Stuff Sampler: What to watch, listen to and read

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First Man is scheduled to debut in NZ cinemas on October 11.

Stuff's entertainment team have a few ideas if you're short of something to watch, listen to or read. 

DARREN BEVAN - What's worth your time? Armageddon Expo, First Man and Forza Horizon 4

Sometime back in the 1980s in Britain, as a rotund 10 year old, I went to a Hallowe'en party.

Fancy dress was the order of the day, so I decided to put my gran's hand-knitted multicoloured scarf together with a red knee-length jacket as an homage to Tom Baker's teeth-and-curls time-travelling Doctor Who.

Once there, I was horrified to see hardly anyone dressed up, bar a group of kids whose parents had clearly got pirate eye-patches lying around, and I swiftly became the object of much mockery, leading to a hasty departure and some internalised tears that haunt me to this day.

Needless to say, this early foray into cosplay was less than a success, and back then, being a geek was something to be ridiculed.

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'Geeks' sit centre-stage at Armageddon in Wellington 
Creatures to take over Wellington for Armageddon

Fast forward to 2018, and everything has changed.

The Armageddon Expo hits Auckland - and thousands will be displaying their best costumes.
DAVID WALKER/STUFF
The Armageddon Expo hits Auckland - and thousands will be displaying their best costumes.

For thousands attending at Auckland's annual Armageddon Expo this weekend, cosplay will not only be de rigeur, but it'll be the end of months of planning, sewing, stitching and crafting. For some it'll be intricate; for others, it could just be a flourish of make-up and a quick trip to the local $2 shop. For many though, it'll be a shared experience.

The point is, now it's cool to be different; and Armageddon is the one place where we are all equal.

For over a decade now, I've been seriously impressed by the costumes, the creativity and the passion.

But I'm ashamed to say I've yet to re-embrace my desire to cosplay, even though I openly bathe in the geek culture.

Maybe 2018's Armaggedon will see me take the plunge - after all, I'll be in the best non-judgemental company - and a world away from a childhood scarred by the cruelty of others.

More emotional scars are on offer in new biopic First Man at the movies. 

La La Land director Damien Chazelle re-teams with star Ryan Gosling to thrust his take on Neil Armstrong into the claustrophobic cockpit of space capsules and test flights. Ramping up the soundtrack, every bolt rattles, every rivet creaks and echoes in the cinema - the flight material is edge of your seat stuff.

Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong in the new movie First Man, which looks at NASA's race to get to the moon over a decade..
Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong in the new movie First Man, which looks at NASA's race to get to the moon over a decade..

Equally - albeit from the comfort of your front room, PlayGround Games' Forza Horizon 4 (XBox only) puts you in the virtual seat of a series of racing cars and lets you throttle through England's pleasant pastures. 

Mixing addictive arcade racing gameplay with some truly gorgeous graphics, Forza Horizon 4 is every petrolhead - and non-petrolhead's - gaming dream. 

At least you don't need to worry about sky-rocketing fuel prices.

And if you have five minutes today ... 

The buzzing bastards of the summer skies.
ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF
The buzzing bastards of the summer skies.

Summer's on the way, and despite how clean the house is, it still proves to be a haven for flies, stuck on an endless loop of buzzing around.

It's a fruitless task trying to get rid of them. Whether it's trying Jackie Chan style moves to swot them or going through endless cans of fly spray to no avail, they're a pain.

So maybe spend 5 minutes searching Man Vs Fly on YouTube to offer some creative ways to rid these demons from your home.

This series of sports-style shorts is overblown in its presentation and offers such hints as seeing a magician use a deck of cards to subdue one in under a minute, a boxer trying to take them down or a ballroom dancer using B-boy moves to win the day.

If anything, it'll give you a bit more creativity to fall back on when the buzzing bastards come calling all summer.

KATE ROBERTSON - Albums worth starting your week with

Mondays are inevitable, but music helps. 

Yes, Spotify and Apple Music boast some excellent playlists under the "Motivation" field, but for days when Calvin Harris, Macklemore and Taylor Swift seem a little patronising, give these albums a spin for a more gentle start to the week.

Mitch James' debut album breathes new life into an over-crowded genre.
CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF
Mitch James' debut album breathes new life into an over-crowded genre.

If you're a sucker for stripped back, acoustic pop music, look no further than local talent Mitch James' self-titled debut. With the exception of heart-breaker No Getting Older (a song much better suited to a fragile Sunday evening), the record flows from one quietly optimistic song to the next. Sure to cure even the toughest case of Monday Blues, James gives life to a genre many were convinced had no room left to grow.

