STACK J#165 Jul 2018

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Contributors

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

Music Editor Zoë Radas Staff Writer Alesha Kolbe

Issue 165 JULY 2018

Creative Director Michelle Black DVD Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Andre Eivik Music Consultant Mike Glynn Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Gill Pringle Contributors Amy Flower, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Jonathan Alley, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby, Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Samantha Baldry Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson

WELCOME Light on surprises, heavy on content, Bethesda dominating the best press conferences, and Cyberpunk 2077 is probably the most concise summary I could apply to E3 2018. Judging an E3 long after the doors have closed is always subjective: some you forget in due course while others stick in the memory like clag. I’d probably put this one somewhere in the middle. E3 is in transition from becoming a pure industry-based show to a community event, and while this is only the second year that it’s been open to the public, the show has made some big steps in the right direction. From a software perspective, the opportunities to get hands-on with an extensive list of games – some new, and some we played last year – felt limitless. There were clear indications that we’re not far away from new hardware, with Microsoft revealing it is ‘deep’ into development of its next console – in whatever form that may be – and with the acquisition of five new studios, it’s clear the company is filling its war chest for its next generation war with Sony. In the more immediate future though, gamers have every reason to be excited. If the last few run-ups to Christmas and NewYear have been a little thin on the ground with heavyweight contenders, many of the releases coming in late 2018/early 2019 are absolute knockouts. Hold on tight – this is going to be some ride! Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121

RATINGS GUIDE

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2018 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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Issue 165 JULY 2018

Extras Pages 6 – 7 / 18 / 20 – 21

Music Pages 45 – 69

Games Pages 1– 29

Cinema Pages 10 – 17

DVD & BD Pages 22 – 41

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA,DVDs, GAMES&MUSIC

10-11 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP We paid a visit to the Atlanta set to experience the buzz surrounding the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 12 SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO Josh Brolin’s federal agent re-teams with Benicio del Toro’s mercurial assassin; but don’t call it a sequel. 14 THE EQUALIZER 2 We caught up with director Antoine Fuqua to discuss his fourth collaboration with Denzel Washington. 16 MARY SHELLEY Elle Fanning plays the author of Frankenstein in this gothic biopic. 17 REVIEWS Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Incredibles 2, plus a peek at what’s also screening in July.

22-23 READY PLAYER ONE Despite being traumatised by Jaws , Ben Mendelsohn couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Director Kay Cannon brings a vital female perspective to this raunchy teen comedy. 26 PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING Director Steven S. DeKnight approached the Pacific Rim sequel from a different angle. 28 LOVE, SIMON We spoke with stars Katherine Langford and Nick Robinson. 30 PETER RABBIT STACK paid a visit to Sydney-based animation studio, Animal Logic. 32 ISLE OF DOGS Wes Anderson’s second stop motion animated film draws inspiration from Japanese cinema greats. 34 MIDNIGHT SUN Patrick ‘son of Arnold’ Schwarzenegger lands his first leading role in this teen romantic drama. 36-40 REVIEWS Ready Player One, A Quiet Place, Rampage, Love, Simon, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Blockers, Isle of Dogs, Early Man, Sherlock Gnomes, A Wrinkle in Time and more . Steven Spielberg. 24-25 BLOCKERS

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ISSUE 165 July ’18

GAMES

ISSUE 165 Jul ’18

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PACIFICRIM:UPRISING • BLOCKERS

YOURCOMPLETEGUIDE TO E32018

AMY SHARK • DIDIRRI • JACKRIVER • THERUBENS

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47-56 INTERVIEWS + BULLETINS We chinwag about new music with Amy Shark, Nine Inch Nails, Didirri, Jack River, Odette and more. 58-59 FLORENCE + THE MACHINE Florence Welch explains why riding her bicycle, admiring Patti Smith, and dancing in response to unanswerable questions are currently her life’s great pleasures, and how they informed new album High As Hope . 60 GUNS N’ ROSES Paul Jones examines the career and legacy of Guns N’ Roses, ahead of the seminal Californian group’s reissuing of 1987 debut Appetite For Destruction . 64-68 ALBUM REVIEWS Cosmo’s Midnight, Lily Allen, Nine Inch Nails, Gang Gang Dance, Judith Durham, The Rubens, The Milk Carton Kids, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, High Tension, Five Finger Death Punch, Jack River, Panic! At The Disco and more.

6-7 EXTRAS Ready Player One fun facts; whatever happened to Sharon Stone; Warwick Thornton is our local hero; plus must-see film and TV for July. 18 FEMALE FILMMAKERS Brit Andrea Arnold has established herself as a true artist of cinematic realism. 20-21 BOB J Our resident film historian looks back at WWII classic The Dirty Dozen (1967).

3 WELCOME TO E3 2018 4 UBISOFT Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Division 2. 6 BETHESDA Rage 2, Elder Scrolls Blades. 08 sony Spider-Man, Days Gone 10 MICROSOFT Forza Horizon 4 12 namco Jump Force, Soulcalibur VI 14 nintendo Pokémon: Let’s Go, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 16 ACTIVISION Destiny 2: Forsaken, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. 18 wbie LEGO DC Supervillains, Hitman 2 20 ea FIFA 19, Battlefield V

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READY PLAYER ONE

FUN FACTS

Warner Bros. and De Line Pictures won a bidding war for the rights to Ernest Cline's novel in 2010, before it had been published.

