Best Australian film

[graham.hobart]

Hey all.
having been a resident here for 14 years who married an Aussie- I have always had an interest in cinema.
So I would like opinion from the "natives" as it were about the best Aussie films.
I remember watching a film on good old Channel four in the UK a few months before my visa was approved, it painted that part of Aus with some much excotism that I could hardly wait to get over here. Trouble is - I can't remember the bloody film. Was in an area with trees and floods so that narrows it down a tad!!
Anyway-
Being as I am the instigator....
"The Hunter" mainly because it is in Tassie and it has Willem Defoe and Sam Neil, really great atmosphere of gloominess and foreboding, the Scots might say the gloaming.
Strictly Ball room- a study in the grotesque characatures but incredibly uplifting. Though Barry Fife's wig was a tad disturbing.
The Proposition -gloomy again
Storm Boy ?
Australian Rules - why is it that a lot of Aussie movies have this dark under current?
Last train to Freo
Somersault etc

Crackerjack - the bowling movie was ok.
That film about the toilet guy- nope
Never have seen Breaker Morant
Have seen all the C. dundees. good escapist stuff.
Most of the Aussie films I have seen at the local independent cinema are glorious to look at but bloody hell are they depressing!!
Bad Boy Bubbbie? I think it was called that, glad wrap and .... you knpw the rest. Now that was original but disturbing.
Some brainy movie type is now going to chip in with sage advice...
walk about
rabbit proof fence
picnic at hanging rock
all rather depressing
MAd max- now that is an aussie flick that sporned a genre.
MAtrix doesn't count just because it was filmed partly in Sydney.
Chopper, ? great performance from Eric Bana.
Im thinking till I just can't thunk anymore
:D Grazmania

[CapturingTheNight]

Not very historically accurate but if you are into astronomy and having a laugh like I am- The Dish

Also by the same people- The Castle

[Andy01]

Gallipoli
Breaker Morant
Both deal with the loss of innocence in Aussie culture

Muriel's Wedding, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
You must see the Castle & The Dish

Eric Bana's " The Beast" if you like cars.
Anything by Peter Wier, i.e.: The Cars that Ate Paris, The LAst Wave, Picnic etc.
Babe & Babe 2, Red Dog, Young Einstein, Happy Feet if you have kids :)
Shine & The Sapphires are all excellent biopix
Baz Lurhman's style is a bit over the top, but I enjoyed Moulin Rouge and Australia

Have fun, there's something for you to do on cloudy nights :)

Cheers

Andy

[hobbit]

Not really a fan of Australian cinema but
looking for alibrandi
the tunnel

[barx1963]

"Wake in Fright"
Great film technically an Aus/US collaboration but well worth a look.

Malcolm

[PeterEde]

Mad Max All dated now but interesting thought and the way Putins going god knows. It maybe closer than we think.

[PeterEde]

Sunday too far away
Od angry shot - Korean War
Bad boy bubbie was filmed in my home town of Port Adelaide. Everyone knows that movie.

[stephenb]

Don's Party

[barx1963]

Odd Angry Shot was set in Vietnam, to my knowledge, there hasn't been an Aussie film about Korea.

Malcolm

[koputai]

I'll second 'Wake In Fright', it's not what you'd expect from the title.

'The Man From Hong Kong' starring George Lazenby is a ripper.

'Stone' is definitely worth a look also.

Cheers,
Jason.

[big_dav_2001]

'Red Dog' is one of my favourite Aussie movies, and will bring any animal lover to his/her knees...

Davin

[rustigsmed]

Lantana gets a good wrap although I haven't seen it.
Shine
The Piano (is this aussie or nz?)
The man from snowy river
the bank
Phar lap - I saw this when I was in London - surprisingly good.
Animal Kingdom (dark)
Dark City is a great sci-fi, made pre-matrix and apparently the matrix used a of their sets.

[blink138]

walkabout and age of consent i will never forget those movies...... they certainly stirred a young teenagers....... erm...... well, great movies!
mad max and two hands, and by the way as disturbing as it was bad boy bubbie is a classic
pat

[LewisM]

The Dish
The Lighthorsemen
Gallipoli

[sn1987a]

The last of the knucklemen

[Ric]

Have to go for Stone & Mad Max

Very dated these days but they are cult classics plus a lot of good Aussie actors got their starts.

Another corny cult classic is "The attack of the Killer Tomato's"

[Rick Petrie]

The Castle would have to be my favourite as the best low budget film with so many typical Australianisms and humour.
Cracks me up every time I see it.
ie; Dennis Denuto and his faulty printer.
How's the serenity?

[leon]

The Dish, loved it and seen it many times.


Leon

[AndrewJ]

I reckon "The cars that ate Paris" is where Mad max got some of its ideas.
Luv the reworked veedub

Andrew

[OzStarGazer]

Off the top of my head... Picnic at Hanging Rock and Rabbit-Proof Fence.
And as a vegetarian I guess I should also mention Babe I+II? Well... at least for children. :)
Oh, and The Piano of course (if it is Aussie).

