THURSDAY FILM CLUB

2nd December

Room 005

Screening begins 2 p.m.

This week I have a treat for you: Red Hill has just premiered in the USA and it opens in Australia this weekend – so it’s a rare chance for you to preview this unique film.

Here’s the trailer:



Red Hill is about a young police officer Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten) who relocates to the small country town of Red Hill with his pregnant wife Alice to start a family. But when news of a prison break sends the local law enforcement officers – led by the town’s ruling presence, Old Bill – into a panic, Shane’s first day on duty rapidly turns into a nightmare.

Enter Jimmy Conway, a convicted murderer serving life behind bars, who has returned to the isolated outpost seeking revenge. Now caught in the middle of what will become a terrifying and bloody confrontation, Shane will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive.

A taut thriller which unfolds over the course of a single day and night, and told with explosive action and chilling violence, Red Hill is a modern-day western played out against the extraordinary landscapes of high-country Australia.

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Trivia time - director Patrick Hughes talks about the real town where he shot the film:

Hughes: We shot the movie in a town called Omeo. That was the biggest gold rush town in Australia. Back in 1890 its population matched Melbourne with forty thousand people. You know when you watch a show like Deadwood that’s exactly what this place is like. Beautiful old photographs and drawings and sketches of that bygone era are hanging on the walls of the pub there, because they found one of the biggest gold nuggets in Australia was found in this small town, Omeo where we shot it. And that’s where the National Australia Bank started, because some guy found this huge gold nugget and said, “Can someone look out for this for me?” And some guy put up his hand and said, “I’m going to be called the National Australia Bank.” I was drawn to this town, because (Red Hill) is about old and new. It’s about the changing of the guard. And it’s about a town that is, at its core, is rotting, and it’s dying.

(...)

You know, that town has all those old western frontages, and, you know, because it used to have a population of over 40,000 people, there’s all of these empty houses everywhere. I guess I was looking at all of these small towns and there’s something really creepy about them, because on a Saturday night you could hear a pin drop. You know what I mean? Because everyone lives on these farms outside of the town, and you’ve just got empty Main Street. We had this beautiful sort of Western town.

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(This screening is recommended for Australia class students)

The letter "E"

Exploration and long distances (in space and time) are the main topics for tomorrow. Confused? Just read on ;-)

















1. Let's start with European discovery and colonisation. We have already talked about James Cook and the First Fleet, but this time please concentrate on non English explorers. Click the map to get some information (focus on nationalities only). Go here to see the chronology of landings, and here to see a cute animation.


2. Our second topic is a little tricky - excavation. But we will not be talking about gold - not just yet! ;-)

In fact what we are going to discuss is Australia's fossil past. Click on the picture to read some fascinating facts.














3. And finally a few words about (long distance) education.

This video unfortunatelly has a Danish commentary, but it still gives a wonderful insight into what The School of the Air is and how it operates. Have a look:



Here you can read about The School of the Air.

(Click on the picture to visit Alice Springs School of the Air website).

THURSDAY FILM CLUB

THURSDAY FILM CLUB

25th November
Room 005
Screening begins 2 p.m.

This year I'll be dividing time between current/canon Australian cinema and films which are interesting from the point of view of the art of screenwriting.

We are kicking off the new season of Film Club with a cult classic medical thriller from 1990, boasting an impressive cast of very young Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland and William Baldwin.

FLATLINERS



Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film focuses on five medical students who conduct experiments with near-death experiences in an attempt to find out if there's anything out there beyond death. As each of them has heart stopped and dies in consequence - to be revived mere minutes later - they begin to realize that they might have brought back from the land of death things they wish had stayed there.

Original concept, gripping plot and stellar performances from all involved. This film may be old but it hasn’t dated a bit.


FOCUS POINTS: character building, character flaws, protagonist’s arc

(This screening is especially recommended for screenwriting class students)


NEXT WEEK: Red Hill

The letter C - cont.

This week we are going to step aside from the chronological path for a moment in order to delve deeper into the Aussie soul.

We'll be talking about following topics:

1. customs

A very interesting (if somewhat ridiculous) read here: Department of Immigration and Citizenship ;-)
Drinking etiquette as described on my favourite website.
















Click on the picture to see a really thought-provoking social commentary on The Australian Citizenship Test.


2. car fetishism

Aussies LOVE their cars. Watch the clips and try to work out which two cars have cult status in Australia.

car 1:
Road Warrior (1981)
Love the Beast (2009)

car 2:
Two Hands (1999)
[it's a very vague clue, pay attention to the first shot]


If you are still confused go here, type the title(s) in the search box, and then read "plot" and "trivia" sections.


***For movie buffs only***

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) - a film from Peter Weir, the same director who later shot the cult classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, and such films as Dead Poets Society and recently Master and Commander.


3. cinema (industry and film festivals)

Australian Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. Visit their official site, browse around, and find out some information about the rules and the venue. You can also watch some competition films. They are all under 7 minutes long, so it won't take you too long ;-)

The ones which I would recommend are: The Story of Bubble Boy and An Imaginary Life.


4. Canberra

CONVICT LIFE

The Convict System (incl. Pardons and Letters of Leave)

National Heritage site - Fremantle Prison

The Australian Soul - its traces in Convict Era
- support for the Underdog
- "never give in" attitude
- "no whining" attitude
- "no worries" attitude

Letters "B" and "C"

We'll have to make up for the class we didn't have last Monday, so I'd really appreciate if you did some extra reading at home. Just follow the links below.

So far we have a pretty good understanding of what Australia was like when its shores were still untouched by the white man. But the first contact was inevitable.

In two weeks (letter "E" - European exploration) we'll be talking about French and Dutch expeditions, but today we'll go straight to captain James Cook and his landing in Botany Bay.

To get you in the proper mood first listen to this Irish shantie - The Shores of Botany Bay



(go here to see the lyrics)


Captain James Cook did not "discover" Australia, but his landing in Botany Bay on 29th of April, 1770 symbolicaly marked the beginning of colonisation. Read this summary of Cook's first voyage on Australia's East Coast.

It was just a quick stop for Cook, and Botany Bay remained quiet and peaceful for the next 18 years. The British Empire welcomed the "discovery" of the new land - and a potential colony - but that part of the world was not politically or economically significant enough to claim these lands for the British Crown just yet.
However the situation changed with a rather rapid development of events in America, and year 1788 saw the arrival of First Fleet to Botany Bay.

Watch this video to see what impact it had on the local Aboriginal population.





Now let's have a look at these events from the point of view of the English - Redcoats, sailors and convicts. Go here to read about FIRST FLEET and the problems they encountered on their arrival to Australia.

***

All right, to have a short break from history overload let's move now for a moment to present day Botany Bay and its biodiversity.

Have a look at this video:



Follow the link in video description on YouTube to find answers to following questions:

1. What was Botany Bay called before it received its present name?
2. What is Eastern Blue Grouper, and why is it important?

***

Got a bit tired and hungry doing all the research, eh? ;-) Watch this 1984 commercial featuring Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogan. It is a great introduction to two more topics: BBQ and beaches.



See if you know answers to these questions:

1. What is the etymology of the word "barbecue"?
2. What fuels do Aussies use?

I've already shared this with some groups, but there is a reminder of some social rules concering BBQ ;-)



(click to see bigger version)

And finally click here to see a stunning picture. Read the description. I'll ask you some questions on it.

***

On Monday we'll also have a few "C" topics, but don't worry about them yet, I'll do the presentation.