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 | Visual effects production involves a degree of creative problem solving. But you can’t get started unless you have the hardware. Like a studio with a motion control ca[...]nd set construction. No problem. We’ve got all the gear. Next, visual effects production requires an enormous range of skills and techniques. A properly set up company[...]about Mike Bolles; and someone with a knowledge of optical effects and production management, Andrew Mason would do. Then the Visual effects company should have a range of credits that lets you know they know how to do the job. For instance, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, ‘Captain Invincible’,[...]s us. Finally, you should be able to draw on all the skills of these people and whatever equipment and techniques are required to produce the visual effects you want to see in your nex[...] |
| The latest and I t e best AATON 8-35 The Aaton 8-35 is the smallest hand-held silent—running 35mm camera with instant 120m magazines. Designed for mobility, the 8-35 is ideal for hand holding on location in any outdoor situation, as well as for the studio. The overall size of the 8-35 is virtually the same as the Aaton LTR 16mm camera. When you enquire about the 8-35, you’ll soon discover for yourself just why it really is the latest and best from Aaton. CNM The latest Super 16mm technology comes together perfectly with the Aaton CNM. Lighter than you thought possible the CNM is ideally suited to trekking, mountaineering and all those hard to get to situations. The perfect companion to the LTR as a second camera, the CNM will get you out of those difficult situations you get yourself into. Find out how inexpensive the CNM can be for you. For further details contact: E FILMWEST Sole importer of the Aaton 8-35 throughout Australia. 7 -SYDNE[...] |
| [...]ound track to win an Oscar, it makes sense to use the desk that won an Oscar. . . . . . . n - - .-[...]o lorfilm went to Burb and bought it. During its time at “All The Presidents Men”. theatre, already equipped with The Burbank Studios, the And then went on to 23 RCA high speed film Quad-E[...]otsie”. This now gives For its unique Recently The Colorfilms sound department development, Quad—Eight Burbank Studios decided to the best high technology was awarded an Academy of put in a larger Quad-Eight re-recording facilities in the Motion Pictures Arts and machine, so Les McKenzie South Pacific. Sciences Technical of Colorfilm quickly snapped But dont take only Achievement Award. up the original. our word for it. That was to mark the Given some minor If you have an beginning of this consoles modifications and a re-check Oscar[...]was and you’d like to know more, During which the then shipped to Australia. contact Les McKenzie o[...]ound It has now been (02) 516 1066. ,_ department of The Burbank installed for our Dolby stereo Col[...] |
| Museum piece, circa. 1987. The clapper—board may be taking an early retirement. This and other conventional tools of filmmaking may find themselves relegated to Crate[...]. What will replace them? Kodak can be used with both film and film with Datakode magnetic videotape.[...]shed advance in film manufacture without altering the quality or gives film thethe time and costs associated with film post—production. The Datakode magnetic control surface is a thin, transparent layer coated across the entire back of the film. Less than 8 microns thick, it provides the means to record machine«readable information an[...]bridge between film and computers. Sometime soon, the use ofdiscs. video displays, time code synchroni- sation and automated printing will speed film makers through all the noncreative, repetitive and tedious steps associated with film post—production. Now isn't theTHE AUSTRALIAN mm AND . ";“»".,i/ . - TELEVISION[...]rA5u§H6p /N H73, AND cfifja l‘ IS FUNDED BY THE AU$7’RAI-‘AN Q FEDERAL GDVERNMENTI vi . '[...]URCES um’ or: me opav PROGRAM HAS A HU6£ RANGE OF FILM, TELEVISION AND RAi>io TRAINING 800/([...] |
| [...]-\'°&% MAN EMENT PIY LTD 0 ABRA CADABRA 0 ALL THE RIVERS RUN 0 ANNIE’S COMING OUT 0 ANTARC[...] |
| [...]tion pictures in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji The Slim ovie Produced by Kent Chadwick Director[...]sociate Producer Brian Douglas Yaayrrfl Director of Photography David Eggby Journey to the Dawning of the Day Produced by Michael Dillon Director Michael D[...]ndsay Gazel, Judith West, Stanley Sarris Director of Photography Michael Dillon Annie’s[...]Brealey Executive Producer Don Harley Director of Photography Mick von Bornemann A.C.S.[...]ional Director Simon Wincer Executive in Charge of Production Richard Davis Director of Photography Russell Boyd[...]Fairfax Production Supervisor Ted Lloyd Director of Photography Toni lmi Produced[...]ard Rubie Production Manager Irene Korol Director of Photography Ernie Clark Ginge[...]Dawson Production Manager Jill Nicholas Director of Photography John Seale Mot[...]N PICTURE GLIARANTORS INC. IS REINSURED BY LLOYDS OF LONDON |
| Articles and Interviews Voyages of Discovery: an interview with David Stevens Debi[...]32 On Guard: an interview with Susan Lambert Man _Of Flowers Victoria Treole 37 Reviewed: 85 Tenth Anniversary Supplement A Personal History of ‘Cinema Papers’ Scott Murray 41 Photo Gallery 49 The Industry Comments 54 The Top Ten Films 62 Two Views Antony I. Ginnane, Phillip Adams 66 Features . The Quarter 8 Clnefina Papers Picture Preview: One N[...]on Survey 75 Picture Preview: Silver City 96 From the Vault: a Cryptic Crossword Val Ward 99 Film Reviews Man of Flowers Helen Greenwood 85 Careful, He Might Hea[...],§o';j°§i‘°'S,%'pM°"°y 91 Interviewed: 28 The clinic Debi Enker 92 ISSN 0311-3639 Top Ten[...]Papers is produced with financial assistance from the Australian Film Commission and Fred Harden. Sub-e[...]ign and layout: Film Victoria. Articles represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the editor Ernie Althoff. Office administration: Patr[...]and materials supplied for this magazine, neither the . . editor nor the publishers accept any liability for loss or damag[...]ing not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the copyright owner. Cinema Papers Group, Geddes St,[...]very two months by MTV Publishing Limited, Head Office, 644 Victoria Street. 7-17 Geddes St[...] |
| IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII All-time Champs The January 11, 1984, edition of Variety printed the following All-time Film Rental Champs (in the U.S.-Canada market) based on film rentals: 1 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial $209,567,000 2. Star Wars $193,500,000 3. Return of the Jedi $165,500,000 4. The Empire Strikes Back $141,600,000 5. Jaws $133,435,000 8. Raiders of the Lost Ark $115,598,000 7. Grease $96,300,000 B. Tootsie $94,571,000 9. The Exorcist $89,000,000 10 The Godfather $86,275,000 Director Steven Spielberg has three entries in the top 10 (and four in the top 11); producer-director George Lucas also has three entries. The highest-positioned Australian film is Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior in the U.S.) at 381, with rentals of $11.3 million. Next comes The Man from Snowy River at 474 with rentals of $9.25 million. The only other Australian film to make the chart (minimum rental entry: $4 million) is The Pirate Movie, at 739 with $6.2 million, thus proving some cynics wrong. The best-positioned Australian director is Richard Franklin with Psycho II at 256 (but 27 in 1983). Franklin was also co- producer of The Blue Lagoon, at 97. Of the top 10, only two are 1983 releases: Return of the Jedi and Tootsie. The next best in 1983 are: 3. Trading Places $40,600,000 4. War Games $36,[...]9 9. Mr. Mom $31,500,000 10 48Hrs $30,328,000 in the battle of the Bonds, Octopussy at $33.6 million easily beat Never Say Never Again at $25 million. Perhaps sur- prisingly, Never had the bigger production budget: $34 million versus $30 million. Other big-budget films of 1983 are Super- man III at $35 million, Return of the Jedi at $32.5 million, Scarface at $31 million and The Right Stuff at $27 million. No Australian film made Vari'ety’s Big-Buck Scorecard. Of the expensive films, the big flops (given rentals to December 31, 1983) were The King of Comedy ($1.2 million rentals from a $19 million b[...]on), Brainstorm ($3 million from $20 million) and The Right Stuff ($6 million from $27 million). The best returns on a big budget were Return of the Jedi ($165.5 million from $32.5 million), Stay- i[...]million from $16 million). American Film Market The Australian representatives at the 1984 American Film Market (AFM), to be held from[...]f members 8 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS David Field and Malcolm Smith, Flay Atkinson (London representative), and Mike Harris and Andrea Marshall (from the Los Angeles office); producers John Dingwall, Dav[...]d Jim Henry (South Australian Film Corporation). The Australian films being screened at the AFM are Abra Cadabra, Aussie Assault, BMX Bandits. Brothers, Buddies, Midnite Spares and Under- cover. For the first time in its four-year history, the AFM this year, with the addition of five new companies, will open its ranks to qualified sellers of foreign language films. Thus, it moves closer to a second Cannes. The five new companies, representing four countries, will offer a total of 17 new films. The companies include Germany's Atlas International a[...]ll be succeeding Joe Skrzynski as chief executive of the AFC in March this year. Skrzynski was appointed to the AFC in September 1980. He was previously Corporate Services Manager of the merchant bank, Pittsburgh National Seldon and Co., and financial adviser to the New South Wales Film Corporation. During his term as chief executive, the AFC consolidated its supportive role in the film industry, concentrating on marketing, research, lobbying and monitoring the effects of the tax legislation. It also emphasized funding for the development of projects rather than basic investment funding in feature films. Williams, who was general manager of Musica Viva until taking up the AFC appointment, has had a long involvement in the arts in Australia. He is also, at present, deputy chairman of the NSW State Grants Advisory Council to the Premier of NSW, a director of the Con- federation of Australian Arts Centres, and a member of the National Arts and Enter- tainment Committee of the Australian Bi- centennial Authority. Kim Willianzs. Previously, he held positions as the general manager of Music Rostrum Aus- tralia and a lecturer at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music. He was founda- tion member of the Music Board of the Australia Council and the then Dance and Youth Panels. A recipient of many awards and prizes, Williams has had a fellowship from the Music Board in composition and won the Frank Hutchens composition prize twice. He is married to the writer Kathy Lette. Censorship Changes On February 1, 1984, legislation concern- ing the classification and censorship of videotapes and printed matter came into force in the Australian Capital Territory. The new law is the first step in a process to establish a uniform system for the sale, hire and publication of Videocassettes and publications. It permits the restricted sale or hire of hard-core pornography and explicit violence under[...]ideo and a restricted rating for publica- tions. The main elements of the system incor- porated in the ACT legislation are: 1. Imported videotapes for home use, will no longer be subject to compulsory registration by the Commonwealth Film Censorship Board; 2. Videotapes for sale or hire are to be classified at the request of the importer, distributor or retailer by the Film Censorship Board; 3. The classification standards to be applied are to be the same as for cinemas: that is, “NRC", “M” and b[...], would be refused classification altogether; 4. The states are to pass laws imposing appropriate points of sale restrictions (in particular, no sale to minors) for "Fl” and “X" classified material; 5. The existence of a classification to be a complete defence for ret[...]y laws; and 6. Classification recommendations by the Film Censorship Board to be subject to review by the Commonwealth Films Board of Review. The system of voluntary censorship places the onus on the importers, distribu- tors and retailers, and will mean that products move more quickly on to the market. At the moment, three states (Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia) have interim legislation based on the ACT model; the other states are still thinking about adopting the model. The video industry expects that Queensland will take a position very different from the other states. Eventually, the system of classification could be extended into theatrically- released films, based as it is on the prin- ciple that adults are entitled to read and view what they wish as long as people who consider such material offensive are protected from being inadvertently exposed to it. The new look of video. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AFC Appointment Vicki Molloy has been appointed director of the Creative Development Branch, filling the position left vacant by Lachlan Shaw in 1983 and[...]temporary director. Molloy has been working with the AFC as manager of the Women’s Film Fund since 1981. Before that she had worked as a researcher and presenter for docu- mentaries at the ABC, as production manager on Mouth to Mouth (1978) and Dimboola (1979), and worked in the editing department at the BBC. As director of the Creative Development Branch, she will report to the general manager of Film Development, Malcolm Smith, and is responsible for Branch administration, policy advice on the Branch‘s developmental role, liaising with film groups and organizations, and direct funding of alternative and independent films. Film Victoria The board and staff of Film Victoria spent several months in 1983 formulating a policy review: looking at its past role, what its situation was and how best it might fulfil its charter. The director, Terence McMahon, issued invitations to[...]and 10 organizations to give their comments, and the board spent time deliberating the policy document that was finally issued in November 1983. The policy is a statement of the goals and parameters that Film Victoria ha[...] |
| The Quarter in film and television but also a commit- ment to film culture, the pursuit of quality and innovation, and the commercial viability of the investments it will make". Although Film Victoria has, under its legislation. the power to act as a producer, the policy affirms its decision not to exer- cise that role in the short term. This, McMahon says, reflects the opposition expressed by so many people in film and television production in Victoria to the idea of Film Victoria becoming a production house. The view was put strongly, from across the spectrum of the industry, that Film Victoria could not assist pro[...]ents in several television mini-series, including The Anzacs (Geoff Burrowes and John Dixon), Return fr[...]in which Film Victoria is a significant investor are presently in pre-production: My First Wife (Paul Cox and Jane Ballantyne) and The Wrong world (Ian Pringle and John Cruthers). Fil[...]er placed financially than it has been for years. The Victorian Government more than doubled Film Victo[...]s about to appoint several new staff members, one of whom will be a creative development officer whose[...]ith organizations and indivi- duals interested in the promotion of film culture. Film Victoria has recently made grants to several film culture organizations including the Australian Film Institute, the Australian Teachers of Media, Cinema Papers and the Melbourne Film Festival. Involvement with these bodies is seen as a way of discharging the obligation it has set for itself in the policy document as having a "responsibility for the develop- ment and maintenance of film culture in this state". National Screen writers’ Conference The AFC has been investigating the feasi- bility of holding a National Screenwriters’ Conference as an annual event. A proposal has been prepared for the AFC by the co-ordinator, Margaret Mc- Clusky, which suggests that the Con- ference be sponsored partly by govern- ment funding bodies and partly through private sponsorship. The Conference will be open to “Australian filmmake[...]ce given to experienced and neophyte writers”. The AFC has approved funding for Stage 1 of the Conference, which is the holding of two workshops — one in Mel- bourne and one in Sydney — to develop the proposal and form steering com- mittees. The first was in Sydney on February 26, 1964, and the second will be in Melbourne on March 17, 1984. I[...]a Melbourne film producer, has been appointed to the council of the Aus- tralian Film and Television School by the Governor-General, Sir Ninian Stephen. The appointment, one of five made by the Governor-General, is for a three-year term. Weis is co-producer of The Clinic (1982) and producer of the critically acclaimed Women of the Sun (1981). He joins David Ferguson (chairman), Jeffrey Rushton and John Daniel on the council. The position for the fifth member has been vacant since July 1983. Film Festivals The Melbourne Film Festival has appointed Paul Seto a[...]everal film and television productions, including The Chant of Jimmie Black- smith, Number 96 and some Reg Grundy productions, and was manager for two years of the radio station 4MBS-FM in Brisbane. The program consultant for the Festival is David Stratton who, until 1983, was director of the Sydney Film Festival for nearly 10 years. Stratton is now a selector and presenter of films for Channel 0/28. The new director of the Sydney Film Festival is Fiod Webb. Webb was execu- tive director of the National Film Theatre from 1977 to 1979, then cultural events officer at the Australian Film Commission from 1980 until his appointment to the Film Festival. The Melbourne Film Festival will run from June 1 to June 16 at the new State Theatre in the Victorian Arts Centre. in addition to its usual prizes for short films, the festival will be awarding a Peace Prize to the film judged to have contributed significantly to the cause of world peace. Tickets will be available from BASS Agencies; brochures and information are available by phoning (03) 417 3111. in Sydney, the Film Festival will run from June 8 to June 24 at the State Theatre with the Greater Union Awards for Australian Short Films being held on the first day. The Flouben Mamoulian Award of $1000 has been donated by Kodak. Public bookings are now open and can be made by phoning (02) 660 3909 or through P.O. Box 25, Glebe, 2037. Head of Full-time Program The Australian Film and Television School has appointed Pablo Albers as Head of the Full-time Program, succeeding Richard Thomas who will return to profes- sional practice when the 1984 graduates depart at the end of March. Albers began his professional career in the theatre as an actor, stage manager and director, and was later an associate professor of English at the University of Mexico. Since studying film at Mexico's Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinemat[...]d to Australia in 1973, working as a director for the VideoTape Corporation in Sydney and The Film House in Melbourne before setting up his own[...]years ago. Albers now assumes responsibility for the AFTS’s full-time training courses in screenwriting, production man[...], p. 125, Geoff Mayer's article entitled “Best (of) Friends” quotes David Macdonald as the scriptwriter. The author's name is Donald Macdonald. Cinema Papers apologizes for the error. Contributors Phillip Adams is a film producer and chairman of the Australian Film Com- mission. Rod Bishop is a lecturer in film at the Phillip Institute of Technology. Ewan Burnett works at Crawford Produc- tions in the production department. Keith Connolly is the film critic for The Herald in Melbourne. Debi Enker is a freelance j[...]film producer and has been a contributing editor of Cinema Papers. Brian McFarlane is a lecturer in English at Chisholm Institute and is currently com- pleting a doctorate in Cinema at Midlands University, England. Geoff Mayer is a lecturer in film at the Phillip Institute of Technology. Jim Schembri is a journalist at The Age in Melbourne. Victoria Treole works in the distribution division of the AFC and is the editor of Australian Independent Film. Arnold Zable was a lecturer in social sciences at the University of Melbourne, and is now a freelance writer and film[...]ution to Cryptic Crossword on Notice to Readers The directors of Cinema Papers Pty Ltd, the former publishers of Cinema Papers, express their regret to all readers, particularly subscribers, for the lengthy delay between issues. As several newspape[...]to a recently finalized funding arrangement with the Australian Film Commission (AFC) and Film Victoria, Cinema Papers is returning to the newsstands with a renewed vigour and confidence in the future. A public company, MTV Publishing Limited, has been formed to publish the magazine, in an arrangement in accord with AFC and Film Victoria philosophies. It must be stressed that the magazine’s independence is unencumbered by the new arrangement. As with invest- ments in film production or distribution, there has been no attempt at creative interference. The magazine is free to pursue its editorial policies as the editor sees fit. With the new company structure will soon come another editor, and a fresh examination of the approach and production of the magazine. Decisions made in the next few months will affect the form of Cinema Papers. While regretting the magazine’s absence from the newsstands during the past nine months, the publishers feel confident that the new accord sees Cinema Papers in a much stronger position. The future is certainly bright. Scott Murray[...] |
| [...]on with narrative structure and style for a group of strates the director’s capacity to inject humor and humanit[...]Kevin Dobson and George Miller (Snowy River). as The Clinic’s. The glossy, romantic tale of the rise of an Stevens’ work at Crawford ’s includes writing and directing undergarment business in the 1930s adds a new dimension of on Division 4, Matlock, Solo One, The Sullivans and the tele- decor-laden style to a body of film and television work feature The John Sullivan Story, which he jokingly refers to characterized by a continuing interest in the exploration of as “Where Eagles Dare on $130,000”. Convinced that Australian history and society. attitudes within the film industry to people who work in Like a number of his contemporaries, who alternate television are “scathing”, he sought a feature film credit a[...]ter unsuccessful attempts to get Rusty Bugles and The Two training in Australia at Crawford Productions, directing of Me into production, became a co-writer on Breaker episodes of Homicide during the final, “golden years” of the Morant. series. He reflects on his work there wit[...]television to direct A Town Like conviction that the shift in emphasis from car chases to Alice and the second episode of Women of the Sun. If character studies, engineered by producer Henry Crawford awards can be regarded as an indication of accomplishment, during the last years of the program, created a diverse and Stevens has an imp[...]that has since been largely ignored or Awgie for The Sullivans, an Academy Award and an Aus- vastly underrated. He believes the Crawford ’s apprenticeship tralian Film A ward for the Breaker Morant screenplay, and a provided[...] |
| David Stevens Has the world-wide success of “A Town Like Alice” affected your career? Look at me. I live in a little house in St Kilda and I lo[...]ood. I don’t want to make a film there just for the sake of it. But a problem that arose from A Town Like Al[...]a soft, romantic film- maker with a strong sense of the Australian outback. One of reasons I made The Clinic was that I didn’t want to go on making A Town Like Alice again and again. I wanted to do something that would be perceived as totally different, though I happen to think that The Clinic has the same soft, humanist love in it as A Town Like Alice.[...]taken a different direction: into features . . . The biggest audience you can reach, unless you do E.T. or Star Wars, is through television. So if you are interested in the commun- ication of ideas, television is the place to work. If you do a film it has to be something that you can’t do on television, because of its spectacle, or because it needs a bigger screen or has a more restricted audience. The Clinic has now been bought for television, but, i[...]eel sorry for anybody who does not have that kind of experience before he goes on the boards to direct his first $2 million film. Homic[...]hink very fast and experiment. We tried all sorts of things. I remember doing one program in which I went for long, continuous, fluid takes all the time and then another in which I decided I would never move the camera once. We played games with structure and w[...]enomenal advantage to have. When we came to make The Clinic, I decided that it would be a very static[...]had to sit down and think about. I believed that the characterizations were paramount in the film; any attempt to throw the camera all over the set would have distracted from the simple purity of the script and the characterizations, which is what the film is all about. In relation to that, how woul[...]ugh you would have to make some con- cessions for the medium, it seems to be a production that could be[...]eived as an Australian epic novel and I was doing The Clinic, which I knew would be perceived as a prob[...]. I wanted to work with a big budget. I wanted to do something that is, in the best sense of the word, camp. ,5 . Apprentice designer Libby (Gen[...]1 Fred Barley (John Walton): a man with a vision of A ustralia. David Stevens’ Undercover. I think Australian historical films are largely very po-faced, and I include Breaker Mora[...]ty, sensitive, moving and irreverent. I wanted to do some- thing that had a sense of fun and jollity about it. When the script of Undercover turned up, I fell in love: it had all the things that I wanted to say. I wanted to make a genuinely glam- orous film; I wanted to do some- thing about an Australian hero that was fun. I hate the use of the word “entertainment” as though it were pejora[...]actually looks like a fairy- tale: it starts with the book opening, it ends with the curtain falling, and both the music and the lighting suggest a fantasy world . . . Let’s face it, you couldn’t do a number like “From the Outback to the Ocean”, where you have 20 chorus girls in red, white and blue tap—dancing to the Australian flag, in a serious film. We haven’t done an exact copy of Radiant Woman, we have done an interpretation of it. Part of my worry about the direction in which Australian film is going is th[...]a rabid paranoia about going too far, going over the top and, if I had any criticism of what I did on Under- cover, it is that it doesn’t go quite far enough over the top. What would you have liked to be different about it? Not a lot in terms of the work that everybody put into it, but, in terms of my work, I would have liked to have had another m[...]ua- tion in pre-production. We lost three or four of our 13 weeks preparation because the money fell apart and most of my energy had to be directed towards helping the producer, David Elfick, get the money back together again. All the departments had to stop work because there was no[...]ld have liked to have channelled my energies into the making of the film, rather than worrying about whether it would be made. How did you cast Michael Paré for the role of Max? One of the reasons the money fell apart was because although the Max character was American and although we had agreed to cast an American, a local actor did a test for the role which was just wonderful. We decided to use him, but the backers wouldn’t hear of it. Because of the size of the budget, they believed they had to have an American as the main character. The money was, to an extent, dependent on this, so I was packed off to the U.S. to find an American actor in a week. I saw about 60 actors and I was told by the producer I had to put three names to Actors Equity. _ My first choice was an actor ofthe part, but who had a big name. Then, because they[...]tunned when Equity turned down my first choice on the grounds that they had never heard of him, despite his extraordinary list of credentials. They said that I A |
| [...]e as long as_ there ‘was no government money in the film, but if there were government money in it I could only have Michael. In effect, Equity cast the role; I didn’t. I love Michael and I think he is terrific. He has a lovely brash quality in the film, but it is to take nothing away from his per[...]. And Genevieve Picot (Libby)? I had been aware of Genevieve for a long time because of her work with the Melbourne Theatre Company and with The Sullivans. I was trying to find a heroine with some balls. I auditioned a lot of actresses, but I couldn’t go past Genevieve. In all of your work the women are very strong, spirited and ambitious, and usually working people, with a lot of vitality. Is that something that attracts you to a script? Do you object to this? [Laughs.] I think it is part of the Australian ethos. There is this fantasy that men run the country, but they don’t: women do. Australian women are very ballsy. “Undercover” certainly gives that impression. Even the wife’s role, which one would expect to be passi[...]intelligent and is called upon to make decisions at crucial times which change the course of events. Nina (Sandy Gore) is also a particularly strong character . . . That is because of the kind of world in which I have grown up. In the theatre there is very little chauvinism. One is b[...]it possible for them to be like that anywhere in the rest of the world. What Undercover is essentially about, if you look beyond all the froth and glamor and tinsel, is the need to be yourself. It doesn’t matter a damn who you are, go for it. “It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do it brilliantly” . . . That’s right. It is the most telling line in the film: don’t try and ape anybody else. A very clever thing is done with the make-up in the film with the progression of the Libby charac- ter; she is delineated by her hair,[...]her costumes. There is a sequence when she makes the big speech in the Town Hall defending Fred Burley (John Walton) and you can see she is wearing a lot of make-up. But I felt that was right because Libby is Libby works at her designs for a new range of undergarments. Undercover. Nina. When she returns to the country, the make-up goes back to natural, and from then on she is her own woman. Probably the most beautiful shot of Libby is during the rehearsal in the theatre when she is wearing very little make-up. She has become herself, and that is what the whole thing is all about. You can’t be scared of what the world thinks of you. You just have to go out and do it. The women are strong in “Under- cover” but they seem to end up with weak or incompatible men. The relationship between Libby and Max is set up early in the film: at the moment she falls into his arms, one hears the harp music and one knows what is going to happen. But Nina and the Pro- fessor (Barry Otto), and Alice (Sue Leith) a[...]ecessary to have a ‘happy ending’ pairing off the characters? Whatever anybody says about Undercover, I think it has an almost Shakespearian structure. You are introduced to a group of people; some are survivors in some senses and some are not. Alice and Libby we meet essen- tially at the same time. I have them in a three shot with Nina, which is deliberate because Nina, at that moment, makes the choice of which of the two is the star. We know then that Alice is never going to be the star, but that Libby is. going too far: she is trying to copy Empress of style, Nina (Sandy Gore), examines Libby’s desi[...]finally, was to marry a Theo. As far as Nina and the Professor are concerned, Nina retires and hands over to Libby.[...]r glory, she has had her days. God knows how long the relation- ship with the Professor will last, but he is probably a good fuck. “Undercover” has recently been recut. A couple of the changes are jarring, particularly in the scene with Nina and Libby at Libby’s new flat. Some of the dialogue has been deleted . . . “What a bugger [that] men have to give you babies.” The absence of that line took away some of the clarity of the char- acter. There is a definite lesbian undertone in the film, particularly in that scene. The relationship between Nina and Libby is gentle, su[...]at line, which is fairly suggestive, is gone, and the relationship becomes almost mother and daughter,[...]dent . . . I have no argument. I don’t approve of the new cut. Were you involved in the cutting? No. Another example is the trimming down of the love scene and thus the implication that Libby is dis- illusioned[...] |
| David Stevens The House of Berlei musical extravaganza, which seals the company‘: future and provida the stage for the resolution of several relationships. Undercover. There’s[...]So, why was it cut? It would be totally unfair of me to comment. I think you would have to ask the producer that.‘ He did the cutting. Is Nina supposed to be lesbian? No. I don’t believe, as you must know from The Clinic, that there are delineated sexualities. I don’t believe in putt[...]anybody. Nina is a character who I am fairly sure at some point in her life had a love affaire with a[...]s intended to be a complete woman. Similarly, in the character of Eric (Chris Haywood) in “The Clinic” you have presented one of the most positive, strong, intelligent and appealing representations of homosexuality on the screen. Was it your intention to do that? Partly, but we only have Eric’s word that he is homosexual, and we know that he lies at other points in the film. When? 1. When contacted, David Elfick, the pro- ducer, declined to give a statement but he did say Stevens had been consulted as to the cuts. 14 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS When he talks about the pros- titutes to the boy. We know that he will say anything to shock the boy. It is only your assumption and that of Paul (Simon Burke), the student, that he is homosexual. With Paul and Li[...]e) in “A Town Like Alice”, there is a process of education, whereby the character has to learn humility and draw on his o[...]e and face up to mistakes. Is that a central part of your character development? Isn’t that what the process of life is? It is what the process of what my life has been. I hadn’t realized the device was so apparent in all my work. I guess it applies to Breaker Morant, too. In the original script, Major Thomas (Jack Thompson), the defending lawyer, was the central character and it traced his development from a bumbling, outback clerk of the court to a man with a passionate point of view and a commitment to a concept. The actors’ performances in all of your work appear very relaxed. There is an ease about them and, particularly in “The Clinic”, a feeling of spontaneity. What approach do you take with your actors? There is no simple answer to that question. When I decided to go into the theatre, I wanted to become an actor. Within five minutes I discovered that I wasn’t going to be the Hamlet of my generation; I also discovered that there were[...]with it and I had a very lucky break: I took over the lead in an important play in London and, since then, I have made up my own mind about the right soil for actors. There are certain actors with whom I can’t work. I need to work with actors who respond to my specific way of directing, which is to encourage them not to be afraid of making a fool of themselves, because, no matter how big a fool they make of themselves in front of the camera, I will be making a bigger tit of myself behind the camera. Actors are extraordinary people. Nine times out of 10 you have to feed them lollies and make them fe[...]ith a child. They have very fertile imaginations; the only problem is that sometimes they get side- tracked into areas that aren’t necessarily relevant to the direction being taken, although those side areas[...]themselves. But, as far as possible, everything I do is sub- servient to the actors. Everything? Well, there is the script, of course, but everything else is sub- servient to the actors. [Laughs.] An actor has to put a pretty good case for me to allow him to change a line in the script; So, there isn’t that spontaneity really when it comes to the script? No, not at all. What is the art of acting? I have seen extraordinary, spontaneous performances of Shakespeare which don’t stuff around with Shak[...]tors assume — why should anyone assume — that the script they are dealing with is not Shakespeare? Actors are not puppets. You cast actors for what they will bring to the role, not for what you can tell them to do. And I apply that to every aspect of the filmmaking process. I think the work of Dean Semler (director of photography) and John Morton (gaffer) on Under- c[...](camera assistant) idea to use silk stockings on the camera lens. It was those men who were totally responsible for working out the look of the film. All I did was say, “I want it to look lik[...]king, questioning and chal- lenging, working over the structure of the shot that you choose. What was lovely for me was that all the visual elements came together in terms of the make—up, costumes, sets, locations, photography and lighting. It was a voyage of dis- covery for us all. I try to create the right working atmosphere. If it is a happy scene, we have a bonza time laughing. If it is a sad scene, I tend to create a heavy atmosphere on the set, although, occasionally, I will break down with some stupid joke or drop my trousers, just to remind the actors that tragedy and comedy are not separate entities. With such a large group of people, all immersed in their tasks, how can you sustain the atmosphere? It is very hard work directing because you have to turn on an extraordinary performance all the time. But almost. everybody is trying to do their best, so all you have to do is lay down the ground rules. That is what being a director is: exercising that emotional con- trol. It is the time when I live. That doesn’t mean to say I am not[...]ding occasional boredom. Your films have a range of dis- parate characters — the patients and the staff in “The Clinic”, the group of women in “Alice”, the employers and employees in “Undercover” — brought to- gether in one place. And there is a density of characterization. They are all very much cross-sections of society, or groups in society . . . I long to make a film with only two or three main characters in it. In The John Sullivan Story there are 10 or 11 leading characters. A Town Like Alice is filled with people, so is The Clinic, and in Undercover there are seven or eight main characters. |
| [...]that a preference? Not really,_ it just happens. The subjects demand it. Lots of people said to me when they read the script of The Clinic, “Ah yes, it’s all very well you know, but you should make it a story just about one of the doctors.” To which I said, “Yeh, well that’s fine, maybe it would make a very good film, but it is not the film I want to make.” I wanted to make the film it became: a day in the life of a VD célinic, not a day in the life of Dr I'lC. But your intimate, warm and humorous groups of people create a very strong sense of community in your work . . . I suppose that is because I believe we are all part of a com- munity. There is a Russian film of Hamlet of which Kenneth Tynan said, “It may not be the greatest Hamlet you’ve ever seen but it is the most properly peopled Elsi- nore.” Within the film, Elsinore is a very busy place. It is a cros[...]and makes a great speech. He is usually stuck in. the middle of 20 pages with half a dozen servants going there a[...]ented here, and that is what reality is. Very few of us live alone; we are all part of the street, the community, the city, the country or the world. When I eventually make Amsterdam it will b[...]en threat. What is “Amsterdam” about? It is the true story of some Dutch homosexuals during World War 2 who formed their own little branch of the underground resis- tance and destroyed the central Nazi Criminal Register. For their pains, 12 of them were shot. But it is not about poofters. If[...]in that society, or community, then it is denying the whole community. The Amster- damers, in effect, believe that life is a pillared community, and that if one pillar is taken away the roof will fall down. I also believe that. It fits in very well with “The Clinic” which also deals with a part of society that is usually ignored or repressed . .[...]dam will also be written by Greg Millin who wrote The Clinic. It is also true of the women in “Alice” . . . That’s right. Nobod[...]needed each other to survive. Those who stuck to the old traditional concepts of life perished; those who were prepared to change[...]attitudes, their manners and their concepts were the survivors. It is very difficult to march half way[...]ia in high heels and gloves. It is much easier to do it in a sarong and bare feet. I was brought up i[...]s very difficult for me to believe in one concept of God. In fact, it is very hard for me to believe i[...]e. I have always been sur- rounded by a multitude of diverse sounds and languages. That suggests an interest in the use of overlapping dialogue . . . I tried that experiment once at Crawford Productions. I wrote an episode for Matlock where, in the first seven pages, there are never less than two conversations happening at once, probably three. Overlapping dialogue is fin[...]n lead into situations, such as those you have in the worse ex- cesses of Robert Altman, where you actually can’t hear an[...]ur work. What other influences can you identify? The great storytellers in film — David Lean, Fred Zinnemann, Carol Reed — are men who under- stand the myths of society, men who question God. Bill Routt’s comments’ compare “Undercover” with the films of Preston Sturges and Frank Capra and it is easy to see the influence of the classical musical in the ending . . . When people asked me what the film could be like, I said Frank Capra and Preston Sturges films. Nobody has heard of Sturges. It is not as crazy as a Sturges film but[...]way, its tongue is planted firmly in its check. The ending was there in the manuscript. It is the one thing that never was changed. It was also a h[...]e shot it in five and a half days. I also admire the pyrotechnic filmmakers beyond measure. I adore the work of George Miller (Mad Max) and I think the last two reels of Mad Max 2 are as perfect an example of montage as I can imagine in the cinema. I was on the edge of my seat. But I can’t do that. My stories are different from his in the way they are told. I don’t 2. Bill Routt, “The Wizards from O2”, Stills, Sept.-Oct. 1983, p. 7[...]erned patient (Mark Minchinton). David Stevens’ The Clinic. think the stories themselves differ greatly, but in the way they are told they are very different. They are very much about heroism, and characters with tena[...]d eventually succeeding . . . I guess Mad Max is the same, isn’t he? Yes, but he is a lot less naive tha[...]Well, Fred is a great dreamer. In fact, my films are really about dreamers. At present I am writing about Charles Kingsford-Smit[...]se my whole life is dedicated to saying, “Stuff the bureaucracy. Dream your dreams, live your dreams and be individual, as long as you do no harm to anybody.” That is the essential proviso. What is project? the Kingsford-Smith It is a six—hour mini—series[...]d Ross Dimsey about Sir Charles Kingsford- Smith, the first man to fly across the Pacific. I took it on as a job that I thought was[...]by bureaucracy. I find parallels in his life that are important to me as an artist. I don’t s[...] |
| Words and Images, by Brian McFarlane, is the first Australian book to examine the relationship between literature and film. Taking nine examples of recent films and two television series adapted from Australian novels — including The Getting of Wisdom, My Brilliant Career, Lucinda Brayford and The Year of Living Dangerously — McFarlane looks at some of the issues in transposing a narrative from one medium to the other. In this article, Chapter 8 in the book, McFarlane discusses Helen Garner’s Monkey Grip and the film adaptation. Brian McFarlane is principal lecturer in Literature at the Chisholm Institute of Technology and is a contributing editor to Cinema Papers. He is also the author of a book on Martin Boyd’s “Langton” novels, is the editor of the annual collection of literary essays, Viewpoints, and is the co—editor of a forthcoming anthology of Australian verse. Words and Images is published[...]7, and by Penguin Books, 1978 (page references to the latter). Monkey Grip, her first novel, won a Nati[...]by Ken Cameron, in association with Helen Garner. The director of photography was David Gribble, the editor David Huggett and the composer Bruce Smeaton. Running lOl minutes, it was released in 1982. One of the achievements of Helen Garner’s novel, Monkey Grip, is that the heroine, Nora, does not lose hold of the reader’s sympathy despite the fact that the story, as told by her, centres almost wholly on herself and her frustrations. These preoccupations — the constant pondering on what she is feeling, the analysis of what is happening in her succes- sive sexual relationships, the sense of herself as ill-used — ought in the end to be merely wearisome to the reader. And indeed a good deal of this prize-winning novel, with its vestigial narrative, is tiresome, but the reasons for this lie elsewhere. In Nora, Garner has created, through the most formidably unappetizing processes, a protago[...]is sometimes boring, sometimes self-indulgent, in the way that, in life itself, one accepts that a whole person is likely to be so from time to time. A whole person (i.e., character) is what shuffles out of the banal and repetitive incidents that make up the plot — to use the latter term at its loosest. In Ken Cameron’s film version of the novel, the central firmness of the realization of Nora (Noni Hazlehurst) is even more striking. It is as though the scriptwriters (Cameron and Garner) and director have seen where the novel’s potential unity and strength lie, and h[...]ut chiefly through casting Hazlehurst, an actress of real warmth and emotional range. Her performance[...]CINEMA PAPERS unlike Geraldine Fitzgerald’s in The Mango Tree in the way that it works unobtrusively to pull together the narrative’s suggestions about the character in question. In this case, however, Nora, unlike Grandma Carr, is clearly intended to be the centre of the action in both novel and film. The strength the film gets from Haz1ehurst’s performance and from its visual rendering of the novel’s ambience tightens the latter’s frail narrative grasp, but nevertheless draws intelligently on what is at least potentially there in the novel. It is just as well that the chapters of this book do not seek to give plot synopses of the novels involved since such an enterprise would ce[...]r whimsically named chapters (e.g., “Respectful of His Fragility”, “Do You Wanna Dance?”), its narrative structure is, superficially, frag- mented to the point of disintegration. Its bits and pieces make Ronald McKie’s The Mango Tree look as architected as Middlemarch. In a sentence, the narrative explores the shifts in the relationship between Nora, a single mother of thirty-two, and Javo, her off-and—on junkie lover, a part-time actor (and a full-time bore). However often she tries to wean herself of the habit of J avo, she appears to remain essentially hooked by him as he is by smack. Part of the trouble is (as Javo says to her) “that you like[...]always happier when I’m into it” (p. 96). By the end of the novel, when Javo has left again, this time probably with someone called Claire, Nora feels, “A funny kind of pain, dull, not sharp, spread through my body as if by way of the bloodstream” (p. 244) and, a few lines later, “instead of that pain came the thought, ‘Well . . . so be it. Let it be what i[...]ere is just a chance that Nora has by now reached the stage of accepting her life, without J avo if need be. Eve[...]defence enough against her need for Javo. Though the need is powerfully sexual (more so on her part th[...]no means exclusively so. She in fact wants a kind of stability, a more conventional set of relationships than her world is likely to offer. At one stage, envisaging a trip north, she sees them “on the road |
| [...]hter], looking like a ragged family. He took hold of my hand and we stood together comfortably, liking[...]ful” (p. 90). But she qualifies this image with the know- ledge that she “would have had to be a mediator: between him and Gracie, between him and the rest of the world”. The narrative surface of the novel is more crowded than the brief account above suggests. While Javo is the continuing strain of emotional engagement throughout the year of the novel’s time span, Nora’s life embraces many other relationships as well. Chief of these others is that with her small daughter, Gra[...]erves her mother with wry stoicism. As well there are the women friends (e.g., Eve, Rita, Cobby) from whom she receives varying degrees of support, and Lillian, whom she distrusts, mainly from Javo—based motives of jealousy; and the men who are variously friends and lovers, but mostly lovers e[...]ow they began. They include Javo’s mate Martin, the latter’s brother Joss, Gerald with whom Nora shares a house, and Francis. In fact, the network of shifting, drifting relation- ships involves a cast of characters almost bewildering in their numbers an[...]re may be a narrative purpose in this: that sense of a loosely—knit, not—very—differentiated crowd of people, drifting past each other, sometimes touching briefly, has its point to make: these other lives are important to the narrative only as they affect Nora and none of them compares in her life with the intensity of her feeling for Javo. They have their brief moment of vividness, coinciding with their narrative function, then subside into being part of the general ambience. For instance, Angela swims into[...]rth control clinic (she is “going to have a try at an IUD”, p. 155). Angela has had love problems with Willy but they are not intrinsically important. What matters chiefl[...]o support her friend, and in this unstable circle of people there is a surprising amount of solidarity; second, she promotes the following reflection in Nora: “I silently envied the ease of her tears, the way she lived with her heart bravely on her sleeve, no levelling out of the violence of everything but full blast and shameless” (p. 156). The insight that offers into Nora and her view of her own situation is significant. So, from the narrative’s point of view, is Nora’s capacity for such reflection. The more one reads this novel, the more one realizes that its central drama is to be found by attending to Nora’s narrative voice. The most potent discourse in Monkey Grip is not the “subjective” utter- ances of characters but the surrounding (but far from “objective”) narrative prose which of course belongs to Nora. And it is here, I believe, that the real drama of this novel is located. It seems to me scarcely possible to care one way or the other about most of the characters: one feels a mild revulsion against Ja[...]in fact very much caught up with what Nora makes of her experience. She is not merely a recording voi[...]responds, and grows through response, to a range of relationships. She is defined partly in terms of how she behaves in these relationships, partly through that voice which is sometimes reflective, Living in the 19705, in Melbourne: Nora and house-male Gerald ([...]sing, and always indivi- dual and working towards the reader’s sense of a whole character. This is the kind of pleasure, in reading a novel, that grows on one,[...]onkey Grip on first acquaintance grew largely out of dissatisfaction with its apparent shapelessness. Like many good novels, it is episodic but most of its episodes are unmemorable, particularly if measured against the crude narrative yardstick of what-happens—next. In Monkey Grip, what happens[...]d before: that is, there may have been a visit to the local swim- ming baths, or a sexual encounter (in[...]a trip to somewhere. In themselves, scarcely one of them really matters and few of them stay in the memory. That is not to say they lack all vividness: there are many sharply observed touches about people and places: but that they lack the sort of vividness one needs in order to feel that a narra[...]mbers odd scenes but not with any exactness as to the part of the novel from which they came. The scenes, like many of the characters, become part of that hazy milieu in which the more things change the more they stay the same. This impression of narrative slackness, compared say with a “well-[...]enneth Cook’s Wake in Fright, is accentuated by the novel’s structural procedures. It is as though the latter are dictated by a mimetic urge to recreate the casual, careless, messy, sometimes warmly cheerful, often dreary lives of its characters. Scene after scene — and each chapter is divided into about half a dozen, some of them no more than snippets — is introduced by sentences like the following: I was sitting at the kitchen table after tea when Javo came around the corner to the back door. (p. 2)) One afternoon, when I got home from working on the paper, I found Javo asleep in my bed . . . (p. 91) Peg took Gracie out for the day and 1 went off by myself. (p. 106) Javo came to my house a few afternoons later. (p. 118) At eleven o’clock that night Chris walked i[...] |
| Words and Images l . And so on, endlessly. It is perhaps the most loosely strung together novel of my acquaintance. The disjointedness, the failure of anything to build, and the sense of nothing’s being more important than any- thing else are, at least on a first reading, maddening to the reader trying to discern and hold on to some sort of narrative development. Perhaps this problem is more acute to one raised in the tradition of carefully constructed, nineteenth—century, real[...]years with modernism. Certainly on re—reading, the book’s apparent randomness is less daunting. This may be the result of knowing that the novel offers little in the way of the usual narrative rewards (and thus not expecting t[...]believe, really due to recognition and acceptance of different moves towards narrative coherence — and to accepting monotony as part of its meaning. There is no point in looking for an A——B—~C pattern of causality but there are other elements in the narrative that work to give shape and flavour to the book. The major one, as I have suggested, is in the drama enacted in Nora’s linking voice. In a two[...]rying to pull herself and her life into some sort of manageable shape. One’s chief interest is conce[...]g around in Rita’s house, she realizes that one of the chief pressures of her life is that she “was guarding them all from each other” (p. 72). Sometimes her voice registers the pressures as unbearably demanding, but there are also occasions such as the one when I was flooded with the possibilities, the theatre was full of people I liked and loved and whose work was joyfu[...]it is worth listening to for its own sake and for the light it sheds on others. There is, too, a thema[...]l beyond her in its resonance. Her problem has to do with “Willy’s determined constancy in loving both Angela and Paddy, while living with neither” an[...]ir with Rita, there is talk about “breaking out ofof no special consequence) point to a crucial and pervasive source of tension in the novel. Nora and her friends are all living what in 1975, the time of the novel, would have been called an alternative 1ife[...]in Melbournets inner suburbs and Above and below: the bad and the good ofNora and Java’: relationship: “Whal’s love? involves an approach free to the point ofof monogamous, orderly households, of women performing traditional sex roles, of steady, gainful employment, of the careful ordering of one’s life. However, while much of the freedom, the indulging of instinct as opposed to behaving conventionally, i[...]people like Nora, it brings with it its own kinds of pressures and hurts. The gap between the ideology and importunate reality often lets the draughts in. Nora has never tried to get Javo off the smack — “I didn’t want to hold him, or stop[...]y” (p. 66) — but this apparent easy tolerance of the junkie habit is no protection against the pain she feels each time he leaves her to look for a “score”. Beneath the surface disjointedness of their lives, she cannot help looking for a pattern that would help her to make sense of them. There is certainly no longer any hope or help for her in the suburban ordinari- ness of her Kew-based family whom she visits on Christmas Day, nor in the prospect of marriage. In trying to work things out in her own[...]rtners — like a very complicated dance to which the steps had not yet been choreographed, all of us trying to move gracefully in spite of our ignorance . . . (p. 192). The image of the dance is in itself a sign that she wants to find, in the constantly shifting aspects of her life, a pattern, a sense of order, to which a key does exist but the finding of which the very nature of their ideological convictions makes improbable. The above reflection comes shortly after the Christmas inspection of her relations and it is com- pleted by her resigned acceptance of the fact that “though the men we know often left plenty to be desired, at least in their company we had a little respite from thethe grosser indignities”, the sort of superiority her “big boss” uncle exudes in his treatment of his plump blonde wife. He is, she recognizes, implacably “the enemy”. “What’s love? Being a sucker, I suppose” (p. 63), Nora asks and, wryly, replies. Quoted out of context the remark may look portentously I8 — March[...] |
| theme—stating, but in the pattern of her life, with and, more often, without Javo, and of the lives of the loosely knit group of friends, it is a constant preoccupation. It is also a question—and—answer that points to one of the ways in which the narrative is held together. The women in the novel are looking for a tenderness and kindness in their re[...]r, through Nora, expresses a need for a mutuality of affection that precludes contracts but requires c[...]san Higgins and Jill Matthews have claimed that: Both novels are unobtrusively shaped by a critical examination of the way such cultural norms as the entrapment of women in domesticity and the attraction of romantic love are deeply internalized, and this makes it legitimate[...]st.‘ As far as Nora is concerned, she is aware of the possibilities of “entrap- ment” and is, indeed, firmly entrapped by her role as mother and lover. Despite the casual junketing around (e.g., to Tasmania, to Sy[...]ll as on lesser expeditions), she is always aware of Gracie’s needs as a pressure upon her. And while ostensibly resisting the notions of “romantic love” and what it implies for the woman involved, she also longs for some ofare you?”, Nora “knew what she meant and could not control a grin ofthe next page, she shows an awareness of what it means: People like Javo need people like[...]by children’s needs, I stare longingly outwards at his rootlessness. She is genuinely attracted to the drifting life but is equally aware of her “entrapment”. Much later, having arrived in Sydney at 6 a.m. with “Javo foul—tempered again, Gracie[...]is not easy for Nora; as Barbara Giles, reviewing the novel, claims, Nora “is caught, as fast as Javo[...]y her addiction is love”2. In its grip, despite the feminist ideology which elsewheroe offers her a good deal of comfort and practical support, she is, as Giles goes on to say, “caught in the usual feminine bind, of responsibility for bringing up a child, of love which makes demands on her”. The men she knows, including the ones she sleeps with, do not make the demean- ing demands on her that conventional monogamy may, but the monkey grip of passionate need is no less inescapable for that.[...]he will not sometimes be “used” by him. None of the other women, despite the warmth of sisterhood, is any better placed than she is. The book seems to me honest about the gains and losses in the feminist approach to love and sex. The way they persevere with their lives, trying to square their ideology with the often chilling facts of “love habit”, is done with enough humour and percep- tion to make one bear with some of Garner’s sloppier narrative habits. Certainly there is enough of both to make one feel the unfairness of Ronald Conway’s characterization of “all this sweltering narcissism dolled up as group fellow-feeling“, and to make the present writer mildly ashamed of having once described it as an “almost ostenta-[...]nding” as Veronica Schwarz d0es5, I think there are now more things holding it together than I at first supposed. And the way the women grapple with the ideas of love and friendship and sex (the grappling is not limited to Nora) is one of these elements which help to provide a narrative[...]t. So, too, is Garner’s meticulous re-creation of the milieu in which the novel’s lives are lived. The physical scene of the inner suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy, with a variety of overcrowded, sometimes lonely houses, the swimming baths, cafes and bars, is not there in the sense in which landscape is in a Thomas Hardy novel: that is, a presence having something like a life of its own. It is a cliche to speak of Egdon Heath in Return of the Native as being almost a character in the novel. That is not the way Garner uses the setting. It is there all right, in casual, exact noting of streets and shops (like Myer or Readings Book Sho[...]ief but telling references to doing “four loads of washing at the laundromat”, to walking dully past the kid’s adventure playground, across the car park, and up the broken stairs to the series of empty rooms over the Italian grocery, where [Javo] had a mattress in a corner and a heap of things he called his. (p. 44) The references both specify a real place_and indicate bits _of personal landscape. Garner has said in an intervi[...]always does, began /0 heave and cliange. ” Nora at the pool. what you find in nineteenth century Russian writers, a certain use of detail and description”", and she goes on to suggest how this certain use renders the detail organic rather than merely scene-setting. ln Monkey Grip, the firmly established sense of place, and the cultural life that goes with it, provides a network that catches up the semi—nomadic tribe that peoples the book, and both shapes and gives them something to respond to. It could not have been done by someone who did not know the life at first-hand; it is not a matter of research, but of living and understand- ing what holds these people tenuously but tenaciously together. The acutely rendered ambience is of course as much a matter of time as of place, and time is felt in several ways. The changing seasons, too glib a metaphor for what is going on in the human lives, are therefore not used as a metaphor but as an agent[...]by haphazardly and their unpredictability is felt the more strongly against the sharp, sensuous noting of the year’s moving from summer to summer. But time isn’t just nature: the novel’s period is placed in refer- ences to sin[...]and Skyhooks, to films like Dog Day Afternoon and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, to the Aus- tralian Labor Party’s being “done like a[...]to watch Shoulder to Shoulder on TV” (p. 174). The cultural climate of Nora’s world embraces fringe theatre and film—making (Nora works all night on a “junk movie”), the Melbourne Film Festival, Rolling Stone, and endless novel-reading. The titles of her reading include lean Rhys’ After Leaving Mr McKenzie, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (coinciding with the film version released in 1975), Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, and, at the end, significantly perhaps, Washington Square which finishes with Henry James’ heroine accepting the loss ofat this stage of Nora’s life; it is even nicer not to make it (or Nina Bawden’s A Woman ofMy Age) the novel’s last reference but to whip Nora into To the Lighthouse instead. If there is, however, a thema[...]tendency towards novels about women in situations of entrapment, but Christie and Tolstoy remove the element of potential schematism. There used to CI[...] |
| [...]examination question asking students to consider the pro- position that “In a good novel, setting is never merely a matter of back- ground.” On this criterion, Monkey Grip i[...]ome longueurs, it is extremely sharp in evoking a time and a place, so sharp and sustained that ambience becomes an important narrative element. Ambience is of course one of the areas in which a film ought to have least trouble in the enterprise of adaptation from a novel. Ken Cameron, whose first[...]se—en-scene replace Nora’s narrative voice in the novel. Further, by retaining a good deal of the novel’s “metalanguage” in Nora’s voice-over, he achieves an often startling replication of the feel and tone of the novel. The film’s opening few minutes show both strategies in action. In a series of deft strokes, Cameron sketches in an impression of the real pre—Javo happiness in Nora’s life, in an audio-visual equivalent of the novel’s opening paragraph which presents a warm breakfast (“noise, and clashing of plates, and people chewing with their mouths open, and talking, and laughing. Oh, I was happy then”). The film arrives at the breakfast table only after several other signific[...]dually shimmers into life with an underwater shot of legs swimming in a chlorinated pool; these — or other — legs are then seen cycling through suburban streets; there is a cut back to the pool; and then the camera moves in the breakfast scene with people snatching at bacon and eggs. But if these images suggest cheerful casualness, the voice-over is suggesting something else: “Looki[...]plunged in when you thought you were only testing the water with your toe.” The tension established between aural and visual means here is an example of the cinema working very economically. The pool, the cycling, the breakfast table are part of the shifting communal life of inner suburban Melbourne; the voice-over anticipates what is going on in it for Nora and Javo. It is a tighter, subtler start than the novel’s which follows its opening paragraph wit[...]as it always does, began to heave and change.” The film makes its meaning more unobtrusively, the mise-en-scene and the voice-over working contrapuntally as it were. Even during my dissatisfied first reading of the novel, it seemed to me that Monkey Grip had disti[...]e. Unclamorously but surely they have put on film the novel’s small world of inner suburban streets and shops, recording studi[...]those 20 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS aspects of Carlton that the National Trust isn’t interested in preserving or that the developers haven’t developed. No other Australian film has caught so well this faintly seedy aspect of Melbourne — of city — life, nor in placing it in the lives lived there. The film’s direction and screen- play offer a wry, sympathetically divided view of the characters’ emotional lives, offering a parallel to the novel’s sometimes painful apprehension of the gap between the ideology and the reality. The film balances a clear sense of rootless, itinerant camaraderie (less strongly feminist than in the novel), stressing the supportive aspect of its drifting, non-nuclear households against the emotionally draining, unfulfilling relationships of people who feel able to come and go at will. Sandra Hall, in a perceptive review of the film, has said: [Cameron’s] characters are continually testing one another in love affairs and friendships, every relationship is a new challenge, yet the mood is understated. People move in and out of one another’s lives without cere- mony and with as little explanation as possible.7 The film catches authentically the committed casualness and the longing the women feel for something more and does so with a greater succinctness than the novel can. One suspects that Garner, co—author of the screenplay, must approve of the tightening up (without needless spelling out) of this shaping thematic interest. Nora’s apparen[...]ng more dependable. Her voice-over may say “All the splinters of my life fitted together again” when Javo (Colin[...]eeds that it becomes clear how inadequate to them are the uncommitted relationships in which they mostly find themselves. The endless talk along the lines of “I love you, but I can’t handle it”, or “[...]thing”, strikes again and again authentic notes of unhappiness and banality. Despite my phrase “endless talk”, the film really works very selectively in creating this impression: it reduces the number of shadowy characters from the novel and, inevitably, those that are left are fleshed out by the mere presence of actors. Whereas in the novel the discussions about love and sex are between Nora and any one of many (deliberately?) undefined women, and some men, the film by putting faces to these names forces the audience to identify them. In my view, the emotional content of the film is sharpened by the selectiveness and by the use of actresses as distinct from each other as Lisa Pee[...]o seem like a monotonously long-playing record in the novel gets a spike of individuality from the acting in the film. |
| [...]his musical director (Bruce Smeaton) in creating the mise—en—scene for these cheerful, painful, uncertain lives, he has been even more so in the casting of Noni Hazlehurst. Through her performance, Nora’[...]a too—healthy-looking Colin Friels) is not just the source of a series of episodes but the shaping force of the film. She has, to start with, just the face for Nora: mobile, intelligent, embattled, vulnerable, with accesses of warmth and humour, and a mouth that can also turn down moodily. She clearly belongs to the scenes in which she is presented: in the office of the women’s paper, all flagons, posters, and tank—tops; in the house she shares with Rita until the strain of guarding her from Javo proves too great; in a beautifully composed and lit scene in which she works at her desk in a pool of light, while Javo sprawls on the bed. Hazlehurst and Cameron have worked successfully to make Nora’s emotional progress the motivating factor for everything else in the film. It motivates, for instance, some of the film's most kindly and good- natured scenes: thos[...]er daughter Gracie (age raised several years from the novel, to about ten or eleven). Gracie (Helen Gar[...]does know what’s what. When Nora asks her, out of little‘ more than idle curiosity, “What do you feel about Javo?”, she s'ays “You should[...]icult question. This is a very compressed version of a fine short scene in the novel (p. 102) and it works with beautiful directness. Gracie’s clarity of vision contrasts with Nora’s emotional messiness at this point. The film underlines how unlikely Nora is to be guided by advice, however sound, by having her rail at Javo in the next scene when he comes back stoned, having forgotten that he was due to take Gracie out. The film, by this juxtaposition, sharpens one’s sense of the emotional disorderliness of Nora’s life. And one of the sweetest moments in the film shows Nora and Gracie, companionable and relaxed with each other on the Manly ferry at night, after Javo has left. The feeling between mother and daughter has been esta[...]ail that Nora’s final com- ment on it — about the pleasure and pain of seeing one’s child “taking off” —— reso[...]one before. There is some- times an amusing sense of Gracie’s being calmer and older than Nora, Nora and Javo, as it sometimes can be. but the director does not let this develop into a cliche[...]r has also been made plain. It must be said that the film’s greater sharpness and tightness do not always work in its favour. It is one thing fo[...]r long with his restlessness, his violent changes of mood” as she cycles past suburban fences. A com[...]er, dramatize — even if it does encapsulate — the experience of a long—drawn—out, difficult relationship in which the rest- lessness and violent changes of mood are enacted in a succession of incidents. The hundred minutes the film lasts as opposed to the much greater time it takes to read the book removes a lot of the tedium of the original; but the inevitable pruning necessarily dissipates some of the monotony that is also part ofthe book’s meaning. An affair like Nora’s with Javo produces long periods of disappointment, loneliness and aching need between the spells of well-being and happiness. The film, by tidying up the novel’s narrative procedures, runs less risk of boring its audience but, in doing so, cannot help losing some of the specific kinds of pain that the more discursive form of the novel allows the reader to register. 1 am not making a point about “faithfulness” to the original; merely adverting to what has happened in the transposition. One has to accept, in statement in the film, what the novel in its more leisurely way can impress upon one through repetition. Clearly, there are gains and losses for each. The cinema, the medium less susceptible to the reflective mode, is no doubt wise to engage in the subtle modification of a narrative which even its original form, the novel, perhaps allows its central character, let[...]lection than is wise. When reviewing Monkey Grip at the time of its release, 1 finished by saying that “it has[...]thout succumbing to either.” Now I am less sure of this. It seems to me that comments like the one quoted above, or Nora’s voice-over saying, “Naturally I remembered the good and lovable things about him [Javo], not the drugs and resentment”, have more of a summarizing than a dramatizing function. In spite of their often retaining Garner’s original words, the very selectivity with which they are chosen for the screenplay is an admission that film cannot cope as a novel can with the sustained inner play of thought. The feeling one has in reading the book of listening to a dramatic monologue, in which, as in a Browning poem like “The Bishop Orders His Tomb . . ." or “My Last Duchess”, everything is filtered through the consciousness of the protagonist-speaker, is missing. What Javo and Gracie, Angela, Martin and the others are like, or what the city itself feels like, are no longer a matter of an individual’s subjective impression. They inevitably take on an objective life of their own". One can no longer be sure of seeing them just as they appeared to Nora because there they are, with their own physical presences, the latter making as much claim on attention as Nora’s perception of them. What has happened in the transposition of Garner’s novel to the screen is that, while the original tone is largely maintained through the use of the voice-over (and aspects of the mise- en-scene), the process of thought remains elusive. In Chapter 1 [of Words and Images] it is suggested that rendering this process might well be one of the adaptor’s chief difficulties. Cameron’s film,[...]t is and based on a screenplay collaboration with the novel’s author, has not really found an answer to this. lf Sandra Hall is right in saying that “The challenge is to transport the novelist’s tone intact”, then Cameron must be[...]s a qualitatively different achievement from that of the novel. Notes 1. Susan Higgins and Jill Matthews, “For the Record: Feminist Publications in Australia Since[...], June 1978, p. 18. 6. Anne Chisholm, “A love of language“, The National Times, 4-10 January 1981, p. 31. 7. Sandra Hall, “Drifting along with a monkey on your back”, The Bulletin, 6 July 1982, p. 95. 8. This will, of course, be true of any first»person novel transferred to the screen; true, that is, in varying degrees according to how far the “l” character is a participant in or observer of the narrative, how far (s)he can be relied on. Nora s[...]tations or Nick Carroway in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In spite of the first-person narration, the characters of these two novels have an objective reality not to be felt in the shadowy lives of Garner’s characters. * v- “WP Fro[...] |
| Street Kids How was the project conceived? Chadwick: In a sense, Street Kids emerged from Do Not Pass G0, which looked at the plight of children from broken homes and bleak backgrounds who got busted by the police, caught up in the juvenile courts system and finally drifted into the welfare system, ending up in remand centres, etc. These kids were harmed by the bureaucratic process through which they went and their problems weren’t solved: they went back on the streets and it started all over again. The main feedback from the public about Do Not Pass G0 was how did the kids get into that situa- tion in the first place? What were their backgrounds? Do Not Pass G0 was never designed to answer those questions, but it threw up the question marks. So it was at that stage I decided that an important follow-up film would examine what was causing the breakdown in society that was leading to thou- sands of kids hitting the streets. That was where Street Kids was born. It should be added that Do Not Pass G0 was a dramatized docu- mentary. Stree[...]it was important not to dramatize but to examine the issues first hand. How did you develop your pro- ject? Chadwick: At that stage I met a Jesuit priest, Alex McDonald, who was possibly the only person in Melbourne then living on the streets with the kids and not ful- filling any bureaucratic role through a department. He would be on the streets of St Kilda every night, and the kids would come to him for assistance. It was through Alex that I was able, with writer Adrian Tame, to do our research, to try and under- stand what life on the streets was like for these kids. That research F[...]ight). Street Kids. went on for about 10 months, at which stage I brought in Leigh and Rob to direct the film. The film required that Leigh and Rob live on the streets with the kids. So they rented a room in a broken-down boar[...]them, to get to know them as a natural extension of living in the same environment. We generally made our first con- tact through intermediaries such as Alex. At the same time, the kids were sussing us out; they were suspicious of people with cameras because they had been ripped off in the past. Scott: We talked to hundreds of kids with diverse backgrounds from all over Melbo[...]ely found yourself talking to a kid who came from the suburb you were in. The kids in St Kilda come from everywhere. Tilson: I[...]ven get to talk to them in St Kilda, because they are in a much more precarious situa- tion. It was six[...]that it was important that this film not be like the various current affairs programs over the years, with their rather flippant and superficial look at sensational sub- ject matter, in which the kids got ripped off, and the public was duped. It was essential, as far as we were concerned, to make some- thing that put the issues within a wider perspective, that allowed the kids to tell their own story, and not just to dwell on the more sensa- tional aspects. In Street Kids you do see some of these more dramatic issues — heroin addiction, child prostitu- tion, drug abuse — but they are in the film because they are a part of the kids’ lifestyle, and part of the problem. However, these are just the symptoms of the deeper problem, which is that these kids have now[...]. And that is a pretty horrifying situation, born of a lot of different social factors. And the problem is getting bigger in every western city. Is one of these factors unemploy- ment? Chadwick: It is an exacerbating factor. But the cause is that there are so many pressures being brought to bear onfamilies in the 1980s that there is a breakdown in communication between the parents and the kids. It happens at all levels in society. Unemploy- ment just makes it worse. If the kids were to name the major issues, what do you think they would be? Scott: They all say, “I want more fuckin’ money”, but then don’t we all? The issue is deeper than that, and it is expressed mo[...]an in words. They feel outcast, they don’t feel at home, or there isn’t a home, or they can’t face the violence at home — incest and beatings, physical and mental. They live for the most part in incredible fear of something. Tilson: The kids don’t have a significant person to rely up[...]ved by; someone who would accept you for what you are, and |
| not for the sake of fitting you in to something else. Being homeless[...]g without a house or what- ever — that is, lack of shelter —— it is a symptom. The problem is: how did you get into that situation of being without shelter? This comes out in the section on Rohan. He seems to be the only one who has really found a way out — at least temporarily - through that significant other person you speak of . . . Tilson: That is why we put that segment in[...]ilm. But their lives aren’t all negative; there are positive things —— some sort of friendship, good times, whatever. I really hate the stigmatization that they are born no—hopers. I don’t believe that is true.[...]in many ways. Chadwick: We talked to many kids. The key kids who ended up in the film were those for whom the making of this film was extremely important. They were aware of the problems they might encounter if they spoke out, if the total reality of their life was shown. They were not only committed to the film, but it became probably the most important aspect of their lives at the time. It was the first oppor- tunity any of them ever had to tell their story. From that point of view they became almost working members of the production team. Tilson: The Steenbeck [editing machine] was in the boarding- house room we stayed in. If we had shot[...]ernight, picked up from Cinevex Laboratories down the road and shown back to them. Basically it was either good, bad, or shithouse. A lot of times they would say, “Oh, that was important to me, I want to do it again. I want it to get through and I blew it the first time.” Often we would have a lot of talking heads, and we would say, “This is becom[...]suggestions and we would talk them through. Then the kids would set it up to some extent, for instance telling the dealers it was okay that we were around. It took nine months to cut the film — Rob, Kent and myself, in collaboration with the kids. A lot of them would come and help out with their segment.[...]their seg- ment was an accurate representa- tion of what they felt was important to say. It meant a lot to the kids to get it across correctly. To us, it was mo[...]scene. It was a journey that we did and came out of. But for them it was cold reality. Chadwick: Thi[...]n, to spend three years on a project in which you are aiming for an hour and a half of film. We could do it only because Film Victoria agreed to finance it, and because a group of very dedicated people were pre- pared to spend that much time exclusively making the film. Tilson: Apart from our involve- ment with the St Kilda scene, and kids from other areas, we also spent a year going out one night a week to the Turana Youth Centre. Even though you make sure not to promise the kids things you can’t fulfil, so as not to let them down as they have been let down so many times in the past, you become very much a part of that reality, because it was just so much stronge[...]cted, middle—class environment. This experience of making the film dominates your whole thinking. I am thankful for the whole experience because it has shown me how important honest relation- ships are. On one level it was just like going overseas for[...]ur family and familiar surroundings. This raises the question of film as therapy. Did any of the kids benefit from the process? Chadwick: At the time that the film was being made, quite a few of the featured characters were benefiting very much, because it was the first time in their lives that people were treating them as[...]iety. If you watch those interviews, you can feel the kids thinking very deeply about what they are saying. This film gave them the chance to analyze themselves in a broader perspective. Tilson: At first, many of the kids saw themselves as being able to help other kids through the film, to communicate to their parents, or even just to do something interesting. But at some point they would turn around and say, “Hey[...]s. I’m doing it for me.” Chadwick: It worked both ways also. I had a fair idea in statistical terms what the problem was about: that there were 15,000 kids roaming the streets of Victoria, and that most of them were in Mel- bourne. But coming to grips with the situation and talking with those kids was certain[...]and I’m sure for Rob and Leigh as well. There are two or three relation- ships in the film, and one can say that at least those couples have each other . . . Chadwick: But remember that one of them says, “You can’t trust anybody. In some[...]’t even trust your own girl- friend.” So even the couples are vulnerable in that situation. They just don’t t[...]son with a reasonable family life cannot conceive of the situation that these kids are in. These kids just don’t know what it is like[...]th them, or to send them a Christmas present. All the little things that are ways of declaring love for one another in a family situation are just not part of their world anymore. Scott: It is interesting to[...]or spend Christmas together; there is some sense of community among some of them. But it is not the normal, family situation. Tilson: Another thing that comes through is the way they live from day to day, without any hope for a future. They can’t plan. When you ask them what are you doing tomorrow, they answer, “I don’t know.” That obviously affected the filming. We had to go Street Kids Street Ki[...]ck. along, sometimes not knowing what we were to do the next day. Being completely unscripted was quite freaky in a way: to a large extent it was up to the kids as to what we would be doing, and to what depth we would be taken. This affected the way we worked on a technical level as well. We ha[...]o-man crew with portable equipment. Also, as many of the kids sleep all day, are up all night and are all over the place, it meant that if we were to capture anything we needed a high-speed film stock we could use at any time. We used Fuji 250 ASA stock that proved capable of achieving usable pictures at 2000 ASA. We pushed one stop in processing and tw[...]ly anywhere. Scott: It was important for us that theof the synching of rushes. We didn’t use a shotgun microphone pointing at someone’s head, expecting them to be relaxed. I[...]s noise and used a flat plate microphone taped to the side of the Nagra, making sure we were close to what- ever was happening to be able to pick up the sound more effectively. Everyone loved to have their peek through the camera, too. In this respect, were you influ- en[...]umentaries? Chadwick: One thing that im- pressed the hell out of me was a series of black and white films made about 10 years ago in New York called The Police Tapes. The filmmakers went out on night patrols with the police, their cameras in the back of the car, not knowing what was to be encoun- te[...] |
| [...]n; Sam performs from King Lear; Brendan shuffles the cards for strip poker; Eva, in a flash-ba[...] |
| Four young people are trapped in the Sydney Opera House on the night World War 3 breaks out. One Night Sta[...]reen- play, for producer Richard Mason. Director of photography is T om Cowan. Right: Eva (Saskia Po[...]in an underground shelter. Below: Eva and Sharon are ‘chatted up’ by two Santa Clauses: Ton[...] |
| Simon Having directed three features and almost 150 hours of film and videotape drama for television, as well as many commercials, Simon Wincer is one of Australia’s most experienced directors. Wincer began his career at ABC-TV in Sydney before working in the theatre, then at Rediffusion and the BBC in London. He returned to Australia to direct[...]as executive pro- award for Innovative Technique at the 1979 Asian Film Festival; Harlequin, which follow[...]erseas; and Phar Lap, his most recent feature, is the second most successful Aus- tralian film in its h[...]ard-winning television series, including episodes of the highly-acclaimed Against Michael Edgley International and the new joint venture The Wind and The Sullivans. Other television work Wincer includes Cash and Company, Tandarra, Young Ramsay, The Lost Islands, Bailey ’s Bird, Chopper Squad, Ry[...]o produce feature films and television series for the Australian and international markets. Michael Edgley International co-presented The Man from Snowy River as its ducer. Phar Lap was[...]Wincer is executive producer) and Igor Auzins ’ The Coolan- gatta Gold. In the following interview, conducted by Scott Murray, Wincer talks about the success of Phar Lap, his role at between Hoyts and Edgley International. Phar Lap What attracted you to the story of Phar Lap? It is a rattling good yarn, a great story. It is also a part of the Australian consciousness. When the horse comes storming home in the Melbourne Cup there are very few people who don’t get a shiver up their spine. We have all listened to the radio on the first Tuesday of every November, and, when you know the animal up on the screen that wins the Cup, it is very moving. To what extent during the scripting and production did you feel bound by the facts? How much freedom did you allow yourself to[...]a good story? Nothing was invented. I came into the project at the first—draft stage and the first thing I did was to sit down with David Williamson [scriptwriter] and, after a couple of weeks, churn out another four drafts of the script. We had an excellent rapport, but he couldn’t believe how insistent I was in spending so much time with him. He’d had a few bad experi- ences work[...]is right, we don’t have to worry.” Actually, the biggest problem we had — when I say we I mean John Sexton [producer] too; he was the one who started the project and who was so passionate about it - with[...]hrow away. One can only show so many races and in the early draft we had far too many racing scenes. We had to decide how many to show, and what were the key, dramatic moments. What source did you use a[...]O . * X is Phar Lap, with a hoof injury, leads the race at Agua Caliente. Simon Wincer’s Phar Lap.[...] |
| [...]? ,4 '\ aw“ ‘ ' Melbourne Cup. Above: the Agua Caliente Casino, 1932. Phar Lap. John Se[...]by Michael Wilkin- son, a former journalist with The Sun [Melbourne]. It was published in 1980. Michael had long con- versations with David and John in the early days before I became involved. David also spent time with Tommy Woodcock [Phar Lap’s strapper and, later, trainer], and many of the scenes are almost verbatim as Tommy described them. Basically, we have been true to the story and the legend. Even old Tom reckons we got the charac- ters pretty right. What about in areas of specula- tion, such as the death of Phar Lap in the U.S. Did you find out new things? Not really. The day the horse died was a comedy of errors_. It was a bit as if you were standing next to the Queen and she collapsed in 30 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS front of you: what do you do? Everybody ran off to get opinions and so many autopsies were con- ducted it all got out of hand. No one will ever really know. You talk to f[...]re there and get five different answers. Some say the Americans poisoned it, others say the vet gave it the wrong dose, or it was sick, or they had been using an arsenic- based poisonous spray on fruit trees outside the stables. The Governor of California actually called an investigation because the affair was a huge embarrassment to the Americans. This horse had arrived from Aus- trali[...]ace and, 16 days later, was dead. Interestingly, the first guy who. carved the horse up was the Aus- tralian vet, a man named Nelson, played by Robert Grubb in the film. He adamantly swore that the lining of the horse’s stomach had been eaten away by an irritant Tap left: apprentices and strappers gather for meal time. Top right: "Cappy" and Harry Telford (Martin Vaughan) with the 1930 poison; in other words, Phar Lap had been got at. But the other vets didn’t agree. You spend considerable screen time on the rigging of the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups double. Did you ever fear this lengthy episode would taint the audience’s response to Phar Lap? No. It is not the horse’s fault, but that of the people behind it. Why we concentrated so much on[...]most a film in itself — is that it demonstrated the behind—the-scenes power struggles. It was just sheer greed. During the two weeks of the Melbourne Cup period, Phar Lap raced something li[...]ays, just because Harry Telford (Martin Vaughan), the trainer, needed money to keep Braeside going, and because the owner, Dave Davis (Ron Leibman), was only getting a small percentage of the winnings. I can’t remember the amount of money they won on that Caulfield and Melbourne Cups double but it was, in today’s terms, millions of dollars. The story of “Snowy River” is very much linked to the building of the Australian nation and the sort of people who were crucial to the development. How do you see the story of “Phar Lap” relating to Australia as a nation? The aspect that fascinated me most was that an animal could become what we call “a hero to a nation”. We are looking at pre- Depression and then Depression Australia and, suddenly, amongst all the problems there was this symbol of hope. The mob would trudge out to Flemington and put a bob on Phar Lap — and that would pay for their dinner. The horse became an extraordinary icon, as many of Australia’s sport- ing figures have become, but Phar Lap even more so. I have a beautiful piece of prose that a young girl wrote and sent us some years ago. She tried to analyze why a photo of this horse was on the family mantelpiece and what it meant to her father. It is the most moving piece. In her father’s case, she regards Phar Lap as a stable entity emerging from the insecurities of the times; a horse that kept on winning; it was somet[...]veryone looked up to and loved. So, it is a part of our history but it stirs you for different reason[...]what we already know. In many ways, Phar Lap is the classic Aussie battler . . . Yes, he triumphs, despite the odds. Good wins over evil, when no one thought he was any good in the first place. One critic‘ has already dr[...] |
| [...]llels between “Phar Lap” and “Gandhi”: in both the heroes die at the start; each, through their rise to fame, helps al[...]an troubles, by giving hope and encouragement for the future, is what defeats them at the end . . . It is the same with all great figures in history. It is Greek tragedy. The first thing I felt when I read the script was that Phar Lap was so great he was destined to die tragic- ally. I then wrote down a list of all the people whose lives paralleled this: Jesus Christ,[...]and on. “Phar Lap” is unusual for its number of emotional climaxes. There are five or six points where the audience is invited to shed a tear . . . All those elements were inherent to the story because that is the way it happened. However, we did choose to put the death of the horse at the beginning of the film because we felt that otherwise an Australian audience would spend the whole film waiting for it to happen. In the U.S., we are experiment- ing with putting the death at the end. The first sneak preview was on January 28 and seemed[...]es there really don’t know about Phar Lap; they are not conditioned to the legend. The other emotional climaxes in the film are to do with the actual story. There is the triumph of the 1930 Melbourne Cup, after they tried to knock the horse off and it only just made the course in time. The next year the horse lost, but by then you are in love with the horse and it seems that everybody else is against it. Something of which David Williamson, John Sexton and I were aware was how the Agua Caliente win had to top everything else emotionally. I think it suc- ceeds because the horse really shouldn’t have raced with the injury to its hoof. A lot of people thought that was invented for the film, but it is exactly what happened. The horse broke down in the middle of the race and some- how its big heart dragged it across the line. That is very emotional. How did you cast the Americans in the film? We found all the bit parts here, because there are enough local resident American actors now in Australia. Ron Leibman we found in the U.S. He is stunning in the film and was an absolute delight to work with. He[...]Ron always wants to play a scene totally against the way it was written; he is an absolute ball of energy. Australia has rarely produced name stars[...]rominence with his role in “Snowy River”? In the case of Phar Lap, no. When I became director, Tom Bur- li[...]me was thrown up. I initially rejected it because of the Snowy River connection. I was anxious to find som[...], particularly horses. We screen tested a number of people and none of them was right so I said to David Williamson, who[...]to go along. When he did, David said, “God, why are we bothering to look at all these other people? Tom’s absolutely perfect.” That was the swaying vote. Was your reservation that Burlin-[...]on would, in people’s eyes, cloud his portrayal of Woodcock? Exactly. But I don’t think that is the case at all. “Phar Lap” is billed as the most expensive film made in Australia. Why was it[...]e? It goes back to those taxation incentives’. The film had to finish shooting before Christmas to enable us to complete the post- production by the end of June. I saw the first print of the film on June 24 last year; that shows how tight it was. The post-production was huge and the soundtrack mind—boggling. It took five weeks to mix, and, at one stage, there were five sound editors working[...]r Lap” been? Locally, it has rentals in excess of $4.2 million, a gross of around $10.2 million. It has been seen by about t[...]ople and is still running. Hoyts predicts it will do finally about $5 million in rentals. 2. Prior to the recent changes to the Taxa- tion Act, to receive maximum benefits a film had to be financed, filmed and completed in the one financial year. A stableboy (Ross O’Donova[...]return- ing about $8 million in rentals. E.T. is the highest grossing film in Australia, followed by Snowy River. Hoyts told me that Return of the Jedi is probably not even going to match Snowy, so the market seems to have changed con- siderably in the past year with the influence of video and so forth. So Phar Lap is going to end up as the No. 2 Australian film of all time; it certainly won’t pass Snowy River. Terry Jackman and Jona- thon Chissick [of Hoyts] both say that they don’t think any other Australian film will be capable of doing Snowy business. Phar Lap is a little disappointing in that it failed to attract the main audience, which is the 14 to 22 year-olds. We got them for a while but really it was the older generation that went to see it. The film didn’t seem to present any appeal to that[...]ce they went along they really enjoyed it. Snowy, of course, managed to capture that audience. Why do you think “Snowy River” attracted that section of the market but “Phar Lap” didn’t? Terry Jackman and I were dis- cussing this the other night and we think the romantic appeal of Snowy could be one of the things that helped capture that market. Phar Lap[...]Laughs] Sorry George! Were you tempted to expand the romantic relationship in “Phar Lap”? No, because the story didn’t allow room for it. The focus all the time is on the horse first, then thethe U.S., it is being handled by 20th Century-Fox; it will have a major release, although the initial release will be handled in a small way. F[...]s to be started slowly and then widened. Outside the U.S., it is being handled by Bobbie Meyers, of Robert Meyers International. He is a very good, i[...]ng territory by territory sales. He will be using the American Film Market as his main push. The Snowy foreign release, outside of the U.S., wasn’t as suc- cessful as hoped, s[...] |
| The growth of the mini-series phenomenon over the past 14 years has contributed greatly to the revitalization of the film and television industry in the West. The form has drawn huge audiences on a regular basis[...]limitations and applications become established. The term “mini-series” has been used to label eve[...]tures with long inter- missions) to 26-hour sagas of daunting and exhausting proportions. The degree of con- fusion that exists as to what the format consti- tutes exactly is partly attributable to the fact that the term has a “special event” draw—power and c[...]y in pre-release network publicity. Essentially, the mini-series is a limited—run series of two or more episodes (but usually less than the 13-episode block favored by series pro- ducers), whose narrative is developed over the block and resolved in the last episode.‘ Unless it comprises an anthology of work or is an episodic documentary, the individual episodes of the body of the program do not present a major resolution of narrative development but have a dénouement similar to that used in the serial episode. Traditionally, a mini-series is shot on film to achieve the picture quality suitable for its “special event[...]consecutive nights or in weekly instalments. 1. The Australian government specifies that for tax purp[...]. 32 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS Antecedents The mini-series format is peculiar to television. Although it is an amalgam of a number of formats, it has no direct precedent in films or broadcasting. It draws historical antecedents from the series, serial and feature forms in cinema, as we[...]nter- parts in television, but also owes a lot to the genre of the epic. The film series and serials that became so popular in the 1910s were themselves spin—offs from another medium, that of the popular newspaper and magazine serializations of the 19th Century. Cinema added an extra dimen- sion which, by the early 1930s, had created a devoted following around the world. Their huge success demonstrated that stron[...]nces to return repeatedly to a continuing story. The demise of serial and series production occurred with the introduction of radio and television. People found entertainment in their homes and, as cinemas drained, the studios concentrated on enticing patrons to them again with gimmicks such as 3D and Cinemascope. By the mid—1950s, the large—scale production of film series and serials had ceased. The one form that could continue to attract the numbers was the epic. From D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915) through to Gone with the Wind (1939), Ben Hur (1959), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and so on, the epic has successfully proved that productions of massive scale can draw audiences of similar proportions. The form established the precedent for special event viewing upon which the mini-series would later draw. Ewan Burnett Television, at least for the first 30 years of its history, had no need of “special event” tele- vision epics. The novelty value was still very high and cheaply produced serials and series were the bulk stock for years. When not pro- ducing sports[...]forms borrowed from film. However, then as now, the serial and series presented quality problems. The episode—to— episode character and plot development of the serial generally overstretched its material; devices of tension developed in .film serials became familia[...]b—plots, overacting and plastic emotions tested the patience of maturing audiences. The series, though allowing for tighter dramatic narrative construction, wrestled with the danger of becoming blandly predictable. The necessity of returning the characters and plot to an unaltering, neutral base at the end of each episode resulted in the formulae for plot development becoming as cliched as they did in serials. The aim for the success of a series rested on little more than the protagonist’s ability to perform his function with style and flair, and the unusual nature of the circumstances in which he did it. The one-off drama became a programming necessity to revitalize schedules. The “made for television” feature film dates back to the early 1950s when Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett and other furry creatures began appearing in homes. By the mid-1960s the format had evolved into an important element of drama entertainment and had become an established part of television. The audience could watch a one-off feature in[...] |
