1 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,120 Speaker 1: From the Australian. This is the weekend edition of The Front. 2 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: I'm Claire Harvey, Dinosaurs, zombies, Brad Pitt with his shirt off, 3 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: Hollywood's giving the people what they want and cinema ticket 4 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: sales are up. I'm joined today by the Australians film 5 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: critic Stephen Rome to talk about the blockbusters taking over 6 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: a cinema near you. First up, Jurassic World Rebirth. These 7 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: dinosaurs me we're too dangerous for the original park. 8 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: Jurassic World Rebirth is the seventh installment in the franchise 9 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: that started when Michael Crichton wrote the novel Jurassic Park 10 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety. But you don't need to have seen 11 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 2: any of the other films to get this one. Here's 12 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: the simple setup. Big farmer wants to get blood from 13 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: three massive dinosaurs because they think with that blood they'll 14 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 2: be able to form a heart drug that will help 15 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 2: humans live for a lot longer and make them trillions 16 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 2: of dollars. 17 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 3: We need DNA from the three biggest dinosaurs. Do we 18 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: have to get a sample from an egg? 19 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: Suppose we could try and get it from the parent, 20 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: But they're a flying carnival, says of an f sixteen. 21 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: So they hire a group of mercenaries led by the 22 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: well known mercenary Scarlet Johansson, doctor Henry Wilmers. 23 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:38,479 Speaker 1: This is Zora Bennett. 24 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 3: Our missions versionists. 25 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 2: To go to equatorial waters where these dinosaurs are and 26 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: get the blood. I'll read you a little bit of 27 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 2: my review that explains the significance of science in this film. 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 2: If you've got a kid who wants to be a scientist, 29 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: listen to these two bits. First, a quote keep running. 30 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: They're amphibious. That is when a scientist comes in handy. 31 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 2: That's doctor Henry Loomis, played by the English actor Jonathan Bailey, 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: who is the scientist who goes on the expedition with 33 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: the mercenaries. He's talking about spinosauruses, which can go in 34 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: water and on land. Here's where a scientist doesn't coming 35 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 2: too useful. They choose the three dinosaurs ferocious dinosaurs to 36 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: get the blood from because of their longevity. They live 37 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: for one hundred years. Well, as doctor Loomis should know, 38 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 2: so do glapagus tortoises. But where's the Hollywood film in 39 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: scull at your hansom going and getting blood from a 40 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: glapagus tortoise? 41 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 3: Not there? So they go and get it from dinosaurs. 42 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 1: And so presumably the arc of the Jurassic movies, even 43 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: though we don't need to have seen the first two 44 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: to enjoy this one, is that in the first one, 45 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: dinosaurs were the baddies. Now humans are the baddies, and 46 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: specifically humans who want to live a long life. 47 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 2: Yes, well, the of the series has reached the point 48 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 2: where in the past couple of films, dinosaurs and humans 49 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: are living together. In this most recent film, it's three 50 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 2: decades since dinosaurs came back. 51 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 3: The problem is they're boring now. 52 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: The ticket buying public just doesn't care about dinosaurs their 53 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: old hat and therefore most of them have gone back 54 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 2: to being extinct and only a few of them now 55 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: live in equatorial regions where it's warmer and more like 56 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: the period of their prehistoric existence. So the badies and 57 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: the goodies. It kind of mixes them up all the time. 58 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: There's always bad humans, good humans, bad dinosaurs, good dinosaurs. 59 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 2: There's a moment in this film where one of the 60 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: dinosaurs there after, which isn't carnivorous titanosaurus like a broadosaurus, 61 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 2: you know, huge. It's kind of almost a love scene 62 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: between two titanosauruses and look, I'll just say that. 63 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 3: It kind of I had to look away. 64 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: You like the teenage boy with the blanket over his 65 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: head and can't handle the kissing scene. 66 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: Just about You know, if I needed to go, I 67 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: would have taken a toilet break. 68 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: So I'm guessing you didn't love this film. You haven't 69 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: given it five stars. 