Rebelle: Movie Review

Rebelle: Movie Review

Cast: Rachel Mwanza
Director: Kim Nguyen

It's the rather hard-hitting world of child soldiers we go with this Canadian film, also known as Rebelle.

Mwanza plays Komona, a child whose African village is ransacked by rebels at the start of the movie and who's forced to join the forces and kill her own parents as her first act as a child soldier.


When she survives a confrontation, the powers that be believe she is a witch and a lucky charm for their leader, The Great Tiger. But Komona decides the life is not for her and plots running away, with one other.

War Witch aka Rebelle is a harrowing and somewhat fraught viewing experience, but one which is utterly incredible given how you are transfixed by what plays out. What begins with a voiceover, quickly turns into a massacre and leaves you with your heart in your mouth, which is agog with horror.

Thankfully this is not one of those flicks which becomes an unrelentingly difficult watch because of it - mainly due to the performance of Mwanza, whose innocence in the face of pure horror is captivating. 


It's not the easiest watch though and a very human performance grounds the piece in a reality which draws you in when you least expect it. Disturbing imagery pervades the film too - one shot sees the forests covered with white ghosts seen by Komona, it's certainly the kind of film for which the word haunting was coined.

Rating:

Monster Fest is coming

Monster Fest is coming

Just announced is something a little bit different for Auckland's Academy cinema....and it looks cool.


Academy Cinemas announce NZ’s first Monster Fest

In conjunction with Monster Pictures, Academy Cinemas is proud to announce that Monster Fest is coming to NZ. Founded by distributor Monster Pictures in Melbourne and brought to Auckland by Academy Cinemas, Monster Fest brings the best in quality gore, cult and boundary-pushing cinema to fans and provides a fun and exciting cinema-going experience.


Starting on June 6, the exciting 2 week line-up includes Norwegian folklore horror THALE, the follow up to the 2009 hit THE COLLECTOR, THE COLLECTION, the hilariously original Irish Sci-Fi hit GRABBERS, and crime thriller WELCOME TO THE PUNCH starring James McAvoy and Andrea Riseborough. Closing night will feature the NZ premier of THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION SHOW, a music documentary about legendary British post-punk band KILLING JOKE, which will be a followed up by an exclusive Q&A with the whole band and local director Shaun Pettigrew.

“Monster Fest is about the ultimate experience for an underground cinema like Academy” says Academy
Cinemas Managing Director Andy Miller. “We're a band of misfits and outcasts, and so are these films.
Academy Cinemas is a haven for film lovers and not some stuffy relic, we're a home for anyone looking for
something a little bit different.”

So far, the following films have been confirmed; THALE, GRABBERS, 25TH REICH, MANBORG, FATHER’S DAY, THE COLLECTION, DARK SKIES, WELCOME TO THE PUNCH, SMALL APARTMENTS and THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION SHOW. More titles are to be confirmed

Gravity first trailer is here

Gravity first trailer is here

The first look at Gravity starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock is here.

Gravity, from director Alfonso Cuaron hits in October.

Hedluv and Passman: Comedy Festival Review

Hedluv and Passman: Comedy Festival Review

You will see nothing else like it at the New Zealand International Comedy festival.

Hedluv and Passman are two young English rappers from Cornwall who've been brought over to the festival by Rhys Darby and his wife, Rosie.

The gag? They think they're musicians playing a festival. They are without doubt, initially nuts.

Rapping about Doing it Dreckly (dreckly is a Cornish word meaning later on) and getting caught in a riptide off a beach in North Cornwall, to say they're a bit bonkers is an understatement. 




But yet, with just a casio keyboard, the duo are geniuses. Lyrics fly past at such speed occasionally, it's hard to keep up (though album sales at the end offer a chance to dive deeper) but once you get used to them (taking all of five head scratching WTF moments) their sounds are incredibly catchy and their wordplay deft and dry.

Their on stage banter is relatively minimal but the shambolic nature of the live show (which is intentional) means they have time to talk here and there as they set up. Comments like "What are we going to do? Rap at you?" as an audience member goes to the loo show a quick wittedness that goes beyond the words they've put to beats.

