Sam Brooks is a playwright, journalist and critic. Email him on sam@thespinoff.co.nz
Grim post-apocalyptic settings are a dime a dozen in gaming, but which ones are the most realistic? Sam Brooks talked to climate scientist David Tong to find out.
Bad erotica never sounded so good. Sam Brooks talks to Jamie Morton of My Dad Wrote a Porno, about the hit podcast's fifth season and upcoming return visit to New Zealand.
Countdown's restriction on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s came into force this week. Avid energy drink consumer Sam Brooks writes on his relationship with the buzzy beverages.
Sam Brooks reviews Carnival Row, an Amazon Original which can't break free from its own shallow edginess.
With Falling Inn Love, New Zealand gets its very own Netflix romcom – so how accurate is its depiction of small town NZ?
The Pop-Up Globe will be popping down at the end of its 2020 season and setting off overseas. Sam Brooks talks to its founder, Miles Gregory, about where the future of the company lies.
One part telenovela, one part family drama, one part addictive love story. Sam Brooks reviews Jane the Virgin, the great show with an unfortunate name that should be your next Netflix binge.
Over 300 hours of interviews condensed into five episodes that cover the entirety of New Zealand's comedy history – how do you even start to approach that? Sam Brooks interviews Paul Horan, the documentarian behind the show.
He's the artist who launched a million memes and over a billion streams. Sam Brooks picks out Bazzi's best moments so far, from his career-making breakthrough to his mature new mixtape Soulsearching.
Today, TVNZ released its latest findings on who is watching what on TVNZ OnDemand. Sam Brooks analyses the results.
Sam Brooks reviews the second season premiere of Succession, the dark-as-tar family drama from one of the minds behind The Thick of It.
What are all those shows you scroll through on Netflix with stars you don't recognise and premises that are so out-there you can't believe they actually got made? Wonder no more.
After fifteen years, American-targeted satire video game Metal Wolf Chaos XD finally makes it way out of Japan. Sam Brooks looks at how much more prescient the game is now, and why that is.
Sam Brooks reviews Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which perfectly splits difference between staying true to its core while reinventing itself to appeal to a broader audience.
Sam Brooks reviews the final season of Orange is the New Black and finds a fitting end to the series' tremendous legacy.
Sam Brooks reviews The Boys, dropping today on Amazon Prime, and finds it far from the critique of superhero fantasies he was promised.
Sam Brooks re-assesses Assassin's Creed Odyssey in the wake of ten months of post-release content and works out what the game did right, did wrong, and did weird.
Sam Brooks embarks on a search to watch the much-hyped season four of Veronica Mars.
Sam Brooks reviews the second season of Big Little Lies, which generated as much social media conversation as its first season did critical acclaim, for better and worse.
The fourth season of Queer Eye drops today on Netflix. Sam Brooks reflects on his difficult relationship with the show, and where it sits in mainstream culture.
Sam Brooks, lifelong gamer, lost himself on a virtual battlefield in the days after his mother’s death. He reviews a book by a kindred spirit.
Sam Brooks reviews Mean Mums, the new sitcom from Three that manages to make putting a great show together look easy.
Before Big Little Lies, there was Desperate Housewives. Sam Brooks lists all the truly terrible things these women did over eight seasons.
Inheritance plays as part of The Basement Theatre's Matariki season this week. Sam Brooks talks to one of its creators about what the show wants to say.
Sometimes it’s a joke. Sometimes it’s a zombie reality show. And sometimes it’s a ten week celebrity dancing competition.
A new production of Once, the musical based on the 2007 film opens in Auckland tonight. Sam Brooks talks to the director Jesse Peach about putting the New Zealand premiere on its feet.
