your guide to september`s hottest releases

Transcription

YOUR GUIDE TO SEPTEMBER’S
HOTTEST RELEASES
OVER 40 REVIEWS INSIDE INCLUDING:
THE AGE OF ADALINE TOMORROWLAND
EX _ MACHINA EMPIRE SEASON 1
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR
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Strong horror
themes and
violence
AVAILABLE ON DVD 3 SEPTEMBER
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY™ & DVD 24 SEPTEMBER
© 2015 Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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A
SEPTEMBER 2015
P.12
With winter now behind us, the
blockbuster season is on its way
and we couldn’t have wished
for a better start than with the
September line-up. As well as
the latest installment in Marvel’s
marvellous superhero series,
Avengers – Age Of Ultron, this
month also sees the return of
another iconic screen figure in
Mad Max: Fury Road. And there’s
even more thrilling action on
offer in the disaster flick San
Andreas and the science fiction
epic Tomorrowland. Add to that
hits such as the fantasy weepie
Age Of Adaline, the outrageous
time-travelling comedy Hot Tub
Time Machine 2 and the superb
sci-fi thriller Ex Machina – not to
mention hot new television series
such as Gotham and Empire – and
you really are spoilt for choice this
September. We hope this month’s
issue will help make those viewing
decisions a little easier to make.
THE TEAM
5-10 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 ACTION
Five movies you may have
missed last month
30 COMING SOON
New releases to look forward
to next month
P.16
18-19 THRILLER
20-21 FAMILY
22-23 TV
24 DRAMA
12 TOMORROWLAND
26 COMEDY
P.19
Director Brad Bird on why he was
determined to recapture the
optimism of Walt Disney’s
vision of the future.
14 AGE OF ADALINE
Blake Lively discovers that
the prospect of eternal
youth is not quite
as appealing as it
first appears.
P.23
P.14
P.24
Publisher: Tilo Grieco [email protected], Editor: Kit Razer
Sub Editor: Chelsea Graham, Contributors: Robert Hislop, Accounts: Tracy Kingman [email protected],
Production: Al Netherclift, Design: Rebecca Rowlands, Contributor: Scott Hocking
Address: Scribal Publishing Pty. Ltd., PO Box 2051, Richmond South, VIC 3121
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hotnewreleases
2nd SEP
9th SEP
Artwork not final and subject to change.
16th SEP
23rd SEP
10th SEP
16th SEP
10th SEP
16th SEP
16th SEP
24th SEP
30th SEP
23rd SEP
TAKE A MOVIE STAR HOME TONIGHT
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NEWSREEL
NEWSREEL
YOUR MONTHLY FIX OF
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
CRAZY KRAYS
Tom Hardy is back in full gangster
mode next month with the big
screen release of a new biopic
about the infamous London
mobsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray.
Hardy, who this month can
be seen in the title role in Mad
Max: Fury Road and the Russian
thriller Child 44, will play the
psychopathic East End twins in
Legend, which is written and
directed by Brian Helgeland (L.A.
Confidential, Mystic River). Aussie
star Emily Browning will play
Reggie’s troubled wife, while the
all-star supporting cast includes
David Thewlis, Christopher
Eccleston, Chazz Palminteri, Tara
Fitzgerald and Taron Egerton.
It’s due in cinemas on October 8.
The Krays were last played
on screen by former Spandau
Ballet members Ross and Martin
Kemp in the 1990 film of the
same name.
For more on Hardy’s career,
check out Actor’s Focus on
page 27.
DOWNTON ABBEY THE MOVIE?
With shooting underway on the sixth and final season of Downton Abbey, fans are now keeping their fingers
crossed that the beloved aristocratic family will make the transition to the big screen.
The producers have made no secret of their wish to make a ‘Downton Abbey – The Movie’ but nothing has been
confirmed yet. Gareth Neame, the show’s executive producer and head of Carnival Films, told US journalists that
ending Downton Abbey with a season set in 1925 leaves “a lot of rich territory” to explore if a movie “ever happens”.
“There’s rumor and speculation,” Neame said at a press conference. “I’m not denying anything; I think a
Downton movie could be a wonderful thing. But we don’t have a script or plan yet.”
JACKSON
BUSIER THAN EVER
He may be 67 at the end of the year, but hardworking
Samuel L Jackson is showing no signs of slowing down.
This month sees the release of three new flicks from
the iconic star – Avengers: The Age Of Ultron, Big Game
and Barely Lethal are reviewed on pages 16 and 17 – and
2016 is already shaping up to be an even bigger year.
As well as reuniting with Spike Lee – the director who
gave him his first big break – for the satirical crime epic
Chiraq, Jackson will once again team with another regular
collaborator Quentin Tarantino for his latest western The
Hateful Eight. Other films in the pipeline for 2016 include
Cell, an apocalypse chiller co-written by Stephen King,
Tim Burton’s latest fantasy Miss Peregrine’s School for
Peculiar Children and Disney’s live action reboot of Tarzan.
And with more Marvel Avengers flicks in the works, it
doesn’t look as if Jackson will be retiring anytime soon…
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FRESH HORRORS
THE MOST
POPULAR RENTAL
TITLES ACROSS
AUSTRALIA
1
SEVENTH SON
2
THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC
MARIGOLD HOTEL
3
KINGSMAN:
THE SECRET SERVICE
4
JUPITER ASCENDING
5
CHAPPIE
6
BIG EYES
7
PROJECT ALMANAC
8
THE FORGER
9
FOCUS
10 CINDERELLA 2015
Just in time for Halloween, the
fourth installment of the hit
TV anthology series American
Horror Story is due to touch
down on DVD and Blu-ray
next month.
American Horror Story:
Freak Show is set in 1952
in a sleepy Florida town
and centres on a troupe
of human “curiosities” led
by AHS regular Jessica
Lange. Her menagerie
of performers includes a
two-headed, telepathic twin
(another series mainstay
Sarah Paulson), a take-charge
bearded lady (Kathy Bates),
a vulnerable strongman
(Michael Chiklis) and his
sultry, three-breasted wife
(Angela Bassett). It is due out
on October 8, along with a
season 1-4 box set.
At press-time, there had
been no announcement when
season 5 will screen here, but
American Horror Story: Hotel
is to go to air in the US in
early October. No Lange this
time but joining regulars like
Paulson, Bates and Bassett is
pop superstar Lady Gaga!
SUPER SPOOF
After trying their hand at an original comedy
Best Night Ever – still unreleased in this part
of the world as far as we can tell – spoofsters
Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have
returned to world of parody.
The duo behind send-ups like Vampires
Suck and Meet The Spartans, next month
turn their attention to the Fast & Furious
franchise with Super Fast Super Furious,
in which undercover cop Lucas White
(Alex Ashbaugh) infiltrates the illegal street
racing gang of Vin Serentos (Dale Pavinski)
to bring down a drugs baron.
And Friedberg and Seltzer have also just
begun shooting a spoof of the Taken series,
provisionally titled Who the F#@K Took My
Daughter? Stay posted for more details…
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ON BLU-RAY & DVD SEPTEMBER 2
M Recommended for mature audiences
Tracers © 2014 Freerunning, LLC.
ON BLU-RAY & DVD SEPTEMBER
EMBER 16
TM
M Recommended for mature audiences
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© Copyright 2014 Barely Lethal LLC/Main Street Films, Inc. All rights reserved.
14/08/2015 1:36 pm
NEWSREEL
SECRETIVE SAUL
The first pictures have been released from the second
season of Better Call Saul – although they don’t really
offer anything new on what the new series heralds
for the Breaking Bad spin-off.
The first season of Better Call Saul is due out on DVD
this month and examines how struggling lawyer Jimmy
McGill (Bob Odenkirk) transformed himself into sleazy Saul
Goodman in Breaking Bad. All co-creator Vince Gilligan
has said so far is: “In season two, as with Breaking Bad
and its many seasons, the question is how far do you go,
how long is this journey and once Jimmy McGill becomes
Saul Goodman, then what happens? We have got a lot of
territory to mine: do we play scenes that are concurrent
with that timeline or do we jump ahead? The sky is really
the limit with this show and that is really exciting for me.”
