Dan Slevin

I'm delighted that my profile of producer/director Mark DeFriest has gone up on NZ On Screen. It was an epic project - two interviews and 27,000 words of transcript, dozens of clippings and many great stories I didn't have room for. Mark may be the most important NZ television creator you've never heard of - from Close to Home to Deepwater Haven. I'm thrilled his story is now available to everyone.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/mark-defriest/biography

@TanekRune@mstdn.ca If there’s an opportunity for me to earn some consultancy fees on specific sites, that would be cool but big picture advice is fo anybody who asks.

Do you have a Substack newsletter that you wish was NOT a Substack newsletter (for whatever reason)? I’ve just spent about six weeks learning how to overcome all the obstacles they put in the way of leaving and would love to help. Let’s talk.

Books are perfect gifts and the Listener 100 is a great place to start. Buying those books from independent bookshops is a gift that keeps on giving. Here’s the Bookhub guide that will point you at your local bookshop for every title.

https://bookhub.co.nz/c/nz-listener-100-best-books-of-2025

Just finished recording tonight’s RNZ At the Movies show. Tonight (online at 7.30pm) I’ll be reviewing PIKE RIVER, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE and FRANKENSTEIN. Show airs on Sunday but the podcast feed will be live this evening.

I love writing for NZ On Screen and they recently posted my backgrounder on the great NZ film, The Dark Horse. I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-dark-horse-2014/background/dan-slevin

Ooh, this is one of mine. (I did not choose the star rating.)

https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/screens/movies/the-story-of-one-of-cinema-s-giants-explored-in-new-doco-mr-scorsese

“Dan Slevin is consistently, convincingly, unpretentiously, perceptively, thoughtfully and articulately the best film reviewer across all media.” -- Unsolicited RNZ National listener feedback.

Link to Friday's show in the comments.

In case you missed it, here's a link to my chat with Emile Donovan on RNZ Nights last Friday, talking about film composer Lalo Schifrin, Brad Pitt's new film F1, and Étoile on Prime Video (from the creators of The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel).

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2018993279/short-cuts-with-dan-slevin

Very proud to have been asked by NZ On Screen to write the profile of legendary actor Joel Tobeck. With the help of some skilled editing from Ian Pryor we managed to squeeze so much about Joel's estimable career into, what I'm told is, the second longest profile on the site.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/joel-tobeck/biography

The newsletter continues to alert viewers to great films and tv and today I'm highlighting a title that Netflix calls a "hidden gem". Sign up to get this in your inbox at 3.15 this afternoon.

https://substack.funeralsandsnakes.net