talked about kids and the second World War and it talked more about the Germans in the war, not so much the opposition,” he says. As hapless Nazis, Wilson, Rockwell, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant are truly an assortment of vaudeville buffoons, with Wilson delivering such memorable lines as “Now get your things together, kids, it's time to burn some books!” “It’s not every day you get sent a comedy script that is both funny and powerful,” says the beloved Australian comic star that plays Fraulein Rahm. “Apart from having to be Nazis, I loved working with Sam Rockwell, who’s the nicest guy.” And stepping into the boots of evil Gestapo Captain Herman Deertz, Stephen Merchant walks a fine line. “I do think the film might ruffle some feathers but I hope people will see that it’s also quite a beautiful timely story about a boy learning to think for himself, to not swallow hook, line and sinker what he’s been told, but to question what he sees happening,” he concludes. “It was actually hard to do it because it was quite upsetting. She’s lost so many friends, she doesn’t know what the future will hold for her or her son, and then she looks across the table and sees this little boy who in one moment represents everything that she hates. But it’s her own son, and she temporarily loses it, which felt quite scary to me, so much that I was overwhelmed and shaken by it.” A mother in her own life, Scarlett Johansson found it hard to yell at her young co-star Roman Griffin Davis, who portrays her son. “I found it extremely hard to scream at this innocent boy who I think was probably genuinely scared and shocked the first time I did it. She also scares herself a little bit, because she’s a single mom who is on the edge all the time, she’s scared for her life, her children’s life and nothing makes sense. It’s interesting because it didn’t really strike me funny at all,” she says of first reading the script.

STACK chats with director TaikaWaititi and the cast of his edgy newWorldWar II satire. Words Gill Pringle B ased on Christine Leunens’ acclaimed novel Caging Skies , first published in 2004, Taika Waititi’s adaptation, Jojo Rabbit , injects far more black humour into the narrative. when STACK meets with him and the cast in West Hollywood. Eight years in the making, JoJo Rabbit – featuring Rebel Wilson, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell – feels more relevant today than it did when Waititi first wrote the screenplay. JOJO RABBIT

Following in a tradition that stretches from Chaplin’s The Great Dictator to Lubitsch’s To Be or Not to Be , Mel Brooks’ The Producers and even Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds , Waititi’s dazzling takedown of fascist thinking never fails to amuse, using biting satire to convey serious issues with surprising warmth. Jojo (newcomer Roman Griffin Davis), an 11-year-old boy indoctrinated into a Nazi youth camp, struggles because of his small size and leans on his own personal Hitler (played by Waititi) as a sounding board. This cuddly, energetic, pep-talking version of the Führer becomes an unlikely father figure to the boy with an egregious blind spot. “Look, I’m a part-Jewish brown boy, so I think its OK for me to play Hitler,” says Waititi

“Well there wasn’t as many Nazis around then,” quips the Kiwi director, also known as Taika Cohen. “I wish I could say that I could foresee this when I was writing this film in 2011 just waiting, but at the time it was more of a reflection of what children go through during wars and conflicts and how they see adults operating and what they take away from watching adults – especially in war when adults are acting like maniacs when instead they are supposed to be the people who are nurturing these children and creating a better world for them to grow up in. “But when wars happen, that all goes out the window and nothing makes sense. And I was just fascinated with

how children see that, seeing World War II through the lens of a child. I’ve seen films set in the war about children, but not really looking at how they experience war. “Cut to 2019 and

this film is coming out and there’s a rise of more neo- Nazis, hate groups and intolerance, so it feels more relevant

Jojo Rabbit is in cinemas on Boxing Day

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ANAMERICAN IN PARIS

Jerry (Gene Kelly) meets Milo Roberts (Nina Foch)

1951

opera Porgy and Bess. He was just 38 years old when he tragically died of a malignant brain tumour in 1937. But his legacy lived on with his beautiful concert suites and wonderfully melodious songs still regularly performed today. Freed played pool with Ira Gershwin every Saturday evening and shortly after attending that concert asked him if he would sell him the title, An American in Paris, for a movie musical. Ira replied, “Yes, but on the condition that, if the picture is made, you only use Gershwin music”. Freed replied, “I wouldn’t use anything else and moreover, I want to take George’s composition for a ballet – uncut – to finish the movie” Now came the question of who was going to write the story. Ira Gershwin was keen on lyricist Alan Jay Lerner but Freed was apprehensive in approaching him, as Lerner liked to write his own songs to accompany his storylines – such as his musical Brigadoon, which had just opened on Broadway. But Ira insisted that Freed ask Lerner and he was pleasantly surprised when Lerner agreed. Furthermore, Lerner had an idea for the story after reading an article in Life magazine about a number of ex-servicemen who had gone to Paris to study painting on the G.I. Bill of Rights. Freed now reported to MGM studio boss Louis