JESSE & KRISTEN’S
NEW ADVENTURE
“I haven’t had this much fun making a movie in years,”
enthuses Kristen Stewart about her new comedy thriller
American Ultra, which reunites her with Adventureland
co-star Jesse Eisenberg.
Due in cinemas on September 3, Stewart plays the
bail-bondsman girlfriend of Eisenberg, a slacker stoner, who
unbeknownst to even himself, is actually a lethal secret agent.
Stewart admits she jumped at the chance to work with
Eisenberg again. “We should make a movie together every
five years,” she says. “It’s just so comfortable to work with
him. He’s hilarious and intimidatingly intelligent. And this
script is so original: imagine that your stoner buddy just
turned into an expert CIA assassin and the chaos that
ensues. It’s an ultra-violent, in-your-face action movie,
as well as a full-on slapstick comedy.”
And she might not have to wait five years for the next
reunion: the pair have reportedly been cast in the as yet untitled
new film from Woody Allen. In the meantime, Stewart can
be seen this month on DVD in a more serious role, the acclaimed
drama Clouds Of Sils Maria, which is reviewed on page 24.
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FROM THE CREATORS OF
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NEWSREEL
A FEW NEW
FILMS GREENLIT
A sequel to the raucous comedy A Few Best Men and a
Chinese co-production from the director of Bait 3D are
among the new productions that have just received the
greenlight from Screen Australia.
A Few Less Men will see Xavier Samuel, Kevin Bishop
and Kris Marshall reprise their roles from the first movie,
this time getting into all sorts of trouble when they set out to
escort a mate’s coffin across Australia. Once again penned by
UK writer Dean Craig (Death at a Funeral), the film will be the
second feature from Australian director Peter Templeman
(Not Suitable for Children).
The Nest, meanwhile, is an action adventure yarn about
the discovery of a well-preserved mummified Emperor from
200 BC China - a secret that should have remained buried.
A Chinese/Australian co-production, it is due to be directed by
Kimble Rendall, whose Bait 3D was a surprise hit in China.
On the TV front, Screen Australia has also given the
thumbs up to Wanted, an action adventure mini-series
starring Rebecca Gibney.
SPIELBERG
READIES NEW
SCI-FI FLICK
Steven Spielberg will direct his first sci-fi movie in more than
10 years, signing on for the big screen version of the Young
Adult bestseller Ready Player One.
Scheduled for cinema release at Christmas time 2017, the film is
based on Ernest Cline’s novel of same name, which is set in the year
2044 where many folk escape their grim existence by jacking into
OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia.
It will be Spielberg’s first sci-fi flick since 2005’s War Of The Worlds
and caps off a renewed burst of activity for the Hollywood hitmaker.
His latest film, the cold war drama Bridge Of Spies with Tom Hanks,
is due out in cinemas next month, while a live action version of Roald
Dahl’s beloved fantasy The BFG is expected in June next year.
No word yet, though, on the status of a fifth Indiana Jones
romp, and it now appears that won’t arrive until at least 2018.
Spielberg on War
Of The Worlds set
with Tom Cruise.
SUPERHERO vs SUPERHERO:
TIME TO TAKE SIDES
As the title suggests, the next Marvel
blockbuster Captain America: Civil War
will see the cracks in the superhero
alliance that emerged in Avengers:
Age Of Ultron exploding into full
scale conflict.
On one side will be Captain America
(Chris Evans), on the other Tony Stark aka
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr). But whose
side will the other Avengers be on?
There has been no official
announcement, but the fansite Heroic
Heroes reckons Captain America – aka
Steve Rogers – will be able to count
on Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Falcon
(Anthony Mackie), Scarlet Witch
(Elizabeth Olsen), and his old friend/
adversary The Winter Soldier (Sebastian
Stan). Team Iron Man, meanwhile, will
naturally feature Stark’s pals The Vision
(Paul Bettany) and War Machine (Don
Cheadle), plus Black Widow (Scarlett
Johansson). Thor (Chris Hemsworth)
and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are
expected to sit this particular battle out.
As for the two newcomers to the
Avengers, Ant Man (Paul Rudd) is tipped
to side with Captain America, while
Spider-Man (newcomer Tom Holland)
will be in Iron Man’s corner.
Captain America: Civil War – which is
due in cinemas in May – picks up where
Avengers: Age of Ultron left off with
Rogers leading his reconfigured team
of Avengers in their continued efforts
to safeguard humanity. However, when
another international incident involving
the team results in collateral damage,
political pressure mounts to install a
system of accountability.
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ON BLU-RAY & DVD SEPTEMBER 30
© 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Village Roadshow Films North America Inc. and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment LLC.
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DIRECTOR BRAD BIRD WAS DETERMINED TO RECAPTURE THE
OPTIMISM OF WALT DISNEY’S VISION OF THE FUTURE IN
THE EPIC ADVENTURE TOMORROWLAND.
W
hen Tomorrowland
was created in 1955 by
Walt Disney as part of
his new Disneyland theme park,
most people had an optimistic
view of what the future could
bring. In subsequent decades,
a much more cynical attitude
has prevailed, helped in
no small part by the bleak
approach to the future has been
presented on screen in a host
of dystopian sci-fi flicks.
However, with Tomorrowland
the Movie, director Brad Bird
was determined to recapture to
It embodies both aspects of
the future –the scary and the
wondrous – both of which
are somewhat unknowable,
so it’s an interesting ride.
RATED: CTC
AVAILABLE: Sept 30
STARS: George Clooney,
Hugh Laurie,
Britt Robertson,
Raffey Cassidy
DIRECTOR: Brad Bird
DURATION:130 mins
FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray
the theme park’s creator’s vision
of a future rife with exciting possibilities.
“Any time that there is an empty canvas,
there are two ways to look at it,” he says.
“One is emptiness and the other one
is wide open to possibility. And that’s
how I like to look at the future – wide
open to possibility.”
In the movie, the premise that the
futuristic city of Tomorrowland could
actually exist pays homage to both
Disney’s vision for Tomorrowland
and Disney World’s Epcot, the project
model city that would be an
ongoing experiment in urban
development and organization
(it was abandoned after
Disney’s death).
Bird has also woven into
this the idea – popular among
some conspiracy theorists – that
Disney was actually part of a
secretive organisation founded
in the late 19th Century by
Gustave Eiffel, Thomas Edison,
Jules Verne and Nikola Tesla.
These great thinkers hatched a
plan to build a city of the future,
a secret world of technological
innovation that would shape the
next century and beyond.
So, in the movie, a young teenager (Britt
Robertson) stumbles across the existence
of the hidden world of Tomorrowland and
persuades a jaded former resident (George
Clooney) to help her unlock its secrets.
“It’s a very untraditional story and the
protagonists are atypical,” Bird says.
“It’s a chance to work on a grand scale
but do something that hopefully will
be very surprising. It embodies both
aspects of the future –the scary and the
wondrous – both of which are somewhat
unknowable, so it’s an interesting ride.”
Bird is certainly no stranger to the
world of Disney. Bird began his first
film, an animated short at the age of 11
and finished it nearly three years later.
The film brought him to the attention of
Walt Disney Studios where, at age 14,
he was mentored by Milt Kahl, one of a
distinguished group of Disney’s legendary
animators known as the “Nine Old Men.”
Pursuing a career in animation, he went
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WESTERN WORLD
on to win two Oscars for his work on
the Pixar/Disney hits The Incredibles and
Ratatoille. And he remains a big fan of the
studio founder’s work. “Walt Disney was
constantly innovating,” enthuses Bird.
“He was never afraid to be the first to
do something. When he started working
on Disneyland everyone thought he was
insane. He had a massive curiosity and
Tomorrowland, the World’s Fair, Epcot,
they all represent that.
“Was he a perfect guy? No. But when
you look at how much he accomplished
in his lifetime it’s just staggering. So I
view him as an innovator. He had a very
proactive and positive view of the future.
