RAZORBACK
As I said, I was blown away by Razorback’s visuals. I expected the film to be a runaway box-office success and Mulcahy’s career launched into the stratosphere. You see, like a mad sports fan, I was barracking for this film. In the ’80s, selling Australia to the world was like a sport. Musically we had sent bands like Men at Work, Mental as Anything and INXS off to attempt to break into the US market. Likewise, Australia was trying to do that with film. It wouldn’t be till the following year when Crocodile Dundee was released that Australian cinema made an impact overseas. Say what you like about Crocodile Dundee, but it was a very important film in its time. But back to where I was — I was barracking for this film. I had even gone to the trouble of finding the book that the story was based on by Peter Brennan. I can’t remember too much about the book now — after all that was twenty-five years ago — but it wasn’t at all like the film. I remember it being about diamond smuggling — there is a brief allusion to this excised plot where the hero of the film Carl Winters (Gregory Harrison) chases Benny baker (Chris Haywood) through the remnants of a mine field. Er, by mine I do not mean exploding mine, I mean this is a field full of mine shafts. Mounds from the diggings almost make it look like a lunar landscape. But generally the film throws all that diamond smuggling stuff out, and the film resorts to being a Jaws imitation. Or ‘Jaws on trotters’ as they now say. Regardless, I expected big things from this film.
#1 by Christian Brimo on November 16, 2009 - 10:50 pm
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I should note that Dogs In Space isn’t the movie suggested by the title
#2 by Christian Brimo on November 16, 2009 - 10:54 pm
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and wow… looks like Hey Hey Its Saturday has always been bad
#3 by The Rev. D.D. on November 18, 2009 - 11:28 am
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I have never seen this, despite opportunites to do so. What the hell is up with that? Shame on me.
Nice review of the movie, and quite informative to a State-sider like me.
I find myself wondering, though, how this has never come up for review at a certain other Cabalist’s website, considering it’s a killer whatsit movie from Australia. (Rogue, too, for that matter.) Too much on the plate already, perhaps?
I suppose I should just ask her.
Oh, Ms. Kiiiiiiiiiiiingsley…
#4 by Jen S on November 18, 2009 - 11:50 am
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I’ll never forget renting Dogs In Space back 150 years ago when I was in high school, having a huge, aching crush on Michael Hutchence. And sitting with my ENTIRE family watching said Dogs In Space. Eye opening in many, many ways.
#5 by lyzard on November 18, 2009 - 7:23 pm
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Oh, yes, yes, yes, it’s in the queue…along with EVERY SINGLE OTHER KILLER ANIMAL FILM EVER MADE.
In other words, I’ll get to it when I get to it.
Although I have been thinking of doing more local films. I might get to it more quickly on that track than the other.
#6 by The Beerman on November 18, 2009 - 8:04 pm
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Depending on the definition of locally, I just had the horrifying realization that all I would have is the “Children of the Corn” franchise.
Gah!
#7 by David on November 18, 2009 - 8:21 pm
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Liz: I’d be interested to hear your take on the film, cos you’re up north aren’t you? You probably look at it backwards to me!
Jen: I watched Dogs in Space for the first time in years just last week. It’s bizarre looking back at it now… thankfully when I watched it as a kid, my mum didn’t understand it..Where did that car come from? Why is it glowing?
#8 by lyzard on November 19, 2009 - 12:57 am
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I’m the one who proves that not everything about Sydney is bright and cheerful, if that’s what you mean.
#9 by The Rev. D.D. on November 19, 2009 - 8:02 am
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“Depending on the definition of locally, I just had the horrifying realization that all I would have is the “Children of the Corn” franchise.”
*perks up*
Someone from my neck of the woods?…The original was filmed in and (mostly) around my hometown.
If the movie “Sioux City” was filmed there, I guess I could count that as a hometown movie too–close enough as makes little difference.
#10 by The Beerman on November 19, 2009 - 1:16 pm
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Across the river, west, and in the middle of the Big Open, Rev.
[Little Bill Dagget/} “Hell, I even thought I was dead ’til I found out it was just that I was in Nebraska” [/Little Bill Dagget].
#11 by professorKettlewell on November 22, 2009 - 5:00 pm
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You think you people have problems? Here I am, from Bloody Staffordshire. I mean, even rural Derbyshire gets little crackers like “Dead Man’s Shoes’, and Nottingham gets a bunch a bunch of movies about some bloke named Robin. I don’t even think we got a 2-part mini series about Josiah Wedgwood or anything.