the australian film, danny deckchair- what did australians think of it?
Mar 7th, 2005, 03:11 PM
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the australian film, danny deckchair- what did australians think of it?
i just rented this in the us and i was wondering how popular it was there, where it was made?
and the reason it is travel related is- the guy goes on a trip in a deckchair!
and the reason it is travel related is- the guy goes on a trip in a deckchair!
Mar 7th, 2005, 04:15 PM
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I didn't see it, deliberately, as the plot seemed very derivative, inspired by a "Darwin Awards event in Los Angeles that's become part urban legend. I think the real story can be found at www.snopes.com. The film generally received lukewarm reviews at best from Australian critics, who thought it was a bit lame, and didn't have a long run.
The Australian film industry has been in the doldrums for some years, and the last decent local flicks I saw were "Lantana" and "Rabbit Proof Fence".
The latest hyped effort was "Somersault", which I felt was overrated and replete with cliched characters. Gay character: strong, dignified and sensitive. Aboriginal characters: strong, dignified and sensitive. Young Australian male characters: drunken, insensitive oafs except for the hero, who betrays a touch of bisexuality and so is at least half strong, dignified and sensitive. And it was hard to have much sympathy for the errant teenage heroine, who slept with anyone at the drop of a hat and had the brains of a geranium. It looked like it had been made by film school students who spend too much time hanging out with each other drinking lattes in Newtown.
And don't get me started on "Japanese Story". How Toni Collette let herself get roped into that one I don't know.
It seems that anyone who shows a modicum of talent soon pushes off to Hollywood, where they either do well or sink without trace, so maybe the problem is brain-drain.
- The Grumpy Critic
The Australian film industry has been in the doldrums for some years, and the last decent local flicks I saw were "Lantana" and "Rabbit Proof Fence".
The latest hyped effort was "Somersault", which I felt was overrated and replete with cliched characters. Gay character: strong, dignified and sensitive. Aboriginal characters: strong, dignified and sensitive. Young Australian male characters: drunken, insensitive oafs except for the hero, who betrays a touch of bisexuality and so is at least half strong, dignified and sensitive. And it was hard to have much sympathy for the errant teenage heroine, who slept with anyone at the drop of a hat and had the brains of a geranium. It looked like it had been made by film school students who spend too much time hanging out with each other drinking lattes in Newtown.
And don't get me started on "Japanese Story". How Toni Collette let herself get roped into that one I don't know.
It seems that anyone who shows a modicum of talent soon pushes off to Hollywood, where they either do well or sink without trace, so maybe the problem is brain-drain.
- The Grumpy Critic
Mar 7th, 2005, 06:26 PM
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Did she, John? Well, all I can say is that she must have moved to Newtown. Although to be fair we have our equivalents...
Yes, Jindabyne didn't come out of it looking too flash - but then, to me it's a pretty characterless place. Good place to have a leg-stretch on the way to Thredbo, then get back behind the wheel IMO.
PS - don't get me wrong, it's not as though I haven't met strong, dignified and sensitive gays and Aboriginals, and I've met plenty of loutish young males - it was just the crushing political correctness of it all that got to me. The two young leads showed a deal of talent, I thought.
Yes, Jindabyne didn't come out of it looking too flash - but then, to me it's a pretty characterless place. Good place to have a leg-stretch on the way to Thredbo, then get back behind the wheel IMO.
PS - don't get me wrong, it's not as though I haven't met strong, dignified and sensitive gays and Aboriginals, and I've met plenty of loutish young males - it was just the crushing political correctness of it all that got to me. The two young leads showed a deal of talent, I thought.
Mar 8th, 2005, 05:48 AM
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The multi-faceted Neil has revealed another of his talents - grumpy film critic!
Neil, one of our movie channels on pay TV (HBO) is showing Gallipoli (1981, with a very young looking Mel Gibson!) Interesting that it would be on television here with ANZAC day coming up in Australia. I just saw the film for the first time and after the final scene, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I'm curious what Aussies thought of the film. Your thoughts?
