NEWS ARCHIVE

NOTE: This is an archival section and therefore some of the links may no longer be active or valid.
31 December 2011 - Information is now available on the soundtrack CD of 'Sione's 2: Unfinished Business, including an mp3 sample and links to a couple of related music videos. Many great movies are coming to dvd next year and I hope you remember to check in here, from time to time. HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR !

21 December 2011 - The first trailer for 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is now linked from the Sneak Peek Trailers Page. A page of coverage for 'The Orator' is now available and info on the soundtrack CD of 'Sione's 2: Unfinished Business' will be in a few days. MP3 samples of both will also be available for your listening pleasure. Have A Great Holiday and a Happy New Year.

18 December 2011 - A page of information covering the new to dvd film, 'Hugh & Heke', is now available for your viewing. If anyone wants to write up a review of this film, to have it included with the other information here, I would welcome such. I cannot pay for such, but you will retain all rights and would receive credit.
Those of you residing in the Auckland Metro area will have another late Summer treat - FREE outdoor movies plus live music before the films. Kiwi films include: 'Tracker', 'Sione's Wedding', 'The Orator', 'Billy T: Te Movie', 'Boy', 'Curry Munchers', 'My Wedding and Other Secrets', 'The Hopes and Dreams of Gaza Snell', 'After the Waterfall', 'The World's Fastest Indian', 'Love Birds' and those are just the NZ films. There are also 12 non-nz titles that will be offered. To check out details as to where and when, go to Auckland Council Movies In Parks.

01 December 2011 - Just a quick note to let you know that DVD copies of 'Starlight Hotel' and 'Queen City Rocker' can now be purchase online from Screenline of Auckland. I might also mention that recently some new trailers links have been added at the Sneak Peek Trailers Page, including 'The Orator', 'The Holy Roller' and 'Rest For The Wicked'. Enjoy.

12 November 2011 - A page of information for 'Russian Snark' is now available for you enjoyment. You really should experience this unique film and now those outside of New Zealand can via its recently released dvd. If you have not been able to view a linked to NZ Film Archive trailer, such as 'Ruby & Rata' or 'The Whole of the Moon', try it now as they had a tech problem that has been corrected.
Special notice for Auckland area residents: Free outdoor movies are coming to the waterfront Silo Park. They all start at 9pm with food venders and stalls available starting at 5pm. The schedule is: 'Eagle vs Shark', 25 November; 'Sione's Wedding', 3 December; 'Love Story', 9 December.
The AFTA (Aotearoa Film and Television Awards) have been announced and the Feature Film Winners, grouped by title, are: 'Love Story' - Best Feature, Director and Editing; 'The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell' - Outstanding Feature Film Debut; 'The Insatiable Moon' - Best Lead Actor (Rawiri Paratene), Best supporting Actor (Greg Johnson); 'My Wedding and Other Secrets' - Best Lead Actress (Michelle Ang), Best Screenplay (Roseanne Liang and Angeline Loo); 'Matariki' - Best Supporting Actress (Sara Wiseman); 'After the Waterfall' - Best Sound Design (Dick Reade and Gethin Creagh); 'Predicament' - Best Cinematography (Simon Raby), Best Original Music (Plan 9), Best Production Design (John Harding), Best Costume Design (Lesley Burkes-Harding), Best Make-up Design (Angela Mooar), Best Visual Effects (Sauce VFX). Go to the AFTA Site for further details about the awards. One final note - 'Boy' will start its U.S. general theatrical release March 2, 2012.

18 October 2011 - The AFTA Finalists have been announced and the feature film nominees are: Best Film - 'My Wedding and Other Secrets', 'Love Story' and 'Predicament'. The complete list and details regarding the awards can be accessed at: http://www.afta.co.nz/finalists-announcement/. The awards will be 12 November 2011 at the Auckland Viaduct Events Centre.

17 October 2011 - Information is now available on the excellent new feature, 'Hook, Line & Sinker', from the same folks that brought us 'Taking the Waewae Express'. Additionally two older Gaylene Preston titles are now available in New Zealand on DVD - 'Bread & Roses' and 'Ruby & Rata'. I should have details within a week on two new dvd titles that are scheduled for release soon - 'Russian Snark' on 21 October and 'Hugh & Heke' in November; trailers for both can be accessed at the Sneak Peek Trailer Page. These are all good works that are worth viewing. One last notice about something to consider for your holiday stocking - 'Footrot Flats' is scheduled for a Blu-ray release 01 December 2011.

11 September 2011 - Three older childrens movies, produced by Dale and Grant Bradley, have been added to the database. In 2004 the "Treasure Island Kids" trilogy was released consisting of: 'The Battle of Treasure Island', 'The Monster of Treasure Island' and 'The Mystery of Treasure Island'. Aimed primarily towards a pre-teen viewing audience, they were destined for Saturday morning TV and definately not adult fare, but everyone can enjoy the North Island filming locations of: Piha, Kitekite Falls, Bethells Beach, Wenderholm Park, Stedfast Park and the grand Pah Homestead.
For those who have not visited the Sneak Peek Trailers page lately, you will find a link to the trailer of the soon to be released NZ/Samoan production, 'The Orator'.

02 September 2011 - Two more films have been added - 'Cave In' and 'The Warrior's Way'. Now I know that purists will say these are not NZ films, but they are both co-productions, as are many films these days and both were filmed in New Zealand, so I felt they were worthy of being added to the database. Soundtrack fans will find mp3 samples of not only 'Cave In' and 'The Warrior's Way', but 'Leave All Fair' also has a clip at the Soundtrack Samples page. Javier Navarrete's score for 'The Warrior's Way' is a most enjoyable homage, especially to Morriconi.
For reasons that would be best to not go into right now, I am reserving my rant about the previously mentioned withdrawl of the scheduled dvd release of 'Illustrious Energy' as well as future dvd releases of older titles. I do not want to muddy the issue by making possible unconstructive comments at this time, as I have reason to believe that this issue may be resolved later this month. We shall see. One way or the other, I will have something to report next month.

21 August 2011 - It is with considerable sadness that I must report that not only have the dvd releases of 'Illustrious Energy' and 'Sons for the Return Home' have been cancelled, but other older titles that were planned for dvd releases in the near future are also canceled. This includes: 'Pallet on the Floor', 'The Whole of the Moon', 'Starlight Hotel', 'Shaker Run', 'Queen City Rocker' and 'A Soldier's Tale'. Of course this does not mean that they will never find their way to dvd, but at this time there would appear to be no plans for such releases. I will be posting a detailed commentary on this in a few days and will try to get the New Zealand media to report on it. If anyone wants to express their feelings on this, I would welcome such emails and will set up a page dedicated to the issue and your comments.

06 August 2011 - 'The Devil's Rock' is now represented with its page of information and links. This NZ/UK co-production was all filmed in the Wellington area and is a horror drama set during World War II. Soundtrack fans will enjoy checking out the new mp3 samples of music from 'My Wedding and other Secrets', 'Love Birds' and 'The Devil's Rock' at the Soundtrack Samples Page.
For those who wonder what else they can do during the forthcoming Rugby World Cup from 9 September to 23 October, Real New Zealand Festival and New Zealand Onscreen have an answer. In the North Island two eye-catching structures will be built on the Auckland Queens Wharf and Wellington Te Papa promenade waterfronts. Classic Kiwi screen moments will be shown on a video tower atop a modified shipping container. Inside visitors will be able to engage with, and be moved by the screen treasures via a state-of-the-art interactive video feature wall and viewing pods. A high-tech conversion of a classic Kiwi caravan will bring the New Zealand On Screen experience to the South Island. The travelling cinema will rove mainland towns and centres between 9 September and 6 October before spending the final fortnight of the tournament camped at Hagley Park in the Fan Zone from 8 October until 23 October. There is no charge for any of this.
For further details about the Kiwi Film Classics Events, click on the following: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and the South Island Caravan Locations and dates.

25 July 2011 - 'Braindead, aka: Dead Alive' will be released on Blu-ray, in the U.S., starting 04 October 2011, but further details will have to wait. 'Russian Snark' now has a dvd release date of 23 October 2011, but it is too early to provide details about any extras. The first trailer for the forthcoming 'Sione's Wedding 2: Unfinished Business' is now available for viewing. The new romantic comedy, 'My Wedding and Other Secrets' now has a page with links to reviews and many other details.

19 July 2011 - Sorry about being so slow in posting new items - I have computer problems and will, hopefully, get everything going smoothly soon. Pages are up for the new films, 'Curry Munchers' and 'Love Birds'. To add to the 'Billy T' feeding frenzy, 'The Leading Edge' is now available on vanilla DVD.
The Te Papa museum and the New Zealand Film Archive have worked together to put out a hardcover book, 'New Zealand Film: An Illustrated History'. This book is an impressive 360 page effort, containing over 400 illustrations and a 100 minute DVD. It covers over 100 years of film in New Zealand and includes articles by people in the industry as well as academics specialising in film history and New Zealand culture. You really should check out this fine effort and discover that there is more to NZ film than Peter Jackson.

24 June 2011 - The 'Came A Hot Friday' DVD release date has been moved up to 06 July; so get your pre-orders in now to take advantage of the reduced prices. The DVD release date for 'My Wedding and other Secrets' is now confirmed for 20 July; some on-line dealers are now taking pre-orders. You can now access the first trailer for Peter Jackson's forthcoming, 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn' at the sneak peek trailers page.

12 June 2011 - Information on the recently released to DVD film, 'Matariki' is now available. I am testing a layout change with Matariki and would appreciate comments about this - I have included the back dvd cover image, as well as the front.
In case you might not have heard, 'Love Birds' is scheduled for DVD and Blu-ray releases starting 13 July and 'The Devil's Rock' (in the UK) on DVD 11 July.
Finally 'The Frighteners' will be finding its way to Blu-ray starting 13 September in the U.S and Canada and 10 October in the UK. No dates yet for other countries.

29 May 2011 - Pages have been added for 'The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell' and Ian Sharp's "western" drama 'Tracker', starring Ray Winstone and Temuera Morrison.

16 May 2011 - I am testing "Chat Box" at the Sneak Peek Trailers Page, and a couple of others, before adding it to all pages. I therefore would appreciate your comments and suggestions, but please keep it brief as it is not designed for long dissertations:)

14 May 2011 - The trailer for the soon to be released thriller, 'The Devil's Rock' can now be accessed from the Sneak Peek Trailers page.
There have been some release date changes for dvds of older titles. 'The Returning' is scheduled for 20 June; 'Came a Hot Friday' is now scheduled for 20 July; 'Illustrious Energy' and 'Sons for the Return Home' will both be available starting 20 August. 'A Soldier's Tale' and 'Shaker Run' have both been rescheduled for 20 October.
The new Indian flavoured film, 'Curry Munchers', will be available on DVD starting 22 June.

** PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS IMAGE **
The Lord of the Rings? Extended Edition Trilogy Theatrical Event

The epic adventure is coming to the big screen in U.S. theatres this June for a three night event series.
NCM Fathom and Warner Home Video are bringing all three The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition films to movie theaters nationwide. The events will begin with a new personal introduction for each film from The Lord of the Ring director Peter Jackson captured from The Lord of the Rings prequel set, The Hobbit, and will be immediately followed by the Extended Edition feature presentations which altogether include nearly 3 hours of additional feature footage carefully selected by Peter Jackson.
The trilogy will be featured in an exclusive series of three in-theater events including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? on June 14, 2011; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers? on June 21, 2011; and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? on June 28, 2011. Each event will begin at 7:00 p.m. local time. All three have been digitally remastered for high-definition.
Tickets are on sale now for this three night event! Limited seats available - buy your tickets early! To purchase tickets to an event, click on the image to the left, enter your zip code and select the BUY TICKETS button.

01 May 2011 - Two more films have found their way to DVD and so they have been added to the database - 'After the Waterfall' and 'The Insatiable Moon'. Four more feature films are scheduled for DVD releases soon and their trailers can be viewed from the Sneak Peek Trailers page - 'The Hopes and Dreams of Gaza Snell' on 11 May, 'Matariki' 03 June, 'Love Birds' and 'My Wedding and other Secrets' in July.

24 March 2011 - Warner Home Video has officially announced the Blu-ray release of the extended version of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy for June 28, 2011. This three-movie collection will be presented in a 15-disc set (6 BDs, 9 DVDs), packaged in multi-disc elite packaging inside a premium rigid slipcase, selling for under $100us or 60#uk. Each movie will be split across two discs. The audio will be 6.1 DTS-HD Master. The Fellowship of the Ring has been re-mastered from the original 2k digital files. Go to the specific LOTR title pages for content details.

16 March 2011 - Another new film will be coming to dvd AND Blu-ray on 23 May 2011 - 'Tracker'. This PAL release will initially be in the UK and pre-orders are about 12# for the R2 DVD and 16# for the Region B Blu-ray. It would seem that 'The Frighteners' will finally find its way to Blu-ray on 10 October 2011 - as you may guess, details will be available later this year. More links to trailers for new titles, not yet on DVD, have been added to the Sneak Peek Trailers Page, including 'Hook, Line & Sinker', 'Curry Munchers', 'Good For Nothing' and 'Tracker'.

10 March 2011 - Great news for fans of older NZ movies: Twelve older titles are coming to DVD. The first one is the 20 April 2011 release of 'Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree'. The next two are scheduled for dvd release on 02 May 2011: 'Dangerous Orphans' and 'The Returning'. 'A Soldier's Tale' will be released on 06 June 2011. Then on 04 July 2001, two never before on dvd will be released, 'Illustrious Energy' and 'Sons for the Return Home'. On 01 August 2011, 'Shaker Run' will have its NZ dvd release along with the one that thousands have waited for, 'Came a Hot Friday'. Although no firm dates yet, four more titles that should be released to dvd this year are: 'Send a Gorilla', 'Queen City Rocker', 'The Whole of the Moon' and another jewel, 'Starlight Hotel'. With the exception of 'Came a Hot Friday' and 'Illustrious Energy', all of these PAL R0 dvds are without extras and will be selling for $10nz. Pre-orders for all of the titles with firm release dates, can be placed with Screenline in Auckland.
Other news of note: A sequel to 'Sione's Wedding' is scheduled for its New Zealand theatrical premiere in January 2012. Details on this will be available later this year.
Three additional titles are now available from "Amazon Video On Demand": 'Crush', 'Eagle vs Shark' and 'No one can hear You'.
Two new films are having their dvd releases shortly: On 16 March 2011, 'After the Waterfall' and on 13 April 2011, 'The Insatiable Moon'.

12 February 2011 - With sadness I report that Frank Whitten has died. Although he had many supporting roles in various feature films, he is probably best know for his major role in 'Vigil'. Vincent Ward pays tribute via a TV3News Interview. More recently he spent much time on television, especially in 'Outrageous Fortune'. A full-length tele-feature of the series can be viewed online at NZONSCREEN. From now until 1 May, 2011, you can also enjoy the Outrageous Fortune Exhibit at the Auckland Museum.

