1978: A New Zealand Film Podcast

We've had a blast being New Zealand’s premier film podcast! The 1978 gang gathers for one last episode, reminiscing about their favourite moments from the past three years, finally talking Army of Darkness , and maybe even being joined by an old (once presumed dead) friend. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:09:30) What we’re watching (00:24:19) Highlights of 1978 (00:34:34) Army of Darkness pop qu...

You've all been asking for it: 1978 is getting political. Jasher and Chris meant to talk Predator: Badlands for Halloween, and Chris and Larissa meant to record a Pike River episode months ago… but life happened, movies happened, and now we’ve Frankensteined both ideas together into one big ol' chaotic bumper episode. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:08:55) What we’re watching (00:24:50) Pred...

Gina Dellabarca returns to the show! Listen in as Chris and Gina chat about the short films that are part of this year’s festival, try to come to terms with Chris being a boring blockbuster guy, and investigate how Show Me Shorts can receive official Gonsta accreditation. LINKS Send us an email at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1978podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Follow us on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Wherever we go, this family... is our fortress. Chris and Jasher are talking about Avatar: The Way of Water! We’re so sorry for all the talk about Na’vi feet, Na’vi belly buttons, and Na’vi lovemaking. Has James Cameron ever missed? CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:29) What we’re watching (00:19:08) Avatar: The Way of Water (01:14:53) Kiwi connections (01:29:53) Next episode LINKS Send us an email...

What we do in life... echoes in eternity. We’re a week late and our recording gear is crackling, but it’s finally time to talk about one of the all-time classics: Ridley Scott’s Gladiator ! And Gladiator II , too I guess. Lots of Pedro Pascal talk, too many Yorgos Lanthimos hot takes, and a whole lot of hate thrown at Jasher for how much he loves Sigourney Weaver. Tune in! CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intr...

Chris Wetere, he’s better than a Roomba! Super special episode today: we’re joined by prolific Northland creative, physical media lover, and a guy who’s 100% not a dick - Mark Kelly. Mark gives us his guide to making a short for the 48Hours film competition, ranks his favourite films of 2025 (so far), and helps us wrestle with our biggest question of the season… is Tom Cruise actually attractive?...

" I'm absolutely in love with you .” Let's be honest… 1978 isn't known to be made up of the biggest Jane Campion fans ever. But hey, we’re giving her another shot! This week, we’re diving into the movie she made right after The Piano: The Portrait of a Lady. PLUS: Chris takes us behind the scenes of NZ’s 48Hours competition, Larissa confesses her love for Dacre Montgomery, and Jasher makes a maste...

Mili mili mili mili, patia! Tinā, one of our favourite films of the year, is now available to stream on demand across Aotearoa - with an international cinema release later this month! We figured it was the perfect time to talk about the movie, rave about the Civic Theatre, and complain about the 2Degrees hold music. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:15) What we’re watching (00:26:14) Tinā (01:05:20...

We recorded this episode live in early July as part of the Sandbox Fandom Festival right here in our hometown of Whangārei. But this wasn’t just any live show - we figured it was high time we celebrated all our favourite Kiwis for the incredible work they've done on our screens over the past 100+ years. I mean... we gonsta , right? Introducing the very first annual Gonstas awards ceremony! You...

Chris Wetere vs. a horde of evil dolls - who would win? Turns out M3GAN is about as Kiwi as it gets, so the boys are booting up ChatGPT and practising their dance moves as they dive into the OG and the 2.0, which is in cinemas now. Also in this ep! Highlights from this year's French Film Festival Aotearoa and ramble about Chris's latest obsession... Magic: The Gathering. CHAPTERS (00:00:00...

Did you just gesture to all of me? 1978 is on holiday! We’re recording live from the beach, absolutely exhausted after a day of trekking up Northland’s Mount Manaia to discuss the almost shot-for-shot live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon . Listen in as Larissa shows off her Scottish accent, Chris defends the Wheelmaster (once again), and Jasher revels in all this crazy dragon-fueled nost...

Ever noticed all bad guys have raisin eyes? Our good friend Ismael joins us to talk Come to Daddy - Ant Timpson’s gross, twisty, and completely unhinged directorial debut. We also rave about Shaun of the Dead , learn more about Secret Lives of Mormon Wives , and ask the big questions: is Darth Vader actually a better father figure than you'd first think? Hear more from Ismael Villegas Molina on Re...

The Intrepid French Film Festival Aotearoa is on now! Chris sits down with friend of the pod Fergus Grady to chat festival must-sees, how he found his way into the film world, and why it’s time to finally stop with all this “Tom Cruise can’t act” nonsense. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:29) Meet Fergus Grady (00:08:00) What inspired Fergus? (00:12:16) Cannes Film Festival (00:20:00) French Film...