During the garage scene, you can see a copy of the ED209 robot from RoboCop .

OASIS is actually an acronym. It stands for Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation.

Ready Player One is Steven Spielberg's 33rd film.

The Zemeckis cube is named after director Robert Zemeckis. When the cube is activated, the music playing is from the Back to the Future trilogy, directed by Zemeckis.

Ernest Cline based the relationship of James Halliday and Ogden Morrow on Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

"Ready Player One" is a phrase from the days of classic video games.

O lder viewers will have probably first encountered Sharon Stone in Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing (1981), and the Indiana Jones-wannabe King Solomon's Mines (1985). But it was her kick-ass performance opposite Arnie in Total Recall (1990) and revealing turn as the platinum blonde femme fatale of Basic Instinct (1992) that launched her career proper. Stone was a familiar face throughout the '90s in films like Sliver (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995) and Casino (1995), for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, before suffering a cerebral haemorrhage in September 2001. Following a lengthy recovery period and hiatus from acting, she appeared in the lamentable Catwoman (2004) and dire sequel Basic Instinct 2 (2006), as well as a number of TV guest roles, but was never the ubiquitous and luminous star of old. She has now made a triumphant return to the screen as the star of Steven Soderbergh's interactive mystery series Mosaic , and can also be spotted in The Disaster Artist (2017) as Greg Sestero's agent. Stone has also weighed in on the issue of sexual harassment in Hollywood, telling Lee Cowan of CBS: "I've been in this business 40 years. Can you imagine the business I stepped into 40 years ago? Looking like I look? From Nowhere, Pennsylvania? I didn't come here with any protection. I've seen it all." Whatever happened to... SHARON STONE

Chadwick Boseman @chadwickboseman THANK YOU #MTVAwards!

#BlackPanther fans, you’re incredible. During the show, I was honored to meet @JamesShawJr9. He saved countless lives by tackling a gunman who opened fire on people in Antioch, Tennessee in April. He’s a true hero that walks among us.

• Check out Casino and other Sharon Stone classics at JB Hi-Fi

"I put the book down and I said, 'you're going to need a younger director.' I had no idea at first how I was going to do it as a filmmaker, but [Ernest] was the handbook for doing that. The thing that made me want to tell the story, more than anything else, was the kind of world that 2045 gives to people, which is so dystopian."

Steven Spielberg on bringing Ernest Cline's best-seller Ready Player One to the screen

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EXTRAS

NEWS

STACK SELECTS Must-see film andTV this month

WARWICKTHORNTON

A QUIET PLACE A simple concept becomes a tense and terrifying thriller. Don't watch it alone.

W arwick Thornton announced himself as a powerful new voice in Australian cinema with Samson and Delilah (2009), a haunting look at the problems confronting

" Sweet Country is set on a frontier outpost in 1929, where different cultural worlds collide, in an epic and beautiful desert landscape. It is a place where Indigenous, and non-Indigenous people push

Aboriginal youth in contemporary Alice Springs, told with minimal dialogue and hard-hitting honesty. Born and raised in Alice Springs, NT, Thornton graduated in

against each other like tectonic plates. It is a clash of cultures, ideologies and spirits that still continues today from when the colonisers first arrived in Australia," says Thornton. "The issues raised in

LOVE, SIMON A groundbreaking, charming and totally feel-good teen romantic comedy.

The issues raised in Sweet Country rarely find their way into mainstream consciousness

cinematography from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and

Sweet Country rarely find their way into mainstream consciousness. My aim has been to use the accessibility of the western genre for audiences to enter the story and be drawn into this world and so experience the issues faced by an occupied people. "This immersive approach is designed to break down the cultural boundaries between us and bring us together." Thornton also continues to work as a DOP on other projects,

made a number of short films before winning the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 2009 for Samson and Delilah . Like fellow Indigenous filmmaker

READY PLAYER ONE This cinematic theme park ride is the perfect playground for Steven Spielberg.

Ivan Sen, Thornton’s deep connection to his culture and background as a cinematographer creates a unique fusion of character and landscape in his films, most notably in his latest feature, Sweet Country .

ISLE OF DOGS Like its animated canine characters, Wes Anderson's latest has a lot of love to give.

having shot hit musical The Sapphires (2012) and drama Septembers of Shiraz (2015) for director Wayne Blair. He has also helmed the anthology film The Darkside (2013) and recent documentary feature We Don't Need a Map (2017), exploring Australia's relationship with the Southern Cross.

TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL A Bondi-based case for detective Robin Griffin in this gripping second season.

Sweet Country is out now .

