STACK #188 June 2020

All the hottest life tech to brighten up your life inside and out. Plus the best in movies, music and games from the unforgettable decade of the nineties.

YOUR TO FILM, TV, MUSIC, GAMING & LIFE TECH ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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ISSUE 188 Jun ’20

STACK Issue 188 JUNE 2020

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ISSUE 188 Jun ’20

M STAY CONNECTED Our tech picks will keep you in touch THE HOTTEST TECH OF 2020 Tech for the home and beyond I N D INSIDE I N D

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Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & TV Editor Scott Hocking CONTRIBUTORS

ISSUE 188 JUN

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Music Editor Zoë Radas Online Editor Amy Flower

Creative Director Gary Siewert Movies Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Music Consultant Mike Glynn Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones, Gill Pringle Contributors Bryget Chrisfield, Glenn Cochrane, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Nathan Lawrence, Jake Cleland, Tim Lambert, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Anthony Horan, Nicholas Kennedy, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom, Bec Summer Social Media Manager Imogene Lewis-Granland 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, 2020 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

WELCOME

“Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren’t happy with the design and you want changes. It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be… #sonicmovie #gottafixfast.” That was the message tweeted by Sonic the Hedgehog director, Jeff Fowler, in response to the tsunami of criticism levelled at the film when the first trailer dropped in late April, 2019. Totally disgruntled and angered by the unusual appearance of Sonic, fans took to the internet to scream their dissatisfaction through every available digital portal with a conduit through to Sega and Paramount. It worked. The film was consequently delayed until 2020 and the art department put back to work to shape the famous blue hedgehog into an acceptable design. Well, this month it drops in JB Hi-Fi and we speak one-on-one with Jeff Fowler. We also caught up with writer-director Leigh Whannell when he was in town to promote his innovative take on The Invisible Man . Eschewing the floating hat and bandaged figure of the 1933 version, the Aussie filmmaker has reimagined this classic tale as a gripping exercise in sustained suspense that shifts the perspective from the invisible villain to the victim, resulting in an unbearably tense and terrifying thriller. In a big month for movies, we also chat with Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce, Kevin Smith and Chris Pratt, and then take a trip back in time to celebrate the defining films and TV series of the 1990s. If you’re looking for home entertainment in June, we’ve got it in spades. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

The large print giveth, the small print taketh away. “I hoped todaywould be a good day.Hope is a dangerous thing.”

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ISSUE 188 JUN

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ISSUE 188 Jun ’20

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YOUR MONTHLY MUSIC GUIDE TO WHAT’S IN-STORE AT hot

NEWS 8 LIFETECH MOVIES & TV 10 ROVING REPORTER 12 LOCAL HERO 14 BOB J’S CLASSIC 16 - 17 SONICTHE HEDGEHOG 18 - 19 THE INVISIBLE MAN 20 - 21 BLOODSHOT 22 ONWARD 24 JAY & SILENT BOB REBOOT 26 THE CALL OFTHEWILD 30 - 37 REVIEWS INC. 4K

LIFE TECH 40 WELCOME PAGE 41 - 44 STAY CONNECTED 46 - 50 COOL INDOOR TECH 52 - 56 COOL OUTDOOR TECH 58 CONTENT CREATION 60 - 61 TAXTIMETECH 62 WHAT’S NEWAT JB

MUSIC 67 DONNY BENÉT 70 GUM 71 GORDI 72 OCEAN ALLEY 73 MCCLYMONTS 74 - 76 NINETIES 78 THIS MONTH AT JB 80 - 82 MUSIC REVIEWS

GAMING 3

ROVING REPORTER, GAMING HISTORY 4 DEAR DUKE 6 - 7 THE LAST OF US PT II 8 - 9 ESPORTS 10 - 12 NINETIES GAMES 14 OUTTHIS MONTH 16 STACK RECOMMENDS

Hot Tech for indoor and outdoors - we’ve got you covered from pg 39

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MORE SPEED ON THE CARDS

TEEV ON THE TERRACE

The Terrace also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability, and is compatible with both Google Assistant and Alexa. Despite the need for weather protection, which can often add all the aesthetic niceties of an army tank, the Terrace still looks the goods, with subtle bezels and sleek lines. It looks even better with the matching newTerrace Soundbar, which Samsung promises packs enough oomph for outdoor viewing with a little help from its distortion cancelling technology. Look out for the Samsung Terrace in time for this year’s Aussie summer.

I f you want to be a more outdoorsy type, but the fear of TV separation is just a bit too much, Samsung now have the telly for you! They’ve unveiled the latest entry in their lifestyle series, the Samsung Terrace. Set to be available in 55, 65 and 75-inch sizes, these 4K QLED sets have been specially designed to be

water and dust resistant, with super-bright screens to combat that pesky sun on clearer days. The Terrace will be easy to connect, even to the point of only requiring one cable by utilising its built-in HDBaseT receiver. HDBaseT is a single- wire system which can carry video, audio and power over reasonably long distances.

