STACK NZ Aug #76

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CINEMA, DVDs, GAMES &MUSIC

WIN - SEE INSIDE

.net.nz

ISSUE 76 AUG '16

private screening Win Be in to a of *

* s e e w w w . j b h i f i . c o . n z f o r d e t a i l s

INSIDE: Deus Ex • Comic-Con • Black Sails

© 2016 Marvel

Sign up for your

at stack.net.nz

www.SonyPictures.com AngryBirds-Movie.com ©2016RovioAnimationLtd.andRovioEntertainmentLtd.AngryBirdsandall relatedproperties, titles, logosandcharacters are trademarksofRovioEntertainmentLtdandRovioAnimationLtdandareusedwithpermission.AllRightsReserved. © 2016LayoutandDesignSonyPicturesHomeEntertainment Inc.AllRightsReserved. COLUMBIA PICTURES AND ROVIO ANIMATION PRESENT “THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE” JASON SUDEIKIS JOSH GAD DANNY M C BRIDE MAYA RUDOLPH KATE M C KINNON SEAN PENN TONY HALE KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY WITH BILL HADER AND PETER DINKLAGE ANIMATION BY SONY PICTURES IMAGEWORKS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS MIKAEL HED DAVID MAISEL MUSIC BY HEITOR PEREIRA SCREENPLAY BY JON VITTI PRODUCED BY JOHN COHEN CATHERINE WINDER DIRECTED BY FERGAL REILLY CLAY KAYTIS

NEWS EXTRAS

Issue 76 AUGUST 2016

EXTRAS

• Trust Punks in Australia; Barkhad Abdi plays a game of drones; Dad's Army 's X Factor. Pg 4 • Aaradhna's keeping her cool; Jack Huston on rebooting Ben-Hur. Pg 5 • Scarlett Johansson in The Jungle Book ; pranks turn nasty in Scare Campaign. Pg 6 •Comic-Con 2016: Get ready to geek out with all the news from the world's biggest pop culture convention. Pg 8-12 • Competition, quiz, STACK Social. Pg 12 Sherpa: The unsung heroes of Mt Everest. Pg 14 Black Sails: Shiver me timbers - the return of pirates of the Bahamas! Pg 15 MUSIC Sharon Jones: Graham Reid considers the soul and spirit of the queen of retro R&B. Pg 16 GAMES FEATURES

MARVEL UNIVERSE GETTING STRANGE Buy the latest Marvel blockbuster Captain America: CivilWar and you will go into a draw to win a private screening of Doctor Strange !

Deus Ex: Having suffered from multiple delays, we can finally get our augmented hands on Mankind Divided. Pg 18-19

EXTRAS

REVIEWS

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Tilda Swinton. Viewers can get a sneak peak at the newest Marvel superhero on the Blu-ray edition of Captain America: Civil War , which boasts more than 60 minutes of bonus features. These include a featurette entitled Open Your Mind: Marvel’s Doctor Strange , which goes behind and beyond the scenes as Doctor Strange makes his journey to the big screen. JB Hi-Fi is also giving Marvel fans the chance to win a private

D ue in cinemas at the end of October, Doctor Strange is the latest film in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a neurosurgeon who, after a horrific car accident, discovers a hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions. The film is directed by Scott Derrickson ( Sinister , Deliver Us From Evil ) and the all-star supporting cast includes

DVD/Blu-ray Captain America: Civil War , The Jungle Book , 11.22.63 , The Witch , The Huntsman: Winters War , Dad's Army, Eye In The Sky, The Boss and more. Pg 20-25 GAMES F1 2016 , Madden NFL 16 , World Of Warcraft: Legion. MUSIC Dinosaur Jr, The Amity Afflictionn, Faith No More, ZHU, Pink Floyd and more. Pg 31-32

RATINGS GUIDE

screening of Doctor Strange . All you need to do is pre-order or purchase the third Captain America film and you will go into the draw; entries close on October 12. Captain America: Civil War is out on August 31 and is available in standard DVD and Blu-ray versions, a 2D/3D BD set and a limited edition Blu-ray steelbook. All the BD versions also feature a downloadable digital copy.

All information believed correct at time of printing. All images used for promotional purposes only. Copyright of respective owners is acknowledged. © 2016 Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher.

For more on Marvel see our special Comic-Con round-up on pages 8-12.

03

EXTRAS NEWS

visit stack.net.nz

GAME OF DRONES

I n Gavin Hood’s edge-of-your- seat thriller, Abdi plays undercover operative Jama Farah, who is tracking a group of terrorists on the ground in Nairobi. Thousands of miles away in London, the operation is being masterminded and monitored via the use of cutting- edge drone technology; the UK military unit leading the operation is headed up by Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren). The plan is to capture the terrorists with the help of Kenyan security forces, but once it becomes clear that the targets are about to embark on a suicide bombing, the mission escalates from a ‘capture’ to ‘kill’ operation. "I think it’s a very important story and a very sensitive one that needs to be told; it’s about how innocent people get caught up in a war,” says Abdi, who came to fame through his Oscar- nominated performance in Captain Phillips. ”As far as the story goes, I think I relate to the young girl’s situation going – you could run and you could hide. That’s war and it’s not easy. “But with drones, the whole game changes completely, and you don’t know anything. They can strike from above and you don’t know when it’s coming. [The film is] about the innocent people who get caught up in this, and it’s very touching and very important to show people, emotionally, what happens.” See the digital edition of August’s STACK for the full feature. Adam Colby The drone thriller Eye in the Sky brought back painful memories for star Barkhad Abdi. because I was in a similar one. “I was stuck in a war with my mum and my brother and my sister in Mogadishu, but our situation was much better,” he says. “You could hear the guns, and we could see where it was

Trust Punks’ Joe Thomas sees both sides of the NZ/AUS artistic coin. best of both worlds?

