STACK #253 November 2025

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Rob Reiner was Stephen King’s golden boy ( Stand By Me, Misery ), then Frank Darabont ( Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile ). Now it’s Mike Flanagan’s turn. After Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game , he adapts The Life of Chuck , transforming the supernatural into a soulful meditation on life, death, and what gives them meaning. Let’s look at three of his distinct trademarks… Death and legacy Flanagan often explores mortality, from The Haunting of Hill House ’s grief to Midnight Mass ’s faith. The Life of Chuck pushes this further, telling a life in reverse and showing how one person’s existence echoes through others, confronting death with awe. Supernatural metaphor Flanagan’s supernatural elements are symbolic, often reflecting trauma, guilt, or longing. In The Life of Chuck , the apocalyptic, reality-bending story likely serves as emotional mirrors for Chuck’s inner world, making the uncanny deeply personal, not mere spectacle. Multilayered narrative Flanagan loves complex narratives – interweaving past, present, and future, or multiple perspectives. The Life of Chuck ’s reverse-life structure and Doctor Sleep ’s dual timelines follow this tradition, just as Hill House ’s timelines and Midnight Mass ’s slow reveals exemplify his style. MIKE FLANAGAN

NOVEMBER

’ s ROVING REPORTER

What’s a movie you saw as a child that has left a lasting impression on you? Toy Story . Both the first and second. Both are still a comfort watch. Some genuine timeless classics. What’s one of your all-time favourite films, and why? Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa. I had the pleasure of seeing it at Dendy Cinemas and it was a phenomenal piece of cinema. What’s one of your all-time favourite TV series, and why? Twin Peaks . Boy, oh boy! I still don’t know what happened in The Return series, but those original two seasons are some top tier TV. What have you been watching lately that you’d recommend? I just finished Better Call Saul , a brilliant follow up to Breaking Bad . A strong recommendation. Great characters, powerful moments, and all round stellar.

FUN FACT

JACK COLMAN @ JB Bundall, QLD

Harrison Ford played the school principal in Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra Terrestrial , but his scenes were removed from the final cut.

What’s the best thing about working at JB? The team. An amazing bunch of people to survive the trials and tribulations of retail with on a daily basis.

QUIZ

Q7 Who played the title role in The Wizard of Oz ? Q8 In which film does a computer utter the line “Everything’s under control, Dave”? Q9 Audrey Hepburn’s final film appearance portrayed her as an angel. Title please. Q10 Which film celebrates a music festival that took place in the state of New York that became a capstone for the 1960s?

character Harry Palmer? Q3 Name the actor who has portrayed Hans Christian Andersen and the trumpeter Red Nicholls onscreen? Q4 In which movie did Tom Cruise take Dustin Hoffman to Las Vegas? Q5 What was the name of the sssassin known as The Man with the Golden Gun ? Q6 Name the movie that featured Martin Sheen’s character seeking Marlon Brando’s character?

Hollywood is turning to nostalgia again, this time reviving the beloved 1980s series Murder, She Wrote . The classic mystery, originally starring Angela Lansbury as author-turned-sleuth Jessica Fletcher, will see Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis take on the role, solving murders in the quaint town of Cabot Cove, Maine. The film is being developed by Lauren Schuker Blum ( Dumb Money , TV’s Orange Is the New Black ) with Hollywood producer Amy Pascal leading the project, aiming to blend classic charm with modern storytelling. IN DEVELOPMENT

Q1 “ Snakes...why does it always have to be snakes? ” is a line from which 1981 adventure movie? Q2 Which was the first movie to feature the

OCTOBER 2025 (Issue 252) ANSWERS - A1. The Go-Between A2. Sean Connery A3. Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in Barefoot in the Park A4. The Silence of the Lambs (in fact it won a total of five Academy Awards) A5. High Noon A6. Alan Rickman A7. Nakatomi Plaza A8. Pulp Fiction A9. Barbara Stanwyck in Billy Wilder’s classic movie Double Indemnity A10. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

20 NOVEMBER 2025

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