Dark Age

In a sentence

A wildlife ranger races to capture a giant crocodile terrorizing the Northern Territory in order to save it from poachers.

 

Principals

Director: Arch Nicolson

Writer: Sonia Borg

Executive Produer: Anthony I Ginane

Director of Photography: Andrew Lesnie 

John Jarrat as Steve Harris

Nikki Coghill as Cathy Pope

Max Phipps as John Besser

Burnum Burnum as Oondabund

(David) Gulpilil as Adajaral

Full Cast and Crew

About the film

Wildlife Ranger Steve Harris is obsessed with crocodiles, studying them, caring for them and protecting them. His love of crocs strains his relationships with the redneck poachers, his uptight bureaucrat boss, and his on-again-off-again girlfriend. 

When a humongous crocodile begins eating it’s way through the townspeople Steve’s boss forces him into an awkward position: kill the ancient and extraordinary creature or lose your job. Every person eaten threatens tourist numbers next season as well as Japanese investment in a big leisure centre.

Steve is also attempting to rekindle his romance with the gorgeous anthropologist, Cathy who is studying the local Aboriginal tribe. Their relationship is tempestuous and fraught with jealousy over the attention he pays to the  crocodiles and to other women.

All attempts to kill the croc prove fruitless as it munches up more bodies. Steve enlists the help of the Aboriginal elders. They hatch a crazy scheme to capture the croc and relocate it to a billabong away from the marauding poachers lead by the evil Besser. It’s a race against the clock as Steve fights to save the croc and his job and the local economy.

My personal take

The film is not as scary as other “giant animal” movies. The major problem is that the crocodile appears a bit clunky at times and the film does itself a disservice by showing the monsters too much. I do find the movie enjoyable for other reasons though.

John Jarrat’s performance is makes the film work. Watching Ranger Steve Harris maneuver through the treacherous emotional, ecological and ethical landscape holds the plot together for me. Combine that with a few horror sequences, a ticking clock device in the third act and you’ve got yourself a nice Friday night movie.

I also like Arch Nicholson’s direction. His camera moves are good, he stages scenes well and, with the help of DOP Andrew Lesnie (Lord of the Rings) makes excellent use of natural light. Sadly he died in 1990 without making another action film.

Commentary

Unfortunately any film with a giant man-eating “whatever” terrorizing a tranquil town is always going to be compared to Jaws. Dark Age not a straight suspense thriller, it’s largely about how the two Australian Outback cultures react to the giant crocodile. Unfortunately the movie falls into the “good blacks/bad whites” stereotypes at times.

This film has a bit of everything in it: relationship drama, horror, chase sequences, Aboriginal mythology, and an environmental message. Some films falter from too much genre blending but Dark Age benefits from it. Writer Sonia Borg deftly weaves these strands to create a film that has echoes of Jaws but stands in stark contrast. 

 

Genre: Ecological-Monster 

This film fits snugly into the creature-feature genre. However there are aspects of this film which are unique. First off there is a strong conservationist message in the film. Steve wants to study the crocodile not kill it. Also Indigenous Australian culture is presented in the film: Aboriginals relate dreamtime stories, perform a dance ceremony and use traditional knowledge to catch the beast. Aboriginal Australians are presented as a functional community in this film.

Things to watch out for:

• Steamy love scene (artfully done of course)
• Aboriginal artist Burnum Burnum in his first acting role
• The film itself! (it was never released theatrically in Australia because of a problem in the distribution deal)

Watch this movie if:

• You like giant monster films
• You like genre blending movies
• You’re interested in portrayals of Aboriginal Australians in non-art house (read depressing) films

Avoid this movie if

• You require top-notch animatronics to enjoy a monster movie
• You want to see gruesome horror
• You think this film is Rogue (it’s not)

Race For The Yankee Zephyr

In a sentence

Town drunk, Gibbie Gibson and his friends race against the evil Brown and his cronies to salvage WWII plane containing $50 million in gold in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

Principals

Director: David Hemmings

Writer: Everett De Roche

Producers: Anthony I. Ginnane, John Barnett, David Hemmings

Director of Photography: Vincent Monton

Cast

Donald Plesence as Gibbie

Ken Wahl as Barney Whitaker

Lesley Ann Warren as Sally

George Peppard as Theo Brown

Bruno Lawrence and Baker

Full Cast and Crew

About the film (Contains spoilers)

Gibbie and Barney live in Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand. They have an unusual occupation; they hunt deer using an old helicopter and nets. One day Gibbie is trying to capture a deer they’ve netted and stumbles upon a crashed American WWII plane with lots of liquor, war medals and gold. Gibbie gets the medals apprised and some shadowy men in suits, lead by the wealthy Brown, show up and begin asking questions and breaking heads.

