Tim Tam-errific

After watching Muriel’s Wedding, I was very excited that I’d finally get a chance to waste a few minutes of everybody’s life on this blog, gabbing about something pretty much non-film related. Thanks to Muriel Heslops’s diet, however, I feel a bit freer to rant…

Two years ago, my older sister went to Australia to study abroad. When she came home, she naturally brought many gifts and relics from the Land Down Under with her. Amongst the stash were some really neat items like didgeridoos, boomerangs, and other such Aboriginal wares. However, the most magical treasure she bestowed upon friends and family was that of the Tim Tam. Now, you may mutter, "What is this ‘Tim Tam’ you speak of?" and consequently conclude that it must be some indigenous artifact. Well, dear reader, you are poorly mistaken. The Tim Tam is far greater than anything like that…

The Tim Tam is a biscuit! (Or cookie, if you want to be less exciting and more American.)

In Muriel's Wedding, when Muriel brings her hot date (Brice) home, she offers him tea and Tim Tams, a very popular snacking combo in Australia (as I will later explain). The Tim Tam, named after a Kentucky Derby winner of the 50s, is made by the famous biscuit company, Arnott’s. To describe this illustrious treat to you, I will let Wikipedia sing you its song:

“A Tim Tam is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate.”

Mm, sheer poetry! Although this describes the Original (milk chocolate), within the line are various flavors: classic dark, raspberry, caramel, vanilla, even Tim Tam Balls! And there may be more… Alas, I have only ever had the Originals, but I could bet that they are probably the best of the lot.

Click here to visit Arnott's website! (And, no, I do not secretly work for Arnott’s.)

In fact, and quite sadly, I must admit that you really can’t get Tim Tams in the United States. Although a few stores or chains in a few countries (reportedly) sell Tim Tams, you really cannot find them outside of Australia, New Zealand, or New Caledonia (Seriously? If New Caledonians can have them, why can’t the big, bad United States? We could at least invade and steal some!). C'est la vie. I guess there is always mail order...

You may be asking yourself by now why I am writing all of this, so I will explain: To eat a Tim Tam is to connect to the average Australian, the way we must connect with these films! Okay, maybe I’m stretching this here, but if you ever get the chance, treat yourself to an Arnott’s Tim Tam, PLEASE. They are utterly delectable treats and we quickly and devastatingly ran out of the packages my sister returned with those two years ago, though I can still taste the lingering sweetness of a Tim Tam to this day.

In all seriousness, it really is a true Australian experience to eat a Tim Tam. If you do not believe me, watch this video explaining the Tim Tam Slam! Let native Australian Natalie Imbruglia teach you, along with Graham Norton, all about a practice so popular that it has its own Wikipedia page! That must say something about how much Australia enjoys a good Tim Tam.

After all, Muriel Heslop seems to.

Romper Stomper Stumped?

Hey, I don’t know if I am alone in how I feel, but…

The ending of Romper Stomper did not sit well with me. Maybe I misunderstood the characters from the film, or maybe I did not connect with certain characters as I was supposed to (as it pertains to the intentions of Geoffrey Wright), or maybe my experience of the film was affected by watching Proof immediately beforehand. I had a feeling that Russell Crowe’s character would die before the end of the film, and throughout the film I definitely read Hando as a tragic hero of sorts. While I understood that Hando must be punished for his flaws, I nevertheless found that I was rooting for him to murder Gabe in the closing moments of Romper Stomper.

Maybe I misunderstood her character, but I could not connect with Gabe. Considering how her relationship with Martin is portrayed, I assumed that Gabe suffered from bad parenting and endured sexual abuse. Nevertheless, I could never sympathize with her character. Toward the end of the film, I thought that Gabe was especially painted as a character who had earned her death. I was praying that Hando would throw Gabe into the burning car or, at the very least, drown her in the ocean. I think that I might have been okay with Davey murdering Hando had Hando at least murdered Gabe first… but this is just a guess at best because I also had difficulty sympathizing with Davey.