I like to think that this film is something
that he would enjoy.”
And there remains something of a big
kid about Bird: for example, helping create
the jet packs used in the movie was one
of his most memorable experiences of
the movie for him. “There’s a 10-year-oldkid that’s still alive in me to this day,” he
agrees. “So any chance to make a jet pack
was fun, and better yet, we had a few
different jet packs in this movie,
so it’s safe for me to say that one
of my favourite props from the movie
is one of the jetpacks.”
However, the director hopes that
Tomorrowland will also give viewers
something to think about later…
and maybe even help some to
imagine a different kind of future.
“Something has been lost,” Bird
believes. “Pessimism has become the
only acceptable way to view the future,
and I disagree with that. I think there’s
something self-fulfilling about it. When
I was a kid, even though there were
many negative things going on, as there
always is and will be, it was acceptable
to view the future in a positive light,
that life was going to be better, that
racism would cease, inequality would be
mitigated, and so on.
“Now there’s this sort of giant cosmic
shrug and I hate that. I just don’t think
that we’re on the planet to do that.
We have the power to be responsible
and go in the other direction.”
Although the technology
looks a little dated these
days, Michael Crichton’s
1973 sci-fi flick Westworld
remains a cult classic as
a group of tourists get more
than they bargained for when they play at
being cowboys in a theme park called Western
World. A dress rehearsal of sorts for Crichton,
who went on to pen the biggest theme
park movie of all time…
JURASSIC PARK
Based on Crichton’s
novel of the same name,
Steven Spielberg’s 1993
blockbuster was set during
a preview tour for the
eponymous theme park. But
this time it’s recreated real dinosaurs
rather than malfunctioning robots that
end up running amok. The operators
clearly didn’t learn their lesson – look out
for Jurassic World later this year.
ADVENTURELAND
Compared to the
aforementioned futuristic
destinations, this theme
park is decidedly retro –
and not just because the
setting is 1987. Adventureland
(2009) is a warmly quirky coming of age
tale about a motley crew – including Jesse
Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Bill Hader and
Kristen Wiig – who work at the wonderfully
low-rent amusement park of the title.
WATER WIZZ
Like Adventureland, Water
Wizz has seen better days,
but it would still be a cool
place to work at. In The Way
Way Back (2013), a shy teen
(Liam James) finds refuge
from a horrible summer vacation with
his mother’s overbearing new boyfriend
at the local water world, managed by
charismatic slacker Sam Rockwell.
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Live
Forever?
IN THE AGE OF ADALINE, BLAKE LIVELY DISCOVERS THAT
THE PROSPECT OF ETERNAL YOUTH IS NOT QUITE
AS APPEALING AS IT FIRST APPEARS.
P
ossibly more than anywhere else in
the world, Hollywood is obsessed
with youth: for actresses, in
particular, it’s not a place that is easy to
grow old in. But in the fantastic fantasy
The Age Of Adaline, the downside of
eternal youth is put in the spotlight as
Blake Lively’s titular character discovers
the realities of living forever.
The Gossip Girl star says the film
is unlike any she’s ever seen in its
exploration of the ageing process. “It’s
about love and loss and what they
mean if you were able to live forever,”
she explains. “Is that a gift or is it a
curse? I walked away from Adaline’s
story thinking that life happens exactly
the way it’s supposed to. To live life
RATED: M
AVAILABLE: Sept 9
STARS: Blake Lively,
Michiel Huisman,
Harrison Ford,
Ellen Burstyn
DIRECTOR:
Lee Toland Krieger
DURATION: 112 mins
FORMATS:DVD/Blu-ray
DVD/Blu-ray
To live life surrounded by the
people you love, to come and
go with them, that feels like the
perfect order to me
surrounded by the people you love, to
come and go with them, that feels like
the perfect order to me.”
Born near the turn of the 20th century,
Adaline Bowman never dreamed
she would live to see the beginning
of the 21st – until one seemingly
magical moment saves her from death
and grants her eternal youth. At the
age of 29, Adaline stops ageing and
experiences life as no human being has
before. Carefully concealing her secret
from everyone but her ageing daughter,
Adaline manages momentous changes
with grace, until a past relationship
collides with a modern-day chance
for love and threatens to expose her
extraordinary history.
Lively knew she had found an
enchanting adventure and timeless love
story the first time she read the script.
“I couldn’t put it down,” she says. “It
read like a beautiful novel. The story is
romantic, poetic and unique.”
The actress was also excited to find
an original story told from a woman’s
point of view. The idea of a woman who
experiences so much, so deeply, during
one of the most diverse centuries in
human history intrigued Lively. “Her life
spans a hundred years, it crosses many
different eras,” the actress says.
“There are also different kinds of
love stories within the movie.
There’s the modern and apparent
male-female story. There’s a more
complex love story that rests in Adaline’s
past and is brought to life again in
her present. There’s also a deeply
touching story of love between
mother and daughter.
Adaline’s life of love is such a
beautiful journey.”
Lively admits it was a
challenging role, but an
extremely rewarding
one that allowed
her to delve more
deeply into a
character than she
ever has before.
“I had to play so
many women
within one,”
she explains.
“Adaline lives
through such
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TO
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IMMORTALS
DRACULA
different time periods, but she can’t be a
fractured woman. She is smart enough
to evolve and change with the times, yet
she is always the same person.”
Even though the story has elements
of fantasy, The Age Of Adaline is told in
a simple, human fashion - which was
another attraction for the actress. “It’s
very much a character piece,” Lively
says. “It is quite dramatic. We address
some pretty heavy ideas and really
reach for the heart.”
The juxtaposition of classic and
contemporary costumes was another
draw for the actress, who is currently
the face of Gucci’s fashion house.
Adaline’s wardrobe is a way of showing
the passage of time, she explains,
with the way women’s role in society
changes through the 20th century
reflected in her clothing, her hair
and her make-up.
In fact, Lively had an image of
Adaline’s wardrobe in her head
even before she was cast in the film.
“I schemed my way into the film, I
think,” she admits. “For my meeting
with [producer Tom Rosenberg] I
picked a dress that I thought was very
Adaline-like. It reminded me of a dress
my mom had; dusty blue with delicate,
faded white polka dots. I felt like
Adaline when I put it on. Tom told me
later, ‘when you walked in, I said,
that’s Adaline.’ My scheme worked!”
Probably the best
known screen
immortal, certainly the
baddest (usually). You
would need a whole
page to cover off all the
movies inspired by the
infamous Transylvanian bloodsucker
– the most of recent of which, Dracula
Untold, was released earlier this year.
However, the late Christopher Lee
remains our definitive Drac.
HERCULES
From Disney classics
to cult TV series,
cheesy swords &
sandals cheapies to
big budget Hollywood
blockbusters, the
indestructible Greek hero has also been
a regular screen fixture for decades.
Dwayne Johnson was the last to play
the mythological warrior; but if you want
a good laugh instead, try and locate the
cult Aussie comedy Hercules Returns.
WOLVERINE
Technically, the
X-Men superhero
is not immortal; if
the injuries were
extensive enough, it’s a
chance that Logan would
die. However, the fact that
Hugh Jackman’s character managed
to bounce back from the dodgy
X-Men Origins spin-off is proof of
his mighty powers of recovery.
LEGOLAS
All elves are immortal
but we’ve gone for
Orlando Bloom’s
dashing character
from Peter Jackson’s
epic Tolkien saga, mainly
because Leogolas made it into the
final two movies in The Hobbit trilogy,
even though the character didn’t
actually appear in the original novel.
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ACTION
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
STARS: Tom Hardy,
Charlize Theron,
Nicholas Hoult,
Hugh Keays-Byrne
Is it sacrilegious to suggest this might be
the best Mad Max movie yet? No disrespect
intended to Mel Gibson, who made Max
Rockatansky such an iconic screen anti-hero.
