STACK #169 Nov 2018

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FILM, TV, GAMES & MUSIC

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Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & DVD Editor Scott Hocking stack . com . au © 2017Warner Bros.Ent. Inc.and Legendary Pictures Productions,LLC.All rights reserved. ON 4K ULTRA HD™, BLU-RAY™ 3D, BLU-RAY™ & DVD NEW TO BUY NOV 28 Contributors Music Editor Zoë Radas Staff Writer Alesha Kolbe Creative Director Michelle Black DVD Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Andre Eivik Music Consultant Mike Glynn Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones , Gill Pringle Contributors Amy Flower, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Jonathan Alley, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Adam Colby, Tim Lambert, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Jake Cleland, Samantha Baldry Social Media Manager Sally Carlier-Hull Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121 Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2018 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press. RATINGS GUIDE

Issue 169

NOVEMBER 2018

WELCOME There were films that had touched on the subject of sharks before Peter Benchley’s best-selling 1974 novel, Jaws , was adapted for the big screen after producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown snatched up the film rights a year earlier. But no movie before or since has had the impact that Jaws did . Steven Spielberg, who was only 27 when he tackled the trials and tribulations of a constantly malfunctioning mechanical shark and the perils of shooting at sea, shot what remains the ultimate shark movie. In a matter of months, practically the entire population of the world knew what a great white shark was and taking a dip in the ocean, especially at night, took on a whole new perspective. The shark has always remained a favourite with filmmakers looking to tap into the audience’s inert galeophobia, or fear of sharks, however, despite the abundance of shark movies since, none have been able to replicate the effect of Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster back in ‘75. Following the advent of more cost-effective CGI, the shark movie moved into the realm of the ridiculous with the Sharknado series et al spearheading a wave of B-movies. This month, the cycle gets even bigger with The Meg – a prehistoric monster shark at a whopping 75ft – that threatens an underwater research facility before heading into the open ocean. So while Jaws remains seemingly unconquerable, audiences’ insatiable appetite for shark movies remains as voracious as the predators themselves. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

The large print giveth, the small print taketh away. “You use a scalpel, I prefer a hammer.”

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Issue 169

NOVEMBER 2018

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FILM, TV, GAMES&MUSIC

STACK stack.com.au GAMES

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FILM, TV, GAMES&MUSIC

.com.au

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ISSUE 169 Nov ’18

ISSUE 169 Nov ’18

MUSIC

FILM & TV

DVD & BD Pages 26 – 48

MUMFORD SONS &

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GAMES

26-27 THE MEG After decades trapped in development hell, this monster shark finally surfaces. 28-29 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Six impossible stunts that make Fallout the best M:I yet. 30 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Meet the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first superheroine. 32 MANDY We spoke to director Panos Cosmatos about his phantasmagoric revenge thriller. 34 THE FIRST PURGE Dealing in real world horrors, this prequel may be the scariest chapter in the franchise to date. 36-44 REVIEWS The Meg, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Incredibles 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, The Equalizer 2, Mandy, Mile 22, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Submergence, Sharp Objects, Star Trek: Discovery - S1, Mr. Mercedes: S1 and more. 46-47 BLU-RAY & 4K ROUND-UP JB Exclusives, new releases, plus classic and catalogue titles new to Blu-ray and 4K UHD in November.

GAMES

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Extras Pages 8–9 / 24–25

Music Pages 1 – 27

Games Pages 51– 71

8-9 EXTRAS The Meg fun facts; the Olympus OMD E-M1 Mark II camera reviewed; must-see film and TV in November; Aussie filmmaker Julius Avery directs Overlord . 24-25 BOB J Our resident film historian looks back at the 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood .

52-53 regulars We speak to Kat from JB Hi-Fi Townsville and chat to LounaTuna for our monthly streamer profile. 54-55 BATTLEFIELD V Battlefield War Stories are back and heading to WWII. We chat with DICE design director, Eric Holmes. 56-57 FALLOUT 76 We’ve been patiently awaiting this one to drop. It’s a new Fallout with a twist. 58 HITMAN 2 The Hitman franchise is back with a whole new array of novel ways to assassinate. 60 POKEMON Pokémon for the Nintendo Struggling to know what to get the gamer in your life for Christmas? We’ve got you covered. 70 out this month Battlefield V , Fallout 76, Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee/ Pikachu , Hitman 2, Farming Simulator 19 and more. Switch? You bet. 64-67 GIFT GUIDE

4 MUMFORD & SONS Join us as we delve, track-by-track, into Delta – the epic new album from London folk-rock fellas Mumford & Sons. 6-14 INTERVIEWS + BULLETINS We shot the breeze with Cash Savage, Matt Corby, Julia Holter, The Prodigy, and the composer for comedy series Rick and Morty , Ryan Elder. We also take a look into Robyn’s brilliant new record Honey , and Midnight Oil’s highly anticipated live Armistice Day CD/DVD release. 16-18 the 2018 ARIA NOMINEES We sift through the nominees in the six major categories of the 2018 ARIA Awards and offer our picks for who’s going to take home the pointy trophies. Also, find details of our awesome ARIA voting competition, in which you could win a brand new and very schmick pair of Audio-Technica headphones. 22-26 ALBUM REVIEWS Our esteemed crew of album reviewers cover The Rick and Morty Soundtrack , Julia Holter, The Ocean Party, Tom Petty, the Suspiria soundtrack, Michael Buble, J Mascis, Matt Corby, Colter Wall, Psycroptic, Karise Eden, Travis Scott, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Pierce Brothers, Gang of Youths and more.

