334* Australian films (extended list)
by dfle3 | created - 13 Jan 2014 | updated - 2 months ago | PublicNot to be confused with my non-poll related original list of Australian movies which I rate or are reminders for me to watch:
http://www.imdb.com/list/DzjzMdh1q-c/
I'm adding today (02/05/2014) box office results for these films via information from Wikipedia. I'll try and add data about how many AFI (i.e. Australian Film Institute) Awards some of these films got as well...but I won't be fanatical about this.
N.B. The A.F.I. Awards are now knows as AACTA Awards! Wikipedia states:
"The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Awards".
Hopefully the following URLs are useful for people looking for box office information on Australian movies:
Various all time box office records:
http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/research/statistics/boxoffice.aspx
http://www.mpdaa.org.au/customers/mpdaa/mpdaa.nsf/HistoricalBoxOffice?ReadForm
http://www.moviemarshal.com.au/
Current weekly box office results and archives from early 1997:
http://www.urbancinefile.com/home/boxoffice.asp
Weekend and yearly takings from 2000 onwards:
http://boxofficemojo.com/intl/australia/
Year on year total admissions and total box office results:
http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/research/statistics/wcboadmission.aspx
I initially started out giving Wikipedia box office results in Australia for a small number of films but am now using the Screen Australia link for top 100 Australian movies of all time box office returns...which I think Wikipedia maybe citing in any case. The all time box office ranking also comes via Screen Australia's list of the top 100 grossing Australian movies of all time, in Australia.
*N.B. I should point out that the order of box office takings films would no doubt change once you adjust for inflation...which these rankings aren't...see an example of this in my entry for "Crocodile Dundee".
AFI Best film winners and nominees:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AACTA_Award_for_Best_Film#Winners_and_nominees
Related sites:
http://www.ozmovies.com.au/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_films
[P.S. I've added the number to my list heading as sporting cultural reference. One of these days I'll work on this list to make it 'end' with that number of films in it but to do that I'll probably have to remove some titles and mention them in other titles, e.g. where the removed film was a sequel and I mention all sequels in the entry for the first in the series. Maybe a good final list is one that ends for the year 2025 with all Australian best film award winners included. N.B. IMDB's "Save list order" feature is a troll when it comes to tinkering with the order to alphebatise it.]
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1. 27A (1974)
86 min | Drama
A middle-aged "metho" drinker joins Alcoholics Anonymous and undergoes a psychiatric examination. As a consequence, he is committed to a hospital for the criminally insane, to be detained ... See full summary »
Director: Esben Storm | Stars: Bill Hunter, Robert McDarra, David Curtiss, Haydn Keenan
Votes: 48
Wikipedia states:
1974 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: A$36,000
The film is a about an alcoholic who voluntarily submits himself for psychiatric treatment instead of serving a prison term over a minor criminal offence. "27A" is a section of the Queensland Mental Health Act at the time which allows institutions to keep people in care until they are fit for release.
2. 100 Bloody Acres (2012)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Horror
Reg and Lindsay run an organic fertiliser business. They need a fresh supply of their "secret ingredient" to process through the meat grinder. Reg comes across two guys and a girl with a broken-down vehicle on their way to a music festival.
Directors: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes | Stars: Oliver Ackland, Paul Blackwell, Ward Everaardt, Iain Herridge
Votes: 4,564 | Gross: $0.01M
3. 40,000 Horsemen (1940)
Approved | 100 min | Drama, History, War
Three young Australians join the army at the beginning of World War I and are assigned to the Australian Light Horse cavalry, which is serving in Palestine. The three eventually take part ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Chauvel | Stars: Grant Taylor, Betty Bryant, Chips Rafferty, Pat Twohill
Votes: 236
Wikipedia states:
"It was a massive success at the box office, grossing £10,000 within its first three weeks of release, enabling Famous Features Ltd to buy out the interest of the New South Wales government for £15,000. The film was seen by 287,000 in Sydney alone during a ten-week run on first release.
Female lead Betty Bryant was sent to Singapore for the film's premiere in June 1941. While there she met MGM executive Mauriece Silverstein who she would later marry, leading to her retirement from acting" and:
Budget: £30,000
Box office: £130,000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Australia#Other_popular_Australian_films
4. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy
Young Australian, Barry McKenzie, travels to England with his Aunt Edna after his father dies and a request is revealed in his will.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Barry Crocker, Barry Humphries, Dick Bentley, Peter Cook
Votes: 925
Followed by its sequel "Barry McKenzie holds his own" (1974).
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$250,000
"This was the first Australian film to surpass $1 million at the national box office, and it led the Australian box office in 1972. The film recovered its $250,000 budget within a few months after release".
5. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Music
Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.
Director: Stephan Elliott | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp, Rebel Penfold-Russell
Votes: 54,921 | Gross: $11.22M
Australian box office: A$16,459,245
#12 Australian movie of all time by box office gross in Australia.
6. All This Mayhem (2014)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Brothers Tas and Ben Pappas become the kings of professional skateboarding, but their hedonistic ways lead to a hard fall from grace.
Director: Eddie Martin | Stars: Tas Pappas, Ben Pappas, Tommy Caudill, Lance Conklin
Votes: 3,783
Saw this discussed on At The Movies this week (2nd week of July, with Judith Lucy and Jason Di Rosso filling in for Margaret and David). Sounds very interesting...about two brothers from Australia who were ranked #1 and #2 in the world of skateboarding and rivals to Tony Hawk. Apparently it's a Shakespearean tale to be told about them!
7. Alvin Purple (1973)
R | 87 min | Comedy, Romance
Waterbed salesman Alvin consults a psychiatrist about his irresistibilty to women.
Director: Tim Burstall | Stars: Graeme Blundell, Abigail, Lynette Curran, Christine Amor
Votes: 663
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$202,000
Box office: A$4,720,000
"The film was a massive success and took $4,720,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $36,721,600 in 2009 dollars. This is 7th highest grossing Australian film of all time when adjusted for inflation" and
"It was accompanied on release by a 48 minute promotional documentary Inside Alvin Purple directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith.This film was pulled from screening due to censorship concerns but was passed after some cuts had been made".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Australia#Other_popular_Australian_films
8. Alvin Rides Again (1974)
89 min | Comedy
Alvin Purple, the world's most unlikely sex symbol stumbles from woman to woman and job to job in this zany, sexy Australian comedy.
