STACK #186 Apr 2020

FILM REVIEWS

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Time is the enemy. 1917

Release Date: 22/04/20 Format:

TOP HITS

EXTRAS

DVD & BD

Feature commentary with Director Sam Mendes Feature commentary with DOP Roger Deakins The Weight of the World: Sam Mendes Allied Forces: Making 1917 The Score of 1917

1917 follows two young soldiers during World War I, who are tasked with delivering a vital message to a distant British regiment that are about to unknowingly walk into a German trap. 1600 lives depend on the boys successfully making it through no man’s land alive, and the clock is ticking… Masterfully shot to create the illusion of one long, continuous take, this is an incredibly immersive and often gruelling induction into the

BD/4K ONLY

In the Trenches Recreating History

Dunkirk . The personal approach drives home the horror of war and the humanity that is frequently overwhelmed by the visual spectacle of battle. Some films you watch, others you experience, and 1917 falls into the latter category. Technically complex and narratively simple, this is exemplary filmmaking that celebrates heroism, and cinema as an art form. SH (See page 24)

theatre of war, with viewers anxiously navigating the circuitous trenches and muddy battlefields alongside the protagonists. Dutifully capturing the spirit of his grandfather’s experiences in the Great War, filmmaker Sam Mendes has crafted a cinematic pressure cooker that evokes the intimacy and sustained intensity of

4K UHD + Blu-ray Steelbook (while stocks last)

One battle turned the tide of war. MIDWAY

Release Date: 29/04/20 Format:

TOP HITS

EXTRAS

BD/4K ONLY

Audio Commentary by Director Roland Emmerich Getting It Right: The Making of Midway The Men of Midway Roland Emmerich: Man on a Mission Turning Point: The Legacy of Midway Joe Rochefort: Breaking the Japanese Code We Met at Midway: Two Survivors Remember

Midway is the type of war film that was made in the 1960s, where action and adventure took a front seat, with American patriotism at the wheel. Director Roland Emmerich has delivered big blockbusters like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow , and with its gigantic set pieces and wall-to- wall action, Midway is an equally

FURTHER VIEWING

Midway (1976)

extravagant spectacle. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, between 1941 and ‘42, the film chronicles the period between the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent American retaliation at Midway, from the intelligence and command procedures on the ground to the sea and air efforts at the heart of the conflict. Emmerich’s penchant for over-

indulgence makes for a breathtaking and compelling action epic, with missiles, explosions and fighter planes dancing across the screen in an orchestrated tango. If you can imagine a film that lies somewhere between the ornateness of Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor and the marvel of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk , you’ll have a good idea of what to expect here. GC

32 APRIL 2020

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