P ost-punk outfit Trust Punks are back with their first full length album Double Bind , the follow-up to their fine 2014 mini-album Discipline . Originally from Auckland, the five-piece have been making in-roads into the Australian market and vocalist Joe Thomas now lives in Sydney. And he admits he has gleaned a new perspective between the two countries, particularly when it comes to art and music. “A lot of [artists and musicians] have a love/ hate relationship with [New Zealand]," he says.

“I think on one hand, the people who feel suffocated are right; it can be a bit restricting. On the other hand, now that I’ve moved and have seen other places, that sort of isolation can be really good for music and art. I do think that New Zealand is now realising that part of making good art is backing yourself, and having that sense of confidence. The music scene [in Australia] has a real sense of its own worth.” Zo ë Radas

EXTRAS

Double Bind by Trust Punks is out now.

How Simon Cowell inadvertently inspired a reboot of the belovedTV sitcom. DAD'S ARMY HAS THE X FACTOR "I was in front of the telly on a Saturday evening three or four years ago, not wanting to watch The

X-Factor ,” recalls producer Damian Jones of his 'eureka' moment, “so I channel-surfed and there on BBC was Dad’s Army .” After enjoying the re-run of the revered ‘70s comedy about an elderly unit of the Home Guard during the Second World War, The History Boys producer did a bit of digging and discovered that nearly three million Brits were still tuning in every week to watch the the misadventures of Captain Mainwaring and his men. Jones duly approached the Dad’s Army estate with the idea for a movie. “They were open to it,” he remembers of their first meeting, “so I got [screenwriter] Hamish [McColl] on board and we shared our

thoughts with them. That’s how it started to come together.” In the big screen remake, Toby Jones plays the pompous Mainwaring, while Bill Nighy is the long-suffering Sergeant Wilson.

Eye in the Sky is out on August 11.

Dad's Army is due out on August 24.

AUGUST 2016

04

jbhifi.co.nz

NEWS EXTRAS

After the cannibal gore-fest The Green Inferno , Eli Roth is set to tackle a very different sort on man-eater in Meg . AARADHNA IS KEEPING COOL The Kiwi singer's new album Brown Girl is all about truth and soul. T ruth & Soul is not only the name of Aaradhna’s new label, but also pretty much serves as a statement of intent to her new label, the highly respected Truth & Soul, her musical backing also has the important ring of authenticity. Recorded live in Brooklyn and Los Angeles,

WHEN IN R0ME... When first approached to play Ben- Hur, Brit actor Jack Huston balked at re-enacting Hollywood’s holy cow. T he grandson of fabled director John Huston and nephew of Angelica Huston, he grew up in reverence of WilliamWyler’s original epic. “I sort of gaped a little and was like, ‘really?’ But I read it and was so surprised with the re-imagining of this beautiful story, a story I now believe can be told and told again for different audiences,” Huston tells STACK with the weary air of a man already tired of defending his choice. “Whenever someone asks me, ‘Why would you remake something like Ben-Hur ?’ I point out that this is actually the fourth time it’s been remade. There’s always room for a modern audience where a lot of people haven’t seen its predecessor, and we have a lot more at our fingertips, technology-wise. I loved the Wyler version, and I would be the first person to say, ‘Oh, don’t do that,’ if I felt in any way it wasn’t going to hold up. But now I feel we’ve created something incredibly special.“ With his chiseled jaw, piercing blue eyes and mop of black hair, Huston even resembles a bygone matinee idol. But he believes modern audiences will also respond to this age-old story of redemption. “The ability to forgive and say sorry is beautiful,” he says. “Saying sorry works every time with my girlfriend!” Gill Pringle

when it comes to her new album. The ‘soul’ speaks for itself – like her award- winning Treble & Reverb (2012), her latest Brown Girl offers a stylish, modern take on classic R&B and funk – while the lyrical content of the record is very much drawn from her own life and experiences. The title track is a case in point, dealing in part with the racism she encountered growing up as a child of Indian and Polynesian heritage. “Yeah, it was hard, because I never felt totally accepted by either side,” she tells STACK . “The Samoans called me Indian names, the Indians called me Samoan

label boss Jeff Dynamite served as band leader and put together a core group of accomplished soul instrumentalists, including Truth & Soul co-founder Leon Michaels on bass and drummer Homer Steinweiss, who has worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. “I chose to record everything live for the feel of the music,” Aaradhna says. “Live music is like hearing music the way its supposed to be. With live [recordings] you can literally hear each instrument singing its own song, and that gives it a special, raw and natural vibe that I like. We used a mixture of both old and

EXTRAS

names; it was difficult. But that’s who I am. I love both my cultures and I’m a Kiwi – this is my home.” However Aaradhna also points out that her song Brown Girl is not just about racism; it also presses the message that the singer shouldn't be defined by the colour of her skin. “I’m many things: I’m a girl, I’m a sister, a daughter, I have brothers, I love my family and

new studios in New York and Los Angeles, but all the equipment and instruments were old vintage gear. For example, we did all the vocals through a Fairchild 660 compressor – that’s the

same one used at Abbey Road by The Beatles. The guys sourced drums from 1920s New Orleans and Nashville,

friends, all my listeners, I like horror movies… like, there is so much more,” she explains. One thing that has never been in doubt is her love of singing – she is in fine soulful form throughout the album – and thanks

stuff like that – they definitely love their vintage instruments!” John Ferguson

Brown Girl by Aaradhna

is out now.