Directors: David Bilcock, Robin Copping | Stars: Graeme Blundell, Alan Finney, Gus Mercurio, Noel Ferrier
Votes: 236
See "Melvin, son of Alvin" for the next in this series.
9. Angel Baby (1995)
R | 105 min | Drama, Romance
Two schizophrenics meet during therapy and fall passionately in love. Ahead of them lies the inevitable road to disaster - one they share to the end.
Director: Michael Rymer | Stars: John Lynch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Colin Friels, Deborra-Lee Furness
Votes: 1,548
Wikipedia states:
1995 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: A$3.5 million
Box office: A$1,070,726
10. Animal Kingdom (2010)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A seventeen-year-old navigates his survival amongst an explosive criminal family and the detective who thinks he can save him.
Director: David Michôd | Stars: James Frecheville, Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton, Bryce Lindemann
Votes: 60,460 | Gross: $1.04M
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$5 million
Box office: A$6,019,846
2010 AFI Winner: Best film; Best actress, Jackie Weaver; Best supporting actor, Joel Edgerton;
Won numerous international awards too, including many for Jackie Weaver.
11. A Test of Love (1984)
PG | 96 min | Drama
Due to an ignorant misdiagnosis, a three-year-old disabled girl was institutionalized and subsequently spent her entire childhood in a hospital for the severely retarded. A caring therapist helped her to prove her intellectual capability.
Director: Gil Brealey | Stars: Angela Punch McGregor, Drew Forsythe, Liddy Clark, Monica Maughan
Votes: 184
Wikipedia states:
1984 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: under A$1 million
A.k.a. "A test of love".
Based on a true story about a woman with a disability.
12. Any Questions for Ben? (2012)
114 min | Comedy, Romance
For Ben, life couldn't be better. A well paid job, friends, parties, girls and nothing to tie him down. But when he is invited back to his high school for a speaking engagement, he starts to reassess the direction his life is headed in.
Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Josh Lawson, Rachael Taylor, Daniel Henshall, Felicity Ward
Votes: 1,776
Another Working Dog production.
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$11,000,000
Box office: A$2,839,714
13. Arctic Blast (2010)
92 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
When a solar eclipse sends a colossal blast of super chilled air towards the earth, it then sets off a catastrophic chain of events that threatens to engulf the world in ice and begin a new Ice Age.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: Michael Shanks, Alexandra Davies, Saskia Hampele, Indiana Evans
Votes: 4,035
Brian Trenchard-Smith film.
Co-production with Canada.
Did not include BTS's previous film "In her line of fire" (2006) as it's a U.S. production.
Subsequent films mentioned in Wikipedia are either U.S. produced or tv movies or don't have linked articles. As of today (03/06/2014) those films are:
The cabin (2011, tv movie)
Absolute deception (2013, U.S.)
Drive hard (2014)
Antony I. Ginnane produced this Australia/Canada co-production according to Wikipedia.
His previous film was the UK film "Ten dead men" which was the sequel to "Left for dead". He executive produced that film.
14. The Assigned Servant (1911)
44 min | Short
Director: Jack Gavin | Stars: Agnes Gavin, Jack Gavin, Sid Harrison, Dore Kurtz
According to Wikipedia a silent, "lost" film with a budget of:
£300
15. At Last... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture (1983)
89 min | Comedy
A small town mayor rigs an election with hilarious and unpredictable results. A comedy extravaganza starring some of the biggest names in Australian showbiz in the most unlikely and wackiest roles.
Director: Simon Heath | Stars: Angry Anderson, Gordon Elliott, John Farnham, Derryn Hinch
Votes: 39
16. Attack Force Z (1981)
Not Rated | 84 min | Action, Drama, History
A group of Australian commandos launch a secret mission against Japanese forces in World War II.
Director: Tim Burstall | Stars: John Phillip Law, Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Chris Haywood
Votes: 2,719
[Maybe it was this week or the week before - today is 19/06/2014 - ABC TV had a story on this real life commando unit from World War II. Might have been on a programme like "Australian story"...or a one off documentary on this topic.]
17. Australia (2008)
PG-13 | 165 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
In 1939, an Englishwoman inherits a sprawling ranch in northern Australia and reluctantly makes a pact with a stockman to drive 2000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Shea Adams, Eddie Baroo
Votes: 129,698 | Gross: $49.55M
From Screen Australia link at top,
Australian box office: A$37,555,757 (Australian take in Australian dollars)
#2 Australian film (all time).
18. The Babadook (2014)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.
Director: Jennifer Kent | Stars: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney
Votes: 246,972 | Gross: $0.92M
If I'm reading Wikipedia correctly, this film was equal winner of:
2014 AACTA Winner Best Film (along with "The water diviner")
Wikipedia states that this film was critically acclaimed and earned:
Budget: $2 million
Box office: $5.4 million
19. BabaKiueria (1986 TV Movie)
29 min | Comedy, Drama
Role reversal study of the historically inaccurate "plight" of Australian Aborigines in modern Anglo-Saxon society. Indigenous "whities" [sic] are being persecuted by racist black people ... See full summary »
Director: Don Featherstone | Stars: Michelle Torres, Bob Maza, Kevin Smith, Cecily Polson
Votes: 238
Wikipedia states:
"The film won the 1987 United Nations Media Peace Prize".
20. Babe (1995)
G | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Gentle farmer Arthur Hoggett wins a piglet Babe at a county fair. Narrowly escaping his fate as Christmas dinner, Babe bonds with motherly border collie Fly and discovers that he too can herd sheep. But will the other animals accept him?
Director: Chris Noonan | Stars: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margolyes
Votes: 134,028 | Gross: $66.60M
S.A. figures:
Australian box office: A$36,776,544
#3 Australian film (all time).
21. Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
PG | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Babe, fresh from his victory in the sheepherding contest, returns to Farmer Hoggett's farm, but after Farmer Hoggett is injured and unable to work, Babe has to go to the big city to save the farm.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Magda Szubanski, Elizabeth Daily, Mickey Rooney, James Cromwell
Votes: 35,427 | Gross: $18.32M
22. Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Bubby has spent thirty years trapped in the same small room, tricked by his mother. One day, he manages to escape and, deranged and naive in equal measures, his adventure into a modern and nihilistic life begins.
Director: Rolf de Heer | Stars: Nicholas Hope, Claire Benito, Ralph Cotterill, Syd Brisbane
Votes: 15,010
Wikipedia states:
Budget: USD$750,000
Box office: A$808,789
AFI Winner: Best director; Best lead actor, Nicholas Hope; Others
23. Bad Eggs (2003)
98 min | Comedy, Thriller
Ben Kinnear and Mike Paddock are two undercover detectives with way too much publicity.
Director: Tony Martin | Stars: Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Judith Lucy, Alan Brough
Votes: 1,770
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$4.5 million
Box office: A$2,317,820
24. Bait (III) (2012)
R | 93 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
A freak tsunami traps shoppers at a coastal Australian supermarket inside the building - along with 12-foot Great White Sharks.
Director: Kimble Rendall | Stars: Xavier Samuel, Sharni Vinson, Adrian Pang, Yuwu Qi
Votes: 19,428
25. Balibo (2009)
Not Rated | 111 min | Biography, Drama, History
War correspondent Roger East and the young Jose Ramos-Horta travel to East Timor to investigate the murders of the Balibo Five in 1975.
Director: Robert Connolly | Stars: Jane Hampson, Bea Viegas, Christine Martins, Ana Rosa Mendoça
Votes: 2,925
Based on a true story.
Australian box office: A$1,330,863
26. Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
93 min | Comedy
Barry McKenzie's Aunt Edna is kidnapped by Count Von Plasma, the vampire head of an isolated Eastern European dictatorship who mistakes her for the Queen of England and thinks that ... See full summary »
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Barry Crocker, Barry Humphries, Donald Pleasence, Ed Devereaux
Votes: 293
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$450,000
Box office: A$1,407,000
"Most of the film was shot on location in England, Wales...British unions constantly objected to Australian cast and crew working in Britain".
27. Beaconsfield (2012 TV Movie)
129 min | Drama
The true story of Brant Webb and Todd Russell, who were trapped nearly a kilometer below the surface.
Director: Glendyn Ivin | Stars: Shane Jacobson, Lachy Hulme, Cameron Daddo, Anthony Hayes
Votes: 558
Wikipedia states that this was intended to be a mini-series but morphed into a tv movie. About a mine collapse in Australia which made national headlines due to some survivors being trapped underground.
28. Beautiful Kate (2009)
R | 100 min | Drama, Mystery
A writer reawakens his childhood trauma from the past when he returns home, at the request of his estranged sister, to grieve their father's impending death.
Director: Rachel Ward | Stars: Ben Mendelsohn, Sophie Lowe, Maeve Dermody, Rachel Griffiths
Votes: 4,082
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$4,300,000
Box office: A$1,618,490
29. Beneath Clouds (2002)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Romance
Lena is the daughter of an Aboriginal mother and Irish father and Vaughn is a Murri boy doing time in a minimum security prison in North West NSW. Dramatic events throw them together on a journey with no money and no transport.
Director: Ivan Sen | Stars: Dannielle Hall, Damian Pitt, Jenna Lee Connors, Terry Dahlstron
Votes: 1,186
Aboriginal movie with many numerous film awards both here and internationally.
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$2.5 million
Box office: A$548,416
30. Beneath Hill 60 (2010)
R | 122 min | Drama, History, War
In 1916, the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company is tunneling beneath German fortifications and bunkers to detonate massive explosive charges.
Director: Jeremy Sims | Stars: Brendan Cowell, Harrison Gilbertson, Steve Le Marquand, Gyton Grantley
Votes: 8,804
Based on true story from World War 1.
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$8,140,500
31. Ben Hall and His Gang (1911)
33 min | Short
Director: Jack Gavin | Stars: Agnes Gavin, Jack Gavin
A silent film, considered "lost".
32. Bingo, Bridesmaids & Braces (1988)
90 min | Documentary
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Gillian Armstrong, Kerry Carlson, Diana Doman, Josie Petersen
Votes: 21
The follow-up documentary to "Fourteen's good, eighteen's better", after the first in this series "Smokes and lollies". Next in the series were:
Bingo, bridesmaids and braces
Not fourteen again
Love, lust & lies
33. The Black Balloon (2008)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Romance
All Thomas wants is a normal adolescence but his autistic brother, Charlie, thwarts his every opportunity. Will Thomas, with the help of his girlfriend, Jackie, accept his brother?
Director: Elissa Down | Stars: Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette, Erik Thomson
Votes: 9,232 | Gross: $0.09M
2008 AFI Best film winner.
Wikipedia states:
Australia/UK co-production.
Budget: A$5 million
Box office: $2,136,663
Won many overseas films awards too.
34. Black Robe (1991)
R | 101 min | Adventure, Drama, War
In the 17th century, a Jesuit missionary nicknamed Black Robe by the natives and his small party of companions try reaching the Huron tribe in Canada all while facing mistrust, Iroquois warring parties and harsh winter conditions.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young, Sandrine Holt, August Schellenberg
Votes: 7,663 | Gross: $8.21M
35. Blessed (I) (2009)
113 min | Drama
Seven lost children wander the night streets while their mothers await their return home.
Director: Ana Kokkinos | Stars: Frances O'Connor, Miranda Otto, Deborra-Lee Furness, Victoria Haralabidou
Votes: 782
Mentioned in "David Stratton's stories of Australian cinema" (first broadcast on 06/06/2017) in regard to films made by women.
Wikipedia states:
Box office: A$457,898 (Australia)
36. Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala (1992)
Not Rated | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
After his home is destroyed by deforestation, Blinky Bill sets out on a quest to find his displaced mother.
Director: Yoram Gross | Stars: Robyn Moore, Keith Scott, Ross Higgins
Votes: 554
Wikipedia states that: "Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala grossed $1,903,659 at the box office in Australia".