Taika Waititi is on trial, and we're all witnesses. What should be a fun discussion of Taika Waititi’s Oscar-winning Nazi satire quickly spirals into a mess of personal attacks, movie piracy accusations, and a heated argument over whether or not Tom Cruise really is the saviour of cinema. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:46) What we’re watching (00:23:51) Jojo Rabbit (01:08:39) Yeah, nah, or y...

Cowboys aren’t real… right?? There’s a shot-in-NZ, self-funded, neo-western zombie flick called Forgive Us All in cinemas right now, and we’ve got thoughts . Join us as Larissa confronts her deep fear of the undead, Jasher obliterates any sense of cinema etiquette, and Chris forces the gang to lock in to decide the ten greatest monster movies of all time.  CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:05:07) What...

Watch out, Broadway… here comes Derek! Larissa and Jasher take over the show to defend Russell Crowe in Les Misérables, chat all things Musical Monday, and pitch Peter Jackson their idea of bringing Bad Taste to broadway, baby. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:45) What we’re watching (00:13:49) Minecraft meme-along (00:15:59) Bad Taste (00:47:51) Kiwi connections (00:53:25) Yeah, nah, or yeah nah?...

I am Steve! Chicken Jockey! Flint and steel! A Minecraft Movie has taken over the world, and Jasher is losing his mind and breaking down into tears. Join the 1978 gang as they pick their favourite mobs, harass Rachel House on the green carpet, and try Steve’s lava chicken for themselves. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:11) What we’re watching (00:16:49) A Minecraft Movie (00:45:49) Steve’s lava c...

One New Zealand film podcast to rule them all... Welcome back to 1978 ! We could think of only one way to kick off our new season — by binging all three extended edition Lord of the Rings films and finally, FINALLY, discussing them all on the show. Tune in to find out which hobbit we’re each most like, why Chris hates Frodo so much, and who among us can best recognise absurd Middle Earth sound eff...

The Academy doesn’t want you to listen to this… Chris hasn’t seen a single Oscar-nominated movie but that won’t stop him from hating on the whole affair. Join us as we break down the 2025 Academy Awards, the big snubs, the wild controversies, and why Conan O’Brien himself deserves to win Best Actor (even if it’s just for his Shortland Street cameo). CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:32) We’re semi-...

Merry Christmas from 1978. Larissa is finally getting payback by forcing the boys to spend the whole of Christmas Eve Eve watching through A Christmas Prince , A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding , and A Christmas Prince: A Royal Baby all back-to-back. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:43) A Christmas Prince (00:13:42) The Royal Wedding (00:18:13) The Royal Baby (00:24:24) Yeah, nah, or yeah nah?...

You can never have too many segments, right? We’re pulling out every single one of 1978’s greatest hits for our season finale! Bad impressions, terrible harmonies, slightly offensive accents, prosthetic penises… this episode has it all. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:11) What we've been watching (00:11:41) Wall of fame (00:19:18) Mystery table read (00:27:04) Celebrity impressions (00:31:37) Mus...

Play the part and the rest will follow... Hot off the New Zealand International Film Festival circuit, we're checking out Jonathan Ogilvie's post-punk coming-of-age dramedy: Head South. CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:55) NZ film news (00:07:33) Movie discussion (00:31:46) Kiwi connections (00:34:08) Yeah, nah, or yeah nah? (00:38:28) Next week LINKS Send us an email at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1978pod...

There are 40 million sheep in New Zealand... and they're pissed off! Somehow Chris and Jasher have managed to convince Larissa to not only watch another horror movie, but to do a whole Halloween episode. Listen in as we chat Black Sheep, dead dogs, and our favourite horror movies! CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:13:56) Film discussion (00:34:50) Kiwi connections (00:38:34) Yeah, nah, or yeah nah? (0...

Showcasing cinematic icons in an incredible selection of highly anticipated films. Festival director, indie filmmaker, and all-around movie lover Fergus Grady joins us on the show to pick his favourite kiwi cinemas, find a few Irish actors, and spill the deets on the fantastic selection at this year's British and Irish Film Festival. ⁠Buy tickets to a British and Irish Film Festival screening here...

Things are off the rails once again. It’s been a busy few weeks for 1978! Chris and Larissa share exclusive behind-the-scenes deets about the new Australian version of The Office , while Jasher fights to stay awake after watching 24 hours of trashy films curated by Ant Timpson. We also discuss the new documentary Taki Rua Theatre: Breaking Barriers , now showing in cinemas across New Zealand. CHAP...