Ben-Hur is due in cinemas on August 25.

03

EXTRAS NEWS

visit stack.net.nz

After the cannibal gore-fest The Green Inferno , Eli Roth is set to tackle a very different sort on man-eater in Meg . Scarlett Johansson is puurrrfect as the seductive snake Kaa in the reboot of The Jungle Book . S carlett Johansson has fond memories of the original 1967 animated version of The Jungle Book . “I remember that soundtrack well,” she the actress would make a perfect Kaa. “Ever since I was really young, I’ve loved doing voice work,” Johansson says. “For me, the opportunity to play Kaa as envisioned by Jon was so exciting.The snake WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

recalls. “It was so popular when I was a kid. Bare Necessities was on constant repeat for every kid my age. And the idea of this jungle kid being raised by animals was just fantastic.” So Johansson needed little persuasion to lend her voice to the character of Kaa, the seductive but sinister python, when director Jon Favreau came calling. The pair had previously worked together on Iron Man 2 and Chef , but it was her voice-only performance in Spike Jonze’s Her that convinced the director

from the animated film is a boy. He’s a friendlier, goofier version of the character. “In this film, Kaa seduces and entraps Mowgli with her storytelling. She’s the mirror into Mowgli’s past. It was thrilling to reinvent this character in this rendering of the story.” The character is designed to be intimidating yet believable and the actress did get the chance to see what Kaa would look like before laying down her vocal parts. “Kaa is magnificent,” she enthuses. “The way that she moves is very alluring, almost coquettish. It was important for me to see how she looks in proportion to Mowgli to help inform the presence and intensity of my voice. The audience will see this creature through the innocent eyes of this small boy Mowgli – they’ll become part of his world.” Adam Colby The Jungle Book is out on August 17.

EXTRAS

YOU’VE BEEN MAIMED Colin and Cameron Cairnes send video pranks to hell in their new horror flick.

W inner of Best Film and Screenplay at last year’s Australian Monster Fest, Scare Campaign is the latest film from the Melbourne brothers who established themselves with the splatter comedy 100 Bloody Acres . ‘Scare Campaign’ is also the title of the horror-prank TV series within the film – a show forced to up its game to the next level in order to compete with the sicko online mavericks that are pushing the envelope in terms of bloody realism. It was looking at various prank videos on YouTube that got the Cairnes brothers thinking: What would happen if you pranked the wrong guy? “There was one in particular from Mexico where the victims/stooges enter a gag lift and it breaks down, and then this little ghost girl pops out from behind a false door and scares the crap out of the victims,” recalls Cameron. “We thought what would make an interesting scenario is if one of these victims actually fought back. Reality TV and this dark online presence – all these awful images

M icrosoft’s E3 2016 press conference will be remembered for not one, but two hardware announcements. While gamers will probably have to wait until late 2017 to get their hands on Project Scorpio, the Xbox One S is available in-store this month. The attractive white console is 40 per cent smaller than the Xbox One and features a slightly redesigned controller, 4K streaming and HDR support, making it a cost effective Ultra HD player as well as a games console. The initial Xbox One S batch will ship with 2TB of storage, and this will be supplemented later in August with 1TB and 500GB models. Look out for the Xbox One S in JB Hi-Fi now. • For more details, visit www.stack.net.nz

coming out of the Middle East – was feeding into it as well, so the script did develop quite organically.“ And the movie doesn’t skimp on the splatter. “We’re gorehounds at heart, so we know what the fans want to see,” he adds. “I think you need to have two or three big crowd-pleasing moments in a horror film.” Scott Hocking Scare Campaign is due out on August 11. Check out the full interview on www.stack.net.nz later in the month.

AUGUST 2016

06

jbhifi.co.nz

SHOP.JBHIFI.CO.NZ

TM & © 2016 WWE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. *WHILE STOCKS LAST

EXTRAS COMIC-CON

visit stack.net.nz

Words: Scott Hocking GEEK OUT! Convention season was in full swing in the United States during the last week of July. The Republican National Convention was under way in Cleveland, but more importantly, San Diego Comic-Con once again transformed the Californian city into the centre of the pop culture universe and proved a welcome diversion from the Trump campaign trail.

2016 T he RNC may have had Chachi from Happy Days and a guy from Duck Dynasty as special guests, but Comic-Con once again attracted a who’s-who of the film, television and gaming world, as studios, networks and developers presented forthcoming releases directly to their core audience via panels, screenings, signings and special events. Unlike trade shows, Comic-Con really is the best marketing tool in the galaxy in terms of promoting the slate of films, TV series and video games scheduled for the coming year, with subsequent buzz from fans crucial to their success. One of the joys of Comic-Con is seeing Downtown San Diego transformed into a geek's paradise

EXTRAS

Comic-Con fact... The first comic book

convention in San Diego was held for three days in August 1970, and attracted 300 people.

