View Full Version : Movie Australian Films
What was the last one you watched (not on TV, cinema or rental only)?
Why did you watch it?
What is your general attitude towards Australian films?
Me:
The Proposition.
Had previously seen Ghosts of the Civil Dead by the same director. The cast looked good. The film as a whole looked solid and interesting. Wasn't disappointed. I'd picked up news about the film when in production and went on my own accord without seeing a review.
My attitude is I don't trust the industry. It seems an incestuous little club at its own expense. Reviewers like Margaret Pomeranz are known for pulling punches on Australian films because they want to help people out. Under such circumstances I've become gunshy with my time and money. My analogy is - if you've got a garden you spray the weeds so they don't destroy your other plants. In the Australian film industry it seems weeds are encouraged to flourish.
And sometimes there's a backlash from filmmakers if reviews are bad. Which also gets on my tits, you take your licks, you don't go out bitching, moaning and attacking people after a bad review. There seems an expectation from writers and directors that they are owed something for making an Australian film.
Personally this tarnishes Australian films for me. I heard a few good things about The Square last year, but it was made by the Edgerton brothers. They're pretty prominent in the Australian industry. I had a mild interest, but because of their connections I wondered how many people were just helping some old mates out. So I passed.
Ruddeger07
15 Mar 2009, 14:31
The last Aussie movie I watched at a cinema or rented was probably The Dish.That came out around 2000/01 from memory.I went and saw it because it was made by Working Dog.Very good movie.
The last Australian film i saw at the cinema was "Kokoda" back in 2006.
rocker_oz33
15 Mar 2009, 18:01
there was a aussie movie on last night on sbs it was strange but l rented this movie called "noise" l haven't watched yet but there is no real reason why they can't be better aussie movies as said above they seem to be in there own little word
Wahooti Fandango
15 Mar 2009, 18:21
I can't remember the last that I saw, but I always found The Big Steal to be underrated.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099138/usercomments
Dirtywhirl
15 Mar 2009, 19:09
'The Square' is well worth a look
A few months ago i saw one with heath Ledger & some other bird who were herion addicts. Geoffrey Rush was in it as well. Only ledger film i have seen i think. Really enjoyed it.
I have to confess to seeing Australia. I watched just out of curiosity really. Didn't mind it but bloody long.
To me Aussie films are a of a hit and miss affair. There have been some really good ones over the years, but there are more bad ones than good ones. But in context there are just as many bad American or English or whoever films as well. I think it is naive to think that all our locally made movies have to be box office blockbusters. Sometimes arthouse movies are quite enjoyable but only appeal to a limited audience.
Bomber32
15 Mar 2009, 20:59
Wolf Creek was a film which I thoroughly enjoyed back in 2005.
Unfortunately the rubbish Australian films outnumber the good ones by far, which is very disappointing for the industry.
Computer890
15 Mar 2009, 23:03
Two hands- all right movie. kind of a gangster flick with heath ledger and bryan brown. would not watch it again.
our industry is faring poorly because all we get is a bunch off independent pieces of shlock when we have been raised on hollywood blockbusters.
Underdog
16 Mar 2009, 00:56
A few months ago i saw one with heath Ledger & some other bird who were herion addicts. Geoffrey Rush was in it as well. Only ledger film i have seen i think. Really enjoyed it.
That would be Candy. Very good film. The 'other bird' was Abbie Cornish - she was also the lead in Somersault
ssfc0203
16 Mar 2009, 01:00
The Bank.
I liked it.
'noise' is an excellent film....love brendan cowell
MiracleBoy
16 Mar 2009, 02:55
Saw Australian Rules on TV the other night and loved it.
Saw Australian Rules on TV the other night and loved it.
First time I saw that movie I loved it (when it first came out) Was in year 10 I believe. Watched it again last year and wondered how I liked it, was terrible I thought. Maybe I will have to watch it again seen as it's even 1-1.