| do so. Even though television films were made on lower budgets than those for cinema, the show had been made specifically for the privileged home audience. One did not have to suffer tribulations such as losing half a two- shot in the transfer from the large to small screen. One could also escape the escalating cost of the cinema ticket. As with those other “special ev[...]derived from Broadway shows, novels and variety, the tele-feature enjoyed enormous success but could not bring itself to transcend the standard 90-minute or two-hour duration. It appears the passive home audience was not credited with the concentration span or patience to sit through three hours of con- tinuous drama. Thus it suffered the same limitation as the cinema release: the constraint of a limited time slot and the inability to develop more than one thread of a narrative to any depth. A precedent had to be set to prove the viability of the long- form drama. The Inception of the Format This came with the BBC’s production and broadcast, in the northern spring of 1969, of Sir Kenneth Clark’s documentary mini—series, Civilization. This 13-part program dealt with the development of civilization in Western Europe and was the first of four, very success- ful documentary mini—series produced by the BBC. It was followed by Alistair Cooke’s America (1972), Jacob Bronowski’s The Ascent of Man (1973) and John Kenneth Galbraith’s The Age of Uncertainty (1977), which con- solidated the successful use of the mini-series format to provide concise documentary perspectives on huge topics. The precedent for drama mini—series was also set by the BBC. The process that made “Based on the novel by . . .” a regular credit was estab- lished in 1969 when the BBC produced The F orsyte Saga based on several novels by John Gal[...]s 26-part, limited-run series finally allowed for the television novelization of popular literary material and its success proved that audiences relished the depth of charac- terization and plot development that this format allowed. The BBC documentary mini—series The F orsyte Saga and the dramatized documen- taries The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and Elizabeth R (1971) were the inception and proof of the format. In the U.S., these shows were presented on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), whose tenure it was to screen material outside the definition of commercial television. Presented through Alistair Cooke’s Master- piece Theatre, the enormous popularity of these shows demonstrated the potential of the format to the commercial networks. The popularization of the format in the U.S. was also attributable to the re—run issue. Research had shown that re-runs of series were often almost as popular as the original screening. Programmers countered criticism of using re-runs, saying that they could not afford to produce constantly a high proportion of first-run material. To do so they would have to produce more of the cheaper game and variety shows and increase production in foreign countries where costs were lower. The foreign mini—series therefore became attractive as a special event or fill—in. But the British had a practice of producing only as many programs as could be produced well. So, considering the obvious popularity of the material aired on PBS, the escalation of American mini—series production became inevitable. QB VII, Rich Man, Poor Man and The Blue Night were three American-produced successes in the early 1970s that continued the gradual exploration of the format. The NBC set out to exploit these successes on a regular basis, but in doing so robbed the form of its special event attractiveness. In 1976, the NBC produced a weekly program called Best Sellers. The intention was to prevent the format from becoming bogged down in period pieces[...]or soap- opera fiction, with intrigue and lust as the key elements. The resulting programs, produced at Uni- versal, such as Captains and Kings and Seventh Avenue, though rating consistently, did not achieve the excellent ratings of Upton Sinclair’s The Moneymovers. This mini-series, though made to the same formula, did very well on NBC’s The Big Event program. Best Sellers was therefore dropped and the status of the mini- series as a special event drawcard was affirmed and consolidated. Then in 1977 came the big event. The American ABC took an enormous gamble by programmi[...]docudrama’ Roots over eight consecutive nights. The gamble paid off and the program made television history. It became the most popular television event ever, attracting a rating of 45, or 66 per cent of the possible audience numbers. It received 37 Emmy nominations and created a euphoria in the American industry that lasted for years. A ustra[...]n which, though not rating as highly as it did in the U.S. (35 rating), certainly opened the eyes of local programmers to the potential of the mini—series. Australia was indeed in a fortuna[...]at had been proven successful in its home ground. The kind of reaction that kept restaurants around Australia e[...]anticipated and so pro- grammed for accordingly. Of course, this did not always hold true, as the only minor success of the flatulent Winds of War (1983) demonstrated. The availability of quality foreign production placed enormous pressure on the local product to match the overseas standard on a fraction of the budget. In the days before the tax incentive for film investment, Ian Jones and Bronwyn Binns had valiantly produced Against the Wind (1978) on a shoe—string. At $75,000 an hour it was by no means expensive by international standards, reflecting the fact that an Australian mini—series was an untr[...]Channel 7 believed in it strongly enough to take the gamble and the show’s success rating, which increased from 38 for the first episode to 50 for the final one, established that a strong local market did indeed exist for the indigenous product. The performance of A Town like Alice in 1979 on the international market proved that this success could be taken further afield. Produced by Henry Crawford at the then huge sum of $225,000 an hour, this show was awarded an Emmy i[...]on prizes in Banff and New York, and was cited by the British broadcasting critics as the “best imported drama in 1982”. [Mini-series V, ’i ,7 Top: hidcshead Revisited. Above: Against the Wind. Below: A Town Like Alice. |
| Mini-series Days of Hope: "social history in theThe Success of the Mini-series Internationally, programmers were looking to quality television to satisfy the growing sophistication and maturation of audience tastes. For many reasons the mini-series had greater scope for this quality and, although ratings do not always directly reflect the quality of programs, well-produced mini-series were good for ratings. These little numbers at the end of a weekly phone call from McNair Anderson in Australia, or Nielsen in the U.S., are the yardstick by which a program is judged. Often mal[...]y by television executives when unfavorable, they are pursued religiously and their admirable accuracy[...]pen- sive champagne when favorable. Few networks are in the privileged position of the BBC or PBS which, because of the nature of their funding, are not inextricably tied into the pursuit of these numbers. They are able to pursue quality, wherever possible, for the sake of quality alone. For those unfortunates pursuing the dollar return, however, the mini-series is special event television that is u[...]major sponsorship and brightens a dull schedule. The pursuit of quality is even reflected in the production set-up from which these projects are usually undertaken. The mini-series format, which has attracted the likes of Crawford Pro- ductions and McElroy and McElroy aw[...]y set-up specifically for that purpose. This type of independent structure relies on the use of experienced freelance crews chosen for their prov[...]and, while ensuring a creative contribution from the crew, it keeps overheads to a minimum and maximizes pro- duction value on the available budget. The series and serial are locked into network or production-house schedules that often dictate compromises to keep the show on the road. Tele-features and mini-series can achieve h[...]ht schedule, they need be released only when they are completed to the satisfaction of the producers. One of the major elements of quality in the mini-series is its ability to present, in novel f[...]social history. In doing so it allows for a depth of study not possible in other forms. It can tell a good story. The importance of the strength of this element was demonstrated in 1980 when Water Under the Bridge received disappointing ratings (24), despite a high degree of critical acclaim for its excellent performances and photo- graphy. The lack of strong characterizations and a tangible theme resulted in this mini-series settling down into melodrama of little pace where no expectation of resolution was fulfilled and where the characters became unlikeable in their unattractiveness. The similar ratings disappointments of The Last Outlaw and The Timeless Land in the same year created a degree of negative feeling toward the form in the Australian industry. All three shows were well received by the critics and overseas sales were forthcoming but in the local market the reaction was unfavorable. This served to identify further the necessity for a strong narrative in a format that presents itself as above the ordinary in television drama. Castleman and Podrazik, in their assessment of the success of Roots, identified the elements of success as: excellent writing, first rate acting[...]ict between good and evil and an up-beat ending? The longer format allows for complexity of character development without historic or dramatic compromise. It can expand on the single-thread construction available to the feature or series but can do so without having to pad the material ad infinitum, as is often the case with the serial. It can also construct a historical event and identify individuals within the framework of their cultural circumstances. The success of bio- graphical mini-series such as Jennie (I975), 2. Castleman and Podrazik, Watching TV: Four Decadm of American Television, McGraw Hill, New York, 1982. Oppenheimer (1980) and The Six Wives of Henry VIII is attributable to the ability of the mini-series to provide an in-depth investigation of the behaviour and motivations of noted individuals in their particular environments. This docudrama role has been used from the format’s inception and, though generally unexpl[...]ly to material with contemporary relevance. Among the topics dealt with in forthcoming Australian mini-series are the “Bodyline” cricket tests, the waterfront strike of the 19205, Eureka Stockade and the Japanese POW escape from Cowra. In this docudrama application, the mini- series has the ability to present concise but detailed perspectives on a social history that draws a degree of understanding from the huge proliferation of knowledge, sub-cultures and opinion that has characterized the technological age since the last war. The popularity of programs such as Roots and The Dismissal (1983) would tend to suggest the audience’s desire to extricate cohesive threads of under- standing from the information melee. So strong is the format’s ability to explore social history in the docudrama application that it will probably never[...]rcial television. Ken Loach’s mini-series, Days of Hope (1974), set out to investigate issues such a[...]hat conservative British institutions feared that the BBC had been infiltrated by leftist banner wavers. In Australia, the show was nervously screened by the ABC in a non—rating period. The drama and docudrama mini-series have the potential to transcend the role relegated to the series of endorsing the dominant political and social system. In contemporary series, the protagonist is usually identified by his social role as doctor, lawyer or policeman. The ills to which he addresses himself are generally repre- sented as maladies of individual psychologies rather than social ills.[...]ach episode to its biographical base, he disposes of the symptom but not the social circumstances that produced it. The mini-series does not have to return the protagonist to a safe, neutral base each episode and, therefore, can examine more than the surface functioning of social systems. It is interesting to note that the Australian government’s definition of the drama mini- series in its tax legislation amounts to an endorsement of the Hollywood narrative form wherein: . . . the key dramatic elements are introduced, developed and concluded so as to form a narrative structure (similar to that of a novel) which features a major continuous plot enhanced by minor plot and there is the expectation of an ending which resolves major plot tension} Thi[...]form inciting anything other than a “resolution of tensions”. One problem with the format’s use for the study of social history is the potential for the over-fictionalization of historic atrocities. Strongly identifiable demons are good for any form of entertainment and increasingly the hang-over from the ‘‘love’’ generation is dissipating as one[...]o polarize one’s emotions and enjoy with relish the continents of hate, lust and so on. Historical aberrations make[...]pes up as a favorite demon in rr1ini- series. But the danger is that sensationalist tele- vision could over-fictionalize an atrocity to the ::jj 3. From Special Income Tax Report[...] |
| [...]ust is remem- bered as “that moving mini-series of 1978” and the real atrocity is misplaced. However, when applied[...]piece shows originating from novels. These offer the attraction of being able to provide a point of view, which is usually that of the novelist, and the quality television which is often construed as spending heaps on sets, costumes and so on. But there are problems associated with the production of contem- porary mini-series that have resulted in the dearth of such shows. Except for notable excep- tions such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the most successful are those flamboyant Holly- wood extravaganzas which employ the soap and serial devices of sex, intrigue and wealth. The serious mini-series relies heavily on con- tinuity of dramatization and character develop- ment to hold the story together over an extended period. But when[...]his consistency runs into great difficulties. In the feature film, dramatic continuity is equally impo[...]m may develop a cohesive framework or singularity of vision attributable to particular creative sources and deriving its merit from this. The mini-series cannot afford this luxury. Due to the sheer volumeof material and work, it is common practice to employ several writers and directors. When the final reference for the script development and execution is the period novel, the creative team has a clearly defined and stated set of ethics, modes of behaviour and environments at sufficient historical dis- tance to act as a solid point of reference. With contemporary mini-series, however, the inter- pretation of recent modes of behaviour be- comes arbitrary and difficult to sustain from a proliferation of creative contributors. The onus for dramatic continuity thus falls back on the producer who, especially in Australia, is also fr[...]ne possible solution to this problem is to reduce the contemporary story to a peculiar, closed environment with interesting and unusual behaviour patterns. The subject and All the River: Run: another suocasful emlomtion of the past. it 1112 Dismissal.‘ Australian political history retold. treatment do not have to be epic in proportion. The circumstances and quality of the drama lend the mini-series its special event status by allowing the audience a privileged insight into a unique environment. Hollywood feels safer producing the likes of Aspen, Scruples and Moviola, which sell them- sel[...]1983) Australia has difficulty producing material of this epic, escapist nature because, basically, there is just not enough money to mount the scale of these productions and attempt, for instance, the obligatory wrecking of a fleet of vehicles in an urban landscape. A contemporary m[...]vironment, might not be able to sustain itself on the strength of its script. It therefore runs up against the expectation of more spectacular effects and adventure on the American scale which it might not be able to fulfil. The special event status has to be maintained, as such, on the level of the quality of the material and the quality of the pro- duction. Another possible solution to this difficulty of the format to handle contemporary material successful[...]production and directing talent to be drawn from the cinema industry where the discipline and integrity of story construction is of paramount importance. The return of such notable figures as David Williamson and Thomas Keneally to writing for the small screen would tend to give hope to tele- vision executives that the mini-series will stem the flow of writing talent from television to film. There wo[...]be a necessity, though potentially expensive, for the delinea- tion of creative producer/script editor/entre- preneur/ p[...]s a necessity for multiple directors and writers, the creative pro- ducer’s role must become stronger[...]nizations such as Crawford Productions can afford the luxury of an in-house marketing director and production supervisor working on a project from an early stage, the independent producer may have to perform all of these tasks at the same time as suffering the traumas of having his house and family in hock to make ends meet before the finance comes through. Programming The mini—series format has traps for the tele- vision programmer. One of the biggest problems is that, unlike the series, the episodes of the mini-series cannot be split for program- ming as re-runs. The show must occupy a set number of slots in a progression which, if not on subsequen[...]easons, ratings or fancy without major alienation of the audience. Even episodes made 10 years apart are programmed in the same week with success. . The performance of mini-series re-runs has not been extensively researched in Australia but, in the U.S., it has been shown that they do not do as well as the series. If the special event CINEMA PAPERS March-April — 35 |
| [...]rfront: Jack Thompson as Maxey. is successful the first time around it becomes less special the second time. Re-runs, therefore, are generally left until several years after the first screening to allow for a degree of turn-over in the audience. Perhaps the most dramatic flaw with the format is that the first episode has to do well on the night or the network is left holding a multiple-evening disaster. The format, because of the depth of its development, does not lend itself to having audiences join in mid—run even with recaps at the head of each episode. Networks generally rely on heavy promotion campaigns to sell the show. These often appear months before the program with fleeting and, supposedly enthralling, promises of the imminent arrival of the big event. These campaigns then progress with all manner of media promotion in an effort to have the viewer anxiously hanging off the end of his seat for the first episode. The network has to be sure of its material because, should the big event turn out to be a fizzer, there is a limit to how often they could cry wolf without depriving the mini—series of its attractiveness. But there have been few real[...]ould prove hard to follow. It was a year in which the local product fared very well with the outstand- ing critical and ratings success of The Dismissal and All the Rivers Run, and the ratings suc- cesses of For the Term of His Natural Life and Return to Eden. The Future This year seems set, however, to be at least as spectacular for the mini-series. Network 7 alone has nine mini-series programmed for the year. Several Australian shows await release incl[...]Weis. 36 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS In terms of production, other than the distinct possibility that the Burrowes Dixon production of The Anzacs will eventuate, several projects from established producers are in advanced stages of development or pre- production. Perhaps the most interesting event of 1984 will be the $7.3 million production by the South Australian Film Corporation of Rolf Boldre- wood’s Robbery Under Arms. This wi[...]ease by two years. Producer Jock Blair feels that both of these forms will be viable propositions and will provide a secure return on the investment which, at $750,000 an hour of television, places it well ahead of the current average of $600,000 an hour. This will be interesting because the use of the two formats for the same material has not proven successful for the two similar American ventures. For both Moses the Lawgiver (1975) and Shogun (1979) the feature film did poorly in the box-office, while the mini-series rated well on television. However, the enormous success of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II in the cinema guaranteed the subsequent success of the nine—hour mini—series, which was cut out of the two films and previously unused material, and scr[...]ogun in that additional material will be shot for the feature rather than culling it out from the mini—series. Given the proven inability of the mini—series to rate well in re—runs in the U.S., however, it will be interesting to see whether the audience, having seen the blockbuster in the cinema, will watch the same special event on television as soon as two years later. The success of the mini- series would also appear to be heavily dependent on the success of the film release. The ABC has had a couple of interesting, if low—budget, attempts at the mini—series format in recent years. 1915 (1982[...]ips: Kaarin Fairfax as Vinny. Gossips (1983) and The Scales of Justice (1983), though lacking the scale of production of other commercial projects, were popular because of the strength of their scripts and the intimate nature of their setting. However, Chris Muir, head of the ABC drama department, has indicated that the ABC will in future steer clear of the mini-series bally— hoo in favor of lower-budget one—offs which he feels allow more[...]For those involved in independent produc- tion, the current slump in the cable television market in the U.S. could prove disadvan- tageous to the local as well as the American industries. Home Box Office, the vast organiza- tion which pre-bought All the Rivers Run (1983) from Crawford Productions, is c[...]Henry Crawford sold his series Five Mile Creek to the Disney cable network, cable television would appear to be proving less of a bonanza than expected. The phenomenal growth of home video in the U.S. has hit hard at what was the scourge of network television several years ago. In the U.S., critics are hoping that the estab- lishment in the past five years of non—network, independent production companies, such as Operation Prime Time and Metromedia, will mean a trend toward material of more intro- spective drama appeal appearing in the tele- feature and mini-series formats. Network pr[...]etective and action adventure on one side and big-time, soap mini-series on the other. Serious drama, other than that on the popular Masterpiece Theatre, has all but been elimin- ated from American network programming as the frantic scramble to retain audiences in the light of home video and cable continues. Conclusion The mini-series has the capacity to be used for serious drama. The British established this in the early days of the format and it has been consolidated with a number of quality Aus- tralian, American and British mini-series. The major hurdle is to maintain the pace and consistency of the story development. A show that waffles on endlessly without the draw- cards of a brilliant script or, conversely, soap sensationalism is destined to the pile of mini- series flops that has grown in the wake of an otherwise successful history. Furthermore, the special event status must be maintained. A number of prominent critics and producers have expressed concern with the rush of people, many without much experience, announcing interest in capitalizing on the tax incentives and intending mini-series of their own. Established producers such as Henry Crawford fear that a proliferation of quickly- produced, badly—scripted, cheap mini-series will throw the format into disrepute and deprive it in future of its special event attractiveness. This is, indeed, a danger as the current popu- larity of the format has every man and his drover’s dog jumping on the bandwagon, much as in 1975 and 1981 when everyone was making feature films. One can only hope that the process of elimination by ratings trial that has established the successful parameters of the mini-series during the past 14 years will create the pressures from the cable and television pro- grammers for the continued and growing use of the format for quality television. iv Acknowle[...] |
| An interview with Susan Lambert about trying to do that within the adventure/thriller genre. But after much discussion we realized that the women should be concerned about something, so that the adven- ture/thriller stuff would have a firm foundation. We came up with the issue of reproductive engi- neering which we had been inter- ested in for a long time. It is a fabulously complicated moral issue, with which the medical and legal authorities are still grappling. Anyway, as we got further and further into the writing, the issue came more to the forefront and couldn’t be kept down, so we had[...](liH_1 bttéingta Susan Lambert ’s On Guard, in the style of a heist adventure, :l"§i°$:t$'r 0;’3:';‘n:'[...]tery Carnage). Shot on 16 mm and 51 minutes long, the film is a frank depiction of the women ’s sexuality and _th ‘d _ f emotional lives, and the complexity of their domestic respon- 0 In as a In I1 ~ - - - -[...]ties. Within its thriller format, On Guard raises the the time it was made, was not really ethical issue of biotechnology and its impact on women. 3VCl)‘ca[...]te In fact, that film had 501116 initial producer of On Guard). They include Ladies Rooms (also diffic[...]sed Doors (1980) and Age Before Beauty (1980). In the following What Sarah and I are interested in is getting new ideas across to peop[...]ur docu- mentaries, we have experimented because the dramatic sequences featured four nude women and,[...], this was considered to be very radical. For us, of course, it was essential that a film about body i[...]some bodies in it, but in 1978 you just didn’t do that in a documentary. Another film, Behind Clos[...]so on, and it is very accessible. With On Guard, the area we wanted to look at was women as activists. We wanted women to be seen on the screen as thinking, intelligent and active characters. The narrative drama suggested itself when we realized[...]ther could exercise almost total control in terms of what was said and who said it. We wanted to show[...]an Lambert, right, and actress Mystery Carnage an the set of On Guard. . S at a position. That was the hardest part. What is interesting is that it is[...]that has been bandied around or discussed within the women’s movement, or in larger political circle[...]fore it became an issue, and get people talking. Do you always work with Sarah Gibson? No, I made two films for the Health Commission through the New South Wales Film Corpora- tion, although it was our produc- tion company, Red Heart Pictures, that got the tender. Sarah has made another film too, Ailsa (1[...]and, when Sarah was offered a lecturing position at the New South Wales Institute of Technology, which she was keen to do, we reorganized the production. How did you get the idea for “On Guard”? CINEMA PAPERS Ma[...] |
| [...]d always wanted to make an adventure film, having both been addicted in childhood to the Perils of Pauline kind of literature, and that, combined with the frus- tration of never seeing strong, capable, active women on the screen, led us right to it. We wanted to make a heist movie and have the girls get away. That’s where it started. Sarah had been overseas and came back obsessed with the idea that paper money was becoming obsolete and that credit was the evil force taking over, so we started toying with that idea. That was three and a half years ago; the ideas metamorphosed, as they do. Where did you raise the finance for the film? We went to the Australian Film Commission with a treatment for a[...]“Rotten Motives, Twisted Passions”, which was the original story that became On Guard. We were rejected by the Creative Development Branch, but later got script money from the Women’s Film Fund. Do you think that is significant? Yes, very significant. The first assessors both came from the main- stream industry. They were feature film writers and they simply had no idea of what we, and others, were on about. A lot of people were dis- illusioned with this particular panel. The assessors had no idea about the films we had already made, or the context in which we worked, and our ideas just f[...]s. That whole assessment was a disaster for a lot of us. What did you do after getting the first-draft money from the Women’s Film Fund? We did several drafts and then we went back to the Creative Development Branch for produc- tion money, at which point we were rejected again. Do you know why? I think they thought that the script wasn’t ready. Was that appropriate? Lo[...]on it, I think it was. They were quite supportive of us in terms of being able to make the film, feeling that we were very visual and had achieved our aims in the past. But, they were reluctant to take the risk on that script. They were worried about the move into drama. It was a bit of a blow. It threw us right back into changing the dimensions of the script and what resulted was On Guard, a much mor[...]except that it had four main characters, instead of the usual one or two. So, with this new script, did[...]uncan as producer? No, Digby had been in it from the time we first approached the Women’s Film Fund. With the new , . ac § 5 Georgia (Mystery Carnage), Dian[...]-April CINEMA PAPERS On Guard script, we went to the Women’s Film Fund again and they supported the project with the first $20,000 and then we went back to the Creative Development Branch which came up with a[...]00. But we still had to raise another great chunk of money privately, which Digby did. We went into production in January 1983 and had raised the private money in the December prior to that. It was quite hair—raising at the time. You said that the first lot of assessors didn’t really understand what you were trying to do, or the area in which you worked. Was that because the script differed greatly from a traditional narra- tive? It was attempting to do that at the time. In the first script the main emphasis was a large gang of women as opposed to one or two, or even four, well-defined indivi- duals. It was also much more surreal in the sense that the heist they did was more ambitious and unbelievable, and it didn’t have the issue-related content that the final script had. There was none of the business about reproductive engin- eering. It was solely to do with notions of crime and who are criminals and who aren’t. One of the interesting things about the heist in “On Guard” is that it is quite domestic in flavor. The mechanics of the crime are so simply explained that the film almost works as a blueprint for a new kind of terrorism. Were you aiming for that? As soon as we started to break down the script, we had to come to terms with how they actually did it. In the earlier drafts, they had just sort of fluffed around with knobs and flashing lights, su[...]asn’t good enough. As we were wondering what to do about it, a friend of mine, Cristina Perincioli, who is a German filmmaker, wrote to us after reading the first script. She had picked up the same absence and suggested building into the story our relationship as film- makers, as well as the relationship of women to technology, and that started us off on a whole new period of research. We had to find out just how you would g[...]talk about, as you might imagine. Having arrived at a final script, how did you cast the film? Liddy Clark is quite well known and Kerry Dwyer is known for her theatre work but the others are more or less unknowns. Was there a reason for not[...]I — and we threw out a very wide net. We looked at professional actresses as well as women who hadn’t acted before, but who were familiar with the lifestyle portrayed in the film. Liddy was fabulous right from the |
| [...]as a risk, but well worth it, and I am sure it is the beginning of a lot more work in films for her. Mystery Carnage is the lead singer of a Sydney rock band, The Stray Dags, and she was the opposite in some ways to Liddy. She has no formal[...]ge that was very unstereo- typical, which was one of the things we were trying to present on the screen. That was quite important. What do you mean by unstereo- typical body language? What continually frustrated us in a lot of films is that every time women attempt to do anything active, they always seem to fluff it up because they are seen as physically incapable. They stumble running down the street; the simplest action is always too much. We wanted to work against that notion, not by making a big thing of it, but just to show that, if you train for it, y[...]eas about characters, what were you hoping for in the art direction and style of the film? The art direction was intended to be comic book in style, with lots of primary color followed right through into the lighting of the film. It was quite successful and I think the film does have a real comic strip feel to it, which sets it apart from most of the European heist movies which are all grey and brown. We wanted to reflect the Australian light. Do you think it is a particularly Australian film? Not so much in content, but certainly in light, color and the way people dress. How has “On Guard” been received overseas? It was selected for the London Film Festival and a lot of people were very excited about it because it made them feel optimistic. I think the humor had something to do with that. And they loved the fact that the women got away with it. It is a standard conventi[...]one responded to it and enjoyed it on that level. The same thing happened in Germany and Holland. In London, where I was able to attend the discussions after the film, the audience relationship to undress was the big controversy. There are some scenes in the film where the women are nude or partly nude and there was a debate about whether these scenes constituted a voyeuristic cinema. Some of the audience thought that the women were being set up for the male gaze and that men would get off on it, which was of course the last thing that we wanted. \\\$ \\ w»;:e§x~v’ é. / .4 In relation to the lesbian sexuality in the film, we spent a lot of time discussing the best way to shoot it because, although some mains[...]this in an ordinary way and not make an issue out of it. What we finally decided was to shoot the bedroom scene in one wide-shot and to have it quite highly lit and try as much as possible not to have bits of sheet covering up bits of body, but in fact to have the bodies completely exposed. At the time, they are lying in bed discussing what is the best Amelia (Liddy Clark) and Diana discuss the sabotage plans at the local swimming pool. On Guard. Diana and Georgia[...]guards during their mission. On Guard. method of wedging a door open, so it is not as though the scene was there for erotic stimulation. 1 will say this about the English though, they were quite surprised to see people walking around the house with just a towel around their waists. Appa[...]ot done in England! So, whereas I think that some of their criticisms are just, I also think that some of them just come down to whether or not you are familiar with people walking around half-naked at home —- and that is a function of climate as much as anything else, I suppose. Are you only interested in directing films that you write? At the moment, I would like to do more directing where I am not responsible for the whole film and for everything everyone says, so that I can actually concentrate on the craft of directing. Despite that, I am sure I will continue to make my own. At 51 minutes long, “On Guard” is quite short for a theatrical release. What are the plans for it? Ronin Films is the distributor and it has organized theatrical releases in four states, at the Academy in Sydney, the Carlton Moviehouse in Melbourne, the Classic in Adelaide and at the Elec- tric Shadows cinema in Canberra. The film will be billed with a selec- tion of Australian rock ’n’ roll clips and Toby Zoates’ new anima- tion, The Thief of Sydney, which will make a great program. The rock ’n’ roll clips are a great idea, I think, because On Guard has a very strong music track composed and played by the Stray Dags and produced by Celeste Howden,[...] |
| [...]0 KVA unit mounted on 4 wheel drive vehicles, for the film- ing of ’The Man from Snowy River’ — that's portable power[...]gzfwfiolbar oir brochure and price list and think of us when you next hear "Lights, action.[...] |
| [...]ERSARYSUPPLEMNT AAHISTORY or Scott Murray The first issue of a magazine called Cinema Papers was published by a group of under- graduates at La Trobe University in October 1967. The name was derived from Cahiers du Cinema which, by the mid-1960s, had become the bible of the French “new wave” cinema. The 25-page journal was run off on the roneo in the Glenn College office with the help of the college secretary, Kay Mathews (now at the Australian Film Commission in Melbourne). It was a low—budget operation with both paper and machine borrowed from the late Professor Whitehead, founding professor in E[...]ee Box 1], one obviously motivated by frustration at the lack of a meaningful and significant film industry in Australia in the mid-1960s. Edited by Philippe Mora, it included c[...]Mora and Howard Willis. Mora and Beilby had met at University High School in 1963. They shared an ob[...]m, and had also experimented with 8 mm filmmaking at artist Mirka Mora’s studio in Melbourne. After graduating in 1966, they enrolled at La T robe University, which opened that year. Sho[...]ety with Bishop, Willis and Mathews. Not only did the society show films, its com- mittee decided to make them; Bishop has described the resultant 16 mm shorts as “inter- esting avant—garde and undergraduate stuff”. The Film Society also decided to support financially a film journal: the aforementioned Cinema Papers. Unfortunately, it w[...]You Spare a Dime? (1974), Mad Dog Morgan (1975), The Beast GIN Within (1982) and The Return of Captain Invincible (1983). In 1968, Beilby left[...]hile Bishop continued with a degree in Sociology. The next year, Scott Murray arrived at La Trobe and began a Bach- elor of Science degree in pure maths. He joined the film society and wrote film reviews for the campus newspaper, Rabelais, which was then co-edi[...]67. .<’é<§7 » Editorial, 1967 We are thinking about cinema here in Mel- bourne, Australia. We are involved in cinema but we are working and thinking in a complete vacuum . . . There is not one champion of the cinema in Australia who has any courage or . inte[...]roduction Uninspired. Barely existent. Pathetic. The Commonwealth Film Unit does not rate. Nor do pseudo-underground films. Local television production pampers the idiotic mind. Let us hope (a hopeless hope) it is not indicative of the state of the Australian consciousness . . . - Local Criticism Uninspired, uninvolved, pathetic. Film criticism ’ (in The Australian, The Bulletin, Nation and University Film Group Public[...]ychophantic [sic] but always astonishingly devoid of sensitivity and intelli- gence . . . Cinema Is Now Cinema is now. It is a symptom of the Great Australian Sterility that cinema does not e[...]culous, how absurd, how puerile to have to scream at Aus- tralia. How ridiculous, how absurd, how puerile to be cast in the role of angry young men. We would rather be cynical, unidealistic, we would rather hate and destroy. Oh the joy and simplicity of crushing a few cretinous heads . . . And so we are brought to this. To scream in the dark for cinema. But we know in advance th[...] |
| A Personal History of Cinema Papers The Second Attempt 1967-70 Towards the end of 1969 there were rumblings of the re—emergence of a film industry in Aus- tralia. Beilby and Bishop[...]Papers restarted so that it could be a vital part of the development of that industry. They decided on a tabloid newspaper format for the magazine, and, with Demos Krouskos, formed Global Village Publications. The initial capital for the venture was $180, jointly con- tributed, and the first issue was released on October 24, 1969. Ke[...]ho had laid out and co- edited Rabelais, designed the new Cinema Papers; Murray wrote for the journal under his own name and the pen name, Stephen Kennett‘; and Mora became the London correspondent. Other contributors included[...]satirist Don Watson. No contributors were paid. The first issue contained an enthusiastic and if forward—looking editorial [see Box 2] which reflected the attitude of the editors. A lot of space was given to articles condemning the repressive censorship laws of the time and to others pressing the government for legislation to assist the financing of Australian film production. In 1969 things had not improved much for the Australian cinema and most of the editorial content was, ofthe unit photographer (l) on Ned Kelly; while Nos. 4[...]r’s “Australia Does Have a Film Heritage”. The first review of a mainstream Australian feature was Murray’s critique of Frank Brit- tain’s The Set (No. 6). The only other feature coverage was Bishop’s review of Phillip Adams and Brian Robinson’s Jack and Jill: a Post- 1. The use of pseudonyms reached the level of the bizarre with a letter published in Cinema Papers[...]Papers, via Stephen Kennett or some other member of its stable of undergraduate illiterates, is about to greet the impending release of I-lenning Carlson’s Hunger with yet another of the destructive and abjectly-written reviews which constitute the prime basis of your journal’s current notoriety. I find it hard to decide which prospect distresses me more: that of seeing another good film pitifully mis- interpreted and subjected to a level of criticism more suited to reviewing of Japanese monster movies; or that of wading through one more reckless and undis- ciplined assault on all the major qualities of the. English language. Yet there is a feeling of inevita- bility about it all: Cinema Papers, in many ways ‘an estimable magazine, seems incapable of doingjustice to the few really worthwhile films that come our way in this benighted corner of the world. While a minor work like Easy Rider can dra[...]rouskos, better films continue to fall victim to the erratic grammar and tortuous non—perceptions of the Stephen Kennetts or, worse still, to the down- right vilification of the John Tittensors (surely this latter is some kind of bizarre pseudonym) . . . Whence my closing plea: at least encourage your readers to see this film and[...]iminate destruction. Sincerely, Robert Linssen. The irony is that Linssen (actually John Tittensor) had read Scott Murray’s review of Hunger at lay-out stage and quickly penned a letter for the same issue. 42 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS 7 Cine[...]xamined by Beilby in issue No. 7, and by a report of the Producers and Directors Guild of Australia reprinted in issues No.9 and No. ll. The only film activity was in shorts and docu- mentar[...]orts. A major event was New Cinema ACT, a weekend of experimental films in Canberra organized by filmm[...]ou put your money into filmmaking? If you can’t do that, why don’t you import a few films that hav[...]yet? Those would be worthwhile contribu- tions to the contemporary film life in Australia} Most of the reaction was positive, however, and 11 issues of the tabloid Cinema Papers were printed. Each was 12 p[...]. A few copies were sold in London and New York. The journal unfortunately folded in 1970 after the eleventh issue (April 27, 1970), due to poor cash flow (the Sydney distributors had defaulted on payments sin[...]to break even (sales had reached 2000 per issue), the magazine was forced to close. 2. Cinema Pa[...]ou to explore Cinema Papers, to read and react to the thought and imagery that inhabit its pages. It is the start of what we hope will be a continuing excursion into the world around us. In this publication the serious will find stimulation; the dedicated . . . encourage- ment. To the light hearted —- pure enjoyment. To those bored with the cliches that surround communication Cinema Papers provides a new Point of Departure. It no longer surprises us that a polished steel surface at one million magnifications looks like a satellite photograph of the earth, or that a man, rather than an angel, is floating gracefully around the earth at orbital speed. We have swal- lowed ideas and imag[...]parents would have choked on. But if our old ways of thinking, seeing, communicating have become obsol[...]ays can become obsolete even more rapidly. Before the paint is dry on the protest poster, the issue has shifted —— so much has our rate of communication changed. One of the definitions of a work of art has been a creation in which form and content, medium and message are so inextricably blended as to become onething. Ea[...]our sur- roundings has arisen purposefully. After the first generation of electronic media had existed in atdlegree of isolation, a natural process of hybridization produced talking pictures, the newsreel, the radio-phono-graph and then the radio—stereo—phono-graph-television console, the videotape, the videophone and so on. There IS nothing here intended to be final or definitive; we are a point of |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Third Edition 1973-84 Despite Cinema Papers’ c[...]activities, while continuing studies or teaching. The first of these films was the political docu- mentary, Beginnings, made in 1970[...], Gordon Glenn (a La Trobe student who had worked at Crawford Productions) and Andrew Pecze (also at La Trobe). Then, in 1971, Beilby directed a docum[...]n June 1973, Mora returned to Australia to attend the Melbourne Film Festival to exhibit Swastika. He s[...]ed again. Beilby was now working as a film editor at the La Trobe University Media Centre (run by Dr Patri[...]ached Murray and Bishop to be fellow editors, but the latter declined} The major problem was finding the money to get the magazine up and running. The most likely source was the Film and Television Board (Radio was added later to the title), one of the seven boards of the then Australian Council for the Arts. A submission was prepared, which outlined the policy of the magazine as one of docu- menting the growth of the local film industry and disseminating information to aid this growth [see Box 3]. The aim was to cover the spectrum of cinema, from film history to reviews, production[...]in—depth interviews with people from all facets of the filmmaking process. In September, the Film and Television Board approved a grant of $10,000 for the first issue of what had been intended as a three-times-a- year publication. The Board instead requested it be quarterly. When the grant came through, Keith Robert- son was approached to do the lay-out. He agreed and went on to design every is[...]has been a frequent contributor. Application to the Film and Television Board The roots of an Australian Cinema have struck. Australia may v[...]e, original contributions to world cinema. It is the impressive, parallel development in the past few years of film production, film criti- cism, and film education that has laid the groundwork for this possibility. It is essential that these three developments do not now diverge, but rather that they continue to con- verge. What is needed is a forum to stimulate the interchange between filmmakers, critics and educa[...]iga- tion, criticism and innovation. It would aim at involving, not only people working in the developing Australian cinema, but also the interested public and foreign observers. graphic designer and then lecturer in graphic design at the Phillip Institute of Technology (where, incidentally, Bishop is now a[...]iness. An office was established in Richmond and the first issue produced. Dated January 1974, it was released in December 1973. The 96-page issue, costing $1.25, contained interview[...]David Williamson (he had just written an episode of Libido), actor Graeme Blundell (on Alvin Purple),[...]re reviewed: Dalmas and 27A. There was a profile of director Peter Weir, by Richard Brennan. This was followed by the first Cinema Papers Production Report, which covered the location filming of The Cars That Ate Paris in Sofala, NSW. Those interviewed in the Report were Weir, producers Hal and Jim McElroy, director of photography Peter McLean and sound recordist Ken Hammond. This initial Report set the tone for those that followed (it was a regular fe[...]Ina Bertrand’s article on Francis Birtles (plus the Hall interview), while technical matters were covered in a piece on the Victorian Film Laboratories. Barrett Hodsdon wrote an article on the recent Tariff Board Report on the Motion Picture Industry [see Box 4]. There was no Production Survey; that had to wait to the next issue, where In Production listed eight 35mm[...]f Board Report In Barrett Hodsdon’s article on the 1973 Tariff Board Inquiry into Motion Picture Films, Hodsdon lists the Board’s principal recom- mendations: 1. The formation of an Australian Film Authority (AFA) envisaged as the main body charged with the function of fostering and developing the industry producing theatrical films in Australia; and . The divestiture of 13 theatres from the major chains in Australia and the divorcement of exhibition from distribution. The second recommendation never came about, but the AFA and the Australian Film Commis- sion do share similar interests. It was intended that the AFA comprise four branches: (i) Project Branch. This was to replace the Australian Film Development Corporation (AFDC); ([...]ilms without government finance, as well as films of special merit, and (b) the allocation of funds for the Experi- mental Film Fund, the Film and Tele- vision Development Fund, and Educa[...]Supervision Branch. This would act as an overseer of commercial exhibition and distribution interests, and would super- vise the divestiture of the theatre chains. A Personal History of Cinema Papers CINEl\/IA PAPERS DAVID WILUAISM l[...]rsmmnct SCRIPT EX1l|ETS/ MY HlMY|lAU8{II— cnumn OF 3?EClIlVl81JM UHCYS1 EJIRECIED IY KEN 6 Hll‘./[...]As with each Cinema Papers that followed, not all the editorial was on Australian cinema. There was an[...]article (by Mora) on Comics and Film, and reviews of Le Samourai, Solaris and Performance. It was alw[...]coverage between Australian and overseas cinema. The magazine aimed to be a forum for Australian write[...]ian cinema. Cinema Papers also sought a coverage of other national cinemas, ranging from the Swedish to the French to the Sri Lankan. Many have parallels with Australia’s, particularly those in Canada and New Zealand. By means of lengthy supplements, which included inter- views with top industry figures, the magazine attempted to provide a wide range of informa- tion for those within the Australian industry to evaluate the positive aspects and avoid the negative. Another benefit of a world view is that it counters tendencies toward parochial jour- nalism; such writing invites a lessening of standards, not what an industry, still in its infancy, needs. In an interview at the time of Cinema Papers’ inception, Murray said, “One of the best things we can do for the Australian film industry is to be tough on it.”“ The Aus- tralian film industry can only be said to ha[...]y when its films can stand honest comparison with the best from the rest of the world. 4. Vogue Australia, Sydney, May[...] |
| A Personal History of Cinema Papers Australian Reaction The reaction to the first issue, by readers and film critics, was mostly enthusiastic. There was a surprising number of people who felt Aus- tralia would not be able to produce enough films for the magazine’s writers to cover, but most applauded the launch of a new, national film magazine. Many newspapers carried minor items or photographs of the magazine’s launch party, but it was not until April 27, 1974, after the publication of a second issue of Cinema Papers, that a considered opinion was printed. That was by film critic Colin Bennett in The Age (Melbourne): Film Guide, Film Journal, Film[...]m all come and go. Now we have a magazine version of Cinema Papers and a really promising publication it is. This courageous venture . . . devotes most of its big, bulging pages to Australian cinema — just when the cinema is reaching its most interesting stage and needs all the encouragement and publicity it can get. The current issue includes some very important articles, as well as an amount of super- fluous fat . . . There are pitfalls, I think, which Cinema Papers must be careful to avoid. One is the danger of overdoing the question-answer interviews format, which can quickly grow boring . . . Then again, the editors, in their commendable eagerness to promote local production, have devoted large dollops of space in both issues to some film people who have yet to prove[...]ht prove to be ‘a national film magazine worthy of the name to present an Australian viewpoint on cinema to the world’. And after 11 issues, Cinema Papers is at least well on the way . . . C.P. has become a forum for the interchange of ideas and informa- tion between those who make, d[...]try can afford to miss an issue . . . A good deal of C.P.’s superfluous fat has been cut away by now, although it is still inclined to grab the nearest available American producer off the plane and question him at length about his past in “B” quickies or his views on the Australian industry. The magazine has also found a better balance between local content and writing of the sort covered by overseas publications . . . Ther[...]apers . . . In his first article, Bennett raised the most- voiced criticism of Cinema Papers: the number, length and format of its interviews. As Cinema Papers has never printe[...]rhaps informative to make some remarks here. Two of the inspirations for the present Cinema Papers were Andy Warhol ’s Interview and the Playboy interviews. In fact, at one stage it was envisaged the magazine would be entirely interviews; the editors finally decided on about 30 per cent. In opting for a question—and-answer format, the editors chose not to commission rewritten interviews, whereby the interviewee’s answers are dotted throughout the journalist’s prose. An example could be: Ken M[...]ite lounge in his Paddington sitting room. Copies of Vanity Fair lay sprawled on his glass coffee tabl[...]his decaffeinated coffee. “Yes, it was one hell of a shoot”, he confided. I thought about probing[...]een an editorial decision between readability and the need for depth of coverage. At the same time, there is no reason to assume every interview is[...]ed later; or, a reader can skip passages he finds of lesser relevance. It is certainly not presumed that every word in every interview is of interest to each reader. Regarding accuracy, Cinema Papers has always had the policy of returning edited trans- cripts to Australian inte[...]checking. Interviewees may also suggest rewrites of sections if they feel the passages are unclear, but there is no obligation on Cinema Papers to accept the changes. Obviously most are, since it is in everyone’s interest that the interview be printed in its best form. However, if the changes significantly alter the meaning of the original they are not accepted. A published interview is a record of that interview, and the integrity of it should be retained. A final point is that some people, such as Bennett, have suggested that the interviews are unedited and thus cheaper to run than an article. But the transcription costs alone are more than the minimal amounts Cinema Papers has been able to pay for a finished article, and the costs of editing are also expensive. In many ways, interviews are the backbone of Cinema Papers and are not some cheap stop- 'rj_i ii 3 “VJALSI in _lLl_|_. The Cinema Papers interview. gap. It _is no coincidence that when books on Australian cinema are published it is these interviews which are the most often sourced and quoted. Another oft-voiced criticism of Cinema Papers has been that it has concentrated t[...]ture filmmaking. Albie Thoms in a 1976 article on the Sydney Filmmakers Co- operative wrote about “the total neglect of the new alternative Australian cinema by the Board—funded _quarterly Cinema Papers”.5 Alternative” is a word that people use to cover all kinds of filmmaking, from the avant— gardeto low-budget features. In terms of highly experimental films, the editors of Cinema Papers chose not to attempt to duplicate the fine work of the Cantrills in their magazine. However, it was always intended that the magazine cover, and give recognition to, short and low-budget films. And this has happened. By the time of Thorns’ article, of the 14 directors interviewed by Cinema Papers, four were at that time exclusively directors of short films (Paul Wlnkler, David Greig, John Pap[...]most having made _ 5. Albie Thorns, “History of the Sydney Filmmakers Co- 0P€rative Part Two”, Filmnews, December 1976, Do. I K ‘V3 A L-'..... |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement A Personal History of Cinema Papers experimental shorts (e.g. Peter[...]tor had made more than one feature: Ken G. Hall. (The break-up of articles and reviews shows a similar pattern.) The most recent reference to Cinema Papers’ “neglect” of alternative cinema appeared in Barrett Hodsdon’s review in Filmnews of Nick Herd’s Independent Filmmaking in Australia[...]notes there has not been much consistent coverage of the state of independent filmmaking in Australia over the last decade . . . In the biography at the end of his book, Herd lists articles and interviews of particular impor- tance. Cinema Papers has easily the most number of entries, some 50 per cent more than Filmnews. Cinema Papers has also pioneered the study of documentary filmmaking in Australia, so it is hard to know why this prejudice exists; the facts just don’t support it. Overseas Response Foreign recognition of Cinema Papers came quickly, with journals such as[...]nting items about its inception and brief reviews of single issues. Then, in late 1975, came major recognition in the International Film Guide. This annual publication is the only one in the world to list and evaluate the leading film periodicals. There is a main section and then “Other Magazines”. In the 1976 edition, Cinema Papers had its first entry in the latter section: One of the world’s most imaginatively designed movie quarterlies, its large format embracing a host of pictures, capsule comments, and serious reviews and interviews. Colour tinting adds impact to the 1ayout.7 The next year Cinema Papers was up-graded to the main section, making it one of the elect 19. It is the only Australian magazine to have been so listed. In 1983, the main section was reduced to only 15 entries. The one on Cinema Papers reads: Still the largest film magazine in the world, with its gigantic format permitting splend[...]tion, this Australian bi-monthly is a cunning mix of reviews, interviews, news, and hard industry knowhow that will be of interest far beyond the boundaries of Australia} The IFG’s view of Cinema Papers as one of the world’s leading film periodicals is shared by the Federation International des Archives du Film (FIAF), which indexes the top international film journals: Cinema Papers is the only Aus- tralian film magazine to be fully indexed. International awareness of Cinema Papers is as important as recognition in Australia, for the magazine is the primary source of information about Australian films for world film[...]ics and historians. This role was envisaged from the start as being of paramount impor- tance, and is one reason why the editors decided the magazine should not be parochial or self- applaud[...]quickly lose credibility. That would help neither the magazine nor the industry. Naturally, some film producers took a dim view of what they saw as a too critical approach to Australian films, particularly in the Film Reviews. One producer even complained to the 6. Filmnews, October 1983, p. 13. _ _ 7. Pete[...]ional Film Guide 1983, p. 467. AFC that a review of her film had cost her an American sale. Another way the publishers of Cinema Papers decided to help with this dissemination of information to overseas readers was to produce a special issue each year for the Cannes Film Festival. The bumper issue contained editorial on all the Australian films being shown at Cannes in the official events and the marketplace. But due to the producer grumbling mentioned above, the issues contained no reviews. This was the only time editorial was affected by outside pressure9; the AFC made it clear no marketing loan would be forthcoming if reviews were included. As it was felt that the Cannes issue’s principal role was the promoting of the Australian films and not the magazine (though an absence of reviews did displease several critics), the AFC’s condition was accepted by the publishers. Consolidation It was originally intended that the members of the editorial board (Beilby, Mora and Murray) would alternate in the position of managing editor. However, Mora had returned to Europe in 1974 and his input was restricted to that of a few articles. Beilby and Murray then decided to[...]g, thus encouraging a healthy interchange between the two. Beilby was production super- visor on Mad Do[...]rray wrote.and directed Denial (1974) and, later, the short feature, Summer Shadows (1977). However, the alternating theory did not work in practice (it w[...]result, Murray has edited 35 (and co-edited one) of the first 44 issues. While the managing editors, with input from the contributing editors, largely control the editorial, it is the writers who should take credit for its quality. F[...]rch and journalism were in their infancies during the 1960s, though journals such as Annotations on Film and the Sydney Cinema Journal did print lively and informed pieces. But there was little sense of direction, in part because there was no feature industry on which to focus. Many critics in the early 1970s wrote for Lumiere and the early editions of Cinema Papers, and historians such as Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper were beginning to publish the early stages of their excellent research. With Cinema Papers’ reappearance in 1973, and the demise of magazines such as Lumiere”, most of these writers were soon being published in the one source. This enabled Cinema Papers to become the forum it had intended to be, one which willingly[...]d with (or insisted upon) everything published in the magazine. One is frequently stopped in one’s tr[...]it to pieces.” Not only is there independence of thought, there are individual styles and interests. Tom Ryan’s rigorous analyses of the films of Brian De Palma contrast with the witty reviews of 9. The only other attempt was when one executive of the AFC suggested that Cinema Papers’ applications for funds would be more favourably received if the magazine stopped running advertisements from over[...]. It has been alleged that Lumiere folded because the Film and Television Board diverted funds from it to Cinema Papers. This is incorrect; Lumiere was invited at the time of Cinema Papers’ inception to apply for another grant but declined to do so. ‘star’ biographies by Brian McFarlane, j[...]inkler and Andrew J. Psolo- koskowitz. It is not the place here to evaluate the skills of the many contributors to Cinema Papers; their work stands for itself. However, a look through the past 43 issues indicates the growing depth and quality of film writing in Australia [see Box 5]. Cinema Pap[...]will continue to play, a key role as a forum for the best film writers, whatever their areas of interest. In tandem with the increased editorial standard there has been a ste[...]scription sales in more than 60 countries, making the magazine more widely distributed than, say, Scree[...]s 9000 copies). In fact, Cinema Papers is now one of the world’s five or six top-selling critical film journals, on a par with Film Comment in the U.S. Cinema Papers Initiatives (Ken G. Hall, No. 1, 1974) (The Cars that Ate Paris, No. 1, 1974) (Raymond Longf[...]1974) (Cannes, No. 3, 1974) (frame enlargements of Viridiana and U11 chien andalou, No. 3, 1974) (N[...](No. 1975) (No. , 1975) (Part 1, No. 8, 1976) The Interview Production Report F ilmography In Pr[...]ws Review Section Book Reviews Index Columns The Quarter Feature Checklist Soundtracks Guide to the Australian Film Producer Film Censorship Listing[...]ion Round- up (No. 10, 1976) (No. 11, 1977) Box-office Grosses Filmmakers Service and Facili[...] |
| A Personal History of Cinema Papers Tenth Anniversary Supplement C[...]me a director in 1980“). Le Tet, who had worked at Crawford Productions and AAV, was at the time a freelance consultant before becoming managing director of The Film House Pty Ltd, and, among other positions, a consultant to and then director and deputy chairman of the Melbourne radio station, EON-FM. Le Tet’s contr[...]was particularly significant in two areas: change of frequency and diversification. In 1979, the magazine changed from a (base) 96-page quarterly to an 80—page bi—monthly. The aim was to amortize overheads against six issues instead of four, and thus improve the company’s balance sheet and cash flow. The change to bi—monthly also enabled the maga- zine to carry more news—type information[...]a success and was appreciated by readers. Instead of sales falling, as feared, they increased. And although adver- tising revenue per issue dropped, the annual total increased. So in two ways the change of frequency strengthened the magazine. The rationale for diversification was that the projected annual deficit had stopped reducing and was beginning to worsen. As the Australian Film Commission, which had absorbed the Film, Radio and Television Board, indicated it co[...]this meant extra funds had to be found elsewhere. The decision was to move into film—related publishing ventures which would hopefully return a profit. The diversification, overseen by Beilby while Murray ran the magazine, commenced in a major way with the Australian Motion Picture Yearbook, first published in 1980 in association with the New South Wales Film Corporation. Its appearance was welcomed by the industry, which had not had access to the mass of information listed in its pages, and the book sold sufficient copies (2500) to nearly brea[...]itions appeared in 1981 (also in association with the NSWFC) and in 1982 (under the Four Seasons imprint). By then, sales had increas[...]dred overseas. Each edition was edited by Beilby, the third in partnership with Ross Lansell. Other early ventures included Film Produc- tion in the State of Victoria (1979, in associa- tion with the then Victorian Film Corporation), edited by Murray, Film Expo 80 (1981, published for the Film and Television Produc- tion Association of Australia and the NSWFC) and The Australian Film Producers and Inves- tors Guide ([...]Beilby. This was a subscription service based on the highly- regarded “Guide to the Australian Film Pro- ducer”, published in 19 parts in Cinema Papers. Unfortunately, the Investors Guide never fully got off the ground, and folded. A much more successful project was The New Australian Cinema (1979), edited by Murray. This was the first book to analyze thematically Australian fea[...]old its print run and was reprinted in 1980. 11. The directors of Cinema Papers Pty Ltd have been: Peter Beilby (19[...]ith Robertson (1981-82). To avoid confusion with the magazine, the company’s name is not italicized in the text. 46 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS Above: the diversification publications. Opposite page: arti[...]association with Thomas Nelson was Australian TV: the first 25 years, edited by Beilby. It continued the growing coverage and interest in Australian telev[...](No. 13). Then, in 1981, Cinema Papers published The Documentary Film in Australia (in association wit[...]t it was costly to produce, and ended up draining the magazine’s resources instead of supplementing them. This in itself threatened the continuance of the publishing program. Even with an enviable track record, the effects of even one ‘failed’ project was becoming a risk[...]ly afford to take. This concern, plus an absence of risk capital, led to a scaling down of the diversification program. Beilby left Cinema Papers at the end of 1981-82 to head a new publishing venture, Roscope Publishers”, set up to publish the Motion Picture Yearbook and several other yearbooks in a joint venture with Thomas Nelson. This meant that the only projects which could be initiated were those[...]e 12. Beilby left Roscope in mid-1983 to head The Film House Television Pty Ltd. There, he produced Aus- tralian Movies to the World (Glenn and Murray, 1983) and Drive to Win (Trevor Ling, 1984). He is also producer of Anna (Gordon Glenn) and Oh You Beautiful Doll (Sue Cram and Marianne Latham), both in production. handled by the magazine editor in any spare moments. Thus in 198[...]McFarlane examines 10 Austra- lligilionovels and the films made of them since In all, the diversification program was a success, with most of the projects listing a profit. More important, they c[...]tinu- ously from September 1973 to July 1983 when the publication was stopped, due to financial insolvency. The reasons for this are complex, in part due to shifts in the relationship between Cinema Papers Pty Ltd and the AFC. As mentioned earlier, the AFC absorbed the Film, Radio and Television Board. It was not a happy merger, many senior executives in the AFC resenting having to take on the likes of the Experimental Film Fund; it was seen as lowering their self—irnage as merchant bankers to the film industry. They were less interested in film culture (despite the wording of the AFC’s govermng Act), and some questioned what they saw as Cinema Papers’ aloofness from the film industry. While the Film and Television Board valued an independent, critical journal, some within the AFC felt the magazine should be more a servant to its p[...] |
| And, whereas the Film, Radio and Television Board had instructed that Cinema Papers be set up as a privately—owned company, the AFC was now arguing that the magazine should be controlled by an industry membership (as with the Australian Film Institute). The issue that brought everything to a head was money[...]been assisted financially by deficit funding from the AFC: Cinema Papers would predict the annual, financial-year deficit and then apply to the AFC for that amount. In 1973, the grant represented 100 per cent of the expendi- ture budget; by 1981-1982, it had dropped to only 10 per cent, quite a gain on the road to self-sufficiency. _ At the same time, the AFC began granting less than the requested amounts. In the three financial years from July 1980 to June 1983[...]re crippling and difficult to understand. Perhaps the annual grants were tied to earlier Film and Telev[...]000 per issue in 1974; $8333 in 1982-83); perhaps the cut-backs represented an AFC suspicion of the size of the projected deficit, fuelled by having to deal daily with producers notorious for inflating their claims. Of course, there were many other fa_ctors'that contr[...]its requests in full it still would have been in the red. And if the AFC is guilty of unnecessary cut-backs, Cinema Papers is guilty of having requested too little. Knowing the AFC would make annual grants of only $40,000 to $50,000 Cinema Papers tried to produce the magazine for that, aware that substantially higher funds were required. As well, there were the vagaries of the diver- sification program. This was worsened when a total absence of capital meant only one special project could be initiated in 1982-83. Another contributing factor to the unhealthy position at the end of 1982-83 was the poor state of the film industry. Unsettled by changes in the tax legislation and generally hampered by the severe economic recession, the industry went through a lean phase. This had a major and detrimental effect on advertising sales. The net result of all the above factors, and several others, was that Cinema Papers was faced at the end of 1982-83 with a large deficit. Given changes in the Companies Act, it became illegal to trade knowing[...]have a reasonable belief could be met. This meant the accumulated loss had to be liquidated and the subsidy for the next financial year granted or Cinema Papers woul[...]perations. In June 1983 Cinema Papers applied to the AFC, starkly setting out its financial position. One hope was to convince the AFC about the extent to which Cinema Papers felt it had been underfunded over the years. The application then proposed a scheme whereby the AFC and the various state film bodies would together meet the deficit and adequately fund the magazine in 1983-84. While the application proposed a general course of action, it did not request specific amounts of money from specific corporations. It was, hopefully, a basis for discussion. But the AFC, alarmed by the size of the deficit and disappointed it had not been informed of the situation earlier, rejected the application outright. One week later another letter came from the AFC enquiring about when Cinema Papers was going into liquidation and what would happen to the masthead and copyright. Given the AFC’s rejection, Cinema Papers had no alternati[...]tarily and on July 22 all staff were laid off. On the basis of legal advice, Cinema Papers then sought a 120-day[...]sting process. Applications to Film Victoria and the South Australian Film Corporation were rejected. No reply has been received from the Queensland Film Corporation to the July 15 application (things really do move slowly up North!). The only options were to raise funds privately (three offers were forthcoming) or change the AFC’s mind. Finally, after months of negotiation, and involving the advice and help of a Cinema Papers Action Committee”, an agreement was reached between Cinema Papers and the AFC and Film Victoria. It is worth mentioning here because it will have a major effect on the magazine in time to come. 13. The committee comprised, apart from Cinema Pap[...] |
| A Personal History of Cinema Papers The Future 1934 . . . Cinema Papers Pty Ltd has now sold the copyright and assets to a newIy—formed public company, limited by guarantee, which has also taken on the subscription liability. The directors of MTV Publishing Limited are: Peter Beilby, Jill Robb (producer), Natalie Miller (distributor and producer), Alan Finney (head of marketing at Roadshow) and Tom Ryan (lecturer); others are still to be appointed. ‘As part of the deal, the AFC and Film Victoria have written off all outstanding loans and investments (the NSWFC had already generously written off an outstanding invest- ment in the second Australian Motion Picture Yearbook). As well, the AFC has granted $80,000 and Film Victoria $27,277. This covers the purchase of assets and the financing of the publication of three issues of Cinema Papers by June 30 (of which this issue is the first). During that time a publishing and marketing consultant will examine all areas of production and management, and report back to the MTV directors on what he feels is the most feasible publishing and management structure. This could involve a change of frequency or format. The final decision lies with the directors. A new managing editor is also to be appointed, to replace this author, who, after 10 years with the publication, believes it is in the journaI’s best interest to have a fresh input. Not only will the MTV directors and staff bring new ideas to the magazine, but annual, open meetings will be held[...]o invite response from Cinema Papers’ readers. The net result of all these changes is that Cinema Papers can look forward to the future. Its financial support appears stable, with increased funding from the AFC and Film Victoria, and it can now fulfil its[...]national film magazine with confidence. It will, of course, be a different magazine. How, one will have to wait and see. wk A ckno wledgmen ts The author would like to record here his appreciation to the following for their assist- ance and support during Cinema Papers’ period of adjustment: All those readers who wrote to the AFC giving their opinions of the magazine and arguing for continued funding; the AFC, in particular Joe Sl-trzynski, Phillip Adams[...]rticularly Terence .\lc.'\Iahon and John Kearney; the New South Wales Film Corpora- tion, especially Pa[...]ricia Amad and Helen Greenwood for working part—time for four months, without arty expectation of financial reward; the Cinema Papers Action Committee and his fellow dir[...]e Murray; Peggy Nicholls; Les Pradd; David White; the manage- ment and staff at The Film House for their co- operation and the use of facilities, especially Trish Foley; and, most important, those creditors who gave Cinema Papers the time and encouragement to sort out its affairs. The author also wishes to thank sincerely all Cinema Papers staff and contributors since September 1973. The early sections of this article are based, in part, on a study of Cinema Papers written by Ewan Burnett. 4[...] |
| —jZt j j C » A selection of photographs commissioned for Cinema Papers[...] |
| [...];ga,,m“; 19339 -j———"‘'" 50 —— I\r!at'ch-April CINEMA PAPERS |
| Government Support, for the Film Industry Phillip Adams Chairman, Australia[...]sion Funds, Fiddles and Follies Some months ago the Australian Film Commis- sion (AFC) announced the appointment of Kim Williams as chief executive-designate. At the time I expressed delight that someone of Kim’s calibre had been foolish enough to accept[...]but I wonder if he will be laughing in six months time. By then he will have been bad-mouthed by a hundr[...]g com- plainants, seers, bagmen and visionaries. The AFC spends much of its time saying nyet to people, hearing the same word echo in the gloomy corridors of Canberra and, occasion- ally, when everything comes together and there is a film on the screen, standing in the back row and applauding the result. But there will be few thanks and no Oscars for Kim. At the end of his term he will join Joe Skrzynski in exile in T[...]n his melancholy memoirs. Government support for the arts is really a euphemism for fiddling and funding. It is something people in suits do to people in T—shirts. What’s more, it is something you do largely by the seat of your pants: there are lots of rules but no formulae. You have to use your wits and read between the lines on the pieces of paper and faces in front of you. You can’t consult a computer or a crystal ball. This being the case, how do you judge the value of government support, the finesse of the fiddlers and funders? Certainly not by their rhetoric or dress sense. Perhaps the answer is to apply the Hollywood rule: that you are only as good as your last picture, or, in this ca[...]kers want to talk about their next pic- ture, not the one they just finished, just as anglers prefer to recall only the one that got 54 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS away. It is a human foible and funding bodies are not exempt. The truth is that patrons, whether private benefactors or bodies corporate, are dwarfed when the dust has settled by the triumphs and follies of those they support. They are like the scaffolding on buildings: ungainly and temporary structures dismantled and forgotten when the building has finally taken shape. However, for those who insist you are only as good as the last thing you did, the evidence is in your hands: the most recent decision of the AFC was to lend its support to this 10th Anni- ve[...]alvy Chairman, New South Wales Film Corporation The Holy Grail If there has been a single strand running through most Australian attitudes to film- making in the past decade, it is this: the search for a magic formula for The Great Australian Movie. We have meant several things by Great: implicit in the use of the word have been artistic achievement, cultural importance and enter- tainment. The GAM would be something which audiences would both admire and make profitable. The magic formula has been our holy grail, something[...]told ourselves, can be found with just a bit more time, effort and knowledge. Indeed, every six months or so, one or more opinion—leaders in the film industry have jumped up and announced that t[...]ts. They have been as varied and contradictory as the following: We must aim modestly at successful art- house distribution. We must make films for the popular, mainstream market. Our models should be the best of European cinema. No, we have more to learn from A[...]uction. We must keep our budgets very low. People are (past ten years and the future rapt in rediscovering their past through period films. That might have been true but the market has become saturated with “nostalgia”; we must use contemporary themes. Overseas stars are essential to international sales. Overseas actors are a waste of money (besides being culturally impure). The subject—matter of our films should be more international. The most- interesting subjects are those based on our national experience and culture. Profit lies in American cinema distribution. No, the cinema is dying; our best commercial hope lies in the new ancillary markets. Both propositions are wrong because they imply one-off motion pictures;[...]en, a formula has an immediate attraction because of very recent experience. Thus, the success of films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock and Caddie led to a rush to buy the rights to a lot of old Australian novels. The Man from Snowy River was taken as a validation of big budgets and high promotional expenditure. In[...]as probably single- handedly been responsible for the recent advocacy of low—budget films. A formula can owe its derivation as much to failure as to success. This explains the backlash against period films after the disappointing response to The Irishman, The Mango Tree and the like. I well remember the fears expressed by a number of people when the New South Wales Film Corporation decided to inves[...]areer in 1978. “Not another period film?” was the wail. “You’re making a mistake. The public is sick of nostalgia.” In their anguish, they ignored the fact that “period” does not necessarily equal “nostalgia” and that a film set at the turn of the century could have contemporary rele- vance. Eventually, we, too, were driven to tears — all the way to the bank. This points to the problem with most of the formulas which have been advanced for the salvation of the Australian film industry: they have generally suffered from the logical fallacy of arguing from the particular to the general. This is not to say that they never contain elements of truth. Thus, it is interesting to observe that the most profitable Australian films have not depended for their success, either in Australia or elsewhere, on the box- office attraction of overseas stars. (While two of those films — The |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments in key roles, they were cho[...]any so-called “marquee” power.) Simi- larly, the best prospects for many Australian films in North America might lie in the ancillary markets. But this has not prevented Mad Max 2 and The Man from Snowy River from breaking into the mainstream American theatrical market. Nor did it[...]Morant, for example, from doing good business on the American art-house circuit. My belief is that, as it did for knights on white chargers in the Middle Ages, the search for a holy grail by Australian filmmakers[...]ruitless. There is no magic formula. What matters are talent and good ideas, and these are unquantifiable and unpredictable — in other words, incapable of reduction to some kind of theorem. In saying this, I am mindful of something which the chairman and chief executive of Universal Pictures, Lew Wasser- man, the doyen of Hollywood filmmakers, once said: if he could be certain of a film’s earning potential before its release,[...]for despair; it is simply a reality. For, without the aid of formulas, Australian filmmakers — producers, di[...], actors and actresses — have achieved a lot in the past 10 years. In measurable terms, they have made some highly successful films and have won a host of awards. Perhaps more important, they have achieve[...]hey have helped lift Australians’ consciousness of their own place and culture, and they have created a greater overseas awareness of our country. Even if we have not made the greatest film ever (or even The Great Australian Movie), these are large achievements. It remains true, however, th[...]than succeed commercially. This is so throughout the film world, not just in Australia. Nevertheless, at this stage of its development — and in the foreseeable future — the Australian film industry cannot be economically viable, independent of govern- mental assistance. Government film—funding bodies remain an important source of pro- duction finance, although the federal tax incentives have boosted private investment (and tax incentives are a form of official assistance anyhow). And they continue to provide most of the funds for script and project development. That is why the state and federal film-funding bodies need the continued support of their respective governments. There "is another reason for the continued existence of a variety of government funding bodies and this takes me back to my starting point. Holy grails have a habit of being as perpetually alluring as they are permanently elusive. All of us in the film industry are guilty, at one time or another, of thinking we have hit upon a good formula for filmmaking. This means that, if there were only one source of funds for development and production, the film industry would tend to lurch from one attempt at achieving a magic formula to another. As long as there are varied sources of funding — state, federal and private — there[...]can keep on making worthwhile films — in spite of ourselves. What I have said might seem somewhat[...]s ourselves, would not go astray in our industry. The end result of our labors can, of course, be very important, both in terms of the cultural and entertainment objectives and the financial responsibility we have. But, as individuals, I do not think we have to take ourselves nearly as seriously as we so often do. As I said before: what we need are talent and good ideas, not self-importance. Acto[...]visional Secretary, Actors and Announcers Equity The achievements of the Australian film industry during the past 10 years have been positive and swift. In a few years, the industry has won recognition at home and abroad. In spite of this, the ‘knockers’ continue to forecast its doom and[...]hievements. From having no feature film industry at all, Australian films have moved from The Adven- tures of Barry McKenzie to My Brilliant Career with breath[...]ribution and exhibition, and won audiences across the world; the ratio of box-office success for Australian films in Aus- tralia is slightly better than that of imported product; Australian actors have received[...]rds; and Australian actors, writers and directors are frequently wooed by the major studios. It must be recognized that without the support and intervention of Australian govern- ments, both at the state and federal level, the artistic achievements could not have been realized. The requirements that television commercials be produced locally, the Australian content regulations for television, the subsidization of theatre, the establishment of the National Institute for Dramatic Art and the Australian Film and Television School provided the skilled crews, writers and actors necessary for the film industry to develop. The_role of the various government film bodies 1S obvious in scri[...]ment, investment, loans and marketing assistance. The introduction of the tax incentives for film was simply a progression in government support for Australian film. When the package of government support is looked at in toto, whatever failings each individ- dual pie[...]e may have, it is none- theless an achievement in the overall develop- ment of Australian film. It is to the credit of the creative people working in the industry that not only have they the skill to produce, direct, write, film and act in films of worth, but that they have also had the initiative and determination to seize on opportun[...]industry where one had ceased to exist. However, the industry is still young. It requires further fost[...]nued commitment to reach its full potential. One of the greatest dangers to the continued vitality of Australian film is the reluctance to foster new talents. In the current climate of investors wanting key personnel on films to have held the same positions in previous suc- cesses, and with some government bodies looking in the same direction, there is a danger that the industry will simply churn out “more of the same”, and lose much of its vitality. Certainly neither My Brilliant Care[...]have been made with such restric- tions, and yet both are landmarks in Australian cinema. During the next 10 years I would like to see Australian films provide more roles for actresses. Apart from the prettier period pieces, Australian cinema has off[...]important that writers and pro- ducers take stock of the culture they are creating and its worth if Australian film continu[...]n in stereotyped roles or not even represent them at all. From the end of 1979 to mid-1982, only 12 per cent of roles which received billing in Australian films were roles for women. Furthermore, if one looks at the nature of the roles during that period, many of them received very little screen time and the majority were passive. I also believe it is esse[...]and actors. It is essential, if Australian films are to improve in quality, that professional actors h[...]hops with good teachers, as actors in other parts of the world do. It is also essential that writers and directors gain experience in performance since they are dealing with that craft in practising their own.[...]no forum where this occurs. Now that additional time is available to complete a film under the tax concessions, it is hoped that more time will be given to pre- production. Pre-production, particularly for actors, has been virtually overlooked in the Australian industry. Rarely is the actor given pre-production time for research, character- development, accent work or rehearsal with the director. Time invested in these areas would enhance the quality of the finished product and assist the shoot. It is also important that government now extend its intervention, which has provided the basis for a viable production industry, into distribution and exhibition. The product is there and has proven its worth. The market place into which that product must go is s[...]e one-off suppliers such as Australian producers. The market place needs to be opened up; only government can do that, and there is little point supporting the production of film if it is dis- advantaged at the selling point. Whatever the future holds for Australian cinema, as long as it[...]n Children's Television Foundation Ten years ago the Children’s Television Advisory Committee (CTAC), in a report to the Australian Broadcasting Control Board, con- demned the low standard of Children’s programs produced by the television industry. The programs, the CTAC said, failed to meet the spirit of the Production Guidelines for Children’s Television Programs published in June 1971. The programs were unimaginative, low-budget, confined[...]ay from them in droves. In 1981, two years after the introduction of new guidelines for Children’s programs by the CINEMA PAPERS March-April —— 55 |
| The Industry Comments Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT), the Children’s Program Committee (CPC), the ABT’s advisory committee, made the same kind of critical comments that had been made almost a decade earlier. The CPC criticized stations for meeting the letter rather than the spirit of the guidelines. They decried the lack of diversity, the high level of repeats, the dearth of any Australian children’s drama and the lack of initiative by stations. So what has been achieved in 10 years and what can we look forward to in the future? The first breakthrough for the decade came with the public inquiry into self-regulation for broadcasters in 1977. The ABT recognized the poor performance of stations in the area of children’s television and recommended both the establishment of a system of “C” classification for programs specifically designed for children aged between six and 13 years, and the formation of a Children’s Program Committee to oversee the development of this concept. Only “C” classified programs were to be broadcast between 4 and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The Government accepted these recom- mendations and the CPC was formed in November 1978 with the requirements for “C” classified programs being introduced from July 1979. The CPC began with high hopes. Nothing less than a ne[...]vision was envisaged in which programs would have the same resources, human and financial, as their adult counterparts. The results fell far short of this expectation. The regulation of children’s television is a new field. Only in Australia has the body responsible for monitoring the commercial television industry taken on the challenge of regulation; each step has been experimental. The CPC soon recognized that the system needed tuning if regulation were to be successful. Two years after its creation, the CPC concluded there had been limited successes and significant failures resulting from its work. A number of high-quality, overseas programs had been shown which most certainly would not have been shown without the ABT’s requirements. In addition, there were Aus[...]ograms on air which would not have been produced. The problems of children’s television continued to be publicized, largely because of the CPC’s existence. However, the high level of repeated programs, the lack of diversity, the pushing of programs beyond the young age level to attract older audiences, and the lack of high-quality productions remained as problems. For the next three years the ABT ignored the CPC’s requests to tighten the regulatory system. The stations flouted the guidelines and the ABT took no action until October 1983 when it released the CPC’s revised program standards for public comment. These standards are well- drafted and tighten the loopholes that had been evident. Repeats have been limited. The standards require 50 per cent of first-release Australian material to be played between 4 and 5 p.m.; they require a diversity of program types and an eight-hour, high-quality chi[...]rk to be broadcast each year beginning July 1984. The ABT is expected to have promulgated the standards by late February 1984. It has taken five years of work by the CPC to create this regulatory framework and this[...]talent, ideas, pro- duction expertise and money. The second major breakthrough in the past decade in the area of children’s television was the establishment of the Australian Children’s 56 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS Television Foundation (ACTF). After a number of government inquiries, a Senate Standing Committee report and the hard work of a number of groups and individuals, the Australian Education Council decided to establish a Working Group to look at the feas- ibility of establishing such a Foundation. That investigation led to the ACTF’s incorporation in March 1982. The ACTF’s major function is to act as a catalyst bringing to children’s television the film and television industries’ best resources. This is done by encouraging the development, production and transmission of programs through script development, production-[...]invest- ment finance and other appropriate forms of assistance to program makers. The Foundation also works to raise the profile of children’s television in the community by running workshops and seminars, prov[...]hing papers and study guides on relevant topics. The past 10 years have brought significant changes in the area of children’s television in Australia, but the main results are yet to be seen on the television screens. A regulation system can provide only the framework; a foundation can take risks independen[...]not take to develop new and exciting projectsf in the end, the stations must co-operate if children’s television is to succeed. The position the ABT takes is of funda- mental importance in this process. Standards must be enforced. No station executive enjoys the process of public accountability that the licence renewal system could provide. The machinery is all in place to make stations accountable. The ABT can wield the stick but there must also be a carrot. Alongside the work of the ABT and the work that the ACTF is doing to stimulate the creative development of programs, there needs to be an improvement in the atmosphere surrounding children’s programs so that quality becomes a matter of broadcaster prestige. This is difficult to achieve in Australia because of the cross-ownership of the media. There is virtually no intelligent criticism of children’s television, or television in general, in the daily press or in magazines in Australia. Most media discussion of television is aimed at the promotion of programs which does little to spark a competition to excel. Few journalists understand the complexities of producing television for children or the potential of children’s television. Through letters, article[...]ramming achievements can be recognized. Although the groundwork has been laid in the past 10 years for an Australian children’s television industry, the next 10 years will tell if it is going to succeed. Unless the community gets behind the organizations that are now in place, children will continue to miss out.[...]ibution, Roadshow Meeting Great Expectations In the years leading up to the early 1970s, it seemed as though there were films from the U.S., France, Italy and Britain . . . and then th[...]Tenth Anniversary Supplement films were shown at all was due to the sense of obligation felt by the distributors and exhibitors, and the pressure applied by the film community. A lot of heat and urgency was generated by people who were[...]ing why, that Australia have a film industry. By the late 1970s, this sense of urgency had reached the stage where expectations about what the Australian film industry could produce had been raised too high. Films began falling far short of expectations and the public began to greet each new Australian film with the attitude, “Here is another Australian film being foisted on us.” In part, the public was reacting to the fact that every Australian film was being described as the best Australian film ever — at the urging of the producers. Today, the energy and urgency have dissipated somewhat and the people handling Australian films have more confid[...]ed on an individual basis and on its merits. _ _ The public’s expectation of Australian films has also become more realistic, taking the attitude that locally made films will be the same as films from other countries — some will be good and some will be bad — without the obligation Australian films have had to carry in the past: that they are the best ever. The pressure on distributors and exhibitors from producers has also lessened as the latter became more sensible and more attuned to the marketplace. In the early 1970s, producers used to be concerned that the distributor was not spending enough money on the launch of a film. Even today one still encounters producers[...]” If it is not $250,000, they become frantic on the mistaken assumption that there is a direct causal relationship between the advertising dollar and the box-office: that is, the more you spend the more you are going to make. Producers are now realizing that it is not wise to seek distrib[...]who does not share their commercial expectations of the film and, second, that the distributor’s judgment about the financial possibility may be accurate in that there is no sense spending money putting a film in the marketplace only to lose it; it may be better to[...]eo- cassette, television or overseas sales. There are many films released in the U.S. and other territories that are never seen outside the borders of their country of origin and, alter- natively, many that are never seen in their country of origin. Obviously, not all the judgments of a dis- tributor are correct but it is also difficult to give a professional judgment about a film which disagrees with that of the filmmaker. What one is saying, in effect, is: “After all the trouble you have gone to and money you have spent, no one is going to see it.” Of course, there are options in this situation and one of these is to screen the film in “one city tests”. Instead of spending money on a national release, one has a test launch in Melbourne or Sydney to get some idea of the film’s appeal to the public and to test theof Flowers. Jane Ballantyne [co-producer, Man of Flowers] and Paul Cox [co-producer and dir[...] |