Cinema Pages 12 – 22

12-13 HALLOWEEN Producer Jason Blum on resetting the horror franchise. 14 FANTASTIC BEASTS How and where does The Crimes of Grindelwald fit into J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World?   16 THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB Lisbeth Salander returns, this time played by Claire Foy. 18 WIDOWS We speak to director Steve McQueen and the cast. 20-22 REVIEWS Suspiria, First Man, Bad Times at the El Royale, A Star is Born, Halloween .

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THE MEG

FUN FACTS

When Rainn Wilson told his son he was going to be in The Meg , the young man immediately retrieved his megalodon tooth, which had been gifted by his grandmother.

Jason Statham was a member of Britain's National Swimming Squad and competed for England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

No dogs were harmed during the

making of The Meg . Promise.

More than 2,000 extras were used for an epic sequence

One of the humpbacked whales is named "Gracie", just like the female humpback in Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home .

As a youngster, Ruby Rose eagerly studied and learned everything she could about megalodons.

filmed at Hainan Island in China.

The filmmakers spent a year developing the design of the meg.

M irrorless. You have probably heard the word but you might not know what it means. As the name suggests, a mirrorless camera is one that doesn’t require a reflex mirror (a Discover the advantages of a 'mirrorless' camera with this innovative model from Olympus. Words Tim Lambert Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II

key component of DSLR cameras) – without the chunky mirror box, a mirrorless camera is smaller and lighter than its traditional counterpart while maintaining, if not exceeding the image quality of a like-for-like DSLR. Some brands are just entering into the mirrorless category, but others saw the need in the market and invested their efforts early – Olympus being one of the latter. Their early innovation evolved and resulted in the release of the Olympus E-M1 Mark II. For somebody switching from a DSLR to mirrorless, the E-M1 Mark II will feel familiar; it’s rugged (also splash, rust and freeze proof) but has a natural feel in the hand. One con that you will hear about mirrorless cameras is a poorer battery life than a DSLR, and while the E-M1 Mark II has been rated for 440 shots per battery, after taking it out for a night, the camera easily handled the 1000 RAW shots I

took in lowlight and rapid shoot. The shining features of the camera, though, come when you switch it to video mode – cinematic 4K at 4096 x 2160, 24P frame rate and 237 Mbps bit rate are industry leading numbers in this category. That, along with the camera’s 3-inch fully articulating touchscreen and its excellent inbuilt stabilisation, means you will be able to create cinema quality 4K content from the palm of your hand. No gimbals or tripods necessary – sounds like my backpack just got lighter too. There are numerous reasons we

picked the Olympus E-M1 Mark II as our office camera – and they’re all above. Now, the next time you log on to check out a STACK Session with your favourite Australian artists, you’ll know exactly what kind of gear is presenting it to you.

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EXTRAS

NEWS

STACK SELECTS Must-see film andTV this month

JULIUS AVERY

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT The franchise's most action-packed installment features a literal cliffhanger!

N azis, zombies, monsters and sinister experiments. It's a mix guaranteed to excite genre fans, especially when producer J.J. Abrams is involved. The latest picture from Abrams' production company Bad Robot is Overlord, in which a team of American soldiers on a mission in Nazi-occupied France discover a laboratory hidden beneath a church, where unimaginable horrors await. Bringing this mix of World War II adventure and sci-fi horror to the screen is Australian filmmaker Julius Avery, whose 2014 debut feature – the crime-thriller Son of a Gun, starring Ewan McGregor – had impressed Abrams and the Bad Robot team. "We thought it was fantastic and energetic, while also giving audiences a reason to care about the characters," says Bad Robot's Jon Cohen. "We also liked that [Julius] came from more of the thriller side of filmmaking as opposed to pure horror, and would give Overlord the level of grittiness it needed." Having approached Avery about what he

wanted to do next, the director was shown a number of scripts Bad Robot were excited about developing, and the one he instantly responded to was Overlord . This genre mash- up was unlike anything he'd done previously, which also includes a pair of Palme d'Or nominated short films – Jerrycan (2008) and Yardbird (2012). "I'd done action before with Son of a Gun , so it was really exciting to be able to do the horror elements and try something new," Avery tells STACK . "We wanted to create a real in-camera practical world, with a lot of special effects make-up and cool action. My intention was to make a really intense, thrilling ride, but balance that with great characters you can get behind and love." Overlord had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, on September 22 to lots of positive buzz and great reviews, with the Australian premiere held at Oz Comic-Con in Sydney a week later. “Julius lends a sense of energy and a

INCREDIBLES 2 The super family return in an incredible sequel. Has it really been 14 years?