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Yumi Zouma's latest release will make your Monday fly by.
AARON LEE
Yumi Zouma's latest release will make your Monday fly by.

The latest release from Kiwi group Yumi Zouma, EP III offers up four tracks of breezy, sun-laden bliss. Sure to leave you feeling more energised than any quad shot flat white ever could, effortless, rolling melodies will have you gliding through the work day with more zen than your go-to guru. Push the David Guetta aside, this is the kind of dreamy synth-pop worthy of starting your week with.

Under normal circumstances, a Kim Petras pop banger would be far too sickly for a Monday morning, but her recently released EP, Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 changes everything. A Halloween-themed eight-track release, Petras puts a dark, Gaga-esque spin on her signature sound, offering just enough pep to provide a light at the end of the tunnel, but not so much as to leave you furious that it's only 9am. 

Kim Petras' scary new Halloween EP brings her candy pop down a notch.
Supplied
Kim Petras' scary new Halloween EP brings her candy pop down a notch.

KYLIE KLEIN NIXON - Netflix and Chills

During this creeptastic time of year, when you can watch as many thoroughly revolting horror films as you like without anyone worrying you're about to go full-Ed Gein on them, Netflix is your pal.  

Check out their "Netfilx and chills" selection (see what they did there? So cheeky-naughty), they have enough gore soaked titles to satisfy even the most bloody thirsty fright-fans. 

First, monster lovers (and lovers of monsters) Ritual is the film for you. 

Featuring one of the most grotesque and original creatures in recent horror, Ritual also has a lot to say about masculinity, friendship and what it's like to be chased through the Swedish wilderness by the demented followers of an horrific Norse God. Robe up, fright fans. 

There's something in the woods... and on Netflix this Halloween.
NETFLIX
There's something in the woods... and on Netflix this Halloween.

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If you're looking for more than just jump scares and splatter, modern classic It Follows brings the age old tension between sex and death screaming into the 21st century, Neon Demon explores the many ways we're starving in an unsatisfying world, and Green Room makes mincemeat out class, violence and Nazi Punks. 

Box sets bingers have the pick of the pumpkin-shaped candy dish with Kiwi made Ash vs The Evil Dead, cult-tastic drama Superstition, Brit-thriller Requiem and funny-bone muncher Santa Clarita Diet.

And junior chill-seekers aren't forgotten with A Series of Unfortunate Events, stop motion masterpiece Coraline, animation joy Monster House and 80s classic Gremlins also on offer. 

Fortunately, there's something very unfortunate waiting for kids on Netflix, this Halloween season.
Netflix
Fortunately, there's something very unfortunate waiting for kids on Netflix, this Halloween season.

In the mood for audio rather than visual chills? Try Thom Yorke's soundtrack to the forthcoming witchy remake Suspiria. Released on October 26, the 25 songs are a pared back, atmospheric and delightfully creepy mood setters. 

If you're not too scared to leave the house after that, Nicholas Cage-starring, psychedelic, 80s splatter-gore homage Mandy hits Kiwi cinemas on October 25, while the sequel to 1978 classic Halloween (also called Halloween) is in cinemas right now. 

JAMES CROOT - Music stars' must-see movie roles

With Lady Gaga earning plenty of plaudits for her big screen debut A Star is Born (which opened in New Zealand cinemas this week), now is the perfect time to reflect on some of the other musicians who attempted to make the transition to acting. 

And there are plenty of examples available for viewing on both free-to-air TV and streaming services over the next week.

Netflix currently has two classics of the "genre" in 2002's 8 Mile and 1992's The Bodyguard. The first showcased not only the verbal dexterity and mic skills of rapper Eminem (who this past week announced he was headed to Wellington for a one-off concert in March) but also his dramatic chops, while the latter gave Whitney Houston the biggest-selling soundtrack of all-time.

However, neither went on to greater movie stardom after their splashy debuts.

Eminem made his big screen debut in 2002's 8 Mile.
SUPPLIED
Eminem made his big screen debut in 2002's 8 Mile.

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More consistently successful has been former Mouseketeer Justin Timberlake, whose turn as Napster founder Sean Parker in the Oscar-nominated The Social Network (Amazon Prime Video) was just one of the number of role in high-profile flicks (Trolls, In Time, Inside Llewyn Davis) he's secured. Even more recently, Rhianna's Ocean's 8 (Stuff Pix) scene-stealing performance proved she has come along leaps and bounds since her less-than-impressive debut as Petty Officer Cora "Weps" Raikes in Battleship.

