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teabag_mike
Reviews
The Neon Spectrum (2017)
Wonderful!
I think this is an under rated gem of Aussie cinema.
The characters are so charming you'll find yourself falling for them all. Special mentions go to all four leads. The characters start out as homeless strangers and end up as a found family. The characters and interactions might eventually bring to mind a beloved cinema classic. More on that in the spoilers below.
The music (there's a lot), cinematography and humour are all top notch for an indie feature. It looks and sounds great. It feels way bigger than its budget would lead you to believe.
The plot and structure and characters are a little unusual until the penny drops that this is a contemporary remake of the Wizard of Oz.
Something you may not pick up until late in the film. Because it doesn't hit you over the head with that fact immediately.
This film is way too clever for that.
When you do realise that you're travelling down the yellow brick road you'll begin to feel that Wizard of Oz affection for those characters creeping up on you. It's kinda like you're meeting old friends, whom you've never met before.
You also might want to are watch it from the start again. The Director and crew has hidden many, many Easter eggs within this film that Oz fans, of both the books and the film(s) will adore and love to pick out. Have some friends over and test your Wizard of Oz trivia knowledge as you watch it. Even then I don't think you get all the references. Pay attention to costumes, names and set design to spot the most obvious ones. But there are so many more.
Oh Aunty Em, there's no place like Melbourne! Take the journey I think you'll enjoy it.
Monster Pies (2013)
What a wonderful film!
I saw this film for the first time at MQFF (Melbourne Queer Film Festival) and it blew me away with it's sensitive characterizations, elegant cinematography and beautiful use of music. This film was made on a micro budget and should be used as a yard stick for other indie film makers to live up to. This movie shows what can be accomplished with determination, drive and vision.
The plot is a straight forward coming of age story and whilst we have seen this type of thing before, we've never seen it told in quiet the same way with sparse beauty and compassion. The two main leads are destined for future success if this is any indication of what they are capable of. They are both charismatic and charming. They anchor the film and give it a gravity, sense of humor and emotional core. All the support actors are outstanding as well - they range from heavy and down right nasty to quirky, off beat and genuinely funny.
The location filming in Melbourne's western suburbs gives the film a real slice of life feel that every Australian growing up in the burbs will relate to. The local area portrayed in the film becomes almost a character unto itself.
Both the score and songs are well used and add huge production value to this little film. The editing is slightly rough around the edges but it actually adds to the character of the film. I found it worked even better on a repeated viewing. We do tend to be so used to seeing bigger budget films that are slickly cut together whereas Monster Pies is a personal vision and works on a purely personal, one on one level. That is all part of the films magic.
The direction and writing from Lee Galea show a maturity and depth of understanding of both film and the subject matter. For a second feature with a tiny budget this film rocks. Lee is obviously a child of the 90's and pays loving homage to them with great attention to detail. From local video libraries to phones with cords. I for one cannot wait to see what he makes next!
Try watching this film with an open mind and heart and I think you'll walk away from it slightly changed forever. I know I have.