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

I n late 1947, MGM

songwriter-producer Arthur Freed attended a

live concert at the Hollywood Bowl. He sat mesmerised as the orchestra played George Gershwin’s symphonic composition An American in Paris . During the performance Freed ruminated that the title of the piece would make a

great title for a movie musical. He had no idea of a storyline but was certain of three things: the movie would be about an American in Paris, it would be called An American in Paris, and the Gershwin orchestral suite would form part of the story. George Gershwin was one of the most significant and popular American composers of the 20th century. Throughout the 1920/30s, along with his older brother and lyricist Ira (who

fashioned the words to fit George’s melodies), he had composed dozens of popular songs for stage and screen that swiftly became standards. George also composed jazz-influenced orchestral compositions such as Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and the classic American

B. Mayer that he wanted to make a motion picture called An American in Paris . Mayer asked, “Where did you get a title like that?” Freed said, “It’s Gershwin”. Mayer said, “Make it”. Over the next three years, Freed discussed and thrashed out ideas for his embryonic project with his chosen director Vincente Minnelli, leading man Gene Kelly and Alan Jay Lerner. Kelly was tasked with selecting the songs from the entire Gershwin catalogue to arrive at a selection appropriate for the film. He came up with a tentative list of a dozen songs including Our Love

FACT: Although Vincente Minnelli is credited as the sole director, he was often tied up with his divorce from Judy Garland and other directing projects, leaving Gene Kelly to take over directing duties

Is Here to Stay , which was significant as it was the last song George Gershwin wrote before his death. These were now incorporated into Lerner’s script. When it came to casting the production – and in particular the female lead, Lise – they tested MGM contracted actress/dancers Sally Forrest, Vera Ellen and Cyd Charisse, but Freed

Oscar Levant (centre) looks unimpressed as George Guetary and Gene Kelly sing the Gershwin song – S'Wonderful

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The star (Kelly), the director (Minnelli) and the producer (Freed) celebrate at the close of production party held at the MGM studios

The story is indeed slight but serves as a reasonable link between the many musical numbers based on the wonderful Gershwin songs and the incredible choreography and dancing skills of the charismatic Gene Kelly. His and the young Caron’s 17-minute avant-garde ballet sequence of An American in Paris is the most impressive finale of its kind ever used in a Hollywood musical, and was intended to legitimise the movie musical as both a serious and popular art form. Consequently, this DID YOU KNOW: Arthur Freed, Vincente Minnelli, Alan Jay Lerner and Leslie Caron would collaborate again seven years later on another MGM musical, Gigi , that won nine Academy Awards including Best Picture (Freed), Best Director (Minnelli) and Best Screenplay (Lerner) ground-breaking cinematic experiment served as a landmark in the careers of both Vincente Minnelli and Gene Kelly. Kelly’s next film was Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and in fact the stories of both movies are curiously similar: Kelly must break his relationship of convenience with a predatory older blonde in order to romance a young innocent brunette, and in both is counselled by his best friend. Although Singin’ in the Rain is probably the most popular with movie fans, An American in Paris is still celebrated today as one of the finest examples of the golden era of MGM musicals of the 1940s/50s. It received eight Academy Award nominations and won six including Best Picture. This was the first time a musical had won the award since 1936 when The Great Ziegfield was so honoured, and only the second colour film to win the prestigious award – the first being Gone With the Wind (1939). One year later in March 1953, the French consul general bestowed on producer Arthur Freed the coveted Legion d’honneur for his contribution to making French culture and art better known to the American and International public through his production of An American in Paris.

Leslie Caron in a scene from the film

insisted on a bona fide French girl. He had noticed a photograph of an unusual girl on the cover of the magazine Paris Match . He told Kelly to fly to Paris to test two girls: the girl on the magazine cover, Leslie Caron, and Odile Versois, an established English- speaking French actress. Kelly made both tests and air- expressed them to MGM. Minnelli and Freed ran them and their decision was