Based on the books of Dorothy Wall, which have been turned into films and TV series: "The books are considered quintessential Australian children's classics, and have never been out of print in Australia".
Other titles;
The new adventures of Blinky Bill (TV series, 1984-7).
The adventures of Blinky Bill (TV series, 1993).
Blinky Bill the movie (2015, box office $4.3 million).
The wild adventures of Blinky Bill (TV series, 2016 - current).
Video games
"Blinky Bill received critical acclaim, and has become a national icon for Australia. Both the books and TV series are recognised internationally and regarded as children's classics".
37. Bliss (1985)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
After a near-death experience, a man wonders if he actually did die and is now in Hell.
Director: Ray Lawrence | Stars: Barry Otto, Lynette Curran, Helen Jones, Miles Buchanan
Votes: 1,416 | Gross: $0.66M
Wikipedia states:
1985 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: A$3.4 million
Box office: A$1,144,863 (Australia); $660,537 (USA only)
38. Blue Fin (1978)
PG | 88 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Based on the children's novel by celebrated South Australian author 'Colin Thiele', this is an emotional father and son story about tuna fishing of Southern Blue Fin tuna in South ... See full summary »
Directors: Carl Schultz, Bruce Beresford | Stars: Hardy Krüger, Greg Rowe, John Jarratt, Liddy Clark
Votes: 271
39. Blue Fire Lady (1977)
96 min | Drama, Family
A girl's love of horses meets with her father's disapproval.
Director: Ross Dimsey | Stars: Cathryn Harrison, Mark Holden, Peter Cummins, Marion Edward
Votes: 93
Produced by Antony I. Ginnane. Wikipedia notes that this children's movie is a departure from his normal horror/sex movies.
Budget: A$231,000
40. BMX Bandits (1983)
PG | 88 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A trio of teen BMX enthusiasts become entangled with a group of bank robbers after discovering their cache of walkie-talkies.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: David Argue, John Ley, Nicole Kidman, Angelo D'Angelo
Votes: 6,011
Nicole Kidman's first feature film. By Brian Trenchard-Smith. This film seems to get mentioned a lot in Australian comedies...notoriously bad or something. Wikipedia mentions some other references to this movie in international pop culture.
Australian box office: A$124,649
41. Body Melt (1993)
Not Rated | 81 min | Horror, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Residents of peaceful Pebbles Court, Homesville, are being used unknowingly as test experiments for a new 'Body Drug' that causes rapid body decomposition (melting skin etc.) and painful death.
Director: Philip Brophy | Stars: Gerard Kennedy, Andrew Daddo, Ian Smith, Regina Gaigalas
Votes: 3,707
Made a list of the top 20 "body horror" movies of all time: Taste of cinema, 08/04/2014).
42. Bootmen (2000)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Charismatic tap dancing Sean tries to find a way out of working at the steel mill. When failure brings him home he starts his own dance group wearing hardhats. He must then find inspiration in the steel mill he once tried to escape.
Director: Dein Perry | Stars: Vaughan Sheffield, Christian Patterson, Lisa Perry, Sam Worthington
Votes: 2,474 | Gross: $0.02M
43. The Boys (1998)
R | 86 min | Crime, Drama
Brett Sprague is a violent and psychopathic man, who is released on parole after serving a sentence for assault. As he returns to his family house and we watch him and his brothers, Stevie ... See full summary »
Director: Rowan Woods | Stars: David Wenham, Toni Collette, Lynette Curran, John Polson
Votes: 1,722 | Gross: $0.00M
Wikipedia states that the soundtrack was nominated in that category for the ARIA Awards (the Australian music awards).
44. BoyTown (2006)
88 min | Comedy, Music
"Boytown" concerns a successful 80s boy band of the same name reforming their band in contemporary times in the hope that they can capture some of their former glory and that the fans will ... See full summary »
Director: Kevin Carlin | Stars: Glenn Robbins, Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Wayne Hope
Votes: 947
Wikipedia states:
"BoyTown grossed $3,135,972 at the box office in Australia".
Interesting entry in Wikipedia over an unreleased mockumentary entitled "BoyTown confidential:
"The official BoyTown website features clips from a mockumentary BoyTown Confidential, hosted by Tony Martin as "Kenny Larkin", his character from the movie.
The mockumentary was supposed to be included in its entirety on the DVD release of BoyTown, but was not included. Mick Molloy's Molloy Boy Productions has commented that it was left out due to lack of post-production funding, however Tony Martin said that he would have paid the estimated $5000 post-production cost as he believed it was one of his finest works. Speculation persists that Molloy thought the mockumentary would upstage the film itself. This has led to an ongoing rift between longtime collaborators Martin and Molloy".
I'm a fan of Tony Martin.
45. Bra Boys (2007)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Sport
A film about the cultural evolution of the Sydney beach side suburb of Maroubra and the social struggle faced by its youth - the notorious surf gang known as the Bra Boys.
Directors: Sunny Abberton, Macario De Souza | Stars: Russell Crowe, Kelly Slater, Cheyne Horan, Jack Kingsley
Votes: 1,357 | Gross: $0.05M
Can't say that this surf movie rings a bell (someone suggested this movie for that topic and with its title I thought they were winding me up!) but Wikipedia has some good things to say about it:
"The documentary became Australia's highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary film and won the Best Documentary at the 2008 Movie EXTRA Filmink Awards".
46. Bran Nue Dae (2009)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
An Aboriginal student on the west coast of Australia in the late '60s runs away from a Catholic boarding school with his cruel headmaster in hot pursuit, meeting eccentric characters along the journey back to his hometown.
Director: Rachel Perkins | Stars: Rocky McKenzie, Jessica Mauboy, Ernie Dingo, Missy Higgins
Votes: 2,012 | Gross: $0.11M
Aboriginal film with film awards here and internationally.
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$7 million
Box office: A$7,509,061
47. Breaker Morant (1980)
PG | 107 min | Drama, History, War
Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters, Bryan Brown
Votes: 14,412 | Gross: $7.14M
Wikipedia states:
1980 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: A$800,000
Box office: A$4,735,000, $3.5 million
'Breaker Morant grossed A$4,735,000 at the box office in Australia,which is equivalent to A$16,809,250 in 2009 dollars'.
