STACK #152 Jun 2017

DVD&BD REVIEWS

visit stack.net.au

What's in the vault? DOCTOR WHO – SERIES 10: PART 1

A comic book blessing. PREACHER: SEASON 1

Release Date: OUT NOW

Format:

Release Date: 14/06/17

Format:

There's a sense of melancholy going into the latest series of Doctor Who , knowing that this will be the last for the wonderful Peter Capaldi. The Doctor is now lecturing at a British university while guarding a mysterious vault – with the help of Nardole (Matt Lucas) – when he meets Bill (Pearl Mackie), a canteen worker who is quickly swept up in the dangers that come with befriending a Time Lord. That includes a malevolent puddle (!); a cameo by the Daleks; emojibots in the far future; and capitalism in space, where oxygen is charged by the breath. The first half of series

Based on the Vertigo comic book series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher could become your new favourite show. That's if you buy into its deadpan humour, gonzo gore, and madcap alternate universe where angels, an Irish vampire, and a conflicted priest with a godlike power coexist in a small town in Texas. Dominic Cooper is terrific as the titular hero, Jesse Custer, whose voice commands more than respect, but it's Ruth Negga as his fiery ex, Tulip, who manages to steal a majority of the episodes. Moreover, the series

ten is mostly lighthearted in tone, and Capaldi and Mackie have an instant chemistry. However, things turn decidedly dark when the Vatican enlists the Doctor's help with a forbidden text, and the stage is set for an invasion by a sinister new alien menace, and the road to regeneration... SH

actually looks like a comic book, with scenes skillfully composed to resemble an illustrated panel, sans voice balloons. Wild, unpredictable and sometimes impenetrable, Preacher will instantly appeal to fans of Ash vs. Evil Dead and True Blood, and is worthy of high praise. SH

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK: SEASON 4

ONE PUNCH MAN: SEASON 1

DAREDEVIL: SEASON 2

THE STRAIN: SEASON 2

Release Date: 21/06/17 Format:

Release Date: 06/07/17 Format:

Release Date: 14/06/17 Format:

Release Date: 28/06/17 Format:

Change is afoot at Litchfield Penitentiary, and the inmates are feeling the pressure. First off, one hundred new prisoners – referred to as 'sardines' – are crammed into the newly for-profit institution. Adding fuel to the fire is the arrival of a new breed of corrective officers, following the staff walk-out in season three. Piper (Taylor Schilling) was the prison newbie that introduced us to the sprawling narrative of life lived intensely behind bars, and season four confidently strides forth with multi-character arcs, conflict, and all the jaw-dropping twists and turns fans have come to love and expect from this highly acclaimed series. AC

If you're an anime fan worth your salt, you will have at least heard of the latest phenomenon to hit our TV screens – One Punch Man. The series follows the story of an embattled protagonist whose superpower is having too much power – he tends to do away with his nemeses with just one punch. This is a lot of responsibility for him to, uh, handle, and so we follow our hero, Saitama, as he searches for a greater purpose. This series will leave you equally perplexed and amused – it's really not like anything you've ever seen before. One Punch Man is one of a kind – an anime superhero parody that everyone can enjoy. AK

With Kingpin withering behind bars, the Man Without Fear’s (Charlie Cox) job to bring justice to New York's Hell's Kitchen hasn’t gotten any easier. Now a fellow vigilante who has taken a family tragedy to heart (and muscle) threatens HK, taking justice a step too far. With a background of military proportions and an array of painful looking weapons, The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) makes sure that, unlike Daredevil, when he’s done with the bad guys, they won’t be getting up again. But will Bernthal last longer in the role than previous screen Punishers like Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane? SD

Although still burdened by a few sub-plots too many, the second season of The Strain is less meandering than the first. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's vampire apocalypse gathers momentum here, as Eph and Nora attempt to develop a bioweapon to use against the strigoi, while Setrakian and Fet search for an ancient vampire text called the Occido Lumen, which could hold the key to stopping the infestation. Del Toro and Hogan continue to reinvent vampire lore in creative and grotesque ways, including a chilling prologue that reveals the the Master's origins (but not why he's kinda goofy looking). SH

40

JUNE 2017

jbhifi.com.au