T echnology improves sometimes forget how slow going almost anything techy was even a few years ago. Memory cards are just one example of continued improvements being made both in storage capacity and sheer speed – and if you want more of the latter, we’ve got good news. Arbiters of memory card standards The SD Association have unveiled a new 8.0 specification for SD Express memory cards. Bottom line? These can handle speeds of almost four gigabytes a second – around four times that of 7.x spec cards. Good news indeed for those of us into 4K or even 8K video. The bad news? Manufacturers need to make them, and devices have to support them. so quickly that you can

LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS APPLE

T here’s been a bit more rumour leakage at Apple recently, with apparent details divulged of their smart glasses, which we reckon will probably be called “Apple Glasses” or similar, because why complicate things? While Google had their Google Glass and virtual reality headsets

most of us are familiar already. Beyond the addicts who buy based on brand name alone, the key to Apple’s further foray into wearable tech will likely be price point. Rumours have their glasses – which will house two active screens - sitting at around the US$499 price point, before any additions such as prescription lenses.

have seen an impressive take-up by tech-hungry types, Apple have sat back, letting the odd rumour happen, but not confirming or denying anything. But, as you may have noticed, devices such as the iPhone and iPad have been introducing more and more AR-friendly features – this tech being “Augmented Reality”, whereby you look at the real world with digital bits added, like Pokémon Go for example, or the AR cards that came packed years ago with Nintendo’s 3DS handheld games console. Much of this would likely be achieved via the use of easily scanned QR codes, with which

Keeping price – and bulk - down would also be aided by using a coupled iPhone as the main source of computing power. Will everyday people happily wear high-tech specs though? The Apple Watch was a fairly easy sell, as it just looked like a watch. Will the key to the success of Apple’s glasses be making them look like classically-styled prescription spectacles, or will they go the full future Doc Brown? There’s even talk of a round-framed "Steve Jobs Heritage" limited release. So, is there any basis to these rumours? Watch this space…

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“Since studying film, I’ve gotten into more weird, indie stuff,” he explains. “I’m intrigued by movies that push the boundaries and go beyond the mainstream – I like to watch something that really makes me think.” That hasn’t always been the case, however, as Corey comes clean on a past guilty pleasure. “When I was growing up, for some reason I was obsessed with the shark movie Deep Blue Sea ! I couldn’t tell you why,” he

laughs, “but I used to watch that movie all the time.” Nowadays, Corey is checking out flicks like Vox Lux and Paradise Hills when he isn’t geeking out over two of the best sci-fi series on TV – Battlestar Galactica and The Expanse . “At the moment I’m bingeing Battlestar Galactica for the seventh time. It’s one of my favourite shows. The original ‘70s version was very campy but in the reboot there’s this massive shift in tone and the characters; it’s just beautifully written and stunning.” Upon discovering that RR shares a mutual love of The Expanse series and books, there is much comparing of notes before Corey adds, “It’s the BSG of this decade – I’ve been recommending it to everyone at work.“ As for the tastes of JB shoppers in Merrylands, Corey says the store has an older demographic that loves the classics, as well as new releases like The Good Liar and Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears . Horror is also a popular genre, particularly with younger customers (echoing a nationwide trend), although it’s not exactly Corey’s cup of tea. “I’ll watch it, but I’m petrified of horror films,” he admits. “We have people coming in asking for A Quiet Place and I’m like, “That movie terrified me, why are you asking for this?”

SHOP TALK

S tudying media arts, Technology – together with his position as media advisor at JB’s Merrylands store in Sydney’s west – has taught Corey Dale a thing or two about movies. production and directing at the University of

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Corey Dale at JB Merrylands, NSW

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He has also ventured into the world of superheroes with Marvel’s Iron Man 3 (2013) and now Bloodshot alongside Vin Diesel’s supersoldier, whose memories have been manipulated. Indeed, the concept of Bloodshot reminded Pearce of his role in Memento . “There’s disconnect between who we think we are and

A native of Geelong, Victoria, Guy Pearce is one of our busiest actors. Like many of his contemporaries, he honed his craft at an early age with a stint on Neighbours from 1986-89 (and later, Home Away ), before making his film debut in the Australian music drama Heaven Tonight in 1990. Following a memorable performance as drag queen Adam/Felicia in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), he hit the Hollywood big time in Curtis Hanson’s acclaimed crime drama L.A. Confidential (1997) and Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Memento (2000). Pearce’s resume of film and TV appearances is lengthy and diverse, spanning local productions like The Proposition (2005) and Animal Kingdom (2010), and US work in The Hurt Locker (2008) and Prometheus (2012). Having traversed a variety of genres and characters over the last 30 years, does he ever find it challenging to transition from one to another? “As long as there’s enough time in between. If I go from one job to another too quickly, that can be GUY PEARCE

a little dangerous because you can bring some of the previous character into your current character,” he tells STACK . “So I find it’s good to be myself for a while, regroup, and then find a new character separate from the one I’ve done previously.” When we ask if he has a preference for a particular genre, Pearce says it’s ultimately about the character. “It’s whether I feel I can do something genuinely – give a character the honesty it deserves. Years ago I was much less inclined to do things that felt

