What we've been enjoying this week
Rec Room #3 – "Big movie. Big screen. Loved it."
Kia ora, welcome to the newsletter.
This week I’m encouraging everybody I meet to do Buzzfeed’s Only A Millennial Can Make It Past Level 40 On This Never-Ending '90s Quiz.
It’s a (supposedly never-ending) list of 90s and 00s celebrities, which starts out easy (Britney) and gets progressively tougher. I got to Level 45 before being knocked out by the actor who played Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump.
I think a lot of us don’t fully appreciate the skill and artistry that goes into making a good online quiz. Let’s appreciate this one for what it is: a masterpiece.
(* The highest anybody in the office got was Level 61 – good luck!)
–Cal
Live updates editor Stewart recommends going to see Christopher Nolan’s confusing new blockbuster Tenet at the movies. “Big movie. Big screen. Loved it.” Sorry, that was Tom Cruise. Stewart says: ’“It’s mindblowing, even though I had to read a plot summary afterwards to make sure I knew wtf I just watched.”
Office manager Lucy recommends Conversations, a long-running and seemingly very well-known Australian podcast series I’ll admit I’d never heard of until now. Specifically, she recommends this episode from last year with Beverly Bass, the pilot of one of 38 passenger jets diverted to a small town in Nova Scotia after US airspace was closed on 9/11. There’s a good documentary about it, You Are Here, which was turned into a musical, Come From Away, but it’s not available to stream anywhere, so this podcast ep will have to do for now.
Managing editor Duncan recommends a deep cut from the Netflix library – 2016 documentary Sour Grapes. “A beautiful and often very funny documentary about the high end Burgundy market, the cool people who make the wine, the embarrassing men who drink it, and a brilliant conman who gamed the system in the most audacious way for years. Features a lot of Bill Koch, the third-most famous Koch brother and winner of the ‘82 America's Cup, who is probably on balance the most embarrassingly tasteless wine dork of them all.
Culture editor Sam recommends Zadie Smith’s new book Intimations. “It's a lovely short book of essays written this year, generally in response to Covid-19 but covering a wide range of issues. It's quick, funny, smart and touching without ever getting too heavy. And all the author royalties are going to charity.”
Staff writer Alice recommends stockpiling Pams Honey Mustard Pressed Pretzels. “Last time I was near a New World I bought five bags of them to last until the next time I’m near a New World.”
Podcast manager Jane recommends another underrated treat to welcome the warmer days of spring – the Grapefruit and Lemon Fruju. “Perhaps the least popular of the Fruju series, it combines a bitter hit of grapefruit with the sour tang of lemon to create a refreshing ice block that will make you feel like a proper adult. Sure you'll be wincing the whole time you eat it, but there's also less chance your kids will hound you for a bite.”
Finally this week, several people have hazy new craft beer recommendations. Behemoth’s Brain Smiles is “a delicious hazy which manages the rare trick of being neither too boozy nor too pricey” (Dunc), while Parrotdog’s Birdseye (Alice) and Garage Project’s Ghost Light (Stewart) also got enthusiastic thumbs up. Available wherever you normally buy your Hazy IPAs.
Alice Snedden’s Bad News
The final two episodes of Alice Snedden’s Bad News are out this week and like the previous six, they’re must-see online TV. Available now, the episode on Prisoner Voting Rights features one of the interviews of the season with the National Party’s former justice spokesperson Mark Mitchell, and an attempted charity single from comedy duo Two Hearts that will unfortunately get stuck in your head for several days. The final episode is out on The Spinoff tomorrow, and features Billy T Award winning comedy legend Kura Forrester in a co-host role.
Final Mix
In the third episode of Final Mix, music journalist Yadana Saw takes Sam Flynn Scott from The Phoenix Foundation for a drive around Auckland’s spiciest noodle spots to road test a few songs from the band’s new album Friend Ship, which comes out in October. The album includes guest vocals from folk heroes Nadia Reid and Tiny Ruins (on separate songs, not at the same time), and all the singles released so far sound very lovely indeed.
Business is Boring
From the ashes of the Bauer Media empire, two former fashion magazine staff have built an online phoenix in the form of new fashion website Ensemble. In the latest Business is Boring episode, host Simon Pound sat down (over Zoom) with Zoe Walker Ahwa and Rebecca Wadey to discuss why they decided to launch a website instead of sticking to the traditional magazine format they were used to, what their vision is for the site and how they see the future of fashion media shaping up in general.
Conversations that Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai
Produced in partnership with Massey University, the second episode of Conversations that Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take examines and discuss the detail and implications of the upcoming cannabis legalisation and control referendum. The Spinoff Ātea editor Leonie Hayden filled the shoes of regular host Stacey Morrison for this one, and was joined by Massey University Associate Professor Chris Wilkins and Hāpai Te Hauora chief executive Selah Hart.
Scratched: Aotearoa’s Lost Sporting Legends
On a per capita basis New Zealand probably has more sporting legends than any other country on earth, but not all of them get the recognition they deserve. Documentary series Scratched attempts to set that right by telling the stories of lesser-known sporting heroes. Last month’s one about Counties Manukau and Auckland Blues rugby legend Joeli Vidiri was the final episode for season one, but there are five others to enjoy too. I especially love the one on Chunli Li, the table tennis champion still unbeaten in women’s singles in New Zealand at age 57 – and still not ruling out another run at the Olympic Games.
That’s all for this week. Reply to get in touch, and please share Rec Room with anyone else you think might like it.
See you next Wednesday 👋