So I made a cool job for myself: I go through a massive list of what’s playing in every cinema in New Zealand and write down a list of limited/one-off screenings that Kiwis might not know are playing. Then I defiantly say “YOU MUST KNOW THESE ARE PLAYING RIGHT NOW!”
Here’s this week’s selection.
The Iron Giant
Playing Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th in 6 regions
If you missed Brad Bird’s animated masterpiece at the NZIFF Autumn Events earlier this year, then you can redeem yourself this weekend. Tickets are only $8. That’s a steal. Don’t waste your spare change on pointless things like food.
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
The Fits
Playing in limited release at Academy Cinemas (Auckland)
From out of nowhere, Academy has nabbed this highly-praised feature from director Anna Rose Holmer. Rolling Stone considers it “cinema poetry in motion.”
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
Tunnel
Playing in limited release at Event Broadway (Auckland), Hoyts Wairau Park (Auckland) & Hoyts Northland (Canterbury)
This cool-looking Korean drama follows an Average Joe who becomes trapped in a tunnel that collapses on both sides. A rescue party comes to his aid immediately, but the operation proves difficult. As time passes and the funding grows uncomfortably high, it brings up an unsettling question: how much is a human life worth?
Variety calls it “a lean, enjoyable disaster story that happily spends more time focusing on character than spectacle, though visual effects are impressive.”
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
The Castle
8:00pm, Friday 26th August at Event Broadway (Auckland)
As part of their Friday Flashback series, the Event Cinemas on Newmarket are bringing back the Australian comedy classic about a family who happily reside near the busy Melbourne airport. When the Government and airline authorities attempt to force them to leave their home, the family fight for their right to stay, taking the battle all the way to the High Court.
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Playing Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th in 7 regions
Square Enix’s fantasy videogame series gets a feature for its 15th entry, starring the voices of Lena Headey, Sean Bean, and Aaron Paul. If you’re not in-the-know about Final Fantasy stuff, this movie looks like a pretty choice combo of Attack on Titan and The Order: 1886. And if you’re not in-the-know about those two things, then kia kaha.
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
The Shining
3:30pm, Sunday 28th August at The Embassy (Wellington)
The late Stanley Kubrick continues to freak people out from beyond the grave with his classic adaptation of Stephen King’s novel that everyone loves – except Stephen King.
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
Pawno
Playing in limited release at Rialto Newmarket (Auckland) & Paramount (Wellington)
A Melbourne pawnbrokers acts as the epicentre of 12 different stories in this comedic independent drama that Time Out Sydney reckons is “in the vein of Kevin Smith’s Clerks and Wayne Wang’s Smoke.”
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
A Flickering Truth
Playing in limited release at Rialto Newmarket (Auckland), Alice Cinematheque (Christchurch), Light House Petone (Wellington) & Rialto Dunedin
Award-winning Kiwi filmmaker Pietra Brettkelly (Māori Boy Genius) tracks the journey of an Afghan actor-director looking to save and restore a treasure trove of local film archive before they deteriorate.
In his four-and-a-half star review, Graeme Tuckett stated: “If you care at all about film, about recent history, or just about the ways in which we tell each other stories, then you won’t soon forget that you have seen it. Hugely recommended.”
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
Purple Rain
6.15pm, Sunday 28th August at Deluxe Cinemas (Christchurch)
Deluxe Cinemas has a one-off screening of the musical drama starring the late Prince.
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
Chef
7:30pm, Friday 26th August at Arthur’s Cinema (Otago)
In between ruling the cinemas with 2008’s Iron Man and this year’s The Jungle Book, director Jon Favreau made this humble culinary comedy about a chef (duh) who dumps his fancy-pants restaurant gig to explore his passion independently – and in a food truck.
Flicks critic Dominic Corry reckons “Chef very much deserves to join Big Night and Dinner Rush in the canon of great American food movies.” Flicks user Chef-lover69 also reckons “This is the greatest movie of all time!!!!1!!”
Find Session Times and Book Tickets