Beyonce upstaged even Mike Myers in 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Beyonce upstaged even Mike Myers in 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember.

But if you're after two mega music-star gems that you might not have watched in a while, then it's hard to go past Keith Richards turn as Jack Sparrow's dad in Pirates of Caribbean: At World's End (Stuff Pix) and the delights of Queen Bey herself in Austin Powers in Goldmember (TVNZ2, 8.30pm, October 28). Still then best known as a member of girl group Destiny's Child, Beyonce Knowles (as she is credited in the movie) stole the show from Mike Myers in the 2002 action-comedy with her performance as undercover spy Foxxy Cleopatra. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Carrie Rickey was one of many impressed by Knowles tribute to "bootylicious blaxploitation" babe Pam Grier, praising her "firecracker energy".  

Initially, I wasn't too taken by the misadventures of miscreant minors Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), Jancey (Valeria Cotto) and Scooty (Christopher Rivera), but by the end I was captivated by Sean Baker's The Florida Project (which makes its small screen debut on the Rialto Channel on October 27 at 8.30pm). 

A provocative portrait of American poverty, Sean Baker's (Tangerine) drama takes place is perhaps no surprise place in the shadow of Florida's Disneyworld (the film's title borrowed from the theme park's original codename).While the tourists live it up in nearby four- and five-star hotels, the likes of Moonee and Scooty's solo mums Halley (Bria Vinaite) and Ashley (Mela Murder) struggle to make ends meet in the pastel-coloured The Magic Castle Inn and Suites.

If it weren't for the presence of the familiar craggy features of Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) you'd just about swear it was a documentary with the likes of Louis Theroux just out of frame. 

KATY ATKIN - Four great podcasts to get you started

If you haven't listened to a podcast before, the scale of available "pods" can be daunting. 

Where do I find the best ones? Which one should I listen to? How do you tell the difference between a good or a bad one? Are they all made in someone's garage?!

Thankfully, the latter is no longer true. Podcasts are now beautifully crafted pieces of storytelling, with Mad Men-level production values. 

If you're just getting started, I'd recommend listening to some to quality pod pioneers first. 

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So get your phone or device, download Stitcher or the Iphone podcast app and never look back. A whole new, wonderful world of non-screen entertainment awaits you. 

Ira Glass of This American Life.
PEABODY AWARDS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Ira Glass of This American Life.

RadioLab is an enthralling, award-winning pod "devoted to investigating" the strange world in which we live. Presenter Jad Abumrad's US radio show of the same name was an early adopter of the podcast format. His stories stretch across science and into philosophy, covering everything from ant colonies to genetics and gender, and whether technology is making us more or less human. Highlights are the recordings featuring late science writer Oliver Sacks, and Patient Zero, which traces epidemics back to their human source. 

This American Life is made by the folks at National Public Radio (NPR) in the US. Each week the stories on this radio-show-turned pod explore a different theme, guided by master storyteller Ira Glass. This hugely popular pod is downloaded an average of 2.5 million times a week and there are 650 back episodes to choose from. 

Jad Abumrad of podcast Radiolab.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Jad Abumrad of podcast Radiolab.

99% Invisible is presented by Roman Mars, a founding member of the podcast movement. In his pod, Mars looks at how design and the unnoticed objects around us shape our world. There's a great archive of past podcasts, but I would recommend starting with Holdout, The Shipping Forecast and Mojave Phone Booth.

For a hair-raising, all consuming introduction to pods, nothing beats S-Town. The record-breaking 2017 series starts out as a murder mystery but you will end up deep inside the intriguing, disturbing world of leading man John B. McLemore from Woodstock, Alabama.

BRITT MANN - Three celebrity chef cookbooks to get you in the mood for summer

Spring has set in and the warmer temperatures (torrential rain and the occasional storm notwithstanding) call to mind leisurely outdoor dinners on long, light nights.

If you're in need of inspiration for imminent barbecues, Yotam Ottolenghi is your man. The Israeli chef and father of two, known for his way with vegetables, has recently released a luscious-looking cookbook, Simple, with cooking for crowds in mind. The book, his seventh, alleviates oft-expressed frustrations from fans and detractors alike, who have long bemoaned Ottolenghi's penchant for lengthy, exotic ingredient lists.

