Subgenre Sampler

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Sheilas: 28 Years On (2004): Dir. Annie Goldson, Dawn Hutchesson; Utilising the approach of Michael Apted's 7–UP films, this features encounters with the participants of the 1976 New Zealand TV series 'Women'…
Back River Rd (2003): Dir. Peter Tait; A roughly–hewn thriller set in the backroads of northern New Zealand, where various characters in the dope–growing scene vie for success.…
Fish Bay (2003): Dir. Bob Stenhouse; Three animated children's stories based on tales by Joy Cowley, all set in the secluded, supernatural world of 'Fish Bay' in the Marlborough Sounds.…
Last Post, The (2003): Dir. Dan Cleary, James Hollings; A documentary of local significance, yet universal application, charting the last week of operations for the long–running Wellington newspaper…
Party Animals (TV Series) (2003): Young childrens TV series featuring singing and dancing with Buddy, Chopper, Snuffles, Poppy and Tippy in their party house at the edge of the…
Children of Gallipoli (2002): Dir. Anna Cottrell; Interesting documentary interviews the grandchildren of four combatants in the ANZAC Gallipoli campaign of WWI – involving Turkish and New…
In a Land of Plenty (2002): Dir. Alister Barry; Described as ‘the story of unemployment in New Zealand,’ this serves as a strong companion piece for SOMEONE ELSE'S COUNTRY, dir. Barry’s…
Lost Dinosaurs, The (2002): Dir. Bryan Bruce; The true story of Joan Wiffen who in 1975 discovered dinosaur bones in the remote Mangahuanga Stream (Hawkes Bay, New Zealand). Returning to the…
Off (.OFF.) (2002): Dir. Colin Hodson
Feat. Colin Hodson, Gregory King, George Rose…; Locally produced DV–feature which observes the activities of several drug associates, with a style both languid and, at times,…
Epitaph (TV Series) (2001): Feat. Paul Gittens; TV series that scours the cemeteries of New Zealand for the intriguing, weird and worthy tales of our ancestor's demises. Paul Gittens is the…
No One Can Hear You (2001): Dir. John Laing
Feat. Kelly McGillis, Craig Parker, Barry Corbin…; A serial–killing axe–fest set in the USA, but filmed in Auckland, New Zealand. Over the top performances almost lend camp appeal to…
Hopeless (2000): Dir. Stephen Hickey
Feat. Philip Pinner, Scott Wills, Adam Gardiner; Charming enough to have inspired a 26–episode TV series, this rookie Kiwi comedy boasts a genuine low–budget verve, a charismatic cast of…
Shirt, The (2000): Dir. John Laing
Feat. Brian Sargent, Kirsty King-Turner, Jeff Szusterman…; Chiefly the creation of Wellingtonian writer/producer Ross Bevan, this hits hard as a raw study of three career–junkies ‘led’ by a…
Whirling Man, The (2000): Dir. Gretchin Mornin, James Hollings
Feat. Arnold Brooker; Brief compelling whirl through the world of Arnold Brooker, an eccentric fixture on the streets of Wellington who campaigns for the rights of the…
Channeling Baby (1999): Dir. Christine Parker
Feat. Danielle Cormack, Kevin Smith; 'First sight' romance between a blind pacifist and a shell–shocked soldier in the 70s ended in heartbreak after the tragic 'disappearance' of…
Lunatics Ball, The (1999): Dir. Michael Thorp
Feat. Michael Daly, Jane Irwin, Sarah Ashworth…; Idiosyncratic indie set around a doctor’s efforts to apply his unorthodox ideas in a psych–ward which is slowly coming unstuck. More…
Punitive Damage (1999): Dir. Annie Goldson; Emotive documentary about the ordeal of an ordinary New Zealand mother, Helen Todd, who ultimately sued an Indonesian general for punitive damages…
Wild Blue (1999): Dir. Dale G. Bradley
Feat. Nicola Murphy, Judge Reinhold; The wilds of Otago serve as a backdrop for this modern drama, with young Nicola Murphy (MAGIK AND ROSE) returning to NZ to assume a postponed role of…
Gathering, The (1998): Dir. Kylie Plunkett; Document of the popular New Years Eve celebrations at Takaka Hill 1997–8, featuring a variety of dance–music, local DJs and of course,…
Hillary - A View From the Top (1998): Feat. Edmund Hillary; A straightforward, populist documentary about New Zealand’s most famous individual, mountaineer and philanthropist Sir Edmund…
Serious Shorts (Five NZ Short Films) (1998): Dir. Charlie de Salis, Neil Pardington, Stuart McKenzie; A collection of 5 short films from New Zealand. Specially compiled for educational purposes, this tape includes film analysis material between each…
Lost Valley (1997): Dir. Dale G Bradley
Feat. Andrea Thompson, Meg Foster, Mandie Gillette…; Straight–to–video local thriller concerning two backpackers (Meg Foster and Andrea Thompson) and their daughters (Mandie Gillette and…
Pop Eyed (1997): Extensive coverage of recent music–videos from current Flying Nun bands. Includes Superette, The Chills, Bike, Garageland etc.