But it's the energy on stage from the wiry Passman who resembles a lanky fair haired version of Freddie Mercury on a pogo stick as he bounds around the stage like Tigger on V that's contagious. Equally, a more sullen and dialled down Hedluv, who's a cross between actor Lee Ross and Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys as he stands behind the keyboard, makes a perfect foil to his mike-throwing manic OTT stage compadre.



A mental version of Black Hole Sun is a highlight, but the finale is an utterly addictive and totally infectious blast of bubble gum synth pop cum rap as the duo get all the audience up, jumping around and dancing to a song called The Future, (see at the end of this piece) which has the refrain of "turn left, turn right, go right round the roundabout." It's totally high energy addiction and an ending that leaves you grinning ear to ear - I'm still humming it hours after I heard it, a true testament to an earworm of a song.

Hedluv and Passman are a real breath of fresh air in among the stand up of the festival; a chance to catch something quite unique in these circles which is not really derivative or comparable to anything around. Defying and confounding expectations, they offer a comedy musical epiphany which marks them for either greatness or the looney bin.

Either way, I'm along for the ride.

Arj Barker: Comedy Festival Review

Arj Barker: Comedy Festival Review

It's Go Time - according to Arj's new show.

The guy known to many as Dave from the Flight of The Conchords is back in his new show and offering up a few surprises to any of those of us who've seen him before.

Channeling Hugh Jackman at the start of the show was a masterstroke and showed a playful side to Arj that's previously been hidden in his last few outings at the festival.

Laid back and laconic are Arj's MO, with a dapper dose of self-referential and self-knowing thrown in for good measure. And added to the mix this year are some truly corny one-liners that are truly hilarious as he parades around the stage.

Arj doesn't do "punchlines" per se, but puts together a series of ideas and ideals as he extols his observational ways on life; from the philosophical punts and points about jobs, his nephews and the environment, Arj is incredibly adept at deconstructing the comedy as it goes along.

He's got a knack of engaging the audience and getting them on side with some smart asides which permeate the show in the most unexpected of places. A surreal jaunt into why you should never buy poetry on the street is a weird aside but one that leaves you in stitches. Likewise, a story about an ex girlfriend takes a turn into a discussion about medieval fairs.

The only minor disappointment in his set is a closing diatribe about diarrhoea; it's not in poor taste just a bit of a surprise from Arj who doesn't need to divert into lavatorial humour. (It's a similar complaint that I've had with other comedians this year) Thankfully though, the crowd laps up every minute so I guess it's on them.

All in all, Arj Barker is a masterful comedian; he jokes at one point about playing the crowd like puppets and to be honest, he really does. We lap up every minute as he regales us with his tales as he takes us on a journey of mirth and amusement. Exuding charisma and charm, there's no one better to spend 90 minutes with - and it's just a shame I had to rush off afterwards to another show rather than chat to Arj afterwards in the foyer, as he sold his wares. Because Arj is someone you want to spend more time with - either on or off stage - and that's a real credit to the extremely warm and affable persona he's made.

Recommended.

Latest ZB movie reviews

Latest ZB movie reviews

Here's the very latest movie review from my weekly appearance on Newstalk ZB.

Jack was off, down Mexico Way, so it was catching up with Wendyl Nissen about the latest releases; this week, it was Robert Redford's film The Company You Keep, Jurassic Park 3D and DVD release Beasts of The Southern Wild.

Take a listen below:

Catching up with Rob Lloyd of Who, Me. And getting a bit geekier

Catching up with Rob Lloyd of Who, Me. And getting a bit geekier

Rob Lloyd's currently here in New Zealand as part of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, with his show, Who, Me. You can read my review of Who, Me. here. After seeing the show, I kind of had a few follow up questions that I wanted him to answer - and he was very generous with his time to do so. Read on below - and worry not, there are no spoilers.
(Rob's show, Who, Me runs at the Auckland Basement Theatre until Saturday May 11th at 8.30pm - you can buy tickets here - and you can follow Rob on Facebook with the Who, Me. site)

 I’m keen to know your reaction when you saw the appointment and reveal of the 10^th Doctor…What went through your mind when you realised that you could in some ways live out your dream as a Whovian, by being a doppelganger Doctor? I was actually kind of annoyed, I said to myself ‘Well there goes your chances of being the Doctor, Lloyd. They’re never going to cast a further Doctor who looks remarkably similar to the 10^th Doctor’. You see in my mind…I actually had a chance of ever playing the Doctor. I know…you should hang out in my mind sometime…it’s a funny, misguided place.

