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ISSUE 77 SEP '16

INSIDE: X-Men: Apocalypse • FIFA 17 • The Walking Dead

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NEWS EXTRAS

Issue 77 SEPTEMBER 2016

EXTRAS

• Character building with the Glass Animals, JB Hi-Fi's new Christchurch store. Pg 4 • Jamie Lee Curtis talks Scream Queens , Angel Olsen on her new album My Woman . Pg 5 • Megan Fox's Turtle envy in Out Of The Shadows , Jesse Eisenberg talks Now You See Me 2 Pg 6 • Competitions, quiz, STACK Social. Pg 8

FEATURES

DVD Hunt For The Wilderpeople: Rhys Darby goes bush with his old pal Taika Waititi. Pg 10-11 X-Men: Apocalypse: Nicholas Hoult on the biggest X-Men adventure to date. Pg 12-13 The Walking Dead: STACK catches up with some of the stars of the zombie juggernaut. Pg 14 Captain America: Civil War: Team Cap or Team Iron Man? Chris Evans on the latest Marvel smash. Pg 16-17 GAMES FIFA 17: The latest edition takes the world's leading sports sim in a whole new direction. Pg 18-19 MUSIC The Monkees: Graham Reid on America's answer to the Fab Four. Pg 20 DVD/Blu-ray Bad Neighbours 2 , Narcos: Season One , The Conjuring 2, Money Monster , Now You See Me 2 , The Nice Guys, Better Call Saul: Season Two and more Pg 22-26 GAMES Destiny: Rise of Iron , Forza Horizon 3 Pg 28 MUSIC Wilco, De La Soul, Pitch Black, Led Zeppelin, Big Scary and more. Pg 29-30 REVIEWS

If Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen thought the frat boys were bad, then they’ve got nothing on the girls in Bad Neighbours 2 . Words: Gill Pringle SISTER ACT

away from that time in my life," he says. "My way in is really through Seth and Rose and the issues they’re going through. They’re scared they’re going to be bad parents and scared their daughter is growing up too quickly – all stuff that I’m dealing with right now, compared to the quarter-life crisis stuff that Zac’s going through.” Since graduating from High School Musical , Efron, 28, has devoted himself to comedy between the first Bad Neighbours , That Awkward Moment , Dirty Grandpa, and upcoming movies Baywatch and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates . “Zac has this vulnerability that makes him really funny and awesome in comedies," notes Stoller. " Baywatch is potentially more of an action comedy and our movie has a fair amount of action and you’ll see his skills. I see it with a lot of actors, for example with Chris Pratt who was very boyish and I think he needed to grow a little bit. People want their action heroes a little older and more grizzled, so I think that’s what’s going on with Zac. The minute he decides he wants to do action he’ll be able to do it. "He has the whole thing. He even runs as intensely as Tom Cruise,” says the director who surprisingly left the two funniest women in comedy, Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer, on the cutting room floor. “They get it. They make movies and TV, so they understand when stuff doesn’t work. The worst thing you can do to an actor is put something in a movie that doesn’t work. That would have just sucked for everyone and I didn’t want to do that to them.”

I n Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising , Byrne and Rogen’s Kelly and Mac have given up trying to be cool, resigned to the fact they are married with a kid and another on the way, courtesy of Byrne’s own real-life pregnancy during production. Director Nick Stoller can’t get enough of Byrne, having first cast her in his comedy Get Him to the Greek . “When she first came in I only knew her from Damages and I was like, ‘Why is Rose Byrne here? She’s a serious actor’. But she was just absolutely hysterical and Paul Feig cast her in Bridesmaids immediately after,” he says. “She has the face of a silent film actor. Her eyes are really big and expressive and she’s always reacting and doing something funny. She’s pretty quiet on set but she knows exactly what the deal is and can do an impression of everyone. This is the third movie I’ve worked with her on and I would work with her on a hundred more.” Bad Neighbours 2 mirrors where Stoller, 40, is at in his own life. “It’s increasingly difficult to tell these stories because I’m getting farther

EXTRAS

RATINGS GUIDE

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.

Bad Neighbours 2 is out on September 7.

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EXTRAS NEWS

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CHARACTER BUILDING Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley talks about the real-life folk who inspired the songs on their sophomore album.

A ‘60s-sophisticated siren, a lady in a muumuu with a walking frame, a devastated waitress, and a lost little boy in a bomber jacket: these are a few of the characters we’re introduced to through the videos accompanying Glass Animals’ new album How To Be A Human Being . Each of them has their own song, and each is a composite of real, “bizarre people” the band met during tour travels. “We started hearing all these amazing stories,” says frontman Dave Bayley. “My memory’s terrible – I have no memory. So I started recording them.” He found it a startlingly smooth way to write, both lyrically and musically. “You essentially write a theme song for this person,” he says. “The writing happened so quickly, like a week and a half, two weeks. This time around we were particularly keen to keep it quick.” Bandmate Drew MacFarlane nods in agreement as Bayley adds, “I think there comes a point where you lose that initial spontaneity that you had, and that’s when it starts to degrade what you’re doing.”

Words: Zoë Radas

How To Be Human by Glass Animals is out now.

