A dramatisation of The Fitzgerald Inquiry which looked into illegal prostitution and gambling aided by corrupt police. Stalwart Bill Hunter stars as star witness Graeme Parker. He won Best Actor at the Australian Film Institute for his role. And for good reason as he’s excellent. Police State is a fantastic TV movie. It’s well made, …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 31- Police State (1989)
Young people congregate at a local New South Wales suburb community centre. They also live together in accommodation which is kind of like a halfway house for youngsters from difficult backgrounds. Ely moves in after her mother's boyfriend sexually assaults her. Meanwhile, a local businessman who hopes to become a politician holds a dinner party …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 28- Crime of the Decade (1984)
OK, so this movie is based in New Zealand rather than Australia but... Murderous aliens have invaded Kaihoro and want to turn humans into extraterrestrial fast food. I remember seeing Bad Taste when it was released on video here in the UK. Unfortunately, this coincided with a reprise of the earlier Video Nasties moral panic …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 27- Bad Taste (1987)
A group of alternative types share a house in Melbourne in 1978. There’s no real plot as it’s hoped that the characters are interesting enough to hold your interest for an hour and a half. Not even the mentions of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, The Boys Next Door (Nick Cave's first band) and Suicide can …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 25- Dogs In Space (1986)
A hitchhiker is murdered. The killer takes her body to his wheelbound brothers house and plans on disposing of the body. I knew nothing about End Play. I then decided to investigate when I saw that it was on YouTube. Every now and then I strike lucky by doing this. And in this instance I …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 17- End Play (1976)
Jackie goes for a drive and suddenly finds herself back in 1944 (!) at a place called Frenchman’s Farm. She witnesses a murder and then finds herself back in the present day. She starts to go to local libraries to try and research the place. This movie is the epitome of a mild, tame and …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 13- Frenchman’s Farm (1987)
Martha is a 78 year old woman living with cancer. She is cared for by a visiting nurse, Malinka. She regularly sees her son and her friends and also cares for her elderly neighbour Billy who lives next door. A Woman's Tale had been on my radar for years as it stars the inimitable Sheila …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 9- A Woman’s Tale (1991)
Two drag queens and a transsexual journey from Sydney to Alive Springs for a fortnight of drag shows on their bus Priscilla. Adventures abound. The first time I saw Priscilla was at a screening in London just after its release. Star Terrence Stamp had videotaped an intro in which he said that the role of …
Peter Weir's 1975 film involves the students of an all-girls school going to Hanging Rock with a couple of teachers from the school. However, several girls and one of the teachers seemingly vanish into thin air. Whilst there is a linear narrative running through Picnic at Hanging Rock, it is more a film that the …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 7- Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
Kitty arrives from England with her husband who is arrested for past crimes. She then enters a life of crime to survive. I first heard of Kitty and the Bagman because of my love of Prisoner Cell Block H. But rather than this just being a movie of interest to fans of this show, this …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 6- Kitty And The Bagman (1982)
