What do you think?
Rate this book
I Peed on Fellini: Recollections of a Life in Film
I PEED ON FELLINI, the long-awaited memoir from legendary film critic David Stratton, is an honest, funny and thoroughly entertaining journey through a remarkable life in film.
Passionate since boyhood about the cinema, Stratton has reviewed thousands of movies, directed and adjudicated at international film festivals, and lectured in film history at the University of Sydney. His best-known role, however, has been as the co-host, with Margaret Pomeranz, of The Movie Show on SBS and -- more recently -- At the Movies on the ABC. Since 1986 the duo has entertained Australia with their honest and often controversial reviews and interviews; for many, they are the most influential film critics in the country.
A recipient of both the Longford and Chauvel Awards for his contribution to the Australian film industry, Stratton's hallmarks are his incredible depth of cinematic knowledge, his passionate opposition to censorship and his lifelong commitment to quality film. In this outstanding memoir, he tells his story with candour and verve.
Passionate since boyhood about the cinema, Stratton has reviewed thousands of movies, directed and adjudicated at international film festivals, and lectured in film history at the University of Sydney. His best-known role, however, has been as the co-host, with Margaret Pomeranz, of The Movie Show on SBS and -- more recently -- At the Movies on the ABC. Since 1986 the duo has entertained Australia with their honest and often controversial reviews and interviews; for many, they are the most influential film critics in the country.
A recipient of both the Longford and Chauvel Awards for his contribution to the Australian film industry, Stratton's hallmarks are his incredible depth of cinematic knowledge, his passionate opposition to censorship and his lifelong commitment to quality film. In this outstanding memoir, he tells his story with candour and verve.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
2 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
David Stratton
25 books7 followersDavid Stratton was born in 1939 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK. At the age of nineteen he founded the Melksham and District Film Society. He emigrated to Australia in 1963, where he quickly became involved in the local film scene, he was the Director of the Sydney Film Festival for seventeen years.
During his career at SBS, David was the feature film consultant, presenter of movies, and of course co-host of the highly successful The Movie Show with Margaret Pomeranz for a record eighteen years. Since 1983, David had been a film critic for Variety (published in Los Angeles), a commissioner of the Australian Film Commission, a film critic for The Australian and a lecturer in film history at the University of Sydney. He was also the author of THE LAST NEW WAVE and THE AVOCADO PLANTATION.
David had served on several international film festival juries, including the Berlin International Jury (1982); the Montreal International Jury (1982); and the Venice International Jury (1994). He was also President of FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) Juries in Cannes (twice) and Venice. He was a past president of the Film Critics Circle of Australia.
David's long list of awards and achievements include:- 60th Anniversary Medal by the Festival du Film de Cannes (2007)- The Chauvel Award by the Brisbane International Film Festival (2007)- Raymond Longford Award of Australian Film Institute (2001)- Commander of Order of Arts and Letters by French Government (2000). David was also the co-host of At The Movies on ABC TV.
During his career at SBS, David was the feature film consultant, presenter of movies, and of course co-host of the highly successful The Movie Show with Margaret Pomeranz for a record eighteen years. Since 1983, David had been a film critic for Variety (published in Los Angeles), a commissioner of the Australian Film Commission, a film critic for The Australian and a lecturer in film history at the University of Sydney. He was also the author of THE LAST NEW WAVE and THE AVOCADO PLANTATION.
David had served on several international film festival juries, including the Berlin International Jury (1982); the Montreal International Jury (1982); and the Venice International Jury (1994). He was also President of FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) Juries in Cannes (twice) and Venice. He was a past president of the Film Critics Circle of Australia.
David's long list of awards and achievements include:- 60th Anniversary Medal by the Festival du Film de Cannes (2007)- The Chauvel Award by the Brisbane International Film Festival (2007)- Raymond Longford Award of Australian Film Institute (2001)- Commander of Order of Arts and Letters by French Government (2000). David was also the co-host of At The Movies on ABC TV.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 22, 2017
I was at the Sydney premiere of Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds' at the State Theatre - Tarantino himself was there to introduce the film. Of course, he received a huge round of applause. However, the man who introduced Tarantino received an even bigger round of applause, and that man was David Stratton. Because we film nerds love David.