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DVD & BD NEWS

THIS MONTH at

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STACK ROVING REPORTER

”One of our staff is a mad Mark Wahlberg fan who often defaces displays to create a Mark Wahlberg culture here,” she explains. ”You never know where Mark will turn up next!” That's not the only point of difference at JB Prahran. Situated in Melbourne's Chapel Street shopping strip, the store occupies an old heritage building that Shayne says used to be an arcade, with lots of nooks and crannies to be explored and the software section in prime

position in the former walkway at the front. With a diverse clientele of young and old, including the area's large gay community, viewing tastes lean toward the refined, with foreign TV series and arthouse movies consistent movers. And with new series of Westworld and The Handmaid's Tale currently on TV, demand for the first seasons has been strong, says Shayne. ” Black Panther has been the biggest new release in the last few weeks, and people are already asking for Hereditary , which is still at the cinemas. ”4K has picked up dramatically – we're selling a lot more of that now,” she adds. ”A lot of people have bought 4K players now that they have gone down in price and the catalogue of titles has expanded.” Shayne also predicts that JB's storewide Buy 2 Get 1 Free TV show promotion, which runs until July 29, will be huge. As to her personal tastes, Shayne says foreign TV is her specialty, and counts The Shining and Grease among her all-time favourite films. ” The X-Files is another TV favourite of mine, and I love a good thriller with a great twist.” A dedicated movie buff, Shayne loves customers who are open to recommendations, and discovering what they are into. Mark Wahlberg movies, perhaps?

DVD BEST- SELLERS for JUNE 2018

SHOP TALK

M ark Wahlberg is often known to appear in the oddest of places in JB's Prahran store. His presence has become something of a running joke, according to Movie and Music Coordinator Shayne Jack.

1 Red Sparrow 2 The Greatest Showman 3 12 Strong 4 Death Wish (2018) 5 Game Night 6 Finding Your Feet 7 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 8 Braven 9 Fifty Shades Freed 10 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Shayne Jack at JB Prahran, Victoria (with MarkWahlberg)

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STACK paid a visit to the Atlanta set of Ant-Man and theWasp to experience the buzz surrounding the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Words Gill Pringle DYNAMIC DUO

A s Paul Rudd’s ex-con Scott Lang sees him get some healthy competition in the shape of Evangeline Lilly, reprising her role as Hope van Dyne, finally getting her own suit and fulfilling her destiny as The Wasp. With fans still buzzing over the ending of Avengers: Infinity War , Marvel expects to capitalise on that curiosity with this Ant-Man sequel, said to reveal clues about Avengers 4 . As the scientist behind the shrinking technology, Michael Douglas’s Hank Pym begins to wonder whether his wife Janet, the original Wasp portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, may have survived, sparking expectation for their daughter Hope, who has now stepped into her mother’s wings. When STACK meets with the cast on set in Atlanta, Lilly is less concerned about her shiny new suit and more invested in communicating the emotional beats of her storyline since we last saw her in 2015’s Ant-Man debut. “Repairing a broken relationship with your father after 30 years of distance should have a profound effect on a person, and I really want to show that,” she says. Fully embracing her new skills, she’s energised from spending her first day on set with Rudd as fully suited and helmeted insects, her hair still tucked into a skullcap. “I was jumping around like a little bunny balances fatherhood with being a tiny superhero, Ant-Man and the Wasp

as stingy. But hopefully not too girly,” she adds. Training for the role was easy. “I’ve always stayed in shape – that’s just who I am. All my characters are in good shape right from my first role in Lost 16 years ago. While I don’t think of Hope as a superhero persona, I do think it’s important for female superheroes to look strong and not just have beautiful breasts and butts.” If Hank and Hope’s relationship is not in a good place when we first meet them again, Lilly describes Hope as “fully freed, fully realised, fully in control of her circumstances and her choices.” Weirdly enough, the role has made her a wasp magnet. “Since I started shooting this film I’ve had multiple interactions with wasps. I’ve always loved insects ever since I was a little kid. I was the caterpillar girl in school. I would get my friends to cover me from head to toe in caterpillars and run around and scare the other girls. “I’ve always got angry at people who kill insects. Don’t do that! It’s a living creature. My own children love insects because I force them to and they have no choice,” admits the mother- of-two. A self-described “control freak,” it took a while to get used to Marvel’s policy of not sharing storylines with the cast, mixing it all up in the edit bay. “I hate it. Every day I tell myself: Remember when you were in school

rabbit. I was so excited. I just think it looks so cute and adorable, these two cute matching boy girl superheroes. I am still a six-year-old at heart,” she grins. “There are other flying superheroes so I’m not the first, but I don’t believe there’s any that shrink and fly. I think it gives my character an

Repairing a broken relationship with your father after 30 years of distance should have a profound effect on a person

incredible amount of grace. If you’re fighting and launching yourself into the air and landing on the ground, you will inevitably have to do a beautiful three-point stance at the end. But Wasp, on the other hand, has the option of supporting herself with her wings, so everything can be lighter and graceful as well

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CINEMA

REVIEWS

TWO'S COMPANY

BATMAN AND ROBIN Although they haven't always been best of mates, oftentimes there are situations where Batman would be thwarted without his trusty boy wonder, Robin.

