FTA-TV Underbelly: Squizzy

[Hand]

Starts tonight @ 8:30 on Channel 9.

Set in Melbourne, and eagerly anticipated. Should be brill. Discuss here.

 

[Gasometer]

I must have missed the ads for this.

 

[King Elvis]

Better than expected.

 

[Hand]

Impressed with the first episode.

Dolly was bangin', disappointed she didn't get her **** out like nearly every other female character. Looking forward to next week, already hating that Fitzroy gang.

 

[Bazzar]

Not sure how to take it but found myself enjoying it and looking forward to next week.

The lack of the usual Underbelly ****, ass, swearing etc was a welcome change, but the highlight was the music, loved it.

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

Gee it was a bit of a shame they accidentally shot the entire episode with one of Channel 9 Cricket's super slo mo cameras.

Apparently episode 2 has a cameo by Syd Heylen dressed up as Tony Greig seeing how easily he can stick a key into a trollop's rude bit directly preceding a sex scene

 

[CrowEater888]

I didn't enjoy it, about 30 minutes in I turned it off.

 

[juss]

I liked it. Not outstanding television but entertaining and kept moving.

 

[Bazzar]

I liked it. Not outstanding television but entertaining and kept moving.

Good way to sum it up.

Its worthwhile lazy Sunday night viewing.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Why did they cast a 22 year old to play a gangster in his 30s?

 

[juss]

Good way to sum it up.

Its worthwhile lazy Sunday night viewing.

Exactly, not much to do, don't have to think to much, just lay back and watch some guns, robberies, gangstas and boobs. You can't really go wrong if you just treat it as kick back television.

 

[Anja_Nees]

Apparently the gang rape depicted at the end of the episode simply didn't happen. Utterly bizarre that they would write it in. The usual overuse of slo-mo was present. I think they just struggle a bit in general with the period pieces - you never see more than a few buildings here and there spliced with the odd stock footage of a tram. You never get the impression it's actually 1910s Melbourne. It was the same with Razor (which I wish I'd never watched), though at least this one is more entertaining.

I'd be surprised if I made it to the last episode.

 

[Bazzar]

Apparently the gang rape depicted at the end of the episode simply didn't happen. Utterly bizarre that they would write it in. The usual overuse of slo-mo was present. I think they just struggle a bit in general with the period pieces - you never see more than a few buildings here and there spliced with the odd stock footage of a tram. You never get the impression it's actually 1910s Melbourne. It was the same with Razor (which I wish I'd never watched), though at least this one is more entertaining.

I'd be surprised if I made it to the last episode.

According to everything i have read it did take place.

[Edit, the Argus in 1927 described it as "Maltreadted" not sure if that was the polite way of describing rape back then, but even so i cannot recall the word rape used last night. Must go back and watch again]

To add to the tensions, some members of the Fitzroy gang were dissatisfied with the division of the proceeds from the Kilpatricks robbery. The final catalyst for the vendetta came some months after the robbery when Taylor's wife, Dolly, was drugged at an underworld party in Fitzroy, maltreated and robbed of £200 of jewellery that she was wearing. Some of the other guests considered the jewellery was part of the proceeds from the Kilpatrick's robbery and thus rightly belonged to them.[21]

[21] a b The Argus (Melbourne), Weekend Magazine, 3 November 1950, p.6; The Argus (Melbourne), 28 October 1927, p.15.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squizzy_Taylor#cite_ref-The_Argus_1950.2C_p.6_21-0

 

[Anja_Nees]

According to everything i have read it did take place.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ent...izzy-takes-the-wrong-road-20130729-2qtjo.html

The rape which closed out the premiere didn't happen and using it as a narrative engine, as a base form of entertainment, was a disgrace in a way that countless episodes of empty sexposition in previous series were not.

I'm sure the author has said this for a reason, though apparently the same thing happened in the film about Squizzy featuring Steve Bisley. Could be wrong I suppose.

 

[Bazzar]

John Birmingham sounds like a first class tosser.

He did say

Waxed bottoms, pertilicous boobs and perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth. In fact the only thing more striking than all those fine set of choppers in Squizzy's "gritty" Melbourne of the Great War era was the absence of much grit to get caught between them.

​

​

But Squizys biographer said​

Through it all strutted the bumptious Squizzy Taylor who needed no teaching; dressed like a toff in his best broadcloth suit, short black overcoat with fashionable matt-velvet collar, and iridescent silk shirt [...] His flashing gold teeth and enormous diamond tiepin winked the message of his success.
– Hugh Anderson, Taylor biographer

http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/rebels-outlaws/city-criminals/squizzy-taylor​

So it appears the issue is they forgot to add some gold plated crowns.

