Entertainment picks: Classic back on the road

Kelly Johnson (left) and Tony Barry drive the cops crazy all over again.

Movies

Ronny rev heads unite - this week the Blondini Gang rides again. On Sunday at 3.30pm at Rialto Cinemas in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, the classic Kiwi movie, Goodbye Pork Pie, squeals its way back on to the big screen.

The 1981 film by director Geoff Murphy follows Kaitaia teenager Gerry (Kelly Johnson), who finds a driver's licence and uses it to hire a yellow Mini (Pork Pie) to go joy-riding. Arriving in Auckland, he meets John (Tony Barry). The pair get talking and nosy Gerry finds out that John's wife has left him and moved to Invercargill, so they decide to travel the length of the country to find her. Their high speed and unlawful exploits, plus, in Gerry's case, his seedy antics, make them legendary and they become known as the Blondini Gang. Essential stuff.

Also starting this week at the movies is Bride and Prejudice - the Bollywood meets Hollywood flick starring New Zealand's Martin Henderson. And all I can say is lucky old Martin. Although he doesn't get the luxury of an onscreen kiss - kissing is a no-no in Bollywood films - with the gorgeous Lalitha (Aishwarya Rai), he does get oh-so-close to the former Miss World.

Also starting this week is Coach Carter, starring Samuel L. Jackson, a movie inspired by the true story of a high-school basketball coach who was both praised and criticised in 1999 for benching his entire undefeated basketball team because their grades were poor.

And if you must, there's the new Bruce Willis film, Hostage. Die Hard? We think not.

TV

There is no lack of rubbish on television this week. So if there is one thing you watch on the box then why not make it inane. Moon TV (TV2, Tuesday, 10.30pm), hosted by That Guy (you know, that guy from Sportscafe whose real name is Leigh Hart), is a spoof series with segments like Speedo Cops (think about it), a book review by an alcoholic, and a series of documentaries called Deep Probe Element. It follows Marc and Matthew's new show so it's stupidity all round, really.

Music

This week, be afraid. Be very afraid if you're seeking out live music. Former Suburban Reptile Tony Baldock, Blam Blam Blam's Tim Mahon and, get this, original Kiwi punk drummer Spike Bastard have got together to form the Stop Go Men. But as reformation tours go, this will be different, since the Stop Go Men will be playing entirely new songs at the Kings Arms on Thursday. So there will be no ... Depression In New Zealand, but they assure us the raw energy of the late 70s and early 80s remains. Plus, they've just added electric violin player Ilse van Wyk to the line-up.

Two overseas acts worth checking out are American hardcore-cum-metal band Throwdown at 4:20 on Friday, and the Rogers Sisters - a New York trio made up of two sisters, Laura and Jennifer, and their Hawaiian-born male friend - on Saturday at the Kings Arms with Die! Die! Die! and The Shallows.

Or, if you're after a free gig, then check out Evermore at Sounds, 192 Queen St, on Friday. These guys deserve your support because they're huge across the ditch yet, here, it's pretty much, who the hell are Evermore?

Exhibitions

Tilt - he's a person - is a self-confessed graffiti fetishist from Toulouse in southern France, whose use of bubbly and curvaceous forms reveals an obsession with beautiful, curvy women.

But his exhibition, Egodrips, at Disrupt Gallery (145 K Rd, until June 6), takes a less heated approach and demonstrates how primitive and basic graffiti can be. His focus on fun, high-impact shapes and strong colours is a reflection of his street graffiti, which he started doing as a youngster in 1988 when he did his first tag on a skateboard ramp. His book, Fetish Bubble Girls is out now.

For something entirely different, but just as intriguing, check out Grant Whibley's paintings of New Zealand birds that are near extinction, or already extinct. His latest exhibition, The Nakahi (Milford Galleries, 26 Kitchener St, until June 4), shows the "tragedy of imminent extinction".

And then there's the Cheeky Darkie exhibition by Andy Leleisi'uao at Whitespace, 12 Crummer Rd in Ponsonby (until June 9). The title says it all, and hey, good on this Samoan-born New Zealand artist, someone had to do it.


Theatre

Recently the Silo Theatre has taken many classic texts and reinvented them for contemporary audiences, including Under Milkwood and The Women. Next on the list is Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams (which runs from Wednesday until June 11).

The story revolves around a mother's plan to wield some quiet revenge over the young woman who stole the affections of her dead son.

It is Williams' most autobiographical work, and deals with society's understanding of psychotherapy and his guilt over the psychosis, hospitalisation and treatment of his sister.

Meanwhile, Strange Children, a play set in Auckland during the 1880s, starts on Friday at the Herald Theatre (until June 12), with Sara Wiseman as psychic Lotti Wilmot. A psychic in 1880s Auckland - imagine the scandal.

For something a little different check out Poultry Jam - apparently "best spread with legs open wide on toast" - at the Odeon Lounge (on Thursday) and the Wine Cellar (on Friday).

Social circuit

On Friday the cool kids and the cool music will be out in force at the bNet New Zealand Music Awards at the Auckland Town Hall. These are the awards for lesser known, yet some of the best, music around. Plus it's a great place to be seen.

Who do I hope wins? How about a bit of the Fanatics, Kora, Jakob and, for old times sake, TrinityRoots. That'll do nicely.