EXTRAS

NEW STORE

JB Hi-Fi has just opened its second South Island outlet, with its brand new Riccarton store in Christchurch getting off to a flying start.The new shop – JB’s 16th outlet in New Zealand – boasts the best range of DVD and Blu-ray, music and games titles, not to mention a huge range of computers,TVs and home entertainment equipment, mobile phones, cameras, portable

media players, small appliances, in-car entertainment and much, much more.

To find the nearest JB Hi-Fi store to you, visit www.jbhifi.co.nz

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NEWS EXTRAS

Angel Olsen’s new album My Woman does invoke a feminist lens – but it’s not her precise mission. HEAVENLY CREATURE

HORROR ROYALTY Jamie Lee Curtis, one of the stars of theTV horror spoof Scream Queens , couldn't be happier playing things for laughs. J amie Lee Curtis remains one of Hollywood’s most

it's happened to me three times.” Surprisingly enough, the other two occasions were not horror films, but the action thriller True Lies (“hilarious movie”) and John Cheese’s classic comedy A Fish Called Wanda . But much as she loves comedy, she confesses she struggles to keep her own laughter in check when playing these sorts of roles, particularly when her co-star improvises. “If it's funny, I will laugh,” Curtis admits. “I cannot hold it. I think Kevin

memorable scream queens, thanks to roles in films such as Halloween , The Fog and Prom Night . So it could almost be taken as a given that she would be cast in a TV show called Scream Queens , which is from the creative team behind American Horror Story and boasts a hot young cast that includes Emma Roberts, Glee star Lea Michele and tween icons like Nick Jonas and Ariane Grande. A very tongue-in-cheek splatter

S ometimes I think I’m making a statement

and there’s a lot of intention behind that statement,” the ebullient musician explains. “But then... yes, I am addressing

some feminist argument or ideas, but as a whole, I would hope that [ My Woman ] relates beyond feminism and it can

be relatable to all kinds of people – men and women, people all over the place. That to me is really important.” Musically, there's a great filodex of fascinating sounds across My Woman , from the very Neil Young guitar line in Heart Shaped Face to the sweet grace notes on an electric Rhodes piano on Those Were the Days . “I was challenging myself, with a different instrument [piano], and a different sound,"Olsen says. "How could my writing still be meaningful to me? Would my voice change, and so what if it does? Maybe it’s supposed to cater to the sound, and be a part of the sound in a bigger way.” She and her new band then learned the songs and just walked straight into the studio to record live. “To me it’s like a photograph of the way we’ve all developed and grown as musicians, after knowing each other and developing that language on stage with each other,” she says. “This record is, in a way, partly a live performance.” Zoë Radas

fest – think Means Girls meets Scream – Curtis plays the devious and devilish Dean Catherine Munsch, who seems unperturbed that a serial killer appears to be loose on the campus; in fact, it soon becomes clear that she knows more about the murderer than she is letting on. For Curtis, the main attraction of the role was that it had been created specifically for her – something that she maintains hasn’t happened often. “Honestly, people have this weird idea that actors are sitting there with stacks of scripts around them, like, you know, ‘no, I'm not gonna do that one’,” she explains. “We're all trying to get a job. And it's rare that somebody calls you up and says ‘hi, I'd like to write a TV show for you. It's going to be super-funny, super wicked, really smart, and you're going to have a great time’. It’s just not that often that that happens, and

Klein won't speak to me because I ruined with him when he did something funny that I wasn't expecting him to do. When I'm in a scene, with Emma Roberts, or the girls, or the really funny people on [ Scream Queens ], I hold a pen under the table, and I jam it into my hand." Given the cast is made up mainly of teenagers – well, at least actresses playing teenagers – she acknowledges that she probably comes across as something of a mother figure on set. However, she is full of praise for her young co-stars. “They are wickedly talented,” Curtis enthuses. “These girls have shown up because they know they have been given this precious thing which is great writing. And they know it and like, slam it.” Scream Queens: The Complete First Season is out on DVD on September 7.

EXTRAS

My Woman by Angel Olsen is out on September 2.

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EXTRAS NEWS

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Megan Fox had a case of serious turtle envy in the latest installment of TMNT franchise Out of the Shadows . Words: Gill Pringle FOX ON THE RUN

Wed to Brian Austin Green, the couple have two sons and a third boy on the way. As a mum, she feels strongly that TMNT 2 shouldn’t be

I can’t stand that they all get to eat pizza. I used to love a good cheesy pizza, but I’m dairy free now,” says Megan Fox.

inappropriate for young audiences. “If you ask me, I don’t think April should even kiss,” she teases. She even considers herself a role model. “That’s subjective of course. It depends on what your version of a role model is. If a role model to you is someone who encourages kids or people to embrace eccentricities and be counter-culture, then I definitely believe I’m a role model. I’m strong and have never worried about fitting in or belonging and have always shunned needing praise or the validation of other people’s opinions. But if you’re looking for a role model that’s very traditional and encourages traditional morals and values, then I would say I’m not your kind of role model!”