Pokémon – both physical and virtual. One of the joys of Comic-Con is seeing

intrinsic to Comic-Con’s DNA. San Diego was also in the grip of a summer heatwave, which wasn’t conducive to standing in line for long periods, nor cosplaying as Chewbacca or Totoro. However, the faithful were undeterred and the attendees proved as eclectic as ever, with Suicide Squad characters

This year security was tight, with a ‘Costume Weapons Check’ enforced upon entry. One concerned citizen even called for a ban on cosplay, but fortunately the First Amendment protects

Downtown San Diego transformed into a geek’s paradise, with hotels and trolley cars adorned with artwork. You couldn’t really miss the vampiric Statue of Liberty dominating the Hilton Bayfront to promote the new season of The Strain , or the building banners featuring the Son of Zorn , an intriguing new sitcom about an animated He-Man-like warrior attempting to win back his live-action ex-wife and son. Attendees with a four-day badge that

a popular choice this year, as well as the inevitable

heroes and villains of Marvel, DC and Star Wars. Unsurprisingly,

those who wish to dress up, so it was business as usual for the thousands of cosplayers who are

the Convention Centre was also swarming with

AUGUST 2016

08

jbhifi.co.nz

COMIC-CON EXTRAS

Comic-Con fact... The first sold out SDCC was in 2008

EXTRAS

Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick in attendance. And Alec Baldwin made a surprise appearance – and his Comic-Con debut – to promote the studio’s other major animated offering, Boss Baby , in which the actor voices the brash infant of the title. Trolls will be in cinemas December, with Boss Baby to follow in 2017. Oliver Stone was another unfamiliar face at Comic-Con, premiering a new trailer for his biopic Snowden , in which Joseph Gordon- Levitt plays the eponymous NSA whistleblower who found himself in more trouble than Julian Assange. True to form, Stone launched a scathing attack on modern surveillance techniques, even going as far as to describe Pokémon Go as “a new level of invasion.” Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets looks set to be the sci-fi movie event of 2017, with the director back in Fifth Element mode and big on production design for this tale of a time-travelling agent (Dane DeHann) charged with protecting the universe from a rogue planet. And FX series The Strain , based on the novels by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck

included Preview Night got an early look inside the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday, July 21, and the opportunity to have first dibs on the coveted exclusive merchandise. Given the excitement and anticipation surrounding the event, you would expect a rush of Boxing Day sale proportions when the doors opened for the first time, but the crowds were well behaved and nobody was trampled. Preview Night was particularly special this year, complemented by the world premiere of Star Trek Beyond , which was beamed onto an outdoor IMAX screen by the bay with full accompaniment by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and a fan red carpet for Trekkers to show off their uniforms and alien forehead ridges. Like a slow burn comic book epic, Comic- Con builds gradually, with attendance peaking on the Friday and Saturday, which is also when the mega panels and studio presentations are held in the legendary Hall H. The Exhibit Hall was still easily accessible on Thursday, and the cosplayers were beginning to arrive in force, despite the rising temperature

Friday brought the first of the big Hall H panels, with fans sleeping out to be the first in line for the Walking Dead panel

that threatened to turn stormtrooper armour into an oven. Key panels included DreamWorks, presenting footage from its upcoming animated feature Trolls , with voice-cast members

09

EXTRAS COMIC-CON

visit stack.net.nz

Comic-Con fact... SDCC was originally called the Golden State Comic Book Convention

2016

Hogan, will be returning in August with a shorter season of 10 episodes, which will ramp up the pace and put an end to the criticism that its vampire apocalypse is unfolding at a snail’s pace. Friday brought the first of the big Hall H panels, with fans sleeping out to be first in line for TheWalking Dead panel – one of the hottest attractions at Comic-Con. STACK passed on camping rough and got in early with the show’s cast and producers at a press breakfast held on the rooftop of the nearby Andaz Hotel, where the intimate setting allowed for a more relaxed Q&A session with the zombie slayers about the recent season cliffhanger and beyond. A new trailer for TWD’s seventh season was unveiled, as well as one for the second half of spin-off series Fear theWalking Dead ’s sophomore year. Like the previous Comic-Con, the Game of Thrones panel couldn’t provide any clues on what’s next for the inhabitants of Westeros following an explosive sixth season, as the show is yet to resume production. But a gag reel kept the crowd entertained, as did the cast’s anecdotes, reflections and speculation on where the show might be headed now that winter is finally here. Starz presented the first look at its much- anticipated TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods , which is based on the author’s 2001 novel about warring deities,

The Game of Thrones panel couldn't provide any clues on what's next for the inhabitants of Westeros

EXTRAS

under the banner ‘Heroes, Magic and Myth’, followed by Anniversary panels for Star Trek ’s 50 th and Aliens ’ 30 th , with Marvel closing the day. STACK ’s first port of call, however, was the Hilton Bayfront to sit down with Ash vs. Evil Dead stars Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Lee Majors, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo and producer Rob Tapert to talk about the second season. Ash returns to his roots in Elk Grove, Michigan, only to find the events of the first Evil Dead film have made for an unhappy homecoming. Veteran actor Lee Majors joins the cast this year as Ash’s estranged father, with Campbell noting, “Who else would I want as my father but The Six Million Dollar Man?” Then it was straight to Hall H for the Warner Bros. show, which unfolded in spectacular fashion with a 180-degree screen enveloping the audience, and every director and hero involved in DC’s Justice League universe assembling on the stage. This was followed by the first footage

both old and new. The trailer looks remarkably faithful to the book, not to mention exceedingly dark; this could well be amongst next year’s must-see TV. Hall H was the place to spend Saturday, and not just to escape the heat. Traditionally the biggest day in terms of back-to-back panels, the Hall was hosting the Warner Bros. presentation

AUGUST 2016

10

jbhifi.co.nz

COMIC-CON EXTRAS

Comic-Con fact... Both Captain America and Wonder Woman celebrate their 75th anniversary this year – and they still look great!