A fashionable crook
Squizzy was a dandy. He wore patent leather shoes, fawn gloves, silk socks, diamond rings and a diamond pin in his knitted silk tie. He smoked expensive cigars and had gold teeth.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/la...rld-in-the-1920s/story-fni0ffnk-1226504054049

He did look very dapper, unlike Birmingham who tried to make out he was some slob

Who knows how accurate it is, but so far it not a bad watch and at least the majority will get a basic understanding of the story of one of Melbournes great early gangster figures.
​

 

[bunsen burner]

Average. Will not watch again. The last Razoe one was shite too.

About time Underbelly did something interesting like Great Bookie Robbery or Russell Mad Dog Cox.

I have no interest in period stuff earlier than 60s.

 

[Vader]

Average. Will not watch again. The last Razoe one was shite too.

About time Underbelly did something interesting like Great Bookie Robbery or Russell Mad Dog Cox.

I have no interest in period stuff earlier than 60s.

Fairly sure they covered the Great Bookie Robbery before. I'm thinking it was in one of the earlier episodes of the 2nd series (the one which later focussed on Trimbole and the Mr Asia syndicate).

Razor was a big disappointment because nothing happened. You get to the end and find that they all lived happily ever after. What was the point? The highlight of the show should have been the mass brawl in Kellett St, Kings Cross - but they managed to downgrade that to 30 seconds of mild violence.

Squizzy is off to a better start. I don't know the story, but they've laid a solid foundation. It remains to be seen whether there is actually enough story to sustain the series for 10-13 episodes.

 

[CF]

There was good movie made some years ago (1982) about Squizzy Taylor, with David Atkins & Jackie Weaver in the main roles of Squizzy & Dolly. It was pretty good.

 

[bunsen burner]

Fairly sure they covered the Great Bookie Robbery before. I'm thinking it was in one of the earlier episodes of the 2nd series (the one which later focussed on Trimbole and the Mr Asia syndicate).

It was only a small part of 1 episode and somehow they linked it to Trimboli.

They could do a story on that and Russell Mad Dog Cox.

Razor was a big disappointment because nothing happened. You get to the end and find that they all lived happily ever after. What was the point? The highlight of the show should have been the mass brawl in Kellett St, Kings Cross - but they managed to downgrade that to 30 seconds of mild violence.

Stopped watching after about 3 episodes because it was rubbish.

Squizzy is off to a better start. I don't know the story, but they've laid a solid foundation. It remains to be seen whether there is actually enough story to sustain the series for 10-13 episodes.

Remains to be seen but I'm not buying this good looking guy walking around with a jovial smile. Reminds me Sunrise and Today morning TV.

 

[Bazzar]

They could do a story on that and Russell Mad Dog Cox.

To late. This is the second last and the final Underbelly will be the hunt for Tony Mokbel.

 

[Partridge]

Apparently the gang rape depicted at the end of the episode simply didn't happen. Utterly bizarre that they would write it in. The usual overuse of slo-mo was present. I think they just struggle a bit in general with the period pieces - you never see more than a few buildings here and there spliced with the odd stock footage of a tram. You never get the impression it's actually 1910s Melbourne. It was the same with Razor (which I wish I'd never watched), though at least this one is more entertaining.

I'd be surprised if I made it to the last episode.

I think Australians just struggle with making television full stop. We had a magical aligning of the planets for the first Underbelly. They've all sucked since. The second one made me run screaming from the room. Matthew Newton's fake moustache was the most convincing actor in it.

 

[Partridge]

Remains to be seen but I'm not buying this good looking guy walking around with a jovial smile. Reminds me Sunrise and Today morning TV.

Same here. We lasted about 15 minutes then turned it off. Not impressed.

 

[Anja_Nees]

I think Australians just struggle with making television full stop. We had a magical aligning of the planets for the first Underbelly. They've all sucked since. The second one made me run screaming from the room. Matthew Newton's fake moustache was the most convincing actor in it.

I suppose that's the broader point. Aussie TV productions often suck. That said, I thought Badness was a massive improvement on Razor. It seemed like every outdoor scene was filmed in the same street.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

The setting looks crappy because Nine are very cheap. Don't blame the production crew for getting peanuts.

 

[RustyHawk]

Average. Will not watch again. The last Razoe one was shite too.

About time Underbelly did something interesting like Great Bookie Robbery or Russell Mad Dog Cox.

I have no interest in period stuff earlier than 60s.

Agree

Cannot understand why it has taken so long to get this series to air. Filming completed probably more than a year ago?

Pretty sure they are going back to the original & best and the early work of Alphonse Gangitano.