If [ Ant-Man ] was really a heist movie where they have to break into Pym Tech and figure that out, then [ Ant-Man and the Wasp ] feels much more like they're on the run

the sequel show him under house arrest. “In this film, we see how the things that happened in Civil War have created a lot of

and you just put out your hands and you’d just fall into your friend’s arms? So it's like that, falling into the arms of Marvel.” Entering the story is Laurence

problems. Hope isn’t speaking to me and I am not living a very heroic life, spending the last couple of years in my house with Cassie coming

Fishburne as Dr. Bill Foster, a scientist and

MARIO AND LUIGI Sometimes it's interesting to think about the fact that by calling them the Mario Bros., it implies that Mario's name is Mario Mario.

former colleague of Hank Pym, now working with Hannah John-Kamen’s mysterious character, Ghost.

over for play dates.” In common with Lilly, he now feels a kinship with ants. “I would never crush one. I let ‘em, do their thing now.” Returning to the director’s seat is Peyton Reed, who intriguingly describes his sequel as a road movie, in the spirit of Midnight Run or After Hours. “If the first one was really a heist movie where they have to break in to Pym Tech and figure that out, then this one feels much more like they’re on the run,” he teases. “It’s a search and rescue film, but it also feels like an Elmore Leonard crime movie. There are a lot of different characters, not just the ones we know from the first movie, but there are villains and antagonists who are more akin to street level criminals.” Nodding to his decision to title the film, Ant- Man and the Wasp , he adds, “It’s definitely her

Having dipped his toe into the DC world with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice two years earlier, he’s attracted to the lightheartedness of the Marvel universe. “No matter how much the world is in danger, and cities crumble and all this horrible sh-t happens, they somehow manage to keep it light and fun so that at the end of the day, it’s enjoyable.” Fascinated by the advanced technology which enhances today’s films, Fishburne only wishes it existed when he first stepped into The Matrix 21 years ago, “I still think The Matrix was the first movie that delivered on one comic book’s promises.” When Paul Rudd joins us, resplendent in full Ant-Man attire, he gamely invites us to touch his shiny Ant suit, which feels like leather. Growing accustomed to his role as the teeniest superhero in the MCU, he laughs, “It’s not Winter Soldier and even though it’s heroic, at its core I’m just playing a conflicted guy who’s not so dissimilar from everyone else; not really born with any kind of super powers.” Portraying the littlest hero has made a big difference in his life, from the excitement of his own kids to working with a children’s hospital in his native Kansas City. “Every year I visit this hospital and talk to the kids but none of them really knew who I was until after Ant Man . It’s a significant change from being in an R-rated comedy,” laughs Rudd, whose first scenes in

HAN SOLO AND CHEWBACCA Like wookiees and cream, Han and Chewie are nigh inseparable over the whole Star Wars saga – probably because no-one else can understand what Chewie's saying.

coming out party. To be able to introduce her as a hero in this movie is one of the great joys for me.” Exploring the gender politics of Scott and Hope’s relationship, he says, “It’s not just about them coming together as heroes. It’s more about: How do they coexist as man and woman?”

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY BARNES

In a world of war, you always need someone who'll have your back. They've had their

differences of opinion, but they'll always be there for each other.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

is in cinemas on July 5.

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CINEMA REVIEWS

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even Thanos, Brolin relishes the physicality and training. “After a while it just becomes instinctive,” he says. Joining us after shooting a scene in a Humvee, which sees the windshield repeatedly being shot up, Jeffrey Donovan couldn’t help but flinch. “Even though they’re not real bullets; windscreen is very protective. It felt very real and you want the reaction to look genuine,” he says. Catching up with del Toro, he admits he’s missing Blunt. “As an actor, of course, but her personality, she just makes everybody laugh.” Describing Soldado as more “ambitious“, he points to the fact that much of the drama is filmed outside with few studio scenes. “It’s a bigger film in which we follow three different stories. The battles are bigger and grittier, too. It almost feels like a western,” he says, referencing nocturnal helicopter scenes over Mexico City and fraught border crossing sequences with more than 150 people. From Traffic to Savages and Escobar , playing the morally ambiguous character is all in a day’s work for del Toro, as demonstrated by his final scenes with Blunt in Sicario . “I’ve been doing these film noirs with an edge of ambiguity for some time now. Drug war films. Am I being typecast? Well so be it. I think that once you learn about these kind of worlds, you keep learning about it and you keep improving your realism.” With his green eyes and slow intoxicating voice, del Toro has always brought an enthralling edge to characters, even when they’re behaving very badly, which his Alejandro continues to do in Soldado . “I don’t know if I like him but I do understand him, which is what’s important as an actor,” he argues. they’re marbles shot from a pneumatic gun and the

Josh Brolin's federal agent re-teams with Benicio del Toro's mercurial assassin in Sicario: Day of the Soldado . Just don't call it a sequel. Words Gill Pringle V iolence on the US-Mexico border has escalated, as the cartels begin LETHAL WEAPONS

“sequel” is the correct word for the big action picture that is Day of the Soldado, “Its not a copycat, nor is it a sequel – it’s more of a follow-up,” says the Avengers baddie, who straddles mainstream and arthouse movies, earning an