05 February 2011 - All soundtrack CDs and LPs now have links to their respective pages at Soundtrack Collector website. Similiarly there are now links from over 100 New Zealand film titles to the Internet Movie Poster Awards website where mini-posters may be downloaded for viewing and/or printing.
The Sneak Peek Trailer page now has links to three more features that will soon have theatrical releases: 'Love Birds', 'My Wedding And Other Secrets' and 'Tracker'. Two additional mp3 clips have been added to the Soundtrack Samples page: 'The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell' and 'Predicament'. The U.S. Amazon website has added 'Eagle vs Shark' to their "video on demand" offerings, which brings to 23 the number of NZ titles that can be so viewed (check last month's info below for the other titles that can be viewed online).

07 January 2011 - The vinyl LP soundtracks section has been re-organized with an index that links to separate title pages. Gradually more information will be added to the separate pages.
The U.S. Amazon site now has a "video on demand" section for online purchase and/or rental of movies. To date, I have located 22 New Zealand titles and have provided links for your convenience. Amazon has included free trailers or opening sample clips. I suggest you read Amazon's provided details about these offerings before downloading the full feature films.
The following are currently offered: Braindead, Diagnosis Death, District 9, The Ferryman, The Frighteners, Her Majesty, The Irrefutible Truth About Demons, King Kong, Lord of the Rings/The Two Towers, Lord of the Rings/Return of the King, Men Shouldn't Sing, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Mesmerized, Orphans and Angels, Savage Islands, Sione's Wedding, A Soldier's Tale, The Tattooist, Under The Mountain, Whale Rider, When Strangers Appear, The World's Fastest Indian.

31 December 2010 - Information is now available for Jason Stutter's treatment of 'Predicament. You will also find that the books section has been re-organised and in the process of upgrading. Additional soundtrack samples and trailers have been added, including information and mp3 sample for a hard-to-find soundtrack LP of 'Queen City Rocker'.
A couple of new trailers have been added at the Sneak Peek Trailers page, where you will notice DVD release dates for 'Insatiable Moon' and 'After the Waterfall'.
Probably the really big news for 2011 is that 'Came A Hot Friday' will have a theatrical re-release, followed by a DVD release. The best to you all in the coming year.

13 November 2010 - Soundtrack fans may be interested in the links I have provided to the Streaming Soundtracks site. At my Soundtracks pages, I have indicated NZ soundtracks that can be requested at the free, streaming, listening and request site. Currently there are 24 films represented with more on the way.
Another new film's soundtrack is represented with a CD release - 'Matariki' and starting 15 November Matariki's trailer can be viewed at the film's official website.
Special Notice to fans of the soundtrack 'When Loves Comes' - The movie DVD has been re-released, in New Zealand, as a 2-disc set. One disc is the feature on a PAL R0 dvd and the second disc is a CD of the soundtrack. The set is currently selling for only $10nz at Screenline, but no telling how long at this price.

6 November 2010 - Blu-ray users will find that it is now a bit easier to locate discs. I have added links to Google listings of worldwide resellers at my HD & BLU-RAY DISCS page. Gradually, I will be adding more Blu-ray info at this page, including forthcoming release details. New DVD Release - Predicament will be available on R4 DVD, from New Zealand sources, starting 8 December.

3 November 2010 - There now is a page for the soundtrack of 'The Insatiable Moon', with a link to track samples - well worth checking and can be purchased either as a CD or a download. Sorry, but I just received news that the DVD releases of 'Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree' and 'Send a Gorilla' is being delayed with a new release date sometime in February 2011. There has been a rumour floating around that 'The Frighteners' was to be released on Blu-ray last week - not so. What is so is that all of the Peter Jackson features not yet on Blu-ray - 'The Frighteners', 'Bad Taste', 'Braindead' and 'Meet the Feebles' - will be coming to Blu-ray, but no official release dates have yet been set for any of these titles.

25 October 2010 - 'Home By Christmas' has its own page added to the database, including a link to the original soundtrack information with mp3 audio samples of all tracks. Two more older films are finding their way to DVD 03 November, 'Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree' and 'Send a Gorilla'. More soundtrack upgrades have occurred with images of most all CD back covers now present and more mp3 soundtrack sample clips of older films that are not available on CD. The site now has links to over 185 soundtrack samples.

19September 2010 - The 2010 Qantas Film and Televison Awards have come and gone. The feature films results are as follows: 'Boy' cleaned up with a total of seven awards - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Taika Waititi), Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Original Music. The next highest total of awards was collected by 'The Vintner's Luck'. It's three awards were for Best Lead Actress ( Vera Farmiga), Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. 'Home by Christmas' received awards for Best Lead Actor (Tony Barry) and Best Sound and 'Under the Mountain' received awards for Best Visual Effects and Makeup Design. Finally 'Russian Snark' received an award for Best Supporting Actress (Stephanie Tauevihi). Congradulations to all and to all a good night.

12 September 2010 - The giant hit at New Zealand theatres, Boy, now has its page and includes links to film clips and extras. Two more older films are now available on DVD, 'Te Rua' and 'Mauri'. On 06 October, another older title coming to DVD is 'Trial Run', along with the DVD release of Gaylene Preston's new docu-drama hit, 'Home by Christmas'.
Gradually, Peter Jackson's early films are coming to Blu-ray. Although hard to find, Heavenly Creatures is now available in both single disc and 2-disc offerings. Scheduled for future Blu-ray release are: The Frighteners, Bad Taste and Braindead aka:Dead Alive. Starting 14 September, the Blu-ray versions of the three Lord of the Rings films will be available as three separate 2-disc offerings, selling for about $20us.

14 August 2010 - The details on the three older films that are now available on DVD, 'Battletruck', 'Off the Edge' and 'Saving Grace', have been uploaded and you can access trailers and soundtrack samples of all three. Two more films will be available on Blu-ray next month; 'The Strength of Water' (19 Sept.) and 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence' (28 Sept.). The Qantas Film and Television Award Nominees for 2010 were announced 12 August and 'Boy' received the highest number with 14, but 'Home By Christmas' picked up 10, 'Under the Mountain' - 7, 'The Vintner's Luck' - 6 and 'Russian Snark' - 6. The winners will be announced 18 September. For those of you who are interested in movie posters, I have been assisting a wonderful site, IMP Awards, to add as many miniature versions of New Zealand film posters as possible for your enjoyment. They have many that are not yet uploaded, so be patient as your favourite may be showing soon. But if you have one or two that are unusual, such as non-New Zealand (foreign language) versions, you might contact them about contributing to the gallery.

14 July 2010 - Two more older features are finding their way to DVD this month - 'Saving Grace' is available now, from New Zealand retailers and Michael Firth's 1977 Academy Award nominated skiing/hang-gliding adventure, 'Off the Edge', will be released the end of the month. North American fans of 'Battletruck', aka: 'Warlords of the 21st Century', will be happy to know that it will find its way to DVD starting August 3, 2010. The sneak peek page now has links to trailers for new features, 'Predicament', 'The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell', 'Insatiable Moon' and 'Russian Snark'. If you have not yet discovered the NZ Box Office page, you might not know that Taika Waititi's new film, 'Boy' has taken down 'King Kong'. 'Boy' has, so far, pulled in over $9 million at New Zealand theatres and so, except for 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, it has become the #1 film in New Zealand. For those who are not able to get to a New Zealand theatre, 'Boy' is scheduled for DVD release 1 September 2010. Finally, something to tease you with. I have received word that a number of older films, that have never been on dvd, will be between now and the end of the year. The list includes: 'Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree', 'Mauri', 'Te Rua', 'Trial Run', 'Zilch' and 'Whole of the Moon'.

18 June 2010 - Two more features have been added: James Napier Robertson's 'I'm Not Harry Jenson' and Armagan Ballantyne's 'The Strength of Water'. Four older titles that have never previously been available on dvd are now available. They are the 1979 hit 'Middle Age Spread'; the biopic of Walter and Alfred Burton, 19th century photographers,'Pictures'; the eerie murder mystery, partially filmed in Fiordland, 'The Lost Tribe' and Dean O'Gorman's teen flick, 'Bonjour Timothy'. Aro Video in Wellington is selling all four for $15nz each. In case you have not check out the soundtrack samples page lately, you will find there are now some 166 titles represented of which over 100 have never been available on CD. The latest is from 'The Strength of Water' and the massive hit, 'Boy'. Speaking of 'Boy', did you know that it has taken in over $8 Million at the New Zealand box office and is still going. It has topped all New Zealand films to date, if you do not consider King Kong or The Lord of the Rings. Check out the Sneak Peek Trailers page for a look at new NZ films at or coming soon to cinemas. One final note about 'Boy', I have a page up regarding its soundtrack and a download available at: Boy - The Soundtrack

07 May 2010 - Three more features have been added to the database - Peter Jackson's 'The Lovely Bones', Niki Caro's 'The Vintner's Luck' and Jonathan King's 'Under the Mountain'. You can find links to mp3 samples of the soundtracks to all three titles within the Soundtrack Samples page. Upgrades are continuing, such as still image replacements of many titles. DVDs of 'I'm Not Harry Jenson' and 'The Strength of Water' will be released by the end of this month - meanwhile check out the trailers.

18 March 2010 - I am pleased to announce that nzvideos.org has been honored to host the official website for 'Jinx Sister'. With the cooperation of the director, Athina Tsoulis, and the technical assistance of Duncan Standley of Global Image Productions, you can now gain a bit more background into this great New Zealand film.
Over 10,000 Flicks visitors have voted and the results are now up. The Top 50 New Zealand Films list is now available for your viewing and comments.

08 March 2010 - The page containing info on 'Separation City' has been uploaded. Please let me know if you have any technical problems in accessing it.
Next month will be a fairly full one, when it comes to new NZ dvd and Blu-Ray releases: 'The Lord of the Rings - Trilogy' is being release to Blu-Ray on 6 April, 'The Vintner's Luck' dvd and Blu-Ray on 7 April as well as 'Under The Mountain' on 7 April, 'The Lovely Bones' dvd and Blu-Ray on 20 April, plus 'Home by Christmas' will be having its New Zealand theatrical premier on 29 April. Trailers for all of these films can be accessed by going to the Sneak Peek Trailer Page.
NZ On Screen now has available on-line a 3 minute clip of the very rare 'This is New Zealand'. This promo film used at Expo 70, Japan, was shot with three cameras and projects as three separate images, somewhat like Cinerama. It has been restored and digitised and there are plans to make it available on dvd, hopefully later this year. The nz on screen site has links to details regarding the film.

19 February 2010 - The New urban comedy, 'Separation City' will become available on dvd, from New Zealand sources, 24 February, 2010. Some things to look forward to - the following older titles will become available on dvd this year, but no firm dates yet, so either drop me a note and I will let you know when I know or check back here at least monthly for further info: 'Bonjour Timothy', 'Channelling Baby', 'Illustrious Energy', 'The Lost Tribe', 'Pallet on the Floor', 'Pictures', 'Queen City Rocker'. Most significantly, we should be seeing a New Zealand dvd release of both 'Came A Hot Friday' and 'Starlight Hotel'.

26 January 2010 - So far, I have found 16 New Zealand soundtrack CDs at iTunes. I have flagged the titles that are now linked with an iTunes icon within the CD Chrono and CD Alpha directories, to make it a bit easier to locate.

21 January 2010 - The soundtrack of Nate & Hayes, aka: Savage Island, is now available on CD. This Trevor Jones score has never before been available on vinyl or cd.
A free treat for those in Auckland - between 10 February and 18 March, the Auckland City Council's Free Movies in Parks program will be offering New Zealand features on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, preceeded by live music, of: 'The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls', 'The World's Fastest Indian', 'Dean Spanley', 'The Price of Milk', 'Rain of the Children', 'River Queen', 'Goodbye Pork Pie', 'Siones Wedding', 'Forgotten Silver', 'State of Play', 'Show of Hands' and 'Separation City'. For venue directions and further details, go to the parks info page on the offerings.

10 January 2010 - With no reason to not do so, I decided that I will join the ranks of those presenting their "Best of..." lists. In my subjective case, I offer my "Best New Zealand features of the past 10 Years". 2000 - 'The Price of Milk'; 2001 - 'Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Ring'; 2002 - Tie: 'Lord of the Rings/The Two Towers' and 'Whale Rider'; 2003 - 'Lord of the Rings/Return of the King'; 2004 - Tie: 'Fracture' and 'In My Father's Den'; 2005 - Tie: 'King Kong' and 'The World's Fastest Indian'; 2006 - 'Out of the Blue'; 2007 - 'Eagle vs Shark'; 2008 - Tie: 'Apron Strings' and 'Dean Spanley'; 2009 - 'District 9'. If you feel compelled to disagree with me, drop me an email and I will post your list, about which others can then disagree.

09 January 2010 - The "Long List" nominations for the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2010 has been released. This "first round"(15 in each catagory) will now be voted from by over 6000 members and the list of nominations (5 in each catagory) will be announced 21 January. The winning awards will be given at the Royal Opera House on 21 February. There are two New Zealand films within the "long list" nominations - 'District 9' and 'The Lovely Bones'. I might add that 'Avatar' is on the list, but for various reasons, I do not consider it a New Zealand produced feature, whereas I do 'District 9'.
'District 9' has nominations for: Best Film, Adapted Screenplay, Director, Make-up & Hair, Special Visual Effects, Sound, Editing, Costume Design, Production Design, Cinematography. 'The Lovely Bones' has nominations for: Adapted Screenplay, Special Visual Effects, Sound, Editing, Production Design, Cinematography, Music, Leading Actress - Saoirse Ronan, Supporting Actor - Stanley Tucci, Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon.

3 January 2010 - The Trailer for 'Boy', Taika Waititi's latest feature, is now available for viewing through the Sneak Peek Trailers page. It is having its World Premiere this month at the Sundance Film Festival. It is scheduled to begin New Zealand theatrical showings in April. I have been able to confirm nine(9) features that are available on Blu-ray and a tenth that will be coming 6 April. Details and pricing can be accessed from the new HD/Blu-ray list page. A page has been added, although not finished, concerning the new soundtrack CD of the Trevor Jones score to the 1983 film, 'Nate and Hayes'. More details coming next week.

26 December 2009 - A page containing details about District 9 has been added. Yes, it is a co-production with WETA and Peter Jackson backing the director and his unique script. If, because you don't go to sci-fi flicks, you have missed out on this award winning film, take a few minutes looking through the reviews, trailer and other info. You might be intrigued by this little film that is on most reviewers "Best of 2009" lists.
Many small additions throughout, including new trailer links at the sneak peek page as well at the main trailers page.

