The physical doors at Auckland's Academy cinema may be temporarily closed but its virtual doors have just swung wide open.
The arthouse treasure has just launched its very own streaming service, Academy On Demand, to bring a selection of carefully curated movies that's sure to satisfy the most demanding of local film fans.
If you're looking for something more esoteric, unusual or thoughtful than the average big-budget blockbuster then you're sure to find it among their whopping 69 movie launch line-up.
We're talking the likes of hugely acclaimed features such as Parasite, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Nicholas Cage's blood-splattered action-horror Mandy. You can also keep it Kiwi with local films such as Ant Timpson's crazed Come to Daddy and the powerful and challenging Waru, which centres around a tangi.
These and many, many others are all available to rent for 48 hours and will cost between $4.99 and $7.99.
Academy fans who depend on the Monthly Staff Picks to guide them will be pleased to know that much-loved feature will continue on Academy On Demand, as will the ever popular $5 Wednesday specials. If you're not sure what you feel like viewing, as well as searching through genres, you can also jump to descriptive categories like Female Focus, Documentary and Academy Curated.
"Even though our cinema venue is closed for now due to COVID-19 prevention, we're so pleased to reassure our loyal customers that Academy is going nowhere," Callum Freeman, Venue Manager at Academy Cinemas said. "With the lockdown currently in effect, we're thrilled to provide a quality selection of cinema for New Zealanders who want to see independent films and cinemas thrive, even from their own living rooms."
So pull the curtains, pop the corn and visit ondemand.academycinemas.co.nz.

As countries around the world struggle to keep citizens inside to stop the spread of Covid-19, Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, is trying something a bit different.
In a bid to encourage Ugandans to stay home during the country's lockdown, the 75-year-old leader has released his own home workout video.
So far, there have been 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Uganda, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University and the country's Ministry of Health.
On Wednesday, Museveni took to Twitter to warn Ugandans not to exercise outdoors, writing: "If you want to exercise, you can do that indoors."
In a video posted Thursday, Museveni is seen running barefoot around his office and doing push-ups in a gray tracksuit. As the leader does his reps, aides can be heard in the background of the video counting him up to 30.
"Yesterday, I discouraged people who have been jogging in groups, exposing themselves to risk amidst the COVID-19 pandemic," the president wrote Thursday.
"You do not have to go outdoors to exercise. Here is my demonstration of how you can exercise indoors and stay safe," he added.
Uganda has issued several presidential directives aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus, including a curfew that started on March 31.
On March 18, schools were closed and public rallies, conferences and communal prayers banned. Further lockdown measures have placed restrictions on transportation and movement, and nonessential services have been told to close.
New Zealander Darin Walsh, who works for Kiwi Charity Orphans Aid International, joined Andrew Dickens to discuss what life is like in the African country.

As countries around the world struggle to keep citizens inside to stop the spread of Covid-19, Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, is trying something a bit different.
In a bid to encourage Ugandans to stay home during the country's lockdown, the 75-year-old leader has released his own home workout video.
So far, there have been 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Uganda, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University and the country's Ministry of Health.
On Wednesday, Museveni took to Twitter to warn Ugandans not to exercise outdoors, writing: "If you want to exercise, you can do that indoors."
In a video posted Thursday, Museveni is seen running barefoot around his office and doing push-ups in a gray tracksuit. As the leader does his reps, aides can be heard in the background of the video counting him up to 30.
"Yesterday, I discouraged people who have been jogging in groups, exposing themselves to risk amidst the COVID-19 pandemic," the president wrote Thursday.
"You do not have to go outdoors to exercise. Here is my demonstration of how you can exercise indoors and stay safe," he added.
Uganda has issued several presidential directives aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus, including a curfew that started on March 31.
On March 18, schools were closed and public rallies, conferences and communal prayers banned. Further lockdown measures have placed restrictions on transportation and movement, and nonessential services have been told to close.
New Zealander Darin Walsh, who works for Kiwi Charity Orphans Aid International, joined Andrew Dickens to discuss what life is like in the African country.