Soldado ’s set, its a bitterly cold day on a windswept plain outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. Warming up in Brolin’s trailer, he admits

trafficking terrorists across the border. A drug lord’s daughter is kidnapped and Josh Brolin’s federal agent must re-team with Benicio Del Toro’s shadowy fixer in a day of bloodshed and mayhem. “ Sicario on steroids,” is how this sequel is already being characterised. 2015’s Sicario, featuring Emily Blunt, to great acclaim, from an original script by Taylor Sheridan and with Roger Deakins as director of photography. But apart from del Toro, Brolin and Jeffrey Donovan’s returning characters, Sicario : Day Just don’t call it a sequel. Denis Villeneuve directed

how he never expected the critically-

It's a bigger film in which we follow three different stories. The battles are bigger and grittier, too

acclaimed Sicario to turn out so well, describing

Oscar nod for Milk in 2008 . “I think a sequel is when you’re

the experience as “frustrating; like dealing with abstract art”.

connecting to where the other one left off, whereas

“I didn’t think Sicario was going to be very good but when I saw it I was completely blown

this is its own episode,” he says, discussing the shift in Sicario ’s emphasis on drug trade to Soldado ’s focus on human trafficking and terrorism. In reprising his role as federal agent Matt Graver, Brolin is the solider, Spanish translation, “soldado”, of the title while Del Toro remains the mysterious go-between, Alejandro. Drawn to tough-guy roles be it soldiers, firefighters or

away. That never happens, by the way, ever . I’ve learned that Denis is much smarter than

of the Soldado bears little resemblance to the original, with Italian director Stefano Sollima at the helm and Dariusz Wolski as DOP. When STACK catches up with Brolin on

he lets on.”

But critics adored the film, leading quickly to financing for a second. Not that Brolin feels

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is in cinemas now

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CINEMA FEATURE

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we trust and respect one another. Denzel is a great actor and we spend a lot of time beforehand discussing story and character. By time we get to day one of filming, I don’t need to worry about Mr. Washington showing up and delivering the goods, and he doesn’t worry about me doing the same. Every day we challenge each other.” Previously attached to direct 66-year-old Liam Neeson in upcoming cartel movie Narco Sub , Fuqua never questions the age of his leading men. With Washington punching in at 63, he says, “I never see Denzel as ‘older’. I just see him as a great actor. We’ve both been boxing for years and we literally build a gym with a boxing ring wherever we go. He’s in there every day at 6am, training and boxing.

DenzelWashington as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 2

We caught up with director Antoine Fuqua to discuss The Equalizer 2 – his fourth collaboration with DenzelWashington. Words Gill Pringle WITHOUT EQUAL

“He learns the moves and does most of the stunts himself. He

Neither of us thought we wanted to make a sequel. But when we saw the script we said, 'Why not?'

enjoys it. He did the same thing on Magnificent Seven . Months before we even got into filming, he’d be out on a horse every day with the stunt

O n the eve of his fourth outing with Denzel Washington in The Equalizer 2 , director Antoine Fuqua reveals how he longs to turn his lens on Australia. “I really wanted to shoot The Magnificent Seven in Australia but it just didn’t work out,” says Fuqua, who directed Washington to an Oscar in 2001’s Training Day , collaborating again in 2014’s reboot of The Equalizer and on Magnificent Seven two years ago. “I tried so hard to get us in Australia but couldn’t get over the hump with all the actors’ schedules where they had to be in the States for other things. “And I really enjoy the Australian actors,” adds the director, who had a great experience with Joel Edgerton on 2004 action-drama King Arthur . “I’d love to get my hands on Chris Hemsworth and do something really gritty with him. He’s such a strong and powerful actor. I’ve also been talking with Eric Bana forever about working together,” he tells STACK when we talk just weeks before the release of The Equalizer 2 . Currently logging in 13-hour days in the edit room, Fuqua laughs when we remind him of what every cinephile knows – that Washington

guys. I don’t ever think about his age and it never comes up in

conversation.” Not that he compares Washington’s scenes in The Equalizer 2 with Neeson’s in the Taken franchise. “No-one punches Denzel like that! He takes his licks but it's not like that. We try to keep it grounded and real,” says Fuqua, next set to direct a remake of Scarface starring Diego Luna with the blessing of his old friend Oliver Stone. If violence is the hallmark of many of his films, from Training Day to Olympus Has Fallen , Shooter and Southpaw , then he trusts none of it is gratuitous. “It's always been about justice, and the wages of sin is death. You can’t behave that way without being punished and when someone is so bad, they have to die. It’s the ultimate penalty for bad behaviour and corruption. It’s not about glorifying the violence – it’s about justice.”

