Top 10 Australian Movies

**Russ** · 11-12-2002, 07:51 PM

As I'm an Australian (yes, I'm loud, boorish and pig ignorant for the most part) I thought it MIGHT be interesting to see what others might make of a top 10 Australian film list. I realise that people in other parts of the world might not be familiar with Australian cinema - but anyway.

Mine are (in no real order)

Sweetie
Romper Stomper
Muriel's Wedding
True Love and Chaos
Mad Max
Mad Max 2
Bliss
The Boys
Idiot Box
Nirvarna Street Murder

Most over rated is "The Adventures Priscilla Queen of the who gives a rats bum". It's a pretty ordinary 2 minute comedy sketch turned into a feature length film. The joke seems to be. "These guys are a bunch of gays / transvestites / trans sexuals travelling about in a bus .... get it?"

I know I've skewed my list towards more recent films, but really, Aust films used to be quirky at best or just the most tedious bits of gear ever ... what was "Picnic At Hanging Rock" all about, and why couldn't the yall have disappeared. And as for "They're A Wierd Mob" - well I just cringe.

Any thoughts?

**tabuno** · 11-12-2002, 10:25 PM

One of my favorite movies was "Picnic at Hanging Rock." Are you saying that Australians on average didn't like it? Or just you?

**Russ** · 11-13-2002, 07:16 PM

Tabuno
Much as I'd like to be able to talk for all Australians, I think that it might be abit presumptuous.
I think "Picnic At Hanging Rock" would generally be liked by most Australians and I spose (in all fairness) I can see why - I guess it's just that it didn't talk to me.

Thanks for taking an interest.

**SinjinSB** · 11-13-2002, 11:07 PM

I've been watching a lot the past year...let's try a top 10:

Top 10 Aussie Movies
1) Rabbit-Proof Fence
2) Walkabout
3) Mad Max
4) Gallipoli
5) The Castle
6)Romper Stomper
7) Lantana
8) The Last Wave (Just finished watching tonight)
9) Mad Max 2: Road Warrior
10) The Dish

Other decent ones I've seen recently:
Chopper
The Man from Snowy River
The Return to Snowy River
Holy Smoke
The Coca-Cola Kid
Phar Lap

Not as good, but some light entertainment:
Crocodile Dundee Trilogy
Crocodile Hunter

Own the DVD, but haven't watched yet:
Picnic at Hanging Rock

Just got from NetFlix today and am about to start watching:
A Cry in the Dark

Russ-I'd be interested in some of the others on your list, but don't know if they're easily available here in the U.S. I'll keep my eye out. I was down under on holiday, visiting a friend in St. Andrew's (Melbourne area). I fell in love with the country and the people and now have several Aussie mates. Didn't make it to Canberra though. Started in the Melbourne area, then went horseback riding in the mountains behind Mansfield (where The Man from Snowy River was filmed) and passing though Bonnie Doon(from The Castle) on the way there. Then on to Sydney, Newcastle, Port Stephens, back to Sydney, then back to Melbourne. I can't wait to go back, there's so much more I want to visit, Uluru, Tasmania, the NorthEast. If you (or anyone) wants to read the story of my trip, it's on my website with some pics at: www.andrewnixon.com/australia.

Still trying to track down some of that good Aussie beer here in the states. My favorites were both Tasmanian (Cascade and Boag's).

**tabuno** · 11-14-2002, 12:31 AM

I really enjoyed watching "The Dish." It really had a great sense of humor and humanity to it. It was suspenseful and it really helped to put into perspective how little Americans know about how important the OTHER countries are. Americans with big heads sometimes think that they are the only ones on the planet it seems. If it weren't for the work of others America might not even be on the world map.

**HorseradishTree** · 11-14-2002, 11:51 AM

I 'd have to say Mad Max 2/Road Warrior is top notch. Out of many science fiction movies I've viewed, this is in the top ten.

**Russ** · 11-14-2002, 07:40 PM

Mad Max 2 was good - but I think it lost the charm of the first one by being too concerned with the stuntwork. I understand that Mel Gibson had only 13 lines in Mad Max 2 - still that might have been a blessing in disguise

In Australia (and people outside Australia might not be interested in this - even people in Australia might not be) many youths took Mad MAx as proof that Fords were better than Holden's, because Max drove a Ford when in pursuit. BUT what people conveniently forget is that Max had a Holden panel van as his personal car - and the night rider's car of choice was a Holden Monaro, so I think the jury's still out.

