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Reviews
Palm Beach (2019)
A movie length episode of Home and Away focusing on adults.
I used to get indignant when people would say "It's alright for an Australian film", however, the more Australian films I see lately, the more I get we don't make the best films.
Set in beautiful Palm Beach (as the title suggests), this movie is about a bunch of people who used to be in a band, along with there current family members, getting back together for a reunion of sorts for their manager's birthday. They all have skeletons in the closet that rattle their bones to make themselves known.
This film feel like it is just a movie length episode of TV soap. However, if you watch it on DVD, then you have no ads and you don't have the musical crescendo to build up to an ad break to keep you interested.
Bryan Brown and Sam Neil are brilliant actors and I like their work as actors, but this film is just a little slow.
The Castle (1997)
Not brilliant, but has some charm.
This is a film that I believe you are not supposed to watch over and over again.
This is late 1990's suburban Melbourne, and living at 3 Highview Crescent Coolaroo are the Kerrigan Family. This property is right next to the airport, the airport want to expand, and the airport intent to compulsorily acquire Kerrigan's home. Darryl Kerrigan, the head of the Family does not want to move. He fight's the move legally and wins.
Don't overthink with this film, you find out the Kerrigan's have only lived in the home for 15 years and they are all over 18, so no one has lived their whole life in that home. However, they compare their plight to the aboriginals, who have lived in Australia for 1000's of years.
The members of the family love each other and they are quite like able. There are several quotes that have made their way into Australian pop-culture. The laid back portrayal of the average Australian is laid on quite thick. Like is say, charming, but not a brilliant film.
Kenny (2006)
Did not live up to expectations
This film was funny in parts, but going by the trailer, you'd think this was a laugh out loud, laugh a minute comedy.
This film started off funny and just tapered out like an Adam Sandler film that is quite funny at the start and then gets too serious.
Shane Jacobson did a good job, he is a good actor, but I felt let down after watching this.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Another one not nearly as good as I remember.
I watched this as a kid and thought it was good. I guess I never paid attention to it, or was too young to notice how weak it really is.
This film has been revered for years and I can't understand why. The characters all belong in a sanitarium.
The thing that really stood out for me when I watched again as a adult was that this film was narrated. For some reason I never paid attention to the narration. The movie feels to me like you are watching the movie as a poor quality internet download, even though you are not watching a poor quality copy.
I won't dis people who like the film, but I will just say it don't.
The Jerk (1979)
Jackie Mason could not save this film.
This film is just not funny. It is very boring. It takes forever to get going. The first half of the film is just not needed.
Airheads (1994)
Not nearly as good as I remember
This is one of those films you will probably loved as a teenager then 20 years later you are like.. What was I thinking.
Three going nowhere musicians decide to sneak in to a radio station to get their demo played on the air in order to get exposure and get a record deal, like a band they saw performing at a club. When things don't go their way, they hold the workers at the radio station hostage with toy guns.
Of course everything goes wrong, but turns out well in the end.
We have to put up with our 'heroes' dissing The Beatles. Dissing everyone else. Dissing each other. We have a Hendrix wannabe who is rude to everyone for no reason. We have a surfer type who has Stockholm syndrome. The ditsy blonde. I could go on.
First twenty minutes of the film are good then is as boring as and clichéd.
Good laugh for teenagers. If you see if for a couple of bucks at the op shop get it, but this is not one you would watch regularly.
Street Hero (1984)
Mistaken Identity
An early 80's suburban Melbourne film, about a boy in with the wrong crowd, bastard of a step dad and in love.
I bought this film for five dollars at the reject shop. I thought why not? I got about 15 minutes into the film and remembered I had seen bits of it or if not the whole film before. That is the type of film it was. Forgetible.
This film at times appears to be trying to be a Hollywood film and at other times sticks to it's Australian origin. Low budget props, particularly the policemen's uniforms.
Vince Colosimo has moved on to bigger and better things and I guess we all have to start somewhere, and for that I recommend that people see films like this.
You won't be constantly wowed but is worth watching at least once.
The Big Steal (1990)
A classic boy wants the girl film.
From the creators of Malcolm, and before the days of the Castle comes this 1990 film which was one of Ben Mendelshon first film appearances.
Having loved trains, I was drawn in from the opening scene where a train drives past the residence of Danny Clark, our shy teenage hero of the film.
Wanting to impress the girl of his dreams, he tells her that he has a Jaguar motor car when he asks her out. She agrees to go out with him and now he has to buy the said jag and it is a roller coaster ride from there.
Set in early 90's Melbourne this film is a must for any proud Aussie film buff and although Steve Bisley's hairdo would be an inditable offence these days, the file will not disappoint.