After conquering the Kiwi box office twice running, Taika Waititi directed Thor: Ragnarok, one of the most popular movies of 2017. Hunt for the Wilderpeople follows a city kid (Julian Dennison, whose Blazed ad is below) on the run with a grouchy foster uncle. This collection traverses the career of the versatile Mr Waititi: from acting (Scarfies) to funny accents (Pulp Comedy, The Living Room) to directing success — on everything from blockbuster Boy to quirky music videos (40 Years) and Oscar-nominated short films (Two Cars, One Night). 

This excerpt from mid 90s show Newsnight features the extraordinary story of Max Corkill and his motorcycle-riding cat Rastus. After having Rastus dumped on him as a kitten while he was motorcycling around Canada, Max took him along on the road. Quickly becoming comfortable on the bike, Rastus would stand on the handlebars as they drove along. Back in New Zealand, the pair became community favourites, and regularly raised money for the local SPCA. They passed away on 20 January 1998, after being involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver.

Mrs W. Grant provides insight into the quirky ways of humans, at a place many of us will one day come to know - the retirement home. Mrs W. Grant may be short in duration, but it rounds off with a big punchline. Written and directed by Simon Marler, the film screened in the Homegrown season at the 2000 NZ Film Festival, and was selected for the 2002 Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.    

Written by Helena Brooks and comedian Jaquie Brown, Nothing Special could be seen as a cautionary tale: it's good to love your son, but not so good to think he's Jesus reincarnate. How can Billy escape the crazed adoration of his doting Mum? By striving to be the most boring man he can be. Featuring an aptly quirky soundtrack (Blerta's 'Dance All Around The World') and a very funny performance by Alison Routledge as the quintessential overzealous Mum, Nothing Special was chosen for competition in the short film section at Cannes (2005).

First noticed at the beginning of the new millennium thanks to quirky single, 'Green', alt-rockers Goodshirt — made up of brothers Rodney and Murray Fisher, and Gareth Thomas and Mike Beehre — released their first album, Good, in 2001. It fuelled several clever videos and the number one hit single, 'Sophie', which took away Single and Songwriter of the Year at the 2003 NZ Music Awards. Good went on to be released in Australia, Canada and Japan. Fiji Baby followed in 2004, throwing up the hits ‘Buck It Up' and ‘Lucy'. The band made a lowkey return in 2012 with single 'So Charming' and EP Skinny Mirror.

For just one easy payment, you too can escape the disappointment and heartache of your existence. This quirky black comedy might make you think twice before hanging up on that next tele-marketer, as the Sunshine Man tries to help people to see what he sees. Actor Des Morgan puts in an appealing performance as the titular Sunshine Man, and Wellington electronica master Rhian Sheehan provides a haunting soundtrack to match the film’s dark style.

This National Film Unit doco illustrates the early days of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Performances from the company’s touring program include Bournonville’s Napoli, kiwi Arthur Turnbull’s Do-Wack-A-Do, a quirky 1930s flapper themed production (also with a NZ composer, Dorothea Franchi) and the tulle and poise of Fokine’s Les Sylphides. Prismatic Variations, choreographed by ballet company founder Poul Gnatt, and produced by another dance icon Russell Kerr, is the finale for this tribute to those who have made New Zealanders “ballet conscious.”