Opinion: Paul Hickey - Gremlins, NZ film 'Cousins' and Beach Dig

Children rush to get digging for prizes at the previous The Hits Beach Dig. Photo / File

I mentioned a couple of streaming shows that I have finished watching last week, and I've found a couple of goodies to start watching now.

But while I was searching for something to watch, I came across one of the coolest movies from the 80s - Gremlins!

How cute was Gizmo the mowgli, right? We all wanted one of the adorable mysterious pets from China.

When I stumbled across the movie on Netflix, my wife Katie reckoned I got a little too excited with the find, but imagine my surprise to find the Gremlins are still wreaking havoc in 2021?

Last week, Mountain Dew debuted an ad for their sugar-free drink, starring Gizmo!

The ad also features original star Zach Galligan reprising his role as 'Billy Peltzer', shown sitting on the couch with the furry creature who wants a sip of that Mountain Dew.

Letting Gizmo take a drink turns out to be a big mistake because he spills it. And you remember the rules right?

Hopes are high that this may just be a hint of a reboot for us Gremlins fans.

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On the subject of movies, Reading Cinemas in Rotorua is set to host the world premiere of new movie 'Cousins' based on the classic Kiwi novel from Patricia Grace.

Filmed locally, it is fitting the premiere be staged here, and you could be there.

Listen to The Hits early this week for your chance to win a double pass to the premiere and you can be walking the red carpet this Wednesday night!

Set over six decades, Cousins is a dramatic and powerful story of three cousins who spend a lifetime in search of each other, separated by circumstances yet connected by their whakapapa.

The movie trailer gave me goosebumps; I can't wait to see it on Wednesday, and I'll tell you all about it and some special interviews on my show Thursday morning.

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Here at The Hits, we love getting involved with the community and supporting many of the great events organised by various schools, charities, and businesses.

But we also organise a handful of our own events each year, and for more than eight years we have been running our annual 'The Hits Beach Dig', thanks to McDonald's Rotorua.

Unfortunately last year's event was cancelled due to the first big lockdown, but we were excited to announce this week that we are bringing it back, so circle the date March 21 on your calendar.

It is always such a happy event, and our aim is to send every child home with a prize of some sort.

This event continues to grow bigger every year, with hundreds of eager kids hitting the sands of the beach at Hannahs Bay reserve digging frantically to win a prize. It is so much fun to watch as well.

We are preparing for the big number again, and have taken a few steps to prepare for it.

You will need to pre-register on the morning for the dig, and it is limited to the first 300 kids aged from 3-13. So listen to me on The Hits, and check out our website for all the details, including how your child can sign up to be a VID (Very Important Digger)!

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Paul Hickey is the host of the local Rotorua show on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. Follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.