A must-have for serious fans of the director, this DVD contains four short films that Weir made prior to his feature debut with The Cars that Ate Paris in 1974. His talent and imagination are obvious from the get-go:
Michael, one of three short films that made up the feature Three to Go (1969), starts out with a stunning sequence of Sydney under siege from young revolutionaries (barbed wire and soldiers at Circular Quay!); if the actual story is a bit plodding (an uptight young man is attracted to the counter-culture), Weir’s visuals keep things interesting.
Homesdale (1971) is about a house where people indulge their fantasies: the guests include Graham Bond and Kate Fitzpatrick and there is some comedy, suspense, fantasy and macabre moments.
There are also a two 10 minute films Weir made while at the Commonwealth Film Unit: Three Directions In Pop Music (1971), some filmed performances by some now-forgotten Australian bands, and The Incredible Floridas (1972), a documentary about Melbourne musician Richard Meale’s homage to French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Neither topic really deserved its own documentary, to be honest, but that’s the 70s for you.
No interview or commentaries from Weir on the DVD, unfortunately, but Homesdale has commentary from producer Richard Brennan and actor Kate Fitzpatrick.
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