Entertainment picks: Back with a sporting chance

TV

Like a recurring rash, Game of Two Halves, (Monday, TV One, 9.45pm) is back without feeling like it ever went away. Test your sports knowledge or compare your wheezing laugh to those likely to come from Marc Ellis, Matthew Ridge, Tony Veitch, Martin Devlin or Mike King.

Also returning is Face to Face with Kim Hill, (Wednesday, TV One, 9.35pm) the programme that reminds you of studying for school exams - you know you should see it but you'd rather watch the final of The Contender (Wednesday, TV2, 9.25pm). On both shows, opponents slug it out.

In the former, Hill grills political leaders to sort the wheat from the PR chaff in the lead-up to the general election. In the latter, Peter and Sergio go head-to-head in a seven-round fight at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to see who will take the US$1 million ($1.4 million) prize. Like all good reality finales, it goes for two hours so expect a lot of empowering music, token celebs and feel-good flashbacks.

But if flying fists don't put you off heading out for a few drinks, here's something that might: New Zealand's Worst Driver, (Friday, TV One, 8pm), our version of the British show about ordinary citizens who turn into amoebas behind the wheel. They're the people who send us to anger management classes, make their passengers take up smoking or find the only tree in an empty carpark and drive into it. Entertaining when we're not sharing the road with them.

Movies

In the fourth instalment of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead series, Land of the Dead, the zombies have taken over the Earth. They have done so by evolving into a species that communicates and schemes, whereas the humans are segregated by a class system. Dennis Hopper plays the CEO of a complex that keeps the wealthy at bay from the ghastly dead, while Simon Baker is the protagonist battling the drooling ones from the outside world.

Like all of Romero's series, it's morbidly funny and has as much to do with exposing society's ills as thrilling in the blood-spurting violence. In this case he implies the zombie "walkers" are more human than those they're trying to feast on.

Likewise, Stephen Chow's martial arts fantasy, Kung Fu Hustle, is not just a product of its genre. It is a fantasy film as much inspired by the anti-physics of cartoons as the ballet of karate, and features fight scenes choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, ( The Matrix, Kill Bill).

Meanwhile, some critics have compared Chow's directing style to that of Quentin Tarantino. Sing (Chow) and his sidekick turn up in the ghetto pretending to be members of the feared Axe Gang and a crazy battle ensues that has bodies flying and people scrambling across the desert.

Also opening on Thursday is Crash, a racially charged and ambitious attempt to illustrate how disconnected we've become, from Paul Haggis, the writer of Million Dollar Baby. The action weaves together the stories of various LA characters: a detective, two thieves, a district attorney and a film director in a way that is designed to explore bigotry and stereotypes.

The cast intersect strangely too - this stars Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Ryan Phillipe, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser and Thandie Newton.

Social

New Zealand misses out on some big gigs - Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails and Ryan Adams all toured Australia this year but bypassed us - but we do seem to be a popular destination for upcoming stars.

Last week it was British No 1 artist James Blunt. This week it's Rooster. The four-piece London band are dropping in to promote their self-titled debut album, (you've probably heard first single Come Get Some) with an acoustic performance at Shed 19 on Princes Wharf on Thursday. And yes, their collective good looks will probably make the ladies clucky.

Music

Sick of going out and hearing the same old $&%? So is Base FM DJ, Splash. So he started Axis, a monthly gig at Grand Circle - first one's this Friday with three other like-minded spinners from the station.

The gigs will be an extension of their shows, featuring a mix that could span from James Brown to Mantronix, Horace Andy, MIA, Madlib or Slaughter Mob. Or you can catch Tadpole and Autozamm at the Studio. And at the same venue the following night, Sola Rosa plays the last gig of his album release tour for Moves On.

Art

Why is it society's most talented are often the poorest? Hence the need for the Starving Artists Fund Auction, tomorrow at Artspace on K Rd.

The auction is to raise money for one non-established artist to achieve his or her vision, presumably without having to live off baked beans. Jennifer Ward-Lealand hosts the event, which opens at 5pm; bidding at 6pm. Check out the auction at www.starvingartistsfund.com/auction