DVD OF THE WEEK THE HURT LOCKER ***** Dir: Kathryn Bigalow, Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty It’s not often that the smallest-grossing Oscar-nominated film beats a film that has the highest box-office take of all time, but that’s what happened at the Oscars this year. And now, finally, the underdog winner has been released on DVD here. It seems odd to have two Iraq-set films as consecutive “Picks of the Week” but while last week’s More...

Writing about Dennis Hopper last week started me thinking about mavericks, and my favourite maverick writer, who would have turned 73 earlier this month. I’m talking, as those of you who’ve read this column for a while might guess, about Dr Hunter S Thompson, rebel journalist, political commentator, the man who brought the term ‘Gonzo’ into common use and who fearlessly documented his elusive search for the American More...

Are you ready to upgrade to the next best version of you? Are you ready to make changes? Are you ready to succeed? Caitlin Grace invites you to come to the Limitless Living Workshop and reclaim your power. Identify limiting processes and get the tools to change them. Caitlin is an accredited journey therapist, thought field therapy, Reiki III, Quantum Reflex Analysis practitioner and natural health consultant. She has been practicing in personal life improvement for more than 10 years and More...

Royalists and republicans will rejoice in a rowdy rendition of The Last Night of the Proms at Holy Trinity Church on Friday, August 6. The concert, organised by Operatunity, features an experienced cast including Geoffrey Hughes, Susan Boland, Lynette Martin, Stuart Coats, and Paul Chappory. Geoffrey encourages audiences to bring their British flag of choice, dress-up, paint their faces, and sing along. “This concert will be a flag-flying feast of fantastic fun and frivolity, sure to More...

Good news! You can sit down to a plate of pancakes this Sunday, add Queen Pure Maple Syrup and not feel guilty. The rich amber sweetness of pure maple syrup has long been appreciated by food-lovers, and those with a sweet tooth. However, new research has recently uncovered 13 of more than 20 compounds found in Canadian maple syrup linked to good human health. Reviewed by Claire Rogers. Research scientist Navindra Seeram of Rhode Island University confirmed that the sweet sticky amber liquid More...

This lovely gamay noir is a delicious, explosive wine, bursting with crushed red-berry characters. Pour a glass and marvel at its gorgeous purple hue. Its vibrant fruit provides immediate appeal and flavour to match all cuisine, even spicy dishes. Reviewed by Claire Rogers. It is produced by Te Mata Estate, a family owned vineyard established in 1896, well known for producing internationally recognised wines exclusively from its Hawke’s Bay vineyards. The Woodthorpe Vineyard is More...

The best way to enjoy Baileys is to serve it chilled. Place it straight into your fridge where it will be at the ready for unexpected guests or just those times when a Baileys over ice seems like a great idea. This winter Baileys has a new competition running called ‘Chill it and Win’. Once chilled to the right temperature a unique code will appear on the sticker on the Baileys bottle. All you need to do is enter your unique code online at www.baileysnz.co.nz to be in with a More...

From the director of Donnie Darko comes another mind-bender: Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden) are a suburban couple with a young kid who receive a simple wooden box with a big red button. A mysterious man (Frank Langella) comes along and tells them that they will be delivered $1 million if they press the button. The downside is that someone, somewhere in the world, will die. Norma and Arthur have 24 hours to choose whether they want to take part in this odd More...

Whitewater at McLaren Falls: Les Taylor. Send us your photos and stories from around the Bay of Plenty. Email: newsroom@thesun.co.nz Oh Baby! Click here to meet our newest More...

Congratulations to the winners of the SunLive Rialto the Girl Who Played With Fire Competition Lisa Stuart Ohauiti, Tauranga Mary Avis Omokoroa Congratulations to the winners of the SunLive National Roast Day Competition Lyn Watts Tauranga Ian Richardson Tauranga Linda Travers Belleview, Tauranga Fleur Harawira Bellevue, More...