Movies
What is it like for kids to act in scary movies?
Some directors played off the genuine fear in their child actors while others protected their young talent.
Why do we love horror movies?
Mathias Clasen, associate professor and director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark is a horror researcher., and he joins Emile Donovan. Audio
Too scared to watch horror movies? Here are five to ease you into the genre
From a twisted take on Freaky Friday to a deeply satisfying 'eat the rich' fable, here are some Halloween movies that might give you a jolt but won't keep you up at night.
'Frodo at your wedding': Shock as Hollywood star gatecrashes Hobbiton ceremony
"I mean, if you're going to have a wedding crasher at a Hobbiton wedding, who better than Elijah Wood?"
Sam The Trap Man says there's an art to building a long drop
Gisborne conservationist Sam Gibson serves up "chuckly yarns" on Instagram. But in a new documentary, he argues the loss of our native forests is no joke.
Short-Cuts with Dan Slevin
Nights' resident screen critic joins Emile Donovan with some viewing recommendations for your long weekend. Audio
The mathematician who tried to game a national lottery
In Cork in the early 1990s Stefan Klincewicz spotted a flaw in the Irish national lottery and put his prodigious mathematical mind to exploiting it.
Review : Black Phone 2
Dan Slevin reviews a horror sequel set in a snowy Christian youth camp. Audio
Review : Mr Scorsese
Dan Slevin reviews a five-part Apple TV documentary series about the legendary director Martin Scorsese. Audio
At the Movies - Rebels and Renegades
Dan Slevin reviews two new films in cinemas: In Roofman, Channing Tatum plays an escaped convict who hides out in a toy store; Black Phone 2 is a horror sequel set in a snowy Christian youth camp; and… Audio
Review : Roofman
Channing Tatum plays an escaped convict who hides out in a toy store - reviewed by Dan Slevin. Audio
Pike River director: 'Always question those in power'
The Detail investigates how court processes failed the families of the 29 men who died, and why fifteen years later, they're still left with questions.
Two ordinary women
Fifteen years after the explosions at Pike River mine killed 29 men, a new feature film brings the families' ongoing fight for justice back into focus. Audio
The Detail: Famous faces, familiar voices at Auckland's big pop culture festival
You could walk past these prolific actors and not even notice you're among stars - until they open their mouths
Voice acting royalty at epic Armageddon
You could walk past these prolific actors and not even notice you're among stars - until they open their mouths Audio
Short-Cuts with Dan Slevin
Nights' resident screen critic joins Emile Donovan to review Black Phone 2 (2025), PIRAHNHA DD (2012) streaming for free on ThreeNow, and Kim's Video (2023) streaming on DocPlay. Audio
Review: What is Scarlett Johansson like as a director?
Eleanor the Great features that 96-year-old force of nature, June Squibb, but all the heavy lifting is being done by Scarlett Johansson in her directorial debut.
Review : Went Up The Hill
Australian-New Zealand co-production Went Up The Hill is a ghost story with a twist. Jack returns home for his mother's funeral, where he meets her widow, Jill. And it seems mum is reluctant to leave… Audio
Review : Eleanor The Great
Eleanor The Great sees a grieving 90-year-old woman - played by June Squibb (Thelma) - impersonate a Holocaust survivor with the best of intentions, she thinks. But it all gets away from her. Also… Audio
Review : Miss Violet
French favourite Miss Violet sees a woman with a mysterious past arrive in a rural village to take over the local school in the 1880s. But she runs into resistance from village parents who think of… Audio