EXTRAS

We already knew Guy Ritchie was reimagining the Arthur legend, but we didn’t expect the trailer for King Arthur: Legend

from Zack Snyder’s ensemble film uniting Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman. Needless to say, the crowd went berserk. Next came a more detailed look at the solo Wonder Woman movie, with director Patty Jenkins joined by stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and Connie Nielsen. The first trailer was also unveiled, which looks great but didn’t feature the invisible jet, as far as we could see. David Ayer and the cast of Suicide Squad were up next, with the director explaining how he wanted to make a movie that looked like a comic book, but also give the characters as much focus as the visuals. “This isn’t a movie about good versus evil, it’s a movie about bad versus evil,” offered Will Smith. More Batman followed, albeit of the LEGO variety, with director Chris McKay and voice actor Will Arnett discussing The LEGO Batman Movie and revealing an amusing new trailer featuring a very naïve LEGO Robin (voiced by Michael Cera). With DC wrapped up, it was on to another iconic movie character: King Kong, who

this time around, including man of the moment Tom Hiddleston, Oscar-winner Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson (who is in everything), and John Goodman. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts spoke of the enormous responsibility in continuing and upholding Kong’s cinematic legacy, and the trailer hinted at a more fast-paced affair than Peter Jackson’s overlong remake.

of the Sword to contain CGI elephants, creatures, bloody battles, and a hero out of time

who’s destined to wield Excalibur. But then this is Guy Ritchie, so maybe we sort of did. Not since Monty Python and the Holy Grail has a King Arthur movie looked so atypical!

makes his return in the action- adventure Kong: Skull Island . There’s a pretty impressive cast meeting the great gorilla

Comic-Con fact... French journalists always seem to ask the most stupid question at a press roundtable

11

EXTRAS COMIC-CON

visit stack.net.nz

Comic-Con fact... Thankfully, the San Diego Convention Centre press workroom offers free coffee and snacks

received the loudest reception. STACK met with the new Power Rangers on Saturday night – yes, another ‘90s series that’s being reimagined for a new generation, and following the Ninja Turtles onto the big screen courtesy of Lionsgate. The five young stars – Dacre Montgomery, Becky G, Naomi Scott, Ludi Lin and RJ Cyler – were an affable and articulate bunch, and praised the new movie’s coming-of-age themes and multicultural casting. Power Rangers also stars Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks, and is currently still in production and aiming for a March 2017 release. Things began to wind down on Sunday, as the Con crept towards closing for another year at 5.00pm. Traditionally a more family- focused day, there were lots of LEGO panels and animation activities for the kids, and also the chance to explore a less crowded Exhibit Hall. And if you still hadn’t bought the Comic- Con exclusives you wanted by then, it’s off to eBay. Hall H still featured a couple of big panels; including Sunday staple Supernatural and Sherlock in the morning, with FOX’s ‘Action Showcase’ at lunchtime. This year, the network’s panels premiered footage from the Prison Break reboot and the Kiefer Sutherland-free 24: Legacy . Press conferences were also coming to an end, although STACK did grab some time with the Sherlock gang, including creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and Benedict Cumberbatch (who gives a really good interview). Alas though, like last year, they had little to say about what’s in store for the legendary sleuth in the fourth series, leaving us to use our own powers of deduction on the first trailer. San Diego Comic-Con is a four-day rollercoaster ride for attendees and press alike. You begin the ascent on Thursday,

2016

Star Charlie Hunnam revealed the film will feature lots of magic realism, as well as “cheeky loveable lads, fast talking, fast punching rogues that guide you through it.” As if there was any doubt? The WB presentation closed with a panel and new trailer for Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts andWhere to Find Them , which ostensibly resembles Potter meets Pokémon GO , when a horde of magical creatures is unleashed on Prohibition-era New York by Eddie Redmayne’s fantastically named wizard, Newt Scamander. It will be interesting to see if this does the same kind of business as the Harry Potter films, given it’s a period piece with an adult lead character. Redmayne brought magic to the panel, stopping the presentation to walk off stage and distribute wands to audience members (with the help of Warner staff), then commanding everyone to cast a Lumos Maxima spell. It was the perfect conclusion to the best studio presentation at the Con this year. Having skipped last year’s event, Marvel returned to Hall H with an equally massive release slate as it gears up for ‘Phase Three’. “We only want to come when we have a lot to show you,” said president Kevin Feige. “We actually have quite a bit today.” That included a new studio logo, the second trailer for Doctor Strange , clips from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider- Man: Homecoming (“a straight up high school movie” according to director Jon Watts), and

Guardians sequel (more great casting). Black Panther still doesn’t have a finished script as yet, but director Ryan Coogler ( Creed ) was on hand to discuss the world inhabited by T’Challa, whom we recently met in Captain America: Civil War. The star-studded panel also included Black Panther ’s Lupita N’yongo and Michael B. Jordan, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton from Doctor Strange , and of course the good Doctor himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, who naturally STACK did grab some time with the Sherlock gang, including creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and Benedict Cumberbatch

EXTRAS

a Thor mockumentary featuring Chris Hemsworth that filled in for a lack of footage from the still-shooting Thor: Ragnarok .

with the first big drop coming on Friday, the 360-degree loop on Saturday, and the slow slope to disembark on Sunday. It’s a giddy and relentless experience, but you love every minute of it, and can’t wait to line-up again for more in twelve months time.

