The 80s were a time for wellness videos from all kinds of celebrities. But the best one? Dame Angela Lansbury’s. Sam Brooks found the tape, and dug through it for the gems. Look, Angela Lansbury is a damn treasure. She’s got five Tonys (those are the Oscars for theatre), she’s been nominated for three Oscars, … Read more
Lukas has reached a quarter-million streams with his track ‘Comfort Clouds’, while LMC has produced beats for US acts, most notably one of the tracks off Rich The Kid’s new album, which just went gold in the US. Now they’ve come together to create the perfect downbeat tune for the season, matched by an equally … Read more
Welcome back to Gilead, where last week’s memories of June and Serena eating croissants and listening to Lionel Ritchie records together are but crumbs in the dystopian toaster of our lives. Tara Ward recaps episode 9. This week we begin our journey into the hellfires of patriarchy with June counting her blessings (mostly: a chair) … Read more
Boycrush’s new album Desperate Late Night Energy is out tomorrow. Ahead of its release, The Spinoff presents an exclusive premiere of the video for ‘100%’, featuring Yumi Zouma. Director Hayden Eastmond-Mein: Alistair (Boycrush) and I stumbled across a strange corner of (stock photo and video website) Shutterstock that had a whole series of bizarre clips … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today, Act leader David Seymour updates us on his Dancing With the Stars training. The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd on THREE. Thanks to NZ on Air. Click here … Read more
RNZ’s Jana Whitta talks to Sydney post-punk band Mere Women about their new album and women’s experiences over generations. Sydney based post-punk outfit Mere Women make loud music that takes you on a journey through big open spaces. Their third album Big Skies was released on Poison City last year, receiving critical acclaim from the Herald Sun … Read more
Earlier this week Coronation Street finally cast off 2016 and time-leapt into the present day with a two hour special catching up viewers on everything that happened in the intervening 18 months. Then The Spinoff TV’s Angella Dravid decided to go one better. The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd on THREE. … Read more
Alex Casey goes for a stroll on the foot-shaped sands of Heartbreak Island, week one. Look, if you had told me in high school that all the beautiful, popular people would someday end up swimming around in a kiddie pool full of milk on a man-made island shaped like a human foot, I would have … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of Ria Hall’s ‘Te Ahi Kai Pō’, directed by Shae Sterling, inspired by the Battle of Te Ranga in June of 1864. Ria Hall says: I’ve used this battle as a metaphor for the composition, contemplating on how to find solace and peace after the onslaught and dispossession. This song is applicable … Read more
With dozens of domestic animals, a seriously French take on Sex and the City and maybe the most popular NZ show ever, June on Lightbox has your winter sorted. Sam Brooks, Alex Casey and Emily Writes run down what’s coming to Lightbox this month. NEW TO LIGHTBOX TV Madam Secretary (S1-2, arrives June 19) Do you love political drama … Read more
Seven weeks into Dancing with the Stars, The leader of the ACT Party has collected more votes to keep him on the show than he did in Epsom last September, The Spinoff has learned. The hard-twerking member of parliament for Epsom, David Seymour, has comfortably now received more votes for his efforts on Three’s Dancing with the … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, Jane, Duncan and Alex are overwhelmed with reality TV realness. First Arun got booted from Survivor NZ. Then Suzy was sent home in a shocking Dancing With the Stars … Read more
A talk show… about theatre? You mean Shakespeare and shit? Sam Brooks watches the first episode of Louise Wallace’s Opening Night. Theatre is a hard sell. Even for people who enjoy theatre – hell, even for people who make theatre – it’s hard to get people to actually go to a play. If it’s not … Read more
Though most Kiwi artists who rack up big numbers on Spotify are chart-topping stars, some remain stubbornly unknown. Gareth Shute investigates the odd paths NZ acts have taken to get to a million Spotify streams. In a small country like New Zealand it’s difficult to get to a million streams on Spotify unless you’re a … Read more
TVNZ’s new series of documentaries explores the experiences of New Zealanders living with adversity. Sam Brooks reviews I Am. Following the same format as TVNZ1’s I Am Innocent series, which followed people who had been wrongly accused of heinous crimes, I Am follows individuals who have lived through adversity, with episodes that cover a New Zealander living with Aspergers, … Read more
