your guide to april`s hottest releases

Transcription

YOUR GUIDE TO APRIL’S
HOTTEST RELEASES
s
OVER 40 REVIEWS INSIDE INCLUDING:
JOY
VV30_01_FrontCover.indd 1
THE 5TH WAVE SNOOPY AND CHARLIE
BROWN: THE PEANUTS MOVIE
EXC
FORSTAR LUSIV
W E
C
PR E AWAARS:
I
BE ZES TKENS
GO WON O
I
!
TO NST
EN ORE
TER
.
16/03/2016 3:46 pm
Strong coarse
language, violence
and sex scenes
© 2015 ACTIVITIES MOVIE, LLC., INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ON BLU-RAY & DVD MARCH 31
™
OPPORTUNITY ROCKS
WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT
Sexual references,
coarse language
and violence
© 2015 OPEN ROAD FILMS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ON BLU-RAY & DVD MARCH 31
™
FROM RODUCER ELI ROTH
A FILM BY TRAVIS Z
Strong horror
themes and
violence, sex
scenes
© 2015 CABIN FEVER PRODUCTIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ON BLU-RAY & DVD APRIL 28
CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES_CABIN FEVER_ROCK THE KASBAH - RENTAL FP AD 11010.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
™
10/03/2016 11:17 am
16/03/2016 1:59 pm
AN UNCONVENTIONAL LOVE STORY
© 2015 ELEMENT PICTURES, SCARLET FILMS, FALIRO HOUSE PRODUCTIONS SA, HAUT ET COURT, LEMMING FILM, THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE AND CHANNEL FOUR TELEVISION CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
™
INSPIRED BY THE TRUE STORY OF THE WOMEN WHO INSPIRED THE WORLD
Mature themes
and coarse
language
© PATHE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED, CHANNEL FOUR TELEVISION CORPORATION AND THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
™
A FILM BY
PAOLO SORRENTINO
© 2016 UNIVERSAL SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Strong nudity
and sex scene
LOBSTER_SUFFRAGETTE_YOUTH - RENTAL FP AD 11011.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
™
10/03/2016 3:59 pm
16/03/2016 2:00 pm
hotnewreleases
1st APR
6th APR
6th APR
6th APR
7th APR
13th APR
13th APR
13th APR
* This is not final artwork
20th APR
21st APR
27th APR
28th APR
take a movie star home tonight
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
16/03/2016 12:41 pm
APRIL 2016
P.14
We imagine an awful lot of people
this month are going to be rushing
to get their hands on Star Wars:
The Force Awakens. And we don’t
blame you: JJ Abrams’ reboot of the
much-loved sci-fi saga is everything
fans could have hoped for. But don’t
forget that the seventh Star Wars
movie is just one of a number of
blockbuster releases out in April.
Science fiction fans can also look
forward to the latest YA futuristic flick
The Fifth Wave, while if you want
a break from effects-based movies
make sure you check out Joy, which
reunites the Silver Linings Playbook
team of director David O Russell
and Jennifer Lawrence. It’s also a
great month for family entertainment,
thanks to the arrival of the latest
Alvin And The Chipmunks flick and
The Peanuts Movie,, while the likes of
Daddy’s Home and Rock The Kasbah
ensure the laughs will keep flowing
all month. So, yes, the film force is
particularly strong this month.
THE TEAM
6-10 NEWS
What have the bold and the
beautiful of film and TV been up
to lately? We check out the latest
reports from home and beyond
From the biggest Hollywood
blockbusters to unsung gems
premiering on DVD and Blu-ray,
we cast our eye over the
month’s biggest new movie
and television releases.
28-29 BACK TRACK
16-17 COMEDY
Five movies you may have
missed last month
30 COMING SOON
New releases to look
forward to next month
P.16
18-19 DRAMA
20-21 FAMILY
22-23 TV
24 ACTION
12 STAR WARS:
THE FORCE
AWAKENS
26 THRILLER
P.20
Meet Daisy Ridley,
the feisty young star
of the rebooted sci-fi saga.
14 JOY
David O Russell and
muse Jennifer Lawrence
talk about why they
reunited for this fairytale
take on the inventor of
the magic mop.
P.12
P.22
P.23
Publisher: Tilo Grieco [email protected], Editor: Kit Razer
Sub Editor: Chelsea Graham, Contributors: Robert Hislop, Accounts: Tracy Kingman [email protected],
Production: Al Netherclift, Design: Brianna O’Neil, Contributor: Scott Hocking
Address: Scribal Publishing Pty. Ltd., PO Box 2051, Richmond South, VIC 3121
TKE30_05_Contents.indd 1
16/03/2016 2:17 pm
NEWSREEL
NEWSREEL
YOUR MONTHLY FIX OF
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
MONDO MANIA!
Will Ferrell is set to play
sexploitation icon Russ Meyer
in a new film which explores
the making of one of his only
mainstream hits Beyond The
Valley Of The Dolls.
Russ & Roger Go Beyond
will tell the bizarre tale of how
Meyer – whose other credits
include Faster Pussycat! Kill!
Kill!, Mudhoney and Supervixens
– teamed up in 1970 with
film critic Roger Ebert (to be
played by Josh Gad) to create
an X-rated sequel to Valley Of
The Dolls, the 1967 adaptation
of Jacqueline Susann’s famous
bonk-buster.
The script is by Christopher
Cluess (Saturday Night Live, The
Simpsons) and Irish filmmaker
John Carney (Once) is reportedly
in talks to direct. No word yet,
though, of a start date.
In the meantime, Ferrell is
reunited with his The Other
Guys pal Mark Wahlberg in the
comedy Daddy’s Home, which
is out on DVD this month. See
Page 16 for more.
OUTBACK CREATURE FEATURE
A new homegrown creature feature is set to be
unleashed this winter.
Red Billabong marks the directorial debut of Luke
Sparke and stars Home & Away heartthrob Dan
Ewing and Dance Academy’s Tim Pocock. Set for
cinema release in the middle of the year, the film
tells the story of two brothers who begin to suspect
they are being stalked by someone –
or something – from their worst nightmares.
“I’m very excited to have Red Billabong coming
to Australian audiences and I hope they will get a
kick out of the film,” says writer/director Sparke.
“It’s action packed, funny, exciting and a story about
Australian mythology they haven’t heard of before.”
COUNTDOWN TO
ROGUE ONE
With Star Wars: The Force Awakens out soon
on DVD and Blu-ray, all eyes are now on the
franchise spin-off movie Rogue One, which
is due in cinemas in December.
Disney and Lucasfilm have been keeping
the film under close wraps since its official
announcement, although some believe
the first trailer for the film will be issued to
coincide with the next Marvel blockbuster
Captain America: Civil War, which opens at
the end of the month.
In a call with analysts on March 10,
Disney boss Bob Iger revealed that he would
be seeing Rogue One “in a few weeks”,
suggesting that it has been completed, but
otherwise he was giving little else away.
“We call it ‘A Star Wars Story’ and it’s
about a band of rebels plotting to steal the
plans to the Death Star - it takes place right
before what was George Lucas’ first film,”
Iger said. “I wouldn’t even call it a prequel
because it really is a stand-alone film. We
have others in the works including one which
is an origin story about Han Solo and Chewy,
and that will come after Star Wars VIII in
2018. And then there will be possibly more
thereafter.”
Rogue One is being directed by
Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and the multinational cast includes Australian star Ben
Mendelsohn – who features in this month’s
Actor Focus on page 25 – Hong Kong icon
Donnie Yen, the great Dane Mad Mikkeslon
and British actress Felicity Jones; Alan Tudyk
also features as a performance-capture
character, believed to be a droid.
6
TKE30_06-10_NewsReel_v2.indd 6
16/03/2016 2:18 pm
“A testosterone fuelled bone-cruncher!”
NEW YORK POST
DOLPH LUNDGREN CHUCK LIDDELL
On Blu-ray & DVD March 30
SOPHIE
NÉLISSE
KATHY
BATES
JULIA
STILES
WITH
OCTAVIA
SPENCER
AND
GLENN
CLOSE
BASED ON THE AWARD-WINNING NOVEL BY KATHERINE PATERSON
FROM THE CREATORS OF BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
ON DVD MARCH 30
Perfect holiday entertainment
for the whole family!
ASHLEY
PATRICK
JUDD WILSON
WHOOPI
GOLDBERG
JOHN BENJAMIN
HICKEY
JANE
KRAKOWSKI
WITH
ANTHONY
AND
JENNA
LAPAGLIA ELFMAN
Small town. Big heart.
FROM THE PRODUCER OF
‘Silver Linings Playbook’
AND BASED ON THE
Best-Selling Novel
On DVD April 27
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
16/03/2016 2:00 pm
NEWSREEL
HUBBA HUBBA
BALOO!
www.leadingedgemusic.com.au
In the cult horror comedy Zombieland, a dying Bill
Murray – playing himself – is asked if he has any regrets.
“Garfield, maybe,” he replies before expiring.
Let’s hope that he is happier about his new live action/
CGI hybrid The Jungle Book, which opens in cinemas
this month. Murray voices the character of the
much-loved Baloo the bear who, together with
Bagheera the black panther (Ben Kingsley),
tries to keep young Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi)
safe from nasty Kaa the python (Scarlett Johansson)
and King Louie the orangutan (Christopher Walken).
Murray can be seen this month on DVD in a more
familiar comic guise in Rock The Kasbah – check out
our review on page 17.