Memento

the memories that we have,” he explains. “In Bloodshot we look at the idea that Vin’s character’s memories are being created for him, and I saw a slightly futuristic, highly technological version of Memento there.”

like popcorn movies... just entertainment. I think I was trying to prove a point to myself. Whereas these days I feel a lot more confident about what I’m capable of doing. I’m just really open to what the universe brings. If it’s a sci-fi film or a straight drama or comedy, then great!”

Moreover, parallels can be drawn between his character in Iron Man 3 , Aldrich Killian, and Dr. Emil Harting in Bloodshot . What is it he likes about playing mad scientist roles? “The idea of playing someone who is seemingly pulling the strings, some sort of godlike figure, is an idea that fascinates me. It could be because I have no charge over anybody, so maybe this is a chance to feel like I’ve

I’m just really open to what the universe brings, If it’s a sci-fi film or a straight drama, then great!

got some sense of control,” he laughs. “I can see the link between Killian and Emil Harting, but they are different personalities.” When we pitch the idea of an all-Australian superhero and what his qualities might be, Pearce pauses to consider. “There would have to be some good Aussie qualities – he’d probably have to barrack for an Aussie Rules football team, and I’m sure he would drink beer,” he offers. “I’d have to think about it, but there’s bound to be one we could create. I may be a bit too old for it now though, but we’ll see.”

Bloodshot

Bloodshot is out on June 3

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PREMIERE AT HOME MOREMOVIES STRAIGHT TOTHE COMFORTOF YOUR COUCH!

Jay and Silent Bob embark on a cross-country mission to stop Hollywood from filming a reboot based on them. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST Kevin Smith & Jason Mewes In the mood for a HILARIOUS COMEDY

A couple’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST Daniel Kaluuya & Jodie Turner-Smith In the mood for a MODERN LOVE STORY ON THE RUN

Unaware of the terrifying history of Heelshire Mansion, a young family moves into a guest house on the estate where their young son soon makes an unsettling new friend, an eerily life-like doll he calls Brahms. RELEASE DATE June 3 CAST Katie Holmes, Ralph Ineson

A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway & Tim Robbins In themood for an EDGE -OF - YOUR - SEAT DRAMA

& Christopher Convery In themood for an EERIE HORROR

A young possum’s misguided wish for a white Wishmas freezes her entire hometown of Sanctuary City and

A woman grieving over the death of her daughter loses grip of reality when she begins to think her girl may still be alive. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST Noomi Rapace, Rebecca Bower & Luke Evans In themood for an INTENSE PSYCHOLOGICALTHRILLER

threatens all who live there. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST Miranda Tapsell & Ross Noble In themood for an AUSSIE FAMILYANIMATION

International art dealer Ron Hall must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them

The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST K.J. Apa & Britt Robertson In themood for a FEEL-GOOD ROMANCE

on the journey of their lives. RELEASE DATE June 17 CAST Greg Kinnear, Renée Zellweger

& Djimon Hounsou In themood for FEEL-GOODHAPPINESS

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HEAT (1995) Directed by MICHAELMANN

robbery, executes one of the guards. The gang then shoot the other two guards to leave no witnesses. Hannah and his LAPD team investigating the robbery and homicide eventually identify McCauley‘s crew through an ex-con informer, and place them all under close surveillance. McCauley knows that the police are watching his every move but decides to go ahead with one final heist before leaving the US for a new life in New Zealand.

TRIVIA: The scenes of the running gun battle

immediately after the bank robbery were used as a training tool for US Marines as a near example of effective fire, manoeuvre, rapid magazine reloading, and the proper way to retreat whilst under fire.

