All that hype. All that expectation. All those delays. All that face paint. For a food salvage operation?

Producer J.J. Abrams sure knows how to release a film. In 2007, he launched a mysterious trailer for an unnamed sci-fi film at a Transformers screening, creating a buzz that saw Cloverfield, as it was soon to be known, collect just over US$170 million.

Sixteen figures in flowing cream reclaim the King of Thebes from Freud in this melodic contemporary opera.

It's refreshing to see the 360 ALLSTARS crew bringing traditional circus skills into a wildly energetic celebration of street culture.

Nixon in China, co-produced with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and New Zealand Opera, cements why John Adams has created an operatic survivor.

The curtains lift, revealing a dancer seated solemnly to one side. All is quiet barring the sound of audience members settling into their seats.

This excellent one-man show is not chatty or casual. Tight, dramatic spotlights focus sharply on the orator in the dark.

COMMENT: The Big Ward's greatest achievement is simply getting a serious public health issue into a time slot usually occupied by reality shows.

Around 30 Aucklanders jumped on and off the White Night Art Bus from Q Theatre on Saturday night and went west.

A good part of the excitement at Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's latest dance project was experiencing our city's favourite orchestra in the faux-Egyptian temple of The Civic.

Hyperion Records continues to excavate the forgotten and often minor gems of the 19th century in its various Romantic Concerto series.

Life of a Domino's Pizza worker turns out to be riveting viewing, writes Calum Henderson.

I hate to say this because I do love the setting but the series is now a triumph of commerce over art. May the force be with you, writes Karl Puschmann.

The Black Quartet combined with Lawrence Arabia, Tiny Ruins, and Rob Ruha for a charming evening of musical diversity.

Many may think "don't mess with a classic" but games very quickly moved on from two people fighting on a 2D platform.

Among the razzle-dazzle of the big shows, the Auckland Arts Festival always throws up some hidden gems like Waves.

In this fantastical Kiwi detective story, Carl Bland's musings on truth and loss are framed as "three men in search of a playwright," writes Janet.

Ralph Fiennes couldn't make a bigger splash if he tried, rampaging through director Luca Guadagnino's relationship drama.

This is savage. One minute you're watching someone being ripped to death by a sabre-toothed tiger.

Sufjan Stevens described his mesmerising and moving Civic Theatre show last night better than anyone else could: "A celebration of termination."

The makers of this show have given themselves a challenge: they've attempted to adapt what is primarily adult literature for 4-8-year-olds.

John Psathas' collaboration blends live players and international musicians against World War I battlefields.

The latest offering from the inimitable Coen brothers is Hail, Caesar!, a goofy love letter to the golden age of Hollywood.

Madonna left fans bewildered after her first Auckland show, during which she performed a sex act on a banana and broke down in tears for her son Rocco.

TV3's new BBC spy drama The Night Manager might be lavishly appointed but its debut episode felt a little hollow.

Sudbin pursues these philosophies in an entertaining booklet essay for his new CD of Medtner and Rachmaninov.

The new Coen Brothers film about old Hollywood has its moments but its narrative juggling act doesn't come off.

Calum Henderson tunes into Netflix's batch of cooking docos, and wonders why every meal has to be an art form.

For a show about a fast-talkin' shyster, Better Call Saul sure moves slow. It's unhurried and deliberate, writes Karl Puschmann.