Neil, one of our movie channels on pay TV (HBO) is showing Gallipoli (1981, with a very young looking Mel Gibson!) Interesting that it would be on television here with ANZAC day coming up in Australia. I just saw the film for the first time and after the final scene, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I'm curious what Aussies thought of the film. Your thoughts?
Mar 8th, 2005, 11:38 AM
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Hi John
Interesting that they have shown Gallipoli on US TV. As the campaign did not involve Americans I would have thought interest in it would not have been that great.
The movie usually shows here on at least one chanel on ANZAC day (The same in Aussie I understand) and even though it is Australian focused it still strikes a chord natrually enough with New Zealanders.
The final scene in the movie is pretty sad with him not quite making it to deliver the message. It certainly does not paint those in command in a good light.
ANZAC day as you may know is a very important day on the calendar here. Some historians identify it as a day that formed the identities of three nations.
Next month is the 90th anniversary of the landings and big events are planned for here and Australia and natrually enough accross in Turkey. Though some of the preparations the Turks have made to the sites have not been, shall we say, without controversy.
As far as good Aussie movies are concerned. Two I think are great from totally diffrent ends of the scale are Dead Calm with Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil. And quirky comedy from Melbourne about a bank robery - Malcolm.
Steve
Interesting that they have shown Gallipoli on US TV. As the campaign did not involve Americans I would have thought interest in it would not have been that great.
The movie usually shows here on at least one chanel on ANZAC day (The same in Aussie I understand) and even though it is Australian focused it still strikes a chord natrually enough with New Zealanders.
The final scene in the movie is pretty sad with him not quite making it to deliver the message. It certainly does not paint those in command in a good light.
ANZAC day as you may know is a very important day on the calendar here. Some historians identify it as a day that formed the identities of three nations.
Next month is the 90th anniversary of the landings and big events are planned for here and Australia and natrually enough accross in Turkey. Though some of the preparations the Turks have made to the sites have not been, shall we say, without controversy.
As far as good Aussie movies are concerned. Two I think are great from totally diffrent ends of the scale are Dead Calm with Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil. And quirky comedy from Melbourne about a bank robery - Malcolm.
Steve
Mar 8th, 2005, 01:10 PM
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I always look forward to Aussie flicks here in the U.S. They're often better than all of the car crash crap we make. D Deckchair was a funny movie...no more no less. Other good lesser known (in the US) Aussie flicks: The Dish (Parkes should be proud), Country Life (excellent period piece w/ Sam Neill), Muriel's Wedding, and I didn't think Japanese Story was so bad...a real big plot twist in that one, and then Sirens (w/ Hugh Grant) wasn't so bad but having Elle MacPherson nekkid may have influenced my vote on that one.
Mar 8th, 2005, 02:47 PM
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How come I missed "Sirens"? (Only interested, you understand, because I used to live not far from where it was filmed in the Blue Mountains, no other reason). I know it was based on an Australian artist, Norman Lindsay, who specialise in shocking the staid burghers of the early 20th century with paintings of large, nekkid young women. IMO he wasn't much of an artist - more a caricaturist - but he wrote a very funny novel about country town pretensions called "Redheap", and also a memorable children's book, "The Magic Pudding", later made into what's reported to have been a very poor animated film adaptation despite using the voices of John Cleese, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Toni Collette and others.
The main object of Lindsay's scorn was the "wowser", a breed of puritanical and probably teetotalling spoilsport.
Alan may know this, but I wonder of Lindsay's old house, now a museum, in Faulconbridge is on the regular tourist trail at all?
I thought "Gallipoli" was a strong film but haven't seen it for a long time.
Steve, you might be interested to know that Anzac Parade, Canberra (close to where I now live) has only two memorials not dedicated to the Australian military forces - one is to New Zealand, naturally, the other honours the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. In return the Turkish Government renamed the landing site Anzac Cove.
The main object of Lindsay's scorn was the "wowser", a breed of puritanical and probably teetotalling spoilsport.