Director Antoine Fuqua

is no fan of sequels. Notwithstanding, both men happily signed on to reprise Washington’s role as elusive assassin Robert McCall. “Neither of us thought we wanted to make a sequel. But when we saw the script for a second one, we said: Why not? McCall had a lot of mystery and intrigue which wasn’t revealed earlier. We felt there was more to know about him and we could take him overseas and have him be part of a global story,” says Fuqua who, this time around, puts his leading man onboard a train bound for Istanbul. The key to his enduring relationship with Washington is simple, he says. “We have a great friendship but, equally important, is that

The Equalizer 2 is in cinemas on July 19

FUQUA FILMOGRAPHY

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (2016)

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (2013)

TRAINING DAY (2001)

KING ARTHUR (2004)

SHOOTER (2007)

SOUTHPAW (2015)

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CINEMA FEATURE

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DID YOU KNOW?

Mary Shelley also appears as a character in director Ken Russell's typically berserk and hallucinatory 1986 horror film Gothic . A fictionalised account of a meeting in 1816 between Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne), Dr. John Polidori (Timothy Spall), Mary Godwin (Miranda Richardson) and her husband-to-be Percy Shelley (Julian Sands) at Byron's villa, the film purports that following a night of opium abuse, sexual shenanigans, paranoia and madness, Mary conceived the idea to write Frankenstein , while Polidori would go on to pen The Vampyre .

Elle Fanning plays the author of Frankenstein in the gothic biopic, Mary Shelley . Words Gill Pringle A bio-drama based on the illicit romance between poet Percy Shelley and 17- year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, Elle Fanning shines as the titular Mary Shelley, outlining the early erotic awakenings which led THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY

married Shelley. “Just like Mary, I felt like I was at a point in my life where I was changing, like I was going through a metamorphosis and, by the end of the movie, I definitely felt more mature; like a new chapter had begun. I felt like I learned something from Mary about how to be a woman, even though her life was very tragic. Who knows if she was ever completely happy? Nobody knows.

Gabriel Byrne as Lord Byron and Natasha Richardson as Mary Shelley in Gothic (1986)

the fledgling author to pen Frankenstein . Mary Shelley’s gothic horror romance

would arguably outlive her own prose, despite the novel being shunned by her peers at the time. No stranger to early

An enthusiastic writer in her own life, she hopes to direct in the future. “It would have to be something that personally resonates with me. That would be a dream,” says the actress whose films include Super 8 , We Bought a Zoo , Babel , Live By Night and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . If she could go back in time, she has so many questions for Mary Shelley and how such a young woman would conceive of Frankenstein . “I would want to know how she felt that the monster in Frankenstein was her, because I think that’s what she believed – that Percy was Victor Frankenstein who had created the monster in her. I would be fascinated to hear her self reflection and the psychological analogy.” Although Mary Shelley’s relationship with her stepsister has heartbreaking consequences, Fanning enjoys delving into the bonds of sisterhood with her own older sibling, Dakota. “Sister bonds are like no other. No matter what, there is a protectiveness and support and an endless love which you will always share with a sibling,” she says. “Dakota is very oddly mothering toward me in a way which I love.” Currently reprising her role as Princess Aurora opposite Angelina Jolie in Maleficent 2 , later this year Fanning will be seen starring in Woody Allen’s comedy A Rainy Day in New York , and Max Minghella’s Brit music drama, Teen Spirit .

“Mary was very much in love with Percy and she got to be with him for the rest of her life. Hopefully I will never experience that loss in my own life or lose a child. It's unimaginable.

At the core of it, it's about a girl coming of age and accomplishing something tremendous

success, Fanning, 20, has been acting since

age three, portraying the younger version of her sister Dakota Fanning’s character in I Am Sam . When STACK caught up with the actress in Toronto, she says, “Its very rare when I do a film where there’s a lot of young

As an actress, you are often asked to do things that have never happened in your own life, so you just have to

imagine it.” Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, Bel Powley portrays Mary’s step-sister alongside Douglas Booth’s heartless Shelley and Tom Sturridge’s Lord Byron. Fanning’s accent is flawless thanks to her previous Brit films including Ginger & Rosa at age 13, preparing her for Maleficent two years later.

people together. I’m usually the youngest person surrounded by lots of adults, which I don’t find is a bad thing, but with this one it was really fun to all get to hang out. The bond was very strong right away and just grew during the course of the movie. “Mary believed in love at first sight and was a helpless romantic,” she adds, outlining Mary’s tragic life in which she would lose their first child, born prematurely. “At the core of it, its

about a girl coming of age and accomplishing something tremendous,” says Fanning, who was just 17 when she filmed Mary Shelley ; the same age Mary was when she fell in love with the then-

Mary Shelley is in cinemas on July 5

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REVIEWS

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM RELEASED: June 21 DIRECTOR: J.A. Bayona CAST: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Rafe Spall, Ted Levine RATING: M

SCREENING IN JULY 2018

A game changer for the dino-sized franchise.

The trailers promise a rescue mission to Isla Nublar to save the dinosaurs before the island’s now active volcano triggers an extinction level event. But that’s just for starters. To paraphrase Dr. Alan Grant from the original, you won’t have the slightest idea what to expect. Three years after the fall of the Jurassic World theme park, the fate of the dinosaurs is a matter for Congress – should they be allowed to continue to exist? Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum, returning in a glorified cameo) doesn’t think so, while animal activists – including Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) – lobby to have them relocated to a new sanctuary. Dinosaurs have rights, too!