Go online to www.leadingedgemusic.com.au & sign up to our monthly newsletter
and like us on Facebook to get one of 100 x $10 Leading Edge Music voucher
redeemable at any Leading Edge Music store.
The first 100 people to sign up to the Leading Edge Music Monthly newsletter and like us on Facebook (if already liked you
only need to sign up for newsletter) will be sent a $10 voucher. If you stay subscribed to the newsletter for 6 months we will
reward you with a further gift after the 6 months. Vouchers are only valid for 3 months.
Find us on
www.facebook.com/LEMusicOfficial
NOTHING BUT
The Truth
For a film that zeroes in on journalistic
accuracy, the makers of Truth knew
they had to get the facts right.
The drama is based on the
book by TV news producer Mary
Mapes (played in the movie by Cate
Blanchett) and tells the story of the
media storm that erupted when she
and her team of journalists revealed
inconsistencies in the military service
record of the then president George
W Bush in a 2004 for the respected
current affairs show 60 Minutes.
And according to one of the real-life
protagonists in the story, the movie is
spot-on when it comes to the facts.
Celebrated news anchor Dan Rather
– played in Truth by Robert Redford
– believes it’s one of the best
movies he has seen about the
craft of journalism. “It’s not just pretty
accurate, it’s astonishingly accurate,”
he adds.
As for Redford, he first met Rather
when they worked together on an
environmental news story for 60
Minutes in the 1970s and he was
conscious of the fact that his portrayal
could easily spill over into caricature.
“He’s a very orderly, proper fellow,”
Redford continues. “He has a dark
underpinning that wants to dig in,
and he doesn’t mind if he unsettles
things, but on the surface he is a very
dignified, old-fashioned, polite guy.”
• Truth is reviewed on page 19.
8
VV30_08_NewsReel_v2.indd 8
16/03/2016 2:41 pm
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES PRESENTINASSOCIATIONWITH NEW LI
SYLVESTER STALLONE “CREED” TESSA THOMPSON PHYLICIA RASHAD ANTHONY BELLEW DESICOSTUMGNE
ORIGINAL SCORE
EDITED
PRODUCTION
AND SONGS BY LUDWIG GORANSSON BY MICHAEL P. SHAWVER CLAUDIA CASTELLO DESIGNER HANNA
PRODUCED
BY IRWIN WINKLER, p.g.a. ROBERT CHARTOFF, p.g.a. CHARLES WINKLER WILLIAM CHARTOFF DAVI
STORY
SCREENPLAY
BY RYAN COOGLER & AARON COVIN
BY RYAN COOGLER
ON BLU-RAY & DVD APRIL 6TH
TM
M - Recommended for mature audiences.
Creed_STACK_FPC.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
© 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Distributed by Roadshow Entertainment. All rights
14/03/2016 9:10 am
16/03/2016 2:12 pm
NEWSREEL
LAST HELPING
OF LEFTOVERS
There’s good and bad news for fans of the cult HBO
series The Leftovers, the second season of which arrives
on DVD and Blu-ray this month.
A third season has received the greenlight – unfortunately
it will also be the last. On the plus side, it looks as if it’s coming to
an amicable end, with co-creator Damon Lindelof thanking HBO
for allowing them “to conclude the show on our own terms”.
“The most exciting thing for us as storytellers would be to
bring The Leftovers to a definitive end,” he continues. “And by
‘definitive,’ we mean ‘wildly ambiguous but hopefully megaemotional,’ as all things related to this show are destined to be.”
Shooting on the final season is expected to begin
later in the year.
CYBER MEN
AND WOMEN
The original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation may have concluded
last year but the franchise lives on, with the first season in the
latest spin-off due on DVD next month.
CSI Cyber stars Oscar winner Patricia Arquette as Special
Agent Avery who heads up the FBI’s Cyber Crime Division,
en elite unit tasked with solving crimes that may begin online
but play out in the real world. Her team also includes former
Dawson Creek icon James Van Beek and Peter MacNicol,
whose TV credits include Ally McBeal and Numb3rs.
The second season of CSI Cyber began airing on Channel
Ten in February; at press-time, there had been no word yet
whether the show will be back for a third season.
THE FIGHT FOR HUMANITY HAS BEGUN.
10
Mature themes,
violence and
coarse language
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY & DVD APRIL 21
™
© 2016 UNIVERSAL SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
THE 5TH WAVE - RENTAL HP AD 11012.indd 1
TKE30_06-10_NewsReel_v2.indd 10
10/03/2016 12:06 pm
16/03/2016 2:18 pm
A RON HOWARD FILM
Hunting
and survival
themes and
violence
facebook.com/IntheHeartoftheSeaMovie
roadshow.com.au
In the Heart of the Sea © 2015 Cott Productions LLC and Enelmar Productions, A.I.E.
Package Design & Supplementary Material Compilation © 2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Distributed by Roadshow Entertainment. All rights reserved
201603059_STACK_Heart_of_Sea_FPC_Advert_RENTAL.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
3/11/16 11:29 AM
16/03/2016 2:10 pm
BRITISH NEWCOMER DAISY RIDLEY, WHO PLAYS THE FEISTY YOUNG HEROINE REY
IN STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, TALKS GIRL POWER AND THE CHALLENGE
OF JOINING ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST MOVIE FRANCHISES.
W
hen asked to describe her
experience of making Star Wars:
The Force Awakens
in one word, Daisy Ridley doesn’t
hesitate. “Rollercoaster,” the young
British actress replies immediately.
“My Star Wars journey has now spanned
over two years. And so over two years
I have hit every emotion possible.”
It’s certainly been an incredible trip
for Ridley, who before taking on the
central role of Rey in the seventh chapter
of the rebooted sci-fi saga had only a few
TV credits to her name and was actually
working in a pub when the cast of
The Force Awakens was announced.
The great niece of playwright and
Dad’s Army star Arnold ‘Private Godfrey’
Ridley, she went through an exhaustive
auditioning process to get the part of
My Star Wars journey
has now spanned over
two years. And so over
two years I have hit every
emotion possible.
Rey and admits she was “terrified”
when she began filming in the
United Arab Emirates.
“Abu Dhabi for me was a real baptism
of fire,” she recalls. “I was incredibly
nervous. Looking back it was amazing
because Rey’s journey begins in Jakku
and that’s where we began filming.
I learned that even though I didn’t know
what I was doing, with the right support,
the right people around, you could break
through boundaries you might put on
yourself and do some really cool stuff.”
Her character Rey is a young woman
who was left behind as a child on
the parched planet of Jakku and now
survives by scavenging parts from the
crashed craft and other space junk.
However, a chance encounter with
former stormtrooper Finn (played by
another relative British newcomer John
Boyega) places her at the heart of the
conflict between the First Order, which
has emerged out of the ashes of the old
galactic empire, and a new Resistance,
whose leaders include Princess Leia
(Carrie Fisher).
Ridley acknowledges that Rey shares
some similarities with Leia, although
she points out that the latter comes
from privilege, while her character is
“definitely at the bottom of the pile”.
“The similarities are that they are
both women who are trying to make
their way in the world and they are
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 13
STARS: Harrison Ford,
Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher,
Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley
DIRECTOR: J.J. Abrams
DURATION: 135 mins
FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray
12
TKE30_12-13_STARWARS_Feat.indd 12
16/03/2016 2:20 pm
TO
P
ACTRESS DEBUTS
JAMIE LEE CURTIS
both pretty kick arse!” she continues.
“Rey is kind of a simple young woman
and she gets swept into this incredible
journey. So to play a role that is so
nuanced and incredibly emotional
was thrilling because it wasn’t
what I expected.”
Ridley is full of praise for the support
provided by Fisher – along with fellow
original stars Harrison Ford and Mark
Hamill – during both the original
auditioning process and the shoot itself.
“They were all excited to come back and
that was incredibly joyful for us because
coming into this, you think ‘who knows
better than they do’ about what stories
should be told,” she adds.
With such a beloved film franchise
as Star Wars, Ridley is conscious of the
weight of expectations surrounding
The Force Awakens but hopes that the
film will appeal to both old school fans
and newcomers to the saga.
“Of course, we all hope everyone
will enjoy it but there are a lot of people
to please,” she says. “There are the old
fans, who have certain expectations, and
new fans, who perhaps have not been
so immersed in Star Wars before but will
hopefully come on board. I think with JJ at
the helm and Larry [screenwriter Lawrence
