Metro Australia — January 2018

(avery) #1
http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195• 23

'NTQR =DN +LOGLWFK  3GD !@A@CNNJ -HQQLIHU .HQW
2014) andHKKHMF &QNTMC 'DPLHQ 3RZHU  Australian
audiences have consistently disregarded the best that we
have to offer in the genre realm. It’s a complex problem in
volving perception, marketing budgets and more, but, regard
less of"@QFN’s commercial performance, it’s already a winner
IRU 5DPNH DQG +RZOLQJBoth in their thirties, the directors
have got an impressive debut under their belts – one that,
LPSUHVVLYHO\ KDV EHHQ VHFXUHG DV WKH ĺUVW $XVWUDOLDQ ĺFWLRQ
IHDWXUH XQGHU WKH 1HWĻL[ RULJLQDOV EDQQHU^4 They’ve done all
of this on their own terms, and in a fashion that genuinely
PRYHV $XVWUDOLDQ JHQUH ĺOPPDNLQJ IRUZDUG
,Q SURPRWLRQDO PDWHULDO 5DPNH DQG +RZOLQJ UHIHU WR
"@QFNDV oDQ HOHYDWHG JHQUH ĺOPpundeniably, it’s a piece
of cinema that emphasises theme and character over, say,
YLVXDO HIIHFWV RU DFWLRQ 7KH GLUHFWRUV WHOO PH WKH\ ZHUH LQ
VSLUHG E\ WKH ODWH
HRUJH $ 5RPHURpV FODVVLF ]RPELH ĻLFNV
though"@QFNstraddles both arthouse and mainstream
aesthetics. ‘It’s not so stylised that it’s hard for people to
GLJHVW RU FRQIURQWLQJp FODULĺHV +RZOLQJ o>\HW@ QRW VR FRP
mercial that you can predict what’s happening in the next
VFHQHp 5DPNH DGGVWKDW5RPHURoGHVHUYHVDOOWKHFUHGLW
LQ}WKHZRUOGp


3GNRD kKLR G@C @ QD@KKX GD@KSGX CNRD NE RNBH@K BNLLDMS@QX
EQNL SGD ADFHMMHMF RN VDQD MNS QD@KKX HMUDMSHMF SGD VGDDK
HM SG@S QDF@QC
:!TS VD< @KRN ITRS SQHDC SN CN @ KHSSKD VNQKC
ATHKCHMF VHSG NTQ kKL @MC CN @ LNQDTMTRT@KSVHRSNMSGD
V@XSG@SNTQYNLAHDRNODQ@SD



6KH VD\V WKH\ ZHUH DOVR FDUHIXO WR QRW RYHUH[SODLQ GHWDLOV
and deliberately decided against providing an overarching
rationale for the zombies’ existence or behaviour. ‘You’re
sort of throwing the audience in the middle of it and going,
“This is what’s happening. This is the assumed knowledge.”’


7R HQG +RZOLQJ DQG 5DPNH FRQVLGHU WKH oSUREOHPp RI
EHLQJ D JHQUH ĺOPPDNHU LQ $XVWUDOLD IURP WKHLU OLPLWHG SHU
VSHFWLYH DV ĺUVWWLPH IHDWXUH GLUHFWRUV WKH\ EHOLHYH D SRVL
tive change is afoot. ‘We don’t really see enough Australians
in genre material,’ says Howling.

!TS GNODETKKX MNV @R :FDMQD< ADBNLDR LNQD OQNLHMDMS
TRSQ@KH@MR @QD RS@QSHMF SN ATX HMSN SGD KDFHSHL@BX NE HS :w<
@MC HS ITRS ADBNLDR LNQD BNLLNMOK@BD
(SR MNS KHJD ?.G
SGDQDR @M TRSQ@KH@M @SSDLOS @S@FDMQDSGHMFmHSRITRS 
?'DQDR@M TRSQ@KH@MkKL


!QHNMX *HCC HR @ EQDDK@MBD VQHSDQ @MC @M @V@QCVHMMHMF kKLL@JDQ
Her current project is a post-apocalyptic psycho-biddy thriller,
VHSG OQNCTBDQ "@SGDQHMD /DSSL@M VGHBG G@R ADDM ETMCDC ENQ
development through Screen Australia and Screen Tasmania.
She is also the director of Stranger With My Face International
%HKL %DRSHU@K VGHBG V@R ENTMCDC HM  HM 3@RL@MH@ @MC
QDBDMSKX M@LDC @R NMD NE 3GD 6NQKCR!KNNCXŭ!DRS&DMQD
Fests byMovieMaker magazine. m

Endnotes

(^1) &DXVHZD\ )LOPVCargoSUHVV NLW  S 
(^2) :DQ WRRN RQ GLUHFWRULDO GXWLHV ZLWK :KDQQHOO UHVSRQVLEOH IRU
WKH VFULSW VHH 5DFKHO :HOOV o$ 6DZ WR )LOP %DUULHUVpThe
Age  1RYHPEHU  KWWSZZZWKHDJHFRPDXQHZV
)LOP$VDZWRŷOPEDUULHUV
KWPO! DFFHVVHG  1RYHPEHU 
(^3) &DXVHZD\ )LOPV RS FLW S 
(^4) $QGUHDV :LVHPDQ o1HWŸL[ 6ZRRSV RQ :RUOG 5LJKWV WR 0DUWLQ
)UHHPDQ =RPELH 0RYLHpScreen Daily  )HEUXDU\ 
KWWSVZZZVFUHHQGDLO\FRPQHZVQHWŸL[VZRRSVRQZRUOG
ULJKWVWRPDUWLQIUHHPDQ]RPELHPRYLHDUWLFOH>,
DFFHVVHG  1RYHPEHU 
 &DXVHZD\)LOPVRSFLWS}

Free download pdf