Bob Ellis
Filmed during and after his time on the High Court of Australia, this documentary about Justice Michael Kirby explores the personal, moral and spiritual convictions of one of our most compassionate and incisive legal minds.
As Australian cinema broke through to international audiences in the 1970s through respected art house films like Peter Weir's "Picnic At Hanging Rock," a new underground of low-budget exploitation filmmakers were turning out considerably less highbrow fare. Documentary filmmaker Mark Hartley explores this unbridled era of sex and violence, complete with clips from some of the scene's most outrageous flicks and interviews with the renegade filmmakers themselves.
An anthromorphic tale, humans representing canines, of compulsive traits and raging desires. A gang of neutered men; fat, subdued and lazy, look out for their younger 'pup'- Rusty (Noah Taylor) who is always active and mischievous.
Lawyer Jeff Warren takes over a compensation case after the sudden death of one of his legal partners. His subsequent investigations, and growing obsession with the enigmatic Ellen Fielding, compromise his values and his view of himself as a winner. His attempts to solve the complex intrigues lead him to be accused of the murder of Ellen's husband, Harry, and even his longtime partner and friend, Alison, finds it difficult to believe that he is innocent. His moral dilemma leads him into a final graphic confrontation, with unexpected results.
The Nostradamus Kid is a 1992 Australian feature film written and directed by Bob Ellis. Romantic comedy about the religious and sexual coming of age of a 1960s Seventh-day Adventist boy. Ken Elkin (Noah Taylor) is a "randy young man" who is told that the world is about to end. In a race against time, there's only one goal he wants to accomplish bedding the love of his life, who just happens to be the local pastor's daughter.
A convent teacher spreads a little happiness and makes enough money to support her crippled brother's habit by selling her favours regularly on a cross-country night sleeper. She makes sure she is in control of each encounter until one client reaches her more than she expects.
Maureen's biological clock is ticking, and she wants a baby. Her husband George is unable to oblige. When Maureen bumps into Geoff, a former lover from years ago she decides he might be able to supply the wanted seed. But the scientific controls on their weekend encounter soon give way to natural urges and the consummation is concluded with tenderness.
My First Wife is about the dramatic collapse of the marriage between John and Helen. It is also a film about our children and the future we offer them. Helen has decided to leave, and it is John who lacks the inner resources to cope with the impending tragedy. Slowly he is sucked into a tunnel of despair – fighting his conservative nature and the romantic memories of his married life.
Extraordinary images from Werner Herzog. Shot in the Australian Outback the Aborigines (in this film anyway) believe that this is the place where the green ants go to dream, and that if their dreams are disturbed, it will bring down disaster on us all. The Aborigines' belief is not shared by a giant mining company, which wants to tear open the soil and search for uranium.
The plot centres on Queensland's Gold Coast in the early 1980s, when a disgraced former cop, Michael Stacey (Ray Barrett) writes a book exposing police corruption, does an investigation resulting in 2 murders, exposes a religious cult and watches the army begin a military coup.
An eccentric elderly man tries to enjoy the three things in life that he considers real beauty: collecting art, collecting flowers, and watching pretty women undress.
Australia 1946. A young woman escapes from an unhappy affair to become tutor to three children who are being raised by their uncle.
Fran, the assistant to university professor Paddy, is about to turn 30. She is having an affair with a married minister's aide, Stephen. She returns home to the country town she grew up in and has a fling with an old flame, Alan. She also begins sleeping with Paddy.
The time is the 1930's. Australia like the rest of the world is in the grip of depression. For Aussie's one man lifted their spirits, Don Bradman. Arguably one of the greatest sportsmen of any sport, The Don's cricketing prowess was a ray of sunshine to all Australian, especially to one Hubert "Fatty" Finn. He had a dream, to own a crystal set ( very early radio receiver) so as to listen to Bradman flay the Pom's ( English) in the upcoming Ashes Test match. However that took money to buy and times were hard. Fatty uses his enterprise to raise money and promptly loses it as misfortune strikes time and again. Then of course his arch rival Bruiser Murphy is also plotting Fatty's downfall. If he can only win the goat race again he will have enough to pay for the crystal set; or will Bruiser Murphy gazump him? With his band of friends plus Trumper the frog and Hector the goat Fatty sets out to win the day. Hurray for Fatty Finn. Oh yes and Bradman made a record score in the test.
A touching story of a likable, but somewhat slow, teenage boy who believes he has bought a major Sydney racecourse for $20. Based on the classic Australian novel of the same name by Patricia Wrightson.