| [...]- l “ fiN Marmot»: rramaz W M .9 -‘m. The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook I 983 ........[...].............................................. .. The New Australian Cinema ...........................[...]............................... .. Australian TV: The First 25 Years ............................................................................. .. The Documentavy Film in Australia ............[...] |
| MOTION PICTURE YEARBOOK 1983 The third edition of the Australian Motion Picture Yearbook has been totally revised and updated. The Yearbook again takes a detailed look at what has been happening in all sections of the Australian film scene over the past year, including financing, production, distr[...]festivals, media, censorship and awards. As in the past, all entrants in Australia ’s most compreh[...]n industry directory have been contacted to check the accuracy of entries, and many new categories have been added. A new series of profiles has been compiled and will highlight the careers of director Peter Weir, composer Brian May and actor Mel Gibson. A new feature in the 1983 edition is an extensive editorial section with articles on aspects of Australian and international cinema, including film financing, special effects, censorship, and a survey of the impact our films are having on U.S. audiences. . . an invaluable ref[...]with an interest — vested or altruistic — in the continuing film renaissance down under . . Variety "The most useful reference book for me in the past year . . .’ Ray Stanley Screen International “The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook is a great asset to the film industry in this country. We at Kodak find it invaluable as a reference aid for the industry." David Wells Kodak .. one has to admire the detail and eflort which has gone into the yearbook. It covers almost every conceivable facet of the film industry and the publishers claim that it is ‘the only comprehensive yellow page guide to the film industry’ is irrefutable. ” The Australian P Reactions to the Second7Et—lition “Anyone interested in Australian films, whether in the industry or who just enjoys watching them, will find plenty to interest him in this book. ” The Sydney Sun-Herald "This significant publication[...]but everyone interested in Australian film. ” The Melbourne Herald "May I congratulate you on your[...], and l’m sure to most people in, and outside, the business.” Mike Walsh Hayden Price Productions "Indispensable tool of the trade.” Elizabeth Riddell Theatre Australia ,2 A J .)'.~.-mm; /‘m‘\‘ “The 1981 version of the Australian Motion Picture Yearbook is not only bigger, it's better — as glossy on the outside as too many Australian films try to be a[...]s many more Australian films ought to be . . . " The Sydney Morning Herald “l have been receiving the Cinema Papers Motion Picture Yearbook for the past two years, and always find it to be full of interesting and useful information and facts. It is easy to read and the format is set out in such a way that information is easy to find. I consider the Yearbook to be an asset to the ofice. ” Bill Gooley Colorfilm " . another good effort from the Cinema Papers team, and essential as a desk-top r[...]ybody interested in our feature film industry. " The Adelaide Advertiser |
| Words and Images is the first Australian book to examine the relationship between literature and film. Taking nine major examples of recent films adapted from Australian novels — including The Getting of Wisdom, My Brilliant Career and The Year of Living Dangerously — it looks at some of the issues in transposing a narrative from one medium to the other. This lively book provides valuable and ent[...]those interested in Australian films and novels. The author, Brian McFarlane, is Principal Lecturer in Literature at the Chisholm Institute of Technology and is a Contributing Editor to Cinema[...]tralian and other literature and film. He is also the author of a book on Martin Boyd’s “Langton” novels, is the editor of the annual collection of literary essays, Viewpoints, and is the co-editor of a forthcoming anthology of Australian verse. Contents . From Page to Screen Wake in Fright Picnic at Hanging Rock The Getting of Wisdom The Mango Tree The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith My Brilliant Career Monkey Grip The Year of Living Dangerously The Night the Prowler Martin Boyd on Television: Lucinda Brayford and Outbreak of Love Appendices: Australian novels on film[...] |
| The first comprehensive book on the Australian film revival In this major work on the Australian film industry ’s dramatic rebirth, 1[...]an invaluable record for all those interested in the New Australian Cinema. - The chapters: The Past (Andrew Pike), Social Realism (Keith Connoll[...]uigan), Avant-garde (Sam Rohdie). AUSTRALIAN TV the Eéssi Z5 ‘tears AUSTRALIAN TV The first 25 years records, year by year, all the important television events. Over 600 photographs[...]or, recall forgotten images and preserve memories of programmes long since wiped from the tapes. The book covers every facet of television programming — light entertainment, q[...]Ivan Hutchinson. AUSTRALIAN TV takes you back to the time when television for most Australians was a curiosity — a shadowy, often soundless, picture in the window of the local electricity store. The quality ofthe early programmes was at best unpredictable, but still people would gather to watch the fvielbourne Olympics, Chuck Faulkner reading the news, or even the test pattern.’ At first imported series were the order of the day. Only Graham Kennedy and Bob Dyer could challenge the ratings of the westerns and situation comedies from America and Britain. Then came The Mavis Bramston Show. With the popularity of that rude and irreverent show, Australian television came into its own. Programmes like Number 96, The Box, Against the Wind, Sale of the Century have achieved ratings that are by world standards remarkable. AUSTRALIAN TV is an entertainment, a delight, and a commemoration of a lively, $ 1 4 9 5 .~I .\ ' -- nnm fun-,[...]i Documentary films occupy a special place in the history and development of Australian filmmaking. From the pioneering efforts of Baldwin Spencer to Damien Parer’s Academy Award[...]tary filmmakers have been acclaimed world-wide. The documentary film is also the mainstay of the Australian film industry. More time, more money and more effort go into making docume[...]form — features, shorts or animation. In this, the first comprehensive publication on Australian doc[...], authors and filmmakers have combined to examine the evolution of documentary filmmaking in Australia, and the state of the art today. W" $12.95 |
| 5 90 ...one of the most richly informed and reliable of film [)Bl'I0(IICflIS”. PETER cowl]; INTERNATI[...]Bound Back Issues 6 12 18 Volumes Eziblnders (to the price of each Zone issues issues issues (each) (each) copy, add the following) i New Zealand $25.20 $46.40 $67.70 $3[...]umbers 36-41) Vol Volumes 3 (9-12) and 4 (13-16) are also available. available. STRICTLY LIMITED EDIT[...]trated, with Ezibinders for Cinema Papers are available in black with gold embossed lettering t[...]nbound copies. Individual numbers can be added to the binder independently, or detached if desired. Thi[...]book reviews Production surveys and reports from the sets of local and international production Box~of[...] |
| Take advantage of our special ofiér and catch up on your missing[...]n G. Hall. Taritl Board Report. Antony I Ginnane. The Cara That Ate Parle. Number 14 October 1977[...]ront. Film Study Resources. Koataa. Money Movers. The Aus- tralian Film and Tele- vision School. Index[...]Number 33 July-August 1981 John Duigan on Winter of Our Dreams Government and the Film Industry Tax and Film Chris Noonan Robert Al[...]Waters, Financing Films, Living Dangerous— ly, The Plains of Heaven. CiI\lEMAB9iPEE ‘:3 £‘3'1-REC[...]8 Tom Cowan. Francois Trullaut. Delphine Seyrig. The lrlahman. The Chant oi Jimmie Blackamith. Sri Lankan Cinema. The Leat Wave. Number 24 December 1979 - January[...]ues. Number 43 May-June 1983 Sydney Pollack, The Dis- missal, Moving Out, Graeme Clifford, Dusty,[...]r 3 July 1914 John Papadopolous. Willis O'Brien. The Mc- Donagh Sisters. Richard Brennan. Luis Bunuel. The True Story at Eskimo Number 16 April-June 1978 Patrick. Swedi[...]978 Bill Bain. Isabelle Hup~ pert. Polish Cinema The Night the Prowler. Pierre Rissient. Newalront. Film Study Resources. Index: Volume 4 Number 26 April-May 1980 The Films or Peter Weir. Charles Jotte. Harlequin. Nationalism in Australian Cinema. The Little con- vlct. index: Volume 6 l Number 38 June 1982 Geoil Burrowes and George Miller on The Man From Snowy River. James lvory, Phil Noyce. Jo[...]alian Film Censorship. Sam Arkoll. Roman Polanski The Picture Show Man. Don’a Party. Storm Boy. Numb[...]Cinema. Sonia Borg. Alain Tanner. Cathy's Child. The Lee! Taemenlan '-'t'\. T: _ . _s..%__.._ Number 27 June-July 1980 The New Zealand Film Industry. The Z Men. Peter Yeldham. Maybe Thla Time. Donald Richie. Grendel. Grendel, Grendel Num[...]rt Deling. Piero Tosi. John Scott. John Dankworih The Getting oi Wiadom Journey Among Women. Number 19[...]umentaries. Number 28 August-September 1 980 The Films ot Bruce Beres- lord. Stir. Melbourne and S[...]arman. My Brilliant Career. Film Study Resources. The Night the Prowler. Number 29 October-November 1 980 Bob Ellis Actors Equity Debate. Uri wind! Cruising. The Last Outlaw Philippine Cin~ ema. The Club. Number 41 December 1982 Igor Auzins,[...]Paul Sci-trader, Peter Tammer, Liliana Cavani, We of the Never Never, Film Awards, E.T.. Note: issues number 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21, 23, 30, 31, 32, 34 and 35 are out of print. |
| [...]6) D Please start D renew D my subscription with the next issue. it a renewal, please state Record No.[...]make a subscription to Cinema Papersa gift, cross the box below and we will send a card on your behalf with the first issue. SUbSCfipti0flS Gift subscription from (name of sender) ........................................................................ .. - Order Information: offlce use only Delivery method: First Issue No.: A[...]per copy) To order your copies place a cross in the box next to your missing issues, and fill out the form below. if you would like multiple copies of any one issue, indicate the number you require in the appropriate box. DVDUHTIWWDDDDDDDDDDDD 2 31011[...]seas rates p. s it Please send me bound volumes of D 1 (issues 1-4) B 4 (issues 13-15) D 7 (issues 25-30) D 8 (issues 31-35) D 9 (issues 36-41) at $40 per volume. ~ ( Volumes 2, 3, 5 and 6 out of print. $ 1 I I V. 4. S Overseas rates p. 5 ' Please send me D copies of Cinema Papers’ Ezibinder at $15 a binder. $ 5"”-W D ' f |
| Essa Please send me copies of the 1983 Yearbook at $25 a copy (Foreign: $35 surface; $45 airmail).[...]égrieres geese Please send me l_.l copies of the 1981/82 Yearbook at $15 a copy (Foreign: $80 surface; $40 airmail). t—*, Please send me l_l copies of the 1980 Yearbook at $15 a copy (Foreign: $30 surface; $40 airmail). ”‘ Please send me D copies of Words and Images at $12.95 a copy (Foreign: $18 surface; $24 airmail)[...]§:7§§@€§§i§§§ Please send me D copies of The New Australian Cinema atof Australian TV: The First 25 Years at $14.95 a copy (Foreign: $20 surface; $26 airmail)[...]m its A ustralia #1 Please send me L_._l copies of The Documentary Film in Australia at $12.95 a copy (Foreign: $18 surface; $24 airmail)[...]ts in Australian dollars only. All quoted figures are in Australian dollars. _ Allow four weeks[...] |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments Roadshow had an idea for a[...]t would be irresponsible to spend massive amounts of money that will not significantly increase one’s return at the box- office and which would diminish any potential profit for producers and investors. The question of whether marketing methods have become more sophis[...]ar- geted towards a specific audience, or whether the market has changed, is difficult to answer. Marketing methods are neither sophisticated nor do they change very much; we really tend to do the same things again and again. Some marketing tools and approaches are more appropriate for a particular film; probably the key question is: “Which of the rather stereo- typical and established set of procedures do we apply to this film?” Why people go into a cinema to see a particular film, apart from the mass audience phenomena such as E.T. and Return of the Jedi, is an unknown. No one knows why before the event. Everyone knows why after the event. One of the most pleasant surprises of the past 10 years was Breaker Morant. Long and detail[...]lly a court- room drama, admittedly structured so the action appeared and reappeared throughout, about three not entirely attractive people, and not with what the industry calls an “up- ending”; it did not look as though it had “break-out” possibilities. However, the film was not just successful, it was incredibly so. Most Australian films being made on the budget levels operating at this time can’t expect to recoup money within Australia.[...]significant inroad into other major markets, they are hardly likely to see any significant returns. The video market is obviously another area where Australian producers can look for a return, particularly if the film was not commer- cially successful in the theatres. However, the video market has only taken off in a major way in[...]Television reporter and producer Documentaries are the Cinderellas of the film business. Those who make them are not feted by the media the way feature filmmakers are; the films themselves do not always fit the popular conception of cinema. But, in the past decade, it is the documentary more than the feature which has revealed the depth of talent and imagination in the local industry. Aus- tralian documentaries have p[...]overseas, critically and commercially, than most of the much-vaunted features which have secured foreign[...]ade documentary was likely to be screened only by the Sydney Filmmakers Co- operative, the Australian Film Institute or Perth Institute of Film and Television, and the chances of a sale to local television were, at best, slim. . There have always been some exceptions, but in the past few years these have become more numerous. Film Australia’s The Human Face of China, produced by Suzanne Baker, screened on TEN[...]ed a special deal with sponsors to avoid breaking the film for com- mercials. In 1983, the ABC finally showed David Bradbury’s Frontline ([...]ies‘ screened in Sydney city cinemas (ones that are independently pro- grammed, but representing an i[...]netheless on past years). And First Contact broke the box-office record at the Sydney Opera House cinema. Then, in January 1984,[...]Richard Tanner’s feature Aussie Assault opened at Hoyts in Sydney and Melbourne, almost certainly a first for a docu- mentary. Of course, the topic, Australia’s America’s Cup win, helped. These days most local documentaries are pro- duced for industry, or turned out by the government production houses for depart- mental, community or educational use. These films are the staple product at Film Australia where a few titles stand out as in[...]l Man (Robert Kingsbury and Bruce Moir, 1975) and The Human Face of China (1979). Some documentaries, such as those by the Leyland brothers or Malcolm Douglas, are pro- duced specifically for television, and a small number are made independently, usually with the aid of government funds. For several decades, until the beginning of the 19705, “documentary” was almost synonymous with the Commonwealth Film Unit (now Film Australia). The merged newsreel giants Cinesound and Movietone co[...]orious days were long gone. Twenty years earlier, the two companies had each been documentary as well a[...]ature producers. Cine- sound even won an Oscar in the documentary category, for its newsreel, The Kokoda Trail (Damien Parer, 1942). In the 1950s, major documentary producers included Kingcroft Productions and the Shell Film Unit, with which John Heyer made the magnificent The Back of Beyond (1954). During that period also the Waterside Workers Federation Film Unit made 11 films in a rare union venture into film production. Through the 1960s and early 1970s the most numerous independent documentaries were surf[...]eating their own outlets in halls and clubs along the coast of New South Wales. Surfing film producers such as Elfick were able to draw on loan funds from the Australian Film Development Corporation (AFDC), established in 1970. In the early 1970s, other documentary filmmakers turned to the Film, Radio and Television Board of the Australian Council for the Arts (subsequently the Aus- tralia Council) which assisted films such as[...]nd Jane Oehr, 1975); and 1. In 1983 ASIO told the Hope Royal Commission that Allies was being funded by the KGB, a charge denied and ridiculed by the filmmakers. It was an unexpected and unattractive[...]ime and Floating (Michael Edols, 1976). In 1975, the Australian Film Commission (AFC) replaced the AFDC. The next year it took over the work of the Australia Council’s Film, Radio and Television Board which became the basis for the AFC’s Creative Development Branch (CDB), formally estab- lished in 1978. Since the mid-1970s, the CDB, along with the AFC’s Project Development Branch, has become a major source of funding for docu- mentary filmmakers and those funds have been pivotal to an increase in production. The range of themes being treated and styles being employed ha[...]levision, normally unadven— turous, helped show the way. In 1969, the ABC began the series, Chequerboard, which ran into the mid—1970s and introduced a new style of social documentary. Among the social issues of the early 1970s was the beginning of the “second wave” of feminism. A handful of se1f—taught filmmakers began the Sydney Women’s Film Group and began producing films to promote feminist ideas. The group’s first films, Woman’s Day 20c (1973), Home (1973) and A Film for Dis- cussion (1974), are still popular. Other early titles include Patricia Edgar’s Got At (1972) and Barbara Creed’s Homo- sexuality: A F[...]on (1975). In International Women’s Year, 1975, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) and Film Australia produced documentaries on women’s issues. From the SAFC came four films under the general title 1:1 and, from Film Australia, Jane[...]a film about menstruation, remembered in part for the controversy over Film Australia’s final cut. M[...]n style, and less easily cate- gorized. Certainly the most ambitious and important documentary, however[...]and Margot Nash, 1983), a two—hour compilation of the history of Australian women’s working lives. In the 1970s, the Aboriginal land rights movement was also gathering steam. Ales- sandro Cavadini documented the black struggle, including the pitching of the tent embassy in front of federal parliament in Ningla A-Na (1972). Togethe[...]978) and Two Laws (1981). Curtis Levy filmed Sons of Namatjira (1976) and Mal- bangka Country (1976); Geoffrey Bardon recorded traditional artists in A Calendar of Dreaming (1977) and Mick and the Moon (1978); and director of photography, Michael Edols, made the lyrical Lalai — Dreamtime and Floating (both 1976). _ Recently, Aboriginals have become more i[...]y Little Sixpence (1983). In 1978, concern about the environment was voiced through Woolloomooloo (Pat[...]y) and Green City (Richard Cole), two films about the “green bans” on development in Sydney. More recently the battle for Tasmania’s Franklin River has prompted titles such as The Last Wild River (Mike Cordell, 1980). _ These are but a few of the issues taken up by independent filmmakers. Other issues have been covered by institutions such as the Aus- CINEMA PAPERS March-April — 57 |
| The Industry Comments Tenth Anniversary Supplement[...]ing course in 1974, has produced a diverse series of docu- mentaries, from Phil Noyce’s irreverent profiles of a guru and a bikie leader in Castor and Pollux (1974), to Peter Gray’s examination of masturbation in People Don’t Talk About It (1977), and Gilly Coote’s witty view of the virtues of condoms in Getting it On (1977). In 1977, the AFTS also produced a “training film”, a drama[...]phne (Martha Ansara and David Hay) which detailed the working lives of women employed in a chicken—processing plant. The film became a cause celebre when the AFTS took legal action to prevent its release. Although most Australian documentaries are made by institutions, it is those made inde- pend[...]ployed producers and directors, which have proved the most sig- nificant. Theatrical and television scr[...]nsured a large audience for some. Tom Haydon’s The Last Tasmanian (1978) attracted international attention and caused some dissension at home when Aboriginal and white activists questioned the accuracy of its title and its impact on land-rights demands b[...]espondent Neil Davis, has been widely seen around the world and was nominated for a 1981 American Academy Award, only the fifth Aus- tralian film to be nominated. Chris No[...]s introduced a world- wide audience to a new view of the intellectually handicapped and chalked up a host of awards along the way. Many of Australia’s most impressive docu- mentaries hav[...]ary Kildea’s Trobriand Cricket (1976); Changing the Needle (Martha Ansara, Mavis Robertson and Dasha Ross), the 1981 film of a drug rehabilitation centre in Vietnam; Angels of War (Andrew Pike, Hank Nelson and Gavan Daws, 1982), about the treatment of Papua New Guinean natives during the war in the Pacific; and First Contact (Robin Anderson and Bob Connolly, 1983), documenting the first European excursions into the New Guinea highlands. The latter two, along with Frontline and For Love or[...]enthusiasm for com- pilation documentaries, after the success of Peter Luck’s television series, This Fabulous Century. Among the success stories, Alby Mangels’ World Safari deserves a mention. A crudely- made travelogue, it became one of the top- grossing Australian films of 1980-81. It was a success because of its basic appeal and because Mangels and his partner took charge of the fi1m’s exhibition. In the style of the surf film- makers, they turned screenings in the bush, and in country and suburban halls into draw[...]ith enviable returns. Success has brought a form of strength to local documentary filmmakers: the market is widening, but still very limited. Moreo[...]had to lobby hard to have their films included in the Fraser Govern- ment’s 1981 package of tax concessions for investors in Australian films. And lobbying continues to try to win a better deal for the AFC’s Creative Development Branch, usually short of funds and still a crucial source of backing for many documentary filmmakers. 58 —[...]Martin Tutor in Film Studies, Melbourne College of Advanced Education Ten years of Australian cinema: what is it that has kept me hanging in there during all that time as a film critic, promoting or debunking this fil[...]ous polemical arguments and generally prescribing the best direction for our national cinema? The answer is a sad, tired, disillusioned one word: duty. Not exactly the duty of a patriot plugged into the “I love Australia”, gung-ho nationalism which by now is the official policy of most local film institutions; more like the duty reluctantly internalized by a citizen who has been nagged into obedience by the solemn voices of “Australian film culture”. For any local pers[...]ems that Australian cinema must, by necessity, be the most important item on the film agenda. Magazines such as Cinema Papers and[...]rsity, college and school courses everywhere, and the general orientation of public debate all testify to this on—going, urgent need. Yet, there is a trick, a sleight-of—hand in- volved in all this. The struggle with the fabulous dream of an Australian cinema is waged in an eternal prese[...]rth on one proviso: don’t look back; amnesia is the handy, terminal condition of Australian phantom “film culture”, for its history is a veritable skeleton closet of embarrassments. The drive to save the Australian cinema at any cost has led to a consistent overestimation of films as aesthetic marvels and significant cultur[...]I wonder how I always managed to inflate samples of the local product so they would fit overseas models of excellence. Are Peter Weir and Fred Schepisi really the match in intelligence and complexity of Martin Scorsese and Alan Paluka? Are Bruce Beres— ford and Tim Burstall really as to[...]etentious an art-house director as Werner Herzog? Do Pure Shit and Greetings from Wollongong still look like authentic expressions of street-wise urban experience? Do Against The Grain and Serious Undertakings truly herald the flowering of a radical Australian avant-garde? This is not to imply that any of these film- makers or films should now be unceremoni- ously dumped into the ashcan of history; rather that without the rhetoric that once accom- panied them and the glimmer of a forever latent Australian cinema their accompli[...]mportant. A steadily growing disenchantment with the whole ‘ball-game’ of bold “Australian film culture” came to a head[...]films tried directly and lovingly to fulfil some of the richest traditions of narrative cinema, in picaresque genres such as the romantic melo- drama and the musical, their fundamental impoverishment became clear once and for all. There is no real style in the Australian cinema, style being the organic, dynamic and physical process whereby meanings are expressed and kicked around. Sure, there is style[...]esembling a fruitful, integrated marriage between the two. This has a lot to do with the fact that Australian film culture is barely a film culture at all but instead a desert where the fast-diminishing species of people, fanatically saturated in the historical appreciation of the cinema through film societies and the like, overlaps less and less with the species of bright, young film-school technicians who are likely to become Aus- tralia’s official filmmakers. It used to be said of Australian films that they portrayed “recessive heroes”; today it is the filmmakers who suffer from this trait, as demonstrated by a real fear of full-blooded filmic expressiveness and an arrogant disdain of the cinema’s languages and traditions. In my view,[...]ilms such as Breaker Morant which make their mark at about the level of a decent tele-movie, Aus- tralian cinema adds up[...]stylish films by any standards, such as Mad Max, The Last Wave and Chain Reaction; a genuine odd- ball director who deserves his piece of midnight movie-cult fame (Jim Sharman); a few film- makers who can be depended upon to deliver the conventions expertly and playfully (Tim Burstall and Richard Franklin); and, on the fringe, a singularly rich and strange modernist masterpiece, Michael Lee’s The Mystical Rose. But there is no equivalent of Raging Bull, no The Devil, Probably, no Passion. As “engaged” an[...]loch Lecturer in film, New South Wales institute of Technology; and Associate professor, English and Linguistics, Macquarie University During the past 10 years, film and television study has become established in several courses at tertiary institutions in Sydney: the New South Wales Institute of Technology (NSWIT), University of NSW, Macquarie University, and Sydney University, as well as segments of courses at Kuringai CAE and Sydney College of the Arts, and the promise of future develop- ments at Nepean CAE. There are even signs of an off—shoot in screen studies becoming estab- lished in the Full-Time Program of the Aus- tralian Film and Television School (AFTS); at present the Open Program runs a kind of piggy- back graduate diploma in media study in wh[...]ia. These courses have had fluctuating fortunes; the most secure seem to have been those which have been integrated into degrees as areas of major study, as at NSWIT and perhaps Macquarie, rather than being gr[...]ve seemed to flourish best when it is possible to do film and television production work alongside theory and history. During the past decade there have been fluctuating theoretic[...]e has moved through what has been cheekily dubbed the “post—British” phase and is now negotia- ting the “post-structural” one. The first of these followed (almost word for word at times) the British translation and discussion of predominantly French writing in the unstable nexus of work derived from Freud and Marx, via models out of Suassurean linguistics. The |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments second has moved on, with rather less con- viction, and only a remnant (a figment?) of political purpose, through a wave of reaction to that Althusser—Lacan moment. The degree of ‘determinacy’ thought possible in the earlier phase is now gone, lost entirely in the signifying play of textuality with itself. The social con- science has been replaced, in post-structural- ism, by the gourmet appetite. Not everybody finds that they can get by on this regime of cuisine minceur (you can have fun with it, but can you live on it?). The present phase is partly one of groping for new starts in theory, that derive more genuinely from our own place, with less of the anxious genuflection towards the metropolis (that is always else- where) which has characterized much of Aus- tralian theory in the past. This movement in film theory (which at times has had more affinity with film and literar[...]was partly accompanied and partly checked, along the way, by developments in television theory. Another ,way to chart the educational fortunes of this period is to look at the change in teaching texts in screen and media studies. In 1974 there was a .delicate publishing shift against the earlier American and British traditions, with the appearance of Raymond Williams’ Television: Technology and Cultural Form and Stan Cohen and Jack Young’s The Manufacture of News. From then on the whole pattern of media coursework changed with a flow of detailed textual studies of television elections (The Television Election, Trevor Pate- man), football[...]ts audience (Everyday Tele- vision Nationwide and The Nationwide Audi- ence, Charlotte Brunsdon and Dav[...]et al; Crossroads, Dorothy Hobson) were backed by the appearance every few years of a new ‘essential’ textbook, such as James Curran et al’s Mass Communication and Society. The Open University was mainly responsible for the flow of media textbooks and study guides, and the British Film Institute (BFI) published the detailed program monographs with production studies such as Manuel Alvarado and Ed Buscombe’s Hazell: The Making of a Television Series which acted as a welcome check to the more exclusively meta- theoretical preoccupations of its journals. State-funded institutions such as the BFI, the Open University and the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies established media and cultural studies to the extent that today the most significant media series from mainstream pub[...]ted by John Fiske) would be inconceivable without the input of these institutions. In Australia, the situation has been very different. Until recently[...]pt alive by indivi- duals such as Henry Mayer (in the area of media, political theory and public policy) and de[...]alian cinema). State-funded institutions such as the Austra- lian Film Institute (AFI) and the AFTS, which might have played a role comparable with that of the BFI and Open University, looked in other directions. It was not until 1981 that the AFI (in partnership with Currency Press) launched[...]n series which, though little and late, did enter the inter- national debate under the guidance of Sylvia Lawson. And, partly because of Lawson’s industry background, the series gave an emphatic “conditions of production” slant to the “new questions being asked about the rela- tions of text and context, art and industry; story, societ[...]otiating “text and context” have appeared (or are in preparation) on television current affairs (Programmed Politics, Phillip Bell et al); Bellamy (Bellamy: The Making of a Tele- vision Series, Albert Moran); Doctor Who (Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text, John Tulloch and Manuel Alvarado); current Aus- tralian cinema (The Screening of Australia, Susan Dermody and Liz Jacka; The New Aus- tralian Cinema, Scott Murray [editor]) and Australian silent cinema (Legends on the Screen, John Tulloch); Australian ‘actuality’[...]ian Media Monopolies. In addition, there has been the important language, text and discourse work of Kress, Hodge and True (Language as Ideology, Gunt[...]r Kress, Bob Hodge and Tony True), not to mention the various theoretical journals which have struggled (with little or no institutional support) into the 1980s. Theoretically, then, the development of film and media publishing in Australia and abroad has been encouraging in the past 10 years and has reflected the changes in film education and studies. If there i[...]Literary Theory (though Terry Lovell’s Pictures of Reality comes close) that is due, in part, at least, to the institutional and political differences between literature and mass communication at tertiary level. The conservative opponents of media theory are differently placed, because media courses are often seen to have a career outcome. Students of literature tend to move harmlessly into the teaching of more students of literature, whereas media students carry the threat of infiltrating and changing the nature of the various industries. Perhaps this is why a book l[...]contemptuous review in b &'t which railed against the teaching practices at NSWIT, where the authors teach, rather than attempting to grasp the book. The reviewer’s suggestion that there was far more to be learned by propping up the bar at the journalists’ club points to an industry and education gulf which is the business of bodies such as the AFI and the AFTS to negotiate (as well as being a constant consideration for writers in the field). There is a widespread doubt, however, that eith[...]d move beyond a cosmetic or parasitic solution to the problem of relating to industry and media studies. Groups such as Women in Film and Television are showing more courage in this respect and are trying to interest members in questions of theory as well as questions of pro- fessional survival. The gap is possibly less yawning between_ theory and independent film practice. The question is how far contemporary theory and prac[...]oduce new possibilities for films being made, for the dynamics of the local “film community” (independent filmmaker[...]es to that question have been chang- ing for some time, on both sides of the divide. Again, it is interesting that feminist filmmakers were the first to make the crossing between theory and practice back at the time of the Minto film theory weekend in late 1978, and the formation of Feminist Film Workers. But, at the same time, they were moving into the strange and contradictory territory of “marxist- feminism”, and only the most hardy tried to set up camp there. Since then the history of Filmnews has largely been the history of this changing attitude, its successes and failures. But there are new stirrings. The Creative Development Branch (CDB) of the Australian Film Commission and the Women’s Film Fund have recently been moved and goaded into being less of the unconscious of this relation- ship, and more of its conscience. The CDB has begun to fund forums for academics and film- makers (and those who are both), such as the Australian Screen Studies Association in New Sout[...]Film and Authorship in late 1983. It is inviting the occasional theorist to sit on assessment panels,[...]n Australia is free interplay with an environment of theory and discussion willing to take on questions of aesthetics, film form, performances, new tech- nologies, radical practices and radical meanings. In Sydney, at present, there are only the faintest, most uncertain glimmerings of a milieu in which that could possibly begin to ta[...]nd on pending and recently filled appointments in the AFC. Much more will depend on the intellec- tual courage of people in the Sydney film community. %Film Studies (Victoria)[...]yer Lecturer in Media Studies, Phillip Institute of Technology Film Studies, Cinema Studies, Media, Visual Communication and Visual Language are some of the disguises concocted by people who wish to get pai[...]heir adolescence. However, it has been some- what of a battle for the visual linguists (i.e., the practitioners of film studies) to attain the deserved amount of academic respectability from the tertiary institutions and a bemused public; the latter has generally regarded films as entertainment and, therefore, outside the para- meters of an education system which has always insisted that learning must be a painful experience. The pioneers in this field in Australia, as far as I am aware, were John C. Murray and Gil Brealey, two members of the English Depart- ment of Coburg Teachers’ College who, from the start of the College in 1960, made Film Study available in each of the three years of the CINEMA PAPERS March-April — 59 |
| The Industry Comments Primary Diploma course. The College also conducted an annual two—week film festival based on a director or theme of historical interest: Eisenstein in 1961, D. W. Gr[...]in 1963, etc. While there were isolated pockets of activity in this field in the 1960s in tertiary institutions — Bill Perkins in Tasmania, for example — there was little sign of widespread development. There were, of course, those regular visits of English literature students from the secondary schools to screenings of the literary classics, but that did little to promote[...]in certain institu- tions far more easily because of the supposed vocational opportunities and the fact that the results of the course could be measured in tangible terms. In the early 1970s, marked by Whitlam and the rapid growth in tertiary enrolments and accompanied by the renaissance of the Australian film industry, a climate existed which fostered the widespread development of Film Studies in the institutions. In Victoria, at least, the formation of the Tertiary Screen Educators of Victoria, and its annual con- ferences, and for secondary and primary teachers the Association of Teachers of Film and Video (the genesis of ATOM), with its publication of Metro magazine, provided much needed focal points around which this area of study could develop. Also significant was the range of film courses offered by the Media Centre, and John Flaus and Ian Mills in particular, at the newly estab- lished La Trobe University, and the subsequent three—year Cinema Studies course. Since that time film study has become part of a number of universities in every state; even Melbourne Unive[...]ation with it. Subsequent flowering has included the estab- lishment of the Australian Film and Television School, particularly the work of its Open Program and the National Graduate Diploma Scheme which operates in every Australian state. There is also the biannual film conference conducted by the Australian Screen Studies Association (ASSA) in New South Wales and, to demonstrate the sophistication and legitimacy of the discipline, there is another biannual conference which explores the inter- relationship between Film and History. The early years at the Coburg Teachers’ College in the 1960s approached the teaching of film through close analysis and a concern with the ways in which it communicates: camera composition, lighting, editing, sound, etc. To this end a range of short films and extracts was combined with popular feature, foreign language and silent films. Since that time each institution has worked out its area of film study suitable for the interests and expertise of its staff and students against the background of the shifting overseas currents: the early auteur approach, the interest in generic films, Lacan and psychoanalyt[...], structural linguistics, Levi-Strauss, Propp and the emphasis on narrative discourse have all shared the limelight at one stage or another. Whatever the label, however, film studies is still in its formative stages; the basis of any course in the study of film must still be an attempt to illuminate the complex relationship between the artefact (film), the communicators and the audiences. 60 —— March-April CINEMA PAPERS[...]ondson Curator, National Film Archive “Orphan of the Wilderness” . . . or “The Breaking of the Drought ”?‘ The National Film Archive is more than an institu- tion. It is the manifestation of an idea, and one of the most remarkable, and least remarked, cultural developments of the last 40 years has been the fertilization of this idea, spontaneously and simul- taneously, throughout the world. (Ernest Lindgren, Curator of the National Film Archive, London, in 1970) Those words from the doyen of film archivists, even more apt now than in 1970, prefaced my report to the Australian Film and Television School of a five-month, world-wide study of film archives which Cinema Papers published in a condensed form in its December 1974 issue? That I was the first Australian to under- take such a project indicated the underdevelop- ment of local film archive activity compared with, for example, Europe or North America. The report, and especially Cinema Papers’ con- densation, was widely read. It subsequently influenced the setting up of the autonomous New Zealand Film Archive and is now being re- read as the future of Australia’s National Film Archive (NFA) has become a major issue in recent months. Cinema Papers and the NFA are, in a sense, of the same vintage. The NFA was established as a definable staff unit of the National Library in 1973 (though its origins go back to the 19305). Although the growth of staff and resources has in no way kept pace with its development in other ways, it has clearly come of age. In 10 years, its collections have increased[...]ons and inter- national perspective. Its place in the industry and film culture has been established: as a repository, an indispensable resource, a source of ideas and material. It has contributed to many hundreds of productions. Its collection growth has made possible much of the Aus- tralian content of film education, research and analysis. As a result of “The Last Film Search”, film restorations and the overseas “Cinema Aus- tralia” retrospectives, the NFA has begun to give substance to its cultural role of not only acquiring and preserving the moving image heritage but also making it tangible and accessible to the world. The operative word is begun. So will 1984 be the end of the beginning? The past 10 years have been a pioneering adventure. So, at a different level, will the next 10 years. All being well, what might one hope to find on walking into the NFA in 1994? At the risk of indulging some wishful thinking, I venture some personal ideas of the NFA a decade from now. One would, I hope, find a[...]lections, activities and thinking to com- prehend the whole nature of the moving image in society (be it as art, technology[...]unication, history, industry or 1. For those who do not recognize them: the titles of two classic Australian feature films made in 1936[...]whatever) in its own right and not as an aspect of something else. It would reflect — accur- ately, I hope —- the rising cultural status of the medium. The NFA would have a sense of its own necessity as a concept conceived in response to the nature and social impact of a 20th Century popular medium. Its commitment to the highest standards of preservation would be given meaning by an equal commitment to making the moving image heritage accessible in every sense of the term, then and in the future. As the trustee of that heritage, it follows that the NFA would, by definition, be committed to the future of the medium. So it would be neither a graveyard for old films nor a mere passive service of demands and enquiries, but a positive and stimulating force, and a point of reference for community and industry. It would s[...]easier to find and use. Wherever its headquarters are eventually located, it would have a substantial p[...]ion, a moving image museum and so on available to the public, the industry and other institutions as well. Monument[...]films on display for public enjoyment (as well as the preserved film itself); or the chance to view films of all formats projected in a cinema equipped to exhibit them as they were meant to be seen; or the opportunity to enjoy a silent film with live music accompaniment knowing that the skills of this obsolete art have been revived and nurtured by the NFA? Though hardly affluent, it will be far better funded and have better resources than at present; it will also be entrepreneurial in raising income to supplement its government grant. The work of film archives, as a charge on the public purse, will be better understood — and defended — in its own right. Hopefully, by this time, nothing of permanent value would be in danger of loss through insufficient funding. Similarly, se[...]ecord all Australian production and exhibi- tion. The NFA would be acquiring all material of permanent value — maybe with the aid of an equitable statutory deposit system — before there was any likelihood of loss. The NFA’s relationship to the industry and the film culture will have become closer and more organic; it will be an obvious part of its infrastructure, with daily acquisition and access contact, cross-use of facilities and exchange of staff. Its relationship to other cultural bodies[...]ve established a role as a co—ordinator, centre of expertise and a support agency. Internationally,[...]oun- tries and would be contributing its share to the development of its field world-wide. It would be adequately representing and promoting the Australian moving image heritage overseas. It will be far more accessible and be making full use of computer and video technology. For the researcher, the collection will be much larger, more diverse, better documented and a greater percentage of it will be accessible. There will, hopefully, be no artificial limits on access (such as the current restrictions). Beyond this, the NFA would initiate, support and promote activities which made the heritage more acces- |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments sible to the community at large, possibilities limited only by imagination. The original 1974 report, complemented and extended by many others since, is still read because it, and they, are still valid. Much of this “future scan” is implicit in that respect, because the experiences of other countries are signposts for Australia. Although Australia is among the first nations to discern and realize the narrative and docu- mentary potential of the cinema back in the 1900s, it has taken it a long time to begin to evaluate its cultural status in relation to that of the other arts —— and to recognize that status institutionally. The NFA should reflect Australia’s pride in a long and significant heritage, and be recognition of the profound social impact of the moving—image media on the nation which was born with it. Is it possible, and appropriate, that by 1994 Australia could have one of the world’s leading and most innovative film archives? Time will tell. Observations Bob Ellis Scriptwriter Ending at the Beginning After 10 years (or however long it has been since Stork so farcically fertilized the test tube baby Australians are now so awkwardly proud of) it is good that The Thorn Birds has turned up at long last to show how it might have been otherwise: the American has—beens, American accents, Mexican stucco, Jacobean plot-lines and the blue, forgettable gumless vistas, with Brownie’s token chest asweat in the overlit foreground. How well we have done, in one way or another, in beating that rap at least. Imagine Steve McQueen in Sunday Too Far Away, Marie Osmond in The Getting of Wisdom, Sissy Spacek in My Brilliant Career, Sylvester Stallone in Newsfront, Richard Pryor in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith; Richard Gere, one could say now, is Mad Max 4, and Jack Lemmon is the Man of Flowers. That, at least, never happened, though Ricky Schroeder in The Earthling did, as did Kristy McNichol in The Pirate Movie and Joseph Bottoms (preferred by Tim[...]dnite Spares and Turkey Shoot, which also include the post-Weir oeuvre of James and Harold McElroy, and the man so disarmingly described by David Puttnam as[...]her, odd things did happen, certain random habits of mind that became our proudest traditions. I have often thought of a monograph in the Andrew Sarris manner called The Sun Never Rises, a study of the work of Ken Hannam (Break of Day, Sunday Too Far Away, Summerfield, Dawnl), or[...]that kill large waterfowl: can a single vision be at work here? What moves these small, dark, ABC-trained men to themes of the loss of childhood companionship and youthful hope while the great, yellow, filtered sun beats down? Can it be, perhaps, the money? Perish the thought. What moves Carl Schultz to films in whic[...]adults to die in multiple shipwrecks? Yet, they are only part of a larger national perception, so apparent in our cinema, of the pointlessness of every effort, since nothing ever changes and you end at your beginning. Aunt Edna recaptures Bazza. Judy Davis rejects Sam Neill. Don’s party doesn’t win the election. Petersen fails the exam. Breaker is taken away and shot. Jimmie Blac[...]n in Sunday ends up broke and lonely as he began. The Man of Flowers ends up rich. and lonely as he began. The boy in Careful, He Might Hear You ends up with his original auntie, and glummer now he has seen the world. Mr Perceval the pelican is shot; so is the Wild Duck, but more economically with the same bullet as its young mistress. The crippled boy in Let The Balloon Go is dragged down off his tree. The crooks in Bush Christmas mosey on down the road un- punished. Bill Hunter, in Newsfront, gri[...]s, prevails. In our end is our beginning. Winners are only acceptable if, like Phar Lap and Gough Whitlam, they end badly, or if, like Mad Max and the couple in A Town Like Alice, they suffer deeply and prosper only modestly at the end. A nation born of convict, political fugitive and second- chance bl[...]g spunks who make easy millions overnight as they do in Starstruck and Undercover, or in the forthcoming Olivia! The Movie or whatever. Fatty Finn’s crystal set is reward enough. We must learn to be content with the dull sweet continuum of our ordinary lives. Cathy has her child back (back in migrant poverty, that is something), the Lonelyhearted losers have at least each other and the boy in The Devil’s Playground has at least escaped his confine- ment — the best you can expect in a bitter, agnostic Australian universe (the first agnostic society ever, I think), whose modesty of expectation must be served. Ah, so we are to be shot at dawn are we? That’s not so bad. Of course it has led to a certain sameness in our cinema (as my old gag, The Mango Tree, The Last Mango, The Devil’s Mango, In Search of Mangoes, Storm Mango, Blue Mango, Mango Too Far A[...]t Mango, Mad Mango, Mango Morant, Mouth to Mango, The Chant of Jimmie Mango, The Cars that Ate Mangoes, Man of Mangoes, Cathy’s Mango, We of the Mango Mango, The Man from Mango River, and so on, so cornily evidenced); a certain resistance in the Aus- tralian audience to traditional storyline fiction (most films that do well here are either about the sensitive adolescence of some dead writer or some factual incident that once made headlines, and most story films such as The Chain Reaction and Goodbye Paradise do badly); a resistance to punchlines and car chases[...]d country doctors and ordinary human problems and the half—remembered past. But that's not so bad. It compares well with Smokey and the Bandit and Freebie and the Bean and Starsky and Hutch and Porky’s II; less well with Chariots of Fire, Star Wars and the Bond movies, and the last three Fellinis and the last four Bergmans. However, you car1’t have ev[...]lian films actually to come to an end — leaving the central shearer’s strike out of Sunday Too Far Away, the death of Caddie’s lover out of Caddie, Anna out of In Search of Anna, Cathy’s husband out of Cathy’s Child, the flying saucer out of Picnic at Hanging Rock and the last wave out of The Last Wave, and replacing them all with farewell s[...]in mid—stream, for mainly budget reasons. But, of course, a film director’s prime aim in these pa[...]o much, as Stanley Kubrick and Peter Weir proved, the conquest of art as the conquest ofjournalism. I decided last year the method was to behave with confidence, hold the shot, bring up the classic music and give the interview. And if, as in the recent oeuvres of Weir, Schultz and Cox, the film doesn’t quite add up, why all the better. It is something for people to argue about and journalists to waste words on. And that’s where the money is, and the earthly reputation. One of the most commercially successful directors, Sandy Har[...]h journalists, has disappeared without trace; one of the most commercially unsuccessful directors, Fred Sc[...]our finest flower. It is important to know where the money is and the reputation. It is in the Sunday papers. In all, a middling good 10 years I think. The next 10, so obsessed with money and calcula- tion[...]worse. Richard Brennan Producer Ten years ago the revived Australian film industry was largely peop[...]ds were in low- budget filmmaking. Poverty proved the parent of invention and in 1972-73 approximately half of the films proved commercially successful. Then, in I975, Sunday Too Far Away was screened in the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes and the overseas legend of our plucky little industry was born. Perhaps beca[...]to suffer more than flesh wounds. But these days, the forms of financing that have evolved to support the larger budgets of films have altered the rules of the game. The current indications are that production will be down in 1984. Since June 30, 1983, The Coolangatta Gold is the only feature film with a substantial budget to have gone into production. The decrease in taxation benefits to investors is par[...]imperfectly understood. A film offering benefits of 150 per cent for deductible items and 100 per cen[...]5 per cent. By contrast, a film offering benefits of 133 per cent for deductible items, in which the non- deductible items have been picked up by an entity not seeking tax benefits (e.g., the Aus- tralian Film Commission or a state corpora- tion), is in a more attractive position. The rub may be the reduced benefit of net income from exploitation of the film: formerly 50 per cent, now 33 per cent. Bene[...]generated, and I suspect this partly accounts for the increased emphasis on low—budget filmmaking. Several letters have recently appeared in the papers from brokers and entrepreneurs whos[...] |
| [...]ed and misunderstood because it didn’t fit into the grid s_vstem_of Australian movies. Don's Part} (Bruce Beresford, I976). Inept in parts, but still the best piece of ensemble acting I have seen from an Australian cast. The Plumber (Peter Weir. I979). Weir’s most austere little film. Deriva- tive from Harold Pinter’s The Care- taker and The Dumb Waiter (the same dramatic proposition: an interloper challenges the incumbent for the ownership of the premises) but remarkably compelling. Breaker Morant (Bruce Beresford. 1980). Kubrick did it better in Paths of Glory and I am not. for a moment. endorsing Beres[...]. elegantly pre- sented by Beresford who was, for the first time in his career, in complete control of his material. The Getting of Wisdom (Bruce Beres- ford, I977). Beresford again, and grossly underrated by Australian critics. The first of the “new wave” features about a winner — after all those films with detumescent central characters. The Devil’s Playground (Fred Schepisi, I976). Probably the best of the lot. A couple of Arthur Dignam’s scenes were over the top but the rest of 62 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS Leading film c[...]e or length. it was just bloody marvellous. From the first frames (the camera drifting up the river) and the first note of [Bruce] Smeaton’s music you knew you were seeing a marvellous piece of work. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (Fred Schepisi, 1978). Schepisi[...]d. We all fell on it with blood-stained axes. But at its best, it was marvellous. You can see why Pauline Kael has the hots for Fred. Kostas (Paul Cox, 1979). Still Cox’s best, I think. Angered bv the way it had been ignored by all and sundry, I deci[...]rts. But I still think that Kostas is superior to both Lonely Hearts and Man of Flowers. A strong, simple and honest film. But, oh. the ending! The Great MacArthy (David Baker, 1975). Reviled at the time and now for- gotten. I am not being perverse when[...]st films have in their entire feature length. Out of control and chaotic, it finally disintegrated like Dimboola. It was far less than the sum of its parts. But, ah, the parts! The helicopter arriving in the small town to Smeaton’s Fellini-ish music. The use of real-life grotesques such as Lou Richards and lack Dyer. The undeni- able Australianness of the comedy. We all owe David Baker an apology. Careful, He Might Hear You (Carl Schultz, 1983). For all the opposite reasons. Its European elegance, Vis- conti in the Sydney suburbs. Over- done, overblown, overstated[...]t most was its passion. Too many Australian films are emo- tionally constipated. Suddenly, here was one that pulled out all the organ stops. Gallipoli (Peter Weir, I981). Weir[...]struggled against it, but was deeply affected by the film. Was seen to be blowing my nose when the lights came up. Going Down (Haydn Kennan, 1983). Ninety minutes of chaos and rat- baggery that will go down in history as the film that launched the cinematic career of the multi—talented and com- pletely unmanageable Da[...]how very, very good Jack Thompson can be. Devoid of pretension. Not too heavy with the myth—making. Made me realize why I have always[...]for a place in my affections . . . Peter Beilby The Film House TV, Melbourne In alphabetical order: Breaker Morant Don's Party The Devil’s Playground Mad Max 2 (George Miller, 1981) Man of Flowers (Paul Cox, 1983) Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, I975) Sunday Too Far A[...]otnote I would also in- clude: A Personal History of the Australian Surf (Michael Blakemore, I981), Lalai[...]Su Doring, 1971). Rod Bishop Phillip Institute of Technology, Melbourne j I. Newsfront (Phil Noyc[...](to Uluru) (Arthur and Corinne Cantrill, 1981) 7. The Year of Living Dangerously (Peter Weir, 1982) 8. Love Let[...]1. Max Max (George Miller, 1979) and Mad Max 2 . The Devil's Playground Gallipoli Pure Shit Bre[...] |
| [...]8. Don’s Party 9. Sunday Too Far Away 10. The Man from Hong Kong (Brian Trenchard Smith, 1975)[...]3. Stir (Stephen Wallace, 1980) 4. Mad Max 5. The FJ Holden (Michael Thorn- hill, 1977) Wake in Fright The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Palm Beach (Albie Thoms, 1979) The Last Wave (Peter Weir, 1977) In Search of Anna (Esben Storm, 1979) Close, but not close en[...]g, 1973), Between Wars (Michael Thornhill, 1974), The Devil’s Playground and Mouth to Mouth. P.‘°[...]ce Book (Editor) In no particular order but with the two films by Peter Weir in a dead-heat: The Office Picnic (Tom Cowan, 1972) Breaker Morant G[...]s Kennedy, 1982) Careful, He Might Hear You Sons of Namatjira (Curtis Levy, 1975) Homesdale (Peter Weir, 1971) The Plumber (Peter Weir, 1970) Man of Flowers Dean chamberlin The Advocate, Melbourne In alphabetical order: Brea[...]son, 1982) My Brilliant Career Newsfront Picnic at Hanging Rock The Year of Living Dangerously Barry Cohen Minister for Hom[...]berra Although Cinema Papers asked for my 10 all-time favorite Australian films, I have included 11 which are of such a high standard that I felt it unfair to eliminate one. In no particular order: My Brilliant Career The Man from Snowy River (George Miller, 1982) Phar[...]ker Morant Careful, He Might Hear You Gallipoli The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith The Year of Living Dangerously And although Fast Talking (Ken Cameron) has not been released, I believe it is of equal standard to the above. Keith Connolly The Herald, Melbourne In no particular order: Sunday Too Far Away. In spite of structural flaws, our finest achieve- ment to date in social realism. Cer- tainly the best portrayal of Australians at work, the shearers coming over with sympathy and humor in a[...]wsfront. A convincing, technically inventive look at the recent past that succeeds in celebrating yesterday without coating it in nostalgia. Winter of Our Dreams (John Duigan, 1981). Nicely works seve[...]social themes into an involving personal drama. The Devil’s Playground. A delicate and touching evocation of lost ignor- ance that makes more celebrated rites- of-passage exercises seem like The March of Time. The Getting of Wisdom. Another quietly-effective rites of passage recol- lection that does justice to the original novel’s biographical and philosophical thrusts. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Never mind the flimsy story, feel the atmospheric quality! Still the most poetically visual Australian feature. Phar Lap. In the age of “c’mon Aussie, c’mon”, a pleasingly authentic and moderate rendition of popular legend. Monkey Grip (Ken Cameron, 1982). The characters are all-too-recognizable child-adults intellectualizing their essential hedonism, but the film is correspondingly mature. Lonely Hearts. I[...]nevertheless works beautifully because, in spite of their contrived oddities, the characters remain poignantly believable. Breaker Morant. Beneath the manly heroics, our old mate the ugly Austra- lian confronts the ugly Brit he sprang from . . . a provocative can of worms writhing within well-handled action- adven[...]vity. My painfully-reduced short-list in- cludes The Chant of Jimmie Black- smith, My Brilliant Career, Stir, The Last Wave, Gallipoli, 27A, The Cars That Ate Paris (Peter Weir, 1974). Jill Crommelin The West Australian, Perth In no particular order: The Office Picnic Mouth to Mouth Picnic at Hanging Rock Gallipoli Don’s Party The Odd Angry Shot (Tom Jeffrey, 1979) My Brilliant Career Newsfront The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Phar Lap Debi Enker Cinema Papers, Melbourne In alphabetical order: The Clinic (David Stevens, 1983) Heatwave (Phil Noyce[...]ad Max Mad Max 2 Monkey Grip Newsfront Picnic at Hanging Rock The Plumber Walkabout The Devil '3 Playground: joint No. 7. Sunday T[...]art 1 (Mike Parr and Peter Kennedy, 1972) 7. Sons of Namatjira 8. Pictures for Cities (Jeff Weary, 19[...]Stretch, 1975) 10 K Tape One (Jim Wilson, 1974) The films used here have been chosen on the basis of comparison with world standards using the criteria of imagina- tion, sensitivity and exploration of the medium as well as the likelihood of the film being of enduring significance. Gordon Glenn Australian Movies to the World (Co-writer, co-director) Newsfront Brea[...]oo Far Away Don’s Party Lonely Hearts Picnic at Hanging Rock Mouth to Mouth Queensland (John Ru[...]: . Gallipoli Breaker Morant Mad Max 2 Winter of Our Dreams Picnic at Hanging Rock My Brilliant Career The Man from Snowy River Caddie (Donald Crombie, 1976) The Devil’s Playground Don’s Party 59®s[...] |
| Top Ten Sandra Hall The Bulletin, Sydney _ In no particular order: The Year of Living Dangerously The Devil’s Playground Winter of Our Dreams Breaker Morant The Getting of Wisdom Monkey Grip Mouth to Mouth The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Newsfront In Search of Anna Paul Harris "Film Butts’ Forecast", SRRR, Melbourne Z . Stir Newsfront The Devil’s Playground Mad Max 2 Between Wars Ba[...]Monkey Grip John Hintlle ABC-TV, Green Guide (The Age), Melbourne l. Gallipoli 2. Winter of Our Dreams 3. Breaker Morant 4. Newsfront 5. S[...]rong, 1982) 6. Dusty (John Richardson, 1983) 7. The Getting of Wisdom 8, The Year of Living Dangerously 9. Mouth to Mouth 10. Storm Boy Ivan Hutchinson The Seven Network and Video Age, Melbourne 1 W Aust[...]nments. Since my personal preference in that sort of film is still pretty basic — a strong narrative, a literate script, some genuine concern for the characters and professional technical skills —[...]tors which still must count as Aussie films since both present aspects of our country and way of life that the local boys haven’t touched on. Breaker Morant. One would hardly complain about the quality of films from Australia (or anywhere else) if they were as well acted, written and directed as this adaptation of a good play by Kenneth Ross. The Last Wave. In my book, Peter Weir’s most satisf[...]reat action movie. One sequel that is better than thethe mind. Newsfront. Still one of the most original and technically skilful of recent Australian films. One of our few movies to even attempt to com- ment on the recent political past. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Finally un- satisfying, but the haunting and imaginative quality of this film has not yet been undimmed by time or even commercial television as a recent tele- cast proved. Stork (Tim Burstall, 1971). Lots of things don’t work too well in this film, but Bruce Spence does. Besides, with- out the public acceptance of this one, would we have an industry at all? Sunday Too Far Away. The first feature produced by the South Austra- lian Film Corporation remains one of the most attractively “Aussie” of our movies, a well-observed, well-acted and likeable film. Wake in Fright. Powerful look at the Australian ugliness, too powerful even for most[...]released. Walkabout. Constantly fascinating mix of myth, mystery, romanticism and sex. Photographed[...]style. Gallipoli.‘ joint N0. 5. Neil Jillett The Age, Melbourne Picnic at Hanging Rock Heatwave Winter of Our Dreams Man of Flowers Stir The Getting of Wisdom Lonely Hearts Moving Out . Starstruck Storm Boy 3©®N@VAPPr Picnic at Hanging Rock." No. 4. Tina Kaufman Filmnews, Sydney Here is my list of 10 films from the past decade. I don’t want to say best or favourite, but rather that these are the ten films which worked best for me when I first saw them, and that the impression each one left has stayed strong. Pure Shit Love Letters from Teralba Road The FJ Holden Newsfront Mad Max and Mad Max 2 Stir Monkey Grip Wrong Side of the Road (Ned Lander, 1981) Starstruck Going Down Dougal MacDonald The Canberra Times, Canberra The fun five: Kitty and the Bagman (Donald Crom- bie, 1982) The Odd Angry Shot Buddies (John Dingwall, 1983) Goodbye Paradise (Carl Schultz, 1983) Mad Max 2 The admirable five: Lonely Hearts Man of Flowers Manganninie (John Honey, I980) Stir The Devil’s Playground Adrian Martin Melbourne State College Mystical Rose Mad Max The Last Wave Journey to the End of Night (Peter Tammer, 1981) 5. Manless (Maria Koz[...]ll, 1978) I have tended to favor some films from the recent boom in Super 8 mm films. Brian McFarlane[...]ne In no particular order: My Brilliant Career The Year of Living Dangerously Roadgames (Richard Franklin, 1981) Wake in Fright Picnic at Hanging Rock Breaker Morant Gallipoli Lonely Hearts Walkabout The FJ Holden The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Comments: (i) Predominance of literacy adapta- tions among best Australian fil[...]uld add Norman Loves Rose (Henri Safran, 1982), the only attractive Australian comedy, and Stephen Wallace’s Stir. Perhaps Heatwave. (iii) The list has the look of cliche but Peter Weir seems to me the clear winner among directors. (iv) I am struck by the scarcity of films making a lively engagement with contemporar[...]ay, in consequence, be over-valuing Thornhill’s The FJ Holden. Mouth to Mouth and Winter of Our Dreams seem the only other contenders in the field and they both, admirable as they are, run out of narrative puff. (ii) Scott Murray Cinema Papers, Melbourne Walkabout . Wake in Fright Picnic at Hanging Rock Mad Max 2 Mad Max A Personal History of the Austra- lian Surf Goodbye Paradise Breaker Morant Sunday Too Far Away 10. The Last Harvest (Jeff Bruer, 1977) The ‘second 11’ is: Lonely Hearts, The Devil’s Play- ground, TheThe Nine Network, Melbourne In no particular order: The Man from Snowy River Phar Lap Fatty Finn (Maurice Murphy, 1980) Sunday Too Far Away Lonely Hearts The Club (Bruce Beresford, I980) |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement Top Ten The Odd Angry Shot Petersen Gallipoli Breaker Moran[...]Day (Gillian Armstrong, 1973) A Personal History of the Australian Surf The Plains of Heaven (Ian Pringle, 1982) Stations (Jackie McKimmie, 1983) Andrew Peacock Leader of the Federal Liberal Party, Canberra hut .The Picture Show Man (John Power, 1977) The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith My Brilliant Career Breaker Morant Gallipoli Picnic at Hanging Rock Sunday Too Far Away The Last Wave We of the Never Never (Igor Auzins, 1982) Mad Max 5 pwsaw[...]Cinema Papers, Melbourne In alphabetical order: The Alternative (Paul Eddey, 1978) Careful, He Might Hear You The Last Wave Mad Max Mad Max 2 Petersen Picnic at Hanging Rock We Are All Alone, My Dear (Paul Cox, 1977) We of the Never Never Yacketty Yak In addition to the films listed above, several which embody an Australian connection of some substantial kind, yet which cannot precisely[...]n” films which stand out for me in this context are Walkabout and Wake in Fright (also known as Outback). And two films made abroad by filmmakers who have done the majority of their work in Australia are also, it can be argued, most properly included he[...]1982) and Tender Mercies (Bruce Beresford, 1982). Both films, along with Psycho 2 (Richard Frank- lin, 1983), serve as a clear indication of the happy marriage of Australian film- makers to working conditions outside Australia. And, finally, there are a number of Australian films that I value, in whole or in part, even if I cannot find a place for them in today’s list of 10: films such as Bonjour Balwyn (Nigel Buesst, 1[...]Hughes, 1975), Hoddle Street Suite, Between Wars, The Plumber and Roadgames. Andrew Saw The National Times, Sydney 1. Man of Flowers . Sunday Too Far Away . The Devil’s Playground Monkey Grip My Brilliant Career The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Breaker Morant Lonely Hearts Moving Out We of the Never Never Ewwflaweww Bill Shanahan Shanahan’s Management, Sydney In no particular order: The Devil’s Playground Newsfront My Brilliant Care[...]2 Goodbye Paradise Lonely Hearts Monkey Grip The Year of Living Dangerously Careful, He Might Hear You Four more I would have liked to include: Don's Party, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Month to Mouth and Man of Flowers. Graham Shirley Australian Cinema: the First Eighty Years (co-author) 1. Lonely Hearts[...]Too Far Away Devil’s Playground Monkey Grip The Night the Prowler (Jim Shar- man, 1978) Love Letters from[...]rant Stir Lonely Hearts Wake in Fright Picnic at Hanging Rock The Devil’s Playground Break of Day The Picture Show Man Petersen Weekend of Shadows Jeffrey, 1978) Ewwsawewv (Tom Break[...]ular order: Wake in Fright Sunday Too Far Away The Last Wave Month to Month The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Love Letters from Teralba Road Newsfront Mad Max 2 Monkey Grip Man of Flowers Runners-up: Mad Max, Palm Beach, The Clinic Peter Thompson Sunday, Sydney 1. Max[...]in Fright Sunday Too Far Away Gallipoli Stir The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Monkey Grip Pure Shit awwsawew Mike Walsh The Mike Walsh Show, Sydney This is a personal list,[...]d and Dave Come to Town, despite it being outside the parameters. My Brilliant Career The Getting of Wisdom Breaker Morant Gallipoli Newsfront Wake in Fright Dad and Dave Come to Town (Ken G. Hall, 1938) The Devil’s Playground Break of Day Phar Lap Evan Williams The Australian, Sydney I. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Gallipoli Picnic at Hanging Rock Breaker Morant My Brilliant Career The Getting of Wisdom Goodbye Paradise Lonely Hearts Storm Boy[...]ew); Corinne Cantrill (filmmaker); John Hanrahan (The Sun, Sydney); the Prime Minister, Robert J. Hawke; John Hinde (ABC radio); Stan James (The Adelaide Advertiser); and Anne- Marie dell ’Osso (The Sydney Morning Herald) THE TALLY As many lists are not ordered, the following tally is based on one vote per entry. The most voted for films are, thus: 1. Breaker Morant 23 votes 2. Mad Max 2 l6 Newsfront 16 4. Picnic at Hanging Rock 15 5. Gallipoli 14 Sunday Too Far Away 14 7. The Devil’s Playground l3 Lonely Hearts l3 9. My Brilliant Career l2 10. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith ll CINEMA PAPERS Ma[...] |
| \\\\\ \\ \‘ °Vl EWS The state of the Australian film industry and its future direction has been a topic vocally debated since the industry’s revival in 1970. At a Murdoch University (Perth) seminar in October 1[...]ms and Antony I. Ginnane spoke to opposing points of view. In his speech, “Requiem for the Australian film industry”, Ginnane examines what he sees as mistakes of the past decade, particularly in the area of government funding, and gives clear indication of how he sees the industry best surviving in the future. Adams, in responding to Ginnane, gives his personal views as to what he sees worthy in the Australian cinema and why it should be encouraged[...]//// 7/ Antony I. Ginnane Perhaps the only qualification I can really claim for being here tonight is that I think I am one of only two producers currently working in Australia[...]ature film [Harlequin‘] in Western Australia in theof a title for my address this evening, I jotted down “Requiem for the Aus- tralian Film Industry” but, having spent some time talking with Phillip Adams since his elevation to the chairmanship of the Australian Film Commission (AFC), perhaps I shoul[...]nt, it would be useful to start with some history of the Australian film industry. Ten years ago, a government-backed Tariff Board Inquiry into the exhibition and distribu- tion of film in Australia made a series of recom- mendations aimed at nurturing, initially by direct government subsidy, an Australian feature film production industry. In 1970, the Federal Parliament had passed the Australian Film Development Corporation (AFDC) Ac[...]films which met certain criteria. To be eligible, the project needed to be an “Australian film”. Section 4(1) of the Act defined “Australian film” to mean, inter[...]olly or substantially in Australia . . . And, in the opinion of the Corporation, has or will have a significant Austr[...]has or will have a significant Australian content the Corporation will have regard to the subject matter of the film; the place or places where the film was or is to be made; the places of residence of the persons taking part in the making of the film, including authors, musical composers, actors and technicians; the source from which the money to be used in the making of the film will be derived; the ownership of the shares or stock in the capital of any company concerned in the making of the film; the ownership of the copyright in the film, and any other matters that it thinks relevant. In 1973, the Tariff Board Inquiry hoped that in the medium term the local film industry would become self-supporting, eliminating the need for continued government subsidy. In part C of the report, referring to theatrical films, the Board stated on page 14, . . . It has also been the Board’s aim to foster the provision of commercial finance for the film industry, partly because this is a desirable long- term objective, and partly because it considers that the large entrepreneurial element in financing film p[...]and efficiently supplied by commercial interests. The development of such facilities will take time and require encouragement, and the assistance pro- visions recommended have been designed to do this. Among other things the degree of govern- ment assistance accorded to different films will vary and will be importantly influenced by the proportion of risk and equity its commercial supporters are willing to accept. As their com- petence and confidence increases with experience and development of the industry, government participation is expected to decline. [Author’s italics.] Unfortunately, many of those advocating the passing of the AFDC legislation and, in 1975, the Australian Film Commission legislation had no desire for the industry ever to be self- supporting, clai[...] |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement Two Views along the lines of a Swedish or Eastern Euro- pean industry, continually government-sup- ported and contributing to the development and enrichment of Australian identity and culture. The Australian Film Commission Act 1975 and then the incentives introduced under amendments to the Australian Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, beginn[...]refer to “significant Australian content” as the criterion by which a film became eligible for either AFC assistance or the tax incentives. The 1977 amendments placed that matter in the hands of the Minister for Home Affairs. Subsection 1(a) of Section 124(k) of the Income Tax AssessmentAct effec- tively reiterated the definition of an “Austra- lian film” as per the original Australian Film Development Corporation Act (quoted above), with some modifications. So, during the past 10 or 15 years, the term “significant Australian content”, as we shall see, was to become the mallet by which the legs of a commercial, free—enterprise film industry were broken time and time again. Trade unions, federal and state bureaucrats and, ultimately, parliamentarians have succumbed during the past five years, and a “significant Australian[...]sive Australian content”. This happened despite the continuing evidence that Australia’s most succe[...]y overseas content, from Rachel Roberts in Picnic at Hanging Rock, Richard Chamberlain in The Last Wave and Edward Woodward in Breaker Morant to, more recently, Kirk Douglas in The Man from Snowy River, Ron Leibman in Phar Lap and Linda Hunt, Michael Murphy and Sigourney Weaver in The Year of Living Dangerously — not to mention most of my own productions. It may be debatable whether o[...]ainly not a detriment to those films’ success. The so—called theory behind this galloping chauvinism was that the purpose of the film incentives, direct and indirect, has been to stimulate an aspect of Australian culture. But what is “Australian cul[...]uin, or a year later $1.5 million in Adelaide for The Survivor, or a year later in Cairns $2.5 million[...]nhanced? Has Australian culture been abandoned if the subject matter technicians and artists are working on is international or non- Australian in[...]rsity graduate more than 30 years—old who earns at least $50,000 a year, or is there such a thing as “pop culture”? How do you account for millions of people between the ages of 12 and 30 years being scared and exhilarated by the internationally-oriented Mad Max, Patrick or Turkey Shoot? These films are completely in tune with their time. While many taxpayers may profoundly regret it, these commercially- successful films are “pop culture”. Many Aus- tralians refuse to admit that a very significant part of Australian culture overlays, and is identical to,[...]From McDonalds and Coca-Cola to Star Wars: these are the frames ofthe responsibilities of the individual Turkey Shoo! "warned about afascis[...]rure “ (Gmnane). to society; Harlequin with the dilemma of power, greed and success versus personal happiness; and Turkey Shoot warned about a fascist society in the future. These themes were not uniquely Australian, nor were they uniquely American. They were at least western and perhaps even universal. They al[...]and our society. They were all criticized because the Australian physical locale and the story setting were described as either being somewhere in the U.S. or some non—specific location. Was our cul[...]has proved a strait—jacket which has followed the industry through the 10B legislation into the most recent 1OBA legislation. The device of certification as an Australian film has not been based on any intelligent point system, as was the case in Canada, nor was it based on any expenditure criterion, such as the British Eady scheme — although the Tariff Board, it should be noted, used an expenditure criterion as one tier of its proposed definition of Australian film. Instead, it is ultimately based on ministerial discretion, which on the one hand allows no certainty to anybody — witness The Return of Captain Invincible — and yet allows ministers who come to their portfolios tabula rasa, as far as the industry is concerned, to be progressively influe[...]aucrats who would, no doubt, be redundant if ever the Australian film industry became self—supporting. In my opinion, the intentions and strategy of the AFC, as film mandarins, have been totally and utterly wrong, from its initial interpretation of its parlia- mentary mandate to its most recent, behind- the-scenes lobbying for the latest tax cuts. I think it is invaluable and informative to consider the way in which English-speaking Canada, faced with[...]is culturally—influ— enced dramatically by, the U.S. and had no tradition of a film industry. The Canadian government in 1967 set up the Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC). The original CFDC Act was, in many ways, a model for the AFDC Act and the research behind it was heavily drawn upon by the Australian Tariff Board Inquiry. By 1979, the CFDC’s activities, coupled with private investors’ ability to write off 100 per cent of their investment in the certified Canadian film over 12 months, as well a[...]es, created a vibrant film industry with a number of spectacular suc- cesses at the world box-office. Speaking in October 1979 at a University of California seminar on “The Law of Canadian Film Production”, the then president of the CFDC, Mike McCabe, set out three assump- tions that lay at the base of the CF DC’s invest- ment in Canadian films: 1. the objective remained the creation of a feature film industry as an element of Canada’s cultural life; 2. the intention of the Canadian parliament was that, to the extent possible, this industry be self-sustaining and not an on-going dependant of government; and 3. unless the Canadian industry was commercially successful, which would mean that a lot of people wanted to pay to see its films, the cultural objective would not be achieved. It woul[...]or a small elite, nor could such an elite provide the revenues needed to allow Canadian creators to continue to create. Those objectives, which clearly mirror the Aus- tralian situation, required, said McCabe, a[...]trategy and see how, in virtually every instance, the AFC moved in exactly the opposite direction, and how the formulation and interpretation of the 10B and 10BA incentives further prevented such a strategy being properly implemented. Before we do so, however, it is worthwhile charting briefly the success or failure of McCabe’s strategy, as clearly its own relevance to the Australian situation is if it was or could have b[...]2. N. Roberts and B.E. Haleman (eds), Syllabus on the Law of Canadian Film Production, University of Southern California. CINEMA PAPERS Mar[...] |
| [...]nth Anniversary Supplement An enormous amount of ill-informed com- ment has appeared in Australian media as to the success or failure of the years 1979, 1980 and 1981 in Canada. The AFC-based position has been that the Canadian experience was a failure, either because it did not manage to sustain the industry boom through 1982 or because the films created were internationally- orientated productions as opposed to specific- ally indigenous works. The facts are that during that period a number of Canadian films became huge, world box-office successes, notably the youth comedy Porky’s, which became 20th Century[...]Paramount, grossing world-wide $20 million plus; the Jack Lemmon starrer Tribute, which grossed $15 million for Fox; the string of successful Canadian horror films from David Cronenberg — Rabid, The Brood and Scanners — which amongst them grossed[...]er successes such as Prom Night and Terror Train; the prestige vehicles such as Quest for Fire and Atlantic City, with Burt Lancaster; and the occasional situation comedy such as Middle- Age Crazy. Most of these films were criticized by purists for being[...]es and, in my view, were just as repre- sentative of Canadian culture as low-budget, indigenous, finan[...]ous productions such as Don Shebib’s Going Down the Road. What caused the boom to burst in 1982 was not the lack of world-wide, positive box-office to Canadian product, but the decision by the Revenue Department to switch the capital, cost- allowance write-off from 12 months to two years. This, combined with the unrealistic, pro- jected, proceeds cash-flow sche[...]and 1981, Canadian public offer docu- ments, and the greater attractiveness of certain real estate tax shelters, meant investors moved out of Canadian film in 1982. The Canadian scene was quiet in 1983; whether it will[...]depend on circum- stances not directly related to the performance of Canadian films to date. It is important to remem[...]plan worked in Canada and could have worked here. The current Canadian problem is not caused by the failure of McCabe’s strategies but by rug—pulling on the part of Canadian Revenue and government. So let us now look at McCabe’s objectives. 1. McCabe: If we are to have a feature film industry, its base must be a group of entre- preneurs who raise the money, assemble the creative team, get the film made and sell it. We must, therefore, focus on developing and supporting producers. My comment: The AFC and the state corporations consistently champion writers and directors at the expense of producers. The Australian Film and Television School focuses on directorial training. The Euro- pean style of filmmaking was fostered by the AF C, the state funding bodies and their followers in the specialist film media. 2. McCabe: A country the size of Canada is not going to have an unlimited number of producers. We must reinforce the success- ful ones, cut out the unsuccessful and keep our eyes open for new talent. My comment: To the extent the AFC or the state funding bodies did promote producers, the view was that either they as — March-April CINEMA PAPERS should support frequently those who are at least successful but culturally pure (the New South Wales Film Corporation’s view), or th[...]ng a successful producer more than once or twice (the AFC’s view). Spread the money around. Bring in more and more new talent. Talent for what? To lose more and more public money, of course! . McCabe: Unless Canadians are prepared to have access to foreign films limited and the exhibition of Canadian films legally required, we are going to have to make films that can compete with the best in the world because: (a) in Canada itself, we have to match the best films produced by other countries if we are to convince Canadians that they should pay their money to see our films; (b) if we are to have the stars and the pro- duction values that will bring Canadians to see our films, the budgets will be too high to recoup our costs in o[...]ket; and (c) we must, therefore, earn revenue in the rest of the world, and to do this we must have the themes, the stars and the production values to meet our com- petition. My comment: The AFC and the state corporations, by and large, consistently endorsed the extremist policies of the Actors and Announcers Equity Association of Australia and, to a lesser extent, the Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees Association in relation to the importation of overseas artists and specialist technicians. Despite the paucity of local screenwriters, any suggestion of imported screenplays was an anathema, so that the Australian content sections of 10B and 1OBA prevented our productions being pack[...]o can help us compete, but we must ensure that we do not lose control to them. We must use the association with others to promote and develop ou[...]s, directors, actors and crews. My comment: Here the AFC and the 1OBA draftsmen really threw the baby out with the water. No meaningful attempt was made by either the AFC or the AFDC to enter into any co-production treaties of any form, although some half—hearted negotia- tions proceeded with France. The AFC failed to design a practical and useful co- production treaty with the U.S., even though the U.S. was an obvious market for every Australian f[...]r proceed with Britain, Canada or New Zealand. On the other hand, the most rigorous protections and overkill were built into the 1OBA legislation to ensure that not only did cont[...]. We must create our own stars. My comment: Here at least the AFC tried, with its publicity machine and its huge presence over the years at the Cannes Film Festival, but, generally, the few Australian stars that we have (for example, Bryan Brown and Helen Morse) were created by television — the Crawfords, Hector and Henry, and Grundy’s, and the new rash of mini-series — rather than features. Only Mel G[...]e said to have emerged exclusively from features. The AFC’s promotions were either infested with koal[...]ty films we must market them more aggres- sively at home and abroad, and we must take steps to get our films into distribution and exhibition systems where we are unfairly restricted. My comment: Here both the AFC, by its marketing department, and the New South Wales Film Corporation (NSWFC), by the establishment of the Australian Films Office Inc. in Los Angeles, attempted to create structures to market the films pro- duced, but the AFC’s marketing officers privately admitted that the type of pro- duction generated only merited European tele[...]to show them. Australian films came and went as the flavor of the year in Europe, New York, etc. Very few dollars came back. Only Mad Max 2, The Pirate Movie, The Man from Snowy River, The Year of Living Dangerously and, to a lesser extent, Galli[...]orld- wide. To a lesser extent, via a combination of major and independent distributors, Patrick, Mad Max, Turkey Shoot, The Chain Reaction, Harlequin and Return of Captain Invincible have also received some measure of proper distribution} Eleven titles out of some 300. The NSWFC’s Aus- tralian Films Office Inc. has become a joke, with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on an operation that has never really had marketable films to sell, My Brilliant Career being the exception. 7. McCabe: The CFDC should use its limited budget to lever other funds into the film industry. CFDC money should be spent when the risk is highest and the money scarcest — the development stage — to help the producer get the package together. My comment: Rather than levering funds into the film industry, the AFC has consist- ently lobbied against attempts to take the industry out of its control by placing its funding in the hands of private enterprise. In the 1982-83 tax year, it campaigned against United Am[...]roups attempting to raise money via Section 51(1) of the Income Tax Assess- ment Act, ultimately succeeding in having Part IV(A) of that Act used against them. If these groups had been embraced, who knows where the industry might now be, particularly as UAA only i[...]o- duction that had guaranteed profits. Following the 1982-83 tax year, when at least it seemed as if the marketplace had accepted the 1OBA shelter and was con- sidering making independent investment decisions that displeased the AFC, Joseph Skrzynski, the AFC chief executive on whose advice [Minister for[...]arry Cohen relied (excessively in my 3. Since the time of the speech, Lonely Hearts has also received a successful distribution in the U.S. — Ed. |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement Two Views opinion), with the help of the AFC’s political contacts, organized the reduction of the 150 per cent deduction to 133 per cent and a dramatic increase in the AFC’s funding, attempting, yet again, to shore up its position.‘‘ 8. McCabe: Some of the CFDC’s budget should continue to be available for films of cultural significance and where new and promising[...], however, we must insist upon some possi- bility of commercial return. The absence of that possibility means that few people will see the film and little money will be returned to the producer so that he or she may continue to produce. My comment: Clearly, what has happened over the past 10 years is the exact reverse of that philosophy, where the AFC has lobbied to make “culturally significan ” the sole lodestone for investment. 9. McCabe: The CFDC must work to create a situation in which the institutions and investors that finance other industries are brought into the film industry. My comment: My comments here are as for point 7. 10. McCabe: The rules of the game must be stabilized for four or five years so that the CFDC and the tax incentive can do the job they were designed to do: create an economically-viable film industry. My comment: The rules of the film game in Australia have been tinkered with on at least a dozen occasions during the past 10 years. The AFC consistently lobbied to change the ground rules, from 10B (100 per cent write—off[...]to IOBA (150 per cent write-off in one year with the film to finish in the same year), through IOBA (150 per cent write—off in one year with the film to finish one year after investment), throug[...]ff in one year). Tragically, each change has been at a critical period in the development of a self-sufficient local film industry —- most notably the last —— and without much con- sultation with the people who make up the film industry. At the same time, the AFC has interfered with the certification process, first trying to take it over and then giving it back to the Department of Home Affairs. It has lobbied against Section 51(1), interfered with discussions relating to the prospectus provisions of the Uniform Companies Code, etc. No industry during the past 10 years has had the ground rules changed more often than the film industry. Who is to blame? In large measure, the blame must lie with the AFC. Despite the tragedy of mis-planning and mistakes, the AFC has managed, from time to time, to even present its own ‘gallows humor’. Most notable of recent was when James Mitchell, former executive director of the Film and Television Production Association of Aus- tralia, commissioned a report from Deloitte, Haskins and Sells which showed that of the 247 films produced from 1970 to 1982 only nine[...]t to investors. Skrzynski then had AFC operatives do some quick telephone research, which included asking producers, in whose film they [the AFC] had invested, whether they had made a profit. As a result, the AFC was pleased to trumpet to the world lay and trade press that the Deloitte, Haskins and 4. Skrzynski has defended his and the AFC’s role in the reduction of 150 per cent to 133 per cent. Skrzynski has said that the Government was insistent on a reduction to 100 per cent and that he and others fought to keep the reduction to a minimum. He thus sees the final 133 per cent as a considerable victory. —[...]e). Sells report was fatally flawed, and that the Australian film industry was in an excessively healthy state. Why? Instead of nine films out of 247 making a profit, 20 had made a profit. A better average than the U.S.’s one out of ten, says the AFC, ignoring the fact that in the U.S. the “one out of ten” takes $100 million to $200 million and pays for the other nine flops a hundred times over. Whereas Au[...]uped its meagre budget 60 times and no others out of that 247 have exceeded three to four times recoupment. Now what does the future hold? Clearly, nobody has a crystal ball, but the following is my scenario, or at least possible scenario, for the Australian film industry during the next 24 months or so: 1. vastly reduced production output as private investment rejects the new incentives as insufficiently attractive; 2. what production there is — say six to 10 films a year in the next two years — will, through the AFC’s involvement and the topping up of the budget process, become even more indigenous in content and no more commercial in their results. The AFC’s track record of investment in films is no better, and probably worse, than the industry’s average; 3. the industry will revert back to a cottage industry, causing inestimable damage to the lifestyles of those technicians and other individuals who have[...]r commitments based on con- tinuous employment in the film industry. Similarly, those small- to medium-[...]ies that have geared up, based on a certain level of production, will now come under massive financial pressure and the three or four production companies aspiring to se[...]activity will have to completely scale down; 4. at the end of this two-year period, unless there is a change in[...]erhaps even if there is (as Treasury, having seen the incentives cut back, will not easily allow any government to reinstate them at earlier higher levels), I believe this Govern- ment will either further reduce the incentives to 100 per cent write-off, with additi[...]in accord with Labor Party policy; and 5. either of these solutions will mean that the goal of those who wish to create a small- scale, Swedish-[...]my view, they may be surprised to find that most of our Bergmans have already been discovered. That is the likely future. But perhaps I can suggest an alternative, complete restructuring of the film industry incorporating the following: 1. the abolition of the AFC with any responsi- bility for limited funding of cultural projects for cinema by the present Creative Develop- ment Fund being handed over to the Australia Council or some similar organiza- tion, saving $6 million a year; 2. the abolition of the certification division of the Department of Home Affairs; 3. all investment in films to attract 100 per cent write—off, provided only that the manage- ment and control of the production com- pany is Australian and that a certain per- centage of the labor cost be expended on Australian residents an[...]ble to Australian export industries (for example, the export incentives). This scenario would allow the film industry to operate on the rules of the investment marketplace: i.e., a reasonable expectation of profit. Investors and their advisers would be free to make bona fide commercial assessments of projects available in the marketplace, without the direct or indirect interference of the AFC or the Department of Home Affairs. Should the government desire to recognize specifically the speculative, high-risk nature of film investment, which it might well choose to do, any special incentives should be geared to film income: i.e., some continuance or exten- sion of the currently exempt film-income provisions, a results-based incentive. Arrangements akin to the above have been responsible for the recent, rapid resurgence of the British industry, both from the perspective of viable commercial productions — e.g., Gandhi or Chariots of Fire — and as a world- wide production facility — e.g., Superman, the Bond films and Star Wars, etc. This is the intelligent way to proceed. CINEMA PAPER[...] |
| [...]ment Tonight’s debate has been raging in the Australian film industry since 1906: the internationalists versus the nationalists. When the historic film Ned Kelly was being shot at about that time, another Australian pioneer filmmaker was filming[...]ve you a few images which seem, to me, to be what the Australian film industry is all about. Tony Ginnane has talked about the international scene. Frankly, I don’t give a damn about the industry elsewhere. The reason we want a film industry is because Australia needs one. One of my first films was a film called Hearts and Minds[...]me. It showed a big screen, and sitting in front of it was a little, passive Australian family staring glumly at it. On the screen were the following words: “Have your emotions lived for you tonight by American experts.” And that was the way it was! I grew up on a diet of American pop art: Captain Marvel, Superman, Batma[...]involved in a May Day march. I wasn’t a member of any union but they couldn’t get any actors to march because it was the time of McCarthyism. We found ourselves an old, broken-do[...]who was wonderfully cadaverous. We walked around the streets of Melbourne, behind the wharf laborers and in front of the Painters and Dockers, with Ron tolling the knell and calling out, “Australian television is destroying Australian talent.” And I remind you that at the time there was no Australian material on Australian television at all. In fact, the actors’ stipend (radio ‘soapies’ such as “When a Girl Marries”) had been knocked on the head. As we walked around the streets of Melbourne people called out, “Australians haven’t got any talent.” This was a time when a fellow called Lee Gordon would book the Festival Hall in Melbourne, put on “has—beens” and “never weres” from the U.S., and audiences packed into the rafters. I grew up in a world where we never heard the Australian accent from a radio; you certainly never heard it from a film soundtrack. The only time you heard the Australian accent was if a footballer or a jockey[...]inds (1968). Director, photography, interviewed. The news readers on the ABC had a mock-BBC accent; disc jockeys used a mo[...]inferiority, a figurative forelock-tugging sense of subservi- ence. I think it was A.D. Hope who coined the phrase the “cultural cringe”. It was very much a part of our lives; many of you may be too young to remember, but it was very[...]y, make no mistake about it. His argument is that the U.S. is the film industry and to plug into that international dynamic means you make films for the U.S., or films which Americans will accept. A couple of years ago, Kirk Douglas arrived in Australia to star, stereophonically, in The Man from Snowy River, and I got a phone call asking me to come to the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne to discuss the project with Kirk Douglas. (I thought it was rather beaut, because the Hilton was built on the corner where I used to sell my papers for five pence a dozen.) I was greeted at the door of the Douglas’ hotel suite by a very charming Belgian[...]ordinary man and a very brave filmmaker. He broke the embargo on the Hollywood Ten, by hiring Dalton Trumbo; he also g[...]and it was really his idea to get Milos Forman to do One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, not his son’s. I had every reason to respect the man. So, I sat opposite the most famous orifice in Hollywood (with the possible exception of Linda Lovelace) and gazed into that cavernous dim[...]an writer.” I said, “Well, look, they come by the truck load; there is a room full of them at the office. Would you just tell me what it is all about.” He again insisted that I read the script, to which I replied, “Look, I am a good listener, you are a great actor. Tell me theof heart.” I asked, “About the roos or the Abos, Kirk?” And he said, “About the Abos, Phil.” He could see he was losing me, so he skipped through the plot a bit and went on: “So I organize a revolution of Abos.” I can just imagine how my black, radical friends are going to like this! A cowboy organizing a revolution of Abos! So he skips to the end. “The end is just fantastic”, he said. “There is a big, bald hill across the Panavision screen, and I come over the top riding tall in the saddle. Behind me are 30,000 Abos!” I had to interrupt. “Kirk,” I said, “the Aboriginals are nomadic people; I think you’ve got them mixed u[...]“Don’t tell me about Abos, Kirk.” That was the end of that encounter, but it is not the end of that encounter in terms of the threat to the industry. We needed a film industry because, as B[...]ng lived for us by American experts. I grew up in the world where we never saw an Australian on television or on the cinema screen; all we saw was imported. We had been fighting British wars for generations and now it was all the way with L.B.J. There was simply no energy to giv[...]would not be so gung-ho about nationalism because the Germans seem to have used it rather lethally on m[...]off- Broadway” — was really quite degrading. The impetus for the film industry did not come out of an industry push at all. We did not have an industry. We had a few pe[...]de a feature film? It took $6000 and six years to do it working at weekends with Brian Robinson, who now runs the Swinburne film school, the best in Australia. At the end it wasn’t bad; parts of it were in focus. There was no sync in the sound; it was, literally, Sellotaped toget[...] |