70 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: No, I've given it three stars. I mean it is 71 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 2: a visually spectacular film. Some of the scenes between the 72 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: dinosaurs and the humans, particularly the mossosauruses, which are seaborn 73 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: kind of like just imagine a massive, massive, massive shark, 74 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: are spectacular to look at. And it's kind of humorous. 75 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: There's nice jokes. It's also as an adult viere, just 76 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 2: funny seeing Scarlet Johanson as a mercenary. So I would 77 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 2: describe it as a three star light entertainment. It does 78 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 2: have an EM rating, though, so if you've got kids 79 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: under the age of say ten, they might find it 80 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 2: a bit scary. I would say kids in their mid 81 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: teens and beyond would find it funny. 82 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: Two movies that you've also quite enjoyed a big and 83 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: are at the box office now are F one and 84 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: twenty eight years later, I feel like we're in a 85 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: bit of a teenage boy moment. We've got zombies, dinosaurs, 86 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: racing cars. Let's talk about F one See Lake. 87 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 3: Straight Straights and Arrow, No Sugar. Why did you like that? 88 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: There's another big movie starring that. 89 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 2: One, Brad Pitt, who is an old fashioned movie star. 90 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 2: People go to the cinema to look at him. Now, 91 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 2: I didn't know this about Formula one drivers, but you 92 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 2: have to be quite fit, which means as a filmmaker, 93 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 2: you can get Brad Pitt to take his shirt off 94 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 2: quite a lot, which he does. 95 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 3: And there's a lot of humor in that. 96 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 2: Some of the other characters, particularly the mother of his 97 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 2: young teammate, when she sees Brad Pitt, she raises her eyebrows. 98 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: That's the other driver, you say, he was all he 99 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: not that. 100 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 3: That's a handsome man right there. 101 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 2: You're right about the teenage boys and teenage girls. Of course, 102 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 2: Brad Pitt. They might be the future of blockbuster cinema, 103 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 2: because if you can get teenagers to get off their 104 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 2: phones and into a cinema, then those kind of films 105 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 2: that aim to be blockbusters that cost hundreds of millions 106 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: of dollars to make should have a future, and there's 107 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: a lot of ways that cinemas are helping to do that. 108 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 2: One for example, there are some cinemas where you can 109 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 2: go and you sit in the seats and they move 110 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 2: like you're in an F one car sort of. 111 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 3: And also the sound systems, etc. 112 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 2: There are certain things you can get in the cinema 113 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 2: that you cannot get on your iPhone, and that is 114 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 2: what brings the young people in. 115 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 3: But also they just go in to be. 116 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 2: With their friends, to share the experience, to eat the popcorn, etc. 117 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 3: Etc. 118 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: So it's kind of a day out. It was when 119 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 2: I was a teenager as well. I used to go 120 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 2: to the cinema with my friends, and I think these big, exciting, 121 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 2: action packed blockbusters are the main lure for that age group. 122 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: It's a beautiful communal experience. It's like the modern church, 123 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: isn't it. We all get to go and be together 124 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: in the dark and enjoy something together, which is an 125 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: onslaught on the sensors. That's the other thing about cinema. 126 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: In the cinema, you could feel the sound as well 127 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: as hearing it. You know, you are fully absorbed, even 128 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: if you're not in those seats. That rock and spray 129 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: water at you. Let's talk about twenty eight years later. 130 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: So that's about zombies and it's the third installment in 131 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: a series. Neither of those things are sounding good to 132 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: me than what's going on to except self Kip Quake, 133 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: Do not Move from the spot? Why did you like it? 134 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: Twenty eight years Later is the third installment in the series. 