Reviewed by GREG KING Documentary Director: Sue Thomson. Closing the 2018 Melbourne International Film Festival was the poignant, bittersweet observational documentary The Coming Back Out Ball Movie. In October 2017 the Coming Back Out Ball was held in Melbourne Town Hall to celebrate the elders within the LGBTI community who had paved the way for today’s generation of out and proud queer youth. Many of these elders led the ground-breaking movement to advocate for human rights, acceptance and tolerance back in the “dark ages” of the 60s and 70s. But many who …
THE COMING BACK OUT BALL MOVIE – interview with Sue Thomson
by GREG KING In October 2017 a party was held at Melbourne Town Hall for the elders of the city’s LGBTI community. The Coming Back Out Ball was a celebration for many of the now ageing people who’d lived through the “dark ages” of the 60s and 70s when their sexual identity was often treated as a crime. Filmmaker Sue Thomson made this poignant documentary about the preparations for the event and the actual ball itself. Sue spoke to Greg about the three years she spent working on the film and the reaction to many of Melbourne’s gay community to seeing their stories on …
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LEAN ON PETE
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Andrew Haigh Stars: Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Travis Fimmel, Amy Seimetz, Lewis Pullman, Steve Zahn, Alison Elliott, Bob Olin. Lean On Pete is a gritty coming of age story about a boy and his love for a horse, but it is a far cry from the more family friendly films like Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, etc. Fifteen-year old Charley Thompson (played by Charlie Plummer, who played Christopher Plummer’s kidnapped grandson in the drama All The Money In The World) is an itinerant teen who is travelling around …
I USED TO BE NORMAL: A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY
Reviewed by GREG KING Documentary Director: Jessica Leski. To most of us, boy bands like One Direction are bland, formulaic, mass produced cheesy groups that appeal to teenaged girls attracted more by their pretty looks than the depth of their lyrics. The mass hysteria with which hordes of obsessed, screaming fans greet their idols is a pop culture phenomenon that is extraordinary. This documentary looks at the cultural phenomenon of fandom and obsession. I Used To Be Normal spans three generations of obsessive, tragic boyband fans, but this is also a universal …
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WILDLIFE
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Paul Dano Stars: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp. The opening night film for the Melbourne International Film Festival this year was Wildlife, a small coming of age drama which marks the directorial debut for Paul Dano, an actor better known for playing troubled and eccentric characters in films like Little Miss Sunshine and Prisoners, etc. Wildlife marks an auspicious directorial debut. Set in Montana in the 1960s this is a coming of age drama about the Brinson family and the disintegration of their …
1%
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Stephen McCallum Stars: Ryan Corr, Matt Nable, Abbey Lee, Josh McConville, Simone Kessell. Sam Parsonson, Eddie Baroo, Aaron Fa'aoso, Daniel Pantovic. Set amongst the world of lawless outlaw bikie gangs in Perth, this tale of brotherly love, betrayal, toxic masculinity, power struggles and violence is a bit like an Antipodean version of Sons Of Anarchy. The title itself is a reference to the fact that one percent of motorbike riders belong to an outlaw gang. The Copperheads motorcycle gang is led by Knuck (Matt Nable, who also …
BACKTRACK BOYS
Reviewed by GREG KING Documentary Director: Catherine Scott. A favourite on the film festival circuit, this inspiring and humane and heart-warming documentary shows that there are very real and effective alternatives to juvenile detention in helping turn around the lives of troubled teenagers. In the northern NSW town of Armidale, jackaroo Bernie Shakeshaft has established a community-based organisation called Backtrack, which works with troubled boys who are on the path to crime and drugs and tries to turn their lives around. The boys are paired with dogs …
BOOK WEEK
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Heath Davis Stars: Alan Dukes, Susan Prior, Rose Riley, Tiriel Mora, Airlie Dodds, Toby Schmitz, Khan Chittenden, Steve Le Marquand, Thuso Lekwape, Maya Stange, Nicholas Hope, Jolene Anderson, Rhys Muldoon. This black comedy/drama follows a bad week in the life of Nick Cutler (Alan Dukes), a lecherous, misanthropic, boozy, rude, and obnoxious author turned cynical teacher. Several years ago, Nick wrote a novel that was well received, but he has been unable to follow up its success. He regards himself as an “undiscovered literary …