Kasdan] writing a story that combines the
old and the new so brilliantly, I think it will
appeal to many, many people.”
Although from
Hollywood royalty –
her father was Tony
Curtis, her mother
Janet Leigh – Curtis
was still a relative
newcomer when John
Carpenter cast the 19-yearold as Laurie Strode in Halloween
(1978), establishing her as our first
modern day scream queen.
ANNA PAQUIN
These days she is
better known for her
long-running role as
Sookie in True Blood
and Rogue in X-Men,
but the Canadianborn Kiwi became the
second youngest Oscar
winner of all-time as an 11-year-old for her
delightful performance in The Piano (1993).
NATALIE
PORTMAN
Playing Padmé in the
Star Wars prequel
trilogy made her a
global star but she
was already something
of a screen veteran by
then: Portman actually made
her electrifying film debut when she was
just 13 as the tween assassin in Luc Besson’s
cult classic Léon: The Professional (1993).
LUPITA NYONG’O
Another Oscar winner
on her debut, the then
unknown Mexican/
Kenyan actress – who
provides the voice
of Maz Kanata in The
Force Awakens – more
than held her own among
heavyweights such as
Chiwitel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender
and Benedict Cumberbatch in the
slave drama 12 Years A Slave (2013).
13
TKE30_12-13_STARWARS_Feat.indd 13
16/03/2016 2:20 pm
Family
ALL IN THE
AS WITH MANY OF HIS
MOVIES, FAMILY IS AT
THE HEART OF DIRECTOR
DAVID O RUSSELL’S
LATEST HIT JOY. AND HIS
CLOSE-KNIT EXTENDED
FAMILY OF COLLABORATORS
– INCLUDING JENNIFER
LAWRENCE, BRADLEY COOPER
AND ROBERT DE NIRO –
COULDN’T WAIT TO REUNITE
FOR THIS QUIRKY BIOPIC.
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 28
STARS: Jennifer
Lawrence, Robert
De Niro, Bradley Cooper,
Edgar Ramírez
DIRECTOR: David O. Russell
DURATION: 124 mins
She has that huge
heart and wildly
creative spirit.
D
avid O. Russell has always
been a keen chronicler of how
extended families knit together
in different ways, whether it be the boxers
of The Fighter, the neurotic ballroom
dancers of Silver Linings Playbook or the
con artists of American Hustle.
However, there is nothing
dysfunctional about the American
director’s unofficial family of
collaborators, both behind and in front
of the camera. And leading the way is
Jennifer Lawrence, who many see as
Russell’s muse and who takes the lead
role in his latest film Joy, which is loosely
based on the life of home shopping
queen Joy Mangano.
“I would do anything for David, for
a million different reasons,” Lawrence
explains. “When he called me and asked
‘do you want to make the story of the
woman who invented the Miracle Mop,’
I thought, what an incredible character
to put into David’s hands. I knew it was
going to be something special.”
For his part, Russell says Lawrence
– who won a best actress Oscar for her
performance in Silver Linings Playbook
– was always his first choice for the title
role. “I’ve always thought of Jennifer as
an old soul,” he says. “When we met on
Silver Linings, I thought, ‘Is she 20 or is
she 40?’ I mean, she could be either one.
She was always the only person who
could play Joy. She has that huge heart
and wildly creative spirit.”
Although Joy is partly a biopic, Russell
was more interested in telling the story of
a gutsy woman who battled to make her
dreams come true while never losing the
sense of duty to family at her core.
“Joy was loved by her family but
they were also an obstacle at times,”
Russell notes. “In all my films, I’ve been
interested in the ways that families can
be off-kilter and broken yet also be fertile
soil for what blooms the brightest. Joy’s
family members are loving in their own
way and they’re limited in their way. But
even their limitations end up making Joy
a fiercer person.”
For Lawrence, one of the attractions
of the project was the chance to take
Joy into middle age. “Playing a character
through four generations was exciting,
and I’ve never done it before,”
she says. “Yet it felt so organic
with David’s writing.”
14
TKE30_14-15_JOY_Feat.indd 14
16/03/2016 2:21 pm
TO
P
FEMALE
ENTREPRENEURS
JULIE AND JULIA (2009)
Another draw was to work again with
her Silver Linings and American Hustle
co-stars Robert De Niro – who plays her
eccentric father – and Bradley Cooper as
the fictional head of the pioneering TV
home shopping network QVC.
“In so many ways Bob has been
a paternal figure to me, raising me
through movies and fame, and I always
feel I can ask him anything,” Lawrence
says. “So having him play my father
felt really touching and personal to me.
On top of that, acting opposite Bob is
like driving an Aston Martin. It’s just
something else.”
De Niro – who likens working with
Russell as “being in a circus, where all
these people are coming in and out and
all these creative things are happening
in different places” – was also delighted
to be working again with Lawrence.
“Her mind is so supple and she has this
wonderful ability to adapt to anything,
which is exactly what is
needed when working
with David,” he says.
“They both make things spontaneous,
immediate and fun.”
Cooper adds of his co-star:
“She has become this incredible force.
She always was from the start – but
now it’s being realized in new ways.
She has this grounded, very rooted
way of walking through a movie.
It’s similar to what I’ve encountered
with Robert De Niro; I find them
very similar in terms of the way
they approach the work. That’s
probably why David works with
both of them over and over.”
And Lawrence is exhilarated by
the idea of being part of a
continuous repertory.
“On the one hand you look at these
actors and see the same people that
you already know.” she remarks.
“But on the other hand, we’re all
playing entirely new characters and
the chemistry is completely different,
which makes it so exciting.”
Like Joy Mangano, Julia
Childs (played here
by Meryl Streep) was
something of a late starter
– she was almost 50 when
her bestselling cooking book
Mastering The Art Of French Cooking
was published. This intriguing biopic
looks at both her life and that of Julie
Powell (Amy Adams), whose attempts
to cook every recipe in Childs’ book
spawned a bestseller of her own.
LOVE RANCH (2010)
Not the sort of female
entrepreneurship that
is usually celebrated
on screen, this offbeat
comedy/drama is loosely
based on the true story of
the married couple who ran Nevada’s
first legal brothel. Here, although Joe
Pesci is the frontman, wife Helen
Mirren is the brains of the operation.
BIG EYES (2014)
Although Margaret
Keane (Adams again)
was more of an artist
than an entrepreneur,
her paintings of waifs
with huge eyes eventually
made her millions. And her home life
makes Joy’s look idyllic – her works were
originally sold under the name of her
husband Walter (Christoph Waltz) and she
ended up having to take him to court to
be recognized as the real artist.
THE INTERN (2015)
OK, she is a fictional
creation but Jules Ostin
(Anne Hathaway) is a
true 21st Century female
entrepreneur who creates
a massively successful
e-commerce fashion business.
Things aren’t quite so good on the
homefront, but in this film Robert
De Niro is a lot more help to her
than he is to his screen daughter in Joy.
15
TKE30_14-15_JOY_Feat.indd 15
16/03/2016 2:22 pm
COMEDY
DADDY’S HOME
STARS: Will Ferrell, Mark
Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini,
Thomas Haden Church,
Scarlett Estevez
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg last
memorably teamed up in the buddy movie
The Other Guys, but their latest blockbuster
comedy is actually closer in spirit to Step
Brothers. Ferrell is Brad Whittaker, a producer
at a smooth jazz station, who is patiently
trying to establish a relationship with the
children from a previous marriage of his wife
Sarah (Linda Cardellini). Just as he is starting
to gain their trust, their cool motorbike-riding
biological father Dusty Mayron (Wahlberg)
turns up out of the blue and inveigles his
way into the household. At first, Brad tries
to become friends with him, but with Dusty
seemingly intent on showing him up at
every opportunity, it eventually escalates
into a crazy war of one-upmanship. Ferrell
and Wahlberg make for a funny double act,
although the best lines end up going to
Thomas Haden Church as Dusty’s oddball
boss and Hannibal Buress as a handyman
who ends up in moving in as well. And a
cameo right at the end from John ‘Cool Dad’
Cena opens the door for a sequel.
DIRECTOR: Sean Anders
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LIKE...
RATED: PG
AVAILABLE: April 7
DURATION: 96 mins
Step Brothers
The Other Guys
Ted
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS
RATED: CTC
AVAILABLE: April 20
STARS: Sandra Bullock,
Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony
Mackie, Joaquim De Almeida
DIRECTOR:
David Gordon Green
DURATION: 107 mins
