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Author Topic: Australian Cinema?  (Read 31147 times)

Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #80 on: August 18, 2014, 02:17:31 PM »
Try:

Spotswood
Malcolm
The Sum of Us
Kenny
10 Canoes
The Rage in Placid Lake

colonel_mexico

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #81 on: August 24, 2014, 01:45:31 PM »
KENNY 2006-  A mockumentary of a day in the life of a peaceful plumber whose main job is the maintenance of portable toilets.  At first this seemed like something I would not enjoy at all, particularly given the premise, but I found Kenny to be very likeable.  He does his best to do a very dirty job with zero thanks and plenty of user hate.  How he is able to do all this and maintain his cool demeanor is beyond me.  Though I do like his hobby of boxing, in case someone gets out of line you know.  The jokes are pretty subtle and with his accent and lisp some of it was hard to catch for a Yank like me, but I found myself getting the point and chuckling.  Not for viewing during dinner, and not exactly a standout comedy, but worth a watch for anybody who has had to work thankless jobs.  Definitely a perspective changer for anyone who currently hates their job. 
"What do you want me to do draw you a picture?! Spell it out?! Don't ever ask me, as long as you live don't ever ask me more!"

oldkid

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #82 on: August 24, 2014, 05:13:27 PM »
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #83 on: August 25, 2014, 07:25:44 AM »
Kenny is a lovely bit of lighthearted fun, and as you say Colonel it has such a positive outlook. it was a surprise hit here in Australia, as Shane Jacobson was an unknown (although he is a very experienced actor). There is also a spin off TV series Kenny's World (just 9 eps were made).

Sandy

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #84 on: August 29, 2014, 08:51:59 PM »
Rabbit-Proof Fence




The height of arrogance, shrouding supremacism beneath benevolence. The beauty of a people and worth of a culture, dismissed as something to be "bred out." I'm sick inside as I watch and wonder how A.O. Neville can't see how the girl's tenacity and perseverance and Moodoo's superior tracking skills are direct outcomes of their distinct and valuable heritage. So unsettling, and to realize this practice of removing children from their parents went on for decades and decades. I can only hope a movie like this can bring some healing to those of the Stolen Generations and their relatives. Haunting.


Thanks for the heads up on this movie, colonel_mexico. It's not a movie that will get lost from my memory over time, but will linger and the lessons will remain.

Sandy

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #85 on: September 21, 2014, 09:13:11 PM »
Quigley Down Under



More brutal than I was expecting. The beginning makes me think comedy, but this story is dark and unrelenting. There is humor to be had though and it provides a sense of catching one's breath. Alan Rickman's perfectly timed inflections and Tom Selleck's deadpan delivery and the way he holds his rifle when introducing it to the men, give me the biggest grins.  Laura San Giacomo delivers as well, both the light and the dark. I'd really like to see more of her work. Rabbit Proof Fence seems utterly tame next to this film and I'm grieved to see such inhumanity against a proud and beautiful people. It's a way west Western, that fits nicely in my marathon, but Simon Wincer's distinct direction makes this the place to put my mini review.

Two other things that impress me a great deal with this movie--the excellent score and the timing of the rifle sound effects! (whistles) "Gosh almighty!" Writing this makes me recall that smirnoff may have written about this somewhere on the forum. smirnoff, can you find it?
« Last Edit: September 22, 2014, 09:18:49 AM by Sandy »

Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #86 on: September 22, 2014, 03:50:28 AM »
Smirnoff's review is here

Sandy

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #87 on: September 22, 2014, 09:10:12 AM »
Thanks Dave!

Quote from: smirnoff
The most memorable part is definitely when Quigley proves himself as a marksman. I could put that one perfectly crafted scene up there with some of the best moments in the entire history of the Western genre. No joke.

I agree with this!

Tim

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #88 on: September 22, 2014, 09:51:01 PM »
"Samson and Delilah" is in my top 5 Australian films list, so add that to your watching list too, if you get a chance to see it.
"Only cinema narrows its concern down to its content, that is to its story. It should, instead, concern itself with its form, its structure." Peter Greenaway

smirnoff

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Re: Australian Cinema?
« Reply #89 on: September 24, 2014, 07:42:32 PM »
Quigley Down Under

Oh! Howdy! I didn't expect to find this here! I check this thread like once every 2 months. I just happened to do it today because I was going to ask if anyone was familiar with the Australian mini-series Bordertown, but instead I get the pleasant surprise of a Quigley review! :))

Quote
More brutal than I was expecting. The beginning makes me think comedy, but this story is dark and unrelenting.
Four years out now, it's clear things are getting a bit fuzzy for me. This is not an aspect of the film I remembered until you mentioned it.

Quote
There is humor to be had though and it provides a sense of catching one's breath. Alan Rickman's perfectly timed inflections and Tom Selleck's deadpan delivery and the way he holds his rifle when introducing it to the men, give me the biggest grins.
:))

Quote
Laura San Giacomo delivers as well, both the light and the dark. I'd really like to see more of her work.
I'd love to hear about it if you see any.

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Two other things that impress me a great deal with this movie--the excellent score
It really is excellent isn't it. It's the first thing you hear in the film I believe... over the opening credits. I swear, a good song to go with the opening credits endears me to a movie quicker and better than just about anything. It's kind of like "whoa now, what's this! Here we go! I'm loving this already!" It's all about fostering good will towards your movie... get the audience on board, charm them! Get them in a headspace to give your film the benefit of the doubt and stick with it. Quigley does that I think. :)

Quote
and the timing of the rifle sound effects! (whistles) "Gosh almighty!" Writing this makes me recall that smirnoff may have written about this somewhere on the forum. smirnoff, can you find it?

Ah, I believe you're referring to my review of Gun Glory (1957). It's funny, I'd just been thinking about this film recently having watched rewatched Buck. In Buck there's a whole sequence where Buck's friends and family attempt to keep own cow separated from the heard. They last 10 or 15 seconds and then the cow scampers 'round them. Then Buck does it and it's something else entirely. The level of control is astonishing. Anyways, Gun Glory has, if anything, an even MORE impressive display of horsemanship. I talk about that in the review as well. Watching Buck again made me wonder how many people and horses in the world could do something like that.

As for the gun sounds here's the relevent bit. :)

A very strong western whose attention to small details pays big returns.

For instance, the sound of a gun fired in a wide canyon...  it should sound different than a gun fired in a closed cabin, am I wrong? Well I'm sorry to say that most westerns I've seen from '57 don't care about such things. Even the great ones. Gun Glory is an exception, and a very good one. It's only one scene, an it would've been easy for someone to say "eh, lets just use the sound effect from the last shootout", but they didn't. Instead they captured something real, distinct, and wonderful. They gave an entire scene a deep and affecting authenticity. The sound is unmistakable; after the initial concussion, an echo returns sounding like a whip crack. One other film I know of has captured this sound correctly: Tremors.

Listen for yourselves if you like: Gun Glory and Tremors.

I look forward to rewatching Quigley now to pick up this detail and add it to the list of "superior gun sound effects in westerns". 8)

Smirnoff's review is here

Thanks for hunting that down Dave! :)