Movie review - "Crosstalk" (1982) **

 A film only remembered because the producers sacked the original director, Keith Salvat, during filming - because they were running behind schedule apparently. The 1st AD took over.

The day was not saved. I'm not sure it ever could have been, mostly because the film is so confusing. I've read a synopsis at Oz Movies here and it's still confusing.

They try to do too much, It's Rear Window in an apartment block but also conspiracy thriller stuff about a computer closer to 2001. Pick a lane. Dennis Whitburn is credited as one of the writers.

Gary Day doesn't really have the individuality to play a leading man - he was always more effective as corrupt cop offsiders for other actors. He's the hero here, a man in a wheelchair doing work for computers in an apartment who becomes convinced neighbour John Ewart is killing people.

There's two female leads - Day's wife Penny Downie and nurse Kim Deacon - when one would've done.

It's fun to see John Ewart as a homicidal maniac but it was so confusing and after a while I was longing for sex and violence. Vincent Monton's photography is typically excellent and there's some decent suspense sequence such as Deacon poking around Ewart's apartment.

TV review - "Michael Willesee's Australians Ep 8 - Jack Davey" (1988) **

 Davey was a big radio star in the 1950s - a colourful person, a gambler, womaniser, New Zealander, hard worker, with a notable rivalry against Bob Dwyer. This focuses on Davey participating in the round Australia car race in which Davey, with his dodgy heart, was not allowed to participate. I guess is interesting. There's Gelignite Jack (Bruce Venables).

Rhys McConnochie is okay as Davey - it's a hard role. The cast also includes Leone Carmen as a girl.

Geoffrey Atherden wrote it, George Whaley directed. Again, a healthy budget. I keep thinking though that this series always picks uninteresting periods to dramatise in its subject's life. Wouldn't it have been better to do Davey vs Dwyer and cover them going into television and Davey struggling?

There's no real central relationship. Davey and the girl I guess. We don't get to go on the race, which I get for budget reasons (though the production design we do get is typically handsome)... but why devote so much space?

Random thoughts on the film Moneyball

It’s a film with a great DNA that they ignore so it can be a star vehicle for Brad Pitt.

My take...

“Moneyball” is about beating the system. Watching a sport and going “hang on, they’re not picking the team right... I need to pick the team”.

That’s every sports fan’s fantasy. Well, apart from playing. If we can’t play... to be able to pick the side, and pick it better than the pros.

It’s the core DNA of the film/book.

Someone ignored, who is a joke, no good at sports, but who loves the game... sees what other people can’t see. And is proved right.

The film should be about Jonah Hill’s character. Tubby, nerdy, treated with disdain. But... he knows the Secret. He installs a system... picks players who others think are no good. And... creates a winning team.

Ta-da.

But...

Brad Pitt wants to make it.

Great. Brad Pitt is a big star. People will go see his movies. Jonah Hill not so much. (At least not at the budget).

But there’s only one role Brad Pitt can really play... Billy Beane.

Good looking. Charismatic. The boss. I mean, he never made it as a top player but... he’s brad Pitt. God did not hate him.

So they had to make the film about Billy Beane trying to find a new way... it touches on his unfulfilled playing career but it’s a little convoluted.

I think they made a good film on this.

But it's not the film they should've made.

That should've been about Jonah Hill's character.

Movie review - "Outbreak of Hostilites" (1985) ** (warning: spoilers)

 Ron McLean made this for his own company, he wrote and produced, David Copping the art designer directed it. It's about a family in 1939 - I wonder if it was a Sullivans rip off. McLean died in 1983 I think this was made in 1982 but didn't air on Oz TV til 1985 (I could be wrong about those dates). Copyright is 1983. McLean co produced this with Colin Eggleston.

Scott Burgess is a sensitive young man who has an affair with an older woman, Cornelia Francis - nice to see her in a change of pace. George Mallaby is Burgess' dad. The cast also includes Max Cullen, Moya O'Sullivan and Judy Nunn (who I didn't recognise).