It's interesting that someone described Mad Max 2 as science fiction. I NEVER thought of it as SF, although if not I spose what other genre can it be?

**oscar jubis** · 11-14-2002, 11:34 PM

I consider WALKABOUT a british film shot in Australia. David Gulpilil(Moodoo in Rabbit-proof Fence) is the sole aussie of any consequence in it. That explains why it's not listed below.
1. AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE Campion
2. PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK Weir
3. BREAKER MORANT Beresford
4. MY BRILLIANT CAREER Armstrong
5. THE PIANO Campion
6. CAREFUL,HE MIGHT HEAR YOU Shultz
7. THE LAST WAVE Weir
8. SWEETIE Campion
LAWN DOGS Duigan
ANGEL BABY Rymer

RUNNER UPS: Gallipoli, The year my voice broke, Mad Max, Flirting, Year of living dangerously, Navigator, Lantana, Malcolm, Man of flowers, The lighthorsemen.

**docraven** · 11-15-2002, 01:26 AM

There are really quite a few Australian films that I have enjoyed. I know I have seen some other good ones, but have forgotten the titles. Anyway, the following are my favorites:

1. The Piano (1993)
2. Flirting (1991)
3. Walkabout (1971)
4. Gallipoli (1981)
5. My Brilliant Career (1979)
6. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
7. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
8. Shine (1994)
9. Muriel’s Wedding (1994)
10. Innocence (2000)

There are a few that I think of as American films even though they were at least partly filmed in Australia, but they could also be thought of as Australian:

On the Beach (1959)
Paradise Road (1997) -- financed in part by the Australian Film Finance Corporation
The Sundowners (1960)

One of Bruce Beresford’s films, Black Robe, dealt with 18th century American Indians, but was also financed in part by the Australian Film Finance Corporation.

Some other Australian films that I liked are:

Breaker Morant (1980)
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
Evil Angels [aka A Cry in the Dark] (1988)
The Fringe Dwellers (1986)
Lantana (2001)
Mad Max (1979)
The Man from Snowy River (1982)
Hammers Over the Anvil (1993)
Holy Smoke (2000)
The Road Warrior (1981)
Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Phar Lap (1983)
Sirens (1994)
The Well (1997)
The Year My Voice Broke (1987)

**HorseradishTree** · 11-15-2002, 11:45 AM

I almost forgot about Gallipoli. Dang, that was depressing. I remember watching that with my mother. She enjoyed the cheesy techno music while I cringed at it. Mel was good, and the ending was killer.

**docraven** · 11-15-2002, 12:11 PM

On my list of Australian films there is a typo. The Piano was a 1993 film. While the location is New Zealand, by the way, it was funded mostly out of Australia. Holly Hunter's performance was absolutely one of the best bits of film acting ever.

**sansho** · 05-10-2003, 10:33 AM

Excluding Campion's Ozzie-funded NZ films.

Chronological order;

Walkabout
Picnic at Hanging Rock
My Brilliant Career
Road Warrior
Gallipoli
Celia
Flirting
Babe

**docraven** · 05-10-2003, 01:57 PM

Have you see the fairly recent Aussie films, INNOCENCE and RABBIT-PROOF FENCE? I like your choices on this and other lists you recently posted. If you liked FLIRTING, you might see if you can find THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE, which is sort of a prequel about Danny Embling’s coming of age just prior to his boarding school experience. I don't think it is available on DVD. Welcome to FilmWurld!

**sansho** · 05-11-2003, 02:57 AM

Hi! Yeah, i'd like to have seen The Year my Voice Broke but as you say it's unavailable. I've not seen the other 2; i've fallen a long way behind with last year's films generally, but hope to catch up in the near future. I noticed a film that has a strong Ozzie cult following is Bad Boy Bubby; it's in several Austalians' top 10's in an ongoing poll in the excellent online magazine Senses of Cinema. I can see why, though it wasn't so much to my taste.

**fuzzy_nolan** · 05-11-2003, 11:12 PM

For mine, The Dish was a trite piece of fluffery masqueraing as a piece of Australia. Somewhere along the line, the film was tailored for an international audience in a way that Sitch's previous directorial effort - The Castle - wasn't.

The Australia portrayed in The Dish is an image that Australia often likes to show to the rest of the world - but it's an Australia that never existed, not even in the film's era, 1969.

For the international audience and, I daresay, even some Australians, this makes the film more 'accessible'. Personally, I think something Australian was lost in the transition.