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'Select: Sound & Vision' collection!
Get the latest CDs & DVDs faster! The 'Select' collection - available at Karori and Kilbirnie libraries as well as Central - is designed to make it easier to borrow heavily used and reserved items within our AV Collection. The items in this collection have a reduced loan period of 3 days, meaning you can access the most popular CDs and DVDs faster for the same price and find them on the shelf more often.
You can find more information on our News page.
Latest Staff Picks
State Of Play
The Americans always get a bit of stick - mostly deserved - for copying movies & TV shows from the English, but 'State of Play' is one that works pretty well. The English version was a 6 episode 2003 mini-series scripted by Paul Abbot ('Touching Evil', 'Reckless', 'Cracker'). John Simm plays reporter Cal McAffrey, whose old friend (David Morrissey) is rising political star Stephen Collins, head of a prominent Government committee investigating Energy Companies. When Collins' research assistant falls to her death on the London Underground, and Collins' personal relationship with her is exposed, McAffrey becomes embroiled in a layered conspiracy of political intrigue & personal ambition in the shady world where big business and politics intersect. The UK version is nothing short of brilliant, with top notch acting from an ensemble cast (including Kelly MacDonald as McAffrey's reporting partner, & Bill Nighy as his Editor), & razor sharp writing. The US version had a troubled genesis & was initially set to feature Brad Pitt in the McAffrey role, with Edward Norton playing Collins. When Pitt dropped out due to conflicts over the script rewrites, production was delayed until Russell Crowe stepped in as McAffrey. However by then, scheduling conflicts meant Norton had to drop out, to be replaced by Ben Affleck.
The US version condenses a 6 hour mini-series into a 2 hour movie which, if you have seen the UK version within close proximity, can make the American version seem rushed to some extent. However the story follows essentially the same path with all the plot points of the UK version, though delivered in a sometimes different manner. The Government enquiry in the US version is into Private Military Contractors, and the role of the Press in the two versions is noticeably different. The UK version is all about the power of the Press to stand fast against Government control, to present the truth whatever the cost professionally & personally; whereas the US version focuses somewhat on the decline of the 'written' press, which is now subject to bottom line corporate control & the rise of internet based media. Crowe's McAffrey is a shaggy haired 'old school' journo, never short of a pen, his cubicle covered wall to floor with scraps of paper, & the Kelly Macdonald role in the US version is taken by Rachel McAdams, a junior reporter who 'blogs' and can file a story from her phone - but of course can never find a pen when she needs one. The US version benefits from this conflict in different styles in reporting, and also has some nifty casting against type: with Jason Bateman playing a jittery drugged out bisexual PR man & Jeff Daniels a nasty politico. Helen Mirren nicely bridges the two versions, playing the paper's editor character that Bill Nighy played in the UK version. All in all it's difficult to compare the two, as the English would have invariably encountered the same problems if they tried to adapt the BBC serial into a movie themselves. The English version has more subtlety, depth of character & much better sense of narrative pacing, but then again it has the benefit of an extra 4 hours to develop these things; and while it would have been more interesting to see Crowe face off with Norton, Affleck does a good job, and the movie is definitely worth a watch. Recommended. (Mark)
Observe and report
A new Seth Rogen comedy from director Jody Hill. Rogen plays a mall security guard stricken with a variety of mental health issues who develops a very unhealthy obsession with catching a flasher, joining the police force and letting the make up counter girl know that she is the one. Playing a character a lot darker than his usual roles is a bit of a coup for Rogen who gets to show a more intense, nasty and intimidating side, although there's still plenty of his usual buffoon personality on show. The story is dark, very dark, with the comedic tone focused on a bunch of seriously dysfunctional characters and some thoroughly twisted scenes where you'll laugh, but feel awful for doing so, the laughs on offer about his alcoholic mother are particularly guilt laden. There's a plethora of great characters, and Rogen's sidekick, with his lisp and startling secret life makes for one of the best sordid montages ever put to film. The film is grim and there's no doubt director Jody Hill has a talent for highlighting the crass absurdity of his characters. Don't go in thinking you're going to watch a hilarious buddy tale about mall cops, it's not that, but if you fancy something loaded with malice and a few giggles you're in for a treat, especially the end, which sums up the tone perfectly. (Craig)
Kiss the Bride.