But armed with a bigger budget, creator
George Miller has not only delivered a mighty
reboot, but has produced one of the best
action movies of recent times. Tom Hardy
sensibly doesn’t try to imitate Gibson, but
brings his usual fearsome intensity to the
role of the enigmatic road warrior, who, when
the film opens has been imprisoned in The
Citadel, a fortified stronghold ruled over by
Immortan Joe. When Amazonian warrior
Furiosa (Charlize Theron) escapes with the
Immortan’s wives-cum-breeders, the furious
ruler gives chase, with Max strapped to the
hood of a car belonging to one of his War
Boys (Nicholas Hoult). Our hero eventually
manages to escape and forms a tentative
alliance with Furiosa as they seek sanctuary
in a rumoured green paradise. A dazzling,
thrill-packed ride from start to finish, this is
hopefully the first in an exciting new cycle.
DIRECTOR:
George Miller
IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LIKE...
RATED: MA15+
AVAILABLE: September 2
DURATION: 120 mins
BIG GAME
Mad Max
Book Of Eli
Doomsday
KILL ME THREE TIMES
BARELY LETHAL
SAN ANDREAS
RATED: M AVAIL: Sept 16
STARS: Samuel L. Jackson, Onni
Tommila, Ray Stevenson, Victor
Garber DIRECTOR: Jalmari
Helander DURATION: 110 mins
RATED: MA15+ AVAIL: Sept 9
STARS: Simon Pegg, Steve Le
Marquand, Alice Braga, Teresa
Palmer DIRECTOR: Kriv Stenders
DURATION: 90 mins FORMATS:
DVD/Blu-ray
STARS: Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel
L. Jackson, Sophie Turner,
Jessica Alba DIRECTOR: Kyle
Newman DURATION: 96 mins
RATED: CTC AVAIL: Sept 30
STARS: Dwayne Johnson, Carla
Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan
Gruffudd DIRECTOR: Brad Peyton
DVD/Blu-ray
In this agreeably bonkers
family-friendly action flick,
Samuel L Jackson plays
the US president who is
tricked by his bodyguard
Ray Stevenson into using
Air Force One’s escape pod
when the plane comes under
attack. Landing in the remote
wilds of Finland, Jackson
finds an unlikely ally in Onni
Tommila, a young kid on a
rite of passage hunting trip,
and together they turn the
tables on their pursuers.
Director Kriv Stenders’
follow-up to his homegrown
blockbuster Red Dog
couldn’t be more different.
An engaging blend of black
comedy and modern film noir,
British star Simon Pegg plays
a hitman on assignment in
a sleepy coastal town who
gets mixed up in the multiple
murder plots of the greedy
locals, who include Teresa
Palmer, Sullivan Stapleton,
and Bryan Brown. A wickedly
funny treat.
A sort of Spy Kids for teens,
Hailee Steinfeld is a highly
trained young secret agent
who longs to be a normal
adolescent. She gets her
chance when she is assumed
to have died in a mission to
capture rogue agent Jessica
Alba and duly reinvents
herself as a Canadian
exchange student. However,
as well as struggling to get to
grips with high school life, it’s
not long before her past life
catches up with her.
Queensland stands in for
California in this hugely
entertaining disaster flick in
which monster earthquakes
and a tsunami are unleashed
on the unfortunate state. San
Francisco bears the brunt of
most of the damage, as rescue
pilot Dwayne Johnson and his
estranged wife Carla Cugino
search for their daughter
Alexandra Daddario. Paul
Giamatti provides the science,
but the real stars of the show
are the film’s SFX wizards.
Britt R
n
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Septem
RATED: CTC
STARS: Robert Downey Jr.,
Chris Hemsworth,
Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans,
Scarlett Johansson
DIRECTOR: Joss Whedon
DURATION: 141 mins
In the increasingly crowded
Marvel universe, there is no
doubt that The Avengers are
the main act and thankfully
director Joss Whedon has
once again delivered a five-star
blockbuster worthy of its A-list
superhero ensemble. Although
stacked with exhilarating action
sequences and quick-fire
wisecracks, it’s the quieter
moments that linger longer in
the mind, whether it be the
tentative signs of romance
between Black Widow (Scarlet
Johansson) and Bruce Bannon
(Mark Ruffalo) or the increasing
tensions between Captain
America (Chris Evans) and Tony
Stark (Robert Downey Jr). It’s
the latter’s creation of a new
super robot (voiced with silky
menace by James Spader) that
forms the spine of the story:
the AI machine quickly turns
rogue, deciding that the planet
would be a better place without
the Avengers. Once again,
utterly Marvel-lous stuff.
TOMORROWLAND
TRACERS
STARS: George Clooney, Hugh
Laurie, Britt Robertson DIRECTOR:
Brad Bird DURATION: 130 mins
STARS: Taylor Lautner, Adam
Rayner, Rafi Gavron DIRECTOR:
Daniel Benmayor DURATION: 94
mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray
While it hasn’t had the same
level of success as Disney’s
other theme park franchise
Pirates Of The Caribbean,
there is much to enjoy about
Brad Bird’s uplifting sci-fi
fantasy. Britt Robertson
makes for a suitably feisty
heroine who discovers the
titular secret city in another
dimension; George Clooney
is her reluctant guide, while
Hugh Laurie enjoys himself as
the villain of the piece.
This exciting actioner is just
the ticket for those looking for
parkour-inspired thrills. Taylor
Lautner plays a courier who
falls in with a group of parkour
enthusiasts and learns that
they use their skills to carry
out burglaries. Deep in debt to
a Chinese loan shark, Lautner
willingly signs up for their
extra-curricular activities, but
eventually begins to suspect
that leader Adam Rayner is
not all that he seems.
X Dylan O’Brien
Britt Robertson
ACTION
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
NEW MOVIES INSTORE AUGUST 26 TH
Victoria Justice James Frecheville and Halston Sage
Xxxxx
FAKE IT
‘TIL YOU
MAKE IT
ANT BOY
IS BACK FOR
ANOTHER
BATTLE
RATED: X
AVAILABLE: X
n e r v o u sSTARS:
i s n o r mXa l
DIRECTOR: X
DURATION: X
FORMATS: X
“A POLISHED
GEM OF
A
ROM COM”
X
AXEL
THE BIGGEST
LITTLE HERO
– Hollywood and Fine
X
X
www.watchandwin.net.au
September 2015.indd 1
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THRILLER
EX_MACHINA
STARS: Domhnall Gleeson,
Corey Johnson,
Oscar Isaac,
Alicia Vikander
It’s great to have Arnie as back as The
Terminator but make no mistake: this is the
year’s essential cyborg movie. In fact, the
devilishly plotted directorial debut of author
and screenwriter Alex Garland (The Beach,
28 Days Later) is sure to feature prominently
in 2015’s top 10 film lists at the end of
the year. Part noir thriller, part sci-fi chiller,
Ex Machina is essentially a three hander:
Domhall Gleeson plays Caleb, a computer
programmer who earns a much coveted
invitation to the private home of reclusive
billionaire and famed technology guru Nathan
(Oscar Isaac). Caleb’s assignment is to run
the famous Turing Test – designed to find
out if a machine can think like a human – on
his boss’s latest creation, a beautiful cyborg
called Ava (Alicia Vikander). He become
fascinated with his subject, but it gradually
becomes apparent that Nathan is keeping
secrets from both his young employee and
Ava. Both a wonderfully suspenseful thriller
and a thought-provoking peep into the future,
Ex Machina is a must-see modern classic.
DIRECTOR: Alex Garland
RATED: MA15+
DURATION: 108 mins
Moon
I Robot
Blade Runner
UNFRIENDED
RATED: MA15+
STARS: Shelley Hennig,
Moses Storm,
Renee Olstead,
Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki
DIRECTOR: Levan Gabriadze
DURATION: 83 mins
7 MINUTES
The found footage horror
genre has now been done to,
err, death but this ingenious
new chiller points the way
forward. While it’s been
assembled from ‘real’ Skype
footage and the like, the twist
here is that the film plays out
entirely on a computer screen.
When a group of teen friends
chatting in a virtual chatroom
learn an unknown stranger
has joined their conversation,
they are not overly concerned.