| [...]ience in awaiting this next, special double issue of Cinema Papers. As you are aware, the magazine went through a difficult financial period last year, resulting in the cessation of publication. An account of the resolution of those financial problems and of the revival of Cinema Papers is inside this-issue (see "A Personal History of Cinema Papers"); the net result was the formation of MTV Publishing Limited, a public company limited by guarantee, which is now the publisher of the magazine. One condition of the sale of the magazine by Cinema Papers Pty Ltd to MTV Publishing Limited was that MTV Publishing take over the subscription liability. This was agreed, and all[...]their subscriptions met by MTV Publishing. Part of this agreement was that this double issue (No. 44-45) count as two issues. The directors and staff of Cinema Papers Pty Ltd would like to thank here all those subscribers who wrote to the Australian Film Comission and others expressing their regard for the magazine and arguing for its continued support. That support is now assured under a new arrangement with the Australian Film Comission and Film Victoria. The future for the magazine is bright. Yours sincerely, %/[...] |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement Two Views The A dvenlures of Barry McKenzie: "the film for which I still have to apologize I 5 year[...]some awards: it won an award in Perth, two awards at the Adelaide Festival and it won the first Australian Film Awards feature prize. I co[...]o me that Australians, perhaps, could make them. At about the same time (as Tony well remembers because he was involved in the culture then) there was a lot of filmmaking around Carlton and Melbourne. Melbourne had the biggest film festival in the world, in terms of ticket sales. We also had the biggest film society movement and a very good film , critic, a fellow called Colin Bennett (The Age), who later became stultifyingly dull, but w[...]) Barry Jones had a talk—back radio program — the first in Australia — and also had a late- night television program, Encounter, which was a sort of sub-Parkinson production. This was about the time when the Prime Minister, Harold Holt, was drowned. So there was movement at the station to see who was going to be the new Prime Minister. The horse metaphor is correct, because all the thoroughbreds were being assessed at the Melbourne Club, which is where our Prime Ministers are traditionally chosen. But Barry tipped an outsider: John Gorton. He had Gorton on the talk-back radio program and on the television show, and thethe link to some effect. We started arguing that we n[...]disappearance, Holt had actually prepared a list of people to advise him on film. The list was given to Gorton and he asked who Holt wo[...]ose candidates off, my name survived. So that was the mechanism. We wrote Gorton’s speeches and we s[...]arts, all that opera, etc. Movies, mate; that’s the go.” We talked about the John Gorton Film School and the Gorton Awards and all that sort of stuff. It is funny, because later on you had to[...]yelled and with Gough Whitlam it was: “Only you are a Renaissance man. Only you are a Medici.” “Quite right, Phil!” Thus, original impetus for a film industry came largely out of the Melbourne film culture. It was, in Tony’s terms, pretty soppy. It was not concerned at all with making money, and it was not terribly concerned with the rest of the world. We just felt it might be a nice idea to ma[...]et report to Gorton and it started off with a bit of interesting plagiarism; “We hold these truths to be self—evident” were the first words. I then went on to say it was about time that we heard our own voices, etc. The report never even went to Cabinet. Gorton just pu[...]ux who was for a while De Gaulle’s Minister for the Arts. Malraux said, “The trick is to make the Prime Minister the Minister for Film. Then you get the money out of the Treasury and the Minister is too busy to interfere.” Whereas, if[...]we have often found to our cost, they can’t get the money and they interfere all the time. So our trick, right from day one, was to have Gorton, Whitlam, Wran, Dunstan and the rest of them as Ministers for Film. My report recommende[...]thing established to build on. We were opposed by the Packers, by the ABC, and by Greater Union and Hoyts Theatres. None of these interest groups wanted an Australian industry. It was a pain in the neck. They fought it tooth and nail, but we got it through. The idea was that the Experimental Film Fund gave money to anyone who h[...]imental. From that exercise you would select some of the brighter kids and send them to film school. Out of that school would come producers, directors and writers, who would then be funded by the AFDC and go on to greater things. In the interim, however, Gorton was deposed — self-imm[...]too late —— though he did succeed in stopping the film school. I was on the Australian Film and Television School’s interim[...]n on This Day Tonight, which I did, very noisily. The next morning I received a phone message that the Prime Minister would call me in half an hour. Another call: “The Prime Minister would call in 20 minutes”, then[...]hen, I was getting a bit nervy. Finally, I picked theof the punch line). He said he quite understood how upse[...]ised a film school. Not just any film school, but the best film school . . . and Sonia sends her love! Out of the Experimental Film Fund came people of the calibre of Peter Weir, and a lot of the early films such as Stork, a moderate success prior to The Adventures of Barry McKenzie — the film for which I still have to apologize 15 years later3. So much was generated by the Experimental Film Fund. The middle link — the film school — was missing, of course, until Whitlam came along and put it in place. I make no apology for the fact that we have a national industry. I make no[...]ed industry. I say it constantly: we live by whim of government. I believe that if the rug were pulled, the only films to survive in that free market would b[...]g else would survive. I also make no apology for the fact that the film industry will stay subsidized. Whether the government does it through taxation incentives or[...]most irrelevant. All art is subsidized. If we had the free market applying in Australia, you could close the art galleries, you could close the opera, the ballet, the theatre, the lot. It is all subsidized. You either want it or[...]want it, you have to pay for it. However, a lot of things Tony says about the track record of the Australian Film Commis- sion (AFC) are correct. I received a letter the other day from a departing AFC commissioner who gave me a list of the films that the AFC had said “no” to and it was a who’s who of the films that it should have backed. The picking process is awfully hard. It is one thing[...]ad. Fox almost gave it a minor release, until one of the studio executive’s kids saw it and liked it. The world is full of stories like that, about films that even the great gurus of Hollywood passed on. If they were as clever as al[...]d be making more successes themselves. So I think the film industry will remain subsidized. I never pro[...]t subsidies would be a permanent arrangement. On the other hand, I am not against international films.[...]ep making navel-gazing and narcissistic films. On the same day that I got my Koala stamp (my commission as AFC chairman) from the Governor—General, all hell had broken loose over Robert Caswell’s documentary-drama for the ABC, Scales of Justice. At a press conference after my appointment I said that 3. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972). Director: Bruce Ber[...] |
| Two Views Tenth Anniversary Supplement while at the AFC I hoped we would make just as many things to[...]e thing about Australian films which has bored me of late: their tendency to flatter our ethos, the tendency to say nice things about Australia. I ho[...]egional realities, more films like Peter Weir’s The Year of Living Dangerously or John Duigan’s Far East. I hope to see more films that admit the fact that we are the second most multi—cultural nation on earth after Israel. In my view, our natural market is not the U.S. but Europe. Tony would say that is because w[...]gest it is because we make films for grown—ups. The Australian industry has tended to make films for people more than 25 years-old. (That is because we are so old and geriatric! We have not made any films at all for the young target group.) I dismiss, with withering contempt, the tendency to bucket the past 10 or 15 years of Australian filmmaking. We are regarded as a great filmmaking country. Today Tony showed me American reviews of Lonely Hearts, the film I did last year with Paul Cox‘. Andrew Sarris of Village Voice, one of the toughest critics in America, said that Lonely Hearts was the latest evidence of what he described as “the continuing miracle of Australian film”. I think it has been a miracle[...]a so—called free market. Cox had made a couple of very low-budget films, one called Kostas which, perhaps, one or two of you might have seen. I thought Kostas was shamefu[...]ould release it. I knew his problem. When we made The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, the first film made with government money in the old AFDC days, I took it to the major theatre chains — Hoyts and Greater Union[...]Sydney — for no good reason. No one was going. The only reason they 4. Lonely Hearts (1982). Direct[...]it was because they could not get a replacement. The oligopoly was blocking film supply. So we put Barry McKenzie on and the rest is history; it went on to be a huge success. Kostas couldn’t get out, any more than The Devil’s Playground could get out! When Fred Schepisi made The Devil’s Playground, he only got it released bec[...]g Don’s Party for him. Lonely Hearts, which won the Australian Film Award (in 1982) as the best film in a field of 37, could not get a local re1ease5. So the Australian film scene, after all, is not quite as nice as people might make out. Don’s Party was, to say the least, ethnic. I never thought it would travel be[...]sh in Tel Aviv and in West Berlin, and it was one of the top 10 films of the year in Venezuela (where, I have always thought, they probably confused it with Don Quixote). Tony and I both had films open in New York a couple of weeks ago. Tony’s was Turkey Shoot, which is not an anti—fascist parable. It is the pornography of violence and probably the most violent film I have ever seen. I was so moved by it at the Australian Film Awards screenings that I lumbered out of the theatre and went down to the loo. That episode made the front page story in the Melbourne Truth: “Adams walks out on Lynda Stoner”, it said. ‘The film’s publicity people then used that as a po[...]playing in four New York cinemas and is becoming the cultural frisbee being tossed to the other ‘thinking capitals’, such as Boston and[...]nemas. I am delighted that Tony makes those sorts of films, but can’t we make ours, too? There is ro[...]er important that when our Prime Minister goes to the White House, the “first lady” of the U.S., Nancy Reagan, says that Bryan Brown is her[...]ultural achieve- ment. Tonight, Australian films are probably screening in about 40 or 50 countries. Almost universally, the films talked about are the films that Tony dismisses. The films that might 5. The film was distributed by producer John B. Murray a[...]d by I-Ioyts in Melbourne and Sydney. Murray says both Hoyts and Roadshow offered to distribute the film. Lonely Hearts: the Iatmt evidence of “the continuing miracle of Australian film” (Andrew Sarris). 72 — Marc[...]more films like . . . Far East” (Adams). make the money are Tony’s “mid-Pacific films”, as I call them. I just cannot accept Tony’s model. To me, the English film industry died when it accepted his postulate. The British film industry was pretty good. You might remember the Ealing comedy days, Sir Michael Balcon, Alexander[...], once, a great industry. Then they decided to go the American route and to make ‘mid-Atlantic films’. For 10 or 15 years the British technicians were working, ' making the Superman and James Bond films. They were doing the technical work for a lot of the big Hollywood blockbusters, but no British idea was seen on the screen. There was no sense of British identity. Now, with David Puttnam following our techniques and our tactics, the British are making films like Chariots of Fire and Gandhi. David has learnt a lot from our[...]ing ventriloquial dolls for those Americans, what the hell have we achieved? It is tantamount to asking[...]Kelly and start doing Texans. Tony is right about the U.S. being the centre of the film industry, but it is also probably the centre of the novel; the U.S. is probably the centre of fine art. Do we tell all our artists in Australia to start doing American stuff? The idea would be abhorrent. Tony’s energies are prodigious; I have often regretted that he is not in the mainstream! If he had been producing Peter Weir o[...]ial. For example, I don’t think it would be out of character to film an Australian version of a Shakespearean work. I wholeheartedly agree that[...]will not tolerate, nor would I want to be a part of, a film industry which only made ‘mid-Pacific f[...]ich Americans. Let us have a rich, diverse school of filmmaking. We got into this industry for one rea[...]elves a national voice, to give ourselves a sense of national purpose and a national identity,[...] |
| On location, on time .\‘ '/a 7/, _\'C British Taxi Trucks MOTION[...]COMPLETION (AUSTRALASIA) PTY LTD fl We are pleased to be of service to the SYDNEY LONDON 0 L08 ANGELES 0 13/75 Da[...] |
| [...]feature), SURFMOVIES (documentary), ROCK AROUND THE WORLD (tv series), THE BRADMAN ERA (documentary), JOK — THE WILD ONE (tv special). In development: REVOLT IN PARADISE (feature), THE BIG SMOKE (feature), MAKING A SPLASH IN THE WORLD (doco), FROM NECK-T0-KNEE TO NUDE (doco).[...]Enquiries’. You wouldn’t want to hear Or that the combination P_o_ Box 409’ SP" Junction 2083 from anyone else that of editing rooms, sound Telephone (02) 969 7468 Sou[...]titrack and video a unique sound facility all for the first time. under the one roof. Or that Soundfirm’s Or that Roger S[...]reo mixing offering a Sound Design theatre brings the latest Service to supervise your Lucas film THX s[...]s a novel see for yourself what our 7 I . method of high speed film state of the art facility 0 n _ n 0 -. and video projection for can do for your next ‘ . ‘ ‘ effects and dialogue film or video Did you know that the Tasmanian Film Corporation has a full replacement[...]r their belts? ’ If you didn't know what we can do for your next production, you’ll understand why the Tasmanian Film Corporation has been AUSTI[...] |
| [...]arlo Giannini (Nino), Whitely (Sally). Synopsis: The story of a friendship between two men who struggle to conq[...]lture, temperament and values in order to survive the dangers of their adventures and achieve the goal. The action moves from the vast expanses of the Australian desert to the peaks of treacherous, snowcapped mountain ranges. COMING[...]nops s: First rock and roll erotic movie. COMING OF AGE Prod. company... .Brookvale investments[...]sad, but mostly hilarious fantasy voyage through the realms of sexual experience to total open~ ness. A celebration of life and our freedom to enjoy it. COMING UNSTUCK[...],_ .90 mins Gauge , .... ..16mm Synopsis: What s at the end of the rainbow is not necessarily gold, but it could be. DOT AND THE KOALA Prod. company ...................... ..Yor[...]twriters. .....Greg Flynn, Yoram Gross Based on the original idea by ...Yoram Gross Phot[...]s: Needing electrical power for their count town, the inhabitants decide to dam a near y river. However[...]their dream and its realisation is a motley band of bush creatures. in this fast-paced tale that marries live action and animated characters, both the native and domestic animals are fighting for what they believe is right. THE ELOCUTION OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ....M & L Prods Hilary Linste[...]Scriptwriter ..Steve J. Spears Based on the play by. ..Steve J. Spears Assoc. producers .Wilt[...]ichael Jenkins Scriptwriter Bob Herbert Based on the play by. Bob Herben Photography.. ...Peter James[...]inger in a local night club, who harbors him from the police and MP5.[...]SON OF ALVIN Prod. company .. ......... ..Memorel|e Dis[...]ulcie), Greg Stroud (Ferret). Svnopsls: Melvin is the son of the famous Alvin Purple and has the same problem that his father had, i.e., girls cant lea[...]comedy wins through and Melvin finds salvation in the arms of Gloria. TERRA AUSTRALIS Pr[...]oss Consultant zoologist .. Dr M. Archer Director of model desig orman Yeend Length. .80 mins Gauge ....35mm 5 nopsis. Traces the adventures of a race 0 primitive people who landed 40,000 years ago on the nonhern shores of a strange continent, inhabited by creatures such[...]rnivorous lizards and giant wombat-like animals. THE WRONG WORLD[...]. Synopsis: A contemporary drama. PRODUCTION THE BOY WHO HAD EVERYTHING[...]allace Scriptwriter. ....Stephen Wallace Based on the original idea by .Stephen Wallace Photography .Ge[...]er ..Kate lngham Catering .. John Faithtull Mixed at .. .Atlab Laboratory. Atlab Lab. liaison . eter[...]pinall), Diane Cilento (Mrs Aspinall). Synopsis: The story of a young man at university in 1965. He is a sporting cham- pion,[...]ily and is searching for a meaning for his life. THE COCA-COLA KID Producer. .....[...]Makavejev Scriptwriter. Frank Moorhouse Based on the short stories by ._.Frank Moorhouse Phot raphy .[...]sis: An American, trouble-shooting executive from the Cocacola company is sent to Australia on a mission. THE COOLANGATTA GOLD[...]Auzins Scriptwriter .. .. .Peter Shreck Based on the original idea by .. Peter Sh rock Photography .Ke[...]riptwriters. . John Palmer, Yoram Gross Based on the original idea by . . . . . . . . . . .[...]Synopsis: An e g an g l journey in search of the secret of life. This is the story of a journey of battle with the spirit of earth. fire and wind. POST-PRODUCTION ANNIE[...]Chris Borthwick. John Patterson Based on the novel by ............................. ..Rosemar[...]PRODUCERS AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES To ensure the accuracy at your entry, please contact the editor of this column and ask for copies of our Production Survey blank, on which the details of your produc- tion can be entered. All details mus[...]per and lower case. Editor’: note: All entries are supplied by producers/produc- IIOTI companies, or[...]pers cannot, therefore, accept responsibility for the correctness of any entry.[...]h, ‘ Wendy Day Catering. ...Kris Frohiick Mixed at . Film Australia Laboratory . ....... ..VFL Lab.[...]n), Alistair Duncan (Hopgood), Charles fingwell (the yudgei. Synopsis: The true story of Jessica Hathaway and Annie O‘Farrell and their fight to win freedom from an institution for the pro foundly retarded. THE CAMEL BOY Prod. company .......[...]ram Gross Scriptwriter .....John Palmer Based on the original idea by .................. ., ....Yoram[...]chael Pate. Synopsis: An adventure story based on the iourneys of the explorers at the beginning of this century. THE GREAT GOLD SWINDLE[...] |
| [...]d‘wmer:‘ . . r.d “J S rd. heaps throughout theTHEthe origin Sound recordist ...Ross Linton Story consu[...]5tian Hoppenbrouwers Synopsis: Dramatized account of the unit ou licist, Penny Hammer A°°d'T‘ °F’r[...]....................... ..Bliss Swift, swindllng of the Perth Mint ofat H ________ “Man Moitume esi9'\er. .D<;rmCak dgr[...]Zléner Wardrobe ....... .. ..Frankle Hogan Mixed at United Sound D"9°'°'-. ~»Chr'5 Langmari lvikl[...]Brian Pearce Lab. liaison . .Bill Gooley Based on the novel ‘ Daniel)‘ Trrn McKenzie (Roy McKenzie)[...]. ...Ernie Clark Synopsis: Love Srory set against the epic N99-;“3h‘3t “"51 530 Stillphotcgraphy[...],a5mrn Sound r9C0rd'5l ~- U0Yd Carrlck background of post-war migration to M°' 9 5r “@5046: are Red-ér-irin-ons Catering ....... ..Sergio Albrig[...](Sausage Johnson), David Bracks ..Marg0 Tamblyn THE SLIM DUSTY MOVIE _ h h D T%”SY.R°dm§” and w[...]teele (Mole), Garry ....Jan Tyrrell Prod.company .TheOF"‘°a'5--: ‘ - - - ' - ' - ' - ' -4 ° O 'm La[...]uge ...... ..35mm Synopsis: Three days and nights of anarchy »J0hrl R0°ke Photography. .David Eggby,[...]a) Post-production .......Munich, West Germany in the life of Bullamakanka. .Llndsay Smith ‘ D3aanU|BcL:lrr:[...]. . . . . (Cole), Wandjuk Marika (Milidjbi), Roy THEthethe world of song where people b)’ --w- A H3_rh|n$0n An dire[...]s ............................. ..(l§;5l%nyeaSrr THE ULTIMATE SHOW ABRA CADABRA 2nd nssr drreC,°r"‘[...]. . . . ..Phlllip Adams Clapper/loader ....Derry Field Best boy. eith Johnson Louma crane operator . eof[...]ralia), An director,” _,,|_eslie Binns Based on the dramatic 9°“ ‘5 - - - - ~ - - i 5"“ '-aW"e[...]or. , _ 17y yerars later, Riley waynts to pick up the Mf,§ic"”par.,°d.',2?ion,_ __R%gC|org Prod. ma[...]Vr'_°a“r::)'ra‘_:'roFr'r'E:2 .sV"°PS'r‘C; The 5‘°’Y °' 3 Wahg‘? 'F'V9 afiaire Dist. co[...]ins g‘dg3eW°r 0‘ Y°uh9 Outsiders “V109 On the Producer ...Joan Long stillphotography. David Par[...]mnam pr°d_ cnrnnany ____ uordara Prods Based on the original ideas h_ T k. _ Mechanics . . . . . . .[...]t publiclst.. Patti Mostyn Make-UP rrprggg Rgbm: the Rat King‘ to Connor an or rne known ancj Sound[...]Liz Wright Prod. secretary uzanne Donnelly Mixed at .. .Co|orfi|m Asst edIIDr- -- lane 3'99’ Prod.[...]manager .... .. ....Dixie Betts ,coloi-lilrn No. of shots .. _aill Gooley Musical direct .. $2.3 mill[...]is! asst director ---- ~SY'V'a Bradshaw Based on the original 2nd asst director” D°”9 Saunders‘[...]Barrett Parsons, Buck Taylor, David Kirkpatrick, The Gauge Davin Jose n C|a ernnader Geraldine Caren 0[...]n Full Focus puller . . . . . . . . . . . ..Derry Field (Slim Dusty as boy), Sandy Paul (Joy Cast. Mary-A[...]ygrip,” . oss Erlkson musical spanning 40years: the Iifeand times ( s"!mr"Y)~ 3W admsvi rg LS9 ° .r[...]medesigner. .Terr Ryan Asstgrip.. . obert Verkerk of Slim Dusty. (Trish). Jasdrt Van 9 5 ei ”[...] |
| [...]anic e n), Toni Allaylis (Vicki), Chris Trusweli (The Moose), Gail Sweeny (Narelie), Dave Godden (Warre[...]ook (Al Carson). Synopsis: A contemporary comedy. The story of a young urban “bushranger" fighting for surviva[...]John Duigan Scriptwriier ...John Duigan Based on the original idea by John Duigan[...]gsst rgixer .. h Michjael gholigas till of re .. im e on 0ptigals.(.)g y Atlab Runner. . I[...]. Ruth E. Wilson Catering . .John Faithfull Mixed at. .....Atlab Laboratory.. ..At|ab I ah liaison Peter Willard Length, .93 mins Ga[...]Saskia Post (Eva). A Synopsis: Four young people are trapped in the Sydney Opera House on the night World War 3 breaks out. A comedy with a sting in the tail! PLATYPUS COVE ..lndependent Prods Geof Ga[...]ell). Synopsis: Saboteurs, attempting to cripple the tug-boat, Platypus, and put her owner out of business, are thwarted by young deck- hand, Jim Mason, who is anxious to clear himself of suspicion of the sabotage. PFIISONERS Prod. company . . . . . .[...]Scriptwriter. ..Everett de Roche Based on the novel by Peter Brennan Photography ..... .. Dean[...]Howard (Cameraman). Synopsis: After the disappearance of an American woman campaigning against the Based on the original research by ..Wendy Lowenstein[...]Fin. controller .... .. ...Rob Fisher slaughter of kangaroos, her husband gh°“:’9'aph3:j'.' ‘[...]ys Miranda Bag; 2nd unitcameram .. ..BillyGrimond of Companies . - 2nd unit focus puller .. ..John Bro[...],l1GreEn. SpeCia|e”ec1s__ Meme Jones Supervisor of make-up.. Bob Mc_Carron _ Geordie_Dryden Special[...].. Budget ..... .. Australian Labor Movement of the 19305. Synopsis: The film is about an eccentric young millionaire whose one aim in life is to become normal. The complete 16mm 8- 35Ii7~5mm CODE NUMBERING SERVICE[...]mentary films. Interstate return within 24 hours at a competitive overall cost. Also providing a spe[...]) 699 9079 : NOTHING : BUT THE BEST SHARMILL FILMS CATALOGUE ATOMIC CAFE WASN’T THAT A TIME NOT A LOVE STORY THE ANIMALS FILM GAL YOUNG UN MIDDLE AGE SPREAD THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS And many more lilies PLEASE[...] |
| (CINE M\@HT $TAU\W@@ LIVE THE voun LIFE MICHAEL INTEENRTIONAL " "[...] |
| [...]THE WILD DUCK Edge numberer .. ,,,Kathy cook ....Roge[...].Yuri Sokol Exec. producer Phillip Emanuel Mixed at " Colorfilngl Carpenter " ‘Wayne Allen Sound ed[...]. ..PatricJuillet mm Mamews herself in Australia at the end oi World War Chilvers (Alfred), Norman Kaye ([...]onfacilities. amw Ballemam work as a governess to the children of a Andrew Sharp (i°91Er)i BWC9 Spence (Ted. MiXed at. ..Supreme Camera operator. .Nino Gaetano Manine[...]ndy Hughes (Vanessa) Robyn and Jose Carreras with the Art director ..leor Nay _ Nevin (Lila) Nichola[...].. .. ._Paul Barron, synopsis: Se‘ in Sydney in the 1930s this is Sound transfer” “Eugene Wilson[...]lenls D's" °°mpany' "M59" P'em'e'e G"da Balaccm the oi nanl star of a mall bo a ' ht Still photography Maria Stratlor[...]. rian Ed,-nonds .Brian Trenchard Smith Based on the nove y.. Ralph Smart INNOCENT PREV sludiosg " ' The Joinery Property master, ...Mike Fowlie .. ....Patrlck Edgeworth Photography ..Ma|co|m Richards . Mixed at” VH'e‘,,‘d°,., Studios Asst standby props[...]..Alan Lake Prod. manager .Kevin Powell Based on the screenplay . Construction Prod. designer. Ross Ma[...]es Bremer is a rich recluse " w o collects works of art and indulges in ..... ..Fiona Mohr Pl°d< 35[...]- - . . obsessive rituals. During the course of the .§El§’t§l,°.3i%?.1§’,"?_ “‘°"“"',[...]perator .. Jonathon Hughes Ci3PF>9rll03der -Derry Field Pr°P9rlY mister‘ --Mike F°Wi9V Cli" 3'99‘-l[...]Tracy Lock hillip Shapiera, Music performed by .. The Bushwackers 1st asst director Margot Snellgrove[...]aeme Issac synopsis: Based on Henrik lbsen's play of Asst editors ............................. ..Jim[...].... ..HenrlTlrl, Exec. producer Richard Brennan the same name. The tragic story of a young, Sue Blaney Cast: Nicole Ktdman (Helen),[...], 0 grip. e o . .) ocation manager Phillip Roope THE WINDS OF JARRAH Robbie Mo.-stun Peter Sumner (Ben Thompson[...]nnotogiapl-ly____,_ "Bliss swift Hughs (Carroll), The Bushwackers (Band). Asst elec . ...Mark Friedman Prod. accountant .. oward Wheatley at Western Australia BMX tech_ advise.-_ ,,l:les whi[...].Mark Egerton, ' Runner.. im all Anderson volvtng the manager and lead singer of a Boom operator.. .....Wayne Bell 2nd asst direct[...]l< de Noise Focus puller.. Kim Batlerham Director ofdo Neise Clapperlloader. Steve Arnold Sound recordis[...]ergeant). "°d' d°5l9"9l Peiersjoquist Synopsis: The adventures of two 15-year- Cnrnl-‘l0Ser-.... Loc. manager..[...]onway, Clapper/loade . ...Gillian Leahy B35913 0" the Original idea . aid 3,55l_d"e°l°l'-- ~T°l'“[...]tor .. Rosslyn Abernethy Clapper/loader. ...Derry Fieldat . ..United Sound Standby props . .Tony Hun[...] |
| Production Survey Laurie (Stella), and members of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Synopsis: A fairy tale[...](Bea Davis), Dave Davis (Ron Leibman). Synopsis: The story of the world's greatest racehorse, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression of the 1930s. It tells oi Phar Lap’s sudden rise to national fame and the controversies surrounding his career, in- cluding attempts on his life before the.1930 Melbourne Cup. The story moves to the U.S with Phar Lap’s success at the world's richest horserace, and his untimely death[...]Scriptwriter ....Miranda Downes Based on the original idea by ........... .. Miranda Downes P[...]..John Welch Post production Spectrum Films Mixed at Film Australia Laboratory. ....... ..Atlab Lab. l[...]e). Synopsis: A romantic comedy set in Sydney in the frenetic, energetic 1920s. It is about coming of age; about a girl Libby McKenzie, a man Fred Burley and his business — The Berlei Undergarment Company -— and an Australia emerging from the sedate tradi- tions of Edwardianism into a period of dramatic change. SHORTS ANNA Prod. compa[...].Terry Rodman Caterin _ ....Lucille Rogers Mixed at .. ndtrack Australia Laboratory. .......Cinevex L[...]n Thomas (Social Welfare). Synopsis: Drama about the problems facing a young Greek mother who has a handi- capped child. THE BODYGUARD Prod. company. ..Full Moon Films[...]uld—be killer and a nervous employer. Who poses the bigger threat? BUSHFIR[...]iter ................ .. .Trevor Farrant Based on the novel by ..John Jones Photography. Toby Phillips[...]orfilm Length.. 48 mins Gauge. ....16mm Synopsis: The holocaust of an Australian bushfire enables a 16-year-old coun[...]eak, nicknamed Scrap Iron Kid, to win his spurs. THE CLEANING Prod. company. Producer. Director Scrip[...]dyen, Steve Kearney, Neill Gladwin Based on the original idea[...]l Communications Catering .Rosco Ellisdones Mixed at ...Fi|m Australia, Richmond Recorders (score) La[...]ra-modern office block. Their incompetence angers the computer- ized security complex running the building, which disposes of the problem in the appro priate manner. NIGHT OF SHADOWS Prod. company ..Shark Attack[...]. ..Robert Dein Studios .. Mort Bay Studio Mixed at. .Palm Studios Laboratory ..... ..Colorfilm Lab.[...]max), Jack Webster Sal Shrevnitz), Arthur Dignam (The Voice of arkness, Len Lindon (The Eyes of Dark- ness). Synopsis: Consider Harry Vinson, det[...]rs burst into reality, with tragic consequences. THE NIGHTLY VISITANT Prod. company. .Alkoomi Film Pr[...]k. ..Eastman 7293 Synopsis: A young man discovers the secret of the underworld when he falls into a man- hole and is set to work in the underground factories of Brisbane. ONEWAY TICKET TO[...]Synopsis: One man's dream, one man's nightmare on the Brisbane rail systerri. ON GUARD Prod. company.[...].Sarah Gibson, Susan Lambert Based on the original idea by ................................[...]phy Art director ....Jan Mackay Hairdresser. Mark of_Zorro Standby props... _UI|9AWl gins Art dept ass[...]services .Superfine Motion Pictures Mixed at. United Sound Laboratory .....Colorfi|m Lab. liai[...]etly developing new techniques in bid technology. The future of motherhood and human reproduction will be affected by these experiments. The women take action into their own hands. They reso[...]l documentary for television to be screened after the “crime”. REVENGE OF THE MANGO EATERS Prod[...]ecret agent spoof about one man's attempt to save the dwindling flying fox population of Brisbane — with surprising results. DOCUMENTAR[...]..Peter Newton Publicity... ey Organization Mixed at... ..United Sound Laboratory ...Colorfilm Lab. li[...]release First released. ..January 1984 Synopsis: The people, power, politics and the inside story behind the America's Cup contenders, Challenge 12 and Australia 2, during their battle to win the most coveted prize in all sporting history. ‘ AUSTRALIAN MOVIES TO THE WORLD Prod. company.. Film House T.V.[...].John Stanton Publicity Rae Francis Company Mixed at. Film Soundtrack .............. ..VFL, Cinevex[...]ji Neg. First released .. October 1983 Synopsis: The story of the international suc- cess of Australian films from the mid—1970s. AVANT GARDE — AUSTRALIAN STYLE P[...]Production Schedule ( o ) October 1984 Synopsis: The Unfound Land is the pilot episode ofthe public, with interviews and new commissioned works, to enable a better understanding of what is happening in creative expression i[...] |
| [...]elease Cast: Michael Wayne, Jim Backus. Synopsis: The history of denim as a fabric and how jeans changed from pants worn by Genoan sailors in the 15th Century to the high fashion, designer-label garments of today. DROUGH[...]to Australia’s worst drought in living memory. THE FALSE DOOR AT SAQQARA Prod. company .Look Film Prods[...]: Macquarie University archaeology team excavates at the most prestigioussite in Egypt, Saqqara — the old burial site at Memphis. An examination of the painstaking detective work that uncovers a 4000-year-old plot against the king, and possibly the first female Prime Minister. JERUSALEM — OF HEAVEN AND EARTH Prod. company .....Nomad Films[...]....................... ..Robert Higson Based on the original idea by Nomad F[...]thorpe Neg. matching. ........... ..Cinevex Mixed at.... Filmsoundtrack Laboratory ..... ..Cinevex Len[...]t relea ........... .....November_198_3 Synopsis: The ust and aim of this series is to absorb the viewer in a deeper and more sympathetic understanding of Jerusalem and her diverse people through a brilliantly visual- ized exploration of her past and present in human terms. No city in the world has been more passionately loved —- _ nor more savagely fought over yet there is a_ greater feeling of vitality, history and mysticism here than any other place on earth THE PINTUBI Prod. company .....Nomad Films internati[...]emy Hogarth Director..... .Jeremy Hoganh Based on the book by . .Bruno Scrobogna Photography ..........[...]er... David Harrison Narrato ..Michael Pate Mixed at.. .Filmsoundtrack Laboratory ..Cinevex |_eng1h_ x[...]ge Tjungula. synopsis: For more than 30,090 years the Aboriginals wandered the continent of Aus- tralia. The impact White Man had on their lives and culture was profound. This drama- tized documentary series looks at how one group of Aborigines, the Pintubi, Came '0 terms with the invasion of their land. RIVER OF GIANTS Prod. company ................... ..Kicki[...]Scriptwrile ...David Rapsey Based on the original idea bi’ George Bellanger Photography[...]eth Catering. Chris Bellanger Mixed at. .ABC, Perth Laboratory. ........ ..Atlab Lab. li[...]orge jun.). Synopsis: Drama-documentary based on the Bellanger family from France who settled the rugged Karri forest of south-west Western Australia in 1910. Pierre Bell[...]paradise on earth, but his was a romantic vision at odds with the harsh reality of the isolated forest. Pierre’s oldest son, George, stars in the re-creation of those pioneering days. THE TOP END SAGA Prod. company .....................[...]usic. Lighting cameraman Camera assistant.. Mixed at ........... .. La[...]4 Synopsis: This series intends to throw light on the rich pioneering history of the Northern Territory which, though important ‘and[...]entary footage to create an entertaining portrait of Australia’s “Wild West Up North". THE VOYAGE OF BOUNTY'S CHILD Prod. company Look Film Prods[...]tiane D'Hotel Publicity . Christopher Stear Mixed at.. ...United Sound Laboratory . Atlab/Colorfilm Bu[...]................. ..|n release Synopsis: A voyage of obsession: the seventh eneration direct descendant of the malignedgcaptain William Bligh re-enacts the epic sea trip from Tonga to Indonesian Timor that followed the mutiny on the “Bounty" in 1789. Nine adventurers endured 40 d[...]n, but it was one man's dream, a dream haunted by the spirit of Bligh. SHORTS ABORIGINAL ARTS IN PERTH Prod.[...]h in 1983 from allover Australia to share aspects of their culture. This film looks at how this culture is presented during the festival and its importance in the area of education for Aboriginal and non- Aboriginals. A[...]Scriptwriter ....Kay Kearney Based on the original idea ....Marcia Hatlield Photography[...]cing Governor Arthur Phil|ip's expedi- tion along the Hawkesbury River and com- paring it with the same trip today .Barbara Burleigh ..... ..John Lomax[...]Sound editor. Mixer .... .. Narrator Mixed at.. Laboratory . Lab. liaison.... Peter Burgess .D[...]mentary on Vern Schuppan's successful bid to win the 1983 Le Mans 24 Hours Endurance race ENVIRONFEST[...]a, Ian Henschke, Wendy Rogers. Synopsis: A record of World Environment Day celebrations at Samford, Queensland, July 5, 1938. Thousands of people gathered to listen and discuss environment[...]p bands as Split Enz, Goanna, Richard Clapton and The Party Boys, and Gold Rush. HAVE A GO! Prod. com[...]relea . pril1984 Synopsis: A specia whic explores the Aus- tralian passion of taking on challenges in a broad range of subjects (e g_, sport, science_ the ans) from the early days of convict settlers to the current day. JABIRU — THE LAST FRONTIER? Prod. company ...................[...]Length.. .....28 mins Gauge . .. 16mm Synopsis: The story of Jabiru, a modern town in the remoteness of the Northern Terri- tory and in the spectacular Kakadu National Park, near the site of one of the worlds largest uranium deposits, and of the migrant families who have made their home there. JOK — THE WILD ONE Prod. company... ...Albie Thoms Prods[...]Austin, Ron Way, John Hansen, Vicki O'i<eefe and the late Johnny O'Keefe. Synopsis: Documentary charting the life of the late Johnny O’Keefe. LONG TIME NO SEE, RONNIE Prod. company .. Bush Christmas P[...]ters . ..Mario Andreacchio. Alan Ramsay Based on the original idea by ............. .. Mario Andreacch[...]ohn Underwood (interviewer). Synopsis: These were the words greeting train robber Ronald Biggs from fam[...]ad spent 14 years hunting him. This docu- mentary of the crime and long chase ends in a television intervi[...]S March-April — 81 Production Survey MINISTER OF INTELLIGENCE Prod. company . Bush Christmas Prods[...]_Dr Luis Mach- ado. Venezuelan State Minister for the Development of Human Intelligence, who in 1978 set out to raise the intelligence of an entire nation using unorthodox techniques, mostly experimental. “This will be the biggest revolution in history,” he claims. OH[...].......... ..Sue Cram, Marianne Latham Based on the original idea by ................................[...]evision w ich takes a light-heaned, humorous look at the way women have been presented in the media during the past 30 years. UNDERSTANDING IS NOT ENOUGH[...]liaison. . ...John Cooper Laboratory... ,,,,,, __At|ab Length.. 5 mins Gauge.. 16mm Synopsis A documentary about the services of the Australian Volunteer Coast- guard. THE WARREN CENTRE Prod. company ....... .. University of Sydney Television Service ........Jim Dale . ...[...]r Elliott Synopsis: A film/video presentation for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sydney which covers various projects being carried out after 100 years of engineering education. Producer.. Directo[...] |
| Tolley & Gardner Insurance Brokers to the Film & Entertainment Industry with Local & World[...]5112 R. H. Tolley & Gardner Pty Ltd THINKING OF FILMING IN CENTRAL OR NORTHERN AUSTRALIA? THEN C[...]OU NUTS WHEN FILMING IN REMOTE AREAS. "CHECK WITH THE LOCALS," THEY SAY. WE'RE LOCALS AND USED T[...] |
| [...].. ....Eddie Mills Narrator .Li||ian Arthur Mixed at ABc_ perm Laboratory .Co|orfiIm Budget. ..$ao,ooo[...]-~ .....16mm Shooting stock uekiacmome Synopsis: The film centres on Bunbury and districts in Western Australia. It shows the wildlife that lives on the surrounding water- ways and the influence man has on them through changing their[...]rd Ruble Publicity. ..Wheat|ey Organization Mixed at. ...United Sound Laboratories ...... ..Cine—Fil[...]Gauge ..16mm Shooting .. . ..7 7, 7293 Synopsis: The d , sacrifice and financial problems facing the people Involved with three of the yachts prepared for the America's Cup campaign, focusing on Challenge 12,[...]). Synopsis: Alice rudely discovers how her land of wonder is created. The program looks at techniques of creating a number of effects including streaking, matts, motion contro[...]Scrlptwriter.... .....Don Bethel Based on the original idea by ...... ..Don Bethel Photo raph[...]sis: This program shows three differ- ent aspects of the floor-manager’s job: (1) floor-managing a studio interview. (2) floor- managing a drama scene and (3) the role of the floor-manager (or first assistant director), in an ongoing drama series; in this case, the ABC's music—drama Sweet and Sour. BRUCE GYNGEL[...]James Bailey, provides some amazing insights into the background and decision-making processes of the tele- vision organizations in Australia: from those historic opening-night broadcasts through to the present day. SPLENDID FELLOWS (1934) AND AUSTRAL[...]rk Sanders Scriptwriter ....lna Bertrand Based on the original idea by .Ina Bertrand Sound r ..Deri Had[...]rrator.. Ina Bertrand Studios ..... ..AFl'S Mixed at AFTS Sound Post—Production Laboratory. ..Colorf[...]rst release . ecember1983 Synopsis: A program in the AFTS series, “Approaches to Australian Films": Dr Ina Bertrand discusses the historical and social context which influenced the making of Beaumont Smith's last film, Splendid Fellows (19[...]rk Sanders Scriptwriter. ..Stephen Jones Based on the original idea by . Stephen Jones Sound . ..Deri H[...]ixer ........................ ..Deri Hadler Mixed at .. AFTS Sound Post-production Laboratory .. ..Col[...]elease First released . .November 1983 Synopsis: The program identifies several video effects and how they can be achieved using the basic facilities available in university, college[...]o-visual departments. Stephen Jones, who presents the program, is well known as a designer of video effects hardware and as an experi- mental program maker. AVRB FILM UNIT THE AGE OF CHANGE[...]Materials Pro , Ium Branch, Education Department of Victoria Producer.. ....|van Gaal Director.... .l[...]id Harrison Title designe ...... ..lan Gray Mixed at .Film Soundtrack Australia Laboratory .. Lengt[...]psis. newspaper printing industry, its effects on the quality of service and the changes it brings to peoples lives who are directly involved in the process. Filmed in The Age newspaper building. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL AB[...]oduction, Curriculum Branch, Education Department of Victoria Producer. .lvan Gaal[...]Hughes Title designer. ..Violetta Jasiunas Mixed at... ....Sound Firm Laboratory .. ......VFL Length.[...]. . . . . . . . ..ln release Synopsis: By means of two case studies, this documentary film is aimed to stimulate dis- cussion about curriculum strategies for the gifted and talented children in the ordinary classroom. MAWSON BASE — FACE TO FACE[...]oduction, Curriculum Branch, Education Department of Victoria[...]tion Scheduled release .... ..May 1984 Synopsis: The film depicts the isolation and its effects on the people who live and work at Mawson Base, Antarctica. FILM VICTORIA CF (CY[...]VFL Gauge .. .. 6mm Progress n release Synopsis. The film is an optimistic, but nevertheless realistic look at cystic fibrosis and its effect on the lives of sufferers and their families. CRIKEY, THERE’S A TRACTOR ON THE FARM[...]artin McGrath Gaffer.... .... ..John Irving Mixed at Film Soundtrack Australia Laboratory .....Cinevex[...](Dave). Synopsis: Crikey, There’s a Tractor on the Fami employs the services of two well-loved characters of the Australian bush to examine some major factors in tractor accidents, and their prevention. CHOICE OF HOUSING Scriptwriter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]Friedrich Camera operator. Peter Friedrich Mixed at . Film Services Laboratory . ....Cinevex Gauge..[...]rogress. ...Pre-production S nopsis. Recruitment of honorary probation o icers is a continuing problem. The Depart- ment of Community Welfare Services has great difficulty i[...]ho have a shared economic and cultural outlook to the offenders. The intention of the film is to reach people in the lower socioeconomic group and encourage them to b[...]ucer Lighting cameraman Camera operator .. Mixed atthe following thematic lines: (1) new roles for artists and new ways of working, (2) community groups and their relations with JOID creation schemes and (3) what participation in the job creation scheme has meant to artists. LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE BICYCLIST Producer.... .. .....Steven[...]. . ..16mm Progress. ..Pre-production Synopsis: The film, specifically for the Police Force, focuses on the attitude of the police in regard to bicycling traffic offenders. It will demonstrate a real need to change the well established prejudice in favor of cyclists, and seeks to encourage police to enforce the law with care and concern. A LIVING MEMORY Scri[...]...... ..i6mm Pre~production Synopsis: A film on the removal of the ano- thropological collection of the Museum of Victoria to a new home. It uses the removal of the collection as a unifying theme to reflect the role of museums within Australian society. READY OR NOT Prod. company.. The Production Group Dist. company ........ ..Ta[...]Ready or Not is fiction, but events like those in the film are occurring almost daily. A small factory facing cl[...]r by another company to be used as a test bed for the introduction of modern computer- ized manufacturing equipment. The workers do not understand the changes happening around them and their suspicion and resent- ment of new technology grows and the tension spills out into their domestic lives. The film does not detail answers to the problems of new technology, only the direc- tions in which answers might be found.[...]n release Narrator: Maurie Fields. Synopsis: The wise use of solar energy in planning and building is explored by a goanna. THE STATE OF LOVE IN VICTORIA Scriptwriter . . . . .[...]roduction Synopsis: A young tram conductor meets the woman of his dreams lleetingly as she alights from his tram to catch a country bound trairi. Aided and encouraged by the tram driver he absconds with the tram. They jump the rails and set off on a wild tram chase. Setting their own course they fly from city streets to country roads of Victoria in search of the girl of his dreams. SURVIVING THE SUMMER PERIL Prod. company .. Tindale Prods[...].. . .. ......Pre-production Synopsis: A series of four training films which broadly parallel the recent publication Surviving the Summer Peril. The themes of the four films are: home architecture and design for survival; lands[...]design for survival; facing tire emergencies for the community; and survival tactics for the fire and emergency services. TREES AND WASTE WAT[...]Mixed at .... .. ..Fi|m Soundtrack Laboratory ..Cinevex G[...]..16mm Progress. .. . . . Production Synopsis: The film designed to illustrate the use 0 domestic and industrial waste water on tree plantations and the social and ecological advantages of such use. NEW SOUTH WALES FILM CORPORATION IAN'[...]veal sexist, racist and national prejudices which are current in the work place in public education. The purpose of the film is to stimulate discussion with a view to br[...]. ..James Davis Exec. producer Peter Dimond Mixed at ..Dubbs & Co. Laboratory ..Cinefilm Length... 23[...].....16mm Shooting stock. Eastmancolor Synopsis: The film illustrates the role and the work of the Metropolitan Waste Disposal Authority in the management of the disposal of solid wastes in Sydney. MILK AT ITS BEST Prod. company ............... ..[...] |
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| Man of Flowers Helen Greenwood Man of Flowers was the most unusual success of 1983. An art film, shot on a relatively low-budget and deliberately under-promoted, the appeal of the film lies in its ability to appear to raise issue[...]it merely reflects opinions; to seem to challenge the mind when it actually only tickles a cerebral fancy; and to present a complex veneer of beautiful photo- graphy, disparate characters and quirky humor that masks a simple intent. Man of Flowers is a charming deception that makes one be[...]effort- lessly satiated. This is not to say that the film is facile or trite but that it involves audi[...]watching an artist’s model, Lisa (Alyson Best), do a striptease in his living room then marching into a church across the road to play the organ (visual pun intended, surely). Gradually, however, as the film progresses Charles becomes less and less a harmless figure of fun. Kaye, in a delicate performance, manages to create a more aware and intellectual version of Peter Sellers’ Chauncey Gardner (in Hal Ashby’s Being There, 1981), with a touch of Pierre Huysman’s Des Esseintes (Against Nature, 1884). Both Chauncey and Charles come into wealth in the later stages of their lives and move in a world of their own which reduces people to images on a television screen (in the case of Chauncey) or objects (in the case of Charles). Both are incapable of sexual expression, although women do their best to coax it out of them. They exude a mixture of retarded naivety and guileless wisdom which prove[...]auncey and Charles as they wish. And, eventually, both Chauncey and Charles outwit and out- manoeuvre the people who are attempting to manipulate them. By underestimating[...]les, those who attempt to use them become victims of their own machinations. Kaye’s portrayal of tortured sensi- bility, deliberateness and delicate naivety is a perfect echo of the dram- atic flashback sequences-Paul Cox uses to r[...]. With quavering, slow_-moving images reminiscent of a nightmare, these scenes are a powerful depiction of a misunderstood childhood. The need for and fascination with sensuality and beauty by the boy Charles is ignored by a stern, authorit-[...]ver. C‘/miles /‘Nnrmun Ixayej. Paul Cm Ts Man of Flowers. arian father (Werner Herzog) and cat[...]rpro- tective, mother (Hilary Kelly). Grad- ually the boy turns away from his father, retreating psychologically and raising claims of retardation from one of his aunts. The latter (played by Eileen Joyce and Marianne Baillieu), over-blown and fleshy, are the incarnation of the women in a Titian painting and a stark contrast to the lean, ascetic lines of Charles’ mother. The aunts also seem to be somewhat more than that: th[...]paintings his mother considers pornographic, hint at a rift between his parents and affaires that his[...]parades before his more prudish and chaste wife. The nightmarish evocation explains why Charles grows[...]ut naked women, flowers and sculpture. Certainly, the constant presence of water — the bath, the swimming pool, the sea — represents a security that Charles still[...]cations and striking filmic techniques render Man of Flowers more complex and add to one’s perception of the film as an intel- lectual statement. However, this is a red herring because the character Charles is not as much a study of a distorted psyche as it is a representation of an attitude to art. Charles is a strong advocate of a classical school of thought on art: sculpture must make you want to touch it; real paintings are of land- scapes and flowers; a painting is some- thing you can see even when your eyes are shut; and Talking Heads does not compare to Donizetti. The questioning of artistic (and other) values is presented as a sim- plistic conflict between the traditional and the avant-garde, the old and the nouveau. The theme however is under- mined by the fact that David (Chris Haywood), the painter supposed to .represent the antithesis to the film- maker’s point of view, begs the ques- tion.by the weakness and absurdity of the character-.‘ Haywood plays the comic relief well, but the modern painter equipped with flailing rope brush[...]h is hardly a credible counter-argument on behalf of the values of modern art. Similarly, in the exaggeratedly crude relationship between Lisa and David, the latter can hardly be taken seriously as a representation of the chauvinistic, inconsiderate male and thereby weakens the reason for Lisa’s refuge in a lesbian relationship. Given, too, the rather flat portrayal of Jane by Sarah Walker, one could be forgiven for r[...]that I cannot agree with Meaghan Morris that Man of Flowers “. . . is a film about values and one that asks . . . that we inter- rogate our own”.' While the film is 1. Financial Review, September[...] |
| Man of Flowers “affirming rather than destroying the richness of traditional cultural values”, it does not prese[...]ad, it lulls one into an unquestioning acceptance of the values represented by Charles because there is no convincing or equally alluring alternative. The attractiveness of Man of Flowers is due, in part, to the minor characters. Created by Cox and fellow Scenarist Bob Ellis, they are, with the exception of the art teacher (played by Julia Blake whose confused[...]ful diversions that also serve to add interest to the character of Charles. The guilt—ridden, self-pitying psychiatrist (Bob Ellis), the postman with theories on the meaning of life who never writes letters (Barry Dickins), the coppersmith (Patrick Cook) with intriguing ideas about society’s disposal of its dead, and the shy church warden (Tony Llewellyn- Jones) are a diverse community of equally lost souls. It is also a welcome absurdity rather than pretentiousness that these characters are played respec- tively by a well-known scriptwriter, playwright, cartoonist and the associate producer of the film. The film is also enhanced by the stunning photography of Yuri Sokol, a lush operatic score, and beautiful[...]Titian paintings, Cara- vaggio-inspired sets and the Magritte- like character of Charles himself. The allusions to art extend to the final scene: the silhouetted solitude mirrors the picture postcard that Charles discovers in an earlier scene as he sifts through his mother’s belongings. The beauty of the setting and the warmth of the individuals who comprise Charles’ world contrast with the constant threat of invasion by bad art — that is, ugliness — and the demons of childhood — that is, isola- tion and insecurity. The balance and harmony that Charles has created for himself are threatened by these external and internal forces, and the potential disruption to Charles’ world prompts him to act. By disposing of David in an unlikely but highly creative way, Charles eliminates the external offence to his sensibilities and peace of mind. Whether he also purges himself of his psychological and sexual problems is not clear. Man of Flowers manages to satisfy the senses, provide disarming wit and tease the mind with provocative images, drawing the audience in and convincing it that the film is chal- lenging the intellect, when, in fact, it is merely teasing and disarming the converted. But who cares? If only more Australian films could produce visual treats such as the sight of a monstrous, expressionist painting winding its w[...]arles Bremer turning with red-rimmed eyes to face the afternoon sun and the cry of a baby in a park. Man of Flowers: Directed by: Paul Cox. Producers: Jane B[...]-Jones. Screenplay: Bob Ellis, Paul Cox. Director of photography: Yuri Sokol. Editor: Tim Lewis. Produ[...]He Might Hear You is an easy film to like. It is the story of two sisters battling for the affections and legal custody of a nephew, and is full of emotional conflicts. Set in Sydney during the Great Depression, the film’s melo- dramatic structure and nostalgic p[...]unsympathetic responses; it succeeds in offering the viewer an occasionally moving, nostalgic “tear- jerker”. Nonetheless, there are several significant jarring notes in the film, some of them stemming from the film’s earnest congeniality. Several segments of the film are overwrought, and there are some misjudgments of characterization and dramatic emphasis. George (Peter Whitford) and Lila (Robyn Nevin) are the aunt and uncle who have raised P.S. (Nicholas Gle[...]ather, Logan (John Hargreaves), has disappeared. The rich and beautiful Aunt Vanessa (Wendy Hughes) ar[...]him now and then, she doesn’t “want to change the rhythm of P.S.’s life”. But her presence is clearly discordant. She challenges Lila’s claim that she and George are practically mother and father to him, and infuriates George when she shuts P.S. out in the hallway, with George insisting, “We don’t ever shut him outl” When P.S. arrives at Vanessa’s huge, rented mansion for his first st[...]er-class, British aspira- tions. She even reduces the near-sacred status of “dear one’s garden” by bluntly telling P.S. that under the stone slab lie the rotting remains of his mother. Through his shuttling between the contrasting worlds of Vanessa and Lila, P.S. soon becomes the victim of the conflicting values and wishes they try to instil[...]y each sister to lie to and keep confidences from the other, something clearly contrary to the openness Lila Careful, He Might Hear You and Ge[...]this is illustrated when he meets his father for the first time. While Logan is twitchy and nervous, P.S. is restrained and mannered, showing no emotion and acting like the “little gentleman” Vanessa wants him to be.[...].S., Logan breaks down, and P.S., momentarily out of Vanessa’s sight, vents his feelings, saying tha[...]e. Logan swears he will fix it for P.S., it being the “one thing” he can do for him, and tells P.S. to “belly-ache and make a big fuss” if he is made to do anything he dislikes. Well—meaning and desperate for redemption, this aspect of Logan’s character, and its subsequent negation[...]illain but as a pathetic, failed parent, a victim of his own vices whose only legacy and source of pride is P.S. The effect of this brief visit from his father on P.S. is profo[...]d decides not to return to her, telling her so on the phone and hiding in a closet when the chauffeur comes to pick him up. After the judge (Edward Howell) |
| Careful, He Might Hear You awards custody of P.S. to Vanessa, P.S. again makes his loyalties c[...]t her, using sarcasm, defiance and overt displays of his desire to be with Lila and George. During a birthday party, an im- pending storm forces the children into the house, the extravagant tables of food which have been set up on the lawn blowing about in the wind as thethe natural course of common sense would dictate. Inside, Vanessa witn[...]or a macabre taunting ceremony where P.S. has all the children walking about clutching cushions and chant- ing, “Hold me Logan”, in mock imitation of what P.S. has seen Vanessa do. Vanessa decides to let P.S. go back to Lila and George, parting with the advice, “Find out who you areof a liner, P.S. recalls her message to “Find out who you are” and summons from his experiences, in particular with Logan, the self-assertion to help him to decide to grow up.[...]see him develop. He then triumphantly runs about the gardens of the mansion shouting, “I’m Bill, I’m Bill”, echoing the conscious step closer he has taken to maturity. The character portrait of Vanessa is important to the film, for while it is a dramatic strength in itse[...]some major imbalances. Although Vanessa disrupts the lives of P.S., George and Lila, she is not drawn as a villainous figure of deliberate malice. Insights into her character reveal a tormented woman of confusion and contradiction, whose external wealt[...]ire with Logan motivates her to want P.S. to fill the emotional void he left, yet her desire for emotio[...]nt. And her advice to P.S. to “find out who you are” is an admis- sion of failure in her quest for emotional fulfilment. P.S.’s despair- ing reaction to her death and his vision of her near the film’s end indicate that her loss carries considerable emotional impact for him and the viewers. But while Vanessa is the most dramatically involving character in the film next to P.S., Lila and George, in contrast, are not given a comparable amount of dramatization. The scene in which they vainly try to stop Logan leaving on a train is a strong statement of their commitment to and love for P.S. There is also a neat, though all too brief, evocation of George (thanks to an excellent performance by Whi[...]t man. However, their characters, especially that of George, are given too little bearing in the film, and their bond with P.S. is not shown to be suffering greatly from the strain of Vanessa’s growing access to and influence over[...]r anymore and can’t afford a private school”. The reluctance that would Phar Lap (Towering Inferno) wins his first race at the 1929 Derby at Randwick. Simon Wincer’: Phar Lap. accompany such a decision, and the impending change that the predomin- antly British values of the private school would bring to their lives, is not[...]’s political involve- ments and Lila’s asthma are aspects of their characters that are not sufficiently developed. Early on, Lila wheeze[...]r chronic asthmatic condition until much later in the film, in the dramatic courtroom scene. Likewise, George’s p[...]a for a new suit (“I’ll really be flashed out at Trades Hall in this”), does not feature until the court scene. His subsequent outburst upon discove[...]is “precious book” is ruined is an indication of the stress he is under, but lacks the power that a build-up would have given it. Vanessa’s prominence in the film also reflects a somewhat irritating socio-cultural imbalance between the portrait of the London society, from which she hails, and the working-class environment of Lila and George, which she disrupts. Visually, the point is made by contrasting the spacious, echoing chambers of Vanessa’s mansion with the claustrophobic suburban home of George and Lila. Too much of the film is set amidst Vanessa’s opulent lifestyle and, while the viewer gets a good impression of the values and lifestyle of the British aristocracy, there is no sustained look at how Lila and George live and manage to cope. Such a criticism may conflict with the notion of nostalgia, but a notable imbalance exists when the effects of the Depression are only mentioned incidentally rather than being shown in a convincing manner. A particularly admirable aspect of the film is the handling of P.S.’s character. The moving performance of Gledhill and the thematic under- pinnings of his experience, growth and development of resourcefulness is a welcome contrast to the recent spate of films which feature precocious, world- wise under[...]ma. Its lush pro- duction makes it attractive and the strong performances in the central roles, especially that of Hughes as Vanessa, elicit sympathy from the viewer. There are several misjudg- ments, but the film hits the right spots more times than it misses and that, a[...]Jill Robb. Screenplay: Michael Jenkins. Director of photography: John Seale. Editor: Richard Francis-[...]stralia. 1983. Phar Lap Keith Connolly Because of its origins, and by-now- familiar Edgley build-up[...]ss to approaching Phar Lap with some reservation. The first viewing (courtesy of the Australian Film Awards) was so pleasant a surpris[...]and thoroughly convincing mainstream film within the parameters of popular legend-mongering. By comparison, The Man From Snowy River is simply a refugee from Marlboro country. Of course, Phar Lap is a pantingly- ready project for the “c’mon-Aussie” school of instant patriotism (can Bradman, Jacka, Darcy and remakes of Smithy and Ned Kelly be far behind?). But Wincer[...]ter David Williamson must have been acutely aware of the dangers inherent in this very ripeness: too much[...]a cavalier attitude to basic historical fact. In the main, they strike a nicely- acceptable balance. The movie Phar Lap is somewhat larger than life . . . and so was the real—life racehorse. The period does take on a faintly roseate glow, yet t[...]nevertheless, thanks to a skilful counterpointing of Phar Lap’s famous victories with the shortcomings, strengths and failures of the mere humans around him. There is little real attempt, beyond the accuracy of Anna Senior’s costumes and a general authenticity of locale, to capture the strained atmosphere of those penny- pinched times. However, it should b[...]course strewn with hyperbolic temptation, making the most, but not too much, of an incident—studded four years. Certainly Willi[...]ttle. His artistic imagina- tion and superb grasp of Australian idiom (even though censorship-classi- fication objectives presumably denied him the salty speech of the stables) supply the necessary undocumented moments and add human interludes of primary comic and emotional con- trast. These scenes, as well-written as anything Williamson has done for the screen, allow Wincer to establish a convin[...] |
| Phar Lap owner Dave Davis (Ron Leibman). The characters are something less than complex in outlook and behaviour, but then the world of racing is notoriously as short on subtlety as it is long on strategy. The record is treated respectfully. Phar Lap’s rela[...]escoped a little, but by no means falsified, from the time the then- ungainly yearling reached Sydney from New Z[...]ained death in California only four years later. The racing sequences are imagina- tive and authentic. Turf men I know find little fault with them (there are, apparently, some minor anachron- isms) and praise the overall verisimilitude. And there is enough “action”, most of it factual, to satisfy the most fidgety filmgoer — from the Cup-eve shooting attempt to that last fairy-tale[...]demise (recounted in a prologue that establishes the film’s historical perspective). The causes of the strange death of Phar Lap, at a Californian stud farm not long before he was about to tackle the U.S. racing circuit, is soft- pedalled. For whatever reason (the most likely being a reluctance to offend the potential American market), the conventional wisdom of my boyhood, that the Yanks had poisoned Phar Lap as assuredly as they had killed Les Darcy, is virtually ignored. The only people really pilloried are the 19305 Victoria Racing Club committee, particularl[...]tarch by Vincent Ball). Ball’s characterization of the establishment autocrat who prompts the handicapper to give Phar Lap far too much weight is, like those of other male principals, a convenient blend of stereotype and substance. Martin Vaughan does his[...]udgeon act with customary vehemence, Burlinson is the nice young innocent I am prepared to believe Tomm[...]wood import Ron Leibman is suitably distracted as the parvenu businessman-owner who can’t quite believe his luck. (The importation of Leibman is justified by the fact that Dave Davis was a U.S citizen of European-Jewish origin who lived in Australia in the l920s and early ’30s.) The competently-performed female roles are possibly realistic, too, in their supportive deference to the masculine hegemony of the socially-conservative turf milieu, then and now.[...]or two narrative-fulfilling interventions, and if the Mrs Telford of Celia de Burgh occasionally develops a Bellbirdish tinkle, that is not necessarily out of character, either. And one must not overlook tha[...]ast Towering Inferno, who apparently differs from the champion he impersonates only in that he doesn't move his hoofs as quickly. But neither do most horses foaled before or since. Technically, the production is a matching cross between fulsome an[...]Rowland‘s rousing, but not obtrusive, music and the com- prehensively crisp editing of Tony Paterson. It goes without saying that this[...]INEMA PAPERS Bush Christmas and Molly times, both as producer and director, to bother too much about what anyone thought of the best-forgotten Snapshot and Harlequin. But one gets the impression from Phar Lap that, as well as honing[...]hn Sexton. Screenplay: David Williamson. Director of photography: Russell Boyd. Editor: Tony Paterson.[...]Mayer Films made specifically for young children are often difficult to review as many of the elements one looks for in other films, such as generic com- plexity, a range of character traits, ambivalent endings and temporal changes, are not possible because of the conceptual difficulties they pose. There are, on the other hand, certain basic elements which increase the chances of holding a young audience’s attention. The production teams for Bush Christmas and Molly are gener- ally aware of these elements. Paramount amongst these is the subject matter and, if nothing else, the history of children’s literature and the cinema has repeatedly demonstrated the universal appeal of horses (Bush Christmas) and dogs (Molly). This, in turn, often evokes a degree of senti- mentality when children are generally deprived of these pets for most of each film. Also significant in both films is the focus on the children as the central characters, the linear narrative, the employment of proven melodramatic devices of suspense, external tension and simple characters.[...]re is a clear division between good and evil, and the source of the narrative ‘problem’ is imposed by the villains (in both films the theft of the animals) on the sympathetic characters. Man- datory, of course, is the resolution of all problems and the happy ending. It is interesting to compare Bush Christmas with Molly as both films share a number of structural and thematic similarities. But having watched the films on the same day one is struck by the smooth narrative con- fidence and humor of Bush Christmas, which is a credit to its creative[...]scriptwriter Ted Roberts, who must surely be one of Australia’s most accomplished writers, as anyone who saw the last series of Patrol Boat will testify. Bush Christmas is set in the Aus- tralian outback during the early 1950s and the simple story consists of two strands. The first, and subsidiary strand, concerns Ben and K[...]lley) mortgage debt, a debt which must be paid by the first day of January or the Thompsons will lose their homestead to the local stock and station agent. The second strand, which occupies the bulk of the film and dovetails with the first, follows the activities of Bill (John Ewart) and Sly (John Howard), the manager and lead singer of a struggling bush band. Stranded and broke after the Christmas dance in Tullageal, the two rogues decide to ‘borrow’ the Thomp- sons’ prize race-horse and enter it in c[...]s in an effort to recoup their fortunes. However, the two Thompson children, Helen (Nicole Kidman) and[...], Manalpuy (played by Manalpuy), decide to follow the thieves while Ben Thompson is away attempting to sell their cattle to raise the mortgage. The bulk of the film cuts back and forth between the largely comic attempts of Sly and Bill to cross the ranges with the horses and the des- perate attempts of the four youths to follow them. Their trek climaxes w[...]a deserted mine shaft which soon becomes flooded. The last section of ‘1 the film, after the recapture of the horses, deals with the last-ditch attempt by the Thompsons to raise money by racing their horse in the New Year’s Day cross-country race. It might be expected that this dramatic framework, which follows the original version filmed by the Rank Organization in 1946-47, would offer little room for surprise or freshness. In fact, the worst is feared when Ben Thompson begins the film with, “One more bad Christmas and we are finished here.” It would appear that Roberts has it in for Sumner as he is forced to utter a succession of similar gems including, “Sorry kids, I don’t think Prince [their horse] has got a_ chance” before the race, or after the race, “We’ve saved the old place.” Within the essentially 19th Century melodramatic conventions of the story, Roberts has injected a consistent stream of humor, largely focusing on the relationship between Sly and that habitual scene-stealer, Bill. Sly, in par- ticular, has a number of very funny lines with one of the best being his horrified reaction that Bill’s killing of a bush rabbit will antagonize the Abor- iginals watching their progress (“You’ve,shot one of their pets”). There are also some nice throwaway lines, such as Howard muttering “Taxi!” as he stumbles through the Molly, the ‘singing’ dog, and young friend, Maxie[...] |
| Bush Christmas and Molly A llies dense bush. Even the children share in the comedy, particularly that potential scene-stealer Mark Spain (a veteran of Australian media at 11 years of age) downing a witchetty grub with relish as his[...]retching off-screen. My four-year-old colleague at the screening began tapping her feet right from the start, when the music of the Bushwackers accompanies a spec- tacular ride by Manalpuy on Prince down a ridge, and she was still engrossed at the end; credit must surely go to director Henri Safran, and director of photography Malcolm Rich- ards. Their expertise is particularly evident in the climatic cross—country race with is captured largely in long- shot during the first half, reserving the close-ups of jockey Manalpuy and Prince to generate excitement and tension during the closing sections of the race. Similarly, this expertise is obvious when the children stumble upon a supposedly deserted shack and find a couple of unwelcome visitors, and again when they are trapped in the mine shaft. In fact, it permeates the entire film. The narrative skill demonstrated by Bush Christmas highlights the central weakness of Molly. Molly, however, has a lot going for it, no[...]on involving a little girl’s attempt to recover the dog after it has been stolen. But the film also demonstrates a recurrent weak- ness in[...]repetitive middle section after a strong opening. The film is at its best at the start when Old Dan (Reg Lye) takes Molly into a country pub and cons the locals with his singing dog. The whole sequence comes off particularly well — ac[...]en he orders a triple whisky with a beer chaser. The villains: Sly (John Howard) and Bill (John Ewart)[...]o is moving to Coogee to live with her aunt after the death of her mother. Dan suffers a heart attack and entrusts Molly to Maxie’s protection. The bulk of the film concerns the repeated attempts of Jones (Garry McDonald) to steal the dog together with Maxie’s attempts to find a home for the animal. Whereas Bush Christmas revitalizes its f[...]used for thinking one was watching, on occasions, the build-up for a “splatter” movie. The villain’s obsession with becoming a performer d[...]ome tension. But director Ned Lander and director of photo- graphy Vince Monton repeatedly emphasize the psychotic disturbance of the villain: shots of his boarding-house room with its showbusiness fetish; a protracted sequence of Jones applying clown make-up to his face, or shav[...]nd in one gruesome scene he accidentally steps on the blade). One begins to wonder if this is in fact M[...]rman Bates in Psycho III: his character is devoid of humor except for a black joke when he drops a rat into the stew as he leaves his job as a short-order cook. The only explanation I can offer for the rather radical shift in tone between the girl and her dog in sunny Coogee and the demented villain is the desire to approximate the threatening qualities of the fairy-tales gathered by the Brothers Grimm; publicity .for the film describes Molly as a “modern fairy-tale ab[...]re gift”. Certainly fear is a key ingredient as the villain prowls the alleys of Coogee at night with his cane rattling the corrugated iron fences near Maxie’s bed, or his sinister observation of a lonely, little girl walking the dark streets illuminated by a single street light. Late in the film, in a bizarre sequence, he terrorizes young[...]in a nun’s outfit. Graeme Issacs’ music and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus represent an appealing co[...]unate that a little more thought was not given to the script as there is much in the film to appeal to young children. Bush Christmas, on the other hand, perhaps with the advantage of working from a popular story, retains interest throughout with a deft blend of humor, action and attractive characterizations.[...]i, Paul Barron. Screenplay: Ted Roberts. Director of photography: Malcolm Richards. Editor: Ron Willia[...]Phillip Roope, Mark Thomas, Ned Lander. Director of photography: Vincent Monton. Editor: Stewart Youn[...](Bill Ireland), Robin Laurie (Stella) and members of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Production company: Trop[...]8 mins. Australia. 1983. Allies Keith Connolly At a time of increasingly novel attempts to diversify film-funding sources, ASIO appears to have given the producers of Allies full marks for initiative. A closed session of the Hope Royal Commission was told last year that the film had been “assessed” as a possible vehicle for KGB disinforma- tion. (After some prompting, the federal Attorney-General, Senator Evans, rebutted the suggestion. Mr Justice Hope’s report ignores it[...]They would have been dis- appointed, even though the docu- mentary, directed by Sydney journalist Marian Wilkinson, is full of startling and disturbing material. And one trusts that the anonymous ASIO assessor noted how even-handed it[...]ivity in this country, there is another extolling the amity and mutual respect of the U.S. and Australia. The filmmakers’ stated premise is to re-examine the 40 years in which, in their words, most Australians have looked on this country’s alliance with the United States as an article of faith, beyond question and often beyond critici[...]proach is obviously less than ecstatic about what the alliance has meant in practice. Clearly, the main thrust is to look into CIA operations that have affected Australians, at home and abroad. Not a great deal is revealed about what went on within Australia, but there is a good deal of testimony about happen- ings in the South-East Asia region. And, as former American A[...]lonel Fletcher Prouty, who for 10 years organized the Pentagon’s logistical support for the CIA, reminds one, “Australia was deeply involved” in what he calls “the whole plan for South-East Asia”. This, however, is quite some distance from the thrust of that cele- brated documentary about the CIA, On Company Business (1979), directed by Allan Francovich, co-producer of Allies. What Allies does, however, is to present soberly and competently a vast amount of material about the activities of the CIA in South-East Asia for more than 30 years, wi[...]lia’s contribution and reaction thereto. Among the probably inescapable crowd of talking heads are major establishment figures such as former prime[...]and Ed Clark. There is also a fascinating array of one-time CIA operatives, beginning with former chief Willi[...]g to jailed spy Christopher Boyce (who worked for the agency). The legendary counter-insurgency expert, Ed Lansdale, describes how he “organized” support for the South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh CINEMA PAPERS March-April — 89 |
| Allies «fin. wr/#m»w;¢y Diem (but not how the agency helped bring Diem down). Prouty tells of the agency team “that had overthrown The Philippines government” being sent on a similar[...]a- lian back-up teams were standing by to support the insurgents. Veteran CIA operative Ralph McGehee says he was the “custodian” of an influential book funded by the agency to cover its tracks in the Indo- nesian coup of 1965. McGehee and other highly placed agency men, Victor Marchetti and Frank Snepp, discuss the agency’s role in Vietnam from the time the U.S. began to sponsor Diem in 1954. McGehee says that before this decision was taken the American people, and allies such as Australia, were sold a picture of the situation in Vietnam that was “sheer illusion”. Marchetti — author of a convincing and unsensational account of CIA workings and blunders, The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence — and Snepp, the CIA’s chief strategy analyst in Saigon in 1975,[...]g, things about American dealings with Canberra. The most startling is Marchetti’s guarded reference[...]ne” (his word) CIA activity in Australia during the time of the Whitlam Government. He describes how another CIA[...]again, Marchetti’s word) intelligence operation at Pine Gap was being endangered by another clandestine activity “of an internal nature in Australia” going on under the auspices of the CIA station chief in Canberra. Snepp, darkly-han[...]ful-looking, describes how he deliberately misled the Australian government (through its ambassador in Saigon) about the size and nature of the North Vietnamese incursion into South Vietnam. Later, he says, he was instructed to regard the Whitlam Government as “North Vietnamese collabo[...]ter it demurred about American saturation bombing of the North! Almost without exception, the Americans who appear in Allies are more forthcoming and articulate than the Australians. Only Clyde Cameron, with his charge that Australian intelli- gence men helped the CIA in Chile during the Allende Government, makes any notable contribution. Cameron alleges that, as Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Government, he was “staggered” to discover that there were “21 to 24 ASIO agents around the world posing as immigration officials’ ’: When I discovered the role Austra- lian Intelligence had played in the overthrow of the Allende Govern- ment in Chile in 1973, I was appalled that my own department was involved in this sort of work. Our intelligence agents in Chile were acting as a ‘hyphen’ between the CIA, who [sic] weren’t able to operate in Chile at that time, and the Pinochet junta which eventually murdered the democratically-elected president. Imagine my amaz[...]IDIE Inc in N.S.W. SCRATCH REMOVAL and CLEANING of 35mm and 16mm NEGATIVE, POSITIVE AND FIEVERSAL FILM by the latest process available from the U.S.A. ‘k No messy coating remains on the film after treatment ir Film can be subsequently[...]nically cleaned, spliced, projected or handled in the usual manner ‘A’ Ideal for negative or positive film that will be transferred to videotape at 46: per foot — 35mm prints 303 per foot — 16m[...]N.S.W. 2066 90 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS THE CINEMA & SCIENCE FICTION BOOKSHOP A wide range of popular and critical Cinema books always in stock, including: THE UNIVERSAL STORY by Clive Hirschhorn $29.95 Curre[...]hone: (03) 62 1089 O Designers and manufacturers of quality costumes for film television and theatre |
| Allies when I received a letter from the Prime Minister saying that I was to take no further action in the matter that I was not to withdraw ASIO agents even from Santiago and that nothing was to be done about it at all. Other Australian witnesses include David Combe (whose phone-tapped mention of the film led to that extra- ordinary Royal Commission reference) talking about the Australian Labor Party having “hell frightened out of it” by allegations by Christopher Boyce of involvement by the CIA in Australian politics, and academic Dr Desmond Ball on the importance to the US. —— and potential danger to Australia —— of the Pine Gap, North- West Cape and Narrunga installations. The U.S. is by now quite experi- enced at the kind of benign pacifica- tion practised by Marshall Green, the trouble-shooting American Ambassa- dor during the Whitlam years, who stares levelly into the camera and declares: I thought that if we just mind our manners and deal with the new government perfectly straight, we’ll all[...]rned out. Now that’s quite a bit different from the testimony of Snepp. When William Colby declares roundly “we[...]little later on, when Victor Marchetti declares the CIA has been involved in politi- cal action programs with friendly irrelevant. All, however, have at least some significance, even if, in a few cases, it lies in what is not said. In the end, one cannot but conclude that Australia’s big brother in the U.S. (in the words of a ditty by the doggerel versifier of bygone years, “Dry- blower” Murphy) has indee[...]son, William Pin- will and Denis Freney. Director of photo- graphy: Philip Bull. Editor: Sara Bennett.[...]tly, Germaine Greer made some pert comments about the women’s movement, believing it to be “ex- plo[...]ance” to ideology. Her most succinct target was the women’s encampment at Greenham Common whose =€..l. For Love or Money ._ -. . $3 '7 9 . . 3;”: ._ governments all 0Ver the World . . . fanaticism Greer criticized as further V” ""- « . . why wouldn’t we do it in Australia if evidence ofof political exile. . 5 l LV 1: Q iv‘ bl L-. Obvi[...]Who expects It to If Greer appears progressively at 2 . . .. . . .. .. . . A I I n A o rt vv 1‘) n {fl (‘id-:3 m reveal a consistent line of American intervention and manipulation in Aus- tr[...]vador Allende, much less Fidel Castro, to concern the U.S. And then, as the film’s title and content constantly reminds Australians, they are allies. The film’s technique is formal, restrained and a good deal more expository than outward appearances — the total lack of commentary, and the even-handed mix of participants and witnesses — might suggest. It[...]ng. Those without a more-than-passing know- ledge of world history since 1945, and particularly what went on in the South- East Asian and Pacific regions, may think that a good many of the wit- nesses’ remarks are either opaque or odds with a movement she perceives as sectarian and powerless, the feminist perspective of the compilation docu- mentary For Love Or Money is intent on unapologetically linking the history of Australian women and their work to the politics of war, race and class. In developing this wider political framework, the film opposes the notion of an isolated feminism, arguing that political issu[...]fact relate to a more substantial under- taking: the quest for equal power with men to determine not only the lives of women but also the lives of others who have, throughout history, been kept powerless. If the greatest strength of For Love Or Money derives from this political perspective, the film’s major virtue is the fire and spirit with which it tackles *_kg***'k*[...]USA,Europe,;Asia, elude your phone number).; We are perfc ionists and award winners, prepared to go t[...]d where necessary develop products and oplé that are “just right”. We value character (we like qui[...]achinist, technician, etc. or consultant/supplier of props, wardrobe, weapons, Techniscope, Kodachrome[...]k you have anything to contribute,-or if you know of anyone who has, please send fullest information,[...]s Pty Ltd" (02) 309 2221- Top: a champion Iypist of 1907 Above" mother and children in a Melbourne kitchen of |
| For Love or Money the issue of the Aboriginal and the fears of the nuclear age as being intrin- sically linked with the history of Aus- tralian women. Comprehensive as it is, the film can only begin to chart, and thereby rewrite, the evidence un- covered by its historical research. Compressing 195 years into 109 minutes of screen time requires an occasional ‘shotgun’ approach to history and, to be sure, some periods of the film are better documented than others. But visual histories are notorious for constricting filmmakers by a simple unavailability of material. The images in For Love Or Money are drawn from more than 200 feature films, home movi[...]It reaches back to 1788, carefully patchworking the penal and colonial histories of white and Aboriginal women during a period of incarcera- tion in prisons, brothels and work- houses, and traces the development of the rural aristocracy and the growing sophistications of the Victorian Age. It is particularly strong on the three decades before World War 1, when rapid industrialization created the need for cheap workforces, so defining women’s[...]o a women’s perspective on labor, equal pay and the vote. Although the material from between the wars is slight, For Love Or Money powerfully documents the history of women in wartime: their organizations for peace,[...]rchal campaigns to return to their homes. It took the economic expansion of the l950s and ’60s, and a renewed need for labor, to enable women to come back into the work- force where they joined a new group of working women: the migrants, who returned each Cold War night to the iniquitous hostels. Surprisingly, For Love Or Money is least convincing when dealing with the period of the late 1960s and the ’70s when the style of the film begins to waver between a formalistic chron-[...]a potted, impressionistic history. It has neither the time nor the material to achieve either effectively. The final victory, in 1972, after a 90-year fight for wage equality, is well covered — there are images of Hawke, Whitlam and women in politics — but the anti—Vietnam and women’s libera- tion marches rush by, and the “daugh- ter’s revolt” and the rejection of the mother’s role are given cursory treat- ment where one might have expected a solid analysis drawn from the personal experiences of the makers of this docu- mentary. The collapse of traditional roles for women during these years is only alluded to, as are the important socio- logical and psychological con- s[...]from this sus- tained activity and which, during the 1970s, developed into a pluralist feminism with broad political implica- tions. The complex and, occasionally, contentious changes to feminism that have subsequently disturbed leading figures of the movement, such as Greer, are given scant attention. As an accessible documentary on the status of women in Australian history, 92 — March-April[...]. Q-rOc~oa94t," ‘ there is nothing remotely in the class of The C|inic For Love Or Money. The film is most effective when documenting the patriarchal co-option of women for work, and the periodic decisions made by men to allow women into the work- force only when it suits their personal, po[...]itions. For Love Or Money strives to integ- rate the issues of war, race and social class with its theme of women and work. It simultaneously helps probe the failure of patriarchal societies to see these issues as not only specifically related to men, but as also reflecting the sexual inequalities perpetrated on women. In a contemporary period of eroding economic conditions and its inherent threat to the gains made by women and their work, the confronting profile of feminism faces the prospect of qual- ified equalities: compromises born of realpolitik which suggest a form of equality but which do not necessarily carry either the entitlements to power or the apparatus for its use. For Love Or Money: Direct[...]or. l09 mins. Australia. 1983. Debi Enker Given the slant of the publicity cam- paign and an awareness of the way Australian comedies have dealt with sexuality in the past, one could be for- given for expecting The Clinic to be an ungainly cross between Carry On C[...]ately with a risque subject, without resorting to the type of exploitation which seeks to titillate its audience with an inglorious parade of tits and burns. Their presentation of a hypothetical day in the life of a clinic treating sexually transmitted diseases abounds with irreverent humor and satire. The Clinic also creates a microcosm of Australian society; it represents a diversity of characters, values and relationships, and subject[...]iny. Assembling several disparate charactersunder the one roof has been a common practice, particularly on television. The device of the shared living-place (Number 96, Starting Out) or work-place (The Box, The Young Doctors, Arcade, Division 4, etc.) enables the range of situations to be incorporated with a minimum of expenditure on sets, locations or costly exteriors. Using this formula, The The Clinic Dr Eric Linden (Chris Haywood) listens to a patient’s (Doug Trem/ett) dilemma. The Clinic. Clinic has interwoven a series of vignettes which examine relationships, and their[...]elated afflic- tions. On another level, however, the film highlights the problems of a society which obstructs constructive dis- cussion of issues related to sex: the general lack of information, the stigmatization of the clinic’s patients, the language problems faced by migrants and the prejudices that can magnify an infection from an illness to a vice. The introduction of the character of a medical student early in the film signifies the start of an education pro- cess whereby the newcomer, and implicitly the audience, is instructed in the workings of the establishment. Paul Armstrong (Simon Burke) staunchly embodies a range of con- servative attitudes, directly contrasted with those of the staff and several patients. He is hostile to homo[...]ts viewed as particularly repre- hensible: a lack of humor and a puritanism manifested in pomposity. H[...]sentially demeaned by them. It is a key factor in the film’s strategy that this character, with all its curiosity and parodied prejudices, is the figure to which the film aligns its audience. _ Paul is assigned to spend the morn- ing with Eric Linden (Chris Haywood), |
| The Clinic a doctor who manages on his first appearance in the film to contravene most of the proprieties associated with the medical profession. Dressed in tattered jeans and[...]ormality with patients and a benevolent tolerance of them that Paul finds incomprehensible. When the doctor is revealed as an un- repentant homosexual, the contrast is complete. Paul’s exposure to Eric forms a central component of the narrative, delineating its assertion that educati[...]more productive awareness. Although a large part of Paul’s instruction is reliant on Eric’s tuition, the viewer's tutelage is extended beyond the realm of his consciousness. There is a continual emphasis on the need for information about sex educa- tion and sexually transmitted diseases. The inappropriate over-reaction of an employer to an employee who has con- tracted syphilis, and the trauma of a patient suffering from herpes, are attributed to ignorance about the nature of the diseases. The more humorous sketches depict a general naivete about bodily functions and the transmission of infections. In this way the film seems consciously designed as a source of information for its audi- ence, systematically chronicling the in- adequacies of the pill, the treatments for venereal disease and the incidence of non-specific urethritis, an infection that exhibits some of the symptoms of gonorrhoea. The film also attributes a part of Paul’s eventual conversion in attitude to his respite at the beach. When he is in the clinic he is unable to identify with any of the patients or place them in a broader context which accepts sexual diseases as a by-product of often healthy or fulfilling relation- ships. However, as he watches a couple at the beach, he is forced to acknow- ledge the existence of an intimacy and tenderness that he had automatically disassociated from the patients. Having accepted the clinic as a neces- sary, even desirable, establis[...]o Eric in a scene which ironically concludes with the two men sharing a laugh in a toilet cubicle. It is indicative of the essential generosity of the script that even the most pompous and unpleasant charac- ter is granted his moment of integrity. If The Clinic has a hero, it is Eric Linden, whose casua[...]work is seen to emanate from a humor and humanity of real benefit to his patients. Hay- ward’s perfo[...]le: in a medium from which such representa- tions are notably absent, he succeeds in portraying an open and intelligent homosexual as a character worthy of respect. Linden’s professional attributes are shared by the other members of the staff. United by a spirit of community, they operate efficiently and with com-[...]I I I I I I I I I passion and wry humor through the series of consultations. As a group, their tolerant receptivity becomes an antidote to the psychological disorders of a repressive culture. Their inter- action with the variety of patients spilling out from the bustling waiting- room provides much of the basis for the film’s social observations. However, even the staff is subject to criticism. In a seminal scene which takes a well-aimed swipe at any feelings of smugness or patronization emanating from the safety of the stalls, Wilma (Betty Bobbitt) is introduced. She appears to be a parody from the moment she enters Dr Young’s (Rona McLeod) office. She is acutely embar- rassed about attending the clinic, to the extent of adopting a disguise and a pseudonym, then hiding in the toilets rather than be seen in the waiting- room. Her unfashionable modesty about se[...]ons when combined with her over-zealous standards of hygiene. She feels, however, compelled to undergo (III 'I‘ \l( )W A study of Australian novels into film See Insert[...] |
| The Clinic an examination because, for the first time since her husband’s departure (three years ago)[...]a man and was horrified when he failed to get out of bed and wash himself afterwards. Convinced that[...]ean, she swallowed a tranquilliser and headed for the clinic. Upon the disclosure of her com- plaint, even the normally sympathetic doctor and nurse (Jane Clift[...]mirth. Wilma appears prudish and absurd; a bundle of inhibitions and neuroses comforted by valium, she could almost be a sister to Edna Everage. The viewer is encouraged to share the amused dis- belief of the staff. But the tone of the scene changes abruptly, in a style indicative of the fluidity with which the film can alternate between comedy and drama. Sens[...]his is an embarrass- ing and degrading situation. The immediate effect of her protest is to silence the giggles of the staff and elicit an apology which once again stresses the need for compassion rather than gratuitous judgement. Her succinct speech produces an effect similar to that of Sandy‘s belated outburst in Tootsie. In both cases an ostensibly eccentric and neurotic woman[...]manding that she be viewed more respectfully. As both a comedy of manners and an examination of social mores, The Clinic is often poignant and consist- ently funny[...]ly, a heavy-handed attempt to draw atten- tion to the serious side of the subject detracts from the fluidity of the film. A refusal to ignore the graver aspects of its subjects so as to sustain the laughs is admirable. However, the fate of the syphilis patient, Warwick (Ned Lander), overstates issues already adequately covered by the script and underestimates the impact of Lander’s sensitive performance. It is establis[...]s suffering from syphilis and that his honesty to the nurse at his place of employment has resulted in an unethical betrayal of his confidence and his retrenchment. Despite efforts by the helpful and maternal counsellor (Pat Evison), it is also clear that War- wick will remain a victim, not only of his disease but also of the lack of understanding demonstrated by his employer and family. In the light of this information, it becomes necessary to emphasize his plight by conveying news of his off-camera suicide. As one of the few occasions when the film relies on an overt statement of conse- quences rather than on employing a more subtle disclosure of information leading to the same conclusions, it creates an awkward and laboured tension. The film’s happy but hasty ending indicates a desire to thread the loose ends together. The antics of a religious fanatic, bent on throwing what he reg[...]m into chaos by depositing an ominous shoe box in the lavatories, act as the device for the film’s conclusion: in the inter- val between the building’s evacuation and the return to business, Eric and Paul resolve their d[...]s 94 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS We're behind the award winners PREVOST World renowned editing ta[...]oundheads. - Film capacities to 1500 feet. ROSCO The established ‘name’ when it comes to lighting[...].-;.. ‘*\/ \_/ LOWEL Sophisticated lights that are smooth, dazzling bright and versatile. Your choi[...]lfl HMI lighting with a quality equivalent to are light. The low power consumption is a feature of the five models (to 6000 watts) available through PICS. MICRON Used by leading sound technicians all over the world. Extremely selective, Micron radio microphones are the established standard system for use with recording, television and stage productions, as they are less susceptible to interference. IVIICRDN P[...]land Ph 78 9094 incisive attempt to highlight the problems of individuals facing a fiancee in tow; and two other patients discover their mutual attraction in the W DES 018 The Clinic: Directed by: David Stevens. street. Given the film’s intention to create the impression of a possible day at the clinic, the intrusion of a bomb scare seems a little implausible. It is an unnecessary catalyst aimed at creating a quick resolution of uncertain situa- tions when the structure of the film suggested they might be better left open-ended. However, in spite of these reserva- tions, The Clinic is an admirable satire on contemporary values and an particular form of private stress. For its comic sketches, it presents a host of talented comedians, including Mark Little, Evelyn Krape and Alan Pentland, and the transitions between comedy and drama are generally subtle and fluid. But the film’s real strength is its ability to depict[...]and even bitterness in a context which reinforces the need for tolerance and compassion. Producers: Robert Le Tet, Bob .Weis. Screenplay: Greg Millin. Director of photography: Ian Baker. Editor: Edward McQueen-Ma[...]l), Suzanne Roylance (Patty). Production company: The Film House- Generation Films. 35 mm. 90 mi[...] |
| Silver City A love story set against the epic background of post- World War 2 migration to Australia. Sil[...]Thomas Keneally, for producer Joan Long. Director of photography is John Seale. Opposite page, clockw[...]r temporary home — a fibro garage; Silver City; the Minister for Immigration, Mr Calwell (Ron Blanchard), presents a koala to “the 100, 000th displaced person” (Cheryl Walton); Nina and Julian; Nina comes to the rescue of a fellow immigrant. Right: Polish immigrants Nin[...]Kants). Below: immigrants get their first glimpse of Australia. |