15 December 2009 - Information on the new soundtrack CD of 'Under the Mountain' is now available, including where to purchase it and links to audio samples of the tracks. Another great soundtrack from Victoria Kelly. If you are not yet acquainted with her work, check out some of the ten mp3 samples at my soundtrack samples page.
If you want to enter the UNDER THE MOUNTAIN soundtrack CD giveaway, email Aint It Cool News at scorekeeper@aintitcool.com using the subject: "UNDER THE MOUNTAIN CD Giveaway" and include your full name, mailing address, a valid email address, and indicate your favorite film starring Sam Neill. The deadline is be Thursday, December 31st, at 11:59PM EST (U.S.). Only one entry per person please. International entries will be accepted.
I noticed that Wellington's Aro Video is clearing out a lot of their vhs rentals and many New Zealand titles are included. Of course these are PAL format, but some hard to find titles are available and no telling if or when they may find their way to DVD.

6 December 2009 - The Sundance Film Festival has announced their 2010 lineup and Taika Waititi, who directed 'Eagle vs Shark', has his new feature, 'Boy', selected to have its World Premiere there. There is no trailer yet, but check back in a few weeks and I should have one at the sneak peek trailers page.
Peter Jackson is reuniting with his Lord of the Rings producer Barrie Osborne, with support from Tourism New Zealand, to give budding film-makers a three-minute shot at glory. The competition, open to anybody from around the world, starts on December 9. It will require contestants to submit a screenplay for a three-minute film before January 15. Four finalists will be selected by an industry panel with a fifth person to be voted by the public. The finalists will then shoot their short films with Osborne's help. The winning film will be selected by Jackson. Tourism New Zealand will spend $2 million on the campaign, half of which will be used by the finalists to make their films. You can find more information about 'Your Big Break' at: http://www.your-big-break.com/

15 November 2009 - I am offering some dvds for sale. Most are lightly used ones from my own collection, but there are a few new discs as well. None have been rentals. Many are titles that are hard to find but priced low and including shipping. They all orginated from authorized distributors. If you are looking for a unique gift item, you should find one here.

8 November 2009 - I went through Aro Video's Ex-Rental VHS(PAL) Sale list and found about 3 dozen NZ titles, most of which are selling for $10-15nz. However there are seven that stood out since they are only on vhs - never have been on dvd. They are: Among the Cinders, Arriving Tuesday, End of the Golden Weather, Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree, Never Say Die, Queen City Rocker and Trial Run. As you might expect, the price of these seven is a bit more - $25nz, but given how difficult it is to find copies, a bargain.

26 October 2009 - A couple of recent additions: The short but fascinating soundtrack CD of 'District 9' and the book, '100 Essential New Zealand Films' by Hamish McDouall.
Of Special Note: Regretfully, we have lost the veteran actor, writer and director, Martyn Sanderson. His 40+ year television and film career included films from the '70s and continued through this year. Lord of the Rings fans will remember him as the Bree gatekeeper and Utu fans will remember him as the Vicar on the receiving end of a hatchet. His contributions were many and he will be missed.

5 October 2009 - There will be PAL re-issues in Australia and New Zealand, 14 October 2009, of 'In My Father's Den' and 'Black Sheep'. 'Diagnosis Death' will be available in New Zealand starting 15 October as well as the Hercules: The Legendary Journey, Season 1 set of 7 dvds, which becomes available for purchase in New Zealand for about $60nz. This set contains all five of the feature length movies that were released in 1994, before the TV series, as well as the first season TV shows. This set should also be available from Australian sources for about the same price, but no confirmation as of this date. If you want more info on the five Hercules features, go to their respective pages: "Amazon Women", "Circle of Fire", "Lost Kingdom", "Maze of the Minotaur", "Underworld".

20 September 2009 - Warner Brothers has again delayed the Blu-Ray release date for the theatrical version of 'The Lord of the Rings Trilogy'. It is now the end of March or first of April, with the exact date yet to be announced. Warner also announced that they will be distributing, on behalf of Icon, Blu-Ray versions of 'Once Were Warriors' and 'The Piano'. No confirmation yet about extras, but the release date for both is 4 November 2009. More details will follow next month.
'Jack Brown, Genius' is being released in North America to ntsc R1 dvd starting 13 October 2009, with a retail selling price of $12-15us. No confirmation yet about extras.

07 September 2009 - The winners of the 2009 Qantas Film and Television Awards have been announced and the big winner was 'Dean Spanley' with seven awards: Best Feature with a budget over $1 million, Best Director (Toa Fraser), Best Supporting Actor (Peter O'Toole), Best Screenplay (Alan Sharp), Best Editing (Chris Plummer), Best Costume Design (Odile Dicks-Mireaux) and Best Make-up Design (Marese Langan). 'Apron Strings' picked up four awards: Best Lead Actor (Scott Wills), Best Lead Actress (Jennifer Ludlam), Best Cinematography (Rewa Harre) and Best Production Design (Johnny Hawkins). The Bio-pic of the Topp Twins, 'Untouchable Girls', took home two awards: Best Feature Film with a budget under $1 million and Best Original Music. Single awards went to 'The Map Reader' for Best Supporting Actress (Bonnie Soper) and to 'The Strength of Water' for Best Sound Design (Dave Whitehead and Polly McKinnon).

16 August 2009 - A page is now up for Jason Stutter and Raybon Kan's new feature, 'Diagnosis: Death'. This "comedy horror" offering contains appearances by Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Jermaine Clement and Loren Horsley and a soundtrack from Plan 9. Two more older titles that will be released on DVD next month are 'Memory & Desire' and 'Jack be Nimble'. These are two more of the continuing low cost ($20-25nz) issuances to R0 dvds of older features. Other titles that will be released over the forthcoming eight months are: 'The Lost Tribe', 'When Love Comes', 'Via Satellite', 'Chicken', 'Channelling Baby', 'Bonjour Timothy', 'Toy Love', 'Savage Honeymoon', 'The Scarecrow', 'Stickmen' and 'Pictures'.

09 August 2009 - Information is now available on the "coming-of-age" film, 'The Map Reader' and the soundtrack CD, 'Separation City - Music From the Motion Picture'.

05 August 2009 - Two more films have been added to the Sneak Peek Trailers page: 'The Lovely Bones' and 'I'm Not Harry Jenson'.
The Qantas Film and Television Awards for 2009 have issued their nomination finalists and they are (In order of their number of nominations): Dean Spanley(12), Apron Strings(8), The Strength of Water(7), Separation City(5), Show of Hands(3), The Map Reader(3), Untouchable Girls(3), I'm Not Harry Jenson(2). Trailers for all the nominations are accessable from the Sneak Peek Trailers page.

19 July 2009 - A link is now provided to the trailer of Nikki Caro's forthcoming feature, 'The Vintner's Luck', at its official website and a sneak peek of 'Under the Mountain' is also now available.
You will also find the database contains updated pricing on dvds, including U.S., UK, AU and NZ. I still need to complete some pricing on Lord of the Rings, as there are so many variations of those titles. BTW, the trilogy Blu-ray theatrical version release date has been set at 3 November 2009. Yes, they are doing it again - there will be no extended edition Blu-ray version at this time. The estimated date for that will be late 2011.

17 June 2009 - SPECIAL NOTICE FOR THOSE IN THE LONDON AREA - Centre for New Zealand Studies, Thursday 25 June 2009, Room B36, Birkbeck main building, University of London, Malet St., London WC1, 6.30-8.30p. British premiere of Athina Tsoulis's 2008 film Jinx Sister, to be introduced by the director Athina Tsoulis, who will also be present at the end of the film to answer questions. For further questions, contact the Centre's director, Ian Conrich, at ian@ianconrich.co.uk.

07 June 2009 - Athina Tsoulis' latest feature, 'Jinx Sister', has arrived on dvd and information has been added, including a two minute clip of the original soundtrack. Special notice: the complete Leading Edge can now be viewed in five segments - legally.

05 May 2009 - Three more films have been added - two low budget, first feature efforts, Gupta vs Gordon and Taking the Waewae Express plus a major NZ/UK co-production, Dean Spanley. If you can only see one of them, make sure it is Dean Spanley, as this is clearly the best of 2008 New Zealand releases. That said, do not expect a loud, sexy, special effects ladden adventure, but see it just the same. Jinx Sister will be finding its way to dvd this month...13 May in New Zealand and 26 May in Australia.

14 April 2009 - Some 16 additional film clips have been added this month, including ones for Mark II, Mauri, Other Halves and Te Rua. The nearly 200 selections can be quickly found by going to the Trailers page. Billy T. James fans may want to check out The Leading Edge clip. Also additional mp3 soundtrack samples have added to the 150 available, which can be quickly found at the Soundtrack Samples page. For example, check out the new soundtrack sample from Magik & Rose. Please let me know if you have any problems viewing the trailers, clips or the mp3 soundtrack samples.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Enter to possiblly win a new dvd copy of The Quiet Earth. Nothing to buy.

2 April 2009 - In addition to trailers for Hercules - The Legendary Journeys and A Soldier's Tale now available for download, video clips of Old Scores and all five of the Hercules features have been included for your enjoyment. They are now part of the nearly 180 trailers and clips that are accessible at the Trailers page.

30 March 2009 - A number of titles have been added with samples of their soundtracks as well as their trailers; The Last Magic Show, Rain of the Children, Show of Hands, A Song of Good and When Night Falls. Soundtrack samples have also been added for Angel Mine and Ngati and more samples are being gradually added for older titles, so check back periodically. I should point out that on 15 April The Silent One and The Quiet Earth are being re-issued, in New Zealand, on dvd and on 27 April Dean Spanley will become available on R2 pal dvd from U.K. sources. Finally I should point out that I have a few new dvd's (not dvd-r's) of Came of Hot Friday and Starlight Hotel for sale at $20us. Suffice to say these are very hard to find as they are out-of-print, so I don't know if I will be able to get any more.

3 March 2009 - There now is information about the new soundtrack CD of Dean Spanley, composed by Don McGlashan. Additionally there are now video clips of the 1993 film, Absent Without Leave and the popular 1982 film, Carry Me Back plus the trailer for Heart of the Stag has been added for your enjoyment. By mid-March I should have up pages on the new films, Show of Hands, The Last Magic Show, A Song of Good, When Night Falls and Rain of the Children. The trailers of these five films can be accessed now from the Sneak Peek Trailers page.

2 February 2009 - Three titles that have never before been available on dvd, 'Angel Mine', 'Ngati' and 'Sylvia' can be purchased from New Zealand sales sources starting this month. Aro Video in Wellington and Screenline in Auckland are taking orders. All of these dvds will be PAL R0 and selling for about $20nz. Two more titles, 'Constance' and 'Desperate Remedies' are being re-issued on dvd this month at the same low price. I should also mention that 'Cinema of Unease' and 'Rain of the Children' can now be purchased on dvd. Then later this month, three new dvd releases will occur, 'The Last Magic Show', 'Song of Good' and 'Show of Hands'. All of these titles can be ordered from Aro Video. You might want to check out the Sneak Peek Trailers Page to catch a glimpse of forthcoming titles, including the afore-mentioned titles coming to dvd is month. Finally, a page has been added about the soundtrack CD of 'Show of Hands', with a link to track sample downloads.

14 December 2008 - Information is now up for Apron Strings, New Zealand's first feature focusing on the Indian community. There also is a sample soundtrack clip, although there is no cd at this time.
NOTE: The previously mentioned release date (14 January 2009) for titles coming to dvd for the first time, has been moved to 16 February, 2009. With the last handful of soundtrack sample upgrades completed, all samples are now at least 128 kbps. The latest upgrades were for 'Alex', 'An Angel at my Table', 'Loaded', 'The Navigator' and 'Race for the Yankee Zephyr'.

25 November 2008 - Three more books have been added to the books section. The first major study of the films of Barry Barclay is the theme of 'Images of Dignity' by Stuart Murray. Twelve New Zealand cinematographers are featured in 'Shot in New Zealand', where these talented essential members of the film community are examined. Although the previous two books will probably appeal to a limited audience, the third book will appeal to anyone interested in film - especially New Zealand film. 'Thirty Years of New Zealand Film - A Coming of Age', by Duncan Petrie and Duncan Stuart presents 30 feature films released between 1977 and 2007. It is loaded with illustrations and even includes a dvd of 25 trailers.
A new source for online purchasing of New Zealand feature films, and documentaries, on dvds is Screenline. They are adding titles weekly and now have over 100 currently available. Most of these are PAL zone 4, so most stand-alone machines in the U.S. are not going to be able to play them. However, with an appropriate shareware program installed, PAL zone 4 will play on computer dvd players or writers.
Screenline is also taking pre-orders on eight titles that will be released 14 January, 2009. Included within the eight are three that have never before been available on dvd - 'Angel Mine', 'Ngati' and 'Sylvia'. All will eight be coded PAL all zones. All eight will be selling for $20nz each. More later on this great programme from the New Zealand Film Commission in which, during 2009, they will be releasing 60 titles to dvd, all to be PAL all zone and selling for $20nz, many for the first time.

17 November 2008 - Thought you might like knowing that 'Second-Hand Wedding' now has a page, with links to reviews and a video Interview of actors Geraldine Brophy and Holly Shanahan. I have confirmed that the previously mentioned dvds that are being released 14 January are going to be PAL all zones. This means that many folks in the U.S. will only be able to play them on their computer dvd player, since most stand-alone dvd players, sold in the states, will only play ntsc discs. If you like New Zealand and Australian movies, get yourself an all zone/zone free ntsc/pal dvd player. You can get a reliable one for about $100us, although you will pay more when extra features and proven high reliability is included. BTW, I have learned that 'Angel Mine' will also be among the dvd titles becoming available 14 January, 2009.

8 November 2008 - The following dvd titles are scheduled for release to purchase, in New Zealand, on 14 January, 2009. Constance - this is a new issue, not the one from Spain. Desperate Remedies - this is a new issue from the master. Mr. Wrong - this is a new issue with some extras. Ngati - this one has never before been available on dvd. Sylvia - another one that is coming to dvd for the first time. All of these are scheduled to sell for $20nz. I have yet to confirm what region coding will be used. More on all this as soon as can be reported. This is the beginning of many new releases to dvd, coming during 2009, from the archives of the New Zealand Film Commission.
Used VHS Special - Buy one title and get your choice of a second, of equal or lesser cost, free. Limited to the tapes I have on hand. Check out the selection at the VHS Sale page and let me know of any questions you might have by emailing me at the address indicated below. There are some good buys and you will only be charged the actual postal costs I have to pay.