I could not understand Davey’s attraction to Gabe, and everything that Hando had to say pertaining to Gabe (being an unnecessary burden) made sense. Given the disposition of his character, I figured that Davey would be the only one of the three remaining at the end of the film to survive… but Gabe’s survival does not sit well with me. I had more invested in the mateship between Davey and Hando than I had invested in the confusing relationship between Davey and Gabe, so maybe that’s why I was left with a sour taste in my mouth when the confusing relationship prevailed at the cost of the mateship that I was favoring. I don’t know…

I don’t know how I would’ve re-written the ending of Romper Stomper. I am okay with an emotionally-jarring conclusion, and I’m okay with killing main characters. Maybe I would’ve had Hando killed by the “gooks” that he tormented throughout the majority of the film, and maybe I would’ve had Gabe commit suicide (as she did seem to be her own worst enemy). Considering Gabe’s noted history of drug abuse, it would not have been fitting for her death to be the result of an overdose. Gabe’s mental and emotional status by the end of the film certainly had me convinced that her suicide was imminent. Gabe could have potentially (and realistically) overdosed on the medicine that was supposed to prevent her seizures to add a bit of poetic irony to her death.

I don’t know how I would’ve re-written the ending, but I can guarantee that it would not sit well with me unless it involved Gabe’s death. I’m sorry if this post didn’t offer much intellectual insight as it pertains to Romper Stomper, but we didn’t have time to discuss the film in class, and I needed to get this off of my chest. This is the first film that we have screened that I have had such a strong negative reaction to in terms of its conclusion. So, I guess I will ask: Am I alone in disliking the ending of Romper Stomper (and/or at least Gabe surviving)?

Here are some links I found while searching the Internet to see if I'm alone in disliking Romper Stomper's ending:

http://www.hdfest.com/rosie/romperstomper_rosie.html

I couldn't figure out how to embed this link, but it's a link to a review of Romper Stomper. At the end of the review, the reviewer confirms my suspicion that the homage that Peg mentioned in class was indeed paid to Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-night-that-davey-hit-the-train-lyrics-russell-crowe-30-odd-foot-of-grunts.html

This link, which I couldn't embed either, is a link to the lyrics of a song about the suicide of Daniel Pollock (who plays "Davey"). It is written by Russell Crowe, and performed by his band (30 Odd Foot of Grunts). Apparently, Davey was dating Gabe in real life as Pollock was dating Jacqueline McKenzie. If I ever find the song itself, I'll upload it so that we can all listen to it.

Summer Heights High and Chris Lilley

I am sure some of you have noticed a poster up in New York Pizza for a show coming to HBO called Summer Heights High coming November 9. What you may not realize is that this show is Australian, and in my own opinion the greatest TV show ever made.

It aired in Australia just last fall and made quite a massive impact there. What I find most impressive about it is how controversial a lot of its subject matter is - to a degree completely unimaginable in any American mainstream media. Likewise it is one of the most realistic portrayals of high school I have ever see, even in the United States.

The show is a mocumentary created by comedic actor Chris Lilley who had previously been on the Australian sketch show Big Bite (here is a clip of him as his original character The Extreme Darren in a bit I know we all could relate to) before creating his own show called We Can Be Heroes which has been renamed The Nominees for the international market. In that show he played five characters all competing for the (real) Australian of the Year award:
Ricky Wong a Chinese physics student and aspiring actor from Melbourbe who is trying to get his all-Chinese production of his original music about the aborigines "Indigeridoo" made.
Daniel Sims a teenager from Dunt (the only fictional town) in South Australia who is donating an ear drum to his twin brother who lost his hearing in a childish accident.
Ja'mie (strange name, I know, but you'll get used to it!) King a spoiled private school girl from Syndey's North Shore who has been sponsering countless African children.
Pat Mullins a housewife from Perth with one leg one much shorter than the other whose ambition is to roll on her side (her unique, finely-tuned skill) from Perth to Uluru (Ayer's Rock).
Phil Olivetti a self-obsessed policeman from Brisbane who became a motivational speaker after rising to local fame after saving 9 children from a wild jumping castle about to hit power lines.

