Toa Fraser's (No. 2, Dean Spanley) The Dead Lands is utterly spellbinding. It is, at times, an incredibly violent film. But it's also incredibly beautiful, both its stars and the New Zealand landscape are practically popping out of the screen.
It's all melded together by a stunning score, care of Don McGlashen. It doesn't sound like Don - it's more akin to the moody works of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. It's just perfect for what could be the best looking action film of the year.
The world premiere didn't get off to a smooth start. With many fans lining up in excess of two hours, a fire alarm going off just when the cinema reached capacity was met with yelps of frustration.
Outside, young star James Rolleston (Boy, The Dark Horse) joked to the masses huddled outside: "It's all just part of the movie! You're part of the movie!" He was grinning ear to ear.
Some cinema goers simply refused to leave their seats. Taking a movie over being burnt alive says a lot about a film - and the buzz around The Dead Lands has been building.
Picked up by XYZ films - the chaps who looked after The Raid - action fans knew they had something special coming.
And they got it. The story follows a young Māori warrior as he attempts to avenge his father's death. He enlists the help of the Warrior, an unnamed, terrifying fighter versed in the art of Mau rākau (a martial art based on Maori weaponry like the patu and taiaha).
The film is entirely in Maori, with English subtitles. It's utterly immersive to the point where you don't even notice.
People are stabbed, maimed and beaten. It's intense and brutal, but the story is shot and told in such an energising way it becomes a sort of marvellous roller coaster ride. It's certainly a crowd pleaser. There was cheering and clapping, because this film rocked.
The Q&A afterwards was utterly charming, the questions coming from a mostly Canadian audience, curious about "all the use of tongues", and why the Warrior didn't have a name.
Fraser answered in his typically warm, understated way, explaining that in some cultures, Toa meant "Warrior", and in others, it meant "duck". He wants to reclaim his name for the latter.
The Dead Lands opens in New Zealand cinema on October 30.
3 News
source: newshub archive
