The Dish Review (Australia Day 2018)

The Dish

Release Date: 19th October 2000 - Australia

Production Companies

Working Dog Productions (presents)

Distant Horizon

Dish Film Ltd.

The Dish Film Productions

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Rating: M

Runtime: 101 minutes 


Box Office Gross: $17,999,473 (Australia)

Plot Summary

July 20th, 1969, was the
moment that history will
never forget. The day man
first stepped on the moon.
A television audience of six
hundred million people
across the globe witnessed
that one glorious moment.
Remarkably, it was through
a "dish" in the Australian
outback that these timeless

images emerged. While it

may have been one small
step for man, for a handful
of Australian scientists, it

was a giant leap. And this
nearly wouldn't have

happened without a series

of mishaps.

Cast

Sam Neill - Cliff Buxton

Kevin Harrington - Ross

'Mitch' Mitchell

Tom Long - Glenn Latham

Patrick Warburton - Al Burnett

Genevieve Mooy - May
McIntyre

Tayler Kane - Rudi Kellerman

Billy Mitchell - Cameron

Roz Hammond - Miss Nolan

Christopher-Robin Street - Damien

Luke Keltie - Graeme

Naomi Wright - Melanie

Ben Wright-Smith - Nicholas

Beverly Dunn - Secretary v/o (Voice)

Grant Thompson - Mr. Callen

Bille Brown - Prime Minister

Roy Billing - Mayor Robert
'Bob' McIntyre

Andrew S. Gilbert - Len Purvis

Lenka Kripac - Marie McIntrye

Neil Pigot - Journalist

Frank Bennett - Barry Steele

Matthew Moore - Keith Morrison

Eliza Szonert - Janine Kellerman

Kerry Walker - Pearl

Denise Roberts - Bronwyn

Jeff Keogh - Ray

Jason Ritterman - Adrian Hobbs

Alexander Zest - Lead Guitarist

Rowan Macartney - Trumpet

Aidan Macartney - Trombone

Jarrod Factor - Drummer

Oliver McGill - Pianist

Marilyn O'Donnell - Melva

Jane Menelaus - Gwen

John Flaus - Ron

John McMartin - U.S. Ambassador Howard

Carl Snell - Billy McIntyre

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell - Reverend Lotus

Darren Davidson - Camera Person

Simon Donaldson - Sound Person

Randall Berger - Ambassador's Aide

Mal Walden - ABC Journalist v/o (Voice)

Rod McNeil - Radio Newsreader v/o (Voice)

Alister Paterson - ABC TV Newsreader

Colette Mann - Betty the Bush Poet

Susan Ward - Female Print Journalist

Roger Crisp - Male Reporter

Crew

Writer/Conceiver/Producer/Director -

Rob Sitch

Writers/Conceivers/Producers - Santo Cilauro,
Tom Gleisner and Jane Kennedy

Producer - Michael Hirsh

Production Designer - Carrie Kennedy

Art Director - Ben Morieson

Costume Designer - Kitty Stuckey

Director of Photography - Graeme Wood

Film Editor - Jill Bilcock

Sound Mixer - Roger Savage

Foley Artists - Francis Ward Lindsay

and Gerry Long

Music - Edmund Choi

Review

On New Year's Eve of 2017, I visited the landmark Parkes Radio Telescope, one of the few stations that received live transmitted images of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. On my recent trip, I purchased the movie THE DISH from the Visitors Centre, intending to review it for this year's Australia Day. THE DISH had presented itself as a historically dramatic comedy with humour similar to the director's previous film, The Castle. While the movie maintains some of its historical accuracy, it contains some noticeable differences necessary to keep the plot coherent and straight. The humour is broad so that nothing else can upset the noteworthy balance of the film's elements.

While each actor had a substantial part in the film, none were more notable than Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton. The latter portrays a scientific advisor from NASA and is the only American performer prominently featured in this Australian-esque picture. Though Warburton hasn't drifted into much dramatic territory, this picture was an exception in his career as a serious and comical actor. Sam Neill is a seasoned veteran actor from big-budget movies like Dead Calm and Jurassic Park, now shines as a recently widowed chief supervisor.

THE DISH is an impressive Aussie film with its gentle comedy and local scenery. It went to extraordinary lengths to capture the spirit of Parkes (where it's shot in some scenes) and the secrets behind the lunar landing. I recommend this movie to all audiences interested in the history of space exploration, who have lived in the same town or visited it and seen the telescope or the dish themselves.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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90th Academy Awards

90th Academy Awards


Broadcast Date: 5th March 2018 - Australia


Hello everyone, and let's make this quick. There is some breaking news, the announcement of the nominations for this year's Oscar ceremony. This year's host will be Jimmy Kimmel, who previously hosted the last Oscar presentation. One particular film I'm hoping will be qualified to win most of the awards, including Best Picture, is the historical war drama Dunkirk. I prefer this picture over Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, which has the most Oscar nominations in the ceremony.