Veep, South American-style?
Sort of. Our Brand Is Crisis
is actually based on a 2005
documentary of the same name
that detailed the sleazy tactics
employed by two rival American
teams hired by candidates in a
Bolivian presidential election.
In this fictionalized account,
Sandra Bullock plays ‘Calamity’
Jane Bodine, who is lured out
of retirement to take on her
old nemesis Pat Candy (Billy
Bob Thornton), who is running
the campaign of a populist
presidential hopeful in an
election in Bolivia. Bodine’s
candidate, conservative
millionaire businessman Pedro
Castillo (Joaquim Del Almeida),
is languishing in the polls but
with a mix of dirty tricks and
canny positioning, her man
begins to emerge as a genuine
contender. A wittily played
political farce, which also makes
some telling points about
the depths professional spin
doctors will go for their clients.
5 TO 7
STRETCH
RATED: M AVAIL: Apr 13
STARS: Anton Yelchin, Berenice
Marlohe, Eric Stoltz, Olivia
Thirlby, Glenn Close DIRECTOR:
Victor Levin DURATION: 95 mins
FORMATS: DVD
RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: Apr 6
STARS: Patrick Wilson, Ed Helms,
James Badge Dale, Brooklyn
Decker, Jessica Alba DIRECTOR:
Joe Carnahan DURATION:
94mins FORMATS: DVD
A young writer (Anton
Yelchin) looks to have found
the woman of his dreams
when he begins an affair
with the glamorous Bérénice
Marlohe (Skyfall). There is
only one problem: she is
married and can only meet
him between the hours of 5
and 7pm, the times she has
agreed mutually with her
husband, who has a mistress
of his own. A delightfully
giddy mélange of Gallic cool
and New York neuroses.
Fun cameos from David
Hasselhoff and Ray Liotta
(playing themselves) plus a
crazed turn from an uncredited
Chris Pine make this loopy
comedy caper an unexpected
treat. Patrick Wilson is the
limo driver who has until
midnight to raise the $6,000
he owes his loan shark, while
Pine plays the hard partying
millionaire financier who
retains his services for the day
on the condition he carries out
some odd tasks for him.
16
TKE30_16-17_Comedy.indd 16
16/03/2016 2:22 pm
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 7
STARS: Bill Murray,
Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson,
Zooey Deschanel
DIRECTOR:
Barry Levinson
DURATION: 106 mins
7 CHINESE BROTHERS
COMEDY
ROCK THE KASBAH
Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) was once a top
music manager and promoter, but has now
been reduced to conning hopeless wannabe
singers out of cash by promising them that
he will make them a star. His luck seems
to have taken a turn for the better when a
chance meeting sees him land a lucrative
gig for his one true artist Ronnie (Zooey
Deschanel). Unfortunately, it’s for playing
for the American troops in Afghanistan
and when Ronnie takes fright, Richie is left
penniless and without a passport in the wartorn country. Initially, he falls in with a couple
of disreputable arms dealers (Danny McBride
and Scott Caan), but when he overhears
the beautiful singing voice of a young local
woman Salima (Leem Lubany), he persuades
her to try out for Afghanistan’s answer to
American Idol – even though the contest is
only open to male singers. Director Barry
Levinson doesn’t succeed in hitting all his
satirical targets, but it’s great to see Murray
back in his element as a sleazy but likeable
huckster. Highly recommended.
St Vincent
Still Crazy
American Dreamz
FREAKS OF NATURE
STARS: Jason Schwartzman,
Stephen Root, Olympia Dukakis,
Alex Karpovsky DIRECTOR: Bob
Byington DURATION: 76 mins
FORMATS: DVD
STARS: Nicholas Braun,
Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem,
Denis Leary DIRECTOR: Robbie
Pickering DURATION: 92 mins
Jason Schwartzman brings his
lovably nerdish charm to this
gently wacky indie comedy
about an amiable slacker who
is happy to drift from one job
to another. However, he is
forced to reassess his outlook
on life when he takes a parttime job washing windshields
at a car lot and falls for his
young supervisor (Eleanore
Pienta). Short and sweet, this
is must-see viewing for fans
of Schwartzman’s regular
collaborator Wes Anderson.
This freewheeling mashup is a blast from start to
finish. It’s set in a small town
whose main claims to fame
are a) it’s the home of the
Riblet and b) it is populated
by humans, zombies and
vampires. However, all hell
breaks loose when aliens
arrive and the factions blame
each other. A great gore and
gag fest that also boasts a
terrific supporting cast (Bob
Odenkirk, Joan Cusack,
Keegan-Michael Key, etc).
ALEX & EVE
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 13
STARS: Richard
Brancatisano, Petar Gatsby,
Andrea Demetriades,
Rahel Romahn, Ryan O’Kane
DIRECTOR:
Peter Andrikidis
DURATION: 87 mins
FORMATS: DVD
Adapted by Alex Lykos from
his popular trilogy of plays,
this winning culture clash
romantic comedy ticks all the
right boxes. Set mainly in the
inner west suburbs of Sydney,
Richard Brancatisano (Bait,
TV’s Chasing Life) plays Alex,
a timid teacher from a Greek
Orthodox family, who falls
for Lebanese Muslim lawyer
Eve (Andrea Demetriades,
Crownies). At first they keep
their relationship secret
from their traditionalist
parents, but when their
secret leaks out, both Alex
and Eve find themselves
under intense pressure to
end their affair. Brancatisano
and Demetriades make
for attractive leads and
the supporting turns from
the likes of Zoe Carides,
Tony Nikolakopoulos, Helen
Chebatte and Ryan O’Kane
are spot on, too. If you loved
My Big Fat Greek Wedding,
then you won’t want to miss
this homegrown treat.
17
TKE30_16-17_Comedy.indd 17
16/03/2016 2:24 pm
DRAMA
JOY
Working again with his unofficial repertory
company of Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley
Cooper and Robert De Niro, director David
O Russell brings a modern fairytale vibe to
the true story of home shopping pioneer
Joy Mangano. Lawrence plays the titular
character, a hard-working woman struggling
to keep afloat her dysfunctional extended
family – TV soap-obsessed mother (Virginia
Madsen), divorced father (De Niro) and her
own ex-husband (Edgar Ramirez) – all of
whom are living under the same roof. As a
child, she had a knack for inventing things so
with the support of her grandmother (Diane
Ladd), she decides to resurrect those talents
by devising a brand new product she can sell:
the magic mop. Her invention eventually finds
a backer in the just launched home shopping
network QVC (headed up by Cooper) but she
has many more obstacles to overcome – not
the least the meddling in her business by
her well-meaning family. Another Russell/
Lawrence triumph, no informercials are
needed to sell this particular creation.
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 28
STARS: Jennifer Lawrence,
Robert De Niro, Bradley
Cooper, Edgar Ramírez
DIRECTOR:
David O. Russell
DURATION: 124 mins
Silver Linings Playbook
American Hustle
Flash of Genius
BIG STONE GAP
RATED: PG
AVAILABLE: April 27
STARS: Ashley Judd,
Patrick Wilson,
Whoopi Goldberg, Judith Ivey
DIRECTOR:
Adriana Trigiani
DURATION: 102 mins
FORMATS: DVD
Fans of films like Fried Green
Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop
Café will feel right at home
with this folksy small-town
family drama based on the
bestseller by Adriana Trigiani,
who also makes her directorial
debut with this adaptation.
Set in the late ‘70s in the
sleepy Appalachian town of
the title, Big Stone Gap tells
the story of the town’s popular
pharmacist Ave Maria Mulligan
(Ashley Judd), who fears she
is destined to become an old
spinster. The return of an old
schoolmate (Patrick Wilson)
offers the promise of romance,
but her life is thrown in a
tailspin when her Italian-born
mother dies and Ave Maria
discovers that her real father
may still be alive in Italy. The
talented ensemble cast and
some gently quirky subplots –
including the real-life true
story of a disastrous visit to
the town by Elizabeth
Taylor – make this a
low-key. feel-good charmer.
GLASSLAND
STARS: Jack Reynor, Will Poulter,
Toni Collette, Michael Smiley
DIRECTOR: Gerard Barrett
DURATION: 93 mins
A gritty and at times harrowing
urban drama set in modern
day Dublin as a young cab
driver (Jack Reynor) struggles
to get his alcoholic mother
(Toni Collette, excellent as
always) to give up the booze.
Director Gerrard Barrett’s bleak
visuals are perfectly in tune
with the grim subject matter,
although Will Poulter provides
a bit of light relief as Reynor’s
irresponsible best pal.
THE ASSASSIN
RATED: PG AVAIL: Apr 20
STARS: Shu Qi, Chang Chen,
Satoshi Tsumabuki DIRECTOR:
Hou Hsiao-Hsien DURATION: 106
mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray
Taiwanese director Hou
Hsiao-Hsien is best known
for acclaimed art-house
movies such as Flight Of The
Red Balloon. However, here
he brings his elegant, stately
style to the historical martial