THE CROWN: SEASON 2 The age of deference is over, and the revolutionary era of the 1960s begins.

dynamic cinematic nature to everything he shoots, which is exactly what you want on a movie like Overlord ," says Cohen. "He was passionate about the script from the get- go and had a great vision for guiding it there. He delivered in a very big way."

SHARP OBJECTS HBO's gripping new murder-mystery, based on the novel by Gillian Flynn ( Gone Girl ).

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY - S1 It's Star Trek , but not as we know it. A darker take on the cult sci-fi series.

Overlord is in cinemas on

December 6. Read our interview with Julius Avery in the next issue.

Julius Avery (left) on the set of Overlord with producer J.J. Abrams

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"one of the crazy ones who signs up for the workload." And with a broad customer base that comprises uni students, young professionals, locals and retirees, Suzanna is always busy. A Home store and Hub store that also sees a lot of online activity, the Moore Park JB is a big one, which Suzanna says affords the luxury of more floor space to showcase software, as well

as plenty of room for the cool bespoke in-store displays that JB is synonymous with. "Our signage has been done by a gentleman called Dylan, who does a really great job," she notes. TV Crime and TV Drama are regular movers in Moore Park, as are new releases, Marvel, Blu-ray and 4K. And with a lot of baby stores in the vicinity, kids titles also sell well. Suzanna also likes to take customers out of their viewing comfort zones by recommending things that they wouldn't normally watch. One title she highly recommends is the 2015 mini-series The Last Panthers , starring Samantha Morton and John Hurt. "It's based on the diamond traders, the Pink Panthers, in central Europe. It's a mix of British meets Euro-crime and it's like watching an eight- hour movie." Suzanna is also a big foreign film fan, counting French classics Amelie and Vincent Cassel's La Haine among her personal favourites, and she's also open to a bit of Michael Haneke and Yorgos Lanthimos. "Don't get me wrong, I love a good trash film as well," she laughs. "I'll go and see The Predator or something like that. I'll watch anything, really."

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A s Dual Coordinator for Movies and Music at JB's Moore Park store in Sydney's south-eastern suburbs, Suzanna Miranda Nunez describes herself as

1 Solo: A Star Wars Story 2 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 3 Sicario: Day of the Soldado 4 Deadpool 2 5 Ocean's 8 6 Tag 7 Adrift 8 Spinning Man 9 Occupation 10 24 Hours to Live

Suzanna Miranda Nunez at JB Moore Park, NSW

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STACK says: "Television given the royal treatment. Where season one introduced the characters, season two layers on the flesh." RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 14 SPECIAL OFFER: Pre-order and enter online for your chance to WIN a REPLICA TIARA as seen on The Crown , valued at $1,000. Competition closes 11.59PM AEST on Sunday, 11/11/18.

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MICHAEL MYERS MEETS JASON

STACK spoke with Halloween producer Jason Blum about bringing back the boogeyman and Jamie Lee Curtis, and boldly resetting the long-running horror franchise. Words Scott Hocking J ason Blum, the founder of Blumhouse Productions, is the man behind some of the most successful horror film which to us was a bonus – two for the price of one. We were thrilled about that, and we were off…”

Indicative of the Blumhouse ethos is the producer’s choice of David Gordon Green ( The Pineapple Express ) to co-write the screenplay (with Danny McBride) and direct the new Halloween . “That was one of my planning decisions around the movie – I’d admired David for a very long time,” says Blum. “I have a philosophy that you don’t need a great horror director to make a

franchises of the last decade, including Paranormal Activity , Insidious and The Purge , as well as the Oscar-winning Get Out . Blum can be considered a modern day Roger Corman; the Blumhouse business model is committed to delivering quality genre films on a low budget, giving directors creative freedom, and fostering up-and- coming filmmakers. Its track record at the box office is a Hollywood success story. Who better then to bring

great horror movie, you just need a great director. That’s very unusual in Hollywood, definitely. “[ Get Out director] Jordan Peele is the best

You don't need a great horror director to make a great horror movie, you just need a great director

a new Halloween film to the screen? Moreover, one that serves as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s classic 1978 original. Blum, however, wasn’t about to proceed

example of that. He’s certainly never done a

horror movie before, and he made maybe one of the best ones we’ve ever done.” Halloween is the eleventh

without first getting Carpenter’s blessing. “He was very reluctant to do it and pretty cynical about it,” the producer says of Carpenter’s initial reaction to a new Halloween . “I wasn’t going to do the movie unless he said yes. At the end of our meeting I said, ‘Look John, if you say no, I’ll say no, but if we both say no they’re still going to make another Halloween movie with or without us, so why not jump in and make it a good one and not complain from the sidelines.’ “I think that resonated with him and he agreed to it subject to him doing the music,

installment in the long-running franchise but takes the bold approach of disregarding the events of previous sequels (and Rob Zombie's reboot), picking up 40 years after the night of Carpenter’s film – an idea Blum says was all Green and McBride’s. “I can’t imagine how else we would have done it," he admits. "When I heard the idea I liked it and encouraged them to go forward with it, but I didn’t realise how good of an idea it was until much further down the road. “When they figured that out, so many