H eist movies are crime dramas in which professional criminals plan and execute a clever, audacious but ultimately unsuccessful robbery. The gang either have a fatal falling out or make a mistake that inevitably leads to their arrest, or more often their demise. One of the most thrilling heist films to come out of Hollywood was Michael Mann‘s almost three- hour epic, Heat (1995). Mann‘s film originated as the 1989 TV movie L.A. Takedown , which was a proposed pilot for a television police series that never materialised. Mann got the basic story for his TV film from an ex-policeman friend who told him about a chance meeting he‘d had, over a cup of coffee, with an ex-Alcatraz inmate who was a career thief. While establishing an immediate rapport and respect for each others professionalism, they both verbally acknowledged that, if necessary, they would not hesitate to kill the other in a showdown. Some months later, the cop was called to an armed

Angst-ridden and volatile, Hanna becomes obsessed with the case, which helps him escape the reality of his failing third marriage. Disciplined master thief McCauley, however, lives by the axiom of not getting attached to anything that he is not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if he feels the heat around the corner. Both cop and crook are temperamental opposites but in fact are joined together by their professionalism and mutual admiration. Both are driven and violent men, good at what they do and unable to imagine doing anything else. This is specifically

Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in the running gun battle scene

highlighted in the now celebrated diner scene, when Hannah invites McCauley to have a cup of coffee with him (the first time Pacino and De Niro shared the screen together, delivering a masterclass in acting). McCauley and his crew‘s decision to carry out their final bank heist leads to a mind-blowing urban gun battle in downtown LA that ranks amongst the best action scenes ever filmed. Heat is primarily driven by the characters and their private lives rather than strictly by the plot. Subsequently, Mann was able to draw compelling performances from both of his stars and a strong supporting cast that includes Tom Sizemore, Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd and Jon Voight. Over 25 years the film has continued to grow in stature, with a vast number of film critics now simply describing it as “the greatest cops and robbers movie ever made“.

Al Pacino and De Niro in the famous “diner scene“

robbery taking place in a Chicago supermarket and saw that very same thief exiting the store. The thief raised his gun, which misfired, and the unhesitating cop shot him dead. Due to severe budget and time restrictions, Mann was only able to produce a standard television film in the style of his popular Miami Vice TV series. However, Takedown served as a blueprint for the more expansively developed Heat, featuring the same characters and a similar plot. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, who were Mann‘s first choice, signed on

for the roles of detective Vincent Hanna and professional thief Neil McCauley, respectively. Heat begins with a tense scene of an armoured car robbery carried out by McCauley and his crew. But the robbery goes disastrously wrong, precipitated by the actions of a psycho, who having joined the crew for just this one

Join STACK ‘s resident filmhistorian Bob J and our community of cinema buffs to have your say eachmonth in ‘ Bob J‘s Classic Movie Club ‘ Facebook group.

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STACK chats with director Jeff Fowler about bringing Sega’s iconic video game mascot to the big screen for the very first time in Sonic the Hedgehog . Words Gill Pringle “S onic is an icon of social distancing,” teases Jeff Fowler, director of the live-action comedy Sonic the Hedgehog . He’s not entirely kidding, and sincere when he says he hopes the film’s home entertainment release brings some comfort to families during lockdown restrictions.

“This little blue hedgehog is a bright spot to take our minds off our troubles. My greatest hope is that for a little under two hours, families can simply enjoy the movie,” he says of the film based on the beloved blue video game character – the world’s speediest hedgehog. “The whole movie is about social distancing,” he argues. “Sonic has been forced into isolation and leads a very lonely life. We could all learn a lot from him.” Launched in 1991 by Sega – eager to compete with their rival Nintendo’s Mario – the Sonic video games went on to gross more than US$5 billion by 2014. Fowler was first introduced to the video game when he was 13, remaining a lifelong fan. “I don’t think I ever grew up. I’m still a teenager at heart. My body might have aged but all those things I

Director Jeff Fowler © Paramount Pictures 2020

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FEATURE FILM

THAT’S SONIC! NOT

In May 2019, the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog appeared, featuring a creepy blue CGI critter that bore little resemblance to the beloved Sega Sonic. Fans were justifiably freaked out and saturated the internet with their outrage. Following the backlash, the animators went back to the drawing board, creating a Sonic that actually looked like Sonic.

there’s a lot of different ways to approach the story. Story is everything and that is why movies get green- lit, because someone somewhere thought this is

enjoyed as a kid, I legitimately still enjoy. Comic books, video games, movies… “Sonic was a unique opportunity for me to combine my three passions – movies, video games and animation. Coming from a visual effects background, I’ve always loved what that can do for storytelling,” says the director who knows a few things about adorable animated creatures, receiving an Oscar nod for his 2004 short animated comedy Gopher Broke , and later working with Spike Jonze on Where the Wild Things Are . With James Marsden portraying Sonic’s unwitting saviour Tom, aka the Donut Lord, and Jim Carrey as Sonic’s nemesis, Dr. Robotnik, rumours circulated as to who would voice Sonic. Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg and Bill Hader were all early contenders, although with Deadpool director Tim Miller’s attachment as an executive

producer, fans debated if Ryan Reynolds might do the honours. “That would have been very weird given that he went on to voice Pikachu,” laughs the director when we talk in Los Angeles, each from our respective quarantines – Fowler holed up with his wife and 10-month-old son. Ben Schwartz, he says, was always his top choice for Sonic. “He was destined for this role. Even when we did a three-minute test movie for the studio back in 2017, it was Ben who voiced Sonic,” he says of the actor who has voiced various animated characters including Duck Tales and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , but is perhaps best known for his role in TV’s Parks and Recreation . If the video game has been around for three decades, then it’s taken a long time to bring the Blue Blur to the big screen. “I think it’s tricky to take on a character like this that’s been around for a really long time and