arts genre with this beautifully
composed epic about a
female assassin (Shu Qui)
torn between her duty and her
feelings for latest target (Chen
Chang), a military leader she
was once betrothed to.
18
TKE30_18-19_Drama.indd 18
16/03/2016 2:26 pm
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 13
STARS: Ben Mendelsohn,
Ryan Reynolds,
Sienna Miller,
Robin Weigert
DIRECTOR: Anna Boden,
Ryan Fleck
DURATION: 108 mins
An affectionate throwback to
‘70s cult movies like Robert
Altman’s California Split and
The Gambler (recently remade
with Mark Wahlberg), this
laidback road movie is destined
for cult classic status, thanks to
charismatic turns from its leads
and directors Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck’s unflinching eye for
the seamier side of small-time
gambling. Ben Mendelsohn
plays Gerry, a hapless gambler
on a losing streak whose loan
shark (Afre Woodward) is
running out of patience over his
growing debts. After bonding
with visiting professional poker
player Curtis (Ryan Reynolds),
he decides to join him in New
Orleans for a high stakes game,
which Gerry hopes will clear his
debts and help him rebuild his
relationship with his estranged
daughter. However, will his bad
luck rub off on his seemingly
unbeatable new pal – and can
Curtis actually be trusted?
TRUTH
SUFFRAGETTE
STARS: Cate Blanchett, Robert
Redford, Topher Grace, Dennis
Quaid DIRECTOR: James
Vanderbilt DURATION: 125 mins
FORMATS: DVD
STARS: Carey Mulligan, AnneMarie Duff, Helena Bonham
Carter DIRECTOR: Sarah Gavron
DURATION: 106 mins FORMATS:
DVD/Blu-ray
Films about journalists are
very much back in vogue, but
this true story is more about
a media failure rather than
a scoop. Cate Blanchett and
Robert Redford are great as
the seasoned TV journalists
who find themselves the
story when it’s alleged that
key documents used in an
exposé about George W
Bush’s military record may
have been forged.
In this moving account of
the battle for women to get
the vote in England, Carey
Mulligan plays a laundry
worker who is gradually
radicalised by co-worker AnneMarie Duff and veteran activist
Helena Bonham Carter. Meryl
Streep cameos as Emmeline
Pankhurst, although the focus
is rightly on the ordinary
working class foot soldiers in
the battle. Eye-opening stuff.
DRAMA
MISSISSIPPI GRIND
CREED
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 6
STARS: Michael B. Jordan,
Sylvester Stallone, Tessa
Thompson, Phylicia Rashad
DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler
DURATION: 120 mins
From plucky underdog, to world champ
and unofficial Cold War warrior, and most
recently as an unlikely pension-age comeback
kid, Sylvester Stallone has overseen one of
Hollywood’s most enduring movie franchises
in Rocky. However, even he probably realized
that a seventh outing for the Italian Stallion
would have been stretching credibility too
far, so he has graciously handed over the
franchise – and the centre stage – to a new
creative team. The result is one of the best
Rocky movies yet, which nods respectfully to
the franchise’s gritty origins, while providing an
elegiac swansong for the ageing boxer. As the
title suggests, the film zeroes in on Donnie
Johnson (Michael B Jordan), the illegitimate
son of Rocky’s friend and one-time rival Apollo
Creed. The young man is determined to build
a boxing career in his own right rather than
rely on his famous father’s name and when
his local LA gym refuses to train him, he
convinces a reluctant Rocky to become his
trainer. However, the ageing fighter also has a
personal battle of his own to face up to...
Rocky V
Rocky Balboa
The Fighter
19
TKE30_18-19_Drama.indd 19
16/03/2016 2:26 pm
FAMILY
SNOOPY AND CHARLIE BROWN: THE PEANUTS MOVIE
STARS: Noah Schnapp,
Rebecca Bloom,
Anastasia Bredikhina,
Kristin Chenoweth
The news that Charlie Brown was to get
the big budget CGI treatment probably sent
shivers of apprehension through many fans
of the beloved comic strip. Fortunately,
director Steve Martino and his talented
team – who include Shultz’s son Craig as one
of the writers – have stayed true to the old
fashioned style of the original strip and the
result is a wry and utterly charming slice of
old school family fun. And unlike most other
animated films, the makers have opted for a
largely unknown cast of child actors to provide
the voices, further adding to the naturalistic
delights of the film. The main storyline
involves Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah
Schnapp, who played Tom Hanks’s young
son in Bridge Of Spies) becoming smitten
with his new neighbour, the Red Haired
Girl (Francesca Capaldi), and then trying
to summon up the courage to talk to her.
Meanwhile, his pooch Snoopy is on hand to
provide loyal support – when he is not in his
own fantasyland battling the World War One
flying ace the Red Baron. Simply marvellous.
DIRECTOR: Steve Martino
RATED: G
AVAILABLE: April 6
DURATION: 88 mins
Horton Hears A Who!
A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Up
GREAT GILLY
HOPKINS
PIXIES
RATED: G
AVAILABLE: April 13
STARS: Sean Patrick
O’Reilly, Christopher
Plummer, Bill Paxton
DIRECTOR: Sean Patrick
O’Reilly
DURATION: 75 mins
FORMATS: DVD
The mythical little creatures
that are often mistaken for
fairies get their own screen
outing in this breezy comedy
adventure. When their tiny
kingdom is almost destroyed
by a bag of garbage, the Pixie
King (voiced by Christopher
Plummer) orders his son
William (Carlos PenaVega)
to enact a curse on the man
responsible, well-meaning
mechanic Joe Beck (writer/
director Sean Patrick
O’Reilly). With the help of his
two best friends, the pixies
proceed to turn Joe’s life into
a series of mini-disasters
and mishaps, ruining his
budding romance with a work
colleague in the bargain.
However, William eventually
begins to have second
thoughts about the misery
he is visiting on their hapless
human foe. The mix of fairylike creatures and human
slapstick should go down a
treat with the young ones.
STARS: Sophie Nélisse, Kathy
Bates, Glenn Close DIRECTOR:
Stephen Herek DURATION: 93
mins FORMATS: DVD
Sophie Nélisse (The Book
Thief) takes the titular role in
this engaging adaptation of
Katherine Paterson’s novel
of the same name, which
won the US National Book
Award back in 1979. The
title is somewhat ironic as
Gilly is a bitter young girl on
account of being shipped
around various foster homes.
However, she is gradually
won over by her kindly new
foster mom Kathy Bates.
RUBY THE
YOUNG WITCH
STARS: Seanna Pereira, Ed
Stoppard, Twinnie Lee Moore,
Stephen Rea DIRECTOR: Evgeny
Ruman DURATION: 93 mins
FORMATS: DVD
This music-flavoured children’s
romp tells the story of young
Ruby Strangelove (Seanna
Pereira), whose witch mother
(Twinnie Lee Moore) is being
held in another dimension by
the evil Stephen Rea. To free
her, she must win the school
talent contest but standing
in her way are the latter’s
minions, who include the
sheriff, his bullying daughter
and a number of her teachers.
20
TKE30_20-21_Family.indd 20
16/03/2016 2:27 pm
RATED: CTC
AVAIL: Apr 13
STARS: Rob Schneider,
Heather Graham,
Ken Jeong, Bill Nighy
DIRECTOR: Trevor Wall
DURATION: 90 mins
A cheerful mash-up of Happy
Feet, Madagascar and
Ice Age, this entertaining
comedy is sure to keep
children amused until the
next big animated theatrical
blockbuster arrives on the
shelves. Rob Schneider
provides the voice of the
soft-hearted polar bear of
the title, whose ability to
“speak human” – not to
mention his foot-tapping
abilities on the dancefloor
– takes him to New York
where he sets out to thwart
the plans of evil real estate
developer Mr Greene (Ken
Jeong) to build condos
in Norm’s Arctic home.
The all-star voice cast also
includes Bill Nighy as a wise
old seabird, Colm Meaney
as Norm’s grandfather and
Heather Graham as Jeong’s
marketing chief, while the
eco-friendly message should
get the thumbs up from
most parents.
MONSTER HIGH:
GREAT SCARRIER REEF
RATED: G AVAIL: Apr 7
DIRECTOR: William Lau
DURATION: 69 mins
In this fun all-new
adventure our favourite
ghoulfriends find themselves
transported to the strange
underwater world of the
Great Scarrier Reef when a
pool party gets out of hand.
To find their way home,
Lagoona Blue must face up
to her flaws and childhood
fears with the help of her
friends, who are less than
taken with their new
aquatic forms.
LAND BEFORE
TIME: JOURNEY
OF THE BRAVE
RATED: G AVAIL: Apr 7
STARS: Damon Wayans Jr.,
Barry Bostwick, Reba McEntire
DIRECTOR: Davis Doi
DURATION: 88 mins
FAMILY
NORM OF THE NORTH
It’s time for another
heartwarming prehistoric
adventure from the
ever-popular franchise.
In Journey Of The Brave
young Apatosaurus Littlefoot
sets out on an epic quest to
rescue his dad with the help
of his dino-pals – the cute
creatures are sure to win over
a new generation of fans.
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP
STARS: Jason Lee,
Justin Long,
Matthew Gray Gubler,
Jesse McCartney
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the squeaky-voiced
rodents certainly have a big following –
this franchise has amassed more than
$1.8 billion at the box office to date. For
the fourth film in the series, director Walt
Becker wisely doesn’t mess with a winning
formula, interspersing the requisite slapstick
with plenty of winning musical numbers.
This time around, the chipmunks’ long
suffering guardian Dave (Jason Lee) has
fallen for Samantha (Kimberly WilliamsPaisley), a single mum and surgeon. Her
son Miles (Josh Green) takes an instant
dislike to Alvin (voiced by Justin Long),
Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore
(Jesse McCartney), and convinces them that
they will be forced out if Dave marries his
mum, so they all embark on a road trip to
prevent them getting engaged in Miami. The
Chipettes (Christina Applegate, Ana Faris plus
new addition Kaley Cuoco) are back to help
the boys out on a few of the music numbers,
while their main nemesis in The Road Chip is
Tony Hale as a vindictive air marshal.
DIRECTOR: Walt Becker
RATED: PG
AVAILABLE: April 30
DURATION: xx mins
Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Yogi Bear
21
TKE30_20-21_Family.indd 21
16/03/2016 2:27 pm
TV
LAST MAN ON EARTH SEASON 1
STARS: Will Forte,
Kristen Schaal, January
Jones, Mel Rodriguez,
Cleopatra Coleman
Post-apocalypse TV series are all the rage
these days but this is the first one to be
played strictly for laughs. Of course, we
soon discover our hero Phil Miller (the
show’s creator Will Forte) isn’t the only
human survivor of a global pandemic that
has wiped out humankind, which is a relief
because he is kind of a rat-bag. Although he
agrees to marry (albeit reluctantly) the prim
and proper Carol (Wendy Schaal) – the first
survivor of the apocalypse he meets – when
the beautiful Melissa (Mad Man’s January
Jones) arrives, he immediately starts trying
to wheedle his way into her bed. He then
proceeds to alienate every other person who
makes their way to Tucson and by the end of
the series, pretty much his only friends are
a collection of his face-painted sports balls
(a nice running gag on Cast Away’s Wilson).
Forte makes for a pleasingly disreputable
hero and keep an eye out right at the end
for a fleeting cameo from Jason Sudeikis as
Forte’s brother – you will see more of him in
the second season.
DIRECTOR: Will Forte
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 6
DURATION: 390 mins
FORMATS: DVD
This Is The End
Zombieland
Flight of the Conchords
HOMELAND SEASON 5
RATED: MA15+
AVAILABLE: April 28
STARS: Claire Danes,
Mandy Patinkin,
Rupert Friend,
Miranda Otto
DIRECTOR: Various
DURATION: 660 mins
The action switches to Europe
for the latest season of the
electrifying series about the
war on terror. Carrie Matheson
(Claire Danes) has left the
CIA for what she thinks will
be a safer job as head of
security for a wealthy German
philanthropist (Sebastian
Koch). However, she is
drawn back into the world of
espionage when she discovers
that she was the real target
in an assassination attempt
on her boss, with the trail
leading back to a mole within
CIA. Series regulars Mandy
Patinkin, Rupert Friend and F
Murray Abraham are back on
board for the season, while
new additions to the cast
include Miranda Otto as the
Berlin station chief. Add in the
leaking of an embarrassing
cache of top secret documents
and a horrifying terror plot
being planned by ISIS
sympathisers and you have
another suspenseful – and
timely – season of Homeland.
A PLACE TO
CALL HOME S3
STARS: Arianwen ParkesLockwood, Marta Dusseldorp,
David Berry, Brett Climo
DIRECTOR: Mark Joffe
FORMATS: DVD
As in previous series, the
fictional New South Wales
town of Inverness once again
serves as a microcosm for the
threats and challenges – both
internal and external – facing
the Aussie way of life in the
1950s. With relationships
and alliances tested to the
utmost, this rejuvenated
series remains a captivating
blend of classy melodrama
and social history.
BROAD CITY S2
STARS: Abbi Jacobson, Ilana
Glazer, Hannibal Buress
DIRECTOR: Lucia Aniello
DURATION: 263 mins
Seth Rogen, Kumail
Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) and
Alia Shawkat (Arrested
Development) are among
the guest stars lined up
for the sophomore season
of this cheerfully politically
incorrect sitcom about the
misadventures of two best
friends (Abbi Jacobson and
Ilana Glazer) in New York.
Proof that being a slacker
is not the sole preserve of
the male species.
22
TKE30_22-23_TV.indd 22
16/03/2016 2:28 pm
FARGO SEASON 2
AVAILABLE: April 20
STARS: Kirsten Dunst,
Jesse Plemons,
Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson,
Jean Smart
DIRECTOR: Adam Arkin
DURATION: 530 mins
DA VINCI’S DEMONS
S3
STARS: Tom Riley, Elliot
Cowan, Lara Pulver, Laura
Haddock DIRECTOR: Peter Hoar
FORMATS: DVD
Bonkers but hugely
entertaining all the same,
this irreverent fantasy series
reimagines Leonardo Da
Vinci (Tom Riley) as a sort of
15th century Tony Stark – part
brilliant inventor, part dashing
hero and womaniser. The final
season of Da Vinci’s Demons
finds the original Renaissance
man lending his skills to the
epic battle against the Ottoman
Empire, while continuing to
decipher the Book of Leaves.
TV
RATED: MA15+
The standalone second season of True
Detective failed to live up to the expectations
of the original, but there are no such
problems for the sophomore series of this
weird and wonderful show inspired by the
Coen Brothers’ cult classic. Set in the 1970s,
it’s a prequel of sorts, although only in the
fact that it features Lou Solverson (played
here by Patrick Wilson), the father of the
heroine of the first series Molly. He and
his sheriff father-in-law Hank Larsson (Ted
Danson) find themselves up to their necks
in bodies when local hairdresser Peggy (the
superb Kirsten Dunst) kills the young son of a
local mob matriarch (Jean Smart) in a hit and
run accident, and unwittingly sparks a bloody
Mafia war. The talented ensemble also
includes Bookem Woodbine as a hip hitman,
Jesse Plemons as Peggy’s muddled husband
and our own Angus Sampson as a sensitive
gangster. You suspect the Coens would
heartily approve of the surreal mix of quirky
characters, black comedy and ultra-violence;
we certainly can’t wait for the third series.
Fargo
Breaking Bad
Dexter
THE LEFTOVERS S2
DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 6
STARS: Justin Theroux, Amy
Brenneman, Christopher
Eccleston, Chris Zylka
DIRECTOR: Mimi Leder
DURATION: 565 mins
One of the most original
shows to emerge from
HBO in years returns for a
second season, which finds
the Murphy family looking
to start again in the Texan
town of Miracle. That’s
because it seems to be the
only place not affected by
the the mysterious global
event, which saw 2% of the
world’s population vanish.
Still unmissable viewing.
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 28
STARS: Hugh Bonneville,
Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth
McGovern, Michelle
Dockery, Matthew Goode
DIRECTOR: Minkie Spiro
DURATION: 604 mins
Who would have thought a
series about the goings on –
upstairs and downstairs – at a
stately English mansion at the
beginning of the 20th century
would go on to become such a
global phenomenon? Sadly, all
good things eventually have to
come to an end, but devoted
fans will be pleased to know
that Downton Abbey signs off
in a suitably grand manner.
The sixth season opens in
1925 with the staff preparing
for the upcoming nuptials of
Carson (Jim Carter) and Mrs
Walter (Phyllis Logan); it ends
with another popular wedding
for the posh folk upstairs,
although we won’t spoil it
by saying who. Meanwhile,
the Earl of Grantham (Hugh
Bonneville) realizes that it
is becoming increasingly
difficult to maintain such a
large household, much to the
concern of his loyal servants.
So, it’s an end of an era in
more ways than one for this
much-loved show.
23
TKE30_22-23_TV.indd 23
16/03/2016 2:28 pm
ACTION
STAR WARS:
THE FORCE AWAKENS
a
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 13
STARS: Harrison Ford,
Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher,
Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley
DIRECTOR: J.J. Abrams
DURATION: 135 mins
RIOT
Rebooting a beloved franchise
is never easy but when it’s
one of the most successful
film series of all time – and
one with a vast and fiercely
loyal fanbase – a studio has
to tread very carefully indeed.
Thankfully, fanboy JJ Abrams
is up to the task: old school
fans will appreciate the return
of favourite old characters and
the many knowing references
to the original movies, while
newcomers to the saga can
look forward to a thrilling sci-fi
spectacular. The Force Awakens
finds the remnants of the old