135 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 2: Added is extraordinary in the way it is so different 136 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 2: from the previous too. The director Danny Boyle and the 137 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: screenwriter Alex Garland, who's also a director. He made that 138 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 2: recent excellent film Civil War very prescient given what's happened 139 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 2: in America. Subsequently, they said that this third film would 140 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: be different, and they do not lie. So Briefly, the 141 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 2: United Kingdom is in complete quarantine and NATO forces patrolled 142 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 2: the waters around it. That's where the infected people are 143 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 2: in England, and small group of uninfected people are in 144 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 2: a fortified camp, etc. 145 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 3: Etc. 146 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 2: The really fascinating thing with this film is that it 147 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 2: asks the question a zombie and a non zombie meets 148 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 2: in the woods. Who should die? Why does the non 149 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 2: zombie have the right to life and the zombie doesn't? 150 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 2: Is a zombie entitled to Self Defense. Now, this film 151 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,959 Speaker 2: was made before the current war in the Middle East, 152 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 2: but it's got some relevance to what's been happening there. 153 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 2: When I first saw the film, I thought this is weird. 154 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 2: There are these black and white flashbacks to things like 155 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 2: the Crusades. Wow, you know, Christians against Arabs or Muslims 156 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 2: if you want to call them. Mate. So this is 157 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 2: a film that completely flips the whole zombie genre to 158 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 2: make it not about people running away from zombies and 159 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 2: then putting spikes. 160 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 3: In their heads or whatever they need to do to 161 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 3: kill them. 162 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 2: It actually asks the question of why shouldn't the zombies 163 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 2: live too? 164 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: Coming up? Why did people stop buying movie tickets in 165 00:09:43,720 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: the first place. There is a commonly accepted wisdom that 166 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: we're in the golden age of television and that the 167 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: beauty of the products being created by streaming services for 168 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: us to watch at home have killed cinema or would 169 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 1: kill cinema. In fact, it was really COVID that saw 170 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: ticket sales decline for the first time. Do you feel 171 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: hopeful about the future of movies? You talked about encouraging 172 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 1: young people to enjoy them. Do you think that that 173 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: is going to actually happen. 174 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 3: Well, I hope so. 175 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,559 Speaker 2: I hope cinemas survive in coming years. With the streaming services, 176 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: they do make extraordinarily good programs, including films. Apple TV 177 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 2: has made some terrific films, including the recent adaptation of 178 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 2: Macbeth with Denzil Washington and Francis McDormand, so they're making 179 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 2: high quality product. There's noted about that. What I would 180 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 2: like to see happen, and it is happening a little 181 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: bit here and there is for those streaming services to 182 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 2: PREMI air their films in a cinema, So you've got 183 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 2: say a week or a fortnight to go and see 184 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 2: it in a cinema. 185 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 3: And then it'll come onto the streaming service. 186 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 2: So that would give the consumer the choice they can 187 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: go to the cinema see it there, or they can 188 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 2: subscribe to the streaming service and wait for it to 189 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 2: be there. 190 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 3: I think that would be. 191 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 2: A nice compromise that would help both the streaming services 192 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 2: and the cinemas survive. 193 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 3: But of course the streaming services like Netflix, etc. 194 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 2: Aren't there to compromise it there for the money, but 195 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 2: there might be financial reasons for them to do that 196 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 2: to get it out there for all of the public 197 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 2: that might end up getting the more subscribers. 198 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 3: Who knows. I don't know. 199 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 2: I'm not a businessman. But there are some films though, 200 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 2: that I think still must be seen at the cinema. Now, 201 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 2: whenever I suggest that in a review, I don't say mussed. 