| THE FILM YEAR BooK E 1984 EDITION é THE indispensable guide to a complete year of cinema $14-.95rrp IIIIIPIIIIIIII[...]Available now at allgood bookshops tills, credits and reviews of all films released between July pecial section[...]and newsagents 1982 and June 1983. studies the re- emergence ofAustra|ian In-depth features by the Films. world's leading film critics on the movies they D eports from around thought best, worst and I the world. Quotes of the year. Awards, lists, most likely to succeed. box[...]a Phone: (02) 439 6144 to improve your “Below The Line” costs a u I I |
| From the VAULT A Film and Television Cryptic Crossword[...]Xanadu: How To Play This is a cryptic crossword; the “cryptic” involves clues. It is similar to those found in weekend news- papers: the clues must be deciphered in various ways to get at their meaning and the proper referent to the word wanted, playing around with the possi- bilities and anachronisms of language, association and meaning. The grid works just as a normal crossword does. In parentheses after each clue is the number of letters in the word one is seeking. If it is more than one word, there will be a number for each word: e.g., Last Year at Marienbad will be (4,4,2,8). Particularly, this is a crossword about film and television. The clues and answers have to do with proper names of people in films or television or both, titles of films or shows or both, technical matters, genres, associ- ated figures, film theory, etc. Over the years, one has accumulated untold (and unsystematized) information in this area; the puzzle is a game but also a weird system for reaching into that teeming gumbo and plucking out just the right bits (gives them value,-doesn’t it? . ”)l‘ips: Initial articles (the, an) may or may not be part of answers which are titles. Some answers are abbreviations. In clues, capital letters may not be pro- vided; punctuation may be missing or misleading; the clue may contain more than one sort of mini-clue or refer- ence; apparent errors or misspellings may be intentional and part of the answer; play may be made on words with multiple meanings; the answer one is looking for may be in its original language, with reasonable limits; puns may strike; the presence of a film title in the clue may not always refer directly to those asso[...]t film; prepositions should be carefully studied; the clue may be a list pointing to the answer — a common element; and clues may contain an anagram of the answer, or leading to the answer, which when unscrambled reveals all. Much play will be made of synonyms and of homonyms, in which case code phrases such as “w[...]Meet John. Answer: Doe). One may have to assemble the answer bit by bit (Clue: Gamble a mite, finish wi[...]nter directed Matt Dillon’s first feature, Tex (the answer); Tex Ritter, deceased, had nothing to do with it. Clue: At the start, home of Eastern U.S. film archives. “At the start” signals that the answer will be initials or an acronym; from there, with a bit of knowledge, one is led to Museum of Modern Art, which started one of the first U.S. archives and is located in the East, commonly referred to in print as MOMA (the answer). Sometimes the answer is present in the clue. Clue: Mostly puritanical American agency. Answer: MPAA, the U.S. rating board, found by noting the first letter of each word of the clue. One may encounter homonymal variations in[...]etit. CLUES ACROSS 1Possible Australian version of centaur, harp)’, mermaid, etc.; could mean race[...]e outburst marked a first for tot industry (3) 9 At the start, home of Eastern (U.S.) film archives (4) 10 She’s in aardvark, but loves lions (5) ll Pacer prancing through the plot (5) 14 One one three eight (3) 15 Old lightweight for field pix (5) 16 It takes all kinds of money to make their pictures (8) 18 Sounds better[...]mount’s favorite pic- ture (2) 33 “No dearth of death near me!”, he raved (5) 34 Nero ninety n[...]t this consorter with detec- tives, must sort out The Third Man (4) 46 Rebel germ—hut contains Big i[...]r? (6, 6) 47 Not as sutured as most, but ties up the story well (4) Mac CLUES DOWN 1 Not just anoth[...]any simply purrs (3) 2 City so to speak, through the looking glass (1, 4, 4, 5) 3 Mixed up before breakfast (made hundreds of films after) (4) 4 From an old president, a research tool for ex-editor; the ladies’ man, too. Plural (6) 5 Between six and[...]ee 38 Across (2, 2) 22 Half an otic (8) 24 Half of odd pair has affinity for garbage (5) 26 Cow cal[...]dian? Si, mi general — a tough bunch (7) 32 By the sound of it, wouldn’t you join a bug in a theory that could burn with an h? (7) 35 Often at midnight this head blanks out (6) 36 For[...] |
| The Industry Comments Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments Continued from p. 6] fingers have been burned in the local film industry. One firm, Roach, Tilley and Grice, first became involved in feature films with Winter of our Dreams in 1981 and its success on a budget of less than $400,000 encouraged the firm to continue in the field. But despite this, and other numerous and excell[...]mpt to tailor budgets to population size. Libido, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, Alvin Purple, Petersen, Stone and Sunday Too Far Away cost less than $300,000. Picnic at Hanging Rock, Caddie, Don’s Party, Storm Boy, Winter of our Dreams and Mad Max cost less than $600,000. The Man from Hong Kong, Breaker Morant, My Brilliant[...]lion. Beyond that level, Gallipoli, Mad Max 2 and The Man from Snowy River have presumably recouped the[...]s to propose producing films whose budgets exceed the returns on The Man from Snowy River. Nevertheless, one doesn’[...]cence to be a film producer: it is still a matter ofthe industry nor will there be. But the market forces are placing an inevitable emphasis on low—budget an[...]ed children demanding a status equivalent to that of doctors while doing considerably less to alleviate human misery. Those with the skills to produce a Mad Max, a Gallipoli or a Snowy River are few and far between. There is no logical course of develop- ment from bargain-basement filmmaking to high—budget production, except that of the Peter Principle. I hope that no one doubts that the bipartisan government support offered to the film industry is motivated by the English—speaking press’ infatuation with Aust[...]honeymoon has lasted since 1975, far longer than the vogues for Japanese, Swedish, French and Canadian cinemas. Australians are continuing to pursue the elusive “international” market, of course, but this year they are doing so with fewer overseas “has-been” actor[...]ican scripts. I hope to defer as long as possible the day when I am sitting around the campfire telling the other disbelieving dead- beats that I used to be a producer. The day will come, of course, but I hope later rather than SOOHCI‘. Tax Andrew Martin Director, Cinevest The Rules of the Only Game in Town It is a mercifully resistable temptation to draw on some of the grimmer observations of Damon Runyon when discussing Film Invest- ment Tax incentives. As the seedier operatives emerge from the slime at the bottom of the harbor and contemplate a “Windeyer” I00 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS waiting, those of us who bother remember a time when talk of tax deductibility for film investment was courting the contempt of the self-righteous. Now to talk otherwise is to deprecate what has become in conventional parlance the life—blood of the industry. The game has become respectable. All of this, it would seem, will end, and perhaps sooner than even the most pessimistic suspect. One is sobered by an examination of the future of tax deductibility in the Australian film industry. Without drawing on the services of a crystal ball or spilt chook’s entrails, it is possible to detect trends in the direction of thinking of those directly responsible for the implementation of the house rules. Interpreta- tion of the rules is, however, a matter of personal taste. From the point of view of this observer, there are three significant aspects of the present administration of Division l0BA that offer hints as to the future. The first involves a near- heretical legal viewpoint that the tax deduction does not exist. Before anyone reach[...]lobbying phone, there is no apparent intention on the part of the Tax Commissioner or his officers to apply this weakness in the drafting to harass the overtaxed investor. On the contrary, to do so would be tantamount to an admission that the Public Service had allowed Parliament to enact meaningless legislation. The argument goes this way: 1. To obtain a deduction, an investor has to satisfy the Commissioner that at the time he invested there was in force a declaration from a Producer. 2. The legislation provides what is to be said in the declaration, including a statement that investors[...]states that a declaration is in force only after the date that it is provided to the Commissioner. 4. Obviously, therefore, the declaration could not have been in force at the time the investor made his investment. The second straw in the wind is a hint provided when the state of deduction was reduced: August 1983. It was explained that by cutting back the deduction from 150 per cent to 133 per cent the Treasury would “save” $5 million. The conclusion one would expect to draw from this is that the government felt it was over- subsidizing films to the tune of $5 million in indirect subsidies. But the conclusion is fantastic: this over-subsidy has be[...]t subsidy. This appears to me as puzzling a piece of political decision- making as one is likely to see in a long time. The non—existent logic defies explanation on its own terms, and the very calculation of the $5 million sum is worthy of comparison with Senator McCarthy’s estimates of the number of com- munists in American government employ (“I have here the names and phone numbers of the investors who will not invest $5 million if this tax incentive is reduced . . .”). Thirdly, the reduction from 150 per cent to 133 per cent can be demonstrated mathematic- ally to be a means of discouraging the 46 per cent tax bracket investor (i.e., the corporate sector). The true motive for the 17 per cent reduction has nothing to do with the announce- ments creating a $5 million fund. The third and last indicator is the intro- duction of new sets of what I refer to as “non- rules” governing the availability of the deduc- tions. Most obvious of these is the so—called “ 15 day rule”. This states that money that is not needed has to be paid back to the Trust Fund after 15 days. If not paid back, it is assumed the money is not used for direct production pur- poses. This quantum leap of logic has been used as a basis for the enforcement of an extra- ordinary rule that by its very implementation means the figures extracted by the Department of Home Affairs can never reflect the level of film investment, only the turnover of that investment. The important thing to note, however, is that this rule does not exist at law. It is not a regulatory or legislative rule and, in fact, until recently existed solely as a statement of the opinion of the Department of Home Affairs as to what that Department thought the opinion of the Commissioner of Taxation might be. The industry has much to fear in the rela- tively near future if tax incentives are to be seen as the basis of its continuing productivity. To a certain extent, the incentives were always justifiable on the basis of the positive dis- crimination that applied against fi[...]her art forms. That dis- crimination is reflected both in international Double Tax treaties which steadf[...]gnized, errors in legislation that handed control of Aus- tralia’s distributors to foreign conglomerates. The arguments are now wearing thin. Austra- lians are culturally conditioned against specula- tive investment, but the gradual implementa- tion of the recommendations of the Campbell Report, even in modified form, are aimed at long—term reversal of that attitude. Rex Connor was going to buy back the farm with money provided by Tirath Khemlani. Bob[...]on condition they come here and stir Westpac and the ANZ out of their complacency. The tendency is to throw all investment industries into the lion’s den of the marketplace. The three indicators lead me to a few tenta- tive conclusions. The drafting of the legislation implementing the 150 per cent and the 133 per cent deductions has been carried out in arduous fashion. Most men knowledgeable in the law could have drafted legislation to the same effect without destroying half a dozen rain forests. That, coupled with an attitude that first of all rejected, and later embraced, the concept of a Trust Fund, seems to indicate that the “Cater- pillar Principle” is in force. For those not familiar with its workings, the Caterpillar Prin- ciple is a doctrine that states[...]t is in existence it must exist for a purpose; if the personnel of that Department are under-employed, there must be something for them to do. It is a corollary of the Caterpillar Principle that the last one to touch it is responsible. The Department of Home Affairs was the last one to touch the film industry so it is responsible for providing the answer to the unanswerable ques- tion that politicians ask: “[...]ing to cost?” An answer has to be found even if the basis of the answer is spurious. The Trust Fund provides that basis. Now, if a politician wants to reduce the level of deductibility he can state with impunity that the reduction is justifi- able because it is based on “government figures”. Here is the mechanism by which an astute politician can be seen at the same time to be clamping down on tax dodgers while simul- taneously assisting filmmaking at a level “appropriate to the state of the economy”. In other words, the Public Service, or those responsible in this part[...]want legis- lation to reflect their control over the industry as far as possible. Government control is an explanation for the incomprehensible nature of the legislation. Government control is an explanation for the existence of the extra- ordinary Trust Fund. Government control explains the $5 million fund to the AFC, and |
| Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments government control explains the enforcement of non-rules. If someone wants to antagonize the Commissioner, there are plenty of stumbling blocks available to be placed in the path of the unwary. More than one senior member of the Treasury is reported to favor greater control by Treasury over the activities of other govern- ment departments. The implementation of this legislation reflects this style of governing. The film industry will gradually find itself in a pos[...]ack-benchers, no longer titillated by articles in Time and Newsweek about the “brave little industry” down under, bow to the economic wisdom of the Treasury. The winds of change will blow cold around the doors of those who claim “most favored” status. In an economic climate that encourages free flow of investment cash to all sectors, the film industry could find itself the enemy of those who claim a slice of the same cake. The first writing appeared on the wall when the “sunrise industries.” lobby called for similar incentive to aid its growth. Unless the film industry can in the future claim to represent the source of con- siderable export earnings, the concession will, over a period of time, be reduced from 133, to 125, and then to 110 or[...]eative Development Branch, AFC In December 1983, the Women’s Film Fund in conjunction with the Australian Film and Tele- vision School released[...]d, Women in Australian Film Production. Analyzing the male-to-female breakdowns of Cinema Papers’ crew lists since 1974, and the responses of 400 women film workers about their employment and training experiences and needs, the report painted a less than rosy picture of women’s representation in the mainstream of the Aus- tralian film industry, putting paid to the mis- conception that “women run the industry”. One does not need research to know[...]nd that no woman had received credits as director of photography or sound recordist on feature films, and that only 4.5 per cent of feature editors have been women. The overall proportion of women employed in feature production did increase[...], but this figure is still 10 per cent lower than the pro- portion of women in the workforce at large. The majority of women, furthermore, were still clustered in “tr[...]y and continuity. Interestingly, only 13 per cent of all producer positions on features in this period of the study had been held by women. The outstanding success of Pat Lovell, Joan Long, Margaret Fink, Jill Robb a[...]rs would have one assume a much higher proportion of producers was female. The success of several feature films focusing on female characters in the Australian film renaissance — e.g., Caddie (1976), Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), The Getting of Wisdom (1977), Puberty Blues (1981) and My Brilli[...](1979) — may have led one to believe that women are well represented on the screen, at least. This has certainly not been the case, as actresses such as Noni Hazlehurst have been quick to point out. The actual number of films about women has been few. Actors Equity has been looking at a way of evaluating the propor- tion of significant female roles in Australian cinema, a study which would doubtless produce depressing results. In the independent filmmaking scene, however, women have been much more prominent during the past 10 years. At the 1983 Sydney Film Festival’s Greater Union Award[...]ons had women directors. Jackie McKimmie directed the marvellous short drama Stations; Robin Anderson co-directed the docu- mentary First Contact; and Helen Grace wrote and directed the best film in the general section and the Rouben Mamoulian award winner, Serious Undertaking. The resurgence of Australian filmmaking activity in the early 1970s coincided, of course, with the second wave of feminism. At that time, many women were attracted to film as a means ofthe early 1970s that thethe group organized the first of several women’s film workshops. From it emerged 10 films, including What's the Matter Sally (1974) and The Moonage Daydreams of Charlene Stardust (1974). A women’s film group was also active in Melbourne about the same time and, in Adelaide in 1975, Penny Chapman produced[...]s directed by women in a package entitled 1:1, as the South Australian Film Corporation’s contribu- tion to International Women’s Year. The International Women’s Year Secretariat financed[...]ional Women’s Film Festival. An enduring legacy of Inter- national Women’s Year was the Women’s Film Fund (WFF). A sum of $100,000 had been allo- cated to, but not taken u[...]an reproduction. After agitation by Sydney women, the $100,000 was set aside as a permanent source of finance for future women’s film work. The WFF now operates under the auspices of the Australian Film Commission and has supported many fine films over the years, such as Pins and Needles (1980), Consolati[...]Wollongong (1982) and Age Before Beauty (1980). The WFF has also been responsible for initiatives in relation to distribution of women’s films, research, training and employment. It was instrumental in the organization of Women in Film and Television associations in seve[...]nd has recently established a women’s film unit at Film Australia, under a Commonwealth Employment Program grant. Throughout the years women have produced a body of excellent short, low—budget films. Although few have followed the feminist film theorist’s urge to develop a new[...]forceful issue—orientated documentaries such as The Selling of the Female Image (1979), or Red Heart Pictures’ Siz[...]ind Closed Doors (1980); short narratives such as The Singer and the Dancer (1977), A Most Attractive Man (1981), and[...]My Survival as an Aboriginal (1978). These films are widely circu- lated non-theatrically, usually through the Australian Film Institute or the Sydney Film- makers Co—operative, which has for many years paid special attention to the promotion of women’s films, and employs a women’s film worker. Given the number of outstanding short films directed (and crewed) by[...]or in other key creative and technical roles, in the commercial sense. The 1983 survey found that the majority of women working in independent films wanted to work on features (and, incidentally, the reverse was the case for women working in features). But the obstacles are many and varied: old- fashioned prejudices create[...]ndustry with such long hours and irregular work. The findings of the survey referred to earlier that 83 per cent of women working in features or independent films di[...]red with 1981 Census figures in which 75 per cent of Australian women more than 15 years-old have born[...]ter childcare services and more equitable sharing of childcare in relationships are necessary. After viewing en bloc the 20 feature films that made up last year’s total output, and seeing the awful array of filmic, female stereo- types that were wheeled out in many of those films, one feels some urgency to ensure tha[...]as well as in independent films. Mainstream films are an influential reflector and moulder of our culture. The commitment, the flair, the passion, the anger, and the rigorourness of analysis and representation that have been the strength of independent women’s film work in this past deca[...]tream Australian cinema, creating a genre akin to the social realist films produced by the “angry young men” in Britain in the 1950s. Women must be given a greater voice in Australian cinema in the 19805. ‘A’ 35/rim €616///2/1 .\?ga/[...] |
| [...]for a while and ended up as stage manager in one of the Edgley Russian shows. I was about 22 then, as was Michael, who was just starting the com- pany, and we struck up a friend- ship. Over the years, we always said we should get back together and do a film or television project. Eventually, we agreed to do some- thing about it three and a half years ago.[...]ook for some- thing suitable with which to launch the Edgley film operation. The Man from Snowy River came along at about that time. Geoff Burrowes [producer], George Miller [director] and myself had worked at Crawfords. Geoff raised the possibility of the project with me. I thought it had all the elements to make an entertaining film with broad appeal. It was important for us to do something that could be successful, not only here[...]t, there is no doubt that film left its mark. So the Edgley organization is inter- ested in taking on projects at various stages of development as well as originating others them- selves? Yes. The highest risk on any project is the development stage. That is when the producer makes the most critical decisions: the choice of material, the concept, the story. If you ain’t got it then, it’s never g[...]ject as early as possible. But it varies. What we are finding now, particularly with the Hoyts-Edgley venture, is that people come to us with projects that are already at a first- or second-draft stage and often it is a matter of deciding what to go with. That was the case with John Duigan’s One Night Stand. Since then, I had a bit of input with John on the script, which I enjoyed immensely. But basically the development of the project was left to Dick Mason [producer] and John. The Edgley organization’s expertise is in the marketing side and raising the money. I guess I am 102 —- March—April CINEM[...]Night Stand. Wincer is executive producer. more the creative person, and I have an input on the script and production — those kinds of deci- sions. What form has the Hoyts-Edgley venture taken? The relationship has been pretty informal in terms of legal struc- ture. It is virtually run by Terry Jackman and Jonathon Chissick from the Hoyts side, and Michael and myself from Edgley. I[...]general manager, John Daniel, who was previously at the Australian Film Commission. Once we found this structure was starting to work well, the big problem became finding projects. That is where all the effort went. Now, all of a sudden, we seem to have a lot of them, so we are going to have to expand just a little. But we don[...]o big. We don’t want to become a bank in- stead of a company that is helping to produce and market films. The aim is for a producer or a writer to come to us and we will provide back—up and expertise, particularly in the marketing area, but also in production. The biggest fault with Austra- lian films still seems to be that people don’t spend enough time developing scripts to the stage where they are ready to be filmed. People think as soon as they have a reasonable draft, and investors are prepared to put the money into it, they should go into production. Producers don’t appear to put in sufficient effort at the marketing end, either . . . ‘What happens then is the pro- ducer starts working on another project, and tends to forget that the next most important part after the script and the production is marketing. One Night Stand is just entering that phase now, of being marketed outside Australia. That allows Dick Mason and John Duigan, who brought the film to us initially, to get on with their next projects while Terry Jackman and Michael start doing the foreign marketing. That is the attraction of our whole set-up: producers can come to us knowing that we can be a help in raising money and in get- ting the film marketed properly. Without such a set—up, the Austra- lian producer has to be not only a creati[...]genius as well. No one is qualified to handle all the complex sides of filmmaking, these days. I am very fond of One Night Stand. It is an extraordinary little fi[...]ous impact. It is a very clever concept and looks at the most important issues in the world in a relevant and enter- taining way. It ce[...]l- ing effect. We have really high hopes for it. The amount of money that it cost, $1.4 million, is very little these days. But the production values are extraordinary. There are scenes shot in Paris and New York, with demonstra[...]me. John is very adventurous, par- ticularly in the post-production where this film really grew. It was quite extraordinary because every time we looked at a new cut it was entirely different. John and John Scott, the editor, played around for a couple of months finalizing the thing. It is constructed in an unusual way: it is quite surreal in places, yet it all ties together in the end. What has been your involvement in “The Coolangatta Gold”? I have only been involved in the background on Coolangatta. It is physically impossible for me to allocate time to each production. John Daniel is really the man on that film, though it is a project which is[...]One Night Stand. How- ever, I will be involved in the post- production of The Coolangatta Gold, to some extent. Everyone has h[...]temporary story that should have been made a long time ago. No one could come up with the right script, until Peter Schreck did. Hopefully The Coolangatta Gold will capture that audience we we[...]e 14 to 22-year-olds that Phar Lap didn’t get. Are you planning to direct any of the next Edgley-Hoyts projects? Oh, certainly. It is just a matter of finding the right story. Some critics seem to have a higher opinion of your directing abilities today than they did at the time of “Snapshot” or “Harlequin”. How do you feel about your pro- gress as a director? I don’t think I am all that much better; it is the project that makes you look good, and Phar Lap was a great project. If you get a good script you are half way there. It is pretty hard to muck-up a go[...]od. Those other films were low- budget and aimed at a particular market. I never pretended that they were the world’s greatest scripts, but I had to make a living as a director and I am not ashamed of either. As a director, I know what I am good at and I knew at the time I was doing Phar Lap that it was the sort of film I was very good at, with lots of emotion and action. But when you are given something as interesting as Phar Lap, it is[...]n Australian Film Review. He said something along the lines that you can train anyone to be a director if he is in- telligent.3 I don’t quite agree, but the point he is making is that if you understand the mechanics of film- making, the art is in the script. I tend to agree. rk 3. Australian Fil[...]hing but that’s not filmmaking only. Sure there are skills, but they’re skills that are readily achieved by anybody who is intelligent enough . . . there are more mysterious things about film. It’s the other end of how a film is conceived and how it is written and how it inter- acts out there with society. The early part of the film, including the writing, is much more important than the shooting of it. |
| [...]ive Joseph Skrzynski Sullivan have recentlyjoined thethe Australian film and Development (Acting) Murray Brown tel9V_'5|0n 'UdU3trY- _ _ Director of Marketing David Field With their enthusiasm and experience Director of Projects Penny Chapman they will assist all members of the industry Special Production Fund _ through stream[...]Commission: I r . r‘* Interstate callers are advised that the Australian Film Commission has installed a[...] |
| [...]Street Kids Continued from p. 25 encounter that the police had that evening, whether it was a domestic fight or something more dramatic. The immediacy and the power of those tapes is overwhelming. It is the true guts of documentary film- making. We have used that tech[...]think that any- thing in particular influenced us at all, except a belief that it had to be filmed dir[...]ontaneously. Tilson: For me there was an element of New Journalism in the filmmaking process. So often the events, the unexpected, took over, just as in New Journalism the reporter is dominated by what is subjectively happening to him. It is also not dissimilar in style to the work of American documentary filmmakers such as Fredrick[...]. Pennebaker and films such as Gimme Shelter, and the cinema verite films. Chadwick: As filmmakers, you have to decide on what general approach you are going to take in terms of making it as realistic as possible, not trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the audience, and then just follow it instinc- tively. Scott: That’s not to say that there is no element of performance in it, because there is. The kids turned on incredibly powerful per- formances, some of which were too powerful to remain in the film, either because of language or because the kids decided to modify what they had said. For ex[...]ecause she didn’t want to break completely with the family. She wanted to leave some avenue open for reconciliation. We had to take all these sorts of things into account. Tilson: We were also aware of the sort of audience for which we were making the film. There were some even more devastating, extr[...]ke to be homeless. I think that a positive aspect of the film is the restraint we used to get these things across and reach out to an uninitiated audience. How effective do you think the film can be in actually changing attitudes or in[...]ids’ predicament? Chadwick: I have gone beyond the point now where I think that films or books can a[...]RS very naive to think that. There is no way any of us think that Street Kids is going to solve the problems society has in the 1980s. And, in the long run, it is not necessarily going to help any of the kids who were in it. But certainly it is at least going to make a large section of society aware that the problem exists. It may also help a lot of kids who may go down that path, because there is nothing very nice at all about what you see. In the drug sequences, in the prostitution sequences, in all the sequences, those kids are basically saying, “Help, I don’t really want to be in this situation.” So, while it will not solve the problem, it will make some contribution to general awareness. One direct contribution that the film has made has been the forma- tion of the Delta Squad [in Vic- toria] to treat kids in a more sym- pathetic way . . . Scott: The reaction we observed at preliminary screenings was the deep personal impact of the film. People would go quiet for a while until someone broke the ice and started talking about it. This personal r[...]ry encouraging and has always led to a discussion of the issues the film raises. Some of these reactions have been extremely positive, and some have been negative. Chadwick: For the police, which included eight high-ranking officers in the Victorian Police Department, from the deputy com- missioner down, it was in a sense a revelation. Not that various indivi- dual members of the police force weren’t aware of specific aspects of the problem, but it was the first time that they had seen it encapsu- lated in a coherent way. The severity of the situation came through for the first time. As a result of the film, the Special Delta Squad was formed. Scott: What they[...]al emotions, but caught up in a situation outside the normal bounds of society. They could see that they were not freaks[...]ecause they were being treated to a discussion by the kids, via the film, they could see the need for a greater sensitivity in treating the kids through the system. Chadwick: The Police Depart- ment reacted very positively, but, as for the Community Welfare Department, the reactions from officialdom were minimal. The only assumption we could make from this comparative silence was that nobody in the department was prepared to make a statement, one way or the other, presumably because of the official implications of doing so. On the other hand, when we showed the film to a number of independent social workers and organizations, th[...]r- mously impressed. It seems that, to one group at least, the film is perceived as a threat . . . Chadwick: Yes. But it was a self- conceived threat. In my view, the film doesn’t offer a threat to the Department of Community Wel- fare Services. Scott: It raised the issue of responsibility, and the way that responsibility was being translated into action. And I guess because there is no strong presence in the film by Community Welfare Department officers —[...]e certainly could have made quite an indict- ment of that department by using some of the material we had shot, but that wasn’t our aim. The kids did make some pointed remarks about official[...]rs, and in general it is a whole new area to look at. But we are not setting ourselves up to be experts in the field and hopefully, as a result of the film being made, other more qualified people will be able to do something about the problem. The social worker shown in the film seems to be a very positive force, even thou[...]ch situations . . . Chadwick: But she is outside the bureaucratic system. The problem is that most social workers are hamstrung by the bureaucratic system that employs them. Alex McDon[...]e very incisive remark about social workers right at the beginning. He said that it is no good running a service opera- tion from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the client is asleep. Those kids need support and back—up after the normal 9 to 5 government depart- ment working day[...]rker — who can really give them support. If you are not there when the kids have the problems, then you are of no use to them whatsoever. If you are looking for solutions, you realize there are so many closed doors: real estate agents who don’t provide accommoda- tion, employers who are reluctant to offer jobs, families whose doors remain closed . . . Tilson: That is the hardest thing of all. The kids would often say that they feel on the outside of society, forced into this situation through circumstances. “Now, how do I get in? How do I find somewhere to sleep? How do I find a key to any of the doors, just to get started?” And there are many things that stop them, which means that most stay out there. The real tragedy is this constant rejection by societ[...]y they say, “Why not get into hitting smack for the rush of it and for the way it soothes the pain?” In no time that becomes a normal activity along with eating, sleeping and getting money. If the door remains unopened, what is the point of knocking anymore. Chadwick: You can see this in the film when several of the kids express the wish to die. When one of them is asked, “When do you think you’re going to die?”, he says, “[...]is stage he has a state on his face. It is a sort of check—mate question: he is looking ahead, but h[...]some ways, dying is not such a bad option. There are many things that have happened to kids that are as tragic as dying. And there are other situations when there is no way out. In fact, eight kids who were in some way associated with the film have died since it was started. Scott: It should be added that the film is not a dirge of the dying. There is a lot of positive perception in the film, even though some of it tends towards the cynical. You do see that these kids are as bright and spontaneous as any of the kids leading a normal life. Given the long time making the film, it must have been frustrating to have to wait so long to have it shown publicly . . . Chadwick: The experience of making Street Kids has, for all of us, called into question just how much can be said and filmed about very sensitive issues which are indicative of the time in which we live; just how far you can go with or without the support of the people about whom the film is about; and to what extent film- makers in the 19805 are com- promised and prevented from put- ting on fil[...]ing that shows blood and guts and people dying in the streets. However, as soon as you show something w[...]which is in your own environment, you face a lot of reactions that have to do with the position of the people who are seeing it. This is the difference in making a film on issues that are too close to home. Chadwick: It should be said that right through the controversy and the pressures that have been brought to bear on us, as film- makers, and the kids, we have all stood firm in not compromising the film in any way. And we don’t intend to[...] |
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| [...]ay I would make a film that would open up visions of a world as much as the conquest of Mt Everest did. Well, anything is possible. Man is capable of anything. And man is not a chauv— inist term. [Laughs.] “Undercover” seems a very nationalistic film: the Great White Train, the push for local industry, the arguments with importers. Why? Well, it is a very tongue-in—cheek form of nationalism. There is still a huge cultural cring[...]cognize them here. What Fred Burley was trying to do was simply say, “Bugger it. We can do it here, and we needn’t be ashamed of ourselves.” I believe the same thing. Equally, I believe that an excess of nationalism can lead to the excesses of Nazi Germany. So the patriotism, the jingoism, in Under- cover is very tongue-in-cheek. It says be proud of who you are and proud of Australia, but don’t take it too seriously. It seems somewhat ironic that the success of the House of Berlei is based on the selling of fan- tasies . . . Sell them their dreams? Why no[...]to burning one’s bra. So, when one goes down to the elastic rather than the whalebone, it has to be made to look glamorous. O[...]ams. Surely that is a step forward. I agree that the selling of artificial dreams is wrong. The selling of a totally romanticized view of the world in which no kind of reality intrudes is deeply, awfully wrong. The next film I am due to write is called Africa, whi[...]o try and examine Australia’s relationship with the Third World in general, and speci- fically the Black Third World in famine-ridden Africa. One could do a horrendous documentary about this, which 10 people would see, but I intend to do it as a love story. So in that sense I am selling people their fantasies, but fan- tasies with a hard core of reality. I 106 — March-April CINEMA PAPERS Doctor (Gerda NicoLsan) and patient (Jesse Mogensen). The (link. L. am using the form of the love story to attempt to get across a potent message? With “The Clinic” you manage to move fluidly between comedy and drama. The subject is controver- sial, yet the film is accessible, edu- cative and funny. What do you see as the differences between directing comedy and drama? I am concerned about the Aus- tralian obsession with historical documentar[...]ut I am also deeply concerned with this obsession of dividing things into comedy and drama. What is theThe greatest comics are those who make you cry when they slip on a banana skin and yet y0u’re laughing at the same time. The greatest tragedians are those who make you laugh with the char- acter first because you recognize the humanity of the character. If you take Laurence Olivier’s Rich[...], then he starts doing those terrible things. You are forced as an audience to make a moral evaluation of the char- acter; and that is the only thing that is interesting to me in drama. I hate the single close-up. I believe an audience should be given a choice on a screen of deciding whom they want to look at. I lead and guide. My favorite scene in Undercover is probably when the country boy, Frank (Nicholas Eadie), pro- poses t[...]one shot you have everything that I believe about the cinema. You 2. Stevens is presently in East Africa on a four-week trip to do research for this film project. have two characters on screen at the same time, and you have a range from broad comedy to drama[...]bleeds for him. There is also a very acute sense of that in “The Clinic”. You resist the temptation of making a char- acter look stupid in order to get[...]lma (Betty Bobbitt). Initially one wants to laugh at her or to patronize her, but then one is made to feel callous and guilty. Frank in “Under- cover” is the same sort of char- acter: he could be a country bumpkin, he co[...]. . It comes back to what I believe about drama. The Wilma char- acter in The Clinic is a case of almost taking that too far. In the first double-head screening of The Clinic the audience stopped laughing when Wilma told them off, and didn’t laugh again for the rest of the film. We were shit- scared. But hers was the classic case: “I may be making a fool of myself, but I don’t believe I deserve to be laughed at.” That’s the cry of every individual in the world. A director doesn’t have to do very much when he has a script and a cast like we had for The Clinic. One of the things that I love about the film is that there are scenes in which only people who are into a particular sexual behaviour will understan[...]) talks happily about rectal sex. Ninety per cent of the audience doesn’t understand what she’s talkin[...]ere will be a few hysterical laughs from women in the audience who know exactly what she is talking about. The rest of the audience may be bored by that scene, or puzzled, as they try and work out what the hell she’s been up to the night before. For the people in the audience who do understand what she’s talking about, it is a ravishing moment because that is probably the first time they have ever heard something they may feel guil[...]ois Truffaut’s approach in Day For Night. There are jokes that only people who have worked on a film crew would laugh at. That concern with the exploration of Australian heroes and the past is recurrent in your work: “Breaker Morant”, “The Sullivans”, “A Town Like Alice” . . . I suppose I take a revisionist view of history. There are people in society who try to make others conform to their standard of behaviour, and I will fight that, all the way down the line. If you believe the standard interpreta- tions of history, then there was a time at some distant point in the past when everybody behaved according to the same fashion. But they never did. People have always b[...]nd dis- obeying their elders. So you have to take the revisionist view. If Nevil Shute were alive and could see the film of A Town Like Alice, I think what he would be most cross about is the fact that we allowed Jean and Joe (Bryan Brown) t[...]y were married, because it says speci- fically in the book that they did not. If you want to present a total characterization of anyone you must show all aspects of the char- acter. One of the things I believe modern audiences needed to know[...]and Joe could get it on together, that that part of their relationship was good as well. But if I hadn’t shown it at that point, we would have had to have a scene lat[...]there wasn’t room for such a scene then because the drama was concerned with other things. I don’t[...]ope that some people will. I have been lucky over the past few years and it seems that quite a lot of people have liked them. I would anticipate quite[...]y few people will like. Who wants to be caught on the treadmill of success? An essential thing for any artist is having the right to fail. The nasti- ness of having success is that people demand that you go on being a success. One of the problems for Charles Kingsford— Smith was that he flew around Australia for the first time, he flew across the Pacific for the first time, and he became the first man to completely circumnavigate the world by flying. What more could he possibly do? But the mob demanded more, and that, together with the bureaucracy, eventually destroyed him. 1' |
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| [...]ction Survey Continued from p. 83 Mixed at Palm Studios Laboratory ....Cinefilm Length ..13[...]n technology have brought about a mayor change in the approach to the production and distribution of milk. Automated systems are operating in most dairies, and factories employ the latest methods in hygiene control to ensure fresh[...]Ronda McGregor Exec. producer Peter Dimond Mixed at .Dubbs & Co. Laboratory Colorfilm Length... ..2O mins Gauge .t6mm Shooting stock. ..Eastmancolor Synopsis: The film outlines the principles of urban consolidation. It illustrates ways in which[...]zed to achieve greater housing density, yet avoid the problems of overcrowding through planned open«space areas an[...]is .. Editor ........... .. Exec. producer Mixed at .Dubbs & Co. Laboratory ..Cinefilm Length... 15 m[...].....16mm Shooting stock. Eastmancolor Synopsis: The film provides an introduction to TAFE — Technical and Further Education. There is special emphasis on the importance of TAFE's role in the country, showing the courses and facilities that are designed to meet the needs of people in rural areas and how TAFE is an integral pan of the community. TELEVISION PRE-PRODUCTION ANZACS Prod company... ..The Burrowes ixon Company[...]. .10x60 mins Gauge... ........ ..i6mrn Synopsis. the Cowra POW breakout. GUMSHOES (working title) Prod[...]........... ..Andrew Knight, John Clarke Based on the original idea by ........ .. ...John Clarke, Andr[...]Costume designer... .......Julie Skate Synopsis: The events surrounding a pair of down<at-heel private eyes. ONE SUMMER AGAIN (THE HEIDELBERG SCHOOL) Prod. company.. ....[...]rk Callan Scriptwriter .....Bill Garner Based on the original I ea by .................... .. ..Humphr[...]Sumner (Fred McCubbin). Synopsis: A radical look at the first Austra- lian art movement. WHITE MAN’S L[...]re-discovers a purpose in life. Disaster strikes: the boat and Mac's life are irretrievably grounded. Only Lance knows that, for Mac, time is running out. PRODUCTION BODYLINE (working[...]anche Catering ............... ..Feast Studios... The Metro Theatre Laboratory ..Colorfilm Lab. liaison[...]d Harris), Heather Mitchell (Edith). _ Synopsis: The Bodyline series dramatizes, in 10 one hour-long episodes, the story of the cricket battles between England and Australia in[...]ach (Katering Co.) Tutor Deborah Waterman Mixed at Laboratory P05!-pf0dUCi|O|'I.. . Length... .13[...]opsis: Television series made for Disney Channel. The story of two women, one Aus- tralian, one American, who run a stage stop station at Five Mile Creek for the Australian Express. Five Mile Creek dramatizes the lives and experiences of these frontier people in the 18605. THE FLYING DOCTORS Prod. company .. Crawf[...]mins Gauge... ......16mm Synopsis: A story of adventure and romance based on the contemporary Royal Flying Doctor Service. THE MAESTRO’S COMPANY Prod. company ...lndependent[...]Sheila Sibley, Sue Wolfe Based on the original idea by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]eotape Synopsis: A humorous and informative look at the world of opera, featuring famous voices from the major opera houses, seen through the eyes of two 12—yeaH>|d children. Each episode looks at a specific opera and follows a puppet community of aspiring operatic talents. ROBBERY UNDER ARMS P[...].... ..Tony Morphett, Graeme Koetsveld Based on the novel by... Rolf Boldrewood Photography....[...]aeme Shelton Runners... ....Lindsay Smith, David Field Publicity Suzie Howie Publicity Catering .Jem's Catering Studios Hendon Studios Mixed at ..SAFC Hendon Studios Laboratory.. ....Colorfilm[...]Gilespie, Rodney Bell. Synopsis: Set in Sydney in the 16308, two children are on the run from corrupt govern- ment officials.[...]ich, Bert Deling, Debra Oswald Babsed on the original idea y.. Script editors. Sound .[...] |
| [...](Ruth), Brian Anderson (Mayor). Additionai Mixed at ...Atlab ROY JGWBTY. Editing assistants. .Karen Stimson Synopsis: Kev, the builder from Badigeri, photography.. ...Ross Berr[...]l photography .. Martin Webbey few early problems the marriage has Editor ___________ ., ,.l3ob Cogger[...]e Jackson potential. But Badigeri’s populace is boththe 1854 incident which ....Philip Pike became known as the Eureka Stockade ic Consultancy when the citizens ofOF LETTERS Locationdmanager. auge tst asst irector.[...]e” (‘|'"Ch)‘ Arna Hunter (Debbre)_ Based on the novel by Glen Tomaseni Script editor. R0“ Dlmon[...], YD 9 ~ ----- teenagers who have too much idle time and Compose, John Chahcs Asstgrip .... ..Geoff Fi[...]~--l3a""Y Bumetl Brendan Mai-ier, and wnncn by 25 of Australiaré Photography ..lan Warburton Focus pu[...]Ml‘? 9' 9 all 9 Gary Conway, Music ncncrmcn by The Takcaways Editor ........... .. ...Bill Murphy Ke[...]M I | M L P . . Synopsis: A 20-part series about the early 3°C‘ as grfzaigir life of an inner city band. A comic look at the Boom operator Gary Lund Studios[...]world of the 99 per cent of bands that don't . . , r I N- I K‘ .[...]er“, John Boswell Highwire), John Clayton (Bill the Chairman). Film Partnership Boom op CHILDREN or[...]is Anderson Synopsis‘ Sir Dorton Serry is a Man of Producer Henry Crawford Art director 0 Lisa El g|[...]er -T9"Y gmsso” Title designer .. ...Judy Leech of all women, he controls his world Scriptwriter.. T[...]. .Jose Perez Phmograpny -Meigzael }5:°” Mixed at ....ABC absolutely. So how does he react when the Photography Keith Wagstaff Hairdresser ,Joan Perc[...]5 Laboratory .Cinev_ex women in his life step out of their allotted Sound recordist.. ..Phil Stirling[...]TY Slack Cast: Julie Nihill (Alison) Doug Blowles THEThe Based 0” the "Oval by’ "DaV'd Mam” Accounts assistant Jenn[...]Smdi%Sipn _ mgC..m1etr(r'yAle3lebsOgurr<:‘\Iee) of a casual problem to one of menace. Ednor ‘ "‘c‘c‘Ted Lowe 2nd asst[...]................. .. . re ps r . i Y ' 9. CFHME OF THE CENTURY gfizldproirisaei-lager Hi]/ll::ll]w§§I[...]r.. Gus Whitehurst . ' - - - ’ - - - — .3. an at rang ers ............................. ..Laurie N[...]f”°";_la“ Carpenter. .. John Moore Based on the original idea Focus puller... ..RusselI Bacon Spe[...]obe... Barry Lumley Length. 35 "W15 CHASE THHOUGH THE NIGHT Dialogue cgoaghy Jim Norton Prod. se[...] |
| [...]ay pnrrrrpg Wardrobe .... .. Heather McLaren with the lives of mountain cattlemen whose Kay Hennessy, Scheduled[...]rsren Veysey Ward. assistant Frankie Hogan years. Thethe WOFK and setdecorator ........ .. Paddy Reardon Musical director... ..David Skinner THE KEEPERS Jo McLennan, lives of Fisheries and Wildlife officers. A55; buyer/decpr[...]pnorog,apny_ Vladimir Oshemv Tiile d95iQn9|’ -The Arts Producers Mark Callan. Technical producers .[...]beth Symes (Les), Noni Hazlehurst (Maggie). Mixed at .30Ul'idi|l'm V‘d90laPe_ edllof -.-.-Keri Tvle[...]t ....... .. Milanka Comfort against a background of political and social l-9l"9Ili---- ~93 ""'”5 Fl[...]...... ..Fl0d Clack Trainee violence. A stow full of bitterness and of the Gauge ----15mm ROW” Waliefs Music composed and prod. assistant. ,Kattina Bowell racism that formed the early days of Shooting 5 00 . a_ 247.7294 Composer ............[...]migration in Australia. * EDITING GEAR THE JOINERY RENTS OUT EDITING GEAR THE JOINERY RENTS OUT ’0O0OI/lI91000(J ‘A’ Ex[...]* Film & advertising props transportation The joinery Pty Ltd \I 0 U -Ar Antiques & Fine Arts ‘Ir Member of the National 331 1680 Furniture Removals Association[...]r in film production we’re stepping further up the ladder with our feature “Annie’s Com[...] |
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TXT | |
| [...]But you can't get started unless you have the hardware. Like a studio with a motion cont[...]et construction. No problem. We've got all the gear. Next, visual effects production requires an enormous range of skills and techniques. A properly set up c[...]ts and production management, Andrew Mason would do. Then the visual effects company should have a range of credits that lets you know they know how to do the job. For instance, `The Empire Strikes Back', `Captain Invincible', `Mad[...]Finally, you should be able to draw on all the skills of these people and whatever equipm ent and techniques are required to produce the visual effects you want to see in your ne[...] |
| [...]The Aaton 8-35 is the smallest[...]the 8-35 is ideal for hand holding on[...]well as for the studio. The overall[...]size of the 8-35 is virtually the same as the Aaton LTR 16mm camera.[...]When you enquire about the 8-35,[...]why it really is the latest and best[...]from Aaton. CNM The latest Super 16mm technology comes together perfectly with the Aaton CNM. Lighter than you thought possible the CNM is ideally suited to trekking, mountaineering and all those hard to get to situations. The perfect companion to the LTR as a second camera, the CNM will get you out of those difficult situations you get yourself into. Find out how inexpensive the CNM can be for you. For further details contact: B FILMWEST Sole importer of the Aaton 8-35 throughout Australia.[...] |
| [...]und track to win an Oscar, it makes sense to use the desk that won an Oscar. So Colorfilm went to Burbank and bought it. D uring its tim e at "All T he Presidents M en". theatre, already equipped w ith T he Burbank Studios, the A nd then went on to 23 RCA high speed film Q[...]elopm ent, Q uad-Eight Burbank Studios decided to the best high technology was awarded an A cadem y of p ut in a larger Q uad-Eight re-recording facilities in the M otion Pictures A rts and machine, so Les M cKenzie South Pacific. Sciences Technical of Colorfilm quickly snapped But don't take only A chievem ent Award. up the original. our word for it. T hat was to mark the Given some m inor[...]and you'd like to know more, D uring which the then shipped to Australia. contact Les M c[...] |
| Museum piece, circa 1987. The clapper-board may be M |
| A rticles and Interview s Man of Flowers Voyages of Discovery: an interview with[...]62 A Personal History of `Cinema Papers' Scott Murray[...]Photo Gallery The Industry Comments The Top Ten Films Two Views[...]26 The Quarter[...]99 From the Vault: a Cryptic Crossword[...]86 Man of Flowers[...]Rod Bishop The Clinic Debi Enker Managin[...]Papers is produced with financial assistance from the Australian Film Commission and Fred Harden. Sub-[...]layout: Film Victoria. Articles represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the editor Ernie Althoff. Office administration: Pat[...]and materials supplied for this magazine, neither the Advertising: Peggy Nicholls (03) 830 1097 or (03[...]Printing: Waverley Offset Publishing editor nor the publishers accept any liability for loss or damag[...]not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the copyright owner. Cinema Papers 7-17 Gedde[...] |
| B BB David Field and Malcolm Smith, Ray Previously, he held positions as the[...]n representative), and general manager of Music Rostrum Aus All-time Champs Mike Harr[...]a Marshall (from tralia and a lecturer at the NSW State the Los Angeles office); producers John Conservatorium of Music. He was founda The January 11, 1984, edition of Variety Dingwall, David Elfick, Paul Davies, David tion member of the Music Board of the[...]tz; and Jim Henry Australia Council and the then Dance and printed the following All-time Film Rental (South Australian Film Corporation). Youth Panels. Champs (in the U.S.-Canada market) The Australian films being screened at A recipient of many awards and prizes, the AFM are Abra Cadabra, Aussie Williams has had a fellowship from the based on film rentals:[...]Music Board in composition and won the[...]Frank Hutchens composition prize twice. E.T. The $209,567,000 cover. He is married to the writer Kathy Lette. Extra-Terrestrial[...]$165,500,000 For the first time in its four-year history, Censorship Changes Star Wars the AFM this year, with the addition of five Return of the Jedi new companies,[...]to qualified sellers of foreign language ing the classification and censorship of The Empire $141,600,000 film[...]force in the Australian Capital Territory. Jaws[...]The new law is the first step in a process The five new companies, representing to establish a uniform system for the sale, Raiders of the $115,598,000 four countries, will offer a total of 17 new hire and publication of videocassettes and Lost Ark films. The companies include Germany's publications. It permits the restricted sale[...]nternational and Cine-International, or hire of hard-core pornography and 7. Grease[...]BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 9. The Exorcist $89,000,000 The main elements of the system incor[...]ief Executive porated in the ACT legislation are: 10. TThheeGGooddfafaththeerr $86,275,000[...]s three Skrzynski as chief executive of the AFC in no longer be subject to compulso[...]registration by the Commonwealth entries in the top 10 (and four in the top[...]Skrzynski was appointed to the AFC in 2. Videotapes for sale or hire are to be 11); producer-director George Lucas also[...]. He was previously classified at the request of the Corporate Services Manager of the importer, distributor or retailer by the has three entries.[...]ldon and Co., and financial adviser to 3. The classification standards to be The highest-positioned Australian film is the New South Wales Film Corporation. applied are to be the same as for[...]inemas: that is, " G" , " NRC" , " M" Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior in the During his term as chief executive, the and " R" , but with a further category[...]AFC consolidated its supportive role in the " X" to be added for stronger material U.S.) at 381, with rentals of $11.3 million. film industry, concentrating o[...]research, lobbying and monitoring the ing. Only child pornography and similar Next comes The Man from Snowy River effects of the tax legislation. It also " very extr[...]emphasized funding for the development depicting or inciting drug misuse, at 474 with rentals of $9.25 million. of projects rather than basic investment[...]refused classification altogether; The only other Australian film to make 4. The states are to pass laws imposing Williams, who was general manager of appropriate points of sale restrictions the chart (minimum rental entry: $4 Musica Viva until taking up the AFC (in particular, no sale to m[...]" R" and " X" classified material; million) is The Pirate Movie, at 739 with in the arts in Australia. He is also, at 5. The existence of a classification to be a present, deputy chairman of the NSW complete defence for retaile[...]cynics State Grants Advisory Council to the prosecution under state obscenity Premier of NSW, a director of the Con laws; and wrong. federation of Australian Arts Centres, and 6. Classification recommendations by the The new look of video. The best-positioned Australian director a member of the National Arts and Enter Film Censors[...]tainment Committee of the Australian Bi review by the Commonwealth Films AFC Appointment is Richard Franklin with Psycho II at 256 centennial Authority. Board of Review. The system of voluntary censorship Vicki Molloy has[...]places the onus on the importers, distribu of the Creative Development Branch,[...]and retailers, and will mean that filling the position left vacant by Lachlan producer of The Blue Lagoon, at 97. products move more quickly on to the Shaw in 1983 and taking over from Murray[...]Brown who was temporary director. Of the top 10, only two are 1983 At the moment, three states (Victoria,[...]Australia) Molloy has been working with the AFC releases: Return of the Jedi and Tootsie. have interim legislation based on the ACT as manager of the Women's Film Fund[...]model; the other states are still thinking since 1981. Before that she had worked The next best in 1983 are: $40,600,000 about adopting the model. The video as a researcher and presenter for[...]ry expects that Queensland will take mentaries at the ABC, as production 4. War Games[...]a position very different from the other manager on Mouth to Mouth (1978) and[...]Dimboola (1979), and worked in the 6. Flashdance $33,650,000[...]Eventually, the system of classification editing department at the BBC. 7. Staying Alive $33,203[...]released films, based as it is on the prin As director of the Creative Development 8. Octopussy[...]ciple that adults are entitled to read and Branch, she will report to the general 9. Mr. Mom[...]what they wish as long as people manager of Film Development, Malcolm[...]who consider such material offensive are Smith, and is responsible for Branch 10. 48[...]ently administration, policy advice on the[...]Branch's developmental role, liaising with In the battle of the Bonds, Octopussy at[...]funding of alternative and independent $33.6 million easily[...]films. Again at $25 million. Perhaps sur[...]Film Victoria prisingly, Never had the bigger production[...]The board and staff of Film Victoria spent[...]policy review: looking at its past role, what[...]how best it might fulfil Other big-budget films of 1983 are Super[...]its charter. The director, Terence[...]McMahon, issued invitations to 70 pro man III at $35 million, Return of the Jedi[...]etc., and 10 organizations to give their at $32.5 million, Scarface at $31 million[...]comments, and the board spent time[...]deliberating the policy document that was and The Right Stuff at $27 million. No[...]The policy is a statement of the goals[...]itself. It emphasizes " not only investments Of the expensive films, the big flops (given rentals to December 31,1983) were The King of Comedy ($1.2 million rentals from a $19 millio[...], Brainstorm ($3 million from $20 million) and The Right Stuff ($6 million from $27 million). The best returns on a big budget were Return of the Jedi ($165.5 million from $32.5 million), Stay[...]. IIBIIIIB8I1IIBIII American Film Market The Australian representatives at the Kim Williams. 1984 American Fi[...] |
| [...]The Quarter in film and television but also a commit Clusky, which suggests that the Con The Melbourne Film Festival will run Contributors ment to film culture, the pursuit of quality ference be sponsored partly by govern from June 1 to June 16 at the new State and innovation, and the commercial ment funding bodies and partly through Theatre in the Victorian Arts Centre. In Phillip Adams is a film producer and viability of the investments it will make" . private sponsorship. The Conference will addition to its usual prizes for short films, chairman of the Australian Film Com[...]be open to " Australian filmmakers, their the festival will be awarding a Peace Prize missio[...]professional organizations, and allied arts to the film judged to have contributed Rod Bishop is a lecturer in film at the legislation, the power to act as a producer, organizations with preference given to significantly to the cause of world peace. Phillip Institute of Technology. the policy affirms its decision not to exer experi[...]available from BASS Ewan Burnett works at Crawford Produc cise that role in the short term. This, Agencies; brochures and information are tions in the production department. McMahon says, reflects the opposition The AFC has approved funding for available by phoning (03) 417 3111. Keith Connolly is the film critic for The expressed by so many people in film and Stage 1 of the Conference, which is the[...]Melbourne. television production in Victoria to the idea holding of two workshops -- one in Mel In Sydney, the Film Festival will run Debi Enker is a freelance journalist and of Film Victoria becoming a production bourn[...]Sydney -- to develop from June 8 to June 24 at the State film reviewer. house. The view was put strongly, from the proposal and form steering com Theatre with the Greater Union Awards for Antony I. Ginnane is a film producer and across the spectrum of the industry, that mittees. The first was in Sydney on Australian Short Films being held on the has been a contributing editor of Cinema Film Victoria could not assist producers February 26,1984, and the second will be first day. The Rouben Mamoulian Award Papers. while ac[...]in Melbourne on March 17, 1984. of $1000 has been donated by Kodak. Brian[...]Public bookings are now open and can be at Chisholm Institute and is currently com Prese[...]09 or pleting a doctorate in Cinema at Midlands ments in several television mini-series[...]037. University, England. including The Anzacs (Geoff Burrowes Bob Weis, a Melb[...]Geoff Mayer is a lecturer in film at the and John Dixon), Return from Paradise been appointed to the council of the Aus Head of Full-time Program Phillip Institute of Technology. (Roger Simpson and Roger Le Mesurier) tralian Film and Television School by the Jim Schembri is a journalist at The Age in and A Thousand Skies (J. C. Williamsons Governor-General, Sir Ninian Stephen. The Australian Film and Television School Melbourne. and Ross Dimsey). Two feature films in The appointment, one of five made by the has appointed Pablo Albers as Head of Victoria Treole works in the distribution which Film Victoria is a significant investor Governor-General, is for a three-year the Full-time Program, succeeding division of the AFC and is the editor of are presently in pre-production: My First term.[...]sional practice when the 1984 graduates Arnold Zable was a lecturer in social The Wrong World (Ian Pringle and John Weis is co-producer of The Clinic depart at the end of March. sciences at the University of Melbourne, Cruthers). (1982) and producer of the critically[...]acclaimed Women of the Sun (1981). He Albers began his profess[...]ced joins David Ferguson (chairman), Jeffrey the theatre as an actor, stage manager financially than it has been for years. The Rushton and John Daniel on the council. and director, and was later an asso[...]n Victorian Government more than doubled The position for the fifth member has been professor of English at the University of p. 99 Film Victoria's budget in September 1[...]Mexico. Since studying film at Mexico's and this has enabled it to expand its s[...]tten, pro appoint several new staff members, one of[...]m whom will be a creative development The Melbourne Film Festival has and tele[...]r. Seto has been involved in duals interested in the promotion of film several film and television productions[...]. including The Chant of Jimmie Black working as a director for the VideoTape[...]some Reg Grundy Corporation in Sydney and The Film Film Victoria has recently made grants[...]several film culture organizations years of the radio station 4MBS-FM in own production house six years ago. including the Australian Film Institute, the Brisbane. Australian Teachers of Media, Cinema[...]Albers now assumes responsibility for Papers and the Melbourne Film Festival. The program consultant for the Festival the AFTS's full-time training courses in Involvement with these bodie[...]screenwriting, production management, a way of discharging the obligation it has director of the Sydney Film Festival for direction, camera, sound and editing. set for itself in the policy document as nearly 10 years. Stratton is now a selector having a ``responsibility for the develop and presenter of films for Channel 0/28. Corrigendum ment and maintenance of film culture in this state" . The new director of the Sydney Film In issue No. 43, May-June 1983,[...]cu Geoff Mayer's article entitled " Best (of) National Screenwriters' tive director of the National Film Theatre Friends" quotes David Macdonald as the Conference from 1977 to 1979, then cultural events scriptwriter. The author's name is Donald officer at the Australian Film Commission Macdonald. Cinema Papers apologizes for The AFC has been investigating the feasi from 1980 until his appointment to the the error. bility of holding a National Screenwriters' Film Festiva[...]ual event. A proposal has been prepared for the AFC by the co-ordinator, Margaret Mc- Notice to Readers The directors of Cinema Papers Pty Ltd, the former It must be stressed that the magazine's independence is publishers of Cinema Papers, express their regret to all unencumbered by the new arrangement. As with invest readers, particularly subscribers, for the lengthy delay[...]no attempt at creative interference. The magazine is free indicated, Cinema Papers was fa[...]to pursue its editorial policies as the editor sees fit. problems in mid-1983 and, until[...]With the new company structure will soon come[...]another editor, and a fresh examination of the approach Due to a recently finalized funding[...]and production of the magazine. Decisions made in the the Australian Film Commission (AFC) and Film[...]next few months will affect the form of Cinema Papers. Victoria, Cinema Papers is returning to the newsstands with a renewed vigour and confidence in the future. A While regretting the magazine's absence from the public company, MTV Publishing Limited, has been[...]newsstands during the past nine months, the publishers formed to publish the magazine, in an arrangement in feel confident that the new accord sees Cinema Papers in accord with AFC[...]a much stronger position. The future is certainly bright.[...] |
| [...]e structure and style fo r a group o f strates the director's capacity to inject humor and humanity[...]vin Dobson and George Miller (Snowy River). as The Clinic's. The glossy, romantic tale o f the rise o f an Stevens' work at Crawford's includes writing and directing undergarment business in the 1930s adds a new dimension o f on Division 4, Matlock, Solo One, The Sullivans and the tele decor-laden style to a body o f film and television work feature The John Sullivan Story, which he jokingly refers to characterized by a continuing interest in the exploration o f as "Where Eagles Dare on $130,000[...]an history and society. attitudes within the film industry to people who work in Like a number o f his contemporaries, who alternate television are "scathing", besought afeature film credit and,[...]ter unsuccessful attempts to get Rusty Bugles and The Two training in Australia at Crawford Productions, directing of Me into production, became a co-writer on Breaker episodes o f Homicide during the final, "golden years" o f the Morant. series. He reflects on his work there[...]levision to direct A Town Like conviction that the shift in emphasis from car chases to Alice and the second episode o f Women o f the Sun. I f character studies, engineered by prod[...]ed as an indication o f accomplishment, during the last years o f the program, created a diverse and Stevens has an imp[...]that has since been largely ignored or Awgie fo r The Sullivans, an Academy Award and an A u s vastly underrated. He believes the Crawford's apprenticeship tralian Film Aw ard fo r the Breaker Morant screenplay, and a provid[...] |
| David Stevens Has the world-wide success of "A Magnificent. I really feel sorry Town Like[...]that kind of experience before he goes on the boards to direct his Look at me. I live in a little first $2 million film. Hom[...]aid work in Hollywood. I don't We tried all sorts of things. I want to make a film there just for remember doing one program in the sake of it. which I went for long,[...]But a problem that arose from A fluid takes all the time and then Town Like Alice was that too another[...]ld many producers saw it and pigeon never move the camera once. We holed me as a soft, romantic f[...]s with structure and maker with a strong sense of the with performance; with comedy A ustralian outback. One of and with tragedy. It was a reasons I made The Clinic was that phenomenal advantage to have. I didn't want to go on making A When we came to make The Town Like Alice again and again. Clinic, I decided that it would be a I wanted to do something that very static film, with reasonably[...]to think had to sit down and think about. I that The Clinic has the same soft, believed that the characterizations Fred Burley (John Walton): a man with a vision of Australia. David Stevens' Undercover. humanist love in it as A Town Like were paramount in the film; any I think Australian historical dol[...]. attempt to throw the camera all films are largely very po-faced, put many more extras on screen. over the set would have distracted and I include Breake[...]situa After "Alice" , your career has from the simple purity of the script that category. Some Australian tion in pr[...]e lost taken a different direction: into and the characterizations, which is films take themselves altogether three or four of our 13 weeks features . . . what the film is all about. too seriously. Art should be taken preparation because the money fell[...]seriously but it should also be apart and most of my energy had The biggest audience you can In relation to tha[...]sitive, moving and to be directed towards helping the reach, unless you do E.T. or Star describe "Undercover" ? Although irreverent. I wanted to do some producer, David Elfick, get the Wars, is through television. So if you would have to make some con thing that had a sense of fun and money back together again. All the you are interested in the commun cessions for the medium, it seems jollity about it. ication of ideas, television is the to be a production that could be[...]partments had to stop work place to work. If you do a film it suitable for television . . . When the script of Undercover because there was no cash to pay has[...]ove: it had all them. I think we could have used do on television, because of its It probably will be, but that is the things that I wanted to say. I that four weeks ju[...]nt, I had filmed what orous film; I wanted to do some w ould have liked to have restricted audience. The Clinic has is perceived as an Australian epic[...]ut an Australian hero channelled my energies into the now been bought for television, novel and I was doing The Clinic, that was fun. I hate the use of the making of the film, rather than but, if I had tried to[...] |
| [...]cond choice as Nina. When she returns to the happen. But Nina and the Pro There is also a scene in which Alice long as there was no government country, the make-up goes back to fessor (Barry Otto), and Alice (Sue realizes she is never going to be a money in the film, but if there were natural, and from then[...]a only to get away from home, to Equity cast the role; I didn't. Probably the most beautiful `happy ending' pairing off the live her life as she saw it. And her shot of Libby is during the characters? a[...]I love Michael and I think he is rehearsal in the theatre when she is[...]e Whatever anybody says about quality in the film, but it is to take has become herself, and[...], I think it has an As far as Nina and the Professor nothing away from his perfor what the whole thing is all about. almost Shakespearian structure. are concerned, Nina retires and mance to say that he wasn't my You can't be scared of what the You are introduced to a group of hands over to Libby. She has had first choice. world thinks of you. You just have people; some are survivors in some her glory, she has had her days. to go out and do it. senses and some are not. God knows how long the relation And Genevieve Picot (Libby)?[...]ship with the Professor will last, The women are strong in "Under Alice and Libby we meet[...]he is probably a good fuck. I had been aware of Genevieve cover" but they seem to end up tially at the same time. I have them for a long time because of her with weak or incompatible men.[...]ch is "Undercover" has recently been work with the Melbourne Theatre The relationship between Libby deliberate because Nina, at that recut. A couple of the changes are Company and with The Sullivans. and Max is set up early in the film: moment, makes the choice of jarring, particularly in the scene I was trying to find a heroine with at the moment she falls into his which of the two is the star. We with Nina and Libby at Libby's some balls. I auditioned a lot of arms, one hears the harp music know then that Alice is never going new flat. Some of the dialogue has actresses, but I couldn't go past and one knows what is going to to be the star, but that Libby is. been deleted . . . G[...]" What a bugger [that] men have In all of your work the women[...]to give you babies." are very strong, spirited and ambitious, and usually[...]The absence of that line took away people, with a lot of vitality. Is some of the clarity of the char that something that attracts you to[...]undertone in the film, particularly[...]in that scene. The relationship Do you object to this? [Laughs.][...]een Nina and Libby is gentle, I think it is part of the Australian[...]which is fairly suggestive, is gone, men run the country, but they and the relationship becomes don't: women do. Australian[...]almost mother and daughter, women are very ballsy.[...]I have no argument. I don't impression. Even the wife's role, approve of the new cut. which one would expect to be passive a[...]Were you involved in the cutting? very supportive, intelligent and is called upon to make decisions at[...]No. crucial times which change the course of events. Nina (Sandy[...]Another example is the trimming Gore) is also a particularly strong[...]down of the love scene and thus character . . .[...]the implication that Libby is dis[...]illusioned . . . That is because of the kind of world in which I have grown up. In the theatre there is very little chauvinism. One is[...]it possible for them to be like that anywhere in the rest of the world. What Undercover is essentially about, if you look beyond all the froth and glamor and tinsel, is the need to be yourself. It doesn't matter a damn who you are, go for it. "It doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it brilliantly" . . . That's right. It is the most telling line in the film: don't try and ape anybody else. A very clever thing is done with the make-up in the film with the progression of the Libby charac ter; she is delineated by her hair,[...]er costumes. There is a sequence when she makes the big speech in the Town Hall defending Fred Burley (John Walton) and you can see she is wearing a lot of make-up. But I felt that was right because Libby is going too far: she is trying to copy Empress of style, Nina (Sandy Gore), examines Libby's[...] |
| [...]There's nothing I can say. I When he talks about the pros a failed actor turn[...]titutes to the boy. We know that he lucky break: I took over the lead in assume -- why should anyone[...]mportant play in London and, assume -- that the script they are will say anything to shock the boy. since then, I have made up my own dea[...]mind about the right soil for Actors are not puppets. You cast So, why was it cut?[...]the role, not for what you can tell of Paul (Simon Burke), the There are certain actors with them to do. And I apply that to[...]om I can't work. I need to work every aspect of the filmmaking It would be totally unfair of me student, that he is homosexual.[...]specific way of directing, which is to comment. I think you woul[...]to encourage them not to be afraid I think the work of Dean Semler of making a fool of themselves, (director of photography) and have to ask the producer that.1He With Paul and Libby and, to an[...]they make of themselves in front cover is just ravishing. It was their did the cutting. extent, Jean Paget (Helen Morse) of the camera, I will be making a idea to use soft[...]bigger tit of myself behind the every set, and Steve Dobson's[...]stockings on the camera lens. It Is Nina supposed to be lesbian? process of education, whereby the Actors are extraordinary people. was those men who were t[...]Nine times out of 10 you have to responsible for working out the cha[...]and feed them lollies and make them look of the film. All I did was say,[...]tile Obviously, one is constantly know from The Clinic, that there face up to mistakes. Is that a imaginations; the only problem is provoking, questioning and c[...]mes they get side lenging, working over the structure are delineated sexualities. I don't central part of your character tracked into areas that aren't of the shot that you choose. What[...]necessarily relevant to the direction was lovely for me was that all the believe in putting labels on development?[...]areas may be infinitely fascinating terms of the make-up, costumes, anybody. Nina is a character[...]possible, everything I do is sub lighting. It was a voyage of dis am fairly sure at some point in her Isn't that what the process of life servient to the actors. covery for us all. life had a love affaire with a young is? It is what the process of what Everything? I try to create the right working[...]dn't realized Well, there is the script, of we have a bonza time laughing. If[...]tend to create a young or even older men. If an the device was so apparent in all servient to the actors. [Laughs.] heavy atmosphere on the set,[...]a line in the script; or drop my trousers, jus[...]the actors that tragedy and comedy[...]So, there isn't that spontaneity are not separate entities. to be visiting, I am sure Nina Morant, too. In the original script, really when it comes to the script?[...]With such a large group of people, would give it a go. She has Major Thomas (Jack Thompson), No, not at all. all immersed in their t[...]What is the art of acting? I have can you sustain the atmosphere? probably had relationships with the defending lawyer, was the seen extraordinary, spontane[...]performances of Shakespeare It is very hard work di[...]extraordinary performance all the intended to be lesbian. She is development from[...]time. But almost, everybody is[...]trying to do their best, so all you intended to be a complete woman. outback clerk of the court to a man have to do is lay down the ground[...]with a passionate point of view and[...]trol. It is the time when I live. Similarly, in the character of Eric a commitment to a concept.[...]sionally bored or excited or (Chris Haywood) in "The Clinic"[...]ness should encompass all you have presented one of the most The actors' performances in all of[...]Your films have a range of dis appealing representations of There is an ease about them and,[...]parate characters -- the patients[...]and the staff in "The Clinic" , the homosexuality on the screen. Was particularly in "The Clinic" , a group of women in "Alice" , the[...]employers and employees in it your intention to do that? feeling of spontaneity. What[...]approach do you take with your a density of characterization. They[...]are all very much cross-sections of Partly, but we only have Eric's actors?[...]hree main characters in it. we know that he lies at other points There is no simple answer to that In The John Sullivan Story there[...]are 10 or 11 leading characters. A in the film. question. W[...]people, so is The Clinic, and in into the theatre, I wanted to Undercover there are seven or[...]going to be the Hamlet of my 1. When contacted, David Elfick, the pro generation; I also discovered that du[...]seemed to have much more fun to the cuts. than[...] |
| [...]Is that a preference? concepts of life perished; those Top: Dr Eric (Chris H[...]oncernedpatient (Mark Minchinton). David Stevens' The Clinic. Not really,, it just happens. thinking, their clothes, their The subjects demand it. Lots of habits, their attitudes, their think the stories themselves differ Dream your dreams, li[...]s and their concepts were greatly, but in the way they are dreams and be individual, as long the script of The Clinic, " Ah yes, the survivors. It is very difficult to told they are very different. as you do no harm to anybody." it's all very well you know[...]That is the essential proviso. should make it a story just about high heels and gloves. It is much They are very much about one of the doctors.'' To which I easier to do it in a sarong and bare heroism, and characters with What is the Kingsford-Smith said, " Yeh, well that's fine, m[...]towards something and eventually but it is not the film I want to I was brought up in that[...]six-hour mini-series for make." I wanted to make the film situation. I was born in Palestine,[...]. Williamson and Ross Dimsey it became: a day in the life of a VD and then I moved to Egypt and to I guess Mad Max is the same, about Sir Charles Kingsford- clinic, not a day in the life of Dr South Africa, where I had a tribal isn't he? Smith, the first man to fly across Eric.[...]fficult the Pacific. I took it on as a job for me to believe in one concept of Yes, but he is a lot less naive than that I[...]it has become a passion in my humorous groups of people create to believe in a society in w[...]because it is about an adven a very strong sense of community every single human being is not[...]ed individual, in which fact, my films are really about find parallels in his life that are someone is better than anybody dreamers. At present I am writing important to me as an ar[...]about Charles Kingsford-Smith, believe we are all part of a com rounded by a multitude of diverse a man who was finally destroyed[...]nturers, be they munity. There is a Russian film of sounds and languages. by a[...]painters, writers or flyers, as being Hamlet of which Kenneth Tynan[...]ch apart. Okay, so I don't said, " It may not be the greatest That suggests an interest in the use saying, " Stuff the bureaucracy. have a lot in common with Hamlet you've ever seen but it is of overlapping dialogue . . . the most properly peopled Elsi[...]Concluded on p. 106 nore." Within the film, Elsinore is I tried that experiment once at a very busy place. It is a crossroad Crawford[...]traders and episode for Matlock where, in the courtiers, and Hamlet very seldom first seven pages, there are never stands alone on a battlement and le[...]makes a great speech. He is usually happening at once, probably three. stuck in. the middle of 20 pages Overlapping dialogue is fine, but[...]d five ambassadors being those you have in the worse ex presented here, and that is what cesses of Robert Altman, where reality is. Very few of us live alone; you actually can't hear anything. we are all part of the street, the community, the city, the country Obviously theatre has been an or the world. When I eventually important influe[...]to a given threat. The great storytellers in film --[...]is "Amsterdam" about? Carol Reed -- are men who under stand the myths of society, men It is the true story of some who question God. Dutch homosexuals[...]ttle Bill Routt's comments2 compare branch of the underground resis "Undercover" with the films of tance and destroyed the central Preston Sturges and Frank Capra[...]l Register. For their and it is easy to see the influence of pains, 12 of them were shot. But it the classical musical in the is not about poofters. If a society ending .[...]society, or When people asked me what the community, then it is denying the film could be like, I said Frank whole community. The Amster- Capra and Preston Sturges film[...]in effect, believe that life Nobody has heard of Sturges. It is is a pillared community, and that[...]as a Sturges film but, one pillar is taken away the roof in a similar way, its tongue is will[...]irmly in its cheek. It fits in very well with "The The ending was there in the Clinic" which also deals with a manuscript. It is the one thing that part of society that is usually never was changed[...]ten by Greg Millin who I also admire the pyrotechnic wrote The Clinic. filmmakers beyond measure. I adore the work of George Miller It is also true of the women in (Mad Max) and I think the last two "Alice" . . . reels of Mad Max 2 are as perfect an example of montage as I can That's right. Nobody wanted to imagine in the cinema. I was on the know about them, but they needed edge of my seat. But I can't do each other to survive. Those who that. My stories are different from stuck to the old traditional his in the way they are told. I don't 2. Bill Routt, "The Wizards from Oz" ,[...] |
| Words and Images, by Brian McFarlane, is the first Helen Garner's M onkey Grip and the film adaptation. Australian book to examine the relationship between[...]ian McFarlane is principal lecturer in Literature at the literature and film. Taking nine examples of recent films and two television series adapted f[...]-- Chisholm Institute of Technology and is a contributing including The Getting of Wisdom, My Brilliant Career, editor to Cinema Papers. He is also the author of a book on Lucinda Brayford and The Year of Living Dangerously -- Martin Boyd's " Langton" novels, is the editor of the McFarlane looks at some of the issues in transposing a annual collection of literary essays, Viewpoints, and is the narrative from one medium to the other. co-editor of a forthcoming anthology of Australian verse. In this article, Chapter 8 in the book, McFarlane discusses[...]blishers, 1977, unlike Geraldine Fitzgerald's in The Mango Tree in the way that it and by Penguin Books, 1978 (page references to the latter). Monkey Grip, her first works unobtrusively to pull together the narrative's suggestions about[...]the character in question. In this case, however, Nor[...]ur and Other Carr, is clearly intended to be the centre of the action in both novel and People's Children. She has worked as a teacher and a journalist. film. The strength the film gets from Hazlehurst's performance and[...]from its visual rendering of the novel's ambience tightens the latter's Monkey Grip was directed by Ken Cam[...], but nevertheless draws intelligently on what is at screenplay by Ken Cameron, in association with Helen Garner. The director of least potentially there in the novel. photography was David Gribble, the editor David Huggett and the composer Bruce It is just as well that the chapters of this book do not seek to give plot Smea[...]utes, it was released in 1982. synopses of the novels involved since such an enterprise would ce[...]Divided almost arbitrarily into thirty-four One of the achievements of Helen Garner's novel, Monkey Grip, is that whimsically named chapters (e.g., " Respectful of His Fragility", " Do the heroine, Nora, does not lose hold of the reader's sympathy despite You Wan[...]its narrative structure is, superficially, frag the fact that the story, as told by her, centres almost wholly on herself mented to the point of disintegration. Its bits and pieces make Ronald and her frustrations. These preoccupations -- the constant pondering McKie's The Mango Tree look as architected as Middlemarch. In a on what she is feeling, the analysis of what is happening in her succes sentence, the narrative explores the shifts in the relationship between sive sexual relationships, the sense of herself as ill-used -- ought in the Nora, a single mother of thirty-two, and Javo, her off-and-on junkie end to be merely wearisome to the reader. And indeed a good deal of lover, a part-time actor (and a full-time bore). However often she tries this prize-winning novel, with its vestigial narrative, is tiresome, but the to wean herself of the habit of Javo, she appears to remain essentially reasons[...]e elsewhere. In Nora, Garner has created, through the hooked by him as he is by smack. Part of the trouble is (as Javo says to most formidably unap[...]m into it" (p. 96). sometimes self-indulgent, in the way that, in life itself, one accepts that a whole person is likely to be so from time to time. A whole person (i.e., By the end of the novel, when Javo has left again, this time probably character) is what shuffles out of the banal and repetitive incidents that with someone called Claire, Nora feels, "A funny kind of pain, dull, make up the plot -- to use the latter term at its loosest. not sharp, spread through my body as if by way of the bloodstream"[...](p. 244) and, a few lines later, " instead of that pain came the thought, In Ken Cameron's film version of the novel, the central firmness o.f `Well . . . s[...]e what it is.'" There is just a chance that Nora the realization of Nora (Noni Hazlehurst) is even more striking. It is as has by now reached the stage of accepting her life, without Javo if need though the scriptwriters (Cameron and Garner) and director h[...]has been moving her in this direction but where the novel's potential unity and strength lie, and hav[...]-screen virtually Javo. Though the need is powerfully sexual (more so on her part th[...]ut chiefly through casting Hazlehurst, an actress of real his) it is by no means exclusively so. She in fact wants a kind of stability, warmth and emotional range. Her perfo[...]not a more conventional set of relationships than her world is likely to[...]offer. At one stage, envisaging a trip north, she sees them " on the road 16 -- March-April CINEMA PAPERS |
| [...]Noni Hazlehurst) and Javo (Colin Friels). of my hand and we stood together comfortably, liking[...]peful" (p. 90). But she qualifies this image with the know sometimes summarizing, somet[...]m and dual and working towards the reader's sense of a whole character. Gracie, between him and the rest of the world" .[...]This is the kind of pleasure, in reading a novel, that grows on one, The narrative surface of the novel is more crowded than the brief perhaps making stronger cl[...]. My account above suggests. While Javo is the continuing strain of impatience with Monkey Grip on first acquaintance grew largely out of emotional engagement throughout the year of the novel's time span, dissatisfaction with its[...]embraces many other relationships as well. Chief of these it is episodic but most of its episodes are unmemorable, particularly if others is tha[...]bserves her mother measured against the crude narrative yardstick of what-happens-next. with wry stoicism. As well there are the women friends (e.g., Eve, Rita, In M[...]Cobby) from whom she receives varying degrees of support, and happened before: that is, there may have been a visit to the local swim Lillian, whom she distrusts, mainly from Javo-based motives of ming baths, or a sexual encounter (invariably, monotonously and, jealousy; and the men who are variously friends and lovers, but mostly[...]a trip to somewhere. In themselves, scarcely one of them really matters Martin, the latter's brother Joss, Gerald with whom Nora shares a and few of them stay in the memory. That is not to say they lack all house, and Francis. In fact, the network of shifting, drifting relation vividness: there are many sharply observed touches about people and ships involves a cast of characters almost bewildering in their numbers places: but that they lack the sort of vividness one needs in order to feel and m[...]is: that with any exactness as to the part of the novel from which they came. sense of a loosely-knit, not-very-differentiated crowd of people, The scenes, like many of the characters, become part of that hazy drifting past each other, someti[...], has its point to milieu in which the more things change the more they stay the same. make: these other lives are important to the narrative only as they affect Nora and none of them compares in her life with the intensity of her This impression of narrative slackness, compared say with a " well- feeling for Javo. They have their brief moment of vividness, coinciding made" novel like Kenneth Cook's Wake in Fright, is accentuated by the with their narrative function, then subside into being part of the general novel's structural procedures. It is as though the latter are dictated by a ambience. For instance, Ange[...]Nora to mimetic urge to recreate the casual, careless, messy, sometimes warmly[...]irth control clinic (she is " going to have a try at an cheerful, often dreary lives of its characters. Scene after scene -- and I[...]Angela has had love problems with Willy but they are each chapter is divided into about half a dozen, some of them no more not intrinsically important.[...]than snippets -- is introduced by sentences like the following: to Angela: first, she is very r[...]rt her friend, and in this unstable circle of people there is a surprising amount of solidarity; I was sitting at the kitchen table after tea when Javo came around the second, she promotes the following reflection in Nora: " I silently corner to the back door. (p. 21) envied the ease of her tears, the way she lived with her heart bravely on One afternoon, when 1got home from working on the paper, 1found Javo her sleeve, no levelling out of the violence of everything but full blast asleep in my bed . . . (p. 91) and shameless" (p. 156). The insight that offers into Nora and her view Peg took Gracie out for the day and 1 went off by myself, (p. 106) of her own situation is significant.[...]At eleven o'clock that night Chris walked in with some coke. (p. 179) So, from the narrative's point of view, is Nora's capacity for such[...]me from America . . . (p. 190) reflection. The more one reads this novel, the more one realizes that its I went[...]be found by attending to Nora's narrative voice. The most potent discourse in Monkey Grip is not the " subjective" utter[...]CINEMA PAPERS March-April -- 17 ances of characters but the surrounding (but far from " objective" ) narrative prose which of course belongs to Nora. And it is here, I believe, that the real drama of this novel is located. It seems to me scarcely possible to care one way or the other about most of the characters: one feels a mild revulsion aga[...]t very much caught up with what Nora makes of her experience. She is not merely a recording voi[...]responds, and grows through response, to a range of relationships. She is defined partly in terms of how she behaves in these relationships, pa[...]which is sometimes reflective, Living in the 1970s, in Melbourne: Nora and house-mate G[...] |
| And so on, endlessly. It is perhaps the most loosely strung together Above and below: the bad and the good o f Nora and Javo's relationship: "What's love? novel of my acquaintance. The disjointedness, the failure of anything Being a sucker, I suppose. " to build, and the sense of nothing's being more important than any thing else are, at least on a first reading, maddening to the reader trying to discern and hold on to some sort of narrative development. Perhaps this problem is more acute to one raised in the tradition of carefully constructed, nineteenth-century, reali[...]e years with modernism. Certainly on re-reading, the book's apparent randomness is less daunting. This may be the result of knowing that the novel offers little in the way of the usual narrative rewards (and thus not expecting[...]elieve, really due to recognition and acceptance of different moves towards narrative coherence -- and to accepting monotony as part of its meaning. There is no point in looking for an A--B--C pattern of causality but there are other elements in the narrative that work to give shape and flavour to the book. The major one, as I have suggested, is in the drama enacted in Nora's linking voice. In a two-[...]ying to pull herself and her life into some sort of manageable shape. One's chief interest is concen[...]ng around in Rita's house, she realizes that one of the chief pressures of her life is that she "was guarding them all from each other" (p. 72). Sometimes her voice registers the pressures as unbearably demanding, but there are also occasions such as the one when I was flooded with the possibilities, the theatre was full of people I liked and loved and whose work was j[...]t is worth listening to for its own sake and for the light it sheds on others. There is, too, a[...]beyond her in its resonance. Her problem has to do with " Willy's determined constancy in loving both Angela and Paddy, while living with neither" and[...]ir with Rita, there is talk about " breaking out of monogamy" but Angela is "too miserable to care a[...]" (p. 192). These two remarks (about a character of no special consequence) point to a crucial and pervasive source of tension in the novel. Nora and her friends are all living what in 1975, the time of the novel, would have been called an alternative lif[...]s inner suburbs and involves an approach free to the point of permissive in matters like where one lives and s[...]ng activities. Negatively, it implies a rejection of monogamous, orderly households, of women performing traditional sex roles, of steady, gainful employment, of the careful ordering of one's life. However, while much of the freedom, the indulging of instinct as opposed to behaving conventionally,[...]eople like Nora, it brings with it its own kinds of pressures and hurts. The gap between the ideology and importunate reality often lets the draughts in. Nora has never tried to get Javo off the smack -- " I didn't want to hold him, or stop hi[...]day" (p. 66) -- but this apparent easy tolerance of the junkie habit is no protection against the pain she feels each time he leaves her to look for a " score" . Beneath the surface disjointedness of their lives, she cannot help looking for a pattern that would help her to make sense of them. There is certainly no longer any hope or help for her in the suburban ordinari ness of her Kew-based family whom she visits on Christmas Day, nor in the prospect of marriage. In trying to work things out in her own[...]ers -- like a very complicated dance to which the steps had not yet been choreographed, all of us trying to move gracefully in spite of our ignorance . . . (p. 192). The image of the dance is in itself a sign that she wants to find, in the constantly shifting aspects of her life, a pattern, a sense of order, to which a key does exist but the finding of which the very nature of their ideological convictions makes improbable. The above reflection comes shortly after the Christmas inspection of her relations and it is com pleted by her resigned acceptance of the fact that " though the men we know often left plenty to be desired, at least in their company we had a little respite from the grosser indignities." Nora, that is, cuts her los[...]read " reliability", or " supportiveness" ; for " the grosser indignities", the sort of superiority her " big boss" uncle exudes in his treatment of his plump blonde wife. He is, she recognizes, implacably " the enemy". " What's love? Being a sucker, I suppose" (p. 63), Nora asks and, wryly, replies. Quoted out of context the remark may look portentously |