I honestly thought this was going to be a little on the dry side. David Stratton is something of a celebrity in Australia, but I figured he probably hasn't trashed any hotel rooms or been involved in a drug fueled orgy or anything like that. Spoiler alert, David Stratton certainly has not done either of those things and this is definitely not a rock 'n' roll autobiography. What David Stratton has done though is devote his life to film, and if you are a film nerd like I am you will love, love, love this book.
This is a man obsessed with his work, to the detriment of just about everything else in his life as I learned reading this. But he is very honest about his personal failings and he has enjoyed such an amazing, fulfilling career. I admire him all the more after reading this book. It is funny, sad and utterly fascinating, I was completely absorbed. An absolute must for film geeks.
I honestly thought this was going to be a little on the dry side. David Stratton is something of a celebrity in Australia, but I figured he probably hasn't trashed any hotel rooms or been involved in a drug fueled orgy or anything like that. Spoiler alert, David Stratton certainly has not done either of those things and this is definitely not a rock 'n' roll autobiography. What David Stratton has done though is devote his life to film, and if you are a film nerd like I am you will love, love, love this book.
This is a man obsessed with his work, to the detriment of just about everything else in his life as I learned reading this. But he is very honest about his personal failings and he has enjoyed such an amazing, fulfilling career. I admire him all the more after reading this book. It is funny, sad and utterly fascinating, I was completely absorbed. An absolute must for film geeks.
April 28, 2020
I enjoyed this eloquent memoir, even if my eyes did glaze over at times (the number actors, directors, and other film industry *things* mentioned by name are numerous!). I bought I Peed on Fellini about 10 years ago because I am a HUGE fan of Margaret & David / At the Movies and I wanted to know more about the delightful duo. This is very much a memoir about Stratton’s professional life and it was fascinating to learn how he turned a passion for film into such a respected career (he briefly mentions his family and how he was an “ineffectual” husband and father who “indulged” in the odd affair and eventually got… *spoiler alert* …divorced!). There were also some interesting insights about censorship in Australia and the Howard Government’s interference at SBS and the ABC. I Peed on Fellini is definitely worth a read if you love the Strats or simply love film.
March 7, 2021
A solid, erudite account of David Stratton's life in movies. Certainly well-written, and gives a good account of his part in Australia's censorship wars, though I was a little disappointed that it was nearly 300 pages in before he got onto the Movie Show and Margaret P! I don't think anyone is picking this up for scandalous gossip, and there are certainly some longueurs here and there, but for an insight into the golden years of Australian film during the 70s and 80s it is certainly worth picking up.
December 25, 2019
Not an autobiography (except for his early life); its 99% about film and related matters. There were items of interest, but I wasn't particularly interested!
December 15, 2024
A fascinating book and a very interesting history of Australian cinema. I would highly recommend it to any movie buffs.
May 5, 2016
Minor spoilers ahead.
This was a very mixed reading experience; many, many times I wondered why I was continuing to inflict this dry, repetitious piece on myself but continue I did.
I learnt 2 main things about David Stratton from reading this book, the first is that he is a huge, gigantic, enormous film geek to the point of obsession or compulsion, and at many times in his life to the exclusion of all else, including personal relationships, and the 2nd is that he was very important in changing censorships laws in Australia, including playing an important role in the introduction of the R rating.
The book was interesting when he wrote of his childhood and how his passion developed, as a reader I could sense disappointment and excitement. The bulk of the book read like this “I went to blah blah event, which is here, which is near here, and I meet blah blah and we saw blah blah movie in this place (which is featured in blah blah film) and on and on and on. He has kept a record of every movie he has seen (from about age 9), where and when as well as the notes he wrote about the movie as and after he watched it, and I could picture him writing this book with those notes firmly in hand. After the childhood stuff it wasn’t until page 194 that it got interesting for two paragraphs (when the human emerged again to tell us of the affairs he has while travelling).
He is an absolute master of understatement when talking of personal events, “that summer was a sad one for me because of the death of my mother”, her illness and death warranted 3 paragraphs and “it was a very strange day” of the day of his father’s funeral. Stratton flew from Cannes to go to the funeral, attended the funeral and the wake and then flew back to Cannes because he had to see a film that night – he clearly had no notion that it would be an option to miss seeing the film.
I also got the impression that he is a man of conviction, who stands by what he believes in, he can be single minded and even, I think, pig-headed.
It definitely changed how I see him, not in either a definitively good or bad way, just differently.