Road to Jerusalem + Roaring Forties (1997): Dir. Bruce Morrison; Affectionate biography/homage tracing the life of the late great NZ poet James K Baxter. Admirable recitals of his verse complement many candid…
Ugly, The (1997): Dir. Scott Reynolds
Feat. Paolo Rotondo, Rebecca Hobbs, Jennifer Ward-Lealand; A local portrait of a serial killer – Auckland lad Scott Reynolds' transcends his derivative script with an audacious visual style that'll…
Whole of the Moon, The (1997): Dir. Ian Mune
Feat. Toby Fisher, Nikki Si'Ulepa, Pascale Bussieres…; Heartfelt yet uplifting story of two disparate teenage cancer patients who find strength in their misfortune. Dir. Ian Mune's talent for coaxing…
Betrayal, The (1996): Dir. John Anderson
Feat. Allen O'Leary; A dynamic mix of documentary, rare achive footage, and vivid dramatic recreations tells the extraordinary adventures of Kiwi Ron Jeffrey in wartime…
Chicken (1996): Dir. Grant Lahood
Feat. Cliff Curtis, Bryan Marshall, Martyn Sanderson…; Blackly comic farce about an middle–aged ex–pop–star–turned–fast–food–proprietor who is being stalked by a…
Cinema of Unease (1996): Dir. Sam Neill & Judith Rymer; Sam Neill essays a personal history of Kiwi film as a reflection of our national identity. From his big break in the landmark SLEEPING DOGS to the…
Letter to Blanchy (TV Series) (1996): Feat. Jon Gadsby, David McPhail; The comedy team of Jon Gadsby, David McPhail and A. K. Grant combined their talents for this successful local comedy series. Features the full length…
Loaded (1996): Dir. Anna Campion
Feat. Oliver Milburn, Dearbhla Molloy, Danny Cunningham…; Fans of Trainspotting will connect with this compelling snapshot of the E–generation – an acid–inflected psychodrama that unfolds…
Screenage Kicks (1996): Wide range of music–videos from Auckland and Wellington bands, incl. DLT, Shihad, Head like a Hole and Dead Flowers.
Greatest Moments In Sport, The (1995): A sterling compilation of world–famous sporting moments, matches and races from from Phar Lap's 1930 Melbourne Cup to Fermin Cacho Ruiz's 1500m…
Hairy Maclary (TV Series) (1995): Based on Kiwi Lynley Dodd's world famous series of children's books, here's ten shaggy dog stories animated in two volumes on tape or one DVD.
