Cinema where stars are real

Sally Andrews (left) and Vicky Haughton star in 'Her Majesty', a local offering at the Openair Cinema.

The organisers of the second season of Openair Cinema on Te Wero Island at the Viaduct Harbour seem to have steered away from the nautical on their programme which opens tonight.

That's unless you count Whale Rider, the animated hit Shark Tale, or Troy with its 1000 ships.

The Openair programme has a generous mix of family-friendly multiplex fare, local features past and present, old classics and proven arthouse hits - like Cinema Paradiso, where you can watch people watching movies outdoors ... The movies are shown on an 11-metre-high screen each night (except Mondays).

Light rain isn't a problem - even if the organisers have tempted fate by including the New Zealand movie Rain balanced perhaps by Came a Hot Friday - so long as your umbrella isn't obscuring anyone else's view.

But if the wind gets up above 30 knots, the screen has to be deflated and there will be refunds if the show is cancelled.

There's a licensed food-and-drinks stand and each film has a 10-minute interval, just like the old days.

The programme has a couple of blasts from the past - a Humphrey Bogart double bill with Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, as well as the Carey Grant-Hitchock classic North by Northwest.

The scariest retro-offering will be Hair from 1979, one of a few musical offerings which include The Commitments, Standing in the Shadows of Motown and Buena Vista Social Club.

Best thing about the Openair Cinema? Unlike the Civic, the stars above are real and if the movie isn't that gripping, you can always look at the harbour.

On Screen

* What: Openair Cinema

* Where:Viaduct Harbour

* When: Opens 8.30pm tonight with Her Majesty and runs until Feb 27

* Tickets: $16 and $12, available at Viaduct Harbour visitors' centre during office hours, or ticket office on Te Wero Island, Viaduct, from 7pm