Author | Lightnews

The kids aren’t alright: unpacking horror’s recent mercilessness towards children

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Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · 11d

Today’s scattered media environment makes it easy to bypass the suffering of children.

As @liammaguren.bsky.social, fresh from seeing #BlackPhone2 observes, today’s horror movies make sure you don’t.

With Black Phone 2 upping the child violence on its predecessor, we look a little deeper into horror’s newest trend.

Show Me Shorts 2025 award nominees – and where to see them

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · 26d

Did a lovely Q&A with Darren Bevan about our short film The Charm of the Magpies, kicking off this week as part of Show Me Shorts' My Kind collection. The last Q's a deep-cut reference to this orange guy. darrens-world-of-entertainment.blogspot.com/2025/10/show...

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 30

Unbelievably, I've been nominated for Best Director for our short film The Charm of the Magpies.

“As a jury we were struck by the richness and diversity of the films presented this year.”

The best moments from every Taskmaster NZ contestant ever

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 23

This is my masterwork.

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Sep 23

As @liammaguren.bsky.social knows, "many will disagree with the choices below. Some may even write to my editor. I will then channel the spirit of Aotearoa’s #Taskmaster Jeremy Wells and his assistant Paul Williams and meet all criticisms with palpable indifference"

Everyone gets their dues, whether they like it or not, in our list of Taskmaster NZ’s Greatest Hits.

The BIG films hitting cinemas this October | Australia & NZ cinema release dates | Flicks

Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Sep 19

October brings the pain with #TheSmashingMachine, the horror with #TheBlackPhone2, the chuckles with #GoodFortune, the heartache with #EleanorTheGreat, and the... well... whatever you wanna say about #Bugonia

Get a taste for next month's cinema releases with this vid by @liammaguren.bsky.social

YouTube video by Flicks

www.youtube.com

Viewing guide for te wiki o te reo Māori 2025

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 15

Toitū te reo ✊

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Sep 15

Embrace the national taonga that is te reo Māori just a little tighter this te wiki o te reo Māori with some great local screen content.

@liammaguren.bsky.social is here with a selection of recent reo-revelling films and shows released in the past year available right now for you to stream.

There’s an absolute bounty of new films and shows to watch this Māori Language Week.

Who are my people? Where do I fit in? The short films in this collection explore pressing questions of selfhood and belonging. If who we think we are is taken away, what are we left with? We can choos...

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Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 15

🫶🏻

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 15

Big and true.

Doug Dillaman @dillamonster.bsky.social · Sep 15

Show Me Shorts schedule is out, and big congrats to GUT INSTINCT's animator @liammaguren.bsky.social whose new film THE CHARM OF THE MAGPIES premieres in the "My Kind" section.

(Gutting there's only a Friday arvo screening in Welly tho.)

www.showmeshorts.co.nz/attend/2025-...

My Kind — Show Me Shorts

www.showmeshorts.co.nz

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 13

I’ve been waiting for a good time to revive my piece from 2019 about the first three Toy Story movies.

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Sep 12

Now 30 years young, what exactly makes #ToyStory a cinema miracle?

As @liammaguren.bsky.social details, they aren’t just films for kids - they’re films you grow up with.

More than kids movies, the Toy Story trilogy grew with kids

Pixar’s ground-breaking turns 30. As Liam Maguren explores, the original three films went beyond being kids films by growing with their audience.

More than kids movies, the Toy Story trilogy grew with kids

Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Sep 12

Now 30 years young, what exactly makes #ToyStory a cinema miracle?

As @liammaguren.bsky.social details, they aren’t just films for kids - they’re films you grow up with.

Pixar’s ground-breaking turns 30. As Liam Maguren explores, the original three films went beyond being kids films by growing with their audience.

This goofy family-friendly gem is also an uncompromising film about grief

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Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Sep 11

New from me about small release Sketch, which we should all be thankful it’s found its way into NZ cinemas. www.flicks.co.nz//features/th...