Claire finds an ally in the late John Hammond’s business partner, Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), who bankrolls the aforementioned rescue mission. Raptor whisperer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is also along for the ride in the hope of saving his buddy Blue, as are a bunch of military goons with a hidden agenda. To reveal more would spoil the surprises to follow – suffice to say, Fallen Kingdom makes a radical and totally bonkers detour that transforms it into another movie entirely. Splicing disaster film with monster movie and gothic mansion horror, this is the Indominus Rex of the franchise – a mean and unpredictable mongrel that’s like nothing that has existed in the series’ 25-year history. Some of the plot twists border on the ludicrous, and if you thought T. Rex looked incongruous on the streets of San Diego in The Lost World , you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! It may not be the best installment since the original, but director J.A. Bayona deserves credit for boldly delivering the most unconventional Jurassic film of them all, and also the most nightmarish; parents should think twice about taking their youngest to see this during the school holidays. Scott Hocking

Set before the events of Avengers: Infinity War and following on from Captain America: Civil War . Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is balancing the pressures of being both a superhero and a dad when he’s called upon for a critical new mission by Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) – AKA The Wasp – and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Marvel's next offering is buzzing into cinemas on July 5. (See page 10) ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

RELEASED: June 14 DIRECTOR: Brad Bird CAST: Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson RATING: PG INCREDIBLES 2

Die Hard meets The Towering Inferno in the latest action extravaganza featuring Dwayne Johnson, who goes all John McClane on a bunch of terrorists. Get ready to Rock on July 12. SKYSCRAPER

Pixar has brought us an incredible sequel.

The first film focused on Bob – AKA Mr. Incredible – getting back in the game and trying to juggle his superhero life with his young family. The sequel flips the idea on its head. Though ‘supers’ are technically still outlawed, a tech tycoon wants to bring them back into the limelight. He proposes a small campaign to Mr. Incredible, his wife Helen (Elastigirl), and their close friend Lucius (Frozone), which would bring the supers back into public favour. However, he also believes Elastigirl would be the best candidate to begin the campaign, and so Bob is forced to stay at home and look after his family.

Incredibles 2 does a brilliant job of illustrating the many facets of the word ‘super’. Sure, the heroes are out there fighting crime, but there’s an argument to be made that those who look after the family at home and take care of the day-to-day stuff are equally heroic. Bob needs to re-learn maths to help out Dash; Violet is right in the middle of dealing with her first big crush on a boy at school; and Jack-Jack looks like he might be about to discover his own superpowers. Pixar’s franchise has grown up with its audience. The jokes are still as witty, albeit more culturally reflective; the family as loveable as ever, if a bit all over the place. And the positioning of Helen as the star of the show is testament to the animation company’s effortless application of inclusivity, which never feels forced. There’s just as much focus on Bob at home with the kids as there is Elastigirl out saving the world. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

Denzel returns as the avenger for the exploited and oppressed in director Antoine Fuqua's sequel to the 2014 action-thriller, based on the '80s TV series. Equalizing on July 19. (See page 14) THE EQUALIZER 2

The characters from the original return to the lovely Greek island of Kalokairi 10 years later. Expect more ABBA hits as well as a cameo by Mr. Bjorn Ulvaeus himself. How can you resist on July 19 . MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN

Just like the original, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy in Incredibles 2 , with

references and nods that target both parents and kids. And don’t be surprised if most of the people in the cinema are aged 20 – 25. They've been waiting 14 years for this one! Alesha Kolbe

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DVD & BD FEATURE

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FILMOGRAPHY

2006 RED ROAD

Female Filmmakers

2009 FISH TANK

With just four features to date, this Oscar-winning British director has established herself as a true artist of cinematic realism. O ne of Britain's finest filmmakers working today, it would be easy to describe when describing the worlds Arnold captures through her lens, although the director will beg to differ. "I wonder whether my bleak-o- meter is set differently from other one, she helmed a trio of short films, the third of which, Wasp , received the Academy Award for Best Live Action short in 2004. Arnold was 45 when she ANDREA ARNOLD

2011 WUTHERING HEIGHTS

2016 AMERICAN HONEY

Andrea Arnold as the female Ken Loach, given her commitment to that staple of British cinema: social realism. Drawing inspiration from the everyday world around her – "I see someone on the bus, and I want to write about them" – Arnold's films are observational, intimate and immersive, with a verisimilitude that comes from casting newcomers and non-professionals, as well as a gritty, no-frills aesthetic framed by the tight screen ratio of 1.33:1. And like Loach, bleak is the adjective that comes to mind

people's," she has said. "I have such passion for what I do that I can't see it as bleak. My films don't give you an easy ride. I can see that. The sense I get is that people have quite a physical experience with them. They feel afterwards that they've really been through something." Born in 1961 in Dartford, Kent, Arnold worked in television for ten years after leaving school, including a gig as a dancer on Top of the Pops . Feeling more comfortable behind a camera than in front of