It's fairly bland and dull. On the nose. I think McLean rehashed old movies he'd seen. The family seem to be constantly sitting by the radio listening to broadcasts from Menzies. The low budget is covered by having a lot of scenes take place at the beach or in the one house.  Oh and stock footage.

There is some war stuff at the end, tents on the sand dunes and some equipment. Mallaby has a decent death scene - actors love death scenes and Mallaby is a good actor. Then Burgess dies in an attack.

Just not quite sure of the point of it is. There's a flashback with an old lady in make up - Colleen Fitzpatrick I think who is Burgess' mother.

Directed by David Copping. Credits refer to Brisbane production runner... was this shot in Brisbane?

Movie review - "Where Danger Lives" (1950) *** (warning: spoilers)

 The first of two noirs John Farrow made for Howard Hughes starring Bob Mitchum, being loaned out by Paramount. This has a simple story with doctor Mitchum falling for Faith Domergue, famed Hughes "discovery", not realising she's married to Claude Rains. Soon he's dead and they go on the run.

Mitchum has to act like a dill for a lot but the film has a certain hypnotic quality. There's not a lot of twists it's more a mood piece as Mitchen amd Domergue make a break for the border. Mitchem keeps trying to stay awake as he becomes increasingly paralysed.

The border town is fun, with its beard competition, dodgy vaudeville show, and shonky Philip Van Zandt helping them get across. Ther's a film in that town.

It was known as White Rose for Julie. Irwin Allen co produced this. It started his relationship with screenwriter Charles Bennett.

It does feel a little bit of a cheat that Mitchum is allowed to live at the end.

Movie review - "Innocent Prey" (1984) **

Junky, silly slasher thriller which was actually quite entertaining. It's a film of starts and stops - it never seems to get momentum going and there are plot holes but it has some effective moments if you get into the spirit of the thing.

It starts in Dallas Texas where PJ Soles (a rare lead role) is married to Kit Taylor (who is a superb villain). She comes across him in a hotel room having sex with a hooker (Debi Vorhees who was in a Friday the 13th film) who he then kills. He winds up in prison (Martin Balsam is a local cop) but escapes and chases PJ to Australia where she's moved in with a friend... into an apartment house with another psycho, a guy who perves on the inhabitants with secret cameras.

If you go with that conceit you'll have fun, with PJ Soles giving an efficient performace, Taylor very good, Susan Stenmark adding some glamour as Soles' hot friend, Grigor Taylor as Soles new love interest. The death toll is very high!

Based on a script by Ron McLean and directed by Colin Eggleston - their fourth collaboration after Airhawk, Outbreak of Hostilities and The Little Feller.

Movie review - "Sirens" (1994) ***1/2

 A big deal in its day - huge - because Elle McPherson was in it, naked.  It's a film that was genuinely liked too - a positive affirming little fable, sort of like Smiles of a Summer Night ish. It's sexy too - sensual, I get, but sexy; I admit I can't help think of John Duigan going around to the actresses saying "I've got all these degrees and am very intelligent let's talk about sensuality". But he made a good movie.

It's beautifully cast. Hugh Grant is very engaging - because he's Hugh Grant (albeit pre-fame) you can see why Tara Fitzgerald (very sweet and lovely) stays with him. Sam Neill shines in a showy support role, Pamela Rabe is very good. Kate Fisher and Elle look spectacular; their acting is a little raw - Elle doesn't have much to play but Kate does. The real surprise packet is Portia di Rossi who came out of nowhere; she's beautiful, vivacious and charming. I wish she'd done more Aussie stuff; she's got a great Austrlaian voice.

When you see John Polson and Ben Mendelsohn in small roles and realise it was shot on location in the Blue Mountains, throw in sexy model Mark Gerber (who has a bigger part than the first two) you go "geez that must've been a wild shoot".

It's witty, fun, gorgeous to look at. Not everything lands but it's a good movie.