48. Bungala Boys (1961)
58 min | Family
A new surf club started on an Australian beach struggles through its infancy.
Director: Jim Jeffrey | Stars: Peter Couldwell, Alan Dearth, Terry Bentley, Julie Youatt
Votes: 35
Wikipedia states:
"It was the second film made by the British Children's Film Foundation, following Bush Christmas."
49. Burke & Wills (1985)
PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History
A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.
Director: Graeme Clifford | Stars: Jack Thompson, Nigel Havers, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Fargher
Votes: 282
Based on the ill-fated expedition of these two explorers. I believe that Prince Charles and Lady Diana watched the premier of this movie in Australia, as part of their royal tour here...coz, I happened to be in Bourke St. that day and caught a glimpse of them! Maybe it's because I wanted to see them that I "happened" to be there!
See also "Wills & Burke" for the comedy released the same year about this iconic expedition. Also, "A romance of Burke and Wills expedition of 1860" (1918).
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$8,900,000 (estimated)
Box office: A$1,567,000
50. Burke & Wills (2006)
72 min | Drama
Shot in inner city Sydney, Burke and Wills is about two young men - Burke, a fragile, troubled soul; and Wills, a naive, talkative dreamer - going through a life transition. The two are ... See full summary »
Directors: Oliver Torr, Matt Zeremes | Stars: Celeste Barber, Bianca Biasi, Winston Cooper, Rouna Daley
Votes: 88
Unrelated to the famous (but doomed) Australian explorers known by that phrase. No entry for this title on Wikipedia.
51. Bush Christmas (1947)
Passed | 80 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
In Australia, five children pursue horse thieves through the mountains.
Director: Ralph Smart | Stars: Chips Rafferty, John Fernside, Stan Tolhurst, Pat Penny
Votes: 526
Wikipedia states:
Budget: £25,000
UK/Australia co-production.
"It was one of the first movies from Children's Entertainment Films, later the Children's Film Foundation".
52. Bush Christmas (1983)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, Family
In the Australian outback a family struggles to keep its farm from foreclosure. Their only hope is that their horse, Prince, will win money in a New Year's race. But when Prince is stolen ... See full summary »
Director: Henri Safran | Stars: John Ewart, John Howard, Mark Spain, James Wingrove
Votes: 408
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$950,000
Box office: A$122,035
53. Caddie (1976)
100 min | Drama, Romance
Sydney, Australia in the mid-1920's. Proud and classy Caddie Marsh is forced to get a job as a barmaid and raise two children on her own after her rich cad husband walks out on her. Despite... See full summary »
Director: Donald Crombie | Stars: Helen Morse, Takis Emmanuel, Jack Thompson, Jacki Weaver
Votes: 244
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$400,000
Box office: A$2,847,000
54. The Bushranger's Bride (1911)
Drama
Edgar Dalmore, an impulsive youth, quarrels with his father, and in the heat of anger is disowned. Edgar's cousin, Vincent Lennox, is hard pressed for money, owing to his gambling ... See full summary »
Director: Alfred Rolfe | Stars: Alfred Rolfe, Lily Dampier, Raymond Longford, Lottie Lyell
Votes: 18
["Captain Midnight, the bush king"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Midnight,_the_Bush_King
Many films in my list will display a different title at various times. When that happens, I'll include a Wikipedia entry with perhaps the "correct" title, or at least the one which the film is known as in Australia. This film is displaying sometimes as "The bushranger's wife".]
According to Wikipedia, a silent "lost" film with a budget of:
£800
55. Captain Starlight, or Gentleman of the Road (1911)
Director: Alfred Rolfe | Stars: Lily Dampier, Lottie Lyell, Augustus Neville, Alfred Rolfe
Votes: 15
Wikipedia states:
"It was based on Alfred Dampier's stage adaptation of the novel Robbery Under Arms.It is considered a lost film."
56. Careful, He Might Hear You (1983)
PG | 110 min | Drama
His mother dead, PS lives in Sydney with working-class Aunt Lila and Uncle George. When he's six or eight, his posh Aunt Vanessa descends from England. Named a co-guardian by PS's feckless,... See full summary »
Director: Carl Schultz | Stars: Wendy Hughes, Robyn Nevin, Nicholas Gledhill, John Hargreaves
Votes: 862
Wikipedia states:
1983 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: A$2.2 million
Box office: A$2,431,126
57. Carlotta (2014 TV Movie)
91 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the extraordinary life of the iconic Les Girls headliner and Australian transgender pioneer, Jessica Marais, stars as Carlotta. A universal story about identity, family, tolerance ... See full summary »
Director: Samantha Lang | Stars: Jessica Marais, Anita Hegh, Eamon Farren, Andrew Lees
Votes: 391
About a well known Australian transexual cabaret (Les Girls) performer. TV movie. Wikipedia also mentions that Carlotta was an inspiration behind the Australian movie "Priscilla, queen of the desert" which is also in this list.
58. The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
PG | 88 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The small town of Paris, Australia deliberately causes car accidents, then sells/salvages all valuables from the wrecks as a means of economy.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Terry Camilleri, John Meillon, Kevin Miles, Rick Scully
Votes: 4,416
59. The Castle (1997)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama
A working-class family from Melbourne, Australia fights city hall after being told they must vacate their beloved family home to allow for infrastructural expansion.
Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Anthony Simcoe
Votes: 17,471 | Gross: $0.86M
Australian box office: A$10,326,428
60. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
108 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
After suffering racist abuse throughout his life - which intensifies following his marriage to a white woman - a half-Aboriginal farmhand finds himself driven to murder.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Tommy Lewis, Freddy Reynolds, Angela Punch McGregor, Ray Barrett
Votes: 2,526
61. Charlie & Boots (2009)
101 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A father and son who travel from Victoria to Cape York to fulfill their lifelong ambition to fish off Australia's northern tip.
