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Michael_Grech
Reviews
The Great Bookie Robbery (1986)
Yes I found it !! - SPOILERS
After searching for 2 years, I finally found a copy of this 3 part mini series on VHS and it was worth the waiting for !!! Let me give you a review of this sensational piece of Australian history.
The Great Bookie Robbery actually happened in Melbourne in 1976 and was the biggest robbery in the country's history at the time. In 1986 this mini series was made and although it is a true story, the names have been changed and it is set in 1986 instead of 1976.
Although the series is centered around the big heist at the Victoria Club, the storyline is really about Melbourne's underworld in the 70's. It is based on an actual war between criminals and their battle for power. It is similar to the Melbourne underworld wars of recent times which have claimed the lives of big names such as Jason Moran and Alphone Gangiatano. The big difference is that in the 70's drugs were not the big thing, armed robberies were the way to make a dollar and this film shows the days before high tech police surveillance and listening devices.
John Bach is brilliant as Mike Power, (whose character is based on Ray "Chuck" Bennett) the leader of this group of armed robbers and as the series goes on, the viewer falls in love with his group of criminals and learns to hate the police.
The Late Bruno Lawrence plays "Cracka Park" (whose character is based on Russell "Mad Dog" Cox)Australia's most wanted criminal, on the run and in love with Mike Power's sister in law.
Gary Day and Andy Anderson play other important roles in the film as part of Mike Power's gang, but they have their rivals and none more evil than The Temple brothers - Merve and Bob. (characters are based on the Kane brothers, Brian and Les)The Temples are stand-over men who are feared and always willing to relieve other crims of their hard earned cash.
Gary Sweet plays "Chicka White", an undercover cop with no class who fools some of the more gullible members of Power's gang. On the same side of the law is Dennis Miller playing "Mal Edwards" who is a corrupt detective on the Temple's side. Edwards has always wanted to put Power away but seems to fail at every attempt.
There are other great performances from people such as Catherine Wilkin who plays Mike Power's wife Carol, the loyal wife who desperately wants her husband to give up crime. Gary Files plays "Slasher Grey", the dodgy used car salesman who cant keep his mouth shut and is tricked into making a statement by the police who offer him protection. But as always the police protection is short lived and Slasher soon finds himself a dead man. Mike Power and Tony Lott do their usual thing and kill him without leaving any evidence...or a body behind !! And watch out for veteran actor John Flaus' double act. Firstly as Carol Power watches "Blood Money" on TV and she sees him killing another man in part one and then in part two he bobs up again as a gun salesman !! As the story unfolds, the big one is carried out and they net more than three million dollars. Soon afterwards, the three main players of the gang are holidaying on the Gold Coast when they hear reports of trouble back in Melbourne. The Temples give Jaffa Davis a good beating and they also kill Russ Lockart who drives the getaway cars for Power's gang. Power's boys soon realize they have a war on their hands and they are determined to kill the Temples. Bob Temple is soon shot dead by Mike Power and Tony Lott in front of his wife and his body is never found. (Just as Les Kane was shot in front of his wife and his body never found in 1978)Merve Temple is determined to kill Mike Power to get revenge for his brothers death and his corrupt friend Mal Edwards organises for it to happen at Melbourne Magistrates Court as Power is facing a hearing. The police who escort him suddenly become disinterested and walk away and Merve Temple pulls out a gun and fires shots and then disappears. (just as Brian Kane did to Ray Bennett at Melbourne Magistrates Court in 1979)Naturally Merve Temple is not charged as no one seems to see it !! But in the end Merve Temple had it coming to him just as Brian Kane did and he soon gets his bullet just as Brian Kane did at the Quarry Hotel in Brunswick in 1982.
Melbournes underworld has not changed much since then. Its still the same old rules. What goes around comes around and they all get killed off eventually.
The Great Bookie Robbery is a sensational series, especially considering it was made in 1986. I advise you to watch it if you get a chance as you are sure to enjoy it.
Maybe in a few years they may make a similar series about Melbournes underworld today. I sure hope they do !! Cheers
Heaven Tonight (1989)
John Waters really shines !!!
There may be some people who will not agree with my comments about this film, but i believe that it is one of John Waters' best.
This film is a bit obscure as not many people know of it but I think it deserves a lot more credit.