Alan may know this, but I wonder of Lindsay's old house, now a museum, in Faulconbridge is on the regular tourist trail at all?
I thought "Gallipoli" was a strong film but haven't seen it for a long time.
Steve, you might be interested to know that Anzac Parade, Canberra (close to where I now live) has only two memorials not dedicated to the Australian military forces - one is to New Zealand, naturally, the other honours the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. In return the Turkish Government renamed the landing site Anzac Cove.
Mar 9th, 2005, 02:48 AM
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Can't comment on 'Danny Deckchair" as haven't seen it. But I thought "Japanese Story" was worth watching precisely because of Toni Collette. OK - contrived plot - what do you expect with anything made with cross border finance? - but still tons better than most of the rubbish that gets shown in the big multiplexes week in, and week out.
My fave Australian films? recently - "Lantana". Others? "Gallipoli" is a top class epic. Check out "Newsfront" (dir Philip Noyce 1978) and "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (dir Peter Weir 1975). "The Dish" was funny but "Crackerjack" was better.
Last but not least "The Boys" (dir Rowan Woods 1998) which is not easy viewing but is as powerful a piece of movie making as you will ever see. Stars the aforesaid Toni Collette and the thinking woman's crumpet David Wenham.
My fave Australian films? recently - "Lantana". Others? "Gallipoli" is a top class epic. Check out "Newsfront" (dir Philip Noyce 1978) and "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (dir Peter Weir 1975). "The Dish" was funny but "Crackerjack" was better.
Last but not least "The Boys" (dir Rowan Woods 1998) which is not easy viewing but is as powerful a piece of movie making as you will ever see. Stars the aforesaid Toni Collette and the thinking woman's crumpet David Wenham.
Mar 9th, 2005, 03:08 AM
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I have to agree that the Australian film is in the doldrums at the moment - mind you the biggest Aussie movie of last year was Strange Bedfellows with Paul Hogan, and it was filmed in my village Yackandandah, so I have to be loyal.
As for Danny Deckchair, I liked it - it wasn't Lantana, but it wasn't half bad. Anyway, to answer your original question kerikeri, it was filmed on the North Coast of New South Wales in a town called Bellingen (also the setting for Oscar and Lucinda, if you've read the Peter Carey novel).
As for Danny Deckchair, I liked it - it wasn't Lantana, but it wasn't half bad. Anyway, to answer your original question kerikeri, it was filmed on the North Coast of New South Wales in a town called Bellingen (also the setting for Oscar and Lucinda, if you've read the Peter Carey novel).
Mar 9th, 2005, 04:37 AM
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What do you think of a couple of Aussie films- "Death in Brunswick" and "The Castle"?
Death in Brunswick is really quirky, but The Castle is definitely a "lower budget" absolute classic. A comedic delve into suburban, near- International airport "life" in Melbourne. As a local, I found the references to the Trading Post and the
"serenity" of Bonnie Doon/Eildon hilarious. Well worth watching.
Mad Max 1 and 2 were good(given a different name in the States- "Road Warrior", or something) but Mad Max 3 with Tina Turner was more commercial. Not as good.
The New Zealand film "Once Were Warriors" is just rivetting. Edge of seat stuff. One you should definitely seek out, although its content is quite disturbing (lots of physical and mental abuse/violence). The storyline puts the violence/abuse in context, though. An amazing film.
Possum
Death in Brunswick is really quirky, but The Castle is definitely a "lower budget" absolute classic. A comedic delve into suburban, near- International airport "life" in Melbourne. As a local, I found the references to the Trading Post and the
"serenity" of Bonnie Doon/Eildon hilarious. Well worth watching.
Mad Max 1 and 2 were good(given a different name in the States- "Road Warrior", or something) but Mad Max 3 with Tina Turner was more commercial. Not as good.
The New Zealand film "Once Were Warriors" is just rivetting. Edge of seat stuff. One you should definitely seek out, although its content is quite disturbing (lots of physical and mental abuse/violence). The storyline puts the violence/abuse in context, though. An amazing film.
Possum
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