made her feature debut with the disturbing Red Road (2006), the story of a Glasgow CCTV operator (played by the marvellous Kate Dickie) that becomes obsessed with a man she spots on camera and proceeds to stalk him. The film won the Jury Prize at Cannes and a BAFTA the following year for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. FishTank (2009), her second and probably most accessible film, is a perfect introduction to the themes and stylistic choices that are her signature. Set in an East London housing estate, it's the tale of a 15-year-old girl (newcomer Katie Jarvis) who longs to escape her grim surroundings through street- dancing, only to become infatuated with her mother's new boyfriend (Michael Fassbender). Fish Tank also received the Jury Prize at Cannes, as well as the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film in 2010. Wuthering Heights was a project perfectly suited to the director's sensibilities, and her 2011 adaptation of the Emily Brontë classic is certainly radical, eschewing the traditional period costume drama approach for a

more raw and unconventional take – and casting black actors as Heathcliff. In her fourth feature, American Honey (2016), Arnold adopts the voyeuristic style favoured by Larry Clark and Harmony Korine for an episodic road trip into the American heartland, where a group of nomadic, impoverished youths sell magazine subscriptions to people who don’t want them or can’t afford them. Anchored by a knockout performance from non-professional Sasha Lane, and featuring a surprisingly good one from Shia LaBeouf, American Honey is one of Arnold's best films – an authentic slice of Americana made by a Brit. Arnold's films aren't exactly mainstream, but this darling of the indie/arthouse circuit is set to reach a bigger audience after signing on to direct all seven episodes of the second season of Big Little Lies . "We're just thrilled to welcome her to our family," said Reese Witherspoon, and it's exciting to contemplate just what this celebrated female filmmaker will bring to the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning drama series.

Filmmaking is such a deliberate process, but within that there's room to be instinctive. Sometimes I don't understand why I've written what I've written or why my characters are doing what they're doing, but it feels right.. – Andrea Arnold

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“HILARIOUS COMEDY” – HERALDSUN

NEW TO BLU-RAY ™ & DVD JULY 11 AT

Strong crude sexual humour, nudity and coarse language

*WHILE STOCKS LAST.

EXTRAS FEATURE

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The Dirty Dozen (1967) Directed by Robert Aldrich

Some ten years later, with America’s disastrous involvement in Vietnam intensifying almost daily, Aldrich directed yet another controversial WWII movie. This time, however, it reflected the social climate of the time and became the biggest box-office hit of the year. The Dirty Dozen (1967) featured Lee Marvin as maverick Major John Reisman, who is chosen to train a group of violent and condemned military prisoners for a suicide mission behind enemy lines, the night before the D-Day invasion.

T hroughout the 1960s, most male a “good war”. It had passed into history as a patriotic war that defeated the evils of Fascism and the Japanese imperial expansion in Asia and the Pacific. WWII appeared to have none of the ambiguities and controversies that had plagued the Korean conflict and the then escalating Vietnam war. Consequently, Hollywood felt safe and comfortable with the subject and for over two decades following the end of the war, released a plethora of popular money-making WWII-themed motion pictures. The films of this period in general celebrated the courage and teamwork exhibited by the officers and men of the Western Alliance against an evil enemy. But in 1956, a movie was released which had an extremely controversial storyline instead of the usual jingoism then attached to the genre. Directed by maverick filmmaker, Robert Aldrich, the film was simply titled Attack . It moviegoers would have been unlikely to question that World War II had been

After Palance’s character dies following another attack, unsupported by the cowardly captain, the remnants of his platoon, now led by Lt. Woodruff (William Smithers), confront Clooney. Captain Clooney insists that they must all surrender to the advancing Germans but Woodruff, rather than surrender to the enemy, shoots and kills Clooney.

The Brass brief Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) on his mission

[World War II] had passed into history as a patriotic war

MGM had bought the rights to the novel written by E.M. Nathanson, who had based part of his story on the famous group of WWII 101st Airborne paratroopers and demolition experts nicknamed “The Filthy Thirteen”. These men earned their nickname by not bathing or shaving during the long training period prior to the Normandy invasion. The property was purchased as a potential starring vehicle for John Wayne, but he passed on the project to concentrate on his “Vietnam debacle” The Green Berets (1968). Aldrich was relieved as he didn’t want The Dirty Dozen to be just another “Wayne movie”. The director preferred a less idealised hero and vigorously campaigned for the actor who had portrayed an unprincipled and opportunistic army colonel in Attack. WWII Marine veteran, Lee Marvin, was a perfect fit for the Reisman character, who is very short of discipline and has a record of total disdain for backroom generals. With Marvin’s star value having

depicted an incompetent US army captain named Clooney, played by Eddie Albert, whose cowardice

Each of the other men in the platoon then pump a bullet into Clooney’s corpse claiming that they killed him. An outraged US Department of Defense found the movie incendiary and downright offensive, as did most of the US film critics. The film inevitably lost money but today it is viewed as a minor

under fire during the Battle of the Bulge causes the death of a number of soldiers under his command. The surviving lieutenant, memorably portrayed by Jack Palance, vows “Clooney, if I lose another man on account of you, I’ll shove this grenade down your throat and pull the pin”.

classic and a precursor of films such as Apocalypse Now and Platoon.

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