Celebrating the power of Poi E
Poi E: The Story of Our Song 8.30pm, Ma¯ori TV It was a breath of fresh air and a very different beat for a land where the likes of Foster and Allen could still dominate the charts.
It gave hope and new spirit to a community ravaged by economic recession.
And it provided more than one generation of Kiwis with the opportunity to be proud of our indigenous language and culture.
Poi E might have seemed like something of a novelty record when it first hit the airwaves in 1983, but the mix of lyrics mysterious to most New Zealanders and a cutting-edge hip-hop beat soon made it a favourite in lounges, schoolyards and on dancefloors across the nation.
Christchurch-born director Tearepa Kahi’s ( Mt Zion) lovingly crafted, intimate documentary captures the anarchic spirit of the song and its creator Dalvanius Prime.
The man whose name makes him sound like a Transformer was the ringmaster of the whole operation and his mana, determination and eccentricities are laid bare for all to see.
The juxtaposition of archival footage with modern day recollections is expertly bridged by an extended audio interview the late Dalvanius made just a couple of years before his death in 2002. – James Croot who feels fully equipped to take on more parenting responsibilities while his self-assured wife returns to the work force after being a stay-at-home mother for 13 years. ‘‘Likeable and solidly constructed,’’ wrote Los Angeles Times‘ Robert Lloyd. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines 8.30pm, Three Seriously under-rated 2003 scifi sequel in which Arnie takes on a female Terminatrix (Kristanna Loken) in order to protect the vital John Connor (Nick Stahl) and his future wife, Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), from meeting a grisly end. Contains plenty of thrills and spills and a real jawdropper of a finale. Bones 8.35pm, Prime In the final-ever episode of this popular US crime drama, the Jeffersonian lab is in ruins following an explosion. Brennan (Emily Deschanel) has been very badly injured, sustaining enough of a head injury that she cannot decipher her own notes. 7 Days 9pm, Three Likely to provide far more intentional laughs than the election night programming across the free-to-air channels tomorrow, this special Wellington-shot edition of the long-running panel show sees Jeremy Corbett trying to control Paul Ego, Dai Henwood, Ben Hurley, Jeremy Elwood, Justine Smith and Cori Gonzalez-Macuer for an hour.