Movies We've Just Watched discussion
Foreign Films
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Flicks from Down-Under
George wrote: "an older frat man/boy perhaps, although this fellow looks like he could mix right in at any barbeque I've ever been to. "that's right George - you've had first hand experience :o) ... gosh love the ol' barbie
I think international leaders should take note then George ... hard to be sore at someone over a snag & a beer ... all international meetings etc should be conducted at a barbie ...
that will be my recommendation the next time I attend one.
Sam wrote: "Ariadna wrote: "Just remembered more, another with Victoria Hill: Hunt AngelsAlso Like Minds and Happy Feet ha!"
gosh ariadna - are you an Aussie too??? ... I've seen both Like Minds & Happy Feet..."
I do recommend Hunt Angels it's not one of my favorites but it's interesting.
...I lived there for six months and fell in love with your country what can I say...
well then I'll need to check with my DVD fairy for hunt angels and report back6 months? ... in that case it's your country too now ;o) ... there's lots to fall in love with ... were you on the east coast?
ariadna - checked out the Aussie Macbeth ... geez we suck at pronouciation - mumble mumble damn spot mumble mumble ... ;o)pg - a close friend has just pointed out that angel at my table isn't Australian - and then we went on to discover Jane Campion isn't either ... both are New Zealand ... I'm a little devastated that Jane isn't - I just love her work & I thought she was one of ours ... been wandering around stating that for a while now ... whoops
now the discussuion nazi's might get their knickers in a knot about being off topic (nz is pretty close to oz but definitely a different country) - but here's what I thought ...
the way campion told the story was very simple - the story & characters were defintely front & centre ... but gosh this flick made me sad ... such a awkward girl - our Janet ... painfully ... and such personal suffering ... I know that this, in some way, helped her to achieve what she has - but who deserves emotional turmoil & pain like that ... very glad that I've seen it - but am still processing it
wow! i stand corrected! this is clearly a day where i am being called on the carpet.i hope you liked angel at my table nonetheless. it's not every day that a film can deliver such a powerful story.
awh c'mon now pg - there was no call to the carpet ... you'll know when that call is made darlin'and yes - I did like angel ... and yes - you're dead right ...
so what Aussie flick should we watch next? ... let's see if we can keep the discussion nazi's at bay ...
About Jane Campion, have you guys seen Sweetie or Two Friends would you recommend them? I think those are the ones I haven't seen
ariadne,i LOVED sweetie and recommend it highly (based on your favorite director list).
but i haven't seen two friends. years ago the castro did a night of her early short films, which i liked a lot, but can't remember any of the titles....
felt the need for a trip down memory lane - ended up hanging out in the very early 80's watchin' Puberty Blues ... based on the book by gabrielle carey - but a lot lighter ... and directed by bruce beresford ('breaker' morant, driving miss daisy, mao's last dancer - to name a few)
this flick is a bloody brilliant snap shot of what it was like being a teenager down under then ... take out the surfies and drop in a bunch of rev heads and you'd have a pretty accurate account of my teenage years ...
ah - smoking in the dunnies, baking yourself on the beach, barely tolerating school, sneaking foul tasting bottles of whatever out of your parents' liquor cabinet, being sooooo bored, pervin' on the spunks (that had no idea you existed), hating your parents, desperately trying to be accepted, then eventually realising you don't need to ... this film has it all
the kids do a decent job with their roles (the boys are stinky and the girls are cliquey) ... the story line is a little loose - but it doesn't seem to matter too much ... a lot of the shots are brilliant (really love the one where the girls are finally accepted into the gang) ... and the ending is uplifting (yay girls!)
but my favourite thing about this movie is the language ... unreal, deadset, dickheads, gutless wonder, far out, good one, brown nosers, spunky, suck up, fish face moll, slack arse moll (or just moll if you're running short of time), box tosser, crawler, rootable and every other variation of root - beautiful!
now if you're patient you can watch the whole thing on youtube ... there are 10 episodes starting with this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xZn-9...
gosh this chick loves this flick
(just quietly - i recently saw a poster for jane campion's new flick - bright star ... v exciting!)
thanks for the words on puberty blues, sam. growing up down under sounds a lot like growing up in LA!
yet another aussie flick about discovering who you are - Looking for Alibrandi ... based on the novel by Melina Marchetta and directed by Kate Woods (who's gone on to do a lot of telly direction since) ... released in 2000the story centres around 17 year old josie alibrandi, her sicilian grandmother Katia and her mother christina ...
josie is a wonderfully strong willed, intelligent but playful character who always speaks her mind and wears her heart on her sleeve ... you can't help but think this role was written for pia miranda (who gives a very easy, natural performance) ...
josie is in her last year of high school and about to embark on her adult life - but not before a year of tumultuous growth ... university entrance exams alone are bad enough for most kids of this age ... but this film also throws in exposure of deep, dark family secrets, boys (ah those stinkie boys), loss and grief, racism, and constant conflict with those that love you the most
the best thing i like about this flick is the way the whole production (style, cinematography, script) grows as josie does ... it starts off very playful and light, then gently matures to tackle the tougher stuff
the characters stories are beautifully rich ... the performances are delivered well ... there's laughter AND tears ... all in all a pretty decent flick
ok - dirty deeds is next ...
