Archive

Good Morning, Vietnam

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Mandy Te

Classic Film First on my road of escapism (the post-mid-semester-blues haven’t left) was Good Morning, Vietnam. Settling in the lounge, a place incredibly similar to a bus stop, I was instantly met with approval for watching such “a good, classic film.” Good Morning, Vietnam is set Read more...

The Keeper of Lost Causes (Kvinden I Buret)

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Alex Campbell-Hunt

Rating: B Scandinavian cinema has a tendency to be kind of grim and morbid, and the recent wave of crime-dramas is no exception. After watching this movie, or The Bridge or the Millennium trilogy, one might be left with two strong impressions of Scandinavia: that it’s completely grey and Read more...

Into the Storm

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Baz Macdonald

Rating: B- Disaster movies can be approached in one of two ways. It can either be a character film, in which you follow interesting and dynamic characters as they deal with the disaster, or it can be disaster porn in which everything constructed is solely for the purpose of producing Read more...

Before I Go to Sleep

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Andrew Kwiatkowski

Rating: A Okay, so if you are anything like me, and you hear that this movie is about a woman with amnesia waking up every day with no memory of who she (or her husband) is, you immediately think it’s going to be a crappy re-hash of Memento or 50 First Dates, right? Wrong. While Read more...

Barry Brickell - His Own Steam

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Hannah Collier

Dunedin Public Art Gallery (DPAG) Exhibited until 1 March 2015 The DPAG is clearly into ceramics at the moment and I have been enjoying the refreshing change from paintings to pottery. Barry Brickell is one of the pre-eminent contemporary potters working in New Zealand and is a Read more...

Butter chicken, raita and pilaf

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Sophie Edmonds

This butter chicken reminds me of a time I cooked for three excellent gentlemen (you know who you are). Prior to this curry’s consumption, the four of us went on an excursion for garlic naan to serve with it. During the half-hour round trip, two of us attempted to drink a Pump bottle of 50/50 gin Read more...

Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams

Posted 5:04pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

Rating: B+ There was a period in the early to mid-2000s when the word that best summed up Ryan Adams was “prolific.” The man released a staggering 12 studio albums during a ten-year span. I'm not even counting the numerous bootleg albums and EPs circulating the web. Of course, the quality of Read more...

Velocity 2X

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Baz Macdonald

Rating:A- It is exciting to consider the developments that are yet to come to existing genres. Looking at the past two decades of game development you can track the innovations and developments that have evolved genres, making them better and better. However this gradual progress makes it Read more...

Wildwood

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Ella Borrie

Wildwood is a children’s novel that follows Prue McKeel’s adventures in the Impassable Wilderness behind her suburb. She and her classmate Curtis discover the hidden province of Wildwood as they track a murder of crows that abducted her baby brother Mac. Wildwood is in political upheaval: there’s a Read more...

Download of the week: The Violet-Ohs - Demos (NZ)

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

Formed about a month or two ago, from the scattered remains of two Dunedin bands, A Distant City and Ruby Phantoms, The Violet-Ohs are a post-punk, alternative group that have started off quickly. Featuring the talents of vocalist Nick Tipa, guitarist Zac Nicholls, drummer Josh Nicholls and bass Read more...

New this week / Singles in review

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

Iceage - Forever From their upcoming album Plowing Into The Field of Love, “Forever” is the second single from Copenhagen based band Iceage. With their previous release, You're Nothing, the group boasted a dense, post-punk, sonic splendour. Judging from what we've heard of their new Read more...

Good Will Hunting

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Andrew Kwiatkowski

Classic Film “It’s not your fault.” Four little words that blow Will Hunting’s mind and frees him from past traumas inflicted upon him by cruel external forces. Four little words that delineate the boundary between what you are and are not responsible for; four little words that define the Read more...

