Book Review: In the Absence of Heroes

Recently, while sitting in the airport lounge in Sydney waiting for a flight home, I glanced up from my hardcover book and surveyed the other travellers in my immediate vicinity. Every one of them – perhaps 40 in total, of all ages…

Book Review: Zona

The sales pitch to the literary agent or publisher for this book must have been entertaining. “I want to write a book that is a sort of summary of a wilfully ambiguous science fiction movie made by a Russian director more than 30…

Iti Bity – Toys From the PATAKA Collection

Banned Bloody Mama book reclassified

A banned booked seized from a Newtown bookseller by government officials has been reclassified unrestricted by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.

The life of a romance writer

Australian author Christina Brooke knows a thing or two about romance.

World marks Dickens anniversary

Judge to Lohan: Keep up good work

A judge says Lindsay Lohan is in the home stretch of completing her probation and might only need to come to court one more time.

Spirit Award nominees share low-budget secrets

The Spirit Awards celebrate the best in low-budget filmmaking. But within those honors, the John Cassavetes Award goes to films with even lower budgets: those made for under $500,000.

Healthy Hollywood: Wellness Wednesday – Kick The Winter Blues!

1/03/1886 – Maungatautari Whare Uta (Maori bank) created

The bank was opened in response to Maori concerns that they were being cheated by Pakeha bankers, but it was not a success.

1/03/1901 – Skippers Bridge opened

At 96 m long and 90 m high, the suspension bridge over the Shotover River near Queenstown in Central Otago is one of the most spectacular bridges in New Zealand.

29/02/1964 – Opening of first road to Maungapohatu

Parents shocked as horror movie trailers shown to kids (+videos)

Parents screamed and covered their children’s eyes as violent scenes from restricted horror movies screened during light-hearted animated comedy Puss In Boots .British tabloid

Meaty Kiwi short wins film festival award (+video)

A New Zealand short film about a man’s first day in a meatworks has won a film festival award in Berlin.Sam Holst’s 11-minute movie Meathead , based on a true story and shot in Waitoa and Thames, won the Best Short Film in the…

Seals hit big screen in latest recruitment drive

Sound of the Overground: The bad news… and the even worse

The bad news: Flo Rida has his sixth week at number one. The worse news: Hilltop Hoods have a hit single – i.e. We have allowed an Australian hip hop artist into our top 20. This sho

System of a Down ready to rock Auckland (+video)

It’s been a long seven-year drought for System of a Down fans, but tonight the Armenian-American thrash-metallers will return to New Zealand with a vengeance.The Grammy-winning band behind hit songs like Chop Suey! and Aerials…

Chris Brown and Rihanna in shock studio reunion (+audio)

John Ashton (actor, 1948)

John Ashton most recently starred in Uncle Sidney and the Mexicans, For Which He Stands, The Shooter and Trapped in Paradise. Ashton has captured the fierce determination …

Joe Cortese (actor, 1949)

Joe Cortese is an actor’s actor who has achieved great success in film, television and theater. His recent performances include American History X, with Edward Norton, …

Julie Walters (actress, 1950)

The Office star writes a modern day fairytale

From appearing alongside Ricky Gervais as the gormless Gareth Keenan in The Office to his turn as one of Johnny Depp’s henchmen in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, Mackenzie Crook is nothing if not versatile as…

The Office star Mackenzie Crook writes a modern day fairytale

From appearing alongside Ricky Gervais as the gormless Gareth Keenan in The Office to his turn as one of Johnny Depp’s henchmen in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, Mackenzie Crook is nothing if not versatile as…

Premature airing of political ads lands radio network in hot water

Pilot shocked at video uproar

SAN FRANCISCO – A pilot who posted YouTube videos criticising security at San Francisco International Airport said yesterday that he is shocked at the uproar they’ve created.Chris Liu, 50, told ABC’s Good Morning America that…

Pilot shocked at video uproar

SAN FRANCISCO – A pilot who posted YouTube videos criticising security at San Francisco International Airport said yesterday that he is shocked at the uproar they’ve created.Chris Liu, 50, told ABC’s Good Morning America that…

Dents a ‘design feature’, claims car dealer

An Auckland car dealer misled a customer in saying a car was not crash damaged and also tried to claim damage was a design feature.

Casino win ends in arrest

A man accused of dealing drugs had his luck run out when he won US$2500 (NZ$2997) playing blackjack at a casino near Philadelphia.

72-year-old claims to be world’s shortest man