Here is the list of nominees for each category as they are selected to win each award.

Best Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049 - John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R. Hoover

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick

Kong: Skull Island - Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould

War for the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist


Best Film Editing

Baby Driver - Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

Dunkirk - Lee Smith

I, Tonya - Tatiana S. Riegel

The Shape of Water - Sidney Wolinsky

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Jon Gregory


Best Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast - Jacqueline Durran

Darkest Hour - Jacqueline Durran

Phantom Thread - Mark Bridges

The Shape of Water - Luis Sequeira 

Victoria & Abdul - Consolata Boyle

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Darkest Hour - Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick

Victoria & Abdul - Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard

Wonder - Arjen Tuiten

Best Cinematography

Blade Runner 2049 - Roger Deakins

Darkest Hour - Bruno Delbonnel

Dunkirk - Hoyte van Hoytema

Mudbound - Rachel Morrison

The Shape of Water - Dan Laustsen

Best Production Design

Beauty and the Beast - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Blade Runner 2049 - Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Alessandra Querzola

Darkest Hour - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Dunkirk - Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis

The Shape of Water - Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau 

and Jeff Melvin

Best Sound Mixing

Baby Driver - Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Mary H. Ellis

Blade Runner 2049 - Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and Mac Ruth

Dunkirk - Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A. Rizzo

The Shape of Water - Christian Cooke, Brad Zoem and Glen Gauthier

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Stuart Wilson

Best Sound Editing

Baby Driver - Julian Slater

Blade Runner 2049 - Mark Mangini and Theo Green

Dunkirk - Richard King and Alex Gibson

The Shape of Water - Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce

Best Original Song

"Mighty River" from Mudbound - Music and Lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq & Taura Stinson

"Mystery of Love" from Call Me by Your Name - Music and Lyrics by Sufjan Stevens
"Remember Me" from Coco - Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
"Stand Up for Something" from Marshall - Music by Diane Warren; Lyrics by Lonnie Lynn and Diane Warren
"This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman - Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul


Best Original Score

Dunkirk - Hans Zimmer

Phantom Thread - Johnny Greenwood 

The Shape of Water - Alexandre Desplat

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - John Williams

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Carter Burwell


Best Animated Short Film

Dear Basketball - Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant

Garden Party - Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon

Lou - Dave Mullins and Dana Murray

Negative Space - Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata

Revolting Rhymes - Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer


Best Live Action Short Film

DeKalb Elementary - Reed Van Dyk

The Eleven O’Clock - Derin Seale and Josh Lawson

My Nephew Emmett - Kevin Wilson, Jr.

The Silent Child - Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton

Watu Wole/All of Us - Katja Benrath and Tobias Rosen

Best Documentary - Short Subject

Edith+Eddie - Laura Chekoway and Thomas Lee Wright

Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 - Frank Stiefel

Heroin(e) - Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon

Knife Skills - Thomas Lennon

Traffic Stop - Kate Davis and David Heilbroner 

Best Documentary - Feature

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail - Steve James, Mark Mitten and Julie Goldman

Faces Places - Agnès Varda, JR and Rosalie Varda

Icarus - Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan

Last Men in Aleppo - Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed and Søren Steen Jespersen 

Strong Island - Yance Ford and Joslyn Barnes


Best Foreign Language Film

A Fantastic Woman (Chile) in Spanish - Directed by Sebastián Lelio

The Insult (Lebanon) in Arabic - Directed by Ziad Doueiri

Loveless (Russia) in Russian - Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev 

On Body and Soul (Hungary) in Hungarian - Directed by Ildikó Enyedi

The Square (Sweden) in Swedish - Directed by Ruben Östlund

Best Animated Feature Film

The Boss Baby - Tom McGrath and Ramsey Ann Naito

The Breadwinner - Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo

Coco - Lee Unkrich and Darin K. Anderson

Ferdinand - Carlos Saldanha

Loving Vincent - Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and Ivan Mactaggart


Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay

Call Me by Your Name - James Ivory based on the novel by André Aciman

The Disaster Artist - Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber based on the book by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell

Logan - Screenplay by Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold based on characters from the 'X-Men' comic books and theatrical motion pictures  

Molly’s Game - Aaron Sorkin based on a memoir by Molly Bloom

Mudbound - Virgil Williams and Dee Rees based on the novel by Hilary Jordan

Best Writing - Original Screenplay

The Big Sick - Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani 

Get Out - Written by Jordan Peele

Lady Bird - Written by Greta Gerwig

The Shape of Water - Written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor; Story by Guillermo del Toro

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Written by Martin McDonagh


Best Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige - Mudbound as Florence Jackson

Allison Janney - I, Tonya as LaVona Golden

Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread as Cyril Woodcock

Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird as Marion McPherson

Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water as Zelda Fuller

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project as Bobby Hicks

Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as Chief Bill Willoughby 

Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water as Giles

Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World as J. Paul Getty

Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as Officer Jason Dixon


Best Actress

Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water as Elisa Esposito

Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as Mildred Hayes

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya as Tonya Harding 

Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson

Meryl Streep - The Post as Katharine Graham


Best Actor

Timotheé Chalamet - Call Me by Your Name as Elio Perlman 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread as Reynolds Woodcock

Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out as Chris Washington

Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour as Winston Churchill

Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel, Esq. as Roman J. Israel


Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread

Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird

Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

Jordan Peele - Get Out

Best Picture

Call Me by Your Name - Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emile Georges and Marco Morabito 

Darkest Hour - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski

Dunkirk - Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan

Get Out - Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele

Lady Bird - Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O’Neill

Phantom Thread - JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison and Daniel Lupin

The Post - Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger 

The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh


Academy Honorary Awards

Agnès Varda

Charles Burnett

Donald Sutherland 

Owen Roizman

Special Achievement Academy Award

Alejandro González Iñárritu for his virtual reality project Carne y Arena

Make sure you cast your vote at the polls for each film that is sure to win an Academy Award. Good luck!

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Caddyshack Review

Caddyshack


Release Date: 21st August 1980 - Australia


Production Companies
Orion Pictures 

 
Genre: Comedy

Rating: M (Not Suitable for Young Children)

Runtime: 94 minutes


Budget: $6,000,000

Box Office Gross: $39,846,344 (USA)


Plot Summary
Danny Noonan, a down-on-
his-luck teenager, works
caddying at the snobbish
Bushwood Country Club to
help pay for his college
education. To win votes
for a college scholarship
reserved for caddies,
Noonan volunteers to
caddie for a prominent
and influential club member.
Meanwhile, while
absorbing New Age advice
from wealthy golf guru Ty
Webb, Danny struggles to
prepare for the high-

pressure Caddy Day golf tournament.


Cast
Michael O'Keefe - Danny
Noonan
Ted Knight - Judge Elihu
Smails
Rodney Dangerfield - Al
Czervik
Chevy Chase - Ty Webb
Bill Murray - Carl Sparkler
Sarah Holcomb - Maggie
O'Hooligan
Scott Colomby - Tony
D'Annunzio
Cindy Morgan - Lacey
Underall
Dan Resin - Dr. Beeper
Henry Wilcoxon - The Bishop
Elaine Aiken - Mrs. Noonan
Albert Salmi - Mr. Noonan
Ann Ryerson - Grace
Brian Doyle-Murray - Lou
Loomis
Hamilton Mitchell -
Motormouth
Peter Berkrot - Angie
D'Annunzio
John F. Barmon Jr. -
Spaulding Smails
Lois Kibbee - Mrs. Smails
Brian McConnachie - Drew
Scott
Jackie Davis - Smoke
Porterhouse

Crew
Writer/Director - Harold Ramis
Writer/Producer - Douglas
Kenney
Writer - Brian Doyle-Murray

Associate Producer - Donald MacDonald
Executive Producer - Jon Peters

Casting - Wallis Nicita
Production Designer - Stan Jolley

Art Director - George Szeptycki

Set Decorators - Tom Coll and

Don K. Ivey
Director of Photography - Stevan Larner

Additional Photography - Stephen Gilbert

and James Pergola

Executives in Charge of Production - Mark Canton

and Rusty Lemorande

Second Unit Director - Ricou Browning

Supervisor of Special Effects - John Dykstra

Effects Production Supervisor - Robert Shepherd

Special Animators - Pat Brymer,

Jeffrey Burke and Grant McCune

Matte Paintings - Rocco Gioffre
Supervising Editor - David Bretherton
Editors - William C. Carruth and

Robert Barrere

Apprentice Editor - Melissa Bretherton

Sound Editor - Clive Smith

Sound Re-Recordists - Bob Minkler,

Richard Tyler and Ray West
Original Songs/Music Coordinator - Kenny Loggins
Music - Johnny Mandel

Music Production Supervisor - Bruce Botnick


Review

During my youth, I did not get to see all of CADDYSHACK and only saw bits of the sequel on Pay-TV when it was nearly over. CADDYSHACK is said to be the best golf comedy before Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler's lowbrow comedy. Some people thought Happy Gilmore could not top the raunchiness and charm of the original 1980 movie. CADDYSHACK is outrageously funny to many viewers who grew up with its star-studded cast, and so much hilarity has ensued. The late Harold Ramis brought together a movie with comedic actors that instantly stole the spotlight and an outstanding display of versatile humour, which outweighs the plot, giving it no sense of direction. However, CADDYSHACK works better without it.

Chevy Chase was the rising star of this film as he brought his role of Ty Webb to life as the rich golf pro who doubles as a spiritual leader. Webb teaches his caddy, Danny Noonan, played by Michael O'Keefe, to get into his golfing ways through his profound wisdom. Rodney Dangerfield was the other comedian new to this big movie. He had never been so funny as when he portrayed an obnoxious new Country Club member who was more than an uninvited guest. Bill Murray (who is not one of my favourite actors) was not yet a big star when playing an eccentric assistant groundskeeper who obsesses over killing a certain rogue gopher that ruins his golf course.