After Barney and Gibbie recruit the help of Sally, Gibbie’s daughter, the race is literally on. They go rampaging around the Southern Alps travelling by helicopter, tractor and jet boat to get to the downed aircraft. It all culminates in showdown in a lake for the treasure.

The three leads worked well together as a team. Donald Plesence gets extra special mention here for playing a delightfully over-the-top alcoholic Australian obsessed with crocodile digestion. Plesence and Lesley Ann Warren give broader performances and Ken Wahl plays it understated, nailing the comedy dynamic.

Vincent Monton’s cinematography in this film is awesome.  Wide-angle shots and deep focus depth of field dominate the screen. The aerial sequences of the helicopter chase are breathtaking.

New Zealand’s South Island has never been more beautifully photographed in a fiction film. The beauty of Central Otago’s high peaks, deep ravines and expansive lakes are all magnificently captured. Watch this film on a big screen and you will be visually rewarded.

My personal take

This is a good film not a great film. But I enjoyed it for the thrill ride it was intended to be. The action set pieces are good, great explosions, and the witty banter between the characters made me laugh.

One criticism I had is that there is nothing emotionally at stake. Gibbie is estranged from his daughter at the beginning of the film but the relationship problem never dealt with. She simply accepts him back into her life without question.

The other problem I had was characters’ vague backstories . We never know why the American Barney lives in New Zealand. The wealthy Brown’s motivation to find the Yankee Zephyr is never explained beyond assumed greed. We don’t know much about these people than what we see.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this film. It works as a story and has a lot going for it. However there is nothing that pushes it over the line into greatness.

Commentary

The use of overlapping dialog is very interesting. Sequences where characters speak over one another feel lifted from 1970s Robert Altman films (M*A*S*H, Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller). Overlapping dialog infers naturalism and is unusual for the heightened sense of reality aimed for in the action/adventure genre.

Genre: Adventure

This film is classic high adventure. Bullets go flying and no one gets hit, soundtrack is orchestral with lots of brass and marching drums and there is lots of great comedy. The bad guys are dangerous but dumb and the our heroes are courageous if a little foolhardy.

Things to watch out for:

• George Peppard’s faux-British accent
• Bruno Lawrence’s hair magically growing and falling out between scenes

Watch this movie if

• You want to see some great cinematography
• You want some mindless action
• You like chase movies
• You like witty dialogue

Avoid this movie if

• You don’t like young adult themed movies
• You want strong character development
• You don’t like the South Island of New Zealand

Fantasm (1976)

In a sentence

Women’s top ten sexual fantasies are erotically and comically acted out and are introduced by a wacky German doctor.

Principals

Director: Richard Bruce

Producer: Anthony I. Ginnane

Cinematography: Vincent Monton

Writer: Ross Dimsey

Cast:

John Holmes, Rene Bond, Uschi Digard 

Full Cast and Crew

About the film

Fantasm is essentially soft-core pornography but with a comedic touch.

The tone of the film is established in the opening credit sequence. A close up of woman’s breast is shown as she rubs her nipple. As she touches her crotch Professor Notafreud steps into frame and addresses the audience directly. The woman is surprised by his presence and slinks off (presumably to finish masturbating). It’s sexy while also being silly. 

This film has no story arc. Each fantasy section stands completely on it’s own. The German Professor acts as the linking device.

The German professor is one of the highlights of the film. His dialog is very silly as he enthusiastically shares his insights into the female mind. He seems to be a kind of parody of Sigmund Freud, but with better one-liners

All the fantasies have different tones. Some fantasies are silly: the teacher-student scene, the housewife/dominatrix scene, and the mother and son scene (where a rubber duckie is put to interesting use in a bath). Others are darker: the rape fantasy, the blood orgy scene. Some are quite boring like the strip tease sequence.

 Commentary

There is very little dialog in the sexual fantasy sequences. Each segment begins with the woman’s voiceover describing her fantasy, then the action progresses visually. Only the lesbian steam room scene and the mother and son bathtub scene have dialog.

Perhaps this is why the film doesn’t feel cheesy. Dialog delivered by adult film actors usually feels clunky and forced. By allowing the fantasies to be almost purely visual we don’t roll our eyes waiting for the dialog to be finished so we can enjoy the T& A.

