Latest news with #AustralianCinema
ABC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Legendary film critic David Stratton dies
Besides At the Movies, David Stratton hosted a number of shows on the ABC, including Stories of Australian Cinema.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Legendary Australian film critic David Stratton dead at 85
Legendary film critic David Stratton has died at the age of 85. Stratton was best known to film fans for appearing alongside Margaret Pomeranz for decades on numerous movie review shows. The writer's family announced his death on Thursday afternoon, saying he died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains. '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.' Stratton, along with Pomeranz, stepped down from At the Movies in 2014, an end of an era for the beloved duo after nearly three decades. He retired from work in December 2023 after suffering health problems, having spent a month in hospital with a spinal fracture. 'It's been a very good innings,'' he told The Australian at the time. The beloved media personality was celebrated for his insightful critiques and deep understanding of film history, as well as his contribution to promoting Australian cinema both nationally and internationally. He was a well respected figure within the industry, serving as a jury member at various international film festivals throughout his career. Stratton's career in Australia began in 1963 when he first became involved in the local film industry. In 1966 he became the director of the Sydney Film Festival, and the role became the catalyst for his decision to remain Down Under for the rest of his life. Later on in his career he shared that his decision to ditch England for Australia left him with feelings of 'guilty' as it meant he was abandoning his family's tradition of working at their grocery store which had been open since the 1820s. Bizarrely, in 2014, Stratton hit headlines when it was revealed that he had been under surveillance by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation while he was director of the Sydney film festival, due to a visit he made to the USSR in the late 1960s. He received numerous awards for his contributions to film criticism and the film industry, including the Order of Australia for his services to the film industry as a critic and reviewer.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
David Stratton, film critic and host of At the Movies alongside Margaret Pomeranz, dies aged 85
Film critic, writer and educator David Stratton, who appeared on Australian screens alongside Margaret Pomeranz for decades on various movie review shows, has died aged 85. His family announced his death on Thursday afternoon, saying he died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains. "David's passion for film, commitment to Australian cinema, and generous spirit touched countless lives," his family said. "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."
SBS Australia
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Big hits and indie gold: see your favourite stars in the Aussie Icons Collection
L-R: Two Hands, The Son, To Die For, The Drover's Wife. Credit: SBS On Demand. When it comes to film and TV actors, Australia punches above its weight. From starring in big Hollywood hits down to small indie productions made at home, there's no shortage of Australian actors who can deliver stellar performances, nailing everything down to their characters' body language and vocal tics. SBS On Demand's Aussie Icons Collection features some of our greatest exports and talents, including Nicole Kidman, Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Joel Edgerton, Leah Purcell and David Wenham. Some of these films represent award-winning peaks of their actors' careers; others are hidden gems and lesser-known (but still iconic) deep cuts from earlier in their filmographies — and all of them deserve your attention. Here are eight highlights. While many might associate our Nicole with prestigious Hollywood flicks such as Eyes Wide Shut , she can also deliver a delightfully campy cult film performance, as her role in indie director Gus Van Sant's To Die For proves. Kidman plays fame-craving, ruthlessly ambitious TV weather presenter Suzanne Stone. When she realises her husband Larry is holding her career back, she lures a pair of off-the-rails teens to 'solve' that problem, unleashing a violent yet darkly hilarious chain of events. Kidman's performance is sociopathic in the best way as she flips from a charming and composed TV presenter to a bloodthirsty, unhinged careerist. To Die For is now streaming at SBS On Demand. See more from Nicole Kidman here . This iconic outback film follows two Sydney teens abandoned in the outback and taken in by a young Aboriginal man, played by David Gulpilil. Director Nicolas Roeg cast Gulpilil, then with no experience, after meeting him while scouting locations in around Gulpilil's Arnhem Land home, long before he become one of Australia's most famous Indigenous actors with roles everywhere from Crocodile Dundee to Rabbit Proof Fence . The three embark on a saga of survival and find themselves bonding closely, despite having no language in common. This isn't your typical lost-in-the-wilds story, thanks to Roeg's nearly hallucinogenic cinematography, capturing the stunning beauty of Arnhem Land while waxing poetic about the divide between urban and wilderness, and it all hinges on Gulpilil's magnetic onscreen charisma. Walkabout is now streaming at SBS On Demand. Watch more of David Gulpilil's work here . Although it was released a couple of years after Toni Collette's breakout role in Muriel's Wedding , this indie gem in her filmography flew under the radar. In this razor-sharp workplace comedy, Collette is the painfully shy Iris, one of four outcasts who've taken temp jobs at a soulless credit card company. The quartet band together to navigate the indignity of '90s office cubicle life. It's a formidable ensemble cast as the other women – wannabe actress Paula (Lisa Kudrow), world-weary Margaret (Parker Posey) and simple-minded, marriage-mad Jane (Alanna Ubach) – help Iris come out of her shell and find an identity for herself, in spite of the daily drudgery. Collette delivers a wonderfully angsty performance that perfectly fits the coming-of-age style in play here: it's truly one of her most underrated roles. Clockwatchers is now streaming at SBS On Demand. See more of Toni Collette's work here . Heath Ledger stars as strip club security guy Jimmy in this quirky twist on the classic gangster movie, set in Sydney's underworld. A mob boss approaches him to make an important cash delivery across the city; he promptly loses the