I would enjoy watching CADDYSHACK again. It's so much fun seeing the actors together as they pull out a barrel of laughs. So remember to see this film and "Be the ball." There is a sequel, but don't bother with it. It's terrible, and most of the star power from the original is gone, except for Chevy Chase.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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The Greatest Showman Review

The Greatest Showman

Release Date: 26th December 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

TSG Entertainment
Chernin Entertainment

Bona Film Group

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Musical/Drama

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes


Budget: $84,000,000

Box Office Gross: $471,871,490 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After losing his job in the office, P.T. Barnum gets an idea. He hires unique and talented people and creates a show like nothing has happened before. Thus, the travelling Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a.k.a. "The Greatest Show on Earth", was born. Audiences are intrigued by the dazzling spectacle and celebration of his vivid imagination that awaits them.

During his travels, Barnum becomes infatuated with the

singer known as the so-called

Swedish Nightingale, Jenny

Lind.

Cast

Hugh Jackman - P.T. Barnum

Michelle Williams - Charity
Barnum

Zac Efron - Phillip Carlyle

Rebecca Ferguson - Jenny Lind

Zendaya - Anne Wheeler
Austyn Johnson - Caroline Barnum
Cameron Seely - Helen Barnum
Keala Settle - Lettie Lutz
Sam Humphrey - Tom Thumb
Yahya-Abdul-Mateen II - W.D. Wheeler
Eric Anderson - Mr. O'Malley
Ellis Rubin - Young Barnum
Skylar Dunn - Young Charity
Daniel Everidge - Lord of Leeds
Radu Spinghel - O'Clancy
Yusaku Komori - Chang
Danial Son - Eng
Paul Sparks - James Gordon Bennett
Will Swenson - Paul Barnum
Linda Marie Larson - Mrs Stratton
Byron Jennings - Mr. Carlyle
Betsy Aidem - Mrs. Carlyle
Damian Young - Mr. Winthrop
Tina Benko - Mrs. Winthrop
Fredric Lehne - Mr. Hallett
Kathryn Meisle - Mrs. Hallett
Timothy Hughes - Strong Man
Gayle Rankin - Queen Victoria

Crew
Director - Michael Gracey
Story/Screenplay - Jenny Bicks
Screenplay - Bill Condon
Executive Producers -

Tonia Davis and James Mangold

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Donald J. Lee Jr.
Producers - Peter Chernin,
Laurence Mark and Jenno Topping
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Deb Dyer
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director -

Peter Kohn
Production Designer - Nathan Crowley

Production Designer: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles - Francois Audouy

Supervising Art Director - Laura Ballinger

Set Decorator - Debra Schutt

Property Master: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles - Andrew Pretrotta
Costume Designer - Ellen Mirojnick

Head Makeup Artist - Nicki Ledermann

Head Hair Stylist - Jerry Popolis
Director of Photography - Seamus McGarvey

Director of Photography: Additional

Photography, Los Angeles - Phedon Papamichael

First Assistant Director: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles, Second Unit - Jason Roberts

Second Unit Director - E.J. Foerster

Second Unit Director: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles/Film Editor - Spencer Susser

Aerial/Circus Coordinator - Mathieu Leopold

Choreographer - Ashley Wallen

Stunt Coordinator - Victor Paguia
Special Effects Coordinator: Additional

Photography, Los Angeles - Garry Elmendorf

Special Effects Coordinator - Jeff Brink
Visual Effects Supervisor - Mark O. Forker

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lightstream

Studios - John Helms

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - James E. Price

Visual Effects Producer - Lauren Ritchie

Compositing Supervisor: Lola VFX - Edson Williams
Film Editors - Tom Cross, Robert Duffy,

Joe Hutshing, Michael McCusker and

Jon Poll

Supervising Sound Editor - Lewis Goldstein

Production Sound Mixer - Tod A. Maitland

Re-Recording Mixers - Paul Massey

and Lewis Goldstein

Songs/Production Music Supervisor - Benj Pasek

Songs/Production Music Supervisor/

Vocal Arrangements/Music Producer - Justin Paul

Score - John Debney
Score/Music Producer - Joseph Trapenese

Executive Music Producer - Alex Lacamoire

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

The circus has come to town in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, an exuberant period musical film with fun and magic that everyone will appreciate. There are inaccuracies in the portrayal of historical events. This movie is based loosely on the infamous exploits of the real P.T. Barnum. He was an immoral figure in real life, not the flawed human being the film portrayed him as. His legendary circus in America may have been closed down for good. It wouldn't affect this film, which was supposed to be a stunningly ambitious big-top musical rather than an accidental tribute. Audiences warmly responded to THE GREATEST SHOWMAN for its sheer delight, while critics bemoaned it for its artistic license and historical inaccuracy. The musical numbers were poppier and had been sung and choreographed in a big-top showcase set in the 19th century.

