Simon Morris

Simon Morris looks at the latest blockbuster - The Hunger Games Catching Fire - and two films that borrow from the classics. Mud is straight out of the world of Huckleberry Finn, while Fill The Void… Audio

Simon Morris looks at three twice-told tales - Fifth Estate covers the same territory as the documentary Wikileaks - We Sell Secrets, One Chance revives memories of the first winner of Britain's Got… Audio

Simon Morris looks at three American films - Ridley Scott's The Counsellor, starring Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt… The Butler, starring Forrest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey… and Thanks for Sharing… Audio

Simon Morris looks at the enormous Thor The Dark World, and the important Inch'Allah, set in modern-day Palestine. And he also checks out the rather smaller pleasures of the short films on offer in… Audio

Simon Morris looks at the new Ed Hillary documentary, Beyond The Edge, and a new Australian feature that boasts an incredible 18 directors, The Turning. And Tom Hanks stars in a film that's already… Audio

Simon Morris reviews two American films - Runner Runner, which deals with the phenomenally successful on-line gambling scene, and Prisoners, in which a frustrated father is forced to take the law into… Audio

As a child star Dean Stockwell worked with great screen greats like Erroll Flynn. He's now in his 70s and heading to New Zealand for the Armageddon Pulp Expo so we take the opportunity to ask him… Audio

Simon Morris is disappointed to discover that Diana isn't as entertainingly awful as he was led to believe, and also reviews 2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington. And he talks to Fiona Powell, editor of… Audio

Simon Morris looks back at the holiday movies, and reviews two of the biggest films of the year - Andrew Adamson's long-awaited adaptation of Lloyd Jones' novel, Mr Pip... and Gravity, starring Sandra… Audio

Simon Morris talks to New Zealand film producer Tim Coddington. Tim's worked on some of our biggest co-productions over the years - from the Narnia films and Bridge To Terebithia to Mister Pip. Now… Audio

Simon Morris welcomes the best Woody Allen in a while - Blue Jasmine starring Cate Blanchett. There's also a slightly less impressive cyber-thriller called Paranoia, and that rare thing, a New Zealand… Audio

Simon Morris reviews the sequel to Red, starring Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren. Ashton Kutcher's take on computer billionaire Steve Jobs has strangely clashing tones and French film In The House sees… Audio

Most people under 30 hardly watch TV at all, they're simply going on-line - and so are many smart production companies. We are talking about shows like Woodville - snappy 5-minute "webisodes" of a… Audio

Simon Morris looks at a wild variety of smaller films – the return of Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass 2; a woman’s-eye-view of a Middle East war; an Irish-Spanish co-production called Tasting Menu; and Josh… Audio

Simon Morris looks at the first Hollywood films by two directors who made their name from home - South Africa's Neill Blomkamp and South Korea's Can-Wook Park. And independent movie Frances Ha… Audio

Simon Morris reviews the new feel-good movie from the makers of Little Miss Sunshine, and Byzantium - Irish director Neil Jordan's contribution to the Vampire genre. He also looks at two very… Audio

Casting is crucial and we talk to one of the best Kiwis in the business, Tina Cleary from The Casting Company. Tina's up for an Emmy for her work on Jane Campion's TV series, Top of the Lake. She and… Audio

Simon Morris looks at two rather different sides of English actress Kristin Scott Thomas - as a homicidal mother in Only God Forgives, and in her more usual role as a dignified wife in the French… Audio

Simon Morris reviews two examples of excess - the latest Marvel Comics extravaganza, The Wolverine, and Farewell To My Queen, a French film about the last days of Marie Antoinette. And New Zealand… Audio

Filmmaker Toa Fraser and his producer Matthew Metcalfe describes how a film like the upcoming Giselle is achieved. It's screening at the New Zealand International Film Festival. Audio