Director: Dean Murphy | Stars: Paul Hogan, Shane Jacobson, Roy Billing, Morgan Griffin
Votes: 1,679
Featuring the stars of "Crocodile Dundee" and "Kenny".
Wikipedia states (via external link info):
Box office: A$$3,438,120
62. The Cheaters (1930)
82 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
The daughter of the head of a criminal gang falls in love with the son of her father's most bitter enemy.
Director: Paulette McDonagh | Stars: Marie Lorraine, Arthur Greenaway, John Faulkner, Josef Bambach
Votes: 86
Mentioned in the current documentary series (which started airing on 06/06/2017) "David Stratton's stories of Australian cinema), this film was produced by women, for possibly the first time anywhere in the world (well, the McDonagh sisters' first film, 1926's "Those who love" - see this list here for that title - would be in line for that honour). Stratton also notes that this film is amongst the earliest films (anywhere in the world?) to experiment with sound.
Stratton states that no McDonagh sisters' film remains intact today...only fragments exist, which he calls a "tragedy".
63. Charlie's Country (2013)
Not Rated | 108 min | Adventure, Drama
Displeased with the intervention of whitefella laws, Charlie takes off to live the old way and sets off a chain reaction of enlightening difficulties.
Director: Rolf de Heer | Stars: David Gulpilil, Peter Djigirr, Luke Ford, Lizzie Durrurrnga
Votes: 2,791
A Rolf de Heer film (Bad boy bubby), starring David Gulpilil.
Wikipedia states:
Nominated for a Best Film honour at the 2014 AACTA Awards.
Charlie's Country currently holds an approval rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes
64. Chopper (2000)
R | 94 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Chopper tells the intense story of Mark "Chopper" Read, a legendary criminal who wrote his autobiography while serving a jail sentence in prison. His book, "From the Inside", upon which the film is based, was a best-seller.
Director: Andrew Dominik | Stars: Eric Bana, Simon Lyndon, Vince Colosimo, Renée Brack
Votes: 41,467 | Gross: $0.23M
Wikipedia states:
AFI Winner: Best director; Best actor in a leading role; Others.
Won multiple international awards too.
65. The Club (1980)
PG | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Boardroom and dressing-room intrigues spill on to the field at the Australian Rules football club.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Jack Thompson, Graham Kennedy, Frank Wilson, Harold Hopkins
Votes: 1,120
66. Codgers (2011)
84 min | Comedy
Six senior Aussie men, mates since war service, meet one morning each week in a gymnasium...they exercise together, chew the fat together, talk about their families, laugh, tease and sing. ... See full summary »
Directors: Wayne Harrison, Grant Dodwell | Stars: Ronald Falk, Ron Haddrick, Edwin Hodgeman, John Lam
Votes: 14
This film was mentioned in The Herald Sun today (11/03/2015):
"Young & Jackson is a prequel to [Don] Reid's 2006 award-winning comedic play Codgers, which [Wayne] Harrison turned into a feature film of the same name in 2011".
67. Country Town (1971)
101 min | Drama
In this movie version of Bellbird (1967) a reporter, Philip Henderson stirs up the town further when they are already suffering with a drought.
Director: Peter Maxwell | Stars: Terry McDermott, Gary Gray, Lynette Curran, Gerard Maguire
Votes: 9
Based on the "Bellbird" tv series.
68. Crackerjack (2002)
92 min | Comedy, Sport
When dwindling membership and increasing overheads makes a local bowling club and prime candidate for a takeover, it's all hands on deck to save the club, in what turns into an epic battle ... See full summary »
Director: Paul Moloney | Stars: Mick Molloy, Bill Hunter, Frank Wilson, Monica Maughan
Votes: 3,147
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$3.5 million
Box office: A$8.6 million
69. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
An American reporter goes to the Australian outback to meet an eccentric crocodile poacher and invites him to New York City.
Director: Peter Faiman | Stars: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, David Gulpilil
Votes: 115,354 | Gross: $174.64M
Australian box office: A$47,707,045
...which is equivalent to A$104,001,358 in 2009 dollars.
The #1 Australian movie in Australia (all time).
70. Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
PG | 108 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Australian outback expert protects his New York love from gangsters who've followed her down under.
Director: John Cornell | Stars: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, Ernie Dingo
Votes: 60,793 | Gross: $109.31M
Australian box office: A$24,916,805
... which is equivalent to $48,843,593 in 2009 dollars.
#7 Australian film, all time.
71. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001)
PG | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Australian Outback adventurer Mick "Crocodile" Dundee travels to Los Angeles with his young son while his longtime companion suspects foul play at a movie studio.
Director: Simon Wincer | Stars: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Jere Burns, Jonathan Banks
Votes: 26,215 | Gross: $25.64M
Australian box office: A$7,759,103
It grossed only $39 million worldwide, well below the total gross of the previous two films.
72. Dark Age (1987)
R | 91 min | Adventure, Horror
A park ranger is tasked with dealing with a killer crocodile that appears to have a spiritual connection with the local Aboriginals.
Director: Arch Nicholson | Stars: John Jarratt, Nikki Coghill, Max Phipps, Burnham Burnham
Votes: 1,532
Wikipedia states:
Produced by Antony I. Ginnane.
Budget: A$4,808,232
73. Dark City (1998)
R | 100 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A man struggles with memories of his past, which include a wife he cannot remember and a nightmarish world no one else ever seems to wake up from.
Director: Alex Proyas | Stars: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt
Votes: 212,106 | Gross: $14.38M
Wikipedia states:
Budget: $27 million (est)
Box office: $27,200,316
74. Daybreakers (2009)
R | 98 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.
Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Harriet Minto-Day
Votes: 134,930 | Gross: $30.10M
#8 in the magazine FilmInk's list of the top 10 Australian sci-fi movies of all time (May/June 2015 issue).
Wikipedia states:
Budget: (A?)$20 million
Box office: US$51.4 million
75. Day of the Panther (1988)
84 min | Action
A martial-arts expert goes after a criminal gang and its boss, who were responsible for the death of his partner.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: Edward John Stazak, John Stanton, James Richards, Michael Carman
Votes: 507
Brian Trenchard-Smith film. 1st in a series, followed by "Strike of the panther". A 3rd in the series, "Escape of the panther" was planned but not made according to Wikipedia.