[jwoody]

I can't believe no one has mentioned "Young Einstein".........just jokes

[Steffen]

Are we generous enough to count "Until the end of the World"?

Cheers
Steffen.

[Matt Wastell]

Razorback.

[raymo]

I notice that nobody mentioned Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
raymo

[big_dav_2001]

I don't think anyone's mentioned 'Shine' or 'Crocodile Dundee', another couple of my favorites...

Davin

[codemonkey]

I can't think of any Australian movies that I liked besides The Hunter, which was great; that one really surprised me. I generally avoid Australian movies though.

[madwayne]

No one has said Wolf Creek. Not everyone's cup of tea but gee if you want your pants scared off well worth a watch. I haven't seen the second one but hear it is up there with the first one. John Jarrett as Uncle Mick is sensational in it.

On the topic of horror do the Saw franchise count? Written by two Aussie Union students weren't they? At least the first couple were.

Two Hands would be up there for me, a very young Heath Ledger and awesome music from Powderfinger.

I have to say Babe too because it was filmed just down the road from our place.

Wayne

[PeterEde]

How about Turkey Shoot. Now there's a movie long before it's time. The idea has been done over and over recently

[Saturnine]

Been lots of very good Aussie movies, The Year My Voice Broke, Shine, Rabbit Proof Fence, Breaker Morant, Gallipoli, Mad Max, Lantana.
Good get to be a long list.

Jeff

[Renato1]

Though not an Australian film, my favourite film involving Australia still is On The Beach with Gregory Peck.

The Lighthorsemen still grabs me, because of the famous cavalry charge.

The Cars That Ate Paris was an extremely interesting and different film.

And I always have a soft spot for Romper Stomper - mainly because it was filmed at the back of the munitions factory I was working at, and the production staff were in our canteen every day.

One odd thing though, there were lots of totally forgettable Australian movies made over the years which are never played here. Maybe it's because they are cheap, but I was quite astounded to see the dubbed versions being played regularly over in Italy. And they also had good ones - I've only ever watched Lantana in Italian.
Regards,
Renato

[OzStarGazer]

Thanks for reminding me of Shine, Davin. I don't know how I could forget it yesterday.

[OzStarGazer]

A complete list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_films

[UniPol]

"Australia" ..... just kidding :lol:

[OzStarGazer]

Why? It was not bad... At least IMO...

[big_dav_2001]

I've never actually seen 'Australia', mainly because I've never been a fan of the director...

Personally, I think Baz Luhrman is very overrated, his movies are always hyped beyond belief, and have always been rather disappointing. While there's no doubt he has a very distinct style, I've just always found his movies difficult to watch... Just my opinion :)

Davin

[koputai]

I'm with Dav! Over-rated, over-hyped, over-funded, and under-performing.

Cheers,
Jason.

[Sconesbie]

My favourite list (not necessarily in this order):

The Castle (number one on my list).
Crackerjack (not too bad).
Crocodile Dundee 1+2. Not a fan of 3 (number two on my list).
Breaker Morant.
Wolf Creek One. Haven't seen the second.
Young Einstein.
Death in Briunswick.
BMX Bandits (Nicole Kidman).
Malcolm (number three on my list).
Romper Stomper.
The Sum of Us (Jack Thompson and Russel Crowe).
The Bank.
Red Dog (yes, I had a tear in my eyes).

[UniPol]

Re : "Australia", I suppose my critique was a bit harsh, I watched it for five seconds, I suppose I should have give it a go for at least another five seconds.

[louie_the_fly]

Crackerjack & Red Dog are my modern favourites.

For a bit of Australiana, classics like Smiley Gets A Gun, The Overlanders, Robbery Under Arms, Sunday Too Far Away, The Odd Angry Shot, The Chant Of Jimmy Blacksmith and The Rats Of Tobruk are always work a look. And who can forget the all time classic Storm Boy.

[Pooh]

Definitely The Dish.:thumbsup:

[Kevnool]

Yes your name as well....lol

[BPO]

Bruce Beresford's Money Movers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077944/) (1978).

Bit of a forgotten Aussie gem.

[Neil]

Breaker Morant, The Sum of Us and Gallipoli spring to mind , but I'll watch anything made by,in Australia, simply put we make the best, clear skies.:):D:lol::)

[jjjnettie]

We have so many good home grown movies. :) Most of my favourites have already been listed, but here's a few more that haven't popped up yet. :)

Travelling North.
He Died with a Felafel in his Hands.
Proof.

[beren]

From my schooldays, read the novels for English and enjoyed the movies My Brilliant Career {like Judy Davis, The Ref with Kevin Davis very funny} and They're a weird mob.
Most of my favorites have been mentioned but some others I can remember that I liked The year my voice broke/flirting, dead calm, Beneath hill 60, The big steal, Oscar and Lucinda, Danny Deckchair, Running on empty, Angel Baby {Anything with Jacqueline McKenzie :P}.