In Summer Heights High, Lilley reprises his roll of Ja'mie King by placing her in a swap program that places her in the titular public school in the outer suburbs for one term. Her plot focuses on her adjustment into the general public and a deeper exposure of her manipulative and superfial ways. Lilley also reprises the character of Gregg "Mr. G" Greggson, which he had first created for Big Bite. Mr. G is a flamboyant, self-obsessed drama teacher, and a failed stage actor in denial. Every other year he has had the opportunity to produce an original show which have included Downloadin', You Can't Skate, Mate!, and Tsunamarama about the 2004-2005 Tsunami set the to music of Bananarama. His plot focuses on his obsession with his theatre work and its importance over anything else going on at the school. An all-new character, Jonah Takalua makes his debut in the show as well. Jonah is a troubled 13 year old Tongan boy who dreams of becoming a breakdancer with the help pof the shcool's only all-Polynesian crew "Polyforce." He is constantly getting in trouble for writing graffiti, being a smartass, constantly swearing, and bullying other kids - especially redheads. Despite this, he becomes by far the most sympathetic character.

Lilley plays all three characters with startling perfection, so much so that it is easy at time to forget the disturbing reality of the production, especially when Ja'mie gets a younger boyfriend. Because of the show's unique splicing of formats I could describe it as something of a cross between BBC's The Office, Freaks and Geeks, and Da Ali G Show. Either way, it is not to be missed, that would be a Bummer Heights High. For more information on its US debut you can head to HBO.com

It is quite rare for Chris Lilley to not be in character, but when that happens he looks like this:

Keep those blog posts coming!

Good work on these posts everyone. Please try to embed your html links if possible. Here is the code:

< a href = " URL address " > title/text of link < / a > but without spaces.

For example, http://www.sensesofcinema.com becomes Senses of Cinema, an online film journal.

Mateship: A Foreign Phrase, Not a Foreign Concept

Through films like Mad Max, Gallipoli, and The Devil's Playground,

we have seen the concept of mateship played out and demonstrated. The male protagonists engage in strong friendships with other male characters, friendships so deep that they are given their own term: mateships. To American audiences, i.e. our class, the idea of mateship seemed so foreign and new that it was difficult to comprehend. While perhaps the closest thing to mateship in the American films of late is the friendship of Seth and Evan in Superbad, mateship has been represented in American television for years, perhaps overlooked, but often just with a different name: guy-love or man-love.

Take Scrubs for instance. The relationship between JD and Turk goes well beyond the realm of what is seen as a common friendship and moves into the world of mateship. They just say it's guy-love or, rather, they sing that it's guy love.
The "My Musical" episode from the sixth season of Scrubs gives JD and Turk the perfect opportunity to describe their love for one another. They explain through song, "There's nothing gay about it in our eyes. You ask me 'bout this thing we share and he tenderly replies. It's guy love, between two guys" (http://www.1songlyrics.com/s/scrubs/guy-love.html). Throughout the course of the show, JD and Turk are shown to be in heterosexual relationships. Turk's wedding even has an episode devoted to it. Yet, their friendship is still as present as ever. Proving that while "mateship" may not be an American concept, "guy-love" is indeed.

Let's not forget other shows that have featured particularly strong male

-male friendships. Friends featured the tight bond between Chandler and Joey. The Odd Couple showed the friendship between Felix and Oscar (http://www.tv.com/odd-couple/show/104/summary.html). And my personal favorite, the friendship between Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter spans through seven seasons of Boy Meets World, as well as the later developed friendship of Eric and Jack. Still, even more shows display the friendships between male friends as explored in a USA Today article discussing friendships on Boston Legal, House, and Nip/Tuck.
While extremely close friendships between men may still be lacking in American cinema, they have been present in American television for years and still continue to be a common theme. Call it whatever you'd like--mateship, guy-love, man-love, bromance--but at the heart of it all, the concept is still the same: two guys, one unbreakable friendship.
(images thanks to: timeinc and photobucket.

