Having screened at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Veialu Aila-Unsworth’s short animation Blue Willow is stirring interest around the world, writes RON HANSON.
» 10.05.06 / Film Feature /
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- The Film Reader is the cinephile arm of The Lumière Reader. It publishes related news and editorials; features, interviews and essays; film and DVD reviews; film festival coverage; and an ongoing series of columns with a preference towards the marginal and underseen. [About Us]

- Lumière's NZIFF coverage has wrapped for 2008. Festival features and reviews can be revisited below. The Editor's Post-Festival Report will conclude proceedings shortly.
- Browse NZIFF Coverage


- Interviews and editorial from the NZ International Film Festivals:
- » Ben Russell on We Can Not Exist in This World Alone
- » Adam Wingard on Pop Skull
- » Yung Chang on Up the Yangtze
- » Benjamin Gilmour on Son of a Lion
- » Kathy Dudding on The Return
- » Gregory King on A Song of Good
- » NZIFF '08 Dispatch #3: New Illustration
- » NZIFF '08 Dispatch #2: Priming the Melbourne International Film Festival
- » NZIFF '08 Dispatch #1: Auckland, and onwards
- » New Directions: the New Zealand International Film Festivals 2008
Pineapple Express: The funniest stoner movie I can remember. Seth Rogen's horsepowered performance anchors a consistently amusing flick. George Washington's David Gordon Green ably directs. Rogen effortlessly draws on his natural affability. He tells Lumiere his numerous acting roles aren't hard; generally they are "pretty similar" to his own life: "It's weird. I still think I'm lazy."- I'm Not There: My November DVD pick. Strong performances (especially gender-bending Cate Blanchett and poignant Heath Ledger), intuitive direction from Todd Haynes and Dylan's glorious music make this biopic exceptional. Like Dylan's autobiography Chronicles, it sensuously suggests the eponymous chamelon's enigma. (Warner/Icon, $39.95)
- Tintin and I: Belguim's best export since Hoegarden recieves satisfying tribute in Anders Ostergaard's documentary. The exploits of the plucky young journalist are a veritable chocolate box. (Madman, $34.95)
- Burn After Reading: No Country For Old Men is the film of the year. The Coens' new film is a sharp, comic counterpart. The Brothers skewer the dangerous farce of the Bush regime and McCain/Palin. Brad Pitt is hilarious as a gym dork talking about the Good Samaritan Tax.—Alexander Bisley
Do you love movies and movie memorabilia? We have many kinds of original movie posters and vintage posters for you to browse through online.
- Smells Like Teen Spirit: Judd Apatow, Adam McKay & The Comedy of Arrested Development
- In Praise of The Wire
- » Taika Waititi: The Finest of Homecomings
- » Nina Davenport on Operation Filmmaker
- » Annie Goldson on An Island Calling
- » There Will Be Hope: The Films of Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
- » An Interview with Sarah Watt
- » Film Society 2008: Five Reasons to Join
- » Flight of the Conchords: "definitely in the top 3"
- » Year in Review: The Best of Film, DVD and Posters in 2007
- » Sex and Them: Californication vs Family First
- » Spike Lee's Territory
- » Syndromes of a Century: Spears, Network, and not taking it anymore
- » Fight the Power
- » Script to Screen, the Internet, and beyond
- » How irony killed satire: an earnest investigation
- » La Binoche
- » The Summer of Seth
- » Making Be Sharp, See Flat
- » The Muse of Brazilian Cinema: An Interview with Helena Ignez
- » Sign of the Times: A Struggle No More
- » Janet Goldwater on Rosita
- » Directorial Bandit: Sandor Lau on Squeegee Bandit
- » A Convenient Truth: Jeff Blitz on Spellbound
- » Year in Review: The Best of Film in 2006
- » In Praise Of: Ten Actors and Filmmakers in 2006
- » One-Sheet Wonders: The Best Movie Posters of 2006
- » Notes from the Underground: the V 24 Hour Movie Marathon 2006
- » West Coast Represent: Aunty Gaylene, Greymouth's Finest
- » The Passion of Laurie David
- » Ode to The West Wing
- Browse Film Features


By David Levinson
By Brannavan Gnanalingam
- Selected theatrical film releases in New Zealand, rated and reviewed:
- » The Dark Knight ***
- » Dan in Real Life ***
- » I'm Not There *****
- » Rambo 4 **
- » There Will Be Blood *****
- » 2 Days in Paris ***
- » Rescue Dawn ***
- » No Country For Old Men *****
- » The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ****
- » Once ****
- » Mr Brooks ***
- » A Mighty Heart **
- » Death Proof ****
- » We're Here to Help ****
- » Venus, Evening ****/**
- » Eastern Promises ****
- » La vie en rose ****
- » Superbad **
- » Joy Division ***
- » Eagle vs Shark ****/**
- » The Simpsons Movie ***
- » Zodiac ***
- » Scoop ***
- » 28 Weeks Later ***
- » The Host ****
- » The Road to Guantanamo ****
- Short Reviews:
- » Taken, Body of Lies, Young at Heart, Caramel, In Bruges
- » Up the Yangtze, Paris; 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
- » The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Get Smart, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Second-Hand Wedding, Charlie Bartlett
- » Street Kings, I'm Not There
- » Lars and the Real Girl, Gone Baby Gone, Four Minutes
- » Goodbye Bafana, Love in the Time of Cholera, Lady Chatterley, I Served the King of England
- » Michael Clayton, 30 Days of Night, Cloverfield, I Am Legend, Rescue Dawn, Red Road, Death at a Funeral
- Browse Film Reviews