25 October 2008 - I now have links to the trailers for Footrot Flats, Mr Wrong and Smash Palace. Even better, you can now view three original television promo clips of Bread and Roses. Best of all, you can now view, on-line, the complete Cinema of Unease. So, if you have never had an opportunity to see Sam Neill's excellent 1996 documentary on New Zealand cinema, you now can do so free on your computer screen. I also now have a link to the complete documentary, 'Good Taste made Bad Taste', which you can legally download free. Also a welcomed new source for NZ film and television information, including video trailers and interviews, can be found at NZ On Screen. Finally, a link to the trailer for Dean Spanley has been added to the Sneak Peek Trailers page; the general theatrical release will be during the year-end holidays and with a cast that includes, Peter O'Toole, Sam Neill, Jeremy Northam and Bryan Brown and a crew that includes director Toa Fraser, cinematographer Leon Narbey and composer Don McGlashan, I can hardly wait!

05 October 2008 - Updates have occured throughout, but especially at the sneak peek trailers page. Changes and additions have also occured at the main trailers page, including the addition of a video clip of the Beatles themed Secrets. If you are a fan of Came a Hot Friday, you might like knowing that I have a few original new DVD copies of the movie for sale. Check the film's page for details. By the end of this month, information should be up about the dvd of Second Hand Wedding. Meanwhile you can learn about the film at its official website and view its trailer. DVDs of When Night Falls and The Last Magic Show were scheduled for release to sales last month, but there seems to be a problem. More on that here as soon as possible.

14 September 2008 - On 12 September, the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Craft Award Winners were annouced and 'Out of the Blue' was the big winner in the film catagory. However, awards were also picked up for 'A Song of Good', 'Eagle vs Shark', , 'Second-Hand Wedding', 'Rain of the Children', 'Perfect Creature' and 'Black Sheep'.

01 September 2008 - The Centre for New Zealand Studies, London, has a number of programmes scheduled from now through the end of the year. Nearly all are without charge, so those in the UK might want to look further into this. Films that will be featured over these months include: Sleeping Dogs, Leave All Fair, Early Days Yet, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Nature's Way, Middle Age Spread, Eating Sausage, Our Oldest Soldier, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, The King Boys and The Big Picture. Supporting a film masterclass with Bridget Armstrong will be extracts from her films, Among the Cinders, Came a Hot Friday, Jack Be Nimble and Desperate Remedies. There also will be a film masterclass, 22 October, with John Barnett that is a limited seat special event. Mr Barnett has produced many television and film productions including, Whale Rider, Sione's Wedding, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, Footrot Flats, Middle Age Spread, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Jack Be Nimble, Jubilee and We're Here to Help. For further details on these and other events go to The Centre for New Zealand Studies website and in the middle of the page click on "Click here for current programme".

08 August 2008 - Information on two older titles have been added. Michael Firth's followup to 'Off the Edge', The Leading Edge has more ski action, plus Billy T. James. 'Should I be Good' is based upon the Mr. Asia drug scandal of the 1970's. I should point out that there is info on the soundtrack LP of 'The Leading Edge', including an mp3 sample from the LP. I do not yet have an exact date, but later this year there will be a dvd release of Gaylene Preston's 'Bread and Roses', which will include extras with a high quality transfer. Another new movie has been added to the Sneak Peek Trailers section - Anthony McCarten's comedy, 'Show of Hands' featuring Melanie Lynskey. Another item has been added to the misc. section: a listing of the all-time 20 top NZ films at the box office.

23 June 2008 - Note: I have received information concerning the NZ Film Retrospective occuring during the International Film Festival, Wroclaw, Poland - 17-27 July 2008. Those of you in Europe may want to consider attending. This is a rare event, containing dozens of feature films, documentaries, short films and at least 10 NZ filmmakers will be there, including: Vincent Ward, Roger Donaldson, Gaylene Preston, Christine Parker, Peter Wells, Oscar Kightley, Donogh Rees, David Blyth, Leon Narbey, and Rob Sarkies. The festival will include introductions to screenings, and a panel discussion on NZ film. Craig Potton will present a photographic display and there will be performances from Shonagh McCullough, Moana and the Tribe, Pitch Black, and Manaia. There will also be a Vincent Ward retrospective that includes two featurettes and all his feature films, plus the European premier of 'Rain of the Children'. Details about the festival and accommodations can be found at the Official Film Festival Website. The event is open to the public.

17 June 2008 - The Books Section has a new 300 page addition by Bruce Babington, 'A History Of The New Zealand Fiction Feature Film'. It attempts to provide insights to all the NZ feature films of the 20th century and all but the most recent in the 21st. It has an expansive bibliography and a very useful index. Hardback and Paperback versions are available from many NZ, US, UK and Canadian sources.
Recent correspondance from the New Zealand Film Commission gives me encouragement that many NZ feature films, that have never previously been on dvd, will become available on that format later this year. I will be able to report more on this in 2-3 months.

26 May 2008 - If you have not visited for a few months, you will find that most film title information has had an update. Thanks mainly to the New Zealand Film Archives, there are also additional links to trailers. The "Sneak Peek Trailers" page has also been updated and now includes links to trailers of: 'Apron Strings', 'Pictures Of You', 'Rain Of The Children', 'Second Hand Wedding', 'Song Of Good' and 'When Night Falls'.

10 May 2008 - An R1 ntsc version of The Tattooist will be released to the U.S. and Canada markets on 24 June 2008, selling for about $20us. It is presented 1.78:1 with 5.1dolby digital English soundtrack and there are subtitles for English, French and Spanish. Four featurettes are included: 'Behind the Tattoo Designs', 'Colors of The Tattooist', 'Real-Life Samoan Tattoo', 'Becoming a Chief' and an audio commentary track by Peter Burger and Jason Behr.
If you are interested in any of the following: '50 Ways of Saying Fabulous', 'Futile Attraction', 'Kid's World', 'The Vector File', 'The Waiting Place', you might want to check out the sale coming 11 June at ezydvd.com.au. They are taking pre-orders now for these PAL titles at very attractive prices.

06 May 2008 - Two more films have been added to the database: 'The Devil Dared Me To' and 'We're Here To Help'. Two respectable efforts in two very different genres. The former is a very wacky, black comedy concerning stunt racing and the latter a docudrama about a fairly recent New Zealand "David vs Goliath" event. I am going through and checking the links, as well as pricing info, for all titles - I am currently up to "S". As always, if you cannot find the answer from the info here, drop me an email and I will try to find the answer - and no, I do not know the meaning of life. Black Sheep is now available on Blu-Ray in the UK and selling for about 20# and will become available on Blu-Ray in New Zealand, starting 11 June, selling for $40nz. 'Magik and Rose' becomes available on dvd, in New Zealand, starting 16 May. Aro Video is pre-selling it for $25nz. New Trailers have been added, including rare ones such as 'Lincoln County Incident', 'Pictures' and 'Saving Grace'. Finally, a wonderful gift from Russel Walder - he has provided a sample audio clip of his oboe music for 'The Lunatics' Ball', together with the New Zealand Symphony.

12 March 2008 - Information is now available on The Tattooist. Various links are included, including one to a music video made from segments of the film with Don McGlashan singing 'I Will Not Let You Down'. It is interesting that the song was used in both 'The Tattooist' and 'Out of the Blue'. Soundtrack fans should be interested in a composer produced cd that will be coming out next month, initially through this website. John Charles has put together a suite from his original music for 'Spooked' and coupled it with a selection of his music from 'The Perfectionist'. This will be a very small run and I would recommend sending an email to indicate interest. A sample of the 'Spooked' music can be downloaded from the soundtrack samples page.

24 February 2008 - All info on soundtrack CDs has been updated, including the addition of track lists and times for all titles. Check back in a week when info on 'The Tattooist' should be up for inspection. I regret to report that two deaths have occurred this month. Dorothy McKegg, who is better known for her live theatre work, but film goers will remember her for roles such as Aunt Dolly in Footrot Flats and Aunty Bird in Carry Me Back. Additionally, director Barry Barclay died on the 18th of a stroke. His pioneering work with Ngati, Te Rua and numerous documentaries have given all of us insights into the world of Maori. His most recent film focused on the Moriori people of Rekohu (the Chatham Islands) in a drama-documentary called The Feathers of Peace.

11 January 2008 - Information on Eagle vs Shark is now available including reviews and interviews. A new section, Directors, has been added that provides a cross-link from each director of New Zealand feature films to their respective film titles. No bio or other personal details on these directors is yet included.

27 December 2007 - Many additions and upgrades completed. Pages have been uploaded for the movies Down by the Riverside, Five and the soundtrack cd of Her Majesty. Since the following older titles are now available on dvd, film clips have been added for: Chicken, Iris, Memory & Desire, Ruby & Rata, Scarecrow, and Solo. Finally, I thought you might like knowing that I now have a link to a video clip from Off the Edge, the award winning 1977 documentary, with John Hanlon singing his composition, 'Higher Trails' while you watch hang-gliding the Southern Alps.

18 December 2007 - It is going to happen - The Hobbit will be made as two films, with one being released in 2010 and the other 2011. NEW LINE and MGM to coproduce and share worldwide distribution rights. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh to be the executive producers. No details yet about who is directing or filling any specific roles. For details about the annoucement go to TheOneRing.net.

16 December 2007 - This is probably more of interest to folks in New Zealand, but it can be ordered for shipment anywhere. Real Groovy, with stores in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, is selling a specially packaged set of dvds they are calling the New Zealand Collection. It contains 'Goodbye Pork Pie', 'Once Were Warriors', 'The Piano', 'Sleeping Dogs', 'Smash Palace' and 'The World's Fastest Indian' with a selling price of $65nz and includes gst and shipping to any NZ address. These are R4 pal discs, so if you are not in NZ, be sure you know you can properly play such.

06 December 2007 - I have found a source for dvds of the 1990 comedy, User Friendly. Eagle vs Shark will have its dvd release in North America 08 January 2008, which means that the usual sources are now taking advance orders. The results of the Victoria Kelly poll is now up on the front page and a new poll is up concerning Rena Owen.

26 November 2007 - Many additions and upgrading over the past two weeks. More soundtrack samples have included Battletruck, Men Shouldn't Sing, Ruby & Rata, Scarecrow and Solo. A new page has been added containing information about early soundtrack vinyl LPs, which might appeal to collectors. Video clips have also been added to the trailer page for Chicken, Iris, Ruby & Rata, The Scarecrow and Solo, all of which are now available on dvd. Finally, a new addition to the books page is now up for your information - Ian Conrich's 'New Zealand Filmmakers'. Some additions to my vhs sales page have added some rare titles.

12 November 2007 - I have just uploaded information about an odd but wonderful labour of love called 'Men Shouldn't Sing'. Those who can make it to Christchurch 2 December, could attend the premiere screening. For those that cannot attend the premiere, you will find links to soundtrack samples and trailer from the above link. Information on the mockumentary, The Waimate Conspiracy has been added to the database. More trailers and soundtrack samples have been added with some of the latest being: '30 Days of Night' soundtrack; 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' soundtrack and trailer; 'Chill Factor' soundtrack and trailer and the soundtrack of 'Strata'. Click here for direct access to the soundtrack samples page. Glimpse into the past - 'Don't Let It Get You - New Zealand's First Music Feature (but not a "Musical") - note the featured singers.

29 October 2007 - Information on two new soundtrack cds, 'Down by the Riverside' and 'The Devil Dared Me To', is now available for viewing, including sample audio clips. In the next few weeks, there will information added on the movie, 'The Waimate Conspiracy' and the soundtrack cd of '30 Days of Night'. Soon an excellent new book by Ian Conrick, 'New Zealand Filmmakers' will be reviewed and details about where to obtain a copy with comparative pricing, will become available. Also with a little luck, there should be some rare sample soundtrack clips, from original vinyl LPs soundtracks of 'Battletruck', 'Solo' and 'Strata available for listening, in addition to over a hundred other clips from New Zealand feature films already available for downloading. Some sellers have begun taking orders for the soundtrack cd of James Newton Howard's , 'The Water Horse', which is being released 04 December 2007; it's trailer can be accessed at the "Sneak Peek" trailers page. A new poll is being taken, this time concerning the soundtrack compositions by Victoria Kelly. Some ten years ago, Victoria Kelly went to the University of Southern California to study film composition. This resulted in her gaining the guidance of Elmer Bernstein, Leonard Rosenman and Christopher Young. Since then, she has eight New Zealand feature film scores to her credit: Black Sheep, Fracture, Heaven, The Irrefutable Truth About Demons, The Locals, Out of the Blue, Toy Love and The Ugly. Listen to samples of all these scores and then vote for your favourite.

16 October 2007 - The late '80s NZ/US co-production, Chill Factor is now available on dvd, but under the name of 'The Lost Samurai'. More details will be forthcoming about the dvd, but in the meanwhile a trailer has been added for your inspection. Many upgrades have been completed at the soundtrack samples page and now all mp3 clips are 128 kbps. Trailers to 'Five' and 'We're Here to Help' have been added to the "Sneak Peek Trailers" page.Information on soundtrack CDs to 'Down By the Riverside' and 'The Devil Dared Me To' will be added by the end of this month, as well as information on a great new book about New Zealand Filmmakers.

08 September 2007 - In addition to more soundtrack sample clips being added, information on two more films has been added: the terror genre, 'The Ferryman' and the odd comedy,'Quiet Night In'. The 1980 docudrama of the 1970 "Crew" murders, 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' is being re-issued on dvd starting 23 October. 'In My Father's Den' will be available on dvd in North America beginning 6 November, selling for $14-20us. There is a new poll now on the Front Page about the soundtrack scores of John Charles and if you need to refresh your memory about them, check out the audio clips on the Soundtrack Samples Page.

25 August 2007 - Information is now up on Black Sheep, a tip of the hat towards 'Bad Taste'. More trailers/video clips have been added as well as more soundtrack clips. I think I can safely say that no site has more New Zealand film trailers and video clips as well as sample tracks from the soundtracks, than this one. Please let me know if you have any problems in downloading or viewing any of the mp3 or divx segments.

15 August 2007 - Hot Target is again available on dvd and the video and audio quality is very good. So far, it would appear that it is being sold only through U.S. and Canadian retailers. I have put up a couple of clips to give you an idea about the improved quality.

09 August 2007 - Information covering the rare soundtrack cd of the 1990 comedy, User Friendly is now available for viewing, along with a sample clip to download. The results of the Bruno Lawrence poll is now available on the Index Page. While you are checking that out, you are welcome to participate in the new poll on Ian Mune.
Links to Ebert/Roeper/Siskel video reviews of New Zealand titles are now available for viewing within the reviews sections of: An Angel At My Table, Broken English, The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures, King Kong, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the King, Once Were Warriors, The Piano, Whale Rider, The World's Fastest Indian. Enjoy!

29 July 2007 - Some thirty titles, with a smaller alternate trailer or video clip, have been uploaded and now available for viewing. They average 5megs and should be optimized for handheld devices. Please let me know what you think, especially if you have problems with them. The direct access address for the trailers and clips is: trailers.html
Re-issued dvds of An Angel at my Table, The Navigator and Vigil will become available from New Zealand sellers for about $20nz each, beginning 12 September. Pre-orders are being taken now.