I recently watched [this] DVD which is about an Italian family consisting of four sisters who have all grown up and are leading very different lives from one another, in different parts of America. They come together in the movie as one of them is getting married. Mistakes and hurts from their pasts are still lurking and create a few issues throughout the movie as these are forced to be dealt with. A very engaging family story and also interesting to learn some of the traditional Italian wedding customs as well. (Suzanne)
The international.
Above-average thriller sees Clive Owen play an Interpol Agent trying to bring down an International Bank that launders money and is involved in various criminal enterprises. Working with a Manhattan District Attorney (Naomi Watts) after an informant is killed he tries to track down the 'hit-man' the bank uses to take out people that get in its way. Owen is great once again, an actor who can go from charming to heartless in the same role. Watts' role is underwritten; but the main problem the film has is that it wants to be a cerebral thriller dealing with the intricies of crooked global finance, but doesn't provide the detail to back that up, instead drifts into a globetrotting chase/travelogue that takes us (with some admittedly great architecture) from Berlin, to Milan, & Istanbul, and back to the US. Still, the premise is interesting enough, and there is a spectacular gunfight set in the Guggenheim Museum half way through. (Mark)
Gomorrah.
Matteo Garrone's Italian mob film throws the notion of the glamorous mobster's life out the window and focuses on the stark reality of organised crime amongst the poor of Naples. The film is essentially five disconnected stories, five slices of life from amongst the crumbling ruins of dilapidated housing estates in an Italy you'll never see depicted in the tourist brochures. There's not a hint of romanticism attached to the film, its ruthless and cruel look into a world where violence rules and the poor struggle within a world controlled by an organised criminal syndicate at war with itself. Completely European, it is sophisticated and beautifully filmed, with a leaden atmosphere in keeping with the overall tone and a verte style highlighting disjointed glimpses into tales of amplified disharmony. I loved it, it's bleak but the reality of the source material was never pretty and it's a testament to the director to have the courage to show us the reality rather than the fantasy of mob life. Winner of numerous awards, and well worth a watch if you enjoy complicated authentic dramas. (Craig)
Wainwright walks coast to coast.
Julia Bradbury, better known as a presenter on TV travel programmes, is also a prodigious walker. Here she tackles the most well-known walk in Britain, the Coast to Coast. Originally set out by the eccentric and revered walker Alfred Wainwright in the 1950s and 1960s, it is now a major destination for distance walkers worldwide. With his charming 1972 guidebook with its beautiful hand-drawn maps, diagrams and illustrations in hand, she traverses Northern England. As Wainwright instructs, she begins her journey on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, walking across through the Lake Country, crossing the Pennines and the North Yorkshire Moors, and ending up in Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire on the coast of the North Sea. She made her walk during the wettest summer in Britain since records began in the 18th century, but this does not deter Julia, with her cheerful and relaxed commentary, or detract from the magnificent scenery, the fascinating historic sites she explores, and the charm of the people she meets and talks with along the way. This is compelling viewing for armchair travellers and avid walkers alike. Highly recommended. (Deborah)
Wrestler.
Mickey Rourke gives an amazing performance as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a scarred and aging professional wrestler, at the height of his fame in the 80's, but now struggling to score second rate fights and cope with the demands of his battered body. Filmed in a pseudo-documentary style by director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) the film sets up a traditional 'road to redemption' story, as 'The Ram' tries to get his life back on track after a bad health scare, initiate a relationship with an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei) and reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). The 'documentary' style of the film may deter, as the film doesn't have a narrative flow like 'Rocky' for example, making some scenes and dialogue are a bit clunky, and in the end Aronofsky deliberately ignores the films 'set-up' to go against typical Hollywood convention. All in all, worth seeing, even if you don't think it's your thing, just for the great performance by Mickey Rourke. (Mark)
Let the right one in.