Last Aussie movie I saw would have to be The Castle, the newest I have seen is Wolf Creek.
flight23
16 Mar 2009, 03:20
the interview is a great flick starring hugo weaving and tony martin, won a bunch of afi's highly recommend
Magpiespower
16 Mar 2009, 07:39
Saw The Combination the other week.
Awwwwwful.
Gets a free ride from most critics because it's about an 'important issue... a story that must be told'.
But as a film it's amateur hour.
Cactus is a pretty average thriller/road movie.
My favourite Australian film is Malcolm.
rocker_oz33
16 Mar 2009, 14:07
l always liked Malcolm its old school(1986) with Colin friels
the interview is a great flick starring hugo weaving and tony martin, won a bunch of afi's highly recommend
i second that :thumbsu:
A few months ago i saw one with heath Ledger & some other bird who were herion addicts. Geoffrey Rush was in it as well. Only ledger film i have seen i think. Really enjoyed it.
Candy.
This is a very good film, both Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish are great in it. Not everyone's cup of tea but I really enjoyed it.
Wolf Creek was a film which I thoroughly enjoyed back in 2005.
Think this was my last Aussie film too. Enjoyed it, although not as good as many made it out to be. John Jarrett's laugh in the promo is what attracted me to see it initially.
Wahooti Fandango
16 Mar 2009, 16:38
These are not really Australian Movies, but I always thought of them as Australian as they starred Brian Brown.
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rocker_oz33
16 Mar 2009, 17:56
The interview(1998) looks good hugo weaving and tony martin from blue murder and a very young aaron jeffery and micheal caton it gets 7.3 on the IMDB movie site
Magpiespower
17 Mar 2009, 05:05
A couple of recent slept-on gems...
Blacktown - black/white love story.
Em 4 Jay - a smackie Bonnie & Clyde.
Not Quite Hollywood - funny doco about Ozploitation flicks from the 70s and 80s.
XFactor1979
17 Mar 2009, 12:14
em 4 jay
its derivative and negative and the acting isnt that convincing in parts, although it does showcase parts of st kilda in the movie
i watched it for the musical score by the black keys. in many ways the black keys were the stars of the film more than the actors themselves
oh speaking of brendan cowell, does anyone here watch love my way? its a show set in sydney
Bomber Bears
17 Mar 2009, 12:20
I'm a big fan of the Castle of course, absolute gem of a film. I enjoye crackerjack, bad eggs, the man who sued god etc and saw the interview for school, thought it was a decent movie. Another very good movie was the final winter, the rugby league film a couple of years back, thought that was very well done.
There are some good flicks out there but, s with america, england etc there is a whole lot of dross not worth viewing
XFactor1979
17 Mar 2009, 12:46
the thing is i was watching this movie called 'five easy pieces' starring jack nicholson the other day, and the society, the culture of that movie related very little to us
mind you it was a movie that was made in 1970 and the world was very different back then, but there are differences between american and australian people, despite the fact we try to "americanise" ourselves so much
richskee
17 Mar 2009, 13:51
Aus Film industry is frustrating, it's because these idiots from (Film Finance Australia) keep giving money to make crap meaningless garbage eg: Take Away, The Nugget, Cracker Jack and the list goes on.
Everyone is still trying to create the next 'Castle' which was a good film but geez it's a film that has long gone. They seem to think that every Australian Film should be a Comedy about a simple man in a suburban town. When like many people I'm sick of that crap, i want to see grit, history, rawness, Australia.
Films like Wolf Creek and Chopper are independent flicks with no backing from Film Australia, yet they wonder why Directors like Dominik and Hillcoat leave the country to persue their directing. The Australian Film Industry needs a Mad Max to come along to shake things up abit.
XFactor1979
17 Mar 2009, 18:20
Aus Film industry is frustrating, it's because these idiots from (Film Finance Australia) keep giving money to make crap meaningless garbage eg: Take Away, The Nugget, Cracker Jack and the list goes on.
Everyone is still trying to create the next 'Castle' which was a good film but geez it's a film that has long gone. They seem to think that every Australian Film should be a Comedy about a simple man in a suburban town. When like many people I'm sick of that crap, i want to see grit, history, rawness, Australia.