It is a story of a washed up rock star (Johnny Dysart) who just will not give up even though he has no chance at all of ever being able to sell records again. He refuses to give in to modern trends/sounds and sticks with his heart and keeps on trying, falsely believing that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
What makes things worse for Johnny is that his son is an up and coming pop star and is generating a lot of interest. This causes a lot of tension between them because he cannot accept his son using modern music systems adapting to new technology.
His wife has also had to suffer a lot due to his dreams of a comeback. She has stuck by him for a long time but her patience is running out.
In the end he has to face the sad reality that his son can get a record deal and will sell records and that johnny will never sell records again and he eventually decides to accept it and look to a new career path.
This film is very similar to Boulevard Of Broken Dreams. Both films are made in Melbourne, have the same director and some of the same actors.
I would strongly urge you to watch this film if you come across it. Hopefully one day it will be released on DVD.
Secret Men's Business (1999)
Not very original despite some great acting.
Secret Men's business would attract the attention of any Aussie film/TV lover simply because of the cast. Ben Mendelsohn, Marcus Graham, Simon Baker, Jeremy Sims etc (not to mention Joel Edgerton in one of his early roles as a bikie !!) are great actors and I was drawn to this because of them.
As the show goes on its reasonably interesting and it has some beautiful scenery. The sad point is that the climax of the film is very unoriginal and has been done so many times before. One guy realises that his wife is having an affair with his best friend. I mean how many times have we see that in a film/show ?? You would think that a film that was so well put together would have a more original script.
Overall its not bad and if you are doing nothing and it comes on TV then sure you may as well watch it but I would not advise you to go out of your way to see it.
Blackfellas (1993)
Fantastic Aussie Film
I am an Aussie film buff and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorites. A great story about the brotherhood between blacks and the way they are treated by law enforcers. Also shows the difficulties of a criminal trying to change his ways. Its basically a real down to earth no nonsense film. There is nothing flashy about it and it was probably made on a low budget, but the story is great and very entertaining.
John Hargreaves is very good as the mongrel cop. John Moore is also great as the lead and the rest of the cast are also terrific in their roles.
Do yourself a favor and see this one !!
The Settlement (1984)
Great Aussie Film
This is a real old fashioned Aussie classic. I first saw it one night when I was bored. A friend left the DVD at my place and although it didn't look interesting, I put it on thinking that I would watch about 10 minutes but I ended up watching it right to the end. It basically tells the tale of two male drifters who come to a small country town. They meet a woman with a bad reputation and they both fall in love with her.
After realising that they both want her and that neither of them is prepared to back down, she simply decides to share her love between them both. The locals are gossiping about them however they refuse to be concerned what others think and they follow their own interests.
There are better Aussie films, but I think The Settlement is worth watching.
The Secret Life of Us (2001)
An Infectious blend of love, lust, friendship, dreams, disappointments, humor and sadness combined with beautiful scenery and great music !!
There are many things that can be said about this fantastic show however if you saw if for the first time in its last 2 years of production then you can be excused for thinking that it was awful.
Although the show suffered an incredible demise during series 3 and never recovered, original viewers will always remember how sensational it was in the first two years. (2001-2002) In fact it was so good that it was bound to become worse because no show could continue to be that good while being so original and creative. I suppose all good things must come to an end and if the show had ended after series 2 then it would have left us viewers dying for more. The way it really ended during series 4 left us viewers yelling "Get it off !!" I can honestly say that I have never seen a show go from being so good to being so bad !! But remembering the first series, it was a show that any person in their 20's could relate to. It was an extremely realistic show which also had some great acting. Combine the infectious storyline, the great scenery (around St. Kilda and some of Melbourne's other more attractive locations) and not to mention... great home grown music and you have a great show. If you love Aussie music then this was definitely a show for you. Secret Life had a contract with Mushroom so we got to hear the best in Oz rock, both past and present !! We also got to hear Abi Tucker's great singing and Oh my god !! Who could ever forget Evan singing "Howzat" at the Fu Bar Karaoke night !!! What made it so special to me was that most of us could identify with every character in the show and as the series went on, the characters just grow on you. I will never forget in series 2, when Will (Joel Edgerton) left the show. It wasn't the same anymore. There was something missing. He was part of the original cast that made such a big impression on us. His departure was definitely the beginning of the shows demise as every original character except for Kelly & Simon, would soon jump off what was to become a sinking ship.