About as far from 'Twilight' & 'True Blood' as you could get, 'Let the right one in' is a Swedish 'vampire' movie, directed by Tomas Alfredson & based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Oskar is a fragile, morbid & unhappy 12 year old boy, bullied relentlessly at school, living with his mother in a run down apartment complex full of broken down alcoholics. When a new 'girl', Eli, moves in next door, cared for by a mysterious man who caters for her unique needs, Oskar slowly begins to befriend her. Alfredson's film, which Lindqvist adapted for the screen, takes a minimalist approach to the novel, toning down some of its more disturbing subplots, choosing to focus instead on the relationship between Oskar & Eli. Eli teaches Oskar how to fight back against his tormentors and as he gradually comes to discover her true nature their friendship blossoms into a strange romance. Though the film may seem an awkward melding of genres, its ability to blend some quite violent moments, and some definitely dark subtext, with a haunting study of childhood loneliness and friendship is a tribute to the talent of the young leads and of Alfredson's skill as a director. The beautiful cinematography of the stark, snowy Swedish landscape also adds another layer to an already haunting film. Without a doubt the best reinvention of the 'vampire' movie since 1987's 'Near Dark'. An American remake is scheduled for 2010, directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), but it's hard to believe it could ever achieve the standard set by the original. (Mark)
Space-1999. Year 1.
Where to start? Probably the greatest science fiction series ever to air. Too much? Maybe? Space 1999 was a revolutionary and terrifically exciting venture from Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson. Running for only two years Space 1999 packed in more thrills and metaphysical clap trap then the x-files did in eleven years. The premise was simple, nuclear waste explodes on the moon and it hurtles from its orbit, carrying the inhabitants of moon base alpha along for the ride. Along the way they encounter the requisite number of aliens and mystical worlds and indulge in all sorts of 70s sci-fi larks. It's magnificent, the sets and props are beyond fabulous and the overall tone, one of almost apocalyptic horror is wonderfully handled, without a hint of kitsch or camp so often associated with 70s shows. The show made an absolute star out of Martin Landau and then wife Barbara, along with some wonderful cameos from future and fading stars. It's a stand out cult classic series, if you're a fan of science fiction at all, or for that matter nifty moustaches, cranking sideburns, zip up flared leisure suits or long meaning stares at the camera, then it is absolutely imperative you watch this, imperative! (Craig)
I have been having a whole hill of fun reliving my childhood by watching that fantastic SF series 'Space 1999'. It is amazingly sophisticated considering that it was produced in 1975 (lerv those costumes!), although there are also some hilariously kitsch effects (in one episode the whole effects budget seems to have been spent on polystyrene balls and fuse wire). I still remember, fondly, having nightmares about a couple of episodes, watching from behind the couch too mesmerized to move or pull my eyes away. Watching it now, I recognise shades of '2001 A Space Odyssey' and 'Star Trek' as well as more than a few actors that went on to become familiar faces on British T.V. It's a "Gotta watch"! (Ellie)
Lie to me. Season one.
An intriguing twist on the usual 'police procedural' crime drama, 'Lie to Me' features Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, the head of 'The Lightman Group', an organization that specialises in the analysis of Deception via micro-facial expressions (based on the real life work of Paul Ekman, a leading researcher on facial expressions & body language). The premise allows the show to cast a wider net than most other crime shows, as the Group is brought in to consult by local law enforcement, private companies, & Government agencies and the stories shift from identifying potential political assassins, to determining whether a writer is lying about their memoir, to aiding in the search for missing teen, and discovering the cause of a collapsed building. At the centre is Roth, who has the acting chops to make his abrasive 'House'-ish character believable and his back-story intriguing. Recommended. (Mark)
The Hangover.
Four friends go on a road trip to Vegas to celebrate the impending marriage of one of them. Checking in, they head to the hotel's rooftop & toast a 'night to remember'. Unfortunately that's not the case as they wake up in the hotel room 12 hours later with some vexing questions: Why can't they remember anything about the previous evening? Why is there a tiger in the bathroom? Why is one of them missing a tooth? Where did the baby come from? And most importantly, Where is the groom-to-be Doug? What follows is crude and offensive in pretty much every way imaginable - but also hilariously funny - as they are forced to piece together the crazy events of the previous night to find Doug in time for the wedding. B-movie leads, Ed Helm, Zach Galifianakis, & Bradley Cooper all reveal A-list comic timing as one outrageous situation flows into another in this soon to be classic comedy. (Mark)
Louis Theroux: the collection.