However, that all changes
when they discover that their
unwanted friend is using the
email address of a schoolmate
who recently committed
suicide – and seems to hold
them responsible. Director
Levan Gabriadze’s skill is
in turning everyday online
activities like YouTube and
Facebook into something
deeply unsettling. Unfriended
is sure to inspire a host of
lesser imitators, so get in quick
and make the most of it while
the concept is still fresh.
TIGER HOUSE
STARS: Luke Mitchell, Leven
Rambin, Kris Kristofferson, Jason
Ritter DIRECTOR: Jay Martin
DURATION: 84 mins
STARS: Kaya Scodelario, Ed
Skrein, Dougray Scott, Brandon
Auret DIRECTOR: Thomas Daley
DURATION: 81 mins
Aussie star Luke Mitchell
heads the cast of this US indie
crime thriller, which manages
to wring a few surprises out of
the familiar ‘bank-heist-goeswrong’ formula. Desperately
needing money after ending
up in debt to a murderous
drug dealer, he, his brother
and his best pal set out to rob
the offices of their uncle (Sam
Murray), but things start going
wrong right from the outset.
Taking a break from The Maze
Runner, rising English star
Kaya Scodelario gets caught
up in a dangerous cat and
mouse game with a gang of
thieves who have taken over
the home of her boyfriend’s
father in order to rob a cash
depot the latter manages.
Fellow Brits Dougray Scott and
Ed Skrein also score as the
baddies in this involving crime
caper set in South Africa.
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14/08/2015 2:09 pm
RATED: MA15+
STARS: Luke Kleintank,
Alex McKenna,
Anthony Rey, Zack Ward,
Lacey Anzelc
DIRECTOR: Victor Salva
DURATION: 102 mins
Best known for his Jeepers
Creepers flicks, director Victor
Salva here adds some clever
twists to that old horror staple,
the haunted house movie.
When his institutionalised
mother (Lesley-Anne Down)
dies in a fire, son Luke
Kleintank – who is haunted by
his ability to see into the future
of some people he touches –
is surprised to discover that
he has inherited an old house
that he thought only existed
in his imagination. However,
when he, his best friend and
pregnant wife – together
with some sceptical highway
workers – finally locate the
property deep in the middle
of nowhere, they find that the
mansion is jealously guarded
by a sinister group of axemen
led by horror icon Tobin Bell
(Saw I-VI), who makes it
clear that his guests are not
welcome. If you like your
haunted house movies spiced
up with a bit of Satanism, this
is the one for you.
EXTINCTION
STARS: Dan Stevens, Maika
Monroe, Brendan Meyer,
Sheila Kelley DIRECTOR: Adam
Wingard DURATION: 96 mins
STARS: Matthew Fox, Jeffrey
Donovan, Quinn McColgan,
Valeria Vereau DIRECTOR: Miguel
Angel Vivas DURATION: 110 mins
After his superb reinvention
of the home invasion flick
with You’re Next, cult director
Adam Wingard comes up
trumps again with another
cool hybrid thriller. If John
Carpenter had directed
Rambo: First Blood it might
have turned out something
like this deliciously dark mashup in which ultra-polite Iraq
veteran Dan Stevens wreaks
murderous havoc in a small
town. Highly recommended.
The wintry settings and
the brooding visual style of
Spanish director Miguel Ángel
Vivas lift this intense zombie
flick out of the ordinary.
Matthew Fox and Jeffrey
Donovan play survivors
of a zombie apocalypse,
who have lived in relative
safety for nine years in an
isolated snowbound town.
Unfortunately, not only are
the undead on the rise again,
but they have evolved…
THRILLER
THE GUEST
DARK HOUSE
XXX
Xxxxx
RATED: X
AVAILABLE: X
STARS: X
DIRECTOR: X
DURATION: X
FORMATS: X
X
X
X
RENT ON BLU-RAY OR DVD SEPTEMBER 23
TM
© 2015 Icon Film Distribution Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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FAMILY
SHAUN THE SHEEP
RATED: G
STARS: Justin Fletcher,
John Sparkes,
Omid Djalili
DIRECTOR: Mark Burton &
Richard Starzak
DURATION: 85 mins
Stop-motion specialist Aardman Studios get
back to their roots with this truly delightful
big screen adventure for one of their bestloved children’s creations. The beauty of
Shaun The Sheep is that there is no dialogue,
except for grunts and other noises but such
is the inventiveness of the bonkers plotting
that you hardly ever notice. Jaded by the
numbing routine of farm life, the mischievous
Shaun decides that the animals need a day
off and works out a cunning plan to put the
Farmer to sleep in a caravan on the property.
Unfortunately, the mobile home works
its way loose and ends up crashing in the
city, putting their beloved owner in hospital
suffering from amnesia. Shaun and the rest
of the gang set out to rescue him, but fall foul
of a nasty animal control officer. Meanwhile,
the befuddled farmer’s sheep shearing
abilities make him the city’s hottest new
hairstylist! The slapstick adventures should
entrance young fans of the TV show, but
there’s plenty of surreal and deadpan humour
to keep grown-ups entertained as well.
Wallace & Gromit’s Big Day Out
Chicken Run
Barnyard
BARBIE IN ROCK ‘N’ ROYALS
RATED: G
STARS: Kelly Sheridan
DIRECTOR: Karen J Lloyd
DURATION: 84 mins
While franchises like Disney
Princesses are gaining ground,
Barbie still rules – it’s hard to
believe but this is the 30th
movie to be inspired by the
iconic girls’ doll! And her
latest animated adventure
cleverly draws on the charms
of both the series’ princess
heritage and Mattel’s newer
modern approach. In Barbie
In Rock N Royals, two very
different worlds collide when
Princess Courtney ends up by
mistake at a summer camp
for musicians, while famous
rock star Erika finds herself at
a neighbouring holiday spot for
royalty. When the girls learn
that both camps are in danger
of being closed, they realise
that both groups will have
put aside their differences
and work together for the
common good. Taking its cues
from popular Disney Channel
movies like Camp Rock and
High School Musical, Barbie
In Rock N Royals is sure to go
down a treat with young ones.
YELLOWBIRD
FROG KINGDOM
RATED: PG AVAIL: Sept 24
STARS: Dakota Fanning, Seth
Green, Elliott Gould
DIRECTOR: Christian De Vita
DURATION: 90 mins
STARS: Bella Thorne, Cameron
Dallas, Drake Bell DIRECTOR:
Melanie Simka, Nelson Shin
DURATION: 90 mins
Christian De Vita, whose
animation credits include
Wes Anderson’s The Grand
Budapest Hotel and Tim
Burton’s Frankenweenie,
makes his directorial debut
with this whimsical feature
about the titular bird (voiced
by Seth Green) who is
charged with leading the
flock’s migration to Africa.
Naturally, things don’t go
according to plan. Bright
and breezy fun.
No amphibian transformations
into handsome princes here –
this all about the frogs! When
the Frog King announces that
the winner of the Froglympics
will win his daughter’s hand in
marriage, Princess Froglegs is
determined to thwart his plans
with the help of a humble
street trader. The voice talents
of tween favourites Bella
Thorne, Cameron Dallas,
Drake Bell and Gregg Sulkin
add to its appeal.
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17/08/2015 11:47 am
STARS: Diego Luna,
Zoe Saldana,
Channing Tatum,
Ron Perlman
The hand of producer Guillermo del Toro
can certainly be detected in the directorial
debut of Jorge Gutierrez, best known for the
Nickelodeon series El Tigre: The Adventures
of Manny Rivera. Although the dazzling
visuals draw heavily on Mexican folklore, the
dark fairytale flourishes will also be familiar
to fans of the fantasy maestro’s live action
movies, making this an animated adventure
for all ages. The film opens in a museum,
where a group of bored school children are
escorted into a secret room by a mysterious
guide (voiced by Christina Applegate). She
proceeds to tell them the story of Manolo
(Diego Luna), a bullfighter who sets off on an
epic mystical quest in order to reunite with
his one true love Maria (Zoe Saldana) and
defend his village from a bandit. The starry
voice cast also includes Channing Tatum, Ron
Perlman, Hector Elizondo and Danny Trejo,
while opera legend Placido Domingo gets to
sing Cielito Lindo (the one that goes “Ay, yai,
yai, yai...”). Fans of Tim Burton’s Gothic style
of animation will find much to like here.