So here we are again. The third weekend of lockdown.
Each day has challenges. Big ones for people and nations and little ones for individuals,
Today's challenge for me was finding my car keys and my wallet. Sounds silly but it took me a quarter of an hour to track them down. Because honestly, when do you use your car in these strange days and when do you need a wallet?
Cash is dead because cash is dirty. Touched by thousands before it ends out in your wallet. Will it ever come back? Is this the new cashless age? That's the fear of the black economy. Is it the end of jobs for cash: sex for cash, dodgy deals for cash.  Covid may even change criminality.
Meanwhile, my tank of gas has already nearly lasted me a month.  I've barely used the car this week. None of us has. Which is probably why the light is so good.  Enjoy the air. It'll never be better.
I found my wallet with my swipe card and my car keys in the pair of jeans I wore last Monday.  Which is also the last time I wore long pants until today.  We’re a T-shirt and shorts nation while the women wear activewear.  Which is why I was so shocked to see a woman the other day working her dog, wearing a short white cocktail dress, full makeup and heels. Funny how making an effort is such an effort these days.
The silly little things you notice in a desperate time.
And it is a desperate time.  I know my first victim of the virus. My sister in laws mother passed away yesterday in the UK. It’s not my story to talk about but what I can say is that it was fast. Five days ago she was fine.  It upsets me when people compare morbidity rates with flu.  Susan didn’t die of the flu.  It was something completely new.  Something we can’t yet fix or prevent.
The other evil of the contagion is that my sister in law could not fly to her mother’s bedside. They said goodbye through a device and an app.  It’s desperately sad and totally surreal.
Which is why we are fighting this so hard, and why we are tolerating the cost. 
And there will be a cost.  Sir Bill English said that this week.
He wrote: "New Zealand now has zero net migration, zero tourists, zero foreign students and zero inflow of temporary workers. These flows, which have been drivers of the labour market and the housing market, won't just turn on again.  Let that sink in. This could be a structural shift. Our economy is not going to fire up again at the flick of a switch."
But now is the time to look forward.  This week the government will start a conversation about post lockdown plans. It’s something we must all put our mind to.  Many people have asked me what does a Level 3 Alert look like?  Or a Level 2?
We don’t really know but we can all contribute.  Are you ready to trade with social distancing?  Are your cashiers protected?  Have you a PPE plan? Who can continue to work from home?  Who has to come back into the workplace? How will your business change to suit a more domestically focused economy?  What will your pricing be in a post lockdown world?
These are not questions a government can answer for you.  Shouting ‘we need a plan’ at a government is not a plan. What’s your plan?  How can you help?
At the beginning of February, I said this period of time would be a test of New Zealander’s personal and collective responsibilities.
John Kennedy’s famous line could not be more appropriate today. Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.
Let’s get cracking and think about what we will do for the greater good of New Zealand.

So here we are again. The third weekend of lockdown.
Each day has challenges. Big ones for people and nations and little ones for individuals,
Today's challenge for me was finding my car keys and my wallet. Sounds silly but it took me a quarter of an hour to track them down. Because honestly, when do you use your car in these strange days and when do you need a wallet?
Cash is dead because cash is dirty. Touched by thousands before it ends out in your wallet. Will it ever come back? Is this the new cashless age? That's the fear of the black economy. Is it the end of jobs for cash: sex for cash, dodgy deals for cash.  Covid may even change criminality.
Meanwhile, my tank of gas has already nearly lasted me a month.  I've barely used the car this week. None of us has. Which is probably why the light is so good.  Enjoy the air. It'll never be better.
I found my wallet with my swipe card and my car keys in the pair of jeans I wore last Monday.  Which is also the last time I wore long pants until today.  We’re a T-shirt and shorts nation while the women wear activewear.  Which is why I was so shocked to see a woman the other day working her dog, wearing a short white cocktail dress, full makeup and heels. Funny how making an effort is such an effort these days.
The silly little things you notice in a desperate time.
And it is a desperate time.  I know my first victim of the virus. My sister in laws mother passed away yesterday in the UK. It’s not my story to talk about but what I can say is that it was fast. Five days ago she was fine.  It upsets me when people compare morbidity rates with flu.  Susan didn’t die of the flu.  It was something completely new.  Something we can’t yet fix or prevent.
The other evil of the contagion is that my sister in law could not fly to her mother’s bedside. They said goodbye through a device and an app.  It’s desperately sad and totally surreal.
Which is why we are fighting this so hard, and why we are tolerating the cost. 
And there will be a cost.  Sir Bill English said that this week.
He wrote: "New Zealand now has zero net migration, zero tourists, zero foreign students and zero inflow of temporary workers. These flows, which have been drivers of the labour market and the housing market, won't just turn on again.  Let that sink in. This could be a structural shift. Our economy is not going to fire up again at the flick of a switch."
But now is the time to look forward.  This week the government will start a conversation about post lockdown plans. It’s something we must all put our mind to.  Many people have asked me what does a Level 3 Alert look like?  Or a Level 2?
We don’t really know but we can all contribute.  Are you ready to trade with social distancing?  Are your cashiers protected?  Have you a PPE plan? Who can continue to work from home?  Who has to come back into the workplace? How will your business change to suit a more domestically focused economy?  What will your pricing be in a post lockdown world?
These are not questions a government can answer for you.  Shouting ‘we need a plan’ at a government is not a plan. What’s your plan?  How can you help?
At the beginning of February, I said this period of time would be a test of New Zealander’s personal and collective responsibilities.
John Kennedy’s famous line could not be more appropriate today. Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.
Let’s get cracking and think about what we will do for the greater good of New Zealand.

