Role of epic proportions
There’s still legend but little heroism in a new take on The Odyssey, writes Tom Shone.
Entertainment
Ephemeral odyssey plays out as folklore
Ephemeral odyssey plays out as folklore
In Grand Tour, East Asia’s cultural richness becomes the tapestry against which the White middle-class Brits stage their trivial social squabbles.
Actor Val Kilmer dies at 65
Actor Val Kilmer dies at 65
Actor Val Kilmer, best-known for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 65.
Neill hooked on Central, not lure of Hollywood
Neill hooked on Central, not lure of Hollywood
For Sam Neill, it’s never been about Hollywood glitz or chasing stardom. It’s about the work, the land, and the people he shares it with.
The Thorn Birds star Richard Chamberlain dies
The Thorn Birds star Richard Chamberlain dies
Richard Chamberlain, the Emmy-nominated actor and 1960s heartthrob who rocketed to fame in TV medical drama Dr Kildare and starred in the mini-series Shogun and The Thorn Birds has died. He was 90.
Fifty-one reasons to hope
Fifty-one reasons to hope
A humanitarian mission to Afghanistan carried the extra weight of tragedy, Tom McKinlay writes.
A place for wisdom
A place for wisdom
Local knowledge, generations deep, proved crucial to restoring the health of a harbour in the Bay of Plenty, Seren Stevens discovers.
Spying on matters of the heart
Spying on matters of the heart
A married pair of intelligence agents, one suspecting the other of international crimes that could threaten the lives of thousands, navigate the volatile nature of their espionage-based work in their personal lives.
New documentary honours mosque attack victims
New documentary honours mosque attack victims
Project 51 changed lives in Afghanistan, in the name of the 51 victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Now a documentary follows the story.
Obituary: Roger Pratt, cinematographer
Obituary: Roger Pratt, cinematographer
Roger Pratt brought fantasy to reality.
Cold comfort for connection
Cold comfort for connection
Over tea one evening, double Oscar winner Cate Blanchett tells Eva Wiseman about the secret of relationships and the strength in diversity.
On a planet not so far away
On a planet not so far away
More Okja than Parasite, Mickey 17 announces Bong Joon-ho’s return to feature film-making six-years on from his paramount success at the Academy Awards in 2020.
Leigh way for world building
Leigh way for world building
Director Mike Leigh’s trademark extemporising continues in his new film Hard Truths, extending to anti-pigeon devices and very specific table choices, writes Vanessa Thorpe.
SUBSCRIBER
Pitt graces region — maybe
SUBSCRIBER
Pitt graces region — maybe
It is more rugby, racing and beer territory, but Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt is believed to have been in South Otago.
Anora takes top awards, Brody wins second Oscar
Anora takes top awards, Brody wins second Oscar
Anora, the story of a sex worker who gets a chance at a new life when she marries a wealthy client on a whim, has won five Academy Awards, including the coveted best picture Oscar.
Auteur’s conscious cinema gives us a sentient perspective
Auteur’s conscious cinema gives us a sentient perspective
Transcendent and singular, RaMell Ross dramatically pioneers a new cinematic language, revitalising the art of literary adaptation in his retelling of Colson Whitehead’s prize-winning 2019 novel, Nickel Boys.
Obituary: cult auteur spied the surreal in the American experience
Obituary: cult auteur spied the surreal in the American experience
David Lynch left behind the cinematic descriptor ‘‘Lynchian’’, described in the Oxford English Dictionary as "juxtaposing surreal or sinister elements with the mundane".
Popcorn rom-com mashed with slasher
Popcorn rom-com mashed with slasher
Heart Eyes is a competent convergence of ’90s and 2000s-inspired romantic comedies with the contemporary slasher revival of the past decade.
Brad Pitt arrives in NZ before heading to Queenstown
Brad Pitt arrives in NZ before heading to Queenstown
Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt has reportedly arrived in Auckland on his way to Queenstown to film an action thriller.
SUBSCRIBER
Ex-city producer wins Bafta best doco gong
SUBSCRIBER
Ex-city producer wins Bafta best doco gong
A Bafta-winning producer says her journey to the prestigious award began with her first job at Dunedin’s local news station.