The all-star cast was a huge part of the movie's success, especially Hugh Jackman, who is getting well-adjusted to his post-Wolverine career and nails the role of the aforementioned visionary Barnum. Not only was he capable with his splendid acting, but Jackman also sang, reliving the experience from his previous stage musical performances. Michele Williams was lovely as Hugh's on-screen wife, Charity. Zac Efron was the business partner, and Zendaya, the trapeze artist, had romantic chemistry. Even more surprisingly, the interracial romance subplot gets added to incorporate into the movie's themes of diversity and acceptance despite the bigotry of 19th-century society.

Circus-goers will be dazzled by the experience of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, as it is the most anticipated movie that audiences have ever seen. It's a great film. I recommend all of you viewers to watch it.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Review (Updated)

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

Release Date: 14th December 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 152 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,334,407,706 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After locating the Jedi-in-hiding, Luke Skywalker, on the planet Ahch-To, Rey must learn his teachings to harness the new abilities of the Force. Meanwhile, Finn and his new friend must help the Resistance fend off an oncoming assault by The First Order, and the one leading this assault is the son of General Leia Organa and the fallen Jedi, Kylo Ren.

Cast

Daisy Ridley - Rey

Mark Hamill - Luke

Skywalker/Dobbu Scay (Voice)

Adam Driver - Kylo Ren

Gwendoline Christie - Captain Phasma

Domhnall Gleeson - General

Hux

Carrie Fisher - Leia Organa

Andy Serkis - Supreme Leader Snoke

Laura Dern - Vice Admiral
Amilyn Hodo

Oscar Isaac - Poe Dameron

Benicio Del Toro - DJ

Kelly Marie Tran - Rose Tico

John Boyega - Finn

Lupita Nyong'o - Maz Kanata

Jonas Suotamo - Chewbacca

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO

Frank Oz - Yoda (Voice)

Jimmy Vee - R2-D2

Tim Rose - Admiral Ackbar
Tom Kane - Admiral Ackbar
(Voice)

Mike Quinn - Nien Numb

Billie Lourd - Lieutenant Connix
Andrew Jack - General Ematt
Amanda Lewis - Commander
D'Acy
Adrian Edmondson - Captain
Peavey
Mark Lewis Jones - Captain
Canady
Hermione Corfield - A-Wing
Pilot Tallie
Veronica Ngo - Paige Tico
Noah Segan - X-Wing Pilot
Starck
Jamie Christopher - X-Wing
Pilot Tubbs
Paul Kasey - C'ai Threnalli
Brian Herring - BB-8 Performer
Dave Chapman - BB-8
Performer

Warwick Davis - Wodibin

Lily Cole - Party Girl Lovey
(Cameo)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Slowen Lo (Voice) (Cameo)

Justin Theroux - Master

Codebreaker (Cameo)

Gareth Edwards - Resistance Trench Soldier (Cameo)

Hugh Skinner - Holdo's First Officer (Cameo)

Edgar Wright - Resistance Soldier (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Joe Cornish - Resistance Soldier (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Griffin Hamill - Resistance Soldier (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Nathan Hamill - Resistance Soldier (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Chelsea Hamill - Resistance Soldier (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Writer and Director - Rian Johnson

Based on Characters - George Lucas
Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -
Jamie Christopher

Executive Producers - J.J. Abrams and Jason D. McGatlin

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Tom Karnowski

Producer/Unit Production Manager - Ram Bergman

Producer - Kathleen Kennedy

Co-Producers - Pippa Anderson,

Candice D. Campos and Kiri Hart

Casting - Nina Gold and Mary Vernieu

Dialect Coach - Andrew Jack

Chewbacca Consultant - Peter Mayhew

Production Designer - Rick Heinrichs

Lucasfilm Design Supervisor - Kevin Jenkins

Concept Artists - Adam Brockbank,

Timothy Browning, Paul Catling,

Paul Chandler, Roberto Fernandez-Castro,

Nick Ainsworth and Chris Rosewarne

Concept Artists: US - James Clyne

and Aaron McBride

Illustrators: US - Mauro Borelli,

James Carson, Rodolfo Damaggio,

Seth Engstrom, Jamie Jones, Tani Kunitake,

Daniel Simon and Justin Sweet

Supervising Art Director - Chris Lowe
Supervising Art Director: US - Todd Cherniawsky

Senior Art Directors - Mark Harris
and Phil Sims

Art Directors - Andrew Bennett,

Neal Callow, Dean Clegg,

Jason Knox-Johnston and Matt Wynne

Set Decorator - Richard Roberts
Property & Weapon Master - Jamie Wilkinson

Costume Designer - Michael Kaplan

Costume Supervisor - David Crossman

Head of Department Modeller -

Pierre Bohanna

Hair & Makeup Designer - Peter Swords King

Chewbacca Consultant - Peter Mayhew

Director of Photography - Steve Yedlin

Second Unit Director of Photography - Jaron Presant

Additional Director of Photography:

Second Unit - Jean-Philippe Gossart

Aerial Director of Photography:

Ireland Unit - Adam Dale

IMAX Camera Operator - Peter Field

"C" Camera Operator - Angus Hudson

Production/Supervising Location Manager -

Martin Joy

Supervising Location Manager: Iceland -

Thor Kjartansson

Second Assistant Director - Matthew Sharp

Crowd Second Assistant Director - Jane Ryan

Stunt Coordinator - Rob Inch

Sword Master - C.C. Smiff

Creature Movement Choreographer - Paul Kasey

Special Effects Supervisor - Chris Corbould
Special Effects Production Buyer - Lynne Corbould

Special Effects Floor Supervisors - Ian Lowe

and John Vanderpool

Special Creature Effects - Neal Scanlan

Electronic Design and Development Supervisor/
Creature and Droid Puppeteer - Matthew Denton

Supervising Animatronic Designers - Gustav Hoegen,

Vanessa Bastyan and Maria Cork

Senior Animatronic Designers - Fiona Cazaly,

Chris Clarke, Andy Colquhoun,

Becky Johnson, Mark Jones, Adam Keenan,

Josh Lee, Nick Martin, Alan Murphy,

Adrian Parish, James Sandys, Darryl Worbey

and Steve Wright

Visual Effects Supervisors - Ben Morris

and Richard Bain

Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM -

Michael Mulholland, Eddie Pasquarello,

Dan Seddon and Alex Prichard

Additional Visual Effects: Hybride -

Michel Barrière, Oliver Beaulieu,

Louis Bertrand, Maryse Bouchard,

François Chancrun, Joanne Croteau,

Thierry Delattre, Yanick Gaudreau,

Joseph Kasparian, François Lambert,

Michel Murdock, Steve Pelchat,

Pierre Raymond, Guillaume St-Aubin

and Marco Tremblay

Additional Visual Effects: Base FX -

Timothy Clark, Tony Como, Eunice Khoo,

Sean Stranks and Sophia Zhang

Additional Visual Effects: Rodeo FX -

Marie-Cécile Dahab, François Dumoulin,

Sébastien Francoeur, Sébastien Moreau and

Laurent Spillemaecker

Animation Supervisors: ILM - Stephen Aplin,
Mike Beaulieu and Matt Shumway

Visual Effects Producers - Lucas Tewin,

Tim Keene and Christopher Raimk

Visual Effects Producers: ILM -

Danielle Immerman, Danielle Legovich,

Daniel Booty and Stacy Bissell

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM -

Jason Horley and Yanick Dusseault

Digital Artist Supervisors: ILM - Richard Bentley,

Joel Bodin, Ian Comley, Sonia Contreras,

Chase Cooper, Enrico Adam,

Samual Dawes, Bora Dayioglu,

Richard Enders, Gerald Gutschmidt,

Jean-Denis Haas, Rick Hankins, Trevor Hazel,

Erich Ippen, Peter Kyme, John Levin,

Naren Naidoo, Matt Rank,

Malcolm Thomas-Gustave, Paige Warner

and Guy Williams

CG Supervisors: ILM - Justin Martin,

Daniel Pearson and Anthony Zwartouw

Computer Graphics Supervisor: BLIND LTD -

Andrew Booth

Asset and Environment Supervisors: ILM -

Ben Lambert, Iain Morton and Russell Paul

Composting Supervisors: ILM - Dan Snape,

Donny Rausch and Jeff Sutherland

Film Editor - Bob Ducsay
BB-8 Voice Consultants - Bill Hader and
Ben Schwartz

Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Designer/

Supervising Sound Editor - Ren Klyce

ADR Mixer: Skywalker Sound/Supervising

Sound Editor - Matthew Wood

Assistant Supervising Sound Editor/

Sound Effects Editor (Uncredited) - Coya Elliott

Foley Supervisor - Frank Rinella

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and

Margie O'Malley

Production Sound Mixer - Stuart Wilson

Re-Recording Mixers - David Parker

and Michael Semanick

Additional Re-Recording Mixer/Sound

Effects Editor - Bonnie Wild

Music - John Williams

Scoring Engineer - Shawn Murphy

Review

It's New Year's Day, everyone! The Force is strong with the Star Wars franchise, although it's been 40 years since George Lucas created the multi-million-dollar film series with an enduring cult following. It impacted all the viewers who are now part of its devoted fan base, as they appreciated the grandeur of this epic space opera, which comprises three distinct film trilogies (one of which is currently ongoing) and its spin-offs. 

