Peter Jackson

movies triviannLook, the dude straight-up worships King Kong (1933). We’re talking full-on, “that’s my North Star” kind of obsession. He once admitted that the scene where Kong tumbles from the Empire State Building actually made him cry. Not like a single manly tear either—he was genuinely wrecked. That stop-motion gorilla became his muse, shaping the way he thinks about filmmaking. You can see it in the way he crafts his own monsters, too—always with a touch of tragedy, like he’s trying to recapture that heartbreak when Kong bites it at the end. For him, it’s not just a monster movie; it’s this massive, emotional experience that proved movies could be both spectacular and gut-wrenching. If you ever wondered why he’s obsessed with epic creatures, now you know—King Kong ruined him in the best possible way.

New Zealand really isn’t your typical country—it’s more like a giant neighborhood where everyone’s auntie knows everyone else’s business, and you can’t buy a coffee without bumping into three people you went to primary school with. The place is gorgeous, obviously—rolling hills, sheep for days, and the kind of beaches that make you wonder if you accidentally walked onto a postcard. But what sets it apart is the vibe. Folks look out for each other in a way that just feels different. There’s this unspoken thing where you wave at strangers on the road, and it’s not weird. People are genuinely friendly, which is honestly kind of wild in today’s world. The cities aren’t massive, but that’s the charm—Auckland might have its skyscrapers, but even there you’re never far from nature or a cheeky chat in a corner café. It’s a place that feels connected, like everyone’s in on the same quirky inside joke.