Reprising her role as journalist April O’Neil, don’t expect to see her playing a shrinking violet. Its just not in her DNA. “I was always really strong as a kid. Where I’m from in Tennessee, it was considered that I had a masculine personality because, at that time, women are damsels and ladies and they’re gentle, and I was very fiery and no-nonsense, so I think that’s always been a part of my personality. I definitely wear that and put that out there because in this industry it's important for people to understand that I am not a dumb girl. I’m a very clever girl and you’re not going to get anything over on me. There has to be a level of respect. I’m not like a silly, stupid little actress.” Fiery Fox famously fell out with Transformers director Michael Bay, the man responsible for catapulting her to stardom nine years ago, casting Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in the third Transformers movie instead. But they’ve since kissed and made up; Bay casting her in the first TMNT movie two years ago. “He loves me. We’re best friends now,” she says.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is iout on DVD and Blu-ray on Sept 21

EXTRAS

H e’s played a zombie hunter, an impressive. In fact, in a way, it’s even more impressive because it shows you how much effort it takes to do these things.” Gill Pringle Now You See Me 2 is out on DVD and Blu-ray on September 14. ANOTHER MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR Magicians Penn andTeller shared some secrets of their trade with Jesse Eisenberg for the comedy caper NowYou See Me 2. ecstasy dealer and comic book villain Lex Luthor, and received acclaim for his portrayal of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network . But Jesse Eisenberg’s favourite role to date is as master magician J. and guilt issues. “He has no self-doubt, he’s worked really hard on his skill set and yet feels no guilt about his success, so it’s all this stuff that I kind of aspire to but don’t feel, feeling like a confident performer, feeling like I’ve earned the right to be at the table so to speak, and so I really like playing this

character. In a way it’s like a more comfortable version of myself.” A huge Penn and Teller fan, the magicians have even let Eisenberg into the secrets behind some of their famous tricks. “I’m a naturally curious person, and they could see how infuriated I got when I couldn’t figure something out. The great thing about Penn and Teller, and also about NowYou See Me , is that they tell you how their tricks are done and it’s not any less

Daniel Atlas in Now You See Me , which he reprises for sequel NowYou See Me 2 . “This movie is like the greatest relief I can have, because this is a character that’s also a professional

performer, and yet he is totally comfortable with himself,” explains the actor, who openly discusses his own anxiety

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EXTRAS SOCIAL / COMPETITIONS / QUIZ

competitions FIVE EPIC HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE PRIZE-PACKS Taika Waititi’s highest grossing NZ movie of all time, Hunt for the Wilderpeople lands on JB shelves on 14th September and to celebrate we have 5 prize-packs up for grabs. Head to stack.net.nz to enter. Thanks to Madman

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 social this month:

FIFA 17 COPIES UP FOR GRABS One of the most important dates on any football fan’s calendar is the yearly release of the next FIFA title. This year’s is bigger and better than ever, and even includes a story mode! We’ve got five copies of the new game to give away. Thanks to EA Sports

If you fancy yourself as a writer, or want to share your thoughts on a DVD/Blu-ray, game or CD, then post your own reviews online for any title on the website. READER REVIEWS DVD | GAMES | MUSIC Got something to say?

The best ones win $ 25 JB Hi-Fi Vouchers! What are you waiting for? Enter at stack.net.nz

Head here for more shenanigans...

Joke of the day: Dwayne Johnson, Paper, Scissors.

Happy Birthday andrew lincoln born on September 14th, 1973 #STACKBirthday Did you know? Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter Apple was a flower girl at Andrew Lincoln's wedding.

Q1 In this movie, two female friends become mortal enemies after they both book their weddings on the same day in the same place. Title please. Q2 Which 1986 slasher movie's working title was also the title of a David Bowie song? Film and song title please. Q3 The action of this 1999 movie is confined to one room as it was adapted from a play which was based on the writer's experiences at a sales convention. Title please Q4 Which actor in which film is credited with causing the eventual demise of the long term studio contract system? Q5 Name the two lead stars who appeared in a 1967 movie

QUIZ

that was originally released in a desaturated gold colour presentation? Q6 Which 2013 horror movie was a speedy Hollywood remake of a hit Mexican film made three years before? Q7 "I shot my wife... prove it" is the basis of which movie? Q8 Who played an insurance clerk who cooks spaghetti for a female elevator operator in a 1960 comedy drama? Q9 Which British film actor was actually born in a London taxi? Q10 According to Mary Pickford she once appeared as an (uncredited) extra in a crowd scene in one of Charlie Chaplin's classic films. Which one?

STACK ’s Fave Movie Quote: "Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't." – Sharon Carter, quoting Aunt Peggy, Captain America: Civil War (2016)

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who appeared in Licence toKill (1989) and the short story compilation ForYour EyesOnly.Hewas namedafter a tonicand gingerbeer Ian Fleming drankwhilst in theSeychelles

A7. Rachel McAdams A10. MiltonCrest,

A9. TheBattle of theRiverPlate

A8. TheUsualSuspects

-Rio de la Plata- ie. meansRiver ofSilver, whereas "plato" is plate

and About Time

in TheTimeTraveller'sWife, Midnight inParis

(2002) A6. FirstBlood

A5. 28Days Later

A4. MarilynMonroe,BarbaraBates andGeorgeSanders,

AllAbout Eve

who all appeared in

productionon the '87 versionwasnever completed

A3. Apt Pupil

A2. CharlesBronson

Quiz Answers August 2016 (Issue 76) - A1. TheShining (1980). The titlewas inspiredby the chorus "weall shine on" from the song 'InstantKarma'

