The Devil's Rock hits cinemas this week - but reviews haven't been good. Photo / Supplied
The Devil's Rock hits cinemas this week - but reviews haven't been good. Photo / Supplied
Filmgoers face a rare sight at the New Zealand Box Office this weekend as a homemade horror film hits the big screen.
The Devil's Rock, a New Zealand-made shocker with special effects from Weta Workshop, is set in World War II and follows two Kiwi commandos behind Nazi lines.
There, they discover some seriously unsettling stuff going on.
A good Kiwi horror is a rare thing and unfortunately for first-time director Paul Campion, his debut hasn't been well received locally.
"The film's poster might promise a schlock-fest. But what's inside is dreadfully staid and deadly boring," said Baillie.
But for those that like a little gore, Total Film said it "throws around intestines like sausages" and The Independant said it was "ridiculous but not unenjoyable".
And horrorchronicles.com called it "one of the best horror films to be released so far this year".
If that's not to your liking, children's Disney classic The Lion King has had a 3D makeover and is due to hit cinemas on Saturday.
Originally released in 1994, millions of viewers both young and old delighted in the exploits of lion cub Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick), a massive cast of African animals and that epic, sweeping theme music.
It remains the highest-grossing animated film in America of all time - but whether cinema-goers want a second bite at it in 3D glory remains to be seen.
And do kids have the attention span after recent high-octane animated flicks like Kung Fu Panda and Cars?
Check out the trailer:
Elsewhere, Jane Eyre gets another big screen makeover, this time with Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell in the lead roles.
If you're wary of seeing yet another adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 book, this one has a 76 per cent approval rating on review aggregate site Metacritic and 86 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
A better bet might be Little White Lies, a French drama described as "engrossing" and "enchanting" by TimeOut reviewer Peter Calder in his three-and-a-half star review.
Starring Marion Cotillard - last seen in Christopher Nolan's mind bender Inception - Little White Lies follows a group of friends who struggle with the aftermath when one of their friends is seriously hurt in a car accident.
Despite the praise the film is not without problems - Calder says the film's 148-minute run time is at least half an hour too long and director Guillaume Canet needed to take a firmer hand with script development and in the editing sweet.
Check out the trailer:
Also released in time for the weekend is sexually charged Hong Kong-based drama Lan Kwai Fong, Pankaj Kapur's Bollywood debut Mausam and romantic comedy Chalet Girl.
But if none of that takes your fancy, feast your eyes on the brand spanking new trailer for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