24 July 2007 - Information covering the new soundtrack cd of Eagle vs Shark is now available in the soundtracks section, including a link to sample downloads of the tracks, but currently the only sources for purchase are in New Zealand.

19 July 2007 - Since the dvd of Perfect Creature is now available in the U.S. and Canada, you will now find a page for that title in the database. There is also access to a new, improved, trailer for Perfect Creatures. Black Sheep will be available for purchase, in New Zealand, 22 August and in the U.S. and Canada, 9 October. The Ferryman is scheduled for dvd release, in the U.S. and Canada, 25 September,. 2007. It is scheduled for a UK dvd release of 3 September and a German release of 22 October.

07 July 2007 - Information on the first New Zealand HD and BluRay discs;The World's Fastest Indian, The Frighteners,and King Kong is now available. No, there still is no reliable info on The Lord of the Rings finding its way to HD or BluRay. In addition to other small additions, you will now find information on films that were put on the original laserdiscs, including one special find - Starlight Hotel and I have located someone who will put a copy on dvd-r, if you are interested.

06 July 2007 - Information, including reviews, on 'Out of the Blue' is now available for viewing. Also, with the addition of '30 Days of Night', 'Down By the Riverside', 'The Last Magic Show' and 'The Waimate Conspiracy', there now are 13 trailers to check out in the Sneak Peek Trailers section. FWIW, this is the 6th anniversary of this website. More significantly, my great granddaughter was born in Wellington today to Katie and David Ostler. Welcome Samantha.

01 July 2007 - The results of the Peter Jackson poll is now available on the Index Page.
While you are checking that out, you are welcome to participate in the new poll on Bruno Lawrence.

26 June 2007 - GREAT NEWS - The Silent One is now available on dvd. If you have never had an opportunity to see this family film, that was photographed in the Cook Islands, you will also find that a link to a divx video clip download has also been added. Also you might want to check out the latest additions to the Sneak Peek Trailers page which now includes 'The Tattooist' and 'The Water Horse'.

15 June 2007 - The balance of the used vhs movies, listed at the VHS Sale page are going for $2.50 or $5us. There are 45 titles represented, but there is only one copy of most and since many are hard to find, you might want to look over the list.

14 June 2007 - More trailers and clips have been added. Including the nine within the "Sneak Peek" section, the total is 126. The latest include: Christmas, Constance, Dangerous Orphans, Death Warmed Up, Desperate Remedies, Jack Brown Genius, Lost Valley, The Returning, Second Time Lucky, Sleeping Dogs, Spooked, This is not a Love Story, Tyrannical Love, Via Satellite, The Waiting Place, Wild Blue, Wild Horses.
A trailer link to The Tattooist has been added to the links at the Sneak Peek page. The world premiere of The Tattooist is scheduled in Auckland on 29 August. It will then beginning general New Zealand release the following day. Further details on The Tattooist can be obtained at the official website.

2 June 2007 - Many more trailers or video clips have been added recently and with the latest addition the count is now up to 104, plus links to eight new films that are either now showing in theatres, or will soon. They include: Alex, Bad Blood, Exposure, For Good, Grasscutter, Heart of the Stag, Jack Brown Genius, Kombi Nation, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Mr Wrong, Race for the Yankee Zephyr, The Seekers, Shaker Run and Toy Love.

17 May 2007 - Information, including a sample clip link, on the soundtrack cd of 'River Queen' is now up for your enjoyment. Currently this cd is not widely available outside of the UK, however it can be ordered from Amazon. I have not yet located any retailers in New Zealand or Australia. Aro Video in Wellington is having a limited time sale on dvds of Whale Rider and No. 2 this month, but you would need to have a machine that can play R4 pal discs. They are also taking advance orders for 'Out of the Blue'. Click on the following to view the Out of the Blue Trailer. It will not be available for purchase until 7 July and only on R4 PAL.

8 May 2007 - Check out our new Poll on the Index page. No personal details are taken and no prizes - just a slight diversion for fun. Email me if you have some subject idea for a future relevant poll. Enjoy.

2 May 2007 - I regret to inform you that Brad McGann, at age 43, the director who gained worldwide acclaim for In My Father's Den, has succumbed in his 10 year battle against bowel cancer. A December 2005 fundraiser, supported by many in the film industry, raised $60,000 to help pay for Avastin treatment, which costs about $5,000us per month and did provide him with over a year of additional quality time. It is truly sad to lose such a fine talent and one who would have been able to provide us with many more wonderful film experiences.

13 April 2007 - Information on one more title has been added, Offensive Behaviour, which will become available for purchase, in New Zealand, late May 2007. A new section has been added, Sneak Peek Trailers which contains links to trailers of films currently in theatrical release, but not available on dvd until later this year. Currently it includes: Black Sheep, The Devil Dared Me To, Eagle and Shark, The Ferryman, Maori Merchant of Venice, Out Of The Blue, Perfect Creature, Quiet Night In.

Actor, Casting Director, Producer, Director and teacher Don Selwyn has died. His presence in films during the '70s and '80s, such as Sleeping Dogs, The Lost Tribe, and Came A Hot Friday led the way for the many Maori actors that followed him. As the director and executive producer of the excellent 'The Maori Merchant of Venice' he provided us a unique contribution which hopefully will find its way to dvd soon so that a wider, world-wide, audience will have an opportunity to experience this special production. For further details, go to: Veteran filmmaker Don Selwyn dies.

26 March 2007 - Two more feature films have been added to the database: Event 16, New Zealand's second science fiction feature film, and Ozzie, a children's film that, although was released in 2001, only recently found its way to dvd.

23 March 2007 - Aro Video in Wellington is having numerous specials, commemorating the 10th Anniversary of their website. Included in the specials are a few New Zealand titles. The following are selling for only $10nz each: Tongan Ninja, Snakeskin, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Utu and the 2-disc offering of Goodbye Pork Pie. Additionally, until the end of March, they are offering the following special pricing: River Queen - $24.95nz and Footrot Flats - $19.95nz. There are limited quantities at these prices.

16 March 2007 - Numerous updates have been completed, including the addition of trailers and clips. This month, trailers for the following have been added: 'Chunuk Bair', 'Forgotten Silver', 'Loaded', 'No One Can Hear You', 'No. 2', 'Savage Honeymoon', 'Scarfies', 'Tongan Ninja' and 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?' With these additions, the New Zealand trailer/clips and links, on-line collection, is probably the largest anywhere - now representing 83 feature films.

23 February 2007 - Information on the Fijian-New Zealander hit feature film, No. 2 is now available for viewing. Unfortunately it is only available on dvd and, currently, only available from New Zealand sources. It will become available in Australia 14 March. Currently no information about when it will become available in other countries or on other than R4 PAL discs. An R1 NTSC dvd is scheduled to be released 20 March, 2007, by Olive Films, of 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous and Woodenhead. Also a link to the official trailer of 'Desperate Remedies' has been added for your enjoyment.

19 February 2007 - Links to an informative three part video series from TVNZ, concerning Polynesians and film, has been added to the Misc. Section. Additional trailers and film clip links have been added that should help in providing an insight to the respective title's story. This includes, but not limited to, An Angel at my Table, Fracture, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Kombi Nation and Once Were Warriors.

29 January 2007 - Information on Stewart Main's recent feature film, 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous is now available for viewing. Unfortunately the dvd is currently only available in Australia and New Zealand. It is still making the rounds in the art theatres of North America and Europe, so it will be later this year before the dvd shows up in those areas.

02 January 2007 - The Fijian-New Zealand film, 'No. 2' will have its dvd release in NZ 1 February and 14 March in Australia. It is suppose to start a limited U.S. theatrical release in February, under the title of "Naming Number Two' - apparantly the distributor was not brave enough to use its original title:)

29 December 2006 - The much awaited authorized Peter Jackson biography is now out and information has been added to the books section of the database. Additionally, vastly improved information about where to buy all listed books and comparison pricing in North America and Europe has been added.

NOTICE - December 2006 - Until further notice, balance of sale vhs movies at VhsSale.html are two, of equal value, for the price of one.

3 December 2006 - 17 January 2007 has been confirmed as the R4 dvd sales release date in Australia for 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous. Various online sales dealers are taking advance orders, with the lowest price seeming to be offered by ezydvd.com.au, with their website listing the many special features that are included on the disc. In the U.S., Olive Films is taking advance orders for R1 versions, which will be released 20 March 2007.

23 November 2006 - More than 45,000 people have signed an ONLINE PETITION demanding Peter Jackson be reinstated to film Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit after he was dumped by movie studio New Line Cinema earlier this week. Click on the link above to add your name to the petition. If you wish further information about all of this, go to the Let The Hobbit Happen, website.

17 November 2006 - Information on Ian Brodie's latest book, 'A Journey through New Zealand Film' is now available in the books section. Ian is known for his lauded Lord of the Rings location guidebooks and this new adventure through New Zealand, with feature film locations as the guide, will be also well received by lovers of New Zealand and the films that have introduced it to so many worldwide. Special notice for New Zealanders: check out the drawing that Ian's publisher, Harper Collins is having. Between now and 25 February 2007, they are having a drawing to win one of five DVDs of, Footrot Flats, Whale Rider, Lord of the Rings-Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of the Rings-The Two Towers and Lord of the Rings-Return of the King. Terms and Conditions of the competition are listed at the Harper Collins website. Special note to those outside of Australia and New Zealand - these discs will be PAL R4.

14 November 2006 - Information is now available on Fiji's first feature film, The Land Has Eyes. This Fijian/NZ co-production is in the Rotuma language, with English subtitles, although some English is also spoken. A very worthy effort by a native Rotuman and deserves the praise it has received. Today is the release date for the dvd extended edition version of King Kong. In addition to an additional 13 minutes, it also contains commentary tracks and many other extras within the 3-disc set. This is also the release date of the High Definition DVD of the theatrical version of King Kong. That makes it the first New Zealand HD DVD. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy should be coming out on HD within a couple of months.

20 October 2006 - Aro Video in Wellington, who has the largest selection of New Zealand titles for sale, is currently conducting their Kiwiana Film Sale. Significant savings can be found on such titles as: The World's Fastest Indian, In My Father's Den, The Piano, Goodbye Pork Pie, Footrot Flats, Sleeping Dogs/Smash Palace double-pack and many others, including documentaries, most for less than $20nz. Click here for the complete list of over 200 titles.

20 September 2006 - Sorry about the drought with notices - had some house repairs that had to get done. However, there now is info on Vincent Ward's latest,River Queen and the Samoan comedy, Sione's Wedding. Both are worth viewing, but currently only available in New Zealand. Information on the 14 November 2006 release of the extended, 3-disc, edition of King Kong is now available. Preston-Laing Productions has scored a first, at least in NZ, by putting Gaylene Preston's 1985 thriller, Mr. Wrong, on disc, by making it available as a PAL DVD-R. Here's hoping that other producers see the value in making their small market films available via the much less expensive route of DVD-R dubs.

22 July 2006 - Another issuence of Lord of the Rings is coming 29 August, according to New Line Cinema. There will be three "Limited Edition" sets, one for each movie. Each of the two-disc sets will include both the original theatrical and the extended versions of the film, along with a feature-length documentary on each film's creation, by Costa Botes. With the exception of the documentaries, there is no new material. The extended edition version is accomplished through seamless branching. OnFilm has an article in its July 2006 issue on this and some background on Costa Botes' problems with the documentaries.
On 14 November 2006, Universal is releasing the Extended Edition version of King Kong. It will be a three-disc set which will include 13 additional minutes, plus 40 minutes of deleted scenes, introductions by Peter Jackson, feature commentary tracks with Peter and Philippa Boyens, numerous featurettes, concept art galleries, outtakes, gag reels, trailers, pre-viz animatics, motion-capture/Animation comparisons and more. There will also be a giftset version that will contain a King Kong figurine.

17 July 2006 - New Zealand TV2 is having an Internet wide drawing for dvd copies of Flight of the Albatross. However the closing date is 3 August, 2006 (NZ time). Information is now up on the digital psychological drama Luella Miller. Sione's Wedding will, legally, find its way to dvd in New Zealand on 23 August - advance orders are now being taken at Aro Video in Wellington.

9 July 2006 - Flight of the Albatross is now available on dvd from Aro Video in Wellington. This is the first New Zealand feature film on dvd that has optional English or Maori soundtracks. A very watchable film, and the only one, so far, to have be shot on beautiful Great Barrier Island. New Zealand TV2 is having an Internet wide drawing for dvd copies of the film. Up to date information on the recently released to dvd versions of 'Nate and Hayes' as well as 'The Quiet Earth' has been added to their respective pages. Vincent Ward's latest, 'River Queen', will have its New Zealand dvd release 17 August 2006. Aro Video in Wellington is taking advance orders.

20 June 2006 - Information on the great new Roger Donaldson film, The World's Fastest Indian has now been added to the database. If you haven't seen this one, get your hands on the dvd for a real treat. A page of Trailer Links has been added. This should be helpful for those who's main interest is in seeing trailers. So far, trailers for 53 titles are listed and more will be added gradually.

25 May 2006 - A great deal of code cleanup and deletion or correction of links. More trailers or film clips have been found, so new links have been added to specific title pages - over 50 such now linked. Major review additions - literally hundreds have been added, especially for the older titles. I have also been adding the quirky reviews from Four Word Film Reviews. For those unfamiliar, FWFR consists of viewer submissions of film reviews consisting of only four words. Check it out and submit some of your own - there still are many New Zealand films that have not yet been so favoured, and be sure to let me know you have done so and I will add yours to the growing number. Flight of the Albatross will be released on dvd, in New Zealand, 15 June. More on this next month.

15 May 2006 - Information on Peter Jackson's King Kong has been added to the database. Information on the soundtrack cd of the new hit, Sione's Wedding, is also now available. Additional information on the forthcoming dvd extras of The World's Fastest Indian includes: director Roger Donaldson's 1971 documentary 'Offerings to the God of Speed' with historical footage of Burt Munro; Featurettes, Southland: Burt's Hometown of Invercargill and The making of 'The World's Fastest Indian'; also feature commentary with Roger Donaldson and deleted scenes. Although "Indian" is currently available in New Zealand as a rental, it will not be available for purchase until June 26. The dvd is still scheduled for release in the U.S on 13 June.