Films like Wolf Creek and Chopper are independent flicks with no backing from Film Australia, yet they wonder why Directors like Dominik and Hillcoat leave the country to persue their directing. The Australian Film Industry needs a Mad Max to come along to shake things up abit.
depends on people's tastes
if youre more into crocodile dundee australian movies those movies are few and far between, and... pretty lame.
the better australian movies in recent times are the more arthouse type movies and unmainstream movies such as little fish, somersault, three dollars, even a movie like the proposition isnt what you call straightforward mainstream
Strachuniee
17 Mar 2009, 18:39
there was a aussie movie on last night on sbs it was strange but l rented this movie called "noise" l haven't watched yet but there is no real reason why they can't be better aussie movies as said above they seem to be in there own little word
Was that suburban mayhem? If so saw it as well. Thought it was alright as i wasn't expecting much
anybody seen 'ten empty'? supposed to be good, haven't been able to find it anywhere yet
bradrowe#32
18 Mar 2009, 09:28
There are quite a few good Australian movies around; The Proposition, Wolf Creek, Bad Boy Bubby, The Dish, The Castle and Alexandra's Poject (I really recommend this). However, for every good movie there are another five cringe-worthy comedies.
We have so many interesting stories to tell (the wars, Eureka, aboriginals, and many more), but we never tell them. Personally, I'd love to see a movie/mini-series about landing in Australia, then exploring the land, the conflicts and the convicts, the incidents. A brilliant script and foresight could see it work, and I'm sure it would have a lot of financial backing.
XFactor1979
18 Mar 2009, 11:22
"life in modern australia" movies have always been an interest for me:
other than the few ive already listed:
lantana
jindabyne
of the ones telling a story into australia's past - "rabbit proof fence" was a pretty good film
Tigger Please!
18 Mar 2009, 23:12
"ten canoes"
great film.
Magpiespower
19 Mar 2009, 07:00
anybody seen 'ten empty'? supposed to be good, haven't been able to find it anywhere yet
Awful.
But out on DVD...
The Norm
19 Mar 2009, 11:21
My favourite Aussie films: Last Train to Freo, Noise, Candy, and West are all very good.
The worst: 2:47.
Love My Way is probably my favourite Aussie TV series behind We Can Be Heroes, and easily my favourite Aus drama.
The trend I notice in most Australian films is that they try too hard to communicate a message or turn a stereotype on itself. Having said that, I can't help but like a decent film more if it's Australian.
What do people in WA think of "Last Train to Freo"? I thought it could have been set anywhere, but listening to the commentary the director felt it was very specific to Perth. Thoughts?
Fritz_the_Cat
19 Mar 2009, 11:39
Last Aussie movie i watched was 'Rabbit Proof Fence' thought it was a pretty good movie..
the one before that was 'The Hard Word' had to hunt that one down having just caught a glimpse of it on TV a few years back.. really enjoyed it.. fairly gritty & some pretty good dark humour i thought.
There have always been good & bad Aussie movie.. i think sometimes you just have to search a bit harder for the good ones.. been some hidden gems over the years 'Walkabout' & 'Year my Voice Broke/Flirting' spring to mind
VINCANITY
19 Mar 2009, 14:17
Chopper has to be my favourite aussie film. I just love th humour in it.
The interview(1998) looks good hugo weaving and tony martin from blue murder and a very young aaron jeffery and micheal caton it gets 7.3 on the IMDB movie site
Yeah I also have to highly recommend The Interview - Hugo Weaving does a great job in it (as do the others for that matter), and it has a great script. I would have it in my top 20-30 all time favourites from any country.
Eventhough it won the AFI Best Picture, it still seems one of those hidden gem movies that you always hope to find but rarely do. It's sad that Aussie movies like Priscilla do well worldwide, but then a best picture winner, which is much better, is hardly even known outside Australia.
