Category: Films

DEATH WISH – an insidious attempt to justify the vigilante

My expectations were low – verging towards the subterranean – heading into this remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson vigilante movie. This was especially the case given lead character Paul Kersey is this time played by Bruce Willis, an actor…

Crave! episode 56: Auckland City Limits, Bruno Mars, Red Sparrow, Marlon Williams

Music to the fore this week, with Simon’s coverage of Grace Jones, Beck, and the rest of the Auckland City Limits festival, as well as our regular guest reviewer Debbie’s thoughts on the first of Bruno Mars’ four dates at…

Crave! episode 55: Queen + Adam Lambert, Robbie Williams, Black Panther, Fifty Shades Freed, Hibiscus and Ruthless, Lady Bird

Simon and Steve have been busy this week. Following their recent meeting with Robbie Williams, Simon’s been to see him perform at Spark Arena, where just a few days later Steve caught up with Queen + Adam Lambert, and it’s…

Fifty Shades Freed: thank God it’s finally over

Fifty Shades Freed

The definition of insanity, as Albert Einstein famously did not observe, is doing the same thing again and again, and expecting different results. I have, then, managed to retain some tattered shreds of sanity by having no expectations that Fifty…

BLACK PANTHER: stirring adventure, and social document of our time

There’s a Black Panther movie to review, and there’s a Black Panther phenomenon to discuss. If you’ve been surfing American news outlets in particular over the last few weeks you’ll have found a great deal written about this latest Marvel…

Crave! episode 54: Foo Fighters; The Stranglers; Laneway 2018; Darkest Hour; I, Tonya

Steve and Simon both find themselves slight disappointed with largely impressive musical events this week, for very different reasons. Steve just couldn’t quite engage with Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters at Mount Smart Stadium, while Simon hugely enjoyed The Stranglers…

DARKEST HOUR: a stirring film, stirring controversy

Joe Wright’s take on Winston Churchill’s first days as Prime Minister, has, to use a military phrase, copped a lot of flak. It’s inaccurate, critics say, inventing scenes which didn’t occur, changing the way certain characters behaved, and portraying Churchill…