Review: I Love You Beth Cooper

We all know and love the traditional American romantic comedy and I Love You Beth Cooper incorporates all those classic elements that leave you feeling light-hearted and satisfied.
A tale of teenage love and coming of age is the theme of this film, which takes the viewer on a wild adventure in a small backwater American [...]

Review: Sunshine Cleaning

We all know not to judge a book by its cover but have we ever been told not to judge a film by its title?  Don’t be fooled by the “sunshine” in this title.
There is nothing sunny that rolls through this tale of two sisters, played by Amy Adams (Rose) and Emily Blunt (Norah).  A [...]

Show Me Shorts film festival

If you are a regular movie goer with a short attention span, Auckland’s short film competition, Show Me Shorts, will be right up your street.
The competition, now in its third year, has attracted hundreds of entries. The shortlist comprises 41 films by local and Australian filmmakers.
“Short films are more creative,” says festival director Gina Dellabarca. “They [...]

A guide to summer sports

Cricket

New Zealand v West Indies
Eden Park
Twenty-20, December 26�
ODI, January 10
Hopefully returning home victorious following a test series in Australia, Daniel Vettori and the boys will host the West Indies in two tests, two Twenty-20 matches and five one dayers. Don’t miss the chance to sit all day in the sun, drinking, throwing beer cups, chanting, [...]

Must-see summer movies

When the weather predictably turns sour, sit in the dark for a few hours and enjoy a good film.
RocknRolla
From director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) comes RocknRolla. This movie should be a return to form for Ritchie after the disappointment of his last film Revolver. Leading the cast is 300 strong-man [...]

Hot spots for New Years ‘08

Highlife New Year’s Eve Matakana winery, Auckland north – near Leigh. �
$125.00, starts Dec 31 3pm. Return bus rides from Auckland or  Takapuna $25.00.
Featuring five stages and a new live music stage.�
Confirmed acts: Moto Blanco, Jonathan Ulysses, The Opensouls, Tahuna Breaks, The Hot Grits, Recloose, Jolyon Petch, Kolab, Bevan Keys, Sam Hill and much more.
See [...]

International bands hitting Auckland this summer

Festivals
The Big Day Out

Ericsson Stadium, January 16
$120 (under 15 year olds must be accompanied parent or guardian over 18 years old)
Australasia’s premier music festival returns to Auckland for the 14th time and with more announcements to come, it should be a cracker.
There will be something for everyone in 2009, with bands from a variety of [...]

Rise Against – Appeal to Reason

By Paul Harper
The anticipation of listening to one of your favourite band’s latest albums for the first time is a thrill I expect I share with most music lovers. Rise Against’s Appeal to Reason will do well to impress, following 2006’s exceptional The Sufferer and the Witness. From the get-go, The Sufferer and the Witness [...]

Review: Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins

It’s hard not to be jealous of Emily Perkins. She’s funny, pretty, and her first book, Not Her Real Name, was published in 1996 to ecstatic acclaim when she was just 26. Since then she’s hosted The Book Show on TV1 in various obscure timeslots and published two more books, as well as contributing to several literary anthologies and reviews.
Apart from [...]

Blackalicious fail to light the fuse

Blackalicious – Zen Bar, 09/10/08
�
It’s a quarter past midnight, as DJ Shadow once famously sampled on his track “Midnight”, and Californian hip-hop duo Blackalicious still aren’t on stage.
The crowd are not so much restless as deflated. If the group, known for their intelligent, socially aware lyrics, had come on stage and hour before, the place [...]