This was a very mixed reading experience; many, many times I wondered why I was continuing to inflict this dry, repetitious piece on myself but continue I did.
I learnt 2 main things about David Stratton from reading this book, the first is that he is a huge, gigantic, enormous film geek to the point of obsession or compulsion, and at many times in his life to the exclusion of all else, including personal relationships, and the 2nd is that he was very important in changing censorships laws in Australia, including playing an important role in the introduction of the R rating.
The book was interesting when he wrote of his childhood and how his passion developed, as a reader I could sense disappointment and excitement. The bulk of the book read like this “I went to blah blah event, which is here, which is near here, and I meet blah blah and we saw blah blah movie in this place (which is featured in blah blah film) and on and on and on. He has kept a record of every movie he has seen (from about age 9), where and when as well as the notes he wrote about the movie as and after he watched it, and I could picture him writing this book with those notes firmly in hand. After the childhood stuff it wasn’t until page 194 that it got interesting for two paragraphs (when the human emerged again to tell us of the affairs he has while travelling).
He is an absolute master of understatement when talking of personal events, “that summer was a sad one for me because of the death of my mother”, her illness and death warranted 3 paragraphs and “it was a very strange day” of the day of his father’s funeral. Stratton flew from Cannes to go to the funeral, attended the funeral and the wake and then flew back to Cannes because he had to see a film that night – he clearly had no notion that it would be an option to miss seeing the film.
I also got the impression that he is a man of conviction, who stands by what he believes in, he can be single minded and even, I think, pig-headed.
It definitely changed how I see him, not in either a definitively good or bad way, just differently.
August 23, 2014
The problem with reading auto-biographies, especially of people with whom I'm already familiar, is the risk of finding out that they're a bit of dick. This one runs close to the mark.
With films in focus his family and many other aspects of his life fade into the background. Stratton himself points out his shortcomings in this area with frank honesty. I found these shortcomings unpalatable.
However, I'll give it credit that it is true to title - it really is a recollection of Stratton's life as it relates to film and his near-obsession, developed into masterful knowledge, of the cinema. As the life story of a boy-to-man immersed in cinema as it grew in popularity, scope and expertise this book really is an eye-opener.
With films in focus his family and many other aspects of his life fade into the background. Stratton himself points out his shortcomings in this area with frank honesty. I found these shortcomings unpalatable.
However, I'll give it credit that it is true to title - it really is a recollection of Stratton's life as it relates to film and his near-obsession, developed into masterful knowledge, of the cinema. As the life story of a boy-to-man immersed in cinema as it grew in popularity, scope and expertise this book really is an eye-opener.
June 15, 2009
David Stratton is *obsessed* with films. I mean obsessed. I read this hoping for a bit more insight into one of Australia's (and the world's) most prestigious film critics life, but this is a life told only in terms of film - any autobiographical information is told as an adjunct to the main topic (for example, his adultery is mentioned as an aside in terms of him being a judge in overseas film festivals). Nonetheless, it is surprisingly interesting.
July 28, 2011
This is a fascinating autobiography of a man who was captured by films at a young age and made it his life’s work. I first came to know of David Stratton during his time on SBS and I did not realise how long and deep his involvement in film and film in Australia had been. This book, published in 2007, is an easy and interesting read, and has the added benefit of providing an insight into the history of cinema in Australia.
January 9, 2011
A must read for film buffs. I found the story of how Stratton's lifelong passion for cinema developed into a highly respected career a fascinating one. Those wanting a pure autobiography may be a little disappointed but I loved the detail with which he focused on film and how his cinema-going experiences have shaped his life.
January 3, 2011
I may be biased as David Stratton is one of my idols, but this is a very funny and totally interesting take on cinema of the last 50 years from the ridiclously knowledgable mind of one of the greatest film critics in history.
May 26, 2016
A fine autobiography which only makes me miss David Strattons presence on the ABC mote keenly. Delivered with detail and unflinching honesty, the coda underscores the hopes and principles that drove an extraordinary life.
September 1, 2019
Sometimes forgettably repetitive and often obscure for the average fan in terms of films listed, David Stratton's autobiography is otherwise an interesting read with a fascinating recount of this country's history with censorship and cinephilia.
June 21, 2008
I'd have given it three and a half stars if I could - actually it almost deserves four, just for the title...
September 18, 2008
I am most of the way through David Stratton's gorgeous tale of his life. I just love this guy - wanna hug him.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews