Due to the enormous popularity of the ONTD Original: 7 movies from Europe that are worth watching I bring the Australian edition of films that I think you should watch because I like them.
ONE: Picnic At Hanging Rock
Year: 1975
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Anyone you know: Peter Weir (Director), a hella young Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook), also hella young John Jarret (Wolf Creek)
What it's about: You've probably heard of this movie. It's usually the one to pop up on lists of top ten Australian movies and remains a triumph of Australian film making with a haunting soundtrack and stunning cinematography. The basic premise is this, on St Valentine's Day 1900 the students of an all girls school travel to hanging rock. Four of the girls decide to go for a walk around the rock and only one returns to the group, screaming and incoherent, unable to articulate what happened to the other three girls (and their governess that no one gives a shit about).
Why I think you should watch it: Hanging Rock is my favourite place in the world so far and I've spent most of my life in it's general vicinity. It's a great Australian past time to troll people that the events of the movie (based on the book by Joan Lindsay) is based on truth. While both the movie and book are entirely fictional, if you ever visit the rock, there's a feeling of possibility that it might just happen.
TWO: Suburban Mayhem
Year: 2006
IMDB Rating: 5.6
Anyone you know: Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland, The Only Lovers Left Alive) Anthony Hayes (Animal Kingdom, Rabbit Proof Fence)
What it's about: This a beautifully trashy movie that examines the life of a bogan queen Katrina who is a force to be reckoned with. She enlists a variety of white dick with her magic pussy to do her sneaky deeds as her dad finally wakes up to her slovenly ways. She wants money to get her brother out of jail and she'll do anything to get it. It's got everything you want in a bogan movie, trashy clothing, cars that make loud revving noises and Jim Beam.
Why I think you should watch it: If you've got delusions about what Australia is really like (pristine white sand beaches with a bevy of Jai Courtney's and Chris Hemsworth's) watching Suburban Mayhem will shattered them. And so it should.
THREE: The Dish
Year: 2000
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Anyone you know: Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Tudors) Roy Billing (Aquamarine) Bernard Curry (Once Upon A Time, Faking It, Pretty Little Liars... I didn't even know he broke into the American market)
What it's about: Turn's out, back in 1969, the Parkes satellite dish was the biggest in the southern hemisphere and was used to broadcast the moon landing. Naturally it applies itself greatly to the Australian rhetoric of celebrating the underdog because the Parkes observatory was located in the middle of a sheep paddock. The movie is a slightly fictionalised version of true events.
Why I think you should watch it: The Dish is a perfect example of Australian comedy done right. It's movie about an event that everyone on this earth knows but told in that typical australian way. It has everything. From calling idiots 'galahs' to playing cricket on what I assume was a very expensive piece of equipment.
FOUR: Crackerjack
Year: 2002
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Anyone you know: Bill Hunter (Strictly Ballroom, Muriel's Wedding, the voice of the dentist in Finding Nemo) Judith Lucy (Comedian) Mick Malloy (Comedian) Samuel Johnson (The Secret Life of Us, shares voice over duties with Marta Dussledorp for every ad on australian tv)
What it's about: So Jack Simpson is sloth like person who has a membership (or three) to the Cityside Lawn Bowls club to access their car park and rent out his spaces to his workmates. Unfortunately the Cityside Lawn Bowls club is under a bit of financial stress so Club President Len decides all members must now attend to play bowls. Jack turns out to be a bit of alright at bowling and after losing both his job and his girlfriend he's slightly more motivated to help out the only thing he has left in his life, the Bowling Club, from becoming a soulless pokies venue.
Why I think you should watch it: Can you think of a good reason not to? The whole film is on youtube
FIVE: THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER
Year: 1982
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Anyone you know: Kirk Douglas (for being Michael Douglas's father) Jack Thompson (for being in every half way decent Australian movie ever and the terrible Star Wars prequels)
What it's about: So the guy who wrote unofficial national anthem Waltzing Matilda also wrote quite a bit of poetry and his most famous is of the same name so it was really only a matter of time before someone tried to adapt the story of the colt by Old Regret for a movie. Jim Craig has been living in the mountains his whole life but when his dad dies the ~mountain men~ come along being general dicks and tell him he has to earn his life in the mountains. So he goes down to the valley for work and ends up working for a man called Harrison who has a very lovely head strong daughter and a very expensive horse that ends up escaping.
Why I think you should watch it: Ignore the WORST TRAILER I HAVE EVER SEEN above and take this factoid. The lead actor, Tom Burlinson, didn't have much riding experience before filming this movie. The shot in which he rides down a cliff face is actually him and it was done all in one take.
SIX: The Castle
Year: 1997
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Anyone you know: Eric Bana (he sort of had a Hollywood career once) Bud Tingwell (Trust me. You've seen him in something) Sophie Lee (Muriel's Wedding)
What it's about: They say a man's home is his castle and that's certainly the case for the Kerrigan family but it turns out that the government want to acquire their home and family patriarch Daryl isn't so down with that idea.
Why I think you should watch it: The Castle is an Australian classic. If you've ever heard any of the expressions "Tell him he's dreaming", "straight to the pool room" or "how's the serenity" you need to see the source material. The film is also Eric Bana's debut.
SEVEN: Dot and the Kangaroo
Year: 1977
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Anyone you know: Not a soul
What it's about: Based on a book of the same name, a young girl gets lost in the bush and befriends a kangaroo who, with a collection of other animals, helps her find her way home.
Why I think you should watch it: If you want a movie to fuck you up. This is the one you want to watch. You have no excuse, I've posted the whole movie in the post for you.
Source: Youtube 1234567
IMDB 1234567
Feel free to use this post to talk about Australian films you have seen and recommend etc.