Kelly and Caron perform one of their dance routines

and his best friend is his neighbour, aspiring concert pianist Adam Cook (Oscar Levant). Through Adam, Jerry strikes up a friendship with successful music-hall singer Henri Baurel (George Guetary) and offers his congratulations when Baurel tells him of his forthcoming marriage. Jerry’s fortunes pick up when he meets a rich, attractive American woman, Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), who attempts to buy his love by purchasing his paintings and promoting his artistic career. The honest Jerry prefers not to be a kept man and although grateful for Milo’s support, it does not ignite a romance. Meanwhile, he meets a young Parisian girl, Lise Bourvier (Leslie Caron), who works in a parfumerie and falls hopelessly in love with her, although she initially rebuffs him. He learns later she is the girl engaged to Henri Baurel. After attending the Beaux Arts Ball as do Lise, Henri, Adam and Milo, Jerry senses Lise now feels the same way about him. Later as they stroll along the banks of the Seine in the moonlight, they suddenly dance themselves into each other’s arms and into love. Henri finally realises the situation and releases Lise from their engagement for a happy conclusion.

unanimous – the nineteen-year-old Leslie Caron arrived in Hollywood soon after, accompanied by her mother. But when Freed met them, he thought he had made a mistake as the young Caron looked awkward with an urchin haircut, was untidily dressed, and spoke hardly any English. However, when she danced with Gene Kelly, he immediately knew that he and Minnelli had made the right choice. Kelly was keen to do the whole film in Paris but Freed, with his keen eye on the total budget, decided that Paris would be fabricated on the Metro lot. Minnelli’s art director, Preston Ames, was now faced with the enormous task of constructing French streets alongside the Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame and Montmartre. He achieved this by painting the famous buildings onto a 100-foot cyclorama to merge with the constructions in the foreground, whilst the second unit was dispatched to Paris to shoot the establishing aerial shots. Lerner’s screenplay revolves around the carefree ex-G.I. Gerry Mulligan (Kelly), who has stayed on in Paris after the war to study painting. He lives in a tiny room in Montmartre

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

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Almost a decade after making her entrance as Arya Stark in the pilot episode of Game of Thrones , MaisieWilliams has finally said goodbye to the show that has defined her young life.

– I can see the life that I had that year.” Filming her final scenes was, she admits, a very emotional time. “It’s so weird because my last day was the last day of principle

and I’m very grateful to the writers for making Arya into more of a leading role as I grew up, because as an actor it’s rare that you get to do that.” Saying goodbye to her second family – the cast and crew of Game of Thrones – was understandably a time to reflect on the extraordinary journey that she had embarked upon all those years ago. “There was so much of myself and so much of my life that I played through Arya,” she says. “I think, and when I look back to

M aisie Williams was 12 years old when she joined Game of Thrones and has grown up on screen as Arya Stark, transforming from a feisty young girl into a ruthless killer seeking revenge on those who have wronged her northern clan, the Starks. “I think for all of us a decade is a long time but changing from 12 to 22, that’s like a very, very big change that anyone undergoes, and to do that in the public eye I think was just a lot of really strange lessons in a really strange way,” muses Williams. “But I think I’ve been so lucky that I managed to grow with a character who also grew into a young woman in her own right,

other seasons, my fury and my anger when I was 13, 14 – the things that made me furious and angry then are very different to the things that make me furious and angry now. I can just see it all in my eyes really

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“What’s interesting is that the ending you are given is the ending you do for your character and you have to justify your end and it has to be truthful. I think any other ideas that I had about how I wanted it to end I couldn’t be hung up on that. I couldn’t be fighting that and thinking in an opposing way, because it would ruin what was written and I wouldn’t do that justice. So I had to embrace the ending. And there are going to be scenes that maybe people want to change or tweak – it’s nothing major – but it can have huge impact on the way that you play the story. “So reading it, accepting it and embracing it was definitely a process that we all had to go through, because you have to end your character, you have to wrap this up and be satisfied with it because if you're not, no one else is going to be.”

• Game of Thrones: Season 8 is out on Dec 4

photography – there was a splinter unit doing some other things but I wrapped with most of the crew. And I’d seen others wrap, I’d been there for all the tears and the speeches and I

sort of held it all off really. I held it all off until I’d really wrapped. I had a lot of really big stuff to shoot in my final few days – really difficult stuff to do – and I couldn’t let that emotion get in the way of it, I couldn’t let that overrun me playing Arya. “And they called wrap and I did a little speech and then I went back to my trailer, took off Arya’s clothes for one final time, and had a shower and scraped the mud and

Don't miss JB Hi-Fi's exclusive Blu-ray edition of Game of Thrones: Season 8 with Arya Stark Pop! Vinyl figure – while stocks last.

blood out of my hair for one final time. It was really emotional.” While the eighth and final season certainly polarised fans of the series, Williams says she was very happy

with the way it ended – particularly for Arya.