The Inbetweeners 2

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Tim Lindsay

Rating: B+ “You better bring your wellies, because you’ll be knee-deep in clunge.” This seminal quote from Jay Cartwright (James Buckley) in the previous film typifies the Inbetweeners: horny, foul-mouthed, and desperately unaware of their social status. Reunited in Australia with the Read more...

Magic in the Moonlight

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Sydney Lehman

Rating: B- The joy of Woody Allen films is that you always know more or less what you’re in for. Magic in the Moonlight is quintessential Allen at its most predictable. Luckily, Colin Firth is much easier to watch than old Woody, so this film has commendable eye candy, as well as Read more...

The Last Saint

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Baz Macdonald

Rating: A- New Zealand cinema is alive and well. This year has been full of premieres of NZ films that have made me truly proud of our industry, but none more so than The Last Saint. Set in the filthy drug- and violence-filled underbelly of Auckland, The Last Saint is a film that Read more...

Murray Eskdale and Tara Douglas

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Hannah Collier

Mint Gallery Exhibited until 23 September 2014 Mint Gallery’s most recent exhibition, Au, features an exclusive display of photographs taken by owner/curator of Mint Murray Eskale and five digital prints from Dunedin artist Tara Douglas, who has previously exhibited “Karucha Shoku” and Read more...

Saucy Meatball Subs

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Sophie Edmonds

Mr. Critic Editor Zane messaged me this morning. He said, “I think you know why I’m messaging you.” I respond with a frantic reply as I run around the supermarket on my lunch break. The problem with the arrangement in my flat is that I only cook once a week. I often forget that I have to Read more...

Counterspy

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Baz Macdonald

Rating: B + It’s hard for our generation to appreciate how tense the Cold War must have been. Sure, we live in a world with many conflicts, but despite the often horrific and appalling nature of these events, they are all relatively isolated from us. Imagine instead living in constant fear of Read more...

Endless Night by Agatha Christie

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Bridget Vosburgh

You have of course heard of Agatha Christie, possibly because I just mentioned her, but far more likely because she is incredibly famous. Her patented brand of murder fiction was the cuddly sort. The official genre term is “cosy,” and the notions inherent in the term cosy, are pretty Read more...

The New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

Rating: B + Talented songwriters Dan Bejar (A.K.A Destroyer), Neko Case, A.C. Newman and Katheryn Calder join forces and together The New Pornographers make mature, saccharine, power pop. There isn't much more you need to say about this star-studded Vancouver band. Before even listening to Read more...

Ty Segall – Manipulator

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

Rating: A - I've been a follower of Ty Segall's work since 2011, which was around the time he released his solo record, Goodbye Bread. It was of course a pleasant surprise to find out he had already released several records before then, and he has released several records since. Known Read more...

Download of the week: Males - Run Run Run / MalesMalesMales

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

Males are the local beach pop, fun loving boyband, featuring the songwriting talents of Richard Ley-Hamilton. The group's focus with their first two EPs was shameless pop-punk, layered with interesting guitars and built on a foundation of upbeat, pounding rhythm. Soon to be touring Australia and Read more...

New this week / Singles in review

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Adrian Ng

QT – Hey QT QT is a project by a pair of artists known as Sophie and A.G. Cook. I'm not quite sure how to aptly describe this track, except does anyone remember that song “Barbie Girl” by Aqua? Well, if you don't, listen to this track and it might jog your memory. It's not quite as Read more...

Dead Poets Society

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Alex Campbell-Hunt

The film that earned Robin Williams his second Oscar nomination and showed the world that he was actually a pretty damn good dramatic actor as well as a talented comedian. Williams plays John Keating, an eccentric and inspirational English teacher at an elite boys prep school in the 50s, whose Read more...

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Ashley Anderson

Rating: A This film has an obnoxiously long title, but a story that climbs out the window and into your heart. Getting straight to the point, the title of this Swedish film really says it all. 100-year-old Allan (Robert Gustafsson) decides that it is time for him to up and leave his Read more...