The Interview, Mad Max 2 and The Castle are my favourite Aussie movies. Also liked Wolf Creek, The Proposition, Chopper, The Bank and Two Hands.
Last Aussie movie I saw was Rogue. Nowhere near Wolf Creek, but still solid as far as horror movies go. The last 15-20 minutes where it changes style ruined it a little for me. The best crocodile horror I have seen though, but I guess that's not hard when considering the competition :p
Awful.
But out on DVD...
care to expand on that? what's awful about it? gimme ur thoughts :)
Barry Zuckercorn
19 Mar 2009, 22:47
IMO Aussie movies are underrated. Some absolute crackers from the 80s and 90s.
XFactor1979
20 Mar 2009, 11:51
The worst: 2:47.
Love My Way is probably my favourite Aussie TV series behind We Can Be Heroes, and easily my favourite Aus drama.
?
isnt it 2:37?
either way it was pretentious and full of wank
yeh i love 'love my way', there currently isnt an australian series to fill that void that secret life + that show has left since it finished
flight23
20 Mar 2009, 12:15
Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy , just found a thing on it
Over several years, some members of both the Australian Federal and New South Wales state Police Forces, worked with the Mafia in growing and distributing marijuana.
When the conspiracy was uncovered - a murder was solved and many arrests were made but not before $14 million worth of drugs had hit the streets of Sydney and Melbourne, and Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester was gunned down for his part in cleaning it up.
i remember watching that and blue murder and loving both of them, but not many have seen police crop, good flick
The King of Leon
22 Mar 2009, 09:51
The Black Balloon is probably the best Australian film that I have seen in a while.
neddy36
22 Mar 2009, 20:26
The Black Balloon is probably the best Australian film that I have seen in a while.
Agreed, some brilliant performances.
Some other quality Aussie films IMO:
The Square
Candy
Erskineville Kings
Romper Stomper
Lantana
Bad Boy Bubby
Alexandra's Project
Captain Johnno :D
Magpiespower
23 Mar 2009, 08:00
care to expand on that? what's awful about it? gimme ur thoughts :)
Another flat, one-note sneering caricature of the working class.
Worse than that, it's basically a photographed play.
The stage is where it belongs.
Absolutely no reward for the audience to suffer this...
Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy , just found a thing on it
i remember watching that and blue murder and loving both of them, but not many have seen police crop, good flick
Not surprisingly, both are written by Ian David...
rocker_oz33
23 Mar 2009, 15:30
is that Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy available on DVD??
crows98
23 Mar 2009, 15:49
The Black Balloon is probably the best Australian film that I have seen in a while.
Yeah i agree with. First noticed it watching the AFI and then picked it up on DVD, was very surprised
How hot is Gamma Ward - sooowing .
Little Fish and Candy are my favorites
thought look both ways was ok too.
And of course classics like The Dish and The Castle.
Macca19
23 Mar 2009, 23:39
Last couple I paid for were Clubland and West.
Thought Clubland was pretty funny. Love Richard Wilson in it as the retarded brother. So many classic lines.
West was good for a bogan flick. Fairly complex story which worked pretty well I thought. Liked Nathan Phillips much better in that than in Wolf Creek.
Others I like are 48 Shades (again with Richard Wilson...probably my fave Aussie flick), Suburban Mayhem, Last train to Freo, Chopper was alright, Lantana was alright, Proposition was alright. Thats probably it. Didnt like Wolf Creek. Very overrated.
Next one ill see is Camilla Hyde because a friend is part of the main cast.
The King of Leon
24 Mar 2009, 14:19
Yeah i agree with. First noticed it watching the AFI and then picked it up on DVD, was very surprised
How hot is Gamma Ward - sooowing .
Yeah I had heard good things about it and when I saw how many awards it had won, I thought I had better give it a watch, picked it up a JB Hi-Fi for about $12, definately worth the money.
