Howls of laughter. Shrieks of delight. Gasps of surprise. And quiet moments when you could hear a tear fall. All these reactions were forthcoming from the eager throng I sat amongst who were soaking up Avengers Endgame. The audience’s expectations…
This is not an easy film to explain, simply because to do so would rob you of the enjoyment of its twists and turns. But you know it comes from writer director Jordan Peele, the man who brought us Get…
Bryan Adams, Spark Arena Auckland, March 12 Let’s start with the bleeding obvious: this guy can belt out a song. Performing what he told the Auckland audience was his first ever indoor arena show in New Zealand, Bryan Adams’ voice…
This is a more than decent outing in the Marvel Studios conveyor belt of superhero films and it scores points in plenty of areas. But somehow, it didn’t quite make the mark I was hoping it would. And, after mulling…
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Spark Arena Auckland, March 8 They were kick-ass, sharp, and bursting with energy. They were also rather brief. At one hour and fifteen minutes for the main set, and perhaps another fifteen or so for…
New Zealand music act Avalanche City is about to release its third studio album, My Babylon, on February 22. Simon spoke to its creator and sometimes sole performer, Dave Baxter, about songwriting, some surprising musical influences, and about the album’s…
Steve and Simon have been making sure they’re across this year’s Oscar contenders. Roma has been out for a while on Netflix, and Simon took his time to see it. It was, he says, well worth the wait. This is…
Lily Allen presented a pared down show which put the spotlight absolutely on her. There was nowhere to hide. Not that she cared, for this confident and relaxed performer surely wanted no distractions. This concert was all about her songs,…
Green Book is a hugely entertaining movie, with two lead characters worlds apart at the start of the story and, unsurprisingly, considerably closer by the end. Those actors, Mahershali Ali and Viggo Mortensen, offer utterly engaging performances and the most…
Steve and I don’t often write on the website about the same film, although we compare notes all the time on our podcast/vidcast. But having digested his just-posted review of Mary Poppins Returns, I thought I’d add a few extra…