Louis Theroux has a style unto himself. His meanderings though the wired and wonderful world of porn, white supremacy and his interactions with various strange cults and persons are so fundamentally causal that you're likely to forget just how insane his interviewees are. Until that is he tries some good old quaint English logic to counter their arguments. Louis is obviously an expert at gaining trust, although his ability to retain trust isn't always so apparent, and that is what makes this collection so superb. The moment where Louie realises it's all falling apart are the best, where Nazi homemakers berate him for his liberal bias, where he fails to get racist leaders to quote Mr Humphreys from 'Are You Being Served', where militia aficionados tell him the Holocaust is a lie, or where an alcoholic worker at a upscale brothel massages his pasty back. These moments are what makes the show so great, it's the lengths Louie goes to to allow the weirdness to prevail, and those choice moments when Louie and you get to stop and ponder the madness of it all. Filled with his usual erudite wit this collection is easily one of the greatest interview shows ever put to screen, forget Parky, who needs another Billy Connolly interview when you can watch Louie travel to Thailand and meet frighteningly real English gents on the prowl for a bride, watch Louie's first attempts at a career as a gangsta rapper or, as evidenced by one of the saddest episodes ever, have a crack at getting some work in the pornography industry. (Craig)
A place to stay : a film about Salisbury Garden.
Wellington is a city with many delightful architectural surprises. Salisbury Garden in Wadestown is one of them. Accessible only by a steep path, this arm shaped group of houses, surrounded by bush and built around a tennis court, was built as worker accommodation in the years 1929 - 1930. The compound followed the new European concept of group housing - pleasant dwellings with light and air, pleasantly situated and with ready access to recreational activities. This warm and sympathetic documentary illustrates the history of the complex, including an interesting period after the war when it was occupied by Polish émigrés, and contains many interviews with new and long-term residents who still maintain the communal style of living. The Court was declared a Heritage area by Wellington City Council in 2008. (Sue)
Our AV collection
Search for the latest AV material in these categories:
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.
The futurist : the life and films of James Cameron, Rebecca Keegan.
"Coinciding with the release of Avatar, James Cameron's first film in over a decade, Time reporter Keegan's solid biography of the dynamic director sheds welcome light on his cinematic achievements. Growing up in Ontario and later Los Angeles, Cameron was an accomplished artist and budding scientist who would bring his fascination with new technology to all his films. From his days doing grunt work for Hollywood indie legend Roger Corman - including his first directing job, helming Piranha 2 - Cameron pursued his artistic vision with a passion that often translated into a tyrannical on-set presence. His string of action hits in the 1980s - Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss - made him one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood, and he continued through the 1990s, culminating in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic. With each film, Cameron strove for new technological feats, from shooting tricky underwater dialogue scenes in The Abyss to the reconstruction of a near life-size version of the doomed ship in Titanic. Keegan explores not only the director's achievements on film, including an in-depth look at the 3D-film Avatar but also his often tumultuous personal life (including his five marriages). Fans of the charismatic director will welcome a look behind the scenes of some of the biggest movies in the last two-plus decades." (Amazon.com)
A matter of principle : new meetings with the good, the great and the formidable, Jana Wendt.
"Australia's most experienced and well-respected interviewer, Jana Wendt, presents her interviews with an assortment of people in the worlds of politics, society, art, sport, music, and architecture. In this compilation, Wendt gets under the skin of her subjects to discover that which is genuine and authentic about each." (Amazon.com)
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
Deluxe Cinemas (The Embassy) | Empire (Island Bay) | Lighthouse Cinemas | Paramount Cinema | Penthouse Cinema | Reading 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.
OutTakes Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Late May/early 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
Screen Hub - daily online film and television industry news & vacancies.
Lumiere - NZ site with film criticism, reviews and forum.
New Zealand Herald - Daily reviews, competitions, entertainment news.
Karate Party - Wellington-based film review site.
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.
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?
Contact us (mark.lesueur@wcc.govt.nz)
Last updated 22 December 2009