28 April 2006 - Three low-budget films, now on DVD, have been added to the database: Futile Attraction, Memories of Tomorrow and Tyrannical Love. I have been able to locate legitimate DVDs of Heart of the Stag and The Returning. They are difficult to locate and best success would probably be via ebay.
I am happy to announce that The Quiet Earth and The World's Fastest Indian will make their way to R1 NTSC DVD on June 13. Quiet Earth will be widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 and contain a dolby digital 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include the theatrical trailer and audio commentary by the producer, Sam Pillsbury. It will also contain an eight page booklet of further details. The "Indian" website contains trailers and other information.
On June 20 Nate and Hayes (ne: Savage Islands) comes to R1 NTSC DVD. This Paramount release will be in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen and dolby digital 5.1, 2.0 with subtitles and an optional French mono track.

04 March 2006 - Information and link to sample downloads is now available on the Sundance award winning movie, ' No. 2'. Further information on King Kong DVD release dates: Germany on April 4 with pricing of the 2-disc version at about 22eur; New Zealand on April 12 with the 2-disc set selling for about $40nz. Given that the 2-disc set is priced at only about $5 more than the single disc version, I can see what Universal wants people to buy.

26 February 2006 - I regret to report that the well known and respected actor, Wi Kuki Kaa, has died. His roles in features such as Utu, Ngati, Te Rua, Kingpin, The Bounty and most recently, River Queen, have given us an extra measure of pleasure that will sincerely be missed. Further details may be found within articles in the NZ Herald and TVNZ .

13 February 2006 - Although, as of this date, there still is no public information from Universal, it would appear that Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' is being released on different dates in different markets. Amazon(us) and Amazon(ca) are indicating a 28 March release date. There still is no reliable details as to "extras" content. Hopefully we will know before April:)

9 February 2006 - Peter Jackson's King Kong is being advertised by cduniverse and moviegoldmine with a DVD release date of 28 Marchand selling for about $21us ($30 list). In the UK, sendit is saying that it will be available 10 April, selling for 14# (25# List). In Australia, ezydvd says that they will begin deliveries 11 April with a selling price of $30au, although they have a special package offer that also includes the production diaries and all packaged in a special tin, with a selling price of $32au. This initial "Special Edition" package will be a 2-disc set which includes a documentary about the plight of gorillas. There is yet nothing public coming from Universal.

28 January 2006 - Information on the soundtrack CD of 'The World's Fastest Indian' is now available for viewing. This film should find its way to dvd this coming April-May. Additionally most site pages have been updated with, hopefullly, corrected links and current pricing.

06 January 2006 - The soundtrack CD of 'The World's Fastest Indian' will be released in the U.S. 24 January. The J. Peter Robinson composed film is starting its major U.S. theatrical run after a outstanding New Zealand premier run. The CD is a Milan distribution and advance orders can be placed at Amazon, among others. Further details will be provided later this month.
Early information, not verified by official sources, says that Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' will find its way to dvd 15 June, 2006. No details as yet.

03 January 2006 - In going through this website's 2005 stats, I thought you might find it interesting to learn which New Zealand film titles received the greater amount of interest. Twenty titles had 500 or more visitors (the first five, over 1000). They are:
Lord of the Rings - Return of the King
Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring
Footrot Flats
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
The Frighteners
The Quiet Earth
Braindead
Once Were Warriors
Goodbye Pork Pie
The Piano
The Locals
Shrimp on the Barbie
Heavenly Creatures
Crooked Earth
In My Father's Den
Battletruck
Tongan Ninja
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey
Smash Palace
 Likewise I found that there were some ten soundtrack related pages that had 500+ visitors during 2005. The first six had over 1000. They are:
The Piano
Once Were Warriors
Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
Footrot Flats
Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers
The Frighteners
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
The Quiet Earth
Heavenly Creatures

31 December 2005 - Information, including review links, on the high quality photo locations book, 'White Cloud - Silver Screen' is now available for viewing. Additionally, details on the recent R4 release of the 'Goodbye Pork Pie', two-disc "Collector's Edition/Director's Cut" is available. In addition to being digitally remastered 16 x 9 enhanced with 5.1 surround, it includes 2 hours of extras, mostly involving recent cast and crew interviews.

15 December 2005 - Information concerning the just released book, The Making of King Kong,is now available including ordering sources and some reviews.

13 December 2005 - Information concerning the soundtrack of King Kong is now available, with links to reviews, pricing and track downloads included.

11 December 2005 - As of 13 December, 2005, a 3-cd + dvd-audio soundtrack set, of the complete Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition, is available. It is a 180+ minute, 3-disc set in 2.0 or 5.1 surround that also includes an audio DVD of the score in PPCM 2.0 or PPCM 5.1 uncompressed audio. Additionally it includes a 45 page booklet with liner notes. Complete soundtrack sets of The Two Towers and Return of the King will also be released at some, as yet, unannounced dates. For review and details, go to Soundtrack Net.

23 November 2005 - A re-mastered R2-PAL DVD of New Zealand's first colour feature, The Seekers, is now available with original English soundtrack, plus optional Spanish soundtrack and optional Spanish subtitles. It is in the original 1.33:1 format, with 2.0 sound. The transfer is excellent - far better than the vhs version, so if you can play R2 discs, it is clearly the way to go.

22 November 2005 - I am thinning out my stock of New Zealand VHS titles. Some 70 different titles are being offered at very reasonable prices - $5 or $10. Some are rare and most of them are NTSC. For further details, check out the list at VhsSale.html

21 November 2005 - A sad bit of news. Brad McGann, director of 'In My Father's Den', has been reported having inoperable cancer, which he has been fighting for the past nine years. His medical expenses are growing and one helpful drug, Avastin, is not covered by his insurance. Avastin costs about $5,000us per month. A fundraiser, including an auction of many one-of-a-kind NZ film items is being held, 5 December, at Sky City Theatre, Auckland. Some details about the event can be found at: Sharon's Charities.

18 November 2005 - It would appear that the Soundtrack CD of 'King Kong' will be released 13 December, 2005, according to the info at the producer's (Decca) site and, as to be expected, Amazon is taking advance orders. Given that the current composer, James Newton Howard, has been working on it for less than two months, I wouldn't be surprised if the CD has a delayed release. 'King Kong' related books are starting to show up, with 'The Making of King Kong: The Journey behind the Magic' being released the same day as the soundtrack CD.

16 November 2005 - Universal has scheduled a North American R1 NTSC double-sided, single disc "Director's Cut" of The Frighteners with release on 29 Nov. 2005 for $20-25us; a 4-disc R2 German release of 1 December (20-22eur); a 3-disc R4 Australian release of 7 December ($35au) and a 3-disc R2 PAL UK release of 26 December (17#). It will be 13min. longer than currently available on DVD and audio will be dolby surround 5.1, dolby surround 2.0, and DTS 5.1. It will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The confusion over what exactly will be contained, has come from the info going around about the package being one-disc, two-disc, three-disc or four. It would seem that the R1 North American release will be a single disc that has the feature, with a 2minute intro by Jackson, on one side, along with an optional audio commentary by Jackson. The other side contains a 270+ minute "Making of" documentary that includes interviews with Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Dee Wallace Stone, Jake Busey, Chi McBride, John Astin and Jim Fyfe; a section (Ghost Stories) where Jackson and Fyfe share their personal close encounters with ghosts; bloopers and "lost footage" is included, as is a piece with Peter describing script development; a cast rehearsal; an introduction to WETA; a close-up look at miniature use; motion control and bluescreen effects; details on how they constructed wallpaperman, portraitman, slimeface, blobman, worm, the reaper; there is a 24 minute section on the music, with Danny Elfman and more. With the R2 and R4 versions, the 270+ minute documentary is split between discs 2 and 3. The German R2 is the same as the other R2s, except that there is a fourth disc in the package that contains the original theatrical 105 min. version feature in anamorphic 2.35:1 with English or French 5.1 surround or German 2.0 surround options. It also has subtitles for: English, French or German. The audio options on the Director's Cut offering (Disc 2), in addition to being in English, contains subtitle options of: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Arab, Bugarian, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finish, Hebrew, Islandic, Norweigen, Swedish, Rumanian, Slovac and Polish. I won't be surprised if I am surprised some more, when these issuings are released. Universal, I am not amused.

31 October 2005 - Happy 44th Peter Jackson. Well, you went and did it Peter - theatrical 'King Kong' is to be 180+ minutes and I lose my bet. Additionally, the anticipated initial DVD release will be a 2-disc set in April 2006. On 9 November the price of the 12-disc Extended Edition of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will be offered in Australia and New Zealand for about $100au or $100nz. The best price I have seen, so far, has beenMarbecks who is offering it for $85nz, including shipping within NZ.

25 October 2005 - New Zealand Post stamp information, including images, of Peter Jackson's King Kong, are now available for viewing. Each stamp has a watermark that, so far, I have been unable to appropriately scan, but maybe that was their point. Noticed at Amazon's page on the forthcoming 'Frighteners - Director's Cut' : "Special Offer: Inside this DVD is a coupon for up to $10.50 in movie cash to see Peter Jackson's new King Kong. Valid in US and Canada from 12/14/05-1/1/06. Offer available only while supplies last."

18 October 2005 - A "Collector's Edition" of Goodbye Pork Pie will have an R4 release 7 December. It is to be 16x9 enhanced and 5.1 surround plus, on a second disc, some 150 minutes of extras. Marbeck's seem to be the only place that is taking advance orders, so far. Universal is releasing, 13 December, "King Kong - Peter Jackson's Production Diaries" as a 2 disc gift set with 52 page "scapbook", etc. It would seem that only Universal and Amazon are taking advance orders, as yet. Kombi Nation will become available on R1 DVDs, from U.S. sources, January 31, 2006.

11 October 2005 - On October 19, New Zealand Post will be releasing five stamps with actors images from Peter Jackson's King Kong - including Kong, of course. In addition to the individual stamps, there will be sheets, miniature sheets, first day covers, pre-paid souvenir cards and special bubble bags and strong boxes. Details with images can be found at the New Zealand Post King Kong Stamps Site

29 September 2005 - Further details on the Footrot Flats DVD, being released November 9 2005, in Australia and New Zealand. It will be presented in enhanced 1.78:1 widescreen, with DTS and Dolby digital 5.1 sound. Extras currently include: Audio commentary by Murray Ball & Tom Scott; Interview with Dave Dobbyn; A "Making of" featurette; Music videos of - 'Slice Of Heaven' & 'Oughta Be Love', plus Photo Gallery.
Further clarity concerning the "Director's Cut" release of 'The Frighteners'. It will have an R1 NTSC North American release of 29 Nov. 2005, an R2 PAL UK release of 5 December and an R4 Australian release of December 7. It will be 13min. longer than currently available on DVD, and the audio will be upgraded from 2.1 surround to a dolby digital 5.1. It will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Extras will include an optional director's commentary track and a "making of" feature.
Lastly, it would seem that the periodic "production diary" videos that have been gradually available for downloading at the 'Kong is King' website, will be assembled as a 5+ hour 2-disc package, with a sell date of December 7, 2005 in Australia. More details on this later.

26 September 2005 - A "Collector's Edition" R4 DVD of 'The Piano' will be released, in Australia, 5 October and in New Zealand, 25 October. It will still be 116 minutes and 1.85 widescreen, but the sound has been upgraded to 5.1 surround and an English subtitlesoption is included. Extras include: commentary option by Jane Campion and Jan Chapman; 'Inside The Piano' featurette; and a Limited Edition booklet. Also on 5 October, an R4 "collectors edition" of 'Once Were Warriors' will be released in Australia that is perported to be from a restored print and contains the extras previously offered, plus a Tamahori short film, 'Thunderbox' and interviews with the cast.
The books section has had three additions: 'The Selling of New Zealand Movies', by Lindsay Shelton; 'Shadows on the Wall', by Barbara Cairns & Helen Martin and 'The Rough Guide to Lord Of The Rings'.

06 September 2005 - Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' will have its official world premiere, 15 December, in New York City. The New Zealand Premiere will be held in Wellington, 14 December. An article in the NZ Herald 'King Kong Glimpse', about the finished trailer, will give you some ideas, but to really understand, you will need to download the trailer itself.

25 August 2005 - Two more titles have found their way to DVD, Via Satellite and Bad Blood. And on 22 September, Broken English finally makes it to DVD; details will come later. However, all of these releases are only as R4 PAL.

24 August 2005 - I just received word that Footrot Flats the Dog's Tale animated movie will be released on DVD on November 9 '05 in 16x9 and 5.1 sound. Extras currently include: Interview with Murray Ball, Making of Feature, Film clip of Slice Of Heaven & Oughta Be Love and the P-Money remix of Slice Of Heaven plus Photo Gallery. I don't know any more than this now, but check back next month.

16 August 2005 - This will be the last month that the nzfilmsonsatellite section will be available. Interest in this information has always been low and never popular. After deducting the "tourists" (people from outside of North America), the listing of NZ movies, that are being shown on North American satellite or cable TV, has only been about one visitor per week. I will, instead, apply my time to more work on the forthcoming "People" section, which I know will have much more interest.

11 August 2005 - An R1 NTSC DVD of An Angel at my Table is scheduled for release 20 September 2005 from Criterion for about $30us. This is to be a new HD digital transfer supervised by the original photographer (Stuart Dryburgh) and approved by Jane Campion. There will be a new dolby digital 5.1 soundtrack option, in addition to the standard 2.0, and it is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic. It will also contain extras of: optional audio commentary featuring Jane Campion, Stuart Dryburgh and Kerry Fox; a 1982 audio interview with Janet Frame and a 40 page booklet featuring a film essay by critic Amy Taubin and excepts from Janet Frame's autobiography.
Universal has scheduled a new R1 NTSC "Director's Cut" of The Frighteners; release date of 29 Nov. 2005. It will be 13min. longer than currently available on DVD, and the audio will be upgraded from a 2.1 surround to a dolby digital 5.1. It will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. No word yet as to extras.

27 July 2005 - Information on the NZ disaster movie, 'Terror Peak', is now available for viewing.

26 July 2005 - Information on the new DVD release of Geoff Murphy's thriller, 'Spooked', is now available for viewing, including a link to a trailer.

25 July 2005 - The August edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Information on the soundtrack CD of Chicken is now available for viewing, including an mp3 sample.

23 July 2005 - During my weekly check of the Aro Video website, I looked through their DVD "Bargain Bin" and amongst the many fine titles - all selling for $19.95nz - are the following NZ movies: Fracture, Spooked, Christmas, For Good, Nemesis Game, Orphans & Angels, Tongan Ninja, No One Can Hear You, This Is Not A Love Story, The Vector File, The Waiting Place, Kids World, Scarfies, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Utu and Race For The Yankee Zephyr. These are either R0 or R4 PAL discs. If you do not know what that means, email me - especially if you live in the U.S., your player may not be compatible with these discs.

4 July 2005 - The roving New Zealand International Film Festivals are about to start their five month run, with venues in: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Hamilton, Levin, Masterton, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Tauranga, Wellington and Whangarei. Do yourself a favour and find time for an adventure in film by attending at least one evening at one of these showings. It is guaranteed to be the best thing that happens to you that day.

