Veronica Mars. The complete first season .
Kind of like 'Brick' meets 'The O.C', 'Veronica Mars' is a fun, clever update of the Nancy Drew girl-detective concept, with some surprisingly Noir-ish overtones. Veronica used to run with the 'popular' clique but after her best friend (from a powerful local family) was brutally murdered, and her Sheriff dad accused the girl's father of the crime, her life took a downward spiral. Her father was fired from his job; her mom abandoned them; she was ostracised by all her former school friends, and then drugged & date-raped at a party. Now months later she struggles to put her life back together, working for her dad who's now a local private eye, helping out fellow students in trouble, and trying to put together the conspiracy surrounding the death of her best friend. With snappy 'side-of-the-mouth' dialogue to rival Raymond Chandler, tight writing, complex characterisations, shades of 'Buffy', Twin Peaks' & 'Beverly'Hills 90210' and a great lead in Kristen Bell, it's definitely recommended. (Mark)

30 days of night
Better than you'd expect adaptation of the Steve Niles graphic novel. Niles co-writes the script, with David Slade (Hard Candy) directing, & Josh Hartnett and Melissa George (TV's 'Alias') as the two leads. Set in a remote Alaskan town Hartnett is the local Sheriff, whose estranged wife, George, is the local Fire Marshall. When the town, descending into a 30 day period of night, is overrun by a bunch of ferocious Slavic sounding vampires they have to come together to defend the towns remaining inhabitants. The film loses its way a bit at the end, but is genuinely scary at times, gory but atmospheric, the best set pieces involving the two parties stalking each other through the barren terrain. (Mark)

Michael Clayton.
Slow burning corporate 'drama' sees George Clooney turn in a top notch performance as the titular character, a 'fixer' at a prominent legal firm. When the firm's top litigator (a great unhinged performance from Tom Wilkinson) goes off his meds during the closing stages of an epic year's long lawsuit defending a crooked chemical company, alarm bells ring. Clooney is brought in to reign in his friend, who looks like he's about to do a moral-360 and tank the lawsuit. While it's not as good or strongly written as it wants to be, the film (written & directed by the 'Bourne Ultimatum's' Tony Gilroy) is still a good attempt at cutting through the layers of moral ambiguity that define corporate America and Clooney is great as a character with essentially nothing to show for his life having to make some hard choices. (Mark)

Dead of night.
The 'Dead of Night' is one of the first and best horror anthologies ever made. A collection mainly about being haunted in some way; by ghosts, spirits, friends on the golf links and even the original unhinged ventriloquist doll 'Hugo' and his owner dummy. Tortured by a feeling of overpowering deja vu, the main character makes his way, uncertainly, to a cottage in the country. One by one the other helpless guests reveal, in horrified, humorous, hammy black and white their own stories of unexplained horror!!! The influence of this seminal ghostly has been felt since in films like 'Creepshow,''3 extremes: over the edge and beyond', and in movies like 'Magic' where a young intense Anthony Hopkins struggles with a ventriloquists dummy and his own demons. The ending has been much copied and still exerts an unearthly, unforgettable power! (Monty)

Priceless.
Starring Audrey Tautou (of Amelie fame), Priceless is a super funny lightweight comedy, where Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh play young sexy gold-diggers. When they try to one up each other ('look, my girlfriend bought be a 30 000 euro watch and a vespa') it is pretty hilarious. And it's French which takes away that shame one may have from watching a romantic comedy! (Carmel)

Rescue dawn.
Pretty good Werner Herzog movie about a downed jet pilot taken hostage in Laos at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Made more interesting by the fact that it's based on events from the life of pilot Dieter Dengler, which Herzog also addressed in the documentary 'Little Dieter needs to fly'. Christian Bale takes on the role of the quirky, indomitable Dengler, once again immersing himself in the character, as he is taken hostage, imprisoned, tortured, and eventually escapes his captors - only to find the struggle to survive in the Laotian jungle even more difficult. (Mark)

Point Break.
What's not to love about Point Break? Keanu plays Johnny Utah and while he might not be able to act to save himself he still learns to surf via the obligatory montage in less than 5 minutes! Patrick Swayze is the bronzed, suave and ridiculously cliched surf guru Bohdi, while Gary Busy, as agent Angelo Pappas, looks like a cocaine induced psychotic break is just around the corner. Plot, what plot! Naive and enthusiastic undercover FBI agent infiltrates some culturally specific 'crew' to search for the criminals lurking within; redundant and trite, but who cares! Keanu's there, Patrick's there, there's big waves, surf Nazis, rubber masks, shot outs and as our hero rides the waves he not only gets the girl but still manages to find his true self amongst the surfing fraternity. Dude its brilliant. I hadn't seen it for years before picking it up recently and utterly loved all over again. I'm watching it again tomorrow, and to be honest, probably the day after. (Craig)