With the exception of Will's departure, series 2 was almost as good as series one. It continued with so many realistic situations that we could all relate to. Personally my favorite character was Jason, played by Damian De Montemas. In series one we saw him as a very confused man who was making a lot of mistakes and learning the hard way. Series two saw him trying to become more responsible after getting a girl pregnant. He committed himself to fatherhood and was extremely overjoyed after the birth of his son. He persevered with his relationship with a woman who was very difficult to get along with simply because he wanted to do the right thing and be a responsible father. But in the end it all caved in around him and nothing went his way. His absence in series three was a major disappointment for myself.
There was also the on-going Evan & Alex saga. The couple who seemed so perfect for each other but who always seemed to be victims of bad timing. I am actually amazed that the writers of the show never gave us viewers what we all really wanted which was of course to see them together in a relationship. Alex was to marry Rex who was played by Vince Colosimo. Although Vince Colosimo is a great actor, he was not suited to the show and his introduction was another step in the shows decline.
Despite the show losing its popularity, its later years did have some highlights. The introduction of Dan Speilman as "Tidy" was very good for the show although he only lasted one series and then he simply vanished like most others did in 2004. Stephen Curry was a great asset to the show in series 4 however by then it was too late. If he had been in the show in its earlier years, even if he was just a regular guest, he would have been a huge hit !! Also in the later years we got to know Simon (likeable Gay barman from Fu Bar) a lot better and his character was sensational.
There was however one character in the show that I could never understand. The character of Kelly, (played by Deborah Mailman and the shows longest serving character)never made a lot of sense. I am not sure what the writers of the show were thinking when they invented her. I must say she was good in the first series but after that her character never progressed in the same way that all the others did. It was the same story every series. She would just meet new guys and form relationships that would never last. Another thing that also did not make sense is that she is not an attractive woman yet in the show she got more interest from guys than all the other girls when some of the other girl were in fact stunners !! But overall the Secret Life Of Us will remain as one of my favorite all time shows. The first three series are available on DVD and I strongly urge anyone who has never seen the show to get your hands on it although I would just stick to the first two series and not bother with series three.
The Secret Life of Us (2001)
An Infectious blend of love, lust, friendship, dreams, disappointments, humor and sadness combined with beautiful scenery and great music !!
There are many things that can be said about this fantastic show however if you saw if for the first time in its last 2 years of production then you can be excused for thinking that it was awful.
Although the show suffered an incredible demise during series 3 and never recovered, original viewers will always remember how sensational it was in the first two years. (2001-2002) In fact it was so good that it was bound to become worse because no show could continue to be that good while being so original and creative. I suppose all good things must come to an end and if the show had ended after series 2 then it would have left us viewers dying for more. The way it really ended during series 4 left us viewers yelling "Get it off !!" I can honestly say that I have never seen a show go from being so good to being so bad !! But remembering the first series, it was a show that any person in their 20's could relate to. It was an extremely realistic show which also had some great acting. Combine the infectious storyline, the great scenery (around St. Kilda and some of Melbourne's other more attractive locations) and not to mention... great home grown music and you have a great show. If you love Aussie music then this was definitely a show for you. Secret Life had a contract with Mushroom so we got to hear the best in Oz rock, both past and present !! We also got to hear Abi Tucker's great singing and Oh my god !! Who could ever forget Evan singing "Howzat" at the Fu Bar Karaoke night !!! What made it so special to me was that most of us could identify with every character in the show and as the series went on, the characters just grow on you. I will never forget in series 2, when Will (Joel Edgerton) left the show. It wasn't the same anymore. There was something missing. He was part of the original cast that made such a big impression on us. (Who could ever forget his heartache when he lost his lovely girlfriend Sam in a road accident) His departure was definitely the beginning of the shows demise as every original character except for Kelly & Simon, would soon jump off what was to become a sinking ship.
With the exception of Will's departure, series 2 was almost as good as series one. It continued with so many realistic situations that we could all relate to. Personally my favorite character was Jason, played by Damian De Montemas. In series one we saw him as a very confused man who was making a lot of mistakes and learning the hard way. Series two saw him trying to become more responsible after getting a girl pregnant. He committed himself to fatherhood and was extremely overjoyed after the birth of his son. He persevered with his relationship with a woman who was very difficult to get along with simply because he wanted to do the right thing and be a responsible father. But in the end it all caved in around him and nothing went his way. His absence in series three was a major disappointment for myself.
There was also the on-going Evan & Alex saga. The couple who seemed so perfect for each other but who always seemed to be victims of bad timing. I am actually amazed that the writers of the show never gave us viewers what we all really wanted which was of course to see them together in a relationship. Alex was to marry Rex who was played by Vince Colosimo. Although Vince Colosimo is a great actor, he was not suited to the show and his introduction was another step in the shows decline.