The Map "I Mean Crap" Reader

This past weekend I traveled Texas for the Austin Film Festival and Screenwriters’ Conference. As a student in Australian Cinema and a fan of films from New Zealand, I went to the screening of Map Reader and was extremely disappointed. The Map Reader was the worst film at the Austin Film Fest. It was overrun with nothingness and lacked the portrayal of New Zealand I have loved in other films. The only mildly interesting character was an attractive 20-year-old blind woman, played by Bonnie Soper, who laughs incessantly whenever on screen. Michael, the protagonist of the film and the map reader referred to in the title, is a self-proclaimed nerd in love with the school-wide slut, Mary.
I could not wait to leave the theatre and move on to my next film viewing. Like Michael, I had no change of expression during the entire film. I did not care about him as a character and he never developed as a person. The Map Reader was advertised as a coming-of-age story but Michael matures little and simply runs away from his life. At the end of the film, the audience is left hanging. We never learn where he has gone off to and the film finishes with a pointless scene where the young Michael flies a kite. I could have spent those last few moments of the film exiting the theatre. Overall the water and fries I ate at the Alamo Ritz was more interesting and satisfying than this piece of crap film.

Fisher's Ghost

Because Halloween is fast approaching, I felt it would be appropriate to explore one of Australia's most popular ghost stories: the tale of Fisher's Ghost, which coincidentally enough, was the subject of one of Australia's first horror films in 1924.

The story of Fisher's Ghost begins with the mysterious disappearance of a somewhat wealthy land owner named Frederick Fisher. His friend and neighbor, one Mr. Worrell, said that Fisher had told him he was moving to England and later claimed he had no intentions of returning. According to Worrell, Fisher had left all his land and possessions in Worrell's care. Nobody seemed to think this was suspicious...at first.

One day, an innocent young fellow called Farley happened to stroll past a creek (pictured above) where he saw the ghost of Frederick Fisher sitting eerily on the fence. The ghost did not speak to him, it only pointed somberly in the direction of a paddock some distance away. When Farley informed the police, they did not investigate immediately but eventually decided it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Under the paddock, they discovered the dead and rotting corpse of Frederick Fisher.

Worrell was arrested on suspicion, and eventually confessed to the murder. He was hanged at a later date, and Fisher's body was brought to a proper burial ground.

Since then, Fisher's Ghost has become the stuff of legend in Australia, turning into a popular tale of folklore. There is even a "Fisher's Ghost Festival" in Campbelltown, Australia where the whole incident is said to have taken place. For real, they're crazy about this stuff. Check out the official website here..

And here's a site with all kinds of info Fisher's Ghost.

Now you might be wondering what any of this has to do with cinema - let me explain. Australia was never really known for it's horror films, although they did produce a handful of them in the first few decades of the 1900's (including Fisher's Ghost). But it was not until the 1970's when Peter Weir arrived on the scene that Australian films really started to creep (pun intended) up to the edges of the horror genre. The Cars That Ate Paris could probably be considered one of the first widely acclaimed horror films to come out of Australia (depending on how loose your definition of horror is), and even Picnic At Hanging Rock has a distinctly sinister vibe to it. This website has a very detailed history of horror films in Australia, and it goes almost up to the present if you want to check it out.

And here's the Fisher's Ghost IMDb page for good measure.

So there you have it. Happy Halloween! (almost)

-Megan R.

Surprise! Mel Gibson is Australian… Only he’s not.

