|
TADPOLE: WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?
Our indignant editor, Andrew L. Urban, flays the flaccid principles of our moral watchdogs for failing to safeguard us from Tadpole, with Sigourney Weaver and a teenager as the lovers in this new film that brings us the corruption which infests modern filmmaking. MA? Get this film banned, he shrieks. Where’s the Attorney General’s lapdog … er .. watchdog classification review board when you really need it, he asks.
|
|
TAORMINA FILM FESTIVAL 2001
Helen Barlow reports on a festival which is well out of the
ordinary; it’s held in an ancient Sicilian amphitheatre and
premiered the unfinished Australian-made drama, Till Human Voices
Wake Us, starring Guy Pearce (pic) and Helena Bonham Carter. Plus it
has an active volcano, on cue..
|
|
TARZAN AUSSIE STYLE WITH ERNIE DINGO?
Ernie Dingo as Tarzan and Magda Szubanski as Jane . . .or will it be Steve
Bisley with Magda? Our casting panel (winners of our Sept 8 - 15 competition) draw up
their wish list for this all Aussie Tarzan - the dream of every Australian indie producer.
The investors are queuing and the location managers of every state film commission are
standing by . . .
|
|
TARZAN'S JANE
Jane as a siren, a bimbo, a virgin, a lady… in 82 years of Tarzan movies, Jane has
been from whore to mother and back. Now, Disney’s animated Tarzan takes her full
(chaste) circle – and Maureen O'Sullivan (the first talking and definitely sexy,
Jane) would not approve, argues our New York Correspondent JEFF SIPE, in this quest for the real Jane. If there is
one.
|
|
|
TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE-COMING ON STRING
They come on strong, the South Park boys - Matt Stone and Trey Parker –with their rude, crude puppet epic, Team America: World Police. Like South Park, this film leaves no stone (or parker) unturned in its quest to offend people. Fletcher Reid pulls a few strings to explore the puppets’ masters’ world.
|
|
|
TEN CANOES LAUNCHES 12canoes.com.au
Following the world-wide success of Ten Canoes, the Yolngu people of
Ramingining in Arnhem Land are using the internet to tell their ancient story.
And story (as in cinema) is the operative word. Twelve Canoes is a website which
tells the compelling story of the art, culture, history and place of the Yolngu
people whose homeland is the town of Ramingining and the Arafura Swamp of
north-central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. This ancient people are now
‘wired’ to the world wide web
|
|
TEST SCREENINGS
Australian journalist Leo Cameron has just returned from Los Angeles, where he saw first
hand how the studios like to test their movies on audiences before making a ‘final
cut’ – and what some of the directors think of the process. (Pic, Mark Wahlberg in The Yards)
|
|
|
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING – SPINNING THEIR YARNS
Thank You For Smoking novelist Christopher Buckley and the film’s director
Jason Reitman tell their (funny) stories about how the novel and then the film
came into being (Mel Gibson calling from his plane) – or have they put a
hilarious spin on it all? (Pic Wireimage.com)
|
|
THE AVENGERS
Jeremiah Chechik, director of The Avengers, believes the mood of the cult 60s TV series is
not that different from the mood of today - and why Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman make the
perfect Steed and Mrs Peel. NICK RODDICK reports.
|
|
THE CRUCIBLE
A classic story of how pathetic we humans are: although this is
set in the witch-hunting middle ages, it is a metaphor for how we
still can behave.
|
|
|
THE DA VINCI CODE COCKTAIL – FACT, MYTH, FICTION & RELIGION
Fuelled by controversy both within its covers and in the courts, The Da Vinci
Code arrives on our screens with its intoxicating mix of fact, myth, fiction and
religion, crowned by the honour of opening the Cannes film festival. Andrew L.
Urban explores the duality behind the phenomenon, and the filmmakers discuss the
core elements that drive this religion flavoured adventure thriller
|
|
THE DEVIL'S OWN
It took a long time and a lot of hard work to get The
Devil’s Own made; at one time, even Brad Pitt wasn’t
enough for the studios, as Louise Keller discovers.
|
|
THE DIRT : 9/8/2001
…is here. Keeping up with the Bridget Joneses, having a few
Jolies and sneaking a peek at the celebrity brat packs around the
world, Luisa Browett dishes up…. The Dirt.
|
|
THE ENGLISH PATIENT
Such a calm sort of title, so laid back… well, the film is
not laid back. It is not a genre action film, but it has more
emotional tension, passion and pain than a handful of actioners.
Andrew L. Urban goes bedside….
|
|
THE INTERVIEW: READERS REPLY
In Bums On SeatS, Mary Sum asked readers to speculate on why The Interview had such a
relatively short lived cinema season, after attracting so much critical praise and even
awards. Some of you blame lack of marketing, others say it’s too much marketing -
still others blame lack of taste among Australian audiences. And some just can’t
figure it: here is a selection of your responses.
|
|
|
THE OTHER FILM FESTIVAL – DO YOU DARE GO?
Blind drivers? Landmine survivors? Deaf poets and rappers? Brain damaged
filmmakers? Thalidomide nudes? One-legged dancers? Singing stutterers? Any or
all of these are rounded up for a gloriously diverse line-up of films that
explore the many facets of disability with humour, verve and drama, inviting
interaction with the audience via guest speakers and forums; it’s The Other Film
Festival (Sept 3 – 7) at The Age Theatre, Melbourne Museum, presented by Arts
Access Victoria
|
|
THE REAL MACAW
Andrew L. Urban interviews (semi-successfuly) a parrott,
and meets Oscar winning actor Jason Robards, on location in
Brisbane.
|
|
|
THE REAL MACAW –THE BOOKS OF THE BIRD
|
|
THE TARZAN CHRONICLES
Howard E. Green' book, The Tarzan Chronicles, has a
foreword by Phil Collins, who wrote the songs for the Disney
film, the latest in a long 'chronicle' of the Tarzan legend.
ANDREW L. URBAN flips through the 190 page book, in which Glenn
Close explains why she loved being the voice of Kala, the ape
mother to Tarzan. And animator Glen Keane reveals the central
metaphor that drove him to animate the character.
|
|
THE TRUMAN SHOW – WHAT DOES IT SHOW
ANDREW L. URBAN plays (a biased and participating) debate host some reactions to Peter Weir’s
weirdest – and arguably best - film to date.
|
|
THE WORD on WORLD MOVIES – APRIL
Urban Cinefile’s editor Andrew L. Urban joins subscription channel World
Movies (on Foxtel, Optus, Austar), with a new program titled The Word, to
present the Sunday night movie premieres, starting on April 7 at 8.30 pm. The
four Sunday night premieres in April - Shower, Kukijuro, Maelstrom and Fugitives
– couldn’t be more different.
|
|
THE WORD on WORLD MOVIES – AUGUST 2002
Urban Cinefile’s editor Andrew L. Urban presents The Word, hosting the Sunday night movie premieres at 8.30 pm on subscription channel World Movies (on Foxtel, Optus, Austar). He also talks about other movie highlights in the World Movies line-up. Sunday night tv premieres in August.
|
|
THE WORD on WORLD MOVIES – JULY 2002
Urban Cinefile’s editor Andrew L. Urban presents The Word, hosting the Sunday night movie premieres at 8.30 pm on subscription channel World Movies (on Foxtel, Optus, Austar). He also talks about other movie highlights in the World Movies line-up. Sunday night tv premieres in July. (Pic, Sade, starring Daniel Auteuil)
|
|
THE WORD on WORLD MOVIES – JUNE 2002
Urban Cinefile’s editor Andrew L. Urban presents The Word, hosting the Sunday night movie premieres at 8.30 pm on subscription channel World Movies (on Foxtel, Optus, Austar). He also talks about other movie highlights in the World Movies line-up. Sunday night tv premieres in June:
|
|
THE WORD on WORLD MOVIES – MAY
Urban Cinefile’s editor Andrew L. Urban has joined subscription channel World Movies (on Foxtel, Optus, Austar), with a new program (from April 2002) titled The Word, to present the Sunday night movie premieres at 8.30 pm. He also talks about other movie highlights in the World Movies line-up. The four Sunday night premieres in May offer movie experiences from the funny to the peculiar, from the scary to the terrifying:
|
|
THIN RED LINE, THE
Terrence Malick’s powerful and moving World War II drama, The Thin Red Line, was shot
– as it were – in Australia, where the filmmakers found a terrific talent pool
of cast and crew, as they reveal in this background briefing.
|
|
THREE KINGS
Almost everything in Three Kings is true, says writer/director David O. Russell -
only maybe not as funny.
|
|
|
THUNDERSTRUCK
|
|
TIFF:DIVERSE CINEMATIC FARE
As the Toronto Film Festival winds down, it is time to soak up
some films: what a diverse and mostly captivating bunch there
are. Urban Cinefile roving reporter PAUL FISCHER reports.
|
|
TIGHT-TANIC TUSSLE
Why the media weren’t welcome, why the distributors were
nervous, and why it matters. Andrew L. Urban reports.
|
|
|
TINGWELL, CHARLES ‘BUD' - OBITUARY
The National Film and Sound Archive paid tribute to one of Australia’s first
great stars of radio, film, television and theatre, the iconic Charles ‘Bud’
Tingwell, who died in Melbourne on May 15, 2009, aged 86.
