Australian Cinema

[snaps]

.

[fish]

There used to be a film school and studio in Adelaide which made feature films until 20 or so years ago. At around that time Rupert Murdoch bought into the US market in a big way and as part of his Fox empire set up the Fox studios in Sydney and by sheer weight of money forced his competition out of business. The occasional independant film still gets made but mostly its "generic global" crap like Matrix that's made here because it's cheaper than the US.

Having got that off my chest there have been some good things done. Some good films made, careers started for actors, directors and others.

Films like : Babe 1995, Caddie 1976, Death in Brunswick 1991, Muriel's Wedding 1994, Travelling North 1987, Storm Boy 1976.

Actors like : Judy Davis, Sam Neil, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Rachel Griffiths.

Directors like : Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career 1979), Peter Weir (Picnic at Hanging Rock 1975, The Year of Living Dangerously 1982), Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom 1992, Moulin Rouge 2001), Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence. 2002), Bruce Beresford (The Getting of Wisdom 1978, Puberty Blues 1981), Scott Hicks (Shine 1996)

I guess like most other countries outside the big two producers, India and the US, Australia holds a niche in the world market for its better quality films. There have certainly been many made since the world's first feature film "Ned Kelly" in 1906.

As far as "Johnno" is concerned, it has been made into a play so I guess there is potential for a film, but I don't know of one having been made or planned.

[Rebecka Fan]

I haven't really watched any Australian films. The entertainment out of Australia, I've watched is Home and Away, but that's a Soap.

[snaps]

Thanks for the info fish.

I just thought it was odd that there seemd to be a cluster of outstanding films from years ago, but we don't get to hear of so much today.

I have an interest in Johnno as I know the guy who is referred to at one point as the Dutchman.

[fish]

If anyone is interested enough in Oz films to follow it further there are links on the wikipedia site which may help. There is also a pretty full list of films made in each decade.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Australia

While in Wiki try to find a film called "Lucky Miles" if you would like to see a bit of the vast, rugged, emptiness of this continent. Made in 2007 it concerns some refugees stranded in the remote north-west Pilbara region of Western Australia. More comedy than drama it's an excellent, laconic film worth finding.

[fish]

You could even start here............
http://australianscreen.com.au/titles/lucky-miles/

[Ian]

I haven't really watched any Australian films. The entertainment out of Australia, I've watched is Home and Away, but that's a Soap.

80s/early90s Neighbours was the best.

[fish]

I guess I've always been more into films than soaps, maybe that's why I get a bit passionate about keeping an Oz identity in our films rather than a global one.
I feel the same when it comes to films from other "smaller" producers such as Sweden. I would have hated Fucking Åmål to have been produced for a global market at the cost of its Swedish indentity.
The same applies to Hollywood remakes, (eg Let the Right One In set for next year). I mean Seven Samurai will always be a better film than Magnificent Seven, just not in English.

[Ian]

Oh, I know. They're even remaking English comedy Death at a Funeral (from, like, 2007!) for the US.

With Martin Lawrence.

Oh dear God...




Somebody needs to tell the Americans there ARE other cultures and countries besides them capable of making good tv series and movies.

[fish]

Somebody needs to tell the Americans there ARE other cultures and countries besides them capable of making good tv series and movies.

I'm not sure I would have put it in quite that way, because although their film and TV industries tend to be very ego-centric, they do have many remarkably talented and creative people in it and have undoubtably produced some fine films and TV programs.

My only complaint is when their industry "remakes" a "foreign" product into one fit for their home consumption and it loses all semblance of its origins. Their "home" audience is the poorer for that. I think the US people should be given more credit for being able to appreciate "foreign" films.

[Ian]

Oh, I agree. I've nothing against American movies and tv in general (some of my favourite movies and tv shows are just that!)

I just find it increasingly annoying, when they're remaking things like, say, Cracker, Life on Mars, Let The Right One In...

I mean, for goodness sakes, WHY?! It's that bizarre behaviour of taking something that's been done perfectly but it's not american so we'll remake it for 'our' people...it's baffling. You could (unkindly but perhaps not unjustifiably) call it arrogant and borderline xenophobic. Especially when 'their' version then seems to be set as the 'default' one internationally. That's rather aggravating.

Most of the time, as you say, the power of the original idea is completely lost in translation anyway...

[Ian]

Of course, if they ever tried to remake FA, we would have to track them down and kill them all.

[fish]

Ouch

I've run out of emoticons.

There, that feels better.

[snaps]

Of course, if they ever tried to remake FA, we would have to track them down and kill them all.

The possibiliities are endless .... ''Fucking Hollywood".

Agnes types in her facebook page that she will have plastic surgery to make herself look more like Elin. Elin complains to her in-therapy Mother that Jessica has snorted the last of the good cocaine ....

[fish]

Please don't tell us that this is a plot line for "10 Years Later".

I like it.

Sorry about that, I think I was in shock....