7 Days was funny. It helped that, unlike Off the Wire in its Radio NZ incarnation, it clearly doesn't have a bunch of cardigan-wearing internal censors hovering over it.

Awww... you don't give yourself enough credit. I remember one occasion where David and I were sitting in the car, politely?

for Prime, produced by Touchdown and featuring Holmes and Hosking.

Is that a recipe for comedic disaster or wot!

All it needs now is something approaching the intelligence and?

'7 Days' looked like a (very welcome) re-working of the BBC's / Hat Trick Production's 'Have I Got News For You'. The set certainly looked like a homage to the BBC version; at least the incarnation I remember from 2005.

It has a bit of 'Mock the Week' too. But?

It's just so Bunnythorpe.

Snap.

I have a suspicion that I will prefer what Weta did with District 9 than this.

You should definitely have a look. I saw District 9 yesterday and strongly recommend it. Imagine a gritty-looking low-budget South African hybrid of The Office, Robocop, Cronenberg's The Fly and Starship Troopers and you're?

'7 Days' looked like a (very welcome) re-working of the BBC's / Hat Trick Production's 'Have I Got News For You'.

I had the same thought but local news makes for local wit (and as Steve Allen famously said "Imitation is the sincerest form of lelevision').

Love the Bunnythorpe painting..if?

I was mighty impressed by the first episode of Outrageous Fortune when they repeated it.

So was I, but I think it's fair comment to say that OF's blend of broad "white trash gone boink" comedy and heart-squishing drama is extremely difficult to pull off and, for me, the first?

You should definitely have a look. I saw District 9 yesterday and strongly recommend it.

Me too. As Fiona pointed out to me, it has plenty of guns and things blowing up, but distinguishes itself from other movies like that by also being jam-packed with story.

Anyone been to 'Inglorious Basterds' yet? It is indeed violent and amoral, but also a heap of fun. Sort of a revenge/fantasy for the thinking classes!

Jews Gone Wild! :) Haven't laughed so much, or felt quite so dirty for doing so, for years. Also rather disturbed to see Eli?

Me too. As Fiona pointed out to me, it has plenty of guns and things blowing up, but distinguishes itself from other movies like that by also being jam-packed with story.

And while PJ deserves props for getting the film made (and working his arse off promoting it, which probably?

Inglorious Basterds?

Apparently when Halo fell over and Jackson decided that Alive would be a perfect vehicle for this director he rated, he had?

Inglorious Basterds left me a bit disappointed...I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it just didn't quite deliver for me – not a bad watch at all, but certainly didn't live up to the hype (IMO).

Someone said to me that Kill Bill felt like a movie about other?

Otherwise, Tarantino since Jackie Brown (sinfully under-rated, IMO) is like being a tone-deaf blind man trying to make sense of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Hear hear. Oh how we miss the person who made Reservoir Dogs.

I'd imagine Cameron can better that stylistically. But 'Up' was?

Otherwise, Tarantino since Jackie Brown (sinfully under-rated, IMO) is like being a tone-deaf blind man trying to make sense of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

I dunno... he still does cool-looking, violent things, but where I think he's lost his way is the ear for dialogue. He was always stylised but now?

would have been willing to give "7 Days" a go except for the fact that both Dai Henwood and Jeremy Corbett make me break out in hives...

That sounds uncomfortable... I imagine you running from the room screaming when caught by surprise "7 Days" promos while watching other TV.

I?

I still thought some scenes in Kill Bill were totally, totally awesome, though. And when the talking stopped, Death Proof was really fun.

Indeed — but I also understand people who find QT way too film-wanky to be interesting. I get the nods to Sergio Leone, Brian De Palma, Kinji?

Saw 'Up' yesterday in 3D It was a great family film, recommend it.

Pixar has some seriously good shit filters in place. I like some of their stuff more than others — Wall*E and The Incredibles are pure genius. Cars and A Bug's Life not so much — but there's?

Gemma has posted this season's New Artland lineup.

And there's some brilliant news about Chris's progress:

Aug 20:

Chris is doing well. Words are still difficult but walking is improving all the time. He does get very tired at?

Yay! Simultaneous happy thoughts for Chris, everyone!

Indeed. And apart from being very cheering, it's a fascinating lesson in how brains work. The maths-and-music part seems to have taken less of a knock — hence the many hands of poker played in the early weeks, and his melodic musings. But?

Am I correct in thinking you still need special glasses to see these 3D films, and the only advance is they are polarised instead of different colours.

You are correct on both points.

My socks were blown off by the Avatar preview. Although I do wish Cameron would get off?

Am I correct in thinking you still need special glasses to see these 3D films, and the only advance is they are polarised instead of different colours.

Yes, but every part of the process — glasses, projector, screen, original photography — has begun to get really good. I've seen 3D?

I know what you mean, but Corbett was actually amusing. Am now rethinking everything I thought I knew.

Having shared panels with him, I think he's one of the most naturally funny people I've ever met. The trick is getting him in a different context than commercial breakfast radio.

It's?

It's a bit the same with Dai Henwood — he's actually really smart, and that becomes more obvious when he's not doing his dirty-jokes-for-the-kids thing.

No disagreement there. I've got a lot of time for Dai.

Saw District 9 last night, but... nah, didn't do much for me. I found it a?

Yes I know I could munge my IP (thus making their cultural xenophobia even more pointless) but I'm not?

and so nice to see kiwi comics allowed to just run wild

if TV3 persists witth this blatant copyright infringement will it lead to?

Am I correct in thinking you still need special glasses to see these 3D films, and the only advance is they are polarised instead of different colours.

Actually the Avatar screening in Auckland didn't have a silver screen or polarised glasses ? instead it used the Dolby 3D process, which?

Dai Henwood — he's actually really smart,

All the really funny people I know (not famous comedians) are also rather clever... but not all the clever people I know are funny.

In general,?

Also, the picture would have been better on a silver screen because you need all the brightness you can get when you're watching a movie through glasses that cut the overall brightness by a minimum of 50%.

Thanks for that, Steve. Although I must say that I wasn't conscious of?

and neat to learn about "Avatar" – went under my radar (which is mainly anime/animation.)

"Up" – have already viewed every available trailer;
"Coraline" – am so looking forward to this! Love Gaiman's fiction, and all the fantalk has been that this is?

While DC comics retain

Ian, who owns the dog in a cape? I always had a soft spot for Superdog..canines do that to me.

who owns the dog in a cape?

Simon, I'd figure it's DC Comics property...
created in 1955 by Otto Binder and Curt Swan – so well after Joe and Jerry – and really part of the expanded origins – back when they were "superfying" everything?

Krypto, the dog of steel...

Inspiration for the parody/cheap knock-off Dynomutt, aka Klepto, the dog of steal?

And while PJ deserves props for getting the film made (and working his arse off promoting it, which probably had a lot to do with the extremely impressive US$37 million opening weekend in the States) how about the actual writer/director Neil Blomkamp getting some more ink? :)

Wee story here,?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUtEUnGWI_g

Hmm, Christopher Nolan returns.

At least Nolan hasn't been railroaded into hacking out another Batman film, which I was worried Warners would do before Heath Ledger's post-mortem halo totally fades.