Don’t let that googly-eyed blue thing fool you: Sketch is a very observant film about how we process loss.

Gut Instinct - Mon 15 Sep 6:00 PM - Takapuna Beachside Cinemas

Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Aug 27

If you're in my neck of the woods, here's your chance to see Doug's wildly original GUT INSTINCT at Takapuna Beachside Cinemas + a couple of my animated short films.

Doug Dillaman @dillamonster.bsky.social · Aug 26

Auckland! Takapuna to be precise! GUT INSTINCT is coming for an encore interactive screening - complete with intro and Q&A by me and a preshow featuring the films of my beloved collaborator, animator @liammaguren.bsky.social. Come say hi!

ticketing.oz.veezi.com/purchase/163...

Buy tickets to Gut Instinct at Takapuna Beachside Cinemas on Monday, September 15, 2025 6:00 PM

ticketing.oz.veezi.com

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Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Aug 21

I wrote this piece all fingers crossed that no other outlet realised it's been 28 years since Princess Mononoke.

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Aug 21

Forget #Barbeheimer - which captured imagination as the films were polar opposites.

#PrincessMononoke and #28YearsLater, on the other hand, pair like a bow and arrow, says @liammaguren.bsky.social

Princess Mononoke and 28 Years Later might be 2025’s best double feature

As Princess Mononoke makes its way back into cinemas, Liam Maguren writes on the themes and allegories it shares with Danny Boyle’s recent big-screen release.

Princess Mononoke and 28 Years Later might be 2025’s best double feature

Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Aug 21

Forget #Barbeheimer - which captured imagination as the films were polar opposites.

#PrincessMononoke and #28YearsLater, on the other hand, pair like a bow and arrow, says @liammaguren.bsky.social

As Princess Mononoke makes its way back into cinemas, Liam Maguren writes on the themes and allegories it shares with Danny Boyle’s recent big-screen release.

Counting down our favourite films of NZ International Film Festival 2025

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Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Aug 20

Cinema's not a contest, sure, but we ranked our 20 faves of the fest anyway.

The best of NZIFF, as selected by Rachel Ashby, Matthew Crawley, @adamfresco.bsky.social, @liammaguren.bsky.social, @stevenewall.bsky.social, @itskatie.bsky.social, @danielrutledge.bsky.social, @ssarahthomsonn.bsky.social

Get your watchlists ready – there’s plenty we can recommend from our NZIFF viewing this year.

R-rated Netflix comedy Fixed disrupts the doggo discourse

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Liam Maguren @liammaguren.bsky.social · Aug 18

And it's the filthiest goddamn thing I've written in quite some time.

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Aug 18

Stomach the juvenile humour of #Fixed, and you’ll see Genndy Tartakovsky’s Netflix comedy lean towards its strongest assets: animation and character design.

@liammaguren.bsky.social draws comparisons with REN & STIMPY, THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE and FRITZ THE CAT.

This crude animated comedy might just be Genndy Tartakovsky’s most challenging project yet.

R-rated Netflix comedy Fixed disrupts the doggo discourse

1

Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Aug 18

Stomach the juvenile humour of #Fixed, and you’ll see Genndy Tartakovsky’s Netflix comedy lean towards its strongest assets: animation and character design.

@liammaguren.bsky.social draws comparisons with REN & STIMPY, THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE and FRITZ THE CAT.

This crude animated comedy might just be Genndy Tartakovsky’s most challenging project yet.

It legitimately caused an anxiety attack—now sci-fi flick Gut Instinct invades your home

Reposted by Liam Maguren

Flicks @flicks.bsky.social · Aug 18

After taking #GutInstinct (one of 2024's strangest, boldest Aotearoa features) international, @dillamonster.bsky.social's faux public service announcement/audiovisual purification programme is available to watch at home via New Zealand streaming service AroVision - and at an encore cinema screening

One of the strangest, boldest Aotearoa features from last year has now found a home with a New Zealand streaming provider.