*photo courtesy of Flixtster*

Because of all the Mel Gibson-ery that we have been taking part in, it has recently become clear to me that there are many people who are unaware of Gibson’s Australian roots (yeah, so I have conversations about Mel Gibson and how hairy he is, so what?). Thinking I would lay the matter to rest once and for all, I decided to write about this very Australian fact… Only to learn that Gibson is actually American (with an Irish dual citizenship).

Now, I don’t know if this is just me, but I was under the distinct impression that he was Australian, whereas many people I know thought he was simply American. Turns out, he was born and raised in America until he was twelve, when his father moved the family to Australia (Gibson’s paternal grandmother was an Australian opera singer). He was trained as an actor in Australia and did, indeed, start out as a theater and film actor in Australian productions, but has since worked in Hollywood. So, turns out that Gibson is actually just a chameleon. That must say something for his acting abilities, although he hasn’t acted in awhile until recently.

Speaking of which... Did you guys know Gibson was filming a movie (the first starring role he’s had since 2002) in Boston at the end of the summer? I found out after the fact, but I’m not so in the loop, I guess. These days, he apparently prefers producing and directing and all that jazz... He had this little thing called, “The Passion of the Christ” a few years back, don’t know if any of you heard of it… To me, though, Mel Gibson will always be my first coherent understanding of who he was as an actor: John Smith in Disney’s Pocahontas... Now there's a true not-American American.

Nicole Kidman: From Jane Campion to National Champion

When I googled "Nicole Kidman significance" most of the immediate results were in regards to the meaning of her new daughter's name. So, as you can see, Nicole Kidman's star has certainly risen since her days on set for Jane Campion's "The Portrait of a Lady." Personally, I've always admired Kidman's acting abilities, though lately some her role choices have left something to be desired. She's seemed to reach the Mel Gibson equivalent of beginning as a young actress in some of the most important Australian films, only to see her fame explode only a few years later leading to Hollywood super-success and a marriage to a certain ubiquitous star. In fact, much like Gibson, her career has declined in such a manner that in 2007 she was reported, alongside Russell Crowe (a kiwi), as "Box Office Poison," meaning that she was the most overpaid actress in Hollywood because her films tended to not gross a profit.

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0070618/

Kidman is looking to return to her roots, in more ways than one, with her new film "Australia" (aptly titled), which co-stars Hugh Jackman and is directed by Baz Luhrmann (both Aussies). The film is a sort of Down Under "Gone With the Wind" and touts itself as an epic. However, the really interesting aspect of this whole thing is the intense marketing campaign by 20th Century Fox aimed at the Australian markets. It's been reported that the company is spending upwards of $20 million alone to promote the film in Australia, and in the article linked below one source says it could surpass "Titanic"'s marketing budget of $57.6 million (an equally important American film, no doubt). The company is banking on Kidman's appeal to a native audience and expect big returns in Australia that will fan out to the rest of the world (interesting because the movie was produced by Hollywood). The article quotes one rep as saying, "if it works internationally, it will be the first big cross-over Australian hit for a long time," reflecting the state of Australian Cinema as a business. It remains to be seen whether Kidman can bring Australia back onto the cinema stage in a big way as she helped to do 12 years ago alongside Jane Campion.

Article

Australia - Opens 11/26/08 in the U.S. & Australia

- Matt Holden

next response paper

There has been a bit of confusion about the response paper due tomorrow. The assignment is: 500-800 word response to Mad Max and/or Gallipoli and issues raised in Macfarlane's article "Mates and Others in a Wide Brown Land" as they relate to either or both of these films.

Because of the exam and the potential confusion the deadline is extended through Saturday morning; if you do not hand this in tomorrow, email it to me by then, enclosing the text in the email as usual.

The Story of the Kelly Gang

Ever heard of the 2003 Australian film "Ned Kelly" starring Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom? If you have, I'm honestly not that surprised. What would impress me however, was if you knew that back in 1906 (even before Birth of a Nation) another film was made in Australia about the same subject: The Story of the Kelly Gang.