| [...]Words and Images theme-stating, but in the pattern of her life, with and, more often, "It[...], began lo heave and change. " without Javo, and of the lives of the loosely knit group of friends, it is a Nora at the pool. constant preoccupation. It is also a question-and-answer that points to one of the ways in which the narrative is held together. The women in what you find in nineteenth century Russian writers, a certain use of the novel are looking for a tenderness and kindness in their re[...], expresses a need for a renders the detail organic rather than merely scene-setting. In Monkey mutuality of affection that precludes contracts but requires commit Grip, the firmly established sense of place, and the cultural life that ment, that insists on indepen[...]goes with it, provides a network that catches up the semi-nomadic tribe about Monkey Grip and Glen To[...]ghly Decent People, that peoples the book, and both shapes and gives them something to Susan Higgins[...]respond to. Both novels are unobtrusively shaped by a critical examination of the way It could not have been done by someone who did not know the life at such cultural norms as the entrapment of women in domesticity and the first-hand; it is not a matter of research, but of living and understand attraction of romantic love are deeply internalized, and this makes it in[...]these people tenuously but tenaciously together. The legitimate, even necessary to describe them a[...]acutely rendered ambience is of course as much a matter of time as of place, and time is felt in several ways. The changing seasons, too glib a As far as Nora is concerned, she is aware of the possibilities of " entrap metaphor for what is going on in the human lives, are therefore not ment" and is, indeed, firmly entra[...]s an agent for coherence: lives drift by Despite the casual junketing around (e.g., to Tasmania, to Sy[...]haphazardly and their unpredictability is felt the more strongly against well as on lesser expeditions), she is always aware of Gracie's needs as a the sharp, sensuous noting of the year's moving from summer to pressure upon her. And while ostensibly resisting the notions of summer. But time isn't just nature: the novel's period is placed in refer " romantic love" and what it implies for the woman involved, she also ences to sin[...]r and Skyhooks, to films like Dog longs for some of its concomitants: for male tenderness, support, and Day Afternoon and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, to the Aus answer to her sensual needs.[...]n Shoulder to Shoulder on TV" (p. 174). The cultural climate of Nora's ship with Javo will be harder to sustain[...]says, " You're not -- you know -- doin' it again, are you?", Nora on a "junk movie" ), the Melbourne Film Festival, Rolling Stone, and " knew what she meant and could not control a grin of guilt. She meant endless novel-reading. The titles of her reading include Jean Rhys' falling in love"[...]Leaving Mr McKenzie, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Already, on the next page, she shows an awareness of what it means: Express (coinciding with the film version released in 1975), Tolstoy's[...]War and Peace, Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, and, at the end, People like Javo need people like me, st[...]stare longingly James' heroine accepting the loss of her suitor and resigning herself outwards at his rootlessness.[...]novel at this stage of Nora's life; it is even nicer not to make it (or Nina She is genuinely attracted to the drifting life but is equally aware of her Bawden's A Woman o f My Age) the novel's last reference but to whip " entrapment" . Much later, having arrived in Sydney at 6 a.m. with Nora into To the Lighthouse instead. If there is, however, a thema[...]towards novels about women in situations of entrapment, but Christie not easy for Nora; as Barbara Giles, reviewing the novel, claims, Nora and Tolstoy remove the element of potential schematism. There used to " is caught,[...]ly her addiction is love"2. In its grip, despite the feminist ideology which elsewhere offers[...]CINEMA PAPERS March-April -- 19 her a good deal of comfort and practical support, she is, as Gjles goes on to say, " caught in the usual feminine bind, of responsibility for bringing up a child, of love which makes demands on her" . The men she knows, including the ones she sleeps with, do not make the demean ing demands on her that conventional monogamy may, but the; monkey grip of passionate need is no less inescapable for that.[...]will not sometimes be " used" by him. None of the other women, despite the warmth of sisterhood, is any better placed than she is. The book seems to me honest about the gains and losses in the feminist approach to love and sex. The way they persevere with their lives, trying to square their ideology with the often chilling facts of " love habit", is done with enough humour and percep tion to make one bear with some of Garner's sloppier narrative habits. Certainly there is enough of both to make one feel the unfairness of Ronald Conway's characterization of " all this sweltering narcissism dolled up as group fellow-feeling" 3, and to make the present writer mildly ashamed of having once described it as an " almost ostenta[...]anding" as Veronica Schwarz does5, I think there are now more things holding it together than I at first supposed. And the way the women grapple with the ideas of love and friendship and sex (the grappling is not limited to Nora) is one of these elements which help to provide a narrative[...]So, too, is Garner's meticulous re-creation of the milieu in which the novel's lives are lived. The physical scene of the inner suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy, with a variety of overcrowded, sometimes lonely houses, the swimming baths, cafes and bars, is not there in the sense in which landscape is in a Thomas Hardy novel: that is, a presence having something like a life of its own. It is a cliche to speak of Egdon Heath in Return o f the Native as being almost a character in the novel. That is not the way Garner uses the setting. It is there all right, in casual, exact noting of streets and shops (like Myer or Readings Book Sho[...]rief but telling references to doing " four loads of washing at the laundromat", to walking dully past the kid's adventure playground, across the car park, and up the broken stairs to the series of empty rooms over the Italian grocery, where [Javo] had a mattress in a corner and a heap of things he called his. (p. 44) The references both specify a real place and indicate bits of personal landscape. Garner has said in an[...] |
| [...]rner): friends and family. aspects of Carlton that the National Trust isn't interested in preserving[...]or that the developers haven't developed. No other Australian[...]examination question asking students to consider the pro caught so well this faintly seedy aspect of Melbourne -- of city -- life, position that " In a good novel, setting is never merely a matter of back nor in placing it in the lives lived there. The film's direction and screen ground." On this cri[...]play offer a wry, sympathetically divided view of the characters' good enough to avoid some longueurs[...]king emotional lives, offering a parallel to the novel's sometimes painful a time and a place, so sharp and sustained that ambience becomes an apprehension of the gap between the ideology and the reality. The film important narrative element. balances a clear sense of rootless, itinerant camaraderie (less strongly[...]feminist than in the novel), stressing the supportive aspect of its Ambience is of course one of the areas in which a film ought to have drifting, non-nuclear households against the emotionally draining, least trouble in the enterprise of adaptation from a novel. Ken unfulfilling relationships of people who feel able to come and go at will. Cameron, whose first feature Monkey Grip[...]cceeded Sandra Hall, in a perceptive review of the film, has said: to a remarkable extent in making his mise-en-scene replace Nora's narrative voice in the novel. Further, by retaining a good deal of the [Cameron's] characters are continually testing one another in love affairs[...]ships, every relationship is a new challenge, yet the' mood is startling replication of the feel and tone of the novel. understated. People move in and out of one another's lives without cere[...]and with as little explanation as possible.7 The film's opening few minutes show both strategies in action. In a series of deft strokes, Cameron sketches in an impression of the real The film catches authentically the committed casualness and the pre-Javo happiness in Nora's life, in an audio-visual equivalent of the longing the women feel for something more and does so with a[...]arm breakfast (" noise, succinctness than the novel can. One suspects that Garner, co-author of and clashing of plates, and people chewing with their mouths open, and the screenplay, must approve of the tightening up (without needless talking, and laughing. Oh, I was happy then" ). The film arrives at the spelling out) of this shaping thematic interest. breakfast table[...]dually shimmers into life with an underwater shot of legs swimming Nora's apparently cheerful[...]in a chlorinated pool; these -- or other -- legs are then seen cycling touching as it becomes inc[...]through suburban streets; there is a cut back to the pool; and then the dependable. Her voice-over may say " All the splinters of my life fitted camera moves in the breakfast scene with people snatching at bacon together again" when Javo (Colin F[...]But if these images suggest cheerful casualness, the voice-over resilient as she is, she knows that[...]plunged in when you thought you were only testing the water with your about their emotional lives and needs that it becomes clear how toe." The tension established between aural and visual means here is an inadequate to them are the uncommitted relationships in which they example of the cinema working very economically. The pool, the mostly find themselves. The endless talk along the lines of " I love you, cycling, the breakfast table are part of the shifting communal life of but I can't handle it", or " It seems I only get to see you when you want inner suburban Melbourne; the voice-over anticipates what is going on something", strikes again and again authentic notes of unhappiness and in it for Nora and Javo. It is a tighter, subtler start than the novel's banality. Despite my phrase " endless talk", the film really works very which follows its opening[...]lectively in creating this impression: it reduces the number of " It was early summer", "And everything, as it always does, began to shadowy characters from the novel and, inevitably, those that are left heave and change." The film makes its meaning more unobtrusively, are fleshed out by the mere presence of actors. Whereas in the novel the the mise-en-scene and the voice-over working contrapuntally as it were. discussions about love and sex are between Nora and any one of many[...](deliberately?) undefined women, and some men, the film by putting Even during my dissatisfied first reading of the novel, it seemed to faces to these names forces the audience to identify them. In my view, me that M[...]stinct cinematic possibilities: that is, that a the emotional content of the film is sharpened by the selectiveness and director sensitive to its social-cultural-political setting might make an by the use of actresses as distinct from each other as Lisa Pee[...]ut monotonously long-playing record in the novel gets a spike of surely they have put on film the novel's small world of inner suburban individuality from the acting in the film. streets and shops, recording studio[...] |
| [...]with his cameraman, his production but the director does not let this develop into a clich |
| Street Kids How was the project conceived? went on for about 10 months, at they were extremely mobile, being dupe[...]Chadwick: In a sense, Street Rob to direct the film. another, from place to place. So thing that put the issues within a Kids emerged from Do Not Pass[...]elf talking wider perspective, that allowed the Go, which looked at the plight of The film required that Leigh and[...]children from broken homes and Rob live on the streets with the to a kid who came from the suburb just to dwell on the more sensa bleak backgrounds who got busted kids. So they rented a room in a you were in. The kids in St Kilda tional aspects. by the police, caught up in the broken-down boarding house in St come f[...]In Street Kids you do see some drifted into the welfare system, Tilson: It takes much longer to of these more dramatic issues -- ending up in reman[...]iction, child prostitu These kids were harmed by the amongst them, to get to know them in St Kilda, because they are tion, drug abuse -- but they are in bureaucratic process through them as a natural extension of the film because they are a part of which they went and their living in the same environment. in a much more precarious situa the kids' lifestyle, and part of the problems weren't solved.: they We general[...]ix months before we problem. However, these are just went back on the streets and it tact through intermediaries such as the symptoms of the deeper started all over again. Alex. At the same time, the kids started shooting in St Kilda.[...]have nowhere to go, no one to turn The main feedback from the came[...]to and no one to love. And that public about Do Not Pass Go was suspicious of people with cameras is a pretty horrifying situation, how did the kids get into that situa because they had been ripped off Chadwick: It should be stressed born of a lot of different social tion in the first place? What were in the past. that it was important that this film factors. And the problem is getting their backgrounds? Do Not Pass[...]ed to answer Scott: We talked to hundreds of not be like the various current those questions, but it threw up the kids with diverse backgrounds affairs programs over the years, Is one of these factors unemploy question marks. So it was at that from all over Melbourne. How wit[...]superficial look at sensational sub Chadwick: It is an exacerbating what was causing the breakdown in ject matter, in which the kids got factor. But the cause is that there society that was leading to[...]ripped off, and the public was are so many pressures being sands of kids hitting the streets.[...]brought to bear on. families in the That was where Street Kids was[...]communication between the[...]parents and the kids. It happens at It should be added that Do Not[...]If the kids were to name the major dramatize but to examine the issues, what do you think they issues first hand.[...]don't we all? The issue is deeper Chadwick: At that stage I met a[...]often in manner than in words. was possibly the only person in[...]utcast, they don't feel Melbourne then living on the at home, or there isn't a home, or streets with the kids and not ful[...]they can't face the violence at filling any bureaucratic role[...]physical and mental. They live for be on the streets of St Kilda every the most part in incredible fear of night, and the kids would come to[...]Tilson: The kids don't have a It was through Alex that I[...]someone you belong to and feel do our research, to try and under[...]loved by; someone who would stand what life on the streets was[...]accept you for what you are, and like for these kids. That research |
| [...]Street Kids not for the sake of fitting you in to time." Often we would have a lot me how importan[...]ships are. On one level it was just what we were to do the next day. not being without a house or what of talking heads, and we would like going ov[...]completely unscripted was ever -- that is, lack of shelter -- it say, " This is becoming too boring[...]quite freaky in a way: to a large is a symptom. The problem is: how Is there a way we can illus[...]gs. extent it was up to the kids as to did you get into that situation of[...]hat?" They would then come up This raises the question of film as what depth we would be taken.[...]uggestions and we would talk therapy. Did any of the kids This comes out in the section on benefit from the process? This affected the way we worked Rohan. He seems to be the only them through. Then the kids[...]ould set it up to some extent, for Chadwick: At the time that the to be a mobile, two-man crew with out -- at least temporarily --[...]that significant other instance telling the dealers it was of the featured characters were of the kids sleep all day, are up all person you speak of . . . okay that we were around. benefiting very much, because it night and are all over the place, it was the first time in their lives that meant that if we were to cap[...]y we put that It took nine months to cut the people were treating them as anyt[...]ith something film stock we could use at any to make a totally negative film.[...]positive to offer society. If you time. We used Fuji 250 ASA stock But their lives aren't all negative; collaboration with the kids. A lot watch those interviews, you can that proved capable of achieving there are positive things -- some of them would come and help out feel the kids thinking very deeply usable pictures at 2000 ASA. We sort of friendship, good times, with their segment. We made sure about what they are saying. This pushed one stop in processing[...]film gave them the chance to two in printing. Our only ar[...]hting was in interiors when occa I really hate the stigmatization ment was an accurate represen[...]sionally we would use 250 watt that they are born no-hopers. I tion of what they felt was[...]important to say. It meant a lot to Tilson: At first, many of the lights meant that we could shoot stances and environment can the kids to get it across correctly. kids saw thems[...]to help other kids through the film, ways. To[...]basically middle-class, and we or even just to do something that the filming process was de Chadwick: We talked to[...]eft that scene. It was a interesting. But at some point they mystified; that it didn't become a kids. The key kids who ended up in journey that we did[...], " Hey, big deal. We never used a clapper the film were those for whom the of. But for them it was cold reality. I'm not doing[...]s. I'm board, we used a sync lead when making of this film was extremely[...]t it together quickly important. They were aware of the Chadwick: This project was in[...]ts unique as a docu Chadwick: It worked both ways reading for most of the synching of they spoke out, if the total reality mentary made in this country. It[...]in statistical rushes. We didn't use a shotgun of their life was shown. They were would have been absolutely pro terms what the problem was about: microphone pointing at someone's not only committed to the film, hibitive to make Street Kids as a[...]ead, expecting them to be but it became probably the most commercial proposition, to spend roaming the streets of Victoria, relaxed. Instead, we sacrificed important aspect of their lives at three years on a project in which and that most of them were in Mel some signal to extraneous noise the time. It was the first oppor you are aiming for an hour and a bourne. But coming[...]and used a flat plate microphone tunity any of them ever had to tell half of film. We could do it only the situation and talking with those taped to the side of the Nagra, their story. From that point of because Film Victoria agreed to ki[...]t working finance it, and because a group of for me, and I'm sure for Rob and ever was happening to be able to members of the production team.[...]Leigh as well. pick up the sound more effectively.[...]Everyone loved to have their peek Tilson: The Steenbeck [editing pared to spend that much time There are two or three relation through the camera, too. machine] was in the boarding exclusively making the film. ships in the film, and one can say house room we stayed in. If we had that at least those couples have In this respect,[...]an interview, it would be processed ment with the St Kilda scene, and overnight, picked up from Ci[...]Chadwick: One thing that im Laboratories down the road and kids from other areas, we also one of them says, " You can't trust pressed the hell out of me was a shown back to them. Basically it[...]anybody. In some things, you series of black and white films was either good, bad, or shithouse. week to the Turana Youth Centre. can't even trust your own girl made about 10 years ago in New A lot of times they would say, Even though you make sure not to friend." So even the couples are York called The Police Tapes. The " Oh, that was important to me, I[...]. They filmmakers went out on night want to do it again. I want it to get promise the kids things you can't just don't trust anybody. An patrols with the police, their through and I blew it the first fulfil, so as not to let them down as average person with a reasonable cameras in the back of the car, not[...]t down so many family life cannot conceive of the knowing what was to be encoun[...]situation that these kids are in. tered that night. They filmed every times in the past, you become very These kids just don't k[...]much a part of that reality, is like to have somebody[...]rotected, them a Christmas present. All the little things that are ways of middle-c[...]experience of making the film family situation are just not part of dominate[...]I am thankful for the whole Scott: It is interesting to note[...]some sense of community among some of them. But it is not the[...]comes through is the way they live[...]When you ask them what are you[...]affected the filming. We had to go[...] |
| [...]n; Sam performs from King Lear; Brendan shuffles the cards for strip poker; Eva, in a flash-bac[...] |
| Four young people are trapped in the Sydney Opera House on the night World War 3 breaks out. One Night Stand is[...]in an underground shelter. Below: Eva and Sharon are `chatted up' by two Santa Clauses: Tony (D[...] |
| [...]ncludes Cash and Company, Tandarra, Young Ramsay, The and videotape drama fo r television, as well a[...]es with Michael Edgley Wincer began his career at A B C -T V in Sydney before in a new venture to produce feature film s and television series working in the theatre, then at Rediffusion and the BBC in fo r the Australian and international markets. Michael Edg[...]o direct fo r Crawford International co-presented The Man from Snowy River as its Productions. His f[...]executive pro award fo r Innovative Technique at the 1979 Asian Film ducer. Phar Lap was Edgley's seco[...](Wincer is executive producer) and Igor A uzins' The Coolan- his most recent feature, is the second most successful A us gatta Gold. tralia[...]tory. In the following interview, conducted by Scott Murray,[...]many award-winning television Wincer talks about the success o f Phar Lap, his role at series, including episodes o f the highly-acclaimed Against Michael Edgley International and the new joint venture The Wind and The Sullivans. Other television work between Hoyts an[...]Phar Lap stage and the first thing I did was to sit down with David What attracted you to the story of Williamson [scriptwriter] and, Phar Lap? after a couple of weeks, churn out another four drafts of the script. It is a rattling good yarn, a great We had an excellent rapport, but story. It is also a part of the he couldn't believe how insistent I Australian consciousness. When was in spending so much time with the horse comes storming home in him. He'd had a few bad experi the Melbourne Cup there are very few people who don't get a shiver enc[...]l listened but I assured him, " Look, once to the radio on the first Tuesday of every November, and, when you this is right, we don't have to know the animal up on the screen worry." that wins the Cup, it is very moving. Actually, the biggest problem we[...]when I say we I mean John To what extent during the scripting Sexton [producer] too; he was the and production did you feel bound by the facts? How much freedom one who started the project and did you allow yourself to turn it i[...]many races and in the early draft[...]show, and what were the key, dra[...]I came What source did you use as a start into the project at the first-draft ing point? Phar Lap, with a hoof injury, leads the race at Agua Caliente. Simon Wincer's Phar Lap,[...] |
| [...]can't remember the amount of[...]was, in today's terms, millions of[...]The story of " Snowy River'' is[...]very much linked to the building of[...]the Australian nation and the sort[...]of people who were crucial to the[...]development. How do you see the[...]story of " Phar Lap" relating to[...]left: apprentices and strappers gather fo r meal time. Top right: "Cappy" and Harry Telford (Martin Vaughan) with the 1930 The aspect that fascinated me Melbourne Cup. Above: the Agua Caliente Casino, 1932. Phar Lap.[...]o a John Sexton started with Phar front of you: what do you do? poison; in other words, Phar Lap nation" . We are looking at pre- Lap, a book by Michael Wilkin Everybody ran off to get opinions had been got at. But the other vets Depression and then Depression son, a former journalist with The and so many autopsies were con didn'[...]rne]. It was published ducted it all got out of hand. No all the problems there was this in 1980. Michael had lon[...]nd considerable screen symbol of hope. The mob would versations with David and John in to five different people who were time on the rigging of the Caulfield trudge out to Flemington and put a the early days before I became there and get[...]Phar Lap -- and that involved. David also spent time answers. Some say the Americans you ever fear this lengthy episode would pay for their dinner. The with Tommy Woodcock [Phar would taint the audience's horse became an[...]r and, later, trainer], poisoned if, others say the vet gave response to Phar Lap? icon, as many of Australia's sport and many of the scenes are almost[...]t Phar verbatim as Tommy described it the wrong dose, or it was sick, or No. It is not the horse's fault, Lap even more so. t[...]they had been using an arsenic- but that of the people behind it.[...]I have a beautiful piece of prose Basically, we have been true to trees outside the stables. Why we concentrated so much that a young girl wrote and sent us the story and the legend. Even old[...]some years ago. She tried to Tom reckons we got the charac The Governor of California itself -- is that it demonstrated the analyze why a photo of this horse ters pretty right. actually called an investigation behind-the-scenes power struggles. was on the family mantelpiece and because the affair was a huge It was just sheer greed. During the what it meant to her father. It is What about in areas of specula embarrassment to the Americans. two weeks of the Melbourne Cup the most moving piece. In her tion, such as the death of Phar Lap This horse had arrived from Aus[...]father's case, she regards Phar Lap in the U.S. Did you find out new tralia, won this[...]because Harry Telford (Martin the insecurities of the times; a Vaughan), the trainer, needed horse that kept on winning; it was Not really. The day the> horse Interestingly, the first guy who, money to keep Braeside going, an[...]ething that everyone looked up died was a comedy of errors. It was carved the horse up was the Aus because the owner, Dave Davis to and love[...]Nelson, (Ron Leibman), was only getting a the Queen and she collapsed in played by Robert Grubb in the small percentage of the winnings. I So, it is a part of our history but film. He adamantly swore that the[...]ns lining of the horse's stomach had[...]In many ways, Phar Lap is the[...]Yes, he triumphs, despite the[...]the first place.[...] |
| [...]parallels between "Phar Lap" and then you are in love with the horse We screen tested a number of How does that compare to "Gandhi" : in both the heroes die and it seems that everybody else is people and none of them was right "Snowy River" ? at the start; each, through their rise against it.[...]ubles, but their solution to Something of which David ought to go along. When he[...]John Sexton and I David said, " God, why are we E.T. is the highest grossing film in and encouragement for the future, were aware was how the Agua bothering to look at all these Australia, followed by Snowy is what defeats them at the Caliente win had to top everything[...]tionally. I think it suc perfect." That was the swaying of the Jedi is probably not even ceeds because the horse really vote. going to match Snowy, so the It is the same with all great shouldn't have raced with the[...]ry. It is Greek injury to its hoof. A lot of people Was your reservation that Burlin- siderably in the past year with the tragedy. thought that was invented for the son's " Snowy" characterization influence of video and so forth.[...]would, in people's eyes, cloud his The first thing I felt when I read happened. The horse broke down portrayal of Woodcock? So Phar Lap is going to end up the script was that Phar Lap was so in the middle of the race and some as the No. 2 Australian film of all great he was destined to die tragic how[...]s Exactly. But I don't think that is time; it certainly won't pass Snowy ally. I then wrote down a list of all the line. That is very emotional. the case at all. River. Terry Jackman and Jona the people whose lives paralleled[...]thon Chissick [of Hoytsl both say this: Jesus Christ, Gandhi, John How did you cast the Americans in "Phar Lap" is billed as the most that they don't think any other Lennon, President Kennedy . . . It the film? expensive film[...]ralia. Australian film will be capable of just goes on and on.[...]We found all the bit parts here, schedule? "Phar Lap" is unusual for its because there are enough local[...]Phar Lap is a little disappointing number of emotional climaxes. resident American a[...]taxation in that it failed to attract the main There are five or six points where Australia. Ron Leibman we found incentives2. The film had to finish audience, which is the 14 to the audience is invited to shed a in the U.S. He is stunning in shooting before C[...]em for a tear . . . the film and was an absolute enable us to complete the post while but really it was the older delight to work with. He had a production by the end of June. I generation that went to see it. The All those elements were inherent marvellous rapport with every saw the first print of the film on film didn't seem to present any to the story because that is the way body, particularly M artin Jun[...]ghan and Tom Burlinson. Ron tight it was. The post-production though once they went along they choose to put the death of the always wants to play a scene totally was huge and the soundtrack really enjoyed it. Snowy, of horse at the beginning of the film against the way it was written; he is mind-boggling. It took[...]we felt that otherwise an an absolute ball of energy. to mix, and, at one stage, there audience. Australia[...]were five sound editors working the whole film waiting for it to Australia has[...]simultaneously. Why do you think "Snowy River" happen.[...]attracted that section of the market p[...]Lap" but "Phar Lap" didn't? In the U.S., we are experiment given that he had already risen to been? ing with putting the death at the prominence with his role in[...]Terry Jackman and I were dis end. The first sneak preview was " Snowy River" ?[...]ly, it has rentals in excess cussing this the other night and we on January 28 and seemed to work of $4.2 million, a gross of around think the romantic appeal of just as well, but it is an unknowing In the case of Phar Lap, no. $10.2 million. It has been seen Snowy could be one of the things audience. Audiences there really W[...]. Hoyts Phar Lap is very much an urban are not conditioned to the legend. initially rejected it because of the predicts it will do finally about $5 story and there is no fa[...]all facts. I happen to find it a much The other emotional climaxes in anxious to find[...]more emotional story than Snowy the film are to do with the actual everything led back to Tom 2. Prior to the recent changes to the Taxa River, and a more satisfying film, story. There is the triumph of the because he was so like Woodcock; t[...]y because I directed it! [Laughs] tried to knock the horse off and it animals, particularly horses[...]d, filmed and Sorry George! only just made the course in time. completed in the one financial year. The next year the horse lost, but by[...]Were you tempted to expand the[...]No, because the story didn't[...]allow room for it. The focus all the[...]time is on the horse first, then the[...]ridle on Phar Lap. Phar Lap. In the U.S., it is being handled[...]major release, although the initial[...]Outside the U.S., it is being[...]handled by Bobbie Meyers, of[...]territory sales. He will be using the[...]push. The Snowy foreign release,[...]outside of the U.S., wasn't as suc[...] |
| The growth of the mini-series phenomenon Antecedents Television, at least for the first 30 years of its over the past 14 years has contributed greatly to[...]history, had no need of " special event" tele the revitalization of the film and television The mini-series format is peculiar to television. vision epics. The novelty value was still very industry in the West. The form has drawn huge Although it is an amalgam of a number of high and cheaply produced serials and s[...]s, it has no direct precedent in films or were the bulk stock for years. When not pro in popularity[...]limitations and applications become from the series, serial and feature forms in ducing[...]parts in television, but also owes a lot to the from film. The term " mini-series" has been used to genre of the epic. label everything from two-part, one-off sp[...]However, then as now, the serial and series (which resemble tele-features with long inter The film series and serials that became so presented quality problems. The episode-to- missions) to 26-hour sagas of daunting and popular in the 1910s were themselves spin-offs episode character and plot development of the exhausting proportions. The degree of con from another medium, that of the popular serial generally overstretched its material; fusion that exists as to what the format consti newspaper and magazine serializations of the devices of tension developed in .film serials tutes exactly is partly attributable to the fact 19th Century. Cinema added an extra[...]came familiar and hackneyed; and irrelevant that the term has a " special event" draw-power sion which, by the early 1930s, had created a sub-plots, overac[...]tensively in devoted following around the world. Their tested the patience of maturing audiences. pre-release network publicit[...]ulae and popular characters could attract The series, though allowing for tighter Essentially, the mini-series is a limited-run audiences t[...]tic narrative construction, wrestled with series of two or more episodes (but usually less story. the danger of becoming blandly predictable. than the 13-episode block favored by series pro The necessity of returning the characters and ducers), whose narrative is developed over the The demise of serial and series production plot to an unaltering, neutral base at the end of block and resolved in the last episode.1Unless it occurred with the introduction of radio and each episode resulted in the formulae for plot comprises an anthology of work or is an television. Peopl[...]as cliched as they did in episodic documentary, the individual episodes homes and, as cinemas drained, the studios of the body of the program do not present a concentrated on enticing patrons to them again serials. The aim for the success of a series rested major resolution of narrative development but with gimmicks such as 3D and CinemaScope. on little more than the protagonist's ability to have a d |
| [...]Mini-series do so. Even though television films were made QB VII, Rich Man, Poor Man and The Blue on lower budgets than those for cinema, the Night were three American-produced successes show had been made specifically for the in the early 1970s that continued the gradual privileged home audience. One did not have to exploration of the format. The NBC set out to suffer tribulations such as losin[...]ese successes on a regular basis, but in shot in the transfer from the large to small doing so robbed the form of its special event screen. One could also escape the escalating attractiveness. In 1976, the NBC produced a cost of the cinema ticket. weekly program called Best Sellers. The As with those other " special event" intention was to prevent the format from programs derived from Broadway shows[...]down in period pieces and so novels and variety, the tele-feature enjoyed looked to novelists such as[...]n Shaw and Jacqueline Susann for soap- transcend the standard 90-minute or two-hour opera fiction, with intrigue and lust as the key duration. It appears the passive home audience elements. was not credited with the concentration span or The resulting programs, produced at Uni patience to sit through three hours of con versal, such as Captains and Kings and Sevent[...]rating consistently, did not Thus it suffered the same limitation as the achieve the excellent ratings of Upton Sinclair's cinema release: the constraint of a limited time The Moneymovers. This mini-series, though slot and the inability to develop more than one made to the same formula, did very well on thread of a narrative to any depth. A precedent NBC's The Big Event program. Best Sellers was had to be set to prove the viability of the long- therefore dropped and the status of the mini form drama.[...]and consolidated. The Inception o f the Format Then in 1977 came the big event. The Americ[...]ng Alex Haley's `docudrama' Roots This came with the BBC's production and over eight consecutive nights. The gamble paid broadcast, in the northern spring of 1969, of Sir off and the program made television history. It Kenneth Clark's documentary mini-series, became the most popular television event ever, Civilization. This 13-part program dealt with attracting a rating of 45, or 66 per cent of the the development of civilization in Western possible audience numbers. It received 37 Europe and was the first of four, very success Emmy nominations and created a euphoria in ful documentary mini-series produced by the the American industry that lasted for years. BBC.[...]tair Cooke's America (1972), Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (1973) and John Kenneth Galbraith's Australia The Age of Uncertainty (1977), which con solidated the successful use of the mini-series In Australia, Channel 10 (or 0 as it[...]buying Roots before shooting had begun. This The precedent for drama mini-series was also foresight led them to cash in on a phenomenon set by the BBC. The process that made " Based which, though not rating as highly as it did in on the novel by . . ." a regular credit was estab the U.S. (35 rating), certainly opened the eyes lished in 1969 when the BBC produced The of local programmers to the potential of the Forsyte Saga based on several novels by John min[...]d in a fortunate position. finally allowed for the television novelization of Having access to British- and American- popula[...]meant that programmers that audiences relished the depth of charac could choose a product that had been prove[...]elopment that this successful in its home ground. The kind of format allowed. reaction that kept restaurants around Australia The BBC documentary mini-series The empty during Brideshead Revisited in 1982 Forsyte Saga and the dramatized documen could generally be anticipated and so pro taries The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and grammed for accordingly. Of course, this did Elizabeth R (1971) were the inception and proof not always hold true, as the only minor of the format. In the U.S., these shows were success of the flatulent Winds of War (1983) presented on the Public Broadcasting System demonstrated. (PBS), whose tenure it was to screen material The availability of quality foreign production outside the definition of commercial television. placed enormous pressure on the local product Top: Brideshead Revisited. Above: Against the Wind. Presented through Alistair Cooke's Master to match the overseas standard on a fraction of Below: A Town Like Alice. piece Theatre, the enormous popularity of these the budget. In the days before the tax incentive shows demonstrated the potential of the format for film investment, Ian Jones and Bronwyn to the commercial networks. Binns had valiantly produced Against the Wind The popularization of the format in the U.S. (1978) on a shoe-string. At $75,000 an hour it was also attributable to the re-run issue. was by no means expensive by international Research had shown that re-runs of series were standards, reflecting the fact that an Australian often almost as popular as the original mini-series was an untried commodity here and screening. Programmers countered criticism of overseas. But Channel 7 believed in it strongly[...]saying that they could not afford enough to take the gamble and the show's to produce constantly a high proportion of success rating, which increased from 38 for the first-run material. To do so they would have to first episode to 50 for the final one, established produce more of the cheaper game and variety that a strong local mark[...]t for shows and increase production in foreign the indigenous product. countries where costs were lower. The performance of A Town like Alice in The foreign mini-series therefore became 1979 on the international market proved that attractive as a special event or fill-in. But the this success could be taken further afield. British had a practice of producing only as Produced by Henry Crawford at the then huge many programs as could be produced well. So, sum of $225,000 an hour, this show was considering the obvious popularity of the awarded an Emmy in 1981, nominated for material aired on PBS, the escalation of another in 1982, won prizes in Banff and New A[...]i-series production became York, and was cited by the British broadcasting inevitable. critics as the " best imported drama in 1982" . |
| [...]ictated, tight Oppenheimer (1980) and The Six Wives of successful re-run in 1983 again demonstrated its[...]when they Henry VIII is attributable to the ability of the popularity. are completed to the satisfaction of the mini-series to provide an in-dept[...]rs. of the behaviour and motivations of noted The Success o f the Mini-series[...]One of the major elements of quality in the This docudrama role has been used from the Internationally, programmers were looking to[...]though generally quality television to satisfy the growing form, popular literary works a[...]becoming more and sophistication and maturation of audience dramatic or documentary persp[...]cers turn increasingly tastes. For many reasons the mini-series had important events in social[...]s quality and, although allows for a depth of study not possible in other Among the topics dealt with in forthcoming ratings do not always directly reflect the quality forms. It can tell a good story. Australian mini-series are the " Bodyline" of programs, well-produced mini-series were[...]cricket tests, the waterfront strike of the 1920s, good for ratings. These little numbers at the The importance of the strength of this Eureka Stockade and the Japanese POW end of a weekly phone call from McNair elem[...]from Cowra. Anderson in Australia, or Nielsen in the Under the Bridge received disappointing ratings U.S., are the yardstick by which a program (24), despite a high degree of critical acclaim In this docudrama application, the mini is judged. Often maligned as inaccurate,[...]erformances and photo series has the ability to present concise but especially by television executives when graphy. The lack of strong characterizations detailed perspectives on a social history that unfavorable, they are pursued religiously and and a tangible theme resulted in this mini-series draws a degree of understanding from the huge their admirable accuracy celebrated with expen settling down into melodrama of little pace proliferation of knowledge, sub-cultures and sive champagne when favorable. where no expectation of resolution was fulfilled opinion that has characterized the technological and where the characters became unlikeable in age since the last war. The popularity of Few networks are in the privileged position their unattractiveness.[...]programs such as Roots and The Dismissal of the BBC or PBS which, because of the (1983) would tend to suggest the audience's nature of their funding, are not inextricably The similar ratings disappointments of The desire to extricate cohesive threads of under tied into the pursuit of these numbers. They are Last Outlaw and The Timeless Land in the standing from the information melee. able to pursue quality, wherever possible, for same year created a degree of negative feeling the sake of quality alone. toward the form in the Australian industry. All So strong is the format's ability to explore[...]three shows were well received by the critics and social history in the docudrama application that For those unfortunates pursuing the dollar overseas sales were forthcoming but in the local it will probably never be allowed to fully return, however, the mini-series is special event market the reaction was unfavorable. This ex[...]d for ratings. It served to identify further the necessity for a Ken Loach's mini-series, Days of Hope (1974), also encourages major sponsorship a[...]dull schedule. as above the ordinary in television drama. and[...]conservative British institutions feared that the The pursuit of quality is even reflected in the Castleman and Podrazik, in their assessment[...]nner production set-up from which these projects are of the success of Roots, identified the elements wavers. In Australia, the show was nervously usually undertaken. The mini-series format, of success as: screened by the ABC in a non-rating period. which has attracted the likes of Crawford Pro ductions and McElroy and McElroy aw[...]writing, first rate acting, effective The drama and docudrama mini-series have their usual[...]ce, strong relationships, tantalizing sex the potential to transcend the role relegated to tions, produced from a separat[...], a clear cut conflict between good and evil the series of endorsing the dominant political specifically for that purpose. This type of and ah up-beat ending.2[...]and social system. In contemporary series, the independent structure relies on the use of[...]erienced freelance crews chosen for their The longer format allows for complexity of role as doctor, lawyer or policeman. The ills to proven track record and, while ensuring[...]ric or which he addresses himself are generally repre creative contribution from the crew, it keeps dramatic compromise. It can expand on the sented as maladies of individual psychologies overheads to a minimum a[...]single-thread construction available to the rather than social ills. In redressing them, and duction value on the available budget. feature or series but can do so without having to return each episo[...]to pad the material ad infinitum, as is often the he disposes of the symptom but not the social The series and serial are locked into network case with the serial. circumstances that produced it. The mini-series or production-house schedules that o[...]does not have to return the protagonist to a dictate compromises to keep the show on the It can also construct a historical ev[...]ries can achieve identify individuals within the framework of can examine more than the surface functioning higher standards because, although they may their cultural circumstances. The success of bio of social systems.[...]It is interesting to note that the Australian[...]ing TV: Four Decades government's definition of the drama mini[...]endorsement of the Hollywood narrative form[...]. . . the key dramatic elements are introduced,[...]structure (similar to that of a novel) which features[...]and there is the expectation of an ending which[...]inciting anything other than a " resolution of[...]One problem with the format's use for the[...]study of social history is the potential for the[...]over-fictionalization of historic atrocities.[...]Strongly identifiable demons are good for any[...]form of entertainment and increasingly the[...]hang-over from the " love" generation is[...]one's emotions and enjoy with relish the[...]continents of hate, lust and so on. Historical[...]series. But the danger is that sensationalist tele[...]vision could over-fictionalize an atrocity to the[...] |
| [...]st is remem bered as " that moving mini-series of 1978" and the real atrocity is misplaced. However, when appl[...]ece shows originating from novels. These offer the attraction of being able to provide a point of view, which is usually that of the novelist, and the quality television which is often construed as spending heaps on sets, costumes and so on. But there are problems associated with the production of contem porary mini-series that have resulted in the dearth of such shows. Except for notable excep tions such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the most successful are those flamboyant Holly wood extravaganzas which employ the soap and serial devices of sex, intrigue and wealth. The serious mini-series relies heavily on con tinuity of dramatization and character develop ment to hold the story together over an extended period. But wh[...]consistency runs into great difficulties. In the feature film, dramatic continuity is equally i[...]or and one writer, a film may develop a cohesive The Dismissal: Australian political history retold. framework or singularity of vision attributable to particular creative sources and deriving its treatment do not have to be epic in proportion. fulfil. The special event status has to be merit from this.[...]maintained, as such, on the level of the quality The circumstances and quality of the drama of the material and the quality of the pro[...]duction. The mini-series cannot afford this luxury. lend the mini-series its special event status by[...]Another possible solution to this difficulty of Due to the sheer volume.of material and work, allowing the audience a privileged insight into a[...]the format to handle contemporary material it is com[...]directing talent to be drawn from the cinema and directors. When the final reference for the Hollywood feels safer producing the likes of[...]industry where the discipline and integrity of script development and execution is the period Aspen, Scruples and Moviola, which sell them story construction is of paramount importance.[...]The return of such notable figures as David novel, the creative team has a clearly defined selves throug[...]the small screen would tend to give hope to tele and stated set of ethics, modes of behaviour their dramatic content. Apart from Retu[...]vision executives that the mini-series will stem and environments at sufficient historical dis Eden (1983) Australia has difficulty producing the flow of writing talent from television to[...]film. tance to act as a solid point of reference. With material of this epic, escapist nature because,[...]a necessity, contemporary mini-series, however, the inter basically, there is just not enough money to though potentially expensive, for the delinea pretation of recent modes of behaviour be mount the scale of these productions and tion of creative producer/script editor/entre-[...]ifficult to sustain from a attempt, for instance, the obligatory wrecking production, is often relegated to or suffered by proliferation of creative contributors. The onus of a fleet of vehicles in an urban landscape. o[...]multiple directors and writers, the creative pro for dramatic continuity thus falls back on the A contemporary mini-series such as Silent[...]can afford the luxury of an in-house marketing frequently acting as entre[...]a project from an early stage, the independent One possible solution to this problem is to sustain itself on the strength of its script. It producer may have to perform all of these tasks reduce the contemporary story to a peculiar, therefore runs up against the expectation of[...]at the same time as suffering the traumas of closed environment with interesting and more spectacular effects and adventure on the having his house and family in hock to make unusual behaviour patterns. The subject and American scale which it might not be able to ends meet before the finance comes through. A tt the Rivers Run: another successful exploration o f the past.[...]The mini-series format has traps for the tele[...]vision programmer. One of the biggest[...]problems is that, unlike the series, the episodes[...]of the mini-series cannot be split for program[...]ming as re-runs. The show must occupy a set[...]number of slots in a progression which, if not[...]without major alienation of the audience. Even[...]episodes made 10 years apart are programmed[...]in the same week with success.[...]. The performance of mini-series re-runs has[...]but, in the U.S., it has been shown that they do[...]not do as well as the series. If the special event[...] |
| [...]In terms of production, other than the Gossips (1983) and The Scales of Justice (1983), distinct possibility that the Burrowes Dixon though lacking the scale of production of other production of The Anzacs will eventuate, commercial projects, were popular because of several projects from established producers are the strength of their scripts and the intimate in advanced stages of development or pre- nature of their setting.[...]However, Chris Muir, head of the ABC Perhaps the most interesting event of 1984 drama department, has indicated that the ABC will be the $7.3 million production by the South will in future steer clear of the mini-series bally Australian Film Corporation of Rolf Boldre- hoo in favor of lower-budget one-offs which he[...]n, to precede its television release by two tion, the current slump in the cable television years. Producer Jock Blair feels that both of market in the U.S. could prove disadvan[...]s will be viable propositions and will tageous to the local as well as the American provide a secure return on the investment industries. Home Box Office, the vast organiza which, at $750,000 an hour of television, places tion which pre-bought All the Rivers Run it well ahead of the current average of $600,000 (1983) from Crawford Productions, is cur[...]This will be interesting because the use of the restructure in an effort to streamline opera[...]two formats for the same material has not tions. Even though Henry Crawfor[...]proven successful for the two similar American series Five Mile Creek to the Disney cable ventures. For both Moses the Lawgiver (1975) network, cable television would a[...]and Shogun (1979) the feature film did poorly proving less of a bonanza than expected. The in the box-office, while the mini-series rated phenomenal growth of home video in the U.S. well on television. However, the enormous has hit hard at what was the scourge of network success of The Godfather and The Godfather television several years ago. Part II in the cinema guaranteed the subsequent In the U.S., critics are hoping that the estab success of the nine-hour mini-series, which was lishment in the past five years of non-network, cut out of the two films and previously unused independent produ[...]reened many years later. Operation Prime Time and Metromedia, will[...]from Shogun in that mean a trend toward material of more intro additional material will be shot for the feature spective drama appeal appearing in the tele rather than culling it out from the mini-series. feature and mini-series formats. Net[...]ont: Jack Thompson as Maxey. Given the proven inability of the mini-series to duction appears to have polarized[...]rate well in re-runs in the U.S., however, it will police, detective and acti[...]be interesting to see whether the audience, side and big-time, soap mini-series on the other. is successful the first time around it becomes having seen the blockbuster in the cinema, will Serious drama, other than that on the popular less special the second time. Re-runs, therefore, watch the same special event on television as Masterpiece Theatre, has all but been elimin are generally left until several years after the soon as two years later. The success of the mini ated from American network programming as first screening to allow for a degree of turn-over series would also appear to be heavily the frantic scramble to retain audiences in the in the audience. dependent on the success of the film release. light of home video and cable continues. Perhaps the most dramatic flaw with the The ABC has had a couple of interesting, if format is that the first episode has to do well on low-budget, attempts at the mini-series format the night or the network is left holding a in recent years. 1915 (1982), A Descant for Conclusion multiple-evening disaster. The format, because of the depth of its development, does not lend The mini-series has the capacity to be used for itself to having audienc[...]serious drama. The British established this in[...]the early days of the format and it has been with recaps at the head of each episode. Networks generally rely on heavy[...]consolidated with a number of quality Aus campaigns to sell the show. These often appear[...]tralian, American and British mini-series. The months before the program with fleeting and,[...]major hurdle is to maintain the pace and supposedly enthralling, promises of the consistency of the story development. A show imminent arrival of the big event. These[...]that waffles on endlessly without the draw- campaigns then progress with all manner of cards of a brilliant script or, conversely, soap media promotion in an effort to have the viewer sensationalism is destined to the pile of mini anxiously hanging off the end of his seat for the series flops that has grown in the wake of an first episode.[...]otherwise successful history. The network has to be sure of its material Furthermore, the special event status must be because, should the big event turn out to be a maintained. A number of prominent critics and fizzer, there is a limit t[...]producers have expressed concern with the rush cry wolf without depriving the mini-series of its of people, many without much experience, attractive[...]announcing interest in capitalizing on the tax But there have been few real fizzers rece[...]incentives and intending mini-series of their 1983 proved to be an excellent year for the[...]Crawford fear that a proliferation of quickly- mini-series in Australia and one which[...]ill prove hard to follow. It was a year in which the throw the format into disrepute and deprive it local product fared very well with the outstand in future of its special event attractiveness. ing critical and ratings success of The Dismissal This is, indeed, a danger as the current popu and All the Rivers Run, and the ratings suc larity of the format has every man and his cesses of For the Term of His Natural Life and Return to Eden.[...]drover's dog jumping on the bandwagon, much[...]as in 1975 and 1981 when everyone was making The Future[...]feature films. One can only hope that the[...]process of elimination by ratings trial that has This year seems set, however, to be at least as established the successful parameters of the[...]mini-series during the past 14 years will create spectacular for the mini-series. Network 7 alone[...]the pressures from the cable and television pro has nine mini-series programmed for the year. Several Australian shows await release[...]grammers for the continued and growing use of the format for quality television. + includin[...] |
| [...]change from being a Susan Lam bert's On Guard, in the style o f a heist adventure, about trying to do that within the successful documentary director to[...]adventure/thriller genre. But after a director of drama? concentrates on fo u r p[...]discussion we realized that What Sarah and I are interested (played by Liddy Clark, Jan Cornall, Kerry Dwyer and the women should be concerned in is getting new idea[...]about something, so that the adven Mystery Carnage). Shot on 16 mm and 51 minutes long, the ture/thriller stuff would[...]even in our docu film is a fra n k depiction o f the women's sexuality and mentaries, we have experimented emotional lives, and the complexity o f their domestic respon the issue of reproductive engi with new ideas in form as a me[...]ties. Within its thriller format, On Guard raises the neering which we had been int[...]act on women. to this end. For example, Size 10, at ested in for a long time. It is a[...]fabulously complicated moral the time it was made, was not really been co-directed wi[...]d associate issue, with which the medical and what you would call a standard[...]s (also legal authorities are still grappling. documentary. It included some[...](1980) and Age Before Beauty (1980). In the following Anyway, as[...]further into the writing, the issue In fact, that film had some initial[...]came more to the forefront and[...]o we had difficulty getting distributed because the dramatic sequences[...]ictoria Treole. at a position. That was the hardest and destined for some school[...]eresting is that it is not very radical. For us, of course, it[...]around or discussed within the image actually have some bodies in[...], or in larger it, but in 1978 you just didn't do[...]Do you always work with Sarah and statistics. As[...]No, I made two films for the more conventional documentary[...]Health Commission through the with interviews, talking heads and[...]ion, although it was our produc With On Guard, the area we[...]on company, Red Heart Pictures, wanted to look at was women as[...]that got the tender. Sarah has made activists. We wanted wo[...]another film too, Ailsa (1977), seen on the screen as thinking,[...]Originally, we were going to co The narrative drama suggested[...]position at the New South Wales could exercise almost total co[...]Institute of Technology, which she in terms of what was said and who[...]was keen to do, we reorganized the said it.[...]How did you get the idea for "On positive way. Then we got excited[...]an Lambert, right, and actress Mystery Carnage on the set o f On Guard. Guard" ?[...] |
| [...]fell on On Guard script, we went to the new kind of terrorism. Were you an adventure film, having both deaf ears. That whole assessment W[...]aiming for that? been addicted in childhood to the was a disaster for a lot of us. Perils o f Pauline kind of literature, supported the project with the first and that, combined with the frus What did you do after getting the $20,000 and then we went back to As soon as we started to break tration of never seeing strong, first-draft money from the down the script, we had to come to capable, active women on the Women's Film Fund? the Creative Development .Branch terms with[...]which came up with a further In the earlier drafts, they had just[...]$70,000. But we still had to raise sort of fluffed around with knobs to make a heist movie and have the We did several drafts and then[...]girls get away. That's where it we went back to the Creative another great chunk of money on television, and that wasn't[...]1983 and had raised the private Sarah had been overseas and tion money, at which point we were money in the December prior to what to do about it, a friend of came back obsessed with the idea rejected again. that. It was quite hair-raising at the mine, Cristina Perincioli, who is a that paper[...]time. German filmmaker, wrote to us obsolete and that credit was the evil Do you know why? after reading the first script. She force taking over, so we started I think they thought that the You said that the first lot of had picked up the same absence toying with that idea. That was[...]lly understand and suggested building into the three and a half years ago; the ideas what you were trying to do, or the story our relationship as film metamorphosed, as they do. Was that appropriate?[...]ch you worked. Was makers, as well as the relationship that because the script differed of women to technology, and that Where did you raise the finance for Looking back on it, I think it[...]nal narra started us off on a whole new the film? was. They were quite supportive of tive? period of research. We had to find[...]out just how you would go about We went to the Australian Film us in terms of being able to make It was attempting to do that at Commission with a treatment for a the film, feeling that we were very the time. In the first script the main sabotaging a computer bank, not a[...]achieved our aims in emphasis was a large gang of Twisted Passions" , which was the the past. But, they were reluctant to women as oppos[...]ght original story that became On take the risk on that script. They or even four, well-[...]vi imagine. Guard. We were rejected by the were worried about the move into duals. It was also much more Having arrived at a final script, Creative Development Branch, but drama. It was a bit of a blow. It surreal in the sense that the heist how did you cast the film? Liddy later got script money from the threw us right back into changing th[...]nown and Women's Film Fund. the dimensions of the script and unbelievable, and it didn't have the Kerry Dwyer is known for her Do you think that is significant? what resulted was On Guard, a issue-related content that the final theatre work but the others are much more conventional narrative, script had. There was none of the more or less unknowns. Was there Yes, very significant. The first except that it had four main[...]a reason for not using all estab assessors both came from the main characters, instead of the usual one eering. It was solely to do with lished actresses?[...]notions of crime and who are or two.[...]Digby, Sarah and I -- and we threw idea of what we, and others, were producer? One of the interesting things about out a very wide net. We looked at the heist in " On Guard" is that it is on about. A lot of people were dis quite domestic in flavor. The professional actresses as well as il[...]women who hadn't acted before, panel. The assessors had no idea No, Digby had been in it from mechanics of the crime are so but who were familiar with the about the films we had already the time we first approached the simply explained that the film lifestyle portrayed in the film. made, or the context in which we Women's Film Fund. With the new almost works as a blueprint for a Liddy was fabulous right from the Georgia (Mystery Carnage), Diana (Jan C[...] |
| [...]st reading and Jan Cornall was through into the lighting of the In relation to the lesbian Diana and Georgia escape fro m s[...]lm. It was quite successful and I sexuality in the film, we spent a lot guards during their mission. On Guard. wanted to work. She hadn't done think the film does have a real much film work but had worked a comic strip feel to it, which sets it of time discussing the best way to method of wedging a door open, so lot in comedy theatre and I thought apart from most of the European shoot it because, although some it is not as though the scene was she would be fascinating. It was a heist movies which are all grey and mainstream films have recently[...]th it, and I am brown. We wanted to reflect the dealt with it in a romantic way, we sure it is the beginning of a lot more Australian light.[...]I will say this about the English work in films for her.[...]urprised Do you think it is a particularly show scenes like this in an ordinary to see people walking around the Mystery Carnage is the lead Australian film? way and not make an issue out of house with just a towel around their singer of a Sydney rock band, The it.[...]parently, it is just not Stray Dags, and she was the Not so much in content, but shoot the bedroom scene in one done in England! So,[...]s to Liddy. certainly in light, color and the way think that some of their criticisms She has no formal acting experi[...]wide-shot and to have it quite are just, I also think that some of but has a fantastic screen presence;[...]ard" been possible not to have bits of sheet not you are familiar with people language that was very unst[...]walking around half-naked at home typical, which was one of the things covering up bits of body, but in fact -- and that is a function of climate we were trying to present on the It was selected for the London to have the bodies completely as much as anything el[...]as quite important. Film Festival and a lot of people exposed. At the time, they are lying suppose.[...]ed about it because in bed discussing what is the best What do you mean by unstereo- it made them feel[...]I think typical body language? the humor had something to do with that. And they loved the fact What continually frustrated us in that the women got away with it. It a lot of films is that every time is a standard convention, but women attempt to do anything everyone responded to it and[...]ays seem to fluff it enjoyed it on that level. The same up because they are seen as thing happened in Germany and[...]capable. They stumble Holland. running down the street; the simplest action is always too much. In Lo[...]o We wanted to work against that attend the discussions after the notion, not by making a big thing film, the audience relationship to of it, but just to show that, if you undress was the big controversy. train for it, you can perform almost There are some scenes in the film any physical feat with relative ease. where the women are nude or partly[...]scenes constituted a what were you hoping for in the art voyeuristic cinema. Some of the direction and style of the film? audience thought that the women were being set up for the male gaze The art direction was intended to and that men would get off on it, be comic book in style, with lots of which was of course the last thing primary color followed right[...]Are you only interested in directing[...]At the moment, I would like to[...]do more directing where I am not[...]responsible for the whole film and[...]the craft of directing. Despite that,[...]At 51 minutes long, " On Guard" is[...]What are the plans for it? Amelia (Liddy Clark) and Diana discuss the sabotage plans at the local swimming pool. On Guard. Ronin Films is the distributor[...]releases in four states, at the[...]Academy in Sydney, the Carlton[...]Moviehouse in Melbourne, the[...]Classic in Adelaide and at the Elec[...]The film will be billed with a selec[...]tion of Australian rock 'n' roll[...]tion, The Thief of Sydney, which[...]will make a great program. The[...]rock 'n' roll clips are a great idea, I[...]and played by the Stray Dags and[...] |
| [...]., Clayton. Telephone (03) 544 1700. films like 'The Man from Snowy River' just couldn't be made.[...]0 KVA unit mounted on 4 wheel drive vehicles, for the film ing of 'The Man from Snowy River' - that's portable power.[...]Send for our brochure and price list and think of us when you next hear "Lights, action...". |
| [...]sm Scott Murray The first issue of a magazine called Cinema Within (1982) and The Return of Captain Box 1 Papers was published by a group of under Invincible (1983).[...]Editorial, 1967 graduates at La Trobe University in October In 1968, Beilby left La Trobe to teach English 1967. The name was derived from Cahiers du and film studies, while Bishop continued with a We are thinking about cinema here in Mel Cinema which, by the mid-1960s, had become degree in Sociology. The next year, Scott bourne, Australia. We are involved in cinema the bible of the French " new wave" cinema. Murray arrived at La Trobe and began a Bach but we are working and thinking in a complete The 25-page journal was run off on the roneo elor of Science degree in pure maths. He joined vacuum . . . There is not one champion of the in the Glenn College office with the help of the the film society and wrote film reviews for the cinema in Australia who has any courage or college secretary, Kay Mathews (now at the campus newspaper, Rabelais, which was then[...]Local Production was a low-budget operation with both paper[...]Uninspired. Barely existent. Pathetic. The and machine borrowed from the late Professor[...]Commonwealth Film Unit does not rate. Nor do[...]production pampers the idiotic mind. Let us[...]hope (a hopeless hope) it is not indicative of the This first issue contained an emotional state of the Australian consciousness . . . editorial [see[...]Local Criticism by frustration at the lack of a meaningful and[...](in The Australian, The Bulletin, Nation and significant film industry in Australia in the[...]astonishingly devoid of sensitivity and intelli[...]Cinema is now. It is a symptom of the Great and Howard Willis.[...]ere. Cinema is now, thus Mora and Beilby had met at University High[...]absurd, how puerile to have to scream at Aus School in 1963. They shared an obsession wit[...]to be cast in the role of angry young men. We cinema, devouring any availa[...]rather hate and destroy. Oh the joy and film, and had also experimented with 8 m[...]simplicity of crushing a few cretinous heads . . . filmmaking at artist Mirka Mora's studio in And so we are brought to this. To scream in[...]the dark for cinema. But we know in advance Melbourn[...]ears. After graduating in 1966, they enrolled at La[...]with Bishop, Willis and Mathews. Not only did the society show films, its com mittee decided to make them; Bishop has described the resultant 16 mm shorts as " inter esting avant-garde and undergraduate stuff" . The Film Society also decided to support financially a film journal: the aforementioned Cinema Papers. Unfortunately, i[...]DITION OCTOBER (1974) , Mad Dog Morgan (1975), The Beast Cinema Papers, No. 1, October 1967. |
| A Personal History o f Cinema Papers The Second Attempt 1967-70 Towards the end of 1969 there were rumblings < IX IiM A E 1 P E R S of the re-emergence of a film industry in Aus[...] |
| [...]A Personal History o f Cinema Papers The Third Edition[...]design at the Phillip Institute of Technology 1973-84[...]rtson was assisted for several years not all the editorial was on Australian cinema. Despite Cine[...]Comics and Film, and reviews of Le Samourai, activities, while continuing studie[...]in Richmond and Solaris and Performance. The first of these films was the political docu the first issue produced. Dated January 1974, it men[...]hop, was released in December 1973. The 96-page It was always envisaged that[...]ce its editorial coverage between who had worked at Crawford Productions) and director[...]ilmography), Australian and overseas cinema. The magazine Andrew Pecze (also at La Trobe). Then, in scriptwriter[...]mentary on autistic written an episode of Libido), actor Graeme develop critical i[...]Cinema Papers also sought a coverage of In June 1973, Mora returned to Australia to[...]other national cinemas, ranging from the attend the Melbourne Film Festival to exhibit[...]Swedish to the French to the Sri Lankan. Many Swastika. He suggested to Beilby that they try There was a profile of director Peter Weir, by have parallels with Au[...]Richard Brennan. This was followed by the those in Canada and New Zealand. By means now working as a film editor at the La Trobe first Cinema Papers Production Report, which of lengthy supplements, which included inter Univer[...]Centre (run by Dr Patricia covered the location filming of The Cars That views with top industry figures, the magazine Edgar). He was interested and approache[...]viewed in attempted to provide a wide range of informa Murray and Bishop to be fellow editors, but the the Report were Weir, producers Hal and tion for those within the Australian industry to latter declined.3 Jim McElroy, director of photography Peter evaluate the positive aspects and avoid the[...]recordist Ken Hammond. negative. The major problem was finding the money to This initial Report set the tone for those that get the magazine up and running. The most followed (it was a regular feature up to issue Another benefit of a world view is that it likely source was the Film and Television Board No. 28), in[...]toward parochial jour (Radio was added later to the title), one of the prominence with directors and money men. nalism; such writing invites a lessening of seven boards of the then Australian Council for[...]standards, not what an industry, still in its the Arts.[...]esented by infancy, needs. In an interview at the time of[...]ission was prepared, which outlined the Hall interview), while technical matters of the best things we can do for the Australian the policy of the magazine as one of docu were covered in a piece on the Victorian Film film industry is to be tough on it." 4 The Aus menting the growth of the local film industry Laboratories. Ba[...]ating information to aid this on the recent Tariff Board Report on the reached maturity when its films can stand growth [see Box 3]. The aim was to cover the Motion Picture Industry [see Box 4]. There was honest comparison with the best from the rest spectrum of cinema, from film history to no Production Survey; that had to wait to the of the world. reviews, production reports to technical[...]Sydney, May 1974, p. 88. people from all facets of the filmmaking process. Box 4 In September, the Film and Television Board Tariff Board Report approved a grant of $10,000 for the first issue of what had been intended as a three-times-a- In Barrett Hodsdon's article on the 1973 Tariff year publication. The Board instead requested Board Inq[...]Hodsdon lists the Board's principal recom mendations: When the grant came through, Keith Robert 1. The formation of an Australian Film son was approached to do the lay-out. He agreed and went on to design every issue up to Authority (AFA) envisaged as the main body No. 42, when he left to work as a freelance charged with the function of fostering and developing the industry producing theatrical 3. Bishop did ev[...]een a frequent contributor. 2. The divestiture of 13 theatres from the major chains in Australia and the divorcement of Box 3[...]The second recommendation never came about, Application to the Film and but the AFA and the Australian Film Commis Television Board sion do share similar interests. It was intended that the AFA comprise four branches: The roots of an Australian Cinema have struck. (i) Project Branch. This was to replace the Australia may very soon be in a position not[...]take over distribution from Film Aus It is the impressive, parallel development in the past few years of film production, film criti tralia, cism, and film education that has laid the (b) act as an export agency[...]It is essential that these three developments do not now films, and[...]verge. What is needed is a forum to stimulate the interchange between filmmakers, critics and[...]a tion, criticism and innovation. It would aim at finance, as well as films of special involving, not only people working in the merit, and developing Australian cinema, but also the (b) the allocation of funds for the Experi interested public and foreign observers. mental Film Fund, the Film and Tele[...]act as an overseer of commercial exhibition[...]vise the divestiture of the theatre chains.[...] |
| [...]story o f Cinema Papers Australian Reaction The reaction to the first issue, by readers and SHOHEL fi[...]c. There was Stebtf a surprising number of people who felt Aus tralia would not be able to produce enough films for the magazine's writers to cover, but most applauded the launch of a new, national film magazine. Many newspapers carried minor items or photographs of the magazine's launch party, but it was not until April 27, 1974, after the publication of a second issue of Cinema Papers, that a considered opinion was printed. That was by film critic Colin Bennett in The Age (Melbourne): Film Guide, Film Journal,[...]all come and go. Now we have a magazine version of Cinema Papers . . . and a really promising publication it is. This courageous venture . . . devotes most of its big, bulging pages to Australian cinema -- just when the cinema is reaching its most interesting stage and needs all the encouragement and publicity it can get. The current issue includes some very important articles, as well as an amount of super fluous fat . . . There are pitfalls, I think, which Cinema Papers must be careful to avoid. One is the danger of overdoing the question-answer interviews format, which can quickly grow boring . . . Then again, the editors, in their commendable eagerness to promote local production, have devoted large dollops of space in both issues to some film people who have yet to prove[...]ght prove to be `a national film magazine worthy of the name to present an Australian viewpoint on cinema to the world'. And after 11 issues, Cinema Papers is at least well on the way . . . C.P. has become a forum for the interchange of ideas and informa tion between those who make, d[...]ry can afford to miss an issue . . . A good deal of C.P.'s superfluous fat has been cut away by now, although it is still inclined to grab the nearest available American producer off the plane and question him at length about his past in "B" quickies or his views on the Australian As to length, it has always been an editorial The Cinema Papers interview. industry. The magazine has also found a better decision between readability and the need for balance between local content and writing of the depth of coverage. At the same time, there is no __________________________________[...]Australian cinema are published it is these Papers . . .[...]a book, and resumed later; interviews which are the most often sourced[...]and quoted. In his first article, Bennett raised the most or, a reader can skip passages he finds of lesser voiced criticism of Cinema Papers: the number, relevance. It is certainly not presumed that Another oft-voiced criticism of Cinema[...]n that it has concentrated too length and format of its interviews. As Cinema every word in every interview is of interest to much on feature filmmaki[...]1976 article on the Sydney Filmmakers Co not commented on magazine p[...]operative wrote about " the total neglect of the perhaps informative to make some remarks always had the policy of returning edited trans new alternative Australian cinema by the[...]Interviewees may also suggest rewrites of " Alternative" is a word that people use[...]sections if they feel the passages are unclear, cover all kinds of filmmaking, from the avant- Two of the inspirations for the present but there is no obligation[...]ers to garde to low-budget features. In terms of highly Cinema Papers were Andy Warhol's Interview accept the changes. Obviously most are, since it experimental films, the editors of Cinema and the Playboy interviews. In fact, at one is in everyone's interest that the interview be Papers chose not to attempt to duplicate the stage it was envisaged the magazine would be fine work of the Cantrills in their magazine. entirely interviews; the editors finally decided printed in its best form. However, if the However, it was always intended that the on about 30 per cent. changes significantly alter the meaning of the magazine cover, and give recognition to, shor[...]estion-and-answer format, original they are not accepted. A published By the time of Thoms' article, of the 14 the editors chose not to commission rewritten interview is a record of that interview, and the directors interviewed by Cinema Papers, four interviews, whereby the interviewee's answers were at that time exclusively directors of short are dotted throughout the journalist's prose. integrity of it should be retained. films (Paul[...]ounge in his Bennett, have suggested that the interviews are Paddington sitting room. Copies of Vanity Fair unedited and thus cheaper to run than an 5. Albie Thom s, " H istory o f the Sydney Film m akers C o lay sprawled on his gl[...]his decaffeinated coffee. "Yes, it article. But the transcription costs alone are o1Cp.e' |
| [...]l shorts (e.g. Peter Weir, Mike AFC that a review of her film had cost her an[...]Andrew J. Psolo- than one feature: Ken G. Hall. (The break-up Another way the publishers of Cinema[...]koskowitz. of articles and reviews shows a similar pattern.) Pa[...]is dissemination It is not the place here to evaluate the skills of The most recent reference to Cinema Papers' of information to overseas readers was to the many contributors to Cinema Papers', their[...]s for itself. However, a look through " neglect" of alternative cinema appeared in produce a special issue each year for the Cannes the past 43 issues indicates the growing depth[...]and quality of film writing in Australia [see Barrett Hodsdon's review in Filmnews of Nick Film Festival. The bumper issue contained[...]ependent Filmmaking in Australia editorial on all the Australian films being[...]don begins: shown at Cannes in the official events and the the best film writers, whatever their areas of Apart from Filmnews and Cantrills Filmnotes marketplace. But due to the producer interest. there has not been much consistent coverage of the grumbling mentioned above, the issues In tandem with the increased editorial state of independent filmmaking in Australia over contained no reviews. This was the only time standard there has been a[...]editorial was affected by outside pressure9; the sales. Starting with only 4000 in 1973, sales now the last decade . . .[...]sales in more than 60 countries, making the In the biography at the end of his book, Herd AFC made it clear no[...]ributed than, say, lists articles and interviews of particular impor forthcoming if reviews[...]ls 9000 copies). tance. Cinema Papers has easily the most felt that the Cannes issue's principal role was In fact, Cinema Papers is now one of the number of entries, some 50 per cent more than the promoting of the Australian films and not world's fiv[...]the magazine (though an absence of reviews did journals, on a par with Film Comment in the displease several critics), the AFC's condition Cinema Papers has also pioneered the study was accepted by the publishers. U.S. of documentary filmmaking in Australia, so it is hard to know why this prejudice exists; the facts just don't support it.[...]It was originally intended that the members of Box 5 ; |
| [...]Tet joined Cinema Papers Above: the diversification publications. Opposite page: handled by the magazine editor in any spare Pty Ltd as a financ[...]was director in 1980I!). Le Tet, who had worked at[...]ann Publishers Crawford Productions and AAV, was at the Nelson was Australian TV: the first 25 years, Australia, in association with Cinema Papers. time a freelance consultant before becoming edited by Beilby. It continued the growing In this book, McFarlane examines 10 Austra managing director of The Film House Pty Ltd, coverage and[...]Australian television lian novels and the films made of them since[...]sultant to and then director and deputy chairman of the Then, in 1981, Cinema Papers published The In all, the diversification program was a Melbourne radio st[...]a (in association success, with most of the projects listing a contribution to Cinema Papers[...]ey collectively significant in two areas: change of frequency Beilby, it was a pioneer[...]costly to produce, and ended up draining the literary culture in Australia.[...]magazine's resources instead of supplementing In 1979, the magazine changed from a (base) them. This in itself threatened the continuance Interruptions 96-page quarterly to an 80-page bi-monthly. of the publishing program. Even with an The aim was to amortize overheads against six enviable track record, the effects of even one Cinema Papers had been published continu issues instead of four, and thus improve the `failed' project was becoming a r[...]1983 when company's balance sheet and cash flow. The Papers could barely afford to take. the publication was stopped, due to financial change to bi-monthly also enabled the maga insolvency. The reasons for this are complex, in zine to carry more news-type information and This concern, plus an absence of risk capital, part due to shifts in the relationship between be more up-to-date. led to a scaling down of the diversification Cinema Papers Pty Ltd and the AFC. program. Beilby left Cinema Papers at the end Going bi-monthly proved a success and was of 1981-82 to head a new publishing venture, As mentioned earlier, the AFC absorbed the appreciated by readers. Instead of sales falling, Roscope Publishers12, set up to publish the Film, Radio and Television Board.[...]happy merger, many senior executives in the tising revenue per issue dropped, the annual yearbooks in a joint ventu[...]AFC resenting having to take on the likes of the total increased. So in two ways the change of Nelson. This meant that the only projects which Experimental Film Fund; it was seen as frequency strengthened the magazine. could be initia[...]to the film industry. They were less interested in The rationale for diversification was that the film culture (despite the wording of the AFC's projected annual deficit had stopped reduc[...]tioned what they and was beginning to worsen. As the Australian[...]saw as Cinema Papers' aloofness from the film Film Commission, which had absorbed the industry. While the Film and Television Board Film, Radio and Televi[...]within the AFC felt the magazine should be meant extra funds had to be f[...]ore a servant to its philosophies and interests. The decision was to move into film-related publishing ventures which would hopefully return a profit. The diversification, overseen by Beilby while Murray ran the magazine, commenced in a major way with the Australian Motion Picture Yearbook, first published in 1980 in association with the New South Wales Film Corporation. Its appearance was welcomed by the industry, which had not had access to the mass of information listed in its pages, and the book sold sufficient copies (2500) to nearly bre[...]tions appeared in 1981 (also in association with the NSWFC) and in 1982 (under the Four Seasons imprint). By then, sales had increa[...]red overseas. Each edition was edited by Beilby, the third in partnership with Ross Lansell. Other early ventures included Film Produc tion in the State o f Victoria (1979, in associa tion with the then Victorian Film Corporation), edited by Murray, Film Expo 80 (1981, published for the Film and Television Produc tion Association of Australia and the NSWFC) and The Australian Film Producers and Inves tors Guide ([...]Beilby. This was a subscription service based on the highly- regarded " Guide to the Australian Film Pro ducer" , published in 19 parts in Cinema Papers. Unfortunately, the Investors Guide never fully got off the ground, and folded. A much more successful project was The New Australian Cinema (1979), edited by Murray. This was the first book to analyze thematically Australian[...]its print run and was reprinted in 1980. 11. The directors of Cinema Papers Pty Ltd have been: 12. Beilby left Roscope in mid-1983 to head The Film Peter Beilby (1976-84); Scott M urray[...]tralian Movies to the World (Glenn and M urray, 1983) To avoid confusion with the magazine, the com pany's and Drive to Win (Trevor Ling, 1984). He is also name is not italicized in the text. producer of Anna (Gordon Glenn) and Oh You[...]Beautiful Doll (Sue Cram and M arianne Latham ), both[...] |
| And, whereas the Film, Radio and Television make annual grants of only $40,000 to $50,000 amounts of money from specific corporations. Board had inst[...]a Papers be set Cinema Papers tried to produce the magazine It was, hopefully, a basis for discussion. But up as a privately-owned company, the AFC was for that, aware that substantially higher funds the AFC, alarmed by the size of the deficit and now arguing that the magazine should be[...]disappointed it had not been informed of the controlled by an industry membership (as with[...]situation earlier, rejected the application As well, there were the vagaries of the diver outright. One week later another letter came the Australian Film Institute). from the AFC enquiring about when Cinema The issue that brought everything to a head sifica[...]total absence of capital meant only one special would happen to the masthead and copyright. was money. Since 1977, C[...]Given the AFC's rejection, Cinema Papers from the AFC: Cinema Papers would predict Another contributing factor to the unhealthy had no alternative but to cease publication the annual, financial-year deficit and then position at the end of 1982-83 was the poor voluntarily and on July 22 all staff were laid apply to the AFC for that amount. In 1973, the state of the film industry. Unsettled by changes off. On the basis of legal advice, Cinema grant represented 100 per cent of the expendi in the tax legislation and generally hampered by Paper[...]ture budget; by 1981-1982, it had dropped to the severe economic recession, the industry its creditors while it attempted to solve its only 10 per cent, quite a gain on the road to went through a lean phase. This had a[...]^exhausting process. self-sufficiency. At the same time, the AFC began granting The net result of all the above factors, and Applications to Film Victoria and the South[...]ian Film Corporation were rejected. No less than the requested amounts. In the three reply has been received from the Queensland financial years from July 1980 to June 1983, faced at the end of 1982-83 with a large deficit. Film Corporation to the July 15 application Cinema Papers' requests were cut back by Given changes in the Companies Act, it became (things really do move slowly up North!). The[...]offers were forthcoming) or change the AFC's These cut-backs were crippling and diff[...]This meant the accumulated loss had to be to understand. Perhaps the annual grants were liquidated and the subsidy for the next financial Finally, after months of negotiation, and tied to earlier Film and Televi[...]d or Cinema Papers would have to involving the advice and help of a Cinema ($9000 per issue in 1974; $8333 in 1982[...]ers Action Committee13, an agreement was perhaps the cut-backs represented an AFC cease its o[...]reached between Cinema Papers and the AFC suspicion of the size of the projected deficit, In June 1983 Cinema Papers applied to the and Film Victoria. It is worth mentioning h[...]because it will have a major effect on the[...]setting out its financial position. magazine in time to come. notorious for inflating their claims. One hope was to convince the AFC about the Of course, there were many other factors that extent to which Cinema Papers felt it had been 13. The committee comprised, apart from Cinema Papers[...]nema Papers' financial plight, underfunded over the years. The application Natalie Miller, Jill Robb[...]then proposed a scheme whereby the AFC and requests in full it still would have been in the red. And if the AFC is guilty of unnecessary the various state film bodies would together cut-backs, Cinema Papers is guilty of having meet the deficit and adequately fund the requested too little. Knowing the AFC would[...]While the application proposed a general course of action, it did not request specific[...] |
| [...]Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Future[...]ephen Crofts Cinema Papers Pty Ltd has now sold the Editors[...]Donner, John Dowding taken on the subscription liability. The[...]ricia Edgar, Ray Edmondson, Urs Egger, directors of MTV Publishing Limited are: Peter Contributing Editors[...]patrick, John Flaus, John Fox, Richard of marketing at Roadshow) and Tom Ryan Bishop, Davi[...]reda Freiberg, Eric Fullilove (lecturer); others are still to be appointed. Brennan, Gordon Gle[...]rryn Gates, Dr Peter R. Gerdes, Basil As part of the deal, the AFC and Film Margo Lethlean, Ian Bail[...]n, Gordon Glenn, John Goldlust, and investments (the NSWFC had already[...]Ian Griggs ment in the second Australian Motion Picture[...]G. Hall, Sandra Hall, Fred Yearbook). As well, the AFC has granted Keith Robertson, Erni[...]Harvey, David Hay, Peter Hay, Gail Heath- the purchase of assets and the financing of the Assistant designers wood, Nick Herd, Dorothy Hewett, Solrun publication of three issues of Cinema Papers by[...], Barrett Hodsdon, Bruce Hodsdon, Cecil June 30 (of which this issue is the first). During Andrew Pecze, Tess Baster, Louis[...]Holmes, Ian Horner, Bruce Horsfield, John that time a publishing and marketing Liz Ma[...]inson, Anne B. consultant will examine all areas of production Hutton and management, and report back to the MTV Business consultant Norman Ingram directors on what he feels is the most feasible[...]on, Dave Jones, Ian Jones could involve a change of frequency or format.[...]Don Kennedy, Stephen Kennett (Scott Murray), The final decision lies with the directors. Business manager[...]an Long, Pat Longmore, Barry Lowe 10 years with the publication, believes it is in Office managers[...]Margaret McClusky, Jim McCullogh, Brian the journal's best interest to have a fresh input.[...]McLennan, Steve McMillin Not only will the MTV directors and staff Harvey, Nimity James, Trish Hunt, Patricia bring new ideas to the magazine, but annual, Amad[...]Mayer, Monte Miller, Ken Mogg, Vicki Molloy, The net result of all these changes is that Goodhart, Lisa Ma[...]Philippe Mora, Cinema Papers can look forward to the future. Heather Powley[...]e Moses, Jim Murphy, John increased funding from the AFC and Film Office assistance[...]nis Way Nicholson, Mike Nicolaidi, Phil It will, of course, be a different magazine.[...]Peter Page, Janet Paramore, Barrie Pattinson, The author would like to record here his P[...]ce, Jeff Peck, Andrew Phillips, appreciation to the following for their assist[...]Pruks, Noel Purdon period of adjustment:[...]Thelma Ragas, All those readers who wrote to the AFC[...]ic Reade, J. H. Reid, Mike giving their opinions of the magazine and Barbara Guest, Maxine God[...]s Ricketson, Kenn arguing for continued funding; the AFC, in Murray, Chris Davis, Peggy Nich[...]ennifer Sabine, N. N. Sachitanard, Dave Kearney; the New South Wales Film Corpora Marcus Co[...]ey, Erica Short, Neil Greenwood for working part-time for four[...]live Sowry, Mark months, without any expectation of financial Natalie Miller[...]t, Sue Spunner, Tom Stacey, Ray Stanley, reward; the Cinema Papers Action Committee[...]ickland, Errol Nicholls; Les Pradd; David White; the manage[...]Sullivan, Paul Sweet, Bobbi Sykes ment and staff at The Film House for their co Photography[...]te, Max Taylor, Phil Taylor, David operation and the use of facilities, especially[...]hill (Antony I. creditors who gave Cinema Papers the time and Le Pechoux[...]tance John Tulloch The author also wishes to thank sincerely all[...]Peter Westfield, David White, Howard Willis, The early sections of this article are based, in Ian Wilson, Uri Windt part, on a study of Cinema Papers written by Geoff Par[...] |
| [...]on the[...]altd the future Government Support[...]are not exempt. films. That might have been true but the market for the Film[...]The truth is that patrons, whether private m[...]are essential to international sales. Overseas Indus[...]benefactors or bodies corporate, are dwarfed actors are a waste of money (besides being when the dust has settled by the triumphs and culturally impure). The subject-matter of our[...]films should be more international. The most follies of those they support. They are like the interesting subjects are those based on our[...]American cinema distribution. No, the cinema Phillip Adams[...]is dying; our best commercial hope lies in the when the building has finally taken shape. new ancillary markets. Both propositions are Chairman, Australian Film Commission[...]However, for those who insist you are only as pictures; we should be making mini-se[...]good as the last thing you did, the evidence is in[...]es and Follies your hands: the most recent decision of the because of very recent experience. Thus, the[...]success of films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock[...]s 10th Anni and Caddie led to a rush to buy the rights to a[...]lot of old Australian novels. The Man from Some months ago the Australian Film Commis versary Issue, which I now[...]Snowy River was taken as a validation of big[...]promotional expenditure. In sion (AFC) announced the appointment of Kim[...]handedly been responsible for the recent Williams as chief executive-designate. At the advocacy of low-budget films. time I expressed delight that someone of Kim's[...]failure as to success. This explains the backlash calibre had been foolish enough to acce[...]against period films after the disappointing amused when he heard this but I wo[...]) response to The Irishman, The Mango Tree and[...]the like. I well remember the fears expressed by will be laughing in six months time. By then he a number of people when the New South Wales[...]period film?" was the wail. " You're making a political joustings and[...]mistake. The public is sick of nostalgia." In[...]Corporation their anguish, they ignored the fact that plainants, seers, bagmen and visionari[...]" nostalgia" and that a film set at the turn of The AFC spends much of its time saying nyet the century could have contemporary rele[...]we, too, were driven to tears to people, hearing the same word echo in the The Holy Grail -- all the way to the bank. gloomy corridors of Canberra and, occasion[...]This points to the problem with most of the ally, when everything comes together and there I[...]formulas which have been advanced for the is a film on the screen, standing in the back row through most Australian attitudes to film- salvation of the Australian film industry: they and applauding the result. But there will be few making in the past decade, it is this: the search have generally suffered from the logical fallacy[...]of arguing from the particular to the general. thanks and no Oscars for Kim. At the end of his for a magic formula for The Great Australian This is not to say that[...]ant several things by Great: elements of truth. Thus, it is interesting to[...]observe that the most profitable Australian Tuscany and begin work on his melancholy implicit in the use of the word have been artistic[...]ter either in Australia or elsewhere, on the box-[...]office attraction of overseas stars. (While two Government support for the arts is really a tainment. The GAM would be something which of those films -- The Man from Snowy River euphemism for fiddling and funding. It is audiences would both admire and make and Breake[...]d foreign performers something people in suits do to people in profitable. T-shirts. What's more, it is something you do The magic formula has been our holy grail, largely by the seat of your pants: there are lots something which, we have told ourselves, can of rules but no formulae. You have to use your be found with just a bit more time, effort and wits and read between the lines on the pieces of knowledge. Indeed, every six months or so, one paper and faces in front of you. You can't or more opinion-leaders in the film industry consult a computer or a crystal[...]ped up and announced that they have This being the case, how do you judge the found it -- well, maybe. Like a medieval value of government support, the finesse of the alchemist crying " Eureka" , we have delivered[...]een as varied rhetoric or dress sense. Perhaps the answer is to and contradictory as the following: apply the Hollywood rule: that you are only as We must aim modestly at successful art- good as your last picture, or, in this case, house distribution. We must make films for the funding decision.[...]that is a pretty tough yardstick. Most should be the best of European cinema. No, we filmmakers want to tal[...]ore to learn from American films. We ture, not the one they just finished, just as must spend much more money on production. anglers prefer to recall only the one that got We must keep our budgets very low. People are 54 -- March-April CINEMA PAPERS |