Galactic Empire – now known
as the New Order – in the
ascendance under the ruthless
leadership of Kylo Ren (Adam
Driver). Standing in their way are
a ragtag group of heroes, who
include young orphan Rey (Daisy
Ridley), renegade stormtrooper
Finn (John Boyega) and the
old rogue himself Han Solo
(Harrison Ford).
STREET
THE 5TH WAVE
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 14
STARS: Chloe Grace Moretz,
Matthew Zuk, Gabriela Lopez,
Bailey Anne Borders
DIRECTOR: J Blakeson
DURATION: 112 mins
ELECTRIC SLIDE
STARS: Matthew Reese, Dolph
Lundgren, Danielle Chuchran,
Chuck Liddell DIRECTOR: John
Lyde DURATION: 84 mins
STARS: Beau Casper Smart,
Quincy Brown, Melissa Molinaro
DIRECTOR: Bradford May
DURATION: 82 mins
RATED: M AVAIL: Apr 20 STARS:
Isabel Lucas, Chloe Sevigny,
Patricia Arquette, Jim Sturgess
DIRECTOR: Tristan Patterson
DURATION: 95 mins
Matthew Reese, who is
starting to make a bit of a
name for himself as an action
hero, heads the cast of this
brutish action thriller. He
plays a cop who gets himself
sent to prison to avenge
the death of his family,
who were murdered on the
orders of Chuck Liddell, a
Russian gangster who runs
his empire from a prison he
effectively controls. Dolph
Lundgren co-stars as an
enigmatic prisoner.
Dancer/choreographer Beau
Casper Smart, who is currently
dating Jennifer Lopez, tries
out his fancy footwork in the
ring in this good old-fashioned
underground fight flick. Smart
acquits himself pretty well
as the eponymous Street,
a former wrestling champ
who gets drawn into an illegal
fighting ring. However, there’s
plenty of professional help
on hand, too, including UFC
stalwarts like Matt Mitrione
and Uriah Hall.
Loosely based on a true
story, Jim Sturgess plays a
debt-ridden furniture store
owner who turns to bank
robbery, relying mainly on
his smooth patter to get the
female tellers to hand over
the cash. Rising Australian
star Isobel Lucas is his
waif-like new girlfriend who
becomes Bonnie to his
deeply deluded Clyde,
while Tristran Patterson’s
dreamy direction revels
in the cheesy ‘80s settings.
The jury is still out on whether
the latest Young Adult bestseller
to hit the screen will become
a fully blown series but it
certainly has all the ingredients
to develop into an intriguing
new franchise. A sort of cross
between Independence Day
and the the cult classic Invasion
Of The Body Snatchers, the film
is set against the backdrop of
an alien invasion that has seen
the Earth all but decimated
by waves of extra terrestrial
attacks. Chloë Grace Moretz
plays Cassie, a young teenager
desperately searching for her
young brother Sam (Zackary
Arthur), who has been drafted
into a military unit made up
entirely of youthful survivors.
Under the leadership of Colonel
Vosch (Liev Schreiber), the
youngsters are being readied to
withstand a final assault by the
alien invaders – no easy task,
given that they have the ability
to inhabit human bodies.
IN THE HEART
OF THE SEA
STARS: Chris Hemsworth,
Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy,
Brendan Gleeson DIRECTOR: Ron
Howard DURATION: 122 mins
The story behind the true
story that inspired Moby Dick
is masterfully brought to the
big screen by Ron Howard.
In 1820, the whaling ship the
Essex – led by an inexperienced
captain (Benjamin Walker) and
his seasoned first mate (Chris
Hemsworth) –was sunk in the
Pacific after being rammed
by a giant sperm whale. The
surviving crew then face a
harrowing battle for survival.
24
TKE30_24_Action.indd 24
16/03/2016 2:29 pm
“BIG-HEARTED
CROWD-PLEASER”
–THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
WIN 1 0F10 DADDY’S HOME BLU-RAYS
In 25 words or less, if you had a hard question to ask would you ask your Mum or your Dad and why?
Full Name:
Contact Number:
Address:
Suburb:
State:
Postcode:
Store Name:
Store Suburb:
In 25 words or less, if you had a hard question to ask would you ask your Mum or your Dad and why?
Please submit your entry in store or send to ‘Daddy’s Home’ PO Box 1234 Chatswood NSW 2067
THIS COMPETITION WILL RUN FROM 1ST APRIL 2016 UNTIL 30TH APRIL 2016. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.
BRING IT HOME ON BLU-RAY™& DVD 7 APRIL
© 2016 PARAMOUNT PICTURES
DADDYS HOME EDGE FPA COMP 10241.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
4/03/2016 1:56 pm
16/03/2016 2:10 pm
THRILLER
99 HOMES
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: April 13
STARS: Michael Shannon,
Andrew Garfield, Clancy
Brown, Laura Dern
DIRECTOR: Ramin Bahrani
DURATION: 112 mins
STANDOFF
CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
The crash of the US housing
market in the wake of the
global financial meltdown is
the subject of this unsettling
and thought-provoking thriller.
Andrew Garfield plays Dennis
Nash, a struggling single dad
who is evicted from his home
by real estate mogul Rick
Carver (Michael Shannon)
after the bank forecloses on
his property. Desperate to
reclaim his old family home,
he reluctantly takes a job
with Carver, who soon has
him carrying out the same
evictions that he and his family
endured. As Nash grapples
with his conscience, Carver
is readying for the biggest
deal of his career: the sale of
100 foreclosed homes to an
investment fund. Although
structured as a thriller, director
Ramin Bahrani also perfectly
captures the despair of
ordinary folk trapped in debt,
while Shannon is mesmerising
as a shark-like realtor, a 21st
century Gordon Gekko.
CABIN FEVER
RATED: MA15+
AVAILABLE: April 7
STARS: Michael Pitt,
Dan Stevens, Christopher
Abbott, Rob Brown
DIRECTOR:
Jackie Earle Haley
DURATION: 94 mins
CAPTIVE
Jackie Earl Haley, best known
for his roles in Watchmen and
the rebooted A Nightmare
On Elm Street, makes his
directorial debut in this clever
Tarantino-esque crime thriller.
Michael Pitt and Dan Stevens
play former schoolmates,
who, together with two other
old pals Michael Brown and
Christopher Abbott, find
themselves deep in debt to
a loan shark (John Travolta)
after a share deal goes horribly
wrong. Travolta offers them
an unusual way to clear
their debt: his nephew has
been kidnapped by a drug
dealer and he wants them
to abduct the latter’s brother
(Edi Gathegi) to facilitate a
swap. Unsurprisingly, the
quartet soon discover that he
hasn’t told them the whole
story. Haley deftly balances
the blend of suspense and
black comedy, and also scores
in front of the camera as
Travolta’s cheerful enforcer.
THE LOBSTER
RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: Mar 31
STARS: Thomas Jane, Laurence
Fishburne, Ella Ballentine, Joanna
Douglas DIRECTOR: Adam Alleca
DURATION: 85 mins FORMATS:
DVD/Blu-ray
STARS: Gage Golightly, Matthew
Daddario, Nadine Crocker, Dustin
Ingram DIRECTOR: Travis Zariwny
DURATION: 99 mins
STARS: David Oyelowo, Kate
Mara, Claudia Church, Michael
K. Williams DIRECTOR: Jerry
Jameson DURATION: 97 mins
STARS: Colin Farrell, Rachel
Weisz, John C. Reilly, Léa
Seydoux DIRECTOR: Yorgos
Lanthimos DURATION: 114 mins
FORMATS: DVD
Essentially a three-hander, this
claustrophobic thriller sees
ex soldier Thomas Jane and
a young girl (Ella Ballentine)
locked in a cat-and-mouse
game with hitman Laurence
Fishburne. The girl accidentally
witnessed Fishburne’s last
assignment and has taken
refuge in Jane’s house. Both
men are wounded in their
first exchange of fire and
subsequently take up strategic
positions inside the home –
who will be the first to crack?
It’s a little perplexing why
someone would want to
remake Eli Roth’s splatter
breakthrough Cabin Fever – it’s
only 13 years old after all. But
this reboot has apparently
received the blessing of the
great man himself, so who
are we to argue? And fans of
the cult classic will be pleased
to know that director Travis
Zariwny has stayed to true to
the gory spirit of Roth’s original
as five teens fall victim to a
nasty flesh-eating virus.
This faith-based movie is
lifted into a different class
altogether thanks to fine
performances from David
Oyelowo and Kate Mara. The
latter plays a recovering drug
addict who is kidnapped by
a prison escapee (Oyelowo),
who is desperate to see
his newborn son. However,
an unlikely bond begins to
develop between the pair
when she begins reading
to him from a best-selling
devotional book.
This dazzlingly surreal
dystopian thriller is set in a
world where all adults must
have a partner. Those who
end up single – either through
divorce or death – are taken to
a hotel where they are taught
how to find a compatible new
mate; if they fail, they are then
transformed into an animal of
their choice and let loose in
the wild! Colin Farrell heads
an all-star cast as a mildmannered divorcee who
rebels. Brilliantly bonkers.
26
TKE30_26_Thriller.indd 26
16/03/2016 2:30 pm
Check the Classification
© 2016 Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved.
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY & DVD 21 APRIL
