st218

CONTENTS

ISSUE 218 DEC

MOVIES & TV 6 Take 5 8 Violent Night

2022

10 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile 12 House of the Dragon 14 Moonage Daydream 16 Mad God 18 Smile 20 Bodies Bodies Bodies 22 New from Imprint Films 24 Out this month 25 New on 4K UHD 26 Movie &TV gift guide LIFE TECH 28 Intro

WELCOME

How would you describe your approach to Christmas shopping? Are you a last minute dasher? A deal seeker? An early bird planner? Whatever your style, choosing that perfect gift can present a Herculean challenge. To help with such an undertaking, we’ve pulled together some gift ideas in movies, games, and music. We go even further this month in tech by collating a whopping 100 top picks for the technology lovers in your life – there’s something for everyone. Elsewhere in December, a spin-off series to Game of Thrones was inevitable, and the much anticipated prequel House of the Dragon is finally here. Set 200 years prior to the events of GoT , it’s just as complex and gripping as its phenomenal predecessor and will captivate newcomers and diehard fans alike. And in movies this month, don’t miss director Brett Morgen’s unique David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream . The final crop of games for 2022 certainly doesn’t disappoint. Along with Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet , the space survival horror-fest The Callisto Protocol , Marvel’s Midnight Suns , and Need for Speed Unbound are all set to make a mark. And in music, we’ve got festive releases from Jimmy Barnes and Backstreet Boys, and we review the latest from Leftfield, Felix Riebl, and Flowertruck. Finally, we’d like to wish our readers a very Merry Christmas and a stonking 2023! Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

30-42 The ultimate tech gift guide for 2022 44 Three home security cameras from Swann 46 We review the Dell G15 15.6” FHD Gaming Laptop 48 We check out Netgear’s gargantuan Orbi RBKE963 Quad-band router 50 You probably need this Philips Sneaker Cleaner in your life 52 New projectors from Philips to suit all needs and budgets 54 What’s new MUSIC 60 Merry musical gift ideas 66-67 Cover feature: Hark! The Aussie angels sing 70-71 AlbumTales: Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas (1994) 74 STACK Record Club 76 This month at JB 78-79 Album reviews GAMING FLIP MAG AND READ FROM BACK 3 Take 5/Game Changers! 4 Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet 6 The Callisto Protocol

jbhifi.com.au/stack

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & TV Editor Scott Hocking Music Editor Zoë Radas Games & 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 Gill Pringle, Bob Jones Contributors Bryget Chrisfield, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Bec Summer, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom

Social Media Manager Glenn Cochrane Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK editor@stack.com.au

RATINGS GUIDE

Parental guidance recommended

Recommended for mature audiences

Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15smust beaccommpaniedby a parent or adult guardian

Restricted to 18 and over

General

8-9 Marvel’s Midnight Suns 10 Need for Speed Unbound 12 STACK Recommends 14 Out this month 16-18 Accessorise Now! The Christmas Special 20 Fast Forward/Q5

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