The new instalment, THE LAST JEDI, was more spiritual and original than its predecessor, The Force Awakens, which reuses the same plot as A New Hope and is formulaic. Some fans are very sceptical and fear that this new movie will rehash The Empire Strikes Back, which most fans, including myself, still consider the definitive Star Wars film of all time. However, some critics have recently found this movie to be the best of the series since Empire. It was more than they expected. However, not everyone was happy and excited after viewing the film. As a result, it received some heavy backlash from fans.

Fans have not reacted this badly since the prequel trilogy and numerous special editions that Lucas was responsible for led to the series' decline. Examples of unnecessary changes and ideas include Greedo shooting first instead of Han, as well as the addition of the comic relief character, Jar Jar. Here in THE LAST JEDI, the magic is slowly fading. The film is a bold and ambitious departure from the franchise, pushing boundaries and taking risks with its narrative. Some plot points turn out to be lacklustre and unresolved, such as the information about Rey's long-lost family and the mystery behind the character of Snoke.

Another issue with this movie is the useless espionage subplot, which adds very little to the story. The new director, Rian Johnson, isn't taking Star Wars seriously after stepping into the helm from J.J. Abrams (who is bound to return in Episode IX) and has prioritised style over substance.

Mark Hamill returns as the now reclusive Jedi Master Luke Skywalker since we last saw him in his brief appearance in The Force Awakens. Now that his role has expanded, it's remarkable how Hamill was once a young, inexperienced actor when he first starred as Luke in the original trilogy before he got more camera time. He does better in this recent instalment than his younger self. However, his interpretation of the character contradicts his earlier characterisation in the original trilogy.

The character Yoda makes a surprise appearance, once again performed by Frank Oz, this time through puppetry, as in the originals. I liked how the film pays tribute to Carrie Fisher, who is in her last moments as General Leia Organa. The fight sequences and space battles are incredible, showcasing the seamless integration of computer-generated (CG) and practical effects.

Some fans, like myself, disagree with the critics' assessment that THE LAST JEDI is the best of the franchise so far. I rank this as a good movie. There's still hype around the recent instalment. I recommend this film to all Star Wars fans.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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Home Alone: The Holiday Heist Review

Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

Broadcast Date: 25th November 2012 - US  

 
Production Companies

Fox Television Studios

Manitoba Film and Tax Video Production Credit

Original Pictures

Genre: Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes

Plot Summary

10-year-old Finn Baxter
thinks his family’s new house
in Maine is haunted – but the
truth might be even scarier! A
trio of thieves is after a
priceless painting hidden in a
secret room by the previous
owner. So when Finn and his
sister find themselves home
alone, Finn rigs up an
elaborate array of techno-
gadgets and booby traps to
protect his pad from the
bumbling criminals trying to
break in. 

Cast

Christian Martyn - Finn Baxter

Jodelle Ferland - Alexis Baxter

Malcolm McDowell - Sinclair

Doug Murray - Curtis Baxter

Ellie Harvie - Catherine Baxter

Debi Mazar - Jessica

Eddie Stephen - Mr. Hughes

Edward Asner - Mr. Carson

Adriana O’Neil - Gabby Marano

Peter DaCunha - Mason

Bill Turnbull - Simon

Crew

Director - Peter Hewitt

Based on Original Characters - John Hughes (Uncredited)

Screenplay - Aaron Ginsburg and Wade McIntrye

Executive Producer - David Madden

Producers - Lisa Demberg and Adrian Pjevc

Co-Producer - Paul D. Goldman

Production Designer - Craig Sandelis

Costume Designer - Patricia J. Henderson

Cinematography - Peter Benson

Film Editor - John Congilo

Composer "Home Alone" Theme - John Williams

Music - David Kitay

Review

The joyous season of the holiday is over, but just before it can happen, I borrowed 'HOME ALONE 5' from a friend so I may review it for Christmas. I was so fortunate to skip ahead to the third and fourth installments but found neither of them are as acceptable as the original and to a lesser extent, the second movie. The first 'Home Alone' feature was by far the best of the series and Macaulay Culkin was probably the best child actor in this classic comedy. It seems nowadays that Culkin is fully grown up from his childhood status and the series’ creator John Hughes was deceased when 'HOME ALONE 5' was made in 2012. 'THE HOLIDAY HEIST' is forgettable, but probably would have been a decent film if the script and booby traps were a little more inventive. This sequel was meant for television as I wasn’t aware that it was shown in America on the ABC Family channel (now known as Freeform). The acting was so-so with the exception of Malcolm McDowell who seems fittingly appropriate as Sinclair, the leader of the art thieves. He isn’t the only gentleman actor who is qualified for his recognisable experience in a family picture.