Australian budget: A$500,000
76. Dead Calm (1989)
R | 96 min | Horror, Thriller
After a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane, Rod Mullinar
Votes: 43,646 | Gross: $7.83M
Wikipedia states:
Budget: (A?)$10.4 million
Box office: US$7,825,000 + A$2,444,407
77. Dead End Drive-In (1986)
R | 92 min | Action, Drama, Horror
In a dystopian future Australia, a health nut and his tag-along girlfriend become trapped in a drive-in cinema that has become a concentration camp for delinquent youths and immigrants.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: Ned Manning, Natalie McCurry, Peter Whitford, Wilbur Wilde
Votes: 3,809
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith.
Notable for being based on a work by award winning Australian author Peter Carey (Wikipedia lists that work as "Crabs").
Another film on my "To do" list.
Australian box office: A$68,000
Budget: A$2,500,000.
78. Deathcheaters (1976)
93 min | Action, Adventure
Two best friends, Vietnam War veterans-turned-stuntmen, are sent as spies to the Philippines on a top secret mission for the Australian government.
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: John Hargreaves, Grant Page, Margaret Gerard, Ziggy
Votes: 305
Wikipedia lists this film as being one word.
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith.
Australian box office: A$30,000
Budget: A$157,000.
79. Death in Brunswick (1990)
R | 109 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Carl Fitzgerald is down-on-his-luck until he meets Sophie, a beautiful Greek girl. He gets a job as a cook, but accidentally kills a fellow worker. He turns to his unscrupulous best friend for help and they attempt to dispose of the body.
Director: John Ruane | Stars: Sam Neill, Zoe Carides, John Clarke, Yvonne Lawley
Votes: 1,441
80. The Devil's Playground (1976)
107 min | Drama
Fred Schepisi's first feature is this lushly photographed period drama detailing a young boy's coming-of-age in a strict Catholic seminary in 1950s Australia.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Charles McCallum, John Frawley, Arthur Dignam, Nick Tate
Votes: 1,312
Wikipedia states:
1976 AFI Winner Best film
Budget: A$306,000
Box office: A$334,000
81. Dirty Deeds (2002)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
1973 Sydney: An Australian gangster sees booming business, due to U.S. soldiers being in town for relaxing between their tours to the Vietnam war, attracts the attention of first the Chicago mafia, and then their East Coast competitors.
Director: David Caesar | Stars: Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, John Goodman, Sam Neill
Votes: 3,427
I saw this film at the cinema. Not a particularly good one but for some reason I still remember the scene where John Goodman's character is surprised by Australian pizzas.
82. The Dish (2000)
PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, History
A remote Australian community, populated by quirky characters, plays a key role in the first Apollo moon landing.
Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Sam Neill, Billy Mitchell, Roz Hammond, Christopher-Robin Street
Votes: 17,091 | Gross: $2.25M
Australian box office A$17,999,473
#10 Australian movie, all time.
83. Dogs in Space (1986)
R | 103 min | Drama
Two man are the key members of a band called 'Dogs in Space' and share a house in a Melbourne suburb with a variety of young music fans and social misfits, including a college student and a transient and apparently nameless teenage girl.
Director: Richard Lowenstein | Stars: Michael Hutchence, Saskia Post, Nique Needles, Deanna Bond
Votes: 1,372
Not seen this film myself (interested in doing so though)...think that it's sort of fact based and maybe covers the kind of scene that Nick Cave's first band, The Boys Next Door, evolved from.
Wikipedia states:
Budget: A$2 million or $3 million
Box office: A$367,351
84. Don's Party (1976)
Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
On the night of the 1969 Australian election, Don holds a party in his suburban Sydney house, where his raucous, rude, embarrassing, extrovert friends discuss sex, politics, and their lives, and seduce each others wives.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: John Hargreaves, Pat Bishop, Graham Kennedy, Veronica Lang
Votes: 1,574
Wikipedia states:
"Phillip Adams originally distributed the film himself. Don's Party grossed $871,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $4,503,070 in 2009 dollars".
85. The Dressmaker (I) (2015)
R | 119 min | Comedy, Drama, Western
A glamorous woman returns to her small town in rural Australia. With her sewing machine and haute couture style, she transforms the women and exacts sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Stars: Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 65,273 | Gross: $2.02M
Mentioned in "David Stratton's stories of Australian cinema" (06/06/2017) as an example of films made by women.
Wikipedia states:
Budget $11.9 million
Box office $24.11 million
Winner, 5th ACTAA Awards (2015): People's Choice Award for favourite Australian film. Won numerous other category's at that year's ACTAAs too.
86. Dreamland (I) (2009)
94 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Dan Freeman an obsessive UFO Hunter roams the Nevada desert around AREA 51 searching the skies for contact, but alone in the desert he awakens to a deeper mystery.
Director: Ivan Sen | Stars: Michael J. Minor, Daniel Roberts, Tasma Walton
Votes: 25
Hopefully this is the right entry for this film. If not, it's the title in the link, below:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1524125/reference
#10 in the magazine FilmInk's list of the top 10 Australian sci-fi movies of all time (May/June 2015 issue).
87. The Earthling (1980)
PG | 97 min | Adventure, Drama
Diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, Patrick Foley has returned to his native Australia to die in the peace and quiet of the wilderness. His simple plan is complicated, however, when he meets a young boy who has just lost his parents.
Director: Peter Collinson | Stars: William Holden, Ricky Schroder, Jack Thompson, Olivia Hamnett
Votes: 1,812
Can't say if I actually saw this film...maybe I did. Looking at the box office results from Wikipedia it looks like not many people saw this US/Australia co-production which had two American stars in a film set in Australia.
Australian box office: A$72,000
88. Escape: World Safari III (1988)
109 min | Documentary
Director: Alby Mangels | Stars: Alby Mangels, Michelle Els, Lucinda Dunn, Rick Snel
Votes: 18
The sequel to "World safari" and "World safari II: The final adventure" (the latter obviously falsely advertising itself!).