202 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 2: I see I think it probably should be seen in 203 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 2: the cinema. Someone always goes online to say, but I've 204 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 2: got a four thousand inch television the same, Well, good 205 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 2: on you, but not everyone has a four thousand inch 206 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 2: television and the sound system, etc. There are some films 207 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 2: I think Jurassic World Rebirth would be one. Personally, I 208 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,079 Speaker 2: think The Brutalist would be one. It did win Best 209 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 2: Cinematography at the Oscars because his extraordinary to look at 210 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,719 Speaker 2: and looking at it on a big screen does make 211 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 2: a difference. So it would be unfortunate for filmmakers if 212 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 2: the cinema ceased to exist, because they make the films 213 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 2: for that screen. I remember Scoresses saying a few years ago, 214 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 2: now please don't watch it on your iPhone, go to 215 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 2: the cinema. But then, of course he did end up 216 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 2: making The Irishman for a streaming service, and that's three 217 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 2: hours long and very good. I think it did have 218 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:48,679 Speaker 2: a brief cinema run, though beforehand. 219 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: You wrote in a recent review that you don't like 220 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: doing negative reviews, but when you really feel that something 221 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: hasn't lived up to your expectations, you will go there. 222 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: You went there with Spit, a follow up to a 223 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: much loved Australian movie called Getting Square. Getting Square was 224 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: a beautiful movie, and it came out in the era 225 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:12,599 Speaker 1: of Two Hands and Rabbit Proof Fence and Lantana, Australian 226 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: movies ranging from quirky and clever to thoughtful and powerful. 227 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: I can't think of an Australian movie that's moved me 228 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: like that in the past decade. What's gone wrong in 229 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: Australian cinema, if you agree. 230 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 2: It's an interesting question. I'm not sure if anything's gone wrong. 231 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:35,119 Speaker 2: I think the globalization of cinema has changed the landscape 232 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 2: for Australian filmmakers, so you no longer have to make 233 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: an Australian film in Australia with Australian actors. You no 234 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 2: longer have to make it all about Australia, as say 235 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 2: Crocodile Dundee was in nineteen eighty six. Still Australia's most 236 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 2: commercially successful film because it introduced Australia to the wider world, 237 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 2: the Australia of Bob Hawk, the Australia of World Series Cricket, 238 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 2: the Australia of winning the America's Cup. It was a 239 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: new thing. We're not a new thing anymore. The world 240 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 2: has shrunk. So for Australian films to be noticed overseas, 241 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 2: perhaps they need to be about more than Australia. One 242 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 2: thing about Australia that people never tire of International people 243 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 2: never tire of, and that's our dangerous animals. 244 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 3: That you're going to say Chris Emsworth, Well. 245 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 2: Who would tire of Chris Hemsworth. But there's a couple 246 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 2: of recent Australian films that I really liked that have 247 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 2: a focus on the dangerous animals, and one of them 248 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 2: is called Dangerous Animals starring Jy Courtney. And in this film, 249 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 2: the dangerous animals ostensibly are sharks, but I won't reveal 250 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 2: what happens, but let's just say there's one animal on 251 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 2: this planet far more dangerous than sharks, and that animal. 252 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 3: Might be Joy Courtney. Sorry. 253 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 2: And recently Nick Cage starred in the which was filmed 254 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 2: in Western Australia, and that film very humorously brings all 255 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: the dangerous animals into it. They're not central to the plot, 256 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 2: but they pop up now and again, usually to parallel 257 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 2: the lows to which the Nick Cage character is going. 258 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 2: When he's scavenging through a garbage bin, a wombat kind 259 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 2: of toddles along. So that's a clever use of Australiana 260 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 2: for an international audience. But look, I think Australia has 261 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 2: great filmmakers, fantastic cinematographers, great writers, brilliant actors. I'm not 262 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 2: sure whether you know we're in a lull or not, 263 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 2: but I don't think there's great fear for the Australian 264 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 2: film industry. 265 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 3: I think we'll keep making good films. 266 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: Stephen Romae is the Australian's film critic and a regular 267 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: contribute to Review, available every Saturday in The Australian and 268 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: anytime at the Australian dot com dot au. Today, Stevens 269 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: reviewed French thriller The Story of Sullermine. This episode of 270 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: the Front was hosted by me Claire Harvey and produced 271 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: by Jasper League, who edited the episode and also wrote 272 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: our theme. Thanks for joining us on the front this week. 273 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: Our team also includes Kristin Amiot, Leat Sammaglue, Tiffany Dimac, 274 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: Josh Burton and Stephanie Comes.