Lydia Jenkin's week of it

Kiwi rapper David Dallas will be playing the Southern Seas fan zone in Mangere this weekend. Photo / Dean Purcell

MUSIC

Having recently impressed audiences with his collaborative show My Mother Says I'm Talented, Tourettes is back to perform his new show It's Dole Day at Whammy Bar on Thursday night.

Also on Thursday, seminal rockers (and NZ Herald Legacy Award winners) Dragon play the Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club. Having permeated public consciousness with his hit dubstep single (it will indeed "dub you crazy") Friday sees Bulletproof celebrate his Dub Me Crazy album release at InkCoherent, and further up the road, The Studio hosts the annual Red Bull Thre3Style national DJ competition.

The Studio also presents the outrageous antics of American hip-hop stars Naughty By Nature next Wednesday, celebrating their 20th anniversary with another loop around the world.

During the weekend there's a swag of locals playing at each of the regional rugby fan zones too: I Am Giant and Katchafire play Albany's Northern Lights zone; the Southern Seas fan zone in Mangere gets a Dawn Raid showcase on Sunday with Scribe, David Dallas, and Savage; and Queens Wharf has the stadium rockers covered with Opshop, Dragon, Ardijah and the Jordan Luck Band on Saturday, and the Feelers and Zed on Sunday, along with songstresses Julia Deans and Flip Grater.

MOVIES

It's time to dig out your 3D glasses again this week, but not for another Hollywood blockbuster - Werner Herzog's latest stunning documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams brings to life the 30,000 year old paintings found in the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc cave in southern France. This is not 3D as an annoying gimmick, but as a thing of great beauty and artistry. Since the discovery of Chauvet in 1994, very few people have had access due to concerns that overexposure, even to human breath, could damage the priceless drawings, but Herzog managed to get permission to film the caves using lights that emit no heat and he has created an extraordinary documentary which brings these caves to life for the rest of us.

This week also sees the release of Tabloid - another fascinating documentary by Errol Morris, which follows the intriguing figure of former Miss Wyoming, convicted rapist, and dog-cloning supporter Joyce McKinney.

TV

Get ready for some seriously heart-palpitating material with the two RWC semifinals on this weekend - France vs Wales on Saturday and NZ vs Australia on Sunday. We advise clearing the living room to make way for any leaping, shouting, fist-pumping or re-enactments. TV One, TV3, Maori TV and SkySport will all be providing live coverage of the games, so it's a good opportunity to figure out which commentary panel provides the best entertainment.

Aside from the rugby, two excellent comedy series return to Four on Monday with 30 Rock kicking off season five at 8pm, featuring Matt Damon as a guest star, and Parks and Recreation back for season two at 9pm.

And of course we've been speculating about who will be the subject of TV One's latest presentation of This is Your Life - tune in at 8.30pm on Monday to find out.

Or...

Indulge in some moreish morsels, as well as learning a thing or two from luminary foodies and wine experts. Get along to the second annual Taste of New Zealand festival at Victoria Park which runs from Wednesday to October 22.

Or grab a few friends and check out the new improv night Instant Kiwis at Q Theatre's Loft - starring Craig Parker, Madeleine Sami, Mark Ferguson, Jeremy Elwood and Penny Ashcroft - it'll be on every Friday night until Christmas, each week with a different theme.

- TimeOut