19 June 2005 - The July edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.

14 June 2005 - Information on two additional book titles have been added to the books section - 'Don't Let It Get You', by John O'Shea and 'Footrot Flats - The Making of the Movie' by Lesley Stevens.

13 June 2005 - From WYSIWYG News - 12 June 2005 - Copyright, Brian Harmer
Writers, actors, and sports stars feature in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours. One hundred and seventy-seven people are honoured today.
Amongst the honored was the author of the best-selling Lord of The Rings Location Guidebook, Ian Brodie who has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tourism. The Cromwell writer's guide to the sights where Peter Jackson filmed Lord of the Rings spent eight weeks at number one on the best-seller list. It has now sold around 250,000 copies. Ian Brodie says he is overwhelmed by being honoured for something which is such a passion. He says he will celebrate with a quiet beer at his local pub at Luggate.
A well-known face on television, stage and film, Michael Hurst, has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He has directed about forty plays, and had more than a hundred stage roles. He achieved international renown for his acting role in the television series Hercules, which he went on to direct, along with Xena Warrior Princess. Michael Hurst says he is thrilled to be receiving the award. He says it is an honour to be honoured.

09 June 2005 - More small additions and corrections, including pages from The Seekers (1953) Souvenir Programme and a reprinted 1995 article (jpg) from North & South magazine on the Rainbow Warrior.

29 May 2005 - I am pleased to announce that many corrections and updates have been made recently. They include eliminating or correcting bad links, the addition of previously unavailable audio samples, some new external links to trailers, pricing updates and new back links to their related film pages from all soundtrack pages. If you find any errors, please let me know - all help is warmly accepted.

24 May 2005 - The June edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Included are rare presentations of The Truth About Demons.

1 May 2005 - And another two films have been added: Christmas and In My Father's Den The possibility of a DVD version of Footrot Flats - sorry, it turned out to be an unauthorized copy that was unplayable. Hopefully it will happen someday.

26 April 2005 - Two more films have been added. Fracture and Her Majesty Two films well worth viewing, although both have had a difficult road to fruition, they will hopefully soon become available for more than just Australian and New Zealand viewers.

25 April 2005 - Two more films have been added. The Waiting Place and Woodenhead. The latter is clearly one of the most unique films you will see this year.

22 April 2005 - The May edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section, also note that STARZ East will be showing Lord of the Ring/Return of the King in High Definition on April 24 and 28. Also for those that might be interested, Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' will be represented by New Zealand Post issuing stamps featuring the film starting October 5, 2005; details coming later.

29 March 2005 - Sorry about the long spell without entries here, although there have been small unannouced upgrades during the past couple of months, such as the addition of some titles that are now available on DVD - Alex, Dangerous Orphans, Race for the Yankee Zephyr and Vigil. However I am finally getting some new titles included such as: For Good, Orphans & Angels, This Is Not A Love Story and Tongan Ninja. This coming month at least four more new titles will be added: Fracture, Her Majesty, The Waiting Place and Woodenhead. I may have some news about the availability of Footrot Flats on DVD, but I want to receive a copy (which is supposedly on its way) and check out the quality and source. More on that later.

25 November 2004 - The December edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Updated information on Lord Of The Rings - Return of the King now includes details regarding the Extended Editions version.

26 October 2004 - The November edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.

21 October 2004 - WIN A DVD OF KOMBI NATION. Send an email to competitions@arklesentertainment.com with Kombi November in the subject line and in the body of the email include the names of three of the stars of "Kombi Nation". Your email must be in the hat by November 24 which is shelf date for the retail of "Kombi Nation", a great DVD for Christmas! There are 5 copies of the DVD on offer to five winners drawn at random...be in to win!

25 September 2004 - The October edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.

28 August 2004 - The September edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. For those who can receive high definition Starz,Lord of the Rings/The Two Towers will be shown September 18 in theater quality.

28 July 2004 - The August edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Also samples of special re-issues of LOTR miniature sheet First Day Cover stamps, as a fundraiser for KIWIPLEX 2006, are now available for viewing.

13 July 2004 - Information about Harry Sinclair's 2002 film, Toy Love is now available for viewing. Additionally, information about the new stamps dedicated to 'New Zealand - Home of Middle Earth' are also now available.These stamps are now available for purchase from the New Zealand stamp philatelic bureau.

25 June 2004 - Great News - SLEEPING DOGS and SMASH PALACE are now available on R1 DVD. They are packaged together as a two disc set from Anchor Bay and has a number of extras such as commentaries by Donaldson and others, "Making of....." of both movies, bios, stills, etc. The movies are restored widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 and restored soundtracks with Dolby 5.1 surround. The DVD set sells for $20 - $30us from various sources, but be sure to search for it by the title: ROGER DONALDSON COLLECTION.

22 June 2004 - Information about PERFECT STRANGERS is now available for viewing, as well as the July schedule of NZ movies scheduled for viewing on satellite/cable channels at nzfilmsonsatellite.

19 June 2004 - Information about the soundtrack CD of Woodenhead is now available for viewing. Additionally, GOODBYE PORK PIE is now available in R0 PAL DVD from various UK sources. Also R4 PAL DVD copies of THE SINKING OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOR can now be purchased from various Australian sources.

16 June 2004 - Great news for those looking for CD copies of QUIET EARTH. The Composer is having a new run made of this popular CD and they should be available by July, 2004. He is also re-issuing the soundtrack CD of UTU. They will cost, the equiv. of, about $20us + shipping. If you want to be notified when they become available, send a note to info@nzvideos.org. Insert QUIET EARTH CD in the subject line, and you will be appropriately notified.

6 June 2004 - Information on Kombi Nation and The Locals is now available for viewing.

23 May 2004 - Information on Lord Of The Rings - Return of the King is now available for viewing.

16 April 2004 - Links to 49 U.S. State Film Commissions and Offices are now available from the United States Visitor Homeland Listing. It would seem that Massachusetts does not currently have such an office.

1 April 2004 - Information on the new biography of Peter Jackson and his movies is now available in the books section.

28 March 2004 - Three more titles have been added to the database:Undercover, The Vector File, Via Satellite.

27 March 2004 - Three older titles have been added to the database: Pallet On The Floor, Strata, Te Rua.

26 March 2004 - Three more titles have been added to the database: Kids World, Lost Valley and No One Can Hear You.

25 March 2004 - Two newer and two older titles have been added to the database: Cupid's Prey, Exposure, The Footstep Man and Iris.

24 March 2004 - The April edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Links to many country's film commissions are now available through the visitor countries section of this website. Please let me know of other (non U.S.) such sites that I need to add.

21 December 2003 - The December edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. There are 15 titles available for viewing, including the new thriller, Nemesis Game. Special note: The Golden Globe Awards will be aired on NBC, January 25. Return of the King has been nominated in the Best Drama Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Original Song catagories.

6 December 2003 - Info on another Scott Reynolds film - When Strangers Appear is now available for viewing.

23 November 2003 - The December edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Highlights include Whale Rider showings on Pay Per View and STARZ begins showing the 3hr. theatrical version of Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers. STARZ will also have some showings of the 3 1/2 hr. extended version of Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring. For those that might be interested in looking in on the crowds that will be gathering at the Wellington world premier of Lord of the Rings - Return of the King, a webcam has been set up and can be viewed at: LOTR Wellington Parade on December 1 (That will be the evening of November 30 for North and South America and early morning of the 1st for Europe). The stamp FDCs for LOTR/ROTK are now available for viewing in the Misc. Section. These stamps are now available for purchase from the New Zealand stamp philatelic bureau.

7 November 2003 - Information is now available on three new soundtrack CDs: Perfect Strangers, a href="localsCD.html">The Locals and Lord of the Rings-Return of the King.

24 October 2003 - The November edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Included is, the rarely seen on TV, Broken English, as well as the first North American TV showing of Stickmen. Details are now available, including a sample mp3 download, of the soundtrack CD to Peter Jackson's first film Bad Taste.The soundtrack CD of Lord of the Rings-Return of the King will be released 25 November - check here later for details.

10 October 2003 - Whale Rider details are now available for your perusal - unfortunately initially only as NTSC. PAL versions will be announced at a later date.

25 September 2003 - Whale Rider will be released on NTSC/VHS and R1 DVD-SE October 28. No word yet as to when it will be released on PAL or other region DVDs.

21 September 2003 - The October edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Included is Lord of the Rings-The Two Towers which will start showing on September 26 and continue throughtout October at Pay-Per-View. Melanie Lynskey and Dean O'Gorman fans will be glad to know that Snakeskin will be showing in October. Good News - soundtrack CDs of Heavenly Creatures, Braindead and Crooked Earth are now available direct from the Australian distributor at: http://www.mana.com.au/. New Zealand Post is now taking orders for official Lord of the Rings - Return of the King stamp products that will be shipped 5 November 2003.

9 September 2003 - Having received my copy of The Quiet Earth on DVD from Blackstar, I can now confirm that it is an R0 PAL version. It played fine on my converted JVC machine. It is a bare-bones disc with virtually no extras. I paid 5# + shipping.

29 August 2003 - Beginning September 2, Once Were Warriors will be available for purchase, on DVD, from U.S. sources. No longer will it be necessary to purchase this award winning title from Canadian sources, to obtain an R1 version. Warner Home Video is the U.S. distributor, and as of this date, no details about "special features". However, it could be expected that it would, at least, have what is found with the Canadian disc - A Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, Bios, Filmographies, Trailer, Stills Gallery, Scene selection, and presented in its original 1.85 dolby digital format and its full 105 min. length. Now the question is: When will the sequel - What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?- be available in North America on R1 DVD?

23 August 2003 - The September edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. It would seem that The Quiet Earth is now available on DVD. However there is some question about which zones - R2 or R0 - so I will report further on this soon, after I have received a copy (which is on its way). For the handfull of you who do not know - Lord of the Rings -The Two Towers will be available on DVD and VHS 26 August, in most markets.

10 August 2003 - A list of this website's visitor countries is now up for viewing. There still are a number of countries not represented, although I suspect that the site has had visitors that have not been recorded, due to domain names and other reasons. If I have left out your country, please email me about that and I will enter you in a drawing of a New Zealand stamp first day cover dedicated to NZ cinema. For those whos country is already listed, I will have another such drawing for those who send me the URLs of their country's film archive and/or film commission.

30 July 2003 - Information is now available on the hard-to-find HERCULES IN THE MAZE OF THE MINOTAUR, including info and a link to DVD details about this title as well as others in the Hercules series. A new section, DVD List, has been added, that is the beginning of a section that will gradually have more details regarding titles available on DVD.

26 July 2003 - The Two Towers page is now available with information related to videos and dvds, of that title, that will be released this coming August and November.

23 July 2003 - The August edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.

14 July 2003 - Upgraded information now available concerning the soundtrack CD of MEET THE FEEBLES, including an mp3 downloadable sample track.

9 July 2003 - Two NZ titles that you might not realize are now available on R1 DVD are: SECOND TIME LUCKY & SHAKER RUN. SHAKER RUN is buried within a dvd titled 'Wild Rides', that contains four movies of less than "A" classification.
Two films that will become available on R4 DVD are The Navigator, on 1 August, and RAIN , on 20 August.
As most will know, the theatrical version of 'Lord of the Rings-The Two Towers' will be available on DVD, starting 26 August. What you might not know is that SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE will also become available on R1 DVD that same day.
10 September is the scheduled release date for TONGAN NINJA on PAL video and R4 DVD.

4 July 2003 - Two more film titles have been added: SAVING GRACE, Costa Botes' first feature film, and LUNATICS' BALL, a very worthwhile first effort by Michael Thorp.

22 June 2003 - The July edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. U.S. National Public Radio has an audio report on the new hit movie, WHALE RIDER, which you can hear by clicking on the following link options for the download. Whale Rider Real Audio or Whale Rider Windows Media. It includes interviews with principal actors Keisha Castle Hughes, Rawiri Paratene and Cliff Curtis.

17 June 2003 - Two more titles added - Memory & Desire, director Niki Caro's ('Whale Rider') first feature film; and the 2000 comedy,Savage Honeymoon.

08 June 2003 - Details on four more titles are now available for viewing: Hopeless; Jubilee; Magik & Rose; Stickmen. Those interested in such details, the 2002 annual report from the New Zealand Film Commission is now available for pdf downloading.

22 May 2003 - Information is now available on SNAKESKIN, staring Melanie Lyskey. Although not yet available on video or dvd in North America, it will be able to be viewed on Showtime during June. In that regard, the June edition of NZ films showing on North American satellite and cable channels is now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.

11 May 2003 - Information is now available on FLIGHT OF THE ALBATROSS. Scarfies is now available in North America, under the aka of 'CRIME 101', and can be purchased in VHS/NTSC or DVD R1 from various sources.

25 April 2003 - The New Zealand Film Archive is currently presenting material commemorating GOODBYE PORK PIE, including a film clip. A seperate report has it that this 1981 film will become available on DVD later this year, but no details as yet.

22 April 2003 - May updates are now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Information is now available concerning CROOKED EARTH. This film, starring Temuera Morrison, had its world premier in 2001, but has yet to have a general release in North America, however that may change later this year. Video and DVD release dates have been announced for Lord of the Rings/The Two Towers: standard theatrical version - 26 August with advance sales starting 9 May; extended (40 min.added) version - 18 November with advance sales starting 20 June. A link to the forthcoming TWO TOWERS TV promotional video. BTW, the worldwide theatrical box office receipts for THE TWO TOWERS has reached us$900 million.

9 April 2003 - Information is now available on three comedies: SEND A GORILLA, RUBY AND RATA and Old Scores . Unfortunately they are only available on VHS-PAL at this time.

7 April 2003 - Information is now available concerning the WW1drama Chunuk Bair. Information on two more titles, 'Send a Gorilla' and 'Ruby & Rata', will be up for viewing in a couple of days. More titles to follow.

31 March 2003 - Universal Pictures has issued a press release stating that Peter Jackson will be re-making KING KONG starting next year, with an anticipated release date in 2005. Details from the New Zealand press can be found at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2371077a10,00.html.

28 March 2003 - Information on two addition films is now available: Illustrious Energy and Ngati. These two films from the '80s are now available on VHS-PAL from New Zealand sources. They are both unique in that they provide a glimpses of an aspect of New Zealand that is less known - early chinese residents and mid-20th century rural maori. Additionally, both contain excellent cinematography and soundtracks. 26 March 2003 - April updates are now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. Information is now available about LEAVE ALL FAIR. This 1985 little known film about Katherine Mansfield can now be purchased on PAL VHS. For those that might be interested - Lord of the Rings/The Two Towers has passed The Fellowship of the Rings in world-wide theatrical box office receipts, and has reached fifth highest position with $882us million.

