Spare Room » Television

Mark II and other Choice NZ On Screen Links

Steven Shaw — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:54:02 +0000

Mark II

Our latest picks from NZ On Screen – New Zealand’s online showcase of TV, film and music video: a loose trilogy of films from the 1980s about Maori and Pacific Island teens and the path to delinquency have been put up in full, including Kingi's Story, borstal film Kingpin and road movie Mark II. All feature young Mitchell Manuel, who became co-writer in the series with screenwriter-director Mike Walker. Check them out below...

Reluctant Hero and Other Choice NZ On Screen Links

Steven Shaw — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:15:30 +0000

Our picks this month from NZ On Screen – New Zealand’s online showcase of TV, film and music video, including Reluctant Hero, a behind the scenes documentary about war hero Corporal Bill "Willie" Apiata VC. There's also footage from This is New Zealand -- NZ's promotional effort at the 1970 expo -- and a 1971 National Film Unit documentary called Dustie, which looks at a day in the life of Wellington refuse collectors. Check them out below...

Walkshort and Other Choice NZ On Screen Links

Steven Shaw — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:46:48 +0000

My picks this month from NZ On Screen – New Zealand’s online showcase of TV, film and music video - include Walkshort, a NZ short set on Karangahape Rd with Don McGlashan and Harry Sinclair, and a documentary about New Zealand humour with everyone from Fred Dagg to Funny Business. Check them out below...

The Prisoner Returns to US Screens

Steven Shaw — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:38:10 +0000

The remake of Patrick McGoohan's groundbreaking cult classic fantasy-drama The Prisoner is set to air in the USA across three nights from November 15. It's a reinterpretation of the 1960s show, this time starring Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) as Number Six and Sir Ian McKellen (you know who he is) as Number Two. Sounds good on paper, right? Highly anticipated, even? Only thing is, after seeing this lengthy trailer -- which I presume is the teaser shown at Comic-Con -- I'm not so sure about it...

Qantas Film & TV Awards 2009

Ana Samways — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:32:52 +0000

New Zealand may like to keep its celebrations on the down-lo compared to the Australians, but after covering the Logies the folk at Throng.co.nz were keen to dish up a bit of showbiz awards hype here.

Mad Men Yourself

Ana Samways — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:08:31 +0000

Who knows when Prime TV will deign to broadcast the next series of Mad Men? Anyone? In the meantime, you can create your own 1960s Sterling Cooper ad agency world of curvaceousness, sexism, homophobia and smoking with Mad Men Yourself...

It’s In The Bag Returns to NZ Screens

Steven Shaw — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:07:17 +0000

It's back, by hokey. It's In The Bag, the quiz show that New Zealand grew up with is returning to our screens starting...

Hugh Laurie is British?

Ana Samways — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:47:17 +0000

Originally known to New Zealand audiences as Captain Darling [edit: he was George], Hugh Laurie is now most well known as Dr Gregory House. As this montage of interviews with Laurie illustrates, all the famous US talk show hosts pull out the same old, same old questions ... much to Laurie's chagrin...

TV: What Are You Watching?

Ana Samways — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:37:35 +0000

In Case Of Vampire, Snap Here: An ad for Prime's True Blood, by DraftFCB, Auckland has gone viral on the web

After watching the first episode of True Blood on Prime, I realised most of my appointment viewing is on the little channel that could. Not only did Prime TV score Flight of the Conchords (TVNZ could hardly screen it after turning the duo down for their own show) they have the subtle masterpiece Mad Men and the brilliant new season of Weeds...

TV Review: Go Girls

Ana Samways — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:48:37 +0000

Comparing new drama Go Girls to TV3's Outrageous Fortune is an obvious angle. The drama, which debuted last night is made by South Pacific Pictures and has a similar sense of humour to their westie hit; just swap the rabid rooting with drinking and set it on the North Shore. The title could've been better; not only is "Go Girl" a new device which allows girls to pee standing up; it's a bit of a 90s self-help cliche. But this is minor stuff, there's plenty to like about this show...

Giveaway: Robot Chicken Series 3 DVD

Steven Shaw — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:51:21 +0000

Last in a series of giveaways courtesy of the fine folk at Madman Films: We have three copies of Robot Chicken Series 3 to give away. More laughs from creators Seth Green and Matt Seinreich as they present their whacked out brand of stop-motion animation and satire, referencing all ends of pop culture. Zombie films like Return of the Living Dead, Michael Jackson's Thriller video and heroes like Flash Gordon and The Phantom all get the send-up treatment here. According to the makers it's "television especially formulated for the Attention Deficit Disorder generation"... [update: all gone now]

Coming soon — Incredibly Strange TV

Steven Shaw — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:06:39 +0000

Starting mid-November, Sky TV's MGM Channel is teaming up with Incredibly Strange Film Festival curator Ant Timpson (he's also the creator of the 48HOURS film making competition) to screen a whacked-out crop of psychedelic, exploitative and just generally freaky films. Yep, screening from 10:30pm every Saturday night beginning November 15, MGM Channel will play a double feature of cult craziness. Films from the likes of Russ Meyer, Herschell Gordon Lewis...

Kia Ora New Zealand, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Ana Samways — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:57:55 +0000

How excruciatingly cruel, to put a teacher in the hot seat for the first episode of Godzone’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and then make the ice-breaker questions too hard. Poor woman, left with nothing after using all her lifelines and getting the fourth question wrong. There’s no doubt she’s going to get heaps from her class...

Out On DVD: Robot Chicken Star Wars

Steven Shaw — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:24:07 +0000

For the uninitiated, the Robot Chicken Star Wars special is a collection of animated Star Wars parody sketches from the Adult Swim show Robot Chicken, created by Seth Green. At 22 minutes, it might seem a tad short, but there's a good amount of silly gags thrown in and some (not all) qualify as classics. Long time readers and YouTube viewers may remember the "Emperor Takes a Call" clip...

New Season of Outrageous Fortune

Ana Samways — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:29:45 +0000

The new season of bogan hit Outrageous Fortune is about to start (exactly when will be released on Thursday and not a minute before!). From the looks of the promo below, there might be some heartwarming stuff jammed in between the rooting, the lap dances, the girl on girl action (is it even a root when there's no sausage?), the thumping and Loretta's newsreader haircut. Here's a taste...(NSFW language)