a great story to be told at this time, and then a lot of people are going to work really hard on bringing that story to audiences,” says Fowler. “But story is also deceptively tricky. When it’s done well, it looks so easy whereas in fact, it’s incredibly challenging.” In casting Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, he knew he would have an artistic ally. “Jim Carrey brings the greatest version of a director-actor collaboration. He was involved in every step of the film, going all the way back to costume design – even down to details like which sunglasses he should wear. He literally tried on 50 different pairs of shades in order to find the ones that were uniquely Robotnik. He’s just awesome and you want your actors to have that kind of investment in the character.” If Fowler has changed anything about the original Sonic, then he’s added a new emotional dynamic. “It was important to tell a story about friendship and loneliness and to just turn a few knobs on the character to give him a little more complexity.” Certainly Sonic the Hedgehog paves the way for sequels and Marsden is already committed to a future franchise. “Certainly that could be a possibility,” says Fowler. “Nothing is

certain. I’m using the lockdown to work on some ideas and write. Nothing would make me happier than to tell some more stories about our blue friend.”

• Sonic the Hedgehog is out on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray and DVD on June 3

Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik

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FILM FEATURE

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STACK caught up with writer-director LeighWhannell to discuss his innovative take on H.G.Wells’s classic tale. Words Scott Hocking

T he Invisible Man is Leigh Whannell’s latest collaboration with US production company Blumhouse, following the sci-fi/action hit Upgrade in 2018. Back home in Melbourne to promote the film, the Aussie actor- turned-filmmaker – who became a hot export in Hollywood following the success of Saw in 2004 – reveals he didn’t know what he wanted do next after completing Upgrade . “I knew I had been bitten by the action movie bug,” he tells STACK . “There’s something very fun and addictive about putting car chases and fight scenes together; that very kinetic, visceral kind of filmmaking. So I thought, now I’ll do the big budget version of Upgrade if I’m lucky enough, and then The Invisible Man came out of nowhere. “It was suggested to me; I wasn’t thinking about the Invisible Man in any way, shape or form,” he continues. “I had a meeting with

Australia – something he wasn’t anticipating. “When I wrote the script for The Invisible Man , producer Jason Blum said, ‘Okay, so we’re going back to Australia, right?’ because he’d had such a good experience with me shooting Upgrade in Melbourne. I hadn’t really been thinking of it as a film that would be shooting in Australia, but as an Australian, I’ll take any excuse to be here. “When you make a film, you’ve got to be here for five months, so I got to know Sydney in a way I never have before. And the crews you can get access to in Australia are like A-grade athletes – people who have worked on films for Martin Scorsese and George Miller,” he says, adding that it was gratifying that the ‘best of the best’ were working on his film. “Big films like Fury Road only come along once in a while, so they plug the gaps with independent films and that’s how you get access to these people.

Blumhouse and Universal and they started asking me what I wanted to do with that character and I kind of started making things up on the spot. But when I left the meeting, the ideas stayed with me and started growing like a

I wanted the audience to be uncomfortable... and holding their breath for two hours

tumour over the next few days; I could see the direction, and now here we are.” With production taking place in Sydney, Whannell jumped at the chance to return to

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Back in 2017, Universal were poised to launch a Marvel-like ‘Dark Universe’ that would revive the studio’s iconic monsters with a cast of A-listers attached, including Johnny Depp confirmed to play the Invisible Man. But when the Tom Cruise-led launch film The Mummy flopped at the box office, it was lights out for the Dark Universe. While the return of The Invisible Man this year suggests the studio may have revised its plans, Leigh Whannell confirms that this isn’t the case. “The way it was explained to me is that this is a one-off film. I never felt any pressure from Universal or Blumhouse to incorporate ideas from other movies, and I felt very free to make a stand-alone story and wasn’t micromanaged in that regard at all.” But if Whannell had the opportunity to put his stamp on another classic Universal monster, which one would he choose? “It’s funny, now that we’re here talking about this film, I would have to say that the Invisible Man was it,” he laughs. “In my mind, this was the character that presented the most opportunity. I love Dracula and the other iconic villains, but I feel that everything has been said about those characters that needed to be said. Whereas I felt the Invisible Man didn’t have the same cultural footprint as Dracula or Frankenstein, so there was the freedom to mess with it and bring it into a modern context.”

