Loop Track (2023)

 

A New Zealand thriller, of sorts, where the baddie is ever slowly revealed to those who don’t believe it exists. Most of the film is a slow buildup, but to me, this kiwi juice wasn’t worth the squeeze. 

Rating: C-

Love Birds (2011)

Typical goofy New Zealand humor with a young Rhys Darby in the lead role. The quirky love story is hard not to like. It doesn’t hurt if you also enjoy ducks and the music of Queen. I do. 

Rating: C+

Little Monsters (2019)

A dark, funny, twisted New Zealand zombie flick with a heart. Sweet, yet with a ton of language, violence, and sexual themes. So not for the kiddos. This adult enjoyed it a lot though. Great ending that even made me tear up.

Rating: B

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

The Office meets Interview With A Vampire. Mildly entertaining. More gory than I thought it would be.

Rating: C

Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016)

An absolute New Zealand delight! Watching this will make you want to grab your dog and head off into the wilderness with your crazy uncle to live off the land. Very funny with a great soundtrack.

Rating: A

Eagle vs Shark (2007)

A quirky New Zealand film with great music, odd characters, and uncomfortable scenes. I enjoyed it in the sense that I enjoy watching atypical films. Far from a classic though.

Rating: C

Slow West (2015)

A picturesque New Zealand takes the place of America in this throwback western. Gorgeous cinematography throughout. Lovely counter play between character development and action sequences. The pacing was just right. Simple story; well told.

Rating: B

Meet The Feebles (1989)

A scary look at Peter Jackson's roots, the man behind The Lord of the Rings. All the "actors" are puppets, and if you are thinking "The Muppets Take Manhattan", you'd be making a huge mistake.

Take Kermit, Mrs. Piggy, and the rest, string them out on crack, then let the cameras roll. This is one messed up movie. You will see all kinds of puppet on puppet inappropriate behavior. Barney wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes on this set. In fact, the mortality rate of puppets in this movie is very short. A better Peter Jackson classic to check out is The Frighteners, with Michael J Fox. However, if you are looking for good-weird, try Brain Dead.

Rating: C-

Dead Alive (Braindead) (1992)

Holy crap, what a gory mess! Certainly one of the bloodiest zombie movies I’ve ever seen, but since the violence was so over-the-top cartoony nonsense, it was more laughable than scary.

Peter Jackson produced some pretty jacked up films at the beginning of his career. Case in point, the puppet abomination Meet The Feebles. But, out of that twisted mind came the cinematic genius we have today. Worth checking out for the old school special effects, or if you’re having friends over for a Halloween party.

Rating: C-

Black Sheep (2006)

Along the same lines as Slither, but with sheep of course. Well written and shot—you'll get what you pay for. Assuming you paid for zombie sheep ripping the guts out of their ill fated victims. If you didn't pay for that, well, could you send me some money? I'll promptly send you something you didn't pay for.

Rating: C