Movies, books, and songs, oh my
Liam Stretch Culture Editor
I’ve just come off a high from the New Zealand Film Festival Whānau Mārama. I was flattered to be invited to the opening this year at the brilliant Isaac Theatre Royal to see an incredibly eye-opening and reflective film, Muru – I’ll talk more about this in my review.
I couldn’t be more excited for the month ahead. Right smack bang at the start is WORD, a festival we should be proud of as a city. It brings together world-renowned folks in the writing field (from musicians to best-selling novelists) over five full days of literary excellence. I’ve certainly got a big week planned. A couple of my picks are David Mitchell and Tiny Ruins: If I were Story and You Were a Song; An Evening with Lianne Moriarty; Nuku: 100 Kickass Indigenous Women; and The Better Brain. I hope to see you there!
Laser beam baseline
You will know I’ve been following Lyttelton local Marlon Williams’ new music releases fervently, with this being the second song of his that I have reviewed, and this is my favourite so far. River Rival is a soulful ballad with a space-age baseline that hits all the right places. This is the third single release of his forthcoming album, My Boy, due out this month; safe to say, I’m giddy.
4 stars
Undead pet peeves
Zombies Hate Stuff is part of visual artist Greg Stone’s collection of slightly amusing coffee table books. This is a delightful collection of imagery detailing the things zombies ‘hate’, ‘don’t mind’, and ‘really hate’. Apart from a one-word description of the undead folks’ dislikes, no words are needed. You’ll understand why they hate what they do. Look, it’s simple but sure to bring a smile to your undead face.
3 stars
Honest truth
Muru tells the honest story of the Tūhoe raids in 2007 through the lens of those affected. Cliff Curtis, Manu Bennett, and Jay Ryan took leading roles alongside Tame Iti, who proved himself an exceptionally skilful actor. And Poroaki Merritt-McDonald’s portrayal of the central character Rusty was well done. I was left reeling from this film. Drama and action interlaced with well-placed and sympathetic humour captured the pace of the unfolding events while not diminishing the humanity of those targeted. Director Te Arepa Kahi is one to watch.
4 stars