ONE: Picnic At Hanging Rock
Year: 1975
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Anyone you know: Peter Weir (Director), a hella young Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook), also hella young John Jarret (Wolf Creek)
What it's about: You've probably heard of this movie. It's usually the one to pop up on lists of top ten Australian movies and remains a triumph of Australian film making with a haunting soundtrack and stunning cinematography. The basic premise is this, on St Valentine's Day 1900 the students of an all girls school travel to hanging rock. Four of the girls decide to go for a walk around the rock and only one returns to the group, screaming and incoherent, unable to articulate what happened to the other three girls (and their governess that no one gives a shit about).
Why I think you should watch it: Hanging Rock is my favourite place in the world so far and I've spent most of my life in it's general vicinity. It's a great Australian past time to troll people that the events of the movie (based on the book by Joan Lindsay) is based on truth. While both the movie and book are entirely fictional, if you ever visit the rock, there's a feeling of possibility that it might just happen.
TWO: Suburban Mayhem
Year: 2006
IMDB Rating: 5.6
Anyone you know: Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland, The Only Lovers Left Alive) Anthony Hayes (Animal Kingdom, Rabbit Proof Fence)
What it's about: This a beautifully trashy movie that examines the life of a bogan queen Katrina who is a force to be reckoned with. She enlists a variety of white dick with her magic pussy to do her sneaky deeds as her dad finally wakes up to her slovenly ways. She wants money to get her brother out of jail and she'll do anything to get it. It's got everything you want in a bogan movie, trashy clothing, cars that make loud revving noises and Jim Beam.
Why I think you should watch it: If you've got delusions about what Australia is really like (pristine white sand beaches with a bevy of Jai Courtney's and Chris Hemsworth's) watching Suburban Mayhem will shattered them. And so it should.
THREE: The Dish
Year: 2000
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Anyone you know: Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Tudors) Roy Billing (Aquamarine) Bernard Curry (Once Upon A Time, Faking It, Pretty Little Liars... I didn't even know he broke into the American market)
What it's about: Turn's out, back in 1969, the Parkes satellite dish was the biggest in the southern hemisphere and was used to broadcast the moon landing. Naturally it applies itself greatly to the Australian rhetoric of celebrating the underdog because the Parkes observatory was located in the middle of a sheep paddock. The movie is a slightly fictionalised version of true events.
Why I think you should watch it: The Dish is a perfect example of Australian comedy done right. It's movie about an event that everyone on this earth knows but told in that typical australian way. It has everything. From calling idiots 'galahs' to playing cricket on what I assume was a very expensive piece of equipment.
FOUR: Crackerjack
Year: 2002
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Anyone you know: Bill Hunter (Strictly Ballroom, Muriel's Wedding, the voice of the dentist in Finding Nemo) Judith Lucy (Comedian) Mick Malloy (Comedian) Samuel Johnson (The Secret Life of Us, shares voice over duties with Marta Dussledorp for every ad on australian tv)
What it's about: So Jack Simpson is sloth like person who has a membership (or three) to the Cityside Lawn Bowls club to access their car park and rent out his spaces to his workmates. Unfortunately the Cityside Lawn Bowls club is under a bit of financial stress so Club President Len decides all members must now attend to play bowls. Jack turns out to be a bit of alright at bowling and after losing both his job and his girlfriend he's slightly more motivated to help out the only thing he has left in his life, the Bowling Club, from becoming a soulless pokies venue.
Why I think you should watch it: Can you think of a good reason not to? The whole film is on youtube
FIVE: THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER
Year: 1982
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Anyone you know: Kirk Douglas (for being Michael Douglas's father) Jack Thompson (for being in every half way decent Australian movie ever and the terrible Star Wars prequels)
What it's about: So the guy who wrote unofficial national anthem Waltzing Matilda also wrote quite a bit of poetry and his most famous is of the same name so it was really only a matter of time before someone tried to adapt the story of the colt by Old Regret for a movie. Jim Craig has been living in the mountains his whole life but when his dad dies the ~mountain men~ come along being general dicks and tell him he has to earn his life in the mountains. So he goes down to the valley for work and ends up working for a man called Harrison who has a very lovely head strong daughter and a very expensive horse that ends up escaping.
Why I think you should watch it: Ignore the WORST TRAILER I HAVE EVER SEEN above and take this factoid. The lead actor, Tom Burlinson, didn't have much riding experience before filming this movie. The shot in which he rides down a cliff face is actually him and it was done all in one take.
SIX: The Castle
Year: 1997
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Anyone you know: Eric Bana (he sort of had a Hollywood career once) Bud Tingwell (Trust me. You've seen him in something) Sophie Lee (Muriel's Wedding)
What it's about: They say a man's home is his castle and that's certainly the case for the Kerrigan family but it turns out that the government want to acquire their home and family patriarch Daryl isn't so down with that idea.
Why I think you should watch it: The Castle is an Australian classic. If you've ever heard any of the expressions "Tell him he's dreaming", "straight to the pool room" or "how's the serenity" you need to see the source material. The film is also Eric Bana's debut.
SEVEN: Dot and the Kangaroo
Year: 1977
IMDB Rating: 7.2
Anyone you know: Not a soul
What it's about: Based on a book of the same name, a young girl gets lost in the bush and befriends a kangaroo who, with a collection of other animals, helps her find her way home.
Why I think you should watch it: If you want a movie to fuck you up. This is the one you want to watch. You have no excuse, I've posted the whole movie in the post for you.
Source: Youtube 1234567
IMDB 1234567
Feel free to use this post to talk about Australian films you have seen and recommend etc.