Running about 70 minutes in length, this film in widely accepted as the world's first ever full-length feature film, and it came straight from down under. Isn't that crazy? Only 17 minutes of Charles Tait's fortune-making picture have survived the test of time, and are now in possession of the National Film & Sound Archive. You can read all about their long and arduous search for these precious 17 minutes, as well as purchase the film for a mere $39.94 here.

I find it funny that they've included "special features" on the DVD. I mean, they obviously weren't thinking about special features in 1906. It cracks me up.

If you don't know anything about the Kelly Gang or their story, I'll give you a brief synopsis. It's actually pretty interesting stuff: Ned Kelly was a notorious Australian outlaw (or bushranger as they like to call it in the outback) who pillaged and plundered throughout Australia, yet somehow retained a good reputation with the locals. Much to the dismay of the police force however, he and his gang (his brother Dan Kelly, Steve Hart, and Joseph Byrne) were responsible for numerous robberies and killings. I won't tell you how it ends in case you want to check out the movie for yourself, but for those of you who are curious, here's a more thorough synopsis for you.

Anyway, since this movie was released in Melbourne in December 1906, many other films have been made about Ned Kelly and his cohorts (including but not limited to the 2003 blockbuster), so don't worry, you can definitely still see the entire story unfold if you want to. 17 minutes of clumsily restored footage is not your only option.

-Posted by Megan R.-

First Essay Deadline

Noon Today!

Which means if your paper has not yet arrived via email or handed in in person, it will now be marked late. So get those papers in!

Gallipo-What?

movie poster-muchos gracias google.com

This movie poster says it all: “From a place you never heard of…a story you’ll never forget.” Before viewing Peter Weir’s 1981 film, I had never heard of Gallipoli, nor would I have thought that it was a Turkish peninsula. The Battle at Gallipoli began in 1915 but the film makes use of music from later time periods as an attempt to strengthen its narrative.

Jean Michel Jarre, a well-known French electronic musician, created the uncomfortable electronic music utilized during moments of high tension within the film. His website is here.

Although Jarre’s music was placed during plot points that needed the aid of a strong musical touch, I found the electronic music to have a negative impact on the narrative. Electronic music is quite enjoyable and the music of Jean Michel Jarre is unique and revolutionary. Yet, its placement in the film adds an avoidable humor.

There seems to be two soundtracks to the film: (1) the electronic stylings of Jean Michel Jarre and (2) Remo Giazotto’s Adagio in G Minor. As a complete piece of art, I found that these two genres clash with one another. The film has so much going on within the narrative, such as the ideas of mateship and the relationship between Australians and the British, that the added element of electronic music was needless.

All the talk about Adagio in G Minor during our discussion after the film made me curious about the Adagio’s history. Composed in 1958 by Remo Giazotto, there is a rumor that the Adagio was found in the ruins of a library during World War II. The use of the Adagio in Gallipoli makes sense even though it was written years after the Battle took place because it is historically connected to war.

Maybe the film should have utilized a piece actually written during the time of the Battle such as this.

-Ashley Whiting

Study guide for midterm

You’ll be asked to write two short essays that should take about twenty minutes each, in addition to answering some short-form identification questions. You can prepare for this exam by timing yourself by writing out answers to any of the questions below. Exam questions will be similar to those listed below.

You should be familiar with every film we have viewed in class so far, including:
Walkabout
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Devil’s Playground
Mad Max
Gallipoli

1. Discuss how the landscape portrayed in Walkabout exemplifies the clash between urban and rural culture.
2. Discuss the visual symbols that are related to sexuality in either Picnic at Hanging Rock or The Devil’s Playground.
3. Discuss the portrayal of mateship in Picnic at Hanging Rock, Mad Max, or The Devil’s Playground.
4. Discuss the clash of Aborginal and white culture in Walkabout.
5. Discuss the use of sound or music to elicit emotion or create resonance in Walkabout, Picnic at Hanging Rock, or Gallipoli.