Assault on Precinct 13.
Most remakes suck, but this one isn't too bad. Sure it lacks the tension & paranoia of the 1976 low budget John Carpenter original but it has a low- key comfortably retr0 feel to it, as it takes time to flesh out characters before cranking up the action. It also adds more of a plot than the original, replacing the 'psycho-gang' that was the villain in the Carpenter flick, with a group of crooked cops determined to kill crime boss Laurence Fishburn before he rats them out as his 'business partners'. With Fishburn transferred to a decrepit, about to be shut down police precinct, burnt out cop (Ethan Hawke) has to pull together a motley crew of cops and prisoners to survive until sunrise. All 'siege' movies succeed on the tension they generate & this hits all the right marks on the way to an entertaining, if overblown, climax. Sure you'll feel guilty watching it, just not too guilty...(Mark)

Cop land.
Anyone who dismisses Sylvester Stallone as a mumbling franchise/Action hack should do themselves a favour and check out this one. Apparently taking no money up-front for the role Stallone packed on a hefty 30 pounds to play the role of Freddie Heflin, who as a teen saves the life a local beauty, only to lose his hearing in one ear in the process. Fast forward and Freddy's heroism has gained him the 'consolation prize' local sheriff's job in the sleepy New Jersey town of Garrison, renown for being the haven of off-duty big city cops. Gradually it dawns on the amiable, good natured Freddy, that the big city cops are using his town as a base for some heavy duty murder & corruption and he's faced with the moral dilemma of confronting the 'real cops', men whom he idolises. Considering that the big city cops are played by Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel & Ray Liotta it's easy to think Stallone would be totally outclassed, but he more than holds his own amongst the heavy-weight talent, delivery a deft and subtle performance that shoes some true acting chops. A box office failure, this is truly a great movie that's now become something of an underrated classic. (Mark)

Time of the Wolf.
Time of the wolf was Michael Hanekes seventh film; by this point he had honed his sober and unrelentingly shocking approach to filmmaking to perfection. It takes mere minutes from the start of the film for the unease and apprehension familiar to his work to begin. Essentially a dystopian post-apocalyptic tale, Time of the Wolf follows a traumatized families harrowing journey to find food, shelter and safety following an unnamed catastrophe. Haneke has been quoted as saying of film that... "(it) is 24 lies per second at the service of the truth", once again, like all of Hanekes works the truth in this case seems to be that society operates on a thin veneer of civility and should that crack, well, best watch and see. Needless to say it is not a relaxing film in any sense of the word but again Haneke provides compelling, unflinching and searingly honest cinema. (Craig)

The swimmer.
'I'm swimming home. I figure out there's a river of pools all the way to my house.' Burt Lancaster says this as he looks away across the upper class valley of mansions and estates twisting beneath him. He meets figures from his past at each house. The friend's at which he'd drink cocktails, the occasional business partner, the new mansion with the 30 foot tall party house and abusive former friends, the woman he'd strung along for years... John Cheever's original short story was concerned with the disillusioned lives of the American rich and that sense is replicated here, almost perfectly. (Monty)

Previous staff picks

Our AV collection

Search for the latest AV material in these categories:

All DVDs
Kids' DVDs
Teen DVDs

DVDs by genre:

Check out the monthly lists of our latest DVDs, and the reviews on the AV Recent Picks page in MyLibrary.

Featured books

The underlined titles will take you directly to our catalogue. Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

International film guide 2008 : the definitive annual review of world cinema, edited by Ian Haydn Smith.
"First published in 1963, the International Film Guide enjoys an unrivaled reputation as the most authoritative and trusted source of information on world cinema. Now relaunched by Wallflower Press, the 2008 (44th) edition is a special double edition covering the films and festivals of 2006 and 2007, via a 'World Survey' section encompassing the output of over 100 countries. Other features include coverage of five 'Directors of the Year' (Fatih Akin, Suzanne Bier, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass and Jia Zhangke), a detailed country focus on Germany, industry analysis on documentary and the growth of DVD production and a comprehensive listing and description of all major international and smaller local film festivals from all over the world." (Amazon.com)