While this film was a bit of an improvement over 'Home Alone 4', (which made no sense whatsoever!) because it was a pilot for a television series, 'HOME ALONE 5' doesn’t however change the fact that this sequel pales in comparison to the legacy of the original. It’d be best to skip this installment in favour of the first two movies through the next holiday.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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Power Rangers Review

Power Rangers

Release Date: 23rd March 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

Lionsgate 

Saban Films

TIK Films

Temple Hill Entertainment

Toei Company (Uncredited)

Videocine 

Distribution 

Roadshow Distribution

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 121 minutes

Budget: $100,000,000

Box Office Gross: $142,337,240 

(Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove - and the world - is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it's too late and band together as the Power Rangers. (Source - Telstra TV)

Cast

Dacre Montgomery - Jason
(Red Ranger)

Naomi Scott - Kimberly (Pink
Ranger)

RJ Cyler - Billy (Blue Ranger)

Ludi Lin - Zack (Black Ranger)

Becky G. - Trini (Yellow Ranger)

Elizabeth Banks - Rita Repulsa

Bryan Cranston - Zordon

Bill Hader - Alpha 5 (Voice)

Matt Shively - Damo

Cody Kearsley - Hawkeye

David Denman - Sam Scott

Robert Moloney - Ted Hart

Anjali Jay - Maddy Hart

Sarah Grey - Amanda

Morgan Taylor Campbell -
Harper

Caroline Cave - Beverly
Scott

Kayden Magnuson - Pearl Scott

Lisa Berry - Candace
Cranston

Fiona Fu - Zack’s Mom
Wesley MacInnes - Bully
John Stewart - Detention
Teacher
Patrick Sabongui - Trini's Dad
Erica Carra - Trini's Mom

Fred Tatasciore - Goldar/

Putties (Voice)
Jason David Frank - Cameo
Role #1
Amy Jo Johnson - Cameo
Role #2

Crew

Director - Dean Isarelite 

Creator "Power Rangers"/
Producer - Haim Saban 

Creator "Power Rangers" - 

Shuki Levy (Uncredited)

Story - Matt Sazama, Burk
Sharpless and Michele &
Kieran Mulroney
Screenplay/Executive
Producer - John Gatins

Executive Producers -
Qiuyun Long and Allison Shearmur 

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Brent O’Connor

Producers - Marty Bowen, Brian Casentini and Wyck Godfrey

Co-Producer - Stephen Meinen 

Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Aldric La’auli Porter

Production Designer - Andrew Menzies
Set Decorator - Hamish Purdy

Costume Designer - Kelli Jones

Director of Photography - Matthew J. Lloyd
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Paul Jennings
Second Unit Director (Uncredited)/
Visual Effects Supervisor - Sean Andrew Faden
Stunt Coordinator - Larry Lam

Special Effects Supervisors - Andrew Durno,
Steve Hamilton and Dan Sedlacek

Visual Effects Supervisor - Mangesh Kale

Film Editors - Martin Bernfeld and Dody Dorn

Music - Brian Tyler

Review

The 'Power Rangers' series was a highly successful action show for children that it was shown on television around the world (including Japan, where most of the footage was borrowed from a Tokusatsu franchise and was later re-dubbed into its international broadcast). Having only seen some episodes on TV and a few video cassettes since I was very young, I’ve never forgotten how it impacted me on my childhood. Power Rangers began life as a campy kids show and then, many years later, a movie was officially announced. It’s very strange to consider 'Power Rangers' as having the big-screen treatment when there hasn’t been a film spin-off since the 1997 series, although a movie was to be based on 'Time Force' but Disney pulled the plug in its pre-production after their earlier purchase of the franchise. Deciding to skip through the newer adaptation in favour of the 2017 remake of 'Beauty and the Beast', I wasn’t exactly interested in seeing this cinematic re-telling when I was in my hometown. Then I got a chance to rent it and watched it on-demand while I was staying in Holiday Inn at Parramatta. 

'POWER RANGERS' wasn’t as colourful and cheesy as the show had been since its inception. The film was completely modernised by the filmmakers who brought back the nostalgia and added a style that was considered darker and edgier than the TV series’ standards. Fans of this franchise are biased about this new approach along with the redesigns of the Ranger outfits and Zords; being clearly divided into those criticizing it and those enjoying it. Some of the other changes proved to be very useful, had they been first conceived in the original series; including that one character Billy Cranston, who is the classic Blue Ranger (and coincidentally shares the surname of one of the movie’s supporting players) who is now an African-American with high-functioning autism.  

The casting of this movie was quite convincing in that each of these young actors are perfectly suited for the titular characters destined to save the world. They absolutely done it with hint of their inter-personal onscreen chemistry as well as starting future careers in their own. Bryan Cranston did a much simpler job in reprising the benevolence of Zordon who helps to bring the Power Rangers together and teaches them how to fight evil in their destiny. Elizabeth Banks was the only other known star who also did good in her antagonistic role of Rita Repulsa whose motivations are predictable. 

It wasn’t a financial success or a critical hit by any chance. Nothing spectacular or anything original has came up in 'POWER RANGERS' despite it being a decent film of its year. I do believe that it’s a hit-and-miss. Most non-fans like myself  naturally tend to disagree with some of the fans’ opinions of what they enjoyed the film. I’ll have to revisit most of the ongoing series and the first two films before anything new is released.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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