| [...]The Industry Comments in key roles, they were chosen for performance, course, be very important, both in terms of the that the industry will simply churn out " more not for an[...].) Simi cultural and entertainment objectives and the of the same" , and lose much of its vitality. larly, the best prospects for many Australian financial resp[...]reer nor Mad films in North America might lie in the individuals, I do not think we have to take Max[...]nted ourselves nearly as seriously as we so often do. tions, and yet both are landmarks in Australian Mad Max 2 and The Man from Snowy River As I said before: what we need are talent and cinema. from breaking into the mainstream American good ideas, not self-importan[...]During the next 10 years I would like to see[...]actresses. Apart from the prettier period pieces,[...]as offered few good parts doing good business on the American art-house[...]ducers take stock of the culture they are circuit.[...]roles or not even represent them at all. From white chargers in the Middle Ages, the search the end of 1979 to mid-1982, only 12 per cent of[...]looks at the nature of the roles during that proved, and will continue to p[...]period, many of them received very little screen[...]time and the majority were passive. There is no magic formula. What matters are Janette Paramore talent and good ideas, and these are[...]actors. It is essential, if Australian films are to words, incapable of reduction to some kind of[...]teachers, theorem. In saying this, I am mindful of The achievements of the Australian film as actors in other parts of the world do. It is something which the chairman and chief industry during the past 10 years have been also essential that writers and directors gain executive of Universal Pictures, Lew Wasser- positive and swift. In a few years, the industry experience in performance since they are man, the doyen of Hollywood filmmakers, has won recognition at home and abroad. dealing w[...]ing their own. once said: if he could be certain of a film's In spite of this, the `knockers' continue to Currently ther[...]Now that additional time is available to would set up a one-man clairvoyancy business. From having no feature film industry at all, complete a film under the tax concessions, it is Even what he earns in his present job would Australian films have moved from The Adven hoped that more time will be given to pre- pale into insignificance alongside what he tures of Barry McKenzie to My Brilliant Career[...]actors, has been virtually overlooked in the[...]mean feat Australian industry. Rarely is the actor given This is not a matter for despair; it[...]at film is a high-risk pre-production time for research, character- a reality. For, without the aid of formulas, business with each product taking years[...]development, accent work or rehearsal with the Australian filmmakers -- producers, directors, c[...]director. Time invested in these areas would technicians, actor[...]ve achieved an important enhance the quality of the finished product and achieved a lot in the past 10 years. In place in local distribution and exhibition, and assist the shoot. measurable terms, they have made some highly won audiences across the world; the ratio of successful films and have won a host of awards. box-office success for Australian films i[...]have achieved tralia is slightly better than that of imported extend its intervention, which has provided the two immeasurable results: they have helped lift[...]uction industry, into Australians' consciousness of their own place national awards; and Australian actors, writers distribution and exhibition. The product is and culture, and they have created a greater and directors are frequently wooed by the there and has proven its worth. The market overseas awareness of our country. Even if we major studios.[...]hich that product must go is struc have not made the greatest film ever (or even It must be recognized that without the tured in such a way as to disadvantage one-off The Great Australian Movie), these are large support and intervention of Australian govern suppliers such as Australian producers. The achievements.[...]ments, both at the state and federal level, the government can do that, and there is little point It remains true,[...]ould not have been supporting the production of film if it is dis films fail than succeed commer[...]advantaged at the selling point. throughout the film world, not just in The requirements that television commercials Australia. Nevertheless, at this stage of its be produced locally, the Australian content Whatever the future holds for Australian development -- and in the foreseeable future -- regulations for television, the subsidization of cinema, as long as it continues to be controlled the Australian film industry cannot be theatre, the establishment of the National by Australians and promote an Australian cul economically viable, independent of govern Institute for Dramatic Art and the Australian tural identity, its achi[...]film-funding Film and Television School provided the skilled Children's Television bodies remain an important source of pro crews, writers and actors necessary for the film Patricia Edgar duction finance, although the federal tax industry to develop. The role of the various[...]Ten years ago the Children's Television tax incentives are a form of official assistance development, investment, loan[...]Advisory Committee (CTAC), in a report to the[...], con anyhow). And they continue to provide most of assistance. The introduction of the tax demned the low standard of children's[...]programs produced by the television industry. the funds for script and project development. incentives for film was simply a progression in The programs, the CTAC said, failed to meet[...]the spirit of the Production Guidelines for That is why the state and federal film-funding government support[...]June 1971. The programs were unimaginative, bodies need the continued support of their When the package of government support is low-budge[...]tive governments. looked at in toto, whatever failings each individ- droves. There is another reason for the continued dual piece in that package may have, it is none In 1981, two years after the introduction of[...]new guidelines for children's programs by the existence of a variety of government funding theless an achievement in the overall develop bodies and this takes me back to my starting ment of Australian film. point. Holy grails have a habit of being as It is to the credit of the creative people perpetually alluring as they are permanently working in the industry that not only have they elusive. All of us in the film industry are guilty, the skill to produce, direct, write, film and act at one time or another, of thinking we have hit in films of worth, but that they have also had upon a good formula for filmmaking. This the initiative and determination to seize on means that, if there were only one source of opportunities, ride out hard times and lobby funds for development and production, the governments to build an industry where one fil[...]to lurch from one had ceased to exist. attempt at achieving a magic formula to However, the industry is still young. It another. As long as there are varied sources of requires further fostering and continued fundi[...]can be different objectives and different One of the greatest dangers to the continued visions. That way we can keep on making vitality of Australian film is the reluctance to worthwhile films -- in spite of ourselves. foster new talents. In the current climate of What I have said might seem somewhat investors[...]nt. So be it. A touch more irreverence, have held the same positions in previous suc towards ourselves, w[...]ses, and with some government bodies industry. The end result of our labors can, of looking in the same direction, there is a danger[...] |
| The Industry Comments[...]lement Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT), the Television Foundation (ACTF). After a films were shown at all was due to the sense of Children's Program Committee (CPC), the number of government inquiries, a Senate obligation felt by the distributors and ABT's advisory committee, made the same Standing Committee report and the hard work exhibitors, and the pressure applied by the film kind of critical comments that had been made of a number of groups and individuals, the community. A lot of heat and urgency was almost a decade earlier. The CPC criticized Australian Education Council decid[...]people who were determined, stations for meeting the letter rather than the establish a Working Group to look at the feas without really knowing why, that Australia spirit of the guidelines. They decried the lack of ibility of establishing such a Foundation. That have a film industry. diversity, the high level of repeats, the dearth of investigation led to the ACTF's incorporation By the late 1970s, this sense of urgency had any Australian children's drama and the lack of in March 1982.[...]reached the stage where expectations about initiative by stations. So what has been The ACTF's major function is to act as a what the Australian film industry could achieved in 10 ye[...]e look catalyst bringing to children's television the produce had been raised too high. Films began forward to in the future?[...]ion industries' best resources. falling far short of expectations and the public The first breakthrough for the decade came This is done by encouraging the development, began to greet each new Australian film with with the public inquiry into self-regulation for production and transmission of programs the attitude, " Here is another Australian film broadcasters in 1977. The ABT recognized the through script development, production- being foisted on us.'' In part, the public was poor performance of stations in the area of oriented research, providing production invest reacting to the fact that every Australian film children's television and recommended both the ment finance and other appropriate forms of was being described as the best Australian film establishment of a system of " C" classification assistance to program makers. The Foundation ever -- at the urging of the producers. for programs specifically designed for children also works to raise the profile of children's Today, the energy and urgency have aged between six and 13 years, and the television in the community by running dissipated somewhat and the people handling formation of a Children's Program Committee workshops and semi[...]n films have more confidence in them, to oversee the development of this concept. arranging screenings, and publishin[...]to hand broadcast between 4 and 5 p.m. Monday to The past 10 years have brought significant ling a film from any other country: that is, each Friday. The Government accepted these recom changes in the area of children's television in film must be considered on an individual basis mendations and the CPC was formed in Australia, but the main results are yet to be seen and on its merits. November 1978 with the requirements for " C" on the television screens. A regulation system The public's expectation of Australian films classified programs being introduced from July can provide only the framework; a foundation has also become more realistic, taking the 1979.[...]cers and attitude that locally made films will be the same The CPC began with high hopes. Nothing stations would[...]wn in children's television exciting projects:3in the end, the stations must good and some will be bad -- without the was envisaged in which programs would have co-op[...]obligation Australian films have had to carry in the same resources, human and financial, as The position the ABT takes is of funda the past: that they are the best ever. their adult counterparts. The results fell far mental importance in this process. Standards The pressure on distributors and exhibitors short of this expectation.[...]cutive enjoys from producers has also lessened as the latter The regulation of children's television is a the process of public accountability that the became more sensible and more attuned to the new field. Only in Australia has the body licence renewal system could provide. The marketplace. In the early 1970s, producers used responsible for monitoring the commercial machinery is all in place to make stations to be concerned that the distributor was not television industry taken on the challenge of accountable. The ABT can wield the stick but spending enough money on the launch of a regulation; each step has been experimental. there must also be a carrot. Alongside the work film. Even today one still encounters producers- The CPC soon recognized that the system of the ABT and the work that the ACTF is whose first question is: " What is your a[...]uning if regulation were to be doing to stimulate the creative development of tising budget?" If it is not $250,000, they successful. Two years after its creation, the programs, there needs to be an improvement in become frantic on the mistaken assumption CPC concluded there had been limited the atm osphere surrounding children's that there is[...]ng from programs so that quality becomes a matter of the advertising dollar and the box-office: that its work. A number of high-quality, overseas broadcaster prestige.[...]is, the more you spend the more you are going programs had been shown which most certain[...]ralia to make. would not have been shown without the ABT's because of the cross-ownership of the media. Producers are now realizing that it is not wise requirements.[...]e Aus There is virtually no intelligent criticism of to seek distribution with a distributor who does[...]neral, in not share their commercial expectations of the have been produced. The problems of the daily press or in magazines in Australia. film and, second, that the distributor's children's television continued to be publicized, Most media discussion of television is aimed at judgment about the financial possibility may largely because of the CPC's existence. the promotion of programs which does little to be accurate in that there is no sense spending However, the high level of repeated spark a competition to excel. Few journalists money putting a film in the marketplace only to programs, the lack of diversity, the pushing of understand the complexities of producing lose it; it may be better to aim solely for video programs beyond the young age level to attract television for children or the potential of cassette, television or overseas sales. There are older audiences, and the lack of high-quality children's television. Through letters, articles, many films released in the U.S. and other productions remained as problems. For the publicity campaigns and awards, programming territories that are never seen outside the next three years the ABT ignored the CPC's achievements can be recognized.[...]borders of their country of origin and, alter requests to tighten the regulatory system. The Although the groundwork has been laid in natively, many that are never seen in their stations flouted the guidelines and the ABT the past 10 years for an Australian children's country of origin. took no action until October 1983 when it television industry, the next 10 years will tell if released the CPC's revised program standards it is going to succeed. Unless the community Obviously, not all the judgments of a dis for public comment. These standards are well- gets behind the organizations that are now in tributor are correct but it is also difficult to drafted and tighten the loopholes that had been place, children will co[...]about a film evident. Repeats have been limited. The which disagrees with that of the filmmaker. standards require 50 per cent of first-release Distribution and[...]What one is saying, in effect, is: " After all the[...]spent, no one is going to see it." Of course, 5 p.m.; they require a diversity of program Alan Finney there are options in this situation and one of types and an eight-hour, high-quality children's[...]these is to screen the film in " one city tests" . drama quota from eac[...]or, Marketing and Distribution, Roadshow Instead of spending money on a national broadcast each year beginning July 1984. The[...]Sydney to get some idea of the film's appeal to ABT is expected to have promulgated the the public and to test the marketing approach. standards by late February 1984. It has taken In the years leading up to the early 1970s, it five years of work by the CPC to create this[...]Careful, He Might Hear You and Man of standards; it takes creative talent, ideas, pr[...]Flowers. Jane Ballantyne [co-producer, Man of[...][co-producer and duction expertise and money. The second major breakthrough in the past seemed as though there were films from the director] were met with great relief and delight decade in the area of children's television was U.S., France, Italy and Britain . . . and then by Roadshow when they said " We're the establishment of the Australian Children's there were Australia[...] |
| [...]ION PICTURE YEARBOOK 1983 The third edition o f the Australian Motion Picture[...]rbook has been totally revised and updated. The Yearbook again takes a detailed look at what has been happening in all sections o f the Australian film scene over the past year, including financing, production, dist[...]vals, media, censorship and awards. A s in the past, all entrants in Australia's most comprehen[...]industry directory have been contacted to check the accuracy o f entries, and many new categories ha[...]f profiles has been compiled and will highlight the careers o f director Peter Weir, 'composer Brian May and actor M el Gibson. A new feature in the 1983 edition is an extensive editorial section w[...]g, special effects, censorship, and a survey o f the impact our film s are having on U.S. audiences. f |
| The f ir s t comprehensive hook[...]$ 14.95 on the A ustralian film revival NEW AUSTRALIAN CINEM In this major work on the Australian film industry's dramatic rebirth, 12[...]an invaluable record for all those interested in the New Australian Cinema. The chapters: The Past (Andrew Pike), Social Realism (Keith Connoll[...](Virginia Duigan), Avant-garde (Sam Rohdie). The First 25 Years[...]$ 14.95 A U S T R A L I A N T V The fir s t 2 5 years records, year by year, all the important television events. Over 6 0 0 photo[...]memories o f programmes long since wiped fro m the tapes. The book covers every facet o f television programmin[...]A U S T R A L I A N T V takes yo u back to the time when television fo r most Australians was a curiosity -- a shadowy, often soundless, picture in the window o f the local electricity store. The quality o f the early programmes was at best unpredictable, but still people would gather to watch the Melbourne Olympics, Chuck Faulkner reading the news, or even the test pattern! A t fir s t imported series were the order o f the day. Only Graham Kennedy and Bob Dyer could challenge the ratings o f the westerns and situation comedies fro m America and Britain. Then came The Mavis Bramston Show. W ith the popularity o f that rude and irreverent show, Au[...]ion came into its own. Programmes like Number 96, The Box, Against the Wind, Sale o f the Century have achieved ratings that are by world standards remarkable. A U S T R[...]IA Documentary films occupy a special place in the history and development o f Australian filmmaking. From the pioneering efforts o f Baldwin Spencer to Damien[...]filmmakers have been acclaimed world-wide. The documentary film is also the mainstay o f the Australian film industry. More time, more money and more effort go into making docume[...]m -- features, shorts or animation. In this, the first comprehensive publication on Australian doc[...], authors and filmmakers have combined to examine the evolution o f documentary filmmaking in Australia, and the state o f the art today. $12.95208 pp |
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| [...]The Industry Comments Roadshow had an idea for a budget that corres in the past few years these have become more[...]It is a development numerous. Film Australia's The Human Face we applaud because it would be irresponsible to of China, produced by Suzanne Baker, Edols, 1976). spend massive amounts of money that will not screened on TEN-10 in 1980. In 1981, ATN-7 In 1975, the Australian Film Commission significantly increase one's return at the box- aired Stepping Out after its director, Ch[...]cial deal with (AFC) replaced the AFDC. The next year it profit for producers and investors. sponsors to avoid breaking the film for com mercials. In 1983, the ABC finally showed took over the work of the Australia Council's The question of whether marketing methods David Bradbury's[...]al rejection), and ATN-7 bought became the basis for the AFC's Creative geted towards a specific audience[...]Development Branch (CDB), formally estab the market has changed, is difficult to answer. Co[...]in 1983, Alec Morgan and Gerry Marketing methods are neither sophisticated Bostock's Lousy Little Sixpence and Marian lished in 1978. nor do they change very much; we really tend to Wilki[...]1 screened in Sydney city Since the mid-1970s, the CDB, along with the do the same things again and again. Some cinemas (ones that are independently pro marketing tools and approaches are more grammed, but representing an impr[...]has appropriate for a particular film; probably the nonetheless on past years). And First Contact become a major source of funding for docu key question is: " Which of the rather stereo broke the box-office record at the Sydney typical and established set of procedures do we Opera House cinema. Then, in January 1984,[...]pivotal to an increase in production. The range cinema to see a particular film, apart from the Aussie Assault opened at Hoyts in Sydney and of themes being treated and styles being mass audie[...]employed has also blossomed. Return of the Jedi, is an unknown. No one mentary. Of course, the topic, Australia's knows why before the event. Everyone knows America's Cup win,[...]onically, television, normally unadven why after the event.[...]turous, helped show the way. In 1969, the ABC These days most local documentaries are pro began the series, Chequerboard, which ran into One of the most pleasant surprises of the past duced for industry, or turned out by the the mid-1970s and introduced a new style of 10 years was Breaker Morant. Long and[...]enthusiastic Matt Carroll [producer} films are the staple product at Film Australia Among the social issues of the early 1970s about a film no one could have predi[...]itles stand out as innovative or was the beginning of the " second wave" of become so successful. It was essentially a court[...]g's Passionate feminism. A handful of self-taught filmmakers room drama, admittedly structured so the Industry (1973), Mr Symbol Man (Robert began the Sydney Women's Film Group and action appeared an[...]hout, Kingsbury and Bruce Moir, 1975) and The began producing films to promo[...]not entirely attractive people, and Human Face of China (1979). ideas. The group's first films, Woman's Day not with what the industry calls an " up[...]d Some documentaries, such as those by the cussion (1974), are still popular. " break-out" possibilities. However, the film Leyland brothers or Malcolm Douglas, are pro was not just successful, it was incredibly s[...]number are made independently, usually with Got At (1972) and Barbara Creed's Homo Most Australian films being made on the the aid of government funds. s[...]or Discussion (1975). In budget levels operating at this time can't expect International Women's Year, 1975, the South to recoup money within Australia. Until Aus For several decades, until the beginning of Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) and Film tralian films make a significant inroad into the 1970s, " docum entary" was almost other major markets, they are hardly likely to synonymous with the Commonwealth Film Australia[...]Unit (now Film Australia). The merged issues. From the SAFC came four films under[...]giants Cinesound and Movietone con the general title 1:1 and, from Film Australia, The video market is obviously another area tinue[...]days were long gone. Twenty years earlier, the Jane Oehr's Seeing Red and Feeling Blue, a return, particularly if the film was not commer two companies had each bee[...]ruation, remembered in part cially successful in the theatres. However, the well as newsreel and feature producers. Cine- for the controversy over Film Australia's final video ma[...]off in a major way sound even won an Oscar in the documentary cut. in 1983, and I[...]too early to judge category, for its newsreel, The Kokoda Trail what its effect on cinema attendanc[...]rs. In the 1950s, major documentary producers gorized. Certainly the most ambitious and included Kingcroft Productions and the Shell D ocu m en taries Film Unit, with which John Heyer made the important documentary, however,[...]magnificent The Back of Beyond (1954). Love or Money[...]During that period also the Waterside Workers McMurchy, Jeni Tho[...]rare 1983), a two-hour compilation of the history of Television reporter and producer[...]ustralian women's working lives. Documentaries are the Cinderellas of the film Through the 1960s and early 1970s the most In the 1970s, the Aboriginal land rights business. Those who make them are not feted numerous independent documentari[...]movement was also gathering steam. Ales by the media the way feature filmmakers are; surfing films. Their producers, among them sandro Cavadini documented the black the films themselves do not always fit the Bob Evans, Paul Witzig, Albert Falzon and struggle, including the pitching of the tent popular conception of cinema. But, in the past David Elfick, side-stepped traditional dis embassy in front of federal parliament in decade, it is the documentary more than the tribution problems by creating their own o[...]Together with Carolyn feature which has revealed the depth of talent in halls and clubs along the coast of New South and imagination in the local industry. Aus Wales.[...]Laws (1981). Curtis Levy commercially, than most of the much-vaunted able to draw on loan funds from the Australian filmed Sons of Namatjira (1976) and Mal- features which have se[...]established in 1970. In the early 1970s, other recorded traditional artists in A Calendar of documentary filmmakers turned to the Film, Dreaming (1977) and Mick and the Moon Until recently, however, a local, indepen Radio and Television Board of the Australian (1978); and director of photography, Michael dently made documentary was likely to be Council for the Arts (subsequently the Aus screened only by the Sydney Filmmakers Co tralia Council) which assisted films such as Edols, made the lyrical Lalai -- Dreamtime and operative, the Australian Film Institute or Tidikawa and Friends (Jef and Su Doring, Floating (both 1976). Perth Institute of Film and Television, and the 1971); Protected (Carolyn Strachan and Ales chances of a sale to local television were, at sandro Cavadini, 1976); Niugini -- Cultural[...]en some exceptions, but 1. In 1983 ASIO told the Hope Royal Commission that Martha Ansara a[...]Allies was being funded by the KGB, a charge denied Survival as An Aborigin[...]and ridiculed by the filmmakers. It was an unexpected[...]In 1978, concern about the environment was[...](Richard Cole), two films about the " green[...]recently the battle for Tasmania's Franklin[...]River has prompted titles such as The Last Wild[...]These are but a few of the issues taken up by[...]been covered by institutions such as the Aus-[...] |
| The Industry Comments[...](John Duigan 1974, has produced a diverse series of docu[...]fruitful, integrated marriage between the two. mentaries, from Phil Noyce's irreverent[...]This has a lot to do with the fact that Australian[...]film culture is barely a film culture at all but profiles of a guru and a bikie leader in Castor Adrian Martin[...]instead a desert where the fast-diminishing and Pollux (1974), to Peter Gra[...]species of people, fanatically saturated in the of masturbation in People Don't Talk About It Tutor in Film Studies, Melbourne College of Advanced Education historical appreciation of the cinema through[...]film societies and the like, overlaps less and less (1977), and Gilly Coote's witty view of the Ten years of Australian cinema: what is it that with the species of bright, young film-school[...]technicians who are likely to become Aus virtues of condoms in Getting it On (1977).[...]tralia's official filmmakers. In 1977, the AFTS also produced a " training has kept me hangi[...]t It used to be said of Australian films that film" , a dramatized-documentary called Me time as a film critic, promoting or debunking[...]the filmmakers who suffer from this trait, as and Da[...]demonstrated by a real fear of full-blooded which detailed the working lives of women arguments and generally prescribing the best filmic expressiveness and an arrogant disdain of employed in a chicken-processing plant. The direction for our national cinema? the cinema's languages and traditions. film became a cause celebre when the AFTS The answer is a sad, tired, disillusioned one[...]word: duty. Not exactly the duty of a patriot Breaker Morant which make their mark at took legal action to prevent its release.[...]about the level of a decent tele-movie, Aus[...]y stylish Although most Australian documentaries are plugged into the " I love Australia" , gung-ho films by any standards, such as Mad Max, The made by institutions, it is those made inde nationalism which by now is the official policy Last Wave[...]ne odd pendently, by self-employed producers and of most local film institutions; more like the ball director who deserves his piece of midnight directors, which have proved the most sig duty reluctantly internalized by a citiz[...]sion screenings has been nagged into obedience by the solemn makers who can be[...]voices of " Australian film culture" . For any the conventions expertly and playfully (Tim have ens[...]Burstall and Richard Franklin); and, on the Tom Haydon's The Last Tasmanian (1978) local person, who loves fil[...]d caused Australian cinema must, by necessity, be the masterpiece, Michael Lee's The Mystical Rose. some dissension at home when Aboriginal and most important item on the film agenda. But there is no equivalent of Raging Bull, no white activists questioned the accuracy of its Magazines such as Cinema Papers and Film- The Devil, Probably, no Passion. As title and its im[...]Tasmanian Aboriginals. David Brad everywhere, and the general orientation of sometimes be, I ha[...]nt Neil Davis, has been widely seen need. around the world and was nominated for a 1981 Yet, there is a trick, a sleight-of-hand in Film Studies (NSW) American Academy Award, only the fifth Aus volved in all this. The struggle with the tralian film to be nominated. Chris Noonan's fabulous dream of an Australian cinema is[...]t: there is always a wide audience to a new view of the intellectually side to take, some tactical skirmi[...]Lecturer in film, New South Wales Institute of Technology; and handicapped and chalked up a host of awards tiated. Duty propels itself forth on one p[...]don't look back; amnesia is the handy, terminal University along the way. Many of Australia's most impressive docu condition of Australian phantom " film During the past 10 years, film and television mentaries hav[...]m Tidikawa and Friends (Jef and Su Doring, closet of embarrassments. The drive to save the at tertiary institutions in Sydney: the New 1971); Gary Kildea's Trobriand Cricket (1976); Australian cinema at any cost has led to a South Wales Institute of Technology (NSWIT), Changing the Needle (Martha Ansara, Mavis consistent overestimation of films as aesthetic University of NSW, Macquarie University, and Robertson and Dasha Ross), the 1981 film of a marvels and significant cultural events. It is[...]Sydney University, as well as segments of drug rehabilitation centre in Vietnam; Angels en[...]ry. courses at Kuringai CAE and Sydney College of of War (Andrew Pike, Hank Nelson and Gavan When I re[...]I have written or the Arts, and the promise of future develop Daws, 1982), about the treatment of Papua thought, I wonder how I always managed to ments at Nepean CAE. There are even signs of New Guinean natives during the war in the inflate samples of the local product so they[...]Contact (Robin Anderson would fit overseas models of excellence. Are lished in the Full-Time Program of the Aus and Bob Connolly, 1983), documenting the Peter Weir and Fred Schepisi really the match tralian Film and Television School (AFTS); at first European excursions into the New Guinea in intelligence and complexity of Martin present the Open Program runs a kind of piggy highlands. The latter two, along with Frontline Scorsese and Alan Paluka? Are Bruce Beres- back gradua[...]here in Australia. pilation documentaries, after the success of Brian DePalma? Can Paul Cox ever hope to be Pete[...]director as Werner Herzog? Do Pure Shit and the most secure seem to have been those which Centur[...]have been integrated into degrees as areas of Among the success stories, Alby Mangels' Greetings from Wol[...]major study, as at NSWIT and perhaps World Safari deserves a mention. A crudely- authentic expressions of street-wise urban Ma[...]ing grafted on to made travelogue, it became one of the top experience? Do Against The Grain and Serious ex[...]res. Such courses have grossing Australian films of 1980-81. It was a Undertakings truly herald the flowering of a seemed to flourish best when it is possible to do success because of its basic appeal and because radical Australian a[...]rk alongside Mangels and his partner took charge of the This is not to imply that any of these film theory and history. film's exhibition. In the style of the surf film makers or films should now be unceremoni makers, they turned screenings in the bush, and ously dumped into the ashcan of history; rather During the past decade there have been in country and suburban halls into drawcard that without the rhetoric that once accom[...]panied them and the glimmer of a forever latent moved through wh[...]the " post-British" phase and is now negotia Success has brought a form of strength to Australian cinema their accomplishments ting the " post-structural" one. The first local documentary filmmakers: the market is appear relatively slight. And, lest we forget, of these followed (almost word for word at widening, but still very limited. Moreover, rela[...]times) the British translation and discussion of documentary filmmakers had to lobby hard to A steadily growing disenchantment with the predominantly French writing in the unstable have their films included in the Fraser Govern whole `ball-game' of bold " Australian film nexus of work derived from Freud and Marx,[...]e with films such via models out of Suassurean linguistics. The ment's 1981 package of tax concessions for as Far East and Star[...]l some continues to try to win a better deal for the of the richest traditions of narrative cinema, in AFC's Creative Development Branch, usually picaresque genres such as the romantic melo short of funds and still a crucial source of drama and the musical, their fundamental backing for many docu[...]There is no real style in the Australian cinema, style being the organic, dynamic and[...]physical process whereby meanings are[...] |
| [...]The Industry Comments second has moved on, with rather less con national debate under the guidance of Sylvia practice excite one another, and produce new viction, and only a remnant (a figment?) of Lawson. And, partly because of Lawson's possibilities for films being made, for the political purpose, through a wave of reaction to industry background, the series gave an dynamics of the local " film community" that Althusser-Lacan moment. The degree of emphatic " conditions of production" slant to (independent filmmakers, distributors and `determinacy' thought possible in the earlier the " new questions being asked about the rela exhibitors, writers and publishers, teachers and phase is now gone, lost entirely in the signifying tions of text and context, art and industry; students as well as audiences) and for film play of textuality with itself. The social con story, society and culture; screen and[...]en replaced, in post-structural- ence" . ism, by the gourmet appetite.[...]e then, theoretically informed books ing for some time, on both sides of the divide. Not everybody finds that they can get by[...]interesting that feminist filmmakers this regime of cuisine minceur (you can have (or are in preparation) on television current were the first to make the crossing between fun with it, but can you live on it?). The present affairs {Programmed Politics, Phillip Bell et theory and practice back at the time of the phase is partly one of groping for new starts in al); Bellamy {Bellamy: The Making o f a Tele Minto film theory weekend in late 1978, and the theory, that derive more genuinely from our vision Series, Albert Moran); Doctor Who formation of Feminist Film Workers. But, at own place, with less of the anxious genuflection {Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text, John the same time, they were moving into the towards the metropolis (that is always else Tulloch and Manue[...]; current Aus strange and contradictory territory of " marxist- where) which has characterized much of Aus tralian cinema {The Screening o f Australia, feminism" , and only the most hardy tried to tralian theory in the past. Susan Dermody and Liz Jacka; The New A us set up camp there. Since then the history of This movement in film theory (which at times tralian Cinema, Scott Murray [editor]) and Filmnews has largely been the history of this has had more affinity with film and literary Australian silent cinema {Legends on the changing attitude, its successes and failures. a[...], John Tulloch); Australian `actuality' But there are new stirrings. The Creative popular forms) was partly accompanied a[...]ema: Industry, Narrative Development Branch (CDB) of the Australian partly checked, along the way, by developments and Meaning, Stuart Cunningham); women in Film Commission and the Women's Film Fund in television theory.[...]been moved and goaded into Another .way to chart the educational Lesley Stern); as well as a film reader {Austra being less of the unconscious of this relation fortunes of this period is to look at the change lian Film Reader, Albert Moran and Tom ship, and more of its conscience. The CDB has in teaching texts in screen and media st[...]lian Commercial Television, makers (and those who are both), such as the against the earlier American and British Bill Bonney and Hele[...]reen Studies Association in New traditions, with the appearance of Raymond McQueen's pioneering Australian Media Sou[...]Cultural Monopolies. In addition, there has been the Film and Authorship in late 1983. It is inviting Form and Stan Cohen and Jack Young's The important language, text and discourse work of the occasional theorist to sit on assessment Manufacture o f News. From then on the whole Kress, Hodge and True {Language as Ideology, panels, and even giving grants to film publish pattern of media coursework changed with a Gunter Kress and Bob Hodge; Language and ing projects. flow of detailed textual studies of television Control, Roger Fowler, Gunter Kress, Bob What is needed for a lively and interesting elections {The Television Election, Trevor Pate- Hodge and Tony True), not to mention the independent film culture in Australia is free ma[...]journals which have interplay with an environment of theory and vision, Ed Buscombe et al), televisio[...]support) discussion willing to take on questions of {Television and History, Colin McArthur), into the 1980s.[...]its audience {Everyday Tele Theoretically, then, the development of film nologies, radical practices and radical vision Nationwide and The Nationwide Audi and media publishing in Australia and abroad meanings. In Sydney, at present, there are only ence, Charlotte Brunsdon and David Morely) has been encouraging in the past 10 years and the faintest, most uncertain glimmerings of a and soap opera {Coronation Street, Richard has reflected the changes in film education and milieu in which tha[...]ke place and grow. Much will depend on backed by the appearance every few years of a match Terry Eagleton's Literary Theory pending and recently filled appointments in the new `essential' textbook, such as James Curran ([...]ictures o f Reality AFC. Much more will depend on the intellec et al's Mass Communication and Society. comes close) that is due, in part, at least, to the tual courage of people in the Sydney film The Open University was mainly responsible institutional and political differences between community. for the flow of media textbooks and study literature and mass communication at tertiary guides, and the British Film Institute (BFI) level. The conservative opponents of media published the detailed program monographs theory are differently placed, because media with production studies such as Manuel courses are often seen to have a career ;'Fil[...](Victoria) Alvarado and Ed Buscombe's Hazell: The outcome. Students of literature tend to move Making o f a Television Series which acted as a harmlessly into the teaching of more students welcome check to the more exclusively meta- of literature, whereas media students carry the theoretical preoccupations of its journals. threat of infiltrating and changing the nature of State-funded institutions such as the BFI, the the various industries. Geoff Mayer Open University and the Birmingham Centre Perhaps this is why a book like[...]edia Lecturer in Media Studies, Phillip Institute of Technology media and cultural studies to the extent that received, in a misinformed fashion, a fearfully today the most significant media series from contemptuous r[...]mainstream publishers (e.g., Macmillan's against the teaching practices at NSWIT, where Communication and Visual Language are some Communication and Culture series, edited by the authors teach, rather than attempting to of the disguises concocted by people who wish Stuart Hall and Paul Walton, and Methuen's grasp the book.[...]about, Studies in Communication, edited by John The reviewer's suggestion that there was far films. N[...]ally wrong Fiske) would be inconceivable without the input more to be learned by propping up the bar at with this: gynaecologists and train drivers also of these institutions. the journalists' club points to an industry and get paid for pursuing interests developed in In Australia, the situation has been very education gulf which is the business of bodies their adolescence. However, it has been some different. Until recently, film and media such as the AFI and the AFTS to negotiate (as what of a battle for the visual linguists (i.e., academic research has be[...]indivi well as being a constant consideration for the practitioners of film studies) to attain the duals such as Henry Mayer (in the area of writers in the field). There is a widespread deserved amount of academic respectability media, political theory[...]bt, however, that either body is equipped or from the tertiary institutions and a bemused dedicated fi[...]ivated to accept this responsibility, and public; the latter has generally regarded films as Ross Coop[...]solution to entertainment and, therefore, outside the para theses on Australian cinema). the problem of relating to industry and media meters of an education system which has always State-funded institutions such as the Austra studies. Groups such as Women in Film and[...]must be a painful lian Film Institute (AFI) and the AFTS, which Television are showing more courage in this experience. might have played a role comparable with that respect and are trying to interest members in The pioneers in this field in Australia, as far of the BFI and Open University, looked in questions of theory as well as questions of pro as I am aware, were John C. Murray and Gil other directions. It was not until 1981 that the fessional survival.[...]Brealey, two members of the English Depart AFI (in partnership with Currency Press) The gap is possibly less yawning between, ment of Coburg Teachers' College who, from launched its[...]ries which, theory and independent film practice. The the start of the College in 1960, made Film though little and late, did enter the inter question is how far contemporary theory and Study available in each of the three years of the[...] |
| The Industry Comments[...]Anniversary Supplement Primary Diploma course. The College also National Film[...] |
| [...]The Industry Comments sible to the community at large, possibilities pointlessness of every effort, since nothing ever Cathy's husband out of Cathy's Child, the limited only by imagination.[...]flying saucer out of Picnic at Hanging Rock changes and you end at your beginning. Aunt and the last wave out of The Last Wave, and The original 1974 report, complemented and Edna recap[...]nce, is still read Neill. Don's party doesn't win the election. to be rather over-headily artistic -- and less because it, and they, are still valid. Much of this Petersen fails the exam. Breaker is taken away Australian director[...]tting them off in mid-stream, for mainly because the experiences of other countries are hanged. Ned Kelly is taken out and hanged.[...]s shot, decapitated and his But, of course, a film director's prime aim in Although Australia is among the first nations scrotum given to Frank Thring. Phar[...]has not been so much, as to discern and realize the narrative and docu taken out and stuffed. Richard[...]Stanley Kubrick and Peter Weir proved, the mentary potential of the cinema back in the looking for Anna. Jack Thompson in Sunday conquest of art as the conquest of journalism. I[...]decided last year the method was to behave with 1900s, it has taken it a long time to begin to ends up broke and lonely as he began. The Man confidence, hold the shot, bring up the classic evaluate its cultural status in relation to that of of Flowers ends up rich.and lonely as he began. music and give the interview. And if, as in the the other arts -- and to recognize that status The boy in Careful, He Might Hear You ends recent oeuvres of Weir, Schultz and Cox, the institutionally. The NFA should reflect up with his original auntie, a[...]film doesn't quite add up, why all the better. It Australia's pride in a long and significant he has seen the world. Mr Perceval the pelican is something for people to argue about and heritage, and be recognition of the profound is shot; so is the Wild Duck, but more journalists to waste words on. And that's where social impact of the moving-image media on the economically with the same bullet as its young the money is, and the earthly reputation. One nation which was bom with it. Is it possible, mistress. The crippled boy in Let The Balloon of the most commercially successful directors,[...]Australia could Go is dragged down off his tree. The crooks in with journalists, has disappear[...]one of the most commercially unsuccessful have one of the world's leading and most Bush Christmas mosey on down the road un directors, Fred Schepisi, who is good with innovative film archives? Time will tell.[...]the money is and the reputation. It is in the princ[...]In all, a middling good 10 years I think. The[...]our beginning. Winners are only acceptable if, Production[...]badly, or if, like Mad Max and the couple in A[...]prosper only modestly at the end. A nation Ten years ago the revived Australian film[...]Scriptwriter born of convict, political fugitive and second-[...]budget filmmaking. Poverty proved the parent chance blood will not too readily forgive young of invention and in 1972-73 approximately half[...]of the films proved commercially successful. Ending at the Beginning spunks who make easy[...]they do in Starstruck and Undercover, or in the screened in the Director's Fortnight at Cannes[...]and the overseas legend of our plucky little After 10 years (or however long it has been forthcoming Olivia! The Movie or whatever. industry was bor[...]y dependent since Stork so farcically fertilized the test tube Fatty Finn's crystal set is reward enou[...]upport, its practitioners never baby Australians are now so awkwardly proud must learn to be content with the dull sweet seemed to suffer more than flesh wounds. But of) it is good that The Thorn Birds has turned continuum of our ordinary lives. Cathy has her these days, the forms of financing that have up at long last to show how it might have been child ba[...]rant poverty, that is evolved to support the larger budgets of films otherwise: the American has-beens, American something), the Lonelyhearted losers have at have altered the rules of the game. accents, Mexican stucco, Jacobean plot-lines least each other and the boy in The Devil's[...]The current indications are that production and the blue, forgettable gumless vistas, with Playground has at least escaped his confine will be down in 1984. Since June 30, 1983, The Brownie's token chest asweat in the overlit ment -- the best you can expect in a bitter, Coolangatta Gold is the only feature film with a foreground. How well we have done, in one agnostic Australian universe (the first agnostic substantial budget to have gone into way or another, in beating that rap at least. society ever, I think), whose modesty of production. Imagine Steve McQueen in Sunday Too Far expectation must be served. Ah, so we are to be Away, Marie Osmond in The Getting of shot at dawn are we? That's not so bad. The decrease in taxation benefits to investors Wisdom, Sissy Spacek in My Brilliant Career, Of course it has led to a certain sameness in[...]wsfront, Richard Pryor our cinema (as my old gag, The Mango Tree, very imperfectly understoo[...]benefits of 150 per cent for deductible items in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith; Richard The Last Mango, The Devil's Mango, In Search and 100 per[...]t. By Gere, one could say now, is Mad Max 4, and of Mangoes, Storm Mango, Blue Mango, contrast, a film offering benefits of 133 per cent[...]for deductible items, in which the non Jack Lemmon is the Man of Flowers. Mango Too Far Away, My Brilliant[...]entity not seeking tax benefits (e.g., the Aus That, at least, never happened, though Ricky Mad Mango, Ma[...], is in a more attractive position. Schroeder in The Earthling did, as did Kristy Mango, The Chant of Jimmie Mango, The The rub may be the reduced benefit of net McNichol in The Pirate Movie and Joseph Cars that Ate Mangoes, Man of Mangoes, income from exploitation of the film: formerly[...]eferred by Tim Burstall to John Cathy's Mango, We of the Mango Mango, The be reduced when income has been g[...]and I suspect this partly accounts for the Travolta) in High Rolling, and other fortune Man[...]o numerous to evidenced); a certain resistance in the Aus Several letters have recently appeared in the mention, or bad to release, such as A Danger tra[...]ummer, Midnite Spares and Turkey (most films that do well here are either about[...]Concluded on p. 100 Shoot, which also include the post-Weir oeuvre the sensitive adolescence of some dead writer or of James and Harold McElroy, and the man so some factual incident that once made headl[...]by David Puttnam as and most story films such as The Chain Tony Inane. Reaction and Goodbye Paradise do badly); a But other, odd things did happen, ce[...]to punchlines and car chases and random habits of mind that became our shoot-outs and ghosts and ga[...]cers (an agnostic society I have often thought of a monograph in the low on God is also dark on His by-products); Andrew Sarris manner called The Sun Never and a fondness for family, and love and country Rises, a study of the work of Ken Hannam doctors and ordinary human problems and the (Break of Day, Sunday Too Far Away, half-remembered past. B[...]Henri Safran's fond compares well with Smokey and the Bandit and ness for films that kill large waterfowl: can a Freebie and the Bean and Starsky and Hutch single vision be at work here? What moves and Porky's II; less well with Chariots of Fire, these small, dark, ABC-trained men to themes Star Wars and the Bond movies, and the last of the loss of childhood companionship and three Fellinis and the last four Bergmans. youthful hope while the great, yellow, filtered However, you can't have everything. What you sun beats down? Can it be, perhaps, the have, enjoy. money? Perish the thought. What moves Carl I would, myself, have pr[...]beloved adults to die in multiple shipwrecks? the central shearer's strike out of Sunday Too Yet, they are only part of a larger national Far Away, the death of Caddie's lover out of perception, so apparent in our cinema, of the Caddie, Anna out of In Search of Anna,[...] |
| [...]rvellous. From was one that pulled out all the organ Australian Surf (Michael Blakemore, the first frames (the camera drifting up stops.[...]l Chairman, Australian Film Commission the river) and the first note of [Bruce][...]. . . seeing a marvellous piece of work. Williamson in love! I struggled aga[...]it, but was deeply affected by the film. Rod Bishop Grendel Grendel Grendel (Alex Stitt, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Was seen to be blow[...]. (Fred Schepisi, 1978). Schepisi's the lights came up. Phillip Institute of Technology, A small masterpiece that was dismis[...]word. We all fell on it with Ninety minutes of chaos and rat- into the grid system . of Australian blood-stained axes. But at its best, it baggery that will go down in histo[...]was marvellous. You can see why the film that launched the cinematic 2. Mouth to Mouth (John Duigan,[...]Pauline Kael has the hots for Fred. career of the multi-talented and com Don's Party (Bruce Beres[...]. 1978) Inept in parts, but still the best piece of Kostas (Paul Cox, 1979). Still Cox's Sunda[...]seen from an best, I think. Angered bv the way it 1975). Saw it again in China. Stands[...]Thompson 6. Second Journey (to Uluru) The Plumber (Peter Weir, 1979). Hearts. But I still think that Kostas is can be. Devoid of pretension. Not too Weir's most austere little film. Deriva superior to both Lonely Hearts and heavy with the myth-making. Made me (Arthur and Corinne Cantrill, tive from Harold Pinter's The Care Man of Flowers. A strong, simple and realize why I have always liked Mick 1981) taker and The Dumb Waiter (the same honest film. But, oh, the ending! Young. 7. The Year of Living Dangerously dramatic proposition: an int[...](Peter Weir, 1982) challenges the incumbent for the The Great MacArthy (David Baker, . . . and[...]8. Love Letters from Teralba Road ownership of the premises) but 1975). Reviled at the time and now for jostle for a place in my affection[...]1982) 1980). Kubrick did it better in Paths of The Film House TV, Melbourne Glory and I am not. for[...]g Beresford's right-wing length. Out of control and chaotic, it In alphabetical order[...]erfully, elegantly pre was far less than the sum of its parts. Don's Party sented by Beresford who was, for the But, ah, the parts! The helicopter The Devil's Playground 1. Max Max (George Miller, 1979) first time in his career, in complete arriving in the small town to Mad Max 2 (George Miller, 1981) and Mad Max 2 control of his material. Smeaton's Fellini-ish music. The use Man of Flowers (Paul Cox, 1983)[...]Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 2. The Devil's Playground The Getting of Wisdom (Bruce Beres of real-life grotesques such as Lou 1975)[...]rd again, and Richards and Jack Dyer. The undeni Sunday Too Far Away[...]g, 1971) 5. Breaker Morant critics. The first of the " new wave" able Australianness of the comedy. We Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 197[...]Schultz, 1983). For all the opposite clude: A Personal History of the The Devil's Playground (Fred reasons. Its European elegance, Vis Schepisi, 1976). Probably the best of conti in the Sydney suburbs. Over the lot. A couple of Arthur Dignam's scenes were over the top but the rest of done, overblown, overstated and yet[...]Too many Australian films are emo[...] |
| [...]Breaker Morant. Beneath the manly[...]heroics, our old mate the ugly Austra 9. Sunday Too Far Away[...]earts (Paul Cox, 1983) lian confronts the ugly Brit he sprang[...]from . . . a provocative can of worms 10. The Man from Hong Kong (Brian Mouth to Mouth[...]with a written two years ago and shortly Picnic at Hanging Rock beguiling sensitivity. before his death: The Year of Living Dangerously My painfully-reduc[...]cludes The Chant of Jimmie Black 1. Pure Shit[...]smith, My Brilliant Career, Stir, The 2. Newsfront[...]Last Wave, Gallipoli, 27A, The Cars 3. Stir (Stephen Wallace, 1980) Mi[...]Environment, Canberra 5. The FJ Holden (Michael Thorn[...]hill, 1977) 10 all-time favorite Australian films, I The West Australian, Perth 6. Wake in Fright have included 11 which are of such a 7. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith high standard that I felt[...]eliminate one. In no particular order: The Office Picnic 9. The Last Wave (Peter Weir, 1977) My Brilliant Career Mouth to Mouth 10. In Search of Anna (Esben Storm, The Man from Snowy River (George Picnic at Hanging Rock[...]Don's Party The Odd Angry Shot (Tom Jeffrey, Close, but not clos[...]Newsfront (Michael Thornhill, 1974), The Devil's The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Playground and Mouth to Mouth.[...]Flaus The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith In alphabetical ord[...], 3RRR, The Year of Living Dangerously The Clinic (David Stevens, 1983) Melbourne[...]believe it is of equal standard to the Mad Max[...]Picnic at Hanging Rock 5. Going Down The Herald, Melbourne The Plumber 6. Idea Demo[...]Sunday Too Far Away. In spite of The Devil's Playground: joint No. 7. 7. Sons of Namatjira Nigel Buesst[...]Melbourne Filmmakers Resource Book tainly the best portrayal of Australians 1982) (Editor) at work, the shearers coming over with[...]im Wilson, 1974) In no particular order but with the two environment. The films used here have been chosen films by Peter[...]on the basis of comparison with world The Office Picnic (Tom Cowan, 1972) Newsfront. A[...]standards using the criteria of imagina Breaker Morant inventive look at the recent past that tion, sensitivity and exploration of the George and Needles (Greg Dee, 1970) succeed[...]medium as well as the likelihood of the First Contact (Robin Anderson and without[...]film being of enduring significance. Bob Connolly, 1982) Winter of Our Dreams (John Duigan, My Brilliant Career[...]Australian Movies to the World Sons of Namatjira (Curtis Levy, 1975)[...]rector) Homesdale (Peter Weir, 1971) The Devil's Playground. A delicate The Plumber (Peter Weir, 1970) and touching evocation of lost ignor 1. Newsfront Man of Flowers ance that makes[...]Morant of-passage exercises seem like The[...]2 Dean Chamberlin March of Time.[...]ar Away The Getting of Wisdom. Another 5. Don's Party The Advocate, Melbourne quietly-effective rites of passage recol[...]lection that does justice to the original 7. Picnic at Hanging Rock In alphabetical order:[...]Cathy's Child (Donald Crombie, 1983) Picnic at Hanging Rock. Never mind[...]tty Yak the flimsy story, feel the atmospheric quality! Still the most poetically visual[...]Phar Lap. In the age of "c'mon[...]and moderate rendition of popular[...]Morant The characters are all-too-recognizable[...]4. Winter of Our Dreams essential hedonism, but the film is 5. Picnic at Hanging Rock[...]7. The Man from Snowy River[...]9. The Devil's Playground beautifully because, in spite of their[...]contrived oddities, the characters[...] |
| [...]ley-Smith, 1977) The Bulletin, Sydney human, wel[...]film about youth adrift remains in the 10.[...]and Arthur Cantrill, 1978) The Year of Living Dangerously The Devil's Playground Newsfront. Still one of the most I have tended to favor some films from Winter of Our Dreams original and technically skilful of the recent boom in Super 8 mm films. Breaker Morant recent Australian films. One of our The Getting of Wisdom few movies to even at[...]onkey Grip ment on the recent political past. Mouth to Mouth[...]Cinema Papers, Melbourne The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Picnic at Hanging Rock. Finally un Newsfront satisfying, but the haunting and In no particular order: In Search of Anna imaginative quality of this film has not[...]yet been undimmed by time or even The Year of Living Dangerously Paul Harris[...]Picnic at Hanging Rock Melbourne Stork (Tim Burstall, 1971). Lots of B[...]s 2. Newsfront out the public acceptance of this one, Walkabout 3. The Devil's Playground would we have an industry at all? The FJ Holden 4. Mad Max 2[...]The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith 5. Between Wars Sunday Too Far Away. The first Picnic at Hanging Rock: No. 4. Comments: 6. Backroads (Phil Noyce, 1977) feature produced by the South Austra (i) Predominance of literacy adapta 7. Frontline (David Bradbury, 1979) lian Film Corporation remains one of 8 . 21A the most attractively "Aussie" of our[...]Wake in Fright. Powerful look at the Tina Kaufman[...]Rose (Henri Safran, 1982), ABC-TV, Green Guide (The Age), for most Australians when first Filmnews, Sydney the only attractive Australian Melbourne[...]t. Constantly fascinating Here is my list of 10 films from the (lii) The list has the look of clich |
| [...]Top Ten The Odd Angry Shot[...]Australian Cinema: the First Eighty Years Sunday, Sydney Breaker Moran[...]7. The Night the Prowler (Jim Shar- 7. Stir Lalai -- Dream[...]8. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Lonely Hearts[...]ove Letters from Teralba Road A Personal History of the Australian[...]10. Goodbye Paradise The Plains of Heaven (Ian Pringle, 1982)[...]Screen International, Melbourne The Mike Walsh Show, Sydney Andrew Peacock me in this context are Walkabout and[...]This is a personal list, in no particular Leader of the Federal Liberal Party, Outback). And two films[...]by filmmakers who have done the 3. Lonely Hearts[...]majority of their work in Australia are 4. Wake in Fright it being outside the parameters. 1. The Picture Show Man (John also, it can be argued, most properly 5. Picnic at Hanging Rock My Brilliant Career[...]included here: Barbarosa (Fred 6. The Devil's Playground The Getting of Wisdom Schepisi, 1982) and Tender Mercies 7. Break of Day Breaker Morant 2. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (Bruce Beresford, 1982). Both films, 8. The Picture Show Man Gallipoli 3.[...]lin, 1983), serve as a clear indication of 10. Weekend of Shadows Wake in Fright 5. Gallipoli the happy marriage of Australian film[...]Dad and Dave Come to Town (Ken G. 6. Picnic at Hanging Rock makers to working condi[...]The Devil's Playground 8. The Last Wave[...]Break of Day 9. We of the Never Never (Igor And, finally, there are a number of[...]for them in today's list of 10: films[...]The Australian, Sydney Tom Ryan[...]1. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith 3AW and Cinema Papers, Melbourne Between Wars, The Plumber and[...]3. Picnic at Hanging Rock In alphabetical order:[...]4. Breaker Morant The Alternative (Paul Eddey, 1978) Andrew Saw[...]6. The Getting of Wisdom The Last Wave The National Times, Sydney[...]Mad Max 2 1. Man of Flowers[...]10. Newsfront Picnic at Hanging Rock 3. The Devil's Playground We Are All Alone, My Dear (Paul 4. Monkey Grip[...]Greg Bright (Australian Film Review)-, We of the Never Never 6. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith[...]Hanrahan (The Sun, Sydney); the In addition to the films listed above, 8. Lonely Hearts[...]John Hinde (ABC radio); Stan James connection of some substantial kind, 10. We of the Never Never (The Adelaide Advertiser); and Anne- yet which cannot[...]Marie dell 'Osso (The Sydney Morning "Australian" , deserve mention. T[...]Breaker Morant: No. 1. THE TALLY[...]tratton As many lists are not ordered, the[...]Network 0/28, Sydney entry. The most voted for films are, The Devil's Playground[...]Mad Max 2 The Last Wave[...]Lonely Hearts The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith 4. Picnic at Hanging Rock 15[...]14 The Year of Living Dangerously Newsfront[...]include: Don's Party, The Chant of Man of Flowers 7. The Devil's Playground 12[...]and Man of Flowers. Mad Max, Palm Beach, The Clinic[...]10. The Chant of[...] |
| The state o f the Australian film industry and its future direction[...]vocally debated since the industry's revival in 1970. A t a Murdoch Univers[...]In his speech, "Requiem fo r the Australian film industry", Ginnane examines[...]what he sees as mistakes o f the past decade, particularly in the area o f government[...]nding, and gives clear indication o f how he sees the industry best surviving in the[...]worthy in the Australian cinema and why it should be encouraged[...]In thinking of a title for my address this technicians; the source from which the money to evening, I jotted down " Requiem for the Aus be used in the making of the film will be derived; Perhaps the only qualification I can really claim tralian Film Industry" but, having spent some the ownership of the shares or stock in the capital for being here tonight is that I think I am one of time talking with Phillip Adams since his of any company concerned in the making of the only two producers currently working in elevation to the chairmanship of the Australian film; the ownership of the copyright in the film, Australia to have made a feature film[...]s relevant. [Harlequin1] in Western Australia in the past 20 revise that title. In any event, i[...]hopefully that to start with some history of the Australian film In 1973, the Tariff Board Inquiry hoped that in credential wi[...]try. the medium term the local film industry would complete outsider.[...]become self-supporting, eliminating the need 1. Harlequin (1980). Director: Simon Wincer[...]for continued government subsidy. In part C of Board Inquiry into the exhibition and distribu the report, referring to theatrical films, the Antony I. Ginnane. tion of film in Australia made a series of recom Board stated on page 14,[...]mendations aimed at nurturing, initially by[...]ustralian . . . It has also been the Board's aim to foster the feature film production industry. In 1970, the provision of commercial finance for the film Federal Parliament had passed the Australian industry, partly because t[...]reated an investment bank with funds the large entrepreneurial element in financing film[...]which met certain criteria. To be eligible, the efficiently supplied by commercial interests. The[...]e an " Australian film" . development of such facilities will take time and Section 4(1) of the Act defined " Australian require encouragement, and the assistance pro[...]visions recommended have been designed to do[...]this. Among other things the degree of govern[...]in vary and will be importantly influenced by the the opinion of the Corporation, has or will have a proportion of risk and equity its commercial[...]ralian content. supporters are willing to accept. As their com[...]and development of the industry, government[...]will have a significant Australian content the Corporation will have regard to the subject matter Unfortunately, many of those advocating the of the film; the place or places where the film was passing of the AFDC legislation and, in 1975, or is to be made; the places of residence of the the Australian Film Commission legislation had[...]persons taking part in the making of the film, no desire for the industry ever to be self-[...] |
| [...]Two Views along the lines of a Swedish or Eastern Euro pean industry, continually government-sup ported and contributing to the development and enrichment of Australian identity and culture. The Australian Film Commission A ct 1975 and then the incentives introduced under amendments to the Australian Income Tax Assessment A ct 1936, be[...]refer to " significant Australian content" as the criterion by which a film became eligible for either AFC assistance or the tax incentives. The 1977 amendments placed that matter in the hands of the Minister for Home Affairs. Subsection 1(a) of Section 124(k) of the Income Tax Assessment A ct effec tively reiterated the definition of an " Austra lian film" as per the original Australian Film Development Corporati[...]above), with some modifications. So, during the past 10 or 15 years, the term " significant Australian content" , as we shall see, was to become the mallet by which the legs of a commercial, free-enterprise film industry were broken time and time again. Trade unions, federal and state bureauc[...]mately, parliamentarians have succumbed during the past five years, and a " significant Australia[...]ve Australian content" . This happened despite the continuing evidence that Australia's most succ[...]verseas content, from Rachel Roberts in Picnic at Hanging Rock, Richard Chamberlain in The Last Wave and Edward Woodward in Breaker to society; Harlequin with the dilemma of The Canadian government in 1967 set up the Morant to, more recently, Kirk Douglas in The[...]reed and success versus personal (CFDC). The original CFDC Act was, in many Lap and Linda Hun[...]key Shoot warned about a ways, a model for the AFDC Act and the Sigourney Weaver in The Year of Living[...]drawn upon by Dangerously -- not to mention most of my own fascist society in the future. These themes were the Australian Tariff Board Inquiry. By 1979, produc[...]not uniquely Australian, nor were they the CFDC's activities, coupled with private overseas[...]ut it was certainly uniquely American. They were at least western investors' ability to write off 100 per cent of not a detriment to those films' success.[...]versal. They all made a their investment in the certified Canadian film[...]They were all criticized because the Australian market for film public issues, created a vibrant The so-called theory behind this galloping physical locale and the story setting were film industry with a number of spectacular suc chauvinism was that the purpose of the film described as either being somewhere in the U.S. cesses at the world box-office. incentives, direct and indirec[...]c location. Was our cultural stimulate an aspect of Australian culture. But expression really retarded by this change in Speaking in October 1979 at a University of what is " Australian culture" ? When my setting?[...]California seminar on " The Law of Canadian[...]Film Production" 2, the then president of the company spends $1 million providing work for " S[...]alian content" -- has proved a tions that lay at the base of the CFDC's invest Perth in 1979 for our production Harlequin, or strait-jacket which has followed the industry ment in Canadian films: a year later $1.5 million in Adelaide for The through the 10B legislation into the most recent Survivor, or a year later in Cairns $2.5 million 10BA legislation. The device of certification as 1. the objective remained the creation of a feature for Turkey Shoot, has Australian cultu[...]n any film industry as an element of Canada's enhanced? Has Australian culture been intelligent point system, as was the case in cultural life; abandoned if the subject matter technicians and Canada, nor was it based on any expenditure 2. the intention of the Canadian parliament was[...]that, to the extent possible, this industry be artists are working on is international or non- criterion, such as the British Eady scheme -- self-sustaini[...]of government; and Australian in setting and international in although the Tariff Board, it should be noted,[...]3. unless the Canadian industry was commercially appeal? Was S[...]British used an expenditure criterion as one tier of its successful, which would mean that a lot of[...]people wanted to pay to see its films, the culture when he wrote Coriolanus or Julius proposed definition of Australian film. cultural[...]a small elite, nor could such an elite provide the[...]appeals only to a university discretion, which on the one hand allows no continue to create. graduate more than 30 years-old who earns at certainty to anybody -- witness The Return of Those objectives, which clearly mirror the Aus[...]and see how, in virtually every instance, the " pop culture" ? How do you account for who come to their portfolios tabula rasa, as far AFC moved in exactly the opposite direction,[...]and how the formulation and interpretation of millions of people between the ages of 12 and as the industry is concerned, to be progressively the 10B and 10BA incentives further prevented[...]mented. 30 years being scared and exhilarated by the influenced against internationalism by AFC[...]Before we do so, however, it is worthwhile internationally-or[...]no doubt, be charting briefly the success or failure of[...]arly its own relevance Turkey Shoot? These films are completely in redundant if ever the Australian film industry to the Australian situation is if it was or could[...]have been successful. tune with their time. While many taxpayers became self-supporting. In my opinion, the[...]2. N. Roberts and B.E. Haleman (eds), Syllabus on the may profoundly regret it, these commercially- intentions and strategy of the AFC, as film Law of Canadian Film Production, University of[...]Southern California. successful films are " pop culture" . Many Aus mandarins, have been to[...]very significant from its initial interpretation of its parlia part of Australian culture overlays, and is mentary manda[...]- identical to, contemporary American culture. the-scenes lobbying for the latest tax cuts. As embarrassing as it may be[...]dams, we have many things in common with consider the way in which English-speaking our American all[...]r problem as Aus Coca-Cola to Star Wars: these are the frames of tralia (i.e., to create a film industry from r[...]nd moral dilemmas: Mad Max enced dramatically by, the U.S. and had no dealt with the responsibilities of the individual tradition of a film industry.[...] |
| [...]h Anniversary Supplement An enormous amount of ill-informed com should support frequently those who are at mini-series -- rather than features. Only[...]least successful but culturally pure (the Mel Gibson, Jack Thompson and Judy[...]Davis can really be said to have emerged the success or failure of the years 1979, 1980 view), or they should not be seen to be exclusively from features. The AFC's and 1981 in Canada. The AFC-based position supporting a succe[...]omotions were either infested with has been that the Canadian experience was a than once or twice (the AFC's view). koalas or women's legs[...]Spread the money around. Bring in more uninspired[...]. McCabe: Given that we make top-quality sustain the industry boom through 1982 or and mo[...]films we must market them more aggres because the films created were internationally- lose more and more public money, of sively at home and abroad, and we must orientated producti[...]r films into distribution ally indigenous works. The facts are that during 3. McCabe: Unless Canadians are prepared to and exhibition systems where we are that period a number of Canadian films became have access to foreign films limited and the unfairly restricted. huge, world box-office successes, notably the exhibition of Canadian films legally My comment: Here both the AFC, by its youth comedy Porky's, which became 20th required, we are going to have to make marketing department, and the New South Century-Fox's second biggest world-wide films that can compete with the best in the Wales Film Corporation (NSWFC), by the grosser in 1981-82, grossing $80 million; Meat-[...]establishment of the Australian Films[...](a) in Canada itself, we have to match the Office Inc. in Los Angeles, attempted to[...]create structures to market the films pro in 1981 for Paramount, grossing world-[...]lms produced by other countries duced, but the AFC's marketing officers $20 million plus; the Jack Lemmon starrer if we are to convince Canadians that privately admitted that the type of pro Tribute, which grossed $15 million for Fox; the they should pay their money to see our duction generated only merited European string of successful Canadian horror films from[...]art-house and limited David Cronenberg -- Rabid, The Brood and (b) if we are to have the stars and the pro American cable release. To help justif[...]cesses Canadians to see our films, the budgets our films away to every film festival that such as Prom Night and Terror Train; the will be too high to recoup our[...]ively small market; and came and went as the flavor of the year in Atlantic City, with Burt Lancaster; and the (c) we must, therefore, earn revenue in the Europe, New York, etc. Very few dollars o[...]ation comedy such as Middle- rest of the world, and to do this we came back. Only Mad Max 2, The Pirate Age Crazy. must have the themes, the stars and the Movie, The Man from Snowy River, The[...]roduction values to meet our com Year of Living Dangerously and, to a lesser Most of these films were criticized by purists[...]Midville U.S., rather than My comment: The AFC and the state world-wide distribution by[...]a, but they provided a real endorsed the extremist policies of the stream, theatrical distribution, follo[...]for Canadian producers, technicians and of Australia and, to a lesser extent, the wide. To a lesser extent, via a combinati[...]ustralian Theatrical and Amusement of major and independent distributors, sentative of Canadian culture as low-budget, Employees Association in relation to the Patrick, Mad Max, Turkey Shoot, The indigenous, financially-disastrous productions importation of overseas artists and Chain Reaction, Harlequin and Return of such as Don Shebib's Going Down the Road. specialist technicians. Despite the paucity Captain Invincible have also recei[...]of local screenwriters, any suggestion of measure of proper distribution.3 Eleven What caused the boom to burst in 1982 was imported screenplays was an anathema, so titles out of some 300. The NSWFC's Aus not the lack of world-wide, positive box-office that the Australian content sections of 10B tralian Films Office Inc. has become a to Canadian product, but the decision by the and 10BA prevented our productions being joke, with hundreds of thousands of Revenue Department to switch the capital, cost- packaged to international s[...]etable films to sell, years. This, combined with the unrealistic, pro associate with people in other countries My Brilliant Career being the exception. jected, proceeds cash-flow schedules[...]help us compete, but we must 7. McCabe: The CFDC should use its limited by inexperienced Canadian producers in 1979, ensure that we do not lose control to them. budget to lever other funds into the film We must use the association with others to industry. CFDC[...]te and develop our own producers, when the risk is highest and the money ments, and the greater attractiveness of certain directors, actors and crews. scarcest -- the development stage -- to real estate tax shelters, meant investors moved My comment: Here the AFC and the 10BA help the producer get the package together. out of Canadian film in 1982. The Canadian draftsmen really threw the baby out with My comment: Rather than le[...]was quiet in 1983; whether it will boom the water. No meaningful attempt was into the film industry, the AFC has consist again in 1984 will largely depend on circum made by either the AFC or the AFDC to ently lobbied against attempts to take the stances not directly related to the performance enter into any co-production treaties of any industry out of its control by placing its of Canadian films to date.[...]ugh some half-hearted negotia funding in the hands of private enterprise. tions proceeded with France. The AFC In the 1982-83 tax year, it campaigned It is importa[...]ctives, that his production treaty with the U.S., even Film Productions Pty Ltd ([...]in Canada and could have worked though the U.S. was an obvious market for other groups attempting to raise money via here. The current Canadian problem is not every Australian film if it were to be com Section 51(1) of the Income Tax Assess caused by the failure of McCabe's strategies but mercially successfu[...]ltimately succeeding in having by rug-pulling on the part of Canadian Revenue ever proceed with Britain, Canada or New Part IV(A) of that Act used against them. and government. So let us now look at Zealand. On the other hand, the most If these groups had been embrac[...]tections and overkill were built knows where the industry might now be, into the 10BA legislation to ensure that not particularly as UAA only invested in pro 1. McCabe: If we are to have a feature film only did control[...]profits. industry, its base must be a group of entre virtually everything else as well. Following the 1982-83 tax year, when at preneurs who raise the money, assemble 5. McCabe: We must have a conscious least it seemed as if the marketplace had the creative team, get the film made and strategy for developing and promoting our accepted the 10BA shelter and was con sell it. We must,[...]reate our own decisions that displeased the AFC, Joseph My comment: The AFC and the state stars. Skrzynski, the AFC chief executive on corporations consist[...]e [Minister for Home Affairs] and directors at the expense of producers. My comment: Here at least the AFC tried, Barry Cohen relied (excessively in my The Australian Film and Television School wit[...]d its huge focuses on directorial training. The Euro presence over the years at the Cannes Film 3. Since the time of the speech, Lonely Hearts has also pean style of filmmaking was fostered by[...]received a successful distribution in the U.S. -- Ed. Festival, but, generally, the few Australian the AFC, the state funding bodies and their stars that we have (for example, Bryan followers in the specialist film media. Brown and Helen Morse) were created by 2. McCabe: A country the size of Canada is television -- the Crawfords, Hector and not going to have an unlimited number of producers. We must reinforce the success Henry, and Grundy's, and the new rash of ful ones, cut out the unsuccessful and keep our eyes open for new talent. My comment: To the extent the AFC or the state funding bodies did promote producers, the view was that either they 68 -- March-A[...] |
| [...]Two Views opinion), with the help of the AFC's Sells report was fatally flawed, and that the a total reversion to direct government political contacts, organized the reduction Australian film industry wa[...]funding, which is clearly more in accord of the 150 per cent deduction to 133 per healthy state. Why? Instead of nine films out of with Labor Party policy; and cent and a dramatic increase in the AFC's 247 making a profit, 20 had made a profit. A 5. either of these solutions will mean that the funding, attempting, yet again, to shore up better average than the U.S.'s one out of ten, goal of those who wish to create a small- its position.4 says the AFC, ignoring the fact that in the U.S. scale, Swedish-style film industry wil[...]ved, although, in my view, they 8. McCabe: Some of the CFDC's budget the " one out of ten" takes $100 million to $200 may be surprised to find that most of our should continue to be available for films of million and pays for the other nine flops a Bergmans have alrea[...]imes over. Whereas Australia's most That is the likely future. But perhaps I can promising[...]meagre budget 60 times and no others out of of the film industry incorporating the bility of commercial return. The absence of that 247 have exceeded three to four[...]upment. 1. the abolition of the AFC with any responsi see the film and little money will be[...]bility for limited funding of cultural projects returned to the producer so that he or she Now what does the future hold? Clearly, for cinema by the present Creative Develop may continue to pr[...]ment Fund being handed over to the M y comment'. Clearly, what has happened nobody has a crystal ball, but the following is over the past 10 years is the exact reverse of my scenario, or at least possible scenario, for Australia Council or some similar organiza that philosophy, where the AFC has the Australian film industry during the next 24 tion, saving $6 million a year;[...]hs or so: 2. the abolition of the certification division of the sole lodestone for investment. 1. vastly reduced production output as private the Department of Home Affairs;[...]ent in films to attract 100 per cent 9. McCabe: The CFDC must work to create a investment rejects the new incentives as write-off, provided only that the manage situation in which the institutions and insufficiently attractive; ment and control of the production com investors that finance other industries are 2. what production there is -- say si[...]tralian and that a certain per brought into the film industry. films a year in the next two years -- will, centage of the labor cost be expended on M y comment: My comments here are as for through the AFC's involvement and the Australian residents and nationals;[...]topping up of the budget process, become 4. film investment a[...]e for all other incentives generally 10. McCabe: The rules of the game must be more commercial in their results. The AFC's available to Australian export industries (for stabilized for four or five years so that the track record of investment in films is no example, the export incentives). CFDC and the tax incentive can do the job better, and probably worse, than the This scenario would allow the film industry to they were designed to do: create an industry's average; operate on the rules of the investment economically-viable film industry. 3. the industry will revert back to a cottage marketplace: i.e., a reasonable expectation of M y comment: The rules of the film game in industry, causing inestimable damage to the profit. Investors and their advisers would be Australia have been tinkered with on at lifestyles of those technicians and other free to make bo[...]assessments least a dozen occasions during the past 10 individuals who have made long-term of projects available in the marketplace, years. The AFC consistently lobbied to financial career commitments based on con change the ground rules, from 1OB (100 per tinuous employment in the film industry. without the direct or indirect interference of the cent write-off in two years) to 10BA (150[...]arly, those small- to medium-facility AFC or the Department of Home Affairs. per cent write-off in one year with the film companies that have geared up, based on a to finish in the same year), through 10BA certain level of production, will now come Should the government desire to recognize (150 per cent write-off in one year with the under massive financial pressure and the specifically the speculative, high-risk nature of film to finish one year after investment),[...]to semi-continuous production activity will do, any special incentives should be geared to[...]ilm income: i.e., some continuance or exten at a critical period in the development of a have to completely scale down; sion of the currently exempt film-income self-sufficien[...]visions, a results-based incentive. notably the last -- and without much con 4. at the end of this two-year period, unless sultation with the people who make up the there is a change in federal government, and Arrangements akin to the above have been film industry. At the same time, the AFC perhaps even if there is (as Treasury, having responsible for the recent, rapid resurgence of has interfered with the certification the British industry, both from the perspective process, first trying to take it over and then seen the incentives cut back, will not easily giving it back to the Department of Home allow any government to reinstate them at of viable commercial productions -- e.g., Affa[...]vels), I believe this Govern Gandhi or Chariots of Fire -- and as a world 51(1), interfered wi[...]ng ment will either further reduce the incentives wide production facility -- e.g., Superman, the to the prospectus provisions of the[...]Bond films and Star Wars, etc. This is the Uniform Companies Code, etc. No[...]intelligent way to proceed. industry during the past 10 years has had the ground rules changed more often than increased AFC funding, or, alternatively, it the film industry. Who is to blame? In[...]any write-off, coloring film large measure, the blame must lie with the AFC.[...]ment once again as a capital item with Despite the tragedy of mis-planning and mistakes, the AFC has managed, from time to time, to even present its own `gallows humor'. Most notable of recent was when James Mitchell, former executive director of the Film and Television Production Association of Aus tralia, commissioned a report from Deloitte, Haskins and Sells which showed that of the 247 films produced from 1970 to 1982 only nine[...]to investors. Skrzynski then had AFC operatives do some quick telephone research, which included asking producers, in whose film they [the AFC] had invested, whether they had made a profit. As a result, the AFC was pleased to trumpet to the world lay and trade press that the Deloitte, Haskins and 4. Skrzynski has defended his and the AFC's role in the reduction of 150 per cent to 133 per cent. Skrzynski has said that the Government was insistent on a reduction to 100 per cent and that he and others fought to keep the reduction to a minimum. He thus sees the final 133 per cent as a considerable v[...] |
| [...]upplement Tonight's debate has been raging in the interviewed. The news readers on the ABC had Abos?" " Yes Kirk, Abos" , I said. So he Australian film industry since 1906: the a mock-BBC accent; disc jockeys used a[...]then I get a change of heart." I asked, " About internationalists versus the nationalists. When Los Angeles accent. That did not seem to be the roos or the Abos, Kirk?" And he said, the historic film Ned Kelly was being shot at " About the Abos, Phil." He could see he was[...]feriority, a losing me, so he skipped through the plot a bit about that time, another Australian pioneer figurative forelock-tugging sense of subservi and went on: " So I organize a revolution of filmmaker was filming Buffalo Bill. So those ence. I think it was A.D. Hope who coined the Abos." I can just imagine how my black,[...]radical friends are going to like this! A cowboy two streams have been arguing and fighting phrase the " cultural cringe" . It was very much organizing a revolution of Abos! So he skips to tooth and nail ever since. a part of our lives; many of you may be too the end. " The end is just fantastic" , he said.[...]then. " There is a big, bald hill across the Panavision I am going to talk anecdotally as[...]screen, and I come over the top riding tall in the structurally, so let me give you a few images[...]take Tony's line and saddle. Behind me are 30,000 Abos!" I had to which seem, to me, to be what the Australian become an international industry, and by interrupt. " Kirk," I said, " the Aboriginals are film industry is all about.[...]e said, " Don't Tony Ginnane has talked about the American industry, make no mistake[...]His argument is that the U.S. is the film damn about the industry elsewhere. The reason industry and to plug into that international That was the end of that encounter, but it is we want a film indust[...]Australia dynamic means you make films for the U.S., or not the end of that encounter in terms of the needs one. One of my first films was a film films which Americans will accept. threat to the industry. We needed a film called Hearts and Mi[...]Bruce Petty1. Bruce was, and is, a A couple of years ago, Kirk Douglas arrived emotions w[...]experts. I grew up in the world where we never has always haunted me. It[...]n, in Australia to star, stereophonically, in The saw an Australian on television or on the and sitting in front of it was a little, passive Man from Snowy River,[...]as imported. We Australian family staring glumly at it. On the asking me to come to the Hilton Hotel in had been fighting Br[...]Melbourne to discuss the project with Kirk and now it was all the way with L.B.J. There screen were the following words: " Have your Douglas. (I t[...]motions lived for you tonight by American the Hilton was built on the corner where direction. (David Williamson and I have often experts." And that was the way it was! I used to sell my papers[...]I was greeted at the door of the Douglas' hotel Germany we probably would not be so gung-ho I grew up on a diet of American pop art: suite by a very charming Belgian woman in her about nationalism because the Germans seem[...]roadway" -- was really quite degrading. member of any union but they couldn't get any I must say here that I am not anti-Douglas. The impetus for the film industry did not actors to march because it was the time of He has been an extraordinary man and a very come out of an industry push at all. We did not McCarthyism. We found ourselves an old, brave filmmaker. He broke the embargo on the have an industry. We had a few people ma[...]really his idea to get Milos Forman to do One Bolex camera, and I made a feature film.2 It cadaverous. We walked around the streets of Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, not his son's. I took $6000 and six years to do it working at Melbourne, behind the wharf laborers and in had every reason to respect the man. weekends with Brian Robinso[...]the Swinburne film school, the best in front of the Painters and Dockers, with Ron So, I sat opposite the most famous orifice in Australia. At the end it wasn't bad; parts of it Hollywood (with the possible exception of were in focus. There was no sync in the sound; tolling the knell and calling out, " Australian Linda Lov[...]bench, or anything. But it won I remind you that at the time there was no movie, Phil." I asked, " Wh[...]He Australian material on Australian television at said, " I want you to read this script by a v[...]criptwriters: Phillip Adams, Brian all. In fact, the actors' stipend (radio `soapies' " Well, look, they come by the truck load; there Robinson. such as " When a Girl Marries" ) had been knocked on the head. As we walked around the is a room full of them at the office. Would you[...]tell me what it is all about." He again streets of Melbourne people called out, insisted that I read the script, to which I replied,[...]" Look, I am a good listener, you are a great " Australians haven't got any talent." actor. Tell me the idea!" So he went into `star This was a time when a fellow called Lee mode' and said,[...]am a cowboy out here to shoot Gordon would book the Festival Hall in kangaroos. After sh[...]to shoot. . . I think you call them weres" from the U.S., and audiences packed into the rafters. I grew up in a world where we never heard the Australian accent from a radio; you certainly never heard it from a film soundtrack. The only time you heard the Australian accent was if a footballer o[...] |
| [...]ence in awaiting this next, special double issue of Cinema Papers. As you are aware, the magazine went through a difficult financial period last year, resulting in the cessation of publication. An account of the resolution of those financial problems and of the revival of Cinema Papers is inside this; issue (see "A Personal History of Cinema Papers"); the net result was the formation of MTV Publishing Limited, a public company limited by guarantee, which is now the publisher of the magazine. One condition of the sale of the magazine by Cinema Papers Pty Ltd to MTV Publishing Limited was that MTV Publishing take over the subscription liability. This was agreed, and all[...]their subscriptions met by MTV Publishing. Part of this agreement was that this double issue (No. 44-45) count as two issues. The directors and staff of Cinema Papers Pty Ltd would like to thank here all those subscribers who wrote to the Australian Film Commission and others expressing their regard for the magazine and arguing for its continued support. That support is now assured under a new arrangement with the Australian Film Commission and Film Victoria. The future for the magazine is bright. |
| [...]was too late -- though he did succeed in awards at the Adelaide Festival and it won the With Bill McMahon you yelled and with Gough stopping the film school. first Australian Film Awards feature prize. Whitlam it was: " Only you are a Renaissance I was on the Australian Film and Television[...]get it released; no one would touch man. Only you are a Medici." " Quite right, resign on This D[...]noisily. The next morning I received a phone it with a barge[...]message that the Prime Minister would call me[...]in half an hour. Another call: " The Prime great mystique about making a film. You po[...]hots come out and you stick them came largely out of the Melbourne film culture. nervy. Finally, I picked the phone up and a[...]at Australians, perhaps, could make not concerned at all with making money, and it because of the punch line). He said he quite[...]was not terribly concerned with the rest of the film school. Not just any film school, but the[...]best film school . . . and Sonia sends her love! At about the same time (as Tony well world. We just felt it might be a n[...]Out of the Experimental Film Fund came remembers because he was involved in the make films with our own voices, and our own people of the calibre of Peter Weir, and a lot of the early films such as Stork, a moderate culture then) there was a lot of filmmaking landscapes, to dream our own dreams. success prior to The Adventures of Barry[...]McKenzie -- the film for which I still have to around Carlton an[...]generated by the Experimental Film Fund. The had the biggest film festival in the world, in started off with a bit of interesting plagiarism; middle link -- the film school -- was missing,[...]of course, until Whitlam came along and put it terms of ticket sales. We also had the biggest " We hold these truths to be self-evident[...]ce. film society movement and a very good film the first words. I then went on to say it was I make no apology for the fact that we have a[...]for it . critic, a fellow called Colin Bennett (The Age), about time that we heard our own voices, etc. being a natio[...]constantly: we live by whim of government. I who later became stultifyingly dull, but who The report never even went to Cabinet. Gorton believe that if the rug were pulled, the only[...]I also make no apology for the fact that the Barry Jones had a talk-back radio program -- Mal[...]film industry will stay subsidized. Whether the[...]government does it through taxation incentives the first in Australia -- and also had a late- Minister for the Arts. Malraux said, " The trick or through direct grants is almost irrele[...]art is subsidized. If we had the free market night television program, Encounter, which is to make the Prime Minister the Minister for applying in Australia, you could close the art[...]galleries, you could close the opera, the ballet, was a sort of sub-Parkinson production. This Film. Then you get the money out of the the theatre, the lot. It is all subsidized. You[...]t it or you don't. If you want it, you was about the time when the Prime Minister, Treasury and the Minister is too busy to have to pay[...]u get junior However, a lot of things Tony says about the[...]track record of the Australian Film Commis movement at the station to see who was going ministers, as we have often found to our cost, sion (AFC) are correct. I received a letter the[...]ther day from a departing AFC commissioner to be the new Prime Minister. they can't get the money and they interfere all who gave me a list of the films that the AFC[...]had said " no" to and it was a who's who of the The horse metaphor is correct, because all the time. So our trick, right from day one, was films that it should have backed. the thoroughbreds were being assessed at the to have Gorton, Whitlam, Wran, Dunstan and[...] |
| [...]Tenth Anniversary Supplement while at the AFC I hoped we would make just were running it wa[...]things to make people just as angry. replacement. The oligopoly was blocking film There is one thing a[...]lms which supply. So we put Barry McKenzie on and the has bored me of late: their tendency to flatter rest is history; it went on to be a huge success. our ethos, the tendency to say nice things about Kostas couldn't get out, any more than The Australia. I hope we will make more con Devil's[...]ilms, a great many more films which Schepisi made The Devil's Playground, he only admit to our regiona[...]released because I let him have my Peter Weir's The Year of Living Dangerously cinema, withdrawing Don's Part[...]East. I hope to see more Lonely Hearts, which won the Australian Film films that admit the fact that we are the second Award (in 1982) as the best film in a field of 37, most multi-cultural nation on earth after Israel. could not get a local release5. So the Australian In my view, our natural market is not the film scene, after all, is not quite as nice as U[...], defeatist, intellectual Don's Party was, to say the least, ethnic. I films for bored university grad[...]l beyond is because we make films for grown-ups. The Melbourne and Sydney. Indeed, it didn't go Austr[...]er, it was a smash in Tel Aviv and in because we are so old and geriatric! We have West Berlin, and it was one of the top 10 films not made any films at all for the young target of the year in Venezuela (where, I have always group.)[...]t with Don I dismiss, with withering contempt, the tendency to bucket the past 10 or 15 years of Quixote).[...]Tony and I both had films open in New York admit to our reg[...]film s like . . . Far Australian filmmaking. We are regarded as a a couple of weeks ago. Tony's was Turkey East" (Adams). grea[...]anti-fascist parable. It is me American reviews of Lonely Hearts, the film I did last year with Paul Cox4. Andrew the pornography of violence and probably the make the money are Tony's " mid-Pacific[...]s" , as I call them. I just cannot accept Sarris of Village Voice, one of the toughest Tony's model. To me, the English film industry critics in America, said that Lonely Hearts was moved by it at the Australian Film Awards died when it accepted his postulate. The British screenings that I lumbered out of the theatre film industry was pretty good. You might the latest evidence of what he described as " the and went down to the loo. That episode made remember the Ealing comedy days, Sir Michael continuing miracle of Australian film" . I think the front page story in the Melbourne Truth: Balcon, Alexander Korda an[...]ful films, but there have been some The film's publicity people then used that as a the American route and to make `mid-Atlantic[...] |