Yeah she is stunning, I wish she went to my high school, the girls there were not even half as good looking as her
flight23
24 Mar 2009, 16:30
is that Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy available on DVD??
aaah my mate had it on video, but found this
http://www.abc.net.au/programsales/s1122395.htm
wow
just bought the great bookie robbery from jb, will report back later
Keyser Soze
26 Mar 2009, 01:53
What do people in WA think of "Last Train to Freo"? I thought it could have been set anywhere, but listening to the commentary the director felt it was very specific to Perth. Thoughts?
Find a train route that crosses from one side of the city to the other that is prone to have only a handful of passengers late at night, and the likelihood that they will be less than friendly. I would have thought most large cities would have something similar so I'm not sure why the director would feel it had to be set in Perth.
That said, the setting and the events did tie in well and came across as believable - the location certainly suited the story. And it was filmed in Perth, unlike Wolf Creek which was set in WA but filmed in SA - the locations where the film was shot were nothing remotely resembling the North West and there was no reason other than the titular "Wolf Creek" why the film couldn't have been set in outback SA where the filming was done.
Magpiespower
26 Mar 2009, 05:45
I'm not sure why the director would feel it had to be set in Perth...
The director, Jeremy Sims, is originally from Perth, and touches on this in an interview on the DVD.
IIRC, he could relate to the story better setting it in his own stomping ground.
But most likely the film is set in Perth because ScreenWest backed it...
XFactor1979
26 Mar 2009, 12:37
not as top shelf
but what about footy legends?
starring anh do
"footy" in this movie is the "footy" they play north of albury...
although it did have the classic line of:
Q: 'why do you play footy?'
A: 'to get the girls to like me'
XFactor1979
12 Aug 2009, 11:00
i watched a movie called 'beautiful kate' the other day
to me it was a routine run of the mill australian film
even though this film had strong themes etc, theres just something missing about australian movies, it just doesnt have that that edge that american and british films have. ie lost in translation, or synecdoche new york that rewatchability value or a film having an impact on me.
mind you newcomer sophie lowe is drop dead gorgeous, i couldnt help but look at her throughout the film, she captivated me.
Spermbird
12 Aug 2009, 11:46
One film that hasn't been mentioned is The Boys.
I also enjoyed The Rage in Placid Lake and He Died with a Felafel in his Hand, but they aren't everyone's idea of funny films
I'll throw in Hercules Returns as well
The Old Dark Navy's
12 Aug 2009, 12:36
Mostly liked these for differing reasons:
Death In Brunswick
Monkey Grip
The Year of Living Dangerously
Malcolm
The Year My Voice Broke
Dead Calm
The Delinquents (save for some ordinary acting here and there, the story was compelling)
The Big Steal (awesome movie)
The Piano
Sirens (can't pinpoint what made me like this movie ;))
Muriel's Wedding
Babe
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
The Dish
Pitch Black (didn't realise that was Australian - cool)
Australia
Two Hands
Weekend With Kate
There seems to be a real dearth of Australian movies in the late 90s.
legend166
12 Aug 2009, 13:16
The thing about Australian films these days is they seem to be one extreme or the other. Either it's a comedy about an Aussie battler in the suburbs, or it's a depressing family drama where everyone is addicted to some sort of drug.
psychobrown
12 Aug 2009, 16:12
For recent ones, Lake Mungo was fairly decent and unique. Samson & Delilah was also ok.
There was one I saw on television a while ago. It was a musical, filmed in black and white, and had a lot of famous faces singing poppy sort of songs. The storyline was very disjointed (it wasn't One Night the Moon). I can't remember what it was called but it was interesting for what it was. If anybody knows what I'm babbling about it would be appreciated.
JimDocker
12 Aug 2009, 16:53
My favourite Australian film is Malcolm.
Malcolm was a great film.
"life in modern australia" movies have always been an interest for me:
lantana - loved this. Great acting and brilliantly written and directed. The only criticism is Mick Molloy. I really enjoy his work but the entire cinema laughed when he came on screen and it was not a comedic role.
jindabyne - Found it a bit try hard.
of the ones telling a story into australia's past - "rabbit proof fence" was a pretty good film
"ten canoes"
great film.