DIRECTOR:
Jorge Gutierrez
RATED: PG
DURATION: 95 mins
A Nightmare Before Christmas
Corpse Bride
Rango
ANTBOY: REVENGE OF
THE RED FURY
RATED: PG
STARS: Oscar Dietz ,
Amalie Kruse Jensen,
Samuel Ting Graf
DIRECTOR: Ask Hasselbalch
DURATION: 80 mins
FAMILY
THE BOOK OF LIFE
OK, it’s not the latest Marvel
blockbuster Ant-Man, but
with that film still some way
off yet, this family-friendly
superhero adventure should
help fill the void. Based on
the characters created by
Danish author Kenneth Bøgh
Andersen, Antboy 2: Revenge
Of The Red Fury reunites most
of the cast from the first film
and this time around our pintsized hero (once again played
by Oscar Dietz) finds himself
under attack on a number of
fronts. As well as having to
cope with the attentions of
two bullies under the control
of his imprisoned nemesis
The Flea, he also unwittingly
makes an enemy in the shape
of a shy schoolgirl called Maria
(Astrid Juncher-Benzon), who
transforms herself into a lethal
new foe The Red Fury. The mix
of schoolyard hijinks and junior
crime busting makes for an
engaging combination.
ADVENTURE
PLANET
STARS: Jane Lynch, Danny
Glover DIRECTOR: Kompin
Kemgumnird DURATION: 81 mins
This eco-friendly flick is the
first animated feature to be
produced in Thailand, so it’s
not surprising that there
is a faint anime feel to the
action. However, first time
director Kompin Kemgumnird
worked as an animator on
films such as Ice Age and
Tarzan, and with a voice cast
that includes Jane Lynchand
Brook Shields, this sits
quite nicely alongside
mainstream US fare.
HERO OF
COLOUR CITY
RATED: G AVAIL: Sept 9
STARS: Christina Ricci, Rosie
Perez, Craig Ferguson
DIRECTOR: Frank Gladstone
DURATION: 80 mins
Unbeknownst to Ben, when
he falls asleep, his Crayons
come to life and travel to a
magical world called Colour
City. However, when an
unfinished drawing blocks
the source of the city’s colour,
it’s up to his plucky crayons
to save the day. Riffing on a
similar premise to Toy Story,
this wacky kids tale will
provide plenty of colourful
fun for youngsters.
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TV
EMPIRE SEASON 1
RATED: M
STARS: Terrence Howard,
Bryshere Y. Gray,
Jussie Smollett,
Trai Byers
CREATOR: Lee Daniels,
Danny Strong
DURATION: 504 mins
FORMATS: DVD
Imagine Dynasty or Dallas set in the world
of urban music and you get an idea where
American TV’s hottest new show is coming
from. Co-created by Lee Daniels (Precious,
The Butler), Empire tells the story of hip hop
mogul Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), a
former ghetto criminal turned tycoon, who
discovers he has an incurable disease on
the eve of his biggest ever achievement:
the floatation of his company on the stock
market. However, as well as having to keep
his condition secret and grooming one of
his sons to take the reins of the company,
Lucious also has to deal with his ex-wife
Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), who has just got
out prison after taking the fall for his old drug
dealing activities and now wants her slice of
the cake. Although Empire is a lot classier
than those glossy big business soaps of old,
the lurid storylines and over-the-top characters
– his heirs include an obnoxious young rapper,
a bipolar MBA graduate and gay R&B singer
who is forced by his dad to keep his sexuality
secret – make this a similarly guilty pleasure.
Boss
Nashville
Dirty Sexy Money
WALKING DEAD S5
GOOD WIFE S6
STARS: Andrew Lincoln, Norman
Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren
Cohan PRODUCER: Frank
Darabont DURATION: 704 mins
STARS: Julianna Margulies,
Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi,
Josh Charles PRODUCER:
Michelle King, Robert King
DURATION: 918 mins
FORMATS: DVD
STARS: Stephen Amell, Katie
Cassidy, Colin Donnell, David
Ramsey PRODUCER: Greg
Berlanti, Joseph Patrick Finn
DVD/Blu-ray
Although the latest season
of this legal eagle drama has
nothing quite as dramatic
as the death of Will Gardner
in series 5, The Good Wife
remains as compelling as
ever, with the main story
arc this time focusing on
whether Alicia (Julianna
Margulies) should stand for
election as state attorney.
Still one of the best law
firm shows around.
Oliver Queen’s Arrow still has
his hands full in the latest
season of the hit DC Comics
series. There is a new wave of
evil masterminds to deal with,
the most notable of which
is the secretive League of
Assassins, whose leader Ra’s
al Ghul (played by our own Matt
Nable) is the chief villain for the
series. And his ascendance
triggers shifts in loyalties and
alliances. More please!
This fab series is still the
zombie show all others have
to measure up to and the good
news is that latest season is
one of the best yet, as Rick
Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and
his fellow survivors seek to
escape Terminus. It’s also good
to see that a number of new
faces have been introduced
for the fifth season, most
notably Father Gabriel Stokes
(Seth Gilliam) from the original
graphic novel. Terrific stuff.
ARROW S3
BETTER CALL SAUL S1
STARS: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan
Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick
Fabian DIRECTOR: Colin
Bucksey DURATION: 1008 mins
Don’t go into this Breaking
Bad prequel expecting a
maelstrom of violence and
conspiracy, as there are only
a few glimpses of what the
future holds for the titular
character (Bob Odenkirk);
in fact, he is still known here
by his real name Jimmy
McGill. But be patient: the
seeds of Jimmy’s descent
into corruption are starting to
be sown, setting the scene
for a cracking second season.
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GOTHAM SEASON 1
CREATOR: Bruno Heller
RATED: MA15+
DURATION: 967 mins
SONS OF ANARCHY S7
STARS: Charlie Hunnam, Katey
Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim
Coates DIRECTOR: Paris Barclay
DVD/Blu-ray
Jax (Charley Hunnam) and the
rest of his biker gang bow out
in a blaze of glory in the muchanticipated final season. We’re
not saying if our troubled
anti-hero will find redemption
at the end, but you certainly
count on some final scores
being settled, the deaths of
some very big characters and
a body count that is off the
scale. Sons Of Anarchy has
been an unforgettable ride
– we’ll miss it.
TV
STARS: Ben McKenzie,
Donal Logue,
David Mazouz,
Zabryna Guevara
As good as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is, the
Marvel series highlighted the difficulties
that can emerge in trying to tie a TV show
into a still evolving cinema show. However,
DC Comics has cunningly avoided that by
creating an alternate prequel universe for
one of its most popular characters, Batman.
The show opens with the murder of Bruce
Wayne’s parents, but Gotham’s main focus
is on the idealistic James Gordon (Ben
McKenzie) who quickly discovers that the
police department is riddled with corruption.
His on-going battle against crime unfolds
alongside his growing friendship with the
young Bruce (played by David Mazouz) and a
criminal power struggle between mob boss
Carmine Falcone (John Doman), Fish Mooney
(Jada Pinkett Smith) and a newcomer called
Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), who
loathes his nickname of ‘Penguin’. And
spotting future Batman villains is one of
the main joys of Gotham: keep an eye out,
too, for early incarnations of the likes of
Catwoman, Poison Ivy and The Riddler.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Arrow
Smallville
VAMPIRE DIARIES S6
STARS: Nina Dobrev, Paul
Wesley, Ian Somerhalder,
Steven R. McQueen
PRODUCER: Kevin Williamson
DURATION: 993 mins
Get ready to sink your teeth
into another deliciously juicy
slice of soapy supernatural
shenanigans at Mystic Falls.
After the shocking events
of season 5, our favourite
characters continue to
explore the duality of good
versus evil that lurks inside
themselves. But be warned:
the departure of a major
character will leave long-time
fans in mourning.
