NZ Film Festival tickets go on sale today

NZ Film Festival tickets go on sale today

With tickets hitting the streets, I caught up with director Bill Gosden to get his thoughts on the 2012 NZ Film Festival, opening in Auckland on July 19th.

Tickets for the New Zealand International Film Festival's Auckland leg go on sale this morning. It follows the Wellington launch of the festival programme last night.

We caught up with Bill Gosden, the director of the NZ International Film Festival to get his thoughts on the upcoming event, which kicks off in Auckland on July 19th before heading nationwide.

Another year, another NZIFF- how do you manage to keep so many secrets for so long? A simple policy of intimidation reinforced through strategic annihilation of the loose-lipped.

Every year you manage to secure some of the best from Cannes - and this year's no different. Of the big hitters, what's the film you're most pleased to have got? The ones that were the hardest to get and came in very late accrue extra value in the process, dammit.
The restoration of Hitchcock's Blackmail involved innumerable clearances so early in its new life. The Chilean No on the main programme and Ben Wheatley's Sightseers on Ant's were major eleventh-hour coups. Big ups to Ant for scoring the latter.

There are a few older films in the line up as well this year - what was the thinking behind that? I've never wanted NZIFF to be confined to the new. Sadly, we can't afford full director retrospectives these days, but the opportunity to showcase new digital restorations of three very different Hollywood classics is irresistible. Away from Hollywood, The Flight of the Norge is an amazing novelty. It's such a beautiful restoration that its enthusiasm for what seemed futuristic in 1926 still seems bright and fresh.

Why the choice of a Hitchcock for the live cinema this year? Hell, this is something I wanted the moment I heard it was being restored - and that Neil Brand would be composing an orchestral score. The repertoire of silent-era movies worth showing is extensive - but the repertoire available in Civic-worthy prints with terrific written scores is something we are constantly scouting.

How would you define the spirit of the festival and the festival goers? Inexhaustible - I hope!

The technology of the festival has changed a little this year - what difference will DCP (Digital Cinema Projection) bring to the screenings? The change has been massive and swift. Last year, we contrived temporary arrangements for a mere three digital screenings at the Civic. This year it's the other way around.  There are three 35mm prints programmed there and everything else is on DCP.  Focus problems in projection will be a thing of the past, which is not to say that DCP does not bring a whole new set of technical challenges that may from time to time impact on presentation.

The New Zealand contingent is particularly strong this year - including the premiere of director Costa Botes' latest. It must be quite the boon to have such strong local films to push? You bet. This year we'll have a lot of New Zealand filmmakers jostling for attention. We were astounded as the films came into us and we watched the numbers grew. And don't forget we just premiered Mental Notes and Te Hono ki Aotearoa at the Showcase. It's been a busy year.
 

What's the one section of the film festival this year that you hope people will embrace? Every seat sold for the Slow section feels like a vindication. 

The best thing about the festival is the surprise of seeing something unexpected on the big screen - what are this year's films which knocked you out of your seat? Vivan las antipodas!, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Minister, In Darkness, Neighbouring Sounds.
And there are so many more, especially Cannes films, that I expect to have a similar impact - which disqualifies them from your "unexpected" category. There are also films I seriously relish which could never be called knockouts, because their force is so much more subtle:  I Wish, for example, and Alyx Duncan's The Red House.
 
What would be an ideal day of viewing at the festival for you? A perfect Sunday at the Festival begins when I look out my window, check out the sky and ascertain that across Auckland it's a perfect day for indoor pursuits.
A morning documentary at the Civic, Raymond Depardon's Journal de France perhaps, is followed by a SKYCITY Theatre World Premiere of a new Kiwi film. The filmmaker is delighted by the projection. The audience is delighted by the film. The Q+A is lively.  An exercise break at this point would pay dividends ahead of the Australasian premiere of one of those Cannes winners I've yet to see. Then it might be time to sneak into something of Ant's.

The international guests this year are quite the choices as well - Lee Hirsch, one of the West Memphis Three and Sir Peter Jackson, as well as Mads Brugger - what are your hopes for their time at the festival? Because we're so far off the beaten path audiences have too few opportunities to meet filmmakers.  I sometimes fear it makes us detached and passive filmgoers. It's so good to break down that wall so festival goers have the chance to engage with the life that fuels the life on screen.

Just finally, what would you say to people umming and ahhing over a film choice and not sure whether to go and see something totally alien to them? If it sounds totally alien, then best ask yourself why you're even thinking about it. You might be on the brink of finding out something very interesting about yourself.


