Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we choose shows from the extensive Lightbox category that you might like to watch. This time, we announce all the piping hot content arriving in July. Scream Queens (S1 July 1) “Shiny, gory and whip-smart, Scream Queens pummels the viewer into submission with sheer, rictus-grinning relentlessness” – Ed … Read more
Practising psychotherapist Ms. X answers readers’ questions on manners, morals and mental health. Dear Ms. X I have a tricky issue. My partner likes a drink which is fine because y’know, she doesn’t drive drunk or drink all the rent money but she does end up using social media drunk and it’s getting a bit … Read more
As winner of the 2015 Nigel Cox Award, Steve Braunias was awarded $1000 worth of books at Unity. He’s finally spent the last dollar, and reports on his shopping spree. The thing about winning the Nigel Cox Prize is that it comes as a total surprise to the chosen authors, and I hate surprises. The … Read more
With TVNZ’s reality cop caper Police Ten 7 celebrating 500 episodes tonight, Alex Casey put some questions to one of the show’s longest-serving camera operators. What is the training process to be a Police Ten 7 camera operator like? Did you have to go through some intense sort of boot camp? I’m a director and … Read more
Sarah Laing – and her mum – “absolutely loves” The Gustav Sonata, the purringly well-made new novel by Rose Tremain. Rose Tremain is my mother’s kind of writer – which is not to say that I don’t like her too. My mother has certain criteria when it comes to books: they can have tragedy but ultimately there … Read more
With Police Ten 7 celebrating 500 episodes tonight, Professor Allan Blackman applies rigorous scientific analysis to the show’s most iconic moment. Can it really be seven years since the world was first introduced to the hilariously deadpan Sgt Guy Baldwin on Police Ten 7? His advice to Glen – a surly teen who supposedly had the 3am … Read more
‘Business is Boring’ is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound will speak with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and text. This week: Eddy Royal and Jade Tang-Taylor of Curative. How do you run a … Read more
The government’s change of heart on charging for use of Auckland roads at last releases the handbrake on planning for the region’s transport future, writes Matt Lowrie. Auckland’s transport problems are pretty well known, even to those outside the city. They are the result of a toxic mix: decades of political bickering, poor decision making … Read more
In part two of The Spinoff’s coverage of this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) Kermath examines on the important bit: the parties. This is where the video game industry cuts loose after shilling their wares. Kermath braves Blink 182, spirit ladies and malnutrition to bring you this report. Attending an E3 party is something close … Read more
Kamal Reddy is going to jail following the successful use of the controversial ‘Crime Scenario Undercover Technique’. What does our highest court have to say about its use? Sorry, you’re not allowed to know that yet, writes Andrew Geddis Kamal Reddy is an undeniably bad man. Last month a jury decided that, back in late … Read more
Giovanni Tiso on American writer Jhumpa Lahiri’s new book, written in Italian, and put back into English by Elena Ferrante’s translator. What? In “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote”, Borges tells the story of a man who embarks on a project to rewrite Don Quixote word for word, not merely as a copy, … Read more
The wily old Aussie has done a number on his home country in the current test series, and it started before he even stepped on the plane, writes Scotty Stevenson. It won’t matter what happens in the third test between Australia and England in Sydney this weekend. England has already won the series and anything … Read more
After a four year hiatus, The Ridges returned to our screens this year in the form of Friday night re-runs. Its return resurrected one of the most vexing unsolved mysteries in New Zealand television history: Was the infamous mouse scene faked? Hayden Donnell investigates. It was one of the defining television moments of our generation. Sally and … Read more
The spotlight in the latest Auckland debate belonged to a National Party insider already being tipped for the deputy mayoralty. Tim Murphy introduces Desley Simpson, and marks the candidates’ efforts out of 10 One name dominated the latest Auckland mayoral debate in a church foyer in Meadowbank – and it wasn’t any of the five … Read more
Geoff Dyer loves Annie Dillard so that should be a recommendation but actually isn’t she just kind of like totally weird? Rebecca Priestley reviews the US personal essayist. What does it feel like to be alive? What would you do if you had fifteen minutes to live before the bomb went off? Quick: What would … Read more