|
|
TITANIC : FACTS, ERRORS & OMISSIONS
As far as telling the story of Titanic, A Night To Remember
is far more accurate but Titanic, by the sheer scale of its
production & extraordinary special effects, conveys more of the
horror of this spectacular tragedy, says Titanic ‘buff’
PAT CONLAN. Here, he covers some of the factual ground...er,
ocean?
|
|
TOPLESS WOMEN TALK ABOUT THEIR LIVES
Andrew L. Urban looks at Topless Women . . .
|
|
TORONTO 2001
Urban Cinefile contributing critic David Edwards was at the Toronto Film Festival
when tragedy struck America and the world, on September 11. His report on the festival has
become an obituary. But as he points out, movies that tap into a shared humanity are valuable
and important.
|
|
|
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2009 - WRAP
Toronto’s large Australian showcase brings rewards after an Aussie-free
Venice, reports Helen Barlow, with Mao’s Last Dancer runner up in the Audience
Awards, on the eve of its Australian release (October 1, 2009), and two
Australian films – The Loved Ones & Daybreakers - get top votes in Midnight
Madness section.
|
|
TOUCH OF EVIL
Writing in the New York Times, WALTER MURCH details how he restored Touch of Evil from the
recently unearthed 58 page memo by Orson Welles.
|
|
|
TOUCHING THE VOID
|
|
|
TOUCHING THE VOID - FEATURE
After 15 years of headscratching, filmmakers have finally found a way to make a film of the amazing story of two friends in a controversial mountaineering accident in remote Peru. A dramatised documentary can tell the true story in a way that a feature never could. They can say what was happening in the minds of the climbers in a direct way, but if it was simply a drama it would have been impossible without a narration. The result is a gripping, haunting movie about something more than mere adventure.
|
|
|
TRACKDOWN SCORING STAGE
The missing link in Australia’s film production facilities chain is no longer missing: the Trackdown Scoring Stage at Fox Studios is operational and humming like a bird, reports Andrew L. Urban, as well as user friendly.
|
|
|
TRADE – SEX SLAVERY IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR
A New York journalist opened the eyes of his fellow citizens to the extensive
and devastating trade in human lives – young women and girls trafficked for a
terrible life as sex slaves - that is going on in the house next door. His work
has been used as a basis for German director Marco Kreuzpaintner’s first English
language feature: Trade. Andrew L. Urban reports.
|
|
TRAFFIC IN REALITY
As a character in Trainspotting observes, after vomiting from a heroin injection, drugs do
make you feel great; similarly, 16 year old Caroline Wakefield in Traffic, takes drugs
because she enjoys the experience, even though it comes at a high price. So why
aren’t we making safer drugs and selling them under controls like alcohol, to replace
the illegal ones sold by criminals, asks Andrew L. Urban.
|
|
TRAFFIC: THE DEBATE ON DRUGS PART 2
We will never make a dent in this war. But that doesn’t mean we should stop caring
for its casualties, says someone who works at the front line of "the drug war"
in response to Andrew L. Urban’s essay, which was prompted by the subject of Steve
Soderbergh’s exception new film, Traffic, starring Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro
- among a team of others. "The hierarchy of which drugs are considered evil is the
problem rather than the drug use/abuse itself, " says our correspondent, who wishes
to remain anonymous, due to the political sensitivity of the issue and his professional
status.
|
|
TRAILERS AND CLIPS
You can view hundreds of trailers and film clips in our Trailers section, with just a
click of your mouse - we use streaming video through Realplayer, which means you don't
need to download the clip onto your hard drive - and you see the trailers in real time.
|
|
|
TRAVEL 65 MILLION YEARS FREE!
|
|
TRAVELLING BIRDS: WINGING IT
Producer & narrator Jacques Perrin and writer Stephane Durand explain how they flew on the wingtips of hundreds of birds around the planet for three years to capture the extraordinary story of winged migration in close up – with the help of 14 cinematographers and 17 pilots. Andrew L. Urban reports.
|
|
|
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2009 - PREVIEW
Australian drama, Accidents Happen, directed by Andrew Lancaster, written by
Brian Carbee, will have its world premiere at this year’s Tribeca film festival
(April 22-May 3) in New York, as part of the 86 feature length and 46 short film
selections from around the world, while The Burning Season, directed by Cathy
Henkel, will have its international premiere at the fest.
|
|
TROMA
Six of Troma’s slate of mockuhorror/slasherjoke films are now busting out on DVD,
giving JAKE WILSON an opportunity to examine Troma and its special sense of sinema –
and how it is finding its way into the mainstream.
|
|
TROMEO & JULIET: NO HOLDS BARD!