Eiza Gonzalez as KT

Elisabeth Moss & LeighWhannell

• The Invisible Man

is out on June 17

it as grounded as it possibly could be,” Whannell explains. “There have been many different iterations of the Invisible Man character. Indeed, the idea of invisibility has been explored in many films, but I felt that I hadn’t seen this version of The Invisible Man before. “I wanted to make something very cold and clinical that felt real. I was really inspired by the films of David Fincher – Gone Girl , The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Zodiac . He has this really interesting way of making thrillers that’s very clinical but beautiful.” Adding to her resume of traumatised characters, Moss delivers a committed performance, conveying fear in every glance and giving us a heroine to root for. So, how did she come to be involved with the project? “When it came time to cast the film, I realised that I had written a one-woman show – she’s literally in every scene. The list of actors who can carry a film like this on their shoulders – where you’re expected to lose your mind and go to these dark places – is a pretty short list, and I think Elisabeth is on there. She’s proven herself time and time again. “We sent her the script and suddenly I was on the phone to her, and it was kind of an awkward phone call because I was driving and my kids were in the back, screaming. So I was laughing and trying to play it down, but I couldn’t quite hear her. It wasn’t a good introduction but I spoke to her long enough to know that she’s hyper-intelligent and could pick the script apart and talk about it. “I also learned that she loves suspenseful movies and the thriller genre. When she makes The Handmaid’s Tale , she told me that her goal is to have the audience squirming, so she was really into the idea of us making The Invisible Man a really uncomfortable and stressful movie to watch. “I wanted this to be a suffocating experience from the first frame; I didn’t want to take the foot off the pedal. I wanted the audience to be uncomfortable from the very first second of the movie, and if I do my job well, holding their breath for two hours. Hopefully I’ve achieved that.”

Every day on set it was astounding to look at the crew and count off who had worked on what.” Although he was familiar with the original 1933 adaptation of H.G. Wells’s classic novel The Invisible Man , Whannell says that rebooting it wasn’t on his radar. “I would go through phases as a kid, which used to drive my Dad crazy. After a six-month Sherlock Holmes phase there would be a six- month Dracula phase, and that would finish and it would be James Bond, and it just kept going. I was an obsessive child,” he laughs. “The classic movie monsters were definitely a part of that period but I wouldn’t say that the original Invisible Man film was a touchstone for me that I was really looking to investigate.” The character had been revitalised in 2000 by director Paul Verhoeven, in the gory sci-fi-horror Hollow Man , but Whannell’s take on the Invisible Man fits more comfortably into the suspense- thriller category, incorporating topical themes of domestic violence and stalking. Elisabeth Moss ( The Handmaid’s Tal e) plays the protagonist, who after fleeing an abusive relationship discovers that her wealthy scientist ex has taken his own life. Or has he? Convinced she is being stalked by an invisible presence, she must convince those around her that she isn’t paranoid and that the unseen threat is very real… “I wanted to modernise the character and make

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The popular Valiant Comics’ character, Bloodshot, comes alive on the screen in the shape of a perfectly cast Vin Diesel.

US Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) was killed in action and reanimated using nanotechnology, investing him with enhanced strength and instantaneous regenerative powers. The company behind his resurrection, Rising Spirit Technologies (RST) – headed by Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce) – also controls his memories and consequently, Ray doesn’t know what is real and what has been implanted. “He’s a badass soldier with unique abilities due to the nanites in his blood, but what's fascinating about the character is that he's motivated by something we've all been motivated by – the love he can’t forget,” explains Diesel. “And what's tragic about the character is how that love is manipulated into betrayal.” Valiant Comics is renowned for presenting superheroes that are simply ordinary people

between Bloodshot and other superheroes is that he’s more complex, complicated, and more emotional. “For so much of the journey, he’s not sure if he’s doing good or if he’s doing bad – there’s incredible internal conflict in his character. And Vin is the perfect person to play that, because Vin is internal – he agonises over every decision about what makes a character great. So much of what makes him such a good actor and such a great action hero is organic to the Bloodshot character.” Director David S. F. Wilson, making his feature debut with Bloodshot , adds: “This is a completely different character from anything Vin has ever played before. He is obviously as physically formidable as Vin’s other characters, but from an emotional standpoint, he is very vulnerable… and he’s broken. Vin was genuinely excited about articulating that, so I knew he’d be perfect for the role.”

thrust into extraordinary situations, and it was this grounded and vulnerable aspect that appealed to Diesel. “I’ve never seen a character like this – someone who can be focused exclusively on the mission, but you in the audience are feeling for him, because you know that the company is exploiting him. His motives are good, so you just want to see him get what he wants. “I feel that anyone can identify with feeling manipulated. As we watch the news in our daily lives there are so many moments that we're feeling force-fed or being manipulated. I like the idea of a hero with powers whose real battle is against that. “If you ask guys in the military who their favourite comic book character is, it’s Bloodshot,” he adds. “Ray’s core values are the core values of anyone that's ever served. Producer Neal H. Moritz notes the difference

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FEATURE FILM

At the heart of the movie is the unconventional love story that develops between Bloodshot and KT (Eiza Gonzalez), who has been similarly enhanced with a mechanical respiratory device after suffering an injury during service. “It’s not a love story per se, it’s an unusual dynamic,” Gonzalez explains. “There’s a scene in the water that’s like a metaphor for what it is – there’s always like glass between them and they can’t fully be themselves.