Boyhood

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Rosie Howells

Rating: A Boyhood is Richard Linklater’s ambitious project to film the same cast over a 12-year period to document the journey of fictional child Mason between ages 6 to 18. In true Linklater style, he makes it look easy. The first time the film jumps ahead and I saw a noticeably older Read more...

Lucy

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Sydney Lehman

Rating: A - Luc Besson had been directing and writing powerhouse female protagonists since 1990’s La Femme Nikita. Lucy is evidence of 24 years of experience. His French sensibilities with cinema make for an engaging experience. Lucy is a fairly typical student put into the wrong place Read more...

Keisai Eisen - Shunga

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Hannah Collier

Brett McDowell Gallery Exhibited until 18 September Throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries, Japanese Ukiyo-e artists, alongside their normal print production, were involved in the creation of erotic prints, which are generally known as “shunga.” Translated literally, the Japanese Read more...

Pulled Pork Tacos

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Sophie Edmonds

Summer is coming! (She says as she writes this with torrential rain beating down on her roof.) Warmer weather for me means more al fresco dining and entertaining friends, as well as a more colourful array of vegetables gracing our plates. I am a big fan of feeding large groups with fresh handmade Read more...

Luftrausers

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Baz Macdonald

This may or may not be something you consider when pondering video games, but join me for a moment in thinking about how a game feels to play. Think of your favourite game … Now instead of its art, sound or gameplay mechanics, I want you to think about how the game feels. Does it feel light or Read more...

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Mandy Te

Before Maria Semple was a novelist, she was a screenwriter for Arrested Development and Saturday Night Live. With the Arrested Development aspect in mind, there is no doubt that Semple can write great, satirical pieces. Her latest novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, is no different. In this novel, Read more...

Merchandise - After The End

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Adrian Ng

Rating: A- Formed in 2008 in Tampa, Florida, Merchandise has undergone reinvention after reinvention. Cementing themselves, at first, as a punk band, they soon evolved into an off-kilter, experimental, alternative, pop outfit in the early 2010s. After experiencing mild success with 2012's Read more...

Download of the week: Iron Tusk - Iron Tusk EP (NZ)

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Adrian Ng

Iron Tusk are a local Dunedin progressive metal band, featuring the talents of Adam Wells on drums, Scott Herriott on guitar, Jake Langley on vocals and Shane Hellyer on bass. Members and ex-members of Dunedin metal luminaries Ignite The Helix, Threads, El Schlong and Twist of Fate. The Iron Read more...

New this week / Singles in review

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Adrian Ng

Lauryn Hill - Black Rage (Sketch) The actress and musician Lauryn Hill only has one album under her belt, but that hasn't stopped her from releasing the odd single now and then. “Black Rage (Sketch)” is a slow burning, RN'B track, dripping with her trademark boldness. While it Read more...

Profile: Zac Fay

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Hannah Collier

Last Friday night I went to Dunedin-based artist Zac Fay’s first official exhibition, Blood Eagle, at Kiki Beware on George Street, and it was so effortlessly great. Unfortunately the exhibition is now over, but because Zac is local, naturally I felt it would be appropriate to meet and greet and Read more...

Slow cooked moroccan chicken

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Sophie Edmonds

I stayed home sick today. It was miserable outside and I sound like a man. A man with a blocked nose. I took advantage of the day of paid sick leave at home to fill the house with the smell of slow cooked Moroccan chicken. I usually make it on the stove but I find it far easier and way more Read more...

Jumanji

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Alex Campbell-Hunt

Classic Film A nostalgic 90s’ classic, which I’m sure many of us have been revisiting in the weeks since Robin William’s death. The film is about a magical board game named Jumanji, which conjures deadly jungle-related things with each roll of the dice. There are killer mosquitoes, lions, Read more...

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Mandy Te

When I procrastinate, I try to do it with class. As in, I’ll be my foodie self and watch seven episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. To me, “foodie” just means you’re addicted to food porn. The Hundred-Foot Journey is not just a feel-good film; it’s a feel-good opportunity to satisfy those foodie needs. Read more...