Last Tattoo, The (1995): Dir. John Reid
Feat. Kerry Fox, Rod Steiger, Robert Loggia…; Kerry Fox stars in this American–Kiwi co–produced WW2 drama as a public health nurse who uncovers a murder mystery and conspiracy…
Secrets (1993): Dir. Michael Pattinson
Feat. Noah Taylor, Willa O'Neill; During the Beatles' Melbourne tourdate of 1964, four Beatle–maniacs and an Elvis fan find themselves trapped together in a hotel basement,…
Te Video: Billy T James and Friends (1993): Feat. Billy T. James, Rima Te Wiata, Rawiri Paratene…; Compilation video featuring sketches from Billy T's inspired television show, including the pilot episode which was apparently never broadcast.
Typhon's People (1993): Dir. Yvonne MacKay
Feat. Alfred Molina, Sophie Lee, Michael Hurst…; Capable sci–fi thriller, scripted by Margaret Mahy, concerning dodgy genetic–engineering in a remote NZ research station. Stars local…
Absent Without Leave (1992): Dir. John Laing
Feat. Craig McLauchlan; Craig McLauchlan from Neighbours stars as a love–struck newly–wed on the run from the army during WW2. Slight nostalgia with lots of…
Footstep Man, The (1992): Dir. Leon Narbey
Feat. Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand; An ambitious psychological drama about a forlorn sound–effects man who becomes obsessed with the woman in a film he is working on. Technically…
Grampire (Moonrise) (1991): Dir. David Blyth
Feat. Al Lewis; The Munsters' Al Lewis turns up on our shores to star in a ghoulish comedy as the blood–sucking but well–meaning grandfather of a…
Married (1991): Dir. Gaylene Preston
Feat. Jed Brophy, Tracey Moore; Jed Brophy and Tracey Moore play newlyweds coping with sex roles and a communication breakdown one day in mythical NZ suburbia. Preston directs a…
Pleasures and Dangers (1991): A glance at the work and lives of six women artists in New Zealand; Alexis Hunter (painter), Alison MacLean (film–maker), Julia Morison…
Returning, The (1991): Dir. John Day
Feat. Phillip Gordon, Alison Routledge, Max Cullen; An enigmatic thriller following the fortunes of a high–strung attorney who inherits a rural homestead and finds himself drawn into an obsessive…
An Evening with Billy T. James and Howard Morrison (1990): Feat. Billy T. James, Sir Howard Morrisson; More hilarity from the legendary comic this time joined by Sir Howard. This was filmed towards the end of James' all too short life.
I Want to Die at Home (1990): Dir. Monique Oomen; A sensitive documentary about Elizabeth, a woman with terminal liver cancer who chose to die at home. This is the story of her dying wishes,…
Soldier's Tale, A (1990): Dir. Larry Parr
Feat. Gabriel Byrne; A tragic love story between a British soldier and a beautiful French woman who is accused of Nazi collaboration by the French resistance. Gabriel…
Undercover (1990): Dir. Yvonne MacKay
Feat. William Brandt; Telemovie depiction of the lifestyle of an undercover detective in NZ's drug underworld. A bit rough around the edges, but perhaps worth a look.
User Friendly (1990): Dir. Gregor Nicholas
Feat. William Brandt, Alison Bruce, Judith Gibson; An exuberant comic jaunt in which a mysterious kanine statuette becomes the object of hot pursuit for a number of crackpots, each keen to exploit its…
Zilch (1990): Dir. Richard Riddiford
Feat. Michael Mizrahi; Ominously–titled comedy–thriller in which a clerk (Michael Mizrahi) becomes involved in a conspiracy involving greedy money–men on…
Best of Billy T, The (1989): Feat. Billy T. James; A collection of fine moments from the TV career of New Zealand's very own comic genius.
Beyond Gravity (1989): Dir. Garth Maxwell
Feat. Iain Rea, Robert Pollock; Gay romance blossoms for a astronomy–obsessed technician when he encounters a free–spirited Italian.
Just Me and Mario (1989): Dir. Greg Stitt
Feat. Mark Hadlow; Mark Hadlow portrays a repressed individual obsessed with the music and life of Mario Lanza. It's a surreal, blackly comic take on suburban angst.
