James Croot
Stuff.co.nz News
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Past articles by James:
Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee: Three's shockingly hilarious new game show
REVIEW: This is the fresh, funny and fabulously conceived format we need in our trouble-filled times right now. → Read More
One Lane Bridge: Ka hoki mai tā TVNZ hōtaka Ōtākou uriuri, ka pārekareka ake te whakaari
AROTAKE: Kua uriuri ake i a My Life is Murder me Brokenwood, nikā te hōtaka tipua nō Aotearoa e whanake rā anō ana. → Read More
You, Me & Anxiety: Robyn Malcolm, Todd Muller open up on powerful TVNZ documentary
REVIEW: This may just be one of the most important, emotional and enlightening local documentaries you see all year. → Read More
Seventh Son: How did the worst fantasy of last decade end up as Netflix's No.1?
REVIEW: Even Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore can't save this truly unfortunate Son. → Read More
Becoming Jane: The romantic-drama where Anne Hathaway gets lost in Austen
REVIEW: What is missing from this seemingly precisely devised, formulaic 2007 tale is passion. → Read More
The Afterparty: Apple's innovative comedic murder mystery offers laughs aplenty
REVIEW: This is a show where you can see the seams, but some scenes and lines are side-splittingly funny. → Read More
The best movies of 2021
1969's other music festival, life as a hearing child of Deaf parents and drunk Danish teachers were just some of the subject matters that struck a chord. → Read More
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses: Dame Helen-hosted US quiz lacks magic
REVIEW: Potter-heads will enjoy the chance to test their knowledge, but, for everyone else, this may be something of a chore, rather than compelling. → Read More
Eight great campus-set comedies (and where you can watch them)
From Animal House to Back to School and Legally Blonde, these are the Pitch Perfect movies that capture a tertiary institution's wild life. → Read More
The French Dispatch: Star-studded love letter to magazines is peak Wes Anderson
REVIEW: While this won't win him any new fans, for those who can’t enough of his unique storytelling style, this portmanteau piece will be pure catnip. → Read More
The best new TV shows of 2021 (and where you can watch them)
In a year filled with Britney docos, Korean dramas and stories set around wellness retreats, these are the fresh series that proved highly addictive. → Read More
'Twas the Fight Before Xmas: Doco details how one man's festive obsession got ugly
REVIEW: No one comes out of this looking great, but Becky Read’s skill is in subtly – and not-so subtly – shifting our sympathies and allegences. → Read More
Marvel's Hit-Monkey, Netflix's True Story among great shows to stream this weekend
Kevin Hart gets all dramatic, while a new adult animated series is brutal, bloody and a whole lot of fun. → Read More
Auckland's cinemas are back: Here's what you should prioritise going to see
From Bond to a Thomasin McKenzie showcase and an unforgettable Palme d'Or winner, these are the reasons to get out and support your local movie theatre. → Read More
Marvel's No Way Home, Netflix's Don't Look Up among December's must see movies
Spidey is back, Steven Spielberg is behind a new version of West Side Story and a star-studded ensemble contemplate the end of the world. → Read More
The Fellowship of the Ring at 20: Jackson's ambitious adaptation still captivates
REVIEW: This still holds up as a rollicking adventure, filled with moments of magic, jaw-dropping set pieces and a magnificent acting ensemble. → Read More
Your Highness: One of the worst comedies of the last decade comes to Neon
REVIEW: What was Natalie Portman thinking when she signed up for this lame, leaden, laugh-free, sex-and-stoner 2011 period "comedy"? → Read More
The Green Lantern at 10: When Tem, Taika, Ryan Reynolds couldn't avert disaster
REVIEW: This is a charisma-free, effects-heavy romp weighted down with exposition from its opening, seemingly endless world-building narration. → Read More
The Beatles: Get Back: Sir Peter Jackson's stunning doco captures Fab 4's last days
REVIEW: It was more than 50 years ago, you say? This magnificent magnum opus of a restoration job makes it look like Yesterday. → Read More
Titane: A stunning sensual assault that's both challenging and richly rewarding
REVIEW: Its genre and gender-bending narrative isn’t for the faint-hearted, but this is most certainly not a movie you will easily forget. → Read More