Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year, you would have been hard-pressed trying to escape the hype surrounding Baz Luhrmann’s Australia.
Whether it becomes another classic in the same league as Gallipoli or Picnic at Hanging Rock remains to be seen.
I am guessing any positive exposure that our perpetually anaemic film industry gets is a blessing at this stage, but how quickly we forget about the past.
Below is a list of bold, locally produced flicks that have seemingly slipped through the cracks, which is probably for the best in one or two cases!
In their own different ways, they are proof positive that we are more than capable of creating films that transcend our own cultural stereotypes and clichés - the same stereotypes and clichés that have only served to hobble our homegrown talent and send them searching for those proverbial ‘greener pastures’ overseas. Enjoy!
Turkey Shoot (1982)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Turkey Shoot, aka Escape 2000 aka Blood Camp Thatcher is a chintzy, gory and goofy sci-fi romp set in the near future where a Big Brother-style government forces prisoners into a deadly game of survival, with freedom being the ultimate prize.
With heaps of ultra-violence, pointless nudity and bizarre villains, Turkey Shoot is a definite must-have for lovers of trashy exploitation cinema.
The Last Wave (1977)
Directed by Peter Weir
A lawyer starts to question his grasp on reality when working on an enigmatic murder case. During proceedings, he soon discovers he has an unexplained mystical connection with the local aboriginals accused of the crime. Beautifully filmed under the deft hand of Weir, The Last Wave is a fascinating paranormal thriller about tribal magic and the elusive ‘Dreamtime’ culture of indigenous Australians.
Where the Green Ants Dream (1984)
Directed by Werner Herzog
It took a German of all people to bring the still raw subject of indigenous land rights to the big screen. Where the Green Ants Dream details a land feud between a mining company and the local indigenous community.
The locals say that the area where the miners want to work is the place ‘where green ants dream’, and that disturbing them will destroy humanity.
Perhaps it was best that a non-Australian looked at this issue objectively, offering a powerful statement in favour of the country’s oldest inhabitants.
Bliss (1985)
Directed by Ray Lawrence
Based on Peter Carey’s novel, Bliss is a highly original and accomplished film that hasn’t lost any of its freshness. Advertising exec Harry Joy (Barry Otto) dies and goes to hell, except nothing changes – his daughter is buying drugs with sexual favours from his son, his wife is unfaithful and his latest client sells cancer-causing products. What follows is a darkly comic journey as Harry comes to terms with the fact that he may be dead, insane or both.
Ghosts of the Civil Dead (1988)
Directed by John Hillcoat
This hardboiled tale of what life is like inside a maximum security prison is a tough watch indeed. Elegantly directed with almost Kubrick-styled flourishes, Ghosts of the Civil Dead is a tense claustrophobic experience that will haunt you for days. Hillcoat and Nick Cave were to pool their considerable talents again on The Proposition and stay tuned for Hillcoat’s big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel, The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen.
Honourable Mention
The Lighthorsemen (1987)
Directed by Simon Wincer
An admirable attempt to immortalise the now legendary Lighthorse Brigade charge at Beersheeba during World War 1, The Lighthorsemen is bland viewing for the most part, as it strives to achieve the same emotional depth as the similarly themed Gallipoli. However, Dean Semler’s lush cinematography and the breathtaking battle sequence at the film’s end are worth the effort. It is also worth noting that actor Jon Blake was left permanently brain damaged in a car accident after completing his scenes, thus never realising a career that many said would have surpassed Mel Gibson’s.
Dishonourable Mention
Houseboat Horror (1989)
Directed by Kendal Flanagan and Ollie Martin
With Neighbours-style production values and acting chops the likes of which haven’t been seen since the fifth grade, this poor imitation of Friday the 13th is as amateur as they come. The description ‘unintentionally hilarious’ is an understatement as a goofy rock band decides to film a video clip on a (you guessed it) houseboat. Enter the mutant hillbilly killer and what you get is a virtually bloodless ‘slice and dice’ non-thriller that has to be seen to be believed.