The lasting affection for Shatner is partly because he's been smart enough to make a fool out of himself, writes Russell Baillie.

After proving himself as a master of turning comic books into visually tantalising films, Zack Snyder was allowed to create his dream project.

Moodysson's film drew catcalls at its 2009 Berlinale screening, the first outside his native Sweden. On balance, such a response seems unduly passionate; it might have been more appropriate to snore.

In New Zealand, it seems the only real criminals we get to see on on telly is on the CCTV footage on Police Ten 7.

Faintheartedness, the second solo work from ex-Goldenhorse guitar/vocalist/songwriter Ben King, but first under the moniker Grand Rapids, started as a limited release giveaway about a year ago.

Back in the 1970s Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City columns captured the off-beat spirit of San Francisco. One of Maupin's leading characters was Mary Ann Singleton, a TV presenter.

The limited edition of this album comes with a DVD doco about this New York garage band. It's entitled Pardon Us For Living But the Graveyard is Full and that's apt, as the Fleshtones have been around forever.

The G rating for this visually stunning nature documentary should be accompanied with a note that it "contains commentary that is banal, incomprehensible or unhelpful - sometimes all three at once".

This issue of the British literary journal is dedicated to Pakistan.

As you'd expect from a film called Rio, music, dancing and Carnival play a large role in this bright, glossy animated comedy from the creators of Ice Age.

After a series of fine albums, Ohio's Over the Rhine deliver their most sophisticated album to date

Stars: 3/5

Stars: 5/5. Verdict: The history of Chicago blues in Alligator's shoes across two exciting discs.

Stars: 3.5/5

Stars: 4/5

Stars: 3.5/5

Seeing Hemingway through his first wife's eyes is an intriguing view.

Prepare to cringe as NZ episodes of America's Next Top Model finally make it to our screens.

This globe-spanning contemporary drama from Swedish writer/director Lukas Moodysson (Lilya 4-Ever) can function as a slightly less histrionic take on the multiple-narrative films of Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel).

Britney Spears' seventh studio album - released more than a decade since her debut Baby One More Time and three years since her flop-of-a-comeback Circus - sees her shed all those guises and play the woman she is now.

An offbeat odd-couple comedy with a deliciously bittersweet centre, this highly enjoyable film struggles slightly to communicate across a cultural divide.

The name might not be familiar but from the first bar the voice certainly is. It belongs to that rusty balladeer in Gomez.

Battle Los Angeles drags out every war and alien invasion movie cliche it can in two hours of noise and action, and very little else.

Stars: 2.5/5. Verdict: Debut from Welly rockers needs more grunt

Stars: 4/5. Verdict: Quality instrumental beats your brain can dance to