24 March 2003- Information is now up for two more soundtrack CDs - Maori Merchant of Venice and Whale Rider. Both are recommended and sample clip links are provided. Information on videos and DVDs of Maori Merchant of Venice will be available soon, but no word yet as to when videos or DVDs will be available for Whale Rider. It is only now having its theatrical showing in New Zealand. It is scheduled to begin theatrical showings in the U.S. later this year.

22 February 2003 - March updates are now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section. BAFTA awards will be given out Sunday, 23 February. It is being aired live on BBC and BBC America. Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers has received nominations in 9 catagories, including best picture and best director. Worldwide theatrical box office receipts for The Two Towers has reached $780us million.

22 January 2003 - Information on the 2001 film RAIN, is now available. This film will become available, on R1 DVD, starting 13 February. It is available on VHS-PAL and will be on VHS-NTSC. No information about DVD for other zones as yet.

19 January 2003 - February updates are now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.



7 October 2002NTSC VHS and DVD versions of 'The Price of Milk' will be available for purchase in North America beginning 26 November. Warner Records has scheduled the release of 'The Two Towers' soundtrack CD for 9 December. Details on these releases will be posted soon.

19 September 2002Information is now available for another title - Jack Brown, Genius.This very hard to find film is available in PAL-VHS from Germany and also found on all-zone DVD from Hong Kong (with Chinese subtitle option).

21 August 2002 - Heavenly Creatures will be released Sept. 24 on DVD in the U.S. This will be in its original widescreen format and at the original 108 min length. No "extras" information available at this date. As confirmation of this release in other markets becomes available - that information will be posted here. September updates are now available in the nzfilmsonsatellite section.

18 August 2002 - Due to increased interest, I am considering selling new, factory sealed, soundtrack CDs of New Zealand related titles. Most of these CDs are hard to find - especially outside of New Zealand or Australia. The cost would be between $18 - $22 us, plus shipping. To give me an idea of actual interest, I would welcome emails, that would indicate which titles, be sent to me at: Mail to: info@nzvideos.org I am NOT asking for an order or commitment and I will not sell or otherwise use your name and email address. I will contact you when I am ready to supply the item, but you are under no obligation.

7 August 2002 Lord of the Rings-Fellowship of the Ring is now available on VCD from Eureka Movies. The 3 disc set is $9.97us plus shipping and is in English with Chinese and Malay subtitles. Early reports have dealers, worldwide, going crazy trying to keep up with the demand for videos or DVDs of the film.

23 July 2002 The August information of titles showing via Satellite and some cable systems, is now available in the
NZ Films on Satellite section. You can still catch 'The Piano' the end of July.
On 4 December, 2002, New Zealand Post will begin issuing stamp products commemorating 'The Two Towers' - the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Check back in September for details regarding this issuance. New Zealand Post will continue selling 'Fellowship of the Ring' items (depending upon stock), until 4 December, 2002.

19 July 2002 New information regarding Lord of the Rings/Fellowship of the Ring has been uploaded and includes further content details for both the August 6 release as well as the 12 November release. Those interested in the technical details of what is going on at Weta, and what equipment they are using, you might find the following article in "Digital Animators'(July 2002) interesting. Examples: Their central storage is being upgraded from 9TB to 20TB, and the offline storage is up to 45TB and growing.(BTW, 1TB is equal to 1,000,000 Megabytes)

24 June 2002 The July information of titles showing via Satellite and some cable systems, is now available in the:NZ Films on Satellite section. You can still catch 'Frighteners' or 'Sleeping Dogs' this week. Next month 'Braindead/Dead Alive' will be showing, as well as the fairly new 'Price of Milk', which is only now having limited theatrical showings in North America.

22 June 2002 For those interested in the Sept. DVD re-release of Heavenly Creatures, you might want to sign the petition regarding 16:9 widesceen and other details. It seems that Miramax will be issuing it in TV style pan & scan without extras. The website is: Heavenly Creatures Petition.

16 June 2002 For those who enjoy such things - I have discovered that in six countries, LOTR-FOTR box office sales, as of early June, have exceeded, expressed in U.S. dollar amounts, the population of those countries. They are as follows:
Australia - $23,923,000 from a population of 19,390,000 - 1.23
New Zealand - $6,112,000 from a population of 3,865,000 - 1.58
Norway - $8,097,000 from a population of 4,507,000 - 1.80
Sweden - $12,450,000 from a population of 8,870,000 - 1.40
United Kingdom - $89,450,000 from a population of 59,741,000 - 1.50
United States - $311,526,000 from a population of 278,262,000 - 1.12
The small number at the end of each line, is the ratio of dollar to population. Does that mean that LOTR/FOTR is more popular in Norway than anywhere else? Or does it mean that it is more expensive there than anywhere else? I don't have information on the average ticket prices in each country. Note that the June stats show that Norway is number one, with New Zealand in second and UK is in third place - per capita. Comments?

13 June 2002
I found a copy of Trespasses, a rare 1984 film, staring Patrick McGoohan and Emma Piper ; details are now up for inspection. Good news: It would appear that Miramax is going to re-release Heavenly Creatures, on DVD, this coming 24 September, 2002. Further details later, as I am able to confirm. Aro Video, in Wellington, is clearing out some New Zealand titles at $25nz or less. Included are: Broken English, Crush, The End of the Golden Weather, Topless Women Talk About Their Lives, The Ugly and Ngati. Note: All of these are PAL format, so they will NOT play on most North American VCRs. Although the majority of the visitors to this site are from the U.S., NZ, AU or UK, there are quite a number representing Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and France. Additionally, there are occationaly visitors from: Switzerland, Canada, Chile, Belgium, Finland, Austria, Brazil, Croatia, Norway, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Sweden; and smaller numbers from: Thailand, Mexico, Romania, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Russia, Argentina, Hungary, Greece, Hong Kong, Denmark and Lithuania. If I have left out your home country, please email me a correction.

26 May 2002
The "Factoids" section has been renamed "Misc", and now contains a link to a list of NZ film titles that will become viewable from North American cable and satellite feeds. This list will be undated the last week of each month, to reflect the titles available for the coming month. Zone 2 DVDs of When Love Comes are now available from Blackstar. Zone 1 DVDs will become available from Amazon and CDNow starting 30 July 2002. Note that Zone 2 DVDs advance orders are being taken by Blackstar for LOTR/FOTR.

10 May 2002
There are now, at the bottom of all pages, jump links to all major sections - for your navigation convenience.

9 April 2002
Additional information now at Lord Of The Rings-Fellowship of the Ring, including links to awards, trailers, other title sites and reviews. Information concerning the forthcoming VHS and DVD availability, content and costs is also available. Fellowship of the Ring has reached to #5 position in box office sales - worldwide. The top four are: Titanic, Harry Potter, Phantom Menace, and Jurassic Park.

28 March 2002
Information about the forthcoming VHS Video and DVDs of Lord Of The Rings-Fellowship of the Ring is now available for viewing. Check back periodically for further details.

25 March 2002
Including the four Oscars that 'Lord of the Rings' received last night, the film's total awards have now reached 52. That is four more than 'The Piano', which had been the New Zealand film with the most awards. Given that there are still many more awards to be handed out this year, 'Lord of the Rings' stands a chance of reaching the century mark, in the award count. BTW, your local theatre should start showing a four minute trailer of 'The Twin Towers', starting this next weekend.

5 March 2002
By now you would probably know that Lord of the Rings has picked up five awards from BAFTA, including best picture and director. Worldwide, the film has taken in over $750us million, and has just opened in Japan where it is expected to do quite well.
Some site changes include: Listing awards that various titles have received and pricing updates for all film titles. As always, if you spot an error, or have discovered a pricing source that you want to pass on, please let me know.

20 Feb. 2002
The following was posted yesterday in the Coming Soon.Net website. The Italian Website Caltanet Cinema tells us that there is yet another DVD release planned for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring".The site spoke with a representative of the Home Video Department of Medusa, the Italian distributor for "The Lord of the Rings." It appears that, on top of the August release of the DVD & VHS and the November double DVD, with extra features, there will also be a 4-Disc Collectible box coming in November. "A box containing 4 DVD, 2 of them are the same as the double DVD (see above), but you get also a DVD with the director's cut (Peter Jackson didn't decide yet between a 3h 30' version and a 4h version) and another DVD with other extra stuff."

16 Feb. 2002
I regretfully report that New Zealand actor, Kevin Smith, has died of injuries due to a falling accident, while in China. The 38 year old actor of films such as Desperate Remedies and Channelling Baby, is probably best known as Ares in the Xena television series. Those interested in further information about this talented actor, might check the following websites: Jubilee cast information, Sura's Fansite, Rachel's Fansite.

29 Jan. 2002
BAFTA - The Orange British Academy Film Awards Nominees have been announced and Fellowship of the Ring has been nominated in 13 catagories, including best film.The winners will be announced February 24 on BBC1

19 Jan. 2002
Fellowship of the Ring continues to rack up amazing statistics. Worldwide, it has taken in over $500us million, at box offices, and although it is slowing in the U.S., having taken in over $233us million, it is still #1 at box offices in Brazil, Czech Republic, Finland, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand (where it has broken all NZ records with nearly $4us Million, and still going), South Africa, and the U.K., and there are still markets that are opening up; it just started in Italy on Jan. 18 and Taiwan on Jan. 19. It will open up in Hong Kong on Jan. 31, India on Feb. 7 and Japan on Feb. 23. It might hit $1 Billion worldwide by the end of the year.
Another tie-in with Lord Of The Rings is Houghton Mifflin Publishing. They are the exclusive North American distributor of things Tolkien, and as such they are distributing books related to the movies. You might enjoy checking out a site of theirs that includes exclusive video clip downloads (if you have the patience of Job), as well as production notes, wallpaper downloads, and links to their LOTR books.

06 Jan. 2002 Last night, Fellowship of the Ring picked up three awards from the American Film Institute. Grant Major as Production Designer of the Year; Jim Rygiel as Digital Effects Artist of the Year; Best Movie of the Year - beating out nine other nominees for that honor. Next major awards are the Golden Globe on January 20.

03 Jan. 2002
As of 01 Jan. 2002, Fellowship of the Rings has far exceeded any other New Zealand film, in gross sales or popularity. Worldwide (only showing in 23 countries, so far) grosses have reached $330,000,000us. Production costs were reached in the first week.Ratings are such that this film is destined to become one of the ten most popular films of all time - equal to, and possibly exceeding The Godfather. By comparison, the previously big New Zealand winner, was The Piano, with a gross of about $50,000,000, by the end of its first year.
Changes have been made within the FACTOIDSsection, that includes information about the recently issued New Zealand Fellowship of the Ring stamps.

01 Jan. 2002
Following is a link to a New Zealand Herald story relating Peter Jackson, LORD OF THE RINGS director, being honored as New Zealander of 2001. BTW, the number of linked reviews at Movie Review Query Engine has grown to over 130 - see link in 16 Dec. posting.
New Zealander of the Year
The Soundtrack Section now contains information on 33 CDs, including RAIN, which will be featured at the Sundance Festival in February, 2002.


16 Dec. 2001
Although I do not have information about LORD OF THE RINGS - FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING videos yet (check back later in 2002), for those that might be interested in what various reviewers have been saying about the film, there are now some 30 linked from Movie Review Query Engine at:
MRQE - LOTR/FOTR Reviews

9 Dec. 2001
Nine More Titles have been added

Bonjour Timothy - PAL

Bread and Roses - PAL

Channelling Baby - PAL

Chicken - PAL

Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree - PAL

I'll Make You Happy - NTSC/PAL

Mark II - PAL

Scarfies - PAL/DVD

Sons For The Return Home - PAL

 3 Dec. 2001
NZ Post Lord of the Rings site NZ Post Official Lord Of The Rings Products Website Link
The Peter Jackson authorized Official Lord Of The Rings New Zealand Stamp Site is launched. Orders may be placed for a variety of postal stamp items, including: stamps, cards, first day covers, and booklets. Full graphic details can be viewed, at the site. Shipping costs are nominal, and all prices are in New Zealand dollars.

22 Nov. 2001
Although I still have some work to do on it, the revised SOUNDTRACKS SECTION is now available for viewing. It has over 30 titles and more will be forthcoming. Yes, there is info on LOTR/FOTR:)

The following is from the 19 November edition of WYSIWYG News, which can be seen weekly within the soc.culture.new-zealand newsgroup.

The most dedicated of Lord of the Rings fans are expected to begin queuing today for the tickets to the first film instalment. Tickets for Fellowship of the Rings go on sale early tomorrow morning. The first public screening is scheduled for one minute past midnight on December the 20th. Hoyts Marketing Manager Karen Cafe says the 10,000 tickets will probably sell out quickly. She says many corporate groups have already booked cinemas for opening week screenings. The Australasian premiere is taking place at the Embassy cinema in Wellington on the same night as the public launch.
18 Nov. 2001
For those of you who collect movie posters, I have found a wonderful UK site that currently lists some three dozen New Zealand titles, including some early ones, such as THE SEEKERS and THE LAST STAND. You can check them out at:

FLASHBACKS POSTERS

15 Nov. 2001
For those that might be interested in what is going on at the New Zealand Film Commission board meetings - their "Notes" are available, in pdf form, on the net. Links to 2001 notes are:

December 2001
October 2001
August 2001
June 2001
April 2001
February 2001
30 Oct. 2001
Eight additional titles have been added.

Constance - PAL

Grasscutter - PAL

Heaven - NTSC/PAL

Irrefutable Truth About Demons - NTSC/PAL/DVD

Topless Women Talk About Their Lives - NTSC/PAL

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted - NTSC/PAL

When Love Comes Along - NTSC/PAL

Wild Blue - NTSC/PAL

 I am revising the soundtrack section and over 30 titles will be shown, including Lord of the Rings, within 30 days.
18 Sept. 2001
Another video title has been added. Rewi's Last Stand
This hard to find 1940 title is a bit of New Zealand film history.
7 Sept. 2001
Another book added to the BOOKS section.

48 film reviews from TV Guide added. See the specific titles for details.
30 August 2001
LINKS Links to non film title specific sites.

SOUNDTRACKSTemporary soundtrack CD information.
Week ending 26 Aug. 2001
- Additional minor corrections in various sections.

BOOKS section setup with some links to various sources for review or purchasing is possible.
Week ending 5 Aug. 2001
- Additional minor corrections in various sections.

CREDITS section setup with some links to various sources from which I have obtained information and graphics.
Week ending 29 July 2001
- Minor corrections in various sections.

Buy-Sell-Rent section setup with some links to various businesses that offer many New Zealand film titles on VHS video or DVD.

Factoids section setup initially with information regarding the New Zealand Philatelic Bureau 1996 issue of stamps commemorating the Centenary of New Zealand cinema.

6 July 2001 - Official launching of this website.


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