Creative Project assignment

Your Creative Project is worth 15% of your final grade.

You have a choice of what kind of format you wish to use. You'll be graded on Originality, Content and Execution. You may address topics that are historical, cultural, artistic, technical or design-oriented.

Possible formats:

Visual project (video, slide show, computer generated, art)

Audio project (sound, music, other recording or live performance)

Performance (original piece, script based on Australian cinema)

Presentation (lecture or directed discussion)

Journal (critical or artistic analysis/exploration of topic related to Australian Cinema)

Production Materials (such as director's notebook, storyboard, or other production designs based on interpretation of Australian history, narrative or existing films)

Other ideas are welcome but be sure to clear tyhem with me first.

It is *highly recommended* that you submit a brief (one page) proposal of your project beforehand to make sure it will follow the parameters of the assignment.

Deadline: Creative projects may be turned in anytime, but all of them are due no later than November 20. In-class presentations or performances must be scheduled by November 13th (but may be presented after that date).

First Essay Guidelines

Due: Thursday October 9 (in class) or via email by Thurs. Oct. 12
Length/word count: 4-5 pages, 1200-1500 words

Topic guideline:
You may write about any show/film or subject we have viewed/discussed in class so far, including:
Walkabout, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Devil’s Playground, Mad Max or Gallipoli

Your primary topic area should be landscape. You may choose any topic you wish or choose from the ones suggested below. Your paper needs a descriptive title.
You must utilize and cite at least three different research sources; at least one of them must be from the articles by Gibson or Macfarlane that were handed out in class. There are a number of good sources also listed on the blog, and our library has some excellent resources on Australian Cinema.

You must include a standard bibliography page, AND either 1) an endnotes pages, or 2)cite your quotations/ideas not your own within the paper with authors and page numbers. Endnotes may also include additional notes to explain your topic, not just citations of source material.

Your essay should also refer often to your chosen film text and give examples from it along with analysis of it. There is no need to provide plot synopses or production information unless it is relevant to your argument.
Essays must be typed and carefully proofread for errors.

Topic suggestions:
1. How landscape establishes mood or tone in Walkabout or Picnic at Hanging Rock.
2. The clash of urban and rural culture, or nature and civilization, in Walkabout or Picnic at Hanging Rock.
3. The symbolic portrayal of sexual repression or sexual awakening in Picnic at Hanging Rock or The Devil’s Playground.
4. The portrayal of mateship in Picnic, Mad Max, The Devil’s Playground or Gallipoli.
5. The use of music to manipulate emotion and/or create emotional resonance in any one of the films.
6. The clash of British and Australian/Aboriginal, or white and black, cultures in Picnic, Walkabout or Gallipoli.
7. The portrayal of homoeroticism, whether actual or symbolic, in any one film.

Blog Naming Contest

The contenders as of today:

Do the Walkabout
Everybody Do the Walkabout
Lost in the Outback
Crikey! It's Aussie Cinema.
Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oy! Oy! Oy!
Outback Film House
Picnic at Hanging Blog
Down with Down Under

Textbooks, blog, etc.

The textbooks have arrived at the Emerson bookstore. Please make sure you get one by mid-month at the latest.

I should be able to finally get around to responding to your many emails today and tomorrow. Sorry if you've been waiting or feeling in limbo. My home internet access has been acting up and it's been spotty at best for the last week, but the new router seems to have fixed the problem. If anyone has any urgent questions let me know.

This week we will be viewing Mad Max. Please review the reading "Mates and Others in a Wide Brown Land" for tomorrow.

There are still only 14 students registered on this blog--despite there being 25 students in the class. I assume everyone has received their invites, since I have had no recent emails stating otherwise. If you have not received an invite at your emerson.edu email address, let me know as soon as possible. Otherwise I expect to see the remaining students registered by tomorrow.