I actually saw nqh in the cinema quite a while back Rob (gosh that feels like a life time ago) ... agree with you - the doco is a bit of a lark ... I'd like to add something quirky I remember from it - but my old brain just can't manage it ... I do remember gigglin' in a few parts
hmm I dunno about that rob ... I think there'll be films made that take similar risks (or at least have that feel about them) but they won't be full features or hit the mainstream in the same way ... yep those days are gone but not forgotten ... they'll inspire someone new ... (gosh that's a bit zen fer this chick)people have all sorts of other film making technology readily available ... and t'internet changes everything these days ... one or two examples spring to mind - but I'll need to post them later ... stay tuned
hookay ... I think the guys at blue-tongue films (http://www.bluetonguefilms.com/) have a similar feel that we were talkin' about here ... i think this is what happens when a whole bunch of stinkie aussie boys get together and decide they're gonna make filmsbut as i said - technology & technique have come a long way since the early days ... they've figured out ways to do stuff without killin' themselves in the process - which is nice
they do both feature length and short films ... they've got animal kingdom and hesher at sundance this year ... and the square from a couple of years back was neat ITCO ... but i would recommend checking out these shorties ...
spider
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmbv8k... .. nash edgerton started his film career as a stunt man - so a lot of the films he's now directing have that element to them ...
i love sarah jane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYxs7Y... ... spencer susser is the director and i really like the opening shot
fuel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4_paH... ... more nash
and there's heaps more on the blue-tongue site ...
I really enjoyed "Chopper" with Eric Bana as notorious criminal Mark Brandon Read.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGAj2Y...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGAj2Y...
hey DD - thanks for your post ... I was getting a bit lonely in here by myself ... Eric Bana did a pretty good job representing ol' Chopper (he is a nutter exactly like that) ... and the story was interesting ... yep I agree enjoyable :o)
tell me that isn't the only Aussie flick you've enjoyed ...
Hi there Sam.
couldn't agree more on Chop. I love charismatic Psychos in film.
I love the first two Mad Max flicks, the second is probably my favorite action film of all time. As a former movie geek I'm ashamed to tell that the only Aussie flicks I can think of right now are Romper Stomper and the drama Lantana and I found both rather sappy.
But I'm open to suggestions! I'm mostly in to real dark/gritty and/or real ballsy and goofy stuff and I'm pretty sure Aussies know how to deliver the goods in this dept.
couldn't agree more on Chop. I love charismatic Psychos in film.
I love the first two Mad Max flicks, the second is probably my favorite action film of all time. As a former movie geek I'm ashamed to tell that the only Aussie flicks I can think of right now are Romper Stomper and the drama Lantana and I found both rather sappy.
But I'm open to suggestions! I'm mostly in to real dark/gritty and/or real ballsy and goofy stuff and I'm pretty sure Aussies know how to deliver the goods in this dept.
DD ... I love a bit of darkness & grit in my movie action too ... and there have been one or two Aussies able to deliver on that ... but I feel a large responsibly to suggest properly - and so I'll have to give this some serious thought ...regardless the stinkie boys I mentioned in a post or two above have a few quick flicks that might do in the short term ... and the square is a bit twisted & dark - I'll suggest that to start ...
thought of one - my DVD fairy has just delivered bad boy bubby - I'm pretty sure that someone mentioned bbb on this thread a while ago ... but I'm about to give it another whirl 'cos I've forgotten it completely (getting old clearly) ... I'll drop a note when I have
Thanks! Bad Boy Bubby sounds like the real McCoy. and sorry, couldn't read all the comments. But I saw one mentioning "Ozploitation"..gonna check out that doc some time.
I just remembered seeing Wake in Fright (aka Outback) some time ago. I didn't exactly love it but that was pretty unique stuff right there...
I just remembered seeing Wake in Fright (aka Outback) some time ago. I didn't exactly love it but that was pretty unique stuff right there...
this is timely - and maybe just a little spooky randomness that happens to me from time to time ... i was fossicking around checking out some short flicks (which i tend to do) when i came across one by Glendyn Ivin called Cracker Bag ...
http://www.vimeo.com/8833777
it gave my old brain a jolt because Ivin also directed Last Ride - which is pretty dark and has a bucket load of grit ... just what we've been talking about here no?
it's about a man and his son - who are obviously on the run from something - but where they're running to is anyone's guess ... it deals with abuse on several different levels - and presents a compassionate view of the conflict that might create within a man and in his relationship with his son ...