The New Zealand International Film Festival begins in July before heading nationwide.

Brand new Total Recall trailer is here

Brand new Total Recall trailer is here

It's been a while since we saw anything from the 2012 version of Total Recall.

But now, I can show you the brand new Total Recall trailer.

Total Recall, starring Kate Beckinsale, Colin Farrell and Jessica Biel hits NZ cinemas in September this year.

The Amazing Spider-man: Movie Review

The Amazing Spider-man: Movie Review

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary
Director: Marc Webb

Here comes The Amazing Spider-man 2012.

Andrew Garfield takes on the iconic role of Peter Parker, in this reboot of the franchise.

Abandoned by his parents when he was a young boy, Peter grows up with his Uncle Ben (the ever brilliant Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). A typical teenage outsider, this Parker is a skateboarder who defends the picked on at school and gets a beating for his troubles.

But it also gets him the attention of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone, in yet another excellent turn).

Trying to find out what happened to his parents, Peter's awkward quest leads him to Oscorp and the one armed Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. Connors' research is into tissue regeneration and when Peter helps with the research, he inadvertently sets in motion a chain of events which will have catastrophic life-changing effects.


The idea of a reboot of the Spider-man series wasn't one which had some fans and movie goers excited. 

Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst had pretty much got it wrapped up with the trilogy of films nearly a decade ago, so there was perhaps some fears as to where a new version of the established story could go.

But clearly, based on this latest, the answer is wherever it wants.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are the perfect pair as Spidey and Stacy; they have a sparky, realistic relationship which is grounded, human and benefits from excellent chemistry. There's a playfulness underpinning the usual sadness of this relationship and is a direct result of an early unveiling that Parker is Spider-man. It's a bold creative decision which means this version of Spider-man doesn't wallow or wander into emo territory, preferring to bring a bit of spring into the proceedings. His is also a Peter Parker whose strength is in science, with the web slinging the result of the Spidey intelligence rather than a genetic touch. It's a nice nod to the comics' history and also gives this Spidey a bit more of a vulnerable feel, prone as he is to looking beaten to pieces after the mask's taken off following a fight with Lizard.

It's also Garfield who rises high and above with this role - he's stunningly good in this, bringing the torture and outsider feel as well as the heart and pathos needed for such a dark origins story. Nerdy and a bit gangly, with a Spidey who delivers the quips from the comic books while he's crime fighting, this role deserves to send Garfield into the stratosphere. Throw in a bit of angst / romance with Emma Stone as a perfect foil, and these two actors showcase two young talents at the top of their game. She's a Stacy who convinces from the start and whose relationship with Parker seems real even if it seems like their attraction is initially unlikely. The two share a connection; he's an orphan and she's a daughter who worries every day her cop father won't return home from the job.

There's emotion which engages in spades here (even if there are a few cheesy scenes towards the end) and a romance which is well directed and realistic amongst the action sequences.

Any thoughts that this is a worthless reboot/ remake are dispelled in this smart reimagining of the Spidey myth which doesn't wallow in self loathing and self doubt but embraces the romance (which is what makes a superhero, right?)

The supporting cast is excellent - Martin Sheen is a very good Uncle Ben - the kind of moral guardian everyone will want in their life afterwards, Rhys Ifans does a reasonably conflicted but ultimately mad scientist whose Lizard alter ego is an interesting, if not entirely successful CGI take on the creature (looking more like a slimy snot covered green Thing from the Fantastic Four with a lizard tail) and Denis Leary breathes a bit of life into the police captain, determined to bring the masked vigilante to justice.

In terms of action, the CGI web slinging is very well realised and stylishly done; mixing in a few Spidey POV shots to scenes of the webbed one hurtling through the air, the CGI is well executed and looks incredibly stunning (and geekily cool) in IMAX.

If you're being picky about this version of Spider-man, you could argue that the Lizard lets the side down a little in terms of creating a creature that matches some of the other FX work within the film; and his overall plot to take the world isn't anything spectacularly original or cleverly executed. Plus the film's ever so slightly long with some heavy handed cheesy moments towards the end - a scene where workmen line up cranes to help an injured Spidey get to the top of the Oscorp tower is painful in some ways.  However, those are a few minor niggles for a film which delivers good solid action and a strong story which engages the heart as well as the visual senses.

But all in all, The Amazing Spider-man is a stunning take on an established comic book favourite - and manages to put the prior versions in the shade, which is no mean feat.

(Make sure you stick around for the extra bit after the credits which alludes to a sequel - and also, enjoy the obligatory Stan Lee cameo!)

Rating:

Ice Age: Continental Drift Movie Review

Ice Age: Continental Drift Movie Review

Cast: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Peter Dinklage, Wanda Sykes

Director: Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier

Once more unto the Ice Age, my friends, once more.

In this fourth outing for Diego the Sabretooth tiger, Manny the Mammoth and Sid the Sloth, as well as Scrat, the acorn lover, the world is changing forever for our trio – both literally and metaphorically.

At the end of the last film, our trusty trio were settled with families and looking forward to a more quiet life.

That's all about to change in Ice Age: Continental Drift.

When Scrat’s continual pursuit of the acorn sees him causing massive seismic schisms of the landmasses, the splitting of the continents divides Manny from his wife and daughter. Marooned on an iceberg, Manny’s sole desire is to get back to the family at whatever cost.

However, this new quest for the trio turns into an adventure of the sea faring kind when their plans to get back to land force them into the path of the maniacal monkey Captain Gutt (Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage) and his motley pirate crew of animals, fleeing the splitting of the continents.

Will Manny get back home?

Ice Age: Continental Drift is really a case of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it when it comes to the CGI film world.

The madness and zaniness of the series is still there and the children in the audience will certainly love the fast paced silliness of the story – as well as the antics of Sid the Sloth and that most memorable of animated animals, Scrat.

But this tale of the importance of family is really nothing new. 

At the end of the day, they’re all being forced to grow up in some form or other and learn a life lesson or two. Sid gains a grandma (voiced by Wanda Sykes) that none of the rest of the family want; Manny clashes with his young daughter Peaches because he’s over protective and she’s growing up and wants to hang with the cool kids; and all of them learn the lessons of being true to yourself.

This series has been phenomenally popular and I get the sense that really, the creators are loathe to let it go – but even the most cynical and hard hearted may be won over by the pure nuttiness of what’s on the screen at times and won't be bothered by the weak plot and episodic feel of the action.

Scrat’s antics alone serve as lunatic interludes to parts of the action – and he certainly gets a lot of laughs for doing very little and is a truly enduring cartoon character who has roots in the greatest Warner Bros cartoons. (I'm sure he'd use ACME to get that acorn if he could).

Elsewhere, the film belongs to Leguizamo’s Sid whose continual nonsensical outbursts bring the unexpected laughs. Plus some smart visual gags make it worth concentrating on.

Referencing the Last of The Mohicans, Homer’s Odyssey. Braveheart, Pirates of the Caribbean and Atlantis to name but a few, Ice Age Continental Drift certainly covers the gamut of cultural references as it goes through its paces.

A lot of new characters and creatures emerge in this latest outing, which is formulaic at times and which occasionally feels a little cluttered with a lot of action unspooling in the first 10 minutes alone – it can be hard to keep up with this icy entourage but the kids (who it’s really aimed at) will love it for its zaniness and won’t care about the relatively thin plot.

Oh, and make sure you get there early to enjoy the wee Simpsons short starring Maggie Simpson, The Longest Daycare which packs in emotion and clever creativity as we get another insight into the rivalry between Maggie and Baby Gerald...

Rating:

New Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 pics released

New Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 pics released

Fans of the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 can feast their eyes on some new pics from the upcoming film.

We've already brought you a look at Renesmee, the offspring of Edward and Bella in Twilight.


The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 hits NZ cinemas on 15th November


In the highly anticipated next chapter of the blockbuster THE TWILIGHT SAGA, the newfound married bliss of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and the vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) is cut short when a series of betrayals and misfortunes threatens to destroy their world.

Edward has finally fulfilled Bella’s wish to become immortal. 

But the arrival of their remarkable daughter, Renesmee, sets in motion a perilous chain of events that puts the Cullens and their allies against the Volturi, the fearsome council of vampire leaders, setting the stage for an all-out battle.

The suspenseful and deeply romantic BREAKING DAWN continues the epic tale of supernatural fantasy and passionate love that has made THE TWILIGHT SAGA a worldwide phenomenon.

New Zealand International Film Festival launch this week

New Zealand International Film Festival launch this week

<<UPDATE >> The whole programme is now live and can be found on their site.
But in even better news, three of the international guests have been confirmed:

They are:

Confirmed international guests so far are: West of Memphis:  Producer Damien Echols (and also one of the West Memphis Three),Bully's director Lee Hirsch and The Ambassador's director and star  Mads Brugger.

It's almost time for the rain to pour down - and so that can mean only one thing.

The New Zealand International Film Festival is about to get underway. Monday sees the launch of the annual programme and The New Zealand Herald's had a bit of a peek at what's ahead and got the word on some of the treats ahead.

We already know the likes of The Cabin in The Woods, Bully, Peter Jackson's West Memphis Three doco, LCD film Shut Up and Play The Hits, Marley, Your Sister's Sister, Crazy Horse, and a whole heap of NZ Docos are on the way.

But now, a little more of the programme's leaked.

And here are some of the details:

On The Road - Kristen Stewart's Jack Kerouac film, fresh from Cannes this year

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - the classic Marilyn film.

Beasts of the Southern Wild - rumoured to be the opening night film; and according to imdb, Faced with her father's fading health and environmental changes that release an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy leaves her Delta-community home in search of her mother.

Holy Motors - rumoured to be the closing night film and with a dash of Kylie and Eva Mendes. It's about " a few hours in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who journeys from one life to the next"

The Sapphires - Chris "Bridesmaids" O'Dowd's latest and about a group of singers.

Bernie - Jack Black's latest with Richard Linklater

This Must Be the Place - Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, about "A bored, retired rock star sets out to find the man responsible for his father's humiliation, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S."

Killer Joe - Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple star in this, "When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance."

Rampart - Woody Harrelson's latest, "set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival."

Maori Boy Genius - the local film which has already had major success abroad

The Angel's Share - Ken Loach's latest, "Narrowly avoiding jail, new dad Robbie vows to turn over a new leaf. A visit to a whisky distillery inspires him and his mates to seek a way out of their hopeless lives."

The Hunt - The latest from Mads Mikkelsen, in which "a kindergarten teacher is falsely accused of child abuse."

The Last Dogs by Costa Botes - a great looking doco about huskies

How To Meet Girls from a Distance - a local flick made from scratch from January this year - and sounds incredibly promising.

Blackmail - the live cinema this year is getting a bit of a Hitchcock feel

The Shining - a remastered print likely to see many leering "Here's Johnny..." all over again

Bonjour Tristesse - a 1958 flick from Otto Preminger

From Up on Poppy Hill - the very latest animation from Studio Ghibli; always a delightful treat and becoming a regular presence at the festival.

Undefeated - imagine if Friday Night Lights the TV series were turned into a doco, this would be Undefeated; it's got great calibre though, given it won the Oscar this year.

That's all the piece reveals now - guess you'll have to wait until Monday evening to find out more when the programme is officially launched. 

More info and reviews coming on this blog - and for all the latest on The New Zealand International Film Festival visit their site, www.nzff.co.nz

Moneyball Blu Ray Review

Moneyball: Blu Ray Review

Released by Sony Home Entertainment
Rating: M

Brad Pitt stars in this latest film about baseball.

But before you roll your eyes and get out your sports movie cliché bingo card for the inevitable cinematic moments (locker room chat, slow mo shots etc), this is one which is actually a good solid watch. Although a few of those clichés are present and correct, in case you’re worried.

It’s 2001 and Pitt stars as Billy Beane, failed former baseball prodigy and now general manager at the Oakland Athletics team.

When another loss to the New York Yankees sinks the team, Beane’s forced to recruit some new players as his big hitters are being poached by other major league teams.


Sick of being, as he terms it, "an organ donor" for the other sides, Beane ends up meeting Peter Brand (Jonah Hill, in a watchably restrained and quiet performance) who believes major players are overpaid, and that there’s a league of underused players who actually perform better when you look at their statistics rather than their showy team mates.

So, with nothing to lose (cliché bingo, anyone?) and despite his advisors disagreeing, Beane tries this strategy for the new season. 

Unsurprisingly, in the face of staunch opposition from everyone, the method doesn’t work out and the Oakland Athletics fare worse than hoped.

Suddenly, Beane and Brand find themselves the outsiders of the game – and facing uncertain futures in the wake of dismal results…

Moneyball features a winning performance from its two leads – and its director also. It doesn’t fall into the usual trappings of a sports film as it’s really about the mentality and statistical mindset of the sport rather than what unfolds out on the pitch (or diamond if you will).

But it’s the turns by Hill and Pitt which make this so watchable; Hill gives a quiet and dialled down performance which makes him feel real rather than a character. Likewise, Pitt has energy and spikiness but he channels that into making Beane feel a flawed and yet rounded character – and in the one scene when he’s negotiating three contracts on three different phones, you find out everything you need to know about this character.

At the end of the day, while Moneyball is your traditional underdog sports film in many ways, it’s probably one of the more intelligent offerings into the genre.


Extras: Deleted scenes, blooper reel, behind the scenes piece, adapting the film, drafting the team


Rating: