Bloated raconteur Bob Ellis, a shambolic Australian media writer of infamous proportions and talent somehow foolishly was allowed to create, write and direct this rambling autobiography of his tedious teenage years being pestered by Seventh day Adventists and as a sloppy Uni student trying to get laid. Watching two hours of this episodic cinematic hippopotamus was so repellent for Australian audiences that it met a groaning and hissing farewell within two weeks and disappeared off screens nationwide immediately, never to be seen or heard of again. Ineptly directed (people just walking into frame from off screen...even in the middle of a field) it annoyingly does feature a wasted but talented cast all coming off second best to the verbal diarrhea script and the Laugton like strangle of the auteur. The one major piece of valid interest is in excellent but sadly unknown actor Jack Campbell who could be best described as a cross between Russell Crowe and (TVs GUARDIAN star) Simon Baker..both seen in L A CONFIDENTIAL. Why Campbell is not a major personality like Simon Baker or even Australia's lookalike Nicholas Bishop is a mystery only he and his agent can solve. Apart from lovely art direction, Campbell is the only redeeming feature of this bad nostril drama. VANILLA SKY actor Noah Taylor was made to look ridiculous by the last reel. He since has since also been seen in ALMOST FAMOUS. Ellis in 1977 wrote the script for the superb Phil Noyce directed film NEWSFRONT about Australian cine newsreel cameramen of the pre TV years. In a recent restoration of the film he apologised for being such a pain during the production of that film. He had insisted his credit be removed at the time, in a tantrum of spittle and babble,now much regretted. In the 90s he made this tripe.
Review of The Nostradamus Kid
