Goodbye Pork Pie

Look, I'm a fan of this film, truly, I am. It's just very dated. The anachronisms, the language, the sensibilities, the pacing. It might be a road movie, but it's SLOW. There's no sense of urgency and you really don't 'get' that there's actually something they're running from. However, I love how much this film covers the country. The Wellington scenes are good fun. Perhaps I would have liked it more if I was alive when it was released/set but it just doesn't appeal to me. I don't deny that it's a stalwart of Kiwi cinema, but times have changed and this film certainly doesn't endure.

A New Zealand film pioneer scored a hit with this little gem. Prepare for one and a half hours of fun on a shoestring budget as two inventive rogues on a slightly destructive road trip though beautiful New Zealand (though no Maoris and only a few sheep). This is the ultimate folk hero / 'mini cars are freedom on wheels' movie. Great views of a country full of rivers, woods, mountains and a nostalgic eighties feel. (compared to the more aggressive recent remake). Great natural acting, great psychedelic scenes in a redecorated (with stuff stolen form elsewhere in the train) box car. There is even a love interest: sexy Claire Oberman, carelessly losing her virginity on the way. One of the movies that started the remarkable New ealand wave, resulting in mega productions as Avatar and The piano. Don't expext all sugar and spice though. New Zealand film is known for its dark undertones.

A hilarious nonconformist screwball road movie from the early-'80s. Full of genius-level hilarious one-liners, dynamic and unpredictable action shots, adventurism and sense of the New Zealand transport network and urban aesthetics - this is a stable-mate to The Club (1980) another Antipodean classic. The gibbering hippy moneygrubber featured towards the end of the move is hilarious.

Legendary NZ road film. Quirky and enjoyable road trip from the north of the north to the south of the south. Northing to think about except enjoying it. Couple of criticisms; the dialogue was inaudible at times, particularly in the Wellington garage workshop. Also, the version I watched had been cropped by 10 minutes, which explains why there were a couple of times I was lost by references to something that had happened but we had not seen. The scenery is stunning.

This movie is great fun, and entertaining from start to finish. Whereas some of Geoff Murphy's movies (Quiet Earth, Young Guns 2, Utu) made it to video, this little gem didn't (at least not here in the US) - too bad. Hopefully at some point, someone will recognise it as the classic it is, and release it on video or DVD.

Timeless, still entertaining in 2009. Could we get a remake, say with the new (BMW)Mini. Let's see how well this vehicle can be shared with everyone across the country. Tourism NZ should be consulted, so we will see a bit more about this beautiful part of our planet. Or simply turn it into a wacky chase from North to South on different modes of transport. Include scenes that spoof on other famous Kiwi Movies, e.g. include the house from "Scarfies" in Dunedin or instead of the Wizard in Christchurch show Hayley Westenra busking in the Mall. While standing in front of the TV Tower in Auckland let a Tom Cruise Look-a-Like buzz down on the Bungy rope (if not himself...). Directors of New Zealand: Get creative for your country ! The world is waiting for a new Kiwi Classic.