PERSON OF INTEREST S4
BIG BANG THEORY S8
STARS: Jim Caviezel, Taraji P.
Henson, Kevin Chapman, Michael
Emerson PRODUCER: J.J. Abrams
Bryan Burk DURATION: xx mins
STARS: Johnny Galecki, Jim
Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon
Helberg DIRECTOR: Mark
Cendrwski DURATION: 559 mins
With the team is still reeling
from the devastating loss
they experienced in season
three, Reese (Jim Caviezel),
Finch (Michael Emerson) and
the rest of the outfit face an
uncertain future in the fourth
series of this intriguing crime
drama. This time around the
POI team also must find a
way to outsmart Samaritan,
an ever-evolving, powerful
artificial intelligence that’s
growing stronger every day.
The prospect of marriage
hovers over the latest season
of one of American TV’s most
consistently funny shows.
Leonard (Johnny Galecki)
and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) are
now engaged, but will this
season see them actually tie
the knot? Meanwhile, fans
can look forward to some
interesting developments in
the relationships between
Sheldon and Amy and Raj
and Emily.
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DRAMA
JACKIE & RYAN
RATED: M
STARS: Katherine Heigl,
Ben Barnes, Clea DuVall,
Sheryl Lee, Emily Alyn Lind
DIRECTOR:
Ami Canaan Mann
DURATION: 87 mins
CHILD 44
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR
Ami Canaan Mann’s directorial
debut, the dark serial killer
thriller Texas Killing Fields,
displayed a sympathetic eye
for the bleak backwaters of
rural America. Her sophomore
effort has a similar rural
setting, but this is much
more upbeat affair, a touching
romance soundtracked by
some glorious trad folk and
country music. Katherine Heigl
dials down the glamour as a
failed popstar who is looking
to rebuild her life in her sleepy
hometown, but is embroiled in
a nasty divorce with her New
York husband. She forms a
tentative relationship with Ben
Barnes, a talented travelling
troubadour who nevertheless
seems unwilling to develop
his own songwriting. The
two leads make for a cute
couple, while Americana fans
will appreciate a cameo from
singer Ryan Bingham, who
won an Oscar for his theme
song for the country music
drama Crazy Heart.
ROYAL NIGHT OUT
RATED: M
STARS: Zoe Saldana,
Mark Ruffalo,
Keir Dullea,
Wallace Wolodarsky
DIRECTOR: Maya Forbes
DURATION: 88 mins
THE AGE OF ADALINE
STARS: Tom Hardy, Noomi
Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, Gary
Oldman DIRECTOR: Daniel
Espinosa DURATION: 137 mins
STARS: Jack Reynor, Sarah
Gadon, Emily Watson, Rupert
Everett DIRECTOR: Julian Jarrold
DVD/Blu-ray
RATED: M AVAIL: Sept 9 STARS:
Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman,
Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn
DIRECTOR: Lee Toland Krieger
DURATION: 112 mins
During Stalin’s reign of terror,
there was no such thing as
murder because that only
existed in capitalist societies.
So when war hero policeman
Tom Hardy begins to suspect
that a serial killer has been
preying on young children
for years, his investigation
doesn’t go down well with
his superiors. Part police
procedural, part political thriller,
Child 44 is held together
by a typically committed
performance from Hardy.
This feel-good romp explores the
intriguing question: what would
young royal princesses Elizabeth
(Sara Gadon) and Margaret (Bel
Powley) have got up to if they
had managed to sneak out of
Buckingham Palace to join in
the VE Day celebrations at the
end of the Second World War?
Handsomely mounted and
charmingly performed, this is
a prime example of the sort of
tasteful period piece that the
British do so well.
Tapping into a similar vein of
romantic melancholy as The
Curious Case Of Benjamin
Button, this elegant fantasy
finds Blake Lively trapped in
eternal youth after a freak car
accident. Over the years, she
learns to survive by constantly
changing her identity, but
when she falls for a handsome
millionaire (Michiel Huisman)
her old past finally catches up
with her. Gorgeous to look at –
but stock up on tissues.
Loosely based on first-time
director Maya Forbes’ own
childhood, Infinitely Polar
Bear is a gently offbeat
family drama anchored by an
impressive turn from Mark
Ruffalo. Set in the late ‘70s,
Ruffalo plays Cameron, the
charming black sheep of a
wealthy family; unfortunately
he also suffers from manic
depression. Hospitalised after
a breakdown, his wife Maggie
(Zoe Saldana) realises that
she will have to become the
family’s breadwinner, so when
she is given the chance to
study for an MBA in New York,
she persuades Cameron to
become a stay-at-home Dad,
much to the horror of his young
daughters (Imogene Wolodarsky
and Ashley Aufderheide, both
terrific in their film debuts). A
sharply observed portrait of the
strain that mental illness can
place on a family, it’s both funny
and heartbreaking in equal
measure.
CLOUDS OF
SILS MARIA
STARS: Juliette Binoche, Kristen
Stewart, Chloe Grace Moretz,
Lars Eidinger DIRECTOR: Olivier
Assayas DURATION: 124 mins
The blockbuster success of
the Twilight Saga meant that
Kristen Stewart’s acting talents
have long been unappreciated.
This should help change
that: in this engrossing
psychological drama, Stewart
gives one of her best ever
performances as a PA to
actress Juliette Binoche, who
is about to revive a play that
made her a star – this time
playing the older character.
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ON BLU-RAY & DVD
SEPTEMBER I6
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COMEDY
Howev
ENTOURAGE
RATED: CTC
STARS: Kevin Connolly,
Adrian Grenier,
Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara,
Jeremy Piven
DIRECTOR: Doug Ellin
DURATION: 104 mins
THE FIRST TIME
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2
Although prior knowledge of
the TV series helps, thanks
to a quick CNN recap at the
beginning about the career
of Vincent Chase and his
entourage, you don’t have
to have seen it to enjoy this
Hollywood insider comedy. The
story this time centres mainly
around the directorial debut of
Vinnie (Adrian Grenier), which
is running way over budget,
much to the concern of new
studio boss Ari Gold (Jeremy
Piven). As usual, the latter gets
all the best lines, but the rest
of the gang (Kevin Connolly,
Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara)
haven’t been forgotten and
fans will appreciate turns
from other series regulars
like Lloyd (Rex Lee) and Billy
(Rhys Coiro). There are plenty
of other big name cameos,
too, while newcomers include
Billy Bob Thornton as a film
financier and Haley Joel
Osment as his spoilt son. It’s
taken some time, but it has
been worth the wait.
WRONG COPS
RATED: MA15+
STARS: Rob Corddry,
Craig Robinson,
Clark Duke, Adam Scott,
Gillian Jacobs
DIRECTOR: Steve Pink
DURATION: 90 mins
THE D TRAIN
Sadly, John Cusack is missing
in action for the sequel to
the 2010 comedy smash. But
the rest of the gang – Rob
Corddry, Craig Robinson and
Clark Duke – are at their lewd
and crude best in this new
expletive-laden trip back to the
future. Whereas the first film
found them revisiting the 80s,
here the trio travel forward 10
years in time to try and find
out who tried to kill Corddrey:
his mean-spirited ways
means there is no shortage of
suspects. Adam Scott (Parks
and Recreation) effectively
stands in for Cusack, playing
his straight-laced son, who is
about to marry Gillian Jacobs
(Community) but is soon
led astray by his new-found
friends. The humour is not
exactly subtle, but Hot Tub
Time Machine 2 still provides
plenty of foul-mouthed laughs
– and make sure you stick
around for the end credits for
a glimpse into their other time
travelling exploits.