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FEATURE

them,” notes Blum. “They don’t completely pretend that they don’t exist, which I think is satisfying for fans who are familiar with all ten movies in the franchise.” A Halloween film without Jamie Lee Curtis is like an Alien movie without Sigourney Weaver, and fortunately, the actress returns as survivor Laurie Strode, who is still struggling with the trauma from that infamous Halloween night of 40 years ago. Blum says that while Curtis took a certain amount of convincing to return to the role, it was Carpenter’s involvement along with some persuasion from another actor that ultimately got her onboard. “The thing that really did it is her godson is Jake Gyllenhaal,” reveals Blum. “Jake had just done a movie with David called Stronger , and he highly recommended David to Jamie Lee Curtis and that really helped us a lot. And David and Danny’s idea really put it over the line – she loved the idea and she was in.” Then of course there is the other character synonymous with Halloween – the masked maniac Michael Myers. One of the great things about the new film is that it restores his status as the ultimate screen boogeyman. “It restores his mystery,” agrees Blum. “There’s no backstory or explanation, he’s just pure evil, which I think makes him much scarier than when you try and explain it.”

things fell into place – John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis… three generations of women overcoming the most evil man in the world. It’s also a movie that looks at what happens to trauma 40 years after the traumatic event, as opposed to most horror movies which are about that event. All these great things happen as a result of starting with that idea, so I feel very lucky about that.” While technically the official Halloween 2 , the new film also pays subtle homage to the Halloween mythology. “I think it’s great that David and Danny tipped their hat to the other movies, even though storytelling-wise, they don’t reference

Jason Blum’s top five favourite horror films…

Halloween is in cinemas now

Psycho (1960)

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Freaks (1932)

Coming from Blumhouse in 2019

“We have Glass in January, which is M. Night Shyamalan’s follow-up to Split and Unbreakable . We also have the sequel Happy Death Day 2U in February. And in March there’s Jordan Peele’s new movie Us , which is his follow-up to Get Out . That’s a good line-up!”

The Shining (1980)

The Birds (1963)

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Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was once a close friend of Albus Dumbledore, before he devoted his life to dark magic and the pursuit of the

BACK

How and where does Fantastic Beasts:The Crimes of Grindelwald fit into J.K. Rowling’sWizardingWorld? STACK caught up with the cast at San Diego Comic-Con to find out. Words Scott Hocking T he second chapter in the Fantastic Beasts franchise and the tenth film set in the Potterverse, The Crimes of by Dumbledore, but can’t help but love him.” Law adds that he and Redmayne were able to explore the similarities between Newt and Dumbledore within their relationship, and TO SCHOOL

Deathly Hallows. We meet Grindelwald following his possession of MACUSA Auror Percival Graves at the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them .

Played by Zoë Kravitz, Leta Lestrange was once close with Newt Scamander and is now engaged to his brother, Theseus. You may also find her surname a tad familiar… Theseus (Callum Turner) is Newt’s older brother; a celebrated war hero and head of the Auror offices at the British Ministry of Magic.

Grindelwald not only brings a French flavour to the series with its Parisian setting, but also pays a return visit to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. “There is nothing more joyous than arriving on one of these sets,” says Eddie Redmayne of returning to the role of magizoologist Newt Scamander. “It’s imagination on steroids, and you’re allowed the freedom to play in this insanely imaginative world.” This time, however, Newt will face even greater challenges than rounding up his escaped menagerie of fantastic beasts and the threat posed by the Obscurus. Having escaped the custody of MACUSA

also notes that the younger incarnation of the Hogwarts’ headmaster is very different from the one that fans are familiar with. “The Dumbledore we all know and love from the Harry Potter films is nearly 100 years older, so there’s a long way to go before we get to him,” he explains. “There are secrets and aspects of his personality hinted at [in The Crimes of Grindelwald ]. J.K. Rowling gave me a lot of clarity as to where Albus is at during this particular time.” Stepping into Hogwarts for the first time proved to be a magical moment for Law. “When you have a relationship with a set or a place that has history, and you find yourself in it, it’s extraordinary,” he says. “What was wonderful about Hogwarts was the children they cast to play the class that I teach. Their excitement and adrenaline was like stepping into an actual classroom.” Law adds that part of the magic of joining the film was Rowling’s storytelling, and the pace with which it reveals changes in character. “The opportunity to

Voldemort’s snake? Surely not! Claudia Kim’s character has recently been confirmed as a Maledictus – “the carrier of a blood curse that destines her ultimately to transform into a beast.” The latest trailer revealed that to be none other than He Who Shall Not Be Named’s faithful reptile companion, Nagini.

Jude Law plays the much loved Hogwart’s headmaster, albeit a much younger incarnation of the character.

