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Showing posts from October, 2021

In a Savage Land (1999)

  Director: Bill Bennett   Starring: Maya Strange, Rufus Sewell, Martin Donovan, Andrew S. Gilbert, John Howard, Max Cullen In a Savage Land is a film I’ve wanted to see for over two decades. It did not screen in my region on its theatrical release in 1999, evaded me on VHS and DVD, but is now streaming on Stan . While it’s entirely possible I’ve been looking for it in all the wrong places, the fact that a $10 million investment — chump change by Hollywood standards, but a fortune locally — can fall out of general circulation is a sorry indictment of both industry and audiences. That it found its way back into circulation where other films of the era remain in limbo — see Angst , A Little Bit of Soul , Dead Letter Office , to name a handful — is no small feat.    Anthropology student Evelyn (Maya Strange) marries her lecturer Phillip (Martin Donovan) and accompanies him on a field trip to the Trobriand Islands of Papa New Guinea. Phillip ingratiates himself with t...

The Poster Maketh the Film? Now Add Honey (2015) and Any Questions for Ben? (2012)

Bad posters are a dime a dozen, but bad comedy posters are legion. They’re not hard to spot, typically featuring actors engaged in decontextualised mugging against bland, often plain white backgrounds, desperate to please and spread joy. And the red text … so much red text …   But a poorly-postered comedy can rise above the station of its ropey advertising. Though spared the red text and white backdrops, here are two Australian comedies with unflattering posters that rise above their middling promotions. Now Add Honey (2015) Director: Wayne Hope Starring: Robyn Butler, Portia De Rossi, Lucy Fry, Lucy Durack, Hamish Blake Now Add Honey is a film I knew next to nought about, besides it featuring a handful of familiar faces (Angus Sampson, Portia De Rossi, Hamish Blake, David Field) and being an Australian comedy with a bad poster promising young vs old, spunk vs frump, and other forms of comedic culture clash. Caroline (Robyn Butler, also responsible for the script) is a frustrat...