Genre: Sex Comedy / Sexploitation

This film has an mix of slapstick, wacky humour and sexiness mixed together. It fits squarely into the sexploitation genre.

My personal take

I like this film for its historical value. I like to see how genre develops and this film shows how sex was first portrayed in Australian cinema. It is not an amazing film, but it has its moments. It is important in terms of censorship history in Australian film.

The film felt dated to me, but not in a negative way. I felt a certain nostalgia for a simpler a time, when sex was coming out of the dark recesses and being celebrated in an liberated way.

The film can be enjoyed ironically. The 70s music, the unshaven private parts and the German Professor stereotype are now unintentionally hilarious. I laughed hysterically at the over the top performance in the  housewife/dominatrix scene because I watched it with a detached eye.

The commentary track on the DVD is also noteworthy. Producer Anthony I. Ginnane provides insight for people interested in Australian film history or aspiring low-budget filmmakers.

Things to watch out for:

• Actress Maria Welton using John Holmes’ penis as a snorkel in an underwater sex scene.
• Richard Franklin directs this picture under the pseudonym Richard Bruce.

Watch this Movie if:

• You want to see the historical development of sex screen
• You like silliness mixed with sexiness
• You wan to see some serious 70s bush
• You want to see porn legend John Holmes’ lengthy screen credentials

Avoid this movie if:

• You want to watch a film with character development
• You get frustrated with soft core pornography
• You are offended by nudity on screen

Windrider (1987)

In a sentence

P.C. Simpson, a Perth hipster, tries to becomes a champion windsurfer while courting the gorgeous rock singer Jade.

Principals

Director: Vincent Monton

Writer: Everett De Roche and Bonnie Harris

Producer: Paul Barrons

Director of Photography: Joseph Pickering

Cast

Tom Burlinson as P.C. Simpson

Nicole Kidman as Jade

Charles “Bud” Tingwell as Stuart Simpson, Snr

Full cast and Crew

About the film (possible spoilers)

P.C. Simpson has a good job working at his dad's engineering firm but lives to windsurf. He has a host of colourful, zany friends who windsurf with him on the beaches of Perth, Western Australia. He also has an enemy: the cool and detached, Coyote, whom he battles for windsurfing dominance.

The plot centers around P.C. courting up-and-coming rock singer, Jade. After an all night recording session, Jade wanders to the beach and sees P.C. do a 360 on his windboard; he then tracks her down to so she can confirm his incredible stunt to his disbelieving friends. When they meet backstage at a concert he immediately develops feelings for her.  

P.C. is cocky in his courtship of Jade. He kidnaps her from the recording studio, tows her car to the beach and buys her a pet galah (parrot), all in hopes of getting a date. Finally his persistence pays off, they fall in love, and there is a sexy montage to prove it.

Things take a bad turn for P.C. after he survives a shark attack. He gets behind at work, falls out with Jade and gives up on creating the perfect windsurfing board with his work colleague Howard. But most important he is afraid of the water.

The film doesn’t have the strongest narrative. P.C. does not have a “goal” that is set out during the first 15 minutes of the movie. The plot never meanders though and ends with a decisive conclusion. There are jokes, good dramatic scenes and the obligatory beat-the-clock sequence leading to the climax. And of course there are wonderfully shot windsurfing scenes.

My personal take

I liked this film because of it’s 1980s vibe. I grew up watching John Hughes movies and this film has the feel of a “Ferris Bueller down under.” P.C. is hip slick and cool and seems to get away with everything. However, unlike Ferris, P.C.’s luck changes and he must confront his issues of selfishness. Ferris Bueller never changes as a character, P.C. must and does.

I suggest you watch it like a documentary of 80s teen culture. There are over-the-top haircuts, shoulder pads, flouro clothing and plenty of “quirky” characters typical of the genre. I took this all in with detached amusement and enjoyed the film more for it.

A major highlight is the amazing cinematography. Western Australia is beautifully captured on film. The director of photography uses long light that is present when the sun sets over the water. Even late afternoon office scenes include these glowing pinkish hues. Credit must go to director of photography Joseph Pickering.

Director Vincent Monton was a cinematographer before he became a director. So it is not surprising that the scenes are well shot. Check out Long Weekend, Roadgames or Race For the Yankee Zephyr for examples of his photography work.

Commentary

The protagonist is an upper middle class young man. This is unique as many Australian films focus on working class youth. P.C. comes from a privileged background and has a well paying job at his father’s engineering firm.

Writing P.C. as being well off is inspired choice. It is an excellent backdrop to explore his character. By taking the question of money out of the equation the filmmakers can focus solely on his relationships to Jade, his father, and most importantly, windsurfing.

