Eat.Sleep.Movie.Repeat

A movie can be award-winning, travel the festival circuit, and still stumble hard in its first public week. We kick off by owning our box office prediction miss and digging into why a strong film can underperform, from subject matter and ratings to timing, audience mood, and the simple reality that opening weekend is not the only measure of success.

Then we get to the good stuff: what you should actually go see. We rave about Wicker, an adult fairy tale led by Olivia Colman that’s already getting “best film I’ve seen in ages” reactions, and we flag when it hits wider release after its festival run. We also spotlight 500 Days in the Wild, a remarkable documentary following Diane Whelan on a massive trek to reconnect with nature, plus a live Q&A that turns a screening into a real event. If you like stories with purpose, scenery, and perspective, this one belongs on your list.

From there, we shift into smart, watchable tension with Pressure, a World War II film built around the nerve-racking weather call behind D-Day. We talk about why forecasting the English Channel matters, how one cautious voice can collide with an impatient war machine, and why this story teaches you something you probably never learned in history class. We round things out with garden-themed programming, a classic that feels weirdly current, a gut-punch thriller pick, and a fresh box office prediction while the British and Irish Film Festival pulls focus with a deep bench of titles.

If you enjoy clear recommendations, festival intel, and honest talk about how cinemas survive, subscribe, share the show with a movie-loving friend, and leave a review. What film are you most excited to see next?

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

You can feel it when a film starts to catch. We open with a box office reality check on Heart of the Beast, then zoom out to the bigger question every movie fan has right now: what actually gets people off the couch and back into theaters in 2026? 

Dan from Matakana Cinemas joins us to talk about Big Girls Don’t Cry, an R16 New Zealand coming-of-age drama with genuine local DNA. We dig into why word of mouth matters more than ever, how Q&As change the energy of a screening, and why a filmmaker returning to the cinema where they once worked can turn a small release into a must-see community event. If you care about independent cinema, New Zealand film, and how movies build momentum, this one hits home. 

We also get honest about horror overload with Other Mommy, the economics that keep scary movies coming, and why a smart Hitchcock season can be a better Halloween play for some cinemas. From there we jump into The Wizard of the Kremlin, then break down the British and Irish Film Festival lineup and the kinds of titles that can keep smaller screens thriving between major tentpoles. 

If you enjoy box office predictions, film festival recommendations, and behind-the-scenes cinema programming talk, subscribe, share the episode with a movie friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

A box office “miss” can still become a lifelong favorite and Tombstone is the proof. We sit down with our first-ever guest, Constable Bryan Ward to unpack why this 1993 Western keeps getting rewatched, re-quoted, and re-loved. From “I’m Your Huckleberry” to the Latin back-and-forth, we dig into what made Doc Holliday iconic and why Val Kilmer’s performance still feels untouchable.

We also bring our usual movie podcast chaos: a reality check on last week’s box office prediction for Practical Magic 2, plus the bigger question behind the numbers. When does nostalgia actually fill seats, and when does a sequel only make sense on paper? Brian shares what he’s been watching lately, including Spider-Man, Jackass, and the 1984 Transformers movie in 4K, and we talk about the growing pull of repertory cinema for both kids and parents chasing their own childhood.

Then we get practical. Ross recommends Heart Of The Beast, the new Brad Pitt movie filmed in New Zealand that comes with a simple promise: bring a tissue. We wrap with a school holiday movie guide (Shaun The Sheep, The Last Whale Singer, Hunger Games screenings, Paw Patrol and more), then lock in our next box office bet and check the season scoreboard. If you like smart movie talk, clear recommendations, and a few laughs along the way, hit subscribe, share the show with a film friend, and leave us a review.

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

Spider-Man finally gives up the top spot, and somehow that’s not the headline. The real story is what the New Zealand box office looks like when one mega hit soaks up all the oxygen and everything else fights for scraps. We’re Brent Harbour and Ross Churchell, and we kick things off by asking what’s actually happening in cinemas right now, because the numbers are telling a surprisingly blunt truth about audience attention.