Hugo Weaving nails his performance ... there simply isn't anything else to say about that ...
Ivin has thrown in some truly stunning visuals of the australian outback - i ached for a visit to where i grew up after ...
i think this may have snuck into my gang of favourites from last year ...
http://www.vimeo.com/4756873
http://www.lastridemovie.com/
PS - yes i did post a few comments about Last Ride here back in Aug - but i'm doin' it again ... so there
i have a sneaking suspicion that gallons of spoilers may follow hereDaybreakers ... aussie flick written and directed by michael & peter spierig (two Queensland boys) ... set in a future where vampires rule the world and humans are hunted - nearly to extinction - for their blood (ah those vamps know how to consume no?) ... small problem - the vampires are just about out of blood ... a large corporation (vampire owned of course) is racing against the clock to develop a human blood substitute
this chick was very excited about this flick -
aussie (tick)
vampires (tick, tick)
lotsa aussie actors cast (tick)
neat trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9roxt... (tick)
NOT twilight (tick, tick, tickety, tick!)
... my only reservation was stinkie ethan hawke ... even so i smiled big as i paid my $17 and found my seat
the first half of the movie was great ... production style was vampy cool ... the special effects were understated but kicked arse ... pace was good and the story sucked you in ... the aussies speaking with american accents threw me for a minute - but i let it go ...
then in the middle something went skewiff - it turned (suddenly too now that i think about it) into your typical hollywood blockbuster - full of cliche, OTT scenes and stilted dialogue ... awh
my favourite performance was from michael dorman - as the younger brother to ethan hawke's character - trying to find his place but not liking where he ends up ... sam neil was suitably creepy, detached and corporate as the CEO vamp ... willem dafoe tried hard - but i don't think he quite pulled off the deep but simple hero - his quirky one-liners were not quite cheesy enough to be consistently funny ...
so yes - a theme that has been done ... however the story is original and i really liked the concept ... it's the second half and ending that left me unsatisfied - bugger ...
but i'm glad i saw it - and i'm on the hunt for the spierig brother's first flick - undead - 'cos that looks v v cool ...
$17 ???????goodness is that perthian inflation, sam?
sounds like i'll probably see it anyway, despite the inevitable gravity that pulls films into the hollywood vortex. perhaps i should wait for a rental?
nice review, sam i am!
I know what you mean about the price of flicks here - a bit exstorsh compared to the states no? ... I've noticed pg - and planning on writing to the prime minister about it ... something clearly needs to be done ...it's a bit of a toss up as to whether to wait for daybreakers to come out on DVD ... as I said - I'm glad I saw it even though I was disappointed ... parts of it were big screen stuff ... I wouldn't like to say on this one pg - 'cos I'll
probably be wrong :o) ... wouldn't be the first time
Wow I had no idea Daybreakers was aussie!! it opens today here, I'll definitely see it.In Mexico one of the biggest movie theater groups issues "memberships" where you pay approximately 10 dls. a month and can go the number of times you want, it's pretty cool.
sam,you ... "wrong" ...???
come now, you know i honor your insights on sin a mah!
definitely talk to your prime minister, or whatever government official you can find down there about those prices! (i didn't realize you have an actual "government" down there :@)
tell them to start up something like pfa, where you can see great films anytime for $5.
Ariadna wrote: "Wow I had no idea Daybreakers was aussie!! it opens today here, I'll definitely see it...."hey Ariadna -would love to hear your thoughts when you do
and yes - it's a clear pricing injustice down under ... we do have cheap arse Tuesdays (sometimes it's Wednesday depending on the cinema) where the tickets are cheaper ... but I'm yet to find an all you can eat type scenario ... I'm considering immigration ;o)
pg - well it's almost a government - they wear suits ... I think cinema insights is probably too fancy a phrase for this chick
just repeat after me:we deserve cheaper movies
we deserve cheaper movies
we deserve cheaper movies
you'll pick it up quickly, i know. and i think they'll be able to understand your request.