The main theme of your show (aside from the Who references obviously) is one of a celebration of obsession – how did that come about? 
My director and co-devisor Scott Gooding encouraged me to do my first ever solo show ‘A Study in Scarlet (A Study of…)’ about the first ever Sherlock Holmes story. It was just meant to be a show where I acted out the entire story in an hour, playing every character. During rehearsals Scott suggested I include stories of why I liked Holmes, how I got into him etc…revealing little bits about my obsession with him. This seemed to work really well in the show and the feedback was tremendous, so with Who, Me. we decided to explore it more and see if it could still connect with people.

 What have you actually learned about yourself while doing the show?
That it’s okay to be a nerd, that it’s okay to be obsessive but moderation is the key. I realised my favourite times with Dr Who were always with other people…so I shouldn’t keep Dr Who close to my chest…I should share it with other people. That’s what Who, Me. is ultimately about I guess. I love chatting to the audience after the show and hearing their stories about Dr Who. We are a community, we should embrace that more J 

Are there ever moments when you look into the crowd and see flashes of yourself from years gone by – or potentially think "That could be me in future?" How does that feel?
Not really…like I said before I see individual stories. I see a unique adventures of obsession. I see people who have contacted just as intensely with something that I have.

 The audiences are predominantly Dr Who fans – I’m guessing when you started writing this, you wanted to connect with them in a way you didn’t in your younger years?
I guess so yeah. I was so hard keeping Dr Who to myself for so long, I literally had no-one to talk to about to for seven years. I was so frustrating…I actually think it sent me a little crazy to be honest…but I’m definitely making up for lost time now. So many Dr Who fans, so many conversations, so many arguments, so little time.


You’ve been out on the convention circuit a lot in cosplay – and I’m guessing you get asked for a lot of pictures. What’s been the strangest request you’ve received from a fan?
It’s a cos-play photo at a convention…it’s pretty strange to begin with. To be honest I haven’t had really strange requests, I love getting photos with kids, they are awesome! The strangest experience for me was in Adelaide in 2012…an audience member came to see WHO, ME. and despite the fact I name myself Rob Lloyd about 100 times in the show, she still thought I was David Tennant. She kept on saying ‘Thank you so much for coming out David’. I just let her go...

 As a fan and comedian doing a Dr Who themed show, what are your hopes for the 50^th anniversary?
I just want the 50^th anniversary episode to be good. That’s all I want. I’m disappointed we don’t have more episodes this year. I’m worried that they’ve dropped the ball a little and aren’t really respecting the love the fans have, I feel as if we’re being taken for granted in some ways. Kind of like they’re saying ‘Look the fans are going to watch no matter what we do’. Which is true…but look after us please…we’re fragile. As for me as a comedian…I’m taking Who, Me. where ever I can. I’m trying to do every state and terroritory in Australia, I’m in NZ now (awesome) then we're off to Edinburgh and the UK in August/Sept…I just want to get this show to as many people as possible this year.

The big question has to be – have you met David Tennant – and if so, how did you a) handle it and b) what did he make of the show? Ha…I haven’t. I don’t know how I’d handle it. It’ll be tough because I respect him as an actor, I love his work in Black Pool, Fright Night, Broadchurch but I’m not a fan of his Doctor (I know…shoot me). It would be great if he could see the show…I’d love for him to do the show with me…just as a one off…him playing me and me playing the prosecutor…that’d be awesome!

(If not, do you plan to… and how….)
I have no plan at the moment, like the Doctor I’ll ‘improvise’. However I would like someone…anyone…at some point, if they get the chance, to go up to David Tennant and say to him ‘You know what? You look exactly like Rob Lloyd!’ That would make my century, it really would.