- On Vampyr
- Selected Region 4 DVD releases and reissues reviewed:
- » The Darjeeling Limited
- » Inland Empire
- » Allan Wilson: Evolutionary
- » Bubble
- » The Films of Carl Theodor Dreyer
- » Eagle vs Shark
- » Jesus Camp
- » Sicko
- » The West Wing: The Complete Series
- » The Wrong Man, I Confess, Stage Fright, Dial M for Murder
- » Rome: The Complete First Season
- » Entourage: Season Three, Part 2
- » The Fred Dagg All-Purpose DVD
- » Rang de Basanti, Volver, Black Sheep
- » Becoming Jane
- » Wordplay
- » Rampage
- » A Scanner Darkly
- » Pan's Labyrinth
- » Sherrybaby
- » Out of the Blue
- » Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima
- » Kubrick Triple Feature, Straight Time, The Yakuza, Lust for Life, Body Heat
- » The Simpsons: Season 9
- » The Pajama Game, Young Man With a Horn
- » The Queen
- Short Reviews:
- » The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, War/Dance, Tintin and I, I'm Not There, Sex and the City: The Movie
- » Underbelly, Donnie Darko: Collector's Edition, The Chaser's War on Everything, The War on Democracy, The Investigator, Secret Diary of a Call Girl
- » Outrageous Fortune: Series Three
- » Mandela: The Living Legend, We're Here to Help, Death at a Funeral, Barking Dogs Never Bite
- » The Sopranos: Season Six, The Final Episodes; I Think I Love My Wife, Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
- » Severance, La Vie en Rose, Stephanie Daley
- Browse DVD Reviews


By Steve Garden
- Lumière at the New Zealand International Film Festivals 2008
- Features, reviews and columns from the film festival circuit:
- » Italian Film Festival 2008
- » Not Miffed: Melbourne International Film Festival 2008
- » Postnatal Neglect: A Walk to Beautiful
- » Factory Girls: Maquilapolis—City of Factories
- » Left Alone: Western Sahara—Africa's Last Colony
- » Cannes 2008: Line-up
- » Interiors: Margot at the Wedding
- » Out of Sight: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- » Midnight Cowboy: El Topo, The Holy Mountain
- » Lady-Tramp: An Old Mistress
- » Time-F**K: Southland Tales
- » Mutual Exploitation: Black, White + Gray
- » Crimes Committed: Dry Season
- » Wrong Man: Strange Culture
- » Type-Cast: Helvetica
- » Out of Africa: War/Dance
- » Eastern Promise: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
- » World Cinema Showcase 2008
- » French Film Festival 2008: Ascenseur pour l'echafaud
- » Italian Film Festival 2007: My Best Enemy, Along the Ridge
- » Festival Notes From Abroad: Marrakech, Melbourne, Venice
- Browse Festival Coverage


– Full Coverage Inside –
- Dailies—a monthly roundup of the best and rest in film and DVD:
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), Oct/Nov 2008
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), Aug/Sept 2008
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), June/July 2008
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), May 2008
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), Apr 2008
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), Mar 2008
- » Dailies (Film), Feb 2008
- » Dailies (Film/DVD), Jan 2008
- » Dailies (Film), Dec/Jan 2007/08
- Appreciations—writers and critics on memorable and favourite films:
- » Tim Wong on Little Dieter Needs to Fly
- » Chris Knox on Frankenstein
- » Jessica Borrelle on The Loved One
- » Samuel Fuller and Francois Truffaut
- » Caleb Starrenburg on Rumble in the Bronx
- » Brannavan Gnanalingam on The Wizard of Oz
- » Alexander Bisley on Hana-bi
- » Philip Matthews on Planet of the Apes
- » Costa Botes on Fantastic Voyage
- » Andrew Langridge on Scream and Scream Again, and others
- » Robert Smith on O Lucky Man!
- Lights Out: on Circa's Wait Until Dark
- Imprints & Unknown Pleasures—comment on film and television, past and present:
- » The Hollow Men
- » Fay Grim
- » Secret Sunshine
- » Transformers
- » Extras: Series 2 (TV)
- » Girls in Prison, Marie Antoinette
- » Adrift: Open Water 2; They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
- Film Society—dispatches from Wellington's weekly screenings:
- » The Yellow Ticket
- » Mirror
- » Cosi
- » The King and the Clown
- » Barking Dogs Never Bite
- » Forbidden Quest
- » Driving With My Wife's Lover
- » A State of Siege/In Spring One Plants Alone
- » Time Indefinite
- » Six Classic New Zealand Shorts
- » Persona
- » Charleen/Backyard
- » Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors
- » To Sleep With Anger
- » My Brother's Wedding
- » Killer of Sheep
- » The Glass Shield
- » Cat People
- » The Passenger
- » Zabriskie Point
- » Requiem
- » Pool of Princesses
- » Peau d'Ane
- » The Young Girls of Rochefort
- » Longing
- » Ghosts
- » Jacquot de Nantes
- » The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
- » Bay of Angels
- » Lola
- » Dazed and Confused
- » 13 Rue Madeleine
- » The House on 92nd Street
- » The Murderers Are Among Us
- » The Devil Strikes at Midnight
- » The Bridge
- » Violence des Echanges en Milieu Tempere
- » King of the Hill
- » Les Revenants
- » Waxworks
- » Forty Guns
- » I Wake Up Screaming
- » Park Row
- » Fixed Bayonets
- » Clean
- » Red Light Bandit
- » Macunaima
- » Barren Lives
- » Black God, White Devil
- » Earth Entranced
- » The Irrefutable Truth About Demons
- » Shock Corridor
- » The Naked Kiss
- » L'Esquive
- Why there is only one winner this Diwali
- Bollywood Dispatch—Gautaman Bhaskaran on Indian Cinema:
- » [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [14.5] [15] [16] [17] [18]
By Tim Wong
Sapna Samant on
Bollywood's holiday movies
Bollywood's holiday movies
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