School holidays don’t just test your patience, they test your planning. We kick things off by settling our Oscars scorecard and checking how our New Zealand box office predictions stacked up, then we jump straight into the real question parents are asking: what’s actually worth seeing at the cinema over the break?

We walk through a lineup built for families and kids, including The Magic Faraway Tree and why nostalgia is driving interest, the Super Mario Galaxy movie as the likely blockbuster, and Pixar’s Hoppers as a younger-leaning animated pick with a clear environmental message. We also touch on extra options still on screens, plus special programming like the Hunt for the Wilderpeople 10th anniversary re-release, an R16 horror-comedy called They Will Kill You, and even a marathon-length opera screening for the diehards. With budgets tight, we spotlight where $10 tickets can make a proper night out feel possible again.

Then we zoom out to the moviegoing experience itself. We both rate Project Hail Mary a strong 9/10 and talk about why it’s the kind of sci-fi you should see on the biggest screen you can find, along with the smart marketing that’s helping it cut through. We finish with practical cinema tips that save your day when it’s raining and busy: pre-booking, leaving earlier, handling queues, picking aisle seats with kids, and the simple etiquette rules that make a shared theatre work.

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