STACK NZ Mar #71

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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The chronicles of Kaulder THE LAST WITCH HUNTER

Three wise men. One wild Christmas The Night Before

Release Date: 03/03/16

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Release Date: 03/03/16

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Vin Diesel, like Dwayne Johnson, has the ability to make you want to see a film for his presence alone. As star and producer of this horror-fantasy, Diesel keeps a straight face (and an eye on a potential franchise) as an immortal witch hunter named Kaulder, who sniffs out dark magic in present day New York with the tenacity of a gumshoe on a hard case. When a whiff of sorcery portends the return of an evil queen he despatched in the Middle Ages, Kaulder, along with sidekick Elijah Wood and flame-haired young witch Rose ("You know nothing Jon Snow") Leslie, races to

If you just can’t get enough of that Christmassy stuff then listen up – even if it is only March. The Night Before revolves around three New York City blokes (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie) who’ve been mates for years. They’ve now hit their 30s, with one a lawyer, one an NFL star and one, erm, a seasonal store elf. They’ve decided that this will be their last big Christmas blowout, and score tickets to the legendary and beyond-exclusive Nutcracker Ball. It’s a night of drugs, alcohol, drugs, debauchery, drugs, karaoke, drugs, dick

stop her resurrection and a deadly plague being unleashed. An entertaining mash-up of Constantine and Highlander , or an episode of Buffy on steroids, The Last Witch Hunter ostensibly resembles fantasy misfires like Priest and Seventh Son , but it's much more fun – and has Michael Caine, too. SH

jokes and drugs – but with a dab of sweetness and light occasionally to anchor it. Imagine Pineapple Express crashing A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas with small injections of It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone – plus really daggy jumpers. AF

MTV meets The Walking Dead Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse DVD&BD

Kicking ass and taking brains izombie: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Release Date: 09/03/16

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Release Date: 16/03/16

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The title tells you all you really need to know about this lively zom-com. A trio of scouts Ben (Tye Sheridan), Carter (Logan Miller) and Augie (Joey Morgan) find their camping trip in the mountains rudely interrupted by a zombie outbreak. Hightailing it back into town, they're joined by a sexy barmaid, who helps them slice and dice their way through a horde of the living dead in order to get to a party and rescue Carter's sister, whom Ben has a crush on. With the gag department located below the belt, the real laughs come from the often creative bursts of gore,

After her eye-catching turns in Masters of Sex and Once Upon a Time , Kiwi actress Rose McIver has deservedly achieved her big break with the lead role in this sharp and witty spin on the zombie formula. McIver plays a young doctor who is bitten by a zombie during a massacre at a party (subsequently hushed up by the authorities) and wakes up with a thirst for brains. Keeping her condition secret, she takes a job at the morgue and starts helping the police solve crimes; when she eats the brains of the deceased she also absorbs their memories. Thanks to a

and the inclusion of zombie strippers, pets and roadkill. It's the kind of zombie movie Seth Rogen and James Franco would make if co-writer and director John Landon hadn't beaten them to it. 14-year-old boys will hail this as one of the greatest films ever made. SH

cool premise – it’s based on a DC Vertigo comic – and the involvement of Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, iZombie has more bite than network stablemates like The Vampire Diaries , while its irreverent take on the living dead makes for a breath fresh air. JF

MARCH 2016

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