This is William Shakespeare re-visited – in a
nightmare; Troma Inc, who specialise in traumatic films that
combine sex, silliness and overboard storylines, are responding
to Baz Luhrmann’s challenge with their own modern version of
the Bard’s eternal romantic tragedy, as ANDREW L. URBAN
explains.
|
|
TROPFEST 2000 - THE BIG PICTURE
Tropfest is more than a short film festival - it's a phenomenon. In its short history (this is the 8th fest) it has become the public outpouring of film passion in Australia, open to all to enter, free to all to consume - especially now through the live webcast, which reaches every rounded corner of the globe. Andrew L. Urban reports; and below, the 16 finalsists for this year's Tropfest, the prizes and past winners.
|
|
TROPFEST 2000: THE WINNERS, THE NIGHT
Despite the upsurge of dramatic subjects in this year's entries (354 in total), it was
a comedy, Old Man (pic), which won the Tropfest 1st prize, as well as the Best Comedy
award, with its veteran actor Basil Clark taking home the Best Actor Award.
|
|
TROPFEST 2001: THE FILMS, THE WINNERS, THE NIGHT
Despite a glitch in sponsorship support, Tropfest 2001 turned out to be a huge success,
both in filmmaking terms and in popularity, with an estimated 85,000 people enjoying the
entertainment and the final 16 films in Sydney’s Domain last night (Sunday, Feb. 25).
Webcast by telstra.com in association with Urban Cinefile, the event featured a variety of
drama, comedy, animation and non-genre films from around Australia – and one from
South Africa.
|
|
TROPFEST 2002 - WINNERS
Any one of half a dozen of the final entries deserved to win a major
award at the 10th Tropfest last night, the first to be concurrently hosted and
presented live in both Sydney and Melbourne, and the first under the new stewardship of
Simon Lock’s Spin Group. And yes, it was a roaring success, reports Andrew L. Urban.
|
|
|
TROPFEST 2005 - WINNERS
Comedy still reigns in shorts: Luke Eve (NSW) was awarded first prize at Sony Tropfest 2005 for his comedy/drama, Australian Summer, while Nash Edgerton’s Lucky won second prize, and Alister Grierson’s Bomb won best comedy and the audience award.
|
|
|
TROPFEST 2008 - WINNERS
Michelle Lehman (NSW) was awarded first prize at Sony Tropfest 2008 by a panel
of celebrity judges for her short, Marry Me. The event in Sydney’s Domain was
the biggest yet, and perhaps the best in terms of quality of sound and picture.
The VIP marquee, a giant affair catering (literally) for a thousand guests, also
housed the celebrity judges: Naomi Watts, Geoffrey Rush, Gillian Armstrong, Ray
Lawrence, Claudia Karvan and last
year’s winner Steve Baker.
|
|
|
TROPFEST 2009 - WINNERS
Genevieve Clay’s Be My Brother (pic) has won First Prize at this year’s Tropfest, with
an estimated 150,000 people watching live at Sydney’s Domain and via satellite
in Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Brisbane. For
the first time, the event was also telecast live on Movie Extra subscription
channel
|
|
|
TROPFEST: TODAY SYDNEY, TOMORROW THE WORLD
The 16 finalists, from 580 entries, in this year's Tropfest, includes the first ever international entry - Eddie Edward's short film, Beep. "This year the finalists show a great diversity in tone and style - not to mention usage of the Tropfest Signature Item (horn)," says Festival Director John Polson.
|
|
|
TROY: THE SIEGE IGNITED BY PASSION
In ancient Greece, the illicit and untamed passion of Paris of Troy for Helen of Sparta ignited a 10 year war; it sounds romantic until you see the close ups of battle. Wolfgang Petersen, noted for his ability to bring the big picture into our hearts and minds, recreates a 3,000 year old epic poem as epic cinema.
|
|
|
TURKEY SHOOT: PRODUCER SHOOTS BACK
At the Sydney premiere of Kill Bill the other day, Quentin Tarantino dedicated his film to the gory, Australian-made ‘humans-as-prey’, Turkey Shoot (1981). Critically savaged generally, even some of the cast rubbish it on the just released DVD, while our critic Richard Kuipers says “It is impossible to defend Turkey Shoot, therefore it is essential viewing,” and adds: “..the guiltiest pleasure in Australian film history.” The film’s producer, Antony I Ginnane, shoots back at the critics (and the cast) - with both barrels.
|
|
|
TWILIGHT – A DREAM COME TRUE, LITERALLY
First time author Stephenie Meyer woke up from a dream one day – and wanted to
know what happened next. She went on to write it herself, and now everyone
knows. It starts with the movie of her novel, Twilight. And it will continue...
|
|
TWO GIRLS AND A GUY
Director James Toback tackles the eternal triangle – with a new beat for the 90s.
He and his stars talk about the making of a sexually frank romantic drama.
|
|
TWO HANDS - ON LOCATION
When a promising new filmmaker takes the reins of his first feature film and it’s
a black comedy gangster film with a supernatural subplot, ANDREW L. URBAN can’t
resist the invitation to visit the set.
|
