David Stratton's infamous The Castle review goes viral after his death

Courier-Mail

a day ago

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One of David Stratton's most infamous film reviews has gone viral in the wake of his death this week.
Stratton passed away at the age of 85, and now fans are remembering some of his most memorable moments.
He was best known to film fans for appearing alongside Margaret Pomeranz for decades on numerous movie review shows.
As movie buffs mourn his death, Stratton's review of 1997 Australian classic The Castle has gone viral on social media as fans remember his infamous dislike of the flick.
Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton. Picture: Getty.
'I'm afraid it wasn't for me, Margaret,' he told his co-star on At The Movies.
'I thought it was patronising towards its characters, I didn't find it funny.'
He added: 'It's very rough [technically]. I'd give it one and half [stars].'
Twenty seven years later, he told The Daily Telegraph he had seen The Castle in years since and said he had 'completely misunderstood' the film.
'It was the first film made by a team that worked in television, and it looked to me like a telemovie, whereas I'm very much into the visual side of cinema,' he explained.
'But I obviously completely misunderstood it, as I have watched it a few times since, and I now think it's very funny,' he added.
The writer's family announced his death on Thursday afternoon, saying he died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains.
Anthony Simcoe, Stephen Curry, Michael Caton and Anne Tenney in a scene from
The Castle .
'David's passion for film, commitment to Australian cinema, and generous spirit touched countless lives,' said his family in a statement.
'He was adored as a husband, father, grand and great grand father and admired friend.
'David's family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support from friends, colleagues, and the public recently and across his lifetime.'
Stratton's family has asked for privacy in the wake of his death, but they shared a heartwarming request with his fans as a way of paying tribute to the beloved critic.
'[We] invite everyone to celebrate David's remarkable life and legacy by watching their favourite movie, or David's favourite movie of all time — Singin' In the Rain.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among those who have paid tribute to Stratton.
'With dry humour and sharp insight, David Stratton shared his love of film with our country,' he wrote on Twitter.
'All of us who tuned in to At the Movies respected him for his deep knowledge and for the gentle and generous way he passed it on. May he rest in peace.'
Originally published as David Stratton's infamous The Castle review goes viral after his death