| On location, on time British Phone Sydney[...] |
| [...]SURFMOVIES (documentary), ROCK AROUND THE WORLD (tv series), FACILITY. THE BRADMAN ERA (documentary), JOK -- THE WILD ONE (tv special). You wouldn't want to hear O r that the combination In development: from anyone else that of editing rooms, sound REVOLT IN PARADISE[...]dfirm designed a and film transfer THE BIG SMOKE (feature),[...]pabilities and mixing MAKING A SPLASH IN THE WORLD (doco), interlock sprockets[...]for the first time. under the one roof. Enquiries:[...]69 7468 theatre brings the latest Service to supervise your[...]to Australia. Did you know that the Tasmanian Film Corporation has a full[...]il grips gear including elemac dolly and method of high speed film state of the art facility crane? And crews with features, docos and commercials and video projection for can do for your next experience under their belts?[...]film or video If you didn't know what we can do for your next production, replacement to image. production. you'll understand why the Tasmanian Film Corporation has been AUSTR[...] |
| [...]Based on the original idea[...]......................80 mins Synopsis: Melvin is the son of the famous[...]....................... 35mm Alvin Purple and has the same problem that Cast: Jason Connery (John Aspinall),[...]country town, the inhabitants decide to dam[...]Synopsis: The story of a young man at To ensure the accuracy of your[...]g cham entry, please contact the editor of Prod, company..............................PBL P[...]this column and ask for copies of Producer............................................ RichardBrenbnanadn of bush creatures. In this fast-paced[...]e. which the details of your produc Scriptwriter.................................Ray Harding characters, both the native and domestic[...]finds salvation in the arms of Gloria.[...]THE COCA-COLA KID[...]COLD animals are fighting for what they believe is[...]Makavejev Editor's note: All entries are Prod, company.......................Celsius Prods THE ELOCUTION OF BENJAMIN[...]Film Studio Based on the short stories[...]accept responsibility for the DScirreipcttworr.i.t.e..r.s...................[...]............................MarkLewis correctness of any entry. Scheduled release....................[...]Based on the play b y............Steve J. Spears[...]ducer.............. Cinema Enterprises Synopsis: The story of a friendship between Assoc, produce[...]tys two men who struggle to conquer differences of culture, temperament and values in order[...]Peter Davis to survive the dangers of their adventures Cast: Gordon Chater (Robert O'Brien). and achieve the goal. The action moves from Synopsis: An innocent relationship between the vast expanses of the Australian desert to an eccentric, elderly teacher and a 12-year- the peaks of treacherous, snow-capped old[...]P R O D U C T IO N Based on the original idea[...]........ Athol Henry (Hopgood), Charles Tingwell (the judge).[...].. Yoram Gross Film Studio Synopsis: The true story of Jessica Camera operator....................... J[...]25 million to win freedom from an institution for the pro GSiCLMSLLCPESEPsDPDPPeSnmrCGSSLBSMLMe[...] |
| [...].i/.t.no.adotnot,-c....isprW..ml.seteoys..e.l.d.p.of.Horrt.ei.n..dloo..sy..e.cs.rfoooipy....l.h.so.frd[...]...tl.g.a..a...ca..h...i)Miro.N...e1w...,l.....o..at..(...yn...'..ugre......e.,G.t..........l.t[...] |
| [...]ais..sgeo.rd.rsrmias..aro.r.e..d(.spp.r..oguor.au.are..ele.porS.esM...r.Barhn..a.n.n..taotLa.ut..s.sr..[...]snlr.RtnM..si.osAay.r.BaiCr....set.oKeru..oruhin..do(ea..e.ianiwdly......eee.tiiahny...asgy.Cnrni..Rey[...]...i...o....m...s..d.K..aaa.rSaMt...Me.si.h.(D.m..do..a..ee..tK....TTJE..rrg...e.ikGoel..r.beHH.rqh.rd[...]WASN'T THAT A TIME[...]THE ANIMALS FILM Synopsis: Four young people are trapped in W orldw ide.[...]GAL YOUNG UN the Sydney Opera House on the night World[...]New Zealand ...Consultus New Zealand the tail![...]David Williams, The com plete 16mm &35/17-5mm PLATYPUS[...]THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS[...]at a com petitive overall cost.[...]...............................DerekJoneBsased on the novel b y............................Peter[...] |
| [...][ d a t a international A N N O U N CE THE RELEASE O F JUSTONENIGHTTO[...]rt production designer ROSS MAJOR director of photography TOM COWAN editor JOHN SCOTT m[...] |
| [...]Production Survey THE WILD DUCK[...]...er..trt.rlyh.r.......h.....r..rs.n.ra.o........at.t.o.ri..l...n..............n..rrr...........osa.a[...]e.n...n.tboo,e.rDu....an.sadW.eem..u..el.r.nF..lo.Do.mL.oM.l.S..K.rll.rd.l.ie..tLgxawmS.aur.ooSr.tnPSA[...]l.re.eh.rne..a....aa...bo.areiala..h.t.uu.aiKr.s..arE.e....r.s.r.egAn.c.e.t.rra.e.t..l.cr......s..ng.od[...]ltt..eB.V...sr.nr...hsidk..r......a.u.aa.s.n.o.fy.At.r.m......sc...n.r...d.d.C.se.o..uahe.e(i..e......[...]Clapper/loader..............................Derry Field Property master..................................[...]Phillip Shapiera, Music performed b y .........The Bushwackers 1st asst director................. Ma[...](Peters). Synopsis: Based on Henrik Ibsen's play of Asst editors................................. Jim[...]ec, producer...................Richard Brennan the same name. The tragic story of a young,[...]r................................ BarbaraGibbs THE WINDS OF JARRAH[...].................... Bliss Swift Hughs (Carroll), The Bushwackers (Band). Asst electrics...............[...]........Howard Wheatley of Western Australia BMX tech, adviser..............[...].........................Kimball Anderson volving the manager and lead singer of a Boom operator.............................. Way[...].................BStreuvceeABranrobledr Director of photography...........Geoff Burton[...]Cast: David Argue (Whitey), John Ley Based on the original idea[...]ant..................... Peter Sjoquist Synopsis: The adventures of two 15-year- 1st asst director................[...].............................GillianLeaBhaysed on the original idea[...] |
| Production Survey Laurie (Stella), and members of the Flying Set dressers/props buyers.....Jenny Green,[...]nervous employer. Who poses the bigger Composer..................................[...]ae..H...Sri.....v.lS.S.....luuY.uR....ool..n.n....at.es...,.ue...I..aaMsssosuT....SRGh.h.yi.n..osr....[...]GAe...g..leesnt..n.o.rBu.M.r.r..rew.h...yoy.i.M.l.at.rr...da.lca.sa..i.PP.d..oi.MHsC.a.l.en.StS..Nr.Fa[...].. ClarkMunaroman Fred Burley and his business -- The Computer fx......................................[...]AUSTRALIAN MOVIES TO THE Set decorator......................... Sally Campbell Australia emerging from the sedate tradi Set construction....................[...]sm,.tvg....iuse.en)..g.rs..eT,r..s...se.cnamr..h..at..Brhu....e...sD.tesn.....a..p.ipeu..d..t.s.o..ir.[...]r.a....cn..........t.n......p.....l.e..lh.hi......at......e..r.e........rt......e.m..l....t......ax..i[...]GHGetuallaegetsntn.nkotnnoinn,,ns Melbourne Cup. The story moves to the U.S Key g rip ...................................[...].............. 50 mins with Phar Lap's success at the world's Boom operator.............................Ray Phillips NIGHT OF SHADOWS Gauge...................[...].M5ewCpa.Rbun..(ya,1.ooiiunt,dn.trd.n1mJlnKJKycrr.of(ctem.rt6aodddamaeoJ7LLlhaiKhaRRas9yoysioitamrieen[...]aao.a..ncmBtri.ims....m..d--srac:tcrtr...r.p.pfs..at.pyeAe...y..s.e.v.-.topLop...s.p.h..eha.romg..ar..[...]nyMorCrisaosnt: Stephen, Hutchison, Cliff Ellen, THE NIGHTLY VISITANT[...] |
| [...]..Neg Matching Services, RIVER OF GIANTS[...]...............Tim Wilson, MINISTER OF INTELLIGENCE Ron and[...]Synopsis: A voyage of obsession: the[...]KickingArousnedventh generation direct descendant of the Dubbing m ixer...................... Brett Robin[...]Prods maligned Captain William Bligh re-enacts the[...]...................... David Rapsey that followed the mutiny on the " Bounty" in[...]...........................HaydnKeenan Synopsis: The history of denim as a fabric Director..[...].................. Tony Gailey Genoan sailors in the 15th Century to the Based on the original idea[...]MaxHensser high fashion, designer-label garments of[...]..B...e..ll.a..n..g.Ieanr Pugdsrleeyam haunted by the spirit of Bligh.[...]Synopsis: A record of World Environment Prod, ma[...]Day celebrations at Samford, Queensland, Prod, accountant............[...]July 5, 1983. Thousands of people gathered Asst editor......................[...]Split Enz, Goanna, Richard Clapton and The Length...........................................[...].... JohnDuttaodno, Venezuelan State Minister for the[...].......................Peter Hepworth Development of Human Intelligence, who in Prod, secretary......[...]..................JohnDutt1o9n78 set out to raise the intelligence of an Laboratory...................................[...]...TrishFolemy ostly experimental. " This will be the biggest Australia's worst drought in living memo[...]. matching..................... Warrick Driscoll THE FALSE DOOR AT SAQQARA Boom operator...........................J[...].......o........r.o...o...e.an..m,................at......R.........m...m......O.............l.....i.h[...]..a....m..l.................s....n.........a.....'At....l........E......o...e........y....b.......l..u[...]ArP.heefs.s.o....ni."o.t....h.ohug,....dgr..l'hJ..at.ehui...r..rWl.e...K.tl.ddl...P..nnntOltm..eaOi.ll[...]....rg.x.a..s..cuK....anGam..Gu.2....P....p..iff..aT.m.i.i.iFeeR..h.i.........an.r.a...C.sooa..h.pani.[...]F.i.auM.ryS.Muu...he..muyLhOntirLd.LLredSte.s.....do8....5eeGCFC.ersdA1....r.lKsicD.o.s.roCatyaiteAeaa[...]rriaer..owsonsana...irnntc...u.f.:.hss...ep..so...at..is....hrEA.cum....rg..i....ay.dh.snl.....e.t....[...]................MalcolmProSwysneopsis: These were the words greeting Photography.......................[...]e Tjungula. Synopsis: For more than 30,000 years the Publicity............................. Christophe[...]................ TonySurace Aboriginals wandered the continent of Aus Mixed at....................................United Sound P[...]..............................TonySurace tralia. The impact White Man had on their Laboratory.........[...]s............................ Janet Lane, mentary of the crime and long chase ends in Prod, supervisor....[...].....David Noakes tized documentary series looks at how one Length...................................[...]............................ LillianArthur group of Aborigines, the Pintubi, came to Gauge...........................[...]........................ JeffHughes terms with the inversion of their land.[...] |
| [...]Insurance Brokers to the Film & Entertainment Industry[...]2 R. H . Tolley & Gardner Pty Ltd THINKING OF FILMING IN CENTRAL OR NORTHERN AUSTRALIA?[...]H EN FILMING IN REM OTE AREAS. "C H ECK W ITH THE LO CALS," THEY SAY W E'RE LO CALS A N D[...] |
| [...]......................... BryanMcLeenlltanaspects of the floor-manager's job: (1) Progr[...]Synopsis: Technological changes in the Progress..[...]... Lillian Arthur managing a drama scene and (3) the role of newspaper printing industry, its effects on the Synopsis: A film on[...]...................................... ABC, Perth the floor-manager (or first assistant director), quality of service and the changes it brings to[...]orfilm in an on-going drama series; in this case, the people's lives who are directly involved in the Budget..........................................[...]process. Filmed in The A g e newspaper[...]............................. RonBrown Synopsis: The film centres on Bunbury and districts in Western Australia. It shows the Producer.....................................Eric[...]....... Vincent O'Donnell wildlife that lives on the surrounding water Director.................................... Mark Sanders ways and the influence man has on them Based on an interview[...]Education Department of Victoria Editor..................................[...]g cameraman............ Peter Friedrich Synopsis: The wise use of solar energy in Prod, company........Sportsmas[...]...........................c...........r...i......at...r.a...t..C.....s.......c....t.....r.a.......o..[...]S..r.1..ior.ado.a..o.g..g.isge...eu.coa....DLaooA.Do.DK..b6.A.ll.r..nio.noo,7.ahh.tbb.Frb.nmna.VIsVmlh[...]h..em..e.oo.ti...M.ii.r....p.l.l.nS.p...ol.foir.t.at..smta.e.nn..Tnm....e.i...ispie.r...e...ul.uoose,.[...]asrnnnnsvnnseeslllol n financial problems facing the people involved " Approaches to Australian Films"[...]LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE[...]....................Film Soundtrack with three of the yachts prepared for the Bertrand discusses the historical and social Shooting sto[...]context which influenced the making of Progress....................[...]Synopsis: The film depicts the isolation and Sc[...]Synopsis: The film designed to illustrate the[...]its effects on the people who live and work at Exec, producer....[...]use of domestic and industrial waste water on[...]tree plantations and the social and ecological GOVERNMENT FILM[...]advantages of such use. P R O D U C T IO N[...]Synopsis: The film, specifically for the Police[...]Force, focuses on the attitude of the police in[...]demonstrate a real need to change the well Based on the original idea[...]established prejudice in favor of cyclists,[...]and seeks to encourage police to enforce the[...]...t...aDh....-.m..a...Rprvn..e..Ik..n..irnb.oCr..do.AdiSSe.d2erod.gHer.ta81olu.eBaol.an16tec.pmpaordd[...]............................. AnnaHowSayrndopsis: The program identifies several[...]............................. Dennis Gentle using the basic facilities available in[...]pecial effects adviser.............. Paul Nichola the program, is well known as a designer of[...]THE FARM[...]and Video Marketing land of wonder is created. The program looks[...]....................................... JillRice at techniques of creating a number of effects[...]THE AGE OF CHANGE[...]Education Department of Victoria Photography...........................Ma[...].................................. 16mm Based on the original idea[...]...................... Awaiting release Synopsis: The film Illustrates the role and the Sound recordists................................[...]Cast: David Bradshaw (Vince Franco), work of the Metropolitan Waste Disposal[...]Drynan (June Franco), Peter Harvey- Authority in the management of the disposal John O'Co[...]Wright (Peter Davidson), Lisa Dombroski of solid wastes in Sydney. Videotape editor......[...]MILK AT ITS BEST Prod, secretary......................[...]like those in the film are occurring almost[...]n Negative Synopsis: Crikey, There's a Tractor on the Norman Neeson[...]Cutting Service Farm employs the services of two well-loved[...]........................ NevilleStanchleayracters of the Australian bush to examine bed for the introduction of modern computer[...]ized manufacturing equipment. The workers[...]do not understand the changes happening[...]................ IanGray CHOICE OF HOUSING[...]ment of new technology grows and the[...]The film does not detail answers to the[...]problems of new technology, only the direc Gauge......................................1 |
| Man of Flowers Helen Greenwood Man of Flowers was the most unusual success of 1983. An art film, shot on a relatively low-budget and deliberately under-promoted, the appeal of the film lies in its ability to appear to raise iss[...]t merely reflects opinions; to seem to challenge the mind when it actually only tickles a cerebral fancy; and to present a complex veneer of beautiful photo graphy, disparate characters and quirky humor that masks a simple intent. Man of Flowers is a charming deception that makes one b[...]effort lessly satiated. This is not to say that the film is facile or trite but that it involves aud[...]watching an artist's model, Lisa (Alyson Best), do a striptease in his living room then marching into a church across the road to play the organ (visual pun intended, surely). Gradually, however, as the film progresses Charles becomes less and less a harmless figure of fun. Kaye, in a delicate performance, manages to create a more aware and intellectual version of Peter Sellers' Chauncey Gardner (in Hal Ashby's Being There, 1981), with a touch of Pierre Huysman's Des Esseintes {Against Nature, 1884). Both Chauncey and Charles come into wealth in the later stages of their lives and move in a world of their own which reduces people to images on a television screen (in the case of Chauncey) or objects (in the case of Charles). Both are incapable of sexual arian father (Werner Herzog) and expression, although women do their catered for by a beautiful, if overpro- security that Charles still craves and -represent the antithesis to the film[...] |
| [...]t H ear You " affirming rather than destroying the Patrick Cook (coppershop man), Victoria[...]and George had engendered in him richness of traditional cultural Eagger (Angela), Werner Herzog (Father), (Robyn Nevin) are the aunt and uncle before Vanessa's arrival.[...]is illustrated when an unquestioning acceptance of the com pany: Flowers In tern atio n al.[...]g birth and his he meets his father for the first time. Di[...]showing no emotion and acting like the alluring alternative. Car[...]You The rich and beautiful Aunt Vanessa to be. The attractiveness of Man of[...]es) arrives from Lon Flowers is due, in part, to the minor Jim Schembri[...]lthough she down, and P.S., momentarily out of scenarist Bob Ellis, they are, with the Carl Schultz's Careful, He Might Hear wi[...]You is an easy film to like. It is the doesn't " want to change the rhythm of Vanessa's sight, vents his feelings, exception of the art teacher (played by story of two sisters battling for the P.S.'s life" . But her presence is clearly s[...]affections and legal custody of a discordant. She challenges Lila's claim[...]se confused German nephew, and is full of emotional that she and George are practically for P.S., it being the " one thing" he conflicts. Set in Sydney during the mother and father to him, and can do for him, and tells P.S. to and Irish accent betrays an equally Great Depression, the film's melo infuriates George when she sh[...]dramatic structure and nostalgic per out in the hallway, with George is made to do anything he dislikes.[...]ever shut him that also serve to add interest to the unsavory or unsympathetic responses; o[...]Well-meaning and desperate for character of Charles. The guilt-ridden, it succeeds in offering the viewer an redemption, this aspect of Logan's self-pitying psychiatrist (Bob Ellis), the occasionally moving, nostalgic " tear- When P.S. arrives at Vanessa's character, and its subsequent negation postman with theories on the meaning jerker" .[...]y his bility, is an appeal for viewer sym of life who never writes letters (Barry Nonetheless, there are several speech, table manners and behaviour pathy that works. As he is about to Dickins), the coppersmith (Patrick significant jarring notes in the film, to suit her upper-class, British aspira some of them stemming from the tions. She even reduces the near-sacred leave on a train, it is revealed[...]film's earnest congeniality. Several status of " dear one's garden" by heart-felt promise to P.S. has been society's disposal of its dead, and the segments of the film are overwrought, bluntly telling P.S. that under the broken, Logan having only signed and there are some misjudgments stone slab lie the rotting remains of his papers that keep Vanessa from taking shy church warden (Tony Llewellyn- of characterization and dramatic mother.[...]him to London. Logan appears not as Jones) are a diverse community of emphasis.[...]Through his shuttling between the parent, a victim of his own vices whose absurdity rather than preten[...]contrasting worlds of Vanessa and only legacy and source of pride is P.S.[...]Lila, P.S. soon becomes the victim of that these characters are played respec the conflicting values and wishes they The effect of this brief visit from his tively by a well-known[...]when P.S. is made by playwright, cartoonist and the[...]l against Vanessa and decides associate producer of the film. confidences from the other, something not to return to her, tell[...]clearly contrary to the openness Lila the phone and hiding in a closet when The film is also enhanced by the the chauffeur comes to pick him up. stunning photography of Yuri Sokol, a lush operatic score, and beautiful[...]After the judge (Edward Howell) direction by Asher Bilu, r[...]Titian paintings, Cara vaggio-inspired sets and the Magritte- like character of Charles himself. The allusions to art extend to the final scene: the silhouetted solitude mirrors the picture postcard that Charles discovers in an ea[...]he sifts through his mother's belongings. The beauty of the setting and the warmth of the individuals who comprise Charles' world contrast with the constant threat of invasion by bad art -- that is, ugliness -- and the demons of childhood -- that is, isola tion and insecurity. The balance and harmony that Charles has created for himself are threatened by these external and internal forces, and the potential disruption to Charles' world prompts him to act. By disposing of David in an unlikely but highly creative way, Charles eliminates the external offence to his sensibilities and peace of mind. Whether he also purges himself of his psychological and sexual problems is not clear. Man of Flowers manages to satisfy the senses, provide disarming wit and tease the mind with provocative images, drawing the audience in and convincing it that the film is chal lenging the intellect, when, in fact, it is merely teasing and disarming the converted. But who cares? If only more Australian films could produce visual treats such as the sight of a monstrous, expressionist painting winding its[...]es Bremer turning with red-rimmed eyes to face the afternoon sun and the cry of a baby in a park. Man of Flowers: Directed by: Paul Cox. P.S. (Nicho[...]ones. Screenplay: Bob Ellis, Paul Cox. Director of photography: Yuri Sokol. Editor: Tim Lewi[...] |
| [...]Phar Lap awards custody of P.S. to Vanessa, P.S. again makes his loyaltie[...]yjmzM. of his desire to be with Lila and George. During a birthday party, an im pending storm forces the children into the house, the extravagant tables of food which have been set up on the lawn blowing about in the wind as the servants vainly try to correct them. This aptl[...]attempt to establish an order contrary to what the natural course of common sense would dictate. Inside, Vanessa[...]a macabre taunting ceremony where P.S. has all the children walking about clutching cushions and chant ing, " Hold me Logan" , in mock imitation of what P.S. has seen Vanessa do. Vanessa decides to let P.S. go back to Lila and George, parting with the advice, " Find out who you are, P.S. so you can know how to love someone else[...]hich is crushed by a rather unconvincing model of a liner, P.S. recalls her message to " Find out who you are" and summons from his experiences, in particular with Logan, the self-assertion to help him to decide to grow up.[...]l Phar Lap (Towering Inferno) wins his first race at the 1929 Derby at Randwick. Simon Wincer's Phar Lap. name is, wi[...]o clearly accompany such a decision, and the Though Careful, He Might Hear[...]m develop. He then impending change that the predomin You has been somewhat overrated, The Man From Snowy River is simply antly British values of the private and could have benefited from seve[...]from Marlboro country. triumphantly runs about the gardens school would bring to their lives, is not better-developed and -sustained indi of the mansion shouting, " I'm Bill, registered in[...]genous period features, it is a pleasing Of course, Phar Lap is a pantingly- I'm Bill" , echoing the conscious step[...]ally moving, if un ready project for the " c'mon-Aussie" closer he has taken to maturity[...]emanding, melodrama. Its lush pro school of instant patriotism (can ments and Lila's asthma are aspects duction makes it attractive and the Bradman, Jacka, Darcy and remakes The character portrait of Vanessa is of their characters that are not strong performances in the central of Smithy and Ned Kelly be far important to the film, for while it is a sufficiently developed. Early on, Lila roles, especially that of Hughes as behind?). But Wincer and script[...]s not appear to Vanessa, elicit sympathy from the David Williamson must have been some[...]from her chronic asthmatic viewer. There are several misjudg- acutely aware of the dangers inherent condition until much later in the film, ments, but the film hits the right spots in this very ripeness: too much Although Vanessa disrupts the lives in the dramatic courtroom scene. more times th[...]reverence would choke it just as surely of P.S., George and Lila, she is not[...]attitude to basic drawn as a villainous figure of Likewise, George's political work,[...]Carl Schultz. Producer: Jill Robb. In the main, they strike a nicely- of confusion and contradiction, whose new suit (" I'll really be flashed out at Screenplay: Michael Jenkins. Director of acceptable balance. The movie Phar external wealth, material security a[...]beauty mask her internal instabilities until the court scene. His subsequent Francis-Bruce. Production designer: John and so was the real-life racehorse. The and emotional isolation. Her past love outbu[...]those bleak Depression times want P.S. to fill the emotional void he indication of the stress he is under, but Hughes (Vanessa), Robyn[...]left, yet her desire for emotional order lacks the power that a build-up would Nicholas Gledhi[...]s pop stuff, but acceptable, " find out who you are" is an admis Vanessa's prominence in the film (George), Colleen Clifford (Ettie). nevertheless, thanks to a skilful sion of failure in her quest for[...]company: Syme International. counterpointing of Phar Lap's famous emotional fulfilment. P.S.'s d[...]and his vision socio-cultural imbalance between the Australia. 1983. victories with the shortcomings, of her near the film's end indicate that portrait of the London society, from strengths and failures of the mere her loss carries considerable emotional which she hails, and the working-class Phar Lap[...]und him. There is little real impact for him and the viewers. environment of Lila and George, attempt, beyond the accuracy of Anna which she disrupts. Visually, the point Keith Connolly[...]s costumes and a general But while Vanessa is the most is made by contrasting the spacious, authenticity of locale, to capture the dramatically involving character in the echoing chambers of Vanessa's Because of its origins, and by-now- strained atmosphere of those penny- film next to P.S., Lila and George, in mansion with the claustrophobic familiar Edgley build-up, I must pinched times. contrast, are not given a comparable suburban home of George and Lila. confess to approaching Phar Lap with amount of dramatization. The scene in some reservation. The first viewing However, it should be no[...]they vainly try to stop Logan Too much of the film is set amidst (courtesy of the Australian Film Wincer and Williamson[...]bolic leaving on a train is a strong statement the viewer gets a good impression of that I attended a later screening, and a temptation, making the most, but not of their commitment to and love for the values and lifestyle of the British further press preview, to check my too much, of an incident-studded four P.S. There is also a ne[...]ad to at how Lila and George live and There wa[...]ittle. His artistic imagina too brief, evocation of George (thanks manage to cope. Such a critici[...]turned out a largely tion and superb grasp of Australian to an excellent performance by Whit- conflict with the notion of nostalgia, authentic, emotionally restrained[...]film within the parameters of popular fication objectives presumably denied that of George, are given too little the effects of the Depression are only him the salty speech of the stables) bearing in the film, and their bond mentioned incidentall[...]supply the necessary undocumented greatly from the strain of Vanessa's growing access to and influence over A particularly admirable aspect of[...]ludes the film is the handling of P.S.'s of primary comic and emotional con him.[...]his inadequacy is best exemplified character. The moving performance of Gledhill and the thematic under[...]pinnings of his experience, growth and anything Williamson has done for the now has P.S. for five days a week[...]ause we couldn't fight her development of resourcefulness is a[...]an't afford a private welcome contrast to the recent spate of films[...]and humans, notably strapper Tommy school" . The reluctance that would wise under-10[...] |
| [...]wner Dave Davis (Ron Leibman). times, both as producer and director, strand, concerns Ben and Kate the film, after the recapture of the The characters are something less than to bother too much about[...](Peter Sumner and horses, deals with the last-ditch complex in outlook and behaviour, but thought of the best-forgotten Snapshot Venetta O'Malley) mortgage debt, a attempt by the Thompsons to raise then the world of racing is notoriously and Harlequin. But one gets the debt which must be paid by the first money by racing their horse in the New as short on subtlety as it is long on impression from Phar Lap that, as well day of January or the Thompsons will Year's Day cross-country race[...]ectorial talents, he has lose their homestead to the local stock[...]sions like " not bloody and station agent. The second strand, It might be expected that this The record is treated respectfully. likely" to his working vocabulary. which occupies the bulk of the film dramatic framework, which follows Pha[...]and dovetails with the first, follows the original version filmed by the Rank telescoped a little, but by no means Phar Lap: Directed by: Simon Wincer. the activities of Bill (John Ewart) and Organization in 1946-47, would offer falsified, from the time the then- Producer: John Sexton. Screenplay: David Sly (John Howard), the manager and little room for surprise or fr[...]ng reached Sydney from Williamson. Director of photography: lead singer of a struggling bush band. fact, the worst is feared when Ben New Zealand in 1928 to[...]or: Tony Paterson. Stranded and broke after the Thompson begins the film with, " One unexplained death in California[...]rry Eastwood. Christmas dance in Tullageal, the two more bad Christmas and we are four years later. Musi[...]d. Sound recordist: rogues decide to `borrow' the Thomp finished here." It would appear that[...]t in Roberts has it in for Sumner as he is The racing sequences are imagina (Tommy Woodcock), Martin Vaughan[...]in an effort to forced to utter a succession of similar tive and authentic. Turf men I know[...]ris (Bea Davis), recoup their fortunes. However, the gems including, "Sorry kids, I don't find little fault with them (there are, Ron Leibman (Dave Davis), Celia de Burgh t[...]ung John (Mark got a. chance" before the race, or[...]Spain), together with their British after the race, "We've saved the old isms) and praise the overall James Steele (Jim Pike), G[...]hael Edgley Inter Manalpuy), decide to follow the Within the essentially 19th Century " action" , most of it factual, to satisfy national. Distributor: Ho[...]Thompson is away melodramatic conventions of the the most fidgety filmgoer -- from the mins. Australia. 1983.[...]the mortgage. stream of humor, largely focusing on fairy-tale win in Mex[...]the relationship between Sly and that[...]and Molly The bulk of the film cuts back and habitual scene-stealer, B[...]forth between the largely comic ticular, has a number of very funny establishes the film 's historical Geoff Mayer attempts of Sly and Bill to cross the lines with one of the best being his perspective).[...]ranges with the horses and the des horrified reaction that Bill's killing of perate attempts of the four youths to a bush rabbit will antagonize the Abor The causes of the strange death of[...]en iginals watching their progress Phar Lap, at a Californian stud farm[...]ichael and Helen fall into ("You've .shot one of their pets"). not long before he was about to ta[...]a deserted mine shaft which soon There are also some nice throwaway the U.S. racing circuit, is soft- becomes flooded. The last section of lines, such as Howard muttering pedalled. For whatever reason (the[...]"Taxi!" as he stumbles through the most likely being a reluctance to offend the potential American market), the conventional wisdom of my boyhood, that the Yanks had poisoned Phar Lap as assuredly as they[...]Films made specifically for young The only people really pilloried are children are often difficult to review as the 1930s Victoria Racing Club many of the elements one looks for in committee, particula[...]chairman L.K.S. McKinnon (played plexity, a range of character traits, with redoubtably British-Aus[...]poral starch by Vincent Ball). Ball's changes, are not possible because of characterization of the establishment the conceptual difficulties they pose. autocrat who prompts the handicapper There are, on the other hand, certain to give Phar Lap far too much weight basic elements which increase the is, like those of other male principals, chances of holding a young audience's a convenient blend of stereotype and attention. The production teams for substance. Martin Vaughan does his Bush Christmas and Molly are gener bloody-old-curmudgeon act with ally aware of these elements. customary vehemence, Burlinson is the Paramount amongst these is the nice young innocent I am prepared to subject matter and, if nothing else, the believe Tommy Woodcock truly was, history of children's literature and the and Hollywood import Ron Leibman cinema has repeatedly demonstrated is suitably distracted as the parvenu the universal appeal of horses (Bush businessman-owner who can't quite Christmas) and dogs (Molly). This, in believe his luck. (The importation of turn, often evokes a degree of senti Leibman is justified by the fact that mentality when children are generally Dave Davis was a U.S citizen of deprived of these pets for most of each European-Jewish origin who lived in film. Australia in the 1920s and early '30s.) Also significant in both films is the The competently-performed female focus on the children as the central roles are possibly realistic, too, in their characters, the linear narrative, the supportive deference to the masculine employment of proven melodramatic hegemony of the socially-conservative devices of suspense, external tension turf milieu, then a[...]nd evil, Morris' Mrs Davis with one or two and the source of the narrative narrative-fulfilling interventions, and `problem' is imposed by the villains (in if the Mrs Telford of Celia de Burgh both films the theft of the animals) on occasionally develops a Bellbirdish the sympathetic characters. Man tinkle, that is not necessarily out of datory, of course, is the resolution of character, either. all problems and the happy ending. And one must not overlook that It[...]ast Towering inferno, who Christmas with Molly as both films apparently differs from the champion share a number of structural and he impersonates only in that he[...]move his hoofs as quickly. But neither watched the films on the same day one do most horses foaled before or since. is struck by the smooth narrative con Technically, the production is a fidence and humor of Bush Christmas, matching cross between fulsome[...]yd's eloquent photography, who must surely be one of Australia's Bruce Rowland's rousing, but not most accomplished writers, as anyone obtrusive, music and the com who saw the last series of Patrol Boat prehensively crisp editing of Tony will testify. Paterson. Bush Christmas is set in the Aus It goes without saying that this is tralian outback during the early 1950s Simon Wincer's best film. He has and the simple story consists of two enjoyed too much success in recent strands. The first, and subsidiary Molly, the 'singing' dog, and young friend, Maxie (Cl[...] |
| [...]Keith C onnolly dense bush. Even the children share in Old Dan travels to Sydney with his lonely, little girl walking the dark At a time of increasingly novel the comedy, particularly that potential dog and he[...]ngle street scene-stealer Mark Spain (a veteran of (Claudia Karvan), who is moving to light. Late in the film, in a bizarre attempts to diversify film-funding Australian media at 11 years of age) Coogee to live with her aunt after the sequence, he terrorizes young Maxine s[...]downing a witchetty grub with relish as death of her mother. Dan suffers a dressed in a nun's outfit. the producers of Allies full marks for his conservative British[...]initiative. A closed session of the Hope retching off-screen. Maxie's protection. The bulk of the Graeme Issacs' music and the Flying Royal Commission was told last year[...]Fruit Fly Circus represent an appealing that the film had been " assessed" as a My four-year-old colleague at the film concerns the repeated attempts of counterpoint to McDonald's villain p[...]r feet right Jones (Garry McDonald) to steal the and it is unfortunate that a little more tion. (After some prompting, the from the start, when the music of the dog together with Maxie's attempts thought was not given to the script as Bushwackers accompanies a spec to find a home for the animal. there is much in the film to appeal to federal Attorney-General,[...]dren. Bush Christmas, on Evans, rebutted the suggestion. Mr down a ridge, and she was still Whereas Bush Christmas revitalizes the other hand, perhaps with the Justice Hope's report ignores it engrossed at the end; credit must its familiar conventions with humor, advantage of working from a popular altogether.) sure[...]story, retains interest throughout with director of photography Malcolm Rich tones. If one walked in late one could a deft blend of humor, action and Given this peculia[...]watching, on occasions, the build-up people might have expected Allies to evident in the climatic cross-country for a " splatter" movie. The villain's Bush Christmas: Directed by: Henri[...]y: Ted Roberts. Director appointed, even though the docu shot during the first half, reserving the steal Molly, a reasonable plot device to of photography: Malcolm Richards. mentary,[...]. Production Marian Wilkinson, is full of startling close-ups of jockey Manalpuy and Ned Lander and director of photo designer: Darrell Lass. Sound re[...]and disturbing material. And one tension during the closing sections of emphasize the psychotic disturbance of John Ewart (Bill), Manalpuy (Aboriginal trusts that the anonymous ASIO the villain: shots of his boarding-house boy M analpuy), James W ingrove assessor noted how even-handed it is. the race. Similarly, this expertise is room with[...]For every witness, Australian or obvious when the children stumble protracted sequence of Jones applying Kidman (Helen), Vanetta O'Ma[...]uction company: Bush another extolling the amity and mutual find a couple of unwelcome visitors, razor (and in one grues[...]s Prods. Distributor: Hoyts. and again when they are trapped in the Super 16. 96 mins. Australia. 1983. respect of the U.S. and Australia. accidentally steps on the blade). One The filmmakers' stated premise is to mine shaft. In fact, it permeates the begins to wonder if this is in fact[...]y Linstead. Associate producers: re-examine the 40 years in which, in entire film.[...]pe, Mark Thomas. Screenplay: their words, The narrative skill demonstrated by devoid of humor except for a black Phillip Roope,[...]joke when he drops a rat into the stew Director of photography: Vincent Monton. most Australians have looked on Bush Christmas highlights the central[...]ic: Graeme this country's alliance with the weakness of Molly. Molly, however, as he leaves his j[...]loyd Carrick. United States as an article of faith,[...]m. genic dog who `sings' and a virtually The only explanation I can offer for Cracknell (M[...]Dan), foolproof plot situation involving a the rather radical shift in tone between Mellissa[...]cize, the girl and her dog in sunny Coogee (Tommy),[...]ing approach is little girl's attempt to recover the dog Robin Laurie (Stella) and members of the obviously less than ecstatic about what after it has been stolen. But the film and the demented villain is the desire Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Production the alliance has meant in practice. also demonstrate[...]pany: Troplisa. Distributor: GUO. 35 Clearly, the main thrust is to look into to approximate the threatening mm. 88 mins. Australia.[...]s in many Australian films: a qualities of the fairy-tales gathered by Australians, at home and abroad. Not[...]what reasonable basis for a film but insuf the Brothers Grimm; publicity .for the[...]good deal of testimony about happen[...]ings in the South-East Asia region. Certainly fear is a key ingredient as the And, as former American Air Force after a strong opening. The film is at[...]villain prowls the alleys of Coogee at years organized the P entagon's its best at the start when Old Dan (Reg night with his cane rattling the logistical support for the CIA, reminds Lye) takes Molly into a country pub[...]one, "Australia was deeply involved" and cons the locals with his singing corrugated iron fen[...]in what he calls " the whole plan for bed, or his sinister observation of a South-East Asia" . dog. The whole sequence comes off[...]distance from the thrust of that cele and tension -- and Lye is most[...]brated documentary about the CIA,[...]by Allan Francovich, co-producer of especially when he orders a triple[...]amount of material about the activities[...]of the CIA in South-East Asia for[...]Among the probably inescapable[...]crowd of talking heads are major[...]There is also a fascinating array of[...]one-time CIA operatives, beginning[...]Boyce (who worked for the agency).[...]The legendary counter-insurgency[...]" organized" support for the South[...]Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh[...] |
| [...]Diem (but not how the agency helped the auspices of the CIA station chief in Frank Snepp, senior CIA off[...]bring Diem down). Prouty tells of the[...]The Philippines government" being youthful-lo[...]deliberately misled the Australian[...](He also claims that Austra in Saigon) about the size and nature of[...]lian back-up teams were standing by to the North Vietnamese incursion into[...]support the insurgents. South Vietnam. Late[...]instructed to regard the Whitlam[...]McGehee says he was the " custodian" collaborators" after it demurre[...]American saturation bombing of the[...]of an influential book funded by the North![...]agency to cover its tracks in the Indo[...]Almost without exception, the[...]nesian coup of 1965. McGehee and Americans who appear in Allies are[...]Marchetti and Frank Snepp, discuss the Australians. Only Clyde Cameron,[...]the agency's role in Vietnam from the with his charge that Australian intelli[...]gence men helped the CIA in Chile[...]time the U.S. began to sponsor Diem during the Allende Government,[...]decision was taken the American for Immigration in the Whitlam[...]were sold a picture of the situation in discover that there were " 21 to 2[...]t was " sheer illusion" . ASIO agents around the world posing[...]Marchetti -- author of a convincing[...]and unsensational account of CIA When I discovered the role Austra[...]workings and blunders, The CIA and lian Intelligence had played in the[...]overthrow of the Allende Govern[...]the Cult o f Intelligence -- and Snepp, ment in[...]the CIA's chief strategy analyst in that my[...]ay many interesting, involved in this sort of work.[...]ngs about acting as a `hyphen' between the[...]operate in Chile at that time, and the[...]The most startling is Marchetti's Pinochet j[...]ded reference to " clandestine" murdered the democratically-elected[...]during the time of the Whitlam[...]word) intelligence operation at Pine[...]clandestine activity " of an internal[...] |
| [...]Love or M oney when I received a letter from the irrelevant. All, however, have at least ;Pofrova[...]w v n n d O h -a w i take no further action in the matter . . . that I was not to withdraw In the end, one cannot but conclude ASIO agents even from Santiago that Australia's big brother in the U.S. and that nothing was to be done (in the words of a ditty by the doggerel about it at all. versifier of bygone years, " Dry-[...](whose phone-tapped fashion. mention of the film led to that extra ordinary Royal Commission[...]es: Directed by: Marian Wilkinson. talking about the Australian Labor Producer: Sylvie Le Clezio. Co-producer: Party having " hell frightened out of Allan Francovich. Executive producers: it[...]David Roe and Cinema Enterprises. Boyce of involvement by the CIA in Research: Marian Wilkinson, Will[...]ademic Dr will and Denis Freney. Director of photo Desmond Ball on the importance to graphy: Philip Bull. Editor: Sara Bennett. the U.S. -- and potential danger to Music: John Stuart and Greg Maclain. Pro Australia -- of the Pine Gap, North- duction company: Grand Ba[...]tralia. 1983. The U.S. is by now quite experi enced at the kind of benign pacifica For Love Or Money tion practised by Marshall Green, the trouble-shooting American Ambassa Rod Bishop dor during the Whitlam years, who stares levelly into the camera and Recently, Germaine Greer made[...]pert comments about the women's[...]ians and feminists" and manners and deal with the new riddled by a " silly religious obs[...]l be all right. And so it turned out. target was the women's encampment Now that's quite a bit different from at Greenham Common whose the testimony of Snepp. fanaticism Greer criti[...]When William Colby declares evidence of a " counter-productive and roundly " we have nev[...]lian politics" , judicious editing into a form of political exile. gently contradicts him a little[...]es If Greer appears progressively at the CIA has been involved in politi odds with a[...]ams with friendly sectarian and powerless, the feminist governments all over the world . . . perspective of the compilation docu why wouldn't we do it in Australia if mentary For Love Or Money i[...]on unapologetically linking the history of Australian women and their work to What, then, does Allies achieve? the politics of war, race and class. Obviously, anyone who expects it to reveal a consistent line of American In developing this wider polit[...]vention and manipulation in Aus framework, the film opposes the tralian affairs isn't thinking clearly. notion of an isolated feminism, After all, Australians hav[...]fact relate to a more substantial under concern the U.S. And then, as the taking: the quest for equal power with film's title and content constantly men to determine not only the lives of reminds Australians, they are allies. women but also the lives of others who The film's technique is formal, have, throug[...]werless. expository than outward appearances -- the total lack of commentary, and If the greatest strength of For Love the even-handed mix of participants Or Money derives from this p[...]nesses -- might suggest. perspective, the film's major virtue is It is also fairly demanding. Those the fire and spirit with which it tackles without a more-than-passing know ledge of world history since 1945, and particularly what went on in the South- East Asian and Pacific regions, may think that a good many of the wit nesses' remarks are either opaque or Posi[...] |
| [...]The Clinic the issue of the Aboriginal and the fears of the nuclear age as being intrin sically linked with the history of Aus tralian women. Com prehensive as it is, the film can only begin to chart, and thereby rewrite, the evidence un covered by its historical research. Compressing 195 years into 109 minutes of screen time requires an occasional `sh otgun' approach to history and, to be sure, some periods of the film are better docum ented than others. But visual histories are notorious for constricting filmmakers by a simple unavailability of material. The images in For Love Or Money are drawn from more than 200 feature films, hom[...]t reaches back to 1788, carefully patchworking the penal and colonial histories of white and Aboriginal women during a period of incarcera tion in prisons, brothels and work- houses, and traces the development of the rural aristocracy and the growing sophistications of the V ictorian Age. It is particularly strong on the three decades before W orld W ar 1, when rapid industrialization created the need for cheap workforces, so defining w om[...]w om en's perspective on labor, equal pay and the vote. Although the material from between the wars is slight, For Love Or Money powerfully documents the history of women in wartime: their organizations for p[...]chal campaigns to return to their homes. It took the economic Dr Eric Linden (Chris Haywood) listens to a patient's (Doug Tremlett) dilemma. The Clinic. expansion of the 1950s and '60s, and a renewed need for labor, to enable there is nothing remotely in the class of The Clinic Clinic has interwoven a series of women to come back into the work For Love Or Money. The film is most[...]ationships, force where they joined a new group of effective when docum enting the Debi Enker and their occasionally related afflic working women: the migrants, who patriarchal co-option of women for tions. returned each Cold War night to the work, and the periodic decisions made Given the slant of the publicity cam iniquitous hostels. by men to allow women into the work paign and an awareness of the way On another level, however, the film[...]ralian comedies have dealt with highlights the problems of a society Surprisingly, For Love Or Money is[...]al or economic ambitions. sexuality in the past, one could be for which obstructs constructive dis least convincing when dealing with the given for expecting The Clinic to be an cussion of issues related to sex: the period of the late 1960s and the '70s For Love Or Money strives to integ[...]ly cross between Carry On general lack of information, the when the style of the film begins to rate the issues of war, race and social Carefully and Alvin Strikes Out. stigmatization of the clinic's patients, waver between a formalistic c[...]the language problems faced by ology and a potted, i[...], David Stevens' economi history. It has neither the time nor the the failure of patriarchal societies to cal direction and Greg Millin's witty migrants and the prejudices that can material to achieve either e[...]ter magnify an infection from an illness to The final victory, in 1972, after a related to[...]vice. 90-year fight for wage equality, is well the sexual inequalities perpetrated on compassionately with a risque subject, covered -- there are images of Hawke, women. without resorting to the type of The introduction of the character of W hitlam and women in politics -- but[...]eeks to titillate its a medical student early in the film the anti-Vietnam and w om en's libera In a contemporary period of eroding audience with an inglorious parade of signifies the start of an education pro tion marches rush by, and the " daugh economic conditions and its inherent tits and bums. Their presentation of a cess whereby the newcomer, and te r's revolt'' and the rejection o f the threat to the gains made by women and hypothetical day in the life of a clinic implicitly the audience, is instructed in m other's role are given cursory treat their work, the confronting profile of treating sexually transmitted diseases the workings of the establishment. ment where one might have expected a feminism faces the prospect of qual abounds with irreverent humor and solid analysis drawn from the personal ified equalities: compromises born of satire. The Clinic also creates a Paul Armstrong (Simon Burke) experiences of the makers of this docu realpolitik which suggest a form of microcosm of Australian society; it staunchly embodies a range of con mentary. equality but which do not necessarily represents a diversity of characters, servative attitudes, directly co[...]carry either the entitlements to power values and relationships, and subjects with those of the staff and several The collapse of traditional roles for or the apparatus for its use. them to inc[...]contemptuous yet curious about alluded to, as are the im portant socio For Love Or Money: Directed b[...]i Thornley. Producers: charact-ers'under the one roof has been prostitutes, dishonest about[...]out his profes tained activity and which, during the Oliver, Jeni Thornley. Screenplay, research television. The device of the shared sional status. He also exhibits two[...]ver, Jeni Thornley. Editor: or work-place (The Box, The Young hensible: a lack of humor and a tions. The complex and, occasionally, Margot Nash. Narr[...]st. Music: Elizabeth Drake. Distributor: enables the range of situations to be He not only feels acutely u[...]. 16 mm. Black incorporated with a minimum of figures of the movem ent, such as and white, and color.[...]able in his new surroundings but also is Greer, are given scant attention. 1983.[...]key factor in the film's strategy that As an accessible docum entary on the[...]this character, with all its curiosity status of women in A ustralian history,[...]and parodied prejudices, is the figure[...]to which the film aligns its audience.[...]Paul is assigned to spend the morn[...]exteriors. Using this formula, The ing with Eric Linden (Chris Haywood), 9[...] |
| [...]The Clinic a doctor who manages on his first patient suffering from herpes, are Having accepted the clinic as a neces passion and wry humor through the attributed to ignorance about the sary, even desirable, establishment, he appearance in the film to contravene[...]s able to return and see his work there series of consultations. As a group, most of the proprieties associated with nature of the diseases. The more in a different context. He is even able their tolerant receptivity becomes an the medical profession. Dressed in humorous s[...]which ironically concludes with antidote to the psychological disorders buttoned floral shirt, Eric demon naivete about bodily functions and the the two men sharing a laugh in a toilet of a repressive culture. Their inter transmission of infections. In this way action with the variety of patients strates an informality with patients the film seems consciously designed as cubicle. It is indicative of the essential spilling out from the bustling waiting- and a benevolent tolerance of them generosity of the script that even the that Paul finds incomprehensible. a source of information for its audi most pompous and unpleasant charac room provides much of the basis for When the doctor is revealed as an un ence, systematically chronicling the in ter is granted his moment of integrity. the film's social observations. repentant homosexual, the contrast is adequacies of the pill, the treatments for venereal disease and the incidence If The Clinic has a hero, it is Eric However, even the staff is subject complete. Paul's exposure to Eric of non-specific urethritis, an infection Linden, whose casual yet practical forms a central component of the that exhibits some of the symptoms of approach to his work is seen to t[...]r and humanity takes a well-aimed swipe at any education can transform an intolerant, of real benefit to his patients. Hay and often ignorant, attitude into a The film also attributes a part of ward's performance is not simply feelings of smugness or patronization more productive awaren[...], but almost remarkable: in a emanating from the safety of the stalls, to his respite at the beach. When he is[...]Bobbitt) is introduced. Although a large part of Paul's in the clinic he is unable to identify medium from wh[...]resenta She appears to be a parody from the instruction is reliant on Eric's tuition, with any of the patients or place them tions are notably absent, he succeeds in[...]gent moment she enters Dr Young's (Rona the viewer's tutelage is extended in a broad[...]h accepts homosexual as a character worthy of McLeod) office. She is acutely embar beyond the realm of his consciousness. sexual diseases as a by-product of respect. rassed about attending the clinic, to There is a continual emphasis on the often healthy or fulfilling relation the extent of adopting a disguise and a need for information a[...]Linden's professional attributes are tion and sexually transmitted diseases. ships. However, as he watches a couple shared by the other members of the pseudonym, then hiding in the toilets The inappropriate over-reaction of an at the beach, he is forced to acknow staff. United by a spirit of community, rather than be seen in the waiting- employer to an employee who has con ledge the existence of an intimacy and they operate efficiently and with com tracted syphilis, and the trauma of a tenderness that he had automatically[...]disassociated from the patients.[...]over-zealous standards of hygiene. She[...]A study of Australian[...] |
| The Clinic an examination because, for the first we're behind the award time since her husband's departure winners[...]man and was horrified when he failed to get out of bed and wash himself World ren[...] |
| Silver City A love story set against the epic background o f post-World War 2 migr[...] |
| [...]able guide to a complete year of cinema $ 1 4 .9 5 rrp Available now at ^ tills, credits and[...]on all good bookshops reviews of all films Australia by leading[...]eased between July studies the re- Currey u N e il 1982 and June 1983. emergence of Australian / n-depth features by the Films.[...]film critics on the movies they L J eports from around[...]thought best, worst and / 1 the world. Quotes of the year. Awards, lists,[...]"THE SILENT[...]" THE WILD Technical Production[...]Call Don Balfour or Oscar Scherl "MAN OF to improve your "Below The Line" costs FLOWERS' 8 Clarendon Stre[...] |
| [...]ciated with that 1 Possible Australian version of 1 Not just another pretty leg, her How To Play[...]studied; the clue may be a list pointing could mean race problems (8) 2 City so to speak, through the to the answer -- a common element; 5 Features los[...]lass (1, 4, 4, 5) This is a cryptic crossword; the and clues may contain an anagram of naked and alone (6)[...](made " cryptic" involves clues. It is similar the answer, or leading to the answer, 7 Fred, whose outburst marked a hundreds of films after) (4) to those found in weekend new[...]4 From an old president, a research papers: the clues must be deciphered in Much play will be made of 9 At the start, home of Eastern tool for ex-editor; the ladies' man, various ways to get at their meaning synonyms and of homonyms, in which (U.S.) film archives (4) too. Plural (6) and the proper referent to the word case code phrases such as " we hear"[...]and eight, Bergman wanted, playing around with the possi or " sounds like" may give a signal;[...]s got a lot more (4) bilities and anachronisms of language, there may be titular or other references 11 Pacer prancing through the plot (5) 6 First saw ghosts, then carried association and meaning. The grid to a missing part (Clue: Meet John.[...]ve to 15 Old lightweight for field pix (5) 8 Maid Marian? Seems likely for this does. In parentheses after each clue is assemble the answer bit by bit (Clue: 16 It takes all kinds of money to make wrong-way Peter Lorre (5) the number of letters in the word one is Gamble a mite, finish with dry white[...]uccess as king in New flat (4) e.g., Last Year at Marienbad will be and cassis = kir; Bet + tick +[...]s hard and soft (4) about film and television. The clues[...]ual male sexual difficulty and answers have to do with proper Examples[...]ay (8) (9) names of people in films or television[...]brought film closer 21 see 38 Across (2, 2) or both, titles of films or shows or Clue: Hunter and Dillon did it[...]22 Half an otic (8) both, technical matters, genres, associ Ritter (3). So[...]29 Wienese closet for cigar, Ali (8) 24 Half of odd pair has affinity for ated figures, film theory, etc. Over the tion: Tim Hunter directed Matt 30 Hor[...]s accumulated untold Dillon's first feature, Tex (the answer); (5) 26 Cow callz backward for qu[...]ite pic to connect near and far (4) this area; the puzzle is a game but also do with it. ture (2)[...]mi a weird system for reaching into that Clue: At the start, home of Eastern 33 "No dearth of death near me!" , he general -- a tough bunch (7)[...]gumbo and plucking out just U.S. film archives. " At the start" raved (5) 32 By the sound of it, wouldn't you[...]join a bug in a theory that could the right bits (gives them value,-doesn't signals that the answer will be initials it?). or an acronym; f[...]burn with an h? (7) Tips: Initial articles (the, an) may or of knowledge, one is led to Museum of 38 and 21 Down: Wise man's Oriental 35 Often at midnight this head blanks may not be part of answers which are Modern Art, which started one of the healer (2, 2) out (6) titles. Some answers are abbreviations. first U.S. archives and is located in the 39 Variety's rural sample rejected 36 For weedy[...]as vided; punctuation may be missing or MOMA (the answer). were (4)[...]Ref: ME, WB/77, QM/FBI misleading; the clue may contain more Sometimes the answer is present in 41 Uccelacci from[...]ds like dull `A' actor regressed than one sort of mini-clue or refer the clue. Clue: Mostly puritanical 43 Se[...]hard and all other may be intentional and part of the the U.S. rating board, found by noting 44 T[...]writers (4) answer; play may be made on words the first letter of each word of the clue. tives, must sort out The Third Man 45 Brief for filial outfit: quick to with multiple meanings; the answer One may encounter homonymal[...]in tin pot, we hear? (6, 6) may strike; the presence of a film title 47 Not as sutured as most, but ties up in the clue may not always refer Bon appetit. the story well (4) (Solut[...] |
| The Industry Comments[...]Tenth Anniversary Supplement The Industry Comments waiting, those of us who bother remember a or[...]means the figures extracted by the Department Continued from p. 61 time when talk of tax deductibility for film of Home Affairs can never reflect the level of investment was courting the contempt of the[...]film investment, only the turnover of that self-ri[...]otherwise is to investment. The important thing to note,[...]however, is that this rule does not exist at law. depreca[...]ative rule and, in fingers have been burned in the local film parlance the life-blood of the industry. The fact, until recently existed solely[...]illey and Grice, game has become respectable. All of this, it of the opinion of the Department of Home[...]Affairs as to what that Department thought the first became involved in feature films with woul[...]l end, and perhaps sooner than opinion of the Commissioner of Taxation W inter o f our D ream s in 1981 and its success even the most pessimistic suspect.[...]might be. on a budget of less than $400,000 encouraged One is sobered by an examination of the The industry has much to fear in the rela the firm to continue in the field. future of tax deductibility in the Australian film tively near future if tax incentives are to be seen[...]as the basis of its continuing productivity. To a But despite this, and other numerous and industry. Without drawing on the services of a certain extent, the incentives were always[...]justifiable on the basis of the positive dis excellent examples, there has been[...]ountry to attempt to possible to detect trends in the direction of ment in Australia by comparison with fore[...]dis tailor budgets to population size. L ibido, The thinking of those directly responsible for the crimination is reflected both in international A dventures o f Barry M cK enzie, A lvin Purple, implementation of the house rules. Interpreta Double Tax treaties[...]Petersen, Stone and Sunday T o o Far A w ay tion of the rules is, however, a matter of in long-standing, only recently rec[...]errors in legislation that handed control of Aus cost less than $300,000. P icnic at H anging personal taste.[...]addie, D o n 's P arty, Storm B oy, W inter From the point of view of this observer, there The arguments are now wearing thin. Austra[...]lians are culturally conditioned against specula o f our D ream s and M ad M ax cost less than are three significant aspects of the present tive investment, but the gradual implementa[...]tion of the recommendations of the Campbell $600,000. The M an from H on g K ong, Breaker administration of Division 10BA that offer Report, even in modified form, are aimed at[...]long-term reversal of that attitude. Rex Connor M orant, M y Brilliant Career, N ew sfront and hints as to the future. The first involves a near- was going to buy back the farm with money[...]$1 million. Beyond heretical legal viewpoint that the tax deduction seems keen to acquire it on a l[...]hey come that level, G allipoli, M ad M ax 2 and The M an does not exist. Before anyone reaches for his here and stir Westpac and the ANZ out of their from Snow y River have presumably recoup[...]is no apparent intention complacency. The tendency is to throw all[...]investment industries into the lion's den of the their budgets and others will. It seems to me to on the part of the Tax Commissioner or his marketplace.[...]ng films whose officers to apply this weakness in the drafting The three indicators lead me to a few tenta[...]tive conclusions. The drafting of the legislation budgets exceed the returns on The M an from to harass the overtaxed investor. On the implementing the 150 per cent and the 133 per[...]Snowy River. contrary, to do so would be tantamount to an fashion. Most men knowledgeable in the law[...]could have drafted legislation to the same effect Nevertheless, one doesn't need a licence to be admission that the Public Service had allowed without destro[...]That, coupled with an attitude that first of all a film producer: it is still a matter of sticking Parliament to enact meaningless legislation. rejected, and later embraced, the concept of a[...]Trust Fund, seems to indicate that the " Cater one's name on a door with " producer" written The argument goes this way:[...]familiar with its workings, the Caterpillar Prin underneath it. There is no regu[...]is in existence it must exist for a controlling the industry nor will there be. But satisfy the Commissioner that at the time he[...]purpose; if the personnel of that Department the market forces are placing an inevitable invested there was in force a declaration are under-employed, there must be something[...]for them to do. emphasis on low-budget and innovative films, fr[...]It is a corollary of the Caterpillar Principle which I, for one, welcome. 2. The legislation provides what is to be said in that the last one to touch it is responsible. The[...]Department of Home Affairs was the last one Many filmmakers in Australia behave like the declaration, including a statement that[...]to touch the film industry so it is responsible for pampered[...]en invested. providing the answer to the unanswerable ques[...]s ask: " How much is all this equivalent to that of doctors while doing 3. It also states that a decl[...]erably less to alleviate human misery. only after the date that it is provided to the if the basis of the answer is spurious. The Trust[...]ides that basis. Now, if a politician Those with the skills to produce a M ad M ax, a Commissioner. wants to reduce the level of deductibility he can[...]state with impunity that the reduction is justifi G allipoli or a Snow y River are few and far 4. Obviously, therefore, the declaration could able because it is bas[...]figures" . Here is the mechanism by which an between. There is no logical course of develop not have been in force at the time the astute politician can be seen at the same time to[...]taneously assisting filmmaking at a level[...]" appropriate to the state of the economy" . high-budget production, except that of the The second straw in the wind is a hint provided[...]In other words, the Public Service, or those Peter Principle. when the state of deduction was reduced:[...]area, want legis I hope that no one doubts that the bipartisan August 1983. It was explained that by cutting lation to reflect their control over the industry government support offered to the film back the deduction from 150 per cent to 133 per[...]explanation for the incomprehensible nature of industry is motivated by the English-speaking cent the Treasury would " save" $5 million. The the legislation. Government control is an press' i[...]expect to draw from this explanation for the existence of the extra[...]neymoon has lasted since 1975, far longer is that the government felt it was over[...]explains the $5 million fund to the AFC, and than the vogues for Japanese, Swedish, French subsidizing films to the tune of $5 million in and Canadian cinemas. indirect subsidies. But the conclusion is Australians are continuing to pursue the fantastic: this over-subsidy has been replaced elusive " international" market, of course, but by a $5 million direct subsidy. This appears to this year they are doing so with fewer overseas me as puzzling a piece of political decision " has-been" actors and " hand-me-down" making as one is likely to see in a long time. The American scripts. I hope to defer as long as non-existent logic defies explanation on its own possible the day when I am sitting around the terms, and the very calculation of the $5 million campfire telling the other disbelieving dead sum is worthy of comparison with Senator beats that I used to be a producer. The day will McCarthy's estimates of the number of com come, of course, but I hope later rather than munists in A[...]sooner. have here the names and phone numbers of the investors[...]. Tax Thirdly, the reduction from 150 per cent to[...]ally to be a means of discouraging the 46 per cent tax bracket investor (i.e., the corporate Andrew Martin sector). The true motive for the 17 per cent reduction has nothing to do with the announce Director, C inevest m[...]lion fund. The third and last indicator is the intro duction of new sets of what I refer to as " non The Rules o f the Only Game in Town rules" governing the availability of the deduc tions. Most obvious of these is the so-called " 15 It is a mercifully resistable t[...]" . This states that money that is not on some of the grimmer observations of needed has to be paid back to the Trust Fund Damon Runyon when discussing Film Invest after 15 days. If not paid back, it is assumed the ment Tax incentives. As the seedier operatives money is not used for direct production pur emerge from the slime at the bottom of the poses. This quantum leap of logic has been used harbor and contemplate a " Windeyer" as a basis for the enforcement of an extra 100 -- March-April CINEMA PAPERS |
| [...]The Industry Comments government control explains the enforcement at least. This has certainly not been the case, as such as M aid en s (1978), and M y S u rvival as an of non-rules. If someone wants to antagonize actress[...]n A b origin al (1978). These films are widely circu the Commissioner, there are plenty of quick to point out. The actual number of films lated non-theatrically, usually through the stumbling blocks available to be placed in the about women has been few. Actors Equity has path of the unwary.[...]Australian Film Institute or the Sydney Film been looking at a way of evaluating the propor makers Co-operative, which has for many years More than one senior member of the tion of significant female roles in Australian paid special attention to the promotion of Treasury is reported to favor greater control by[...]tudy which would doubtless produce Treasury over the activities of other govern depressing results.[...]ms, and employs a women's film ment departments. The implementation of this In the independent filmmaking scene, worker. legislation reflects this style of governing. The however, women have been much more film industry will gradually find itself in a prominent during the past 10 years. At the 1983 Given the number of outstanding short films position where back-benc[...]by women, one wonders titillated by articles in Time and Newsweek for short films, winning films in al[...]why there have not been more women engaged about the " brave little industry" down under, sections had[...]s directors, or in other key creative and bow to the economic wisdom of the Treasury. McKimmie directed the marvellous short drama technical roles, in the commercial sense. The The winds of change will blow cold around the Stations; Robin Anderson co-directed the docu 1983 survey found that the majority of women doors of those who claim " most favored" mentary First C o[...]an economic climate that encourages and directed the best film in the general section on features (and, incidentally, the reverse was free flow of investment cash to all sectors, the and the Rouben Mamoulian award winner, the case for women working in features). But film industry could find itself the enemy of those Serious U ndertaking. the obstacles are many and varied: old-[...]judices create caution amongst who claim a slice of the same cake. The first The resurgence of Australian filmmaking investors and producers mitigating against writing appeared on the wall when the " sunrise activity in the early 1970s coincided, of course, choosing female directors; for women[...]tries" lobby called for similar incentive to with the second wave of feminism. At that harder to get a first job in an area that is not aid its growth. Unless the film industry can in time, many women were attracted to film as a traditionally female; many traditional female the future claim to represent the source of con means of disseminating feminist ideas and siderable export earnings, the concession will, exploring women's place in socie[...]ad on to key creative or technical over a period of time, be reduced from 133, to has continued to be an i[...]The findings of the survey referred to earlier[...]roduced. that 83 per cent of women working in features[...]in It was in the early 1970s that the Sydney their care (compared with 1[...]l short in which 75 per cent of Australian women more[...]of childcare in relationships are necessary. and, in 1974, the group organized the first of[...]After viewing en bloc the 20 feature films[...]seeing the awful array of filmic, female stereo V icki M olloy emerged 10 films, including W h a t's the M atter types that were wheeled out in many of those[...]group was also active in Melbourne about the as well as in independent films. Ma[...]films are an influential reflector and moulder of In December 1983, the Women's Film Fund in same time and, in Adelaide in 1975, Penny our culture. The commitment, the flair, the conjunction with the Australian Film and Tele Chapman produced four short films directed by passion, the anger, and the rigorourness of vision School released a report entitled, Women women in a package entitled 1:1, as the analysis and representation that have been the in Australian Film Production. Analyzing the South Australian Film Corporation's contribu strength of independent women's film work in male-to-female breakdowns of Cinema Papers' tion to International Women's Year[...]have been a strength crew lists since 1974, and the responses of 400 The International Women's Year Secretariat[...]lms during 1975, as a genre akin to the social realist films produced and training experiences and needs, the report well as a memorable, international Women's by the " angry young men" in Britain in the painted a less than rosy picture of women's Film Festival. An enduring legacy of Inter representation in the mainstream of the Aus national Women's Year was the Women's Film 1950s. tralian film industry, putting paid to the mis Fund (WFF). A sum of $100,000 had been allo Women must be given a greater voice in conception that " women run the industry" . cated to, but not taken up by, Germai[...]ction. After Australian cinema in the 1980s. one female director between 1974 and 1982 had agitation by Sydney women, the $100,000 was directed a 35mm feature film (Gillian Arm set aside as a permanent source of finance for strong), although a few others have made low- future women's film work. The WFF now budget, 16mm features. But it was alarming to operates under the auspices of the Australian find that no woman had received credits as Film Commission and has supported many fine director of photography or sound recordist on films over the years, such as Pins and N eedles feature films, and that only 4.5 per cent of (1980), C onsolation P rize (1979), G reetings[...]A g e B efore feature editors have been women. The overall proportion of women employed Beauty (1980). in feature production did increase from 13 per The WFF has also been responsible for cent to 28 per[...]1982, but initiatives in relation to distribution of women's this figure is still 10 per cent lower than the pro films, research, training and employment. It portion of women in the workforce at large. was instrumental in the organization of The majority of women, furthermore, were still Women in Film and[...]rdressing, production secretary women's film unit at Film Australia, under a and continuity. Interest[...]per cent Commonwealth Employment Program grant. of all producer positions on features in this Throughout the years women have produced period of the study had been held by women. a body of excellent short, low-budget films. The outstanding success of Pat Lovell, Joan Although few have followed the feminist film Long, Margaret Fink, Jill Robb and[...]" film language to counter dominant proportion of producers was female. cinema modes, there[...]and 35mm & 16mm Negative Cutting The success of several feature films focusing forceful issue-orientated documentaries such as on female characters in the Australian film T he Selling o f the Fem ale Im age (1979), or Red CHRIS ROWEL[...]renaissance -- e.g., C addie (1976), P icn ic at Heart Pictures' Size 10 (1978), and B ehind H[...]B lu es (1981) and M y B rilliant T he Singer and the D an cer (1977), A M o st 24 Carlotta St[...]an (1981), and L ast B reak fast in that women are well represented on the screen, Paradise (1982); personal and poli[...] |
| [...]allocate time to each production. Continued from p. 31[...]John Daniel is really the man on[...]ever, I will be involved in the post[...]production of The C oolangatta Michael and I go back about 20[...]long time ago. No one could come[...]up with the right script, until Peter ended up as stage mana[...]C oolangatta G old will capture that of the Edgley Russian shows. I was[...]Lap didn't get. who was just starting the com[...]the next Edgley-H oyts projects? ship.[...]of finding the right story. Over the years, we always said[...]to have a higher we should get back together and do more the creative person, and I Dick Mason and John Duigan, a film or television project. have an input on the script and who brought the film to us opinion o f your directing abilities Eventually, we agreed to do some production -- those kinds of deci initially, to get on with their next thing[...]today than they did at the time o f years ago. I had finished H arle[...]Michael start doing the foreign quin and started to look for some W hat form has the H oyts-E dgley marketing. That is the attraction H ow do you feel about your pro thing suitable with whic[...]of our whole set-up: producers can gress as a director? the Edgley film operation. The[...]nk I am all that much Man from Snow y River came The relationship has been pretty a help in raising money and in get better; it is the project that makes along at about that time.[...]informal in terms of legal struc ting the film marketed properly. a great project.[...]is virtually run by Terry Without such a set-up, the Austra script you are half way there. It is George Miller [director] a[...]pretty hard to muck-up a good myself had worked at Crawfords. from the Hoyts side, and Michael creative genius, but a bu[...]cript, but it is impossible to make Geoff raised the possibility of and myself from Edgley. It is genius as well. No one is qualified a bad script good. the project with me. I thought it ad m in istered by a general to handle all the complex sides of had all the elements to make an manager, John Daniel, who was[...]ere low- entertaining film with broad previously at the Australian Film I am very fond of O ne N ight budget and aimed at a particular appeal. It was important for us to[...]an extraordinary little they were the world's greatest do something that could be Once we found this struct[...]not only here but over was starting to work well, the big a very clever concept and looks[...]ver people think problem became finding projects. at the most important issues in of either. about it, there is no doubt that film That is where all the effort went. the world in a relevant and enter left its mark. Now, all of a sudden, we seem to taining way. It certainly ha[...]good at and I knew at the time I have a lot of them, so we are going ing effect. We have really high was doing P har Lap that it was the So the Edgley organization is inter to have to expand ju[...]pes for it. sort of film I was very good at, ested in taking on projects at we don't want to get too big. We The amount of money that it with lots of emotion and action. various stages o f developm[...]n, is very little But when you are given something well as originating others them stead of a company that is helping these days. But the production as interesting as[...]to produce and market films. The values are extraordinary. There are pretty hard to fail. selves?[...]New York, Dr George Miller in Australian Yes. The highest risk on any come to us and we will provid[...]Film Review. He said something project is the development stage. back-up and expertise, particu[...]involving 20,000 people. along the lines that you can train That is when the producer makes in the marketing area, but also in John Duigan is a high[...]anyone to be a director if he is in the most critical decisions: the production.[...]mmaker and a brilliant writer. It the point he is making is that if you choice of material, the concept, the The biggest fault with Austra has been an utter joy working with understand the mechanics of film- story. If you ain't got it then, it's lian[...]cause his approach to film- making, the art is in the script. I never going to get any better. people don't spend enough time making is very different to mine,[...]sequently, we try to become developing scripts to the stage and that has been a real learning involved in a project as early as where they are ready to be filmed. process for me.[...]Issue 24, Jan. possible. But it varies. What we are People think as soon as they have a John is very[...]984. Miller said: finding now, particularly with the reasonable draft, and investors are ticularly in the post-production Directing[...]'s Hoyts-Edgley venture, is that prepared to put the money into it, where this film really grew. It was not filmmaking only. Sure there are people come to us with projects they should go i[...]skills, but they're skills that are that are already at a first- or[...]time we looked at a new cut it was intelligent enough . . . there are more second-draft stage and often it is a Produc[...]mysterious things about film. It's the matter of deciding what to go with. sufficient effort at the m arketing Scott, the editor, played around other end of how a film is conceived That was the case with John end, either . . .[...]for a couple of months finalizing acts out there with society. The early Duigan's O ne N ight Stand. Since[...]part of the film, including the writing, the thing. It is constructed in an is much more important than the then, I had a bit of input with What happens then is the pro unusual way: it is quite surreal in shooting of it. John on the script, which I enjoyed ducer starts working on another places, yet it all ties together in the immensely. But basically the project, and tends to forget that end. development of the project was the next most important part after left to Dick Mason [producer] and the script and the production is W hat has been your involvem ent[...]marketing. in " The C oolangatta G old" ? The Edgley o rg an izatio n 's One N ight Stand is just entering expertise is in the marketing side that phase now, of being marketed I have only been involved in the and raising the money. I guess I am outside Australia. Tha[...] |
| [...]Joseph Skrzynski Sullivan have recently joined the Australian General Manager, Film Commissio[...]Malcolm Smith greater service to the Australian film and Film Development television industry Director of Creative Murray Brown David Field With their enthusiasm and experience[...]Penny Chapman they will assist all members o f the industry Director of Marketing through streamlining assistance schemes Director of Projects Errol Sullivan and stimulating crea[...]sistance and counselling services please contact the Commission: Interstate callers are advised that the Australian Film Commission has installed a[...] |
| [...]The real tragedy is this constant Continued fro m p. 25 no way any of us think that Street mously impressed. rejection by society. encounter that the police had that Kids is going to solve the problems It seems that, to one group at least, Scott: T hat is why they say, evening, whether it was a domestic society has in the 1980s. A nd, in the film is perceived as a " Why not g[...]g smack fight or something more dramatic. the long run, it is not necessarily threat . . . for the rush of it and for the The immediacy and the power of going to help any of the kids who way it soothes the pain?" In no those tapes is overwhelming. It is[...]time that becomes a normal the true guts of documentary film- were in it. But certainly it is at least Chadwick: Yes. But it was a self- activ[...]and getting money. If the door going to make a large section of conceived threat. In my view, the remains unopened, what is the We have used that technique on[...]point of knocking anymore. occasions in Street K ids, and it has society aware that the problem film doesn't offer a threat to the come over very strongly. But apart[...]exists. Department of Community Wel the film when several of the kids thing in particular influenced us at express the wish to die. W hen one all, except a belief that it had to be It may also help a lot of kids fare Services. o f them is asked, " W hen do you filmed directly and spontaneously.[...]who may go down that path, Scott: It raised the issue of says, " Well, I think I 'm[...]die in my twenties." So you ask element of New Journalism in the because there is nothing very nice responsibility, and the way that him, " W hy's th a t? " A nd by this filmmaking process. So often the[...]stage he has a stare on his face. It is events, the unexpected, took over, at all about what you see. In the responsibility was being translated a so[...]k-mate question: he is just as in New Journalism the[...]is dom inated by what is drug sequences, in the prostitution into action. And I guess because[...]g to him. It is also not dissimilar in style to the sequences, in all the sequences, there is no strong presence in the Tilson: In some ways, dying is work of American documentary[...]not such a bad option. There are filmmakers such as Fredrick Wise those kids are basically saying, film by C om m unity W elfare[...]kids that are as tragic as dying. such as G im m e Shelter, and the " Help, I d o n 't really want to be in D epartm ent officers -- and this is And there are other situations cinema verite films.[...]associated with the film have died have to decide on what general solve the problem, it will make across them in our journeys -- since it was started. approach you are going to take in terms of making it as realistic as som e contributio[...]hould be added that possible, not trying to pull the the film is not a dirge o f the dying. wool over the eyes o f the audience, awareness.[...]in the film, even though some o f it tively.[...]have made quite an indict tends towards the cynical. You do[...]see th at these kids are as bright and Scott: T h at's not to say that One direct contribution that the ment of that departm ent by using spontaneous as any of the kids there is no element o f perform ance[...]leading a normal life. in it, because there is. The kids film has made has been the form a some of the material we had shot, turned on incredibly power[...]Given the long time m aking the formances, some of which were tion o f the D elta Squad [in V ic but th at w asn't our aim. too powerful to remain in the film,[...], it m ust have been frustrating either because of language or toria] to treat kids in a more sym The kids did make some pointed because the kids decided to modify[...]ers, and in general it is a Chadwick: The experience of extremely angry and vented her[...]making Street Kids has, for all of rage openly. But later on she Scott: The reaction we observed whole new area to look at. But we us, called into question just[...]filmed because she didn't want to break at preliminary screenings was the are not setting ourselves up to be about very sensitive issues which completely with the family. She are indicative of the time in which wanted to leave some avenue open deep personal impact of the experts in the field and hopefully, we live; just how fa[...]with or without the support of the all these sorts o f things into film. People would go quiet for as a result o f the film being made, people about whom the film is account.[...]a while until someone broke the other more qualified people will be makers in the 1980s are com Tilson: We were also aware of[...]promised and prevented from put the sort o f audience for which we ice and started talking about it. able to do something about the ting on film a reality that society were making the film. There were[...]what it feels like to be led to a discussion of the issues the The social w orker show n in the thing that shows blood and guts homeless.[...]and people dying in the streets. aspect of the film is the restraint film raises. Some of these reactions film seem s to be a very positive[...]you face a lot of reactions that[...]have been criticized for their work have to do with the position of the H ow effective do you think the people who are seeing it. This is the Chadwick: For the police, which in such situations . . .[...]issues that are too close to home. attitudes or in changing thes[...]officers in the Victorian Police Chadwick: But she is outside the right through the controversy and Chadwick: I have gone beyond[...]the pressures that have been the point now where I think that Department, from the deputy com bureaucratic system. The problem brought to bear on us, as fi[...]makers, and the kids, we have all solve these problems. It would[...]it was in a sense a is that m ost social workers are stood firm in not compromising[...]the film in any way. A nd we d o n 't[...]revelation. Not that various indivi hamstrung by the bureaucratic intend to allow it to be[...]dual members of the police force system that employs them. Alex weren't aware of specific aspects M cDonald m ade one very incisive of the problem, but it was the first remark about social workers right time that they had seen it encapsu at the beginning. He said that it is lated in a coherent way. The no good running a service opera severity of the situation came tion from 9 a.m . to 5 p.m. while through for the first time. As a the client is asleep. Those kids need result of the film, the Special Delta support and back-up after the Squad[...]a situation outside the normal worker -- who can really give bounds of society. They could see them support. If you are not there that they were not freaks or idiots. when the kids have the problems, And because they were being then you are of no use to them treated to a discussion by the kids, whatsoever. via the film, they could see the need for a greater sensitivity in If you are looking for solutions, treating the kids through the you realize there are so many[...]Chadwick: The Police D epart w ho d o n 't provide a cco m m o[...]acted very positively, but, tion, em ployers w ho are reluctant as for the Com m unity W elfare to o ffer jo b s, fam ilies[...]Department, the reactions from remain closed . . . officialdom were minimal. The only assum ption we could make Tilson: T hat is the hardest thing from this comparative silence was of all. The kids would often say that nobody in the departm ent was that they feel on the outside o f[...]way or the other, presumably through circumstances. " Now, because of the official implications how do I get in? How do I find of doing so. somewhere to sleep? How do I find On the other hand, when we a key to any of the doors, just to showed the film to a number of get started?" And there are many[...] |
| [...]night before. For the people in the Continued from p. 15[...]audience who do understand[...]is probably the first time they to feel that one day I would make a[...]may feel guilty about being a world as much as the conquest o f Mt Everest did. Well, anything is[...]in Day For Night. There are inist term. [Laughs.][...]at. " U ndercover" seem s a very[...]That concern with the exploration nationalistic film: the Great W hite[...]o f Australian heroes and the past is Train, the push for local industry,[...]recurrent in your work: " Breaker the arguments with importers.[...]M orant" , " The Sullivans" , " A W hy?[...]Well, it is a very tongue-in-cheek am using the form of the love story have two characters on screen at I suppose I take a revisionist form of nationalism. There is still to attempt to get across a potent the same time, and you have a view of history. There are people a huge cultural cringe in Australia: me[...]urns away from conform to their standard of to be recognized overseas before W ith " The C linic" you manage to him and he under[...]saying no. Your heart bleeds for the way down the line. If you Fred Burley was trying to do was drama. The subject is controver him. believe the standard interpreta simply say, " Bugger it. We can do sial, yet the film is accessible, edu tions of history, then there was a it here, and we needn't be ashamed cative and funny. W hat do you see There is also a very acute sense of time at some distant point in the of ourselves." I believe the same as the d ifferen ces betw een[...]ting com edy and drama? that in " The C linic" . Y ou resist according to the same fashion. But Equally, I believe that an excess I am concerned about the Aus the tem ptation o f making a char they never did. People have always of nationalism can lead to the tralian obsession with historical[...]been people, questioning and dis excesses of Nazi Germany. So the documentary or documentary fact,[...]obeying their elders. So you have patriotism, the jingoism, in U nder but I am also deeply conce[...]to take the revisionist view. cover is very tongue-in-cheek. It with this obsession of dividing laugh, particularly with W ilm a says be proud of who you are and things into comedy and drama.[...]If Nevil Shute were alive and proud of Australia, but don't take What is the difference? (Betty Bobbitt). Initially one wants could see the film of A Town Like it too seriously.[...]hing? to laugh at her or to patronize her, most cross about is the fact that we It seems som ewhat ironic that the[...]but then one is made to feel callous success o f the H ouse o f Berlei is[...]were married, because it says speci based on the selling o f fan[...]fically in the book that they did[...]cover" is the same sort o f char not. tasies . . .[...]characterization of anyone you not. It is better than selling them[...]could look stupid and must show all aspects of the char reality, isn't it?[...]acter. One of the things I believe[...]o what I believe on together, that that part of their dubious about it . . . A T ow n Like A lice. Life isn't one about drama. The Wilma char relationship was good as w[...]acter in The Clinic is a case of if I hadn't shown it at that point,[...]agic or almost taking that too far. In the we would have had to have a scene[...]first double-head screening of The later on, after they were married. Well, let's try and work it out. comic. The greatest comics are C linic the audience stopped But there wasn't room[...]when Wilma told them scene then because the drama was We have just come from an age those wh[...]off, and didn't laugh again for the concerned with other things.[...]rest of the film. We were shit- where women were trapped in[...]et scared. But hers was the classic I don't expect everybody to lik[...]case: " I may be making a fool of my films but I hope that some whalebone. Society moves slowly, you're laughing at the same time. myself, but I don't believe I[...]deserve to be laughed at." That's the past few years and it seems that so one can't jump straight from The greatest tragedians are those the cry of every individual in the quite a lot of people have liked[...]g trapped in whalebone to who make you laugh with the char[...]A director doesn't have to do burning one's bra. So, when one acter first beca[...]a cast like we had for The C linic. goes down to the elastic rather the humanity of the character. One of the things that I love about caught on the treadmill of success? the film is that there are scenes in An essential thing for any artist is than the whalebone, it has to be If you take Laurence Olivier's which only people who are into a having the right to fail. The nasti[...]particular sexual behaviour will ness of having success is that made to look glamorous. O[...]eerful rectal sex. Ninety per cent of being a success. One of the the audience doesn't understand problems for[...]ere will be a few hysterical laughs I agree that the selling of doing those terrible things. You from women in the audience who Australia for the first time, he flew[...]know exactly what she is talking across the Pacific for the first time, artificial dreams is wrong. The are forced as an audience to make about. The rest of the audience and he became the first man to[...]may be bored by that scene, or selling of a totally romanticized a moral evaluation of the char puzzled, as they try and work out completely circumnavigate the what the hell she's been up to the world by flying. What more could view of the world in which no kind acter; and that is the only thing[...]he possibly do? But the mob of reality intrudes is deeply, that is interesting t[...]hat, awfully wrong. hate the single close-up. I believe together with the bureaucracy, The next film I am due to write an audience should be[...]A frica, which I will direct. choice on a screen of deciding It is an attempt to try and examine whom they want to look at. I lead Australia's relationship with the and guide. Third World in general, and speci My favorite scene in U ndercover fically the Black Third World in is probably when the country boy, famine-ridden Africa. One could Frank (Nicholas Eadie), pro do a horrendous documentary poses to Libby. Within t[...]ou have everything that I see, but I intend to do it as a love believe about the cinema. You story. So in that sense I am selli[...]ir fantasies, but fan four-week trip to do research for this tasies with a hard core of reality. I film project. 106 -- March-A[...] |
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| [...].................. 13 mins 30 secs Synopsis: The events surrounding a pair of 2nd asst director.........................Chris W[...]...................................... 16mm down-at-heel private eyes.[...].hc...e.aahcp...E..,a.ad.....Y...Dn......Ed.a.a...do..r.e.hn.TDPP.Dnel..ne.pt....a....oao....ns.eni.p.[...].Bl.....f.H.W.t.aoMeomRhB.v...MMm..Him..MCyGGg.b0.aT..iWC.WA...e.bS..iB..iBMC.n.a.a..rtef.ca..L.ci.aJ.[...]i.r.sea..s.a.aa..tn.ss.i.emrn..onsm..eo....or.gt..aT.i..troS...conr......ra.....eomkr...rI..dtc.t....a[...]f.wC.sN.1.....o......J.m.o.5h......S.e............do.e.0h.e.......fo...i..o.n.$e.r...P.n.....fe...a.Ax[...].H.....nyin.e...........e.in..e.u...y...c..n.a.o..Of....r.c.c..u........n.esa.i..py)..o..v..bn....g..n[...].Lgt,iiunh.M.n.Caoo.soco.ifesso..oeoeS6drgae.tion.at.Pnhrrhrvrhl.oes.baRh.bnTbmnurnaffr.eaerniVsiialii[...]..ft.......o....a.r....o..u...og..........t.r..nn.at..r..............b....t.....s..rr.........e..r....[...]ttt.shr..nrce.as.iipdie.oo:p...rnp.o.urt.mto.e.B..at.o.asMep.o.p.ctlar.eu.he.rrh..eeA.ce.d.o...pis..sr[...]B.lct.r.tn.eMopm3g.g..o.Puu.dIRle.A.t.ehie...ildF.aT.mor.go.eMfhlhava.i.SnssJ.e.r.xl.caFaenAi.i.n..ie.[...]................................MikeJonBeassed on the novel by........Rolf Boldrewood[...]st........................Lloyd Carrick Based on the original idea[...] |
| [...]Justine Saunders (Iris), Frank McNamara Based on the novel b y .............................MaxFatcChe[...]nts................. Karen Stimson Synopsis: Kev, the builder from Badigeri,[...]few early problems the marriage has Editor..............................[...]lie Jackson potential. But Badigeri's populace is both Prod, designer............................. Ken J[...]her place in the town and the marriage, finds Exec, producer...................[...]MAN OF LETTERS Location manager..............[...]na..r...r...s.nr.r.i..a.errdc.a.......c.nd.c.Bspd.at...a.co...t.d....s..D..J..t...cte..c.m.po...t...k.[...]Vs.hw.nrc..i.azoa...s...s..raa..o.ie.e...ygE.rn.n.at.e....n.t..s..r).n.....te..o(..d.....s..n......C.s[...]small, remote Australian town where the 3rd asst director..........................G.[...]townsfolk are held hostage by three bank- Continuity..........[...]tra Highwire),Genevieve Mooy (Con), Pat CHILDREN OF TWO COUNTRIES Sound editor...............[...] |
| [...]... ................Scott Bird with the lives of mountain cattlemen whose Conti[...].......Leeanne White years. The central character is a mountain Props b uyer....[...]........Mark Polonsky THE KEEPERS Produc[...].ABC Sue Overton, Synopsis: Stories based on the work and[...]................Noel Price Jo McLennan, lives of Fisheries and Wildlife officers. Asst mixer.....[...]WarwickCrane Safety officer... .The Arts Producers[...]......Graeme Stoney Based on the original idea[...]against a background of political and social[...]violence. A story full of bitterness and of the[...]racism that formed the early days of[...]Member of the National[...]we're stepping further up the (In co rp o ratin g A. & j. C asting)[...] |
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MD | |
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Cinema Papers Pty Ltd, Richmond, Cinema Papers no. 44-no. 45 10th Anniversary Issue (April 1984). University of Wollongong Archives, accessed 03/04/2026, https://archivesonline.uow.edu.au/nodes/view/5054