Emblazoned with a sunshine-yellow lemon, Simple's recipes are coded accorded to whether you're short on time, feeling lazy, have fewer than 10 ingredients (ones you might even already have in the pantry or fridge), can make it in advance, or it's easier to attempt than it looks.

The hallmarks of Ottolenghi cuisine remain: international ingredients, particularly from the Middle East, married in ways that defy genre or trend; an aesthetic of generosity – bright, colourful dishes, piled on platters; a light-handed approach to cooking, favouring grilling and shallow-frying over slower methods, and surprising flavour combinations that make diners think "Oh, I've never had that before."

But in Simple, ingredients are less obscure, and recipes require fewer of them, with little to no prep. Dishes work in concert or alone. An impromptu weeknight dinner party is made even easier to throw together with Ottolenghi's meal and feast suggestions located at the back of the book. 

***

Rachel Khoo's Little Swedish Kitchen claims to "celebrate every season" and in it you'll certainly find a fresh take on ingredients, and likely introduced to some you've never used before.

London-born Khoo, formerly resident in Paris, now lives in Sweden, where they're less likely to throw another shrimp on the barbie than they are to crack open a bottle of pickled fish. Don't panic, however: Le Cordon Bleu-trained Khoo is firm that the book reflects her own spin on Swedish cuisine. Who knows? Perhaps chilled soups and Västerbotten pie will become summer staples in your household. 

***

Nominative determinism suggests it was only a matter of time before Reese Witherspoon put out a cookbook. In Whiskey In A Teacup, her comprehensive homage to Southern living, the woman who brought us Legally Blonde returns to oppressively pink outfits. But hear me out. Sure, there's a whole chapter devoted to Dolly Parton, but the the actor, producer and Times Up crusader has plenty of practical advice for making the most of warmer climes that Kiwis would do well to culturally appropriate. Recipes for sweet tea, lemonade, mint juleps, and questionable canapes – yes please! Step-by-step guides on how to style your hair with hot rollers? No thank-you. 

REVIEW: The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke, Tina Makeriti , Vintage, $38
by Steve Walker

Tina Makeriti poses some enormous questions. What do mean by "civilisation"? What is the difference between "civilised" and "savage"? What is "normal"? "Subnormal?" She sets herself some bold goals.

Her tale, though fiction, is drawn from history, A young Māori boy is orphaned in tribal warfare and is adopted by a Pākehā family. He is drawn to a visiting British artist and accompanies him back to Britain, where he is exhibited in a "show" of freaks.

The James Pōneke of Makeriti's tale is modeled on one Hemi Pomare, who travelled there in 1846. Beyond those bald facts, Makeriti extrapolates further.

Pōneke discovers the nefarious underworld of early Victorian London. He is led astray by Billy Neptune and his companion, Henry Lock. Henry, in reality, is Henrietta, masquerading as a man. This gives a clue as to the sort of London that Pōineke explores and what is likely to happen to him.

Pōneke's artist mentor views developments with consternation. Pōneke's misadventures are not what he had planned.

On display with a family of dwarves, Pōneke is used by Makeriti to raise the questions above. Some of the ticket-buying public are amazed he is not "savage, no half-beast". Pōneke grows tired of being a "professional spectacle", a "specimen" of the "hierarchies of men". He becomes aware of the "layers of men" into which he has been categorised. The viewed becomes the viewer.

The second half of the book sees Pōneke attempt to return to Aotearoa. In that process, he discovers the reality of slavery, or the layer beneath his own as a "freak of nature".

Makeriti spins the yarn as a tale of adventure and discovery – of other lands and into Pōneke himself. Narrative interest is maintained through Pōneke's personality as an idiot savant who stumbles into complex relationships with his eyes shut tight. He is thus able to make some ingenuous observations.

Makeriti's goals, however, might be too challenging. In attempting to draw conclusions on these highly loaded terms, she is not able to offer much more than that we are all – Māori, Pākehā, gay, straight, etc. – the same under superficial differences. At the end, the novel begins to sound a trifle tendentious. A subtler dissection of the claimed differences might have produced a deeper novel.

Stylistically, Makeriti has an acute eye for Victorian prose. The novel is almost a pastiche of Victorian adventure and travel tales. She does, however, have an over-fondness for repetition. Words like "play" and "show" recur far too frequently, with diminishing effect.

Like her previous Where the Rekohu Bone Sings, this novel relies on scrupulous research. It, too, revives the dry bones of history into a living and fascinating story. In raising profound questions, it makes us ponder our responses. As such, it is an important new work.

Sunday Star Times