FILM FEATURE

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DID YOU KNOW? Stallone used some of his own

interactions with his daughters’ boyfriends in his script for Last Blood , for when Rambo meets his adopted granddaughter’s guy friends. “I do a thing called the ‘crushing the hand’ test. My hands are very strong so when I meet her date, I really clamp down – and they’re not ready for it and I see their faces changing colour because they wanna be Alpha Dog, and I know they’ll never forget it.”

actually see what the cops

go through every day and you

wonder why they drink so much or take their

Almost four decades after Rambo first drew blood – along with box-office gold – in First Blood , Sylvester Stallone’s elite Special Forces veteran returns for a fifth and final outing in Rambo: Last Blood . Words Gill Pringle T he franchise that turned Sylvester Stallone’s battle-scarred veteran John Rambo into an iconic action hero also, THERE WILL BE BLOOD

own lives – it’s so brutal when a friend is hit by a shotgun in the face and instead what we see is a little nick on film. “But it’s actually horrifying, so what you see in Last Blood is the real deal. What it’s like to get hit with a 50-calibre – there’s nothing left of you. So I’m trying to show how horrible war is and how you never get over it when you participate in it and once you commit to it; you are now condemned by it. I know it’s horrifying but I don’t want to fake it – if you go to a Stallone film, a Rambo film, expect to be uncomfortable when it gets to the killing fields. I love when these guys get hit by a bullet and ‘pff’. No! It takes about nine bullets to kill somebody. It’s not easy. A man or a woman fighting for their life is a very difficult thing to kill, and it’s a horrifying situation. So I just try to depict war as what war really is.” Last Blood concludes the almost 40-year-old franchise, but Stallone says that Rambo will always be a part of his heart. “Between the first one and this one, this to me is the most profound because this is as close as he’s ever gonna get to understanding what its like to be human; to really live for someone else, for love, to actually love – and when that is taken away and jeopardised – as an actor – the rage I felt… I try to incorporate what other people would feel. “I think when there’s nothing left; when you’ve ripped out a man’s heart, my god, that’s not even a man anymore. Now you’re dealing with pure feral, primitive rage – and that’s the last thing he ever wanted. He just wanted love. So this is really an important film for me and for a character that has literally gone for decades, pretty remarkable.”

• Rambo: Last Blood is out on Dec 18

the 73-year-old action hero says doesn’t get any easier. “When you’re dealing with situations like that, a lot of people accidentally get hurt – usually it’s me – because the other guys are pretty smart. “But things will come down or a beam will hit you or a flash will come very close and burn you and I’ve had them all. Someday I’m going to have a wing over at Cedars Sinai hospital – you could call it the ‘Rambo wing’ – where

perhaps more importantly, shed an early light on PTSD, depicting the character struggling with civilian life. While Rambo will always be placed firmly in Vietnam, when STACK meets Stallone, he says he hopes his films help all veterans. “Back then, it wasn’t really taken seriously,” he says of the forever-damaged soldiers returning from Vietnam. “But I think the fact that it’s forefront now in the news, that Rambo represents the younger soldier even though he’s of a different generation. They didn’t talk about it back then but, since we’re talking about it now, I think there’s a cross-collateralisation that benefits both.” Last Blood finds Rambo living a quiet life on a sprawling ranch in Arizona, which he shares with his adoptive family – Maria (Adriana Barraza) and her granddaughter Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal). “He’s just so withdrawn that he cannot give affection to a cat, which is why it’s so profound; that it’s the first time he’s opened up or even hinted at love,” explains Stallone, whose new mission becomes very personal when Gabrielle

people have no hope. Bring what’s left of your body here! That’s my wing,” he laughs. “But let’s just talk about gore,” he says, suddenly serious. “There’s ‘Hollywood gore’ which is like Budweiser Lite, and then there’s the real thing and if you study it – when you

what you see in Last Blood is the real deal

is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel. In true Rambo form, Last Blood doesn’t shy away from gore and R-rated violence; something

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The fractious relationship between siblings Mary and Edith Crawley reached its apogee in the penultimate episode of the final season. After six years of constant sniping and backstabbing, Edith finally abandons social etiquette and unloads both barrels on her sister.

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The mutual respect and affection that developed between the Abbey's butler and housekeeper finally blossoms into something more during a day at the beach. Wary of getting his trousers wet during a paddle in the surf, Mrs Hughes offers a steadying hand. Are those wedding bells we hear ringing in the distance?

5 GREAT DOWNTON ABBEY MOMENTS A British soap dressed up as a posh period drama, Downton Abbey became a cultural phenomenon over six acclaimed seasons.With the feature film continuation hitting home entertainment this month, it's time to wander back through the decorous halls of the eponymous Crawley family estate. Words Adam Colby-Crawley

Who better to trade insults with Maggie Smith's prim Dowager Countess than the legendary Shirley MacLaine, astutely cast as Cora's brash American mom, Martha Levinson. Making a rare but unforgettable visit to the Abbey in season three for Matthew and Mary's wedding, the liberal Martha does her best to rattle the aristocracy.