[Starlite]

Never ever spotted the pig in RAZORBACK !!!, Strickly Ballroom, Muriel's Wedding, Pricilla.Any Bill Hunter movies.

[koputai]

Haha Bill Hunter, he never played a character, he was always just Bill Hunter!

Anyway, how about 'The Adventures of Barry MacKenzie' or 'Dogs In Space'.

Cheers,
Jason.

[Neil]

Traveling North, Great movie, one I forgot, certainly puts life into perspective, great choice, clear skies.

[jjjnettie]

Has anyone mentioned "Malcolm"?
:D :D

[Matt Wastell]

Turkey Shoot
...AskMen labeled it "Easily the cheapest and nastiest piece of mainstream celluloid ever stitched together by our Australia's mad cinematic scientists"

[pvelez]

+1 for Lantana - the sound of the cicadas in the evening at summer time is enough for me

Also Idiot Box by David Caesar - the sprawling suburbs.

I enjoyed Flirting - the movie that is

p

[rmuhlack]

How about The Man from Snowy River ?

Also on my list: The Piano, Muriel's Wedding, Shine, Oscar and Lucinda, Rabbit Proof Fence

[BPO]

You're welcome to it.

[hotspur]

Surprised it has not been mentioned, but 'Emerald City' was quite good,perhaps a bit too subtle for many though,well thought out script.

[el_draco]

Try, "The Year my voice broke" Filmed outside of Canberra. It's pretty chunky.

[taminga16]

Braidwood.

And for a film, Romulus, My Father.
Greg.

[taminga16]

beren,
I was fortunate enough to sit next to Judy Davis at the Melbourne premiere of 'My Brilliant Career' in 1979.
Greg.

[Step]

What about Hercules Returns? Bruce Spence, Mary Coustas & David Argue. Great little Aussie comedy

[Regulus]

What Stephen said: The Return of Hercules.
One of the funniest movies I've seen
The plot: Some young people buy an old movie theatre and want to turn it into the the place to be. The opening night movie is going to be the very last movie shown before it closed decades ago: Hercules.
After the opening night speech the audience settles down to watch this old classic. Unfortunately the sound on the projector packs it in and instead of apologising and promising 'another day', the group start to invent the dialogue as they watch the movie. The plot is all over the place and the 'lines' are a scream. Very funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sHCnvgpeKM

[beren]

Wow Greg that would have been great, seeing a breakout performance with the actor beside you :) Did you get a chance to talk ? I'd imagine having a conversation with Judy Davis you would to show some thought in what you say or you would get ripped to shreds :D

Recently I read "The Dig Tree" by Sarah Murgatroyd which is great book concerning the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition. Such a tragic story, it would be good to have a modern film adaption of this interesting part of Australian history. Think there was a movie about the expedition done in the 80's {Jack Thompson?} but I haven't seen it.

[IanT]

I have a soft spot for 'Bliss'.

[blink138]

ah i nearly forgot one of my all time favourites!
romper stomper
pat

[Andy01]

I played 6 seasons of park cricket with Ian Pringle, producer of Romper Stomper - great guy. Also in our club (South Yarra) are two of Australia's most well known actors from the 70's and 80's : Rod Mullinar - who starred in Breaker Morant, On the Beach, DeadCalm, Patrick & Ryan and Brian Hannan of Prisoner & Bellbird fame.

[Paul Haese]

Sunday too far away
Castle
Cracker jack
Wolf Creek (love Johns snigger)
Priscilla


I really can't pick one of so many fine films. Aussies make fine films, some with real meaning not just shoot em ups or other rubbish. Films of substance.

[taminga16]

I did have the opportunity to speak with her, but just couldn't get my lower jaw from off the floor :), it was a truly wonderful evening. The Sarah Murgatroyd book is brilliant, no gloss, no fuss and it really highlighted the ignorance and stupidity of the society of the day, dinning tables for goodness sake.
Greg.
P.S. I have recently read Captain Cook by Vanessa Collingridge and can thoroughly recommend it.

[beren]

:) awesome




It was quite unbelievable all the ridiculous things that happened and how fate turned out. It was sad to read at the end of the book Sarah had passed away after the publication of her book.



I really enjoyed the TV series must get the book. Just finished reading Rob Mundle's three books on Cook, Flinders and Bligh.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Most interesting Australian movie I have seen recently is the 2011 movie Swerve - Wrong Turn, Wrong Place, Wrong Time.

An Aussie thriller that has a really great twist at the end. In fact, I nearly missed it in the closing moments of the film.

Good movie, great ending twist.

[mikerr]

"The Long Weekend" 1978 Scary!
"Charlie and Boots" Funny!

Michael