Simon Morris
At The Movies for 30 August 2017
Simon Morris is reminded of the limitations of "based on real life" by three fact-based movies: American Made, In Between and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power. Video, Audio
The Trip to Spain - review
The Trip To Spain -– the third Trip movie – features dueling comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan and a side-order of Spanish cuisine. Video, Audio
Logan Lucky - review
Logan Lucky sees director Steven Soderberg (Oceans 11) return to the big screen with a heist movie starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig. Video, Audio
The Dark Tower - review
The Dark Tower is very American fantasy from novelist Stephen King, pitting Idris Elba (good) against Matthew McConaughey (evil). Video, Audio
At The Movies for 23 August 2017
Simon Morris looks at the latest cinematic universe – Stephen King's The Dark Tower, plus Steven Soderberg's heist film Logan Lucky and another Steve Coogan/Rob Brydon trip, The Trip to Spain. Video, Audio
A Date for Mad Mary - review
A Date for Mad Mary – a little charmer that recently won the Best Film gong at the Irish Film Awards – sees the titular character Mary determined to get a date for her best friend's wedding. Video, Audio
Let the Sunshine In - review
In Let the Sunshine in, veteran French director Claire Denis plunges into the psyche of an amorous painter, played by Juliette Binoche. Video, Audio
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets - review
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a very French sci-fi from Luc Besson, starring Dane DeHaan, Cara Delavingne and Herbie Hancock of all people! Video, Audio
At The Movies for 16 August 2017
Simon Morris reviews Let The Sunshine In and A Date for Mad Mary, and struggles to make sense of the French sci-fi movie Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets. Video, Audio
Bert Berns, the mysterious man behind ‘Twist and Shout’
Bert Berns is one of the greatest songwriters you’ve never heard of. Video, Audio
Changing the Subject on TV Movies
We're in the middle of a new season of locally-made Sunday Theatres on TVNZ One - all, as they say, plucked from the nation's headlines. Why Does Love told the story of pop band the Dance Exponents… Audio
Telling True Stories at the New Zealand IFF
We make good documentaries in New Zealand, and nowhere is that more obvious than at the International Film Festival. This year is a gala one, with over a dozen top Kiwi documentary features on… Audio, Gallery
International Youth Silent Film Festival
Simon Morris talks to Megan Peacock Coyle, the New Zealand co-ordinator of the International Youth Silent Film Festival. Entries close on the 1st of October, and the finals take place in Tauranaga in… Audio
Monsieur Chocolat - review
Monsieur Chocolat plays to the French obsession with traditional mime, with the true story of the clown who became the most famous black man in France. Audio
Polina - review
Polina features a young Russian dancer lured away from the Bolshoi Ballet by French contemporary dance. Audio
Spider-Man: Homecoming - review
Spider-Man: Homecoming goes back to its America comic-book roots, with a young teenage superhero, crime-fighting between homework assignments. Audio
At the Movies: 12 July 2017
Simon Morris reviews three films about different aspects of popular culture – the American comic-book hero (Spiderman Homecoming) Russia's fixation on ballet (Polina) and France's fascination with… Video, Audio
The Exponents: Who loves who the most?
A new TVNZ drama Dance Exponents: Why does love? tells the story of one of our most successful pop groups. Simon Morris talks to producer Carmen Leonard and director Danny Mulheron about turning real… Audio
The House - review
The House stars Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as a suburban couple who start up a neighbourhood casino, with predictable results. Audio
The Beautiful Fantastic - review
The Beautiful Fantastic is a whimsical romance, a sort of English version of French favourite Amelie. Starring Tom Wilkinson, Andrew Scott and Jessica Brown Findlay. Audio