The biggest news was that Brie Larson will be joining the MCU as Captain Marvel (great casting!) and Kurt Russell is officially Star-Lord’s dad in the

Huge thanks to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Bros., Roadshow, BBC Worldwide, Lionsgate, Starz, Sony Pictures and FOX Networks Group for their assistance during our trip

For more Comic-Con coverage, news and

trailers visit stack.net.nz

AUGUST 2016

12

jbhifi.co.nz

For details on how to enter all our competitions, head to www.stack.net.nz

EXTRAS SOCIAL / COMPETITIONS / QUIZ

competitions WIN ONE OF THREE HARDCORE HENRY BLU-RAYS Dropping into JB on August 3, Hardcore Henry is exactly what its name suggests. A movie shot entirely in the first- person perspective needs to be celebrated in style… with a Blu-ray giveaway! Thanks to Roadshow

STACK SOCIAL Listening to you lot chatting and interacting with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is all kinds of awesome! Make sure you get involved and follow us on: STACK Magazine NZ @STACKMag stackmagazine What you've been loving on socials this month:

SCORE ONE OF THREE THE BLACKLIST SEASON 3 PRIZE- PACKS The Blacklist Season 3 is released on August 4 and you could take home the DVD and Elizabeth Keen’s Dossier , a lavish visual celebration of the series. Thanks to Universal Sony

NO MAN’S SKY PS4 GAME AND MERCH PACKS Explore, trade, fight and survive are the four key pillars in No Man’s Sky ; it lands on JB shelves for PS4 on August 10. One lucky STACK gamer will be taking home this merch pack. Thanks to Sony Computer Entertainment

Joke of the day: Q: How does Bob Marley like his donuts? A: With jammin'.

Head here for more shenanigans...

Happy Birthday MADONNA born on August 16th 1958 #STACKBirthday

Q1 Which film title was inspired by a refrain sung by the Plastic Ono Band? Q2 Who said about himself: "I guess I look like a quarry that someone has dynamited"? Q3 Which Stephen King story was adapted for the screen in 1987 and 1998? Q4 Which three cast members of this 1950 award-winning movie would later all tragically commit suicide? Q5 Which was the first mainstream movie in which zombies could run? Q6 All this film character wanted was something to eat, but after being hounded out of a redneck town for no reason he goes feral and declares war on the town's sheriff

QUIZ

and his posse. Name this 1982 movie. Q7 Which actress has played the partner of a time-traveller in three separate movies? Q8 The script for this 1995 classic movie was rejected by every major and minor studio in Hollywood before being financed by an amalgam of independents, with a budget set at $6 million. It went on to make over $22 million and win two Academy Awards. Title, please. Q9 Which 1956 war movie's title is actually mistranslated from the Spanish language? Q10 Which James Bond villain got his name from a drink Ian Fleming sampled during a visit to The Seychelles?

EXTRAS

Did you know? Madonna dropped out of college in 1977 and moved to New York City with just $35 in her pocket.

STACK ’s Fave Movie Quote: Lieutenant Harris: Mahoney! Remember, that nobody screws with me. Mahoney: Well, maybe you'll meet the right girl and all that will change. – Lieutenant Harris & Mahoney, Police Academy (1984)

visit stack.net.nz for terms and conditions

(1991) A10. Welcome to Collinwood

A9. The Silence of the Lambs

(1958)

is a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street

directorial movie debuts

Fright Night ; Child's Play ) A8. They all received Academy Award nominations for their

) A7. Tom Holland ( Spider-Man ) and Tom Holland (

( Elysium

A6. Neill Blomkamp

) A5. Meryl Streep

A4. Tony Scott ( Taking of Pelham 123

and Unstoppable

and City Slickers

Sudden Fear

40 years between

A3. Jack Palance,

Vendetta (1950) A2. Far From The Madding Crowd

A1. Faith Domergue in

Quiz Answers August 2016 (Issue 75) -

Download the STACK Magazine App for extra treats and content.

DVD & BD FEATURE

visit stack.net.nz

result of the Sherpas taking these risks,” she says, “so what it meant was a lot more conflict, which equates to a lot more drama. “There was a lot of uncertainty. We didn’t know if the expedition was going to continue or not, nor did I have a strong feeling whether that would be good or bad for the film. I just knew we had to keep observing what was unfolding, and this was probably the story. “Your documentary instinct needs to kick in and follow the story and what it now is, which is the Sherpas rising up for the first time ever and saying, ‘enough is enough’. “At the time it was unclear as to whether we had a film any more,” she continues. “Universal was threatening to pull the plug, because it became clear they wanted an adventure film that went all the way to the summit. We had to rewrite the treatment and re- pitch the film to them.” The events depicted in Sherpa became a catalyst for change in the Everest-climbing industry, bringing long overdue recognition of the Sherpas’ invaluable involvement. had more power than they thought they had," explains Peedom. "By standing up and giving up a season’s income, they will never be taken for granted again. “So the power dynamic has shifted and everybody has to be a little more careful about what they do and say around the Sherpas,” she adds. “It’s about respect and acknowledgement – that’s a huge part of it.” “It was a real line in the sand because it made the Sherpas realise that they

TROUBLE ON EVEREST

Westerners are recognised for their climbing achievements in the Himalayas, but the unsung heroes of Everest go unnoticed. Jennifer Peedom’s remarkable documentary feature Sherpa set out to change that – and then tragedy struck. Words: Scott Hocking

S herpas, the resilient Nepalese ethnic group with a strong spiritual connection to Everest, make a living as guides on mountaineering expeditions, carrying supplies from Base Camp to higher altitudes, and crossing the treacherous Khumbu Icefall. Some, like Phurba Tashi, have climbed the mountain a record 21 times. “’Sherpa’ has become synonymous with a job description,” says Jennifer Peedom, “and because they’ve become famous for being so good at it, people think it’s just a name for somebody who carries a bag up a hill.” The community’s crucial – and largely unacknowledged –

...people think it’s just a name for somebody who carries a bag up a hill

DVD & BD

• Sherpa is out Aug 24

Peedom recalls. “It was a really tough couple of weeks just to keep filming when you don’t know what the outcome is.” However, the director says that the tragedy didn’t drastically alter the film she originally set out to make, which sought to highlight the risks the Sherpas take. “This thing happened as a direct

contribution to the multi-million dollar Everest industry was to be the subject of Peedom’s documentary feature Sherpa , before disaster struck on April 18, 2014, when an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 guides. “It was a very difficult time emotionally for everybody involved,”

