Hooray for the Telecom International Film Festival! I'm actually enjoying this YUCK weather, because it gives me an excuse to go escape into a movie theater. The festival started on July 13, and I saw The Signal that night. What a great twist on the zombie genre! I also saw Sherrybaby, which was well done, and reminded me of Trees Lounge, which is also about a loser addict. The other movies I've got tickets for are:
There are a few others I will probably add. Yep, the majority of my picks are horror or thriller. Even The Planet might be classified as horror, as I expect it's approch to be cynical about the future. We shall see.
We've rented a few DVDs from the local rental shop, but scratches on them have caused malfunction in the playback. Most notably, I missed the end of Saw II because of the poor quality of the DVD. So rather than rent there anymore, we have subscribed to DVD Unlimited. They are the NZ version of Netflix, which allows you to pick your movies online and then mails it to you with a pre-paid return envelope. DVD unlimited is more expensive than Netflix, has a smaller selection, and pathetic search functionality. Just browse their new releases, and you get such blockbusters as Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). Hey, where's Pick of Destiny?! It is, after all, the greatest motion picture of all time!
Regardless, I did find Zombie Holocaust (mistaken for Cannibal Holocaust). This is one of the worst movies ever made! The only redeeming value is the nudity of the female lead- a tall blonde Aryan ice queen. There is not even a whisper of sex in the film, but plenty of fake organ-eating. Cannibal Holocaust is apparently banned in New Zealand. The removal of scenes of real animal cruelty allowed its release in Australia and the US, but we still can’t see it here.
Speaking of animal cruelty, to which I am opposed, the New Zealand government will, as a rule, euthanize your dog if it bites a person or another dog, even if that person or dog is trespassing on your property. If your house was being robbed, and the dog bit the robber, your dog would be destroyed. I met a woman at a party on Saturday (hosted by my dear friends Adam and Roberta)
who is writing a thesis on Animal Law, who informed us of this depressing fact. (She's next to me in the photo of us playing Black Sabbath in the game Guitar Hero) Apparently there have been a few high profile dog mauling deaths that resulted in this severe penalty. Here's what the Dog Control Act of 1996 says about naughty dogs:
Speaking of animal cruelty, to which I am opposed, the New Zealand government will, as a rule, euthanize your dog if it bites a person or another dog, even if that person or dog is trespassing on your property. If your house was being robbed, and the dog bit the robber, your dog would be destroyed. I met a woman at a party on Saturday (hosted by my dear friends Adam and Roberta)
who is writing a thesis on Animal Law, who informed us of this depressing fact. (She's next to me in the photo of us playing Black Sabbath in the game Guitar Hero) Apparently there have been a few high profile dog mauling deaths that resulted in this severe penalty. Here's what the Dog Control Act of 1996 says about naughty dogs:Dogs rushing at persons, animals, or vehicles
(1)This section applies to a dog in a public place that—
(a)rushes at, or startles, any person or animal in a manner that causes—
(i)any person to be killed, injured, or endangered; or
(ii)any property to be damaged or endangered; or
(b)rushes at any vehicle in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause, an accident.
(2)If this section applies,—
(a)the owner of the dog commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000 in addition to any liability that he or she may incur for any damage caused by the dog; and
(b)the court may make an order for the destruction of the dog.
(3)A dog control officer or dog ranger who has reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed under subsection (2)(a) may, at any time before a decision of the court under that subsection, seize or take custody of the dog and may enter any land or premises (except a dwellinghouse) to do so.]
Pretty harsh, I think. Makes me think twice about getting another dog. But, look at the adorable Rottweiler puppies, bred by Rita Grenyer. I want one!! 
These two are two weeks old and taken.
These two are two weeks old and taken.