I usually don't like vampire movies, but for some reason I enjoyed this one. I love Willem Dafoe and not so much Ethan Hawke but all in all there where some cool things, not your typical vampire movie. Didn't like the ending...The daughter of Sam Neil had a part in Home and Away, right?? Is that show still on?? it's like "millenary"!!
i need to see that movie! i'll look for it.
i'm glad you enjoyed it ariadna ... i think she's out of home & away - yes it's STILL on - but i haven't watched it for many, many years
i think that's a vote to see it in the cinema pg
my dvd fairy tells me that undead is on it's way - cool!
undead - the first feature by the spierig brothers ...let me just be clear now ... i L-O-V-E-D this beautiful b grade flick ... a few gore splattered spoilers may follow
set in Berkeley Australia (yes we have one too) ... people start turning into zombies ... but not all is as it seems!
our heroine is the town's beauty pagent queen - forced to leave town with her tail between her legs ... and our hero is a hairy, hat wearin', deep talkin' farmer everyone has written off as crazy ...
larger than life characters ... corny black humour ... zombies killed in a variety of bloody ways ... good pace ... some neat camera work ... all with an Aussie accent ... these Queensland boys do fab b grade
rolf de heer - aussie film maker who's been making films for more than 20 years now and made some beauties (bad boy bubby being one i've posted previously - but there's a stack more) ... the old man who read love stories is one i've just watched and am so, so glad i did ... there may be a few spoilers hidden in the jungle folliage here ...
the story aligns pretty closely to the book (i'm told as i'm yet to read it) - and tells the story of antonio bolivar, who has lived a good portion of his 60 years in the amazon jungle ...
antonio lives on his own not far from a small town - el idilio ... he is almost reclusive except for his friendship with the travelling dentist - rubicondo ... who encourages a shy, tentative, but unrequited love affair with el idilio mayor's servant - josefina ... this blossoming love is founded on a common interest - love stories ...
i'm a fool ...
a man who reads love stories and admits it is less of a fool than a man who beats his wife and thinks she likes it ...
antonio is persuaded to lead a hunting expedition - which he feels too old to do but is really the only one with the skills needed ... they are hunting a female jaguar who, through unfortunate circumstances, threatens the lives of citizens in el idilio
the whole situation prods antonio into reviewing his life - trying to reconcile his past and face his fears
richard dreyfuss is so lovely as antonio - i would have swapped places with josefina in a heart beat ... particularly - antonio's approach to reading is just so appealing to this chick ...
hugo weaving does a solid job of playing the charming lothario who does a bit of dentistry on the side ...
and timothy spall is wonderful as his excellency - mayor slimy toad ...
while i loved the spierig brother's undead ... i fell IN love with de heer's the old man who read love stories ...
It was a kiss of impassioned intensity, a kiss to remember their lives by.
I am glad someone mentioned THE PLUMBER. Always liked that film and never could remember its name. Yes, she fixed the stalker for good and for one, I did not blame her in the least. He had it coming.
seems the u s of a has been hit with the launch of The Square this week ... also seems it's getting quite a decent amount of hype ...i'll add my 2 cents to all of that (but no more than that because i'm pretty sure i've written about this film before) ...
this is a solid aussie flick - i don't believe it will disappoint ... added bonus is that the screening includes nash's short flick Spider - which is also great ...
http://www.squarethemovie.com/
looking forward to checking it out!i watched peter weir's the last wave last night...still holds up really well. i finally picked it up on dvd so i don't have to worry about checking out scratched up copies from the video store. a beautiful and tragic film. the elder aboriginal actor is hypnotic. have you seen this one yet, sam?
What a coincidence, next week there's a Peter Weir's double feature in a small movie theatre (the last wave and picnic at hanging rock), I'm planning on going, haven't seen any of them.
go see both of them! they're great films ariadne. seriously. that's a great double feature.
well - i was out with a friend for a drink early last week - he was bragging about his DVD collection, to which i was razzin' him about his distinct lack of Aussie flicks (i mean c'mon - the stinkie boy didn't have Gallipoli, Muriel's Wedding, Mad Max, The Year My Voice Broke, etc) - his only saving grace was that he had both Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave ... so we pulled up stumps to go watch them ... then - a few days later you both mention them ... spooky no?i've seen Picnic a number of times now - and it's still a neat film for me ... love that tangible sense of foreboding that is there from the very beginning ...
and The Last Wave certainly had that same sense - and to me seems to be exploring the same theme - there are bigger, unexplainable things afoot than what we comprehend ...
the sound stood out for me in both flicks ... it was amazing and a character all on it's own
well worth a look Ariadna
no gallipoli, muriel's wedding, or mad max (whoa, sounds like my collection - i must change that). at least i have the year my voice broke, and the early peter weir gems.but you can still razz me if you want.
well he is an aussie phillip - he has no excuse ... you've only just recently discovered that we have a whole country down here ;o)
i did?i mean, yeah, i did. what's it called again?
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The Slap (other topics)The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (other topics)
Also Like Minds and Happy Feet ha!"
gosh ariadna - are you an Aussie too??? ... I've seen both Like Minds & Happy Feet (awh happy feet) ... But not Hunt Angels - would you recommend it?