(the Magical Congress of the United States of America), the Voldemort-like Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) is rallying his followers to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over non-magical beings. Unable to act against Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists Newt’s help to thwart the dark wizard’s plans. “I love the relationship between Newt and Dumbledore [in the sequel],” says Redmayne. “Newt is

extraordinary for an actor. To take your time and feel you’re in it for the long game is a luxury.” He also notes that The Crimes of Grindelwald may well be the darkest chapter to date in the Wizarding World – a statement that’s backed up by Ezra Miller, who returns in the role of Creedence Barebone for the sequel. “This one will go even further into dark and terrifying worlds,” promises Miller, before dropping a teaser on the Fantastic Beasts themselves: “Niffler is back and may have babies…”

entirely his own person and part of this film is a master/apprentice thing. Newt is aware he’s being manipulated

tell one chapter of what is to come is

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is in cinemas on November 15

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MILA KUNIS

KATE McKINNON

JUSTIN THEROUX

SAM HEUGHAN AND

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THE OTHER GIRLS with THE dragon Tattoo

NOOMI RAPACE The first – and arguably the best – actress to play Lisbeth Salander was Swedish-born Noomi Rapace. Instantly making the role of the goth computer hacker her own, Rapace brilliantly balanced venom and vulnerability through the entire Millennium Trilogy – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , The Girl Who Played with Fire , and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest .

Lisbeth Salander, the cult figure and title character of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling Millennium book series, boldly returns to the screen in The Girl in the Spider’sWeb . Words Gill Pringle WHO'S THAT GIRL?

T hrice portrayed by Noomi Rapace in the original Swedish screen adaptations and once by Rooney Mara in David Fincher’s version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , Fede Alvarez’s fresh take on the vigilante anti-heroine stars The Crown ’s Claire Foy. In a piece of delicious casting, Foy exchanges her stuffy royal robes for Salander’s skinny black punk aesthetic and signature dragon tattoo. “I think the job of a director is to find that contradictory choice that makes you go, ‘What? Really?’ And then, hopefully, show them something unexpected,” says Alvarez when

written by David Lagercrantz as a continuation of Larsson’s original trilogy. Any lingering impressions of Foy as Queen Elizabeth II or, indeed, as Neil Armstrong’s wife in First Man , are instantly banished the second she appears on screen. "The Queen and Lisbeth Salander have a lot more in common than one might think," offers Alvarez. "The Queen doesn’t express a lot of things because she isn’t allowed to, while Lisbeth doesn’t because she doesn’t want to. Her true self is too precious to be shared with human beings. “For a character like Lisbeth Salander, it was crucial that she can tell so much with so little. I needed someone that when I put the lens in her eyes, without her saying anything, I know how she feels, and not every actor can do that. Only the best can. “Claire has a lot of her in real life with so much passion, fire and anger. We had many fights on the movie just discussing themes. But, as a person in everyday life, she couldn’t be more different than Lisbeth.” Published in 2015, the film adaptation of The Girl in the Spider’s Web becomes even more relevant in a post #MeToo world. “The script was done and we were in pre-production when the first big event, the Harvey Weinstein thing started. And then that combined with suddenly all the hacking. Ten years ago, a hacker in a movie was just typing

ROONEY MARA Cast as Lisbeth in David Fincher's totally unnecessary US remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) , Mara had an incredibly tough act to follow. Hers is a more haunted and waifish interpretation – she's good, albeit hindered by a phony Swedish accent.

away; just a silly concept, but not anymore,” he says pointing to scenes in The Girl in the Spider’s Web where the NSA is hacked. “A lot of this stuff was happening for real as we were writing it and continues to happen. “Obviously I can’t take credit for the character of Lisbeth, because she already exists on the page. But the public’s attention is now focused on these themes, so it’s definitely interesting to make a movie so relevant.” Featuring Sylvia Hoeks as Lisbeth’s sister, Brit comic actor Stephen Merchant also co-stars as a former government employee – another example of Alvarez’s against-type casting. “I’m a big fan of his comedy because he does it from such a real place; often uncomfortably real. He brought all the right elements to playing this awkward computer engineer, a little bit nerdy and super smart; a lot of things that define him as well,” he says. First cutting his teeth with a fresh spin on Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead in 2013, Alvarez argues that his films are all about the same thing: “They’re about guilt, shame and family – always a combination of the three elements. This story is no different.”

STACK joins him in the edit bay at Sony Studios in Los Angeles, where he is making the final tweaks to The Girl in the Spider's Web . “Claire is fantastic and emotes in a way that not a lot of actors are able to do. She has very few lines so it’s all about getting

The Queen and Lisbeth Salander have a lot more in common than one might think

things done and showing her emotion through her actions,”

says Alvarez, who directed 2016’s breakout thriller Don’t Breathe . Lisbeth Salander’s computer hacker and private investigator figure has previously played second fiddle to the dominant character of journalist Mikael Blomkvist – portrayed by Daniel Craig in Fincher’s version – but today she finally takes centre stage. “I didn’t want to just take some other director’s cast and make them my own. I think Rooney was very good but I wanted to cast my own version of her and who I imagine her to be when I read the book,” he says of this first-time adaptation of the fourth book in the series –

