Simon Morris
Lightbox Head of Content and Programming - Maria Mahony
It's generally accepted that we're in the middle of a golden age of television - particularly television drama. While feature films - particularly in America - are leaning to the conservative and… Audio
At the Movies for 10 March 2016
Simon Morris looks at Mahana, director Lee Tamahori's first New Zealand film in 20 year, 13 Hours: The secret soldiers of Benghazi, an unusually small-scale movie from blockbuster director Michael… Audio
Sir George Martin, Beatles producer, dies aged 90
Musicians old and young have been paying tribute to music producing legend George Martin. He died aged 90 in his London home. Often referred to as the fifth Beatle, he's recognised as being the man… Audio
Gods of Egypt
Gods of Egypt is a mostly Australian production, directed by Alex Proyas, and starring Nikolaj Koster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) and Gerard Butler (300). Audio
The Lady in the Van
The Lady in the Van features the dream team of writer Alan Bennett and star Dame Maggie Smith. Audio
2016 Oscars
Simon Morris looks back at the troubled Oscars, attacked from all quarters for its lack of diversity. But are the haters missing the point? Audio
At The Movies for 3 March 2016
Simon Morris looks back at the troubled Oscars, attacked from all quarters for its lack of diversity. But are the haters missing the point? He also looks at three undeniably diverse films. The Lady in… Audio
Stallone Ioasa - Breaking All The Rules
The New Zealand-Samoan comedy-drama Three Wise Cousins has been doing astonishingly well, first in Auckland and then in Wellington and Palmerston North. In some cinemas it's even out-grossing the new… Audio
At The Movies for 25 February 2016
Simon Morris goes to the reboot of TV classic Dad's Army, to Will Smith's real-life drama Concussion, and to the delightful independent Samoan comedy-drama, Three Wise Cousins. He also talks to… Audio
At The Movies for 18 February 2016
Simon Morris looks at the Bafta Film Awards announced this week, and reviews three films about heroes – superheroes in the case of Marvel Comics’ Deadpool, real-life heroics by the US Coast Guards in… Audio
At the Movies for 11 February 2016
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the sudden respect being given to the screenwriter - including Aaron Sorkin, who wrote Steve Jobs, and Anomalisa's Charlie Kaufman. He also talks to… Audio
Walking In Guildford
Simon grew up in Guildford, the least rock'n'roll town in the world. Or is it? There's the Stranglers, and Camel, and, um, DJ Tony Blackburn, "journalist" Piers Morgan, Terry Jones from the Pythons -… Audio
At The Movies for 4 February 2016
At The Movies returns, just as most of the Oscar hopefuls hit our cinema screens. Simon Morris looks at the eight Best Film nominations, and wonders why they're so factual, and so backwards-looking… Audio
Sam Neill Interview
Sam Neill joins Matinee Idle with Dave Dobbyn and Simon Morris. Audio
At The Movies for 17 December 2015
On the final At The Movies of the year, Simon Morris looks back at a year when the all-conquering franchise ruled at the box-office, and women dominated for a change - in thrillers like Sicario and… Audio
At The Movies for 10 December 2015
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at In The Heart Of The Sea, the true story that inspired the classic Moby-Dick. And two Festival favourites - Youth, starring Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, and… Audio
At the Movies for 3 December 2015
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at two sporting movies. Boxing film Creed revives the legacy of the original, Oscar-winning Rocky, while Stephen Frears' The Program re-tells the story of… Audio
Audio Culture - The Loxene Golden Disc
The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards have just been held - a tribute to the range and multiplicity of NZ music. But it was not always like this - Simon Morris with Simon Grigg from AudioCulture looks… Audio
At The Movies for 26 November 2015
On At The Movies, Simon Morris discovers whether the final Hunger Games is worth the wait, and reviews an American cover version of the Oscar-winning, Argentinean thriller Secret In Their Eyes. And 5… Audio
At The Movies 19 November 2015
On At The Movies, Simon Morris looks at the well-received science fiction drama, Ex Machina. And the 24th James Bond movie, Spectre, is an excuse to look back on the inexorable rise of the film… Audio