Could there have been a better casting choice for the Crawley family's indomitable matriarch than Dame Maggie Smith? Her acid-tongued Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (a fantastic honorific), is a constant source of delight and amusement, delivering wit and wisdom and a zinger for every occasion – not least the famous quip that launched a thousand memes: "What is a weekend?"

THE MOTION PICTURE While fans were lamenting the end of an era following Downton 's Christmas Special series finale in 2016, creator Julian Fellowes and producer Gareth

Neame were already planning the Crawley family's return – on the big screen. Crucially, the movie keeps the essence of the show intact: "We wanted people to recognise the series they loved in the film. Our job was to make it more cinematic," Fellowes told BBC News.

Downton devotees had their hearts melted like winter snow when Matthew went down on one knee to propose to Mary. The scene does begin awkwardly though, considering their history. "We carry more luggage than the porters at Kings Cross," notes a seemingly reluctant Mary. But as the music swells and the snowflakes swirl, true love prevails.

DECEMBER 2019

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Anson Mount already knew the responsibility that comes with wearing a Starfleet uniform when taking on the role of Christopher Pike in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery . Words Scott Hocking PIKE PERFORMANCE

Shatner or Stewart, if you had to choose one?

[Laughs] “They both have endearing qualities but they’re quite different. It’s like asking me ‘balls or brains?’ Why not both?”

enough to make it worthy of being canon going forward?” When auditioning for a part on Discovery ’s second season, Mount had no idea that he would be playing Pike. “I was originally in talks with the creators about playing Lorca in the first season, and they very wisely cast Jason Isaacs,” he says. “So when they were gearing up for the second season, they came back with, ‘What about playing this new captain named Parker? Would you mind putting yourself on tape?’ So I did and they said, ‘You got the part, but it’s not Captain Parker, it’s Captain Pike.’ “I wasn’t sure if I was going to vomit or faint,” he laughs. “I immediately knew what that meant, right? And I couldn’t believe it that it was me! “ Guiding the Discovery crew through a perilous encounter with a mysterious future visitor dubbed The Red Angel, Pike forms a strong bond with the ship’s commander, Michael Burnham (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) – a character he considers to be captain material. “One of the things I kind of felt at the outset, and it was important to the relationship, is that as soon as Pike sees Michael Burnham he clearly recognises captain material. And that’s what allows him to say to her, ‘Look, we’re going to trust each other. We’re going to have a special kind of relationship where I’m the new kid in school but I’m also the captain. You’re very ingrained in the culture of this ship, but you’re captain material. Let’s collaborate.” Although only contracted for one season of Discovery , Mount’s take on Pike was a hit with Trekkers, who launched an online petition to bring the character back in a spin-off series. “I’ve never had a fan reaction like this to anything I’ve ever done, and I could not be more flattered that there is this fan base out there that is so moved to do something like a petition. I’ve just never seen anything like it. I’m not entirely sure that I deserve it,” he

C hristopher Pike is a hugely popular figure among Star Trek fans, even though the character isn’t exactly a major player in the Trek universe. Prior to taking the captain’s chair for the second season of Star Trek: Discovery , Pike had only appeared in the unaired Original Series pilot (played by Jeffrey Hunter) and briefly in the J.J. Abrams’ films (played by Bruce Greenwood). “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” says Anson Mount. “I don’t think there’s such a brief character anywhere in canon that is so revered. I think it’s because Christopher Pike is Gene Roddenberry’s first vision of what a Starfleet captain should be.” A longtime Trekker, Mount credits his mother with introducing him to the show. “The original series started airing on our local UHF channel, which is local access, when I was about eight. I can still tell you the timeslot – Sunday nights at 6 o’clock. I’ve seen every episode of the original at least three times.” Needless to say, he was all too aware of the responsibility that comes with wearing the uniform of a Starfleet captain when joining the Discovery crew. “It’s a small club, isn’t it? I was saying to my wife, and Ethan Peck who plays Spock,

that it’s more than just a show to the fans. It really makes me double-check my homework, and be very sure of my choices, particularly playing Christopher Pike. The quality of those choices being in line with the Starfleet code of conduct, but also in terms of the specificity – have I really drilled down on this scene

Jeffrey Hunter as Pike in the unaired StarTrek pilot The Cage

laughs, “but at the same time I can’t take too much credit for it because I’m just the guy who says the words. I think the lion’s share of the credit goes to the writers.”

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 is out Dec 4

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