The Girl in the Spider’s Web is in cinemas on Nov 8

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together in dire consequences, and it’s a terrific metaphor for how change happens because change happens when you’re forced into it, kicking and screaming. And these women are forced to take ownership of their lives. And I certainly love kicking ass, I love carrying a gun – not in my life but on screen. I carry that power in my own life, it always helps me be a little better.” Always a badass, for Rodriguez, her main challenge was in expressing feminine vulnerability. “It was tough, I gotta say. I had to pretty much murder my ego to do this movie because there was a side of femininity that I don’t respect. The kind of femininity that I would find in my own mother; this vulnerability and unconditional love that is being stomped on by society, by men, by bad relationships, people who take people for granted…To see women suffer for most of my life growing up, just for loving unconditionally, it was painful for me to play a character like that.” Jennifer Lawrence was originally offered a role in Widows but declined due to scheduling conflicts, the part ultimately going to Debicki, who gives one of the film’s standout performances. “The thing that really spoke to me about this character is her quiet strength. Where we find her at the beginning of the film, there are many things in her life that could be breaking her like the abuse she suffers. She really doesn’t have a sense of self worth,” she says. “But I don’t believe she ever sees herself as a victim, she just sees herself as a woman living in these circumstances. And there’s a tragedy in that because it’s so common. But, because she is thrust into this scenario achieves something, or fails and then achieves something, is such a quiet victory for her. I hope women relate to that journey.” Boasting an all-star cast, Widows also features Australia’s own Jacki Weaver, with Liam Neeson, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya. Ask McQueen where he and meets these women, she is taught new life experiences. Every little time she

Widows STACK spoke with director Steve McQueen and the cast of this big budget reimagination of Lynda La Plante's acclaimedTV mini-series. Words Gill Pringle

W ith his Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave , British director Steve McQueen made one of the most poignant films about slavery in the US, so we shouldn’t be surprised to see him shake things up again with a multi-cultural take on beloved '80s Brit TV mini-series Widows – all wrapped up in a big budget heist movie. Originally written by Lynda La Plante, a British national treasure also responsible for Prime Suspect , McQueen was just a boy when the show first aired. “I saw Widows on TV in 1983 and it just spoke to me as a 13-year-old black boy in London,” the director tells STACK when we meet at the Toronto International Film Festival. “On screen, these four women were being judged by their appearance rather than their character. And at that point I was too, and my compass was starting to be set in a direction I didn’t think was my destination. “So Widows gave me a connection to these women that they can achieve. At 13 I had no idea I was going to be a filmmaker, so making this film has been a personal 35-year journey for me.” Scripted by Gone Girl/Sharp Objects author Gillian Flynn, who switches the original London action to Chicago, Widows is ultimately

It's only when you're in dire

consequences that you really see what you're made of

a film about female empowerment with Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Rodriguez taking centre stage as a group of women who vow to finish the job after

their husbands die attempting to do so. “I love these themes because I love it in my own life when I surpass expectations. I love it when people underestimate me,” says Davis. “I think it’s only when you’re in dire consequences that you really see what you’re made of. When you have it easy, I think you can definitely wear the mask of grins and lies. But these women are absolutely catapulted

looks to find his own inspiration for strong women, and he says, “I’ve been so privileged to be friends with, have a partner with, have a mother with, have a daughter, who are great people but who also happen to have vaginas.”

THE OTHER STEVE McQUEEN

This British director's films are as tough as his action-hero namesake.

12 Years a Slave (2013) A searing indictment of slavery in the US and winner of three Oscars including Best Picture.

Hunger (2008) A harrowing biopic on Irish

Shame (2011) The obsessive life and secrets of a sex addict are revealed in unflinching and gruelling detail.

republican Bobby Sands, who led prison inmates on a hunger strike.