Sex and the city : the movie, Amy Sohn.
"From the team who brought you Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell comes this must-have companion to the movie millions have been waiting for. This sleek hardcover volume gives reader exclusive entrée into the world of Sex and the City: The Movie. In addition to a storybook-style telling of the film, the book includes mouth-watering bonus features not available anywhere else: behind-the-scenes stories from Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, star and producer Sarah Jessica Parker, writer and director Michael Patrick King, as well as producers and other key cast and crew members; a guide to the movie's multi-million dollar fashion closet, including insight from costume designer Patricia Field; and an insider's tour of the movie's many locations, some of which have never before appeared on film. All of this behind-the-scenes information is accompanied by more than three hundred stunning, luscious, full-color images. This beautiful keepsake is sure to bring some big-screen glitz and glamour to every reader's bookshelf." (Amazon.com)

Empire film guide.
"This revised and updated edition, brought to you by Britain's biggest-selling movie magazine, contains over 100 brand-new reviews including all the biggest and best films of the last 12 months. Written with the passion and humour you'd expect from Empire, the reviews in this guide are the most comprehensive and in-depth around. Including a wealth of new photos, sidebars and fascinating and hilarious Top 10s and movie trivia, this is the most enjoyable and entertaining film guide available." (Amazon.co.uk)

Francois Truffaut : film author, 1932-1984, Robert Ingram ; Paul Duncan, ed.
"From The 400 Blows to Jules and Jim to The Last Metro, Francois Truffaut (1932-1984) practically defined the French cinema of his era and was one of the founders of the New Wave which took the industry by storm in the late 1950s. His endlessly touching and romantic films - always tinged by a touch of reflective sadness - made him one of France's favorite and most successful directors. This book traces Truffaut's career and includes rare images drawn from his archives. Every book in Taschen's Basic Film series features: an introduction to the director and coverage of every film he or she directed; over 100 scenes from the movies, shots of the director at work, and film posters, with explanatory captions; rare images from around the world; informative text by acknowledged experts; and, a chronology, filmography, and bibliography." (Amazon.co.uk)

Michelangelo Antonioni : the investigation, 1912-2007, Seymour Chatman ; Paul Duncan, ed.
"With L'Aventura he piqued the world's curiosity. With La Notte and L'Eclisse, he mystified audiences and broke hearts. With Red Desert, his first color picture, he blurred all the lines between art, cinema, and still photography. Continuing his creative explosion with Blow-Up, Zabriskie Point, The Passenger, and The Identification of a Woman, Michelangelo Antonioni cemented his reputation as the most innovative and artistic filmmaker of his generation. With a plethora of illustrations, drawn in part from Antonioni's own archives, this book explores his life and career from his earliest documentaries to his latest collaborations. Every book in Taschen's Basic Film series features: an introduction to the director and coverage of every film he or she directed; over 100 scenes from the movies, shots of the director at work, and film posters, with explanatory captions; rare images from around the world; informative text by acknowledged experts; and, a chronology, filmography, and bibliography." (Amazon.co.uk)

Stanley Kubrick : visual poet 1928-1999, by Paul Duncan.
"One of the most esteemed filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was also one of the most enigmatic. He broke into the film scene at the age of 26 with the ambitious, independently produced Killer's Kiss and within a few years was working with the likes of Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Peter Sellers on such seminal films as Lolita and Spartacus. Having gained the support of the actors, producers, and movie studios with his early efforts, Kubrick garnered the creative control he needed to produce uncompromising masterpieces such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clockwork Orange, and Barry Lyndon. Polishing off 1999's Eyes Wide Shut, just before his untimely death, Kubrick left behind a puzzling and positively brilliant body of work. Every book in Taschen's Basic Film series features: an introduction to the director and coverage of every film he or she directed; over 100 scenes from the movies, shots of the director at work, and film posters, with explanatory captions; rare images from around the world; informative text by acknowledged experts; and, a chronology, filmography, and bibliography." (Amazon.co.uk)

Book collection

Where to find film books:

The film section	Mainly 791.43 - 791.438
Directors	791.43023, Biography collection
Actors	791.43092, Biography collection
Film scripts	791.437
Script writing	808.23
Film editing software (eg Adobe Premier, iMovie, QuickTime)	778.559, 778.5992, 006.6869

Search tips: If you're after something specific such as information on a particular person or film, try a subject or keyword search in our catalogue.
Check the large book section and reference books if you can't find anything in the normal-size sequence.

Magazine roundup

Want to check out what's in the latest issue of your favourite movie magazine? Here are some links to either the magazine's website, or (where available), the fulltext of the magazine through our online databases. Enjoy!
American Cinematographer online
Camcorder User & DVD Movie Maker online
Cineaste fulltext
Empire UK and Oz online
Entertainment Weekly fulltext
Film Comment fulltext
Filmfare online
Newsreel = Newsreel is reference only and kept on the 2nd Floor of the central library.
For details on the latest issue, visit Newsreel online
NZfilm online
Onfilm online
Premiere fulltext
SFX online
Sight & Sound online
Uncut online

Note: to read articles online, you must have logged into EBSCO during the past month on the computer you are using.

