Stars come down to earth

By GREGG WYCHERLEY

"You're not in Hollywood now, Dr Ropata."

It was a far cry from Hollywood Boulevard and the paparazzi were nowhere to be seen, but at least one autograph hunter went home happy last night at the premiere of New Zealand's latest home-grown movie.

Temuera Morrison and co-stars Lawrence Makoare and Jaime Passier-Armstrong walked the red carpet into Auckland's Village Hoyts Queen St cinema as Crooked Earth hit the screens.

Arriving in formal dress, they were greeted by a haka performed by members of the national champion kapa haka group, Te Matarae i Orehu, moviegoers and a handful of bewildered Japanese tourists.

Hinewehi Mohi, who sings on the sound track, was performing as the guests arrived. They included Los Angeles-based director Sam Pillsbury and producer Robin Scholes.

Morrison, starring as professional soldier Will Bastion, described the film as "pretty heavy".

"It's supposed to be a story of the politicisation of my character into taking leadership.

"But we threw in a bit of action as well, a bit of the Rambo stuff."

Described by promoters as "a modern-day wild frontier story of rebellion", Crooked Earth follows Bastion's mysterious return from peacekeeping duties in Bosnia to his hometown of Raukura, set in the Coromandel.

In the movie, Bastion fights to wrest control of the lawless dope-growing town from his brother Kahu (Makoare), and the pair continued the theme last night, hamming it up for the cameras.

Proceeds from the sale of the $55 tickets to the premiere went to the Starship children's hospital to buy neurological equipment.

Crooked Earth opens at cinemas nationwide today.