New Zealand's Covid-19 death toll doubled to four yesterday - amid fears it could grow even further after the second fatality from a cluster centred around a Christchurch rest home.
But the overall number of cases continued its downward trend: The number of people recorded as recovered - 49 - was higher than the number of new cases recorded - 29.
In eight days the Government is set to decide whether the country can come out of a four-week lockdown on or around April 23, or whether the restrictions need to continue to further eradicate the virus.
The Covid-19 global death toll has risen to more than 106,000 and 1.7 million infected.
US coronavirus deaths surpassed 20,000 overnight, the highest reported number in the world, although there are signs the pandemic may be nearing a peak. Italy has the second most reported deaths at 19,468 and Spain is third with 16,353.
The World Health Organisation chief cautioned countries against lifting lockdown measures too early.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been a "welcome slowing" of the epidemic in some European countries and WHO was working with governments to form strategies for easing lockdowns.
"Lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence," he said. "The way down can be as dangerous as the way up if not managed properly."
Health bosses confirmed yesterday two elderly people had died, including a man aged in his 70s who died in Christchurch's Burwood Hospital. He was among a group transferred from the Rosewood Rest Home to try to stop the spread of the virus.
On Friday, it was revealed a 90-year-old woman from the Rosewood cluster had become the second Covid-19 fatality in New Zealand.
Thirty people were in the cluster.
Deaths linked to Covid-19 show the importance of an increasingly "agitated, frustrated and bored" public sticking with lockdown rules, experts say.
Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire said the four deaths so far underlined the need to not start ignoring restrictions and stray outside one's "bubble" of social contact.
"It could be assumed that the declining daily Covid-19 case numbers will act as a collective motivation boost ... for some, this positive reinforcement will help them stay the course.
"However, these projected wins also coincide with the 'mid zone' of our four-week lockdown and Easter weekend. A period where many now agitated, frustrated and bored Kiwis are experiencing real loss: no family get-togethers at the bach, religious gatherings or community egg hunts.
"There is risk these falling case numbers provide a false sense of security ... moreover, with all four deaths occurring in the 70-plus age bracket, unhelpful beliefs that Covid-19 is only a risk for 'them' - the elderly - not 'us' may be strengthened."
Director of public health Caroline McElnay said the vulnerabilities of the people in Rosewood Rest Home group meant further deaths or serious illnesses couldn't be ruled out.
"What we're seeing sadly in New Zealand, but also what we have seen overseas, is the impact Covid-19 has on that particularly frail and vulnerable group."
The other confirmed death yesterday was a Wellington man in his 80s.
The deaths served as a sad reminder of just how dangerous the virus could be to people who were elderly or had underlying health conditions, McElnay said.
Whānau couldn't be with their loved ones for their final hours because of the alert level 4.McElnay thanked the healthcare workers who had stepped up to provide this support in their absence.
"On behalf of all New Zealanders, the ministry wants to sincerely thank frontline health staff who are also providing patients with comfort and support during these times."
In New Zealand the downward trend of new infections continued yesterday, with 29 new cases reported. That brings the total infected to 1312, and 422 people recovered. Fifteen people are in hospital,...