What's on?

Local Cinemas

Cinema guides

Tonight Guide - Session times for Embassy, Paramount, Rialto and Penthouse.
Wellington Film Society - Join the society or buy a sampler to see old and new gems from throughout the world.
What's On in Wellington
Wellington Film Guide - Session times and reviews for current and upcoming releases.
Noremote.co.nz - Session times for films in all Wellington (and Christchurch) theatres.

Online movie resources

Databases

All Movie Guide - Huge database featuring reviews, actor biographies, cast/credits info, genre keyword searching amongst other features.
ForeignFilms - Database & news.
Internet Movie Database - Similar to allmovie.com, but arguably more extensive. Movie news, biographies, user-ratings, plot summaries, photo galleries and more.
Movie Review Query Engine - Easy to use movie review database. Links to full text reviews of over 39,000 films.

Local Festivals

Fringe Film Festival July.
Out Takes Lesbian & Gay Film Festival June.
Wellington Film Festival July-August.

International Festivals

Film Festivals - a portal site for festivals and film news.
Cannes
The Film Festival Server
Sundance

New Zealand Film

Lonely Geek NZ cinema guide - Links to industry sites.
Lord of the Rings location guide
The Film Archive - Includes Events Calendar.
New Zealand Film Commission
Pipers NZ film links
Spada - Screen Production and Development Association
Zeroland - NZ film section

NZ News, Reviews, Media

Karate Party - Wellington-based film review site.
Lumiere - NZ site with film criticism, reviews and forum.
New Zealand Herald - Daily reviews, competitions, entertainment news.

International News, Reviews, Media

Agony Booth - "An ongoing inquisition into some of the worst movies humanity has to offer."
Cinescape - Magazine site.
Cinema review - Archived reviews of cinema and video/DVD releases. Provides short synopses; critical reviews; cast and crew information; average reviewer ratings.
new website!

Comic Critic - Movie reviews done in comic form.
DVD Journal - DVD news, reviews, commentary, 'stuff like that'.
DVD.review.net - 'UK's No.1 DVD review website'.
DVD Talk - DVD reviews and columns.
Empire UK edition. Empire Australian edition.
E-online - Hollywood gossip.
Film Threat
Guardian - great film reviews.
Hotdog - Magazine site.
JoBlo - Latest news, DVD, VHS and cinema reviews; upcoming releases, box office rankings.
Journal of Religion and Film
Masters of Cinema - Substantial material about quality foreign films and classics.
Metacritic - Compares net-wide reviews for film and DVD/Video releases to yield an overall rating.
Moviemaker - Magazine on the 'art and business of making movies'.
New York Times - some of the best reviews and analysis (free registration req'd).
Premiere - Magazine site.
Reelviews - Copious reviews by James Berardinelli.
Roger Ebert - Reviews, interviews & essays, events and 'answer man'.
Rotten Tomatoes - Similar to Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes compiles net-wide reviews to give an overall 'fresh' or 'rotten' rating.
Self Made Critic
SFgate
U.K. Critic
Uncut - Hybrid magazine focusing on music and film. The offspring of Mojo and Hotdog would look something like this.

Online DVD rentals

Fatso
Movie Shack
DVD Unlimited

Studios and Collectives - International

British Film Institute
Google Film Studio Directory
Universal Studios - Archives and Collections - Features information about Universal studios plus regularly updated exhibitions from the archives.
Movie Studios & Theatrical Companies @ Movies A-Z
Wikipedia Hollywood Movie Studio List
Wikipedia International Movie-Related Topics

VHS/DVD rental & retail

Aro Video - Wellington's home of quality film has an equally excellent website. The fully searchable catalogue is replete with reviews and recommendations. They also have a good range of VHS and DVD titles for purchase.
DVD video NZ
DVD video planet
Manga NZ
Moviehouse
Real Groovy
Smoke CDs - some music DVDs
United Video and U.V. Courtney Place
Video Ezy

Miscellanea

The Movie Wavs Page - Recorded, downloadable, classic movie quotes. Just the thing for that Dirty Harry line you always wanted for your answering machine. See also: The Movie Sounds Database and Reelwavs.
The Oscars
The Razzies
Whoops! - Movie Goofs, Flubs, Flaws and Mistakes.

Comments, ideas?

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Last updated 9 June 2008