MUSIC
Lawrence Arabia and Mike Fabulous - two of this country's most sparkling and eccentric musicians - will obviously not be watching the All Blacks play on Sunday. They will be plying their whimsical pop trade at the King's Arms and by the sounds of their debut album, Unlimited Buffet (out now), it should be, well, quite fabulous.
Down at the Cloud this week, Don McGlashan and the Seven Sisters play Friday at 8.30pm and soul funk singer Bella Kalolo and her seven-piece Soul Symphony are there on Monday. And finally, on Wednesday Def Leppard return to Vector Arena just three years after the 80s hair-metal survivors' last visit. I went last time and it was absolute hysteria, I tell ya.
MOVIES
Let me hear you sing it: La la la la la la ... Yes, The Smurfs movie is upon us, just in time for the school holidays that start next week. It finds the little blue fellas (and that lone damsel known as Smurfette, voiced by Katy Perry) getting sucked into a vortex and ending up in New York City with evil sorcerer Gargamel (played by Simpsons' main man Hank Azaria) in hot pursuit.
Meanwhile, Rowan Atkinson is back on the case in Johnny English Reborn, the sequel to his 2003 film; for more on back to the future boxing film Real Steel read the interview with Hugh Jackman; and Samoan feature film The Orator is also in cinemas this week.
TELEVISION
Don't know about you but I'll be watching rugby, rugby, and more rugby. In fact, four games of it. While the All Blacks v Argentina game (live, Sunday, 8.30pm, Sky Sport, Maori, TV3, TV One) will be interesting, given we are now living in a post-Dan Carter world, the game of the round will be Australia v South Africa (live, Sunday, 6pm, Sky Sport 1 and Maori; delayed on TV One).