TOP SHOT

C anberra-born Jennifer Peedom’s relationship with Everest began when she discovered that her body operated well at altitudes whilst trekking with a friend. She has since worked as high altitude director on the Discovery Channel series Everest: Beyond the Limit (2006), as well as directing the documentary feature Miracle on Everest (2008), and now Sherpa (2015). “It takes years to understand what it is to work at high altitude and develop systems and processes – what kind of gloves to wear and how you carry the camera while climbing,” she explains. “Then there is the extra weight; relatively, everything at high altitude weighs about ten

times what it would at sea level. It’s got to be one of the toughest jobs out there.” She also notes that digital and GoPro cameras have had a significant impact on high altitude filmmaking, particularly during the making of Sherpa . “GoPro has had a remarkable effect, particularly now that it’s high resolution. The intimacy it gives you when climbing through the Icefall – you can hear them breathing and praying mantras. I’m a big fan what those cameras can bring. They give you better access, and we put them everywhere, like on helicopter skids. They can be tricky, but when you get it right, it can be incredibly effective.”

AUGUST 2016

14

jbhifi.co.nz

FEATURE DVD & BD

PIRATES BAHAMAS OF THE

Starz’ pirate series Black Sails , a prelude to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island , continues on its course to greater success with a knockout third season.

Black Sails' creators claim the show is "set in and around a historically accurate time and place." But does it debunk myths surrounding piracy, or create new ones? • Actor Robert Newton invented the piratical growl of "Arrrrr!" in his role as Long John Silver in the 1950 film Treasure Island – a bad attempt at a West County accent. Black Sails ' John Silver (Luke Arnold) is a more articulate chap. Moreover, the series avoids other stereotypes like a peg leg, parrot on the shoulder, and eye-patches. • Nassau's brothel workers are far too healthy looking. Personal hygiene wasn't a big concern for seafarers either: the pirates of Black Sails boast dental work that's a bit too perfect. A PIRATE'S LIFE? • Charles Vane, Jack Rackham (aka Calico Jack), Blackbeard and Woodes Rogers are all real-life historical figures.

Xxxxxx the island is Woodes Rogers (Luke Roberts), the face of civilisation in the West Indies, who intends to put an end to piracy for good. “Woodes Rogers is an adventurer. A privateer. A man who has circled the world conquering different areas, winning gold, fighting,” says executive producer Dan Shotz. “But now he wants to conquer the thing that is unconquerable. He wants to conquer Nassau. He wants to be the guy that everybody remembers that has come to Nassau and has neutered the pirates, put them down, and reclaimed Nassau for England.” The interaction between the characters has always been a key element in Black Sails ’ appeal, but so too the cinema-quality production values and complex FX shots, with season three delivering several standout set pieces including Flint steering his ship into the eye of a hurricane. “We were drenched and had water firing at us horizontally for two weeks, which was testing at times,” recalls Toby Stephens. “But we knew that in the end it would be something never seen before on television -- not at this scale. For me that is really exciting. I can’t wait for the audience to see it.” “When Blackbeard returns to Nassau, he finds that through the decadence of success, the men have gone soft,” says Stevenson. “They’re not worthy to serve on ships. The pirates are not worthy to call themselves pirates. The captains don’t deserve to be called captains. They’re not the men he left behind. And this bites hard on him.” The other new antagonist on

C reated by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, Black Sails was a success before the first season had even been broadcast, thanks to ecstatic reaction at San Diego Comic- Con in 2013, which led to the show being renewed for a second season of ten episodes, six months prior to its premiere. Now in its third season and with a fourth to follow in 2017, Black Sails blends historical drama and Stevenson’s fictional characters into an exhilarating mix of high seas adventure and the politics of piracy. Set during the Golden Era of Piracy, circa 1715, the ongoing struggle between the pirates and the British for control of New Providence Island (Nassau) becomes paramount in the third season, particularly for Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), who is now a feared figure following the burning of Charles Town. “The struggle for Nassau’s survival drives the story in season three,” explains Stephens. “For Flint, Nassau represents everything that he is. He would be lost without it and he will do anything to get it back, including taking on the British. The stakes are enormous for him and this develops throughout the season.” Flint is a haunted man following the loss of Miranda Barlow, making questionable decisions that endanger his crew. The third season builds on his relationship with John Silver (Luke Arnold), who having recently lost a leg is gradually discovering that his role in Flint's crew might be more important than self-interest. As the regular characters

DVD & BD

The struggle for Nassau's survival drives the story in season three

continue to discover their place in the chain of events that will eventually lead to Stevenson’s classic tale, a couple of new

additions threaten the status quo on Nassau – most notably the arrival of the notorious Captain Edward Teach (Ray Stevenson), aka Blackbeard.

• Maritime combat is accurately depicted in Black Sails , including fighting from strong points at each end of the ship as opposed to the main deck.

• Black Sails: Season 3 is out on August 11

15

MUSIC FEATURE

visit stack.net.nz

label formed by people she knew and using musicians – soon to be known as the Dap-Kings – she’d already worked with. Jon Spencer (of the Blues Explosion) who recently recorded in the Daptone studios in Brooklyn says of the place: “When you walk in – no offense to Daptone – it’s pretty funky, they built it themselves. It’s part of a house and it’s not a pretty place or a plush studio, it’s pretty small. “But you’ve just got to listen to the records they make there, they make great records and know how to capture a live sound.” And that perfectly suited Jones who can channel the spirits of Memphis soul, Chicago blues and Detroit rock’n’soul into an amalgam which conjures up the past but sounds utterly contemporary and also timeless.