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Founder Nic Short Editor-In-Chief Paul Jones Editor John Ferguson Creative Director Karl Lock DVD Consultant Jason Hewitt Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Production Manager Craig Patterson Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull

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Contributors Graham Reid, Judy Ewens, GarethThompson,Tim Mackrell, Scott Hocking, Zoë Radas, Gill Pringle, Alesha Kolbe, Amy Flower, Ryan Huff, Simon Lukic, Michael Dwyer, Chris Murray, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby

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DVD & BD FEATURE

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Rhys Darby talks about going bush with his old pal TaikaWaititi in the homegrown smash Hunt For TheWilderpeople . Words John Ferguson

the story of a young city kid (Julian Dennison) who finds himself on the run with his grumpy foster uncle (Sam Neill) in the wild New Zealand bush. Darby is almost unrecognisable as the aforementioned Psycho Sam, a crazed, conspiracy obsessed recluse who reluctantly comes to the aid of our heroes. Darby says Waititi actually offered him a choice of roles when he first approached him about the new movie. “Initially he wanted me to be one of the hunters or a policeman,” he recalls. ”I looked at the different things and thought, ‘I would certainly have the most fun playing a conspiracy nut-job’. It’s good to play someone quite different from what I have done in the past. And he said, 'let’s chuck a beard on you so you look really different'." While the character of Sam was in the original novel, for the movie version the part was

hys Darby and Taika Waititi go way back. From the HBO cult favourite Flight Of The Conchords to Darby’s scene- stealing cameo in the latter’s What We Do In The Shadows (“we’re werewolves not swearwolves”), the pair are at the forefront of a small group of New Zealand comedy performers who have gone on to find fame overseas. So when Darby learned that Waititi was working on a new film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople , the Kiwi comic needed little persuasion to come onboard. “I love Taika to bits and I love working with him,” Darby tells STACK over the phone from US. “We both have the same sense of humour and the same sort of work ethic, so when he said you can do Psycho Sam, I was very happy.” Based on Barry Crump's novel Wild Pork and Watercress , Hunt For The Wilderpeople tells

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FEATURE DVD & BD

Best known for his straight roles, Sam Neill is not cast in nearly enough comedies: here’s four of his best comic performance. Death in Brunswick (1990) Cast against type, Neill was terrific as the loveable but dim-witted loser who gets mixed up in murder in this wonderful black comedy set in Melbourne. His scenes with fellow Kiwi John Clarke (aka Fred Dagg) were a delight. Sirens (1993) Although the (often unclad) ladies gained most of the attention – Elle Macpherson and Portia De Rossi made their debuts here – Neill delivered a dry, wry and very droll performance as the artist Norman Lindsay. The Simpsons (1994)

and games. The comedian points out that the film was shot deep in the New Zealand bush and both the terrain and the weather proved to be pretty rough. “There was a lot of muck and it snowed at one point,” he says. “It was a real adventure for everyone.” And it was an adventure that certainly struck a chord with audiences. As well as rave reviews overseas, Hunt For The Wilderpeople is now the highest grossing New Zealand film of all-time, with the comedy taking over the top spot fromWaititi’s 2010 smash Boy . So what does Darby think is the Kiwi

fleshed out considerably more, according to Darby. And as with their previous collaboration, the director was happy for him to improvise. “It was fun,” he says. “We experimented with saying things here and there, and the whole thing was fairly loose for my part of it. It wasn’t just me: Taika also, and Julian gave us some ideas for it – I think he came up with the idea of the trapdoor. “We liked to get a bit loose on it and see what we could think of on the day. Depending on how much fun we had improvising, we would use that stuff instead of the actual script. But there was always the lines there that you could use.”

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In one of the best episodes from season 5, Homer The Vigilante , the Kiwi icon provided the suave voice of gentleman cat burglar Molloy, whose wave of crime provokes panic in Springfield. Dean Spanley (2008) Neill was at his mischievous best in this whimsical London- set period tale from Toa Fraser, about a vicar who might just be the reincarnation of the beloved

filmmaker’s key to success? “He has a great sense of humour and he speaks to everyone,” he replies. “It’s that total relatability. Also he’s a great filmmaker. So it’s the

Darby is full of praise for Wilderpeople ’s two leads, Neill and Dennison. “You’ve got the new guy and the old boy,” he enthuses. “They couldn’t come together any more perfectly than they did. Sam is really the key for me because he still has that childlike sense of wonder about him. He was excited about being in a Taika film, and being in the bush in the heart of New Zealand. “Julian had a done a couple of things but this was a lead role, so he was kind of excited. He’s just a real confident, cheeky, funny, wonderful little guy, who I think has a big future.” Given the array of comic talent involved – the impressive ensemble also includes the likes of Rima Te Wiata and Oscar Kightley – and Waititi’s love of improvisation, you can imagine it was a very fun shoot to be on. Darby agrees, but says it wasn’t all fun

coming together of all those right nuggets.”

childhood pooch of a grumpy aristocrat (acting legend Peter O’Toole).

• Hunt For The Wilderpeople is out on September 14

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they’re in pretty good shape compared to the last one; everything is going okay. I suppose the main thing in terms of that relationship is there’s a slight difference in thinking from Charles’s beliefs; he feels that there is a way to peace for humans and mutants and for them to live alongside each other. As much as Hank hopes for that, he also expects the worst and has been working away in the basement, preparing for that.” One of the character’s strengths, besides his Nicholas Hoult returns as Hank McCoy/Beast in the biggest X-Men adventure to date: Apocalypse . Words: Adam Colby

a teacher at the school now… he’s literally old school.” It’s not just the dress sense that’s changed, with the relationship between Hank and Professor Xavier also evolving over the course of the three ‘First Class’ X-Men adventures, especially given the X-Mansion has now become Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. “In First Class , I was one of Xavier’s younger students. By the time we got to Days of Future Past I was kind of his caregiver/enabler, and now we live in that big old house, running the school together. The one thing that I never quite figured out was who was doing the lunches. I thought that was perhaps the one thing missing: Charles and Hank in the kitchen making hundreds of sandwiches and wondering who can’t have peanut butter!” he laughs. “But when we meet them [in Apocalypse ]

he X-Men meet their most formidable adversary yet in X-Men: Apocalypse – a mutant who is essentially a living god

– and they’re going to have to work together like never before. As the scientific genius behind the fledgling X-Men team’s technology, Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), aka Beast, is confounded by Apocalypse’s awesome power, but still remains committed to helping Charles Xavier and his new students fight back. “The main concept behind this one is that mutants existed long before we ever believed they did in any of the other movies,” explains Hoult. “And that gods from bygone eras, including Apocalypse, who is from Egyptian times, were actually mutants. He’s been trapped and asleep for thousands of years and suddenly, through a series of events, is woken up and is fairly shocked by the situation we’re in and isn’t too happy about it." Apocalypse reunites the First Class incarnations of the X-Men, this time in a 1980s setting of shoulder pads and garish Miami Vice fashion. However, Hoult notes that Hank has always been a fairly conservative kind of guy. “His look, this time, is ‘1980s geography teacher’ and nothing is quite put together in the right sense. It’s always a little bit cobbled together and uncool, but that’s his thing. He’s

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He’s a teacher at the school now…he’s literally old school

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FEATURE DVD & BD

FIRST CLASSMATES

We meet the student versions of these familiar X-Men in Apocalypse . JEAN GREY – Sophie Turner “Jean feels alienated,” says Turner. “She’s at a school for mutants, but she can’t fully control her powers and the other students are either afraid of her or think she’s a freak.”

ability to turn blue and fight with the ferocity of a, well, beast, has been Hank’s scientific and logical approach to the threats faced by the X-Men. But when confronted with a mutant who is also, to all intents and purposes, a god, Hank experiences a dilemma. “The whole thing is pretty bamboozling to Hank because I don’t think anyone’s ever witnessed abilities like this before,” offers Hoult. “So they’re kind of on the back foot from an early moment in the film and wondering how this is even possible. Then they’re playing catch up to try and figure out who this guy is, what his powers are and what he’s capable of, and how the hell they’re going to stop him. So from a scientific point of view, Hank is fairly ahead of the curve with all of his contraptions, but then this guy comes along who is just on a different level from anything they’ve dealt with before.” Hoult adds that the peril facing I did get a sword in the head from Olivia [Munn] at one point! No fault of hers at all, it was completely me not moving out of the way

He’s fairly calm and sedate, but then he has to step up and guide the younger characters a little bit, who are all experiencing their versions of growing pains and having to grasp their powers. There’s a fair bit going on.” Consequently, Hank/Beast finds himself in the thick of the action, resulting in a more strenuous workout for the actor, not to mention finding himself on the pointy end of Psylocke’s sword. “We were doing some very cool things,” Hoult says. “The stunt teams on these movies are always wonderful and my stunt double does some pretty wild and gymnastic parkour stuff that I could never quite dream of, but when possible I get involved and get to pretend to be a lot stronger than ever humanly possible. There’s a cool fight routine between Beast and Psylocke where we go head to head for a little while. Though I did get a sword in the head from Olivia [Munn] at one point! No fault of hers at all, it was completely me not moving out of the way. And that would’ve been a nasty end had it been a real fight.” Hoult promises that the action sequence in Apocalypse ’s final third goes beyond what we’ve seen in previous X-Men films in terms of scale. Even he wasn’t aware of just how big it was until he saw the final result. “When you’re there on the day, you’re doing your smaller sections of it and then there’s a lot of work to be done with visual effects afterwards as well. But that’s the exciting thing about these movies – you go in for your days and witness your parts, but then there are whole sections of the movie that you didn’t see come to life or have been designed in computers afterwards, so suddenly to see that on screen is all very exciting.” • X-Men: Apocalypse is out on Sept 23

SCOTT SUMMERS/CYCLOPS – Tye Sheridan “Scott and Jean have this awkward, slightly provocative and flirtatious first encounter, which is the foundation of what becomes a very important relationship,” explains Sheridan.

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KURTWAGNER/ NIGHTCRAWLER – Kodi Smit-McPhee “At his core, Kurt is traditional, happy, swashbuckling, joyful, as well as faithful and vulnerable,” says Smit-McPhee.

