Thanks for the replies everyone. Apologies for not getting back to you all sooner as I have been busy.
hello101 - Glad to see a fellow Australian on here. I agree with your additions, particularly Wake in Fright, which is among one of the most perturbingly realistic depictions of Australian drink culture in all of film. Snowtown is
absolutely hard to stomach, but I found it to be an amazingly real and hard-hitting work.
christine - Thank you. Kenny is a film I have yet to see, actually, but I've heard great things about it. I do enjoy some perverse Australian black comedy from time-to-time.
Derek Vinyard - Yes, that's a fantastic work, and technically crafted to precision. Bruce Beresford went on to have a solid career in Hollywood. Tender Mercies is a solid, forceful filmmaking.
honeykid - 20 years since you've last seen Bad Boy Bubby? I think you're in desperate need for a rewatch.
I can completely understand why one would have an averse inclination towards it, though. It's a very deviant work, perhaps too much so for some viewers, but it was right up my (aberrant and admittedly twisted) alley.
cricket - Definitely seek down Rolf de Heer's film if you can. It's very dividing and very confrontational, but I think it's film at its most radical and aberrant. I am rather surprised to hear that
anybody would laugh through a film like Snowtown. They must have a wicked sense of humour.
The Sci-Fi Slob - Of course, one simply can not overlook those Australian classics. They're certainly amongst the most popular in North America and across the world. And, yes, absolutely re: The Rover. That scene you referenced had a profound impact on me. I'm glad it did for others, too.
matt72582 - Romper Stomper is a great addition. I have yet to see Muriel's Wedding, actually, and yes, technically, Walkabout is not a financed Australian feature. It is, however, a great film, and one that feels like it was crafted and researched by Australian artists.
Daniel M - Indeed, sir. Thematically, it felt like an Australian New Wave feature. It's a beautiful work.
Used Future - Lovely post. I agree that the remake is considerably inferior to the original, even if the latter is not that dextrously crafted on a technical level. I love your Weir recommendations, namely The Plumber, which is daring black comedy that had greater production values than one would expect from a television production. The Cars Ate Paris is definitely the product of an inexperienced albeit talented and visionary director. Surprisingly, I have not seen any of your other recommendations, but they are noted and watch-listed. Thank you for the write-up's and the images you provided.
MovieGal - Do get to The Rover as soon as you can. It's deceptively simple filmmaking, and more of an atmospheric piece than anything else, and that is precisely why I think audiences were underwhelmed with it. And, yes, I agree, the Mad Max films have an integral and incremental role in the Australian sphere of filmmaking. I also enjoyed The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but always considered it to be a lesser work from the land down under.
Statulis - Animal Kingdom is one of my favourite films, so I'm elated you brought that up. I elected to explicate on Michod's The Rover instead, however, because I feel that is in need of more recognition. I do prefer the former, though.
Captain Spaulding - I appreciate the kind words, sir. I also always value your well-articulated contributions to my threads and your write-up here is no exception. I can understand your sentiments in regards to Weir's film. It definitely undertakes a prodigious tonality paradigm shift halfway through, going from an eerie, dreamlike, surrealist work (reminiscent of Lynch, as you said) to something much more conventional and restrained, particularly from a storytelling viewpoint. The Rover has, indeed, engendered a polarising reaction amongst critics and viewers. My theory is that many expected something similar, in terms of thematic intricacy and story density, to Animal Kingdom. The film really is not like that at all, but rather, something much more simple and elementary, and I mean that in the best way possible. Do please let us know if you get to any of the other films, namely Snowtown and Bad Boy Bubby.
Hit Girl - Thank you for bringing up Wolf Creek. I understand many detested the work, but I found it to be a brutal, harrowing and perturbing slice of Australian outback horror. I loved it. I appreciate your other recommendations, all of which I have yet to see.
TheMovies - The Babadook is immersive, intelligent, and well-crafted horror. Yes, excellent selection, and a film I can not recommend highly enough. Is the film you're speaking of called Australian Rules by any chance? A sporadic stab, but I thought I would give it a go.
Iroquois - Of course, I can only highly recommend the last four you have yet to see. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on Snowtown in particular.
Tacitus - I can not say I have heard of this film, but I will keep an eye out for it. Thank you, sir.
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