Widows is in cinemas Nov 22

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FIRST MAN

RELEASED: Oct 11 DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle CAST: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Lukas Haas RATING: M Some films you watch, others you experience. Damien Chazelle’s biopic on the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, is one of the latter. This incredibly immersive account of the Apollo 11 mission puts the audience in the co-pilot’s seat for a claustrophobic and exhilarating trip into the stratosphere and beyond. It's also an intimate look at the man whose one small step made history on July 20, 1969 – played with stoic intensity by Ryan Gosling. First Man is all about the man. Rarely leaving Armstrong’s orbit, it’s an insightful and respectful portrait of an individual poised to make history, or die trying. Covering the nine-year period that culminated in him stepping onto the grey lunar surface (spoiler alert!), the film gets off to a sobering start with the loss of Armstrong’s two-year-old daughter to cancer, which will continue to haunt him throughout a journey that involves strenuous flight simulations and docking manoeuvres, further tragedy and triumph. This is a film of staggering verisimilitude, with handheld camerawork creating the sense of watching found-footage during the vertigo-inducing spaceflight sequences, while adding a voyeuristic quality to the more personal moments within the Armstrong home. Moreover, the production design is outstanding, from the authentic-looking 1960s aesthetic and vintage tech, to the lo-fi look of the visual effects. First Man is as far from the glossy and sentimental Hollywood blockbuster it could have been as the Earth is from the moon, thanks to a filmmaker with the right stuff to deliver a definitive account of Armstrong’s story . Scott Hocking BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE RELEASED: Oct 11 DIRECTOR: Drew Goddard CAST: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth RATING: MA15+ Writer-director Drew Goddard’s ambitious piece of ’60s pulp crime fiction takes a long and meandering road to tell a short and simple tale. A priest (Jeff Bridges), a salesman (Jon Hamm), a singer (Cynthia Erivo) and a femme fatale (Dakota Johnson) walk into a hotel, but what follows is no joke. The El Royale is a Lake Tahoe hotel straddling the California/Nevada border, and strangely deserted when these four guests arrive. A former mecca for gamblers and power players, it’s full of secret nooks that hint at a seedier side, not least an observation corridor (fitted with two- way mirrors and wired for sound) running behind the rooms. It’s through this hidden passageway that the guests’ backstories are gradually revealed, and a prologue in which a bag of cash is hidden beneath the floorboards may be the reason they’ve checked in. You’ll have probably figured out what’s going on by the halfway mark, but then Chris Hemsworth’s ripped cult leader shows up to raise the stakes anew. Goddard turned the horror genre on its head with the clever Cabin in the Woods , but instead of doing similar for the crime-thriller, he simply gives his interpretation of a Tarantino film. Although boasting a terrific cast and retro set design, there’s just not enough substance to justify (or sustain) a 141-minute film. It’s certainly not a bad time at the movies, just an unnecessarily long one. Scott Hocking

RELEASED: Nov 8 DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino CAST: Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz RATING: MA15+

SUSPIRIA

One of the best remakes of a classic horror film.

D ario Argento's 1977 film Suspiria is a high water mark in Italian horror and a revered cult classic, so a remake is naturally a contentious issue. Fortunately, director Luca Guadagnino ( Call Me by Your Name ) isn't interested in simply restaging the original's best moments (there's no rain of maggots or killer guide dog here), but rather taking its central concept – a prestigious German dance academy run by witches – and digging deep into the black of heart of the coven and it's process of choosing a new leader. Argento's film is horror as art – a stylish Technicolor nightmare that assaults the eyes and ears. Guadagnino's Suspiria is a stately arthouse horror that runs an icy talon slowly down your spine. Set in a divided Berlin, 1977, where the terrorist actions of the Red Army are rocking the city, American

convincing prosthetics) is investigating the disappearance of former Markos dancer Patricia (Chloë Grace Moretz), who vanished after babbling stories of witchery to him. Eschewing the original's vibrant colours and jangling Goblin score, the new Suspiria is an incredibly bleak and seriously sinister experience, with melancholic compositions by Radiohead's ThomYorke accentuating the horrors that crawl out of the dark. (The more dedicated Euro-horror buffs out there will be reminded of Andrzej Zulawski's Possession ). However, it wouldn't be Suspiria without a number of memorably violent set pieces. In one bone-crunching sequence, a victim is contorted into a human pretzel in synch with ritualised dance movements, and the grotesque and blood-soaked final act comes close to matching the aesthetic and tone of Argento's film.

RATING KEY: Wow! Good Not bad Meh Woof!

If your idea of a great horror film is the Conjuring Universe, you're going to hate Suspiria . This is a heavy and heady brew that requires total immersion in its wickedly weird world, and definitely not for all tastes. Malevolent, mesmerising and

student Susie Bannion (Dakota Fanning) arrives at the Markos Dance Company to begin her training under the austere Madame Blanc (a perfectly cast Tilda Swinton), who begins grooming Susie for a sinister purpose. Meanwhile, Dr. Josef Klemperer (credited as Lutz Ebersdorf but actually Swinton buried beneath

magnificent, Suspiria is not only the best horror film of the year, but also one of the best remakes of a genre classic. Scott Hocking

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PREMIERE AT HOME MOREMOVIES STRAIGHT TOTHE COMFORTOF YOUR COUCH!

A teen comes into possession of a new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is not only watching him, but will also do anything to get it back. RELEASE DATE November 21 CAST Rebecca Rittenhouse, Colin Woodell & Betty Gabriel In themood for DEADLY TERROR

*

The film that helped define a genre in its characters, look, sound, and feel – is reimagined with Director X, director of legendary music videos (Drake, Rihanna), introducing it to a new generation. RELEASE DATE November 21 CAST Addison Timlin, Joely Richardson, Jeremy Irvine & Harrison Gilbertson In themood for GANGSTER THRILLS

A supervirus has turned humankind into highly intelligent, streamlined killers, and an asymptomatic victim who can communicate with the infected must lead the last survivors on a hunt for Patient Zero and a cure. Release date November 7 Cast Natalie Dormer, Stanley Tucci & Matt Smith In themood for THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Set in 18th century London, Mary is a teenage dreamer determined to make her mark on the world when she meets the dashing and brilliant poet Percy Shelley. During their stay at Lord Byron’s house, the idea of Frankenstein is conceived when a challenge is put to all houseguests to write a ghost story. Release date November 14 Cast Elle Fanning, Maisie Williams & Douglas Booth In themood for an INTOXICATING TRUE STORY