™
5TH WAVE LEADING EDGE FPA 10240.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
14/03/2016 10:04 am
16/03/2016 2:11 pm
BACKTRACK
We don’t want you to miss any of the hot titles which,
since we reviewed them last month, have been particularly
rapid in hooning off the stores’ shelves! Here’s a look at five
you might have bypassed – so go on, snatch ‘em up.
BRIDGE OF SPIES
Mark Rylance was probably
more surprised than anybody
when he won this year’s Oscar
for best supporting actor for his
performance in Steven Spielberg’s
absorbing Cold War drama.
Sylvester Stallone was regarded
as a dead cert to take home the
prize for reprising his much-loved
character Rocky Balboa in Creed
(out this month on DVD), but the
academy instead chose to honour
the British actor’s beautifully
modulated turn as Russian spy
Rudolf Abel, whose capture sparks
a legal cat-and-mouse game of
brinkmanship between the USSR
and the USA. Like Ian McKellen a
few decades back, Mark Rylance
has until now largely eschewed
Hollywood, now preferring to
concentrate on his first love, the
stage. However, his warm and
drily funny turn here shows film
audiences what we have been
missing. His scenes with
Tom Hanks – who plays his
determined lawyer James Donovan
– are a particular delight, as the
latter quickly discovers that his
client is far from the bogeyman
painted by the authorities and
the media. That said, Rylance
is not the only reason to see
Bridge Of Spies: Hanks brings
his usual quiet gravitas to his
role as the reluctant negotiator,
while Spielberg adroitly
orchestrates the suspense
and drama. Pure class.
RATED: M
STARS: Tom Hanks,
Mark Rylance,
Amy Ryan,
Jesse Plemons,
Alan Alda
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg
DURATION: 141 mins
28
TKE30_28-29_BACKTRACK.indd 28
16/03/2016 2:32 pm
NO ESCAPE
In Behind Enemy Lines (2001), Owen Wilson played an
airman on the run after his plane is shot down over Bosnia.
The comedy star’s latest foray into the action genre follows a
similar premise, although this time the setting is an unnamed
South East Asian city gripped by revolution. Wilson plays
Jack Dwyer, who together with wife Annie (Lake Bell) and
their two young children, has moved to the Far East to take
up an engineering job. However, the day after they arrive,
a bloody coup erupts and armed mobs start prowling the
streets looking for payback against the hated westerners.
Wilson and Bell – both better known their for comedy roles
– make for appealing heroes, ordinary folk driven to commit
desperate deeds to survive, while Pierce Brosnan lends his
much needed action skills to the family as a laconic British
security contractor who turns out to know a lot more about
what has prompted the brutal uprising.
SLEEPING WITH
OTHER PEOPLE
When Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meets Lainey (Alison Brie)
by chance at college they hit it off immediately and
impulsively decide to lose their virginity to each other
before going their separate ways. When their paths cross
12 years later at a sex addicts’ meeting, they realise they
both have serious commitment issues so they resolve
to help other – platonically – to end their serial cheating
ways. Although it doesn’t deviate too far from established
rom-com conventions – the mismatched pair who are
destined to become more than friends, a caddish ex (Adam
Scott), a happily married best friend (Jason Mantzoukas)
– writer-director Leslye Headland (Bachelorette) keeps
sentimentality at bay for the most part and provides plenty
of rude and lewd gags to keep the laughs flowing. She
is also well-served by Sudeikis and Brie, who make for a
charmingly politically incorrect couple.
FREEHELD
Set in the early 2000s, this moving true story charts a
small but significant chapter in the gay rights battle in the
US. Julianne Moore plays Laurel Hester, a decorated New
Jersey police detective in a deeply conservative seaside
community who wants to leave her hard-earned pension
to the love of her life Stacie (Ellen Page) when she is
diagnosed with cancer. However, the deeply conservative
county officials – the Freeholders of the title – rule that the
benefit only applies to heterosexual couples, so with the
help of her loyal detective partner Michael Shannon and
a colourful gay rights activist (Steve Carell), Laurel battles
to overturn their decision. Both the inspiring tale of one
woman’s fight against intolerance and a tender love story,
Freeheld is sensitively directed by Peter Sollett, who also
draws out fine performances from the starry cast.
SECRET IN THEIR EYES
Critics tend to get a bit sniffy when Hollywood remakes
acclaimed foreign language movies, particularly if the films
have won an Oscar. And it must be said, there have been
some dreadful reboots – The Vanishing, City Of Angels, Swept
Away, to name but a few. However, this brooding crime thriller
doesn’t deserve to be tarred with the same brush, even if it’s
not quite in the same class as the Argentinian film of the same
name – aka El Secreto de Sus Ojos – which won the Oscar for
best foreign language film in 2010. In a melancholic study in
revenge and guilt, Chiwitel Ejiofor plays an FBI agent haunted
by the murder of the teenage daughter of a law enforcement
colleague (Julia Roberts) in the early 2000s. Unfortunately,
at the time of the killing, the prime suspect (Joe Cole) was
also an FBI informant who had valuable information on an
upcoming terrorist and he is allowed to disappear before
charges can be brought against him. Thirteen years later Ejiofor
– who has since left the agency – is convinced he has found
Cole and he urges Roberts and her boss (Nicole Kidman) to
reopen the case. However, his obsession only succeeds in
re-opening old wounds…
29
TKE30_28-29_BACKTRACK.indd 29
16/03/2016 2:32 pm
EXTRAS
A SELECTION OF TITLES
THE DVD STORK WILL BE
DELIVERING NEXT MONTH
The Revenant
THE REVENANT
By winning the best director Oscar
for the second year running for this
harrowing survival story, Mexican
filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu has
cemented his position as one of
the finest young filmmakers of his
generation. And what makes his
achievement so remarkable is that
The Revenant couldn’t be more
different from his surreal celebrity
satire Birdman. A throwback to
early ‘70s survival westerns such
as Jeremiah Johnson, Leonardo
DiCaprio deservedly won the best
actor Oscar for his portrayal of a
frontiersman left for dead in the
wilderness by his hunting party.
Essential viewing - get it on May 18.
SISTERS
THE GOOD
DINOSAUR
THE BIG SHORT
THE HATEFUL
EIGHT
GOOSEBUMPS
Funny ladies Tina Fey
and Amy Poehler are
hilarious as siblings who
decide to recreate one
of their famous teenage
parties at their old family
home. Grab it on May 5.
What if dinosuars hadn’t
become extinct millions
of years ago? That’s the
simple but ingenious
premise of the latest
animated blockbuster,
out on May 11.
The global meltdown
of the late 2000s is the
subject of this sharp and
funny true story about a
tiny group of investors
who saw it coming.
Available from May 19.
The latest from Quentin
Tarantino is a spaghetti
western-cum-whodunnit
set in a snowbound
cabin. This instant cult
classic is due on shelves
on May 25.
R. L. Stine’s supernatural
series gets a fun reboot,
with the author (Jack
Black) unwittingly
unleashing his imaginary
monsters into the real
world. Out on May 25.
30
TKE30_30_ComingSoon.indd 30
16/03/2016 2:32 pm
AprilFP2015.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
3/03/2016 12:39 pm
16/03/2016 2:01 pm
A JAMES VANDERBILT FILM
“A GRIPPING, BEAUTIFULLY
EXECUTED JOURNALISTIC
THRILLER.”
Stephen Holden,
BASED ON THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY
“A POTENT
CINEMATIC PROVOCATION”
-- Peter Travers,
HHHH
“ONE OF THE FINEST FILMS
ABOUT JOURNALISM SINCE
‘ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN’.”
-- Rex Reed,
© 2015 RATPAC TRUTH LLC AND FEA PRODUCTIONS, LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
FROM THE ACADEMY AWARD WINNING
PRODUCERS OF
®
© 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and RatPac-Dune Entertainment LLC.
O N B L U - R AY Awhile
Nstocks
Dlast D V D A P R I L 2 0
201603060_Truth_Our_Brand_is_Crisis_STACK_FPC.indd 1
AD TEMPLATE.indd 1
14/03/2016 2:25 pm
16/03/2016 2:02 pm

your guide to april`s hottest releases

Transcription

Similar documents

DVD Labels

Windwood Studio is offering a DVD of Theatre on Main`s production

UP UP AND AWAY - Principato di Seborga

Registration form copy

over 40 reviews inside including

the dollmaker - Powerful Tools for Caregivers

I`m helping to end MS by participating in the 2016 Jayman BUILT MS

Next Generation Optical Disc Studio Perspectives

Feb 2016 Video Vibe - Leading Edge Video

Power, Steering Proxes R888 sticks to the track whilst you stick to