Kitchen Sink (1989): Dir. Alison Maclean
Feat. Theresa Healy, Peter Tait, Anagretta Christian; Three shorts from director Alison Maclean. Her 1989 award–winning Gothic horror is here paired with two earlier works, TALKBACK (1987), and the…
Kiwi Shorts Volume 2 (1989-1993): Dir. William Toepfer, Anthony McCarten, Jessica Hobbs; Another good sampling of eight short films funded by the NZ Arts Council and Film Commission – also compiled by the good folk at…
Send a Gorilla (1989): Dir. Melanie Read
Feat. Carmel McGlone, Katherine McRae, Perry Piercy; Valentine's Day spells chaos for three women who run a singing telegram company. A whimsical comedy set and filmed on location here in Wellington.
Colin McCahon - Victory Over Death (1988): Dir. Judy Rymer; An award–winning documentary on New Zealand's most controversial and profound contemporary artist, and the social environment that influenced…
Grasscutter, The (1988): Dir. Ian Mune
Feat. Terence Cooper, Joel Tobeck, Martin Maguire; A new life and identity in Dunedin proves to be no escape for a former IRA gunman who gave evidence that put 23 fellow terrorists behind bars.…
Kiwi Shorts Volume 1 (1988-1992): Dir. Grant Lahood, Scott Reynolds, Nicky Marshall; A good sampling of eight short films funded by the NZ Arts Council and Film Commission, including the classic "The Lounge Bar". Compiled by the good…
Never Say Die (1988): Dir. Geoff Murphy
Feat. Temuera Morrison; Geoff Murphy re–applies his GOODBYE PORK PIE formula for this good–natured action yarn which posits Temuera Morrison as an unwitting…
Short Takes: Comedy (1988-1994): Dir. Grant Lahood, George Port, William Toepfer; A prime selection of short and amusing New Zealand films: The Singing Trophy (Dir. Grant Lahood) 13m. Valley of the Stereos (Dir. George Port)…
Short Takes: Dark Tales (1988-1994): Dir. Scott Reynolds, Simon Bare, Don McGlashan; A choice selection of short and shady New Zealand films: Game With No Rules (Dir. Scott Reynolds) 17m. Eau De La Vie (Dir. Simon Bare) 13m. The…
Len Lye - Doodlings (1987): Dir. Keith Griffiths; A refreshing paean to New Zealand's best known avant–garde filmmaker (who is equally famous for his kinetic sculptures). Features clips from…
Mark II (1987): Dir. John Anderson; Three unemployed Maori youth embark on a bumpy ride south in their Mark II Ford Zephyr. The young novice actors exude charm and raw energy that…
Arriving Tuesday (1986): Dir. Richard Riddiford
Feat. Judy McIntosh, Peter Hayden; An estranged couple try to rekindle their romance by taking a holiday which only seems to make matters worse. A poignant love story.
Bridge to Nowhere (1986): Dir. Ian Mune
Feat. Bruno Lawrence; Young backpackers go bush and find themselves in a conflict of survival with bad–egg Bruno Lawrence.
Leave All Fair (1985): Dir. John Reid
Feat. John Gielgud, Jane Birkin; A rewarding drama set among the memories of John Middleton Murray (John Gielgud), husband of NZ writer Katherine Mansfield (Jane Birkin). Well worth…
Should I Be Good or Should I Be Evil? (1985): Dir. Graham McLean
Feat. Beaver , Harry Lyon; Musos Beaver and Harry Lyon from Hello Sailor have a bash at acting in a story based on the Mr Asia drug–ring. Music by Hammond Gamble.
Among the Cinders (1984): Dir. Rolf Haedrich
Feat. Paul O'Shea, Derek Hardwick, Yvonne Lawley; A tender chronicle of a 16–year–old's rite–of–passage who finds first love with an older woman embittered by her experience…
Heart of the Stag (1984): Dir. Michael Firth
Feat. Terence Cooper, Bruno Lawrence; A harrowing drama that deals frankly yet sensitively with the subject of incest. Terence Cooper plays a brutish farmer whose dreadful secret is soon…
King Pin (1984): Dir. Mike Walker
Feat. Nicholas Rogers, Junior Amega, Mitchell Manuel; Polynesian juveniles experience bonding, rivalry and violence at a child welfare training facility. Though budget constraints are evident, it's…
Other Halves (1984): Dir. John Laing
Feat. Lisa Harrow, Mark Pilisi; An unlikely relationship blossoms between a 32–year–old white woman and a polynesian street–kid half her age.