Many of us find ourselves reaching the heights of endorphin released excitement while playing our favourite video games. However, for a small portion of the population tapping away at their screen provides no joy, only resentment and self-loathing. Bronwyn Bent is one of these players. This is her story. I am a anthropomorphised pea pod, … Read more
The Unconditional Basic Income – a guaranteed sum of money for every citizen, no matter their other income – is an idea whose time has come, say Geoff Simmons and Gareth Morgan. So why aren’t we talking about how it would be funded? Try explaining the Unconditional (or Universal) Basic Income (UBI) and the most common … Read more
Former Al Jazeera journalist Caitlin McGee spent years living in the Middle East and has reported from South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Indonesia. Recently returned home to New Zealand, she’s dismayed with what she’s found. The girl sitting across from me never had control of her body. She’d spent her childhood as the possession of … Read more
It was the competition that captivated a nation. The busy working world of New Zealand ground to a halt as one tweet, featuring three identical, nondescript beanies, received 6,800 retweets and a bountiful supply of favourites. This is the oral history of the greatest online giveaway in New Zealand history, as told by key players. … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her rankings for last week, including Drew’s transformation into a vampire, Curtis’ love for Chickpea Casserole and Boyd’s peaking paranoia. 1) Don’t panic, Boyd – it’s probably just hormonal Boyd hit peak paranoia this week. He lost his bag and found it again, which can mean only one thing: Fentich are on to … Read more
Madeleine Holden examines the damaging narratives that have surfaced in response to Orlando attacker Omar Mateen’s personal life. In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, reports are surfacing that the Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, was gay—or, at least, struggled with his sexuality and frequented gay clubs, with accounts on gay … Read more
The Spinoff and Barkers are proud to present a new seven-part podcast series: The Get. Each week Canon award winning journalist Naomi Arnold will interview some of New Zealand’s best feature writers and news journalists about how they hunted down the biggest stories of their careers. “They are the stories I find endearing – mavericks, … Read more
Tara Ward recaps this week’s episode of Outlander, including ye olde seduction, 1000 yard stares, and other frivolities of the well-to-do. Contains spoilers. And smoulders. Oh, Outlander, you were far too good to us this week. Body parts flew all over Scotland in celebration of this glorious hour of television, an episode filled with more action and anticipation than we’ve … Read more
An excerpt from the latest London Review of Books. Spinoff Review of Books literary editor Steve Braunias writes: Andrew O’Hagan! Novelist, essayist, very smart person who wears a suit and tie even when he’s writing at home – every inch an aesthete, all that, but he’s also an awesome reporter and his latest get in the … Read more
This morning ex-Xero MD Victoria Crone announced a strong response to the housing crisis, one which squarely targeted the land-bankers and ‘property investors’ holding Auckland to ransom. This is a big deal, writes Duncan Greive. Auckland is, as everyone but the National cabinet acknowledges, in the grips of a diabolical housing crisis, with effects running from … Read more
For all the bold talk of knowledge waves and a weightless tech future, we’re still reliant on farms and tourists. Time to try a new approach, argues Paul Brislen. Seventeen years ago I helped put together an issue of Computerworld devoted to the idea of building a “Knowledge Based Economy”. It was an exciting time. … Read more
David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s Tickled had its most gonzo moment yet when two of the film’s subjects dropped in for the Q&A. Joshua Drummond watched the chaos unfold on Facebook Live. “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” David Farrier and Dylan Reeve are living the truth of Hunter Thompson’s famous saying after a Q&A … Read more
Compiling the best reading of the week from your friendly local website. Alex Casey and Hayden Donnell: This article about terrible millennials is quite sexist and dumb “The article – written by the usually great feature writer Mike White – is mostly a collection of rheumy-eyed reminiscings for an imaginary bygone age, where men were men, … Read more
The internet rediscovered New Zealand’s longstanding ban on personal gardens, and it collectively lost its mind. Joshua Drummond argues that the ban has had its day. Well, it happened again. We should be used to it by now. It’s only a year since the topic of New Zealand’s gardening ban last exploded on the now-infamous … Read more