13.4 Films
Description
This article is from the soc.culture.australian FAQ, by Stephen Wales with numerous contributions by others.
13.4 Films
From the Sunday "New York Times", Jan 2nd 1994 [AT]:
"Perhaps the closest parallel to the vitality of Ireland's movie
industry today is the Australian experience of the late 1970s. In a
period of just a few years, the Australians gave the world
"Gallipoli," "Breaker Morant," "My Brilliant Career," "Picnic at
Hanging Rock" and "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith." Critics slavered
over the output of directors like Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, Fred
Scepisi & Gillian Armstrong. "'Crocodile' Dundee," the ultimate in
outback machismo, established box-office records in both Australia and
the United States, where it was the 2nd-highest-grossing movie of
1986.
The success of these films changed the image of the country that
produced them. Suddenly, Australians loomed large as a force in the
movie world. ...
...Soon after they made their mark, nearly all the best-known
Australian directors scampered off to Hollywood. The mighty Australian
film industry faltered -- partly because of recession & unemployment
but also because its proficient pool of talent opted for the bigger
budgets and wider distribution offered by the studios."
[Entries mostly taken from a Maltin's 1991 TV Movies and Video Guide.
I'll fill in more each month. Also I don't have much on more recent
releases. Also contributions from AR. Contributions welcome. AN]
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