New Zealand's Covid-19 death toll doubled to four yesterday - amid fears it could grow even further after the second fatality from a cluster centred around a Christchurch rest home.
But the overall number of cases continued its downward trend: The number of people recorded as recovered - 49 - was higher than the number of new cases recorded - 29.
In eight days the Government is set to decide whether the country can come out of a four-week lockdown on or around April 23, or whether the restrictions need to continue to further eradicate the virus.
The Covid-19 global death toll has risen to more than 106,000 and 1.7 million infected.
US coronavirus deaths surpassed 20,000 overnight, the highest reported number in the world, although there are signs the pandemic may be nearing a peak. Italy has the second most reported deaths at 19,468 and Spain is third with 16,353.
The World Health Organisation chief cautioned countries against lifting lockdown measures too early.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been a "welcome slowing" of the epidemic in some European countries and WHO was working with governments to form strategies for easing lockdowns.
"Lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence," he said. "The way down can be as dangerous as the way up if not managed properly."
Health bosses confirmed yesterday two elderly people had died, including a man aged in his 70s who died in Christchurch's Burwood Hospital. He was among a group transferred from the Rosewood Rest Home to try to stop the spread of the virus.
On Friday, it was revealed a 90-year-old woman from the Rosewood cluster had become the second Covid-19 fatality in New Zealand.
Thirty people were in the cluster.
Deaths linked to Covid-19 show the importance of an increasingly "agitated, frustrated and bored" public sticking with lockdown rules, experts say.
Clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire said the four deaths so far underlined the need to not start ignoring restrictions and stray outside one's "bubble" of social contact.
"It could be assumed that the declining daily Covid-19 case numbers will act as a collective motivation boost ... for some, this positive reinforcement will help them stay the course.
"However, these projected wins also coincide with the 'mid zone' of our four-week lockdown and Easter weekend. A period where many now agitated, frustrated and bored Kiwis are experiencing real loss: no family get-togethers at the bach, religious gatherings or community egg hunts.
"There is risk these falling case numbers provide a false sense of security ... moreover, with all four deaths occurring in the 70-plus age bracket, unhelpful beliefs that Covid-19 is only a risk for 'them' - the elderly - not 'us' may be strengthened."
Director of public health Caroline McElnay said the vulnerabilities of the people in Rosewood Rest Home group meant further deaths or serious illnesses couldn't be ruled out.
"What we're seeing sadly in New Zealand, but also what we have seen overseas, is the impact Covid-19 has on that particularly frail and vulnerable group."
The other confirmed death yesterday was a Wellington man in his 80s.
The deaths served as a sad reminder of just how dangerous the virus could be to people who were elderly or had underlying health conditions, McElnay said.
Whānau couldn't be with their loved ones for their final hours because of the alert level 4.McElnay thanked the healthcare workers who had stepped up to provide this support in their absence.
"On behalf of all New Zealanders, the ministry wants to sincerely thank frontline health staff who are also providing patients with comfort and support during these times."
In New Zealand the downward trend of new infections continued yesterday, with 29 new cases reported. That brings the total infected to 1312, and 422 people recovered. Fifteen people are in hospital,...

Author Peter May talks with Andrew Dickens about his pandemic-themed book - while in lockdown in France. 
What happens when a once-rejected dystopian novel turns into reality? Ask Scottish author Peter May.
The screenwriter-turned-novelist wrote a book titled "Lockdown" in 2005 about a global pandemic. Fifteen years later, that's our reality due to coronavirus, which has so far infected more than 1 million people globally.
The book, which was rejected by publishers at the time for being too unrealistic, was finally published on Thursday.
The thriller is set in London, the epicentre of a global pandemic that forces officials to institute a lockdown. The story isn't entirely based on May's imagination. He used British and US pandemic preparedness documents from 2002 to make it was as realistic as possible.
"At the time I wrote the book, scientists were predicting that bird flu was going to be the next major world pandemic," May told CNN.
"It was a very, very scary thing and it was a real possibility, so I put a lot of research into it and came up with the idea, what if this pandemic began in London? What could happen if a city like that was completely locked down?"
Bird flu and coronavirus are very different, but the lockdown scenario hits close to home for millions of people currently self-isolating to prevent the virus from spreading.
His current publisher hopes that familiarity will appeal to a wide audience.
Years ago, publishers dismissed the novel as "extremely unrealistic and unreasonable," May said. So he put the book on the back burner and eventually forgot he even wrote it.
That was until a fan on Twitter asked him to write a book set against the backdrop of the coronavirus.
"I thought about it for a minute before I realized that I've kind of already done it," May said. "I told my publisher about it and my editor just about fell out of his chair. He read the entire book overnight and the next morning he said, 'This is brilliant. We need to publish this now.'"
"Lockdown," available only on Amazon UK, is being sold in Kindle format and will be available as a paperback and audiobook on April 30.
May, 68, said he is in the age group most vulnerable to the coronavirus and stands in support of a lockdown. However, he was "extremely creeped out" by how eerily similar the book is to life today.
"When I read it again for the first time since I wrote the book, I was shocked at just how spookily accurate it was," he said. "The everyday details of how you get through life, the way the lockdown works, people being forbidden to leave their homes. It's all scarily accurate."