THE

Graham Reid considers the soul and spirit of Sharon Jones.

The house was full of kids and soul-funk (James Brown a favourite) and like most people her age she sang gospel in church. Also steeped in the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and other classic black soul and jazz

W hen opportunity came knocking, for decades. No surprise then that once her career took off she released albums with the titles I Learned the Hard Way and Give the People What They Want . Jones – now 60, half a dozen albums to her name, Grammy nominated and the subject of a recent film festival documentary Miss Sharon Jones! – brings a world of experience to the songs and the stage, and if anyone can dig deep into their soul it is her. She was born in South Carolina (the youngest of six) and the family moved to Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, New York City, when she was young. Sharon Jones was waiting to open the door. She was 40 and had been ready

The documentary Miss Sharon Jones! – the soundtrack includes one previously unreleased track – turns the cameras onto a key year in her recent career when, after all the belated successes, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had to endure bouts of chemotherapy. Yet, heroically, she continued to perform when she could – despite the loss of her hair she wouldn’t wear wigs – and her undeniable inner strength after decades of hard knocks got her through. In the same year she was recording the Grammy-nominated Give The People What They Want her mother, with whom she lived, died… as did the brother of her saxophonist Neal Sugarman in the Dap-Kings, musicians who are as much family as a band. The complete Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings catalogue is now readily available, including Soul Time! which collected rare singles and b-sides. Oh, and that previously unreleased song on the soundtrack? It is I’m Still Here . Sharon Jones won’t be the last to distill soul, blues and funk, but she may well be the last woman to have that link back to James Brown and the original rhythm and blues styles of the 60s which inspired her and a generation. As she sings in Miss Sharon Jones! on Longer and Stronger , “fifty years of soul gone by, and fifty more to come”.

singers, she started doing session work but also held down day jobs. They were interesting of themselves: She worked as a prison officer at notorious Rikers Island jail and later as an armed guard for Wells Fargo. You’d have to guess the lady can handle herself. Her break came in the mid 90s when she sang on a session for soul-funk singer Lee Fields (himself getting a late-in-life career boost after decades on the road). On the strength of her showing she was invited to record some tracks for singles. But it would be another seven years before opportunity turned up on her doorstep in the form of Daptone Records, a new

MUSIC

She worked as a prison officer at Rikers Island jail and later as an armed guard... You’d have to guess the lady can handle herself

For more interviews, overviews and reviews by Graham Reid see: www.elsewhere.co.nz

AUGUST 2016

16

jbhifi.co.nz

STEVEN WILSON LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND FOR THE FIRST TIME OCTOBER 26TH POWERSTATION AUCKLAND …BUY THE MUSIC NOW…

INSURGENTES GRACE FOR DROWNING

THE RAVEN THAT REFUSED TO SING

DRIVE HOME HAND. CANNOT. ERASE.

4½

T H E P I N E A P P L E T H I E F Y O U R W I L D E R N E S S The new album featuring Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree / King Crimson) 12th August 2016 Coming Soon

www.kscopemusic.com

GAMES FEATURE

visit stack.net.nz

Having suffered from multiple delays, we can finally get our augmented hands on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided when it launches this month. STACK caught up with the game’s lead writer Mary DeMarle and brand manager Rodney Lelu. reality Augmented

to have courage" because we learned a lot.” DeMarle explains that while they were still working details out when making HR, they knew exactly where they wanted to go by the time MD came around. “A lot of times with HR we were feeling it out as we went, trying to figure it out, and there was a lot that worked out really, really well, and there was a lot that we were like ‘okay, we need to improve on that’.” “Obviously we wanted to fix boss fights, and change the way they were done in the second game; we knew as we were doing them we wanted to improve them.” It wasn’t just gameplay that was improved – the team made sure to look at story as well. “This is a game about choice and consequences, and in HR we did have moments in the game on the 'critical' path, that you would make a decision and it would maybe impact something later," says DeMarle.

at Eidos Montreal took this in their stride and made the necessary improvements to ensure the next instalment was the best it could possibly be. “I’ll start with what creative director Jean-François Dugas told us when we started on Mankind Divided : "To do Human Revolution we had to be naïve, and to do Mankind Divided we had

GAMES

M ankind Divided is the follow up to 2011’s Human Revolution , which saw the reinvigoration and reintroduction of protagonist, Adam Jensen. Jensen is now a member of the covert international counter-terrorism group, Task Force 29, and must hunt terrorists and shut down the mysterious organisation known only as the Illuminati. It’s no small order. Set in a dystopian future where folk with bodily augmentations are shunned from society and forced to live underground, Mankind Divided perhaps isn’t that far- fetched an idea. “I do think [this future] might happen someday. I mean it already did happen, right?” laughs Mary DeMarle, lead writer on the project. “The one thing I like to

To do Human Revolution we had to be naïve, and to do Mankind Divided we had to have courage

say is, that history is set in stone, but the future itself is uncertain. It gives us a lot of freedom to be able to create a future that hasn't necessarily happened yet, but we think could definitely be possible.” Of course, coming off the back of Human Revolution , there were some aspects of the first game that were not- so-well received. The MD team

"But it really was something tightly controlled. In this one we really wanted to push that more; we wanted to have a narrative that [meant] some of the choices you make at the beginning of the game would really have an impact and send the story in different directions. We also wanted to include things like maybe midway

AUGUST 2016

18

jbhifi.co.nz