STORM/ORORO MUNROE – Alexandra Shipp “This Storm is more emotionally driven than the adult Storm we know from the previous X-Men films, starring Halle Berry,” explains Shipp. “She’s confused about who she wants to be…”

Xavier in Apocalypse requires Hank to assume a leadership role in order to try and save him. “While Hank has started to grow some confidence and faith in his powers in the last couple of films, he is still not necessarily a leader. He’s the guy who’s in the basement working away and then teaching.

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H aving served as an assistant to makeup master Tom Savini on George A. Romero’s zombie classic Day of the Dead (1985), Greg Nicotero knows a thing or two about bringing the dead to ghoulish life. He’s also a partner in the award- winning KNB EFX Group (with Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman), whose experience in makeup effects design spans almost three decades and over 400 film and television credits. So who better to supervise the plentiful zombie and gore effects required by The Walking Dead ? Nicotero is also one of the executive producers of the show and has directed 15 episodes, including the season six finale. He says the average walker makeup takes about an hour and forty-five minutes to create. “The writers come up with great gags, and we collectively continue to keep coming up with stuff that we haven’t seen before. “We never do gore for the sake of gore,” he adds. “It always filters into the story.”

TheWalking Dead is one of the most watched shows in the world, with audience numbers growing like the zombie horde threatening Rick Grimes and his band of survivors.The season six mid–season finale broke ratings records with 14 million US viewers tuning in, and the second half climaxed with one of the greatest cliffhangers inTV history. Words: Scott Hocking

T he sixth season of The Walking Dead promised world would get a whole lot

introduction of Negan – the ruthless leader of the Saviors, whose weapon of choice is a barbed wire wrapped baseball bat named Lucille. Jeffrey Dean Morgan says he relished the opportunity to play this fan-favourite character from the comics, who made his debut in issue 100 and is poised to top the Governor as the series’ primo villain. “To play that role is kind of a dream come true for me. It’s a blast! It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, and horrible for everyone else. The introduction of Negan is hard, and I think it was hard for us as actors. I felt like, ‘they might not like me’ – and they don’t, as it turns out,” he laughs. Dean Morgan adds that Negan walks the show’s blurred line between who’s the hero and who’s the villain, explaining that it’s all a matter of perspective. “From Negan’s perspective he’s not a bad guy. I think what’s different about him is kind of this charisma and sense of humour that he has, even though there is a sense that he could kill you at any given moment. There’s something about him that will draw you in – even if you hate him, he’ll make you smile occasionally. He’s different from any character I’ve seen on the screen.”

bigger – and it does. Alexandria is under threat from both the walkers and the Wolves; another enclave of survivors, the Saviors, is lurking on the sidelines; Morgan returns with a backstory episode that fills in where he’s been; and the group faces the horrific consequences of their actions in that infamous cliffhanger. “The thing that drew me to this show, and what’s still being done beautifully in terms of the narrative arc, is that it’s an exploration of a war zone in so many ways,” says Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne. “It’s really hard to have simplistic morals and standards when you’re dealing with a world that’s this hostile.” Rick, in particular, has a lot to deal with this season. “It’s not a good space for Rick,” says Andrew Lincoln of the stalwart leader’s position. “Everything that he’s fought for, shed blood for, lost family for, has been irrevocably changed. I think that he’s powerless for the first time since he woke up from the apocalypse. He’s in fear of

the series’ post-apocalyptic

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Creator Robert Kirkman agrees, citing the actor’s performance as crucial to Negan’s instant impact. “The way Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays him is warm and engaging, while threatening and terrifying. You aren’t necessarily into his actions, but his character is going to be very well loved, despite what he does.”

his life, his child’s life, and all the people he loves.” A pivotal moment in season six is the

• The Walking Dead: Season 6 is out on September 21

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The best In Blu-ray at JB Hi-Fi

BLU-RAY

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Star Trek September 7

Star Trek: Into Darkness September 7 Benedict Cumberbatch is the villain in this thrilling sequel, available for the first time on 4K Blu-ray.

Arrow: Season 4 September 7 This cool steelbook edition of the fourth season of the DC superhero is only available at JB Hi-Fi!

The Flash: Season 2 September 7 Another DC superhero, another JB exclusive; all the action from the second season of The Flash .

The much-loved reboot of the classic sci-fi series get an Ultra HD reboot; essential viewing for Trekkies.

Narcos: Season One September 8

Buck Rogers In The 25th Century: The Complete Series September 8 This deluxe, extras-packed 8-disc set collects all 39 episodes of the cult series – all transferred from the HD masters. The show, which ran from 1979-81, follows the adventures of astronaut William ‘Buck’ Rogers (Gil Gerard), who awakes from deep freeze 500 years in the future and is recruited to an elite security force to protect the Earth against attacks by aliens and a myriad of nefarious villains. .

Supernatural: Season 11 September 7 The thrilling and terrifying journey of the Winchester brothers continues as they continue to battle all sorts of demons.

The story of the world’s most notorious drugs baron Pablo Escobar is retold in this thrilling TV series.

Transformers Prime: Complete Series Box Set September 8 Every episode of the rebooted robot animated TV series have been brought together for this fab box set.

Holidays September 16 Kevin Smith is among the cult directors contributing to this dark - and often wickedly funny – horror anthology.