JUST BEFORE I GO
STARS: Britt Robertson, Dylan
O’Brien, Victoria Justice, James
Frecheville DIRECTOR: Jon
Kasdan DURATION: 91 mins
STARS: Mark Burnham, Eric
Judor, Steve Little, Marilyn
Manson DIRECTOR: Quentin
Dupieux DURATION: 83 mins
STARS: Jack Black, James
Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey
Tambor DIRECTOR: Andrew
Mogel, Jarrad Paul DURATION:
101 mins FORMATS: DVD/Blu-ray
STARS: Seann William Scott,
Olivia Thirlby, Garret Dillahunt,
Kate Walsh DIRECTOR: Courteney
Cox DURATION: 92 mins
A sensitive and warmly funny
account of young love that
benefits from believable
performances from its two
rising young stars: The Maze
Runner’s Dylan O’Brien and
Tomorrowland’s Britt Robertson.
The pair becomes friends after a
chance meeting at a party, even
though she has a boyfriend and
he has his heart set on a girl
who is way out of his league.
However, friendship eventually
turns to something deeper...
Quentin Dupieux, the director
of the cult hit Rubber, turns
his twisted eye on the police
force in this cheerful perverse
black comedy. Mark Burnham
is a drug-dealing beat cop
who calls on the help of his
detective pal Steve Little
(Eastbound & Down) to
help him dispose of a dying
neighbour whom he shot by
accident. Truly bizzare but
very funny – in a distubing
kind of way.
Welcome back Jack Black – it’s
been way too long. And like his
most recent DVD release Bernie,
D Train is comedy with an
unsettling edge. Black plays the
overly enthusiastic head of his
high school reunion committee
who just for once wants to
be seen as the cool guy. He
sets out to persuade a former
classmate, LA-based model
James Marsden, to attend the
reunion, but things don’t turn
quite out as he planned.
Former Friends star Courteney
Cox makes her directorial debut
with this decidedly quirky
comedy about a depressed
man (Seann William Scott) who
decides to kill himself – but
not before returning to his
hometown to face the people
he blames for his empty life.
However, cutting ties with
friends and family proves more
difficult than he imagined.
The starry ensemble cast
makes this well worth a look.
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“A TENSE, THOUGHTPROVOKING THRILLER”
WIRED
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ALEX GARLAND THE WRITER OF 28 DAYS LATER
TOTAL FILM
EX MACHINA
THE SYDNEY
MORNING HERALD
THERE IS NOTHING MORE HUMAN THAN THE WILL TO SURVIVE
Strong themes,
violence and
nudity
AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY & DVD 10 SEPTEMBER
™
Film © 2014 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. All Rights Reserved.
“THE SCARIEST
FILM OF 2015”
- NEWS LTD
FROM THE PRODUCER OF THE PURGE AND OUIJA
Strong themes,
violence and
coarse language
Film © 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
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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.
FAST & FURIOUS 7
Such is the durability of this action
franchise that we wouldn’t be surprised if
in 40 years time the Fast & Furious gang
will once again be swinging into action
on turbo-charged mobility scooters. For
now, though, just sit back and enjoy
another wonderfully ridiculous slice of
death-defying vehicular mayhem and
mind-blowing action. Sadly, this is the last
outing for original star Paul Walker, who
died during the shoot and he duly receives
a suitably teary send send-off at the end.
On the plus side, Jason Statham is an
excellent new addition to the franchise
and makes for a splendidly nasty villain
as he sets out to hunt down Vin Diesel
and the rest of the gang to avenge the
death of his brother (Luke Evans) in Fast
& Furious 6. Add into the mix Game Of
Thrones babe screen Nathalie Emmanuel
as a hacker and Kurt Russell as a maverick
government agent and you have the
most thrilling F&F juggernaut yet.
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PAUL BLART
MALL COP 2
The 2009 original was both a box office and DVD hit, and
while this sequel hasn’t achieved quite the same level of
success, fans of the Kevin James’s slobbish brand of humour
won’t be disappointed with his latest effort. Although Raini
Rodriguez returns as his daughter Maya, two of the other
leads from the first movie, love interest Jayma Mays (Glee)
and mum Shirley Knight, barely make it past the opening
credits: a quick recap explains that the latter was hit by a
milk truck, while it turns out that Mays walked out on him
six days into their marriage. So when he receives an
invitation to attend a convention for private security
companies in Las Vegas, Paul believes his luck has finally
taken a turn for the better. Unfortunately, a gang of casino
thieves led by Neal McDonough have other ideas…
BOYCHOIR
The elite world of schoolboy choirs provides the backdrop to
this pleasing triumph-over-adversity tale. Newcomer Garrett
Wareing plays a surly young Texan teen who is forever
in trouble at school but is blessed with an extraordinary
singing voice. When his mother dies in a car accident, his
rich but absent father Josh Lucas (who has never told his
new family that he has a love child) secures him a place at
the prestigious National Boychoir Academy, but Wareing
struggles to adapt to his new privileged surroundings.
Grumpy choirmaster Dustin Hoffman, who is determined
to land a landmark concert for his choir before he retires,
is also reluctant to grant him any special favours, but
gradually the boy’s raw but angelic voice wins the school
over. A sort of cross between Billy Elliott and Dead Poet’s
Society, this uplifting tale is sure to warm the hearts of
even the most cynical of viewers.
THE GUNMAN
Even an actor as committed as Sean Penn needs to let
his hair down occasionally and while he still broods a fair
bit in this thriller, he also gets to channel his inner Liam
Neeson by taking out lots of bad guys in inventive ways.
Penn plays a former mercenary haunted by his last African
assignment, the assassination of a leading politician, and
who is now paying penance by working as an aid worker.
However, when a gang of killers turn up at his camp and
he discovers that other members of his old team have died
recently, Penn realises that someone is busy tying up loose
ends. Director Pierre Morel (Taken) stages some stylish
action set pieces, while the quality cast – as well as Penn,
the supporting players include Ray Winstone,
Javier Bardem, Mark Rylance and Idris Elba
– add an extra layer of class to the proceedings.
BLACK SEA
An impressively muscular Jude Law heads the cast of
this lean and mean thriller set almost entirely within
the claustrophobic confines of a submarine. After being
let go by his salvage firm employers, Law hatches a
plan to recover a fortune in Nazi gold bullion which lies
undiscovered beneath the Russian naval fleet in the
Black Sea. With the backing of a mystery millionaire, he
secures an old submarine and assembles a crew of former
colleagues, misfits and Russian experts to undertake the
mission. However, his shipmates are soon at each other’s
throats and it’s not long before the Russians above them
are the least of their problems. Director Kevin Macdonald
sustains an air of sweaty tension throughout and is well
served by an excellent ensemble, which also includes
Scott McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn and Michael Smiley.
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EXTRAS
A SELECTION OF
TITLES THE DVD STORK
WILL BE DELIVERING
NEXT MONTH
Jurassic World
JURASSIC WORLD
2015 is the year of the reboot and
hot on the heels of the supercharged resurrection of Mad Max,
next month will see the return of
another blockbuster franchise. Strictly
speaking Jurassic World is a sequel to
Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic, but
given that it’s 14 years since Jurassic
Park III, this is essentially a reboot.
The good news is that Jurassic World
successfully recaptures the wonder
and spectacle of the first movie. A
successful dino theme park is now
open for business on the original
site of Jurassic Park, but when the
massive Indominus rex stages an
escape, all hell breaks loose once
again. Available from October 28.
THE ROAD WITHIN
THE KEY MAN
MAGIC MIKE XXL
AMY
LOVE & MERCY
Tourette’s sufferer Robert
Sheehan joins forces
with an OCD patient (Dev
Patel) and an anorexic
(Zoe Kravitz) for a wild
and crazy road trip. Out
on October 14.
Insurance rep Jack
Davenport is soon out of
his depth when he falls
in with con men Hugo
Weaving and Brian Cox in
this gripping crime caper.
Due on October 14.
The Kings of Tampa
are back! The troupe
are ready to retire, but
decide to go out in style
with one last blow-out
performance. Available
from October 21.
The tragic rise and fall of
soul star Amy Winehouse
is recounted in this
enthralling documentary
from the team behind
Senna. Check it out on
October 28.
Paul Dano and John
Cusack play the younger
and older Brian Wilson
is this sympathetic
biopic about the
legendary Beach Boy.
See it from October 28.
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your guide to september`s hottest releases

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