Best Australian Film Ever

[Over The Post]

ISTR a movie about a Sydney bus driver and his BBQ, Ruo Emoh or something? Ring any bells?

 

[WireHawk]

1: 'Mad Max:The Road Warrior'
2: 'Mad Max'
They are the two stand outs.

'Chopper' and 'The Boys' are very good and necessarily brutal.

The first 45 minutes of 'Romper Stomper' are great ,then the film goes awry. Same with 'Picnic At Hanging Rock'. The first half is mesmerizing,
then once the girls have disappeared the interest in the film disappears.

'Blue Murder' and 'Phoenix' are superb TV series'. The greatest crime writer of them all, James Ellroy, said that 'Blue Murder' was the best crime
series he had seen. Robert Towne, who wrote 'Chinatown', said the same thing. High praise!

 

[Roobs321]

'Blue Murder' and 'Phoenix' are superb TV series'. The greatest crime writer of them all, James Ellroy, said that 'Blue Murder' was the best crime
series he had seen. Robert Towne, who wrote 'Chinatown', said the same thing. High praise!

If you like those then check out the comparable 'Scales of Justice' and 'Janus' from the same creators, I regard them as superior.

 

[Roobs321]

For people who don’t have The Castle in their top 10, can I respectfully ask why?

I don’t want to call you al Qaeda sympathisers but…

It's a really good film that I grew up with and remain fond of, still quote it today, but I don't think it would even make my top 100. At the end of the day it is one of those charming underdog 90s comedies and I just think Australian cinema has demonstrated some extra gears to what The Castle can reasonably offer. I enjoy Rob Sitch stuff in general though, especially Frontline (probably my favourite comedy from local film/tv).

1997 was a bubble burst year for Australian cinema, so much mediocrity flooded the marketplace, and The Castle does shine out within that crop. It's my fave Australian film from that year, the only very good one in fact. That said, I still need to catch up with Welcome to Woop Woop (usually partial to Elliott's work so that's my best bet), The Road to Nhill and Amy.

 

[Plugger35]

I wouldn't have The Castle in my top 10 Australian films.

I wouldn't even have The Castle in my Top 10 Australian comedy films.

There are far better Australian comedy films around like this comedy gem.

 

[HairyO]

The Dish.

I could watch this over and over. So beautifully made.

Best Australian TV show ever would be Farscape.

 

[Billy ray]

The Dish.

I could watch this over and over. So beautifully made.

Best Australian TV show ever would be Farscape.

I think you are forgetting the curiosity show and c’mon kids

 

[IKE TURNER]

First mad Max and Don's party

 

[PT Bar None]

I watched Don's Party for the first time the night before last year's federal election.

Quite the thing!

 

[HairyO]

I think you are forgetting the curiosity show and c’mon kids

And also Hey Hey !

 

[Gough]

I think you are forgetting the curiosity show and c’mon kids

Secret Valley.

 

[Dan Moody]

I think you are forgetting the curiosity show and c’mon kids

and Matchmates

 

[Plugger35]

Wombat

 

[Plugger35]

The Odd Angry Shot

 

[Roobs321]

Gettin' Square tends to be overrated in these sorts of threads.

I mean Wenham is a great character actor and that court scene is a highlight, but there is a reason that is all anyone really cares to remember or has to say about that film, your standards for Australian cinema would need to be low to give it oxygen two decades hence. It's just an average crime flick of its time really, slightly interesting with the SEQ setting. Even with the Timothy Spall novelty, he did a few other films/tv in Aus/NZ over the years. Spiteri was a meme for about a decade there but time to move on fellas.

2003 was a fairly ordinary year for local cinema, but I'd still take all these ahead of Gettin' Square:
Alexandra's Project
Swimming Upstream
Japanese Story
Ned Kelly
Take Away
The Rage in Placid Lake

Bad Eggs, The Night We Called it a Day and You Can't Stop the Murders were fairly lame.

 

[Dan Moody]

Gettin' Square tends to be overrated in these sorts of threads.

I mean Wenham is a great character actor and that court scene is a highlight, but there is a reason that is all anyone really cares to remember or has to say about that film, your standards for Australian cinema would need to be low to give it oxygen two decades hence. ..... but time to move on fellas.

Apologies for even bringing the film up then David Stratton..
I'll try to do better and raise my standards

 

[Roobs321]

Apologies for even bringing the film up then David Stratton..
I'll try to do better and raise my standards

I just think the Gettin' Square meme is kind of played out by now.

If this thread was 'Best Australian Film Performance Ever' and people were nominating David Wenham for Gettin' Square/The Boys, then that's cool, fair enough, I get it. But there are hundreds of other films worth talking about instead of Gettin' Square, time to put that one in the attic.

 

[#23 Hill]

Mad Max 1 & 2 are legendary in Australian cinema

Agree. The supporting cast in Mad Max 1 is incredible so many amazing characters.

 

[GreyCrow]

 

[GreyCrow]

I just think the Gettin' Square meme is kind of played out by now.

If this thread was 'Best Australian Film Performance Ever' and people were nominating David Wenham for Gettin' Square/The Boys, then that's cool, fair enough, I get it. But there are hundreds of other films worth talking about instead of Gettin' Square, time to put that one in the attic.

I think you miss the point of why Gettin' Square gets mentioned over the list of movies you named

I looked at your list and apart from Ned Kelly - which I get confused with Yahoo Serious and Mick Jagger - I dont recall one single detail about them

Which defeats the point of a movie for the general public. Yes auteurs may recall them and particular images from them but Gettin' Square is the one in this thread

 

[Roobs321]

I think you miss the point of why Gettin' Square gets mentioned over the list of movies you named

I dont recall one single detail about them

Which defeats the point of a movie for the general public. Yes auteurs may recall them and particular images from them but Gettin' Square is the one in this thread

No you are just reinforcing my point, i.e. it’s merely a niche generational popculture meme or particular YouTube scene share.

But does anyone actually watch the entire film itself anymore? Just because you remember some element being reiterated a few times online since release doesn’t make it an overall good film.

No one is saying those other 2003 films should necessarily deserve their own mention in this thread, I’m just putting Gettin’ Square into wider context. It isn’t like it was a big local hit or anything either or well known in the mainstream.

‘Yes auteurs may recall them’ - I don’t think you even understand the meaning of that word

 

[freddy mercury]

Mad Max films can get in the bin, atrocious films.

 

[No Quarter]

Dunno about 'best'..

But favourite:

Honourable mention for Two Hands.. loved that movie.

Surprised not much mention of Priscilla?

 

[Over The Post]

I just watched The Odd Angry Shot.

Good, not great.

Final scene: Shit, I've been there! That's Watsons Bay! A mate who used to be a chef had a boat, and he took us out one day, we tied up at the wharf and he got us a friggin huge parcel of fish and chips from Doyles for free. More scallops and oysters and crayfish than you could shake a stick at. That scene was filmed from the first floor of the (now) Watsons Bay Boutique hotel.

 

[rank and file]

Suburban Mayhem (2006) is the best of that decade.