Issues Facing Women (1983-1987): Dir. Patricia Robins, Diana Rowan, Melanie Read
Feat. Judy McIntosh, Elizabeth McRae, Bridgette Allen…; Three short films from New Zealand made by and about women. Instincts (1987) 20 mins The story of a woman in a communal relationship in the 70's…
Savage Islands (Nate and Hayes) (1983): Dir. Ferninand Fairfax
Feat. Tommy Lee Jones, Michael O'Keefe; Tommy Lee Jones runs amok in the Pacific, clashing with pirates, missionaries, and a cannibalistic tribesman (played by Prince Tui Teka). Its clunky…
Wild Horses (1983): Dir. Derek Morton
Feat. Keith Aberdein, John Bach, Bruno Lawrence…; A Kiwi western set in Tongariro National Park, and based around real events and people associated with the wild equine inhabitants of the Central…
Battletruck (Warlords of the 21st Century) (1982): Dir. Harley Cokeliss
Feat. Michael Beck, Annie McEnroe, James Wainwright…; In the 21st Century oil wars have left civilisation verging on collapse. Lawlessness and anarchy are the order of this day in this…
Stories on Film (1982-1986): Dir. Larry Parr, Costa Botes, Lynton Butler
Feat. Bruno Lawrence, Annie Whittle; Three short films from New Zealand. The Makutu On Mrs. Jones (1986) 25 mins Based on a story by Witi Ihimaera, this short film is about a boys'…
Strata (1982): Dir. Geoff Steven
Feat. Nigel Davenport; Bold but failed attempt to emulate the arthouse cinema of European directors like Bergman, Tarkovsky and Antonioni in a New Zealand setting. Staged…
Skin Deep (1979): Dir. Geoff Steven
Feat. Ken Blackburn, Alan Jervis, Deryn Cooper; When an urban masseuse sets up at a legitimate health bar in a small South Island town she attracts as much demand for special services as…
War Years (1939-1945): An excellent representative selection of wartime footage shot by the National Film Unit during WW2. Originally distributed as newsreels, this…
Adventures in Maoriland: An insight into the making of 'Hei Tiki', a romantic drama by American Alexander Markey, circa 1930. From the Education and Resource Series.
Don't Blink: A compilation of short films and videos from students and independents in the South Island. Features 'Zero Graphic', 'Tuning In' and 'Domestic…
Keri Hulme: An encounter with the acclaimed writer by Gaylene Preston plus an except from Hulme's short story 'Hooks and Feelers'. From the Education and…
Len Lye - Vol 1. Free Radicals: Dir. Len Lye; Varied compilation of eight of Lye's highly original short films, ranging from the 1920s cell–animation Tusalava, the rhythmic psychedelia of…
New Zealand Animation: Dir. Various; A showcase of seven animated shorts demonstrating the diversity of local animation. Includes 'Cyclic', 'Speak', 'Jeopardy', 'The Assumption', 'Wog…
Newest City On the Globe: Dir. Peter Wells, Stewart Main; From the Education and Resource Series, this is Peter Wells and Stewart Main's film about our art deco city, Napier.
Noisyland: 17–track compilation from New Zealand's Flying Nun records – includes classic clips from Skeptics, NRA, The Gordons, Tall Dwarfs, The…
Wake: Dir. Annie Goldson; Annie Goldson's complex film that examines 'NZ as the promised land for immigrants'. From the Education and Resource series.
Walking Past Midnight / The Terrorist: Dir. Andrea Bosshard, Shane Loader; A pair of underseen short films from two Aro Valley film–makers.

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Subgenre Sampler