Jake Carter and former Marine, Luke Trapper, join forces to rescue a kidnapped girl being held prisoner by a dangerous gang of international criminals, soon finding themselves in the crosshairs as they bring her kidnappers to justice. Release date November 21 Cast Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin, Shawn Michaels & Rebecca Quin (aka Becky Lynch) In themood for ADRENALINE-PUMPINGACTION

A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in a beautiful nature reserve, rarely making contact with the world. But when a small mistake tips them off to authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey in search of a place to call their own. Release date November 21 Cast Thomasin McKenzie & Ben Foster In themood for THOUGHT PROVOKINGDRAMA

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A STAR IS BORN RELEASED: Oct 18 DIRECTOR: Bradley Cooper CAST: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Marlon Williams RATING: M

SCREENING IN NOVEMBER 2018

A timeless love story is passionately reborn.

There’s a reason this is the fourth time A Star Is Born has been made into a major motion picture. Aside from that perennial fantasy of being whisked away from your ho-hum existence by a megastar, the narrative can be neatly updated into whichever scene the current era most idolises. This time around it’s the tour-heavy modern music jag, with Bradley Cooper as the messed- up and mumbling rockstar Jackson Maine and Lady Gaga as spunky aspiring musician Ally, whom the former happens to see performing in a drag bar when he stumbles in one drunken night. Gaga offers an impressive evolution of

personality over the course of the film; in its beginnings when Ally is closer to Gaga’s own Stefani Joanne Germanotta self, she’s adorably incredulous. When her career’s on the ascent and she’s harshly reprimanded for sending her dancers off-stage, her face falls, and it’s heartbreaking. As she begins to take control of her destiny, her features gain resolve but they don’t harden – she manages to convince us that her character’s love for Jackson is the golden thread and absolute constant of her life. You’d have to be stone not to be moved when Ally first throws caution to the wind and walks on stage after Jackson’s spontaneous invitation – filmed by Cooper in very close-up, mobile shots which move in-step with Ally, with the heaving festival crowd looking just about ready to tsunami the stage – and Cooper and Gaga do have chemistry, which makes the story’s anguished moments genuinely stirring. The film also presents as a kind of eulogy for the apparently dying art of ‘real musicianship’ in the epoch of stadium pop tours. It’s a little lumbering as an allegory, but don’t think about that angle too hard – it’s the only thing bringing down this otherwise very entertaining, cannily-shot, moving update to a timeless story. Zoé Radas – is ready and waiting for him. Wearing the trauma of the past like her own mask, Laurie has been preparing for this very night, and Jamie Lee Curtis rises to the occasion as if she’s harbouring a personal grudge. Nevermind that she killed him in Halloween H20 (1998) – this latest chapter ignores the events of all prior sequels to serve as a direct follow-up to the original. What it isn’t is another generic slasher film aimed at the teen market. Director David Gordon Green has eschewed jump scares and cheap shocks in favour of the slow-build suspense and shadowy milieu that distinguished Carpenter’s film. The bodycount is higher, the kills brutal without being gratuitous, and Michael’s murderous MO is as measured and methodical as that of his younger self. When you consider he’s now a sixty-something maniac in a Shatner mask, he’s even creepier. This Halloween resurrection is a worthy sequel-cum-reimagination that will satisfy fans, paying respectful homage to the original without blatant fan service. The only real gripe is a surprise and unnecessary twist that simply doesn’t work at all. Scott Hocking

Rami Malek's uncanny transformation into Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is just one of the highlights awaiting audiences in this hugely anticipated rock biopic that chronicles Freddie and the band's rise in the ten years leading up to their legendary appearance at the 1985 Live Aid concert. Then of course there is the killer line-up of classic Queen tracks. Look up to the screen and see on Nov 1 . BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

This time around, Adonis Creed is training for his next big bout, against an opponent with ties to his family’s past – the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Back in the ring on Nov 29 . CREED II

RELEASED: Oct 25 DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green CAST: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Will Patton RATING: MA15+ HALLOWEEN

A welcome homecoming for the horror franchise.

This might sound like faint praise, but the new Halloween is the best film in the long-running franchise since John Carpenter’s 1978 original. It also restores Michael Myers’ status as the ultimate screen boogeyman after numerous lame sequels reduced him to a stereotypical masked maniac. 40 years after he stalked babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) on Halloween night and murdered her friends, Michael has once again escaped from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, only this time Laurie – now a survivalist grandma

The timeless tale returns with Kingsman 's Taron Egerton as the legendary archer, Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Jamie Foxx as Little John. Robbing from the rich on Nov 22 . ROBIN HOOD

Joel Edgerton's second film as director is a powerful insight into a gay teenager's ordeal in a church-supported conversion program. Find out why you can't simply pray away the gay on Nov 8 . BOY ERASED

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