Precious Cargo September 16

The Conjuring 2 September 28 Demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren head to the UK in this creepy new supernatural chiller.

Bruce Willis is the vengeful crime boss on the trail of a beautiful thief in this action-packed thriller.

Get into JB and grab a copy today!

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Team Cap or Team Iron Man? In Captain America: CivilWar , the Avengers are forced to take sides in an almighty clash of the titans. However, Chris Evans believes there's a very human story of family conflict at the heart of the latest Marvel blockbuster. Words: Adam Colby C hris Evans never grows tired of putting on his iconic Captain America costume of red, white and blue. he handles himself in these films.” And in Captain America: Civil War – which officially launches Phase Three of Marvel’s ever expanding Cinematic Universe – his character

the third installment of the Captain America franchise. “What I think is nice about where they’re pushing him is that it’s the first time Steve doesn’t really know the answer,” he explains. “It’s always pretty cut and dry for him to know which side of the coin to fall on, but this one is tricky because this conflict is a little more akin to a day-to-day struggle that we all go through where there are no clear lines between what is right and what is wrong. There’s just a point of view, and I think it’s hard for him to understand what the right thing to do is and what his role is this time around.” The new film reunites Evans with directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who also directed the acclaimed second film in the series, Captain America: The Winter Soldier , and the star is full of praise for the siblings’ work. “Love me some Russo brothers,” enthuses Evans. “They’re just very easy going guys who are not pretentious in any way and it is a pleasure just being around them. They also have this encyclopaedic knowledge of film and

“When I first signed on to play this role, I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into or if I would enjoy playing the same character after the first few films,” he admits. “But through the years, I have really loved playing this character so much and I really like everything he stands for and the way

Steve Rogers faces potentially his biggest challenge and potentially his most dangerous enemy yet: his own friends in the Avengers. After another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability. The new status quo fractures the superhero alliance, resulting in

two camps – one led by Rogers, who believes the Avengers must remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark (aka Iron Man). Evans is excited about his character’s arc in

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Captain America is not the only character with special powers that Chris Evans has played over the years. Fantastic Four (2005) Evans is one of a small group of actors who have played two Marvel in this early comic book blockbuster and reprising it in the clunky 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer . Push (2009) More Heroes than X-Men , Evans nevertheless impressed in this sci-fi thriller as a hustler who possesses some pretty cool telekinetic powers that a sinister government agency wants to utilise. He more than holds his own in some good old-fashioned punch-ups, too Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2009) As the conceited skater-turned- superheroes, taking on the role of Johnny Storm/The Human Torch

...it's a storyline that's going to be the jumping off point for the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

hot sun beating down on you all day,” Evans recalls. “But as hot as it was, I can’t tell you how great it was to see most of the superheroes all suited up in one scene and it’s a storyline that’s going to be the jumping off point for the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Nevertheless, for all the spectacular action, Evans believes Captain America: Civil War tells a very human story of family conflict.

they’re wonderful at being able to reference scenes in other films to bring actors or crew to a common ground. “It is easy to get lost in a semantic fog and the Russos have a really good way of getting everyone on the wavelengths so that we’re all making the same movie,” he continues. “They’re also amazing technicians who are very quick and precise, which I really love and appreciate. They know what they want, and we just have a pretty good line of communication open between us.” The split in the Avengers leads to the scene which all Marvel fans have been dying to see: the full-on clash between Team Cap – Captain America, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Ant- Man and Scarlet Witch – and Team Iron Man (Black Widow, War Machine, Spider-Man, Vision and Black Panther). The showdown is set at Leipzig Airport in Germany but was actually shot at Atlanta Pinewood Studios in the US during a blistering heatwave. “We didn’t shoot the sequences until July and it’s the south, so it was extremely hot and uncomfortable in the suits with the

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“For all of the great action in the film, at the end of the day it’s a really grounded story,” he explains. “The Russos make human stories with a superhero feel as opposed to superhero movies with human touches. It’s real storytelling about a genuine family conflict. That’s what makes it so great. There’s no right, there’s no wrong, and there’s no clear evil going on either side of this. It’s just a matter of whose side you connect with and agree with.”

movie superstar Lucas Lee, Evans got his only chance to play a supervillain in this cult favourite. He was the second of the evil

exes whom Michael Cera must defeat; of course, no-one would believe that the latter would be able to beat Evans in a fight, so instead he goads his nemesis into performing a skating stunt that ends in his death. Snowpiercer (2013)

OK, Evans’s character here doesn’t really possess any superpowers, but he certainly seems to possess some superhuman abilities in this stylish post-

apocalyptic thriller. And he does become the only person to successfully defeat the inhabitants of all the carriages of the super- train of the title.

