Upon hearing of a movie about the life of Neil Armstrong, the biggest question I wanted answered was why he was such a quiet, undemonstrative, even shy figure. Although he lived a public life after becoming the first human to…
Last week Simon got swept away in the fresh blues/soul sound of Victorian band The Teskey Brothers. (Check out his review from 7 October) Now,thanks to photographer Megan Moss, we’ve got some excellent images of the evening at Auckland’s Mercury…
Perhaps some events are simply so awful that the only way to deal with them on film is to pare back the storytelling. Find a script where the actors talk like ordinary people. Don’t use big name actors who may…
It might seem an odd thing to say that an evening with a blues band can be a joyous occasion. But so it was at Auckland’s Mercury Theatre on Saturday October 6. The Teskey Brothers performed with touch, skill, and…
I have to say the trailer for this film didn’t grab me. And although I try not to read other reviews before watching a film, I couldn’t escape the headlines, and those headlines told a sorry story about Venom, the…
Essentially, this is a collection of gags. Most of them, as you’d expect from Rowan Atkinson, are of the physical variety. Some are without doubt laugh out loud funny, but others feel rather tired and predictable. Overall, this is a…
Dead Letter Circus is a Brisbane based rock band who’ve built up a loyal following on the other side of the Tasman. This week lead singer Kim Benzie was in Auckland to promote their new – and fifth- album, cunningly…
He’s been called the King of Prog Rock, and also the most successful musician you’ve never heard of. Those who have heard of him are clearly a devoted lot, as Englishman Steven Wilson has sustained a career for 30 years.…
Attending a Bob Dylan concert is a particular experience. You know you are in the presence of a brilliant artist, and you didn’t need him winning a Nobel Prize for literature to know that. You know he brings with…
This looks like an attempt to find a fresh and edgy action comedy. It succeeds in part only. Sometimes it entertains, and sometimes it doesn’t, and the reason is that The Spy Who Dumped Me tries to blend too many…