Author: James Partridge

Cinema Release Round-Up: 4 December

Posted by | Dec 4, 2014 |

Flicks from New Zealand, the UK and the US fill up our cinemas this week, with the gorgeous-looking, self-funded Kiwi indie Sunday getting our nod for Film of the Week. Which films will you be watching? . Opening Sunday: . SUNDAY…..FILM OF THE WEEK New Zealand | 72 minutes | Drama, Romance Director: Michelle Joy Lloyd (debut feature) Cast: Dustin Clare, Camille Keenan, Jacob Tomuri Set one year after the second Christchurch earthquake, a couple who are about to have baby, but are no longer together, have just 24 hours to figure out whether they have a future. Another great Kiwi indie to add to the 2014 list. Count me in. Also available to watch on TV, DVD and VOD all at the same time. Genius! . Opening today: . ADVANCED STYLE USA | 72 minutes | Documentary Director: Lina Plioplyte (debut feature) Features: Ari Cohen, Lina Plioplyte Based on Ari Cohen’s blog, this doco examines the lives of seven unique New Yorkers whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit reflect their approach to aging. Feel good and fabulous. Looks like a great watch. . ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY USA | 81 minutes | Comedy, Family Director: Miguel Arteta (Cedar Rapids, Youth in Revolt, The Good Girl) Cast: Steve Carell, Burn Gorman, Bella Thorne, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Coolidge, Megan Mullally, Dick Van Dyke...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 27 November

Posted by | Nov 27, 2014 |

A great bunch of films for you this week. The off-beat thriller Nightcrawler is our pick. Another dark and gritty role for Jake Gyllenhaal – he’s the new Matthew McConaughey! There’s also a sweet rom-com featuring two screen legends (Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer), a quirky Chinese comedy about flirting, and an absorbing crime thriller starring Tom Hardy and the late, great James Gandolfini. Check ’em all out here. I think I’ll be watching more than one this week. How about you? . Opening today: . NIGHTCRAWLER……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 117 minutes | Drama, Thriller Director: Dan Gilroy (debut feature) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, Ann Cusack A driven man, desperate for work, muscles his way into the world of crime journalism, where he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Looks thrilling, intense and (a little) strange. Gyllenhaal’s on a role! Distributor: Madman . ELSA & FRED USA | 104 minutes | Comedy, Romance Director: Michael Radford (Flawless) Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Marcia Gay Harden, Scott Bakula, Chris Noth, George Segal, James Brolin, Erika Alexander Two people who at the end of the road, discover that it’s never too late to love and make dreams come true. Looks a little sentimental but very sweet. MacLaine and Plummer make this worth seeing. . THE DROP USA...

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Nominees announced for the New Zealand Film Awards

Posted by | Nov 24, 2014 |

In 2012, the New Zealand Film Awards (a.k.a. The Moas) was but a “sorta unofficial” event – after the Film and Television Awards became extinct. Two years later, with Rialto Channel on as principal sponsor, it’s the biggest and best celebration of Kiwi cinema this country has ever seen – long may that continue. The 2014 nominations were announced this afternoon. After the sensational year we’ve had, you’ll recognise (and will have hopefully seen) many of the nominees. There’s big competition for the awards this year. The Dark Horse and The Dead Lands garnered the most nominations – a whopping 14 and 13 noms respectively – with horror comedy Housebound not far behind on 11. Auckland gangster flick The Last Saint also picked up a bunch of nods, after a wide release and excellent reviews. It’s great the awards also recognise ultra-low budget projects, with Johnathan King‘s REALTi and David Gould‘s The Cure and Gerard Smyth‘s Aunty and the Star People serving as fine examples. Rising star James Rolleston picked up nominations in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories, for his roles in The Dead Lands and The Dark Horse – taking on The Dark Horse cast mate Cliff Curtis for the top male prize. Surprisingly the star-studded, vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows was snubbed for Best Film. With only five films represented in...

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Win Stuff: ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ on Blu-ray or DVD

Posted by | Nov 22, 2014 |

To celebrate Admit One’s return, we have a Blu-ray and DVD copy of the sensational new release Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to give away. Don’t miss out. Get your entry in by 5pm on Sunday 30 November, 2014. For a chance to win, simply answer the ‘Competition Question’ below. Then email your answer to win@admitone.co.nz, along with your full name, phone number, postal address and whether you’d prefer the Blu-ray or DVD – or either. Please put the words ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ in the subject line. Competition Question: Which actor plays head ape Caesar? Winners will be notified by email before 9am on 1 December. . Competition limited to one entry per person and New Zealand residents only. Admit One staff, contractors and contributors (and their families) are ineligible for the competition. Winners will be drawn at random and notified by email. All personal information will be kept confidential and will only be used to distribute prizes – and will not be given to any third parties. . . A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 20 November

Posted by | Nov 20, 2014 |

Feel like a Ken Loach drama? Another round with Katniss Everdeen? A bit of Michel Gondry quirk? Some opera or a play perhaps? A Reese Witherspooon-lead drama maybe? There’s something for everyone in cinemas this week. What will you be watching? . Opening today: . JIMMY’S HALL……FILM OF THE WEEK UK, Ireland, France | 109 minutes | Drama, Biography Director: Ken Loach (The Angel’s Share, The Wind that Shakes the Barley) Cast: Barry Ward, Simone Kirby, Andrew Scott, Jim Norton, Brían F. O’Byrne Ireland 1932, hot-headed political activist Jimmy Gralton returns home and opens a dance hall for the local youth. But not all the townsfolk are as open to having free-thinking youth running around as Jimmy. I was lucky enough to see this at Cannes. Very accessible Ken Loach and a damn fine watch. Distributor: Rialto Distribution . IS THE MAN WHO IS TALL HAPPY? USA | 89 minutes | Drama, Animation Director: Michel Gondry (Mood Indigo, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) Cast: Michel Gondry, Noam Chomsky Quirky French filmmaker Michel Gondry reconstructs a series of interviews with linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky using hand-drawn animation. For hardcore Gondry fans only I suspect. . LIFE OF CRIME USA | 99 minutes | Action, Comedy Director: Daniel Schechter (The Big Bad Swim) Cast: Mos Def, John Hawkes, Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins, Isla Fisher, Will Forte, Kevin Cannon,...

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