Year of the Dog posterWhile the Film Fest­iv­al dom­in­ates the screens at the Embassy, Para­mount, Te Papa, the Film Archive (and par­tially takes over the Pent­house) there are still main­stream releases being flung to the four winds.

As a writer, Mike White has been respons­ible for some of the weird­est (Chuck & Buck), the straight­est (The Good Girl) and the fun­ni­est (The School of Rock) films of recent times. Year of the Dog is his first film as a dir­ect­or and is about a decent, single, sec­ret­ary (played by per­en­ni­al sup­port­ing act­ress Molly Shan­non) and her quest to replace her deceased pet. It’s a romantic com­edy and the sup­port­ing cast is pretty flash: includ­ing John C. Reilly and Peter Sar­sgaard. Pent­house exclus­ive.

The uplift­ing story of Wil­li­am Wil­ber­force (Ioan Gruf­fudd) and his quest to out­law slavery (inspir­ing – or inspired by – the hymn) is told in Amaz­ing Grace. Also star­ring the won­der­ful Romola Garai who will be here in less than a month to star with Ian McK­el­len in “King Lear” and “The Seagull”. Pent­house, Read­ings, Light­house Petone and Rialto.

Knocked Up is the story of an unlikely couple who, after a one-night-stand, are forced to deal with the preg­nancy that binds them togeth­er. It’s by the team that made The 40-year-old Vir­gin and stars Seth Rogen (pro­moted from sup­port­ing act­or in the pre­vi­ous film) and Kath­er­ine Heigl. A hoot by all accounts. Read­ings, Regent-on-Man­ners, Light­house Petone, Sky City Queens­gate.

Finally, prob­ably co-incid­ing with the Dowse’s “Making of” exhib­i­tion, King Kong gets anoth­er trot out at Queens­gate at 2.30pm on Sunday.