• Bloodshot is out on June 3

It’s tragic in a very Romeo and Juliet kind of way. There are circumstances in the movie

Eiza Gonzalez as KT

that cause them to be not completely there for each other. What’s lovely about the relationship is that it’s platonic in a way that comes through the humanity of it.” Then there is ex-Navy SEAL Jimmy Dalton, played by Outlander star Sam Heughan – a long way from

Ultimately, however, it was Diesel’s young son that convinced him to take the part. “I’m a firm believer that some of the best wisdom comes from the innocence of children,” the actor says. “The first meeting that I had for this project, I brought my son along. And at the end of the meeting he said, ‘Daddy, you are Bloodshot,’ and that was enough for me to

He’s a badass soldier with unique abilities

the Scottish highlands. Having lost his legs in an IED explosion, Dalton has been fitted with bionic limbs and an exoskeleton with a second pair of metallic arms that gives him a formidable advantage. “I jumped at the chance to do something different and this character is so much fun to play,” says the actor who is also a sometime marathon runner. “The action and physical side was definitely a draw.” Heughan observes that although Bloodshot pushes technology to the extreme, it’s not so far removed from the kind of technology that is restoring abilities to today’s wounded soldiers. “Dalton is obviously a product of this technology, but I don’t believe it’s that futuristic,” he says. “It’s very much based in reality and the now.” Wilson concurs that Bloodshot represents concepts that may not be too far away from reality – for better or worse. “Obviously we’re already seeing people with advanced prosthetics. Right now, those prosthetics are still inferior to human limbs – but the day will come when they’re superior. You’ll be able to buy strength. What’s more terrifying is when you can buy intelligence, because we’ll be defined by what we can afford. There’s a term for it – ‘transhumanism’ – where we’re able to alter ourselves beyond the physical and neurological limits we’re born with. And those are some of the questions [raised in] the film.”

move the family to South Africa and commit to it wholeheartedly. “That’s the second time he’s done that,” he adds with a smile. “When Marvel sent over a whole bunch of superheroes, my son was the only one in the room who pointed to the tree. And I looked at him and said, ‘Really?’ And that turned out to be a delightful choice.”

Sam Heughan as Dalton

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• Onward is out on June 3

so much because he’s only ever been super encouraging. “This brotherhood is so special and also the reason why grown men have

come up to me saying, ‘Wow, I was really moved and cried’. I think the reason why is because it celebrates a love between brothers that oftentimes is not seen in movies; instead you see the older brother who doesn’t let his kid brother hang out with him; who won’t take his little brother to school; who says, ‘Get out of here, you twerp’.” For Holland, featuring in a Pixar movie was a dream come true. “For every young actor, you set out goals. I set out mine when I was a kid, and they’re still the same today – and one of them was being in a Pixar movie,” he says, recalling how the Pixar team flew out to London to pitch Onward . “I was so honoured. This is the first time anyone has come to me. And it was Pixar! You don’t say no to Pixar.” Ask Holland whom he would like to bring back from the dead for one day – echoing the themes of Onward – and he says, “I would bring back my great grandfather. My granddad Bob never really met his own dad because he passed away

Playing animated elf brothers in Pixar’s new feature Onward wasn’t a stretch for Chris Pratt andTom Holland. Words Gill Pringle “L et’s talk about the chemistry here!” hollers Chris Pratt when STACK meets him in Beverly Hills, talking Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles and unimaginable discoveries. But

when he was 18 months old, so then my granddad would have the opportunity to meet his dad.” As for Pratt, he says, “I would bring back my dad, who passed away just before Guardians of the Galaxy came out. I would show him Guardians and, if he didn’t like it, I would bring back a known criminal and beat him up on Instagram Live!” Pratt hopes that Onward inspires viewers to take their own road trip. “The really good thing I discovered when I was learning to drive was that the chunk of cement closest to your house connects to every major monument in this country through a system of roads… with an automobile

DID YOU KNOW?

• The fast-food restaurant The Burger Shire has a sign reading, "Now serving

about his relationship with animated screen bro Tom Holland in Pixar’s magical movie, Onward . “You throw together two chemicals and there’s a heat; an explosion sometimes,” he laughs. “Chris and I were already very close before we made this, so it was almost like we were just playing ourselves,” echoes Holland. Voicing teenage elves Ian (Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Pratt), the brothers get an unexpected opportunity to spend one more day with their late dad, embarking on an extraordinary quest aboard Barley’s epic van Guinevere.

second breakfast." In The Lord of the Rings ,

when the boys’ fearless mom Laurel (Julia Louis-

second breakfast is a meal enjoyed by Hobbits, who all live in The Shire. • Barley's tabletop game is heavily inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and several artifacts and creatures from D&D are featured in Onward , including The Manticore and the iconic giant cube of Jell–O.

