Karl Puschmann

A Tiny Act of Huge Defiance South Park has entered the chat.

South Park returns with the most important half-hour of television so far this year.
screencrack.substack.com/p/a-tiny-act...

Brutal topics. Warm laughs. Comedian Mike Birbiglia gets raw and even more personal in his new special.

"Whenever a new Mike Birbiglia special appears, it feels like spotting a rare bird fluttering outside your window or discovering a couple of bonus potato fritters with your fish n’ chips."

screencrack.substack.com/p/brutal-top...

Owen Wilson's sports comedy is cliché, lame and... good? I kind of hate Stick, but also kind of don't.

I kind of hate Stick, but also kind of don't.

screencrack.substack.com/p/owen-wilso...

Succession creator's tech-bro satire arrives outdated He moved fast. Tech moved faster.

We are not prepared for the reality posited in Mountainhead, a satire about four extremely unlikable billionaires and the world they want to create.

Which is a big problem, considering we are now living in it.

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It's a strong rhythm section to your lead.

a man in a trench coat is saying i would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable ALT: a man in a trench coat is saying i would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable

Incredible.

Is that... a velvet tux?!?

Looking forward to reading this. Great cover!

The Uncomfortable Truth in Marlon Williams’ Doco Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds becomes about much more than the singer's personal journey.

Marlon Williams' doco Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds tells his personal journey but reveals a choice for us all.
My take on the movie everyone's talking about here:
screencrack.substack.com/p/the-uncomf...

Massive album. Kudos.

MobLand has big stars, big guns and a big problem. Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan go gangster in Guy Ritchie's crime drama.

MobLand is shooting to be Prestige TV but just misses the target.
Even still, I'm digging it. My thoughts here:
screencrack.substack.com/p/mobland-ha...

You may not survive Nathan Fielder's return Season 2 of The Rehearsal flies way beyond cringe TV. Buckle up.

Now slinging a weekly hit of entertainment writing at Screen Crack.

Thanks, dude!

Absolutely buzzing to be a finalist for the Outstanding Music Journalism Award at this year's Taite Music Prize! It’s an honour to be recognised alongside Chris Schulz and the team at Newzician Magazine. Fingers crossed!

#taitemusicprize

I'd also like to see game companies flip the concept. I'd play the hell out of Arkham Farmer, Growhaven or Flourishing Fields of Arnak.

Vince: Karl Puschmann weighs in on Jono Pryor’s latest gig Review: Can the friendliest guy in radio be convincing as a jerk TV host in his new show?

The one problem with Jono Pryor's new show is Jono Pryor.

I look at his comedy, Vince, in today's NZ Herald column.
www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainmen...

I think you might be right on that

Not so crazy really. Lovely song and one that is certainly list-worthy.
Also, some great zings in your write-up there. Did lol.

Ten Neglected New Zealand Love Songs - Article | AudioCulture This list will no doubt be breaking a few hearts by excluding one of Aotearoa’s greatest-ever love songs, Chris Knox’s ‘Not Given Lightly’. And, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ve also given the cold sho...

And while working on all of that I was listening to and writing about 10 of Aotearoa's best yet sadly neglected love songs for Audio Culture. @audioculturenz.bsky.social Have a read and a listen, here: www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/ten...

Karl Puschmann: New Bridget Jones is not so much a rom-com as a ‘loss-com’ REVIEW: The film walks the tightrope of whether a tearjerker can still make you laugh.

Then I went and saw the new Bridget Jones film, which I've dubbed a 'loss-com' rather than a 'rom-com', and wrote about it for the NZ Herald @nzherald.bsky.social www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainmen...

Are rom-coms a relationship red flag or simply cosy cinematic fun? But underneath all the warm fuzzies and grand gestures, do rom-coms hide a dark truth? Could these lovey-dovey films impact people's actual views of romance and set unrealistic expectations for relati...

Love's been in the air this week in the lead-up to Valentine's Day. Firstly, I spoke to the experts to determine if rom-coms were hazardous for your relationship. Find out at RNZ @rnzrss.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/541...

Karl Puschmann: How problematic is 'Love, Actually', actually? Review: It’s a festive favourite. Should it be?

A Yuletide column revisiting a Yuletide classic: "People love it so much that even asking if we should cancel Love, Actually is akin to asking if we should cancel Christmas itself."
www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainmen...