Good Aussie film reccomendations

[stu_69]

I am about to order some Aussie films from dvdcrave and was wondering if you guys had any other recommendations for aussie films.

I currently have

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Fat Pizza

He Died With A Felafel In His Hand

and wog boy


what else would you recommend?

[John Hodson]

Long running thread here (http://thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=227415).

---
So many films, so little time...

[stu_69]

I am looking for specific australian film recommendations rather than versions of films from australia.

[bumfrog]

bad boy bubby

rabbit proof fence

chopper

bmx bandits :nuts: :D

[Taq]

Strictly Ballroom
Muriel's Wedding

[Rollo Tomassi]

Lantana

[glider]

Two Hands :thumbs:

[Gozer]

Chopper is very funny

[hnimmo]

The Bank. Reviewed by Gary Couzens in the DVD Reviews Section.

[Twistingginger]

Bad Boy Bubby - Not available on DVD AFAIK

[Mick Jones]

Newsfront.

[cm-9]

second recommendation for The Bank

Also The Castle, anything by Baz Luhrmann, Picnic at Hanging Rock is an outstanding period piece.

[jonathan.e]

Hard Word
Harvie Krumpet
In the Winter Dark

[cpheonix]

The Dish with Sam Neill

Young Einstein with Yahoo Serious??

[saguk]

Mad Max

[glider]

Originally posted by cpheonix
Young Einstein with Yahoo Serious??

I love that film but can you get it on dvd?

Romper Stomper is a good Oz film.

[stu_69]

These are the ones I am looking to get.

The Bank
Rabbit Proof Fence
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Fat Pizza
He Died With A Felafel In His Hand
wog boy
Two Hands
The Hard Word
The Dish
Chopper
Crackerjack
Malcolm
Beneath Clouds
Lantana
Strictly Ballroom
Muriel's Wedding
Black and White
The Castle

I might order them over the weekend. I have a few mates in Sydney so I may send them the money and ask them to ship em back to me.

[stu_69]

oh and the craic.

[dez]

Walkabout and the Dish

[Baz]

Try Alexandras project just released last week. Has a great premise and Ive been told to check it out by an aussie friend.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338706/

[stefmcd]

Picnic at Hanging Rock
Strictly ballroom

2 classics.

:)

[tizza]

DONS PARTY!!!!!!

:lol:

[rubber duck]

I really enjoyed Roadgames (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0083000) when I watched it on TV a couple of months back.

[GK]

Strange Planet which stars the lovely Claudia Karvan and somebody called Naomi Watts. Funny and touching romantic comedy. Cheap on R1.

[Paul Lynock]

Dead Calm?

+mentions for Lantana and Rabbit Proof Fence

[stelind]

The Interview (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120714/)

Amazing acting from Hugo Weaving. Highly recommended.

Siam Sunset (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178022/)

Quite good roadmovie/comedy. Worth cheking out.

Ooops almost forgot one of my favorite films.
Breaker Morant (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080310/)

Absolutely fantastic film with the great Edward Woodward in the main role. Sadly there doesnt seem to be any proper dvd release of this film. They got it for about 5£ at Play. Not a very good dvd but a very good film IMHO.

[Tim Fleming]

Malcolm
Cars That Ate Paris
The Last Wave (Criterion)
The Big Steal
The Year My Voice Broke
Flirting
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Hard Word
Chopper
Crackerjack
Dirty Deeds
Japanese Story (coming soon - May 11th)

[Colonial Marine]

Another vote for The Interview, superb film, great pacing and suspense.

One everyone has missed, The lighthorsemen. Great war drama in the vein of Gallipoli!

[Gorky]

Don't know if it's available on dvd, but I really enjoyed Mr Reliable (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117101/)

[tft5015]

The Boys
Idiot Box

If anyone has found a DVD of The Castle shout as that is high on my wants list.

[stu_69]

Thanks for the suggestions people.

My man in Oz is sending me this lot next week:


The Bank (2001)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
The Hard Word (2002)
The Dish (2000)
Chopper (2000)
Lantana (2001)
Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Muriel's Wedding (1994)
The Castle (1999) all for just under £30 delivered!!

[tft5015]

Strewth, how did you manage £30 for that lot! Still no sign of a R4 Castle, although I see it is now out on R1. Pity it is barebones.

[stu_69]

I don't know I sent him a list and he sent me back what he could get and that it would cost about $75 aussie dollars.

When I lived in Melbourne there was a great music shop on Victoria street which was dirt cheap and they also get imports from Europe and the States. I know he works near there so maybe he is getting them from there. I didn't ask.

I am sending him another list in a few weeks. I want to build some more of my aussie films.

[tft5015]

Thanks. Should go to Melbourne on my next trip. Spent quite a lot of time in Brisbane and a little in Sydney and never got near those prices. $15 for a DVD was a bargain for me and your mate gets half that!

If you like South Park, try Quads.

[tft5015]

On The Castle again, a look at Amazon suggests the Americans have edited out a lot of the Aussie ocker and cut several scenes! Blasphemously hairdressing is no longer tertiary but college education.

[tizza]

Speaking of Aussie films..years ago BBC 2 had a season of these ..thye showed Breaker morant, patrick, the long weekend etc

One film I cant identify ..It involved a killer , which turns out to be this guys brother in a wheelchair...he kills himself by pushing a spike/knife into his heart while they are in a cinema..this might not be accurate because it was so long ago.

Can anyone identify this movie please?

[KiLeAk]

Another vote for The Castle here! (tell him he's dreaming!)

And Bad Eggs, not bad at all! But then I`m biased as I think Mick Molloy is class!!

[Gary Couzens]

Originally posted by tizza
Speaking of Aussie films..years ago BBC 2 had a season of these ..thye showed Breaker morant, patrick, the long weekend etc

One film I cant identify ..It involved a killer , which turns out to be this guys brother in a wheelchair...he kills himself by pushing a spike/knife into his heart while they are in a cinema..this might not be accurate because it was so long ago.

Can anyone identify this movie please?

Sounds like it's <i>End Play</i> (1975). I've not seen it, but it does involve two brothers, one of whom is in a wheelchair. Written and directed by Tim Burstall, stars George Mallaby and John Waters (not the film director!).

[Marv]

Originally posted by bumfrog

bmx bandits :nuts: :D

Beat me to it, now theres a class film.

[cjbarker]

The Nugget is worth a watch.

Another mention for Japanese Story - stunning film

[Adam Barratt]

Try 'Undead'. A very good, and funny, zombie movie.

Adam

[Howdy]

Another couple worth considering are
Proof (Hugo Weaving)
and
Love and other catastrophes
but I don't know if either are available on DVD

[agnetha]

Originally posted by tft5015
Strewth, how did you manage £30 for that lot! Still no sign of a R4 Castle, although I see it is now out on R1. Pity it is barebones.
The R4 is supposed to be out late this year.

[Lorne.t]

I reccomend the road movie "Snakeskin" starring Melanie Lynskey from "Heavenly creatures" and "Sweet home Alabama".
I looked around for her movies after she appeared in season 2 of The shield and found this odd road movie.
I picked it up from one of the online R4 suppliers for £3!

[visitor-q]

Originally posted by Lorne.t
I reccomend the road movie "Snakeskin" starring Melanie Lynskey from "Heavenly creatures" and "Sweet home Alabama".
I looked around for her movies after she appeared in season 2 of The shield and found this odd road movie.
I picked it up from one of the online R4 suppliers for £3!

Don't mean to be pedantic but Snakeskin is a New Zealand film.

[tbibic]

Another vote for Mr Reliable here, but its only out on DVD in Turkey as far as I have been able to find on the net!

[cjbarker]

I watched The Rage In Placid Lake last night - pretty good, but a bit of a 'no-brainer' ;)

[Squirrel God]

I'll add

Till Human Voices Wake Us
Envy (this one (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138420/))
Muggers (bird from Blue Heelers and bird from Neighbours get their baps out :norty: :clap: :lol: )

(don't think they've been mentioned yet)

and will second, third, whatever votes for

Lantana
Two Hands
Chopper

Scarfies and Snakeskin are also excellent but are NZ not Oz, as mentioned above.

Pitch Black is a US/Australian collaboration BTW :D

[wakefieldrawks]

thought id bump this thread, anyone seen any good aussie flicks lately? Sommersault is amazing. Anyone recommend any good aussie films from the 80s?

[William Shatners Wig]

I saw Risk again recently, superb film and Brian Brown was as great as ever, as was Tom Long; And Claudia Karvan - very :n0rty:.

:thumbs: :thumbs:

[mattymoo]

How about Razorback - an underated, stylish horror flick from Russel Mulcahy - of Highlander fame.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087981/

[Alan b]

Moving to World Cinema and DVD Forum

[Napoleon]

I can't believe 'Rikki and Pete' has not been mentioned but it has just been released on R1.Some sites say it is fullscreen,others anamorphic widescreen.It has been dispatched so i am praying and will report back here.

[derek cassidy]

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith-one of the best Australian films ever made,perhaps the best
Breaker Morant
Cars That Ate Paris
Picnic At Hanging Rock
The Last Wave
Walkabout
Ghosts of the Civil Dead

[Reno]

One of the best Australian films ever made is The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Fred Schepisi who'd previously made the excellent The Devil's Playground.

I always rather like Peter Weir's lesser known follow up to Picnic at Hanging Rock, the apocalyptic The Last Wave.

The Year My Voice Broke and its even better sequel Flirting are two great coming of age films by John Duigan.

Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) is the high point the trilogy and still the best post-apocalyptic action film ever made.

Watch out for The Proposition which comes out here next year and is a fantasic Aussie western written by Nick Cave and which was very much influenced by the aforementioned The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith. It's the best Australian film I've seen in quite a while.

[William Shatners Wig]

Just out of curiosity, why has this been moved to the World Cinema thread? Surely the Modern Cinema thread is for all English language movies (UK, USA, Canadian, Australian, etc.), no?

[derek cassidy]

Just out of curiosity, why has this been moved to the World Cinema thread? Surely the Modern Cinema thread is for all English language movies (UK, USA, Canadian, Australian, etc.), no?

"World Cinema" is North American shorthand for "films made in countries we haven't heard of" :lol:

[JOEY PINEAPPLES]

John Hillcoat and Nick Cave's Ghosts... of the Civil Dead is worth a look. Can't wait for their new collaboration The Proposition an Australian Western starring Guy Pearce.

The Cars That Ate Paris Another good Peter Weir film.

hate to repeat but..
George Miller's Mad Max (fantastic B Movie, amazing director deput)
& Mad Max 2 - Road Warrior (Obsurd seat of ya paints sequel). Needs a Special Edition.
Avoid 3rd Hollywood funded Thunderdome, expensive rubbish.

[Reno]

^ I always quite liked Thunderdome and think it has been unjustly maligned simply because fans wanted more of the same. Taken on it's own terms it's a well above average sci-fi adventure film.

[ch34]

I saw Somersault yesterday which was very good but then I saw Japanese Story this morning which was just stunning. Toni Collette at her very best!

[EvaUnit02]

The Castle and The Dish are very funny films and well-worth a look.

The cult-classic Two Hands was quite good if I recall correctly.

[tft5015]

Gettin' Square is a great little crim comedy and I think is now out here (although the R4 has a good slice of extras).

Also recommend Children of the Revolution for Judy Davis eating the scenery.

[JOEY PINEAPPLES]

^ I always quite liked Thunderdome and think it has been unjustly maligned simply because fans wanted more of the same. Taken on it's own terms it's a well above average sci-fi adventure film.

Same being part of the problem. The Gyro Captain and Feral Kid appearance, and the overall pop zaniness of Thunderdome undermines the film. Miller's eagerness too please the fans to me.
The chase at the end was a amped up version of the RoadWarrior one. But still dosn't seemed to compete with the previous outing through its 'tour da force' in action film editing.

On the plus side its shot very well.. If Mad Max & RoadWarrior were explotation films.. Thunderdome is probably the closest Miller came to a art film. Bits of it look like a Tarkovsky film or Jodorowsky's El Topo. The 'crack in the earth' for example, that dreamlike transistion from the desert wasteland. Image of Max on the back of the donkey with the unusal cartoon mask.

I just think the absense of Miller's mate Brian Kennedy (writer producer) was a vital part of the overall choppiness of the 3rd outing, who died in a helicopter crash shortly after Roadwarrior. Some interesting ideas but not knitted together very well.

But Actually... Its been a while. I'm thinking about revisiting it now. :nuts:

[Sima]

Welcome to Woop Woop

[theblairwitch]

Saw The Proposition (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421238/) when in Oz earlier this year - absolutely great. Also one to watch out for is Look Both Ways (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382806/) - bound to come in over in some form or another - low key character-based drama that is just superb - its done very well at lots of festivals this year - so can only hope we'll get a round of this in the cinema before the r4 DVD !

[wakefieldrawks]

Anyone know when look both ways is out on dvd in oz?? Anyone seen three dollars?

[anephric]

But Actually... Its been a while. I'm thinking about revisiting it now. :nuts:


The problem I have with 3 (Slipstream and CoR go down this same naff route) is that, *gulp* they had to go and make Max some kind of predestined messiah.

Tired. Boring. Mock profound. Old.

[anephric]

Has anyone mentioned Ray Lawrence's Bliss yet? Just been given the 2-disc SE treatment in R4.

By turns wonderful, surreal, disturbing...

[Tim A]

The Interview (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120714/)

Amazing acting from Hugo Weaving. Highly recommended.Another vote for The Interview, superb film, great pacing and suspense.

Got to put in a third vote for The Interview - brilliant acting

and also Wolf Creek and Mad Max 2

they're the 3 best in my opinion.

also highly recommend:
Chopper
The Bank
The Castle
The Boys
Two Hands

if you like tv shows too, the complete series of John Safran Vs God and also John Safran's Music Jamboree are both very funny. They're both John Safran talking about and doing different things within each subject - for example in Vs God, he goes around the world testing out different religions, including one where he takes Mescaline, and also the KKK (which is even funnier considering Safran is Jewish). I liked Vs God the best, but Music Jamboree is also excellent (obviously about Music related stuff). He's sort of like an Aussie Michael Moore. Sort of a similiar type of show to The Awful Truth I guess. Very funny.

[Gary Couzens]

I'm a bit behind with recent Aussie films due to a lot of review copies taking precedence, but I'd like to mention one film that hasn't been mentioned so far - He Died With a Felafel in His Hand. It's a very sharp black comedy that rates as one of my major discoveries ever since I started buying Aussie DVDs online. Directed by Richard Lowenstein, who should make fewer promo videos for the likes of INXS and U2 and more feature films - it's only his fourth in twenty years.

A little bit older, but Praise is a very good drama (definitely adults only) and Looking for Alibrandi is a teen movie with quite a bit more to it than first appears.

Variety this week has an article about how local films are finding favour with audiences Down Under (the Australians tend to be as hard on their own country's films as the British are on theirs) and singles out five -

Wolf Creek
Look Both Ways
The Oyster Farmer
Little Fish (with Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving - out on DVD in Oz in January)
The Proposition (already mentioned - UK cinema release in March)

[Tim A]

Just wanted to add to my post (2 above) that John Safran Vs God won the AFI Award (Australia's Oscar equivalent) for Best Comedy Series over Kath & Kim. John Safran's Music Jamboree apparently beat Kath & Kim the year before to win the AFI too. Both John Safran DVDs have the complete series (each series was only one season - intended, not axed ;)) on 2 discs, which are the same price as other dvds (they may even be cheaper by now??)

Also, Wolf Creek, although nominated for 7 AFIs, unfortunately didn't win any of them. This year is apparently the best year for Aussie films for many years, so it had some stiff competition in Little Fish (winning 5 AFIs), The Proposition (4), and Look Both Ways (4 - incl. Best Picture). For a thriller/horror though, for Wolf Creek to even get nominated was an excellent effort I thought - can't remember that happening before.
Speaking of AFIs, The Interview won the best picture, actor, and screenplay awards in it's year (the year after Priscilla I think) but is sadly little known compared other past winners.

[Gary Couzens]

It's a continual source of frustration for me, based in the UK, that a three-year-old and not especially good film like Swimming Upstream gets a UK cinema release while the likes of The Interview, The Bank (though I did have reservations about that one), He Died With a Felafel in His Hand, Praise and others don't even get a straight-to-DVD release. (Looking for Alibrandi did appear as a barebones disc on a budget label.) Far too often they come no further than the London Film Festival or the Barbican's annual Australian Film Festival. So, while many people will recognise Hugo Weaving from LOTR and The Matrix, they don't realise how good an actor he is as his key roles remain unseen.

One simple reason is that Australian films aren't fashionable in the UK at the moment. I frequently get asked why I've been watching them for twenty or more years, and am I Australian myself? (Answer: no.) There are more fans of Asian cinema on these forums than you could shake a stick at, but I bet most of them aren't themselves Asian!

[Napoleon]

As promised i can confirm that 'Rikky and Pete' is in widescreen letterboxed format,not anamorphic.I am really chuffed to be honest as Sony stated it was full screen on their website,and a full review on dvdtalk also did.If and when it is released in Australia it will surely be anamorphic,but for now i am just glad to be able to enjoy it.

[CleaDuVall_fan]

Go Big

[Celeborn]

Sweetie
Secrets
Sirens
... it is so hard to get an Aussie film wrong!

[jlcraig]

Another vote for "The Cars That Ate Paris" and "Razorback" both cracking flics.

Also (but not fantastic) "The Man Who Sued God".

[Dr_Fruitbat]

Gettin' Square is a great little crim comedy and I think is now out here

good call

The courtroom scene is pure class :notworthy

[wakefieldrawks]

theres some great aussie films out soon ( little fish, look both ways, oyster farmer ). Can anyone whos ordered from Devoted Dvd tell me are they customs friendly? Or the best aussie retailer to order from to avoid customs fees.

[Gary Couzens]

I've always used EzyDVD, and only had to pay one customs fee - but that was for the eight-disc Hexagon boxset.

[Gary Couzens]

As today is Australia Day, there are some appropriate reviews up at DVD Times:

<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60100">Wolf Creek</a> (reviewed by Michael McKenzie)

<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60102">Barry McKenzie Holds His Own</a> (reviewed by Gary Couzens)

<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60104">Bliss</a> (reviewed by Gary Couzens)

<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60105">Da Kath N Kim Code</a> (reviewed by Karl Wareham)

<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60111">Head On</a> (reviewed by Gary Couzens)

<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60112">Till Human Voices Wake Us</a> (reviewed by Gary Couzens)

[wakefieldrawks]

..

[bradavon]

I've seen The Proposition, fantastic film.

[Jimmyboy]

Another recommendation for Proposition. Can be picked up quite cheaply if you shop around too.

[Gary Couzens]

Has anyone seen any of this years Australian films? Im thinking of ordering Kokoda and Jindabyne.....

I'll probably do the same with Kokoda, as I can't see it getting a UK cinema release somehow.

Is Jindabyne out on DVD already? (Just checked - released in Oz next week.) I was hoping to see this in a cinema if at all possible - does anyone know when it's getting released?

[Cade Foster]

Has anyone seen any of this years Australian films? Im thinking of ordering Kokoda and Jindabyne.....

I thought Kokoda was good but not brilliant, I didnt see it getting a release over here so saw it whilst there.