Then we get into the week’s biggest cautionary tale: Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars. On paper, it’s a dream package of director credibility and an all star cast, but the opening week result lands with a thud. We compare our box office predictions to the real take, talk through why it underperforms locally and worldwide, and dig into the theories that keep coming up, from “apocalypse fatigue” to the way repeat viewing of event films can quietly crush everything else on the release calendar.

From there, we shift to what’s next and what might actually pull people back to theaters. Practical Magic returns with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, leaning hard into cult nostalgia, streaming rediscovery, and that “group night out” energy. We also run through Runner, De Gaulle Liberté, and the wildly specific Kiwi comedy Mum I’m Alien Pregnant, plus a look at the school holiday movie lineup and why timing matters. Before we wrap, we spotlight Heart of the Beast, filmed in New Zealand and starring Brad Pitt, a survival story with real heart and special loyalty club screenings.

If you like smart, upbeat movie talk, New Zealand cinema releases, and box office reality checks, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review. What movie do you think will surprise everyone at the box office next?

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

Spider-Man is still sitting on the throne, Odyssey won’t stop printing money, and that success is creating a weird problem: smaller movies can’t get out of the gate. We dig into the New Zealand box office numbers, what that dominance does to new releases, and why it’s both great news and a real headache for anyone trying to launch a mid-sized film or a festival gem.

Then we zoom out to the bigger cinema industry shift we’re hearing about: studios planning to extend theatrical windows again starting in 2027. We talk through what a longer cinema-only run could mean for movie marketing, audience buzz, and the streaming vs theaters balance. If you care about the big screen experience, this is one of those behind-the-scenes changes that actually affects what movies get made and how long they get to find their audience.

From there, it’s a rapid-fire guide to what to watch next. We spotlight Case 137, a French drama that digs into a protest shooting and the pressure to protect an institution, and we size up Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, a virus-survival thriller with a killer cast that deserves a proper theater view. We also preview September’s packed lineup, including the Oasis Don’t Look Back In Anger tour film (plus a vinyl giveaway at Cafe Cinemas Kerikeri and Lido Cinemas Hamilton), Practical Magic 2 buzz, and the underdog we can’t stop talking about: Coyote vs Acme, the “tax write-off” movie that got rescued and is now getting rave reviews.

If you like staying ahead of new releases and you want smarter movie picks, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a quick review so more people can find it.

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

Spider-Man isn’t just “doing well” right now, it’s detonating records and dragging the whole theatrical ecosystem upward with it. We break down what those massive numbers mean through a New Zealand cinema lens: packed sessions, repeat viewings, and the underrated ripple effect where one blockbuster primes audiences for everything else playing on the big screen. If you’ve missed the feeling of theaters buzzing, this is the kind of weekend that brings it back.

From there, we pivot to what’s new and worth your time. The End Of Oak Street is our big spotlight pick, a tight, 80s-tinged adventure where a family’s suburban world gets ripped into a prehistoric nightmare. Think dinosaurs, jump scares, comedy, and that throwback “go on, take the kids” energy. We talk vibe, audience fit, and why marketing the nostalgia angle matters when Spider-Man and other mega-titles are still dominating attention.

We also hit a lineup that proves cinema isn’t one-size-fits-all: Cat Video Fest as a surprisingly powerful crowd event with 10% going to local cat charities, De Gaulle Tilting Iron as a bilingual historical war epic with a second part on the way, One Night Only as a weirdly smart high-concept comedy, and Primavera as an Italian period drama rooted in classical music and Vivaldi. Listen through, then subscribe, share the show with a movie-loving friend, and leave a review to help more people find us.

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

Spider-Man is not just “back” right now, it’s steamrolling the conversation, the queues, and the box office. We’re recording while Ross is mid-shift at Cathay Cinemas, running on a skeleton crew, watching packed sessions roll in, and counting a truly absurd number of popcorn scoops. That real-world cinema perspective sets the tone for a grounded, numbers-driven chat about what’s pulling people off the couch and into a dark room for two hours. 