Despite the show losing its popularity, its later years did have some highlights. The introduction of Dan Speilman as "Tidy" was very good for the show although he only lasted one series and then he simply vanished like most others did in 2004. Stephen Curry was a great asset to the show in series 4 however by then it was too late. If he had been in the show in its earlier years, even if he was just a regular guest, he would have been a huge hit !! Also in the later years we got to know Simon (likeable Gay barman from Fu Bar) a lot better and his character was sensational.
There was however one character in the show that I could never understand. The character of Kelly, (played by Deborah Mailman and the shows longest serving character)never made a lot of sense. I am not sure what the writers of the show were thinking when they invented her. I must say she was good in the first series but after that her character never progressed in the same way that all the others did. It was the same story every series. She would just meet new guys and form relationships that would never last. Another thing that also did not make sense is that she is not an attractive woman yet in the show she got more interest from guys than all the other girls when some of the other girl were in fact stunners !! But overall the Secret Life Of Us will remain as one of my favorite all time shows. The first three series are available on DVD and I strongly urge anyone who has never seen the show to get your hands on it although I would just stick to the first two series and not bother with series three.
The Coolangatta Gold (1984)
The critics got it wrong !!
The Coolangatta Gold is a great movie. It has a great storyline which many of us can relate to. It has spectacular scenery set around the beautiful Gold Coast. It has a great soundtrack and it also has some great acting. With all these things on its side you would think that the movie would be a huge success however if you remember back to the time, it was a major flop.
It has always annoyed me that whenever I have read a critics review of this film, they have always criticised it severely and they generally say that it was a waste of money as a lot of money went into making it. In my opinion it is one of the best Australian films of its era and I urge anyone who enjoys Aussie films of the 80's to get a copy of this one as I think you will enjoy it.
One sad note though...most of the acting is very good except for Joss McWilliam who plays the lead role. I don't think he is too flash. Nick Tate and Colin Friels are sensational.
Blue Murder (1995)
Deja Vu for viewers
Although this mini series is sensational, there was one thing that stood out more than anything else. Most of the actors in this series has been in another film as an almost identical character.
Take a look at the cops in Blue murder. They are played by the likes of Gary Day, Steve Bastoni, Bill Hunter, Dennis Miller (has he ever been in a movie acting as anything else but a cop ???)Warrick Moss, Paul Sonkkila, Ken Radley and the list goes on and on. The biggest suprise is Gary Sweet who is usually a cop but this time he plays a bad guy and I must say he does it quiet well. His wife in the show however is played by Skye Wansey and this is not the first time she has played a Loser's wife. In this show she is playing Christopher Flannery's (1980's hit man)wife and we have all seen her playing Jimmy Loughnan's pregnant mole in Chopper.
Besides all of this, Blue murder is great and it will be interesting for all viewers. I can assure you that you will think twice before trusting a police officer after you watch this one !!!
Dadah Is Death (1988)
Makes Kevin Barlow look like an angel !!
This is a sensational movie/mini series. It was released on VHS although you would be very lucky to find a copy anywhere.
ALthough it is great and the acting is fantastic, there is one problem with this show. It is very bias towards Kevin Barlow and it constantly makes Geoff Chambers look like the bad guy.
I think that someone forgot to tell Barbara Barlow (his mother) that it is against the law to traffic drugs !!! I mean did she really think that because he is her son, they should change the rules for him and not everyone else ?? That is the sad part of this film, other than this it is sensational and if you are lucky enough to see it then you will enjoy it, i can assure you.
Blood Money (1980)
Absolute Rubbish
I am a lover of Australian films, especially about crime however this is as bad as they get. Bryan Brown would be ashamed that he was in this film. The acting is pathetic, the storyline crap and the sound effects sound like they are from 1970, not 1980. Overall there is nothing which makes this film remotely interesting unless you are an Australian film buff who just wants to see it for historic sake. Otherwise do yourself a favour and give this one a miss.
P.S. A fantastic Australian crime movie is "The Great Bookie Robbery" a 3 part mini series based on a true story. This one will not disappoint !!
Houseboat Horror (1989)
There has never been a more disgraceful film in my VCR
This film is utter crap. Yes if you are really drunk then you will have a laugh at how bad it is, but seriously it is definately the worst Australian movie ever made. The only mildly amusing moment was hearing Alan Dale (Jim Robinson from Neighbours) say the F word.