The Expendables 3

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Andrew Kwiatkowski

Rating: C+ In the long tradition of The Expendables series repackaging the exact same action-hero products you have seen before in 80s’ movies, comes The Expendables 3, a film with no original dialogue. Some might say that the way they rework each action actor’s iconic catchphrases (such as Read more...

Housebound

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Rosie Howells

Rating: A- Does anyone else feel the pressure to love any film made in New Zealand? Like there’s a special place in hell for those that don’t support Kiwi comedy? What I’m saying is, I do. So when reviewers and punters alike starting raving about Kiwi-made horror-comedy Housebound, a voice Read more...

Burial Rites

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Imogen Davis

I am a wide reader, and will read just about anything; I have even been known to read the phone book in those moments of bibliographic desperation. Hannah Kent’s debut novel Burial Rites, however, finally stumped me. I have had no motivation to read this book. Zip. Nada. Zilcharooney. On paper Read more...

White Fence - For the Recently Found Innocent

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Oscar Francis

Rating: B- Gentle, psychedelic rock music with some great guitar moments – the penultimate track “Raven on White Cadillic” really shines. Frontman Tim Presley sounds like a world-weary Syd Barrett, nightingale-singing through a warm, beautifully mastered mix. However, as a whole, For Read more...

FKA Twigs - LP1

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Adrian Ng

Rating: A+ "I love another, and thus I hate myself,” Tahliah Barnett (FKA Twigs) chants over the first two minutes of LP1. Her delivery is bold. Her voice warped and affected. Layer upon layer, resembling a sort of Kate Bush, alien choir. If there is a phrase or message that conveys the Read more...

Download of the week: Two Cartoons - Tiny Terrors

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Adrian Ng

Two Cartoons are Dunedin pop heroes Isaac McFarlane and Brad Craig, who, as of this year, are based in London. Their music is a mixture of summery indie-pop, pop-punk revelry and overall fun and good vibes. You can download both their EPs for free from their bandcamp page, twocartoons.bandcamp.com, Read more...

New this week / Singles in review

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Adrian Ng

Merchandise - Green Lady Merchandise are a trio from Tampa, Florida. “Green Lady” is the second single from their upcoming album After The End. The track is a shameless rock ballad, in the same trajectory as Oasis' “Champagne Supernova” or Suede's “Beautiful Ones.” With the grandiose Read more...

Rogue Legacy

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Baz Macdonald

Rating: A We are currently living in the midst of the Renaissance period for the platforming genre. Over the past couple of years Indie developers have created a litany of amazing new platforming experiences, which is incredible when you consider that at its core platforming games really only Read more...

Vegetable and Blue Cheese Hipster Soup

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Sophie Edmonds

I decided to call this soup hipster soup as when made in its purest form, from the sad-looking veges at the bottom of your fridge, it costs you next you nothing but somehow taste delicious. You can also make it wannabe hipster soup by buying and making it with new veges and then dressing it up in Read more...

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Mandy Te

Classic Film I once asked my family if I could skip school and stay at home; unfortunately, they said no. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off always makes me wonder if my hypothetical day off would have been as cool as his. Probably not. I mean, I asked if I could stay at home. Sooo not “choice” of me. Read more...

The Dark Horse

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Sydney Lehman

Rating: A+ The Dark Horse echoes the conversation around Maori urbanisation started by Once Were Warriors and, in my opinion, supersedes it. Set in Gisborne, The Dark Horse tells the based-on-life story of Genesis Potini, who is a one-time chess champion. Released from Read more...

Under the Skin

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Andrew Kwiatkowski

Rating: A+ Harvesting human flesh for your alien homeworld’s meat industry is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. Scarlett Johansson (or ScarJo, as she likes to be called) plays an enigmatic seductress that has a disgusting job to do here on Earth: luring local Glaswegian men into her Read more...