I wanted to like it but was bored for the entirety.
Agreed, some brilliant performances.
Some other quality Aussie films IMO:
The Square
Candy - Brilliant.
Erskineville Kings
Romper Stomper - Brilliant
Lantana
Bad Boy Bubby - Disturbing and found some of the violence a bit gratuitous.
Alexandra's Project - Brilliant dark film, great direction, great acting.
Captain Johnno :D
One film that hasn't been mentioned is The Boys. - Brilliant film with a great soundtrack by The Necks.
I also enjoyed The Rage in Placid Lake and He Died with a Felafel in his Hand, but they aren't everyone's idea of funny films
I'll throw in Hercules Returns as well
Mostly liked these for differing reasons:
Death In Brunswick - Fantastic. John Clarke is great in this.
Monkey Grip
The Year of Living Dangerously
Malcolm
The Year My Voice Broke
Dead Calm
The Delinquents (save for some ordinary acting here and there, the story was compelling)
The Big Steal (awesome movie)- Criminally under rated film. Just brilliant. Steve Bisley as the car salesman is hilarious and Daniel's Dad is such a great character.
The Piano - Magnificent.
Sirens (can't pinpoint what made me like this movie ;)) - Liked it for the same reason.
Muriel's Wedding - A classic. Great writing, Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths showed how brilliant they were early in their careers.
Babe
Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Guy Pearce is amazing in this. Great film.
The Dish
Pitch Black (didn't realise that was Australian - cool)
Australia
Two Hands - Very good film. Heath Ledger was great even back then.
Weekend With Kate
There seems to be a real dearth of Australian movies in the late 90s.
I think the last film I saw was The Proposition. I mainly saw it because I am a huge Nick Cave fan and he wrote the Screenplay. I loved it.
ausde13
12 Aug 2009, 22:13
Most recent Aussie flick I watched at the movies was Wake in Fright... Really good movie made in the 60's (?). Just been rereleased.
Some other crackers:
Gettin Square
Metal Skin
Idiot Box
The Tracker
hirdy_is_champ
12 Aug 2009, 23:48
Swimming Up Stream, if it hasn't already been mentioned. Really excellent film.
Avoid Aussie movies like the plague, because the majority are shit.
Magpiespower
13 Aug 2009, 07:21
For recent ones, Lake Mungo was fairly decent and unique. Samson & Delilah was also ok.
There was one I saw on television a while ago. It was a musical, filmed in black and white, and had a lot of famous faces singing poppy sort of songs. The storyline was very disjointed (it wasn't One Night the Moon). I can't remember what it was called but it was interesting for what it was. If anybody knows what I'm babbling about it would be appreciated.
Could've been The Eternity Man.
Torture.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190710/
UpForGrabs
13 Aug 2009, 12:24
Not Quite Hollywood was quality. Took you back to a time when Aussie filmmakers didn't take themselves so seriously.
JimDocker
13 Aug 2009, 12:29
Most recent Aussie flick I watched at the movies was Wake in Fright... Really good movie made in the 60's (?). Just been rereleased.
Some other crackers:
Gettin Square
Metal Skin
Idiot Box
The Tracker
Is getting Square the one with Timothy Spall as the gangter ? Went to the pictures to see it but did not really like it.
Idiot Box is fantastic. Love the koala kicking him and the conversation about the blood in the bath. Also, how good is Amanda Muggleton ? I saw her play Shirley Valentine in a one woman show years back and she was amazing.
Loved The Tracker !
RustyHawk
13 Aug 2009, 16:03
A lot of production going on in Melbourne at the moment with Pure Films doing "Frank & Jerry" starring Jeremy Kewely from the Janus series and of late the warm up man for The Footy Show.
The Dream Children by Fat Kid Films, and
Wog Boy 2 - it actually has a name but in reality it is WB2. The cast are rehearsing before going OS to film. Includes all the Wog Boy guys and Alex Dimitriadis & The Black Prince of Lygon Street Mr. Vince Colosimo.