89. Eternity (1994)
R | 56 min | Documentary
Director: Lawrence Johnston | Stars: Les Foxcroft, Noel Jordan
Votes: 39
91. Eureka Stockade (1949)
Approved | 103 min | Drama, History, Western
In 1854, Australian gold rush miners struggle for their rights against an oppressive government.
Director: Harry Watt | Stars: Chips Rafferty, Jane Barrett, Jack Lambert, Peter Illing
Votes: 209
A British film starring Australians and shot in Australia.
92. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
A mother whose child was killed in a dingo attack in the Australian Outback fights to prove her innocence when she is accused of murder.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Dale Reeves, David Hoflin
Votes: 11,195 | Gross: $6.91M
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Angels_(film)]
A.K.A. "A cry in the dark" outside of Australia (e.g. in the U.S.).
Wikipedia states:
1989 AFI Winner Best film (again, odd year, as for "Flirting" too, because of its release day being the previous year).
Budget: $15 million
Box office: $6,908,797 (United States)[
"Evil Angels grossed A$3,006,964 at the box office in Australia. This was considered a disappointment considering the publicity and subject matter".
93. The Far Paradise (1928)
85 min | Drama, Romance
Cherry Carson is a rich girl who falls in love with a gentleman she meets by chance on a train trip. Little does she know that he is the son of her father's greatest enemy, and their love is doomed to suffer.
Director: Paulette McDonagh | Stars: Marie Lorraine, Paul Longuet, Gaston Mervale, Arthur McLaglen
Votes: 42
A McDonagh sisters' produced film. This title came up for their Wikipedia entry for "The cheaters" (see this list for that title). A reviewer for that later film at the time wasn't positive about it and said it wasn't as good as this earlier picture. Wikipedia also states that "The far paradise" was well received both critically and at the box office.
David Stratton states (in his "Stories of Australian cinema" series) that no McDonagh sisters' film remains intact today...only fragments exist.
94. Fantasm (1976)
X | 87 min | Comedy
Professor Jungenot A. Freud explores ten common female sexual fantasies as described by some of his patients.
Director: Richard Franklin | Stars: John Holmes, Uschi Digard, Candy Samples, Rene Bond
Votes: 590
Wikipedia states:
Directed by Richard Franklin under the pseudonym of Richard Bruce. He said that the film's success allowed him to get the funding to make "Patrick".
Produced by Antony I. Ginnane
Budget: A$50,000
Box office: A$650,000
A sequel was made: "Fantasm comes again" but it is not listed on this site for this List.
Budget: $85,000
Directed by Colin Eggleston using the pseudonymn "Eric Ram".
Produced by Antony I. Ginnane.
The film sold well around the world but was not as popular as Fantasm at the Australian box office. Ginnane blamed the fact by the time it was released there was a glut of sex films on the market and the delay caused by censorship hold ups. (In 1980 David Stratton called it "the most censored of the new Australian films.") .
95. Fatal Sky (1990)
R | 92 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In Norway, a military plane crashes under mysterious circumstances; In his last message, the pilot reported many lights falling from the sky. NATO wants to play down the incident, but the ... See full summary »
Director: Frank Shields | Stars: Michael Nouri, Darlanne Fluegel, Maxwell Caulfield, Derren Nesbitt
Votes: 198
[edit in: this film is called "Fatal sky":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_Sky]
Antony I. Ginnane film. Australia/USA co-production according to Wikipedia. Straight to video release.
Ginnane's previous film was "The siege of Firebase Gloria", a US production, released in 1989.
96. The Fatal Wedding (1911)
Drama
Director: Raymond Longford | Stars: Master Anson, Miss Clare, Tom Cosgrove, George D. Ellis
Wikipedia lists this film as having (at the time) the greatest box office by an Australian film of:
₤18,000 (est.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Australia#Other_popular_Australian_films
97. Felony (2013)
TV-MA | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An accident involving a young child sets off a chain of events that brings an Australian police officer's world crashing down.
Director: Matthew Saville | Stars: Joel Edgerton, Jai Courtney, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Simpson
Votes: 5,837
Released this week, I believe (today is 28/08/2014).
Wikipedia states:
"Joel Edgerton wrote, produced and also co-starred in the film".
98. First Contact (1982)
58 min | Documentary
Directors: Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly | Stars: Richard Oxenburgh, Daniel Leahy, Mick Leahy, James Taylor
Votes: 274
About an undiscovered tribe in New Guinea.
Wikipedia states that's its box office was:
A$120,000
It won an AFI for best feature documentary and an Academy Award nomination in the same category.
99. Flirting (1991)
R | 99 min | Drama, Romance
Two freethinking teenagers - a boy and a girl - confront with authoritarian teachers in their boarding schools. The other students treat this differently.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Noah Taylor, Thandiwe Newton, Nicole Kidman, Bartholomew Rose
Votes: 6,404 | Gross: $2.42M
2nd in a proposed trilogy, following on from "The year my voice broke". No 3rd film as of yet.
Australian box office: $1,655,044
Wikipedia says in part:
"The movie was widely critically acclaimed. It featured on Roger Ebert's Top 10 Best Films List of 1992. Later it was ranked number 46 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies".
Also, 1990 AFI Winner Best film (which is odd, as it was released in 1991, the year that "Proof" won the AFI Best film for that year).
"Flirting grossed $1,655,044 at the box office in Australia[2] and $2,415,396 in the USA".
100. The Flying Doctor (1936)
92 min | Drama
Sandy, an adventurer in Australia, travels from place to place doing various jobs. At a sheep farm he meets Mary and they fall in love, but he runs away in the end. He later meets Dr. John ... See full summary »
Director: Miles Mander | Stars: Charles Farrell, Mary Maguire, James Raglan, Joe Valli
Wikipedia lists this as a British-Australian co-production. Even more surprising, world sporting legend - Australian cricketer Don Bradman -appears as himself in this film!
IMDB also mentions a 1959 tv series...will have to check out info on that.
IMDB also states that this movie was a winner and a nominee in two categories at the Venice Film Festival.
Budget:
£45,000
Running time:
92 min. (Aust)
67 min. (UK)
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