Author Peter May talks with Andrew Dickens about his pandemic-themed book - while in lockdown in France. 
What happens when a once-rejected dystopian novel turns into reality? Ask Scottish author Peter May.
The screenwriter-turned-novelist wrote a book titled "Lockdown" in 2005 about a global pandemic. Fifteen years later, that's our reality due to coronavirus, which has so far infected more than 1 million people globally.
The book, which was rejected by publishers at the time for being too unrealistic, was finally published on Thursday.
The thriller is set in London, the epicentre of a global pandemic that forces officials to institute a lockdown. The story isn't entirely based on May's imagination. He used British and US pandemic preparedness documents from 2002 to make it was as realistic as possible.
"At the time I wrote the book, scientists were predicting that bird flu was going to be the next major world pandemic," May told CNN.
"It was a very, very scary thing and it was a real possibility, so I put a lot of research into it and came up with the idea, what if this pandemic began in London? What could happen if a city like that was completely locked down?"
Bird flu and coronavirus are very different, but the lockdown scenario hits close to home for millions of people currently self-isolating to prevent the virus from spreading.
His current publisher hopes that familiarity will appeal to a wide audience.
Years ago, publishers dismissed the novel as "extremely unrealistic and unreasonable," May said. So he put the book on the back burner and eventually forgot he even wrote it.
That was until a fan on Twitter asked him to write a book set against the backdrop of the coronavirus.
"I thought about it for a minute before I realized that I've kind of already done it," May said. "I told my publisher about it and my editor just about fell out of his chair. He read the entire book overnight and the next morning he said, 'This is brilliant. We need to publish this now.'"
"Lockdown," available only on Amazon UK, is being sold in Kindle format and will be available as a paperback and audiobook on April 30.
May, 68, said he is in the age group most vulnerable to the coronavirus and stands in support of a lockdown. However, he was "extremely creeped out" by how eerily similar the book is to life today.
"When I read it again for the first time since I wrote the book, I was shocked at just how spookily accurate it was," he said. "The everyday details of how you get through life, the way the lockdown works, people being forbidden to leave their homes. It's all scarily accurate."

West Auckland liquor stores have stopped selling spirits and pre-mix drinks during the lockdown because too many people were travelling from far away to buy them.
The move was expected to ease the huge queues that have been snaking around several blocks outside Trusts West Auckland stores as thirsty Kiwis geared up for the second weekend cooped up in their homes.
Trusts said its stores would now only sell beer, wine and cider to in-store customers, bringing it in line with supermarkets and other retailers.
However, customers would still be able to buy spirits and premixes, also known as Ready to Drink, beverages from online stores.
The new regulations were put in place after Trusts data showed the sale of spirits as a proportion of total alcohol revenue had risen significantly since the lockdown began.
It also revealed that at least one-quarter of customers gave addresses from outside West Auckland.
Trusts chief executive Matt Williams said his team made the call after consulting police.
"While there was a negligible change to our customer profiles in some of our stores, we were greatly concerned to find there is sufficient anecdotal evidence to suggest that a number of people are travelling from other parts of town to purchase from us," he said.
"We don't believe this is in keeping with the Government's mandate to restrict the movement of people and the spread of Covid-19."
"As a result, we have modified our product mix - reducing the incentive for Aucklanders to leave their area."
It came after footage posted on Instagram showed hundreds of people queuing for West Liquor in Massey.
"Line for alcohol all the way around the store! West Liquor Westgate, Auckland. Alert 4 Lockdown this weekend, or party time?," the caption read.
Another video showed a queue spanning multiple blocks, with hundreds of people lining up to buy alcohol from West Liquor on Railside Ave, in Henderson.
"I think the Trusts should be online sellers like the rest of the country," Amie, who lives in West Auckland, told the Herald.
"This is making a mockery of the lockdown and what we are ultimately trying to achieve. People from all over are travelling to get top shelf from the Trusts."
The Trusts ended its sale of spirits and premixes from 5pm on Saturday, with the ban set to last as long as the country remained at Covid-19 alert level 4.
However, it would be reviewed once New Zealand eased back into alert level 3.
"We regret the inconvenience this may cause to our West Auckland community who have supported us throughout the lockdown," Williams said.
"However we know they will understand that as a community-minded organisation, health and safety must take precedence."
The Trusts stores trading hours would remain the same for the time being but were open to continuous review.