Genre: Teen comedy

Windrider walks the line between Disney and Adult themed content. There are body function jokes and silly visual gags normal to more tame teen comedies. But also there is also swearing, nudity and drug taking. It could be called a “Young Adult Comedy” as the younger cast are all out of high school, have regular jobs and hang out in bars.

Things to watch out for:

Nicole Kidman getting naked

Awesome Windsurfing scenes (you can’t miss them)

Unicycle jousting with pool cues

Watch this movie if

You like sports movies

You enjoy 80s cinema

You are a windsurfing enthusiast

You want to see some great shots from the water

Avoid this movie if

You don’t like young adult themed movies

You consider the 80s a tacky and soulless decade

You want to watch a deep and meaningful movie

You hate Western Australian beaches

Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)

In a sentence:

Young Aussie bloke Barry McKenzie, along with his aunt Edna, have an action-packed visit to London, meeting many interesting “poms” (English people) along the way.

The Principals:

Director: Bruce Beresford

Writers: Barry Humphries and Bruce Beresford

Producer: Phillip Adam

Main Cast:

Barry McKenzie: Barry Crocker

Edna Everage: Barry Humphries


Full Cast and Crew

About the film:

There is very little plot to speak of in this film. The inciting incident is that Barry McKenzie receives an inheritance from his father. He can only get the money after he’s visited England and fulfilled the “cultural education of the McKenzie family.” Barry dutifully goes on the trip with his aunt Edna. When they land they encounter the many strange inhabitants of the “old country”.

The film is quite episodic, due to the lack of narrative drive. The idea of his cultural education is never really addressed after the inciting incident leads him to England. Barry does a cigarette advert, goes to a Young Conservatives mixer, records a song with some hippies, gets sent to an insane asylum, and winds up showing his penis on BBC chat show. What propels the action forward is Barry’s desire for Foster’s beer. Barry is always thinking about where and when he can get another “tube of the amber fluid”.

The other thing that motivates Barry is sex. Barry is eager to have sex with any (and all) available women. In classic comedic fashion, he never achieves his goal because of a character flaw: he is searching for sexual adventures, yet afraid of them.

The jokes in the film come fast and hard and you have to pay close attention to pick up on all the Australianisms peppered throughout. The humour is crude, racist, perverted, demented and utterly funny. There are also brilliant cameos from Peter Cook and Spike Milligan.

My personal take:

I laugh out loud throughout this film. It's a film that can be watched several times as there are so many jokes that you can easily miss them on the first viewing.

I admit that the film is a bit clunky at times. The weakness is mainly in the razor-thin plot, but I think comedies are rarely served by having complex storylines. Like Citizen Kane, I feel the strengths of Barry McKenzie outshine the weaknesses. This film is pure stupid fun and it’s meant to invoke laughter. I particularly enjoy that everyone is a target - this film takes no prisoners as it mocks everything that it sets its sights on.

This is Bruce Beresford’s directorial debut. He would later direct Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies and other great films. This is almost like looking at Peter Jackson’s filmography and realizing that the man who would directed the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit cut his teeth by making splatter/zombie and puppet porno films.

Commentary

Barry McKenzie doesn’t grow as a character. Nothing in the film indicates that he has any deep problems which block his happiness. In fact all the Australian men in the film are portrayed as blissfully happy to drink and carry on as they are.

There is also a strong sense of cultural antagonism. The Poms and Aussies don’t like each other and never hide their feelings on the matter. Barry even goes so far as to wear a “Pommy Bastards” t-shirt for part of the film.

Genre: Comedy

This film could be considered the benchmark for ocker comedy. For those of you non-Aussies reading this, “ocker” [pronounced okka] is simply low-brow, or broad, Australian comedy. The film is rife with Aussie slang, has more euphemisms for peeing than you’d hear at a urology convention, and attacks Poms and their culture at every opportunity.

Things to watch out for:

• John (Fred Dagg) Clarke appears in this film in a small role
• Barry Humphries plays three different roles in this film (making him the Peter Sellers of Ozploitation)

Watch this movie if:

• You like broad comedy
• You like ocker stereotypes 
• You enjoy the satire of Barry Humphries
• You want to hear as much Australian slang as humanly possible in an hour and forty minute period

Avoid this movie if:

• You need a strong narrative to enjoy a film
• You are an English person who is easily offended
• You are disgusted by vomiting on screen
• You cringe at portrayals of Australians overseas

Coming soon

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