Dreyfus) realises her sons are missing, she teams up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion, former warrior – aka The Manticore (Octavia Spencer) – and heads off to find them. Inspired by director Dan Scanlon’s personal story about losing his dad as a young boy, the two actors had the bro theme nailed, already close through their

respective roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Pratt as Guardians of the Galaxy ’s Star-Lord/Peter Quill and Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Both actors appreciated how Onward flips the classic sibling rivalry themes, instead modeling love and friendship. “I liked that Barley is never

and enough gas money, you can see Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Montana, the White House, Yellowstone or the Florida Keys. For Holland, the film holds another metaphor. "The only way to go onward is to look forward and you can’t go forward if you’re looking at your phone,” he says, referring to how he had temporarily deleted his Instagram account at the time of Onward ’s US theatrical release, much to Disney’s chagrin. “So I think the film is a metaphor for, ‘Look out! The world is an amazing place. Experience it through your own eyes, not through someone else’s Instagram account’.”

jealous that he didn’t have his brother’s magic gift, which was very similar to my relationship with my own brother,” says Pratt. “So when I saw that in the movie, it made me appreciate my own brother

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open about what inspired this. “If I had to point to any one specific reason, the heart attack definitely informed the movie. Post-heart attack I was like, ‘There’s no point making this journey unless there’s something to feel out of it’. Like, we can make them laugh with Jay and Silent Bob, but we’ve already done that, so let’s make ’em laugh AND make ’em feel. So I kind of leaned more into the heart of it, particularly the idea of not knowing who your parent is. Jason [Mewes] is the only person I’ve ever known who didn’t know who his father was, and he didn’t seem bothered by it, so I thought, ‘I’m going to use it for his character as well.’ Then, oddly enough, we’ve been out in the world with this movie doing Q&As and a good portion of the audience are like, ‘I never knew my father! This movie hit me so hard,’ and I’m always kind of blown away by that.” A newcomer to Jay Ragnarok and I was like, ‘Oh my god, the God of Thunder knows my name!’ So when we were casting Reboot , I said, ‘Hey! Reach out to Chris Hemsworth’s people, he seems to know my name, maybe he’ll come for it?’ In a very busy Avengers: Endgame opening weekend, Chris still made space for us to shoot that little piece, it was nice.” Hemsworth seems to be an almost alarmingly down-to-earth kind of guy, and Smith was quick to confirm it. “Oh my god! He’s absolutely alarmingly down to earth. He’s so beautiful to look at, obviously one of the most beautiful people to have ever lived, but very normal and fun and funny – he’s got a great sense of humour. Yeah, I was absolutely smitten with the dude. I had high hopes, but he absolutely superseded them all.” and Silent Bob’s world is Chris Hemsworth, who plays a holographic version of himself. Smith took a chance in trying to get him to come and play. “That happened because Chris had mentioned my name in a piece about Thor:

‘ViewAskewniverse’ stalwarts Jay and Silent Bob find their way back to our screens in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot . It’s very much a love letter to fans from its creator, Kevin Smith, and we had the chance to catch up for a chat about it. Words Amy Flower J ason Lee’s character, Brodie, lets his feelings on reboots be well known in the movie. But how does Kevin Smith feel was like, ‘Hey, Matt’s back and he wants to be in the movie’. We had no roles left, but I managed to work out the Loki thing. I think a lot of

• Jay & Silent Bob Reboot is out on DVD and Blu-ray from June 17

about the phenomenon? He lets loose a guttural laugh and expands: “In real life I’m a big fan. For me a reboot, like a remake, is a cover song. You know, it

people just came because they were like, ‘I heard you almost died!’. Some people just wanted to see if I was still around.” While the usual – and very

doesn’t change the fact that I love the original but, every once in a while, somebody gives you a cover where you’re like, ‘That’s wicked, I never would have thought of that.’ I’m a pop culture junkie, so I’m all for it – I’m not like Brodie.” The fan service in Jay and Silent Reboot is almost unrelenting, with characters from Smith’s past movies popping up all over the shop. Smith didn’t have to resort to guilting anybody to get onboard, although Matt Damon proved a challenge. “We reached out to Matt

welcome – Smith silliness is at play in the film, it also carries quite an emotional wallop. Smith is quite

...‘Oh my god, the God of Thunder knows my name!’

throughout the whole production and never heard back. His agent kept saying, ‘We can’t find him.’ So, he was just like MIA. Then, when the movie was done his agent called me and

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