As the death toll rises in Haiti, I fear for those lost and hungry. And as humanitarian efforts to save lives and stabilise the country increase, I find more fears stirring within me. These fears arise as I look back at history and see patterns that are all too familiar.
Haiti is a nation in desperate poverty caused by centuries of colonialism, struggles for freedom, crippling foreign debt and bad luck. An eerie foreshadowing of the situation still faced by many Third World nations, Haiti was turned from a prosperous agricultural society – albeit produced via the use of slavery – into [...]
We’ll lay our cards out on the table right up front. Firstly, no one makes a bad movie that generates over $1.5 billion and counting. There’s probably a point (in dollar terms) where style and taste end and commercial logic begins, and surely Avatar has crossed it by now. It’s also earned (see what I did there?) a place in history by being polarising, by perfectly showcasing the paradox of the blockbuster: to make a movie, or to make money? James Cameron would have us believe he has achieved both. We disagree.
You see a film like Avatar only comes along every [...]
Seeing as it’s won numerous awards, I’m sure that most of you have either seen Avatar or heard extensive hyperbole about it. However, unbeknownst to most movie-goers, Avatar has a long history. Back in 1994 James Cameron came up with an 80-page script in two weeks for a possible game-changing science fiction movie. In 1996, following the completion of Titanic, Cameron announced that the movie he wanted to make would feature computer generated and driven characters “who appear to be real but do not exist in the physical world”. He decided to shelve plans to begin shooting the movie because he [...]
Army of Two –The 40th Day
(Xbox 360)
Our boys from the first Army of Two have wound up in Shanghai and things are a bit different this time around. It’s the same Army of Two you all know but with a twist. There’s this new gimmick – morality – which is now part of certain cut scenes; scenarios like “kill the near extinct Siberian tiger and get some cash for it, or let it live and get nothing but a clear conscience”. Similar to this is the concept of camaraderie you have with your partner, where you are given the option [...]
John Kingi
Kia Ora. I’m John Kingi, your AUSA Welfare Officer for 2010. AUSA provides a variety of services to ensure that students can access extra help if they need it. Currently we have two main services which you can draw on if the going gets tough.
Food bank: AUSA runs a small food bank to help those students who may need a bit of extra food to tide them over. You can apply through the AUSA reception, in AUSA House on Alfred Street or you can pick up application forms in the WAVE department (follow the corridor by Munchy Mart) or [...]
I can’t say I’ve ever walked out of a play. I’ve wanted to – a combination of weak plots, bad American Naturalism acting, and sheer boredom have threatened to drive me out. My good upbringing and fear of the theatre Gods keeps my bum planted. Auckland’s Short+Sweet Festival is one show you are almost guaranteed not to walk out on; just as you decide you hate the play, and gain the courage to begin to begin to move, a new play begins.
Short+Sweet is a 10 minute play festival. Aucklanders may already be familiar with the concept with shows like S2 Production’s [...]
Film Extra with Hugh Lilly
The inaugural Hola México Film Festival ran at the Rialto Cinemas in Newmarket from January 13—20 and featured a wide range of cinematic entertainment from a country with a growing passion (and emerging talent) for filmmaking. Films on offer ranged from festival favourite Sin Nombre to more adventurous fare like actor-director Gerardo Naranjo’s Voy a Explotar—produced by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal—which follows two runaway teenagers on a road trip, and proves Jean-Luc Godard’s maxim “All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun.” The festival will run again next year in [...]