It was a rough week for Dancing with the Stars, with a lot of low-lights (twerking, reggaeton) and only one shining highlight. Sam Brooks is here with the week’s power-rankings. ELIMINATED: Suzy Cato (and Matt) – Samba This is an absolute travesty. What is going on with this show. Suzy Cato is not just one of … Read more
Alex Casey goes on a speed dating mission to get to know the beautiful brains behind the beautiful bodies of Heartbreak Island. They were hottest people I had ever seen in my life, all skin tight dresses and sharp suits, hair coiffed and curled for the gods. Me? I was wearing pants that I had … Read more
Last night Coronation Street finally cast off 2016 and made its big 18 month leap into the present day. But first we had a lot of news to catch up on, thanks to Nick Tilsley and his magical whiteboard. Coro fans faced the decision of their lives when TVNZ announced they were jumping our beloved soap … Read more
Kate Robertson talks to R&B singer Janine (now without ‘the Mixtape’) about leaving New Zealand and becoming bigger, better and stronger. Even the most novice American Idol viewer learns during the audition rounds that controlling a big voice isn’t easy. When you can belt it out like Mariah why would you bother with the smaller notes? The patron … Read more
This week on Survivor NZ we begin the back-half of the game as the two tribes merge into one, and the individual game really kicks off. Luke Harries recaps. With the untimely departures of JT and Dylan last week, we are left trying to figure out where the game will go from here. Will the … Read more
A birth, a betrayal, a flogging. Things continue to get darker on episode 8 of The Handmaid’s Tale, available on Lightbox. Tara Ward recaps. “Gilead eats you from the inside out,” June said during this week’s episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, titled ‘Women’s Work’. It’s true, Gilead is the bleeding ulcer on the stomach lining of … Read more
Ellen Falconer talks to Lily Allen about celebrity, paparazzi, embarrassment and her new album, No Shame. Recently, having been prompted to share a story of the best time she was kicked out of an event, Lily Allen tweeted that at an awards night she once accidentally took ketamine thinking it was cocaine. Paparazzi evidence shows … Read more
Jonathan Bree travels back in time to Soviet Russia for this exclusive interview. Anastasia Doniants, part of the ‘Inside the Iron Curtain’ creative team, writes: Why should we expect our artists to have something to say, to become experts on subjects they don’t really care about? They’ve done their work, why not preserve the mystique … Read more
Feminist icon, daytime TV judge, baloney-screamer: Judge Judith Scheindlin is the true queen of reality TV. The book of Judith is about a woman who ingratiates herself into the favour of a stupid and powerful man, and then cuts his head off to save her people and her country. Is it cut throat and bloodthirsty? … Read more
Martyn Pepperell talks to Girlboss about the transition from Christchurch to Wellington – and from music’s blog-era to its playlist-era. It’s a warm Tuesday evening. Inside a warehouse practice space in Newtown, Wellington, Lucy Botting, the lead songwriter of breezy guitar-pop band Girlboss and her bandmates – Darian Woods, Douglas Kelly, and Olivia Campion – … Read more
The S***off panel of experts present their learned assessments of what was said on the nation’s favourite soap. The Broadcasting Standards Authority has ruled on a complaint about the perceived use of a very naughty word on the beloved TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. The complainant reckoned that “despite the subtitles provided by TVNZ, the actor’s … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, our trio is outshone by the amazing thruples on Dancing With the Stars NZ. Why are Jess Quinn’s angels shirtless? What do you call Chris Harris’ leg cape? And … Read more
Kate Robertson talks to Snail Mail, the 19-year-old at the forefront of indie rock’s female-led renaissance. There’s something special about Lindsey Jordan. ‘Special’ could be embellished to the point of it sounding unbelievable – or played down in a ‘low-key’ or ‘understated’ way – but both would be a lie. With lyrics that sting more … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Katchafire about their world travels and new album Legacy. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to members of Katchafire, who, after nearly 21 years as a band, have just … Read more