• Captain America: Civil War is out now

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GAMES FEATURE

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FIFA 17 takes the world's leading sports sim in a new direction. Prepare for The Journey. Words Paul Jones

GAMES

"W ho’s your team?” asks FIFA 17 creative director Matt Prior. “Gillingham, mate,” I reply, awaiting the inevitable smirk that usually follows this admission. “Nice one. Keeping it real!” To be honest, I’m just happy he’s heard of them. Prior and I are sat opposite each other in a football-shaped media booth. An international PR representative looks on with disinterest, incessantly dragging her thumb across a smartphone screen. There are few gaming titles that pique our interest on an annual basis more than FIFA. An office favourite, good to play by yourself, or even better to ruin someone’s evening in a far flung region of the planet with a late gasp winner. Come late September, there’s only one game on our mind. One of the most significant developments in FIFA’s recent history was migrating the game to the Frostbite engine for PC, PS4 and Xbox One; a platform utilised right across the publisher’s developer stable. “The look of the games, the visuals, are incredible on Frostbite,” Prior says excitedly. It brings a whole new level of authenticity

easier for us, which means we can focus on adding cool stuff and more of it in the game.“ The FIFA modus operandi in recent iterations has been focused on improving key areas of gameplay in manageable chunks. This has included tweaks to the mechanics for attack, defence, midfield play, penalties, free kicks and goalkeepers. While it feels like a constant work in progress, notable innovation in the FIFA franchise has come via the introduction of FIFA Ultimate Team, the aforementioned mechanic gameplay enhancements and some revision around the career modes. However, by harnessing the power of Frostbite, FIFA 17 will see the introduction of a single-player campaign mode called The Journey. Prior describes The Journey as a “kind of peek behind the curtain of football.” The premise is an enticing one. Playing as fictional greenhorn Alex Hunter, The Journey follows his fledgling career at Manchester United, both on and off the pitch, in a compelling simulation of the life of a professional football player in the most popular league in the world: the Premier League.

and inertia to the game; the lighting is all new as well. “The other big thing that [working on Frostbite] brings to us, is our ability to cooperate with other teams. You can imagine with 20 teams all on different engines, solving problems is very difficult. There was very little studio collaboration, so, with a move to Frostbite, it allows much better cooperation between teams, and more importantly, much quicker problem solving. Essentially it is making games

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element and the support they give through the inevitable ups and downs of the footballers' lives, and that was a significant element in all the young footballers we spoke to including Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Reece Oxford. They all liked what they saw.” It is undoubtedly a

5 Facts About The Premier League You Didn’t Know (Probably)

side of football that we’re all intrigued by. We read the stories in the papers of lads who have come from humble beginnings earning $400,000 a week, living extravagant lifestyles, driving the best sports cars and buying country mansions. Growing up, many fans of the sport (this one included) harbor similar dreams; now with The Journey, we can live vicariously through the eyes of Alex Hunter. “It’s the side of football people are interested in; it’s the side of football in the real world,” says Prior. “You can get a certain level of vision on with Instagram, social media, perhaps websites, but with The Journey

There are 64 different player nationalities in the Premier League. Over its history, players from 97 countries have competed in the Premier League. Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane are the only players born after the Premier League began in August 1992 to have scored hat-tricks. The average attendance at a Premier League game is 36,000. The Premier League has a potential global audience of close to 5 billion.

This is something very unique that they’ve never seen before in FIFA

GAMES

you’ve got a window on these guys’ personal life like never before, and this is something we think our

During the 2015/16 season, Jamie Vardy

became the first player in Premier League history to score in 11 consecutive games.

“The Journey is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and with the power of Frostbite, we can now create those environments easier and a lot quicker,” explains Prior. "We’ve been working on it for just over two years now, but this is completely new for us and an area of gaming that the core FIFA devs didn’t have any experience with. “We had to write scripts and audition actors, so it took a while to plan it out, and we had a totally separate team working on it. We also had to get some people with expertise who’ve delivered this kind of mode in other games before in to help us!” The comparisons between Alex Hunter although Prior says the mode isn’t based on the striker’s ascension, the comparison between the two is inevitable. “It’s eerily similar in terms of what happened to him,” remarks Prior. “I actually met him the other week and to get his feedback is great because it validated the authenticity. There’s obviously the family and new Manchester United prodigy Marcus Rashford are obvious, and

users are interested in. “We’ve always done an amazing job of focusing on the 90 minutes on the pitch, we’ve never done off the pitch and what makes a player tick, what they have to go through to be a professional player and all the rest of it." For The Journey narrative, Prior says the studio turned to former Eastenders actor and now sports journalist, TomWatts, for help. "He has just finished writing Beckham’s autobiography actually, so we wrote the story with him as a consultant. That guy just absolutely lives and breathes football; he’s like an encyclopedia, so getting that window into the world of football was fascinating." This is a bold move for the franchise but a necessary one if EA are to expand the player base beyond the millions who already buy the game on an annual basis. While the requisite skill level to play the game online could potentially put off new recruits (no one likes being beaten 15 nil in their first game), the introduction of The Journey will actually teach new adherents to FIFA how to play the game as the mode progresses.

• FIFA 17 is out Sept 29

However, the core FIFA players are a passionate bunch and might view the introduction of a single-player campaign mode

in the game with some trepidation. Not so, according to Prior, who says he’s happy with the feedback received so far. “This is something very unique that they’ve never seen before in FIFA. But we’ve put a lot of work into this. Authenticity is one of FIFA’s key pillars, so if we were going to do a story, then we were always going to make sure we made it as authentic as we possibly could, and the feedback we’ve been getting is very positive. “The FUT users will probably go off and play FUT eventually. It’s not a mode that is intended to dominate that space, but certainly by the reaction thus far, everyone will love it.”

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