We break down the New Zealand box office result for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and why a director’s brand can add real lift even when money is tight. Then we look ahead to a smart piece of franchise planning: all five Hunger Games films returning to theaters before Sunrise on the Reaping, with ideas on how to program a marathon during school holidays. We also make space for a smaller, emotional release, H Is For Hawk, a drama about loss and healing through an unexpected bond with a goshawk. 

The main deep dive is Spider-Man Brand New Day: why this version of Peter Parker stays so watchable, how the story picks up years after the last film, and whether you need homework to enjoy it. We also get nerdy about formats, including why 3D might be the sleeper way to see it, and we zoom out to the bigger release calendar where Dune 3 and Avengers Doomsday are set to collide on the same day. Finally, we put our pride on the line with a huge opening-week bet for Spider-Man in New Zealand: $5.5M vs $6.1M. 

If you love movie news, box office forecasting, and honest cinema talk from people living it, hit subscribe, share the show with a movie friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us.

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

We settle our Moana box office bet and dig into why critics and audiences can see the same movie so differently. Then we look ahead to a packed slate, celebrate indie cinema community, remember Sam Neill, and put our money down on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. 
• school holiday box office context and why legs matter after July 
• Moana live-action numbers and what “underperform” really means 
• Rotten Tomatoes critic score vs audience score as a signal 
• upcoming releases including Spider-Man Brand New Day, Eye Object, Savage House, and NZ International Film Festival 
• why longer runtimes change the theater experience and how to plan a screening 
• Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk and the role of documentaries in cinemas 
• Great Indie Cinema Road Trip and Kate Rodger joining the show soon 
• remembering Sam Neill and the films that define a generation 
• The Odyssey cast, IMAX buzz, and our opening-week prediction showdown 
Odyssey this weekend, go out and check that out. 

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

We argue over New Zealand box office wins and losses as Toy Story surges on nostalgia while Minions and Monsters opens far below expectations. Then we preview the school holiday slate and put bold opening-week numbers on the line for Moana Live Action while sharing indie and upcoming films we think could surprise. 
• reconciling our box office guesses and the running scoreboard 
• why Toy Story connects with both kids and adults 
• why Minions and Monsters may be delayed by holiday timing 
• quick recommendations for The Invite and Jackass Best and Last 
• Moana Live Action cast details and the New Zealand angle 
• our Moana opening-week predictions and scheduling worries 
• indie presentation highlights including I Play Rocky and Savage House 
• what we’re watching for across the rest of the year, from Spider-Man to Practical Magic 2 
do go on our website at www.cafecinemas.co dot nz. Check out the coming soon page 

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!

A movie can be genuinely fun, get decent reviews, and still face-plant at the box office, and that contradiction kicks off our latest chat. We’re Brent Harbour and Ross Church, and we open with a hard look at Masters of the Universe in New Zealand cinemas, why the numbers stall, and why timing and money anxiety can matter more than nostalgia. Box office results don’t automatically equal quality, but they do reveal what audiences are willing to pay for right now. 

From there, we zoom out to the school holiday movie season and the real-world challenge of cinema programming. Toy Story 5 arrives with full generational momentum and a surprisingly timely premise: toys squaring off against the glow of an electronic device that hijacks playtime. We talk early performance signals, why families plan their spending, and why older titles can vanish fast when new “must-see” kids movies take over the screens. 

We also hit two wildly different examples of how movies find audiences. Obsession shows how a low-budget horror film can explode into a global phenomenon through concept and word of mouth, while Rescued Hearts proves a documentary can sell out when the community is real and the story lands, especially around themes like autism, anxiety, and the human-horse bond. We wrap with our opening-week box office predictions for Minions and Monsters and Toy Story 5, plus a peek at what we’re tracking next. 

If you like smart, practical movie talk with a New Zealand cinema lens, subscribe, share this with a movie friend, and leave a review. What film are you most excited to see during the holidays?

Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here  -   or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!