cash, sparking a series of questionable schemes as Jimmy tries to recoup the money. Ledger embodies the chaotic Jimmy in a multidimensional way, flipping smoothly between his smooth-talking sides and absolute panic. It's made all the more realistic by its setting in grittier parts of Sydney, skipping glitzy harbourside suburbs in favour of places like Bankstown. As Ledger's first lead feature role, it's also a chance to see him in a much more Aussie context, as he quickly leapt to major Hollywood roles after Two Hands. Two Hands is now streaming at SBS On Demand. In between her Oscar-nominated roles in films such as Tár and Carol , Cate Blanchett popped up in this more experimental romance from the acclaimed Terrence Malick. Set in Austin, Texas, it flits between fictional members of the city's iconic music scene, exploring the knotty and ever-shifting relationships between them, from aspiring musician Faye (Rooney Mara), who strikes up a connection with modestly successful BV (Ryan Gosling), who also ends up in a fling with NYC transplant Amanda (Cate Blanchett). Blanchett is more of a supporting actor in this ensemble cast, but her position as an elegant, older out-of-towner stands out, bringing a quietly intense wisdom to this twisting tale. The film's vibe is very slice-of-life, and it was quite divisive as a result — some critics found it marvelously contemplative and philosophical, while others found it a little too abstract. Song to Song is now streaming at SBS On Demand. See more from Cate Blanchett here . One of the most emotionally heavy entries in Hugh Jackman's filmography is this 2022 drama, a dark yet thoughtful meditation on intergenerational trauma. Jackman plays Peter, who grew up with an at-turns abusive and absent father. Peter's ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) unexpectedly announces that their teen son Nicholas (Zen McGrath) is severely depressed, partly as a result of Peter's earlier infidelity. Peter agrees to take him in despite the distant relationship between the two, and Nicholas' mental health spirals, dredging up Peter's own memories of his past. Jackman's acting is superbly raw here as he tries and fails to patch things up with his son and strives not to be like his own father: A truly vulnerable performance. The Son is now streaming at SBS On Demand. See more from Hugh Jackman here . A sort-of Aussie Western but with an Indigenous and feminist twist on the Henry Lawson text that inspired it, in The Drover's Wife Leah Purcell is a force of nature as the titular drover's wife, Molly. She lives on a Snowy Mountains farm, where she's regularly forced to fend for herself and her four kids as her husband Joe is away herding sheep for long periods. When an Indigenous man, Yadaka (Rob Collins) helps her in a moment of weakness, Molly takes him in – but when Joe fails to return from droving, chauvinistic local townspeople start to pay unwanted attention to the two, making this survival tale into a thriller. Purcell channels a wonderfully hard-edged and steely demeanour into her performance as Molly, which perfectly fits the beautiful yet harsh cinematography of rugged Alpine farmland and bush – in that sense, it's a similar atmosphere to her past roles in Lantana and Jindabyne , although it's a more intense film overall. Purcell can take credit for those visuals, too: she also served as the film's director and producer. The Drover's Wife is now streaming at SBS On Demand. See more from Leah Purcell here . Yvonne Strahovski is a powerhouse throughout the entire six-season run of The Handmaid's Tale as Serena Joy, wife to a powerful leader of Gilead, the male-dominated theocracy that overthrows the U.S. But as her character finally starts to open her eyes to the oppressive nature of Gilead in its final season and makes steps to help rebels attack it, she shines more than ever. Strahovski conjures up a marvellously nuanced persona of someone who knows they've made serious errors and wants to repent, yet is still a little too proud to fully commit. Plus, her on-screen banter with her long-running frenemy June (Elizabeth Moss) is superb, too. Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale is now streaming at SBS On Demand. See more from Yvonne Strahovski here . Share this with family and friends SBS's award winning companion podcast. Join host Yumi Stynes for Seen, a new SBS podcast about cultural creatives who have risen to excellence despite a role-model vacuum.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Special Event: Sunday Too Far Away 50th Anniversary
Join in the celebrations as ABC Radio Adelaide rolls out the red carpet for this piece of Australian cinema history with free double passes to win. Hosted by Weekends presenter, Deb Tribe, the event will include a private screening of Sunday Too Far Away, an informative Q&A discussion panel with members of the cast and crew, plus the chance to win great Sunday Too Far Away door prizes. 2 tickets for you and a friend to attend the 50th Anniversary Special Event Screening of 'Sunday Too Far Away' on Wednesday 4 June at 6pm at The Mercury Cinema. Chance to win door prizes on the night including: Framed 'Sunday Too Far Away' movie poster personally signed by Jack Thompson Framed 'Sunday Too Far Away' movie poster personally signed by Jack Thompson Subscriptions to The Mercury Cinema with free unlimited tickets to 300+ unique films across 800+ screenings, discounts and more for a whole year. This is one not to be missed! How to win: Tune in to ABC Radio Adelaide from 24 May. Listen out for the distinctive voice of Aussie screen legend Jack Thompson and get ready to call in. Tune in to ABC Radio Adelaide from 24 May. Listen out for the distinctive voice of Aussie screen legend Jack Thompson and get ready to call in. There will be chances to enter across the day, from Breakfast with Sonya & Jules, through to Evenings and then again on Weekends and Sunday Mornings . The first feature film produced by the SAFC, 'Sunday Too Far Away' was a critical and commercial success, gaining international recognition and winning four Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, including Best Actor for star Jack Thompson. The film, about the struggles of itinerant sheep shearers in the Outback in the 1950s, spearheaded what came to be known as the 'Australian New Wave' of cinema. Its success helped pave the way for other significant Australian films produced by the SAFC, such as 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' and 'Storm Boy'. Join us to mark a piece of Australian cinematic history. Tune your radio to 891AM, listen live online at or download the ABC listen app and take us with you, so you don't miss out. See full Term and conditions
